The Hobby

Chapter 5

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The next couple weeks pass by in a haze, like a dream.

I stole the fan, handed it over to “Toru Misuteri” the boss - who then introduced me as Bloody Ghost in the newspaper which got some attention from the public. Well why wouldn’t it? I was now a mass murderer of fourteen people having not killed anyone on my last job and a thief that has stolen hundreds of thousands in jewelry and artifacts. Not to mention the note I gave to the police. The note that desperately confused them, it had said;

Bloody Ghost

Hello,

Have you started wondering why I leave a single drop of blood next to a blooming flower? It’s because I like giving you hints as to who I am. I like to see the look on your face when the clue I’ve left makes you rack your brain to figure out my real name.

And if you’re wondering why I’m saying this, it’s because I like confusing the wannabes, the copycats, so I can pick them out and smile at their lame attempts. I leave no drop of blood next to a blooming flower. I leave no trace behind. And if you think this is starting to sound pointless then you’re even dumber than I thought you were, because in this one article I have told you everything about me. I’ve even told you my name.

The point of this letter was to distract the police while I got back into the swing of things and went on one of my biggest jobs yet. A note that between the boss and I slipped to the police only a couple days ago.

Anyway, I’m getting ahead of myself. After I stole the fan and the boss gave me the survival knife I had asked for, which both matched my gun in quality and appearance, the boss had also made me a secret bank account with thousands in deposits for me to access whenever I may need it. We were also becoming… well not friends but allies in this world of theft and murder.

After he gave me my payment I had taken a slight break from that world, only two weeks but in that time I hung out with my friends and enjoyed being a teenager. It was a break that I had asked for, my solution to balancing my two lives. It wasn’t a perfect solution but it worked for now.

Since - and while - I took my break my parents have been around more. They don’t really pay attention to Aimi and I, they’re more on edge than anything else. I think something bad is happening in the company but they won’t tell me anything and honestly I don’t really care that much.

I don’t think it will be anything too serious.

My friends and I hung out about twice or three times a week, it was fun having some kind of semblance of a normal life for a while. However I had missed the adrenaline, the life I have as Bloody Ghost and so now I am going to go back to it.

Is there any way to tie my two lives together as one?

I don’t think there is.

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It’s the fourth of March, I’m on my way to an abandoned building I’ve never been before to meet the boss again. The plan is to figure out our plan to steal the red jade dragon; a thousand year old Chinese artifact. It will be my biggest job yet and it has to be extensively planned out beforehand. So far, I have no clue what I’m going to do.

I get to the ramshackle structure, it looks like it used to be a restaurant of some kind. I walk upstairs and find the boss sitting at a table. He doesn’t look like his usual self, he looks upset, almost sad maybe worried?

But why?

I tried to ignore it, “Boss,” he looked up with the eyes like… well like there was a problem he could do nothing to fix but still wanted to do something. “What’s going on? What’s the plan for the dragon?”

He sat there shaking his head, clenching up his fists. “Kaori, there is no plan.”

“Ok well, we have to think fast then right? I heard the dragon would be transported by truck,” armored truck obviously. “Then it would go directly to a warehouse - I haven’t found out how many guards yet - but maybe in the transaction-”

“Kaori! You don’t understand, you can’t steal the dragon.” Once he said that my guard went up. It all made sense his almost defeated look, why he’d said I couldn’t do it. People were here, police probably, I didn’t see them but-

“Put that away!” The boss exclaimed, I had started to take out my gun. “There’s no one here.” he was starting to get annoyed at me - for my lack of knowledge on what was going on probably - but he still didn’t say anything. Thinking. He didn’t know how to say it.

But say what?!

“What’s going on old man? Why can’t I steal the dragon?” I was starting to get annoyed at his silence.

“Your… father,” he hated associating me with the man he despised. Yeah the boss and I had kind of gotten close. At least as close as you can get in this business. “is going to the United States, for business. His company or the company is sending him there to have a man in the States, one of there own so they can continue business-”

“So what?! My fathers business trips don’t have a thing to do with me!” I screamed, but I’d misunderstood.

“It’s not a business trip.” The boss said pointedly. “Your father is moving to the States and so are you, Kaori, you‘re going to America.”

“What?! No, he can’t. I’ll stay here! He can’t just decide to move me half way around the world for the sake of his job or whatever the reason is. I have friends here, a life! Important things I have to do!” I looked at the boss and saw that sadness that said what we both knew. I would move to America, it was inevitable. I kicked the cupboard next to me, taking out one of the hinges. I cushed my elbows on the counter and looked at the floor. “What are we going to do?” I said grudgingly.

“I’ll take care of it. I’ll cash in some favors if I have to.”

“The note? The dragon? Bloody Ghost?”

“I’ll take care of all of it! Trust me.” The bosses rare smile came to his lips and mine followed.

“Never.” I replied. We both laughed. We had almost become friends in this world it's true but we both knew trust in this world is the equivalent of suicide.

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