Shooting Range, Holy Knights headquarters
'I didn't want to leave Ru just like that.' But, she had a lot on her mind. She did not want to use him as an outlet to release her emotions. No, she did not want to treat him like a personal therapist. No matter how much Ru is okay with their little heart-to-heart conversations. Sumire felt troubled by them.
How can he be okay with this?
Ru is so strange, but no matter how strange he is. 'I shouldn't have done that yesterday.' It was bad enough doing that in middle school. But she can't sleep beside him like that now. They are high school students.
However, yesterday was the first time she slept so well in a long time. No, it was the second time.
'I slept quite well in that stranger's place. I didn't even wake up once. The entire time she didn't have a single nightmare. Moreover, it felt like the entire time he was caressing her hair. Perhaps it was just her imagination.
She doesn't know him well, but he appears to be the type experienced with women.
Whenever she had free time or just had too much on her mind, she would come here to the shooting range.
Although there are much better shooting ranges all around town. Going to those places would be far too risky since she is only a student and 'an idol on the verge of debuting.'
She went against Masaru's words the other day. But he did make a point. How much longer could she trick the media?
A gun is different from a blade. Although she prefers the latter, it helps calm her anxiety down whenever she picks up a gun.
She picked up the gun and got into position. Unlike most people, she didn't have a particular stance when it came to firing.
'I just shoot. At first, my hands trembled a lot.' Even if killing a person didn't mean much to her, she felt nervous having a powerful weapon entrusted to her.'
But before long, her marksmanship surpassed all others. Before she knew it, it became natural for her to hold a gun.
She doesn't hesitate anymore using a gun. There are plenty of occasions where the situation does not call for close-range combat. She needed to learn how to fight without using her physical strength, and without a blade.
'Only the Yakuza use guns. Yankee's should not have to. But, there are no longer such outdated rules.'
That's right; they live in times where the underworld society has grown to the extent that the police have no choice but to tolerate it. However, there are rules and regulations. It doesn't change the fact that they live in times like this now.
She aimed her pistol again, and she always hit the center of the target. It seems her skills don't get rusty. She hadn't used this gun much in awhile, so she thought she was out of practice.
Sumire continued to shoot, and the next three hours passed by quickly. Her gaze fell on all the bullets in the center of the target. Not a single miss.
'I am more assured now.' Using her 'power' the other day was far too risky. But it was the only way to stop a crowd of that magnitude.
"Even after our talk, here you are again."
Sumire sighed when she saw a man with golden-colored hair standing behind her.
"I don't want to hear it from you, Masaru-senpai."
"Your so cold, lady." Masaru picked up another pistol from the side and aimed at the target.
She hated how casually he shot and yet still reached the center. Is this guy here to mock her again?
Tachibana Masaru acts like a foolish man who only knows how to toy with women. But there are only a few who know how talented he was.
"I didn't want to disturb Ru," Sumire admitted.
"You went out together?"
"Mmm, since it's the weekend."
Whenever they both didn't have jobs to do, they would spend time with each other on the weekend.
Now that she had given it some thought, it was very strange. It's almost like they are a couple. No wonder Sano used to get angry at her.
It is strange, but it's become so natural for her to spend time with him.
Sumire's gaze fell on Masaru and continued to shoot. For somebody so against it, he sure is focused right now. She wonders why somebody like this, who has everything, would join the underworld.
Masaru comes from a rich and good family. There should be no reason for him to get involved with such things. But, it seems he has been in this industry for longer than her.
When she first discovered it, she was in for a huge shock. Aki had given her orders, and she went to the crime scene. But by the time she reached there, somebody had completed the job already.
There were thousands of bodies everywhere. In the center of all of that was Tachibana Masaru, covered in the blood of his enemies.
It was the first time she thought she saw the grim reaper.
"Masaru-senpai, you don't hesitate when you shoot."
At those words, Masaru chuckled. "That's right; you don't either, though."
"Sometimes, in the back of my mind, I have a small doubt. It's easy for me to kill, but the weight of a weapon is so heavy. After the kill, the weight increases every time."
"Yes. Because it represents the number of lives you have taken, it represents your selfishness and greed to stop people with your own hands."
"Do you think it's selfishness?"
"It is hard to say, at least with you. Unlike others, you are not the greedy type. Even though you are in a position of power in the underworld, you do not abuse it."
"I do not need such things."
After all, she was originally empty. A lot has happened in the last few years, and she has worked toward living a 'normal life.' But, despite being so close to reaching it. She cannot discard this life of blood and warfare.
She understood that Ru had been desperately trying to take over her jobs so she would get less involved. She knew what he wanted, but she couldn't let this go.
Even before she met Aki, it felt like she was drawn into this world of violence and blood.