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Sayama had just discovered the truth. Everything about her family had finally been laid out in front of her, and there was only one thing left to do. Of course, that all depended on how Kazuma Kiryu reacted to her connection to Goda Ryuji, but she internally knew what he would do. It always seemed that man couldn't be stopped once he had started, and he had started a fight with the other Dragon—her last remaining blood family. She knew this and had prepared for this, she was going to do everything in her power to reach Ryuji before Kiryu could, which was why she was rushing to Serena as soon as she could.
Sayama had left the Osaka Prefectural Police and already returned to Kamurocho, speed walking in search of the nearest taxi. She knew Kiryu would be well on his way to Serena, but maybe if she could get there first, she could prevent him from learning about her newfound half brother. Anything that could give her more time to stop both of them from getting hurt any further she was willing to do. Upon reaching a taxi, she informed the driver of her destined location as she took her seat, disc placed next to her on the chairs.
"Tenkaichi St., please. I am in a bit of a rush, but please don't feel too pressured."
"I will get you there as quickly and safely as I can."
Following her arrival and subsequent payment and expression of gratitude for the driver, she stood in front of the elevator for a brief moment before turning into the alley behind and making her way up the flight of stairs. Her shoes echoed loudly with each metallic step, a loud reminder of just how close she was now to facing this situation head on. But Sayama had already made it this far, there wasn't much room for hesitation. With one hand gripping the disc from Kurahashi's body and the other on the doorknob, she opened the door to Serena and made her first step indoors.
The first thing she noticed was a significant lack of Kiryu and Haruka's presence. From where she stood, he would have surely been visible by then, and even if he wasn't, Haruka would have almost certainly been sitting (or sleeping considering the late hour) on one of the sectional sofas on the side of the building. Before she could take any further steps to examine the other half of the area, she was alerted by an unfamiliar voice.
"Date-san..."
To satisfy her curiosity and prudence, she jumped into view almost as if she was clearing the room. The image before her was one of a compromising origin—Sayama thought. Seated on the black sofa was a man who screamed professional by every standard—slicked jet black hair, a pine green tie to accompany the grey suit she would have almost assumed was tailor-made, and thin glasses framing the stoic look on his face. Hovering over him was none other than Date, both his hands planted on the space of the chair above each side of the man's shoulders. His body casted a dark shadow over the man below him, whose face remained otherwise blank despite the closeness between the two.
Sayama dared to wonder how much of that closeness would cease to exist had she come any later. No matter how she looked at it, the whole scene felt rather intimate—like the door had forgotten to be locked. Even the way the two of them shifted their heads to face her reminded her of the guilty faces of men she had caught red-handed in crime before.
Maybe there was just a little room for hesitation.
“Oh, I’m sorry. I-I’ll come back later,” Sayama stuttered despite how much she tried avoiding it. She turned 180 degrees as fast as she could manage, hoping looking away would erase the memory of this situation altogether. She didn't give either of them a chance to explain themselves as she exited the effectively abandoned bar.
“Sayama-”
By then, Date and Sudo practically forgot about the quarrel that had led them to this position in the first place. Technically, this hadn't been the first time a disagreement led to Sudo being pinned down by his senior, but it was the first time it had been seen in such a different light. They both turned to face each other again, but Sudo quickly broke eye contact, staring at something behind Date as if it were the most intriguing artifact he'd ever seen. He wished Date would find fascination in something behind him as well, but it seemed not all wishes come true. If he was ever thankful for his ability to remain poker-faced, it was right now.
Both of them felt a strong obligation to say something—anything—to break the uncomfortable silence, but they also weren't sure if they should wait for the other to speak first. Sudo was really in no position to move, so in a sense, he was under the mercy of Date to create much needed distance between them.
Date finally stood straight and removed his arms that had cornered Sudo, brushing off the sides of his coat to keep his hands busy. He cleared his throat and spoke with a deep sigh, “Just.. don't forget what I told you, Sudo,” he paused as he backed away, “Kiryu and Haruka should be coming soon.”
Date sat back down as Sudo gave a nod of acknowledgement, silence creeping in again as they sat in wait. And in the silence, they both came to the conclusion that they'd continue to act as if nothing happened. Even explaining the reality to Sayama whenever she returned didn't seem worth bringing up the situation again. The implications of her misunderstanding wasn't something either of them wanted to dwell on.
Maybe if Kiryu spent less time singing, playing UFO catcher, and drinking with the Three Musketeers, all of this could've been avoided.
