Prologue: The End of Everything
If someone solves an issue with their own hands, do they deserve to be punished for it? Vigilantism has always been a split topic; you are either for or against it. But no matter what side you are on, those who take part in that type of justice are always punished, no matter what the reason. That is the situation that a young boy endures as he awaits the jury’s decision in the courtroom in Tokyo, Japan.
“Has the jury reached a verdict?” the judge asked.
“We have, your honor. We, the jury, have found the defendant, Takashi Kinomoto, guilty of hospitalizing one teacher and four students out of sheer rage for the attempted assault on his younger sister.”
“Very well. Takashi Kinomoto, you are now expelled from Saikou Academy and will be placed under probation until you graduate high school.” the judge stated.
The boy named Takashi looked up at the judge in shock.
“Wh-What?! N-No! Your Honor, please! I didn’t have a choice in my actions! For fuck’s sake, do you have any idea what they tried to do to my sister?! Who’s going to be there if they try to do something again?!” he frantically asked.
“Mr. Kinomoto, I understand how you feel, but you must realize that you can’t get away with what you did. You must face the consequences of your actions, or else you’ll be no better than those you've hurt. Besides, you won't have to worry about your sister’s safety. The teacher will resign, and the four students who were involved will be unable to attend school until she graduates. In the meantime, you have a month to decide where you’ll be attending school during probation, or else I’ll be the one deciding for you.”
“What?! No! They all deserve to go to jail! Why are you letting them off so easily?!”
“...Because they already received their punishment from you. You beat all five half to death, after all. There’s no need to go any further than that,” the judge calmly explained.
“...You bastard!” Takashi yelled as he slammed his handcuffed hands onto the podium.
The judge then slammed his gavel.
“This case is now dismissed. Take the defendant away.”
The courtroom guards grabbed Takashi’s arms and began to drag him away.
“NO! LET ME GO! I DON’T DESERVE ANY OF THIS! I’M INNOCENT!” he yelled to everyone in the courtroom as he tried to squirm his way out of the guards’ grasp.
However, his words fell on deaf ears as he was taken away. Following the trial, Takashi’s life went downhill. News of the incident spread across Japan. All of Takashi's friends had now viewed him as a monster. He had received constant hate messages from people online, and no school in Japan allowed him to enroll in their institutions.
All seemed lost at that point, until one day, a school in America approved his application to attend there. With an opportunity now available to him and nowhere else to turn to, Takashi’s parents notified the court, and they permitted him to attend school in America. Now having to transfer schools, Takashi left Japan, leaving his family and everything he had behind. He will now have to spend the rest of his high school life abroad, all while trying to hide his past from everyone around him.
