Chapter Text
Aoi huffed as she fixes her scarf. She slams the door on her husband.
Taro is such an idiot sometimes. Of course, she would want to know if someone tried to invite him to a gangster group. They're married now, she should know if there's anything that might be bothering him as just he would know if anything is bothering her.
Aoi's steps slow down when she is now farther from her home. She has no direction on where she is going. But, she just needs some space to think by herself, some time to calm herself.
She's very angry at her husband right now. But, more than anything.. She's absolutely terrified. She's terrified for him, for their future children, for herself.
If taro would hide this little fact that this small group wants him to join them, would he hides the truth if there was some sort of bounty on his head?
What if he gets hurt, and she's left with no information on where or how he is?
Aoi sigh as she slowly sat herself on a bench, her breath coloured white as to show how cold it was today. She was unconsciously rubbing her stomach rethinking about the events that lead up to this, when an unfamiliar voice pulled her out of her head.
"Mr.Sakamoto?"
Aoi turned her head. Next to her was a young man seemed to be around the age of 17-19 years old, with parted messy blond hair, wearing a tank top and a baggy pants.
Oh aoi must've not noticed him sitting there all this time.
"Oh sorry! i didn't see you there.."
The teen chuckled nervously. "Don't worry about it, you seem to have a lot in your head."
Aoi smiled "Hmm, i guess i do."
The second thing she noticed was that the teen was beat up. His nose is a bit bloody, there's a bunch of wounds that seemed to be on his head if it weren't hidden by most of his bangs, and his tank top is certainly not hiding any bruising and bleeding he seem to be trying to bandage up before she came here.
"Oh dear, you're hurt" Aoi exclaimed.
He cringe's at that. "Ah yeah, don't worry about it.. It's not as bad as it looks."
"Let me help you then.." Aoi insisted.
He looks like he wants to decline, but seem to just accept his fate as he let's her help him bandage the rest if it up.
When aoi is finally satisfied of helping the hurt teen, he let's out a soft "thanks" before giving her an offer.
"Would you like an ear for your troubles?"
Aoi thought to decline at first but he's quick to let her know that it's no problem, and to think of it as his thanks for helping him out.
So aoi told the teen her tale, her troubles and worries. She was hesitant to tell him the truth about her husband's past carrier but for some reason her guts are telling her that he won't mind at all, and so she told him the whole truth.
He seemed surprised at first,but his gaze soften after a short while.
"Mr.Sakamoto has really retired, huh?"
The familiarity in his voice really surprised her.
"You know my husband?" she asks, does that mean he's..
As if to know what she is thinking, he responds before she finishes her question.
"Yeah.. he was.. a partner in crime sort of thing. or at least" He hesitated. "it was for me.."
What does that mean? aoi wonder, but shin continued before she can say anything.
"Mr.Sakamoto has always been like that. keeping things to himself, never leaning on anyone else, never letting outsiders know anything about him." He paused a bit, dark and cold blue eyes staring at her warm brown ones. "But, i think if anyone has a chance to change that.." He blinked. "It would be you, Mrs. Aoi."
Aoi's eyes widen at that. "Huh? how do you know my name?"
The teen looked a bit panicked at this. Looking away and rubbing the back of his neck.
"I- I am an esper.. i can read people's thoughts."
Oh that's interesting. She would never thought someone with actual super abilities would exist. He's surely one of the most interesting people she has met after taro.
"That's interesting" She smiled and nodded at his explanation. It's a good thing he's not a stalker or something like that.
He seemed even more surprised by her simple answer, as if expecting expecting a bigger reaction.
Aoi saved them from the awkward silence by asking her second question.
"You really think, i can open him like that?"
The teen turned to look at her again. A soft expression as he blinked and hugged himself.
"Yea.. you convinced him to retire right? To live a honest life. He cares about you enough to listen to you.. to.. change for you."
At his words aoi is reminded back to their earlier days, before she was pregnant, before they got married. And he was right, taro did do many things for her. he's not really a man of words, but he would do any action for her.
He continued "He clearly cared about you, Mrs. Aoi.. maybe you should tell him straight that you care about him as much as he cares about you, tell him that not knowing anything scares you, that you want him to tell you everything thing that matters about him. Whether it's a good or bad thing.."
He holds himself a bit more tighter. "If anybody could tell him that.." he blinked again, more slowly this time. "It would be you, that he would listen to."
Aoi let out a breath of relief as the words lay rest on her heart. It feels as if all of her struggles has been lifted, even if its just for a little bit. So, those are the words that she was looking for. Despite of not being as strong as her husband, and knowing just how strong he is. she is still worried about him.
With a now lighter chest, she smiled softly at the teen. "Thanks.. i guess i really needed that"
He smiled back at her.
Aoi had a third realisation, as she still doesn't know who this polite young man is.
"Oh! How rude of me, what's your name? You're an old company of taro right, you should join us for dinner."
"I'm shin." He answered.
Something in his eyes looked pained. "Ah.. No, it's okay.. He probably wouldn't like to see me again.."
Aoi is confused by that.
"Huh? Why not?" she asks.
He looked down, bowing his head. Hiding a bit of his face from her.
"Well i... I don't know.. actually.."
Aoi tilted her head curiously as she lets him to continue.
"I mean.. he's retired now, so i guess he wouldn't like to be reminded of his past job... maybe." He honestly sounds like he's trying to convince himself more than her, but she didn't comment anything about that.. out loud.
By the way his eyes moved from her, she knew that he heard that. She immediately felt bad and silently apologised for the thought but he didn't mention it in his next words.
"I mean, i- i guess i do know.. i am unpleasant to be around, so I don't blame him"
"You're not unpleasant to be around, shin."
His shoulder shook a little at that, but he sank deeper in his seat anyway.
"No... i must be.. he hasn't come back or visit me or-" He took in a breath. "anything..."
Aoi felt her heart breaks for this teen she just met. She might not have the ability to read people's minds or emotions. But she can see someone who has been hurt by someone else's action, she has been there once.
"Shin, I'm sure he actually-"
Shin suddenly cutted her off.
"Can we please stop talking about this." He sobbed.
Oh, he's crying.. What should she do in this situation?
Before she had a chance to do anything. The teen tried to walk away.
"I have to go, i have another job to do." He said, his head is hung and his tears are wiped.
Job. Oh yeah, he used to work with taro. He's an assassin and still is one. It's quite amusing how aoi has become so desensitized to contact killers.
Once upon a time, she used to see them as a dark fantasy. Some monsters who stole for their own gain. While she is not far from correct, after meeting taro, Her now dear husband. She's learned that a lot of them just see it as a job, some as a hobby, some as their only way to survive.
She wonders which kind is shin. With how polite and kind he has been with her, it's hard to think of him as a cold killer. With taro, she had been scared at first. But for some reason, she felt safe with shin. She felt the desire to protect this stranger she just met.
Maybe, it's a bit of her mother instinct activating? she doesn't know. But what she does know, Is that she wants to try to bring shin into the more peaceful and safe life.
"Wait no!" She yelped, catching his hand. Just in time before he left.
The assassin looked back at her, giving aoi a chance to speak once more.
"Shin, I- I may not know who is your target is." She took a deep breath before continuing.
"But please don't kill them! You can quit too y'know? You don't have to kill them.. Everybody is loved and cared by somebody. Please..?" She pleaded.
Shin is still young, he should be fooling around with his friends, not be a murderer.
Shin's still wet eyes stares at her pleading ones. Sighing but still sitting back on the bench.
"Not everyone is lucky.. I don't- i dont have anybody who cares about me.." He bitterly smiled at her.
Aoi was about to say that taro probably still cares about him deep down, but bit her lips. He probably won't believe her, and the only one who can disprove that is taro himself. So she went with an option that she, herself can prove.
"I care about you!" she stated loudly. Still holding his hand, and putting another hand on top of it. Wrapping his hand in hers.
Shin's eyes widen in shook, tears threatening to fall again.
"I would cry, if you get hurt!" and that is simply the truth. So mind reading or not, that's the only truth he would hear.
Shin looks confused, his lips trembling at the lost of words.
"You.. you just literally met me just now??" He stutters through the new found words.
Aoi laughs nervously. "Yeah!" is what she said, then she suddenly hugged him.
Shin sat there frozen, stuck in her embrace. "You're a delight to be around, shin." She whispers softly, next to his ears.
She could feel him tremble as he shakily accept the embrace and hugged her back.
"Why?" he whispered in question. Aoi pulled back softly, still smiling. "Do i need one?"
Aoi looked up the now orange sky, it's a beautiful sunset. She'll be worrying taro, if she doesn't head home now.
Shin is still rendered speechless, as aoi remembered the pen and small notebook in her pocket. Pulling it out to write her number, and ripping it, to give it to him.
He took it, still speechless. While she stood up, remembered the cold windy weather and taking off her coat to put it on his shoulder.
He is startled by this "Eh! Mrs. Aoi there's no need to-"
"Don't worry! I have a scarf and gloves on. Take care of yourself, okay? And let me know, when you reach home!" Aoi smiled, as she waved and walked home.
Halfway there. Aoi was met with her husband, out of breath searching for her.
Taro let out a breath of relief at the sight of her. "Aoi.. I'm so sorry."
And she smiled at his apology. He really does care. While embracing eachother, she told him what shin had advised her to say.
"Taro.. I'm upset that you tried to hide this from me. I know that this is your way of caring, by burdening every worries yourself. But! You also need to know that i also care about you, as much as you care about me!"
She holds him tight on his shoulder. In hopes, that he really would take this in.
"I know, I'm not as strong as you are.. But i want to to lean on me too, just like how is lean on you. Would you do that.. for me at least? Imagine, how would you feel if i was attacked on the way home. and didn't tell you anything about it!?"
Taro's eyebrows furrowed, and that indicated to aoi that he understands what she felt now. Now, she hopes he would take it to heart.
Taro sighs and replied. "I understand now, I'm sorry dear.. you must've been stressed about me."
She smiled at that and playfully pouted "Yeah! and stress is not good for the baby y'know!!"
Yet, it seems taro didn't get it. Sweating heavily and nodding his head quickly.. Oh well-
She patted her husband. "C'mon, let's go home. It's almost dinner"
"Wait.. where is your coat?"
"Oh! i let a friend who was cold borrow it."
"By friend, i hope you don't mean a stranger you just met that just happen to be friendly.."
"You know me so well, honey!"
"Aoi..."
After dinner, she was gleefully surprised to find notification telling an unknown number has massaged her.
10/06/22
Unknown number
Hello, this is Shin
I just got home,
And i didn't take the job
You
That's good :)
I'm proud of you!
Unknown number
Why??
[ Save unknown number? ]
[ Yes ] [ No ]
[ Unknown number saved as Shin :) ]