6-20

"I don't think this is a good idea," Makoto says. "I don't like putting Haru in the crosshairs like this."

Ryuji frowns across the table at her. "How's this putting her in crosshairs?"

Makoto makes a face, and Ryuji fidgets a bit. "It's calling attention to herself. Do you think that's a good idea, at this point?"

The Phantom Thieves, minus Yusuke, plus Makoto, sit around the Student Council table. It's after school and a number of students have already left Shujin for the day.

Haru sits at the head, eyes fixed on her phone. Officer Kagawa's number, acquired from Makoto, is plugged into it.

Akira glances at her. "If you want to wa-" He starts.

"I'm doing it," she says. She looks up at runs her eyes over the group. "I thought about it, and Ryuji's plan is the best."

Ryuji blinks. "Me?"

Ann rolls her eyes. "You suggested this. Yesterday. Remember?"

"Oh yeah."

"Right, but think about it," Makoto says. "Couldn't we just wait for the official announcement? If Sugimura is dead, it won't be long before it's announced."

Akira taps his fingers on the tabletop. "True, but he did stress that he wanted Haru to reach out. If she doesn't, it might seem suspicious." There's other factors too. If they waited until the official announcement, they'd only know as much as everyone else. Akira didn't think they'd outsmart Officer Kagawa into spilling something he shouldn't, but it was a chance that didn't exist if they waited.

"Okay," Haru says, taking a deep breath. "Here goes."

"Hold up," Akira says, and reaches into his bag. Everyone glances at him. "I thought of this last night. If Haru puts the call on speaker, we'll all be able to hear what he says, but we have to be careful not to make any noise. So..." He pulls out a sheaf of papers, and spreads out a few pieces to each person. "We write notes to each other while the conversation is going on. Anything we want Haru to say, any questions we have." He smiles. "Sound good?"

Everyone but Makoto nods, and pulls out a pen. "Should we be leaving hand written notes like this?" She asks, dubiously.

"I'll get rid of them later," he tells her. "I'll shred or burn them."

She frowns, but nods, and takes out a pen from her Buchimaru case. Akira can't help but smile at that.

"Okay," Haru blurts and presses the 'SEND' button.

The Thieves - and Makoto - wait as the phone rings several times. No one can take their eyes from it.

The ringing ends. "Officer Hideotoshi Kagawa," comes the voice from the phone.

"Um, hello," Haru manages, and suddenly looks very doubtful.

"Hi," Kagawa replies, sounding cheerful. "May I ask who's calling?"

"Oh," Haru says. "Of course." Akira writes, Relax, you're fine, on a piece of paper and holds it up for her. "My name is Haru Okumura. I got your number from Mako-chan. Makoto Niijima, that is."

"Oh, Mini-Makoto," Kagawa proclaims.

Everyone's eyes whip towards Makoto, who buries her bright red face in her hands.

Haru opens her mouth, but Kagawa continues to speak. "Yes, Haru. I'm glad you contacted me. I was worried. After Makoto met with me, I tried to find you. For an heiress, you're surprisingly difficult to track down."

Don't give away too much, Akira writes, and holds it up.

"Yes," Haru says. "I'm sorry. I was predisposed. She told me you wanted to speak with me. Akira Kurusu said the same. So, here I am. Speaking with you." She shuts her eyes and shakes her head.

Ann writes, Doing Great! Haru doesn't looks convinced.

"Are you alright?" He asks. "You sound nervous."

"Yes, well, I've never actually spoken to a police officer before. Not in any capacity beyond a friendly greeting."

"I hope I don't come off as intimidating."

"N-no," Haru tries. "You're fine. Um, I wanted to check in with you. But the truth is I had another reason. For calling."

Makoto scribbles something down on her piece of paper and holds it up. Be honest, it says.

"Rin Sugimura," Haru says. "I'm sure Mako-chan told you. He's my fiancé."

Akira flashes her a thumbs up. Present tense for the win!

"But," Haru continues. "I'm seeking to break things off with him. Only, I haven't heard anything from him in a little while. I know that this isn't an issue for the police. But I understand that something has happened. I can't reach his family."

Akira had instructed Haru, the night before, to place a few calls to the Sugimura residence, to facilitate the illusion that she had tried, at least, to make contact. No one had picked up.

"Well, there's a good reason for that," Kagawa says.

He pauses, as if weighing something. "Understand, normally I wouldn't disclose this kind of information outside the family, and I'd appreciate it if you didn't repeat it. Can we agree to that?"

"Of course," Haru says. Her words are faint, and her eyes are wide.

"Alright, then. Rin Sugimura's car was found in Tokyo Bay. Rin Sugimura was, unfortunately, still in the backseat. I'm afraid he's dead."

Haru winces and shuts her eyes. She whimpers just a bit.

Akira feels a cold sensation peel through his gut. No one manages to look shocked, but everyone looks afraid. Morgana, who hasn't said anything, climbs back into Akira's bag, evidently done with the whole thing.

We knew this was a possibility, Akira thinks, as he feels his pulse quicken. But still.

Rin Sugimura was dead.

He feels something and looks down at his hands. They're shaking. Holy shit, he thinks. Holy shit. He grabs the left with his right, and keeps them under the table, willing them to stop.

"Haru?" Kagawa asks. "Are you alright?"

"Yes," Haru mutters. "I'm sorry. He... he..."

"I'm sorry, Haru."

Haru shuts her eyes and puts her head in her hands. "He didn't deserve this," she whispers. "He didn't deserve to die."

Kagawa sighs. "I don't think anyone deserves to die."

"M-May I ask how it all happened? Why was his car in Tokyo Bay?"

"I'm sorry," Kagawa says, after a few moments. "I'm not at liberty to disclose that information. I can tell you that we're investigating the matter. As you're not immediate family, you're not privy to updates on the investigation. Perhaps the Sugimura family might be willing to share."

"I see," Haru says. Akira's thoughts race. He tries to think of another angle to take, when Haru abruptly asks, "Did he suffer?"

Kagawa is silent for a time. "There was a head wound. He wasn't wearing his seatbelt when the car hit the water. At least, we don't believe so. His head could've struck the glass divider between himself and his driver. If that's the case, he might've been unconscious. Possibly."

"I see," Haru replies. "Thank you, Officer Kagawa. I really hope he was."

"Me too, Haru."

"I'll be going now," Haru says.

"Please, if you need anything, don't hesitate to give me a call."

"I will. Thank you, again," Haru says. "Goodbye."

She hangs up.

They all sit in silence.

Then, Haru stands. "I think I'm going home."

Makoto makes to move. "Want me to come with you?"

Haru shakes her head. "Thank you, but no. I think I'd like to be alone for now."

Akira says nothing. Shit. His hands have stopped shaking. "Right," he says. What now? We should've pushed for more info. But I can't blame Haru for that. Dammit, we still don't know anything, other than he's dead.

And now that they knew that, what happened next.

"I can't believe he's really dead," Ann mutters. "I mean, I knew it was possible. But, I didn't think this would actually happen, you know?"

Haru moves for the door.

"Check the internet and TV tonight," Akira says, and stands. "They might announce something new. At this point, we still don't know why the car went into the water." He glances at Makoto, and can tell she's thinking the same thing. Mental shutdown?

Everyone nods, absently. Their eyes and faces are all a million miles away. Did we do this? They all seem to ask the same thing, in their own way. Akira wants to take each of them and shake them, and tell them that none of this is their fault, but the doubt nags at him too.

They all get up, pass Akira their sheets of paper from the call, and one by one, leave the room.

#

Kagawa ends the call and looks up.

Sae Niijima stares at him from across her desk.

"What do you think?" She asks.

Kagawa shrugs. "About what? Do I think she had anything to do with it? I doubt it."

"What makes you say that?" Sae asks.

Kagawa gives her a look. "Because it looks like Rin Sugimura's driver drove his car directly into the Bay. How would a girl like Haru Okumura orchestrate something like that?"

Goro Akechi straightens his tie and shrugs. "She is rather wealthy. She may not have had a direct hand in it, but her funds-"

"Shouldn't you be in school?" Kagawa asks. He checks his watch. "Or in a club or something?" He's never been a fan of the 'detective prince' shtick.

He could appreciate Naoto Shirogane, given that she tended to keep herself out of the spotlight and focus on the case. But this one? Goro Akechi always seemed to be on a talk show, or at some awards ceremony, or some public event. Kagawa found it annoying, even if the kid always made a point to pontificate about the virtues of the police.

Akechi's face falters for a moment, then he shakes his head and says, "I'm afraid I'm not a member of any club."

"Well, maybe you should think about joining one," Kagawa replies. "Because you're talking about a teenager somehow influencing a former soldier to kill himself and his charge by driving a car down a dock and straight into Tokyo Bay. I don't buy it. You heard her just now, didn't you? She seemed petrified. She said she didn't think he deserved to die."

Sae taps her fingers on the chair's armrest. "Do you think it's slightly suspicious, her calling like this?"

Kagawa glances down at the phone, picks it up, and puts it back in his pocket. "I admit, the timing's a little coincidental. But when you've been at this job long enough, you come to realize that coincidences do happen. Sometimes."

"A fair point," Akechi says.

Sae stands and moves to the office's door. She shuts it. "I told you yesterday, that I have a hunch, and it relates to Rin Sugimura."

"Right," Kagawa replies.

"Well," Sae says, and walks back towards her desk. "This hunch extends further than that. It... encompasses a lot."

Kagawa glances from Sae to Akechi, but the latter looks a bit confused as well. "Okay."

Sae sits. "I trust you're familiar with the mental shutdown phenomenon?"

Kagawa shrugs. "Sure, I know about it. At least, what I've heard. What's that got to do with this?"

"I'm getting there," Sae continues and holds up a hand. "Please, let me finish. I'm sure you're also aware of these Phantom Thieves of Hearts."

Kagawa nods, but doesn't say anything. He really doesn't like where this is starting to go.

"The SIU has begun its own investigation into the Phantom Thieves. I'll be one of the prosecutors assisting with the case. I would like you, Officer Kagawa, to act as a liaison between our branch of the investigation, and the rest of the police department."

Kagawa blinks and shakes his head. "Wait, back up. I'm not seeing a connection here. I mean, I'm flattered and whatever, but why do you need a liaison? And there are officers who specialize in that kind of thing."

"Another fair point," Akechi replies, a little smug twist to his voice.

"Yes," Sae says, ignoring the jab, "there are better qualified officers. But I feel that by working with you, the SIU will have an easier time with communication between the various departments. You're well liked. You've been a detective for a long time now. Despite what I'm sure are your upcoming protestations, you're well respected among your fellow officers." She frowns. "Let's just say that if I ask for something from MPD, it might take a good deal longer than if you ask." Kagawa opens his mouth, but Sae steps in before he can say anything. "Furthermore, the expediency with which you might lend us is a benefit, but not the only reason I'm asking this of you."

And here's why she closed the door, Kagawa thinks.

"Understand that this does not leave this room," Sae says. "If either of you repeats this to any outsider, I will find out about it, and I will make sure you regret it." She folds her hands together and looks at Akechi. "I'm telling this to you, Goro, because of our work together. I believe I can trust you with this information. I can, can't I?"

He nods, looking a little chided. "Of course."

She turns to Kagawa. "And I'm telling this to you, Hideotoshi, because of your prior relationship with my father." Her voice hitches over the last word. She takes a deep breath, and Kagawa watches as doubt plays across her face. "This is not found in any casefile. There's no record of what I'm about to tell you. The media is acting as if the mental shutdown situation is a recent phenomenon. However, I believe otherwise."

Kagawa tries to order his thoughts, even as Sae barrels onward. "That it's not recent?"

She nods. "A few years ago, a young woman named Wakaba Isshiki died when she walked into traffic and was struck by a car."

Kagawa looks at Akechi, who remains silent. "Is that a name we should know?"

"No," Sae replies. "She was a scientist. Her field of expertise was a little known subject involving cognition and its manipulation and application."

"Sounds above my pay grade," Kagawa mumbles. Akechi remains silent.

Sae glowers. "Her death was ruled a suicide. I believe otherwise."

Kagawa arches a brow. "Why?"

Sae sighs and leans back in her chair. "It's... it's a hunch. But after Dad... after Officer Niijima died, didn't you think there was something strange about it?"

Kagawa frowns. "Akihiko's death was ruled an accident, Sae. The driver was out of his mind on drugs and-"

"That's just it," Sae snaps. "The driver insisted he'd never done drugs before. He insisted he couldn't remember doing drugs or even driving his truck that day. He didn't remember hitting him."

"Sae, that's..." Kagawa replies, almost at a loss for words. "I don't think that's... people say all kinds of things to get off the hook. You're a prosecutor. You know that."

"He had no prior drug related offenses. His record was clean. And on the day he killed my father, he suddenly decided to hop himself up on enough crap to erase his memory? It doesn't make sense."

Akechi finally opens his mouth. "You're suggesting the driver of the truck was inflicted with a mental shutdown? In order to deliberately target your father?"

Sae looks at Akechi, then back to Kagawa. Her face reddens a bit. That's probably the first time anyone's said it out loud. She's just heard how crazy it sounds. But how long had she been mulling this over? Akihiko had been dead for three years.

Akechi continues. "And you think this same thing happened to this Wakaba Isshiki?"

Kagawa settles back in his chair and lets his mind spin. He isn't a detective for nothing. He takes what Sae is saying, what she has said since the beginning of this meeting, and fits it together. "Holy shit," he says, sitting up. "Holy shit. Sae, are you saying the same thing happened to Rin Sugimura?" He blinks. "And Ichiryusai Madarame?" Why else bring up the Phantom Thieves?

Akechi's eyes brighten. "A few weeks ago, you had me look into the death of Yukio Kan. Do you believe the same thing happened to him?"

Sae lowers her gaze to the desk. Her face firms up and her brows crease. "I don't know. As I said, it's a hunch."

A hunch? Kagawa thinks. This is fucking conspiracy theory territory. This is fucking crazy.

"You think the mental shutdowns are not a random phenomenon," Akechi says. "But are deliberately being used to target specific individuals?"

Sae opens her mouth, "I-"

"If that's true," Kagawa says. "Who's doing it? What's the motive? Cops? Scientists? Politicians? Artists? Random subway conductors? What's the point?"

"I'm not sure," Sae says. "It's a feeling and I just can't shake it."

"Feelings aren't evidence, Sae."

"I know that," she snaps. "I do."

Kagawa takes a deep breath and blows it out. "No wonder you didn't make this official. They could sack you for this."

Sae looks at Akechi. "The Phantom Thieves. You've voices your opinions enough times. How do they change hearts? How do they get their targets to confess? What if they're able to manipulate cognition and the minds of individuals? But what if they're able to manipulate the minds of people to not get them to just confess to their crimes, but also kill themselves? Or drive a truck into a police officer?"

Akechi nods, slowly. "It is alarming. We still aren't sure how they do it. And there's been some speculation that they were involved in the death of Madarame. His murder almost immediately after his confession is very coincidental. And the circumstances are very similar to the ones you've laid out with your father."

"Hold up," Kagawa says. "Wasn't their first target a gym teacher? Seems a little small-time, no? Especially if they've got these incredible powers and can make people do whatever they want."

"Maybe," Sae says. "They're not the only ones who possess it." She brings her hands down on her desk. "But there's something here. I just know it. I can't put all the pieces together myself. I need help, and I need you two to provide it. If we can link all of this together, if we can put a case together, think of what it mean for us. Think of... well, let's not get ahead of ourselves."

Kagawa frowns at this. He doesn't like this at all. But Sae seems determined, and that was always a sign of her never letting things go.

"If you want to think about it, that's fine. But if you don't wish to pursue this with me, I'd ask you to keep all this to yourselves."

Akechi smiles. "No need to wait. I admit, I'm intrigued. I'll help you, Sae."

She gives him a faint smile, but looks as if she expected the answer, then turns to Kagawa.

This is crazy. She's going off the deep end. Kagawa glances at Akechi. This jerkoff won't catch her when she falls. He sighs. Akihiko, this is my fault. If I'd kept in better touch, maybe she wouldn't be this far gone. Still, he could help her now. Help bring her back. He could play along and show her how little sense this all made.

There was no conspiracy.

There was no link between all these deaths and incidents.

"Okay," he says. "I'll help."

#

"Hey."

Akira stares down at the counter top. Rin Sugimura is dead. Is it our fault? That couldn't be right. It just couldn't.

"Hey."

There had to be some other explanation. Something else had to have happened.

"Hey."

But, if that's the case, what does that mean? Someone had tried to kill Rin Sugimura at the same time the Phantom Thieves were infiltrating his Palace? Could it be a coincidence?

"Hey," Sojiro growls.

Akira blinks and straightens. He turns to the older man and shakes his head. "Sorry, what?"

Sojiro taps the contraption next to him. "The grind, Akira. I'm asking you what grind we're aiming for."

"Oh," Akira replies. "Um." Shit. He definitely told me this before. He opens his mouth to respond, but Sojiro holds up a hand.

"I knew it. It's been too long since you've actually helped with anything around here." He sighs. "Probably my fault. I should've made sure you kept up with your lessons."

Akira doesn't know why he feels disappointed. The deal he'd struck with Sojiro felt like a lifetime ago, and it's not as if the old man had held him to anything. Akira had only offered to help out around LeBlanc - this afternoon - because he needed to keep himself busy, or he'd just think about Sugimura nonstop.

Which, I'm doing anyway, he thinks. "Sorry," he says to Sojiro. The old man grunts and bends over the machine.

"I got a phone call," he says, as he begins to grind the beans. "From Shujin."

Akira feels his pulse quicken, but he keeps his face calm. "Oh, yeah?"

"From that teacher. The cute one. Kawakami. She said you were doing well." Sojiro flashes him a quick look. "You didn't ask her to say that, did you?"

Akira shakes his head. "N-no. I didn't." He hadn't realized Kawakami had done that. The woman hadn't said anything about it the last time they'd been together. "She's been tutoring me. Helping me keep my grades up."

Sojiro nods. "That's good. Stay focused on school and it'll help keep you out of trouble."

Akira reflexively says, "I'm not in any trouble."

Sojiro's hand slows. "Don't treat me like an idiot, kid." His words have a bite to them, even as he says them softly. "I'm sharp enough to know that something is going on with you."

Akira's jaw works a few circuits, before he asks, "What do you mean?"

"I mean, your little study groups upstairs."

"They are study-"

"Yusuke goes to Kosei High. He's got a different curriculum than you. Makoto and Haru are a grade above you. Why would they be studying with you? You all busted in here the other night, looking like you'd gone for a swim in the Bay -" Akira winces at this, "- and just seen a ghost. Hell, you've all looked haunted for a while."

Akira doesn't reply. Thoughts flip through his head, aborted attempts at an explanation.

Sojiro turns back to the grinder and continues its revolution. "Maybe I was wrong about you," he says. "I thought you were going to be some kind of troublemaker. A delinquent. But you've got all these friends now, and God help me, but I like them. So, I've let things go. But then again, maybe I was right. Maybe you're not a delinquent. Maybe you are a troublemaker. Maybe you've got your own little band of followers. Maybe you're getting in over your head."

Akira watches Sojiro's hand rotate the grinder. His eyes focus on the thin blue veins, poking up over the drawn, worn skin. "Maybe."

Sojiro shrugs. "If that were the case, maybe you should cool things down for a while. Take it easy. Stress is good for you, up to a point. Too much, and you get to be a very old young man." He smirks. "Like me."

The door chimes open, and Sojiro looks up. "Welcome to- oh."

Ryuji and Ann stand on the threshold, hands in their pockets. "Hey," Ryuji says.

"Hi," Ann says.

"What're you guys doing here?" Akira asks. "I thought you were going home."

"Yeah, well, we were," Ann says. "But then we didn't feel like it."

"Figured we'd come back," Ryuji mutters. "My Mom isn't home, so it'd just be me back there. And, like, no thanks."

Akira nods, and looks to Sojiro.

The man sighs and beckons. "Have a seat," he says. "We'll make you some coffee."

Ryuji and Ann brighten at that, and move to two side-by-side stools just before Akira. "You got like, a soda, or something?" Ryuji asks.

Everyone glares.

"What?" He asks.

"We'll pour some cream in it," Akira says. Sojiro chuckles and moves to the kitchen for more supplies.

"Where's Morgana?" Ann asks, looking up and down the length of the bar.

Akira frowns. "Upstairs. He said he was going to nap."

"You think that's what he's actually doing?" Ryuji asks.

Akira shakes his head. "I don't know."

Ann shakes her head. "The car thing isn't his fault." Ryuji frowns and lets out a low sigh. She turns to him. "What? You don't think so?"

Ryuji shrugs. "I mean, I'm not tryin' to rag on the guy. But it was his job to sabotage the car to make sure it couldn't go anywhere."

"Ryuji," Ann hisses.

"Don't get mad at me," Ryuji replies. "It's not like I'm yelling in his face or something."

Akira glances towards the kitchen. Sojiro bumps into something that clangs, and lets out a low grumble. "Even if he had sabotaged the car," Ann replies. "If the driver really did have a mental shutdown, he probably would've just done something else to Sugimura. Blaming himself for Sugimura's death isn't-"

"I don't think it's Sugimura's death he's worried about," Akira mutters. The two blondes turn to him. "We almost died out there. He almost died out there." Akira nods to Ryuji. "Yusuke would've drowned if you hadn't pulled him up. Morgana would've died too, if Haru hadn't grabbed him. I think that's what shaking him. He almost got us, his friends, and himself killed."

Ryuji shakes his head. "We almost die whenever we go into the Metaverse, though."

"Yeah," Akira says. "But Morgana is just as powerful as us, over there. He's got a Persona and weapons and everything. Here, he's just a cat."

"But he's more than just a cat," Ann says. "He's our infiltration expert. He saved Haru from Sugimura and keeps a low profile and-"

"And his job, this time, was to sabotage the car. Which he failed to do. He's upset." Akira glances towards the stairs. "And I think he has a right to be."

Ryuji stares at the counter. "I guess I didn't think of it like that. He's always such a loudmouth and pain in the ass. You don't really see him get shaken up."

Akira smiles. "He gets 'shaken up' all the time. He just hides it." He sets down the mug he's cleaning. "Because he thinks he needs to." He lets out a long sigh. "I think I've been an idiot."

"Well, yeah," Ann says, smirking. "I could've told you that."

Ryuji chuckles. "Totally."

Ann shoots him a look. "You don't get to say that. You're always an idiot."

"Hey," Ryuji snaps, but then Sojiro comes out of the kitchen.

"Alright, alright, we've got-" He starts, and then the door chimes once more. Sojiro freezes.

Akira and the others turn towards the door.

"Hello, Sakura-san." The man who speaks is paunchy, with a baseball cap pulled low over his face. His clothes look worn and hang off of him like they used to belong to someone much healthier. Even in the dim light of the cafe, Akira can see a few burst capillaries in the man's nose and eyes, giving him a very hung out to dry look.

"What're you doing here?" Sojiro asks.

As a response, the man casts a glance over the interior of the cafe. "This is quite the place. You must be doing well for yourself."

"I said, 'What are you doing here?'" Sorjiro repeats.

Akira feels his hackles rise. He doesn't know this man from anyone else, but he can tell he doesn't like him. He casts a quick glance at Ryuji, who scowls at the man along with him.

"I came to see you, of course," the man replies. "With regards to our...mutual, well, whatever. You know why I'm here."

Sojiro sets the material in his arms on the counter. "I've got nothing else to say," he replies, voice cool. "Other than you've wasted your time by coming here."

"Is she here?" The man asks.

Sojiro's eyes narrow. "She's not."

Who? Akira thinks. He can feel the tension between the two men, and he suddenly wishes very badly, that he wasn't standing between them.

The man nods, that slick smile sticking on his face. "Alright. But I really think you and I should talk, Sakura-san. You're clearly very busy right now, so I'll leave, but I'll be in town for a while. We'll talk more."

"No," Sojiro counters. "We won't."

The man shrugs. "We'll see." He turns and pushes the door open, and gives everyone a nod. "Kids." Then, the door clangs shut behind him.

"The hell was that about?" Ryuji asks.

"Yeah," Ann says, turning to Sojiro. "Who was that, Boss?"

"No one," Sojiro replies. Akira turns and finds him still staring at the door. "No one at all."

"Are you sure-" Akira starts, but Sojiro cuts him off.

"Drop it."

The words hit hard, and the three Phantom Thieves remain silent as Sojiro starts to set up the things he's brought from the kitchen. He shakes his head, a look of consternation on his face.

Akira looks at the others, and they look at him. No one seems to know what to say, so they all remain quiet. Sojiro reaches out and taps Akira lightly on the shoulder. "Come on," he says, and nods towards the grinder. "Let's get back to it. Your friends are waiting for their drinks."

"Right," Akira says, and steps up next to the older man. He puts his hands where Sojiro indicates, and casts one final glance at him.

Sojiro's eyes are very faraway, and look very worried.

#

"I'm telling you, brother. You're out of time."

Iwai shakes his head. A dull pain burns through his arm, and he rubs it in response. "I just need a bit more time," he says. "To get things ready."

Tsuda moves his hands to his face and rubs his eyes. "You're not getting this. Kaneshiro isn't distracted anymore. He had this thing to deal with that's been resolved. As far as he's concerned, he gave you enough time." Tsuda turns towards the door to the shop, as if expecting to see someone. "I'm not even supposed to be here. I shouldn't be here." He turns back to Iwai. "Whatever your plan is with this other kid, the one you want to take the place of Kaoru, you better put it in motion, now."

Iwai tries to gather his thoughts. "This is fucked up. You realize that, don't you, Tsuda? If Kaneshiro is really thinking of going through with this, he's insane."

Tsuda's mouth opens a fraction, then he shuts it and says, "You're just getting that now? That fucker has been crazy for a while now."

"Then why don't you grow a dick and do something about it?" Iwai shouts, standing up. "He's coming after my son, Tsuda, and you're okay with that?"

A scowl crosses his old friend's face. "Fuck you, Iwai. You got out before he even showed up. You don't know what it's like. Do you really think guys like me haven't thought about getting rid of him? I told you, he's got protections. Someone, not the Boss, not the other Groups and Syndicates, are pulling his strings. And he's got... methods."

Iwai takes a few breaths before he replies, "Methods?"

Tsuda nods. "Yeah. He's got a way to make people die."

"You mean disappear?"

"No, I mean die." Again, Tsuda glances at the door. Then, he leans across the counter towards Iwai. "There was this kid, politician's son, Rin Sugimura. He showed up at the building one night, off his shit. Kept talking about how he'd brought his fiancé to Kaneshiro for him to drug her up and make her obedient. Only, there was no girl in the car. Kaneshiro kicked him around because of it, but knew the guy would just be a problem down the line."

Iwai holds his breath. Holy shit. Holy shit. Holy shit. "So, what happened?"

"I don't know," Tsuda says. "But he did something or told someone else to do it. Next thing you know, the kid's driver takes their limo and face plants it right into Tokyo Bay."

Iwai keeps his face under control, but arches a brow. "You're telling me Kaneshiro somehow talked this driver into killing himself?"

Tsuda shakes his head. "I don't know what he did. Or how he did it. Seems like a coincidence. But this ain't the first time it's happened. Over the years, people he's had problems with? They've been involved with accidents, or had heart attacks, things like that. But there's never any direct connection to him. Nothing. It's just like what happened to that cop a few years ago. I told you about him, remember? Niijima?"

Iwai feels his blood run cold. "Yeah," he whispers. "I know that name."

"Same thing," Tsuda says. "And he was the first. The cop's investigating Kaneshiro. And the next thing you know, he's hit by a truck. The guy who did it doesn't even remember it happening." The man shakes his head, and Iwai can see how terrified he is. "Kaneshiro is something else, brother. And I don't know of anything that's going to get in his way. Whatever you're trying to put together, get it done."

##

A/N: Happy Wednesday folks!

Lots of wheels in motion, but would you have it any other way?

As always, thanks for reading Crimson, and I hope you're having a great New Year so far!