Chapter 29: Questions without an answer

As I stood there, my emotions swirling in a chaotic tempest, I felt a surge of adrenaline coursing through my veins.

Every fiber of my being screamed for action, for retribution against the one who dared to threaten what was most precious to me.

But then, Evangeline's gentle touch on my arm pulled me back from the brink of irrationality.

Her eyes met mine, filled with a silent plea for restraint. In that moment, her calming presence was a lifeline amidst the storm raging within me.

"Fumihiro, don't," she whispered, her voice a soothing melody amidst the chaos.

"Violence won't solve anything. Let's handle this calmly."

Her words penetrated the haze of anger clouding my mind, grounding me in reality.

I took a deep breath, fighting to regain control over my racing heart and trembling limbs.

Evangeline's hand remained on my arm, a steady anchor in the tumultuous sea of emotions.

With her support, I found the strength to confront the situation with a clear mind.

"Ema, what's going on?" I asked, my voice firm but tinged with concern.

Ema's gaze flickered between me and Chiko, her expression a mixture of fear and desperation.

It was evident that she was caught in a situation beyond her control, trapped between her own vulnerabilities and external threats.

I could feel also feel Ema's jealousy towards Evangeline.

She clearly wanted to ask why i was with her.

But that wasn't the moment.

Ema's eyes were filled with fear.

I caught her with the one guy who threatened our relationship.

They weren't walking hand in hand , there was some distance.

Ema's fear was the same of someone who got caught, or someone who was being forced against its will.

She remaine silent, while Chiko was clearly bothered by my presence.

Chiko, on the other hand, seemed oblivious to the tension in the air.

His arrogant smirk only served to stoke the flames of my anger, but I forced myself to maintain composure.

"Ema, talk to me," I urged, taking a step closer to her. "What's he doing here?"

Ema hesitated, her words caught in her throat as she struggled to find the courage to speak.

It was clear that she was torn between loyalty and self-preservation, between the fear of repercussions and the need to seek help.

"Isn't he the guy who knocked at your house that knight? Please, give me an answer." I said with an angry and shaking tone.

My fists were clenched in anger.

I was trembling.

I could explode at any moment.

Eme tried to speak, nut before she could respond, Chiko interjected with a mocking laugh, his gaze flitting between Ema and me with malicious intent.

"Calm down, boy. I'm just a friend of her and Kanna. We had some shopping to do, nothing to wo-" Chiko tried to say.

"SHUT UP! LEAVE HER ALONE YOU DISGUSTING SCUMBAG!" I shouted with a very angry tone.

My voice was broken. I screamed my heart out.

Evangeline and Ema got scared by my reaction.

The tension in the air was rising and all the people around us started to look at me in a very strange way.

I was breathing heavily while my heartbeat was very... high.

I heard the people mumbling somehting.

"What is happening? Who is this guy? This is dangerous... someone should call the police" That was what i heard.

Evangeline touched my arm , trying to calm her down.

But that didn't work. I only gave her a deadly look.

I didn't want to.

My eyes then focused to Ema and Chiko again.

Ema took some distance from him and her body was entirely shaking from fear.

She was scared and she was also avoiding every kind of eye contact with me.

I could barely see that her tears falling from her face.

"Woah... Why are you getting so angry...? Didn't Ema told you about today?" Chiko said.

His words were literally sending me to the breaking point.

"Please, Fumihiro-Kun, don't do anything you might regret." Evangeline said with a sad voice.

I didn't listen to her words.

I was about to jump on that Chiko.

His appearence, his blonde hair, his cool attitude, everything about him made me uncomfortable.

I hated him with all my being.

He was more athletic than me, but i didn't care.

I was like a blind bull.

"Oh... Someone here is getting angry, doesn't he, Ema-Chan?" He said giggling.

And then, something just snapped. 

Something inside of me.

In that moment, rational thought gave way to instinct, and before I could even comprehend my own actions, I lunged forward with a primal roar, driven by an overwhelming desire to protect what was mine.

"YOU'RE DEAD! LEAVE EMA ALONE!" I screamed with all my remaining sense of sanity.

"FUMIHIRO-STOP! DON'T DO IT!" Evangeline screamed, but once again , i didn't listen to her voice.

Evangeline's voice rang out in a desperate plea, her words lost in the chaos as my vision narrowed to a singular focus – Chiko, the source of all my anger and frustration.

I could feel the weight of Evangeline's hand on my arm, a feeble attempt to restrain me, but it was as if I was possessed by a force beyond my control.

Chiko's smirk faltered for a split second as he registered the intensity of my rage, but it was too late.

With a primal scream tearing from my throat, I tackled him to the ground with all the force I could muster, driven by a blind fury that consumed my senses.

I was on top of him , with all the crowd watching us.

In that moment, nobody knew what was happening.

All they saw was only a man assaulting another one.

The impact reverberated through my body, but I barely registered the pain as adrenaline surged through my veins, fueling my relentless assault.

Chiko didn't even try to dodge my attack.

It seemed like he was waiting for it.

I was on top of him.

I looked him straight in the eyes, with anger printed on my face.

I grabbed him by the collar of his disgusting green t-shirt.

"LEAVE. HER. ALONE." I yelled again.

The crowd was still looking at us in shock.

Nobody tried to separate us.

Everyone just kept watching , like we were in a show.

Someone was filming, but nobody did anything.

I could've been a criminal killing an innocent man, nobody would've cared about that...

That's what modern society has become.

"So? What are you going to do now? You should be angry to your girlfriend. Not me. I saved you in some ways, boy." He said.

His words were like the wind: Invisible.

He just made me more angry.

Chiko was the one threatening my precious and beloved Ema.

"I must save her. For the sake of our future." I said to my self.

And then , i was about to land a blow on Chiko's face.

"Go for it, boy. Punch me, come on! HAhahahaha!" Chiko said with a teasing voice.

He really wanted me to punch him.

I started charging my right arm.

I was about to land a very deadly strike directly to his face.

But when i was doing it, my body suddenly stopped itself.

In the blink of an eye, i saw milions of blurred images in my mind, like i was seeing my entire life.

I saw Ema, my happy memories with her, and... strange images of someone giving me flowers.

These images gave me some light, and i was slowly calming down.

I looked down on Chiko.

"So? I'm waiting, boy." He said with a malicious and provocative tone.

My body reacted to his words and i tried to throw a punch at him but...

My arm was stopped by someone.

It was Evangeline.

"FUMI! STOP, PLEASE!" She said with a sobbing voice.

I felt really sad after hearing her.

I then stopped and got off Chiko.

Evangeline's voice actually made me regain my sanity.

She was hugging me from behind.

That was something that Ema should've done, not Evangeline.

I then raised my head to search for my girlfriend in the crowd.

I saw her.

Ema was looking at me in shock, she never saw this side of me.

She was covering her mouth with her hands.

I called out for her. "Ema... I'm s-" but i couldn't even finish my phrase that she ran away from me.

Chiko then stood up and sighed in annoyance.

"What a pain in the ass. Now Ema has gone away. Are you happy now?" He said.

I didn't care about what he said.

I started crying loudly, with Evangeline hugging me from behind and the crowd watching in shock.

I was vaguely aware of shouts and cries from the surrounding crowd, but they were distant echoes drowned out by the thunderous roar of my own heartbeat.

Time seemed to blur into a haze of violence and chaos, a primal dance of fury and desperation as I fought to protect what was mine.

"It's okay, now... It's okay... Mon cher..." she whispered to my hear, while her hands were gently caressing my head, like a mother.

Evangeline, her voice a beacon of reason in the maelstrom of violence.

Her words penetrated the haze of my fury, grounding me in reality with a jolt of clarity.

Evangeline then spoke to Chiko.

"Go away, or i'll call the police. I know who you are, Chiko Yamada" She said with an aggressive tone.

Chiko then seemed surprised about that, but all he showed was a malicious grin.

"Oh? How do you know me?" He asked with a superior tone.

"Stay away or i'll call the police." Evangeline replied.

Chiko sighed again.

"Okay... Miss. I'm gonna leave you alone. Tch- you ruined everything." He said, before turning around and going away..

As the fog of rage lifted, I became acutely aware of the scene unfolding around me.

But even as the adrenaline began to ebb away, leaving behind a bone-deep exhaustion, I knew that the consequences of my actions would linger long after the chaos had subsided.

For in that moment of blind rage, I had crossed a line that could never be uncrossed, shattering the fragile semblance of normalcy that had once defined my life.

I never assaulted someone in my entire life. Never.

Everybody now probably started thinking that i was a criminal.

I still don't know what i felt but it was like i released all my sealed emotions all in once.

I couldn't control my self, i really couldn't.

After that, i kept staying into Evangeline's arms.

I felt safe.

But... i couldn't think straight. 

I wanted to see Ema.

I was hurt.

She ran away from me.

She lied.

Why did she do this? Why did she lie to me? Why did she hide something this important from me? Did she cheat? What did she do?

I had milions of questions but... before i had the time to think, my head started to feel dizzy.

"I--- I don't feel well... Evangel-" My voice stopped.

"Fumihiro? Are you okay? Fumihiro?!?!?" Evangeline said with a voice full of panick and fear.

These were the last words i heard.

After that, i could hear some mumbles from the crowd but my head started to spin and my breathing was slowly stopping.

I then fell to the ground.

I don't remember anything else from that moment.

I passed out, i felt like i was having an heart attack and dying.

I... saw only black.