Scarlett Lines

01:Past returns!

Moving back to his native land after living in a foreign country for more than three years, Valente wasn't that enthusiastic. After all, who likes to go back to a past that they wish they could forget?

It wasn't that all he had were unhappy memories regarding his native land. If he were to look at it carefully then, it can be said that he lived the happiest days of his life in Rusvil City. However, when looked at from another angle, it could also be said that he lived the most unhappiest days of his life at Rusvil City too. After all, he lost everything he had in this very city 13 years ago.

It's been two days since Valente moved back to Rusvil. Finding himself a not so bad apartment to live in, it didn't take much effort for him to quickly settle in, since he didn't have many belongings in the first place. By the evening of the second day, he was already enjoying a vibrant pinkish orange sky view in the park nearby.

After reminiscing about his bitter-sweet past on the park bench until the sky darkened, Valente didn't look forward to seeing someone squatting in front of his house like a door mat. Not to mention, it was a police officer.

Greeting the guests with a homely smile wasn't exactly something Valente was used to. And he didn't want to try hard on creating a homely home either. So, putting little to no effort in hiding the puzzled and alert look in his eyes, he approached that police officer. "Are you waiting for me?" He asked in his most unwelcoming tone of voice.

"Oh, Mr. Stark?" The police officer asked, a smile on his face without minding the unfriendliness emitting from Valente. It was as if he had got used to receiving unfriendly gestures from people. It was the truth. After all, which person in his right mind would want to have anything to do with a police officer?

"I am." Valente Stark answered without lowering his alertness even a bit.

"Hi, I'm Nathaniel. Team leader of Crime Investigation team two of police. Can I have a few words with you." That police officer said as he took out his identity card to show Valente.

Raising an eyebrow at the mention of Crime Investigation, "Crime?! I don't think I'm capable enough to get involved in a crime on the second day of my arrival in Rusvil." Valente replied sarcastically.

"Ah, no! I'm not saying you're involved in any crime. It's just... well..." As Nathaniel hesitated for a bit, a click of the tongue from Valente was all it took for him to quickly spill it, "It's like this. I'm in charge of investigating the recent issues with Mafia organizations in Rusvil. I know that you worked for the Scarlett Blades organization before stepping out of there three years ago. So, I was hoping to get some useful information from you."

It wasn't the first time someone approached him for the same purpose. Three years ago, when he first stepped out of the organization, It wasn't just the police that came looking for him to get inside information of Scarlett Blades organization. Even gangsters from other organizations who wants to take over the position of Scarlett Blades were after him at that time. He was like a most wanted criminal by both the underworld and the police at that time until he moved to another country secretly.

People like Nathaniel truly weren't a new sight for him. Yet, among the countless people who approached him back then, there wasn't one who was so honest as Nathaniel, who had just laid out his intentions from the very beginning. Wasn't he afraid that I might just shut him out?

Scanning Nathaniel up and down, there was only one thought that appeared in Valente's mind. Too young, too naive.

A cold sneer escaping from Valente, "How old are you?", he asked in a plain tone.

Nathaniel, "What? You think I look too young to be a team leader?"

"Certainly. I've never met a police officer who's too honest for his own good after all." His words couldn't get any more sarcastic than they already were yet, the gentle and businesslike smile on Nathaniel's didn't falter at all as he explained proudly.

"It's because I knew that many police officers failed in getting any information from you three years ago, no matter what way they approached. So, I thought I might as well just lay out all my cards out and try my luck."

Valente, "Good thinking. But, there's this popular saying in the underworld. The more thick your disguise is, then you're as crooked as a dog's hind leg on the inside. So, try your luck somewhere else." It was supposed to be a smooth slam of a door as Valente tried to close his door while speaking, until it was interrupted by something stuck between the door and the door frame.

"Can't we have a few friendly words?" Nathaniel grinned shamelessly with his foot blocking the door from closing.

Turns out he wasn't naive at all. Rather, he's quite shameless. Valente's eyes almost rolled to the back of his head in annoyance. "Have it your way. But, be ready to bear the consequences of acquainting yourself to me." He said as he left the door open and walked into his new home, although it was far from being a home, since it lacked life.

"Then I'll make myself at home. Thank you for having me."

Shameless. Extremely ridiculous.

Nathaniel smoothly changed into the pair of slippers on the shoe stand and made his way into Valente's home quite comfortably. Valente wasn't planning on giving him anything to eat or drink and, surely, Nathaniel also understood it clearly. But, Valente wasn't planning on giving him anything didn't mean that he wasn't allowed to get anything on his own. As if he was in his own home, Nathaniel quite casually walked to the fridge before taking out a can of beer.

"You want one?"He asked Valente who was giving him a judgemental look from before.

Finally averting his eyes from that shameless guy, "I'll pass." Valente said with a sarcastic smirk.

"Alright then."

"Oh right. I'm 24 by the way."

Valente, "Oh." Indeed, too young.

Quite happy to receive a reply although it was short, Nathaniel continued, "Now that I've answered your question, It's your turn now. You say... you're not the only one to step out from the underworld but, for some reason, you're the only one who actually properly stepped out and actually survived. All the others who tried to step out were either pulled back into the underworld by some other organizations or killed. I'm just wondering... why are you the only one?!"

It was a question asked in an extremely serious manner yet, the answer Nathaniel expected never came even after waiting for some time. "Why aren't you answering?" Nathaniel urged impatiently.

Valente paused the game he was playing on his pc before turning to Nathaniel. "You seem to have misunderstood something. Let me make it clear. You're in my home right now because you broke in yourself. I never said that I was going to answer any questions."

Nathaniel was dumbfounded as if he was wronged. "Ah! You- How can you be so unreasonable? I answered your question. Isn't proper manners to answer my questions in return?!"

This time, It was Valente who looked dumbfounded. "Unreasonable? Me?!" Shamelessness can even run in one's blood and soul?!

"Yep, I'm unreasonable." Heaving a heavy sigh, Valente conceded defeat with no will to fight against such shamelessness. No wonder he's already an investigation team leader at such a young age! "In any case, I won't answer any of your questions. Please show yourself out once you finish your beer."

"Oh~" Nathaniel pouted his lips in dissappointment and continued to sip on his beer as he watched Valente continuing his video game on the PC. After staring at him for some time, maybe he got tired from keeping his mouth shut, "At least you can tell me your age right? That doesn't concern any information on Scarlett Blades." Nathaniel said.

"31." Valente gave an answer right away this time.

Having gotten what he wanted, Nathaniel spoke criticizingly, "Ah... So, you just refuse to give out any insider information on Scarlett Blades, huh? You answer the questions unrelated to them quite willingly!"

Valente paused the video game for the second time and the look in his eyes as he turned to look into Nathaniel's eyes weren't serene and blank anymore. He was annoyed. No, enraged. Nathaniel really touched a sore spot this time. Valente wasn't willing to give him the information he wanted from the very beginning. He first tried to shut him out and later, he avoided answering Nathaniel's questions regarding his past. Nathaniel really should've read the mood by now and should've quietly left after finishing the can of beer. Valente really was generous enough to let him in the house and even letting him do as he pleased despite him making Valente remember the worst days of his life.

But, Nathaniel was too straight to read the room. And, it was something Valente knew by heart too from the first moment he met this youngster. Deciding to give into the younger generation once again, Valente managed to stop his twwitching hand forming in a tight fist that could break jaws. Words are still better than violence.

"If you're gonna keep talking about my past, you should just get out before I off your breath." He lined, his voice sounding a bit harsh as if he was reprimanding a naughty child. It was a bit terrifying. Yet, with how thick Nathaniel's skin was, he didn't waver an inch. Instead, "You're so nice." he commented in joy filled tone.

Nice?

Valente was confused as to exactly how Nathaniel came up with such a conclusion. Although his expression didn't give away his confused thoughts, Nathaniel proceeded to explain the process of his conclusion as if he read Valente's thoughts. "I met a lot of mafia members before. All brutal and cruel to the point that they didn't even seem humane. But, you're different. I know how annoying my personality can be even for normal people yet, you're still enduring me to despite being a former mafia member. You didn't chase me out and even let me drink a can of beer here. You're like a..... father?"

As Nathaniel bursted out, laughing at his own words at the end, Valente hid a small yet gentle smile that apeeared on his pale pink lips. This playful child! Thinking back, he was too similar to a character from his past.

A person he desperately wanted to adore and cherish yet, he couldn't afford to do so due to the messy entanglement he had with that person. It was too messy that Valente who always faced all the hard times in his life bravely actually chose to run away from that person.

The moment of return of the past didn't last long as it was interrupted by a ring of his doorbell.

As he gathered himself before getting up to open the door for his unexpected visitor, another silhoutte was already in front of the door, preparing to open it.

"Don't open it!!!" A sudden outburst from Valente which was too desperate was still a bit late as the door was already opened. Valente could only watch with wide eyes as his already pale skin whitened more like porcelain as his pair of indigo eyes met a pair of hazel eyes.

Speak of the devil?!... Wolf!!