The double doors open into a long, dark corridor yawning wide before them. Seigen is escorted by two guards in front, with two more trailing behind, guiding him by the shoulders. The air here is cold and stale, he thinks, compared to the last place. The dismal atmosphere had been expected, given how far north and secluded they were. Asahikawa was the highest security penitentiary in all of Japan, located as far from civilization as it got, in the snow-capped mountains of Sapporo. He’d be spending the next thirty or so years in this godforsaken icebox of a prison, so he figured he’d better get used to it. In any case, life had never shown him any mercy before, why should it start now?
31Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaCBUx6tYNi
As Seigen walks down the dimly lit hall, he can hear the commotion of other inmates stirring in their cells.31Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1eO6un2qKD
31Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWUkeJyQl6B
“Looks like we got some fresh meat, boys,” a voice calls out, commemorating his arrival.
31Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0oFU0cJDTk
“Oi, pretty boy, why don’tcha spend the night with me instead?”
31Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoAYWk1nBL5
More voices holler and coo at him as he trudges down the hall, their laughter dripping with a familiar malevolence that makes his stomach churn. Seigen keeps his eyes forward, expression stern as he ignores them. Pigs , he thinks.
31Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRZh0lh92CU
“Can’t wait for the morning shower. This little bitch looks feisty.”
31Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIiakCj8l5a
“Where ya goin, Princess ?”
31Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ716dECnSr2
Seigen’s brows furrow deeper and his cuffed hands ball into fists, his nails digging into his palms. More prisoners join in, banging on the bars of their cells like the caged animals they were. They continue to slew more degrading insults at him as the guards lead him onward, but he can’t let it shake him. Inside, however, he can feel his heart pump full of adrenaline and fury. He’d kill anyone who dared to lay a finger on him.
31Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3aiiL4zr0C
“Quiet hours means silence !” One of the officers growls, slamming his baton hard against a cell door. The sharp clang echoes down the block. “If I hear another damn sound, you’ll all be dragged out at four A.M. to scrub the shower floors until they shine!”
31Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkWYfL9fnFD
The chaos quickly subsides, and Seigen and the guards finally arrive at the end of the long, dreadful hallway. Standing before them is a thick wooden door with a small, barred window at eye level.
31Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4djLjbD3AO
One of the guards in front of Seigen fumbles for the keys at his belt, and the other turns to him to speak. “Your paperwork says you’ve got a history of noncompliance and violent behavior, so Warden’s assigned you to this special solitary cell with a cellmate.” He feels the guard behind him working at his handcuffs as he gets the rundown. “You’ll be monitored carefully here to start with. Any kind of misconduct will result in more intense measures of solitary confinement, so behave.”
31Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEgkpjDHEk6
When his handcuffs are finally removed, Seigen brings his wrists up to rub them. “Got it.”
31Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLmgW2d6a29
The guard turns around, rapping on the wood with his knuckle, announcing their presence before opening the door. They step aside, giving Seigen a bit of a shove. Without as much as another breath in his direction, they shut the door quickly behind him.
31Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOeLpFadMBw
As Seigen looks around the dimly lit room, it only takes him a moment to notice the other figure there, sitting on the top bunk with a book in his hands. His gaze acknowledges Seigen’s intrusion from behind his round glasses, and he slowly closes his novel. “I wasn’t expecting you for another hour.”
31Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAtfb8Z8ZA0
“Yeah, well. Not like that matters to me,” Seigen replies, his voice flat but tinged with irritation.
31Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPZTPE6NI0i
Standing in the threshold of the cell, he watches as the man moves to climb down from his bunk with practiced ease, approaching Seigen with long, silent strides. When the man stops in front of him, Seigen notes his poised composure. He’s got an unsettling sort of grace about him that doesn’t belong in a place like this.
31Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFgd3cAk8NU
Seigen doesn’t budge. His gaze shifts lazily around the cramped cell, feigning disinterest even as his muscles remain taut, ready for whatever comes next. When the man stops in front of him, Seigen takes in his refined posture, the way he holds himself with an air of calm confidence that feels out of place among such high security inmates.
31Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡI0UDYF1PVe
Then, without hesitation, the man extends a hand.
31Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡllLw3yQVh6
“Jikuin Jyobu. The pleasure is mine, I’m sure.”
31Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡB2CF5MfnHc
Seigen’s eyes drop to the offered handshake, his frown deepening. There’s something too smooth about this guy – too polite, too at ease, considering the circumstances. He doesn’t trust it. Ignoring the hand, he keeps his arms stubbornly at his sides.
31Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4mkxc7g10t
“Arima,” he mutters.
31Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFAogDaohNb
Jikuin tilts his head ever so slightly, watching him with quiet amusement. “And your first name?”
31Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ120irnoW2a
A beat of silence passes. Seigen exhales through his nose, already regretting this exchange.
31Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcYUVqRY17X
“...Seigen,” he grumbles, as if the name itself is an offering he’d rather not part with.
31Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMzuTK2Op04
Seemingly pleased with his cooperation, Jikuin’s smile grows wider, and Seigen notices how unnatural the toothy crescent sits on his lips. “Well, Arima-kun, welcome to Asahikawa Penitentiary. I have no doubt it will be a delight to room with you.”
31Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeVtwneY5WM
As if to punctuate his words, Jikuin chuckles, the sound hollow and broken, each note carrying an eerie weight that makes Seigen’s skin crawl. It wasn’t like the pigs outside – it was something much darker. His laugh carried an edge of madness, as if it teetered on the brink of something incomprehensible. It left a ghostly imprint that lingered in Seigen’s ears, unsettling and raw.
31Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDlpCjCllNw
No tellin’ what this one’s in for, he thinks grimly.
31Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfbbEKWXSyN
Of course, Seigen doesn’t let it show. He keeps his expression carefully neutral, masking any reaction behind a veil of boredom as Jikuin studies him.
31Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNv57AF5vw6
“Shall I give you a tour?” Jikuin gestures behind him to the rest of the cell with his hand, to which Seigen notices in the flick of motion that his nails are painted.
31Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtU7U1mIhsf
Seigen raises an eyebrow, half-expecting Jikuin to be joking. But the longer the silence stretches, the more apparent it becomes that he’s completely serious.
31Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpqUmHuFILh
“I think I can manage,” Seigen says flatly, brushing past him without another glance.
31Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMz3SzuX715
“Very well, suit yourself,” Jikuin replies with an airy shrug, as if it makes no difference to him. But then– “Oh, but Arima-kun?”
31Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDE0CP7CS3Z
Something about his tone makes Seigen pause mid-step. He turns just in time to see Jikuin stepping in closer, a little too close for comfort.
31Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGPwwsOTxkn
The taller man tilts his head, leaning in ever so slightly, his unusual smile widening just enough to make it feel deliberate.
31Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIMrvvXBlvq
“Top or bottom?”
31Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiuj8f1LuoS
“Hah!?”
31Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvsIC4nxH7j
Seigen takes a step back, but Jikuin closes the distance again, leaning closer this time. The grin he wore felt uncanny and forced, like it couldn’t quite sit naturally on his face. “I asked you,” he repeats slowly, pointedly, “do you prefer the top or the bottom?”
31Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOOoaqNpYzs
There was a slight underhandedness to Jikuin’s tone that made Seigen’s skin prickle. When he doesn’t respond immediately, Jikuin beckons with his thumb towards the beds.
31Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvAwYQim2c9
The furrow in Seigen’s brows deepens once he realizes that Jikuin is toying with him. “I’ll take the lower bunk,” he mutters, bristling as he stalks towards the bed.
31Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡODJEd16gNW
Behind him, Jikuin chuckles again, quiet but unmistakably amused. “Naturally.”
31Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYNQlpFKHqr
Seigen shoots him a sharp look. “The fuck is that supposed to mean?” He drops onto the mattress with a huff, its springs squeaking in protest under his weight.
31Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzROJkJIrAV
Jikuin shrugs, unbothered. “While the top bunk offers seclusion and a bit of distance from cellmates, the bottom provides easier access to amenities and is often considered desired for its convenience.”
31Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1qBadk16HC
“And?”
31Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSqwy2KfwAX
Jikuin’s expression doesn’t change, but his tone gains a pointed edge. “Naturally, you’d prefer to exert as little effort as possible.” He pauses just long enough for the words to settle before adding with an infuriatingly knowing smile, “How charmingly presumptuous of you to immediately choose the better option, despite only just arriving — though, I imagine you’ve yet to figure out the social dynamics at play.”
31Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡheOZ1WeFFD
Seigen narrows his eyes. “You testin’ me or somethin’?”
31Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡo1kEZjjZmh
“On the contrary, Arima-kun,” Jikuin corrects him, voice smooth, but rich with amusement. “I am just trying to understand you better.”
31Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfo2mV3sqnN
“Tch.” Seigen scoffs, leaning back slightly. “Don’t bother.”
31Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡd0G9kLL2XO
Jikuin observes him carefully, watching as Seigen makes himself comfortable in a lying position, arms folded behind his head, eyes closed. “Perhaps you’d be willing to share more about yourself. As your new cellmate, I’d be more than happy to listen. After all, we will be spending quite a lot of time together.”31Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKlivgrhpy9
31Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtOF9mRGvCv
“Perhaps you’d be willing to shut the fuck up,” Seigen snaps back, rolling over to face the wall.
31Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUciAcVLgIm
“My, my,” Jikuin sounds even more amused. “Such hostility. You might find that a little civility goes a long way in here, Arima-kun.”
31Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJ5QXZRV6oF
Seigen doesn’t respond, his jaw tightening as he stares at the wall. He’s not in the mood for games, and something about Jikuin – the way he speaks, the way he carries himself – rubs him the wrong way.
31Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0zN8VHkxoY
Jikuin doesn’t seem deterred by the silence. “You know, it’s always fascinating to watch how new arrivals adjust. Some lash out, some withdraw, and some…well, they simply blend in, doing whatever it takes to survive.” Jikuin pauses for a moment, a curious lilt in his tone, “I wonder which one you’ll be.”
31Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2NVoOy3pdr
Seigen snorts without turning around. “‘Guess you’ll have to keep wonderin’.”
31Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8PThPp1z2Q
Jikuin lets out a pleased hum. “I suppose I will,” he replies lightly. “Though, if I were a betting man, I’d say you’re not the ‘blend in’ type.” He pauses again, his voice dropping to a softer, almost conspiratorial tone. “But then again, in this place, those who stand out too much tend to burn out…or get put out.”
31Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡk6bai0XBp7
Seigen’s fingers curl into a fist beneath his head, but he forces himself to stay still. “You done talkin’ yet?”
31Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡK3QseaoHom
“For now,” Jikuin answers with a soft chuckle, the same hollow, unsettling sound from before. “Sleep well, Arima-kun.”
31Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCr3X1i3I45
Seigen doesn’t reply. He lies still on the thin mattress, staring at the chipped concrete wall, the distant echoes of heavy footsteps and faint murmurs filtering in from the corridor. The air is cold, carrying the sterile tang of metal and something faintly sour. It doesn’t smell like home. It doesn’t feel like home.
31Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMIsWJFjYxl
Then again, Seigen had only ever known home once, when he was a child.
31Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0e1EXe59yg
He closes his eyes, shutting out the unfamiliar. Home. That’s where his mind drifts, to a time and place where the world was smaller, warmer, and infinitely safer. A place he can still cling to, even here.
31Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxtY1lK8XTj
Soft lamplight spilled across the room, painting the walls in a gentle golden hue. His blanket was tucked snugly under his chin, the faint scent of lavender and vanilla floating in the air – his mother’s perfume.
31Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsLk15H6fnM
“Sweet dreams, Seigen.”
31Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡndSVoCFFOR
“W-Wait!...Mom?” Seigen called out, his voice soft and unsure.
31Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjfbPVyR2ZQ
His mother paused in the doorway, turning back toward the bed where Seigen lay.
31Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡH0Y3zkxF6H
“Yes, dear?”
31Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQq8yZa58nV
“Can you, um…” he trailed, confidence faltering as he looked away, embarrassed by his request.
31Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5Vfp6W6EJ5
His mother understood, though. She always did.
31Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqx0RTRi4FK
She smiled warmly, and returned to the bed, sitting beside him. Seigen shuffled closer, resting his head in her lap as her manicured fingers began threading gently through his tousled hair.
31Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeyPPm387KU
“Mom…?”
31Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtTFG2WCgKV
“Hmm?”
31Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2pVnhrpnzq
“Do…do I have a dad?” Seigen asked sheepishly, his small voice barely above a whisper.
31Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡumbMN8H5Uu
Her hand stilled, but only for a moment before continuing. “Yes, Seigen. Everyone has a dad.”
31Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiGUE0Xfrwh
He frowned slightly, his young mind turning over the words. “Where is he?”
31Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQq7lxc5FKd
Her tone changed – just enough for Seigen to notice. It was quieter, tinged with something he doesn’t fully understand but feels like sadness. “Your father…can’t be here.”
31Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9DqlUbhsY3
His heart sank at her answer. He had never met his father – or at least, that he could remember. Seigen had always held on to the quiet hope that one day, he would. That maybe his father would walk through the door and everything would make sense. But now, that hope felt farther away than ever.
31Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡn0Vt1F0bGx
“Oh…”
31Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMmQbk2T1Gn
“I’m sorry, honey,” his mother said, her usual warmth giving way to something heavy, something distant. “I’m sorry your father can’t be here for you.”
31Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ64EMmbf8DA
Seigen sat up, his small hands reaching for hers as determination flashed in his eyes. “Don’t be sad, mom!” He leaned forward to wrap his arms around her. “I don’t need a dad! Not when I have you!”
31Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3kflW0wU33
He said it with all the conviction a six-year-old heart could muster, and he meant it. She had given him enough love for two parents, and the aunties who helped care for him had filled in the gaps. As far as he was concerned, life is already full.
31Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZJhBDbFBXw
Her embrace tightened as her lips pressed to the top of his head. “Thank you, honey,” she whispered, her voice soft and trembling ever so slightly.
31Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGkSiLKcClb
“I love you, mom.”
31Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJXsHkrRydx
“I love you too, Seigen.”
ns216.73.216.8da2
