not another haikyuu blog

And there she sat in the living room of an affluent old lady who knew nothing about the telephone package Yachi was trying to sell to her. 

That’s what made her the perfect target, an ideal victim to scam out of a few hundred bucks. Just like the others in this neighborhood Yachi had already meticulously gone after. 

“Let me make it simple for you,” Yachi told her, putting on her best and brightest smile, “You can give me a down payment now - of eight hundred dollars - and when our team comes for the installment, you can make your decision then. We can deduct any extra payment from next month’s bill.” 

The woman took a deep breath and used the pause for thought to adjust her shawl on her shoulder. “Well…” 

“And this is the last day for this offer! Remember, this is a huge holiday discount. Even if you wait until tomorrow - it would be triple the price!” 

It wasn’t a holiday or anywhere near. 

“I probably shouldn’t pass this up, then…” 

The woman reached for her large purse and Yachi shot out of her seat in excitement, raring to snatch the payment from her. 

“Thank you! We’ll be in contact about the installation day! Thank you!” 

With the money in her hands she darted out the door, leaving behind every pamphlet and example photo she had brought with her. All she cared about was getting outside so she could do her happy dance in private. 

What she was doing wasn’t wrong. These people already have enough money to afford their nice homes and retirement dreams. Yachi was simply taking advantage, and she was doing it to survive. 

She started walking in a random direction and stopped at the first restaurant she came to. She stuffed her hand deep in her pocket to tuck her money inside - first, she pulled out a sliver of paper. Written on it was the name and phone number for the woman she just had a meeting with. 

As she walked inside, she wadded the note up and threw it toward a trash can nearby.  It bounced off the edge and landed on the ground. 

-

Yachi’s only friend was a woman older than her, cooler than her, and meaner than her. Tanaka Saeko played drums for a band, drove a beat up van, and frequented all the restaurants Yachi loved. That made them friends by default. 

She was telling Saeko all about the recent job and how she made a new eight hundred bucks, while Saeko was barely listening, stuffing her face and kicking rocks under the picnic table. 

“I actually need a favor.” 

Saeko grunted. 

“Help me out, and I’ll give you half.” 

Yachi pulled a brown wallet out of her back pocket. 

Saeko rolled her eyes. “Again? Really?” 

The two of them did this every day.

“Come on,” she whined, “it’s fun! Look, the woman in the purple ordering at the counter - she’ll be perfect for it.” 

The street was nearly empty, save for the few people eating at tables or walking by. It was the perfect day for making more money, and Yachi would do just that. 

You were standing in front of a food stall sipping lemonade when you got a tap on your shoulder. 

“Excuse me - did you drop this?” 

“I’m sorry?” 

“This wallet was on the ground, it’s yours, right?” 

The girl opened the wallet and showed the cash inside, knowing it would pique your interest, and then let you take it from her hands. 

Yachi put on a sweet smile until Saeko came over to wipe it off. 

“It’s mine. Hand it over.” 

Saeko took the billfold from you, but Yachi snatched it right back from her then stuffed it in her back pocket. 

With her arms up in innocent defense, “You know what, I’ll just take it to the police.” 

“I told you, it’s mine.” 

“How am I supposed to know that?” 

“What, do you want a reward or something?” 

While they bickered, you finished your drink. Then, you pulled two twenties from your purse. 

“It is mine, actually. Here’s your reward.” 

And Yachi smiled at you, pulled the wallet out, and handed it over to you as she took your money. 

“Thank you so much,” you said, being so sweet it felt fake, and then you wrapped your arms around her, giving her the most awkward hug of her life. “I appreciate it so much, thank you. Have a great day.” 

Then, you walked off. 

You were hardly out of earshot when Yachi started laughing to herself as she pulled the real, money filled wallet out of her pocket. 

“It’s just so easy these days!” 

Saeko held her hand out expectantly. Yachi slapped a bill in her hand. 

“Thanks for playing,” she said, and Saeko said nothing. “You still hungry? It’ll be my treat!” 

Just to brag, she pulled the wallet open, showing Saeko her earnings. The extra twenty she just stole from you didn’t seem like much in comparison to the hundreds in the pouch, but it all adds up. Every cent counts when you’ve got rent to pay. 

And Saeko was laughing. Cackling like a bird. 

“What? What’s so funny?” 

“What are you going to buy?” she said through bursts of laughter and tears, “free samples?” 

“What are you talking about?” 

She looked down at the wallet and - 

- it was empty. 

Empty. 

Her money was gone. 

“You gave away the wrong one!” 

Yachi felt her heartbeat in her ears. Her eyes nearly popped out of her head and landed right in the money pouch. She could have laughed, too, out of pure anger. 

“I didn’t. I didn’t - I’m not stupid! I wouldn’t mess up that badly - did she…?” 

She turned around, looking all over for you, then went running in the direction you had gone. 

Yachi already figured out what you had done. 

When you hugged her, you pick-pocketed her. 

You knew she had given you an empty wallet, so you took the one with the money. 

That’s the only explanation. 

She ran down the block and easily found you, standing in front of a stall selling jewelry. And she was more than ready to make a scene in order to get her money back. 

“Hey! Hey!” 

You ignored her until she was standing right next to you. 

“You stole my money!” 

You glanced over at her, then said, “Hm? Aren’t you the one who found my wallet?” 

“It wasn’t yours!” 

You let a smile slip. “It wasn’t?” 

“Look, just give it back.” 

You walked away from the jewelry booth, but Yachi peddled behind you. 

“Why would I do that? You gave it to me, said it was mine - so, it’s mine.” 

“Well, it was a mistake! It wasn’t yours - it was mine, so I need you to return it.” 

“Are you trying to steal from me?” 

“What? No! I’m trying to get my money back!” 

You didn’t reply, and Yachi didn’t know what else to do, so she kept following you. 

She was stuck walking in your footsteps, letting you guide her wherever you were going, because she had no other ideas. 

The only thing she could do was nag you until you gave in. 

“All of my money was in that wallet. Like, all of it. At least eight hundred dollars. You’re stealing all of my money, and I’m already poor, so you’re just making me even more poor. Are you really okay with that?” 

You said nothing. 

“My name is Yachi, by the way. Hitoka Yachi. I’m pretty popular around here, actually. Are you new to town? I could show you around. For a price, anyway. Hey, if you give me my money back, I could show you how to make all the money in the world - I know the easiest ways.” 

She meandered around you, stopping you in your path, finally getting the chance to speak to your face. She gave you a smile that was as genuine as it was frustrated; all you could do was laugh. 

“How long do you plan on following me?” 

Her smile fell. “Until I get my money back.” She was pouting, looking like she was trying too hard to look angry. You gave her a look that turned her anger up higher. “The money you stole from me.” 

“In the wallet you said was mine?” 

She stomped her foot; you didn’t hold back your laughter at her. 

“What a con artist you are. Aren’t you clever?” you joked as you walked ahead of her, and her footsteps quickly followed yours. 

“Look, I don’t know who you are, or who you think you are, but I know what I’m doing here. So maybe you should watch your tone.” 

You tried not to laugh, you really did, but the sound erupted from your lips before you could seal them shut. Yachi stopped in her tracks at the sound. 

You turned around, continuing to walk backwards as you said, “It seems like I’ve scammed the scammer, then, haven’t I?” And then you turned again, not stopping until you reached your destination. 

Neither of you said a word until you were opening the gate outside of a quaint home. 

“Where are we? What are you doing here?” 

“I’m going home,” you said. “Do you want to camp out here, or come inside?” 

Yachi peered behind you to look at the house, but the only thing that caught her eye was a man standing at the door. He stood there like he was a guard. 

“Who is that?” 

 “Who?” 

Yachi pointed, and you turned to glance behind you. 

“He’s just someone I work with. I’m not sure what he’s here for… maybe something I owe him.” 

You sighed, and Yachi got the idea that you weren’t happy to see this guy. She was immediately intimidated by the man - his gaze alone was enough to send her shrinking into herself. Dressed in all black, his strong looking arms crossed, and his jaw locked - according to Yachi’s low standards, he looked like someone she wanted nothing to do with. 

You began walking away, into your gate and toward the house. 

“Hey! What about my money?!” 

“You mean my money?” You walked back over to her then pulled an ink pen and an old receipt out of your purse. “Here’s my name and number. Call me if you need anything, alright?” 

You shoved the paper in her hand and then you left, into your house, and the man didn’t follow. He stood in the same spot, watching Yachi’s every move. She kicked herself out of his eyesight, fast. 

The money in that wallet you stole was for a late rent payment. Her shitty apartment wasn’t worth what she paid for it every month, but it held her few belongings and kept her warm enough. And it was getting harder and harder to lie her way out of paying the bills on time. 

And now that money is gone. 

She could have just followed you into your home, but even she isn’t stupid enough to walk into a situation like that one. 

Besides, that guy was scary enough that she was grateful for being out of his sight. 

She’d just have to cut her losses. You can’t win ‘em all - she’d happily lose this time if it meant she never had to see that guy again. And that wasn’t the first time she had less than a dollar to her name. She’d just have to work a little harder tomorrow. 

She looked down at the note you gave her. It did in fact have a name, and a few numbers written down, but it wasn’t enough to make a phone number. Of course. Yachi didn’t expect any better, but she swore the next time she saw you, she wouldn’t let you go. 

Her walking was directionless, and she didn’t know where she was, but eventually the neighborhood turned familiar enough that she felt alright to slow her pace and catch her breath. She was only wandering, looking for something to stop her, when - 

“Oh my god! There she is! Right there! That’s her - that’s the girl!” 

One second she was kicking a pebble down the street - the next, she barely had the time to turn and run from the two cops chasing her, who were directed by the old woman from the telephone scam. 

It was one thing after another. 

She turned one corner then another before she found her escape. It looked like it was placed in front of her by God himself - too good to be true - and, of course, she took the path that was laid out: a taxi stopped on the side of the road with a familiar person getting into it - you. Yachi dived into the door you had left open and slammed it behind her. 

“Let’s share the ride!” she said, trying to hide how out of breath she was. Your mouth hung in surprise but you only nodded, and the driver took off. Yachi looked back - not a cop in sight. 

Safe at last. 

“Back already?” 

Yachi sat back in her seat and relaxed, because she finally could. But the silence took over fast, and she had to strike up conversation. 

“Seriously, who was that guy?” 

“Oh, don’t mind him. I took care of him.” 

“You - did you -” 

“Kill him?” Yachi gasped, you laughed. “No, god no - who do you think I am?” 

“I have no idea who you are,” she said, and you laughed. Then, she realized, “Where are we going?” 

“The airport,” you replied. You turned to look at her, your makeup still perfect, your hair only slightly messier than it was before, red lips in a sweet sneaking grin. “Then to LA.” 

“LA?” 

You nodded.

In the rush of the series of events, Yachi thought of this as an offer. A way out. A new market. 

Technically, she was on the run now, and she still had to get back what you took from her, and she had nothing here to leave, anyway. Most of her things were in the tattered backpack she took everywhere with her. 

“I’ll come with - if you buy my plane ticket.” 

You refused. But she’d convince you. 

-

“What are we doing here, anyway?” 

“I’m here for work - I don’t know where you’re going. I need to make a stop by my place.” 

“Well, you’ll let me stay with you for the night, right?”

There were hours of traffic between the two of you and your destination, and Yachi got to sleep through it until you forced her awake and brought her inside of an extravagant house. She didn’t get the chance to examine the outside - you walked too fast for her to keep up. 

She developed a quick habit out of following you around. She didn’t know what else she was supposed to do, and her one goal was to take her cash back from you, afterall. 

But when you led her into a big, open room, it seemed like you had enough of having her as your shadow. 

“Can’t you go somewhere else?” 

“Where?” 

“Anywhere,” you sighed. You plopped down on the long velvet couch that faced the large window, then said, “Show yourself around. I’m waiting for company.” 

“Fine.” 

Looking as if she was trying to be passive aggressive, she trotted back out the door the two of you came through. Outside of it was a long hallway with many doors on either side; she didn’t know which room she should go into first. 

With the blue carpet catching her footsteps, it was a soft walk to the first door. Yachi swung it open brazenly to find - a bathroom. 

Plain and boring as they come. A stark opposite from the rest of the house that she’d seen - the main room was lavish, filled with furniture and decorated perfectly, windows lining an entire wall with beautiful paintings hanging on the rest of them. 

She thought mansion bathrooms were meant to be fancy - with toilets made of gold and water fountains rather than sinks and a swimming pool for a tub. 

Maybe you sunk your budget in the living room. 

She decided to leave the door open, just to be rude, before she went to the next one. 

There wasn’t time for her to open it before a door at the main end of the hallway opened seemingly on its own. Yachi was curious, wondering what kind of person would be walking through it. 

When she saw him, she ran, and she loudly encouraged you to do the same.

The lazy way you stood up made it obvious that you weren’t bothered at all. 

“What are you doing?” 

“Running away, because that scary man followed you all the way here and it’s probably because he wants to kill you,” she said, all in one breath, the entire sentence sounding like one word. 

You only crossed your arms. Yachi didn’t understand. 

“Excuse me.” 

The sound of his voice behind her made her yelp, and she ran straight to hide behind the couch. 

“Whatever she did has nothing to do with me!” 

The only part of her body visible was her eyes, peeking out just enough to see what this man’s next move was. 

He completely ignored her, gunning straight for you. He reached his arms out and Yachi didn’t want to look - she couldn’t bear to see what he was about to do to you. 

The man looked strong, and maybe you were capable of fighting but Yachi wouldn’t bet her stolen money on it. You weren’t even stepping away, in fact - you were stepping toward him. 

He wrapped his arms around you and that was it, Yachi thought - he was probably going to squeeze you until you popped. She clamped her eyes shut, but then opened one of them because she couldn’t help herself. She just had to watch as he -

Kissed you. 

Yachi really did not understand. 

“Keiji, I missed you to death.” 

“You couldn’t stand a couple days apart?” 

“It felt like forever. I think I should just stitch myself to you, I’d be happier that way.” 

Yachi shot up out of her hiding spot. 

“I thought this was the guy you owed!” 

“I did owe him. I told you I took care of him, didn’t I?” 

The wink you sent Yachi’s way had her dropping her jaw in a realizing, disgusting anger. 

“By the way,” Keiji said, “Where’s the big scary man who’s trying to kill you?” 

Yachi didn’t care about a thing the man said, and she didn’t care about the joyous look on your face. All she cared about was getting answers. 

“Who the hell are you? What do you want from me?” 

“I told you who I am. You’re the one who’s been following me around this entire time - remember?” You weren’t even looking at Yachi. Instead, you were busy straightening Keiji’s collar. You kissed him once again and then stepped away, saying, “Could you bring me that briefcase, babe?” and he did as he was told. 

She stood on the couch and then jumped over it, landing on her feet with a punctuating thud. “Because you stole my money. All of my money! And I want it back!” 

“Right - about that money… Where’d it come from, exactly?” 

Keiji sat the briefcase on the table in front of you. You opened it and pulled out three different things. 

Yachi didn’t try to explain herself. You already had all of the answers, and you held them up for her to see. 

The terrible pamphlet for the phone company she handmade, the contract    signed by the woman she had scammed, and the crumpled note she had thrown away. 

And she felt like a child again, being scolded by her mother for her bad grades. Like she was small, like you were bigger than her so that meant you were right. It didn’t feel fair. 

“Where did you get those?”

You offered no explanation. “That poor, innocent woman,” you said with a tut. “But she wasn’t the first, was she?” 

“So what? Are you going to rat me out or something?” 

“No. Honestly, I couldn’t care less about it.” 

“So what is this for?” Yachi took a loud step toward you, trying to make herself feel bigger, stronger, smarter. “Just give me my money so I can leave.” 

“I never said I had your money.” 

Yachi froze. 

“What?” 

You shrugged. “I don’t have it. You assumed I did.” 

“Then who does?!” 

“The girl you were with - she got a hold of it.” 

“Saeko?!” 

Then, Keiji stepped into it. “I think you might’ve taken this one too far, sweetheart.” 

“But she knows what she’s doing,” you said, and the sweet voice you used with him sounded like nails on a chalkboard. “I didn’t do anything. Every choice she made was completely independent.” 

The worst part? 

You were right. 

Yachi chose to take that old lady’s money. She chose you out of the crowd to play the wallet scam against. She chose to follow you home, to leave you at your house, to seek refuge in the taxi you were in. And then, on top of it all, she followed you to a brand new city. 

And you didn’t suggest she do a single thing. You just let her. 

It was her own fault. So she crumpled to the ground, because there was simply nothing left for her to do. 

She fell for every word that left your mouth - and you didn’t even ask her to. 

It was pathetic. She was pathetic. 

You stood in front of her, tossed the pamphlet on the ground for her to look at. “It doesn’t feel good, does it? Being stolen from?” 

Yachi didn’t reply.

“Do you want some advice?” 

Yachi watched as you knelt down in front of her. She looked up at you, at your too sweet smile. Still, there were no cracks in your image. It was strange, and it was enticing, and it was maddening. 

“Learn how to choose your targets, sweetheart. Maybe you should pick a different line of work.” 

You wadded up the note and threw it down in front of her, just like she had thrown it to the trash. Your words were cutting, even as you got up and walked away. You had just given her a failing grade on the one thing she felt like she was good at - it hurt. 

And she was all alone now, on the floor in a random home in this strange city. And she wished she had somewhere to go. 

Until a hand reached out to her.

Keiji. 

She took it, because she didn’t have any other choice - besides sitting there forever. 

“She can be a little mean sometimes. Don’t take it too personally.” 

Yachi didn’t know what to say, so she said nothing. 

“Do you want to make your money back?” 

Yachi nodded. 

“Then let’s go. We’re already late.” 

-

Maybe you were too mean to the young girl, but it definitely wasn’t your fault. It’s just the way things happened to play out. 

Keiji obviously believed otherwise. 

“I’m just saying - she’s just a kid. You didn’t have to go so hard on her.” 

“I was teaching her a lesson!” 

“You could’ve been a little nicer about it. That’s all I’m saying.” 

“Keiji, you were in on it.” 

“Hey, you were the boss - I was just doing what I was told!” 

“Can you stop talking about me like I’m not right here?” 

The both of you turned around to see Yachi behind you, tagging along like a third wheel. Keiji mumbled a quick apology; you continued walking without a word to her. 

“Where are we even going?” the girl asked. 

“To strike up a deal,” you said, feigning excitement so it would get her in a better mood. 

And it worked like you were rubbing paint off your hands onto her. She piped up immediately, getting a spring in her step. 

“Okay, what’s the plan?” 

“You’ll see.” 

“Nothing you need to know yet,” Keiji said as you all stopped in front of a large ornate gate; behind it, the biggest house Yachi had ever seen.

“Whoa. Is this some door-to-door scam for millionaires or something?” 

You groaned loud. “Something like that.” 

Keiji dropped your hand and moved to press a button on the intercom next to the fence. In less than a minute, three men came walking down the path on the opposite side; one of them used a key to open the gate. 

All of them looked rough and mean. Dressed in leather jackets and lazily buttoned patterned shirts, gold chains around their necks and rings on their fingers, Yachi could easily assume these guys were cheap security for whoever lived in this mansion. She didn’t like the look of them. 

The man in the center pulled his sunglasses off then shook Keiji’s hand. 

“About time,” he said, then started leading your group inside. 

Around the back of the house was a pool and a party. The bright blue water looked refreshing enough to jump into fully clothed, and all of the beautiful girls in bikinis had Yachi feeling self conscious of the little effort she put into her appearance. You had thrown a button up shirt and black pants at her and made her get changed in the car, and she was feeling far from herself. 

She watched you and Keiji shaking hands and making conversation with the person who seemed to be the owner of this house - a tall woman who wore glasses and had long, pin straight, jet black hair. 

Yachi wasn’t doing such a good job at following your conversation, but she heard the tail end of what the woman was saying. 

“...This will be so great for both of us, I’m so excited to finally be finishing this deal. Um - where is the… supply?” 

“The delivery should be here soon,” Keiji said, checking his watch. “Set to arrive around back.”

“Right - of course. No point in risking traveling alone with something so important.” 

“In the meantime,” you said, and you wrapped your arms around Yachi’s shoulders and pulled her to stand in front of you. “This is an intern of ours - the one we were telling you about. She has been paramount in developing the new product.” 

Yachi forced a fake, awkward smile at the woman. 

“Oh, it’s amazing to meet you!” 

“The two of you should get acquainted. Just don’t spill any secrets.” You winked at her and then took a step back. “The two of us will head over to the warehouse and we’ll give you a call when the goods arrive. Sound good?” 

Leaving no chance for Yachi to reply, you and Keiji left her alone, walking past the party down a path that led behind the house. 

Keiji asked you, “How do you think she’ll do?”

You shrugged. “She can’t fuck it up too badly. We’re already in the homestretch.” 

The warehouse was exactly that - a large building with two garage doors and no windows, with its only entrance door guarded by two men. One of them short, thin, and balding; the other tall, with salt and pepper hair and too much muscle. You greeted them both then swung the door open and walked into the fluorescent lights inside. 

The building was mostly empty now; Ten, your current client, had gotten rid of nearly all of her inventory after the first meeting she had with you. To make room for the stock you’d promised. 

Arms wrapped around your waist and pulled you in. “We’ve got time to kill, baby.” 

You looked back at him, kissed his cheek. “Not as much time as you need.” 

“You only need five minutes.” He pulled away just enough to turn you around, then pulled you right back against him, teasing a kiss against your lips. “I thought you missed me?” 

He kissed you soft, just enough to get you to want more - to remind you what you were missing. As headstrong as you were, Keiji was the only one who knew how to crack your resolve. 

You let him kiss you as much as he wanted to, because you weren’t ready to put up a fight yet. 

“You know I missed you,” you whined against his lips. He caressed your pouting bottom lip with his thumb. 

“You’re a sweetheart. My sweet girl. Why don’t we just get this over with so I can show you how much I missed you?” 

You kissed his finger, then his palm, and looked up at him with bright eyes and a swelling smile. 

“I think we have five minutes to spare.” 

-

Yachi had been alone with this woman for half an hour, and getting through the conversation felt like swimming in putty. 

At this point, she felt like she deserved a fucking degree in bullshitting, because even though her words made no sense to herself, the woman ate them up like candy. 

Yachi had learned very little, and yet way too much about the business practices here. 

The woman’s name was Ten, and she’s worked in Hollywood as a film director for nearly twenty years, and the product she was buying off of you was… drugs. All of her money didn’t come from the shitty movies she’s made, but from the drugs she’s been peddling. 

So Yachi had gotten tied up with drug dealers. She could handle your lying and stealing, but this was too far for her. 

She wouldn’t realize the irony in that sentiment. 

“I was skeptical before, to be honest. But after meeting you, I’m nothing but excited,” Ten told her. 

It all felt surreal even though she was clueless of the situation. She had Ten convinced that she was a pharmaceutical technician who lacked experience but had an abundance of knowledge - a great mind who would become a pillar in the industry, someone who would change the drug industry and make people like her even richer. 

Your call to Ten was a saving grace. 

“Perfect. Send one of the guards up to escort me with the money. I’ll be right down.” 

Yachi joined Ten, a muscular guard, and four briefcases to the warehouse around back. On the walk, Ten explained how she did all her business in cash, because it was easy payment with no risk of being tracked - even though Yachi never asked. 

When they entered the building, Yachi held her breath, preparing to witness her first ever drug deal, and she had no idea what she was in for. 

It was a giant room that was completely empty. There was a table in the center, a briefcase on top of it, and the fluorescent light shining directly onto it looked like a spotlight. 

Yachi was confused, and Ten seemed even more so. 

High heels echoed on the concrete floor as the woman walked to the case. She opened it, and then she snapped her head around to glare at Yachi. 

The briefcase was empty. 

“What’s going on here?” 

She made her way back to Yachi quickly; arms came out to grab her, and she ducked underneath them. She fell onto her hands and knees, turned around, and crawled toward the door before clambering back up to her feet. 

“Honestly, I have no clue!” she called back. 

She pushed the door open, she saw safety in the sunlight outside. She only got to take one step on the grass before she was cut off by the guard who was with them before, still carrying the cases of money under his arm. 

There was no way she was fighting him off, so when he picked her up, she let him. He threw her over his shoulder and all she could do was beat on his back with small fists. 

“Let me go!” she cried. “I have nothing to do with this! Seriously! I don’t even know those two! Just let me go!” 

When he finally put her down, it was onto warm metal. She opened her scared eyes to find she was in the bed of a pickup truck and so was her kidnapper. 

With the truck moving she had almost no balance, but she was able to find her way to her hands and knees so she could look through its back window. 

You stared at her in the rear view mirror. You even gave her a little wave, one that was all confidence and cockiness and made Yachi want to scream. 

“What the hell was that?” She turned around, glared at the man who had captured her. “Who are you?” 

He laughed, grinned wide, and stuck his hand out for her to shake. 

“Bokuto - nice to meet ‘ya!” 

-

You had been pulling the wool over Ten’s eyes for months now, building a relationship and rapport that seemed fruitful for the both of you. Ten shared secrets with you that you never needed to know, because you already had a plan scratched out before you ever met her. 

She dealt the kind of drugs that killed people. The deeper the cut, the bigger the profit - that’s how she spoke of her cheap sales. It was easy to take advantage of her greed, convince her to only buy from you, pretend you were bringing something to the table she couldn’t pass up. So she cut her ties even though she was already bleeding money, and she put her last couple millions into the briefcases you stole from her, and if she ever recovered you’d give her a round of applause. 

Maybe she would learn her lesson. Or maybe she wouldn’t. But your work with her was finally done. 

The group of you were gathered on the terrace, drinks in hand, for an evening celebrating a job pulled off. 

“All that work for one day of fun,” Bokuto sighed. 

You were quick to scold him, “It’s not meant to be fun, Bo, it’s supposed to be work.” 

The night sky was clouded by city lights; the stars were replaced by lampposts and neon signs. This town was alive beyond the balcony rails ahead of you. But you were only watching Yachi, who sat across from you, on the ground behind the table. She had her knees up, hugging them like she was afraid of taking up too much space, as if she had ever seen a terrace this large. 

You sat up from your seat - which was Keiji’s lap - and placed your drink on the table, before sitting down on her level. 

“How much did you say was in that wallet?” 

She huffed and avoided your eye contact. 

“I don’t know… eight hundred dollars.” 

You slid a stack of cash across the table to her. Her eyes grew, and she sat still. 

“For your work today,” you said. 

“How much is that?” 

“A few thousand. You weren’t too integral - just a distraction, really - so it’s not much.” 

“...Thanks.” 

“You could stick around, if you want.” It was a delicate offer, one that didn’t mean much to you, just like the money you handed over. “We always have room.” 

She didn’t reply, not at first, but after a moment she gave you a meek nod. 

“And I’ll get paid more?” 

You stood back up then sat next to Keiji, and he pulled you in close; a kiss on your head, then your cheek, then your neck, and you were ready to forget about the world and only think about his lips. 

“There’s always more to be paid,” you told her. “If you’re going to stick around, you should probably get acquainted with everyone.” You pointed to your left, “That’s Bokuto. You already met him, I think. He’s the muscle.” You meant it as a joke, but he flexed a bicep that proved your words. Then, you gestured to your right, looking at the old man laid across the wicker couch. He still wore the security guard disguise. “That’s Kudo.” 

He gave a weak hearted salute. “Sure am.” 

“There’s others, but they don’t always come around. You’ll meet them if you’re on the team long enough.” 

“Team?” 

It was innocent, the way she said it - with her head turned to the side and her eyes squinting. You were sure that you had felt the way she was feeling, back when you were five years younger and just meeting this group for the first time. 

“Yeah, we’re a team, I guess. That’s the best word for it.” Try as you might to be nonchalant, you couldn’t completely cover the pride in your tone. “You’re in, if you want to be.” 

You already knew she would stick around, because she had nowhere else to go. Anybody else who offered her refuge wouldn’t have good intentions, and you weren’t sure if she knew that or not - and that’s why you were making this offer in the first place. When you had heard about Yachi from Saeko, you knew she needed a place to fit - and that you had just the spot. 

Even if you had to teach her a tough lesson the hard way, you meant well. And those lessons were far from over. 

“Think about it,” you told her, and that was all of the time you were willing to give for the moment - because the alcohol had you buzzing, and Keiji’s arms around you were pulling you away. 

So you let him take you off your seat and toward the door, but you had one more bit of information to share with Yachi. 

“Oh, and - remember the old woman you stole that money from?” 

Yachi perked up. 

“She’ll be here tomorrow.” 

-

Something about spending the evening outside made you wish to be swallowed up by the night time. Your bedroom was perfectly warm yet your hands were frigid. You were completely relaxed but your shoulders still felt tense.

Nights like those carried a different feeling. One free of planning, lying, and conning; it was the release of all of those things settling in the celebration of success. Like the clouds finally parted and you could see the stars with childlike relief. You no longer had to worry about getting away with something. 

With your back to Keiji, you let your face fall. You took a breath and held it, because no one was waiting for you to exhale. 

“What a day,” you said to yourself. “Now that it’s over it feels like a perfect night for running away.” 

“Away from me?” Keiji joked. 

You turned your head only slightly. Enough that he could see that your guard was down, but you didn’t dare give him your eyes. 

“With you.” 

He pulled his t-shirt on and came to sit next to you. “And where would we go?” 

“Anywhere,” you said with a shrug. And you thought about his question, and if your answer would be the right one. If it should be the truth, or another lie.  “Somewhere normal, maybe.” 

Keiji laughed. “Normal? You’d get bored of that in a day.” 

“I would not,” you replied, “not if you were with me.” 

“Don’t get all romantic on me now.” He got up, got into bed. 

You might have been sitting on the edge of something you didn’t want to fall off of. 

“You don’t want to run away with me, Keiji?” You couldn’t tell if you were making a joke or not, and you didn’t know if you wanted to hear his answer at all. 

Because, in reality, you knew what his real answer would be. You knew his honesty was ugly and that’s why he showed you half truths. 

You guessed he decided to ignore it all together. “Come to bed with me, baby.” 

You stood up, walked around the bed and sat too close to him. He pushed your hair back away from your face, held you and looked at you. 

“Why are you pouting? 

“I’m serious,” you said. 

“About what?” 

“I don’t know.” 

He laughed at that, all lighthearted and soft, and kissed you like it’d make you drop it. “Let’s talk about it later, baby - turn around, let me unzip your dress for you.” 

“No, Keiji,” and you pulled away just enough that you didn’t have to look at him. “You don’t ever think about what it would be like?”

“It feels like we’ve talked about this before,” he said. “What are you getting at?” 

“I just think it would be nice if things changed.” You stood up, and for a split second you thought about dropping it. 

The last time you had a conversation like this was years ago, when you finally had enough money to retire and live easy. Keiji had brought it up, just offering the idea, and you had to remind him that it would never work out. Not with the two of you, anyway - not with the relationship you had. 

Because nothing lasts forever, and you’re better than settling down, and you weren’t going to let yourself get hurt again. You promised each other that either of you could walk away any time, so don’t get too attached. 

And if a break up never came, well - both of you had been scarred by the vision of death, witnessing it literally - viciously. You don’t have a particularly safe job, and history tends to repeat, and it was easier to move on if your life didn’t revolve around the other’s beating heart. 

But it was too late for those sentiments to matter anymore. It had been almost three years since then, and you didn’t fear the future anymore. Keiji stayed, even though you thought he never would - even though no one ever stuck around that long - and you were starting to think that, maybe, he was going to be there forever. Maybe it was okay for you to ask him to. 

So you wouldn’t let it go. 

“We could have more than just… this. You know? What if we just bought a big house in a suburb? We could have pets, and… We could get married, even! And go on a honeymoon to some place nice - and we’ll be there to have fun instead of - I don’t know - rigging sports bets or stealing paintings! And it would all be so simple and easy!” 

“Where is all of this coming from?”

You didn’t even know. But you meant it, all of it, and you wanted him to understand. 

“I just - I… I want to have a life with you, Kei.” 

“We have a life together,” he said, like he was confused, and he got up and walked over to you, he tried grabbing at you like he could put you back together. Like he could fit you in his hands. “This is our life. Can you seriously imagine us living like that? Getting married?” 

“Can’t you?” 

He knew his answer, he just didn’t want to say it. 

“This is too much,” he said. “We’ve talked about this. I thought you didn’t want that.” 

“What if I changed my mind?” 

“I don’t know what you want me to say -” 

“I want you to agree with me!” 

“I don’t! And you know why - I…” He reeled his next words in, it seemed. He took a breath and calmed down and tried to speak softer. “You just want to… quit?” 

He pulled you closer, like he could tell you were trying to run away. 

“We’re so close to figuring everything out. We can’t just give up.” 

“I know that.” 

“Okay?” You looked away from him and he let you. “That’s why we’re here. That’s why we’re together.”

“Have all of these years together just been a waste, then? If you can’t even entertain the thought of having a life with me other than this?” 

You were holding onto him so tight and you didn’t care if it hurt. Keiji had been your one constant for years now - there was no way he was still afraid of committing to you, when he had basically already done so. 

But it was like tying down a wild dog. You couldn’t. 

“Why didn’t you bring this up sooner? Our goal was never to settle down and have kids some day - it’s not - we’re not like that!” 

“Not like what?” you asked. You were completely disheartened, now, dropping the grip you had on him. “Not serious? Not real?” 

“Not normal!” he said, loud, and then he laughed, like he thought you were being funny. “I mean - we’ve never even been an actual couple - did you really think we would end up like that?” 

“Maybe I did. What’s so wrong with that?” 

“You know I don’t want that,” he said. “We aren’t together to have some happy ending - I never wanted that with you.” 

And that was it. The last push. 

But it was into anger rather than sadness; a rage instead of a broken heart; a free fall instead of a straight plummet. 

“You did a great job at acting like it, Keiji.” 

He laughed again, and you realized the irony in your words. The fact is that all he ever does is put on an act for other people because lying for money was his job, and you had the heart to believe he’d been real with you. 

“I was never acting - obviously you can’t say the same.” 

For the first time in your life, you let him have the last word. You were quick to collect some of your things and leave the room with a slamming door, and you stormed to a guest bedroom without a thought in your mind. 

You didn’t cry, you didn’t let yourself feel sad. You were angry and annoyed and exhausted - maybe even a little embarrassed. And that anger kept you distracted, so you latched onto it and let it burn. 

-

The next morning, you assumed everyone had already left. When a job was over and everything finally settled, most of the crew found other places to go - because they had money to spend. So you weren’t expecting to interact with anyone. 

But Yachi was waiting in the hallway, still in her pajamas. 

“Finally! I’ve been waiting forever for you to wake up. What took so long?” 

“Don’t ask.” 

“Fine. Gosh.” 

“What do you want?” 

“Well, I just had a few questions.”

You walked to the bathroom and she followed you into it. She closed the door behind her and then hopped up onto the counter next to the sink. 

“Now that I have my money back I need to figure out what to do with it. I think I should get some new clothes, but mostly I just want to find some good food - what are the best restaurants around here, by the way? Honestly, I think you owe me lunch for the last few days. It’s the least you could do to make me feel part of the team.” 

Out of nowhere, the door opened. Keiji was standing behind it. 

“Can you knock?!” you immediately said, making him scoff. 

“Can you learn to lock the door?” 

You slammed the door in his face, and it made you feel marginally better. Then you looked over to Yachi, remembering her existence, and opened it again. 

“Can I get some privacy? Please?” 

“Yeah,” she said, stumbling over her words to land on her feet. “We’ll catch up later, I guess.” 

You hoped later never came. 

And instead of a peaceful, empty home, you were met with a full house of expectants, because you had already promised them more work to do. 

“I thought you liked to get an early start.” It was Keiji, and he was talking like he wanted to start a fight. “It’s noon.” 

“You could have started the meeting without me. You have all the information I do.” 

“This one was your idea.” 

“They’re all my ideas,” you said.

You pushed by him and went into the living room where everyone was waiting for you. 

The only silver lining was seeing Ms. Kim, who had finally arrived sometime last night. She sat on the couch with a giant ball of yarn next to her, and the makings of a blue scarf sat on her lap as she knitted away. Her straight hair was shorter than it was a few weeks ago, and she had new glasses that sat on the tip of her nose, but she had the same familiarly grumpy look that always made you smile. 

If you were honest, you didn’t even know what you were supposed to be talking about with them. Keiji always helped you get things in order, line up plans, and work out the tempo of meetings like these. 

“Do you have the layout of the bar?” you asked him. 

He was just sitting down on the couch when you looked at him. “No,” he said, arms crossed. 

“Why not?” 

“You didn’t tell me to get it.” 

“I shouldn’t have to tell you. Did you do nothing? Where’s the list of the employees?” 

“Do you think I’m your assistant? Do you think I spend twenty-four hours a day doing shit for you?” 

“Am I supposed to do it all on my own?” 

“It’s not that difficult, I’m sure you’d figure it out if you put in some effort. But it might take a few tries.” 

“Fine,” you said. You looked around the table in front of you to see empty folders and blank papers. “Since Akaashi didn’t do his job we’ll just have to delay this a few days. And everyone can thank him for that.” 

“Just because you say it’s my fault doesn’t mean it’s true. You haven’t figured that out already?” 

“Since you don’t want to help I’ll just go ahead and cross you off the list of team members needed for this job - does that work for you?” 

“Sounds great,” he said. “It sounds wonderful, actually - I can’t wait to see you try to do something all on your own.” 

“And I can’t wait to stop hearing your voice!” 

Both of you stormed out of the room at that, and slamming doors were heard on opposite sides of the house. 

The silence in the living room was deafening. 

“Did something… happen?” Yachi eventually asked among the group. 

Ms. Kim was the first one to speak up, “They used to act this way… Must’ve had a fight.” 

That made Kudo perk up with a gravelly laugh, “Oh, a lover’s quarrel.” 

Honestly, Yachi couldn’t believe it. She had never seen the two of you act any way other than repulsively in love. She would have thought you had never fought before - everything seemed just perfect between the two of you. 

But she was immediately interested in knowing about your past. No one had told her anything about how they got started, or what kind of work they did before now, and she was dying to know something. 

“What do you mean? They used to argue a lot?” 

“Ha - you could say that.” 

“They were unbearable,” Bokuto said. “More unbearable than they are now, if you could believe it…” 

“I don’t,” Yachi said. “Tell me about it.” 

Her request was directed at Ms. Kim who did nothing but blink at her. 

“Can’t you ask someone else? I’m not a storyteller!” 

“Come on, Kim,” Kudo said, “we all know you love reminiscing on the good old days. Tell the newbie all about it.” 

“Five years ago aren’t the good old days,” she said. “Fine. I’ll give you the quick version and spare the details. Don’t get comfortable.” 

... ... ...