Aoi

[Back in the apartment]

After taking off his coat, Seiji went to his room to put Hideaki's medical documentation in one of free files folders.

Hideaki in the meantime sat on the couch, staring at his hands.

'My Magic Ability... I don't want to loose it forever... But at the same time...'  "Tch!" he hissed audibly.

Seiji went back to the living room, turning his gaze on Hideaki.

'Now it's the best time to reveal him my plans.'  he thought "Hideaki, come here for a moment." Seiji called out.

Hideaki clenged his fists violently and then, grumbling something under his breath, made his way towards Seiji.

"What is it!? Make it quick! Tch! I'm hungry! Hospital food was terrible!" Hideaki said out with venom.

"First thing first, calm down." Seiji said calmly.

"Why the hell do you need me to calm down!?" Hideaki protested, visibly angry.

"I said, calm down." Seiji said firm, almost with threateaning voice.

Hideaki flinched, this time obeyed, fearing a bit the tone of Seiji's voice.

Seiji took a deep breath, his tone steady and deliberate. "And now second thing... We need to talk about something important."

"Important??" Hideaki tensed, his nervousness evident.

"Yes. In other words, I've been thinking about your situation." Seiji paused, measuring his words. "You've made... questionable choices. Choices that you seem so fond of." Seiji’s lips pressed into a thin line. "But I believe it's not too late to change."

Hideaki blinked, caught off guard. "Change? What are you talking about?"

"It means that I can see that deep down you're just someone who's made bad decisions, repeatedly. But, you're not evil. You're just unstable, impulsive, and terrible at taking right decisions."

"Tch- I want to kill you. What's wrong with that, huh!?"

"With that? Nothing. Only that you're not going to kill me. Yet." Seiji said calmly as the mater of fact.

"But... But you said that I could kill you when you'll see that I'm in better shape!" Hideaki said. Kind of not believing in what Seiji just said.

"I know what I said. But when you were at the hospital I understood something: What you need is help." He said shortly.

Hideaki stepped back slightly.

Seiji continued,

"Structure. Guidance. You need to straighten things out in your life. Learn to function in society without violence. To break the cycle of killing that you’re trapped in."

His voice was firm, almost clinical.

"When I’m gone, no one else will dare to reprogram the way you think — or repair the system you’ve built your life on. And for that reason, I’m going to help you."

"H-help... me?" Hideaki repeated baffled.

"Yes." He said, as he watched Hideaki.

"Tch- I can't be changed!" Hideaki spat out firmly. "I'm a criminal! A killer! So one person isn't going to wonderfully change that!"

"We'll see about that," Seiji replied, locking eyes with him. "Start by seeing me as someone who won’t let you spiral further."

Hideaki looked on side, clearly not amused by this whole situation.

After a tense silence, he clutched his stomach, looking a bit distressed.

Seiji glanced at him again.

'His stomach was rumbling all the way we went back home earlier... He must be starved. Not that it’ll make him less stubborn, but it’s a start.'  he thought.

"Let's get to the kitchen. You said you're hungry." Seiji said, gesturing to the kitchen direction.

"Tch." Hideaki clicked his tongue and murmured something angrily under his breath but followed Seiji.

As he sat at the table he watched as Seiji prepared ingredients for dinner — it was something from Italian kitchen.

Seiji started chopping vegetables.

'This constant hiding and then taking kitchen tools out again is cumbersome and time-consuming. When he was absent, putting them back felt efficient. No need to hide everything. No need to worry that he would take it and attack me with it...'

He sighed softly, a touch of nostalgia crossing his expression.

His gaze landed on Hideaki again who rested his head on his elbow, looking haggard and lethargic.

Seiji sighed again, slightly irritated by the task, and continued preparing dinner, keeping a careful eye on him.

‘Every day feels like a careful balance — making sure he eats, keeping him calm, trying to avoid police and still finding time to work. And all this in the name of disappearing from this madworld.’

He briefly considered his workload for the week — long lines of code demanding his attention. It was a cleaner kind of chaos.

‘Deadlines, system errors, running tests for compatibility and usage… At least those problems make sense. Lines of logic don’t scream, don’t break down, don’t ask to be comforted. They do what they’re supposed to — if you’re smart enough to handle them.’

He stirred the sauce absent-mindedly, his mind already half at the office, half stuck here.

‘The week’s going to be a nightmare with how Iwasaki-san and Ume-san are. And to add I'll have to endure Akemi's visit on the weekend...’

The knife was rhythmically hitting the board as he was chopping the vegetables.

‘Cooking feels reliable. Unlike people. Maybe in another life, I’d have been a chef — quiet kitchen, no arguments, just order and heat and precision. I like programming but maybe that would’ve suited me more than writing code that no one even reads properly.’

He shook his head faintly, dismissing the thought.

‘Too late for that now. And besides… I doubt I’d have peace even then.’

Suddenly Hideaki raised his head but hesitated before asking, "What did you do while I was gone?"  he began tugging the edges of his sleeves.

Seiji slowed down mixing the tomato sauce and blinked surprised. "Not much, honestly." He replied calmly "I went to work, read a book, played some games. Pretty much the same as when you weren't living with me. Why do you ask?"

"Um..." Hideaki stammered, then quickly added, "N-no reason!" His voice was half-ashamed.

"Mhm." Seiji nodded, then adding, "Tomorrow I’m going to work, and after that, I’ll check the condition of your hands," he said quietly. "And remember — don’t even think about using your Magic Ability. No matter how angry you get, no matter how much you want to prove you can."

Hideaki shot him a sideways glance, clearly displeased.
"You think I’m an idiot?"

"I think you’re too impatient not to try," Seiji replied, without a trace of malice.

Hideaki sighed, pulled his legs up, and rested his chin on his knees.

In a moment the dinner was ready - Spaghetti.

Smelling the tomato aroma and the incredibly tempting-looking dish, Hideaki simply swallowed and dug into the food. Seiji, seeing this, only sighed softly, a faint smile tugging at the corner of his lips. 

 "This is so good!" Hideaki said after a moment, his face stained with tomato sauce.

Seiji let out a quiet breath through his nose, watching him for a moment.
"I’ll take that as a compliment to my cooking," he said dryly, though his tone softened at the edges.

They ate in a strange silence, broken only by the soft slurping of noodles.
When they were done, Seiji quietly gathered the dishes and began washing them in the sink. Then he turned to Hideaki, who was blissfully reclining in his chair at the table.

"In a week, I have an important visitor staying with us for a weekend. I need you to behave." Seiji said calmly.

"Huh? Who is coming to you, you nerd?" Hideaki slowly rose his head.

"You'll see in time. And don't call me nerd..."

"Tch! Idiot..."

Seiji sighed and continued cleaning.

Meanwhile Hideaki gazed at his hands again, narrowing his eyes.

'I want this whole healing process to be faster... Tch!'

[Meantime at Daisuke's house]

As each day passed, Daisuke Fukuda found himself consumed by thoughts of the situation.

"Why...? Why are we letting criminal scum like him walk free in this city?" he asked his fiancée, frustration edging into his voice.

She radiated elegance and poise, the kind of beauty that naturally drew attention. Slightly younger than Daisuke, she had silky dark brown hair and striking green eyes that shined behind stylish black round glasses. Her subtle makeup and fashionable attire gave her an air of confidence and charm.

They sat together in their cozy living room. She leaned toward him, wrapping her arms gently around his neck, her fingers brushing against his chest.

"I don't know, darling," she said softly. "But I'm sure they had their reasons."

"But what kind of reason justifies releasing a killer? Are we really going to heal and protect someone like that — only to set him loose again to harm more people? It's insane! The only reasonable thing to do now is to call the police and report it." He clenched his fists, then paused. "...But if I report it, Doctor Watanabe might lose his job for hiding information about wanted killer. The hospital could get dragged into a scandal."

"I understand, darling." she murmured. "You're thinking about the consequences. That's what makes you different from everyone else. You care. But sometimes... protecting others means making sacrifices."

"...I don't know," he admitted glancing down, uncertain. "It just feels like whatever I do, someone gets hurt."

"Aww, Dai-chan..." The woman pet him on his head, with compassion and soothing precision, "Then choose the path that protects the most people. Choose what makes you sleep at night. You said it yourself — this man is dangerous. If no one acts, he will strike again."

"But—" Daisuke lifted his head, but then Aoi interrupted him.

"You're brave, Daisuke. Maybe you're the only one thinking clearly in all of this." Her voice was soothing, almost hypnotic in its calm. "And if you're worried about consequences... then maybe it's better that you're the one who acts, because at least you're thinking of them."

He looked at her, her eyes firm and unwavering. She wasn't just encouraging him — she was guiding him, molding his doubts into resolve.

"...Maybe you're right," he muttered. "If I hadn't stepped in and restrained him, we might be talking about a death right now." He laced his fingers together, as if running through possible scenarios in his mind. Then he spoke up again, but now, with more determination than before - as if he came out with a big resolve "I need to do something. Even if it's hard. Even if it costs someone their job... people's lives come first."

"Exactly."

"But... Then... I'm just a security guard."

"Yes, and?"

"I don't have proof that this man was at the hospital. Everything was deleted. Erased from hospital archives. Would the police even listen do me?"

"Hmm... lacking evidence might be a problem... but then... You're the only one seeing the truth for what it is. You've seen the danger he poses. You said it yourself — it's nonsense to let someone like that roam free."

"That's true..." Daisuke nodded lightly and covered her hand with his own.

"Then why not take action? You're more than that. You could be a hero... A hero who saves potentially thousands of lives from that killer."

"You really think so...?"

"Of course. They might even give you a reward — or maybe offer you a spot on the police force."

His eyes lit up at that thought. "Becoming a real officer... That's been my dream since I was a kid."

A childhood memory flashed through his mind, proudly presenting his self-made badge to his mother — a woman with a kind face and a warm smile clapped her hands together, saying in her calm and caring voice,

"Yes, Daisuke! I'm sure that with your special Magic Ability, you'll be a great police officer when you grow up!"

A faint smile appeared on Daisuke's lips. Suddenly he heard the voice of his fiancée.

"Then make it happen. Don't wait for someone else to act."

He paused, reflecting on her words, then slowly nodded.

"You're right. I can't sit back and let this go. If no one else will stop him... then I will. I'll be the one to put an end to this threat in Tokyo — once and for all." He smiled with conviction. "And maybe... maybe they'll finally recognize my potential."

His fiancée smiled warmly at him. Encouraged by her support, Daisuke leaned in and kissed her gently.

"Thank you... You always know how to lift me up. I'm lucky to have you, Aoi."