Fires And Family | Paradox Live

5

When Bar 4/7 slowly came back into view, Himari realised that she had been staring very intently at Yohei this entire time. Her glass of wine was between her fingers, practically untouched.

Feeling her cheeks burn, Himari took a large gulp of wine and tried to catch up with where the men had reached in the story.

"- and if I'm hearing right, Alter Trigger is trying to buy up the bar, aren't they?" Iori was saying. Himari took too large a gulp of wine and nearly coughed it back up. Trying to buy the bar? Bar 4/7? No way.

"News travels fast to your ears, as always." Yohei stubbed out his cigarette in the ash tray. "You've about got it. To protect the bar we need that ten billion. But that's got nothing to do with -"

Yohei's eyes widened as if he was suddenly seeing something. Iori set his half-empty gimlet down.

"And that's the deal." Himari looked between the two old friends as a sense of understanding passed between them. She felt lost as Iori continued. "So, d'you know anything about Paradox Live and Alter Trigger, danna?"

Saimon didn't seem to have caught on yet either. "What are you trying to say?"

"Only that Paradox Live was announced right around the time of the buy-out uproar, and the prize is exactly the amount you need to be able to keep the bar. Ten billion yen. A bit convenient for mere coincidence, huh?"

"In short," Saimon said slowly, "Alter Trigger has to be connected to all of it somehow. But then, that means..."

"We're being manipulated?" Yohei finished for him.

Iori looked somewhat disappointed. "With that reaction I take it you guys have no info. Seems like this was a fruitless effort on our part."

Iori downed the last of the gimlet in one go. "Well, let's just say I've told you all this for the sake of our old friendship."

After a brief, serious silence, Iori went on. "There's something going on with this competition. You'd best watch out for yourselves."

Yohei and Saimon looked at each other in alarm. Before they could say anything further, the front door of 4/7 was thrown open and the kids tumbled in, sighing loudly about how good dinner had been.

Himari barely listened to the conversation after that. She was lost in her own muddle of thoughts. Alter Trigger? She knew they were the company that had founded Club Paradox, but what did that have to do with anything? Sure, the circumstances behind Bar 4/7 and the competition's suspiciously convenient prize money was odd, but what did any of it have to do with Akan Yatsura?

Himari's eyes drifted to Iori's laughing face. What did any of this have to do with Iori?

"By the way, what were owner and the others talking about?"

Himari absently observed that it was Ryuu who had asked this.

Saimon chuckled and said, "Just small talk."

"Hm. You mean about the people standing behind all this?"

It was as if time stopped. Reo seemed to catch on that something important was happening. "What's going on? What are we talking about? Ghosts?"

"Nope!" Ryuu said brightly. "Adult stuff."

Himari could almost feel Iori tense up beside her. She looked up at him just as he spoke.

"Oi. Whaddya mean? Do you know something?"

"Know? About what? Cognac ingredients?"

"Kid." Iori's voice was getting dangerously low. "Don't give me weird answers."

"Iori-san..." Himari whispered, slipping a hand onto his knee and giving it a squeeze. Iori gripped her hand almost by reflex, a little harder than she was used to.

"I'm sorry," Saimon interrupted. "I have to ask that you not press him with questions."

Iori's hand tightened on Himari's. "R-right. Sorry, my bad."

His eyes didn't leave Ryuu who was now gnawing on Shiki's arm for some reason. Himari put her other hand over Iori's and turned herself a little more towards him. "Iori-san," she tried again. This time he responded by actually looking at her. Himari recognised the hard glint in his eyes, but it was something she hadn't seen in a long time. "Time to go home," she whispered, suddenly worried.

Iori blinked rapidly a few times, then smiled. He loosened the vice-like grip he had on Himari's hand, gave it a reassuring squeeze, then stood and clapped his hands together.

"Alright then. It's getting late. Time for us to head home."

He stood by and let the kids say their goodbyes then hurried them out. Then he said to Yohei, "Danna, it's not going to be like when I was still just chasing after you. These guys are my family now and I'll do whatever it takes to protect them. So don't expect me to go easy on you on stage just coz we're old friends."

Yohei smiled. "Bring it on. I've got things I can't lose either: my bar and my friends."

Iori headed toward the door. As he stepped out he called over his shoulder. "See you on the stage then."

"Yeah. Better watch your back."

Zen, who had been helping Himari back into her sweater, began heading towards the door as well until Yohei caught their attention from behind the counter. "Himari-chan, and you... Gazen, right?"

Zen and Himari stopped and waited. Yohei took a deep breath. "You'll look after him, won't you? Iori. Both of you?"

Zen smiled. "You don't have to tell me that."

Yohei seemed satisfied with Zen's answer. Once he'd left, he turned his gaze on Himari, looking meaningfully into her eyes.

"Himari-chan?"

Himari felt her cheeks burn for the second time that night. She tried to smile but it felt more like she had lost control of her lips and they were sliding about on her face off their own free will. "Of course..." was all she managed to say.
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Outside in the fresh air, Iori seemed to have calmed down a great deal. He was standing at the corner of the street, joking around with the kids when Himari finally made her way over. Seeing her arrive, he once again held out his arm for her and she took it.

Himari pulled close to Iori as they walked home behind the three youngsters. She was still caught up in the confusion of this Alter Trigger conspiracy and it made her feel almost like she was being left behind in some sense; like Iori would let go of her hand and disappear off to somewhere where she couldn't follow him. The feeling made her cling to his arm even more.

Iori leaned close to her and whispered, "Everything alright?"

Himari thought his expression looked somewhat like pity. Did her fear really show that much? God, even after so long she was still so pathetic. Himari gave him a weak smile and watched Zen catching up with the three ahead of them to sort out some squabble again. "Alter Trigger," she whispered back to Iori.

Himari looked up into Iori's eyes, her expression set and - she hoped - brave. "Do you want me to look into them?"

Something like relief seemed to flood into Iori's face. He shook his head. "No."