Victor stares confusedly at the man before him. Phichit Chulanont, the Thai man known as Yuuri's best friend, is smiling brightly in the middle of the konbini. Victor looks at Yuri next to him, and sees that his cousin is also confused. It seems that the boy also didn't know of this man's presence.

And that itself is a weird thing, for Death Gods are capable to sense any human or animal presence around them. It's an important ability for them because they need to avoid getting caught in the act, for fear of humans discovering their existence. So how come Phichit can be in the back room without the two of them noticing him?

While Victor's mind is busy thinking, the said man strolls closer to them, and, to Victor's horror, to Yuuri's dead body on the floor. Shit.

So concentrated is he to the point he forgets to cover Yuuri's body from Phichit. He gulps as he sees Phichit kneels down next to Yuuri's body, blood taints his sneakers and jeans as his feet touch the floor. Victor closes his eyes as he prepares himself for any reactions that will come from the human. He doesn't have the heart to see Phichit losing his best friend.

He shuts his eyes and waits. And waits.

A few seconds pass and he hears something.

A giggle.

He opens his eyes, only to frown as he sees Phichit giggling in front of Yuuri's body.

What?

He looks at his cousin and finds the blond gapes at the human before them. He turns his gaze back to Phichit and finds him wiping his tears away, a wide smile still adores his youthful face.

Victor is confused.

Really confused.

He had, in the past, witnessed how humans lose their mind when they lose their beloved ones. Some were angry, throwing and shouting in rage to express their emotion, while some others did the same thing like what Phichit is doing right now: laughing.

He sighs and gazes at the man. Sure, it must be a shock to lose your dear friend, especially in such a devastating way like what happened to Yuuri. Phichit's reaction is normal, something human, so Victor just stands there and lets the man lets out his emotion.

"Don't worry, Victor. I'm fine. Perfectly fine. I'm not losing my mind."

Victor blinks. Did I just said that out loud?

"…what?" Victor asks. Victor is sure he didn't say his thought out loud. So, how come…?

He looks at the man before him and feels his body shiver.

Phichit is grinning brightly at Victor.

"Oh, easy. Because I can read your mind. Oh, and you, too, Yuri." Phichit says as he stands up from his crouching position and walks toward the two Death Gods, leaving bloody footprints behind him.

"I'm always listening." Phichit says calmly. His grin gets wider as he gets closer to Victor and Yuri.

Victor can feel a dark, suffocating aura emanating from Phichit, and it makes him stay rooted to his spot, unable to move. He glances to Yuri and sees that the boy seems to be in the same situation like him, brows scrunched together and his gaze focuses on the man.

Phichit stops a few steps in front of the two Death Gods. He purses his lips, his big eyes looking back and forth between Victor and Yuri. Victor balls his fists, eyes focusing at the college student in front of him. Thousands of questions flit across his mind. How come you can know my thought? How come we didn't realize your presence? How-

"Whoa, whoa, easy, Victor. No need to rush." Phichit says heartily. "And Yuri, could you please cut down your cursing? Or at least be a bit creative. Don't use only fu-"

"SHUT UP! SHUT YOUR FUCKING MOUTH, YOU WEIRDO!" Yuri shouts, face beet red. Victor only blinks and feels amused at his cousin's reaction. So, he really can read our thoughts, then, he thinks.

"I've told you, Victor, I can read minds. Geez, why do you doubt me so much?" Phichit whines. He then smiles at the two men in front of him, eyes crinkling at the corner, looking at them almost fondly.

"Well, I have some things to tell to the two of you." He starts. "For Yuri, congratulations on your first day of your official job. And I know that it might be a bit overwhelming, you know, with the Lost Soul, but you managed to handle this pretty well. Great job, kid." And with that, he had the audacity to ruffle Yuri's hair. Victor can only gape at the words and the action, and so is his cousin, who can only stands in silence.

"And as for you, Victor." Phichit turns to Victor. "I know you have… complicated relationship with our Yuuri here. I was actually a bit doubtful with letting you coming here, you know, but Seung-Gil said that I can't interfere much more than I already have, but then again I was curious, like, you may try to do something, and change Fate, but Seung-Gil insisted that I let you be, and if you really do that then I can deal with it later, he said, so here we are now!" he exclaims cheerfully.

Victor can only stand and stare at the man before him. His mind is trying very hard to process everything he just heard. He tries hard to find an answer to the words that Phichit just threw at him. However, just as he opens his mouth to ask Phichit questions, a dark cloud suddenly appears next to Phichit, and from it comes out someone that Victor really doesn't want to face right now.

Seung-gil materializes in front of him and Yuri, his cold expression etched on his face. He turns to Phichit and a scowl mars his face.

"What did I tell you about interfering?" he asks Phichit. The man just shrugs his shoulders and throws a wink to Seung-Gil.

"You said I can't interfere during the process! It's finished now, so technically I didn't do anything wrong."

Seung-Gil only glares at the grinning man in front of him. "Nevermind. I'm here to take you back. There's a lot of work waiting for you, and it won't be decreasing any time soon if you keep prancing around to the human world like this!" he scolds the man before him. They keep bantering back and forth, until a scream stops them.

"WOULD YOU TWO SHUT UP AND EXPLAIN WHAT THE FUCK IS HAPPENING HERE?"

Victor jumps in shock and looks at the boy next to him. The blonde's face is red from screaming his lungs out, or maybe from overworking his brain to understand the situation they're in right now, Victor doesn't know. He is thankful for the distraction, though, because it gives him a chance to speak.

"I think what Yuri said is right. We need an explanation here." He says as he gives a serious look to the two men in front of him. Victor's eyes meet Phichit's, and the man smiles softly to Victor, nodding his head and turns to look at Seung-Gil. Seung-gil sighs and straightens his posture. He rises his gaze to Victor, and then to Yuri, and clears his throat. What comes from his mouth next is something that the two cousins never prepare for.

"Well, Victor, Yuri. Meet The Boss."

There's a pregnant pause after that sentence.

"What?" Victor shouts.

Yuri screams.

"So, you're The Boss? The God of Life and Death?" Yuri asks as he rubs his temples. He peeks at his cousin on the other side of the room, and sighs for the umpteenth time. After Seung-Gil dropped the bomb, his cousin just screeched a loud 'what?' and then stared at the two men before him disbelievingly. He then proceeded to sit in silence next to the corpse of Yuuri the then returns his gaze to Phichit and Seung-gil who sits calmly across the table.

"I am, Yuri." The man replies cheerfully. Yuri frowns as he rakes his gaze at the man. He still can't believe that the person in front of him is the ruler of the Death Gods, the highest being that holds the beginnings and the ends of all human beings on this planet. He shakes his head, still refusing to believe everything that he heard.

A few minutes before, Seung-gil had explained everything to him, and to Victor, indirectly. So, yes, Phichit is the God of Life and Death. Yes, he is Victor, Yuri, and Seung-gil's boss. Yes, he actually has wings, but he prefers not to show them off because apparently 'they have no use anyway, why should I use them when I can teleport anywhere I want?' (and Phichit even showed them to Yuri, who can only stare in shock), although certain surge of emotions can make him unconsciously open his wings, like when he's super angry or super excited. Yes, Phichit has frozen the time and space momentarily, so that explains why no one comes to the building, even though Yuri can see clearly how people outside still walk and do their activities just like usual. And, yes, that also explains why Yuuri's soul hasn't come out from his body, since Phichit suspends his soul for now to let himself explain everything to Yuri and Victor.

"And… you're here because the whole situation is… interesting?" Yuri asks again. Phichit nods his head fervently, confirming what the boy says. Yuri scrunches his eyebrows.

"I don't get it." He says. "What is so interesting about this whole situation?" he voices his confusion, voice wavering from trying to hold all emotions he's feeling. First, it was Victor, and now The Boss himself shows up and gives him a major headache. He really doesn't understand everything that is happening right now. He's angry, and also confused, and the explanation he gets from the main culprit is just that?

Phichit only grins at that.

Yuri gives a sideway glance to the Death God beside Phichit, who is now fuming silently. Yuri actually hopes that Seung-Gil can give more explanation about their circumstances, but it seems the man is adamant in keeping his mouth shut, eyebrows scrunched angrily.

"Aww, don't be like that Seung-Gil. Like I've told you, I didn't do anything. Everything is going just like what you want." Phichit suddenly says, poking Seung-Gil's side. "Anyway, can you stop making such scary expression? Yuri is scared, you know." He then turns to Yuri. "And if you're looking for explanation, Yuri, no worries, you'll understand everything, soon. But first…"

Phichit then stands up from his seat and walks to where Victor is, standing beside him. Victor looks up at him and rises from his crouching position.

The two of them are now standing face to face next to Katsuki Yuuri's dead body. The two men only look at each other in silence, each lost in their own thoughts.

Phichit is the one who breaks the silence. "Why are you so sad, Victor?"

Victor's eyes widens at that question. "I... Well, Yuuri is…" he trails off, but it seems he has difficulties in answering his sentence. Phichit smiles pitifully at him.

"Have you found the answers to your questions, Victor?" Phichit asks again. "Do you know why Yuuri's eyes spark? Do you know why his laugh is the same like that of a boy who got to ride a roller coaster for the first and the last time in his life?" Victor stays silent, mouth gaping a little.

Yuri sees Victor's face turns paler each time Phichit throws one question after another. He never sees his cousin like that, so he's really intrigued right now.

"How…" Victor murmurs, eyes almost bugging out from his socket because of Phichit's weird questions.

"Really, Victor? Like I said, I'm always listening. You're the one who chose not to listen." Phichit scolds.

At this, Yuri sees Victor raises one of his eyebrows in confusion.

"Listen to… what?" he asks dumbly. Phichit sighs exasperatedly. He then turns his head to Yuri, mouth pursing a bit, as if contemplating something. He then clacks his tongue and says, "Oh, well. I promise you an explanation, so…"

Then suddenly, flashes of images flit before Yuri's eyes.

Victor is standing in the long hallway outside Yakov's office, talking to someone on the phone

"You know what, Victor? Forget it. Just please realize your feelings before you run out of time." The voice from the other line says.

The image blurs and changes to another one.

Victor is looking down at his own phone in an izakaya, reading a text message.

Phichit

[Thank you for your time. And don't be so stubborn! You'll regret it in the end! ;) ]

Then, as fast as the images came, they disappear.

What?

Yuri blink his eyes rapidly and looks at Phichit and Victor. Phichit is still standing calmly, arms crossed in front of his chest. Victor, however, looks as if he just gets hit by a truck. Yuri grimaces a bit at his expression, questioning what actually has happened to make his cousin like that. Is it related with the images I saw just before? What even those images?

A voice startles him from his thoughts.

"What you just saw is excerpts of Victor's memories. More specifically, memories related to the 'warnings' that The Boss has said."

No longer fuming, Seung-Gil explains what Yuri, and Victor, have seen. He looks at Yuri from across the table, face still as stoic as ever. He then turns his head around to throw an angry gaze to The Boss.

"Just cut to the chase and explain everything. And make it short. Your paperwork is waiting in your office."

Phichit only laughs at his assistant's scolding. "I will, Seung-Gil. No worries." He then smirks at the silver-haired man in front of him. "I've told you that your stubbornness will cost you one day. Now look at what you've done." He then takes a step closer to the frozen Victor.

"You still haven't answered my questions, Victor." Phichit replies calmly. "Really, I was actually hoping something more interesting would happen. Why can't you just be honest for once?" he asks.

"If only you're more honest, then maybe you will be in different place now." Phichit mumbles.

Yuri is confused. Why does Victor need to be honest? What happens if he's being honest to himself?

"God! No wonder the two of you are cousins! You two are so slow!" Phichit exclaims, hands thrown up to the air in exasperation.

"I've told you to just say it straight to the point." Seung-Gil quips from his seat.

"I know, Seung-gil! Just shut up!" Phichit shouts. He then looks back and forth between Victor and Yuri.

"Yuri, your cousin here is in love with Katsuki Yuuri."

Yuri gapes at Phichit, then at Victor, who, surprisingly, also gapes at Phichit.

"I don't love him!" Victor exclaims.

"Yeah. And the Nile is a river in Egypt." Phichit deadpans. He sighs exasperatedly and looks menacingly at Victor.

"Then why would you feel all those feelings when you're around Yuuri?" Phichit asks angrily. "You say you observe humans because they're interesting, right? Why this girl's eyes spark when he sees his boyfriend for the last time, or why this father's body is really warm? Do you know why they feel those things, Victor?"

Yuri listens to the exchange before him. He has his fair share of listening to Victor's ramblings about how interesting humans are during his time of interning with Victor, so this is not something new. He, however, is also curious to know the reason why those human do those things, for Victor also still doesn't know the answers. Heck, that's why he caters to those human's last wishes in the first place.

And he actually already has his suspicions on why Victor is always so keen to meet this Yuuri. That's why he said what he said when the human died and Victor panicked. But still, to have his guess confirmed, especially by the Boss himself, is still shocking nonetheless.

Phichit only looks at Victor after his outburst, waiting for the man to say something, anything. But all Victor can do is just stay silent. Phichit then sighs for the umpteenth time and ruffles his own hair desperately. Yuri feels pity for him.

"It's because they feel."

Victor and Yuri looks up from his own musings to look at Phichit. The God is now walking to where Yuri and Seung-Gil sit, eager to join them in one of the chairs there. His expression seems as if he just finished a marathon because he looks so, so tired all of a sudden.

Phichit is now sitting on the chair he previously occupies, arms hanging limply from his sides.

"To live is to feel, Victor." He then looks up at the ceiling from his position. "Raison d'etre, ikigai, or whatever the humans name it; it gives them the strength to face another day. Even though the ways they do to fulfill it might be questionable for some." He chuckles. He then turns at Victor.

"Yuuri's eyes spark when he sees you because seeing you makes him happy. His laugh rings loud because what you say makes him happy. His body is warm because he's happy when you shower him with attention." He pauses a bit, seemingly lost in thought. "Even when you feel no warmth, or see no sparks in his eyes, still it's because he feels something. It's the proof of his existence. It's the proof that he's alive." Phichit goes on.

"Victor, those sparks you see. It's all because of you." Phichit pauses to take a breath, seemingly hesitating to say further, but then he sighs and smiles sadly, dragging his eyes from the ceiling to look at Victor.

"Victor…" he pauses. "You are Yuuri's life."

And with those words, Yuri sees his cousin crumbles before his eyes.