[Hitoya's first instinct is to be annoyed that Sasara would unload that kind of baggage onto Jyushi without thinking. Leaving him to clean up the mess. As usual. But it hardly sounds out of character for the guy.
He takes a moment to sigh, rubbing at his face before replying, careful not to leave Jyushi on read too long lest he cause even more anxiety.]
Where are you? You haven't done anything wrong but that's a lot that we need to talk about.
It doesn't take long for Hitoya to find Jyushi at what must be an ancient tree, the way it is has twisted and gnarled through the ages, clinging to its life in the present surroundings. Jyushi waits there hunched over, draped in the shadow of its weeping branches.
He doesn't say a word to announce his arrive. Just drops the only thing he brought with him gently on Jyushi's head. Amanda.]
[As soon as he knows Amanda is there, he's taking her and putting her up to his face so he can bury his face into that familiar stuffed animal, taking comfort. He looks to Hitoya, eyes still watering.]
[Jyushi looks at him and Hitoya wishes that the kid could see everything that he does. These aren't the tears of someone that's been betrayed. Someone that's just found out the person he once thought was an important turned out to be an enemy. Jyushi is crying precisely because he's feeling like he lost someone he cares for.
If only he could see it like that.
In response, Hitoya takes Jyushi by the arm, and turns him inward, away from the world that has done so much to overwhelm him these past few weeks.]
I need to catch up a bit. Why don't you start from the beginning? It'll help you put your thoughts in order.
[It's a good point and he nods, taking a deep breath before trying to start.] I wanted to talk to Rosho-san and ask him for advice about Ichiro-san. He's in a relationship and they're happy, right? I thought it'd be a good idea. [To his credit, it wasn't a bad idea.]
But Sasara-san was home instead and I told him why I wanted to talk to Rosho-san...since they are a couple, I thought he'd be a good source too. But then he mentioned how he fled to Ikebukuro because of his broken heart. [That is NOT how Sasara said it went down but whatever. Details.] It's how I found out he knew Kuko-san. I didn't know he knew him?
[Unfortunately... Hitoya can't exactly say the same at this moment in time. But is now really the time to reveal that he's been withholding this information from Jyushi? It doesn't feel great, lying to him now, even if it's a lie of omission.
He brushes past the Jyushi's question instead. The details about Sasara had been sparse in comparison so he leans into that.]
Kuko and Sasara huh? Hard to believe Ikebukuro could have survived those to existing in one place. So how does Ichiro come into all of this?
Ah, he was in a team with Kuko-san. The Naughty Busters? So they were together and then Sasara-san and Samatoki-san joined together with them to make a new team. I guess it was a type of 'your enemy is my enemy' situation.
[Jyushi isn't really thinking much about the questions that Hitoya is asking, just going along with answering what he's asking. He's really got no idea that Hitoya would have any idea already of what he's telling him.]
I never knew Kuko-san had a team before us. [He isn't jealous or anything but it just feels strange to not know.]
[That's not the point. Not what matters to Jyushi anyway though it's something he'll be coming back to as he keeps digging into this mystery.]
I may have gotten to know Kuko around the same time as you but I didn't stay particularly close the same way we did. I'm sure that doesn't come as a surprise. I didn't know another about another team but...
[He supposes it's only fair that he add what he does know into the big picture.]
I heard from Shakku a couple years back when he ran off from home. Would have been 16, maybe 17 at the time? He was gone for about a year without a single word about what he was getting up to or where.
[It isn't too surprising the leaders had a group before, right? It was why they were chosen to be leaders now. That only makes sense and Jyushi isn't thinking too deeply about it otherwise.
But hearing that, some things make a little more sense why Kuko was out in Ikebukuro. Knowing his relationship with his father then it was probably some sort of rebellion.]
And so he was in Ikebukuro at that time...with Ichiro-san... [He whines and then shakes his head. Focus!]
I wonder what happened...Sasara-san said he couldn't tell me since he left before Kuko-san did.
[Ah, these lies were bound to bite him in the ass sooner or later. Hitoya already knows that's not true. Knows how suspicious it is that Kuko and Sasara both left with mysterious excuses on exactly the same day.
He gives some thought about how to tease out the details now.]
Is that so?
[He feigns curiosity easily enough, the same way he does when some of his clients are divulging the minutia of their life's stories.]
Did he give a reason why? Or say exactly when that was?
[Jyushi isn't catching on that Hitoya knows more than he's letting on. He's not quite that in tune with things like that and also he never would guess that Hitoya would hide things like this.]
No, he didn't seem like he wanted to talk about it?
[Hitoya frowns. The sort of expression he makes when reviewing a some particular evidence that he doesn't like. He didn't expect Osaka's leader to prove so useful in this way but he makes a mental note that maybe he should follow up with the man too...]
Just like Kuko hasn't been too keen to talk about it either.
It seems like something happened, huh? I mean, you know, other than the obvious. Everything doesn't sound like Kuko-san and Sasara-san is just so chatty, it was surprising when he went quiet about Samatoki-san.
[Although Jyushi really wonders if it's his business to be thinking about this. After all, this was Kuko's past, his story, and if he wanted to share it then he could. It wasn't like Jyushi had really shared everything with Kuko as well.]
[Hitoya's thinking along the same lines as Jyushi and it brings up something else that's been on his mind for a long while. Ever since Kuko first dragged them together and insisted they form a team.]
You and I? We both have our reasons for joining Kuko and entering the division rap battles. You're doing it to prove your strength and I have an old score to settle. But what about Kuko? What's in it for him?
[It's not exactly the sort of thing one throws themselves within to without any thought... not even someone as chaotic as Kuko.]
[That's a good question and when Jyushi earnestly tries to think of an answer, he can't find one.]
I...never really thought of it that way. He's very aggressive so something like this seemed like something he'd want to do. But usually he does have some reason, doesn't he?
[Even if it doesn't seem like it. But there's always some underlying reason for the things he does.]
[Very aggressive was certainly an understatement but he won't hold it against Jyushi who always thinks the best of others by default and certainly not now when he's so wrapped up in his concern for what Kuko would think about their present circumstances. But it isn't just a broad understatement...]
Thinking back on it, he's been very aggressive about this. All the more reason there's gotta be something to it, don't you think?
[And Hitoya would put money down that they've landed on it.]
That's another really good point. [Not something that ever stood out to Jyushi, who hadn't known Kuko as long as Hitoya. But also Hitoya tended to notice finer details like this about people in general so it wasn't surprising.]
So do you think this is about Ichiro-san? Or maybe something to do with him, at least? [It seems like that is probably it.]
There's only two people that can really answer that. Fortunately, one of them is here...
[Unfortunately, it's not the one they should be asking but that's just a luxury they don't have here in Avalon. He's really starting to sound like a broken record, already bracing for Jyushi to push back.]
Which leads us back to what I've been saying all along.
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
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He takes a moment to sigh, rubbing at his face before replying, careful not to leave Jyushi on read too long lest he cause even more anxiety.]
Where are you? You haven't done anything wrong but that's a lot that we need to talk about.
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[Like hell he's leaving you alone right now.]
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[It's the one he constantly takes pictures with. It's a good mood piece.]
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It doesn't take long for Hitoya to find Jyushi at what must be an ancient tree, the way it is has twisted and gnarled through the ages, clinging to its life in the present surroundings. Jyushi waits there hunched over, draped in the shadow of its weeping branches.
He doesn't say a word to announce his arrive. Just drops the only thing he brought with him gently on Jyushi's head. Amanda.]
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What am I supposed to do?
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If only he could see it like that.
In response, Hitoya takes Jyushi by the arm, and turns him inward, away from the world that has done so much to overwhelm him these past few weeks.]
I need to catch up a bit. Why don't you start from the beginning? It'll help you put your thoughts in order.
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But Sasara-san was home instead and I told him why I wanted to talk to Rosho-san...since they are a couple, I thought he'd be a good source too. But then he mentioned how he fled to Ikebukuro because of his broken heart. [That is NOT how Sasara said it went down but whatever. Details.] It's how I found out he knew Kuko-san. I didn't know he knew him?
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He brushes past the Jyushi's question instead. The details about Sasara had been sparse in comparison so he leans into that.]
Kuko and Sasara huh? Hard to believe Ikebukuro could have survived those to existing in one place. So how does Ichiro come into all of this?
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[Jyushi isn't really thinking much about the questions that Hitoya is asking, just going along with answering what he's asking. He's really got no idea that Hitoya would have any idea already of what he's telling him.]
I never knew Kuko-san had a team before us. [He isn't jealous or anything but it just feels strange to not know.]
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[That's not the point. Not what matters to Jyushi anyway though it's something he'll be coming back to as he keeps digging into this mystery.]
I may have gotten to know Kuko around the same time as you but I didn't stay particularly close the same way we did. I'm sure that doesn't come as a surprise. I didn't know another about another team but...
[He supposes it's only fair that he add what he does know into the big picture.]
I heard from Shakku a couple years back when he ran off from home. Would have been 16, maybe 17 at the time? He was gone for about a year without a single word about what he was getting up to or where.
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But hearing that, some things make a little more sense why Kuko was out in Ikebukuro. Knowing his relationship with his father then it was probably some sort of rebellion.]
And so he was in Ikebukuro at that time...with Ichiro-san... [He whines and then shakes his head. Focus!]
I wonder what happened...Sasara-san said he couldn't tell me since he left before Kuko-san did.
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He gives some thought about how to tease out the details now.]
Is that so?
[He feigns curiosity easily enough, the same way he does when some of his clients are divulging the minutia of their life's stories.]
Did he give a reason why? Or say exactly when that was?
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No, he didn't seem like he wanted to talk about it?
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Just like Kuko hasn't been too keen to talk about it either.
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[Although Jyushi really wonders if it's his business to be thinking about this. After all, this was Kuko's past, his story, and if he wanted to share it then he could. It wasn't like Jyushi had really shared everything with Kuko as well.]
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[Hitoya's thinking along the same lines as Jyushi and it brings up something else that's been on his mind for a long while. Ever since Kuko first dragged them together and insisted they form a team.]
You and I? We both have our reasons for joining Kuko and entering the division rap battles. You're doing it to prove your strength and I have an old score to settle. But what about Kuko? What's in it for him?
[It's not exactly the sort of thing one throws themselves within to without any thought... not even someone as chaotic as Kuko.]
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I...never really thought of it that way. He's very aggressive so something like this seemed like something he'd want to do. But usually he does have some reason, doesn't he?
[Even if it doesn't seem like it. But there's always some underlying reason for the things he does.]
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Thinking back on it, he's been very aggressive about this. All the more reason there's gotta be something to it, don't you think?
[And Hitoya would put money down that they've landed on it.]
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So do you think this is about Ichiro-san? Or maybe something to do with him, at least? [It seems like that is probably it.]
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[Unfortunately, it's not the one they should be asking but that's just a luxury they don't have here in Avalon. He's really starting to sound like a broken record, already bracing for Jyushi to push back.]
Which leads us back to what I've been saying all along.