*No Cure for That*

Chapter 3

by: WhiteGloves

A/N: *This is all I can offer as peace offering I can't believe it's been a YEAR!

I wouldn't blame you if you have forgotten! My apologies!

*goes and dies*

"..." He frowned but said nothing.

"..." She stared... and kept staring.

"Hmmp." Came the man's voice suddenly in between the silence with his expression hidden under his hair. He was sitting on the couch he had left not so long ago with arms and legs crossed, perfectly seated with his back comfortably leaning on the chair.

And still the girl before him stared like seeing an apparition of some sort, with her large, curious eyes gawking at him. He was used to it however—having this infant of a lady to look at him like he was of another species. Akiyama Shinichi had gotten used to her staring at him without a reason.

This time however, she exceeded expectations. She had been staring at him for more than a quarter of an hour now without saying anything.

Now that was disturbing.

"What are you looking at?" he finally asked without revealing his eyes.

"Oh?" Nao was sitting on the floor with her hands tucked under the pillow she was hugging with her legs crossed. She was already wearing her pyjamas and was already prepared for her long sleep but was not budging from her position on the floor. "I'm sorry... but I just can't believe you're still here... I mean—you are here—Akiyama-san."

"I just said I'm crashing in."

"So you'll stay after all?" she seemed too happy it bothered him.

The man blew some air on the hair covering his face, allowing her a glimpse of his right eye.

"Don't get used to it."

Nao Kanzaki giggled and embraced her pillow close. Then as if remembering something, she turned to him again.

"Are you sure you're okay on the couch?"

"Why?" he raised an eyebrow at her question, "Do you want me to sleep on your bed?"

Nao stared blankly for a second— Akiyama waited expectantly for her response.

"Well, I wouldn't mind the couch..."

She didn't fail him.

"Idiot." He declared, "We'll sleep together."

The girl gave a pause—to which her eyes found Akiyama's who did not take his eyes away, wanting to intimidate her and to cause her to react like any other girl who would be offered this by a man—

"But it'll be too crowded." She frowned.

Akiyama maintained his composure and kept himself from jumping up from the couch. It took him a great amount of restraint to do so. With a sweat drop at the side of his head, the man clenched his jaw and clicked his tongue.

Nao immediately noticed this and turned to him.

"You don't want a crowded bed after all? It's all right, I'll take the couch."

"Nao!" his voice came out like a bark the surprised the girl who blinked at him.

"A-Akiyama-san?"

She sounded so uncertain, so innocent! This above everything made the greatest conman of the Liar Game to drop his head and shoulders in defeat. Just what does he has to say in order for her to understand?!

"I just asked you to sleep with me, don't you know what that implies?" it came out before he could stop himself, his own self consciousness surfacing—

"Sleep but...you mean together with me?" she leaned her head on the left side questionably.

And Akiyama swore never to touch that subject again for she looked like she'll take the bait.

And wouldn't mind any of it!

If Akiyama was her father—he just knew he would have fainted at her response.

"Never mind!" he said agitatedly, "Why don't you just go to sleep. I'll be fine here."

Losing his patience, the man pulled his back from the chair and straightened a little, afraid that he might say too much that may actually scare her... but then again—isn't she scared of him?

He gave her one last look and had to give a deep long sigh.

Too late. She wouldn't be scared. She knows him too much.

"You're dangerous." He muttered under his breath that made her blink again.

"What's that?"

"I said get up from the floor and go to sleep already. How can I rest with you ogling at me the whole night. Honestly is this the first time you've had a company here?"

Nao pouted and stood up from the floor with her pillow dangling on her arms.

"You're so mean, you're making it sound like I'm all by myself."

"Aren't you?" he quipped, because then that would mean I don't need to be here!

The dark haired girl raised her chin trying to act all haughty but failing miserably with her too honest eyes, "I do have friends! They just can't be like you who just do his way."

"Hmmph."

"But I'm glad Akiyama-san is here though," she suddenly went on as she turned her back on him, "I mean... after everything that has happened and everything I've seen, I think having you here is really a comfort."

"Like I said," the man with too long hair on his face muttered, "don't get used to it."

She smiled and crossed the room toward her bed room—

"You sure you don't want to sleep with me?" she called out nicely.

How tempted he was to shout a curse toward her direction.

He did. Under his breath.

Really unbelievable!

The clock chimed 1:00 in the morning...

Her whole room was dark.

There was no sign of any movement except for her normal breathing as she slept on the bed with her blanket tucked around her... everything was quiet...

Then amidst the darkness a pair of eyes glinted: unblinking and completely awake. Looking closely, we see a silhouette of a man from the doorway of the room, leaning by the door with his arms crossed.

With the way he was standing there with a looming look on his face, everybody would agree that he had become Akiyama Shinichi, the messenger of death. His sharp eyes on her sleeping form, Akiyama stood there quietly for a long time with no sign of any distress... yet all the while thinking—

How could she possibly sleep like this with a stranger inside her house!?

Completely disturbed, the man stayed by the door impatiently.

"Sleeping like a log with all the openings..." he muttered, thinking of how somehow she lacked appeal. "she's really something."

Nao had the face of someone dead to the world. Akiyama clicked his tongue again and stayed there all the same. He was waiting patiently for something to happen... like a predator ready to tackle its prey unnoticed... he was sure it will come... soon...

And the first sign of his most awaited time came after half an hour.

The telephone rang. It hasn't even reach the second ringing when it was taken from the receiver by Akiyama himself and put it on his ear as he sat comfortably on the couch again.

The moment he did, he heard a man's voice.

"Nao-chan? Good morning my sweet..."

And Akiyama listened silently while the man went on and on. As he listened, the conman realized how his vocabulary had expanded in a matter of minutes when it comes to male service. The other end seemed full of shit and trash that got his ears to prickle and his patience to disappear.

"Oi, dickhead," came his hollow response that seemed to come out of the grave, his eyes glinting in pure malice, "why don't you stick that on your own ass? Call here again and I'll murder you."

He nearly crushed the receiver back where it came from.

And Akiyama's anger had nothing to do with the unpleasantness he just heard.

"That girl..." he muttered under his breath, his sharp eyes on her bedroom door, "just how the hell did they get her phone number?!"

And how many people are we talking about here?

Seething in anger, the man pulled an almost all nighters while only answering calls. In the end he had to literally pull the cord of her phone and promised himself to tell her how he tripped in the middle of the night while on the way to the bathroom.

Quarter to four o'clock, Akiyama Shinichi was still wide awake as he crossed the room toward her door way. She was still on the netherworlds by how she was sleeping soundly when he took a peek. The man stood there again staring, wondering how she would react if he entered her room.

Then again maybe between the two of them he will be the one who might get surprise.

Frowning again, he decided attacking her like that wouldn't get any merit... she'll just ingenuously brush him away again. Somehow, was that a slap on his pride?

Sighing, Akiyama paused as he heard something in the middle of silence. Minutes passed and he confirmed it. Something was attacking again... and at four in the morning too.

"These people..." Akiyama muttered as he glanced sideways and took the handle of Nao's room door and closed it. Then he quietly crossed the room and dropped himself on the steps in front of the main door where he could hear a familiar sound of lock getting picked.

Positioning himself, the man waited in anticipation for that door to open.

When it didn't, he himself took the initiative and kicked it open with a bang!

Nao opened her eyes and blinked herself awake. Slow in movements, she got up and yawned loudly while stretching her arms wide.

She glanced at the window and saw the sun up in the sky. It was 7 o'clock in the morning. Brightly staring at it, she slide her legs out of the bed to call out in the world how beautiful her morning was.

"Good morning, Akiyama-san!" she called out once she was out of her pyjama and had washed her face in the bathroom. She met the man half way the room whose facial expression was yet again hidden under his hair. He walked passed her with only a nod.

Nao glanced back at him questioningly and wondered if Akiyama-san was always like that even in a bright morning—like a walking corpse.

"Akiyama-san didn't you get a goodnight sleep?" she called out to him but he did not respond, "Uh... where are you going?"

"Bathroom." He answered simply and shut the door behind him.

"Hmm?" Nao stared, "he's still not in the mood, huh?" then she glanced by the front door and had to gasp. "Akiyama-san what happened to the phone? Who detached this? And what happened to the door?" she went to check it.

"I fixed it." The conman answered back as he removed his clothes and turned the shower on.

"But why did you have to fix it? And what's with all the nails? Where did you get all of this? What happened last night?"

"I went to the night mart and bought it."

"But why?"

Akiyama did not answer as the cool water washed his body that made him sigh. With things happening early that morning, he wasn't even sure if he was still awake. Surprisingly, Nao was able to sleep all through that noise, what with the police siren and all. "Did she die last night and got revived today?" he wanted to know.

Just then he heard her voice from the outside again as he was putting on the soap.

"Akiyama-san, there's a tape on the door."

"What?" The man was in the process of washing his hair and wondered if he did use a tape in putting the door together. Only to realize how dumb it was and turned off the shower after a few minutes to answer back. "It must be yours. I don't remember buying a tape..."

There was no response from her so the conman artist decided to finish his business and turned the shower on. After a few minutes, he took a towel and scrubbed his hair dry.

He realized then he was so tired felt like dropping dead on her bed any time soon and wouldn't mind her fussing at all. With all the crap he went through the whole night, he might as well take her offer and actually rest because he really deserved it.

But then he heard a woman cry out.

Akiyama gave a short pause, wondering if his ears were deceiving him. Silence in the air... but then he heard the same intense cry of a woman—a cry that was easily distinguished by his ear— again and again in continuous and most exciting tone—

"Ahh! Keita-kun! Moree! Yahhh~!"

Akiyama's face darkened.

Wrapping the towel around his waist, the man did not waste any time as he pulled open the bathroom door and dashed to the living room where he could hear the sound—

"Nao, what are you watching—?"

And Akiyama Shinichi had to freeze as there on the television a couple both in their birthday suit doing this xxx thing with Nao Kanzaki seated by the floor with a video tape box on her hand.

"Ah."

Tape... Akiyama's whole face went from pale to dark with sweat drops dripping from his face that has got nothing to do with his wet hair. It was a video tape...

And Kanzaki Nao suddenly turned to him with her eyes round and appeared to be rolling in dizziness, her face screwed into a blank expression that seemed to be like the center of a void—

"A-A..." she seemed to have problem pronouncing his name too, "A-Akiy... Akiyama-s-san..."

She was shaking. Akiyama sighed and strode beside her. He grabbed the remote from her hands and turned the television off.

"I told you don't just take things that don't belong to you! Somebody must've left it there intending for you to see it! Hey!"

He found her unresponsive and had to dig a deep sigh again. Was this how he reacted when he first saw his a video like this? Dumbstruck? In the man's opinion she looked more than dumbstruck—she looked like she was about to faint! What with her eyes larger than ever as she stared at him. At first Akiyama didn't realize why she suddenly gasped and why she suddenly pulled her hands back closer to her with a surprised look on her face— her eyes ever tearful.

"A-Akiyama-san!" her lips quivered and that was when the conman realized what the problem was.

He was standing beside her with nothing but a towel on his waist to save his soul.

"Ah."

Now he too, was dumbstruck.

Talk about protecting her innocence... huh?

And finally... Nao Kanzaki gave a scream.

Took you long enough, Akiyama thought silently with a sweat drop at the side of his face.

Well at least he made her aware.

"Akiyama-san, you're the worst!" she cried.

But it didn't include him getting shut out of the door with nothing but a towel on his waist.

"Uh..." the man muttered with his face still covered by his hair, "Nao?"

"I'm sorry!" she bowed her head behind him as he pulled his shirt down quietly. He was already inside her room after a few minutes of getting the cold shoulder and letting Nao get back to her senses, "I didn't mean to leave you out there! I was just so surprised... t-that same thing happened in that weird movie where he came out of the bathroom and they... well..."

She looked so flustered it made Akiyama suddenly feel... annoyed.

"That's what you get for suddenly watching something you just picked up from the floor." He scolded her with hands on his waist and went on with the lecture, "It's like you didn't learn anything from me at all since last night. Haven't I told you to quit picking things that aren't yours? Are you an idiot?"

Kanzaki Nao cringed at the angry voice and had to deeply bow again.

"I'm really sorry."

Akiyama crossed his arms and surveyed her with an eye showing. The girl stole a look up and found him still studying her with her cheeks still red. And the man realized it was futile to remain angry.

He gave a sigh.

"Forget it. A leopard can't change its spots."

"Eh?"

Akiyama sighed heavily, "There's really no cure for you."

"A-Akiyama-san... I think you're being mean..."

"What are your plans today?" he changed the topic anyways.

The girl straightened up with a new look on her face as she tried to remember something from her still innocent memory lane.

"I was planning to go to the grocery today... and then maybe visit my father at the hospital. But Akiyama-san... are you going to come with me?"

Akiyama was already pulling his jacket on with an eye raised in her direction.

"Which grocery store?"

He visibly saw her eyes sparkle in delight.

"Oh, Akiyama-san!"

Inwardly, the conman artist was relieved. It would seem like this girl has forgotten the event that morning... or did she just erase it from her memory? Repressed more like?

As the man waited for her outside the door and looked at the view of the buildings before his eyes, he couldn't keep wondering just how a girl like her live in her own world? Because as he gazed at the world before him, he couldn't help the curling of his lips.

Because just then, no matter how you turn it upside down, the world will remain dirty in his eyes.

"Akiyama-san, sorry for waiting!" Nao's voice called as she locked her newly repaired door with a lock Akiyama himself bought, "I had to notch up this huge lock you gave me... it's so heavy."

"Don't complain." He said as he walked ahead of her and she fell on the steps beside him, "it's better to be secured than not. I won't be here every day, you know."

"Really?" Nao glanced in his direction with her round eyes, "I kinda find you being here more surprising. I mean—you did disappear after the game you know. Now you're here."

"It's because you had to appear on that stupid television."

"Huh? Oh, you mean that... I didn't think it'd turn up that way... but what's wrong with me returning what's not mine?"

"I'll say." The dark haired man jammed both hands on his pockets and continued walking briskly. And look where it got you... he thought cynically, the target of monsters.

The girl did her best to walk beside him with a little difficulty.

"Akiyama-san, thank you for visiting me. You must have been worried about me, huh?"

Akiyama was struck by that unexpected reply and had to walk briskly to avoid eye contact—making Nao take large steps just to catch up with him even more.

"What are you talking about?"

"Well... I've been thinking since you appeared together with those boxes and gifts... I've been thinking... maybe those are blessings in disguise."

"HA?" the man actually had to stop just to put emphasis on her incredulous idea. With both eyes showing, he stared at her in disbelief, "what are you talking about?"

Only to find the girl smiling up at him brightly.

"Well, because... I was able to meet Akiyama-san again! Thank you."

If Akiyama was happy... he had a funny way of showing it.

He actually grimaced, making Nao blink at him but before she could speak, the man was on the walk again.

"A-Akiyama-san, wait!"

"Maybe I should just leave you alone."

"Ehh? B-but you told me you'd accompany me! Why change your mind? Akiyama-san!"

But the conman artist had no way of showing happiness at all as he half ran using his lanky legs.

This girl will be the death of me, he thought as he felt his heart thump quickly and blamed the way he was walking for it.

"Akiyama-san?"

"You better do something about yourself. There's no cure for you."

"What? Hey, I didn't hear that! Akiyama-san!"

When they returned home that afternoon, Akiyama Shinichi had to stare dumbly at her front door.

That was because in front of it, another set of package deliveries were found.

"T-these...?" Nao Kanzaki stepped closer to the boxes questioningly. "Why so many...?"

She looked back at Akiyama and the two of them exchange looks.

"What am I going to do, Akiyama-san?" she asked looking uncertain this time.

"You need to ask?" and trashed away all the boxes.

Nao watched him with a concerned look, until she saw a white envelope fall down the floor.

Akiyama was so busy putting all the boxes in the trash bin that by the time he was finished, fifteen minutes have already passed.

"These dumb idiots..." he muttered with sweat running down his face, "don't they have anything better to do? Hey, Nao..." he looked behind him and was surprised not to find her. "Nao?"

The man looked from left to right with this uneasiness building inside him.

"Nao!" he called out loud, only to hear her voice inside her apartment. Frowning and a bit relieved, the tall man went inside only to find her talking with somebody on the phone.

Akiyama's reaction was instant the moment he saw a white letter envelope in her hands—

"You idiot!" he was beside her at once and had grabbed the phone cord— "I told you don't—!"

But he stopped speaking with the way how she had looked at him.

"It's all right," she said gently, her eyes full of meaning as she stood up to take the receiver from his hands, "it's just a kid..." and she handed the envelope to him and went on talking on the phone.

Akiyama quietly stared at her, and then at the letter. With eyes scanning the content, the man scratched his head and dropped the letter on the table. He then stood behind the couch and leaned on it with arms crossed as he listened to Nao Kanzaki's gentle voice while she talked on the boy at the other end.

And the letter read like this:

Kanzaki Nao- neesan,

I watched your interview with my mum many times. She says I should be like you too, honest and a brave person! I hope to be like you someday. My mum says she likes you. I wish to talk to you in person too but I don't know if this can reach you. If it does please call me.

Akiyama silently stood still.

Nao was laughing behind him.

Well, maybe... just maybe, the conman artist thought as he looked up and remembered everything that has happened to him up till now...his mother, the Liar Game... and this girl.

Maybe this world isn't bad at all.

Sometimes you just meet... some people.

He smiled at the thought.

And then raised his hand and pat Nao Kanzaki's head in appreciation.

"There's really no cure for this one," he said as he jammed his head inside his pockets and watched her turn her head in his direction. "There's no need to. I'm more than enough."

"Akiyama-san?" Nao blinked at him.

The man was smiling behind the covers of his hair.

"Hey, Nao... I'll be staying awhile again."

You don't need to change at all.

~ THE END~

AN END!

JUST END IT!

A year? Is that how time flies nowadays!?

somebody kill the author! *kicks open her door*

"Kyaahh~ Akiyama-chann! Come in!" xD

~AFTER A YEAR... STILL Thanks for Reading~