Volume 9.
Rumors are flying through school about Rei and Kira's supposed breakup. First-year girls make Rei cookies. Rei makes an announcement to the people in his class (when they ask him about it) that he's single.
Tatsuya has a talk with Rei, asking him if he's really going to break up with Kira. Rei replies that it's really not something he can help, because there's nothing he can do to make their relationship go any further (like, they've reached an unsurmountable barrier and they can't get any closer...that's the feeling i get anyway). Harumi runs in to ask Rei whether it's true also. She's really angry and can't believe Rei and Kira would break up...Rei tells her it's not even a question of who dumps who, and it's not his fault because the problem lies with Kira.
Rei: To put it simply, it's "the heart has gotten cold."
At that moment, Kira turns up. She's heard the last thing Rei said and is standing there stunned. Rei just walks past her without saying anything else. Kira, crying, tells Harumi that it's her fault and there's nothing she can do because Rei hates her now. Harumi yells at her, saying that she shouldn't just give up but should fight till the very last moment.
A first-year girl who confessed/made Rei cookies asked him out on a date to the movies, which he agrees to. Kira sees Rei in the hallway later and stops to talk to him.
Kira: W--we...is there really no way we can save "us"? Does this have to end?
Rei: Isn't this easier for both of us? If we had to keep toughing it out together, it would be so tiring...so why bother? [smiles] Come to think of it, life was pretty happy before...haven't had that feeling in so long.
[Kira has a shocked look on her face]
Rei: Bye bye.
At first Kira's just frozen at the spot; then she remembers Harumi's words (telling her to try everything--crying, chasing, tantrums--till it's really too late) and drops everything to chase after Rei, who's leaving on his motorcycle. She calls out after him, asking him to stay, not to leave her, saying that she doesn't want their relationship to end...but Rei just drives off, leaving Kira sitting on the ground crying.
Tatsuya gets a call later that evening from some of his friends from class. They've picked up some girls and need more guys to even out the party. Tatsuya doesn't want to go, but they beg him so he decides to show up. At the place, they're still short one person, and Tatsuya's friends assure the girls that he's on his way. Rei shows up on his motorcycle then, and Tatsuya asks him what happened to that first-year girl he was dating. Rei replied that she got scared when he suggested they go to a hotel, so he sent her home. Tatsuya sighs and Rei runs off to the group.
Kira shows up at Rei's apartment to find nobody home. Ken is there, and tells Kira that Rei came back once but left again. Kira decides to wait outside by the railing, and prays that Rei comes back, saying that she still has a lot to tell him; that on losing him she's come to realize just how big a place Rei has taken up in her heart; that because she had him to lean on, she was able to decide to go back and live with her stepfather and deal with whatever came of it.
Rei & Co. are at a karaoke place. They're taking sticker pictures together, and Rei sees one of the girls standing aside smoking. He asks her for a cigarette (they look each other up and down) and she's getting one for him when he takes her hand and gets a drag off hers. He asks her if she wants to go "somewhere" with him later, and she smiles. She's called away by her friends, and he stares at the cigarette she left him, which has her lipstick marks on it. He takes a long drag from it, and comments that this is more his style.
Ken's walking home with groceries and sees Kira still sitting on the steps waiting for Rei. She's praying that she gets this one last opportunity.
At the karaoke place, Tatsuya asks Rei whether he's really going to just let his relationship with Kira go at that...Rei replies that now that he thinks about it, maybe it wasn't love after all...maybe he just wanted Kira because he'd never met a girl like her before and since she was hard to catch, he'd been intrigued by the chase. He says he's sorry to Tatsuya, and that maybe it's just the way things were supposed to be between him and Kira.
Ken sees Kira still sitting outside waiting. He tells her that maybe Rei won't be home that night, and she should go home because it's not a very safe area and she shouldn't be out too late by herself. Kira thanks him, and replies that she'll take the very last train home. She remembers what Rei said about it being too tiring to tough it out, and wonders whether the two of them "really have a last train to take.."
Rei and the girl from before sneak off and leave the party together. When his friends find out, they're all pissed off because Rei always gets all the girls.
Rei's smoking in bed. The girl asks him to zip her up, and he does. She asks him if he wants to go anywhere, and he replies no...she leaves him her phone number and tells him to call her up sometime, and leaves. He stares at the number for a few seconds, and then crumples the paper up and throws it away. He gets up and gets dressed, and leaves.
Tatsuya's sitting on Rei's motorcycle waiting for him. He says he was afraid somebody'd steal Rei's motorcycle, so he kept watch for him. He tells Rei that whatever Rei wants to do in his spare time is none of his business, but that he doesn't want the news about Rei and the girl to travel back to Kira too quickly because he doesn't want to see Kira hurt, since he knows that Kira doesn't really consider her and Rei's relationship as a thing that's completely over and past. Rei just replies that it doesn't matter, because nothing happened between him and the girl...Tatsuya's shocked and unbelieving, but Rei just says that when it came down to it, his body wouldn't cooperate...he told the girl he'd had some tragedy in the family (not completely a lie) and was mentally a mess, and she hadn't gotten mad at him. Rei sits down with Tatsuya, and looks around him at all the happy couples walking the streets together with arms around each other. He covers his face, and says that everyone's so happy together, the way they're acting giving people this sweet feeling, but that to Kira that kind of thing is all just violence.
At Rei's apartment building, tears fall on Kira's watch. It's eleven. She gets up to leave.
Tatsuya tells Rei that he's checked up on Kira's stepfather, to see what kind of horrible person he is. What he's found out totally shocked him...turns out Kira's stepfather has a great reputation. He's supposed to be a very nice man, and even though he only has a small factory, he's always been a very truthful and hardworking employer. All his neighbors say he's a great person, with a good temper, and that he treats Kira, who's not even his blood-related daughter, as his own. Tatsuya says that Kira's stepfather is one of those people who is admired by society, and that even if he's done some dirty things, nobody would know about them. Rei, looking down, says that someday he'll be a great motorcycle racer, and have the world beneath his feet. Tatsuya smiles and agrees.
Rei: But...the only thing I have is potential. Before I become famous, it doesn't matter who I am or how much skill/talent I have...no matter what era we're in, no matter what kind of world, the thing that people value the most is result, not potential. No matter how much I say I want to protect Kira and to give her happiness, from the beginning...the only person that the world (society) acknowledges is that perverted old man. (Kira's stepfather.)
Tatsuya [stunned]: Rei...
Rei [looking bitter, then crushed]: And you can't blame them! My everyday actions and motivations...whenever I come upon something that I don't like, I either get angry and go crazy (rough trans), or go out on the streets and waste time, chasing girls.....no matter how you look at it, I'm still just a kid who's only lived 17 years.
Rei arrives back at his apartment. He's climbing the stairs when Ken stops him, telling him that Kira had been sitting there waiting for him until just a little while ago, and if Rei goes now, he'll be able to catch her. Rei pauses, doorknob in his hand. He opens the door as Ken asks him again whether he's going to go after Kira or not. Rei thinks of Kira that day at school (when she chased after him), kneeling and crying on the ground. He punches his fist into the wall, swearing, and takes off.
A couple weird guys are drinking beer near a fence and try and pick up Kira, who's walking by in a daze. She's crying, and doesn't respond to any of their lines. The guys wonder if there's anything wrong with her mentally, and say between themselves that it's just as well, probably more convenient for what they want to do to her...they're about to take her away with them when Rei shows up on his motorcycle, shining the light in the guys' faces. He apologizes to Kira, and she stares at him, stunned, as the guys retreat.
Rei: What would you have done if I hadn't shown up? Do you know what they wanted to do to you?
Kira: Any way...I don't care anymore! Isn't what all you men want to do the same? All I have to do is quietly wait until they're done. [She's still crying] All I have to do is pretend I'm dead.
Rei [gazes at Kira sadly, then looks away]: Probably...In your eyes, all guys are probably just that kind of creature......and aren't I just the same as those guys, or your stepfather......I'm not a man who can contain you and your pain completely. That's why I thought, wouldn't it be better if we broke up?
[Kira stares at him]
Rei: I have some self-respect...I figured since I couldn't do anything for you, it would only be painful to stay at your side...so painful that I thought it would be easier to just break it off, to forget everything, to take it easy...I never thought that really breaking up would be so much more painful...
[Rei's nails are digging into his leg. He offers Kira a helmet]
Rei: Get on! The last train has already left.
They arrive at Kira's new home. Kira tells Rei that it's alright, because her stepfather has put locks on the doors so she can lock her door if she feels frightened. She also tells Rei that she's planning to move out as soon as she graduates, and live on her own...Rei tells Kira it's all right, because he trusts her. Hugging the motorcycle helmet, Kira tells Rei that she gave him her first kiss, and it was the first time her heart had beat so fast...
Someone looks out the window of Kira's house...it's Kira's stepfather..
Kira tells Rei that even though she had such a horrible thing happen to her, she hadn't been kissed before...at the time, she had been so frightened that she had kept her hands over her face. Rei stares at Kira, then reaches out and holds her close, saying that he used to think kissing was just a casual thing used to greet people...but that whenever he kissed Kira, he would get a feeling that he was doing something wrong, something forbidden or bad...he could never understand why he had this feeling...
Kira's stepfather watches from the window as Kira and Rei embrace. Then he steps away and lets go of the curtain.
Next morning, Kira's mother asks her not to stay out so late. Kira agrees, and tells her mother that she went out with Harumi and some friends from school. Her mother doesn't quite believe her, and says that she heard a motorcycle when Kira came home. Kira tries to play it off, saying lots of people ride motorcycles in the neighborhood. As she and her mother start arguing, her stepfather comes along and tells her mother not to be so strict with Kira, and let her do what she wants because that's what young people these days do. Kira's surprised that her stepfather's standing up for her...
Rei's at work (@construction site) and Tatsuya arrives with drinks on his moped ^_^;;. Tatsuya's shocked that Rei and Kira have gotten back together again already. ;) He tells Rei that he (Rei) is so important to Kira...that if it weren't for him, Kira probably wouldn't be able to stand the current situation. Rei wishes that, even if nobody else in the world realizes how important he is to Kira, that Kira's mother would realize it, since she doesn't seem to like him very much. Tatsuya questions this, and Rei starts by saying that just by riding a motorcycle, he's already at a disadvantage...since Kira's mother likens him to the bums who caused Kira's father's death. Tatsuya says Rei is actually a really good person, though he does have issues with women. As they're talking, a car pulls up and this older woman comes to talk to Rei. Tatsuya thinks the woman is someone Rei's slept with in the past, but Rei tells him to shut up because it's his "father's woman." He takes 10 minutes out to talk to her.
The woman, Sonoko, is actually his father's secretary. She asks Rei to go home...to see his father...because the school's contacted his father and told him that because of Rei's behavior and attendance and whatnot, Rei may not be able to graduate. She tells Rei that he's still a kid, and that his father won't hate him (rough trans) if he comes back...and neither will she. She says she'll do anything she can to help him. Rei then asks her to sleep with him. She looks stunned at first, then smiles and agrees, but asks Rei whether he's sure he'll be able to satisfy her? This stops Rei, and he apologizes for saying such a random, rude thing. (I think he was trying to shock her or something..) She tells him to quit running away from things and to go home. Rei in turn tells her to relay a message for him back to his father...telling him not to push himself too hard (in respect to paying attention to Rei's life) because they're not blood related father and son anyway. She looks shocked.
Kira's stepfather takes Kira's mother to the hospital for a checkup. Kira stays at home. She gets a phone call from Harumi, and the two of them have a random conversation for about half an hour, talking about Kira and Rei getting back together and how Kira feels that if things continue as they have been recently, she thinks she and her mother and stepfather just might be able to live together peacefully as a family again. Right when she's saying this, a hand reaches out and slams on the receiver, cutting off the call. It's Kira's stepfather, who yells at Kira, asking her who she's talking to. He assumes it's the guy he saw Kira with the night before (Rei) and starts yelling at her that "that kind of guy" isn't good enough for her and she should stop hanging out with him. Kira's completely shocked. Her stepfather grabs her hand, telling her to stop seeing Rei, saying that he's saying this for her own good because he cares and is worried about her. Kira gets flashbacks of the rape scene and cries out, pulling away and running. Her stepfather chases her, and grabs her, causing her tank top to lose the first few buttons. She slams her wrist against his glasses, cracking them with Rei's bracelet, and falls against a table as her bracelet falls to the ground along with a clock and some books from the table. As her stepfather is kneeling on the ground holding his broken glasses, she reaches for the clock, staring at him. Her eyes look wide and empty.
Rei gets back to his apartment after work. He's rinsing his head under the hose when Kira appears. Rei, dropping the hose, takes in the blood on her face, her hands, and clothes...the top buttons of her tank top missing... Kira mumbles something about killing...then keels over. As Rei holds her, kneeling on the ground, she tells him (in a dazed way) that she's killed her stepfather. Rei questions her about this, then notices that someone (probably Ken) is watching from a window and takes her inside. She tells him about what happened, how her stepfather had grabbed her, and so she hit him on the head with the clock because she was afraid that he would get up and come after her again. After she'd finally returned to herself, he was on the ground, bleeding profusely, and wouldn't respond when she called him. Rei gets her to call her mother, and she finds out that her stepfather is in the hospital and is out of danger of dying.
Kira's Mother: Your father says he's very sorry for scaring you, that he was only worried about you which was why he acted like he did...he hopes you'll forgive him. So please, Kira, tell mother where you are...Let's talk this over...
Kira [wiping away tears]: Talk what over?
Mother: Your father says you probably just overreacted, so he wants to have a chance to explain everything.
Kira [remembering being grabbed from behind, her tank top opening]: Do you believe him?
Mother: ........[Kira continues to cry] I want to believe him. [Mother holds onto the phone cord] Kira, I'm tired....I don't want to have anymore trouble...if it's possible, I just want to go back to the peaceful, comforting times we had before...
Kira: Mother...it's impossible to go back to before. People can only have the present reality. No matter how much pain it will take, I've decided to not take a road back to the past. Goodbye, mother. The place [you're at] is no longer a place I can live.
Mother: Kira??
[Kira hangs up the phone]
[Rei holds her]
Kira [thinking] Since I was small...I'd always been searching......