Purple eyes stared intently at the small screen of her phone as she watched.
[Carefully slice thinly… Making them as thin as possible would make it melt faster, and this process produces thicker chocolates with better taste!]
Bandaged fingers carefully sliced a block of chocolate as thinly as possible, moving slowly on each piece.
“Thinly… Thinly…” Takina murmured like a mantra as she narrowed her eyes making sure each slice was thin, or at least thinner than the one she just had sliced before. “Ah…” Her hand slipped as she accidentally injured her index finger a bit deeper than intended, blood flowed as she immediately grabbed a kitchen tissue and wrapped it.
Takina immediately performed first aid on her new injury and looked at all the number of band aid on her fingers.
“Hm…” Purple eyes worried as to what kind of reason she’d be using once again tomorrow when her beloved partner asked her again what’s wrong with her hands…
Takina balled her hands into a fist and and continued watching the video. She has to endure, and do her best to keep the surprise a secret.
~*
No matter how you look at it, it’s weird.
“Takina~ What happened to yo–“
“It’s nothing.”
That was what her quick replies were. Every time Chisato would bring up what’s going on with all the bandages and band aids on her fingers were, Takina would just quickly answer with “It’s nothing,” and leave to somewhere.
“No matter how much you think about it, it’s weird…” Chisato mumbled as she slumped towards the counter of the cafe.
“Yeah, you’re always weird, you big weirdo.” Mizuki chimed in as she downed a glass of sake, sitting also on the counter but a few stools away from Chisato.
“Not me! Ta-ki-na-san! What’s with those hands!? She keeps on saying: ‘It’s nothing.'” Chisato ranted, ending with a perfect Takina impression before going off again. “How do you get all those bandages and band-aids on your fingers when it’s nothing!?”
“Do you really not understand?” Kurumi spoke from the second floor, the VR headset still on her face.
“Yeah, I thought it’d be obvious.” Mizuki agreed with a nod. “It was obvious the first two days.”
“Haaah? Talk to me like I’m a toddler! I don’t undwerstand!”
“Ahh? Babu babu babu? Goo goo gaa gaa?” Mizuki started in the baby talk as Chisato made a face at her.
“Sharrap!” Chisato raised her hands at Mizuki who only leaned away.
“If you don’t understand then just wait for it.” Mizuki sighed as her eyes moved at the day and time on her laptop, saying February 13th. “Ahhh! I should be out there looking for encounters instead of taking care of children!”
“We’re not kids! Teenagers!” Chisato gritted at Mizuki as the door from the changing room caught their eyes. “Ooh, Takina-sama. Welcome back. So what happened to yo–“
“It’s nothing.”
“I haven’t even finished asking–“
“Come on, it’s time for work.” Takina only glanced at Chisato then went back to her work.
“Fiiine.” Chisato went back to the floor and helped cleaning up before they open for the day.
Takina looked at Mizuki then to Kurumi silently bowing at them as if thanking them for keeping her secret.
Mizuki sighed and turned back to her laptop while murmuring something about couples exploding.
They started cleaning up the cafe and preparing for opening when a panicked Mika suddenly burst into the cafe, his phone in his hands.
“I just received an urgent call from the HQ. There’s a kidnapping and bank robbery happening right now involving a few of the guns that seemed to be from the stolen batch. Mizuki, bring the car around, Chisato, Takina, get changed. Kurumi–“
“Aiyo. I got it.” Kurumi removed her VR glasses and ran over to where her drones were and threw one outside. “Tell me the address.”
“It’s at Sumida…”
Chisato and Takina looked at each other then rushed to the changing room to get changed into their respective lycoris uniforms. Without ado, the two of them got out of the changing room lycoris bag on their backs and at ready.
“Are your hands going to be okay, Takina?” Mika turned to Takina who nodded at him.
“It should not be a problem.”
Chisato stared at Takina.
It wasn’t as if she didn’t believe her, but of course, as her lover, she just couldn’t help but be worried. Not to mention, they haven’t been staying over each other’s houses for almost a week because Takina would always refuse saying “I’ll be busy” and then leave on the dot.
“Takina–“
“I’ll be fine.”
“It’s not that.” Chisato frowned at her. “…Let’s finish this quickly. And value each life, okay?”
Takina nodded at her.
Chisato walked in front of her as Mizuki stopped the car out front. Takina stared at Chisato’s back as guilt tugged at her chest. Only a bit more of keeping this secret… She felt bad at having to be a bit colder to her for a while, but here’s to hoping that it was going to be worth the while in the end.
“I said all that but…” Takina looked at her bandaged fingers. Almost every single finger had a bandage aside for her right hand’s ring and pinky fingers. “…The truth is, I’m a little worried.”
~*
Mizuki parked the car at the back entrance of the bank currently being held up. They’ve already seen all the police lined up in front of the building, but it was weird to not have anyone guarding the back as to the perpetrators could have just gone out this exit.
“The DA had ordered HQ to leave this area for us. The current situation as we’ve been told–” Mika paused as Chisato and Takina turned on their ear monitors.
“Most of the civilians inside have been released. There are about five robbers still inside, together with the bank branch manager, and his secretary still being held as they try to get the codes for the vault.” Fuki’s voice was clear and straightforward. “DA asked for Chisato to apprehend them in order to get information on where they got the stolen guns from.”
“How long has this been going on?” Takina asked.
“About two hours.” Kusunoki responded through the ear monitors. “You know your orders this time. Do not kill the robbers.”
“Finefine.” Chisato responded quickly, annoyance evident in her voice. “Takina, let’s go.”
“Okay.” The two of them alighted the car as they took out their guns from their lycoris bag and walked towards the back door.
“The DA is ready to take over the scene once you’ve secured the perpetrators.” Mika told Chisato and Takina who only nodded at her.
Chisato touched the door knob, made eye contact with Takina and went inside swiftly, slowly closing the door behind them. There was a low screeching in their ear monitors as if it switched channels.
[Chisato, Takina. I’ve finished hacking all the cameras inside the building. There are two people taking a rest on the room to your left. The three others are in the vault room with what I’d assume is the vault room. There’s a layout map not too far from you too.]
“Thank you, Kurumi.” Chisato murmured under her voice and quickly moved to silently jam the door next to them to prevent the two inside the room from escaping momentarily. “Hehe…”
Chisato fished a flash grenade from her bag and taped the pin and the grenade between the knob and the door.
“Chisato.” Takina only stared at Chisato who only sighed.
“It’s just a delay tactic, come on.” Chisato smiled as she and Takina walked towards the map.
It wasn’t far from where they were, but it was evident that there was only one entrance to the vault, and that one or two people could be guarding the main door before they could go inside the vault. The perpetrators might shoot the two civilians left inside and it could endanger everything.
[Chisato! They’re coming out of the vault! You have to hurry!]
The two of them looked at each other as they ran down the corridors guns at ready. Takina took a smoke bomb from her bag and immediately threw it at the bank halls. Chisato looked at her first with a wink before she dove inside the smoke and gun fire were exchanged.
Chisato raised an arm over her eyes to wade through the smoke and shot four bullets upon colliding towards a man wearing a mask and some bullet proof vest. “Vest!” She shouted to let Takina know that they were wearing one.
There were sudden gun shots up in the air as bullets recoiled everywhere.
“STOP SHOOTING! WHAT THE FUCK!” A male voice shouted as more recoiling bullets scattered around from inside the smoke.
Takina hid behind a counter as she watched the the sparks of gun muzzles, the occasional flashes of blonde and red, and two bodies dropping down to the floor. She narrowed her eyes as she looked at the water sprinklers at the top. The moment the gunfire finished, Takina aimed and shot at the water sprinkles with two bullets as the water splashed all over completely dissipating the rest of the smoke from the grenade.
The point the last of the smoke had disappeared, a bullet released from the ejection port as it hit the last of the robbers square on the head knocking him down.
“Whoo.” Chisato breathed a sigh of relief as she looked at the secretary and the manager sprawled on the ground. “Are you two, okay?”
Takina saw something sparkle from beneath the manager as her eyes widened. “Chisato!”
The manager suddenly brought up a pistol and fired at Chisato who swiftly dodged the three bullets. “Wh- What?”
Takina brought up her gun as she aimed at him her hands shaking as she fired two bullets hitting just next to the manager’s shoulders. She closed her eyes in pain as blood seeped through her finger’s bandages with the gun recoiling at each shot.
Chisato fired warning shots towards the manager’s direction who only scuttled away together with his gun, running around behind a counter. She immediately ran towards the secretary who had passed out, and was thankfully uninjured. “Takina! The secretary!”
“Okay!” Takina ran from behind the counter she was hiding from and slid through the ground as she shot warning shots at the counter the manager was hiding from. She and Chisato nodded at each other as Takina gently took the secretary from behind both of their arms and pulled them into the safety of a sturdy counter.
Out of the corner of her eyes, Takina noticed one of the other robbers waking up from the rubber bullets as bullets were exchanged on the other side of the room. Her eyes widened as the robber shook his head awake and noticed her. He brought up his gun and aimed at her.
Takina took her gun to her left hand as she pushed away the secretary and shot at him, grazing him on the face. “Kgh…!” As well as her receiving a bullet wound to her right shoulder as she dropped to the ground panting.
Chisato shot three bullets onto the manager’s chest as he dropped unconscious to the ground. She turned to look behind her and noticed Takina down on the ground, a small pool of blood dripping around her. “TAKINAAAAA!”
She immediately reloaded her gun as she rained bullets at the robber that had woken up hitting three bullets square on his face as he dropped unconscious onto the floor. Chisato rushed towards Takina’s side as she looked at where she was hit.
“Chisato… I’m… fine…” Takina closed her eyes as sweat dripped down her forehead the bullet grazed between the left side of her neck and shoulders as blood came out of the wound. “It was just a graze…”
“It’s not just a graze when you’re bleeding this much, you idiot…!” Chisato immediately removed her bag from behind her as she took out some first aid and bandages. She immediately put a bandage around Takina’s neck and taped it. She pressed a button in her ear monitor and spoke. “Mission complete. One agent is down.”
The front door shutters suddenly opened as a rush of second and third lycoris went inside the building.
“Chisato.” Fuki walked towards them as Chisato finished up bandaging Takina’s shoulder. “Takina–“
“She’ll be fine. I’ll leave things here to you, Fuki.” Chisato nodded at Fuki as she lifted Takina from behind the back and the legs and carried her out.
Outside was a medical station with Yamagishi-sensei on standby. Chisato immediately headed there as they tended onto Takina’s wounds while she held her hand.
They were able to secure the five robbers as well as the manager, and saved the secretary. All the money were secured and the DA were able to question the robbers about the stolen guns. Thankfully, Takina’s wounds weren’t too deep, however she might not be able to move around for quite some time.
Chisato and Takina sat in the car as Mizuki drove in silence while Mika sat in the front passenger seat.
“Where to?” Mizuki asked as they drove past a fork.
“…My house… Please.” Takina spoke weakly as Chisato looked at the rear view mirror and nodded at Mizuki who nodded back at her.
The trip to Takina’s home was silent, it was a little awkward, however it also had its own comfort. Without noticing, Mizuki had already stopped in front of Takina’s house as Takina alighted the vehicle and purple orbs looked into concerned amber ones.
“Chisato…”
“Mm. I’m coming.” Chisato gave her a small smile as Mizuki and Mika smiled at them. “See you guys tomorrow.”
Takina bowed at the two of them, her left harm in a sling, and her finger bandages have been cleaned and wrapped again. Takina and Chisato walked to her house as Chisato helped her open the door and get inside the house.
“You should rest up for today. I’ll do the rest.” Chisato guided Takina, an arm around her waist as she sat her down the side of the bed. “Takina…”
“…I’m sorry.”
“Mm-hm. It wasn’t your fault.”
“Yes, it was…” Takina clutched at her shirt with her right hand. “The truth is… These.” She opened her palms as she looked at her fingers. “…I was, making, chocolates.”
Chisato looked at her, bewildered. “How could you get these many cuts by making chocolates…?”
Takina blinked as her cheeks stained red. “…Please don’t laugh.” She swallowed as she stared at her hands. “…In one of the movies I watched while on our flight back from Hawaii, it was mentioned that the best way to give a chocolate to your loved one was to make them from hand. I bought lot of cocoa, and I was practicing on how to cut them thinly, perfectly, so that they’d melt and be as perfect as they could be.”
Chisato nodded.
“However, no matter how much I practiced, how much I tried and tried, I couldn’t make it the way I wanted to…” Takina sighed as she closed her hands. “And now… This… How stupid is this?”
“I don’t think it’s stupid at all.” Chisato gently took Takina’s hands into her own. “I think it was admirable, but you know, those things… Professionals train and train until they’re able to make it. It’s not something you could just learn and do in a week. Seeing that you’ve practiced, and practiced, I’m sure that if you keep at it you’ll be able to do it too… The time will come, and all you have to do is try and try, isn’t that so?”
“But…” Takina knotted her eyebrows as Chisato gently touched her fingers with her own, each one of them, gently as she stroked them. “Chisato…”
“These are proof of your hard work, so don’t stop doing it. I’ll be waiting for those perfected chocolates of yours… So don’t hurry, okay?” Chisato smiled. “You keep on telling me to not say things as if my life is short… so I’m saying this now. I’ll be here for a while… So there’s no need to hurry, Takina.”
“…Yes.” Takina smiled as Chisato slowly brought up her fingers to her mouth, kissing each finger gently, and then her palm. “Chisato…”
“Haaah…! I’m so glad! I thought it was something else! I thought you were practicing knife tricks or something, or something… Ahh… I’m so glad…” Chisato breathed a sigh of relief as she gently pulled Takina into a tight embrace. “Chocolates… Huh…? I hadn’t noticed at all. I think it’s adorable of you that you’ve been doing all you can to prepare chocolates for me on this very day… Well…? Where is it?”
“I- I have… It’s nothing!” Takina blushed as she looked away. “I didn’t… make…”
“No way~ You can’t fool these eyes.” Chisato grinned at her as she gently lay Takina’s hands back to her lap and looked around the room. “Is it here?” She opened a drawer and found nothing. “Ah… Maybe here? Or here?” She got up from the bed and walked around the small room in search for something.
“Ah… Geez… Please stop.” Takina sighed as she reached for something below her pillow. It was a heart shaped box. “I did… I had plans of inviting you tomorrow however… Here.”
“Eh~ You’d put it on a heart box? So bold~” Chisato snickered as she skipped back towards Takina’s bed, sitting next to her and holding the box.
“I- It was not like I’d give it to you while in the presence of other people.” Takina held onto the box of chocolates as she and Chisato had a little bit of a tug of war at it. “If you’re just laughing, then I’d rather not give it.”
“Ehh~ It’s mine now, it has my name on it!”
“E- Even so!”
“Taaaakiiinaaaa~”
“No!”
“Yes!”
“No… way!” Takina pulled at the box as Chisato held onto it tightly. “Ouch…” She quickly let go of the box as she held onto her shoulder.
“Ah!” Chisato let go of the box as she immediately looked at Takina, wrapping her arms around her. “Are you okay?”
“It was just a joke.” Takina opened her eyes and pressed her lips lightly onto Chisato’s lips. “Happy… Valentine’s…?”
Chisato swallowed as she closed her eyes and looked at her as if something was eating her inside.
“Chisato?”
“Wait a bit.” Chisato closed her eyes as she nodded to herself, shook her head, then nodded, then shook her head. “Okay, I’m good.”
“…Did you just have an internal battle with yourself?” Takina looked at her with a smile.
“…You make it so hard to keep my own hands to myself when you’re being like this, Takina-san…” Chisato closed her eyes with a sigh. “Takina… Please promise me you’ll be more careful, okay? Today…”
“Yes.” Takina nodded. “I promise to not overdo things once again. I hope you can keep the same promise as well.”
“You know me.” Chisato winked at her.
“I’ll do what I want to do first.” They both spoke at the same time.
“So… Can I eat these chocolates…” Chisato raised the chocolate box. “Or… this one first?” She took in Takina’s hand and kissed her palm, trailing to her wrists.
“Chisato…”
“If you don’t honestly answer, I won’t give it to you.” Chisato smiled at her playfully.
“…Valentine’s is tomorrow so…”
“…If your wound opens, it’s not my fault, okay?” Chisato gently placed the box onto the bed side table as she gently laid Takina down the bed. “I love you, Takina.”
“I love you, too, Chisato.”
(For Your Sake / END)
“Is your shoulder, okay?” Chisato gently kissed the back of Takina’s left shoulder, trailing her fingers onto the bandage. “…Takina. You think it’ll scar?”
“It’s a little painful but… It’s not as painful as my hips right now…” Takina sighed as she heard a giggle behind her. “I don’t think it would… I’d not like it to.”
“Why is this one fine, but not this one?” Chisato touched the scar on Takina’s left shoulder then the bandage.
“…Because this one is my proof that I saved you.” Takina reached for Chisato’s fingers as she touched it gently.
“Ah… I see… Hehe… I see.” Chisato laughed as she kissed the scar over. “…Thank you, Takina.”
“…You’re welcome.”
“So… Can I eat that chocolate?”
“Um… Eat well…?”
Chisato gently laid Takina’s back onto the bed as she climbed on top of her.
“Chi- Chisato…?”
“Hm… Maybe I’ll get seconds of this one instead.” Chisato smiled as she pressed their lips together for another kiss.
(END)
