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Really now…
Who would have thought that they will be in this position right now? Long story short, the Hunting Dog’s commander, invited his former war comrades to a little too fancy bar, to “party”. In fact, this whole party thing was actually a mission, not unusual for the members of the Hunting Dogs. Fukuchi had some doubts about one of his close friends. He believed that this person was behind an armed crime that happened a week ago around this time, resulting in the death of a woman and her two children.
So, now, they were in this situation. It was their duty to find out if it was true or not, leaving the future to decide the former soldier’s fate in case he actually committed the crime.
Though, Jouno found this mission to be rather annoying. Ironically. He found many things to be irritating, getting on his nerves with ease. But this time, he was beyond infuriated. Why were they supposed to be here in the first place? It wasn’t like their commander couldn’t handle the mission all by himself. What a stupid joke. Jouno thought bitterly. Maybe the old man wanted some company. But that was stupid as well since he could just hang out with the rest of his former comrades. A deep sigh rumbled in the blind male’s throat, escaping his lips before he could even stop it.
Tachihara, who sat in the front seat of the car, turned around. Jouno felt his face’s muscles all tensed in concern and anxiety.
“Are you alright, Jouno-san?” He asked, hesitation clear in his tone.
“Why wouldn’t I be?” Jouno hissed sarcastically. “Instead of having a free night, I ended up being dragged here, dressed up all fancy and pretty for God knows what reason because it’s not even important at this point,” He breathed in, feeling his blood boiling in his veins while he went on, “I already got a headache to deal with. Two, actually.”
He pointed with his index finger to the brunette who was sitting next to him. He was staring intensely at the car’s roof for the past 2 hours now while they drove to the bar.
“Honestly, Tecchou-san, have you got no brain or life at all?” Jouno asked, an annoyed smile twitching at the corner of his lips.
Tecchou didn’t take his eyes off the roof. “I do.” He responded simply.
“Over my dead body.” The white-haired male huffed, turning his head towards the window.
The piercing, loud laugh of their commander made him frown.
“Come on, Jouno-kun! It’s not all about the mission! You can have fun there too, there will be lots of people.”
The blind male scoffed. “Amazing, exactly what I wished for,”
Teruko turned her gaze sharply, pointedly at him, making poor Tachihara nearly jump out of his seat through the seatbelt and window.
“You should be ashamed of yourself! Our dear commander’s heart was so kind that he invited us there too! You should be thankful, Jouno,” Teruko said, grabbing Fukuchi by the arm, startling the old man. “It’s going to be fun, you snappy fox.”
“Excuse you?” Jouno yelled.
Tachihara quickly managed to place his hand between the two bickering co-workers. “Please,’’ he sighed, “Can we not do this now?” He turned his gaze on Jouno. Smiling, he went on, “Teruko-san and the commander are both right, Jouno-san. It might be fun. And I like the fact that we had the chance to dress up so pleasant looking.” Tachihara added with a grin.
Teruko squealed in agreement, clapping her hands together a few times.
The blind soldier groaned, facepalming his forehead. Even though he couldn’t see them, he knew that they were dressed up pretty fancy for this so-called party. In a way, he really hoped that they’d be right about the ‘having fun’ part. But, for some reason, he found himself wondering how Tecchou was even looking like in this moment. He brushed the thought aside with a slight shake of his head. Why the hell did that matter anyway?
—
And as soon he was inside the bar…he wished he could turn around and run the mile back to the Hunting Dog’s headquarters. The poor white-haired male could hear all the loud heartbeats, breathing, and laughs that echoed around the place. The music was simply too hard to bear, he could literally feel it in the depths of his stomach, as well as his whole body. Jouno wrinkled his nose at the strong smells of different types of drinks, mostly alcohol, which was emanating from absolutely every corner of the bar. He didn’t want to hesitate though, so he went forward first, chin high, followed by the commander and his co-workers.
Fukuchi stopped after a few moments in front of them. Jouno had to literally strain his poor ears and senses, just to hear and figure out what the captain was telling them.
“Well, at the moment, I’m afraid I can’t spot my dear friend. He will be here though any time now, I can feel it,” He laughed whole-heartedly, “I’ll eventually let you know, mostly in case something goes bad. Until then, you can all go wherever you’d like, excluding the front yard though. We have to stay inside and be vigilant.” Fukuchi finished in a serious tone while the others nodded, Teruko squealing again and bragging about how smart their dear commander was.
Vigilant his ass. Jouno could already feel Fukuchi’s footsteps, followed by Teruko’s smaller ones on the hard floor. He was, for sure going to drink something. And let’s say, if he did get drunk, what would be left of that mission? Did the captain really just bring them here so they could handle it in his place in case he drinks too much? Jouno huffed in annoyance. Simply amazing, wasn’t it?
He got startled by a feather-lighted touch on his shoulder. Turning his closed eyelids towards the source, he figured it was just Tachihara, sitting next to Tecchou, who was once again staring at God knows what.
“The commander is right, Jouno-san, we will be vigilant,” Did he read his thoughts or what? “But we should also enjoy ourselves, shouldn’t we?” The white-haired male felt his co-worker’s pleading look on him. He sighed. Tachihara was a very valuable member of the Hunting Dogs. They were pretty lucky that he went undercover in the Port Mafia so many times now, even risking his life on their missions. He couldn’t help but admire the boy’s sly and smart natural character. If any of them deserved a break, then that person was Tachihara for sure.
Jouno raised his chin, clearing his throat. “Very well then. We will do as you wish. Take that as a thank you for everything you’ve done for the Hunting Dogs so far.”
Tachihara puffed out his chest, pride swelling inside him at the senior’s words. “Let’s go!” He spat, trotting off where Jouno supposed was the counter.
With a massive sigh, he turned his head to his partner. “Are you coming?” He demanded in annoyance.
Tecchou blinked out of his trance, looking right through him. “Now?”
“No, ‘sweetheart’, in a few days or years…take as much time as you need you poor one…” Jouno spat sarcastically in a falsely sweet tone. The brunette in front of him simply shrugged, following Tachihara.
If that ain’t going to be a long night…
—
It already felt like years since they arrived. Nothing happened yet. The person didn’t show up. Jouno felt on the edge of his nerves. He nearly lost his mind. The blind male didn’t even touch any drinks. He wanted to stay vigilant, because from all the Hunting Dogs, at this moment, he was most likely the only sober one.
He didn’t even want to know what kind of combination Tecchou had made while drinking his Atsukan. He also figured that the male was probably hanging on for dear life to stay conscious. Tecchou wasn’t the kind of person to actually get drunk. It was indeed, a rarity to even witness in the first place, considering he had a strong alcohol resistance. But this time, it seems like he drank too fast for his own good. Jouno felt amusement bubbling up inside his chest. The latter was laying his head on the counter, one arm falling limp while the other was placed next to his half-empty glass. The white-haired male heard Tecchou snore very gently, before stopping abruptly from time to time with a jolt, most likely forcing himself not to fall asleep, because, that’s what he usually does when he drinks over a certain limit.
Jouno found it creepy that he knew that and any other random details about the brunette. He kept telling himself it was only because they were partners, so it would be one of his duties to at least know some things about the other in all the years since they’ve started working together. He didn’t doubt that Tecchou knew some about him as well.
Jouno was a little bit thankful for the fact that he could easily get rid of these thoughts that kept on gnawing in his head for some time now. He focused his hearing on Tachihara’s voice who was talking and talking on and on about his time as a Port Mafia executive. He would never admit it. While he usually found non-sense talking to be annoying, Jouno was glad he could get lost from all the surrounding sounds just by listening to a familiar voice.
Now it seemed like Tachihara was invested in talking about a person.
“-and they are simply amazing. I never knew someone could be so badass while looking so good!” He snickered.
“As long as your feelings towards this person don’t stay in your way of receiving and giving information to your workplace then it is fine.” Jouno yawned, moving his head lazily around.
“My- what?! Feelings?! Are you out of your-,” Tachihara stopped, widening his eyes in realization, half-bowing awkwardly and apologizing quickly before going on, “That is not possible.” He finished.
“Tachihara-kun. I admire your slyness and smartness but at this moment, you’re being just as stupid as Tecchou-san. You should know that you can’t lie to me. There is no shame or reason to deny that fact,” The white-haired latter turned his intense blind gaze on the other, “and you shouldn’t be lying to yourself either.”
For a few heartbeats, Tachihara went silent. Finally, he nodded contently. “Thank you, Jouno-san.”
Though Jouno now felt Tachihara’s eyes on him, he could also hear the slight pull of the corners of his lips. He was smiling.
“What about you?”
“What about me what?”
“If I can’t lie to myself, then you, too, shouldn’t be able to do that. You do have some complicated feelings towar-”
Before Tachihara had time to finish, Jouno smelled it in the distance. The strong scent of a bullet leaving a gun, followed by a deafening sound. Without a second thought, Jouno jumped out of his seat, dragging Tachihara down who yelped in confusion. It didn’t take him long to realize what was happening though.
They both reached for their swords which they’ve hidden under the counter when they came here. They weren’t quick enough, but luck was on their side since Tecchou stood now in front of them, sword gripped tightly, blade stretched out in front of Tachihara’s chest. If it weren’t for his quick movement, the ginger male would have been shot by now. Looks like the idiot can still keep himself on his legs and walk in a straight line.
Getting up quickly, followed by Tachihara, Jouno brushed past Tecchou.
“Tecchou-san. Go and find Teruko-san and the commander. Tachihara-kun, evacuate the people. I’ll manage with that shithead. Quick, now.”
Nodding, both of his co-workers sprang in different directions at the same time, not even questioning the blind male. He didn’t care what their captain will say. He felt the need to release all his frustration on something, and he found the right aim for that. It didn’t matter if he was going to get scolded for that later. Scolded or not, he was going to handle this. And it was going to be easy.
Pressing his fingertips against the ground, he figured that the attacker wasn’t on this floor. Holding to the fading scent of where the bullet came from, he got up. Activating his ability, Jouno let his body fade into molecules and move upwards with ease onto the next floor. Stopping at the edge of the stairs, he quickly regained back his form and smiled nonchalantly. There he was.
The male figured that the attacker wasn’t facing him. Too busy to shoot around the place. What a fool. Within seconds, Jouno leaped on him, giving a powerful hit with his foot into the other’s hand, the collision making him drop the gun. Folding his hand into a fist, Jouno punched the guy in the face, receiving a sickening crack, most likely managing to fracture his nose.
He felt the man’s gaze bore on him with a huge intensity. “Damn brat! So violent, aren’t you? Heh,” The guy paused to cough. “I remember you, and I also remember wondering what Fukuchi’s reasons for recruiting someone like you into the Hunting Dogs were.”
Very original.
“You’ve probably killed just as many people as I have!” The man grunted, trying to get rid of Jouno holding him down, screaming in pain when the white-haired latter twisted his hand roughly.
“Most likely, but I honestly stopped counting after 10.” Jouno responded nonchalantly, his hollow smile never leaving his face. He absolutely loved how at this point, the man under him was melting in his own mind, staring wide-eyed in pure terror at what the latter became in just a few moments. Since Tecchou wasn’t there to stop him, the attacker was simply defenseless. He deserved it anyway.
“You’re under arrest.”
“As if!” The guy spat blood on Jouno’s cheek.
Jouno cracked his fingers, folding his hand in a fist and landing another blow at the guy’s head.
The man was groaning in pain now.
“Okay, old spurt, you do realize you have no choice now, do you? Obey now and don’t try anything funny. Maybe I’ll let you actually live, who knows?” The blind soldier folded his fist into the man’s hair, forcing him to get up after him.
The attacker tried to wriggle free of the hold, failing miserably under the strength that Jouno possessed. The blind soldier was going to make the guy regret he was even born.
Suddenly, he felt a rough hand batting him on the shoulder. He almost instantly detected his commander’s presence.
“There’s no need to be so violent! Good job, Jouno-kun! Every civilian had been brought to safety, thanks to your orders and to Tachihara’s execution. You’ve also sent Tecchou-kun to call us just in time as well. Indeed, my old ‘mate is the man behind this whole attack. At least there’ll be no need for proof now since we have it right there,” He pointed to the gun a few steps away. The paramedics will also arrive soon.” Fukuchi finished with a big grin.
Jouno raised his chin proudly, wiping away the blood that stained his cheek. While he was disappointed that he got interrupted when the fun began, he found himself to feel rather at ease now. It had finished as soon as it started. A thought hit him not long after though…
“The paramedics? Has anyone been hurt?”
“None of the citizens, no. But a bullet managed to strike Tecchou-kun. He will be fine though. We’ve also been told to wait for the police meanwhile. We have to tell them what happened here.”
Nodding him off, Fukuchi took the attacker and stalked away.
What now? That was so fast!
Unsure of what to do, Jouno found himself walking down the stairs. He knew where his legs were carrying him and he didn’t like it in the slightest way.
“Jouno-san? Are you okay?” Tachihara’s voice broke through his mind.
“Greetings to you as well, Tachihara-kun. Yes, I’m fine,” The blind latter placed his hand gently on top of the other’s head. “I heard that you did an amazing job. Very good, Tachihara-kun.”
“Thank you, but it was easy, really…” Tachihara smiled. “Did you manage to catch the attacker?”
“I have, indeed,” Jouno responded, straining his ears to listen around for a certain heartbeat. Relieved, he found it, a few meters away, laid down on the floor, back against the wall.
“He got shot in the ribs.” The ginger male seemed to read his thoughts once again. He reluctantly departed, going for the exit of the bar.
Jouno resumed in approaching the brunette, crouching down to be on the same level as him. He sensed Tecchou’s lazy gaze resting on his figure. It became warm for some weird reason. The blind male leaned back against the wall as well. Tecchou’s heart started beating a bit slower now than it was when Jouno talked to Tachihara a few moments ago. He was very calm despite the fact that his breathing was shallow. The bullet probably managed to penetrate through the lung. He couldn’t help but feel a pang of sympathy for the latter.
“How are you feeling, idiot?”
Tecchou blinked a few times, coughing once. “Alive.” He croaked out.
Jouno let his head fall back and laughed softly.
The brunette’s heart gained up speed again. “Are you okay?”
“Not even a scratch.”
And it slowed down, once again. “Ah.”
That’s the only thing Tecchou said. His eyes were heavy and they were closing briefly, though he still fought to stay awake. Jouno stiffened. He felt a certain weight on his shoulder and he realized, it was Tecchou’s head. The white-haired male wanted to protest so bad but he just couldn’t bring himself to do so. Instead, he brought his hand up to caress the other’s hair. Tecchou relaxed visibly under his touch, nudging his shoulder with his cheek, probably in an attempt to make himself more comfortable. His breath felt hot against his skin, as it pleasantly sent shivers down the blind male’s spine.
Jouno remembered that Tachihara wanted to say something before the shooting started. Now he knew exactly what the context would have been. With a pang, he wondered if Tecchou was at least sober to know what he was doing. Maybe he will find the answer another day, hopefully.
He buried his nose briefly in the other’s hair, enjoying the moment while he still could, and smiled against his strands when he felt Tecchou’s thumb slowly caress his other hand.
Maybe going on this mission was worth something, after all.