Chapter Text
Kobeni’s life was one that was ruled by constant anxiety over every little thing that could go wrong. Working the most dangerous job in the world did not help to mitigate this anxiety, but the alternative was selling her body. She’d rather risk being eaten by a devil, then being a scrap of meat for animals masquerading as men to destroy and devour.
Kobeni’s job was constant fear. Every time she thought she’d experienced the scariest thing in her life, another thing had reminded her that there was far worse. Eternity devil, the scariest thing—nope! It was actually watching her partner get fatally shot, twice, protecting her. Silly Kobeni, the scariest thing was actually being on all fours on the ground, watching that bomb girl slowly stalk towards her. The one time cowering on the ground in fear seemed to make a monster pity her so much that she lived.
But… her partner’s death was still one that stayed in her mind. Hirokazu Arai. He was nice to her, always peaceful even for a devil hunter. He was the only partner who liked her enough to hang out with her outside of patrols, and that adoration was a two-way street. She never truly forgot that he could die at any moment on the job, but it was a thought that made her happier to not dwell on… and then he got shot. Watching his body crumple to the ground. The man who told her about his haikus, sometimes bought and cooked food for her, and tried to take all the dirty duties of this job, had become a corpse.
For once, all of the fear vanished from her body, like a rubber band that had snapped. A certain cold had come over her shaking body, stilling her. She finally made use of her contract that day. A secret contract with the Assassin devil made neutralizing Arai’s killer, and the man who organized it all, rather simple. She didn’t even have to look, her rarely-used instincts took over, two shots to the axillary nerves made using his arms rather hard.
It’s a shame she didn’t do more damage, but she was still happy to hear later on that Denji had cut him in half… It still terrified her when his accomplice died right next to her, quickly reverting back to her cowering instincts. Unsurprisingly, a new partner was assigned to her within a few days, and her heart sank when she heard it was gonna be a fiend.
Working with Power was an absolute nightmare… and she was supposed to be one of the more well-behaved fiends at that. She had no personal qualms with Beam, but she’d heard that fiend was rather pushy, loud, and generally invasive as well. So, imagine her shock when she met the Violence Fiend— or, Galagi. Who knew the fiend of literal violence would be so polite? Still straightforward, but the difference between him and Power was night and day. While Power had made fun of her being forced into this job, Galagi had reacted with sympathy, even without her divulging what the alternative was.
Power was bloodthirsty. Kobeni had watched Galagi try to reason with a rampaging devil, and get thrown straight through the brick wall of a pet shop. Unsurprisingly, he’d stumbled back up, stretched a bit, and then proceeded to dispatch the Devil with ease, turning to her while still soaked in blood, and asking if she felt like grabbing a bite. She’d accepted, and then been treated to food she’d get to eat maybe once every few months, assuming she was able to skim any money past the amount she had to give to her family. They never quite trusted her after that incident with the cone on one of her birthdays in grade school…
Nevertheless, even with Galagi and the warm, fuzzy feelings he gave her, her grief over Arai was still a constant weight on her mind, no matter how often the fiend had ever unwittingly tried lifting it. Maybe that’s why she was being paranoid, maybe that’s why her brain kept trying to tell her that somehow, they were the same. Arai’s build wasn’t an uncommon one in Japan, it’s not like there wouldn’t be fifty other corpses that could have his same frame.
“When we went back to his body after that katana man went on the run, it was gone” That paranoid voice in her head reminded her. A little weird, but people died constantly in devil attacks, the clean up crews may just be getting highly efficient. But one night…
“So, Kobeni, Beam’s going to be gone from my apartment- would you like to come over tonight? 7 pm?” he asked her. Immediately, her mind flashed to the first time she’d hung out with Arai after work… at his apartment… at the same time. She then ruined the ice cream Galagi bought for her by squeezing the cone too hard, and her cheeks burned brighter than before. She’d quickly muttered an apology and accepted the invite. She’d ignored how the butterflies in her stomach were dancing more intricately now.
Then he suggested watching Sky of Love… and Kobeni found herself speechless in a couple different ways. First off, watching a romance movie with the fiend she’d (somehow) found herself with a crush on was one thing. But… It was the same movie she and Arai had once watched together. She’d quickly patched up her silence, and would find herself at home, searching for what to wear. Something like the one she wore to work? Something casual? Something… cute?
She’d gone with the outfit she’d borrowed from one of her sisters, as surprisingly, it hadn’t been claimed yet back.
She knocked on the door, and entered while Galagi said he’d be out with dinner soon. Another small alarm bell went off in her brain as he mentioned chicken Katsu… another dish that while Arai hadn’t made for her, he claimed to make a killer one. More and more of those little details piled up throughout the night… Their conversation about deja vu feeling more and more relevant. She enjoyed the sundae and the movie… even if due to exhaustion of the day, she fell asleep during it. She awoke to Galagi tapping her on the shoulder, telling her the time. She blushed like a tomato at the thought of sleeping over at another man’s house… even if the man was a fiend.
On that walk home, she instinctively sticks close to Galagi, eyes scanning the alleyways and streets for any signs of a devil, or even just a random attacker. Right as Galagi starts talking about haikus, she realizes this is a street her and Arai walked down, many times. That cloud of grief expands ever so slightly… yet noticeably. Luckily, Galagi’s voice is a life raft, one that grabs her attention.
“I haven’t heard one in a while….” she responds to his question, unable to keep the sadness out of her voice. Arai was shy about them, but she always liked the ones he wrote. Her eyes lit up at the thought of hearing another again, and she listened to the one Galagi said… and the world came to a still.
…It
….It was
…..that was his.
……nobody else should know about it. He told nobody else about it. How does Galagi know?
…….wait
……..how?
………she never expected
……….a corpse of her partner
………..walking and talking, again-
“You- that Haiku- Arai-?” She asks, tears in her eyes. The cloud of grief is now a storm, conflicting with memories, past and present. Part of her is eager to accept it. That Arai isn’t actually gone! He’s back! He never left!
Part of her is rational. Part of her reminds her this isn’t Arai. Not anymore.
But then, there’s some beauty in between. This isn’t Arai… but he’s acting like how Arai would’ve. He did come back. Just… a little? Different?
“It’s you.” A bitter, small smile formed on her face.
It’s his corpse. At the bare minimum…
“You came back…” She trails off, standing on the balls of her feet, running a hand across his mask. Does he look the same underneath it? Is his strength even why he wears it? And not a disguise?
Of course he doesn’t know what she’s talking about. She fills him in with one word.
“Arai.”
She watches him. He’s spaced out. Remembering? Please. She has the worst luck, but if she could just have this. If she could just have this one, nice thing. Please. Almost desperately, she throws her arms around him, hugging… Galagi? Arai? As tightly as she can.
“I’m never leaving you again.” He murmurs into her ear. And Kobeni is quick to believe it. Tears spill from her eyes. She’s sad… Arai is still dead, there’s still a cloud of grief. But that cloud is shrinking, receding into the atmosphere of her mind. It’s a kind of bitter sweetness. Her partner is still dead… but some form of him is still back. Galagi was already something she thought of as good in her life… but now, made it all the more better. They could have a future together… if they find a way out of public safety, maybe? But that’s something for another day. In the meantime, she enjoys the embrace.