red string || sano manjiro/ mikey

chapter lxix: power walk

the day they reveal themselves will be the day she allows it.

"can you help me a bit on this paragraph?" he turned back to his laptop. "i'm a bit stuck."

"sure. share the file to me, then we can work on it together."

***

two hours after, inui and kazua ended up walking around the mall to shop for items that they both know they don't need, but want to spend their money on. well, it was mostly kazua.

inui was there to stop her from passing her spending limit.

"this looks cute, inu!"

"put it back."

"this one will pair well with your heels!"

"i don't need it."

"we should buy matching jackets--"

"you already spent 22,000 yen on this day alone, kaz." inui sighed tiredly, taking the jackets from her hands and putting them back in the rack. without another word, he grabbed her by the shoulders, turned her around, and pushed her out of the shop before she could find any more things to spend her money on. "ugh, what am i gonna do with you?"

he grabbed the five shopping bags on her hands and carried them, leading her out of the mall.

"the jackets look so good, though." kazua whines.

"i'll buy them for us on your birthday." he grumbles.

"what?" kazua looked over her shoulder. "aren't you broke?"

that stung.

"i'm not that broke, you dumbass!" he scowled back. "unlike you, i don't spend impulsively."

"eh, still—"

"kaz," inui turned her back around to face him. one of his hands came up to feel her forehead. "are you sick?"

"just a little fever."

"what, you shouldn't be—"

"ho?"

the two stopped, attention turning in front of them as a group blocked their way. while inui was immediately cautious of them, kazua didn't hesitate to glare and fold her arms in front of her. she stood protectively, gently shrugging of inui's hands from her shoulders as she confronted the group of men.

"may we help you?" she asks.

"sada kazua...is that you?"

"yeah, what do you want?"

the ten suddenly began howling, hunching over to keep themselves from planting down the ground in laughter.

"you? you're the one who's been beating down kantou manji's men?!"

"beating down?" inui questioned, eyes narrowing at the unfazed girl in front of him. "kaz, what's the meaning of this?"

the latter only ignored him, orbs still glaring up at the taller men in front of them. "i'm assuming you're the mini boss, then? had enough of your lackeys coming back nearly dead?" she suddenly grinned. "depending on your answer, i'll decide whether or not to kill you. so, who really is sending you to kill me?"

the man in a badly made lush pompadour style took a step forward, smirking down the disinterested girl. he planted his hands on his hips and leaned down to meet her eye level.

"it looks like they're just slacking on the job." he snickered. "we should have some fun with you before we—"

kick!

his body was sent flying to the wall beside them in a blink of an eye, leaving everyone in awe. his supposed lackeys had their mouth ajar, eyes as wide as saucers as they directed themselves from their boss to the cause of his injury.

kazua had one leg up in a post-kicking position, yet her expression remained neutral. with a sigh, she dangerously walked towards the boss and dug her stiletto heel down his back. she pressed hardly on his back, burying her heel in until he screamed painfully.

"i'll ask again." a hand comes up to rest on her hip. "who wants me dead? you better answer now because i assure you...i won't be the one leaving this place dead."

the man groaned, his cheek grating against the asphalt as he struggled to open his eyes and look up at her. "our king...will remain supreme." he grunted. "and after we kill that runt takemitchy...we'll have the greatest battle known to man!"

"you're targeting me, then takemitchy. man, what are you really going for?"

"..." he weakly glared at her. "we will succeed...in merging the three deities to serve under our king. today...you'll die! this is the first strike.

"then, tomorrow, it's hanagaki takemitchy."

she had enough of his thoughtless whining, kicking him harshly on the head to knock him out. when she looked behind her, inui was already done beating the rest of his men.

"ah, we look so cool fighting in heels." she giggled. "inu, do you know where takemitchy is?"

"what?" inui tossed the last man down the ground and dusted his clothes. he picked up the shopping bags he put down earlier to fight and walked towards her. "no, but he's been in touch with draken these days."

"these people..." kazua nudged at the man's head with the tip of her stiletto. "...they want him dead."

she pulled her phone out and checked senju's location. "we have an hour and thirty minutes before class. i'll be there before the first bell."

"what are you going to do?" inui was worried. he didn't know that someone was out for kazua's head, and he never even caught on.

she had been in danger this whole time.

"i need to check on emma."