Holy shit she wasnt lying it was his approval she was looking for ! why when she could have anybody? Anybody she wanted, with her looks she could sleep with any dick she wanted, with her charm she could marry any guy she wanted... with her talents she could live a happy successful life so why him? What does he have to offer her? He's a brokey, orphaned, violent, fucking retarded.. and fucking ugly and petty too, her poolar opposite in every way! so why...?
Gyutaro tried to apologize but found himself tongue-tied the ABSOLUTE moment he realized he fucked up. The push was on reflex he knew, but for the life of him he didn't understand why he called her a 'liar'. He knew she wasn't– but that's just it – after years of being lied to by everybody around him he said it reflexively on autopilot. Like how he responds to her kindness with similar reprieve.
"Mar, I didnt mean it, im sorry–" he tried again as he reached to help her up, "-It was a mistake! It was a mistake!" she to her feet, pushing him out of the way "I made a mistake!" She bolted from his room barefoot into the night crying the same thing over and over.
"Gyu hypothetically in a life or death situation, if you had to pick me or marin whod you pick?" his sister asks After slamming the car trunk shut. He raised an eyebrow throwing silent judgment on her idiotic question,"obviously you daki"
"Yup!" she laughs triumphantly hands on her hips, making him smack his forehead, "were you expecting a different response?"
"No. i knew youd pick me" she flashed a V sign to him, "just get out of here" he grumbles as he heads back into his house, "i mean you WOULD choose me because marin doesn't LIKE you" she says raising her voice slightly but still smirking like she checkmated him,
"what the fuck are you talknig about?" he was getting irritated at her games.
"Im saying if marin actually like-liked you, i think you'd have a harder time picking between me and her." He squinted his eyes– a deep frown plastered on his face, "Dont ever joke about shit like that-"
"oh come on! we all know you like-"
"I'D STILL PICK YOU OVER HER!" he shouts loudly, "your impossible scenario changes nothing! It would always be you! Always!" he actually stomped his foot the way she usually did when she was mad,
"thats why i said hypothetical, genius" she huffs. He turned around again, hands in his pockets grumbling, but she continues " I know you were studying her friends so you could learn how to talk to her Gyutaro, but it's not rocket science brother. Just be yourself… but a little nicer." She leaves him with that, getting in the car as Shinju drives away. he thought about dakis scenario, As he sat there on his stool again "if marin actually like-liked–"
"argh! No!" he ruffling his hair furiously, shaking the thought out "youre wrong ume, it'd still be you, itd always be you …", just then his phone vibrated. he checked the name and his face fell slightly, "when i said you can contact me i didn't mean casually,"
"please, i served you jim on a silver platter, thats gotta be worth something, better you hear him admit he framed you with your own ears, than me try and convince you otherwise...and you fixed our group's little 'complication', i'm practically in love" daia's voice dripped with sarcasm on the phone "... but marin hates all of us right now, so you should reach out."
"huh?" he couldnt mask the confusion, "yeaaaah man, she really thinks there's something going on between you and me, you should definitely take her out on a date" he almost dropped his phone, "you said earlier she'd reject-" he stopped himself too embarrassed to finish,
"why?" he settled with instead," there was a long pause, before she answered him.
"you really dont know what today is, huh?"
He thought for a second "not the anniversary of the boyfriends death is it?"
"close. its her birthday" the instant she said that he combed his memory bank for any hint or conversation he had where she mightve told him.
"dont hurt yourself" daia says as if she could see him through the phone, "she didnt want a celebration. in fact she doesnt celebrate anything anymore after he died. So... this is your chance loverboy to make a good impression. I know you didn't have a gift and you didn't cosplay either so take her someplace nice."
"...you said … that she hates me" his voice was quiet almost afraid if he spoke too loudly Marin might hear him next door.
"mmm... yeah, but dont worry, I'm handling it. When she comes over she'll be buttered up for you. Trust, shes gonna wanna stay at your place tonight, so dont keep your clothes on ok?" his heart sunk when she said that, but daia got serious afterwards, "listen, Marin doesnt lie, she sucks really. The shit she said when she bad-mouthed you was true, but so was her non-answer," he reflected on that, after all it was by far the most unexpected revelation of the night for him anyways.
"Oh, and tomorrow I'll give you more details about the other job I need you to do, ok? Try to head to Sanemi's shop if you can, good nii~ight," she sings hanging up. gyutaro looked at his phone disgusted, "Ohhh, that girl is bad news..."
Marin felt like shit. Her teeth chattered, her body shivered, and her head hurt. she got up to take her temperature and when it came back well over where it should be She called out of was in the process of changing into something warmer when She heard the door open downstairs and dakis voice calling.
"I'm up here she replied, pulling on her high waisted jeans over her knit-black turtleneck, atleast the wool would provide warmth, "Woah what the fuck!?" Was the reply back when she saw how terrible she looked. "Oh hell no!".Daki waved at the doorway, her stilettos clicking with each step backwards. Marin tried to laugh but only coughed more as she opened a window with her eyes half lidded. As predicted Daki hadn't been around much these passed few weeks since Kensei began inviting himself over to the Inui's 'helping out' as he put it.
"Fuck that, marin you need stay into bed! I'll have my brother come over. Hes good for that at least." So that's why she's here, MArin lamented.
"Dont. Please." She pleaded, "I can't deal with him right now. And I don't want him to… deal either."
"Why?" It was a question that demanded an answer, an answer marin really didn't want to give. In a cruel twist of fate now she's the one shamefully avoiding him like the plague. They'd catch eachother some days, usually when she was headed to work while he was coming back in the morning, but she would scramble into her home before greetings were even exchanged. Safe to say she hasnt spoken to him in weeks.
"I fucked up, daki"'
"Get over it, he already has." She said harshly, " he told you?" She rolls her eyes, "really? we've been neighbors almost a year and you're still asking stupid questions?" It was a stupid question wasnt it? Why is she so stupid? They keep telling her over and over but it was like her memory would reset and she'd be reminded of how stupid she was all over again.
"He.." what could she say that would yield the least embarrassment? He shoved me? He rejected me? Or how about...
"I just feel stupid." she said finally looking down at the floor. Yet for some reason That pissed daki off possibly worse than if she had said the other things. she hit herdoor frame with the side of her fist,
"you feel stupid!? You? Fucking really?! i've been called a whore since i was old enough to speak and gyutaro's been treated like an idiot his entire life, but you feel stupid?" she takes deep breath so she wouldn't throttle her. "Marin you're a fucking pretty, privileged bitch. You don't know what the fuck 'stupid' feels like, and you certainly dont know anything about how it feels to be unwanted by anyone. We do. which is why you need to get over yourself. Youre the fucking problem for once, not him"
"But Gyutaro's not stupid." Marin wishing she used her brain more before blurbing that out. Daki looked at her again like she wanted to choke her out. She was poised to yell, but stopped for some reason, "That's right, I keep forgetting my brother is a goddamn superhero in your eyes. Did you actually fuck him or am i imagining things?"
"Absolutely not! I only kissed him-
"- kissed him?! Shit by the way he was acting I thought you FUCKED him in our house" Daki cursed seemingly solving a mystery marin had no idea was going on at the sibling's house. Now her embarrassment was competing with the heat of her fever. She throws the blanket over head. Daki lied! She didnt know shit about what happened until I squealed. Damn I need to stop falling for her tricks!
"Marin, i'm going to tell you some things and theyre not gonna be pretty." she pulls up a seat at the edge of her bed, "buckle up."
—-
Waiting outside her stoop eyes closed with a blanket around her She felt incredibly guilty.
she figured waiting outside her stoop for him was better so he wouldnt be trapped in a stuffy house with her sick as she was…
Eventually she did hear the sound of his door opening and closing but was too engrossed in the warmth of the sunbeams to even open her eyes. Instead mulling over Daki's words.
Gyutaro used to be a crybaby
"Why are you out here shouldn't you be in bed?" He chuckled amused, acting as if the last few weeks didn't happen,her only response was more involuntary coughing.
Gyutaro was almost 6 years old when he started talking. Kids would throw rocks calling him stupid all the time. If he retaliated they'd jump him calling him stupid and if hedid nothing at all, he was still called stupid, and a pussy and a coward. Then mom would beat him at home calling him stupid again for getting jumped.
"you even have medicine, princess or do I have to make a run?" She shook her head.
" Fine, don't die until I get back" he laughed turning to leave.
It's why his teeth are crooked, mom knocked them out, he was bedridden and had to be fed through a straw while she got high on the couch calling him worthless, you dont know what it means to feel stupid"
"Gyu" she rasped, "im… sorry." He simply laughed at her apology, "ill bet you are, princess" he said rubbing the top of her head like a dog; she closed her eyes listening to his receding footsteps and then the rev of his engine as he took off.
I used to draw pictures in the dirt and force him to repeat after me, wed do this all day until he spoke properly. You don't know what feeling stupid fucking means.
She was right, avoiding him over a kiss was trivial in the face of the horrible things that happened to them she thought wiping tears from her face.
Why do you think so highly of him? its clear you know hes fucked right? Is it Because of that potential you think you see?
she sat for a long time, long enough several of her neighbors including the ubuyashikis walked by, but they kept their conversations short. Especially amane, she apologized profusely fearing for kagayas compromised immunity. But marin took no offense by it. She was about to doze off when she heard another voice ask her a question, one she didn't recognize.
"Good day, I was wondering if you knew if the owner's next door were in by any chance? She squinted at the person talking he was odd, wearing a beautifully tailored suit with white gloves and a ridiculous hair cut, he smelled like a doctors office and he looks at her rather incredulously. Two individuals– one a female built like a tank the other was a male less jacked but with extremely beady, cold eyes and an even colder expression flank his sides. They are all dressed well, but the henchmen had suits of lesser quality.
"No, they stepped out," she says, the weird one sheds his incredulous look for a friendly smile.
"Are you a friend of theirs?" now that's when her heart sank. Daki and gyutaro have no fucking friends, this man is clearly a colleague or a client… A part of her thinks she should run and hide behind her front door. Another part sees the hired muscle and decides that her constitution as it was now wasn't going to be fast enough. Still she tried "No, just a neighbor. I'm sick. so I've been getting some fresh air she even coughed for emphasis.
He hums with interest. "well then, I work with Gyutaro and I hoped to chat with him about an assignment we had. Do you know when either will be back?" Her mouth goes dry, drier than it already is with the cold, but she replied that she had no idea.
Fuck it, every fiber of my being is screaming to get out now.
"Excuse me" she says leaving her stoop.' when he speaks again, "a moment please, before you go?" Marin stops. Sadly, in her attempt to not look suspicious it was easily the worst decision she could've made that day.
"Susamaru?"He snaps his fingers, sharp and loud, and a hand grabs her by the scruff of the neck she takes in panicked breaths, dropping the blanket to the ground as susamaru hoists her back down to the ground to face the odd looking man.
"I just find it funny you sounded so certain they weren't home for someone sick and falling asleep. How long have you been out here?"
Oh shit, should she lie? maybe if she says they left together they'll buy it?or will they know she's lying? She looked around the neighborhood and not soul was around… of was the only person who dealt with the shabanas to her knowledge so no shit the cul de sac is empty. Either way it's been over 20 minutes and he's bound to ride back up here. She has to lose thm before that.
"Everyone knows he rides a bike," she answered "I heard them leave together." For a long, long time, she didn't know if that was a good statement or not. as she stood blanket-less shaking visibly.
Excellent." The man steps past, his dress shoes clicking on the pavement. "I'm hoping you can help us out then,."I hope we can do so without any have my word if he's not here within 15 minutes well be out of your hair." But of course no sooner had he said thst the sound of his bike is heard and she inwardly curses. That's him she says trying to wriggle out, can i go?
"Not yet my dear only a bit longer I promise." She squirms again, trying to loosen the grip just a little, "oh, Fuck off, Enmu." she hears Gyutaro's creaking voice after parking his bike.
"Oh, Gyu, always a pleasure to hear your voice,"enmu replies, a rolling high pitched sound that puts her on edge. "Can't we talk like civilized people?"
"Are you still Muzan's bitch?"
"Such a rude way to phrase it. I am still employed, if that's what you mean." he sighs in annoyance at his words, "Then you can fuck right off," gyutaro scowls making Enmu sigh dramatically again.
"Susamaru?" he snaps his fingers and the guard twist her arms. She grits herteeth against the sudden influx of pain. Enmu sighs, turning around to lift marins chin with a finger. "Come now, you can do better than that."she hissed an angry fuck you. That does, however, mean their next squeeze makes her yelp even louder. "ow fuck!"Gyutaro's eyes linger on Enmu, the guards, and then marin held between the three like a ragdoll, sweating profusely. She wanted to give him an apologetic look, but could only manage to glance breathing heavily.
"take her to the car will you?" Enmu directs "before she makes a scene". For his part, Gyutaro narrows his eyes dawning that mask he always wore when he was thinking
"Yahaba and Susamaru." Enmu answers, "They may be wet-behind-the-ears greenhorns but they understand their assignments." he laughs, holding his hands up to his mouth like a puppeteer controlling his marionettes
" Listen, I'm not laying a finger on anything Kibutsuji touches." He hisses as marin is marched the back seat of teh van.
"Aw, Gyu. You've done so well keeping you and your sister hidden out of harm's way. It's sweet… but you should know no one leaves Lord Muzan's sphere. So… accept this proposal of mine and you shall be left alone for a while longer. What do you say?" Was the last thing she heard before the van doors closed muffling the conversation.
Gyutaro for his part seemed incredibly vexxed She can pick out the more complex emotions out of his expressions… this was different than the apartments… despite the bravado hes definitely more than a little nervous in fact she might even say he was... afraid.
you should get it out your head that hes confident, fearless or any of that bullshit you said at your party, he isn't a superhero, not when we were kids and certainly not now. he gets sloppy and lowers his guard quite often.
She watched from teh van window as He scratches his neck turns the ignition on his motorcycle back on and climbs on his motorbike; a dark look on his face.
Marin is there anything my brother can do that'll make you walk?
Oh hes definitely worried. What does it mean? She's never seen him afraid before. Didn't know he could be! Initially she felt comfort at seeing him, but now she feels exactly like she did at the traphouse, she needs to devise a plan to get out of this. Only problem, this does NOT sound like a money thing. This sounds like a blue spider lily thing.
Enmu joins her in the van as they drive off Relax marin you're not alone in this… she tried but when enmu says. "Yahaba, blind fold her." she panics anyways as everything is dark.
No one speaks on the drive. Not the guard, not the driver, and certainly not Enmu sitting in the passenger seat, typing away on his phone.
"Why am I here?" she finally asked after atleast 30 minutes elapsed.
"Are you so daft? To make sure he does his job. Enmu replies. "The only way weve been able to convince him in the past to come along was because of the immediate danger to Daki's safety. Now that we're away from his doorstep and seemingly away from her, such threats will lose their potency. He will think that he could deal with us. He never was good at knowing when he is outmatched."
…he's going insane tracking down this shit…I need to know your threshold for pain…, he isn't afraid to use desperate measures…
Her chest ached as her blood froze. Im not going to leave this intact, her inner conscious was preparing her It would be an actual miracle if she left with only scratches and bruises."I don't understand," she lies, completely understanding.
"Yahaba do you mind?" Yahaba removes her blindfold the afternoon sun blinded her briefly, before she could take in their location; a densely wooded area not unlike the spot Gyutaro took her too on their date. Enmu rests his chin in his hand turning back around from the passenger seat with a smile on his face just on the edge of sadistic. '"Ms kitagawa, may I call you, marin? We know youre an asset to him, his financial handler of sorts. If you cooperate with us today, muzan will grant you the privilege of an audience as well as a most tantalizing offer that may interest.
A proposition from the kingpin? she did not find comfort in that at all but asks anyways.
"What is it?"
—-
They reached their destination soon enough, a warehouse far off a beaten path deep in the woods. The road was practically a deer trail, instead of packed dirt it was more like packed grass before reaching a very small clearing where the building was located. They park the car right up against the building. yahaba exits first, opening the door then ordering her to "Get out.". She unhooks the seatbelt throwing herself out of the car, onto the grassbut before the door closes She could practically hear enmu smiling when He says "think it over.
There really wasnt anything to think over, it was a hell fucking no.
facing forward immediately her eyes were drawn to a large pit dug 2 meters in length and width and depth nearby the warehouse. Her immediate thought was that it was a clandestine gravesite, what else could it be? She gulped loudly focusing her attention on the warehouse she was forcibly being pushed towards instead, when another male dressed in a very expensive suit came out. He was of average height but man was he jacked, if she thought the female guard looked buff he put her to complete shame. He looked like a soldier.
He walked right up to them looking her up and down as if he knew her. She couldnt tell what he was thinking, But despite the scars on his arms and hands and his Brickhouse physique he didn't seem… psychopathic maybe it was just her though.
"Ah, Akaza, how is the lead? Still alive I hope?" The man known as Akaza mutters a yeah before adding, "Enmu, Were not killing her, right?" while he certainly did not seem pleased at all she could feel every sin she ever committed crawling down her back when he said that.
"No! No please!" She wheezed, praying her haunch was right and he was the more sympathetic one. Seemed God answered her prayers he waving Yahaba away with a scowl, grabbing her gently by the arm saying he was taking her instead. Enmu sucked his teeth loudly, his aggravation sounding genuine for once and not dramatic. "Oh, Please, Akaza. She'll be fine." he whines but receives a no reply as he escorts her into the open warehouse.
Gyutaro arrives, His sharp eyes take in the area, settling on her for a long moment as she hacks up another lung. He pulls up uncharacteristically slow right next to them inside. His kickstand comes down with a particularly sharp hit fromhis boots, and he swings off carefully.
"Gyu!" he waves like they were old friends "How've you been., how's the sister? I heard you moved on up no longer living like like a gutter rat" he lambastes his faux-friendliness dropped for derision.
"Got me a good accountant actually, we're practically living large," he quips. "but i can see you certainly Aren't tired of being someone else's weapon, are you, muscle head?" Akaza walked her over with that same cold carelessness that shed come to recognize in Gyutaro her bicep still in his hand stopping a few feet away.
"for the record, wasn't my idea, I didn't want them to call you. This is my job." Akaza's eyes were looking down at marin, debating something in his head as he clenched his fists ever so slow … she couldnt tell if they were about to fight eachother or if this was just the usual banter between kizuki members but she kept her mouth shut.
"I fucking know that much. Only a bitch like Enmu would do this" gyutaro snarls, turning his head around as if he wanted to laser enmu to death, instead he flicks one of his knives out as a distraction. Enmu for his part was still by the van apparently directing his henchmen.
"this is the last job, gyutaro." She saw it briefly– the twitching of gyutaro's hand before he continued flipping his knife. Even she knew what it meant.
"Then I want to talk to her" he says but his falsetto pitch waned just a little different than usual and not in a good way.
"Do your job first and I'll let you." akaza replies as if on autopilot. Gyutaro looks back at the van again where Enmu was – so angry he looked like he could spit on the floor.
"Collect on Enmu before the job is done and I can't guarantee anything" Akaza added with a irritation in his tone. She wanted to tell gyu to calm down too but didn't wanna sound too familiar in front of Akaza.
"Then… are you gonna help out this time or not?" he growls through gritted teeth "You know how Enmu is" Is he really asking this guy for assistance? She could feel her stomach sink at just how bad the situation is right now. Her back prickled as if she were being eaten by tiny bugs as the fear truly began to set in.
"If things go south…" akaza replies nonchalant. gyutaro then asked Marin a question, "did that asshole do anything to you in the car?"
"Blindfolded me" her nasally voice replied sniffing rather loudly, "but did he give you anything, force you to sniff anything…?"
"No" he still grumbled, muttering something under his breath scratching up a storm. So she asked a different question- to the man holding her arm "is that proposition enmu offered real, akaza?" He seemed a bit taken aback that she was talking to him so casually but answered, "so I've been told."
Gyutaeos eyes went from her back to akaza in a flurry, definitely wanting in on what this proposition was about. but Akaza flipped her by the shoulders gently to face him.
It was a strange thing to focus on considering the situation but akaza he had the most beautiful eyes. They were a rich hue of amber made more pronounced by his long lashes. "behave yourself and I won't restrain you." That glance to gyutaro wasn't by accident he was trying to communicate something, especially with the waynHe put special emphasis on restrain within earshot of him, so she nodded.
He released his hands from her shoulders right as Enmu laughs, clapping his hands together once before spreading them wide. "Oh, what a show this promises to be! I've been so bored lately." Gyutaro takes one step closer, and points a finger at Enmu with his blades. "I am not your fucking pet to summon." Enmu's dress shoes click across the floor before stopping just before him his guards close in step. With all 5 in the warehouse now he directs his next request to akaza.
" mind bringing out the lead?" akaza leaves listlessly, shimmying past Gyutaro in the process leaving the four behind. Before long she hears a metallic gate opening and chains as if the man had been held in a jailcell under the ground. The chains slinked rather loudly with each step– sounding extremely painful. they sit him down in a chair and cuff him again. He was a short guy with scars on his face, definitely seen some shit but still he was sweating profusely beneath his blindfold as if he feared the fate that awaited him.
"Wonderful." Enmu claps again walking away. "Move her up close to the show, won't you? You're in for a rare treat, you know." he snaps his fingers behind him.
Yahaba and Susamaru move to grab her but Gyutaro stands in front not budging at all. "Oh? What's wrong Gyu? Don't tell me you're afraid?" No insults come out of his mouth at that but she knew he was fuming with rage. Instead he leads her by the bicep to the chair provided by Akaza and orders her to. "Stay put". Even if he hadnt she wasnt going anywhere. He slowly takes off his leather jacket And puts it on her lap before walking to the witness pulling out a knife from in his belt.
Gyutaro is only cruel to cruel people… dakis voice rings at the conversation they had which at this point feels like an eternity ago. But I'll ask again is there anything my brother can do that'll make you walk, marin?
she immediately turned away whimpering. "It's not everyday one gets to see a professional at work!" enmu laughed his voice harmonizing with the agonized screams of the man gyutaro tortured for information.
The torture went on for hours! At some points they moved the man outside threatening him in different ways in a sort of round robin. They even took breaks about 30 minutes in between each session to reconvene about the information they obtained, as if to prolong suffering.
The screams he let out were –horrifying doesn't even cut 's all she could do not to be sick as Gyutaro's voice hangs in the air, ominous and chilling. "If you just told these people where the Blue Lily is. Then I wouldn't have to come out of retirement, and you wouldn't be going through all this. So I'll be nice. This time you get to pick which appendage i remove"
She presses her hands over her ears sniffing loudly as her eyes water, hes only cruel to those who deserve it…. Hes only cruel to those who deserve it…she wanted so badly to justify his actions this time but… She just wanted to go home back to how it was when the worst thing about gyutaro was his mouth.
Now she had to etch this memory– the second in a relatively short amount of time– next to the rest of the bad memories shes forced to carry.. The screaming, pleading and begging… Gyutaro's voice…and Enmu's laughter. all of it. Apparently it was so bad even Akaza felt the need to flip her the other way, moving her chair further and further away after each session.. He even pulled a chair up next to her with one leg crossed. He was surprisingly accommodating, even engagin in light conversation, if this was all an act he deserved an oscar because he did not appear to be enjoying this at all.
Strange he seemed more concerned with her than the man literally begging for his life, his face grimaced ever so slightly each time she whimpered wiping her tears away. "It's almost over." he hands her a cloth to wipe Her face, she takes it and asks him, "Why do you make him do these things?" it took him a moment for him to acknowledge that the answer wasnt rhetorical… almost like he wasn't sure she was serious or not. He was about to reply when Enmu called him. He gets up with a sigh as the man's screams faded to murmurs and he coughed whatever information they wanted. Regardless she tries to pretend she didnt hear a thing.
Finally, a hand grabs her shoulder and squeezes. "You all right? you didnt fall asleep did you?" his voice croons, as He grabs his leather jacket from Her lap and hangs it over his shoulder loosely from two fingers. He was bent over, head tilted with dots of blood across his face and his hands.
She growls something fierce, how could i sleep through that? She wanted to add you fucking asshole, but refrsined…plus She knew he knew. His hand rests firm on her shoulder, soothing. his body blocking her view of whatever remains of the guy he was working on.
"You have some on your face," her voice wavers as she hands him the cloth Akaza gave her, and wipes her own eyes with her sleeve. he continues patting her shoulder in heavy thumps, taking the handkerchief, "You shouldn't have had to see any of that."
"save it," she wanted to sound harsh, but it came out pathetic. Then with his hand still on her shoulder he squats in front of her, "Marin, what's your favorite place to eat?" The suddenness of the question makes her pause, hopeful even that theyll be able to go home. She looks up at him, he wiped the blood off his face thankfully but she shook her head unable to even think about food.
"Then how about I take you out again to one of my favorite places and we can talk," she nods as he pats her shoulder again.
""Good, good... princess" her eyes widen as the tears form, some dropping to the floor.
His voice drops a few octaves, "listen marin, I haven't forgotten about our promise." he places something in her hands while looking over his shoulder. she wipes snot from her nose again and hides it in her sleeve. Then gyutaro whispering something in her ear quick before he straightens, and Akaza approaches letting him know his time was done. "Enmu I'm taking her to the van"
"Yahaba go with them." Enmu directs, for some reason Yahaba chose now of all times to pull his gun out at the down ready while akaza escorted her out to the van.
She sat passenger as he turned the key in the ignition, "She isn't supposed to leave, Akaza" yahaba berates his trigger finger now itching from the driver side window. "Fuck off, she's seen enough." he shifts the PRNDL into drive, leaving yahaba behind, and begins moving forward. "Wai-wait, what about gyu, why are we leaving him?" she didnt mean to slip withthe pet name but as he drove away there was a strong sense of finality… it was a dread that weighed heavy in her chest that it might be the last she'd see him again.
"Sorry. It's the best I can do, he'll have to figure out the rest on his own."
"Are they gonna kill him?" she asks grievously her eyes glassy from crying and from the cold. His silence was all the answer she needed, they didn't make it passed the clearing before She pulled the knife gyutaro handed her and lunged to stab him. He caught her arm in time but the van jerked violently as he stomped on the break alerting Yahaba behind them who saw the struggle through the back window of the van. He took aim at her and shot shattering the back window.
From that point all hell broke loose. Marin only remembers screaming After getting completely overpowered by akaza who shoved her down between the seats, returning fire at Yahaba.
It was like a scene out of saving private ryan as teh sounds of the gunfire flew overhead so deafeningly loud that she couldn't even hear herself screaming, or any words coming out of anyone's mouths.
Glass shattered everywhere hitting her back as it fell. She crouched holding her head screaming to high heaven as more gunshots went off, when suddenly it all stopped.
She felt his hands yank her by the scruff of her shirt forcing her out ofthe car.
She saw Yahaba on his back in the grass groaning loudly, shot but still alive. "Stay behind me." he yanks her behind his body, she about tripped over herself when he did, she didnt expect him to be willing to take bullets if yahaba had any other tricks up his sleeve. pulling her along, he held his gun at the helpless man.
She couldn't quite tell where he had been hit, but there was blood on the grass and he was gasping for breath like his life depended on it as akaza kicked his weapon further away. She covered her eyes at the site whimpering again
She wondered if she'd be executed and dumped in the gravesite for stabbing when, but low and behold she heard Gyutaro's bike rev as he peels out of the warehouse towards them. "Wow, I can't believe it," akaza's words betrayed his tone as if he knew all along Gyutaro would escape. "Seems you're free to go, Ms Kitagawa" he says with a smile
He's not… gonna kill me? She looked at Akaza with wide eyes, "Oh this?" he gestured to the cut on his arm from when he wrestled the knife from her hands, "Don't worry about it." he wasnt at all perturbed that she tried to stab him? in fact he seemed elated as gyutaro rolled up to take her. Akaza shoves Marin to the direction of the bike, she gave a confused look back, but he waved at her reassuring even as enmu's rage-and-pained-fueled voice shouted deep profanities and hysterical threats of violence from the warehouse."I'll handle it" Akaza replies uninspired as if he were changing a lightbulb in the ceiling she hops on hugging gyutaros waist.
"th-thank you" she rasps as Gyutaro punches out of there faster than greased lightning. She heard several more gunshots behind them but was eternally grateful to the she didn't witness the aftermath.
As they drove the bike was humming strangely,She thinks she heard gyutaro rattle a slew of curses but she couldnt tell over the strange sounds the bike was making and the ringing in her ears from the gunfight. she wondered if it had taken bullets, or maybe it got damaged by how fast he was driving over the mounds of that deer trail before getting back on the main road. She wanted to ask where they were going but it took all her strength just to hold on and not faint. She simply closes her eyes trying hard to stay focused. Until finally the bike yee-ed it's last haw several miles from where the showdown took place and he was forced to pull over.
She opened an eye seeing that It's a park: shaded with trees, dappled sunlight peeking through the branches, with people walking around.
with enough people around, maybe even the kizuki would slow their approach asuming Enmu was still alive and had called for backup. Gyutaro walks the bike to a stop and kicks down the stand for stability. "hey can you get off We're safe. you were clinging to me extra tight this time". He teases, looking over his shoulder but then freezes, "You ok?"
The world narrows down like she was looking through a telescope. It takes a moment for her to loosen her hands. the world was going by at a dizzying pace, much too fast for her liking."y-yeah Im… o-ok-," she faints hitting the ground. hard.