Corpse March

Chapter 39 Blacker Lettuce

Gonbee bursts into the room, out of breath. He has a desperate expression on his face. “You need to go. Now.” 

“What? What happened?” Seiko gets the impression that now’s a good time to start putting her clothes back on.

“You tell me! Why the hell is Barrakuda after you?”

“Shit.” Seiko jumps out of the bed and haphazardly throws her clothes back onto her body. “We have to get out of here. Now.”

“What did you do?”

“I– I, uh…”

“Seiko?” It’s clear by the look on his face that there’s no more wriggling away from this question.

“It’s complicated. It’s not something I did… more just where I come from.”

“What do you mean?”

“Listen, Gonbee.” Seiko places her hands on both of his shoulders and sighs. “I come from the Neo Magical Academy. More likely than not, they’re after me because of that.”

“You… what?

“I know this is a lot to take in but you don’t have to. Right now, all you have to think about is this.” She places her hand on his cheek and caresses it. His skin is smoother than silk. “We’re going to go somewhere far away from this place, alright? Somewhere safe. Somewhere we can be together forever. No one will ever hurt you again. I’ll make sure of it.”

“Wh-why? Why are you doing all this for me?”

“Isn’t it obvious, dipshit?! It’s because–”

The door suddenly slams open. A grim figure stands in the doorway, blocking their only exit route. Kazuko palms her rapier, a weapon as deadly as it is elegant. “I told you to be quick.”

“Pardon the intrusion.” She bows at Gonbee, but levels her rapier at Seiko. “I appreciate your assistance, Gonbee, but I believe I’ve found Seiko all by myself.”

Seiko levels a handgun at Kazuko. How crude. “Wh-what do you want?” 

“Simple. I want you to tell me where the Neo Magical Academy is.”

“Never!”

“No?”

“No.”

“I suppose we’re doing this the old-fashioned way.”

To the untrained eye, it looks like a gust of wind just blew through the room. To Seiko, her head was just slammed into the wall. There’s no time to even pull the trigger. 

“GHA–!”

“You know who you’re messing with here, sweetheart?”

“Stop! Please!” Gonbee stands helplessly to the side as Kazuko’s fingers grind Seiko’s skull into the wall. “Take whatever you want! Just let her go!”

“Yeah? What’s she to you?”

“I– I love her!”

Kazuko freezes. She has an empty expression like she just caught herself stealing from the cookie jar. A moment later she lets go of Seiko and lets her slump to the floor. She hacks and coughs and pats herself down, making sure that she’s still alive.

Kazuko sighs. “Dammit. Fine. You’re free to go”

Seiko looks at her, confused, relieved, thankful, but mostly fearful. “What…? Why?”

“Cause I’d feel real bad if I tore a lovely couple apart. Some lines I just can’t cross, y’know?”

“D-don’t say it like that..." The blush on Gonbee’s cheeks somehow outshines the red lanterns hanging from the ceiling. 

"My bad, my bad." Kazuko raises her hands in surrender. She even laughs a little, sending shivers traveling up everyone else’s spines. “Anyway, what’re you planning to do with the rest of your day, Seiko?”

“…”

“If you’re not planning anything, would you mind joining me for a drink? I’d like to hear your story.”

She looks at her with nothing more than the deepest distrust. 

“I’m not going to lie to you, champ. You don’t really have much of a choice here. It’s either that drink or I beat the living shit out of Gonbee.” Her smile turns shark-like. “Your choice.”

“You–”

“Some lines are easier to cross than others.”

–––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––

“I can see it. How much you care for Gonbee, I mean.” Kazuko takes a sip of her non-alcoholic chocolate milk cocktail. That is to say, chocolate milk served in a cocktail glass. “I mean, those thighs. Simply divine–”

“He’s more than just his looks, you know.” Seiko jumps to his defense immediately. Perfect. Kazuko knows where to press to get her to talk now. 

“Mhm, I’m sure you think that.”

“I do. He’s… sweet. In his own little way.”

“Yeah?” She plants her rapier’s tip on the floor and rests her chin on the pommel. “You don’t care for his line of work?”

“It’s different. He thinks I’m different. The way his face lights up when I call for him. He thinks I’m…”

“Special?”

“For some reason.” Seiko takes a deep breath. “He’s not like the others who work here who smile and let you touch them because it’s their job. I can feel warmth when I hold him.”

“Now, my question is why.”

“Hell if I know. You can ask him.”

“Nah. I care but I don’t care that much.”

“Fair enough.”

Kazuko waves over the host who gladly pours her another glass of chocolate milk. “But why is it that you care about him so much?”

“I… I don’t know. It was just business at first. Then we started talking. Then things just kind of… happened. It all feels like a blur.” Seiko looks down at her hands and wrings them. “We haven’t even kissed yet.”

“Curious how you kind of went in the reverse order, huh?”

“Heh. Yeah, I guess.”

“It’s a touching tale.” Kazuko wipes her eyes on her cape.

Seiko gives her a sideways scowl. Though there’s humor in her expression that wasn’t there before. “What? You makin’ fun of me?”

“No, no, these tears are genuine. The lonely brothel boy and his kind savior from another world.” 

“I don’t know about savior.” 

“Pardon?”

“I’m no different from the people here using him for their sick pleasure. The only difference between me and them is that instead of pleasure, I get a bad romance.”

Kazuko reaches over the table and places her hand on Seiko’s shoulder. “Hey, don’t talk like that. You are different.”

“Different? Different how?”

“The results speak for themselves. You just told me how his face lights up when he sees you, of course you’re different to him.”

“You really think so?”

“I know so.” Kazuko taps her knuckles “I feel it in my bones.” 

“What does that even mean?”

“No clue. But it’s a good thing.”

“I’ll take your word for it, I guess.”

Kazuko can tell by the look on her face that she’s not fully convinced. There’s still much guilt built up around her eye sockets. “Fair enough. You got a plan conking around in that head of yours, sweetheart?”

“A plan?”

“If you feel bad for using him, the only logical next step is to make it up to him, no?”

“A plan, huh?” Seiko leans back into the sofa cushions. “I think I’m going to have to make the leap.”

“Hm?”

“I’m gonna make enough money to pay off Gonbee’s deadbeat parents’ debt.”

“And how’re you planning to do that?”

“I’ll work off his debt.”

“How?”

“Take me.”

“Pardon?”

Seiko looks at Kazuko, a fresh resolve in her eyes. “I beg you. Make me a part of Barrakuda. You guys get paid a hefty sum, right? 

“Depends. How big is his parents’ debt?”

Seiko looks off to the side. Kazuko isn’t sure if she’s calculating or hiding her face from shame. “Forty million yen.”

“Hmmm, let’s see.” Kazuko starts counting on her fingers. “As a grunt, your average salary’s going to be about… let’s be generous and say you make ten million every year.”

“T-ten million?! Then I’ll be able to pay off the debt in four year–”

“Discounting the absolute minimum cost of living, shark-level interest rates, and… taxes.” She shivers at that last one. “It’ll take you about fifty years. If, and only if, you don’t die halfway.”

“That’s fine too. I’m willing to risk it.”

“Do you really have the resolve? You’ll be a part of Barrakuda. While counter-terrorism and policework is what we do on the surface, we’ve still got places like this up and running. Will you really be okay running over other people’s lives for his sake?”

“Anything. I’ll do anything.” 

“Good. Very very good.” She places a large wad of bills on the table. The rubber band holding it all together looks like it’s on the verge of snapping. 

“What’s this?”

“It’s for you.”

“What do you mean?”

“Take this, pay off Gonbee’s debt, then you two can do whatever you want.”

“All this… why?”

“Don’t get me wrong, I’m not doing this out of the goodness of my own heart.” She pushes the money across the table. “I just don’t want anyone else to have to fall into the same mercenary system that turns good, upstanding people into monsters.”

“So… you are doing this out of the goodness of your heart.” Seiko’s shoulders relax as she takes the wad of cash on the table. “What about you?”

“Hm?”

“Why do you want to get to the Neo Magical Academy in the first place? Are you also doing that out of the goodness of your own heart?”

“I’m going to finish what someone else started.” Kazuko’s voice takes a drastic turn. From light to deathly serious. “There are two people hiding there.”

“What did they do?”

“They took someone from me so I have to pay them back. Simple as that.”Kazuko shrugs. “It’s not that I really want to. It’s just what has to happen. All actions have consequences, just so happens that fate has chosen me to be their consequence.”

Seiko nods her head in silence. She takes a piece of paper and starts writing something down. “Alright, fine, you’ve talked me into it.” 

“What’s that?”

“Coordinates and directions to the Neo Magical Academy.”

“You don’t have to do that. I’ll find some other way.”

“I want to.”

“Are you absolutely certain?”

“Certain about betraying the Neo Magical Academy? No. Certain about wanting to help you? Yes.”

“But why?”

“Consider it payment for sharing your story with me.”

“Thank you.” Kazuko holds out her hand for a handshake. Seiko takes her hand in hers and gives it a firm shake. “I will remember this kindness.” She takes the slip of paper and gets up. “Oh and one more thing.”

“Yeah?”

“Am I invited to your wedding?”

“W– we’re not at that stage yet!”

“I know, I know.” Kazuko raises her hands and smiles. “Still, I’m rooting for you both.”

“Thanks.”

“If you chicken out of this and leave Gonbee hanging. Especially after I’ve just given you all that cash. I’m coming back to kill you.”

“Ha-hah.”

“...”

“You’re kidding, right?”

“...”