BAREFACED

Chapter 91

You grab the tube filled with creme and fill the pastry. Izana watches you do so.

"Are you okay?" He asks. You slowly look up at him and nod.

"I'm okay."

"Are you sure... you look like you have a lot on your mind." He calmly implies. 

"You've noticed..." You slowly ask. He nods.

"What's been on your mind...?"

You furrow your eyebrows and place the tube and pastry down. 

"Why did you go to Juvie?" You blankly ask, looking at Izana. His eyes widen and he furrows his eyebrows, looking away.

"... that's not something I would really want to talk about." He slowly says. You lean forward and furrow your eyebrows.

"If we are going to run a bakery together then you need to tell me!" You insist. He looks at you and then sighs. 

"I don't want you to- run off with my words and leave me..." He slowly says.

"Why would I do that?" You ask. He looks away and then sighs. 

"I- hurt people... and got involved in bad acts... so they put me in juvenile detention... I guess to reflect on my actions." he slowly says.

"I see..." You wipe creme off the counter and lick it off your finger.

"Mhm... You didn't answer my question earlier." He says, causing you to look up at him.

"Right... My friend- she came to me randomly... telling me about something that I find very strange but also... scary-"

"What do you mean...?" He asks.

"Have you ever killed someone before?" You ask. Izana's eyes widen.

"No- I haven't" He says shaking his head. He looks down at the pastry you just made. "Do you think I'm the kind of person to do that?"

"Honestly- no... but I was just curious if you have met others that have done something similar." You say.

"Yeah... I know a few that have committed a murder... but I don't associate with them... I wouldn't murder someone." He blankly says.

"Mm- I believe you." You slowly nod.

"... what scary thing did your friend tell you?" He asks. You stare at him a bit before looking at your fingers that are sticky and covered in powdered sugar.

"She dated this guy... and fell in love with him... but one day he went missing... She told me this a long time ago- it originally sounded like he ran away from responsibilities... or something... but then she mentioned... recently that when he went missing there was an unidentified body that was found in the river..."

"..." Izana looks down at the counter and furrows his eyebrows.

"Have you heard about that?"

"Yeah... It happened not long before I got sent to Juvenile detention. It was a popular topic. Some people suspected it had to do with a gang... but who knows for sure."

"She wants me to find him... and I have a gut feeling that I should- maybe look into it." You sigh.

"So... how are you going to do it?" He asks. You stare at him. 

"I'll show you." You smile.

You stand outside Chifuyu's complex. You stare at Izana who has disguised himself as a different person. He's wearing a black-haired wig and an academia uniform. He also has black contacts in his eyes. You think he looks stupid.