Thank you all for welcoming me back and writing such wonderful reviews! I'm deeply moved and elated that there's still people out there reading this fic! Special thanks as well to my guest commentators, especially "some dude" and "koko". You people seriously made my day!
Hope, you'll enjoy this chapter. Can you feel what it is building up to already?

"Haaaaah…" An exasperated sigh cut through the thick, warm air of the bar. The light was dimmed, a soft music playing, and the sting of cold cigarette smell pierced her nose from time to time. Her cheek was resting on the bar counter while she was staring into the darkness, her arms as saggy as a sea slug. One in a while, she was slurping the cocktail through her straw, but most of the time, she was just closing her eyes, drowning in self-pity.

What kind of sadistic fate had befallen her?

She felt down, desperate and humiliated, but not in a nice way. No, this was different. She couldn't enjoy any of it. This just sucked. And she had to live with it. She had to finally accept it. That Gin-san would never be interested in her ********.

It wasn't like she didn't know that already. It wasn't a secret that the ugly cop and the Yorozuya were a couple now. She had known, but she had opted to ignore it, to completely block it out, to deny the very concept of it. Being in love with this man had been a part of her character from the very beginning and it was hard to shake such traits after 600 episodes. She had known it was hopeless since way before all of this began. But one final hope had kept on shimmering inside of her. Now it all seemed bleak and hopeless.

Sarutobi played sluggishly with the straw in her sex on the beach. She could feel the faint alcohol making her tipsy, warming her belly in a nice and comforting way. It wasn't like she couldn't understand this shitface's feelings. He clearly was in love with Gin and in that regard, they were no different. She probably would have acted the same. But she wasn't his girlfriend. She had no reason to be jealous. Only to be envious.

Frustrated, the kunoichi sneered and slurped some more alcohol. She finally needed to get over Gintoki. He wasn't good for her and he wasn't ever going to return her feelings. And she wasn't really so desperate as to exploit his drugged teenage state. Just for a moment, though, it had been nice to feel wanted by him. To feel his aroused gaze on her skin. To hear him say these sweet words.

Her heart hurt and Sarutobi growled. No. This had to stop. She was a strong, independent woman. She deserved more than this. She didn't need a man. She could get whatever she wanted, whenever she wanted! Waiting for pipe dreams to come true wasn't gonna work out anyway. It was time to change the path she was walking on, it was time to remove herself from this unhealthy obsession. She didn't need Gin-san or his ****. She would be her own **** if she had to!

"Haaaaa…" Another sigh and she returned right to square one. Tomorrow. Tomorrow she would start with all that. But today? Today she would continue to bathe in self-pity.

.

"Tell me about it…" was the monotone, void answer from beside her. "…Hate this day."

She didn't turn around to see, didn't care in the least where this came from. Right now, the only important things were alcohol, the cold bar counter pressing against her check and self-pity. A lot of self-pity. "Fuck this day."

It didn't seem like the stranger was particularly interested in her either. By the sound of it, he was in the same position, resting his head on the counter and staring into nothingness. "Can't stand such people… telling me what to do… what am I? A toddler? I'm a fucking responsible adult already, come on…"

Sarutobi wasn't interested in this visitor's story in the least. But she appreciated the opportunity to mope even more. "Grow a pair. I will never get what I want. My whole character concept is flawed. I am reduced to this one thing. And now I can't have it. Maybe I should grow a **** and then he'll love me."

"Don't fucking care about your dick complex, man." The other person sneered, pissed apparently. "Having a dick is a pain in the ass, y'know? I fucking had to masturbate in a dark alleyway because my dick felt like a Viagra commercial."

"Well, guess what I'm doing tonight. Again." Not thinking of Gin, hopefully.

"Not having sex sucks balls." The young man exhaled, exasperated. "But being treated like a child is worse. Fucking asshole. 's not like having fun would immediately kill me."

"Why are you going on and on about that? If you don't wanna be treated like a child, then just freaking do what you want. 's not like anyone can stop you." This guy was annoying her.

"Just fucking violent cops, that is."

"Fuck the police." And Hijikata Toushirou in particular.

"Well, 'would have loved to." The young man growled under his breath and seemed unsettled by this thought.

"Then quit your whining and do it!" Sarutobi finally snapped and turned around, snarling at him. To be fair, she might have been a little bit tipsier than she would have liked to admit.

The teenager with the silver locks massaged his forehead and barked back at her. "'s not like I could even if I wanted to. And besides, I'd rather stick to women with giant racks. That's more up my- …oh… it's you."

When he finally turned around to look at her, the ninja with the violet hair froze. Eyes wide open, she stared into reddishly brown eyes and felt the alcohol swirling in her veins. From one second to the other, her head turned beet red and she could feel a lump blocking her throat.

The teenager who happened to look like Gintoki looked pretty tired but stubbornly kept on going. There was a glass of untouched alcohol in front of him. He was wearing a pair of skinny jeans and a t-shirt with a pin-up girl on it. Maybe it was his dress-up or the fact that he lost some muscles. But right now, there was no mistake that there was indeed a teenager sitting right in front of her. He didn't seem to really care to see her here, now that his urge was mostly satisfied.

"We've met before, haven't we? In the hospital?"

"Gi-Gin-san…" she cawed, torn between her love for him and the utter disbelieve of his current state. One part of her was ready to throw itself in his arms, but the other, dominant part was holding her back. Carefully, she observed him, his posture, his face, his eyes. He really did seem younger, like a real teenager. Like a completely different person.

A tired smile, which was supposed to be seductive of some sort. "It's you, right? You still wanna bone? I mean, I'm like still totally up for it. Just need a bit of time to reload."

Clouds were coming out of her reddened ears and his words directly seeped into her aggrieved heart. Yes, yes! Of course, she wanted to have sex with him! But before she could even lift a finger, the sane part of herself held her back, letting this squelching feeling in her chest take over. This was wrong, on so many levels.

This was not her Gin-san. This was a stranger, a teenager. He was not himself. And even though his words, his lips, his gaze was tempting, she knew she couldn't do this. For his sake and her own. Even for this bastard's sake. She couldn't take advantage of him like this. She didn't have the heart to do this.

A sad smile appeared on her lips and her eyelids dropped just a little bit. Her gaze wandered over his face, took in everything from his smile to his smell and his comfortable closeness. She wanted to savor this, to imprint this on her skin. Because it would be the last time, the very last time she would be this close to him. It was hard resisting the urge to place a kiss on his check and stroke through his hair. But she managed somehow and knew what she had to do.

"Sure… let's do it."

"Wo-ho! Great! Let me just get my gun ready." He winked at her and showed some teeth before he took his glass stinking of vodka and toasted her. "Then, baby, I'm gonna blow. your. mind!"

He chugged the clear liquid in one go and approached her with a big smile, intending to kiss her before he immediately toppled over and fell unconscious on the floor.

The beautiful woman stared at him, lying face first on the floor, and couldn't suppress a soft chuckle. It was no secret that Gin couldn't hold his liquor, but teenage Gin was something else entirely. What a puppy.

Paying for their drinks, she pulled the shitfaced drunk man back up and placed him in her arms like a bride. She knew exactly where she would get him to. Under a weak growl, he protested but didn't even have the strength to raise his arm, let alone to open his eyes. It was too cute.

When she carried him outside, the chilly evening air was greeting her with a soft bite. It was late. The lanterns around her were burning lower and the streets were harboring fewer and fewer people. Sarutobi preferred it that way. She wanted them to be alone. She wanted to feel him in her arms for just a bit more. Just a little bit.

.

A pair of boots stopped in front of her, faintly scratching along the pebbles on the road. A gush of cigarette smoke drifted her way and disappeared the next second. As she raised her head, she looked into the blue eyes of a policeman. And he gazed back, worried and hesitant.

They didn't say anything.

Sarutobi could feel the resistance swelling inside of her, twisting her stomach as well as her lips. She wasn't even surprised anymore. It hurt, yes, but she knew where it was coming from. She could feel it in his fretted stare, in his stiff posture, in the leaden silence weighing them down. They were just the same, the two of them. They were cut from the same cloth.

"I'm…" He began, hoarse, clearing his throat and averting his gaze just enough to avoid a direct stare. "…I'm sorry."

That was taking her aback. Why was he apologizing for all of the sudden? But before she was able to express her confusion in any way, the cop continued, his voice quiet.

"…for how I acted earlier today."

Another sting to her heart and she could feel her bewilderment crumbling under the weight of his words. She understood it now. Maybe even accepted it. Some things were just not meant to be. And some were just happy coincidences.

It was time to let go.

"…Would you… please get him home?"

This dirty cop continued to surprise her. Did he really trust her now? Well, it didn't really matter, right? She would play her part and he would play his. So, the ninja nodded and started moving. She was sick of seeing his face anyway. "Leave it to me."

And with that Sarutobi Ayame walked into the cold night, pressing Gin's dead drunk body against her chest. Not looking back anymore.

"So, that's more or less what happened."

Yamazaki was nodding to himself, scribbling down some notes into his report. He tried to be as thorough as possible and luckily, the young teenager was more cooperative than anyone else in this godforsaken police station. He knew the Chinese girl was interrogated by the Vice-Chief next door, while the Yorozuya was waiting in the courtyard, sulking. Apparently, it had been a real struggle to get him here in the first place. For some reason or another, he had protested fiercely against coming here and since he had arrived, he refused to talk to any of the policemen here. Yamazaki wasn't sure if that was because of his teenage hormones or because of something else.

"Thank you for your testimony, Shinpachi. I think we have a better idea now who is behind these drug deals."

"You're welcome." The boy with the glasses nodded as well and seemed concerned. "If we can help you in any way, please don't hesitate to ask us."

"We will. Hopefully, we'll be able to solve it ourselves. I think you've been through enough already."

A sigh and the young man tousled his hair. "You know, I always thought being a teenager is hard. But taking care of one is even harder. I wish Gin-san would return to his normal self soon…"

An understanding smile, as the Shinsengumi spy stood up and reached out to guide him outside. "I know what you mean. Okita-san is basically a teenager with megalomania."

Shinpachi smiled as well, expressing his sincere condolences. "Right. You also have a lot on your plate, don't you?"

"Yeah…" Both men stepped into the open corridor, where the garden greeted them with its lush green cedars. The weather was nice, and cicadas were chirping in the distance under the heat of the last summer days. A brooding silver-haired teenager sat on the wooden corridor facing the little pond where a few little koi were sluggishly moving through the water. He didn't even react to them, punished them with silence and his back facing towards them. Both men just sighed, shared a look and shrugged.

And the end began.

"Yo!" A young man chewing bubble gum approached them, but ignored the two completely, focusing on the teenager only. "Sorry for being late. I didn't wanna come."

"Okita-san." Shinpachi was surprised and worried at the same time. He opened his lips but was too afraid to ask after all.

He didn't have to, anyway, because Sougo was stopping in front of Gin and snapped at him in his usual, bored tone. "Yo, danna. Heard you are my kouhai now? Does that mean I can order you around?"

The silver-head didn't move, only his gaze shot up, obviously not in the mood to talk to him. "Piss off. I don't answer to you."

"Uhhh, scary." Unimpressed, he chewed his gum, making a large bubble. "Well, you will because I'll be your personal babysitter from now on. Don't worry, I'm as thrilled as you are."

"What?" Shinpachi stepped next to Gin, trying to get the officer's attention. This was the worst possible combination he could think of! "Why? I… I mean we will take care of Gin-san. You really don't have to bother, Okita-san."

"Nah, it's fine. Orders are orders, after all." He grinned back at Shinpachi, a hint of a devilish smile glued to his lips.

Oh no. This just couldn't end well. But before the dark-haired young man could reply anything, Gin was already barking, still refusing to stand up.

"I don't need a fucking babysitter, for God's sake!"

"Well, consider me your bodyguard then." Sougo smirked, challengingly. "Don't worry. I'll make sure no one will hurt you."

That was as convincing as hearing a baby say it will take care of your tax returns. Gin was obviously pissed, just barely containing his anger right now. It was Shin's last opportunity to calm things down now. He messed it up splendidly.

"That-that really isn't necessary, Sougo-san! Let me please speak with Kondou-san. I'm sure we can somehow change his mind!"

"Kondou-san?" The blond man fainted surprise but made sure to stress every following syllable. "No, I got the order from our Vice-Chief. Hijikata-san was the one who ordered me to change this guy's diapers."

That was the last straw. In that very moment, the teenager jumped up and hissed at Okita, who was only a bit smaller than him now. "Leave me the fuck alone! Why are you guys so obsessed with me? I don't need protection or babysitting for fuck's sake! You're just bullying me!"

The Shinsengumi officer wasn't impressed in the least and hid his sadistic pleasure quite well if you didn't know him. "I would never bully anyone. Don't worry, Gin-kun. We'll have some fun."

That subtle threat was more tangible, and Gin scoffed. "Sure! I swear to God, I'm gonna kill you!"

"Hey hey." Suddenly, Okita's expression changed and his aura grew darker. "Listen closely, punk. I'm not your precious boyfriend, so you won't get any special treatment from me. Don't think I will go easy on you. If you step out of line, I will punch you back into line. Understood?"

That worked. Intimated, Gin took a step back and growled under his breath, giving him a death stare. "All of you cops are fucking psychos."

"I'm telling you!" Abruptly, a young girl's voice pierced through the heavy air. "If I had known beforehand, none of this would have happened! I would have crushed all of them on the spot!"

A soft sigh as Hijikata held the door open for her. "…I know."

"Don't you give me that look, Toshi! Next time you'll come to me first! Then I'll show you how we Yato deal with mobsters." Kagura stomped outside, huffy. When she saw Okita however, she stopped and grimaced. "Urgh, speaking of dealing with mobsters."

Sougo gave her one of her challenging, fake-innocent smiles. "Who's a mobster now? I'm your bosses' babysitter now, which also makes me your babysitter. So, watch your tongue or I'll cut it out."

Kagura was immediately in offense mode, showcasing her bare fists. "You wish! I'm gonna cut off your **** while you sleep!"

As Sougo joined in in their usual banter, Hijikata's gaze drifted to Gintoki, just for a moment. When their eyes locked, he could see the teenager's mood rapidly worsening. With a silent snarl, he immediately turned around and stomped off. From the outside, the sting in his heart was hardly visible. Instead, Hijikata just averted his gaze and said nothing.

"Oh, sorry China. Seems like my duties require me elsewhere. But hold that thought. I'll come and crush you later!" Sougo awarded Kagura with a bored expression and Hijikata with a sadistic smile. "Don't worry Hijikata-san. I'll take good care of your boyfriend."

Only a silent nod from his commanding officer and then the second in command was off. Kagura was shouting after him, giving him the finger, while Yamazaki only scratched his temples and wondered if this would go well.

Shinpachi turned to the dark-haired policeman, visibly worried. "Hijikata-san. Do you really think it's a good idea to team up the two of them?"

For a long pause, the officer was just puffing his cigarette and looked in the opposite direction. His demeanor was collected, and it was hard to detect his true feelings under it. "Probably not. But I think out of all people, Sougo will be able to handle him best. They're just one year apart now after all."

"I guess Gin-san will disagree… He has been in a very foul mood since yesterday." Shin resisted the urge to ask him if anything had happened. They hadn't heard from Hijikata-san last night, but Gin-san had been home when they checked there, sleeping on his futon. So, they just assumed that he had brought him home. But something had happened, and it wasn't good. He trusted the Vice Commander, even though it was a hard pill to swallow.

The cop didn't answer and started moving in the opposite direction. "…Sougo will take care of him now, but you're free to do whatever you like. We believe he could be the target of another attack, so we need to keep him under surveillance. Sorry for causing you guys so much trouble."

And with that, he was almost out of earshot. Shinpachi stared as the officer took a corner and disappeared. He was worried. Gin-san wasn't his normal self and Hijikata-san was unusually reserved.

Something was going to go down, right?

The throbbing vain on his temple started pulsating like crazy now.

He had ignored it for the last hours, had tried to completely block it out the whole day. But at some point, enough was enough.

This cop had stalked him every step he went. He had followed him through the streets, to the parks and even accompanied him into the public bath. And not in a secretive way. Hell no. He had always been not more than 10 feet away, sometimes even standing directly behind him, staring at him like a freaking ghost out of a horror movie. It was a fucking nightmare!

But now he had enough. The crazy stalker cop was looming behind him, breathing in his neck while Gin was checking-out a beautiful girl in a maid costume right outside a maid café. His breathing was so loud and annoying that he got goosebumps. And not in a nice way. It was disgusting.

Furious, the teenager whirled around and snapped at him, hands up in the air, ready to strangle him. "Would you, like, leave me the fuck alone already!"

The surprised look on his face was basically inviting him to be met with a fist. "Oh? Sorry, didn't see you there, pal. Nice meeting you again!"

Gin's face was almost exploding, and he shivered in anger. "You..."

Sougo was grinning now, tilting his head. "Calm down, man. I just wanna hang out."

"Well, I don't!"

The police officer was incredibly amused by his behavior. He seemed to be less aggressive now, though. "C'mon, Gin-kun. I think we got off on the wrong foot. Let me invite you to a beer and some ramen. I'll even pay for you. How does that sound?"

"And why would I voluntarily accept this offer?" Still, pretty pissed.

"Did I say it was a request?"

"You're all fucking psychopaths!"

"Thank you for the compliment." The blond man grinned and nodded towards a small ramen shop on the other end of the street. It was late afternoon now and a chilly breeze was sliding down from the mountains. "Let's go eat, shall we?"

The silver-head growled, as well as his stomach. He really didn't like this guy. But he didn't have any money and it seemed like he couldn't turn down the invitation anyway. So, begrudgingly, he stomped towards the ramen shop and went ahead to order the biggest and most expensive bowl of ramen he could find.

Sougo didn't seem to mind and ordered the same, as well as two light beers. The ramen shop was quite full already and people were having fun, chatting with the cook and the waiter in the middle of the cooking area. Gin slumped down a high chair in the darkest corner of the restaurant. He didn't look at anyone, didn't seem to care about anything. When the policeman sat down opposite to him, he didn't even flinch or look up. He completely ignored his very existence as well as the numbing hunger torturing his stomach.

The blond man eyed him and for a long time, the two young men sat in silence, waiting for their ramen. When the waitress served their food and beer, Gin didn't hesitate for a second. He started gulping down the hot bowl without even so much as an itadakimasu.

It was truly strange to see him like this. Even Sougo, who wasn't easily impressed, had to take a while to completely stomach danna's transformation. Funny how much people changed over just 10 years.

With a cheeky smile, the policeman broke his chopsticks in two and started mixing the topping spices with the rest of the broth. "Good?"

No answer, of course.

But he hadn't expected one. Instead, he stuffed some ramen noodles into his mouth and started talking at the same time. "You don't have to be so pissed, by the way. I'm not really gonna babysit you. And I'm not that guy's dog. I couldn't care less about his orders."

Still nothing, but he knew that Gin was listening. So, he did him the favor of answering his implied questions.

"Seems like you really don't remember anything, danna. Otherwise, you would know how much I hate that guy. …We usually pair up against him to torture him, y'know?"

"Hmph." Was the only, unbelieving response.

"I'm a bit offended that you forgot about me, to be honest. I mean, one might think you'd remember one of your closest friends."

"Oh, gimme a break."

This time, Sougo grinned candidly. Maybe there were still some memories left? "In any case, we're cut from the same cloth, you and I. Sure, I have to keep an eye on you right now, but I'm not gonna stick to your ass. You're a grown man and can take care of yourself. Hijikata is just an obnoxious crybaby. He should just chill out a bit if you ask me."

Gin eyed him for a second before he continued to devour his ramen. He smelled the rat, for sure. But Sougo knew it was the only way to gain his trust right now. And it wasn't as if he was lying. So, the policeman opened his beer and poured a bit into their glasses. "I mean, I really don't think these mobsters will go after you. 's not like you remember anything anyway. He's just paranoid, this guy. So, I'd say, let's waste his time and money a bit."

The devilish grin reappeared on his lips and he showcased the wallet which was way too plain and practical to belong to him.

Gin took a moment to understand and stare at him in disbelief. A deep frown combed through his forehead as he tried to figure out what the hell this guy's deal was. "…You… really are a strange one."

Just a shrug and Okita fished out some more yen. "Not really. Hijikata thinks he's smarter than me, but I got a replica of his wallet months ago. It's filled with a lot of duds, so next time he pays, he'll land right into our track record of money launders."

"…" Just gradually, Gin's cold aura thawed, but he didn't realize it yet.

"He might figure it out soon, though. I switched out his favorite photo with a new one. I doubt he'll like it. It's a naked lady."

"…So, he's like… 100% gay?"

Okita felt a small rush of adrenalin. Not that he hadn't been sure that he would get him to talk eventually. But talking to a teenage version of danna? That was certainly going to be interesting. "Guess so. ' mean he wasn't always, I think. But you certainly changed his mind."

"Tsk. I didn't." An unnerved protest.

"Anyway, he'll figure it out soon. He thought he could hide this photo from me, but he's so naïve." Skillfully, he drew out a photo from a secret stash inside the wallet. On it, Gintoki and Hijikata were drinking together and Gin had a huge smile on his lips. It was one of the photos Sougo had taken at the party, not so long ago.

Wordlessly, Gin was eying the photo. Just a moment, until he turned to his ramen again, seemingly unfazed.

The blond policeman returned the photo to the hidden pocket and sipped on his beer, eyes closed. "I take it you don't remember anything from before the drug kicked in?"

"…"

"Thought so. Man, that sucks. Something you want to know?" Sougo knew the others had pretty much already told him all the boring details. He, in turn, was only interested in the juicy stuff.

A long pause and some slurping of ramen until he eyed him again. "…What exactly are you doing here with me again? I doubt you only want to chat."

A smirk. Apparently, he was sharp, teen or not. "Honestly? I think it's just plain fun. Seeing you as a teenager that is. And don't worry. If anything, I love messing with Hijikata. As far as I'm concerned, I'm just enjoying a hot bowl of soup and beer on his expense."

One could see that Gin was pondering if he should believe him or not. His gaze cut deep, but in the end, he turned to his beer, carefully sipping on it. He was more relaxed now. "Why do you hate him again?"

He'd rather not go there, but he did for information's sake. "He's just annoying and stiff. And he was in love with my sister before she died."

That obviously surprised him, but Gin didn't look at him. "…Sorry."

Wow, really a different person, huh? "Don't be. She had been quite sick anyway." Just for a moment, he paused to suppress the haunting memories. Then, he continued to eat his ramen. "So, he was a total dick to her and that's one reason I hate him."

No response, only chilly silence. He could almost hear him thinking.

"Why do we know each other anyway?"

"Because you're a famous criminal and war hero, Gin-kun. I mean, we didn't know that for a long time, but you just kept on causing trouble. So yeah, we met a lot and arrested you several times for your shenanigans. And you were there when we needed help. Especially Hijikata and you had a lot of encounters."

"Sounds rather strange then."

"What do you mean?"

His hesitation was tangible. He still didn't know if he could open up to this cop. It was obvious how interested he was in Hijikata and Sougo wondered if that was part of a dormant memory. Either way, he was waiting to find something juicy he could torture his superior with.

"…How he and I ended up together, I mean…"

"Well…" A shrug and Sougo was drinking his beer. "…I think you two had been interested in each other from the start. And with time, you came to really trust each other. Guess it was a really slow-burn. But I agree. You definitely are a strange couple. Oh well, he seems happy enough with you. Makes him an easy target for me, hehehe."

"…Sorry to disappoint you then. I don't like him."

"Not saying that you have to. I don't understand why you became his boyfriend in the first place. Maybe that's a gay thing."

"…'m not gay…" A whisper of a protest.

"Oh, come on, Gin-kun. Everyone knows you swing both ways. You dressed as a woman, worked in a gay bar and have been in bed with both Kondou and that homeless dirtbag*. Hijikata and you even once ate dicks*. This really isn't news."

He could see him turning red and concealing it with a load full of ramen in his mouth.

"So yeah…" Sougo was ordering some kae-dama to fill up his bowl. "I don't care if you two fuck or tell each other to fuck off. I'm just taking on every opportunity to make him suffer."

"…Seems to me like you want me to understand him better, though." The teenager's voice was reticent, hesitant. "You trying to make me forgive him?"

"Heh." The blond man was grinning now, shooting him a short, sassy look. "Well, it's just that it's so much easier to mock him when he's banging you."

"He's… banging me?"

Jackpot~

Sougo couldn't suppress a triumphant look. Though he had already suspected that from last time. "I dunno. Isn't that so?"

His face was red now, unsettled. "How the hell am I supposed to know?"

"Hahaha, don't worry about it Gin-kun." The blond captain was clearly having fun, already plotting his next steps. "You've once had a sword permanently stuck in your ass*, so I guess taking in Toushi's broken sword really shouldn't be a problem. Come to think of it… with all the things that landed in your ass over the years, I really shouldn't be surprised. But I'm sure he will be gentle. He's such a soft-hearted wuss."

"What the fuck, man. Shut your freaking mouth! I'm not his boyfriend! I don't even know him!" Flaring reddish cheeks challenged him as Gin was slamming his fists on the table.

"Well…" Sougo gave him a quick smirk. "…I'm sure your memories are already coming back, aren't they? Don't fight it too much, Gin-kun. Really no shame in that. If anything, you should savor this opportunity and mess with him. If we team up, we can completely destroy him. Just imagine all of the possibilities!"

His jaw dropped a bit and he stared at him, torn between horror and temptation.

His partner in crime toasted him and drank a large swing of his beer. "Your call, though. But if you want revenge on this shithead, then you've come to the right address. We're gonna obliterate his sorry ass. What do you say?"

"…" Gin grinded his teeth, obviously still unsure what to make of this guy. Eventually, he raised himself, bringing some distance between them. "You really are a psycho, you know?"

"Maybe." A flashy grin and he handed him the dark blue wallet. "Think about it, will ya? And take his money. You surely need some right now, ain't that right?"

"…Hmph." After a short moment of hesitation, he snatched the wallet and turned around, stomping off without another word.

"Think about it, Gin-kun!" Sougo reiterated and sipped on his beer with a suppressed smile. He was quite happy how all of this had turned out. This was promising to be so much fun. And it was amazing how many people were actually underestimating him. But he wouldn't complain. It was playing right into his hand, after all. The sadistic smile wouldn't wear off. "You know where to find me."

Annotation:

* Sougo is talking about the Scandal and the Love potion arc.

* The Funeral episodes: chapter 316-317, anime 231.

* The Excalibur Arc: chapter 424-429, anime 334-336