Iwaizumi was never a social butterfly. He could count how many friends he has with his two hands, no more, maybe even less. Seven remaining members of the Golden Cats (if they still consider him as their friend), Matsukawa Issei (a bartender who owed him), and finally, Oikawa Tooru.

That last one, though, he really doubts.

Two years without meeting the said guy. Iwaizumi always kept an eye on him, watching as Oikawa slowly made his way up unto becoming a really well-known businessman like who he is now. Still, Iwaizumi never intends to reveal himself. He's an assassin now, the best in this city, as people say. He would never have a normal life; heck, he kills people for a living. There's no way he would let Oikawa have a connection with someone like that.

And yet they all call him the Crowned Knight. What kind of crown? What knight? He's just the antagonist, the villain who pretends to be a good guy without realizing it.

A sigh escaped his lips as he entered the bar in front of him. It was crowded, but he knew it won't be like that for long. Biker gangs tend to stop at bars like this for a drink or two, but soon enough they'll be leaving. Nothing unusual.

Iwaizumi maneuvered his way towards the counter without much difficulties, many already knows who he is and they stepped aside to make way for him. There were those occasional greeting, 'Kishi-san! I hope you're doing well!' and other things along that line, while Iwaizumi only gave them his nods.

"Yo, Kishi! Back from another job, already?" the bartender, Matsukawa, asked as soon as he saw him. Iwaizumi only grunted in reply, while Mattsun chuckled. "Want some drinks?"

"The usual, please." Iwaizumi pulled out his phone and turned it on, "I heard the money's here, Issei?"

"As always," the bartender confirmed, as he grabbed one of the bottles from the rack behind him. He placed as empty cup in front of Iwaizumi, "Proof?"

Iwaizumi showed him the screen of his phone, a picture of his last target with bullets through his chest. "Is this enough?"

"Of course," Mattsun poured the drink before placing the bottle back on the rack, and pulled out a thick brown envelope from his pocket. He handed it to the assassin, along with the drink, "Here you go. You should have some fun with this, Kishi, not spending it on charity."

"Don't tell me how to live my life," Iwaizumi jokingly replied, before he walked away, towards his usual seat at the corner. He sat in front of the table, taking a sip of his drink before he placed the cup on the table. Then, Iwaizumi pulled out a cigarette and lit it up with his lighter, placing it between his lips as he let himself got lost in his thoughts.

However, he was soon interrupted by a loud bark coming from his side. Iwaizumi turned, and froze in shock. There stood a large Border Collie, wagging her tail in excitement as she waited for him to respond.

"...Tofu..?"

The dog barked in confirmation, snuggling her muzzle onto his legs. Just a pet, but it means an awful lot for Iwaizumi. He started petting Tofu's head, but it doesn't take long before a question crossed his mind.

If Tofu's here, shouldn't her current owner also-...?

As if on cue, he heard someone clearing their throat from beside him. "... Kishi-san, right?"

"Yes, that's me," he responded, pulling his cigarette away from his lips. "How can I help-..." his words, unfortunately, faded into silence once he recognized the speaker.

The same soft, brown locks. Those ambitious eyes, that grin. It was him.

Iwaizumi's one and only Oikawa Tooru.

"Yo, Iwa-chan. Long time no see, huh?"

How... How can he be so calm about this?

"Yeah, it has been a while," Iwaizumi replied bitterly, gesturing the brunet to sit in front of him, which he did. "So how have you been, Tra-... Oikawa?" The usual insult-like nickname now feels so foreign, Iwaizumi noted.

Oikawa seemed to hesitate, but he replied anyways, "Good enough. I quit the military and started working on my family's company. Took a while, but I guess all my hard work is paid off now." The businessman looked at his old friend, "But how about you, Iwa-chan?"

Iwaizumi turned away, blowing out a puff of smoke, "I'm fine?"

Oikawa immediately stood up, slamming his hands on the table. "NO, YOU'RE NOT!" he yelled, as he took the cigarette from Iwaizumi's fingers and threw it onto the floor, stepping on it in anger. Iwaizumi could only look at him in surprise, his jaws agape as he watched Oikawa taking deep breaths to try to calm himself down.

"You used to say that you would never smoke. Since when did you start this?!" A deep inhale. "Look at the dark bags under your eyes! Do you even sleep at all?" Oikawa fell back on his seat, letting out a heavy sigh as he ran his fingers through his hair.

"Iwa-chan, you used to tell me to take care of myself. But you're beating yourself up like this! This is unacceptable!"

"Nothing's wrong with me," the ravenette insisted, as he took a large gulp of his drink, "But something is definitely wrong between the two of us."

"Exactly!" Oikawa exclaimed, "You freaking disappeared, Iwa-chan! Two years without a word from you! Do you know what kind of hell I've gone through?! I was alone, and-..."

"I know." Iwaizumi looked down, staring at his gloved hands. Those hands, always holding guns. Killing for a living. How many people have died by these hands? How much blood have been shed? "I've always been watching you. I never leave... I can't, Tooru."

Oikawa's breath hitched, and before he knew it, he started shaking. He took off his glasses as he began to sob, "... How cruel of you, Iwa-chan..." He tried to glare at Iwaizumi, and failed miserably, "... Why do you make me cry in a place like this?! You're so heartless..."

"Still a crybaby, I see," Iwaizumi commented with a sad smile, pulling out a handkerchief from his pocket and handed it to the brunet, who took it gratefully. "I'm sorry, I just-... Things happen, you know?"

"I-I know! Shut up already, Iwa-chan! I don't care-..." Oikawa fell quiet when he felt Iwaizumi ruffling his hair from behind him.

"I'll take you home, alright, Tooru? Just let me fetch your drunk assistant first."

Iwaizumi swore he could hear the brunet saying 'Just leave Makki here' like the childish brat he is, but he only chuckled and brushed it off. He had been cruel enough already.

Besides, he still need to thank that assistant for taking care of his alien nerd.

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Nametsu Mai wasn't the kind who follow others. She tend to lead, to manipulate, to know and rule. But now? Neko, the stranger in front of him, was truly someone to be feared.

He knew about her background, her real name, details of her job, he even made her bodyguards follow his command with ease. It scares her, and now she's stuck beside him in his car.

"What do you want from me?" she repeated her question, as she looked at him. Neko had chin-length brownish black hair, sharp golden eyes; the tip of his fingers were wrapped in bandages, and a pair of glasses rested on his nose.

He doesn't look like someone that powerful, but hell, if only people know.

"Your cooperation." Still the same answer, she noted. Before she could ask more, he already spoke up.

"I'll keep it short. As you already know, I was the leader of the Golden Cats. However, incidents happen and that lead to my death. Sadly, I still have things to do, and I can't work alone."

"Why don't you return to your old gang?"

"They thought I was dead, and they made a new gang, the Silver Lions. If I come back, I know they would want to have me as their leader, but at the same time they can't just kick down the current leader. Better if they don't know about my current existence."

"How about the Iron Eagles? I thought they will follow your orders no matter what?"

"True, but I can't work with them. Among the Cats, I'm the only one who knows about the deal. The gang thinks of the Eagles as their rival, their enemy. If I work with the Eagles, and the Cats found out, it would be chaotic."

Mai couldn't help but to chuckle. Maybe, Neko isn't as cruel as he seemed to be. He thinks too much about others' feelings.

"That's why I created a new gang, The Strays. I want you to be one of us."

"What's in it for me?"

"We'll give you what you need. Protection, connection, anything. But in exchange, you will prioritize us. You will do researches for us and you will never leak anything about us."

"And if I refuse? Just a hypothetical question, Neko-san."

"Well, it's alright, as long as you don't tell anyone about me or The Strays."

"I'm an informant, I can't keep secrets."

Neko took a glance at her, and smirked, "And I was a bounty hunter, it won't be difficult to silence you." He ignored her surprised look and continued, "So? Will you take my offer?"

"Of course. It would benefit the two of us, right?"

"Welcome to The Strays, Nametsu-san," he gave her a small smile, "My name is Kozume Kenma. My current codename is Hades. Right now, we're on our way to meet the other two members, Trojan and Dodger. Any questions?"

"Can I call myself Snow White?"

Kozume chuckled, "Sure thing, Nametsu-san. We only use it for business anyways."

Mai was about to reply, when suddenly Kozume's phone rang. He let out a grunt, pulling the device out of his pocket and handed it to her.

"Put it on speaker," he said. She did so, and the caller soon spoke up.

'Kozume!'

"Konoha, I'm driving." Mai raised an eyebrow at the answer, but didn't say a thing.

'Well, I don't give a fuck!'

"Languange."

The caller, Konoha, ignored this, 'Someone's here. I don't get how he decided to visit you at six in the morning, but Inuoka says he's a VIP. So now they're in the living room doing who knows what, while I'm hiding in your office.'

"Is it Kuroo?"

'Yeah, I think that's what Inuoka calls him,' Konoha said, 'Where are you? You owe me lots of explanations.'

"In due time, Konoha, in due time," Kozume replied, his tone somewhat amused, "I just got a new stray. Introduce yourself, will you? She's currently right next to me."

A sigh could be heard from the phone, 'The name's Konoha Akinori. Programmer and hacker in training, The Strays's courier and strategist. Codename Trojan.'

"Nametsu Mai, the gang's new private informant. Codename Snow White. Nice to meet you," Mai responded, keeping her tone as friendly as possible.

'Meet? No, we haven't,' Konoha commented. A short pause, then, 'So what should I do now, Hades?'

"Sneak out, I'll be there soon. You'll be taking Snow White back to her home, safe and sound. I was planning to have an official meeting today, but since Kuroo's there, I'll have to take care of him."

'Got it. Should I inform her more about the details?'

"Yeah, that would be helpful."

'Alright then. And please explain about the files asap. Trojan, out.' Konoha hung up, and Mai handed the phone back to Kozume, who gave her a thankful nod.

"I'll probably hold the meeting later this week, we'll pick you up and take you to our main base. For now, just listen to whatever Konoha told you. Contact me if you need anything," he gave her a small slip of paper, which she placed inside her purse immediately.

The car soon stopped in front of a small house, and he unbuckled his seatbelt, turning to look at her. "I really appreciate your help, Nametsu-san. For now, take care."

He pushed the door open and walked out. From the window, Mai could see him exchanging a few words with someone, before making his way towards the house. The new stranger entered the car and slammed the door shut, grabbing the steering wheel and started the car while he grinned at her.

"Hello, Nametsu-san. I'm Konoha, and I'll be your guide for today. Shall we go now?"

She only smiled, giving him a look.

"First of all: your seatbelt, Konoha-san."

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The ride was spent mostly in silence, aside from Oikawa's silent sniffling. Iwaizumi kept his eyes on the road, driving so calmly despite his exhaustion. It took a while, but they finally reached the brunet's mansion (the security guards panicked at the sight of the stranger driving, but Oikawa managed to assure them that nothing's wrong).

"Uwaah, Iwa-chan is as strong as ever..." Oikawa commented, watching as Iwaizumi carried Makki into his room and placed him on his bed.

"Shut up, Shittykawa."

"You called me Tooru before, and now back with the insult? Rude, Iwa-chan!"

"Well, which one do you prefer?" the ravenette asked back, closing the door behind him before he walked towards the couch and sat down. Oikawa merely cleared his throat as he tried to hide the slight blush on his cheeks.

"A-Anyways!" the CEO stuttered, avoiding the topic, "I think you're being too calm here! Not even a 'Woah, you live in a mansion?' or anything?! You don't even ask for directions to get here!"

"Says the one who starts the conversation."

"You don't answer my question!"

"I told you, Tooru, I never leave. I've always been watching you."

"Stalker." Oikawa was suddenly hit by realization, "Wait, what did you call me?!"

"Trashykawa."

"I'll let it slide for now," he grunted, "But about that. If you're really stalking me, how can you know where I am? I saw you leaving the hall before me, I know you're not always following me."

"I tracked you."

".... What?"

"You never go anywhere without that," Iwaizumi stated, pointing at the UFO pin on Oikawa's collar.

"Of course! You gave it to me when we were kids!"

"So I think it would be best to put a tracker on it," he finished, ignoring Oikawa's words as he panicked and finally managed to peel off the white sticker that covered the small chip on the back side of the pin.

"Iwa-chan, it's too cruel! You're invading my privacy! Cruel, cruel Iwa-chan!"

"I kill people for money, what do you expect?" Iwaizumi murmured, but as soon as he realized what he had just said, he froze in his spot and turned at Oikawa.

But surprisingly, Oikawa didn't look at least bothered by it. The brunet only smiled at him and gave him a shrug.

"Mattsun told me. Crowned Knight; cool title, Iwa-chan. Besides, I already called you Kishi before," he finally took his seat beside Iwaizumi, playing with the small pin in his hands. "It was like the opposite of your old job, but who am I to interfere?"

"... You don't mind?"

"Of course I do, you're taking people's lives. But I know you're always a good person inside, so yeah, you're still my best friend."

"You sure? There's lots of things that I hide from you, Oikawa."

"Then tell me, if you want. Or don't say anything, if you prefer that."

Iwaizumi hesitated. Things will get complicated, but at the same time, he's tired of pretending. He needs to share his secrets to anyone, before he drives himself crazy for keeping them all alone.

But... what a huge step. What a risky act.

"... About your party tonight..." Oikawa's shoulders visibly tensed, and he turned to look at Iwaizumi. The assassin kept his gaze down, taking another deep breath before he continued.

"I was the one who shot him."

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Kuroo didn't know how or why, but after he woke up with a terrible headache, he decided to clean himself up a bit before going to the house beside his, with his broken laptop in hand. He was welcomed by Inuoka, and not long after the two of them already seated themselves in front of the large TV in the living room, with Kuroo watching the younger brunet played the game he borrowed before.

"You're great at this," Kuroo commented, "and your account's younger than mine."

"Kozume-san taught me the tricks. No one can beat him."

"By the way, how did you know him?"

Inuoka pause his game and turned at Kuroo, "Kuroo-san, you weren't this talkative. Why do you want to know anyways?"

"You weren't this rude, either. It's just curiosity."

Inuoka sighed, and pressed 'resume'. "The company where I worked at was helped by him, and they wanted someone to be his assistant, to keep an eye on him as well. And so, I was chosen for that job."

"And your job is...?"

"We're programmers." Inuoka huffed, "I'm one of their best, they said. But compared Kozume-san, I was nothing. I swear that guy is partially robot. His intelligence level seems out-of-scale."

"Isn't that a good thing?"

"I'm not sure," Inuoka stared at the large 'Level's up!' text on the screen, waiting until it disappeared before he continued, "The thing is, he's well aware of his ability. And it affects his attitude."

"How bad can it be? You still work with a genius."

"Kuroo-san,what if that genius told you to go to a certain bakery a few miles away just to buy him an apple pie at two in the morning?"

"... So... you hate him?"

"That's too harsh. He just has his own strange ways on doing things; sometimes he doesn't even realize that others can't always keep up. But he's a good guy at heart; even though you can only notice that once you know him long enough."

At that moment, the front door was opened, and Kozume walked in. "I'm back," he announced, taking off his coat and hung it on the hanger beside the door.

Inuoka paused his game. "Where have you been, Kozume-san?"

"Business, just the usual. I also take the car to Konoha so he can fix it." Kozume pulled out his glasses and put them on, looking at the pair who still had their eyes on him. "Can you check the fridge, is there anything for breakfast?"

"Wait a second," Inuoka placed his controller on the couch and left. Meanwhile, Kuroo gave Kozume a nod in greeting, which he returned with a small smile.

"Kuroo-san, you came here early," he noted, "Do you need something?"

"I already gave my broken laptop to Inuoka. But you don't have to hurry, it's nothing urgent."

Before Kozume could reply, there's a shout from the kitchen. "Just milk and some vegetables here!"

"We're eating out!" Kozume yelled back, before he turned to Kuroo, "Are you coming with us?"

And again, Inuoka interrupted, as he returned to the room, "Kozume-san, can I finish this first?" he pointed at the screen, "I just want to beat the boss, then we can go."

Kozume, who stood just beside the couch, nodded. "I don't mind, but make it quick."

Inuoka grinned, but Kuroo didn't fail to notice how Kozume's hand swiftly took Inuoka's wallet from his back pocket as the younger brunet walked past his senior. Kozume smirked at Kuroo, placing the wallet inside his jacket.

"Aim for his right arm first, then you can get one of his items, the Dragon Armor or the Serpent's Sword. I know you already have the Armor of Hesperos from Gate 37, so you should take the sword."

"... As impressive as it may be, it's also creepy, " Kuroo mumbled at Kozume's comment on the game. Inuoka, on the other hand, did as what he was told.

"Kozume-san, remind me again, when was the last time you touch this game?"

"Am I supposed to remember? I've been focusing on FF:RB for the last five months, at least."

"I need to stop asking, don't you think?" the level was cleared, and Inuoka turned off the screen, "I'm done. Let's get going." He paused, then frowned, "Can you wait a minute? I think I left my wallet upstairs."

"Just leave it, I'm hungry."

"But Kozume-san-..."

"Leave it. The meal's on me."

As Kozume pushed Inuoka out of the house, Kuroo couldn't help but to smile.

So much like his kitten.

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White_Rabbit:
About the payment, Kishi-san.

NobleWarrior:
Keep in mind that I'm picky about killing people.

White_Rabbit:
Ah, not assassination. I just need you to bring someone to me before the end of the month.

NobleWarrior:
Who?

White_Rabbit:
His name is Inuoka Sou, a young programmer I want to recruit. I'll send you his data.

NobleWarrior:
Is that all?

White_Rabbit:
For now, yes.

NobleWarrior:
What about the rendezvous; when, where?

White_Rabbit:
Later, Kishi-san. Usagi, out.

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