(V/n)- Villain name.
Here is a questionably long chapter about Overhole.
I updated a hour past midnight... That was fun.
ALSO I AM SO SORRY FOR PUBLISHING A DRAFT VERSION OF THIS! LITTLE OL' ME CLICKED THE WRONG BUTTON.
~~~~~~~~~~~
The day you nodded your head (in such a way it looked quite stiff, though it showed your seriousness) at the man who will see if you are truly worthy to be apart of his organization, you knew what will possibly happen if you were to cross this path. His expression was drowned in doubt, and it was enough for you to deduce that he was uncertain if you are truly ready or not, but you are.
After all, that is why you agreed, is it not?
You knew you would have to give everything up for the Yakuza, and truthfully? You have nothing to lose, so losing any more, even your life, would not make any difference, at least to you. You have never seen nor realized your motive here on earth, and so you resorted becoming a part of a dangerous criminal organization.
Well, not so dangerous and criminal-like anymore, since the boss hated the thought of turning into a villain. It's more of having to have your every movements to be watched by the government, no longer safe and free to be like any other civilians.
Now that you think about it, it is much more reasonable as to why he was questioning you when you fervently tried to convince him to let you in.
Nevertheless, you gave him your answer, and there was no turning back. You have two choices: to die with no purpose, or to die as a Yakuza— at least being able to do something for once in your life. You wouldn't have to die a pathetic death, and you would have something worth living for if you were to choose the latter, to which you actually did.
From that day forward though, not a day passes by when death don't come knocking on your door during your mission, spare time, or even when you are asleep. Gang wars and constant heavy surveillance of the authority are quite exhausting.
Quite stressful, really. Knowing the fact that death can come and snatch you out of life's hands in any second can keep anyone awake, and you would be lying if you said you have already overcome the fear of death; because who would? Life doesn't necessarily mean as much to you as it may to others, but pain is still something you wouldn't be used to, especially if it were slow and torturous.
Though, you have gotten used to the threats and the pressure it brings. You have gotten used to the chaos that loves to crash in from time to time during your life as a Yakuza. You have gotten used to the loss of someone dear to you (like, sad to say, the old boss who treated you like a part of his family). You have gotten used to the crazy antics of the Eight Expendables. You have gotten used to your new psychotic boss and his weird obsession with cleanliness. You have gotten used to them all.
Whatever life has thrown at you, you will have eventually gotten used to it, will you not? Though it may takes a while, and from time to time it may get in your nerves, but nevertheless, you can manage it. Some are just... quite irritable...
One example is quirks.
Quirks.
My goodness, that one word alone can make you groan in annoyance. Your hatred for it is not to be compared to Overhaul's, but you still loathe it. Quirks are useful, yes, but that only applies to if your allies have them (and are responsible when handling them) or when it benefits you. Your enemies? Oh no, no, no, no... that is a whole different story.
Who knows what kind of superpowers they have that you will have to face? Water manipulation? Mind control? Elemental powers? Telekinesis? What if they can easily counter yours? What if their quirk is too powerful for you to handle? What if it is enough to trigger the end of the world? They're so unpredictable and so, so.... annoying.
No, no... you are not talking through your experiences... when we're talking about your hatred for quirks, it only happens whenever you have to fight off an enemy with a quirk you find bothersome. No personal grudges.
Okay, maybe there is this one time when you got hit by a quirk that seemed to nullify your ability to balance, forcing you to spend the rest of the day waddling and tripping every single second like a high drunkard. The fact that you had errands on that day made it worse, especially when you fell face-flat on the ground in front of Overhaul! That was embarrassing, but that was just one time and it was in the past...
And maybe this other time when you had clearly gotten too close to an irritated Chronostasis at a wrong time, and well... poor you had to stay an hour stuck in slow motion. The man was quite apologetic, though, after he had cooled down.
...And this other time when your enemy had unexpectedly hit Nemoto with his quirk that lowers its target's guard all the way down and well... be an energetic bean.
Mind you, you had a mission with him that lasts for a week or so during that time, and you were quite far from the base. You had to take care of Nemoto while he laughed nonstop and tried to escape in order to be "one with the birds and wind", as he would say. It was ridiculous and funny, but you wouldn't want to relive the experience ever again. Seeing Nemoto like that was... scary.
Alright, alright... maybe you do have some personal grudges against quirks, but can you help it? Those were some pretty good reasons...
Perhaps that is why you never liked quirks....
And that includes now...
You see, while browsing through a book that has been read thoroughly for countless times already (you were bored, and there wasn't anything you could do to kill time), you were suddenly called to Overhaul's office. Not wanting to make the boss wait and having to put your life in danger in doing so, you soon found yourself in front of Overhaul's room in a few minutes you were called. You knocked, as any other logical person should be doing, and waited for his response.
And his response.... wasn't something you had anticipated.
"Do not come in first. Stand by the door for the time being and listen to whatever I may have to say."
His voice was muffled, but his tone and threat did not go unheard. You were confused, of course. You didn't expect the capo to just... not let you in. After all, isn't that what a person would normally do if they call for someone? Why would he tell you not to come in? Why wouldn't he let this conversation be taken inside of the room?
"Sir, may I ask for a clarification?"
No, he didn't give you any at all. He simply said that so long as you promise to keep it between you and him, he will eventually tell you the reason why you were summoned in the first place.
Promise? What promise? Between you and the boss? What did you do to have this sort of privilege? You have his words that he will eventually explain the situation, but that only brewed up even more questions! You were beyond confused and without a doubt scared.
What is it that made Overhaul uncertain to show you? Whatever it is, it is enough to make Overhaul this... worried and uncertain.
Boy, you wouldn't be surprised if he called you here just for you to get rid of the said problem.
When he asked for your confirmation, your answer, of course, was yes. You would be considered as a maniac if you refused to comply. You never know if death by Overhaul's quirk would be painful or not; and if it is the former, would it be a quick one, or would you have to experience the most unimaginable pain ever? Well, you weren't planning to find out soon.
"You have my word, sir. I won't speak a word of what may happen." You said it with such confidence, but you weren't entirely sure if you could still be this confident much later. Though, how hard can that be with your life possibly on the line?
From the looks of it (or well, from what you're hearing from his sighs and words), it seemed to be confidential, and that itself confused you. Why was Chronostasis or Mimic not called here instead if it is confidential? If not confidential, would it be something.... personal instead? Wait, that is less likely to be possible considering the fact that Overhaul keeps secrets to himself; even if he has to tell someone, he would be calling Chronostasis instead. He knows the capo longer than you do, anyways.
He then proceeded with a short threat.
"If you tell anyone, even Chrono or Mimic, you'll explode into pieces" or... somewhere along that line. You weren't entirely sure. His threats were something you were quite used to, and by now, you considered "I'll kill you" as "hello" when having a conversation with him.
Basically, you have heard so much threats that most of them ended up just flying over your head. It doesn't actually matter to you.
Well, it kinda does... seeing that your life depends on it....
It doesn't matter. What matters is that when you entered the room, determined and, quite frankly, eager to accept and complete whatever task Overhaul will be giving you (while at the same time, if one looks closely, they can see doubt and uncertainty in your eyes; but we all know where that come from. I mean, come on. You have every right to be nervous. Something or someone was able to make Overhaul hesitant and doubtful. Wouldn't that be quite frightening when you have to face it?).
You entered the room and closed the door. Immediately, as an instinct, you scanned the room for any changes.
Nothing changed since you last left. Perhaps some books and files that were arranged in a new order, or some new items sitting neatly on the bookshelves and cabinets, but other than that, nothing to be cautious of.
Then, here comes the threat, and boy, were you not ready.
As you scanned the room, you saw no problems around the room; and so when you turned your attention to your boss, who was right behind his mahogany desk, folding his hands in a rather business-like manner and— wait...
Wait. Wait. Wait....
My goodness...
Were you hallucinating?
Are those.... cat ears? Real cat ears?
No, no. It must be your mind tricking you. Surely, it must be. Why would Overhaul decided to put on cat ears for no particular reason? That seems illogical! Surely, it's simply just your eyes creating those illusions.
Unfortunately, no matter how many times you blink or rub your eyes until they became too irritated and bloodshot, the animal ears stayed on your boss's head, refusing to leave under any circumstances. Perhaps the image is real, but why would Overhaul in the right mind be wearing that? Won't he get irritated by the fur?
What was more bizarre is the fact that you think that your boss, the young head of a group that has past records of violence and murders, is... well, cute!
Who in the world thinks that a psychotic Yakuza leader would be cute?
He is considered as a sociopath (we don't need any clinical tests here to confirm that), a man who cares for nothing but his goal and cleanliness... and Pops, of course.
If you don't know who he is, and someone pulls out a picture of Overhaul, then perhaps you would admit that he is quite attractive. It is only his personality now that is stopping you from saying that out loud.
Nevertheless, you were stunned, surprised, baffled— any word that may have some connections to your speechlessness— at the true reason as to why your boss was concerned and worried: he was transformed into a neko.
And that, my friend, is how you got into this situation. You went in, not knowing anything, and what do you know? You were greeted by Overhaul with cat ears. How exciting.
No really, that's not sarcasm. It's not everyday you see your handso— your boss! Your boss in cat ears is what you mean to say! No handsome guy here at all...
Nope. Not at all.
At this point you weren't sure if you're supposed to be surprised at the situation, or be surprised that you didn't see it coming. To be fair, you thought of the worst case scenario, and as a Yakuza, you have to think of all possible outcomes in order to deal with the said outcomes with the most appropriate way possible. Though, how can anyone be able to predict that their boss would have... those things? Or know the solution and ways to deal with it?
You didn't know what to say at this point. What were you supposed to say? It isn't everyday you get to see your boss roaming around with cat ears now, is it? You didn't even know what you're supposed to do in this situation! There is no handbook for this, no guides, no lesson.
Well, you might be lying. There is a possibility that someone already wrote an article as to how to take care of a kemonomimi. Ever since quirks became a thing, anything is possible at this point.
Overhaul seemed to notice your silence, and his forehead creased at your lack of response. He didn't seem to like your reaction at all.
"Don't you dare laugh or even smile at this... absurdity. I will make sure you would regret it if you were to do so." He fiddled with the end of his latex glove, which acts as a barrier between the terrible filth and his hands; but not between his quirk and his targets (for he could easily get rid of his gloves with his quirk. The action of doing so is just being avoided in order to prevent brewing up any unwanted nuisance, so he prefers taking the glove out instead of destroying it. Though, that still doesn't give you any comfort).
The very act can easily send shivers down anyone's spine, including yours. It subtly hints that any wrong doing of yours can easily send you to your grave.
"The reason why I called you is because I want you to help me get rid of this... this disgusting thing on me." His breath was slow and ragged, pupils were as thin and sharp as a needle, like the eyes of an agitated cat, and his orbs were filled with glowing gold that swirled around in a blind wrath.
The sharp, brown (the same shade as his hair) ears were slightly bigger than what a regular cat would have, which makes sense seeing that he is a human after all. They were restless, always twitching and moving after the insult their owner has spat out, like they have a mind of their own and was insulted by his words. You noticed that something had been swaying from side to side the whole time, energetic just like his ears.
You assumed that it would be his tail. I mean, it would make sense. If he has ears, then he surely would have tail to complete the look. It moved from one side to another, though you weren't sure if it's involuntary.
Though, the very thought of something foreign touching his body, much less being part of him, was so sickening in his unscrupulous mind. He could might as rip them out, if possible.
"Sir, if I may ask... what exactly happened?" You asked, awaiting for your other questions to be eliminated in order to finally get the full picture of the perplexing puzzle. He said so himself that he would like you to remove the "absurdity", as he would say, so it would be logical for you to know what exactly happened.
"It was a work of a quirk, I'm sure of it," Overhaul looked down at his folded hands that were rested on top of his desk. His slender tail stopped moving, like it realized that this is serious. "I had to meet a client in person last evening, since he wanted to see me in the flesh very desperately, and in a rude manner if I may add."
You could tell where this is going now. You hadn't reached the end of the story, yet you already knew what was about to happen.
"He complained about how the effect of our drug lasted so short and wanted a refund. Can you believe it? All that fuss for such a minor issue." Overhaul's eyebrows drew together at the memory.
The complaint was not unusual coming from the buyers of the drugs. In fact, it would be unusual if none complained. Of course, it was inconvenient, since the drug was fairly new, and the Precepts never had enough time and resources to perfect the said drug. Though, the ability to be able to erase quirk with a shot of a bullet is quite more than enough, if you think about it; so sometimes, you couldn't understand why would they be complaining about it to one of the most (if not the most) dangerous villain in Japan, endangering their lives.
"I refused to satisfy his demands, of course. You know that I do not have time for whiny lowlifes; but he actually had the audacity to use his quirk on me— his... his disease...!" He said the last word with such spite, growling. Though, even that sounded like a cat, which completely cut off any threatening vibes.
"Chrono took him down before he could do any more damage, thankfully. I would not even want to think about the fact that he would escape after he use his disgusting quirk on me." Overhaul took a shaky breath as he unfolded his hands, reaching for his arm and clasped his sleeves, like even the thought of the villain could make him develop hives all over his body.
Of course, by hearing the story, you can tell what was the fate for the unfortunate villain. It is to be expected.
Overhaul continued to explain further. Nothing happened when the quirk hit him, and he didn't think much of it, assuming that the quirk missed him (though he was sure that he was hit). Now, however, it was simply because the quirk needed time.
However, when he and the others came back last night, he started to feel weird. He felt like as if he was going to pass out, and behind his plague mask, he looked flustered and uncomfortable. He was sweating quite a lot and even had to skip dinner and hit the hay early.
You remembered that vividly. That night, you were quite confused and frankly, quite concerned, thinking that he might catch something when he went out.
You remembered the Precepts looking at each other in confusion after he left, most especially Nemoto and Chronostasis. Mimic simply dismissed it, saying that Overhaul was probably tired from the meeting with that good-for-nothing villain. Tengai was slightly worried as well, only to have his thoughts be dismissed by Rappa, who boldly shrugged off Overhaul's unusual behavior. The rest were indifferent. You could tell that Nemoto was worried, but he didn't express it.
But Chrono on the other hand— oh, Chrono freaked out. He didn't act hysterically, but it was enough for him to act slightly out of character. He was starting to talk slightly much more during dinner, whispering to you if the boss is okay or not, or if he should visit him just to make sure. You patted his shoulder several times and claimed that if something were to happen to Overhaul, he could easily take care of it by himself. He is a powerful man with a powerful quirk, after all.
Some would try to think of a reason for Overhaul's behavior, but you are sure that the fact that Overhaul became a partial cat never crossed anyone's mind.
Of course, before you, Overhaul would have called for Chronostasis to deal with this, as expected. It's just that Chrono was unavailable, seeing that he just left for his mission last night and hasn't come back yet. Overhaul didn't like to call Mimic over to help him with this as well. The little creature's characteristics made Overhaul put the said man at the back of the list when situations like this happen (you know, something personal). His only choice now was you, since you are also his trusted subordinate.
Looking back at it, part of you was glad that you made Chrono have second thoughts about visiting Overhaul; because then, he would be the only one who would witness this.
"You promised that you would keep this between the two of us, and I trust you that you would do as you say." Overhaul said, leaning against his chair after his little story-telling. His gaze never left you, and his hands were gripping onto the armrests of the chair.
"I won't, sir. You can trust me." You smiled under your mask. Overhaul said not to smile, but he would never know, would he?
"Good. Now, help me get rid of this." He said, scratching his own cat ears.
"Why don't you try to use your quirk, sir?" You suggested. You were pretty sure that the first thing Overhaul would do is to use his quirk to get rid of the irksome ears. That was the reason why you didn't bother to come and visit him last night, after all.
"You don't think I haven't thought of that?" He expressed his agitation through his sharp glare. "I considered doing so, but the quirk of the villain may be much more complicated than what it may seem to be. It could be something more than just adding some ears and tail."
"Like changing your DNA?" You wondered.
"Precisely, " he nodded his head, pleased that he doesn't have to spell it out for you. "I fear that if I were to use my quirk to remove the parts; my body wouldn't be able to handle the sudden change, and the presumed cat-like DNA would be permanently stuck with me as a result."
He scratched his arms. "While it will get rid of the ears and tail, the DNA... could be an obstacle."
You hummed at his words. Well, it wasn't like he is wrong. With the limited information that you have, it is almost impossible to know what to do and should be avoided. Plus, it wouldn't make sense if the owner of the quirk can only give his targets animal ears. There must be something more to it, or else he wouldn't have chosen the path of villainy.
"I'll do my best to research on the villain's quirk to see if there is anything else we should be wary about," you reassured the boss, adding what you said into your to-do list for today. It's much better than walking blindly to the path you're going. "Though, until I get the information we need, it is best that we wait for the effect to wear out."
"Wear out?" Overhaul wasn't pleased. "I'm a Yakuza leader. I have a lot of issues to deal with. I cannot simply wait for it to subside."
"I understand that, sir; but I do believe that you have no other choice," you reasoned, resulting in getting a sigh of frustration as a response from Overhaul. "In the meantime, I'll help you hide it as much as possible. I can come up with excuses so that the others won't think much of it."
".....Yes, I suppose so." Overhaul mumbled, silently cursing at himself for getting into a situation like this, and at the deceased villain for all of these troubles.
"Then I'll go and research right away. Is there anything troublesome with this uh... form?" You asked.
"I shed...quite a long surprisingly," He mumbled. You inaudibly hiss through your teeth at the thought. Knowing him, it would be quite a problem. "And I get distracted very easily."
Overhaul listed down some of the troubles that he had to deal with as a neko, and you made sure to list and remember all of them. It could be beneficial; and since this is Overhaul we're talking about, you have to make him stay as comfortable as possible.
....This situation only intensified your hatred towards the so-called diseases...
Well, let's hope the day will go smoothly.
~~~~~~~~~~
"Cats can be territorial... Use 50% of their waking hours to clean themselves... Well, that's not new. I've dealt with it before. What else should I know..."
As it turns out, not many articles existed in teaching you how to deal with a uh... kemonomimi. Quite surprising, to be honest. You would think that since the world is now filled with unpredictable powers, there would be sites or articles that would talk about humans turning into animals. Those that do exist told you to simply wait for the quirk to pass.
....You didn't know how to respond to that.
So, with no choice at all, you decided to research about cats. If what Overhaul assumed is true, it would be best to research what cats should do and should not do, as well as their behaviors.
Who would have thought that a life and death situation depends on your knowledge of cats?
You're on your way to the kitchen, planning to bring some breakfast to Overhaul and yourself, since you were sure that Overhaul hasn't eaten anything for the day. He barely ate during dinner, so he could be starving at this point.
As you walked in the kitchen, scrolling through the articles in your phone, you found Nemoto in the room, filling his mug with black coffee.
"Oh, good morning, (V/n)." Nemoto greeted.
"Hello," you gave him a quick wave, before glancing over the meal for today's breakfast. "French toast today?"
"Yes. I couldn't think of anything that could suit everyone's appetite, so I resulted in a classic dish." He said as he pushed over a tray of the mouth-watering food to you. The sight of it was heavenly.
Well, you never doubt Nemoto's culinary skills. You love his cooking, no matter how simple the meal may be. In fact, you are will to bet that he can transform some of the most hated dishes in the world into something everyone could die for.
"Oh, don't worry! I'm sure everyone would love it. It looks—!"
Then it hit you...
Can Overhaul eat this...?
"It looks..." You scrutinized the dish, trying to find if there was any ingredients that may be harmful to cats— or well, Overhaul. You shifted your weight to one of your legs, the other angled away from your body, showing your uncertainty as you thought of everything that could harm the mammalian creatures.
"It looks...?" Nemoto urged you to go on, wordlessly asking you if there was something wrong with the meal. Your sudden change of expression made him quite concerned.
You scratched your neck nervously, "Uh, well... Are there, by any chance, dairy products in this?"
"Dairy products?" He tilted his head, confused about your unanticipated question. "Well, I used butter and cream. Why, are you lactose intolerant?"
Overhaul might be.
"Yes, yes I am." You fibbed.
I can't lie to Nemoto without getting caught, but I have to try.
You inaudibly cleared your throat, careful of your next words. Opening your mouth to spill out reckless words could gain Nemoto's distrust for you, and you weren't planning to tarnish his respect for you. "I recently found out I couldn't eat an dairy products after a few incidents of having stomachaches due to my consumption of the said food."
"Is that so...?" Nemoto looked at you doubtfully. "How unfortunate that you decided to tell me about your... situation now rather than sooner..."
Uh oh.
What should I do? What should I do?? I normally don't have problems with putting up an act, but with Nemoto is a whole different story! If he uses his quirk on me and finds out about the truth, Overhaul would kill me!
"I didn't feel the need to tell anyone nor do I have the time. It's such a small nuisance compared to everything else we have to do," You brought out a knife from the drawer along with a cutting board. "I'll eat fruits instead. I'll be fine."
You masked your uneasiness with a convincing facade, secretly hoping that it would be enough to fool Nemoto before he decided to use his quirk.
You went to rinse the utensils before grabbing some fruits out, which you have also washed. If you don't, Overhaul would freak out, so you made sure you washed everything before you started cutting the fruits. You did all of these under Nemoto's pressuring gaze.
"Are you really lactose intolerant? Last I checked, our dinner for last night contained cream."
You froze. You didn't think about that.
You cursed yourself. You should have just said that you were on a diet, and that you prefer eating fruits for breakfast.
You wanted to tell him that you didn't know last night, and by the time you did, it was already too late. The pain had already settled in.
Unfortunately, your body couldn't move at all. Your arms were all tingly, your legs were glued to the floor. You couldn't move an inch of your muscles, none but your mouth, but you couldn't control it. No matter how hard you tried to bite down your tongue, you just kept talking. Once you opened your mouth, it simply kept on moving on its own, as if your brain could no longer have control over it.
"I'm not lactose intolerant, which was why I didn't react to last night's dinner. That is simply a lie in order to cover up Overh—"
"Nemoto, quit wasting time and eat your breakfast already! I need you to help me deal with all of these paperworks!"
You immediately covered your mouth after you were released from Nemoto's quirk. Shivers went down your spine as the strain coming from Nemoto's control dissipated quickly, though it was painful for you to hold in your struggles. He wasn't able to hear what you say, and you were grateful.
You gave him a menacing glare, and he gladly repaid you with the same gesture.
If it weren't for Mimic interrupting your conversation, you would have spilled Overhaul's situation against your will. Though, you weren't sure why Nemoto wanted the truth so desperately.
~~~~~~~~~~
"Boss, I brought some fruits for you, and— sir!"
You were just in time to see Overhaul bringing a cup of hot tea to his lips, ready to take a sip. A nice cup of caffeinated goodness for humans, but a cup of death wishes for the feline creatures.
Overhaul was slightly startled by your exclamation, and drew his lips away from the drink, narrowing his eyes.
"What is it?" His face mask was dangling on his ear, while his plague mask rested on his desk. A frown settled on his face, upset with your sudden outburst. That was when you realized that he wasn't in a hurry to cover up his mouth when you came in. Though, there was no to time to ponder over that.
"Didn't anyone teach you never to shout at your superiors?"
"Apologies." You lowered your head for a quick apologetic bow. "I should have warned you, but there are couple of things that you will have to be wary of as a ca-....as a person with feline DNA."
You moved your index finger, though both of your hands were still holding the tray of fruits, to point at the cup. "That is not for cats. Should they digest a large quantity of it, it would be toxic for their health."
".... And a cup is considered as too much?"
"Overhaul, I know how much you love your tea, and I'm not about to let you eat and drink whatever you want, especially when we don't know if your body reacts the same way as a human or as a cat," you walked over to his desk, placing the tray down and slightly pushing it towards him. "Here. These are one of the few things you can safely eat as of now."
He looked at you in irritation (since you were treating him like a baby), though he was slightly amused that in that time of your departure, you were able to know a lot about the feline family. That or you knew from the start, which is highly unlikely, ever since.... that happened.
He took a slice of apple and bit a good chunk off. His ears flitted at the sweet taste of the food.
His face was bare. It wasn't something you have never seen before, but more of something you weren't used to. After all, Overhaul cares a lot about covering his nose and mouth to prevent microorganisms from getting into his system.
He seemed so peaceful, focusing on eating his breakfast, far from being a ruthless leader. He looked just like when he was much younger... cold and monotonous, but the younger Chisaki was just shy...
That's what you liked to think as a kid, anyways. Now, you were kind of debating on whether he truly is shy or the same sociopath that you know today.
Nonetheless, he looked just like a normal human being, though his morals were far gone.
As he ate, your mind wandered back to what happened back in the kitchen with Nemoto.
I wonder why Overhaul would....
"... Why did you decide to call me for this, Overhaul?"
His jaws stopped at your words, his gloved hands holding the small piece of blueberry close to his mouth.
"Haven't I told you?" He mumbled out of disinterest, swallowing the bit of food down and plopped the small fruit into his mouth. "Chrono is unavailable, and I do not trust Mimic with this."
"Then what about Nemoto?" You suggested, questions and doubts were swirling inside your head. As much as you love seeing Overhaul in this state, you didn't think you could handle it.
"He is much more reliable in keeping a secret. I doubt anyone would be suspicious of his words when covering up for you."
And it was obvious that I failed at that.
"Why didn't you choose Nemoto? Or Tengai?"
Overhaul slowed down his movements, grazing the fruit inside his mouth slowly with his teeth. He looked at the tray, then at the cup of tea. The cold of the season must have reached the tea by now, touching its surface with its icy cold fingers, for there were no more steam coming out of it, even if it had just been brewed a few moments ago.
"Someone saw through your lies?" He raised his hand to support his tilted head, eyes still locked on the porcelain cup. "I supposed that it is Nemoto, isn't it?"
"I—" You stopped yourself. If there is anyone aside from Nemoto that can see through your lies, it would be Overhaul. After all, not only is he good at reading even the most subtle body language, but as well as the fact that he had known you long enough to see through your lies.
"Yes, sir. Though, he wasn't able to find out about the truth."
"Hmm, as expected from him. He doesn't like liars from the very start, so having his quirk being used on you to uncover the truth wasn't quite surprising," he carefully removed his mask from his ear and placed it on his desk, which is something he wouldn't do if the desk wasn't sanitized. Though, by smelling the scent of the lemon cleaning product, you were sure it was clean. "Rest assured, he will be sternly warned for trying to invade your privacy. I'm sure what you said to Nemoto was suspicious for him; however, he does not have the right to do such things so long as it has nothing to do with our business."
He casually took another fruit for him to eat. The irritated glint was no longer there in his eyes, and he instead focused on eating once more.
He didn't look like he was mad or upset about your little mishaps with Nemoto, like you imagined he would. Instead, he seemed to understand your situation, like he knew it wasn't entirely your fault that Nemoto nearly found out the truth.
You were confused.
"You still didn't answer my question, sir..."
"What question?"
"Why you asked me to do this."
"Ah," He sat up straight and wiped his mouth with a tissue, wordlessly telling you that he had finished his meal, even if there were half a plate worth of fruits left, maybe even more. "Well, as you know, Chrono and Mimic are out of the question. Tengai is part of the Eight Expendables. I would rather have to deal with it myself than to ask for his assistance. Nemoto on the other hand..."
He began fiddling with the edge of his glove, humming at the thoughts floating around in his mind. "He is reliable; and though he is part of the Eight Expendables, I would say I trust him the most out of all of them. He can keep secrets and know what he must do and is doing... however..."
His gaze suddenly darted to you, and the look in his eyes sent a strange vibe to you, though you didn't know why. It felt... odd. His hostile glow in his orbs was not foreign to you, but this wasn't anything you would have the experience of.
You just couldn't put your finger on it.
"The better choice is you. I trust you more than Nemoto, perhaps even more so than Mimic, not to mention the fact that you have known me longer. I'll let your mistake slide for now, but if the same happened with someone that is not Nemoto, then it simply showed me that you're not worthy of being here."
He let a small smile creep up on his face. A smile rarely, if not never, graced itself on his face, but a small, genuine smile that showed nothing more than a someone caring for his friend proved that he can still be a human... that his character still has not been completely buried with his obsession to cure the world. Though it was shot back down in less than a second and was replaced with his usual frown, you knew what he was trying to express.
He pushed the tray towards you. "Now, I know for a fact you didn't eat, so eat now. I wouldn't want you whining about an empty stomach later on."
~~~~~~~~~~~
A-Achoo...!
That was the sixth time he sneezed for the last ten minutes.
Were you surprised? Very.
Overhaul threw the used tissue away and poured yet another handful of disinfectant on his palms, disgusted by the possible bacteria that might have found its way on him. The bottle was newly bought, as far as you know, but now it was half-filled due to Overhaul's constant use.
"Sir... are you okay?" You asked him, worried and concerned about his health. You seldom see him having sign of sickness, so hearing his sneeze troubled you a little. You wondered if today (of all days, in fact) would be an exception.
He didn't say anything. He only glared at his table out of annoyance, upset and enraged that there might be possible pathogens forcing him to sneeze like this. He shouldn't have been without his mask for this long.
"Sir?" You called out for his response once again. "Sir, are you feeling alright?"
He scrunched up his nose when he felt another sneeze coming. Luckily (though quite painful doing so), he managed to hold it in. He would rather have to fight against the urge than to sneeze out more of those harmful, disgusting microorganisms in the air.
He covered his mouth with his palm. Disgust crossed over his face. "What is that pungent smell?"
"What?"
"That smell," He slightly coughed, grabbing another tissue to wipe his red tinted nose before wearing his face mask to block the malodor that he abhorred. "It was there since early in the morning, but was tolerable back then. Now it has gotten worse..."
"But I couldn't smell anything, Boss." You lifted your head up in the air to try and find the foul smell, but to no avail. "I supposed this is also one of the side effects of your situation."
"It doesn't matter if it is or is not," he placed his hand over his masked mouth, barely breathing through his stuffy nose. Just thinking about it really makes him want to break out in hives. "There must be something that is producing it."
You looked around, eyes jumping from one item to another, big or small. You couldn't find anything that could produce such a scent for Overhaul to complain about. The bookshelves, lamp, the couch... nothing that could irritate the capo's nose.
"Would you please describe the odor for me, please?"
"It's acidic," he uttered. "It's too strong for me to assume what exactly is it."
Acidic, huh? Well, the only thing that could smell like it is—
....The lemon scented cleaning product...
"... Sir, would you like to move in to my room instead?"
".... Excuse me?"
~~~~~~~~~
There were a few close calls on your way to your room.
Overhaul had stuffed his tail inside his jacket, and you borrowed a cap from Setsuno to hide his ears (it took a lot of convincing to actually make him wear it). He had his plague mask back on for sanitary purposes. Even so, Overhaul's secret was nearly exposed.
On your way to your bedroom, you bumped into Rappa, who immediately recognized Overhaul and challenged him to a fight (not without insulting his "silly little hat" first). Overhaul didn't have time for this, obviously; though, the vigorous bulky man refused to let him through.
"Rappa, I promised that one day he will, but just not today."
"Why not?!"
"We're busy."
"Busy with- ohh... I get you."
"NOT LIKE THAT!"
Fortunately, Tengai spotted him and reminded Rappa that he should train the lackeys instead of bothering the boss. When he refused, Tengai put him in a barrier, allowing you pass by. Rappa dropped a few curses here and there, but there wasn't much he could do when Tengai activated his quirk. Thankfully, the man never questioned Overhaul's appearance.
Next, you nearly bumped into Nemoto. If you didn't hear his voice around the corner and immediately went for another route, you might have to face his troublesome quirk once again. If not that, then the awkward tension. Besides, if he sees Overhaul with you, he'll most likely put two and two together. He may not be able to get an accurate story without using his quirk, but he would know that something was up.
Nevertheless, you welcomed the boss to your humble abode, and of course, he wasn't pleased with it, even if it was tidy.
Thankfully, you (by some coincidence) used a pet-friendly cleaning product; so Overhaul wouldn't have to worry the sharp odor irritating his amplified sense of smell.
"I suppose that this is... tolerable," He muttered, glancing around at the plain decor. "Though, remind me to have someone renovate your room. It looks disgusting."
You plopped yourself down your velvet love seat, your eyes fixated on your boss. "Overhaul, I find it hard to please you. This is my private chamber, and I am satisfied and content with the way it is now. Decorating it isn't exactly beneficial, and it only wastes time."
He didn't respond with words, but only a hum. You weren't sure if he heard you or not, but you felt like regardless of how you feel, he will still order someone to redecorate your room.
Typical Overhaul.
He found himself sitting on the sofa beside you (though left a reasonable amount of space between the two of you), silently taking in the scent in your room to get used to the unfamiliar area. It smelled just like you, but much more overwhelming. He felt at ease.
Silence settled down, and you (assuming that Overhaul no longer has any needs) grabbed your open book from the side table, and started reading where you last had left off before you went to see Overhaul.
As you scanned the page word by word, you failed to notice the fact that you were subconsciously playing with bookmark for the novel, something that you do every now and then.
Oh, how cruel you were. That bookmark has a bell on it as a decoration, and you were fidgeting with it. That jingling noise was too much for Overhaul.
You could have a normal bookmark, or something decorated with some ridiculous-looking characters, but no. You just have to have a bookmark with a bell.
..... Overhaul isn't going to let you get away with it.
You were just simply reading your book. The mundane paragraphs gave you no excitement, but you had nothing better to do other than sitting in awkward silence with your boss. Sure, it happened regardless if you read it or not, but you at least had something to occupy your time.
You weren't expecting an attack coming from him.
You only used one hand to hold the book (and flip its page at the same time with your thumb only), while the other rested beside you, holding the bookmark. All of a sudden, you felt something pounced on your hand, and you (by surprise and inclination) dropped your book and immediately grabbed the unknown with a grip not many can get out of.
All happened in a few seconds, so you relied on your survival instincts rather than stop to think in a logical way. It was something you very often, which mostly resulted in a bad ending for the poor victims.
So when you turned your head to see the culprit, it shocked you (though it shouldn't be surprising) to see Overhaul holding your hand with a tight grip, focusing all his attention on it. Thousands of questions flooded in your mind. You didn't know how to react, didn't know what to do.
He was touching you. Yoy didn't know why, but he was.
Your hand was encaged, and the other was still holding his wrist.
A few seconds or so have passed, and you finally saw Overhaul's face slowly twisting into a horrified expression, like he had just realized what he has done. Without warning, he kicked you away and pushed himself back to the opposite side, far away from you as much as possible. He himself looked like he was stunned by his own actions.
"What did I just..." He looked terrified, as if touching you could kill him. He ferociously clawed at his arms at the lingering contact. "I can't believe that I just...!"
You blinked a couple of times, confused and frankly, a bit shaken up. You never felt so alert in the presence of the young head. The only exceptions are when you are in the serious situation with him or when he directs his aggressive behavior towards you (and he actually means it).
The subtle awkwardness in the atmosphere before suddenly grew larger. You only held your struck hand close to you. "....Why did you touch me?"
"..." He didn't say anything, which was expected. He was obviously perplexed himself by what happened, so there wouldn't be an immediate answer. You wouldn't be surprised if there wasn't even any in the first place.
You charily moved to put your bookmark down on the table. However, the bell chimed once more at the movement, and Overhaul perked up at the sound. His eyes were narrowed, just like when he had attacked you. Though, before he could attack once again, he shook the violence away, immediately regaining the control over his body.
It only took you a few moments to realized what happened a while ago.
"Are you angry about... bells?"
He glowered at your words. The way you put it make him seem like a pathetic fool. "I am not."
You only raised your eyebrow at that.
So then why did you attack me? Specifically my hand that was holding it?
Willing to test the theory, even if it might be the reason of your passing, you clutched the bookmark tightly (as if you were having doubts, but of course, that didn't stop you) before throwing the bookmark right at him.
It landed right on his head. By the looks of his ears furiously twitching, you could tell that you're going to die; but you couldn't help but let out a few laughs as he tried his hardest not to give in to his cat-like characteristics. Every time he moved, it chimed in response, and it would take him a while to compose himself before trying to remove it again.
After a while, of course, he failed to do so.
"(L/n) (Y/n).... If you do not remove this plaything this instant..." He growled to intimidate you, while his hand was still hovering near the toy, trying to find a way to get it off.
Even his growl sounds like a cat! That was so adorable!
You pulled your lips in between your teeth to stop your laughter and, if possible, your smile. Though, seeing Overhaul trying to remove a cute little bookmark gifted by a someone was just simply hysterically hilarious.
His pupils were slit-shaped, demanding you to release him from the torture at once.
"Don't make me repeat myself again..." His hand slowly formed into a fist. If you don't obey his order now, his predatory personality would be directed to you instead.
"Alright, alright! I'll remove it." You raised your hands in defeat. You went over to carefully grab the bookmark by its noisy ornament (it would be much easier for it to stay quiet that way) from Overhaul's head. You picked up the fallen book on the floor as well and placed it on the table, with the bookmark on top of it. The page was lost when Overhaul attacked you, so you weren't able to find where you had last left off. You read book before anyways, so it doesn't matter if you could find the page or not.
You turned to Overhaul, whom looked like he was planning to kill you. He glared at you with threats filling up his eyes. Though wordlessly, he was able to send waves of shivers down your spine.
He grabbed a handful of his hair, where the bookmark resided, as if any sort of dirt managed to get on top of his head after that one contact.
"...Are you really sure you don't hate bells?" You lifted an eyebrow. His exaggerated expression was... entertaining per se, though questionable.
"...I'm just irritated by the noise." He admitted, looking away, as if he was embarrassed by the situation now.
"You can just tell me. You didn't have to attack me like that."
".... Either way, you'll still do that stupid thing you did earlier..."
"That's... debatable."
~~~~~~~~~~
"Cats are a bit more sensitive when it comes to touches... if you pet them right, they'll like it...." You mumbled to yourself as you scrolled through your phone, whilst glancing at Overhaul.
After that little incident, you both had calmed down. You decided to search for more cat facts, since you have gotten curious of those little critters, while Overhaul read your book out of curiosity (they did say cats are curious creatures).
While browsing, you encounter a... rather interesting detail.
Though, if you asked Overhaul, you're good as dead as soon as the words leave your mouth.
... Which is way you decided not to ask him...
Not in a direct way, at least.
"Hey, Overhaul. Can I test something?"
"If it has something to do with bells—"
"No, no. It's completely different. This is to see if what your theory about the villain's quirk is true or not."
Well, I'm not technically lying.
Overhaul looked at you, then at the book, as if he was cerebrating. Of course, if it were the pawns, the Eight Expendables (including Nemoto), or even Mimic (Chrono is....inconclusive, but he is more likely on the "no" side), he would have said no right off the bat. They would leave with a warning, but... that's depends on his mood.
He read the last few words of the page he was at, before letting out a long exhalation of defeat. He closed the book and put it away, looking at you in the eyes. "...This better not be anything ridiculous."
In return, you smiled brightly, which was something he rarely seen these past few days, maybe even months. Time flies by quite fast in his opinion, so he couldn't get an accurate or even an estimated time you have gone through without ever smiling. Last time he remembered, it was quite possibly a few days or so before you decided to officially join the Yakuza. If you hadn't smiled since then... well, I supposed being a Yakuza really does change a person's life.
Be that as it may, Overhaul waited for whatever you have in store. A voice whispered in his mind that you were perhaps doing this for fun and not for what you just said a moment ago. He knew what the voice could be true, but in spite of that, he trusts that you wouldn't do anything you might regret.
You can experiment and try all you want, so long as it doesn't make him furious nor for your own entertainment.
Well, he wasn't expecting.... this.
You reached out to him, and he froze in place. His eyes flared up at your hand slowly coming towards him, and the possibility of having the germs living on your hand going to him is just— well, disgusting! How Overhaul was feeling then is just beyond the ability of a human mouth.
It took a lot of deep breaths, but he miraculously managed to glue his hands in place, even if it took a lot of patience to do so.
Your hand went over his head. He was confused. What were you—
Suddenly, he felt something touching the base of his ears.
"Ah—! What are—!" He froze.
You. Were. Scratching. His. Ears.
What were YOU THINKING!
The man gritted his teeth at the contact. He didn't realize how sensitive his animal ears were. The tingly feeling left by your touch was just too much for him, too—
Purrrr~
.....
Okay, now what was that??
Did he just purr?
He bit down his lip to stop the sound, but the vibratory sound couldn't stop. He couldn't stop it.
His tail curled in pleasure, like he was enjoying. He doesn't! He hates it! He needs to stop you. He really wanted to break out in hives at this point. The affection was too much for him.
"St....St..." He couldn't seem to say it. Just one word with one syllable and four letters. Not so hard. Say it, then it would be all over.
Stop it. Simple as that. Why can't you say it? Do you actually want her to stop it?
He couldn't say it because of the constant purring, and yes, he wants you to stop.
.... Does he?
It felt so good, like he yearned for touches for decades.
He needed attention so badly, but why? Why? Why? Why?
"He really does act like a cat..." You wondered in amusement, intrigued by the man before you— the man who is feared by all who have heard his name.
You admired your boss. For years he had been a role model for you (morality? Uh... that's not something you would want to follow the boss for). His ambition and perseverance allowed him to become one of the most powerful men here in Japan, if not the world. While his quirk is powerful from the start, it depends on how he uses and trains it.
He trained it well, of course.
You loved his determination, and to see him like this...
It isn't something you have ever dreamt of.
To see him so vulnerable, like an unprotected baby in the forest filled with unspeakable beasts lurking in the darkness. He had always been the big bad wolf of the story, but now... it's different.
Well, enough is enough. If you plan to keep your life, you might as well stop now.
However, as soon as your hand left his ears, he grabbed your wrist at a lightning speed. He only looked at you with an intense expression. His eyes were blazing in golden fire with a hard stare, and his mask slightly shifted at the clenching of his jaws. At that moment, you thought you were going to meet death at the front door.
Though, what he said next shocked you.
"Did I tell you to stop?"
And so, though you weren't expecting it (but you weren't complaining at all) you continued your action, with Overhaul slightly rubbing his head against your hand, purring.
Perhaps you won't be greeting death yet with open arms.
Maybe quirks may not be as bad as you would expect them to be, even if they would still be a nuisance.
~~~~~~~~~
Did I research and watch a lot of cat videos for this chapter? Yes.
Did I constantly get distracted while doing so? Yes.
Do I regret it? No. (That's debatable)
I apologize if the part towards the end seemed a bit rush and unpolished as the rest, I was rushing to get it done, since I haven't updated in a long time now.
Also, unmasked Chrono in the anime is hhhhhhhhhhgh
He's killing me.