Casablanca

Everybody froze—except Wataru.

He slumped in his chair, eyes wide, mouth agape. Blood poured from a fresh hole in his forehead, one carved by a bullet from Hideo's pistol. His eyes were open, but he was no longer seeing. He'd been sent to meet whatever awaited his soul on the other side.

The men let go of Masao and backed away. They wouldn't get away. Turning his attention to Wataru's men, he shot one of them in the chest. Blood sprayed, hitting the edge of Masao's coat. The others scattered like mice. Their leader was gone, so there was no point putting their lives on the line.

If he were just a normal guy, they probably would've tackled him. But he wasn't ordinary. His name carried a deep-rooted stigma, a fear that became impossible to ignore when you were face-to-face with him.

Ignoring the guard bleeding out, he walked towards Wataru. The man's body rapidly losing heat made him smile. He loved the way blood gushed down his face and dripped into his lap.

Something moved in the corner of his eye. A shadow flashed across the wall. "Huh?" he turned around, but nobody was there. Again- It stretched over the blinds, a tall figure holding a scythe looming behind Wataru. He grabbed Hideo's necklace and ran, creeped out by his eyes playing tricks on him.

He'd usually get a rush of adrenaline from killing someone, but now he was calm. Driven to his breaking point, revenge was the only thing that could bring his aching heart comfort. It wasn't healthy, but it must be necessary.

...

The man sitting across from him stirred his coffee. He folded his hands and looked Masao in the eyes. In the cramped, empty interrogation room he was now trapped in, not even the gun tucked in his jacket could save him. Guards stationed outside the room wouldn't let him escape even if he shot the older man in front of him.

They'd taken him to interrogation as soon as he was found wandering the halls covered in blood. After finding Wataru's body and the escaped guards, they saw a clearer picture of what had gone down in Wataru's office. Luck was on his side. Hajime had taken the gun lying beside him on the hill and given it to him in the hospital. He could use it to end his life or protect it.

Hajime wasn't as concerned about Masao's well-being as Satoshi was. He gave the impression that he didn't care whether Masao lived or died, as long as it was his own choice. Satoshi would've been mad if he knew Masao had been given a gun in his unstable state of mind.

"Takeda. So you're the one who's been causing us trouble."

"Only because you deserve it," he said. He wasn't afraid of them anymore. Everything he lived for was gone, so why did it matter if they locked him up for the rest of his life? Kill him? He'd do it himself.

"Murdering two of our men would usually get you executed, and on top of that, you stole our property and have committed a plethora of violent crimes over the years," the man said, looking at some papers spread out on the desk between them. Records of Masao's crimes, finally dug up from whatever dusty filing cabinet they'd been misplaced in. Satoshi's fault—no doubt.

"Wataru is gone now, so you have no reason to keep Yoli here. Be honest, you guys were never interested in her. It was Wataru who wanted her for his own selfish reasons."

"I'd be more worried about my own fate if I were you. The girl has nothing to do with you."

"That's what everyone keeps telling me..."

The man took a drink from his mug and hummed. He was much too laid back for an interrogation with a murderer. "Her past, that is. Her past is separate from yours, but I'm not going to pretend I can't see what's going on here. She won't stop asking about you- a feisty little thing."

His shoulders relaxed. Yoli is okay, that's good. "I don't care what you do to me, as long as you let her go. Let her leave with Satoshi."

"Yes, Satoshi. Thanks for reminding me. I'll have to reward him for his dedication to carrying out our plan." The man smiled. "I think you're mistaken. We're pleased with you for once."

"..."

He was completely serious, with not a hint of sarcasm in his voice. "See, some of us have been trying to get rid of Wataru for a while. It was a difficult thing to go about, but you did the hard work for us!" He howled with laughter.

Masao didn't know how to respond. He thought Wataru was their most powerful leader. Without him, the company might crumble and lose its direction. That wasn't the case. The ladder went higher than Wataru to people who were richer and sneakier. This man must have been a few rungs above Wataru, then.

"Don't look at me like that, it's rude," he frowned. Masao fixed his ugly scowl.

"Is there a reason you had to get rid of him?"

"Oh, sure. Both for the benefit of the organization and my own reasons. He was too focused on his personal projects. Basically, he was an expert at wasting time, and he took all the credit for our work. He was insufferable, really."

Masao nodded. So it was that simple. Instead of firing him, they waited for the perfect opportunity to have him assassinated. It sickened him that he'd unintentionally done something useful for them. While he was glad it might earn him a way out of his punishment, it didn't sit right with him. Getting rid of one enemy only meant making room for another. Then why did the guards try to take him away at the office if they wanted him to kill Wataru? Their forces must be divided—conflicted loyalties.

"And your personal reason?"

"That's none of your business."

Suspicious. The man cleared his throat.

"Please go back to living a normal life, and appreciate the mercy I'm extending to you," he finished. Masao could hardly believe he was getting off so easily. There must be something else. Something he forgot, and they would use against him. But no matter how much he racked his brain, he couldn't think of anything.

"Before I let you go, is there anything we can do for you as thanks?"

Is there? Hmm...besides letting Yoli go, there isn't anything I want.

"Wait!" he jumped up, slamming his hands on the table with bright eyes. "There's one thing."

...

He was escorted to the lobby by hulking guards, their black uniforms contrasting with the white halls. He gripped a single piece of paper. When they reached the main entrance of COT's massive headquarters, he laid eyes on her. She stood alone, draped in black, yet the picture of heavenly purity.

"Sao!" she ran to him and threw her arms around him. This was the last time they would be separated. From now on, he would take care of her. Wrapping his arms around her, he said a prayer. He didn't believe in a higher power or the supernatural, but he did believe in this girl and their future together.

"Before we go home, there's something you need to do," he said. He took her to the front desk, where he put the paper in front of her and handed her a pen. "Sign here."

She skimmed its contents and put pen to paper. Their marriage was final.

"Are you excited?" He hugged her giddily, almost bouncing. He didn't even care that people were watching them. He couldn't contain himself.

"Yes, very! You're so energetic," she replied.

"It's because they fixed my heart. I feel so awake!"

She slid their marriage license towards the receptionist. "Are you saying you don't need me anymore?" She sulked.

"I'd never." He cooed.

They headed towards the hideout, holding hands as they walked. He told her what happened to Hideo, which made her cry. When they got to the hideout, Kaho, Ren, and Kei were waiting for them in the living room. The impenetrable aura in the dim room soured his mood. Hideo was gone. Without him, the place felt empty.

"I think we should shut down the gang," Masao said. Kaho raised her head, watching him with tired eyes. "The guys won't like it, but it's not right to keep doing this without Hideo."

They nodded in agreement. The gang was founded by the two of them, and was just as much Hideo's as it was his. More importantly, what would happen to the members once it was dissolved? The other guys would move on to larger, more active gangs. They were rough hooligans who only joined JumpAHead for its reputation. Kaho was pregnant, and it was dangerous for her to be on her own. And the young Kei, who relied on his friends to guide him, where would he go?

"Seems like that's all we can do now. You're gonna take Yoli back home, right? Don't worry about us, I'll take care of Kaho," Kei offered.

Kaho opened her mouth to protest, but Kei cut her off. "I was actually thinking about leaving the gang for a while. I realized maybe this isn't the place for me, ya know?"

"Then I guess this is goodbye for now," Masao said.

He needed to get out. He might suffocate if he didn't. Before they left, he took one last look at Hideo's room. No doubt it would stay that way for a long time. Kaho wouldn't have the heart to change it.

- - -

2191

Small hands stacked rocks one by one until they became a little tower. Castles of rocks littered the street, decorated with flags made from newspaper clippings. A little girl placed each stone, taking care to balance them perfectly. Next to her, a little boy did the same. He was much clumsier than she was, so his towers kept falling over.

Without saying a word, she helped him rebuild it.

The sky was bright, and a warm summer breeze swept through the town. "Stop helping, I can do it myself," he complained. She didn't seem to care and continued to help him. The wind ruffled his chestnut colored hair. He stuck a small flag between two rocks on the top of the tower when they finished.

Music blared from the building they were playing in front of, coming from a room on the second floor. "My dad hates music," he said. She looked up from the rocks and smiled.

She attempted to sign something, her tiny hands fumbling with words. "He scares me."

"Me too sometimes. Just because his eye's messed up."

The girl smiled, and she brushed her short purple hair behind her ear. "I like it here. Your house is nice," the boy said.

They continued to play until someone came stomping down the stairs, glancing around until he found the children playing outside the apartment. The little girl picked up her head, and her face brightened when she saw him.

"Saya! Junji! Dinner's ready," he called to them lazily.

She stood up, but was hesitant to leave her friend behind, who was engrossed in their game. But the man knelt for her, so she ran into her father's arms.