Guilty Hearts

II

Tainted Soul

The next three days seemed so futile. The kid wouldn't even face Usami Akihiko at all. A worried Aikawa just watched Usami pace back and forth in that large private room. Anywhere in that facility was screaming wealthy that sometimes, it makes the people forget that they were in a place that holds young people with grave cases. Maybe it wasn't a coincidence. It was meant to be that way.

Amidst the inhuman murders, violence or anything from these kids, they're still the cream of the crop. That will never change. Whether being rich has a huge impact on a case as to they can pay the best lawyers and do some back door dealings, this case, because the Takahashi's were well-known, it wasn't showing any positive effect for Takahashi Misaki. If anything, the whole world was thirsting for revenge for the death of important people fast.

"You're kind of very proactive now...it's creepy..." Aikawa mumbled, wearing her police uniform revealing her curves. "The hearing's in one week...this...I am afraid this case will just end like this."

Usami lifted his lavender eyes towards the woman. "I haven't been this serious in years. As if I'd let that happen?" Shutting the folder he had been reading over and over, he growled in frustration. "The doctors and psychiatrists were reaching their limit as well. Takahashi won't talk at all..."

Aikawa walked over to the sofa. A briefcase she was carrying earlier was what she started busying herself with. She took a new folder and threw it on the table.

"The other party got another strong evidence Usami...do you think there is still...I mean...that kid just doesn't seem to..." Aikawa slouched on the sofa. "This whole thing is focused on tycoons-being-killed by-their-own-son. They don't see the-son-may-have-a-strong-reason-to-it side at all. It pisses me off that the media has already painted Takahashi as the villain with no heart already!"

The man grabbed the folder and skimmed at it. His eyes fastly running as he read the lines, his forehead started forming these creases, signalling a problem. He was already well into acting the good defense lawyer. But this new finding was going to make his act cut short in a giffy.

"Damn this..." Usami whispered. "When did they find this?"

Aikawa shrugged. "Last night when they searched the boy's room again."

"A fucking notebook with only these words?"

The woman gave a tight smile.

Usami Akihiko just stomped out of the private room and went to Misaki's room. He didn't care that it was already eight in the evening. This time, he'd force the kid to get up, insomiac, sleeping in the bathroom, he didn't care. He was getting tired of playing chase and he would get a word from the kid right then and there.

"I'm coming in!" he announced. He thought the door would be locked, but it let him in with no resistance at all. The whole room was dark, save from the light coming from the summer night sky through the ceiling to floor windows.

"Takahashi?" he called.

Looking around into an empty room, he felt an air of eeriness. It was weirdly chilly, like he stepped into a mosoleum. He drew a deep breath, hands on his waist and swallowed his irritated voice replaced by a much, sincere-thoughtful-sounding voice. He could be a voice actor if his law practice wouldn't turn for the better after this.

"I know you're listening," Usami started, slowly pacing the room with his eyes darting to everywhere. "I'm serious. I may be for all the money at first...but...I'm really here to help you."

Usami cocked his head to the side, seeing the lights from the comfort room's ajar door. He walked towards it slowly, not making any sound.

"Everything has a reason...if you just cooperate, we can try into finding away to clean your name. I really want to help you, " of course that was a lie.

The man waited for a response. Right when he was already standing before the door, he waited more minutes. But nothing came. Losing out of patience, he again loosened his tie, a habit he does when he was about to go amock.

"Look, last night, they found a note in one of your stuff," Usami continued. "You wrote 'I hate them' and nothing else. Unfortunately this just pushes you deeper into the case...but I need to know, why did you hate them?"

When no one replied, Usami pushed the door to the bathroom open cautiously. It was empty.

"What the heck?"

The carpeted floor was drowning his footsteps as he went near the empty bed. For a kid who sleeps throughout the day, the bed was impossibly well kept. Not a crease, not a sign of being used at all. Still covered in bluish lights of the night, Usami walked around. He then noticed something weird.

He carefully walked before a huge wooden cabinet. The end of what seemed like a thin bedsheet was sticking from its doors.

"Wait a minute..."

Usami lifted a hand, slowly reaching for the cabinet's handle. "Takahashi...? Are you in there?"

He heard a few sounds like how a rat would in hiding. He didn't know what to expect in this, but he held the handle carefully anyway and pulled it open abruptly.

This meeting every night has become a chore to Takahashi Takahiro. The entire Takahashi Family from the farthest to the sisters and brothers of his father were all discussing how to put Misaki in the tightest spot.

The long marble table was full of folders and cups of coffee. Every man and woman had stern looks on their faces. Cold and such heartless ambiance was prevailing in that household. Takahiro, who couldn't remember the last time he slept on his bed threw a glare at the oldest members of the family who were acting as the spokespersons of the rest of his father's side.

"Why are you all so antagonistic with Misaki, Uncle Juun? And you Auntie Reina, all of you don't know Misaki. You have never talked to him. So why now are you taking so much interest in this case?"

This Uncle Juun, who was about fifty in age crossed his arms across his broad and still sturdy chest. "That's natural! Our big brother has been killed in that way! Do you expect us to just sit here and wait? We want a fast result! Besides, aren't all the evidences pointing to that bastard already!?"

"Uncle!" Takahiro shouted, wanting to throw the folder to the man's face but held himself in check.

"Well, Takahiro..." the woman who had lots of make-up on her face raised a brow. "Why are you so protective about that kid? He isn't even blood-related! He isn't even a real Takahashi!"

"So what if we're not blood-related? He's still my younger brother..."

"Hmmft..." Uncle Juun snorted, tapping his finger on the table haughtily. "He is that woman's son with her first husband right? When he died, she had to marry your father to keep their business afloat. Ten years ago, your father just brought them here like that, who knows if that Misaki has gone crazy and is really after money?"

Takahiro gritted his teeth. If not for his father's will, perhaps these old people wouldn't even take the effort to look into this alleged murder of their brother, his father.

It caused a stir because of that will. Most of the Takahashi wealth, for no heavy reason was named after Takahashi Misaki. It was clearly stated in the documents that all estates outside the country will be transfered to the teen's name once he reaches twenty. It was a mystery, adding the condition included in it.

"Takahashi Misaki, the son of my second wife, will receive the stated amount and properties at the said date, provided he meets a simple condition. He should never be involved in anything that would tarnish his and the Family's name. Once a particular event tainting his name and the family occured, it will all be transferred to the chosen charity institutions..."

Right the instant Takahiro saw those lines from the will, to him it sounded like a threat drizzled with gold. However, he held his tongue inside his mouth and didn't voice out any of his own worries.

"And you say he would kill his own mother too?" Takahiro hissed. "Misaki and I may not be blood-related but he's still a part of this family. I know him better than all of you do. It feels as if you don't want him to be able to defend himself, fast-tracking the case. Why do I feel like it's you who are after my family's wealth?"

Everyone on that table fell silent.

"What are you doing?"

Usami flatly asked this supposed to be young master of the Takahashi Main Family who was currently inside the cramped cabinet. The kid had wrapped himself in the whitebed-sheet and was biting down on his nails. Usami hadn't seen it right away. But it had gone severely the kid's fingers were already bleeding. When Usami realized this, he wouldn't deny it, he had goosebumps all over his body.

"Oi..."

The kid blinked at Usami, as if he was looking at a distance. He continued biting down on his nails with such hurry and strenght. Usami stepped back. It was no different than watching a horror film all of a sudden that he pulled the hand away from Misaki's mouth and dragged him out of the cabinet.

"What the hell is wrong with this kid?!"

Usami wasn't really the gentle type of person. He uncaringly shoved the kid onto the bed and opened all the lights in the room, the lights on the ceilings and even the bedside table. Looking at the kid then with all the lights exploding in all directions, he didn't know what to do, whether to call a medic, a psychiatrist or what.

He roamed his lavender eyes around and saw an intercom on the way. He took huge steps to get there, the kid grabbed to his coat with his bleeding nails.

"Don't."

"Look at you. You're a fucking mess and scares the hell out of me," Usami turned his back. The kid gripped tighter. "WHAT?! You're staining my coat!"

"If they see this...they'll think I'm crazy..."

Usami scowled. "And do you think you're not?"

Takahashi Misaki finally let go and sat on the edge of the bed obediently.

"Tsk..." the older man walked towards the bed, turning away from the intercom. "My job is to defend you...not to baby sit you okay?" Usami started searching his pockets for his handkerchief and used it to one by one wipe off the bloody fingers of his client. "Although even defending you now looks so impossible...damn it..."

Silent, Misaki just watched his fingers disappear and reappear from under the older man's touches. When the blood was wiped off, he lifted his gaze at the man's face. He didn't seem to be the shying away-type contrary to what Usami had labelled him.

"What?" Usami mumbled, going to the other hand. There wasn't a sign of any callouse. Clearly the little prince hasn't lifted a finger for a house chore. Somewhere that seemed odd though.

"Why are you insisting of becoming my defense lawyer when you are saying yourself that I don't have a chance?"

"Because of money...what else?" Usami exhaled. "I'll tell you one talent I have kiddo."

Misaki just looked at his hand, not eager but not looking uninterested as well.

"I am pretty lazy but when I get serious, I make miracles happen."

The kid gave a small laugh. "I do believe in miracles."

"Really now?"

"Hmmm...I started believing in them that night when father and mother were bathing in their own blood."

Usami fell silent. The kid beside him still looked like a ghost. And coming from those chapped lips those unacceptable words only made Misaki's case hard for the both of them.

"Listen up," Usami shifted from his position, turning his body so that he'd be facing the kid better. "I'll give up this case."

Misaki's eyes widened.

"I will if you say to me honestly and truthfully that you did kill your parents. I'll leave you alone. Until then, I will not allow you to be sentenced to anything that easily..." Usami wanted to puke.

The green eyes looked away. He started fidgeting on his spot and the next thing Usami knew the boy was laughing.

"Honestly?" Misaki asked. "Truthfully?"

"God this kid is really mad..."

"Usami-san. Honestly...I don't know. And truthfully...maybe."

"What the hell's that- I mean, what is that supposed to mean?"

"I sometimes daydream...who knows I've acted out what I really wanted to do?"

Usami ran his fingers through his hair and sighed. It was better to drown himself in millions of files than talk to this weird thing.

"So you did want to kill them?" Usami asked cautiously.

"So much it's the only thing I could think of," Misaki straightly answered.

Usami searched the lifeless green eyes for a long time. He looked for any sign of joking, or teasing, or lying. He had seen numerous people lie at his face. And he could tell right away if they do. It was saddening to see that the kid was as transparent as clear waters. He wasn't lying at all.

Usami inched closer. Their voices becoming softer and softer. Usami could feel that something was coming. It was coming closer and though this was just an act of the good-defense lawyer. He was interested how this kid's head worked.

"Takahashi..." Usami called softer than a whisper. Afraid that any loud noise would make the crazy kid run back to his sealed world called 'cabinet'. "Why do you hate your parents so much?"

"If I...if I really killed them...is it that bad?" Misaki asked instead. "Is it that bad to have them die for not treating me like I am human?"

At first it didn't sink to Usami's mind. He just looked at the boy's profile with fake interest when something clicked inside his puzzled head.

"Treating you how?"

Misaki tilted his head towards Usami. He was smiling in a weird way that Usami stood on both of his feet without realizing it.

It only started as soft trembling from the boy's lips. It spread like a shockwave then from his chest to his whole body. There wasn't any tear from the boy's eyes. He had ran out of them for a very long time ago and his system refused to produce any. He was as dry as a desert.

"Me and my dad used to fuck behind my mother's back. Literally..." Misaki whispered, glaring at Usami. "He loves fucking his son like an animal on that bed just beside his wife . And my mom acted like it wasn't happening..."

"Hold on...what?"

"Papa...papa..."Misaki pulled his knees on his chest, his huge eyes growing more and more distant. "Mama would wake up..." Misaki mumbled softly and sweetly and then in a blink of an eye, Misaki's expression changed into an angry one. "That's how he wanted it. Playing that sickly game...And mom?" Misaki narrowed his eyes as if he was actually seeing what he was saying. "...she pretended it's not of a big deal. Because she couldn't bear to live a poor life if she divorced him. She spends money faster than anybody else. So she preferred to make me a human sacrifice..."

Misaki smiled. "Mister is it bad to kill them?"

Usami was dumbstrucked.

"Is it bad to hate them?"

Misaki started crying a tearless cry, still looking up at Usami who had gone immobile.

"I really don't know if I acted out my dreams and killed them...but I was so happy when they died..."

It was only that time that Usami Akihiko finally saw a trace of 'human' in Misaki. He was angry. He was miserable. And he was confused.

Usami exhaled, inexplicably tired all of a sudden. Usami just knelt on the floor and held the boy's shaking hands in his.

"Takaha-...no...Misaki?" Usami called. "Misaki...this is going to play a huge role in your case..."

The boy glared at Usami. With such strenght not even possible that the boy could still possess, he pulled his hands away.

"I don't intend to tell the whole world that I was raped!"

"LISTEN TO ME!" Usami shouted. "You have to tell them what was happening inside that huge house of yours! We can perhaps lower your sentence by presenting the whole thing as an act of defense from...from violence, sexual abuse..."

"I don't want to humiliate myself! I better be accused to be a murderer than someone who's been fucked every single chance there was for the last six years!"

"..."

Usami swallowed his anger at the boy's hard-headedness. Jaws working in irritation, Usami sat on the bed, his weight sending it creak for a few while. "Look, this isn't logical...think about it this way. You've been abused, and after that, you're going to the prison for a life time? Does that make any sense to you?"

"I told you, I don't know!" Misaki shouted. "Maybe I did kill them! The evidences are all pointing at me don't they! I don't remember a thing! When I came to my senses I was standing with my hands full of blood! What else is there to deny!?"

The older man looked out the window and tried to put his thoughts in order. He had wanted the kid to talk. And when he finally did, Usami found himself bombarded with all these heavy revelations it made him tired all of a sudden.

When he looked back to his silent companion, Misaki was biting down on his nails again.

"Tsk...stop doing that," Usami gently pulled the hand away. He had no energy to be angry anymore. "Look...your fingers on your hand will soon fall off."

The kid balled and opened his left fist frowning.

Usami watched the pinkish tips of the kid's fingers. There was a rush in his blood that was telling him something was wrong in that hand. Something so small that he couldn't directly point out. This itch and irritation of not being able to discern what it was made Usami crease his fine brows.

The kid was biting on the nails of his fingers on his left hand more frequently. The thin wrist watch was on the left-side as well. When he was wiping off blood from the boy's hands, the right one didn't have any callouse. Yet finally remembering, the other has, it even showed signs of blisters.

"You...you're left-handed aren't you?" Usami asked almost to a whisper.

The kid made an open-close motion with his left hand and innocently gazed at Usami. "What does it matter?"

Usami just chose to keep it for himself first. He could sense something was amiss from all the files he had just read and to this. He watched with growing irritation as Misaki started, once more, to bite down on his nails.

"I told you...kiddo...try not doing that..."

"You see..." Misaki raised his left hand. The torn nails, the bleeding flesh looked like it hurt a big deal. If it did, the boy had so much guts not to even flinch. "If I don't do this...I can't calm down...I hate it yet I crave for it. Sex I mean," the boy chuckled. "That's how hideous I've become..."

The older man watched the kid bite his own nails. The strange thing was it was as if Usami's finger tips were tingling as well.

chapter end notes:

tbc. thanks for the time! XD

-shuusetsun three ongoing series first in my still unfinished list, I decided to take the available chapters of this story off first. I'll repost them then when I picked up this story again.

Please, don't post my stories anywhere else. Thank you for your understanding and support.

:)

~~~shuusetsu