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Shouta-kun leaves quickly Christmas Eve after giving Seijuu and Usaki-kun the night off. Seijuu suspects that Shouta-kun is running to meet Tamao-san, though he doesn’t have any proof, and he knows better than to ask Shouta-kun; Shouta-kun prefers to keep his private life private unless there is no way to avoid it.
Seijuu looks out the window; the sun is setting, painting pink and blue hues across the sky. It hasn’t snowed quite as much this year as previous years, and it makes Seijuu a bit sad; he likes the snow, though he always sees red stains on the pure white background. Shouta-kun has told him that it’s unhealthy to focus on such events, and Seijuu agrees, but there isn’t much he can do. Letting go is much harder than living the way he does.
“Shibiku-fukutaichou?” Usaki-kun says, breaking Seijuu from his reverie. “I’ll be taking my leave.”
He looks at the newest member of their brigade and wonders what Usaki-kun thinks of them. He hasn’t spent any time with Usaki-kun, doesn’t know anything about him save what he has been able to piece together on his own. He thinks Shouta-kun knows more, but he hasn’t pressed for details.
Usaki-kun seems to be waiting for Seijuu to speak, so he replies, “I’ll walk you home.”
“That won’t be necessary, Vice-Captain,” Usaki-kun states. “I’m not on my way home.”
Seijuu grins. “Going to meet with your girlfriend?”
Usaki-kun shakes his head. “No, I’m going to… visit someone,” he says, faltering in the middle.
“Oh.”
“If you’ll excuse me,” Usaki-kun says, bowing slightly and leaving.
Seijuu watches him go. He looks out the window again once Usaki-kun shuts the door, and the sky is black. One day, he dreams of looking out the window and seeing nothing, feeling nothing. He stands and leaves the office.
Igarashi is waiting in the lobby for him when he exits the elevator. “Need a lift?”
He nods, and Igarashi leads him outside. The get in the car, and Igarashi directs the driver before rolling up the privacy glass.
“You look like shit,” Igarashi says promptly, and Seijuu smiles.
“I haven’t been sleeping,” he explains, though it’s not an explanation so much as an excuse.
“I know that,” Igarashi scoffs. “You need to take the damn pills if you can’t sleep. Mikoshiba is going to have my ass if he finds out about this.”
“Shouta-kun has better things to worry about,” Seijuu says dismissively. “So long as it doesn’t interfere with the job, I’m free to do as I see fit.”
Igarashi looks at him. “Bullshit.”
Seijuu shrugs.
“Are you waiting for someone to get the better of you?” Igarashi demands. “Because that’s what’s going to happen if you keep playing these damn games. You need to sleep; your body won’t hold out forever and you know it.”
The car slows to a stop, and the front door opens. Seijuu is suddenly alert as the driver circles the car to let him out.
He fingers his wire under his sleeve and waits. Igarashi must sense something, as well, because the other man is quiet, hand on his cell phone.
The door opens, and the driver motions Seijuu out. He says his goodbyes to Igarashi, and exits. He is two steps out the door before he has to dodge the blade aimed at his back. Quickly, he turns around, wire at the ready, and tumbles to the left, knocking the driver’s legs out from under him.
The driver falls to the floor, and Seijuu has his wire around the man’s neck. It takes a moment to recognize the man, but as soon as identification is confirmed, the man is dead.
Seijuu stands and recoils his wire, the blood staining his hands. “Good night, Igarashi,” he says politely, and walks to the building entrance, trusting the other man to dispose of the body.