Dark Kingdom 49
The Crown Cafe was always full at this time of day. But Usagi was a regular here and her favorite waiter Motoki wouldn't be one of her friends if he hadn't reserved her regular seat as always.
Right at the window, but well hidden behind several houseplants, so that you were undisturbed and yet could see the whole place. Including Motoki, who once again, lost in thought, polished his glasses and still looked inconspicuously in their direction. Usagi could guess why.
"Jedi is the little brother of my ex-boyfriend Nephrite.", Makoto explained and pushed a photo over the table for her. It showed a slightly younger version of the brunette, which was held in his arms by a handsome young man with long, dark brown curly hair. The picture radiated an infinite amount of love and Usagi felt almost something like envy. She would have loved to have a photo of herself and Mamoru. A kind of keepsake that she could always carry with her and that reminded her how she felt about him.
"Can I get you something else?"
Usagi looked up in surprise. Motoki had come to their table, put on his brightest smile and looked at her expectantly. She looked at her glasses, which were almost full to the brim because they were brought in just ten minutes ago.
"Thanks Motoki!", she said in a friendly negative, looking after him shaking her head.
Makoto picked up the conversation again.
"Nephrite was my first big love. For almost four years we were indivisible. Then he finished school and helped his parents in their company. They made futons. He was so full of energy and always had new ideas. And hardly any time for me. "
Her eyes got a sad expression.
"Do you want a piece of cake?"
Motoki was standing in front of them again. Didn't he have enough other things to do?
"No Motoki. Everything's fine. ", Usagi answered not so friendly anymore.
"Back then I passed the time with martial arts." , Makoto continued unmoved. "Karate. Judo. Everything imaginable. That's where I got to know Mamoru. We hit it off right away. You should experience him when he's among normal people. "
She smiled, but quickly got serious again.
"In any case, we also met outside of martial arts school. Nothing serious. We'll just chat over coffee. "
"Do you still have everything?"
Usagi glared at the blond waiter.
"We are satisfied. Thank you!"
The brunette looked after him thoughtfully. Then she explained further.
"Jedite always wanted to be a detective. So he practiced with me and spied on me. Or maybe he was jealous because I'd taken his big brother away from him. The two were like bad luck and brimstone. But since Nephrite was an integral part of the company, he had almost no time for him either. "
Makoto took a sip of her Coke before continuing.
"At some point I overheard a phone call in which Nephrite said something about debt. The company was only in the red and he urgently needed a loan. "
Usagi made a movement in the corner of her eye. Without looking that way, she snapped.
"Don't even try, Motoki."
Makoto, on the other hand, smiled slightly before turning serious again.
"The bank didn't give him a loan. So he went to the yakuza. To Diamond. There I got to know Mamoru's second face for the first time. ", she paused for a moment. "Nephrite got the money, invested it and in the beginning everything went really well. But at some point the red numbers came back. And he couldn't even pay off the loan installments. "
"Did Diamond have him ...", Usagi began, but broke off the sentence when Makoto shook her head.
"No. Nephrite was so ashamed to have ruined his parents' life's work. Neither his brother nor I could get him out of his depression. One day I got a call that he had thrown himself in front of a train. "
Usagi was so shocked that she didn't know what to say.
"Jedite was convinced the Yakuza would have killed him."
Makoto gave a dry laugh.
"He couldn't be dissuaded. Even when the surveillance pictures showed the suicide. Since then he has been obsessed with Diamond and his clan, collecting every little snippet. It's almost scary. In the beginning I visited him and his family, but when I found out that Jedite had told his brother that I had cheated on him ... "
"I'm so sorry!", Usagi took her friend's hand.
"It doesn't have to be. Maybe he was right about the infidelity. "
Usagi stopped short.
"I never cheated on Nephrite." , added Makoto. "But I was unhappy in the relationship, yes. And in my head I was probably already unfaithful. After all, I thought of other men when we slept together. "
Usagi cocked her head.
"And Jedite still thinks Diamond is a murderer?"
"Diamond is also a murderer." , her counterpart answered in a cool voice. "He may not kill himself, but he gives the orders. You may only have got to know his charming, friendly side so far. But when Diamond is your enemy, you live more than dangerous. He is and will remain a mafia boss. "
"Why do you know him so well?", Usagi asked in a whisper, which made Makoto smile.
"I wanted to help Nephrite. So I went to Diamond and asked him if I could somehow work off the debt. In one of his clubs. "
"You wanted…"
"He refused. He said that he doesn't believe when women are forced to do something. Kind of a daunting idea. To hear something so friendly from the mouth of a really dangerous person, I found it strange. "
"Did you think of him? I mean. ", Usagi stuttered confused, but only got a mysterious smile in response.
"The waiter has been watching us all the time." ,said the brunette instead.
"Yeah, I don't know why Motoki is so pushy today either.", Usagi said with a frown.
"So, enough moped.", Makoto slapped the table with the flat of her hand. "I'll get another coke from the sweet waiter and you'd better spend the rest of the day with Mamoru."
"What? But ... ", the blonde swallowed. "I don't even know where he is."
Makoto winked at her.
"Wherever he is at this time of day. In the university. Then you will experience it in a more natural environment than always in dark clubs. Free."
She almost pushed Usagi out of the cafe. Hugged her again goodbye and finally turned around on the spot. Then she ran back to Motoki with a sweeping hip step.
"And someone should say again, I'm strange.", Usagi said to herself.
