Unwanted Encounter: Part 1

Kurayama was shocked. The cashier he locked eyes with was Subject#2 from Lab 5. The boy with golden eyes.

Despite the immense shock that Kurayama had from seeing him, he still kept his composure.

'Out of all the places, it had to be a supermarket. Oh well, it's not like I was never prepared for this moment. Play it calmly.' Kurayama thought to himself.

Kurayama cleared his throat before he pulled out his wallet. "I rather pay with my credit card." He stated as he handed it to the cashier.

"You're number 1..." The boy's eyes widened as he struggled to utter these words from the enormous shock he underwent.

Kurayama was trying his best to keep his composure as he averted his eyes and looked around him before he stared at the boy again and took a deep breath.

"Aren't you going to take the credit card? "Kurayama coaxed the cashier.

"Wait, don't you remember me? I'm Subject#2!" The boy desperately interrogated Kurayama.

Kurayama had enough of the cashier and averted eye contact with him, right before he slid his credit card through the POS machine. He then took the grocery bag and made his way towards the exit.

"Please wait!" the boy said as he grabbed Kurayama's arm and stopped him from going, "I need to talk with you, please!" He pleaded as he intensely stared at Kurayama with desperate eyes.

Kurayama was still keeping his composure despite how irritated he felt. He simply turned around and glared at the cashier.

"Can you please let go of my arm? Are you looking for a fight? "Kurayama calmly asked.

"P-please, don't misunderstand me. I don't want to fight you..." he said as a sad look formed on his face, "...I just want to talk to you." The boy stared at the ground with a tragic and desperate expression, waiting for sympathy.

"Sorry, I don't like to socialize with people. I prefer staying alone." Kurayama casually stated as he freed his arm from the boy's grip. Despite him being annoyed and irritated, Kurayama was still feeling a little bit of guilt after ignoring the young man.

"Stop! Please, just listen for a second!" The boy pleaded after grabbing hold of Kurayama's shoulder.

Kurayama turned around and gently gripped onto the boy's shoulder.

"I'm sorry, but please leave me alone. I don't want to talk." He said in an apologetic voice.

Kurayama released hold of the young man and continued his way out of the supermarket, ignoring the boy and leaving him completely desperate.

…

After eating lunch and going off to sleep again, Kurayama woke up with an irritated look at the sound of his phone ringing. He grabbed the phone to see that he had thirty missed calls from an unknown number. Suddenly, the number called again.

"Hello, who's this?" Kurayama was skeptical of this caller with an unknown number. He was expecting the worst.

"...Hello? Is-...is this Ishigami Kurayama?" A hesitant and shy voice said on the other side of the phone, it was also a bit familiar.

"Are you the cashier from this morning?"

"Y-yes! I'm glad that you still remember me—" The young man replied in a relieved voice.

"How did you know my number?"

"W-well, that is a bit of a long story—"

"Not interested." Kurayama declared before he hung up the phone and went back to sleep.

Unfortunately, his peaceful sleep was immediately interrupted by the young man calling him many times without stopping. Finally, Kurayama had enough of this person and picked up the phone one last time.

"Just leave me alone, please. I'm not asking much of you—"He said before he got interrupted by the faint cries of someone on the other side.

"I-I just want to talk, please. I-I have no one in this life anymore." The boy pleaded in a heartbreaking voice filled with sadness.

Despite how irritated Kurayama was, hearing the boy become so desperate until he started tearing up, struck deeply into him. He was feeling guilty, mostly because the boy went through the same trauma as him.

"Have some dignity and stop crying. You're a man, not a spoiled child." Kurayama stated before pausing for a brief moment, letting the words sink into the boy's mind. "Anyways, do you know 'Brubeck jazz cafe'?"

"Huh? Oh, uh-...Yes. Yes, I do." Kurayama's response dumbfounded the boy as he tried to stop himself from crying more.

"Meet me there in half an hour. If you don't arrive on time, never expect me to answer a call again." Kurayama stated as he hung up the phone and lied down on the bed again.

Kurayama was feeling a little relieved, yet at the same time was disappointed in himself. He took a deep breath and exhaled.

"I'll regret this later."

…

After Kurayama arrived at the cafe, he saw the young man nervously sweating as his eyes were fixated on his watch. The boy looked up to see Kurayama walking towards him. He was relieved.

"H-H-Hello!" The boy said as he quickly forced a friendly yet nervous smile before he went for a handshake.

"I'm a little late for something. So, can we please get to the point?" Kurayama calmly stated as he pulled one of the chairs and sat at the table with the young man.

"R-right..." The boy replied after retracting his hand in embarrassment and averting eye contact with Kurayama.

Before the boy could talk, Kurayama ordered a cup of coffee from the waitress while the young man ordered a large glass of orange juice.

"Um...My name is Hisaki Hinotori." The boy mustered up the courage and stated in a hesitant and shy voice.

"Ishigami Kurayama, a pleasure to meet you." Kurayama calmly introduced himself before he took a sip from his coffee.

"S-so...can you tell me more about yourself?" Hinotori inquired in an embarrassed voice as he took a sip from his orange juice.

"Depressed, unemployed, single, lazy, and bankrupt. Now, tell me what you want and let me get going. We're not on a date." Kurayama replied.

"W-well, there isn't really a specific thing I want to say. I just wanted to talk to you because you're the only one I can talk to. I thought that we could get to know each other more."

"Wait, so you called me here just because you have no friends?" Kurayama questioned.

"Y-yes."

"And you thought that it was a good idea to try and make friends with someone who went through the same trauma as you?"

"Y...yes."

"...Our discussion here is done." Kurayama kept his calmness and stood up, heading towards the counter.

"Wait! Please don't go!" Hinotori pleaded in desperation as a wave of panic struck him upon seeing Kurayama walk away.

"The drinks are on me, so just calm down." He declared before he pulled out his wallet to pay for the drinks.

"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.