Chapter Text
Rei woke up with a pit in his stomach the size of a boulder. It wasn’t because he didn’t eat last night, or because he barely slept, although both conditions applied. As soon as he opened his eyes, Rei knew that today was going to be a rough day.
He flipped on his side, getting his phone from his bedside table. Well, one of his phones. He had one hidden in a drawer, for his personal use. This one was for business purposes. Since he was technically involved in three businesses, he used it quite a lot.
After making sure his schedule was as he planned, Rei rolled out of bed and headed for the shower. As he stood under the steaming water, he went over his plans. This day was worth planning for and definitely worth putting in overtime. It took him a while, but Rei managed to secure a free day, one day free from all his identities. A day for himself, a day to be himself.
Okay, he had to put in a half-day shift at the café, but it could have been worse. He winced as a trickle of soap stung against some scrapes. Those were new. Probably from that fight from last night. Some brute thought Rei was looking at his girlfriend and picked a fight; in reality, he was checking an ATM for signs of fraud. Compared to that, and the mountain of paperwork he had to fill out afterward, running a café was a much needed relief.
“It’s worth it,” Rei murmured to himself, voice echoing against the tiles as he turned off the water. His voice sounded strange, due to the lump in his throat.“He’s worth it.”
The rest of his morning routine went by as Rei expected it would. He dressed, slipping on a watch; normally he didn’t bother, especially on café days, but today he wanted an eye on the time. Settling on a chair, Rei enjoyed a quiet breakfast. A very quiet breakfast. Living alone had its advantages, yes, but in times like these, he wouldn’t mind some company.
Taking a long sip of coffee, Rei turned his focus to the window. He had a decent view on the eighteenth floor, so he might as well enjoy it. The early morning sky was streaked with the colors of sunrise, painting the cityscape in warm hues. It wasn’t a bad view by any means; he spent many hours just looking at the sky.
In this instance, Rei spent too much time marveling at it. His watch alarm beeped at him, signaling an end to his sky watching. He didn’t waste time getting out the door, because he didn’t have any time to waste. Rei checked his watch again as he locked the door; 7:10. His shift officially started at seven forty, yes, but he liked getting there early for opening. Cushion time, just in case something came up.
There was something about walking through the crisp morning air. Something about it just made him…introspective. He walked alone, with only his thoughts for company. His heart only grew heavier as he passed a small graveyard, tucked away from the sidewalk. Rei stopped for a moment, eyes darting through the rows of grave markers. After a wasted minute, he turned away, continuing his walk.
He had been looking in graveyards for years. Four years, to be exact. The anniversary of Hiromistu Mirofushi’s untimely death was today. Rei still didn’t know what happened to the body, even though he held it in his arms. His memory of that night wasn’t the sharpest. Still, he knew what he felt on that night; pure rage. Even now he could feel the anger rising in him.
A sharp breeze cut those thoughts from his mind and that feeling from his heart. This wasn’t the time or the place for such things. He just had to get through the day, and then he would take the time to mourn. One day a year he did something like this, one day to step away from it all and focus on Hiro. Not his death, but his life.
Rei had to choose a different date each year, to avoid suspicion. He had a lot to choose from at first; the day they first met, Hiro’s birthday, the day they first became a couple…but then he started to run out of ideas. So, Rei chose the anniversary of his death. It had been long enough that the date wouldn’t ring any bells for anyone. It should work. He didn’t have any other choice.
Hands tucked in his jacket pockets, Rei focused on keeping his breathing even. He had to keep everything under control. This was the one day he got to do something like this and he always wanted to do it right. Of course, this year was filled with more complications than ever, but it shouldn’t matter.
But as he crossed the street and faced the café, Rei knew that he couldn’t think about it now. Glancing at his watch he saw that it just turned six. He had to get to work, not as Rei Furuya, but as Tooru Amuro. With another deep breath, he unlocked the door and stepped inside. As he crossed the threshold, Rei let go of the thoughts, worries, and general trouble on his shoulders. Or well, he tried to. His work always seemed to follow him in there after all.
Stretching, Rei hung up his jacket and bag in the back room. He tied on his apron, rolled up his sleeves; all part of his work routine. It came naturally now, as things do when they’re done often enough. As he left, he caught sight of himself in the mirror. Rei stood there, studying his face. He hadn’t been sleeping enough lately if the dark circles under his eyes were any indication. More than anything, he was just getting old. He would be turning thirty sooner than he would like.
Another beep from his watch tore from him from his thoughts. 7:35. He left the mirror, along with his thoughts about mortality, in favor of getting to work. Even though they did most of the morning prep after closing, there was still plenty to be done in the morning. The dining room had to be arranged, plants to be watered, and of course, food to prepare.
With the chairs all arranged and plants sufficiently watered, Rei turned his attention to the workstation behind the counter. This was one of his favorite things about working in the morning; something about cooking just felt so natural.
Once he set eggs to boil, soup to simmer, and baguettes to warm in the oven, Rei focused on lunch preparations. According to their meal schedule, the lunch selection today would include his ham sandwiches. Rei didn’t mind making them, but he thought of another idea. Thankfully, Azusa let him decide on some last-minute adjustments now and then. Now he just had to find the ingredients for his idea.
“Good morning!” Azusa called, as she opened the door and flipped the closed sign. She stepped into the café and took a glance around. “Are you looking for something?”
Peeking around the open cupboard doors, Rei turned to smile at her as she walked towards the back room. “Good morning. I thought we had some canned salmon, but I can’t find it anywhere.”
“Right,” Azusa winced, as she slipped behind the counter. “I organized the cupboards the other day and got rid of them. Turns out they’ve been expired for a couple of weeks.”
Nodding, Rei closed the cupboard and nodded towards the back room. “Guess that’s another thing to add to the shopping list. Oh, and the Italian seasonings.”
“Got it. I’ll just write those down before we forget!”
Rei watched her slip into the back and then focused on making sure the soup didn’t burn. He stirred it, thinking about that salmon. Maybe it was for the best. He didn’t make salmon sandwiches in a long time after all. It’s been ages since he even thought about them.
He was trying to remember how much mayonnaise goes in them when Azusa came back from the back room. That snapped him out of his thoughts; although he doubted Azusa was onto him, Rei knew it was best to err on the side of caution. So, he laughed, and chatted with her, as they prepared for their first customers.
“My brother’s hosting a dinner party tomorrow,” Azusa said to fill a lull in the conversation. She looked up from her cutting board with a smile. “His new business is doing quite well, so the company decided to celebrate.”
Rei returned the smile, while still rolling napkins around silverware. “That sounds nice. I haven’t seen him in here recently. Please, pass along my congratulations.”
“Will do!” She focused on her vegetables, but Rei noticed a sly look in her eye still. “Speaking of plans, do you have something special planned today?”
“Mm, you could say that.” He tried to keep things vague, focusing on getting this silverware sorted out. “It’s always nice to do something special for someone isn’t it?”
Rei inwardly winced, as soon as he saw the delight in Azusa’s expression. That was the opposite of being vague. If she was fishing for details, he just handed her a whole damn tuna.
“You have a date?” She asked, eyes glittering with excitement. Honestly, Rei didn’t realize she cared that much about his personal life. “Oh, you have to tell me everything! Who is she?”
Before he could come up with anything, the door opened, revealing their first customers of the day. Rei sighed with relief. He didn’t know how to dodge that question, and well, at least he bought some time to think about it.
“I’ll get those details later then,” She said with a wink, before turning to their customers. “Good morning! We’re having some gorgeous weather, aren’t we?”
Rei smiled to himself as he listened to the small talk. It seemed natural. Even Azusa’s playful nosiness felt right somehow. He leaned over, towards the coffee pot, and caught a glimpse of his reflection in the chrome finishing. It startled him, seeing his reflection like that. He looked…comfortable here. It was as though he belonged here.
“Impossible,” Rei muttered under his breath, shaking off those ridiculous thoughts. This was a cover job, nothing more. He had his assignments, he had his goals, and he had a future planned. This café was never meant to be permanent. He had to focus on the bigger picture. Hiromitsu deserved justice and it was up to Rei to deliver it.
But he also had to act like a café employee. Rei elected to put aside his thoughts about justice for the time being. Glancing at his watch, he noticed that it was only ten past eight. Just about five hours left until the end of his shift, including his break. Oh well. He could keep up his act easily enough. After that, then he could think, and feel, the way he wanted to.
Until then, he just had to pour some coffee, make people their breakfast, clear plates, and do some dishes. Easy stuff…although he had to deal with Azusa winking at him every time their eyes met. As they went about their morning rush routines, Rei wracked his brain for some sort of story. Something to make it plausible that he was seeing someone tonight. A woman, someone who was alive, well, and interested in him romantically. She also had to be someone that Azusa could have never heard of. Not to mention there had to be a reason why he couldn’t bring her to the café. This was a headache alright.
Still, by the time the last of the morning crowd left, he had a pretty good story. So when Azusa asked him about it again, Rei knew what to say.
“We’re taking it slow,” He said, focusing on the plate he was washing. If he looked up to see her face, Rei knew the lie would be harder to say. “It’s been good so far, but we sorta want to keep it private for now.”
“Aw, that’s so romantic,” Azusa sighed, before clearing a table. “It’s like you two just want to hide away from the world together!”
Rei clenched a fist, feeling his nails cut into his skin. Damn, he didn’t think it would be this hard to lie about liking someone. He felt a wave of guilt wash over him. Was this lie betraying Hiro’s memory or anything? He couldn’t really tell one way or another. Then again, he pretended to be involved in a relationship plenty of times in the past couple years…this just felt different.
Of course, Azusa didn’t notice any of his internal turmoil. Instead, she asked a series of brief questions. Was she pretty? What was she like? What did she do for a living? Did she live nearby? How did they meet?
“She’s very pretty, yes. Her…hair is extremely soft. It’s dark, and short, and goes beautifully with her light blue eyes.” Rei smiled, remembering Hiro now. Apart from the pronouns, he wasn’t lying. “Although she’s often quite serious, she always lights up when we talk together. I’ve seen her spend a good ten minutes fawning over a penguin at the aquarium…”
Rei had to fudge his responses to the rest of Azusa’s questions but he didn’t mind that as much. It wasn’t like he could really tell her the entire truth after all. Besides, he was still thinking of Hiromitsu, and that penguin. This is what he used this day of remembrance for, thinking of the good times. Rei had the rest of the year to focus his attention on justice. This was supposed to be a day for him to reminisce instead of wallowing in grief.
“So, she just handed me the box of baking soda, and our hands touched.” Shrugging slightly, Rei did his best to look bashful. “I got her to write her number on that box.”
Azusa laughed and shook her head. By then she finished clearing tables, and took a seat at the counter. “Wow, it’s just like a romantic comedy! She sounds wonderful. What’s your date going to be like?”
“Oh, nothing big. We’re just going to hang out at my place, make dinner, maybe a movie. Planning it by ear, really.”
Unplugging the sink’s drain, Rei dried his hands on a nearby dish towel before slipping his watch back on. Nodding to the stacks of wet plates and silverware on the counter, he asked if Azusa would mind lending him a hand. Between the two of them, they managed to dry, and put away, the dishes pretty quickly.
“Alright,” Azusa wiped her hands on her apron. “Now I get to ask you for a favor! I need to catch up on some filing, so could you keep an eye on the place? It shouldn’t be too busy.”
It very much wasn’t. Azusa was in the back room for about forty minutes, and he only had to deal with three customers. Still, it was nice being able to work on organizing things in peace. The lull meant there wasn’t a chance for a robbery, murder, kidnapping, or any other crime to happen. Rei did not want to deal with some crime related nonsense. Not today.
“How’s it going out here?” Azusa asked as she slipped out the door and behind the counter. “Anything exciting happen?”
“Not unless you count finding this box of pasta under the sink. Which, you know, is pretty exciting.” Rei pulled himself off the floor, handing her the pasta in question.
Azusa looked at the box, turning it over in curiosity. “Well, I have no idea how this got there, but this is the good stuff. It hasn’t even expired yet. I was planning on doing my special pasta tonight anyway.”
“You have a special pasta recipe?” Rei asked, surprised. He knew that Azusa cooked, but this was the first he heard about any particular dish.
“Oh yeah, it was really big a while ago. Pasta, red sauce, some vegetables, it’s pretty tasty!” Looking into the cupboard, Azusa shifted through their spice collection. “Darn. I forgot we’re out of that Italian seasoning.”
Rei glanced at his watch; ten past ten. Plenty of time before the lunch rush. “If you want, I could just go to the grocery store. We probably could do with some more bread too.”
“Sure, that sounds fine. It’s not exactly hopping, after all.” Azusa glanced out to the empty café and shrugged slightly. “I’m sure it’ll pick up at lunch. You go ahead, I’ll hold down the fort.”
Five minutes later, jacket on and with the shopping list in hand, Rei headed out for the store. The air felt brisk, but the sun beamed down brightly, providing plenty of warmth. He walked briskly, feeling productive. It hadn’t been a bad morning, and time wasn’t dragging on either. The rest of his shift should be more of the same, and then, the day could really start.
As Rei strolled through the aisles of the store, he thought to himself. Technically, he could also buy the ingredients he needed to make salmon sandwiches for the café. Although he was all for the idea a few hours ago, he now decided it would best to do that in private. Then he debated getting those ingredients right now, for himself. Upon realizing that Azusa would surely ask for the receipt, he decided against that idea. He could just as easily come back later. Shopping was just as uneventful as he hoped for. No shoplifting scheme, no shifty looking characters. Just a routine run out for some groceries, like normal people often do. This was just about as close as Rei could get to that ‘normal’ lifestyle, so he relished it. Yes, he loved his job, even when it came at a hefty price, but this was nice too.
It took him awhile to find the seasoning that Azusa wanted, so he hurried on the way back to the café. Although it wasn’t even eleven, Rei didn’t want to feel like he was taking too long. When he pushed open the café door, he was braced for criticism. Instead, Azusa greeted him, and helped him with the groceries. It’s been months, but Rei still wasn’t used to the way she acted. It was…different than what he normally experienced.
“I was thinking of trying that mini cake recipe you found,” Azusa commented, reaching up to place a jar on an upper shelf. “We should have enough time before the lunch prep.”
Once he recalled the recipe, Rei nodded, while still tightening his apron’s strings. “Yeah, they only take twenty minutes to bake. I had this idea to combine flavors by having different layers.”
They agreed on vanilla and orange for this first test batch, since there was plenty of orange extract around. After the groceries got put away, the baking could begin. Since Rei and Azusa baked together before, they had a steady routine. Rei slipped the cakes into the oven just as she finished with the frosting.
“Do you think maybe some citrus would help?” Azusa asked, as they sampled the frosting. “It just tastes like liquid sugar right now.”
“Some lime juice could balance it out. Wouldn’t go too badly with the orange either.”
The lime juice did the trick, taking the sweetness of the frosting down a couple of notches. While waiting for the cakes to finish baking, and then cool, Rei got the dishes started. Azusa kept up a comfortable stream of chatter; tax season was coming up, and apparently the café wasn’t doing too badly. He could feel a pang in his heart when Azusa said that he was a welcome addition to the team. If only she knew the truth about all this.
Truth or no truth, the cakes came out great. Adorned with simple decoration and a generous amount of frosting, they looked ready for a magazine. They didn’t taste too badly either, with their blend of flavors and textures.
“You find some great recipes,” Azusa said with a sigh of contentment. “Hey, add it to the file when you get the chance.”
“Sure. It’ll be nice to see how it translates to different types of flavor combinations as well.” For what had to be the dozenth time that day, Rei looked to his watch. “Seems like we should get ready for lunch.”
Azusa agreed, since it was ten to noon, and they set into their lunch preparations. As Rei prepared for orders of his ham sandwiches, Azusa got their other lunch specials ready. This, like the baking, was something they did together often enough to have a routine. When customers started floating in, Azusa greeted them, and took their orders. Rei filled those orders, and she delivered the food to the customers. Since they were mostly regulars, Rei knew they would rather be waited on by Azusa. Besides, he was perfectly happy with staying behind the counter.
Until his regulars dropped in.
“Good afternoon!” Azusa said cheerily. “Mouri, Conan, how nice to see you. Would you like to sit at the counter or a table?”
Rei looked up to see Conan looking at him, with that…expression. The one that Conan always gave him when he was at work in the café. Rei explained to him that he was taking his job as a public security officer seriously, time and time again, and yet he still got that same look. It really could get annoying after a while. Sure, he enjoyed working at the café, but that didn’t mean he was neglecting everything else at the same time. Besides, even Conan had to admit that he made damn nice sandwiches.
“Two ham sandwiches specials, one coffee, and one orange juice,” Azuza read the order out as she placed the slip on the counter. “You can eat with them if you want to, talk about all the latest cases.”
Surprised at the suggestion, Rei checked the time. “I still have half an hour left on my shift,” He protested, as Azuza waved off his concerns.
“You haven’t taken your break yet, so really, it’s only ten minutes. Besides, you’ve more than earned it. Go on, have a nice lunch before preparing for your big night!”
Rei’s heart skipped more than one beat at that remark, before remembering the lies from the morning. Of course. She still thought he had a date with some woman he met in the grocery store. That made a lot more sense than if she found out about what he was really doing.
“Okay, okay, I got the hint,” With a forced laughter, he gestured to his sandwich making station. “I’ll just fill their order then, and make some for myself.”
Azuza nodded, pleased that he agreed to her plan. While he finished the sandwiches, she poured the beverages, including another cup of coffee for Rei. Once everything was prepared, Azuza led the way to the table, setting down the plates before going back for the beverages.
“You don’t mind if I eat with you, right?” Rei asked with a smile. His hand tightened its grip around the back of the nearest chair. He could feel the burn of Conan’s accusatory glare but ignored. “I really would love to hear about that burglary you solved last week.”
Ego sufficiently appeased, Mouri welcomed him to their table, and Rei all but collapsed into that chair. Over their lunch, Mouri regaled him with the details of the burglary case. All Rei did was nod and gasp in the appropriate places, but it seemed to make the old guy happy enough. Once he finished the story Mouri excused himself to the restroom. Rei made use of the time to ask a question that had been burning inside for a while.
“Shouldn’t you be in school?” He asked Conan, keeping his voice down to a discreet volume. Even if that question was innocent on the surface, who knows how morally ambiguous what the answer could be. Turns out it wasn’t that ambiguous.
“It’s a holiday,” Conan explained in between sips of his juice. “Ran’s on a karate club training trip.”
“Ah, I was wondering where she was.”
They fell into a silence then. Not a very uncomfortable one, since the air was filled with more questions. Questions they couldn’t ask each other, especially not in public. Rei took a long sip of his coffee , and looked at the cup to avoid Conan’s gaze. It felt ridiculous, being afraid of a child, but yet, here he was.
“How were the sandwiches?” Azuza interrupted the tense silence with her cheery voice. “Are they still your favorite, Conan?”
Rei looked on with amusement as Conan shifted into his childish voice. It was always a trip to hear it. The voice sounded like an ordinary child, and it was hilarious to hear, since Conan was clearly not an ordinary child.
“Oh, so you’re stopping by for dinner too? You’ll get to have my special pasta then.” Azuza started to clear the table, nodding towards Rei. “Amuro here is having the rest of the day off, so it’ll just be me.”
Mouri chose that moment to return to the table, and Rei inwardly winced. He really didn’t want news of his ‘date’ and ‘girlfriend’ to spread, but sure enough, that’s what Azuza was talking about now.
“A girlfriend, huh?” Mouri asked, giving Rei a playful slap on the back. “I didn’t think you were the type to settle down!”
“Uh, well, you know, it just felt…right?” Rubbing his neck, Rei did his best to keep up his bashful act. It was starting to get tiring. Just as the thought came into his mind, his watch beeped. One clock exactly. He was officially off the clock.
Announcing such a fact, Rei stood, and took the plates from Azusa as goodbyes were exchanged. He dropped the dishes off behind the counter, and ducked into the back room. Once he traded his apron for his jacket, he left. Now that his shift was over, Rei could feel urgency pumping through him.
“Have a nice weekend!” Rei called over his shoulder with a wave, before slipping out the door.
The air felt just as crisp as it did earlier, and the sun felt just as warm. Rei headed for his first errand, the nearby bookstore. As he browsed, he could sense someone following him around. Either an employee thought he was a shoplifter, or he had a tail. Rei figured it was probably the latter, since the feeling followed him to the grocery store as well. By the time he exited the store, Rei had a feeling he knew who was tailing him.
He walked into a liquor store, and nodded a hello to the clerk behind the counter. Rei started to look for what he came in for. Since he didn’t come into this store often, he took his time browsing. As he studied a bottle of bourbon, Rei heard the sound of the door opening. He set the bottle down, and waited for the clerk’s reaction.
“Hey, kid, you can’t be in here!”
Ah. Rei’s theory was right after all. He turned and walked back to the entrance, smiling at Conan’s flustered expression.
“I was wondering where you went!” He exclaimed, before looking at the clerk. “Don’t worry, he’s with me. Little scamp just slipped off for a minute.”
The clerk gave a grudging nod, and let them go off in the aisles again. This time, Rei grabbed a basket, holding it on his free arm. He had a feeling he would be buying quite a lot of alcohol.
“So, you want to explain yourself?” Rei said, speaking to the bottle of bourbon now in his hand. He put it into the basket, and walked down a ways, before Conan started to speak.
“I didn’t believe you had a date, that’s all. Your days off are usually about…other business things. What are you really up to?”
Rei scoffed, slipping a bottle of scotch in the basket, and then turning to study a display of liquors. He grabbed a bottle of cassis, before heading for the champagne section. Conan followed, but it was clear that he was waiting for an answer.
“Who says I don’t have a date?” Rei asked, looking at the lower shelves. He wanted a specific brand, but he couldn’t find it. “I am allowed to have a life outside work, you know, relationships and all.”
“It’s too risky! You’re putting your identity at risk by getting involved with someone.”
Sighing, Rei looked at Conan face on. “I’m not putting anyone at risk with my personal plans. That includes you, Mouri, and Ran. Happy?”
As Conan mulled this over, Rei finally found the bottle he was looking for. Straightening up, he thought about his mental shopping list. Yeah, that was just about everything from here. He went to the counter, and after paying, got another heavy bag to carry. This was turning out to be quite the workout.
Once they were out of the store, Conan peppered Rei with more questions about these personal plans. Rei did his best to answer, as they walked down the sidewalk. Well, he walked. Conan basically jogged to keep up with his brisk pace. Normally Rei would have slowed down a bit, but time was ticking, and his patience was running out.
“Hold on,” Rei said, interrupting another one of Conan’s triades about secrecy. He nodded to a nearby flower stand. “I need an orchid.”
“An orchid?”
Ignoring the bite in that remark, Rei chatted with the owner of the stand. A minute or two later, he was on his way, with a potted white orchid nestled in one arm. This would make getting on the train a little tricky, but he was closer to the station than the apartment at this point.
Rei let Conan rant until they arrived at the train station. Then, he waited for the rant to be over, before telling Conan to go home.
“You are not tailing me back to my apartment, okay?” Rei knelt, both to address Conan directly, and to organize his bags. He set the orchid down, and folded the bag holding his books into the bag with the groceries. That made things at least a bit more streamlined.
“Okay…you’re sure this stuff isn’t for anything…important?”
“Yeah. Like I’m going to do anything important with books, groceries, booze, and an orchid.” Scoffing at the suggestion, Rei stood up and nodded to the sidewalk. “Now go. I don’t even know what excuse you said to follow me all afternoon, but it probably wasn’t a good one.”
After a fair amount of grumbles and more promises to stay safe, Conan finally left. Rei waited until he was just about positive that Conan was gone for good, before heading into the station. Luck was on his side; moments later, he was on the train bound for the station near his apartment. Although people were giving him looks, due to the orchid. They weren’t bad looks, more the sort that stemmed from curiosity.
Rei didn’t bother thinking about them. He had other things to think about. With his errands done, he did everything he needed to do in advance. Now it was time to prepare for the main event.