Bokutachi wa Akuma: Chapter Twenty-Two

Because of their own hobbies and recent, strange social interactions, these three rarely left their houses. It was not because they liked to live like hermits, or they were afraid of the up rise in the news, it was just their hobby.

“Hey anyone there?” he called out on his computer screen, hoping someone would answer.

A beep prompt on his computer, someone else was there.

“Yo, Hongo.” He waved a peace sign as he popped up on Hongo’s monitor. “What's up?”

Both waved to each other through their cameras, surprised that their pictures moved on their screens, another screen came on the monitor.
“Heard you two from the kitchen.” His quiet, calm voice was sweet as usual.

“Hai, how are you?”

“Not bad, what about you two?”

“Oh you know, same old.”

“And what's that Nino? You always change.” He laughed jokingly.

“Shut up Hongo!” He shouted back at him.

“Oi! If you two are going to fight again, I'm going to sign off.” Haikara was always kinder, but if something upset him, he would let others know.

“Hai, we aren’t fighting. Right Hongo?”

He glared into the camera.

“No.”

“Good.”

“So what are you eating?”

“Hmm?” He looked up from his desk. “Oh, I'm cooking soba and tonkatsu.”

“That sounds boring.” He paused. “But good, I want some.”

“Go make your own Nino you know how to cook.” He laughed quietly. “Leave Hai to his food.”

“Fine, fine.” He waved it off while taking a sip from a coffee mug, who knew what was in it.

“Hey Hai, did you hear in the recent news? Or are you still ignoring that?”

“Still ignoring.” He stood from his chair. “Keep talking, I’ll just be in the kitchen.”

“Okei.” He was shuffling through papers as he spoke. “Well apparently they have suspects in custody who confessed to all the murders, yet none of them have the same story. The police have been thinking of releasing all of them because they are all fakes. And here is the funny thing, one of the suspects killed someone in the jail cell, and they are still releasing him.”

 It was news to Hongo as well it showed on his face.

“They want to let him go?” What is this country coming to!”

The clanking of dishes together came from Haikara’s screen.

 “When people are afraid, something as reckless as letting one man die is nothing when there is one, higher evil out there that continues to frighten the world.”

“What if it just keeps going? The country would lose to this evil by insanity.”

“Fear is a powerful thing Nino. I mean look at you.” He peeked around the corner from the kitchen, looking into his camera. “You are one of the most sound minds I know.”

“I still am Hai.”

“But you are paralyzed by fear.”

He fell silent, looking off to the side.

“Do you need another example?”

“I think he gets the point, Hai.”

“Okei, okei.”

Nino was still silent.

Haikara disappeared behind the corner again. Click. Click. Clank. Swish. The water in the pot was being poured down the sink. Click. Click. Click. Plates were placed on a tray, as well as a cup of tea. He returned into view of the camera and sat at his desk again.

This time Nino was gone from his screen. Haikara looked around inside Nino’s house questioningly.

“Where are you Nino?”

No one answered.

“Hongo, where did Nino go?”

He shrugged.

“I don't know, he just got up and left.”

“Well obviously he is coming back. He left his camera on.”

“Hmm.” He shrugged.

There was a pause between both of them, allowing Haikara time to take a bite of his food.

Hongo laughed. Haikara had slurped his noodles and the thin, brown sauce had flung up and hit his nose.

After a few minutes of silences, Nino had appeared in view of the camera again.

He chewed, swallowing his mouthful of noodles.

“Where’d you go Nino?”

“Hm?” He looked up into his camera. “You made me hungry, so I am steaming some dumplings.”

Hongo had been the only one in his own house that did not want to eat.

“Oh, I thought you left or something.”

“No.” He snuffled and chuckled lightly. “I would have said bye.”

Everyday these three saw each other, from home or in person. Their long and strong friendship grew into a strong brotherhood.

“Hmm yeah I guess.” Hongo shrugged again. He was staring at his computer screen.

Nino tilted his head, looking at Hongo’s screen.

“What are you doing Hon?”

“Just looking. Did you know there was a new music group formed in the city?”

It was Tokyo, many famous people had risen from that city.

“No, who are they?”

“Young group names,” He paused, looking for the name. “Hey! GO Hei!”

The others shrugged.

“They look pretty cute.” In the world of music, not only following popular genres and having a good sound, being attractive didn't hurt either.

“Girls or boys?”

“Boys.”

They laughed loudly.

“You think boys are cute?!”

They laughed again.

A beep and a box popped up on their monitors, Hongo was sending then a file via chat.

“See?”

he sent the two the Jacket cover of the Hey! GO Hei! CD.

“They are pretty cute.” Nino seemed lost, staring at all of them, analyzing them.

Haikara glanced at the photo, yet one boy caught his eye.

“The one on the right in the front is cute.”

Now they sounded like teenage girls looking at Teenie-Bopper magazines.

“Uh,” he paused, biting his fingernail gently. “From the sounds of it, his name, Hai, is Kurosaki Ryuu.”

He looked to Hongo's screen.

“Oh…” He looked back to the group photo.

“Where’d you find that Hon?”

“What the group?”

“Yeah.”

“I don't know. I was just searching trends.”

“Cause that makes you cool.”

“Nino leave him be. He's been working a lot, and you know that.”

“Yeah, unlike you.”

“Oh shut it Hon. ‘Least I don't go around looking up underage boy bands.”

Hongo glared and signed off right away.

“Ah Hon-“ too late, he was already gone.

“Nino, what’d you do that for? You know he's sensitive.”

Nino shrugged, not wanting to speak.

“Nino!” he repeated.

“If you don't have anything nice to say, don't say anything at all?”

“Whatever, Nino.” He looked off to the side. “Bye.” He shrugged and signed off.

“Again? Why is it always my fault?” talking to himself again.

Haikara knew he was rude in leaving like that, but Nino was rude first. He leaned back in his office chair, stretching his arms behind his head. Letting out a groan and slapping his hands down on the surface of the desk, he pushed himself away, needing to clean up after himself. One thing he hated was leaving dishes out and having them make a strange smell over time. Now that his stomach was full, he could focus on a project again, like market trends of the accounting business.

After the kitchen was clean and the dishes were all put away, Haikara returned to the living room to shut his computer off for the night. He had gotten a great deal of work done and knew he could finish before his set deadline. As soon as he hit the ‘off’ button, the phone rang, startling the sweet-hearted man.

“Hello?” Hey quickly answered the phone.

The other line was silent for a moment. There was a small ‘hiss’ coming from the other line, Haikara assumed it was a dead line, until he had heard a small inhale.

“Hello Haikara.” The strong voice seemed to have petrified the sweet man.

Haikara froze, staring off into his living room. He took a big gulp and attempted to speak.

“A-Akira.” The voice was most recognizable. “It’s been too long.” There was no length of time that was ‘too long’ away from Akira. Haikara had been years older then him, and yet he still feared him more than anything, and for only one reason, the fact that Akira feared nothing and had no remorse for consequences.

Akira chuckled lightly. It had been well over a year since they had spoken last, and when that day had gone, Haikara was terrified for the next time that they would be speaking. Akira let out a slow, enthusiastic sigh of entertainment.

“Indeed it has been far too long.” Akira was a smaller man by appearance, but in ego, he was greater then the planet itself. Breathing calm and collected, Akira continued. “So Hai, I called you for a specific reason.” A reason, there was always a reason.

Haikara gulped loudly, nervous that Akira had heard it.
“What?” He froze. “What's that, Akira?” He was nothing but just another man to Haikara, though he knew about his immoral existence, he still terrified him for reasons unknown, knowing he would not harm him. He took a calming breath, he needed to calm his nerves.
“Anything for you Akira.” To Haikara, not saying his name at the end of ever sentence seemed like it would upset him greatly.

In a dark room alone, Akira’s appearance darkened instantly.
“I need you to find a group of men for me. You found me the last group I had asked of you. So I need you to do it again.” It was too simple of a demand from Akira, Haikara knew there had to be more to this deal. “You are my perfect man for that. This time, I want you to find them specifically, and bring them to me. One of these men is very special, and I require his skill by my side. But…” ‘But’, it was never a good thing when there was a ‘but’ with Akira.

“That detail I told you of last year, he is one of us. He is young, very young, yet he is still growing.” The more Akira spoke, the more nervous Haikara became. “If you do not do this for me be warned, there will be grave consequences.”

Haikara had no choice. He did not do very much for a living, but his life he did cherish the most. He nodded though Akira could not see.

“I’ll find them.” He did not want to ask the next question. He cared for humans for he was one, and he knew fear was a powerful thing. “Who am I looking for Akira?” He paused.

Akira smiled, happy with his decision in wanting to find this male again.
“The members of the new group ‘Hey! GO! Hey’. All of them.” He looked into the mirror of his living room, analyzing the sparkles on his neck again.

Haikara froze, it was the group Hongo had just mentioned to him minutes ago. Was that the group Akira really wanted?

“’Hey! GO! Hei’? Are you sure?” Haikara stuttered, hoping he had heard Akira wrong.

Akira growled angrily back at him for stupidly asking him to repeat himself or even doubt him. “Okei, ‘Hey! GO! Hei’ it is Akira. I will call you when I contact them” Even before Akira could respond, Haikara pressed the off button and put the phone back on the charging dock, staring blankly at the painting on his wall.

“Celebrities.” Haikara mumbled to himself. He couldn't believe that Akira wanted these people. “They are just kids.” He continued to himself.