Chapter 8
Home
The three had left the basement, and now that there was light, Tokiya was able to make out the appearance of his new bodyguard. Berserker was a tall muscular man with a build even more impressive than Gremory. He had dark skin, and his hair was extremely messy. Tokiya decided to give the messy hair a pass due to Berserker having been locked in a cell. He seemed to be about Gremory's age and wore a white shirt, green vest, and baggy tactical pants.
Berserker stared down at Tokiya. His gaze was extremely intimidating. Despite Tokiya surviving a fight with a magical cultist, he wasn't a brave warrior or anything. He cried like a baby after killing a man. Tokiya was still just a farmer.
Berserker turned to Gremory.
"This is who you want me to guard? He doesn't look all that important. What could he possibly need protection from?"
Gremory gleamed with pride as if Tokiya was his child.
"This guy may not look it, but he's the hero of this town who is wanted by the most dangerous cult in the world."
"Please stop with the hero crap."
Berserker returned his gaze to Tokiya. His look was filled with something like dislike. Tokiya couldn't quite make it out.
"He looks like a farmer or something. What would a cult want with him?"
Berserker blinked a few times.
"I guess looks can be deceiving."
Gremory bumped Berserker with his shoulder as a smirk appeared on his face.
"Yeah, you'd know a lot about that."
Berserker shot Gremory a piercing glare, but the soldier was unfazed still smiling away. Tokiya looked away from the interaction. Once Gremory had had his fun, he stood up straight and fixed his cap.
"Well, I'll leave you two to your new arrangement."
Gremory began to walk away but turned to face Tokiya.
"Oh, and Tokiya, don't worry about the trip to Ardston. I'll get everything prepared for you."
Tokiya wasn't ready to be left alone with his new intimidating bodyguard, but before he could protest, Gremory had left the police station. So, Tokiya and Berserker stood in the station's lobby.
"..."
"..."
"..."
Berserker sucked his teeth.
"So, is this what you usually do, just stand around?"
Tokiya looked up. He frowned inwardly, not happy with Berserker's already sucky attitude.
"Uh, no. I'm just not used to having a bodyguard."
"Fair enough."
Tokiya looked away. Just standing there was awkward, so his mind searched for things to do.
"I could... Ah! I can't think of anything. My life can't be this boring, can it? There's only one thing I can think of."
Tokiya looked back up at Berserker.
"Let's go to my farm. I've been in the hospital for a few days, so my farm needs some serious attention."
Tokiya said this with much urgency as if he had realized something big.
"It's better than just standing here. Lead the way."
Tokiya nodded and started towards the big hole in the front wall of the station, which was now being used as the entrance and exit.
The silence between them was slowly eating at Tokiya. He still hadn't forgotten the fact that Berserker was a criminal. Trusting Berserker at that moment was not an easy task. Being that Berserker was also walking directly behind him, Tokiya felt a slight feeling of being stalked.
This ominous feeling reminded Tokiya of his situation and the reason why he had a bodyguard in the first place. He frantically looked around.
"What the hell am I doing? I can't just be walking around so casually. Just like with Mors, a random assassin could pop out at any moment."
As Berserker followed Tokiya, he noticed oddities in Tokiya's walking. He was slow, and his posture was shrunken and closed off. Berserker scoffed.
Tokiya continued nervously looking around almost like he didn't have a personal bodyguard right behind him.
"I just have to make it home, right? No, no, that's even more dangerous. My farm is ten minutes out from town."
"You scared?"
Tokiya stopped walking, turned around, and looked up at Berserker. Berserker looked down at him with an expressionless face. His face had been this way the whole time.
"Of course I'm scared. I'm being chased by a cult that I've never even heard of, and I have random people telling me I'm going to die! Of course I'm scared!"
Berserker just stared at him. Tokiya let out a deep breath.
"Sorry, I'm just really stressed."
"You should be. A farmer like you never should've gotten themselves involved in a situation like this. The weak shouldn't mingle with the strong. You had to learn that the hard way."
Tokiya looked down under the intense and disdainful gaze of Berserker.
"I-I didn't have a choice."
"Because you're weak. The weak don't have a choice."
Tokiya sucked his teeth and clenched his fists. There was nothing he could do. Berserker recognized this feeling that he knew so well. For the first time, Berserker's expression changed. It softened though barely noticeably.
"Let's not go to your farm. It's further from the station, so it's unsafe."
"No! We can't."
Berserker furrowed his brows.
"Why not?"
Tokiya looked uneasy about what he was about to say. Suddenly, their conversation was interrupted.
"TOKIYA!!!"
Tokiya looked in the direction of where the scream came from, but Berserker spun around, preparing for a threat. Once Berserker had turned around, he was greeted by the faces of three frightened children.
The boys in the front put his out protecting the other two behind him.
"Stay back, you! If you touch us, you'll be in a world of trouble with Hero Tokiya!"
Berserker relaxed himself, realizing the kids weren't a threat. Tokiya sighed and stepped forward.
"Relax, Justin. This guy is with me. And please quit it with the titles."
Justin and the girl and boy behind him quickly scurried past Berserker and up to Tokiya. Justin clasped his hands in front of him.
"Tokiya, we're so happy you're ok! Gremory told us how cool you were when you protected the town!"
The girl behind him shyly spoke up.
"Yeah, he told us how you beat the cultist up so much that you tore him to pieces."
Tokiya wanted to be able to say that Gremory had lied to them, but everything they said was the truth. He shook his head at the memory of the scene.
Justin nodded.
"Kiria's right! Gremory told us everything! We always knew you were cool!"
The boy behind the two spoke up next.
"Guys, calm down. You shouldn't crowd our hero like that."
Justin turned to him.
"You're so right, Twist."
Justin and Kiria backed away from Tokiya, but Tokiya just sighed and shook his head.
"Guys, that's enough. I'm the same old Tokiya as before."
Twist nodded.
"He's as humble as ever."
Berserker scoffed.
"You've got quite the fan club farmer."
Justin looked at Berserker suspiciously.
"Tokiya, who is this guy?"
"Oh, this is my bodyguard."
"Hmmmmmmm. Ok, mister bodyguard, I'm watching you."
Kiria hesitantly stepped forward and handed something to Tokiya.
"We made this for you."
Tokiya looked at her hands to see a get-well card filled with childishly bad drawings but a lot of affection. He smiled.
"Aw, thanks, you guys. This is wonderful."
Twist checked his watch.
"G-guys, we have to go! The candy shop is going to open soon!"
Justin eagerly turned to Tokiya.
"The candy shop down the street is beginning the sale of a new chocolate bar. We have to get there before they run out. You gotta come with us, Tokiya."
Tokiya looked down at Justin with uncertainty.
"I really should be getting back home."
Kiria looked up shyly.
"But what if someone cuts us in line? We need you, Tokiya. You're always the one saying we need to be chaperoned."
After a few seconds, Tokiya sighed.
"Fine, but we have to be quick. I'm a grown up with grown up responsibilities."
With great excitement, the kids ran off. Tokiya followed them and following him closely was Berserker. Eventually the group made it to the candy shop early enough to be some of the first people in line. The three kids stood talking to each other, while Tokiya and Berserker stood behind them.
"What are you, a babysitter?"
Tokiya turned to Berserker. The bodyguard continued with a stern and harsh voice.
"You were just stressing over your own death and talking about how you don't want to stay in town. And now, you're standing in line for candy. Why'd you change your mind about staying in town?"
Tokiya averted his eyes almost ashamed. He hesitantly spoke
"It's stupid, but I never really cared whether I was at home or not."
Berserker scoffed.
"Sure, didn't seem like it."
"It was never about the location, rather what I would be doing at that place. Think of this. Before the kids approached us, if we had decided to stay in town, what would we have possibly done? Gone to a bar? Lazed around? The point is it wouldn't be anything productive. At least at the farm I could've worked. I don't care where I am just as long as I'm contributing to something."
Berserker, unaffected by Tokiya's speech, pressed on.
"What does that matter when your life is in danger?"
Tokiya's gaze on anything but Berserker intensified.
"These kids need me here right now, so it does matter. Right now, I'm needed."
The line moved forward, and the kids scurried in to get their candy. After a few minutes everyone including Tokiya and Berserker left the shop with a chocolate bar.
*****
Gremory went straight from the police station to Mr. Shaut's shop. The dimly lit shop was filled with many types of vegetables, most of which came from Tokiya's farm. Once he entered the shop he walked straight to Mr. Shaut who was at the counter.
"Yo Shaut, the shop's totally empty today."
Mr. Shaut looked up from the newspaper he was reading.
"Yes, it is. I think most people are making their way to that candy shop. There's something going on there, I think. So, how'd it go with Tokiya."
Gremory leaned against the counter.
"It went well, I guess."
Gremory paused. He wanted to relay what Tokiya had told him to Mr. Shaut, but he couldn't. Not only did he not want to worry the old man, but also what Tokiya said during the interrogation was extremely personal.
"Gremory, I hope you didn't just send the boy off. Someone's out to get him. He has to be put under some sort of protection."
Gremory waved Mr. Shaut off.
"Don't worry, old man. I gave Tokiya a bodyguard and a strong one at that. He's going to be fine. I bet he's on his way to his farm right now."
Mr. Shaut shook his head and slightly smiled.
"That kid is always working on that farm."
"Ha, that's Tokiya alright! If he's not on that damn farm, he's here running other peoples' errands or babysitting those kids. I swear he doesn't know how to take a break."
Mr. Shaut sighed.
"I hope he learns how soon. He's still recovering from all those injuries."
"Yeah, but you have to respect his work ethic even if it's you know..."
There was a brief pause.
"You're concerned about his past again, aren't you?"
Gremory adjusted his cap.
"Yeah, did I ever tell you what Tokiya told me the day Mr. Hara died?"
Mr. Shaut shook his head.
"No, what did he say?"
"He was fifteen at the time. After I saw him crying on the street, I took him to a tavern to get something to eat. There he explained how Mr. Hara had died in his sleep. The kid just couldn't stop crying."
Mr. Shaut interrupted.
"But Tokiya had always been a hard worker even before Mr. Hara died."
"Well, what he told me that didn't have much to do with Mr. Hara's death. I think it was brought on by the sudden emotions he was feeling. He went on and on about a lot of things, but what really stuck with me was what he said about his real parents."
Mr. Shaut's eyes widened.
"He's aware of his real parents? I never knew Mr. Hara told him."
Gremory nodded.
"Knowing that his parents gave him up, he's spent his whole life trying to prove himself. He fears he has no purpose outside of his work. If he's not working, he's no use to anyone."
Mr. Shaut's eyes were filled with a look of sadness and a bit of guilt.
"Oh, I never realized the poor kid was so insecure about himself. So, what did you say to him afterwards?"
Gremory hid his eyes with his cap.
"Um, well, I'm a police officer not a therapist so..."
Mr. Shaut pointed a stern finger at Gremory.
"You better not have said something that made him cry harder!'
Gremory's professional persona broke as he stood up straight, slowly backing away from the counter.
"Eh, that was so long ago, old man. I-I can hardly remember what I said. Anyways, I have business to attend to. Bye!"
Gremory swiftly and nervously left the shop leaving Mr. Shaut alone. The thought that he wasn't even aware of what was constantly eating a Tokiya sat with him. It hurt him.
Mr. Shaut looked up at the two lamps on the ceiling reminiscently. He vividly remembered the exact scene Mr. Hara recounted to him about the day he took in Tokiya.
Early that day a mysterious woman with sharp, bright eyes presented Mr. Hara with a nearly newborn child. Apparently, he was the child of Mr. Hara's brother all the way in the country of Kazekoku. In the end, Mr. Hara didn't have much of a choice on whether he wanted to keep the child or not because the woman swiftly disappeared.
"After all that kid has done for this town, how does he not realize we all value him so much?"
*****
It was late at night, and Berserker and Tokiya made sure that all three kids returned to their homes safely. They were now making their way to Tokiya's house. The stars were shining brightly upon the two as Berserker walked behind Tokiya but much closer than before.
"You sure you want to spend the night at your house? You'll be further away from the station."
Tokiya shook his head.
"It's fine..."
"Why do I feel like this? Ever since that conversation with Berserker, I haven't been able to shake this depressing feeling. Dammit! Eien would laugh at me... I hate this."
Tokiya's fists clenched. Berserker took note of this again.
"You're weak, aren't you?"
Tokiya quickly spun around facing the almost unfamiliar softened tone of Berserker.
"What? You don't know anything about me."
The two had stopped walking.
"Those clenched fists tell me all I need to know. You're a weak man frustrated by his pathetic state."
Tokiya's eyes widened with fury. He was done. He was done with everyone, including himself, telling him that he was pathetic. He didn't know what he was going to do, but he was absolutely done. Berserker continued, holding up one of his hands.
"I used to be just like you. I clenched these fists every day and hated the concept of being weak. Maybe that's why I was standoffish earlier. However, I realized you're very similar to me. There's a difference between you and the other weaklings out there."
Tokiya's breath hitched.
"What's that?"
Berserker's response was not softened, nor did it possess his emotionless tone from before. It was encouraging.
"We refuse to be weak. We clench our fists not only out of frustration, but determination. That's why, now, no matter what infamous cult is chasing you, I will serve as your bodyguard and protect you until you become strong."
Berserker closed his fist, clenching it in front of him. He extended his arm towards Tokiya who was genuinely shocked by this gesture. Somehow by simply balling his fists, he had gained the respect of his bodyguard. Tokiya returned the gesture, bumping Berserker's fist.