MHA95- Blood Orange

Tsuragamae didn’t say anything for a long moment. Then he pulled out his phone, scrolling through something. He didn’t show me the screen, but whatever he was looking at, it made him sigh again.

“You’re a pain in the ass.”

I didn’t argue. I am a pain in a lot of asses. Preferably beautiful ones, tough.

You bring me something solid. Real locations. Real names. Not rumors. Not guesswork. We confirm it, and then—maybe—I consider this.”

I leaned forward slightly. “No a bird told me?”

His eyes flicked up. “None.”

I nodded. “Then give me a day.”

He tilted his head slightly. “That fast?”

“They’re making moves now. If we don’t hit them soon, they’ll scatter. You know that.”

Tsuragamae exhaled through his nose. “One day.” He tapped his phone. “And if you don’t deliver?”

“Then I’ll sit in whatever cell you want.”

He stared at me for a long second, then muttered something under his breath before standing. “I need to make some calls.”

–

A couple of hours later he came back. "You are free to go."

I pushed back my chair, standing as well.

A day. That was all I had.

I walked out of the station. The city lights were still flickering like nothing had changed. The streets moved on, cars passed, people walked, and no one gave a shit that I had just declared war on the Yakuza.

I pulled out my phone and called Toga.

She picked up before the first ring even finished. "Ryuu~~!! Did you miss me?!"

"Baby, let's date."

There was a pause.

Then, a high-pitched squeal, like I had just handed her a lifetime supply of blood bags. "OH MY GOSH, REALLY?! You mean it?! No tricks?! No schemes?! No ‘I actually need you to stab someone’ hidden in the fine print?!"

"Yeah."

Another squeal. "Ahhh!! This is the best day of my life!!" Then, with an exaggerated gasp, "Wait! Wait, wait, wait—where?! When?! Do I dress cute?! Scandalous?! Should I bring weapons?! Ohhh, should I dress like a civilian and pretend I’m normal?!"

"Do what you want. I need to talk."

Her giggles turned into a hum. "Ooooh, serious talk? Mysterious~! Alright, lover boy, I’ll be good. But I still expect romance! You better hold my hand, or I’ll cry."

I ignored that. "Where are you?"

"Hmm~ Somewhere fun! Somewhere dangerous~!"

"Give me a place."

Toga giggled. "Hannami Street, two blocks from the old noodle shop. Meet me there in ten, loverboy~!"

The call ended before I could say anything else.

I slipped my phone back into my pocket and took off. I put on a medical mask, pulled my hoodie and slipped away.

It didn’t take long to reach the spot. A few old buildings lined the street, half of them boarded up. A couple of shady guys stood on the corner, but they didn’t give me any trouble.

Then, right on cue, Toga peeked out from behind a vending machine.

"Ryuu~! You actually came!"

She practically bounced toward me, her skirt swishing as she stopped a little too close. Her eyes were wide, bright, eating up every little movement I made. "Are we really on a date?! Like a real one?! Not a fake, ‘oh no, I just need information’ kind of thing?!"

"Yeah, real date."

Toga clutched her chest like I had just confessed my eternal love. "Oh my gosh, my heart!! I might die!!" Then she beamed. "But not before we get ice cream! C’mon, let’s go!"

She grabbed my hand, swinging it like we were childhood sweethearts.

I let her.

It was easier than arguing.

We walked. Toga chattered, going on about some dumb soap opera she had been watching. "And then—then, get this, Ryuu—he looks at her, right? Dead in the eyes, all dramatic, and says, ‘I never loved you.’ LIKE, CAN YOU BELIEVE THAT?! After SEVEN seasons?!"

I barely listened.

My mind was on Chisaki.

On the cops.

On how little time I had.

Toga suddenly stopped, tilting her head. "Ryuu, you’re being boring~! Usually, you tell me to shut up by now! What’s wrong?!"

I pulled my hand back. “I need to know where Shie Hassaikai is. We fought earlier, and they must have changed their location.”

Toga’s smile dropped. Before she could pull some weird, flirty bullshit, I grabbed her face, holding her still. “You can do whatever you want to me, Toga. But this is important. I need to know where they are.”

She stared at me, eyes flicking between mine, something unreadable in them. Then she clicked her tongue. “You’re lucky I hate those bastards too.”

I let go. “What?”

She crossed her arms. “They killed Magne.”

I blinked. “Shie Hassaikai?”

She nodded, teeth clenched. “Overhaul fucking erased her. Like—” She clapped her hands together, then pulled them apart, fingers splayed. “Boom. Gone. Just like that.”

That explained a lot. Toga wasn’t the type to hold grudges over dumb shit, but someone taking out her people? That was different.

She sighed, rocking on her heels. “Me and Twice wanted to go after them anyway. I had him tailing their guys, just in case.”

I frowned. “And?”

She grinned. “We know where they are.”

That was easier than I expected. “Where?”

She wagged a finger. “Ah-ah, loverboy. You think I give info for free?”

I exhaled. “What do you want?”

Toga tapped her chin, like she was pretending to think, but she already had an answer. “You’re raiding them, right? Taking them down?”

I didn’t answer.

She beamed. “We wanna be there. Me and Twice. Just a little sneak-in, y’know? No big deal. You tell us when you’re going, and we get to have some fun before all the big, scary heroes show up.”

I stared. “You wanna kill them.”

She cocked her head. “And?”

Fair enough. I exhaled through my nose, weighing it. If I said no, she’d still find a way in. Toga wasn’t the type to sit out of a fight she wanted. And honestly? If she and Twice got to those bastards after the heroes did, I wouldn’t lose sleep over it.

“Fine.”

She clapped her hands together. “Yay! You’re the best, Ryuu~!”

I held up a hand. “Don’t be stupid about it.”

She pouted. “When am I ever stupid?”

I gave her a look.

She giggled. “Fine, fine. No getting caught. No ruining your big hero moment. We’ll just… help clean up.”

I sighed. “Just give me the damn location.”

Toga pulled out her phone, humming as she scrolled. “Mmm… there. Got it.” She turned the screen toward me. “Big-ass underground base. Real fancy, real hidden. But~” She twirled a strand of hair around her finger. “They’ve been moving more than usual. Ever since you threw hands with their boss.”

I looked at the map, memorizing the layout. “You’re sure this is the latest one?”

She grinned. “Twice is watching them right now. If they shift again, we’ll know.”

That was good enough. I stepped back, pocketing my phone. “I’ll text you when it’s time.”

Toga clapped her hands. “Oooo, I love planning crime with you~!”

I shot her a look.

She giggled. “Okay, fine. ‘Planning crime-adjacent activities.’ Better?”

I held her hand. “I promised you a date. Let’s go.”

Toga blinked, then her entire face lit up like I’d just handed her a pile of freshly slaughtered corpses. “Oooo~! Look at you, being all smooth! You keep this up, and I might just fall in love~!”

I sighed. “You already did.”

She gasped, clutching her chest. “Oh no! He’s self-aware!”

I tugged her forward before she could start another dramatic monologue. She didn’t resist, practically skipping to keep up. “Sooo, where’s my handsome, dangerous boyfriend taking me~?”

I ignored that. “You mentioned ice cream earlier. There’s a place nearby.”

“OH! Sweets! You’re really trying to bribe me, huh?” She squeezed my hand, swinging our arms like we were in some romantic drama. “I love this! You’re making me feel like a proper lady! Should I start acting cute and bashful?”

“You’re incapable of that.”

“Rude! I’ll have you know, I’m super adorable!”

“Sure.”

She giggled, completely unbothered, leaning in close. “Ohhh, Ryuu~ Are you getting shy~? Is your little heart racing~?”

“My heart is fine.”

“Lies~ I bet it’s all ‘thump thump’ right now!”

“It’s not.”

“It sooo is.”

I pulled her down a quieter street, away from the shadier spots. The ice cream shop was a couple of blocks ahead. Toga kept clinging, barely containing her excitement. I could feel her eyes on me the whole way. “You really mean it, huh?”

I glanced at her. “Mean what?”

“This date.” She grinned, sharp but almost… softer than usual. “You’re not just humoring me.”

I didn’t answer right away.

She didn’t press, just kept watching. Then, after a second, she hummed, letting her grip on my hand tighten. “I like you like this.”

I scoffed. “Like what?”

She tilted her head. “Just… real. No teasing, no acting. Just Ryuu.”

I didn’t know what to do with that, so I didn’t respond.

The shop was in sight now, still open despite the hour. The warm lights spilled onto the sidewalk, and the sign overhead flickered slightly, a little worn but still intact. The place wasn’t big—just a small family-run joint with barely enough seating inside.

Toga gasped dramatically. “Ooo~! You brought me somewhere nice! Are you trying to impress me?!”

I sighed. “If I was trying, you’d know.”

She yanked me inside like I was a coupon about to expire. The place was nearly empty, just an older woman behind the counter flipping through a magazine. She barely looked up.

Toga pressed against the glass display, eyes sparkling. “Mmm, so many choices! What to do, what to do~”

“Hurry up.”

“You’re ruining my dessert foreplay, Ryuu.”

I sighed, turning to the woman at the counter. “Give her a minute.”

She barely nodded, flipping another page in her magazine.

Toga hummed, rocking on her heels. “I should get something romantic! Like… strawberry! Ooo, or something exotic! Like… blood orange! Hehe, get it? Blood?”

“You’re hilarious.”

“I know~”

She turned suddenly, hands on my shoulders. “What about you? What’s your flavor?”

“Chocolate.”

“Pffft. That’s it? No blood? No chaos? No 'Dark Cherry Vengeance'?”

“Sorry to disappoint.”

She grinned. “Nah. Chocolate fits. Bitter and addictive. Just like you.”

I ignored her. “Pick your flavor.”

She finally turned back to the display. “Mmm… Okay! I’ll take blood orange!” She giggled. “Fitting, right?”

The old woman scooped the ice cream without comment. I paid before Toga could pull some "forgot my wallet" bullshit, then handed her the cup.

She gasped, clutching it dramatically. “Ryuu, you’re paying for me?! Oh my gosh, my heart! You’re totally my type!”

I grabbed my own cup and walked to one of the small booths. She followed, still giggling to herself.

I barely took a bite before she leaned in, eyes locked onto my face. “Sooo~? Do I look like the perfect girlfriend while licking blood orange sugar off my lips?”

I didn’t answer.

She smirked. “C’mon, just say it. ‘Toga, you’re the most beautiful girl I’ve ever seen~’”

“No.”

“‘Toga, you’re so cute I could die~’”

“No.”

“‘Toga, please, end my life between your thighs—’”

I shoved a spoonful of chocolate in her mouth before she could say “knife play.”

She muffled a squeak, wide-eyed, then dramatically slumped over like I’d poisoned her.

“You’re like a sugar high with a kill count.”

“Aw~ that’s the nicest thing anyone’s said to me! Next time, I’ll bring the shovel.”

I shook my head, eating my ice cream. She watched me between bites, still swinging her legs under the table.

Then, after a while, she rested her chin on her hand. “So? Do you regret it?”