Urban theory

Urban theory; chapter 3

Ayame sat behind her desk riffling trough the papers that had nested there.

“I’ll be going now…” Jake sang out. “…Are you sure you wanna be doing all that paper work today…?” He smirked.

Ayame barely even looked at him as she was signing some paper. “No… As I’m done with this pile… I’ll be leaving at early weekend… so you just have fun patrolling till the dark…”

“…You got plans?”

“Yeah, Kiku turned fifteen yesterday… Were going to eat together…”

“Okay… have fun…”

“I will…”

Jake had left and complete silence landed in the room. Ayame looked at the door and let the pencil trop from her fingers. She looked at the clock. It was five eleven am. This day is never gonna end, she thought. She didn’t felt like concentrating to the paper work right now, but didn’t want to leave before the lunch. That would have been too easy and for once she had time to think with out anyone interrupting.

It has been a whole month now… Should I take this seriously…? He’s trying to hide it and maybe that is just the thing that worries me. I wish I would know who this mystery man is. I could talk to him maybe see if he really is that bad as he seems.

Oh, what am I going to do with all these files?

She looked at the clock again. Only a few minutes had passed. There was a coffee on the table next to her. It had stood there the whole forenoon. Well, coffee is all ways coffee, she thought and poured it into her cup. Spicy. She let the donuts be in the wrapping and didn’t take one. There had to be a reason why her relationships didn’t last.

The coffee tasted like something scraped from bottom of a tire. She winced and put the cup away forcing her self to forget it was there.

Five past eleven.

Why am I so worried of how is he doing? He’s all crown up. Thought he should manage alone in an apartment. And then again, he’s not alone, but with some stranger. Should that make me feel better about him?

What’s the use wasting my time here. I’ll just go home and see that he’s fine.

She picked her coat from the chair when an idea popped in to her head and she stopped.

Wonder if the guy has a criminal record? Let’s see, what has Rikimaru told me about him? He’s suppose to be an artist, but most likely if he calls him self Oni, he’s probably in some time of his life admitted some sort of a crime.

I still don’t get it how Rikimaru falls for a sleazy copycat?

She sat back on her chair and looked trough the register in the computer. First she used the search term; Oni.

91 081 match(es).

What else did she knew about him? Age maybe? She sighted forgetting the thought. You never knew about Rikimaru.

Has acted as an artist; 1 000 match(es).

Male and a black hair; 761 match(es).

She thought it over, last seen around here… 1 match(es).

She clicked the name and the file discovering all opened. There was a picture of him. Just the type Rikimaru would fall to, she thought and then remembered him mentioning that he had a long black hair. In the picture he looked nothing like Rikimaru had described. Eyes said that he was at least a psychopath, his head was shaved completely making him look like a chairman of neofascists and by all accounts he must have been a junkie too or at least suffering for some illness.

His data didn’t mention anything so it must have been the withdrawal symptoms.

Ayame didn’t for some reason believe it could have been him Rikimaru was broken hearted for. He didn’t fall for losers like she did. At least not in such, big league losers, as he looked to be. What had he been convicted for? She leafed for curiosity. He’d sat the whole two days until he was released for medical reasons.

Medical reasons, she thought, what a load of shit. He had a cake for five years. No one is realised for that sentence so slightly.

Maybe ‘the artist’ knew some important people.

The record of his crime had been deleted and it said it had been a fault judgement. What, no candy store robbery then? She thought sarcastically.

Rikimaru was good to be rid of him: If he ever wanted to be a lawyer again. That sort of man meant all ways trouble.

It was quarter over eleven as she eyes the clock on the wall. She took a one look over the picture and first thought just to close the window but then dissuaded to print it. There was even an address. Maybe she could see how the things evolved and meddle in if the situation needed that. She wrote the needed information on the picture and left it on the top of the pile.

---

“Hello…! Anyone home?” Ayame stepped in slamming the door behind her. She was loud on purpose as she didn’t want to walk in a middle of things.

Voice came somewhere near the couch even she didn’t see him sitting on it. “…How was your day, honey?”

“…You alone?” She peaked over the couch finding him laying there and smirking lazily.

“Why do you ask a thing like that…pumpkin… I wouldn’t cheat on you, would I…?”

“So he left?”
”...Who?”

“…Oh yes, what went over me… Didn’t think you’d actually know his name…”

“…Funny… He left all most right after you…”

Ayame tripped her jacket on the armchair and sat down. “…Did you wrap it?”

“Yep… it’s on the kitchen table… I think I’m going to go and dress up…”

He’s doing it again. Hiding, avoiding and pretending to be okay. I just wonder how long has he been lying on that couch?

Maybe I’m wrong? God, I hope I am. I probably should get up too and change my clothing, take a shower or something.

I hope Kiku like’s the present. Poor girl needs to know that someone cares. I wonder what it’s like to crow up with out a mother and your dad so often late at work? I didn’t exactly have a mother nor dad but close relatives still and I had Rikimaru as my friend. I could all ways count on him no matter what.

How long have I known her? Is it thirteen years now since I first baby sit her. She was such a adorable child and persisted. Followed me everywhere, despite that she barely could walk. I remember how it irritated me at first when she was all ways imitating me.

She feels like family. More family than my own relatives I haven’t seen since three years as I graduated from police academy. Her dad must be a nice old man. Kiku is all ways telling me and Rikimaru about what they did together. It’s partially a miracle that he finds the time for his daughter since he is running the business by him self. Thought I’m not sure is it still like that, thought an old middle-aged man can’t do all the work by himself. Especially at garage.

It would be nice to get to know him for Kiku’s sake at least.

Her phone rang suddenly. Who could it be? On, no, Ayame thought, it was from work.

“Yeah…?”

Rikimaru came in the room buttoning his grey shirt closed. He listened Ayame’s comments and faintly heard someone talking at the other end. She finished the call and sighted unhappy.

“What was it?”

“…I have to stop at work…”

“What? …What about Kiku?”

“You go, take the car, someone is coming to pick me up… I’ll promise, only an hour… okay?”


---

Sure right… Only an hour…

Rikimaru thought driving trough traffic. Why did he have to see Kiku’s face when he’d tell her hour after hour that she was going to come?

I shouldn’t be complaining. After all she puts up my face. I try to be happy and not to mope all the time, but I can’t. Every time I stop it feels like I couldn’t continue. I wish I could just bury myself in the sofa and never get up. Pathetic!

I wish I’d never met him.

Work seems to be the only thing that keeps my head straight in these days. Why come it isn’t all as simple? Punch, block, strike, victory.

Maybe I should move on the stronger drugs or do something extreme to get away this weight load that’s continuously depressing me…? Maybe I still have time to get seriously pissed before morning. Get myself, maybe Ayame and rest to a bar and… have some fun… Doubly it will work. It hasn’t before. Maybe I just haven’t tried enough.

Maybe I really should try something extreme, like something really stupid. Like go with Jin and Dan to that costume party at next month…. Extremely stupid idea…

Rikimaru parked the old and rusty car in front of the yellow house. He noticed there was someone at the garage yard and for curiosity hold-up before locking the car.

There was someone fixing a new Mercedes. The hood was up covering the view to the face. Rikimaru stayed and watched as he clearly hadn’t been noticed and wasn’t bothering anybody just at the moment. Besides there was time to wait Ayame anyway.

By far he couldn’t really tell how old the man was despite that he was working shirtless and his physics were well shown. He had a short black hair, shorter than Rikimaru’s, and some short of a small beard. Or was it oil, he couldn’t tell so far.

“Rikimaru…!” Kiku made Rikimaru’s day dream famish as she suddenly run to him. “Where’s Ayame?”

The man over the car had certainly now noticed them but kept working the car.

“…Would you mind introducing me to my future missies…?” He asked of her totally encoring her question about Ayame. Partly doing so because he knew she’d be disappointed. They both knew her hours.

“Huh?” She didn’t get it.

“The naked man on your loan? Haven’t noticed him?”

Kiku looked at the direction Rikimaru was looking. She got her dads protecting stare while he crouched over the motor.

“Oh, him…?” She didn’t know should she laugh or cry.

“Yeah… him…?”

“Come on… It’s about time… anyway…”

Kiku walked with him to the car. As the man noticed this he pretended not to. Rikimaru was puzzled about him looking at them somewhat harsh. Maybe he didn’t like to be stared at. Rikimaru thought to act as nonchalant as he could for not to make the other feel too vexed.

Kiku pulled Rikimaru’s hand as they were nearly next to the car. “…I’d like you to meet someone…?”

“Oh yeah…?” The man said stepping away behind the car and hugging Kiku at his side. She grinned so widely she barely could talk.

Okay, Rikimaru thought, now I don’t get a thing. The man looked at him like a devil on earth and Kiku for some reason was soon going to strain her jaw.

“…This is Rikimaru…”

“…Rikimaru…?” The man said and looked over Kiku like he’d such heard something strange.

“…Rikimaru… I’d like you to meet my dad…”

“…your dad…” My god, I’m just an idiot. He felt so embarrassed. “…nice to meet you…” He didn’t know what else to say as they shook hands.

“…So, I finally get to meet the man my daughter spokes all the time…”

“Really…?”

“Dad…! …I go and wait inside…” Kiku turned quickly and left.

They waited for her to go inside or Rikimaru waited to get over the shock.

Dad? How old Kiku was again?

“Sorry mate, if I gave you kinda nasty look back there… I thought you were her date…” He said moving back to fix the car.

“Yeah well… I don’t do girls… or even women.” He thought to give him a good scare.

“I’ve heard… Why do you think I let you hang with my girl…?” He smirked right back.

“Okay… You know… She talks about you a lot, but I’d never…”

“…You thinking… my god, he can not be much older than me…?”

“What are you… 35?”

“Not quite… well… 31… I was about her age, when I had her… her mother died…”

“In labour… yes, she told me… I’m sorry…”

He got up and wiped his hands in a towel of some short. “So…” He took the rest down and trop down the hood. “…you’re a lawyer?”

“Not at the minute… I’m teaching self defence in sports centre.”

“…So you’re taking a year off? Sounds nice…”

“Yeah short of… I game to realize that I was giving my all to a company that didn’t give shit about me...so why stay…”

“Got a point there, start your own firm…? It’s not easy, but at least you know for whom and what are you working for…”

“…You know what…That’s not a bad idea…”

Gohda took his shirt of his waist and pulled it on. “…Weren’t here suppose to be two of you? …Ayame or something?”

“…She had a call from work, but she should be on her way here…”

“That’s a shame… I would have liked to meet her too… She is a she, right?” He asked half joking.

“Sometimes she seems more of a guy than me, but I’m afraid she, really is a she…”

“Okay, just making sure… See you, I have to take this beauty back to its owner… It was nice to meet you…”

“Yep… See you…” He looked at him getting in the car and then walked to the front door. Kiku’s dad backed from the yard.

Before Rikimaru pressed the call bell another car arrived leaving Ayame on the road. Ayame ran to the door catching Rikimaru’s stare.

“…What? …Do I have a beard or something?”

Rikimaru smirked decided not to tell her about his latest discovery.

“…What!” She started smiling herself. “…You gone crazy or what…?”

“…Have I ever told you how beautiful you look?”

“…You forget the present, didn’t you, jackass?”

“…No, it’s in the car…”

She looked over him like a wife looks at his husband after a 25 years of marriage life. “Well? Go and get it?”

He went down the dew steps trying to control his face. ”Sure…”

She pushed the bell and waited.

“…Sometimes you scare me Rikimaru Azuma…!”

He was getting to the car. “I know, I know…”