AN: Edited by the fantastic prettyinpinkgal.

... You might remember me saying that this story would probably contain my most IC portrayal of Masumi? If you do, then erase this blatant lie from your memory.

When I wasn't looking, this story turned into a bit of a metaphysical affair. It's more like, "This is what the characters could have been like at this point in time and under these circumstances" than anything else.

Also, I think I might've made the moral of this story, "Adults suck". This was not my intention.


Chapter TwoBlackmail

Two days after Tsukikage'd cornered Masumi at the Actors Award ceremony, said man invited her to speak with him at Daito Art Production's headquarters. She was received in the lobby by his secretary, Mizuki, who escorted her to one of the lavish waiting rooms. Masumi smiled at her as she entered, his voice smooth and impersonal as he said:

"I'm so glad you could come on such short notice, Tsukikage. Please, have a seat."

Tsukikage took Masumi up on his offer, sitting down on the plush sofa he'd gestured at.

"I was surprised at your early summons," Tsukikage told him, smoothing down the skirt of her dress. "I thought you'd spend at least a week trying to come up with some underhanded strategy."

"Nonsense," Masumi said, courteously pouring up a cup of tea for Tsukikage before he sat down on a chair opposite her. "It'd be a waste of time to think up strategies to counterattack a fictional claim. Besides, I had you to think of. After all, 'if it were done, when 'tis done, then twere well it were done quickly'."

Tsukikage ignored his slight, saying:

"But I'm even more surprised by the fact that you found it in yourself to get a confidante," she nodded at Mizuki. "Tell me, what threat did he use to ensure your silence?"

Mizuki started at the address, but Masumi spoke before she could attempt to answer it:

"If she ever betrays me, I'll make sure she ends up alone and penniless. Now, while I'm sure it makes you feel very clever to point out all of my glaringly obvious faults, I'd like to get this farce over with as fast as possible. Mizuki, check book."

His secretary took out a pen and a check book from seemingly nowhere, handing them to her boss before she returned to her post by his chair.

"This isn't an admission," Masumi said as he filled in the check, "of anything but my belief that you will go to any length to cause me inconvenience, even if you're forced to use your protégée as a weapon to accomplish it. Here," he ripped out the check and presented it to Tsukikage, "take this, buy yourself a little theatre and leave me be."

Tsukikage's eyebrows rose as she read the sum Masumi was prepared to give her. "Your peace of mind is worth this much to you?"

"My time is worth this much to me. I don't mind rumours, but if someone were to accuse me of trying to romance a minor, I would have to address the charges."

"Makes sense," Tsukikage admitted, before tearing the check up into confetti. "But really," she strew the torn paper onto the floor, "you didn't think that this was going to be about money, did you?"

"... No. But hope springs eternal. However," Masumi lit a cigarette, "if money won't appease you, then I'll have to ask you on what grounds you're accusing me of being interested in your student. I'm not prepared to humour you if it'll take some actual effort on my part. But then again," he smirked, "maybe I shouldn't bother asking for proof, as I know you have none."

"It's true that I don't have anything conclusive," Tsukikage said, plopping a lemon slice into her tea, "as this is, naturally, a one-sided attraction. But I do know that you want Maya," her lips pursed in distaste, "and that is enough."

"That's all?" Masumi laughed, shaking his head. "You come in here with the most ludicrous accusation I've ever encountered, and you think you can get away with it just because 'you know'? Get out; I don't want to waste any more of my time listening to idiocy."

Tsukikage remained calm in the face of Masumi's reprimand, stirring her tea serenely. "It's in your best interest to hear what I have to say. I don't have any tangible evidence, but I have logic on my side. You see," she blew on her tea before taking a sip, "you're a shrewd opportunist, Masumi. You only act in a manner that's beneficial, and you never waste your time with emotions that will amount into nothing."

Masumi sighed, slumping back into his chair. "Again: I've got better things to do than to hear you point out flaws I make no effort to hide. Skip the dramatic exposition and get to the point."

"Very well," Tsukikage said, miffed that her pacing had been disrupted. "I'll be blunt: if you only do what's profitable, you've no reason to look at Maya with adoration, as it would only serve to disgust her and put you in an awkward position. Yet that's exactly what you, the Demon of Daito, did: you looked at her with affection."

Masumi's face lost all hint of expression. After a moment, he spoke:

"So that's what you're basing your accusations on: I smiled at Kitajima for no particular reason?"

"For a man who never lets his guard down," Tsukikage said, "that's more than enough."

"Do you have any evidence of this supposed smile? A photograph, perhaps?"

"It only lasted for a second. I hardly had time to react to it, let alone take a picture of it."

"So the only proof you prepared against me is the biased eyewitness account of a bitter woman who hates me?"

"I'm hardly biased. Do you think I want you to look at Maya like that? It sickens me."

Masumi rose from his seat, taking the cigarette from his mouth. He leaned over the coffee table, putting down his palms on it, his voice steady and cold as he told Tsukikage:

"The only reason as to why I accepted this meeting was because I felt sorry for you. This is obviously some bizarre attempt to get back at me, and I will not pretend that I haven't deserved it. But that you'd come in here, spout a bunch of nonsense and then expect me to swallow it without a single shred of evidence to support it is not only asinine; it's insulting."

He pushed himself upright, and took a drag from his cigarette before he said:

"Get out. I've nothing to fear from you, other than having any more of my time wasted. No one will believe you."

Tsukikage just smiled, dipping a biscuit into her tea. "That's not entirely true. There's one person who I'm certain will believe me."

Masumi was about to ask her to vacate the building again, when he realized who Tsukikage was referring to. He therefore kept quiet, preventing his anxiety from showing by occupying himself with his cigarette.

"Maya hangs onto my every word," Tsukikage declared self-confidently. "I'm the one person who's ever shown any faith in her, and she trusts me absolutely. If I tell her that you're attracted to her, she'll believe me, even if there's no conclusive evidence. Just imagine her expression: how horrified, no, how violated she'd be by the mere notion. A man she hates, a man nearly twice her age, thinks about her like that." She shivered, an expression of utter disgust on her face. "Her skin would crawl at the prospect of even being in the same room as you. Her stomach would turn at your approach, she'd flinch at your tou—"

"Stop."

Though Masumi stood with his back turned to her, Tsukikage could tell by his rigid posture that he'd been disturbed by her narrative. She smiled, rewarding herself with another biscuit while she waited for Masumi's rebuttal.

"I..." Masumi slowly turned, his brow furrowed. "I have no wish to further alienate a Crimson Goddess candidate. I don't want to decrease my chances of getting the rights to your play any more than I already have."

"You don't need to worry about that. Daito has never been anything but the very last resort. Nothing will change that. Besides, being the charitable girl that she is, she'd probably even feel sorry for you. Surely, that would only be beneficial for you, if you truly don't care about her opinion one way or the other?"

Masumi didn't answer her question, unconsciously biting down on the filter of his cigarette. He'd hoped that he'd be able to negate Tsukikage's claims with either money or logic, but saw the elderly actress would settle for nothing less than complete surrender.

"... It's extremely annoying," he said, grinding out his cigarette in an ashtray, "that you'd be able to inconvenience me so much with such flimsy evidence. But it's downright intolerable," he sat down again, propping his foot up on his knee, "that I'm forced to let you do so."

"Then you admit your crime?" Tsukikage inquired.

"I do not," Masumi growled, "and I never will, as I don't make it a habit to lie for the benefit of my enemies. You're free to demonize me, but don't expect me to accommodate your base fantasies. All I've ever felt for your student was pity and amusement. As she's completely harmless and can cause me no pain, I unwisely allowed myself to enjoy her company. A side effect of this carelessness is that I don't want her to view me as a criminal. So yes, I'll go along with your melodramatic revenge, but only until I've cured myself of this weakness. Once it's gone, my charity will come to an end. Is that clear?"

"That's fine," Tsukikage said, not the least bit impressed. "I'll only be in need of your 'charity' for a short while. But now that we've got your disturbances sorted out, I have a contract I'd like you to sign."

She took out a piece of paper from a leather purse by her side.

"I wrote it up before the Actor's Award ceremony," she said, smiling. "It is, more or less, a strict code of conduct that you're to follow to the letter when you're in Maya's presence. Shall I read it to you?"

Before Masumi could say, "I'd rather you didn't", Tsukikage began her reiteration:

"You're not to touch her under any circumstances. You're not to speak to her unless you have something useful to divulge or if she addresses you. Do you understand?"

"... Perfectly."

"Good; then I can make my next demand: I want to hand over Maya to Daito."

Masumi had resigned himself remain passive at Tsukikage's demands in an effort to conserve his energy and calm down, but he couldn't help but react to that:

"I'm... I'm sorry?" He caught himself, replacing his surprised gape with a smirk. "You would give your student to Daito, despite your appalling view of me? You have a cold heart."

"I'm doing this for her benefit. She needs more than I alone can offer her: connections, space to practise, publicity. Thanks to you, I no longer have any influence or capital. It's only right that you should make up for the damage you've caused, right?"

"I've always been bored by ethical discussions," Masumi said drily. "Leave them out and just tell me the facts: what are the terms of this employment?"

"Pragmatic to the last, I see. Good for you. The first condition is that you're not to be alone with her under any circumstances."

"Easily arranged. Next."

"I'm to attend the contract signing, and you're not to make any major decisions about her career without receiving my permission."

"I can agree to the first condition, but you'll have to give a clearer definition of the second. What is considered to be a 'major decision'?"

"I want authority over what roles she accepts and what ad campaigns she takes part in. Is that clear enough?"

"It's clear in definition, but not in intent. I understand why you would want control over her theatrical career, but publicity has never been your strong suit. Why should you want dominion over that?"

"Because I don't want you to turn her into a gimmick. She's an actress, and not a product; I refuse to let you market her as one. Besides," she smirked at Masumi, "if I let you have sole control over any aspect of her career, you might start getting... unfavourable ideas."

Masumi clenched his fist, but didn't rise to the bait:

"It's extremely inconvenient, but very well. I trust that you have enough judgement not to deprive your student of publicity just to make an invalid point about substance over style."

"I suppose that to you, all substance is invalid. The only thing that matters is the surface of things, isn't that so?"

"I wouldn't take it quite that far, but as people often make long term judgements based on their first impression of someone, appearances do count for something."

Tsukikage just looked at him, shaking her head in disbelief. "It really is grotesque that someone like you, someone so hollow, could ever dare to feel anything for Maya. I don't care if your feelings are platonic or not; nothing could ever excuse them. You've caused her so much misery, yet you're still arrogant enough to think that you can have a relationship with her?"

When Masumi didn't respond, Tsukikage just pursed her lips, placing the handwritten contract in front of the vice-president.

"Sign it," she commanded, "and I'll leave. I'll let you take care of the arrangements concerning Maya's entry into Daito's employ."

After looking through the contract and confirming its contents with his own eyes, Masumi signed it with a beautiful flourish.

"I suppose that this contract is purely symbolical," he said, handing it back to Tsukikage. "It's not legally binding, after all."

Tsukikage shrugged, ignoring the hand he held out to her. "I just thought that it would be convenient for you to have a copy of the rules on you at all times, so that you don't accidentally break any of them."

The prospect of having to carry the contract on his person made Masumi nauseous, but he folded it up and tucked it into the inner pocket of his suit jacket without objection.

"And it's done," he said, his tone flavourless. "Congratulations on making such a smooth transition into the criminal world; I'm sure your career as a blackmailer will be long and illustrious."

Tsukikage held her head up high as she slowly rose to her feet.

"Ah," she said, "the sound of a useless dog barking. Do you really think that you, of all people, can make me feel guilty about this? I'm doing this to protect my student from a predator."

Despite the circumstances, Masumi smirked. "Are you sure that's all?"

"... Not entirely, I suppose. Since Daito came into the picture, I've been at a constant disadvantage. If one were to live by your philosophy, isn't it natural to strike at your enemy's weakness without hesitation?"

"Yes," Masumi said, his smile fading, "but it isn't your philosophy."

"You're right. I'd never be able to follow such a petty, small-minded doctrine. This is, as you put it, 'a melodramatic revenge'. Did you really think that you could hurt so many people, for so little reason, without it coming back to haunt you? That just because you've got power and money, you can do whatever you please, without having to care about the consequences?"

She stared down at Masumi with intense contempt and said:

"You really are just like your father, down to the last detail."

As she turned away from him immediately after her delivery, she didn't catch the way his eyes widened or how the colour drained from his face.

"Well," Tsukikage said, "I've no reason to stay and every reason to leave, as a pitiful man once said."

She strode towards the door, confident that she wouldn't be called back, when Masumi did just that:

"Wait a minute. I have something to ask you."

While peeved that her dramatic exit had been interrupted, Tsukikage faced him. "Go ahead."

She noted that while his complexion was pale, his voice was as controlled as ever:

"As you're giving your student to me because you haven't the means to support her, I'm guessing the same goes for you. You've a heart condition and you've worked exclusively with theatre all your life; the job market isn't exactly jumping to its feet to accommodate you."

"Where's this going?"

"Simply to this: do you want a job?" When he saw that Tsukikage was too surprised to answer him, he continued, "My father has an acting studio where only the elite can come to study. As its curriculum is just as challenging for the teachers as it is for the students, the studio has suffered from a lack of staff for some time now. I'm sure he'd rejoice at hearing that I've not only managed to find a teacher, but that the teacher is none other than Chigusa Tsukikage."

Tsukikage stared at Masumi, but betrayed no emotions as she said:

"After what just happened, you're offering me a job?"

"Unlike some," he leaned back in his chair, braiding his finger together over his stomach, "I keep my professional and personal grudges separate. My father needs a teacher; you're a good teacher. The fact that you're blackmailing me has nothing to do with it. You'll still do your job properly, should you choose to accept the position, and my father will be happy, so why should I let my feelings interfere? Didn't you follow the same logic when you decided to give your student to Daito? You hate us, me especially, but as you trust that we will make her into a great actress, you went against your own unprofitable emotions in order to procure the best results."

Tsukikage's mask slipped at that, and there was heat in her voice when she said:

"If I hadn't had this advantage over you, I would've never given her to you."

Masumi tilted his head, smirking as he met Tsukikage's eye. "I wonder about that. But no matter," he waved his hand, dismissing the subject, "hypothetical scenarios bore me even more than ethics. What's your answer? Will you continue to be a burden on the few students you have left, or will you decide to become a functioning member of society again?"

Tsukikage took a deep breath, trying to keep her hands from shaking.

"... Yes," she finally said. "I'll do it."

"How kind of you," Masumi said, not the least bit surprised. "Come back here at the same time tomorrow. I'll have everything you need ready by then. Well then," he rose, bowing slightly, "goodbye. Would you like me to call you a cab?"

Without a word or another glance, Tsukikage exited the room.

"I suppose that's a no," Masumi murmured.

He lit another cigarette, taking deep breaths from it as he walked up to the window.

"Sir," Mizuki began, "I'm sorry—"

"Don't speak," Masumi interrupted, leaning against the window frame. "I've a lot to plan for. Unless you've something constructive to say, don't break my concentration."

As Mizuki'd never been taught how to deal with blackmail, she was silent, feeling deeply inadequate as she watched her boss trying to come up with a way to make the best of a horrible situation. Yet at the same time, she was intrigued: how would he deal with Tsukikage? Would he play along with her conditions, or would he fight back?

She would feel shame over her morbid interest in her boss's affair, if she didn't know that he'd rather she find the situation entertaining than pitiful.

Masumi's face was completely emotionless as he stared out the window, his posture relaxed and his body still. It was clear that he was thinking about what to do in an analytical, detached manner, as though he was planning a hostile takeover.

If anyone would be able to erase unfavourable emotions out of necessity, Mizuki thought, strangely fascinated as she stared at her boss, it would be Masumi Hayami.

She'd no idea whether she was favourable to the idea or not.

OXOXO

"Welcome home, Teacher!"

While it was hard to tell with Tsukikage, Rei felt that there was something out of sorts with her mentor. For one, she'd entered their shabby apartment as quietly as a mouse, which was quite unlike her; whatever Tsukikage did, she did with panache.

"I'm home," Tsukikage said, out of breath and pale.

"Is there something wrong?" Rei walked up to Tsukikage, touching her arm. "You look tired."

"It's nothing," Tsukikage said, surprising Rei yet again when she didn't shrug off her touch. "I just stayed out for too long. I'll be fine if I just rest for a bit."

"I'll prepare your futon," Rei said, nearly running to perform the task.

Tsukikage smiled faintly, following her student into their shared bedroom at a much slower pace. Even though she wasn't suffering from any real physical exertion, her body felt heavy, and she settled down onto her futon with a feeling of deep relief.

"There," Rei said, closing the blinds. "Do you want me to wake you in about an hour, in time for dinner?"

"Yes," Tsukikage said, pulling up the covers of the futon, "thank you."

That disconcerted Rei even further; Tsukikage was not one to utter inane niceties, even when they were earned. She made her appreciation known in other, more subtle gestures.

"Sleep well," Rei murmured, her forehead creasing as she slid the door to the bedroom shut behind her.

Tsukikage knew that she'd worried her student, but her meeting with Masumi had unsettled her to the degree that she could barely keep her anger and fear under wrap.

Naturally, she'd expected to feel some unrest; she had, after all, blackmailed someone, using even more morally reprehensible means than what was standard for the practise. But her torment didn't originate from her regret at her own behaviour, but rather at Masumi's.

She'd lashed out at him with every harsh word she could think of, and she knew that each one of them had wounded him. A normal man would've crumbled under the assault, would've lashed back, but not Masumi. He'd just shrugged off the pain, smiled and offered her a job.

How could you make war with a man that could take a shot to the heart with a smile and a "Nice shot"? Had she misread him? Was he just playing along with her accusation in order for Daito to get Maya?

No, she told herself sternly. I know what I saw; there's only one explanation for why he'd look at her like that.

But while she'd properly diagnosed the symptoms, the source of Masumi's disease eluded her. She'd thought he liked Maya because she was easily overwhelmed by charisma but stubborn in her beliefs; she was a challenge that never ceased being amusing. She'd thought he'd want to keep his feelings a secret because he didn't want to lose whatever game he was playing with the young actress.

But if all it had been was a need for domination, he wouldn't have given up so easily. Yet for the life of her, she couldn't figure out what other reason he could have not to want to alert Maya about his feelings.

But I will find out. Tsukikage had finally managed to calm down, still and distant as she thought up a new game plan. If he refuses to tell me, I'll make him tell me. By any means necessary.

Tsukikage supposed she should be worried about how easy it was for her to fall asleep to the thoughts about how to ruin a man. Her moral view didn't differ greatly from Masumi's, however: if they got the job done, why question the means to an end?

OXOXO

There were very few situations that could so much as ruffle Mizuki's cool. This was, in part, why she'd been chosen to serve Masumi, as he had a tendency to attract every category of trouble. She always got things done, no matter what obstacle might appear.

Currently, however, the problem she was trying to solve was a girl bawling like a child, and the obstacle that stood in her way was a traffic jam. The girl in question, Maya, had been crying her eyes out ever since they'd left her former residence in favour of one of Daito's dormitories. She showed no signs of stopping, even though the people in the cars next to them were staring at her.

Dear god, Mizuki thought, sighing impatiently, but she's been at it for fifteen minutes! It should be scientifically impossible for a girl this small to contain that much liquid.

"You're going to get dehydrated if you don't stop crying," she told the bereaved girl, leaning against the car door, deciding that if she was going to be humiliated, she might as well be comfortable.

Maya hiccupped, rubbing her wet eyes with her sleeve, and made an effort to speak:

"Hayami must've—must've done something—bad! Teacher would've never—never—!"

She broke off as another high-pitched sob wracked her small frame. She curled up into a tight ball, rocking back and forth in her seat, shaking with grief. Mizuki just rolled her eyes; a tantrum tends to invoke less pity the longer it goes on.

It's amazing, Mizuki mused, watching Maya wail. Here's a girl who seems to have missed a vital stage in achieving mental maturity, yet there's a war being waged over her.

It was almost comical: a woman who'd do anything to win and a man who prided himself in his coldness were fighting like vicious children over an oblivious girl.

While Tsukikage and Masumi were possibly the most withdrawn people in Japan, never revealing their thoughts or emotions unless it was strictly necessary, Mizuki'd been able to catch a glimpse of their attachment to Maya. She'd no doubt that they both thought of the actress as a pawn in their schemes and cared more about "The Crimson Goddess". But if that was all there was to it, Tsukikage wouldn't have sounded so proud when she'd described her relationship with her protégée, and Masumi wouldn't have been shaking at the prospect of being rejected by her.

Mizuki bit down hard as she thought back to what had transpired between the aged actress and her boss. She couldn't fully understand the depth of their devotion to Maya, nor their hatred for each other, but she knew that if things had been different, they would've gotten on like a house on fire. Ridiculous as it may be to compare a bohemian diva with an unemotional corporate giant, there was something strikingly similar about them. They carried themselves with the same calculated grace, guarded themselves with the same harsh front and made use of the same limited, convoluted logic to justify their actions. It was as though they couldn't—or wouldn't—see past "The Crimson Goddess", and therefore only saw the other as an obstacle that needed to be overcome—at any cost, apparently.

It vexed Mizuki that two otherwise so brilliant people would be so short-sighted. It was... unprofessional.

"Miss Mizuki, are you alright?"

Mizuki snapped out of her thoughts in response to Maya's query. She glanced at the girl, and noted that she was merely between fits; her lip was still trembling, and it was with obvious difficulty that she'd managed to keep her voice steady enough to speak.

"I'm fine," Mizuki assured her, smoothing out her frown. "I was just thinking that this might be the most embarrassing thing I've ever experienced."

Maya blinked, surprised by the secretary's humour. Then, she smiled with genuine mirth, and sheepishly told Mizuki:

"Sorry. I've always been a cry-baby; I can't help it."

"... It's fine," Mizuki said. "You've a lot to take in."

Maya giggled strangely before she put her forehead back onto her knees, new tears springing to her eyes. Mizuki noted, with some bewilderment, that she was making an effort to be quiet in her wallowing.

As much as the feud between Tsukikage and Masumi had preoccupied her, Mizuki felt a sudden surge of sympathy for Maya. She couldn't think of anyone who would want less to do with the cloak-and-dagger routines her mentor and Masumi were currently trying to perfect. A girl who muffled her sobs if she thought they were bothering someone... Did she really deserve to be caught up in this?

I could tell her, Mizuki thought. It would be messy, and I would certainly be fired, but at least it would force them into a ceasefire before they can do any more damage.

Mizuki could've told Maya all about the blackmail, but she didn't. It wasn't because Masumi would see her ruined if she did; she had contacts overseas that she was sure even he couldn't influence, so there was no chance of her ending up in "impoverished obscurity". Deep down, she felt that this was between Tsukikage and Masumi, and that her interference would be... unsportsmanlike. Even deeper, she felt that it would be a shame to put a stop to such an interesting game, no matter how destructive and counterproductive it was.

Another reason as to why Mizuki'd been hired to serve Masumi was because they had compatible views on morality, namely that it was a good topic to discuss philosophically, but had little foothold in the real world. If what it took to uphold the reputation of Daito and its vice-president was the tears of a girl who probably blubbered at spilt milk, so be it.

This determination wavered, however, as Maya was still crying when she was installed in her new dorm room. Mizuki could deal with a lot of things, but crying fits that mocked the laws of physics wasn't one of them.

Is that girl a camel, or what? Mizuki thought as she was driven to Daito's headquarters, grinding her teeth. That's it; I've already gone far beyond what my duty requires when I became Mr Hayami's confidante. If he and Miss Tsukikage are so keen on traumatizing teenage girls, then let them deal with the fallout.

Normally, Mizuki wouldn't have cared about being forced to escort a grief-stricken girl from point A to point B, even if it wasn't in her job description. But when said duty made her chest constrict with what she considered to be undeserved guilt, she felt that enough was enough.

She entered Masumi's office with the intention of telling him just that, though in a subtler fashion. One look at her boss's face, however, made it clear that any such approach, no matter how discreet, wouldn't be well received.

Ever since his meeting with Tsukikage, his expression had retained a distant quality. On the occasions when he wasn't required to communicate with anyone, he lived solely in his head. He ate when prompted, and had even begun to schedule when to smoke, so that his thoughts wouldn't be sidetracked by the need for nicotine.

He looked up from his work, emotions slowly seeping into his face as he greeted her:

"Evening, Mizuki. How did Miss Kitajima take the news of her transfer?"

"She cried like a sick, abandoned puppy all the way to the dorm," Mizuki answered, immediately busying herself with organizing the mess of reports on Masumi's desk. "She's probably still crying."

"I figured she would," Masumi murmured, rising from his chair. "She's co-dependent and she lacks self-control—a winning combination."

Mizuki put the dossiers down mid sorting. The bitter undercurrent in her boss's voice informed her that he required her undivided attention.

Masumi sat down on his desk next to her. "I've given my situation a lot of thought. The most ideal solution would be to force Tsukikage into a situation so disadvantageous that she'll be forced to give up on blackmailing me but still leave Maya in our care."

"You've come up with a way to do that?"

Masumi smiled faintly, shaking his head. "All that matters to Tsukikage is 'The Crimson Goddess'. She's risked her life for it countless of times; nothing I could do will make her give up on it. Bribery, intimidation, sheer force... It'll all lead to the same unprofitable end."

"Then you intend to let Tsukikage get away with this?"

Masumi's smile widened into something unpleasant. "And exactly what is she 'getting away with'? She's given Maya to us, and all it took was agreeing to a few frivolous demands. If she needs to threaten us to feel secure about her position, then why not go along with it?"

"Sir," Mizuki said, her tone strained, "she's blackmailing you. That's hardly frivolous, nor is it something you should accept."

"I can't do anything about it right now," Masumi said, shrugging casually. "It would be counterproductive. I have no choice but to accept the situation as is and adapt to it."

"No matter what you've done, sir, she's no right to do this."

"Of course she has. If I were in her position, I would've done the same thing. Naturally, I would've done a far better job of it, and demanded a far higher price for my silence, but she's just a beginner. Give her time, though."

Mizuki could hardly recognize the man in front of her as Masumi Hayami. His sharp, morbidly amused smile, coupled with his self-deprecating speech, went against everything she knew about him.

"Sir," she said, "as impressive as your objectivity is, this isn't just about you and Tsukikage. You're Daito's representative. If it ever became known that you're being blackmailed, and why, our reputation would sustain heavy damage."

"As I'm known to most as 'Daito's Demonic Sociopath'," Masumi replied loftily, "I'm not sure if we have a reputation left to slander."

"All the more reason to be careful not to lose the little integrity we have left."

"That's a sound argument, I suppose. 'Daito's Demonic Paedophile' has a nasty ring to it."

Masumi became abstracted once more, his face blank as he pushed himself up off of the desk and began pacing about.

"I apologize for my thoughtless behaviour," he told Mizuki. "I had no right to be so unguarded as to attach myself to Kitajima."

"You don't need to apologize, sir. You've never done anything truly indiscriminate towards her, nor do I think you ever intended to. Besides, Maya's very easy to sympathize with."

Masumi stopped his pacing, touching his forehead, his morbid grin making a brief reappearance.

"And that's where I faulted," he said. "I felt sympathy." He shook his head, murmuring, "I indulged in it."

"Sir?"

"I am very aware of what my position asks of me. I've been raised to deal with it: the pressure, the isolation, being hated, censoring myself. It doesn't bother me. But seeing her..."

He broke off, closing his eyes. When he continued, he sounded as if he was about as emotionally invested in the conversation as he would be about a lunch order:

"Kitajima is in the opposite position: she answers to no one but herself, she's surrounded by likeminded peers who love her and she's free to speak her mind. I don't envy her, but speaking to her, seeing how open and unthinking she was... It was... refreshing."

Masumi put his hand in his pocket, tilting his head. "I guess I was more tired than I thought," he remarked. He straightened up, and continued, "But life is nothing more than trial-and-error. I've caught my mistake, so all that's left to do is to rectify it and then never repeat it."

"Then... you intend to what you told Tsukikage you would: to divorce yourself from your feelings for Maya?"

"Of course. It's the best possible option. The only option. If I systematically rid myself of whatever attachment I had to her, not only will Tsukikage lose her hold on me, but I will be a better man for it. The ability to cut genuine emotional ties as though they were just pieces of strings... It's a very useful skill. I needed to develop it at some point or another; it's fortunate that I got the chance to do so when I was merely being threatened by an old woman and a child."

It was in the manner that Masumi spoke, as though he really meant every word, that made Mizuki's mouth go dry. For the first time, she could truly understand why he was called a demon, even by those who were closest to him. He lacked something that was integral to being human: a core self. He threw away character traits, mannerisms, feelings and thoughts without hesitation, and adopted whatever personality that best suited the occasion.

She was as horrified as she was impressed when she spoke:

"You seem to be taking this rather well, sir."

Masumi gave her a stiff, mechanical smile. "I've always been an adamant optimist."

There was something incredibly wrong with the world, Mizuki decided, as that statement was uttered with complete sincerity.


AN: Yeah, I know: it's all very weird. But seriously, how awesome are Tsukikage and Masumi together? They're both top-notch crazy bastards on their own, but when they combine, they become, "The Magnificent Bastards". I had an insane urge to write an AU where they're the main characters and, I don't know, fight crime or something. (Don't worry; I got over it rather quickly).

Thanks for reading, darlings!