Writing Journal

*~Aki Hayakawa - Coffees & Cigarettes - Chainsaw Man~*

"Overtime again?" Himeno grumbled over the telephone, the scent of cigarettes filling up the little phone booth Aki stood in. "Seriously, there is really no need having to suck up to her all the time, Makima I mean. She may be the boss but even she has to understand that overworking is super unhealthy." 

Breathing out a plume of smoke, he answered flatly. "Keep talking like that and you'll be seeing yourself crushed under a mountain of your own bones. If Makima is planning a huge project, then it is part of my responsibility to make sure it's done efficiently in time. "

Over the phone within a dark lonely apartment, Himeno twirled the telephone wire around her fingers, staring out the window with tired eyes. "Heh, you're still the same as ever, a workaholic that's secretly head over heels for his own company boss. What a sore loser you are, Aki...." 

"Quit it, stop talking like that." Aki calmly retorted, a slight blush on his pale cheeks when he heard the faint sound of Himeno's laughter. "Anyways, don't forget about the meeting tomorrow, there's a devil sighting not far from the hospital, we're gonna need all the help we can get." 

"Alright, I got it." She paused for a brief moment before speaking again. "You know, I still don't get what is with you and your.....weird obsession with Makima. Might sound like I'm prying but....just wanna clear things up here. Are you sure those feelings you have for her....are actually, you know, healthy?" 

Aki took a long swig of the cigarette then sighed, "I told you, she saved my life from a devil. I owe her everything there is and there's nothing that can change my mind. She deserves it and I don't plan on disappointing her in any other way." 

Himeno blinked, doubt clouding her thoughts and hesitation holding her back from responding any further. Makima wasn't someone she was close with and that lady sure does terrify her in unexplainable ways. Why is that though? Was it intimidation....or an actual show of how much power Makima truly holds? Himeno wasn't entirely sure what Aki had experienced, or how Makima had saved him back then. But one thing's for sure was that.....Himeno was having a really tough time trying to place her trust on both Aki and Makima, hoping that those two aren't just a horrible tragedy waiting to happen. 

There was the sound of static before she heard Aki's voice again. "Alright I should go now, Makima's waiting for me, those paperwork aren't going to write themselves. If you're having second thoughts again, how about we meet each other for lunch right after tomorrow's ordeal, sound good?"

Feeling somewhat comforted, Himeno beamed satisfyingly to herself. "Sure! Now go, you busy man." Hanging up the phone, she let it drop down onto the telephone handle, silence enveloping her lonely room once more. It's been a while since she has had any forms of entertainment at all, aside from the idea that she's a full time Devil hunter. As stressful as it may sound, Himeno has always looked forward to precious little moments like this, going out for coffee and food with her colleagues after a hard day's work; or even sharing a quick drink or smoke when things get busy. Still, she can't afford to get her hopes up and take things for granted. 

The life of Devil hunters don't exactly account to much anyway, watching them die one by one like pesky insects waiting to be crushed. 

-

The next day after successfully defeating the devil in an abandoned house, Aki left the crash site dusting dirt and debris off his messy suit, lighting a cigarette. It calmed him down a little, after such a brutal endeavor, with the awful stench of blood and rotting corpses strewn everywhere. Accidentally breathing too heavily sent Aki into a coughing fit, with smoke getting into his throat and lungs. What a stressful day it has been as he turned to scan the area, wondering why it had suddenly turned out to be a lot more destructive than what he had originally expected. Aki sighed, feeling drained. On his far right side, he spotted two other colleagues stumbling and limping their ways out of the house, covered in deep wounds and bruises as well.