Bad Memories, Bad Response

Takeshi stood with his arms folded, his gaze fixed on Akihiko, who sat across the table with a stack of reports, flipping through each page with mild disinterest.

"Are there any assignments?" Takeshi asked bluntly, voice echoing in the cold, quiet room. "What's the purpose of calling us today?"

Akihiko raised his eyes, his expression unreadable. He leaned back on the creaking chair, letting out a sigh.

"Well, regarding that coat…" Akihiko lifted a paper with a faint red stain from the previous inspection. "You understood that we didn't get any information there."

Takeshi's jaw tightened as he remembered the lengths they had gone through to retrieve it.

"However," Akihiko continued, looking Takeshi directly in the eye, "we still want the four of you to look into that matter more. We'll return the coat to you, but you have to bring it back only once you've obtained the necessary data."

Takeshi's brows furrowed. "And the deadline?"

Akihiko drummed his fingers on the table, a slight smirk appearing on his lips. "I expect it within a month."

Takeshi lowered his gaze, nodding. "Understood."

"Good." Akihiko closed the file with a loud clap. "Dismissed."

They left the headquarters as the sun dipped below the rooftops, painting the sky in shades of pale pink and cold blue.

Takeshi walked beside Akari, the silence between them heavy but not uncomfortable.

Akari adjusted her bag, glancing at Takeshi from the corner of her eye.

"Hey, Akari," Takeshi spoke, breaking the silence, his hands tucked into his pockets.

"What now?" Akari snapped lightly, too tired for small talk.

Takeshi cleared his throat, looking forward.

"Can we use the forest route again? There's something we need to grab."

Akari stopped, blinking.

"Jeez, Takeshi, you should've said it sooner."

"The fingerprint, right?" she asked, her voice lowering.

Takeshi scratched the back of his head, looking away in guilt. "Yeah… I should've remembered earlier, but it only came up after we reached the gate."

Akari sighed, shaking her head.

"You're hopeless."

"I'm sorry, okay?" Takeshi mumbled.

Akari rolled her eyes. "Whatever"

The forest was dark now, the moonlight barely piercing through the thick canopy. Leaves rustled beneath their boots as they returned to where the Kaosu member's lifeless body remained, left behind in their last encounter.

Akari hesitated, clutching the strap of her bag tightly as she stared at the body.

"Don't hesitate now," Takeshi said softly, pulling out a small blade.

"I know," Akari muttered, swallowing hard.

With quick, clinical precision, they sliced off the left and right thumbs of the corpse, ensuring the fingerprints remained intact.

The scent of blood mixed with the cold, earthy air, and Akari turned her face away, breathing through her mouth.

Takeshi sealed the thumbs in a small pouch, slipping it carefully into his jacket.

"Done." His voice was calm, but his hand trembled slightly.

They turned away without another word, heading back to their hidden base under the cover of darkness.

-HIDEOUT-

The faint light of a single bulb lit the room as they entered, the air heavy and cold.

The first thing they saw was Rikuu, sprawled on the floor, his eyes open but distant, staring blankly at the ceiling.

"Hey you..." Akari shouted, dropping her bag as she rushed over. "What the hell are you doing?! Get up!"

Rikuu didn't move, blinking slowly as if he had only just noticed her presence.

"What on earth are you doing?!" Akari shouted again, her hands clenched at her sides.

Rikuu slowly turned his head toward her, his lips trembling.

"I… remembered," he whispered. "I remembered everything again."

Akari's eyes widened, her anger faltering as she saw the tears pooling in Rikuu's eyes.

"What do you mean?" she asked, her voice softer now.

Rikuu took a shuddering breath, closing his eyes for a moment as memories flooded him.

-FLASHBACK-

"Are you alright?" she asked softly.

Rikuu nodded, though he did not look at her.

"How about your thigh?"

"It's better, at least. You still think you owe me a story, don't you?" Ichika continued, her eyes searching his tired face. "Come on, say it now."

She sat down on the grass beside him, her fingers brushing the blades lightly, waiting.

Rikuu stared at the flowing water, wondering how to start, how to place into words the storm swirling in his heart.

The night air wrapped around them as Rikuu finally opened his mouth to speak.

"Listen..."

"Just say it," Ichika encouraged, placing a hand on his arm.

Rikuu drew in a shaky breath. "I thought of something… about what happened in the Suzuki residence."

He paused, swallowing down the fear rising in his throat.

"And then… memories came back."

Ichika stayed silent, waiting patiently.

"When I was a child, my father was already best friends with Takeshi's father. They were rivals in strength and influence, but they trusted each other. My father used to tell me stories about how they supported each other after someone left him and my mother."

Rikuu's eyes welled up as he continued, "They never told me who that person was, but ever since the incident, I've had a feeling that the 'special someone' they mentioned might have caused the chaos at Suzuki's house."

He hugged himself tighter, his voice breaking. "I'm not sure, but every time I remember that day—the way their blood looked, the screams—I get panic attacks. I can't sleep, I can't think."

Ichika reached out, wiping a tear from his cheek with her thumb.

"So please, Ichika… you're the one I trust the most. Help me overcome this. I don't know how to handle these feelings."

Ichika nodded, tears in her own eyes. "I promise I'll help you, but I can't promise I'll always succeed."

Rikuu's gaze met hers, filled with desperation. "Then help me find who killed them. Whoever did this, whoever ordered it… I want them dead."

Ichika's hand tightened around his. "Then we'll find them. And we'll end it, together."

-PRESENT-

"I lay down here because… I remembered that day again," Rikuu whispered, a tear rolling down his temple as he stared at the ceiling. "And I had a panic attack."

Akari stared at him, her anger dissolving into frustration. "You… idiot."

She crouched down beside him, grabbing his wrist. "Stop this, Rikuu. I don't dislike your feelings, but I hate it when you lose yourself like this. As your little sister, I'm telling you, get up."

Rikuu's eyes flickered toward her, his lip quivering.

"Akari…" he whispered.

"You really are a loser..." she murmured with anger.

At that moment, the door opened, and Ichika stepped in, carrying a small bag of snacks. She paused, eyes widening as she took in the scene.

"Akari, can I talk to you for a moment?" Ichika asked softly.