Freedom

Hello and thank you for clicking on my story!

First of all, I want to start by saying that this story contains sensitive themes for some readers, including:

- bullying

- homelessness

- violence

- homophobia

- drug and alcohol use

- sexual intercourse

- sexual abuse

- mention of child sexual abuse

- mental illness

- suicide

Please read at your own risk, if you find any of these topics triggering.

Last but not least, this story progresses a bit slowly at the beginning. I hope you can keep up with it after the first few chapters.

(Twelve years old)

"Natsuo? Are you listening?" A woman's concerned voice asked.

Dark blue eyes stared at emptiness as he was deep in thought and hadn't listened to anything he had been told for thirty minutes. He stayed silent, unmoving, and lost in his own world.

"It can't continue like this. You know that, don't you?"

"Listen to your mother!" Masashi Nakashima screamed and hit his hand on the table, waking him up.

He raised his eyes to his adoptive parents with a lazy look on his face.

A tight line of anger ran down Masashi's lips as his eyes squinted behind square eyeglasses. His mother Noriko looked mournful in the background. A few brown hair strands fell in front of her eyes as she lowered her face.

"What now?" Natsuo asked, his fake smile not entirely convincing.

Masashi's right eye twitched in response, clearly not satisfied with his son's behavior.

"This is disappointing. You've been doing this for a while now and this will stop now," Masashi grunted and glanced at Natsuo's diploma again.

The first thing he did was call the teacher to see if there was something wrong with the printer. Possibly Natsuo's degree was mixed up with another student's, or perhaps the teacher was just delusional - he refused to believe that every mediocre grade was correct.

"I will check each of your assignments and give you additional homework. You will not leave this room until everything is done and approved," Masashi told him with a serious frown.

"Failure to follow my instructions will result in serious consequences," he warned sternly.

Natsuo snorted.

"Get your schoolbooks here," Masashi ordered and pointed upstairs.

Natsuo rolled his eyes and shook his head, but reluctantly made his way to the second floor, following Masashi's commands. His "Do not disturb" sign fell to the ground after he slammed the bedroom door so hard.

He changed from his dull school uniform into comfortable ripped clothes, which he had secretly bought for himself. In Masashi's opinion, Natsuo should dress moderately and blend in with the crowd. He hated his adopted son's shaggy hair and had threatened to shave it off if he didn't start combing it. In other words, he wanted him to be the kind of person that Natsuo himself despised - boring, bland, and without an attitude.

Despite his warnings and threats, Natsuo continued to strive for a style of self-expression, disregarding his father's opinions.

After locking his door, Natsuo retreated to lie in his unmade bed. He wore his headphones and turned on the music - another thing his adoptive father hated, as he thought such unsophisticated yelling distracted him from his studies.

Masashi banged on the door and yelled threats while Natsuo played with his phone. He turned up the volume even louder and tried to drift away from that dreary reality.

The door's lock was twisted open and Masashi stepped into his messy bedroom. His cruel face and authoritative presence filled the space, bringing with it a wave of tension and anxiety.

"I gave you a warning."

He was unyielding, his voice stern and unforgiving as he spoke. After untying his belt, he was about to demonstrate how psychical discipline would make his unruly son obey if verbal instructions weren't enough. To emphasize his point, he gave a sharp tug to the belt, causing a loud snap that reverberated throughout the room.

(A year later)

As the sun dipped below the horizon, the neon lights of Shibuya illuminated the sky in a dazzling display of color. Natsuo had sneaked out of his room and planned to spend Friday night with his classmates in the vibrant district.

During the evening they committed minor acts of vandalism and begged passers-by for cigarettes, managing to get a couple of them from a local drunkard.

Unabashedly, they lit up cigarettes, amused by the disapproving glares they were receiving.

"Oh, look who's coming," one of them said with a chuckle.

A young boy from their class with brown hair walked towards them. He never said much, but always seemed to watch and observe everything around him. As he had always been a shy outsider, other pupils began to refer to him as a ghost.

Natsuo grinned and told his friends to keep quiet. They hid behind a corner and awaited the boy's approach.

The boy walked slowly, looking around him vigilantly as if searching for something.

Natsuo threw his burning cigarette at the boy's chest when he was close enough. The boy was startled and his eyes were wide with fear as he turned to look at them. The group of boys had a malicious glint in their eyes, confirming their intent to cause harm.

"Don't be in my cigarette's way," Natsuo snorted at the boy, who mumbled apologizing. His mischievous expression made it clear he would not accept his apology.

"That's not quite enough."

The boy looked at him timidly.

"Go get some beer for us," Natsuo said and pointed to the store behind them. With a satisfied grin on his face, he watched the boy hurry away to fulfill his request.

In anticipation of what would happen next, Natsuo and his friends sat outside and laughed. Would the cashier throw him out, kick him out, or scream at him so loudly that all of Shibuya would hear?

Eventually, the boy returned with something under his coat. Natsuo was shocked to see the boy hand them three cans of beer.

His disappointment was evident as he slowly shook his head and sighed:

"You took the wrong brand..."

The boy's face widened in terror as he stepped back, edging away from them even further.

"Get the right one," Natsuo said, opening the can and taking a gulp. His voice was cold and serious, leaving no doubt that he meant what he said.

"B-But..."

He was about to say something, but a single narrowing look from Natsuo was enough to make him stop.

"Well... if you bow to us, we might forgive you", Natsuo said thoughtfully as the boys giggled behind him.

Without hesitation, he kneeled down and placed his forehead on the dirty ground. Natsuo nodded pleased with the boy's quick response, and the group of boys cheered in delight.

With the tip of his shoe, he lifted the boy's chin to see his fearful and frightened expression.

"Don't move, little ghost," Natsuo said, pouring beer into the boy's face. He shriveled when the cold drink wet his hair.

Natsuo let out a sinister chuckle and threw the empty can away.

"See you on Monday at school, Jiro."

(Three years later)

The boarding school counselor smiled like a wooden horse at Natsuo when he got out of the car.

"My name is Aya, and this is your new home!" She wished syrupily and tilted her head slightly.

Masashi and Noriko remained in the car. There were no farewells or conversations during their journey. Natsuo didn't look after the fancy black car that drove away from the yard.

"Let me show you around!"

As he followed her, he slung a backpack on his back. Natsuo felt like he was heading to prison as a high steel fence surrounded the property and thick bars covered the windows. Future students were immediately informed that they were not permitted to leave the school grounds.

Since others were in class, the two could wander around without interruption. The walls were a lifeless gray and the dullness continued with each hallway.

"This is your room," Aya said and opened one door in the dorm. There was a single bed, a desk, and an empty closet. A narrow window had a view of the modest backyard.

"I will give you some time to unpack. I will show you the rest of the place", Aya smiled as she closed the door behind her, leaving Natsuo alone with a dead look on his face.

(Three months later)

"And the top student of the week is again... Nakashima!" The teacher announced and clapped her hands in front of the class.

No one else gave a round of applause, but someone let out a deep yawn. Natsuo's winning streak had continued for weeks.

He didn't care about anything at first and counted the minutes to a brand-new miserable day. With time he understood what teachers and counselors wanted from them - they had to be sophisticated, behave correctly, and respect their authorities. Even though Natsuo followed the rules, he felt a deep sense of dissatisfaction, a feeling of being trapped in a world where he had no control.

After getting his paper from the teacher, he saw full points for the math test once again.

The thing was, he was always successful at school. His childhood was filled with studying and learning, but nothing seemed to be enough for Masashi, one of Japan's most successful general surgeons and the head of his own hospital department. It was only his achievements and success that determined Natsuo's worth.

So one day Natsuo decided to fail his exam purposely to see his reaction. Seeing Masashi shaking with anger, Natsuo realized he enjoyed it more than his empty stares, ordering his son to always do more.

Every whipping and beating only fueled the fire within Natsuo, pushing him further away from submission. Natsuo found himself growing more rebellious, feeling a strange sense of satisfaction from the bruises inflicted by his father.

"Wow! You get to go to the city again!" The teacher smiled proudly and asked Natsuo where he wanted to go this time, since the best-performing student could spend one evening in the city with their counselor.

"I think I want to go to the library," Natsuo said with a hint of fake enthusiasm in his voice.

(Later that evening)

Natsuo sat in the car's front seat and looked outside at the sunny sky with a tired face. Aya started the car, opened the gates with her electronic key, and drove off from the boarding school.

He and Aya have been traveling to the city center for many weeks. They always visited museums, theaters, and libraries - places to leave a positive impression. Counselors saw Natsuo as the best-behaving student who ever existed. He had dressed in a grey school uniform and combed his hair. Externally he had become the person Masashi always wanted him to be.

"Did you want to go to the library?" Aya asked.

"Yes, I was hoping to find some new books to read," he lied.

Aya drove to the library's yard but didn't turn off the car. Natsuo looked at her with a questioning face.

"I need to take care of some things. Is it okay if I pick you up from here a little later?"

"I'll be alright," Natsuo nodded, reassuring her that it was okay for her to leave.

"Great! I hope you have fun!" Aya replied with a white smile.

As Natsuo watched her drive away, he realized that the time he had been dreaming of was finally here; all the effort he had put in to make himself appear flawless had been worth it.

Having learned to trust him, Aya could leave him alone for a moment - and that was all he needed.

Natsuo ruffled his hair as he unbuttoned his school uniform. He turned away from the library and walked to freedom, breaking the shackles that were holding him down.