Chapter 14

The Step

The events and revelations of the previous evening at the back of his mind, Majima went about his day doing his best to hide the uncertainty he felt inside from the rest of the world. The wait to hear from Tsuki again after their most recent meeting was proving excruciating. Every once in a while, he would secretly check his cell phone to make sure he had not missed any messages from her — however, all throughout the day, none came. He had told her he would give her time, but that did nothing to alleviate the growing feeling of concern inside.

Having let his emotions take the better of him, he had ended up acting in the heat of the moment. Now that he had slept on it, he was beginning to wonder whether he might have gone too far. It had not seemed so at the time — but he could not know for sure, at least not until he heard from her again. And even then, would she tell him the truth, or act as if nothing had ever happened?

Back within the four walls of his apartment, alone and away from any prying eyes, Majima pulled out his cell phone one more time. Nothing. With a frustrated growl, he flipped the phone shut, its two halves coming together with a loud smack. He squeezed the folded device in his hand, fighting yet another battle with himself. Why was it that she always made him feel this way? He wanted to know if she was all right — surely, a short message asking just that would not be too much…

He suddenly cursed under his breath. What if he had it all wrong? What if she was actually waiting for him to reach out to her? Recalling the things she had said before they parted, what if she ended up taking his silence as him wanting to back out, justifying her fears? He could not let that happen.

Flipping the phone open again, he hastily typed a message consisting of a single, short question, and sent it. It did not matter when she would reply — at the very least, he had given her a sign that he did not intend to run, no matter how difficult the story of her past life might have been; That her truth was safe with him. That he understood — and accepted it. Even if he was wrong in his assumption, it was better this way, he concluded. Now, all that was left was to wait.

Slipping out of his blazer, he went about undressing; the hour was growing late, after all, and he felt like getting some rest before what could be yet another busy day.

He was just beginning to drift off to sleep when his phone's ringtone startled him wide awake, a rush of adrenaline flooding his veins when he saw the caller's name.

"Uh… Evenin'."

"Hi," came a short greeting.

Tsuki's voice was quieter than usual, almost timid. Majima instantly picked up on the uncertainty in it. What was even more bizarre, however, was the fact that it was the first time she had ever called him like this. Normally, she would simply reply with a message.

"Somethin' happen?"

"Huh? No… Why?"

"Er… 'Cause ya never called to answer my emails before."

"Oh! I guess you're right. Sorry about that… If now's a bad time, then maybe we can talk some other time?"

"H-Hold on!" he immediately tried to stop her, his voice coming out louder and more panicked than he would have liked. "Now's good — I was just curious. So, uh… What's up? Ya good?"

"I'm… fine, thanks. The thing is… I wanted to tell you something."

Without thinking, Majima sat up straight as an arrow, bracing himself for whatever was to follow. There was something odd in Tsuki's voice, and it had put him on edge the moment he had heard her voice for the first time that day. Was this the reason why?

"I'm listenin'."

"I'm going back to work on Monday."

He had not seen that coming. Monday was far sooner than he had expected as well. Now that their little arrangement suddenly had an expiry date, his heart sank to the pit of his stomach.

"...Ya sure it ain't too soon?" he asked after a short, but tense, pause.

"Mm. I'm well enough to go back, I think… and I'll make sure to take it easy, so everything should be fine. Besides, Aki needs my help — she's been working for the both of us long enough already."

"Well… It's yer call. Anythin' I can still do for ya 'fore that?"

She paused for a moment, almost as though what she wanted to say next embarrassed her.

"Um… That's part of why I called you… Do you think we could see each other one more time tomorrow?"

He instantly wanted to say yes, but stopped himself at the very last moment. A Tojo officer meeting was scheduled for the following day — one that, unfortunately, he could not miss. Being late, however, was something he could get away with — by that point, the others half expected that of him anyway. If it meant he could meet with her in private one last time, taking advantage of his wild card reputation was a small price to pay.

"Tomorrow, huh? Yeah, I can make it work. Five alright with ya?"

"Sounds good! Thank you — I'll be looking forward to it."

"No problem at all. An'... I'm glad you're alright."

"You mean… after what happened yesterday?"

"Yeah."

She fell silent for a few moments, as though she was considering how to respond.

"To be honest with you… I was relieved when I got your message. Wasn't sure if you'd still want to talk to me again after yesterday."

"Oi, c'mon now," he frowned. "I told ya, didn't I? I ain't that kinda guy."

There was a restrained giggle on the other side. Hearing the change in her voice put a smile on Majima's face.

"You're right. I'm sorry… Hm. You really are special, you know?"

He swallowed hard, feeling his heartbeat pick up pace.

"Uh… Sure, let's go with that, if that's how ya wanna put it."

"I appreciate it. Truly. Friends like you are hard to come by these days."

There it was again, like nails on a chalkboard, the excitement from just a moment ago gone in a flash. At this point, he no longer knew what to think. Maybe it was just his impression, but to say she was sending him mixed signals was beginning to sound like an understatement. As frustrating as it was, however, he knew that for all the chances he himself had had, he could have made a move to shed light on what exactly was happening between them — and yet, he had not. On the surface, they were indeed nothing more than friends, so she had all the right to call him just that.

"Well, quality over quantity, eh?" he smirked, trying to hide his inner turmoil. "Anyhow — it's gettin' late, so… talk to ya more tomorrow?"

"Yeah. Sleep well."

"Ya too."

Their unexpected conversation finished, Majima closed his cell phone with a snap and sighed. Why was it that every time he thought something had changed between them, he eventually always ended up feeling like they were back to square one?

Somewhat resigned, he crashed onto the bedding again. At the very least, she still wanted to see him, he thought, little solace as it brought. Some time later, he finally managed to calm his mind enough to fall asleep, wondering, however, how much more of this uncertainty he could take.

Tsuki froze for a split second once she had opened her apartment's door, breath catching in her throat. Certainly, the man standing at her doorstep was Majima, but he looked so different it took her aback. Gone was the snakeskin blazer, replaced by a scarlet dress shirt unbuttoned down to his sternum despite the growing chill of the fast-approaching evening, sleeves rolled up to his elbows, his usual leather slacks gone in lieu of elegant black suit pants.

Although she had seen him virtually half-naked numerous times before, almost to the point of becoming desensitized to the sight, the novelty of seeing him covered up like this, the edges of his tattoo peeking out from under the shirt, made her heart unexpectedly pick up pace. There was something flirtatious about it, causing her to wonder if it had been intentional on his part, the oddly unnatural state of it making her thoughts run wild.

Stop it, for god's sake. She snapped out of it before the absurd need to restore what she was used to, to let her hands succumb to the intrusive thoughts and rip his shirt open, became irresistible. Once she had managed to smother it, a sly smile lifted one corner of her mouth.

"Who are you and what did you do with the real Majima-san?" she greeted him with a jest.

It made him smirk.

"Aw, c'mon, just lemme in."

She did not budge — instead, she eyed him with suspicion, having noticed he was hiding something behind his back.

"You brought something, didn't you? Out with it."

"Right ya are — I come bearin' gifts this time. Think this'll be enough to buy me passage?" he grinned, revealing his hand. What he showed her was a bottle of umeshu. "Ya like plum wine, dontcha?"

"...I do. Gift accepted," she chuckled, making way for him to enter.

Handing her the bottle, a smug smile still on his lips, he shuffled past her into the entryway. She closed the door behind him, then turned to him after taking a cursory glance at the label.

"Really, though — what's the occasion? Is there something I forgot about?"

"Ya mean the wine or…?"

"That too, but let's hear about the get-up first."

"Eh, thought I'd change it up a lil' so ya don't think I only got one set of clothes," he smirked, sitting down on the step to remove his shoes.

"A bit too late, I'd say — I already think that," she scoffed in response.

"Pfft. Alright, sure. Still… Ain't this yer last day on sick leave? Feels 'ppropriate to celebrate the fact yer leg's healed."

"It's true that I'm no longer limping around, but… it'll probably take some time yet before my ankle's back to being up to snuff. Also…" She looked over the bottle in her hands again. "Isn't it ironic to celebrate my recovery with alcohol, since that's what got me into this mess in the first place?"

"What, ya plannin' on climbin' stairs today?" he quipped, evoking a snort of laughter from her, but then the smile on his face turned sour. "We prolly ain't gonna finish it today anyways… It sucks, but I can't stay long — got another blasted meetin' to sleep through later."

"...And you're planning to drink before you go?"

"Heh. Ya oughta know by now that one bottle ain't nearly enough to even put a dent in me. An' it's just wine we're talkin' about."

"Okay, have it your way — as long as you don't plan on driving."

"Look at ya — when did ya turn into such a goody-two-shoes, huh? But don't worry," he added, seeing the frown already forming on her brow, "Nishida's pickin' me up at half past six."

"...Nishida?" Tsuki tilted her head curiously.

"Ah, right, sorry. Guess ya could call him my right-hand man."

"Gotcha," she nodded, making sure to commit the name to memory. "Well, better get to it, then. Make yourself at home while I get this open."

"Want me to lend ya a hand?"

His question made her stop for a moment.

"I run a bar, remember? I'll be fine," she flashed him a smile before disappearing into the kitchen.

"Right…" he reciprocated her smile, albeit somewhat weakly.

As he sat down in the armchair at the far side of the coffee table, he found himself unusually tense. Taking a quick glance at the wristwatch he so rarely wore, he saw it was almost a quarter past five. Just over an hour was all they had left, he thought, and his spirits sank.

Tsuki returned much quicker than he had thought she would, a joyful expression on her face. She placed two wine glasses on the coffee table, then took a seat on the couch.

"The smell alone's great," she said as she carefully poured the first round. "It's not every day that I get to indulge in the good stuff. Are you sure it was fine to splurge on such an expensive bottle for a mundane occasion like this?"

"What use is money if ya ain't gonna spend it?" Majima smirked. "An' it ain't exactly a 'mundane' occasion, if ya ask me. Ya had a rough week, so I don't see why ya shouldn't end it on a pleasant note, for a change."

"Would have been much rougher if it hadn't been for you," she raised her glass, a sly smile playing on her lips. "I'd say you deserve a good drink far more than I do. Cheers."

"If ya say so," he replied with a low chuckle. "Cheers to Kamurocho regainin' one of its best bartenders."

"Now you're just trying to flatter me. I'm nowhere near that good, and you know it."

"Well, ya did manage to get someone like me outta a slump — that ain't no small feat, lemme tell ya."

"Hah. I was simply at the right place at the right time. It had nothing to do with my bartending skills whatsoever," she laughed.

Despite her dismissive response, the slight blush beginning to color her cheeks did not escape his notice.

"Oh, this is really good," she noted, having taken the first sip.

"Glad ya like it."

"You kidding? I love it. One downside, though," she grimaced.

"Oh?"

"Cheap wine will never taste the same again after today," she giggled, her surprisingly bubbly disposition that day putting a grin on Majima's face as well.

However, the blissful warmth it filled him with lasted but for a moment. It made him wonder. Did the prospect of returning to doing what she loved truly make her so happy — or was she hiding what she really felt behind yet another mask? Either way, it seemed that she did not think as much of their meeting as he did. Perhaps he was the fool here, after all.

He had thought he had had ample time to prepare, and yet he was still at a loss, contradicting emotions pulling him in separate ways. Put under the pressure of time, the desire for any kind of resolution was beginning to weigh him down more and more by the minute. The only answer he could find as he stared at his reflection in the golden liquid inside the glass in his hand was silence.

Caught up in his thoughts, he failed to notice that the quiet which followed their initial exchange was beginning to drag on. He sipped on his drink, unaware that Tsuki was studying him all throughout.

"You're being awfully quiet today," she finally broke the silence, turning away, then giving him one more glance out of the corner of her eye. "What's up?"

"Uh… Nothin', really. Don't worry 'bout it," caught in the act, he looked up at her, trying to think of a reason to give her in case she decided to press him, as he was almost certain she would.

Meanwhile, Tsuki did not like the sinking feeling his non-answer gave her.

"I can tell you're more on edge than usually — is it about what happened last time?"

"Huh? Naw — ain't got nothin' to do with that."

"Okay, then… It might not be my place to pry, but if it's something an outsider's perspective could help with, just lay it on me."

There was, in fact, something he could tell her about, something that was both true and which he could use as a smokescreen to avoid laying all his cards on the table. It was equally as important, in a way, and had been one of the reasons he found himself unable to act on his feelings for her. This was as good of a moment to bring it up as any, he decided.

"Feh, fine… I'd say no, but I know ya ain't just gonna let it go. Got no idea if tellin' ya 'bout it is gonna help, though," he heaved a long, exasperated sigh. "It's my boys… They been gettin' more an' more curious 'bout where I've been disappearin' off to lately."

"O-Oh… Is that so?" she gave him an embarrassed, slightly nervous chuckle. "They started asking questions, huh?"

"Naw. They know better than to ask me directly — but I did get word there's bettin' goin' on already. It's beginnin' to get on my nerves."

"Why's that? Might as well keep them guessing what their boss's been up to. Spices things up a little, doesn't it?"

"Yeah, see, I wouldn't worry if it was that simple — but it ain't," he frowned. "They start diggin' behind my back an' they'll eventually find ya an' yer bar. An' I don't want 'em anywhere near ya if I can help it."

"And why's that? You think they'll want to start shit with me?"

"Dunno… Prob'ly not, but without me drawin' a clear line in the sand who knows what they could pull…" he said, somewhat anxiously playing with the glass in his hand. "Ya got outta this kinda shit once already — I ain't 'bout to let ya get dragged back in again."

"I had a yakuza boss take care of me while I was down and out — and right now, I'm drinking wine with him in my own apartment. I think I'm already one foot back in," she scoffed. "But that doesn't mean I'll suddenly go back to tanning people's hides for money. And you know how it goes at Stray… If they behave, they're welcome to stay — and if they don't, they'll get the boot. Simple as that."

"You're missin' the point here. The fewer of my boys — or any other yakuza, for that matter — know 'bout ya, the better off you'll be."

"You think someone might try to come for me because of you? Why? Is something brewing in the underworld again?"

"I ain't sayin' it'll happen — I hope it don't. Things've been pretty quiet lately, but ya never know. These past few years, it's been like sittin' on a powderkeg — all it'll take is one spark to blow shit up again. An' as much as I enjoy a lil' mayhem every once in a while, I don't want ya caught in the crossfire. What if someone gets… the wrong idea an' tries to drag ya into somethin' just 'cause ya know me? It's all well an' good when it's just the yakuza bashin' each others mugs in, but there're some who'll have no issue involvin' civilians if they decide they got somethin' to gain from it."

"And… you realized all that just now?" she raised an eyebrow at his words.

His eye widened for a split second once the question had left her lips.

"Ya mean ya considered things might turn out that way, an' still went along with it?"

"It did cross my mind, yes," she nodded. "It was a calculated risk."

He lowered his gaze, a hint of the already-familiar sorrow darkening his face.

"Guess I was the only one here hopin' it wouldn't come to it, huh?... That said… Didn't think things would get this far between us, to be honest with ya…"

Tsuki narrowed her eyes, trying to discern what exactly he had meant by that. She did not particularly like where their conversation was going, but it was too late to back down now, no matter how painful the way forward would be. Heart beginning to race, she steeled herself and searched for the right words to convey what was on her mind.

"Well… if you expect me to just roll over like an obedient puppy and suddenly act like I don't know you, then you've got another thing coming," she scoffed. "Besides, weren't you the one who kept going out of your way to see me, even when I told you not to?"

"I know that!" he slightly raised his voice, and from the sound of it Tsuki could tell that he was unsure of himself, as uncharacteristic of him as it was.

"...Why does it suddenly sound like you don't want to know me anymore? Is that what this is all about?" she frowned, the look in her eyes colored by sadness, silently pleading for answers.

Eye wide, Majima stared at her in a barely-suppressed panic.

"N-No! That ain't how it is at all!"

"Then, what are you so worried about?"

"I just… don't want ya to get hurt."

Tsuki shook her head and smiled. His sincerity and his concern for her was touching, and it made her wonder whether that was simply how he was, or if there was something more to it under the surface.

"I appreciate the sentiment, but I'll be fine. And I'm not going to budge on this."

"Shoulda expected as much, I guess…"

"That's right. So, that not being an option, what do you want to do? Assuming things go the way you fear they might, of course."

"I dunno… yet," he grimaced. "For now, I want ya to be careful. If anyone comes askin' ya 'bout me, tell them I'm just another patron, or somethin'... I'll deal with my shit an' figure things out, so ya just focus on not stickin' yer head out too much, alright?"

"That much I can do," she nodded. "But know that I won't give up on you just because you say so. It's been too much fun having you around, you know."

"This ain't a joke," he said, his tone stern. "I'm bein' serious here."

"As am I," she rebuffed him. "I'm not about to turn my back on a friend like you. And I'm not saying it just to make you feel better — I made a choice and I'll stand by it, whatever may or may not happen, so deal with it."

He responded with a resigned growl, then looked up at her with a pitiful smile on his face.

"Ya really are stubborn as an ass."

"Hell yeah I am," she smirked, satisfied as though she thought of that stubbornness as a badge of honor. "How do you think I've survived this long?"

She held up her glass and looked up at him; her expression was serious, but the look in her eyes was bright and full of hope. Seeing her determination brought him comfort, relief almost, like putting salve over an aching wound. As he lightly tapped his glass against hers, it hit him just how unbearable his longing for such moments — for her — was becoming with each day they shared. He had been racking his brain, searching for the right time to give voice to what occupied his thoughts for so long now, but every time he thought he was ready, he could not bring himself to take that step.

"Seriously…" he shook his head in resignation. "How is it I always end up gettin' stuck with such reckless people?"

She flashed him a radiant grin before taking another sip of the wine, its rich taste providing a measure of relief from the bittersweet storm of emotions raging within her heart; made it easier to mask the indecision she herself was secretly struggling with.

"Birds of a feather, I say."

"Hmph. Watch it," he replied with a low chuckle. "Feh. Fine. But if somethin' unexpected happens at the bar an' ya need help keepin' the peace, call me, alright?"

A wry smile playing on her lips, she raised an eyebrow at his words.

"Won't it look even worse if people notice I've got a yakuza boss on speed dial?"

He pressed the palm of his free hand to his forehead and groaned in frustration.

"I'll be alright, you'll see. I appreciate it, but you really don't need to worry that much about me," she tried to reassure him. "A week or two more and I'll be back in fighting shape — and even now, should anything happen, I still have my fists."

"Sure hope you're right… Fine, ya do yer thing, an' I'll do mine," he sighed, ready to give in.

For the time being, he decided he would trust her judgment. And, in time, he would figure something out — or, at least, he desperately hoped he would. He pushed the stormy clouds of reality out of his mind one more time, if only for a little while longer, trying his darndest to ignore the foreboding feeling that something was about to break.

Time that day flowed quicker than the wine and soon enough, the bottle left unfinished, they again found themselves standing on two opposite sides of the apartment's door for what all signs pointed to was to be the final time.

"Well… Guess that's that, then," Majima said, giving Tsuki a reserved smile, trying his best to hide the desolate sadness that had gripped him by the heart when it had finally come time to leave. "Ya won't be needin' my help anymore from now on."

He had grown to enjoy visiting her, being able to spend time with her in private, but now that the reason for his showing up at her doorstep every other day was gone, he could not help but wonder if he would ever see her again like this.

"Let's face it — I really only needed help for the first three days or so," she flashed him a smug, knowing smile. "Aki would've stepped up even if you hadn't, so there was really no need for you to get involved… and yet you still did." She paused, studying the subtle changes in his face. "After those first few days… it wasn't about the help anymore — was it?"

Her words, and the way she was looking at him, sent him into a state of panic. This was definitely not how he had imagined the end to their time together would go. Had she seen through him, but decided to feign ignorance up until that point? Feeling the walls closing in on him, his heart began racing, a wave of heat pooling into his face, threatening to spill into a full-fledged blush across his pale cheeks.

"W-Wha…?" he stuttered, nervously scratching the back of his neck, unable to hold her gaze anymore. "'Course it was! Ain't Aki-chan busy enough already coverin' for ya at work? Th-The way things are, I got more time than her to keep an eye on ya, t-to make sure you're alright an'... 'Sides, I couldn't just leave ya like that, not 'til—"

"Mm, I see," she cut him off. "Well, let me say this, then: being cooped up like that all this time would've been awfully lonely if it hadn't been for you, so…"

From the corner of his eye, he saw her take a tentative step towards him. He instantly straightened and stared at her, wide-eyed. Too close to him now for any misunderstanding, the realization of what it meant made every muscle in his body tense up, the synapses in his brain firing out of control. There was no doubt about it — she was trying to feel him out, to see how he would react. If he needed any more confirmation that what had happened the other night in Kamurocho had not simply been an alcohol-induced flight of fancy, then this was it.

Lifting her head, she regarded him with a tenderness that sent a spark of electricity down his back. Mesmerized, all he could do was to hold her gaze, watching as her eyes dipped down to his lips for a moment, then returned to meet his eye again.

"Thank you for being there for me. It really means a lot," she added softly, a hint of something he had never heard before in her voice — something that sent a shiver of excitement down his spine.

In the chilly air of the night, Majima found himself burning up. His head was telling him to take a step back, to run away, but his body refused to move. The sound of his heartbeat pounding wildly in his ears was drowning out every voice of dissent inside him, leaving a single incandescent thought in his mind: he wanted this.

Fervently praying that he had read the signs she had given him correctly, he took a deep breath, tilted his head slightly, and leaned in. He hesitated for a brief moment, waiting to see her reaction. Their faces inches away now, she made no move to retreat, however. Closing his eye, he brushed his lips against hers delicately, cautiously, as if asking for permission.

The next moment, he sensed the warmth of her hand on the side of his face; she gently pulled him in, closing the miniscule gap between them. Losing himself in the sultry softness of her lips, he felt the sweet ache in his chest swell, then spill across his whole body, blossoming into a wave of pure bliss. It had been so long since the last time he felt the thrill of connecting with someone like this that he had nearly forgotten how exhilarating it was. All the tension leaving his body, the simple joy of it intoxicated his mind far more than several bottles of the wine they had had earlier ever could. Timidly, he placed his hands on her hips, his touch still uncertain, as though he feared that she could break any time under it.

The few moments they spent like this seemed to last for an eternity, but all too soon, Tsuki broke the kiss and pulled away, leaving him wanting. The only thing that remained was the touch of her fingers, their soft caress moving down from his cheekbone and along his jawline towards his chin — until it, too, was gone. In the absence of her warmth, the autumn chill suddenly felt that much colder against his skin.

As if on cue, his cell phone started buzzing loudly in his pocket. He reluctantly opened his eye, a bitter smile on his face.

"I… I hafta go…" he said, his voice a strained whisper.

Any other day, he would have made the decision to weasel his way out of the Tojo brass meeting in a heartbeat, and the most it would cost him would be an earful from the Sixth, which would end up being like water off a duck's back, anyway. Heavens knew he did not want to leave, not now. But the fact that the whole point of the scheduled meeting was for him to make a report on the progress of the construction of Kamurocho Hills complicated things.

Meanwhile, Tsuki moved to take a step back, and he let her slip out of his arms. Avoiding his gaze for some reason, she folded her arms under her chest and cleared her throat.

"Yeah… The meeting. I know."

Something did not seem right about the tense silence that followed. The moment they had shared seemed bittersweet now, and its aftermath was now becoming awkward, as though there was still some unspoken doubt hanging in the air around them.

"W-We'll talk later, 'kay?"

"Mm," she nodded with a smile, but Majima noticed that, this time, it did not reach her eyes. "Try not to die of boredom out there," she winked.

"I'll… do my best."

"Well… Off you go, then."

He hesitated, trying to process what had just taken place. On one hand, he wanted to ask her about it, to hopefully hear what she thought of it, but, on the other, he could not bring himself to form the words with which to do it. Worse yet, she did not seem any keener on addressing it, either. He did not understand what exactly was happening. Was it all just some sort of game to her? Yet another meaningless kiss she would never mention again after the day was done? Whatever the reason, something was not right, but the furious vibration of the cell phone in his pocket told him his questions would have to remain unanswered for a while longer.

Confusion mixed with longing plain in the last look he gave her that evening, they parted; as he was walking away, he could hear the sound of her closing the door and locking up for the night. Irritation underlined by anxiousness beginning to overflow, he finally answered the phone.

"Give it a rest, will ya? I'm on my way," he growled, making his way downstairs and out into the street.

All he wanted at this point was for the day to end, for the officers' meeting to be behind him, so he could focus on what preoccupied his thoughts most at the moment.

Just as he had ordered Nishida to do, Majima located the usual black limousine waiting for him on the nearest main street to where Tsuki's apartment building was. As a measure of caution and at the cost of having to cover the distance on foot, he had specifically avoided giving Nishida the exact address. And although his instructions had been met with some surprise on his subordinate's part, Nishida knew better than to ask too many questions as to the reason for this particular request.

Majima pulled the door open and took his place in the back seat without a word, unable — and unwilling, for that matter — to hide the annoyance and displeasure manifesting in the form of a deep frown on his face the timing of the meeting had caused him. It startled Nishida, who did not even get a chance to leave the vehicle to open the door for his patriarch and let him in like he normally would.

"Is everything alright, sir?" he asked somewhat timidly, taking a glance at his boss in the rear-view mirror.

"...Just drive," Majima grumbled, fixing up his shirt and unrolling its sleeves.

Reaching towards the door on the opposite side where the hanger with his suit jacket was, he found his tie and started putting it on.

"Y-Yes, sir."

Once he had fully dressed himself, Majima went on to silently stare at the city lights passing by outside the car's window. The happiness he had felt there for a moment was now gone without a trace, replaced by fear and doubt. He was certain he had read her intentions right — why, then, had she seemed so desolate, so… lost? Had it been regret? Had the forced smile been her way of trying to save face?

As much as it pained him to admit it, he would not blame her if she changed her mind after that night. To simply think that they would end up where they were was baffling, and beyond what he had ever expected. That said, he also had doubts of his own, now more than ever. Even with the unfortunate timing of Nishida's phone call, why was it that she had again seemed reluctant to acknowledge what had happened between them?

He needed to talk to her, alone, but he could not help dreading their next meeting. In his mind, what happened in the next few days would either make it or break it — and he found himself bouncing between the two outcomes, trying to determine which would be the better one in the end. By now, they had shared much with each other, laid painful truths bare for the other to see, yet, for some reason, the thing that seemed most important at the moment, a veritable elephant in the room, remained unspoken. All he knew for certain was that he needed to find out why.

Closing the door once Majima had left, Tsuki's hands were trembling, her heart pounding so hard she thought it would leap out of her chest. She leaned her back against the door and closed her eyes, taking a few deep breaths. She should have been happy… and yet, all she could feel was a profound sorrow tightening its grip around her throat. Before she knew it, her eyes were burning, and a single tear rolled down her cheek, a manifestation of the pain inside. Slowly, she let herself sink along the smooth surface behind her until she was sitting down on the floor, arms wrapped around her knees, her forehead pressed against her legs.

She had wanted so much to reach out, to grab his hand and tell him to stay; to voice all her doubts, her fears, her insecurities… and to tell him how over the span of the two months they had known each other he had become a part of her life she did not want to let go of. To, somehow, make him realize how much he had come to mean to her. Yet here she was, unable to hold back the tears her powerlessness brought her to. How was it that she could tell him about the most grueling experiences in her life, even at the cost of reopening old wounds, but she was utterly unable to show him what was really in her heart?

She felt like a complete fool, alone in a pit full of her inner demons. For all her determination to stop running from things, to run away was exactly what she wanted to do most right now. The scar on her arm, somewhat faded over time but still clearly visible, served as a constant reminder of the mistakes of her past. The wounds of the soul were not so easily healed — only easier to hide under a robust, confident facade.

With the way things were now, it was obvious that it would not be long before it all would come to a head; the moment she would have to face her fears and make a decision was drawing ever nearer, and that thought alone filled her mind with absolute despair.