Chapter Text
チクタク チクタク
君と交わす とりとめのない言葉 結わいて
チクタク チクタク
お別れの頃合いになっただけ
口元に残る甘さはどこへやろう?(Tick tock, tick tock,
The jumbled words we trade, they intertwine,Tick tock, tick tock,
It’s about time to say our farewells,Where did that lingering sweetness on my lips vanish to?)
A sharp, stabbing pain in his chest had him shooting up from his seat.
Seth’s pen slipped from his fingers and clattered on the floor. Wheezing from the unwelcome sensation, he squeezed his eyes shut and bit his tongue in a frail attempt to block it out, wincing at the metallic taste of blood. Wait no, that was a bad idea. Now the other party would have to deal with a stinging tongue on top of… whatever this daily form of torture was.
It begins, a voice at the back of his head sighed wearily.
The lynx Thiren dismissed the varying reactions from his coworkers to his impromptu spectacle. Some officers offered him curious gazes and sympathetic smiles while others snickered amongst each other. What, have they never experienced tremors or aches of such severity from their soulmates?
A minute passed, or maybe five—Seth wouldn’t know. Following the initial shock, the pain had barely dwindled to a hot throb in his ribcage. Flushing with humiliation, the PubSec officer tried to ignore the scrutinizing stares and return to work. Which was easier said than done, as warm pressure continued to bloom under the vest of his uniform, forcing a cough out of him every now and then.
“Damn, wonder what kind of mess your Prince Charming got themself into this time.”
Seth looked up to find a certain teal-haired menace towering over him, the ghost of a smirk seeping through the Intelligent Construct’s typically blank features.
“Leave me alone, Qingyi,” he grumbled, tail flicking with annoyance.
Qingyi promptly ignored his request, sparing the myriad of reports scattered across the desk a passing glance. “I’m curious too, you know. It’s not common for someone to have chest pains this often. Unless, they’ve got a hobby of stabbing themselves for funsies or something.”
“Wait, that can be a hobby—?”
“Let him be, Qingyi.”
Perhaps both Zhu Yuan and Qingyi had a sixth sense for whenever the poor lynx Thiren would have his lungs pressed down like a water balloon (the fact he could feel his own lungs was very concerning), because they would frequently pop in whenever Seth’s body decided to screw him over. Or, his soulmate’s body, for lack of a better term. Zhu Yuan joined them with a steaming mug of coffee in her hand, eyes narrowed.
“You guys act like I asked his other half to do that to him,” Qingyi quipped with a scoff. “I’m just checking if my favourite co-worker is alright.”
“You call everyone your favourite co-worker,” Seth reminded tiredly through the lingering burn in his chest. He was certain that the automaton got a kick from teasing him about his supposed life partner whenever she got the chance to.
“What, do you think you’re second to someone else? Wow Seth, I’m hurt—”
“That’s enough, Qingyi,” Zhu Yuan said firmly. Her expression softened as her attention shifted from the novice investigator to the literal sad, pathetic, sopping wet cat. “Seth, how are you feeling?”
“Terrible.” He stopped trying to hide how shitty these repeated occurrences would make him feel a long time ago, but then again, it wasn’t as though he was any good at lying.
His squad captain took a swing from her mug and gave Seth’s shoulder a reassuring squeeze. “Why not take a break? You’ve been working hard all day, and I know you won’t be able to focus while dealing with this.”
Seth blinked. “Huh?”
“I’ll brew you some tea. It may not be of much help, but a strong drink should take your mind off of things.” Without giving him a chance to argue, Zhu Yuan left the office, throwing glares that screamed mind your own business at anyone eavesdropping.
Damn, the captain could be real scary when she wanted to be.
“Hope you and your soulmate feel better soon,” Qingyi said with a wave of her metallic hand. Although her tone was deadpan, Seth knew her long enough to know she was being sincere.
Once Qingyi had vanished from his line of sight, Seth sighed and rested his head on his desk, swallowing another cough. The pain in his chest was at a moderate simmer, yet still intense enough to hurt.
Whoever you are, I hope you’re okay, Seth thought, lazily tracing circles into the surface of his desk. If the second-hand pain was this brutal, whatever was causing it was probably ten times worse.
Even after the world’s population dwindled to a fraction, the intimate phenomenon of soulmates did not fade into ancient history.
Nearly every organic lifeform in New Eridu was said to have one—a visceral, inexplicable link between two people. When one experienced physical pain, the other felt it too. A sudden scrape to the knee, a shattered bone—even a dismembered appendage’s stimulus would be transferred through the tether between soulmates. A mere finger prick would sting just as much for the other party as the one with the injury, and a punch to the gut in Lumina Square could send someone all the way in Blazewood crumpling.
In rare cases, some people could experience the excruciating physical trauma of their soulmate’s death.
These spiritual links between soulmates have been documented long before Old Eridu fell, but even now, no one has fully understood them. Unlike what one might find in old romantic epics, there aren’t any visual indicators or a guaranteed way to identify the individual one is bound to. Most soulmates meet by chance—one case that was all over the soulmate forums last month involved two college students in a psychology lecture with a phantom ache in the same molar (Seth didn’t get why people found that incident romantic. Was he the weird one for thinking it’s gross?). Others, tragically, go their entire lives without ever discovering who was on the receiving end of their pain.
Seth has been haunted by these sharp inflictions ever since he was… an infant. He’d often wake up crying because some otherworldly force decided to use his heart as a stress ball or attempt to push his chest inwards at least every other day. The lynx Thiren’s parents initially thought he had a dangerous underlying condition and would frequently drag their son to the walk-in clinic (and advertise to everyone in the waiting room that their “precious angel is dying!”).
The results were always the same—Seth was perfectly healthy whereas his soulmate was the one suffering.
Naturally, their fussing only worsened when his chest pains became accompanied by small, annoying pricks to the nape of his neck.
Unlike the aches in his upper torso that came out of the blue, this new pain seemed to have a set schedule. They always occurred around the same time, as though the other party made a routine of injuring themself there. Fortunately, they didn’t hurt as much as the tremors that have taken residence in Seth’s body without paying rent, but the degree of the pain didn’t make them any less bothersome to deal with.
Just what was his soulmate doing to themself? Voluntarily allowing mosquitoes to drink their blood? Getting poked by an impish classmate’s pencil?
Thankfully, these nips stopped entirely when Seth was twelve. This should’ve brought him some consolidation, but as the years went by, his initial, annoying aches only got more difficult to handle.
It was funny—his peers considered the soulmate system to be a blessing. Maybe that was the case for most people, but to Seth, these white hot flashes were a curse he couldn’t escape.
To nobody’s surprise, his parents continued to humiliate him by hosting online witch hunts for anyone who had had the slightest heartburn, and would drag him to those stupid, over-hyped Soul Link events. They were just speed dating sessions for single citizens (no Lizzie, Seth is not your soulmate and does not want to take you as his plus-one for the upcoming Lumina Square Winter Gala.)! The crowds and noise level were overwhelming enough—he did not need people to keep asking if they could pinch him every five minutes!
That being said, Seth didn’t want to revolve his entire life around a person he might never meet. Who’s to say his partner isn’t a total dick? There have been countless tales in which people finally found their soulmate only to quickly learn that they’re a terrible person.
Besides, there are more important things to attend to, like fulfilling his duties as a Public Security officer!
Something he was trying to accomplish at this very moment.
Today, there was a CD signing and meet-and-greet event for a popular EDM artist in Lumina Square. The musician wasn’t as famous as Astra Yao, yet well-known enough to garner a huge cult following. Who, like a lot of artists, may have a handful of fans who don’t understand personal boundaries. Hence, Seth and several other officers were assigned to monitor the area and ensure people don’t get too close to the celebrity.
The lynx Thiren loved his job and would usually do any task asked of him—but today, he wanted nothing more than to head home and take a nap.
Why? Well, a certain someone’s body decided to perform gymnastics inside their ribcage for half of the entire day. Although the pain had long departed, Seth felt physically and mentally exhausted from today's ordeal. He wasn’t in any mood to hang around traffic cones and prevent citizens from butting the line for another two hours. The summer heat and excited chatter were already a lot.
Huh, now that he considered it, this negative line of thinking almost matched—
“Well, if it isn’t my dear Junior!”
Speak of the devil, and he shall appear.
The lynx Thiren’s face grew warm, eyes widening. Ears flicking in the direction of the laid-back voice, Seth kept his gaze on the ever-growing crowd.
“Senior Asaba,” he greeted politely as the patter of footsteps came closer, “what brings you here?”
“Hm~? Do I now need permission to visit PubSec workers?”
Seth frowned, praying his flush would subside, and finally turned to face the executive officer. Harumasa had one of his usual I’m going to annoy the living shit out of you grins on, leaning against one of the aforementioned cones with his arms crossed. Just one glance at his casual demeanour sent butterflies rattling in the lynx Thiren’s stomach.
After the whole Ether drug incident, Seth and Harumasa’s relationship took a positive shift. Sure, they had attended the same academy together and shared several classes, but they seldom spoke to each other due to their diverging paths. Many of these rare conversations involved Harumasa teasing Seth while the latter studied in the library, or snide remarks about his older brother without reason (not that Seth didn’t understand where that resentment came from. Severian was… a rather unpleasant person, to put it lightly.).
Following their graduations, their talks would be brief and coated in fragile tension. Whenever they did cross paths, Harumasa would drop an offhanded insult about his career and work ethic, sending Seth’s fur on edge. He never understood why the dark-haired man would poke him with a stick and infuriate him at any given chance.
Then, the whole thing with Bringer happened, which inevitably brought everyone closer—and with Kirishima’s failed schemes, the rest was history. After Seth apologized for his outburst and Harumasa’s easy forgiveness, an unexpected fellowship formed between them. They would frequently text during their time off (read: Harumasa would spam Seth at two in the morning about the most random shit—such as if a hundred street cats can defeat a single gorilla.) or meet up for coffee on the weekends. It’s gotten to the point that the executive officer would drop by PubSec headquarters in the middle of the day when he was supposed to be working just to see the lynx Thiren.
This friendship that had bloomed out of nowhere was… nice. Whenever Harumasa spent time with him, Seth would feel a comforting sense of calm. People and their unspoken social rules had always been difficult for him to comprehend, but whenever the two were alone together, he never had to worry about slipping. Sure, he struggled wrapping his head around his senior’s metaphors at times, but the dark-haired man was always willing to break things down for him slowly.
And… Harumasa himself was amazing. He was ridiculously handsome, and insanely charming. Despite his teasing demeanour, the dark-haired man was extremely dedicated to protecting civilians from harm and eradicating Ethereals. The passion and devotion to his line of work were very evident.
Like a moth to a flame, Seth wanted to stay around with Harumasa as much as he could. Random things the executive officer saw would remind him of his senior—like a yellow piece of fabric or an H.S.O. marker. He’d find himself yearning for that warmth and attention without meaning to, and couldn’t pinpoint why.
Although, the lynx Thiren would rather not converse with anyone when he felt like he was on the brink of collapsing. Like, right now.
“No you don’t,” Seth eventually said with a sigh. “How have you been, Senior?”
Instead of receiving a relaxed or confident response, Harumasa’s smile faltered as he gave a tired sigh of his own. “Not so great. My, um, condition has been out for my ass since the morning. Thought seeing you would brighten up my day.”
A warm sting poked Seth’s heart, one he knew wasn’t from his soulmate. The rookie officer didn’t know every detail about Ether Aptitude Regression Syndrome, but he did understand that it was a horrible, unforgiving illness to live with. The symptoms that Harumasa would experience daily made Seth’s soulmate problems look like child's play.
“I’m really sorry,” he said softly. “Why didn’t you take the day off?” The H.S.O. uniform his senior was still wearing made it clear that he’d dragged himself to headquarters despite his situation.
“And trouble Tsukishiro with covering for me again? She already had to fill out a ton of paperwork last week ‘cus I couldn’t get out of bed without…” Harumasa gestured at his chest, letting his hands finish that statement for him.
“Yeah, but… does it still hurt? Shouldn’t you be resting right now?”
At that, the executive officer’s trademark grin returned in a flash, as though it’d never fallen. “Nope~! Besides, just being around you, Junior, has already revitalized me!”
“Sure…” Seth rolled his eyes, utterly unconvinced that his appearance alone was enough to return his senior to peak condition. Those smiles the archer wore were like armor, meant to shield him from public scrutiny. Even though they had reached a significant degree of closeness, the lynx Thiren wished Harumasa would be more truthful with him. Did he not trust him enough to let those walls fall?
Before he could dwell on that, a sudden thought hit the officer.
“You’re still on the clock, right?” Seth asked. “Does the Deputy Chief know you’re here?”
Harumasa clicked his tongue and shook his head. “No, but she wouldn’t have noticed me leaving either way. Tsukishiro’s been constantly texting your co-worker like a love-struck schoolgirl, and I’m supposed to be the resident slacker.”
Seth scoffed, though he didn’t feel a semblance of annoyance. If anything, he preferred the dark-haired man being outside instead of aggravating his condition by staying confined to that office.
That being said, the fact that Jane Doe of all people was Tsukishiro Yanagi’s soulmate scrambled his brain. While the criminal behaviour specialist was cunning and flirtatious, Yanagi was diligent and serious—the person who kept Section 6 from falling at their seams. Considering how different they were from one another, the idea of them as a couple was borderline fiction. Yet, despite everything, Jane and Yanagi shared a spiritual bond.
And they made it work!
To Seth’s surprise, Jane was very committed to making Yanagi happy. He’s only met the pink-haired woman a handful of times through the rat Thiren, but it was obvious how much his co-worker loved the Deputy Chief. Their interactions were adorable, free from any of the manipulation or deceit that Jane had projected toward the Mountain Lion Gang.
Seth was glad that Jane finally found her soulmate, along with the fact that she was an amazing person. If only he could find his own one day… then at the very least he’d learn why he was in constant pain—
“Anyways,” the officer snapped out of his thoughts at the sound of Harumasa’s voice, “any luck finding your own partner?”
The lynx Thiren pouted, enticing a soft chuckle from his senior. “Don’t call them that. And no,” his tail coiled around his leg subconsciously, “nothing’s changed.”
Something flashed across Harumasa’s face at that… relief? Or was it regret?
Before Seth could properly register it, the ravenette’s expression shifted again. “Well, whoever they are, I’m sure they’d fall head over heels for you!” He ruffled the younger man’s hair playfully. “Who wouldn’t want to spend their life with a cute, loyal officer like yourself?”
“H-hey!”
Although the archer could be a pain in the ass, his teasing certainly lifted Seth out of his funk. He felt lighter, and hardly remembered what he’d been so bummed out about.
If anyone saw Seth’s tail unwind and start wagging during their banter, no, they didn’t. That was a figment of their imagination. His heart definitely didn’t flutter at Harumasa’s laugh either.
Hello soulmate DO YOU NEED HELP
(i/soulmatesearch)
[u/Seth_Lowell]
Filter Tags: (Support)
I (22M) have experienced pain from my soulmate since the age of 2. I feel it almost daily, mainly in my chest area. Their pain has only gotten worse over the years, to the point that I can’t walk on some days. As I am a PubSec officer, my line of work involves a lot of physical activity, and the pain that is transferred from my soulmate makes it difficult to complete important tasks.
My reason for making this post is not to find my soulmate or vent about how much of a hindrance their struggles are. I just want to ask about their well-being.
Whoever you are, are you okay? It’s not normal for someone to get hurt like this repeatedly! I’m surprised that you’re still alive! My senior said you might be stabbing yourself! That’s not a good thing!
If this pain is self-inflicted, please get some help. Maybe talk to a mental health specialist. I don’t know a thing about you, but I would never want anyone to hurt themselves intentionally. Your life is very precious; don’t throw it away. A lot of people would be upset if anything happened to you. Or if somebody else is hurting you, PubSec is a call away. None of us tolerate domestic violence, and we will put a stop to it immediately. And if you’re intentionally getting yourself into fights; stop it. That can cause a lot of long-term health complications! Underground fights and gang activity is very illegal anyways, and I don’t want to have to arrest you over avoidable, criminal activity.
That’s all I wanted to say today. If you would like to discuss things in private, my Knock-Knock messages are open. Have a great day, and stay safe.
30+ replies↴ | 123 ↑
u/PhaethonSucks
wait this is fucking adorable.
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u/Seth_Lowell @PhaethonSucks
Is it? I was trying to help them but… thank you??
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u/PhaethonSucks @Seth_Lowell
np my guy, gl with finding this jerk
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u/Seth_Lowell @PhaethonSucks
I wouldn’t call them a jerk, but thanks again!
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u/didsomeonesaypie i envy ur innocence ngl. Tis a cruel world…
u/GenChopsTiddies
WAIT IS THIS COMMISSIONER LOWELLS BABY BRO????
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u/Seth_Lowell @GenChopsTiddies
Um yes? How do you know me? Do you work for NEPS?
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u/GenChopsTiddies @Seth_Lowell
Nope, but I’ve seen you at the academy! Hru?
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u/Seth_Lowell @GenChopsTiddies
I’m alright! How about you?
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u/GenChopsTiddies @Seth_Lowell
Good good! So, you’re having soulmate problems? Wanna talk about it?
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u/Seth_Lowell @GenChopsTiddies
Sure! I’ll send you a message request in a bit.
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[deleted-user] @Seth_Lowell
Rich bitch acting like his family ain’t fucking billionaires 👁️👄👁️
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u/Seth_Lowell @[deleted-user]
But we’re not?
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u/GenChopsTiddies @[deleted-user]
Dude sybau🖕That has nothing to do with our convo
u/_astrayaostan
pookie is more worried about his soulmate than his own pain. mad respect 💪
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u/Seth_Lowell @astrayaostan
Thank you but I’m okay! I can handle it!
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u/_astrayaostan @Seth_Lowell
ur yap sesh suggests otherwise but i’ll take your word for it
u/AnyoneGotHotWater
Seth get off your phone or I’m telling Zhu Yuan.
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u/Seth_Lowell @AnyoneGotHotWater
I’m on break!
“I didn’t think you were the type to doomscroll while on the job, kitty~”
Seth yelped and quickly closed the app. This reflex reaction unfortunately amplified the staggering ache in his chest and flung him into another coughing fit. Just as it started, one manicured hand slowly pulled him into a proper sitting position while the other gently rubbed his back until his attack ended.
The lynx Thiren was about to scratch at his throat when a slender tail batted at his fingers.
“Uh uh, don’t do that,” a certain rat Thiren instructed, “leave your throat alone.”
Seth nodded awkwardly, burying his face in his hands in embarrassment. He heard Jane’s heels click toward the kitchen and the rush of water from the filter shortly after. His co-worker returned with a paper cup filled below the brim.
“Thanks, Jane,” he said as he accepted it, voice hoarse. The lynx Thiren downed half of the water and took a moment to catch his breath.
“You’re very welcome, kitty.” Jane propped herself up on his desk, pushing the invoice the young man had been working on earlier out of the way. “I’m sorry for startling you.”
“It’s not your fault!” the officer quickly said. He took another sip and pressed his free hand against his temple. “My coughs would’ve returned sooner or later.”
Jane smiled sympathetically. “It seems like your soulmate is really going through it today, huh? I heard from Qingyi that you have been in a lot of physical distress since this morning.”
“Well, yeah… but it’s not like it’s anything new.”
“Is that why you posted a public service announcement this morning?”
Seth’s ears perked up, his face reddening. “You saw that?” Did she see the forum on his screen before he dismissed it?
Jane gave him an unimpressed look. “You really need to make a throwaway account for things like these, kitty.”
The officer groaned, prompting another laugh out of the criminal behaviour specialist.
“That being said,” Jane started, her tone more serious, “have you had any progress finding them?”
Seth sighed. “No, I haven’t found any leads.” He has had people message him upon seeing his other forum rants, only to realize the pain they’d be struck with around the same time was pure coincidence. It felt like he was chasing a ghost. “At this point, I’ve given up.”
“Now now, no one said finding your soulmate was a simple quest,” the rat Thiren said. “I learned Yanagi was mine on a random Tuesday. She crashed into that frozen pole while I was passing by and the rest,” she mimed a blow at herself dramatically, “was history.”
The lynx Thiren found himself smiling. For some reason, hearing about Jane and her partner’s shenanigans always lifted his spirit, even if it made him feel somewhat lonely.
“As amazing as it’d be to experience something like that, I think the universe wants me to stay single,” he said with a light laugh.
“Oh please,” Jane scoffed, “if it did, it wouldn’t have tied your soul to someone who gets punched every afternoon.”
Seth raised an eyebrow. “You make it sound like they’re doing it on purpose.”
“Well, do you think they’re not?”
The mental debate on the pain being inflicted intentionally or not has crossed his mind many, many times. The idea of his soulmate committing self-harm made him sick to his stomach.
It made Seth feel… helpless. Like he was failing the other person by not doing a thing.
“I don’t know,” he admitted eventually, idly tracing the rim of his cup with his index finger. “All I know is that they’re in pain. I don’t know if it’s self-inflicted or if someone else is hurting them or…” He shook his head. “It’s like watching someone drown through a one-way mirror. You know they’re struggling, but you can’t pull them out—if that makes sense.” Seth was never good with interpreting sarcasm or metaphors, so he hoped he wasn’t spitting nonsense.
Jane’s expression softened. “And what if they saw your post?”
The lynx Thiren glanced at his phone—the screen had been constantly lighting up with fresh notifications. He hoped the chaotic comment section he’d left in his wake hadn’t been spammed with any rude copypastas.
“I hope they did,” he said. The officer finished his water with one final swig and tossed it into the wastebasket under his desk. “I… want them to know that someone out there cares.”
The rat Thiren slid off her co-worker’s desk gracefully, another gentle smile adorning her face. “You’re a good egg, kitty. A bit stupid about your online privacy, but a good person nevertheless.”
Seth looked down bashfully, making note to register an alternate account after work. Maybe he should delete all personal posts as well, just in case a malicious hacker came across his main account and decided to use them to make a quick buck.
“Thanks, Jane,” he said appreciatively, tail wagging. “The same goes for you—you’re a very good friend.”
Jane blinked, surprised, before laughing. “I’m glad to hear that.”
“Hey, Seth?” A monotone, metallic voice chimed from behind the office door. “How do I tell Zhu Yuan I burnt the water? I wanted hot water, but not like this.”
“…you did what?”
“…so that’s why little Soukaku and I are banned from Gravity Cinemas until the end of this month.”
Seth, shocked to the very end of Harumasa’s nonchalant summarization of the incident with Section 6’s beloved oni, swore his eyeballs were about to pop out from their sockets. His hand hung frozen above his bowl, chopsticks having long fallen into the noodles.
“Hello, Junior?”
The archer snapped his fingers in front of the former, breaking him out of his trance. Seth blinked a couple of times before remembering where they were and picking up his utensils. Taking a moment to collect himself, the lynx Thiren gave the human an unamused look.
“Was it–” he wet his lips, choosing his words carefully, “–really necessary to let her spoil the movie for everyone?”
“Hey now, I didn’t think she’d recount the entire plot and compare it to the novel’s,” Harumasa defended. “In her words, she just wanted the audience to know that the book’s ending was more satisfying. Nor did I expect her to steal six phones and hide them under the random seats until it ended…”
Seth held back a groan. To be fair, he couldn't argue with either of their reasoning (not using your phone in a theatre was basic movie etiquette), but weren't there better ways to go about things like this?
“That’s a good kid,” Chop Junior remarked, startling both officers. He stretched a clump of dough between his mechanical arms, humming with approval. “If someone were on their phone while the rest of us were trying to enjoy the show, I’d do more than just confiscate it. A little property damage will teach ‘em a nice lesson.” With those words left hanging in the air, the oni beamed innocently at an alarmed group of customers and slid them a paper menu.
The two watched the chef continue to prepare the noodles as though he hadn’t suggested something unethical. After a beat, Harumasa mumbled an uncertain, “…right.”
Shaking his head, Seth continued to eat in silence. The archer had invited him out for lunch that Saturday, which ended up serving as a surprisingly good distraction from his throbbing chest (and hey, it worked—he wasn’t in pain anymore!). It’d been a nice change of pace to catch up with his senior in person after a hectic week of intercepting a grand criminal operation.
…and it came with the side opportunity to spend more time with his friend—and douse in that near-addicting warmth.
…that sounds weird, doesn't it?
“Oh yeah, any updates on your soulmate?” Harumasa asked, stirring the broth in his bowl with his chopsticks.
“Why is everyone asking me that?” Was his love life that hot of a topic among H.S.O. and N.E.P.S.?
The archer smirked. “I can’t speak for the rest of New Eridu, but yesterday you seemed more pent up about them than usual. That keyboard crashout was adorable~”
Blood rushed to Seth’s face. Okay, that was on him for forgetting to switch to his new alternate account. “You’re… stalking my online activity?”
“Can it really be considered stalking when your username is Seth-underscore-Lowell?”
The PubSec officer buried his face in his hands. At this point, the jokes write themselves.
“My… brother witnessed one of my attacks last night,” he started, lowering his voice so Chop Junior or the other patrons wouldn’t overhear, “and decided to voice his opinion on the matter.” To sum things up; Severian's so-called advice led to a screaming match between the brothers and their parents holding them back from hurting each other. Projecting his anger onto his soulmate in a forum post was the least destructive way to blow off steam that came to mind at the time. Such was the cost of visiting his family—not all of them were happy to see him.
Harumasa’s expression softened into understanding. “Ew. You don't have to explain yourself. I can piece things together from here.”
Seth heaved a sigh, lowering his hands. “Thanks…”
“Don’t mention it. Pretty sure the guy’s just salty that he’s been bitchless all these years.”
That was another thing Seth liked about Harumasa—when it came to touchy subjects, the executive officer wouldn’t press people for answers. Even if the other party refused to say a word about whatever was plaguing their mind (unless they’re a suspect in an interrogation), his senior was more than content to accompany them in silence. And again, Harumasa’s presence was never unwelcome.
The white-haired man felt his phone vibrate three consecutive times in his pant pocket. Those were almost certainly more replies to an older post or comment thread of his. Seth fished it out, took one look at the red notification banner, and dismissed it—gently setting his phone down.
“You know, I’ve been thinking about this for a while, but…”
The lynx Thiren faced the archer again, ears twitching with interest. “But…?”
Harumasa rested his cheek on his palm before continuing, liquid gold glazed with contemplation. “Your Captain’s soulmate is the Chief, and Tsukishiro’s is your co-worker. Do you see the pattern?”
Seth frowned, thoroughly confused. “What pattern?” Where was he going with this?
“Tsukishiro and Miyabi work at H.S.O., and the other two are with PubSec. And since you’re associated with the latter…” He trailed off, waiting for the implication to settle.
What the hell was he talking about—
Then it hit him.
You’ve got to be kidding me…
The rookie officer gave the other man an unimpressed stare. “Are you saying my soulmate might be affiliated with H.S.O.?”
“It’s very likely, isn’t it?” Harumasa asked, a teasing lilt to his voice.
Seth groaned audibly and facepalmed, eliciting a satisfied laugh out of the archer. Moments like these reminded the lynx Thiren that his senior was indeed the same person he met back in the academy.
The idea of his soulmate being a member of H.S.O. or even H.A.N.D. sounded far too good to be true. If that really was the case, it’d make these past two decades of (not really) hunting for them a waste of time.
Jane and Zhu Yuan's circumstances were pure coincidence. Seth’s senior’s hypothesis wasn’t backed up by concrete evidence. It was a blind, premature assumption to think that he could’ve passed his soulmate dozens of times at H.A.N.D.’s headquarters.
“You’re just teasing me, aren’t you?” Seth asked, annoyance seeping into his question.
“Maybe I am, maybe I’m not. Who can say~?”
The lynx Thiren had the brief urge to sock the ravenette. Fortunately for Harumasa, Seth’s conscience held him back from doing so.
“Okay fine,” the dark-haired hellspawn said with his signature grin (that most certainly didn’t make the lynx Thiren’s heart spasm, no siree—), “I am indeed screwing with you. But it would be cool, wouldn’t it?”
This man is going to be the end of me, Seth thought, his skin turning the shade of Chop Junior’s skin.
“W-what about you?” he managed to get out. “How’s the search going on your end?”
Harumasa’s smile fell. “What search?”
“For your own soulmate? Has anything turned up?”
Realization dawned on the archer and his gaze drifted from the lynx Thiren’s innocent stare to the countertop.
“No,” he eventually said, his voice uncharacteristically soft and serious, “and I have no intention to track them down.”
Of all responses that Seth thought he’d get, the second half of that answer wasn’t something he fathomed.
Why would Asaba Harumasa, the guy who would flirt with anything that breathed back when they were naive students, not want to meet his potential life partner?
Swallowing, the officer followed up with, “What do you mean?”
Seth knew for a fact Harumasa had a soulmate of his own. Whenever the phantom aches used to assault the lynx Thiren while studying for midterms, the archer would gloat that he must’ve pissed off his soulmate beyond the point of forgiveness as his soulmate rarely got hurt. The PubSec officer envied his senior for not having to deal with an invisible, pointy dagger making its home between his breasts—blissfully unaware about the chronic illness looming over the latter’s shoulders like an angel of death.
For a while, Harumasa didn’t answer. His posture was stiff—tense gaze almost drilling holes into the wood of the countertop. He looked… upset? Conflicted?
Has something happened between the dark-haired man and his soulmate? Did Seth unknowingly bring up painful memories by asking about them?
Eventually, Harumasa dragged a hand down his face with a hesitant sigh.
“I guess… how do I put this…” The executive officer turned in his seat to face Seth, another unreadable expression contorting his delicate features, “I like the way things are at the moment, and don’t find the idea of a stranger who’s bound to me by fate squeezing their way into my life appealing.” He shifted in his seat, eyes downcast. “Plus, there’s the whole thing with my illness—I don’t want my soulmate to grow too attached to me and end up heartbroken when I finally pass.”
…huh. Seth supposed he could understand the first part of Harumasa’s reasoning as someone who doesn’t really get people. And again—he wasn’t all that sure if his own soulmate was a kind person to begin with. As long as they weren’t dying anytime soon, Seth was perfectly content with being acquainted with people he knew personally.
But the other half… the prospect of having a sword constantly hanging over one’s head must be terrifying. It was already upsetting to hear that Harumasa had resigned to his fate… or that his sense of self-worth was low enough to prioritize someone else’s happiness over his own.
It sounded… painful.
Senior… are you really okay?
“Besides,” a gentle, almost wistful smile painted Harumasa’s face, “there’s someone I already like.”
It took a few seconds for Seth to comprehend those words. As soon as he did, Harumasa’s smile vanished again and his hand flew to his mouth.
Concern immediately washed away the lynx Thiren’s intrigue. “Senior…?”
The ravenette sucked a breath through his teeth. “I—”
“Hey look, it’s Harumasamasa!”
Uh oh.
It was a known fact that each member of Section 6 possessed a massive fanbase, and Harumasa was no exception to that. Seth has seen several brief, uncomfortable encounters between his senior and his fandom on camera—a deranged army of thirsty simps who’d lose their shit whenever any poor lad or lady insulted their worshipped archer online. They were like an aggressive flock of seagulls fighting over a stray French fry on Port Elpis’ dock—completely oblivious to their surroundings.
And a horde of these fans had sighted the two and were approaching Waterfall Soup and its horrified owner, fast.
Before the PubSec officer could react, a warm, calloused hand closed around his own and ripped him from his seat. Heat rushed to his face at the sudden contact while his feet simultaneously became glued to the road.
“Thanks for the meal, Chop!” Harumasa exclaimed, haphazardly dropping a handful of Dennies that far exceeded the bill on the counter. “I’ll see you next week!”
Chop Junior’s wide-eyed stare wordlessly flitted to the money, then back to the rapidly approaching crowd.
“S-Senior, what are you doing—”
“Hey Junior,” the executive officer purred with a sly grin, “how much has your stamina improved over the years~?”
Seth immediately understood the assignment, and did not approve of it.
“A-a-absolutely not!” The lynx Thiren’s tail puffed up in alarm, his expression shifting into sheer disbelief. “I am n-not about to get trampled to death by y-your groupies because—"
“Harumasamasa is holding that Thiren’s hand!”
“Are they his soulmate?”
“Eh?! Harumasamasa has a secret partner?!”
“FUCK THAT! HE’S SUPPOSED TO HOLD MY HAND!”
Harumasa didn’t give the other man a chance to scream that he wasn’t his senior’s arm candy as he took off the second the cameras started flashing—dragging Seth along with him.
This was not how the lynx Thiren wanted his afternoon to go.
Unfortunately, rather than discouraging the mob to pursue their idol, the sudden dash through the streets only fueled their excitement—resulting in a cliché, high-stakes chase scene. Some fans appeared thrilled that the H.S.O. agent may or may not have eloped with someone (everyone loves a sprinkle of boys’ love in their lives) while others were pissed that their celebrity crush had been swept off his feet by some random person. Seth didn’t register the colourful blend of curses and insults flung at him as he was more focused on Not Dying™ to this stampede.
The icing on the cake?
Harumasa was enjoying every second of this.
“Farewell, everyone~!” the ravenette shouted, blowing a kiss over his shoulder. “Try to keep up with my adorable partner and I!”
This gesture, unironically, made the mob squeal louder.
Seth, his heart threatening to burst out of his chest and the dreaded pain rushing back in full swing—snapped his head to glare at his senior. “W-why would you call me that?!”
“Why not?!” Harumasa retaliated with a maniacal cackle.
Seth could’ve rattled off the entire damn list, but his complaints were the least of his priorities. He struggled to catch up with the idiot who roped him into this mess, relieved that he continued to train even after graduating from the academy, and kept his eyes peeled for any oncoming vehicles that could pulverize them.
And then, right when the debacle of a pursuit was reaching its peak, Harumasa pulled him into an alley nestled between a café and a post office. He pulled them as far back as he possibly could—deep enough to be hidden from quick glances while providing an optimal view of the outside streets.
The lynx Thiren held his breath and watched the hooting mob charge right past the opening. When Seth was sure they weren’t going to return, he leaned against the cafe’s wall and pressed his free hand against the site of the ache.
His knees felt weak from sprinting, and his ears rang despite the only present noises being heavy pants and distant blares of car horns. It wasn’t the worst aftermath following a stressful encounter that Seth had experienced… but he would’ve preferred avoiding something like this altogether.
Those cameras definitely got a clear shot of his visage. Seth would be lucky if any posts with those photos went under the radar (who was he trying to fool; these were Harumasa’s fans he was talking about.). For heavens’ sake—what was his senior thinking? Did he find dragging his acquaintances into public drama entertaining?
Just as Seth was about to interrogate the little shit for his juvenile stunt, lecture ready on the tip of his tongue, a sharp cough that wasn’t his rang through the alley.
Harumasa’s eyes were sealed shut, his body weighed down by the burden of an invisible force—real, first-hand pain, not Seth’s psychic chest whacks. As he trembled, the archer repeatedly coughed dry, harsh bursts into the crook of his elbow.
The officer stepped back, his irritation fading into concern. “Senior?”
Harumasa gasped and flippantly waved him off. “I-I’m fine,” he said after another bout of coughs. “Sorry, I n-need a moment.”
Dumbfounded, and feeling rather useless, Seth could only nod. Dammit, if only he had water on him like Jane did during his own coughing fit… what else could he do in a situation like this?
It was then that Seth finally noticed that they were still holding hands. Which, in turn, made him wonder how he hadn’t spontaneously combusted on the spot.
Typically, the PubSec officer despised being touched without his consent. Shaking hands with a sergeant or detective would leave him distressed, and hugs from strangers made him want to lock himself in his room until his body no longer felt like it was corroding.
One could imagine why he despised Soul Link events so much. Truthfully, Seth hated them for a variety of unrelated factors, but the prospect of having to touch other people or get poked a dozen times roused great discomfort within him.
His sorry excuse for a brother never cared for his boundaries and would go out of his way to intentionally violate them just to watch the younger boy squirm.
Seth has only been okay with being touched by people he trusted or was quite close with—such as Jane, who’d gently tap the young man’s shoulder to prevent him from zoning out or giving into burnout, or the captain, who’d pull Seth out of the firing range of bullets from criminal gangs. So in any other case, the lynx Thiren would’ve harshly retracted his hand and retreated into himself.
But right now, for some inexplicable reason… he didn’t feel averse to the hand intertwined with his own. If anything, he didn’t want Harumasa to pull away.
His touch was… magnetic. Comforting, even. It made Seth crave more of it and not want to lose that contact. Which may or may not have been what pushed him to do the one thing he never imagined doing to another person.
Pushing out all invasive thoughts from his mind and how horribly this could backfire, the lynx Thiren gave Harumasa’s hand a gentle squeeze.
To his surprise, the grip around his own hand tightened.
Oh. Was that a good sign?
After one final cough, the dark-haired man took a moment to gather his bearings before standing to his full height. “Well, that was humiliating…”
Seth tilted his head to the side, briefly wincing at the fresh prickles skittering across his chest. “Are you okay now?”
Harumasa hummed, eyebrows knitted with frustration. “I’ve been better,” he admitted, “though it was worth getting away from prying eyes.” He unzipped his waist bag and rummaged through it.
The rookie officer flattened an ear. “I don’t think there’s any value to sacrificing your health under any circumstance. Why did you decide to run away?” And why take me with you is what he doesn’t say.
“Because,” soft golden eyes met Seth’s as the archer whipped out an unused blister pack and pushed a pill out of the protective foil into his palm, “as much as I love my fans, they’re stubborn and clingy to a fault. Had I stuck around, I’d be trapped until dawn.” He swallowed the pill dry, cringing at the aftertaste. “And I know you don’t like crowds and people screaming at the top of their lungs—you’d probably become overstimulated after a couple of minutes of their antics.”
“Hey, my ears aren’t that sensitive—”
“Plus, I didn’t want them to infringe on our private time.”
Seth was stunned by how casually Harumasa uttered that last part.
His senior… valued their companionship so much to the point he’d ditch his own fans? And he considered their weekend outing “private time”?
Wow, Seth never took Harumasa to be this considerate of others. He… liked the idea of being cherished by him. A lot more than he’d like to admit.
By now, his heart was threatening to send him to the emergency ward by how fast it was dancing under his ribs.
“Um—” Seth cleared his throat, his tail wagging shyly. “T-thank you, Senior.”
“Harumasa.”
“Huh?”
Harumasa smiled bashfully, as though he had something to be embarrassed about. “We’ve known each other for a long time, Seth. I’d like it if you were to address me by my first name.” His grin dissolved as he looked away. “O-only if you want to, though. I don’t want to pressure you into doing something so insignificant.”
Seth felt as though he was dreaming. In their line of work, the titles “Junior” and “Senior” were used to show general acknowledgement and respect. A first-name basis, on the other hand, emphasized a deep level of closeness. Seth was used to being addressed by his first name by his colleagues for so long that he never gave it much thought.
But for Harumasa to ask him to do the same? Was he deserving of this privilege?
Something of this degree felt too personal.
Seth’s gut churned from a blend of excitement and anxiety (and his usual pain). Trying not to overthink things and screw up, he took a deep breath, and whispered, “Harumasa.”
Whoa.
It was insane how smoothly the name rolled off his tongue. His head spun, vision blurring as he feebly attempted to determine if this conversation was actually happening or if he’d finally gone mad.
What was this feeling? It’s not joy or admiration… was it?
The expression of the man in question shifted into astonishment before settling into a genuine smile. The rosy flush that coated his face enhanced his beauty tenfold.
“Thank you, Seth.”
Seth nodded and smiled in kind. Although, underneath his cool façade, the PubSec officer was kicking and screaming like a schoolgirl asked out by her crush.
They spent the next few minutes loitering in that alley just in case a nosy fan happened to pass by and catch them. Eventually, once they were sure nobody would pester them, Harumasa led the lynx Thiren back to the main streets.
The hand entwined with his felt protective and grounding. Seth ran his thumb down the dark-haired man’s knuckle to his fingernail as they walked, committing each crease and crack of chipped nail polish to memory. The lynx Thiren didn’t want to let go and lose that gentle heat threading through his fingers and into his nerves.
And yet, despite the serenity between them, a small, nagging voice that Seth tried his hardest to ignore reminded him of what his senior allowed to slip back at Chop Junior’s stall—that he had feelings for someone.
It shouldn’t have bothered him as much as it did. Why should Seth care about where Harumasa’s affections lie? He didn’t have any authority over who the archer could date and couldn’t. Who he liked was nobody’s business, and clearly, judging by the ravenette’s reaction, it wasn’t something that was supposed to slip out.
Then… why did the idea of Harumasa liking someone hurt so badly?