Plastering the walls

[The next day, evening]

Seiji meticulously prepeared things that needed to be used to fix the damage Hideaki did.

"I should charge him for the fact I had to buy these. Well... At least he'll get the job done properly."

---

Hideaki knelt by the wall with a small bucket of water and a sponge. His hands shook as he tried to wipe away the red streaks he'd left earlier. Each subsequent wipe looked more pathetic — the paint began to peel, and the streaks became even more smudging.

"Ugh... shit..." he hissed under his breath, scratching the back of his neck nervously. "It's not working..."

Hideaki gritted his teeth and tried harder, but the sponge tore in his hands, splashing water onto the floor, and he stumbled, landing on his butt on the cold tiles.

"FUUUUCK!" he exploded, pounding his fist on the floor. "I can't do this! I'm not some repair guy, Seiji!"

Hideaki leaned over the wall, rubbing the sponge with even greater desperation. Instead of cleaning, it left dirty, pink streaks that only made the mess worse.

"Shit, shit, shit!" he muttered, pressing harder. Water dripped down the wall, spreading across the floor.

He handed the sponge back with a cold look. Hideaki obediently began to imitate the movements, even though his hands were shaking.

"Not so fast," Seiji corrected the teacher in a tone, as if he were speaking to someone who was particularly resistant. "Steady pressure. Let the sponge do the work."

"Tch." Hideaki snorted, his face red, but this time he didn't answer - he just dug into his work with quiet determination.

"Because you're clumsy," Seiji commented coldly. "Smaller portion. Controlled pressure. Again."

Hideaki tried again, more carefully this time. A few tries later, the crack was sealed, albeit unevenly.

"Now we wait for it to dry," Seiji announced, taking the spatula from him. "Then we sand it down. And after that, paint."

[Meanwhile outside the apartment]

Oyakata with Daisuke and Aoi arrived.

He swiftly approached the door. Downstairs, 

Daisuke and Aoi stayed in police car and observed Oyakata from there.

The officer knocked gently on the door. "Police! Please open the door!"

Hideaki stopped cleaning up the tools. The moment he heard the word police, panic surged through him.

"P-Police!? What the FUCK!?!"

Seiji raised an eyebrow, but stayed composed. "I'd like to know that too..." he said, standing up calmly and walking toward the door, trying to maintain his usual detached demeanor, despite the stress gnawing at the edges of his mind.

Hideaki glared fiercely at Seiji, his paranoia taking over, heart racing with stress.

'H-huh!? He doesn't know why the police is here!? L-like I'd believe that! He must've called them silently, while I was cleaning up these stupid walls! He's the one who exposed me! He... He fucking betrayed me!'

Without warning, Hideaki lunged at Seiji, fury in his eyes.

Seiji barely had time to react as Hideaki tackled him to the ground.

"You called the cops on me, didn't you!? You traitorous bastard!"

"Hideaki, stop!" Seiji said sounding clearly irritated by Hideaki's assumptions, "I didn't call them! You're being irrational."

"Don't lie to me!" Hideaki shouted, throwing a punch, but Seiji caught his arm.

"I'm not lying." Seiji countered, his voice more forceful "If I called them, I wouldn't be standing here trying to help you!"

They looked into each other's eyes - one with their red ones, full of anger and fear, and the other with their blue ones, cold and slightly irritated.

"Check my phone. Go ahead." Seiji said.

Hideaki froze for a moment, then, panting, yanked the phone from Seiji's pocket. He scrolled through it quickly, trying to confirm his suspicions. Meanwhile, Seiji's eyes flickered to the door as another knock came.

"Hello? Is everything alright in there?" the officer asked from outside. "Can I come in?"

Seiji straightened himself, adjusting his shirt. "Yes, yes, everything's fine!" he called out, his voice steady. "Just having some trouble with my... uh... cat... uh, he's being difficult. I'll open the door in just a moment."

"Alright," the officer replied, though there was a clear note of suspicion in his voice.

Seiji looked back at Hideaki, who was still staring at the phone. "You see? I didn't call them. Now hide. Quickly."

"Where the fuck am I supposed to hide!?" Hideaki hissed, his anger only slightly diminished.

"I don't care where, just find somewhere," Seiji snapped quietly, keeping his cool but showing urgency. He wasn't panicking -not yet- but the situation was spiraling.

Hideaki snarled but had no time to argue.

He rushed toward the balcony, but the balcony door were locked.

"Tch! Open them!"

Seiji run to the door and with swift move he unlocked the door.

Hideaki slipped outside just as the front door slid open.

The familiar sound of pigeons flapping nearby filled the air.

"Tch!" He clicked his tongue.

Seiji smoothed his shirt and finally opened the door, greeting the officer with a forced smile.

"I'm terribly sorry about the delay. Cats, you know... they're unpredictable sometimes, hehehe." he said, laughing awkwardly, though his tone remained measured.

The officer's sharp eyes scanned Seiji's face, and his gaze lingered.

'He is laughing like he's hiding something... But maybe it's just my own impression.'

His expression softened, though his eyes still held suspicion.

"I understand. Well, let me introduce myself. Sergeant Oyakata Jun from Tokyo's General Police Departnement. You're Sekiguchi Seiji?"

Seiji nodded slowly "Yes, it's me. Is there any problem?" he asked calmly.

"We've got a warrant to search your apartment."

Oyakata showed Seiji an official police document, the red stamp of the Tokyo Court visible on top.

Seiji’s gaze flicked briefly over the paper. "A warrant?" he repeated. "That’s… sudden. May I ask on what basis it was issued?"

Oyakata adjusted his tone, keeping it even but guarded.

"I’m not at liberty to disclose the details, sir. What I can say is that we received a tip that a dangerous criminal, Miyahara Hideaki, may be hiding here."

Seiji’s eyes narrowed slightly, analyzing the officer’s expression.

"He is very dangerous. The judge signed the warrant under urgent procedure. I assume you've seen the news?" Oyakata added.

Seiji swallowed, his mind racing for the right response.

"Y-yes, of course," he replied, mentally cursing his stammer.

He quickly regained composure, his tone turning calm again.

"You're welcome to check the place. I've got nothing to hide."

Oyakata gave a short nod and stepped inside.

In the genkan, he noticed only one pair of shoes.

'So he lives alone.'

Seiji adjusted his glasses, answering calmly, almost too casually. "My cat have been scratching my walls recently. The damage was so serious that I had to do something to cover the claws marks. I don't want to worry the apartment landlord." 

Oyakata nodded and he went on with his search of the apartment, no longer suspicious.

Seiji watched him out of the corner of his eye, running through every possible outcome in his head.

'If Hideaki does something stupid, we're both screwed. I need to keep this officer calm and not give him a reason to dig deeper...'

The officer moved through the rooms slowly, his attention focused.

"Your apartment seems... quite clean. Though I couldn't help but notice that despite those claw marks on walls, there's no sign of any cat... no toys, no bowls. Where is your cat, Mr. Sekiguchi?"

Seiji's mind raced, but his expression remained calm. "He was a stray," he said smoothly, almost too quickly. "Still getting used to being indoors. I feed him on the floor. He's... a bit skittish. Doesn't like new things, like bowls. I'm working on it."

"Hm." Oyakata nodded, still suspicious. "And where is he now? I'd like to see him."

Seiji didn't flinch. "He's hiding, as usual. He hates strangers. If you get too close, he might claw at you."

"Just like your wall?" He pointed at the drying wall.

"Yes. Exactly." 

Oyakata narrowed his eyes but didn't press further. "Alright, mind if I check the balcony?"

Seiji's chest tightened, but he kept his face neutral. "Sure, go ahead."

He slid the door open, allowing the officer onto the balcony. The pigeons took flight, scattering as the door opened. Oyakata surveyed the area carefully, but the balcony appeared empty.

Seiji held his breath. 'Thank God he didn't see anything... Hideaki better stay quiet.'

Oyakata shrugged and closed the door.

Then he turned around and went back to the front door. But when he was about to leave, he noticed the double locks on the door. 

'Huh, How did I not see them when I was entering the apartment?'

Curious he asked about it.

"Sekiguchi-san, since when you had double locks in the doors? I never seen a normal person needing such things."

"I had a break-in a few weeks ago. Nothing serious was taken, but it was unsettling enough. So I added a second lock — just in case it happened again."

Oyakata studied him for a moment before pressing, "Why didn't you report it to the police?"

Seiji kept his expression neutral. "Because by the time I noticed, the intruder was already gone. No sign of forced entry and like I said, nothing serious missing. I doubted you'd be able to do much with that. It felt pointless to waste your time with no evidence to investigate."

Oyakata studied him for a moment, listening to the answer with a serious expression. Finally, he nodded, as if it sounded reasonable.

'Hmm... No wonder he put on an extra lock. That's actually pretty responsible of him. Most people would just brush it off, but he thought about securing himself in case it happens again,'  he thought.

Despite his young age, he had a strong sense of duty and justice, but his lack of experience made him easily convinced by logical arguments. 

He gave a faint smile, trying to add a bit of warmth to the tense atmosphere.

"You did the right thing. Better to be safe than sorry."

Oyakata turned back, no longer suspicious. 

"Well, overall, your place seems clean. But we'll be keeping an eye on things. If you're hiding anything, Mr. Sekiguchi, it'll catch up with you eventually."

Seiji nodded politely. "Of course, Officer. I understand."

Just before the officer left, Seiji asked, "If I may, who gave you the tip that someone as threatening as a serial killer might be here?"

Oyakata's lips twitched. "Oh... I'm sorry, we generally do not disclose the identity of the person who provided the tip, unless it becomes necessary for legal proceedings. The privacy and confidentiality of informants are typically protected to encourage individuals to come forward with information," the policeman explained.

"I see... makes sense." Seiji rubbed his chin, processing the information. "Thanks for the clarification."

"Thank you, and we apologize for the trouble."

"No problem." Seiji maintained his polite smile, watching the man walk away.

As the officer moved toward his car, Seiji’s expression shifted — the faint trace of a smirk playing at the edge of his lips.

‘Clean haircut, slightly too polished uniform, fake warmth in the tone. Classic type — believes his smile makes him look trustworthy.' 

He watched Oyakata straighten his jacket before getting into the vehicle.

He exhaled through his nose, faint amusement flickering behind his calm mask.

"Wait..." His brow furrowed. "Aoi?"

"What is she doing here..?"

His jaw clenched.

'It.. it doesn't matter. She betrayed me. Like I was disposable. Like I wasn't enough.'

The ache dissolved into something sharper, heavier.

'She made her choice. So fuck her. She went after someone else. Someone with Magic Ability. Like all the others. Like I was nothing. If she wanted someone with a flashy trick and nothing else to offer — fine. Let her rot with him.'

He looked away, fingers tightening at his sides.

Silence settled again, only the wind against the window.

Then — he exhaled sharply through his nose, breaking the stillness.

'Get a grip.'

The police soon departed, leaving Seiji standing there, his mind turning over a thousand possibilities.

He pulled himself back to focus. Cold analysis settling over the churn of his thoughts.

'If she was with the police, then this isn't a coincidence. She had to know about Hideaki somehow. But how? We haven't even spoken since we broke up... She shouldn't know anything about my life right now, let alone something as specific as this. Unless...'

His eyes narrowed.

'Did she see Hideaki somewhere in city with me? The phone store? Restaurant? Or maybe during our way back from hospital? If so, then, did she tip them off? Is she working with them?'

He paused, brows knitting tighter.

'No... that doesn't make sense. What reason would she have to get involved with a case like this? She's not from police... But... Maybe she knows someone from it? Like this officer.'

He remembered the officer's kind face. The determination in his actions. The commitment to his job.

Seiji sighed.

'This guy. For sure has some unique Magic Ability. Plus he's from police. He seemed to be good manured too. He's got that all "emphatic and caring" facade...'

The calm yet gentle face of Oyakata, appeared before his eyes.

'Is he... her new boyfriend? He seemed to be around our age. But his face... It's a face that says what a big cunt I am to the world. If this is the guy she fell for... that she cheated me with...'

Seiji paused and clenged his fists.

'No... Even if he's her boyfriend, that doesn't mean anything. And that certianly doesn't mean that he shares everything with her. And if it wasn't him, then I don't know anyone else who might have told her about it.'

His gaze flickered on the turned off TV. An idea stroked his mind.

'Maybe she just saw something about Hideaki in the news... and used it to get the police involved. Maybe she fabricated a story adding me to this mess to get their attention. But why? Out of revenge? That I broke up with her?'

The pieces didn't quite fit — yet. But something was off. Deeply off.

Seiji closed the door with a soft, final click letting out a controlled breath.

"Either way, that was too close." He muttered.

Locking the doors with precise motions, he made his way through the apartment, searching for Hideaki. The familiar sound of struggling voice from the balcony caught his attention. Looking outside, Seiji was surprised to find Hideaki dangling from the balcony.

"What the hell are you doing down there?" Seiji asked, his voice calm but stern.

"I'm trying to fucking hide from these cops, you idiot!" Hideaki snarled, clumsily attempting another desperate climb.

"The police is gone. Just wait there, I'll ask the neighbor to let you in." Seiji said swiftly.

He made his way downstairs and knocked gently on the neighbor's door.

When the elderly man opened it, he looked terrified, shaking all over.

Seeing that, Seiji was quick to offer reassurance.

'What happened to this man? He's all shaking. Could it be the police encounter made him shiver like this?'  he thought and then, to confirm his theory he said, "The police's gone," his voice steady.

The old man remained shaken. "Oh God... I didn't know what was happening... First the police patrol and then someone almost jumped onto my balcony! Can't an old man go out for a little evening stroll anymore?"

Seiji suppressed a sigh. "Yeah, about that... Sorry for the trouble. That person that almost jump onto your balcony is, uh, my roommate."

The man looked confused. "Your roommate?"

"Yeah. He was getting the dried laundry from the balcony and tripped. Can you let me in so I can get him down? It'll just take a minute."

Reluctantly, the man nodded and let Seiji into his apartment. Seiji strode to the balcony, where Hideaki was still struggling, his feet scraping the building's side.

"Hideaki, stop. I'm here. Jump and come back inside."

Hideaki paused, his expression even more scared as the elder man had, "You're telling me to jump!? Fuck no! It's too high!" he screamed with panic.

Seiji sighed "It isn't that high, honestly." His mind worked for some solution, to do it effectively and quickly "Here." He opned his arms "Jump into my arms. I will catch you."

"Tch! N-no! I don't believe you!" Hideaki screamed shaken up.

"I promise I will catch you." Seiji pressed.

"No!!"

"Hideaki, just do it. It's not that hard."

"No! Fuck you!"

Seiji let out an irritated sigh but tried to maintain his calm tone of a voice "Jump. I don't have all day."

"Tch!" Hideaki gritted his teeth.

"Jump."

Hideaki hesitated, his mind swirling with possibilities of what could happen if Seiji failed to catch him. The thought sent a wave of fear through him. He glanced at Seiji again. The man wasn't as far away as he'd initially thought. Gulping, his heart racing with stress, Hideaki muttered, "You're sure you'll catch me?"

"Yes." Seiji replied firmly. "I don't break my promises easily. Remember?"

Hideaki hesitated again, his body trembling as he clung tightly to the edge of the balcony. His mind raced again, bombarded even with thoughts of the worst-case scenario. The fear was almost paralyzing. Finally, in an attempt to mask his unease, he barked out a threat.

"Fine! I'll jump... but if you don't catch me, I'll murder you!" he snarled, his voice wavering despite the bravado.

Seiji's expression remained steady. He stared at Hideaki with his usual calm demeanor, though inwardly he braced himself. "Alright. I'll catch you. Now hurry up."

Hideaki squeezed his eyes shut, muttering curses under his breath. After another beat of hesitation, he finally pushed off from the ledge, his body twisting awkwardly as he fell.

Seiji moved swiftly, his arms outstretched as Hideaki plummeted toward him. With a solid thud, Hideaki landed in Seiji's grasp, the impact nearly knocking the air out of both of them.

For a moment, there was only silence. Hideaki slowly opened his eyes, still shaken, his heart pounding in disbelief. "...It worked," he whispered hoarsely, more to himself than to Seiji.

Seiji, despite his reluctance, managed to hold him steady. "Of course it worked. I told you I'd catch you," he replied dryly, setting Hideaki down on his feet.

Hideaki staggered slightly but quickly regained his balance. His shock gave way to a flicker of annoyance as he tried to play it cool. "Tch. You'd better be glad you didn't drop me, or you'd have been done for."

Seiji arched an eyebrow, his tone deadpan. "Right. Because I was so worried about that."

Hideaki shot him a glare but said nothing more. The adrenaline still coursing through him made it hard to muster a proper comeback.

Seiji glanced toward the elderly neighbor, who was standing in the doorway, his face pale as he watched the scene unfold. Seiji gave the man a curt nod. "Thanks for your help, and sorry for the trouble," Seiji said, bowing politely to the neighbor.

The old man muttered something about "crazy kids these days" before retreating into his apartment and shutting the door.

Seiji turned to Hideaki, his expression hardening slightly. "Next time, try not to scare the neighbors half to death. Let's go."

Hideaki huffed, crossing his arms but following Seiji back upstairs, the faintest hint of lingering relief hidden behind his scowl.

---

Back in the apartment, Seiji sank onto the couch, trying to process the chaos of the last few hours. He exhaled, a mixture of frustration and relief, while Hideaki remained tense, pacing like a caged animal.

"S-Seiji..." Hideaki's voice cut through the silence, suspicion laced in his tone. "Are you absolutely sure it wasn't you who called the police?"

Seiji turned his head slowly, his face neutral. "No. You saw my call history."

Hideaki grunted but didn't seem convinced.

Seiji sighed. "But I think I know who might've done it..."

"W-who?" Hideaki asked both curious and nervous.

"When I looked outside, I saw someone in one of the police cars. My ex-girlfriend, Aoi."

Hideaki's eyes widened, his expression darkening almost immediately. "Your... ex... girlfriend?! So you did  tell her about me!"

"I didn't," Seiji replied, his voice even. "I haven't spoken to her since we broke up."

Hideaki wasn't convinced. "But you still have contact, don't you? I bet she's still on your friend list or something!"

Seiji shrugged, rubbing his temples. "I haven't blocked her yet. I need to."

"SEE?! You do  still have contact!"

"I'm not talking to her! I don't want anything to do with her. After what she did... it's over." His voice grew quieter as he added, "She's part of the reason I almost-"

Hideaki, curious despite himself, asked further. "What?"

Seiji sighed, the exhaustion of old memories washing over him. "She's part of why I attempted scuicide."

"A girl?"

Seiji just nodded. His gaze was distant. "She cheated on me with some guy while pretending everything was fine. I spent two months with her... and all that time, she was manipulating me, lying. I was too invested in that relationship. I believed too much in what we had. When I found out, it felt like everything came crashing down. She broke me."

Hideaki shifted uncomfortably, not knowing how to respond. "I didn't know that," he muttered.

Seiji let out a mirthless chuckle. "I know. I don't like talking about it."

He paused, his voice dropping slightly.

"I only ever tried to protect her. I thought being organized, being firm, setting things straight — that it meant I cared. I was doing everything I could to make things work. I gave structure, but she gave lies. One day I've got enough of her attitude towards me. We got into fight, and I got pissed that day." He paused again and exhaled heavily  "I was the one who broke up with her.  And yet, in the end, I'm the one who got shattered."

His gaze flickered on his phone, and he smiled crooked.

"She always did like the shiny ones. Guess I was just the practice round before the real performance." 

Hideaki eyed Seiji as tears welled up in his eyes. "You... look like you're gonna cry."

"Damn it," Seiji whispered, wiping at his eyes. 'Get yourself together...'  he thought angrily, almost bitterly, the weight of everything hitting him at once.

 "I need to finally let go off her..." he added silently.

Hideaki, clearly uncomfortable with the emotional display, awkwardly left the room. Moments later, he returned with a roll of toilet paper.

"Here... This is all I could find in your damn flat."

Seiji took the roll, managing a faint smile through his tears. "Thanks, Hideaki." He exhaled heavily, trying to compose himself.

Then after a short pause, added  "But, like I said... I need to cut her out of my life, completely."

Hearing this, Hideaki's lips curled into a sinister smile. "Cut her out? Hehehe... So... does that mean... that I can kill her?" he grinned widely.

Seiji's head snapped up, eyes narrowing. "No. Absolutely not."

"Hehehe! Why not? She ruined your life! Let me take care of it - she deserves it!" Hideaki's voice grew more manic, his face twisted in delight at the thought of violence.

Seiji stood and flicked Hideaki's forehead, hard enough to sting but not injure. "You're not killing anyone."

"Tch!" Hideaki winced, rubbing the spot.

"I'll deal with her on my own terms," Seiji said firmly. "I don't need you making things worse."

Hideaki crossed his arms, pouting. "But it will be so much fun to gut her out alive!!"

Seiji froze. His gaze hardened.

"Say that again, and I swear I'll throw you out of this apartment."

Silence.

"I'm not joking, Hideaki."

"Tch..." Hideaki hissed angrily. "And I'm not joking about it 'gutting her out being fun' either!"

"You really don't get how broken that word sounds coming from you." Seiji's tone turned dry and bitter. "If that's your idea of fun, then no wonder you're so messed up." he said, exhaling sharply and went towards the window.

As Seiji glanced out the window, the weight of his past pressed heavily on him.

"I've had enough fun for a lifetime." He muttered bitterly.

Despite everything, he was grateful they'd dodged disaster for now. But something about seeing Aoi again, however briefly, stirred up a whole storm of unresolved feelings - and he wasn't sure he could handle them for much longer.

[Returning to the Police Station]

Oyakata, Aoi, and Daisuke entered the station after their visit to Seiji's apartment. Oyakata looked calm, but Aoi and Daisuke's anticipation was written all over their faces.

Oyakata exhaled "I've looked everywhere, but there's nothing suspicious at Sekiguchi's apartment. He seems clear."

Aoi and Daisuke exchanged glances, their smiles strained. The tension between their outward acceptance and inner frustration was palpable.

"I see..." Aoi forced a polite tone "If that's what you found, then we'll trust your judgment."

'Damnit. Because that we were ordered to stay in car, I couldn't hear about what he was talking with Seiji. I have to have hope that they weren't talking about my relationship with him...'  She thought.

Daisuke nodded reluctantly "Yeah... Alright. Thanks for looking into it, Sergeant."

Oyakata gave a small nod and walked off to his desk, leaving Aoi and Daisuke standing in the corridor.

As soon as he was out of earshot, Daisuke's polite demeanor slipped.

"How could he not find anything? We know Sekiguchi is hiding him!" he whispered, frustraited and gritted his teeth "He didn't look hard enough... Or maybe he didn't want to. Miyahara's covering his tracks too well."

Aoi glanced down the hallway where Oyakata disappeared, then back at Daisuke, her expression turned into determination.

"Let's back to the car, Dai-chan." she patted his back to calm him down.

They walked toward the exit, Daisuke's frustration simmering beneath the surface but his resolve was stronger than ever. 

He may not have the police on their side completely, but he refused to let that stop him.

They sat in the car. Daisuke's hands gripped the steering wheel tightly, eyes glaring at the road ahead.

"I can't believe this. All that planning, and nothing." He spat, his voice simmering with frustration. 

"It was close. They were almost caught..." Aoi said, trying to keep her calm.

Daisuke turned to her, his eyes narrowing.

"Close isn't good enough. We need more than close, Aoi. We need results."

"We'll get another chance. It's not over yet. We just need to be patient."

Daisuke sighed heavily, his frustration bubbling over.

"Patient? You say that like it's easy. Miyahara's still out there, he can kill someone, even right now,  and the police are clueless. We have to find another way, Aoi."

Aoi glanced over at him, knowing that his impatience could be a liability. She needed to keep him on track.

"We will. We can't give up. We just need to think this through. Rushing won't help. Other members of police team said they'll take a closer look at him."

"And what if they'll fail, like officer Oyakata?" He asked doubtful.

"Then... we need a new plan. Something smarter. If they won't do it, we'll find the proof ourselves." She replied.

Daisuke's hands relaxed slightly on the wheel, his anger simmering down.

He gazed at his love, and exhaled deeply "You.. You're right. I.. I'm sorry Aoi. I guess I got a little carried away."

"It's alright darling. I know that this is important to you... but all you have to have now, is patience. We'll get to it. Slowly."

"Yeah... And next time, we make sure he's done for."

Aoi nodded, but her mind was elsewhere, replaying the moments she spent with Seiji. 

'He was amazing. But his lack of Magic Ability... Was problematic.'

Then, she exhaled silently through her nose.

"Next time," she agreed quietly.

At their house, Daisuke replayed footage of the attacks countless times, searching for clues, for any sign of where Hideaki might be hiding.

His obsession grew, fueled by a sense of justice and a need to protect others.

The more information he gathered, the more frustrated he became. It was like Hideaki had disappeared into thin air, leaving only carnage in his wake.