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CHAPTER SIX:
Be gone, demon.
─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───

               Aki was paying attention. And hard. She was holding onto every word that Mori was saying—now that it was about the Double A. She had speculated the mafia Boss would want to go after her organisation, though, she hadn't thought it would be so soon. But from what Mori was saying, he wanted to wipe them out—he wanted them to be nothing but a whisper of the past, something the upcoming generations would only wonder about their legitimacy. The wipeout of the Double A would be music to her ears, joy to her heart, but she wasn't naive. She had been given the okay to kill her own coworkers by her Boss—that's how disposable they were to him. And she wouldn't mind doing it. But it was about to cause her a whole lot of trouble.

                   "As you all know, our dear Akira was a member of the Double A before she came to her senses and joined our side. Luckily for us, this means she knows them inside out. We have all the information we could possibly need," Mori was saying, petting Elise's head as he spoke, as if she were some kind of pet. "I've had some of my men look into the Double A, and they're apparently already searching for their deadliest weapon. If we don't strike first, there might be the chance that they take our newest member from us—which we couldn't possibly stand for." Mori's eyes locked with Aki's as he spoke and it took everything in her not to scowl at him. Once again, she was being treated like a prized object, as if she were a priceless painting in an art museum. She hated it.

                  "But the kill chip, sir, couldn't they activate it and have her killed if we meddle too hard?" Higuchi worried, her brows pulled downwards in concern. Aki couldn't tell if she was concerned for her life, or simply worried about how Mori would react if his new toy suddenly dropped dead. But it seemed that Mori had told them everything they needed to know about their latest member.

                   Chuuya scoffed, "I don't see the issue."

                   Aki smiled sweetly at him whilst subtly giving him the middle finger. He smiled sarcastically back at her.

                    "The issue is, Akira is a member of this organisation now. And we protect our own." Hirotsu said in a scolding tone, blowing smoke from his lips. Chuuya sighed as he face-palmed.

                   Mori nodded gracefully, "Indeed. We must see that Akira is protected. Which is why I have decided to pair her with you," A silence washed across the room. Chuuya, who had been staring at his gloved hands froze when he felt multiple eyes on him. He slowly looked up whilst thinking, please don't let it be me, to himself. But sure enough, he made direct eye contact with Mori. Fuck. "Chuuya, I want you to be Akita's partner, somewhat of a bodyguard for—"

                    Within seconds, Chuuya was out of his seat, scrapping the chair legs against the floor. His fist came down onto the table, spilling the orange juice he had been sipping on, "You want me to be a bodyguard? For her?" He exclaimed. He banged his fist again. Aki watched with bored eyes. Chuuya pleadingly looked at his superior. "Boss, I'm an Executive, not a fucking bodyguard. I—"

                     "That might be true, Chuuya," Mori spoke in a calm voice, un-phased by the redheads outburst. "But you are our most powerful Gifted. I need you two to work closely together." Mori explained to a seething Chuuya. Aki was surprised his hat hadn't blown off his head yet like an erupting volcano.

                  Chuuya shook his head in disbelief, "This is such bullshit." He said through gritted teeth, tipping his head downwards.

                  Aki sat forward a little, crossing one of her legs over the other with a shit-eating grin, "Can't wait to work with you, partner." She chirped, putting extra emphasis on the latter word. This did exactly as she had planned and made Chuuya lose it. He hadn't had a partner in years—and he didn't want one ever again, especially not the woman that already reminded him of his ex-partner with her carefree, nonchalant personality. Well, one of her personalities.

                    He pointed an accusing finger at her, "I am not your partner!" He yelled, his body practically shaking with rage. Aki continued to smile sweetly at him. She had decided that if she were going to be working with the hotheaded Gravity Manipulator, then she was going to drive him to absolute insanity. And luckily for her, driving people crazy was something she thrived at.

                   Kouyou sighed through her pouty lips, painted pink, "Chuuya, please, calm yourself." With her motherly aura, it was hard to believe the woman was only a few years older than Chuuya, being only twenty-six. But it was enough to somehow calm the man either way—perhaps it was how comforting her tone of voice was. Or the fact that she controlled a fucking demon.

                    Chuuya threw himself into his seat dramatically, picking up his hat and dropping it over his face. It was mostly to cover how red his cheeks had turned from being scolded by Kouyou in front of everyone. And to hide how utterly outraged he was.

                    Mori clapped his hands together, a sly smile on his lips, "Perfect."

Aki was strolling down the hallways of the Port Mafia, her hands tucked behind her head. In front of her, was Chuuya. His shoulders were hunched as he dragged his feet like a child taking a tantrum. Despite his efforts, he had been paired with the girl he couldn't stand to be around. Mori had explained that soon, the pair would join each other for missions but until then, he wanted them to spend time together—get to know one another, train with one another. It was all part of his plan to make a deathly duo.

"Stick to Chuuya like glue, Akira." Mori had said with a sly smile on his lips. Aki didn't have anything better to do anyway—and she had to admit, getting under the Gravity Manipulators skin was thrilling. He was so easy to wind up. Like a Jack in the Box.

"So, partner, what's on the agenda for—"

"I'm not your partner." Chuuya growled in annoyance, his eyes closed, brows pulled downward.

Aki hummed, "I suppose not. What was it Mori said, again? Oh, right, you're my personal bodyguard," Chuuya's shoulders tensed as he came to a stop in the middle of the hall. Aki stuck her nose in the air, her lip twitching upwards. "Guess that means I'm pretty important." She bragged as she strolled past him before stopping to face him, the smile never once falling from her lips.

"You're not important. You're a fucking nuisance." Chuuya hissed, opening his eyes to glare at her.

Aki put her hand over her heart, pushing her lips into a pout, "You're soooo mean." She whined, though, she couldn't help the smirk that slipped onto her lips.

"I can be a lot meaner," Chuuya threatened, making Aki laugh. "Now, why don't you fuck off and give me some peace? I have paperwork to attend to." His eye was twitching in annoyance as he passed by her, making sure to walk around her instead of bump into her. He was sure if he touched her even slightly, his body would combust with rage.

"Nope," Aki chirped, following after him like a puppy. Chuuya let out a hiss of annoyance. "Sticking to you like glue, remember?" She reminded him, raising an eyebrow at his back. What a broad back he had—quite an attractive one to look at. It really sucked that he was an arrogant pain in the ass.

"Don't remind me," Chuuya grumbled a she stopped outside of a door. Aki noticed that a gold plate had 'Exec C.N' on the door. Chuuya swung the door open and stepped inside, Aki following him. Chuuya gestured to a chair in the corner of the office by a large bookshelf with his thumb. "Sit there. Don't talk. And stay out of my way." He ordered as Aki took a quick look around. She assumed it was Chuuya's private office—a pro of being an executive.

Aki didn't sit down. Instead, she walked to the bookshelf, running her fingertips along the wood. She inspected it, seeing that there wasn't a single ounce of dust on her skin. So, he's a clean freak, she thought to herself, good to know.

She picked out a random book and flicked it open, "So demanding," She chastised, glancing across at him through hooded eyes as he sat at his desk in front of the row of windows. He picked up his paperwork, staring at her with a bored expression. "Luckily for you, dominating men is exactly my type." She purred, looking at him from under her lashes.

Chuuya's body went rigid as he straightened himself out like a cat. His fingers curled around each side of the document he was holding, crinkling the paper. And was that... a blush on his cheeks? Was Chuuya fucking Nakahara, the Gravity Manipulator, blushing?

Aki's eyes widened with mischief, "What's this? Are you blushing?" She teased, stepping towards him in slow strides as Chuuya tried to avoid eye contact with her, boring holes into the crumpled document between his gloved hands.

"I'm not blushing!" He yelled at her, squeezing his eyes shut, willing the pink in his cheeks to fuck off. Why the hell was he blushing? She had took him by surprise, that was it—or at least, that's what he was telling himself.

"No, you're definitely blushing," She insisted in a sing-song voice as she stopped by his desk. She put both her hands flat on the wood and bent over, levelling her face with his. "Are you shy, Nakahara? Is that it?" She teased, tilting her head, cascades of onyx hair falling over her shoulders and onto the table, splaying out over the top of the paperwork he'd left in piles.

Chuuya's lip curled downwards, "Get out of my face, Kitagawa." He demanded, his eyes locking on hers, but yet, the pinkish tint remained on his cheeks.

Aki straightened herself out and then continued stalking around the table, like a cat preying on a mouse. Chuuya felt himself stiffen when she stopped directly behind him. She bent over, her chin hovering over his shoulder as she took a peak at the document in his hand. It was upside down.

A grin stretched onto her lips as she reached out, putting her hands on his shoulders, leaning closer, her lips inches from his ear. Chuuya held back a shiver. He could feel her hot breath on a sensitive part of his skin, blowing small tendrils of his hair, "What'cha up to?" She sang, tilting her head further, her hair slipping over his shoulder.

Chuuya was still for a long moment before he detached one of his hands from the document, the sound of crinkling paper and deep breaths in the air. Aki watched as his gloved fingers danced upwards, moments before they latched onto the strands of her hair that had fallen over his shoulder.

He tugged, drawing her face closer to his as a grunt escaped her lips, "Didn't I tell you to stay out of my way?" He growled in a low voice. Aki felt a rush of pleasure roll through her body, making the hairs on the back of her neck stand up.

Feigning innocence, she blinked, "Did you?" She rhetorically asked, her cheek almost touching his. "Come on, Nakahara," She drawled out in a childish voice. The way she said his name in such a teasing manner reminded him of the man he hated most in the world. They were both cocky assholes. "Any other man would kill to be this close to a beautiful woman." She scolded him, giving his shoulder a little tap with her index finger.

Chuuya let out a mixture between a scoff and a laugh, "Most beautiful woman wouldn't slit my throat the first chance they have," He reminded her, making her eyes twinkle mischievously. He released her hair, throwing it back towards her. He picked up another document. "Now, piss off, your entire presence is making me want to light up a cigarette." Aki stood back a little, blinking.

"You smoke?" It was a genuine question. But it was enough to make Chuuya's mind spin. Aki could go from hostile, to flirty, to sarcastic, to genuine within a fraction of a second. And it made him dizzy. The woman certainly was a fucking handful.

"Only when I'm stressed," Chuuya replied, smoothing out his paperwork. His eyes narrowed, still annoyed by her presence behind him—he couldn't focus with her standing there. "And you're stressing me out. Go sit pretty in the corner or something." He dismissed, waving his hand at her. Aki briefly wondered what his hands looked like under those gloves.

"Aww, you think I'm pretty." She cooed, but she did give him his space. Well, a little of it, because she walked around the table and then sat herself down on it, crossing one leg over the other.

"Yeah. Pretty full of yourself." Aki laughed at that.

"Should I not be?" Her question made Chuuya look at her—really look at her. For the first time since meeting her, he allowed himself to study her features, as if she were the face of a person he was hired to kill. Chuuya hated himself for admitting it, but she was stunning—absolutely fucking stunning. With long legs despite her height, wearing sexy knee high socks, her hourglass figure showing from the tight blouse she wore. Her eyes were the colour of autumn leaves, with long, thick lashes that batted together when she spoke. Her hair was a pool of darkness, stretching over her shoulders, hanging above her rib cage. Chuuya wondered if she'd ever had it cut in her lifetime. Akira Kitagawa was a Goddess—she was otherworldly, and that made him dislike her even more. If she was one of the sexiest women he had ever seen, why was she such a pain in the ass?

Aki knew he was checking her out, she could feel it in his heated gaze. It brought her satisfaction. She had been trying to make him look at her, at least even once. She didn't want a fleeting glance, she wanted him to drink her in, to suck her into his soul. She wanted him to despise her beauty.

    "Cat got your tongue, Nakahara?" She teased, raising a dark eyebrow.

Chuuya looked away, taking the intensity of his gaze with him. It left her feeling empty, "Be gone, demon."

AUTHORS NOTE.

chuuya is so done with her already🤦‍♀️ someone give him strength to deal with this crazy lady :')