A Silent Human

"Hahaha!" Renji's laughter filled the room loud and unrestrained, forcing me to step back slightly from how weird it was. Before he could go on, Himari walked up behind him and smacked the back of his head. Renji winced, rubbing the spot while casting an apologetic glance at both her and me.

"Sorry, but you heard it didn't you? Higashiyama Ward and Southern Kyoto are under our control!" His excitement threatened to bubble over again, but Himari raised her hand warningly, and he coughed awkwardly instead, extending his fist toward me. "We fucking did it, Takeshi!"

I stared at his outstretched fist before meeting it with my own, smirking slightly. As we lowered our arms, I glanced at Himari raising an eyebrow. She scoffed and grabbed the back of Renji's shirt, dragging him upstairs no doubt for another date. 'Good for them.'

Turning back to the map spread before me, now encircled with blue string, I felt a mix of pride and unease. 'Seven months, and we've taken Kyoto. Most of the troublesome gangs are also dealt with.' My eyes drifted to a series of photos on my left, some crossed out with red markers, others marked with question marks. 'Slippery bastards.'

The ones still alive were mostly high ranking Yakuza or ghouls that had eluded our specialized divisions. I let out a quiet chuckle as my thoughts wandered back to Renji and Himari's budding relationship. 'Still can't believe they're dating so soon. That confession, though...' The memory of a rain soaked Renji and Himari stumbling into the bar a week ago brought a smirk to my face. I recalled Himari's version of the story.

~Himari's POV~ - A Week Ago

I looked up, rain pattering against my face as I sat on the roof of a random house. Soon. I'll send him to hell soon. My gaze dropped to the building below and thoughts of Renji Takahara's cute smile— 'No! All that matters is avenging my little brother!' The frown I wore deepened as thoughts of Takahara swirled. He had ordered at least four humans with a Ghoul assigned to each group, to keep watch over various CCG members. My role was to back up the team observing Kureo Mado.

I clenched my teeth, suppressing the shiver of anticipation threatening to overtake me. With a silent leap, I descended into the alley below. The moment I landed, a familiar scent reached me. 'Takahara?'

Turning, I spotted him sitting casually under an umbrella, sipping a cup of hot coffee. "Was starting to think you'd never jump down." he said, scratching at the stubble starting to shadow his chin. "I would've been sitting here awkwardly."

Standing up, he folded his umbrella as I faced him, my frown etched deeper. "Why are you here? Aren't you supposed to be in Higashiyama Ward?"

Takahara had reported he'd be aiding others in Higashiyama for a few days while Takeshi Katsuragi focused on breaking the last pockets of resistance in Southern Kyoto. He hesitated, scratching his chin again before responding. "Well... I figured you might try to end Mado tonight, so I stayed nearby."

I snorted, letting my Rinkaku burst from my back, the glowing tendrils arching toward him. Tilting my head slightly, I asked. "What? Are you going to stop me?"

'Even if he's been getting stronger, even if he can now fight a Ghoul bare handed, I'll win.' The idea of humans defeating Ghouls, despite the supposed physical superiority of the latter, had once been infuriating. But over time, I'd realized most Ghouls in Kyoto were untrained for true combat. Humans, though weaker physically—'except that freak of nature, Takeshi Katsuragi'—made up for it with preparation, ingenuity and experience in fighting those stronger.

Takahara knocked me from my thoughts, tossing his umbrella aside to let the rain soak him completely. He approached, his calm demeanor maddening. "I told you before, didn't I?" His voice was steady as my Rinkaku stopped inches from his chest. "The Higashiyama Yakuza is a family, and it's my responsibility to share the burdens my family carries."

Ignoring my Rinkaku, he walked right up to me, his soft smile irritating and disarming in equal measure. "Do you think your brother would want to see you consumed by hatred? Sacrificing yourself just to succeed—"

I cut him off, grabbing his collar. "What would you know?!" My voice cracked, drowned almost entirely by the rain's growing intensity. "Have you watched your family, your peaceful life, destroyed just because you're different?!" I slammed him into the wall, glaring into his green eyes. "Did you run away in fear, knowing you'd be next?!"

Takahara opened his mouth, raising a hand slowly. "Not exactly." he said, his voice steady but heavy with memory. "But I did watch a Ghoul rip my family apart... and he spared me only because he thought it'd be funny."

I froze, my Rinkaku trembling before retracting slightly. He continued, his hand gently resting on the back of my head. "I know it hurts. I know it eats at you from the inside, leaving you powerless. And when the chance comes to end the one responsible, you take it."

His grip tightened slightly, pulling me closer. "It hurts so, so much. But while it doesn't get easier, it can become your strength. A strength to make sure no one else suffers like you did."

My hands almost unwillingly, clutched his sides. For a fleeting moment, the weight on my shoulders seemed lighter.

"Come home with us." he whispered, his voice barely audible over the rain. "Come home with me."

I tightened my hold, finding a rare comfort in his presence.

"Achoo!"

I looked up to see him blushing furiously, the sneeze catching him off guard. Smirking, I teased. "Looks like I'll have to warm you up~."

His face turned even redder as he stammered incoherently.

"I was talking about coffee and a heater, pervert~." I said, grinning as his blush deepened.

~Takeshi's POV~

'Or at least, that's how she says it went.' I shrugged at the thought, turning toward the stairs and heading back up to the main floor reluctantly, and at a snail's pace.

Himari and Renji's budding relationship had been a constant reminder of my terrible luck. If their endless romance wasn't keeping me up at night, there was something else that did, a stalker.

'And a damn good one at that.'

When I first reported it to Renji, he'd hidden his surprise well but wasted no time investigating. His findings? The squad assigned to watch Juuzou Suzuya had been losing track of him. Every day they'd lose him for hours, sometimes only spotting him when he returned late at night or early morning to crash for a few hours of sleep.

We had kept it to ourselves to stop any potential panic and scrambled to figure out where the hell Suzuya was disappearing to. The answer? A review of surveillance footage revealed he was stalking me.

'What the hell did I do to draw the attention of a teenage boy?'

I sighed, slumping my shoulders before rolling them back as I neared the top of the stairs. The thought of Suzuya lingering somewhere nearby was... unsettling. There wasn't much we could do to stop him, though. No signed documents demanded CCG members be actively watched, So Suzuya had broken no rules.

Even if his behavior was bizarre and creepy, showing it bothered me would be the worst thing I could do. Instead, I had Renji announce that the "situation" had been dealt with to the squad and for them to return to regular patrols. Suzuya's little game could continue, but at least it wouldn't distract the others. 'Maybe it was a mistake.'

"Takeshi! About time you walked out!"

The shout snapped me out of my thoughts as I stepped onto the main floor and pushed open the door. The room was alive with noise, the sound of cheers echoing in every corner. I cast a quick glance around and spotted Himari watching Renji, who was standing on a table a drink in each hand.

Renji caught sight of me, his grin widening. "Now that our last guest has arrived." he called out, "I'd like to officially announce what I mentioned earlier, we have conquered Kyoto!"

A thunderous round of cheers erupted, shaking the walls. I picked up a glass of whiskey someone had conveniently poured for me, snorting softly at the room's infectious energy.

Renji raised his two glasses of whiskey, looking my way before turning back to the crowd. His voice carried above the noise, brimming with excitement. "I've spread the word to those who didn't already know, and I've given everyone one order, fucking party!"

The cheers grew even louder, rattling glasses and echoing in the rafters. I couldn't help the faint smirk that tugged at my lips. Renji looked at me again, raising his drink with a knowing nod before he turned to the crowd and bellowed. "So what are we waiting for?! Let's start this shit!"