Trouble is a Friend

Coincidence X Partner X Trap

"Welcome to Holidays Café! What can I get for you?"

"Vanilla milkshake."

Today's my third day in Whittle Town. I must say that luck has finally come to visit me! Whittle town was a peaceful city just like Whale Island. It's not as quiet here, since it's a busy place, but it seems like an orderly town. I heard from the owner of the hotel that I stay at that this whole town was ran by a single woman named Victoria Letters. I don't know what kind of person she was, but to be a ble to run a town like this, she must be a great woman!

For the third day in a row, I've been coming to this 'Holidays Café'. They have the best drinks here whether it's coffee, tea, juice, and everything else you can think of. With the money I earned from Celestial Tower, I can last here for a long time. Maybe I can work here! They'll hire me since I come here so often!

As I was fantasizing my new life there by myself, I didn't notice a man come close to me. A particularly pale hand placed itself on the chair across from me, and I finally noticed. I looked up, and regretted.

"May I sit here?"

The familiar, cello-like, calm voice sent chills down my spine. The man dressed in an expensive-looking black suit; his black hair spread smoothly down his forehead, which was hidden by rolls of bandage. Oh, how could I ever forget this attire?

Why is he here?

"Um… aren't there a lot of empty seats around?" I kept a calm expression, but avoided his eyes.

"Ah, actually, I've always sat in this seat, so I feel weird sitting anywhere else."

What a lie! You don't even come here!

"Oh, is that so?" I said a little shakily. "Then… by all means, take a seat."

"Thank you," the man sat down gracefully. "Nobody really takes liking to this corner seat, so I sort of made it my private space. It surprised me a lot to see someone already sitting here. What's your name?"

"…." I glanced at him briefly. "If you wanted to flirt with me, you should introduced yourself first."

He chuckled, the same way he always did. "My name is Kuroro Lucifer. You?"

"Ginger."

The two of us sat there talking for a while, but it was more like a lying marathon. Kuroro told me that he was a journalist that lived here, and I told him that I was just a spontaneous traveler. Although, Kuroro's smiling face gave me bad feelings. I think he already knew who I am. Hisoka once told me, "a person's scent never changes." Is my scent really that obvious?

"Ah! Mr. Lucifer! You haven't been here for three days, we were wondering what happened!" a young waitress came saying.

"Sorry, I was a little busy with an article I was working on," Kuroro replied. What the hell has he been doing all this time?

"What can I get you?"

"The usual," Kuroro smiled gently, making the waitress blush and glare at me enviously.

I rolled my eyes. If you want this seat, you can take it! I'll even treat you the strawberry milkshake!

"Mr. Lucifer, you're quite popular with girls, aren't you?" I asked absent-mindedly.

"Perhaps," he said. "You're the second person I've ever met to sit so comfortably across from me."

"I'm immune to handsome faces, Mr. Lucifer."

"Please, just call me Kuroro," he chuckled. "You know, you remind me a lot of an old friend of mine. We spent a lot of times like this together, and she always said interesting things like you did."

"Oh…" I looked away. "I have a plain face, so I get mistaken easily."

"Can you call me Kuroro, Miss Ginger?" Kuroro suddenly asked.

"Eh?"

"Just once. I want to hear it."

I frowned, and became a little worried.

"…Kuroro."

A lonely expression appeared on Kuroro's face; my heart pounded heavily. However, his smile returned in just a moment. It's always been hard to tell if he's acting or for real.

"I'm sorry, you sound a lot like her…"

I knew that Kuroro was good at acting like this. But… I was a little convinced by him this time.

"Is she important to you?"

Kuroro looked at me in the eyes; his black pupils were sucking me in.

"She promised me, that she would never leave my side."

"As a spider, I am the head, and you are the body," Kuroro said this often. "If we lose either, we cannot function."

Since we were all young, Kuroro has always been the natural leader. Sure, there were cocky and self-absorbed guys in the Ryodan, but when it comes to Kuroro, everybody listens. There's a sort of aura about him that makes you want to follow him. He was always calm, and always able to think clearly. I don't think anyone else in the world can do this. Even so, to this kind of leader, I was still the same troublemaking child that I always was.

"Shoga, you are the least Spider-like out of all of us," Sharlnark always said.

"How? I do the same things that all of you guys do!"

"Well, I don't know how to explain it, but that's what makes you special! Why else could you keep Danchou interested for so long!"

Interested? Is that the reason that he keeps me in the Ryodan? Not because I'm useful or a reliable force? What does he think I am, anyway? I was a bit irritated. It wasn't like I was the weakest in the Ryodan. I mean, he was the one that suddenly made me a member out of the blue, and didn't even ask for my consent.

"Kuroro!" I stormed into Kuroro's room and yelled. "Just what part do I play as a part of the Ryodan? Or am I really a part at all? You better answer honestly!"

Kuroro looked up from his brook. "Why do you ask?"

"Just answer! I asked first, you know!"

Seeing how serious I was, Kuroro closed up his book and looked at me straight in the eyes. "Well, let's see… from the moment I met you, I've never ever thought of you as a Ryodan member."

My eyes narrowed and all the hairs on my body stood up. "Then why do I have this stupid spider tattoo on my back? Why am I even here?"

"Let me finish, Shoga," Kuroro smiled gently. "You don't think of me as Danchou either."

"What? Yes I do!"

"I could tell since I first laid my eyes on you that you were different from us," Kuroro continued. "Even though you grew up in Meteor Street, the emotions in your eyes were different. None of us would've handed that piece of bread to the little boy."

My angry expression was changed to a confused one. "Then… why have you brought me to the Ryodan?"

"Because I know only a person like you wouldn't betray me."

"Eh?"

"You don't think of yourself higher than me, nor lower than me. In fact, our interest for each other sticks us together like glue. Think of it as a man and his shadow."

"So… more than a Ryodan member, I am like… Kuroro's…" I searched for fitting words.

"You're mine," Kuroro said as he reopened his book. "And you can't leave me."

My heart was beating normally again. I don't know why, but I was satisfied. Maybe I was being lied to, being fooled, but I couldn't help myself but listen to Kuroro. I smiled like a child, and wrapped my arms around Kuroro's neck.

"Kuroro, if I wanted to leave you, you can go ahead and cut off my legs!"

I honestly felt more angry than guilty. I mean, who was he to say that I left him? He was the one that turned his back on me, along with the other heartless people that I used to love! I tried not to show any of my anger on the outside, but knowing Kuroro, he probably can tell already.

"Actually, Miss Ginger, there's a reason why I came to talk to you today," Kuroro said, suddenly changing the subject. He always did this, not giving people much time to think. "I've been watching you for a while now."

"I didn't think you would have that kind of hobby, Mister Kuroro."

Kuroro chuckled. "You're every funny, Miss Ginger. You're just what I need."

I gave him a fake smile. "What do you mean?"

"Surely you've heard of Victoria Letters, right?"

"What about her?"

"Have you ever thought about how a single woman can run a 'perfect' town?"

"Um… maybe she's very… respectable?"

"To the point that there are no criminals, and that all the citizens have no conflicts?"

"Oh…" I never noticed. "Now that you mentioned it, that's a little unusual."

"Yes," Kuroro continued, "And with the ridiculously high tax, none of the citizens have any complains and pays obediently. Meanwhile, Miss Letters enjoys the riches earned by her citizens. Yet the people here still work as hard as ever."

"So what does that have to do with you or me?"

"You know how journalists are. We always want to reveal the truth about something to the people, especially when it's something that affects all of us so greatly."

What a load of crap! I bet she just has something you want!

"That's… very admirable of you, Mister Kuroro." I forced to keep that smile on my face. "But what does that have to do with me? I'm just a mere traveler; I may leave tomorrow, or even today."

Kuroro completely ignored my lies. "Miss Letters is very strict when it comes to the security of her private home. The only time that she'll let people in is when a newcomer wants to declare citizenship. That itself is suspicious enough, don't you think?"

"So you want me to sneak in there for you?"

"Not for me, we'll do it together," Kuroro said, reaching a hand out at me. "So how about it? Want to work with me as a team, Miss Ginger?

I must be out of my mind when I agreed to help Kuroro. He definitely already knows that I'm actually Shoga, so why doesn't he blow my cover? It doesn't make sense to me. So maybe I was a bit curious, and I was tempted by Kuroro's extending hand again. Whether it was the irresistible 'we', or his voice, his smiling face, his dark eyes that I think about every day, I should really punch myself. I let myself fall into Kuroro's trap again. But deep down, I knew I was overjoyed to see Kuroro again, and how much I wished to be with next to him as Shoga.

The plan took place as soon as the following night. Kuroro dressed me in a black evening dress, while he wore a set of black suits. I was more than used to this kind of dress-up. In fact, I think I've worn this dress before. Kuroro definitely did it on purpose. Anyway, we took a taxi to the Letters' Manor, and it wasn't a bit less than what I expected. I will never know why one single person would need to live in a five-story mansion.

"Welcome, Mister Lucifer and Miss Ginger. Miss Letters has been waiting for your arrival." The gatekeeper said as he opened the gate for us. It seemed like he was the only one working at this manor.

The gatekeeper introduced himself as Baltimore Letters. It seems like he's actually the grandfather of Victoria Letters, which was quite unethical in my opinion. Who would let their grandparent work as a servant while they do nothing whatsoever? Anyway, as I was thinking to myself, Baltimore Letters brought us into the mansion. Once again, I was overwhelmed by the power of the wealthy world. There were crystal chandeliers, velvet curtains, marble floors, and staircases so long that you'd rather build in an elevator.

"Kuroro-sama!"

A sweet, almost honey-like, voice called out from the top of the stairs. We looked up, and there stood a young girl nowhere younger than me. Perhaps, even younger, which is surprising for a child that young to run a city. She has quite the look for a rich lady. Deep red curls that reached down her back, a complicated dress with the finest materials, and accessories with the shiniest stones in the world. And with the mischievous smile on her face, it was really hard to believe how much power she has.

But what was with that 'Kuroro-sama'?

"Miss Letters," Kuroro flashed out his gentleman-smile at the young girl, "you look very charming today as well."

I understood everything right when a shade of red appeared on Victoria Letters' face as soon as Kuroro smiled. Oh, it's another butterfly in the spider's web. Why am I here again? I think he can do this thing by himself. Just as I was badmouthing Kuroro in my mind, the redhead already darted down the stairs and mauled Kuroro. It sure made my eyes pop out of my sockets. This girl was not shy, not shy at all.

"Kuroro-sama! I've been waiting for you for so long! You said you'd come visit me everyday!" Victoria Letters whined as she nestled herself in Kuroro's chest.

"Sorry, Miss Letters, you know how busy I am with my job. Not to mention a friend of mine had just arrived in town."

"Oh," Victoria Letters finally made the effort to look at me. "This is your friend?"

"Yes, her name is Ginger," Kuroro glanced at me briefly. "She would like to become a citizen here. I wonder if that's all right with Miss Letters?"

Victoria Letters' head snapped around back to Kuroro. "Just call me Victoria, Kuroro-sama! And if it's Kuroro-sama's request, I'll make any kind of arrangements."

"Thank you, Victoria-san," Kuroro said politely. "Now if you could please hurry with the procedure. I have to get back to my work soon."

"Oh, I hate your journalist job!" The young girl pouted. "There should be more journalists so you don't have to do everything," she suddenly glanced at me, and then her grandfather, "am I right, Baltimore?"

"You're absolutely right, Victoria-sama."

Okay, she wants me to become a journalist so she can play seductress with Kuroro? Well, you know what? You can take him! And I'll take that job! Better yet, you keep him far away from me! I hope that'll teach him a lesson. I bet he already knew that this little girl would piss me off. She even has the same shade of hair I used to have… what a joke. Kuroro… he actually has the nerve to bring me to her.

"Thank you so much for your help, Miss Letters," I said, faking a smile at the lovestruck girl in front of me. But as expected, she didn't hear me at all.

"Miss Ginger," Baltimore Letters nodded at me. "Please come with me to sign a few papers."

"Oh, right." I tore my eyes away from the two. I swear I saw the little girl smirking at me, but I might just be hallucinating because I'm mad. I don't know why, but I'm just more pissed off than ever.

As Baltimore Letters lead me down the hall, I could hear Victoria Letters' voice faintly behind me saying "come on, Kuroro-sama, let's go to my room!" I had to take a deep breath to calm myself down. What kind of partner is he to just leave me to do all the work? Then again, wasn't our target Victoria Letters? I guess he is doing something, but then why did I have to come?

Anyhow, after walking for a while, the old man took me to an empty room. It only had a big couch, and a small table. On the table there was a piece of paper and a pen.

"Please sign your name on the paper."

I looked over the contract; nothing seemed suspicious. Did Kuroro just think too much? He must have. I mean, how could a little girl have some kind of special power, anyway?

So I signed my name as Ginger on the line.

The old man smiled. "Thank you for your cooperation, Miss Ginger. Now would you please go lie down on your back on that couch?"

I blinked. "Excuse me?"

"I said: go lie down on the couch, Ginger."

The most unsuspected thing happened before I could understand what was going on. As the old man spoke, I saw the piece of paper light up in blue in his hand. And I felt my legs move themselves toward the couch. And like a puppet, I was thrown onto the couch, lying on my back. It can't be... manipulatioin? My eyes widened as the old man approached me, while loading a gun with bullets.

"I'm very sorry, but Victoria-sama does not approve of your citizenship here," he said monotonously. "Well, at least we can bury you in the grounds of Whittle Town, if you wish."

TBC.