Asou Akiya's plan did not go awry.
With the best possible "inside agent" in place, the humanoid Ability known as "Kimura Seimei" returned to the Port Mafia. Making use of his status and authority within the Black Lizard, investigating Tanaka was hardly a difficult task. At the end of the day, the Boss's esteem for Asou Akiya had never truly faded; even if no Ability users had been assigned to protect him, he was still not someone others could openly assassinate without consequence.
Asou Akiya's driver had not died either—he had merely vanished for half a day and been reassigned to a different post.
After "Kimura Seimei" located Tanaka, he rolled his neck once, feeling inexplicably light and relaxed. He knew perfectly well that he was nothing more than a fabricated puppet, yet his mood was remarkably good, as though all negative emotions had been stripped away. He even found himself enjoying this state of existence.
What a terrifyingly powerful Ability.
To turn the dead into a puppet endowed with self-awareness, its strength no different from when it was alive.
"Kimura Seimei" once again marveled at Randou's power. He remembered every detail clearly, including how he had been killed after witnessing Asou Akiya and Randou together the previous night. However, when he tried to recall Randou's physique, his heart remained utterly undisturbed, forcibly shoved into a man's so-called "sage mode." In an instant, he understood—Randou did not wish for anyone to indulge in lewd fantasies about him, not even a puppet.
"Terrifying. Absolutely terrifying."
The Black Lizard member—dressed in the height of contemporary hip-hop fashion, trendy enough to dye his hair and wear ear piercings—spoke words no one else could understand as he cast Tanaka a teasing smile.
"Tanaka, hurry up and tell me everything you know. I'm still waiting to rest in peace as soon as possible."
"Kimura-sama… I really don't know anything."
Tanaka wanted to cry, but no one believed the words he spoke. The other man's gaze was that of someone looking at a corpse.
"You can't say it?" the other asked again.
"I—I truly can't." Tanaka had received severe warnings before; his family was firmly in someone else's grasp. He stammered, "Please don't force me. We're all members of the Port Mafia. I can't betray Asou-san."
"Kimura Seimei" wanted to laugh—laugh loudly. If no one had betrayed Asou Akiya, how else would he have found his way here?
By that logic, this man was practically the one who had gotten him killed.
"Traitor."
He spat out the word. Tanaka's face drained of all color, and he lowered his head.
"If you truly can't say it, then I'll have to take you with me." The false "Kimura Seimei" threatened him. Left with no other choice, Tanaka finally muttered a phone number under his breath. "Kimura-sama can contact him."
"Kimura Seimei" nodded. "My thanks."
He turned and left with easy confidence. Dealing with traitors was not part of his assigned task.
It took Tanaka a long while to come back to his senses. Dazed, he muttered, "That was it? He just let it go like that? The Black Lizard really are easy to deal with."
Using the phone number, "Kimura Seimei" forthrightly offered his services, contacting the one behind the scenes on the condition of selling himself into their employ. He made it clear that unless he met the other party in person, he would not dare act rashly against internal members of the Port Mafia.
Associate executive Watanabe Yukisada looked down on his timidity, but nonetheless acknowledged the reasoning behind such loyalty.
Once the sides were chosen, this kid Kimura would be his man.
The voice on the phone gave an address. Following it, "Kimura Seimei" went to meet Watanabe Yukisada.
Watanabe Yukisada sat on the sofa, subordinates standing guard both inside and outside the room. After being searched, "Kimura Seimei" was allowed inside, his expression utterly devoid of any sense of humiliation at having been frisked.
Watanabe Yukisada regarded him with newfound respect. "Kimura-kun. I am Watanabe Yukisada."
"Kimura Seimei" looked pleasantly surprised. "So it's you!"
Watanabe Yukisada inclined his head with reserved composure, assuming the other man was delighted at having chosen the right side. His standing within Yokohama's underworld was far from low; even among the associate executives, he was widely seen as a strong candidate to become a full executive.
Seizing the moment, "Kimura Seimei" dropped to one knee and performed a formal gesture of submission. "Watanabe-sama, please accept my loyalty."
Excellent.
My corpse can finally rest in peace. Now it's your turn.
Poor associate executive… heehee… the position of executive was never something you were fit to lay a finger on…
…
"Knock, knock."
Another night fell, and someone lightly tapped on the window of the safe house.
Having completed his mission and returned to report, "Kimura Seimei" stood outside, craning his neck to peer eagerly at the two people inside the room.
Unfortunately, it seemed he had come back at a rather awkward moment…
Randou was changing Asou Akiya's bandages, half-kneeling beside the bed as layers of gauze were carefully wrapped around the pale waist and abdomen of the black-haired young man, concealing the unsightly gunshot wound. The young man leaned against the headboard, breathing shallowly, beads of sweat gathering on his forehead. A few short days were nowhere near enough for the wound to heal; on the contrary, having left the sterile environment of the hospital, the injury had begun to show signs of inflammation.
Amid his lover's low fever and the thick, bitter scent of medicine, Randou lowered his head and pressed a gentle kiss onto the wound through the gauze.
"Just wait a little longer, Akiya. I'll deal with the people who tried to assassinate you very soon."
"Randou, go open the window."
"No need. Let him come in through the door himself. I didn't lock it. Mafia people really have no manners at all."
"..."
Randou, I'm a member of the Mafia too!
Asou Akiya was left speechless, and Randou immediately amended himself, "Akiya is my boyfriend in my heart!"
Asou Akiya endured the ordeal of having his wounds redressed and handed everything that followed over to Randou.
"Kimura Seimei" slipped in briskly through the door, closed it behind him, and spoke ingratiatingly. "Asou-san, Randou-san, the one who took your driver is the sub-executive Watanabe Yukisada. I can't quite pin down what his Ability is, but it's definitely not the harmless sort. When I met him, he was surrounded by his people, so it wasn't convenient to notify you, Randou-san."
Randou finished tidying up the medicine kit and asked coldly, "Is there a way to make him be alone?"
"Kimura Seimei" thought for a moment. "If we take some risks, we can probably reduce the number of people around him to two or three. These associate executives care very much about their own lives. If any of them truly had executive-level strength, the Boss would have promoted them long ago."
Randou said, "What are you planning to do?"
"Kimura Seimei" bared his teeth in a grin, like an evil spirit crawling out of hell. "I'll use the excuse that I killed Asou-san—no, no, no! You don't need to release killing intent at me! I'm already dead!" After hurriedly begging for mercy, he quickly changed his tune. "There's another way. This sub-executive owns a casino, and he likes to go there to gamble once a week. I can take advantage of that to get closer to him. When there's no one at his side, I'll notify you!"
Randou rejected the idea with a single sentence. "Too slow."
"Kimura Seimei" pulled a miserable face and looked toward Asou Akiya, and Asou Akiya inexplicably felt as though he were bullying a dead man.
However.
His conscience did not hurt at all. In fact, he felt especially cheerful.
Asou Akiya smiled. "Finding his home won't be difficult."
Randou objected disapprovingly. "Akiya, focus on recovering properly. Don't waste your energy on this."
Asou Akiya replied, "It's better to resolve it sooner rather than later. I don't want to keep an enemy around overnight, either. Besides, look at how eager Kimura-kun is to die a second time. As his enemy, I ought to grant his wish."
"Kimura Seimei": "Thank you!"
Asou Akiya turned his head to look at him, his expression changing as fast as flipping a page. "Based on what you just said, you get to die one day later."
"Kimura Seimei" was stunned.
This world was far too cruel—playing with the dead and not even allowing them to swallow their final breath.
Asou Akiya leaned close to Randou's ear and murmured softly, "Have him dress in women's clothes and go offer himself to Watanabe Yukisada. I remember this man has certain peculiar tastes. There are rumors circulating within the organization that he likes boys who look feminine."
"Kimura Seimei" cried out in horror, "I'm past the age of being a boy!"
Asou Akiya ignored him. "Randou, assign him a new mission. Let him happily deliver himself to their doorstep."
Randou replied gently, "Alright."
This couple were demons through and through!
...
Daytime, Port Mafia headquarters.
Under the invitation of an Ability user offering himself up—oh no, under the act of volunteering to warm another's bed—their relationship made tremendous progress.
Watanabe Yukisada was stunned as well, and after that initial shock, he could not help but begin to doubt his own charm. "Did I misjudge Kimura Seimei? I thought he was just an overconfident combat-type member who didn't know his limits. I didn't expect him to be this… perceptive."
This was not merely being perceptive—it was being perceptive to an excessive degree!
Watanabe Yukisada did not want to take this man in. He was over the age limit, after all, but he could not withstand how aggressively proactive the other party was.
He was confident his eyesight was not failing him. There was not the slightest trace of reluctance on Kimura Seimei's face; he wore a smiling expression, as if sleeping with a superior were nothing at all. That rare sense of nonchalance made Watanabe Yukisada appreciate him for the first time. He beckoned to him, and "Kimura Seimei" walked over, obedient in demeanor. His looks were not particularly outstanding, but certainly not lacking either.
After all, he was a rare Ability user.
Watanabe Yukisada said ambiguously, "Wait for me tonight. Ride in my car—we'll leave together."
Kimura Seimei agreed out loud, but inside he was filled with a strange mix of joy and baffled curses, to the point where he briefly wondered if he was on the verge of a mental breakdown.
This was the power of Illuminations at work—no matter what, a puppet was still just a puppet.
After work, Kimura Seimei sent a message to a certain number.
Randou moved Akiya to a more concealed location and hid him away. Even as he was about to leave, he was still deeply uneasy. "Akiya, I'm going out for a bit. Won't you come with me? I'm worried someone might find you."
Asou Akiya leaned over and kissed him lightly. "There's nothing to worry about."
The place they were in was none other than the "Bankoudou Hall"—Natsume Soseki's territory, where he taught and nurtured students.
"Go early and come back early, my dear."
We still have many years to spend together—how could we possibly fall at this point?
"Alright."
Randou tightened his scarf and set off quietly.
Not long after.
A calico cat padded over with light feline steps, pushed the door open, and ignored the weakened Asou Akiya sitting in his seat. With a single leap, it landed atop the lectern, turned around, and fixed him with its catlike eyes glinting in the dim light.
Asou Akiya put on a pitiful tone and said, "Natsume-sensei, my wound is inflamed."
With a loud bang, the calico cat transformed into a living person.
The sight left Asou Akiya utterly astonished, as though he had been dropped straight into a Transfiguration class from the world of Harry Potter. The middle-aged man stood upright, a cane held firmly before him, both hands resting on the handle, his voice full and resonant as he spoke.
"Why were you able to find this place?"
"Coincidence."
"I don't believe that."
Natsume Soseki felt as though his carefully guarded secret was about to be completely stripped bare.
"If you insist on getting to the bottom of it, Natsume-sensei, then I suppose I have no choice but to tell you the truth—" Asou Akiya said slowly, his tone as gentle as if he were speaking to the calico cat from moments ago. "Several years ago, this place was already a sightseeing spot that my lover and I discovered together."
All of that could be summed up in one sentence: shameless cat-flattery.
"We really do share a teacher–student bond!"