11 Eps 9

Misaki went out again, out for her job. She wears her bear mask and his black hoodie. The usual outfit she wears whenever she goes to work. She looked at the details on the small black phone that the agency gave her for the week.

C

18 years old

Maroon hair

Shot

Cover

She examined the location of where her client will going to be.

"18 years old?"She murmured. The same age as I am. She thought. Teenagers are suicidal these days

The location is 20 minutes away from her place, she either needs to walk there or travel by train. She wouldn't take any risk using the taxi. She didn't want to be arrested by the police because she did a silly mistake like hailing a taxi to go there. Tatsuo always said that the police can track you more easier since there will be data recorded. So she always opts for walking. If it's too far, then she will go there by train. And what about the data?

The agency had given her a card where she can use the card to pay for anything without leaving any data. There are two cards that the agency had given her. One for the payment card, and another one is an access card, the card acts like a hack and go card, where she can access to any building, without any hassle. Now that is technology.

She walked to the train, making sure that she'll always in the crowds, and avoiding CCTV. As soon as she gets on a train. She looked around. There are many people on the train, making it crowded and hard to breathe and she's wearing a mask. Just nice. She hated this but this is the only way to travel fast. How she wished that she had brought her phone. At least she can play games to pass the time.

She had left her phone in her studio apartment so that the police won't track her phone.

Along the journey, she thinks about a way to do her job. Her client wants his death to be shot, but not suicidally, more like being killed.

Some clients request to ask for that so that their honor and dignity will be maintained. And also for the sake of the client's family.

She planned what to do and what not.

...

Misaki looked at the company building. Nippon food, she read the company's brand name. It is a famous company where they sell Japanese food brand in bulk and ship it overseas. It is a booming business.

She walked into the building easily, without any worry. She then walked into the lift and pressed the roof button.

She groaned. Shooting a person at the rooftop? That surely going to attract some attention. She is not going to worry about the mess that she'll do, because there's a team of two that will clean the mess right after she did the job, but she'll try to make little mess as little as possible. She sighed. That's going to take a lot of work. What to do? she still needs to do the work in the end.

When she arrived at the rooftop. She looked for her client. Where is this man? She adjusted her backpack as she searches for him. That is when she noticed a man looking down at the city below them. He had his back at Misaki.

" Are you.., "Misaki walked near him while making sure there is no CCTV that record her.

The man turned to face her.

Misaki was surprised.

" Charles?"That is all she could say. But why? Before she ask anything else, she realized that she had made a massive mistake

"How did you know my name?" He asked. He had dark eye bags under his eyes. His hair is unruly and messy not like before. His eyes are green but he seemed lost. The joy in her eyes that he always had before had faded. He seemed like a whole different person.

Misaki is lost for words. She couldn't believe the state Charles is in. The last time she had saw Charles is two days ago, they studied together with Ryuu before.

"Oh, you know from your data or something?"He asked her.

Misaki nodded, felt relieved even. She snapped out. Business is business. she unzipped her bag and took out her Glock 19, which is wrapped in cloth."Before we continue, you can cancel this right now, and your money will be refunded, immediately, but we will take 40 percent of it, as we've agreed"She told him politely.

" Un, "He murmured.

"Do you have anything to share, anything on your mind? Your last wish or anything? It is part of the program to hear the client's last thoughts. It is optional, anyway." She said monotonously.

"My last thought?" He looked at Misaki."Your panda mask is totally cute " he gave a warm chuckle. But his laugh fades.

He could hear that voices again, whispering bad things about himself. He groaned. Then covered his ears."not again.."He growled. The voice keeps on coming. And keep on becoming louder and ever. He kneeled to the ground while closing both of his ears.

"Those voices.." He said, having difficulties to breathe normally. His chest moves up and down."These voices," He whimpered. His green eyes shot straight to her eyes." can you help shut that voices?"He asked helplessly.

Misaki looked at her, confused. Then she kneeled beside him, figuring what to do.

How he wished Inari was there beside him to calm him down.

Or his brother.

They would hug him tight and then whispered to him softly with a warm but promising voice that he did nothing wrong, that he's going to be fine and all. It help shut the voices off.

He looked at Misaki beside him. Her eyes are wide and confused. She wanted to help but she didn't know how to. Asking her to hug him might be very awkward. So he held her hand. He held her hand tightly.

Misaki frowned. She wanted to pull away, but his face is so lost and scared. She can't help but feels sad looking at him in this state. His palm are very sweaty.

After a few minutes.The voices are gone with the help of Misaki's warm hand. He laughed."I'm such a mess, am I?"He looked at Misaki. His green eyes glowed in the nighttime."And my father wants me to be his damn successor" He snickered."Is he out of his mind??"

Misaki just stayed silent.

"Thank God you're agency popped out on my phone screen," He gave a faint smile."Don't know how you do that, but this surely helps me, "He said as he pulled up his right sleeve, showing his arm. There are cut marks on his arm and new ones." I've tried to kill myself.."He looked away."But I'm too afraid.."He looked back at Misaki.

Misaki kept silent. She looked at Charles. And then examined his arm.

"You remind me of someone though," Charles said to her."My friend, Misaki"

Her heart skipped a beat.

"You have her vibes," He laughed as he looked down at the city below. They both do."She's one unique girl."He continued."Rude, maybe. But I don't know, "He murmured."I think I like her"

Misaki looked at him.

"Of course I won't be able to win her heart, though."He whimpered." She seems attached to Ryuu somehow, even though she didn't show it, "Looking at her confused face, he smiled."Ryuu is her childhood friend. Of course, she feels attached to him, right?"

Am I? She thought.

"If only she liked me, my life would be a little better." He said as she looked at Misaki. He kept silent for a little, and then stood up.

"I have an idea," He said, helping her up."Do you know Russian roulette?"

Misaki nodded."Don't say you want to.."

Charles nodded."Two times," He said."If I live, then I'm going to make Misaki fall in love with me, "He looked at Misaki."Deal?"

"Deal," She said bitterly. Right now she's thinking about what she's going to say to Ryuu if Charles is dead.

Shot by her.

Charles stood in front of her as she insert the bullet in the revolver and spun it. She put the nozzle on Charles's head. He took a deep breath and clenched his teeth.

Misaki pulled the trigger.

No shot.

Charles release a huge breath."Again," He said.

Misaki nodded, and do it again. She spun the revolver, she could see sweat trickled down his forehead. She's expecting blood splattered on her clothes anytime soon. His eyes stared deep into Misaki's black eyes. She could see determination in his gaze.

She pulled the trigger. And closed her eyes.

Click.

When she opened her eyes, she could see Charles,

Smiling wide like an idiot. He looked at her.

"I guess today's my lucky day!"Then he looked disturbed." Or not, because I want to die in the first place, "He murmured.

Misaki let out her breath." So, I'm going to do our normal procedure, we are going to delete all our data in your phone," She said as she pulled out a mini blue USB thing and showed it to Charles."Your phone please," She asked.

Charles gave his phone."But what if I lied to you, like if I'm a spy?"He asked, wondering for the answer."I can easily lie to you, saying that I'm depressed, blah blah blah but I could gather some valuable information and give it to the police though?"

Misaki insert the USB into the charger port on his phone. The screen went off and reboots."Easy, we will always monitor you 24/7," She said, then as the screen went on again, she pulls off the USB and then gave the phone back to Charles."And if you do something that we don't like, you'll be dead in any minute."She said simply."We have a lot of agents working in our agency," She added.

Charles took his phone back.

"Don't worry, all your data are fine and untouched," She said. Then she hummed. Don't know what to say anymore besides from the business-related talking."Good luck with life, "Is all she had in her head to say to Charles.

"I guess my goal in life is to make Misaki fall in love with me eh?" Then he laughed."That sounds awfully absurd"

Misaki looked at him.And she could feel something.Then she noticed her cheeks started to feel pain.Her mouth widens, into a smile.

And then she laughed.

Charles looked at him weirdly,and then he burst out a laugh too.

She laughed like she had never laughed before.

That night, Charles called Misaki. After all the things that happened today, all he wants is to hear her voice. He dialed Misaki's phone. It was unanswered. He chuckled as he throws himself to the bed. His father is already sleeping. After the basketball incident, he became more away, avoiding him. But he couldn't get away with his destined fate that his father had set for him.

He tried to call her again.

Misaki was on her way back to her studio apartment, and as she walked into her studio, she noticed her phone is ringing. Then the phone went silent.

She looked at the phone.10 miss calls from Charles. She called Charles.

"Hey," A low voice came greeted her."You up?"

"Obviously," She said sternly." What do you want, "Misaki asked him.

There was a long pause. Misaki waited for a response. She could only hear Charles's slow and steady breathing.

"Char-" She asked but being cut off by Charles.

"You," He answered.

"What?" She asked again

"I want you" He answered again. Stonely.

Misaki took a breath. She recalled all the scenes before. Where she got assigned to kill Charles, where they played Russian Roulette.

Where she almost killed Charles. And when they laughed together for no reason at all.

Then she recalled when Ryuu said that he liked her. It was a sincere act. Then her mind went off for a moment. She can't think.

"Why" Is all she can say. She's antisocial, she's not that pretty, she hates communication, she kills people for a living, she doesn't think suicide is a bad thing, she would step on other people to get what she wants.

Why out of all the pretty, innocent lovely girls, would they like her?

She had started well enough that she am not interested in love. Love make people stupid.

Look at them now. They falling in love with the wrong person.

"You don't know who I am," She said

"I don't," He said calmly as he looked at the blank ceiling above him. Then he looked at the scar on his wrists."But I do know that I love you"

Misaki knitted her brows in confusion. How many dumb people there are in this world? She sat on the floor, back to the door.

"That's just straight-up stupid. You don't just love people you don't know. What if the person is somehow dangerous to you?What if she's just some kind of zombie who doesn't understand love and doesn't have any emotions except for hunger?" She burst out.

Charles kept silent.

"You do know that I don't have time for these things. Heck, I hate it."She said sternly." Because in the end, you'll just get your heart hurt"She said."And that hurts so much, don't you know that?"She said monotonously."So for the love of God, let me tell you early,"

Charles nodded."I'm all ears,"

"Stop wasting your time," She said." Go love someone who can give back the love you gave, "She said sincerely.

" You're not my dad to tell me what to do and what not, "Charles replied. He smiled. And gave a small chuckle.

Misaki somehow can visualize that annoying smile of his." I'm telling you, now,"

She kept silent for a while.

"Cause I'm a zombie,"

Charles stayed silent for a while too."So what?"

Misaki was confused. Is this guy for real?

"I'm still going to get your heart. And you'll be mine." He laughed."And then I'm going to teach you how to love, and get rid of your zombie attitude of yours,"

Misaki sighed."You're dumb, but you can try,"

She hung up her call before Charles said anything.

She changed her clothes, wore a plain yellow t-shirts and shorts, getting ready to sleep even though she didn't take a bath. As she sat on the bed, she looked at the small family picture on her table. She took the photo and examined it. It was a photo where she was 3 while her sister is 10 years old. Her mother was holding Misaki in a tight embrace while his father tries to catch her sister who is running, so the picture of them both is a bit blurry. She remembered that her grandma that took this picture when they had a family picnic. It's a chaotic scene.

Her eyes set on the picture, but her mind is far away.

Her parents were both worked as police. They had lived a happy life, even though their parents are sometimes busy with work. But those are good times. Where sometimes her father will buy her popsicles if she did a good deed, where her mother would gently hit her on her hip when she got into a fight with her sister, and then her mother would force them to hug and become friends again. Then they would pinch each other secretly and get into a fight again. And her mother would give a slightly harder slap, a motherly slap on the hip.

Those happy times.

And then suddenly, her parents commit suicide.

She was 5, her sister told her sweet lies, telling her that her parents had gone to a better place.

Bullshit. She knew everything. She could sense something is not right with her parents. Their smile is not wide as always. Their laugh is somewhat bitter. Things have changed. Their mother didn't hit their hip as always when they fight. Instead, she just smiled at them. His fathers also started to forget things, there are eye bags under his eyes. He no longer buys them popsicles.

At first, she didn't understand why in the world they would commit suicide, why would anyone do that horrible thing, but she realized,

They are dying from inside. Seeing them suffer in the world is more painful than seeing them dead.

And Misaki cried every night knowing that information.

Because she knew her parents will going to leave her. She loved them both so much that she hoped that her parents are immortal.

She cried a lot, a lot.

After their parents died, she had no more tears to cry. She knows that this is the only way for her parents to get peace and happiness.

And she swears she's never going to love someone again.

She held that barrier for too long, avoiding herself to feel attached to anybody,

Until she forgot how to feel love.

...