Chapter Text
He looked into the tank, there it was.
It was beautiful.
It was real.
Its green tail matching its stunning emerald eyes.
Its name was Makoto.
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“Tell me Yamazaki, do you believe in mythical beings?”
Sousuke stopped what he was doing and turned to face his boss.
“I’m sorry sir I don’t understand what you’re saying? Like as in Fairies?” replied a confused Sousuke.
“Hm… yes I suppose but specifically, Mermaids?” chuckled the older man taking a breath from his Cigar.
“Um.. w-well I’ve never really thought about anything like that before.. Sir” Sousuke turned back to finish fixing the door latch he had previously been working on before he was interrupted.
“Well? What do you think? Do you think they’re real?”
“Sir with all due respect, I’m worried my answer will cost me my job” chuckled Sousuke.
“Nonsense! How many years have you worked here? 4? Maybe 5? I wouldn’t fire you over a silly question like this” laughed his boss.
“Well then.. I did when I was a kid, but as I grew up I stopped believing in such things” Stated the Teal eyed man.
“I see… hm… well it’s getting late, go home after you’ve finished with the door” sighed the man.
Sousuke watched as his boss left the room, he began to wonder why he would ask such a question. However, he dismissed it and carried on with the task at hand.
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When Sousuke got back to his apartment he walked into his kitchen and got a can of shitty budget beer from his fridge before flopping down on his sofa with a sigh.
“ugh.. what am I doing with my life… oh yeah that’s right… I’m some rich guys caretaker… the fuck happened to me” he mocked himself as he drunk his beer.
He had worked for Mr Takato for nearly 5 years now, he was a caretaker/ janitor and that meant just doing small jobs and occasionally cleaning. He didn’t particularly enjoy the job but at least he had a job. The pay was pretty good and the work wasn’t really too strenuous, nothing he couldn’t handle.
He finished his beer and took a shower before going to bed. Whilst he lay in bed he couldn’t stop thinking about what his boss had asked him.
‘Do you believe in Mermaids’
“Hmph.. of course not” he snorted as he went to sleep.
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The next morning Sousuke was rudely awoken by a banging on his front door, he lugged himself out of bed with a groan. He looked at his clock, 09:24am. It was his day off for Christ sake, he just wanted to stay in bed.
“Sousuke! Come on you lazy ass I know you’re in there! Get up and let me in!” shouted a familiar voice from outside. He plodded to the front door and opened it, there stood Rin. He forgot that the redhead was a morning person. He let Rin inside grumbling something under his breath as he walked to the kitchen.
“Good mornin’ to you too!” called out the redhead giggling as he followed Sousuke into the apartment.
“Rin it’s my day off… can’t I just enjoy it in peace” whined the taller man.
“What and stay cooped up in this Apartment? No way dude” said Rin as he sat on the sofa. He turned to look into the kitchen where Sousuke was slouched over the counter.
“You know how I take my coffee right Sou?” laughed Rin.
“Shut up… it’s too early for this shit”
“Dude it’s like half nine… anyway go take a shower… it’s like I said, I’m getting you out of this apartment”
“Whatever…” Sousuke mumbled as he went to take a shower.
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Rin had decided to take Sousuke out to a small café, they had ordered and eaten lunch and had just ended up talking. Most of the time Rin told stories about arresting drunks or catching thieves, just police work in general. Sousuke wasn’t really listening though.
“Oh yeah! Last week we picked up this drunk guy” Rin started giggling “and whilst the other officer was trying to ask him questions, the guy started singing Queen’s Don’t stop me now!” The red head began laughing hysterically whilst Sousuke stared not looking very amused. Rin stopped laughing and looked at his old friend, he sighed and rubbed the bridge of his nose.
“C’mon Sou lighten up”
“Sorry Rin… I just..” Sousuke sighed as he drank his coffee.
“What’s up?”
“I don’t know dude… I guess I’m just getting bored with the same fuckin’ routine everyday… I just got nothing going for me”
“This is why I was so desperate to get you outta the house, even Gou said the same thing.. last time she saw you she told me you looked like a walking Zombie… and that was nearly two months ago”
“Gee thanks”
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The two spent the rest of the day at an arcade they used to go to as kids, Rin being obviously more interested and enthusiastic than Sousuke was. They ended up in a bar during the evening, drinking their sorrows away and putting the world to rights.
“Rin.. I gotta go home.. I got work tomorrow..” Slurred Sousuke.
“seriously? Tha’ sucks dude.. are you still working for tha’ rich guy? Wha’s his name? Tic Tac?”
“Misster Takoto… n’ yeh” Sousuke took another mouthful of beer “Y’know he assed me sumfin weird yesterday”
“Oh yeah? What?”
“He asked me if I thought mermaids was real” giggled the teal eyed man.
“really?! Pfft wha’ is he in grade school or sumfin” laughed Rin
“I dunno man… but I really gotta get home.. so I’ll see ya around” Sousuke stood up and stumbled out of the bar, leaving the Red head to call his sister to pick him up.
Sousuke slowly ambled back to his apartment, he took the scenic route past the harbour. He stopped for a while and leaned against a wall overlooking lots of moored boats, as they gently swayed with the night breeze. He breathed deeply, smelling the salt rolling in off the ocean. He could hear the slight jingling of mast ropes tapping the masts on some of the boats as they rocked in the harbour.
After standing there for almost 20 minutes, the teal eyed man carried on his drunken journey back to his apartment. He stood outside his front door fumbling with his keys, eventually the door was unlocked and Sousuke nearly fell into his apartment. He lazily kicked off his shoes and hung up his jacket before heading to his bedroom, he changed into a pair of sweatpants and flopped down on his bed. Before dozing off he glanced at his clock.
10:26pm
‘not bad’ he thought to himself as he drifted to sleep.
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BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP BEE- “Shut up!” grumbled Sousuke as he slammed his hand against the alarm clock. He unwillingly opened his eyes and rubbed them with his forearm.
‘It is way too early for this shit’ he thought to himself.
He groaned as he got out of bed, only to be slammed in the head by a hangover. This was the reason he didn’t like drinking with Rin, he always got everyone more drunk than they ought to.
He went into the bathroom and looked at his reflection, he had bags under his eyes and his hair was a mess. He looked way older than 22. He brushed his teeth and took a shower before getting dressed and heading for work, he decided to get breakfast on the way.
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Work wasn’t very busy that day, just a lightbulb to change and then trim the hedges in the garden. Sousuke sat on a bench in the garden, next to one of the hedges he’d just finished. He ate his shop bought lunch and was about to get to work when Mr Takato walked down the path toward him. He remained seated.
“Yamazaki I need to speak to you, out of sight.. follow me please” the man stated. Sousuke stood and followed his boss, wondering what it was that was so important they had to hide away. They went through the house and into Mr Takato’s study where the older man made sure the door was locked behind them.
“Now, Yamazaki out of all my employees I trust you the most..”
Sousuke looked at the man before him, still confused as to what his boss wanted.
“I’m honoured that you think that way sir but why have you called me here?”
The older man leant on the side of his desk and pulled out his cigar tin, he took one out and lit it.
“I have another something else I need you to ‘look after’ for me… the other employees will become suspicious if I keep disappearing all the time, however they don’t seem to notice you as much as I thought they did… that’s why I’m asking you”
Mr Takato walked over to the bookcase in his study, he took a certain book on marine biology out and opened it. To Sousuke’s surprise it had a key pad inside, the older man typed in the correct code and a door disguised as a large almost life size portrait of a lady that was hung so the bottom of the framed touched the floor opened. He turned back to an astonished Sousuke, who could only stare in wonder. Since when, in all the years he had worked here, did his boss have this installed?
“Follow me please” instructed his boss. They stepped through the doorway and into a dimly lit corridor.
“Do you remember what I asked you the other day, Yamazaki?... I asked you if you believed in mermaids didn’t I?” Tatako glanced at Sousuke as they walked.
“Uh.. yes, sir… you did…”
“And do you?”
“No, not really sir”
The older man chuckled and then stopped, he turned to the teal eyed man with a smirk.
“Really? And how about now” said Mr Takoto as he flicked on a light to reveal a large tank full of water.
He looked into the tank, there it was.
It was beautiful.
It was real.
Its green tail matching its stunning emerald eyes.