Chapter Text
Dazai’s POV:
Rarely do I have, what most would call them, regular dreams. Most of the time the universe blesses me with twisted memories.
Today wasn’t any different.
I knew what kind of dream it was even before I could see the red strands of hair covering his eyes. I knew, because even in a dream, my heart was beating too fast.
In my many years in the mafia, and later on many rather perilous missions in ADA, I had never had as much trouble keeping my body and mind in check as I had whenever he was involved.
“What is it, mackerel?”
Chuuya turned to me. Eyes blue like the Atlantic.
Oh, in fact, we were standing in the water, ocean perhaps, with no land in sight. Right now it was reaching our thighs, but with each second I felt it going down, as if someone had pulled an enormous cork in the world, letting all the water and sins disappear in a matter of minutes.
“Chuuya,” I asked involuntarily, since I was always a slave to my memories in these dreams. “Can I ask you a question?”
He frowned, knowing instantly that I was serious at that moment.
“Sure.”
“Would you ever leave Port Mafia?”
He thought for a moment, running his fingers through the hair. He had a beauty mark on the back of his neck, just like in real life.
“Yeah, no. I can’t really think of anything that would make me do it, not after everything that PM has done for me. You can say a lot of sh*t about me, but you can’t say I’m not loyal. I wouldn’t leave my… my coworkers.”
I chuckled. I knew he probably wanted to say something more cheesy like “friends” or “family”, but his reputation didn’t allow him to.
Of course, I had expected that answer. Chuuya was attached to Port Mafia like a peel to an apple, he would never leave it out of his own volition, especially considering his past experiences with the Sheep. The chances that he would say anything else were close to none. But I had to ask anyway. It was my last loose end.
“Why do you ask?”
I shrugged, even though I knew he suspected something was up.
“No reason.”
I looked down. The water was now barely covering our shoes.
“What, did Mori put you up to some weird investigation? I told him, I just wanted to try this weed, I’m not thinking of…”
“It’s not Mori.”
“It’s Oda.”
Although I knew every word of that conversation by heart, each time I was surprised to hear these words come out of his mouth, and with such lifeless confidence, as if he didn’t have to ask, he almost accused .
No, I’m just messing with you, was my line now.
But instead I grabbed his arm.
“Chuuya, I will never…”
And, just like always, whenever I tried to alter the script, alter the reality, he would turn into fog and dissolve between my fingers.
My clothes were dry. For a second the water was gone and I was in complete darkness.
Usually I would wake up at this moment. But this time was different. My heart was still beating trying to hold on to the reminiscences of Chuuya’s fake presence, but I was somewhere else. Back in Yokohama, back at the cost. What was I doing here?
“Ryuu?”
I turned around. Atsushi-kun was soaking wet, just like the day we met, when he pulled my body with my unwilling spirit out of the water.
He seemed to not be able to see me, but he still looked around with these incredibly hopeful eyes of his.
I was about to call out to him - but it wasn’t scripted.
I was awake for the rest of the night.
“Good morning.”
“Good morning.”
For reasons incomprehensible to me, the architects of the most secure prison for ability-users had decided that it would be fun to put a frame without a mirror above a sink, so that you can brush your teeth staring at the prisoner in the cell in front of you. This is how I started each day - looking at Fyodor Dostoyevsky remove tartar from his fangs.
It’s been a few days since I got here. If it wasn’t for Fyodor, I would be bored to death by now. Ah, be careful what you wish for.
The routine of prison life was something Kunikida-kun was meant for. I actually, truly believe that he would thrive in this environment. Me? Not so much.
“Fyodor-kun?”
He answered with a cold smile.
“I have been wondering - do you know to what extent bodies of people with delusional visions react to the figments of their ill brains’ imagination?”
“Hm…” Fyodor closed the crossword puzzle he was filling up and crossed his legs on the bed. “Do you refer to, let’s say, the eyes?”
“Precisely. The pupils, actually.”
Fyodor didn’t get the chance to answer, as we heard the distinct sound that doubtlessly meant that the guards were coming with food.
Both of us obediently stepped away from the door and waited for the guards to put the food inside, all the while without breaking eye-contact. I adored this moment. It seemed like we were exchanging more information within those few seconds filled with anticipation than during any other conversation. I believe that it will be one thing I will miss once I get out of here - his soul-wrenching presence, suffocating smile of crime and sweet smell of punishment.
The doors were closed again and we were free to get our food. I saw in the corner of my eye that Fyodor received yet another crossword puzzle, but I wasn’t, apparently, neglected either - well, of course, it was high time I got my two sudoku puzzle books.
I started eating the tasteless food prepared by, I assume, a person suffering from severe halophobia, leafing through the empty pages full of sudoku in all difficulty levels. Each page was stamped by the supervisor of the prison - which means he or she made sure that it hadn’t been tampered with and doesn’t contain any secret messages from the outside. I couldn’t resist a smirk. Of course they didn’t find anything. It was, after all, just a sudoku puzzle.
A split second of hesitation could betray that I found something unusual in my food, but I knew I was being constantly observed, so I kept on eating, making sure that the laminated piece of paper stayed safely adhered to the inner side of my cheek. Apparently, not only was the cook halophobic, but easily bought off as well.
I finished my breakfast first and went to the bathroom, humming my favorite suicide song. There was a tiny cabin with a toilet that was the only place where we could have some privacy, and it was, of course, regularly checked for any kind of foul moves in case prisoners were dumb enough to think they could escape through the pipes.
I sat down on the closed toilet seat and took out my salivated message. No doubt it was from Ango - only he could fit so much text in so little space, and manage to add “Sincerely” at the end.
So it happened. The thing that Ranpo was so afraid of had come true. And not only that. Aktagawa-kun was on the move. That was no good.
I decided to get rid of the plastic later, now only swallowing the paper on which the message was written and went back to my dessert and sudoku.
The rest of the morning we spent in silence, each one too busy with their own puzzle.
I finished my sudokus and Fyodor finished his crosswords at the same time.
“I see you like sudoku very much, Dazai-kun.”
“I see you like crosswords very much, Fyodor-kun.”
He smiled and so did I. The message was clear - he knew this was my way of communicating with the world and I knew it was his. And neither one of us would do anything with that knowledge - if he were to tell anyone about my sudokus, I would undoubtedly say something about his crosswords and vice versa. We would both rather have communication with the outside people than be both deprived of that privilege. Neither one of us would sabotage the other, as it would be simply, well, tedious .
Eventually the guards took our used puzzles when the lights suggested that the day was coming to an end and we met each other over the sink again, brushing our teeth like machines.
“I have the answer.”
I looked at Fyodor inquiringly.
“Do you?”
“Yes. The pupils would constrict when a delusional person saw an imaginary person in front of them.”
“Because the body is a slave to the brain?”
“And a brain is a slave to a soul, don’t you think?”
Another day of imprisonment came to an end. The light went out, darkness kissed both of us goodnight.
I closed my eyes and saw blue.
Akutagawa’s POV:
“Excuse me, sir.”
I opened my eyes.
“What do you want?”
An old woman standing over me frowned.
“No need to be rude, young man. Your phone seems to be ringing. You’re welcome.”
I glanced at my screen. Mori-san.
“Yes, sir?”
“Is the job finished, Akutagawa-kun?”
“Naturally. I believe they received the message, loud and clear.”
“I read on the city’s website that nobody was inside during the explosion.”
“Yes.”
“Don’t you think it would make a more memorable impact if somebody was, in fact, there?”
“I think they still got the message. They won’t try to cross the…” - I hesitated, glancing at the seemingly uninterested people in the compartment. - “...cross us again, I am certain of that.”
“You think or you’re certain ? These are two different things.”
“I’m certain , boss.”
“Are you certain enough to put your life on the line? Your colleagues’ lives? ”
I felt a lump forming in my throat.
“Is there something you wish to tell me?”
I could almost hear his faint smirk on the other side of the call.
“No, Akutagawa-kun. It’s just a reminder - the best enemies are dead enemies. This way you spare yourself and the others the headache of always looking over your shoulder. I speak from experience.”
I didn’t answer and a heavy silence fell between us, and since neither one of us could be considered a talkative type, we didn’t feel the need to cover it with useless chit-chat.
“Is that all, boss?” I asked eventually.
“Yes. Enjoy your vacation, Akutagawa-kun.”
He hung up leaving me buried deep in thought. I was aware of his skeptical attitude towards my deal with Jinko, especially since it somehow had lost its expiry date and had become more of the way I dealt with things now instead of a temporary challenge.
I speak from experience .
Somehow thinking that Mori-san would ever not retreat to murder was beyond the capabilities of my imagination, but I suspected he was referring to someone else. It had been brought to my attention that I wasn’t, after all, the first Port Mafia Executive to give up on killing.
“You do you,” said Chuuya-san to me a couple of weeks ago, while we were drinking wine on his birthday in his favorite restaurant. “But Oda was playing a similar game, and we all know how he ended up. If you decide to not go after the competition, the competition is bound to oust you at some point.”
I put the phone back in Rashoumon’s pocket and looked out the window. Well, maybe they were right, maybe I was digging my own grave with the shovel that was supposed to bring demise to my enemies, but going back to killing, even after the rupture between me and Jinko, proved much more difficult than I had originally anticipated. The years of training and Dazai-san’s teaching methods made it easy to kill whoever crossed my path, but these last months somehow seemed to bring back the part of me that felt something repulsive at the thought of reaping someone else’s life. It wasn’t exactly comfortable or facile, but it did, I must admit, feel… better. And moreover, I was never the one to give up on a challenge easily anyway.
Interesting. No matter what I do, I seem to always copycat Dazai-san in one way or another. Maybe it was a fair reason for concern, but for now there were far more urgent problems I needed to address.
The digital sign on the platform told me we were almost in Tokyo, so halfway to my destination. A year ago I would have never opted for taking the train as I wasn’t really used to public transport - before joining Port Mafia I was too poor to travel anywhere, and after I would be always driven everywhere by car, so I had never had the opportunity to learn how it actually functions, but in order to lure Jinko in on our first trip I had to do some research and now I was able to use train when needed. And since Port Mafia started openly supporting ADA, currently known as vicious terrorists, the government could use any means necessary to keep an eye on us as well. Changing trains and traveling incognito among tedious civilians was a pain I had to endure for the sake of secrecy.
I rested my forehead on the cold glass of the window. I was tired, exhausted even, since my insomnia had gotten worse ever since the news about ADA and the manhunt on its members had become public knowledge. I rubbed my stubbly cheek, trying to keep myself awake. Since I was far from home and my everyday routine, I slightly neglected my shaving schedule, thus to the other passengers of the first class train compartment I must have resembled a homeless person who most likely had stolen someone else’s ticket. Fortunately for them, they were wiser than to try and bother me.
I was rarely responsible for planning out the long-term missions - we had other executives to whom this role was assigned and I much better fell into the category of the executing part of the job. But for my stand-alone task I couldn’t rely on anybody else but myself, so the plan I had come up with was rather straightforward - I hardly could really make it an elaborate one, since the facts known to me about this affair could be counted on one hand.
One, Jinko’s whereabouts were still unknown. I felt tempted to write to him again, but it seemed rather risky at the moment - in fact I wasn’t even certain if he got my last message or if he was using his phone at all - it would be wise to throw it out the minute they were found guilty, but I knew how attached he was to his new phone case, thus chances were that he took the risk of bringing it with him, wherever he was. I certainly hope he at least kept it in the helicopter mode, or however it’s called.
Two, for now we were certain that the real culprits behind the terrorist attacks and framing the Agency was the Decay of Angels. Therefore I needed to find them for the sake of the Port Mafia and the city as well. And since the temporary truce that was somehow restored between Mori-san and f*ckuzawa (they changed their minds about the truce more often than Gin changed her knives) was now common knowledge, naturally our organization would be their next target.
Three - the Hunting Dogs will get Jinko and the rest of the lot in a matter of weeks, if not days even. There was no doubt about it - they were a formidable group of gifted. Usually I wouldn’t believe the legends and stories going around about them, as most of the times such stories are richly exaggerated, and would have to fight them myself to make up my mind about their real potential. However, it is because I never had a chance to encounter them is what made me sure of their deserved reputation - Mori would always ensure we were off their radar, and if any job was likely to attract their attention, he would give up on it.
“Even a diamond is not worth losing your head,” he would say whenever asked about it.
And if Mori was weary of Hunting Dogs, I should be too. But, the truth was, I didn’t try to do anything that would make them interested in me.
Quite the opposite, I presume. I was going to hunt them .
For me, the course of action was obvious - the hunting dogs were after our temporary ally, ADA. Which means, they were after Jinko. Which means, I was after them. Powerful or not, I could take them down, I had fought worse and survived, this time would be no different. It couldn’t .
If only I wasn’t so tired.
Next station: Shibuya.
The voice of the woman in the speaker, the barely audible music coming from the headphones of a businessman in front of me, the flipping of pages of a crossword or some other elderly brain teaser that the old woman was invested in… so soothing… maybe I could close my eyes for a second, I still have about an hour of the ride, merely a couple of…
I opened my eyes, suddenly forgetting all about sleep. Something was amiss. I could feel it in my gut.
I looked around. The compartment was almost empty, everyone was busy with their own problems, nobody seemed interested in me in the slightest. But Rashoumon never failed me before and I wasn’t going to ignore my instincts now.
I got up, ready to jump out on the next station and wait for yet another train, but at the same moment the doors to the compartment opened and inside came two suited men. At their sight, the old lady, the businessman and two other people that were accompanying me on my journey got up and left. Not a second later another man came in.
“Ango,” I greeted my teeth.
The doors were closed and the first traitor of the Port Mafia adjusted his round glasses.
“It’s nice to finally see you, Akutagawa-kun. You’re a very elusive person.”
I needed to think fast. I could definitely take them all out in a heartbeat, but that was neither something I wanted to do, nor something I could afford - disposing of three people on the train in the middle of day was the very definition of attracting attention.
I glanced at the window. The train was still moving at a high speed, but I would be able to make Rashoumon break the window and…
“I wouldn’t if I were you.” Ango sat down at the nearest seat. “We’re about to cross the river, so if you jump I will have more than enough time to meet you at the shore.”
f*ck.
“Then I suppose I will have to take you with me.”
Ango sighed.
“Dazai was right about you, you really are hot-headed. That won’t be necessary, Akutagawa-kun. I’m not here to lock you up. I’m here on Dazai’s request.”
I frowned.
“I find it hard to believe.”
“He suspected you would say that. That’s why he told me to tell you this: you can’t see red on a crimson carpet. ”
I froze. These were definitely Dazai’s words. The same ones I heard only once, a long time ago.
I calculated my options quickly, but eventually sat down too.
“I’m listening.”
Ango nodded and took out a tiny notebook.
“I suppose you are going after Hunting Dogs. Before you ask, this is also something Dazai predicted. He seems to know you pretty well.”
“Not nearly as much as I know him.”
“Perhaps. But, ad rem - your mission is a suicide, plain and simple. Hunting dogs are stronger than you, regardless of how powerful you deem your ability to be. So you would be wasting your life on nothing. Instead - hear me out before you start arguing, please - instead you are to go in the opposite direction, where you will actually be of help. This is part of Dazai’s plan to make sure that the Agency is proven innocent and saved from the Hunting Dogs.”
“You're the government. Can’t you call your dogs off?”
“The government is a complex and structured organism, and I have no jurisdiction whatsoever over them.”
“Then you’re useless.”
For the first time, Ango smiled.
“Maybe. But you don’t have to be. Of course, I won’t force you to do anything - if you want to go there and get yourself killed, it’s up to you, we are currently too busy with the terrorist attacks to chase after Port Mafia puppies. But if you want to actually gain Dazai’s gratitude and therefore be of use to the Port Mafia, ADA and your own city, I would advise you to listen.”
I took a deep breath, which was now, thanks to my noisy doctor-neighbour, finally possible. Dazai-san’s approval wasn't my number one priority in this case, but thanks to the general presumption that it was, I was actually able to try and keep the true reasons for my actions to myself.
The question was, do I go with my initial plan, the one that was most likely more dangerous but simultaneously much easier for me to digest, or do I go down the old path again, the path of Dazai-san’s obedient, love-starved dog? What guarantee did I have of him actually working for the sake of ADA and Jinko? Too many times in the past was his real goal cunningly hidden behind what he was saying. After all, I had spent so much time unlearning the blind loyalty to him for a reason. Dazai-san could not be trusted.
But Jinko’s Dazai-san was not the Dazai-san I knew. His Dazai-san actually loved him, and although it used to be the core of my misery, now was the only consolation I had in this hopeless situation.
Oh, the damn irony.
I got up from the seat again to face Ango, now even more exhausted than before. The Shibuya station’s sign was slowly disappearing behind the window.
“Where would he have me go?” I asked eventually.
“Have you heard of the Sky Casino?”
***
“This is bullsh*t. I want my money back.”
“Sir, these are the rules of the game.”
“Give me the money back.”
“I have to refuse.”
“Very well then.”
I grabbed a half-full bottle of Bordeaux from the table next to the roulette and before anyone could react I smashed it on the back of the dealer’s head. The red wine spilled on the carpet.
The other dealer took a step back, trying to whisper something into the radio but there was no need for that as a handful of security men were already on their way to my table. Perfect.
“I demand to speak to the manager of this complete abomination of a casino.”
An increasingly overwhelming number of people were staring at me. To say I felt uncomfortable would be a pathetic euphemism, but from what Ango had told me, making a scene was one of the very few ways of meeting the famous yet mysterious Sky Casino manager, Sigma. The government didn’t even have his picture in the files, and overall information about him was so scarce that it was a miracle they even got his name. No data about his origin, his past, his connections to any of the countries, not even a last name. He was a mystery bigger than Dazai-san himself, and the only other fact we knew about him was that he was a gifted member of the Decay of Angels - and our only hope.
That said, everything in my body was burning to set Rashoumon free and knock out the whole floor, only to not be forced to remain the center of attention of this incredibly dramatic outburst that was my own doing. This would be a perfect job for Kajii, Chuuya or even Mori himself, but for me it wouldn’t be worth any money.
Unfortunately, I wasn’t doing it for money.
“Sir, I need to ask you to calm down…”
“No!” I pushed the guard that approached me first. “I will speak to the manager, or else!”
I counted seventy pairs of curious eyes drilling into my skull, probably wondering what I meant by the “else”, which was a mystery to me as well. I wish I had someone with me here to attract all the attention, I almost felt naked. And keeping Rashoumon at bay, when all of my instincts were screaming for its release was no easy task either. But I couldn’t rely on it right now, I couldn’t betray in any way that I had any ability. Not yet.
“That is enough, sir, you violated too many rules by now, we must escort you to the exit and…”
One of the men grabbed my arm. That was the last straw.
I didn’t even think, the instincts gained in hundreds of fights I had been in were stronger than me - I flung my free elbow right in his face and immediately threw a punch at the second guard. I was aware that this would only make matters worse, but I didn’t think clearly at that moment - I was too exhausted, too seen, too overwhelmed. I will think of another way, I will break through every window if that’s necessary, anything other than…
“Permission to shoot?”
“Granted”.
I didn’t even have the time to turn around - I only felt the excruciating pain in my temples for a second before everything went black.
***
Everything was red. I believe that was the moment when I fell in love with that color. The windows were red from the splatter, the mahogany furnitures were dripping with red, the impeccably clean floor was sluggishly painted with red, red was dripping from the slaughtered bodies all around me and the girl whose eyes I involuntarily covered with my palm, as I would do with Gin in that situation.
The man, no, the boy that gave the order was standing right in the middle of it. His bandages were red too.
I didn’t make a move. I didn’t dare. I was only breathing the red in, breathing the red out.
The boy turned around and seemed surprised at our sight - he must have forgotten about our presence.
“Would you look at that,” he said to one of the men in suits, that just a couple of minutes ago was emptying the cartridge on other men’s foreheads. “The carpet survived. Maybe we should take it with us. After all, you can’t see red on a crimson carpet, can you?”
He took a couple of steps towards us.
“You can go now, kids,” he said, as if he wasn’t a kid himself.
And then he left.
But I wouldn’t let him just go. I would never let him go.
***
Something was tingling my nose. Whose hair was that?
I shot my eyes open, because my immediate assumption was that it must have been Jinko, but I was sorely disappointed upon seeing a set of light, violet eyes staring at me from above. Their owner’s hair was all over my face as he was staring at me with what seemed like a genuine concern for my well being.
I was still quite disoriented after waking up from that terribly realistic dream, so it took me a whole second of stare-contest before I jumped up and pointed Rashoumon’s claws at the long-haired man’s throat. Another second and a dozen guns were being pointed at me.
“Stand down,” said the man. One part of his hair shared the color of his eyes, the other was white, just like Jinko’s. “Our guest has a right to be scared.” He turned to me. “Good evening, sir, I understand you insisted on seeing me?”
Sensing that using Rashoumon in this situation would be rather unwise, I retracted it back to my coat and the guards lowered their unconventional guns a second later.
I looked around. We were in an enormous room with long koi ponds at both sides, and a wide window, which purpose was surely the appreciation of the limitless sky behind it.
“You’re the casino's manager?” I asked.
“Yes.”
“Then I have a request for you.”
“I'm not really interested in more dealings with the mafia, so you can either resume taking advantage of our casino quietly, or leave.”
I frowned.
“How do you know who I am?”
“Oh, we do heavy research on anyone going through the Casino’s door. You are no exception, Rabid Dog of Port Mafia.”
Ango could have mentioned that detail.
“Well, if you know who I am and what organization I belong to, then you must be aware of the fact that I don’t take no for an answer.”
He smoothened his hair.
“You are in no position to threaten me. This is my kingdom. You are my guest and because of that I wanted to make sure that nothing happened to you after one of my guards knocked you out, but if you insist on being rude, I will have to make you leave.”
“It won’t be that easy. And it won’t be that easy to make Hunting Dogs leave either, once they come here. And they will.”
Sigma froze and glared at me. Finally. That was the reaction I could work with.
“I have no idea what you’re talking about.”
The lie was obvious, but the fact that he resorted to it made me sure that I had the upper hand.
“I can explain to you what I mean here , with all your guards present and your guests on the other side of that door, or we can talk face to face. Alone.”
He ran his fingers through his hair, thinking.
“Okay,” he said eventually. “But no weapons.”
“I have none.”
“Your ability included.”
I frowned.
“I can’t get rid of my ability.”
“You can get rid of your coat and shirt.”
Excuse me?
“Out of the question.”
“Then Takeda will escort you to the door. Farewell.”
“Wait.” I couldn’t afford losing the opportunity to talk to him now. But I couldn’t afford being defenseless either. My gut was telling me that there is no foul play in Sigma’s offer, but the mere thought of taking Rashoumon off, especially in a completely unknown environment was unthinkable. I had said it before and I will say it again - there isn't a person in the whole world I would trust enough to get rid of Rashoumon. It was my only shield.
I quickly estimated my options. They were deplorable.
But I couldn’t turn back. Not with Yokohama in danger, not with the Decay of Angels posing immense threat, not with everything depending on this mission.
Not with Jinko's life on the line.
f*cking hell. I really hope Dazai-san knew what he was doing.
“Where can I put my clothes?”
The heavy doors closed behind me and I turned to face Sigma, who was already leaning on his desk. On every possible surface he had a bowl full of apples. Gin would be in seventh heaven.
“So, you seem to know something. I'm all ears.”
I took a step forward. It was imperative that I seemed absolutely confident, even though I couldn't recall the last time I was standing in front of someone without my shirt on, and I was painfully aware of the defenseless situation I had got myself into. I felt as if even the walls in his office were staring at my naked back and observing every muscle under my skin, and I was itching to cover myself with my hands. I clenched my fists instead, trying to force my body to show more strength, but it didn't escape the manager's attention, who immediately jumped up.
“Oh, no, I haven't thought of that, you must be cold without your coat, let me grab you a blanket.” And to my surprise, he actually reached into a drawer and took out a fluffy blanket, but then he hesitated, giving me a side eye. “Can you use a blanket as your power too? Dear lord, you probably can. Or can you?”
I didn't deem it worthwhile to answer that question.
“I’m not cold. We can talk about our deal.”
Sigma was visibly torn between his negotiator’s side and his amfitrion’s side, but eventually put the blanket back in the drawer, although he was still stealing glances at it from time to time.
“Like I mentioned, I know about the Decay of Angels and the page, and, more importantly, if I know it, the Hunting Dogs know it too,” I began, feeling a little bit more at ease for some unclear reason. “Which means, it's only a matter of time before they come sniffing here, in your precious casino.”
“And what can you do about it?”
“In terms of stepping them, nothing. However, you will need someone to protect you once they come. I can fill that role, on condition that you give me the location of the page and tell me everything you know about the DoA. Then, I assure you, no harm will come to you.”
Sigma flipped his hair. I was starting to suspect he was really obsessed with it.
“And I assure you, there is no need for you to protect me. As you can see, I was able to knock out even the infamous Akutagawa Ryunosuke, so I believe I'm safe. Sorry to disappoint you, but you won’t get any information from me.”
I gritted my teeth. Usually Dazai-san’s plans were fool-proof, but somehow he did not expect Sigma to be so sure of himself.
I had to think fast. We didn't have any decent data on that manager, even Ango and his intelligence weren't capable of finding anything about his past or how he got involved in such a powerful and, frankly, irritating organization as Decay of Angels. What leverage could I offer him? What could speak to his mind?
“How about an exchange?” I asked, with a sudden idea in my mind. A risky one, but I was running out of options.
“What exchange?”
“I heard your power was the exchange of information. No lies, no half-truths. You could get any information you want from a Port Mafia Executive, and I would just know what I need to know.”
That seemed to peak his interest. He thought for a moment, visibly torn. So my wild card was working after all. I don’t know what kind of deal he had with the rest of the members of Decay of Angels, but maybe he was looking for a way out. Maybe he needed money or powerful mafia’s influence to get out of this deal and do whatever it was that he wanted to do. Maybe I still had a chance.
“There is something I wanted to find out for a while now,” he said quietly and looked at me suspiciously. “Are you sure you want to give me any information I want?”
His tone sent shivers down my spine (or perhaps it was the cold, I was truly unused to being anywhere without clothes on my back). Was there something I absolutely couldn’t let him know? Something more important than getting the location of the Page?
I took a deep breath. It was the risk I had to take.
“I am. Do we have a deal?”
“Not yet. There is one more thing I need from you. Then we have a deal.”
I frowned.
“What is it?”
I was at loss as to what his other request might be and my anxiety was rising with every corridor we passed through, but at least I had Rashoumon on me again. Worst case scenario I can slit the throats of everyone on sight.
Human lawnmower , I heard somewhere in the back of my mind.
Very well. Worst case scenario I can disarm everyone on sight.
“We’re here.”
Sigma opened the door with a gold number 14 and we came into a big, luxurious room with one king-sized bed and two people resting on top of it.
No, not people. Children.
“I’m not going to kill some offsprings for you,” I said firmly.
Sigma looked at me, bewildered.
“Why would I want you to do that ? I’m not a monster, I just want you to take them to the client that left them here and made me promise to keep them safe which will soon prove difficult, as you well know. I need to send them back. You will do that for me.”
I glanced at the kids. They both had fair hair, almost as white as Sigma’s and Jinko’s. The boy was asleep, but the girl was glaring at me intensely for no reason. Whatever have I done to this creature?
“So, delivery,” I summed up. I wasn’t really fond of the idea of dealing with children, but if I manage to pacify them and keep them calm for the time being, it shouldn’t cause problems. “Very well. Who is their owner?”
Sigma raised his eyebrows at the word “owner”, but didn’t say anything more, only reached to his vest and took out a small notebook full of pictures.
“This man,” he said and showed me the photo. “He’s…”
“I know who he is.”
Of course. I had a feeling I would see Rui’s face before long.
***
“Don’t kick the f*ck… the lamp, kid.”
“You shouldn’t say ‘f*ck’. It’s a bad word.”
I looked down. The girl was laying down on the pavement as if it was a bed, scowling at me like a disappointed teacher. The other kid was furiously kicking a street lamp that had already been crooked, completely ignoring my orders at that.
In the past, I had a couple of missions that forced me to go without sleep for days, and left me exhausted afterwards. Right now, I had been taking care of these two offsprings for a day and a half, and I was at the verge of succumbing to the deepest depths of hell.
When Sigma handed the brats' over he said that Rui’s unavailable for another three days, that's why he left the children in the casino. Looking after two half-humans for only three days shouldn't be too much of a challenge, at least that was my assumption. Rarely am I ever so deeply mistaken. Sigfried and Maximus, two most abnormal names the world has ever heard of, were twin four (perhaps five?) year olds who were apparently Rui’s family, at least according to the casino manager. Yet, even for people who were fond of lumping all Europeans in the same hive, it would be clear that the members of the Spanish mafia and these two fair-skinned and fair-haired monsters shared about as much blood as Rui and I. Nevertheless I was bound by my deal with Sigma to deliver them to Rui in another forty hours and I was going to keep my end of the bargain.
Easier said than done.
I looked around the parking lot. This was a place Ango chose to regroup after I came back from the Sky Casino in case the deal hadn't gone as planned, and since the lot was a part of a new shopping center that was still under construction, we shouldn’t be worried about being overheard. The problem was, there was nothing here to do for these little f*cks.
“Allright,” I decided when I saw that the boy was starting to take interest in some bricks and installations on the side of the road. “Kids, we’re going to a playground, you apparently cannot be trusted around construction sites.”
I left Ango a note stuck on some container with a single word “PARK”, hoping he wouldn’t interpret it as an ambush and turned to the children. Sigfried was still laying on the pavement, Maximus was still kicking the f*cking lamp.
Why. Just why.
“You heard me. Move it.”
They didn’t move it.
“I want to sleep,” said the girl.
“You can sleep later. We’re going to the park now.”
“Why?”
“Because.”
“Why?”
For f*ck’s sake.
“Because the weather is nice and you will meet other kids there.”
“I don’t like other kids.”
I sighed.
“I would be lying if I said I don’t share your dislike. Very well, then I will scare other kids away and you’ll have slides all to yourselves.”
“Okay.”
The girl got up immediately and joined my side. One done, one left to go.
“Max, get in here. We’re leaving.”
“NO!”
I tried reasoning with him, but during the last twenty-four hours I had realized that this creature was even more hot-headed than Chuuya-san, so he left me no choice. I took Sigfried’s hand, went over to him, grabbed him by the waist and threw his tiny body over my shoulder like a bag of flour. He was punching and kicking for a while, but after a couple of minutes he got tired and just mumbled his child’s curses at me. I must admit, I was especially fond of “stupid mr. stupid” - I could appreciate the thought that went into creating such an elaborate insult.
A sudden shriek. I turned my head only to see the boy throwing sand at his sister, who was doing the same to him. I sighed and rested my head on the bench. I didn't know how I was going to survive yet another day with them. To say I don't understand these kids would be a severe understatement, and I'm not referring only to their inability to speak Japanese. A thought came over me and I couldn't resist a faint smile - Jinko would definitely know what to do with them. He was like a snake enchanter, but with kids who were, de facto, another type of lizard to me.
Jinko .
The suffocating feeling was still burning my throat whenever I thought about him, but with time something else was slowly trying to take up more space in my mind.
The suffocating longing.
Of course, betrayal was in its own way the easiest thing to feel - it was so familiar that it tasted like the meal you had been consuming since forever. Broken trust. The sensation of living in a lie. So cold, so suffocating. So familiar that it even could be considered as safe.
I was perfectly aware of what Gin had in mind when she said that cutting him off was easier. It was, it was infinitely easier than allowing myself to cling to any crumb of hope whispering that Jinko didn't just use me, that all this time he felt, at least to some extent, something towards me.
You ignorant fool, I would hear every time I thought about it. Take a look in the mirror. Take a look at your soul. What would be there to love?
I couldn't really argue with these arguments, so any spark of hope was quickly extinguished by my autoimmune system of survival. It was all just like I had suspected, I would be an idiot to think otherwise.
But even thinking of his name would still make me smile.
Jinko .
And the possibility of his death was still a thousand times more unbearable than whatever betrayal I had brought on myself. He didn't have to love me, but I loved him and therefore I would do whatever it takes to make sure he doesn't fall into the Hunting Dogs’ claws.
“Mister Akutagawa, sir.”
I looked up. Sigfried was holding something in her hands.
“What is it?” I asked, not interested at all in the answer.
“I found a bird. It looks just like you.”
And to my surprise she revealed a dead bat on her hands.
I sighed.
“So I look like a dead bat to you. Jinko would agree.”
“What’s Jinko?”
I ignored her question and made her leave the cadaver on the ground instead. Then I took her arm trying not to pull too hard and we went over to the nearby fountain.
“Touching dead animals is not wise, child. You'll get sick, so clean your hands. Didn't your friend Rui teach you not to play with dead things?”
She glanced at me quickly and then looked back at her hands.
“Rui is not my friend. Only Max.”
“Who is Rui, then?”
That I actually wanted to know, since he was the guy I wasted Sigma's power on.
Yes, I failed to gain the information about the page. In the past, such failure would most surely be wreaking havoc in my self-esteem, making me a slave to Dazai-san’s mocking words once again, but in the last months I had been exercising the ability to see each failure as an opportunity of some kind. Not always would it be possible, since my pessimistic nature obliges, yet in this case I managed to find the silver lining. According to the casino manager, through his ability I get the information I crave the most at the time of exchange, and apparently him introducing me to kids that were somehow connected to that man made me temporarily focus solely on that. For a long time I couldn't shake the feeling that he was somehow in the middle of everything and his involvement with a member of Decay of Angels was one coincidence too many. Unfortunately, Sigma didn't know a lot about him either.
However, he knew something .
Carlos Ruiz Zafón - that was his full name. He had joined the Spanish Mafia only a couple of years ago and quickly climbed the ladder of loyalty to become their young boss’ right hand. He had no family that anybody knew of, but he had been to Japan before, though his past is as clear as his intentions. And - a fact that had probably surprised me the most - he was not an ability user.
The girl shrugged.
“He's old. And he makes us stay at mister Marco’s house. But we don't want to.”
Marcos… She must have meant the mafia's boss.
“What do you mean he makes you stay? Isn't that your home?”
I noticed that she was playing with a worm instead of washing her hands so I gave up and started washing them for her.
“No. Rui took us from home.”
“Why?”
“Because Max can make lamps flicker.”
Having said that, she covered her mouth and looked at me, terrified. Now, I'm no expert in child psychology, but everything she said and did made it fairly obvious to me that whatever relationship Rui and the children had, it wasn't a good one. And if her brother was an ability user, I didn't have to ponder too long over Rui’s agenda towards them.
“Sigfried, I need you to…”
I could sense him coming before I even heard him.
I turned my head. On the bench where I had been sitting before a man sat down with a newspaper in hand and a fedora on top of his head. Ango was surprisingly bad at blending in in common spaces, considering his field of work. He had with him, of course, a number of guards that were sulking among the trees of the park around the playground, like an organized group of perverts. Of course nobody would find that suspicious.
I let the girl go back to bothering her brother and sat down next to him, pretending to keep an eye on those two.
“Why the sudden change of scenery?”, asked Ango, eyes still set on the newspaper.
“I acquired the role of a babysitter for the time being. Desperate times.”
“I see. So, the Page. Did you get the location of it?”
I shook my head.
“You failed to provide me with comprehensive data on how the manager’s ability works. I could only get the information I desired from him the most at any given moment.”
“So finding out the location of the Page wasn’t the most important thing for you at that moment?”
I could hear the surprise in Ango’s voice. Not that I could blame him, the information I received surprised me too.
“The Decay of Angels’ reappearance doesn't mean the other threats ceased to exist.”
“They are the most imminent one.”
“Perhaps for the government. Not for me.”
“I thought you wanted to be involved. Dazai was sure you would help us and the Agency get to the bottom of it. I never thought I would live to see the day when he was wrong.”
“Dazai-san is never wrong,” I hissed automatically. “Port Mafia is now the target of the Hunting Dogs as well, so I will get involved. But I am best suited for fighting, not dancing around the lonely casino managers.”
Ango put down the newspaper, took off his glasses and started massaging the bridge of his nose.
“Formidable,” he said after a while. “Will you tell me, then, what it is that you did learn from Sigma?”
I looked back at the inconvenient children, who were now sitting on the ground, busy digging up some worms. I had thought about whether or not I should let Ango in on the information I had gained about Rui, but even if he was on ADA’s side, he most definitely wasn’t on Port Mafia’s. Telling him about the Spanish Mafia’s involvement could probably do little for the current situation, but might prove inconvenient in the future, once everything goes back to normal.
“I believe it wouldn’t be in any way useful to the Agency or Dazai-san.”
“Perhaps I should be the judge of that.”
“Ango, I am ready to take orders from Dazai-san and to be of assistance to the Agency as long as they and the Port Mafia are on good terms. But make no mistake, I do not work for you .”
He gave me a tired look. I think he might have been even more exhausted by this terrorism sh*t than the members of the Agency. Well, too bad. I felt no sympathy for this traitor.
“You are really difficult to work with.”
“It’s because I work best alone.”
“Maybe. I don’t know why Dazai-san insists on keeping you involved then. But I trust his judgment and Lord knows I pray it doesn’t bite me later.” He put the glasses back on his nose and folded the paper. “But well, if you’re unwilling to share whatever it is that Sigma told you, I have no other choice but to assume it is something indeed utterly useless in this war. But even so - you still want to get involved?”
“Yes,” I answered without hesitation.
“Alright. Then we will stay in touch through this phone. It's safe from the government's ears.” He took out a burner phone from a pocket inside his vest and put it on the bench. “Fortunately for us, I can have some members of the Agency try to get that information from Sigma before it’s too late.”
My heart skipped a beat.
“So you have contact with the Agency? With whom exactly?”
“Not many. Kyouka, Atsushi and their friend, Lucy, former Guild member.”
Atsushi . So he was fine after all. I tried with all my might to keep the smile that was forcing its way to my lips from showing. I wanted to ask about him more, but I knew better than that. Besides, there was one member of the Agency I actually wanted Ango to pay attention to.
“What about the blond kid? The one that looks like a peasant?”
“Kenji? He and Tanizaki had been out of reach for some time. Why?”
How much could I safely tell him? After what Mine had showed me before my departure, I was fairly sure that he was the one who was spying on Jinko and giving the information to the Geneva Association all this time, but I didn’t have any proof. Moreover, just because he was working with the GA, and maybe even with Rui, didn’t necessarily mean he was at all involved with the Decay of Angels. But could I take that risk, with Jinko’s life on the line?
“Watch out for him,” was all I said eventually.
***
I wish I could fall asleep. The inevitable repercussions of sleep deprivation were already catching up to me, however there was little I could do in order to put an end to my insomnia, especially with so many things currently on my plate.
I flipped another page of the manga I bought earlier today for the two little abominations to make them busy with something else rather than asking questions even I didn’t have the answer to. Yet I forgot about a tiny detail - even if the girl was able to read in English (which is rare for this age, I verified with the internet), they still couldn’t speak nor read japanese , so if I wanted to keep them quiet, I needed to translate the manga myself, which is what I had been doing for two hours now. Perhaps I shouldn’t have bought so much of it.
I glanced in the direction of the bedroom - they were sound asleep. I had no idea whatsoever as to what I was going to do with them - yesterday I passed the deadline when I should have brought them back to Yokohama and give them to Rui, but having talked with both of them I now knew that there was something fishy going on there - since the brother, Max, apparently had an ability, I doubt that Rui’s interest was in the children’s wellbeing. Why was he going through so much trouble to get ability users from Norway, I did not know, but too many times had I seen what trafficking children for abilities can do to them to just turn a blind eye and get rid of the problem. Of course, I had no intention of taking care of the brats myself, but I wouldn’t idly stand by and let history repeat itself, even if for now I didn’t have any clear plan as to what I was supposed to do with them.
But first things first - the Decay of Angels, the Hunting Dogs and, above all, that idiot of a tiger who somehow always managed to be in the middle of it all.
I reached for my cup to take another sip of tea, but to my surprise the cup was empty. I checked the apartment’s cupboard - no luck. Wonderful.
I grabbed my coat, glanced at the kids once again just to make sure they wouldn’t wake up during my short quest for more chamomile rescue, and left.
The hotel we were staying at was not equipped with a 24/7 kitchen available to its guests, but fortunately for me, the convenience store was just on the other side of the hotel's parking lot. I quickly bought what I had to and started going back, when I felt Rashoumon’s instincts flare up.
“Night stroll?”
Oh, for f*ck’s sake.
I turned around. The view of his sly smile made my coughing act up again, even now, as if my lungs couldn’t handle the same air he breathed.
“Rui. What a surprise.”
“Yes, I imagine, especially since I was hoping to meet you in Yokohama. With the children.”
“I regret to inform you that there has been a change of plans. The children won’t go with you.”
His smile faded slightly.
“If I remember correctly, you still owe me a favor.”
“You didn’t specify what the favor was. And the way I see it, I’m doing you a favor right now by not killing you, since, and correct me if I’m wrong, there is only one person in this parking lot with any special ability.”
His smile was finally gone. Good.
“So you have finally done your research.”
“Yes. So coming here without any backup was a bold move, even for you. Unless you thought for some reason that going solo would be the best approach here.”
An awful smirk returned to his face.
“I didn’t think I would need backup, cause I didn’t take you for the type to play house.”
“I’m not, yet I don’t appreciate you doing shady trafficking business on our grounds.”
“It’s not trafficking. I just need these kids.”
“Why? People with abilities are not that rare, why would you need to get two orphans from another country, why go through all that trouble when you must have perfectly good supply of children…”
And then it hit me.
“The kid is not just any ability user, is he? His ability comes from a god or some other f*cked up thing.”
He didn’t answer.
“You’re not only from the Spanish mafia. You’re from the Geneva Association as well.”
How could I not have seen it before? GA disappears and Rui shows up, knowing all the things that he had no right to know, getting involved where the Spanish mafia had no interest in being involved, keeping an eye on us, on me and Jinko, when nobody else made the connection. It was so obvious it made me angry with myself for only realizing it now.
“All the more reason to not get in my way.” He looked up at the hotel’s highway of windows. “So why don’t you tell me which room is yours and I’ll get the kids off your hands, hm?”
“No.”
I went past him and headed towards the main entrance. As I suspected, he followed immediately.
“A new deal, then. You give me kids, I give you the boss of the Decay of Angels.”
I hesitated. It wasn’t impossible for him to know more than the rest of us, since he seemed to be involved in both mafia and Geneva Association (and god knows what else, truth be told), but the memory of how the two ankle-biters reacted when I confronted them earlier that day about where they came from was still vivid.
“No deal.”
“Then let me just talk to them. They still don’t want to go, I’ll let it go. And something tells me you need that information as soon as possible, if you don’t want the weretiger to get butchered while you enjoy a Hilton SPA day.”
It felt as if he had kicked me in the stomach. The bastard knew exactly where to hit.
I turned around to face him again. I didn't trust him in the slightest and even though the little brats were nothing but a nuisance to me, I couldn't help but see myself and Gin in them, as if they were sent to me by the universe to mock me and everything I had been through. I couldn't just kick them to the curb.
But I couldn't let this opportunity pass me by. You're my priority , Jinko once said, and regardless of his intentions behind those words, the truth remained the same - he was also my priority.
It would be nice to have a clone that I could trust to make sure the kids don't leave with Rui while I would watch out for Jinko, which would be much easier if I knew the mastermind behind all of this.
Although…
“Fine. They are asleep now, but you can talk to them tomorrow. I will give you my phone's number, call me at noon.”
“Perfect. And at noon you will get the big reveal.” He extended his hand. “Pleasure doing business with you, Rabid Dog of Port Mafia.”
I ignored his hand and headed to the hotel, without looking back.
Once in the hotel room, I was lurking by the window to make sure he disappeared before reaching for Ango’s burner phone and dialing one of the four numbers I knew by heart.
***
She showed up at exactly ten o'clock, punctual as ever.
“What are your orders, sir?”
No greeting, no small talk. I trained her well.
I let her into the hotel room, checking if there wasn't anyone following her, and closed the door quietly.
“The task I have for you is rather unconventional, but I have no doubt that you will execute it flawlessly.”
“Thank you, sir.”
I filled her in on the details. She only glanced once at the bedroom where the lazy offsprings were still sound asleep, and hadn't said a word until I finished.
“Here are the keys to my apartment. In case you don't hear from me before dawn, take them to Gin and Tachihara.”
“But… Akutagawa-senpai… haven't you heard?”
“About what?”
"Tachihara is a traitor. The fifth Hunting Dog.”
I stared at her. Did I hear that correctly?
“It’s fresh news,” she added. “Port Mafia is filled with traitors left and right, it seems.”
This information was one too many for now. Him? A traitor? Did Gin know? No, of course she didn't, she wouldn't betray us, she wouldn't lie to us only to be with an enemy…
Just like I had been doing.
For f*ck’s sake. Did the universe hold a personal grudge against me? Were the cruel gods so amused by the irony that kept dragging me down like steel chains at my ankles?
Oh, how the tables have turned, poor dog eating its own tail. Where does it end?
Shut up.
I needed to focus on the Decay of Angels. This had to wait.
“I will take care of that when I return. Until then, keep an eye on them and keep them away from Rui, Spanish Mafia… everyone actually. Then await my further instructions. If I’m late, take them to Mine. You know where she lives?”
“Yes, sir.”
“Good.”
I wanted to give her instructions as to what to prepare the kids for breakfast, since the little sh*ts were as picky as they were annoying, but then I heard my temporary phone ring.
I picked up.
“Who is it?”
“Your special someone.”
What an irritating voice this man had.
“You're not my special someone.”
“Ah, true, I forgot, the tiger. Have I mentioned to you that I had tiger meat once? They served it at the boss' birthday party.”
I greeted my teeth.
“What do you want? We agreed on noon.”
“Yes, yes, but I'm un hombre honrado , and your target is on the move, so I decided to speed it up a bit, for your sake.”
A bitter smile appeared unwittingly on my face. He could leave the lies to his mafia's boss, it was obvious that he expected my leaving in a hurry would give him a window to get the kids. Too bad for him that I had Higuchi up my sleeve.
“Well? Who is it then?”
“Now, better sit down for the grand reveal - it's f*ckuchi, the great general and, yes, you're right, the head of the Hunting Dogs. Isn't that marvelous, you'll get to kill two birds with one stone.”
My headache was big enough from insomnia and news about Tachihara, but that information almost made me lose my head completely. It was absolutely insane that he of all people would be the one behind everything that was happening… but at the same time it somehow started clicking in multiple places at once in my mind. It was insane, but it made f*cking sense .
“He's on the live TV, giving some speech if you're wondering where he is right now. And now, my end of the bargain, pretty please.”
I was reluctant to give the phone to the children, but I was never the one to break promises or back out of deals, so I woke them up, passed the phone to the girl and started flipping through the TV channels to find f*ckuchi. Initially, I intended to listen to Rui’s and kids’ conversation to make sure nothing unforeseen happens, but now the time was of the essence so I had to leave the rest to Higuchi.
A crimson suit appeared on the screen. Live broadcast from f*ckuzawa’s speech. Bingo.
Having acquired the knowledge I needed, I could turn off the TV and go back to the two troublemakers. They weren’t talking on the phone anymore, they were just sitting crossed-legged on the huge bed, Max still half asleep, his sister with a gloomy look on her face.
I knew I didn’t have much time, but I had to know what that bastard had told them, so I squatted in front of the bed and looked up at Siegfried.
“What did he tell you?”
“To come home.”
“Do you want to?”
She glanced at her brother and they both shook their heads. I nodded.
“Understood. My friend will take care of you for the time being, you’re not going to see that man again.”
“Really?”
“Really. I have to leave now, but I’ll be back and then we will think of something.”
“Can I go with you?”
“No.”
“Can we have pizza?” asked Max.
“It’s not nutritional.”
“You’re boring.”
“Perhaps.” I got up, and briefly considered ruffling their hair, but eventually I decided not to. “Don’t kick stuff and don’t lie on the ground. And brush your teeth. I will know if you won’t. Farewell.”
I left the room and grabbed the bag, almost ready to leave, but at the doorstep I heard Higuchi’s voice.
“Don’t go.”
I turned around. Rarely had I seen such a concerned look on her face as I did at that moment. It reminded me of some other fair-haired person I knew.
“Excuse me?”
“Don’t fight him. I may not know your reasons, Akutagawa-senpai, I'm sure there are plenty, but I… I have a bad feeling about this. Please, sir, don't go.”
I hesitated, but only for a second.
“There isn't any alternative available at the moment. Once I defeat him, everything will go back to normal, and this is what’s most important now.”
“What if you don't defeat him? What if you lose?”
I sighed. My head was killing me, my insomnia was nearly making me throw up the quick breakfast I had before her arrival, and my cheeks were stubbly again.
I was exhausted.
But this was the last obstacle. Last obstacle and I will finally be able to see Jinko and talk to him, just like we were supposed to that day on the beach when he had stood me up.
I looked into her black eyes.
“I will win.”
***
“Ryuu, you know you actually have to let me go to start learning?”
I tightened my grip on his neck, fairly sure that now, when I couldn’t feel the ground under my legs, we were essentially floating over infinity of darkness.
“I fail to understand why you can’t teach me on the ground.”
“You want me to teach you to swim on the ground? Seriously? C’mon, Ryuu, it won’t be that bad. But yeah, getting that shirt off your back would make it easier, there is a reason why we go to water without clothes, you know? Wait, you're not showering with a t-shirt too, are you?”
Before I had a chance to flick his forehead in response, he began to move unexpectedly, which only made me tighten my grip on his neck instead. I ignored his remark about him reportedly not being able to breathe and tried to focus on his arm wrapped around my back instead.
“If I ever need to go into any body of water, I will most probably have my clothes on, so what’s the point in learning to swim without them anyway? Can we stop moving into the middle of the f*cking ocean for a second?”
He listened and for a minute we just stayed more or less in the same place. He had decided to teach me to swim in a nearby cove, not far from my cabin, so at least the waves here were a little less menacing - however I could feel at ease only as long as I was able to detect real sand under my feet.
“The point of learning to swim is to have fun. Not everything is a life or death situation.”
“Why would I want to swim for fun ?”
“To swim with me, you ungrateful hedgehog.”
Oh.
“Very well,” I said eventually. “But the shirt stays on.”
“Ok.” I could see with the corner of my eye a huge smile forming on his face. “Then let's start with the basics to make you less afraid of water. You’re gonna lie down on your back.”
“Excuse me?”
And although I was hoping he would elaborate more before moving to action, in a split second he loosened my grip on his neck and made me, quite literally, lie down on the water.
“Jinko, are you out of your f*cking…?!”
He shut me up with a quick kiss on my lips. His grin was reaching his eyes, and I could still feel his firm grip on my arms, which was enough to make me temporarily stop spiraling into anxiety.
“Trust me a little, ferret.”
Now I was staring down straight into the ocean’s abyss, which at this moment was much less inviting than at that sunny day. Even after the lessons with Jinko, I would still feel uneasy staying far away from land, and the sea or the ocean were particularly unsettling, with their waves usually more unpredictable than life itself.
I took a deep breath. Focus.
Thanks to Higuchi I had in my bag a pair of binoculars, so I was able to take a look at the ship in front of us. Some people were strolling on the deck but no sign of f*ckuchi. Although I didn’t have a lot of time to do research on him before coming here, Ango had given me all the information he possessed about the man before I was sent to Sky Casino, therefore I knew that even a pin in his hand might turn out to be deadly in the end. I could definitely appreciate the power of his ability and recognize that he was no ordinary foe.
I put down the binoculars and glanced at my hand - was it sweaty? The weather was suitable for summer, no doubt about it, but it wasn’t hot enough for my body to try and cool me down. Was I nervous? That wouldn’t make sense - after all, I had faced many enemies before and a great number of them were possibly as dangerous as f*ckuchi. Perhaps my body anticipating something that my mind hadn’t yet caught up to?
Playing chicken, aren’t we, Akutagawa-kun?
Shut up, I thought and jumped off the upper deck to have a better angle of the rear part of the other boat. I took a look again, ignoring the goosebumps biting the back of my neck. For a moment I still couldn’t see anyone, but then something flew before my eyes.
White hair.
I adjusted the lens to be sure, but I knew it was him even before my eyes could verify it.
Jinko .
I knew I should focus on finding f*ckuchi, but I just couldn’t take my eyes off of him. He was leaning over the railing, saying something over the shoulder to the person that was most likely the Agency’s detective. Although he definitely was trying to seem as though he was calm, I knew his body language too well to ignore the fingers tracing the barrier back and forth and I bet all my coats on him humming some irritating tune right now. Maybe his body knew something was about to unravel just like my body did.
After a moment he turned around and I could finally see his face. God, his face. Even if I didn’t see every tiny detail through the binoculars, I had no problem filling them out with the help of my own memory. Only at this moment had I realized just how much I really missed him. No matter the betrayal, no matter the distance between us. At that moment it all didn’t matter, the only thing left in my mind was the burning desire to wrap my arms around him and bury my face in his neck.
Yet my momentary bliss was soon interrupted by no other than f*ckuchi himself. At first I was sure he was gonna attack Jinko and the detective, but then I realized they all seemed to have a friendly chat with each other. Was it possible that the Agency wasn’t aware of his identity? Or was my information indeed nothing but a bag of lies?
I didn’t have to wait long for the answer. A couple of minutes later something started stirring, the detective vanished into thin air and there was only Jinko and f*ckuchi on the deck, now both staring at each other intensely, one with calmness, one with utter bewilderment and fear.
Once again I have to save your ass, Jinko.
Not that I mind.
I threw the binoculars on the ground, went over the ship’s barrier and - praying that I haven’t forgotten our swimming lessons - I jumped straight into the water.
