I just noticed there are a lot of new cars out there that I haven't seen before," she pointed outside towards the parking lot.
Ichigo followed her example and peered down before letting out a low whistle. "Looks like the king moved in here."
Angel nodded before straightening up to continue her way up the stairs. "Today's been a weird day all together."
"I know what you mean," he added as they finally reached their floor. Ichigo took her hand in his and smiled when Angel leaned over to lean her head on his shoulders. He placed a quick kiss on her head as he gently led her towards their apartment. But for some reason, with each step they took, something felt weird. "Is it just me or does this place feel eerier than it usually is?" he asked.
Angel looked around and tightened her grip inside Ichigo's hands. "I know what you mean. Something feels out of place." The two looked at each other with a frown before heading towards their door.
Ichigo pulled out his keys and inserted it into the key hole. But instead of turning it, his entire body flinched.
"What's wrong?" Angel asked when she noticed he wasn't moving.
Ichigo slowly turned to look at her. "You did lock the doors this morning before you left, right?" he asked.
Angel stared at him before slowly nodding her head.
"Then why is it unlocked?" he whispered as he gently pulled his keys back out.
Angel's eyes widened. Another burglary?! she thought to herself as Ichigo pulled her behind him. He slowly gripped the knob and started to turn it. She remained half-hidden as the door slowly opened. At first glance, there was absolutely nothing.
It was pitch black.
Ichigo took a quiet step into the apartment and reached for the switch to turn on the lights. The moment it came on, everything changed.
In front of them were tall, muscular men wearing black suits and black sunglasses, with their arms crossed in front of their chests as they stood behind a man who was examining the pictures from their summer vacation on the wall.
And the said man sent chills down Ichigo's spine in merely a single glance.
He was taller than Ichigo by several inches and had long black hair with pieces of kenseikan on one side of his head. He was also wearing an expensive-looking Italian suit with alligator-skinned shoes. Everything about this man screamed at Ichigo to quickly run and hide. He was literally emitting a killing aura.
Angel did everything she could to stop a scream as she stared, wide-eyed, at the man standing before her. It was like her worse nightmare had come true. "N- Ni-isama," she mumbled low in her throat. And Ichigo immediately stiffened when he heard her.
Zack Bushū calmly turned his head towards the door and stared at the two figures standing by it. An eerie silence enveloped them.
Angel cleared her dry throat as she broke the silence. "Wha-what are you...doing here?"
"It's not Bushū-like to stutter, Angel," he simply said in an icy tone that made Ichigo want to cower away in fear. When the silence came back, Zack took a step to the side as he stood with his body facing them. "Hurry up and get inside. You're letting the cold wind come in."
Ichigo was still stiff but was forced to move when Angel lightly pushed him inside. The two slowly slipped their shoes off and stepped completely into the apartment, letting the door slam shut by itself. They visibly flinched at the loud "BANG!" and noticed that with the thunder outside, the lights were starting to flicker on and off.
Ichigo quickly stepped to the side, keeping Angel behind him, and stood in the middle of their living room, several feet away from the emotionless man and his bodyguards. "Wh-" he cleared his throat when his voice lightly squeaked, "What are you doing in here? Did you break in?"
Zack's cold eyes immediately went up to stare at Ichigo, who was trying his best to stay calm. "I don't think you have the liberty to speak here, Ichigo Walker."
Angel gasped. "How do you know him?" she asked breathlessly.
"I know everything when it comes to my business, and that includes my family," he said as he looked at his sister again. "And I believe I didn't raise you to cower behind someone else no matter what the situation. You're wearing a very pathetic look."
Angel lowered her head as she stepped out from behind her boyfriend. "Forgive me," she said.
For some reason, just seeing Angel-the same head-strong Angel he fell in love with-quickly flinching in fear, got rid of all his jitters. Ichigo looked back at the man in front of him with a full on glare. It only boiled the anger in him. "Don't order her around like some fucking dog," he growled.
Angel gasped as she grabbed his arm. "Ichigo! Don't say that!" she whispered in a panicking tone.
"I can if I want to," he looked at her, "I won't stand around and let some guy talk shit like that to you."
Angel's eyes widened before they narrowed down to a scowl. "You idiot. Although I appreciate you trying to stand up for me, he-" she slightly nodded at Zack , "-is not the person to put yourself up against!"
"But-"
"You would do wise and listen to my sister," Zack stepped in, "She knows what will happen to you if you continue to fight me." He turned back to look at Angel and simply said: "We're leaving."
Angel stopped breathing. "...Ni-isama."
"I already got all your stuff packed," he continued, "We're leaving right now."
Ichigo gritted his teeth. "You fucking bastard. I don't care who you are but you have no right to break into someone's house and go through their stuff!"
"And you have right to have a relationship with my sister?" he questioned with an air of superiority. "I will have you arrested for tricking Angel-"
"No!" Angel stepped in front of Ichigo and held her arms out, "Please, I will follow you if you promise to leave Ichigo out of this!"
Zack's eyes narrowed into slits. "You dare stand up for this man?"
Although slightly shaking, Angel kept her stance with a firm look. "Yes, ni-isama."
"I see this man has corrupted your mind," he scoffed, "I knew something happened when you didn't come back home after your apartment got raided."
As his words sunk in, Angel's eyes widened in disbelief. "Wait a second...how did you know about that?"
"Don't tell me, you..." Ichigo trailed off.
Zack merely looked down to remove a piece of lint on his black tie before looking back up with his same cold stare. "Yes."
A low growl came from Ichigo's throat as he pulled Angel next to him. "Fucking bastard," he cursed again.
"I wanted Angel to come home on her own two feet, admitting that she couldn't live alone in this world," he stated, "Of course I never took into consideration that there might have been someone to whom she could go to. A grave mistake that I can assure you I will not make again."
Ange watched on as she watched three men coming out from their bedroom holding her possessions.
"What the fuck?" Ichigo cringed, "You can't possibly be planning on forcing her back home, are you? I don't know much about you or your fucking name, but I won't stand by and watch you take Angel back to that hell hole."
An eyebrow went up as Zack continued staring at him. "You still dare to stand up against me when your life is being threatened?" he asked as his eyes narrowed into slits, "Do not mess with me, ichigo. I can do worst things to you then simply getting you arrested." He looked back at Angel who was starting to shake. "Come, Angel," he ordered.
"Wha-" Ichigo's voice got cut off when suddenly they were surrounded by Zack's bodyguard. He glared at them as he placed Angel behind him. "Get away," he snarled. But they promptly ignored him and tried to reach for Angel.
"AH!" Angel screamed when somebody suddenly grabbed her wrist from behind.
Ichigo quickly turned around and send a kick to the guts at the man who grabbed her. Once he was down on the floor, Ichigo quickly placed an arm around her shoulders and held her close. "Get away!" he yelled again.
"This is taking too long," Zack sighed, "I permit you to use force."
At those words, three men quickly dashed forward and tried to pull Ichigo away from Angel's .
"NO!" he shouted as he tried to punch with one arm and hold onto Angel with the other.
Zack watched from a distance as his three men fell on the floor. He looked at them before drawing his eyes to the man in front of him. "You're being stubborn. Angel already agreed to come back with me if I didn't call the cops. But if you continue to resist, I will have you arrested."
Angel gasped but Ichigo just tightened his hold. "I don't care. I won't let you take her away from me."
"Ichigo! Are you crazy "Angel shouted at him.
"I don't care!" he said again as he held her against him, "I promised to protect you and I'm going to keep that promise."
Angel looked between her boyfriend and her brother, unable to say anything. What should she do? Stay here and risk Ichigo getting in trouble from the authorities, or leave with her brother and end their relationship? This isn't what I wanted, she cried inwardly.
"Angel."
The said woman looked up at her brother who suddenly called her.
"I order you to step away from this man if you know what's best for him. If you come now, I will leave him half alive," he said as his stare got colder, "But if you make me wait any longer, I will have him killed right now."
Angel 's eye's widened at his sudden threat. "Ni-isama!"
"Get it through your fucking head!" Ichigo interrupted, "Angel is staying with me so leave us alone!"
"Three months, Ni-isama!" Angel shouted, gaining both men's attention. "In three more months I'm graduating. Will you permit me to see him then? When we're legal to meet?"
"Angel!" Ichigo gaped at her.
Zack remained silent as he eyed his sister. A thin eyebrow went up when his eyes met with a pair of eyes that held so much determination, hope and authority. "Three months?" he asked.
"Hai," she responded.
"...No," he said as soon as he looked away. As soon as his words fell off his lips, three more of his men came up from behind and ripped Ichigo away from her.
"Angel!" Ichigo shouted.
Angel looked back and was about to reach for him when two men grabbed her. "Ichigo!"
The orange head struggled against his holders. "Fucking bastards, let go!"
"Shut up!" one of them yelled as he sent a heavy punch straight at his guts.
"ICHIGO!" Angel screamed as she watched Ichigo going slightly limp. "Let go!" she shouted at the men holding her as she tried to reach him, "Let go of him!"
"Enough Angel," Zack called out as he went over to grab her, "You're making a scene that is improper for a Bushū."
But Angel didn't hear a word he said because she was too busy trying to reach Ichigo, who was gasping for air as he got steady on his legs again. "Bastard," he cursed again, "Let her go!"
"Shut it!" Another man shouted as he punched Ichigo across the face.
Angel had to watch in horror as punch after punch, kick after kick landed on Ichigo whenever he tried to struggle. She screamed, squirmed and even bit the hand of one of her holders but she couldn't reach him. "Ni-isama!" she turned around and begged with her eyes. "Please, let him go! Stop this!"
But Zack merely ignored her as he indicated with his head for his men to start dragging her out the door.
Ichigo, who was wheezing, looked up to see his girlfriend being dragged out. "No! Angel!" He was about to rip his hand out of the vice-like grip when an unexpected person suddenly came flying through the door.
"ICHIGO! I CAME TO SEE YOU-What the..."
Everyone stood frozen as Jacod Walker looked around the apartment. He was shocked to see so many suit-wearing men inside, three of them holding his son back while others were seemingly dragging Angel outside...Angel... Jacod's widened as he noticed the uniform she was wearing.
"What the hell is going on here?!" Jacod gasped.
"Walker-san..." Angel whimpered.
Zack, who was standing off to the side, merely stared at the old man before grabbing Angel's elbow. "Let's go," he said as he continued dragging his sister out.
Getting back his senses, Ichigo started struggling again. "NO!" he shouted, "ANGEL!"
"ICHIGO!" Angel shouted back as she tried to escape Zack's grip but it was impossible.
When Zack came to the door, he stood in front of Jacod with a cold glare. "Move," he ordered, "Or else I will have you arrested as well."
Jacod, still completely confused with the whole situation, stepped aside as the cold man walked passed him.
"Walker-san!" Angel shouted this time.
Jacod was still not sure what was happening but the moment he heard his future daughter-in-law crying for help, his arm came up and quickly grabbed Zack's wrist that was holding Angel.
Zack came to an abrupt stop and slowly turned his head to glare at the man who now had over five guns pointing at him. "Do you wish for an early death?"
Jacod glared back. "I don't care about my life," he said in a serious tone, "I'm going to die sooner or later. But what I do care about is the fact that you're trying to steal my future daughter-in-law against her wishes. And as a father, I can not just stand by and watch her get taken away."
For a second, Ichigo and Angel both felt a glimmer of hope rise in them.
"Is that so?" Zack raised his chin to give the infamous Bushū's 'I'm-better-than-thou' look. "Then are you saying you were aware of their social standings and the fact that this relationship is illegal? You should just be glad I'm not pressing charges on your son for violating my sister."
"Ni-isama!" Angel shouted, "I'm telling you that he didn't force me!"
"Enough!" It was the first time Zack showed his annoyance by raising his voice. He gave Angel a deadly look that had her frozen in her spot. "I will not listen to this rubbish anymore." With that he pushed Jacod aside and continued the final steps out of the apartment.
"Angel-urgh!" Ichigo grunted when one of the men in black punched him across the face again.
"If I was you, I'd stay quiet," he threatened. The beating continued, not stopping even for a second when Jacod tried to stop them. Finally, they released their hold on him causing Ichigo to fall face-down on the ground, and straightened their clothes. "Count yourself lucky that we didn't kill you," one of them said before they all quickly left the apartment.
"Ichigo!" Jacod quickly dashed over to his son and held his shoulders as he helped him to his knees. "You okay, son?"
"Angel," Ichigo gasped as he wiped off some blood at the corner of his mouth, "Fuck," he muttered as he tried to stand up. But he quickly lost his footing and almost fell again if his father hadn't caught him in time.
Jacob cringed when he noticed the bruises and cuts over his son's body. "Ichigo, enough. She's far gone by now."
"No," Ichigo gasped as he tried to push his father off of him. "I need to get to her. I promised I'd protect her-ugh," he grunted again when he tried to take a step forward.
"That's enough!" Jacob grabbed him tighter, "You'll do no good if you go to her in this condition! You'd only get yourself killed!"
"But I have to get to Angel-"
"DO YOU HAVE ANY IDEA WHAT YOU HAVE DONE?!" Jacod shouted.
Ichigo immediately froze when he heard his father raise his voice at him. He was half-kneeling on the ground, straining his body to stand up, but couldn't move any further as his father continued.
"Ichigo, are you a fucking fool or were you too busy thinking with your dick to ignore what you did?! Angel is a student!"
"I know that!" Ichigo shouted back, causing Jacod to flinch back in surprise. "I know that..." he said in a quieter voice as he fell completely on his knees and hands.
Jacod stared at his son for a while until he noticed his shoulders shaking. "Ichigo..." he called out as he came over to hold his shoulders again.
"I know that..." Ichigo repeated as he clenched his eyes shut to stop any tears from coming, "I know...but I love her!"
Only silence replied back as Jacod stared at his son, not sure how to react to the sudden confession.
But Ichigo continued. "Only three more months," he cried, "We only had to wait three more months and then we wouldn't have to hide things anymore."
Jacod continued to stay quiet as he held his son close to him as he cried out loud. He could hear the rain outside pouring down even harder.
"Ni-isama."
Zack remained quiet as the car continued to drive further and further away from Tokyo.
Angel took in a deep breath as she tried to stop her voice from shaking. She looked up at her brother and spoke. "I promise never to defy your words again. I promise to live up to the Bushū name and do whatever you ask of me," she paused to see if her brother was listening. Though he wasn't looking at her, the fact that he wasn't doing anything else was enough to indicate that he was. So she continued. "If only you promise to leave Ichigo alone."
"..." Zack crossed his arms over his chest and looked out the window. There was nothing but silence for a few seconds before Zack answered. "...Agreed."
Angel looked down at her two clenched fists and saw two tears dropping on top of them. "Thank you, Ni-isama."