-1Hey everyone. This fanficiton is based on the manga Beauty Pop. It takes place when Chisami and Kanako get kidnapped. I'm taking it from there and making it a bit more mature. It'll get lighter though after a few chapters I think, depending on the response I get. Anyway, I hope you like it.
Skin Deep
Chapter 1
"Hello?" Ochiai looked up from the computer as he picked up his cell phone.
"O-ochiai-sempai?"
"Oh, it's you Komatsu-kun. I'm sorry, but I can't talk right now… Huh? What? You found Chisami-chan?"
---
Kiri entered the abandoned warehouse yard cautiously. There were three different buildings that the kidnappers could be in, and she didn't want to walk into a trap. A sweep of the area, and a bicycle in the front, quickly led her to the side of the warehouse on the left.
Kiri wasn't a spiritual person, but she said a quick prayer that everything would be alright. With that, she climbed onto a dumpster and shimmied through a broken window, slightly scratching up her left arm. Once she was inside, Kiri realized that luck might be on her side, as she was in the room where the hostages were.
She crouched down when she heard an unfamiliar voice speaking,
"You will stay here until Narumi gives himself up to us, you here?"
"Uh-uh-okay…"
"That's Kanako's voice," Kiri realized.
"Now sit down!" yelled the strange male voice as he shoved Kanako to the floor.
Kiri winced as Kanako let out a cry. She would have to stay hidden until the captives left the area. Hopefully it wouldn't be long.
---
Narumi rushed through the crowds of the city with Ochiai, Kei, and Komatsu hot on his heels.
Komatsu took a deep breath so that his shout would reach the light haired boy a few yards ahead of him.
"Kiri was headed toward the old industrial area. If we make a left in a few streets, we'll be on the shortest path there."
Narumi whirled around, forcing the others to stop as well.
"Mussy-head went? By herself?"
"Yeah, she must have recognized the area when I showed her the picture of Kanako being held captive."
"What was she thinking!?"
Ochiai frowned and said, "We're probably looking for an abandoned store house or factory. Something a bit off the main road."
Narumi nodded and the group took off again.
"Mussy-head, hold on."
---
The kidnapper and his accomplices - based on the number of voices, Kiri assumed there were two - had left the room and Kiri slowly made her way through the maze of crates to where Kanako and Chisami were tied up.
"Kiri!" Kanako whispered in surprise.
Kiri made a motion to be quiet as she untied Kanako.
"I came through a window behind a bunch of crates," she said quietly, trying not to belay her nervousness. Her usually blasé demeanor was replaced with concern as she heard the voices of the captors getting closer again. "Go quickly!"
Kanako wiped her tear-streaked face and muttered how sorry she was before running off in the direction Kiri came from. All she could do now was go find help for her dearest friend.
Kiri looked toward the door, then toward the silent Chisami. Knowing that there was no way to untie Chisami and get out, she moved the young girl behind some crates and undid her gag.
"Be quiet until someone comes to get you."
With that, Kiri moved to where the two girls were before just as the men came back into the room.
"What the hell?" one of the captors shouted. The others rushed in at his exclamation. The one with the short dark hair came forward and grabbed Kiri by the front of her shirt, knocking her cap from her head.
"For a minute," he said with a laugh, "I though you were a boy. You're just a little girl though, so if you tell me where the others went, I may let you go."
"Shove it," Kiri said angrly, "You don't scare me."
"I don't scare you? We'll have to change that then, won't we?" He flung Kiri against some nearby boxes and smirked. "Smartass…" he mumbled under his breath.
"Boss!" Another man ran in and addressed the man who had attacked Kiri. "There seems to be a group of boys poking around the area. Should we take care of them?"
The man, now known as boss, looked over at the girl trying to pick herself off the ground. He grunted and motioned to his subordinates to pick her up.
"We no longer have the bait to catch that brat Narumi. We'll go headquarters and regroup."
"And the girl?" another man asked.
The boss laughed. "I think she's gonna be fun."
With that, the group left and Chisami left out a soft cry.
---
Narumi ran from building to building recklessly pushing open doors and making no attempt to keep his presence hidden. Ochiai and the others were right behind him, ready to give assistance if necessary. Kei's serious face was a little unnerving, but it made him feel good to know his friends were right behind him. Walking into what was once a lunch area, Narumi spotted a figure running from behind some bushes toward the group.
"Kanako!" Komatsu shouted and hugged his trembling friend.
"What happened?" Ochiai asked, concern for the girl and the situation evident in his voice. A quick look at Narumi made it clear that his friend was doing even worse than he was. Narumi had a sister and an unwilling friend in there. He would deny it, but Kazuhiko knew his friend was worried about Kiri just as much as he was Chisami.
Kanako stuttered and her tears wouldn't stop, but she pointed toward the warehouse where she was being held. This was all the information that the unusually silent Narumi needed and he sped off in the direction given with Ochiai close behind.
---
Narumi couldn't move the doors to the old warehouse by himself, but with the help of Ochiai, it slowly slid open to reveal a large, dark room. It was mostly empty, so the two headed toward a partially open door at the back of the complex.
"Is anyone there?" Narumi shouted.
"Brother?" Chisami cried out in relief.
"Chisami!" Narumi ran to where the voice of his sister came from and made quick work of the ropes that bound her. While they hugged each other, Ochiai looked around the smaller room filled with old appliance part containers.
"Where's Kiri?"
Narumi's head perked up and he slowly let go of Chisami to stand her up.
"Kiri hid me after releasing Kanako. Then a man came in and threw her over there" Chisami motioned to the broken crate on one side of the room. She didn't notice, but the two boys saw that a small amount of blood was smeared on the floor. "They took her away with them because she said she wasn't afraid of them."
Chisami started to cry again and Ochiai and Narumi led her back to the others. Ochiai then called to have his family's limo pick them up.
All the while, Narumi didn't say a word.
"Kiri, why do you have to be so stubborn?"