Chapter２０

Naturally,it'sstrangeifyouoftendon'tfallasleepeasily,butthistimeit'snotChanin.WhenMamorutakesyoubacktoyourroom,hesayshemaynotserveRantonight,becausetheotherpersonmaycomebacklateornotatall.Assoonashechangedintohiscasualclothes,helayinbed,pressedhisfaceagainstabigpillow,andfellasleepliketurningoffaswitch.Heistootiredthesedays.

Tired,tired,tired,tired,evenwhensleeping,Lane'sfaceappearedinthedream,asiffollowinghimeverysecond.

Hecouldn'tsleeppeacefully,tossedandturned,andwhenheheardaloudnoiseinbothears,hewasstartled.

Theyoungmansatupautomatically.Thedrowsinesspuzzledhimalittle,whetherthesoundhehadjustheardwasadreamsoundorarealsound,andthenherealizedthatitwasnotadream.Thisisasound,andinreality,afteraperiodoftime,itwillmakeaharshsound.

"Chanin!Comeout!"

Lan'svoice...

Slendereyesstaredatthedigitalclockbesidethebed,andsawthetimeattwoo'clockinthemorningataglance,andsuddenlyfrowned.

What'sthefussnow?

Justdoubting,hewillnevergettheanswer.PeoplelikeRundon'tneedanyreason.Iftheotherpartywantshimtodosomething,hemustgetwhathewantswheneverandwherever.

Chaningetsup,takeshimselfoutsideandseesRansittingcross-legged,puffingsmokeonthecouchinthelobby.Heisstillwearingthesameclothes,buthedoesn'tlookasneatashedoesduringtheday.Hisfacelookedtense.IsuddenlytookalookatlittleChaninwearingaT-shirtandshorts.

"Takeoffyourclothes."

BeforeChanincouldaskanything,hegaveanorderinhismouth.Hismouthwrinkledslightlyandhewasgladhedidn'thavetoserveRanasMamorusaidtoday.Butthenthejoywasruinedbythemonster'shand.

Suchamanwhosuddenlyappearedinhisroom,disobeyingorderswasbad,andbad,soChanineasilytookoffhisclothesandthrewthemontheground.Hewasonlyadistancebetweenhisarmsbeforehefelltohisknees.

Bothhandsarepulleddownandtouchthecentralpartofthetorso.Thereisnoorder,youknowwhattodonext.Softorganswillnaturallyrespondtotouch.DoingsuchathinginfrontofRanisnolongerdifficultforChanin,becauseeverythingbecomesfamiliar.

Runglanced,smokedthesmokeintohislungs,andkeptstaringatChanin'sface,motionless,motionless,motionless,motionless.Fromthebeginning,henoticed,andhecouldn'tguesswhoupsettheotherparty.AllIknowisthatRun'sfaceisfullofresentmenthehasneverseenbefore,andhehardlypaysattentiontoChanin'sbehavior.Althoughhiseyeskeptstaring,heseemedtobethinkingsomething.Occasionally,therewillbesnoring.

Chanindoesn'twanttocaretoomuch,andhedoesn'twanttoknowwhatworriesRaninthisman'smind.Hejustdoessomethingthatmustbedonesothathecanleavethisman.

ButChanin'srequestwasneverfulfilled.Afterawhile,Runthrewthecigaretteholderontheground,andevenignoredextinguishingitfirst.Suddenly,heliftedhislegsandkickedthemanontheshoulder.

"It'snouse!"

Chaninfailedtogainafoothold,backtrackedalittle,butdidnotfall,claspedhishandstotheground,turnedandlookedincomprehensivelyintoRan'sface,whiletheotherpersonremainedrestlessandsatsilentfromtimetotime.Hisraisedhandtouchedhislips,anditwasobviouswhathewasthinking.

"ShallIcontinue?"

Chaninasked,wonderingwhathewoulddofromnowon.

Lanny'seyeslookedslightly,andhervoicewassteady.

"Goon,makeitbetterthistime."

Peoplearesighing,thinkingtheywillsurvive,andfinallytheyhavetostartover.

Itallstartedinthesameway.Chaninneedstoconcentratethistime,becausehefeelsterriblehimself.Itwilltakesometimetogainafirmfoothold.Atsomepoint,hethoughtitwouldgowell.Hegrabbedthecushiononthesofaandthrewitinhisface.

"Whatthefuckareyoudoing!Itsucks!"

Chaninimmediatelystoppedallmovements,raisedhishand,andpressedtheglassesthatalmostfelloffhisfaceslightly,sothathiseyescouldbeturnedback.

"Ifyoudon'tfeelwell,goandrest."

Idon'tknowwhatdroveChanintosaythat.HejustfeltthatRanwaslookingforaplacetovent,andhewasanunluckymanbecausehehadtobeanotherplacetoventwithoutdoinganything.

ThissentencemadeLanegivehimanangrylook.

"Whodoyouthinkyouare,dareyoucommandme!"

"Ijustthought,ifyouaretired,goandhavearest.It'sbetterthanlettingmesitthereanddothesecrazythings.Itwon'tmakeyoutired."

Hespokeassmoothlyaspossible,andhisheartwasequallydepressed.ChaninguessedthateatingoutwithSeichimustbewhatmadeRunsoangry.

"Idon'tneedyouropinion!"

AnothercushionwasthrownonChaninagain,andthistimeheheldbackandwantedtothrowitback,andwasconfidentthatifhedid,itwouldcompletelyhitRan'sface.

"I'mjustgivingyouabetterchoice."

Chaninstillspokeinthesametone,butitdidn'tcalmhermoodalittle.Sheseemedangrierthanbefore,andsuddenlygotupandwalkeduptoher,whereshewasstillkneeling.

"Whodoyouthinkmakesmesodepressed?"

Suddenlyheyelled,reachedouttopulloutthehairfromthebackofChanin'shead,lookedupandlookedhimhardintheeye.Afterbeingattacked,Chaninsuddenlyslippedoutofhismouthinvoluntarilyandcalledoutalittledieselbeforedroppingthesound.Staringfearlesslyattheangryface.

"Iknow,it'snotme."

Lanegasped,asiftryingtokeephisangeralivebeforehisthinlipsshowedamockingsmile.

"Isn'tityours?I'mprettysureit'snotyours!"

Thenhesentoutagreaterwristcentrifugalforce,buthedidn'tresistandfelldowninthecentrifugalforce.Hebithislip,forcinghismoodtostartheatingup,thenturnedandstretchedouthishand.

"Wheredidthatcomefrom?YougooutwithSakuradaandcomebackshouting.Iaskedreally,whathaveIdoneforyou!WhathaveIdonewrongtoday!"

Nevercallthemasteragain,thoughsometimesindifferent,butit'snotfromtheheart,Laneknows.HealreadythoughtthatifSchningdidthiswithouthimself,hewouldresist.

ButforBrandt,therootofthisemotioncomesfromthespirit,nomatterwhatitis!

"Whatdidyoudowrong...itwasjustbornwrong!"

Thistime,heputdownhisstick,hithimhardintheface,andthenturnedaround,hismouthfullofsaltytaste,andmadehimstandupatonce.

"Oh,Iwaswrong,becauseIwasborn,andyouandyourmotherwerethrownoutofthehouselikethis?SoI'msorry,DadlovesmeandMom.I'myourfavoritechild.AssoonasDadknewtherewas,Ijumpedforjoyandforgotevenchildrenlikeyou!"

Idon'tknowwhyChaninsaidthat.It'sasentencethatshouldn'tcomeoutofhismouth,soIknowRanisback,andhislifewithhismotherisnotcalmbecauseofit.Butashecouldnotbearslaveryfornoreason,heletouthismouth.

BecauseRanthoughthewasthereasonforbeingabandonedbyhisfather,sothisreasonisunderstandable,butIwasannoyedwithhim,Idon'tknow,andthentreatedhimlikethis,whichisunfair!

Chanin'swordsandhischallengingeyesmadeRunclasphishandevenmoreandbecomemoreangry.Hisbodytrembledandhisteethgnashed,buthisvoicewaslowandresentful.

"Chanin..."

Thisisabadidea...

Chaninthoughttohimself,andheregainedconsciousness,fearingthatRunwouldbeimpatient,andsuddenlypulledouthisgunandshothim,orworse,orderedhimtokillhismotherimmediately.Butasexpected,Runshiveredthereforamoment.Firstofall,herushedinandpunchedallovertheface.

ThesmallermanpunchedsohardthatChaninfaintedtotheground,blurredforamoment,andthenheardRun'svoice.

"Don'tbenicetome,rememberwhoyouareandwhoIam,youbastard!"

Notonlydidhehaveapunchonhisfoot,butintheabsenceofleathershoes,hewaskickedonhisbackandtorso.Chanintriedtostandupandhititback,butbecausehemadeamistakebefore,hedidn'tdaretoreactanymore.Hehadtobendoverandavoidanymoreblowstoimportantorganssuchashisfaceorhead.

Randidn'tstopuntilherealizedthis.Theothersidesteppedbackandstoodup,panting,herbeautifuleyesstillstiff,andherangerdidnotdiminishatallasshewatchedthehugebodycurluponthefloor.

Hate...Hehateshim,hateshimandwantstokillhim!

Butifhedies,itwon'tbefun.Deathisnotwhattheotherpersondeserves.Thisshouldbeahundredtimesthepainhehasexperienced.Athousandtimes!

Whenhisbreathingstartedtonormal,hewalkeduptoChanin,loweredhimself,grabbedhischin,raisedhisjaw,andlethimkeephiseyecontact.Hesaidinanangryvoicethatlistenerscanfeel.

"YouwillgothroughworsethingsthanIhave.Iwillnotletyoudie,dearbrother."

Then,shakinghishand,hewentstraighttothedoorbetweenhisrooms,andthendisappeared.Therewasaloudbang,andforamoment,herealizedthatRunwasdestroyingthingsintheroom,whichwashiswayofventinghisemotions.Chanindoesn'tcarewhattheotherpersonisdoingandtriestopushhimselfup.Hisbodywashitwithgreatpain,andthemostpainfulthingwasthathewashittwiceintheface.Whenyouraiseyourhandandtouchthecornersofyourmouth,youcanfeelaliquidwithfishysmell.

Heutteredafewfoulwords,casthisdiscontentedeyesuponthedoor,andthenwentbacktothebedroom,lookingforatooltodealwithhisnewwound,thinkingthatLane'sabysswasmuchdeeperthanhehadimagined.