nakanvi

RUMORS.

A disgusting thing that traveled like a VIRUS once it started up. Granted, this particular rumor wasn’t exactly the worst of things, but it was still something that was INHUMAN. Rumors about such things always made Feilis gag a little bit, mostly because he somehow always discovered them to be LIES. It was a game of telephone. You’d here something one day, and the story would completely change the next.

However, this particular rumor seemed to be shockingly stagnant. Someone helping them remove their pain and sorrows... Something that he figured just meant a shrink, but there was always the mention of this power that he didn’t quite understand. But, the hunter in him couldn’t just sit idly by and not investigate. No, no... that would be uncalled for.

Looking a little more DISHEVELED than the usual, he made his way to the bookstore that everyone talked so highly about. He had to look for a girl... And there she was, sitting at the counter. His frame walked over to her, lacking its usual CONFIDENCE.

//  “ America huh… my pops was born there as well so I’m a half since my mom’s Japanese. ” It was strange to meet someone from her second home country. Though she only remembered bits and pieces of America, she remember it as exotic, full of life. It was different from her hometown, perhaps that’s why she loved cities so much. Though one might not know anyone, it still felt as if you weren’t alone.  

  “ Tell me about your hometown. Is it fun? I’ve went to New York and California when I was still a little kid but I don’t remember much about it. I really want to go to the rest of it! ”

The question noticeably threw Yuu off quite a bit. His eyes sunk slightly, along with his frame which fell deeper into his seat. He hadn’t been asked about his hometown in years. Part of him always wondered if his hometown was even the same after all of these years. Granted, it had only been about 5 years since the first time he DIED, but this life always made it feel much, much longer than that.

“M’from a small town in Utah. M’family tried t’make an easy, cozy life away from the restlessness of the city. They ran local markets pretty often and occasionally grew their own crops if they felt like it that year.”

//  “ Wait– you’re payin’? Well, then I’m going to take you on that offer! ” Her surprised face morphed into that of a cheeky brat. She didn’t realize that he didn’t even introduce himself and was more concentrated that her pocket money wasn’t going to get deducted this month.

  Upon setting her eyes on hawaiian burger set that was big even for a girl like her, she pointed at it excitedly as if to get the ‘ok’ from him then waved for the waiter to come to take their order. It seemed that nervousness and proper personality from before had completely disappeared.

   “ Thanks a bunch mister, I only had bread for lunch today so you really saved me here. ” Though her parents would give her food at home, it was mere habit that she ate what she could as if she wouldn’t eat tomorrow. “ You sound like you’re not from Tokyo! Are you visiting or somethin’?”

Okay, maybe he was the IDIOT for believing that that bratty demeanor that she always had wasn’t hiding somewhere underneath that shy exterior she was giving off. Not that he necessarily cared, but god did he want to smack her upside the head for that one.

However, his demeanor rather quickly changed when she explained that she had only eaten a piece of bread for lunch. Was she really still struggling that much? She looked healthy enough, but maybe something was hiding underneath all of that... Whatever she was.

“Yeah.”

Listening to Matt, it’s fairly obvious that he wants to know more about Lutz’s boxing days. To most, boxing is just a sport that’s about beating someone up until they cry chicken- courtesy of one of the club mumber’s younger siblings.

“There’s not a lot of people that need to learn. I did it because I could, so do a lot of people.” Lutz looks up and down the other’s figure for a moment. The guy isn’t out of shape or anything. It just looks like he doesn’t have the muscle mass and reflexes to be a boxer. Well, both of those things can be learned over time.

“I still do boxing. Some of my high school friends have set up times for us to gather and box. One guy had his garage turned into a ring a few months ago so we don’t have to worry about getting hurt on furniture or hard ground.”

While he did have the fair point that he could have easily taken on the task if he really wanted to, something about just... put him on EDGE. He couldn’t quite describe what it was, really. He spent most of his life either in SECLUSION or being tossed around like a TROPHY. Honestly, a part of him felt like learning how to fight would throw him a little too deep into one of the two directions, and he didn’t know which he preferred.

Trying his best to keep his positive demeanor, he smiled softly at the male, moving to lean back against the nearest wall. “Maybe you’d have to show me your skills some day, or maybe even teach me a thing or two if you ever wanted.” It was light-hearted conversation at this point. Whether or not he would take it seriously, he was unsure. It was extremely rare that anyone CARED about him when he looked like this particular version of himself.

//  Oh my god, oh my god, oh my god–

 If he had turned her down flat then it would’ve been the end of it. However, even though he was a stranger, she felt a sense of familiarity. By now Maeko would reveal that it was simply a joke but something within her felt as if this encounter would be something beneficial. If there was something that hadn’t changed, it was that she always trusted her gut to make the right call.

  “ R-Right! Of course I’m payin’! ” Subconsciously, her accent followed his lead. She hadn’t even realized that it turned informal. “ Is that western diner good for you? ”

  She clutched her school bag tightly and started stiffly walking towards the diner, peeking over her shoulder to check that he was following. The diner was close by but also wouldn’t burn a hole in her pocket money. When they sat, her eyes were trained on the menu, beads of sweat dotting the nape of her neck. 

   “ I-I’m Maeko by the way… Velasquez– my last time is kinda hard to pronounce so just call me Maeko… sorry to drag you to dinner. Order whatever you want. ”

Did...

Did she just copy his accent?

Not even when they were close before had she done that, or at least not enough that it was noticeable. Maybe it had been long enough at this point that he couldn’t quite remember her normal dialect. His was pretty UNIQUE, it seemed, so the fact that she easily followed suit threw him off a bit. Maybe there was a small part of her that did remember. Somewhere deep down.

“Works fine fer me. Y’lead the way.”

He carefully relaxed in the seat once they got the restaurant, humming softly to himself as he considered his options. At least one benefit to his lifestyle was that he could still enjoy foods without needed to think about it much... But his attention was quickly thrown off when he heard her say that name. He never knew Max wasn’t her real name...

“Nice t’meet you Maeko...” Maybe it was best to withhold his name for now... Besides, she was quite TERRIFIED of him last time. If anything, it’d cause an unnecessary scene. “Y’re not draggin’ me anywhere. I chose to go with ya. And I was jokin’ about the payment... I’ll get it. Get whatever y’want as well.”

The passionate tone in Matt’s voice is slightly concerning, but amusing at the same time. The male pointed out the real reason for his interest quickly, though he’s not about to admit it.

“Yeah, though I was more concerned about the other club members dislocating their shoulders for being reckless.”  That’s not entirely a lie, either. Lutz had seen first years members get all sorts of injuries trying to show off in front of the older members. The memory of one kid falling out of the ring and somehow landing directly on their face brings a chuckle out of him. That kid had a broken nose and was stuck on the sidelines until it healed.

“You seem pretty interested in boxing and fighting in general. Do you want to learn how to fight or do you just like learning about it? There’s plenty of people who watch and analyze fighting styles for fun.”

“But at least you know how to avoid it if you needed to, yeah?”

While the concept of having to feel something pop out of place in the middle of something like that, he was sure it was quite beneficial to know what exactly the threshold of the body was. He had never been in a fight before himself, so he never really got to understand such knowledge... But the concept alone was definitely something that could pique some interest in him.

//  A punishment game. Lately, exams had been kicking her ass so her friends decided the outing were to be in the city and unfortunately she lost the game. Therefore– the verdict would be!

   ‘ Ask out the nearest guy for dinner. ’

  Three, four years ago, this kind of thing would be a breeze but high school had integrated her back into society. Particularly in Japan, asking people out on the street wasn’t common. Maybe in red-light districts but a high schooler… not really.

    “ U-Um… because you caught my eye… ? ” Shitty excuse but her friends were watching at a distance. Though not obvious, her friends were prowling about for sure. Their encounter wasn’t totally random, as Maeko picked out a guy who didn’t seem too old.

Well, this was new.

She was much more TIMID than before... Not that that was an issue by any means - in fact, she probably needed that in her life at this point. She was far too RECKLESS for her own good, getting herself in unnecessary trouble. That, and so far it’s seeming like she didn’t have a single recollection of him.

However, something in his stomach ached... He had been longing to speak with her again for so long, maybe it wouldn’t hurt to take this opportunity. His eyes glanced up, noticing a few individuals seemingly staring at her.

‘So that’s what this was...’ He thought to himself. Even now, despite her timid nature, she was still getting herself into trouble. If she somehow didn’t manage to pick him, this could’ve easily gotten her into an UNAVOIDABLE pit of DESPAIR.

Idiot...

“It’s rare for someone to actually know what that word means. I have to explain it, usually.”

Then, Lutz has to stop himself from blurting out the real reason for his interest in kinesiology. It’s one thing for his friends to know the reason- they actually understand it. The last time he decided to tell the real reason to someone he didn’t know, he ended up scaring them. It’s not like he meant to.

“… Well…” He has to word this carefully. Matt seems like a more fragile person than the people he knows. A little lie can’t hurt this stranger, can it? He’s just changing the truth a little. “I was part of the boxing club in high school. There were a few dislocated joints and other injuries so we had someone standing by in case there was an accident. I found it pretty cool that someone could understand the way the body usually moves and use it to help out.”

The real reason? He found it to be an advantage if he were ever in a fight. 

Somehow, the mention of that boxing club of his seemed to make Matthias light up. Considering he was quite deeply intrigued in the comic world, he often found himself fascinated with combat. The choreography of a comic strip was clearly something else, but he was also fascinated by the history of fighting mechanics and how people used those in a modern setting. Whether that was in a sword fight or a pure fist fight.

“Ah, you were a boxer? I can see how you’d be interested in that... In fact, I’m sure it’d be quite useful for you too to know whether or not you might be pushing your body to a limit it shouldn’t go to. Even against your opponent, it’s probably beneficial!”

------

“What?”

The yankee was a bit confused at first when he heard a voice suddenly call out to him. Initially, he thought maybe he was being one of those people who SELFISHLY assumed that they were the center of that loud comment being made, but he was quickly mistaken when he turned around and made eye contact with the girl who so ABRUPTLY called out to him.

His heart felt like it was going to stop beating any minute. Not that it would necessarily matter, but it was still never a comfortable feeling. It was her, and he had no idea how to even begin to approach her in this instance... He had seen her in passing on a few of his missions, but never had the guts to say anything after the INCIDENT.

“I, uhm... Why’re ya askin’ me of all people?”

“You’re just lucky my boss wasn’t here. She’d probably interrogate you trying to figure out who threw the book away. She really cares about the old books we have.”

Lutz shrugs. It’s true, he’s surrounded by books that most scholars would kill to get their hands on. But Lutz doesn’t really give a damn about the books. He just cares about the person who gave him the chance to work in the store. Without her, he’s pretty sure he’d be a mess. And without him, she’d probably be a mess too.

But back to Matt and the book in his hands.

“Astrology, huh? That makes sense with this book.” He sets it down. “I’m a kinesiology major. The anatomy books here are helpful when I need a refresher. Older ones are always fun to read and see the advancements in human knowledge.”

He personally couldn’t quite tell if he should be pleased by the apparent shop owner’s care for the older books in the collection here, or if he should feel THREATENED that he might’ve been interrogated about something that he, unfortunately, would’ve had no answer for.

Matthias couldn’t help but look a little shocked at the mention of his major. It was something that he really wasn’t familiar with, mostly because 90% of the time he only heard of general anatomy majors. “I hope you don’t mind me asking, even if it may be a bit of a silly question... But what is it that drove you to study body movements specifically?”

“It’s great that you were able to spot it.” The book doesn’t seem to have any damage, which is a miracle. It’s already an old and worn out book. These ones are kept in the back in a locked case due to their age and state.

“Oakley, huh? … I’m a student, yeah. I don’t go to Oakley, I go to the one a few cities out- Daken. This is the only place that’ll hire me so that’s why I’m over here.” Lutz looks up from the book to take a proper look at Matt. The first thing that comes to his mind is that this guy’s a nerdy bookworm, not that he’ll say it outloud.

“Haven’t seen anyone my age notice how rare these books are. You into this sort of stuff?”

“Yeah, I’m honestly a little surprised it didn’t get near as damaged... Pages like that could’ve easily torn if it was thrown in rough enough. Maybe whoever it was cared enough to be gentle with it.”

At the mention of Daken, Matthias lifted his head for a moment to try and remember quite where the location was. He faintly remembered applying to Daken, now that he thought about it. Though, it definitely made him quite curious about what the other did there. Looking at him, he definitely seemed to have a bit more of a confident air about him.

“I mean, it’s a great place to work... All the books you may not even know existed, right at your finger tips. It’s how I feel working at the shop I’m at... It’s a little comic shop full of memorabilia.”

Hearing the word “book”, Lutz stops and looks up. 

“You found it in the trash?” He sets his work aside and stands, slipping out from behind the counter. After taking a few steps towards the other, he can see the signature stamp of the store. There’s a flash of frustration on his features. It’s one thing to forget a book after setting it down somewhere. No way is putting a book in the trash a mistake or some lapse in judgement. 

Lutz holds out his empty hand for the book, staring at it. It’s one of the older books too- who knows what would’ve happened if Kathe was here instead of him.

“Actually- can you tell me your university’s name?” He might be able to find whoever bought it and smack the guy for throwing it away so carelessly. “Oh, and your name? I’m Ludwig, but most people call me Lutz.”

He gave a rather WEAK smile to the man’s rather apparent disgust in the matter. In all honesty, seeing it in the trash can DISGUSTED him just as much.

“Yeah, it’s mid-term season... I can’t count how many books at the top of that trash heap sometimes... I recognized this one, though, and knew it wasn’t a regular library book, so I picked it up.” A hand lifted to rub the back of his neck a bit timidly, moving to gently brush off any extra dust from the book very delicately before placing it in the man’s hand.

Guess who’s alive from the dead?

   “Aww what? You mad because I didn’t allow you to pay? C’mon man…”

  Still, she followed him, her hands in her pockets. Every now and again asking if they were there yet. When she entered the apartment, she commented on how weird it looked and then in his room jumped on the bed since it was a while since she had sat on one.

   Though when she was shown the article, she skimmed through it then looked at Yuu with a skeptical look on her face.

   “I’d say you’ll do great in fabricating news! Maybe you should join the CNM!”

He wasn’t surprised that she didn’t believe him.

     Carefully, he moved to lift his shirt off. While it was probably strange to her, it was meant to show her the massive, almost DISTORTED scar over his heart. If she looked at the article, she would find he took a FATAL shot to the heart and the head. While she might take that as just an old would, he wanted to make it even more evident. Without warning, he moved to pull out a switch blade, and casually cut the would wound open quite deeply. He was clearly in pain, and he struggled to do it, and while blood did escape his body for a moment, it only took seconds to completely heal over like he never made the cut in the first place.

  Oh noo…too late…she’s already put a 10000 ¥ bill on the thing! Better luck next time. She stood and stretched, taking back the change when the waiter came back with it. The bill may or may not had been in someone else’s wallet but…a girl’s gotta eat.

   “Let’s go Yuu ol’ pal! Time’s a wasting and I got to go somewhere after this!”

“I’m not offerin’ to take you out anymore.”

     While he didn’t normally mind the jokes, he just wasn’t feeling it today. He got up and slowly moved to leave the restaurant, glancing over his shoulder only once to check if she was coming with. It only took about 10 minutes to reach his apartment, walking in casually and making sure she came in before moving to his room. He grabbed his laptop, searching something before coming out, making sure she couldn’t see the screen yet.

     “If you don’t want to be around me anymore after this, I get it... I don’t even know if you’ll believe me, but...”