“Let me out!” the merman threw a punch against the glass aquarium that caged him. He looks furiously irritated and annoyed, even more when he saw Yabu and Jin looking curiously towards him as if he was the object in a zoo. “I said, let me out! I refuse to stay in here forever, rascals!” he threw his fist again.

Jin stared thoughtfully. “Kou-chan, did you talk too much to them that they started to learn our language?”

The merman glared. “What do you think I am? A parrot?” he snapped, punching the glass again repeatedly. “Let me go! What kind of guy you are, caging other people in a dry aquarium?”

Jin raised an eyebrow. “You’re a Liminal,” he stated a fact.

“Every Liminals are initially human,” the merman hissed. “Don’t tell me you also disgraced us.”

Jin squinted at that. He didn’t. He really didn’t. Jin could feel something inside him struggling, one feeling to another, in a bid of winning himself. “Convince me,” was the only words Jin managed to say.

The merman stared deep into Jin’s dark orbs, searching for a faint promise. “If I did, will you release me?”

“Convince me you’re a human, and I’ll treat you as one.”

Yabu wasn’t sure how he was supposed to react between the heated situation. They weren’t yelling, but their eye contact yelling determination. He wasn’t a Liminal scholar, he didn’t even know any basics for Liminality. All he knew was how to take care of a Liminal, to keep them alive under control. In Yabu’s eyes, they were all pets – pets who were capable of killing his own parents. But when the merman finally closed its eyes, taking a deep breath before opening his eyes again – this time, eyes shining in bright blue, and Yabu swore it was the brightest blue eyes Yabu had ever seen in his life, and the most beautiful too – Yabu knew Liminals are nowhere near a pet. In a minute, the merman figure started to change, painfully in a moderate speed, and Yabu observed how the blonde hair turned black, and the tail merged into a pair of legs.

Jin’s determined eyes softened, just the moment the merman actually turned into a man. As if watching the wonder of life, he felt his knees shaken. The man trapped in the dry aquarium before them stared back, as the blue light in his eyes faded.

“You’re... For real?” Jin muttered.

The stranger stepped close to the glass, knocking it once again. “Now I convinced you. Keep your promise and let me out,” he practically growled.

For a few seconds, Jin and Yabu were frozen in place. Logics and possibilities were mixed up in their minds, and for a moment it felt as if the time stopped. “Who are you?” Jin nearly whispered.

The stranger grimaced in irritation. “The name is Jun. Matsumoto Jun from Tokyo.”

Jin felt his legs stepping closer. He wasn’t sure how he should react. This is a human, no doubt about that. The human part of the merman has returned. “Akanishi Jin from Chiba. The A of KAT-TUN, the Keepers.” So after all, the Liminals are capable to return back to their human form?

The stranger named Jun smirked. “And I thought I’ll be dead if I encounter any of the Keepers.”

“You will,” Yabu interrupted. “Except the A.”

*****

Yamapi and Ryo walked in the house, wanting to head straight to the study room. But they felt something strange in the air. Nothing was different, really. It’s not like the house was being broken in or anything like that, but the atmosphere was just different. Yamapi thought it was just his imagination, but when he glanced at Ryo and saw the same hints he felt, Yamapi started to doubt. Something is definitely out. Just, what?

Carefully they stepped further. There was gushing of water in the bathroom. Yamapi casted a glance at Ryo before he carefully pushed the bathroom door open. They saw Ueda’s figure standing in front of the mirror, hands propping on the sink with the pipe open. His hair was gone, leaving him bald. There was a clawing scar on his head. They were obvious, even though it almost healed. Yamapi frowned, stepping one step ahead. “Ueda?”

Ryo reached for Yamapi’s arm, tugging him backwards in reflex. He wasn’t sure himself, but those eyes reflected from the mirror weren’t the Ueda they knew. It wasn’t because the change of hair. It was those eyes. They were sharp and empty.

“Ueda?” Ryo squinted, eyes glaring, meeting the other pair in the mirror.

Ueda slowly turned back, and Ryo saw the necklace in Ueda’s hand. His necklace. “Hello, Liminals,” Ueda answered wryly. Ryo and Yamapi gulped unconsciously.

“You remembered?” Yamapi asked.

Ryo could see how Ueda’s fist tightened on Takki’s white pearl, holding something so strong inside him. “You lied to me,” Ueda growled lowly under his breath.

“We weren’t sure how to explain to you,” Yamapi defended.

“That night I was searching for Takizawa,” Ueda cut in, didn’t even bother to consider Yamapi’s reasoning. “I thought if I could have his pearl, things would settle down. I don’t know how but everything happened out of my control,” Ueda looked down at his hand, still holding Takki’s pearl, before shifting his gaze towards Ryo then Yamapi. “What an interesting treat. The unicorn is already dead, it saved my time. Who killed him so I could thank him?”

“I did,” Ryo’s answer was woven with sorrow. But Ryo wasn’t sure if Ueda even noticed that. That currently bald guy seemed too lost in something that Ryo could never comprehend.

“Oh, cool. Did he cheat on you or something?” Ueda chuckled heartlessly.

“Ueda!” Yamapi’s voice rose, stepping ahead, ready to defend his best friend. But Ryo was still the one pulling him back, resolving the anger started building inside him.

Ueda glared at Yamapi. “You know what’s the best part is?” Ueda started to sneak his other hand at one side of the sink, taking a knife with him. “I can’t believe Ryo is actually a phoenix. We’ve been dreaming to catch one, and now he’s just in front of me,” his hand extending the knife towards Ryo. Ryo didn’t react though, not even a tinge of scare.

“Ueda, stop,” Yamapi warned. “I’m afraid you don’t remember clearly what actually happened...”

“I remembered it as clear as water now, Pi!!” Ueda yelled, cutting Yamapi completely off. “I remember how Ryo appeared as a phoenix, and you jumped on me and do something with this pearl to purify me or whatever you want to call that!” he paused, taking a deep breath before squinting. “And I remembered how your eyes turned golden before jumping on me.”

“What?” Yamapi felt shiver running through his body.

“Good thing I remembered my head was bleeding when I woke up,” Ueda continued more calmly now. “So I shaved my head to find out. And I found a clawing scar. I tried to put two and two together. When you jumped on my head, you used your claws to grab my slick scale. That’s why you didn’t fall.” He paused for a while. “Come to think of it, Ryo won’t let you jump if he knew you’ll fall. Ryo knew you wouldn't slip. But as far as I know, golden eyes indicate a felines Liminal, and there is only one felines Liminals that has claws.”

Yamapi gulped, praying to all deities that existed for all the good things they embarked from Honshu.

“The king of all Liminals,” Ueda concludes. “Yamapi, you’re a Griffin. Am I right?”

There was a long silence from Ryo and Yamapi. Neither knew how they should answer. And Ueda was still the one who broke the silence with his dry laugh, one hand gripping Takki’s pearl, and the other gripping the kitchen knife.

“I was hoping you’d say no.”

“Why should I? You already know the truth,” Yamapi conceded.

“How the hell can you use your claws without transforming into a Griffin?” Ueda asked, something that he could not understand no matter how much he relate them to Nakamaru’s books.

“You mean like this?” Ryo asked, snapping his fingers as a gust of fire lit up at the tip of Ryo’s index finger. Ueda stared. Okay, how was it again that they can actually become a human again after being a Liminal, or more like they can actually control themselves even though they were in Liminal form? Now that he remembered, he did return back to human, but he didn’t know how to go back to being a dragon. Ueda mentally shook his head. No, he’s not a dragon. He’s not!

“That’s even better,” Ueda held the knife up again. “Having a Unicorn, a Phoenix, and a Griffin at the same time, I’m sure lucky at this quest. Kame and Koki will get jealous with this.”

Ryo’s eyebrows rose, turning off the fire at his finger. “You put two and two together, huh. The problem is, you put two and two together, yet you got five.”

“Shut up!” Ueda’s hand started to shake. “Now fight me fair and square!”

“You won’t win,” Yamapi stated the obvious.

“You don’t know me,” Ueda growled, eyes blazing with murderous intent. “Don’t ever look down on me, Liminals!”

“No,” Ryo said. “Pi is right. You won’t win. Open up your eyes, Ueda. Don’t lie to yourself. You’re a Liminal...”

“I’m not! Shut up!” Ueda suddenly threw the knife towards Ryo, and merely hit the tanned guy when Yamapi was faster to push Ryo away, sending them both stumbling on the floor. Ueda blinked once, recalling about such things that Griffin is the fastest creature on earth.

Ryo grunted, feeling the pain on his back knocking the hard floor. Yamapi grinned apologetically, and Ryo almost rolled his eyes. He could see Ueda palming his face, grimacing underneath.

“You’re right,” Ueda said to no one. “I won’t win,” and he ran out of the house, not caring whatever or whoever along the road anymore. His mind was in a huge mess. All he cared about was to run. Far and far away from reality if that even possible.

Ryo scrambled back on his leg. “No, Ueda, wait!” He almost slipped with imbalance, but Yamapi caught him.

“You’re going after him?” Yamapi voiced in surprise.

“He’s not stable, Pi,” Ryo said. “He’s crying inside, hating himself the most right now. He might be thinking of killing himself, and he might be repeating the same mistake I did. The mistake that killed Takki.”

Yamapi stood frozen at that remark. Ryo had his point. At this very moment, Ueda needed help. In every way possible. Yamapi scratched his head. Jin... Shall he inform Jin about this? But he quickly shook his head. No, that would just blow their cover. But before Yamapi could think further, Ryo grabbed his shirt, tugging him along. And Yamapi stumbled to follow him out.

*****

Ueda wasn’t sure how long he had run. It was almost dawn. His legs already felt wobbly. He couldn’t believe he ran the whole night. This would have been the longest time ever in the record of his life. But despite all that, despite all the night breeze sweeping across him, the memory of himself turning into a dragon never left him. He felt some water lapping his feet, waking him up and made him realized he reached a beach. The sea was cold. And Ueda fell on his knees. Was everything real? Was it not just a dream? The memory of himself leaving Honshu to set for Hokkaido just to search for Takizawa, and how he sat at one place to meditate, to purify his soul, to throw all the intentions of a Keeper, making him lost his inner self just to get close to a Unicorn. Everything was so damn clear now. He wasn’t sure why but one moment he suddenly couldn’t think of anything, and the last thing he remembered was when he turned to a dragon himself, and attacked a ship. Before Ryo and Yamapi appeared.

Ueda gasped. A ship? Oh god, please don’t tell me I killed someone. He quivered in fear of himself. But his jaws clenched when he remembered he didn’t actually killed anyone – thanks to Ryo and Yamapi, who apparently saved him with Takki’s pearl. But the fact that he turned into a dragon didn’t change. Ueda suddenly threw both his hands on the sandy beach, feeling the soft cold sea lapping him over and over again. His left hand was balled up, still holding Takki’s pearl, and drops of tears started to mix in the sea. He cried. For the first time after his parents died, he cried. For the first time after he killed his own parents, he cried. For the first time, he thought killing himself wouldn’t be a bad choice. It just sounded so right. Why couldn't he just die? Why can't he just die that night?

“Why? What did I do wrong? What did my parents do that deserve all this? Why?” he wailed.

*****

The moment Nakamaru, Koki, Kame and Taguchi reached the airport of Hokkaido, Nakamaru his cell phone, and he got a notification telling he got a number of missed calls from Jin. Nakamaru dialed back.

“Where the hell are you?!” was the yell Nakamaru was greeted with.

Nakamaru cleared his throat. “Well, I was on flight to Hokkaido, so I switched off my phone for a while. Umm, hello?”

Jin scowled. “Hokkaido? What on earth are you guys doing there?”

“We’re searching for Tatsuya, what else?”

“Why searching for him?”

Nakamaru took a while to stare at his phone before craddling it back to his ears. “Because he’s missing for more than a week already?”

“What?!” Jin’s scream was almost deafening, and Nakamaru had to put his phone away for a while. “He’s missing?! Why? When? Where?”

“Jin, he’s been missing for so long already, you didn’t even know?” Nakamaru rolled his eyes.

“You didn’t tell me when I drop by at the headquarters!” Jin complained.

“You didn’t even bother to ask us why we were drowning in tons of books,” Nakamaru shrugged.

“I thought it was one of your another crazy research,” Jin was still whining.

“Excuse me, my crazy research was the one that helped you guys out in this business, just in case you hadn’t notice, Akanishi Jin,” Nakamaru felt offended.

“Yeah, yeah. By the way, Nakamura.”

“It’s Nakamaru.”

“Whatever,” Jin just nodded. “Do you know Matsumoto Jun?”

“Who’s that?”

“He’s the merman.”

Nakamaru blinked. He remembered Jin caught a merman before, and caged him in an aquarium. “Oh, so you give names to your Liminals.”

Jin’s face dropped. “I didn’t give him name, he told me that was his name. Apparently he turned back to a human form and communicated with me.”

Nakamaru rubbed his temple. “Jin, how is that even possible?”

“That’s why I’m calling you!” Jin exclaimed. “I was just wondering if this relates to any of your weird researches.”

“My researches aren’t weird!” Nakamaru almost pouted.

“Yeah, yeah, whatever.”

Nakamaru tried to process the information again. “I think this might relate to Hideaki Takizawa. Jin, give me some time. I’ll get back to you later,” he hung up and motioned for his other three friends to follow him. They took a cab, heading straight away towards Takki’s old house.


To be continued...