Chapter Text
As soon as those five miserable words left Hayashi's lips, the concrete room sank into an oppressive state of complete stillness. It seemed as if the rest of Yokohama froze in that moment, along with them. But only for a moment. Everyone present turned in shock and disbelief towards Tachihara, whom they had not doubted until the very last moment.
Hirotsu felt a bitter taste in his mouth as his fears were confirmed and guilt for not recognizing Tachihara as a deceiver sooner. Hearing of Tachihara's betrayal was more painful than he thought. Hirotsu had not been prepared to feel himself wavering between his duty to the Port Mafia to immediately punish the traitor and the affection he had developed for the young man who was the closest thing he had to a grandson, the one he had never wanted but somehow had.
But no matter how painful it was, he would have to face the consequences. Hirotsu took off his gloves. If he was going to stop Tachihara, he would do it with his bare hands.
Out of the corner of his eye, he saw that Gin, always professional, was now looking at her comrade as if she was seeing him for the first time. Her eyes were widened so much that she looked more like a teenage girl who had just caught her first crush with his pants down on another girl than a cold-blooded killer with years of experience.
Chuuya and Kouyou were also shocked, but their rage at Tachihara was not as personal as his and Gin's. They were more collected, their eyes already analyzing the boy in front of them, calculating in their heads how best to get rid of the impudent traitor. Chuuya surrounded himself with the glow of his ability, preparing to use it against Tachihara at the slightest movement of the other. Kouyou pulled a dagger from her sleeve with disdain. The Golden Demon would surely appear at any second if the female figure was not already looming somewhere within the room.
Tachihara himself only had eyes for Hayashi Yusuke. His expression was either furious or confused. As if he hadn't expected his superior to give up his spy so easily. He didn't move, acutely aware that he was trapped. For once, this idiot thought before he acted. Otherwise he would already be a corpse.
Tachihara pulled away from Hayashi and turned his attention to the mafioso. His lips parted to speak, but Hirotsu was faster. With a force that was fueled by desperation and an unwillingness to accept Hayashi's accusations, Hirotsu lifted Tachihara and pushed him against the wall.
"Is that true?" Hirotsu asked in a dangerously low voice full of contempt, which he only used on his enemies.
Tachihara made eye contact with him and calmly said:
"No."
Hirotsu didn't put Tachihara down, but a wave of relief rolled through his body in that same second, and new hope settled in his chest. But he didn't let it settle there completely yet.
He had grown attached to Tachihara, there was no denying it. It was hard not to when the young man had literally burst into the hearts of everyone in the Port Mafia with his loud, insane shrieks and the sparkle in his eyes that drew people in like stupid moths. It was easy to forget with Tachihara's casual and brash demeanor that appearances were deceiving and could hide depths of insidious ugliness beneath.
"I'm not Hayashi's spy," Tachihara declared loudly and firmly this time, for everyone to hear. "That piece of shit is lying!"
"And who should we believe?" Gin suddenly spoke up.
"That's what we have to find out," Chuuya announced gloomily. "Tie up Tachihara."
Gin obeyed the order, flying like lightning towards Hirotsu. She pulled out a piece of strong rope from somewhere and began to wrap it around the unresisting Tachihara. The young man remained silent, no longer trying to justify himself. It was probably for the best. Hirotsu wasn't sure that he wouldn't have twisted his bones with Falling Camellia by pure chance - he was so wound up.
When Gin had finished tying Tachihara up, she led him to Hayashi's bed and sat him on the edge. Her movements were gentler than the circumstances required, as if she didn't know how to handle this new Tachihara. And so she chose to be careful not to inadvertently shatter the already familiar image of her partner untainted by harsh accusations.
"Hayashi-san, how can you prove that Tachihara is a spy?" Chuuya asked, getting straight to the point.
"I know everything about him. Ask me anything," Hayashi said, completely uninterested.
"You don't know shit about me, you old bastard!" Tachihara shouted, baring his teeth. Hayashi grimaced in disgust. His whole appearance radiated discontent and irritation with his new neighbor.
"Tachihara, be a good boy and shut up. It's not your turn yet," Kouyou threatened him.
Tachihara clenched his teeth and fists aggressively, holding back from shouting once more. If it weren't for the stiffness in his posture and the repulsive look of his hands tied behind his back, Hirotsu might have thought that this was a normal day, with Tachihara being difficult, voicing his dissatisfaction, but at the same time, as always, unquestioningly following the orders of his leader.
"Well, let's say so. Knowledge alone doesn't prove anything," Chuuya retorted.
"Knowledge is the only thing available to me in my position," Hayashi said, shaking his handcuffed hands for emphasis. "It's not like I could show you his reports."
"Okay, Hayashi-san. In that case, name at least one verifiable fact about Tachihara that will give us reason to believe that your words are not empty."
Hayashi's forehead wrinkled in thought, his eyes gliding over Tachihara, not really lingering on any specific details. Remembering something, he said:
"He has a cross-shaped scar on his left ankle."
Gin quickly darted down, lifting Tachihara's pant leg to expose the scarred skin. Hirotsu had seen it a couple of times, but hadn't asked about its origin. It just didn't seem important.
"What does this have to do with espionage?" Tachihara couldn't help but ask, moving away from Gin's cold hands to half-turn to face Hayashi.
Kouyou ordered Demon to put a katana to Tachihara's throat for speaking without permission, but Michizou did not flinch, continuing to radiate displeasure towards Hayashi.
Hirotsu didn't say it out loud, but he agreed with Tachihara's indignation. Judging by Chuuya's skeptical face, the scar didn't convince him either.
"One more try, Hayashi-san?" Chuuya suggested to Hayashi.
After a moment of thought, Hayashi shared in the same monotone: "He was trained in special skills at the Military Academy from an early age. Records of his studies are in the archives."
It was unexpected, but much more interesting and weighty. Hirotsu wanted to know what Tachihara would counter this fact with, but for some reason the young man only laughed that with a blade to the throat it was just stupidly dangerous. They didn't need another accident during the interrogation.
"Tachihara?" Chuuya asked a little worriedly, watching the other red-haired man laugh.
Tachihara continued to laugh for a few seconds before stopping to take a deep breath, but short chuckles still escaped, making the young man almost choke. Hirotsu had seen Tachihara laugh often, but this was something different, ugly, unpleasant. It was not a sudden burst of mirth, mockery, or glee, but rather full-blown hysterical laughter.
"Can I speak?" Tachihara finally managed to ask after he had finally calmed down. There were even tears in the corners of his eyes, but he couldn't wipe them away without accidentally being decapitated in the most stupid way.
Kouyou nodded. The Golden Demon disappeared.
Tachihara leaned his back against the wall, ignoring the fact that the movement caused his entire body weight to fall across Hayashi's legs. The politician furrowed his brows in annoyance, moving his legs to ward off the insolent mafioso, but to no avail.
"Sorry. I just don't understand what he's trying to achieve with all this," Tachihara said. He turned his head to Hayashi. "Would you stop this comedy, General?"
"It was worth it," Hayashi replied calmly. "When I first saw you, I thought it was just my imagination. However, it turned out that it wasn't. Unfortunately."
"I'm sure you hoped that I rotted in a ditch many years ago," Tachihara sang sarcastically.
"That would be much nobler than everything you represent now," Hayashi said in a stern tone.
"Oh, did I fail to live up to your expectations again?" Tachihara grew heated, leaning closer into Hayashi's space. "What a pity, what a pity."
"Tch, you little brat. As always, no respect."
"So you don't deserve it!" Tachihara shouted at the top of his lungs.
His bonds were straining hard as Michizou tried to break free to get to Hayashi, but he couldn't. From his corner, Hirotsu could see the ropes digging into Tachihara's wrists hard. At this rate, it was going to leave marks.
"Okay, stop it," Chuuya intervened in the squabble between two people. "What's going on?"
This was the first time Hirotsu had seen Tachihara so offended. The anger was rolling off him in waves, practically making the air hum. This was also the first time Hirotsu had heard Hayashi Yusuke say so many words in a row and with such emotion. Judging from the small snippets of conversation, Tachihara and Hayashi were indeed acquainted, but Tachihara's obvious disgust and Hayashi's insults suggested that they were not very fond of each other's company. This should be a good sign, right? Would a spy be so willing to slander his superior?
"What's going on?" Tachihara snapped angrily at Chuuya. "What's going on?! A fucking family reunion, that's what!"
"Family?" Chuuya asked like a parrot. "What? You mean...?"
"Yes," Tachihara interrupted him in the same tone. "Hayashi Yusuke is my fucking father!"
Michizou leaned back against the wall with one last growl, as if all his strength had vanished with this shocking confession.
Father, huh? Hirotsu looked at the two people sitting on the bed, fighting for dominance with just gaze, trying to find signs of kinship between them. If he look closely, they really are very similar. Especially if compare them before the torture disfigured Hayashi's skin.
Hirotsu even had a sense of déjà vu when he first saw Hayashi, but he quickly forgot about it, busy with other more important matters. Now he understands that all this time the politician reminded him of his subordinate. It was just difficult to establish a direct connection between the perpetually grinning Tachihara, who was a solid lump of energy, and Hayashi, whose greatest achievement in self-expression was changing his face from emptiness to a grimace of pain while his nails were being pulled out. Plus, it seems you can add to this direct contact with his son, who also evokes at least some emotion in him, albeit irritation.
Suddenly, Tachihara's strange behavior took on a completely different, safer meaning. This situation was much more dramatic than it seemed at first glance, built on a strange coincidence and had several hidden layers. However, at this moment, Hirotsu was simply glad that Tachihara was speaking sincerely. He was not a mole. He was simply too nervous about the presence of his father, with whom he obviously did not get along.
Hirotsu can understand Tachihara and the reasons for his reticence. He has learned from personal experience that Hayashi Yusuke is an absolutely unbearable person. He would not want to have any connection with him either.
But now that they think about it without a single suspect, they again have no clue as to who the real spy might be. Unless the father and son were good actors who decided to put on a scene of hatred to deflect suspicion. But if that were the case, then this strategy would instead attract unnecessary attention. Although Hirotsu often nags at Tachihara for his impulsiveness, the young man is actually far from stupid.
"It turns out, Hayashi-san, that you still haven't answered our question," Hirotsu noted, forcing himself to leave the topic of fathers and children for another time.
"Obviously I lied about the cooperation," Hayashi snorted contemptuously.
"Then what was the point?" Tachihara asked irritably.
"I'm not that stupid, brat. I knew I was going to die as soon as I was caught. And I was prepared for it," Hayashi stopped, but it was clear he wasn't finished yet: "But then I saw some scum who looked suspiciously like my son. I wanted to solve this mystery one last time. If I had called your name and the people around me hadn't reacted, I would have realized that I was simply mistaken. But unfortunately, it was actually you, Michizou."
It now seemed obvious that Hayashi-san had had his own plans for their little deal from the start. It seemed too good that he would agree to reveal his secrets so easily in exchange for Akutagawa's absence. Hirotsu, Chuuya, and Kouyou hadn't noticed that the main condition he had set was the presence of Tachihara and Gin. They thought that it had to do with Hayashi's desire to see familiar, trusted faces, rather than the fear that the next overseer they brought would be as bloodthirsty and toothy as Rashomon.
"Do you even understand that because of this, I could have been killed the very second your filthy mouth opened?"
"Don't be a hypocrite. You calmly watched me being tortured and did absolutely nothing to stop it. You didn't even turn away!" Hayashi looked at the ceiling. "Who would have thought that one of my killers would be my own flesh and blood? In any case, it doesn't matter anymore. Congratulations, Michizou. You've outdone yourself once again. There's nowhere lower."
"You can say whatever you want," Tachihara said in a tired voice, "I don't care what you think. I'm completely happy with my place in life."
"I have no doubt, Michizou," Hayashi agreed condescendingly. "I always knew you would never amount to anything, and that's what happened. But working for the Mafia? Are you really going to continue to defile our family name? I'm ashamed that you're my son."
Tachihara was silent. He looked like he had been forced to eat several hot rocks. The pain was clearly visible in his eyes, but he tried to pretend that Hayashi's harsh words hadn't affected him in the least.
Hirotsu felt it was wrong to see the uncertainty and shame on Tachihara's face. He wasn't the only one. Feeling uncomfortable with the scene before him, Chuuya intervened, drawing Hayashi's attention away from Tachihara's internal collapse and onto himself.
"Has everyone spoken?" he asked, crossing his arms over his chest and raising one eyebrow.
"I don't think I have anything else to add," Hayashi confirmed, turning away from Tachihara.
"Well, since you've finished with your family squabbles, it's time to return to our main question."
"There's no point," Tachihara suddenly said. His voice was dead, his eyes staring into space. "He won't say anything. It'll be easier to finish him off."
"Don't say that, Tachihara-kun," Kouyou-kun shut him up. "We still need him."
"He's right, though," Hayashi interjected, suddenly agreeing with the young man as if he hadn't just said a bunch of nasty things about him.
Now there was an icy silence between the two relatives. Neither looked at the other. Both were thinking about something unknown to Hirotsu. It was as if the mutually pronounced death sentence on Hayashi had finally sealed the severance of the bond between father and son.
"Tch, this is out of control. We are the Mafia, not a cheap talk show!" Chuuya was not impressed by their interaction. "Hirotsu, take Tachihara out, but don't untie him. We will have a separate conversation with him later."
Hirotsu nodded, walked over to the bed and helped Tachihara to his feet, leading them both out of the dungeon. He walked half a step behind Michizou and could see how tense the young man was. The older mafioso took off his coat and threw it over Tachihara's shoulders, leaving his guiding hand in the center of his back.
"What are you doing, gramps?" asked Tachihara, jumping up in surprise.
"I'm just hiding your tied hands," Hirotsu lied. "We don't want unnecessary rumors to spread."
"That's right," Tachihara turned away, embarrassed.
They continued walking, looking for an empty conference room. Under his touch, Hirotsu could feel Tachihara's back muscles relaxing with every step they took away from Hayashi.
***
Tachihara knows that Hirotsu has many questions for him. In his place, Tachihara would be just as curious, but he wouldn't have the patience to not start asking them right away.
As Tachihara feared, his father decided to use his silver tongue for nefarious purposes, ruining the interrogation within the first minutes.
The accusation was unexpected. If it weren't for his ability to quickly adapt, he would already be dead. After all, the best lies are built on the truth, and Tachihara took advantage of this: he really wasn't Hayashi's personal spy, and he had no idea who it could be. Tachihara felt little shame as he loudly denied Hayashi's words, on the verge of being crushed to a crisp by the rage-crazed Hirotsu.
With the threat of instant death slightly diminished, Tachihara decided that the best course of action was to attack. So he revealed his relationship to the man on his own terms before Hayashi could do so by twisting some of the facts. He attacked his father with his own grievances, releasing only a tiny fraction of what had been pent up in his head for many, many years. It was therapeutic in a way. He had never had the opportunity to criticize Hayashi so openly as a child.
It didn't end perfectly, but he remained alive and unharmed. If he's lucky, he'll be acquitted. All that's left is to wait for Chuuya-san and hope that Hayashi won't say anything incriminating without him present. Again.
He and Hirotsu sat in a room with a long oval table and floor-to-ceiling windows facing east. Hirotsu sat across from him in a black leather chair a meter away from Tachihara. He seemed thoughtful, but not angry, more melancholy. Most likely he was thinking about Michizou and whether he could be trusted after today's discoveries. Tachihara couldn't blame him for doubting himself.
After accepting an undercover mission, he often wondered what his mafioso colleagues would react to if they found out about him. He imagined rage, threats, name-calling and curses. He thought he would survive it. But over time, he came to love his job in the Mafia and its people. Gradually, the pain of betrayal and endless questions of "why?" crept into his fantasies, as well as tears and denial (mostly from Higuchi Ne-san).
Today, he learned that these images were no match for reality. It was physically painful to see the impact Hayashi's lies had on his team, his dear friends. Especially Hirotsu and Gin. It was terrible, but there was simply no way out of Tachihara's delicate situation.
After all, just like the Port Mafia, he loves the Hunting Dogs.
On days when he feels brave enough, Tachihara can imagine spending the rest of his life providing Captain Fukuchi with bits of information about the Mori's activities, training with Tecchou-san and Jouno-san, carrying Teruko-san on his shoulders like her personal slave or horse while hearing the sounds of her childish laughter, and then in the evening, shamelessly continuing to fight side by side with Gin, watching Higuchi's hopeless crush on Akutagawa, pestering old man Hirotsu with his deliberately disgusting behavior.
He cannot keep both.
Undercover missions don't last forever, and someday the government will call their soldier back and he won't have the luxury of choice, because if he stays in the Mafia, he'll die without the reinforcing surgeries. Eventually he'll have to sacrifice something and most likely it will be his soul and conscience.
Tachihara, weighed down by these heavy thoughts, wrapped himself tighter in Hirotsu's coat, which the man had not yet demanded to be returned. The man caught this small gesture, bringing himself out of his trance. Hirotsu's eyes bored into Tachihara, but it was not like Hayashi's. He was observing, not delving into his soul, looking for answers to his unasked questions.
In his current state, Tachihara would have willingly given them to him if he had asked, despite all the laws of common sense. He felt like a guilty little boy, willing to do anything to make up for his guilt. He didn't want to disappoint the old man even more. The humiliation of his conversation with his father still burned in his stomach, and Tachihara hung his head in shame, unable to play a staring contest with Hirotsu.
"Look at me," Hirotsu demanded again.
Tachihara winced and immediately sat up straight. He could feel his shoulders beginning to ache from the effort of maintaining his perfect posture, - a reaction to the commanding voice, a holdover from his military upbringing that demanded perfection from him and his subsequent service as a Hunting Dog.
Tachihara remained silent and unblinking, eyes wide open, awaiting the verdict from the old man in the monocle. Hirotsu only sighed and frowned as if he didn't like what he saw.
"It was because of this behavior that I began to suspect you," Hirotsu whispered under his breath, but not quietly enough. Then, as if coming to his senses, he turned to Michizou: "Don't be a pathetic coward, Tachihara. Of all the people here, you look the most like a real mafioso. If you're telling the truth, then there's no need for you to be so nervous."
Hirotsu stood up and went to the window to smoke, giving Tachihara a view of his bare back. Without a coat in just a shirt, his shoulders looked smaller than Tachihara was used to.
It seemed that Hirotsu believed Michizou's words, that he was not a spy at all, but that he was simply unlucky enough to have Hayashi as a parent. This gesture of trust, coupled with the peculiar words of encouragement he had just heard, made Tachihara's heart clench painfully.
The foolish old man has already decided that he is going to step on the same rake, trusting Tachihara once again. Tachihara wants to grab him, scream at him, force him to open his eyes and see all the lies that permeate his every word and action. But he does not do it. He really is a pathetic coward.