literature

Death Beat: Reaction and Answer

Deviation Actions

Crimson-Kaizer's avatar
Published:
494 Views

Literature Text

-Beat 2: Reactions and Answer-

~~~

Hideo let out a sigh of boredom, slowly rocking back in his chair. It had been several days since Hanzou attacked him and that not only were two of his teachers manin, but that he was one as well. It was still so very strange to him. How in the world could he, of all people, be a manin?

There wasn't anything partially special about him, save for his white hair.

Hmm.’ His mind pondered this. Could his bizarre hair color be a side effect as a manin?

Another thought entered his mind; what exactly did he know about manins? The race was so mysterious. No one seemed to have any real idea about how they came into being.

Perhaps Roda would know. He needed to speak with the man anyways.

However, before any of that he had to explain to his parents what happened several days ago and his status as a manin. A sigh escaped the teens jaw.

This was going to be a long day.

~~~

“Okay...Dont beat around the bush.” Hideo told himself. “Just tell them flat out.”   The teen took several deep breaths before slowly raising his hand to knock on his parent’s door. His heart was racing, his breathing became short. It felt as if some had a strangle hold on his lungs.  

“C-calm down, Hideo.”  He said to himself. “You can do this. No matter what happens next, mom and dad have to know about this…about me.” Taking another deep breath, the white haired teen slowly knocked on his parent’s bedroom door.

“Come in.” The calming voice of Jinin spoke.  Slowly, Hideo walked in.

“Um..G-good morning. Mother. Father.”  He said nervously.

 Saria and Jinin stared at their son as he stood in the doorway.

“Hideo are you alright? You seem a bit off.” Saria inquired. Hideo felt his muscles lock up. Looking back between his parents the young manin spoke.

“Uh, n-no. I mean, I’m okay. But…I need to speak with you both about what happened a few days ago.”  The ivory haired male sighed.

“About that…” Jinin chimed in.” We’re not happy that you lied to us, Hideo.” He spoke firmly. His gaze locked solely on the boy.  “What’s worse; you could have been killed! “ Saria added.

“Although, I never would have thought there would be an explosion at the school.” Jinin added further.

Hideo hung his head, his eyes shifting to the right. “I’m sorry. It was stupid.” 

“Yes. It was.” Saria replied.  Hideo sighed softly. The cover up story that had been given to the public was that there was a gas explosion in the hallway of the school.  Any knowledge about his, Roda, or Hanzou’s manin status was omitted.  After Hideo and Roda had been taken to the hospital, he called his parents and relayed the story Roda give him.

“But, that’s actually what I wanted to talk to you guys about.” Hideo said softly.

The older couple exchanged a glance. What could Hideo need to talk about?

Swallowing hard, the young manin spoke. “I won’t beat around the bush. The explosion that wrecked the school…wasn't an explosion.”  He began. The couple gave a perplexed look, but reminded silent. 

Hideo continued. “It…it was a manin attack.”  Saria raised a brow as Jinin cocked his head to the side.  Something about this didn’t seem right. They public had been informed about as to the reason behind school’s destruction. Yet, here was their son, telling them it was a manin who damaged the school? Saria glanced over at her husband.  Her expression was one of concern with a hint of confusion.  She could tell by Hideo’s actions and tone of speech that something was wrong with him.  Without another word Jinin spoke.

“Son…why do I have a feeling that isn't what you wanted to tell us?”  He questioned.

Hideo froze. The duo looked at him for several moments. The expressions they bore were that of deep concern. They could tell something was wrong with him. Hideo felt his heart sink. His breathing became heavy as tears slowly formed in his eyes. He couldn’t bring himself to speak any further. He couldn’t bring himself to tell them the truth.

He could disappoint them.

“Hideo,” Saira spoke calmly, walking over to her son and placing a hand on his shoulder. “Whatever it is; you can tell us.” She smiled warmly at the teen.

It was this moment that Hideo felt some of the pressure on his chest levitate.  Taking a deep inhale followed by a deep exhale, the ivory haired teen spoke.

“I…I’m… manin.”   From the utterance of those two words, the room fell silent.   A gasped escaped Saria’s lips. Jinin’s eyes grew wide with shock. Neither of their eyes left the shaking boy.  Hideo stared back at his parents, eyes filled with tears, choking out several small sobs. 

“I…I…” The teen cried, unable to speak clearly.  Why did this happen to him? Why of all people did he have to be a manin?! It wasn't fair!  Manins were monsters! It was a manin that took Norri’s father from him, a manin that attacked and injured so many people several days back. A manin that tried to take him from his home!

And he was one of them.

Falling to his knees, the teen sobbed loudly.

“I’m…I’m sorry!”  He choked out. “I’m so sorry!  I...I never wanted this! I’m a mon-“

The sobbing teen’s words were cut off by the arms of his mother.

“No, you aren't!” She yelled. “You are nothing like those other manin!”

Jinin walked over to his sobbing son and knelt beside him. Placing a hand of the boys head, he said.

“Hideo, listen.” He began. “It does not matter to us whether you’re a manin or a human.  All that matters is that you are our son and we will always love you; no matter what.”  Without another word, the older Kurogane male wrapped his arms around the boy.

Hideo was left speechless by the response of his parents.  Despite his status as a manin, they still loved him.  This over whelmed the boy, causing him to sob harder.

Saria held the boy tighter. “You have nothing to be sorry for, Hideo.”  She cooed, rubbing his back.

Breaking the hug, the white haired manin wiped his eyes.  “Mom, Dad, thank you.”  Hideo smiled warmly.

Jinin shook his head. “You don’t need to thank us, son.”  Saria extended her hand, helping her son back to his feet. His chest felt lighter, breathing returned to normal.   

“So,” Saria began.” Do you feel better?” Hideo nodded, wiping some remaining tears from his cheeks.

Hideo smiled. He felt so incredible relived, As if a great burden had been lifted from him.

However, another thought had accrued to him. Someone else needed to inform of his manin status. 

He needed to tell Norii. A lump formed in his throat. The thought of revealing this to his best friend, someone who has made his dislike of manin vocal, terrified him.

“Norii.” He muttered quietly.  His mutters caught the attention of Saria.

“Is something wrong?” She asked, in a concerned tone.

Hideo nodded. “Yes. I have to speak with Norii. I’m positive he’s been worried about me.”

“That reminds me.” Jinin spoke up. “Norii called a few days back. He wanted to check up on you.”

Hideo felt his throat go dry.  Of course Norii would be worried about him. He had avoided the poor boy for the better half of a week. It would only make sense that he would want to talk.

Which made the young manin all the more nervous.

Fear grasped his chest once more. The ivory haired teen felt this was going to be very difficult.

~~~

The sound of laptop keys echoed throughout a small apartment room. At a desk near the window sat a green haired man, adamantly typing away.

After a few seconds the man halted his writing. Heaving a sigh, he leaned back in his chair.

“This report is longer than it should be.” He huffed.  “I need a break.” Removing himself from the desk, Roda opened a draw, looking for his keys. Out of the corner of his eye his glaze fell upon a small white vertical box.

Picking up the box he recognized it as being Shu’s cigarettes. He sighed. That man could be so absent minded.  A smile formed on his lips.

Heh. It’s been a while since I had one.’ Roda thought to himself.  ‘Not since…’  His smile slowly faded with the new thought that spawned.  The jade eyed male took a cigarette and placed one in his mouth as he walked out of the door.

Just like old times, eh Maya?

~~~

Roda walked down the busily streets of Osaka, taking in the lovely sites of the city. He missed this city, this country.  There have been many times Roda wishes he could just stroll around his home country.  Not having to worry about manins or anything of the like. Just parade through the town and enjoy the beauty of it all.

Roda pace decreased slightly. It was so rare that he got a chance to take a walk. He wanted to cherish it. Continuing at his new pace, Roda felt a wave of nostalgia wash over him as he walked faint memories of a younger version of himself walking down the street.  A sad smile crossed his lips as he lowered his hat.

Maya would have loved this, he thought. She always loved site seeing. It was because of her that he took a liking to the hobby.  With a steady exhale, the jade haired manin continued his trek.

~~~

Hideo paced around his room in a panic running his hands through his snow white hair. He took several quick glances at his phone mentally debating as to what he should do.  While he did want to talk with his concerned friend, the fear of Norii’s reaction prevented this.  Hideo knew that he could not avoid Norii for much longer. Eventually, he would show up, and they would have to talk about his absents.

The same feeling of dread returned as Hideo grabbed his chest.  His breathing once more became harsh. Taking in several deep breaths Hideo attempted to calm himself. 

“I…I need to calm-“the ringing of his phone caused the teen to yelp in fear, making his breathing worsen. He quickly scampered to answer his phone.

“H-hello?”

“Hideo!? Hey! How have you been, man!?”  The voice on the other side froze Hideo solid.

“Hi, Norii.” He spoke as his throat went dry. “Sorry I haven’t talked with you in the past few days. I've…been distracted.”  

“I’ll bet! Almost getting caught in an explosion would drain anybody! Still, I’ve been worried about you. “Norii said. 

“Well, I’ve got some time now. So, we can talk.”  Hideo replied.

“Great! You want me to come over?”  Norii asked.

“Uh…” Hideo’s mind went blank.  Norii’s reaction to his reveal would cause issues if his parents heard them. They needed to be alone.

“Uh, that’s not a good idea. My parents have some company, and I don’t want to disturb them.” He lied.

“Oh…Well, where do you wanna meet?”

Hideo thought for a moment. They need a place where they could talk in peace. The only place that came to mind was…

“How about the old hangout?”  Hideo suggested.

Norii let a loud chuckle from his end.  “It’s been a while since we’ve been there, huh? Alright, I’ll meet you there in 30 minutes, okay?” 

“Okay, see you there.”  Without another word, the ivory haired teen hung up his phone.  Clutching his phone Hideo sighed before flopping onto his bed. He had 30 minutes to figure a way to break the news to Norii.

~~~

The two teens stood before an open lot. Tucked away near the back of said lot was a medium size wooden shack.  Venturing inside, the shack held an old couch, a few chairs scattered about, and several posters of various items covered the walls.  On the right side on the entrance was a dart board with several darts still in it. Under it was a score board that read “Nori-17 Hideo-30”

“Man, it’s been a while since we’ve been here, huh?” Norii gave a relaxed sigh.  Hideo stare longingly at the shack a wave of nostalgia washing over him.

“Yeah. “ Hideo replied softly. “You never did beat my score in darts, did you?” 

“Of course not! You’re insanely good when it comes to darts!”  Norii chuckled causing Hideo to follow suit.

In the back of his mind, Hideo knew he was only delaying their talk.

“How about we play a quick game?” Norii suggested.  Hideo nodded in response, offering a warm smile.

Collecting the darts from the board Hideo passed four of them to Norii. The two boys stood a few feet away from the board.

“First one to hit the center wins, okay?”  Hideo nodded smiling wildly.

Norii threw his first dart it landing in the top of the 20 point marker. He threw three more times each one failing it hit its mark.  Chuckling, Hideo took the place of his chubby friend and with one throw, hit the bull’s eye.

“I don’t know why I thought this time would be different.” Norii sighed, hanging his head. “You always win at darts.”

Hideo let out a hearty laugh taking a seat in one of the nearby chairs while Norii sat on the couch. “I know. It seems like darts is only thing I’m really good at!”

“So,” Norii began. “You wanted to talk about something?”  Hideo swallowed hard avoiding Norii’s gaze.

A lump formed in his throat. His palms began to sweat, his breath once more becoming short.

“Hideo? Are you all right?” Norii asked voice filled with concern.  Hideo nodded taking a few deep breaths.  “I’m fine…just…a little…panicked.” 

“About what?” Norii questioned, eye brow raised.  Hideo sighed. He couldn't drag this out any long, nor did he want to.  Looking up to face Norii, Hideo finally spoke.

“Norii…I need to tell you something.”   Norii’s face lost some color. Hideo’s tone was much different from before. No long was it relaxed and playful. Now, it was filled with dread and melancholy.  This caused Norii’s chest to tighten. Whatever Hideo wanted to tell him,it scared him.

“It’s…about what happened a few days back. You know the story about the school? How reports say that it was because of a gas line exploding?”  Norii nodded slowly, his gaze fixed on the white haired teen.

“It wasn’t a gas line…it was a manin.”  Norii’s face paled from the news.  A manin attacked their school! A manin almost killed his best friend!

“THOSE GODDAMN MONSTERS!” Norii screamed.” It’s bad enough they hurt people on a regular basis, but now…now they attack my school, and get my best friend killed!”  Norii clenched his fist, walking in a circle.  Hideo stared at his friend, fear gripping him once again. “At least you’re not too hurt, eh?”

Hideo slowly nodded. He thought for a moment that maybe he should tell Norii it was their teacher, Hanzou, who was reasonable for the damage before reconsidering.  Shaking his head free of the though, he continued. “There’s…something else.” Norii halted his trek around the shack, turning back to face Hideo.  “When I was there, the manin attacked me. During that, I…found something out about myself.” Norii’s face grimaces. “Found out what?”

Standing up from the chair, Hideo took a few steps forward, and with a shaky exhale said;

“I found out…that I’m a manin.” 

The room went dead silent. Hideo gaze at Norii, trying to read him and, hopefully, gauge his reaction.

Norii started at his friend with wide eyes. His mind running several miles a minutes trying to assets what had just been made know to him. Hideo Kurogane. His best friend, someone he had known for most of his life…was a manin.  Images of that day replayed in his mind. The hulking manin, his father and the other cops fighting it, him and Hideo running away, and his father screams.  The knowledge of his friend being of the same race of the monster that took his father from him, it was too much for him to bear.

“Hehehe.” Norii chuckled. “R-right, you've never had much of a funny bone.”  

Hideo gave a confused glance at his friend. Did he not hear anything that was said?

 “What?”  Hideo questioned. “Did you not hear me, at all?”

“I did, which is how I knew you’re just kidding around.” Norii chuckled to himself, avenging Hideo’s gaze.

Hideo didn’t know how to feel presently. On the one hand, Norii didn't explode like he originally believed. However, from the tone of his voice and his action, Norii was clearly in denial.  

“What’s wrong with you!?” Hideo snapped, slightly annoyed. “Nothing’s wrong!” Norii shot back. “Apart from you having a terrible sense of humor!” 

“I’m not joking, Norii!” Hideo clenched his teeth, eyes briefly flashing white. “I’m actually a-“

Norii shot up of the couch his fist clenched tightly. “Save it, Kurogane!”  Norii brushed by the taller teen heading for the exit. “When you’re ready to stop joking about this, call me! Till the-“

“I’M SERIOUS!” Hideo screeched his brows formed into a furious leer.

Hideo was nearing his breaking point. Was Norii this angry at manin that he wouldn’t even acknowledge him as one?

“I understand how you must feel about all this, Norii.” He began.” But, ignoring it won’t help! Please, Norii. You are my best friend! I…” Hideo paused briefly, water pricking the side of his eyes. “I don’t want to lose you.”

Norii remained silent eyes facing the ground.  There was a slight pain in his chest; A familiar pain. The same pain he felt two years ago.

Slowly, he turned to face Hideo. The boy’s face convening a myriad of emotion; the most prevalent of which were confusion, anger, and sorrow.

Finally after what felt like an eternity Norii spoke. “Hideo…I…I…I just need some time away from you.”  Those words hurt the white haired manin more than anything else could.  Hideo stared at his friend as he left, tear streaming down his face. Once Norii had disappeared, he fell to his knees for the second time this day and sobbed quietly.

~~~

The walk home for Hideo was a painful one. His mind stuck on what Norii said to him. He needed time away from him.  Hide didn’t know how to feel. Should he be angry? Sad? Relived?  It was all so confusing for him. The only thing he took some solace in was that Norii (hopefully) didn't hate him.

However, his day was not over yet. Opening the door to his home Hideo quickly made his way towards his room, ignoring the calls of his parents.  Once inside, he collapsed on his bed, and took his phone out.

He quickly scrolled thought his contacts until he reached the number of Tamashii Roda.

“I didn’t think I’d be calling you so soon, sensei.” He mumbled quietly calling the number.

After a brief few moments, a voice answered the other side.

“Good evening, Kurogane-kun.” Roda greeted calmly.  “Good evening, sensei.” He greeted back.

“I thought about what you told me, about that Death Beat place.”   Roda raised a brow before speaking.

“I see…and?”  Hideo paused momentarily. He took a few more seconds to think his final decision. He remembered what Rod told him previously about the potential he has and the good he can do. He wanted to show Norii that. He needed to show his friend the good he could do with these powers.

So, with one final sigh Hideo responded.

“I’ve decided to take your offer.”  Roda’s eyebrow rose slightly before a smile appeared on his face.

With a relaxed chuckle the jade eyed male said.

“Hideo Kurogane….Let me be the first to welcome you to Death Beat.”

Beat 2 end.

Sweet Pine crest Zaraki Jesus, this took longer than it should have!

Anyway, chapter 2!

Thanks once again to my good friend, :iconsharingan-shinobi:

Now on to chapter three....at some point.
© 2015 - 2024 Crimson-Kaizer
Comments1
Join the community to add your comment. Already a deviant? Log In
Sharingan-Shinobi's avatar
"Sweet Pine crest Zaraki Jesus" - That was beautiful. X""D

You're welcome bro~ This was a really enjoyable chapter~ You did a great job on Hideo's conflict~

I hope things turn out well between him and Norii.

Can't wait to see more about Death Beat~