Mission 3, Part 2

“Simply turning away is a thing anyone can do. Don’t you agree? If the world bores you, why not construct it yourself? Reconstruct the order, principle, and framework of the world with your own hands.”

Munakata reached out and drew to him the parts Fushimi done, which were two rather long borders. He placed the two borders above and below the area he was working on. At the very moment, the Barcelona street scenery flowing over the tatami was neatly settled in the frame, reminding Fushimi that it was no more than a photo.

“That’s why I can’t bring myself to like the nature of Red Clan. All they do is destroying, and never considering how to rebuild. Such an ignorant bunch.”

Although Fushimi’s heart was beating violently at the world Munakata created, these words subsided his excitement.

“… You’re saying this in front of a Red Clansman.”

“Indeed. I forgot.” Munakata chuckled and feigned innocence.

Fushimi was surprised that in his heart he still has a sense of belonging there. How silly, he told himself. Yet he felt relieved at the same time.

“I’m leaving.”

Hands on the tatami, Fushimi got up. Munakata only watched.

“Hidden-weapon-user-kun.”

“My name is Fushimi. If I tell those of my clan what you said, they’ll go berserk. So words in this van will go no further… Eh?”

Fushimi lost balance and fell face down on the pile of puzzle pieces. His legs went numb from sitting in seiza.

“Oh my. Did your legs fall asleep? That’s why I said you may sit at ease.”

“… They are not asleep.”

“If you say so. But it seems to me that you can’t get on your feet.”

d.a.m.n… Fushimi hated that amused gaze of Munakata looking from above. He held his breath and waited for the numbness to go away. How careless to be paralyzed for such a silly reason. Not to mention it’s when he’s alone inside the base of another clan nowhere near being friendly. He gritted his teeth out of regret and also due to the tingling in his legs.

“Oh well. Take it easy until the numbness goes away. While we’re at it, I’ll make you a cup of tea. Do you like sweets?”

While Fushimi was lying on the tatami cold sweating, a higashi displayed on fine j.a.panese paper was placed in front of his eyes. What makes you think this is the time and place for tea? Fushimi commented inwardly.

With his elegant bearing, Munakata stood up without a problem, and sat back down in front of the teakettle.

Fushimi, in anguish, stared sharply at Munakata’s back. With a faint clink he sprang a throwing knife in hand.

Munakata… definitely noticed. Yet he still stretched his back defenseless. The fact that he noticed yet not doing anything about it was all the more irritating.

“… I could really use a hidden weapon user…" His mumbling was so soft that it’s almost absorbed by the tatami.

”… If… Granted that I want to change clan, is that possible?“

Now Fushimi wondered if he was seeing things. Because being always unshaken until now, Munakata’s back moved for the first time.

Clothes rustling, Munakata turned to face him.

"Frankly speaking, it never occurred to me that I’d hear this from you. Did something happen?”

“… Something, I guess…” He bit his lip and rubbed his forehead on the tatami.

The noise of rushed footsteps drew near. Fushimi tried to get up. But the tingling ran through his spine and he fell again.

“Captain!” The door slid open with a man in blue outside. Suddenly…

“Gyahahahahahaha!” He burst out laughing.

Surprised, Fushimi turned to look. The man in blue was that guy, pointing at Fushimi and laughing so hard that it almost send him rolling on the floor.

“Haha! Monkey’s legs fell asleep! Tacky! Can you get more uncool than that?! Lemme give you a nudge! Gyahahahahahaha!”

Driven by hatred and rage blazing in his chest, a throwing knife gleamed in Fushimi’s hand.

“You don’t know when to stop, do you?”

“Fushimi-kun!”

Along with Munakata’s sharp voice and a “thump” on the tatami, puzzle pieces were sent flying in the air. Some even bounced up to the ceiling of the van.

Munakata took a step forward. Stooped, he grabbed Fushimi’s wrist. Amid the shower of falling puzzle pieces, the throwing knife fell out of Fushimi’s hand and stabbed straight into the tatami. His PDA also slid out of his pocket and landed on the tatami with a soft thud.

At the door was that Blue Coat who showed Fushimi the way in. He stood there with eyes bulged open.

“… Ah… E-emergency! Red Clansman just…” He finally came to himself. Grabbing hold of his saber, he talked to the microphone on his collar.

“Wait.” Munakata stopped him.

“But… but captain?”

“Fushimi-kun, do you have an explanation for this? If you do, you need to say it now. If you can’t explain, the only interpretation of this situation would be Red Clan sending an a.s.sa.s.sin into my quarters, attempting to kill my clansman.”

Fallen on his b.u.t.tocks, Fushimi gazed at the clansman. It was a face without obvious characteristics. No scornful laughter came from him. On the contrary, he had anger written all over his face.

Fushimi turned his stiffened neck and looked toward Munakata. The wrist in his grip couldn’t move an inch. Those bright and clever eyes behind the silver-rimmed spectacles were fixed on him. He realized that baffling like before wouldn’t work on this man. He couldn’t come up with anything anyway.

“… I mistook him… for someone else. This… wasn’t Homra’s instigation… It has nothing to do with Homra…”

Fushimi himself felt that “mistook for someone else” sounded like nothing but a lame excuse. It’s the truth, but hard to find credibility in it.

“Mistook him for someone else…” In thought, Munakata repeated, and lowered his gaze. He picked up the PDA on the tatami.

“It happens. Such mistake can be overlooked.”

So he let go of Fushimi’s wrist.

“Captain!?”

“I said to overlook it. Keep it to yourself.”

“But…”

“Had he thrown his knife, it would have pierced your heart. As long as you’re in that uniform, you are on duty at all times. However, in a surprise attack, you failed to put up any defense. Now, do you have anything to say for yourself?”

The strictness in his peremptory command wasn’t a bit lessened by his usual calm manner. Shaken, the clansman shut his mouth. He seemed to have something to say. But he hung his head and stood there trembling.

“No sir. It’s inexcusable. I was being careless and lacking in discipline.”

“Good. Stay alert on duty from now on. Do you have something to report?”

“Y-yes sir. There’s another case suspected to be Minato Brothers’ doing…”

Fushimi turned a deaf ear to that clansman once the report began. He drew his knife out of the tatami and secured it back up his sleeve. The numbness in his legs was almost gone, although he was a bit unsteady on his feet. Ignoring the dissatisfied gaze from that clansman, he started putting his shoes on. He saw that clansman took a step back, somewhat perplexed.

“Fushimi-kun, a moment please.”

His fingers tying the shoelaces twitched and stopped.

“You forgot this.”

Munakata handed him the PDA he dropped.

“As for what you asked earlier, my place isn’t a sanctuary for children who got into trouble to take refuge in. I don’t know what your clan would think of someone who can’t clean up his own mess, but such person isn’t needed here. … I guess that’s why children don’t like me.”

Munakata smiled bitterly as Fushimi s.n.a.t.c.hed the PDA from his hand.

Fushimi was angry at Munakata for saying this, in spite of being the one who dropped hints inviting Fushimi here. But he was even more angry at himself for having a bit of hope at the back of his mind. Is it possible to change clan? What was I thinking when saying that nonsense?

Thrusting his PDA into his pocket, he walked out with head hung.

“Let me give you a hint. You might have caught the flu.”

Hearing this abstruse advice, Fushimi stopped and looked back.

“I think this is enough for you to understand. After all, you are who Kusanagi-shi expects to become his successor.”

He saw Munakata smiling composedly at the door of the van.