The conversation with Takatsuki distressed Amon the more he thought about things. Kanou, the Yasuhisas… what did it mean that the CCG was aiding such inhumane research? He would like to say he had unwavering faith in his occupation, but events were slowly making him question that.
Amon was pulled out of his thoughts when his phone rang shrilly. He fumbled to answer it. The voice on the other side was Akira's, calm and cool, and he tried to take comfort from it.
"You sound weird. What happened?"
For a heartbeat, he entertained the thought of spilling everything to her, then he decided against it. All he had were suspicions and unverified information; there was no reason to bother her with those.
Only telling her about Takatsuki's book, Amon ended the call quickly. He decided to walk the way to the CCG laboratory, wanting some fresh air to clear his mind. He was absently looking at the stores when a certain advertisement caught his eye.
"From the Zack series, for all cat lovers!"
The cat on display… it looked remarkably similar to Akira's. What was her name? Something… something Stella. Amon didn't think he had ever seen a cat that ugly, but he had wisely never voiced that thought to Akira.
Hmm, with how much Akira cared for her cat, he could imagine her liking a keychain like that. It wasn't much of a gift, but a sudden urge stirred in him and Amon found his feet moving towards the store.
The thought of a smile from her, even just a slight one, was enough to make a warmth bloom in his chest.
In a few minutes, he left the store with the keychain cradled in his hand. He had never been an impulsive buyer, and he was still surprised by what he had done—would Akira even want a gift from him? But now that he had bought it, he couldn't rethink his decision.
He made his way to the laboratory and then to Dr. Chigyou's division. Thankfully, nobody was there at the time except for Akira, who turned to him when he entered.
"This…" Gathering his courage, Amon thrust one hand in her direction. "This is for you. It looks like your cat, doesn't it?"
He was almost afraid to look at her expression, but he steeled himself. She seemed equal parts amused and surprised.
"You're right, it does have a dignity and intelligence similar to hers," she said, taking it from him. "But for me? I didn't think you were that kind of guy. Do you give women gifts a lot?"
He flushed, straightening as he replied, "Of course not! I just happened to see it..."
"Alright," she said with a chuckle, before turning away from him and adding in a quiet voice, "You're the first man other than my father to get me something. I'll cherish it, I promise."
A bittersweet feeling enveloped Amon, and he wished he had thought to give her something more grand.
