Part 9

The present moment

"Who the hell would do such a thing?!", Daisuke made another futile attempt to free himself.

Eriko's eyes were full of fear. She had never seen him so angry, which was normal given the circumstances. She attempted to crawl next to him but the short chain didn't allow her to do so. She felt her eyes fill with tears.

"Eriko, bumblebee, please don't, we'll think of something.", Daisuke tried to calm her down, his voice had turned softer once he saw her cry.

"I'm afraid that's highly unlikely."

Both turned in the direction of the hooded figure approaching them.

"What do you want from us?! Don't come any closer!", Eriko shouted.

The man grinned under the mask he was wearing, "You don't get to decide that.", He grabbed her by the hair and Eriko let out a cry of pain.

"Get away from her!", Daisuke kept struggling in his handcuffs, their chain rattling deafeningly.

"What a pretty little picture you two are. An adulterer and a mad woman - you fit each other perfectly.", He let out an ear-piercing laugh.

"This is not what we agreed on.", Eriko hissed through her teeth.

The young man slapped her hard, "I'm not interested in your dirty

money. The only thing dirtier than them is you."

Daisuke listened to their conversation in shock. The rattling of the chain stopped.

The masked man turned to him. "Why are you so surprised? I can't believe you never noticed. You were fucking her, for god's sake. I feel sorry for you…not!", He laughed out loud again and let go of Eriko's hair.

Her body slid to the ground and she just sat there, almost lifelessly. Eriko couldn't believe she had come this far. When…when did all of this happen? When did she allow jealousy, pain and powerlessness whisper their ugly words to her, push her to such vile acts? Did she really delude herself to believe a situation like the current one would awaken Daisuke's love for her? That if they went through it together, they would come out of it happier. Idiot! Fool! The young man was right, Eriko really had lost her mind. If only she had realized it sooner…

"Do what you will.", Daisuke's voice startled her. His tone even and cold, his words directed at the fake attacker.

"You're very quick to give up.", The man moved next to Daisuke, "Don't tell me you've actually fallen for this one. You have terrible taste."

"My personal life is none of your concern."

"That's fair, you're right. I couldn't care less either way.", The stranger took out a small key from his back pocket and removed Daisuke's handcuffs, "My work here is done. Oh, before I forget!", He reached into his hoodie pocket and after a few seconds poured a significant amount of yen bills on Eriko, who was trembling and didn't dare move, "Keep them."

It was only when he left the basement that Eriko started crying again. She was unable to even glance Daisuke's way, she didn't deserve to. He just sat there for a while, the handcuffs laying at his feet, the small key still in his hand, exactly where the younger man had left it. Perhaps he had given him a choice.

Daisuke got up from the cold floor and approached Eriko. She was sobbing inconsolably. He wasn't sure what he was supposed to feel at the moment. His mind was empty and so was his heart. Maybe the pain would hit much later. Maybe the memory of this moment would bring him sadness, would make him curse both her and himself. Maybe, but not now. Now he didn't care.

He bent down, resting his knee on the ground, and took Eriko's hand. She finally looked at him with disbelief, eyes red from crying. A tiny glimmer of hope sparked in them.

Daisuke unlocked the handcuffs, let go of her hand and stood up. He kept his gaze locked on her for a painfully long moment, then looked away and headed for the basement door.

Eriko reached her hand towards the distant figure of the man she had fallen for, as if that could stop him. Her throat burned with the words she ached to say, but stopped herself from doing so. She no longer had the right; she destroyed it completely. Eriko could only watch silently at her punishment, up until the door closed with a low thud.