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Even inside the apartment, the sound of the rain’s heavy thrashing still followed him. The muffling felt a lot nicer though, outside nature was waging war on the 25th Ward’s very existence - inside, it soothed the throbbing in his head. Too bad about the thunder though.
His wet feet slapped harshly across the floor of the corridor until he came across the room he was looking for.
Despite his absent mindedness slowly facing away, his mind was still hazy.
The act of lifting his limb felt like he was living underwater, everytime he moved his limbs - there was a drag following his every move.
Amidst his murky head, the pincode for her front door was flashing in his brain.
His wet hand, shakily pressed the buttons on the keypad.
0 - 4 - 5 - 1
[FINAL ANSWER?]
[ENTER]
…
…
…
[HIT!]
The door unlocked, he reached out and opened it up.
He allowed himself, this was the first time he ever saw his senior’s apartment; yet alone stepped inside of it. He would probably look around, see some memorabilia that tells him something about the life she kept so cryptic to him.
Right now he is in no state of mind for such things.
His ears pricked up, the sound of snoring directing him to the location of the bedroom.
Damn she snores loud.
He made his way into the room. Shinko Kuroyanagi's body was rising and falling steadily. Despite how vicious she could be awake, Shiroyabu couldn't help but find it interesting how peaceful she looked asleep in those red pajamas.
Well, besides the loud snoring of course.
“Kuro-san…” He murmured.
The snoring smoothly transitioned into moans and even groans.
“Hatoba-san, I told you I don't wanna go there.” She rotated herself to the other side. “I hate it there…”
“Kuro-san.” he repeated
“No… schools sucks. I don’t need it. ”
“Kuro-san.”
“You can’t make me…”
“Kuro-san-!”
Kuroyanagi's body froze and her noises halted. Until…
“Goddammit! What!”
In the blink of an eye, she bolted into a sitting position.
Her hand reached for the dressing table and she quickly pulled out her revolver. Aiming it directly at Shiroyabu.
“I have no idea who you are or what you’re doing here but I will not hesitate to process you into swiss cheese this instant.” She growled.
Thunder clapped, illuminating the room temporarily.
Shiroyabu could see his feet for once in the dark room.
Kuroyanagi lowered the barrel a smidge. “Jab…roni? That you?”
“Hello Kuro…” He murmured.
“Why are you here? And where the fuck are your damn pants?”
"I dunno." He responded flatly.
As if on cue; his left hand limply swung down next to his torso, it just registered to him he was holding a meat cleaver with him the whole time. It swayed like a dead man on a noose.
“What’s with the cleaver?” The hesitation removed itself from her voice as Shiroyabu as the sound of the hammer clicked and the trigger inched closer to being pulled..
His eyes rolled over to his left side.
Dammit! His head still stings. He felt his brain whirring like heavy machinery trying to process why he was here in the first place.
“I dunno.” He answered. Carelessly, he dropped the cleaver next to his foot. Jumped out of the way as the blade bounced off the lamented flooring.
Kuroyanagi rolled her eyes. “Yep, same ol’ Jabroni.”
She scrunched up her face and held her nose. “Ugh, Jesus you smell like literal dog shit. Seriously where have you been?”
“I dunno.” He shrugged.
Sucking her lips, Kuroyanagiput down her gun. “Ugh, whatever just get outta my-”
“Kuro-san…”
“Oh what now?” She whispered. “WHAT!?”
An uncomfortable pause followed as Shiroyabu blankly stared at his superior. His muscles twitched every now and again before he could deliver his response.
“I’m hungry.”
Kuroyanagi blinked. “I’m not your mom Jab-”
“Grilled cheese… I wanna grilled cheese.”
“Fine.” She raised herself ever so slightly… only to grab her duvet and gracefully cover herself with it as she fell backwards onto her mattress and turned away from her partner.
“Knock yourself out. Kitchen’s over there.”
“Wait but Kuro-san!”
Kuroyanagi huddled herself in her duvet harder. “Told you, I’m not your mom. Do it yourself if it can get you outta here.”
“No but… I want YOU to do it.”
“Why?”
“Because….” He stopped himself in his tracks. His head drooped down, his vision sunk itself to the floor imagining it spiraling, deeper and deeper into the earth’s core.
He had forgotten he was with Kuroyanagi for a second.
All his mind could think about was the disjointed mess this day has been.
He could feel multiple wounds across his body, like he was killed multiple times by multiple different people. His mind spoon fed him moments from the day, not getting money from any ATM, being mercilessly beaten up, swindled and insulted.
His consciousness snapped back to reality as he saw a wet spot next to his foot. It looked like a tear. He touched his cheek, wet.
He realized his lip was quivering, the metallic taste of blood was on the tip of his tongue. He was biting into it.
“Jabroni, you’re not crying are you?” Shiroyabu looked straight ahead, she was turned over in his direction, Her face had a mixture of concern and annoyance plastered all over it.
"N-no! I don't…" He started to bawl. "I don't cry!"
The tears started to stream out of his eyes like a waterfall. No matter how hard he tried, that ugly sound still escaped his mouth and his eyes still watered.
He had no choice but to cover his face with embarrassment.
Kuroyanagi sighed. "Fine."
--
The sizzling of the pan was in its prime, Kuroyanagi looked on at the two pieces of bread on the pan, one was laying mayo side down and the other had masturated blackberries adorning it. She considered going for a regular grilled cheese - but Shiroyabu regularly eats this accursed concoction for lunch everyday. It’s not even a grilled cheese anyway, it’s a melt!
But if her partner was to wander into her apartment room, dazed and bloody asking her to grill him a cheese - might as well give him his favorite.
"You go off the grid for an entire day, no contact, no clues on where you been --" She hastily flipped the mayo bread slice over the blackberry side, squeezing it down with her spatula.. "--Then you come into my home looking like…"
Kuroyanagi turned her head, peeking out of the door frame. Shiroyabu was sat still at her dining table, he has long since calmed down from all that crying.. She could only make out his signature white mop of a head and that smelly white he came in with. Blood and - what she hopes to god is meat - was splattered over it.
He looked like a homeless serial killer.
“...You know what? I don't wanna think about it.”
She flipped over the sandwich, the sizzling erupted and the smell of cheese, mayonnaise and blackberry invaded her nostrils. She was this close to admitting it smelled good but like hell she wants to eat the same weird shit her partner likes.
"And you ask me to make you a damn sandwich to boot."
Shiroyabu groaned.
Turning the hob off, Kuroyanagi gently placed the grilled cheese and blackberry sandwich onto the plate. Nonchalantly picking it up with one hand, she walked over to the dining area to hand it to him.
“Jesus Christ, I figured you got capped by one of those hitmen.” The plate clattered a little in front of Shiroyabu.
His face was sullen, eyes red. His entire bosy was still, save for his fingers fidgeting like a hurt spider on it’s back.
It was almost sad to look at.
Almost.
“Whaddaya gotta say for yourself?”
“I dunno…” He murmured.
Kuroyanagi rubbed her forehead. “That really all you can say? I dunno this, I dunno that. Do you even know how to speak anymore?"
He stayed silent, looking at the sandwich she made for him.
“Would it kill you to tell me what bullshit you’ve been up to?”
Her hands on her hips, Kuro stared intently at Shiroyabu. His mouth opened and closed repeatedly, pursing it every now and again.
Until he could finally form some words.
“It’s been a blur. I remember beating up some schmuck at an ATM then…” A beat passed. “I dunno, I think I got beat up myself at some point. Next thing I know… I'm waking up stark naked in some dump with a throbbing headache."
“You? Beating someone?” She scoffed. “yYou telling me it was one of those hitmen?"
“Jiblin…”
“What?” She perked closer.
“I was beating the shit outta a guy named Jiblin… him and his pansy ass knife.” Shiroyabu touched the grilled cheese, his thumbs ran over the crusty bread.
“Jiblin… we got his real name on file don’t we?”
“Yeah…”
“Beating the shit outta him isn’t really an accomplishment…” She relaxed her body language and sat down at the table. “But he’s no pushover.”
The way Shiroyabu was gripping the sandwich created tears in the bread. “I think I enjoyed it… beating his ass. I think I always enjoyed it. Fuck i took some glee in massacreing a bunch of postal workers.”
Kuroyanagi didn’t respond.
“Today has been a blur… that’s one of the few things I remember clearly. Have I always wanted to do something like that?” He slowly raised the sandwich to his mouth then he stopped before his teeth sank into the sandwich. He looked at Kuroyanagi, his eyes drooping like a puppy’s.
“Kuro… why do you hate me?”
“Because you’re a pussy.” She said, bluntly.
“Is that all though?”
“Why’dya think I got more reasons? You’re inherently annoying, man.” She played with her hair, resting her head on the chair. “What? Ya think you can’t possibly be that annoying do you?”
A beat passed.
“I don’t have a dad.”
“And I should care: why?”
He looked straight ahead, clearly expecting her to give him a satisfactory response.
Kuroyanagi rolled her eyes. “Yeah no shit you’re fatherless, explains how much of a pussy you are. Little mama's-”
“Do you know who he is?”
Kuroyanagi’s cheeky smile faded, she stopped leaning into her chair, shifting into a more serious sitting position.
“No.”
“I never knew my old man, not even his name. But I get a feeling his shadow’s been following me the whole time I’ve been alive.” The sullen look in his eyes had all but disappeared, he lowered the sandwich back to the plate. “You know more than you seem Kuro-san… almost like you know who he is."
"Well I don't."
"You’re not protecting me from something are you? Some sort of… terrible truth?”
“Well I didn’t protect you from motherfucking Jiblin.” She spat. "The terrible truth is…"
Kuro's words faded. She was going to make an insult at him, one that would drive him crazy. But all she could think about was the real terrible truth about his parentage.
The truth about his father Kamui.
It makes her sick to her stomach.
“What are you protecting me from?” He raised his voice, she still couldn’t take his voice crack seriously but that look in his eyes… It's worrying.
“Nothing.” She breathed, trying to stay cool.
“What is it you’re protecting me from Kuro? This Sandwich!?”
“Wha-?”
“Blackberries? In a GRILLED CHEESE ARE YOU FUCKING KIDDING ME?” He raised the sandwich in his left arm, swinging it furiously. “Who even does this!?”
“You, apparently!”
“I asked for a grilled cheese, Kuro-san! This is a melt! A fucking melt!”
“YOU EAT THIS SHIT ALL THE DAMN TIME!” With a thundering clap of the table, her body shot straight up from the chair, knocking it backward.
“When I’m eating it for lunch, it’s not because I want a grilled cheese… It’s because I wanted a melt!” His clenched fist slammed on the table. “I didn’t ask for a melt, I asked for a grilled cheese. Because I want to eat a grilled cheese! Which means NO BLACKBERRIES!”
He took a whiff of the sandwich, smelling the aroma. "Swiss cheese, too? Are you serious!? Do you even know how grilling a cheese even works?"
"It's all I had! You ass!"
"You think I fucking care? You're supposed to use all American!"
Kuroyanagi banged her hand onto the table and locked eyes with Shiroyabu.
"Where am I supposed to get all American from, huh? The all American store?"
Shiroyabu reeled his melt hand backwards.
Kuro furrowed her eyes and gritted her teeth.
"Don't you fucking dare. I made you that damned sandwich."
"Well I hate it… AND I HATE YOU!"
Shiroyabu tossed at Kuroyanagi - who dodged out of the way at the last second.
The sandwich split itself into two on contract with the wall behind her.
Kuro has lost all her patience with him at this point and made sure he is looking at the murderous intent in her eyes.
"Jabroni. You came into my apartment. Woke me from my beauty sleep. Asked me to grill you a cheese… and now you darfe throw this damn sandiwch across my fucking apartment?" She gritted her teeth, she had it up to her with this man.
"You will eat every last crumb of it, right this second."
“No!” The tears came back in full force, like a toddler he folded his arms and looked away. “Don’t wanna!”
“Oh fuck this!” He slapped him over the head, knocking his head onto the table. It was probably with a lot more force than what Kuroyanagi gave.
“It was just a little slap! How much of a pushover are you?” She said.
She stormed over to her landline, furiously punching in the digits.
Shiroyabu started to groan.
“Oh grow up,” She spat. “Calling you a cab, need you outta here right now.”
Shiroyabu groaned again much to her chagrin. “K… Ka…k…”
He’s going to call her name isn’t he?
“Kam… Kamui.” She paused and turned around. He didn’t say what she thought he just said?
“Kamui…” Like a zombie, Shiroyabu rose from the table, sitting up properly. “Kamui will kill the life.”
His delivery was flat and monotone, his face almost robotic in it’s stoicism.
“Yes, Kamui will kill the life.” Shiroyabu rotated to the left of the table, eying the cleaver he came in with.
Kuro didn't want to leave a cleaver randomly on her floor!
"Just like how I'll kill Kuro!"
"Ah hell." She sighed. She better make a runner for it.
"CA'MERE!"
Kuro bolted to her room, locking it shut, that should buy her some time.
She calmly walked to her dresser, casually picking up her revolver.
The cleaver hacked itself through the door.
"Are you awake from your dream? BECAUSE I'M STILL IN MY NIGHTMARE!" He screamed.
Kuro casually loaded up her revolver, bullet by bullet.
"Being pushed around by you! Disrespected! It's like I'm subhuman trash!"
With another hack of the cleaver, he showed his menacing face. "Here's Jabroni!"
"Hi Jabroni." She didn't even look in his direction yet.
"Oh come on! Be scared will you? You're not making this fun at all!" He hacked the door further, the gash in the door splintered into something bigger.
"What do you think you're gonna do when you come in here? Kill me?"
"No shit! I'm gonna show you who's a real jobber!"
Kuro chuckled, now facing the door.
"No you won't."
"Y-yes I will!"
After a spin of the barrel she pointed her revolver at the door. "You don't got the balls. Open it and you're dead meat."
"No balls? No balls! I show you who doesn't have any balls you fuckstick!" Furiously he reached his arm through the gash and grabbed the handle bar. "You think being Japanese Dirty Harry makes you hot shit -- ?"
"I AM hot shit."
" -- Well I died more times than I count. I saw hell and back. I am going to fuck your shit up just like how they all fucked my shit up. I'll fuck everyone's shit up! You won't respect me, you'll fear me! You'll-"
"Eh, your funeral."
Bam! The bullet whizzed through the air - eventually hitting Shiroyabu.
Where? She couldn't see, but she was aiming for a spot that would knock him out.
She'd kill him without a second thought, but she'd prefer not to. He’d get up anyway.
"You okay there Jabroni?" She called out.
Silence.
"Jabroni?" She didn't hit him in the head, did she? It wasn't meant to be a perfect shot, the aim was to miss. She isn't supposed to care if he lived or died… yet somehow him dying didn't seem right.
"Jabroni!" Still no answer. "JABRONI!"
"What!" He's not dead after all.
She had to actively fight a smile forming.
"No seriously! What? I think my ears all fucked up!"
--
"The fact it's the left ear is giving me some DeJa Vu." Kuro was just about fine patching up his ear. A bandage was wrapped over his forehead, his frizzy hair overlaying it. His ear itched like hell, not like he can scratch it anyway with the wound being covered and all.
"Deja Vu, huh?"
"Yeah like… you know what's really funny? Like when I got my ass - before I woke up stark naked in a dump or something…" He reached out to touch the bandage on his forehead. "I like had this dream… that I got shot in the left ear."
"Weird."
"And it was in the 24th Ward, too. And there was some dude there - he looked like a chinchilla but for some reason I keep hearing the name "big dick" Ya think he was some asshole or shit? I mean why else would he be called "Big Dick" if he wasn't such a big dick or a it because he had a big-"
"I get the picture Shiro!"
Shiroyabu went silent, he nodded a little to say "sorry".
He then cocked his head, did she call him "shiro"?
Nah. Not a chance.
She finished patching him up. Kuro sighed, looking at her handiwork. She wasn't the best at doing this but it was serviceable.
She looked back at Shiroyabu.
"What did you think you were doing? Trying to attack me with a fucking cleaver?"
"I… I dunno. Something came over me - I- I Don…"
"That was criminal power. And no I'm not talking about that. I'm talking about trying to take me on. I could have killed you if I wanted to. A hundred times over, too!"
Shiroyabu blinked. "So you didn't choose to kill me?"
"Yeah no shit." She scoffed.
“Yeah… but that was criminal power though. Wouldn’t it be better TO process me or something? I mean I’m glad you didn’t but-”
“Don’t think about it too hard.” She muttered.
Kuroyanagi faced away from her partner and walked over to the mini fridge she had in her room. After opening it up she threw her partner a can.
"I'm outta booze. Coke's all I got left."
The can landed softly on Kuro's bed, landing flat between Shiroyabu's thighs.
If that went any further up.
Kuro proceeded to sit next to him, sitting on the bed with a big thump. She cracked open the can and took one big gulp from it.
"Jesus, this shit tastes like toxic waste." She wiped away the stains from her mouth. "I love it."
"I hate it…" Shiroyabu said. "I like Pepsi."
"They're the same thing."
"At least own a cherry coke. Cherry’s my favorite."
Kuro shot him an ugly look. "This might be the worst thing you ever said."
"Worse than me wanting to kill you?"
"You wanna kill me? Pick a number, lines long enough as is."
Shiroyabu chuckled. He stared at the can in his hands.
“You want a cherry soda? Drink Dr Pepper. Hate the shit all the same but…”
“Dr Pepper’s too thick. Pepsi doesn’t try to smother my taste buds.”
“What did I just say? They’re all the same anyway. Who cares?” She took another hearty swig of the can.
Shiroyabu glancing at his own can opened it up, the fizz erupted onto the top of the cylinder, dripping onto the mattress.
“Hey! Not on the bed!”
“Sorry.”
A silence fell between the both of them.
As he took miniscule sips, Shiroyabu really wanted to say something to Kuroyanagi, he felt like despite being partners they barely knew each other. His mouth refused to budge.
It was Kuro who broke the ice.
"You wanted to know why I hate you, huh?"
He looked at her, her face was serious.
“I mean.. You don’t have to.”
“You came back from the dead just to tell me that, I guess i owe you that much.” What she said didn’t feel sincere. To Shiroyabu it felt like it was done out of pity more than anything.
"It's because…" Shiroyabu noticed the can in her hand was vibrating ever so slowly. Everything about her felt as confident as always. "I DO know who your dad is."
"Knew it!" He yelled triumphantly. "Wait… why though? What did he do to you?"
"Less what he did to me and more…" a breath escaped her lips, she looked downward almost sullen.
"Kuro-san…?"
Kuro squeezed her can slightly. He scanned her face, it wasn’t noticeable at first but the longer he stared the more he realized how much anxiety she was hiding.
Her lower lip was bitten to stop the quivering, her eyes were wandering around the place and her jaw was shaking.
She’s obviously trying to tell him something, but she either can’t or won’t.
"Are you okay?” No answer.
“Can you at least tell me his name?”
“Huh?” She seemed to have snapped out of her trance, she glanced over at Shiroyabu.
“His name, Kuro-san?”
A beat passed.
“Do you remember your mom’s last name?”
“Um.. same as mine; Shiroyabu. Why?”
Kuro sighed heavily, throwing the can away.
"Get off my bed, Jabroni."
Shiroyabu placed his half drunk can on the dresser. "Really? Your gonna leave me hanging like that?!"
"If you want answers, ask Hatoba." She motioned for Shiroyabu to get off her bed, who reluctantly agreed to do so. “Or do it yourself. You’re an investigator. Investigate. You got a lead after all”
“‘Investigate’ she says…” He grumbled. This was all one big cock tease.
Kuro let her body fall into the right position on the bed, taking comfort in her comfy mattress.
“I’m still hungry.” Kuro scowled at him.
She reached for her dresser pulling out a couple of bills. She held them out to him in a clenched fist. “Here. 3,000 Yen. Get yourself some takeout from the pakistani place.”
“I think it was turkish.”
“Whatever.” Shiroyabu took the bills from her. Out of muscle memory he was going to stuff them into his pockets, but he had to be reminded he still didn’t have any pants on.
“Yeah uh, can I borrow some pants?”
Kuro just laid there with a scowl on her face.
“So that’s a no then?”
She reached for her dresser drawer again and brought out an extra 2,000 yen.
“You owe me for this.”
“Sorry.”
Kuro grabbed her duvet and threw it over her body. “That’s one night of my life I’m not getting back.”
“Hey uuuh thanks for uuuh… helping me?”
“Don’t mention it.” Shiroyabu turned to walk towards the door, he looked back at Kuro.
“G’night Kuro.”
The response he gained was just more of her loud snoring. Now that he’s properly conscious, he never expected Kuro snore as loud as this.
Locking the door behind him, the rain outside has long since stopped. That would make walking outside more bearable.
Today has been an utter crapshoot but he guesses he might as well confront Hatoba about this shit in the morning.
But first, time to get some pants.