12 Unwanted Encounter: Part 2

"I know about your job!" Hinotori said in a final desperate move to attract Kurayama's attention.

"I don't have a job." He calmly replied.

"I-I mean...your vigilantism…" Hinotori whispered.

Hinotori was desperate enough to use the last trick up his sleeves, which is mentioning Kurayama's secret right in front of him. However, he didn't know that he used such a mischievous trick against the worst possible person.

"Oh my, you got me there." Kurayama sarcastically stated as he shoved his wallet back inside his pocket.

He then walked back to the table that he and Hinotori were both sitting at previously and took a seat before he asked Hinotori to sit at the table with him.

"So, Hinotori. I'm surprised you know my secret. But, I'm a bit confused. And, you could perhaps help me. Why did you say that in front of my face, here, and now?"

Hinotori was silent. He didn't know what to say, because he genuinely didn't understand why he said it.

"W-w-well, I just didn't want you to leave..." Hinotori stated.

"And you thought that the best way to do that is to expose my secret?"

"W-well...I didn't think of that."

"Hinotori, you have exposed a secret that could land me a life sentence in prison, or even get me executed, and you exposed it directly in front of my face. You're exposing the secret of a vigilante, a vigilante who has no problem killing." Kurayama stated in an emotionless voice.

Hinotori felt an enormous dread flood his mind the moment Kurayama talked. His non-existent emotion when speaking made Hinotori clueless of Kurayama's intention. Furthermore, the silence of the cafe created an uneasy air between the two. Hinotori was terrified of speaking.

"I-I-I d-didn't mean to—" Hinotori mustered up an admirable amount of courage to talk, but was interrupted by Kurayama.

"You have my sympathy for undergoing a tremendous trauma, Hinotori. However, I have no sympathy for someone who opposes a threat to me. And you, Hinotori, currently oppose the greatest threat to me. You should have thought twice about exposing my identity while you're in my kill range."

The dread was unimaginable. The sheer terror Hinotori was experiencing was unimaginable. He was sure that if he says or does anything wrong...Kurayama might kill him.

"Sorry. I got too caught up with this that I almost forgot what I was going to ask you. Anyway, would you explain to me how you know that I'm a vigilante?" Kurayama interrogated Hinotori.

"Oh, also..." Kurayama uttered before he glared at Hinotori with black eyes and red irises, "Choose your words and actions carefully. I might not be powerful enough to go against the entire police force. But, I am capable of killing you and erasing any evidence of it. And don't question my authenticity...Killing you isn't as hard as you think it is."

Those were the words that broke Hinotori. He thought that he would die, but these words erased all doubts he had in his mind. He fully accepted his death and began speaking with no hesitation.

"Two weeks ago, I saw you fight a bunch of armed gangsters who were trying to kidnap a child. I still vividly remember how one of them hit you with a baseball bat to the face and removed the cotton mask you were wearing. When I saw your face covered in dark mist with black and red eyes, I instantly recognized you as the man who saved me from Lab 5.

Seeing you fight against those many criminals with absolutely no fear or hesitation showed me how fearless and selfless you are. I was grateful to you at first for saving me. But that night, I admired you. I'm fully aware that you killed some criminals, but that isn't enough to make me remotely dislike you. After all, nobody in this entire life could have suffered as much as you, but at the same time have enough humanity in him to save people from harm and injustice.

I'm not planning to do anything with this information. I just blurted that out to try and keep you here. But, if you still don’t believe me, then kill me. I understand the lack of trust you have towards anyone. Don't worry, I won't hate you. After all, I'm okay with dying for the greater good. I shouldn't have tried to threaten you with this information, that's why I'm fine with dying to atone for my mistake. “

A waterfall of tears was racing down his cheeks. Yet, he still mustered up all of his power and energy to crack a smile and give a thumbs up to Kurayama.

The aura surrounding Kurayama disappeared as his black and red eyes averted back to normal. He took a deep breath before he began speaking.

"I did that so I can make sure you won’t lie to me. And considering that you almost fainted from fear, I guess you were honest. Rest assured, I won't be killing you anytime soon. Anyways, I shall take my leave right now." Kurayama stated before he stood up.

"I-I-I...I wanted to talk to you because you're the only one left for me in the whole world." Hinotori said, powerless to stop the trail of tears racing down his cheeks. The boy took a deep breath before he continued.

"I lived hell for three months. I barely talked to anyone except my employer and landlord. I couldn't even speak to my colleagues. I always felt alone and couldn't talk to anyone else because I always feared that they would betray me, just like my parents. No family, no friends, no one.

Even if you reminded me about that horrible place, I was still happy to see a face that I recognized, someone who I can actually talk to. I'm afraid of being alone, but I don't have it in me to speak to anyone. You're the only one left in the whole world." Hinotori gasped for air after each sentence as the tears were uncontrollably raining down. Three months' worth of stress and mental pain was released in an instant.

"I know about your parents. I saw through your memories. After I absorbed your mental pain, I saw your entire life. I am so sorry for everything that has happened to you, I truly am. But we can only move forward after every setback and become better people than before. After all, we might not always receive what we earned, but we always get what we deserve." Kurayama said as he patted the boy's head, trying to comfort him.

"So...I take this as a goodbye?" Hinotori asked, wiping the tears from his eyes in the process.

"Well, not really. I just remembered how boring my day is with absolutely nobody to talk to. I guess it wouldn't be harmful to have someone to talk to from time to time."

"Does that mean we're—"

"Woah there. As far as I know, we are far from being friends. Just think of it as an acquaintanceship, alright?"

"Of course...Nice knowing you, Kurayama."

"Mutual feelings, Hinotori," He said as he stood up from his chair. "You're a bit of a crybaby, Hinotori. But, I have never seen someone face potential death yet still be brave enough to stare back at it...you really are a cool guy." Kurayama stated before he turned around and walked for the exit. "By the way, you owe me a meal and a drink for wasting my time. Don't forget that." He added before walking out of the cafe.

Hinotori simply smiled and nodded in return. He was genuinely happy for the first time in ten years.

------

After a calm, yet boring night of vigilantism, Kurayama was sleeping ever so peacefully on his bed. He was still drifting in his dreamland until a bunch of continuous knocking disturbed his resting session.

"What now?" He said in an irritated voice as he made his way towards the front door, almost collapsing from the lack of sleep.

As he opened the door, he saw Hinotori standing in front of him, carrying a huge grocery bag that he handed to him.

"That's—... That's all for me?" Kurayama asked in a confused voice.

"Yes, take it as a gift of our friendsh—... I mean, acquaintanceship." Hinotori replied in a cheerful voice as he gave Kurayama a joyful smile. "Oh, I also owe you a meal. Luckily, living alone for quite some time has taught me how to take care of myself. So, may I?" He said as he pointed at the kitchen behind Kurayama.

"You can actually cook?" Kurayama asked, still in a state of confusion.

"Indeed, I can. May I show you what I am capable of?" Hinotori asked, enforcing his statement.

"Sure...go ahead," Kurayama said as he welcomed Hintori inside.

"Woah! This is two times bigger than my apartment" Hinotori stated in awe.

"Well, I'll be going to sleep again. Wake me up when you're done cooking." Said Kurayama as he yawned before he walked inside his room to continue sleeping.

While Kurayama was still sleeping like a log, a particular scent knocked him out of dreamland and woke him up. It was a delicious smell, something that Kurayama hasn't experienced the likes of it for ten years.

He woke up and made his way towards the kitchen, only to be surprised by something he didn't expect.

"Good morning, my friend. You woke up just in time!" Hinotori energetically stated as he waved at Kurayama.

Kurayama was speechless as he was observing his kitchen. The once dirty place with nothing but trash and food leftovers was now clean to the point where you can eat from the floor.

"Wow. Living alone for four months is something. But this...this is a natural-born talent."

"Why thank you for those supportive comments. Cooking is just a hobby that I like to do, no need to praise me for it, Kurayama."

"Well then, you have my gratitude, master chef," Kurayama said before he grabbed a bowl of rice and started eating.

For the first time in ten years, Kurayama was finally eating a proper meal.

"By the way, shouldn't you be at work by now?" Kurayama curiously asked.

"Not at all. It's my day off, after all. Anyway, what are you planning to do today, my friend?" Hinotori asked.

"Nothing really. I usually spend my days scrolling through the internet, watching TV, or searching for a stable job. But, nobody wants to hire someone with zero background. So, I usually just spend my days doing the other two."

"Wow, you really are having it hard. But, aren't you afraid you might run out of money at one point?"

"I am afraid. It's the one thought that is haunting me day and night, and I don't know what to do about it. I think I'll just have to move out of this town and see if I can find any opportunities outside."

"But, you can apply for the hero test, can't you?" Hinotori asked in confusion.

"I don't want to become a hero. That will contradict my life goals and the dreams that I have."

"Which are?"

Before Kurayama could speak, a loud knocking was heard on the front door. Before Kurayama could say or do anything, he heard a sentence that activated his fight or flight instincts.

"This is the police."