Light and Darkness

Bonus

AN: On this note, I want to thank everyone that has read this series until this far. I hope you enjoy this little bonus chapter!

Chugga~

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With cold eyes, Mori watched as the lad was ruthlessly being shot upon the Boss's command. He had already known for a while that the current Boss's mental health was slowly decreasing, his ability to judge becoming more and more clouded by his growing lust for blood. This was yet another piece of evidence that things would need to change soon.

But not yet. He had to wait for the right moment. Just the right moment, and then he would take over the Port Mafia. It was all a matter of time and logic, but Mori Ougai had always been incomparable when it came to careful planning.

His eyes then slowly darted to the female figure cowering over the corpse's body, still screaming his name.

Ozaki Kouyou. A strong young woman, as he had already witnessed countless times, so seeing her this vulnerable and hurt was indeed something new. Only few people were able to move on after the death of an important person. Mori wondered whether Kouyou would be strong enough to continue to work for the Port Mafia. He honestly doubted it. The way she was looking at the dead body, her cheeks completely covered by glistening tears, told him that this man must have meant a lot to the girl.

The raven-haired man was about to turn away when something suddenly struck him, causing him to freeze in place, his eyes widened in astonishment. Kouyou's expression had changed. As she turned to look at the Boss, there was no despair, no sadness, no pathetic emotion visible at all. What shone in her cherry red eyes was determination and the warm lust for blood.

A smile formed on Mori's lips. Maybe he had underestimated her. Maybe she was stronger than he had thought.

Kouyou eventually continued her regular work for the Port Mafia as if nothing happened. Of course, she tried to conceal her loathing towards the Mafia Boss as good as she possibly could, even though she was easy to see through. She was strong, but in Mori's eyes, this could easily backfire. If things continued just like that, her hatred could end up being directed at the entire Port Mafia. It was only natural that the Boss hadn't thought of this possibility during his lusting for blood.

It was now Mori's responsibility to save both the future of the Port Mafia and the young Ozaki Kouyou.

~*~*~*~

“You're Ozaki Kouyou, right?”

As soon as she heard her name, the redhead turned around to the source of the voice, glaring suspiciously at the man in front of her.

“Yes. What do you want?”

Having always been directly, Kouyou abstained from the usual, “And who are you? Nice weather today, isn’t it?” And Mori liked that.

An embarrassed smile on his face, Mori answered, “Ah, it’s nothing too important. I just wanted to—”

“If it isn't important, I'd ask you to hinder me from my work at a later time as I am quite occupied right now,” she interrupted him with cold eyes as she did to everyone that wasn't worth her attention.

Who was he again? Some doctor?

Kouyou was sure she had seen him around a few times, but she didn't care enough to as much as remember his name.

She was about to turn around again when he suddenly spoke up again, his voice lower than before, “Are you sure?”

From the corner of her eye, the young woman saw something golden in his hand that he was now holding up. Immediately, she froze in place, her gaze on the three golden hair clips that evoke emotions inside her that she had locked away in a box deep inside herself, never to be opened ever again. Now however, tears were sprinkling at the edged of her eyes, all the hurt and misery coming back all of a sudden.

With a weak voice, she whispered, “Where did you find that? Who are you?”

Mori showed her a warm smile of rare sincerity, striding towards her while answering, “My name is Mori Ougai. I just happened to find them on a walk through the harbor and remembered that you must have worn them, Kouyou-kun.”

He came to a stop once he was standing mere inches in front of her, holding out the hair clips. “I was thinking that you might want them back?”

Her tears were threatening to spill over as she gazed at the hair clips, but managed to remain a bit of self-control. Afraid that her voice might break, she simply nodded before taking the hair clips into her own hand. She pressed them against her chest, as if they were her lifeline, her eyes closing while she did her best to suppress the sobs that were about to escape her.

“I know your story, Kouyou-kun,” Mori said, looking intently at the girl in front of him with a serious expression. “It is truly a shame what has become of your dream, but now it is more important than ever to stay strong. Accept the mistakes you have made, and grow. Wear those hair clips as a show that you are stronger than the weight of your past, but at the same time you won't forget the lesson you've been taught. Use this weakness of yours… and make it your strength.”

Upon hearing those words, Kouyou's eyes opened, an astonished stare cast onto him while his soft smile returned. She then lowered her gaze, looking back at the hair clips in her hands before clenching them to fists, having made a decision. The redhead took a step back, and bowed deeply.

“I thank you, Sir, for retrieving those hair clips for me. I shall keep your wise words in mind and follow your advise.”

Mori seemed a bit taken aback by her words, but content when he acknowledged them. He then turned around and left, leaving Kouyou to stand in the hallway. Slowly, she started to put the hair clips one after the another into her hair, dressing her hair the way it should remain for a very long time.

Kouyou had made a decision. As much as she loathed the current Mafia Boss, she would not let that misery that had gnawed on her ever since take her down. She was strong. Mori Ougai knew that. And she would follow him.

She might not be able to bloom in the light. But instead Ozaki Kouyou would grow to become a beautifully dangerous flower of darkness.