Chapter Two- I See

If the visability had been better, the scene would have been perfect for a Holiday card. The small shack was nestled in the snow. Icicles dangled from the frosted roof, and dark trees formed a canopy over the building, snow falling off its branches to the roof below. The wind whistled, snow blowing off the roof in dancing patterns to the floor below.

Tsuzuki quietly walked down to the corner of the park, occasionally looking over his shoulder to stare at his following footsteps.

The shack was so small, that Tsuzuki nearly overlooked it. He stopped in front of the shack, and directed his gaze to the snow in front of him. Two sets of fresh footprints seemed to be leading in and out of the building, and into the park behind it.

Well, the store seems to be getting business, even on such a late day, Tsuzuki mused. The wind picked up again, blowing snow into Tsuzuki's face. His coat whipped behind him, flapping in the wind.

Gritting his teeth, Tsuzuki wiped the snow from his face, and brought his trenchcoat around him, hastily buttoning it. He normally didn't prefer to button the coat up, but away from all those holiday shoppers, comfort was more of an important priority than show.

Shaking his head with dislike of the cold, Tsuzuki glanced at his watch. Twenty-five minutes until his shift ends.

Ah, oh well, its only twenty-five minutes, and its the holidays. They wont catch me popping into this hole in the wall shop anyway. Tsuzuki assured himself, pushing his hair out of his eyes to get a better look at the almost menacing looking shack. The only thing that seemed prove that people actually stepped in there was a faint yellow light shining through the filthy single window to the dark outside.

Open for business, I am assuming, the man told himself squinting at the window, as he stepped into the already existing footprints to avoid getting his pants in any more snow.

The door to the shop was a weather beaten wooden door. The paint on the doorknob was chipping, and the bottom of the door seemed to be rotting on the bottom. Tsuzuki eyed the door with a raised eyebrow. Maybe the small beaten down appearance was for character, but snow was blowing into the shack from the rotting door, and this caused a wave of suspicion to wash over Tsuzuki's mind.

Tsuzuki hesitated, his hand hovering over the doorknob. The snow and ice continued to strike his face, and his coat snapped behind him in the winter wind.

Tsuzuki glanced behind him again, squinting at the dark, snowy path that lay behind him. Finally, shaking his head, Tsuzuki slowly turned the doorknob and pushed himself inside. 'I need to get something for Hisoka, after all'

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Hisoka sighed, and dragged a hand through his light hair. The boy leaned his chair back, and glanced dully at his wrist watch. It was twenty minutes until his and Tsuzuki's shift ended. That did not mean anything. Hisoka would probably be kept over regardless, as a result of the work that had steadily piled up thanks to Tsuzuki and his infamous slacking. Hisoka gazed at the large crammed folders that lay menacingly in front of him. Hisoka had managed to take a chunk out of the amount of paper work that the two had to do, but a rather large number still remained.

The pair's small office had been festively decorated to reflect the Holidays. Wreaths and garland had been strung across the ceiling. Hisoka recalled that day. He had wearily walked into work to find Tsuzuki and the Ministry's resident inventor Watari perched on office chairs stringing the wreaths and garland across the ceiling. Both were rather red in the face and loudly bellowing carols at the top of their lungs.

Tsuzuki had gaily pulled Hisoka onto another chair, ruffled his hair, and shoved a handful of garland in the boy's arms while in the middle of "Let it Snow"

Hisoka smiled slightly as he recalled that day. Tsuzuki and Watari had gaily dragged Hisoka to a restaraunt afterward in celebration of the upcoming holidays. Of course, actual holidays were not enough for celebrating. To Tsuzuki, there had to be a pre and post celebration for the holidays as well.

Hisoka jerked out of thought, and looked down guiltily at the mountain of paperwork in front of him. The boy sighed and rested his forehead in his palms. I can't wait until Tsuzuki's shift ends, the boy thought, closing his eyes.

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The man had to squint to see inside the shop, regardless of the faint light that shown from a bare bulb. A dusty, musky scent hit Tsuzuki's nose as he stepped in. He quickly covered his nose for a sneeze. As Tsuzuki directed his streaming eyes up, glassy yellow eyes appeared in his vision.

The man yelped and jerked back, to look at the owner of the eyes.

He was a crusty old man, who was looking Tsuzuki up and down, a faint smile in his weathered face.

The owner had to bend back to see all of Tsuzuki. The man had caught himself lingering over this man's eyes. Muraki's instructions continued to play over in his head.

Unnatural eyes, the the Doctor had said. The owner remained riveted to Tsuzuki's clear purple eyes. Tsuzuki returned the stare with a raised eyebrow.

Tsuzuki looked down suspiciously at this short man. "Uh..." he started loudly, trying to get the man's attention.

The owner continued to stare at Tsuzuki, a small smile playing at his lips.

Tsuzuki ruffled his hair impatiently with a hand, uncomfortable. What a weirdo, he thought. "Um, hello" Tsuzuki attempted again, this time, snapping his fingers.

The owner, snapped back, and tore his eyes away from Tsuzuki's. "Yes, hello" he croaked.

Tsuzuki stuffed his hands in his pockets, and looked around the walls of the shop, the dusty shelves filled with all sorts of oddities. "I was directed here to find a present. Would you be able to help me? You are the owner of this place right?"

The owner turned and limped back to his counter. He sat in the chair behind it with a sigh, and folded his arms across his chest. The man tried to keep his eyes down. The doctor's friend seemed to be getting suspicious.

"Yes, I am the owner" he wheezed. "Looking for a gift, are you?"

Tsuzuki nodded, shivering slightly due to the winter wind that steadily blew inside the building.

The owner smiled and rubbed his cracked hands together. "Well then sir, why don't you take a look at these?" He ducked down, opening the glass cabinet. With a little glance in Tsuzuki's direction, the owner pulled out the bag with the items the doctor had dropped off. He slowly began to pull them out of the bag and set them gingerly on his glass counter.

"Antiques they are. Old things I have. Pictures,documents, things that interest and stimulate the brain. Things for scholars to study" The owner stated proudly. He gestured down at the counter.

Tsuzuki shrugged and walked over to the counter. Little clouds of dust billowed up from where he stepped. Old pictures and things to study and stimulate the brain? That was very Hisoka-like.

The counter was filled with photographs, newspaper clippings, papers, a small leather bound book, as well as a vile. Tsuzuki reached down, and lifted a crumbling sheaf of paper. Lifting it close to his nose, squinting, to read it in the pale light, Tsuzuki made out some of the characters. It seemed to be a medical report.

The owner smiled slightly. "Is your friend into medical research?" he asked, observing Tsuzuki's face.

Tsuzuki shook his head as he was trying to make out the characters in the crumbling paper. "No...he is interested in just about every field..." he murmured.

Holding the paper up to the dim light of the candle he managed to make out the heading of the report.

-PATIENT NAME: TSUZUKI ASATO-

'What the?!'

With a small scream of shock, the report fluttered to the floor. The man crumbled with it, head in his arms.

The shopkeeper emitted a small smile. A shadow in the window quickly moved away.