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[kaientai]

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un: gohan

[harimaya]

Oi.

(That's it. That's the text.)

[kaientai]

[ boy, hizen and izō really are just the same picture sometimes. ]

Hizen! How are you doing? It's good to hear from you!

[harimaya]

(Looks down at his phone like this bitch isn't going to act like everything is normal and fine and good and everything like--)

You're up to something.

[kaientai]

Aren't I always~?

[harimaya]

Where are you

(Tell him, Ryouma.)

[kaientai]

I'm at my office. Should I expect you?

[harimaya]

(This guy is up to something he's up to something he's up to no good he hates him he hates him god damn he hates this guy why can't he just sit down like a good boy and behave for five minutes fuck he cannot stand this guy why is he like this he hates--)

Tell me where it is.

[kaientai]

How about now?

[ he drops a pin for him, leading to a building in the middle of alliance territory not too far from his apartment. ]

[harimaya]

[read]

(And Hizen is on his way. It doesn't take him long. Whatever the estimated time of arrival is, Hizen's time is shorter. When he arrives and shuts the door behind him.)

You.

[kaientai]

Me!

[ when hizen comes in, ryouma is just switching on the electric kettle he keeps so he can make tea. ]

Right where I said I'd be~! That was fast. Couldn't wait to see me?

[ being playful and annoying means he doesn't have to talk about what his problems are, right? ]

[harimaya]

(It reminds him of some of the swords back at the citadel who smile and deflect when they know more than they're willing to share. It reminds him of Mutsunokami who will laugh and avoid the topic when someone calls him out on something difficult. )

What're you up to now?

(He's going to cut right to it!!)

[kaientai]

Well, that depends. What do you wanna know? Seems like you have something on your mind.

[ he's not going to just volunteer information. ]

[harimaya]

(Why is he being so shady now... He clenches a fist at his side and tries,)

I dunno. (Does he? Doesn't he? He isn't... the smartest person here. He's not good at figuring people out.) I just know you're up to something.

[kaientai]

Are you worried 'cause of what happened during the curse? It's fine now. And I have people helping me. Have you met Emily? She's very responsible.

[ considering how he's been, it could sound like he's teasing, but it's actually a genuine question. he'd said the wrong thing the last time, so he's trying to be careful. ]

[harimaya]

(Does he really have to answer that... He'd rather not talk about anything that happened during that curse again if he can help it.)

... Helping with what?

[kaientai]

What do you mean? All kinds of things! Plenty of which I'm not at liberty to share no matter how much I like ya. Alliance business, you know...

[ which is true, even if it's not the whole truth. he sighs and sits down while he waits for the water to heat up. ]

You probably heard about the debt, right? I can't take back what happened, so there's no point in carrying on about it. I'll make sure it gets paid, alright? Taking responsibility is what everyone wants anyway.

[harimaya]

Plenty ya can't say but plenty ya don't wanna say too.

(He caught that.

Also look at this face, Ryouma. Look at it!! This is the face of a sword boy who doesn't know shit about any debt.)

What debt?

[kaientai]

Wait, y' don't—..?

[ congratulations, you played yourself. ]

The debt I agreed to pay for what I did to Izō. People keep showing up and calling me in for meetings lately knowing everything already, so I just figured you did too.

[harimaya]

If I knew shit d'ya think I'd be asking you!?

(HE KNOWS NOTHING, RYOUMA. NOTHING.)

[kaientai]

Like I said, it's happened enough that I just assumed!

[ it's a time of people springing something like interventions on him. what're you gonna do? ]

But—... well, now you know. It's not Alliance business, it's private business, so I'm allowed to tell you.

[harimaya]

I still don't know!

(Ryouma, explain. Actually explain,)

What d'ya owe? Who? The clan?

(The whole clan for shooting Izo? Is it the whole clan???)

[kaientai]

Technically, yeah. But it's Majima who's seeing to it personally. 100 million yen is what I owe, which I had to agree to before he was willing to move forward with our negotiations. I couldn't ruin everything for everyone just because I made a stupid mistake.

[ even if it isn't exactly fair — since he hadn't shot izō on purpose or even been in control of himself — but he has calmly accepted his fate. ]

[harimaya]

Majima...

(And a hundred million yen. A HUNDRED MILLION YEN HE HAS NEVER HEARD OF SO MUCH MONEY IN HIS LIFE.

Okay but... Hizen is going to come a little closer and sit somewhere? Across from Ryouma's desk or something.)

I wanna know what's going on.

[kaientai]

[ tell him about it hizen!! he is also from a time that predates the yen, so he can't accurately wrap his head around the number. he attempted to have jikoogle convert yen into ryou or koku because those are currencies he can understand, but it's unlikely to be an accurate figure in any case. it's a huge amount of money, but he hasn't flinched at the challenge. he'll handle it.

ryouma watches hizen sit down across from him and gives him an odd look. ]

... What do you mean? What else is there to say? Unless you mean what I'm doing about it? [ ugly laughter. ] I'm doing whatever I have to do. It's a good thing I had some savings on hand, but I'll have to find another job before next month since I can't count on anything else turning a profit any sooner than that.

[harimaya]

What about negotiations?

(He's... pretty clueless! He doesn't fuss with things like power dramas or political intrigue. He's very much been doing other things.)