"Hey, you are coming tonight aren't you?" Leon Montgomery asked, walking alongside Shu Hanazawa. They'd been pretty good friends since they had started high school together, and Leon was known to throw raging parties at his mansion. That was one of many reasons he was super popular.
"Of course. I'm excited." Shu grinned. Leon smiled too, reaching the car park. Shu didn't drive, but Leon did. He had quite a nice car actually, but that was to be expected of someone so wealthy.
"Great! I'll talk to you later." He smiled and walked over to his car. Shu nodded his head and walked away, heading home. He had to get ready for this party, as he was hoping to pick up a girl that night. Little did he know that he was going to pick up a girl who would change his life.

Waiting by Leon's car was his stepsister, Kyoko. She always had to wait for her stepbrother to take her home from school, and she hated it. She had no freedom from the restrictive rules her stepfather imposed, and all she wanted was to be 'normal' if that was even a thing. Leon got to the car and opened the boot, dumping his bag in the back.
"Get in." He told her lowly, staring at her. She flinched, slowly climbing into the boot. There was nobody around to see what was going on, and nobody knew what happened between them behind closed doors. He always made her go in the boot whenever she had to go to and from school with him, because he was ashamed to be seen with her. "Quicker!" He snapped when she wasn't moving quick enough. He forced her in himself, slapping her a few times before slamming the boot shut. She curled up in the darkness, trying to find a position that wouldn't hurt. It was difficult in the cramped boot, but she soon ended up accepting.

The party was in full swing, and by 10pm it showed no signs of slowing down. Shu had been here for a while, flirting and occasionally drinking. He was still quite sober, but he didn't care. He had the whole night to get wasted. He snuck away into the kitchen for a few minutes of alone time when he saw a door. He'd been to Leon's a few times, and that specific door had always caught his interest. He'd asked Leon once about it, but he got annoyed with him. It was like he didn't want to talk about it. He opened a drawer, finding a key. He decided to try the key on the door, hoping it would work. To his surprise, it unlocked the door. He went through, seeing a concrete staircase leading down. Much to his concern, there was blood splatters going down it and over the lower parts of the wall. There was barely any light either. He lit up the flashlight on his phone and headed down the stairs, closing the door behind him.

At the bottom of the stairs was another door. This one was unlocked. He opened it slowly, making an audible gasp when he saw what was inside. The room itself looked like a torture chamber minus the tools for torture. Blood splattered the concrete walls and floor. The light had no bulb, so only a candle and his flashlight lit up the dark space. The only furniture was a rusty old camp bed a crate and some shackles on the wall. Attached to those shackles was a young girl. She was pale and emaciated, having a terrified expression on her pretty face. Her mouth was taped shut with duct tape, and her clothes were mere rags. Around her neck was a collar with a small blinking light that could only be a shock collar. Shu had seen her around school once or twice. He didn't know much about her, but from what he did know she was one of the most hated girls in the school.
"It's okay... I won't hurt you..." he spoke gently, stepping closer. She watched him as he came right up to her cautiously and gently tugged the duct tape off her mouth. She took a deep breath, looking up at him still. "What's your name?" He asked calmly, trying not to startle or scare her.
"Ky-Kyoko Nishi..." she told him, her voice sounding hoarse. He was very concerned. Her pale thin body was covered in cuts and bruises. She looked like she'd been starved and tortured down here. How she hadn't spoken out about this was beyond him.
"I'm Shu Hanazawa. It'll be okay." He tried to assure her. She blinked out tears, letting them run down her cheek. He went to wipe them away for her, but the moment his hand made contact with her cheek, she froze. She had a fearful look in her eyes, and he quickly withdrew his hand. "I'm sorry." He told her.
"It's okay..." she told him quietly, looking down. She'd brush away her own tears, but her hands were shackled tightly to the wall. She could barely move them without pain.
"I know I can't set you free, but is there any other way I help you?" Shu asked gently. The shackles looked like they needed a key, and he knew he wasn't strong enough to break them with his hands. Kyoko thought, nodding her head softly.
"I need water and food." She spoke quietly, scared she'd be heard by her captor. Shu nodded his head, standing up carefully. He could see she was starving, and wasn't too surprised she was dehydrated too. The poor thing was clearly suffering.
"Okay I'll get you something and return." He promised, picking up the duct tape he had pulled off her mouth. "I'm going to put this back on your mouth, so if anyone comes in and sees you they won't know I've been in. I don't want them to hurt you more." He told her kindly, gently putting it back. She let him, looking up at him. He stepped back, sighing quietly. He didn't want to leave her like that, but as long as the kitchen was still empty he'd be able to come back and give her something to eat and drink.

He did manage to go back and give Kyoko some food and water. It wasn't much, but it was enough for her to survive. It was now Monday after school a few weeks later, and he decided to try and find her. He knew she would be hanging around the school, since she had to travel with Leon there and back and Leon was in a Student Council meeting. He eventually found the small girl, hiding in a storage closet. She looked rough, with new marks over her body from torture and abuse. How nobody had said anything before was a huge surprise to him.
"Hi Kyoko. Are you okay?" He asked, sitting down opposite her. She looked up at him, relieved to see him again. He was the nicest person she knew, since everyone else around her either bullied or abused her. She nodded her head, looking down silently. "I got you this." He said gently, handing her a bottle of water and a sandwich. It wasn't much, but it was more than she was given at home. She ate and drank quickly, maybe a little too quickly. Shu was silent, allowing her to eat. She looked up at him when she was done.
"Thank you so much." She said to him, handing him back the now empty bottle and the tin foil the sandwich had been wrapped in back to him. She knew if she was caught with it she'd be beaten for being 'greedy'. He took it and put it in his bag hesitantly, worrying about her. He didn't want to let her go back to Leon just to be hurt again. He had to take action, and now seemed like the perfect time.
"I've been thinking a lot, and I think you should move in with me." Shu said. Kyoko looked up at him, surprised. She'd never expected that to happen. "I want to be able to protect you from the abuse. You shouldn't have to suffer through that, Kyo. Let me keep you safe, please." He begged, gazing into her eyes. She sighed, looking down.
"Wh-what if he finds me? He said he'd kill me if I left..." she stuttered nervously, tugging on a lock of her hair. That was why she hadn't run away from the abuse yet. She was terrified of being caught and killed, because she knew her death would be prolonged and agonising. She'd suffer so much in her final moments, it wouldn't be worth it.
"I won't let anyone near you who can hurt you, I promise." He said to her, holding his hand out to her. He retracted it a moment later when he remembered that she was terrified of human contact. That was partly because of the torture she'd endured. "Do you trust me, Kyoko?" He asked, looking into her eyes. She hesitated before nodding her head slowly. She trusted him enough to let him take her away from her abusers. That was a huge relief. He helped her up as best he could without touching her before leading her out the school building and to his house.

Once they arrived back at Shu's house, they were immediately met by his mum. Her face was unreadable to Kyoko, which made her anxious. What if his mum wouldn't let her stay? What if she sent her back to Leon and his father? She wouldn't survive the beating she'd get for trying to escape.
"Mum. This is my friend, Kyoko. She needs a place to stay because she's being abused at home." She explained to his mum. He'd already gotten permission from Kyoko to tell his mum the truth. The older woman's expression softened to one of sympathy and concern for the small girl.
"Okay sweetie. Do you need anything?" She asked, turning her attention to Kyoko. The smaller girl shook her head, looking down anxiously. She always got so much anxiety from meeting new people, mostly because they'd usually end up hurting her. Shu's mum smiled kindly at them both. "Okay. I'll go set up the spare room and find you a change of clothes. Make yourself comfortable." She said before leaving the room. Shu sat down on the sofa, encouraging Kyoko to do the same. She hesitantly did, looking up at him. While this house wasn't as big as the mansion she'd lived in for many years, it was certainly a lot more homely. She felt like she could relax here. Shu smiled reassuringly at her, letting her know it was okay now. Hopefully her torture is over.

Many weeks passed. Kyoko barely left the house, and when she did she got an overwhelming feeling of being stalked. There was no way she wasn't being followed. That was part of the reason she stayed indoors. She didn't feel safe outside. Shu managed to get her out for a little while, promising to keep her safe. She trusted him enough to go out to the park with him, but only when it was getting dark so there would be hardly anyone around. She sat on the swing, with Shu pushing her back and forth gently. It was relaxing for them both, especially Shu. Over the time he had spent with Kyoko, he had developed a huge crush on her. Even more so now she was a healthier weight, and her body was no longer covered in cuts and bruises. Only scars remained from the torture.
"I'm gonna go to the bathroom real quick." Shu told her, pointing over to the small building with the bathrooms inside. She nodded her head, getting anxious. Neither of them wanted to split apart, but Kyoko couldn't go into the men's bathroom. She'd just have to wait for him. He ran off, promising to be quick. As she waited, staying sat on the swing, she felt a hand over her mouth.
"Thought you could leave me, Kyoko?" The voice belonged to Leon. He pulled her back off the swing, landing on the concrete. She wanted to scream, but there had been tape on Leon's hand which was now stuck to her mouth. He started hitting her head against the concrete until she was unconscious before picking her up and carrying her out of the park. Nobody had seen him. Unfortunately, Shu just missed them. He came out of the bathroom and went over to the swings, not seeing her.
"Kyo?" He shouted, looking around the park. It was getting dark, and he couldn't see her anywhere. He was scared, especially when he saw a small puddle of blood on the floor by the swing. Leon had caused it by repeatedly hitting Kyoko's head against the floor. "KYOKO!" He shouted the red haired girl's name over and over, running around. When he realised that was pointless, he called the police to report her missing. It broke his heart, but he knew they'd be able to bring her back to him.

Leon parked right by a large lake, getting out of the car. He opened the boot, seeing Kyoko regaining consciousness. He had placed cardboard in the boot of his car for her to lay on so she wouldn't bleed inside the car boot. He was planning to kill her, going through with his threat that he'd kill her if she tried to leave, and having her blood in his car boot would be VERY suspicious. He grabbed her by her hair and threw her to the ground, putting a shock collar tightly around her neck. He set it up to give her a shock every two minutes until she was dead, only adding to the torture he was going to put her through. He started out by repeatedly slamming his fists into her face, stopping only when he face was covered in blood.
"You never should've left, Kyoko. I told you I'd kill you for leaving, and now I have to go through with my threat." He told her, ripping her clothes off her. He put them nearby, though. He couldn't discard them yet, as he'd need them to cover up his crime. He took off his trousers and boxers, putting on a condom. He forced himself on to her, raping her. This wasn't the first time, but this would be the last. His torture continued until she was lifeless. He then dressed her, throwing the condom into the car. He could discard it later. He stuffed her into a large bag with rocks at the bottom. That would help prevent it resurfacing. He dragged it over to a nearby boat, putting it on before climbing in. He rowed out to the middle of the lake before dumping the bag. He waited until it had sank before rowing back to where his car was parked. He was certain he'd never be caught for the abduction and murder of his stepsister.

A few days later, back at school, Shu saw Leon with a concerned look on his face. He seemed to have a look similar to that since Kyoko had moved in with him, but now it was worse. Leon approached him, and Shu had to act like everything was okay.
"Can we talk in private?" Leon asked. Shu nodded his head cautiously. As much as he'd rather not talk to Leon, he had to keep up the appearance of normality between them.
"Sure." Leon smiled a little and lead him to a more private part of the school. He didn't want anyone else finding out what he had to say. Shu was hoping for a confession from Leon, that he had done something to cause Kyoko's disappearance and maybe even where she was now.

"What I'm about to tell you cannot be told to anyone else. Do I make myself clear?" Leon asked as they entered an empty classroom. An ideal location for the truth to come out.
"This should be fine." Shu nodded his head, sitting on a table. Leon stood by the window, looking out. They were on the fifth floor, so the view was quite nice. "What's up?" He asked. Leon sighed, facing the window as he spoke.
"My stepsister went missing." Leon started. He sounded concerned, but Shu knew that was a lie. If he was, he wouldn't have driven Kyoko away to begin with, and he would've called the police a lot sooner before she actually disappeared from Shu's protective eye. "The thing about her is, she's schizophrenic. She creates all these delusions about her life, mostly that she's some kind of Cinderella. She creates these stories that me and my father abuse her, but that's not the case. She's developed anorexia, believing we starve her, and she throws herself around in the basement claiming we beat her." Shu could see right through Leon's lies, thinking he was acting like a bit of a cliché mean girl. There was no way Kyoko was making this up. "I care a lot about her, she's like a little sister to me. I don't want her getting herself into trouble, which is why we need to find her soon." Leon finished. That was something they could both agree on. Kyoko needed to be found.
"I'll keep my eye out, and I'll let you know if I find her." Shu lied. If he found Kyoko, he was going to keep her away from him. He knew Leon had to be behind her abduction, there was no other way. Leon smiled at him, nodding his head once.
"Thank you Shu. That means a lot." He said, walking away. He knew all search for Kyoko would end in vain unless someone found her dead body at the bottom of the lake.

A few weeks later, Kyoko still hadn't found. Shu and a few of his friends decided to go fishing at the exact same lake Leon had dumped Kyoko's body in. They were obviously unaware. Between the group they had several fishing boats. Shu was on a boat with Hana, her girlfriend Cupa (Cupana, you're welcome YanBoy4 ) and Cupa's childhood friend Carlo. They chose quite an unfortunate spot, right by where Leon had dumped the bag containing Kyoko's body. The four of them set out lines and waited for fish to bite.

Hours later, they'd barely caught anything. Carlo, Cupa and Hana had caught a few each, but Shu hadn't caught anything. He tried to pull the line in, realising it was caught on something. The other helped him pull the line in, pulling the large bag the hook was attached to on to the boat.
"What's in the bag?" Cupa asked hesitantly. This seemed like something from a film, this didn't happen to normal teenagers like them. Shu hesitated before he and Carlo opened the bag. When they saw what was inside, they were all shocked. Cupa screamed, having to be comforted by an also traumatised Hana. Carlo was trying to find something to say, shocked and scared. Nobody took it worse than Shu. He knew instantly that they'd found Kyoko. It was too late, she was dead. He felt so much guilt, especially seeing how tortured her body was. He'd made one promise to her, that he'd never let her get hurt again, and he'd failed.

The cause of death was ruled as drowning. That meant Kyoko had been alive when Leon threw her into the lake. Shu swore to avenge her, knowing Leon had done this to her. There was nobody else it could've been. He wished he'd been able to tell her how he felt about her. He had been head over heels in love, and she'd never known that. He wished he could see her one last time, just to say 'I love you'.