Leitmotif: “Alone in the Town” — Silent Hill 2 soundtrack

-:-

He should've known coming here would be a mistake.

When Makoto Itou went to the Nijou residence, he'd been certain that the eldest Nijou would commiserate with him, or at least lend a sympathetic ear. From one sex maniac to another, right? There was also the fact that despite said commonality—or perhaps because of it, them being too much alike—he'd never been attracted to her, nor she to him, so he wouldn't have to worry about her offering sex for solace, nor himself taking up said offer. That was the last thing he needed…

But instead of commiseration or a sympathetic ear, Makoto received quite the opposite. Once the young satyromaniac finished his woeful tale, the nymphomaniac across from him burst into laughter. Boisterous, table-pounding, doubling-over laughter, such that Makoto was surprised the windows hadn't shattered, that the cups of tea hadn't been upset. And thank goodness; there was too much upset in his life as it was.

After a few more fits in which the laughter would subside, only to renew itself, it seemed that Hanon was finally recomposing herself, wiping the tears that had fallen during the peals. "Oh man, that's hysterical! I've heard of two lovers finding out about each other, but two harems?! That could only happen to you, Itou!"

Indeed. In his libido, the young wanton found himself forming two collections of lovers, the former of whom knew nothing of the latter. Oh, he had every intention of coming clean, truly he had! He just… couldn't think of a good time to bring it up, that's all! What was wrong with a little fun in the meantime?

And anyway, who was Hanon Nijou, of all people, to laugh at his expense?

Another fit of such laughter, though mercifully brief and not as explosive. "I wish I had been there! That must've been something…!"

"Oh, shut up! Like that wouldn't happen to you!"

"Of course it wouldn't! D'you think I'm stupid?"

Makoto gave her a flat look. "Yes."

A snort. "Says the one lacking discretion…"

"Don't give me that! You're the one who's selling herself! You're even worse than me!"

Hanon's demeanor suddenly changed, shifting from libertine to something perverse in its own way. "Am I, Itou? I may be, as you say, selling myself, but I also know what I get myself into. I know what discretion is. Also, I don't make promises I can't keep. My hookups know that it's just sex. No commitment, none of that crap. You, on the other hand, feed your hookups sweet nothings, all while feeding yourself on them."

Makoto felt his temper flare. Why, you…!

Seeing that she had struck a nerve, Hanon's smirk deepened. "I think we both know who the worst person in this room is. And it isn't me."

Makoto's fists clenched. Just as he opened his mouth to retort, a loud pounding came from the front door.

"Nijou!"

"Get out here, you slut!"

Oh shit.

-:-

It had been close, but Makoto had miraculously made a clean getaway from the Nijou's. Had Katou or Kanroji caught sight of him sneaking out Nijou's kitchen window…

The dark-haired youth shook his head, then focused his gaze out the train window. The holidays were upon Sakakino, evidenced by the festoons of lights leading to the shopping center. The festivity continued when Makoto stepped off the train: snow falling from the sky, Christmas music ringing in the air, and trees and storefronts festooned yet more with bows and wreaths and lights. Even the town's mascots, Mayo-chan and Numakichi, were getting into the holiday spirit, clad in Santa gear and handing out flyers. And of course, no Sakakino holiday season would be complete without its crown jewel: the town square's Christmas tree, a grand specimen of pine that rivaled Rockefeller Center's tree with its cobweb of lights, tinsel, and baubles.

Seating himself on one of the retaining walls, Makoto took a deep breath, attempting to inspire some of that Christmas cheer. But at this moment, not even a whiff of festivity, no light of joy, could enter his being. Likely the greatest damper was the sight of couples milling around the square, which only served to remind the young wanton of how royally he'd fucked up.

Had he really been that hurtful to his lovers? Makoto had always thought that hurtfulness required intent, and he certainly hadn't meant to hurt any of them. But the looks on their faces… Sekai and Yuuki looked especially wounded with their teary eyes, and if looks could kill, Setsuna would have struck him down right then and there. Kotonoha had borne a look of pained bewilderment, while Roka and Chie had shot him disappointed glares before departing after the tearful Yuuki.

Nijou's cutting words dredged themselves back up. Had he really fed all of them "sweet nothings"? His words of love to each of them were genuine, weren't they…? But then, it was things unsaid that had caused this situation, wasn't it? He'd had yet to tell Kotonoha, Sekai, and Setsuna about Roka and the Ashikaga siblings, so they likely thought they were his only lovers. And Roka and the Ashikaga must've assumed that he had told the first harem about them.

Sweet nothings, indeed.

Makoto's brow furrowed. Why was he letting that nympho's words bother him so much? Who was she to tell him that he was the worst? Wasn't she the one fucking around with men who were already spoken for?! But then, those men knew what to expect, didn't they? Just a night of fun, for a price, of course. No strings attached (apart from cuckqueans like poor Kanroji, not that that bothered Nijou).

He, on the other hand, had allowed strings to be attached, had gotten himself and others ensnared. Oh, what a tangled web…

All the same, he loved them, didn't he? Contrary to what Nijou thought, they weren't just "hookups" for him! But then, why did he keep taking lover after lover after lover, all simultaneously? Why couldn't he be satisfied with just one person's love? That had to mean that something was deeply wrong with him, almost like—

Furiously, Makoto ran his hands through his hair. "Dammit all!" He got up and made for the subway, but so wallowed was he in his misery that he failed to notice the patch of ice in his way. Fuck! Fuck my life!

"Sempai! Are you alright?"

He looked up and saw Karen and the Nijou twins. Great. Just fucking great. "I'm fine! Leave me alone!" His already bruised pride now smarting, he smacked away Karen's helping hand before snatching his cellphone out of Futaba's reach and stalking back to the subway.

On reflex, he nearly flipped it open, only to stop himself. Before going to the Nijou's, he'd turned his cellphone off, not wanting anyone to call him while he sought commiseration.

Considering his current mood, Makoto decided to leave it turned off.

-:-

Once Yuuki's breathing steadied and his body no longer wracked with sobs, Roka gingerly laid the bespectacled boy onto his bed, removing his glasses and tenderly brushing away the tearstains.

To say that tonight was a disaster would be an understatement. Makoto had invited her and the Ashikaga siblings over to his place for a night of fun. It sounded like a good idea. Winter break had just begun, and Makoto wasn't expecting his little sister or anyone else.

Enter Katsura, Saionji, and Kiyoura.

Yuuki had been particularly despondent on the train ride home, sobbing angrily, “How could he…! Why? Why…?!” Roka didn’t dispute that—Makoto, you fuckhead!—but the younger Ashikaga was in no state for commiseration, and thus Roka had had no choice but to simply hold him until he cried himself to sleep.

With one last pitying look at the sleeping boy, the pigtailed girl softly closed the bedroom door and made her way to the balcony, where her sempai leaned against the railing, cigarette in hand. To Roka, the fact that Chie was smoking outside spoke volumes. Normally, the older Ashikaga wasn't so courteous to her younger brother, often smoking in his room precisely because of how irritating he found it.

But now, for Sempai to give Yuuki such courtesy…

Roka let out a sigh, her fogging breath a near replica of Chie's smoke. Her thoughts having shifted from one Ashikaga sibling to the other, the pigtailed girl turned to her sempai, deriving what comfort she could from the familiar sight of Chie's nicotine respiration. Aware though she was of the habit's unhealthiness—as well as Yuuki's adamant disapproval of it—Roka couldn't help but admire how appealing her sempai made it. Sempai could make anything appealing, be it basketball or anything else…

She was suddenly brought out of her reverie by the sight of a fresh cigarette being offered to her by said sempai. Roka was about to refuse, but upon seeing the look in Chie's eyes, that attempted solidarity, the kohai accepted.

After tonight, she could use whatever stress relief she could get.

-:-

Makoto's mood was little better the next day, for he was still at a loss as to what to do about his entanglements. Even his usual methods of escapism were no help, evidenced by the headphones casually tossed aside and the erotica disarrayed on his bed and floor.

With more force than necessary, he tossed another of the latter against the wall before putting a hand to his forehead and sighing. If only he could get away from everything, just for a little bit. Maybe take up a room at Radish?

No. He’d have to explain things to Setsuna’s father and coworkers.

Crash at Inori’s?

No. He’d still have to explain things. That, and he didn’t want to risk his “super-friend” breaching the friend zone.

Go to Paris?

No. Kotonoha, Sekai, and Setsuna's mothers were all vacationing there...

With a frustrated sigh, the young man went to check his mail… and his blood chilled. Having come through the slot, a manila envelope addressed to him. The sender, Tomaru Sawagoe. Fuck my life. At first, Makoto considered just tearing up the envelope, but curiosity got the better of him, and so, he brought it to his living room.

At the coffee table, the young man emptied the envelope of its contents, which consisted of a handwritten letter and what appeared to be a plane ticket and a sightseeing brochure. Now thoroughly intrigued, he began to read his father's letter:

Makoto,

How have you and your little flings been doing? Not as wild as mine, I bet. Maybe we should have a swingers' party. Or would that be too wild for you? You took far too much after your mother; you're probably as boring as she was.

But enough about that.

Consider this my Christmas gift to you, a sort of father-son thing.

I'll be waiting in Silent Hill. Make this ticket count, boy. I spared no expense.

-Tomaru Sawagoe

P.S. Itaru-chan sends her regards.

Makoto's expression flattened as he crumpled the letter. Well, fuck you, too, asshole. As for the other contents, it was indeed a sightseeing brochure for a "Silent Hill", though the plane ticket was for an Ashfield, Maine. For a moment, he considered crumpling them up as well, then thought better of it.

He uncrumpled the letter, then wrote the following on the other side:

Mom,

Went to see Dad. Be back soon.

-Makoto

An hour or so later, Makoto locked the door behind him, and made a beeline for the train station.

-:-

She just couldn't take it anymore.

Sekai had never been one to sit idle, and this was especially true after last night's fiasco. How could Makoto do that to her, to Kotonoha and Setsuna?!

She had followed Setsuna's advice, had waited what she felt was enough time for things to cool down. Now, after waiting and waiting for that fuckwit to call, she'd decided to take matters into her own hands and was now on a train to Higashi-Harami. Her call went straight to Makoto's voicemail for the umpteenth time.

Dammit, Makoto! Pick up…!

From the opposite direction, another train came, en route to Narita. Had Sekai chosen this moment to turn around, she would've seen, if only for a split-second, the headphone-clad ears of he who had tuned her out, in every possible way.

-:-

However narrowly and successfully he’d evaded Sekai, Makoto hadn’t gone completely unnoticed.

In the next car over, Ai gently nudged her companion. “Kuroda-san… isn’t that Makoto?”

The ring-haired girl looked over. Sure enough, there Itou was, the perv. Honestly, she couldn’t understand what Sekai saw in him. Then again, he was a saint compared to Sawanaga…

Hikari scowled. “Don’t tell me you’re still hung up on him, Yamagata.”

The bespectacled girl grew flustered. “I… I’m not! But… it looks like something’s wrong…” Even from the next car over, Ai could see the furrow of her classmate’s brow.

Hikari could see it, too. Itou looked almost… guilty. Like getting-a-girl-in-trouble guilty…

Eventually, the train stopped at Sakakino-cho Station. When the girls got off, Ai noticed that Makoto hadn’t. “I thought he’d be Christmas shopping, too, but…”

Hikari sighed at the pensiveness in the other girl’s voice. “Who cares about him, Yamagata?! Let’s go!”

Ai groaned at being tugged around once again.

-:-

Canned coffee in hand, Makoto decided to take a closer look at the Silent Hill brochure while waiting for his flight to be called.

Welcome to Silent Hill!

Silent Hill, a quiet little lakeside resort town. We're happy to have you. Take some time out of your busy schedules and enjoy a nice restful vacation here.

(Here, Makoto couldn't withhold a snort. "Restful vacation"? It would be, if that bastard wasn't involved…)

Row after row of quaint old houses, a gorgeous mountain landscape, and a lake which shows different sides of its beauty with the passing of the day, from sunrise to sunset.

Silent Hill will move you and fill you with a feeling of deep peace. We hope your time here will be pleasant and your memories will last forever.

In other words, some backwater town that couldn't be bothered to have its own airport. Figured his old man would send him somewhere out of the way for shits and giggles. Makoto's frustration might have been abated had he used his cellphone to look up how to get to Silent Hill from Ashfield, but that would require turning on the device, which in turn might have enabled any of them to call him. Especially Sekai. No need to open that can of worms.

He would give Silent Hill this much: it would likely provide the peace of mind he needed to unravel his tangled web, at least more than staying here would. More presciently, it would surely help him weed out the root of all his problems, for who else could he blame but Tomaru Sawagoe for his libido?

Like father, like son, right?

Eventually, his flight was called.

This is insane, Makoto. Here you are, about to fly halfway around the world, all by yourself, to see a man you couldn't care less about and who couldn't care less about you!

Ever practiced at tuning things out, Makoto did so again to that nagging voice in his head as he took his seat.

Are you really that desperate to run away from your problems?!

The headphones were back on. Yes. Yes, he was.

-:-

When beeping from Sekai's cellphone startled her, she saw that the sky had darkened, and not just from the snow-laden clouds. Damn. Must've dozed off…

When she checked her cellphone, she saw that the text wasn't from Makoto, as she had hoped, but from Setsuna.

Sekai. Please come home. Kotopi and I are worried about you.

You've been gone long enough. This isn't good for you. For either of you.

(Here, Sekai paused, and, with her free hand, rubbed her flat, jacketed belly tenderly.)

Go back tomorrow.

With a huff, Sekai closed her phone and stood back up, brushing away the tears that were starting to fall. Fine.

She gave Makoto's door a hard kick.

If this was how that fuckwit was gonna be, he was definitely getting that much more an earful from her when next they met.

-:-

Well, the impossible has happened. I, BelletristWordSalad, have written a crossover, and a non-Naruto one, no less! Dogs and cats living together, mass hysteria!