5th Chapter

"Excuse me?" Shinsuke turned around and looked at the moron who just insulted me.

Mugen just smirked at him, visibly insulting my friend. "That flat-chested broad with you. 'Tis one helluva surprise t'see yah holding hands with a boy."

What he said really hit a nerve. I tried to run to him and punch him but Shinsuke held me back by holding my hand in his. I looked at him and slightly blushed at his gesture. Just from that I calmed down, as if he's telling me, telephatically, that he'll take care of it.

"Why? Do you know Fuu somehow?" he calmly asked with a completely stoic expression.

"Do I?" the moron picked his ears, "Yah. I know that she's one helluva troublemaking flat-chested broad."

Shinsuke raised an eyebrow, "Oh? Is that so? So you mean that every girl that any girl that fits your description is automatically Fuu?"

Mugen grinned and opened his mouth to retort back an insult, completely directed to me but nothing came out of his mouth. I see what is Shinsuke trying to do, he's smart-talking and tricking Mugen. For him, doing this kind of thing is a piece of cake, it was necessary in his kind of work to trick people. He may not be attending classes on a regular basis but when it comes to mental gymnastics, he's a pro.

"You have no answer? Well... If you'll excuse us. The both of us will be going now."

Shinsuke and I smiled triumphantly when Mugen did not spit out any retort to what my friend just said. I will never forget this, where Mugen was able to be shut up by someone who looked less intimidating than him. That man, he's all brawns but with no brain. All he knows is to act fast but leaves the thinking process forever. What kind of a man is he for thinking that being physically strong is enough to survive at this time and age?

"Ya' gonna talk smart with me kid?" he said with a threatening voice.

Shinsuke smirked, reserved and composed, "So what?"

This guy doesn't know when to quit, does he? Just by being few centimeters near with these two, I can feel some incredible aura from them, and that is not a good thing. If this goes on, things could go messy and Mugen might start a fight with Shinsuke. That man might be a moron but he's much stronger than my friend and Shinsuke is not much of a fighter, not that I know of. Maybe it's time for me to step in front of these two.

"Okay!" I clapped my hands, "Hold up you two! If any of you started a fight, I'll kick your sorry asses! That means you!" I pointed at Mugen.

Mugen clicked his tongue, "Cheh! Like I'm going ta' fight a weakling like him." He said before walking away from us.

"You ass! You always like to piss me off and ruin my day don't you?!" I yelled at him.

Mugen inserted his finger inside his ear. "You're loud as always you dumb broad." he said then started to walk away from me.

"Fuu, c'mon. Mom's waiting for us." Shinsuke called out to me.

If I had one more 'coincidental' meeting with that jerk and if he pisses me off for one last time, my father's memento will not be a charm anymore as it will be documented as the weapon in his murder case. Does the world hates me so much that it allowed fate to make me meet him for three days in a row?

"Fuu, you looked so stressed. Did something bad happened to you today?"

Geez... Does auntie really need to ask me about my day?

I just smiled and reassured her that everything is fine and nothing has happened to me. She looked at me suspiciously for few seconds then gave me a warm small smile.

"How about you Shinsuke? How was your day?"

"Peachy."

Sometimes, I really envy Shinsuke for still having his mother and how caring she is to him. Although mom is only dead for two years, I cannot remember what she looked like anymore, even the sound of her voice is slowly slipping off my memories bit by bit. Everything gets so blurry whenever I try to remember her. I wish I could have noticed her illness earlier so I could have done something about it but I didn't. I just lived my life both with happiness and bitterness and never took note of what my mother physically felt. It may sound stupid, but maybe the real reason why I help auntie to recover is to fill the empty space in my heart where lies my regrets of what I could have done about my own mother's sickness.

Shinsuke and I left the hospital after sunset and he walked me to the bar I work at. He's been silent this whole time, which is actually unnatural for him. He didn't even offer to escort me to my workplace before. Usually, after visit his mother, we will go our separate ways and do whatever we have to do before the end of the day but today, this is certainly weird.

"Uhm." I started, trying to break the ice. "Thanks for escorting me but," I glance sideways, "shouldn't you be like... on your way to your job or back to your home?"

He arched an eyebrow and eyed confusely, "What do you mean? It's dark already. Why would I leave you walk through dark streets and alleyways?" Shinsuke looked away from me, "Who knows what kind of a person lurks in that darkness."

"Ah"

I see now. He must have been alarmed and distraught with Mugen. I couldn't deny what he meant with that. That man is rather a dangerous man, a felon and a vulgar hoodlum that can hack and slash any human being that comes in his way, well except for a woman that is well endowed and oozing with sex appeal.

I bid Shinsuke goodbye and he went on his way. Upon entering the 'Staffs only' area, while I change into my working clothes to the end of my job, my mind can't drift away from Mugen, strange enough.

Just by thinking about him killing everyone no matter who they are made me remember what happened in that alleyway two days prior. The way he nimbly and quickly evades his opponents were simply astonishing. That man was enjoying it. From the rush he's getting and obviously from irritating them that they cannot land a single hit on him. I wonder if Mugen's sources of happiness are being in a fight, and having sex with multiple and random beautiful women with mouth-watering bodies? Even though he's an equivalent to a dog in heat, that still doesn't change that he's indeed a great fighter.

I can't forget his sword. It was a peculiar one with its hilt resembling to a sai and his scabbard that is adorned with strange patterns. I've actually seen many swords since Jin came to my life. Jin has two swords of his own, though it was not hanged like a decoration like how usual katanas should be nowadays. I always see him using one of his katana as he do some swings every morning whenever I sleep at his house. He actually knows that I have a tanto in my possession and thought me how to properly wield it for self-defense.

Mugen, even with a lanky figure and skinny wrist, he wielded his sword with ease and with such speed to injure that man. I wonder how it will turn out when he and Jin get to fight each other.

Nah.

On second thought. I don't want to see that to happen and see them fight. Much that I dislike that dog, seeing him clashing swords with Jin will be something unpleasant to see. Not that there will be blood that will be spilled, I have full trust and admiration with Jin's swordsmanship. It's just that there is a twisted bond between those two and them fighting each other with their own sword seemed so... wrong.

I didn't realize that during the duration of my shift, my mind and my thoughts are directly to Jin and Mugen. My old curiosity came back to my system. Inside of me has this boiling feeling to know the truth; the same one with wanting to know my father's whereabouts, and the truth about his absence from our family and his negligence to his responsibility as the man of the house.

Father, I think of him again. I really want these thoughts to fly away out the window or at least bury them at the very depths of my brain and to never let them resurface in my mind.

I've long abandoned the possibility to find that sorry for a father. He had hidden very well and he even had the nerve to not take his own child after his wife died. Does he even have sympathy for his wife, the one who never stopped hoping for him to come back to his family until she drew her last breath. Stupid inconsiderate man.

My train of thoughts seemed to have stopped because of a car honking at me. I looked up and saw Jin inside, ever with his trademark stoic and deadpan expression. I just sighed and hopped inside his car.


I'm back~ sorry for the very late update of this story, kinda hectic~. Also, while editing this draft, I also went over to the previous chapters and revised. Minor ones. If I read it again in the future, might revise it again.

Date of Revision: 11/14/2022