Once they were far enough away from the house, Katsuya let out a sigh of relief, feeling his heart beating wildly in his chest.
'We did it.'
Right now he didn't want to think of the repercussions if he was caught, he just wanted to go and enjoy himself.
"Where are we going first bro?" Kiyoshi asked, practically bouncing as he walked alongside him.
"Maybe the Arcade?"
"Arcade!? How boring… I was thinking the brothel or something." His elder brother said, his disappointment evident in his tone.
Katsuya shook his head, "You think Dad won't have people at those kinds of places? Use your head."
"Ah…"
It seemed that Kiyoshi finally understood the situation they were in. Just because they had escaped the house, didn't mean they couldn't be caught while outside.
"I guess the Arcade it is." He replied, though he didn't seem to happy about it.
As they arrived at the train station, Katsuya saw a figure waiting alone, looking down at her phone. His eyes lit up as he saw the beautiful and familiar features, causing his heartbeat to quicken.
'Ai? What's she doing here?' he thought.
"Oh wow she's cute." Kiyoshi said, pointing to Ai at the entrance of the train station.
She was wearing a pink skirt and white top, her black hair shining in the sunlight. Even though her head was lowered, it was clear that she was attractive.
Katsuya stopped in place, causing his brother to almost crash into him.
"Man what the hell?" Kiyoshi complained.
Katsuya ignored him, his eyes locked onto Ai's figure. He had been trying for a long time to win her over with his charm, yet she was a tough nut to crack.
"Wait… Don't tell me that's the girl."
Kiyoshi's face morphed, a grin forming on his face. Despite being a little slow in other areas, his elder brother excelled in matters concerning the opposite sex.
If it wasn't for his chubby figure right now, Katsuya would call himself inferior in comparison.
Yet before Katsuya could reply, a tall figure appeared from the train station exit and tapped Ai on the shoulder.
Ai raised her head and saw the man, quickly diving into his embrace and sharing a passionate kiss for the world to see.
Both Katsuya and Kiyoshi's jaw's dropped, not expecting the scene.
'Who is that guy? Is it her boyfriend?' Katsuya clenched his fists tightly, feeling a pain in his heart.
His mind began to slowly unravel, a vicious expression forming on his face.
He was so focused on the two that he hadn't noticed his brother also seething.
"You don't mess with an Adachi's property…" Kiyoshi muttered, making a beeline towards the two, an air of violence surrounding him.
However, Katsuya reached out and grabbed his arm, halting him in place.
"What are you doing?" Kiyoshi said, turning his burning gaze towards his little brother.
"Leave it… She was never mine in the first place."
"…"
Katsuya felt a great sorrow in his heart having learned the truth.
When Ai had first arrived at the school, he had seen her as a trophy. She was a woman that only he was worthy of having.
Yet as time passed and he continued to observe her, Katsuya had felt his feeling change little by little. While the desire to make her his woman had never relented, his rationale had shifted.
Ai wasn't some girl who he could just claim like all the others, she was different.
Unknowingly, he had fallen for her.
"Katsu…"
Kiyoshi stared at him, his features softening. His earlier anger was gone, replaced with a sympathetic look, yet Katsuya felt it was too close to pity.
By the time he had recovered from the setback, Ai and the tall figure had already disappeared.
"Let's go… I'm not wasting this small chance of freedom over some girl." He said, though a hint of sorrow was still evident in his tone.
"Mmm." Kiyoshi nodded.
The two continued walking, though the atmosphere was somber. The earlier excitement had vanished, almost like it was never there in the first place.
They turned into an alley, planning on shaving off some time.
"S-STOP IT!"
A scream came out from deeper inside the alley, causing the two to freeze in place.
"Ai?" Katsuya's face darkened after hearing the cry.
Without thinking, he sprinted forwards towards the sound, his heart beating wildly.
"Wait Katsu!"
The sound of his brothers voice trailed from behind him, but he ignored it. There was only one thing on his mind, saving Ai.
As he rounded the corner, it took a moment to realize what was happening in front of him.
He saw Ai's figure against the wall, shielded by the tall man he'd seen earlier. He was facing 3 assailants who seemed to be enjoying themselves.
At a quick glance, he couldn't recognize who they were, which was odd since his father employed most of the thugs around Tokyo.
"Stop what you're doing!" He yelled, already sprinting towards the scene.
Before anyone could react, he sent a flying kick towards the closest thug, sending him to the ground instantly.
Just as he was about to turn and see if Ai was okay, he felt a sudden pain in his side, causing him to let out a yelp and double over.
His eyes moved to another one of the thugs who was holding a metal baseball bat and instantly knew what had happened.
From the intense pain in his side, he wouldn't be surprised if his ribs were broken.
"The boss only told us to take the tall guy, what do we do with this pretty boy?" One of the thugs asked.
The guy who Katsuya had sent to the ground earlier with his fly kick stood up, his face red with anger.
THWACK
He sent a punch directly into Katsuya's face, causing his vision to swim.
"Take that bastard too." He said, spitting on the downed teen.
The last thing Katsuya saw before he lost consciousness was Ai's panicked face as the tall guy was beaten in front of her.
'I'm sorry Ai, I couldn't protect you.'