Corpse Bride || Haitani Brothers/OC

35 - executive

Ran woke to a clouded state of mind. there was the feeling of dread and weakness in his limbs like they were too heavy. his eyes stung in adjustment to the lights. where was he?

he rose up in bed and finds one of their men.

he recalls Hikari's touch, her voice; her breath. she was always beside him somehow, and whether it was a dream or not, her scent lingered in the air. she had to have been here. but now she wasn't, forcing him to stand up immediately.

it wasn't such a smart idea. the room spun—and it was new to him. he's never been beaten up in years to the point of being dizzy. poison was a sneaky little bitch, it almost wounded his pride to be robbed off his strength.

"get off me," he huffs at the guard who held him in concern.

"sir, you're not supposed to be—"

"where's Hikari? no, better yet, what day is it?"

the guard filled him in on the recent events. he says that he had no exact details of the plan which he only knew Hikari had devised, and that the girl had been Bonten's trump card all along. was Ran surprised? no. was he proud? obviously.

but was he annoyed that her great plan put her life at risk when he's told her before to not get directly involved? he was. and he was worried. he called for the men outside to fetch him one of their spare devices, wasting no time to change his clothes, gather his weapons, and wear his gloves that were on the nightstand.

he instinctively moved to hide his ring necklace under his black shirt, but it was gone. his composure almost falters. where is it? he didn't have time to waste, but where the fuck is it?

"has Hikari been through my things?" he asks as he slipped the black leather on, faking calm.

"we thought you wouldn't mind," the guard stammers under Ran's gaze.

"I don't mind. did she change me from my clothes too? or was it the doctor?"

"she's been the one taking care of you from head to toe."

"of course," he sighs, opening the nightstand drawer and out of luck he finds the ring.

he can't be without it. he wears it around his neck, tucking the chain along with the golden band safely under his turtleneck.

"we really thought you wouldn't mind."

"I don't mind. I'm embarrassed."

while Hikari nursing him was exhilarating to know, he wasn't so fond of being a burden.

at his arbitrary honesty, the guard didn't know what to say. Ran grabbed the ear piece from his outstretched hands before walking out the door. he was still far from them, and so he could only hear the mess of the fight, unable to speak into the mic.

he knows absolutely nothing except that Hikari was in danger.

and he also knows that Hikari thought he was the most handsome man on earth. that, before the crushing sound of her device was heard. Ran spoke again as he entered the abandoned building, shooting people he crossed paths with.

he's sure he's shot some of his men too along the way but he was in a hurry.

"what floor is she in?" he asks, his miles long legs doing him good as he ran up the stairs.

"18th," Mikey answers, "can you fight, Ran?"

"the timer for the bomb?" he ignores his question.

"less than 20 seconds."