Chapter 8: A Old Tale is Retold
Don't own Oregairu and Watchmen.
8man's Journal, October 22, 2035
Totsuka was first, Isshiki was second and the Yukinoshita sisters were third and fourth respectively. Three dead. One was my friend, one was my kohai, one was my therapist. Totsuka was thrown, Isshiki was shot, Yukinoshita Haruno was poisoned. Yukinoshita Yukino survived. She fought and saved herself. She needed no one. Her fate would have been worse. She was busy while her husband hid abroad. Running her own business ventures, handling matters in Falcon Facilities, giving pointers to Ebina and finally overlooking funeral services of her older sister took most of her time. She was bogged down but she carried her responsibilities and asked no one for help. She has learned to depend on her own self, a painful lesson indeed but now she is free from subjugation and enslavement. Her family expected this from her. Haruno Yukinoshita made herself into her enemy only for her to succeed her. Yukino Yukinoshita won everything by losing everyone. She should be proud. At the peak of Mount Everest there is nothing but snow and Yukinoshita Yukino found her rightful place many decades ago when she married Hayama but only now everyone sees her wearing a crown and carrying a royal sceptre. She is a queen in need of no king, no knight, no courtier and no jester. She rules her kingdom, a sovereign state made up of ghosts and ghouls from her past and at night when a strong wind blows she feels nothing, neither cold nor guilt. Maybe she could teach me a thing or two, would make it easier to sleep at night and come up with a better excuse to not attend anymore funerals. Three funerals are a bit much even for my melancholic self. Accepted Totsuka is dead and said farewell to her widow, may she find peace in her life aboard. A world without a meddling paparazzo and a bullying therapist might do wonders for my physical and psychological wellbeing but knowing they are dead makes me guilty. Their deaths are my fault regardless of what anybody says. Slacked off on security detail, took no precautions to account for sniper activity and shot Isshiki. Likewise skipped last therapy session, neither called nor left a text and poisoned Haruno. A sniper, a poisoner and a sergeant all are equally culpable.
Condition in household is deteriorating.
Placed Saki Kawasaki, Keika Kawasaki and Komachi Hikigaya under house arrest, at least according to them
Nothing near illegal, they are exaggerating. Only visited their respective places of work, met with their respective bosses, explained to them our situation and told them to grant all three women a leave of absence for an indefinite period. Left final decision in their hands and made them chose wisely. Nothing much to chose from, their respective establishments could be under attack at any moment, jeopardising their entire workforce, placing them under threatening situations could cause any disgruntled employee to sue their respective employers and when one case could be filed why not several. Employers, bosses and heads of departments, they all agreed and now, technically, three women are out of their respective jobs. Needless to say they are not exactly happy with my decision. Saki Kawasaki cursed like a sailor, Komachi said she lost faith in her older brother and Keika-chan said she will never forgive me. United we hate, divided we hate is their new motto. They should have them on a tee-shirt and wear it on my funeral. Of course having them all at home made me have a little peace, figuratively speaking. Taking Taishi Kawasaki off the case was a hard decision but safeguarding his sisters and my sister takes priority over everything else. Wanted to place Tsurumi under protection, have her join them but she threatened to go on live television if she so much as sees a traffic police within two yards of her. Told her not to expect any condolence money from me when she dies, she threw a stapler at me. Caught it, threw it out the window and told her to stay safe. Only so much I can do.
Saki Kawasaki slapped me, a hard slap, drew blood. Told her she can hate me all she wants, told her she can wish me dead. She punched me next. No tears, no crying. Helplessness, sadness found form in physical violence. Maybe she was expecting a reaction, maybe she wanted to fight. She is capable, taught Komachi and Keika-chan self defence, gave lessons to Tsurumi also. Her brother learnt basics from her before undergoing proper police training and it can be safely said she gave me a hands on experience on how to take a beating. She is a fighter, a survivor but she shows mercy and believes in compassion. She watched me, waited for me and then left. Our goodbye was silenced. Better. There is no good in goodbye. She can help our younger siblings and remain at home while I take matters into my own hand. We are mere spectators to a tragedy, came to realise this when Yukinoshita Yukino was assaulted in a random back alley.
She went to an opening of an art gallery, same place Taishi Kawasaki wanted to take Komachi. There she bought a painting drawn by her late sister titled 'A bag of cats'. Funny, a psychiatrist who was also a therapist by profession should know a thing or two about not hurting her patients feeling by displaying paintings which run a commentary on their mental health in high class art galleries. Ofcourse Yukinoshita Yukino loves cats, buying them seemed justifiable to her and may be on some hidden level this was her way of keeping something of her late elder sister after they were estranged for over a decade, atleast according to media. However opening gala meant parking problems, her limo was parked a block away and carrying this painting with her slowed her down. She was horrible with directions to begin with and when she chose to take a shortcut and disregarded her safety by entering a dark back alley where bad things might happen to a woman, her luck ran out.
She fought off her attempted assaulter before help arrived but she was a little traumatised. Torn fur coat and broken heels, bite marks, nail marks and dishevelled hair made for an ugly picture. Sugar coating a rape attempt by calling it an assault only encourages these perverts. Of course she wanted discretion but she refused to have me look into her case. Everything looked connected, taking place over a short period of time, all three deaths and now her attempted rape and possible murder but she refused to see any sense and instead opted to have Tamanawa handle her case. She says he will be objective since he has no history with her. Disregarding a jibe at my professional accomplishment, she was clearly traumatised by this ill experience and not thinking clearly. Speaking ill off a colleague is completely acceptable when it is Tamanawa. He will never be able to solve this case while keeping in pace with me and joining every link and connecting every dot of other cases which might lead to this is far too incomprehensible for his tiny little brain. Not even his wife can help him on this and that's saying a lot because Orimoto is far more capable than anyone thinks, well maybe not her husband but that's why she married him instead of anyone else.
Marrying an idiot is easy.
Of course after news of attempted rape and my inability to join in on this investigation, another bad news found its way into my phone. Received a text from Tobe, says he has information and will give it to me if I pay him an astounding amount of money. Extorting me, a guy who is trained to shoot and kill to protect others, a sergeant with mental issues, a patriot who loves Chiba and Japan, who has an overprotective onii-chan mode and secret yandere mode, is not healthy. Smashed mobile out of anger and prepared.
Tobe dies today.
/
Tracer showed his position. He is moving closer and closer to a neighbourhood near Falcon Facilities, maybe he thinks he can be safe there. He is mistaken. My disguise for today is simple yet unsuspecting, black glasses and a cane. Pretending to be blind, shallow and despicable, but there is something far more endearing when this cane will beat the truth out of Tobe before smashing his skull and ending him. His death will be for nothing. After everything killing seems justifiable. Need a release, he is a likable candidate. Have to protect others from me. Gave Saki Kawasaki, taser guns and pepper sprays and told her to give them to the other girls. After Haruno and Yukino their safety comes first. Should give them guns but they don't have a license, that's why Taishi Kawasaki is off the case and their permanent body guard. He will kill to protect and die before something happens to them. He is like me on that particular point, he will keep everyone safe.
No worries.
A good lie to tell myself.
Police have completely stopped unruly fans from creating ruckus in Totsuka's name. Saw them arrest some kid high on drugs babbling about miracles. Near diner saw a mascot, Pan-san the Panda. Hate those, they have my eyes. During my travel was careful to escape traffic cameras. Killing Tobe after torturing him for information is nothing to be advertised. His death is merely necessary. He has information, he wants to extort me, he dies. Simple. Cutting open the goose who lays a golden egg is justifiable to a mad man and currently my psyche evaluation will perhaps not show any method to my madness.
On way, did warm-up exercises. Pimps beating up prostitutes, broken nose, busted lips. Women looked like Saki Kawasaki for some reason. Like I said, going mad. Then they looked like Komachi, Keika and Tsurumi. Definitely going mad. Two prostitutes, having four different faces, all dressed in tennis outfits, all having silver hair. Pimps look drunk and high on drugs, waving a gun around. They paid no heed to me, a blind guy with a cane.
Bumped into one on purpose and immediately found a barrel touching my temple.
Threatening a blind guy after you hurt women, even when they are prostitutes is particularly low. And a man moments away from torturing and killing a high school classmate needs practice to keep the blood flowing.
Disarmed them, drunks held onto their guns like candy bars, maybe from her came the saying taking candy from a baby. Shot both pimps on both knee caps. Four shots fired, two remaining. The two prostitutes looked at me, threw the gun to the one who looked like Saki Kawasaki in my mad brain and then left.
Women are smart, shooting me was futile, a waste of bullets.
Women can finish a job, they are resourceful, they can look after themselves.
At the end of the block, heard two gunshots
Never turned back, already know what happened.
Tobe should know by now what will happen to him.
If not then keep waiting. This neighbourhood is not safe, people don't care, who kills who, safety is an illusion at best and a lie at worst.
Tobe will know this truth by my hands today. Six shots fired, no one arrived, no police, nothing. Everything is silent. Falcon Facilities turns a blind eyes on everything and pretends it is working for the greater good. There is no greater good, only tomorrow and yesterday, and if you are careful there might be a day after yesterday. Planning a future when bodies keep droping like flies is futile.
There is no need to write a journal.
Mental health is not an issue.
Sanity is overrated.
/
A/N: Author bio: My friends say I suffer from a little bit of obsessive compulsive tendencies.
Nothing close to knock, knock, knock (insert name) times three but a little bit especially when I get caught up in something interesting and let me tell you, this project is very interesting.
But on the downside when I get into a project which is very interesting, I find it difficult to leave it before it is completely finished. As a result my other work gets ignored. On the other hand, I double time and release chapters quickly, even though chapters become short, nothing particularly good happen and quality begins to drop. But I will see to it that the project is finished and I will leave nothing incomplete. Just have a little patience with this particular idiosyncrasy of mine and know I am working very quickly.
Final chapter will be uploaded today, maybe tomorrow if I finish writing.
This story is almost finished. Hope everyone had a good read.
Keep reviewing, following and faving.
Won't betray your dreams