Chapter 13 - Broken Friendships, Broken Dreams

Azusa smiled happily as she waited for the bus to arrive. Today marked the third-month anniversary of her relationship with Tomoki and he'd promised a surprise – not that it was that hard to figure out his motives.

Unlike…him…Tomoki didn't have a subtle bone in his body, so it hadn't been difficult to figure out that he'd been saving up for a ring. She'd even spied him being increasingly curious regarding jewelry stores and hinting he wanted to come clean to her parents about their relationship – which they hadn't yet done.

Azusa grimaced slightly at the thought.

She already knew that Tomoki wanted to do this properly, but there was no way he was going to get the response he wanted from her folks. As far as they were concerned, Azusa had already met the perfect potential son-in-law and was a madwoman for having broken up with him. That they had no idea regarding the complete circumstances of said break-up was a given, and she couldn't imagine they would react positively when Tomoki revealed himself to be her boyfriend. He had, throughout their entire childhood, been the bum of the trio, after all – and as an adult hadn't much improved in that respect insofar as her parents would be concerned.

As such, she'd tried to dissuade him from reaching out to her parents, but he seemed set. It was cute, in a way, and very earnest of him. Even if she knew all they'd get was a screaming match and a perfunctory order to get the hell out of the house.

Azusa felt a pang of guilt in that moment.

She knew, objectively, that she'd done a horrible thing to her ex. She and Tomoki could pretty it up as much as they wanted, but the sheer depth of their betrayal of over 20 years of friendship wasn't something you just swept under the rug with a casual "we just wanted to be happy."

After that fateful evening, she'd even tried to reach out to him and even visited his apartment to apologize properly, but found it abandoned, with only a letter cursing her to the depths of hell and full of expletives waiting for her on the kitchen table. The things he'd written there were cruel, hurtful, and full of his fury, and Azusa had to admit she'd shed a few tears as she recognized how hurt he was.

But she'd then tossed the letter away and decided to move on with her life. He would, too, she reasoned, given enough time.

The bus arrived and its door opened. She briefly checked her watch to make sure she was still on time and smiled as she realized she would meet up with Tomoki right on schedule. Getting aboard, she paid her ticket, smiled at the driver, and took a seat in the rear half of the bus, near the mid-exit. Humming a happy ditty to herself, she pulled out her phone and sent a quick update to Tomoki, who adorably replied within seconds with happy emojis and a "can't wait to see you!!"

Yes, she'd ultimately made the right choice. She was sure of it.

The bus stopped and she glanced up from her phone – it wasn't her stop yet. Still smiling, she put away her phone in her handbag and leaned her head against the window, watching quietly as the passengers outside boarded the bus. Little by little, the bus filed up and she even got a companion plop down into the seat next to hers, boxing her in.

She smiled at her neighbor – a dignified, older gentleman in a suit who nodded back – and settled back into her casual observation of the outside world beyond the bus window.

If things went as expected, she would go to bed tonight as Tomoki's fiancée. Her wedding, of course, would probably be a subdued affair – she couldn't imagine many of her friends from school or family attending once it came out that she was seeing Tomoki and had broken up with him after carrying out an affair with his best friend.

But that was fine. She was fine with sacrificing all of that if it meant being happy, and Tomoki, for all of his faults, made her happy. Made her feel wanted, fulfilled.

She hummed her ditty again and saw the gentleman next to her smile a little at her behavior, prompting a happy blush. Perhaps her happiness was really just pouring out of her at this point – it was a bit embarrassing, really!

Eventually, though, the bus reached her stop and she could even spy the nearby café where Tomoki was waiting for her. As a wonderful smile grew on her face, she turned to face the gentleman and ask him to move when she suddenly felt something sharp poke her in the side. She barely had a chance to yelp before she felt a sudden drowsiness hit her, and, before she knew it, her world turned black.

Tomoki was getting anxious.

Azusa had texted him over half an hour ago that she was on her way and, by his reckoning and the online bus timetable, she should've been here by now.

As it was, he was still sitting, alone, at the booth he'd reserved at the café he'd picked out, a certain box burning a hole in his jacket. He'd made sure to clean himself up appropriately for the occasion and had even asked the staff to be ready with Azusa's favourite drink to kick things off.

But as the minutes passed, he felt his anxiety and fear grow by several orders of magnitude.

Had she figured out he was trying to propose and backed out? He didn't think so – he'd spent considerable effort hiding his intentions from her on this matter, hoping to surprise her! Plus, given how good things were between them, he couldn't imagine her bolting on him like this!

Maybe her bus was delayed? That was possible, he supposed, but then why hadn't she texted him she'd be late?

What if she got into an accident? A brief spike of panic quickly had him rush to get online and find any news or tweets regarding recent vehicular incidents along her bus's route, but found none.

What was going on?

Tomoki did his best to ignore the painful looks the staff were shooting him – clearly pitying him and believing he'd been stood up. They were wrong, of course. Azusa wouldn't stand him up! She loved him just as much as he loved her! She'd even dumped Nao to be with him!

Still, he couldn't deny that the longer he waited, he more pathetic he seemed, and after waiting for a full hour and a half beyond their agreed time without word from her, he somberly called for the check, paid up, and left without another word. Dark thoughts followed him home as he wondered what might've happened to Azusa – maybe she truly had decided to bolt on him? What if she'd figured out his intentions and had seconds thoughts about dumping Nao?

No, that wasn't possible. Not only had that break-up been pretty definitive, courtesy of his own machinations, but neither he nor Azusa had heard or seen Nao ever since that day.

And then, the moment he set foot in his apartment, his phone rang.

Irritated by the disappointing day thus far, he fished it out and was ready to send it to voice mail when he spied the caller ID.

Azusa.

A mixture of relief and anger and anxiety hit him in that moment. Why call him now after standing him up? Was it to apologize over an unforeseen situation that held her up? Was it to apologize for dumping him like that?

Part of him screamed at him to refuse the call and wait for her at the apartment. She'd show up eventually, he was sure. Azusa wasn't like him – she wasn't a cruel person.

Well, except for that day's events, he supposed.

He swallowed. The phone was still ringing.

He accepted the call and brought up the phone to his ear.

"…Azusa?"

"Long time no speak, Tomoki."

Tomoki felt his blood run cold as he recognized the voice on the spot. That wasn't Azusa. That was the last person he wanted to hear coming from her phone.

"N-Naoyuki…" he said, feeling a sense of deep dread forming in the pit of his stomach. "Why…why are you calling from Azusa's phone?"

"Guess."

Tomoki didn't want to. The myriad scenarios that came to mind were too horrible to contemplate.

"W-What is this about, Nao?" he demanded. "Where's Azusa?!"

"I'm surprised you have to ask. This is about consequences, Tomoki."

"Consequences?" he parroted as he considered his appropriate course of action. Maybe if he went over to the police station and held Nao on the line, they would be able to trace the call, like they did on procedural TV shows. Or…or…

Argh! Honestly, he didn't know what to do!

"You do not get to walk this earth and do what you did to me without suffering the consequences, Tomoki," Naoyuki continued calmly on the other end of the line. "You don't get to conspire with your friend's girlfriend to stab him in the back after 20 years of friendship and get away scot-free."

"This was never personal, Nao! Azusa was just happier with me than she ever was with you!" Tomoki insisted desperately as he paced his living room, still wracking his mind with what he should do.

"That's rich. Never personal? You think seducing your friend's girlfriend and then showing me a live feed of you two having sex wasn't personal? You were always a coward, Tomoki, but at least be a man about this and admit it – you wanted to hurt me and you wanted it to be personal."

Tomoki glowered at the floor as his free hand balled into a fist. "Fine!" he snapped. "You want the truth, Nao?! Yeah, it was personal! Ever since we were kids, it was always all about you! You got the praise! You got the approval! You got the girl of my dreams! So, yeah, I found a flaw in perfect little Naoyuki and I took advantage of it! You lost, Nao! For the first time in your life, you lost and I won!"

"…Is that what you think?"

The phone vibrated in his hand and Tomoki pulled it away to see that there was a request to turn the call into a video call. He swallowed. What did Naoyuki want to show him? There was no way Azusa would cheat on him with Nao. Absolutely no way. Tomoki had thoroughly exorcised Nao from Azusa's body and memory in that sense. He'd made it a personal mission of his.

Steeling himself with courage and the conviction that he had nothing to fear about Azusa betraying him, he accepted the request and was treated with the absolute last thing he ever wanted to see.

An unrecognizable mess of a female body lying on the ground wearing Azusa's clothes. The same clothes she'd taken a selfie of herself wearing and sent to him prior to today's anniversary date.

Tomoki broke.

He didn't even realize that he'd been screaming as he saw the motionless body in the feed until someone banged against the wall, telling him to shut up. That didn't cause him to become quiet, but it did set him off as tears and sobs flowed beyond any possibility of self-control. His hands were shaking and his legs had given out, forcing him down to his knees. All that he could see or hear at the moment was the video feed before him. A feed of the love of his life lying dead somewhere unrecognizable, likely at the hands of her ex-boyfriend.

All because she'd chosen him.

Tomoki had once told Azusa, on the very night she agreed to break up with Naoyuki via video feed of them having sex, that he'd never regret the choice to seduce her and carry out their affair – despite lying to her about Naoyuki's intentions and his feelings towards her.

But, in this moment, he did.

He regretted it all.

The idea of living in a world without Azusa disgusted him. She had been the shining bright light of his life – the one who unknowingly gave him the courage to persevere with his life even though he was always treated as the screwup and bum of their little childhood trio.

In all his life, she had been the one thing he'd truly ever coveted from his friend. He was fine with Naoyuki being the perfect student or perfect son or whatever. If the world wanted to treat Naoyuki like a saint, that was alright by him.

All Tomoki had wanted was Azusa. He'd told himself that if he had her, he was fine being second fiddle to his friend.

So when he'd found his shot, he'd taken it – knowing how morally repugnant his behavior was. Knowing he was taking advantage of a friendship that had helped him out in rough spots. Knowing that he was hurting a good man.

A good man he'd now turned into a monster.

The feed turned away from the broken body of Azusa and, for the first time in three months, Tomoki was treated to the sight of his now worst enemy – Naoyuki. The odd blood splatter on his face told Tomoki everything he needed to know in that moment.

"You…you killed her," he whispered.

"No, Tomoki, you did," Naoyuki replied flatly. "When you chose to betray me the way you two did. When you chose to be the selfish little cunts you obviously are."

Tomoki grit his teeth in anger. "I just wanted to be happy, Nao!" he yelled. "I just wanted her to be happy with me! Was that so wrong?!"

Naoyuki stared him down unphased by his anger. "No, it wasn't," he answered, shocking Tomoki.

"W-What?"

"You were my friends, Tomoki. If I had known that she was sad with me and wanted to leave me, I would've understood. It would've hurt sure, but I would've understood. If you had feelings for her and told me, I would've understood and talked to her and you about it. Who knows? Maybe I would've agreed that you were a better fit for her. I never pretended to be perfect, no matter what you think. And you know that I always had your back in the past."

Naoyuki turned away to look at the off-screen body. "But how did you repay me? Did you honor our friendship the way I did? No. Neither of you did – because, as I realized three months ago, you're both cowards. Your respect for others is opportunistic, as is your loyalty to your friends," he added, turning back to the video feed. "I realized, too late, that I was never your friend, Tomoki. You only ever became my friend to get to Azusa."

Tomoki swallowed, unable to counter that.

"And Azusa…Azusa is not the woman she claims she is," Naoyuki said sadly, bringing up a bloodied hand to his face. "Her promises are empty, her loyalty is just to the lay of the day. I get that now. Honestly, I guess I should be thankful. That was some bullet I dodged."

"T-Then…why kill her?"

Naoyuki smirked at him. "I never said I did."

Before Tomoki was able to process that, the video feed swerved to show a black sedan car with tinted windows. Tomoki heard a brief command being barked before seeing the rear passenger window recede, revealing, much to his amazement, relief, and shock, a very much alive Azusa wearing different clothes. By all appearances, she looked healthy, but asleep.

"W-What's going on?!" he demanded.

"Didn't you like my magic trick?" Naoyuki taunted as the video feed turned again to portray him. "It's rather incredible what you can do with movie props these days."

"Give Azusa back, Nao!" Tomoki yelled.

"I don't think so," his former best friend sneered before producing what seemed like a rather official document. "Do you know what this is?"

Tomoki glared at the screen but squinted to try and read the small print. "…no."

Naoyuki smirked. "I'm surprised you don't, given what you were planning to do today. This is a marriage form, Tomoki."

Tomoki felt a pit of despair forming in his stomach as Naoyuki's finger lowered to the signature box. "And guess whose signature this is right next to mine?"

"Bullshit," Tomoki spat. "Bullshit! She would never marry you!"

"Not even to save you?"

Tomoki froze.

"W-What?"

"Didn't you wonder how it was that Azusa never made it to your precious little proposal date?" Naoyuki sneered. "She certainly had every intention. She certainly got on that bus. So why didn't she show up in the end?"

"W-What did you do, Nao?!"

The paper was gone now and Tomoki only saw Naoyuki and the crazed look in his eyes. "It's simple: I got to her first. By the way, knock, knock!"

As soon as the words were said, Tomoki jumped as someone actually knocked at his door. Frantically, his eyes swerved from the video call to the main door and back to the call.

"W-What's going on?!"

Naoyuki smirked. "While you and Azusa were playing house and laughing behind my back, I had three months to think, to plan, and get my revenge, Tomoki. As we speak, there are two very bad men outside your door. Go ahead, check."

Tomoki hated the idea of indulging Naoyuki – especially given the crazed look in his eyes – but curiosity won out and he headed to the front door, where he looked through the peephole.

Indeed, just as Naoyuki had said, there were two sketchy-looking dudes wearing delivery uniforms and holding a package.

"Tell them to leave or I'm calling the police, Nao!" Tomoki threatened, causing his former best friend to chuckle.

"For what? Standing outside a door and delivering a parcel?" Naoyuki taunted. "Go ahead. I'm sure they could use a good laugh."

Tomoki grit his teeth. He had a point – the two men outside hadn't done anything that would merit calling the police, as far as he or they knew.

"Why are they here?!"

"First of all, to prove a point," Naoyuki answered with a smug grin. "And secondly, to carry out my orders if you agree to my proposal."

Tomoki glowered at his hated rival. "Like I'll agree to anything you propose! Just give Azusa back!"

"Well, that's definitely an option, if you don't mind receiving her in pieces."

The sheer casual tone in his voice made Tomoki's blood freeze. He wasn't joking. He really would kill Azusa.

"NO! No!" Tomoki quickly recanted. "I…I'll listen!"

Naoyuki smirked. "I knew you would. It's simple: I am going to frame you for battery. Those men outside will make sure that the apartment looks the part, and as I understand it, you and Azusa have been fighting a little over whether or not her parents would approve of you. As the story goes, she then left you and came running back to good, old, forgiving yours truly, and she finally accepted my proposal. With her parents' blessing, of course."

Tomoki felt sick. This was the plan of a madman. "That's crazy, Nao. No one will believe I put my hands on her!"

"No? Not even when they find her blood in the apartment? Or broken items? Not even when they find her suitcase and assorted clothes gone? Not even when your neighbors testify to the occasional fights you two had?"

Tomoki had to restrain himself from throwing the phone against the ground.

"You were never very clever, Tomoki, so framing you has been remarkably easy since everyone already expects the worst of you. But, if anything, cheer up! This is your chance to shine! Prove to the world that you're willing to sacrifice yourself for your beloved!" Naoyuki crowed. "Because make no mistake – if you tell anyone about this or refuse my offer, the next video feed really will show Azusa's broken body."

Tomoki stared into his former best friend's cruelty-filled gaze and shivered. This was not the same person he'd known all his life. This was a demon wearing his friend's skin – and he was dead serious about his threats.

"You really hate us that much?"

"Immeasurably, Tomoki. And you will both bear my grudge until the day you die."

Tomoki swallowed as he recognized the sincerity in Naoyuki's words.

"…just, please, don't hurt Azusa."

Naoyuki smirked.

"Look, mommy!"

Azusa smiled as her daughter showed off her latest piece of "art," lovingly created in the classroom. The little girl, almost six years old, dazzled her with an even bigger smile upon receiving her approval and then dashed over to the living room to eagerly await her father's return to show it off to him as well.

Azusa hated her life.

For the past 6 years, she'd lived in a prison of her own making. Brought before Naoyuki by individuals she didn't recognize, he'd given her a simple choice: she could either marry him and let Tomoki get framed for hitting her, or Tomoki wouldn't see another sunrise.

The magnitude of Naoyuki's cruelty took her aback. She'd never imagined that, underneath that decent, kind, compassionate, and hardworking personality was a monster. She'd accused him of being such to his face, even tried to defy him, and he'd slapped her in response.

"Whatever I am, you made me, Azusa."

It took a minute for Azusa to fully understand what he'd meant, and upon realizing what he was getting at, she'd thrown up.

It wasn't that Naoyuki had always been a monster. He hadn't been lying to her all these years. Her actions and Tomoki's had simply driven him over the edge into insanity. Driven him to be a person willing to get in bed with terrible people and cause immeasurable pain to others with none of the guilt he would've felt before the vicious betrayal he'd experienced at her hands.

She had created the monster.

The worst part was that he never justified himself. He never claimed the moral high ground. Not once in the six years of their sham marriage did he pretend to be a good person when around her. Whenever she'd ask about his work, as he demanded that she play her role of caring, loving wife, he'd regale her with stories of how he'd helped his employers ruin someone's life. Never as a brag of his superiority – merely, she suspected, to torment her with the many sins he was committing so she would never feel clean again.

He did not love her, just as much as she did not love him. That was patently clear. He hadn't married her out of love, but out of revenge. So long as she played the loyal wife, slept with him at his request, and cared for his children, he promised to keep Tomoki alive as he rotted away in prison under a 13-year sentence. But there was no love there, no gentleness to his touch other than when he pretended to be a loving husband before the world.

Instead, Naoyuki's affections these days were reserved solely for his daughter, Mia. A child she'd hated having to carry and had prayed silently would never come to term. But she had – perhaps because the universe loathed her just as much as her deranged husband did. And once Mia was born, Azusa found she could not bring herself to hate her beautiful daughter – for she had done no wrong. She was innocent in this horrible game between her parents.

So, she focused on being a good mother to Mia, hoping that one day, she would see her father for the monster he was. Nothing would devastate Naoyuki more, after all.

But given the smirks Naoyuki shot her occasionally, she had a sinking feeling he already knew what she was thinking and her dearest wish would not happen. Instead, all she saw was that her daughter's adoration of her father only grew as he doted on her and slowly indoctrinated her to be more like him. Even as Azusa could do nothing but watch while her lover's life hung in the balance.

Once upon a time, she had dreamed of a better life for herself, Naoyuki, and Tomoki. She had dreamed of them hanging out as they always had as children in blooming flower fields, laughing and poking fun at each other. When she'd found love with Tomoki, she'd hoped Naoyuki would one day forgive them and come back to them.

Such hopes were dead now, and that flower field of her dreams was now a wasteland.

Azusa hated her life.