weak points / FOUR
Hikari's shoes scuffed against the sidewalk, glancing sideways. "So, this is normal?"
Tom stood in a position that mirrored hers, back against the wall and hands in his pocket. "Yeah," he answered calmly, "Normal as you can get."
Her eyes wandered from his figure to the door between them. It hung slightly ajar, a few dull thuds echoing out from within. Shizuo's fist connecting with the client, probably. Hikari's knowledge on the matter was vague at best, as Tom and Shizuo seemed determined to keep it. She didn't mind, so long as it kept her from her apartment and the man waiting there for her.
They had been kinder to her than she probably would have been if she were in their positions. For once, she smiled a soft, genuine smile.
Something crashed against the ground, shattered. Hikari glanced up and towards the door once more. Ikebukuro was full of strange things, and she was slowly coming to accept them all with the kind of nonchalance that came from familiarity.
The day had passed mostly without incident. Hikari hung back when Tom went to meet his clients, Shizuo standing somewhere in between. She had noticed the eye he kept trained on her, as if he didn't trust her to stay and stand. It was simple enough, even somewhat entertaining in the moments she caught Shizuo staring; she would laugh at him, and he would pretend not to hear. Lunch and come and gone, with Hikari buying for both Tom and Shizuo. She didn't mind, having the money to spare.
"Step back from the door a little." Tom suggested suddenly.
Hikari nodded and moved along the wall. The arches of her feet ached from walking in heels all day, though she'd never admit it. Distracted, eyes down to the floor, Hikari didn't notice the door move until the sound of it reached her ears – a dull thud, followed by a louder crash.
Her fingers were still pushing back her hair, stopped behind her ear, when a heavy something came tumbling out of the apartment and slammed into the wall opposite. The door, swinging open with violent force, missed Tom by a few inches.
Hikari stared, wide-eyed, at the man collapsed on the floor. Something told her this was not even Shizuo Heiwajima's full potential.
Tom watched her from across the hall, not wanting to step forward and get caught in the crossfire. "Scared?" he asked her, expression curious.
Hikari looked from him, the man on the floor, and then towards the open door way. Shizuo's footsteps preluded his appearance in the frame.
She caught Shizuo's gaze for a short second. "Not really." Hikari answered honestly. Shizuo could only ever be guilty of amazing strength and a lack of control. She had met people with worse shortcomings, and that included herself. At least Shizuo's good intentions were genuine, rather than an act.
The man in question stood and stared. He looked aloof, though it was hard to tell when he wore such dark sunglasses. Hikari felt a sense of relief, removed from the concerns she should have had, that at least he hadn't broken his new pair in the altercation. Those glasses had been expensive, and the money had been forked from her own purse.
"…Maybe I overdid it." Shizuo muttered, head tilted in consideration.
The man on the floor, the client he had only meant to shake up, had a split lip and bloody nose. Give it a few minutes to show, and he'd probably be bruised black and blue as well. Hikari conceded that his bones weren't broken and he was still conscious, which probably meant Shizuo had been holding back.
Tom, off to the side, sighed heavily. "Do you want to go wait outside while I finish this up?" he asked them, looking more at Hikari than anyone else.
She was caught a little off guard, confused. Shizuo understood the look better and took the lead, walking past. "Come on, Shibata." He said, glancing back at her.
Hikari tore her eyes away from Tom, the battered man on the hallway floor, and turned to trail after Shizuo. Her gaze stuck to his back, the way his clothes bunched at his hips as he moved, the shirt stretching over broad shoulders as he rolled his arm and stretched. Still worked up, she guessed.
When they reached the door, Shizuo pushed it open and Hikari caught it as she following him through. The evening air rushed over her, cool fingers against her skin. It was refreshing, leaving Hikari wide awake and more alert than ever.
Her mind turned over itself, processing what had just happened, before she turned sharply to Shizuo. He noticed the action in his peripheral vision and mirrored her actions.
Something in his gaze persuaded him to stand still when she reached forward, while caution kept him even stiller as she took his hand in hers. Her fingers grazed his knuckles and lifted his arm to her eye level. "Does it hurt?"
"Huh?"
Hikari indicated to his hand with a frown, wondering at the absence of bruises. "Does it hurt?" she repeated.
"Oh. No, it doesn't."
"Strange…Using so much force, yet you don't even have a bruise on you from the impact."
Shizuo raised an eyebrow. "What would you know about things like that?"
She averted her eyes from his. "Ryuji," she explained, dropping his hand, "He wasn't involved in the most reputable of businesses, so I picked up on a few things about fights."
Shizuo had been suspicious of a lie, despite knowing her words to be true. He could confirm what she said from his own knowledge of the man. He was tempted to push it, but the thought of Ryuji's recent death led him to reply with a shrug only. The pain was still too fresh, he decided.
"I've heard you can tear street signs out of the ground." Hikari mentioned idly. She stepped sideways to avoid the crowd on the street, her shoulder now brushing up against his.
"Where'd you hear that?"
"Somewhere, doesn't matter – But is it true?"
Shizuo glanced down at his hand, stretching his fingers out before him. "Yeah." He almost wished it was a lie.
Her laughter reached his ears over the din. Startled by it, he turned to stare down at her with incredulity. She smiled up at him, admitting, "You really are amazing, you know."
Shizuo wasn't sure how to respond to something like that. He would've known if it was simply an insult, something he was very familiar with. Yet when others called him monster, she called him amazing. He wasn't sure how to feel about something like that, and luckily he never had to figure it out.
Tom came walking out of the apartment complex before another single word passed between them.
"Is there anyone else?" Shizuo asked him to divert Hikari's attention.
Tom shook his head. "That was the last client for today, so I'm going to head home now, as well. I have my own business to take care of," Tom continued, shooting Shizuo a meaningful look, "You should take care of Hikari."
"I'd be fine on my own." Hikari argued, though she knew she'd more than likely also be a little lost.
"All the same." The dark haired man decided, smiling firmly. It was the smarter choice, and they did live in the same building, so he doubted Hikari would dismiss his sensibility.
Before either of them could argue with him, Tom had left them with a short, conclusive nod. He turned and disappeared amongst the crowd, hands pushed into his pockets and elbows out.
She felt Shizuo's presence beside her shoulder, casting a shadow over half her face. "Let's go."
"What?"
"We'll be walking in the same direction anyway." Shizuo explained, shrugging as Hikari stared up at him.
Her gaze faltered, dropping to the pavement. "I guess." She agreed half-heartedly.
Shizuo took it as a surrender, stepping around her and walking on ahead. He could feel the weight of her attention, studying his gaze, and he found himself walking more stiffly than usual. Throwing his shoulders back, standing straighter; Hikari couldn't help but laugh at him.
He scowled at the sound, sending her a sharp look over his shoulder. "Hurry up." Shizuo commanded.
"Coming!" She exclaimed, annoyed at being so easily ordered about. Her heels tapped against the footpath as she took small, hasty steps to match Shizuo's longer strides.
She reached his side and stuck close by. Being about a head taller than most of the crowd, Shizuo cut an easy path through the streets. It was easiest to follow in his wake, holding her tongue and focusing on sticking close. Hikari really wasn't sure if there was anything appropriate to say in this situation. Her mind faltered for conversation, having exhausted her store of ideas early in the day.
"Shibata."
Startled, both for the suddenness and for Shizuo initiating the conversation, Hikari stammered her answer, "Y-yeah?"
"You don't mind taking a short cut back to the building, right?"
"Short cut? Why would I…?" she shook off her confusion, instead saying, "No, I don't mind. Where is it?"
His shoulders angled towards the left, a warning of his movements as he said, "Here."
He turned down the alley so suddenly Hikari almost walked right past. She caught herself at the last second, spinning on her heel, and chased Shizuo down the dark alley. Her nose wrinkled at the stench, hunching her shoulders as the brick walls towered high and narrow over her head. It was strange how quickly they could leave behind the twinkling lights of the entertainment district.
"Can I ask you a question now, then?" Hikari asked.
"You just did." Shizuo pointed out dryly.
"Smartass."
"What?"
"Nothing!" Hikari smiled innocently at him when he glanced back, "I just wanted to know if anyone around our area would be interested in hiring."
"...Don't you already have a job?" Shizuo wondered, thinking back to the magazine with her face on it.
"I'm on leave, remember? Just need something to pass the time right now."
It was a fair enough explanation. He hadn't seen Hikari do much more than stay in her apartment and wander the city, nothing all that exciting.
"There's the flower shop across the road." Shizuo suggested, with no other answer coming to mind.
"That could work – you know who owns it?"
He frowned, struggling to recall the name. "Old Lady Oriku."
"That would be rude to show up and call her Old Lady." Hikari quipped.
"Then just call her Oriku."
"Oh, sage advice." Hikari muttered sarcastically, not bothering to keep her voice down.
"You should shut up," he muttered offhandedly, "I really don't feel like hitting anyone else today."
She eyed him dryly, sceptical of the threat in his words. "Then don't." she suggested bluntly, as though it were that simple for him.
They reached the end of the alley at last, the street widening as she followed Shizuo's left turn and walked up to his side. Hikari was pushed closer to his side by the crowd. Her shoulder brushed against his arm, butterfly wings against a cotton flower, but he felt it all the same and stared down at her.
"I'm not always in control of how much strength I use." He explained, jumping from half-hearted threats to blunt fact-stating in a moment.
"Really? Well then," Hikari sounded no different than normal, and for that reason, her question was all the more unnerving, "Have you ever killed anyone before?"
He could feel his grip tighten, curling in on itself as he wished for a smoke to ease his irritation. "No."
"Oh." She sighed. He wondered if he had heard that right – Hikari almost sounded disappointed.
As if his mood was attuned to hers, his feelings flitted from place to place. She drifted between politeness and rudeness with little thought to how opposite they were as extremes. Trying to filter through her smiles and good manners was like submerging himself in deep water, searching for the true meaning of her words. Insincerity annoyed him; so he knew, as he began to relax around her once more, that this time she was speaking her honest opinion, odd as it was for her to be disappointed by his answer.
Shizuo was saved from the conversation as their apartment building came into sight. No longer fishing about for a topic, he instead simply announced as they drew level, "We're here."
"At last. My feet hurt from all this walking."
"It's not that much work." Shizuo defended.
Hikari crossed the path in front of him, glancing back with glittering emerald eyes. "I'm wearing heels, though - and before you say anything, I know they're the devil's invention, but they make my legs look good so..." Hikari trailed off rhetorically, distracted by the task of holding the door to their building open for the two of them. "Are you coming or going?"
"Coming." Shizuo answered, recovering his wits and walking quickly inside.
The door slammed behind them. "Not up for one of your walks?" Hikari wondered.
"No…Why do you know about that?"
She laughed lightly, smiling playfully. "Oh, I know everything."
Shizuo did concede it was hypocritical of him to ask, seeing as how he was aware of Hikari's own morning walks. He decided to drop the subject before his own habits were called into question.
Hikari led the way towards the stairs. They were silent as they walked, listening only to the tapping of their footsteps and short breaths. Shizuo didn't mind it, companionable as it was, and wasn't one to complain as he looked up and took in the swing of her waist, her long legs and marble skin. Flawless, he decided eventually.
"Shibata," Shizuo began to say, before stopping himself. What on earth had made him want to talk to her first?
"Yeah?" Hikari was looking his way curiously, head tilted.
He shook his head, pushing the feeling away. Saying her name, Shibata, only made him think of Ryuji. "…Nothing."
They turned the corner, entering their hall. They continued walking side by side, while Hikari replied with a heavy sigh, "Why'd you say anything then? You realise that-?"
A sudden, loud cry cut them both off. "Hikari!" Her name – who would call her name so happily? Shizuo wasn't aware she even had friends.
Turning down the hall, the two of them stared into the thin-stretched shadows and watched a figure emerge from the depths. Brown haired, tan skinned, wearing an expensive suit and the silliest grin – it was the man from earlier that day. Shizuo was more amazed than anything else, wondering if he'd been waiting there since morning just to meet Hikari.
"Your stalker?" Shizuo mumbled, dumbfounded.
The man skipped a few steps closer, laughing. "Stalker?" He echoed, "Stalker? – Hikari Shibata, just want kind of lies have you been feeding this young man?"
His gaze sought to pin her down, but Hikari ducked behind Shizuo. Her stomach turned at the very sight of this man, unable to stand the smiles and good humour. She had had enough of gentle treatment and unwanted compassion.
"Just the usual ones," Hikari retorted, her voice strained, "Nothing good, I promise."
"Hikari!" The man moaned dramatically, throwing a hand across his face. "How can my number one client be so cruel to me?! After everything I've done for you!"
"Please keep it down, Mr Ishikawa. Other people live in this building."
"Right, right – like you do, I hear? Deserting your manager, leaving without a word. All the times I called and you never picked up? I was so worried I thought my heart would explode!"
"Well, I'm fine." Hikari told him bluntly, her words ringing empty.
Shizuo, still puzzling through the conversation – this man, Ishikawa, talked way too fast – could barely manage to articulate his confusion, "Manager?"
Hikari edged backwards as he spun to look at her expectantly. It was obvious she didn't feel like talking about it with him, but the decision wasn't ultimately hers. Ishikawa was quicker to explain, saying, "Oh, I can't believe she didn't tell you! Name's Hiroyuki Ishikawa – talent agent, personal manager, all that. I'm in charge of Hikari's modelling."
"You would be," Hikari interjected, "Except I'm on a break. Do you understand what that means, Mr Ishikawa? It means I don't feel like working."
"And I'm not here to make you! Although if you don't get back in the game soon, some of your job offers might pull out. No one wants a model that refuses to do the modelling."
Hikari crossed her arms, huffing irritably. "Mr Ishikawa-!"
The brown haired man threw up his arms, exclaiming loudly, "I'm just here making sure you're okay. After you left, what with the circumstances of your brother's sudden death, I was worried-!"
"Ishikawa," Hikari snapped, eyes narrow and lips pulled into a scowl, "You talk too much."
She marched around Shizuo, a storm of ebony hair and icy glares. Drawing level with her manager, Hikari grabbed the man's pink-printed tie and yanked him down to her level. She was, despite her thin frame, a formidable force with possessing anger cold enough to raise goosebumps on any man's skin.
"When I want to return to work, I'll tell you," Hikari declared sharply, "My brother was only killed a few weeks ago, and I am in no mood to walk back out into your world to fake a smile for judgemental critics."
Her brother was killed; that was an interesting way to phrase the 'act of suicide' he had been told Ryuji passed away from.
Ishikawa was wide eyed as he stumbled back, long limbs spinning and toppling his weight. He landed on the floor with a thud, Hikari standing over him. She wore a look of stone, impassive until some softer thought settled on her mind. Shizuo watched her shoulders drop, could feel the tension leave the air in a matter of seconds.
The floor creaked under his weight, taking a step, but he stopped when Hikari looked over her shoulder at him. "Thank you for today, Heiwajima. It was nice."
What was he meant to say in a situation like this? "…No problem."
She seemed to find it acceptable enough, even though he called himself an idiot for such a dull reply. Maybe it wasn't any of his business to offer her more than that. Hikari certainly didn't ask it of him, instead turning and walking around Ishikawa.
He moved to sit cross-legged on the ground, eyes trailing Hikari. There was honest concern in his expression, which she refused to acknowledge.
Hand on her apartment door, eyes fluttering shut. "I just need more time," she confessed tiredly, leaving only those words in her wake.
The two men left in the silent hall shared a glance. Shizuo shrugged – a woman like Hikari was beyond his understanding.
I don't really like the execution of this chap lol - like, who ordered the OOC Shizuo? (the answer is me) But hopefully his characterization is better in the rest of the story.
Maybe one day (i.e. probably never) I'll revisit this and try to fix it up.
Thanks for reading (and surviving my painfully boring writing)!