[It was good that Mukuro turned around, because those words caused something in Chikusa's carefully blank expression to shift. Not quite his eyes lighting up, but something near it.]
["You can continue to see him."]
["So do what you must."]
[Slumping up to the top of the stairs and leaving Mukuro-sama be, Chikusa slowly made his way to a private area of the building where he could gather his racing thoughts. He wasn't foolish. He knew that, the way his mind was going, he'd be following the letter of Mukuro-sama's orders, but not the spirit he knew damned well was present. Was it for the best? He had no idea. It may very well earn that look again, a show of Mukuro-sama's fangs leveled to him of all people.]
[But he was doing what he must.]
[Chikusa stayed quiet the rest of the day, a not particularly unusual event, but spurred himself into action early the next morning. It wasn't something he wanted to do, honestly, but he was determined now to clean up this whole mess. It kept him going, a straight line as always when he has an objective. He was glad he'd done so much listening on the excursions of the past few weeks. It let him know Minato's schedule.]
[If only he was a better liar outside of omission. It'd make this easier if he were.]
[But Chikusa wasn't, so he made due with half truths spoken to the concerned clerk quietly in the back during a lull in the morning. Yes, everything was fine. (It could be worse.) It was just a misunderstanding. (In that he wasn't understanding what Mukuro-sama wanted out of this.) It was cleared up now. (He made his decision.) A family emergency had come up, so he wouldn't be in contact for a while.]
[...It wasn't untrue, but the last one wasn't what he meant to say. He meant to... finish this. Whatever it was. But looking up into that concerned stare threw him off guard, and that lie happened instead. It was frustrating, and he didn't understand it.]
[He wouldn't have to understand it, he told himself as he hastily left the store, heading deeper into the town. He was done with this. And to help him deal with a frankly exhausting affair, he slipped into a store and absconded with a book. Unpaid for, of course. The rest of his allowance was to be used for supplies.]
[He just wanted something to take his mind off of everything when he returned back to Kokuyo Land, determined to ignore everything except Mukuro-sama's orders and his reading for as long as he could get away with.]
no subject
["You can continue to see him."]
["So do what you must."]
[Slumping up to the top of the stairs and leaving Mukuro-sama be, Chikusa slowly made his way to a private area of the building where he could gather his racing thoughts. He wasn't foolish. He knew that, the way his mind was going, he'd be following the letter of Mukuro-sama's orders, but not the spirit he knew damned well was present. Was it for the best? He had no idea. It may very well earn that look again, a show of Mukuro-sama's fangs leveled to him of all people.]
[But he was doing what he must.]
[Chikusa stayed quiet the rest of the day, a not particularly unusual event, but spurred himself into action early the next morning. It wasn't something he wanted to do, honestly, but he was determined now to clean up this whole mess. It kept him going, a straight line as always when he has an objective. He was glad he'd done so much listening on the excursions of the past few weeks. It let him know Minato's schedule.]
[If only he was a better liar outside of omission. It'd make this easier if he were.]
[But Chikusa wasn't, so he made due with half truths spoken to the concerned clerk quietly in the back during a lull in the morning. Yes, everything was fine. (It could be worse.) It was just a misunderstanding. (In that he wasn't understanding what Mukuro-sama wanted out of this.) It was cleared up now. (He made his decision.) A family emergency had come up, so he wouldn't be in contact for a while.]
[...It wasn't untrue, but the last one wasn't what he meant to say. He meant to... finish this. Whatever it was. But looking up into that concerned stare threw him off guard, and that lie happened instead. It was frustrating, and he didn't understand it.]
[He wouldn't have to understand it, he told himself as he hastily left the store, heading deeper into the town. He was done with this. And to help him deal with a frankly exhausting affair, he slipped into a store and absconded with a book. Unpaid for, of course. The rest of his allowance was to be used for supplies.]
[He just wanted something to take his mind off of everything when he returned back to Kokuyo Land, determined to ignore everything except Mukuro-sama's orders and his reading for as long as he could get away with.]