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[ It's definitely close enough to that.

Mizuki doesn't deny it, doesn't say anything and just lets him have it. She lingers, and for a moment, she thinks about hanging up right then and there, but she doesn't. Mainly because... Well. ]

I'll be there in half an hour.

[ She'll wrap up some things at the farm first.

This is a terrible idea.

......She hangs up. ]

[How kind of her to give him a head start. Hadn't she hung up already, Saito would be probably voicing out that thought now.

Thirty minutes should even be enough for him to get there before she does; but lying in wait for an ambush in a wide open place like the beach only lowers his chances of catching her off guard, considering she already has every reason to keep her guard up around him, especially now. She's not the brightest brat out there, but she likely knows a grudge can push him to even more extreme extents.

In fact, the prospect of getting back at her without needing to hold back even lifts his sour mood somewhat, awakening memories of the thrill that would often precede the explosion of raw glee when he took a human life. There is a distant buzz in some nook of his mind in response to that memory, accompanied by a stinging sensation that seems to stem from within his head. He pushes the thought and memory aside for now, to avoid the pesky interventions. Just another side-effect of death in this realm.

Thirty minutes is more than enough time for him to get out of bed, grab the Evolver and his knife, and get ready to leave the room. Then make his way towards the appointed place, and loiter around a couple of minutes in some corner of the town to pass time before heading to "meet" the cyan haired girl.

This is shaping up to be a wonderful idea so far.]

[ Unfortunately for Saito, Mizuki still manages to get there before him. How long before is not immediately obvious. She'd been anxious, and probably cut the farm work she'd planned to do short. (Sorry, Astralin.)

At first, she scans the shoreline, but there's not much aside from a couple stray dogs that promptly run off when they see her. The constant, melodic waves coming in and out of shore are a comfort, and eventually, she's taken off her boots to walk barefoot, squishing the sand beneath her toes. She wanders close enough to wet her feet, but after she starts to feel the cold travel through her bones from the water, she pulls back onto the dry sand.

Her hold on the boots loosen, and they land with a gentle plop, wobbling before they steady.

Now what? She turns to scan the direction she came from, but all she's met with are her own footprints. When she doesn't see Saito, she thinks about making herself comfortable in the sand.

Unexpectedly, she hears his voice. It's not too late to turn back, you know, he says. But you don't run, do you?

Her hair stands on the back of neck, but it's not him. That voice is too genuine, too annoyingly soft. And she's learned to ignore it after all the time, because nothing's ever come of it. She knows Date isn't magically going to show up, and probably never would. Lucky bastard. ]

[Just as Saito imagined, once the shoreline comes into view, Miewzuki is already there. Guard down, facing the sea — the opposite direction of the (alternative) route he's coming from. She's not only kind for giving him a head start (that he intentionally wasted), she's also naive for assuming he wouldn't try to ambush her.

If he comes too close, she's bound to hear his movements against the tranquility of the waves. Using their distance as auditory cover, he cocks the Evolver and takes aim. Even with one single eye at this distance, if he aims for a body shot, he's confident he won't miss. And if he misses any vital organs, he can finish her off with a second or third shot. Preferably, to her head.

The passing thought of seeing her brain burst like fireworks is thrilling, but controversially creates a sense of vertigo in the split moment his finger is pulling the trigger.

Instead of his voice, the first sound that will reach Mizuki's ears is the strident gunshot piercing through the quiet serenity.]

[ It happens in an instant. The waves are loud, but not loud of enough to disguise the sounds of a gunshot. Mizuki straightens her back, alert as she jumps out of her skin, and without even realizing it, she's swing her pipe in a hard arc as she turns around with terrifying speed. Her eyes are wide and her heart is beating fast when the pipe meets the bullet with a loud ricochet, sounding with a loud metallic clash as it flies harmlessly (mostly?) into the sea.

Holy shit. Was she just lucky, or did her training and her instincts actually kick in at just the right time? She didn't have Aiba to tell her that. ]

Hey—!

[ Ugh. She doesn't even think too much about it. It'll be totally embarassing if it turned out to be someone like Jinx! But she'll growl under her breath anyway, ignoring the slight shaking in her limbs. ]

You missed. [ In a slight raised voice and against the sea breeze, she's clearly looking for him. She almost sounds disappointed, but a part of her also seems... exasperated. ] Come on. You're the one who wanted to meet, so stop being so predictable.

[He missed the shot, but certainly did not miss her attitude (pun intended). Taking advantage of the fact he hasn't been spotted yet, Saito takes aim at her form again—

But since when did she begin swirling without even moving from that same spot where she's still standing? And not only her, the carpet of sand beneath her, and the waves breaking on the shore... everything is moving erratically. He feels his balance swaying along, but only tightens his hold on the gun's grip. With an annoyed click of his tongue, he tries to renew his focus: the one responsible for putting him in this current state is right there, merely a couple of steps away! He wants — needs — fill that (supposedly) still body with bullet holes, to make her go through the same torment and satiate his anger!

But that thought only fuels the distortions further, as though some kind of firewall was installed in his mind to block or corrupt attempts to access the functions of his brain that once brought him gratification.]

[This is clearly not going to work in his favor. Not from this distance, at least. Upon this realization, he fires a second time. This time, the bullet is directed to (and disappears into) the nothingness of the sky above them.

If the loud noise alone isn't enough to draw her attention to his direction—]

Aah. Looks like I missed again. How predictable was that, now?

. . .

[ She does flinch at the second shot, covering her ears, but she doesn't jump this time. She'll wait it out, then when it feels like the smoke has cleared, she opens her eyes and uncover her ears just in time to hear his voice. She looks up, but... there's no sign of the bullet.

Great.

She looks at Saito, but she won't answer the question. ]

Are you done? [ On second thought: ] ...Go on, waste the rest. I'll wait.

[And much to Saito's chagrin, she doesn't take the freaking hint. Wonderful. With everything spinning around him, there is no point in even trying to shoot her. He could shoot himself and pray that next time he wakes up from certain death, it won't be with a glitched brain.

But even if it's an amusing solution, it's not a very practical one.

He takes a tentative step forwards, lowering the Evolver, so its muzzle is now facing the ground and not pointed at Mizuki's direction. But the unnatural tipsiness is still there; as though he was intoxicated by his exaggerated thirst for spilling blood — the same way alcohol should be consumed in moderation, or else it can leave one's balance shattered for a good while.

He leans against the nearest object he can use for support: a large wooden bench facing the sea.]

Won't you come over here? [He gives a very slow and slight nod of his head towards the object his free hand is too busy gripping onto like it's the only thing saving him from collapsing.] We should sit down to talk.

[ It would have been an extremely traumatizing solution for Mizuki, however. But since Saito wouldn't have been around to see the effects, the amusement in it is rather rendered moot.

Either way, Mizuki isn't thinking about that, even as he makes his appearance. It appears as though his entire weight or close to it is on this bench, and she has to remind himself that this man just tried to kill her. Twice. It's so annoying... Between this and her lingering guilt, how is she supposed to stay mad at him? ]

......

[ She aches to say something witty. Instead, she just makes her approach, slow and steady, never taking her eyes off the Evolver in his hand. Though her pipe is lowered, her posture remains defensive.

Though the closer she gets, the more that hardened look will melt as she takes a really, really good look at him, boring holes into his soul. ]

[That look she's giving him. Saito knows it very well. It's the same look of careful apprehension he gets from the animals he tries to lure with food, to make them lower their guard; it's the fundamental step towards securing an easy kill: gain their trust, then betray that trust. Profit.

But first things first: gripping the edge of the seat now, he manages to sit down, with suspiciously slowed movements. The Evolver is placed on his leg, muzzle still pointed towards her with cheeky defiance.

Flashing an equally brazen smirk, Saito breaks the short silence.]

... What's wrong? I thought you weren't afraid of ghosts.

[It's okay, so long as he doesn't have to move his head around too much. This is fine. Really.]

...I'm not.

[ The smirk is nothing new. With the Evolver pointed toward her, however playfully, she remains defensive, and he will see her gaze flit about, as if trying to spot what's changed about him as she draws closer. ]

And I don't think I'm looking at one.

[ Mizuki still doesn't feel much like sitting yet. ]

[Of course, she wouldn't appreciate the joke... Though Saito might as well be the one looking at a ghost, with how blurred and shaky her form still looks to him.

He shifts to a more comfortable position, letting his body sink further into the bench. But Mizuki might notice something about his body language still seems... off, almost like it lacks his usual poise. He's slightly tilted to the side; leaning on his left palm, which is planted on the seat with splayed out fingers, for support.

Even the casual suit he's wearing this time around won't fix the "I'm not okay" vibes he's (unknowingly) oozing. Not that he was ever "okay" to begin with. ~~But that's another story.~~]

Then why are you staring so hard at me like you're not believing what you're seeing?

[ Of course he couldn't fathom her disbelief. She really has to explain why she is so unsettled by the sight of him after everything. She can read the "not okay" vibes quite well, though perhaps it takes an extra moment to realize how far out of the ordinary it is, even for him.

Mizuki crosses her arms, though with her demeanor, it is less demanding and more like she just felt the temperature drop ten degrees. She frowns. ]

I'm just trying to understand. I mean, you're not a zombie, either. [ Or is he? ]

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