ODE TO THE MURDERED, bonten

11

"what?" you ask her. "is there something on my face?"

Mars who is nibbling her bottom lip shakes her head softly, straightening herself and letting her toes touch the wooden floors as she decided to ask something instead. "hey, you wanna go back to the club again?"

you cannot help but let out a sigh. "Mars."

"please."

"what's gotten into you? i already went with you once, and i'm busy right now."

you flick your gaze to the screen before turning back to your cobalt-eyed friend, thinking that she'd understand like the patient, ever kind Mars that she was. "i don't have much time."

"i knew it." you watch her as she scoffs, this really brought your attention back to her. slowly and sluggardly wildflowers grow a thorny patch between you, a distasteful energy evaporated in the air between your two figures. you can feel yourself instinctively flinch at her attitude, no—why was she giving you an attitude? for the two years you've known Mars she was never one to argue with you. she was the embodiment of kindness, patience and loyalty.

this time, you've completely abandoned your work, turning your swiveling chair towards her, "why are you being like this, what happened, Mars?"

she looked distraught now that you looked at her clearly. you watch as she purses her lips, fisting her fingers between her palms. then she speaks, "i was gonna check up on you last night because i knew you were gonna have a fever, but then you kept murmuring this name Kakucho, who in the fuck is that?"

you let out a breath, rubbing your temple at her nugatory troubles. you had not spoken a single word to her about your past relationships, it was something you never thought about telling her, never wanted her to know about your burdens or your vulnerable miseries. "Mars." you utter her name but she's completely green from head to toe, whatever was troubling her completely consumed her reasonings.

"are you fucking kidding me y/n, is this why you've been so cold to me lately?" she starts, eyes a little narrowed, a little hurt and she's pacing. "you have not reciprocated any of my hugs, what you're tired of me? and now you're ready to toss me aside to this, Kakucho person?"

"hey," you got up from your place, slowly approaching your roommate on the couch. "calm down—"

"no, you don't get to tell me that!" she erects from her place, dark locks cascading down her shoulders. her outrage surprised you,

    recovering quickly from the shock, you bite out. "why are you being so difficult right now?"

just as soon as those words leave your lips, she cracks and brittles like she's made of two three dozens of fragility, purchased like quarts glass. you feel her taking steps towards you until she's within distance, she has her warm hands against both your shoulders.

"because i love you, can't you tell?"

    a half-baked response that's too sweet, too endearing that it freezes the room.

your eyes rests upon her familiar dark locks, strands that fell over her forehead like a river of orphic. her hands that's on your shoulders tighten slightly, "atleast, give me a reason why."

it was your turn to nibble your lip, your eyes had darkened significantly. you somehow know what she was referring to, but it's true that you've been completely cut off with everything in the world, monotone is the only thing that glazes your eyes and even though now you were a semi-popular artist just like what your brother had boast you would be, it still didn't feel right, something was missing.

    somehow a huge plunge of familiarity coats your bones; a sense of obsession dresses the frantic air, crookedly clinging to the nooks and cranny of the apartment, a feeling that brought bitterness rum through your pumping bloodstreams.

    after all, obsession was a feeling that never brought a single happiness yet. "i...really cannot tell you."

   "fine," after an aching silence she finally replies, loosening her grip until it completely falls off your shoulders. "you know what, fuck you y/n."

    "Mars!" you called when she starts making her way to the front door, slamming it shut.

you take a few seconds to process what had just happened. you and Mars were arguing for the first time, a riot and a wrecked bickering at that one. it was the first time you had seen her eyes so untamable and wild directing it at you. a tired sigh escapes your lips, your mind unsteady and dizzy from the situation. "you're really making this difficult for me."

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    back at Bonten's Headquarters when the clock strikes 10:45pm the room is still thriving with overwhelming presence, in a table filled with dangerous, scary men—they had their eyes concentrated towards the man with ivory hair; listening to his report diligently. Kokonoi had just reviewed the other Bonten members about the investigations that they had found in Roman's apartment and company, and something that they had discovered along the way.

"the leader of Quoia has a daughter." Koko finally states, his thumb clicking his blue pen. black irises sweeping over the room and slowly observes each and every one of his colleagues expressions.

"daughter?" Ran asks almost hesitantly.

"missing, actually." the ivory man clarifies. "she ran away from home a few years ago and hasn't come back since."

"why are we talking about this?" Sanzu snaps from his place, leaning his back against the chair half-heartedly. impatient pelagic irises fleets around the entire room, not finding any significant meaning on why they were talking about some missing daughter instead of their actual enemy.

    Kokonoi opens his lips to speak again but was momentarily interrupted by Rindou's phone, the ivory gives the younger Haitani a pointed look and in response, Rindou just murmurs out a bitter apology but nonetheless he takes the phone call not bothering to leave the room as he lazily leans back against his seat.

"we believe that daughter is y/n." Koko says after the small interruption.

    "how so?"

    "we investigated her background and around ten years ago when she was seventeen she temporarily left Tokyo to stay in the Saitama prefecture. at that time, Mamoru l/n—her uncle was found dead in their penthouse with traces of Quoia lingering. she came back to Tokyo from Kawaguchi city when she was twenty-five and from there she made a name for herself in one of Tokyo's art museums."

    Kokonoi's sudden divulgence about you makes Kakucho stiffen on his spot, somehow his heart clenches painfully. after Izana's passing you had completely cut yourself off from him and the others nor have they heard anything about you after that, to think you had been bearing something so tragic all these years, alone.

    "so, in the end y/n does have connections with Quoia." Mocchi sighs, crossing his arms over his chest.

    "is she an enemy then?" all eyes turn to Mikey, his lazy glance penetrating towards Kokonoi's black ones. the ivory man gulps, shaking his head in futile which brings forth a sigh rolling out from the platinum blond.

    "then for now let's—"

    "shit." all eyes peer curiously as Rindou's monotonous voice fills the air ones again, he looks a little stricken from whatever he was hearing from his phone

    Ran leans close to his brother, checking his expression. "Rin? what happened?"

    "the men that we had ordered to follow y/n's movements had contacted me. they said she left her apartment to go to some club. two shots were fired a few minutes after." the room is once again plunge into coldness, the silence between the gentlemen extremely evident and overwhelming, as Rindou glances at them after dropping the call.

    "and someone didn't make it."