To Be A Scrapper (Suzuya Juuzou)

Chapter 63

"Remember this Jiro. Every thing I'm going to do, I do it out of love."

A light humming sound was heard, colorful and vibrant as it bounced off the cold walls of the weapon room. The tune held an awfully accurate resemblance to the music box engraved on the windmill, the only difference being that this one was interrupted every few seconds by a sharp intake of breath.  The sound of soft rummaging and shuffling of objects merged with the melody, producing a strangely warm and comforting sound.

If you didn't follow the sound, that is. For at its source there was not a single trace of comfort to be found. There was no happiness, no colors, nothing but a sharp metallic smell mixing with the sour scent of the countless gunpowder boxes that now lay scattered across the floor, on several sealed boxes and even atop a shaking head of blond hair.

Nobody knew what the boy was up to, not even himself. All that could be seen was the unsteady path of a sizzling spoon as it sliced through clear, tan skin. It ripped, burned and melted away at its cellular tissues, leaving a stomach-churning smell in its wake. The boy could see stars dancing across his vision, and he could've sworn he heard a familiar voice calling his name. The beautiful mixture of melodies brought a weak smile to his face.

Give gunpowder to an old man and he'll use it in his coffee. Give the same amount to a teenager and he'll go out with a bang.

~~~
"Shin!" A lilac haired boy slammed the door to the dormitory open, making the walls shake as he gripped the door frame.

Said male tore his gaze from the ceiling where he had once again been counting the deformed stains left behind by humidity. She was like the rest, Shin thought, passing by with no purpose but to leave a scar and walk away once the damage is done.

"You're out of breath." The coal haired boy spoke, slowly sitting upright in his bed. "What's wrong?"

Ryuu breathed heavily, a desperate look in his eyes Shin had only seen only on extremely rare occasions.

"Jiro."

"What's wrong with Jiro?" This time a soft, mildly feminine voice spoke as Emi made her way toward the youngest boy.

The blond had been missing for days and Madam A wouldn't tell the rest of the elites where he was, no matter how many times they tried to approach her. They'd stopped trying after a while, concluding he had gone on a confidential solo mission. Now, however, the heavy pang in their stomachs made them realize they'd been wrong.

"There's a burning smell coming from the weapon room, and someone whistling inside. I'm one hundred percent sure it's Jiro." Ryuu explained, shifting his gaze toward Shin's electric one, watching as the male quickly stood up.

"Did you see smoke?"

"No, but Jiro is definitely in there and he doesn't want to come out. I tried calling his name and opening the door but he blocked it."

No more words were needed for the three elites to spring into action. They raced out the door and down the hallways, reaching the wide door of the weapon room in a matter of seconds.

Just like Ryuu had described, the door was locked. Picking it was no use as it seemed to be blocked with something from the inside. They tried calling his name only to have the same results. Jiro was unreachable.

"Jiro? Are you in there?" Shin growled exgasperatedly, slamming his shoulder against the door without any result.

The whistling had gotten louder.

"Jiro! Open the door!" Emi pleaded.

"It's no use guys, I tried already. We'll have to force our way in." This time it was Ryuu who spoke, the rest nodding immediately.