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This by far has got to be one of the most silliest and dumbest thing Shin has ever agreed to. He’s currently dressed in a maid outfit with the skirt just below his knees, the fabric is slightly tight around his chest making him feel extremely itchy and uncomfortable. Not to mention the extensions in his hair, effectively making him look more like a girl.

“ Nagumo you rat, why do i have to dress up like this while you get to go in like normal ?! ” Shin yelled, looking up at the tall man in front of him who is currently smiling while adding some final touches to Shin’s disguise. He seems to be enjoying this too much, which really pisses Shin off

“ Now now Shin, i already told you that the information we need is in Mr Takashi’s study and the best way to obtain the information while being unsuspecting is to infiltrate his place by acting as his staff! ”  Nagumo explained once again, wrapping his arms around Shin.

“ i know that but why do i have to be the one to get the documents, weren’t you a former spy ?! also why do i have to dress up in this ridiculous costume ?! isn’t dressing up as a butler or janitor good enough ?! and why are you standing so close to me ?!! ”  Shin fired many questions at once to Nagumo, he knows the order member is totally messing with him and it doesn’t help that he can’t read the man’s mind.

Shin tried to push Nagumo away, pushing his hands against his chest with as much strength as he could muster but no matter how hard he tried Nagumo wouldn’t budge, the assassin stood still and unbothered with his arms now wrapped around Shin’s waist. He’s so close to Shin, the older man is practically hugging the blonde. Shin could feel his ears burn at the close proximity between them.

“ well for starters, i will be attending the event hosted by our target as a guest from the order so i can distract him while you slip into his study room and retrieve the information we need. I also managed to pull some strings to admit you into Mr Takashi’s staff, so shouldn’t you be thanking me Shin ~ ? ” Nagumo replied in a cheery tone, not once moving away from Shin’s personal space. Shin swears he’s gonna kill him one day

“ that still doesn’t explain why i have to wear this !! couldn’t you have gotten me a place as a server or literally anything else ?! ” Shin complained, embarrassed about having to go undercover as a maid while disguising himself as a woman as well.

“ oh well there was an empty spot for a butler but i thought it would be way more fun if you went in as a maid, i also wanted to see if you could pull this dress off hehe ”

“ Nagumo you piece of sh- ”

“ and i was right! your face is small just like a girl’s and i didn’t even need to do much to make a perfect disguise for you. You’re most suitable for this role Shin ”  A vein on Shin’s head nearly burst. Shin wanted to take out his knife and stab the the man in front of him repeatedly but he knew Nagumo would easily dodge his attack so he opted to stomping on the older man’s foot while punching him in the chest. Cursing the ridiculously tall and handsome assassin for making him wear this.

Nagumo just chuckled while letting the blonde hit him, it kind of reminded him of the past interactions he had with Shin when he managed to fool and prank the younger twice. Shin gets red so easily which makes him fun to tease, who can blame a man for wanting to have some fun.

“ are you done Shin ? it’s almost time to go ” Nagumo said calmly and grabbed Shin’s wrist before the blonde could land another punch on his chest again. Shin finally stopped and nodded at the older man. The sooner they get there and finish the mission, the sooner he can get out of the maid outfit Shin thought. He also wanted to make Mr Sakamoto proud as he trusted Shin to carry out this mission without him, even if he had to deal with the annoying 6’2ft black haired man he will do whatever it takes to make sure the mission is successful.

“ Okay let’s go ” Shin responded. He pulled his hand back, expecting Nagumo to let go of his wrist so they can finally move to their destination. However Nagumo’s grip on his wrist only tightened. Without saying another word, Nagumo smiled down at Shin’s confused face and lead the blonde to his black Mercedes-AMG that basically screams rich- all while never letting go of Shin’s wrist. It should be no surprise that members of the order are getting payed well but Shin still couldn’t help his jaw from gaping in shock.

“ is- is this yours ?! ”

“ Yep ~ are you impressed Shin ? ”

“ hmph no… it just caught me off guard. Are we really going to use this to drive to the event ? ”

“ of course! It’s important to make a good impression for the others guests and our target ” Nagumo said with a smug look on his face, as if he could tell that Shin was lying and is indeed impressed with his expensive car. Although he doesn’t really use it that much, due to him getting motion sickness easily he thought that this mission would be the perfect time to take it for a spin. If he mostly decided to use it to show off and impress a certain blonde, then Shin didn’t need to know.

After a 20 minute ride of bickering, teasing (mostly from Nagumo) and some revising of the plan they finally arrived at Mr Takashi’s manor where the event is being held at.

“ Shin wear this ” Nagumo tossed a small earpiece to the blonde, who easily caught it and swiftly put it in his right ear. The earpiece is directly connected to the one the assassin is wearing. Since only 2 of them are on this mission, they will have no backup in case things go wrong.

Shin nodded at Nagumo and opened the door, just as he stepped out of the car a voice called out his name, grabbing his attention

“ don’t blow your cover, my darling maid ~ ” Shin slammed the door shut without a second thought. As he turned around to start walking towards the manor he could see the black haired man laughing in his peripheral vision. His nape feels hot and his ears are burning from embarrassment and rage. Shin promised himself for the 3rd time that night that he’s gonna get Nagumo back for this.

 Of course a mission cannot be completed so easily Shin thought, not even 10 minutes in and the esp has already encountered a problem. Shin recalled a few minutes ago when he asked the head maid where the location of the study room is, to which she rudely replied

“ The location of Mr Takashi’s study is no business of a newly hired maid, your job tonight is to serve the guests and keep the Manor clean, unrelated questions will not be entertained ”

 “ it’s on the second floor further to the left but why does this new girl want to know that ? she can’t get into Mr Takashi’s study anyway it can only be accessed using the key which he carries on himself all the time. Not even i have been in Mr Takashi’s study without his permission. Hm this girl is acting really suspicious, i’m going to have to keep my eye on her ”

After reading the her thoughts Shin realised he made a mistake, not only did the clairvoyant almost blew his cover but now he’s put under surveillance by the head maid- which is not the best case for someone who is supposed to slip in and out of the room without getting noticed. Now the blonde has two objectives- steal the key from Mr Takashi, and obtain the information needed all while not blowing his cover.

“ Guess i’ll have to tell Nagumo about this ”

Shin thought, just as he was about to speak into his earpiece a voice yelled at him. He jumped slightly, his heart racing at the thought of someone finally catching on to him.

“ hey you! what are you doing standing around and doing nothing ?! go serve these to the guests ” Shin sighed in relief at the words he heard, his cover was not blown yet. Just as he was about to say something to defend himself an older fellow maid roughly handed the blonde a tray of drinks.

In a blink of an eye Shin was pushed to the main doors leading to the grand hall, he nearly tripped twice due to the slightly elevated shoes he was wearing. Nagumo managed to customise the standard maid shoes so that the heels are shorter and lighter to make it easier for Shin to sneak around while not making a sound. It still doesn’t change the fact that the blonde has no experience with heels, so some small slips are expected.

Shin walked into the hall with as much consistent stability as he could muster. A normal maid should not be troubled by wearing these kind of shoes, and the blonde does not want to raise any more suspicion for the head maid- who is still watching him like a hawk. Shin couldn’t use his earpiece is such a crowded and public space like this and his esp is practically useless to find Nagumo since he can’t read the assassin’s mind no matter how hard he tries. Therefore Shin had no choice but to walk around and hopefully bump into the order member.

After walking around while serving some champagne to the guests, Shin finally spotted Nagumo who is currently conversing with some other person Shin doesn’t recognise.

The clairvoyant was about to take another step towards the assassin when a hand suddenly grabbed his shoulder. Shin raised his other arm instinctively and turned around intending to hit the person when he saw a man slightly taller than him dressed up in a fancy suit. The blonde’s eyes widened and quickly dropped his arm.

“ Shit i almost hit a guest and blew my cover ”

Shin opened his mouth, an apology at the tip of his tongue as he stared at the man in front of him when-

“ i haven’t seen you around here before ” the man spoke up, he stepped closer into Shin’s personal space and suddenly gripped the bent elbow of Shin’s left arm.

“ oh i- ahem i’m new here, i recently got hired” Shin cleared his throat after hearing his normal slightly deep voice, he quickly corrected his mistake and spoke with a higher pitched tone- cringing internally at the unnatural voice he’s using. Luckily the man didn’t seem to notice, as he continued looking at the blonde with interest

“ ah no wonder, because if there was such a beauty working for Mr Takashi i’m sure i would’ve remembered them ” The man winked at him. Shin froze at that, his mind went blank at the sudden gesture- is this man flirting with him ?! The clairvoyant thought to himself.

Suddenly Shin could hear loud and clear thoughts coming from the man “ i’ve never seen a blonde before, her hair is pretty. She looks so cute ”

Shin refrained himself from making a face after hearing the man’s thoughts “ well if you’ll excuse me sir, i need to go and continue my duties ” Shin said to the well dressed man with an awkward smile. The blonde tried to remove his elbow from the man’s grip, but to Shin’s dismay the man did not let go so easily. Whats up with people gripping his arm and not letting go Shin thought, recalling earlier when Nagumo grabbed his wrist for longer than necessary

“ what’s the rush ? there are plenty of other maids that can fill in for you, won’t you enlighten me with a conversation ? i don’t even know your name, sweetheart ” The man said with a flirtatious tone, stepping even closer into Shin’s personal space

“ sweetheart ?! urgh this man is persistent and he’s too close! ”

Shin was coming up with a random name in his head when a long arm entered his vision from behind. The arm was covered by the suit but Shin recognised the tattoos on the hands. The blonde didn’t even have time to react when suddenly he was pulled back by the strong arm around his collarbones, the back of his head colliding with a firm and broad chest.

The thankfully empty tray Shin was holding with his left hand almost fell, but luckily the blonde managed to save it with his fast reflexes. Shin sighed and looked up, sure enough it was Nagumo standing behind him. The assassin’s expression was blank, his big eyes were empty like a void trying suck anyone’s soul in that dares to make eye contact and to no surprise he was still unreadable to Shin. The clairvoyant didn’t detect a single thought coming from behind him, which is why Shin almost pulled out the knife hidden underneath his skirt if it weren’t for his brain quickly recognising the tattoos he saw milliseconds before Nagumo pulled him.

Shin looked in front of him to see the man with a shocked expression as well, the sudden action causing the man’s grip to slip from Shin’s elbow to his forearm- still not letting go of the blonde. Apparently Nagumo noticed it too and shifted his gaze to the clairvoyants arm where the man is in contact with. The assassin’s gaze hardened, Shin slightly shivered at the small amount of bloodlust the black haired man let out unintentionally

“ what are you doing ? Can’t you see you’re interrupting us ?! ” said the other man who Shin still doesn’t know the name of — stopping the blonde’s line of thought.

“ i should be asking you the same thing, who do you think you are to touch a maid on duty; especially when she is visibly uncomfortable by your presence. Let go of her ” Nagumo said with a firm tone, there’s a charming smile on his face trying to show how unbothered he is but the arm he has around Shin tightens almost in a possessive way proving otherwise.

The man glanced at the tattooed arm wrapped around Shin that is covering most of the blonde’s torso and scoffed, before looking back at Nagumo with an unimpressed expression on his face.

“ Aren’t you being a hypocrite ? You’re touching her as well, what makes you think you’re not the one that’s actually making this pretty lady uncomfortable ” Not bothering to hear the assassin’s response, the man shifted his gaze to Shin instead

“ come on sweetheart, lets leave this weirdo and chat some more elsewhere ”

“ she’s definitely going to thank me later and then i’ll take my chance and invite her back home with me ”

Shin slightly grimaced after hearing that thought, just as he was about to speak up another hand reached forward from behind him. The action was quick and sharp, before Shin knew it Nagumo had a tight grip on the man’s arm that was holding the clairvoyant’s forearm. The man in front of Shin let out a small grunt at the sudden contact, his face quickly turned to one of anger about to curse at the assassin when in a split second his body froze. Surprised at the sudden change, Shin turned his head to look at Nagumo- only to see that the smile has vanished from his face, the order member’s eyes were impossibly darker and the expression on his face was deadly. It looked and felt as if the assassin was seconds away from killing the idiotic man in front of him.

The blonde was speechless, he has seen many expressions from the order member when carrying out his missions- amused, annoyed, serious and sometimes disinterest but this look was something new to the clairvoyant; Nagumo was outright furious. Shin had a very bad feeling.

“ Do not make me repeat myself ”

The assassin’s voice was deep and clear, a huge contrast to the usual playful tone that Shin is used to. Just as the order member said those words, he applied more pressure on the bruise-like grip he had on the other man; just enough to make it hurt- restraining himself from breaking any bones. The man cried out in pain, immediately letting go of Shin’s forearm like he just got burned.

His scream alerted guests and staff around them, in a flash people started crowding them wondering what’s all the commotion. Shin panicked, now their cover is going to be blown without even managing to enter the targets study; they might just have to force their way through to obtain the information- which will definitely leave a big mess causing Mr Sakamoto to be disappointed in Shin and never trust him to go on a mission ever again.

While the blonde was busy overthinking, Nagumo swiftly jabbed the man’s nape- effectively knocking him out without anyone noticing. The man collapsed onto the floor causing the crowd to erupt into a state of panic and shock. The once calm and joyful environment turned into chaos, thousands of thoughts from everywhere filled Shin’s head making him feel dizzy and weak.

The clairvoyant could feel some people pushing him from both sides, practically absorbing the pair into the crowd. This created an opportunity for the two to slip out of the commotion discreetly; with Nagumo leading Shin out of the event hall, an arm wrapped around the blonde’s waist keeping him close so the younger doesn’t get separated from the assassin in the crowd.

Nagumo somehow managed to find an empty room nearby, quickly pulling Shin inside and closing the door then locking it in one motion. The assassin didn’t even bother finding the switch to turn on the lights before slamming Shin against the door. The order member placed his arm next to the blonde’s head, the other one reached out to cup his jaw. Before Shin could comment about the awkward position they were in, the assassin leaned in closer caging the clairvoyant between the door and Nagumo’s body. Their faces were inches apart and despite them being in a dark room Shin could still make out the features on Nagumo’s face. The older man still had an empty unreadable look in his eyes, the tattooed hand on his jaw forcing Shin to look straight up at his face.

The ex-assassin clutched the drink tray closer to his chest practically hugging it, afraid that if the older man went any closer he would hear how fast Shin’s heart was racing- from fear or nervousness Shin himself couldn’t tell. After the slight shift of movement, Shin saw how Nagumo’s gaze finally dropped from his face to his arms in front of his chest- the clairvoyant followed the order member’s gaze and with the help of some moonlight peeking through the room’s window, he saw that his left forearm had some light red fingerprints which he probably got from the man earlier. Then the assassin’s expression changed finally showing some emotion. Nagumo’s eyebrows were furrowed, the corner of his mouth was slightly tugged downwards and if Shin didn’t know any better he would’ve thought that the older man was frowning in displeasure. At times like this Shin wished he could read the black haired’s mind, missions like these tend to go smoother if he could read his allies’ thoughts in order to communicate better. Nagumo is still a damn mystery to Shin, he rarely tells the whole truth and likes to play with words- furthermore unlike Mr Sakamoto he hasn’t known the man long enough to fully trust him.

Just as Shin was about to break the silence, Nagumo leaned even closer- his lips ghosting the blonde’s left ear as he says “ it hasn’t even been an hour since we last saw each other and you already need me to save you Shin ”

Shin almost popped a vessel at that “ i didn’t ask you to interfere, I could’ve handled him just fine! ”

 “ oh really? It seemed to me like you were taking your time though, don’t tell me you got distracted from our mission already ”

“ hah ?! Who said i was distracted ?!! I was trying to get to you before that man suddenly stopped me! ”

“ oh ~? and what was so important you had to come find me in person instead of using your earpiece ? ” Nagumo’s voice was back to his usual amused and light tone which left Shin slightly dumbfounded at the duality of the assassin.

Shin quickly summarised everything that happened after Nagumo dropped him off, from almost blowing his cover to the head maid to him finding out that he needs a key to enter the study and trying to find Nagumo without making the head maid even more suspicious. The assassin remained quiet as he listened to the blonde explain everything, his hand that was once holding Shin’s jaw now rested on his waist instead- keeping the younger close.

“ So i was hoping you could distract her long enough for me to steal the key from Mr Takashi and get into his study. Also can you let go of me now ? ”  Shin sighed, mentally exhausted from everything that just occurred- they were no where near completing the mission and yet the clairvoyant already had a strong urge to go back home.

“ Sure, i can do that. Just make sure you don’t blow your cover, i put in a lot of effort to get you to wear that disguise- but perhaps the disguise worked too well it seems like its helping you catch more attention rather than doing the opposite. ” The assassin stated, leaving Shin stupefied by his bluntness. “maybe i should do something about that ”Nagumo solemnly said while playing with the stands of Shin’s extensions, completely ignoring Shin’s last request of letting go of the younger. There was thoughtful look in his eyes, making the blonde feel a bit weary of the intention behind those words.

Truth be told, Shin is not actually wearing a normal disguise Nagumo usually makes that alters your entire appearance. Since Nagumo’s disguises do not last long, they didn’t want to take the risk of accidentally blowing Shin’s cover due to the diguise’s time limit, therefore you can say the blonde is actually just dressing up with some makeup on and extensions in his hair. Shin might also be wearing a thigh knife holster underneath his dress for emergency purposes, but Nagumo didn’t need to know that- it’s embarrassing enough that he has to wear a maid outfit.

“ we don’t have time for a wardrobe change! Let’s just go now, we’re already wasting time ”Shin complained, wanting to complete this mission as soon as possible. The blonde tried pushing Nagumo away with his arm, and to his surprise it actually worked. The assassin stood straight no longer breathing down the clairvoyant’s neck and took one step back. He assessed Shin as if contemplating something, before sighing and putting his hands in his pockets

“ alright fine lets go; but try avoid getting caught darling, it will be harder for me to save you again once you’re out of my sight ” Nagumo said with a smirk on his face.

Shin clenched his free hand into a fist, restraining himself from punching the tall man in front of him. Nagumo tugged the blonde to his side before opening the door, gesturing Shin to walk through first

“ Ladies first ” The black haired man said teasingly, then made a dramatic bow with a cheeky grin on his face Shin walked through the door while kicking Nagumo’s leg light heartedly, too tried to get angry again

“ why does this jerk always try to tease me with that damn charming smile on his face ”

They both headed back to the event hall, luckily the man fainting wasn’t a big enough commotion to cancel the event or anything. They glanced at each other one more time before Shin nodded, they split up blending in with the crowd to carry out the plan.

Shin went to collect another tray of drinks before mingling around while trying to look for Mr Takashi. Less than 10 minutes later, the blonde finally spotted the target 4 meters away from his current location. After observing Mr Takashi for a little bit longer, Shin managed to see an outline of a key in the man’s suit pocket. The clairvoyant then scanned around the hall looking for Nagumo as Shin couldn’t act until the assassin has successfully captured the head maid’s full attention.

Shin finally spotted Nagumo and the back of a woman standing in front of the order member, who seems to be the head maid. As if the assassin could sense Shin’s eyes on him, his gaze shifted and made eye contact with the blonde all the way across the hall. Nagumo winked at him before turning his attention back to the woman who didn’t seem to notice what just happened as she happily talked away. Shin’s gaze lingered a little longer to see the Nagumo smiling while conversing with the head maid who seems to be basking in the handsome man’s attention.

“ what a flirt ” Shin thought to himself

They didn’t actually discuss about any signals, but Shin assumed it was safe to say the wink just now was a green light from the assassin. It seems like the head maid completely forgot about monitoring the blonde, not once did she look away from the order member- letting Shin feel a bit more relaxed now that there’s isn’t someone watching his every move. The clairvoyant quickly served the last drink on his tray to the nearest guest before walking towards Mr Takashi’s direction.

Shin took a deep breath and continued walking calmly, just as he was centimetres away from his target- he pretended to fall forward causing him to bump right into Mr Takashi.

“ what the hell are you doing ?! You could’ve knocked me over! ” Mr Takashi yelled, there was a very irritated look on his face

“ My sincerest apologies sir, someone bumped into me and i lost my footing ” Shin responded while bowing, trying to sound as apologetic and pitiful as possible

“ I don’t care! Are you new here ? I should just fire you right now for your incompetence!” Shin kept his head low, trying to think of something to say to get out of this situation

“ Look at me when i’m talking to you! I don’t like- ” The blonde looked at Mr Takashi before he could complete his sentence, when the man took a good look at Shin’s face he paused- the words in his mouth died down. His once angry face changed and was now carrying a speechless expression. Confused, Shin took a peek into the man’s thoughts only to hear-

“ Oh, she’s pretty “

Shin was taken aback by that thought. This was the second time the blonde heard that compliment aimed towards him, although it does weird Shin out a little-it seems like this disguise really is coming in handy.

“ Please forgive me sir, i promise to be more careful. Please don’t fire me! ” Shin pleaded with wide eyes, trying to use the man’s sudden interest in him to his advantage. The blonde must’ve done something right because Mr Takashi coughed and looked away, letting Shin see a little bit of pink that dusted the man’s cheeks. The man cleared his throat before speaking up-

“ Since this is an important event, i’ll let you off the hook. Just don’t make the same mistake again ”

Shin quietly sighed in relief, then thanked the man profusely before excusing himself. The clairvoyant clutched his right hand that is holding the small key while smiling to himself in victory. Thankfully Shin had some experience in stealing and pick-pocketing due to his past when he ran away to find his father. Although it wasn’t very smooth and he had to cause a small scene, he still counts it as a success- he’s now one step closer to getting the information they need and completing the mission.

Shin didn’t waste anytime and immediately went to the second floor after putting his tray aside somewhere. As the blonde reached the 2nd floor, he turned to his left only to see 2 men dressed in black with guns noticeably on their belts. Shin cursed to himself, of course Mr Takashi wouldn’t leave his study room unattended. The blonde wish he had Seba’s invisibility suit at that moment or Nagumo’s ability to disguise himself so he could enter without being questioned. Killing them is definitely out of the option, he can’t break the family rule just for this mission; so Shin opted to lying his way through.

“ In the worse case scenario where they don’t believe me, ill just knock them out ”  Shin thought to himself

As Shin made his way to the end of the hallway, he tried to keep as calm and collected as possible. As soon as the men spotted him, they stood straighter puffing their chests out and covering the door even more from the clairvoyant’s sight.

“ What are you doing here? All the maids should be downstairs attending to the guests ” one of them spoke up as soon as Shin stopped in front of them

“ uh I’m here on Mr Takashi’s order to clean his study, he complained about his room being dusty and sent me here to quickly clean it before he uses the room again ”

“ is that so? Mr Takashi didn’t inform us about sending a maid up though and he usually only allows the head maid, Miss Naomi to clean this room ”

“ ah well unfortunately Miss Naomi is occupied at the moment with many things to attend to, and i just happened to be serving drinks nearby Mr Takashi so he sent me up instead. He even gave me the key to his study room ” Shin explained, opening his hand to show the key he just pick-pocketed from the said man

The man on the left bent down to inspect the key, after a few nerve-wracking seconds for the blonde- he returned to his original stance then looked to his side to nod at the other security man. They both stepped aside, revealing the tall wooden door and giving space for Shin to enter. The clairvoyant slotted the key into the keyhole then twisted it until the click sound was heard, unlocking the door- Shin sighed in relief. The ex-assassin put a hand on the door handle, about to push it down to open the door when a voice next to the blonde stopped him

“ wait, where are your cleaning tools? ”

Voices suddenly echoed into Shin’s head, causing him to be on guard

“ There’s no way a maid who is ordered to clean a room would come here without any cleaning equipment. ”

“ Kuroo’s right that is suspicious, she must’ve been lying! ”

It seems Shin did not think about his lie thoroughly enough. The moment the blonde heard their thoughts he immediately switched to plan B. The ex-assassin swiftly kicked the man closest to him in the abdomen. The man groaned and toppled over in pain, clutching the place where Shin kicked. Without letting the man recover, Shin jabbed the man’s exposed nape with enough force to knock him out. Then the blonde quickly adverted his attention to the remaining security guard who managed to recover from the shock of the sudden change in events, aiming his gun at Shin’s head. Just as the man was about to pull the trigger, Shin punched it out of his grip with unimaginable speed- then he grabbed the man’s head with both hands and slammed it down while lifting up his thigh effectively reducing the time of impact to increase the impulsive force on the man’s face. When Shin felt the man go limp, he quickly put the heavy guy on the floor then entered Mr Takashi’s study.

Shin quietly closed the door behind him and locked it while scanning the room. The blonde didn’t have much time before one of the security guards wakes up or if someone from downstairs managed to hear the small fight just now and sent someone to check on it. Shin dashed towards the desk at the end of the room, quickly skimming through some papers and files. After having no luck in finding the information about the deals and transactions between Mr Takashi and the JAA, the blonde pulled out a small pen-drive from the pocket of his dress and inserted it into the laptop sitting on the desk. Shin silently thanked Mr Sakamoto in his head who gave him the pen-drive that can copy and upload information from the laptop without unlocking it, a few hours before the blonde left with Nagumo. After 5 minutes, the tip of the pen-drive blinked and changed colour from red to green- indicating that the everything from the laptop has been uploaded into the pen-drive. Shin grinned and pulled it out before pocketing it. Just as the blonde was about to leave with hopes of escaping undetected, he was soon proven otherwise when he heard some voices coming from outside. Soon banging noises against the door can echoed the room, the men outside were using sheer force to break the door down. In a spur of the moment, Shin tapped on his earpiece and decided to contact Nagumo.

“ Nagumo i managed to upload the information from Mr Takashi’s laptop into a pen drive ”

Not even a second later, Shin received a response from the assassin as if the man has been waiting to hear from him

“ nice job Shin ~ Is there anything else you need to tell me ? ” Nagumo replied with a knowing tone

Shin sighed, of course the order member could tell that the blonde had something more to say- without delaying it any further Shin added

“ and my cover is about to be blown in a few minutes… I’m trapped in Mr Takashi’s study room and there are some men outside trying to break down the door ”

Just as Shin finished his last sentence, a loud bang resonated throughout walls of the study room causing the blonde to flinch slightly. He turned his head back to see a huge crack and a dent that now appeared on the door. Shin speculated that with a few more hits the door will be knocked down soon.

“ ah so you need me to come and rescue you again right ~? ”

Shin snapped out of his thoughts when he heard Nagumo’s voice through his earpiece. The assassin’s words ticking him off

“ i never said that! ”

“ but you need my help, no ? It’s okay to admit it Shin; just say the word and i’ll be there~ ” The blonde was speechless, his cover is about to be blown and his supposed partner for this mission is fooling around; trying to act like Shin’s knight in shining armour.

“ Nagumo this is serious! Can you stop playing around for once ”

“ oh but i am being serious Shin, i won’t help you unless you admit you need me. ”

“ UGH you’ve got to be kidding me right. Is this another one of your stupid pranks ?! ”

“ I’m not playing with you darling, just say what i want to hear and I’ll come save you Time is ticking ~ ” Despite the teasing tone at the end, Shin had a gut feeling that the assassin was being serious about his words. Furthermore, Nagumo is right- the blonde is running out of time as the door is on the verge of breaking already. Shin ruffled his hair out of frustration, cursing the order member for the hundredth time in his mind.

“ damnit fine. Nagumo I need your help. ” Shin spitted out the words reluctantly, swallowing down his pride to give in to the dumb assassin’s demand. “ There, i admitted it- so could you please come here and do something ” the clairvoyant said in a defeated tone.

“ now was that so hard Shin ? Just hang on tight and i’ll be there before you know it ~ ” Nagumo chuckled, seemingly very satisfied with Shin’s response

“ this jerk acting all cocky after wasting about 2 minutes to make me ask for his help ”

Shin focused his attention back to the door, just in time to hear a booming collision. Dust and rubble flooded the room, slightly covering up the blonde’s vision. The door finally broke down, time was up. Stomping noises could be heard as the men outside rushed inside the room, Shin counted that there are about 7 men in total, recognising 2 of them were the ones he knocked out earlier.

“ fuck, guess I don’t have a choice but to fight them ”

However just as Shin pulled his knife out from his thigh holster, simultaneous clicking sounds can be heard as the men that surrounded the blonde pointed their guns at him- their index finger hovering the trigger, ready to shoot the intruder without hesitation.

“ Drop your weapon and tell us who you are before we shoot! ” The security guard in the centre exclaimed

“ Why don’t we just kill him ? He’s an intruder!”  Another guy from Shin’s left spoke up, directing their question at the previous man.

Judging by the question and how none of them have moved on their own, Shin could deduce that the man in the centre is their superior or the guy in charge of them.

“ We need to know who sent him or who he’s working with you idiot! ”

“ oh right… ” The guy on the left responded sheepishly

“ what a bunch of idiots ” Shin thought to himself, swiftly positioning himself into a stance- ready to attack the men while they’re slightly distracted. The ex-assassin bent his knees, about to push himself forward when a familiar voice suddenly spoke up. Everyone in the room perked up at the sound and turned their heads only to see the head maid, standing at the broken doorframe with her arms crossed

“ What is going on here ? Why is the door of Mr Takashi’s study room broken down ? This place is a mess! ”

Shin paused in shock “ what is she doing here ?! I thought Nagumo was distracting her… but then again i did ask for his help just now he probably left her unattended ”

It seems the other men in the room shared the same thoughts as Shin, because when he peeked into their thoughts everyone too seemed to be questioning the sudden the sudden appearance of the head maid

“ shit its Miss Naomi, she’s going to have our heads for messing up boss’ room ”

“ why is Miss Naomi here ?! She’s going to sweep the floor with our heads after this! ”

“ oh no Miss Naomi sounds furious ”

Much more thoughts similar to those filled Shin’s mind, surprising the blonde with how scared they seemed of the head maid. If Shin was low-key impressed by how much power this Miss Naomi has over the security guards despite her position, no one has to know.

Curious as to what the head maid may be thinking, the clairvoyant decided to try and read her thoughts only to receive nothing- confused/ Shin tried again but still no luck, he couldn’t hear anything from the head maid.

“ that’s weird, i could read her thoughts before why can’t i do it now ? My esp is working on the others so there’s no reason for it to not be working on her unless…. ”

Shin’s eyes widened in realisation, lifting his gaze to see the head maid already looking in his direction. As their eyes locked onto each other, the corner of her mouth lifted into a smirk confirming Shin’s suspicions.

“ Miss Naomi, we’re sorry for breaking down Mr Takashi’s door but we have a good reason for doing so. As you can see there’s an intruder dressed up as one of your maids, and she’s been snooping in the boss’ study room! The door was locked so we had to break it down to catch her.. ” The guy in the centre replied while scratching the back of his head, speaking up for all of them

“ ah i see, then i guess i should do something about that right ? Perhaps teach her a lesson on subtlety since she got her cover blown so easily ” Miss Naomi replied while staring straight at Shin, conveying a message to the younger through those words

“ what the heck was that a backhand insult towards me ?! ” Shin frowned in displeasure before rolling his eyes

“ Uh..Miss Naomi i don’t think that’s- “ Before the man could finish his sentence, a knee met his face with a strong force. Blood spilled out from his nose, covering his lower face which is all bruised up in red. Nagumo abandoned his disguise and pulled out a sword from the inside of his suit, then he swung it; the tip of the sword seconds away from slicing the man’s head off-

“ wait! don’t kill them! ”

The motion of the blade stopped at the skin of the man’s neck, a small trickle of blood seeped out from the area of contact. Nagumo stared at Shin with a calculated look in his eyes and for a moment is felt like time stopped for the blonde, everything around them felt still and unmoving as Shin held his breath as he awaited the order member’s decision. Then with unimaginable speed and precision, the assassin twisted the rotation of his blade to knock the man out with the hilt of his sword.

The response was immediate, at the sight of their superior on the floor the remaining men immediately started shooting at the imposter- leaving the blonde intruder long forgotten.

In a blink of an eye, Nagumo moved leaving nothing but dust behind in his previous position-escaping the bullets aimed at him from all directions. Before their brains could even process the sudden disappearance of the assassin, one by one the security guards are knocked out. The sound of bodies colliding against the floor filled the ears of the remaining people standing. Rapid and aimless firing start to lessen as more bodies hit the ground- it continues until there is just one more security guard left.

The man stammers as Nagumo stalked up to him like a predator eyeing its next kill. For every step the assassin takes forward the man shakily moves two steps back trying to maintain a distance between them. Not long after the man decided to make his move, he pressed the trigger of his gun aimed at Nagumo’s head with as much stability as he could muster; confident that this would finally kill the black haired intruder only for Nagumo to tilt his head to the left- effortlessly dodging the bullet.

The man gaped in shock, hastily clicking the trigger once again only for nothing to happen. The gun was out of bullets.

“ w-wait please don’t kill- “ Nagumo sighed, tired of hearing the same words coming out from people like him. Then without bothering to let the man finish his sentence, the assassin punched him square in the face- the force flinging the man across the room until his back hit the wall.

Shin stood still as he watched the scene unfold, the knife he took out earlier was still in his right hand. Once again the clairvoyant was left amazed by the assassin’s skills, managing to take out 7 men in less than 5 minutes. As the last man hit the ground- unconscious/ Nagumo turned his gaze towards then started walking in the blonde’s direction. With slow and deliberate movements, the assassin put away his sword that looked clean and untouched- not even a single drop of blood on it. As Nagumo took his final step he now stood toe to toe with Shin, forcing the blonde to crane his neck upwards in order to see the look on order member’s face.

“ you know, killing them would’ve made it easier for us to escape ” Nagumo stated while raising his right hand to go through his black locks, trying to fix it a bit. However in Shin’s eyes, the man is just messing it up even more but annoyingly the messy hair just makes the assassin look more attractive

“ then why didn’t you do it ? You didn’t have to listen to me ” Shin retorted. Truthfully Shin didn’t know why he made the sudden request, perhaps it’s because he has been abiding to the family rule for so long it has become a habit to ensure others around him do the same. However Shin knows that killing is Nagumo’s job, to an assassin-creating bloodshed would be simpler in situations like these; and yet the older male chose to listen to the blonde’s last minute request. It’s not like Nagumo is obliged to listen to Shin just because they’re partners for the mission, the order member is smart enough to make decisions that are suitable for the situation. Nagumo is a man who takes his missions seriously and doesn’t care what others think yet despite all that he did what Shin wanted. The clairvoyant didn’t know what to think or feel about that.

“ i don’t know.. maybe it’s just cause i wanted to ”

Whether he didnt kill them because he wanted to listen to Shin or because he just wanted to knock them out instead, nobody knew. The blonde didn’t respond, not wanting to push any further

“ Anyway, you got the info we need right ? ”

“ uh i think so, i couldn’t find any physical documents so i downloaded all the data on his laptop. There should be something related to the deals the JAA have been doing ”

“ That’s good. Then i guess we don’t have to stay here any longer, let’s go Shin~ ” Without waiting for a response, Nagumo grabbed Shin’s wrist and lead him out of the room. As they walked through the hallway, Shin suddenly heard a thought, buzzing into his mind

“ The intruders are upstairs, we need to hurry find them and kill them ”

“ Nagumo backup in coming, there’s more security guards after us ” Shin hurriedly informed the order member

“ what a pain. Don’t worry darling just follow my lead~ ” The assassin looked behind to smile at Shin, not an ounce of worry or panic on his face

Shin blinked, feeling stupefied at the pet name. The blonde can recall how this was not the first time the taller male used that pet name on him today, but it was only now that Shin had more time to actually process it. Shin has been the victim to many of Nagumo’s pranks and is often teased by him, but using pet names on the blonde is definitely new. The clairvoyant can’t help but feel annoyed and slightly embarrassed about it.

“ stop calling me that! it’s weird and cringe ” Shin complained, trying to pull his wrist out of Nagumo’s grip. The blonde has no idea why the assassin has to hold his wrist while leading him the way- he’s not a child, he can follow Nagumo perfectly fine without physical guidance.

“ is that really what you think Shin ? I have a feeling deep down you actually like it when i call you that ~ “

“ HAH ?! i don’t like it at all! Stop messing around for once ”

Nagumo bursted out into a small fit of laughter “ oh but you should see your face it’s all red! That’s why i love teasing you so much Shin, your reactions are priceless ”

Shin could feel his face getting dark red from embarrassment and mostly anger. The blonde wondered if he could stab the assassin while he’s busy laughing his ass off. Just when the assassin finally quieted down, he quickly wrapped his other arm around Shin’s head and pushed it down- just in time to dodge the bullet that whizzed straight through the air, pass the place where the blonde’s head was just a few seconds ago.

“ I found them, they’re here! ” A man shouted, alerting the others of their position.

Nagumo removed his arm from Shin’s head and grabbed the knife that was still in the blonde’s free hand. “ Let me borrow this for a sec ” Then without explanation, the assassin threw the knife backwards and in a blink of an eye the handle of the knife hit the man directly in between the eyes. The resulting force pushed the man backwards causing the back of his head to kiss the ground.

“ let’s get out of here ” Nagumo smiled before quickly pulling Shin along

This time Shin did not resist and let the assassin hold onto his wrist as they sprinted away from the scene. They ran through the hallway of the second floor and down 2 flights of stairs while a group of men dressed in black were following them behind persistently. Shin could barely tell where they were going, as the order member’s broad back was blocking majority of the blonde’s vision. Suddenly Nagumo stopped, causing Shin to bump into the taller man’s back- the blonde looked up at Nagumo confusedly then peeked his head to the side of the assassin’s shoulder to see what made him stop.

They were standing at the entrance to the event hall, light jazz music could be heard playing in the background. Shin’s lips parted as his mouth formed a small ‘ o ‘ - realising that the party event is still carrying on indicating that the guests and apparently Mr Takashi himself are seemingly unaware of the pair’s intrusion

Nagumo let go of Shin’s wrist and turned around to fully face the blonde “ Shin we have to exit the hall at the other end in order to get to my car. We’ll have to walk separately through the crowd and try to blend in ”

“ Got it “

Nagumo’s gaze lingered on Shin a little longer with a pensive look on his face as if he had something more to say to the blonde, but he ultimately decided against it. Without a word the assassin just nodded then placed his hands in the pockets of his pants before entering the event hall

A few seconds later Shin walked into the hall in the opposite direction that the order member took. The clairvoyant scanned the hall trying to pinpoint Nagumo and Mr Takashi’s position; if possible the blonde would prefer not to encounter Mr Takashi again just in case the man might recognise him. Shin wondered if Mr Takashi found out that the key to his study was stolen or if his security guards at least told him about the intruders but quickly dismissed the thought when he spotted the man happily laughing with some other guests. It appears the man is too busy enjoying himself to realise what’s going on, Shin could also deduce that the man is probably drunk judging by his slightly flushed face and unsteady movement.

Shin was already halfway across the hall when he heard the hum of an alerting thought

“ urgh why did i have to be assigned to check the event hall, this room is huge and crowded- how can i spot the intruders like this. At least i’m not the only one… ”

It appears that some security guards, specifically two are already in the hall looking for them. Shin frowned in frustration and continued to walk unhurriedly towards the exit trying to act like he did not just hear some alarming news. The blonde looked back to the area where he last saw Nagumo only to find the assassin nowhere in sight.

Exasperated, Shin tapped his earpiece to warn his mission partner about the two men looking for them in the hall “ Nagumo there’s- ”

However before the clairvoyant could finish his sentence a hand suddenly gripped Shin’s arm from the side and yanked the blonde to a small corner, a few steps away from the exit. The blonde stumbled before he felt hands grab his shoulders pushing him until his back met the wall. Shin’s hair was a mess with some strands all over face due to the rough manhandling but the clairvoyant couldn’t care less about his slightly covered vision as he quickly reached under his skirt to pull out a spare knife. In a flash he swung the knife in front of him, intending to hit the person who just roughly pulled him away only for his wrist to be grabbed midair; stopping the clairvoyant’s attack. In a heartbeat the person lowered Shin’s arm keeping a firm grip on his wrist, restricting the blonde’s arm movement- then the tall person who Shin could figuratively tell is a man took a step forward into Shin’s personal space crowding him up against the cool marble wall.

Shin opened his mouth, about to yell the man’s face off when he saw the person’s other arm move in the corner of his eyes- then before Shin knew it the man moved the strands of his blonde hair covering the clairvoyant’s eyes and tucked it behind his ear. The action was surprisingly gentle, the warmth from the man’s hand spread to the ex-assassin’s cheeks painting them apple red and if it weren’t for the situation Shin could’ve sworn he felt butterflies. As his eyes were no longer covered, the blonde looked up at the person’s face only to reveal that it was Nagumo all along. The blonde’s face turned into a darker shade of red, Shin could feel the heat spread to his ears- embarrassed that for a moment he felt such feelings towards the stupid, playful and handsome assassin

Nagumo leaned down, nearly eye to eye with Shin then whispered into the shell of the clairvoyant’s reddened ear “ Shin.. i’m going to kiss you ”

The blonde could feel his heart drop to his stomach after hearing those words from the assassin-then before Shin could recover another pair of lips crashed into his own, causing his soul to almost leave his body. Shin’s brain shut off, unable to comprehend anything and the signals being sent throughout his body stopped; causing the blonde to just freeze- the clairvoyant just stood there as he let Nagumo kiss him. Then in a small moment of clarity, a faint thought entered Shin’s mind

“ Shin, kiss me back. A guy is keeping his eyes on me and we need to throw him off ”

The voice of Nagumo’s thought was soft yet commanding, leaving no room for argument. Not like Shin could argue back anyway with Nagumo’s lips still occupying his. Perhaps it was the slowly increasing lack of oxygen making the blonde delirious or the fact that Nagumo’s tone was very firm and serious-that made Shin kiss the assassin back, barely registering the fact that this was the first time the blonde has ever read the order member’s thoughts.

The response was immediate, Nagumo moved impossibly closer to Shin while his arm encircled Shin’s waist; resting the palm of his hand on the blonde’s lower back. They were so close it felt like they were hugging instead. The kiss was sloppy and messy, definitely not sweet or gentle like how Shin imagined his first kiss to be like. Being the inexperienced one here, Shin let Nagumo take control while also trying to convey a message to the assassin that he hasn’t kissed before- as if the blonde’s hesitation and messy reciprocation didnt make it obvious enough. It seemed like the order member managed to take the hint because the next second Nagumo released his hold on Shin’s wrist and cradled his face, tilting it upwards to deepen the kiss. From this close proximity, the smell of Nagumo’s expensive cologne enveloped Shin’s senses- the earthy and musk scent was positively dizzying. The clairvoyant felt like he could drown himself in this scent and still never get enough of it. Despite the blonde’s chaotic state of mind, Shin could pick up a small signal of thoughts that soon became clearer

“ dammit i lost sight of him, i swear he was just in front of me. Wait is that- oh hell no! i did not need to see two people making out in front of me. I’m gonna go check somewhere else ”

The telepath could hazily figure out that was probably the man who was following Nagumo. Now that they successfully got rid of the man, Shin turned his focus back to the assassin who was still eating his face off. As they continued to kiss Shin could feel his lungs start to burn as well as his heart beating erratically- the blonde lifted his left hand to fist Nagumo’s shirt, using his remaining strength to try push the assassin and break the kiss. Luckily Nagumo took mercy on Shin and pulled away but not too far, still close enough to feel their breaths mingle. Shin took a huge breath of air trying to fill as much oxygen as he could into his lungs; at the same time he could feel his legs go weak, the clairvoyant stood on his unsteady feet for a few more seconds before his knees finally gave up. Nagumo’s reflex were as sharp as ever, quickly reacting to support Shin by tightening his grip around the blonde’s waist. Then the assassin tangled his fingers through Shin’s hair at the nape and in one swift motion he pulled the blonde in for another kiss- practically lifting Shin to stand on his tip toes

Shin couldn’t help but gasp in surprise, not only because of the sudden kiss /again/ but also the unexpected gentleness of it. Nagumo kissed him slowly and devotedly, sucking the blonde’s bottom lip like he was properly savouring the taste this time. The assassin’s lips were warm and soft, Shin could taste the faint alcohol that lingered on Nagumo’s tongue- probably from the champagne that the maids were handing out at the beginning of the event. Shin could feel his feet wobble and his heart beating a hundred miles in his chest but the telepath could care less about it at that moment, not when Nagumo was holding him with such tenderness and kissing Shin like a man that has been yearning for far too long

When their lips finally parted, Shin stood back on the soles of his feet- he could feel the muscles in his leg cry in relief. Nagumo pressed his forehead against Shin’s, staring as he soaked in the image of the flushed and blushing blonde. Mentally burning every detail of Shin’s face and expression from his unfocused sapphire blue eyes to his swollen peach lips into memory.

Shin couldn’t tell if his senses were overloading or if his body is actually going numb but he could definitely feel the cool forehead against his own and the pads of soft fingers on his neck. Shin didnt bother pulling away, instead he welcomed physical contact as he embraced the chilly touch against his skin, helping the blonde’s warm body cool down. Shin made a mistake by looking up at Nagumo as he unintentionally made eye contact with the man. The assassin had a small smile on his face and the blonde somehow managed to catch the order member’s pupils dilate when their eyes locked onto each other. Shin blushed heavily and averted his eyes, trying to control his panting as his chest heaved. Nagumo didn't mind and shifted his attention to Shin’s loose, silky hair. He caught a strand and brought it to his lips and kissed gently. Shin saw this and his heart skipped a beat, his mouth parted in a silent gasp.

Nagumo chuckled, slightly endeared by the blonde’s reaction “ come on, let’s get out of here ” The order member said as he ruffled Shin’s hair, leaving blonde strands sticking out in almost every direction

“ wait did you know that the man tailing you was gone already ? before you did t-that….. ”Shin mumbled while patting his hair down.

“ hm ~? maybe, maybe not ” Nagumo replied with a smile, his eyes crinkled forming crescent moons.

“ urghhh this bastard definitely knew what he was doing! ”

However before Shin could voice any complaints the assassin swiftly tugged the telepath by the waist and brought them out of the event hall in just a few steps. It didn’t take long before they reached Nagumo’s car, which was parked at the corner- luckily the pair didn’t encounter any more problems or people questioning them while they exited the manor.

Shin sighed the moment he sat down on the leather passenger seat, he slid down the seat a bit as he tried to get comfortable. The blonde automatically patted his pockets, trying to find a cigarette to help him relax after the tiring mission but to his disappointment they were empty.

“ looking for a cigarette Shin ? ” Nagumo spoke like he could read the ex-assassin’s thoughts while reversing out of the car park

Shin couldn’t help but gawk at the assassin as he effortlessly drove the car with only one hand on the steering wheel, Nagumo’s sleeves were rolled up revealing his tattoos and the veins that trail down his arms- if the clairvoyant thought that the sight was a little sexy nobody but himself has to know.

“ of course this talented guy gotta look attractive while doing everything ” Shin thought to himself while side eyeing the dark haired man.

“uh yeah, i could really do a smoke right now”

“ well that’s too bad since i don’t keep any cigarettes in the car ~! ”

“ then why did you ask in the first place ?! ”

“ cause it’s fun teasing you ~ ” Nagumo replied in his usual carefree tone, aggravating Shin even further. The telepath imagined punching Nagumo in the face but when he thought of the aftermath where the car swerves and crashes them both- the blonde refrained himself from hitting the jerk.

Shin resorted to clicking his tongue in frustration and annoyance, then he rolled down the window-letting the cool night breeze hit his face as he stared up at the starry sky above. The smell of grass and sea salt flooded the air, the faint hum of the radio could be heard in the background and Shin couldn’t help but feel a bit nostalgic. Back in the days when Shin was still young and on the run to search for his father, the young boy would always find himself sitting at the beach after a long week and staring at the horizon with a longing feeling in his chest- to finally find his biological father and be accepted for who he is. Although meeting his father did not go as expected, Shin managed to find solace in knowing his father did love him at the end and the blonde soon found a real family with the Sakamotos. Now the beach and the sight of the vast ocean brings nothing but bittersweet memories. Even though Shin is now 21, a young adult- deep down he still sees the 11 year old boy looking for something missing

“ smoking is not good for you ” Nagumo said in a soft voice, breaking the peaceful silence

“ yeah i know, but it helps me release stress sometimes ” Shin replied truthfully, putting some blonde strands behind his ear while letting the hair on the other side of his face dangle against the wind.

“ there are other ways to release stress ”

“ yeah like what ? ” Shin replied uninterestedly then looked to the digital clock that read 11:30pm, 30 minutes until midnight- which means they spent around 2 hours to complete the mission.

Their car slowly came to a stop at the red traffic light, the road was nearly empty and there were 2 cars at the opposite lane. Shin looked to the front to see a 20 second countdown for the traffic light to turn green for their turn, which the blonde internally sighed at- he’s not the driver but the ex-assassin is honestly feeling impatient to get home.

Nagumo shifted the gear to neutral before leaning in closer to Shin and placing his hand on the seat next to the blonde’s shoulder.        “ maybe it’s better if i show you.. if you’ll let me “  The older man said in a low, slightly raspy voice. Shin could feel his heart still in his chest from the way the assassin was looking at him, his usual dark pools that refrain others from looking through the windows to his soul were a little clearer with a tint of light reflected from his pupils. Shin has told himself many times to not take everything the order member says to heart, especially since the man likes to joke around so the blonde can’t help but be a bit skeptical of Nagumo’s words

“ hah ?! what are you talking about in that suggestive tone ” Shin’s voice was filled with suspicion as he leaned back a bit, his cheeks felt slightly hot and the blonde hoped it didn’t seem like he was blushing or anything.

“ it’s nothing bad i promise ”

“ cute, he’s blushing again ”

Just as Nagumo uttered those words the traffic light turned green, then he turned his focus back to the front and continued to drive with a carefree look on his face, humming along to the tune of the song playing on the radio. Shin sat there flabbergasted with a hundred thoughts going through his mind at that moment, the blonde didn’t even bother answering the dark haired man mostly focusing on the fact that he just heard the assassin’s thoughts, not to mention the thought itself made Shin feel embarrassed and flustered

“ did this guy just call me cute ?! Never mind that I could hear his thoughts?!…wait this is not even the first time I heard- ”

Shin interrupted his inner voice from continuing that sentence, a vivid image of Nagumo pressing him up against the wall before kissing him attacked his mind- suddenly recalling the first time he heard the assassin’s thoughts back in the event hall at Mr Takashi’s manor. Unwanted images and details from their kiss continued to replay in the blonde’s head making his face combust from the overwhelming realisation of everything that just happened.

Noticing the lack of response from the clairvoyant, Nagumo took a quick glance to his right only to see Shin surprisingly quiet and looking down with his blonde extensions hiding the younger’s face from view. At first the assassin was worried that Shin might not be feeling well but the thought was quickly shut down when Nagumo noticed the blonde’s ears were bright red- which only occurs when Shin is feeling embarrassed or flustered.

“ I hope it’s me you’re thinking about that has you blushing like a tomato ”

“ just shut up and drive ” Shin groaned into the palm of his hands, trying to cover his embarrassed face as much as possible

“ but you still haven’t answered me ” Nagumo whined, dragging out the e

The older man seemed insistent on getting what he wants, so Shin ultimately gave up and sighed “ okay fine, do what you want ” a hint of reluctance in his tone

“ yay~ ! ”

Was all Nagumo said before he suddenly took a sharp turn to the right causing Shin who was caught off guard to bump into the door.

“ Nagumo! what are you- is that the beach ? ” Shin asked, the irritation in his voice quickly dissipated at the sight of the sea.

“ yup! I told you i know other ways to help you release stress ” Nagumo chirped as he smoothly parked the car before turning the engine off

Shin didn’t respond and opened the door to step out of the car, the blonde took a few steps onto the beach before taking his shoes off along with his knee length socks- bare toes sinking into the sand. It wasn’t as warm as it would’ve been during daylight but it was still refreshing.

Shin put his shoes and socks aside then continued walking towards the sea as if he was hypnotised by the rhythmic waves, Nagumo trailed behind the blonde- slightly intrigued by his behaviour. The telepath walked until the water reached his ankles, the coldness of the sea washed his fatigue away and Shin found himself smiling as a strong breeze swept his hair all over the place

After a few minutes Shin finally looked behind to see Nagumo- who was now also bare feet and standing a few inches away from the blonde. There was a soft look on the assassin’s face that one might describe as fond but Shin couldn’t really tell, especially since they’re in the dark with the moon as the only source of light that barely illuminated the older man’s face.

“ why did you really bring me here ? ”

“ for fun! it helped you feel better didn’t it ? ” Nagumo slightly tilted his head, a small smile on his face. Just like Shin, the assassin’s hair was also blowing in the wind making him look undeniably more charming.

“ yeah but don’t you want to go home? We didn’t have to stop by here for my sake ”     Shin questioned 

“ what’s the rush Shin? We can stay here a little longer and celebrate our successful mission! ”

However Shin wasn’t buying that, the blonde strode towards Nagumo and put his hands on his hip “ That sounds like an excuse “

“ aw you caught me~ i wanted to stop the car cause i was feeling a bit car sick but i did drive us here to help you relax a bit ” Nagumo said sincerely, scratching his nape in a slightly embarrassed manner

“ you could’ve just said so ” Shin huffed, crossing his arms as he watched Nagumo bend down to roll his pants up over his calves to around his knees.

Nagumo raised himself to his full height, towering over Shin as he stepped in close “where’s the fun in that? Now that we’re here, why don’t we go for a swim hm ~? ” Nagumo suggested innocently while unbuttoning his suit

“ No, don’t even think about it ” Shin warned. “ i am not going any deeper than this, the water is too cold ” the blonde said- his voice rising a little as Nagumo stepped in closer. Shin backed away slowly and raised his arms, trying to maintain a distance from the assassin . Nagumo’s grin turned dangerous and mirth shone in his eyes, fingers wiggling as he followed Shin’s path.

“ Aw, but it will be fun Shin! It won’t be that cold once you get used to it ” Nagumo added, steadily picking up his speed. Shin’s heart skipped at the looming danger of being thrown into the icy ocean. He was not going to end up soaking wet and freezing tonight.

“ No! If you want to swim in the sea that’s fine, but don’t drag me into it! ” Shin replied, trying his best to sound serious but Nagumo seemed unfazed as his grin turned into a cheshire smile .

“ hmm how about a little game then ? If you win then we can go back home after this but if i win you’ll have to go swimming with me ~ ”

Shin eyed Nagumo skeptically, the blonde would’ve rejected it in a heartbeat but after (unwillingly) hanging around the assassin for a while, the blonde knew that trying to win the man’s silly game is slightly better than dealing with a Nagumo that will do whatever he wants without any regard whatsoever- playing along might also give Shin more time to think of an escape plan

“ ugh fine…. what game is it ” Shin sighed while crossing his arms over his chest

“ it’s like a game of cat and mouse, you have to avoid getting caught by me for 3 minutes! ” Nagumo answered cheerfully, like he didn’t just announce one of the most childish and ridiculous games Shin has ever heard

“ hah ?! what kind of game is that ? ” Shin frowned, already regretting his decision

“ better start running Shin~! ” Nagumo sang teasingly however the look in his eyes screamed like he was dead set on catching the blonde

For a moment none of them moved, just standing there while the waves continue to splash their feet- then Shin bolted. Not once did the clairvoyant look back, just focusing on running away from the assassin as fast as he can. Shin could vaguely hear a chuckle that soon got lost with the wind, the blonde knew that he actually had no hope of outrunning the skilled assassin which is why he tried to give himself a head start.

Shin took a quick glance behind him and sure enough Nagumo was mere feet away, though closer than the telepath anticipated- the order member laughed loudly as Shin cried out in horror. The blonde could feel the adrenaline pumping through his veins and the sound of his rapid heartbeat in his ears as he tried to run faster, to get away, but Nagumo was nothing if not persistent and he kept up easily. Shin would curse as he sank into the muddy sand, desperately trying to head towards the dry areas, but Nagumo seemed to keep him from getting too far from the water, as strategic as ever, putting his prey exactly where he wanted them.

One half of Shin wanted to give up, most of his energy was already used up from the mission and the blonde wasn’t sure how much longer he could push his legs to run; at most they have been running for about 1 minute- but the other half wanted to win, wanted to see what kind of reaction Nagumo would make when he loses for once; and then they could finally go home.

There was only so much traction the sand allowed, and no matter how much Shin twisted and spun, attempting to dodge away from Nagumo’s hands, he could never get away. He was breathless, filled with adrenaline even as his foot slid across damp sand and he lost his grip with a yelp. He nearly ended up face first in the sand but Nagumo’s fingers closed around his arm in an instant, whirling him around with dizzying speed and before he knew it he was trapped in the assassin’s embrace.

“ please tell me it’s already been 3 minutes ”Shin panted as a drop of sweat trickled down his face, the clairvoyant had the palm of his hands against the taller man’s chest intending to push away from him but it seems like all the energy has left Shin’s body- leaving the blonde caged in Nagumo’s arms.

“ unfortunately for you, it has only been 2 minutes and 40 seconds ” Nagumo replied in a smug tone, removing his arms around Shin before swiftly capturing the clairvoyant’s wrist with both hands- destroying Shin’s plan to escape “ that means i win~! ” Then Nagumo crouched down, his arm knocking out the back of Shin’s knees and sending him sprawling against his firm chest, scooping him up in a bridal style carry with a victorious grin on his lips

“ w-wait it’s seriously getting late, you should send me home before Mr Sakamoto checks up on us! ” Shin cried out in alarm, wiggling and struggling in Nagumo’s hold

At this point, it was now a gamble between Nagumo’s serious side and his playful side. He could very well just toss Shin into the water and the blonde would be helpless, or he was doing his damndest to make his teasing far too believable. As much as Shin prayed for it to be the latter, he couldn’t tell. The blonde did try his hardest to read the assassin’s thoughts but to his dismay it was blank, just like it was before their mission.

“ Aw, but Shin ” Nagumo cooed, looking down at him with utter mischief in his eyes “ You’d look so good when you’re all wet and dripping” He purred, sending the younger male a very seductive smirk and wink combo

“ Nagumo! ” Shin cried out, breathy and whiny, a spark of undeniable heat curled low in his stomach as a tingle raced down his spine. Nagumo only laughed at him, walking deeper into the sea, the water licking up his calves and most certainly wetting the edges of his pants.

“ Nagumo you rat ! Don’t me toss me into the sea or i swear i’m gonna- ” Shin turned his face away from the rippling water, tensing up as he tried his hardest to cling as tightly as he could to the taller male.

“ Ready, Shin~ ? ” Nagumo asked. Shin shook his head furiously, punching the man’s chest repeatedly. “ I’ll jump in right after you! ”

“ No, please! ” Shin yelped, fingers curling tightly into Nagumo’s dress shirt. If he couldn’t avoid getting thrown in the water, he was at least going to make sure he brought Nagumo with him.  

“Three…” Nagumo began a menacing countdown, a shit-eating grin on his lips as Shin looked at him with panic in his eyes.

“ I’m gonna make sure Mr Sakamoto bans you from the store forever ” Shin warned, tugging a fistful of the assassin’s hair.

“Two…” Nagumo stared right back without mercy, his eyes alight with complete delight as he watched Shin struggle in his arms.

“Wait, Nagumo, don’t —” Shin pleaded, practically climbing over the man as he tried his best to swing his legs around Nagumo’s midsection, to do anything to hold on for his life.  

“One~!” He sang, and Shin screamed out at the same time Nagumo jerked his arms like he was going to chuck him into the sea. Shin’s body weight dropped, his stomach jolting as he started slipping off the assassin’s shoulders. Shin yelped as he forced his legs up and around Nagumo’s ribcage, winding himself around the taller man with all of his strength, squeezing tight and refusing to let go. He was holding himself up solely with his own might, Nagumo’s arms outstretched and making no move to help him at all.

Nagumo bursted into a loud, obnoxious laughter right next to Shin’s ears and the blonde whipped his head back, glaring straight into the assassin’s stupidly sexy face, his own cheeks stained crimson.   

“ Nagumo you rat !” He accused, “ I thought you were really going to throw me in!” He whined out, banging his closed fist onto the older man’s head. “You are seriously the worst! ”

 “Oh Shin ” Nagumo’s laughter trailed off, but he was grinning widely, “You’re so cute, that was too good.” He sighed out, clearly pleased with himself. Shin was about to insult him some more, but warm palms suddenly settled under his thighs, no doubt revealing the presence of his knife thigh holster to the assassin. Shin squeaked as Nagumo brought his arms around the blonde to hold him up.

  “It’s alright now, I promise I won’t drop you.” Nagumo said, bouncing Shin once to adjust his body weight, an effortless act. Shin slid down a little, legs catching at Nagumo’s hips so he wasn't crunched up the man’s torso- he could feel his whole face burn pink at the embarrassing position “ There we go, that’s better.” Nagumo hummed.

“ Okay you had your fun, now let’s go “ Shin muttered as tried to get down and off the assassin as soon as possible.

 “ hm Shin, are you wearing a thigh holster ?”Nagumo asked curiously while walking back in the direction they came from, completely unfazed by the wriggling blonde he had in his arms.

Shin froze, taken aback by the assassin’s bluntness. Shin had a feeling Nagumo found out about it but he honestly wasn’t expecting the man to just point it out “ so what if i am wearing one ? ” Shin snapped back lightly, trying his best to seem unbothered despite the blush coating his cheeks. The question which caught the clairvoyant off guard caused Shin to cease his movement, he hanged his arms loosely around Nagumo’s neck as he looked away in embarrassment. The fight in Shin left his body as he waited for Nagumo’s response

“ there’s nothing to be embarrassed about Shin, if anything it actually makes you look sexy ” Nagumo added in a flirtatious tone, tightening his hold around the younger male.

Shin didn’t hesitate to hit Nagumo’s head       “ Shut up ” the blonde muttered, not knowing what else to say to the unexpected compliment if you can count that as one

Shin looked behind himself to see how much further they are to the car and to his surprise they ran further away than expected, the clairvoyant estimated it would take them about 10 minutes to walk back at this pace.    “ Nagumo put me down, i can walk by myself ” Shin commanded, not wanting to be carried by the assassin any longer than necessary

“ As you wish princess ” Nagumo said dramatically, putting Shin down gently and carefully- making sure the blonde is steady on his feet before letting go

Shin could feel butterflies in his stomach at the ‘ princess ‘ treatment but tried to brush it off by patting down and dusting the fabric of his skirt. Normally Shin would retaliate to the pet names Nagumo would use to tease the younger but Shin decided to let the man off the hook this time, his throat was slightly parched from all the shouting and he was too tired to get mad.

Shin cleared his throat before uttering a small thanks to Nagumo, then without waiting for a reply the blonde twisted his body and started walking back towards the car knowing that the older man will follow.

The pair continued to walk side by side, leaving nothing but footprints behind until Shin caught something in the corner of his eye- a small nautilus shell half buried in the sand; but what really sparked Shin’s interest in it was the shape of the spiral that resembles the Golden Ratio much like the tattoo sitting on the left side of Nagumo’s neck.

Curious, Shin stopped suddenly to crouch down and pick it up- bringing it closer to inspect the shell carefully. Then Shin manoeuvred his body to face Nagumo who was standing still and staring at the blonde confusedly, Shin raised the nautilus shell near the assassin’s neck; comparing the shape and spiral of the two before a grin broke out on the blonde’s face

“ Nagumo look, this shell has the golden ratio spiral like your tattoo ” Shin informed the older man excitedly like an adventurer explaining his rare find.

Nagumo blinked once then another 2 times before a fond feeling swarmed his chest. It is rare to see Shin look at him with an expression other than annoyance or embarrassment, if Shin had a tail Nagumo was sure it would be swishing around in the air like a cat’s.

“ aw Shin, did that shell remind you of me ~?” Nagumo chirped, ruffling the blonde’s hair with affection- perhaps the cuteness aggression was kicking in as the assassin resisted the urge to just wrap the younger in his arms and squeeze him to death.

“ quit it, i just thought you would… ” Shin mumbled in a slightly irritated tone as he tried to swat Nagumo’s hand away from his now messy hair “ uh never mind, lets just go “ The blonde hastily pushed the shell into the older man’s chest then turned back, walking towards the car with more speed in his steps. Shin looked down in embarrassment, the blonde didn’t know what he was thinking, giving a shell that just happened to have a golden ratio spiral to an order member who probably doesn’t care about trivial things like that.

Meanwhile Nagumo whom easily caught the shell thrusted into his chest, smiled lightly as he watched Shin walk away. It is not often that the assassin gets caught off guard and sometimes Shin is full of surprises; a young adult which immense potential but also a boy with a kind heart- so who can blame the older man for not being able to stay away, for wanting to get closer until he successfully builds himself a place in the blonde’s heart. Sometimes when Shin shows his caring and thoughtful side to the taller male, Nagumo could understand why Sakamoto left the assassin world for Aoi.

Nagumo carefully pocketed the nautilus shell before quickly catching up to Shin. Shin sighed as he felt a hand tap his shoulder, the blonde turned his head only for his cheek to be met with Nagumo’s bony finger. The blonde stared at the taller man blankly as Nagumo continued poking his cheek playfully.

Shin opened his mouth about to say something but Nagumo beat him to it, grabbing the blonde’s hand and bringing it close to his cheek “ thank you, Shin ” The assassin’s eyes sparkled with sincerity and Shin couldn’t help but compare this gesture to a scene he saw in a manga before.

Shin avoided eye contact, feeling beyond flustered- how can Nagumo just pull a charming act like that so effortlessly. It’s no wonder he received so many chocolates on valentine’s day back when he was a teenager, which the assassin himself boasted about the other day even though nobody asked.

“ yeah whatever, let’s just hurry get to the   car”  Shin stated, quickly changing the topic to get out the awkward situation. The ex-assassin used the grip Nagumo had on his wrist to pull the man forward, the older man reacted quickly and used the opportunity to intertwine their fingers together. Shin’s breath hitched and his heart slammed against his ribs. If Shin was blushing before his face was positively beet red now.

Nagumo couldn’t help but laugh lightly at the unmoving blonde, internally happy that he has an effect on Shin. Nagumo decided to have mercy on the clairvoyant and took the lead, walking forward slowly while pulling Shin along- occasionally squeezing his hand to make sure the younger does not let go. Shin looked up at the midnight sky where the moon shone brightly alone- then at the taller man in front of him guiding them back, and in that moment Shin no longer felt lost

Soon enough the pair finally settled in the car after picking up their shoes and some playful bickering. Shin practically melted the moment his ass met the seat, soaking up the air conditioner that helped dry the blonde’s slightly sweaty neck. The rest of the ride back to Sakamoto’s store was peaceful with only the sound of music from the radio filling the silence in the car- and it was not long after the 2nd song that Shin was lulled to sleep

Now parked on the empty street in front of Sakamoto’s store, Nagumo stared at Shin’s sleeping figure- before taking out his phone and snapping a few pictures of the blonde from different angles, with the intention of using the photos to tease the younger one day and perhaps to look at them when the assassin feels particularly lonely.

Nagumo opened the door on Shin’s side before grabbing the keys and pen drive in the clairvoyant’s pocket, which took a while to find- then unlocked the closed convenience store. The assassin gently lifted Shin in a bridal carry, careful not to move the younger too much to prevent him from waking up. Nagumo locked his car before entering the store, inside he climbed up the stairs to the second floor of the block where the Sakamoto’s family resides.

Nagumo opened the door only to be greeted by his old friend who was standing in the middle of the living room with his arms crossed, looking like a father who just caught his children red handed.

Sakamoto looked at Shin who was peacefully sleeping in Nagumo’s arms and sighed in relief, the younger didn’t seem to be injured and knowing that, the silver haired man relaxed slightly- no longer feeling worried.

“ Nagumo, you both came back later than expected ” Sakamoto stated neutrally however Nagumo could tell there was a hint of curiosity in the man’s tone.

“ yo Sakamoto, we faced some problems during the mission but don’t worry it was still a success~ ” Nagumo replied with his signature cheerful tone before tossing the pen drive to Sakamoto while holding Shin with one arm

Sakamoto easily caught it with one hand but his troubled expression did not change. Sakamoto shifted and lowered his arms, the man wanted to say something more but when he noticed Nagumo’s unwillingness to explain any further he ultimately decided against it.

Sakamoto pocketed the pen drive before thanking Nagumo, then he walked towards the assassin while raising his arms “ i’ll take Shin to his room, you can- ” Nagumo tightened his grip on the blonde and stepped back, moving Shin and himself out of reach

Sakamoto stilled at his friend’s unusual possessive display over the clairvoyant, he’s not blind to the advances Nagumo has been making on Shin but for once Sakamoto couldn’t tell the order member’s true intentions.

“ It’s okay i can handle Shin, you should go to bed too before Aoi gets worried ” Nagumo said as he walked towards the blonde’s room, leaving no room for argument.

However Sakamoto wasn’t having it and in a blink of an eye he stood in front of Nagumo, blocking his path. “ Nagumo, are you serious about Shin “ Sakamoto asked clearly, his eye brows were slightly furrowed and his expression demanded answers. He’s seen Nagumo with a few girls before but they never lasted long, which was reasonable knowing how difficult it is to keep relationships as an assassin. However Sakamoto considers Shin as a part of his family, he practically raised the younger and helped him survive in this world- so if his old friend is just playing around then it’s better to stop it now before anyone gets hurt or worse- heartbroken.

Nagumo remained silent as he stared at Sakamoto, his eyes were dark like the abyss erasing all openings to see the truth in his eyes. Nagumo truly lives up to his name as the master of disguises, not only is he talented in impersonating others but also damn great at concealing his true intentions. However Sakamoto has known Nagumo long enough to remain unintimidated by his friend’s bone-chilling glare

Nagumo sighed, giving up- he knows once Sakamoto sets his mind on something the man will not relent until he gets what he wants. “ If you’re worried about me playing around with Shin’s feelings, you shouldn’t be… I genuinely like him and if he ever reciprocates my feelings I would never let him go ” Nagumo confessed earnestly while remaining eye contact with his old friend, there was a hint of blush on the assassin’s cheek but the man stood tall-unwavering.

For a while nobody moved or said anything, just pin drop silence that filled the room. Sakamoto stood still as he processed the assassin’s words while Nagumo held Shin impossibly closer, waiting for his friend to respond or at least move out of the way so he can tuck the blonde in bed.

Finally Sakamoto made the first move, the man opened his mouth wanting to say something when all of a sudden a small, quiet gibberish mumble came from Shin. Sakamoto paused as they both watch the younger male wriggle, stuffing his face into Nagumo’s chest unconsciously while remaining asleep. Sakamoto’s heart strings tugged at the sight and a faint smile made its way onto the man's face, Shin looked smaller in Nagumo’s arms- reminding the silver haired man of the memories he had with the blonde when he was younger. Suddenly a wave of protectiveness washed over Sakamoto “ just don’t hurt him ”   “ or i’ll kill you “  was left unsaid but he knows the assassin got the hint.

“ turn off the lights when you leave ”  was all Sakamoto said before moving out of the way and heading towards his room, deciding to just ask Shin for the details later in the morning after the blonde gets some rest.

Nagumo sighed, relieved that his old friend didn’t persist any further. The order member looked down at the sleeping Shin who was curled up in his arms like a cat and his heart swelled with warmth, wishing he could just steal the blonde away from Sakamoto. Nagumo didn’t waste time and headed straight towards Shin’s bed after opening the door, gently placing the clairvoyant on the soft mattress before looking for some comfortable clothes to change the younger male into- after all who would want to sleep in a maid outfit and a knife thigh holster for more than 6 hours.

After swiftly changing Shin’s clothes and taking off his shoes, the assassin began to remove the hair extensions which took a little bit more time- Nagumo didn’t really mind though, in fact a small part of him liked taking care of the telepath like this. By the time Nagumo finished tucking Shin into bed, it was already 10 minutes past 1 o’clock.

The dark haired male knows he should leave and head back home, but it’s like his body refuses to move as he remains sitting on the bed beside Shin- who slept soundly with a relaxed expression on his face. Before Nagumo knew it his hand moved on its own, reaching towards the blonde to caress his cheek. His hand practically enveloped half of Shin’s face, he cupped the clairvoyant’s cheek while stroking the space under his eyes back and forth with his thumb. Nagumo brushed a few blonde strands to the side before he leaned in and kissed Shin’s forehead tenderly-it felt far more intimate than anything he’s done with the blonde that night, just the two of them in a dark room once again but this time the yearning in Nagumo’s chest was far more intense and evident than before with the moon peeking through the window as the sole witness to his actions. Vulnerability is nothing but a weakness to assassins and yet cracks stretch across Nagumo’s strongly enforced walls and it’s crumbling day by day- because unlike Nagumo who is trying to worm his way into Shin’s heart, the younger has already found a place in his.

_________________

“ Nagumo you dirty rat, delete those pictures!” Shin yelled as he tried to snatch the phone out of the taller man’s hand.

Shin woke up that morning feeling particularly happy after getting 7 hours of sleep (thanks to Mr Sakamoto who let him sleep in) However his mood quickly soured after clocking in for his shift at the store only to see Nagumo leaning over the counter showing Lu something. Both of their backs were facing Shin, the blonde couldn’t help but feel suspicious so he decided to sneak up behind them to see what’s going on and to his horror the bastard Nagumo was showing Lu pictures of Shin sleeping in the car. “ BWAHAHA Shin looks like- “ SMACK without warning the blonde punched the top of their heads at the same time, announcing his presence.

Shin pointed at Nagumo. “ you bastard ! when did you take those ?! ” Then in the next second he glared at Lu “ and Lu ! why are you indulging him ? shouldn’t you be restocking the shelves or something ?! ”

“ awe but Shin, you look so weirdly cute in these pictures plus i already finished the morning routine before Nagumo came in ! ” Lu replied, seemingly in a good mood

“ I should ask Nagumo to send me those pictures so i can use it to blackmail Shin one day ”

“ Lu i heard that ! “ Shin exclaimed, he could feel a vein surface his skin from the amount of irritation he felt.

Lu stuck her tongue out childishly in response before scurrying off somewhere else, leaving Shin alone with Nagumo. The clairvoyant side eyed her but decided to let his friend off the hook for now, after all deleting the pictures of him was more important.

“ Nagumo stop playing dirty and delete those pictures ” Shin demanded but due to his exhaustion from failing to grab the assassin’s phone it came out more as a whine. Shin wanted to beat Nagumo up so bad for using his ridiculously tall height to prevent the blonde from snatching his phone, Shin prayed he would get another growth spurt one day so he could stop feeling so short whenever he’s next to the older man.

“ and what will you give me in return for deleting these pictures hm~ ? ”

Shin looked at Nagumo, stupefied at what he said. “ how about i give you a punch to the face in exchange ” Shin replied sarcastically, however if Nagumo agreed to it the blonde would do it in a heartbeat for sure.

Nagumo chuckled while lightly shaking his head, amused by Shin’s response “ now now Shin, that’s not how you negotiate with people”

 “ I’m not interested in negotiating, i just want those pictures deleted ” Shin said while crossing his arms, giving Nagumo a large stink eye

“ then I’m afraid the only way you can delete these pictures is by fighting me ” Nagumo smirked, giving the younger a knowing look

Shin frowned- fighting a serious Nagumo was definitely out of the question, the outcome of the fight is obvious enough and the blonde didn’t want to make Mr Sakamoto mad by trashing up the store.

“ okay fine, what do you want ” Nagumo hummed like he was pondering on what to say, before dropping a bomb on the younger   “ i want a kiss ” He said straightforwardly, his eyes were smiling like crescent moons making him look like a total menace.

Once again Shin was left speechless, absolutely and utterly appalled by the words that just come out of the order member’s mouth. Then realisation hits Shin like a bullet into the head, that Nagumo is just messing with him again to get a reaction from the blonde that he can laugh about. Shin mentally patted himself in the back for realising it before he almost completely fell for another one of Nagumo’s tricks ( In reality Shin is just in denial and gas lighting himself into thinking otherwise )

“ very funny Nagumo, you almost- ” in a flash Nagumo entered Shin’s personal space, not letting the younger finish his sentence “ i’m being serious Shin, this is your last chance~”Nagumo interrupted, his usual light tone was replaced by something heavier and there was a dangerous glint in his eyes.

“ shit he’s actually not playing around this time “ Shin thought to himself as he observed Nagumo’s expression

The clairvoyant sighed and tilted his head down, his neck was starting to feel sore from looking up all the time to see Nagumo’s face. Shin fisted the collar of Nagumo’s shirt with his two hands before pulling the taller man down so that he is closer to the blonde’s eye level.

“ if i do it… you have to promise me that you’ll delete those pictures right away ” Shin said while looking straight into the older man’s eyes, blushing slightly. Nagumo’s eyes widened for a second before he quickly agreed “ i promise ”

Shin gulped and swallowed down his pride, then very quickly he tiptoed while pulling Nagumo even closer. The tables have turned and now it’s Nagumo who finds himself pausing in disbelief, he did not actually expect Shin to go through with it. Then before Nagumo could react Shin leaned in and pecked him on the cheek, quick and short like an assassin completing his hit- to Nagumo it felt like the blonde just shot Cupid’s arrow through his heart.

Shin looked at Nagumo with a small grin, still blushing “ you didn’t say it had to be a kiss on the lips ” He stated triumphantly, feeling a bit smug that he managed to stun the assassin for once.

“ now delete those photos or you can let me do it myself ” Shin put his hand out expectantly while placing one arm on his hip, looking like a mother that’s about to take their son’s phone away

Nagumo blinked emptily after quickly recovering and processing what just happened, then he reached into his coat’s pocket to pull out his phone- unlocking it before handing it over to the younger “ alright you got me there Shin ” Nagumo said with a small smile, his voice laced with endearment. He may be an assassin that doesn’t mind playing dirty but he’s still a man who keeps his word

Shin happily took the phone from Nagumo and opened the photo app only to be dumbfounded by the number of pictures of him that flooded the screen. There was 12 rows and 3 columns of pictures that Nagumo took of Shin last night, totalling up to 36 photos- talk about being a creep. Shin quickly deleted the photos and from the bin folder as well, not letting go of this opportunity to get rid of those pictures for good.

Nagumo didn’t mind, he already uploaded those pictures into his personal folder back at home anyway. Less than a minute later Shin returned Nagumo’s phone with a satisfied look on his face, feeling accomplished somehow only for his world to come crashing down again when he turned to see Lu- standing a few metres away from the pair while holding her phone in the air, she had a mischievous grin on her face and the girl looked like she was holding in her laughter.

“ this is gold ! I can’t wait to show heisuke this video later! ”

Shin gaped in surprise and not long after the shock turned into rage “ Lu ! Did you record us ?! ” Shin shouted while pointing an accusing finger at his friend, embarrassed and upset that she witnessed what he did to Nagumo

“ what ? no! I did not record anything, i didn’t even see anything! ” Lu replied unconvincingly, letting out a small heartless laugh afterwards while hiding her phone behind her back.

“ don’t lie ! i know what you’re thinking, delete it now ! ”

“ Lu don’t listen to Shin, and if you don’t mind please send the video to me ~ ! ” Nagumo chimed in, effectively making things worse for the blonde

“ shut up Nagumo ! “ Shin hissed, punching Nagumo’s side.

“ okay i will ! “ Lu replied to Nagumo joyfully. Shin looked at the pink haired girl in betrayal

“ hey Lu ! stop cooperating with this bastard! ” Luckily there weren’t any customers in the store as Shin started chasing Lu all over the place, determined to delete that embarrassing video before it spreads around or worse- someone uses it to blackmail him. Nagumo was already sitting behind the counter, eating pocky while he watched the two run like they were some kind of entertainment. The chaos ensued until Mr Sakamoto came in to save the day, separating his two workers before scolding all 3 of them especially his old friend for letting things get out of hand.

Vivid images of Sakamoto banging Shin and Lu’s head together then stabbing Nagumo’s vital points in the neck with a pen suddenly entered Shin’s mind, causing the blonde to recoil abruptly

“ Mr Sakamoto stop killing us in your mind ! ”