Chapter Five: Striking a deal . . .
What did I do? What did I do? Haruka panicked in his mind, biting his finger. He had thought of the idea of taking whatever paper the Undertaker had hidden in his sleeve as a means of being able to get away but he hadn't planned on actually doing it!
Haruka curled into a ball form, digging his head into his knees in shame of his actions. He was in another room now, without constraints but with guards everywhere, it's not like he could make any sort of escape. He was given a new robe to wear, of course it was a females kimono but it was lovely, light pink with cherry blossoms crooking in from the corners and sides. He whined softly, before sighing deeply, "maybe I shouldn't have done that . . ." he muttered to himself while gazing down to the floor. But . . .
If he hadn't, any means of escape and any hopes for a second chance would be completely void, maybe this was his only way because . . . surely, he thought to himself, the Undertaker would have to come back for it. And what then? Trade it off in exchange for his freedom? Undertaker could just take the paper if he wanted to and leave him there and then it would have all just been a waste of time. But even so . . .
Haruka shook his head and slapped his cheeks together, mentally noting to himself to get a grip. After all, what was done was done and now he could only sit back and hope things would go his way . . . even if they seemed utterly futile.
'Knock' 'knock' 'knock' and Haruka turned his attention towards the door as it opened slightly only to reveal the man clad in dark grey. "Got a minute sweet cheeks?" He said playfully but not as much as Undertaker would sound. Haruka said nothing and only squirmed a few inches away until his back hit the wall side. Fujin noticed but made no attempts to approach Haruka.
"Looking better too, I see" he remarked, noting to Haruka's new kimono, "Better than those rags you were wearing, eh, sweet cheeks?" it was more of an obvious comment rather than a question. Haruka only kept quiet as he watched Fujin come inside the room, closing the door behind him, though, not in an ominous way.
"So," Fujin sat down, across from Haruka, "tell me about you". Haruka looked to Fujin in somewhat of surprise, was he seriously asking him that? Or was this just a means of passing time by?
Haruka averted his eyes away to the ground, "does it matter?" it came out more direct than he had intended to, but made no effort to correct his tone. Fujin paused for a bit and sighed, "Look sweet cheeks, I don't like having to do this kind of dirty work, but the money at stake, well . . . I just can't pass it up and . . ." He started talking, as if to justify his actions, but It only made Haruka sick to his stomach to hear petty excuses.
"It's not okay!" this time Haruka had intended to sound serious and straightforward, because everything, absolutely everything was not okay. "Oh, so you're not as shy as I thought you would be" he smirked, as if Haruka's comment meant nothing, gone through one ear and out the other.
Haruka looked away, what was the point of this man's visit? To gaze upon him? Laugh at him? Judge him? What?
"So, who's this landlord dude?" he asked a more unpleasant question and Haruka's eyes widened a bit, remembering him. "Please . . ." Haruka spoke softly, almost trailing off, unsure of whether or not he should finish his sentence, "I don't want to think about him, n-not . . . not now" it come out soft but with a hint of fear.
"I'm taking it he uses you as he pleases?" He guessed almost correctly. Sure, the landlord had tried many times but always failed since Haruka always fought him off, even if it was at the expense of being hit. "N-not exactly . . ." Haruka thought he might as well mention that, since being known to have been used did not sit all too well with his stomach.
"Oh, so you're a bit of a fighter" he guessed it correctly and smiled, "I'm impressed". "How have you managed to take it this far without being completely abused?" he asked another question and Haruka only wished he could glare at him, did this man have no shame in asking such unpleasant questions?
"I just . . . managed" there was no need to go into details, after all, he'd have to go back to "managing to get by" as soon as they took him back.
Fujin said nothing at first before sighing, "well, I can tell you're not lying, after all," he trailed off, lazily stretching his arms up high, "I saw what you hid in there sweet cheeks". Haruka's eyed bulged widely, Fujin had seen? "So, I can tell you can manage to get by, you do seem to be pretty clever, not to forget, sneaky".
"But, I'm afraid I can't let you keep that, it was a strict bargain and as soon as he figures out you took that from him, well, for one, he's not going to be very happy with you and two, he's not going to very happy with me" he explained slowly and calmly, his arms crossed and his shoulders relaxed. "And you see, friends don't cheat each other, so I'm afraid you're going to have give that back now" he raised his palm, expecting Haruka to hand over the paper.
Haruka harped at himself in his head and he glanced at Fujin, becoming quite irritated, "why should I?" Fujin paused, "come again?" his voice got more serious. Haruka flinched a bit but bit back his fear, "It's because of you two that I'm caged again! You guys aren't doing me any favors!" Haruka stammered though it wasn't technically all true. After all, if Undertaker hadn't come when he did, who knows what state Haruka could've been in at this moment?
Fujin stared for a few moments, noting the tears that were welling up in Haruka's eyes, "You're pretty cheeky, I'll give you that, but even that charade, you can't pull off, so just save us time and hand it over" he said calmly, really trying not to be an "asshole". He could be if he really wanted to.
Haruka barely noticed his eyes blurring with swelling tears and he gasped in slight surprise. Fujin made a bigger emphasis on his open palm and Haruka bit his bottom lip before sighing and taking out the paper from his sleeve and placing it on Fujin's palm.
"That's a good boy" he remarked mockingly and Haruka only pushed himself back to the wall, placing his head on his knees, looking off to the side in somewhat disappointment.
Fujin rolled the paper up and placed it within his sleeve before glancing back to Haruka. "Did you keep his paper, hoping he would come back to see you?" it was sarcastic but he hinted at something that made Haruka's stomach turn. "No", he couldn't bite back that glare and his tone came out darkly. Fujin blinked for a few seconds, laughing aloud afterwards, "Then what were you trying to accomplish by holding onto this?"
". . . Freedom . . ." what was the point in hiding it now? His voice came out dejectedly.
Fujin stopped laughing, finally seeing the relationship with the paper and the boy's freedom. He sighed inwardly, "even if you tried to make a deal with him, he would've just taken it, you know" he informed, not that it mattered anymore anyways.
Haruka said nothing and kept his fazing gaze on the ground. Fujin sat for a moment, pondering something in his head.
"Tell you what sweet cheeks, let's make a deal" he proposed and Haruka's attention was snapped back to him in confusion. "Tell me everything I need to know about your abusive landlord and I'll let you keep this paper".
Haruka paused, blinking a few times, "what . . ?" he was severely bewildered.
Meanwhile, heading to his bizarre shop, Undertaker trailed along quite giddily. Going home would be stress free and he could finally go back to serving his "customers", not that the man had any. His shop came in his view and he smiled, almost "floating" to his shop, weirding out the people around him as he did. He opened the door, welcoming the mixed smell of wood and chemicals, "Ah~," He exhaled, "shop sweet shop" he laughed to himself as he walked over to the back door of his shop.
He lightly touched the knob on his door before smiling and reaching out for his key, which laid wrapped around his neck. He propped the key in the keyhole and turned before hearing a 'click'. He smiled and opened the door, revealing a nearly blank room with only a desk and a chair at the opposite corner. He walked over and felt for a loose wood piece in the walls before pushing it back a little. Several 'clicks' and 'clacks' and the wall propped itself up before making a 180 degree spin. Notes, journals and his most recent studies were posted on the opposite side of that wall.
He smiled to himself, lightly touching all his research with inner joy before reaching into his sleeve, "To the collection you go . . . ?" He paused suddenly, his smile becoming less friendly and his eyes, if one could see them, twitched.
"But when?—" and he paused upon remembering a certain beautiful beige blond with peacock colored eyes who had thrown themselves at him not so long ago. For what seemed to be done calmly, Undertaker hid the "research" wall and slowly walked out of the room and locked it before running his palm through his bangs, revealing his Shinigami green eyes casting a serious expression, Sneaky brat . . .
However, back at Fujin's . . . "w-what?" Haruka stuttered.
"Yeah, you've probably been there long enough to know the entire layout of his home, you tell me where he keeps his safe and I'll let you keep this paper, so when my friend comes back, and he will, I'll let you gamble a deal out with him." Fujin casually explained.
Haruka sat bewildered and shocked, was this for real?
"Look at it this way sweet cheeks, I like ya and I don't particularly like doing this type of dirty business, so I'll let you play a game I like, I'll let you gamble for your freedom" he huffed, feeling proud with himself for some odd reason. Probably feeling like some sort of genius for coming up with this new "game".
"Although, I don't like going back on my word, I can't pass up the information only you can give me about that fat rich landlord" he informed, "so here's how it'll go" he cleared his throat, sitting himself straight up. "You wager the paper for your freedom, if he says yes, I'll let you go, and your ex-landlord can keep on thinking you've run away, but if Undertaker says no," Like I predict him to, Fujin said quickly in his head, "Then I'll still rob that petty landlord and you'll be all he has left" he smirked and Haruka flinched to those last words.
Haruka said nothing, almost close to refusing the gamble, since the chances of Undertaker accepting his proposal are very slim. Fujin noticed the slight hesitation in Haruka and chuckled. "Think of it this way sweet cheeks, at least with this, there's a chance you'll go free, isn't that enough for you, just a simple chance?" he tried to reel Haruka in for the deal, the landlord's money sounding too good to pass up.
Haruka paused, that was exactly what he had been hoping for all along! Could he really afford to pass it up? If he didn't accept, Fujin would just give back the paper to Undertaker and sell him off for the reasonable price but at least, if he did, there was that slim chance . . . of course that slim chance involved haggling the gamble with Undertaker, but overall it was a great chance, one Haruka just can't pass up.
Haruka looked up at Fujin, trying to let all the hesitation go in his mind, he sighed, "I'll tell you everything I know about his home".
Fujin smirked and patted Haruka's head, "That's a good boy" he remarked again before tossing the paper lightly back to Haruka who caught it.
Fujin snickered a bit, chuckling behind his grin, "a word of advice," he looked to Haruka, "try to be as persuasive as you can" he chuckled more, narrowing his eyes on Haruka's body. Haruka only blinked, not quite sure what Fujin had meant by that, but nodded none the less. Fujin huffed, placing his fist under his chin, Innocent, you're too innocent . . . boy . . .
(Hey there everyone . . . I'm not so sure I should continue this series, I mean I love it, but it's not getting the ratings I would have expected it to get , It's not for certain yet, but I'm starting to get a little discouraged here)
