True Identity

The forest’s edge gave way to a deserted street, the silence broken only by the distant, muffled movement of soldiers. They must still be looking for Yumei. 

'Heh... If only they knew.' Tadashi says in his head.

He stuck the cigarette into his mouth then he climbed up the wall and hops onto the roof. He watches the group of soldiers march by. He hopped from rooftop to rooftop silently. After a little, he hops off the roof and into an alleyway. He emerged from the alley, continuing his walk like nothing happened. 

He flicked his cigarette onto the sidewalk then he pushed open the door of a bar, the bell above it tinkling a quiet welcome.  Inside, only the bartender stood behind the counter, polishing a glass, the silence heavy and expectant.  

The massive school murder had rendered the city quiet, the usual boisterous nightlife replaced by an unnerving stillness. Not only the mass murder, but the odd amount of soldiers around were scary to the townsfolk. It was understandable, since only an idiot would leave their home.

Tadashi walked to the bar, taking a seat on one of the worn stools. The bartender, a man with weathered hands and tired eyes, looked up, starting to speak.

“Good evening sir, what can I—”

“The usual..." Tadashi cut him off, his voice low and devoid of its usual playful edge.

The bartender recognized him, despite the mask on. (Of course he would, he was the one who made it.)He placed a glass on the counter and a bottle of gin next to it. 

"Rough day?" he asked, a dry laugh escaping his lips.

Tadashi groaned in reply. Vanchelloe, or Vanny as he preferred, was more than just a bartender. He was a conduit, a link to the secretive world Tadashi inhabited. He was one of the few who knew Tadashi's true profession.  

He is an assassin.

To be Continued...