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"Your drink, sir." The jackhammer Bartender passed him the Bloody Mary with his usual grace. The crimson drink acted as decoration on top of the pristine countertop.
“Drink…?”
Tokio tore himself away from his newspaper - and the notes he scribbled down - to stare at the drink. He blinked before turning to the barkeep.
"Could have sworn I said I wasn’t gonna order yet…” He noted the bendy straw and little umbrella that adorned the beverage. “This isn’t the kind of thing I’d order anyway.”
"Yes, you didn’t order it,” His mouth twitched under his mustache. “But she did…”
"Who?"
The barkeep turned his head to his left, looking into the far side of the bar counter.
Tokio didn't follow his gaze.
"That woman over there." He said.
"A woman?" Tokio decided to follow the barkeep’s eyesight.
He spotted the silhouette of a woman, she was drinkless, the details didn’t register in Tokio’s mind just yet.
“I wonder why she’s- ah shit!" Tokio hissed, snapping back to the bartender, instinctively covering the right side of his face with his hand.
Jackhammer's bartender leaned in, concerned.
"Is everything okay… sir?"
"Yeah… yeah." Tokio whispered.
He took another glance at the women. Blonde hair - like his - tied up into a ponytail, glasses, a black suit over a purple dress shirt… it was her alright.
It’s been ages since they met in person, only times he ever saw since then was in the papers or on the tv.
As a member of the Heinous Crimes Unit.
She took a glance at him, her eyes piercing his soul.
Tokio shot away from her gaze again - in the vein hope she wouldn't walk over to him.
Unfortunately the subtle motions of the chair was the first indicator that lady luck wasn't on his side.
Don't come over.
Don't come over.
She came over, pulling up to the stool directly to his right. His heart sank as he heard the metallic creaking of the stool, her presence being directly felt as she sat on it.
“Barkeep.” Her voice was sharp and commanding. “A margherita, please.”
“Right away ma’am.”
Tokio decided there was no use hiding from her, he could just ignore her anyway. Removing the hand from his face and sitting up straight, his attention instead - turned to the red drink on the counter top.
She thinks she could draw him out with a Bloody Mary?
“Oh, barkeep,” The rustling of paper, rubbing of the wooden countertop. “Please take your time.”
Bills?
“Ma’am, if you want to be alone with my best customer… I don’t think I should leave you two alone.”
“Oh believe me, I’m not here to hit on him. It’s the last thing on my mind.”
“That’s not what I’m worried about.” He said, gravely.
He must have been staring daggers at her, that’s cute of him.
Looking out for his best customer like that.
But he doesn’t need any protection from Chizuru Hachisuka.
He’s a goner now anyway, even if he kicks her out she’d easily meet him at his apartment.
“I just want to talk to him,” She said. “I understand you respect the privacy of your clientele to the highest order but… You’re not going to interfere with a very delicate discussion about a Heinous Crime? It has to be confidential.”
Some silence passed.
Tokio was tempted to drink from the Bloody Mary to break from the silence… but the awkwardness would be a whole can of worms…
“Okay then…” The barkeep replied calmly. “Your Margherita will be ready as soon as your business has finished.”
He walked away, the sound of his footsteps echoing quieter with each step… until he was made completely absent from the scene.
Great.
Now they're alone together.
He might as well drink that Bloody Mary, he put his lips to the straw and let the liquid go down his throat with a slurp grotesque enough to annoy her.
"I… see you're enjoying my little gift." She said through gritted teeth.
Tokio flashed a cheeky grin, the straw stuck between his teeth.
It's good to know he still gets under her skin sheet all these years.
He purposefully slurped the drink louder this time.
"Really mature of you…"
Maybe she might leave him alone.
He continued to drink the Mary, a Bloody Mary is not his usual drink of choice - Bourbon and Whiskey bring his go-to - but the barkeep really knows how to make a fine Bloody Mary.
He was really enjoying it… until he end up sticking nothing but air.
He looked up to notice Chizuru was squeezing the straw, tightly.
She glared at him under her designer glasses.
"That's enough of that," She said. "Will you stop ignoring me or are you going to continue to act immature?"
Tokio returned the glare, doing his best to seem menacing - but he probably ended up looking too try-hard.
He gave up resisting.
"Fine, what do you want?"
Chizuru let go of the straw, drawing herself away and seating herself back at her stool.
She patted the counter impatient, her mouth opening and closing, she settled on shutting them for a moment - with gritted teeth.
She pursed her lips and then shot Tokio a look.
“Well what do you think I want?”
“Hm?”
“We haven’t met for like what? Roughly a decade and a half?” She stopped her irrethamtic tapping. “I was hoping we’d catch up first.”
“What’s there to catch up on?” He scoffed. “I’m a completely different person now… fuck, I’m more surprised you bought me that Mary knowing who I even was.”
"And you didn't want to talk to me even though you thought I didn't know?"
"It would still be awkward," Tokio scratched the back of his head. "I assumed it would be something business related…"
"Well… you're half right."
Tokio traced the rim of the glass with his index. "So what gives? How'd you smoke me out?
“Oh, I have my ways,” She said. “You’re on Kusabi’s leash, right?”
“‘Leesh’,” He snickered a little. “Like he cares enough about our ‘professional relationship’ to keep an eye on me. To be honest, he’s not that helpful.”
“I still remember the day he mentioned your name flippantly at the office.”
“He… mentioned me? That’s cute, what he say?”
Chizurur adjusted her glasses. “Mind you, he didn’t mention it to me, it was to Sumio. I just overheard…”
“Just spill already!”
“Fine, fine.”
She cleared her throat doing her best impression of Kusabi’s gruff hard boiled facade. “That damn, Morishima kid. He’s gonna be the death of me. Fuckin’ journalists, don’t know when to stay out of police business.”
“...Smooth.”
“That piqued my curiosity so I decided to take a look and… you really didn’t cover your tracks properly.”
Tokio looked on, almost insulted. “Hey, I did my best!”
“At least dye your damn hair black or something.”
Toko rolled his eyes, he considered… even tried once - but he never wanted to do it again.
“Is this… ‘business’ of yours have anything to do with all this? You want me to join you, use what I know of the Kamui case to help advance your career?"
Chizuru took a deep breath, chewing on her lip.
"I have considered as much…" She pulls out an envelope from her breast pocket, sliding it over to Tokio. "But unfortunately this is completely unrelated to a case."
"Unrelated? So you weren't looking for Tokio Morishima the journalist after all?"
The envelope was black and felt, it looked like it was wrapped around something.
Tokio felt his heart beat rapidly.
At the back of his mind he could feel a pounding.
That he knows what this is.
But he can't believe it without seeing it first.
He opened the envelope up, revealing - what he dreaded - another envelope, white with some kanji adorned, wrapped in black and white ribbons.
“How much is there?” He held in his sweat, sucking in the rest of his fears.
“30,000 yen.” Chizuru said. “Can’t exactly pay off the rent, but if you want to buy more booze and those cigs you love so much… at least it’s not coming out of your salary.”
“Salary’s good enough for rent.” He clutched the okoden hard. “These things are normally given out at the wake, why give it here?”
A cold wave of regret washed over his body, his spine chilled.
He shouldn't have directly talked about the Koda.
Chizuru didn't answer, she seemed to be lost in thought, her eyes vacant, mouth slacked.
He could leave well enough alone, don't prod her don't-
"Earth to Chizuru."
"I heard you." She murmured.
"Were you just ignoring me?"
"No- just…" She brushed her fingers over her eye, pinching the bridge of her nose. "Her funeral was three years ago."
What did she say?
Tokio felt a knot in his stomach, someone kicked him really hard and he summoned all the strength in his nerves to keep him composed.
Her
funeral.
Three
years ago.
Dammit! DAMMIT! Why the hell did he not hear about this?
Why was the death of 'beloved' mayor Hachisuka's wife not publicized on the news?
Did he not care enough? Was it not that important?
"It was on the news," Chizuru snapped him out of his thoughts. "I'm sorry but… you probably missed it."
"Is this HIS money?" Tokio hissed.
"All out of my own pocket."
"I still don't want it." He slid the Kodan back into its envelope, pushing it away from him. "Wouldn't go to her damn funeral anyway."
A small jolt of pain ran up his arm.
Chizuru glared at him with scorn. "There's no way you would!"
"I wouldn't! If he was there, anyway."
Chizuru drew herself back, her anger slightly tempered.
"I get it, you hate him. And you're justified by doing so. Frankly, he didn't want you there anyway."
"I'm not surprised." Tokio grimaced. "He was never the same person he was after his dad died. Ever since then… he never liked me and the feeling is mutual."
"Look-"
Tokio raised his finger, throwing the straw out of the Mary and drank it straight. With a hearty slam of the glass, he wiped the juice from his mouth using his sleeve. His arm dropped to the countertop groggily.
He breathed a bit, turning back to his… sister, her face plastered with worry.
“Sorry… I just…” He looked away. “I haven’t exactly gotten over that… sometimes I wish HE was dead and buried instead of mom, y’know?”
“Because she's only person in the family that actively cared about you?”
Tokio chuckled. “Gave a shit about me, you mean. You cared, you just didn’t show it.”
Chizuru sat there and composed.
Her fingers itching for that damn margherita.
“I was complacent and you know it.”
Tokio sucked in some air.
She wasn't wrong… but as much as he wants to be angry at her - he can't bring himself to.
"True but… did you want to invite me back when our old lady… bought the farm?"
"... yeah."
Tokio smirked. "Well that's good enough for me."
"You're more forgiving than I realize."
Tokio didn't respond.
He took out his packet of placebo and his zippo lighter.
The red dot of the lit cig burned brightly, a cloud of smoke escaped his lips - dissolving into the air.
He glanced at his estranged sister.
"Pass me one," Her fingers were outstretched, her eyes pointing at the packet of Placebo.
He gave one to her with little to no hassle.
He leaned in, lighting it up for her.
She took a drag, a long and hard one.
Tokio may be a snoop by trade, but he has to resist the urge to delve into her sister's private life - outside what he read in the papers of course.
The way she took in the drag, to him it suggested a desperate urge to receive stress.
The way her jaw muscles relaxed when puffing out the smoke and how her fingers accidentally dented the cig, unlit tobacco seeping out.
“You okay?” He said, empathetically.
“It’s fine…” She tipped the ash into the ashtray.
She was definitely lying, so it’s better not to pry into it just yet.
The two sat in silence for a while, taking repeated drags from their respective cigarettes.
Tokio couldn't shake the awkward feeling his sister was having.
He still needed to respect her privacy but it still bugged him all the same.
"Guess, we're done here." Chizuru tapped the countertop. "Hey, barkeep! My Margherita please."
In the blink of an eye, a glass was passed over to her. Without any hesitation; she gulped it all down before slamming the glass down on the countertop.
A beat passed before she hastily dug out a couple of yen bills and threw them on the countertop.
"Already paid for the Mary, this'll cover my drink."
The barkeep solemnly nodded, Chizuru eyed Tokio as she dug up something else from her breast pocket.
"My card, if you ever wanna…"
He gently took the card from her hand.
"I'll make sure I'll keep in touch."
And with that; she left the bar.
Tokio looked back at the yen he got from the Kodan and looked back at the Bartender.
"Are you okay, sir?
“Yeah fine… just fine.”
Tokio went back to the yen, all 30,000 of it.
His mother died a while back and his sister came back into his life just to give it to him.
What a day…
“Hey barkeep…” He shoved the bills over to him. “What’s the best drink I can get for this much?”