Chapter Text
"You really haven't changed." Currently leaning on the bar with his arms splayed out to support his lazed form, Ayagi coos as he raises his wine glass to take a sip. His head is lolled to one side and he gave off the impression that he was probably close to being drunk. "Since the day I knew you, you're still so cold towards me."
"What did you call me out for?" Junta mutters flatly, having not touched the drink Ayagi had gotten for him at all. His posture is tense on the seat with the crowd behind them dancing to the blasting, loud music. Every now and then someone would stumble towards them and hit on either of the two men, which pissed off Junta greatly. He just didn't seem comfortable in this situation and looked like he wanted to get out of here.
"Nothing~" Ayagi waves the cup in his hand, the ice swirling in his glass. "Just wanted to catch up."
Junta remains silent. How boring, and he was here trying to actually be nice.
"It's been two years, huh..." Ayagi trails off, watching his reactions carefully, allowing his tone to remain painfully even as he threaded on what seemed like a sensitive topic. "You... have you been okay?"
"..."
"You quit the acting industry just like that and seemingly disappeared off the radar. It was like almost nobody could convince you to go back. Or worse, some of the actors didn't even know where you've gone."
Silence again, huh.
Well, Ayagi couldn't blame him.
There was still something like a gap inside of him, badly stitched up to stop the hurting. But any wrong move and he thinks he's going to delve back into how he was two years ago. And since the other guy was closer to him, he supposed the amount of hurting he's done would probably be on a bigger magnitude than his own.
... He still remembered the day that incident had happened. When they had received the news and he had ran there with all his might, praying that please, please let him be okay.
It seemed like the longest run in his life as he raced alongside Junta to the room the nurses had informed them about, gritting his teeth and clenching his fists.
Then he saw it.
The hand dangling out of the corner of the hospital bed.
The mangled limbs of the other.
The blood.
And the doctors who lifted the sheet, fluttering it as they pulled it over his beautiful face.
Everything seemed to melt away at that instant. Ayagi could hear nothing but the static buzzing in his head as he stared at the mess, unmoving for a long time. His eyes were fixed on the body -- on what he had originally called senpai -- as they brought him away just like that.
He couldn't even bring himself to be angry at the staff who apologetically stated their loss. Ayagi just felt lost and almost afraid -- what about the 100 friends he was going to make? What about eating on Mount Fuji? Wasn't the actor going to come watch him as he would finally not be a loner?
But why is he gone so suddenly?
He had grew colder, reserved. There were people trying to comfort him but he pushed them all away.
But it was all okay now.
It was all okay now.
Amidst the mess, he vaguely remembered what happened to Junta. He had leaned against a wall and crumpled like a lifeless puppet to his knees immediately, staring at the body with a horrified look. On that day, he, too, was affected, much more than he probably would have ever been. Ayagi recalled seeing news about him stopping all his offers, when the news went up.
That Saijou Takato had been involved in a car accident and had passed away due to the gruesome incident.
"I get it, you're upset, but you can't let that get you down, you know?" Ayagi's voice had gotten very soft. "After Saijou-san's death--"
"Takato-san is not dead." Junta mutters.
"What?" Was he still delusional?
"Takato-san is NOT dead!" Junta slammed his fist on the table, grabbing Ayagi by the collar. "Say that again and you'll be sorry." Though it didn't attract much attention due to the noise in the bar, Ayagi could see it in his eyes.
The murderous aura that resembled the time when Junta had recognised him as the voice from the phone. Except that this time, it was full of hurt and not anger.
Ayagi raised his hands up in surrender, and after a while, Junta released him.
"I just know it. He will come back to me someday. He will." His voice was full of determination.
Ayagi looks away. You're not the only one hurting, you know? A tiny, bitter voice wants to utter, but he knows of how much they had gone through, much more than he would probably ever imagine. So he shut up and shrugged, pretending he was alright. "Suit yourself, I guess." His voice was lower now.
"You don't believe me, do you?" Junta allows a warped smile to creep up his face, accompanied with his wild, almost crazed golden eyes. Ayagi found himself absolutely entranced as the other stood. There was something off about Junta, but he couldn't tell what.
"Come with me. I'll show you."
The longer Ayagi had followed Junta, the more uneasy he got. He had been sure they had been walking on for almost forever now - and it was getting darker and darker, where he felt like he could suffocate any given moment.
But backing out didn't seem like an option with how Junta has never turned his back to check on him once. If he had lost sight of him, Ayagi might just get lost in here by himself and have nobody discover him.
The sound of Junta pulling open a thick metal door surprised him. Ayagi cringed when Junta slid the door open and it made a wary, low screech sound which echoed into the huge open area beyond it. The other actor, however, seemed to glow as he led the way into the darkened space which resembled a facility.
"What did you want me to see?" Ayagi could only see the ladyrinth of complex machinery in the dark, with all the tubes and pipes layering the room and hanging all around the place. Junta had disappeared off to somewhere he couldn't see, and after a brief moment of him hearing only footsteps, the lights were abruptly switched on, buzzing into life.
Ayagi shielded his eyes slightly, wincing. He stared around the place once more, at the various strange objects being placed around the facility. Though they all looked like a mess to him, he felt as though there was a lot of research involved, with many books laying half open and yellowed papers still fluttering about in loose sheets.
"What did you being me here for?" He grumbles, thinking that this was just a big mess Junta had produced. How did it have to do with the other actor?
But then he saw it.
Ayagi's eyes widened as he finally sees it at the centre of the room. He was suddenly speechless, trying to find words to say but not sure what to.
... Being encased in something like a semi-transparent, blue fluid, was a naked man who looked way too familiar. The light from the facility had caused little shadows to form on his body through the liquid. From here, Ayagi could see that his black hair was bobbing gingerly in the blue fluid, the constant motion forming a strange image, like he was almost alive.
His skin was a sickly white like he had been sick for a long time, but other than that Ayagi was surprised to notice his limbs in perfect shape, albeit the tinge of disgust he feels towards seeing this.
Ayagi's entire being trembled as Junta lets his hand glide across the circular shell thing that's encasing Takato. His eyes are fixated, mesmorized, and he's taut with fear as he watched as the complex pipings which led to the shell pumped more of the blue mixture into it.
"You're out of your damn mind." He whispered.
He's suddenly staring at Junta for what seems like the first time, taking in his disheveled hair, eyebags and his almost psychopathic smile as he surveyed the figure within. Ayagi steps back, looking up at Takato, whose eyes were shut.
"There's just no way this is going to work."