xxxxx
Muraki was being suffocated by fluff. It was in his nostrils, against his lips. Much as he liked soft textures--one of his more decadent coats had a beautiful fur collar that tickled his neck and jaw--this was intolerable. He couldn't breathe. It was choking him.
He grabbed it, and it yowled in protest. Little claws scratched the back of his hand, followed by small needle-sharp teeth.
"Mmm..." He opened his good eye to find his fingers curled around the neck of the white kitten. "Forgive me." Idly he stroked the feline, scratching the thick fur at its nape, then lingering along the arched spine to the tail.
It purred, appeased by his caress.
"It's nice to know that there's someone who appreciates my attentions. Unfortunately, Tsuzuki-san doesn't share your feelings."
The cat looked at him, eyes wide, as if listening to every word.
Muraki sat up and winced at the sudden dizziness. He bent his head forward until it passed. It felt like a hangover, something he hadn't experienced since his early uni days. He had trained himself to withstand near-lethal doses of toxins--including alcohol--without suffering any effects whatsoever.
Was the dizziness the after-effects of Tsuzuki's spell?
He frowned. Odd. He hadn't seen it coming. And Tsuzuki was usually so easy to predict...
"He's improving, ne? I suppose I should be pleased. We will see his true power soon."
The cat blinked its large grey eyes.
"I only hope he didn't erase any of my memories. It would be most unsportsmanlike of him."
The kitten shook its head.
"And I hope he wouldn't stoop so low as to take advantage of an unconscious person." His eyes narrowed at the idea. "May I?"
The kitten climbed into Muraki's lap and let him place his fingertips over its head.
Muraki shut his eyes and remained perfectly still for several seconds. When he was finished, he opened his eyes and scratched the kitten's ears. His lips twisted in a wry smile.
"Tsuzuki-san..." he murmured. "How incredibly presumptuous of you." He looked down at the feline. "I think a lesson may be in order, ne?"
The kitten purred loudly in agreement.
"We must work on that later." Muraki pulled the blankets aside and stood up, marvelling at how Tsuzuki had actually bothered to cover him up. "Poor Tsuzuki-san. Still a good person at heart."
He shrugged into his robe, and went to the kitchen to switch on the percolator. The kitten followed behind him. Much as he preferred the taste of tea, it was coffee that sustained him during the long shifts he worked as part of his surgical training. Now he was an addict, with no particular desire to give up the habit.
The three boxes of sweets were in the fridge where he'd left them. Muraki wrinkled his nose in distaste, but took one of them out anyway. He didn't have much of a sweet tooth--most cakes and candies lacked the complexity of flavour to sustain his interest--but he needed to eat. With two more boxes left, Tsuzuki wouldn't notice if a couple of cakes were missing, would he?
It was when he'd settled on the lounge with his coffee and the box when he noticed something was wrong. The brightly coloured words on the box were blurred and indistinct, a double image that made him dizzy again.
"So he tampered with it, did he?" He lifted his head tried to readjust his false eye with his fingertips. "I should be grateful he didn't rip it out as he promised. The replacement parts are in short supply." After a few seconds, he was finished. "Now that is much better."
He took a sip of coffee, savouring the bitter black brew. He eyed the sweets, and settled for a delicate namagashi shaped like a quail. He sniffed it and took a small bite. The sugary sweetness on his tongue made him wince. Stoically he chewed and swallowed it, then gulped down the remaining piece. A mouthful of coffee helped to wash the taste away.
"How can he even eat one, let alone three boxes of them? His metabolism must be exceptional to deal with such a high carbohydrate load. Perhaps he has genes that make him resistant to diabetes. If only I could get tissue samples..."
The kitten yowled at him as it prowled around his legs, long tail lashing in protest.
Muraki shrugged. "Old habits die hard. Forgive me. I have a new purpose now, ne?" For a brief moment he thought of Ukyou, but her face was a dim memory. There was no point in thinking about her. Regret was pointless. He couldn't help her any more. He had failed her, like he had failed the patients he had tried to save in his former life.
And it didn't matter.
His old life had been incinerated along with the Shion University laboratory. He was reborn like the phoenix, purified by black flame and white light. He was a new person now, with a new purpose.
But thankfully some things remained the same, such as his nicotine habit. And his obsessive desire for Tsuzuki.
He lit up a cigarette, and watched the sun rise over the city. He thought of Tsuzuki and the things they had done last night. That made him smile. He rolled his shoulders and flexed his neck, a languorous motion that stretched the skin across his back. The cuts from Tsuzuki's nails itched, but it blossomed into pain as he pulled at them with his movements.
"He's so cute, ne? Like a kitten testing its claws for the first time." He sighed and took another drag from his cigarette. "These sweets are wasted on me. Would you like...?"
It was too late. The kitten looked up at Muraki's voice, icing sugar clinging to its nose and whiskers. It was already seated in the centre of the sweet box, and was greedily munching on the remaining namagashi.
"Hmm. That is most rude of you. You should have at least asked Tsuzuki-san-- "
The kitten meowed at him.
"I only took one. You have eaten most of the box. Tsuzuki-san is going to be most displeased." Muraki mused on the possible consequences of dealing with an angry Tsuzuki. "So, would you like more?"
An enthusiastic meow was his answer.
xxxxx
In his office, Tatsumi was scowling at the latest letter from the Accounts Department when he heard the knock at his door. "Who is it?" he snapped.
Hisoka shuffled in, shoulders hunched. "Excuse me, Tatsumi-san. I wanted to speak with you for a moment."
Tatsumi smiled, his bad mood forgotten. "Come in, Kurosaki-kun. Please take a seat."
Hisoka sat down. "Is the Shoukanka short of funds for this month as well?"
Tatsumi threw the letter on his desk. "It's those idiots in accounting! They have no idea of the expenses involved in running this bureau. Between Watari's crazy inventions, Chief Konoe's rampant souvenir collecting, and the destructive power of Tsuzuki and Terazuma, we can barely keep up with the insurance bill, let alone the interest repayments on the reconstruction of the library and main office!" Tatsumi took a deep breath in and out, fighting for composure. "Their current level of funding is an insult to our department. I will write a letter to the person in charge, make my feelings on this matter known, and remind them of what happened to the last accountant who defied me!" His glasses gleamed as he pushed them up his nose.
Hisoka blinked, not quite sure what to say. When he began working at the Shoukanka, he was fascinated by Tatsumi's zeal with the accounts. He secretly admired the secretary's dedicated work ethic, but the man's black moods were truly scary to watch. No wonder all the other Shinigami cowered in fear of him. Fortunately, he'd never been on the receiving end of Tatsumi's verbal tongue-lashing yet.
Tatsumi noticed his silence, and his lips quirked. "How did you know that we were in the red for this month?"
"Well, I..." Hisoka blushed bright red, suddenly aware that he'd been caught mind-reading. "From the look on your face, I guessed that might be the problem. You worry about them all the time."
"Someone has to! Someone must have a sense of financial responsibility in this place! Where do they all think they are? Heaven?" He snorted in disgust. "Even in the afterlife, money doesn't grow on trees."
Hisoka fidgeted in his seat. Much as he wanted to change the subject, he didn't want to appear rude.
With Tsuzuki, he felt no such inhibitions--he could shout and rant until he was red in the face. Sometimes it was the only way to make his partner see sense, especially when Tsuzuki was making a fool of himself with the ridiculous puppy-dog begging act. It irritated him so much...and yet it was the reason he could act more freely with Tsuzuki than anyone else in Meifu. After all, there was no need to impress a man who routinely sank to such low standards of behaviour in public.
But Tatsumi was different. Here was a man of great intelligence, dignity and self-restraint. Here was a person Hisoka regarded as a role model. Here was a man worth impressing.
"It must be a difficult situation, but you wouldn't have been promoted to secretary if Chief Konoe and EnMaDaiOh-sama didn't believe in you. You must do your best, Tatsumi-san."
Tatsumi fixed him with his piercing blue eyes. "This is true, Kurosaki- kun." He smiled and bowed his head in acknowledgement. "Thank you for reminding me."
Hisoka lowered his gaze. "You're welcome."
"So you found Tsuzuki and Gushoshin Younger?"
"Yes. They were both suffering from hangovers," Hisoka said, his brow puckered in disapproval. "Gushoshin Elder thought Tsuzuki was taking advantage of his brother. There was much shouting."
Tatsumi did his best to keep a straight face. "It's hard to believe he's over ninety, but he's always been impulsive like this. I'm sure he's already regretting his overindulgence."
"There's more to it than that."
Tatsumi arched a brow. "Is there?"
"I think you should talk to him, Tatsumi-san. He's been acting strangely these past few days. He's so preoccupied and distracted."
"True, it doesn't take much to distract a glutton like Tsuzuki. Wave a freshly baked cinnamon bun in front of him, and he will act like a starving- -"
"No!" Hisoka looked up, green eyes darkening with frustration. "This is different. I can feel it...or maybe I should say I can't feel it." He raked one hand through his overlong fringe. "I...I can't sense Tsuzuki's emotions as clearly as I used to. They're normally intense and bright and overwhelming, like looking at sunlight after being in the dark. There was once a time I couldn't bear his touch, because I couldn't handle all his emotions bombarding me. But now..." He swallowed and bent his head. "I know he has a right to his privacy, but must he shield everything from me?"
"Kurosaki-kun," Tatsumi said gently. "You mustn't take it so personally. Tsuzuki only wants to protect you--"
"Stop it!" Hisoka snapped, fingers clenching into fists in his lap. Kindness from the cool-headed Tatsumi was the final straw. "Stop it. Stop being so...so nice to me! Stop treating me like a child!"
"Very well, then." Tatsumi sat back in his seat, and carefully pushed his glasses up his nose. "How would you like me to treat you?"
"I'm tired of being treated like a halfwit who needs to be humoured and protected for my own good. Tsuzuki does it all the time, Watari too. But you..." Hisoka stopped, horrified with himself.
Tatsumi tilted his head to one side. He didn't seem angry. On the contrary, he seemed intrigued. "I...?" he prompted.
"You believed in me," Hisoka said simply. "You believed in me when I had doubts about my ability to help Tsuzuki. And because you believed, I...I began to believe in myself." He looked up, green eyes flashing. "Even if it was an act, please do me the courtesy of treating me like an adult."
"It was never an act, Kurosaki-kun." Tatsumi's voice was as cool as his ice- blue eyes. "Don't you think you would have seen through any pretence with your empathic powers? Shadows conceal, but they do not disguise."
Hisoka reddened again, feeling very foolish. Even when he was being kind, Tatsumi knew how to put a person in their place. "You're right. I apologise for my harsh words earlier, Tatsumi-san."
"There's no need." Tatsumi smiled, his expression no longer so forbidding. "You are anxious about Tsuzuki-san, and you worry that you can no longer sense his emotions. Am I correct?"
"Yes."
"Then you must remember that as your partner, Tsuzuki worries about you in the same way. He doesn't want his emotions to overwhelm your psyche, so I offered to help him with a few shadow techniques."
"So you...you taught him how to shield his feelings from me!"
If Tatsumi was ruffled by the accusation, he didn't show it. "You are not the only one who finds Tsuzuki's emotional aura disturbing. My empathic abilities are nowhere near as strong as yours, but even I find Tsuzuki's tumultuous feelings a burden to handle. The human brain can only cope with so many emotions before it will retreat into itself to escape the trauma. This is what happened to you recently, remember?"
Hisoka nodded, still glum. He still felt ashamed for his weakness, but he had all but drowned in the suffocating waves of black depression. And he thought he knew what depression felt like... "So he's doing this to protect us. The idiot."
"Partly. He has his own reasons too. Everyone is entitled to the solitude and privacy of their own thoughts. No one wants to have their emotions under constant surveillance."
"I'm not trying to spy on him! I only want to make sure that he's all right." Hisoka blinked, upset and confused. Why was Tatsumi saying such things? "Do you doubt my ability to be a good partner for Tsuzuki? Is that what you're trying to say?"
"No, it isn't." Tatsumi's eyes flashed, the only outward sign of his displeasure. "Please don't put words in my mouth, Kurosaki-kun."
"Do you think I want to be an empath? Do you think I want to have other people's emotions drowning out my own? If there was a method for me to control my empathic range, I would jump at the chance to learn it!"
"Would you?" Tatsumi asked, his tone flat. He sounded as if he didn't care about Hisoka's answer either way.
"Yes!"
Tatsumi regarded him in silence for a long time. Hisoka did his best to withstand the penetrating blue gaze, but he couldn't help the flush staining his cheeks. What was he looking for? Hisoka couldn't sense any emotion emanating from him. Was he using his shadow magic to hide his feelings?
"How would you like to learn some kagetsu mind techniques, Kurosaki-kun?"
Hisoka gaped at him. "Me...?"
"There are techniques one can use to conceal magical abilities. If your empathic powers are proving troublesome in a particular situation, you can employ these techniques as a temporary measure. It can also be useful when you wish to conceal your power against an unsuspecting enemy."
"Is...is it difficult to learn?"
"It takes dedication and regular practice. I can teach you during our off- duty hours, but it will mean less free time for you. I know that the workload can be exhausting for you--"
"I'll do it! I want to learn, Tatsumi-san." To learn kagetsu magic was an opportunity too precious to pass up. Tatsumi would be a strict teacher, but Hisoka didn't care. To have even a fraction of the power Tatsumi wielded over the shadows...it would be a dream come true.
He wouldn't be dependant on Tsuzuki or the other Shinigami to rescue and protect him. At last, he'd be able to look after himself...and his partner.
"Very well." Tatsumi inclined his head, his expression strangely serene. "When would you like to start?"
xxxxx
Tsuzuki had problems of his own to deal with.
Chief Konoe was on the warpath about late reports and lazy-good-for-nothing workers who drank so much they were too hungover to work the next day. To delay the inevitable dressing-down, Tsuzuki sought refuge in the one place most Shinigami feared to tread: Watari's laboratory. The semi-regular explosions and botched experiments kept all but the reckless and foolish away.
Tsuzuki's lips twisted in a wry smile as he perched on a stool, elbows propped on a bench spilling over with papers. Reckless and foolish--that described him to a T.
"Watari, is it possible for a demon's contract to be renegotiated with the contract holder?"
Watari frowned as he stirred a beaker filled with bubbling liquid. "I've never heard of such a thing. Demons always have a specific purpose in mind, such as one's soul or something of great personal value. Why would they suddenly change their mind?"
"Maybe..." He cleared his throat as he recalled Muraki's mouth against his erection, his lips and tongue lashing him with frenzied strokes. "Maybe...if the contract holder was particularly persuasive..."
"I can't see it happening, Tsuzuki. Demons are masters of trickery. No human, no matter how diabolical, can compete with them."
Tsuzuki mused on this. Watari had a good point. The demon form transcended the physical. Muraki's seductive techniques would be wasted on such a creature.
"Do you think it is possible for someone to make a contract without realising it?"
"Huh?" Watari stared at him. "You mean 'enter into', don't you? Demons are the ones who draw up the contract. Humans merely agree and sign them."
"Sorry! I'm still waking up." Tsuzuki laughed sheepishly. "That's exactly what I meant."
"Well...people tend to have fuzzy recollections of the contract signing. Remember the Demon's Trill case? Otonashi Tatsuya's diary entry described his meeting with Saaga as a dream. So I guess it might be possible." Watari tapped a finger against his lips. "The contract holder might agree as part of the dream, never realising it was the real thing."
The contents of the beaker overflowed, and liquid fell on the wire gauze with a loud hiss.
"Oops!" He quickly turned the Bunsen burner off and mopped up the mess with a dirty rag. "You're asking a lot of questions about demons lately, Tsuzuki. Are you working on a new case?"
"I'm reviewing some old cases," Tsuzuki said. "Second Block has been very quiet lately, so I'm keeping myself busy with some research. Have you worked out the meaning of the anagram?"
"Ahhh...I haven't looked at it yet. You told me it wasn't urgent."
"No, not at all," Tsuzuki reassured him. "Do you think you could do something else for me? I want you to check with the Gushoshin to find the name of a demon that takes on the form of a small white cat."
Watari's brown eyes lit up with interest. "So this is a case! I knew it!"
"No, no! It's just...more dreams. But if it does lead to something, you'll be the first to know."
"What type of dream was it? Was it was a horrible one or a pleasant one?"
"It depends on your point of view," Tsuzuki said cryptically. He stretched and yawned. "Well, if you do translate it, let me know. I'm counting on you."
"Okay, but you should think about it too. Your dreams are generated by your subconscious. This anagram of yours--maybe the cat too!--could be a message from your subconscious mind to your conscious mind. So chances are, you already know what it all means. You just have to figure it out!"
Tsuzuki sighed. "I wish my subconscious and conscious minds talked more openly to each other."
Watari shrugged and smiled. "The human mind works in mysterious ways, Tsuzuki."
From the window, he could see sakura still falling gently from the trees in the afternoon sun, but Tsuzuki was too preoccupied to notice their beauty.
If the human mind was mysterious, then the demon mind was impenetrable.
His encounter with Muraki had resolved nothing; it only raised more perplexing questions than it answered. Why would such an ageless and powerful entity want to form a 'covenant' with a human? Demons were creatures of energy, free of the impediments and restrictions imposed by a physical form. To a demon, humans were merely pawns to be tricked and cast aside.
No doubt the demon was lying about an alliance, cleverly appealing to Muraki's inflated egotism. Whether Muraki realised it or not, he was way out of his depth.
Tsuzuki could see the poetic justice: the serial killer who had used and cast aside his victims in such a callous manner was now being manipulated in turn by a higher power. But the knowledge brought no joy or satisfaction. Even as a pawn, Muraki was capable of wreaking havoc and destruction.
And last night, he had wreaked an intimate kind of havoc over Tsuzuki's senses.
In the cold light of day, Tsuzuki was appalled by his actions. But neither could he deny the fascination Muraki held over him. They were both sensualists by nature, drawn together by mutual lust.
Tsuzuki had clung to the desperate hope that a one-night stand might cure him of these shameful feelings. This was a physical appetite, nothing more. Once he scratched the itch, he would be free of this obsession. Wasn't that how it was supposed to work?
But maybe that was the problem.
Muraki had done much more than scratch. He had been slow and thorough and demanding, right up to the moment Tsuzuki rendered him unconscious. It should have been more than enough to quench the desire once and for all...but it only left him keenly anticipating their next encounter.
He still wanted Muraki. One night was not enough.
Tsuzuki touched the side of his throat. The skin was smooth and unmarked, but he still carried the memory of Muraki sinking his teeth over that spot. Even now, the pleasure-pain evoked by his touch still thrummed along his nerve endings, an invisible brand that marked him as surely as the curse marks that once lined Hisoka's body.
What was he going to do?
"You mustn't feel ashamed, Tsuzuki."
Tsuzuki jerked up, overbalanced, and almost tumbled off the stool. "Wha...What did you say?"
Watari peered closely at his face. "I was joking, you know. But if I'd known I was so close to the mark, I wouldn't have said such things. I know it's not a laughing matter for you."
Tsuzuki felt the heat rise in his cheeks. "Watari, what are you talking about?"
Watari's brown eyes were warm with sympathy. "Let me show you something." He cleared a space on the bench, and placed a large sketchbook on the table. "Take a look."
Tsuzuki opened it. On the first page was a drawing of an eagle in full flight, talons extended as it prepared to dive for its prey.
"This is stunning! I never knew you could draw so well!"
"I take time to draw the things I love." Watari winked at him. "Keep looking."
The entire book was filled with birds, all exquisitely drawn in great detail. There were flamingos standing in a row, pelicans fighting over fish, puffins with their absurd round beaks. Tsuzuki was particularly taken by a drawing of two amorous parakeets kissing each other.
"Actually, they're regurgitating food into each other's mouths. It's a form of affectionate behaviour much like kissing!"
"How...cute." Tsuzuki quickly turned the page.
The next one was only a rough sketch outline. "Is this your latest one? What is it?"
"It's an old one, but it's my favourite. Look closely."
Tsuzuki bent to look at it. On closer inspection, he could make out a faint drawing. It looked like it had been drawn then erased. It bore an uncanny resemblance to a certain owl...
"It's 003!" Tsuzuki looked at the bird perched on Watari's shoulder, and pointed at the page. "This is you!"
The owl puffed out its chest and hooted loudly.
"So that's where she came from! You drew her and brought her to life!"
Watari nodded, his blond hair flying about him. "Exactly. I had two trial versions that didn't work so well. The first one had a large head, so she kept falling over. The second one had wings that were too tiny for flying. But with 003, everything was in perfect proportion." He and the owl exchanged fond looks. "And I can do one for you, Tsuzuki! Just tell me which of the birds you want, and I'll bring it to life. I have ten more sketchbooks you can look at." He waved at a big pile of books in danger of falling from a shelf on the nearby wall. "Or if there's another type of bird you're after, I'll do my best to draw it."
Tsuzuki blinked, a little unnerved by Watari's excitement. "That's nice of you, but there's no need to go to so much trouble--"
"Tsuzuki, listen to me. There's no need to be in denial about your feelings. There's even a term for this condition: ornithophilia. I have a milder form of it, although I draw the line at having 003 in bed."
"Watari!" This time, Tsuzuki fell off the stool and hit the floor with a loud thump. "It's not like that! I don't feel that way about Gushoshin Younger! Or Elder." He scrambled to his feet. "I'm never going to live this down, am I?"
"But we saw the two of you together--"
"It wasn't like that! You have such a filthy mind!"
"Why only me? That's what we all thought when we visited you this morning."
"You mean when you broke my door down? You're going to be paying for that, you know."
Watari turned around with great dignity, his blond hair swirling around him. "And who owes whom for the afternoon tea yesterday?"
Tsuzuki resisted the tempting urge to yank Watari's hair in retaliation. "A good friend wouldn't bring up past favours at a time like this!"
The laboratory door opened, and the elder Gushoshin floated inside, stony- faced and grim. "The Chief wants to see you now, Tsuzuki."
Discovered at last, Tsuzuki had little choice but to obey. "Please work on the things I've told you," he said to Watari. "It's very important to me. Especially the anagram I gave you. Don't forget!"
"Okay, okay. I have it here." Watari looked at the piles of papers on his bench. "Somewhere."
"Watari..."
"I'll find it! Just remember the kasutera and mizuyokan."
xxxxx
It could have been worse. Konoe ranted until he was red in the face. Tatsumi soothed him with cups of sweet tea. Hisoka was a solemn presence at his right shoulder, chestnut-brown head bowed as if he were personally responsible for Tsuzuki's misdeeds.
Tsuzuki observed them in silence, while taking care to look suitably chastened. He knew they all cared, each in his own unique way. He was fortunate to have them. They were his surrogate family.
So he apologised profusely as usual, and promised he would never place the Gushoshin in such a compromising situation again.
"You better mean it, Tsuzuki," Konoe warned. "The Gushoshin are on the warpath! They've threatened to go on strike if either their safety or reputation is endangered by your conduct."
"And they're demanding a pay rise," Tatsumi muttered darkly.
Tsuzuki and Hisoka exchanged nervous glances. The bird spirits were serious this time.
"I swear it won't happen again, Chief." And it wouldn't. He would visit Muraki by himself from now on. Technically, Shinigami were supposed to work in pairs. But he'd been partnerless on many occasions during his seventy- odd years in the Shoukanka. He knew from experience which rules could be bent when required.
"You must ensure you set a good example to Kurosaki-kun," Tatsumi advised him. "What must he think of a senior partner who acts so irresponsibly all the time?"
Hisoka shrugged. "I'm used to it now," he replied. "If I want guidance on proper behaviour, I'll make sure to consult someone more mature than this person."
Tatsumi's lips twitched at the corners. "A wise decision."
Hisoka flushed at the compliment and lowered his gaze.
The exchange between them wasn't lost on Tsuzuki. He eyed Hisoka curiously. "I may not look it, but I'm much older than Tatsumi. I'm well over ninety."
"But you don't act your age, idiot!"
"Oh? So you want me to act like a decrepit old man?"
"Tsuzuki!" Chief Konoe shouted. "Show more respect when you speak of your elders!"
"You should be telling that to him, not me!"
"Why, you good-for-nothing lazy excuse for a Shinigami--"
Half an hour later, Tsuzuki was extremely sorry for his rash remarks. It took three more cups of tea and the promise of kasutera for tomorrow's morning tea to soothe Chief Konoe's temper enough to end the meeting.
"So how are you going along with the paperwork? Do you need any help?" he asked Hisoka as they entered their office.
"I have most of the accounts from last month completed," Hisoka told him as he sat down. "It's all under control."
"That's good." Tsuzuki took a seat at his desk. "Hisoka, about what you said earlier..."
Hisoka looked up. "What?"
"I know I've been preoccupied lately, and I'm probably not the best example of a good employee, but I want you to know that you can ask me for help. There's no need to work so hard all the time. You don't have anything to prove to us."
A fleeting annoyance flitted across Hisoka's face. "I want my work to be the best it can be, Tsuzuki."
"Of course! And it already is. Chief Konoe has praised you before for your dedication and bravery. But..." Tsuzuki looked at him earnestly, "just remember that work isn't everything. There's more to the afterlife than work. You should take time out to enjoy yourself as well. If you don't, you'll be in danger of becoming an obsessive bureaucrat like Tatsumi."
"Tatsumi-san is a good worker. It would be an honour to be mentioned in the same breath as him."
Tsuzuki frowned. This was worse than he'd originally thought. "Why don't we go out to dinner tonight?" he offered. "We haven't had time to ourselves lately."
"Sure. But I can't stay out too long." Hisoka looked away. "I have...other plans."
"Oh." It wasn't any of his business, but... "What plans?"
Hisoka shifted uncomfortably in his seat. "Tatsumi-san has offered to teach me some techniques to control my empathic powers." He looked at Tsuzuki, a question in his eyes. "I...I thought it might be useful for me as a Shinigami."
"I see."
So that was it. Tatsumi had decided to take on a new pupil. Suddenly the conference room exchange made perfect sense.
Tsuzuki flashed a bright smile. "That's a great idea, Hisoka! Kagetsu is an excellent technique for manipulation and concealment. And Tatsumi is the best person to learn from. It's his specialty."
"You...you don't mind, do you?"
"Don't be silly. Why would I mind? You want to learn, right?"
Hisoka nodded.
"Then you mustn't pass up this chance! Hey, why don't we have dinner early? That way we can make sure that you aren't late for your lesson. Tatsumi is a real stickler for punctuality."
Hisoka was silent for a moment. "Thank you, Tsuzuki." His green eyes were filled with a wistful sadness. "Thank you."
Tsuzuki smiled and turned away. So much for the shadows hiding his true emotions this time. But then, he'd never been that good at kagetsu mind techniques. "You're welcome, Hisoka. Any time."