[ Author Notes ]
Made a Minor change to chapter 9. In episode 4 of Shidou-hen, Aiura references the 2% compatibility reading she'd made for Chiyo, telling her that it's now risen to 4%. Reworked the conversation between Chiyo and Kokomi.
Kokomi ran.
Offu's trailed after her.
"A-Are you alright, miss?!-"
"Do you need help?!"
The crowd blurred in the moisture pooling in her eyes. The voices. The lights.
Her cheeks stung. Her lungs burned. Her hair billowed after her.
Don't look! Please, don't look!
...Why did she have to go and open her stupid mouth? Why did she have to go and put on such a pitiful display?
Just as she was finally starting to get along with Aiura...
The ceiling lights glared down at her, the figures of onlookers distorted, their murmurs a cacophony in her ears. The scent of perfumes and food court offerings mingled in the air, none of it registering as she rushed past.
God. She'd probably looked pathetic. Breaking down out of nowhere. She'd even left all her belongings behind...
She needed to get away. Was all she could think and feel. To get away from everything.
S-Saiki..
...It really was over, wasn't it?
All of her stupid daydreams about what it might be like to win him over. Wondering what it might have been like to attend university with him. To hog his attention. To choose nice clothes for him. Call him by pet names. Take pictures together. Have phone calls late into the night talking about the kind of things Saiki might like talking about. Watch movies together. Catch him falling asleep on her shoulder...
It really was over.
It was like the past few years were nothing but a dream, wrapped up in the most beautiful lullaby.
And the music had finally stopped.
And she had no choice but to wake up.
She couldn't tell where she was even running off to.
Everything looked the same. Each corridor melded into the next. Overhead signs blurred past her in a labyrinth of indistinguishable storefronts and incessant foot traffic. People turned into silhouettes in her peripheral vision, fragments of conversation and laughter in the distance drowned out by the deafening sound of her own heartbeat. It was a strangely claustrophobic feeling.
And all she could think was that she needed to get away.
From here. From all this pain in her chest. From everything.
Her feet careened her forward mechanically. Senses too addled for her to catch herself in time as-
Blwam.
She felt herself slam into something — no, someone. Mumbling something she hoped at least vaguely sounded apologetic, she tried to push away, and continue running. She felt someone grab her by the wrist before she could.
"L-let go," she said, trying to yank it free. To no avail.
It was then that it hit her.
Her thoughts slowly sharpening, she brought herself to look up, hoping against hope that she was just jumping to conclusions-
"Well, well."
Her breath hitched.
"If it isn't ojou-san?"
Despite her turbulent emotions from just moments prior, she found her rational side taking back over.
"F-Fujita-san."
"Well met." He gave her an appraising look, raising a brow at her condition.
"Looks like we caught you in a bad time, huh?" He said, drawing closer. "Gave me quite the slip the other day. How'd you do it?"
When no response was forthcoming, "We can figure it out later I suppose. For the time being-" His eyes scanned the periphery, taking note of the rather considerable number of people looking at them, exchanging murmurs, some even looking ready to jump in. "-how about we take this conversation somewhere more private?"
"A-And if I refuse?"
"Well.." The man donned an amused expression, "I suppose we could always try persuading your friends instead. What were their names again?" His eyes flickered to the ceiling. "...Yumehara Chiyo. And Aiura Mikoto, was it?"
"Y-You wouldn't..."
The man tilted his head slightly, a sly smirk curling the corner of his mouth. "Why not?"
Kokomi grimaced. This guy... Just as she'd feared, he'd completely looked her up.
Figuring out that she was a student at PK was trivial. And someone powerful enough to be making deals with the Saiko family would have no lack of avenues of collect information on one single girl. She wouldn't put it past him knowing her home address at this point.
"Well?" He pressed, leaning in slightly with an expectant look.
Lips pursed. Heart racing. Teruhashi Kokomi made up her mind.
"~Hoshi no shita, yoru no kaze~ Fureru yub-"
He turned the radio off with a subtle click, eyes flickering to the rear-view mirror.
Her hands rested limply on her lap, her posture subtly slouched against the constraint of her seatbelt — a picture of resignation. She gazed out the window with a blank expression.
His gaze shifted forward as the car began to slow, approaching an intersection. The car coasted for a moment before the driver gently pressed the brakes.
Outside, the street hummed with life, crosswalk brimming with foot traffic and the buzz of conversation.
As the light changed from red to green, the car surged forward. Flanking them, rolled neon marquees of electronics stores, competing with the bold colors of nearby boutiques for attention. Telephone cables sprawled overhead like a canopy.
Fingers idly tapping the steering wheel, the driver used his other hand to flick on the turn signal as they drew to the main thoroughfare.
Fewer pedestrians, and more vehicles made for denser traffic. Buildings grew taller, and more spaced apart. Slipping in between a blue sedan and white delivery truck, the car joined the flow of traffic.
With another quick glance at the girl on the rear-view mirror, Fujita reached for his phone, dialing a number. It connected in two rings.
"It's me," he said. "We've got her. You guys can pull back." A pedestrian bridge passed overhead, briefly drawing his eyes to it. "No, that's fine. I'll get back to you on that."
Getting an acknowledgment, he ended the call, returning the phone to his pocket.
As their car decelerated for another red light, "You've been awfully quiet," he said, looking over his shoulder. The girl looked over for a moment, before her gaze fell to the floor.
"You might not believe it, but we're not monsters. If anything, we'd prefer if we could come to a mutually beneficial arrangement, Miss Teruhashi."
The girl said nothing. Shrugging, he returned his gaze to the front as the car began to accelerate.
Traffic ebbed and flowed in a gently polyphony as they continued down the road, intermittently responding to red and green lights. In the median of the road, cherry trees, slender and bare of their spring blossoms, stood stark against the cold sky. Dark evergreens nestled in between offered splashes of green.
In time, the familiar hum of the city gradually faded into the murmurs of the urban perimeter. Approaching a junction, the car slowed to take the exit ramp. The previously smooth asphalt gave way to a rougher, grooved texture as the car rode the spiral up unto the expressway. Tall sound barriers, adorned in ivy, rose on either side as they did. There was the subtle pressure of the car accelerating as it seamlessly merged with the faster-paced traffic, the new elevation revealing a panoramic view of the city receding in the distance.
City outskirts gradually gave way to undulating hills and patches of forests, as buildings became more and more sparse. An overhead sign signalled an incoming tunnel.
The car's headlights picked up automatically as it came up, the sound of tires on the road amplified inside the confined space. Inside the vehicle, passing overhead lights cast a steady beat of flowing shadows.
In time, a distant luminous crescent signalled the end of the tunnel, its soft glow expanding with each passing second. The enclosing walls of the tunnel seemed to peel back, the muted daylight filtering in momentarily blinding their eyes.
And then they were out. On the other side of the tunnel, emerging into the pale, diffused light of a overcast winter day.
Guardrails ran valleyside along the road as it began to snake around the contours of the mountain pass, the occasional steep drop overlooking the river below. Running water murmured softly over the steady hum of the car's engine. On the upward slopes of the hill face, patches of exposed rocks jutted through strands of evergreens. Every now and then, a cellular tower would punctuate the hillside across from them.
It was fairly picturesque, all of it.
Her head resting against the window, her eyes glazed, Kokomi watched, almost trance-like, as the guardrails rushed past in blurred streaks of gray.
In time, the guardrails disappeared, the road emerging from its serpentine embrace of the hillside descending down the valley in a series of gentles sweeps, cradled between two hills. In time, the sounds of the river faded entirely, as the once open view became now a forested enclave. Open fields streaked past in the occasional gaps in the woodland.
As they continued to descend, the first indication of their destination peeked its ornate head over the distant canopy. A shimmering golden spire atop a cupola painted in deep, dark steel blues, that extended to the surrounding gables. Balustrades, accented with steel blue, stood in pristine alabaster, a color that extended to the walls of the rest of the building as it came into view.
"We're here."
Nestled at the heart of the valley, the structure before them loomed almost like a palace — grandiose and dripping in opulence.
Stepping out of the vehicle, despite her situation, Kokomi had to take a second to gawk. The building was enormous, grand pillars running along its length. The overcast sky cast a soft, diffused light on the glass panes of its large, decorative windows, giving them a muted glow. Around the structure, stretched out a sprawling lawn, meticulously manicured. From their vantage, the treeline seemed minuscule in the distance.
A pedestrian path, flanked by gravel on either side, cut through the green expanse, leading to a circular patio adorned with artistic fountains. Distant greenish-blue hills rose in the backdrop, their peaks grazing the sky.
As the car door clicked shut, Kokomi was met with a gentle slap of chilly air, prompting her to instinctively wrap her arms around herself. She'd left her coat and muffler in her hand bag. Which she'd left back in the mall.
Observing her, Kenzo signaled the driver, who promptly removed his coat and offered it to the girl.
She eyed it for a moment, hesitant. Thinking it over for a moment however, she acquiesced, draping it over her shoulders like a shawl.
As they stood waiting by the car, "They're being tardier than usual," remarked the driver, adjusting his attire - a sharp black and white ensemble. He looked into his late-twenties, and otherwise unassuming.
"Nah, not really," Kenzo said, smoothing out a wrinkle on his suit jacket as he reached for a cigarette. Using his other hand to produce out a lighter, he struck a flame, the ember briefly illuminating his face in the dim weather.
"We did come unannounced," he said, taking a drag. "Probably gave them a little heart-attack over the intercom."
As he said that, almost on cue, they caught the double doors of the mansion swing open, revealing two attendants hastily making their way over to them. Their expressions were deferent, if not a little cautious as they approached. The moment they were close enough to make out Kokomi, they let out a customary Offu, before quickly schooling themselves-
"Fujita-sama," the taller one greeted, bowing low. "It is an unexpected honor to have you here... How may we assist you?"
"Get this guy something to eat." The man in question said, pointing to the driver, just as the latter handed the car keys to the second attendant.
"As for us...," his glance flickered to the girl besides him, "Fuuyaki is still away on business in Kyoto, if I remember. Get that errand boy of his for us."
Without waiting for a response, he started toward the mansion. Kokomi, uncertain of what to do, trailed behind him. The attendant followed after them, managing to maintain his professional demeanor despite the older man's brisk stride.
"I-Indeed. Fujimori-sama will be back tomorrow. Morioka-sama is at his study-room. I'll let him know at once that you wish to see him."
As they approached the grand entrance, another staff member, slightly older with a more weathered face, greeted them from the threshold.
"Fujita-sama," he said, bowing deeply. "It is an honor to receive you." Glancing at the girl next to the man, his lips parted slightly, before he schooled himself. "We were unaware of your arrival, but we shall ensure your visit is as comfortable as possible."
Fujita grunted in acknowledgment, not particularly in mood for pleasantries. Extinguishing his cigarette, he stuffed it back into his cigarette case, drawing a slightly disapproving reaction from the attendant.
"..Please, if you'd follow me," he said, recomposing himself, "Morioka-sama is in his study-room."
The interior of the mansion exuded grandeur. Ornate chandeliers hung from the ceiling, their lights reflected in the polish of the Parquet flooring. Large vases, reminiscent of traditional Japanese pottery, stood at deliberate intervals. Tall doorways arched open into various ancillary rooms.
Fujita glanced over his shoulder, half-expecting the girl to be looking around curiously. Instead, her eyes were glued to the floor. Feeling his gaze, she briefly looked up. Pursing her lips, she went back to staring at the floor.
Shrugging it off, Fujita continued down the corridor. As they progressed, the passageway broadened into a double-height atrium, dominated by two grand marble staircases. Above, the sky diffused through the stained-glass skylight, casting a muted kaleidoscope of soft colors onto the floor below.
Beyond the atrium, the corridor continued, eventually leading them too a heavy wooden double-door.
The attendant knocked softly, and after a muted acknowledgement, swung them open to reveal a spacious study. Floor-to-ceiling bookshelves lined the walls, and behind a mahogany desk sat a slender man in business casuals.
As Fujita and Kokomi stepped into the study-room, the man rose smoothly from his chair. He paused for a moment as his eyes came to Kokomi, lips parting slightly, before he caught himself and continued with a courteous bow.
"Fujita-danna," he began in a measured tone, "I was not expecting the pleasure of your visit today. I trust the journey was uneventful?" His eyes briefly glanced towards Kokomi, who also returned a bow.
"Please, have a seat. Can I offer you anything? Tea, perhaps?"
Fujita casually plopped himself onto the nearest armchair, waving him off. He glanced over at Kokomi, gesturing with his eyes for her to take a seat as well. The seats were arranged around a small round table, with an armchair on either side and a couch directly facing the mahogany table at the front of the room.
Morioka took the armchair across from Fujita. Kokomi sat last, moving meekly as she took off the coat, folding it and neatly placing it on her lap.
"So... what brings you, Fujita-danna?"
The older man leaned back into his chair, crossing one leg over another, one arm casually draped over the armchair's backrest. His eyes gestured at Kokomi.
"I need you to get the lass a job."
Kokomi's expression reflected her confounded surprise.
"Its fine if its in name only. Something like a secretary or something. As long as you can keep an eye on her."
"Uh huh.." The man said, though his voice conveyed that he wasn't quite following. "Could you tell me more about that?" He turned to Kokomi. "I believe we haven't been acquainted prior, miss. It's Morioka Meiyaki, but you can just call me Meiyaki."
Kokomi gave a small nod of acknowledgement. "Teruhashi Kokomi.." She introduced hesitantly.
Returning a nod, he turned his attention back to Fujita. "Arranging a job is no problem, but I'm not quite following. What exactly are we talking about here?"
Fujita's expression was amused. "Meiyaki, you remember Metori?"
Morioka thought for a moment. "Anarishisu's boy? What about him?"
Fujita gestured at Kokomi. "He's got hots for ojou-san over here." Morioka's glance flickered to her, and she found herself squirming a little.
"...I can certainly see that being the case," Morioka finally said. "You intend to use her as leverage against the Saiko family?"
"Eventually. It's good to have a trump card on hand, wouldn't you say?"
Morioka thought it over for a second, studying the girl. "She doesn't exactly look thrilled to be here..."
"I suppose she doesn't. I more or less threatened her into coming."
Morioka made a grimacing expression that went 'Ehhh..?'
"...How do we know she's not secretly colluding with the Saiko family?"
Fujita gave it a second's thought. "Let's just say I saw something really interesting the other day." He glanced at Kokomi, an amused expression on his face. "She's not collaborating with them, that much I can personally vouch for. And as far as I could dig up, she doesn't have any other problematic connections either."
Morioka thought it over for a moment. "Its not that I don't trust your judgement, Fuijta-danna... but how do we know she won't betray us?"
"Well, we have methods of persuasion for that, don't we?" He said matter-of-factly. "Metori's avaricious, but not enough to get blood on his hands. I have no such reservations."
Looking over at Kokomi, "You're not gonna betray us, are you, ojou-san?" he said, smile reminiscent of a shark. The memory of him threatening to take it up with Chiyo and Aiura still fresh in her mind, the underlying warning was clear.
Kokomi pursed her lips, not sure what to say.
"..Getting her a job with us is no problem, but is there a reason you can't arrange one for her yourself, Fujita-danna?"
"Too conspicuous." The man said. "Anarashisu's dogs will sniff the connection out in a heart-beat if I ever tried using her against him."
"You're fine with involving us though?"
"It'll still be suspicious I suppose, getting her tied with the Fujimori family. But it'll be easier to brush over. There's profit to be had for both of us. And your old man still owes me two more favors. What are you having cold feet for, brat?"
"...Give me some time to think."
"Heh."
Kokomi sat, eyes blankly staring out the window as the mansion grew smaller in the rear-view mirror.
Fujita opened his window a sliver as he took a drag from his cigarette. The cool incoming air swept the smoke out into the sky, now rapidly darkening from overcast.
"It's not a bad arrangement, is it?" It was a rhetorical question. "You get to make money off of doing nothing. And if we play our cards right, you get a stake at a trillion yen fortune. What more could a girl want?"
Kokomi said nothing, eyes simply flickering back to the window.
"Where to next, Fujita-sama?" The driver asked instead.
"Let's see..." Thinking for a moment, Fujita looked over his shoulder. "Ojou-san, you like tempura?"
"...I guess?"
Turning to the driver, "Take us to Yorimasa's place. I'm in mood for some grub." Eyes flickering to the girl in the rear-view mirror, "Its no fun talking business on an empty stomach at any rate," he said.
"Got it."
Fujita took another long drag of his cigarette.
As the car hummed along, the splotches of open meadows faded into an open view of the hill across from them.
*Tipp-Tapp*
Fujita glanced outside.
*Tipp-Tapp. Tipp-Tapp. Tipp-Tapp.*
It started with gentle pitter-patters, but increased steadily to a light downpour, prompting the driver to turn on the windshield wipers.
As Fujita took another drag, something seemed to occur to him. "Didn't Meiyaki also have a daughter around Metori's age?"
The driver let out a Hmm~ as he tried to recall. "I think he had twins. Not sure how old, though." He gave the older man a momentary side-glance. "Why?"
"I figured Miss Teruhashi over here would be more cooperative if we got a girl her age to look over her."
Using his free hand to retrieve his phone, he quickly dialed a number. It connected in a heart-beat.
"Fujita-danna?", called the voice over the phone. "Was there something else you need to discuss?"
"About the girl, I was wondering if you could have your daughter personally look over her. It'd be more reassuring that way."
There was a momentary silence.
"I'm sorry if I'm missing something, but.. What girl?"
Fujita frowned. "What do you mean, 'What girl?' The one that I'd just brought over."
There was another moment of silence.
"..Fujita-danna, what are you talking about?"
Fujita found himself narrowing his eyes. "Teruhashi Kokomi. Blackish blue hair. Pretty as f*ck. Ring any bells?"
"...Danna. I'm sorry, but I'm really not following. Who are we talking about?"
...Fujita stubbed out the cigarette on the vehicle's built-in astray by the console. "Meiyaki." His voice was icy. "I swear to god, if you're trying to pull something-"
"I-I wouldn't dare! I swear on the name of Fujimori house!"
The driver gave a tentative side-glance. Even though he could only hear one side of the conversation, he could tell that there was something off with the call.
Thinking for a moment, "...I'll call back," Fujita said, cutting the call short.
"What happened?"
Fujita looked over to his driver, before glancing at the rear-view mirror. His irate retort seemed to have drawn the girl's attention as well.
Glancing back at the road, the winding path now glistening from the steady downpour, "I'll find out.." the man growled before making another call.
It took a second for it to go through.
"Fujita-sama, how may we serve you?"
"I know I told you to pull your guys back but something's come up... I need you to go over the girl's background one more time."
There was a pause.
"Fujita-sama... what girl?"
This time Fujita couldn't help his eye twitch. "What do you mean What girl?!" His voice was sharp and rose lightly. "The one I had your men digging up info on, all of last night!"
The phone was silent for a minute.
"Fujita-sama...," the voice was very tentative, "please forgive me if I've misunderstood something, but I thought you'd instructed us to look into Metori's lackeys at his school? Did you mean for us to focus on some girl? I can confirm with the guys, but-"
"Enough!" Fujita had a menacing glare on his face, and it conveyed in his tone. "I'll handle this personally. If I find that you or any of your men are playing games with me, I assure you..." He wore a snarling expression, but reined himself in. "The consequences will be dire."
The silence on the other end was a lot more pronounced this time. Fujita's eyes idly made out the guard-rails rushing past them.
"...Yes, Fujita-sama. Understood."
Ending the call, the man found himself coldly appraising the girl in the rear-view mirror.
"That was..." The driver prompted, voice hesitant.
"Yorikawa. Said he didn't recall me sending him to look the girl up."
"That's... strange."
Fujita's gaze flitted to the rear-view mirror.
"Lass, you wouldn't happen to know anything about it, would you?" There was certain edge to his voice. The girl vehemently shook her head.
In front of them, the wipers continued to swish-swish in indifference to icying mood in the car. Overhead, the rain drops continued to steadily drum on the car roof.
"Whatever you do, don't stop the car," Fujita said, after thinking for a moment.
"Sir?"
"There's something else going on here..." Fujita's expression was taut. "We're missing something... I gave Yorikawa and his team their orders right in front of you." He shot the man beside him a sidelong glance, his tone half-joking. "Don't tell me you're also having mysterious memory lapses now, Hideki..."
"N-No, sir."
Fujita glanced back at the girl, frowning sternly. All this weirdness started the moment he'd gotten involved with the girl. Yet the girl herself claimed ignorance.
Was it Metori? Was he onto him? And was interfering with his plans? But not even the Saiko family fortune should be able to turn his own men against him. That much he had had have full confidence in. Then-
On cue.
*SZZttTTT!*
A brilliant bolt of lightning flashed in the sky, lighting the overcast sky a blinding white for a single instant. Hideki's grip tightened on the steering wheel, a brief look of alarm crossing his face.
*BRRDRrrrRUM!*
A tremendous roar reverberated from the sky. It was close enough to ring in your ear. Almost simultaneously, Fujita felt the car decelerate.
"What did I just say?!"
"I-It's not me!" The driver, Hideki, insisted.
Fujita glanced down to find the man's foot on the gas, and yet the car continued to slow down as it made the incoming bend. The car behind them blared its horns as it swerved around them.
Their own car continued to coast for a few more meters before coming to a standstill, the engine sputtering dead. For a second, the only thing that could be heard was the rhythmic drumming of the rain and Hideki's shallow breaths.
A car swept past, its headlight casting fleeting, elongated shadows within their vehicle, as the growl of its engine built up to a crescendo and then faded into the distance.
Clack. Fujita casually unbuckled his seat-belt.
"Well, I'll be..."
However, no sooner that he'd said that... they were falling.
The initial sensation resembled the jerk of an elevator starting its climb, and it pressed them into their seats. The horizon, previously a straight line, tilted eerily to one side, the sky swirling into the treeline.
There was a light tremor as the car fell. Or floated, maybe. Kokomi gripped her seat-side assist handle for dear life, her other hand clutching the seat in front of her. Weightlessness gently pressed her against her seatbelt.
And in a moment the terrain had flown past, sharpening into the mosaic of a gravelly riverbank rising quickly to meet them. Glistening pebbles. Wet blades of grass. A stream shimmering in the distance like liquid silver. Crisp, all of it.
And with a gentle thud - touch down.
Outside, rain continued to patter without a care, the only other sound being the driver's shallow, panicked breathing. As is slowly died out, he sank back into his seat.
"T-That-" he said.
And slumped onto the dashboard. Unconscious.
Kokomi felt her own head being overcome by an intense feeling of drowsiness. Her head bobbed gently forward, snapping back up every few seconds in a futile attempt to stay awake. Shaking her head, she held herself up against the seat in front of her before scrambling to take her seat belts off.
Clack.
Right as she did, she heard a rustle, and the next thing she knew.. she was staring down the barrel of a gun.
The girl didn't know how to react.
Seated diagonally from her, Fujita had a strained look on his face, looking like he was fighting to stay awake himself, but-
The man's eyes swept from left to right, deliberately and methodically, with minimal head movement, before back snapping to Kokomi. There was a distinctive click as he thumbed the the's hammer back, readjusting his aim to her legs.
"I can a bullet through her before you knock me out," he said, to no one in particular. "How's that for collateral?"
Right as he said that, Kokomi felt the pressure in her head abate. It seemed Fujita's did too, as his expression eased slightly.
The man glanced to the door handle to her side. Gun still trained, he reached back to try the door handle on his own door to confirm the doors were indeed locked. He took a second to glance at Hideki. The man was still unconscious, but the fact that he was breathing and alright was more or less evident.
Glancing back at the uncomfortably squirming figure of the girl, "Lass," he addressed cooly, his eyes periodically sweeping from side to side. "Ever heard of the Dubrovka Theater Seige?" He said of a sudden.
The girl had the look that she had no idea what he was talking about.
"2002, Moscow." He spoke in a very relaxed way. Like he wasn't just casually holding a gun to her legs. "Chechen terrorists Hijacked a theater. Kremlin thought they could use sleeping agent to neutralize them while they rescued the hostages." Performing another quick scan of the perimeter outside, his eyes flickered back to her, a shark-like smile on his face.
"Wanna risk it?" It didn't quite sound like his words were meant for her.
'Run on the count of three.'
Wha-
It showed on her face. And it showed on Fujita's that he picked up on it.
'Who-'
'It's not important. When I count to three, run.'
'What about the lock-'
'Just trust me.'
'...Alright.'
...While Kokomi normally wasn't one to entrust herself to schizophrenic voices in her head, this wouldn't be the first time she'd experienced them. Something similar had happened that one time her brother had been at Saiki's place, and a weird message had popped up in her head, telling her that her brother had been pestering Saiki.
It had turned out to be right.
One.
Two.
Fujita's expression was clouded with suspicion. Eyebrows furrowing, "Lass, you wouldn't know-"
Three.
'Now!'
There was a distinct crick of something from his gun. Fujita reacted almost instantly, pulling the trigger, only for nothing to happen. The girl was already opening the door as he tried pulling the trigger again. Right as Fujita made to grab her by her hand, he felt the drowsiness come back in full force.
Catching the man seemingly collapse out of nowhere in her peripheral vision, Kokomi's boots crunched through wet gravel, the rain pelting her hair as she tried to put distance between her and the car.
She had only made a few paces away before stumbling mid-stride, the drowsiness setting in full force for her as well.
Her vision darkening, mental faculties waning, she thought she felt something warm catch her. Eyelids drooping heavier and heavier by the second, she thought she saw the air in front of her shudder, opaquing into a pair of Khakis. It somehow looked familiar...
Despite her addled state, with what little vision she had left starting to vignette, she found her eyes trail up a white shirt, translucent from the rain, up to-
"..Sai-?"
She slumped.
As she finally fell asleep.
Rain pounded the earth like a mallet. It drummed on the gravel in a discordant cacophony of a billion ephemeral splashes. Behind them, the river sloshed and gurgled with passion. Every so often, rain struck a large rock in a peculiarly sharp clink.
'...Why are you always so much trouble, Teruhashi-san?'
Saiki Kusuo let out a soft indiscernible sigh as he contemplated how to proceed.
Deliberating for a few seconds, he shook his head. It wouldn't be the first time he'd had to do this...
Slowly prying her off, he bent slightly at the knee, gently scooping her up. As he straightened up, her legs dangled on one side, her back resting against the crook of his opposite elbow. Her hands hung limp for a moment before he telekinetically brought them to her lap, evenly distributing her weight between his two arms. As her head tilted to rest against his shoulder, he gave a gentle hydro-kinetic pulse to clear the rain from her body.
Exhaling, Saiki ruminated on a simple question.
Now, what?
He wouldn't need to ruminate long. Just as he'd been ready to turn away, his head snapped to the car, looking through its tinted exterior.
Furrowing his brows for a moment-
*BANG!*
The reverb was soon swallowed up by the rain, and time seemed to stand still for a few long seconds. And then, with a soft click, the front passenger door opposite him swung open.
Gravel crunched under his weight as Fujita stepped out, his figure tall and imposing. He walked to Saiki's side of the car, steps measured and deliberate, as he stopped across from him, smoothly straightening himself.
Saiki's eyes flickered to the blood oozing from the wound on his left arm, before flickering over to the gun in his right.
The man had shot himself in order to force himself awake.
Fujita's face was inscrutable as he studied the boy, before his eyes wandered over to the girl. His eyes widened slightly as he saw the rain-drops deflect inches above her figure.
Slowly tearing his gaze away, he raised it to the road-side overlooking them, using his arm to shield his eyes from the rain as he followed the terrain as it rose to meet the guardrails running along the road. Some forty meters above them.
Around them, the rain continued to mercilessly pound away, drenching the two to the bones. It was a wet, chilly sensation, made worse by the cold December air.
Saiki saw nothing of it on the man's face as he looked back with an unreadable expression.
"That... That was no sleeping agent." It wasn't a question.
Fujita paced in a slow arc, eyes fixed onto Saiki.
"There aren't a lot of people that know about my ties to the Fujimori family," he said, voice low and soft, "And Meiyaki might be a spineless brat, but he's a man of his word. He wouldn't swear on the Fujimori house lightly..."
Saiki's expression belied nothing, cool as ever.
"Yorikawa isn't necessarily the brightest tool in the shed, but his loyalty is second to none. He'd be the last person I would expect to lie to my face."
Pausing, he glanced over his shoulder. "That must have at least a fourteen storeys fall. And here we are, nary a single broken bone."
His eyes flickered over to Kokomi's prone figure.
"I thought she would make a fine bait for Metori.. but looks like I reeled in a way bigger fish than I expected," he said, cracking a wry smile. "The f*ck are you? Some kind of super-soldier? We didn't have those, back in my day." He let out a snort.
"Don't tell me you can catch bullets too?"
No sooner had he said that-
*BAANG-!* *BAANG-!* *BAANG-!*
Click.
Three loud Bangs burst in quick succession, all three telekinetically deflected into the bank without Saiki moving a muscle.
Click. Click.
Eyes widening, if only slightly, Fujita made two more attempts on the trigger, only for nothing to happen.
Retracting the gun, he broke into a mad grin.
"First my Beretta. Now Hideki's M1911's misfiring. Now, whatever are the odds of that..."
Kusuo sent a cursory glance at Kokomi to make sure the noise hadn't woke her up. She seemed to stir, but relaxed with a small psychic intervention.
Looking up, he found the man's expression rather amused.
"Let me guess... I'm gonna wake up, having no recollection of any of this. Is that it?"
Saiki returned no response.
"Scary. Oh, how scary..." Gravel crunched underfoot, as his front bangs, wet and cool, clung adamantly to his forehead.
"We reeled in some real monster, huh?" Saying that, he gave the gun a light twirl. Before dropping it to the ground.
Saiki looked from the gun on the ground to the man, a cautious expression on his face.
"My loss," the older man said, leaning against the body of the car. "Do with me as you will."
Digging inside his inside jacket pocket, he produced a cigarette and a lighter, making a half-hearted attempt to shield it from the rain with his left as he tried to light it.
Chink. Chink. Chink.
He gave up after the third attempt, letting out a small 'Tch' as he tossed aside the cig.
"Well, what are you waiting for, brat?" He said, re-pocketing his lighter.
'...You gave up more easily than I was expecting you to.'
Fujita let out a snort. "So you do talk." His eyes resembled an eagle's as he looked up, although his expression was amused. "You would have me try wrestle a demon?"
'...'
Glancing over his shoulder, Fujita peeked into the car to find Hideki still slumped out cold. He gave the rest of the car a quick once-over, gaze flickering back to Saiki.
"..Thanks for keeping the car in one piece, at least." He fiddled with his ring. "Yesterday's still in the workshop." His eyes flickered to Saiki. "Your doing too, I presume?"
'...'
"Oh, don't be so dull, boy." The car frame squeaked lightly as he readjusted his weight against it. "Gratitude's not cheap. This birdie," he gave the hood a soft slap, "its a momento of the missus. And unlike Metori, I do actually take proper care of my toys."
He found himself smirking.
"Funny how it works with that kid... Born into all the wealth in the world. Spoiled rotten. And now wants to play pretend, running around, managing a mall. Pretend like he's working his keep. What a joke. Just the most unfair thing, wouldn't you say? When I had to claw my way up here from rags."
Saiki saw him fiddling with his ring again.
"But then again, who am I to talk about what's fair, and what's not? ..Foxes like me get to grow old while the good die young. The world's quite the wretched place, y'know?"
'...'
"To be able to bend the world to your whims..." Fujita donned a strange expression, looking at the boy. "To be able to bend loyalties. Bend bullets. Bend hearts... Must be absolutely divine." He let out a soft exhale.
"You're not gonna tell me you can bring back the dead too now, are you, kid?", he said, before shaking his head like he'd just said something stupid.
Hands slumping to his side, a sneering smile on his face-
"That power of yours... What did it cost? If anything at all?" His gaze trailed up the sky, not really expecting an answer.
'...Who knows.'
Fujita made a wry expression, as the heavens rumbled in its own displeasure.
"What a boring answer."