Happy Enough

08||

It had been an hour of listening to the old lady's stories but they had more important matters, "Then do you know a place to fix it?" [Name] gestured to the broken cassette tape placed on the table.

The old lady thought for a moment, a light bulb appearing above her head when she thought of an answer, "I have a friend of mine who can help you. What is her name again..."

As Akutagawa lifted his wrist to read the time on his watch, a sudden gunfight went off not too far from them. Almost immediately, the detective next to him got up to support the shop owner infront of them who was startled by the sound of gunshots.

He heard the worry in her desperate voice, "Are you okay, granny?" Said lady was shaking due to fear, which had stopped upon hearing the voice of the younger.

She put on an act that she thought would be able to fool the two with sweat going down the side of her face, "I'm.. I'm just fine! Don't you see, [L/n]-chan?" One would often seek other's confirmation when in panic.

She seriously thought she could lie to a detective..

"Granny, you're shaking." The gunshots set off a bomb in her memory lane, an unwanted reminder escaping from that sealed case.

The bomb that caused the death of her old partner. Fourteen years have passed already, she should have forgotten this, why is it coming back to her now?

The main reason there are so many orphaned children to this day. The death of many, including her beloved who participated in said war on Tokoyami Island. She hated it, she hated it so much.

Did they not say have that there was a healer there? An ability user who could bring those on the verge of death back to life. That was one thing that made her slightly relieved for her beloved.

He promised to come back, he broke the promise. Why did he break it? Did he know he was going to die from the start and just used the promise as a way to comfort her at the time? Why did he make a promise that he knew he could not keep?

"Granny. It's been fourteen years. He's gone." Harsh, yet true. [Name] knew that what is in the past, cannot be brought back, no matter how long, and she was sure the old lady knows too, even better than her probably.

How did she even know what the old lady was thinking? Maybe a wild guess, or it just slipped out on accident.

Akutagawa knew nothing of what she meant, but by the look in her apathetic stare, it was safe to say it was nothing good.

He looked at the old lady with the same uninterested look as she turned away from the two young adults, "You two should go check what happened.. It's your job, isn't it?"

They both knew she just wanted some time to herself, there is nothing that they can do anyways. Glancing at the other, they nodded simultaneously and gathered their stuff.

As the two got up to leave, the shop owner called for the male, "Akutagawa-chan! A moment please." He turned to [Name], who shrugged her shoulders, then gesturing for him to go ahead and that she would wait for him outside.

Seeing the young woman leave, she started, "If you will, please do this old lady a favor of taking care of little [L/n]-chan there." Confusion written all over his face, the old lady continued, her demeanor completely different from before.

He followed her stare at the woman standing beside his car, it did not seem like she knew they were talking about her at all as she wore her coat, "She may look outgoing, but there are many secrets she keeps. That young lady, she's just so stubborn, she hasn't openly talked to anyone ever since.." She grimaced, a sigh emitting from her.