hello friends!
here is the next chapter (pretty fast actually)! I was so excited to do this chapter and I threw in some things that I definitely did NOT plan when I was writing up the timeline for this story (like climbing a crane, that was pretty much completely spontaneous but I loved that part)!
Thanks so much to Dr. Wicks for reviewing, it means a lot!
question: how would y'all feel about a little spice? it would stay T rated and not be too descriptive, I'm not good at writing stuff like that but this fic is sorta romantic so I thought we needed a little more than just kissing and chemistry between the characters. Any *ahem* sex scenes would be completely closed door and not described at all, only implied. They would also only include Obakase (I don't really think Tadashi would consent he's too innocent).
Let me know if you're not okay with that, and I won't put it in. Just a thought for story building!
also if I've totally messed up the art of ramen making of any part of Japanese culture, please feel free to tell me so I can correct it! I don't want to offend any Japanese readers :)
anyway thanks you guys!
Peace out!
—MOMAKASE—
This is incredibly confusing.
I have not experienced anything like this for years. The last people I truly loved were Shuto and Dad, and they're both gone. Now I suddenly feel an undeniable attraction to two young men who are remarkably similar to each other.
I try to put these thoughts out of my mind. I have not loved for three years, and I've survived just fine. I do not need love now. And I absolutely do not need the drama of a love triangle.
No, what I need to do is to continue searching for the blades. Our next search will be this Saturday, and I have a good feeling about this one. Perhaps we will finally discover Yama's location.
Thanksgiving break ends, and we go back to school, beginning preparation for our semester finals. Obake insists that he doesn't need to study—he's devoting all his time to building the energy amplifier—but Tadashi and I take up our tutoring program again. Tadashi has been doing very well in his classes, but I want to make sure he knows what he's doing for the finals.
Eventually, on Wednesday, I cannot take it anymore—the feeling that I need to go out and look for the blades again is too strong. At lunch, I pull out my phone and text Tadashi.
Hello, Tadashi. I know we planned to go searching again on Saturday, but I cannot wait any longer. I feel strongly that this time, we will find the blades. If it is at all possible, please meet me at the normal place tonight, same time. I do not know where we will search, but I believe we will find them at last if we go tonight.
"Texting again?" Obake says from across the table. "You seem to do so quite often."
I put the phone back into my pocket. "I apologize, Obake. I have decided to move our next search for the blades to tonight, and I thought it best to inform Tadashi beforehand."
Obake smiles, and my heart flutters. How I wish it would stop doing that.
"It's perfectly fine, Momakase," Obake tells me, his voice low and silky. "I know how important the blades are to you. I wish you luck in finding them tonight."
"Thank you," I reply, dipping my head. "Would you like to join Tadashi and I for our study session this Friday? It will be at my house right after school, and Tadashi has assured me that he will bring snacks. Honestly, that boy cannot do anything without food."
"Sure, why not?" Obake agrees. "Perhaps I could use some study time. After all, these finals will be important for our graduation. Remind me what your degree is in again?"
"Composite engineering and technology," I inform him. "And yours is in physics, correct?"
"Indeed. Thankfully, there are similarities, so we will not be studying anything too different. What is Tadashi's major?"
"Biomedical robotics," I respond. "He studies chemistry, calculus, humanities, programming, and physiology. I'm sure we will find something to study together. How is the amplifier going?"
"Excellent," Obake tells me, "but I require several other pieces. I am having trouble figuring out how everything should be configured, and it is taking me an awfully long time to make enough deuterium oxide to pull this off. I would not be opposed to acquiring a tremendous magnet—it would greatly speed up the process of creating the deuterium oxide. And if there were any records of the first amplifier that could help me determine how it would work, it would be absolutely wonderful. But those kinds of things will take months to uncover—I may put the plan on hold for a short period of time and get my degree out of the way first."
I breathe an internal sigh of relief. Maybe Tadashi will stop freaking out if he thinks the plan isn't going anywhere for a while.
The bell rings, and I bid Obake farewell, my phone vibrating in my pocket as I walk to calculus. I pull it out to find Tadashi's reply to my earlier text:
Sounds great! I don't have a shift at the Lucky Cat today, so I'd be happy to go out tonight.
I've got an idea—what if we look at the new building in the middle of the city? It's been under construction for like four years, and it'd be a great place to hide a crime ring. Just a thought!
Tadashi might be onto something, I realize. I never thought of checking in buildings that weren't finished yet. Perhaps he's found the key to avenging my family.
The day passes incredibly slowly, and when eight o' clock finally arrives, I get on the trolley to Night Market Square. Tadashi is waiting for me, thankfully not late, and he greets me with a tiny wave.
"Let us go swiftly," I whisper. "I can feel it, Tadashi—we are so close."
"Where to?" he asks, looking around. "I mean, it's dangerous, but it seems pretty likely that we should check in—"
"Good Luck Alley," I finish. "I can't believe I didn't realize it sooner. There's an entrance to the construction site just off it."
"Um, I'm pretty sure Good Luck Alley isn't exactly safe," Tadashi objects. "I mean, yes, that was my idea, but how are we gonna stay safe? You know I'm not that stealthy. Or fast. Or coordinated."
"Just stay with me," I tell him. "If anyone tries to attack us, I will protect you. Do not be afraid."
Tadashi smiles. "Thanks, Momo. I'll try to be as quiet as possible."
We set off for Good Luck Alley, trying to keep to the shadows. The characters we pass are rather terrifying—two men being held by their ankles by what appear to be mob bosses, a woman holding a suspiciously large bag, which a hundred-dollar bill floats out of, several kids playing with switchblades. I can tell Tadashi is terrified.
"Are you sure we'll be okay?" he whispers, his normally rosy cheeks nearly as pale as the flickering lights overhead.
I roll my eyes. "You big baby. You'll be fine, I promise."
"But what about you? I don't want you to get hurt either."
"Tadashi," I sigh. "If you think I'll let either of us get hurt, then you do not know me very well. I have my graphene blades and my titanium hand—nothing will come close enough to attack us."
Tadashi musters a somewhat weak smile. "Okay, Momo. I trust you."
Rain starts to fall as we make our way down the alley, and a low rumble of thunder rolls through the darkened streets. I silently draw a blade and hold it in front of me, ready to fight if necessary.
Thankfully, no one attempts to mug us, and we reach the entrance to the construction site five minutes later. I glance up at the tall building, which is in varying degrees of construction—the lower floors look finished, but the upper ones are just scaffolding and dropcloths. At the very top is some sort of temple-like structure, probably intended to be a rooftop place of worship for the building's inhabitants. A massive crane towers over the whole thing, silhouetted against the dark gray sky.
"The workers appear to have gone home for the night," I whisper. "Let us find an entrance to the building. If there is not one, we will have to climb the ladder on that crane."
Tadashi audibly gulps, and I try to stifle a laugh. "Fear not. Follow me."
We look around for an entrance, but the chain-link gates—which are also topped with barbed wire—are chained and locked, with what appear to be reinforced titanium chains and an incredibly advanced lock with a passcode. A sign posted on the gate reads:
ACCESS GRANTED TO AUTHORIZED PERSONNEL ONLY
ALARM WILL SOUND IF INCORRECT PASSCODE IS ENTERED
I resist the urge to curse under my breath. Wonderful.
"Tadashi," I sigh. "It will have to be the crane."
Fortunately, said crane is parked just outside the fence—it doesn't seem to be able to fit into the construction site. Unfortunately, the boom of the crane doesn't get within ten feet of the building until the very top.
Shielding my eyes from the rain, I gaze upward, trying to gauge the distance to the top of the crane. Two hundred feet at least, possibly more.
"Momo," Tadashi hisses. "There's a storm going on—that crane is gonna be swaying in the wind, and the ladder is gonna be wet. Plus, it's dark! How are we supposed to climb twenty-five stories up a crane?!"
"You counted," I observe. "I'm afraid you'll just have to trust me."
I go over to the crane and climb onto the top of the cab, turning back to pull Tadashi up. The rain begins to fall more heavily as I place my hand on the first rung of the ladder, testing how slippery it is. The metal is incredibly slick, and the ladder is creaking, making me doubt the safety of this climb—not for myself, of course, but for my less coordinated friend. Should I really bring Tadashi with me?
Turning to him, I look into his wide eyes and see nothing but absolute trust. Tadashi knows that I will never let him fall.
"Let's go," Tadashi whispers. "We need to find those blades."
I stare at him for a moment, then nod and pull myself up onto the ladder. Tadashi takes a deep breath behind me, and I watch as he grabs a rung just below me.
"Ready?" I ask softly.
"Ready."
And we start climbing.
At fifty feet up, I cannot keep back a pang of fear as the crane sways violently, threatening to throw us off. Tadashi whimpers below me, and I cannot say I blame him.
At a hundred feet, the wind becomes absolutely icy, the rain pelting against my shoulders like a million shards of glass. I clench the rung I'm holding tightly, keeping my head down so the rain doesn't wash my makeup off.
Suddenly, a massive gust of wind rocks the crane, and I struggle to keep back a scream. Tadashi fails to do so, and his shriek of terror pierces the night as I cling onto the ladder for dear life.
"Momo!" Tadashi screams. "Momo, I'm slipping!"
No.
I turn, glancing over my shoulder at him. Tadashi is flailing around fifteen feet below me—there's no way I'll be able to make it to him in time without slipping myself.
"Tadashi!" I shout. "Hold on! Whatever you do, do not let go!"
"I'm trying, Momo!" he wails. "But I can't get a foothold, and my hands are slipping!"
I start climbing back down, struggling to hold on. At one point, I do slip, but my titanium hand cannot lose its grip if I do not want it to. Adrenaline pumping through me, I climb down as fast as I can, but I keep missing rungs and almost plummeting to earth.
And then, when I'm only two rungs above Tadashi, it happens.
A tremendous peal of thunder rolls through the city, and the crane rocks violently again, sending the whole thing spinning around. This time, Tadashi and I both scream, and my eyes widen in horror as he loses his grip with a second wail of terror.
"Momo!"
I don't know how I do it. But my body reacts faster than I can comprehend, and my titanium hand shoots out, grabbing Tadashi's wrist in its metal clasp.
We dangle there in space for several long seconds, the rain pounding down around us, and I see awe and terror reflected in Tadashi's eyes as I whisper, "I've got you."
"What do I do?" Tadashi whispers, his voice trembling.
"You're going to have to climb up past me," I tell him, the hand holding the ladder shaking violently. "Do not be afraid—I will not let you fall, I promise you that. Now, reach up and grab onto my shoulders, then hoist yourself up and take hold of the ladder."
"But what if you fall?"
"I will not," I whisper. "Please, Tadashi, trust me."
"I do," he murmurs, and then he reaches up, taking hold of my shoulders with a surprisingly strong grip. As soon as Tadashi is in place, I reach out and grasp the ladder with my titanium hand, securing my grip as well.
Tadashi extends a hand and grabs another rung of the ladder, hoisting himself up and over me. I breathe a sigh of relief as he finds a foothold, his body still trembling but able to hold on.
We climb in silence for the rest of the journey, the wind thankfully dying down a little. Once we reach the top of the building, Tadashi and I both collapse on the roof, gasping for air.
"Are you okay?" I pant, reaching out and putting a hand on Tadashi's shoulder.
He smiles weakly. "Yeah, I'm fine—thanks to you, Momo. What about you?"
"Yes, I am alright," I reply. "But we are never doing that again."
Tadashi laughs, and I stand up, my knees trembling, then pull him to his feet. I survey the temple—it looks completed, unlike the rest of the building.
"Shall we?" I ask, and Tadashi nods. We climb the steps to the temple and carefully push open the doors, finding ourselves in a hallway filled with soft amber light. Faint voices drift through the hall, and a loud pounding sound echoes alongside them.
"It sounds like they're hammering something into the wall," Tadashi whispers. "Should we go see what it is?"
"Yes," I reply. "This building is finished—I'm not sure what they could be putting on the wall. And there are no cars outside. It is safe to say that these people are not construction workers."
We creep silently through the halls—well, I'm silent. Tadashi is as quiet as he can be, but he's not the stealthiest person I've ever met.
The voices get louder, and I stiffen as I recognize one—a deep, growling voice, heavily infused with derision.
That's Yama.
"Put the TV over the safe," he says gruffly. "And no one will tell anyone else about this—I don't want anyone finding those blades."
Tadashi's eyes meet mine as we press ourselves against the wall just outside the room, listening. I struggle to calm my racing heart, which is thumping against the inside of my chest.
"When are you gonna sell those blades, boss?" another voice asks.
"I told you—once I find a buyer that'll pay what they're really worth," comes Yama's voice. "No one understands the value of the blades—I'm not sure Shimamoto did either, or he wouldn't have given them up so easily."
Blood is rushing to my face, the sound pounding through my ears. The man who killed my father is about ten feet from me, and the blades are nearer than they've been in three years.
"Momo?" Tadashi whispers. "Are you okay?"
"I'm fine," I mumble over the pounding of my heart. "But if they find out we're here, they will move the blades and we'll never find them again. We must retreat and come up with a plan to get them later."
Tadashi and I begin to creep back toward the end of the hall. Every fiber of my being is screaming at me to jump into the room and drive my graphene blade into Yama's heart, but I can't do it. Not now. Not in front of Tadashi.
"Boss?" says another faint voice as we reach the end of the hall. "I just got a text from security—there's someone in the building."
"What?"
"Run," I hiss, and we do.
We throw open the doors, skidding to a halt on the rainy roof, and I pull the rope out of my belt as fast as I can, thankful beyond belief that I left the harness knots tied.
"Tadashi," I say as quickly as I can. "Put this on while I tie the other end to the ladder. The rope should be long enough to get you just a few feet away from the ground. You're going to have to jump, but you have to trust me one more time. I promise that you will not hit the ground."
Tadashi nods, already stepping into the harness and tightening it around his waist. I tie the other end of the rope to a rung of the ladder and gasp, "Tadashi, jump!"
A terrified scream echoes through the rain as Tadashi leaps, disappearing just as Yama and his gang burst out of the temple doors.
The rope goes taut, and I know that Tadashi has stopped falling. I grab the end of the rope in my hand, feeling for when it goes slack.
A low chuckle reverberates through Yama's throat, and I shudder at the sound. Pulling out a blade, I hiss, "No one moves unless they want their throat cut out."
"If it isn't Shimamoto's daughter," Yama growls. "I thought I killed you a long time ago."
"Well, you failed," I retort. "And you had better sleep with one eye open, or your blood will run down these steps."
The rope goes slack.
"You wouldn't do it," Yama laughs. "You couldn't even save your father. And you didn't kill me when you had the chance three years ago. I don't think it will be my blood that is spilled."
"I know you have the blades," I spit. "And I will find them." Better to let him think I have no idea where they are.
Yama laughs. "Stupid girl. I've already sold them, and you'll never see them again. Besides, I've called the police—you and your friend will be put away for a while."
Sirens begin to wail, and I stiffen. The police are coming. They will be here soon.
"I will kill you one day, you son of a snake," I hiss, and then I cut the rope and leap over the side.
Now, to most people, I believe that sounds like I simply jumped off a roof without anything to catch me. That is not what happens next.
I drive my blade into the side of the crane, and about a hundred feet down, my fall starts to slow. I will the momentum to be enough, to carry me all the way to the ground.
Miraculously, it does, and I land hard on the roof of the cab, sending a shock of pain through my ankles. Tadashi is standing just outside the fence, staring at me with wide eyes.
"Run!" I gasp. "The police are coming—we must go! Now!"
I yank my blade out of the crane—wow, that is probably the longest cut I've ever made in something—and slide off the cab, splashing onto the muddy ground.
But it appears that the twinge in my ankle was more severe than I originally thought, and I stumble, letting out a gasp of pain. This is just wonderful—I've clearly sprained it.
"Momo, are you okay?" Tadashi asks urgently, stopping and turning back to me. "What happened?"
"I'm fine," I snap through gritted teeth. "I can make it out of here. Run, Tadashi, go!"
The sirens get louder, and I force myself into a sprint. I do think I have enough adrenaline to mask the pain for a while, but I do not know how long I will be able to run before my ankle gives out.
Tadashi and I race back through Good Luck Alley, bursting out into Night Market Square—but flashing red and blue lights are speeding down the street.
"To the docks!" I gasp, even though Tadashi is panting desperately. "We cannot be caught! Come on, Tadashi!"
To his credit, Tadashi keeps running, outpacing me with my injured ankle. We turn into a small alley and sprint through it onto the docks, running into the shadows.
I realize that there is no streetlamp far too late.
Tadashi lets out a yelp of terror, and I hear a loud splash before registering that we must be running down the dock with the broken streetlamp—the one I broke that night I kissed Obake.
I can't slow down in time—I'm only a few steps behind Tadashi, after all—and the wooden surface of the dock disappears beneath my feet.
The chilly seawater engulfs me, and I kick back to the surface with a gasp, rain pelting down on my face. Water is running into my eyes, and I can't tell which way the dock is.
But then I feel a hand on mine, and it pulls me through the water and onto what must be the dock. I cough and sputter for a moment, hearing similar noises coming from a few feet away—that's Tadashi.
I blink the water out of my eyes and try to push my soaked hair away from my face. With the rain and the broken streetlamp, it's almost pitch-black, so I can only see Tadashi's silhouette.
"Tadashi?" I ask, my chest heaving. "Are—are you alright?"
"Yeah," he gasps, sounding just as breathless as I feel. "Are you okay? Can you walk?"
I struggle to push myself up and fail rather miserably, my ankle giving out. "I'm afraid not, Tadashi. I believe I injured my ankle in our descent from the roof."
"Here, let me help," Tadashi offers, putting an arm around my shoulders. I flinch, but he doesn't let go. "Let's get into the light so we can see—I think there's a bench nearby."
He pulls me up, and I have to admit that it is easier to walk with help. I very much dislike the fact that I need help at all, but I will not be going anywhere on this ankle, so I grudgingly allow Tadashi to assist me.
We reach a bench in the light of a streetlamp, and I carefully lower myself onto it. Tadashi slumps down next to me, still breathing heavily and wincing as he presses a hand to his midsection.
"Are you sure you're alright?" I inquire.
He sighs, then winces again. "Ow. I think I hurt pretty much my whole pelvis jumping off that roof—the harness tightened really fast, and the jerk at the end was kinda painful. But don't worry, it's only bruised. Can I see your ankle? Maybe I can tell what's wrong with it."
I carefully maneuver my ankle up onto the bench, allowing Tadashi to examine it. He gently pulls my boot off and peers at the skin of my ankle, which I can now see is a rather nasty shade of purple. The joint is swelling rapidly—I'll have to bandage it or I won't be able to walk.
"It's definitely sprained," Tadashi tells me, looking up. "But I've got first aid training, we can get it bandaged—Momo?"
I lower my foot back to the ground. "What is it?"
"Your—your face…" Tadashi's eyes are wide. "Your makeup's coming off."
A jolt of panic shoots through me, and I put a hand to my face, running my fingers over the burn scars. Sure enough, my fingers come away smeared with blue.
"Momo, what happened?" Tadashi whispers.
"I cannot tell you," I snap, turning away. "You will not wish to be in my presence ever again now that you have seen my true face."
"I don't care about that, Momo!" Tadashi insists. "I care about you! A lot! And I need to know what happened—I need to know why you want revenge so badly! Please, Momo, tell me!"
I turn back to Tadashi and look into his eyes, which reflect the flickering light of the streetlamp. They are not filled with horror, as I feared they would be, but with raw emotion and trust. He truly wants to understand me, and he is not afraid.
"You really want to know?" I whisper.
Tadashi nods, rain pouring down his face as he silently pleads with me.
I take a deep breath. "Three years ago, my father stumbled upon Yama and his gang. Yama had just attacked a young bot fighter for beating him in a match, and my father called the police. Yama was taken to prison, and he blamed Dad for it. Somehow, he managed to escape, and he came to attack my home.
"Yama seized me, as well as my younger brother, Shuto, and demanded that Dad give up our most valuable possessions, or he would kill both of us. Dad gave Yama the blades, but he was not satisfied, and he—he stabbed my father through the heart."
Tadashi's eyes widen, and his hands cover his mouth, but I press on. The words are tumbling out of my mouth now, and I cannot stop.
"I tried to fight Yama, but he threw me off and knocked Shuto unconscious. He then set fire to my home and left, taking my brother with him. I tried to escape, to take Dad's body with me, but the door was blocked. I would have cut a way out, but there was an explosion, and I was knocked unconscious as well.
"I woke up in the hospital three weeks later with these burns. I had lost my hand, my father, and my home, and I have not seen Shuto since that night. I have no way of knowing if he is still alive, and I doubt he is. That is it, Tadashi. That is why I must find the blades. That is why I want revenge on Yama."
I look directly into Tadashi's tear-filled eyes. "That is why I am a monster."
We sit in silence for several seconds, and then Tadashi has wrapped his arms around me, holding me to his chest. I am not crying—I do not believe I will ever cry again—but he is, and I let his tears mingle with the rain as we sit there, the world narrowing down to this bench.
Finally, Tadashi pulls back, and he whispers, "I know this won't really help, Momo, but…I'm so sorry."
"It's fine," I mumble. "You cannot do anything about it. I do not expect you to."
Tadashi is silent for a moment, and then he asks, "Did Shuto paint those bowls?"
"Yes," I reply. "How did you come to that conclusion?"
"Well, I thought if your dad had painted them, you'd just have said so, because that wouldn't provoke any questions. But I definitely would have asked how your brother died if you'd said that, and I thought you weren't telling me something when I asked about it. So yeah, I just guessed."
"You are brighter than I give you credit for," I admit. "But I would ask that you not bring this up to anyone. I would prefer that my story does not get out into the world."
"Of course," Tadashi breathes. "Come on, let's get home and get your ankle bandaged. Is it okay if we go to your house? I just don't think my aunt would approve of us bursting in like this. I'll even run to the store and buy some bandages."
"That is fine with me," I agree. "But we will have no dry clothes for you there—well, that is untrue. I have some of my dad's old outfits."
"Would that be okay?" Tadashi asks timidly.
I nod. "I have no use for them. I am a woman, after all."
Tadashi laughs a little, then stands up, his palm still pressed to his abdomen. He offers me his hand, and I grudgingly take it, allowing him to support me.
We limp away into the rain, back toward Night Market Square. All I can focus on is the feel of Tadashi's arm around my shoulders, and even though I'm soaking wet, even though my ankle is still throbbing, even though I've revealed everything I swore not to, I feel better than I have in a long, long time.
