Chapter 66 - Hinata-C Angel of Courage (1/2)

”When I was in middle school, I was in love with another student. A boy. Eiji Takaki.” Hinata smiled weakly. ”He loved me.”

A coughing fit overcame Hinata.

Rocko rushed for some water near a pale by his side. He eased some into Hinata's mouth.

”Yah don't have to tell me.” He reassured Hinata.

”No. I want to tell you.” Hinata said when he felt well enough to speak. ”I have to.”

Rocko listened, with an uneasy heart, as Hinata recounted the problems he and his family had suffered.

It was before his time at the countryside. One particular part of the man's grief-stricken story was during his final year of middle school. He was fifteen years old.

”I wasn't able to finish middle school, because of the gang bullying.” Hinata soberly said.

He had been an instant bully target when others found out about his love for a boy. Especially when this boy was popular and a highly respected person in the community.

Eiji wasn't seen as the problem. A lot of kids had believed Hinata was using his beauty to trick him into submission. Or that Hinata had somehow cast an enchantment over Eiji.

”Kids would wait around the back gates for me after school. They'd drag me into the back of the gym. Then they'd beat on me.” Hinata sighed. ”I'm no stranger to beatings.”

Rocko signed, having noticed a lot of faded scars all over Hinata's body. Especially his back and buttocks area.  His heart felt heavy with sorry when he continued to listen.

Boys would string Hinata up on a pole, naked, with the pretence of punishing him as a beguiling witch. Repeatedly he was whipped, punched and abused. The abusers never attacked Hinata's face, or visible areas of his body, to ensure questions wouldn't be raised with teachers.

”Every time, Eiji-san would rush in to save me.” Hinata sighed. ”That made matters worse.”

Both Eiji and Hinata had dropped out of their schools. Unable to suffer the many times Eiji had to rush in to save Hinata from beatings. Especially when it had impacted on his attendance to his new senior school life.

Eiji had begged Hinata's parents to let him live with them. So he could help Hinata heal from the abuse. He had secured a job as a shipping junior clerk using the reputation of his parents. This caused a new problem for Hinata and his household. Having to deal with Eiji's family.

”Eiji-san's mother dedicated her gossip to spreading poisonous lies about my mother.” Hinata gritted his teeth.

Gradually Hinata's family lost standing in the community, because of the slander Eiji's parents had stirred amongst wealthy social circles.

The final blow was when Eiji's father had secured a high position in the Minister of Commerce's office. His first misdeed was to place a legal ban Hinata's father's business. Falsifying the man's dealings with the Yakuza.