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Sugiura walked into Charles; he and Higashi had been tasked with checking out the local batting center, making sure there were no traps or ambushes for when they met up with Yagami and Kaito to get Kido for questioning. Saori had done her part, sacrificed her safety and comfort for this whole venture. Truthfully, Sugiura found it disgusting that Yagami would put someone so close to him in that kind of situation, but he understood that it had to be done. It didn’t mean he liked it.
How many women did Yagami have to put in danger?
“Ready to go?” Sugiura asked as he made his way to the counter. Higashi was with the usual clerk behind the counter, phone in hand.
“Yep,” Higashi replied. He nodded to his clerk, put his phone away before walking over to Sugiura. “Thanks for letting Kaito-aniki and I use the van to keep tabs on Kuroiwa.”
“It’s the least I can do,” Sugiura said. They left the arcade. When Sugiura first met Higashi, he didn’t think that much of him. He complained a lot and didn’t seem particularly helpful. Truthfully, he seemed to be filled with hot air and Sugiura felt like he thought he was bigger than he actually was. But then when Yagami and Kaito were cornered in that alleyway, Sugiura found out that all Higashi ever did was make sure Matsugane was kept safe.
When they waited for Kaito to get checked out by some back alley doctor, Higashi and Sugiura talked a bit. Sugiura questioned his place in everything and Higashi said that all he wanted was to keep himself and his men safe while ensuring no harm came to Yagami as well. Despite his feelings, he believed Yagami was doing the right thing. Higashi felt like Hamura had gotten too big for his britches and was putting the Family in danger, and he was the sole reason Kaito got expelled in the first place. Higashi couldn't do much about Hamura because he was just one man, but he could at least try and keep those he cared for out of harm's way.
“I’m sorry about your patriarch,” they got in the van and Sugiura drove to the center. Yagami filled him in on what happened. Higashi sighed, started to reach for his cigarettes, but stopped after a second of realization.
“Habit,” the older man stated when Sugiura glanced at him. He sighed, looked out the window. “He was a good man, Matsugane-san. He was like a father, honestly. I wish it didn’t turn out like this.”
“I think we all feel that way,” Sugiura replied. He turned, stopped the van in front of the batting center. They had a couple of hours before Kido was set to arrive, but they both had nothing to do and too much time to kill. Sugiura was still unsure how he felt about everything; the true reason for Emi’s death, Okubo’s death sentence, it was all information overload, and Sugiura was trying to keep his head straight and not show his cards.
“You see the video?” Higashi asked.
“Unfortunately,” Sugiura replied. He wasn’t sure how he felt when Yagami had explained the situation to him; putting an innocent woman straight into the sights of some pervert didn’t sit right with Sugiura. He knew how men were, and what if things got hairy and Yagami couldn’t get there in time? “Seems just like Yagami-san to put a woman in danger for the greater good.”
Higashi looked over at Sugiura, an eyebrow raised.
“You know,” he said, “I’ve had some time to kill since the Family’s been in such a disarray. Been looking into articles on that murder three years ago. Into Emi Terasawa.”
“Yeah?” Sugiura asked. It made sense; the current murders were now tied into what happened three years ago and it probably helped put things into perspective if Higashi did his research. Sugiura was surprised a yakuza like him seemed so smart and prepared. Sugiura liked Kaito, but the man wasn't exactly the image of genius.
“Yeah. You look a lot like her,” Higashi continued. Sugiura looked at him. No one had put their similarities together, not even the man who supposedly couldn’t forget about Emi. Sugiura had met Yagami once after Okubo’s trial had been set, but he looked so different back then. Still, it was odd that this yakuza seemed to be onto something when Yagami seemed to be none the wiser. “And it got me thinking. Kind of makes me wonder why you keep asking Yagami about how he feels about that case so long after the fact.”
“It’s tragic that an innocent woman died due to his negligence,” Sugiura said. Higashi chuckled. “You think it’s funny?”
“Honestly, it's pretty fucking tragic,” Higashi stated. He glanced over at the batting center. “All this because some loser fucking scientist is trying to play God. But it makes me wonder what your stake in all of this is. It’s getting pretty dire and some random civilian isn’t going to stick around putting his neck out for no reason.”
“You know, I never had high opinions on yakuza, but you seem smart and well spoken,” Sugiura admitted. He always thought yakuza were the same; they talked big, but they were dumb as rocks and picked fights with whoever looked at them wrong, didn’t care who they hurt. “Do you not trust me?”
“You’ve been helping Kaito-aniki and Yagami, risked a lot playing hero all those times when the Family could’ve killed you. Of course I trust you,” Higashi explained. “But I guess my question is, what’s your end game? Why is this whole thing so important to you? Why all the questions and sudden hostility toward Yagami?”
They stared at one another. It felt like Higashi was playing around what he actually wanted to ask, not that Sugiura would even tell him the truth if he did. Sugiura had kept his true self hidden for so long without anyone suspecting anything, how could this man he hardly knew have put it together so easily?
“I think I understand,” Higashi said. He sighed. Sugiura felt like if you took away the rough edges, he could see a man that had been through hell trying to keep it together for those he cared about. “It’s been really hard to see it all come to light, hasn’t it?”
“I don’t know what you mean,” Sugiura narrowed his eyes. At this point, he wasn’t sure how he’d talk his way out of things. He looked at the batting center. “Shouldn’t we be checking out the center?”
“It’s a small place and we’ve got time. You’re changing the subject,” Higashi furrowed his eyebrows. Sugiura supposed if he fought what Higashi was saying, it just made it seem like he had something to hide. Still, he didn’t like that this man could see through him. “But I guess it’s the kind of thing you’re good at; distraction and evasiveness. You’ve been running for a long time now, haven’t you, Terasawa?”
“Don’t call me that!” Sugiura yelled. The name was like poison to him. He threw his old self away a long time ago, rebuilt himself to be better. It’s what he had to do if he wanted to help those who had no one else on their side. But lately, he felt like his mask was slowly cracking.
He felt a hand on his shoulder. Sugiura looked at Higashi, a soft expression on the older man’s face. It wasn’t pity, but a kind of sadness, like he understood all too well. Maybe he did understand in his own way; he, in some ways, lost his brother. He had to rebuild himself after Kaito had gotten expelled from the family. To keep himself and his patriarch safe, he had to change in order to survive in his world.
He needed to throw away his kindness and become a hardened man.
“Do we have to do this right now?” Sugiura asked. He took another breath, wiped at his eyes so he wouldn’t cry. He’d been hiding himself for so long, it felt like a personal attack that he’d been found out so easily by this yakuza that he wished was just some idiot running his mouth. He could see through Sugiura, but not Yagami, who practically figured out the whole situation out of thin air based on a couple nuggets of information?
“I guess not,” Higashi murmured. He kept his hand on Sugiura’s shoulder. “I just want you to know that whatever your plan was originally, I’m sorry that you’re having to hear the excruciating details about everything that happened. I’m sure it’s easier to be mad at Yagami, who sometimes gets on his high horse, but you’ve stuck through it regardless to help get to the truth, and I think it takes a special person to stick around when I’m sure all you really want is to take everything out on the man you felt had wronged so many people.”
Sugiura turned to the steering wheel. It’d just been him by himself for so long, even when he had been part of the burglary ring. That this man he hardly knew had done his homework and seemed to understand in some way, it just pulled him into a reality he’d been avoiding; he was nothing without Emi, and because of it, he would get to the bottom of why she had to die and see it through to the end.
Sugiura started crying. He felt heat and weight; Higashi threw an arm around the man's shoulders, pulled him in close. It had been too long since Sugiura had really been so close to anyone, and any other day he would push the man away, but he just felt defenseless. Like some rug had been pulled out from under him. He thought he had heard a slight sniffle from Higashi, but honestly, he couldn't tell over his own sobbing.
After some time, Sugiura was able to pull himself together. He put a hand over Higashi’s, patting it a few times. Higashi loosened his grip and Sugiura straightened his posture, glanced at the batting center. If anyone got in, it was a great time for them; the men were distracted by Sugiura’s waterworks.
“It doesn’t change anything,” Sugiura said. He looked at Higashi. “I’m Sugiura, ex-thief and current freelance worker for the all-star team that Yagami-san put together.”
“Right,” Higashi replied. He let go of the other man. “I’m not about to divulge your secret, if that’s what you’re getting at.”
“I know you won’t,” Sugiura nodded. Higashi had his own secrets and demons that he’d had to face; of course he wasn’t going to go tattle on Sugiura. “But thanks. For being so thoughtful, I guess.”
“If you say so,” Higashi said. He was the one pushing it, and now he was going to act so awkward over it? Sugiura supposed he was the kind of guy who didn’t take compliments well.
“It’s nice that someone’s thinking about me,” Sugiura admitted. He looked at Higashi. “I’m sure you understand how I feel. Just being so alone no matter what.”
“Yeah,” Higashi murmured. He looked at the batting center. Kido would be over in an hour, probably under the impression he’d woo Saori with superior batting skills or whatever the man was thinking. “I’ll do a sweep of the place, let you know if anything seems off.”
Definitely not good with his feelings, though Sugiura supposed having been under Hamura’s boot, the man couldn’t exactly go spilling his heart out. Sugiura wondered if in a way, the release helped Higashi as well.
“Be careful, Higashi-san,” Sugiura said. Higashi opened his mouth, but closed it just as quickly. He smiled instead and gave Sugiura a quick pat on the shoulder before leaving the van. Sugiura opened the passenger side window. “I’ll drive around a bit until the other two get here.”
“Clear your head and get back in the game, Sugiura,” Higashi replied. He looked like he felt guilty and Sugiura knew it’s because he was. He brought up Emi and pulled off Sugiura’s mask. But truthfully, Sugiura felt like maybe he could get through a little better knowing that someone understood.
It fixed absolutely nothing; he still felt so torn with how the case turned out and how wrong he felt hating so many men that didn’t deserve it, but it felt good to breathe a little and finally be able to let go of the feelings he had bottled up for so long.
If things went right, perhaps it would even be smooth sailing, or at least Sugiura hoped it would be.