Yusuke.
If she burped like a man one more ti—she did it again. Just now. She let out that gas-filled rumble from her throat again just now.
"I was wondering why you and Kurama haven't hooked up and I'm guessing that's why," I groaned, shoving the can of beer in my face and downing the last of it.
She belched again out of spite. "There's plenty reasons why we haven't gotten together and that's probably because I don't know if he even—"
No, I didn't want to hear this shit. "Just stop talking. Just shut your trap."
"You brought it up and I'm on my fourth beer," she said, shrugging. "I'll talk about it. I'll talk about it."
"Go ahead, I ain't listenin'," I replied, watching my ball drop into the cluster of pins.
All that time with Queen Witch and she suddenly couldn't handle four beers? This beer was shit too, like literal piss water or something. I wasn't even buzzed.
She knew I called her bluff as she shoved the can to her face and mumbled into the aluminum. "I don't want to talk about it either, really."
We sat in our favorite pachinko parlor. Shades on, collars up. All around us were sounds of clicks and jingles and bells. Surrounded by lazy parents, losers, gambling addicts, and a few teens like us, we kept a low profile in the far back corner of the parlor.
I let her take the seat next to the wall so she didn't have to sit next to the guy who could have possibly been a dad but was probably divorced because of a gambling problem.
Smelled like hard liquor too.
We'd probably pull a "hey, mister" on him once we finished this pack of beer so we could get something decent.
She flicked her lever again, sucking her teeth in irritation and drawing my eyes to her briefly.
Her shades weren't fooling anyone. I could only see the left side of her face but I knew under those shades were some nice new shiners.
I knew she wouldn't want to talk about it so I didn't bother bringing it up. I didn't really want to be reminded of how much of an ass her dad could be either.
Her slot went off, making loud noises and chimes as she collected more and more balls. The signature jingle from a popular TV show played loudly and she danced in her chair, beer can clutched tightly in one hand as she threw up strange gang-like signs in the air with the other.
"See me and these balls at the cash-in counter, bitches!" she cheered.
"Shhhhhhh!" I shoved my empty beer can into her cheek, pushing her head. "Shut up, moron!"
She swatted my can away and continued dancing until the music died and then curled up in her chair. As I looked down the aisle to make sure nobody was going to come ask for our IDs, she snickered.
She pulled a few of the silver balls into her plastic bucket and when I felt the coast was clear I returned to fingering the lever and setting off my balls into the playground.
"So what'd you decide to do with the Prince?" she asked, resuming her play.
"Haven't decided anything yet."
"Border Patrol on your ass?"
"Not yet."
"Are you going to fight to stay here?" she asked, turning to face me as her machine rang loudly again.
"Don't know."
Her eyebrows rose up from behind the large shades. "You don't want to stay here?"
"Don't know."
We sat in silence but I could feel the anger boiling around her. Geez, I could only imagine how Keiko was going to take this if Aiko was already upset. I didn't even say I was leaving and I had to watch for a stray fist now.
"Well, I made a decision," she sighed after a minute.
"What?" I fingered the lever again, sending more balls into the playground.
"I don't know how to put it?" She pulled the can to her face, taking a sip. "I don't know if you could say he hired me but…"
"He"? …Koenma?!
"He what?!" My machine went off, ringing loudly as I turned in my chair to face her. "He did what?"
He hired her as Reikai's detective?!
"I'm not on the books," she said, speaking into her can to keep her voice low. "But I'm… I'm working for him."
How stupid could she get?
"You're Reikai's new detective?"
He replaced me that fast?! With her? Was his diaper wrapped too tight? Some lack of blood to his head had to be involved with that decision!
"No."
Oh. Phew.
"Then what?" She mumbled a reply and I couldn't hear her. "Huh?"
She mumbled again.
"Huh?"
"Info."
…What.
I squinted at her, leaning my right ear towards her. "Huh?"
"Info." What?
On Border Patrol? …Oh. I sat back in the chair and flicked the lever again.
"Sure you're up for that?" I asked.
Well, Koenma wouldn't send someone to do something if they couldn't do it, especially not her. He wouldn't ask her to do anything she couldn't do. Maybe this time if Aiko had some direction she could give him some info instead of wandering around like a blind bat…
Still, something wasn't sitting right with me. I didn't like this. She shouldn't be risking her life for Koenma; that wasn't her job. She shouldn't be put through the kind of shit I went through.
She let out a heavy breath. "Yeah."
Tongue in cheek, I decided to tell her what I'd really been considering so I didn't tell her what I thought about her decision. "Thinking of going to Makai."
"Why?" Her hand hovered over the lever in shock.
I shrugged. "Koenma asked me in Makai whether I wanted to come home. I answered so confidently, too… that I wanted to come back. But I'm not sure that's what I really wanted."
"The fact you even said it so confidently to begin with means something, though," she asserted.
"Yeah but… I guess this is a bad way to put it or something but," I paused. "I'm bored."
She didn't reply and I didn't say anything else. Finally, after a few more pulls of the lever, she spoke through gritted teeth.
"You're always out to get yourself killed, you know that?"
She didn't get to talk now. I repressed a scowl and shrugged, keeping my comments at bay. "It's been over a year now and it feels natural? I don't know. Right now I just don't feel like I should be here. It's boring."
"Basically, you're saying you don't have anything here worth staying for."
Woah, the fuck? She was so curt it took me by surprise. That wasn't the same as her "you're a reckless idiot" attitude. That was straight up bitter.
"Don't bring Keiko into this," I groaned.
"I'm not," she replied harshly. "You are."
I sniffed, avoiding Keiko like the plague. "I'm going to talk to Koenma about everything in a few, actually."
She sat back in her chair, not bothering the play the game anymore. We sat in silence for a few minutes until she reached for the machine.
"I should get home…" she mumbled, pulling out all her silver balls from the little pit.
Ugh, I didn't know which was worse: Keiko's slaps or Aiko's anger.
"How'd you get out anyway?" I asked, hoping to just kill the atmosphere the other convo created.
This convo wasn't going to bring a better atmosphere but if I could get her to lay off me then I'd bring it up.
"It's his way of apologizing, I guess," she replied. "I'll have some freedom now. It won't be much though, because even though we don't want to be around each other he gets pissy if I'm gone too long."
"He's letting you ditch class?"
"Like hell he wants me to show up with bruises on my face," she scoffed. "Do you know how much makeup it takes to cover all this even if I use lipstick under the foundation? I have to repay Shiori and her fiancé for all the finances for the goose chase I sent them on so I have to conserve what I can. My Kagami Brawl money is for rent and bills, so I really don't want to dip into that."
I stared at her for a minute before asking. "Did your reiki spike when you went home?"
She shook her head. "No, it's easy to repress. Now, even when my emotions go haywire it doesn't come out."
I nodded. "Guess it's good he didn't see it then."
She nodded too. "Would have had even more explaining to do."
We waited at the cash-in for a younger clerk to pick our prizes. The guy knew we weren't of age but he let us pick anyway. We then went to another vender across the street to sell the prizes, and we waited in silence as the tellers counted our amounts.
"If you leave, you won't be able to come back," she said suddenly as she put her money in her wallet.
"They can't tell me what to do," I snorted.
"You're going to be gone a long time." She pursed her lips and situated her purse on her shoulder. "Who knows when or even if you can come back."
I shrugged and we began heading out the building. "Won't be that bad. You got your own job to worry about now."
If her sunglasses weren't still covering her eyes I would have seen them roll. "That's not… Whatever. I have to go."
We stepped foot into the early morning light and despite just telling me she was leaving, she stood still.
"See ya," I said, waving and waiting for her to walk, but she didn't move. "…What?"
"Kurama's going to come to you," she said.
"About?"
"The Prince and my dad."
"You don't want me to tell him about your new job?"
"No. I'll tell him."
"And about your dad?" I grimaced.
"I just want you to tell him it wasn't my dad."
Shiiiiiiittttt…
"I do not want to be caught up in your relationships, Aiko. Come on."
When I got caught by Minoru that one night over about a year ago, I was there to witness how her father acted. Like, I was sure he wasn't anything near what she experienced last night, but even that was wrong on a hell of a lot of levels.
He liked to get in her face and corner her a lot, intimidate her.
She pulled her sunglasses up to sit on her head, showing me the pretty shiners she got last night and the nasty bruise under her right eye.
"Look at my face and tell me you're going to tell him my business," she ordered. Her nose was a bit swollen too...
Uuuuuuggh. "Can't you guys keep me out of this?"
"He's going to you because I'm not talking about it," she said, pointing a slender index finger into my chest, her red nail piercing the flannel's fabric. "I know he is. And you won't talk about it either. Just tell him it's not my dad and leave it."
"Why do I have to be in this…" I grumbled and found my hands thrown in the air. "I don't even know what happened!"
"Yeah, but we both know you have some functioning muscle in that brain that works sometimes. I'm sure you had ideas that bounced around in that head for maybe five seconds."
"Not really enticing me to help, you know."
"Just do it, please," she said, shaking her head in defeat and putting her shades back on.
I rubbed the back of my neck. "Yeah. 'Course."
"I really should get going," she sighed.
I held out my hand to her, waiting for a quick, hip shake goodbye, but she pushed it out the way and wrapped her arms around me. My arms found themselves in the air, surprised, since it wasn't like I just came back to life again or anything. Eventually as the seconds seemed to drag on I found myself scratching my cheek.
"Promise me you'll let me know what you choose." The words were supposed to be nice, but the tone was harsh. "I want to see you off if you're leaving."
I hung my head and sighed. I rested my arm around her shoulders and my face in her hair.
"Nah, I'm going to skip out on your ass. That's a promise."
"Fuck you."
And with that, I found myself watching her as she walked down the street. She walked with a new pace, a new sort of aura—a saunter, almost…
I wondered why she took the job.
I waited outside my bathroom door, hand hovering over the knob. I wanted to knock. I mean, I knew she wouldn't answer and I'd just end up standing outside the bathroom. Not like she was suddenly stripping in there…
With a small sigh, I opened the door and found her hunched over the sink, water running. I closed the door behind me before walking up next to her. I leaned my back against the counter, staring back at the door.
I didn't want to look at her… well, I did. But I didn't think she wanted me to look at her. I could see her from the corner of my eyes though, and she just stared at herself in the mirror, face long and white like she'd just seen a… yeah.
We stood in silence for a while and I knew she knew I was there. I found myself saying the first thing that came to mind I thought would help.
"You wouldn't mind it happening, you know? And then it happens and you see everything around you and then suddenly you kind of mind."
She didn't reply but I could feel her gaze shift slightly towards me.
"But it took me a while to mind," I said.
"I've always looked like this," she mumbled, lips barely moving.
"Yeah. You had some days where you looked fuller and then you had your days where you looked sicker."
"Nobody ever really said anything…"
"Didn't know how you'd take it. Didn't exactly want to upset you or encourage you."
"Yeah…" She stared down at the running water. She had this kind of sadness wafting around her, like she'd been lied to her entire life. "I thought I wouldn't mind it happening either."
She wanted to wash her face, wake herself up, but she couldn't bring herself to put water on her face.
I stared down at the tiles below and figured I didn't really need to think of anything to say. I kind of already knew.
"You got a second chance, Aiko." My arms found their way across my chest. "You have to take this chance and use it. Next time you die, make sure you're going out how you want to go out. Do it on your terms for the right reason."
She stared down at the water some more before asking. "What's my right reason?"
I shrugged. "You'll just know."
She continued staring at the drain, watching the water swirling down. Then with a deep breath, she quickly pooled some water in her hands and splashed it on her face. She ran her fingers through her hair before turning off the water. She planted her hands on the counter and I looked over to her.
She was still looking at her reflection. She stood up straight after a minute, staring herself down in the mirror.
"Thank you."
"Don't mention it." I nodded to the door. "Let's just get back out there."
"Didn't take you for a coffee kind of guy." That familiar voice broke my attention.
I looked up to find prince shit head standing across the table from me in a beige suit and slacks. He wore a matching bandana over his forehead to cover his mark, like the bandana was any less suspicious. He sat across from me.
"Looking to try new things, I guess. With cream, it's alright."
Koenma sighed and turned the subject on him, as usual. "I'm not being charged with anything yet. At least, not officially. But don't let your guard down because my father's planning something, I know him."
"Like a way to take me out? Big deal." I took another sip of the coffee, which quickly turned on me. Didn't taste as good anymore. I reached for a sugar packet and decided to dump some in and see if it got any better. "I'm bored as hell."
Koenma cocked an eyebrow at my words and I grinned at him. His brows furrowed for a second and then his expression turned questioning, calm.
"Do you regret it?"
"What?"
"Returning to Ningenkai."
"It feels like something's missing, I don't know." I shrugged, watching a pretty waitress waltz past, balancing a couple of drinks on her tray. "I'm sure I'd feel the same if I chose to stay in Makai."
Koenma didn't reply as I took another sip.
Eh.
"You ordering anything?" I asked, and he shook his head.
Since when did his fat ass not want to order any food?
I didn't argue, not wanting to foot whatever bill he'd rack up if he changed his mind, and quickly set the coins and tip on the counter.
We headed out the café, walking aimlessly through the streets of the city.
"You should talk to Genkai," Koenma said. "I'm sure she'd be willing to help you figure it out."
I repressed a crude laugh. That old biddy would just say something like: "You're acting like a sniveling wimp. It's your ass; wipe it yourself."
"Yeah, doubt it," I replied.
But I knew I'd end up on her doorstep anyway, and he knew I would too. She was really the only person that could give me some guidance about this.
Aiko and Keiko weren't people I could talk to about this; they would want me to stay. Kuwabara wouldn't agree with my decision to head off. Hiei wouldn't give a shit so he wouldn't be any use to talk to. Kurama could help.
He would be a good person to talk to about it too… Nah, he has Aiko to worry about. I wouldn't bother him.
"Also, what the fuck is wrong with you?" I side-glanced to Koenma, who returned the look with something of complete innocence.
"What?"
"Hiring Aiko. Your Dad drop you on your head all the time or something?"
He scowled at me. "She is quite useful for what I need done."
"She can't even fight—you really think what you're getting her into won't get violent?"
"Her not being able to fight isn't a problem."
I knew exactly what that meant. I shook my head, finally understanding why Aiko always got so upset over me.
"She's got enough shit in just her home life to deal with and you want her to go undercover and be a spy?"
He gave me a blank stare, giving a snippy reply as if the answer was obvious. "Yes. I did not force her into anything. She chose to take the job." Before I could open my mouth, Koenma cut me off, quickly changing the subject. "I hope you heed my advice and stay alert, and if you do decide to go to Makai, I will set an arrangement with my father. If nothing works out, we will just send you illegally."
Reikai was such a crock of shit I couldn't even figure how they functioned.
"Alright." I nodded, giving him a warning stare that I wasn't going to let him drop the subject. "But if I leave and she's not alive when I get back, I'm holding you responsible."
"I'm responsible for everything that happens," he replied simply.
I couldn't tell if his tone was tainted with sarcasm or disdain because it was true. Probably both, now that I thought about it.
Kurama.
"Reikai's first detective," I mused. "Do you really think she can help you decide?"
"Don't think so," Yusuke said. "But she stopped being a detective for some reason. Maybe she could help me decide… but that depends on why she left."
I sat on the bench, waiting for the bus with Yusuke. He leaned against the post in a suit a tad too big for him and left the jacket unbuttoned to show his button-up. I crossed one leg over the other, feeling the fabric of my khaki's ride up slightly.
"I'm not sure if she would sway you to go to Makai," I said. "In all honesty, I doubt it. She's worked for Reikai and hasn't hid herself from them. She's on good standing with them in that regard, at least."
"Kurama," he said with a grin. "Man, I know why you're here."
Now, I truly cared about what he wanted to do. We fought together for months now, side by side. We were comrades, our group, brothers in arms. But his decision to go to Makai would not change that. While we may not see each other after he departs, the relationship would not alter.
A relationship wasn't affected with his decision and he knew this. And so he called me out with no malicious intent.
"She told you I would ask, didn't she?" I smiled up to him, and he nodded.
"Yeah. Told me exactly what to say, too."
I could hear her now: "Thanks for ratting me out, you piece of shit."
"So, which do you want to know about first?" he asked.
"Koenma's arrangement with her," I tried.
"Said she was going to tell you about that on her own," he said, pinching his fingers and dragging them over his lips, pretending to zip them shut. "Have to ask her."
"Then I'd like to know about her father."
Even though he knew the question was coming, I could see his tongue push into his cheek, his face try to repress a cringe.
"It wasn't him." He shrugged.
It wasn't him.
I couldn't help but quirk an eyebrow. "Could you elaborate?"
He shook his head. "I don't…" He then sighed and scratched the back of his head. "Don't bring this up, but it wasn't her dad. I mean, he kind of… like, exploits that shit and it's fucked up. But it wasn't him."
"Wasn't him," I repeated.
The only clue I'd been given this entire time.
"Look, I really don't know. I just kind of did some thinking on my own," he groaned and cocked his head back on the post before letting it hang forward. "From what I can tell, they never caught the guy. And that's all I'm saying. She would seriously lynch me for telling you that and it's probably not even true."
How could…
"Ah." A possibility flashed through my mind briefly. I glanced up to him and he returned the gaze with a small nod.
"Yeah," he said with a sniff. "So don't bring it up. Don't even hint you have an idea."
"Then on the off-chance she smells me lying, it's probably best you head to Makai." I gave him a wry smile and he gave me the finger.
"I don't even know what I'm going to talk to this lady about," he grumbled, craning his neck around to see if the bus would roll around the corner. "I feel like Genkai's just passing me off to her."
"I wonder what advice she could even give, honestly. There's also the possibility that she just gave up her position to have a normal life, which seems most plausible."
"And then I still won't really know what I want to do," he grunted.
"Yusuke, I believe you do know what you want to do."
He sent me a lingering glance and sighed. "Yeah but I feel like if I end up going, I'll feel like I made a mistake. It's that 'wanting what you can't have' crap, like a wolf crying for the moon."
I paused in thought. The short breeze that brushed past us was the only sound until I decided to speak aloud what he didn't want to.
"Your body will adjust to the youkai heritage that's been awakened in you," I noted, and he watched me carefully. "Now you'll age at a slower rate than normal. There's a possibility that you may even live as long as youkai do."
"Like forever?"
"Youkai can live for millennia, but eventually it is possible for some to die of old age." I decided to keep it short since the subject of youkai and aging varied throughout races, though one thing was for sure: we would all witness countless generations of Ningenkai's inhabitants throughout our time. "Of course, the only other way to die is be killed or commit suicide, but youkai do have their age limits."
He stared me down and then looked to the concrete sidewalk below.
"Whatever decision you make, whatever advice you receive that sways your choice, make sure to keep that in mind."
"That why you stay here in Ningenkai?" he asked.
I nodded. "I have many reasons to stay now, and when those reasons are gone, I can return to Makai if I choose. I have that freedom of choice. And now, you might too."
The bus rolled around the corner and he straightened up from leaning on the pole.
I could see it in his eyes as he watched the bus come to a stop in front of us. He knew Keiko knew it, he knew Aiko knew it. He knew everyone knew it. And in the back of his mind this whole time, he knew it too.
"Thanks, man," he said as he walked to the opening door of the bus. He sent a genuine grin to me over his shoulder. "I'll keep that in mind."
I nodded in reply, returning the grin with a smile. As the bus' doors hissed closed and began to head off, I wondered if he would stay knowing our friends didn't have the luxury of time we did.
Aiko's anger simmering from her very being and practically warming the cool night air around us only hours later told me she had a feeling he wouldn't. She was just steps behind me, quiet and noticeably upset and unable to control her emotions even when inviting me to go to the store with her that evening.
She called me from a payphone about an hour ago.
"Have you sneaked out?" I asked.
I glanced to her over my shoulder as I walked, finding her face to be well covered with makeup. The bruises couldn't even be seen.
"No, he lets me out every day for a few hours," she replied. And there it was, the cycle of abuse: the tension building, the incident, the reconciliation, and the calm. "I just wanted you to come with me to the department store to get a cup."
They were on the reconciliation and would soon return to the calm.
"One cup," I clarified.
"Yes."
I sighed and she adjusted the strap of her cross-body purse. We hadn't spoken for the duration of the walk. She didn't even greet me when we met at the nearby park.
Then there was her knowing I talked to Yusuke, so a portion of the negative emotions wafting around was directed at me. I knew, though, that she wasn't too upset with me if she still wanted my company.
I figured I'd let her settle and start whatever conversation she wanted.
We finally arrived at the department store and I stepped inside first, feeling the AC at the door on high, pushing a heavy breeze past me. I heard the rough blues play softly from the ceiling speakers as the door chimed when I stepped inside.
It chimed again as Aiko entered. It chimed once more and before I could glance back to see why she stalled, she picked up her pace to walk ahead of me. I followed her leisurely, eyeing familiar bedding and curtains in my home. It was when I passed by a plastic covered duvet that I felt a familiar spark, one of my own.
I tensed, senses becoming hyper alert. I debated what to do, wondered why they appeared. They briefly let their youki flourish; daring to tip off any Reikai officials that may be lurking as a citizen just to let me know my attention was wanted. If they decided to come for me any other time, I wouldn't have minded. But they caught me with her and she was now a liability.
Depending who they were, what they wanted, I couldn't let her leave. For all I knew, they could harm her, use her against me. The last thing I wanted was to send her off… even though keeping her was just as dangerous.
I found her in the aisle next to the silverware, squatting and looking at the glass cups marked individually.
At least I could keep an eye on her if she stayed with me.
How long had they been following me?
I stood over Aiko, watching her decide between the glass in her hand and the one on the shelf.
"This looks like hers, doesn't it?" she asked, and I knelt next to her.
Mother bought many things from this store. "I'd go as far as to say that's the glass."
I focused on the energy that was lost, disappeared, and contemplated where they may be. Not likely in the store, though I didn't know who was my threat. They concealed their youki well, meaning they had a real reason to hide—they were powerful, a threat to Ningenkai.
If they released any more youki to catch my attention they could very well be put on Reikai's radar.
She set the glass down on the shelf and began moving her hands, signing. Though I was able to pick up movements and some signs, I never found the time to crack open the book she gave me. Being around her family after winter break, though, I was able to understand some of the language.
When I merely stared at her, trying to place the movements and form the sentence, she stared at me in tired disbelief. "Really?!"
After quick thought, I remembered some signs well enough to get the gist.
What should we do about them?
She felt the youki flourish too.
I sighed, debating, and finally mouthed: "Stay close."
She nodded and picked up the glass from the shelf. I felt the area around us as she reached the cashier and paid for the cup. Their exchange was brief and the young man behind the counter encased the glass in multiple layers of paper to keep it from breaking in the bag.
We stepped out the store and as the brisk air hit my face, I began scouting for the suspects among the crowded sidewalk. I knew as I scouted, searched faces and scents, I wouldn't find them. I would have to put myself in seclusion so they would reveal themselves.
Aiko's free arm snaked through mine and she held me like an actress would her beau on the red carpet. I pulled her hold closer with the tug of my arm, ensuring our desires to not lose each other in the crowd, to be pried from each other.
The notion of her proximity was even more important seeing as how adamant she was before to keep her distance.
We continued our walk, and though I couldn't feel their youki, I knew they were watching. I turned into a nearby alley at such a sudden it practically pulled Aiko off her feet.
She stumbled behind me, her hand still gripped on my upper arm. She stood up straight as I noted the three figures at the other end of the alleyway.
"Let go," I whispered to her, stepping slightly in front of her to hide her with my stature.
Defiant, her grip on my cotton sweater became tighter and she stood her ground, staring the figures down. With their concealing cloaks, I figured they adorned talismans underneath to keep their youki at bay. I could only imagine what she thought they looked like, as even I was wondering.
They were strong. But who they were was a mystery.
They waited patiently, as if waiting for her to leave. She wouldn't and I wasn't going to trust that route tonight.
"I'm not fond of late night visitors," I said to the three, ensuring them I wouldn't risk her well-being. "Those discussions tend to escalate into violence."
The one in the middle, the tallest with his face shadowed by a straw hat and heavily wrapped scarf, took his hand out of his pocket and a swirl of ki rounded itself in his clawed hand.
I shifted myself in front of her again, putting her completely out of their sight. A small ball solidified and I quickly realized it was not a weapon.
"Take this," he said with a gravelly, low voice. "It's a message ball from Lord Yomi."
I tensed in surprise as he tossed me the ball. "Yomi?"
It landed in my free hand with ease, and I felt the familiar warmth of ki surrounding it, one I hadn't felt in hundreds of years. It was indeed Yomi's.
"What does he want with me?" But of course, I wouldn't get a message from an errand boy. A portal ripped behind him and the three disappeared into it instantly.
I could only figure one reason, guilt pushing it to the top of the list of possibilities: revenge. But why now?
He must have felt my youki when I was in Makai fighting Sensui. I stared down at the purple, glowing ball, wondering what he had in mind.
It was then I felt the tight grip had loosened from my arm and traveled to my hand. Thin fingers laced themselves through mine.
"Let's go!" Aiko snapped, tugging on my hand as she headed for the sidewalk. "Unless they timed their departure for a natural rip in the barrier, Reikai officials will be here any minute."
She tugged again, breaking into a run, and I was forced to follow with her grip still tight. She pulled me out of the alley and through the crowded sidewalk, pushing past people who walked opposite us.
"We're fine," I said, but she only held my hand tighter. "We're far enough."
She ignored me and pulled me to the edge of the side-walk, stopping at the cross walk. She let go of my hand and turned to face me, ready to interrogate.
"What did you do now?!" I wanted to say her expression was anger, but her face dropped to that of fear. "Who's…" She hushed her voice after looking around. "Yomi?"
I eyed the area briefly, scanning for any other subordinates—Reikai's or Yomi's.
"He was an old ally," I replied, watching as people poured in next to us and waiting for the cross walk light to change.
"Old ally," she repeated, her words dripping with frustration.
I inched towards her and stopped immediately. I held my hand out, letting it hover closer to her shoulder. "May I?"
She watched my hand and then nodded curtly, letting me rest my hand on the back of her neck to pull her in close.
"He was a hindrance to our group," I whispered in her ear, smelling the familiar scent of cucumber melon and cigarettes wafting up from her skin and hair. "He was reckless and hot-headed. We couldn't afford losing any more men or marks. I sent an assassin, hired someone to kill him."
Her hand found its way to the back of my neck; her fingers weaved themselves in my hair leisurely. The endearing and comforting gesture was then quickly tainted.
"It obviously didn't fucking work, now did it?" she hissed, her breath warm against my ear before she pulled away to cover her face in her hands. The shopping bag slid to her elbow, dangling loosely. "You're fucking kidding me, Ku—Shuichi." She looked around after she corrected herself in public. "You're fucking… You're fucking kidding me!"
The cross walk sign flickered from red to white, and the crowd surrounding us continued on with their night, stepping into the street.
"You're fucking kidding me!" she screamed, hands travelling to her forehead and gripping it in pain. "Do you understand how much jeopardy that puts us in?!"
"He won't come near you. I will make sure of that," I reassured her, hands hovering around her shoulders in hopes to calm her down. "And whatever you have planned…" I paused, careful of my words. "Won't be jeopardized."
"I know they fucking won't come near me or my family," she replied. "Because they minute they see me near Natsume, they won't come with in a fifty kilometer radius of my ass." *
"Then I'm hoping you'll enlighten me why you're in frenzy if you feel safe."
She blinked slowly and stared at me, and then blinked again. She cocked her head forward with a more than incredulous look on her face.
"Have these past few months not sunk in yet?" she asked, completely bewildered. She stepped up to me, standing on her toes to close our distance and put her face to mine. "Your problems are my problems. I didn't take a wall to the face and disgrace myself and my family again for shits and giggles. I did it to help you all, to be useful—to do the right thing."
"Aiko—" She cut me off again.
"I know you have each other," she said, rocking back on her feet to stand normally. "I understand how much you guys have been through together. I get it, I do. I'm not trying to get between that. But…" Her eyes held a glint of sadness, desperation to be acknowledged. "Just like how you'll rush to Kazuma's or Yusuke's side to help them, just like how they'll rush to help you… I'll rush to your side, too."
She shoved the bag into my chest and I quickly gripped the plastic before it fell. Watching her turn on her heels just as the cross walk light began flashing red, her figure grew smaller and darker in the night. But her lingering scent remained.
Aiko.
The liter water bottle hung loosely between my fingers as I stared at the doorbell. I screwed off the cap and brought the bottle to my lips to take another long swig.
I wasn't worried about Yomi's lackies stalking me out here; they wouldn't want to get caught around Border Patrol and be traced back to the head honcho. I was more worried about Shiori and the Hatanaka's.
Maybe they would think I was Border Patrol too. Worth a shot to hang around the Minamino household for a while if it was possible. Keep them from preying on Kurama…
I would run the idea by Kurama at school tomorrow.
Before ringing the doorbell, I dug in my purse to make sure I put the little compact communicator in one of the inner pockets. The zipper added the extra protection to make sure it didn't fall out.
I was a bit nervous, honestly.
"Tomorrow's easy!" Botan smiled when she whispered, floating near my window on her oar. The moonlight shone through her, giving her a glow I was just so envious of. Minoru was sound asleep as we were up in the dead of night. "Just make amends with the girls and get on their good side again."
"Then this is for…?" I trailed off, looking at the slim, plum compact communicator lined with silver.
"You, silly!" she clarified. "Lord Koenma had it made for you since he couldn't give you the old one that's been seen and made by other officials. You'll use it to get in contact with him if you're not near a guide—me! It's meant to be used just for telling him important info!"
I nodded and got up from my bed to find my purse. "Anything else?"
When I slipped the compact into a little pocket inside the black leather, she replied. "Koenma is having me search for help."
"Help?"
"Well, they'll go back to Tohoku University, right? You obviously can't always be in Tohoku."
"If you're going to have someone else watch over them in Tohoku then what's the point of me—"
"You just need eyes and ears in Tohoku! They're just watching them, finding patterns in what they do, where they go… The person enlisted won't talk to them unless instructed."
"Alright." I stood up straight, hands finding their way to my hips. "Then 'Operation Fuck Border Patrol' is a 'go' tomorrow?"
She laughed hesitantly. "Yes… It is. So don't be afraid to get anything out of them! Make up with them and don't be afraid to delve into politics!"
I nodded. "We'll see how things go."
I had my orders: butter them up, be "friends" again, and don't be afraid to inch into political questions or get any info that drops out. I was in the clear for all three. I was confident I could do this.
Screwing the cap back on, I all but stabbed the doorbell with my index finger. Just a few seconds after the chime echoed softly through the house, the door opened to reveal a new live-in. Braided black hair lay over her shoulder as she gave me a polite smile.
"Hello!" She smiled wide, showing pearly whites and crinkling around the eyes despite her young age. She cocked her head to the side. "May I ask who you are?"
"Hojo," I replied. "Hojo, Aiko. I'm here for Natsume, Akane."
"Who is it, Satsuki?" Natsume called, coming around the corner of the hallway. She paused when she saw me, and I tensed, wondering what would happen. Luckily, she sighed dramatically. "Thank god you are here. They will not shut up!"
Satsuki stepped aside, letting me in. Natsume practically scurried across the foyer to me as I began taking off my ankle boots.
"Ami will not stop singing the same damn song over and over!" Natsume wailed. "And Hitomi is there helping her and it's some fucking children's song. If I hear her rehearse it one more time I swear to god I am blowing my brains out."
"What song?" I asked, and she led me into the first hallway.
We ascended the stairs and made our way down the next hallway, passing by a bathroom, her father's study, her brother's room… I peeked into her brother's room as we walked past, noting he wasn't home—shouldn't be since it wasn't break yet.
"This song," she seethed, stepping closer to her room at the end of the hall.
My attention was drawn to the cute tune; a cheerful guitar pick accompanied by a violin and piano. Hayashi's voice fluttered over the tune simply, tone well maintained. The thing about her voice was that it wasn't magnificent but well-controlled—she knew how to hold a note, control the muscles in her throat.
And that was what made her singing pretty, attractive, enticing. I knew with the way she kept her voice cheerful that she could sing anything she set her mind to, any style she wanted.
"We're all friends even when we go home."
Memories of grade school rushed through me, a chill sense of nostalgia prickling my skin as it washed over me. I felt like I was at Tomoe Elementary again; I was in music class, practicing a song with everyone in 1-C.
Natsume groaned as we stepped foot in her room, and my eyes were drawn to the blonde in front of the vanity. She stood with her back straight, tense as if to restrain herself from the flamboyance and dramatics someone with her talent would display on the center stage.
I glanced to the queen-sized bed, finding Fukui sitting on the edge and staring out the window, humming along with Hayashi's song.
"I thought vocal performance was more… I was thinking like… opera, I guess?" I whispered to Natsume.
"God, it is," she grunted. "But she's taking this stupid Child Development class and as a project for it she's going to have her group of kids do a performance. Her studios and convocations are so much better than this, I can listen to those rehearsals all hours of the day—this is just annoying."
Hayashi stared at herself in the vanity, taking in every inch of her every movement to make sure she didn't break into the dramatics she was probably used to.
"But even though it's time to say goodbye, I am still happy because we will see each other again soon. Tomorrow always come."
"Please stop, Ami," Natsume cried as she trudged to her bed. "I just took a Valium and you are ruining it."
Hayashi let her words drift to hums as she spun on the balls of her feet gracefully to face us. "You can pause the tape, Hitomi."
With a small click from where Fukui sat, the music stopped.
"Thank god." Natsume plopped down on the porcelain white covers face first. Just seconds later she groaned. "I don't want to repack everything."
"Hello, Aiko." Hayashi smiled. "How have you been feeling these past few days? I see your bruises are… covered?"
"Yeah, lipstick under the foundation and whatnot." I shrugged. "When's the show?"
"End of the class' term," she replied as I moved to sit on the edge of the bed. "I'm still working on the lyrics; Hitomi's been a great help with them!"
I glanced over my shoulder to Fukui, who didn't seem interested in making eye contact or moving her gaze from out the window. I twisted the cap off my bottle and took another swig of the lukewarm water as Natsume rolled over on her back.
"So what's up with that fucking youkai scum you love so much?"
I bristled, wondering what to say. I had to make a decision quick—and with my anger directed towards Yusuke it wasn't hard to exaggerate.
"Don't know, he's pissed me off so I couldn't care less what he does." Another long swig of my water and Natsume propped herself up on her elbow.
"What happened?"
"He's just so selfish," I groaned. "I don't care, whatever. I'm done."
"Yeah, that's a fucking lie," she snorted. "You threw the biggest fucking tantrum I've ever seen because he was going to die."
"Doesn't mean I can't be pissed off at him—the fuckin' idiot. I hope he runs off in hiding somewhere so I won't know whether he's taken out."
"They're all like that, you know. Selfish, power-hungry…"
"Men? Duh."
"No. Well, yeah… but no. Youkai."
… Wait a second.
"Haven't met too many to be honest." I shrugged. "But I wouldn't be surprised since all the ones I've met have only been causing me grief."
She stared at me for a moment, resting her chin in her hand as she looked up at me.
"What?"
She smiled excitedly. "I really want there to be hope for you."
I knew I said the right thing but… "Hope"?
I glanced down at her. "Huh?"
"I'm trying to make you see the light, girl," she said, reaching over and gripping my arm loosely. "I thought I wouldn't be able to after your bullshit in the limo but maybe there is hope."
"The light?"
She smiled peacefully, the Valium taking over as she leaned her head on the fluffy duvet cover. "You'll see, girl. Give me a chance. I'll make sure to teach you the truth, show you the disgustingly beautiful truth."
"Truth?" I asked as Hayashi climbed slowly on the bed.
"Akane, did you take too much Valium?" she asked, climbing over to the sprawled out girl. She took Natsume's head into her lap, brushing the strands of hair out of the brunette's face as she held her cheeks gently. "You never really doze off when you take Valium."
Natsume giggled. "Yeah, and I'm really excited." She glanced to me, a wide smile on her face. "I really want there to be hope for you. I knew you'd be perfect, you'd understand. You just needed guidance, someone to show you the reality."
"Reality of what?"
She closed her eyes slowly and her grip on my arm grew looser. "I knew it. You're capable of being one of us; I just need to guide you. Let me guide you, Aiko."
I stared down at her, thoroughly confused, as she giggled like a school girl.
Hayashi smoothed Natsume's hair down, combing it gently with her fingers. "I'll pack your bags for you, Akane. Do you want to take anything else back to Tohoku?"
I figured I wouldn't get anything out of Natsume yet, but at least I knew what I'd need to do from now on—play into her ideals. Reinforce whatever Natsume wanted.
"No… Well, maybe these covers." She turned to me. "You know, if that idiot had any fucking sense he'd flee to Makai ASAP, but god knows he's probably dumb as hell."
I didn't bother correcting her and instead took another long gulp of water.
"After the first detective it all went to shit—the detectives now are fucking stupid," Natsume laughed and accompanied it a whistle. "What, with the second one being a complete basket case and this one being a juvenile delinquent, low-life youkai."
"There's another one?" I asked.
She nodded. "Sanada Kuroko… or something. I heard she was the only one who had a brain and didn't flip out on missions. What a shame."
"Is she still alive?"
Natsume shrugged. "I think so. Never heard anyone talk about her like she was dead."
"Any hair products or make-up?" Hayashi asked.
"No, I'm leaving some here for when I'm too lazy to bring some back when I visit."
Truth. "The light." Hope for me, like she mentioned before…
I side-glanced out the open door and down the hall, wondering if any "truth" was in her home.
After almost three quarters of the bottle and twenty minutes of idle chatter about their college experience so far, I had to pee. I twisted the cap back on the bottle, set it at the foot of the bed, and hiked my purse strap up on my shoulder to fit snug.
"I need to use the bathroom," I said, watching Hayashi smooth over Natsume's hair as they laughed about inside jokes from their Tohoku adventures.
"I'll start packing, Akane," Hayashi said as I walked out of the room.
"No, don't move," Natsume whined. "I'm comfortable."
I walked through the hallway quickly and realized I should have left my purse in the room. I just forgot to take it off. Too late, I wasn't going back when I felt like I was going to wet my pants. And with the brisk wind that carried with me to the bathroom, I heard the creaking of a door.
I glanced over my shoulder briefly, looking for someone in the hallway, but instead noticed her father's study's door cracked open. I swallowed a lump in my throat.
Actually, thank god I took it with me.
I hurried to the bathroom with a new motive in mind.
I didn't want to do this but I should get authorization first. I didn't want them to hear me talking though… it was risky to talk in Natsume's home. I locked the door behind me and dug out the compact. He had to hurry and pick up because I had to go so bad.
I pressed the little button under the mirror and the static flickered to life on the screen. It continued flickering and I started bouncing on my heels to distract my bladder. It didn't work. I couldn't hold it in any longer.
I quickly dropped to the toilet. Just as I was about to close the compact and call after I finished, the static disappeared and the Prince came on the screen.
If I hung up on him he could assume something was wrong and call back or worse: send someone in after me.
I quickly spoke in a whisper to cover the sound of two liquids hitting, thankful he could only see down to my shoulders. "Her father's study is unlocked and I think there could be something in there. They're on my side still; we're friends. Should I risk it now or wait?"
Kill me. Please don't hear me pissing. Please kill me. Someone please kill me.
If he heard, he didn't care. "If you feel you can pull this off, go for it. Proceed with caution." I nodded, reassuring myself in my abilities. But then I was slightly knocked down a peg when his voice sounded more irate, as if I bothered him about the job he hired me for. "I hope you have a cover up for if you get caught."
I nodded. "If I find anything important or something happens, I'll call back."
I slapped the compact shut and hung my head as I finally stopped. I was going to hang myself. I was going to do it. I was going to fucking hang myself because my boss, the Prince of Reikai, heard me pissing.
God damn it.
After a heavy, embarrassed sigh, I shoved the compact in my purse and finished my hygiene routine. Should I do it now? Wait for another time while I was here? I was already "in the bathroom", might as well take a quick peek now. If I were to get caught, what would my excuse be?
I leaned against the counter. I had to be careful. She obviously wouldn't think I was with Reikai in this. It would be of my accord. But that would still put spotlight on me and I couldn't afford any suspicion.
I had no excuse. So I couldn't get caught.
I inhaled sharply. I could do this but it had to be quick. Just a sweep through: check for books or files. Check to see if any "truth" was in her home.
Let's do this.
I ripped a piece of toilet paper from the roll. Heart beating in my throat, I stepped out of the bathroom and looked around the hallway. Nobody. The girls voices carried through the hall from Natsume's room.
One minute at most. No more.
I looked down the hallway again and then back in Natsume's room before pressing the study's door lightly, quietly. It squeaked slightly and I slipped in once I opened it enough. I looked around the empty room.
The thin blue curtains on the window cast a dim colored light throughout the study. The wood floor wasn't as clean as the entire house; there wasn't a shine on the floor like the rest of the place. I quickly stepped to the wood desk placed in the middle of the room with two large bookshelves on either wall next to it.
As I stepped closer to the desk, where it was situated in front of the window, I noticed it was relatively empty. Nothing but a pencil holder and a lamp. I looked to the bookshelves to find atlases and geography, history, and economic books.
Then I noticed the thing layer of dust on the shelves.
How long had they gone without a housekeeper before hiring Satsuki? Surely not long. None of them would dare lift a finger to clean.
So nobody was allowed in here.
I picked a drawer at the desk and pulled out the piece of toilet paper. Using it like a glove, I gently tugged on the handle. It didn't budge. I tried the next, and the next, and the next, and…
None of them budged.
Could something be in there? Obviously it had to be something. Right? He locked it. Nobody's allowed in here…
I shoved the toilet paper in my purse as I heard footsteps. My heart practically flew out my mouth with how fast it lept into my throat.
I moved quickly, quietly, to the door, and stood in the corner of the room behind it. I tried controlling my breathing with how fast my lungs were working, how fast hormones were flowing throughout my bloodstream. I couldn't hear anything other than footsteps and blood roaring in my ears. No... I couldn't tell the footsteps from my heartbeat.
When I thought they stopped in front of the door, I swallowed a lump in my throat, hoping they wouldn't come inside.
The door moved slightly and someone slowly traveled inside. I inched closer to the door, hiding behind it as it opened. They could hear my heartbeat, they could hear my breathing—no matter how quietly I tried to keep my breath—they could hear me. Don't breathe. They could hear me. Don't breathe.
The door stopped short after just a few more inches. I swallowed another lump in my throat as quietly as possible, hoping they wouldn't come out from behind the door. Don't breathe...
…
…
…
The door began closing and stopped just seconds later. It didn't shut.
The breath I'd been holding came out heavy, shaky, and I waited until I could hear something other than my heartbeat. Finally, the roaring in my ears lessened and a soft ringing appeared in its place. My heartbeat was still erratic but at least I could hear my surroundings. I rounded the door and peeked out the opening, making sure the hallway was empty.
Coast was clear.
I slipped out the room and closed the door back to where it was before I entered, and began my way back to Natsume's room.
I didn't need someone to just watch over them in Tohoku, I needed someone else on the inside.
"Damn, you look like you saw a ghost, girl," Natsume snickered as I realized I entered the room. "The foundation works wonders on your face but the color in your neck's gone." She started laughing and pointed to my face and then neck. "Summer, winter!"
Could it have been one of them that saw me?
Fukui had moved from her seat on the bed and was now at the vanity, pulling her long hair into a tight bun. The other two didn't seem to have moved, but that didn't mean they hadn't…
"That's what happens when you only have an aspirin for breakfast…" I gave a sad chuckle.
"I wish I had your devotion," Natsume sighed and a knot twisted in my stomach. "I really want to lose one and a half kilograms." **
"If you feel sick then you should go home," Fukui said simply, wrapping the hair tie around her bun.
They wouldn't let me go home if they caught me, would they?
"Eh, I don't really want to go home, to be honest…" Last thing I wanted to do was go home to that.
I eyed the three, and none of them seemed like they were ready to corner me like they did the last time.
"Well we're leaving soon so you can ride with us and we'll drop you off wherever you want." Natsume picked her head up from Hayashi's lap with a small groan and rolled to the edge of the bed. She sat upright for a moment, swaying slightly as the blood rushed around in her head, and then collected herself. "I'll go get Sosuke."
I forgot about the live-ins… There was only two, but the housekeeper and driver could have caught me too.
"Actually, it's fine. I was planning on going to my friend's house later today anyway," I said.
"Your boyfriend's?" Natsume grinned slyly. "I'll have you changing your mind about him too—I don't give a fuck what his papers say. 'Reiki' my ass."
I wasn't going to entertain her about Kurama. I couldn't formulate a good play to put on—I could only focus on who could have been in the room…
"No, you remember Kitajima, right?" I asked.
Natsume stared at me blankly. "Who?"
"The girl from the house party last year!" Hayashi smiled. "I remember her."
"Yeah, maybe I'll surprise her with a movie this afternoon," I said. "I've meant to catch up with her sometime and since you guys need to pack and leave, I should head over."
"God, if you go now then I'll have to hear them rehearsing," Natsume groaned.
Well, I was sure it wasn't Natsume who saw the door open; she wouldn't be this chummy with me. Hayashi? Fukui? One of the live-ins?
"I'll just walk," I reassured her. "Maybe some fresh air will make me feel better. I feel a bit nauseous."
"We should finish packing, Akane," Hayashi said again as she crawled over to the suitcases at the other end of the bed. "We do need to get back to Tohoku."
She was calm about it too… But Hayashi was always the level-headed one.
"When's the next time you guys will be in town?" I asked, picking up my water bottle from the foot of the bed.
"I'm not sure," Hayashi said.
"Just call us up and we'll bring the party cavalry, girl!" Natsume fist pumped the air as she lay back down on the bed.
"Yeah, definitely." I waved to them as I left the room and headed down the hallway. "God knows I need to party this year."
I descended the stairs slowly, wondering if I'd pass by the housekeeper. Thankfully, as I entered the foyer, she and Sosuke, who was dressed in his suit, greeted me at the doorway.
"Have a nice day, Miss Hojo," Satsuki said as she walked past me to the door. She nodded her head, and I returned the gesture.
"I would offer you a ride home, Miss Aiko," Sosuke said as he headed up the stairs. "But Miss Akane and her friends are leaving soon."
"It's fine," I said to him as I continued to the door. "I appreciate the thought, though."
Satsuki opened the heavy wood door and ushered me out. I smiled up at her, wondering if I could find any trace of strange emotions on her face as I passed by. Her smile seemed genuine; there were little crows feet around her eyes.
It wasn't Satsuki or Natsume. Her parents and brother weren't home, thank god. That left Sosuke, Hayashi, or Fukui. Sosuke seemed polite, maybe it wasn't him.
Hayashi or Fukui.
Either way, I had to talk to the Prince as soon as possible. The possibility I fucked up meant he had to keep on his toes.
God damn it, god damn it, god damn it…
I didn't want to tell him I was almost caught. I wasn't… technically. But it was far too close a call to tell. First I piss with him on the compact and then I fuck up...
I obsessed over the issue and who it could have been to such an extent that by the time I worked up the courage to call I had already made it to Kitajima's house and rang the doorbell. I should have called on my way here but I was so caught up in figuring who it could have been...
Yeah, Aiko, keep fucking up. Good job. You're in for a promotion. New position? Head Jackass in the Fucking Idiot department.
I could just use the bathroom. Kitajima wouldn't be nosy; there was no risk in calling here like there was at Natsume's. God, someone probably heard me in Natsume's bathroom. Who was behind the fucking door?!
I still had to find a way to tell him that didn't really put me at fault... It kind of was my fault? But wasn't? I was just scared. I didn't want to admit I may have really, really fucked up…
The door opened and Kitajima was, thankfully, behind it. Hair tied up in a messy bun, she was still in her pajamas. She looked like she hadn't left the house in a few days.
"Any plans today?" I forced a grin.
She blinked and looked down at the floor for a second before looking back up at me. "No."
I pushed my way inside. "Good, pick a movie. It's your turn. I need to piss."
She was taken back as I stepped inside and began taking off my boots. "…Okay. I'll fix us a snack."
"Okay."
I hurried my way into the second floor bathroom and locked the door as I began pulling the compact out. I set it on the counter and began pacing, knowing he was only going to see my hips as I walked by when he finally picked up.
I continued pacing, not paying attention to the screen.
"I'm hoping you have some good news," he said, even more irritated than before. "Since you're calling back."
I paused and leaned forward, putting my face in his view. I found him stamping paperwork furiously without paying much attention to whatever he was blindly stamping and then shoving aside.
"Two things. Not exactly good?"
"Don't speak with conviction now," he sighed tiredly.
"One, I'm going to need more than one person helping me," I whispered. "I need someone on the inside of Border Patrol."
"That's easier said than done," he grumbled. "But I'll see if I can find anyone from Barrier Regulations we can trust… that's very, very unlikely, though…"
"And… well, I wasn't exactly caught but… I might have been?" I squeaked at the end, wincing at his potential reaction.
He bristled, furrowed his eyebrows, and immediately stopped working. "You were or you weren't! Explain."
I gulped. "They didn't see me but they saw the door was left open wider... maybe? They came in but I hid. Nobody saw me but…"
"Nobody saw you?" he clarified. "Positive?"
I nodded. "I was hiding behind the door when they opened it."
He relaxed but didn't return to stamping. "Then don't worry, if you're confronted you can lie about it. They can't say it was you if they didn't see you."
"Are you sure?"
"Have you ever doubted a lie you told?" he asked, but it was more rhetorical than anything.
I inhaled; confident I could cover it up because he was right. If they didn't see me, then how could they prove it... right?
"Not this one."
"Right, then I'll get on looking for an insider," he said. I nodded, and he continued. "I don't recommend calling me often, unless for requesting permission or reporting info."
My hand found its way to my face. "I know; I'm sorry. I just wanted to get permission first and let you know."
"Don't be sorry," he replied. "We knew it'd be easier with an insider, but we also knew you'd be on your own for most of this. I'll see what I can do, though."
I nodded again. "That's all I have to report then. I'm on their side again and I'm sure I can get stuff out of them if I keep playing along..." I paused, careful with my diction. "So yeah, an insider would be nice... if possible."
"No promises," he replied, and the screen flickered out.
An insider on Border Patrol who would be willing to double cross them? Yeah fuckin' right. We both knew it wasn't going to happen, but I had to let him know it would be a hell of a lot easier with someone on the inside and he should be at least trying to look.
I heaved another heavy sigh, put the compact in my purse, and left the bathroom to find Kitajima standing across from me in the hallway. She held a plate of sliced apples in one hand and the other was placed on her hip, fitting snug against her grey sweatpants.
I looked around the hallway before speaking. "Hey…"
"So did you get the witch clique to give you a cellphone?" She cocked her head to the side.
Fuck.
"Probably not." She cocked her head to the other side, completely unamused. "You know… I didn't ask about that strange phone call during winter break. But I overheard some things in there."
I stared her down, hesitant. "What did you hear?"
"Have you ever doubted a lie you told?" she repeated.
I sniffed, looking down the hall. I guessed we were home alone.
"What are you getting into, Aiko?" she asked with force, stepping towards me.
"Nothing," I replied. "It's a new phone I got from the witch clique, that's all. Fukui's dad got hold of this new idea for a phone and—"
"I respected when you lied to me about certain things," she said. "Like the train and the news. I respect that—"
"Shut up," I growled.
I felt my nails digging into my palms as my hands balled into fists. My knuckles turned white as shame and embarrassment quickly overtook me. Why did she know? How did she know? Who the fuck else knew?!
"I respected those lies you told me because you were protecting yourself!" she snapped and I breathed a heavy, angry inhale. "But you are not protecting yourself with whatever you're getting into lately, Aiko."
Yeah. I was trying to protect everyone else.
"Just drop it," I snapped back. "Leave it alone; it's nothing."
"How much trouble are you in?" she pressed. "Don't lie to me, either. I can see the cut on your lip."
"None yet," I replied, knowing if I left out the "yet" she would have kept pushing. "Leave it alone. If I wanted to get you mixed up in all of this, I would have done it already."
"Then when will you tell me?" she asked. "When will you trust me?"
"Kitajima—"
"I keep telling you to call me 'Maya'!"
"Maya!" I raised my voice. "I'll tell you when I need to!"
"Which will be never," she spat as the little plate of apples she held split in two.
I caught the glimpse of something sharp and blue shoot through the middle of the plate. She recoiled in shock, dropping the halves and letting them fall to the wood floor with the little slices of fruit, shattering completely.
"Maya…" I gasped as she quickly knelt to pick up the ceramic. "Maya!"
She snapped at me. "Leave me alone! Go home!"
"Maya, what was that…?" I knew what it was… I knew that feeling, the uncertainty.
"Please," she sniffed, her breath shaky. "Please go home…"
I stared down at her as she picked up the apple slices and broken pieces.
"What was that?" I asked again.
"I don't know!" she yelled, staring down at the little ceramic pieces that were left. "It's been like this for a while now and I don't know…"
"Like what—" I knelt next to her. "What's wrong?"
She kept her head hung, but I could see the tears fall to the wood floor below.
"Things keep breaking around me and just until recently—" she stopped and looked up at me. "Go away! What do you care? Even if I reminded you of just how much you owe me big time you'd just lie to my face."
I paused; her words tore through old scars and created fresh wounds. I knew she was right…
"Maya, I—"
"Get out! You won't help me anyway."
Her dark eyes were angry, filled with mixture of betrayal and confusion as she glared at me. I tried holding a straight face in response, to not shrink under her gaze, but the heaviness that weighed on my shoulders was a lot to bear…
So with forbearance, I found myself listening to her. I left her home, shutting the front door behind me quietly.
A/N:
* 50 kilometers is equivalent to 31 miles.
** 1.5 kg is equivalent to roughly 3 lbs.