Total Stop

“Hello? Is anybody there?” Chisato called out in total darkness, her voice echoing back at her, word for word. “Takina! Sensei!”

What wonderful talent. With this, you can show it to the world.

I’m just making sure that there’s balance in Japan. I would always just side with the weaker ones.

Chisato turned around in the darkness as other voices echoed inside her head. She turned around unable to see through anything.

“Yoshi-san!” Chisato called out, but she could still see nothing.

For you, live ammo is the most fitting. Now, shoot me.

I need to settle with you the score. Who do you think would become the hero of justice?

“Stop! Stop it!” Chisato closed her eyes as she covered her ears with her hands.

I didn’t wind up a spring up doll to play house.

I’m going to settle the score, this time without your partner.

Majima stepped on Chisato’s back as a familiar pain on her left shoulder shot up her body.

“Chisatooooo!” Takina ran in from the Enkuboku’s emergency staircase.

Chisato opened her eyes without a flinch, as if hearing her not beating heart beat once, again. Familiar red eyes glinting in the darkness of her room. Her mind was clear, her right hand clutched her left shoulder as she exhaled slowly. Inhale…Exhale… Inhale… Exhale… She slowly turned around to look at the dark haired one sleeping next to her peacefully.

“That dream again…” Chisato slowly sat up as she watched Takina, putting on her slippers as she walked out of their shared room and bed.

Chisato always loved the time before the city wakes, even in Hawaii. The peaceful chirps of the birds, the sounds of the waves, trees swaying with the wind, and the slowly rising sun.

She collected little pebbles as she made her way towards the beach, taking in the empty streets, the empty beach. She sat down by the shore, leaving her slippers next to her as the sea pulled in barely touching her feet.

After getting used to her now extended life, and finally being reunited to Takina, and everyone else again, the dreams lessened, her bullet wound felt pain less as well.

Chisato picked up one of the pebbles and threw it at the sea, bouncing thrice before sinking into the sea with a plop.

However on days where she had to sleep first, and Takina having to return late due to requests from the DA or the people in Hawaii, the dream returns.

She was already living a new life… but at what cost? At whose cost?

Chisato threw a pebble towards the sea again, bouncing six times before sinking. “Oh~ That’s a record.”

“Chisato.” Takina walked towards her, that gentle voice calling.

“Takina. Good morning.” Chisato greeted her, not even turning to face her.

“…Can I sit here?” Takina asked, and was met with a brief ‘Go ahead~’ before sitting next to Chisato. She draped over half of her shawl around Chisato’s shoulders, sitting shoulder to shoulder. Chisato returned an ‘Ooohhh, thank you.’ still, not looking at her. “Why are you here? You didn’t even bring a coat. It’s a bit chilly.”

“I thought the cold winds would make the heat disappear.” Chisato responded as she threw another pebble, sinking only after two bounces.

“The heat?”

“Of watching your sexy figure sleep right next to me~”

“Stop joking around.”

Chisato only laughed at her before slowly taking a pebble again only to play with it with her hands. “…The hot-blooded killer within me.”

Takina blinked as she stared at Chisato’s face. “…Is it that nightmare again?”

Chisato finally turned to look at Takina. “You knew about them?”

“Of course. I always slept next to you, remember?” Takina hugged her knees as she watched the sunrise. “You were good at hiding them… but I could tell apart when you’re awake and when you’re asleep. They’re many recently.”

“Mm… You’re right. Every time I have it… I have more questions in my head.” Chisato looked at the pebble in her hand. “Where did Yoshi-san go? Did he really just give this new heart to Sensei? What happened to Majima? What happened to the DA? Are Lilybell still hunting the Lycoris? What would happen to the cafe after? It’s endless.”

Takina watched Chisato inspect the pebble before throwing it into the sea, not bouncing this time, as it sunk. “…That’s not all of it, isn’t it?”

“Hm… As expected of Takina…” Chisato smiled as she picked up her final pebble. “…I’m afraid.”

“Of?”

“…If something happened to you, I might kill someone.” Chisato scoffed as she clutched the pebble in her hands. “…Maybe I already did. I don’t know what happened to Majima after all that.”

Takina opened her mouth to ask why, but somehow couldn’t find the courage to do so.

“Why? You ask?” Takina lifted her head as she stared at Chisato in disbelief. “…My dream always ends with you arriving at the Enkuboku. Knowing that if I don’t end things with Majima, he could come after you again. That feeling. The want to end him, to end things right there and then. I wanted to end him. So he wouldn’t be able to touch you, or anyone else again. I wanted to… I…”

Takina wrapped reached both of her hands towards Chisato’s hand that was tightly clutching the pebble. “Then, I’ll stop you.”

“Takina…” Chisato turned to look at Takina who only stared at her with those earnest amethyst eyes. “I…”

“No matter what happens, I’ll do my best, so that you can’t kill someone. So that you can’t take their time.” Takina gently pried Chisato’s hand open, gently opening her hand finger by finger as she relaxed. “I promise.”

Chisato swallowed as she turned to look at the sunrise again, taking Takina’s hands inside her own. “…You shouldn’t make promises you can’t keep.”

“I don’t. Which is why I am promising you this now, because I intend to keep them.” Takina leaned her head onto Chisato’s shoulders, letting go of her hands as she a wrapped them around her body. “I’ll be here.”

“Takina…” Chisato leaned her head onto Takina’s as she looked at the pebble. “Then… I’ll be counting on you, partner.”

“Yes.” Takina smiled as she lifted her head from those shoulders. “Please leave it to me.”

“In the end… What happened to Yoshi-san? To Majima?” Chisato looked into the horizon again, the sun now half up in the sky, as the sea broke into a mix of red, yellow, and blue.

“Yoshimatsu… I don’t know. The manager only said that he found the case, and brought it back. For Majima…” Takina turned to look at the sunrise as well, unwrapping her arms from Chisato’s body as she hugged her own knees. “…They weren’t able to find his body… There’s a likelihood he may still be alive.”

“…I see.” Chisato heaved a sigh. “Is it weird? That I actually feel grateful for the chance that they were both still alive…”

“For you?” Takina smiled. “…I think it’s very, you.”

“Are you not angry?” Chisato started to lightly throw the pebble in her hand up, catching it as it dropped down to her palm.

Takina knotted her eyebrows as she looked angrily into the sea. “Of course, I get angry only by the idea of them. However… I know that you don’t want to take anyone’s time. It frustrates me, but I will settle for anything that would make you happy.” She heaved a huge sigh as she let go of the shawl draped over her shoulder, unknowingly clutching it as she spoke.

“Takina… I’m sorry.” Chisato caught the pebble in her hand, holding onto it tightly. “I don’t think I’ll be able to find any answers right now…”

“You can take your time to find it. You have time now.” Takina leaned her head onto Chisato’s shoulder again. “I’ll be with you.”

Chisato smiled. “Thank you…”

“Chisato.” Takina pressed her cheek onto Chisato’s shoulder and closed her eyes. “…What makes the nightmares come to you?”

“If I answer, will you tell me yours, too?” Chisato leaned her head onto Takina’s again.

Takina opened her eyes in surprise. She didn’t know Chisato had noticed her nightmares too… Sleeping together that much, she just settled for the fact that Chisato may have seen it sometimes, like her towards her’s. “Yes.”

“When I fall asleep and you’re not there.”

“When I wake up and you are not there.”

“What are your nightmares like?” Chisato continued staring at the horizon as their surroundings started to brighten little by little. “If you don’t want to say, it’s okay.”

“I always dream of…” Takina opened her eyes, staring at the sea water briefly touching their feet as the waves push through the shore. “If I was a few seconds late, you would have fallen. If I had made a mistake, I wouldn’t have saved you. If only I had realized what was happening before the elevator doors closed, you wouldn’t have had injured…”

Chisato gently covered Takina’s eyes with her hand as she turned to face her. “We’re idiots, aren’t we?” She gently wrapped Takina in her arms, tightly as she caressed the back of her head.

“For once, I will agree.” Takina laughed, returning the embrace. “Then, I promise to get back home early, so that we could always sleep together.”

“I’ll wait for you. I promise to always wake up with you, no matter what.” Chisato grinned at her as they parted lightly from the hug. “Takina.”

“Yes?”

“Does your wound still hurt?”

“Not often… Only when it’s cold. Yours?”

“When I get my nightmares, I feel it throb…” Chisato reached for her left shoulder, at the same time Takina touched Chisato’s left shoulder as well. “Isn’t it a bit romantic? That we both have an injury on almost the same spot.”

“Have you ever thought of having the mark removed?” Takina lightly touched the spot where the bullet mark should be on top of Chisato’s clothes.

“I have, of course. A girl’s skin is their life after all! Is what Mizuki would say but…” Chisato held onto Takina’s hand that was on her chest and smiled. She got up from the sandy beach, slowly taking Takina with her. “I want to keep mine… It’ll serve as a reminder, I guess. Of the things we’ve been through, to the us of today.”

“I’d like for mine to remain as well, for the same reason.” Takina watched Chisato wrap the shawl around Takina’s shoulders. “What about you? It’s a bit windy.”

“I’ll be fine!” Chisato lightly threw the pebble in her hand up before catching it, then throwing it towards the sea with so much force and speed. The pebble traveled into fifteen bounces before weakly plopping into the water. “Ohh! New record! AhhhhCHOO!”

“Ah, geez. I told you to wear it.” Takina walked towards Chisato and wrapped the shawl around her shoulders instead.

“Hmm…” Chisato accepted the shawl graciously, then proceeded to wrap her own arms around Takina’s shoulders. “This way, I’m warm, and you’re warm. Win-win?”

“It’s so hard to walk, though.” Takina laughed as they both awkwardly walked forward at the same time.

“Takina.” Chisato stopped walking as she leaned her head onto Takina’s left shoulder. “Thank you.” She kissed Takina’s shoulder injury over her shirt.

Takina smiled as she blushed lightly from the ears, the sun fully rising, shining over together with the bright blue sky. “You’re welcome.”

“Now! To march forward! Baaaack to the house!”

“You are a weirdo.”

“I’m a portable back heater!”

“I suppose you are like that. You do have a higher temperature from normal people.” Takina giggled as they both clumsily ascended some stairs, with Chisato’s arms still around Takina’s shoulders. “Please walk properly, geez.”

“But you love me, right?”

“No comment.”

“Is this the tsun after all the dere I’ve received!?” Chisato stopped walking as she pulled onto Takina’s body locking her in place by the shoulders.

“Stop that.” Takina turned to look at Chisato who was only standing behind her, head buried in her hair. “Chisato.”

“When do I get the hundred percent dere!?”

“There is no such thing.”

“But my event flags…”

“…?”

“I didn’t say anything.”

“What’s an event flag?”

“It’s nothing, Takina-sama.”

“?????”

Together, they take a step forward, from a total stop.

(Total Stop/END)

---

Omake

The next day, Takina caught Kurumi playing a game on her console before they started their day.

“Kurumi.”

“Oh, Takina. What’s wrong?”

“What’s an event flag?”

Kurumi blinked as she paused her game then looked at Takina who was only staring at her blankly. She turned around to find Chisato standing not so far away from them, whistling a broken tune to feign ignorance.

“I think you should push Chisato to answer that one for you.”

“Is it not something you could tell me?”

“Only the person who can trigger your event flags can answer it.”

“My event flags?”

“Don’t make the situation harder, Kurumi!”

“You’re the one who brought it up! Teach her!”

“It was a Freudian slip!”

“What’s going on?” Mizuki stood next to Takina as Kurumi and Chisato argued.

“I asked Kurumi what an event flag is.”

“Oh, these idiots. I’m not touching that event flag.”

Takina only blinked as she looked at Mizuki leaving, then she turned back to Kurumi and Chisato who were still arguing.

“??????”

(END)