"Everyone is lonely.
"Everyone is empty.
"Nobody has the need of others anymore.
"There will always be a spare for any talent.
"Any relationship can be replaced…"
"I had gotten bored… of a world like that."
He feels a surge of pain coming from inside of his head. He feels even more painful sensation generating from his stomach. It is when he finally opens his eyes groggily, that he concludes that his whole body is in pain.
The young man's brain still cannot decipher what kind of state he is in at the moment. The beautiful golden orbs of his can only stare at the dark brown ceiling made of polished mahogany. He knows this won't be the smartest remark of his, but he is pretty sure the wood used for the ceiling can't be more expensive than the one used for one of his accomplices' sky-high ceilings.
"You woke up already?" a soft, yet somewhat cold voice is heard from across of him.
The golden-eyed young man turns his eyes toward the speaker and finds a medium-built young man, probably about the same age as him, whose hair is jet black—a figure he has been obsessing over these past few months. It's not the kind of obsession one would have toward someone they love, but a perverse, twisted obsession, where he would gladly put this young man inside an Iron Maiden as he would serve him the best thing in the world in a silver platter.
"Kōgami…" the young man, whose name is Shōgo Makishima, smirks thinly as he finally completes the pieces that have fallen apart due to his being unconscious. "Despite the state I'm in right now, I've tried my best to come up with a reason why I'm still breathing…, to no avail, unfortunately…"
"We're going overseas. That's all I'm willing to tell you," without even sparing a glance toward his archenemy, Kōgami flips another page of Swann's Way, a novel by Marcel Proust, which has already been translated into Japanese.
Makishima draws another smile on his face as he slowly sits himself on the narrow and uncomfortable bed, not to mention the curious dusty yellow color of the sheets. But how hygienic the bed he is sleeping in right now doesn't even make it into his mind, as the silver-haired young man once again takes a good look at the ex-enforcer across from him.
"Why?" he whispers.
"Why?" Kōgami echoes in an insulting manner, before he bursts out a sarcastic laugh, and continues reading.
Makishima can feel his eyebrow twitches to Kōgami's mockery. When he tries to stand up, he feels a really painful sting coming from his stomach, from the wound Kōgami inflicted with his blade. When his hand instinctively touches the wound, Makishima blinks in surprise as he finds out that his body is already covered neatly in bandages.
'You…' he glares at Kōgami who is still reading the book intently, paying no attention to him. '…Why didn't you?' the silver-haired young man walks slowly toward the center of the room, where there is a short, square-shaped table with a sparsely filled white ashtray placed on it. Looking at the ashtray, Makishima assumes that the ship has sailed not long ago.
'Now, is how to get me back to—'
"If you're thinking of going back to Japan, better scrap the idea right here, right now," Kōgami cuts him off, without even have to hear Makishima say the words out loud. The black-haired young man puts the book carefully on the table so that he can continue reading it later, before standing up.
"You're gonna stay within my watch," Kōgami narrows his eyes. "Forever."
"…You know how laughable your idea sounds, don't you?" Makishima smirks.
"No, I believe we understand each other very well, despite everything," Kōgami replies. He walks closer toward Makishima until he stops right in front of the golden-eyed young man. Those glinting grey eyes look deeply into the golden ones in pure hatred, before the owner's hand lands on Makishima's hair, tangling his rough fingers between the silver strands.
"I'm gonna lock you up. With a thousand handcuffs and chains, if I feel like it. But you, are not going anywhere," he whispers as he pulls the paler young man's head close until their foreheads rub against each other. "Anywhere."
Kōgami then pulls Makishima's skinny arm roughly and drags him back into the lower bunk bed, throwing his svelte body unceremoniously. As if tossing the latter's wounded body like an object isn't enough, the ex-enforcer proceeds on taking a pair of handcuffs from inside of the pocket of his pants and secures Makishima's hands on the wooden headboard of the bed.
Makishima cringes as he listens to the clicking sound that marks the end of his freedom.
[Welcome to the United States of America. Honored passengers, please proceed to the designated exits and see to immigration matters before taking your luggage. Thank you for using our services. We hope to service you again soon.]
Kōgami is still buried deep inside his dreams when a soft voice people would normally love to hear—which he finds very enraging—calls his name.
"Kōgami, we're here," Makishima smiles mockingly. "Of all countries, I wonder why you are taking me to the US… Wouldn't it be wiser for you to bring me to a country which language I don't understand?"
"…That wouldn't be a problem as long as I keep you chained," Kōgami replies with his hoarse voice before he steps down from the top bed. "And if your mouth can't shut up, I can always gag you."
Makishima smiles despite the threat. "Don't you have a slightest fear of getting caught by the SIByL System that you're here with me?"
"If you think you can shake my determination with your words, then you must be far less intelligent that I've thought," Kōgami answers without falter as he opens the handcuffs and covers Makishima's body with his jacket.
He stares at the pale young man for a good few seconds, before concluding that someone will definitely find out the hideous blood stain on Makishima's pants. The black-haired young man walks toward his big backpack and pulls out a pair of trousers, before throwing it to Makishima.
"Go change," he orders curtly.
Makishima snorts in amusement. "Don't stare so much, Kōgami."
"If I let my eyes off of you for a second you might choke me with those trousers. God knows how opportunist you're." Kōgami answers coldly as he keeps watching as Makishima undoes his pants, pulling it down slowly, showing the smooth and pale thighs in the process.
"I beg to differ," Makishima replies without letting his smile fade even for a second. He spreads Kōgami's jet black trousers and puts in his feet into the holes. "Why don't we come to terms that both of us condemn the SIByL System?"
"Hating the system doesn't mean you have to kill people!" Kōgami finally snaps. He still can't find the logic behind Makishima's actions, as much as he understands the young man. Treating humans' lives as if they are play toys!? Many people have died right before his eyes—it would be far easier for him to pull the trigger, shoot this young man right on his forehead, and get over with it, but to think he had to settle with this young man still breathing and smirking contently like that!?
When Makishima stops trying to put on the trousers, Kōgami walks briskly toward him and pulls his arm in anger, before pulling up the trousers and secures the zippers without saying another word.
Kōgami glares at Makishima, right in the eyes, staring at those beautiful, marble-like golden eyes which look anything but delectable to him. His grey eyes pierce through deeply, full of killing intent. Despite the threatening glare, Makishima confidently glares back at him, spreading his unwavering smile, as if accepting the challenge.
It's Kōgami who shifts his eyes first before pulling the collar of his jacket that Makishima is wearing. He extends his arm to grab his backpack, and drags his lifetime archenemy out of the room with him.