[Author Note]
Disc: HrPrTeam
Toji has been absent recently, just like he was when he was alive.
__________
Order Apartments: 3rd P.O.V.
Toji had just finished Akira's training for the day.
It was a mundane task since Akira still wasn't at the level of someone from the Order.
She couldn't make Toji sweat in the slightest, mostly trying to find new angles and weaknesses in his defenses.
Akira still hadn't found anything after a year of training with him.
However, she progressed quickly, partly due to her eyes.
While not as talented as Sakamoto or the other young adults, she would still become a monster in her late teenage years.
She truly followed in Rion's footsteps.
Unfortunately, for Toji's workload, Shin could not be Akira's training partner because Rion didn't want him near her.
In Rion's eyes, he still had a long way to go until he could be trusted.
She did value Sakamoto's judgment, but he was still an unknown variable in their friend group.
*boof*
Like many other times, Toji fell, face-first, into his makeshift bed: The Couch.
This was his claimed spot when he wasn't training Akira, eating, or hunting people. He still had access to his room, but it didn't feel right to him since it practically became Akira's.
That and he liked lying down.
It just so happened that his old bed was now covered in hundreds of stuffed animals, so Toji basically owned the couch.
*sigh*
Toji rolled over and looked up at the ceiling. 'This is going to be my spot for the next few years. Just looking at the woman, I can tell that the kid isn't going anywhere.'
*click*
The door opened, and Rion stood at the front.
Before Toji could acknowledge her presence, she spoke. "Yo, Toji, get off your ass, we're going to hang out. I'm heading out with Akira and could use you there."
Out of everything that she could say, that was one of the things Toji didn't expect.
He blinked. "Why?"
Toji sat up and stared at her with a deadpan expression. 'Could use me there?'
...
Yeah, he didn't buy it.
...
If this were the past, where Monarch attacks were constant, he might've understood, but there has been no sign of them for weeks.
Even if they were still attacking people, Toji spent a lot of time hunting them down. None came close to those at the JCC.
Toji, Rion, and Akira have all gone out together, and nothing serious has happened besides meeting Kumanomi.
The event almost ended up with a dead woman in a noodle shop.
Rion could handle anything thrown her way, so Toji was suspicious about the reason.
She put her hands behind her back and started whistling. "Well, I thought we could have you there, for protection, of course."
Even if you weren't an assassin, it was blatantly apparent that she was lying.
Toji cracked his neck with a nonchalant expression. "What is the real reason?"
Rion sighed and put her hands on her hips. "I just wanted to thank you for helpin' out. You've done a lot for Akira and me. Besides, it's not like you're doing anything right now."
Toji turned back to the couch and thought for a moment.
He was having an inner battle. 'Hmm, moving or staying here.'
Rion's eye twitched since she could practically read his mind. 'He's STILL like this? Can he not act like a bum for five seconds and go out with his friends?'
Toji came to a decision and stood up, yawned, and scratched his hair. "Fine, I'll head out."
He might've chosen the alternative, but he wanted to see what Rion did for fun. Toji lost all of his primary forms of entertainment.
Gambling and killing.
Rion was taking some of the killing jobs, and Toji couldn't find more people to kill unless he wanted to attack civilians, a definite no-no.
Rion gave a wide smile. "First, we're going bowling!"
Toji froze since normal recreational activities weren't on his mind.
He looked at her like she was stupid. "Bowling?"
Rion raised an eyebrow. "What did you think we were going to do? Killing an entire evil organization?"
Toji instantly replied. "If I'm being honest, yes."
She facepalmed. "Did you not hear that I was taking Akira?"
Toji shrugged. "Who knows? Maybe you were finally going to let her get real-world experience."
The playful tone died down for a moment.
Rion shook her head with a smile. "Nah, I just want to have fun. I haven't been out like this in a while. I forgot what it was like, and Akira is the perfect excuse."
Akira appeared from Toji's room as if Rion spoke it into existence.
As always, she wasn't fond of him. To Akira, Toji was taking away her time with Rion.
Before Akira could complain, Rion spoke with a shit-eating grin. "Don't you want to beat Toji at something?"
Akira is currently 0-104 against Toji, and he didn't even fight back during her training.
Her annoyed face instantly shifted into a large grin. "Hell yeah."
*bonk*
Rion had a tick mark on her head. "Language."
Akira rubbed her head, but the grin didn't leave her face. She was determined to humiliate him in bowling.
...
Fifteen minutes later, they arrived at their destination; Toji wore his white sweater and black pants.
One of his very few wardrobe options.
Toji had a disgusted expression. "I'm gonna throw up."
Pin City
Rion and Akira were already at the front entrance, while Toji stood with a face that screamed, 'hell no.'
Before he could leave, he noticed Rion opening the front door with narrowed eyes. "YO TOJI, GET OVER HERE!"
Toji facepalmed. 'Yes, let everyone know I'm here. That couldn't possibly backfire.'
He was wanted by many as-is. Announcing his name in public allowed specific individuals to find and attack him.
It broke almost every rule of an assassin.
He turned around and started walking back, whispering curses. "This was a mistake. If this is her way of repaying me, I don't want it. Give me a salary increase."
Instead of a pay increase, Rion basically gave him a pat on the back and brought him to the type of place he hated.
His leading entertainment candidate was gambling, not having family fun. He was a shit father in the first place.
At least he wasn't nearly as bad as the other Zenins.
Toji, the man feared as the 'sorcerer killer,' didn't want to be seen in a place like this. The blackmail Nagumo would have isn't worth it.
Well, if he found out...
Toji stopped in place and thought to himself. 'Although I'm curious to see what she likes and does for fun.'
Rion was about to yell again, but Toji vanished from his spot.
Instead of abandoning them, he surprisingly appeared beside her with an annoyed expression.
Rion blinked since she didn't expect him actually to go bowling.
In truth, she wanted to do it to screw with him since he was always too serious. She wanted him to lighten up, if not a little.
Had she known, she probably wouldn't have brought Akira due to her hatred for Toji, but it worked out.
Toji stopped at the doorway. "Nobody else will know."
While speaking to Rion, Akira hid in the shadows and smiled maliciously.
...
After they entered, Toji hid himself from the view of most around him by erasing his presence, casually walking as if nothing was happening.
Most people would need to focus on Toji's exact position to see him.
Akira hadn't won any fights against Toji, but she learned to see him if he hid his presence in plain sight.
He could completely hide from her if he used his silent killing style. However, Toji wasn't sure that was the case for Rion since her eyes were now different from Akira's.
Toji didn't want to deal with anything, so Rion did the honors of getting a lane and shoes.
It was normal until Toji saw the shoes...
A vein popped on his head. "You must be insane if you think I'm wearin' these."
The shoes were multicolored, leather, and Velcro. If one didn't know they were for bowling, they would think a clown would wear them.
The attendant overheard the conversation. "Sir, it's required."
Toji snapped his head toward her with a scowl, which caused her to sweat and jump backward.
Rion put a hand on his shoulder. "Stop bullying the minimum-wage workers. Ah, remember not to start any fights with children either."
After a moment, he calmed down. 'You're here to see what it's like. Stop starting fights with random people.'
*Inhale* *Exhale*
He opened his eyes. "I'll do this, but no shoes."
The attendant was about to say something but held it in because it wasn't worth it.
Rion shrugged with a smirk. "I'll take what I can get."
Getting him here was a miracle in the first place. She wasn't going to push her luck.
Akira leaned on the counter, silent at the interaction since she was focused on other things.
As the group made their way to the lanes, Toji took in the noise and environment around him.
Friends and family enjoying themselves.
He closed his eyes and thought to himself. 'It feels strangely...ordinary.'
Born in the Zenin clan, Toji never experienced something like this. Even when he was with his first wife, he never did something like this with her.
He still kept his distance from the 'normal' world as much as possible because he didn't feel he fit in.
His 'normal' life had been taken from him.
The sound would be loud and obnoxious to most, but it was the most calming thing he had heard.
His eyes slowly opened, and he realized that he was already at the lane, Rion already having three bowling balls ready.
Rion had a genuinely happy, closed-eye smile on her face.
Toji's eyes suddenly widened because something was strange.
...
He muttered to himself. "Rion's just like her."
...
Toji clenched his fists. 'The energy and smile are the exact same.'
Rion opened her eyes and raised her eyebrow. "What's with that face? Too late to back out. You already came this far."
Akira glanced at Toji and noticed something was off, but she kept silent, narrowing her eyes in suspicion.
Toji had a small smile. "Nothin', you just reminded me of someone."
Then, they started taking turns hitting the pins to get the highest score.
...
...
...
To the dismay of Akira, Toji won every game.