But the pattern on that brooch was indeed the same as the school's emblem.
"What color are a crow's eyes?" Yamawashi asked again.
Hiromitsu Morofushi's expression froze.
Not Ruby?!
But it was exactly what he had already said.
Under the wall covered in ivy, a sudden silence fell between the two.
Yamawashi's expression grew increasingly cold, Hiromitsu Morofushi's back was nearly soaked in cold sweat.
Scotland had seen Yamawashi's brooch with his own eyes, but.. the Public Security agent who had been impersonating Scotland had not.
It can't go on like this.
Hiromitsu Morofushi spoke with feigned ease, "Scotland told me.."
Yamawashi interrupted, "You've been to Ikubunkan Academy before, you've seen the brooches the students here wear."
These were his own words.
If he had never been here before, how could he know that this area was Ikubunkan Academy, let alone be familiar with the environment within the campus?
“That's because.."
Meeting those eyes, Hiromitsu Morofushi's voice gradually grew low, until he fell into complete silence.
It wasn't that he didn't want to defend himself, nor that he hadn't thought of anything to say; it was simply that Yamawashi was not the kind of person who could be persuaded by words.
When Yamawashi spoke or acted, it meant he had already completed the entire process and would not easily change his mind.
“Yamawashi..” Hiromitsu Morofushi took an uncontrollable step forward.
Yamawashi suddenly closed his eyes, turned his head, let out a long breath. The eyeballs beneath his eyelids trembled before everything finally settled into stillness.
Yamawashi actually smiled.
In fact, that curve was extremely slight, but for Yamawashi, it was enough to be called a smile.
So that's how it is," he repeated to himself. "Fine, alright, let's leave it at that then.
After a long time, Yamawashi opened his eyes, but he did not look at him again, instead staring at the series of ivy and saying, ".. Let's leave it at that. At least it's better than you actually getting arrested."
Hiromitsu Morofushi said urgently, "Yamawashi, this matter—"
"I don't even know what to call you anymore." Yamawashi's voice was very low, while Hiromitsu Morofushi's voice came to an abrupt halt, as if it had been silenced.
Yamawashi turned his head, his gaze filled with estrangement, said slowly, "No wonder that cufflink was shaped like that."
..
On the way back, Hiromitsu Morofushi was originally driving, but he was replaced by Yamawashi midway through the journey.
He sat in Yamawashi's seat, not knowing what kind of judgment Yamawashi would descend upon him.
Arriving at the Safe House and opening the door, soft light spilled over him; everything was so desolate. Even though someone had clearly returned, it was still terrifyingly quiet.
Hiromitsu Morofushi's body remained tense. He watched Yamawashi pull out those cufflinks and place them in a conspicuous spot, he also watched Yamawashi take out the books he had bought from Ino Seigo's bookstore, carefully organizing them by title and placing them one by one onto the bookshelf alongside the books Yamawashi had bought himself.
He thought he had hidden them well, but it turned out Yamawashi had known about those books all along.
He sat stiffly on the sofa, listening to the sound of pages turning from the other end of the couch, as Yamawashi resumed reading that detective novel after a long time.
The second hand ticked along, he heard Yamawashi let out a soft laugh, whether it was because he had discovered the mystery's solution or simply because he found everything happening now to be too ridiculous, he couldn't tell.
At ten-thirty in the evening, Yamawashi closed the book on time and, as usual, stood up and said, "Go to sleep."
Hiromitsu Morofushi opened his mouth and said, ".. Okay."
His body lay on the mattress, but his soul felt as if it were still drifting in the void, unable to find solid ground.
It suddenly started raining at night, the thunder and the rushing sound of the downpour disrupting the silence. The mattress shook slightly as Hiromitsu Morofushi felt the person beside him roll over, reaching out to pull him close and pressing his head against their chest.
Yamawashi said nothing, Hiromitsu Morofushi found himself unable to speak as well; he could only try to draw warmth from within that embrace, clutching the person beside him tightly, his mind drifting for a moment to his mother, whom he had not seen in many years.
Truth cannot be hidden forever; the thing he had feared most all this time had finally happened. Contrary to the intense confrontation he had anticipated, the tolerance and submission shown by Yamawashi sent a chill down his spine.
On this sweltering night, the convictions that had been deeply rooted since that bloody night were uprooted, cracking inch by inch, turning into dust.
That night, Hiromitsu Morofushi suddenly realized that just as he had not fallen in love with Yamawashi simply because she was willing to die for him, the Yamawashi who appeared on the rooftop that night likely had not been willing to die because she loved him.
He miraculously returned to the past and saw the real Yamawashi, which caused him to fall in love, whereas Yamawashi had never cared from beginning to end what kind of person the real Scotland was.
All Yamawashi wanted was 【Scotland】, an abstract symbol defined solely by him, to the point where it no longer mattered whether 【Scotland】 was a member of the Organization or a Public Security Police officer.
..
In late June, thunder and lightning rolled across the sky.
The rainy season in Tokyo arrived late.
Chapter 38
Hiromitsu Morofushi could not understand how Yamawashi could accept such an absurdity so quickly, appearing even more composed than he was, despite having imagined this scenario countless times.
The Yamawashi of three years ago had become blurred with the passage of time; the current Yamawashi seemed like an actor diligently playing the role of the "Yamawashi in his memories." The breakfast in the early morning, the silent gazes, the sound of pages being gently turned, even the sudden return to exquisite attire.. everything seemed so peaceful and familiar, yet when pieced together, it only made him feel a profound sense of estrangement.
Hiromitsu Morofushi stood outside the door, watching the person inside adjust his collar in front of the mirror; as he raised his hand, the gemstone on his cuff reflected a bright red spot against the wall.
There was no one more vigilant than a killer, he had never seen a killer more keen than Yamawashi; Yamawashi must have noticed his arrival long ago, only turning around slowly once his cuffs were straightened.
His expression was solemn, as if he were not going to meet him, but rather to attend a funeral.
Hiromitsu Morofushi discovered that a ruby brooch was pinned to Yamawashi's chest.
He wasn't sure of the origin of that brooch, but it was clearly not some trivial ornament picked up during an ordinary mission.
He knew too little about Yamawashi.
".. Yamawashi." Hiromitsu Morofushi spoke, not knowing what to say, so silence fell between the two of them once again.
"Do you want to talk to me?" Yamawashi looked at him and asked.
Hiromitsu Morofushi nodded, then shook his head.
This seemed to cause the other party some confusion.
He didn't know what he should say.
Yamawashi had long since made his stance clear and continued to support him through his actions; as someone who had been easily forgiven, he had no right to negotiate with Yamawashi again.
Yamawashi had already given him enough; unrestrained demands would only accelerate the total collapse of an already precarious balance.
Perhaps because his gaze lingered too long on the brooch, Yamawashi's fingers brushed lightly against his chest as he spoke up proactively, "I don't understand why it would be a ruby?"
“.. Yes.”
Not every student in an elite academy comes from a prestigious family; those admitted through special circumstances must wear different badges to distinguish them.
Hiromitsu Morofushi immediately thought, "For example, you acting as a bodyguard for Ino Seigo??"
You could put it that way," Yamawashi smiled, "How could a bodyguard use the same things as his employer? Even if he wears a student uniform, he isn't a real student.
Yamawashi walked to the window and opened it.
Hiromitsu Morofushi gazed at his back and finally asked the question: "Why me.. Why are you so special to Scotland?"
He didn't dare use a word like "love." Perhaps Yamawashi's feelings for him didn't qualify as love at all; even if they did, they were likely for Scotland, rather than for him.
He was Scotland, but he was not the Scotland that Yamawashi expected.
“Your marksmanship is excellent,” Yamawashi replied.
Hiromitsu Morofushi said, "Before you proposed to me, we met twice during missions, but I never fired a gun during those two missions."
Yamawashi fell silent. Hiromitsu Morofushi wanted to press for more answers, but he did not dare to continue questioning him.
The pressure brought by this silence weighed heavily on the heart, making it difficult to breathe.
Your codename was chosen by me.
Hiromitsu Morofushi was stunned.
Yamawashi leaned loosely against the window frame, exposing his back without any hesitation; it was a posture of complete trust, or perhaps it could also be called complete indifference.
“Regarding the codename assessment mission, your target didn't suffer much in death, which is rare in this line of work. When you reported the results to me, your voice was steady, but I felt as though you were in more pain than the deceased.. Regardless, since the mission was completed successfully, it means you are qualified to receive a codename. Ever since I returned to the Organization, I have rarely left Japan. Before becoming your assessor, my plan was to go to the UK to rest for a few months. I only took on this assessment mission because I wasn't permitted to leave. Scotch whisky production regions are diverse; perhaps that could serve as a decent codename.”
I didn't know that person was you.. You never mentioned this.
To be precise, he and Yamawashi had never talked that much.
He was not curious about Yamawashi's past, Yamawashi was not curious about his, for they only temporarily crossed those boundaries when necessary.
“There's no need,” Yamawashi said. “Ireland, Bourbon, Rye.. most of the new generation of codenamed members have passed through my hands. Hiding one's identity can avoid unnecessary intersections and reduce trouble.”
The assessment should have ended there, but I developed an extra curiosity about you, so I arranged for you to accompany me on a mission. I originally called you here to observe your reaction when you kill, but when you actually stood before me, the thought of you perhaps wearing that sorrowful expression made me feel as if it would be better if I did it myself.. Ultimately, that mission was meant for me in the first place; if I hadn't intentionally added your name, you wouldn't have been there that day at all.
His voice gradually lowered, sounding more like a murmur than a narration: "I should have let you take the shot. I only wanted to see clearly what kind of expression you would make, yet I failed to let you act on both occasions."
.. Yamawashi." Hiromitsu Morofushi couldn't help but speak up, "I..
Yamawashi turned aside.
His expression remained just as calm, showing no difference from when he was reading or performing his missions.
“Assassins make their living by taking lives. Some look down on it, some take pleasure in it, I have even seen some start to believe in God after killing too many people, thinking the almighty Lord would bring them salvation and forgive their sins. You are different. You have a deep-seated reverence for life; it has nothing to do with your profession, you feel no shame or need to hide it. I admire that about you.”
“Later, when you ran into trouble, I took the initiative to find you.”
Yamawashi's voice suddenly stopped.
"You asked to meet me and proposed we fall in love; in exchange, you would help me resolve my troubles." Hiromitsu Morofushi finished telling the rest of the story.
Yes, I was the one who proposed it.. You agreed too quickly, so fast that I didn't even realize it until you were sitting in my car, which is why every time I see you after that, I can't help but feel curious.
Hiromitsu Morofushi's voice was strained: "Curious.. about what?"
"Curious about what kind of expression you'll have on your face when you kill me in the future," Yamawashi said.
Hiromitsu Morofushi instinctively took a step forward, his voice urgent: "I never.."
Yamawashi simply said calmly, "Perhaps only at the moment I am killed by you will I truly see what kind of expression you show on the day you become Scotland."