Yamawashi made no promises to Scotland, nor did he say any comforting words. This seemingly emotionless coldness and decisiveness—if he hadn't witnessed Yamawashi's repeated concessions and compromises from a bystander's perspective, he would never have been able to believe that this person actually loved Scotland.
Hiromitsu Morofushi changed his clothes and removed the bomb from his neck as quickly as possible. By the time Yamawashi walked out of the corridor, he was already sitting outside. The moment Yamawashi opened the door and stepped out, Hiromitsu Morofushi glanced at his watch: "Very punctual.. So? Did you have a pleasant chat?"
Yamawashi remained silent, just as he had been silent inside the isolation room.
Hiromitsu Morofushi's smile faded under the gaze. It was too quiet here, so quiet that it almost made him mistakenly believe he was still inside the glass walls playing Scotland.
.. Did he see through it?
"Didn't you hear it with your own ears already?" Yamawashi said.
Hiromitsu Morofushi asked back without changing his expression, "Should I have heard it?"
Yamawashi's tone was completely flat: "There is a listening device on the microphone."
So that was what he meant. Hiromitsu Morofushi breathed a sudden sigh of relief, but on the surface, he only shrugged helplessly. "Bringing him out to see you was a violation of the regulations to begin with. If you were to collude with him to plan an escape, it would be an incredibly troublesome situation. Please understand my position."
This was already the most secure meeting place he could think of, but he still believed Yamawashi had the ability to help Scotland escape.
Yamawashi's past was blurry, but he knew Yamawashi's strength all too well. Before entering the base, he had specifically taken away Yamawashi's dagger, but that could only serve a psychological purpose; he knew he absolutely could not win against Yamawashi in close combat.
The two walked side by side through the underground passage, dust dancing in the light. Hiromitsu Morofushi glanced sideways and broke the silence, "Do you need me to step aside for a bit tonight.. For the sake of my own safety."
Yamawashi's face remained calm; as the light and shadows shifted, his expression never wavered, looking no different than when they had first walked through this passage to meet Scotland today. His fingers, tucked in his pocket, brushed against the hilt of a dagger, Hiromitsu Morofushi couldn't help but wonder if Yamawashi was actually thinking about how to hack him into pieces.
He didn't understand Yamawashi, but he understood the logic of a codename member. He had played such a role for a long time, Yamawashi was the elite among the codename members in the Organization.
Just as he thought, the footsteps echoed against the damp walls, the killer beside him said in a flat tone, "I'm going to kill you, then take him away."
Speaking such threatening words in the calmest of tones, Hiromitsu Morofushi felt that the chill down his spine wasn't quite as intense anymore.
“It seems you've changed your mind,” Hiromitsu Morofushi said.
A person like Yamawashi always acts before he speaks; saying such words meant he was no longer planning to do it, the reason was nothing more than for Scotland's safety.
He commissioned Matsuda Jinpei to help make a remote-controlled bomb that could be worn around the neck and could only be removed in a specific way, otherwise it would explode. Of course, it wouldn't actually explode; it was a model, but compared to a real bomb, the only difference was that it didn't have explosives inside.
So, what truly ensured that no accidents would occur during this meeting was his belief that Yamawashi would not be willing to let Scotland take such a risk.
There are so many people in the Organization, why does it have to be him?
Hiromitsu Morofushi could not answer.
In the end, he said, "Why do you love him to this extent? His feelings for you.."
He didn't say the rest, but they both knew exactly what he meant.
He was both a participant and a bystander, whether as Scotland or as Hiromitsu Morofushi, he knew all too well that Scotland had never loved Yamawashi, not even a shred of trust.
After meeting Scotland, Yamawashi's words seemed to suddenly increase; whether it was that question or this current answer, these were things Yamawashi would not normally say.
“Is love something that can be compared?” Yamawashi said. “I killed someone because of his mistake; his fiancée died right in front of him, he was so desperate for death that he begged me to kill him.. He is dead, I am still alive, so does his love for his fiancée necessarily surpass my love for Scotland?”
Hiromitsu Morofushi froze, not because of that story, but because he realized this was the first time Yamawashi had mentioned "love" in his presence.
Yamawashi loved Scotland, even though he had never said so to Scotland.
.. But Scotland heard it now.
“Many years ago, there was a pair of partners in the Organization who were at each other's throats, fighting to the death. But decades before that, they had given everything for one another.. They have already broken apart, but when one died, the other abandoned their child and immediately followed them into death.”
I have also seen with my own eyes how a pair of lovers went from loving each other to death. They could risk their lives for one another, yet they could not accept each other's backgrounds; because of that unchangeable past, they were not even willing to create a future together.
“, then? What happened to those two?” Hiromitsu Morofushi heard himself ask.
Yamawashi said nonchalantly, "They died. They held opposing stances throughout their lives, yet they died together."
Hiromitsu Morofushi fell silent.
Love has no weight," Yamawashi said. "Perhaps it will grow deeper with time, perhaps it will fade. Sincere feelings change in an instant; if you weigh them like weights on a scale, then so-called love will eventually lose its balance.
Love doesn't require equality, it only requires love, it's enough. My feelings for Scotland have essentially nothing to do with Scotland.
You have done so much for him. If he knows, even if he doesn't love you, he will at least be grateful to you." Hiromitsu Morofushi paused for a moment, ".. Perhaps he will love you too, it's just difficult to love him the way you do. What I mean is, those who love someone recklessly like you are actually a minority.
“At any cost? Are you mocking me?” Yamawashi slowly turned his head, a smirk tugging at the corner of his lips. “If I were to use emotions to blackmail him, to force him to submit, then what would be the difference between you and me?”
Hiromitsu Morofushi's expression froze instantly, his footsteps halted. He watched that slender figure disappear into the corridor, leaving only silence as dust drifted slowly through the air.
**
After meeting Scotland, the relationship between them shifted to another extreme, but from their daily interactions, he could see no change, at least not from Yamawashi himself.
Still cold, still silent, still appearing as though he didn't care for Scotland all that much, yet Hiromitsu Morofushi began to feel increasingly constrained because of that day's conversation. He could no longer continue to use the excuse of inviting Yamawashi to dinner with a clear conscience; only when treating Yamawashi's wounds and changing the bandages would he, out of desperation, use Scotland as a bargaining chip.
In this delicate relationship, another important turning point arrived.
The BOSS invited a group of Organization members to Mermaid Island, this time, Scotland's name was prominently on the list.
Also invited was Yamawashi, who had committed suicide in early December under the label of a traitor.
Chapter 19
He didn't take the risk of taking Scotland away from Public Security, because he didn't want Scotland to face any more risks, also because perhaps this way, Scotland would be safer.
He had been trying to turn the situation around several months ago, but he understood that he could not stop Scotland from setting foot on that island.
There was also a simple way; for example, if he suddenly died, that person would naturally stop paying attention to Scotland, all the difficulties would be easily resolved.
Aotsuki watched the sunset soaking the sea in silence, surrounded by the sound of chasing waves. Deliberately manufactured footsteps approached from behind, serving as both a warning and a probe. Just like the mission on the island, someone sat down beside him, deliberately maintaining a slight distance, yet still remaining within the range where he could strike a fatal blow.
He casually flipped through the dagger in his hand, instinctively estimating the angle and force of a swing, calculating which bone gap would be easiest to pry open to end a life. This interlude broke his boredom regarding the island they were about to reach.
His right hand had long since stopped being uncontrollable from blocking that bullet, but the blade left behind indelible scratches. Everything he wanted to protect seemed to develop cracks because of his presence, no matter how cautious he was.
The scenery is truly beautiful..
Hearing the exclamation, Aotsuki turned his head. He likely hadn't expected the sudden look, as if his throat had been invisibly seized, he fell silent, only meeting his gaze with an awkward stare.
It was both a blessing and a curse; the person sitting beside him at this moment was Scotland, yet was not Scotland.
Yamawashi averted her gaze as if nothing were wrong, Hiromitsu Morofushi breathed a sigh of relief, yet he felt strangely uneasy. The words were stuck in his throat, leaving him feeling stifled, but he attributed this to his helplessness regarding Yamawashi's attitude, he had no intention of leaving.
Scotland and Yamawashi are an open couple. At this juncture, where most of the Organization's notable codenames are about to gather, he should be even more proactive in maintaining this cooperative relationship under the guise of romance, making this affection appear even more genuine.
Therefore, his behavior was reasonable.
The sky grew dim, the remaining afterglow dissolved into the seawater, turning into shimmering light upon the surface. Aside from the sound of the water, this corner was terrifyingly quiet, so still that it felt as if one could not hear the heartbeat or pulse of Yamawashi.
"Yamawashi." Hiromitsu Morofushi broke the silence for no reason at all.
Yamawashi frowned and looked sideways. As their eyes met, Hiromitsu Morofushi realized belatedly that he had nothing at all to say to Yamawashi.
The two of them never had anything in common before, they have even less in common now.
“……” He said dryly, “Have you had dinner yet?”
The light was dim, making those gray eyes seem even more blurred. Yamawashi was looking at him, tilting his head with an extremely subtle movement. Lately, Yamawashi often caught his gaze like this out of nowhere, but this time, he had been the one to provoke it. Hiromitsu Morofushi forced himself to remain calm and continued his sentence: "There are still nine hours until we reach the shore. If you haven't eaten, you should eat a little something."
Every time Yamawashi fell into silence, the cause was different, but from the perspective of others, that silence was much the same, because it was equally impossible to judge what was on Yamawashi's mind.
As the sky grew almost completely dark, Yamawashi looked toward the distance once more. As a sniper, Hiromitsu Morofushi's night vision exceeded that of an ordinary person, but following Yamawashi's gaze, he saw only the surging seawater.
Just as he did not understand what each of Yamawashi's silences meant, he was also unclear as to what kind of scenery Yamawashi actually saw in this quiet corner.
Gathering so many codenamed members at once, does this meeting have some special significance?
Hiromitsu Morofushi simply stopped considering Yamawashi's thoughts and asked the question that confused him most; this time, Yamawashi actually deigned to speak.
"Observe," Yamawashi said indifferently.
Hiromitsu Morofushi was somewhat surprised.
He remembered with a significant delay that, although Yamawashi was usually not high-profile and he had never seen him participate in high-level decision-making, Yamawashi was actually one of the important figures within the Organization.
He hadn't asked Yamawashi for help in so long that he had almost forgotten why he had agreed to be with Yamawashi in the first place.
.. That's true, after all, that was already three years ago for him.
Hiromitsu Morofushi suppressed the strange feeling in his heart and pressed further, "Observe what?"
Yamawashi said succinctly, "A person."
“.. Is there something I should do?”
Don't do anything.
Leaving these words behind, Yamawashi was the first to stand up and leave.
Hiromitsu Morofushi pondered that answer and did not follow him.
When he returned to the room, Yamawashi was not there; it was unknown where he had gone.
Yamawashi likes quiet; perhaps he finds him too noisy and doesn't want to see him.
It was nearing 10:30, the usual time for Yamawashi to rest, but Yamawashi still hadn't returned. Hiromitsu Morofushi stared at his phone and thought for a long while, but he still didn't make the call.
As he was putting away his phone, his hand paused, he scrolled up one page.
A faint light reflected in his blue irises as Hiromitsu Morofushi stared blankly at the phone screen. His interactions with Yamawashi consisted of nothing more than this single page of call logs, counting them all up.
The phone showed that the first record was from half a year ago, his first call with Yamawashi; to him now, that was an old matter from three years ago. Because he hadn't cared in the past, no matter how hard he tried to recall it, Yamawashi's voice grew increasingly faint.
Hiromitsu Morofushi suddenly turned his head just as the doorknob turned silently; his hand rested on the grip of his gun, his eyes met those of the gray-haired young man who pushed the door open the next second.
“..”
“..”
You're back." Hiromitsu Morofushi breathed a sigh of relief and casually placed his gun on the nightstand, pretending nothing had happened. "Are you going to rest?
“Mm.”
A simple word, his tone betraying neither joy nor anger. In the past, he had felt such a voice was too deceptive, but listening to it now, the thought actually arose that this voice could be considered quite pleasant.
Time truly can change a person, whether it leads to the past or the future.
Aotsuki closed the door, while that impostor was still standing there, smiling under the light as he said, "Go to sleep, I'll call you when we reach the shore."
He froze for a moment, shaking off his daze, his expression instantly soured as he realized what had happened.
“Yamawashi..”
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