Chapter 64 - Guilt

Kotone cannot sleep.

The look on Fumio's face earlier while Gin was telling them his story, keeps on crossing her mind.

It is as if Fumio ate something bitter that made his eyes red and teary. What confuses her even more is the guilt in Fumio's eyes.

What she knows about Fumio and the Hasegawa is simply just Fumio being raised in it before he left the clan in his own accord. This makes her curious of Fumio's relationship with the heir of the Hasegawa Clan and why she saw him look like that earlier.

*ssg*

Her thoughts are interrupted when she hears a soft thud coming from downstairs. She figures that it was either the front door or the backdoor being slid close.

*snore*

She still hears Gin's snoring coming from Fumio's room, so she knows that it is not Gin who is downstairs. She also knows that Red, who gave up his room for her even though she only comes by once or twice a week, disappears at this hour of the night to go sleep somewhere and would come back the next day.

'Fumio…', who gave his bed up for Gin, and is supposed to be sleeping in the living room tonight, can only be the only one downstairs.

She then gets up from her futon, deciding to speak with Fumio.

It has been hours since Gin told his story, so she figures that Fumio is feeling better enough to speak about what happened.

Reaching the first floor, she finds that there is no one. Even Fumio's sheets she moved to the living room remains untouched.

*dnfdalnbf*

Then, from outside at the direction of the  backyard, she hears Fumio's voice, *Adnvaf* followed by Red's, which surprises Kotone.

Figuring that the two men are talking at the veranda, she gets curious. Sometimes, she feels resentful that she often gets lost in the topics of the two's conversation whenever she is with them. Even though she expresses that she feels left out, the two simply smile at her. Remembering those times, she without guilt, decides to drop eaves.

She then tiptoes and walks closer to the front door and puts her ear against it to hear what the two are talking about.

"Are you sure that it's the same person?" She hears Red ask.

"Yes. The way Gin described him, it's the Hideki I used to know. Only much more murderous, and much more powerful if he was able to have a C-Class Superiori among his victims. I don't know how he got new powers, but I know it's him." She hears Fumio answer.

"I see." Red simply shrugs.

Fumio, looking at Red treat it indifferently is bothering him a bit, but he brushes it aside. He figures that Red has seen many things that a serial killer is nothing to the man.

"So… What should I do?" He can only seek advice.

"It's up to you. But I think you already have some plans in mind." Red looks him in the eye.

Fumio shakes his head at being called out. He indeed has a few plans in mind, but he does not know if he can act on them, or if he even has the ability to.

Then, "I-" he clenches his teeth.

"Boss. Was it my fault? Had I finished Hideki then, he wouldn't have killed 30 people. Was me making him powerless somehow … snapped something in his mind, and he became something even worse?"

The eavesdropping Kotone widens her eyes in shock. She cannot believe it. Connecting Gin's story to what she is hearing right now almost makes her weak in the knees.

[I know. Logically, it's impossible. Captain Adachi, and even that Kumagai clansman said that Hideki is no longer a superioris. That someone crippled him of it. That's why they did not believe me. They could not believe me.] She remembers Gin's words earlier.

"If I said that it isn't your fault, would it make you feel better?" Red asks.

Fumio shakes his head.

"Do you regret avenging your friends? Avenging yourself? Avenging the first woman you ever loved?" Red asks.

Fumio ponders.

"Don't think too hard. Feel." Red stops Fumio.

"I don't regret it." Fumio's face hardens.

"No. Because in your heart, and even in my eyes, it was the right thing to do." Red smiles.

"So. What do you plan to do then?" He then asks.

"I don't know… Maybe..." Fumio sighs.

"... Maybe I'll have to stop him again. I can't kill him. I know I can't. But I can do what I already did to him." He says in resolve.

"You might." Red nods, but almost rolls his eyes.

"But what if he comes back again even stronger? Will you stop him again?" He asks.

"Yes. I'll have to get stronger to do it again." Fumio nods.

"Will you be quick enough to stop him from claiming his next victim?" Red asks.

This stumps Fumio.

"What if… his next victim… will no longer be a stranger to you?" Red adds.

"T-That…" Fumio's heart drops, and he becomes speechless.

"Kotone, let me ask you a question." Red suddenly addresses Kotone.

Kotone, who is behind the door, falls on her bottom out of shock.

Fumio also snaps his head to the door's direction.

He realizes that he has been too distracted on his thoughts, or too focused on talking with Red, that he did not hear Kotone's breathing.

Soon, the door slides open to reveal an embarrassed Kotone.

"What is it, Kichirou-san?" She asks.

"Do you get the picture? Of Fumio's… difficulty?"

"Yes, Kichirou-san." She does not, but she knows enough.

"Is it his fault?" Red asks.

"Of course not." Kotone readily defends Fumio.

"Then… If you were in Fumio's shoes. Would you end Hideki?" Red asks.

"WHA-,." The question is too sudden and too drastic a change of flow for Kotone.

She is not sure if Red is serious but looking at the two men genuinely waiting for her opinion, she takes a deep breath.

"Theoretically, it's a reasonable choice. Eye for an eye sort of thing… But I don't know if I can do it." Kotone shakes her head.

The thought of killing someone simply has never crossed her mind before, even if that someone she would kill is a serial murderer.

Even Red's question makes her feel nauseous.

Fumio smiles, glad that Kotone empathizes with him.

"And. If I may be presumptuous?" Kotone asks, heat starting to brew in her guts.

This gets an amused look from Red and a surprised look from Fumio. Kotone always treaded the line after all.

"Please." Red entertains the rare occasion.

"I owe you a lot. I owe you mine and my brother's livese, even. But…" Kotone hesitates for a moment.

"Go ahead." Red cannot wait to hear what she wants to say.

"Okay…" Kotone's eyes change.

"Why does it have to be Fumio? Hideki is no longer just Fumio's concern." She then swallows her spit for courage.

"I know you're strong, Kichirou-san. You have the power to stop Hideki. I just don't understand why you want Fumio to handle it, and handle it in a manner that might traumatize him for the rest of his life?" She asks with a hint of defiance in her eyes.

"T-that's… Kotone… I-. It was ME who wants to handle it." Fumio says honestly, but he also wants Kotone to stop from saying something that might offend Red.

"Oh?" Kotone freezes for a moment, but her defiance continues.

"Doesn't matter. Why do you want him to kill, Kichirou-san? If you want to kill that much, why don't you just do it yourself? It's not like that guy is somewhere far, so I would have understood the disconnect. But, Hideki's just a few hours away on car, or maybe a few minutes to you."

Fumio realizes that it is indeed what Red has been doing, and he looks at Red.

Kotone, meanwhile, almost starts huffing, still angry at what she witnessed.

"Well, what would YOU do, Kotone?" Red asks, with a smirk, almost annoying Kotone.

"If I had your power? If I was as powerful as Fumio and has his skills? I'd go to Nikko right now, and look for Hideki. And do what Fumio san did to him before." Kotone proudly claims.

"As expected of a vigilante." Red nods.

"WHAT?" "HUH?" Kotone and Fumio exclaim almost at the same time.

Kotone because she is caught, and Fumio because Kotone is the last person he expects to be playing vigilante.

"I have to hear about this." The revelation immediately distracts Fumio from his worries.

"Story for another time, Fumio." Red chuckles.

"But that's beside the point." He then goes back to the subject.

"Do you know what would have happened hadn't you been listening in?" He asks Kotone.

"No." Kotone shakes her head.

"Then let's continue, Fumio." Red turns his attention back to Fumio.

"Do you remember that day? When you woke up in my apartment all okay after almost dying? Do you remember what I offered you?" Red asks Fumio.

Fumio also remembers the day clearly.

"I felt like you wanted me to borrow your hand to take revenge." Fumio says.

"Yes. Had you made that choice, I would have done it for you and that night would have been Hideki's last." Red nods.

How casual Red said it sends chills down Fumio and Kotone's spines.

"Yet that would have robbed you of the feeling of avenging your friend and yourself by your own hands hand. If you also made that choice, then you wouldn't have proven yourself to me until much much later. Maybe Kotone would have proven herself first, and therefore would have learned our practice before you." Red continues.

Fumio realizes that his impulsive decision that day turns out to be this important.

"But this time, it's different. And I agree with Kotone when she said that this is no longer your concern alone. After trying to convince you to end him, I am sure now that you won't. So I'd rather not have you act. If you want to do it by yourself because you feel it is your responsibility, and do it the way you did it the first time, which you again prefer to, then I'd rather tie you up here to stop you." Red presents his objection.

"…" Fumio is too stunned. 

This is the first time that Red is like this.

"And after I tie you up, I'll go to Nikko myself. Find Hideki, kill him, and burn him to ashes. He will only end up being one of the 100 thousand Japanese who will make themselves disappear this year." Red paints a picture that sends chills up Kotone and Fumio's spines yet again.

"I can't risk him surviving and getting powers again, whatever or whoever will give him that. Not to mention, he always has the perfect alibi for every victim he gains. And Gin, who also knows the truth, cannot make people believe him." Red concludes.

Fumio at this point, realizes that while he thinks he is doing this not only for himself, the way he is doing it is naïve and selfish.

"Boss… May I ask. Why didn't you kill Blade Tornado?" He suddenly asks, making Kotone's eyes widen.

"I'm no judge, but Blade Tornado's kills have only been self-defense." 'He also does not have a bloody aura.' Red adds in his mind.

"But correct me if I'm wrong. You said 'I've taken enough lives in my prime.' Was that true?" Fumio asks.

Red already knows what Fumio is saying.

"Yes. It's been a while. And I'd rather not again." Red nods while hiding a smirk.

Fumio and Kotone look at each other. Fumio smiles bitterly, and Kotone winces to hide her embarrassment.

Red seeing the two's faces, figures out what the two are thinking.

"So. Unless you two has a better way, and surer way, of stopping Hideki that does not have to resort to you staining your hands, or me bitterly swallowing the act of killing again, then by all means, say it." He challenges the two. 

<>

A few minutes later, the three are still in the veranda facing the backyard, using nothing but the moonlight as their source of light.

Fumio and Kotone are still wearing pondering expressions while whispering to each other, while Red is smoking something with a bamboo pipe, while lounging lazily but gracefully against the wall.

Suddenly, "AH!" Fumio gets an idea, as Red's posture reminds him of something. "BosS… How about becoming Mr. Fool again?" Fumio asks with excitement in his eyes.

'Finally.' Red nods.

He is already planning on it even if Fumio or Kotone do not think of it.