AKENO'S POV:-
I have been sitting here since half an hour, drunk from the two beer cans and waiting for her to speak. But she just keeps staring at me.
"Hey! You wanted to ask something?"
Ace: - "yeah"
"Then what's holding you back."
Ace:-"stop being so smug about that."
"About what."
Ace:-"you avoid me completely for a straight 1 and half month. Why? And what's up with all that in my apartment."
"I apologized already, didn't I?"
Ace:-"what? When?"
"Today. When you met me earlier."
Ace:-"if you think you can waver me by making me think about that kiss. You're so very wrong. Forget about it. And it's just too casual for you."
"I don't know what you are thinking."
I truly don't know. It's clear. Crystal clear that she hates me and it doesn't matter to her.
Ace:-"speak."
"It was all a way of apology. I won't repeat that."
Ace:-"is that so. Alright. And, yes your envelope. Here"
I took the envelope from her. It's weird. I have never received anything addressed to me directly. I suppose it's a letter again. She is looking at the envelope very intently. I know I have to tell her that about the threats made in those letters. Evan is on his way with Ria to my office with all the letters he received. I open the envelope and pull out the letter and it is the same.
Ace:-"hey! Who sent you letter. Lover. Oh my god."
"It's not a love letter. What, are you jealous?"
Ace:-"dream on."
"You forgot that I am the boss..."
Ace:-"ah yes. Please continue. I'll be in my corner."
Ria:-"umm! Did we interrupt something?"
"Absolutely no, please come in. where's Evan."
Evan:-"right here. Here, your file."
Ace:-"even he got them. Who is writing letters to him?"
Ace and Ria giggled, as ria sit beside her on the couch.
Evan:-"back to the topic girls. It's not a funny matter."
Ace:-"will you explain."
"These are threat letters."
Both Ria and ace looked a little astonished but, then suddenly burst out laughing holding their stomachs and having a little difficulty in breathing. In between their laughing session ria asked;
Ria:-"are you both serious? Really?"
When they had finally settled after their laughing session Evan spoke up,
Evan:-"you can take a look. Feel free. And then call us over."
Ace:-"yeah! Sure."
Evan:-"and one more thing. Do you think you're forgetting someone?"
Ria:-"who?"
Ace:-"no one that reminds me."
Evan:-"ichiro is in coma." Evan sounded cold.
Ace and ria fell silent. Ace placed her beer can on the table and took the file. Nobody moved nobody spoke. The atmosphere in the room suddenly went tense.
"Take a look at them. And call us in a while." I had to break the ice.
"Evan let's go take a walk."
Evan:-"yeah."
ACE'S POV:-
As the door latch sounded shut. I heaved a sigh of relief. I reclined all the way on the couch. The heartless ones here are us. Ichiro has been friendlier to us than anyone of them. And we totally forgot about him.
Ria:-"hey! Look at this."
Ria hurriedly tapped on my shoulders.
"What! What! What!"
Ria:-"does this make sense it's a complete threat. Why would someone threaten these guys? They are you know, kinda normal."
"What if they aren't?"
Ria:-"how would you know that?"
"How would you know they are normal?"
Ria:-"well… let's ask them."
"Yeah better. And you know, maybe we should visit ichiro. We are not family but, you know… let's go."
Ria:-"are you sure?"
"Yeah. We should. Maybe."
Ria:-"we will go. Okay. Calm down, it's not our fault."
"I know."
"So are you guys already on a conclusion." Evan burst in through the door. Followed by the devil.
"We are thinking of the sender."
Ria:-"of the letters."
Evan:-"we don't know yet."
Akeno lit up a cigarette and puffed out, while picking up the file. I hate smoking, not in my presence Akeno. I swiftly put it out by dumping it on the tile and smashing it under my heels. But you know this man is difficult. He already took out another one. I can't deal with this douche bag. He sat down just close enough to make me reminisce the smell of wood and wild flowers from earlier today. And I forgot how close he was just some hours ago and now he is acting like a total jerk.
Ria:-"and why would they send you these to you. That's what is important right now."
"I am curious too."
Akeno:-"story time it is. More like reality check."
Evan:-"ooh! Now what am I? An ancient sage telling stories.boo."
Ria:-"don't overact. And speak like a civilized person… sir."
Ria smiled sarcastically at evan. probably she wants to offend him. I wonder why I am not comfortable around Akeno like this. The sarcasm between us is very different, it's not friendly to start with rather we are always at each other's throat. Just like now.
"Would you mind explaining gentlemen?"
Ria:-"sit your ass down… sir." She smiled like a creep, can't lie about that, and Evan sat down almost instantly.
Evan:-"so where do I begin."
Akeno:-"stop being an asshole. It's not a drama script. Our lives depend on it.
Oh! So he is tense about the situation. Nonetheless, it means the situation here has a situation of its own. There is definitely something shady going on with them. And I am really curious about what can unnerve this man to this extent.
"I am all ears, if you know. Please start your rhetoric."
Evan:-"sooo… first of all it started with a letter that came with a business proposal. As a matter of surprise it was placed inside the contract files, so we called the CEO of that company and asked. He confirmed that only a contract was issued. From then onwards these letters kept showing up at weird places like car roofs, office hallways, dropped in at bars, etc."
Ria:-"are you people dumb or stupid? Huh! What kind of security do you have that these letters show up out of nowhere? What nonsense? Were you enjoying this? But your men are definitely all puffed up with no brains at all."
Ria flipping out of those was same as what I was thinking, but he hasn't ended his story yet, let's not judge too quickly.
"Let's listen first, Ria. Sit down. You may continue, evan."
Evan:-"ah! Yes. Then one night as we were going to our penthouse, we saw you girls."
"What?"
Ria:-"where?"
We looked at each other, and communicated with our eyes, and then looked at them. They were directly looking at us.
"So? What?"
Akeno:-"you killed the people in that alley miss."
"Why would you bother about that?"
I took a nervous bite of a chip and swallowed it down with beer.
Evan:-"stop Akeno. Whatever may the reason be… you fought really well? Hence the reason you are here."
Ria:-"you mean the reason we got kidnapped."
Akeno:-"we apologize for that incident."
"You should."
Evan:-"okay. Ok fine. Now back to the topic. We hired you because it seems the accused here is familiar with people already working here. Hence, can come and go out easily. But, you know we can't afford that risk anymore. So, we want you to be closer than the security we have.
"We get it. We get it all. But I have only one question from you. Why you?"
Ria:-"I mean yes. Why you? Did you offend anyone?"
Evan:-"what I am going to say is definitely going to offend you, but they should fear offending us."
"As if. Why though."
Akeno:-"because we own the underworld here, darling."
I know Akeno was sealed close but he was too close. He almost whispered directly into my ears. I jumped and spilled some beer on my legs.
Evan:-"ok. I know that's absurd."
Ria:-"makes sense, isn't it? Ace?"
"Yeah feasible."
Akeno:-"and what about ichiro?"
"We will visit tomorrow.���
Ria:-"yes we will."
Evan:-"okay then. We will take our leave. And please get home safely. It looks like you think we are joking with you."
"No. absolutely no. we will go after we clear this mess. See you, tomorrow."
Akeno:-"should we pick you up."
"No just go. We are fine."
Was I too harsh on him? Who cares? He doesn't seem emotional.