[voice]

[unquestionable]

[ Ryu wasn't at all keen on being seen if he could avoid it, but a text post would be too frigid. He had to make himself seem accessible in some capacity even if he didn't care to be. People would be most likely to give information if he used the voice function, he decided. It gave a sense of anonymity without complete disconnection. ]

I'm in search of a detective.

However... don't ask me why.

[ It was evident from his tone of voice that he didn't care to waste time even if it did mean sacrificing tact. ]

Comments

[unquestionable]

You're incapable of filling his role.

[tanteiotaku]

[And there goes all the wind out of his sails]

If we're going to discuss this it's going to be in person. Your cellmate around?

[unquestionable]

If you had anything useful to say you would already have said it. Consider this conversation over.

[ The next bit of the message is privately encoded. ]

G-111. Show up if you have the nerve.

[tanteiotaku]

[Instead of answering he just shows up. Hat on but otherwise in the jumpsuit]

G-Block is a part of my territory. Just like the rest of this prison.

What is it you want with the Boss?

[unquestionable]

[ Terui's vision immediately ventured upward to Hidari's hat. He made no effort to disguise his scoff.

He was leaning against the wall of his cell with his arms crossed, his expression showing just how unimpressed he was as he gave the so-called detective a one over. ]

You don't get to ask anything until you answer me with something that isn't a lie.

[tanteiotaku]

[He adjusted his hat a bit before he answered.]

Terui Ryu has been put in G Block. It doesn't take a detective to know what that means.

[unquestionable]

[ If he wasn't glaring before, he most certainly was now. ]

That fact that is irrelevant.

[tanteiotaku]

You wanted me to tell you something that wasn't a lie.

[unquestionable]

[ At that he pushed himself from the wall, moving closer to Hidari. ]

Tell me what I want to know and if there's any patience left in me by the time this is over you might get the same in return.

[tanteiotaku]

[He's just standing there, hands in his pockets and he's not backing down. But his guilt is all over his face.]

Why do you need to know so badly? You're not ever getting out of here.

[unquestionable]

[ For a fraction of a second Ryu's expression also faded to guilt, but he was swift to cover the feelings that would only bring him to weakness. He couldn't tell this rookie detective that this case was the only thing he had left, that if he hadn't spent all of his time on it he might have been there to save his family. A shallow resolution was all the world had left to offer him, but that was something Hidari Shotaro could never know.

When he spoke, the edge in his voice remained as if he had never doubted himself at all. ]

It's my job.

[tanteiotaku]

A cop doing his job in prison is less welcome than a detective. But we're both going to do what we have to.

[But finally. Finally he caves. It was that little bit of humanity under that anger.]

Sokichi Narumi was murdered.

[unquestionable]

[ This time he manged to control his expression, but his body visibly tensed. In a way, he was now angry with himself. He had made Hidari relive memories he likely wanted to leave behind him, just as he wanted to forget his own pain. His gaze fell to the floor as he considered just what to say. ]

How?

[ His tone softened, but it was still firm. If Narumi Sokichi was murdered that meant his case was far from closed. ]

[tanteiotaku]

[He leans against the doorway, and he doesn't make eye contact anymore.]

If you're looking for the person responsible, I'm right here.

[unquestionable]

You?

[ Any control Ryu had over his emotions evaporated in a matter of seconds. His shock made way to anger, and before he could stop himself he had marched across the divide between them and grabbed Hidari by his shirt before flinging him against the wall. ]

That man trusted you and you killed him?!

[ He was yelling, but he made no attempt to calm himself. What did it matter who heard them? ]

[tanteiotaku]

[He wrapped a hand around Terui's wrist but he didn't really resist being manhandled. He deserved worse.] Why do you care so much?! I'm already in prison!

[unquestionable]

Don't ask me questions!

[ His grip tightened, and he knew he was dangerously close to unleashing his branch of sin but his own guilt and anger were beginning to mesh into one force that only fueled his rage. ]

If you hadn't killed Sokichi Narumi, I wouldn't be here!

[ And at that he roughly pushed Hidari away, his grip loose but his heart still clenched. His breathing was heavy, his full concentration now on trying to quell the boiling in his blood. ]

[tanteiotaku]

[He wasn't afraid of using his own to defend himself, but he was not going to be the one to escalate this beyond a shoving match. He kept his feet after the shove and picked up his fallen hat again.] Keep it down. I have a neighbor sleeping off his first nasty hangover.

But, if you're here in G-Block, then not even Sokichi Narumi could have saved you. Every single one of the people in his cases either ended up here or just vanished.

[unquestionable]

Keep it down?! Is that what you told Narumi when you killed him in cold blood?!

[ In a knee jerk reaction he began to move toward Hidari again, but he only barely stopped himself short. Instead he again shifted his eyes to the floor, his fists clenched together so strongly that his knuckles began to turn white.

In reality, Ryu had no idea how the other man had killed Hidari or if he was even telling the truth, but the guilt and hate he felt inside continued to pile up higher and higher on his conscience, so much so that he wanted someone to pay for what had happened. He wasn't sure he even cared if it was the right person anymore. ]

I didn't need his help.

[ He spat the words like venom. ]

[tanteiotaku]

[And all of a sudden anger cuts through his guilt and he just lets out a loud growl of frustration. So much for not escalating. He cranks his elbow back and doesn't hold back when he punches Terui. Something about his easy dismissal of the help the Boss would have easily given him enraged him. But he really wasn't thinking about that right now. Or much of anything.]

[unquestionable]

[ To Ryu's surprise the punch was much harder than he had been expecting, and it threw him back momentarily. He had been hit square in the jaw and immediately it began to throb with pain, but it didn't matter. Hidari had just foolishly given him an outlet, and despite his better judgment he would take it. As quick as Shotaro's first strike had come he returned it with a fist of his own, just barely able to hold himself back from losing control completely. ]

Don't push me.

[tanteiotaku]

[He had tried to duck out of the way of that punch but there was a door jamb in the way. He interrupted Terui's follow-through by grabbing his arm and ramming him into the opposite wall with his shoulder.]

[unquestionable]

[ Ryu hit the wall with a thud. A sharp pain ran through his body, but it wasn't enough to make him stop. He grabbed Hidari by the shoulders and pushed him back, hoping a kick to the shin would take him down long enough for him to get the upper hand. ]

[tanteiotaku]

[The kick didn't take him down, but it got him off of him. But he used the space to bring in another punch, which could really be seen coming from a mile away.]

[unquestionable]

[ Terui shot his hand up just in time to catch his fist, pushing his hand back to halt his momentum. It really had been a weak shot, and it was a mistake Hidari would pay for with nails digging into his fist. ]

Dumb luck must have been on your side when you ended the life of Sokichi Narumi.