ODE TO THE MURDERED, bonten

51

PART FIFTY-ONE !
his last laugh.

'I FOUND YOU, KOJIRO HISHI.' YOU MURMURED the thought in your head. your smile remain stagnant and sweet, but your eyes are iced cold. you nitpicked, watching Quoia's so called acting leader in such state—beaten black and blue, mouth wrapped in a cloth and restrained in a couch. it's like he had been tortured.

your brows furrow the more you observed him, the weapon falters in your hand.

is he even breathing?

you slowly take a couple of steps closer, enough to look at him more clearly—

when you see something move in your peripheral vision, you're quick to pull the gun from your belt, the hairs standing behind your neck and pointing it at the person who had interrupted.

at the open door, Shion's dark eyes widen, and you flinch. the blond holds his hands above his shoulders. Shion says your name slowly and carefully, followed up by an "easy."

"what are you doing?" you don't drop the gun but your grip on it softens. "i assume you're attending just like Koko and Rindou, no? the event's starting, you shouldn't be here."

    "maybe i should be saying this about you," Shion backfires, you grit your teeth. the banter takes you back, you two use to argue to and fro always. you shake the nostalgia away.

    "my business shouldn't involve Bonten." you say harshly. "don't get in my way, Shion. i'll shoot."

    "and i know you will."

    "are you asking me to shoot you?"

    Shion only frowns at your threat. "it hurts that you see me as someone you need to shoot, aren't we friends?"

   "not—" you grit out. "the fucking time to play buddies and catch up." don't falter, don't let him get to you. you have a mission. "i'm here for only one thing, it's Quoia. get that into your fucking head. tell the others about that, if they want to kill me, kill me when i've disposed of Quoia—"

    "well, we are after them too." Shion cuts you off.

    you let his words sink into you. this time, you finally let your gun down, the blond lets out a breath he didn't know he was holding. your glare doesn't relent though, "...why did Mikey send Kokonoi, Rindou and you to attend, what is Bonten's plan?"

    Shion takes a step back, running his fingers through his bangs. he doesn't answer you, in fact, he diverts his gaze towards Kojiro Hishi behind you.

    "what happened to him?"

    you follow Shion's gaze. "he's been tortured."

     "by who?"

    "who else but the only person who's higher ranking than him." your statement left a scowl on Shion's face.

"shit, so he's unresponsive then."

you don't answer him, roving your eyes around the corridor which was relatively empty. how Kojiro manage to stumble his way and attend a grand event at this state was beyond you.