The Art of War

Use of Spies

Hesitantly Yukine entered the building, still unsure about what to think about the offer. Today was his second interview for a possible new workplace.

Why exactly they wanted Yukine was a mystery. He still was a police officer with barely any experience, yet they contacted him with their offer and invited him to talk. Explained the basics of their organization and the work associated with it.

It is some kind of special unit working under the command of the government, dealing with organized crime. Already during the first conversation they hinted that they investigated a certain criminal organization. The one that Kugaha – and therefore Yato – was part of.

Through his work on Kugaha's case Yukine gained their interest. Every attempt to explain that it was all due to Yato were of no avail. They wanted to recruit him nonetheless.

After announcing his arrival at the reception it took a few minutes until one of the employees, which had also been present at the first meeting, arrived. If Yukine remembered correctly his name was Daikoku.

Together they entered the lift and waited until they arrived at the right floor. For the lift to even start moving Daikoku had to hold an ID card to a sensor.

During the ride Yukine's thoughts drifted away. Back to the morning when he woke up in his bed alone. No trace of Yato. Just a letter.

When he remembered those written down words Yukine sensed a boiling anger rising inside him. He still felt the urge to tear the letter up into little shreds or burn it up. Essentially anything to cease its existence. Until know he had been able to hold back, even though the sole existence of the letter was mocking him.

'Yukine. First of all: I'm sorry.'

As if he was sorry. If he had been truly sorry he wouldn't had quietly and secretly disappeared. He would have said it personally to Yukine. He hadn't expected Yato to be such a coward. He kills people for money. Thus such a small conversation shouldn't be a problem.

Anyway: Yukine didn't need this apology. He knew what he was up to with Yato. He knew there was no chance for a happy end. That their time was limited.

He had just hoped it was not that limited.

'With the investigation and my cooperation with the police coming to an end, it is time for me to vanish.'

Or in honest words: The cowardly crawl down a hole. For someone like Yato a few minutes would have been enough to disappear. He didn't had to run hours before the time was up.

'I have to admit, the joint investigation with you had been pleasant.'

Pleasant? Yato did have his fun with Yukine. Intentionally infuriating him. Making his life difficult in every possible way. Yukine defined pleasant differently.

'Even though we had, especially at the start, some misunderstandings.'

Oh yes! Yukine would have never gotten it without this hint. Misunderstandings? Who could possibly have caused those? Probably not Yato with his uncooperative behavior? Yukine lightly bite down on his bottom lip to get his anger back under control. He didn't intended giving Daikoku a wrong impression about himself.

'At the end we overcame our differences and worked together as a team.'

Those differences had rather been repressed by other emotions than overcome.

'Especially the experience, that a police officer found out the truth about my occupation and treated me the same as before, was refreshing.'

Something else Yato didn't deserve. Everyone should reprimand him for his terrible behavior. As often as possible. A bit less confidence would do Yato some good.