Shopping and Cinnamon Rolls

Long waited for by all, the weekend started beautifully.

It happened to be the beginning of May.

The sunlight poured through the balcony door, casting a soft glow into the room. Seiji sat on the edge of the couch, already dressed and buttoning up his shirt with practiced efficiency. Hideaki, however, lay sprawled under the covers, his face buried in the pillow. The alarm from Seiji's phone had gone off several times already, but Hideaki showed no signs of wanting to move.

Seiji glanced at the clock, speaking in his usual calm but firm tone.
"Hideaki, we're leaving in ten minutes."

Hideaki groaned, his voice muffled by the pillow.
"Ugh... five more minutes..."

Seiji sighed, standing up. He pulled the covers off of Hideaki in one swift motion, revealing the disheveled figure beneath.
"You said that twenty minutes ago. We don't have time for this."

Hideaki squinted up at him, his face twisting into a frown as he tried to pull the covers back.
"Tch... Let me sleep..." he mumbled and then a soft snoring could be heard from his mouth.

"Hey, get up" Seiji demanded as he gently shook him by the shoulder.

Hideaki groaned again, but finally sat up.

He looked like he just woken up from a hibernation sleep

Then, he rapidly scratched himself on the head, making his disheveled appearance worse.

Seiji began heading toward the door.
"I'll give you ten minutes. Then we're leaving, whether you're ready or not."

"Tch... I could kill you in a few seconds..." Hideaki mumbled as he started to dress up in clothes.

"But you won't do it now. You're not strong enough." Seiji retored. 'Its good that I hidden potential weapons from him.'

As he walked, he caught sight of something from the corner of his eye: Hideaki was no longer seated on the couch.

Seiji looked around the room curiously, but couldn't spot him anywhere.

Suddenly he felt someone grabbing him lightly by the neck from behind...

Instinctively, he tensed.

"Let me out, Hideaki!" he said, immediately recognizing the force behind the attack.

The grip tightened, and Seiji felt Hideaki's breath on the back of his neck, followed by a sinister chuckle.

"Hahaha! Don't even think about it! Now, tell me, am I enough strong to finally kill you!!!" Hideaki said excitedly.

"You still lack a lot. And I can see this from your current grab of me. Let me go. I don't have time for your attacks. If you want to stay here, you need to behave. Otherwise, here are doors." Seiji pointed out at the front door. His tone was firm, devoid of fear.

"Huh!? I lack a lot!? Tch! You're fucking wrong!" Hideaki's voice took on an angry edge. Saying this he tried to use all his strength to suffocate Seiji.

Seiji had enough.

In a precise and fluid motion, he spun out of Hideaki's grip, grabbing him by the torso and twisting him to the floor.

The movement was effortless - Seiji didn't apply too much force, just enough to subdue him. Hideaki hit the ground hard, gasping as the air was knocked from his lungs.

Seiji stood over him, adjusting his shirt as if nothing had happened,

'I really don't have time for his assassinations towards me at this moment.' he thought, irritated by the disruption though his sharp eyes remained fixed on Hideaki's movements.

Suddenly Hideaki's mouth turned into a twisted grin, despite the pain. The frustration was evident in his eyes, but there was also a glint of dark amusement, the kind of look that said he wasn't finished yet.

"Are you always so fucking composed when you're throwing people on ground??" he asked with a mix of frustration and madness, propping himself up on his elbows.

"Maybe. I'm done with your shenanigans."

"But I'm not done! Ehehe!!"

Hideaki got up and with using his magic, he made Seiji's nose bleed.

Crimson liquid dripped from Seiji's nose as he tried to stop the bleeding.

'Blood Control Magic Ability... Right. He uses it right now...'

Seiji analyzed the situation.

Suddenly, blood floated before his eyes, taking the shape of a sharp needle...

"Hehe!" Hideaki aimed the weapon and made a steps at Seiji, staring at him with intensity, "Hehehehe!" he laughed viciously.

Seeing the killer running out of his mind, but also not being focused on what was under his legs, Seiji sighed and stepped back, stucking his foot out slightly, tripping Hideaki.

"Ough!" Hideaki screamed from felling to the floor with a bang. The red aura on his hands disappeared making him completely loose control of his bloody needle.

Now the weapon was shattered next to him.

Seiji seized the opportunity, rushing forward to pin Hideaki down.

His grip firm and unyielding this time.

Hideaki thrashed beneath him, his hands shaking like last time he used his magic, but Seiji was stronger, more disciplined.

"You're pathetic," Seiji hissed, his voice low and dangerous. "You say you're strong? Then why are your hands are shaking like crazy right now?"

Hideaki glared up at him, breathing heavily, seething in anger. "Tch! Shut up" Hideaki clenched his teeth. "I will kill you!!!"

"Not with your own body clearly telling you to take a break. And even if you would really try to kill me right now... Welp. You're doing it very ineffectively. And now," Seiji continued "Get over yourself and let's get going to the mall."

"Tssk!" Hideaki hissed angrily. He knew Seiji was right, and that knowledge stinged more than anything

Seiji released Hideaki from his grip but suddenly, something crimson flashed before him and hit the glass on the table.

Hideaki started to chuckle maniacally. "Hehehe! I'm doing it ineffectively!? Then look at this!"

He lifted his hand. On his finger was visible a nail cut. Not tragic, but enough deep to let the blood stream down from it.

In one moment, his fingers twitched with red magic aura as his blood magic began to stir. A thin stream of blood from his finger rose into the air, swirling in unnatural patterns, creating something small and deadly.

Seiji's eyes narrowed, 'When the hell did he make this?' he pondered. His posture shifted slightly. He couldn't let this escalate further.

Hideaki in one moment made the needles of blood shot forward again - towards Seiji, but he missed.

"Tch! Fuck! Looks like I have to kill you in a different way..." he hissed, locking his gaze on his bleeding finger. The crimson stream thickened, twisting in the air as he shaped from it a larger, more menacing blade.

But as the blade solidified, his fingers began to tremble. His grip on the hilt of his own blood wavered, and a twitch ran through his wrist. The weapon itself shivered unnaturally, unstable, like his state of mind.

Seiji's sharp eyes caught a glint on the counter – an empty glass, carelessly left on the kitchen top. In the same second he stepped back, avoiding another possible strike, and snatched the glass with precise speed.

Crash!

He smashed it against the edge of the counter, gripping the largest shard in his hand.

"Come closer to me, do that again and I'll stab you!" he threaten Hideaki, hoping that it will tame his aggressive urges.

"Huh..? You think, hehehe... that you will stab me with this little piece of glass?? Hehehe!" Hideaki sneered, his grin widening though his fingers kept shaking around the crimson blade. "Besides... I thought you wanted to die?" His grin turned ominous,

"I told you the conditions! Adapt to them!"

"Uuh I told you the conditions! Adapt to them" Hideaki started to unpleasantly mimic Seiji. "Just shut up!"

Without warning, his body snapped forward. Hideaki sprinted at Seiji with explosive speed, the trembling in his hands overtaken by a manic burst of rage.

By the time Seiji braced himself for the attack, Hideaki was already at his neck.

His arm wrapped around him from behind, pulling him into a vice-like grip.

But this time, Hideaki wasn't only choking him — in his trembling hand, the crimson blade of blood hovered dangerously close to Seiji's throat.

Broken glass Seiji was holding hit the floor with a clatter...

'Do that! Do this! I'm sick of this telling me what to do all the time!!'
Hideaki said angered in his head, making his grip stronger.

The knife pressed against Seiji's neck, not deep, but enough that the skin split slightly under the unstable point. A warm bead of blood rolled down.

Hideaki's hand shook violently, making the edge quiver. The threat was absolute, but so was the instability — Seiji could feel it. One wrong twitch, one sudden spasm, and Hideaki might cut too far.

'He's unstable... if I move wrong, it's over. But those hands... they're trembling again.' Seiji thought coldly, narrowing his eyes, analyzing even in the grip of danger.

"You're bleeding... Hehe..." Hideaki said with a maniac glee in his voice.

This tone... For a brief moment Seiji felt the true weight of danger. His pulse quickened, breath faltered, and with Hideaki's grip crushing his airway, every shallow inhale reminded him how close the blade was to ending it.

But even in his panic, Seiji's mind worked fast.

First, he had to break free from Hideaki's hold.
Second, he had to disarm him — without leaving wounds that would draw unwanted attention later.

He felt the tremor in Hideaki's hand. The blade quivered, unstable.

'There.'

With a sudden twist of his shoulder, Seiji forced his body downward, slipping out just enough from Hideaki's choking arm. At the same time his free hand snapped up, gripping Hideaki's trembling wrist with cold precision.

The blood-knife jerked — dangerously close to slicing deeper — but Seiji rotated his wrist sharply against Hideaki's thumb, forcing the blade away from his throat.

For one tense heartbeat, they struggled. Hideaki's strength was wild, erratic, but Seiji's leverage was precise, calculated.

The weapon slipped, and in that fraction of a second, Seiji twisted the hand further, wrenching the knife free from Hideaki's grip.

Breathing hard, Seiji now stood a step back, the quivering blood-blade in his own hand.

"Enough!" he hissed coldly, holding the unstable weapon low but ready, more a threat than a strike.

Hideaki jumped with panic, making him avoid the possible attack (being it more of a luck stroke, rather than a thought out move...) and in one moment, his leg shot up instinctively, slamming into Seiji's groin with brutal precision.

Pain exploded through Seiji's body, forcing a choked gasp from his throat as his grip on the knife slackened again.

Hideaki grinned. There was bloodlust in his eyes. "Hehehehe! Now you are seeing how strong I became you idiot! Ehehehehe!" he laughed psychopathically.

'I wanna see how he will howl in pain from my stabs now!'
Hideaki thought with a sadistic glee in his voice.

He gazed at his hands that shook strongly, both from stress and mana usage again, but despite that, he took a cautious step closer and retrieved the bloody knife from Seiji

"Hmm... I wonder how you'd react once I could stick the whole bloody dagger in your-" *HIT* Ouch!!!"

Hideaki accidentally let out his weapon, that instantly shattered on the floor. He felt his head hurt incredibly badly from the impact of the wooden cutting board.

Seiji did it with all his strength.

Hideaki clutched his head where the board had struck, glaring at Seiji with a mixture of shock and anger, who now could breath back the air from Hideaki attempt to kill him.

"You're predictable, Hideaki," he said between ragged breaths, his voice laced with icy disdain. "Always so eager to lash out... but not smart enough to win." He began to securing his wound on neck.

"You...! You think you're so clever, don't you?!" Hideaki gazed at Seiji who was putting back the wooden cutting board.

Then Seiji straightened up, before fully regaining his composure. "Clever enough to not die by your hands," he said, his eyes narrowing. "You're driven by impulse, never thinking more than a few steps ahead. That's why you keep failing. You act without purpose."

"Shut up! You think you know everything!"

"I know you're not as strong as you think you are. Not yet, anyway. The more you obsess over this, the more you lose sight of your own goals. You want to kill me, but right now, you can barely stand."

Hideaki paused, before he said out next thing.

He stared at Seiji, his breathing heavy from anger. He wanted to lash out again, to scare Seiji, to have advantage over him for once.

"I can actually hurt you without even touching you!"
He blurted out angered.

But then his expression turned maniacal, as if he was visualizing every thing he would do to Seiji

"Maybe I'll just make you bleed from the inside... Your organs... your veins... imagine how painful that would be!! Ehehehe!!!"

He talked more to himself that to Seiji.

His eyes gleamed with the thrill of his sadistic imagination.

"Hideaki, if you were capable of that, you wouldn't waste time telling me. You're predictable - always trying to scare me with empty threats." Seiji said with cold controlled tone.

Hideaki's grin faltered for a split second, "Tch!" He hissed, clinging his fists, "Empty threats!? What if I would make these threats real, huh?? How would you react then!?"

Seiji sighed heavily and leaned in close enough for Hideaki to hear his steady breathing.

His voice dropped to a whisper, his gaze piercing through Hideaki's madness.

"If you're really going to do this, I suggest you stop throwing words to the wind." He tilted his head slightly, giving Hideaki a cold stare. "This isn't even scary anymore. Just pathetically predictable."

He allowed himself a brief pause, as if analyzing his posture. "Your power could be dangerous if you learned to control it. But right now? You're no more threatening than the knife that was dropped."

Hideaki's voice died in his throat, replaced by the grinding sound of his teeth. He hated how calm Seiji remained, how nothing he did ever seemed to shake him.

Seiji continued, his tone sharper now. "If you really want to beat me, Hideaki, stop acting like a child. Because, honestly?" Then he added with a hint of a mocking smile, "You look like you're sixteen and have a edgy chuunibyou complex."

"Huh!?!?!?" Hideaki flared up.

Seiji turned his back on Hideaki as he walked toward the door. "Get yourself together. We're going to the mall. And this time, don't embarrass yourself."

[In the Meantime]

It was early morning, and the Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department was abuzz with activity.

Detective Nakamura stood in front of a whiteboard filled with pictures and notes about Hideaki Miyahara. His eyes were sharp, focused. A map of the city was spread across a table, marked with potential locations where Hideaki could be hiding.

"We need to act fast," Nakamura said, addressing the officers gathered around him. "Miyahara is dangerous and desperate. We can't afford any mistakes."

A younger officer with short black hair nodded - Officer Takao Tanaka
"We've already distributed his picture to all patrol units. We're monitoring transportation hubs, checking surveillance footage, and questioning anyone who might know his whereabouts."

"Good," Nakamura replied, his tone firm. "But we need to be discreet. If he senses we're closing in, he might do something reckless."

The officers began splitting into teams, each assigned to different areas of the city. Some were sent to Hideaki's known hangouts — capsule hotels, forgotten subway exits, alleyways that reeked of abandonment.

Others were tasked with searching through records, checking his known associates, and following any leads that might hint at where he could be hiding.

As the teams dispersed, Nakamura stood by the large windows of the police station, looking out over the city. His thoughts raced.

'Where are you, Miyahara? What are you planning?'

---

Meanwhile, another team searched the alleys of Akihabara, checking with shop owners and locals. They held up Hideaki's photo.

"Have you seen him?" the officer asked a café clerk. The man stared at the photo for a moment, then shook his head.

The officer lowered the photo and muttered to his partner:

"He doesn't look like much, does he? But he's a full grown adult. Nakamura said that's the trap. Soft features, looking almost like a teenager... like he's not even the killer himself. But once he moves — it's already too late."

His partner, scanning the street ahead, replied quietly:

"Yeah. And I'm still wondering, how such people are freely walking among normal citizens...."

"No idea. Must be something important that the government isn't taking them seriously, and allows it."

The first officer gave a short, tense nod.

"You ever hear what Nakamura said about the bodies? He doesn't just stab. He draws. He carves. He spills them open and then... Fuck. You ever see someone butcher a body just to admire how it bleeds?"

His partner's voice dropped even lower:

"Nope. And I really hope I never do."

They continued walking, holding up the photo to disinterested passersby.

"It's the quiet ones," the first officer murmured, almost to himself. "They always say that. But this one? He's quiet because he's somewhere else entirely."

The other officer didn't answer. He just clenched his jaw and kept walking.

They kept showing Hideaki's picture, asking if anyone had seen him recently. Most people shook their heads, unaware of the hunt that was quietly unfolding around them.

The police searched everywhere... everywhere expect the place where our duo were heading to...

[Later...]

Seiji and Hideaki walked together to the Ueno subway station. The air felt thick with tension, though not from anything between them - rather, it was the crowded city pressing in on them. They boarded one of the packed trains heading toward the city center. The train was jammed with people, typical for the metropolis.

Hideaki felt his discomfort growing with every second in the cramped space.

He outright hated it due to many people that entered the vehicles. And to add, an additional fuel to his stressed state, was a conviction as if every person on the train was silently watching him, tracking his every move.

His breathing quickened, and he clenched his fists, trying to ignore the feeling, but being squeezed in with strangers made it nearly impossible.

'Tch... What an idiot... How can he just stand there like that? What if among these people are police officers?? What if they recognize me?? I hate people!' Hideaki muttered in his mind, glancing sideways at Seiji, who stood calmly beside him, seemingly unbothered by the crush of people.

Seiji didn't seem to notice Hideaki's tense reaction. His focus was entirely on the journey ahead. His expression composed as always, even though inside he wanted to leave the train as much as Hideaki did. It wasn't Seiji's preferred way to travel, but he didn't want to show his discomfort. His only goal now was the mall.

Finally, the train came to a halt, and they stepped off.

Both felt relief from the crowded subway.

They were finally at their stop, heading toward the mall.

'All of these people are staring at me! I hate it!' Hideaki said in stress as he darted his gaze around. He looked again at Seiji, hoping to see that not only he is the one who is anxious.

But Seiji again, looked unbothered, and instead of panicking like Hideaki did, he was checking something on his phone.

Seeing this Hideaki hissed angrily.

'I-idiot...' he cursed at Seiji

When they approached the shopping mall, Hideaki's anxiety briefly gave away to awe at the size of the building. His eyes widened in surprise.

"Wow... This mall is much b-bigger than one I once visited here..." Hideaki asked in a hushed, slightly nervous voice.

"This one's one of the largest in the city." Seiji replied casually as they walked,

Seiji glanced at Hideaki, his curiosity piqued by the way Hideaki had spoken. He was surprised by the other's reaction, as though something didn't quite add up.

"You said that you visited. You're not from here?"

"No." Hideaki shook his head, briefly glancing away.

"Well, that's one mystery that is solved. I thought for sure you were from Tokyo."

"Nope. I'm from... Kyoto..." Hideaki sighed, avoiding Seiji's probing gaze.

"Kyoto? That's a long way from here." Seiji asked genuinely surprised.

"Yeah... So...?" Hideaki shrugged, trying downplay it.

"Well, for starters, how did you get here? Did you have some kind of transport? It's not like you just walked all that way, right?"

Hideaki sighed, clearly annoyed by Seiji's barrage of questions. He didn't want to explain his situation, but Seiji wasn't the type to let things slide easily.

"Yeah, I had transport... For a while, at least. It was... illegal. But I didn't have a choice - I had to get out of there." he replied with reluctance, voice low and defensive.

Seiji's interest deepened. Hideaki's tone suggested something darker, something he wasn't eager to discuss. But Seiji wasn't one to leave loose ends hanging.

"You had to escape? From what?"

Hideaki gulped and replied nervously, trying to shut down the conversation.
"It's... It's a long story, okay!? I don't want to talk about it right now." He turned his gaze away, holding his hands in pants pockets.

"Alright then." Seiji replied calmly.

They had reached the entrance of the shopping mall by then. Hideaki's attention drifted away from Seiji, his anxiety returning as he noticed the growing crowd. People were pouring in and out of the mall, and the noise was starting to overwhelm him again.

Hideaki's mind raced. He looked around nervously, every face in the crowd feeling like a threat. His fear spiked at the thought of being recognized.
He felt that internally, panic was creeping in.

'There are so many people... It's too crowded. If anyone recognizes me from the news, I'm screwed. That damn nerd was right... What if they already called the police? F-fuck...'

His anxiety became too much to bear, and he suddenly blurted out.

"I-I'm not s-sure if I can make it... There are too many p-people." Hideaki said stammering, voice shaky with fear.

Seiji stopped, turning to face Hideaki. He could see the fear written all over his face. Despite Hideaki's usual tough-guy attitude, there was a vulnerability in him now. Seiji softened his tone slightly, recognizing the need to calm him down.

"Don't worry. No one's looking for you here. We're just going to get what we need and leave. Stick with me. I'll show you around the gallery - it'll be quick." Seiji said to him in calm, reassuring voice.

"B-but what if someone recognizes me?" Hideaki asked still nervous.

"No one will. I can promise you that." Seiji said confidently.

Hideaki hesitated, still feeling overwhelmed. He gazed one more time at the surrounding people, and then at Seiji - his cool eyes showed confidence, that surprisingly helped ground him, if only a little.

He took a deep breath "A-alright..." He nodded, following Seiji into the mall.

Just before entering, Hideaki looked again at the huge building, swallowing from slowly growing stress inside him.

Seiji decided to lead him the way. He wanted to do it quickly exactly for the reason Hideaki feared — to not make him being recognized by unwanted people.

They entered the mall, Seiji kept his stride calm and steady, scanning their surroundings. He sensed Hideaki's discomfort as the crowds thickened, but didn't comment on it directly. Instead, he made sure to keep close, subtly shielding Hideaki from anyone brushing too near.

"Alright, we're going straight to the clothing section," Seiji said, his tone more relaxed, "It'll be less crowded there, and we'll find you something decent quickly."

Hideaki gave a quiet nod, still visibly uneasy, but following closely behind. His eyes darted around as they walked, wary of everyone that passed by, half-expecting someone to shout his name.

Once they reached the men's clothing section, Seiji quickly assessed the layout, steering them towards a quieter corner. He turned to Hideaki, handing him a few options to try on.

"Here," Seiji said, his voice now more casual, "Try these. You'll look much less suspicious when you're not dressed like clothes were borrowed from your older brother."

"Tch! I'm not t-that small!" Hideaki frowned but took the clothes without protest, disappearing into a fitting room.

Seiji stood just outside, arms crossed, watching the entrance for any signs of trouble. His mind raced through the events of the morning, still reeling from Hideaki's earlier outburst.

Even though Hideaki had calmed down for now, Seiji knew how unpredictable his moods could be.

As Hideaki stepped out, wearing a simple dark hoodie and grey jeans, Seiji smirked. "Much better."

Hideaki huffed but didn't argue. "I feel... weird," he admitted, tugging at the sleeves,

Seiji shrugged. "You'll get used to it. Besides, blending in with proper clothes is better for someone in your position."

Hideaki shot Seiji a sharp look "Tch! I k-know this, you idiot!" he retored angrily and loudly.

Seiji raised his eyebrow at Hideaki's unnecessary dramatic response, "Don't yell so much. Others might draw attention to us."

Realizing this, Hideaki hissed once again and muttered feeling anxious again,

"I m-mean, let's just get this over with." he felt slight blushes from embarrassment, realizing that he drew attention of other people.

Seiji nodded with muffled sound.

As they made their way to the checkout, Seiji maintained his calm exterior, but inside, he was calculating every step.

He knew their situation wasn't stable. The police could be getting closer, and Hideaki was a ticking time bomb.

'I need to get him out of here, before he will draw any more attention on us from his exaggerated yelling...'

Once they were done and out of the mall crowds, Seiji breathed a bit easier, turning to Hideaki.

"There. You've got clothes. Now, we head back, eat, and try not to kill each other."

Hideaki let out a dry laugh, "You're lucky I didn't kill you earlier."

"Me? Lucky?" Seiji's gaze turned sharp for a second before he replied further, his voice low and firm. "With your failed attempts, I'd rather say that you shouldn't push your luck with me. You're still not strong enough to win."

Hideaki clicked his tongue feeling growing anger but said nothing.

Instead he kept following Seiji silently as they made their way to the exit.
But even as they walked in relative silence, the tension between them was palpable.

Suddenly, Hideaki came to a halt, causing Seiji to pause and turn towards him.

"What is it?" Seiji asked, being burdened with multiple shopping bags, which made it somewhat cumbersome for him to turn around.

"Cinnamon Rolls!"

"Cinnamon Rolls?"

"Cinnamon Rolls! I want to eat them!"

"Now..?"

"YES!"

Seiji sighed and walked over to Hideaki who was standing by Cinnabun - a international chain store that offered cinnamon rolls in shopping malls and commercial centers.

"Let's go inside then." he said.

Hideaki chuckled all happy and stormed to the store all excited.

"How much for that Cinnamon Roll?" Seiji asked the cashier.

The seller quoted a price, prompting Seiji to retrieve his wallet, which he struggled to do it from being overloaded with bags of Hideaki's clothes.

With the transaction complete, Hideaki eagerly received the sweet treat and wasted no time in devouring it.

Seiji watched him the whole time.

'It looks that he got a pretty big sweet-tooth.'

As they resumed their journey towards the exit, Hideaki appeared less stressed and angered than he was before.

He looked content even, though it was unclear if it was due to indulging in the cinnamon roll or shopping...

Regardless from the real reason of that, Seiji sighed with relief.

'I'm glad that the rest of the day went without riots...'