Chapter Forty-Six: Get it Together:

This was not a game anymore. It was time to stop this foolishness.

“I just got a text from the guy you’re chasing,” Anna said.

“What do you mean?” Tsuzuki asked. “How do you it’s them?”

“They invited me to the park,” she said. “Tomorrow night.” Her words sounded so bitter coming out of her mouth. She looked out the window, frowning.

“Do not go anywhere. I will be right there,” Tsuzuki said. The couple hung up together.

---------

Mike sat alone in the dark. He still felt the traces of his misery. This wasn’t him. Why was he hung up on the past? The demon squeezed his eyes closed.

He could see Vivian’s face.

Vivian…

Hotaru cut off contact. Said he was too dangerous for her right now. Mike frowned. It hurt to admit but Hotaru was right. No. It shouldn’t have to be like this.

“I want her back,” he said.  The demon opened his eyes. He knew what he had to do.

Mike frowned again.

“I don’t know how to do that,” the demon said. He looked up when there was a knock on the door.

---------

Anna waited by the front door. She looked up when she heard it open.

“I’m home,” Tsuzuki said.

“Welcome back,” she said. Anna handed him her phone.

“Thanks,” he said. The shinigami read the latest text. His jaw dropped.

“No way,” Tsuzuki said. He turned to his wife. “Let me see your wrists.” Anna’s eyes widened.

“You can’t mean…” she said.

“Just do it,” Tsuzuki said. His wife rolled her sleeves and held out her wrists. Her husband breathed out and dropped his shoulders.

“Thank goodness,” Tsuzuki said. “It didn’t come back.”

“Then… why did he come back?” Anna asked.

“I don’t know,” Tsuzuki said. “But I might have an idea.” He pulled out his own phone.

“Watari,” he said. “Has Hisoka sent you the knife? Great. What do you have?” He and Anna waited as Watari started talking. Tsuzuki nodded.

“Uh-huh. Uh-huh. Uh-huh,” he said. “Okay, thanks. Can you send us the information? Great. Okay. Thank you, goodbye.” Tsuzuki hung up with a dry smile.

“I’ll have the data in a couple of minutes,” he said. The shinigami noticed the look on his wife’s face.

“What is it?” he asked. Anna pressed her lips together as she took back her phone.

“Do you think…?” she began to ask. Tsuzuki took hold of her free hand.

“That is up to you,” he said. “But whatever you choose, I will stand by you.” Anna started to perk up. Suddenly, Tsuzuki’s phone buzzed.

“Excuse me,” he said. The shinigami pulled out his phone. He opened up the text from Watari.

“Aha,” he said. Anna took a look with him.

“So that’s it,” she said.

“Yep,” Tsuzuki said. “Just as we thought.”

---------

Hotaru poked her head into Mike’s room.

“Hey,” she said. “How are you doing?”

“Heh,” Mike said. “I’ve been better. How’s Viv’s?” The loli demon walked inside.

“Good,” she said. “She’s doing good.”

“I want to see her again,” he said.

“Not yet,” Hotaru said.

“When?”

“Let her focus on herself. She doesn’t need your problems to derail you. That may be harsh, but it’s true.”

Mike frowned in his corner. Hotaru didn’t look fazed.

“You should not be worried about Vivian-chan,” she said. “Focus on you. You are not ready to see her again. You both need to work on yourselves. Give her some space for a while, okay?”

Mike lowered his shoulders. “Fine.”

“Do really understand?” she asked.

“Yes,” he said.

“Very good,” Hotaru said.