11
The door slammed open, and her uncle turned to it in annoyance. "Yuuichi, I told you to-"
Hide grinned back at him. "I'm not Yuuichi. I'm Ken's chemistry partner, and she and I were supposed to do the lab prep, but I told her I had to work a late shift but I'd pick her up on my way back so we could finish it. If we don't pass this lab, we'll fail the class and have to do it over again."
Ken's uncle just stared at him as he rambled on. The way he was angled, he was between Hide and Ken, so Hide couldn't make out Ken's face. The rooms as dark, too, so that didn't help.
"Sir? I'm really sorry but this is an academic emergency. We can't fail summer school chem or we'll really be in a cucumber."
"...She's grounded," Ken's uncle said, his voice low.
"Yes but I can't let her bad behavior hurt MY grade, with all due respect. Actually, to rephrase, I'm not leaving without Ken." He smiled.
After a long moment of silence, Ken's uncle got up, not even sending her a backyard glance, and left her room, pushing past Hide.
Ken felt incredibly relieved that Hide had come, but she quickly realized she had a problem: her face. She ducked her head down so her hair got in the way of her injuries. She reached for a bandage, anything to hide her wounds from Hide, but he was already inside her room.
"Ken..."
"I..." She couldn't think of any lies or excuses. "I just..."
"You're staying at my place," he said, his face unreadable.
"Tonight?"
"Every night. Grab what you need because you aren't coming back."
Ken swallowed but put her clothes in a bag. She didn't have much else. Her aunt had taken her books, but those could be replaced.
After adding a few odds and ends, Ken nodded meekly to Hide. "I'm finished."
"That's it?"
She nodded and followed Hide out of the house and into his car. He opened the door for her and closed it after she was inside before going around to the driver's side and hopping in. Then he drove, leaving her aunt's house behind.
He was silent. Probably angry.
"Hide?"
"What."
"How did you know to come?"
He was quiet for a bit as the streetlight changed from red to green. "Your light wasn't on."
Ken waited for a better response.
"I got a text from your phone. It was the other guy. Yuuichi. He said he thought you were in trouble and that he'd picked up your phone and contacted the most recent person. When I got here, he let me in and handed your phone back. Then he went back into his room."
"But how did you know for sure that I was in trouble?" she asked.
"Easy. I said we'd be in a cucumber. It was supposed to be pickle. You always correct me, but you didn't say anything. That's how I knew, Ken."
Ken nodded, satisfied, as she leaned her head against the window. "Thank you, Hide."
He just nodded, his knuckles white on the steering wheel. "How long has it all been going on?"
"What?"
"Your face is a mess, Ken. Your uncle is a creep. Your cousin is useless. I thought your aunt was just uptight but she's a real bitch isn't she. Why didn't you tell me, Ken?"
"She doesn't usually hit me, and that's the first time Uncle ever tried anything. And Yuuichi...he was nicer to me tonight than he has been in his whole life."
Hide shook his head. "Just...go to sleep."
Ken nodded, knowing that he was frustrated with her, and closed her eyes.
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