The Warmth Of Red ||DISCONTINUED||

Chapter Twenty Three

May 10th - Tuesday Afternoon

Karasu walked down the street heading to the market place to buy food seeing as the guys from Homura would stop by every once in a while but it's mostly Yata, Tatara, Mikoto and Anna who show up at her door step.

"Where's Suoh?" Karasu let out a sigh looking up at Munakata who was walking beside her dressed in casual clothing.

"He's busy with a few things, not like I'm going to tell you though." He chuckled.

"He didn't tell you, did he?"

"He doesn't need to tell me anything. I don't need to know every little detail about what he does."

"I sure, but I'm here on different matters concerning the yakuza."

"I gave you those details last time, Munakata. What more do you want me to do?" She stopped facing him.

"I know your older brother, Hotaru Nishi, is apart of the yakuza that we are investigating— along with your male cousins."

"If you know, then go ask them about their boss."

"I could, but that's the reason I got you on this case. You have to find out the identity of their boss before we make our move."

"I better get paid big time for this, Reisi." Karasu walked away from him raising an arm in the air.

"I knew you'd see it my way, Karasu."

"Yeah, whatever. I just better get paid a good sum for this whole thing." She replied looking at him over her shoulder, lowering her arm as she continued walking down the street. After a few minutes of walking on the road she finally made it to the market place.

"Queen!" Karasu's eye twitched hearing her new nickname coming from person who gave it to her from behind her. Looking over her shoulder she saw none of than Tatara, Izumo and the King himself standing there with a bored, yet sleepy look. Anna let go of Mikoto's jacket running over to the brunette.

"Hello Anna, have they been good so far today?" Anna nodded her head with a small smile on her lips. Karasu smiled ruffling the small girls hair a bit.

"That's good to know, if they hadn't something might just happen, huh?" Anna covered her mouth with her hand finding a smile. Mikoto had an annoyed look, Izumo rolled his eyes but smiled none the less.

"Awe— come on, Queen! We always behave!" Tatara spoke with that same smile on his lips as he walked over to them. Karasu couldn't help but smile but is wasn't like her usual smile.

"Tatara?"

"Yes?"

"When are you going to stop calling me by that annoying nickname?"

"Never." Her eye twitched when he smiled down at her patting her head like an older brother. Lifting her hand up she grabbed him by the ear pulling it making him wince.

"Owowow— Karasu, that hurts! Let go!" He whined, her eyes narrowed at him. She tugged his ear downward.

"Brat." She said.

"I'm still older and taller than you are remember— ow! I'm sorry! I'm sorry!" Tatara pouted rubbing his ear.

"That wasn't very nice..."

"Who said I was nice to begin with? Annoy me and you'll get a beating. Got it?"

"Yes, Queen!" He saluted her.

"Totsuka!" He just laughed running into the market excaping from the brunette's wrath. Karasu let out a sigh rubbing her eyes tiredly.

"Staying up late again?" Izumo asked the young woman. She nodded.

"Munakata is really pushing me to the edge with this yakuza case. I'm so close to punching him in the face even if he is a King." Mikoto smirked hearing this.

"This is all on you. You accepted it."

"It's not like I have any say in it." She mumbled causing Anna to look up at her. Mikoto and Izumo heard what she said.

"What do you mean by that?" Karasu sighed shaking her head.

"Forget about it." She waved it off heading to one of the stands that was selling beef for twenty percent off.

*~*

Half an hour later she was finally down shopping. Izumo and Tatara were nice enough to take the bags filled with food back to her apartment after seeing how tired she was.

"... Karasu." Karasu blinked feeling Anna tugging on her shirt, looking down she saw that the small girl was pointing at an ice cream shop.

"You want some?" Anna nodded her head pulling the brunette towards the shop. She couldn't help but smile.

"Alright, lion, do you want something?" He let out a grunt taking a sit at one of the few tables outside the shop. Walking inside the shop she and Anna ordered their ice cream before heading back outside with their sweet treats. Upon exiting the shop Karasu frowned seeing two women sitting on either side of the amber eyed man.

"Jealous." Anna said with a hint of teasing. Karasu's face flushed.

"I am not." She pouted looking down at Anna.

"Liar." Anna said looking up at her with a small smile, again Karasu felt her face heat up.

"Anna." She mumbled that sounded like a whine. Anna grabbed the brunette's hand walking over to the table.

"Mikoto." Anna called out to the red haired man who looked over at them before standing up. The two women looked up at him questionly.

"H-hey?"

"Where you going?" Mikoto didn't even bother answering them leaving them at the table he was once sitting. Karasu tilted her head confused at what he did.

"Let's go." He said standing beside her. She looked at him and nodded.

"O-okay." Both Anna and Karasu followed after him walking down the road. Out of site of the ice cream shop they sat down at an empty table near a local book store. Karasu kept looking through the window, her eyes wondering around the shelves near the window while eating her ice cream.

"A bookword, huh? I never would've guessed." Karasu blushed turning her head to the right seeing Tatara sitting beside her with a teasing look in his eyes. She frown.

"I am not." She looked away eating more of her chocolate ice cream.

"You're a liar." Anna said. Izumo chuckled coming up behind her placing his hand on her head.

"It's okay, Kara. We still love you even if you are a bookworm."

"You guys are mean for picking on me." She said leaning against the table with a pout, her hand holding the ice cream was spread out across the table. Mikoto looked at her, at the ice cream then back at her. She frowned, glaring at him.

"You better not. It's mine." That being said, she sat up finishing the last of her ice cream before standing up walking past the book store.

"Do you wanna go inside?" Tatara asked. Karasu froze looking over her shoulder.

"No." He smiled.

"You answered awfully quickly. I'll go with you if you want?"

"I'm not some child who needs someone to go inside a bookstore!" She glared at Tatara who chuckled ruffing her hair.

"It's fine. I'll even buy you a book. How does that sound, hmm?" Karasu felt her cheeks hurting at how much she blushed since leaving the ice cream shop. She looked off to the side.

"... Fine.." She grabbed onto the sleeve of his shirt as they walked inside."

"Can I?" Anna looked up at Izumo and Mikoto once she was down with her ice cream.

"Go ahead. Pick out something for yourself too." Nodding she followed after Karasu and Tatara.