Yuuto blinked as a thud hit the top of the car. He looked up and saw Juuzou leaning against the vehicle with his elbow propped against the hood. He glared down at Yuuto with ice in his eyes. A sly smile quickly replaced the blond's confusion; he asked, "Can I help you, Hanazoe?” Juuzou glowered at Yuuto.
“You and I need to have a nice, long chat, Kurosaki.”
Yuuto climbed out of the car and shut the door behind him, removing Rei and the driver from the conversation about to take place. They wouldn’t hear a single word. Yuuto then turned to Juuzou. There was an eerie glint glittering in his indigo-violet eyes.
“What did you wish to discuss, Hanazoe?”
“How did you know we would be at the Rango Cafe?”
“Hm?” Yuuto tilted his head in mock confusion. “Why, it was just a coincidence. Rei and I decided to stop there for a quick bite to eat and just so happened to run into you and Hiiragi at the exact same time.”
“It’s not a coincidence you’re transferring to Nishigaoka,” Juuzou pointed out. Yuuto’s face spread into a grin.
“You picked up on that, did you?”
“That sob story about Hachiman Private not being ‘right’ for you and wanting a break from your family was all bullshit,” Juuzou snarled. “What’s the real reason you’re here? How did you find us?”
“Why, it’s quite simple, really,” Yuuto chuckled. “I paid someone to hack into my darling Ayu’s phone so I could access her text messages.”
“You what!?”
“There, I saw that she would be meeting with a ‘Hanazoe Juuzou’ at the Rango Cafe after her calligraphy club meeting concluded at three o’clock,” Yuuto continued. “So, I arrived there preemptively to greet her.”
“You’re stalking her,” Juuzou realized. “You’re fucking stalking Hiiragi.”
“Of course I am.”
“Huh?”
“It’s only natural; after all, Ayu belongs to me,” Yuuto proclaimed. “She’s my darling. My soulmate. I love her. Her body, her soul, her heart; they’re all mine. In time, I’ll be the only one my darling Ayu ever turns to. We’re bound by fate to love each other until death does us part.”
“…How the fuck did you even come up with this shit?”
“Before I met my darling Ayu, I wandered through life aimlessly. I had no goals, no ambition; I had everything I wanted or needed and yet I was hollow.” Yuuto gripped his chest as if in pain. “I was wasting away. Until Ayu came into my life—like an angel descending from the heavens—and became the light to illuminate my dark heart.”
“Where the hell are you going with this!?”
“Ayu sought to understand me,” Yuuto gushed; his grin spread up his cheeks as he ran a hand down his blushing face, “and bestowed me with a gentle kindness I had never felt before. She saved me. Her kindness is a gift; her empathy is unsurpassed by no one else in this universe. She’s so shy no one sees it at first, but that is exactly what makes everyone love her when they finally get to know her. Yet because of that, my darling Ayu is absolutely irresistible. Everyone wants my darling’s light. And she’s so kind that she freely doles it out to just about anyone. But that simply won’t do. Oh, no. Ayu belongs to me. Her light is a treasure. I won’t let anyone else have her. She’s mine.”
“…You’re a creep,” Juuzou spat, balling his hands at his sides.
“Well, that’s rather bold coming from the likes of you, Hanazoe,” Yuuto replied. Juuzou blinked. “After all, you desire the same things I do, don’t you? Just like me, you also love Hiiragi Ayu.”
What!?
Juuzou opened his mouth to deny Yuuto’s ridiculous claim but stopped himself. Or rather, he couldn’t even bring himself to refute Yuuto. Why!? He and Ayu were just friends; partners trying to unmask the Agents of Thade and Naturae involved in their proxy war. But…
They weren’t just friends or partners now. At least, that wasn’t how Juuzou felt about it anymore. Ayu stood up for him and stayed by his side. Even after he hurt her and during his darkest moments, she refused to give up on him. She believed in Juuzou. Ayu was the first person to accept him for his flaws. She saw him. And she helped him despite everything. Not just that, Ayu saved Juuzou.
She did so much for him; she was like an angel sent to rescue his damned soul. Juuzou wanted to repay Ayu for everything she had done for him. He wanted to hear her laugh. He wanted her to be happy. He wanted to protect her and make sure she was okay. He never wanted to see her cry. Juuzou wanted to support Ayu just like how she supported him. He would sacrifice everything to preserve her smile.
No wonder it was so fucking unbearable watching Ayu blame herself for shit that wasn’t her fault… Or seeing her actively destroy herself for others; when Ayu was in pain, it broke Juuzou’s heart. He hated it when her smile was taken away. Or when she hid her suffering under a fake smile that wasn’t real. Sometimes, Ayu didn’t realize her own agony. That hurt, too. It was why Juuzou wanted her to renegotiate with her friends at the calligraphy club. He wanted to see her grow strong. He wanted to read her poems and see her calligraphy because he was interested in her hobbies as much as she was interested in his music and songwriting.
Damn it… Yuuto hit the nail right on the head: Juuzou loved Ayu. He loved her more than anything. This shitty world didn’t want him: his parents abandoned him, his younger brother could care less, his old friends wanted nothing to do with him, and society actively repelled people like him. The world rejected him. Juuzou didn’t have a place here. But with Ayu…
Thanks to Ayu, that pain was a bit more bearable. Maybe even nonexistent now. Even if the world rejected Juuzou, he would exist for as long as Ayu wanted him around. Before, he led a meaningless existence as a delinquent. A screw-up. A problem that couldn’t be solved. But now… Now Juuzou had Ayu. He had her smile and warmth to look forward to everyday. They were treasures he wanted to maintain and preserve. He lived for her smile. Ayu was kind, intelligent, caring, empathetic, and selfless. Juuzou loved that about her. But she could also be awkward and self-sacrificing and deeply anxious. But Juuzou still loved Ayu; he wanted to help her through those problems. He loved Ayu for who she was; he loved all of her.
“…So what?” Juuzou growled, clenching his fists. His fingernails dug into his palms. “So what if I love Hiiragi? What’re you gonna do about it!?”
“Then it’s war,” Yuuto declared. Juuzou narrowed his eyes. “I refuse to let a punk have my darling Ayu.”
“And you’re a stalker and a creep,” Juuzou hissed. “I’m not gonna let you have her either. But unlike you, I’m actually gonna fucking earn it. If Hiiragi chooses me, it’s because she genuinely returns my feelings. I’m not gonna resort to sick tricks like drugging or kidnapping her to force Hiiragi to love me.”
“My, jumping to conclusions about tactics there, aren’t we?”
“Don’t act like you’re fucking above it, you damn stalker.”
“Well,” Yuuto smirked, “I won’t pretend I haven’t considered them as possibilities. But I don’t think I’ll have to pull out the drugs or the hired hitmen.”
“Oh? And why the fuck is that?”
“My darling Ayu will choose me,” Yuuto asserted. “She belongs to me. She’s mine. Unlike you, Hanazoe, I’m not worried about my chances. You must be quite under-confident if you’re already considering what I might do to my darling Ayu.”
“Dream on!” Juuzou roared. This bastard… He doesn’t even see me as a threat! He’s that confident he’ll get Hiiragi on his side. “You don’t actually love Hiiragi. You just want to own her like a fucking accessory!”
“I assure you that my love for my darling Ayu is the purest kind there is,” Yuuto purred, licking his lips. “You’re not going to get under my skin by throwing those kinds of petty insults, Hanazoe. I love Ayu. And I know she will return my love. Oh, the things I want to do to her, my darling Ayu… I cannot wait to fill her with my love.”
Juuzou’s eyes widened and Yuuto grinned.
“You… sick bastard!”
“Don’t act like you’re any better,” Yuuto replied as the glint in his eyes sparkled. “Now, if you have nothing else to say to me—insult or otherwise—I must be returning to Tokyo. It was wonderful talking with you, Hanazoe. I bid you good luck and a pleasant rest of your day. Farewell.”
Good luck? Pleasant rest of my day!? Don’t fucking lie to me, you piece of shit.