𝐋𝐈𝐓𝐓𝐋𝐄 𝐆𝐀𝐌𝐄

四十一 | 𝐎𝐑𝐃𝐄𝐑

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𝐂𝐇𝐀𝐏𝐓𝐄𝐑 𝐅𝐎𝐑𝐓𝐘 𝐎𝐍𝐄
𝐎𝐑𝐃𝐄𝐑

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After (Y/N) had asked him to kill Near, Arata wholly devoted himself to such a task.

It was quite easy to pick up Near's routine since it was so constant: arrive at school, walk (Y/N) home, get picked up, and repeat. However, Arata hadn't expected for Near to have so much security and scrutiny surrounding him, having followed him home one day in his family's car to see him escorted by men and women in suits into a tall building.

It only made Arata's suspicious grow.

Using his family's complex and never ending resources that only came from the large wealth that they had amassed over the years, Arata dug up any information he could on that specific building.

It was time consuming, to say the least.

Not only were there twenty-three floors aboveground that included elevators and rooms such as offices, lounging areas, and monitoring areas, but there were two floors belowground and a helipad on the roof that couldn't be seen by those looking at the building from the exterior. To gain entrance to such a place meant that one would have to know a PIN number, have to scan one's index finger, and have to complete a retina scan. Once granted access to the building, a garage door opens, leading to a secured metal door with an automated security screening system. All metal must be removed, and once that is confirmed, the door opens, allowing them access the rest of the building.

Arata scowled.

Yet...

That entire entrance process must be repeated every time someone enters that damn building...

I don't have time for that.

I need to find another way in...

Scanning and typing and filtering information, Arata finally had a solid plan after three days, having always worked quick to please (Y/N).

Unfortunately, there was a problem.

On the night that he was to leave, his bag slung over his shoulder and his form clothed in all black, his cell rung. Picking the device up, he saw that he was being called from an unknown number, yet answered it anyway.

"Hello?" It was a woman's voice on the other end. "Is this Hayato Arata?"

"Yes," his eyes narrowed. "Who is this?"

"My name is Noguchi Yuuki... and you've killed my husband Noguchi Hanzou."

Arata sucked in a sharp breath.

Noguchi...

That fucker...

"I work at a tech company, and that was how I was able to unscramble your number and IP address," she continued, her voice wavering as tears unknown to Arata began to stream down her face. "It was always a different number that called my husband, but he spoke to the person on the phone the same way. So I knew they couldn't be different. And on the night he died... he spoke to you again. He seemed different that time, though."

"I have no idea what you're talking about..." Arata stated through grit teeth.

"Do not lie to me!" Yuuki shouted, voice raising multiple octaves. "You forced him to do something! You threatened him and got him killed! What made you ever think you had such a right!?"

"Ms. Noguchi..." Arata spoke smoothly and calmly, his death-like grip on his phone almost crushing the device as he spoke. "I know that you're distressed about your husband's death, but I can assure you that I had absolutely nothing to do with that. I'm not sure why my number showed up for you, but I can say for certain that I do not know you, nor do I know your husband."

Silence on the other end answered him.

He glanced at his phone.

Did she hang up?

And then, "Is this fun for you?"

"Excuse me?" Arata scowled, completely fed up with the woman at that point.

"Is manipulating and using and torturing people to do your bidding fun for you?" Yuuki pressed, her tome dark and her breathing unsteady whilst she continued to cry and mourn for her loved one. "From your voice, I can tell that you're young. I can tell that you've never once been needing for something. You probably saw Hanzou as someone pathetic and not worth even a moment's glance."

"Ms. Nogu—" he was cut off.

"But he was worth everything to me! To me and our two little girls, he did everything he could to make sure we always had warm clothes... always had food on the table... always had everything we ever needed..." Yuuki sniffled. "He even quit smoking for me, did you know that? So... why? Why did you kill him, Hayato Arata?"

"I didn't," he stated coldly.

Yuuki sucked in a shuddering breath.

"I see... but even if you deny it, there is unshakable proof that you did."

"...what?"

He couldn't believe it.

One problem after a-fucking-nother...

"You've always gotten what you've wanted, Hayato, but that will not happen any more. Once morning comes, I'm going to release your deeds to the public, and then they'll know what a psy—"

Arata hung up on her.

Something was wrong, and he didn't know what.

The cause for Hanzou's death was still unclear to him, but he knew that it had happened.

But, why?

Letting his arm hang limply by his side, the blue screen lighting up the darkness of the room, he tried to sort out his thoughts that were now swarmed with new and old problems alike. He couldn't understand why the person he thought he had disposed of was now coming back to haunt him in the form of his wife, but he couldn't let such an obstacle sway him.

I can't...

If I disappoint (Y/N)...

He shoved down such a thought.

Glancing down at his phone again, he dialed another number and listened to it ring before someone eventually picked up.

"It's me," Arata began, hearing the way the person reacted in fear just from his voice alone. "I need you to do something for me. Find and kill the Noguchi family. The ones related to Noguchi Hanzou. Then burn everything until there's nothing left, do you understand?"

"...Yes, sir."

With that, Arata hung up.

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To be continued...