At the Men's Hot Spring:
Sato fully submerged himself in the steaming onsen pool, a deep frown etched across his face. "I can't believe I lost two thousand dollars to take a bath," he grumbled, though a subtle, almost imperceptible shiver of pleasure ran through him. He was secretly reveling in the warmth, a fact Kaito was quick to pick up on.
"Yeah, sure," Kaito drawled, his gaze fixed on Sato. A small, knowing smirk played on his lips as he saw the genuine enjoyment blossoming on Sato's features. Kaito then settled back, letting the soothing heat embrace him. "This actually feels pretty damn nice, now that I think about it. We haven't really had a moment alone like this since Hikari and Sakura came into the picture, have we? It was just you and me back then, and an empty classroom." A wistful, almost melancholic expression clouded Kaito's face.
Sato, now fully relaxed, murmured in agreement. "Uh-huh. Back then, I wanted absolutely nothing to do with you, and all you ever wanted was to talk to me. No matter how many times I pushed you away, you just kept coming back. We were so close, people practically thought we were dating." He punctuated the last part with a wry, joking tone.
Kaito's voice dropped, barely above a whisper. "Yeah, and then they had to come and ruin it all, didn't they?" He muttered the words softly, almost to himself.
Sato, momentarily confused, leaned closer, not quite sure what he'd heard. "What?" he asked, his brow furrowing.
Kaito snapped out of his reverie, forcing a brittle laugh. "Oh, it's nothing. Forget about it." He waved a dismissive hand, but Sato's suspicious gaze lingered. Sato's eyes then drifted past Kaito, settling on a skinny geek guy with thick glasses, who looked to be about their age. The guy was openly staring at Sato, an unnerving, unwavering gaze that made Sato's skin crawl. Sato quickly looked away, his mind racing. What the hell does that weirdo want? he thought, a wave of discomfort washing over him. He slowly, cautiously, turned his head back, only to find the guy still staring. Sato immediately whipped his head away again. Why is he still staring? What is up with him? He tried desperately to act normal, but his attempts were a miserable failure.
Kaito, ever observant, noticed Sato's agitation. "Umm, Sato, what's wrong?" he asked, a hint of concern in his voice.
Sato instinctively scooched closer to Kaito, lowering his voice to a hushed whisper. "Don't look now, but some one behind you keeps staring at me."
Kaito, out of pure instinct, turned his head in confusion. The geeky guy, catching Kaito's glance, practically launched himself through the water, swimming rapidly towards them.
"I told you not to look! We gotta go before—" Sato's warning was cut short. The geeky guy was already there, hovering over them.
"Nice to meet you pleasant youth of mine, my name is Daiki and may I ask your name?" The geeky guy, Daiki, smiled, revealing slightly crooked teeth.
Sato frowned, his patience wearing thin. "You may not. Why were you staring at me like that just now?"
Daiki's smile widened, unperturbed. "Well, you see, if you happened to cast your gaze about, you would notice we are the only teenagers present at this fine establishment right now. Therefore, I thought we might be able to bond over a most crucial mission that I, regrettably, cannot accomplish on my own."
Kaito looked utterly bewildered. "A mission? What are you talking about?"
Daiki's grin became positively gleeful. "Ah, I'm so glad you asked! You see, I possess a complete understanding of the intricate structure to this veritable maze of a hot spring. I can navigate different routes to anywhere I desire. Thus, I propose we form an alliance, a team, if you will, and embark upon an expedition to spice on the ladies hot spring section!"
Sato and Kaito simply stared at him, their expressions a mixture of disbelief and disgust.
"I knew this guy was a creep," Sato whispered to Kaito, his voice laced with venom.
Daiki, oblivious to their revulsion, pressed on. "As if you guys just came to take a deep! We all know why we truly came here, don't we? It's to view some massive melons and other ladies playing with her friends own. I mean, just imagine it, the sights, the sounds, the—"
"I will stop you right there," Kaito interjected, his voice firm. "Sorry, pal, but we aren't interested in your offer. We actually did just come for the hot spring."
Daiki's face fell. "You drive a hard bargain but I'm not giving up yet."
"Nobody was bargaining anything," Sato shot back, his voice rising in exasperation.
Daiki stared at them, his resolve unwavering. "How about a little contest then? If you two win, we don't go. If I win, we do. And the contest is... we would be measuring weners."
Sato yelled immediately, his voice filled with outrage. "No we are not doing that!!"
Daiki, unfazed, merely smiled. "It's two v one. You two scared? Well, you should. Don't wanna hype myself up or anything, but I do carry a lady breaker down their if I do say so myself. Know what i mean?" He winked conspiratorially.
Sato sighed in utter defeat and began to make his way out of the pool, Kaito following closely behind. "Let's go Kaito."
But just as they were about to leave, Daiki spoke again, his voice dropping to a more casual tone. "Do any of you happen to be gun and run fans perhaps?"
Sato stopped dead in his tracks. He slowly turned, a frown still on his face, but a flicker of something else in his eyes. "Yeah, what's it to you?"
Daiki's smile returned, even wider than before. "Well, you see, I happen to get my hands on gun and run level 9 premium."
Sato's eyes widened in genuine shock. "What?! No way! Gun and Run Level 9 Premium isn't coming out until two more years!"
Daiki puffed out his chest. "Well, you see, my dad owns the company that makes the Gun and Run game. So I have every future collection of the game. If you wanna see them, or even want one, all you have to do it follow me to the girls hot spring."
Sato paused, a deep contemplation clouding his features.
Kaito, sensing his hesitation, grabbed Sato's arm. "You can't be serious, Sato! We have to leave now!"
Sato spoke, his voice thoughtful. "Wait. We are just going their right? This is a win-win for both of us. I'll make sure he doesn't actually stare at the girls. We would just go in and out, that's all. And if he really does know the rout around the Onsen, then we should be fine."
Kaito's mind raced, a dark resentment bubbling beneath his calm exterior. No, I picked hot spring so I could have you for myself. Why? Why do people always come between us? I hate this. He managed to maintain a nonchalant expression, offering no immediate response.
"Hello? Kaito, did you hear me?" Sato asked, pulling Kaito from his internal turmoil.
Kaito gave a slight nod. "Well yeah, of course. Have fun. I will be waiting for you at the dining hall." His voice was flat, devoid of emotion.
Sato, oblivious to Kaito's true feelings, beamed. "Sure I'll be back soon!" He then turned and followed Daiki. "Okay weirdo let's go."
Daiki adjusted his glasses with a smug look. "I told you my name is Daiki and walk slower your splashing water on my glasses."
Kaito watched them disappear, a storm brewing in his eyes.
At Kage-tō Rooftop:
Jiro squatted down on the rooftop, his silhouette stark against the fading Tokyo skyline. He stared down at some parts of the Tokyo city in silence.
BANG!
A bullet whizzed towards him from the side. Without even looking, Jiro effortlessly caught it. He then slowly turned to see Sora, a faint smile gracing his lips. "Shooting someone when his back is turned isn't nice," Jiro remarked, his voice calm.
Sora frowned, tossing the gun aside in disgust. "Yeah like you're one to talk, hypocrite bastard."
Jiro let out a soft chuckle. "But still your aim sucks."
"I will kill you," Sora growled, then sighed, his anger deflating slightly. "Why did you call me anyways, what did you say is gonna happen to hikari?"
Jiro's expression hardened, the smile vanishing. He met Sora's gaze, his eyes serious. "You wouldn't like this..."