Bonus Chapter: Journalistic Genius

     The only sound that filled the room was the clattering of a keyboard, more specifically, Izumi’s keyboard. Wraith, who is still plenty worried after the incident with Fuhiro, was laying across the bed staring at the ceiling in boredom. Usually he played with Lala, but even she would quickly tire of doing so and especially at her old age. So instead, he decided to take the opportunity to bother Izumi.

Without sitting up from the bed, he tried to make small talk, “How’s the writing going?”

“Alright? I’m trying to be as unbiased as possible, because really I do feel bad for him…”

“You could convey that too you know, that he just got dealt a bad hand in life.”

“True, even just his background is really said honestly. No one should have to experience what it’s like to be told that you can’t do the one thing that you love, and to have that ripped from him at the height of his career?” Izumi stops typing with a solemn look. “I get where he’s coming from, with everything stacked against him he just snapped. Not that I’m saying him murdering Toshiko was justified, of course not, but…you’re right. If I include his side of the story as well, I should be able to garner some sympathy towards him because right now the only thing that people see him as is a cold hearted murder.”

Wraith sighs, getting up from the bed and ruffling Izumi’s hair. “That’s how it is with you humans. Always one track minded. Especially if the vast majority of people see it that way.”

Shaking off Wraith’s hand, Izumi turns and scowls. “And what about you? People are always so scared of you for the same reasons as Fuhiro and worse.”

The proposed question raises Wraith’s eyebrows and his countenance changes from its usual cocky, confident guise to a more contemplating one. “Nearly getting killed gave you balls kid.”

Wraith tries to playfully flick his forehead but Izumi slaps his hand away for once. “You want the truth? Figure it out yourself. I love what I do and if people hate me for it then more power to them, it doesn’t bother me. Whether it’s the right thing, or the wrong thing, or people have the ‘wrong impression’ about me, I don’t really care. Take what you will from that.”

Unsure what response he expected, Izumi drops the topic with pursed lips. Trying to discern whether Wraith was a good person or not would be harder than he expected, but there was no use running in circles regarding it.

As such, he attempted to change the topic in order to garner more about his character as they both sit on the bed while Izumi takes a break. “You ever learned how to type or anything like that? Like modern technology and stuff.”

“You make it sound like I’m ancient and old timey,” Wraith scoffs, “but embarrassingly enough no, not really. Never had a need or want to.”

“Well…do you wanna try…?”

“No.”

“Oh.”

Strangely immediately feeling a little bit guilty for shooting him down so quickly, Wraith scratches his head and tries to add more to the conversation. “...I’m not really good at much to be honest. You always hear people say that if they were immortal they’d learn and do all sorts of things but I think that’s just bullshit. People like comfortability and familiarity, and ghosts are no different. We all stick to the same routine, same thing that we know every day. Not that I’m any different. I can fight in every definition of the word and that’s basically the only skill I have and need, and it’s gotten me this far, for better or for worse.”

“You never thought about learning something? Like an instrument or something.”

“Nah, not really. You know, I made the joke about you not being with anyone for four years, but in terms of romance itself, not like superficial one night stands, I’m much worse honestly. Only thing I know about romance is how to have my fist kiss someone else’s face.”

“Pfft–hah!” Wraith’s attempt at a joke manages to spark a laugh out of Izumi, and amazingly Wraith as well.

“Yea, yea, get it out.”

“But really you should get like a hobby or something.”

“Maybe some other time in the future, right now though, you’re my hobby.”

The flirtatious tease manages to get a slight blush out of Izumi, which causes him to think once more what the type of person Wraith really is. Even when he learned things about him, there always seemed to be so much more he didn’t know and even more unanswered questions.

With a shake of his head to regain his focus, Izumi only commented in a flustered tone, “...Go back to sleep or something.”

Wraith’s subsequent soft and sweet smile manages to only fluster him more as he lays back onto the bed. “Enjoy your hobby princess, and I’ll keep laying here enjoying mine.”