Entry 66: We're Still Underground
July 25th: Noon
"Nice place." Walking inside the nice house, I was surprised to see just how homey it was. It was decorated quite nicely. Fancy paintings and plants were all around. The teal wallpaper was also nice to look at. "How come I've never been here before, Shiro?"
"I invited you during thanksgiving but you ignored me and went on a date! We could have had a beautiful family dinner! But noooo, you had to flirt all day! I'm starting to think you don't love your brother."
Ignoring him, I walked further into the house and got to the living room. Sitting on a couch was a woman with long dyed blond hair. She was wearing a black shirt with a white stethoscope design on it and black jeans. She was reading something on her phone at the moment. A skull design, huh? "Hello Koko. It's been a while."
"Kuro, Yo." Lazily giving me a wave, she stood up and put her phone away. "How're you feeling? I see you're out of those crutches."
"Yes. Thankfully I don't need a cane." Bowing to my superior, I waited for my brother to walk in. When he did, fake tears were already in his eyes. "So... Can we get to business? I'm actually pretty nervous right now."
The scientist of the Seniors sighed before leaving to the kitchen. Before I could follow her, Shiro pushed me onto the couch and motioned to me to relax. "You're gonna want to be chill for this." That's never a good sign.
It's been a few days since Seth and I went shopping. As soon as Ichika, Miku and Nino left my home, I contacted my brother and described to him what happened. That night he came around and took the spiked apple juice, deciding to get it tested. Maybe it was nothing, or he accidentally dropped some Ibuprofen in it. But it wouldn't leave a smell like that. Even my mind was trying to talk some sense into me. I know it's wrong to try and rationalize what my friend- what Seth tried to do. But... There has to be a reason, right? He wouldn't do something so horrible for no reason, right? "Seth..."
"... Koko, are you done yet? I kind of don't want Kuro to go insane here!"
"Oh, shut it Twinky. I'm here." There's that nickname again. Glancing at my brother, I noticed that his cheeks were a bit more flushed and he was doing his best to not look Koko in the eye. Wait... is he a Sub too? Huh, maybe we are related. The scientist came back with a glass bottle, inside was a yellowish liquid. "Anyway, after doing some tests on this usually delicious drink, we've got a problem. First off, this shit has enough sleeping drugs to knock out a horse. If you even took a sip, I think you would have been knocked within seconds. No doubt you would have been kidnapped."
So... he saw a chance with there being no one home. Dammit. "So he's..."
"Yeah, there's no other reason for him to try and do that other than him working for Ono. Unless he's working for another Yakuza." My brother interrupted my thinking and said my thoughts out loud. "Well... so now what?"
"Twinkie, aren't you the leader of Library? This is your organization, isn't it? It's your choice whether we execute him, imprison him, torture him, blah blah blah." Moving her blond hair behind her ear. "If we were talking about me, I'd say we break his fingers and toes until he tells us where that botch is. Then we give both of em a shot in the head and call it a day. Easy."
"Kill him...?" This is going way too far in my opinion. Kill Seth and Ono? No, that's not right. There has to be a way to solve this without going to such drastic measures. "Do we have to go so far? We aren't yakuza. We're supposed to be better than them Not..."
"Lil bro has a point. What I think we should do is keep an eye on Seth. If he was honest about visiting his 'friend' and it's Ono, then we should be able to find her location without causing any unneeded harm. We can figure out what to do with Seth when we cross that bridge." He patted my back after he gave his orders. As if trying to reassure me. Thank you. Weirdly enough, it did help.
"Ugh, you're being too soft again. Am I going to have to pe-"
"K-Koko, can you not threaten me with a good time in front of my brother. Please?' Ah, so they have that kind of relationship. Kind of explains a lot. "Anyw-way, let's get back on topic. The girls should be fine with my team keeping an eye on em. Plus I'll let Subaru and Maki know about this revelation too. So they can-"
"Don't tell Subaru." Interrupting my brother, I turned to him and tried my best to stay calm. "You and I both know that he'll either try and fight him for trying to hurt Itsuki or he'll be weirdly passive aggressive and will make him suspicious. Just tell him that we have a traitor and keep an eye on everyone. That's it."
"Ah, he really is in love with that girl, huh? Think he has a chance?"
"...who knows." Probably not but... Maki likes him too. Ugh, how did Subaru of all people end up in a love triangle. Well, guess I don't have the right to say that but still. "Anyway, are we done here? If I'm gonna be honest, this whole conversation gave me a stomach ache and I just want to take a nap." Both adults gave me a small look of pity that pissed me off. "I'll get going. I need to clear my head."
"Wait, let me give you a ri-"
"I'll walk." getting the hell out of the house, I made the long trek back to Asahiyma's main streets. Seth. Why? What did I do to you? Why?
Same Day: Afternoon
Turns out, aimlessly walking around doesn't really help when your mind's already running at a million miles an hour. I'd already made it back to Ashaiyama, but the thought of going back to Lunalight and running into Seth gave me goosebumps. So, I just walked around the city, not really knowing what to do except to buy something to drink. Did he have to live so far away? Seeing a cafe not too far from me, I walked in and stood in line. "One Matcha Bubble tea please."
"Coming right up, sir." The high school aged worker nodded before leaving to make the drink. Walking to the side to wait for my drink, I pulled out my phone and tried to find anything to keep my mind off of the current situation. I wonder how long he has been working with her. Were they working together since the fireworks festival? It'd make sense. He could have assisted her in spiking my food at the time and also make sure that none of us could have caught her. If so... then what's his motive? "...ir?" If it was hatred for the Nakano sisters, why team up with someone after me? It can't be because of her ties with Omi, because they've been dead and gone for months now. So what was it? Maybe he- "Sir."
"Ah, sorry." It wasn't until the barista waved his hand in front of me that I noticed he had my finished drink in hand. "Thank you very much."
"It is my pleasure to help sir! Have a good day." Nodding to them, I walked away and looked at the dining section. My feet do kind of hurt. I should rest. Walking to the closest empty table, it was when I sat down that I saw a familiar face sitting at the back of the café. I recognize that oversized hoodie anywhere. Making my way to the girl, I noticed a few things. First, she was still wearing that oversized white hoodie even in this heat, granted she was wearing shorts. Second, she seemed to be having a feast. Three slices of cheesecake sat in front of her, all three already half eaten. One chocolate, one vanilla and the last one being strawberry. "How are you doing, Hiiragi."
"Eeeeeeek!" Practically jumping out of her seat, the so-called patriarch looked at me like I was some sort of monster. "O-Ogata! What're you doing here?"
"What, can't I have some tea?" Lifting up my drink to her, I couldn't help but chuckle at her behavior. "Mind if I sit."
"Sure... but no touching my cake!"
"Yes, yes. I won't." Sitting across from her, I took a sip from my drink and relaxed. "I'm surprised to see you outside. You seemed more the kind of girl to spend all of summer inside."
She looked slightly offended at my insinuation but let it go. You are, or well, used to be a NEET. "I'm going shopping with Miku soon. But I got a little hungry and... you know."
"A little, huh?" Looking at her spread, something inside me begged to tease her. "Sheesh, you're giving Eatsuki a run for her money."
"Hey! Don't be a meanie! I'll have you know, cake is the best food in the entire world! Depending on the toppings, it can give you all of the nutrients that you need!"
"Even you have to know that's not true."
Her usually shy and hidden face popped out from under her hood and she gave me a very cute pout. "It is true! Why do you have to be a poopy head all of the time?" Poopy head? What is she, five? Giving her a smirk, I took another sip of my drink, catching a tapioca ball. "You don't get to judge me! You're drinking something unhealthy too!"
"I don't have three full drinks in me, do I?"
"How would I know you didn't have them before you came here?" Now you're stretching. She seemed to have noticed her behavior, because she coughed into her hand and sat back up. "S-Sorry. Umm... do you want some?" Shaking my head, I continued drinking my tea and looked out into the café. "...sorry for not visiting you."
"Huh? Oh, you don't have to worry about that. Shiro told me you were helping him with looking for Ono. I'm sure you were busy. But, hearing that you're going on a date with my girlfriend is a little suspicious. You aren't trying to steal her away from me, are you?"
"Never. Miku's my best buddy! And even if I did, it'd be an impossibility." Her eyes flashed with recognition before her mood took a downturn. As if remembering something that did physical damage to her. "Ugh, maybe I should be more careful with the questions I ask..."
"Well, I'm not going to touch that topic with a fifty yard pole." All I can do is hope that she doesn't know too much. Please don't judge me. "But, I hope you two have some fun. I think she's still a bit traumatized by the lecture Ichika gave her the other day."
"Hm? What happened?"
"Well, Ichika got pissed at her and Nino for staying over after she banned them from staying at my house till I got better. They convinced my brother and Maki to sneak them in and Ichika found out. She then gave them, and eventually me, a through dressing down. That girl has some lungs on her... no wonder she wants to be an actress." After I described what happened, the brown haired girl gave me a blank stare. "You alright?"
"Umm... why was Nino there?"
"Huh?" Oh, of all the things to tell Hiiragi about, you didn't tell her about Nino? "Umm... you know in romance shows how there's sometimes a love triangle?"
"...Kuro Ogata." Jousting by the black stare she had one, she caught onto what I meant immediately.
"Y-Yes?"
"Since we're in a public place, I won't freak out. But." My instincts yelled at me to cross my legs. Thankfully I listened to them because within a second, a powerful kick came flying for my crotch. OH MY GOD! "I told you, if you hurt my best friend. I'll kill you."
In front of me wasn't Hiiragi, the lovable shy former-neet. But instead, the patriarch of Sanctuary. "L-Look, we had a long discussion about this! I get it's a little weird and different but-"
"'ll take your word for it. My best friend seems happy. But, if a single tear ever falls from her eye... I'll castrate you." You'd go that far?!
"I-I understand, Ma'am. My goal in life is to make her the happiest girl in the world!" Great, another girl who's as scary as Maki! "Please move your foot."
After a few horrifying seconds of her staring deep into my soul, she lowered her foot and sighed. But, she was definitely still pissed. It didn't take a genius to understand that with her stabbing away at her cakes with murder in her eyes. "Tch, I never thought you off all people would be a womanizer."
"I'm not! I know I'm a bastard for being the kind of guy who loves more than one girl but... it's not like I can change it. I love them."
"..." Glaring at me, I could feel her desire to hit me again, but she thankfully showed me mercy. "Fine. " The two of us then sat there awkwardly. Hiiragi continued to eat her cakes in an honestly scary way. And I drank my tea, fearing that if I stood up, a fork would be thrown at my back. "... you don't hold that feeling for the rest of the girls, do you?"
"I can say for sure, I don't. Maybe in another world I'm in love with all five of them." The bloodlust came back in full force. "I'm j-joking of course. No. To me, Ichika, Itsuki and Yotsu are my sisters. And I want to protect them like sisters."
"Sisters, huh..." She seemed to believe me and looked away. "What about that girl you mentioned before. W?"
W. Her deteriorating image from my dream popped into my head. How can I call her a sister when I can't even remember her voice? What a shitty brother I am. "I miss her but... I'm sure she's happy right now. Honestly, I know when we last talked about her, I said I hoped we never met again. But I do want to see her again. Even if it's just for a second, I want to make sure she's doing okay with my own eyes."
"..." A moment passed where my friend didn't say or even move. "I'm sure she does too."
If so, I'm making her wait. We need to finish this shit with Ono as soon as possible. "Thanks Kanade." Standing up, I seemed to have regained a bit of my mojo. Downing the last of my drink, I was ready to head home. "See you, and tell Miku I said hi."
"Will do. Stay safe, Kuro." Flashing me a smile, the girl and I parted on good terms thankfully.
July 27th: Afternoon
Walking outside has gotten... strange. Not because of the utter heat, though that's not necessarily helping. No, the reason why it felt so strange was because of this feeling of being watched. Shiki Ono is most likely hidden here in Asahiyama, and she has Seth on her side. Unit Ninja isn't just a name for him. He's honestly a very talented individual when it comes to getting information. Sure he can go overboard with his clothes and obsession with being a Ninja, but he is very good at concealing his presence and picking up on things that others don't. That's the reason why my brother was so adamant to get him into Library, even though he was both young and wasn't a part of the orphanage.
That trust and abilities he had was definitely how Ono was able to gain so much information on not only myself but also Library. How she was able to know so much of our organization's past, our origins and even mine. But why? Doesn't matter. Like Maki said, people's alliances can change quite easily, especially in this kind of life. It's one of the reasons why I want to leave it. I hate living a life where I have to worry about who will betray who. Doesn't help that it just happened too.
Either way, all I could do was wait. Wait for Seth to screw up and visit Ono. So here I was, taking a walk to try and get my mind off things. Not like it would work however, but what else could I do? The urge to visit the sisters or Taro kept stabbing me in the back of my mind, but I couldn't do it. Not now. I can't put them in danger again. So I haven't seen them since I found out about Seth, telling them that I needed a bit of time alone after being around everyone for weeks on end. Sure it was a shitty and untrue excuse, but they seemed to have believed me. Which made me feel even more like shit. Ugh, please just hurry up, Seth! Walking around Asahiyama, I decided to get a couple chores done. Whatever... Next up, sign up for a gym.
With the next destination in mind, I walked through the commercial district, looking for any decent gym. "What would make a gym good or bad though? Ugh, I should have done some research beforehand." Looking at the large building in front of me, I let out a sigh and walked away from it. I can't seem to get any motivation when it comes to this... huh?
Out of the corner of my eye, I noticed a suspicious individual. They were wearing a pink face mask, a pink beanie and sunglasses along with jeans and a plain red shirt. That wasn't necessarily the suspicious part, but the fact that they had a large backpack and two duffle bags filled with something was strange. Walking around the crowd, the individual took a right turn into an ally. Strange... but I should stay out of it. But something about them was very strange. Ugh, fine. If they do something weird, I'll call Shiro and have him look into them. Carefully following them, I was thankful they didn't get too far into the alley.
This individual's movements were strange and definitely made me think that I made the right choice of following them. They took the allies of the city as often as they could, and every time that they couldn't they eaves through the crowd masterfully. Somehow not bumping into anyone, even with the massive luggage they had. Impressive, but also worrying. You'd think that if they were just carrying around things they bought, they'd get a taxi or just get them delivered. After about thirty minutes of walking and following, the individual led me out into the outskirts of Asahiyama. Houses filled the streets and the suspicious person walked up to one of the more beat up ones. Now, what will you do? Without using a key or knocking, they opened the door and shuffled in quickly. Slamming the entrance behind them and not looking back.
"Yeah, that's really weird." I was hiding behind a fence nearby and stood up. "Hmm, I doubt they're going to bomb this place but..." Quickly I grabbed my phone and dialed for my brother. After a few seconds, he picked up. "Shiro, I just followed a weird person to the outer parts of town. They had a lot of stuff with them and were definitely disguised."
"Wow, my brother's out here stalking people now? How the mighty have fallen."
Ugh. "I'll text you the address. I'm going to take a quick look. Even if it isn't related to Ono, it's still worrying. Could be a stray Yakuza hiding out here. If I don't call you again in an hour, something went wrong."
"Wait, that's kinda dan-" hanging up, I walked up to the beat up house. Was what I was doing stupid? Definitely. This sort of felt like the beginning to a shitty horror movie where the protagonist gets themselves unnecessarily into danger. But, something in me yelled at me to do this. The mostly unused instinct was telling me both that this was dangerous and stupid, but the right move. Let's hope I don't get shot again. Slowly opening the door, the mysterious person was nowhere in sight.
The inside of the house was far worse for wear than the outside. There seemed to be no electricity and the floor had visible holes. This shit better not fall when I walk on it. Thankfully, it didn't but it did squeak with every step. Shit, gotta be real careful. Trying my best to be silent, I walked around the one story house. Strangely enough, there was no sign of the individual. But walking around, I did find the entrance of the basement. "...okay, I don't know if it's a good idea to walk into an abandoned house's basement. Fuck this, let's get out of-"
Turning away from the basement, I immediately felt something prick my neck. Slamming my hand onto it, there was nothing there. Turning back, that familiar smirk was what greeted me. "Don't you know it's bad to trespass? O~ga~ta?"
"Shi-" before I could do anything, the world began to spin. Lights and colors mixed and I felt my balance fail me. "Ah, fuck." And then, it all went black.
?: ?
When I came to, my head was still spinning. It took a few seconds for my mind to come back to normal, and to review prior events. You know what, I brought this onto myself. Fucking idiot. Opening my eyes, I saw that I was in what seemed to be a small, dark room. My hands were tied behind me and my legs were tired to the chair. Trying to pull my legs free, I noticed that unlike everything in the breaking down house, the chair was brand new and made of metal. Of fucking course. But honestly, I wasn't to worried. I couldn't be out for too long, so at most, I'll have to wait an hour at most for my brother and the rest of Library to come rescue me. Good thing I had the foresight to report.
Resigning myself to this, I looked around the room. It was shrouded in darkness, but soon enough, my eyes began to adjust. Lets see, broken floor boards, cockroaches, Ew! Is that a half eaten sandwich? Disgusting. Anyway... oh. There's a table in front of me and a- "Fuck me, man."
Sitting on the table sat a pristine, probably loaded, handgun with a silencer attached. It was most likely the weapon that sent me to the hospital and seeing it made my body shiver unconsciously and made my wounds ache. Shit shit shit! Am I going to die here? Fuck! Why the hell did I come here? Why am I such an idiot?! Breaking me out of my self destructive spiral, the sound of a door opening behind me and footsteps coming closer. "Hey there! Sorry about the mess. Haven't had the time to clean up yet. Teehee!" The black haired young woman walked in front of me and took a seat across from me. And across the gun. "Would you like some tea?"
"Let me go."
"Now now. You and I both know that can't happen." Leaning onto the dirty table, I noticed that she was wearing a red shirt and jeans. "Honestly, if you're going to follow someone, at least be a bit more careful about it. But, given it's not in your build, I'll give you a six out of ten." Her tone was confident and sarcastic. She knew full well she had control of this situation and was reveling in it.
"Sorry, guess I'm not the best at that. So, now that you've made your point-"
"Ogata." Laying her hand on the gun, she instantly silenced me. "Good to see you aren't dead. Will you join me now?"
"...you can't be serious?"
Giggling to herself, she stood up and walked behind me. Laying her hands on my shoulders. "Look, I know we've had our... differences. But who doesn't' in our world? So let's put this behind us and join hands. Okay?"
"...join hands like you did with Seth?"
"...oh well. I tried." I felt her hands run down my back until she reached my hands. "Guess it's this can only end in one way." The sound of a switch blade being opened caused my heart to stop. No no no no! She's going to slice my wrists?! What kind of psychopath thinks of that kind of way to kill someone?! I tried to move my hands in a futile attempt to stop her. But they barely moved centimeters. SHIT SHIT SHIT! "There."
"Huh?" Suddenly, my hands flew away from each other, as if there was nothing stopping them. Sure enough, my hands were freed. And not wasting a moment, I grabbed the gun and pointed it at the girl standing next to me. "Let me go, or I'll shoot."
A disgusting smile spread across her face before she took the seat in front of me again. Not daring to relax, I kept the gun trained on her as she moved. But, unlike me, she was completely relaxed. She placed both of her elbows on the table before resting her head on both of her hands. The switchblade still on her right hand. "Go ahead."
"...what?"
"I'm saying, go ahead. Shoot me. If you do, I'll most likely fall forward, the knife falling out of my lifeless hands and you'll be able to escape. Simple." What? Why the hell is she talking about her death in such a simple manner? Her complete confidence as she spoke and the smirk on her face almost made me think I was the one going crazy. I was the one holding the gun, right? So why is she so relaxed? Why is she so happy? "What are you waiting for, Ogata? Don't you have people to go back to?"
"...I'll do it. Just let go of the knife and-"
"You won't." Widening her smile, she leaned in closer to me, and the gun. "You're too much of a pussy to go through with it. Even when the girl who kidnapped and almost killed your sister is in front of you, you're still hesitating. What's wrong, Ogata? Didn't you say you'd protect them?" She got closer. "Didn't you say you loved them? That they were the most important people in the world to you? Well?" The gun, at that moment, was touching her forehead. Her eyes staring deep into mine. "Shouldn't you get rid of the problem?"
"Ah..." I couldn't turn my eyes away from hers. It felt like I was held in a trance, my finger begging to pull back the trigger. Kill her. "Why? Why the hell do you want me to kill you?!"
"Hehe, I want to have you grow." WHY?! "Do it. Do it and this will all be over. You'll never have to look at me again. Your family will never be threatened by me again. Do it. Do it. DO IT!"
Kill her. Pull the trigger. Do it. Do it. DO IT! DO IT! DO IT! I tried to ignore the base instinct of violence and think of a way out of this. But, looking deep into her eyes, all I could think about was W. The man she killed in order to save me. Did she feel like this? Did she have the voice in her head yelling at her to do it? Was it to protect me? But even so, what did it cost?
Who cares? If you don't do it, she'll come back one way or another. She'll kill Itsuki. She'll torture Miku. Break Yotsu's legs. Hang-
STOP! My mind was going in two ways. I can't! I don't want to! STOP! Closing my eyes, I dropped the gun and took deep breaths. "Leave me alone. Please! JUST LEAVE ME ALONE!" I 'm not going to become one of them! I can't! I won't! I refuse to be a part of that world!
"...if you don't do it, I'll kill everyone important to you."
"Please just leave me alone..."
"...what the hell is wrong with you?! Jumping off of the table, she pushed me to the ground and wrapped her hands around my neck. Not yet putting pressure but clearly ending if I don't do as she says. "Just do it. It's your destiny, Ogata. Stop ignoring the world that calls to you. I'm giving you my life and the throne to the world of the Yakuza on a silver platter and you're ignoring it?! WHAT A FUCKING DISSAPOITMENT!" her hands then tightened around my throat. "My father said you could do it, you can lead the family to greatness, AND YOU DESTROYED THEM!"
"S-St-oop!"
"But fine. I could fix it. I can fix it all. BUT NO! YOU HAD TO BECOME A FUCKING NORMIE AND LEAVE THE WORLD! WHY DO YOU HAVE TO BE SUCH A FUCKING PIECE OF WORK! DO AS I SAY YOU FUCKING PUPPET!" I could feel the air in my lungs slowly deplete. White lights begin to flash in my eyes. I tried to hit her off of me, but my body not only still felt weak from whatever drug she injected into me, but it was also being drained of its strength and she ignored any and all blows I threw at her. I'm gonna die!
"Let-me go!"
"IF YOU CAN'T FOLLOW ORDERs, JUST DI-" Just as my consciousness was beginning to fade, the sound of a loud WACK filled the air. Her body almost immediately fell limp next to me.
"PAHH! Hah...ha.." Instinctively, my hands went to my neck as I coughed and took in deep breaths of the disgusting, dusty air. "What the... Fuck!?"
"Kuro, you alright?" It took me a while to notice Maki kneeling next to me, clear worry painted on her face. "Holy hell, she really tried to choke the fuck out of you. Your neck is all bruised up." Feeling up my precious body part, it stung like nothing else.
"Maki... what are you-"
"You've been gone for two hours. Your brother's been worried as shit." That's right. I told Shiro... I completely forgot. Shaking my head, I looked down at my legs, still tied to the chair. "Let me get that." After standing up, I looked down at the unconscious Shiki. She didn't seem to be bleeding, but whatever Maki hit her with, knocked her out with a single attack. "Looks like I got a crit, huh?" It was then that she picked up the item she wacked her with. It was half of a wooden chair. The other half on the other side of the room.
"...thanks."
"Don't mention it. Oh and don't walk into abandoned houses again. Alright, Retard?"
"...Noted."
July 27th: Night
I didn't leave the hospital until at least eleven at night. While my neck injury wasn't too bad, it was the drugs that Ono had injected into me that were really worrying. Luckily, it was nothing too bad and it left my body after a few hours. Walking out the hospital, all I had to show what had just happened was some bandages on my neck and some pain relievers. Waiting for me outside were my brother and..."Fuck."
"..." Standing next to my brother, with her arms crossed and not even bothering to hide her anger was Ichika. Unlike usual when she would put on a fake smile, the actress was straight up glaring at me. "What did I say?"
"Ummm, hey. I-"
"What. Did. I. Say?" Glancing over to my brother for help, he looked like he was about to shit bricks. You're the leader of an underground organization spanning all of Japan and you're afraid of a high school girl? Turning away from him, I looked back at the pissed off Ichika. Her anger was practically wafting off of her, making me think that the concrete under her feet could crack from her sheer power.
"Sorry, Ichika. I didn't mean for any of this to happen."
"Lil bro... you followed a suspicious person to an abandoned home, walked into said home and was surprised that you got kidnapped?"
"...well when you say it like that, it sounds stupid."
"BECAUSE IT WAS STUPID!" Yelling the loudest I've ever heard her, Ichika walked up to me and- WACK!
"OOF! That looked like it hurt!" Smacked me right across the face. For a second, I thought I was going to lose consciousness for the upteenth time today.
Steeping back, I touched my stinging face before looking at the culprit. Holy hell, that was stronger than Maki's! What a swing! "Are you trying to get yourself killed?! You're damn lucky that your idiot brother had the sense to call me instead of my sisters! Oh, if they shed a single tear because of your fucking idiotic choices I'd kill you!" Ah...
Yeah, it was completely undeniable that what had just happened was one hundred percent my fault. There was no way around it. If I was a smart person, I would have gone home and told my brother to look into it with proper preparations. But noooo, I had to listen to my dumbass brain and go in alone like an idiot. While yes, we apprehended Ono, the same would have happened if we were just careful. "I'm sorry..."
"If you were, you wouldn't do it again!" Punching the top of my head, she continued on with her dressing down. "But even I know you're a complete and utter simpleton who doesn't think before he acts!" Ouch. "I mean honestly! Can you think about how your actions can fucking affect others?! It hasn't even been a month since you got shot and here you go trying to make my sisters sad again! Oh, I should shove my foot so far up your ass that you can taste my nail polish!"
"...that's some colorful language- OW!" This time, a punch in the arm. "Okay, okay! I know, I'm sorry! I know that I'm a complete and utter imbecile, I'm sorry. I know this is hard to believe but I promise that this will never happen again. Cross my heart." Putting a hand over my heart, I bowed in front of the angry young woman.
"Huuuuuuuuh? Look, Kuro. I know you. And it's because I know you that it's hard to believe that. How am I supposed to believe you?"
"..."
"How do you think I feel about this, huh? My little brother going out almost getting himself killed, just days after you recovered from being shot, twice! What if you were more of an idiot and didn't warn your brother? You'd be dead in the basement of a shitty house, with no one knowing what happened. I... my heart would break."
"Ichika. I didn't-'' Looking up to her, her glare had slightly softened but she was still clearly pissed.
"Imagine how everyone else would feel? So fucking stop it! Because I swear to god, if you die, I'll fucking kill you!"
"HUH?!"
"I don't care if you're a ghost, an oni, or even a human, I'll destroy you with my bare hands if you hurt my sisters! So stop being such a dumbass and be normal, alright?!"
I couldn't help but chuckle. "So this is what it means to have an older sister."
"Damn, right." making eye contact, her angry blue eyes softened... before she kicked me in the shin. "Do you understand?"
"OW, ow! I got it. Jeez, if Shiro was even a little bit like you, I doubt that I'd be this dumb."
"HEY!" My brother's disgusting pout and Ichika's exasperated look was definitely what I needed at the moment. these past few days has been very fucking stressful. And honestly there are a lot of questions I still want answered but- Ugh, I don't want to think about this shit for a while.
AN: Hello everyone. First off, sorry for the late update. I may have fibbed a bit about the summer chapters starting, sorry! But next update, I promise! Anyway, I have an announcement to make, or more like announcement of a possible announcement? Well, next week, I'll be starting a new job. At the moment, I don't know how it'll affect my time to write, but I may have to change my update schedule. How? I don't know yet, but I'll let you all know. Sorry about this, but I'll try my best to keep things as they are. Either way, thank you all for reading and I hope you enjoyed this update.
TheMist33: Thank you for you're encouragement. I kept going back on forth on wither to scrap those chapters but thankfully you helped me realize it was the right choice to keep them. Thank you so much, Mist. As always, thanks for reviewing.
Bazzo: Thank you so much for the complement! It means a lot coming from a Yotsuba fan. Honestly, her arc was one of my favorite parts of QQ so I wanted to give her the proper respect she deserves. Same goes for Uesugi. Thank you for your kind review!
