Work Text:
10pm: The suspect entered the building accompanied by Mr. Nakamura as scheduled.
Ichiro, aged 24 and a rookie in the field, jotted down this detail in his diary while biting into an onigiri he had purchased earlier. The flavor of the day was salmon. He was perched inside the convenience store, which served as the perfect lookout point from across the club. It was in a corner that allowed him not to be noticed, and it wasn't so busy that he would be distracted. His thoughts were interrupted by a hand suddenly sliding an ice cream toward him. It would be a lie to say that Ichiro didn't flinch a bit at the stranger, or rather, the convenience store clerk approaching him so suddenly and quietly. "I have to work on my perception skills,' he noted. He gave the clerk a confused look about the ice cream. "It's hot today. Don't worry, it's on the house," the clerk responded with a wink. The clerk, named "Hanabusa Shiro" had been there every day since Ichiro started his surveillance. They had formed an understanding and exchanged curt nods as a way of saying 'hello.' They mostly kept to themselves while Ichiro was there. It was a peaceful coexistence that Mr. Hanabusa had disturbed out of nowhere. "Sorry, but I don't like sweet stuff," Ichiro responded politely, recalling the lesson Rion had given him:
Don't accept food or drinks as they may be contaminated with drugs or poison.
"Also, I am full at the moment. Thank you for your offer," he added to make sure the clerk didn't go back and fetch him something savory. The clerk just frowned at that. He quickly scanned the store, and it was that time of night when barely anyone came in. He pulled a chair next to Ichiro and sat down beside him, opening the ice cream for himself.
"What's your name?"
"Satou Ichiro," he said hesitantly.
"What do you do for work, Satou-kun?"
"I am an investment broker," he responded swiftly.
"Mhm," Shiro nodded along as Ichiro finally relaxed and took a bite of his second onigiri of the night, thinking that would be the end of their conversation.
"So when are you going to ask me out?" Shiro asked nonchalantly as Ichiro started coughing violently after the onigiri went down the wrong pipe. Shiro quickly went over and grabbed a bottle of water for him and offered it to him. He patted his back while he took a swig.
"I beg your pardon?" Ichiro asked after he finally calmed down.
"Well, you have been coming here for the last month during my shift only. And don’t deny it since I tested it out by not coming in for a few days, and my coworker said that you didn’t show up," Ichiro recalled the gaps in his visits and remembered that his target also did not go to this particular club during those days, so he had no reason to be there. "Maybe he was matching Mr. Hanabusa’s schedule instead." he thought to himself. Not like he could refute him with that excuse.
"And as an investment banker, you have no reason to be in this neighborhood unless you were one of the party types." Ichiro cursed at himself for not paying attention to his surroundings to notice that he was being watched this whole time. "But you seem to be perched up in this exact spot every time you come here, and you," Shiro gave him a once-over, and Ichiro suddenly felt too exposed, "don’t seem like you are dressed for clubbing. So obviously you have a little crush on me, and I can’t figure out why you won’t just ask me out?" Shiro huffed out."And yes, I do swing that way too, but I have made that very clear," pointing to the mini rainbow pin and bisexual flag on his uniform. "You don’t seem to be the unrequited love-craving type. You are clearly very handsome, you look loaded, and you seem to be perfectly my type. So it’s driving me insane to see that you have not asked me out yet. So I had to take matters into my own hands," Shiro said with a pout. Ichiro had to take a minute to process all the information he just received. He saw his suspect leave from the corner of his eye, and it was time for him to follow. But it seemed like Mr. Shiro was not going to make it easy.
"The target has left the club. I am unable to follow, currently in a situation," he texted Rion.
"Do you need backup?" she texted back hastily.
"No, I can handle it by myself."
He didn't want anyone else involved in this. So he decided to resolve this misunderstanding as quickly and quietly as he could.
"I am sorry; I think there has been a misunderstanding," Ichiro started off.
"I think not. My coworkers have also noticed it. So unless you want me to report you for stalking, you better confess your feelings for me," Shiro said firmly. "I bet if the police looked through your pictures on your phone, they would find my pictures."
Truth be told, Ichiro probably had taken some accidental shots of him during surveillance, but he was not worried about that. He was more concerned about reporting to the police and his supervisor coming to resolve this issue. He could just picture his senpai never letting him live this incident down as long as he lived. He shuddered at the thought.
"I am sorry if I offended you, but this is a small matter that does not need to be escalated further. You see..."
"Listen, handsome, me and my coworkers have been betting on this," Shiro said while cutting him off. "And if something doesn’t happen by the end of the day, I will be losing 5000 yen to a teenager. So are you going to ask me out or not?" Ichiro was just dumbfounded. All of this for a measly 5000 yen. If it weren't him in this situation, he would have laughed at the absurdity of it all.
The door to the store chimed in as if to relieve Ichiro from the situation. In walked a group of gangsters from the Minegami group. From the looks of it, they seemed to be the ones in charge of the club across the street.
"Hi honey, did you miss me?" said one of the bigger ones after slapping Shiro on the ass. His mood quickly soured as he turned around. "This is a good time for me to leave," he thought to himself. He looked at Shiro, who appeared troubled and he felt conflicted about leaving him behind. He decided to try and diffuse the situation; there was no need to escalate to fighting with gang members. He couldn't take all of them on without raising suspicions about his identity. Before he could say anything, though, Shiro decided to take matters into his own hands. He picked up the leftover ramen container that some customers had left and sprayed the guy with the remainder of the sauce and noodles.
"Don't touch me again," he said before kicking him in the groin. "Also, I don’t want to do anything with you or your tiny joke of a cock," he yelled out. Everyone was quiet as the big guy seemed to be furious, and Ichiro could tell it was about to get worse. He quickly scanned the room to look for an exit route. He quietly packed up his things after he laid eyes on the fire extinguisher next to him. He took the extinguisher as everyone else was too busy with the entertainment Shiro was providing. He quickly unlatched the extinguisher as the big guy gave orders to his subordinates to "Show him his place." He sprayed the gang members as he quickly grabbed Shiro by the hand and maneuvered their way through the aisles to the back exit.
"I’m still on the clock," Shiro said.
"You will be on the news if you don’t keep running," Ichiro responded.
They ran for a few minutes around the area to try and lose the members who were quickly gaining on them. Shiro dragged him to an alleyway and said, "This should be fine," but Ichiro wasn’t satisfied with it. "Excuse my behavior," he said as he took Shiro’s work jacket off and put it in an empty garbage can next to them. He then took out the hat he always carries for quick disguises and covered Shiro's bright blonde hair that stood out too well in the night. He then followed through by taking off his suit and tie and putting them in the same trash can. He untucked his shirt and hoped that would be enough of a change. The entire ordeal was such a shock to Shiro.
"Are you a cop?" he asked bluntly. Ichiro quickly schooled his facial expression to not show any emotions and casually responded, "This is how they do it in the movies. I thought it would work because it works in the movies," he responded, hoping it sounded good enough. "Ah, so he is a delusional idiot," Shiro thought to himself.
A bunch of loud yelling quickly got their attention. Ichiro sighed as he could hear them getting closer, so he decided to go for the last resort.
"Sorry for this," he said as he pulled Shiro by the waist to close the distance between them. If he angled them correctly, they would look like a couple just kissing from an outsider's point of view. Shiro was stunned for the umpteenth time and quickly nodded as if to say that he understood what he meant. He gently put his hands on Ichiro's cheek, and Ichiro was glad that he understood the plan. He let his guard down and experienced the most brutal ambush of his life. Mr. Hanabusa had pulled him down and made their pretend kiss into a very real one. It was just a simple peck on the lips, but it made Ichiro momentarily lose his concentration and balance. Shiro was pushed against the wall as he braced his arm against it to get his balance back. Shiro smirked and put his hands behind his neck as he pulled him in for another kiss, hungrier and desperate this time. It was as if Shiro wanted to devour him on the spot, and Ichiro wasn’t sure why he couldn’t just put a stop to it. He could easily overpower this man, but he just complied with the kiss. His brain was too tired from all the activities of the night, and kissing seemed like less of a hassle at the moment. So he tried his best to follow Shiro’s lead and mirror his actions.
They both heard the gang members pass by, so they both could have stopped, but it was as if whoever stopped first would be the loser in a game no one was playing. Shiro playfully bit Ichiro’s lip, and it finally made his brain come back to life. He quickly separated from Shiro as he tasted a hint of blood on his undoubtedly swollen lips. He looked at Shiro in utter disbelief as he gave him a mischievous smile while licking his lips.
Shiro quietly took out Ichiro’s jacket and tie from the trash can and handed them to him while he was still dazed. Ichiro nodded curtly while he put on his jacket. He just left the tie hanging while Shiro put on his jacket. He looked at Ichiro and pitied his disheveled look and decided to see more of him. He wanted him to lose all of his composure due to him.
"So, this Saturday at 8?" he asked while fixing Ichiro’s tie, and he just gave him a confused look.
"For our date. I am not too picky, but I do like sweet stuff a lot," he added. Ichiro held his hand and responded with,
"I am sorry; I am not interested in dating." To which Shiro responded by pulling him by the tie and headbutting him.
"You bastard. So you just made out with me to toy with me, huh?" he said while looking at him furiously. Ichiro felt guilty for the next words he was about to say.
"I...I am looking for a top," he knew how embarrassing he sounded but it was too late for him to back down.
"Hey, I never said I was a bottom. I can easily top you," Shiro retorted.
"I want to be topped by a big burly man who can fight and who will manhandle me and throw me against a wall," he said and proceeded to give him a once-over. "And my preferences are not compatible with you," he said vaguely gesturing at Shiro.
This earned him a kick to the groin as Shiro decided to leave him to die in the alleyway. "Find another convenience store to go to, bastard. If I catch you during my shift, I’m calling the police," he huffed out while Ichiro was trying to manage his pain.
"We got him 😀," the text from Rion read.
Ichiro let out genuine laughter at the absurdity of it all. "Well, I guess it’s back to work," he said while getting up and making his way to the HQ.
"Good work, senpai," he said while stepping inside. Rion gave him a curious look before responding. "Did you bail out on the case to go make out with your girlfriend?" she asked, and Ichiro quickly looked in the mirror to see how obscene he looked. "So bold for a rookie. And here I was worried that you were in danger. Well, seems like you were, but in a different way," she snickered while pinching the area around where Shiro bit him. Ichiro flinched and gave Rion a pout. "It’s not like that, senpai." "Mhm," she got distracted by the text notification on his phone.
"Aniki, are you free tonight? I am in the mood to get drunk 😭," read the text from Shiro.
"I’m on my way,"
"I’ll let it slide this time in exchange; you are in charge of doing all the paperwork tonight," she added while starting to pack up.
"That’s fair. Also, senpai, I think I need more lessons; I was ambushed by an unlikely opponent and need to be prepared next time." Ichiro huffed out remembering the earlier encounter.
"Unlikely opponent my ass," Rion replied.
"Aniki, teach me how to fight," Shiro requested after taking a big swig of his beer.
"Where is this coming from?" Rion inquired.
"I asked out the customer I was talking about, and he... I mean she said she wanted a big burly man who can fight. I am going to show her after all the lessons, seduce her, and then break her heart," Shiro explained.
The change of pronouns didn’t go unnoticed by Rion, along with the pins and all the other pride merch littered all around his apartment. She was so proud that he was coming to terms with his identity but wondered why he wouldn’t just come out to her.
"You will get there on your own time," she said out loud.
"So you are going to teach me, right?" Shiro perked up.
"Sure. A little self-defense doesn’t hurt. Maybe I can introduce you to my junior. He asked me for additional lessons. Since he is the same age you both can practice with each other afterward. He is also very handsome," she suggested.
"No thank you. No handsome men around me anymore. All handsome, tall men are trash and deserve to have tiny dicks,” he said while chugging down on his beer and Rion gave him a skeptical look.
Ichiro was back in front of the convenience store, but this time he had a hoodie on and a completely different look from his usual self. He hid behind a telephone pole in a dark corner. He really shouldn't have come back here after the warning he received from Shiro, but he couldn't help but worry. He was just going to assess the situation, and if the Minegami group members harmed Shiro, he could call for backup from the local police and let them handle it. He saw the same group members go inside the store, and he was ready to call for backup. To his utter shock, he saw Shiro joking around with them, which baffled him even more. Shiro came out with the group after his replacement staff arrived. He went into the club following him. Ichiro decided to use the back exit of the club to avoid being noticed. He saw Shiro heading into one of the VIP rooms with the group, and he decided to listen in.
"Honey, where did you go yesterday? We didn't get to finish," the big man from the other day pouted. Shiro glared at him and responded, "You should find someone else to play out your weird fantasies. Why did you come in when there was a customer right there?" he huffed out. "I'm sorry, I won't do it again," the big guy was groveling at his feet, and Shiro just kept drinking the expensive drinks they brought in.
Ichiro didn't need to hear more to know what was going on. The big guy from the Minegami group probably had humiliation kink and when he said, "Show him his place," he probably meant to bring him back to the club. That's why Hanabusa Shiro did not seem scared at all by the entire ordeal. "So I was the idiot in all of this after all," Ichiro thought to himself. "My precious first kiss," he said while rubbing his lips. "Let's never run into each other again, Hanabusa Shiro" he muttered as he closed the door and decided to leave the club and this weird chapter of his life behind.
As fate would have it, he would meet the crazy, unpredictable guy five years later under completely bizarre circumstances and become the most precious person to him. But that's a story for another time.