Chapter Text
“I lost it.”
The subsequent punch to the face was routine by this point, as was this entire situation. To the extent that from the moment Aoba caught sight of his expression, he knew. Neko cost them money, and he’d pay for it in blood.
Soon, other members joined in, and his groans mingled with the sounds of broken branches and rain.
Aoba duly noted the horror in the expressions of his fellow bystanders, but all he felt was apathy. Neko’s shortcomings were making him more of a liability than an asset. The difficulty in trafficking Heaven’s Slave had significantly increased after the appearance of Masaomi Kida. Aoba understood Ran’s frustration, especially since Neko’s “accidents” were likely anything but.
If Ran became aware that Nezo was a junkie, Aoba’s brother would commit murder instead of manslaughter. And if the circumstances of their relationship were different, perhaps he would have remained a bystander. But a fact hung over Aoba’s head as he watched blows rain down the idiot he called his friend. Neko was loyal, and therefore worth protecting. As Aoba’s eyes were drawn to the bruised and twitching body of Neko, a few things became clear for him. That it was time for the Blue Squares, as a group, to change. And more importantly, that Ran had overstayed his welcome as the leader. These facts drove his next actions.
He smoothed his features into a polite smile as he took a careful step forward.
“The way this is going, he’ll be lucky to walk away from this at all.” Aoba said calmly and his brother turned to face him with a scowl.
“You have something to say in his defense? Are you going to explain why this is the third time this has happened in two months? I think it should be you who explains this bullshit to Shijima.” Ran snapped. Aoba managed to keep his expression neutral as his lips threatened to pull into a smirk. He was well aware of the greater extent to which this would impact Ran. If Shijima no longer wanted to do business with him, well…..
“Are you going to be the one to bury his corpse?” Aoba asked politely and Ran’s eyes narrowed. Neko coughed and was rewarded with a swift kick to the back.
“That’s what you said last time. And guess who fucked up again?” Ran muttered.
“Ran has a point, Aoba. Going easy on Neko hasn’t done him any favors. He can consider this a stronger reminder.” Higa chimed in as Aoba shrugged.
“Yeah but is a concussion really going to help him remember?”
“You fucking smartass,” Ran growled as he advanced on Aoba, Neko’s pummeled, twitching body left forgotten.
“I’m just offering a helpful opinion.” Aoba claimed as he resisted the urge to add more distance between them. This was not the time to show any weakness. Not when he already risked his brother’s wrath.
“Bullshit-” He broke off at the sound of Neko vomiting. Aoba barely managed to prevent his pleasant smile from turning into an icy one.
“He looks like he could use a break, don’t you think?” Aoba asked as he nodded towards Neko, innocent smile maintained. Ran’s gaze didn’t stray from his brother’s face as silence descended upon the gang. Aoba’s gaze didn’t waver either as the storm’s intensity increased. The slow rain became a growing thunderstorm as he waited for his brother to decide.
The sound of footsteps quickly wiped said expression from his face.
“Well, what kind of party is this? This doesn’t look too friendly.” Kida’s voice came from the shadows, as the young man stepped into view. The young detective had moved nearby only a few weeks ago. Aoba had predicted that the man’s presence would be…...problematic, but not this early.
“We’re looking after a friend. Neko had an unfortunate fall,” Aoba said smoothly as he crouched down next to his “friend.” His squeezed the other man’s shoulder carefully.
“Are you doing okay now?”
“Yes I just need some help home. They had already offered to help me,” Neko managed, even adding a smile for character.
Maybe he wasn’t so useless after all.
“We were just bringing him back,” Aoba said, as he helped Neko to his feet. His actions were more out of self preservation than friendship however. The other members of the gang moved to follow him, until Kida shook his head.
“Not so fast, I have some questions for a few of you,” He began and was interrupted by the sound of Neko vomiting.
“Get him home, Ran. Higa, I need to borrow you two for ten.” Kida said and Aoba eagerly took this opportunity to escape.
It was nearly an hour later, during his walk back home that he encountered his brother again. The fist that greeted his eye was a surprise. The younger man had expected his brother to head home after the interrogation. Clearly, he had underestimated his frustration.The punch had laid him out on the cold, wet ground. Rage rose in Aoba’s throat, but the expression he wore was that of a confused civilian.
“I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to-”
“Shut the fuck up.” His brother said as he knelt over him, his wet fingers gripping Aoba’s collar. Their eyes met and Aoba knew that his act was a waste of time. Ran knew him, he saw him for what he was.
“Do you think, that just because you’re in college, that you’re smarter than me? Don’t overestimate yourself Aoba. Our parents might think you’re god’s gift to the fucking world, but we both know you’re not that special.” He said and leaned back. The following minutes devolved into a full blown assault. Aoba blocked the subsequent punches and kicks with his hands, or at least tried to.
The walk back was one laced with pain, groans, and a simmering rage. One would think that after years of this treatment, he’d develop numbness to this routine. But as he treated his swelling flesh with ice and cold water, his anger only grew. Still, he had enough control to keep his anger concealed. This wasn’t the first time that he reflected on how much easier life would be without his brother. But with each subsequent beating, he could feel his control cracking.
Minutes later, he exited the bathroom and headed outside. His actions were driven by a strong desire to get out, breathe, and then recompose himself to decide on his next course of action. He toyed with Ran’s lighter idly as he made his way through the woods. He had lifted the object off of Ran a mere ten minutes ago, during his brother’s violent frenzy. As he approached the building he had selected only three days ago, Aoba gave himself a reminder. A reminder that his life wasn’t stagnant, and that one day a life without Ran wouldn’t be a wish. It would be a fact. But not yet.
But not yet, he reminded himself as tried to resolve the anger in his chest. He entered the building after he decided that it was best to forsake the train of thought altogether. Even he wasn’t immune to the clouded judgement that often accompanied anger. Instead he focused on the musky smell of the home, the shelves of books that he’d found. Unsurprisingly, he found none that were interesting, but it wasn’t a disappointment. He wasn’t here to read anyway. Calmly he performed his standard check for squatter and kindling in the building. He wasn’t too keen to unintentionally add murder to his list of committed crimes.
His squatter check returned nothing in terms of hidden homeless people. This fact remained unchanged, even after he subsequently searched through the home a second and third time. In terms of kindling he encountered several pieces of old furniture, carpets, tables and more that were ripe for burning. Finally, he lit a few of Ran’s cigarettes and deposited them in precarious positions. One on the carpet, and the other on leftover wood. As the flames began to build, Aoba duly noted that perhaps his brother was good for something after all. After that, he quickly exited the home to find a decent but secure place to watch the building go up in smoke.
Satisfied or not, he didn’t intend to burn with the rest of the house. Aoba cut through the woods once more, and headed for the spot he picked days before. His movements were quick but silent, a safety measure just in case Ran was following him.He reentered the forest in a matter of minutes, and couldn’t hold back that small smile that graced his face. His smile was wiped away as he almost stumbled into another man.
Their eyes locked as Aoba resisted the urge to take a cautionary step backwards. He wasn’t intent on conveying weakness to anyone, let alone a stranger.
“I’m sorry, are you lost?”
“No, I was just um, looking around.” The other man stammered, averting his eyes. Were you? Aoba questioned. There were questions rising in his throat. What did you see? What did you hear? But he hid them all behind a kind smile.
“Is there something you’re looking for? Someone?” Aoba asked, wondering if he ran into a lost customer. Despite Aoba’s recommendations, Ran still sold drugs to people in their neighborhood. And he himself wasn’t keen on volunteering himself as a contact.
“Not really, I was looking for a path.” The other man responded as Aoba took in his appearance. He looked young, young enough that he couldn’t be older than twenty-three. Unless he’s like me. Aoba himself looked a year short of graduating high school, despite nearing the end of his first year of college. It made him the butt of way too many jokes, but had its advantages in the realm of disarming appearances. The amount of fights he’d won because of being underestimated was satisfying. It was a tradeoff he was willing to live with.
It was probably what made this stranger so willing to talk to him. The interest wasn’t mutual however, as Aoba fully intended to leave as soon as possible. Regardless, his welcoming smile remained constant as he drew forward.
“Shigashia path? You’re close, just keep going straight and you’ll get there in no time.” Aoba informed him, ever the helpful bystander. He passed the other man, more concerned with the fire itself now. Any minute now. He didn’t want to risk missing a single moment of it, or worse, have to call the cops to save face.
“Do you live here?” The man asked him and Aoba paused, and slowly turned, What kind of question is that?* He wondered as he faced the man.
“Yeah, I live a short walk away. Do you need help with something else?” He asked, curiosity momentarily piqued. His response to the other man wasn’t particularly truthful. Forty-five minutes wasn’t exactly a short walk, but a stranger didn’t need to know that. “No, I was just kind of embarrassed. You don’t seem nearly as lost as I am.” The other man admitted and let out a short laugh. Then he extended his hand.
“My name is Taro. Taro Tanaka.”
“Aoba.” He responded as he took Taro’s hand gingerly.
“I have to go! Just remember to keep going straight!” He called, shooting the man a smile before he ran ahead. The smile faded from his face the moment he turned away. Aoba’s journey to the hideout was swift and brief. When arrived he forced himself to pause for air, then slid to the ground. The orange flames had just started to take flight as he arrived.
And just like that, the turmoil in his chest relaxed for now. His shaky breaths slowed as he admired the vision before him. Each time he did this, it became gradually more difficult to tear his gaze away. A long, shaky and damaged road had led to him establishing this kind of relationship with fire. Control came back to him in little parts. He let his hands rest in the dirt as he mulled over the day’s encounters. Already the man he’d met not a few minutes before had begun to fade. Taro. His last name was lost to Aoba now, as his mind returned to a much more pressing concern. Ran.
Class the next day was tedious as ever, but at least it brought him one step closer to being on his own. Burning down that building had been a good choice. His violent desires towards his brother had been quelled somewhat. He was back to playing his part as the well mannered freshman with a bright future. Naturally he had managed to avoid his brother with relative ease. The real surprise occurred shortly after he stepped outside.
“Hey, it’s been awhile since I’ve seen you! How are you?”
It took him a moment to recognize his voice, but that didn’t stop a casual smile from gracing his face. His mask was always on, even for surprises. Taro was standing a few feet away from him, carrying a stack of boxes. It took a few moments for the image to click with it’s meaning. In that moment the young man realized that Ran was far from the only person in a precarious position. Inside several cogs were dropping into place for Aoba. The first was the frankly absurd greeting that the older male just gave him, considering that they met yesterday. Is he really that awkward?*
“Yeah it’s a nice surprise to see you! Do you live around here?” He asked and the other male nodded, expression bright. Most likely relieved that his social lapse hadn’t pushed Aoba away. But only because the younger male wanted to gather more information.
“Yeah only a few doors down. I’m living with Masaomi for a few weeks.”
“ Masaomi?”*
“Kida?” Taro supplied helpfully, his relieved smile still intact and recognition hit.
Well that had been a close call. He acknowledged, as he nodded towards the other man.
“Well it was nice seeing you again,” He said casually as he entered his home. He wasn’t particularly interested in Taro as long as he hadn’t seen anything. The two people that Aoba was the most concerned about by far was Ran and “Masaomi”. If anything, those two posed the most danger to him. He mulled over this as he idly finished his homework, not interested in falling behind.
“Aoba, do you have a friend to drive you home?” His mom’s voice cut through his thoughts and he blinked up at her.
“Hmm? I think I could find someone willing to. I’m fine riding my bike back though, really it isn’t-”
“No, that’s not what I’m worried about.”
For the first time he actually looked at her face. She’s worried. Now he was attentive, his eyes carefully scanning over his mother’s face.
“There was another arson last night and they found a body.”
A body?
A rare genuine feeling washed over his features as he stared up at his mom.
What?
How?
“This is the first time that a body has been found in any of those buildings. But with the missing people from the surrounding areas, the police think that people should be more careful. So far, most of the missing people have been college students. Can you please tell me that you’ll have someone ride you home?”
“Yes, of course.” The words left his mouth without consideration as he tried to process this.
Did I make a mistake?*
No, impossible. Aoba wasn’t Neko, or Ran, he rarely made mistakes. Especially ones so sloppy. And it clearly wasn’t the work of Ran.
If Ran had found out about Aoba’s ‘activities,’ he would have rubbed it in his face before he acted. He would never claim that his brother was a friend, but he did know him. This was someone else. A new face came to mind, and suddenly his perspective changed abruptly. It was Taro.
Taro Tanaka.