Disclaimer, Warning and Spoilers: Please look at Of Death and Sakura: 00 – The Beginning.
Summary: Chapter 07: Crimson Angel 3 – Why green always lose to gold is a mystery of universe.
Spoilers: Yami no Matsuei: Kyoto Arc
Notes: Cooperation with Oriya, and some undercover job planning. Hisoka is tempted to kill someone, seriously considered it.
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When someone has rudely knocking outside their room in the morning, Tsuzuki knows he won't be able to enjoy his morning peacefully. Grumbling rather inappropriate words under his breath, he sits up from his futon to notice his younger partner is already halfway on opening the shoji. And predictably, to glare at whomever at the other side of said door.
"Morning to you too, Bouzo." Oriya lifts up his hand as a greeting, smirking ever so slightly at Hisoka. Promptly ignoring the glare, which is a pretty amazing feat itself, he glances at other occupant: half-awake Tsuzuki, snoring Watari, Seishirou with a book, and sighs. "Breakfast is ready downstairs. I'm expecting you four at Aogiri Room." And he left.
"…" Hisoka closes the shoji with more force than necessary. "I swear they're brothers in previous life!"
Seishirou lifts his eyebrow, marks his book. "Mibu-san with whom?"
"Nothing!" snapped Hisoka. Then he glares down, and kicks a bundle of blanket to send it flying across the room. Said bundle yelps in pain. "Wake up, Watari! We've work to do!"
"I've enough of sakura and green! It kept me awake the whole night!" He glares at smiling Seishirou and moves to kick his already dozing partner who immediately yelps in pain.
---
"I've got the impression that you were a morning person."
Hisoka stops whatever he is doing to glare at the smoking man in purple kimono in front of him, aka their host, Mibu Oriya. He chooses to keep his comment to himself and continuing attacking his meal. God knows what he would said if not.
"And again, maybe I'm wrong." Oriya blows his smoke lazily.
A twitch in his left eyebrow is the only indication the green-eyed shinigami clearly heard the comment. Hisoka suddenly develops a deep hatred with samurai. After silver-haired doctor, of course.
"Heh. An interesting kid." Oriya flashes a smile as he receives another glare for his thought.
Worried about his partner's soon outburst, Tsuzuki coughs softly on his hand to attract Oriya's attention. Which is an easy success, for his previous attention is actually around the purple-eyed shinigami.
"Um, Mibu-san…"
"Hn?" Oriya tilts his head, indicating Tsuzuki has his attention.
"About what we've discussed yesterday," Tsuzuki folds his hands on tabletop, serious," I've been wondering, what your response would be?" His other co-workers keep their guard at this.
"…" Oriya inhales from his pipe and blows the smoke slowly, gazes at clear morning sky. The five of them are taking breakfast on a vast second-floor room which views in open autumn garden. One of KoKakuRou's best.
"On one condition." Oriya knocks his pipe, cleaning the building-up ashes. The others wait in heartbeat.
"I'll have to get a taste on whoever bastard who had done this, before you take him to Hell." Oriya's eyes are blazing in flare and silent fury as he declared those words. "No one. No one ever left unscathed, after had damaged what's mine."
Chuckle. A dark chuckle. "My sentiment here."
Four pairs of eyes stare, as Seishirou lifts up his cup of ocha for toss and drinks it in one gulp. He still has this smile that made Hisoka shivers slightly. Not a very comforting emotion obviously. Oriya is suddenly having reminiscence about someone familiar here.
The effect is instantly gone as Seishirou flashes another smile, cheerful and harmless one. "I'm sorry, did I say something wrong?"
"Err, no, I mean," Oriya smokes nervously. "The air has suddenly turned chill for an instance there." He coughs. "What I mean is, I'll do my best to cooperate with you to catch the culprit."
"Well, we could start with what you know," said Watari pointedly. He is not a morning person, especially after got woken up rather roughly by Hisoka or without 003. Tatsumi forbids him to take her on this mission. Damn you, Tatsumi!
"Yeah, I supposed so…" Oriya sighs. "Let see, to sum up all, you, shinigamis, have five missing souls. And, I also have five missing oiran here. So far, we matched." He lifts up his hands, counting.
"The first one is Kichou. Real name, Kitahara Chikako. She has been missing since a month ago. I thought she had run away with some wealthy politician… Which is maybe not the case…
Second, Kagerou. Koyama Yui. She vanished in the middle of work, and I had assumed she was also left with her guest in overnight trip.
The third is O-yaone, Igarashi Shizuka. She is a taiyuu. Was. She took a sick leave, and until her brother asked about her whereabouts, I still thought she was sick.
Fourth, Shirayuki. Kagenishi Saya. Same as Kagerou, she was vanished in the middle of work.
Fifth, Ayame. Yamagishi Miku. Same as Kagerou and Shirayuki.
No body has ever been found, so I still assumed they're still alive." Stares pointedly at the other occupants. "Until you came here."
Tsuzuki shifts uncomfortably. "I'm sorry to bring the-"
"No need to say anything." Oriya lifts his hand to interrupt, and puts down again resignedly. "At least now I know where they've been gone to."
"…" Tsuzuki stares down at his hands. Guilty. Incompetence. Guilty. Hisoka kicks Tsuzuki's foot under table, and glares. In response, his partner smiles sheepishly and fixes his mental shield.
"Idiot! That's not what I meant!" Hisoka grips his temper under control. The idea to throttle Tsuzuki is growing any minute. Something suddenly surfaces from under his sub consciousness, making him frown.
"Something is not matching up." He said.
"Huh?" Oriya blinks. "Beg your pardon?"
"The first victim is not Kitahara Chikako, it's Todoroki Misaki." Hisoka's frown has gone deeper. "The victim in order is: Todoroki Misaki, Kitahara Chikako, Koyama Yui, Igarashi Shizuka, and Kagenishi Saya." Stares at Oriya. "Yamagishi Miku is not in our list."
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"Okay, thank you Gushoshin. I'll call again for another update." Tsuzuki puts down the receiver, and sighs. He turns around to bump onto someone.
"Oof! I'm sorry! Are you alright?" Tsuzuki steadies the person to prevent unfortunate fall.
"Y-yes, I'm fine." A soft melodious voice answered him. The woman, girl, in yellow kimono has small face and soft feature. Her red-painted lips and cheeks looked so lovely, under well-kept black long hair. And she has the most round and brown eyes, which currently are staring a bit dreamily at Tsuzuki.
"That's good then!" chirped Tsuzuki happily, which answered with a blush from said girl. "Take care then, bye!" He pats her shoulders once and saunters away in hurry. The blushing image of her is giving him an idea. The problem is, whether he is brave enough to inform it to others. Especially his partner.
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"Alright, while waiting for Tsuzuki's report, we'll collect all facts known so far…" Watari takes a deep breath, and exhales loudly. "First is, all missing women are oiran from KoKakuRou, whose life already ended but their soul not yet arrived in Meifu.
Second, all are in their twenties, with Todoroki Misaki as the youngest. You said Yamagishi-san is 21, right, Mibu-san?"
"Yes. She would be 22 this month," said Oriya tightly. His pursed lip is indicating he is very far from pleased.
"Right." Watari chooses wisely to leave the samurai with katana alone. "Third, their deaths are only separated a week, averagely. Some were only separated in two, three days. Some were almost taken two weeks." He sighs. "Truthfully, I couldn't find anymore connection between them," points on some photographs," they've different background. Their face and features are varied. None of them were noted to possess any spiritual ability. Or, you've something to add, Mibu-san…?"
Oriya puts his hand on table to better look those photographs. As Watari has said, he clearly noticed none of them share similar physical traits. All have long hairs, yes, those are rules in KoKakuRou. But Shirayuki has brown hair, her trait as half foreigner. Ayame and Kichou have brown eyes. O-yaone has mole on her face, so are Shirayuki, Ayame and Kagerou. "Oh, and don't forget Iwaya. She also has brown eyes and mole under her left eye." Oriya taps his finger slowly, irritated. He has six, SIX, dead employees. Death won't be enough for the bastard!
The other shinigamis watches closely his reaction, clearly see his displeased and anger coiled under silent storm. Hisoka puts his shield intact to reflect Oriya's emotion, but some are able to slip inside. Images of gruesome and grotesque punishment convince the youth that Oriya is not the culprit. At least, if he is sane. Unlike his certain doctor-friend.
"…" Seishirou watches the photographs silently, and then the list of names. Something tickles him about it. Something… familiar.
"The name, Seishirou, the name! I decide from the name!"
"Oh? And how do you do it?"
"Like this-"
Slowly, picking up a pen, Seishirou writes something on a piece of paper.
"What are you doing, Sakurazuka-san?" asked Watari, curious.
"Oh, this?" Seishirou shrugs, keeps writing. "An idea suddenly appeared. I'm going to test it."
A pair of brown eyes blinks owlishly. "Idea?" Oriya and Hisoka's head turn around at this.
"Yeah. Like this."
Seishirou lifts up the paper. It is written like this:
"TODOROKI MISAKI,
KITAHARA CHIKAKO,
KOYAMA YUI,
IGARASHI SHIZUKA,
KAGENISHI SAYA,
YAMAGISHI MIKU."
Three pairs of uncomprehending stares meet a pair of mismatched eyes. Seishirou sighs and writes again only to lift it up again. Another row is added, written:
"TODOROKI MISAKI,
KITAHARA CHIKAKO,
KOYAMA YUI,
IGARASHI SHIZUKA,
KAGENISHI SAYA,
YAMAGISHI MIKU."
"…! That's-," Watari points on the paper," wicked!"
"Are you saying that- Someone is killing my employees, just because their names matched?!" Slow but rapidly rising anger vibrates through all Oriya's being. Hisoka is pretty amazed with his self-control. Not many able to mask and keep such anger under bay; the young shinigami is under impression he had a lot of training in it.
"Whoa, now hold your horse, Mibu-san." Seishirou lifts up both his hands. "I'm just saying this is an idea I'm going to test. There is no way I'm implying this is the truth."
"But, there is a possibility that is the truth, isn't it?" pressed Oriya.
"Well, there is always a possibility," agreed Seishirou, dejectedly. Or seemed so.
Blank. Hisoka narrows his eyes at this. There is no emotion emitted from his supposed co-worker. No sympathy. No remorse. Nothing. As if talking about why those women were murdered is the same for him as talking about weather. Even when this attitude is perfect as a shinigami, unlike Tsuzuki's, the lack of emotion is more unnerving than his over-emotional partner… "At least I know Tsuzuki is human, not-"
Sakura in full bloom.
Droplets of blood.
White cloth.
Scream-
Hisoka mentally shakes himself. He knows those emotions are not coming from Seishirou, but- "It's not like, he is able to share emotion. Someone close to him is probably the cause. But how-"
His line of thought is interrupted with knocking on shoji.
"Come in," said Oriya distractedly; he is still smoldering in anger.
The shoji slides open and close as Tsuzuki entered. "I've confirmed it with our office (I was asking about it to Gushoushin to be precise, but I can't mention them in front of him), and yes, there are six victims." He sits down rather unceremoniously. "The last victim, Yamagishi Miku, her life has just ended-" throws a quick glance on Oriya," yesterday night."
"WHAT?!" Remnants of their leftovers breakfast are thrown everywhere as Oriya stands up so quick in rage and surprise. "SHE HAD BEEN MISSING FOR THREE DAYS! AND JUST DIED YESTERDAY?!"
"Mibu-san!"
"!" Oriya wakes up with a start. He glances around, finally realizes the mess he had created from his earlier outburst. His grip on the katana sheathed on his waist is so tight all knuckles turn white, and the colour slowly returns after the grip is lessen. "…I'm sorry about that…" He takes a deep breath and sits down slowly, to drown himself in silence.
Watching the silently fuming long-haired man, Tsuzuki glances around warily at his other co-workers. Something else definitely had already ticked Oriya before his announcement, he's sure about that. But the question is, what.
Sound of flutter and suddenly a piece of paper is shoved in front of his face. Tsuzuki receives it while stares at Hisoka with puzzled expression. "Just read it," is all he said making Tsuzuki to stare down and start to read what is written inside. Soon enough, he quirks his eyebrows high and throws a meaningful look at those pair of emerald eyes.
"Just a hunch," answered Hisoka to the silent question," of Sakurazuka-san." He tilts his head to said person who offers a remorse bitter smile. Hisoka is not one bit buying it though.
Tsuzuki sighs inwardly. "Great." He read it again, and all of sudden realizes something. An idea which temporarily forgotten because of Oriya's sudden outburst has resurfaced, and eerily enough, it somehow could be used to prove Seishirou's said 'hunch'.
"Um, Hisoka…" Guilt. Anticipation. Excitement. Fear.
Hisoka frowns. The last time Tsuzuki had felt fear on him was when he had spent their entire mission's expense on buying apple pies, without his permission. "He couldn't possibly do the same, could he? Watari is the one who hold the budget now, and the whole Enma knows he is only second less cheap-stake than Tatsumi."
"Tsuzuki," he said," spit it out." Pause. "Now." Tsuzuki is visibly flinched at his tone, making Hisoka more curious, and warier, than ever.
"Um…" Tsuzuki coughs slightly, drawing the whole room's attention on him, including now somewhat calmer Oriya," well…" he fixes his messed tie nervously," I think… there is a way to… prove Sakurazuka's-… theory…" Mixed expressions meet his statement which he ignores as he keeps his head low.
"…And?" prompted Hisoka warily.
"So, um," Tsuzuki coughs again," we could assign one of us, the Enma-chou's workers, to work under cover. As oiran." He blurted the last sentence hurriedly and gets ready to bolt out of the room any minute, as multiple surprised blinks come as response.
"…" Watari blinks rapidly," are you suggesting us, to become… okama?"
Tsuzuki smiles sheepishly. "Well, if you put it that way, yeah." He meets multiple ridiculous looks at his confirmation, except for Seishirou who surprisingly looks amused. "Bet he knows he won't be assigned as one," thought the amethyst shinigami sourly.
"And that will be able to prove-that, how?" Oriya stares with weird look.
"Err, that's…" Now is Tsuzuki's most dreaded moment, but he has to come it over at this point. "The last syllable of name list," he lifts up that piece of paper," is Ku." He pauses to wait some reaction. No one has exploded yet. Good. "Since all names being used here are their real names, not working name," Oriya nods at this, still with a frown," which I'm pretty sure had raised another question about how the culprit got it, and made me think that maybe, perhaps this… undercover agent of our could use his real name…" Tsuzuki starts to do a countdown under his breath after his long babble.
Being the smart person Hisoka is, a fact which sometimes he hates, it doesn't take long for him to guess who the candidate of Tsuzuki's plan is. His confused look turns into understanding and gets darker as second goes by, a thing his partner took notice as well as he slowly creeps to move closer to the shoji door. Luckily for Tsuzuki, someone else is unconsciously volunteered to take up his place of not-so-far gruesome retribution.
"Hey," said Watari suddenly," isn't Bon's surname start with Ku? Kurosaki is started with Ku, right?"
Let's just say the next half an hour later, our blonde scientist had temporarily ceased to function for awhile. Oriya and Seishirou had wisely kept their lips tightly closed from commenting anything about the 'incident'.
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"No."
"But-"
"Not ever in my life, next life, and ever. You know, never mind about that. I'd never do it. Period." Hisoka glares threateningly, challenging anyone who dares to oppose him. Tsuzuki visibly cowers in fear at this; obviously being the person usually objected in unspeakable-gruesome-contribution the green-eyed youth always bestow to anyone who pissed him.
"And, how the hell you could come up with that ridiculous idea anyway!" continued Hisoka in his rant; both Seishirou and Oriya are sipping their respective tea in sideline," and why me?!"
'Because you're the most beautiful one here,' is what Tsuzuki actually thought, but he fixes his mental shield so high and tight, definitely won't risk his life in line here. Hisoka's glare turns into suspicious look at the sudden change in his empath 'radar'; he'd bet on all his fortunes for the chance that Tsuzuki's thinking about him, or something that definitely ticked him even more than now.
"May I have a word here?" Seishirou raises his hand slowly. Oriya glances sideway at him, wondering if he is sane enough to let himself inside lion's den voluntarily.
"Um… yes?" said Tsuzuki meekly, half glad at the prospect of diverting Hisoka's attention from him.
"Personally, I agree with Kurosaki-kun's opinion." At his statement, Seishirou suddenly becomes the center of attention of three conscious people inside the room.
"…You do?" And unsurprisingly, Hisoka is the most surprised and stunned one here.
"Yes," Seishirou nods solemnly," it is very unlikely to ask a man to dress up as woman, let alone to act as one. Tsuzuki-san, that's very rude of you."
Said person blinks owlishly as Seishirou chided him lightly with disapproving look. "Um, yeah, well…"
"And beside," Seishirou looks like have more to say at this, for Tsuzuki's depression," Kurosaki-kun is way too young for this."
"…Huh?" Three question marks appear.
Seishirou lifts up both his hands. "Face it. All of the victims were in their early twenties. Kurosaki-kun is hardly looked like one."
"Um…" Tsuzuki glances at Hisoka worriedly; he knows his partner is a bit sensitive concerning his look and age. Dying at the age of sixteen and forever stuck in it has that effect on him. Hisoka has remarkably schools his face blank and appears nonchalant, to Tsuzuki's amazement.
"Nobody would believe he has already twenty from his look, and judging from how consistent our culprit in picking his victims, it is unlikely that he'd pick Kurosaki-kun just from his look." Seemingly oblivious to the effect of his statement on the younger shinigami, Seishirou keeps on. "On another note, I'm sure Kurosaki-kun would be unable to act as woman in his disguise. For a common man to pretend as woman, convincingly, takes a lot of skill and practice. And-"
"Are you saying that I'm bad at acting?" cut in Hisoka.
Seishirou blinks, looked a bit lost for being cut suddenly. "No, of course not." Pause. "Well, no offense, but, I think you won't be able to pull this off without stumbling in the process."
"Stumbling-" Hisoka immediately gives a sharp dagger glare at snorting Oriya who suddenly busies himself and finds the motive at the ceiling interesting. After making sure the samurai behaving himself, he returns the glare at Seishirou. "What do you mean, stumbling in process?"
"Why, of course, acting as woman, I mean," Seishirou looks thoughtfully at his younger co-worker," you're not used being around women, I presume?"
The glare turns sharper and icier now. Bull's eye. "What's that got anything to do with this?"
Seishirou has this patient and serene smile, as if he is talking with five-year old child now, the fact which somehow manages to get under Hisoka's skin more. "That's mattered a lot, actually. You see, there are many differences between man and woman, facts which will make your disguise fall apart easily if you fail to do it correctly." He sighs. "How could you expect someone uncomfortable among women, let alone a courtesan, to act as one? It's beyond impossible."
Hisoka clenches his teeth. "I could obverse from now on, and I've confident in my acting skill."
"But, it'll take a lot practice, and we've so little time to-"
"I said," cut in Hisoka a little louder," I've confident in my acting skill."
Golden meets emerald, surprised meets determination. It seemed Hisoka really determines to not this matter aside.
A soft smile blooms on the bespectacled man. "If you said so, Kurosaki-kun…"
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"He tricked me, right?"
"Uh-huh."
Hisoka groans loudly at the blunt reply. "Could you at least, PLEASE, pretend?"
"Nope, not in my nature. Here they are." Oriya opens widely a wardrobe; stacks of colorful kimonos lined up beautifully. "Pick anything you like. You could find the accessories in the lower drawers, and make-up kit inside the small table." He points out at another piece of furniture. "…Hey. Did you hear me?"
"Loud and clear…" Hisoka murmurs darkly, face facing down in despair. He lifts up his head when feeling someone watching him and meets face-to-face with the smiling samurai. The youth feels his eyebrow twitched in annoyance at the amused look on his host.
"Well, I'm sure you'll be just fine," Oriya said, trying to hold back his laugher," look at the bright side, you'll have an experience for being a drag. I'm sure it'll an excellent thing to put down in your future resume." He waltzes away, ignoring daggers on his back.
"Oh! One more thing." The kimono makes an impressive swing as Oriya twirls around. "Please. Don't get addicted." He gets out from the room precisely a second before a chair is thrown at his direction.
After making sure his body stops twitching in uncontrollable anger, Hisoka emits a long sigh which is worthy of years of suffering.
"…When this case is over, I swear I'll kill him with my very own bare hands!"
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In another room, one Sakurazuka Seishirou smiles happily while reading a book.
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Author Notes:
(1) Okama is a term for transvestite in Japanese.
(2) All female names I've come up are purely fictional and have no connection with real person or historical figure.
(3) Each woman who works as courtesan in KoKakuRou has working name and those are also purely fictional.
(4) Any review? Please? Any anyone who could point out which grammar I should fix is more than welcome. Or even better, a beta reader or editor. Thank you very much ^_^