Angel | Saiouma

ଘThirty-Fourଓ

"This is the last time we're going to Hopes," Kokichi sighed heavily as Shuichi began to decimate his thirtieth egg bite in his mouth.

"And this is the last time we let Keebo drive," Maki bared her teeth at Keebo.

The poor driver's face turned bright pink. "It wasn't my fault the little old lady decided to try and jaywalk the street!"

"Anyways!" Kaito ruffled his silver hair in slight frustration. "We're forgetting the main reason we're here in the first place."

Everyone was crowded around a small coffee table with chairs and a sofa tucked away in the corner of the cafe. Kokichi was wedged between Shuichi and Keebo, while Maki and Kaito were sitting across from them and Kirumi was sitting in a plush chair.

Outside, pearly white clouds obscured the entire sky and a light blanket of snow covered the sidewalks and parking lot. Soft Jazz instrumentals were playing cheerily inside the warm cafe, a stark contrast to the dark mood hovering around the small coffee table.

"Shuichi, have you...had any contact with your father or anyone since...you know?" Maki leaned forward.

Shuichi just shook his head as he munched on a chocolate croissant, cheeks puffed out like chipmunks as he'd shoved the entire thing in his mouth at once. Kirumi sighed, handing Shuichi a black lace handkerchief.

"The hitmen came almost right after Rantaro left," Keebo murmured, the wheels of his brain turning. "But Rantaro didn't do it apparently...So is there and where is the connection?"

"More like, why does someone want Shuichi dead in the first place?" Kaito piped up as he rolled a donut hole around his plate like a little kid.

"Molester?" Kokichi mumbled, glancing at Shuichi who immediately choked on his food at Kokichi's suggestion.

Unfortunately, Kaito also heard him. "What?" Kaito's jaw dropped before sitting up and leaning closer to Shuichi. "Shuichi, bro, have you been mistreating Kokichi!?" He yelled at Shuichi who was still choking and subsequently dying on his bread.

"When...when have I...molested you?" Shuichi gasped, finally catching his breath. "In fact, you should be the one who might be the molester considering you were planning to whack Kumori with a dumb freaking lamp!"

"WHAT?" Kaito and Keebo's jaws dropped. Maki's eyes widened and Kirumi raised a gloved hand to her mouth.  

Kokichi's face burned up at his words. He'd been referring to when Shuichi practically stripped in front of him in the first week they'd been together at that photoshoot and all the times Shuichi basically grabbed Kokichi and pulled him along everywhere.

"Yeah, don't think I didn't see you holding that lamp like a club when I turned around after breaking up with her," Shuichi's golden eyes narrowed.

"damn.. hey Kokichi," Maki leaned forward, her red eyes glittering, "if you ever need to do that again, make sure you video it and send it to me alright?"

"Maki, that's inappropriate." Kirumi gasped.

"Hang on, Kumori," Keebo pointed a finger at Shuichi. "She was your girlfriend right?"

"Was," Shuichi grumbled.

"Could she have been the one behind all this?" Keebo looked around. "Maybe she wanted Shuichi's money or something..?"

"No, she can be really cruel and selfish, but she wouldn't do that," Shuichi shook his head.

"Debatable," Kirumi and Kokichi muttered at the same time under their breaths.

The older woman shot him an appreciative look.

"Just think about it, Shuichi," Maki huffed a little. "We need to consider all our options."

"So far we have Kumori and your father, maybe uncle..." Kirumi listed before carefully looking at Shuichi. "Your father is going to be at the dinner the day after tomorrow."

"Don't think I already know that," Shuichi squeezed his eyes shut and Kokichi couldn't resist but to rub one of his shoulders comfortingly.

"Shuichi, what about your sister?" Kirumi leaned forward, an almost... gentleness in her eyes.

Shuichi's eyes opened an eerie blank look. "She's in rehab, Kirumi. There's no way or reason she'd do such a thing."

"She was practically crazy when she went in," Kirumi pressed. "Do you-"

"No," Shuichi stated firmly.

"Alright, so we just have Kumori and his father then," Kaito cleared his throat, trying to break up some tension.

Kokichi bit his lip a little as Shuichi's eyes closed again, wearily. Kokichi didn't dare ask about his sister, his family sounded so broken up.

'No wonder he has anger issues and is so sporadic. Shit like that when growing up did this to him...'

 Kokichi now wrapped a full arm around his arm gently and one of his hands came up to touch Kokichi's.

"I suggest you confront your father at the dinner," Kirumi placed her tea cup on the table and crossed her arms. "We're not going to force you, though," She quickly added as Shuichi began to practically shake. "But I highly suggest it."

"We'll be there, Shuichi," Kaito leaned forward earnestly, his already wide eyes seemed to only enlarge. "We'll help you!"

"He might hurt me," Shuichi whispered, voice cracking a little as Kokichi's heart lurched as an almost child-like fear gripped the CEO's sharply cut features.

"He won't," Maki set her jaw, the usually blank woman's expression soured. "We'll be there, Shuichi. We will be there and make sure he doesn't lay a finger on you."

"I'll come go too, Shumai.." Kokichi whispered, the nickname slipping out of his mouth through his lips.

Shuichi glanced at Kokichi, his almost manic eyes seemed to calm a little and he very quickly planted a tiny kiss on top of Kokichi's head before he could react.

"I'll come too, Shuichi, if that's okay and... I'm sorry," Keebo murmured quietly. "I didn't mean to...you know, cause this type of environment.. and..yeah." the young man seemed slightly at a loss for words.

"I get it, Keebo, and yeah, I'm sorry too," Shuichi nodded a little.

"Someone should confront Kumori too," Kirumi looked around.

No one met her look.

"Hey, Maki, you...you wanna be the one," Kaito chuckled nervously.

"Heck to the no!" Maki quickly shook her head. "Do you want me to die before I'm thirty?"

"How about Kokichi since he was going to hit her with a lamp?" Kaito glanced at him hopefully.

"No, I don't think that would be the best idea," Kirumi intercepted this time. "It should be known, that you never put a partner with an ex-partner of the same man together, especially Kumori of all people. It's rather distasteful...Kumori, that is."

"We'll figure Kumori out later," Shuichi cut in before anyone else could say anything. "Let's just...target my dad first okay?"

Everyone sobered and one by one nodded. Kaito stretched across the table to clap a hand over Shuichi's shoulder. "You'll get through it, okay, bro? We'll do this together!"

-A/N- 

I've had major writer's block, but here's a new chapter!

 I've been very busy with school, and then last week my dog, Lucky, got hit by a car so my attention and everything have been very split. Lucky is fine! A few of his teeth and his jaw were broken, but I took him to the vet and he's doing better now. 

How is everyone else doing?