"And then?" Hiromitsu Morofushi asked softly.
“.. It's nothing different.” Aotsuki gazed into the distance, “The outside world is no different.”
Having struggled to survive in the Organization during his youth, he was fortunate enough to receive guidance from a certain codename member. He had never seen anyone so powerful; blades danced between their fingers, weapons were like extensions of their own body, capable of effortlessly resolving any trouble.
Later, he discovered that even someone like that could die.
That person died far too suddenly, but his enemies would not miss the chance for revenge. He had been hiding in the shadows, quietly waiting for everything to end, but by the time he came to his senses, he was already in a desperate flight alongside a youth roughly his own age.
Codenames can be passed down to the next generation. That man's son is merely a novice who has only received basic training, the next round of pursuit could come at any time. Training Camp No. 57 is a dangerous path, but they have no other choice.
The youth inherited his father's extraordinary talent for killing, with only a little practice, he became peerless in Training Camp No. 57.
Every time he was knocked down, he looked up at that peer, momentarily hallucinating that he saw the man who used to play with a dagger so casually in the past.
By then, he had already realized that he would never be able to defeat this person in his entire life.
That didn't matter, because he had never intended to win against anyone; he just wanted a way to survive.
As long as he could walk out of Training Camp No. 57 alive, everything would be different.
Until he met Gin for the first time.
At that time, he was still known as Kurosawa Jin.
He had heard of this person, the winner of the previous session, the only person to leave the training camp that year.
Although competition within Training Camp No. 57 was fierce, it did not select only one person; Kurosawa Jin would become the sole survivor because the person selected that year would directly become No. 57's bodyguard.
It was reasonable for the requirements to be raised for those who could have direct contact with No. 57; after all, it was no longer just a simple way to survive, but a massive opportunity.
It was also on that day that they learned the rules had been temporarily modified, that No. 57 wanted to choose another bodyguard.
Since it's for someone to keep by his side, then having just the best one will be enough.
He didn't want opportunities; he wanted to live.
He knew he was no match for the person beside him.
But he still won.
Only two people remained on the field. The youth accused him of not should have meddled in the first place, saying that he had long been fed up with this life that was worse than death. He hated everything—he hated the training camp, he hated his father, he hated the person who appeared at the critical moment of life and death to save him. God would not forgive them, but He would forgive him for having returned to the right path.
He had not defeated the strongest person in Training Camp No. 57; the only reason he made it out was because his opponent was intent on dying.
Clenching that dagger, which had once stolen his father's final heartbeat, the thumping of his heart seemed to travel along the blade to his fingertips; his hands had never trembled so violently.
Perhaps even God knew that the true winner was someone else; after several attempts, the body, still warm, collapsed upon him, his opponent still had not breathed his last.
The memories of that day were frozen in the curses that surged from his mouth along with the blood; he no longer had the heart to distinguish which words were true and which were false.
He was brought before No. 57 by Kurosawa Jin, becoming No. 57's bodyguard and gaining a new name: Aotsuki.
It was neither love nor hate, because his origins were unknown and he had no name; even if he had once had one, no one knew what it was anymore.
Not long after, Kurosawa Jin disappeared from Training Camp No. 57's ranks. It was only then that he learned the reason Training Camp No. 57 would temporarily change the selection rules was because Kurosawa Jin intended to leave.
Since one person had left, a new person would naturally have to be chosen to fill the vacancy; and since a choice was to be made, only the very best would suffice.
Kurosawa Jin took the initiative to handle the task of finding a qualified successor.
Kurosawa Jin's decision was undoubtedly correct, because two years later, No. 57 completely collapsed, while the new master supported by Kurosawa Jin became the final ruler of the Organization.
No. 59 believed that he hated Kurosawa Jin, No. 59 also believed that he secretly hoped No. 57 would become a loser, because they were both the culprits who forced the former him to personally kill his important partner.
But there was only one true culprit.
Regarding those years at Training Camp No. 57, the only things he remembered were the still-warm bodies falling upon him and the words that echoed intermittently in his ears.
Death connects you to heaven, but you will go to hell.
No. 59 was much more difficult to deal with than No. 57, yet by a stroke of fate, after No. 57 died, he actually managed to successfully leave the Organization.
No. 59 granted him a codename and gave him a new name; that was the beginning of him securing a foothold within the Organization.
He escaped.
The pouring rain washed away the wandering soul, he became a mercenary.
He used to work alone, but by chance, he and a mercenary squad took on the same mission. Later, at the captain's earnest invitation, he became a semi-member of that squad.
Several years passed like this, the captain invited him to his engagement party, saying he would take one last job before retiring and getting married, which caused everyone to join in the teasing.
But an accident occurred during that very last mission, everyone except him died.
He had personally killed Arnaud, who had wept and begged him to kill him, burying all those who were once full of life. Holding the bride's blood-stained veil, he stood blankly in the clearing, not knowing where to go.
Kurosawa Jin suddenly appeared and said to him, "The Boss wants to see you."
This man was like a harbinger of death, always appearing just when his hands were covered in blood that could never be washed away.
No. 59 had already become the Organization's new boss; he was as disheveled as he was during his frantic escape on that rainy night years ago, facing his long-overdue judgment.
No. 59 simply said slowly, "I've thought about it, you should just keep going by the name Aotsuki. As for your codename, Yamawashi has been waiting for you."
After all the twists and turns, he returned to the Organization and stepped onto the path he was originally destined to walk.
Those years as a mercenary were like a dream; since he gained nothing, perhaps he could also be said to have lost nothing.
As a child who had not yet received an education, he stubbornly believed that beyond the sea lay land and islands, only to discover upon his true departure that the end of the sea was, in fact, still the sea.
Outside the Organization, violence and death occur at every moment; hope shatters, lives fade away, love, which stands above all else, eventually strips everything away.
He could not understand why people would throw themselves into the fire for love, yet he also seemed to understand why they made such choices, thinking that life would simply continue on like that, but then he met Scotland.
He reported this matter to No. 59, who had already changed his name to Kurumaru Soshi; his feelings did not belong solely to himself, as Kurumaru Soshi had been dedicated in recent years to causing entanglements between him and Kurosawa Jin.
After hearing him finish, Kurumaru Soshi asked with a smile, "So we Yamawashi have finally embarked on this path of no return called love?"
He replied, "This is the first time I have wanted something this much."
Kurumaru Soshi said, "If you aren't afraid of regret, then go do it."
What is there to regret? It's nothing more than death.
How terrifying. As long as it is connected to love, death becomes not so difficult to accept. Whether it is killing the other person or being killed by them, it is all a form of martyrdom, a sublimation of love.
From the moment someone pressed a dagger into his hands, he had forgotten death. He wanted to understand those moths to the flame, wanted to understand those deaths that were unforgettable to him, wanted to understand why there was no weapon more powerful than love.
On the day he met Scotland, he felt nothing toward whether it was hatred or love; he only clearly realized..
Death is approaching.
..
Aotsuki sat quietly in the courtyard.
To go to a place without Scotland, this unexpectedly turned out to be the only choice.
He never expected that one day he would proactively choose to come here.
What's wrong?" someone approached from behind. "You look so pitiful. You don't look anything like that bodyguard who took an assassination attempt meant for his master at the heir's banquet anymore.
He gazed into the distance and replied, ".. That is already a thing of the past."
But I remember it very clearly; after all, my plans rarely fail.
That person circled around to stand before him. Aotsuki's gaze fell unfocused ahead, seeing only a corner of a kimono, which was green.
This is the employer's residence; he is required to return regularly, so meeting like this is nothing out of the ordinary.
He did not resist meeting the employer he had served for the longest time.
In fact, he had never once had the thought "I don't want to see this person again," but after meeting Scotland, he realized that he could actually feel flustered before seeing someone.
Your expression looks just like when you found out Training Camp No. 57 died. You were still acting tough, but as soon as I said No. 57 was dead, you immediately showed a look of disbelief.
Kurumaru Soshi's hand rested on his cheek. Following the movement of that hand, he raised his head and saw a face more familiar than any other, with flaxen hair hanging by his side, a few strands slightly upturned by his round glasses.
No. 59 and No. 57 were exactly the same, yet completely different.
“You have no idea what you looked like at that moment; it was the expression of someone whose dream of freedom had shattered. It was hard for me not to laugh. I was originally going to bury you along with Training Camp No. 57, but you actually called yourself Aotsuki.”
The smile on Kurumaru Soshi's face grew even warmer. "I wonder what 57 is thinking, really? To actually call you Aotsuki. Is he trying to provoke me, or is he trying to protect you?"
Chapter 41
Are you sure?" Furuya Rei frowned. "If you do this, the future will definitely..
"I have already decided." Hiromitsu Morofushi poured a glass of water for his friend.
I know you've already decided." Furuya Rei took the cup and took a sip, his head still buzzing. His fingers tapped incessantly against the tabletop. "Even if this process is compliant, there's no guarantee that people won't raise doubts because of this. You know that things aren't exactly harmonious at the top; someone might use this as an excuse to make trouble.
When I chose to accept the mission and join the Organization, it was never for the sake of a smoother career path," Hiromitsu Morofushi said. "Just as I want to complete the mission, ensuring Yamawashi has a more certain future before we wrap this up is something I want to do as well.
After a long silence, Furuya Rei sighed, "I will help you.. even though you look as if you've already made all the necessary preparations."
As he was leaving, Furuya Rei paused slightly at the doorway.
He turned his head half a beat late, the flickering orange-red merging with the sunset sinking on the horizon; that person, holding a cigarette between his fingertips without any intention of smoking it, remained as inconspicuous as a piece of broken tile in this small alley.
Yamawashi never looked at him, in the end, Furuya Rei said nothing either. He walked away with hurried steps, leaving a single vertical wisp of smoke that swayed with his departure before returning to its original state a moment later.
When Hiromitsu Morofushi came out, he saw only Yamawashi staring blankly into the distance.
Yamawashi carried a faint scent of cigarettes, which was diluted by the wind but could not escape Hiromitsu Morofushi's keen senses.
He guessed that Yamawashi had lit a cigarette and was slowly watching it burn down, without actually smoking it.
Sorry to have kept you waiting.
They walked back together, as they approached the Safe House, the streetlights ahead lit up in succession, casting their two long shadows.
Progress has been very smooth," Hiromitsu Morofushi said proactively. "There will be some turmoil within the Organization in the coming period, so you must be careful as well.
Yeah.
The sound of footsteps grew inexplicably clearer, Hiromitsu Morofushi spoke again, breaking the silence: "If the Organization no longer exists, is there anything you want to do?"
Most likely dead. I was born in the Organization; without the Organization, I wouldn't exist.
Yamawashi has been quite unsparing lately when mentioning his past. Hiromitsu Morofushi could almost piece together that unknown first half of his life from those few brief words. What felt more tragic than difficult, however, was the way Yamawashi displayed such familiarity and acceptance toward it all.
I mean the future," Hiromitsu Morofushi said. "As you also know, we have already grasped clues regarding the Kurumaru family, the arrival of that day is no longer far off.