After they reached the building housing the man that Juuzou had followed, he left the boy outside to explore after letting Juuzou wash himself and get a change of clothes as he went elsewhere  the building behind several other men with guns.

And explore he did. 

It had been so long since Juuzou had been outside! It was different; difference being something he was not used to at all.

He breathed in the fresh air that made him feel great as it somehow made his throat cold.

He listened to the chirp of birds and the rustle of bushes and leaves.

Felt the bark on the trees.

He thought about how he had looked as he gazed at his reflection in the shower room. He had stared at himself for a good five minutes before he carried about dressing himself as he watched an ant crawl to and fro inspecting the unexplored lands of his hand.

He was a boy, right? It didn’t seem like it.

Mama had dressed him like a girl for some reason. But if she was happy, he was happier. Except for the occasional sessions in the barred cell whose walls witnessed every scream, splash of blood, everything.

Juuzou shuddered with the horrid memories.

He actually missed the bloody actions of being a Scrapper.

But did his audience miss him?

Why did he miss being a Scrapper. Did it not cause him pain? Make him warm in the moment but cold when he lie on the hard grainy floor of his cell?

How did his victims feel? He had a very brief understanding of what pain was anymore, much less death.

Does this guy feel pain?, Juuzou asked in his mind as he squashed the insect in between his pointer finger and thumb.

“Did you find a big one?,” a familiar voice asked to his left.

Juuzou turned to see the man he knew was there already from the warm feeling he had.

Juuzou was at a loss for words as he stood and looked at the man in the Gray suit in front of him.

Stating Juuzou was inarticulate was an understatement. To be honest, he hadn’t talked to anyone except for his Mama in a long while.

As he opened up his mouth to speak, the process was interrupted by the voice of the man.

“I’m Shinohara Yukinori. Starting today, I’ll be your partner.”

Then Juuzou was able to say what he was going to say originally, which was “I am Suzuya Juuzou.”

“Nice to meet you, Juuzou,” Yukinori replied and held out his hand.

Startled at the unfamiliar gesture, Juuzou jumped back.

There was an awkward moment of silence, which was interrupted by Yukinori’s warm, audible smile.

And yet Juuzou was still bamboozled. What was he supposed to do?

Following his instincts, he put his hand awkwardly into Yukinori’s and both their grips tightened, as if solidifying their long friendship.