A light rain was sowing across the roof of the bus, as if someone was quietly tapping their fingers on a tin can. The night was cold, damp, and heavy. Exactly one week had passed since Genzo's first fight. He was sitting in an almost empty night bus, at the very back of the cabin, by the window. The light inside was dim, yellowish; several lamps were flickering, creating a feeling of instability. Outside the window, wet streets floated by, and the reflections of streetlights trembled in puddles.
Genzo stared out the window without blinking. His face was calm, almost lifeless. A fresh bruise from the previous fight was still visible on his cheekbone, and the fingers on his hands trembled slightly from fatigue after training. He was alone in the back of the bus. Only a few people sat in front: an old woman dozing by the window and a couple of young people in hoods.
Suddenly, a noise broke the silence of the cabin.
Four young guys, about the same age as Genzo, surrounded a schoolgirl who was sitting closer to the middle. The girl was in uniform, clutching her bag on her knees and clearly scared. One guy was sitting next to her with his hand on her thigh, the second stood behind her, and the third and fourth stood on the sides, blocking the exit. Behind them stood an older girl, about twenty years old, with a baseball bat in her hands. She lazily tapped it against her palm.
"Come on, hand over the money, you bitch," the main guy, tall with a pimply face, said arrogantly. "And the phone too. Don't be stingy, we're asking nicely."
The girl fearfully shrank back toward the window.
"Please… I only have money for the fare… don't…"
"We're not asking," laughed the second one and reached his hand under her skirt. "Sit quietly, or it'll get worse. We'll make it quick."
The girl with the bat smirked, chewing gum.
"Hurry up, guys. I'm not going to hang around here all night because of some schoolgirl."
Genzo, sitting at the back, slowly turned his head. He watched them for a few seconds, then, a little louder than usual and without standing up, said:
"Hey… If you're gonna harass someone, do it quietly. You're bothering me. Acting like baboons."
All five sharply turned around. The girl with the bat narrowed her eyes.
"Got some problems, hero?" asked the main guy, taking a step toward him.
The main guy said:
"If you give us some cash, we'll leave you alone. Or are you broke?"
Genzo calmly looked at them without getting up.
"I can only give you a beating. Nothing else."
The guy got angry, his face turning red.
"What did you say, you half-assed punk?... I can see you're not just some nobody."
He nodded to the girl with the bat.
"Deal with him. Let him shut up."
The girl smiled predatorily and slowly walked toward Genzo, twirling the bat.
"Do you even realize who you're dealing with, cheapskate? I'm actually the district champion in mixed martial arts. I can break your bones, boy. Easily."
Genzo looked at her with light sarcasm, still not standing up.
"Feels like a breeze just blew in… Aren't the windows closed?"
The girl clearly got angry, her face twisting.
"How dare you… Consider yourself dead, you bastard."
Genzo only quietly replied, again with sarcasm:
"Primitive thinking you've got there."
She swung the bat straight at Genzo's face. He deftly dodged to the side. The bat whistled past and crashed into the metal handrail with a loud bang. From the impact, the bat cracked and shattered into several pieces. The bus driver slammed on the brakes. The bus lurched. The doors remained closed.
Genzo instantly stood up. He grabbed the girl's head with both hands and forcefully slammed her face into the back of the nearest seat. A dull, heavy thud rang out. The girl screamed in pain, blood gushing from her nose.
"Aaaah… You fuuucking bitch! It hurts!"
The four guys immediately rushed him in a crowd.
"What the hell are you doing, clown?!" the leader yelled.
The first guy tried to punch Genzo in the face. Genzo caught the hand, sharply yanked it down, and kicked him in the chest. The guy flew backward and crashed into a row of seats with a crash; the plastic cracked and the seat broke.
The second guy pulled out a small folding knife and stabbed Genzo in the thigh. Genzo hissed in pain but spun around, grabbed the guy by the head, and slammed his face into the window with force. The glass cracked in a spiderweb pattern, and the guy fell unconscious, leaving a bloody smear on the glass.
The remaining two attacked at the same time. Genzo grabbed one by the neck and the other by the collar, but the third kicked him hard in the stomach. Genzo flew back, crashed heavily onto a seat, and the chair bent and broke under his weight with a loud crack.
Breathing heavily, covered in blood, Genzo grabbed a glass bottle from the floor, smashed it against the edge of the seat, and slashed the nearest guy across the head with the shard. The guy screamed and fell, clutching his face.
The last guy tried to hit him again, but Genzo literally ripped an iron pipe out of the bus structure and swung it hard across his throat. The guy grabbed his neck, wheezed, and collapsed from the pain shock. Genzo then grabbed this same guy, slammed him into the bus window, the window shattered, and together with him Genzo flew out of the bus onto the cold concrete. He slowly got up, looking forward, his forehead covered in blood.
Genzo stood on the street in the middle of the wrecked bus, breathing heavily. His entire clothes were covered in blood, his face was beaten, and a knife was sticking out of his thigh. He slowly pulled the knife out and threw it aside. The driver stood in shock, holding her mouth with trembling hands.
"A… are you okay?" she asked in a trembling voice.
Genzo silently pushed her aside and forcefully opened the door. The guys were groaning on the floor, the girl with the bat lay unconscious. The schoolgirl they had been harassing sat in the corner, extremely frightened, clutching her bag to her chest and shaking all over.
Genzo slowly crouched down beside her. The girl recoiled, looking at him in horror.
"Don't you dare touch me!" she screamed hysterically. "My friends will destroy you. All men are rapists, murderers, drug addicts, psychopaths, perverts. I hate all of you. You're all the same."
Genzo sat silently, covered in blood, looking at her with a tired gaze. He didn't say anything. The girl, still hysterical, continued:
"Why are you silent? Can't even say a word? You're just like them. All of you are animals."
Genzo didn't respond. He tiredly sighed, looking at her calmly, slowly stood up, leaning on the handrails and walls, and walked toward the exit. The bus doors opened with a hiss. He stepped out into the cold night. Breathing heavily, he disappeared into the shadows.
A light rain was falling outside. Genzo walked along the empty sidewalk, covered in blood, with torn clothes. His leg limped slightly, but he walked steadily. Ahead, a small 24-hour bar appeared. Two young girls, arrogant and slightly older than Genzo, were walking in front of it.
Genzo stopped in front of them. His face was almost invisible, only the light gave it shape, and he said hoarsely:
"How much for the jacket? I'll give you money."
One of the girls looked him up and down, slightly wrinkling her nose.
"Do you even have any?"
Genzo slowly pulled crumpled money from his pocket — 15 dollars, slightly stained with blood. The girl in the jacket took the money.
"A fight, huh?" asked the second.
"Yeah," Genzo replied hoarsely.
"Everything I have. And these arm warmers and socks too."
The girl in the jacket looked at him arrogantly and answered a bit more quietly:
"But they're women's… Okay, fine. Just be careful, you might get questions for this."
The second girl was holding a bottle of vodka.
"And the bottle too," said Genzo.
"How much will you give?" she asked.
The first girl pushed her friend.
"Just give it to him. Let him take it."
Genzo received the jacket, arm warmers, socks, and a bottle of vodka. He put the jacket on right over his torn clothes and slowly walked further down the empty road. He put on the rest while walking.
Deep night had fallen. Genzo walked along the empty sidewalk, slowly and slightly limping. The women's jacket, arm warmers, and socks gradually became soaked with blood. Somewhere in the distance, dogs were howling.
The light rain continued to fall as Genzo finally reached his house. It was deep night; the clock showed 1:35. The street was empty and wet, the streetlights burned dimly, casting long trembling reflections in the puddles. The women's jacket he had bought from the girls near the bar was slightly small on him and sat strangely on his shoulders. Under his torn pants were women's socks, black with a thin elastic band, now soaked with blood and dirt. Every step sent a dull pain through his thigh, where the cut still remained.
Genzo stopped at the fence of his house. The fence was low, but in his condition even that seemed like a challenge. He took a deep breath of the cold night air, grabbed the top rail, and began to climb over.
His hands were shaking from exhaustion. His muscles ached after the fight and the long walk. He threw his body over the fence, but his leg caught on the top. Genzo lost his balance and fell heavily down, right into the thick wet bushes under the fence.
"Fuck…" he quietly cursed through his teeth.
The bushes were stiff and prickly. It hurt especially when the palm of his right hand touched the nettles. A burning pain instantly spread across his skin, as if thousands of tiny needles had pierced his flesh. Genzo hissed, quickly jerked his hand away, and sat in the mud, breathing heavily. The nettles burned unbearably; the skin turned red, began to itch and sting.
He sat for a few seconds, gathering his strength, then slowly got up. The pain in his thigh intensified, and blood continued to seep through the fabric of his pants. Genzo looked around — the yard was dark, not a single light on in the house. Mom was sleeping.
He approached the balcony of his first-floor room, grabbed the railing, and began to climb. His right elbow, which he had injured back on the bus, hurt badly. When he climbed over the railing, his elbow hit a sharp edge of metal. A sharp, burning pain shot through his arm. Genzo quietly hissed but didn't stop. He tumbled over the railing and fell heavily onto the balcony, biting his lip so as not to groan.
For several seconds he just lay on the cold concrete of the balcony, breathing heavily. The rain quietly tapped on the roof. Finally he got up, took out his key, and quietly opened the balcony door.
The room was cozy and warm. Genzo closed the door behind him, turned on a small nightlight, and looked around. Mom was sleeping in the next room; he could hear her steady breathing through the wall. He quietly took off the women's jacket, the torn T-shirt, pants, and socks. Everything was covered in blood and dirt. He put the clothes in a black trash bag and hid it deep in the closet behind boxes.
Then he went to take a shower.
The hot water burned his body. Genzo stood under the streams with his eyes closed, slowly washing blood, dirt, and sweat off himself. The water flowed down in pink streams into the drain. The wound on his thigh was quite deep — the knife had gone in a couple of centimeters. The pain was sharp and throbbing. He thoroughly washed it, winced, and stepped out of the shower.
Wrapped in a towel, Genzo returned to the room, sat on the edge of the bed, and began stitching the wound with a regular needle and black thread. Each puncture caused sharp pain; the muscles in his leg twitched. He clenched his teeth and continued sewing slowly and carefully.
At that moment, his phone quietly vibrated. A message from Renji had arrived.
**Renji:**
How are you? Still alive?
Genzo wiped the sweat from his forehead and replied with one hand while continuing to stitch the wound with the other.
**Genzo:**
Alive. Had a bit of fun on the bus today.
**Renji:**
Fun? What happened?
**Genzo:**
Four guys and one with a bat wouldn't let me ride in peace. Had to intervene.
**Renji:**
Fuck… You okay? Injured?
**Genzo:**
They stuck a knife in my thigh. Stitching it now. I'm fine.
**Renji:**
Are you serious? Send a photo.
Genzo took a photo of the stitched wound and sent it.
**Renji:**
Holy shit… You look like you came back from war. How did you even get home?
**Genzo:**
In a women's jacket and some weird socks or knee-highs. Bought them from two girls near the bar for 15 dollars.
**Renji:**
What? Are you serious? In a women's jacket?
**Genzo:**
Yeah. Mine was all covered in blood.
**Renji:**
You're crazy. But cool that you helped people. How were they?
**Genzo:**
There was one girl. She got really scared. Said all men are rapists and psychopaths. Normal, I guess.
**Renji:**
Classic. Everything's good here. The new school isn't as bad as I thought. Raiden comes by sometimes. We play games, sometimes go to the gym. He's pretty good at basketball, by the way.
**Genzo:**
Glad for you guys. How's Raiden? Hasn't changed?
**Renji:**
Nah, same as always. Quiet, but a beast when he plays. When are you coming to Tokyo?
**Genzo:**
Soon. As soon as I finish all my stuff here. I want to see you.
**Renji:**
Waiting. Be careful there. Don't get into every fight.
**Genzo:**
I'll try. Can't promise though.
**Renji:**
Alright, get some rest. The wound won't get infected?
**Genzo:**
Hope not. Good night.
**Renji:**
Good night, bro.
Genzo put the phone aside, finished stitching the wound, applied a bandage, and lay down on the bed. His body ached, but inside there was a strange calm. He closed his eyes and fell into a heavy, restless sleep. A drop of rain trickled down the window.