ᴄʜᴀᴘᴛᴇʀ ᴛᴡᴇɴᴛʏ

୨⎯ Like Lighter, Flick and Set Aflame ⎯୧

Music playing by an orchestra dwells in the background, muffled and a tad bit distorted to listen to. I am back inside this white nothingness. The floor below me is liquid but my feet don't get wet. It is like an effect to play with your dreaming head.

I stand up from resting my knees on the endless liquid-like floor. Wandering around and exploring the odd location, I find myself in a spin but the music doesn't fade nor grow no matter how much I travel.

What is this place? I ask myself inside my head. Suddenly, I am snapped back into my original position, sitting down on the floor and facing the white atmosphere. The music is nowhere to be heard. Just plain nothingness.

"Hello again. How are you doing, Y/n?" Sanzu pops out of nowhere, squatting again in front of me but now he is leaning his head on a sheathed katana he is holding in his right hand. His smile reaches from ear to ear. It is obvious behind his black mask.

I don't feel anymore fear, just warmth and comfort as my heartbeat is at a normal rate. "I'm doing great. It's just like what you said from before. Everything is working well for me."

His pure intentions deliver to me as he speaks in a genuine, caring tone, "Wonderful! You deserve it after all. It's normal to have some obstacles in life. What values a lot is how you fight through it. It's the most significant lesson to learn about yourself."

I simply smile at his remark. "Hey, can I ask you a question?"

"Of course."

"Who really are you? Why do you keep appearing in my dream?" I ask but he shakes his head at me in a quick disapproval, saying, "Uh-uh. That is two questions. You only asked for one."

"Oh...well. Can you answer the latter part then? I think I'd like to hear that more."

Sanzu chuckles to himself before answering my question, "You chose the wrong option, Y/n. It was a tricky test for you to realize that those two questions are simply connected which means I can answer one but for you, it's two answers already."

"Damn." I quietly exclaim to myself as he indeed is clever. He basically outsmarted me. It makes me want to pry more about him now that he has an engaging personality. "Come on, just answer my question. It won't hurt, will it?"

Sanzu thinks for a while, sounding a hum, before he returns his gaze into my eyes and replies, "I'll just tell you why I am carrying a katana this time. Are you interested?"

"Maybe I can gain an answer from there. Go on, tell me." I grin at him.

His presence is different from the first time he appeared in my dream. Maybe because he is accustomed to where he is now? Though it doesn't really give a description, he knows that I am here and maybe that puts him at ease knowing he isn't alone.

"This katana is my other half as I dedicate this to my younger sibling. Whatever I do, it is to bring my younger sibling to justice. We were inseparable but we fell apart sooner than I expected. That is why I am making it up now that I am older and free." Sanzu's smile never falters as he runs his mind.

"So you are like an archangel." I say with a slight tone of questioning him. He laughs at my statement and responds, returning his narrowed eyes into contact, "I'm more like the devil's advocate. You shouldn't turn out like me, Y/n."

"And why is that?"

Sanzu then speaks in that chilly voice he has which totally switches his persona upside down. "Because it will slowly rot you away piece by piece until you no longer feel the urge to continue living."

Fear once again enters my chest as I feel my heart sink to the bottom of my stomach. My eyes widen as the white atmosphere clicks to black like a snap of a finger. W-What is this...? Why am I trembling so bad?

As I look at my hands, they frantically shake along with my pupils constricting. Fear isn't even the top term for what I am feeling right now. Where has he gone to? How did he disappear without me realizing? Did I take my time blinking?

The only thing my vision catches is his katana, the sheath is missing, lying on the liquid-like floor. I soon notice that the music is back but it is now louder and clearer than before. It is haunting, disturbing, and anxiety-raising, giving me goosebumps. I want to wake up. Please, someone wake me up from this nightmare.

The footsteps are coming closer and closer. My heart beats faster. I somehow feel nauseous as my mind is going through a thousand replays of random moments I cannot vividly remember. Someone...!

"Y/n?"

I open my eyes and see Rindou in front of me, confused and a bit concerned as he witnesses a tear escaping my eye socket. "Are you having a nightmare?" He continues to ask, holding me by my jaw.

"I'll...be fine. What time is it?" I say, taking his hand away from my face and relaxing my heart and mind by holding onto his big hands firmly. He answers, glancing at my distraught, "Your today's schedule isn't anything noteworthy."

"Mari told you?"

"Yeah. Are you fine now?" Rindou asks once more, his eye contact with me becomes strong and direct. I shortly nod while saying, "Yes. I am now. Thanks." He then raises his index finger. I resist a smile as I see him doing it out of nowhere. "Don't make me blush too hard." I chuckle as I do our thing.

"You're so irresistible, Y/n. I just want to keep teasing you everyday." He exclaims, bursting into laughter as he finishes his sentence. I squint my eyes at him as I reply, "Yeah... Every once in a while, you pull a prank on me on the set then we'd have to repeat most of the scenes!"

"Your reactions are just so good!" Rindou laughs once more without me finding it that hilarious.

This man can be a crackhead sometimes that I just got used to it. This behavior is something that can be tolerated but in the most random of times, it can still get you wondering what is up with him, like what did he eat to act this way?

"How long is it before we get a rest from filming?" I ask, straying this conversation elsewhere so that I won't be the topic anymore. Rindou answers, scratching the back of his neck, "I think I heard from your manager that it will be in a few weeks or so."

"And by that, you mean three weeks from now?"

He snaps his finger with a grin on his face as he says, "Precisely."

I grunt, lying flat down on the sofa, "That's still far away. I just wanna get this over with. Are we not on the same page?"

He stands up, bends downward, and looks at me from below. A smirk appears on his face as he admires me from a view. "Has anyone ever told you that you look beautiful from this angle? Top view."

I force a grin on my lips, saying, "You shouldn't say something like that early in the morning, Rin."

Rindou then kisses me on the forehead and takes his leave as he says, "Don't worry. That wasn't my intention at all. You go do your own thing now." I pout, watching him exit the room so casually. Just tell me you'll go back to your house. A goodbye kiss isn't helping...!

I drive back home and plan to get an update from my brother, but when I notice the front door is already unlocked, I rush inside and see him already making himself at home. "Rin-rin!" He exclaims, hugging me with no time delayed.

"This is quite a surprise!" I say with a smile plastered onto my lips, feeling permanent for a moment. "Since when did you get home?"

Pressing his hands on the glass table while leaning his back, Ran answers my curiosity straight away, "About ten minutes before you did. So, how's life? You finally got yourself a girlfriend?"

My face turns flushed upon hearing him. "Am I that easy to read?"

He laughs loudly, saying, "I wouldn't be your big brother if I couldn't predict accurately about you. I'm glad you are finally able to get someone for you. I remember you tried asking girls randomly in the street and they all lasted in just a day or two."

"Okay, that is not something to laugh about. Besides, I've known her for years like back in high school."

Ran jestingly speaks, "Ah, aiming for high school sweethearts. Mhm. I see what you're doing, Rin-rin. Trying to surpass me, huh?" I scoff, disagreeing completely, "That's not it. It's just... she's the love of my life."

"Hey, I'm proud of you more than I can show it to you. I really am." He says in a relaxed facial expression. I quietly smile back at him as I savor this brother moment we have between us. It's been months since I last saw his face and I cannot miss it more.

"Oh, right!" Ran says, breaking his composed gesture. "I just remembered my purpose of visiting you. Two days ago, I happened to encounter Sanzu while at work. Whatever he is doing is definitely not Bonten-related. He did hand me this-" He shortly passes me a note mid-sentence. "-He says it is for you."

I check the content of the note and raise an eyebrow as I read it out loud, "You got a hold of my katana, didn't you?" My eyes go back to Ran and ask him, "...Did he say something else to you or was it just this?"

He sighs, replying in a discouraged tone, "Unfortunately, that's it. At least now I know he is just around the area, closer than we think. Will you keep helping him out?"

"Probably." I shrug. "It's a mutual thing between us. I help him, he helps me. Like I get to know some stuff about Bonten while he gets to do whatever he wants without breaking any law from the organization since I clean up his mess."

Ran shakes his head as he says with doubt in his voice, "No matter how many times you explain it to me, I will never understand how this works. I am keeping you safe from them yet you stick your nose to the number 2 position of the said org."

I then reply, "They will never find out anyway. I just wanted to know your state. It takes a long while for you to update me so I go out of my way to know that my brother is still alive and well."

"Okay, let's stop. Just don't get too reckless, alright? I don't want you risking your life for shallow reasons." Ran strikes me a sneaky smirk as he finishes speaking. A chuckle escapes my throat. "So basically I shouldn't die while on duty with Sanzu? Got it."

"Now that that's all cleared. I have to get going now, Rin-rin. Don't go to prison or, worse, die without me." Ran says as he playfully spins his car keys on his finger. Coolest brother to exist in this world. Thank you, Ran.

Now about that note passed onto me... Sanzu, what are you up to now? You can't possibly be gone for a long time just to be playing cat and mouse with strangers. No, it's definitely more than that which involves a string of crimes tailing your behind.

You could not possibly be referring to a person, right?

♥ ᴛᴏ ʙᴇ ᴄᴏɴᴛɪɴᴜᴇᴅ...