perfectmatch | week three

[ Points the edamame pod straight at him and nods. ]

That's exactly it. Though I know it's not so easy.

[ She leans and props her head up with her free hand. ]

When it comes to someone's 'real self,' I'm not even sure I know the answer for myself, sometimes. But that's alright.

[. . . . ]

You know. . . I think the "real self" can be pretty multifaceted. Nobody has just one side to them, right? We're all far more complicated than that.

[what's this. . . ? bean getting philosophical??]

There's the side of you that you save for work, for your friends, for your family, for strangers .. . [a beat] . . . for the people you care about! Right?

So maybe there isn't just one "real self." Maybe you have several.

[ woah... philosobean moment...

Shoko just sort of stares at him, humming thoughtfully while she munches on the edamame. ]

...Mm. I think that's a good way of looking at it. But still, if someone I cared about didn't know about one side of my real self, that could be pretty painful down the line, wouldn't it...

[ she sighs, shaking her head. ]

Guess there's a reason sorcerers didn't really tend to settle down with non-sorcerers. All this stuff used to be secret until recently, too, but...

[he can feel that staring, and he knows. . . deep down, he knows she can sense the deeper meaning in his words. his gaze flickers to the side, taking in the cameramen who are diligently filming this entire interaction, as he takes another swig of his beer]

[. . .]

[. . . maybe he can "accidentally" break their equipment. . . ?]

You're right. It would be pretty painful. [to. . . keep such a large secret from the one you cared about. there's a sort of wistful tone in his voice that suggests he empathizes] So. . . even if there are multiple parts to you that are real, I hope you find the chance to share them all with Poppy.

That way, she can appreciate all of you. Every little thing that makes you who you are!

[her sleepless nights, her poor coping habits, the burdens she carries upon her shoulders. . . all of that alongside the really cool and fun and thoughtful person that Shoko has shown everyone thus far]

[ Pesky camera crew, indeed. There really hasn't been a good way to have more private conversations other than. Y'know.

A real pain in the ass, because the more she gets to talk with Edamura like this, the more it seems like... he understands her more than he even lets on with his words. Like there's - maybe - a side of his real self, too, that he hasn't shown just yet.

However, the sides that she has gotten to see so far...?

Shoko smiles, something warmer and more fond than usual. ]

...You're a really sweet guy, Makoto.

[AND THEY CAN'T GET TO. . . Y'KNOW. . . while they're out enjoying an izakaya. either way, her words bring a small touch of pink to his cheeks, and he lowers his gaze, not even bothering to hide his smile. sweet, huh. . .]

[. . .]

[. . . he thinks he is anything but]

Say, Shoko--

[he looks up again, reaching his arm across the table to reach for some edamame--]

[his arm bumps into the half-full pitcher of beer they're sharing between themselves, knocking it clear off of the table and. . . right onto some of the camera equipment! the equipment sparks and smokes, with the cameramen letting out a few sharp and surprised curses as they move to unplug the electronics before a fire starts]

[Edamura looks HORRIFIED]

Guh-- I'm so sorry. . . ! D-do you need me to help pay for that when the show is over--?

[one of the crew members mumbles about how Edamura probably couldn't afford it, before telling his coworkers that they have extra camera stuff in the car outside. it'll only take ten minutes to set it up!]

[. . . . . .]

[when they aren't looking, Eeamura leans over the table to mutter, voice pitched low]

-- okay, so I bought us ten minutes. That should be more than enough.

[THIS GUY. HE WASTED BEER TO TAKE OUT THE CAMERAS??]]

[ Shoko remains as composed as ever even as chaos erupts around her, though she can't say she's disappointed about the cameras getting ruined at all. They've been here three weeks, and it's all starting to get annoying... ]

[ ... But she is surprised when Edamura reveals he'd done it all on purpose.... AND WASTED BEER.......!! ]

..........Eh?

[THEIR POOR, WASTED ALCOHOL. . .]

Sorry about the beer. . . but I don't want this to be recorded. I can't risk anyone incidentally seeing me talk about this on television.

[the way he says it makes it sound so serious, even as he casually picks up chopsticks again. his experiences with Odile, at least, have taught him a much better way to approach the subject]

The truth is. . . I'm not a freelancer.

[he's kind of surprised so many people bought that explanation. then again, sometimes there's a part of him that is always surprised when people buy his lies so easily]

I'm a confidence man.

[ It does sound serious, and though Edamura might reach for his chopsticks casually while he's speaking, Shoko puts both chopsticks and beer glass down.

And, truth to tell, part of her... isn't all that surprised. Even from the start, she'd offered "freelancer" as a purposely vague title. And with the way he so effortlessly put on his little acts at the brewery...

...Remembering that his mother had been sick and confined to the hospital since he was young...

...She closes her eyes, giving an almost... amused sort of smile. He could almost be a sorcerer, she thinks. And with that thought comes the reminder that even amongst her colleagues, there are many of them that don't exactly abide by society's laws and expectations. Herself, included.

Still, to hear him actually reveal himself as a con man... ]

Hah... You had us fooled, didn't you, Mame-chan?

[ Oddly, she doesn't sound mad, surprised, or disappointed at all. ]

[. . . it's the lack of anger and disappointment in her voice that prevents him from taking those words to their worst logical conclusion. from guessing that she is making the same assumptions Odile almost had: that everything he has done since arriving has been nothing more than an elaborate act. a con. a swindler trying to achieve another score]

[a deep inhale. a slow exhale]

Haha. . . well. [he keeps his voice light, but he isn't looking at her, staring absentmindedly at the bowl of edamame that sits between them] If I had told people the truth, would anyone have believed anything I've said or done over the past two weeks. . .?

[they wouldn't have. they shouldn't have. no one should ever trust a con man]

No, I suppose not.

[ Candidly. But even now, she just can't picture Edamura lying about everything. Especially not after the moment they shared that one haunted night, and the cigarette that went with it. ]

Did you become one to pay for your mother's hospital bills?

[. . . if only he had that as an excuse. . . but his past self didn't have any real excuses. nothing beyond a sudden, crushing loneliness in the immediate emptiness of his mother's passing. . . and a jaded bitterness towards the world that had wronged him]

No. I didn't start scamming people in earnest until after she died.

[ugh. maybe "chuuni" really was the right word for the kind of person he was back then]

But my reasons for becoming a scam artist are completely different from the reasons I. . . [. . . do it now? isn't he supposed to be in retirement?]

. . . still want to do it now.

[ Oh? So it wasn't something he'd turned to in desperation to be able to keep his mother in the hospital... so then? ]

So... what are those reasons?

[ She asks with a tone as level as ever; no judgment, just a question. Almost like a doctor acting their patient. ]

[desperation, sure. . . just not desperation born out of his desire to protect his mother. it was something much more selfish]

. . . I started swindling people because I couldn't get an honest job. I had run into some-- some trouble while my mom was still alive, and came out of it with a criminal record. I was only sentenced to probation, but. . . you know.

[employers don't want to hire criminals]

Everyone thought I was nothing more than a no-good swindler, so. . . I turned myself into one.

[. . . a small laugh as he lifts his gaze towards hers again, a smile appearing on his features]

I was really good at it, too.

[it was strange, how naturally lying to others had come to him. he doesn't think about that too deeply, but if he did. . .? he might start questioning the kind of person he is]

[ . . .

It's not an unfamiliar story. Sorcerers fight curses. Curses are born from negative human emotions. Negative human emotions... are fed by circumstances like this. The inherent cruelty of society. Despair. Bitterness. Often, when they investigate such cases, it tends to go back to a simple story of how someone's life was made irrevocably difficult.

So... she understands. Her features soften with sympathy as she finally picks up her glass to take a sip of beer again. ]

Life really can be unfair like that, huh? Just one mistake can set the course for the rest of your life. It just takes one thing to go wrong for the dominoes to fall...

So then, your reason for wanting to continue?

[he goes for another piece of karaage, though he doesn't eat it just yet, merely holding it between his chopsticks as he talks. her first commentary needs no response; nothing beyond an affirming noise. as to her question. . .]

[. . .]

I work with a group of confidence men who swindle rich assholes. The sleaziest of the sleaze that society has to offer. I've taken down gangs in Los Angeles, yakuza in Tokyo and Shanghai, and even an art appraiser who was taking advantage of a woman's affections to steal her money.

[. . .]

. . . this doesn't mean I think what I'm doing is right. But it gives me purpose.

[ taking a loooooooong sip of beer... ]

[ And then sets her glass back down, because she need her hands to gesticulate. ]

...So, you were a young delinquent with a really challenging situation at home, and became a con man after being unable to find a job because of something minor, but you take down the rich scumbags that the world would be better off without. Take down entire gangs. Yakuza, even.

[ . . . ]

Hehe. What you're doing might not be right, sure, but it is pretty impressive, actually. Actually, if there's any right way to be a confidence man, I think you've found it.

Besides, you're not the only one who's been a bit of a cheater in life.

[ she leans over, holding a hand up to the side of her mouth, just in case some of the crew are slowly starting to return. ]

I faked my eligibility for licensure. I wanted to become a doctor as soon as I could, so.~ Don't tell anyone, alright?

[somehow. . . that's all that it takes. any remaining tension he may have had from his honesty melts away with her smile, features easing into one of his own. he will never be able to believe that what he is doing is right. lying and cheating and stealing gaining someone's trust only to stab them in the back will never feel right in his heart]

[but. . .]

[. . . it is kind of fun]

-- haha! Seriously? [naturally, there is not a single ounce of judgment in his response. if anything, he sounds impressed!] Who would I even tell? Your secret's safe with me.

. . . it's way more important that you're in a position to help whoever you can, anyway. How you got there doesn't matter.

[ God, Edamura... Shoko is nodding emphatically because— he gets it!! ]

Exactly. Why would I waste my time for years fulfilling all those requirements when I could already perform my duties since I was in high school? This way I could become a doctor at twenty, instead of twenty-nine or something.

[ Shoko... might actually be a genius tbh. In any case, she rises enough to be able to lean over the low table and rest her hand on his shoulder, giving it a reassuring squeeze if he lets her. ]

Anyway, thanks for telling me, Makoto.

week three | dates

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