Disclaimer: I don't own Gokusen or its characters. They belong to their rightful owners.

Music blared from the bedroom of Odagiri Ryu as he sat and enjoyed his Saturday night. It was, for once, a peaceful Saturday; he had decided to stay home this weekend for some quiet and a little relaxation. He felt so good after standing up to his father at Yankumi's house. To be able to go to school was something Ryu always took for granted, and he didn't even know it until his fight with his best friend. Now that he and Hayato were best friends again, it was worth it go to go school everyday, and it was even better now that they both aspired to graduate together. Just the mere thought of it brought a smile to Ryu's face.

Just as Ryu's favorite song began playing, the boy's bedroom door opened. "Oyaji?" he asked in confusion. The expression on his father's face had Ryu on edge. "What is it?"

"Did you really think it would be that easy, Ryu?" asked Odagiri Shinya with a sinister smirk. "Did you really think you would get your way just because you and those friends of yours begged to let you go to school?" The older man took a menacing step towards his son's bed. "Really, Ryu, you should know your father better than that." The high schooler felt a lump in his throat, nervousness coursing through his veins as his father towered above him.

Suddenly, without warning, the older man's hands shot out and jerked Ryu unceremoniously to his feet. "What are you doing?" blurted Ryu as he struggled against his sire. He was answered with a hard punch to the face. With a pained shout, the high schooler fell to the floor. He tried to wrench his wrists free, but his father held fast.

"Don't think you're getting away, Ryu," threatened Odagiri. "You've come too far to turn back." The abuser sent another punch to his victim's face, leaving a big red mark on the boy's cheek. "It's time you learned how to obey me and respect my decisions." Without another word, Odagiri dragged Ryu back over to his bed and began the beatings anew.

Ryu tried to fight back, tried to hold his own against his assailant. It was a desperate attempt, but while Odagiri was focused on beating his son's stomach and ribs, Ryu took a chance and shoved his father away. "Stop!" shouted Ryu with all his might. "You promised!" A punch to the face. "You told me I could go to school!" Another punch to the stomach, which was mostly blocked. "You promised me!"

Amid the thrown punches and flying limbs, Odagiri managed to regain his hold on Ryu. "I never said I would keep that promise," he responded coldly. It was a struggle, but Odagiri got Ryu back over to his bed. "Now you know what happens when you cross me." In a flash, he had Ryu bent over the side of his bed and took out his handcuffs. "I never thought I would have to use these on you," he mused in a sick voice. After unpinning Ryu, the monster moved him to the head of the bed and cuffed his hands to the bedpost. After ripping the back of his son's shirt open, Odagiri took off his thick, leather belt. "Remember, son, this is your punishment," he said. "This hurts me much more than it hurts you."

Ryu didn't know exactly what his father had planned for him, but he knew with certainty that none of this, this punishment, had any ill effects on this man. His thoughts were interrupted by a loud SMACK! and sharp, stinging pain exploded across Ryu's back. "Ahh!" he screamed, not caring anymore that the action would give his father more pleasure in beating him.

The whipping continued endlessly, or so it seemed to Ryu. The cuffs bit and tore into the soft flesh of his wrists as the belt stung his back. Once he deemed Ryu thoroughly punished, Odagiri ended with one final, extra cruel lash right down his son's spine. He didn't know, though, that Ryu had formulated a small plan, one to get him away from this awful person for good. "I hope you've learned your lesson now, Ryu," said Odagiri in a sickly sweet voice, throwing his belt to the side. He leaned over to uncuff Ryu, and once he was free, Ryu lashed out.

"You better believe it," the boy snarled. He punched his father once in the face and dashed out the room. He paused only long enough to grab his phone, which had somehow fallen onto the floor during the struggle. The first thought he had was to call for help, but chose instead to flip it closed and put it in his pocket as he ran through the living room. "Ryu!" shouted Odagiri, "Come back here!" There was a metallic click and Ryu turned his head just enough to tell his father was pointing a gun at him.

BANG!

There was a bright flare of light, and Ryu's head shot painfully to the side as the bullet grazed his forehead, but he kept running out the door and to the street in front of his house. He didn't care that it was cold, and he didn't care that he was naked from the waist up. All Ryu cared about was being free from his father.

Ryu didn't know how long he ran, but after a while, he noticed the park he and his friends used as their refuge when cutting class. He stopped for a moment and looked behind him. "If Oyaji's not chasing me now, he's not going to," he reasoned. Deciding that he had run far enough, Ryu stumbled over to the big tree and collapsed against it. "Finally," he whispered once he could breathe again, "I'm free." Ryu didn't care that he was homeless, and he didn't care that he had nothing to his name. He had escaped his father, and he had escaped the abuse. He was free.