Chapter XXIII
You open your eyes while still feeling a bit dizzy from everything as you sigh. Your hands are no longer tied. You are now laying on a soft bed. Some parts of your body feel numb for no reason but fortunately, you feel much better. You blink repeatedly as your sight adjusts to where you are. You didn't panic much as you saw the plain white walls, the plain white bed, and the man in a brown couch sitting while looking at--- wait what?
You immediately sit down and look at the man sitting on the couch while looking directly at you. He is looking at you coldly without a hint of emotion and it's enough to freeze on your place.
"Hi." You started and waved your hands in his direction, "You haven't killed me yet?" You added with humor and curiosity.
The man's expression didn't change. He's just looking at you without any expression on his face but you can see his eyes filled with darkness and pain and miseries. This man is just too miserable that it suffocates you seeing him like this.
He didn't answer.
"I know you will kill me eventually but before that, I guess I need to introduce myself. I'm (Y/N), and I'm here to do something important. Whether you kill me or not, my goal will never change. Nice to meet you, Mr. Sano Manjiro." You smiled.
"I have no time for games." The man stated and it makes you blink in confusion.
"What?"
Manjiro looks at you without a hinch of emotion, "Tell me everything you know. Why do you want to talk to me?"
His voice is cold, so cold that you felt the emptiness on it. It is certainly cold but it is also soothing. His voice is calm and it's like it is embracing you warmly without any emotions involved.
This man, he's something.
"I promise I'll tell you what you want to know if you let me talk to you longer, Manjiro." You started and took a deep breath, "I have something really important to tell you."
He didn't answer as he calmly looked at you. His gazes are silent but dangerous, enough to make you feel odd for some reason.
"Don't be shocked with what you're about to hear, alright? I have my word. A promise is a promise. I swear my life is yours if you let me say these two words that I must tell you."
"Get to the point." He stated calmly and it's amazing how he doesn't seem impatient despite the fact that you are literally wasting your time telling random stuff out of nowhere.
"Well," You avert your gaze, take a deep breath, and look on his eyes again with seriousness, "Be mine."
His eyes remained emotionless and cold.
And your heart starts getting crazy with the words coming out of your mouth.
"...D-Don't look at me like that," You tried to maintain your dignity after saying those, "Be my lover or my man--- w-well, shit this is crazy." You whispered silently cursing Detective Lunge for making you do this.
-
"I read the papers yesterday and you want me to be the leader's woman?" You mumble in disbelief as your face turns red.
"What? The Bonten's leader is hot, it's not a loss knowing you can penetrate deeper into their organization if you have a direct and concrete connection with Sano Manjiro." Detective Lunge stated while typing something on his computer.
"But... I... I don't know how to do this." You muttered, "I certainly know how to do my mission on gathering data and fighting well, but this romance stuff, I know nothing about it."
Your voice is genuine and you hate to admit it but you've never had a boyfriend in your entire life since you've been really busy pursuing your goals. The funny thing is, one of your missions right now is to be Manjiro's lover, which is quite hard for you since you don't even know how to be a lover to someone in the first place.
"You'll get into the character when you're in the situation. Just make sure you're able to talk to him personally. Do your best, I know you can do it." Detective Lunge replied.
"But---"
"Just a piece of advice. If ever you get rejected, which I'm sure you'll experience if you don't do your best and in the process of getting killed by Manjiro himself, say the magic word."
You blink in curiosity, "Magic word? What do you mean, Sir?"
Detective Lunge stopped typing and gave you a quick smirk, "Dorayaki."
-
Mikey remained silent while looking at you. His eyes are not shocked, he's not shocked at all. He's just looking at you plainly. Your heart on the other hand wants to burst in embarrassment. You never once say those words or even confess in your entire life. Never.
Damn it, Detective Lunge.
"Oh god." You murmured and cover your face in annoyance and embarrassment since you feel this weird heat on your cheeks, "Just... fuck, just be my boyfriend or something. Yes, I'm confessing, I love you. Now, be mine."
Shit, how do you say these words with love?
"Did Sanzu make you take some drugs?" Manjiro asked in a serious manner while looking at you calmly.
Your face is really red in frustration and embarrassment. This is the hardest mission that you've ever had.
Just how the hell do you make someone your lover the first time you met them?
"Manjiro," You whispered, "Just be mine."
"Is that a command?" He asked seriously.
"No," Shit, shit, shit, "I-It's a whole hearted confession. I love you. I love you. I love you. Just believe me when I say I do, so come on, love me back now."
You're fucking embarrassing, just die, (Y/N). Oh god.
"I told you I have no time for games, didn't I?" Manjiro stands up calmly and pulls something from his coat's pocket.
You gulp when he aimed his gun towards your direction. Your heart is still beating fast not because of fear but because of intense embarrassment with the words coming out of your mouth lately.
"Be my lover, Manjiro." You stated again, this time in a more fierce manner while he points his gun towards you emotionlessly.
"You're wasting my time."
You gulp when you see his index finger at the gun's trigger. It doesn't bother you but what bothers you the most is the fact that you are getting rejected in your first confession. That just wasn't fair. You don't like getting rejected, not even Manjiro can stop you from feeling that way.
"I love you, marry me." You repeated while looking at him seriously.
You can't read his thoughts as he looks at you impassively.
"Any last words?" He asked, still in a cold and impassive manner.
You close your eyes as you try to calm your breath up. You feel the coldness inside the room and your bristles feel weird, too. It feels weird to tell someone you love them and then get rejected afterwards. Although it's just a part of a mission, it just sucks that you'll die without even hearing Manjiro's "I love you, too."
It's not that you want to hear it but it can seriously bring your pride as a woman back if he does say the love stuff back which is of course, impossible.
"Just a piece of advice. If ever you get rejected, which I'm sure you'll experience if you don't do your best and in the process of getting killed by Manjiro himself, say the magic word."
You blink in curiosity, "Magic word? What do you mean, Sir?"
Detective Lunge stopped typing and gave you a quick smirk, "Dorayaki."
Any last words, huh? This may be weird but...
"Dorayaki." You mumbled and close your eyes, waiting for the bullet to pierce your head.
There's no way Detective Lunge is right. There's no way a simple snack can be a magic word for something as serious as this. It is just plainly irrational and odd.
Silence.
Wait, don't tell me...
You open your eyes unconsciously when you feel a movement on the bed. Your eyes widen a little when you see Manjiro slowly kneel and lean towards your direction. Your lip parted when he leans really close to you.
His face is just an inch and you feel the tip of his cold gun on your temple.
His eyes are staring at you, caging you in its depth, making you suffocated for more of something you can't understand. More of him, more of this mysterious man whom you just confessed to.
"Can you cook?" He asked in a dangerous manner with his gun still pressed on your temple.
"What?"
"Thrice a day. Cook dorayaki thrice a day, and I'll let you live for a week." He whispered in a really sexy voice before he leaned back and started walking outside the room, leaving you frozen.
What the hell just happened?
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