Chapter Text
— Have you ever died?
(Read)
15:27
I've been staring frankly at this message for several minutes now.
There isn't a soul around, the cold breeze definitely wants to tear me apart in my subconscious, but it only gently strokes my shoulders, as if to soothe me.
I'm standing near a crosswalk at an intersection, in the middle of the street. It's so quiet, though, you can't really tell.
It's like the city is extinct. After Toman took over, it's been like this around here. The group holds the city in its heavy hands without giving it a chance for a breath of fresh air. I think it's already so familiar that I probably won't remember what it's like to have the busy streets of a town.
The message was sent from an unknown number, probably unregistered. It's not in my contacts or database. I could leave it all up to the hackers to run the number, if it meant anything to me. I don't care about something like that.
Maybe if someone sent something like that, like Kisaki, he wouldn't have his feet on this planet anymore. But I'm not paranoid.
And that's why I put my phone in the pocket of my fall jacket.
Slowly I walk closer to the traffic light, pushing the button. It lights up every once in a while, showing red. There is no one on the other side.
There are people, but rarely. There are cars, but rarely, too. You might not be able to tell, but there's a very rough nightlife here for members of modern-day Toman. Ordinary people either moved out a long time ago or live in their little comforters without sticking their noses out, only in case of emergency. Like cesspool rats.
This comparison makes me cringe a little.
The chirping sound the rats made when they bit my leg still reverberated in my memory.
It feels like I've been standing here half my life. My fingers begin to click the button more irritably. The color changes to green and I quickly step onto the peeling zebra.
Actually, I don't really have much of a rush.
The meeting isn't for another hour, and I'm a 10-minute walk from the place. I'm almost to the first "island" as a truck flies right in front of me. I manage to jump back with my heart pounding hard.
Yes, the roads are empty and there are no people, but that doesn't mean I have to drive like a fucking lunatic. In my head, I quickly remember the license plate number of a passing car.
My phone is immediately in my hand, I quickly walk to the "isle" and text my confidant. I think he'll have no problem running a trace on this car. If it was done on purpose, at least this way we can find him.
Y-555, can you find it? —
√15:34
Okay, okay, that's fine. A deep sigh makes me lift my head up and keep walking to the other side.
Tilin, tilin, tilin.
That fast?
Tilin, tilin, tilin.
The phone explodes with notifications, getting hotter.
The screen starts flashing until it's fully adjusted. My feet freeze in place, right in the middle of the driveway. A chat room with an unknown number is open, a bunch of messages coming in every second.
— Have you ever died?
— Have you ever died?
— Have you ever died?
— Have you ever died?
— Have you ever died?
— Have you ever died?
— Have you ever died?
— Have you ever died?
— Have you ever died?
— Have you ever died?
— Have you ever died?
— Have you ever died?
— Have you ever died?
— Have you ever died?
— Have you ever died?
— Have you ever died?
— Have you ever died?
— Have you ever died?
— Have you ever died?
— Have you ever died?
— Have you ever died?
— Have you ever died?
— Have you ever died?
— Have you ever died?
— Have you ever died?
— Have you ever died?
— Have you ever died?
— Have you ever died?
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— Have you ever died?
— Have you ever died?
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— Have you ever died?
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— Have you ever died?
— Have you ever died?
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— Have you ever died?
— Have you ever died?
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— Have you ever died?
— Have you ever died?
— Have you ever died?
— Have you ever died?
— Have you ever died?
(Read)
15:35
What the...?
Scream. Jl199ㅠ네. Jl199ㅠ네. Jl199ㅠ네. Jl199ㅠ네. Jl199ㅠ네.
Ah. That's...
— Jl199ㅠ네!!!!
U-turn. He runs straight toward me, not slowing down, running across the hard asphalt, running through many houses and abandoned cars.The figure behind him blurs without forming a clear picture.
— Run.
— Run.
— Run.
— Run.
— Run.
— Run.
— Run.
— Run.
— Run.
— RUN.
— RUN.
— RUN.
(Read)
15:36
— Kakuch-?
Something pushes against the pavement with all its might, my back begins to burn.
The phone is thrown to the side somewhere. A loud popping sound explodes my eardrums, everything floats.
***
What happened?
A car? No... There's no cars nearby.
Memories overlap.
Kakuchou... Where's Kakuchou?
— Huh... Aah...! — Pain pierces my head, something warm running down my forehead slightly obstructing my vision. A metallic taste in my mouth. There's someone nearby. I can't make out who. Something light.
My head is in this man's lap, his hands covered in blood. He's not looking at me, shouting something, I can't hear. He seems to be talking to someone.
— Are you seriously... him? Since when... acting? .... Why?! Weakness? Am I weak? You....
The words break through the veil at a time. Something wet runs down my cheek. Tears?
The man stands up, lowering my head to the pavement.
No, no, no... Don't go!
Not a word comes out of my mouth.
And he walks away.
My eyes begin to look around quickly. Kakuchou, where the hell is he?!
My eyes don't find him, but the phone is away from me easily.
Reaching for it. The only challenge.
My hand is shaking a little, but I reach for it nonetheless. I hold the warm device in my hands.
— Wow. — I laughed a little when I saw my reflection in the phone screen. I'm screwed.
— Ahahaha, — now I know what my brain looks like, but not too well because I...only have one eye.
I could feel tears streaming down my face, knowing there was nothing I could do now.
Part of my head had been shot off, and my eye had leaked out. In its place was now a big black hole from which blood wouldn't stop flowing.
Now I understand why my hearing was so bad. My ear, my left ear, it's gone.
The screams, the unbearable screams are coming from somewhere nearby, very, very close. It makes my head hurt even more. Enough, enough, enough...
And the screaming does stop.
Quiet and silent. My only eye slowly closes, my hand with the phone drops to the pavement, slowly unclenching my fingers. So sleepy.
— Don't you dare close your eyes! Don't you dare!
It's like I'm underwater. I can hardly make out anything. But it's so loud, so close, right above my ear.
Someone's palms wrapped around my body, pulling me somewhere with them. They moved me to a softer, but not particularly comfortable surface.
I opened my eyes again, and the face above me was... Izana's? White, slightly wavy hair, familiar violet eyes, and swarthy skin. Indeed, Kurokawa Izana herself. The distance between our faces is quite small, but neither of us seem to care at all.
Part of my body is still on the fucking pavement, his arms wrapped around my back and pressing against me. He's warm. He's also got a weird look on his face. It's not like him. Is he hurt, too? But he doesn't seem to be hurt.
It makes me want to puke. Not only how fucked up I am, but this "thinking"..
It doesn't fit this face at all, and there's no way I can make myself get over this "understanding" of why it's like this. I damn well know it. It's probably because of me. But I hate to think of anything happening because of me. Because it's selfish, and I actually think something happened to Manjirou or Kakuchou.
— I order you, keep your eyes open!
His voice sounds a little hysterical, but there's not a single tear on his face. So much shit has happened.
His hands touch my face, touching where my eye used to be. A new batch of pain spills over my entire body, penetrating all the way to my brain.
— Aaahhhh...!
— I'm sorry, — was that an apology? That doesn't sound like him at all.
He continues in a slightly husky voice:
— Kisaki shouldn't have done that, but don't worry I sorted it out... — His gaze changes, more sympathetic, more pathetic. My heart clenches a little harder. — Tell me, I did the right thing, didn't I?
A lump forms in my throat, and I can barely focus on his face.
— ...I did good, didn't I?
The silence lingers, the shroud that covers my eyes more tightly. I want to see, to see his eyes...
— K...Kisaki?
— Yes, he... what happened to you, it was all him. He came up with some plan to get rid of you. Motherfucker. He already paid for it. Kakuchou's having a fun with him now.
...
— Say, Izana... Can you... Can you promise me that it will be over quickly? It hurts, it hurts unbearably...
His head tilts slightly forward, I think he's staring into my face. I can't see anything anymore.
— Of course. — Something warm drips down my face, the muzzle of the gun pressing against my chest. — Thanks for the job, Jl199ㅠ네.
For the last time, I gaze with all my strength into his smile, his shining eyes, and smile genuinely. It hurts.
Shot.
(A notification comes to phone.
— No problem.
√15:36
— Sir, this is car of Tokyo manji gang.
√15:39
— Its owner is Haitani Ran.
√ 15:40)
***
Hey... Wake up... Stop sleeping, get up!
My eyes slipped shut, someone shaking my shoulder insistently, someone's fingernails digging into the skin under my clothes, scratching them lightly.
— Fuck off. I finally have a chance to rest.
A second, two second. A hard flick instantly brings me to my senses, hands around my burning forehead. My eyes pop open and immediately squint. It is very bright.
When I manage to blink normally, I see Ran in front of me, Haitani Ran. Somewhere behind him stands Rindo, with his arms folded over his chest in an interesting way.
— Good morning, work-a-ho-lic. — Haitani, the elder Haitani, says, smirking wryly.
— Haitani...?
— Who else? - Rindo's mocking voice boomed. I haven't seen them in so long.
— You... Damn it! — I quickly jump off the crate I was sitting on and practically pounce on the older Haitani. I almost fall over, clinging to his clothes with my fingers. — Thank you! Thank you so much!
— He-hey! What are you doing? — Rindo steps back a little further to see what's going on with the older Haitani.
— I thought... I thought I wouldn't wake up! Thank you, thank you for saving my life! — And tears streamed down my cheeks, falling onto the cold concrete.
I stand in silence for a few more seconds, hugging Ran, who tentatively pats me on the back, the tears quickly flowing in a path onto his clothes.
But he is silent. Everyone is silent.
Clap.Clap.Clap.
Those claps make me look up sharply.
— Something's wrong, huh? — That's the voice I recognize from a thousand; right now Izana, Kurokawa Izana, is walking toward us. With his favorite mocking face.
He looks a little different, he has a different energy. He looks better...
Now hearing a slight humming sound from outside, I finally take a quick look around at the place I'm in. It seems to be a port, one of our old meeting places. Back when Tenjiku still existed.
There are a lot of people in red uniforms around, looking at their faces I recognize S62, the entire Terrible Generation. Everyone is here. Even Sanzu. The entire lineup of the upper class of Tenjiku. Only... Kisaki and Hanma, I think. They're not here. Maybe around somewhere?
Among the faces are Mochizuki, who died recently, and Mucho, who disappeared without a word. And Koko, perpetually busy with paperwork, and Kakuchou, who hasn't shown emotion for a long time... All of them are unashamedly looking straight at us, at me and Haitani.
Returning my gaze to Izana, I also notice the red uniform worn over the black T-shirt. Rindo is distinguished by his black uniform, even Ran is also wearing some kind of uniform with an image of what seems to be yin and yang on the back, a perfect reckoning with Rindo. This uniform is, frankly, similar to that of Tenjiku.
Finally I pat Ran on the back for him to let me go. When he did, I stepped back a little to inspect my appearance.
I'm not wearing any uniform. These, however, are not my clothes. This one is winter, slightly wet and warm; I haven't dressed for the weather in a long time, so my original clothes are much colder and roomier.
It's weird.
— So what happened? — The question makes me wince and look back at Izana again.
— Me..
— I don't know honestly, — the younger Haitani begins, — he's been acting so weird ever since he woke up.
— Yeah, maybe he's not well. — Ran's voice comes up next.
My hand goes to the left side of my head. Everything is in place. Fingers gently probe the ear, the top of the head, and the upper eyelid of left eye. When it reaches the eye, it stops. I can see it.
My hand slips noisily down, and I squeeze out a smile.
— Just a bad dream. Don't worry.
Izana looks at my face with interest, before abruptly stepping closer.
— Rats again?
Rats?
— Yes, they are.
He remains silent for a while, but just as quickly turns his back to me.
— Well guys, as you can see everything is okay, so let's just go about our business.
And that's how it ended.
I went back to the crate and sat down on it and pulled out my battered cot.
— It's a good thing it was just a dream.
The phone vibrates with a new message.
— Have you ever died?
(Read)
15:27
I quickly shake my head around, unable to find a single person holding the phone. No one else is paying any attention to me. The air is getting thin and my heart is pounding faster.
Yes.—
√15:46