Kazahaya was feeling more than a little bit pissed off. He had been stuck stacking shelves for at least four hours without a break and Rikuo hadn't even bothered to come downstairs yet. It's not like he wasn't used to it, after all Kazahaya found that Rikuo could be rather lazy, but this didn't stop him from feeling angry and frustrated. He ran a hand tiredly through his light brown hair and gave an exasperated sigh as he looked at the list of things to shelve and ticked off one of the various selections. Exhaustedly he pushed the cart down the aisles until he found the lipstick section. His nimble fingers delicately opened the box and began to display the small range of lipstick and gloss that they offered to customers. As he worked he felt an arm snake around his waist.
"Hey Kiddo." Saiga grinned as he greeted Kazahaya. The young boy wriggled in the grip of the older man until he let go, laughter filling his voice. "Still can't handle it, eh?" He chuckled. "Has Rikuo come down yet?" Saiga asked casually as he leaned against the shelf opposite to the one Kazahaya was working on.
"Not yet." The teenager replied irksomely as he felt even more annoyed at the mention of his roommate's name. "I haven't seen him since yesterday afternoon." Kazahaya snarled.
"Ooh, touchy! Someone's feeling a bit grumpy this morning!" Saiga teased. "Well, I'm sure he'll be down soon. When he does come down tell him that you two are to come to Kakei's office after work today." Saiga informed as he walked off.
"Will do." Kazahaya continued to work on the shelf stacking until a familiar smell drifted through the air and reached his nostrils. Instantly, the young man put down his list and tried to figure out what the glorious smell was. Yes, it was bacon. Of that he was sure. It must have been coming from upstairs because Kazahaya knew that there was no kitchen or anything to cook with downstairs unless Saiga had a portable hob with him and was cooking in the stock room. Curiously, Kazahaya stepped towards the smell. It was definitely leading upstairs where the two boys lived. The teenager walked casually towards the back of the shop and left quickly, eager to find the source of the smell. As he reached their accommodation the smell became stronger. Kazahaya raced up the stairs and placed his key hurriedly in the lock. He really didn't understand why he so desperately wanted bacon, he wasn't even sure if it was one of his favourite foods. The door was opened quickly to reveal the kitchen. A tall, muscular man with hair darker than the night itself was standing in front of the hob staring emotionlessly at a pan of cooking bacon. Heavy bags had set under his eyes, his hair was messy and his face was pale. Cautiously Kazahaya approached him and placed a hand on his shoulder.
"Rikuo?" He said quietly. Rikuo looked at his solemnly.
"What's up? Rikuo asked. "Are you hungry? I know it was your turn this morning but I felt hungry and I think I missed breakfast this morning. What time is it?"
"It's half twelve in the afternoon. Have you been asleep this whole time?" Kazahaya asked, concerned for him roommate. Rikuo shrugged. The brown haired boy had expected him to make some sort of joke from the situation, maybe mock him because he was concerned but Rikuo had hardly responded. Something was definitely wrong. "Are you feeling okay?"
"I dunno. " Kazahaya had to suppress his anger in this situation. He hated it when Rikuo gave such plain answers. He wanted to know what was wrong and if he could help. Kazahaya noticed the bacon was burning. Carefully, he turned the hob off and looked into Rikuo's sunken eyes. There was something really bothering him and Kazahaya knew that Rikuo would never tell him. He felt rude even thinking about doing it but felt he had to if he was going to help his roommate.
"I'm sorry Rikuo." Kazahaya whispered as he began to search the taller mans memories. The brown haired teenager's eyes widened as he was sent flying across the room, pain soaring through his body. He cried out as he hit the wall.
"Silly little boy." A soothing female voice laughed softly. Kazahaya looked around the room, eyes searching desperately for the source of the sound. "You won't find me here. I'm not in this room." The boy looked towards his muscular roommate – he was still standing in front of the hob, staring blankly at the bacon that had been cooking in the frying pan. Kazahaya slowly began to figure out what was happening.
"What are you doing to him?" He growled angrily.
"Oh, nothing really. Just please stop trying to search his memories – it hurts me and it hurts you."
"Who are you?"
"That is something you will have to discover alone." The voice became faint as it trailed away and vanished in the air. There was a loud thud as Rikuo's huge body slumped over and landed on the cold floor.