Ryu picked at the strings of his sweatpants, holding the camera bag he’d purloined from his newfound roommate like it was a newborn baby. He could feel said roommate’s eyes burning a glare into the side of his head.
“I’m sorry if I caused you any trouble, Mr Smith, I--”
“If?” He flinched at the man’s raised voice. He sighed, scratching his beard.
“Okay, first, just call me Leo please. Second, it’s fine, Ryuki. Just...It’s 2 o’clock in the morning.” Ryu pouted, bouncing his leg. It was late. Early? Either way, he’d pulled him out of their apartment in his pyjamas, he was expecting anger but… Him not yelling or screaming or anything only made his anxiety worse.
“Listen, kid, I don’t mind running errands, you’re fun to hang out with regardless, but when you pull me out of my bed at 2 a.m., get my best camera, and then don’t tell me where we’re going it raises suspicion.” Ryu nodded. He did have a point. It was suspicious.
“Go off this exit and park.” Leo raised his eyebrow.
“Either you’re killing me or buying drugs and I don’t want to be a part of either, if I’m honest.” Ryu chewed on his lip, and handed him his camera bag.
“Drugs are bad.” He said slowly, looking at Leo as if he’d accused him of murder. “They teach you that in school.” Leo scoffed, swinging the bag over his shoulder.
“Jesus Christ, how old are you?”
Ryu jumped over the guard rail and started walking into the woods, leaving Leo behind. He got about 10 feet in before he turned around to check if he was still being followed.
“Are you coming?” Leo scoffed, laughing.
“No! It is 2 a.m.! Why would I follow you into the woods, have you seen Blair Witch?” Ryu, scratched his head.
“It’s my favorite movie, actually.” Leo sighed.
“Of course it is-- Alright, listen to me good and well, kid. I’m not going with you. I am a forensic investigator. It is my job to look at murdered idiots and figure out how they got murdered, alright? I have seen too many slasher movies, I have put too many crazed knife wielding maniacs in jail. Take my camera, don’t break it and don’t die. I can’t have that shit on my conscience.”
“You can’t handle having my blood on your hands but you won’t come with me to insure I won’t die?” Leo took the bag off his back and handed it back to the kid.
“What if I do die? How are you gonna get your camera back?” Leo rolled his eyes.
“I’ll come back in the morning, when it’s light out and there are witnesses to my murder.”
“But, Mr Smith--”
“Leo!”
“Leo, I need someone else to hold the camera!”
“Tough luck! I refuse to be another statistic! You can get murdered to your tiny heart’s content. I’ll write to your family.”
Ryu kicked a rock across the grass.
“Please?”
“Well, since you asked nicely-- No.” Ryu clasped his hands over his chest, sticking his bottom lip out.
“Pwetty Pwetty Pwease?” Leo grimaced.
“I have little sisters, that won’t work on me.” Ryu leaned against the guard rail.
“I’ll pay you!”
“There is no amount of money you can give me that will make me do this!”
“5 grand!”
Leo raised an eyebrow, arms crossed over his chest.
“Where are you gonna get 5,000 dollars?” Ryu made a phone with his hand and put it next to his ear.
“Mommy, Daddy, I need more money, something came up and now I’m all out. Can I have 5 grand?”
Leo retched.
“Ugh, I forgot you were a trust fund kid. Okay, so you give me 5 grand, what good is it if you’re dead?”
“That’s an easy one! Now you’ll feel obligated to protect me! If there was an earthquake would you not grab your piggy bank?” Leo sighed, putting his camera bag down on the ground in front of Ryu’s feet.
“I’ll think about it.”
"55 hundred?" Ryu called as the man started walking back to the car.
"I will think about it!"
Ryu sighed, staring at the hill he had to climb. He picked up the camera, stretched the strap over his shoulder, and started walking.
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