Blank Canvas 16
Read on AO3.
Words: 6645
Summary: The dinner party is held.
Chapter 15
Chapter 17
Master Post
“This is a surprise, Kaiko. To what do I owe the pleasure?”
“Priest, my old friend. How’s the cage treating you?”
“There seems to be a shortage of books of late, but I can’t complain otherwise.”
“I’ll see what I can do, then… Either way, I’m here because of Kuzen’s kid. She’s been visiting you again, yeah?”
“Assuming she was, how would she get in? This is a Cochlea cell, not a hotel bedroom.”
“There are always cracks that a worm can struggle through. What does she want?”
“There’s really nothing to say. I’ve had no visitors of late besides my thoughts, my dreams, and my everlasting hatred for our mutual colleague.”
“Dreams, huh? Like seeing your son, maybe?”
“…”
“C’mon, Donato, we’re pals. Old pals, too.”
“… Hm hm hm, so we are. While I have you here— I’ve been quite curious— how has my replacement been? Is Saeki everything to your liking?”
“Torso’s been fine. Bit of an ungrateful bastard, though; been asking for more targets. And when he flounders, he’s way sloppier than you were. But we make do.”
“That’s no surprise; Kuzen’s eye for skill has always been… skewed.”
“Yeah, yeah. Look, I’ve got places to be, so can you answer my question about his kid so I can go?”
“I didn’t realize your time meant so much to me, Kaiko. Why are you pursuing her now? I wasn’t under the impression she was a threat to our— mostly your— bosses’ little schemes.”
“Listen here, you— Fine. Fine. She’s got connections to the Scarecrow. Kijima’s crew sniffed it out. Not much, but it’s dangerous.”
“My, my, the elusive information smuggler… And that’s a problem?”
“A big one. If a controversial figure like her releases even more controversial information, it could be catastrophic! Donato, the whole thing could explode in our faces!”
“Mm, yes, that sounds terrible… But why not stop the flow at its source? The Scarecrow, as I understand it, has been a thorn in your side for the past three or so years… Kill the white rabbit, and Alice becomes lost, no?”
“Donato, the Scarecrow doesn’t have any influence himself. His true identity, whatever it is, is a nobody. So to achieve his mystery goal, he needs to ride the coattails of bigger names.”
“Ah… You’re shrinking the cage until he has nowhere left to run. Amusing.”
“Sure. ‘Course, the bosses aren’t the brightest bulbs in the room, so it’s up to my branch to figure things out and settle this quietly. After Nimura’s colossal blunder with Tsuneyoshi and Yoshitoki— perfect waste of a good mind, too— we gotta get back into their good graces.”
“Yes, Souta is sorely missed, as Roma never tires of telling me.”
“So… you’ll help me?”
“You believe I hold the information you want?”
“For the love of— Look, Priest, do you wanna see your son or not? I’d rather not resort to usin’… heavier means on Kuzen’s little girl, but I will if it means keepin’ my fuckin’ job.”
“… Very well. She was with someone last time.”
“Alright, now we’re getting somewhere! Who was it? What’d they look like? Why was—”
“Patience, Kaiko. His name was—”
———
“Haise,” Sen got his attention, “You alright?”
“Hm? Oh, uh, yeah, I’m okay.” Haise scratched his cheek. “Just a little nervous, is all.”
“You’re nervous? I’m the one meeting a shitton of new people!” She laughed, leaning against their linked arms. “And under the shadow of death, of all things!”
“P-Please don’t say that when we get there…”
It was another weekend night, and the two of them had met at a station in the 10th ward. The get-together for Kurona was to be held at Kimi and Nishiki’s place. It was to mainly be a distraction above all else.
Haise was, for all intents and purposes, fine, but the revelations from Cochlea still weighed heavy on his mind. Nashiro, Ryouko, and countless others, all killed needlessly by what Shachi called V.
Like the Roman numeral for five. The fifth major arcana— the Hierophant.
It almost sounded fake. Like maybe the plot point of a B-movie. Something that Hide would have enjoyed back in college— the kind that dealt with shadowy puppet organizations and the ‘real enemy’. It was borderline childish to think that all of the world’s problems— or at least, all of Japan’s problems— really stemmed from a single source.
But Haise couldn’t ignore Shachi’s stories, corroborated by public lobbying records. Donations made to certain political parties. Convenient bills that became law, and record profits from said laws. It lined up too well to be a coincidence. People in positions of power were starved with greed, and they were sating it by gorging themselves on the remains of innocent lives.
And Sen, with their story, wanted to destroy them.
“I’ve been collecting interviews these past few years,” she had told him. “They’ll be released along with the book.”
The Hanged Man’s MacGuffin had only been the beginning. Certainly, Sen’s reputation had tanked with older and more traditional audiences, but her clearer stance, compared to her other works, had highlighted who she should be targeting. That was why she was willing to create a graphic novel; to literally illustrate her point better.
“I’m glad, you know,” she said, leaning affectionately against Haise’s arm. Nishiki and Kimi’s place wasn’t far away now.
“How so?” he asked.
“You’ve been a most willing participant in my little scheme.”
“‘Little’?” he repeated, baffled. “I looked up each of the families involved, and they’re… they’re everywhere.”
Hospitals, airways, food production, entertainment, law enforcement, law— V had its claws sunk into nearly every aspect of everyday life. To attack even one of them and succeed seemed impossible.
“But we’re not targeting everywhere; just the Washuu.” She shrugged. “Attacking their chokehold on law enforcement’s a good first step. It won’t solve everything, but Rome wasn’t built in a day.”
“I… see.” At least, he thought he did. Casting a wide net did risk being spread too thin. “But won’t releasing the information destroy your reputation?”
“I never cared much for that.” She played with the sleeve of his jacket. “But if you must know, I have accomplices that’ll release the information in my stead, all anonymous.”
He hummed in understanding.
“Besides—” she stopped and turned him by the shoulders— “there’s someone else I need to look out for.”
Haise’s first instinct was to ask who, but when Sen fixed his jacket and brushed off some lint, he flushed. “A-Ah…”
“It wouldn’t do if you couldn’t capitalize off your big break.” She smiled.
“But… But you’ve been working on this for a while, haven’t you?” He reached out to brush some of her hair out of the way. “I-I don’t want to get in the way if it means—”
She stopped him with her palm. “Oh no, you don’t.” She laced their fingers together, lowering them. “You won’t be attached to me forever, you know.”
He blinked, recalling what he’d said to her a few months back. Working alone, building his own reputation and following, setting down a path separate from her… That was, in some part, what he had envisioned for himself. The ability to be a solo act, free from the shadow of Sen Takatsuki, so that they could stand together as equals, under the sun, when he returned. So that she could respect him as much as he respected her.
“Sen…” Haise put his other hand over hers, smiling slightly. “I won’t leave you.”
Now he knew he didn’t have to; he didn’t need to be anything besides himself. Sen already respected him. Him, Haise Sasaki, the artist. Her artist.
She looked up at him now, blinking. “Oh, uh…” In the face of vulnerability, she had a habit of stumbling on her words. “I, um… I’d like that.”
When he kissed her head in approval, she shrunk into herself, a dark shade of red coloring her cheeks. She practically dragged him the rest of the way to their destination, too shy to show her face.
Kimi and Nishiki’s place wasn’t large, but it was a house, which was impressive in and of itself. A simple two-floor house, with beige walls and a dark square roof, as well as a simple paved yard leading up to the front door. A placard reading “Nishino” was on the gate, denoting who owned it.
Haise sent a text to Nishiki to say that they’d arrived, but when the door opened, it wasn’t his former coworker.
“Hey, Sauce!!” Hide said, jogging over to open the gate. The nickname was sort of growing on Haise, much as he didn’t want to admit.
“Hide!” He waved back, then stepped aside to make room for Sen. “I, uh… I brought her!”
Strangely enough, Hide’s grin dimmed, which only happened when he was cautious of someone. Haise thought to ask if he was okay— had they been stalked?— but the moment passed as quickly as it appeared. “Cool! So you’re Takatsuki?”
Sen stuck out her hand. “Sen’s just fine. It’s good to finally meet you in person, Hide.”
It happened again, but this time with Sen. Haise had spent enough time with her to know when she was wary of someone. But this was Hide, his best friend in the whole world; why was she like that now?
“Likewise,” Hide said, clasping her hand and giving a firm shake. “Been looking forward to this for a while.”
However, before Haise could ask either of them if they were okay, an interruption with glasses and a wool sweater appeared in the front door.
“Oi, Hide!” Nishiki called. “The fuck you doin’ out there? Bring ‘em in!”
“N-Nishiki!!” Haise shelved his thoughts at the sight of his old coworker. “Hey!”
He took the opportunity to take Sen by the hand and take her to the door, making her giggle in surprise. He also shot Hide, following behind, a quizzical glance, but Hide just gave an indifferent shrug. Haise made a note to confront him about it later.
Sen put on her usual smile. “Hi!”
Nishiki waved back. “Yo! You’re the elusive girlfriend, eh? Name’s Nishiki— pleasure. Used to man the counters with your little boytoy there.”
“Nishiki!” Haise hissed.
But Sen just laughed. “Customer service, huh? Sounds like hell.”
“Worse, actually.” He shrugged, but clapped a hand on Haise’s shoulder. “But this stupid idiot sometimes made it fun.”
“Y-You’re just being nice…” Haise scratched his cheek.
“And you’re just bein’ humble.” Nishiki stepped aside. “Get inside; it’s fuckin’ cold.”
Haise glanced at the shoes at the entrance. This was a surprisingly loaded gathering, and he swallowed. It was one thing for him to attend this sort of thing, and another to have to proactively introduce his girlfriend to everyone.
He felt Sen squeeze his hand. When he looked at her, her mouth was a thin line. Knowing he wasn’t alone, he squeezed back, trying to give her a reassuring smile. It was anything but, but she chuckled anyway.
They took it slow, getting her introduced to everyone in bits and quickly slipping away with irrelevant subjects. There was Kimi, Juuzou, Takizawa, Yoriko, and then Amon. Haise tensed up when introducing Sen to him, as he remembered Amon being friends with someone named ‘Mado’, but it didn’t come up.
As for Kurona, she seemed to be doing well; the gathering, plus the novelty of Sen’s appearance, was a good distraction from everything. People were clearly steering away from gloomier subjects, at least for tonight.
“It’s almost infuriating how good she has it,” Sen mumbled at one point.
Haise blinked. “How so?”
They had claimed their own little space in the kitchen, far enough away to have a hushed and private conversation.
“Friends willing to help her, a place like this to crash at— a support system,” she elaborated. “Infuriating.”
Juuzou was showing off a small party trick by balancing a shot glass on his nose. He took a second one, flicked it into the air, and then caught it perfectly in the first. Cheers and applause went around the room, and Kurona whistled.
“What about Big Bin and the others?” Haise asked. “Aren’t they—”
“I wasn’t talking about them.” She sighed. “I meant… before them. Before Shiono.”
The 8th ward. “O-Oh…” Haise twiddled his thumbs. “He told me you were at an orphanage.”
She nodded. “Not the greatest place to be. Big surprise, I know. No one really got along with anyone, and even when you did, well…” She brushed off the memories like dust. “Either way, the only person that could understand me was me; everyone else was a terrible liar.”
It struck a chord within Haise as Takizawa tried— then failed— to replicate the same trick. He apologized profusely to a laughing Kimi as he swept up the glass, much to the amusement of the others.
“Sometimes I wish I’d gone to school. Maybe I would’ve found someone there.”
Haise shook his head. “I wouldn’t count on it.”
“Oh?” She tossed a curious glance his way.
“Well… In grade school, after my mother died, a lot of the teachers were extremely accommodating toward me… It was almost smothering— and fake.” He scratched his cheek. “And all of the kids, except maybe Hide, started hating me too— because they’d get in trouble for bullying me. It only got better once everyone stopped caring.”
Amon was on the floor as well, searching for any stray glass shards Takizawa might have missed. He mumbled something about an ‘Akira’ and how grateful he was for her lack of presence. Takizawa seemed to agree.
“We’ve all got our own share of problems, then, hm?” Sen nudged Haise. “Damned if you do, damned if you don’t.”
“It’s not all bad,” he replied. “I mean, even if it was bad at the time, it was still important.”
“Hmph. You’re too kind for your own good.” Her soft expression betrayed the words. “But sometimes, bad things aren’t important at all, yet they still change you, and for the worse.”
He wanted to ask her what she meant, but just then, new visitors arrived: Kaya, Ayato, Touka, and—
“Hina!” Haise said.
Hina beamed. “Haise!” she said, and hugged him.
She’d taken to his new name incredibly quickly; she also appreciated the construction far more than Hide or Touka did. She even caught the characters for ‘false’ and ‘king’ that made up the first half, which Haise hadn’t had happen yet. Truly one of a kind.
“Good to see you.” He grinned at her. “I’ve brought someone for you to meet.”
Sen smiled and waved. “Hello!”
Hina’s jaw dropped. “Y-Y-You’re… You’re Sen Takatsuki!”
Sen’s smile, once a mere performance, widened with real amusement. “That I am. And you are?”
The poor girl, usually brimming with quiet confidence, now looked ready to either melt from how she was sweating or freeze from how much she was shaking. “F-Fue… Um, H-Hinami…”
“Fuehi Nami?” Sen tilted her head innocently. Now she was just messing with the poor girl. “I don’t think I’ve ever heard a name quite like that. How’s it spelled? Oh, lemme guess! ‘Fue’… ‘Fue’ as in ‘flute’ and… ‘hi’ as in ‘fire’!”
“N-No! I-I mean, that’s— Well, erm, I meant that—” Hina stumbled over her words, picking at her fingers anxiously. “It’s, um, It’s actually Hinami. Hinami Fueguchi…”
Haise would have felt bad for her if it wasn’t so entertaining… Wait, ‘entertaining’? Sen was rubbing off on him more than he thought; perhaps there really was something to her when she called her influence ‘monstrous’.
Sen, for the first time since arriving, gasped excitedly. “So you’re Hina! Oh, it’s so good to finally meet you! Ayato’s told me a lot.”
“H-He— Really?” Hina’s expression, once fearful, turned oddly curious.
“Yes! Did you like my autograph?”
She tilted her head. “A-Autograph…? Wait—”
Haise’s brow raised. So that was what the resort autograph was.
Another gasp. “You mean he didn’t give it to you?! It’s been months!” Sen practically glared at Ayato. “Ayato!!”
Ayato, who had dodged Sen and Haise to browse the snack rack with Juuzou, looked up at the sound of his name. When he saw who called it and who she was standing with, he went pale.
“Oh, he looks terrified.” She grabbed Hina by the arm. “Let’s go say hi.”
Hina flushed the reddest color Haise had ever seen. “W-What? M-Ms. Takatsuki, wait a—”
It was too late; they were already across the room. Hina shot Haise a pleading glance, but he just smiled sheepishly back. Hopefully, things were less embarrassing for her than it was for him and Sen. Surely she’d be more sympathetic to Hina’s plight than Miza and the Bins.
Now alone, someone nudged his shoulder. “Psst,” Touka whispered, like they were part of some conspiracy. “Got a moment?”
His brow furrowed. “Uh, sure…?”
He glanced at Kaya, who wet her lips in a grimace. “It’s… It’s important,” was all she said before walking back out.
His gaze found Sen again, who was busy happily chatting with Hina and a disgruntled Ayato. She’d be fine for a bit, he thought, and followed Touka outside.
Enji was there, and with him was—
“Mr. Yoshimura! E-Enji!” Haise was at his side in an instant. “You’re here!”
“Hey!” Enji waved and grinned. “It’s been a while.”
The manager’s eyes crinkled as he smiled. “Kaneki, it’s good to see you again.”
The sound of Haise’s old name gave him pause. He’d been called Haise or Sasaki for months at this point, so hearing ‘Kaneki’ again was— strange. He shook it off, however; this was Mr. Yoshimura! It didn’t matter what he called Haise so long as he was here.
“What’re you doing here?” Haise asked as he approached.
Mr. Yoshimura’s smile faded slightly, replaced with something a bit more… pensive. Maybe even a bit wistful or bittersweet. “That’s exactly why I asked you to come out here.”
Haise tilted his head. “Alright, but… what’s wrong?”
Mr. Yoshimura glanced at the others. “Please, enjoy the party; this is a… personal matter between Kaneki and myself.”
Enji and Kaya pursed their lips, but they headed in. Touka stayed where she was for a bit longer, before patting Haise’s shoulder and following. Now it was just him, Mr. Yoshimura, and the chill of an early winter night.
“A-Are you sure you don’t want to talk about this inside?” Haise offered. “I’m sure we could get a private room somewhere if—”
“No, no, that… I cannot head in just yet.” Mr. Yoshimura sighed. “I cannot head in because… It concerns your… your partner.”
“Sen?” Now Haise was really confused. “I-I’m sure you’ll get along fine with her; she’s actually really nice, and—”
“Kaneki.” Mr. Yoshimura put up his hand. “She is my daughter.”
A frigid gust, much colder than those before it, blew through the area. “She’s your…? She’s your what?”
Haise had to assume he misheard. Like, Sen was actually Mr. Yoshimura’s dinner, and he was secretly a cannibal, while Kaya and Enji were fetching him his sorely needed food! Or maybe, ‘She is my dragon’! Sen was a shapeshifting magical creature, and Mr. Yoshimura was covering for her as a kind soul! Surely Haise didn’t hear that she was actually Mr. Yoshimura’s—
“My daughter,” Mr. Yoshimura repeated, and the impossible impossibilities crumbled like ash. “I am… her father.”
Sen had never talked about her biological father. Even at the resort, she had only ever talked about Noroi, and it was Shiono who had mentioned that her biological father was even alive. But the idea that he was hiding under Haise’s nose— within his more positive memories, too— was… He didn’t know how to describe it.
“In all likelihood, she does not want to see me,” Mr. Yoshimura said. “I have… hurt her.”
Haise could only imagine how. He had never been given up before, not really, but knowing that someone chose not to take care of you had to be rough. Not only that, but it was Mr. Yoshimura who had made that choice.
Mr. Yoshimura, who had given Haise shelter when he needed it most. Mr. Yoshimura, who had given Touka and Ayato the chance to go to school.
Mr. Yoshimura, who was like the father Haise never had— caring, supportive, and loved by all who knew him.
Except for Sen, who was deprived of the chance.
Haise hesitated. “But… Do you want to see her?”
Mr. Yoshimura paused, then chuckled softly. “What sort of father doesn’t want to see his daughter?”
That was all Haise needed to hear. He stood behind Mr. Yoshimura and grabbed the push handles of his wheelchair. “Alright, then. I’ll take you to her.”
Mr. Yoshimura looked up at him, surprised at first, then smiled. “Thank you, Kaneki.”
Haise gave a reassuring nod and pushed him in. Once inside, he went ahead and quickly located Sen, who was chatting rather amicably with Touka now. Good; he didn’t know what he would do if she was tense around both his best friends.
Sen, as if she sensed his gaze, locked eyes with him and grinned. She dropped whatever conversation she had with Touka and immediately trotted over to him.
“Hina’s just adorable!” she said before he could speak, giggling. “I wish I’d met her sooner! I’ve always wanted a kid sister to dote on…”
Haise gave a glance over and found Hina, who was standing completely still, cheeks red with embarrassment. Next to her was Ayato, who wasn’t faring much better. Neither seemed inclined to say anything, but neither did they look like they wanted to leave each other’s side.
“Uh, Sen,” Haise was still looking, “what did you do over there?”
“Oh, you know how it is. A push here, a gift there— nothing crazy.” She smirked to herself. “Turns out our lighting kiddo brought Hina’s personal copy of Monochrome Rainbow for me to sign! Fancy that.”
“Oh, wow.” Haise laughed. That was… actually really sweet. Go, Ayato.
“Anyway, you look like you want to ask something, so go on.”
At least she gave him a window, more or less. He cleared his throat. “There’s one more person I’d like you to meet,” he said. “Someone really important.”
She raised a brow. “Alright…”
He took her hand, trying to look reassuring. “I-It’s nothing bad, I promise!” Even as he said so, he rubbed his chin.
She frowned, but didn’t push the issue. He led her to Mr. Yoshimura, who was waiting near the entrance. He swallowed at the sight of Sen.
“This, um…” Haise hesitated suddenly. What if something went wrong? What if this was a mistake? Could he afford such a thing? Between Sen and Mr. Yoshimura, could he choose one over the other?
… No, it was going to be fine; there wasn’t going to be a choice. Even if Mr. Yoshimura had hurt Sen in the past, it was nothing the two of them couldn’t overcome.
“This is Mr. Yoshimura,” he said with confidence. “He’s my old manager from—”
“From Anteiku,” Sen finished, all traces of her smile gone. “So that’s where you’ve been rotting all this time.”
Mr. Yoshimura pursed his lips.
Haise quickly realized the mistake he made. “A-Alright, um, Sen, why don’t we—”
“Pretty gutsy for you to show up to this thing.” She was glaring now, and her voice was raising. “You have no shame, Kuzen, you know that?”
“S-Sen, you’re—” Haise tried to intervene again.
It didn’t work. “Have you come to apologize, then?”
Mr. Yoshimura sighed. “I don’t want to fight, $%@.”
%*]? Who was that?
He continued. “But yes, I have. When I heard Kaneki was bringing you, I knew I had to at least try.” He bowed his head. “I’m… I’m sorry, #\*. For hurting you, and for—”
“I don’t want your apology,” Sen spat. “I don’t care about your apology. You had a thousand chances to apologize and took none of them. I was talking about your apology to Kurona.”
“^]-…”
“She’s a really sweet girl, and amazingly intelligent— Valedictorian of Iba University, kendo champion, and making a number of strides in the field of agriculture. Fascinating stuff.” She shook her head. “But of course, you didn’t know any of that; you were too busy patting yourself on the back for a dusty old achievement you gave to yourself.”
Someone approached them: Touka. She’d been eavesdropping. “Hey,” she said, glancing behind her as the conversations grew quieter. “If you guys are gonna do this, then—”
“Touka!” Sen grinned emptily. “Great timing. Your manager here was just getting ready to apologize to Kurona. Weren’t you, Mr. Manager?”
Mr. Yoshimura’s grip on his armrest tightened. “I—”
“Sen,” Haise tried not to hiss. “I really don’t think—”
But again, he went ignored. “Kurona, dear!!” Sen called, commanding the attention of the room. “‘Mr. Yoshimura’ here has something to say to you!”
Kurona’s brow furrowed. “Uh, what?”
Hide, very suddenly, also stood up. “Hey, guys! Let’s—”
“Do you wanna tell her, or should I?” Sen leaned toward Mr. Yoshimura. “It’s the least you can do after everything. This whole thing is your fault, after all.”
“What’s she talking about?” Kurona asked.
“Don’t do this, =|<;,” Mr. Yoshimura said. “That was a long time ago, and I had to protect you.”
Sen barked out a laugh. “Protect me? Protect me?! Is throwing me into a homeless shelter with your disgraced colleague, one you didn’t dare look in the eye until it was convenient to you— is that ‘protecting’ me?! Is impregnating a woman half your age and letting her die because she ‘knew too much’ ‘protecting’ me?! Is it, Dad?!”
“Sen!” Haise put his foot down. “You’re making a scene!”
She turned on him, practically jabbing her finger into his neck. “I’ll make a scene all I fucking want,” she growled. “The man who hired the Torso deserves to be ridiculed.”
If the room wasn’t quiet before, it was now. Amon’s face went white as a sheet. Takizawa, mid-drink, choked. Juuzou and Kimi stared at Sen. Hina shrunk into herself, and Ayato gripped her hand instinctively. Hide held his breath and looked away, and Touka, though her expression was carefully neutral, looked like she was about to bite her lip off.
And then there was Kurona, who was staring right at Mr. Yoshimura. “What…?”
Sen looked back at Mr. Yoshimura, a gleeful look on her face. “That is why you came here, right? To confess? You wouldn’t actually show up here just to offer your condolences and leave, would you? Like it wasn’t your fault?”
“Oi, oi…” Nishiki said, hands up in the air. “You’re… You’re just messing with us, right, Sen? Shitty joke, but I mean— Mr. Yoshimura, tell us she’s joking.”
Haise waited for a response. It had to be a joke; it just had to. Mr. Yoshimura wouldn’t do that. He was the one who rehabilitated the Devil Apes and Black Dobers with kindness and love! He had taken Touka and Ayato into his home, giving them the supplies they needed to succeed in school, and then did the same for Hina years later. He had sat down across from Haise, a broken soul, and put him back together.
There was no way someone so wonderful and kind and loving could have such a direct connection to the Torso. Right?
“I mean, imagine having the audacity to show up to a funeral as the one who hired the killer.” Sen checked her nails, chuckling. “But you’re the beloved Mr. Yoshimura, right? You wouldn’t do that.”
Yet, with this impossible possibility, the last piece of the puzzle that was the 8th ward fell into place. Donato’s arrest, after being free for decades. Sen, let go without a stain on her record. The Torso’s near-decade long streak of crimes.
Donato’s words echoed in Haise’s mind:
“Sometimes, Haise, when confronting a ‘child’, one must explore the circumstances of the ‘parent’.”
A moment passed, then another. Mr. Yoshimura gripped the armrests for dear life, struggling to come up with a response. However, his silence answered for him.
“Oh my God,” Kurona said finally. “You killed Shiro. It… It was you.”
Amon immediately put a firm hand on her shoulder. “Kurona, don’t. He’s just an—”
“How could you?” She shrugged his hand off and made her way around the kitchen table. “Shiro was… Shiro was…!”
Juuzou stood up. “Oh, boy.” He took out his phone and made a call. “Yeah, Hanbee? Uh, gonna need a ride. Fast, if you can.”
“Kuro, Kuro.” Takizawa tried to block her way. “L-Let’s calm down, and think this through—”
“I’LL KILL YOU!!” Kurona lunged forward at Mr. Yoshimura, but was held back by an agile Nishiki and Touka. “SHE WAS ALL I HAD LEFT!!!”
Haise, amidst the chaos, saw a smirking Sen flit out the door. He wanted to immediately follow, but Kurona had to be restrained first.
“YOU SLIMY OLD BASTARD, HOW COULD YOU?!” she screamed. “YOU’RE FUCKING DEAD! YOU ARE FUCKING DEAD!!!”
Enji immediately took action and got Mr. Yoshimura out of the house.
“LET ME GO!!” Kurona struggled, but Touka and Nishiki held fast. “LET ME GO, PLEASE!! I HAVE TO— SHIRO CAN’T JUST—! LET ME GO! TOUKA!!!”
Hina went to her, staying in her vision the entire time. “Kurona, Kurona,” she said, keeping her focused. “Listen to me. I know how you feel—”
“SHE WAS MURDERED!!” Kurona sobbed, but without her target in sight, she struggled less and less. “Shiro was… taken from me… You don’t… You’ll never understand…”
Touka and Nishiki let her down gently as she clung to either of them for support.
“I know how that feels,” Hina repeated. “My mother was taken from me too. Expensive surgeries that would have left her— us— debt-ridden for years…” In a rare show of anger, she scowled. “Because we were poor, she had to die. So I— I know how you feel.”
Kurona curled up into a ball on the floor. “First Dad, then Shiro. What do I…?”
Juuzou knelt down beside her and patted her back awkwardly. It seemed to help, like a familiar and comforting sensation. Her sobs were dry, but she wasn’t struggling anymore.
Touka, now free, came up to Haise, who’d been watching like a complete idiot. “The fuck are you still doing here?” she whispered.
“W-Well I— I thought maybe I could—” he stammered, unable to really answer.
“Get out! Right now!” She was already pushing him out the door. “Find Sen, stupid!”
“R-Right!” He bolted down the street toward the station.
—
He found Sen just a few blocks down; she was stalking down the sidewalk with her hands stuffed into her pockets.
“Sen!!!” he called. “Sen!!!!”
She slowed just enough for him to catch up. “Oh,” she said as soon as she saw him.
He stopped before her to catch his breath. He could do this; just… talk. He could do that, right? This was Sen; she’d listen to him.
“Come to drag me back?” She watched him, unamused. “I won’t apologize.”
He stood up straight. “But you can’t… You can’t just say something like that and— and leave!”
“Funny, because I just did.” She turned on her heel, about to leave.
“I-I’m serious!” He grabbed her sleeve. “You really shouldn’t have said what you said.”
“Why? Because he’s your precious manager?” She yanked away. “Because you have good memories of him? Because he’s your father?!”
He recoiled slightly. “I— This isn’t about that. This is about Kurona.”
Her eyes narrowed. “I gave Kurona a target. A perfectly good means of channeling her anger.”
“A person isn’t a target!” Haise argued. “And what good will her anger do? Kurona’s not like you! She doesn’t—”
“And how do you know what she’s like, hm?” Sen gestured toward Kimi and Nishiki’s house. “Would you prefer she remain in ignorance her whole life? Would you prefer that she just never learn about V’s oppression, never realizing that her loved ones were killed by some stupid control freaks? Would you rather she just descend into her sorrow and become an empty husk?!”
“I didn’t say that! I’m saying that she was going to hurt someone the way she learned!” Haise almost wanted to tear his hair out; why was she being so stubborn about this?! “Mr. Yoshimura’s just an old man; doing anything to him is wrong.”
“Well, if you’re so worried about him, then go do something about it! What are you doing out here?!”
“I’m out here because you’re coming back with me!” He reached for her arm. “Things have calmed down a bit, so you’re going to come back and apologize to her, then you’re going to apologize to your father and—”
Her fist suddenly collided with his cheek. If she wasn’t glaring at him before, she was now. There was a flame in her eyes that threatened to incinerate him in the cold.
Haise swayed in his spot, dazed from the impact. It wasn’t nearly as strong as Touka’s punches, but the sting was… familiar.
(Eyes that condemned him for disagreeing. Stubbornness that manifested in a stinging cheek and a dark room.)
“I… I’m sorry,” he said automatically, as though from a script, and he took a step back.
Her eyes wavered, but she didn’t falter, even as she shook out her wrist. Then, in a single motion, she turned and stormed down the street. She didn’t even get the last word, yet somehow, that was worse.
He watched her figure shrink until she disappeared around a corner. He desperately wanted to chase after her, even as memories of undeserved seconds and bloodied paper cranes weighed him down. Instead, he stayed where he was, a frozen icicle in the frigid night.
After a moment, he kicked the nearest wall. All it did was make his foot hurt. Way to go.
He had blown it, because of course he had. Mentioning her father to her face like that?! Unbelievably stupid. Not only was it so arrogant of him to think he could mediate things between Sen and her father, but it was doubly so to think that some no-name artist like himself could even prepare to fix an unfixable mess.
He looked behind him, toward Kimi and Nishiki’s. Everyone had probably cleared out by now, so there was no point in going now. They’d solved everything without him.
He sighed. No matter where he went, he was useless.
So if not there, then where?
Perhaps home; looking at the sky, it was getting late. The 12th ward bordered the 10th, so he didn’t really need to take the train (and risk seeing Sen), but the idea of walking wasn’t appealing, either. Plus, he almost felt like he was being watched here.
No, that was crazy talk. Paranoia feeding on the feelings of failure.
Haise sighed as he journeyed home. The quiet neighborhood became the city, and the empty air filled itself with mindless chatter, cars, and blaring lights. The world kept turning and turning, indifferent to the suffering. Perhaps it was intentional; by never caring, things would hurt less.
Haise stopped on the side of the road.
He wondered if Mr. Yoshimura felt similarly. In an organization like V, how did you deal with being the direct cause of death and destruction? When put that way, perhaps it wasn’t so far-fetched; in order to protect what was right in front of him, Mr. Yoshimura blindly flung the Torso at all of his victims until it blew up in his face.
Haise didn’t even realize a taxi had stopped in front of him. It was only when the driver rolled down the window and spoke that he looked up.
“N-Need a ride, sir? T-T-Tonight’s a special discount… Half off your ride…”
The driver was tall based on how hunched over he was in his seat. He… didn’t look healthy, either, based on his gaunt cheeks, messy black hair, and shaky gaze. It made Haise a little uncomfortable, honestly.
His first instinct would have been to leave, but he didn’t. There could be a story behind that gaze. There was a story behind everything, as Sen liked to say. Stories of tragedy, joy, loss, and triumph. Base assumptions founded on fear were only barriers in the end.
Plus, this driver had been kind enough to give Haise the chance to get home without much of a fuss. He didn’t like the idea of waving down a taxi in the first place; it felt too self-centered, and right now, all he wanted was to be left alone.
But at the same time, some new company could be good for him.
“Alright,” he said, getting into the back.
“S-S-So, where to?” the driver asked, tapping the wheel rhythmically.
“Um, the 12th ward station…” The inside smelled pretty nice… What sort of freshener did the driver use?
“Roger that…” He punched in a few numbers on the dashboard, then took off.
Haise glanced out the window, noting familiar landmarks and trying to see how he might draw them. Water colors, most likely, or maybe he might finally try his hand at sculpture? It would really help bring the buildings to life, and working in 3D space might help him grasp backgrounds a bit better.
He fought a yawn, but something about the evening was lulling him to sleep.
“L-L-Long day, hm?” the driver asked.
“Something like that…” Haise mumbled in response. He was just fine earlier, but it seemed the adrenaline was wearing off, leaving him bordering on lethargic.
“I-I feel you.” The driver tittered. “B-B-Bosses have been grilling me over an open f-f-fire for the past couple d-days… I messed up pretty bad, a-and they’re tryna clean up my m-mess.”
Haise wasn’t really paying attention, but he bobbed his head in a half-nod. He hoped he saw Sen again. Even if he had hurt her irrevocably, she’d taught him so much and tolerated his presence for so long. It felt wrong leaving without at least saying goodbye. There was no way that they’d continue working together, not after this.
“S-S-So I’m gonna h-help them out tonight, after this r-ride…” the driver continued, but his voice sounded strangely distant, like they were holding this conversation across a large tunnel.
Haise felt like he had swam a marathon. Sure, tonight had been exhausting, but not that exhausting. And the scent of the freshener was starting to overwhelm him.
He tried to entertain the driver to at least stay awake; some conversation might distract him from the drowsiness. “What… What did you… do…?” It took effort just to speak. What was going on?
The taxi made a turn. “I-I-I, uh, messed up with a c-client, is all…” The driver sounded a bit eager now. “Sh-She was b-beautiful, but the inquisitive type, y’know? So I sorta b-b-buckled under the pressure… T-Too many questions…”
What a strange coincidence; Nashiro had been an independent journalist of sorts, if Haise recalled correctly. Last he remembered, she was in the 13th ward, just next door…
When Haise glanced up next, he didn’t recognize where they were. He tried to sit up, to say something, but speaking was so… difficult. Plus, he felt so… sleepy…
They slowed to a stop.
“Sorry… Mr. Kaneki…” the driver’s distorted voice said. “Boss’s… orders… y’know?”
“Ungh…” What was happening? Why did he know Haise’s name?
“I-I-I wish chloroform… worked like the movies… Too long… work…”
He wished he could panic, summon the strength to do something, but even those feelings were dampened. But if he did nothing, he was doomed. He had to do something, anything.
He tried to get up, but only collapsed against the leather of the seat. His entire body tingled with numbness. He tried to speak, but only a weak groan came out.
The car door opened, and there was the driver, who said something. But what?
Darkness crept around the corners of Haise’s vision, and he drowned in its embrace.
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