hello friends!
sorry it's been a while! I'm now done with the semester, so I should be able to post a little more often...I've got a week and a half of break left so we'll see! hoping to post more action in this story, I love fluff but I know this needs some more intense scenes.
I hope y'all like this chapter! It's super cute and romantic so I really hope you guys enjoy it :)
*note: momakase, obake, and tadashi are all seventeen in this fic, so please don't be grossed out...they are just having normal romantic interactions and there's no pedophilia or weird age gaps...I don't actually know how old momo and obake are so i kinda just picked an age*
thanks everyone who's read and reviewed! I'd love more feedback if you'd be willing to give it :)
hope y'all are loving the story! I'm hoping to post more on the edge of night soon, I've just totally been focusing on this story lately. Don't worry, Kai will get his finale as soon as possible!
thanks everyone!
peace out!
two weeks later
"I've got your finals scores back, you guys," Professor Holtry announces, and I can see Tadashi's eyes go wide from across the room, hazel orbs shining with terror.
I blink reassuringly at him—blinking? Really? How can you blink reassuringly?—and take a deep breath as Holtry hands me the sheet of paper with my scores on it. Turning it over, I quickly scan the list.
Chemistry: A
Thermodynamics: A
Composition Technology: A
Calculus III: A
Physics: A
I breathe out a sigh of relief, glancing over at Tadashi. He gives me a thumbs-up, positively beaming. I take it he did well. Thank goodness—I wouldn't want all the work I put into helping him study to go to waste.
My phone vibrates, and I pull it out under the desk, scanning the text that pops up. It's from Obake, and my heart speeds up as I read it.
Hello, Momakase. I've made a breakthrough.
I have finally discovered the secret to the construction of the energy amplifier. It requires a very small amount of deuterium oxide to be placed inside as a core, along with electroreceptors and resistors to create an electrical current. A radioactive element is also required so as to allow for fission. Once the energy of a source flows through the amplifier, the fission process will begin, thus increasing the thermodynamic favorability of the reaction and causing it to take place faster. Eventually, the substances will condense into a ball of energy, which will grow larger and larger until it has been amplified as much as possible. At this point, the ball will shrink into a single radioactive atom, which will then explode with so much force that the entire city will be obliterated.
I find that incredibly fascinating. Thank you for all your help, and I ask to see you tonight on the docks at nine. You do not have to come to the base. I simply wish to speak to you.
I quickly send back a confirmation text, my curiosity ignited. Why on earth would Obake wish to meet with me, especially not at his base?
I feel a small pang of guilt. Most likely, it is because I have not interacted with Obake in a while. He probably feels left out when I spend time with Tadashi—it is evidently not easy to have two male friends. They'd better not start trying to compete for me.
That night, I sharpen my blades and pull on a black coat—it has started to become rather chilly at night. The leaves have begun to fall from the trees, and the hills around San Fransokyo appear dusted with gold. But soon, the brightness will dim, and all I will see will be stark, bare branches silhouetted against an overcast sky.
I am being unnecessarily poetic tonight, I realize. I wonder why.
Once again, I creep through the darkness, avoiding the harsh glare of the neon lights. I keep to the back alleys, where less people will see me. Of course, there could be dangerous criminals in said alleys, but they will not hurt me. All it takes is one flash of my blade, one clench of my titanium fist, and they know I am not human. They will not look at me, let alone attack me.
After several minutes, the pale, flickering light of the streetlamp on the docks reaches into the shadows, its glow almost comforting. A lone silhouette sits on the edge of the dock, gazing out at the dark horizon. I understand the fascination—the night is so clear, so full of stars, that I cannot tell where the sea ends and the sky begins.
"Obake," I whisper, and the silhouette turns towards me. The purple glow of Obake's face pierces through the darkness with such intensity that I have to close my eyes for a moment.
"Momakase," Obake breathes, his glow dimming. He places a hand next to him on the rough wood of the dock. "Come. Sit with me. I would like to show you the stars."
"I will turn out the lights first," I tell him, and I pull out a blade, throwing it at the streetlamp. The glowing blue point sticks directly into the center of the bulb, then drops back down to me, and I catch it neatly, slipping it back into my coat. Darkness falls over us like a shroud, leaving only the light of the stars on the water.
"Now we can see the stars," I whisper, and I sit down, careful not to get too close. Obake is my friend, but I value my personal space.
"Tell me, Momakase," Obake murmurs, gazing at the heavens. "Do you enjoy watching the sky? I find it entrancing. There is so much out there—so much beyond this world. I wish I could see it all. I wish I could know."
Wonderful—I've been cursed with two male friends who are too poetic for their own good and obsessed with stars. But I can't help but find this endearing.
"I do enjoy the stars," I admit. "But they make me feel small. Too small. I do not want to be lost."
"They make me feel like I could do anything," Obake tells me, his gaze still locked on the sky. "Like I could say to the universe, Show me your wonders, and it would obey."
"I have no doubt that you could," I say softly. "You have already proved that you can do anything, Obake. You have replicated a machine created a century ago using nothing more than descriptions and the power of your mind. That, I think, is wonder enough."
Obake turns and looks at me, his stormy eyes studded with tiny pinpricks of light. "What do you think. Momakase? Now that we are ready to begin—how are you feeling?"
"I am ready," I reply, trying not to look away. "I wish to join you on your journey—I wish to help you make this city into a place of learning. I only have one request."
He dips his head. "Of course. Please, name it."
I take a deep breath. "I wish for you to spare Tadashi. He and his family do not deserve to be destroyed in our creation of a utopia. If there is any way to keep him safe from the explosion, please do it."
"I can certainly do that," Obake tells me. "I can understand your desire to protect him—he is, after all, your friend, and as far as I can tell, one of the only people in this world you truly care about." He smiles, the faint curve of his lips that makes my heart beat faster. "I can only hope I make that list as well."
"I suppose I tolerate you," I concede, looking out at the stars. "But that is quite a high level of caring from me, I assure you. Rarely am I able to tolerate anyone, much less men such as yourself."
Obake laughs, the sound drifting away on the water. "Then I have accomplished my goal."
I tear my gaze away from the sky and glance over at Obake, unsure if I like the look in his eyes. He is staring at me with some sort of hope written on his face, his expression open and earnest. Obake's pale skin seems to glow against the darkness of the sea, his eyes shining like celestial orbs.
My palms begin to sweat. What is happening? Why am I becoming flustered?
"The truth is, Momakase," Obake whispers, "I cannot think of anyone else who I would rather share my city with. When I met you, I needed a partner to assist me in my quest. I wanted to make San Fransokyo into a center of learning and knowledge, a place where there would be no crime or heartache, a place where everyone would be safe. A utopia. But what I didn't realize was that I didn't just need a business partner—I needed someone who would fully support me, someone who would be there for me every step of the way. And I found her."
Why is the roof of my mouth dry?
"I am not the ideal partner in such a quest, Obake," I mumble. "I am too impulsive, too stubborn. I fear that I will not be able to go with you to the end of the road. I want to, understand, but I fear that it will not be so. One day, you will realize who I truly am. And I do not think you will want me anymore."
"Momakase," Obake murmurs, leaning forward slightly. "I cannot remember a time since I met you that I didn't want you."
Why am I leaning in?
Why are the stars casting his lips into such sharp relief?
Why is that blasted hope still written on his beautiful face?
And why—
—why—
—why am I kissing him?
The stars fade, and a thousand suns seem to burst in my heart as our lips meet, and I feel a twinge of guilt because Tadashi, what would he think, but no, he never has to know—
The violet light is going to blind me if I open my eyes, but it doesn't matter—if I keep them closed, I can stay here forever, here on this dock under the endless sky.
My soul, so long repressed, seems to explode out of my chest, and it leaps into the sky and soars away over the sea.
I'm still trying to process the kiss at school the next day, and I realize that tonight is another blade-hunting mission. For whatever reason, though, I cannot pull my mind away from what happened last night.
In calculus, I'm struggling to concentrate, and all I can think about is the glow of the stars on the water and the feel of Obake's lips on mine. It was a perfect moment, captured in a frame of twinkling light and still water.
With great difficulty, I tear my mind away from last night and try to concentrate on my math. I can't afford to let my grades slip because of my love life.
Wow. I have a love life now—I have actually kissed a boy. I will admit that I have wondered what it felt like before, but I never thought it would feel like that. It felt much better than I thought it would, actually.
After what feels like an eternity, the bell rings, and I hurry out of the building to the train station. Thank goodness it's Friday—I do not think I could take another day of school after this. It will be better to process everything over the weekend.
Of course, I still have to go blade-searching with Tadashi tonight. I fear that it will be incredibly hard to concentrate, so I attempt to put the memory of last night out of my mind for the time being. After all, the search deserves my full attention.
I take my customary nap as soon as I get home, and my dreams are all of last night's kiss. Of course. I'm starting to get rather annoyed by it.
As soon as I wake up, I begin getting ready for our blade search. I pull on my boots, polish my hand, and strap two graphene blades to my utility belt. We can't afford to waste time—if Tadashi somehow manages to get himself stuck again, I'm cutting him free.
Tadashi texted me a few hours ago to tell me that he wanted to start a little earlier tonight—I wonder why. He'd better not be planning something dumb. Although I must confess that Tadashi is rather adorable when he does dumb things.
When the time comes, I get on the train and ride to Night Market Square in silence. There is mist hanging in the air today, and the sky is cloudy and overcast—no sign of the brilliantly clear night yesterday. The mist helps me to take my mind off it, though.
This time, Tadashi isn't late—he's early, sitting on a bench in the corner of the square. For whatever reason, an incredibly large plastic bag, emblazoned with the words Lucky Cat Café, sits next to him on the bench.
Tadashi looks up as I approach, his face lighting up. "Momo!"
I feel another twinge of guilt. Should I tell Tadashi about what happened? Would it make him feel as though he has no chance? I do not want to give that impression—while what I shared with Obake was incredible, I cannot deny what I feel for Tadashi. I am not yet ready to give him up.
So I say nothing.
"Hello, Tadashi," I greet him, inclining my head slightly. "Why are we meeting so early?"
Tadashi nods to the bag next to him. "If it's okay with you, I'd like to take this food from the Lucky Cat to the homeless people in the square. I do it all the time, and it makes them so happy, Momo. I'll be fast, I promise—I just wanted to get it done before we started looking for the blades."
I stare at him for a second. Why is the boy an absolute angel?
"I suppose we can," I concede. "It is a noble desire."
Tadashi smiles, grabbing the bag and hurrying over to a corner of the square, where an old woman sits next to a shopping cart. Tadashi kneels down, pulling a box of muffins out of the giant bag. He says a few words I can't hear to the woman, and then she places a hand on his cheek, murmuring something that to me looks like God bless you.
I watch in amazement as Tadashi distributes the pastries to several people, including a few younger kids. Everyone looks so grateful for Tadashi, and he always leaves them with a bright smile and a wave. Finally, when the bag is empty and blowing in the wind, Tadashi returns to me, pushing his glasses up the bridge of his nose.
"All done!" he says, beaming at me again. "We can start searching now—that didn't take as long as I thought. Where did you want to look today?"
"Perhaps near the bridge," I reply, somewhat distracted. "It is nearby, and perhaps a base could be located underneath."
"Sounds great!"
We start off down the sidewalk, and I cast a sideways glance at Tadashi. His sweater looks slightly tight around his midsection, which I can't help but find adorable. But the sweater is somewhat worn, and the bridge of Tadashi's glasses has a piece of duct tape wrapped around it. Perhaps his family does not have enough money to replace them.
"Tadashi," I ask before I can stop myself. "Why did you do that?"
Tadashi blinks. "Do what?"
"Give that food away. I was under the impression that you were—forgive me—not particularly rich. Why would you give away food that you can sell?"
We step onto the bridge, and as we walk down it, Tadashi answers, "They need it more than I do. Sure, we don't have a lot of money, but those people don't have any at all. It doesn't seem fair that I have food and they don't."
He stops and leans against the rail, looking out into the mist. I stand next to him, gazing at the horizon, which is so misty I can't actually tell where it is.
"Life isn't fair," I whisper. "It's just fairer than death, that's all."
Tadashi looks at me, concern in his beautiful hazel eyes. "Are you okay, Momo? You sound…sad."
I shake my head, trying to dispel thoughts of Shuto and Dad. "Yes, Tadashi, I am fine. Just…thinking. Would you like to begin our search now?"
Tadashi smiles—why does that boy smile so much? "Sure, Momo. Just so you know, though, I'm here whenever you need me."
I muster a small smile and whisper, "Thank you."
Trying to put my feelings aside, I reach into my utility belt and pull out a length of slender, black nylon rope. "We'll need this to climb down. I'm going to tie it around your waist and lower you to the ground underneath the bridge, and then you'll untie it to allow me to slide down after you. We'll explore under the bridge and then climb back up—don't worry, I won't make you haul yourself up this rope. I will pull you up afterwards."
Tadashi nods, his face a little pale. "But—what if I'm too heavy for you to pull up?"
"You won't be. I am much stronger than I appear, which is partially due to my training and partially because of my prosthetic. It can lift about two hundred and fifty pounds." I pause. "How much do you weigh?"
Tadashi blushes. "A hundred and sixty. I guess you probably can lift me."
"Excellent," I reply. "Come closer so I can tie your harness."
Tadashi takes a tentative step forward, and I gently slip the end of the rope around his waist, securing two loops around his legs and then tying a tight knot just underneath the middle of his stomach, so it rests comfortably.
"Is that too tight?" I ask, stepping back and surveying my work.
He glances down at the harness. "No, it's fine. What do I do now?"
"Climb over the railing," I tell him. "Try not to lose your balance—you will not fall, I will be tying the rope to the rail, but the rope may chafe against your skin, which would be rather uncomfortable. Try to gently lower yourself down."
I tie the rope to the railing with a slipknot as Tadashi gingerly climbs over, balancing on the six-inch ledge. He glances up at me, his eyes wide and terrified. "Promise you won't drop me?"
"Of course I won't drop you, you idiot," I reply, a slight smirk coming over my face. "I'm not that clumsy. Now, slowly inch your way over the edge."
"Is now not a good time to mention that I'm afraid of heights?" Tadashi mumbles, and I sigh.
"No, Tadashi, it is not. Just start your descent."
Tadashi starts to inch backwards, and he of course loses his balance, toppling backward with a shriek of terror. I grab the rope instantly, praying that it will hold. It does, and Tadashi jerks to a stop about a hundred feet below me with a yelp of pain.
"Are you okay?" I call down, peering over the side.
"Yeah," Tadashi replies, his voice shaky. "I got rope burn, but I'm fine—I'm really sorry, Momo. I'll try to be more careful next time."
"No harm done," I reassure him. "Just hold on as I lower you down. And try not to break your ankles when you drop."
It takes a few minutes, but I manage to lower Tadashi safely down to the ground. He fumbles with the knot at his waist, but he eventually manages to disentangle himself from the harness. Pulling the rope back up, I slip the harness over my hips and tighten it. When I'm finished, I leap over the railing, grateful that my prosthetic can't get rope burn.
Tadashi gasps as I hurl myself over the rail, but I clench my fist, slowing myself down, and come to a halt about five feet above the ground. Slowly, I lower myself down onto the ground next to Tadashi, whose eyes are wide again.
"That was epic, Momo," he breathes, and I laugh.
"I'm used to it. Come on."
We comb the underside of the bridge, searching for any kind of opening or door. Near the top of the bridge, Tadashi discovers a rusted, circular metal door, and I carefully pry it open with my blades.
"You stay outside," I tell Tadashi. "I fear you may not fit. I will see where this leads—if it is nothing of consequence, I will simply come back. If I do not return soon, do not come after me—I can easily cut my way out of any predicament. I do not want you stuck halfway down a pipe."
Tadashi laughs, but I can see he's worried. "Okay, Momo. Just be careful."
I give him a curt nod. "I will try."
And I slide into the pipe, finding it relatively roomy. I pull my headlamp out of my utility belt and affix it to my forehead, allowing it to illuminate the dark pipe.
About fifteen feet in, the pipe turns sharply to the right, becoming an angled drop, almost a slide. Unable to turn around comfortably in such a small space, I realize I will have to slide down the approximately two-hundred-foot incline headfirst. Wonderful.
Thankfully, the pipe is not slick, so I am able to inch my way down it rather than speeding. That makes me wonder what it could be used for—if it was for water, it would be wet, and if it was for sewage, it would be more pungent. Whatever it is, it seems to be going out into the bay.
At the bottom of the slide, I turn my headlamp off and squint into the darkness. I can barely make out a pinprick of greenish light at the end, and I struggle to remember where I've seen that glow before.
It takes me a full hour to make it to the end of the pipe, and I slide out into a room full of large, clear containers of water. Fluorescent green lights glow on the ceiling, illuminating the room.
I gasp as I realize what it is. This is Obake's base. A lower room, probably, but undoubtedly Obake's. And this appears to be the deuterium oxide conversion room.
I wonder if Obake is nearby. As far as I know, he lives in his base, but I hope his living quarters are upstairs. It would be rather awkward for him to catch me sneaking around in his basement.
Reaching out a hand, I place it against one of the water containers, looking up at it. It's ten feet tall and lit from the inside, so I can see all the miniscule bubbles floating in it. The top of the container is only an inch or two below the ceiling—it must have been very difficult to get all the containers in here.
Pushed against the wall, between two water containers, is a large desk covered in blueprints and papers. On the blueprint is a detailed sketch of a device I have never seen before, but which I can only assume is the energy amplifier—it possesses the same characteristics as the device Obake described over text.
Underneath the blueprint is a map—a map of San Fransokyo. On it are circled several locations—the power station, the electrical works, and the lighthouse. I expect that these are the sources Obake is considering amplifying.
In the center of the room are two large towers, and I wander over to them, discovering that one is radiating heat, the other cold. This is the Girdler sulfide process—clearly meant for separating D2O from H2O. This must have cost Obake a fortune to have installed. Not to mention that he probably bought it off the black market.
A sudden soft rustling noise catches my attention, and I whirl around, whipping out my blades. A few moments later, as I stand there unmoving, a dark head appears in the entrance to the pipe, and Tadashi heaves himself out of it, landing in an ungraceful heap on the floor.
"You followed me?" I hiss as quietly as I can. "Tadashi, you were not to come after me, no matter how long it took!"
"I was worried," Tadashi defends, his voice thankfully low. "You've been in here for over an hour, Momo!"
"How did you even fit?" I sigh. "The pipe looks rather tight."
"It is," Tadashi admits. "But it's not so tight that I can't get through. What is this place, Momo?"
His eyes land on the two towers in the center of the room. "Is that the Girdler sulfide process?"
"I believe it is," I reply. "Why it is here, I do not know."
Tadashi looks around the room, and his eyes land on the desk in the corner. He walks over to it, scanning the papers laid out on it. When his gaze hits the blueprint, his eyes widen.
"This is it," he breathes, picking up the map and turning towards me. "This is how the city is going to be destroyed."
His gaze locks onto mine. "Right, Momo?"
There is no point in lying to him—Tadashi has deduced more than I thought he could, and I blame my own oversight for that. I will confess that I thought he was too dumb to figure that out, but evidently, I was wrong.
So I stare at the ground and whisper, "Yes."
Tadashi's voice cracks as he whispers, "Why, Momo? Why are you helping him destroy San Fransokyo?"
"Because I want to," I reply, and amazingly, my voice does not shake. "I want to bring Yama to justice, and I want to eliminate him and his gang from our city."
"So call the police!"
"Do you think I haven't tried?" I hiss. "The police have searched for three years for Yama and my blades, and they cannot find him. It is up to me to take revenge on Yama for tearing apart my family, and Obake is offering me that. With our new city, there will be no crime, no sorrow, and everyone will live in peace. Obake will even spare you and your family."
"Momo, please," Tadashi begs. "Don't do this. Think of all the innocent lives you'd be taking—they'd have no idea it was even going to happen. It wouldn't be fair."
"Fair?" I laugh, a bitter, staccato sound. "None of this is fair, Tadashi! Life is not fair, and it's time you learned that!"
"I know it's not fair," Tadashi whispers. "Momo, I know that as much as anyone. It's not fair that you and Obake are plotting to destroy the city, it's not fair that there are people out there with no place to call home, it's not fair that you had to go through what you did. But even though I don't know what your past is like, Momo, I do know that it's not right to kill so many people so we can have a utopia."
"Sometimes we need to make sacrifices," I spit. "And this one is necessary. No one else deserves to have their life torn apart like mine was. I am trying to make everything right, and you should want that."
"I do!" Tadashi defends. "But I don't think this is the right way to do it! If we find Yama, Momo, I'll call the police and get him arrested, you won't have to blow up the whole city to get revenge!"
"If," I say softly. "If we find him, you will do that. But if we don't, then the only option is to destroy the whole city. You have no idea what he did to me, Tadashi, and you will never understand why I have to do this. I'm sorry, but I cannot tell you why. It is not only because of the blades."
Tadashi looks like he is on the verge of tears, so I add, "But yes, if we are able to locate Yama, I will allow him to remain alive while you call the police. You have my word."
He nods shakily, his lip trembling slightly, and mumbles, "I'm sorry, Momo. I shouldn't have gotten so mad."
My heart melts. "I—I apologize as well, Tadashi. I wish I could tell you why."
"I understand," Tadashi says, staring at the floor. "Let's get out of here before Obake realizes we've unintentionally broken into his basement."
I allow myself a small laugh, and the ice is broken as I climb back into the pipe, Tadashi following closely behind. The crisis has been averted, and now Tadashi's fears have been assuaged.
I wonder if he suspects that I have no intention of keeping my promise.
