Xiao Wen whipped his head around. Standing silhouetted in the doorway, leaning against the frame with an insouciant air, was Yukinari Yugensha. His signature medium-length, side-parted blond hair was slightly messy. He wore his usual white tank top, the key-shaped earring dangling from one lobe catching the dim light. A smirk played on his lips, predatory and amused.
"What's got you so flustered?" Yukinari drawled, his voice dripping with mock innocence."Stuff every guy does, right?" He pushed off the doorframe and sauntered into the room."What's so interesting about *that*?"
Xiao Wen's face flushed crimson, a wave of scalding shame washing over him. He fumbled desperately with his belt, his fingers clumsy. He glanced up just in time to see Yukinari bypass him entirely, his attention already snagged by the phone lying conspicuously on Xiao Wen's small desk. Yukinari picked it up casually, his thumb already swiping across the cracked screen.
Panic, cold and absolute, seized Xiao Wen's chest. His heart seemed to stutter, then pound against his ribs like a trapped bird. He yanked his trousers up, fumbling the button closed, and lunged forward, hands outstretched.
"Give it back! Give it back *now*!"
Yukinari merely scoffed, a dismissive"Tch!" escaping him. He held the phone aloft, far above Xiao Wen's reach. At nearly six feet tall, Yukinari towered over Xiao Wen. Even jumping, Xiao Wen's fingertips couldn't brush the device Yukinari held tilted just out of grasp. It was a calculated, cruel game of keep-away.
Xiao Wen's expression finally shifted. The shame and panic burned away, replaced by a cold, seething fury that contorted his features. His voice, when it came, was low and dangerous, vibrating with suppressed rage.
"Yukinari Yugensha!!!"
Yukinari remained utterly unfazed. He barely glanced at Xiao Wen, his focus entirely on the phone's screen. His eyes scanned the frozen, dimly lit image.
"Meh. What's the big deal?" he muttered, his tone bored."Crappy voyeur vids like this? The net's flooded with'em." He tilted the phone slightly, squinting."And this one's crap quality anyway. Awful angle. Shit lighting…"
*Yukinari Yugensha…*
The name echoed in Xiao Wen's mind, layered with complex, bitter emotions.
*The delinquent I once admired…*
The thought was immediate, followed by a reluctant, painful admission:
*The delinquent I still envy…*
"Whoa, hold up a sec…" Yukinari's bored expression sharpened into sudden interest. He peered closer at the screen, then slowly turned his head, his gaze locking onto Xiao Wen's panicked eyes. A knowing smirk spread across his face."This guy… isn't this…?"
"N-no… you've… you've got the wrong person…" Xiao Wen stammered, his throat constricting. Cold sweat beaded on his forehead and trickled down his spine. Every instinct screamed *deny, deny, deny!*
"Oh?" Yukinari's smirk widened, becoming positively vulpine. He held the phone up again, tapping the screen meaningfully."Looks like I hit the nail on the head. That's the konbini manager, isn't it? Old Man Higashino?"
The confirmation, spoken aloud, was like a physical blow. Xiao Wen saw red. Caution evaporated. He gathered every ounce of strength and launched himself upwards, not for the phone this time, but aiming a vicious slap at Yukinari's hand holding it.
***SMACK!***
The sound was sharp and final. The phone flew from Yukinari's grasp, arcing through the air before crashing screen-first onto the hard floor. A sickening *crack* echoed in the small room. The spiderweb of fractures instantly bloomed across the display, obscuring the frozen, degrading image beneath its shattered surface before the screen finally went dark.
…
The night deepened outside Xiao Wen's small window. A thick bank of clouds drifted across the sky, swallowing the bright moon whole, plunging the streets below into deeper shadow.
Haruto Town sprawled beneath the obscured sky. Rows of mismatched houses, each with its own distinct silhouette, crowded together. Beyond them, the distant silhouettes of skyscrapers pierced the gloom, their glass facades lit from within by countless cold, square windows, resembling a grid of frozen light. On the streets below, the red tail lights of late-night traffic stretched into long, glowing ribbons, converging and diverging like rivers of molten lava, ferrying people towards districts pulsing with neon and the promise of fleeting pleasures.
The flickering neon sign of the Haruto Convenience Store hung askew on its bracket. Only two characters glowed erratically: the one for"Convenience"(便) flickered weakly, while the one for"Profit"(利) remained stubbornly dark. Tonight, sleep would be a stranger to at least one soul.
**Futaba-cho Apartments, Room 304.**
The small, boxy apartment was defined by cheap, white-painted metal window frames set into faded red brick walls. Yukinari sat backwards on Xiao Wen's only chair, his legs straddling the seat, his arms resting casually on the backrest. A cigarette dangled precariously from his lips. The dim light from a single overhead bulb cast deep shadows under his eyes, giving his handsome face a distinctly sinister cast. His smile was thin and predatory.
"So…" he exhaled a plume of smoke, the tendrils curling lazily towards the ceiling."That video… you shot it yesterday?"
"..."
Xiao Wen sat rigidly on the edge of his narrow bed, directly opposite Yukinari. His face was a sickly palette– pale beneath a fading blush, tinged with a greenish cast from nausea and fear. He remained silent, staring at a fixed point on the worn tatami mat between them.
Yukinari Yugensha. What *was* their relationship? Acquaintances? Neighbors? Something vaguely resembling… friends? They lived in the same dilapidated apartment complex. Yukinari had started dropping by Xiao Wen's place occasionally, a habit that had become markedly more frequent in recent weeks. Xiao Wen had never hung out with Yukinari and his crew, never joined their escapades. Yet, here Yukinari was, in his room, holding the shattered remains of his secret over him.
"That fucking bitch…" Yukinari spat the words out like poison, grinding his cigarette butt against the chair's wooden back. His eyes narrowed into slits, fixed on Xiao Wen."Putting on that pure, innocent act…" He took another drag, the ember flaring briefly."But hey, you lucked out, kid."
"Huh?" Xiao Wen blinked, confused.
"You…" Yukinari leaned forward slightly, the predatory gleam intensifying in his narrowed eyes."You've been itching to get into Momonogi Nana's pants for ages, haven't you?"
"*What?*" The question hit Xiao Wen like a physical blow, leaving him reeling.
Before Xiao Wen could process the crude accusation, Yukinari did something bizarre. He suddenly popped the entire cigarette– filter, paper, and burning ember– into his mouth. Xiao Wen flinched, horrified. Yukinari held it there for a second, his cheeks bulging grotesquely, then pushed it back out with his tongue. The soggy filter stuck to his tongue for a moment before he spat it partially out, the tip still glowing red. Then, with a revolting display of oral fixation, he repeated the process: stuffing the cigarette in, pushing it out with his tongue, letting the filter stick, spitting it partially free.
"Glog-glog… Glog-glog… Glog-glog!!!" A wet, sucking sound accompanied each disgusting cycle.
"What the hell are you *doing*?" Xiao Wen stared, a mixture of disgust and profound bewilderment twisting his features. It was ludicrous, grotesquely childish.
Yukinari finally stopped, plucking the sodden, mangled cigarette from his mouth. He held it pinched between thumb and forefinger, a thin trail of saliva connecting it to his lips. His gaze locked back onto Xiao Wen's, sharp and unnervingly perceptive."Don't play dumb, kid. I know. I've known for a long time." He tapped his temple with his free hand."Every time you sneak a peek at her, your eyes go all red. Like a damn rabbit."
"It's… it's not what you think," Xiao Wen protested weakly, his cheeks burning again. He forced himself to meet Yukinari's gaze."I just…"
"Bullshit!" Yukinari cut him off, a harsh laugh escaping him–"*Ufufufu!*"– He seemed genuinely amused by Xiao Wen's discomfort, deriving satisfaction from his squirming. He tilted his head back at a 45-degree angle, taking another drag from the ruined cigarette, the smoke wreathing his smug face.
Xiao Wen sat frozen on the bed, engulfed in a wave of excruciating embarrassment and frustration.*Is it really that obvious? Can everyone see it?* He recoiled from the thought.*No… no, he's wrong. It's not like that.* He mentally scrambled for justification.*I just… imagine walking with Peach Sis. Maybe seeing a movie. If I were really lucky… maybe holding her arm?* The fantasy flickered weakly.*And if the stars aligned… a kiss…?* For a moment, the familiar warmth of the impossible dream washed over him, a brief refuge from the current humiliation.
"This," Yukinari declared, gesturing vaguely towards the shattered phone on the floor,"is your golden ticket. Your one shot. Don't fuck it up."
"What?" Xiao Wen snapped back to the grim reality.
"Show her that video." Yukinari's voice dropped, becoming conspiratorial, persuasive."Show her what you caught her doing. She'll do *anything* you want after that. Guaranteed."
A treacherous spark ignited deep within Xiao Wen. A flicker of dark possibility. He quickly smothered it, grasping for an excuse."But… the phone… it's broken…"
"Idiot!" Yukinari scoffed, bending down effortlessly to scoop up the damaged device. He shook it near his ear, then pressed the power button. A faint glow emanated from the cracked screen."See? Just the screen's busted, and maybe the battery connector's loose. Here." He thrust the phone towards Xiao Wen.
Xiao Wen took it numbly. The plastic casing felt unnaturally hot against his palm, like a piece of radioactive slag. In that moment, he fervently wished it *were* completely dead, beyond repair."Peach Sis… she's not that kind of person…" he whispered, the defense sounding hollow even to his own ears.
Yukinari spat the mangled cigarette butt onto Xiao Wen's floor."*Peach Sis* my ass!" he sneered, his voice thick with contempt."You saw her! Saw what she was letting that greasy, middle-aged sack of lard do to her! And you still call her *sis*?" He leaned in, his voice dripping with venom."If she's letting *that* happen, it means she's a slut. A common whore. Anyone can have her."
"That's not true!" Xiao Wen burst out, his head snapping up, defiance warring with the shameful image burned into his mind. He looked down again, his voice dropping to a murmur, his cheeks flushing anew."There… there must be a reason… Maybe… maybe she was forced? And… her family… they're really poor…" He was grasping at straws, trying to reconcile the angel in his fantasy with the woman in the video.
***THUD!***
Yukinari's fist, bunched like a hammer, shot out with shocking speed and force. It connected squarely with Xiao Wen's face. Pain exploded across Xiao Wen's nose. A hot, metallic gush flooded his mouth and nostrils. He reeled backwards, clutching his face, blood streaming freely between his fingers, his complexion turning a sickly grey-green.
"God, you piss me off!" Yukinari snarled, shaking his stinging knuckles."Still making excuses for that bitch?" He glared down at Xiao Wen, who was hunched over, trying to stem the flow of blood."Fine. Don't believe me? Then prove it. Play the video for her. Right in front of her face. See how she reacts. See what kind of'person' she really is."
"I… I won't," Xiao Wen gasped through the blood clogging his nose. He wiped his face with his sleeve, leaving a crimson smear."I'll… I'll delete it."
"Suit yourself!" Yukinari threw his hands up in mock surrender, the picture of indifference. He pushed himself up from the chair, towering over the bleeding Xiao Wen."But she's *not* that person you've got built up in your head. Remember that."
Xiao Wen looked up at Yukinari, his eyes bloodshot above his swollen, bloody nose. His gaze held a fragile mixture of desperate conviction and a silent plea."Peach Sis… she really isn't like that. So… please… don't tell anyone. Don't spread this around."
Yukinari paused by the door, his hand on the knob. He looked back, meeting Xiao Wen's pleading eyes. A slow, unsettling smile spread across his face. It didn't reach his cold eyes."Alright, alright. Fine." He raised his right hand, palm out, in a gesture that could have been a pledge or a mockery of one."I swear. Cross my heart. I won't breathe a word. Won't tell a single soul. Not even the guys." He leaned against the doorframe, adopting a casual, almost noble pose."After all, the most important thing out here…" He thumped his chest lightly."…is honor among thieves, right?*Giri*, man."
Seeing that Xiao Wen remained stubbornly resistant, Yukinari seemed to finally give up. He shrugged, the picture of nonchalance."Later, then." He turned the doorknob.
As Yukinari stepped into the doorway, his back momentarily filling the frame, Xiao Wen felt a sudden, cold prickle of unease. He stared at the broad shoulders, the blond head silhouetted against the dim hallway light.
*Strange… He stayed longer than usual tonight. And why was he pushing so hard? Why did he care?*
An unnameable dread settled in Xiao Wen's gut. Cold sweat beaded anew on his forehead, mingling with the drying blood.*Please, let me be wrong. Let it just be paranoia.*
Because one thing Xiao Wen knew with absolute certainty: Yukinari Yugensha was *not* a man to be trusted. He was a viper coiled in cheap denim.
The only small comfort, the only shred of hope, was the knowledge that Yukinari's reputation was as tarnished as his own. Who would believe the notorious liar and braggart, especially about something like this?
***Click.***
The door closed softly. Yukinari leaned his back against the thin wood separating him from Xiao Wen. The cheap plywood door felt flimsy, a laughably inadequate barrier between two worlds. On one side, Xiao Wen sat hunched on his bed in the stark, unforgiving light of the single bulb, the shattered phone a heavy weight in his hand. On the other side, Yukinari stood in the near-total darkness of the apartment building corridor, illuminated only by a distant, flickering emergency exit sign.
Both raised their phones simultaneously.
Xiao Wen's thumb hovered over the screen. His cracked display illuminated a prompt:**Delete this video?**[Cancel][Delete]. His finger trembled millimeters above the [Delete] button. His breath hitched. The image of Momonogi Nana's smile warred violently with the fragmented, degrading scene burned into his memory. Deletion promised a return to the fragile fantasy, a chance to pretend he'd never seen, never known. But could he ever unknow it?
On the other side of the door, bathed in the cool, blue glow of his own undamaged phone screen, Yukinari's thumb wasn't hovering. It was decisively pressing. A notification glowed:**Backup Complete. File Saved: storage/DCIM/Konbini_Secret.mov**. A slow, predatory smile spread across his face, unseen in the darkness. It was the smile of a spider whose web has finally caught something far more valuable than a fly. Possession. Leverage. Power.
Both smiled in that suspended moment, separated only by inches of cheap wood and a universe of intent. One smiled with the fragile hope of erasing a nightmare. The other smiled with the cold satisfaction of having captured one.