The secret building was a café. After a short walk down an alley the pair reached the front of The Second Saw Café. The outside was rustic, no more than just a hole in the wall with a sign with it's name on it surrounded fake looking by wooden boards. The driver opened the door, his hand guided the pair to enter.
The inside wasn't anything special, a few tables dotted the area. The whole place kept the fake looking wood look the outside had. Sitting at one of the tables in the left corner of the building was Mr. Endo and Mr. Senada along with a few other suited men. Kudo took his time getting over to the table.
The suits sat up straight, tightly as if they had everything to lose if one hair was out of line. Meanwhile Sen sat as if something rank was in front of her. Kudo took a half professional style of composure. For the briefest of moments the table seemed like that of a teacher about to discipline a child. But then Mr. Endo let out a long sigh.
"I'm sorry that it's come to this. I understand that what you fought today was not a normal class four," Mr. Endo hung his head low. "But I'm making the call, personally, to have you two moved to somewhere that can't possibly bring us more bad press."
The punch, that expected feeling of dread Kudo knew he would feel once the words hit the air hit harder than expected. Maybe he had built up the moment in his head to be inevitable. But even so, a part of him was still hopping to be placed in the city.
"Though I will make sure you two continue to be partnered together if that's what both of you want." Mr. Endo probably thought that that fact would lessen the impact.
Sen searched for Kudo's gaze. When their eyes met it was apparent that Sen didn't want to leave. Kudo buried his face into his hand. facing away from Sen. His face was flushed. "That would be amazing. Thank you Mr. Endo," Sen said.
"Yeah," Kudo agreed through his hand.
"Please, it is the least I could do considering the circumstances," Mr. Endo bowed towards Sen.
"For now you will each take a week of unpaid leave until we can come up with a suitable placement," Mr. Senada used his tone to cut through the fake sincerity Mr. Endo was building.
"We understand," Sen answered. Kudo couldn't bring himself to pick his head up.
"Then that is all. I hope this news isn't too troubling," Kudo felt Mr. Senada's glare on him. His shoes clacked against the floor, soon followed by the rest of the suits. They exited in a cartoonish sounding parade of clacking.
Kudo felt a hand land on his shoulder. "You okay?" Sen's voice was soft.
"Y-yeah, it's just . . . You were so sure that you wanted to be partnered with me again. I never would have suspected that from you," Kudo met Sen's eyes with his own.
Sen's face was defined by how pale she was. Her features were rounded and almost milky white. She was pure blooded Japanese which confused most people. But Kudo just got her, she was Sen.
"Why wouldn't you expect it from me? I think I'm pretty nice, all things considered," Sen pretended to be offended.
"I don't know. I think it has something to do with your age, and mine." The words escaped Kudo's mouth before he could think of them.
"Age!? Am I too old!?"
"No, I meant it as: I see you as an older person. I always feel like people older than me are looking down upon me." Kudo made a foot hole in the side of the hole he was digging himself.
"Oh. Ooooooh," Sen paused. "That makes a lot more sense now,"
"What makes a lot more sense?"
"It feels like you're always trying to prove yourself, pushing further then anyone would ever expect. What you said explains a lot of that," Sen got up from her seat. "Come on child, I'll buy you a beer,"
Beer always made Kudo want to vomit. He hated hating it though. Sen had three cans in front of her twenty minutes after arriving at her apartment. Kudo had barely even reached the mid point of his own. Kudo felt like he should say something, Sen was clearly going to fast. But she had turned on a pre-recorded baseball game she had saved from last season.
"Wooooooo! Go Hikari gooo~," Sen cheered on the former batter of the Tokyo Swallows. She had changed out of her work clothing into a sweatshirt and stretchy pants. Kudo on the other hand was relegated to his blood stained work clothes lest he wear some of Sen's clothes. He wasn't looking to let Sen have the ammo to use against him, even though she probably wouldn't remember the night in the morning if she continued at the rate she was going.
After an hour Sen was passed out on her futon. She had cracked the halfway mark of the pack of beers she bought. Kudo sat across from the tv watching old baseball games. He had only gotten up once, to pour out the rest of his beer down the sink. After the forth game he slipped into a good night's sleep
Kudo found himself this time at the end of a very long table. At the other end sat Mr. Endo, though this Mr. Endo had no glasses. Nor did he have any eyes. Two birds crossed the blood red sky. As they approached their image became more accessible to Kudo's eye. They were formed from eyes, Mr. Endo's to be exact with bird like wings. As soon as Kudo realized this his being was transported into one of said eyes. He could not control his wings, which glided him towards a rapidly forming building, one single apartment building. The one he was in right now. Through a window that Kudo was sure wasn't on the real building he could see right into Sen's bathroom. She was currently in the shower. His form stopped right outside the window. He was forced to watch Sen naked. Under normal circumstances that wouldn't be the worst thing. But nothing could ever be right. Her features constantly shifted.
"Are you okay? Too much to drink? Come on kid wake up!"