I do not own elfen lied, this is a fanfiction based on fandom and is non-profit. Elfen lied belongs to Lynn Okamoto of Shueisha publisher. Arms being the possessor of anime.
Suspicion
"Hey um." The voice hesitantly asked. "Is your friend a boy or a girl?" The last part was washed off like a wave back into the ocean of sub consciousness. That awkward question which did more harm to fate than a witch's spell, still haunts him.
Kouta awoke. The unbearably exploding alarm with the brilliant golden rays emanating through the window were way too much for his sleepy instincts to defeat. He got up and a crack went through his acclimatizing body.
He begins the day checking his clothing carefully, trying to start a day without the embarrassment of an undone trousers zipper or some massive creaks in his shirt that made him look like the emperor of the landfills,. He needed the basic looks. Check.
"Morning." The chocolate-haired girl busily greeted with her exquisite features dazzling in the weather displaying that usual big smile of hers. He returned with a mask of happy face.
The smell of rich miso and souba bathed the kitchen till it cozily sat in Kouta's bowl awaiting to be consumed. But Kouta shun away from it as the white strands of silk triggered an aggressive photographic memory of the red wine of entrails and intestines as well as melted flesh on the beach.
"Well. Aren't you at least kind enough to help wake up the sleeping logs and tell them its school time?" Yuka mumbled monotonously with her back to him. Kouta yawned carelessly before carrying out the task but deep down, he's gracious for not eating anything so early when his stomach is starting a rebellion.
3 Knocks on the runaway princess's room. Mayu gave a small groan. Check.
Then before he was there, a loud stomach grumble said hello to him for its owner.
The horny 'Homo. Diclonius' they happily adopted, a monster girl who could easily take them apart like a toddler to her barbie dolls was showing no interest in anything but….
'Yey! Breakfast.' Her mouth begins to water with a flood of enzymes waiting and drooping enthusiastically for their digestive work.
Kouta's mouth gave a tight grin before letting the excited cute girl brush past him with a flush of the plum hair somewhere between pink and purple. He can't feel anything anymore. Why are people so happy? Why isn't he so?
A memory ingrained deeper than his brain and physical body told him to step to that door leading to a vacant room before a sudden swipe of a slippery fabric blew his balance and he kissed the ground.
Kouta cursed and threw the tight Beanie off to the distance furious though there was no sound of the landing.
"Hey Kouta." A dazed second. Mayu caught the beanie.
"You do realize that she's—"
"Yeah. I know. No need." Kouta simply put up his hands like a perfect mannequin, quickly throwing the tsunami of sorrow and confusion from his heart to hell before it could hit his brain and mess his day up.
"Then Kouta, please doesn't stay like that. It's not good for Yuka, I don't like Kouta being this-"
"Hey! What's that in the bathroom?" Kouta pointed viciously at the strange lens hidden in a soap box. He didn't want any more of the depression crap. He just wanted to deflect knives of words away from his heart.
Mayu faked a terrible acting of innocence. "What? They're just soap-"
"Mayu. It's okay. I don't want to get mad, I can't anyway, and I'm tired. Just what's with the camera?" Kouta nudged his nose.
"Mr. Bando's idea. He said we should increase security even while things seem safe."
"Crazy whacko." Kouta spat. "The next day, I bet he'll give you a hand grenade to hug for bed to replace your teddy."
The residents continued with the boring ritualistic breakfast as usual. While everyone else ate without a fuss, Kouta barely picked up his chopsticks.
The horrible narrow, round worm like noodles again served nothing but to open the picture of entrails, intestines, blood vessels, ligaments and other messes he witnessed that day. Yuka didn't bother to put more emotional pressure by urging him to eat or complain about wasting food.
"So. I think your papa's picking you up today Nana." Kouta put on a mask of a smile in repetition like a robot. "How does it feel to finally have a dad?" He wasn't sure why his smile wasn't making any sense to himself. Why he just can't be happy.
And on came the glorious babbling of everything great about having a dad and a self help audio book on how to be a Papa's girl.
None of which connected to Kouta.
Something's just missing in this world. A bright ruby that despite all the good things he could have in the world, he can't just forget about. He might have never wanted an answer.
Why is everyone else forgetting her so easily. SO EASILY.
Why can't anyone just point out there's no song in the bathroom?
Why can't anyone, even the dog bark anymore?
Why?
School is as usual and boringly routine too. Check. Kouta was the student who listened to the lesson and did the work. Without any commitment. Nothing was driving him, there's just no purpose that drives him anymore.
Everything was check and through till.
Kouta's phone jumped to life and shrieked.
"Hey Kiddo! How's everythin' oh and do remind Mayu to put the soaps on the shelves-" The raspy macho speech was interrupted.
"If you go with that plan any further, I will without blinking report such act as stalking to Kamakura police." Kouta dully threatened like a sick cat.
"Alright Kid. I'll cut to the point? You seen that Kurama guy yet?" A lion's roar echoed in return.
"No. It's nearly dark now. Nana's getting agitated. Something busy with his work?" Kouta shifted slightly towards right of the bus station booth. He knew Nana understood her father was a busy man but he didn't want to take the risk of her hearing anything.
"How the fuck should I know you bastard! I haven't herd from the asshole for a week now. Hence the camera in your house. If anything happens to Mayu then a broken neck will be the least level of force I will give you? Remove the cameras huh? Don't blame me for anything that happens." Kouta switched off the phone as a bulky man in trench coat with tilted tie knot closed in. Though it seems like centuries ago, he recognized the man.
"Um. Is there anything I can help with detective?" He made no attempt to close in but merely gave a lazy rub of his face.
"No shit Sherlock. Have you seen been in contact with Dr. Kurama?" The man's face looked like half cooked egg yolk; one could imagine him as a walking zombie waiting to bite. No one could be sure if the reflective sunglasses he wore were for the sun, or to disguise his dry exhaustion. Despite fatigue, he had an intimidating sharpness.
"I would have told you right now if I have. Hey my friend is kind of desperate to see him. Do you know anything a week ago. Someone said he hasn't been seen in a week." Kouta jolted as the detective glanced past his shoulder just as Yuka put the beanie on Nana's head in a coincidence of perfection.
The detective narrowed his hazel eyes and scanned systematically for any abnormal humans around. He suddenly realized the question and gave an annoyed grin.
"Well young man, thanks. I don't need to disturb you any further as I have no idea. Do remember to put on more clothing, we've got an unknown epidemic." The detective gave a tight grin on his grey face and put the pen and note back into his coat. He was about to turn when-
The man gave a nervous turn plus beads of sweat on his face.
The detective finished noting down Kouta's earlier statement and unzipped his coat, quickly he pushed his ballpoint pen into Kouta's jacket and disguised the open note while opening his jacket as if to fool someone into thinking he was putting it away.
"They're watching us closely. The police are under their full control and surveillance. Don't say anything unless you want to me to do something violent. The barrel of the pen provides the answer."
The detective nodded and ran off in the nick of time to catch a bus.
Kouta remembered a trick of his old classmates. He unscrewed the detective's pen and found the paper wrapped to the refill.