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As horns of cars blare across the street, the sun caress the earth with its warm light for the residents of The Central City, all scattering to reach their daily routines; chasing the bus, crossing through the roads or even teleporting to work.

Meanwhile, sitting in a fancy cafe together with his two friends, staring through its glass at the busy crowds, Niz sighs with hazy eyes, slumping to the table, "Yo, do you guys want Scarbucks?" He says to a certain pink eyed vampire with his cheeks puffed.

Putting the menu down, Charlie reveals her forced smile, tilting her head as she raises a brow, "Hmm, I'd rather get something here... Cuz you know... We're literally sitting in a cafe?" She points her fingers around.

"Aww cmon! The drinks here are too expensive! Let's just go to Scarbucks it's way cheaper!"

With a pair of wide eyes, she turns the menu around and slides it towards him as she taps on the price tag.

"150 Rouss is expensive?? Hmm??"

"Well, it is for me!"

"Oh yeah, you're poor. I forgot."

"Tch... You-"

And there they goes again. Politely talking like proper civilized people.

And then, there's Ren sitting beside Charlie. As the two distract themselves with each other, he silently stirs his hot chocolate, staring at his own reflection on the swirling concoction of milk and sugar as he leans his head on his fist.

Huh...

Is that woman... Really her?

Why did she... Kill that werewolf?

Did she even recognize me?

What if she Isn't- ow. Ow ow ow "OW!!"

"Hey, you tranced out... Something's wrong?" The vampire asks, releasing her pinch from his ear.

Rubbing them with curved lips, he glances to her, "Y-Yeah... I guess..." He answers with a shaky tone before he takes a sip of his drink.

"Oh yeah, Sion told me that there's this mysterious girl that saved your ass. Does it have something to do with her?" Niz adds with a jest smirk as he chews his waffle.

After he puts his cup with a faint thud, Ren only sighs, nodding silently.

"Oi... Don't tell me thats-"

"Azayaka."

"..."

At the silence he just cause, Ren sighs once more. Looking down to the ripples on his coffee.

"Do you... Want to talk about it?" Niz says with furrowed brow.

Ren pauses for a moment as his fingers tap on the table, "I... I don't know," He looks out the window, seeing the usual menagerie of the city passing by, "but..." he glances back to his friends, "I guess I would... To get this off my chest."

Niz and Charlie both focuses their eyes at Ren. All the while he muster his thoughts.

"That werewolf, she killed him," He murmurs, "sure, by doing that, she saved my life... But..." he clenches his fists, "the Azayaka I knew would never hurt anyone. Let alone kill... Even if that werewolf is the way he is. He's still a person too."

"M-Maybe... Something terrible happened to her. Maybe she went through something... Horrible..." He clutches his fingers together as he bitterly murmurs his lips.

"God... I don't even want to think about what she went through... It's just- mph! hmm... mmm~"

A sudden sweet and milky taste enters his mouth. Bending his once sour mouth into a delish smile.

"It'll calm your mind," Charlie says, sticking a fork of vanilla shortcake into his mouth.

Pulling the fork out with its cake gone, Charlie let out a loose breath and halfway closes her eyes, "Well, people change, Ren. When you first came here, you never expected to meet the exact same her... right?"

Those words struck Ren like a truck. Though really, he's the one speeding up.

"I suppose that's true..."

With a blank stare to nothingness, Ren remembers the events that happened within the last two days. After he woke up from the hospital, he attended his work as a knight like usual. Only to find out from the Chief that the werewolf that attacked him and Sion prior was the same one that committed the murder of Vaj. They discovered that because the werewolf's DNA matched that of the single strain of hair that Sion found during the investigation. Then a day later, they discovered a pile of unknown, unregistered drugs stuffed in small zip lock bags within the werewolf's stomach during autopsy, perhaps the cause of of his abnormal transformation. The case regarding those drugs was ultimately given to another branch. Though Sion complained to no end to the Chief that day.

"Chief! Let me handle the case!"

"Nah, there's no need for you to interfere. You're too much of a crybaby that you stole a simple child's toy from a mother."

"Tch... For the last time, that's not a toy! And she was behind the drugs within that werewolf!"

"Hah. Keep crying."

That one conversation keeps on playing within his head. At least, it'll keep him giggling away from his own drama.

Thus the real case for the first branch began afterwards. The chief started her build on the mysterious woman that saved Ren and Sion. Albeit with little to no bullet points to work with. Unless she discovers Ren's past connection to her that is.

"Well, would you tell the chief that you know her? It's either she would help. Or she wouldn't care and just do her own thing. Or, she'll straight up interrogate you," Says Niz as he leans towards the table.

"Huh... Honestly, I don't know. Knowing her, I don't even think I can trust her."

"Fair point there."

As Ren's ears lay themselves low, he purses his lips as he takes another sip of his chocolate.

That night came to a very abrupt end when his reason, his purpose of coming here in the first place was there right along. Yet he didn't know what to do then.

Was it all a coincidence? How did everything that happened that day lead to his reunion with his long lost friend? Did she just so happened to be passing by? Or is it something bigger than that?

Or... Did she knew all along? That he's looking for her? Has she been keeping an eye on him this whole time?

He didn't even get the chance to talk to her. Not even a chance to make amends with her. But by the looks of it, she seems... Fine?

That one single thought causes him to clench his teeth.

How she just came so abruptly, all with no similarities to the girl he once knew. Things... Must've happened to her. And he can't swallow that whole.

But shouldn't he be happy though? Now that she is proven alive and well. But... then what? Should he pulls an applause to himself? Would the world give him an award instead? What is he supposed to do?

"Ren... Don't worry kay? It'll be-"

"Shut up."

His immediate reply causes Charlie to flinch her hand as she was going to tap his shoulder.

"Oi, Charls... Give him some space..." Niz squints his eyes while Charlie scratch her cheek.

"Um... Sorry... Ren."

As she stands up to sit on Niz's side of the table, Ren grabs her hand, sitting her back down.

"No... I'm sorry," He says quietly.

"It's just that... Its alot... Y'know?" He rubs his forehead as his two friends eye each other unsurely.

The atmosphere now turns... Blank. With all of them not knowing what to say.

"Well... You don't have to hangout with us if you need some times alone," Niz starts with Charlie silently nodding.

"No no... Its fine..." He chugs his whole hot chocolate down.

"...I guess I just need a drink or two."

-----

So tired..

After a night of karaoke, drinks, and watching his lizard friend eat a poor defenseless deer at a hunting center with eyes filled with horror. Enters the fox to his cheap apartment with shaky, swaying feet. Flicking his shoes off as he hangs his coat on the door's handle, he walks to his kitchen, scratching his eyes as he mumbles to himself.

I want mindomie... I want mindomie... But I'm too lazy to make one... Ughhhhhhh. Guess some yogurt will do...

Arriving at his kitchen, he opens his fridge, looking pass the bottles of soda on its shelves to a cup of good-ol' plain yogurt. He pulls it out and walks to his sofa. Humming a tune as he excites himself with the thoughts of sourness in his tongue.

Yet, he stops his feet when his ears perks at one particularly dire breeze coming from his opened bedroom. Weird... He remembers that he left it closed when he left for work. Or maybe its just his memory playing games with him? Hmm, that's probably it. Better finish this yogurt then-

Those thoughts vanishes when his ears perks once again, this time to a voice echoing from his bedroom. A female hum. A hauntingly melodic and calming one, yet a cold and taunting one at the same time.

The voice seems familiar yet distant. Whoever it is, they hums a melody that taps into an unknown part of Ren's brain. Into that one feeling where you swear you've seen or heard something before, yet you can't decipher what it is from your memory.

After safely putting his yogurt on the hand rest of his sofa, he tiptoes slowly towards his bedroom, peeking into it from the gap of its door.

And he gaze his eyes open at the sight.

There she is. The mysterious masked woman in black sitting on the windowsill of his moonlit bedroom. With her black hair flowing with the wind, her purple eyes reflect the moonlight, till coldly at the door's screech, they turn back to meet Ren's blues.

"Y-you... Aza..."

His lips slowly forming a smile, he runs to her with open arms. His eyes filled with gleeful joy to the thought of hugging her close again, to feel her heart again. After years and years of him longing to see her again.

But as soon as he arrives inches from her, what greets him back is a thin, boxcutter-like dagger touching his throat, together with the sharp glare of her eyes.

"Wow... Okay okay... No hugs. Gotcha..." He raises both his palms, though his body stays still at the cold sensation of the blade.

With no words, she stands up from the windowsill while keeping her eyes glued to Ren's. As the moonlight reflects on her black locks, she steps forward, pushing her blade further towards Ren's neck. He of course, steps back. She continues to keep a close distance with his movement until he hits the wall. As her knife keeps its position, her other arm pins his collar still while her knee stands in between his legs. Thus with that, he found himself in a rather... Unfathomable position.

"Uh... Aza? W-What are you doing??"

She keeps her face stoned. While Ren's begins to ooze out beads of sweat.

As the wind causes the curtain to block the shimmering moon, she closes her eyes and sighs, "It's been a long time... Isn't it?" Her soft voice murmurs with a tone calm yet emotionless. As she tilts her head, her delicate fingers move to caress his cheek, its cold sensation sending shivers down his spine.

"You're still the same as ever huh?" She says, locking her eyes with his once again.

As he freezes in her Medusa-like glare, she return her dagger to its sheath attached to her tights in a swift motion, causing clanking of iron to echo throughout the room. Her cold touch soon remove itself from Ren's body, setting him free as she turns away.

"Tell me... Why are you here? In this big... Dumb... City..." She says as she approaches his window.

He lowers his ears as he slums his gaze, "I... wanted to look for you."

As the shimmer of moonlight stroke their retinas once again, she brushes the hair on the side of her head, revealing a sharp, elven-like ear.

"Now, are you happy to see me?" She says, turning back.

Without any verbal words, his mouth open slightly.

Of course I am. But... Are you?

Then a wave of silent hits, thus only her hums of unknown nostalgia fills the empty air. Though that same hum attracts Ren to approach her like a sailor to a siren.

"Aza... What happened to you?" Ren asks, moving his hand to grab her shoulder.

"Don't touch me," Her words cause him to flinch back, "What happened... Doesn't matter."

She turns to him just to sit on the windowsill again. As she faces him, her purple eyes emanate some harrowing glow as the moon shines above her head.

She leans out of the window, staring up to it, before closing her eyes.

"I'm going to say this just once,"

With emptiness, she opens her eyes and stiffen herself.

"Don't look for me."

And with that, silent struck as slowly, more and more, she leans herself further back.

"Eh..? A-Aza! WATCH OUT!"

With nothing but straight face, just as soon as he arrives, she falls out of his reach to the open air from the 7th floor of Ren's apartment building.

He looks down with his aura sight active. Just to see that she once again, vanished into thin air.

Quickly he scrambles out of his apartment unit, bumping his incubus neighbor, then stepping off the flight of stairs to the parking lot with his lightning imbued speed. Just to desperately run around the building, scoffing for any signs of her.

With his sweat wetting his shirt, he continues to run around his complex. With the frigid wind embracing his shoulders, the silent stares of pedestrians stab his back as he drops to his knees in the middle of the street, panting, slamming the concrete with her soft words stuck into his head, ringing like a bell, again and again.

Tch... Aza, What do you mean?!

-----

As quiet, classical music plays in the background, teardrops from clouds starts to fall outside the vintage windows. As the marbles of the checker motived floor reflects the sunlight back to the beads of water, it produces dots of prismatic rainbow on the window's surface as the office's ceiling fans click and swipe the air without any other sound overriding it. It's an eerily quite atmosphere of a normal day at the first branch's office.

Or perhaps, in this particular day, it is more... Exceptionally awkward. Especially when there's only two people in the room. A scorpion and a fox. Both locking their mouths with not a single word uttered ever since they step in and sit by each other. For the lack of any other comfy surfaces of course.

As the room whistles with the sound of faint wind, taps of Sion's shoes goes rampant in the background while Ren leans his cheek on the sofa's arm rest, both staring at nothingness.

But in the midst of silence, Ren clenches his teeth and squeezes his forehead as sudden waves of voices repeat within his head.

"It's easy for you to say..."

"Don't look for me."

"But you would never understand."

One male, one female, both with quiet, unhinged coldness.

All those voices keep on ringing in his head, bouncing around like that DVD logo on an empty screen before meshing together into an incoherent pile of memories.

What does it all mean?

He looks to his side, to that scorpion who now hold a pack of cigarette with a lighter in his other hand.

"What? Want one?" Sion says without answering Ren's glance.

With murmured lips, he looks away with his ears low. Wisp of smoke then flies around the room as silence strike once more.

Though that silence breaks when Sion taps a final yet particularly loud tap of his shoe, "Oi... About yesterday..." He starts, pinching his cigarette out of his mouth, "sorry," He blows one last cloud of smoke.

As the rain continues to trickle the windows behind them, Ren keeps his face hidden by the shadow of his snow-white hair, keeping his mouth shut while he lowers his head. Though soon enough, as if an unknown duty calls, he stands up with eyes as blank as paper before he approaches Sion.

The few inches of steps he takes feel like miles, with them he brings an aura of cold that could freeze those who breathe it, though Sion pays no attention to it as his own mind overtook his sense of surrounding.

Stopping his jarring, echoing footsteps. to the scorpion's side the fox arrives, and as soon as he does, his fist flies to the former's cheek.

"Ah!" He drops to the floor, accompanied with a loud thud, "what the hell!?" He glares up, palming his cheek.

Twitching his ears, Ren raises his head before he snatches Sion's collar, dragging him up. As the sunlight shines at Ren's face, it reveals to Sion his pair of thin furious irises, glaring bloody murder to his own.

"Tch... Just... that?" Ren tighten his grip, "Just a sorry? Not even a single mention to why you ran off? Not even a word about how you was going to get yourself killed!?"

Sion grits his teeth without an answer. While he holds Ren's wrist, he points his stinger to his neck. Its dark purple chitin shimmers with the passing sunlight as its turquoise tip pulses with unknown liquid.

Ren glances to it only slightly, before glaring back to Sion without changing his expression.

"Tch... Release me. Or else," Sion glares back.

"..." Ren sharpen his own.

"Do it."

Sion widen his eyes, though quickly he narrows them as he pushes his stinger further. Though slowly, as it starts to touch Ren's skin, it begins to stagnate as if hit by some invisible debris, till it eventually stops the exact moment it's going to pierce through.

As Ren raises an eyebrow, Sion let out a silent "damn it," As he looks down, hiding his gaze.

Then with a quiet, unbridled tone, he speaks.

"You're trying to look for her too. Aren't you?"

His words meet with an immediate loosening of Ren's grip. Thus he backs away slightly, seeing how Ren starts to scan him, head to toe.

As he takes a detailed look to Sion's scorpion's stinger, come to his mind a sudden flash of memory.

"Well then... Don't cry little fox"

Though that voices comes from an unpleasant encounter, what utters in Ren's next words isn't anger, but rather confusion and unsureness, "Hey, Sion... Are you..."

He gulps, glancing away from Ren, "Right of the bat, I recognized you. And I guess... I was too afraid that you would recognize me too..."

An awkward silence passes as both still stands in place. Unsure of what to say or do.

"But, why? That was such a long time ago..."

At Ren's question, Sion sighs. Sitting back on the couch, he lights up another cigarette, enjoying it for a few seconds before he pulls it out again.

"Well, what do you think is the reason?" Those words comes out raspy.

"Sion..."

Ren could only lower his head with eyes drenched in bitterness. As he look away with murmured lips, Sion blows out a faint smoke, tapping out his cigarette on an ash tray.

"Hah..."

"She never told you... Didn't she?" He tilts his head, "She and I... Used to be... Friends."

Ren sits by him, listening closely.

"We're neighbors, actually."

He peeves his ears.

"Surprised? Well that's because my family moved sometime after... That playground thing..."

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