To Hell And Back

I spoke to the manager for the N-Stage apartment and after showing her my acceptance letter, I was given a room to tour. I know I looked like a mess, and she was being kind, regardless of my disheveled appearance, but I could still see the "you can't afford this" look flash over her face. Little did she know, when she showed me the 113,000 yen monthly fee, that I knew $20,000 was more than enough to pay for not one, but two years of rent. But now that I know the cost of housing, I'll use it to my advantage with the Venom Gang.

I mean, Yahiko did ask me for a price...so he has to be willing to negotiate.

The model key jingled in my hand as I opened the studio apartment door and walked inside. I almost couldn't believe how light it was...and clean! The appliances were new, there were wooden tile floors, and BETTER YET the lights and A/C worked like a charm! I felt like I had just won the lottery and after tinkering around the apartment and laying on the floor daydreaming, I looked up and realized I was not alone! A girl with her parents were giggling...maybe even looking at me in shock, to the point that I left them the keys, bowed, and ran out of the room.

That was embarrassing!

However, I had made up my mind to sign the contract. The apartment manager almost couldn't believe I had the cash, but I paid the deposit and signed my lease without reading a damn thing. I was just happy to have the paperwork in hand and setting a date, a week out, to finally move into the place of my dreams.

That lifted my spirits and brought a wide grin to my face. So much so that I felt like I was skipping to the art store. Yet, on my way there, I passed by a tattoo shop. There was a sign out front that said, "two piercings for the price of one." I paused, thinking about it. I'd always wanted a tattoo...but I thought gauges were kind of cool. I just never had the guts to try and get them...or had enough free cash to think about it.

Yet, the second I looked in the mirror, I couldn't help but stare at myself. The scraggly, blue haired kid who inwardly was somebody...but outwardly was nothing special. Maybe...just maybe if I changed up my look...I'd get a little more respect. Not only from others...but from Ray. And maybe, I thought as I walked into the tattoo parlor, just maybe...he wouldn't keep thinking I was a helpless child.

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It hurt like hell! Ray was right, I hadn't even gotten my tattoo yet, but I was already bawling my eyes out from my gauges! I chose a small size, 6mm, to get my earlobe to adjust but it didn't make the pain any less unbearable. However, I really liked the way I looked from it. It was a small change...that left my ears super red and puffy, but I loved my new look!

Secondly, the artist, Zane Eisenbreck a new local from the US, had a trendy hair style that I really liked. He said he did it himself and I asked how much it would cost to get a similar look. I think my puppy dog eyes did the trick and as I clenched my ears with icepacks, he started trim trimming away. I watched my hair fall as the other artists commented "when did this become a hair salon" to be shouted at with a bunch of cusswords. I really liked him and appreciated that he cared enough to help some random guy, like little ol me, for help without any compensation.

When I felt the air hit the sides of my hair, I instantly could tell that some of my locks had gone. However, when he told me to finally open my eyes, I was almost shocked about the person in front of me.

"That...that's me?" I squeaked.

I honestly didn't expect that to come out, but I now had buzzed sides and my hair was spiked up top which looked really good on me. Especially with my new piercings. I never saw my blue eyes pop so much in my life!

"Well duh, handsome! How do you like it?" Zane asked.

"I love it!"

I'm sure there were hearts in my eyes, but it was kind of inevitable. I gave Zane a hug, and I wasn't even the type for human-to-human connection. He laughed and smiled, hugging me back as the sneers and jeers continued.

However, I handsomely paid him, even though he didn't want it, as I skipped out of the tattoo parlor. I kept Zane's card because I knew when I was ready for a tattoo, I wanted Zane to be my guy.

As I stepped out into the world, I felt like a new man. People started staring, but not in a bad way...it was more so like they thought me to be attractive...interesting. Girls giggled and blushed and it only made me blush even harder. I became insanely embarrassed but tried to wear it like a champ. However, my mind still wandered to Ray in the midst of it all. Would...would he like how I looked too?

I shook my head fiercely, blushing. I didn't do this because of him. Not at all. I did this for me.

I huffed, gaining some internal pride, as I walked into the art shop I frequented. The shop owner, Taichi Osuka, waved to me from the desk.

"Hi Taichi, do you have any 20 x 24 and 36 x 48 canvases? I'll need a couple of 'em."

Taichi looked at me closely, as if I looked familiar but not familiar enough. "Niko?!"

"Yea."

"What?! Wow, you look so different! I hardly recognized you, but I don't know any other blue haired kid who comes in here."

I felt my nose grow long, "Really? I look that different?"

"Yea, I like the look man!"

"Wow...thanks."

Taichi walked away from the desk, looking at the canvases behind him. "Hmm...yes, I have three of the larger canvases and about two of the 20 x 24. Is that enough?"

"Yea, that's fine!"

With that, I walked out of the shop with the required canvases in hand. I took an Uber back to my house, so I didn't have to lug the canvases down the street. Yet, when I got back home, barely walking out of the car, I saw Ray.

He was leaning on his Maserati, smoking as if he had been waiting a while. Yet, when our eyes met, he didn't look away. I couldn't tell what was running through his mind and instead of waiting for him to say something, I walked past him towards my apartment.

"So, you use our cash to get a haircut and piercings? Here I thought you were going to find a new place to stay."

"What I do with my money is my business. As long as I get the job done, right? Also, I put a down payment for a new place-"

Ray's hand slammed on my door, blocking my way inside. I jumped a little, I wasn't prepared for it and immediately looked up to his face. He was angry, I could smell it on his breath.

"Niko, don't use this opportunity to throw your life away. That's the advice I'll only give once."

Ray snatched the keys from me, opening my door as he walked inside without an invite. I just stood in the doorway, holding the canvases: watching him walk inside.

Was...was he telling me he disapproved of my haircut and piercings? Who was he to tell me that I was ruining my life?! He was in a gang!

"Don't fucking judge me!" I yelled, making him stop.

I slammed the door behind me, dropping the canvases as I marched over toward him. "What fucking right, do you have to say I'm throwing my life away? You have no clue what I've been through! How I grew up or what I've had to do just to live!"

I felt the tears coming down my face. I was enraged that he could do and say whatever he wanted because he hung a threat over my head. I had to cover my eyes from crying in front of him, hell I didn't expect to get so emotional. However, I hated, more than anything, when people looked down on me.

I only heard his footsteps approaching and felt his hand on my arm. "You don't know a damn thing about me-"

"You're right," he said, as he pulled my arm down away from my eyes, "I don't."

He wiped the tears from my cheeks and tilted my head up to meet his eyes.

"But my job is to protect you," he said softly, kissing me to calm my agitation, "and I can't do that if you get sucked into our world."