Return.

Heathcliff: “Not much. But we have an old acquaintance of yours within our family.”

Heathcliff: “All he told me is that you lost your twin brother when you were children.”

Snow: “…How could you, Oz…”

Heathcliff: “My apologies for confronting you with that without prior warning. But it felt as though you were hiding too much from me to honestly consider doing business with you.”

Snow: “No, no. You were right to do so. ‘Tis how things work in our little underworld, after all.”

Snow: “And besides, your words ring true in some regard. ‘Twas poor form of me to refuse to take the anxieties of a young man such as yourself into consideration.”

Snow: “…My reason for wanting to find Kirsche Persche as terribly as I do is simply to satisfy my own curiosity as to what it could possibly be.”

Snow: “Is there something wrong with being fascinated by the unknown?”

Heathcliff: “…I suppose not.”

Snow: “Then ‘tis time I take my leave. Feel free to visit our fortress once you have made up your mind.”

Snow: “…Though, I request you make your decision as soon as you possibly can. If you wait too long, the herbs will die.”

⋅•⋅⊰∙∘☽༓☾∘∙⊱⋅•⋅

Cain: “It’s getting really late… I hope everything’s going alright for the boss…”

Snow: “Cain? Whatever are you doing here?”

Cain: “…Oh. Welcome back, boss.”

Cain: “I’m here to pick you up, obviously. It’s already evening, and you were taking longer than usual to return home.”

Snow: “But… What of White—”

Cain: “Seems like he took to the sleeping pills better than usual today. He’s fast asleep, cute as always.”

Snow: “Ah… I see.”

Snow: “Nevertheless, I have no need for an escort. Who do you think I am?”

Cain: “You’re Ventisca’s own Don Snow, leader of the most fearsome family in all of Vollmond Town.”

Cain: “…But I know that’s not all you are. I’ve known ever since that day that you’re just as human as the rest of us, weaknesses and all.”

Cain: “That’s probably why I can’t just leave you to fend for yourself.”

Snow: “Dear me. You truly are an impertinent, poorly-mannered neophyte…”

Cain: “Ahaha, really?”

Snow: “Indeed. You have a habit of forgetting to speak respectfully, also.”

Cain: “Ack, my apologies…”

Snow: “Well, no matter. ‘Tis precisely this attitude of yours that assures me I can rely on you to keep White safe in my absence.”

Snow: “Please do keep up the good work, Cain.”

Cain: “Yes, boss.”

Cain: “I owe you everything for saving the Gloria Vigilante Corps back then.”

Cain: “The day you shared White’s secret with me was the day I made up my mind to stay by your side, no matter what.”

Snow: “Ohohoho, how reassuring. Believe me, I shall drag you to the very depths of hell with me if it means achieving what I desire.”

Snow: “…”

Snow: “…White…”

Snow: “I will get my hands on Kirsche Persche, by any means necessary.”

Snow: “I would do anything if it meant saving you.”

⋅•⋅⊰∙∘☽༓☾∘∙⊱⋅•⋅

Shylock let me stay with him at the hideout overnight, and I was surprised to find myself waking up a little past noon.

Akira: “Sorry, Shylock! I don’t usually sleep in so late…”

Shylock: “Fufu, it isn’t a problem. I myself only woke up a short while ago.”

Shylock: “Please, help yourself. A light meal, for brunch.”

Shylock laughed, coquettishly offering me a fancy plate covered in little snacks.

Then he pulled some things out of some sort of shelf or drawer and sat down beside me.

He placed a steaming bottle of wine on the table along with some leaves and berries of various shapes and sizes, as well as some rosebuds.

Akira: “What are you doing, Shylock?”

Shylock: “I’m preparing an herbal wine. It’s merely a hobby of mine.”

Shylock’s long eyelashes were downcast as he plucked apart the rosebuds, placing them into the wine bottle along with the leaves and berries.

As I lost myself in the spicy, floral aroma wafting between us, I felt as though I’d suddenly plunged right back into my dreams.

Shylock: “…Is something the matter? You’ve been staring at me for some time now.”

Akira: “Ah, I just… Felt kind of nostalgic for some reason, watching you. It was sort of relaxing, like I’d run into someone I used to know for the first time in a while…”

As I mumbled this shyly, Shylock’s hands suddenly stopped moving. He, too, mumbled as if on the verge of remembering something.

Shylock: “You felt nostalgic and relaxed… While watching me, did you?”

Akira: “Ahaha… I guess it’s probably a little strange to be nostalgic when I don’t remember anything.”

Shylock: “It’s not strange at all. I know exactly how you feel.”

Akira: “You do…?”

Shylock: “At the very least, I think that I do. Do you remember when I told you that… I had been gravely injured, long ago?”

Akira: “Yes. You said you don’t remember much from just before and after it happened.”

Shylock: “Mm, indeed… Unlike you, Akira, my memory loss is only partial.”

Shylock: “But at times it feels as though I have lost everything.”

Shylock: “To what extent are my memories real? Are my feelings of nostalgia real? Do I really deserve to call myself ‘Shylock Bennett’?”

Shylock: “Even just the slightest discrepancy still leaves me unsteady on my feet.”

Akira: “But… You have so many friends, Shylock. Everyone in the family knows you.”

Shylock: “This is true. And most of them act as though nothing is wrong.”

Shylock: “…But it is our boss, Murr, whose attitude towards me has changed.”

Shylock: “Sometimes he will look at me with something akin to disappointment whenever we converse.”

Shylock’s profile was as beautiful as a doll’s as he said all this.

His eyes seemed empty, like glass marbles, reflecting the rose petals swaying inside of his bottle of wine.

Akira: “Why do you think that…?”

Shylock: “Well, it’s always rather subtle. I suppose I only ever notice it because we’ve known each other for so long.”

Shylock: But, indeed… I have heard that there have been cases in the past where severe head injuries have caused peoples’ personalities to change, so perhaps the same could be said of myself.”

Shylock: “Typically, it is not something that worries me much. I am who I am, and no one seems terribly bothered other than Murr.”

Shylock: “But there are moments where I find myself seized by those gaps in my memory, nevertheless. The experience is never a pleasant one.”

Shylock: “So I admit I’m rather surprised to hear you talk about your total amnesia with such a cheerful smile on your face.”

Akira: “Ahaha… Am I being too blasé about it?”

Shylock: “On the contrary, I believe it to be one of your better qualities. You and I are similar, in some ways — and in others, we are as different as can be.”

Shylock: “You’re rather strange. And yet I find your presence to be comforting.”

Shylock looked at me and smiled. That alone was enough to fill the glass soul inside my chest.

And what overflowed from that glass spilled out of me with a happy smile.

Akira: “I’m happy to hear I make you feel comfortable… Thank you. But it’s because of you that I’m able to smile like this, Shylock.”

Shylock: “Me, you say? Is it because I saved you?”

Akira: “Yes. And because you accepted me into the family despite my lack of memory, and wanted to get to know me as a person.”

Akira: “Even though I have no idea who I am, and even though I have no idea what my past was like…”

Akira: “I guess I just felt like— if you could still take an interest in me even despite all that, then whether I remembered anything or not didn’t really matter.”

Shylock: “Akira…”

Akira: “Oh… Did that end up sounding a little conceited…?”

Akira: “Sorry. I feel like I can talk about anything when I’m with you, Shylock…”

Shylock: “Please, not at all. I’m rather flattered, actually.”

We looked at each other, then burst into laughter. Just then, we heard footsteps coming from the other side of the door.

Riquet: “Hello, Shylock. You too, Akira.”

Akira: “Good afternoon, Riquet. It’s nice to see you again.”

Shylock: “It’s rare for you to come by here on a daily basis. Is there something I can help you with?”

Riquet: “The boss sent me here to give you a message regarding some special orders he wants you to follow.”

Shylock: “Really? Murr did?”

Riquet leant towards both mine and Shylock’s ears with a serious expression on his face.

Riquet: “‘Someone is after Kirsche Persche. Don’t let them take it from you.’”

Shylock & Akira: “…”

Akira: “Is he talking about the Ventisca Family…?”

Riquet: “I assume that’s the likeliest answer, yes.”

Shylock: “I’m shocked to hear that Murr, the most laissez-faire man I know, has started giving out direct orders…”

Shylock: “Perhaps the situation is far more serious than any of us thought.”

Shylock closed his pale eyelids, thought for a moment, then briskly began giving us both orders.

Shylock: “For now, I believe it would be best for us to keep Kirsche Persche secure here at the hideout. I will remain to ensure someone is watching over it at all times.”

Shylock: “Akira, regretful as I am to say it, I believe it would be safer for you to take shelter elsewhere until the matter has been sufficiently settled.”

Shylock: “Riquet, do you have space for Akira in your home?”

Riquet: “Of course.”

Akira: “Thank you, Riquet…! I really appreciate it.”

Shylock: “Let us put things into motion quickly, then. One never knows when the worst might happen, after all.”

Shylock gave the instructions out with no hesitation.

So long as we followed his lead, everything would be fine. Despite the reassuring thought, I could still feel anxiety gnawing at the edges of my mind.

Akira: “Um, Shylock…”

Shylock: “What's wrong, Akira?”

Akira: “It might not be my place to say this, but… Don’t do anything reckless, okay? Please be careful.”

I couldn’t stop myself from saying that to him, images of the person who had protected me again and again despite how short a time we’d known each other flooding into my head.

Shylock answered with a faint smile—

Shylock: “Thank you. Please, be sure to take care of yourselves as well.”

⋅•⋅⊰∙∘☽༓☾∘∙⊱⋅•⋅

Having left the hideout, Riquet and I started making our way towards his house while staying vigilant about our surroundings.

Quietly we snuck through the alleyways where there were fewest pedestrians in order to avoid getting caught up in any unnecessary problems.

Akira: “…Wah!”

Akira: “Ahh, that surprised me… But it was only a bird, huh…”

Riquet: “Forgive me. The path we’re taking is rather unkempt.”

Akira: “N-No, it’s fine! It’s my fault for being so timid.”

Akira: “You’re pretty cool, Riquet — nothing seems to bother you at all…”