The Unfortunate Splitting of Regiment Six

"The Number you are Trying to Reach has been Terminated. Goodbye."

" Hey...it's me, I know you're not there, but I really need you to listen. This isn't right, what you're doing. It's borderline sadistic. Please, if you're there, I really need you to pick up the phone. Please, stop ignoring me. This isn't right..."
She sniffed, before wiping a tear from her eye.
" I love you, Arikadou."
Chihiro placed the old, mottled payphone back into its holder. Her last quarter from the bottom of her purse was spent trying to contact him.

" You okay?" Yahiro asked, slowly stepping toward her. Her hands were shoved in her pockets, and her hood was up. There was a soft, steady drizzle hitting her clothing.

" Yeah, I'm fine." Chihiro rubbed her eyes, the last remnants of her mascara being washed away by salty rain.

Yahiro looked across the street. It was nearly pitch black except for one street lamp dimly flickering. " You do realize how unsafe it is for you to walk out here by yourself, especially this late, right?" Yahiro asked. " You're lucky I happened to be walking by, or you could've been—"

" —I know, Yahiro." Chihiro interrupted. " I've tried every phone in this stupid town, but he still won't pick up. I know he's still in there. Tsuki and Yokai won't pick up either. I was somehow...just hoping...that—"

" —That one of his goons would come and take you to him?" Yahiro said back, visibly distraught.
Chihiro nodded slowly.

" Chihiro, you don't know how ridiculous you sound. You're too loud. Every criminal from a mile away could hear you say his name. They could just—I don't know—claim they're one of his and take you away from us." Yahiro leaned against the wall. " And you know we can't lose somebody else. We need to stay together. Stop leaving us like this—you're not alone! We're stronger together." 

Chihiro nodded again, very slowly.

" I've dealt with gangs before, Chihiro. I know how they work. If—he—is a gang leader, you probably won't be bothered on the streets. You're technically still his girl—gang leaders don't let their loved ones get hurt—unless, it's on accident." Yahiro said softly.

" I-I-I know, I...I just want to see him again." Chihiro sniffed.
" Come on, you probably have a billion criminals watching your every move and protecting you from harm." Yahiro sighed. She slung an arm around Chihiro and began to lead her down the sidewalk.

Chihiro thought for a moment. " Do you really think he—they'll come back? Yokai? Tsuki? A-Arika—"

" —We don't say his name, remember? After what he did, we will not speak it until he says ours in an apology first." Yahiro reminded her.

" R-Right...but do you think they'll ever come back? That they'll come home? I miss them so much, and we're all so young, I don't want to see them hurt!" Chihiro wiped her face against Yahiro's jacket.

" Oh, um..." Yahiro smiled a bit after looking at Chihiro. " I'm sure they'll find their way back. Remember what Tojo said? It was just teenage rebellion." 

" Right." Chihiro nodded her head as quickly as possible. " We're just all very confused."

" Right again." Yahiro smiled and booped Chihiro's nose. When she moved her arm forward out of her pocket, a small piece of notepad paper came out with it, falling to the sopping wet ground. It was absorbed by a large puddle. The light gleamed on it for only a moment before it became nothing. " I think we should head back to Eum's place. She found an old cookbook, and she invited us and the gang to a hot pot." Yahiro looked up at a street sign.

" A hot pot? But aren't those usually for the winter?" Chihiro asked.

" It is the winter, Chihiro. It's the middle of November." Yahiro chuckled.

" Oh...I suppose I kinda lost track of time." Chihiro's eyes widened at the realization.

" That's alright, hon. Don't worry about it. Now, let's call a taxi. This place is making me uncomfortable, and I don't feel like walking that far." Yahiro smiled.

The girls called a taxi, which picked them up near an old sushi shop.
What they didn't realize was that there were two people in the alleyway across from them and that they had heard nearly every word.

" Do you think they're going to be a problem?" The first one asked the second.

" I don't believe so. They're not worth the trouble. Still, we should keep an eye on them, I know somebody wouldn't like it if plans were foiled." The second person said, adjusting the dark sleeves they wore. The rain made them a bit too clingy to their arms.

They both turned around and disappeared into the alley, startling a cat as they made their hasty, yet oddly invisible retreat.