Fic for ltgmars! (Part 4 of 5)

[nijipair]

Fic for ltgmars (Part 4 of 5)

Back to Part 3



XV

Aiba woke up with his eyes wide open, fingers unconsciously clutching the sheets. He panted heavily, wiping the sweat from his forehead. He knew he just had a nightmare, but he couldn't remember what it was about. There was Nino, throwing cards into thin air. There was Inocchi, congratulating him for joining his office. There were trees, bowing down to him, whispering their secrets. There were colors-green, brown, and orange, all spinning inside his head. Yellow, blue, and red were clashing into each other. There were flashes of white; there was fog. There was a dragon sleeping.

Aiba clasped his hands together, fidgeting absentmindedly. Just like all dreams, the longer he was awake and the more he thought about it, the vaguer the dream became.

He looked at the bedside table, listening to the snores coming from the lamp. Curious, he opened the cap and took a peek inside. Yoko was still sleeping peacefully, curling at the bottom. Aiba smiled. Yoko had to be exhausted. He didn't like having people watching him sleep when he felt the most vulnerable, but he once said how Aiba was an exception. Yoko was such a good friend, Aiba thought. He gripped his shirt, feeling another twinge of guilt for dragging Yoko along.

He stood up and walked towards the door. Trying to sleep again when he felt like this was useless.

The door shrieked, which made Aiba jump a little. Blissfully unaware, Yoko continued snoring. Aiba sighed. He slipped out of the room and started walking towards the front door, trying to be as quiet as he could manage.

When he was finally standing below the moon, Aiba took a deep breath. Being outdoors and listening to the sound of the trees calmed him down a bit, as it always did. A smile grazed his face as he walked towards the woods, ready to greet the trees. However, he felt that he had to stop when he heard sounds of people talking from the back of the house. It had to be his hosts, as there was no one else around the area.

For a moment, Aiba was tormented between eavesdropping on their conversation or heading towards the trees as he had originally planned. But then, he thought of Yoko and decided to scrap his initial plan. Yoko was right. It was time for them to at least get a glimpse of truth.

It was their hosts indeed, busy talking by the bonfire, whose dying embers crackled despondently. He hid in the corner, listening carefully to what Okada and Sakurai were saying. He found his heart beating faster.

“…but it doesn't make any sense!” Sakurai shouted furiously. He was walking in a circle, looking genuinely confused. “He was gone! No one can open the place anymore!”

Okada bit his lip. “Have you ever thought that Nino didn't kill him?”

Sakurai turned his face to Okada. “I want to think so, but we couldn't sense him anymore. One moment we could still feel the flicker of his life and at the next second he was gone. Time passed and I have never sensed him again. What else could it mean? Even after such a long time I could still hear how the earth roared, could still feel how the ground shook furiously. When we arrived, we only found Nino kneeling on the ground, covering his bleeding eye socket. Something obviously happened there and Nino refused to explain it.” Sakurai shuddered.

“‘He's gone. I made him disappear' was all he said. You were not there to see the way Nino smirked. He laughed as if he had lost every shred of his sanity. The day when we decided to go our separate ways was the worst day of my long life. We never had a fight before. I always thought we would be together forever.”

Aiba absorbed everything in silence. Whatever happened in the past, everyone who was involved still suffered from it, as Sakurai had mentioned. Aiba shuddered. What had he dragged himself into? What had he dragged his friends into?

Okada stood up, putting his arm on Sakurai's shoulder. “You know that this situation cannot last any longer, right? Two can't replace four. The earth is dying.”

Sakurai sighed, setting his mouth into a grim line. “I know, but what can I do? On one side, Jun would never forgive Nino. On the other, Nino had refused to tell me what happened. I had made a decision not to choose anyone's side and it was that balance that has been keeping us alive all along. I can't risk throwing the balance off.”

“If you don't choose now, the earth will die. If you choose, there's a possibility that the earth can be saved. The Nino you've always told me about always had a plan in his mind.”

Sakurai turned his head. His face is still and hard. “What if I choose the wrong side? I'm not sure I can take the burden.”

“If Nino wants to destroy the earth, he could've done that easily a long time ago. He told them that he needs someone to open the place to the dragon, and you and I both know that there is only one person who can do that. You think he has died, yet Nino still hopes that he can reach out to the dragon.” Okada chose his words carefully. “Judging from his actions, I believe that he actually still lives.”

“There's also a possibility that Nino has gone mad, just like Jun had always said. Each of us was assigned with one task and one task only. Doing two at once must have driven him insane.”

“It is possible, yes, but everything that you have told me is only based on assumptions. You could be wrong.”

“Nino's the only one who knows the truth.”

“Then it's time to ask him about what actually happened.”

Sakurai raised his voice slightly. “Do you think I have never tried? No matter how many times I asked him, he wouldn't explain it to me.”

Okada shrugged. “I think it will be different this time. He never wanted to open the forbidden place before.”

Sakurai groaned, burying his face in his hands.

Okada went on, laying a soft hand on Sakurai’s hand. “Remember what the old proverb says: All things will be alright in the end. If it’s not, then it’s not the end.”

Sakurai’s voice was beginning to sound hopeful. “Do you think I should try asking him again?”

“You can’t run away from this problem forever.”

Sakurai let out a chuckle. “I’ve been running away so long, so long, that I forget I’m still running away.” His hand reached for Okada, touching his cheek gently. “Will you help me do this?”

“Yes.” Okada smiled. He spread out his arms to embrace Sakurai. “Do this for the earth you love so much. Do this for me. Do this so we can live longer, together.”

Sakurai responded to the other man’s touches, hugging Okada even tighter. “I won’t be able to survive without you. Thank you. For everything.”

“No. Thank you, for accompanying me to be a farmer.”

Sakurai let his arms go, laughing. “It wasn’t as bad as I imagined, but I have to admit that the sheep stink.”

Okada laughed as well. “You were speechless when I first told you that I wanted to own a farm.”

“Was I? It was such a long time ago.” Sakurai made a move to walk back towards the house. Aiba quickly tried to hide himself, but it was too late, Sakurai and Okada already caught wind of him. They stopped dead in their tracks.

Aiba stepped forward, offering them a nervous smile to hide his embarrassment. “I don’t mean to eavesdrop…I just wanted to go the forest, and accidentally, I overheard you two speaking, so…”

“I’ve made a decision.” Sakurai cut him. “We’ll go with you tomorrow downtown.”

“Eh?”

“Nino is there. There’s something I need to ask him.”

XVI

It was a cloudy afternoon when Ikuta suddenly bumped into Matsumoto in the street. The sun was in hiding since morning. It was a good thing to have rain, but something about the weather seemed unusual in Ikuta’s eyes. The sky looked pregnant, as if it was waiting for something to spill all its water out, Ikuta thought. If it truly rained, he got a feeling that they would get another storm just like the one they had a few days ago, that day when they first met Nino.

Ikuta paused to think about the dream he had the night before. Something tells him that the dream was related to what Nino had done to him. After all, in the dream, he heard Nino’s voice once again, claiming that he was his. Ikuta shook his head, kept on walking.

He was about to get inside his car when he heard someone call his name from across the street. He turned around and saw Matsumoto walking towards him, in surprisingly simple everyday clothes. As he neared Ikuta, Matsumoto stopped. He smiled nervously, but his eyes were on his feet. “I’m sorry about yesterday.”

Ikuta licked his lips. “It’s okay.”

Matsumoto had kindly dropped him off to his apartment yesterday after he refused to talk more about Nino. Both of them were silent on the way home, absorbed in their own thoughts. Matsumoto had been lost in his past. Ikuta, on the other hand, couldn’t stop wondering about the oath that Nino had broken, the act that started a cold war between him and Matsumoto, leading them all to the ending of the earth. What kind of mistake was so severe and grievous that it could not be undone?

Ikuta returned his attention back to the present. He glanced at the man in front of him. Matsumoto was looking at the sky above, his mouth in a tight line. He looked more tired than yesterday. Ikuta tilted his head, observing Matsumoto’s darker eye bags and messy hair, suddenly feeling lucky because at least he had slept for a few hours despite the nightmare. Matsumoto looked like he spent all night drinking all the alcohol he could find in his house.

“There’s a coffee shop I often go to not far from here.” Ikuta took the liberty to invite Matsumoto, seeing how the man hadn’t moved his feet after apologizing. “Do you want to come?”

Matsumoto brushed his hair up. “Okay.”

Ikuta led him as they walked down the street, unconsciously sneaking looks at Matsumoto with his peripheral vision, making sure that Matsumoto was following him. Ikuta opened his hands up to the sky and felt a few drops of water. He observed the clouds. As if waiting for a sign from him, the rain started to pour.

They arrived in front of the coffee shop and Ikuta opened the door, greeting Morita and Miyake as he took a seat in the bar. It felt nice coming back to a place he knew so well, as if all that had happened since he got on this case never happened.

“Oi!” Miyake greeted him. Morita merely diverted his attention from his dishes for a moment to acknowledge Ikuta’s arrival.

Matsumoto took a seat next to him. His expression turned even gloomier.

“Guys, this is a friend of mine, Matsumoto. Matsumoto, this is Morita and Miyake, the owners of this shop.”

Matsumoto shook their hands. “I think I need your strongest coffee.”

Miyake nodded. His eyes found Ikuta’s and Ikuta shook his head a little, trying not to be seen by Matsumoto. Don’t ask, long story.

Miyake smiled understandingly. “Coming, sir.”

Morita raised his head up, looking at the street. “It’s raining.”

Miyake grabbed a handful of coffee beans, replying absent-mindedly as he started measuring the beans. “About time, isn’t it?”

Ikuta turned his head, paying attention to the window as well. The rain was getting heavier. Water fell heavily from the skies without giving ample time for people outside to prepare themselves for the onslaught. Seeing the rain harshly hit the window made Ikuta remember his dream. He couldn’t help but commenting. “The sky is crying.”

Miyake let out a small chuckle at those words. “Why do you think the sky is crying?”

“Because the earth is dying.” Ikuta answered heavily.

“No,” Matsumoto shook his head. Ikuta gulped when he saw tears in Matsumoto’s eyes. “The earth had already died. We merely borrow the time to prolong our stay, but the due date is coming soon.”

The three men were left speechless. Ikuta wanted to reject the idea but he couldn’t, when he saw Matsumoto’s eyes. There was an undeniable persistency in them-loneliness, anger, regret, sadness, all mixed into one. The eyes changed back into blue, and with every tear drop, the sky outside let droplets of water cascade down in rhythm. Ikuta unconsciously raised his arm to reach out to Matsumoto. Even when he was crying, Matsumoto still looked beautiful.

Before he was able to touch the man in front of him, the door suddenly banged opened with a loud crash and a man, soaked from head to toe, hurriedly entered the shop. He took his hat off and squeezed it, drowning the doormat in effect.

“Oi, don’t wet it! Squeeze your hat somewhere else!” Miyake yelled his protests.

“Sorry, sorry!” The man bowed down, rubbing his head. He lifted his head up and out of a sudden, he shrieked. “Ikuta!”

Before Ikuta could react, the man who called him out suddenly flung his arms around him, knocking Matsumoto out of the way. With the corner of his eye, Ikuta saw how Matsumoto quickly turned his head, trying to hide his tears.

However, the man who hugged him didn’t seem to notice at all. Ikuta gently pushed the man back to see his face better, making sure that he identified the right person. “Inocchi?”

Ikuta was right, it was his boss who had been missing for a couple of weeks. Inocchi grinned widely, looking genuinely happy to see him. He pulled back, his pointed ears twitching a little. “There you are! I went to the office, but there’s no one there! I miss you all. Why didn’t you greet your boss when he’s finally back home?” Inocchi pretended to look hurt for a second, but soon he was all smiles again. He took the chair beside Ikuta’s. “Miyake, the usual, please!”

Morita shook his head, stopping his movement with the dishes. A smile escaped his lips. “Where have you been? We haven’t seen you in the longest time!”

“Do you miss me? Do you miss me?” Inocchi’s grin grew wider. Dropping his wet coat down carelessly to the floor, he shook Morita and Miyake’s hand firmly before he swung his head to face his sub-ordinate again. “Ikuta, where are Yoko and Aiba? I need to show them something.”

“Long story! The more important thing here is, where have you been? There are so many things that happened when you were gone!”

“Oh, is it related to a case?” Inocchi raised up the coffee that Miyake put on his table to his nose, inhaling the aroma deeply. He gave Miyake two thumbs up. “Your coffee is still the most magical in the realm!”

Miyake grinned sheepishly, giving back a thumb up. “Of course it is!” He tilted his head to one side, pointing out to a big golden tube that was slung on Inocchi’s back. “What’s that on your back, Inocchi?”

“Oh,” Inocchi looked to his back, grabbing the tube and laid it down in front of him. He opened the lid with huge excitement, pulling out a big papyrus scroll from it while grinning like a kid who just got a birthday present. “It’s my certificate! This is what I wanted to show you!”

“Certificate? Certificate for what? What do you need a certificate for?”

Inocchi spread the scroll in the bar counter and the rest of them - save for Matsumoto - leaned forward to read it better. The certificate was written in fancy cursive that was hard to understand. Ikuta tilted his head, reading it aloud for all of them to hear with much difficulty.

“In-ves-tiga-tor Certi-fi…cate?”

“Investigator certificate?” Morita and Miyake echoed together, looking up to demand an explanation.

Inocchi didn’t seem to be aware of all the confusion reflected on his friends and subordinate’s eyes. He patted Ikuta’s back cheerfully, another hand reaching for Miyake’s shoulder. “Yes, I am now officially an investigator after finishing school! Our office can get a license now! Isn’t that great?”

Ikuta looked at his boss with amazed expression. “Do you mean that all this time our office wasn’t official?” Though it was rather hard to believe, it explained why their office didn’t have a nameplate. It would also explain why Inocchi often went missing. As it turns out, he went to school in secret. It had to be difficult, juggling school and office at the same time. Ikuta was impressed that Inocchi was able to keep his hardships from them.

Inocchi coughed. “We don’t have to mention the past. The most important thing is now is that I have finally graduated from school and am now an official investigator!”

Morita shook his head while Miyake laughed out loud hearing Inocchi’s proud confession. “Well, congratulations, I guess.”

“Congratulations.” Ikuta gave him his most genuine smile. “Why didn’t you tell us about going to school before? We would have supported you better if we knew!”

“Well,” Inocchi rubbed his head, grinning sheepishly. “It doesn’t matter really. You need to take care of the office.” While he spoke, Ikuta noticed how his attention was slowly but surely sidetracked. He took a peek behind Ikuta’s back, taking a sudden interest in Matsumoto. “And who’s your friend here? Why don’t you introduce us-” Inocchi suddenly stopped talking and shouted.

Ikuta was pushed back as his boss moved forward to take a closer look at Matsumoto. Matsumoto hastily wiped his tears, tuning his gaze away to the window. The rain had tapered off to a light drizzle.

Inocchi touched Matsumoto’s arm, his eyes never leaving Matsumoto’s face. “I’ve never seen anyone as beautiful as you are.”

Morita snickered, Ikuta choked, and Miyake quickly pulled Inocchi’s shirt. “That’s seriously the worst pick-up line I’ve ever heard.”

“I don’t mean it that way!” Inocchi defended. His ears turned red. “But, Ikuta’s friend here is glowing! He’s so precious, I’m not lying! I mean, you are precious too, Ikuta, of course, but your friend here is different.”

So Ikuta was not the only one who thought Matsumoto was beautiful, his boss also thought the same way. Ikuta coughed, not knowing how he was supposed to feel about it.

Matsumoto smiled politely at Inocchi’s barrage of compliments. He cocked an eyebrow at Ikuta, and Ikuta answered the unspoken question. “Matsumoto, this is my boss, Inocchi. He’s the one who owns our investigation office.”

Inocchi grabbed Matsumoto’s hands without being offered, shaking them excitedly. “And you are…?”

“I own the aquarium at the next town.”

“Oh!” Inocchi widened his eyes. “Sakamoto’s new boss? How’s Sakamoto doing?”

“Wait,” Ikuta grabbed Inocchi’s shoulder, “you know Sakamoto too?”

“There’s no magical creature around here that I don’t know!” Inocchi smiled proudly. “Then no wonder you are so glowing! So, tell me, how are you two acquainted?”

“Matsumoto was related to our case.” Ikuta answered halfheartedly. For some reason, he didn’t want to define Matsumoto as someone whom he met because of an investigation.

“Oh, what case?”

“Well…”

Matsumoto suddenly cut him in a dignified voice. “Nino came to see me again this morning.”

Numbly surprised, Ikuta blurted out. “What did he want?”

“Nothing.” Matsumoto clenched his teeth. His hands gripped his pants nervously. “He just sat outside my window, as if he was reminiscing or something. When I spotted him, I asked him to go, but he merely smiled. He threw his cards to me, saying that it is going to be over soon.”

“What’s going to be over soon?”

“What else?” Matsumoto shrugged, sounding distressed. “I only came here to tell you this. I need to go now.”

With those last words, Matsumoto left some money on the bar counter and walked towards the door. Miyake rushed to offer him an umbrella but Matsumoto refused it. He opened the door and looked above; his eyes closed, as if allowing the water to surround his body. On second thought, of course Matsumoto would gladly let the water touch him. It must feel like coming home, Ikuta wondered. Matsumoto turned, bowing his head politely before heading out right into the storm.

Watching his lonely back, Ikuta felt an unexplainable feeling of pity.

Inocchi approached him, expressing his concern. “What happened?”

Ikuta sighed. There were so many things he needed to explain to Inocchi. He was about to close the door when he suddenly heard another familiar voice calling him. Ikuta turned his head and spotted Aiba and Yoko, both trembling under the drizzle. A stranger was seen behind them.

XVII

The small coffee shop was crowded that night. Morita put the sign ‘CLOSED’ as they all gathered the tables beside the windows, listening attentively to the development of their new case. Morita and Miyake were both in a state of shock and kept on asking them about the truth of the story they were being told, afraid that they have been fooled. Ikuta couldn’t help but noticing how similar their reaction were to his, a month ago. Time passed away faster than he ever imagined, and ironically, Morita and Miyake were the ones who were forced to believe how true the case was at this moment.

Meanwhile, Inocchi sat at the end of the table, crossing his arms tightly. No word left his mouth as he opened his ears, listening attentively to every word they spoke. Observing their responses, Ikuta was finally certain that the case they were currently handling truly didn’t happen often.

After retelling the beginning of the case and how their client had tricked them, it was the time to say what happened during the three days when they decided to go separate ways.

Aiba and Yoko introduced the stranger who came with them as Okada, Sakurai’s housemate. They explained that Sakurai waited at the border of the town, unable to step inside because both Matsumoto and Nino would be alarmed once he put his foot in the South District. He put Okada in his place instead, though Okada didn’t say much. He just sat there sipping his coffee, nodding his head to back his co-workers’ statements up.

Apparently, Sakurai wanted to talk to their client as they still had unfinished business involving a friend’s death many, many years ago. Ikuta was also informed about how the fight between Nino and Matsumoto started on that unfortunate day, causing Matsumoto to swear to kill Nino if he ever saw him again.

After they finished, it was Ikuta’s turn to recap what Matsumoto had told him. He could almost hear Matsumoto’s words once again in his ears.

“We were perfect, we were perfect together and he ruined it all. He betrayed us, sacrificed all of us for his own good. He broke our oath, the most powerful oath ever taken, to gain more power for himself, and now, he can’t even control it.”

Whatever it was that Nino did, Matsumoto couldn’t forgive him. Yet Sakurai seemed to believe that Nino was not guilty. Too many years had passed in vain in confusion. It appeared that Nino had changed his mind, he wanted to end the problem. ‘It is going to be over soon’ were the words Nino had said to Matsumoto. What was going to be over? The fight or the earth? Or probably both? The fate had been rolled. It was either the ending, or the beginning.

“I think I have met this Nino once.”

All heads were turned to the direction of the voice.

Inocchi cleared his throat, licking his lips nervously as every eye in the room was fixed on him, looking at him weirdly.

“When?” Yoko demanded the answer.

“Before I went to take the exam. If I picture your descriptions of him correctly.” Inocchi explained, his fingers tapped the table. He chose his words carefully, trying to remember what exactly happened.

“Where?” Yoko asked, the same time as Ikuta inquired about the same thing. “What did he want?”

“In Tokio.” Inocchi replied. “We had a card game.”

Ikuta found his curiosity piqued further. A flash of an image from the dream he had apperead up in his mind-an image of someone who was sitting in the corner. With a wide smile, someone else approached the man who was sitting in the corner, asking him to join a card game. The picture strangely fit with the Inocchi’s story. Ikuta tried hard to hide his confusion away; it was not the moment to show his doubt. It was probably just an unfortunate coincidence. There were more important things to discuss than his odd dream: Inocchi and Nino’s meeting.

Ikuta coughed. “What did you talk about?”

“Just ordinary talk. What’s our name, where do we live, what’s our job… You know, the sort of thing men talk about in a card game.” Inocchi said, his eyes wandering elsewhere as if to recall the night again. “I remember that he was also glowing. He was a pretty little thing, though I couldn’t see him clearly because his face was hidden below his hood. He said that he is a traveling magician. I remembered asking him why he couldn’t take his hood off and he told me that he was not supposed to be seen there. He said someone promised to kill him if he ever sees him.”

Yoko squinted his eyes. “That had to be Matsumoto.”

Aiba put his finger on his lips. “Shush, I want to hear the rest. What happened after that, Inocchi?”

“He asked me about my job and I told him that I run an investigation office. I can’t really remember it because I was a little drunk that night, but he wasn’t really paying attention to me either. He looked tired and bored, mind you, and he probably just listened to me because there was nothing else he could listen to.”

“Was that all?” Ikuta asked, looking unimpressed. He couldn’t get the image of his dream out of his mind.

“No.” Inocchi shook his head. “I think his attention increased when I talked about all of you.”

“Us?” Morita raised his eyebrows.

“No, no.” Inocchi looked around. “I told him about how I could see how powerful someone is by their glow, and how I have three subordinates that I scouted from the streets. I told him how I found all of you. Aiba, when you were at the forest, talking with the trees. Yoko, when I accidentally found your lamp and you stopped me from cleaning it. Ikuta, when I saw you walking down the street, leaving a trail of glitter behind you.”

Everyone in the room was taken aback with the brand new information. Even Okada put his hand on his mouth, looking genuinely confused.

“That’s unexpected.” Ikuta finally responded. “Does it mean that he is interested in us?”

“He surely changed his attitude at that time.” Inocchi shrugged, biting his lip carefully. “I thought he was interested in people the same way I did. We ended up talking about you guys.”

“Damn it!” Yoko punched the table, causing the cups on it to jump. Miyake swiftly moved the cups away, preventing Yoko from damaging anything.

Yoko stood up, putting both hands on each side of the table. “He already knew about us before he went to our place. What was it that he wanted with us?”

“He didn’t look like a killer.” Inocchi crossed his arms again. “At the beginning of the game, he carried himself like a dead person. He sat in the corner, shuffling his cards alone. He watched the passerby sharply, but his eye was empty. There was nothing reflected in his eye and I took pity of him. I invited him to my game and he complied, allowing himself a little sad smile. I could see that he was grieving but I didn’t dare ask what it was that he had lost.” Inocchi paused momentarily. “His eye immediately glowed when he heard my story and he stood up all of a sudden, claiming that he had a business to take care of. I was so glad that he looked lively again.”

“Inocchi,” Ikuta couldn’t help but commenting. “You are too nice.”

“There was nothing wrong with trusting people.” Aiba backed Inocchi up. “We won’t be here if Inocchi didn’t trust his judgment about us. I believe that what Inocchi said was right. Nino is not a murderer.”

“Aiba,” Yoko scrunched up his nose. “You are also too nice.”

“I just have this feeling, Yoko, that our client is actually a nice man.” Aiba said breathlessly. “I’ve decided to trust that feeling.”

“He’s right.” Inocchi put his arm on Aiba’s shoulder. “It’s a good thing to trust your instinct.”

Yoko and Ikuta looked at each other, at a loss for anything to say. Inocchi and Aiba’s weaknesses were also their good points, after all.

“What do you want to do next?” Okada broke the silence.

Yoko shook his head. “I don’t know.”

“I know Nino’s companion. They went home together from Tokio.”

All heads were turned to Inocchi’s direction for the second time that night.

“I thought you said that Nino was alone.” Yoko said accusingly.

“I said that he sat in the corner alone with his cards, but his friend was sitting in the bar all along, drinking while watching Nino from afar. When Nino decided to go home, he called him out and they went out together. You’ll be glad to meet him, Ikuta. He was a full blood fairy so you could see how your ancestor truly looked like!”

“Wait, Inocchi,” Ikuta said, “I don’t follow you. Even though you know what he looked like, how are you planning to find him?”

Hearing that question, Inocchi grinned widely. “Everyone is different, especially the glow of a fairy. I could pick up his trail again if I want to.”

XVIII

Morita and Miyake decided to stay in their shop while Okada needed to go back to Sakurai’s place to report the new development, so in the end, it was only four of them who went to search for this friend’s whereabouts.

Inocchi asked Yoko to drive but Yoko refused, politely asking Aiba to replace him. As they sat inside, Ikuta realized something. Yoko hadn’t directly talked to Aiba. He sat at the back seat, looking at the window outside with gloomy expression. Inocchi seemed to notice it too but decided not to say anything. He tossed the keys to Aiba and positioned himself in the front seat, giving his instruction from Aiba’s side.

Ikuta noticed halfway that they were heading to Tokio’s forest. Aiba drove less violently as Inocchi had memorized the way perfectly, calmly pointing out at the turn they needed to take. As they arrived in front of the tree, Inocchi stepped out of the car, striding through the woods. Turning his head to them, he declared. “He was here recently, but alone.”

“Who was?”

Ikuta looked around to find where the voice came from but there was no one but them.

“Oi, I’m here! Look below!”

Inocchi spread out his hand, signaling them to be quiet. He walked to one end of the root and the rest of them followed. Inocchi dropped to his knees; his hands were securely placed at both sides of the root. “Hello, long time no see.”

Ikuta squint his eyes. He finally saw who Inocchi talked to. Nagase was sitting at the root, munching on something. It was quite funny to see him small when he was taller than Ikuta the last time they met.

Nagase didn’t stop chewing upon their scrutiny. He was holding a huge pile of roasted meat on a stick. He grinned upon hearing Inocchi’s greetings. “Where have you been, Inocchi? Your boys were here the other day, asking about the dragon.”

“Well,” Inocchi replied the smile. “I’m back now. Thank you for your kind help to them.”

Yoko kneeled down beside their boss, Aiba to his next, and Ikuta at the end. Yoko scooted closer to Inocchi. Ikuta tried not to look at Aiba’s hurt expression. It had to be a weird sight for strangers, Ikuta thought, four grown men squatting on the ground circling a tree root.

“What are you doing here?” he asked Nagase.

“Eating, of course! A gnome must eat, even if the world stops spinning tomorrow! Don’t waste a good meat!” Nagase gnarled, taking another bite of his food. Ikuta just shrugged, Nagase looked less intimidating when he was smaller.

“On the contrary,” Nagase waved his finger at them. “Why are you here? The bar is not yet opened.”

Inocchi pinched a bite from Nagase’s meat. “We are looking for someone.”

“I want his shirt for that.” Nagase pointed out at Ikuta’s shirt. “This big, it will do well as our new curtain.”

“Done.” Yoko replied. “But no drinking. I need a sharp mind to search for this person.”

“What?” Ikuta was bewildered. “Why me?”

“Shh, Ikuta.” Yoko widened his eyes. “Do you want to find this fairy or not?”

“I want to, but…”

“Done!” Nagase guffawed. “So who is this fairy you seek?”

“Do you remember the last time I was here, when I played cards with a bunch of people?” Inocchi began their investigation carefully, choosing a neutral first question.

“Hmm….” Nagase rubbed his chin. “I guess so.”

“Well, one of them left early. He was wearing an eye patch and covered his head with a hoodie.”

“I may have seen someone that matches your description, yes.” Nagase took another bite, still looking calm.

“When he was about to leave, he called out for someone who had been sitting in the bar the whole time, drinking.”

“Ah!” Nagase clapped his hands. “Yes, I remember that pretty fairy. He constantly looked at your group while drinking. It was quite interesting to watch him.”

Ikuta felt his excitement building up. “Do you know where he comes from?”

“Come to think of it, he was here the day you guys came and asked about the dragon.” Nagase replied dryly. “Watching us from afar. I thought it was weird and I wanted to shove him away, but he didn’t really do anything wrong. So I just let him be. I thought perhaps studying other people from several feet away was a part of his drinking habit.”

Ikuta lifted his head up to meet his co-workers’ stunned expression. That was certainly unexpected.

“He could be present to make sure Kokubun did what Nino asked him to do.” Aiba voiced out their opinions out loud.

Ikuta shook his head. Whatever Nino planned, he certainly made sure that everything was going on based on those plans. Ikuta wondered if he currently placed a spy near them too or if Nagase was asked to wait for them in front of the bar, ready to give them the answer they wanted. Still, they had no choice but to follow Nino’s instruction at this moment. It was the only way to discover the mystery. Ikuta smiled bitterly, he couldn’t wait to hold their small client in his hands.

“Kokubun? What’s wrong with him?” Nagase tilted his head, chewing another piece of meat. He looked utterly clueless.

“Never mind that.” Inocchi quickly put a smile on his face, easing Nagase. “Do you have any idea where his house is?”

Nagase’s expression stiffened. He seemed to be thinking carefully. “I remembered that we had a conversation about his place once. He accidentally slipped out that he lived up in the North.”

“In the North district?” Aiba piped up.

“Yep.” Nagase pointed at the left direction from where he was sitting. “There.”

Yoko quickly stood up. “Well, what are we waiting for? We need to head to that direction.”

Inocchi followed his suit, saluting the gnome before walking back to the car. “Thank you, Nagase.”

“Oi! The shirt!” Nagase jumped up, trying to reach for Ikuta’s shirt, but it was far too high for him as Ikuta had stood up.

“You didn’t say that I need to hand it in today.” Ikuta said in a-matter-of-fact tone, abusing his current superiority in size. “I need it tonight.”

Aiba giggled. He pushed Ikuta to the car, encouraging him to leave Nagase behind. “You’ll get your curtain later, Nagase! Thank you for the info!”

Nagase pouted. He tried to chase them but they quickly closed the car’s doors, and he waves his hand in frustration as Aiba drove towards the area Nagase had pointed out, ready to find the companion of Nino. Ikuta thought he heard the sound of Nagase groaning in disappointment and tried not to think too much about it. It was nearing night and he would catch a cold without his shirt.

XIX

During the trip, Aiba and Yoko slowly told them about what happened in the mountain. How they met Sakurai; how he turned the fire on and off with barely a flick of his hand; what Sakurai had told them about the cruel fate that intertwined he, Nino, and Matsumoto; how his eyes flashed red when he was angry, how he wanted to put an end to all the mystery.

When the night came, Ikuta knew he had made the right decision of not giving his shirt up. The cold air welcomed them as the car entered the North district. Fog blocked their view and the wind blew furiously against their windows, threatening them to back out of the town.

However, the fog didn’t prevent Inocchi from using his ability. In fact, it enhanced it as the fog made the glitter stand out more. Ikuta was grateful that Inocchi was on their side and not on their enemy’s. At first he was pessimistic about finding Nino’s companion, but Inocchi proved that he didn’t lie about his ability to sniff someone’s trail. He pointed at several random places excitedly, claiming that the glitter trails were everywhere in the city but the trace was always leading them to the same place.

Aiba drove the car based on Inocchi’s instructions, slowly but surely taking them to the edge of town. After a few hours of driving, they stopped in front of a tall iron gate at the end of a cliff. At the other side of the fence stood an abandoned castle below the purple moonlight. Inocchi was the first one to step his foot out of the car. He walked towards the fence, gripping it tight as he declared the castle the place where the trace ended.

Yoko and Ikuta hastily searched for a way to get inside. The gate was locked. Yoko reached his hand out, trying to grab the lock, but he quickly pulled it away as the lock electrified him.

“It is protected by magic.” Inocchi solemnly explained.

Both of the lamps that were supposed to illuminate the gate were broken, and so they stood there, oblivious of how to cross the gate as tall brick walls surrounded the castle, while the other side would direct them to a steep ravine. Ikuta grunted in desperation. The fairy they were searching for was only a few steps away, yet the wall was too high to climb and the gate’s tips were too sharp to mount.

Aiba patted his back, calming him down. Ikuta looked up, intending to return Aiba’s gesture when he became aware of something. Someone was sitting at a tree just inside the gate, carefully watching them. Ikuta nudged Aiba and his friend widened his eyes in shock, calling Inocchi and Yoko out, noticing them of the person’s presence.

The person in question didn’t stir from hearing their shouts. He tilted his head a little, and to Ikuta’s surprise, he suddenly jumped to the gate. Ikuta yelled, afraid that that person would accidentally drive himself to the gate’s sharp tips, but he didn’t even touch the gate. He stopped in the air, floating above the gate as two transparent butterfly-shaped wings suddenly sprout out from his back. The wings made low buzzing sounds, flapping slowly against the air, reflecting the color of purple moon above. Ikuta could hear how Aiba gasped and Yoko inhaled a deep breath. The fairy flicked his long hair, looking down below to meet their eyes. Ikuta stood still, watching the fairy flapping his beautiful wings slowly. It was quite a sight indeed, a pretty one at that.

Inocchi was the first one who gained his consciousness back. He stepped forward, calling the fairy out. “Excuse me, do you remember me? I was in Tokio that night, playing cards with your friend.”

The fairy observed him carefully. When he spoke, his voice is as quiet as a whisper. “I’ve been expecting you. It took you long enough to find this place.”

Inocchi was aghast. “Excuse me, but you’ve been expecting us?”

“Yes,” the fairy said as he rolled his eyes. He flew down and opened the gate for them. “Quickly, before my master comes home.” He put his feet on the ground, folding his wings back. “Follow me.”

And so they let him lead them to the back of the castle and ushered them in into a small room. The fairy turned the lamps on the wall on and Ikuta looked around to find that they were standing in a dimly lit kitchen.

“I’m sorry that I could only place you here.” The fairy quickly addressed them after closing the door behind him. He made the gesture at the table and chairs in the middle of the room. “Please sit down.”

They exchanged glances. Was this a trap? Ikuta originally thought that they had to force the fairy to speak, but it turned out that the fairy was the one who wanted to speak with them. He quickly looked at the ceiling, half expecting to find a net hanging there, ready to trap all of them once they were seated. Of course, there was no such thing. Ikuta took a seat as the others did the same thing.

The fairy sat down at the end of the table, crossing his hands. “I trust that you know who I am?”

Ikuta could see the glitter in his skin, stronger than the glitter in his. When the fairy moved, there was a flicker of glitter in the air, leaving his trails around his surroundings. Ikuta watched as the glitter glowed for a moment before fading away.

“You are a friend of Nino’s,” Inocchi answered.

“Not quite, no.” The fairy shook his head, waving his ponytail around with the movement. “He’s my master.”

“Your master?” Yoko asked.

“Yes, my master. He is the master of many others, if they only knew who he is.”

“And who is he exactly?” Ikuta leaned forward, too eager to hear the reply.

“I cannot tell you who he is because he has forbidden me to do so.”

“So?” Yoko bellowed. He fought to keep the desperation from his voice, but failed. “Just tell us and don’t report it back to him.”

“I can’t. I swore with my real name not to tell it to anyone.”

Ikuta cursed under his breath. Again, this matter of “real names” came up.

“If you can’t tell us who he is, then why did you drag us here?”

The fairy gave them a sly smile. “This is where he made a mistake. He made me swear not to tell who he truthfully is, but he never forbade to give a hint about his identity.”

“And what is this hint?” Ikuta looked at the fairy oddly, but the fairy kept a straight face. He was determined, that Ikuta could see. He exchanged glances with Yoko, not sure of how to react.

Yoko imitated the fairy by crossing his hands on the table. “Do tell us.”

The fairy gave a slight nod. “Wait here.” He stood up and went to the storeroom in the corner, searching for something. He was back carrying an old-looking papyrus scroll with him, signaling for them to help him spread the scroll on the table. When they were done, the scroll was stretched wide open, the corners restrained with the bottles they found from the kitchen cabinet. It took up half of the table.

The fairy grabbed a hanging lamp from the wall and held it above the scroll. “I found this quite recently. Please take a look at it.”

Yoko, Aiba, Ikuta, and Inocchi immediately bowed their heads down to study it. It was an ancient painting with torn edges. Despite its age, the painting was surely well taken care of. The color had faded away but Ikuta could still catch an image of a sphere on the middle of it, surrounded by what seemed to be the four elements of nature. Inocchi grazed the painting with his fingers as Ikuta’s eyes scanned it.

Fire, blazing strongly. Water, rippling robustly. Earth, shaking solidly, and Wind, blowing freely. All of the elements secured the sphere to its place in the middle. Ikuta clenched his teeth, remembering his dream-fire, water, earth, wind, and a dragon. He was certain that they were related in some way. He touched the painting, noticing a trail of water droplets on it. Tears.

“The dragon was not alone.” The fairy broke the silence, his finger was pointing at the sphere. “That’s all I can tell you.”

He was going to ask for an explanation when his eyes accidentally met Aiba’s.

His co-worker took a step back from the table with an unsure look. He bit his lip, his fingers touching the edge of the painting lightly, treating it as if it was a prized, highly brittle ceramic. A strange noise escaped from Aiba’s throat. He looked like he was choked; his face grew red and his voice came out as low as a whisper. “I’ve seen this painting before.”

“I’ve seen it too.” Ikuta raised his voice, on the verge of confessing.

Yoko and Inocchi looked at them weirdly.

“Only the sphere though.” Ikuta quickly added. “I’ve seen it in my dream.”

Ikuta was about to add how the sphere changed into the dragon they were looking for, but before they were able to give a proper response, they heard a rush of voices and the sound of front door being opened.

Someone called out. “Tadayoshi! Tadayoshi! Where are you? I’m home.”

The fairy was stunned. “He’s home early.” He swung his head and looked at them with a murderous expression. “Go.”

XX

After commanding them, the fairy tossed his ponytail and turned on his heels, ready to greet his master.

They rolled the scroll back, carefully placing it against the kitchen cabinet. As soon as the fairy had slipped to the next room, Yoko ran towards the door to kneel down behind it, hinting the rest of them to follow his lead. Ikuta quickly pressed his back to the wall across Yoko, with Aiba next to him and Inocchi squat down behind Yoko, ready to listen to the conversation.

“Ah, there you are, Tadayoshi, where have you been?”

Yoko lifted his head up, flicking his eyes from Ikuta to Aiba and back. Ikuta nodded. It was Nino’s voice indeed. He opened the door a little bit, just enough for him and Aiba to take a peek.

Nino was sitting on the sofa at the other side of the room, putting his feet on the table when the fairy, Tadayoshi, came towards him.

“I was in the kitchen.” Tadayoshi told him, not entirely lying.

“Hmm,” Nino rubbed his neck, closing his eyes. “It’s a long day.”

“Was it?” Tadayoshi answered absent-mindedly. His eyes wandered to the kitchen door to check on their whereabouts. Tadayoshi narrowed his eyes, his brows furrowing as soon as he realized that they were watching through the small gap. He gave a signal, asking them to close the door back, but Ikuta shook his head, silently stating that they would not leave and watch the chat instead.

Tadayoshi walked to the door but stopped in the middle of the way when Nino called him out. He scowled, forcing a smile as he sat on the sofa. Tadayoshi gave Ikuta a vicious glare, promising deathly threats if he didn’t close the door. Nevertheless, Ikuta was more stubborn; they would watch and there’s nothing the fairy could do to prevent it unless he wanted to inform his master about their presences in the castle.

Nino touched the fairy’s cheek gently, brushing his hair off. “What’s wrong? You look distracted.”

Tadayoshi gave a small smile. He grabbed Nino’s hand, slowly caressing it before bringing it to his lips.

Ikuta widened his eyes in shock as the fairy licked the fingers carefully one by one. Behind him, Aiba let out a gasp. Inocchi and Yoko tilted their heads, mouthing “What’s wrong?” Ikuta shook his head, putting his finger on his lips. They had to keep quiet. Aiba nodded, making a zipping gesture on his mouth. Ikuta turned his head back to the door, feeling Aiba’s head on his shoulder, hands gripping Ikuta’s shirt tightly as they listened to Tadayoshi’s anwer.

The fairy had scooted closer to Nino, kissing his arms lightly, seducing the man in front of him. His eyes twinkled in the dark. “Nothing is wrong.”

“Hmm.” Their client nodded his head vaguely, his other hand traveled to Tadayoshi’s shirt, sneaking its way to the fairy’s stomach. Tadayoshi squirmed, leaning his body back so his master’s hand could travel further. Nino gave a sly smile. Bending his head down, his lips soon found the fairy’s neck, placing butterfly kisses as he whispered, “Spread out your pretty wings for me.”

The fairy obeyed. The wings that were folded neatly on his back were soon set free with a small buzzing sound. Nino hummed his appreciation, expertly mounting Tadayoshi as he touched the wing, following it through the base. Tadayoshi kissed Nino’s jaw, murmuring their client’s name as he moved around, trying to find a relaxed position to spread the wings wider.

Ikuta watched as Nino leaned his body forward, pressing himself closer to the fairy as his lips found Tadayoshi’s. Their kiss began slowly, even almost lazy, before gradually heated up as their tongues tangled in passionate battle. Tadayoshi groaned slightly as Nino’s hands kept rubbing the wings lovingly, his hands traveling to his master’s thigh.

Yoko was stunned. His eyes met Ikuta’s, asking for a confirmation about the sounds he heard. Ikuta could feel the red color creeping up his cheeks, enough to answer Yoko’s unspoken question. Yoko moved to back up a little bit as Ikuta took another peek, unsure of what he had to do. He couldn’t help but wonder if this was the reason why the fairy asked them to go. However, sneaking out of the kitchen might cause Nino to notice their presence. Like it or not, they were stuck here. He was ready to avert his gaze away or close his ears when the fairy made a choking sound. “M-master.”

Ikuta lifted his head up again. Nino had grabbed the base of the fairy’s wing, clutching it tight as he tilted his head. Smiling slightly, he whispered, “I always know when you are lying.”

Behind the door, Ikuta and the others quickly exchanged glances.

“I-I’m not lying.” Tadayoshi replied, his voice trembling a little bit.

Nino kissed the fairy’s forehead. “Spill it.”

“It’s the truth.” Tadayoshi told him persistently.

Nino’s smile got wider. He rocked his body slowly, causing Tadayoshi to whimper. He proceeded caressing the fairy’s face in careful motion as he tightened his grip on the wing. “Don’t lie to me, Tadayoshi.”

“I…”

Inocchi stood up. “I’m going out. We can’t let Nino threaten Tadayoshi more than he already has.”

Ikuta sighed. They had no other choice now. “Together,” he told Inocchi, his hand touching his shoulder soothingly. Aiba and Yoko nodded. Whatever happened, they wouldn’t leave their boss behind. Lifting their hands high in the air, they stepped inside the room, surrendering themselves to Nino. Inocchi raised his voice up a notch, so that it would echo to the end of the room where Nino sat with Tadayoshi below him. “It’s just us. He hid us.”

Nino quickly dismounted Tadayoshi as he set eyes on them. The fairy grimaced, his wings fluttered frantically after Nino removed his grip from them.

“Well, well, look who’s here.” Nino allowed himself a little smile. Despite of the words he said, he didn’t seem shocked at all to see them. “It seemed that my little fairy here had brought you to a tour of my house.”

“He only showed us your kitchen,” Ikuta declared. “And a painting.”

“A painting?” Nino raised his eyebrow, looking genuinely clueless.

“This painting.” Yoko unrolled the scroll. Ikuta didn’t know that Yoko had grabbed it before they entered the room, but it was a smart decision. He could see a change in Nino’s expression after they revealed the painting. If their appearances in his home came as no surprise for him, the fact that they knew about the painting certainly was. It wasn’t part of his plan.

“Tadayoshi told us that the secret of your true identity was hidden in this painting.” Inocchi told him.

“It’s Ohkura.” The fairy spat. “Only my master can call me with my real name.”

Nino threw his head back and laughed. His eye glistened golden once again. “You still call me as your master even after you brought guests into my house without my consent?”

“I only act on your behalf, master,” Tadayoshi, no, Ohkura, replied. “It hurts me to see them thinking that you’re the evil one when you actually....”

“You have talked too much.” Nino stopped him. There was something in his voice that sent shiver down Ikuta’s spine. Nino gazed at their direction once more, smiling. “Look at how rude I am, not inviting you all to sit down. Come, just treat my castle as your own home.” He sat on the sofa opposite of Ohkura, gesturing them to sit.

Yoko growled, ready to attack Nino but Ikuta prevented him from doing so. He spread his arm out in front of him, taking the seat in front of Nino. Despite of the situation they were currently in, Ikuta felt strangely calm and composed. Staring deeply into the man’s mesmerizing eye, he told him. “I have seen the sphere in the painting somewhere.”

“Have you now?” Nino scoffed. His eye remained expressionless.

“I’ve seen it in a dream. A dream that I had after what you did to me,” he heard himself say, surprised at the sudden rush of emotion flowing through him as he said those words. He could almost feel his eagerness building up. He wanted to know what the dream meant, what all of the events that conspired in the past month was about, even more so than he originally thought. His curiosity would get the best of him, Ikuta knew that, but there was already no backing out. Nino’s eye looked back at him, pulling him in.

Beside him, he could feel Yoko moving around nervously, baffled with the sudden development. “Ikuta, what did he do to you?”

Nino didn’t stir. He lifted one his eyebrows, his golden eye twitched, glistening with mischief. “What else did you see?”

“The sphere changed, transforming itself into the dragon.”

Nino smirked as he heard that. Ohkura stood behind him, wrapping his hands around his master’s shoulders.

“I’ve seen something else too. You, at least, I think it’s you, in a forest. Someone was with you, asking you to do something for him.” Ikuta went on. “Water surrounding you, fire wrapping around you, you on a field with your friends, running freely, laughing.”

Nino clapped his hands, throwing his head back as he couldn’t control his laughter. “It comes around sooner than I expected.”

Ikuta winced. Nino’s laugh wounded him. He wouldn’t lie. Here he was, contemplating about what the dream was about only to be laughed at, but all thoughts were wiped away from his mind when he saw the look on Nino’s eye. There was honesty in it. Ikuta almost didn’t believe it, but it was fear that he saw inside Nino’s eyes. For a second, Nino let his guard down, allowing him to see his real side. He was scared, scared of something that would inevitably happen, and Ikuta just knew he would play a part in it. He bolstered up his spirit, suddenly encouraged. “You blew something in my eyes. You called me one of yours, what did that mean?”

Nino leaned his body forward, repeating what Ohkura had told them before. The openness had been shut again, covered with layers of crafty cunning expertise. “I am a master of many.”

“If only they know who you actually are?” Ikuta challenged him.

“That’s right.”

“And who are you, actually?”

“That’s the question, isn’t it?”

Ikuta felt someone touching his hand gently, and when he flicked his eyes to his right, he could see Inocchi’s worried face as well as his other co-workers’ questioning look. “Ikuta, what’s going on here?”

Ikuta carefully pushed Inocchi’s hand down. “It’s okay, Inocchi.” He turned to Nino, who was still sitting with a playful smile on his lips.

“Do you want to know the answer?” Nino asked him.

“I want to know about the dragon.”

Nino’s laughter was bitter. “Oh, he and I are very related. Very, very related.”

If he is going to use me, I want to know what I’m being used for. With that purpose in mind, Ikuta declared his determination. “Show me the secret.”

Nino cupped his face, blowing his wind into Ikuta’s eyes. “Then dream.”

Ikuta closed his eyes. A golden light immediately shimmered on his eyelids as he lost control of his body. Inocchi’s hands caught him when his body slipped slowly to the floor. He knew his boss repeatedly shouted his name out loud, shaking him, calling on him to wake up. He could hear how Aiba gasped as Yoko shouted, cursing Nino with several names, all sounded ruder than the previous one. He listened to Ohkura defending his master, pushing Yoko back.

He wanted to tell them to stop fighting because this was what he wanted. Nevertheless, he was too far-gone to even speak. The dizziness had taken over him and he was unable to open his mouth, explaining his reason to his friends. Too tired to even think, he finally surrendered himself to the darkness. And dreamt, he did.

On to Part 5