Disclaimer: I do not own Ookami Shoujo to Kuro Ouji or any of the characters
"Erika?" Kyouya called her name and began to panic more when she didn't answer him. Panic seized him and Kyouya looked around the alley frantically for her. His action probably confused Nozomi but Kyouya was focused on finding Erika. Where was she? Why did she suddenly disappear? More questions rushed through his mind but he knew he had to find her.
"I'll talk to you later, Nozomi but I need to check on something first." Kyouya told him over his shoulder before rushing out of the alley. He tried to think of where she could be or where her ghost would appear. He didn't bother to call Takeru or Sanda to tell them where he was going because his focus was entirely on finding Erika.
Kyouya ran into his car and pulled out of the parking lot. He didn't understand why fear gripped him but he instinctively knew that Erika needed him. So, he drove as quickly as he could to find her. There were several places he could think of going. There was the art room in the school, her bedroom or the place she was murdered. But if she wasn't by his side, only one other place she would be stood out in his mind.
Kyouya rushed home. He barely remembered the drive home or what happened. He was barely able to process any thoughts until he was in front of his door, fumbling with his keys. Once he was inside, he rushed up the stairs to his room. He called her name but she never answered him. Despite that, something in his heart told him that she was there.
He threw open the door to his balcony and there she was. Erika was standing on the ledge of his balcony with a seemingly blank expression. Kyouya wrapped his arms around her waist and pulled her off the rails. Still, her eyes didn't focus on anything when he turned her to face him. His mind was racing too fast to string a sentence together and he could only hold her for a while.
"What was that? You scared the hell out of me!" Kyouya was finally able to compose himself. He could feel her heart beat rapidly and knew that his heart was beating just as fast. But he was relieved to have her in his arms again and he didn't fully understand. The only thing he knew was the need to keep her in his arms so he buried his face in her hair to assure himself that she was there.
"Don't you ever do that again. Why did he even disappear like that?" He finally leaned away from her to ask her. But she kept her face pressed to his chest and wouldn't look up at him. Kyouya knew that his voice was rough but he couldn't stop himself because he was so worried. "Stop being so quiet and tell me what happened! I can't help you if you don't talk to me."
"What's the point?" Erika finally looked up at him and he could see the tears swimming in her eyes. The sight broke his heart and he reached up to wipe them away. He didn't know if it was the cold night or something else but her tears were warm to him. Could a ghost have warm tears? Before he could ask any more questions, Erika vigorously rubbed the tears away.
"Kimura was the last chance we had to find out what happened to me and he knows nothing. He didn't even like me or wanted to date me. It has been weeks and we're no closer to finding the truth. What if we learn that everything those people say about me is true? I don't want to find out the truth if I'm just going to be hurt by what I learn."
"Who gives a damn about Kimura or if the truth hurts!" Kyouya scream shocked her. "That guy was an asshole and he won't help us get any closer to finding what happened to you. So, move on and forget about him. Right now, we need to find the truth because you're hurting now and it won't stop until you find closure. It hurts right now but you'll feel better afterwards."
"Why do you still want to help me after all the trouble I put you through? Even you said that I'm troublesome and I had to threaten to haunt you to get you to help." Erika accused. She was frustrated with herself and her situation but she found herself taking it out on Kyouya instead. He was trying to be kind to her in his own rough way but she wanted to be alone at the moment.
"Because I don't think the truth will hurt you as much as you think. You wanted to know who you are before you died and, if you're anything like you are now, I'm sure you were a good person. You're troublesome and persistent but trusting and kind. Sanda will say the same too. And I want to know what happened to you and why."
"I'm just so scared." Erika lowered her head again. "I'm not strong or brave like you."
"How brave can a school teacher be?" Kyouya laughed. She looked doubtful but he was certain he couldn't be in her situation without going crazy. He had always been a passive person and was sure that he wouldn't have taken the initiative to help her if she hadn't insisted. In fact, he thought she was much braver than she gave herself credit for.
"Hopefully you're brave enough for me to ask you to give me some of your bravery?" Erika asked and he nodded. He placed a gentle hand on her hair and nodded. "Thank you, Kyouya."
"Who do you think did it?" Erika asked Kyouya as they watched the old black and white movie. After the emotionally taxing meeting with Kimura, she wanted to relax. Kyouya was being surprisingly kind to her and allowed her to choose a movie to watch. But she could tell that he was regretting his action because boredom was visible on his face.
"Who cares? The tutor obviously did it but it really doesn't matter who gets arrested for the murder. I don't like any of these characters and I want to see them all in jail for wasting my time." Kyouya sighed but Erika continued to watch the movie. Her expression was constantly changing with every new scene and he had to ask, "Do you like these Sherlock Holmes type movies?"
"Did I?" Erika tilted her head to the side and sighed. She knew that she liked art and glass making but there was still a lot she needed to rediscover about herself. While she did enjoy the movie they were watching, she instinctively knew that it wasn't her favourite. So, she stood and went to look over the collection of movies he has.
"I think I'd like these kinds of movie. How about we watch this one afterwards?" Erika pulled out the first movie that sparked her interest. He had to stop himself from rolling his eyes when he saw the cover. It was of a couple embracing each other and he could already know he'd hate the romantic movie. While he thought that she was different from other girls, he wasn't surprised that she liked romance movies.
Kyouya knew that she probably enjoyed romantic movies because of her personality rather to fit in.
"You sure have a lot of movies here. Which one's your favourite?" She asked him and was shocked by his answer.
"I wouldn't know. I never watched any of them. Those are movies my parents bought for themselves. My relatives gave me a few but I never bothered to watch them." He told her and she had to stop herself from asking him more questions. From his expression, she knew that he probably had his reasons and might not want to tell her.
"Don't look so sad. It's not like I watched a movie that scarred me for life or something. I don't have some tragic reason for not watching them. I just never had anyone to watch movies with. My parents were always working and Takeru doesn't live close enough to just invite him over any time I wanted to." Kyouya shrugged.
"I think the fact that you say it like it's nothing is really sad." Even though he didn't seem to think much of his lonely childhood, Erika gave him a pitying look. Erika went to sit next to him on the couch again. She had a stake of DVDs in her arms and dumped onto his lap. "But you have me now and we can watch them together. Just choose one to watch after my romance movie."
Kyouya had to re-evaluate his life and how he came to the point that he was becoming friends with a ghost. Erika adjusted her posture so she could sit more comfortably next to him and they finished watching the romance movie together. Kyouya found his mind drifting off because the movie was much too predictable for his taste.
"It's my turn, now." Kyouya sighed with relief once the movie was over. From the corner of his eyes, he could see that she barely heard him since she was still engrossed in her movie. She was wiping away tears and he didn't know if he should tease her or not. He was tempted because her reactions were always funny. "Why are you crying? It wasn't that sad."
"But he waited for her all those years and… it's just so tragic!" Erika insisted and puffed her cheeks. He had to laughed since she looked silly with her puffy yet determined eyes.
"Only a someone like you would cry over a story like that. At least my movie won't put people to sleep. I know the actor in it is pretty popular so at least the acting will be decent." Kyouya put the DVD into the machine and clicked play. The movie was set in the feudal era and was about a lowly samurai tasked to guard a princess. Surprisingly, Kyouya felt nostalgic when he watched it.
"That movie was great!" Erika said excitedly to Sanda. They walked out of the dark movie theater and Sanda cringed at the bright sun but Erika didn't. She was still engrossed in the movie and lost within her own thoughts. "I wanna watch it again soon."
"You watched that movie three times. And that's not even including this time. You do know that you can't waste money on this like this, don't you?" Sanda scolded her but Erika didn't seem to internalize the lesson as she went on about the movie.
"Can you believe how awesome the princess was when she used her sword?" Erika picked up a stick from the ground and began to act out the scene. "I want to find a guy like the samurai!"
"I don't think guys like that exist in the real world. Isn't it better to be more realistic with your expectations?" Sanda once again tried to make Erika see logic. The samurai was cold to other but mean to his princess and the description made her think of Kyouya. They barely talked but she liked to think that she knew him a little bit. She remembered every moment they shared together.
"I was so excited when my mom told me that it was going to re-released in theaters. It's just as good I remember it and I want to watch that movie again tomorrow! Will you watch it with me again?"
"Okay, I'm going to stop you before you make yourself bankrupt!" Sanda said sternly and Erika pouted. Sanda took Erika's hand and dragged her friend into the shopping district. They went to video store she worked in. "If you're going to watch it so much, buy a DVD of it so you have to pay the theater so much money. You get a discount because you work here too."
"Thank you. You're so smart, San-chan!" Erika thanked her friend and hugged her. She quickly dashed into the store and greeted her boss at the counter. "Sir! I have the biggest request of you. Do you have a DVD copy of that movie that just came out? It's called 'The Princess Betrothed'. Please tell me we have it and I can buy it."
"You really want that movie, don't you?" Her boss laughed. It was a miracle that he could understand her request since she was speaking a mile a minute. "We got a shipment of the limited edition copy of the movie. There's still one left that you can buy."
"Thank you!" Erika made sure to thank him before going to find she movie. She ran to the shelf and found the movie. There was only one copy left and she went to make her purchase. She was glad that Sanda thought of the idea before the movie was sold out. It would take a while for the store to get another shipment of the movie.
Sanda had to go to work so Erika walked home by herself. As she walked, she passed the theater again. Someone was stepping outside but she didn't notice them because she was staring lovingly at the DVD in her hands. They collided and she accidentally dropped the DVD. She began to panic but luckily the person caught the case before it hit the ground.
"I'm sorry," Erika thanked him and was shocked to see that it was Kyouya. "Thank you for saving my DVD. I just bought this and I would've had a heart attack if I broke it already."
"It's okay. I really didn't do anything," Kyouya shrugged. He started to walk away but Erika wanted to thank him. She followed him and called out his name. She had to wonder why he was in a bad mood because his shoulder dropped and he looked irritated when he turned to her. But he covered it with a princely smile. "Is there something you need?"
"Actually, I wanted to ask you that." Erika felt nervous to approach him. They only spoke a handful of times and she didn't know what he thought of her. But she would like to know him better. "If you need anything, just tell me."
"Kyouya!" Someone screamed and ran towards them. Erika didn't recognize the boy but he seemed to be friends with Kyouya. He stopped in front of them and pointed an accusatory finger at Kyouya. "I thought I told you to wait for me! We were supposed to have a party to celebrate your birthday."
"It's your birthday?" Erika asked and he nodded. She didn't understand why he would look so upset on his birthday. He turned away from her when the boy became more insistent. They spoke and she wondered if she should do something for his birthday. They were only acquaintances so she didn't know if he would want her invading his space.
"C'mon Kyouya, I don't want you to spend your birthday alone." The boy insisted which caught Erika's attention. Kyouya rolled his eyes.
"Don't you need to help out at your family's café or something? I know you. Anyways, I'm used to being alone on my birthday and it really doesn't bother me." Kyouya shrugged. When she heard his words, she forced herself to step forward and held out the DVD to him.
"Happy Birthday!" Erika forced the DVD case into his hands as he stared at her in confusion. She stepped back before he could hand it back to her. "Please take it. I know that it's not much of a present but I promise that I'll get you a better present soon! Just wait for it. We're neighbours so I'll come over and give your present. Keep the DVD for now."
Erika ran off before he could react and he found himself staring at her retreating form.
A knock brought Kyouya out of his memory. He realized that he had fallen asleep while he was watching the movie and rubbed his eyes. Erika was watching the movie intently and didn't seem to realize that he had fallen asleep or that someone was knocking on the door. He paused the movie and went to answer the door. "Wait, it getting to the best part!"
Kyouya looked over his shoulder and laughed to see Erika frantically trying to press the play button. He answered the door and Nozomi was standing in his doorway. He remembered their encounter at the reunion and that he was investigating Erika's murder. But Kyouya had to wonder how Nozomi found where he lived.
"We never got to exchange information before you rushed off. I still think that we could help each other find out what happened to Erika so I tracked you down." Nozomi said casually and Kyouya wondered if he knew how he came across. He walked into Kyouya's house as if he was invited and walked into the living room. He placed his bag on the table and pulled out several files.
"How did you find my address?" Kyouya had to ask and Nozomi answered nonchalantly.
"I asked around. There was this guy at the reunion that was asking about Erika. I guessed that you two knew each other since you guys were the only ones that brought Erika up in a conversation. Almost like two detective friends. Is there room for it to become a trio of detectives?" Nozomi asked and Kyouya tried to remember if he had such an eccentric personality.
"Who's this?" Erika asked Kyouya and he didn't know how to answer her without making Nozomi question his sanity. So, he shrugged and mouthed an answer to her.
'Someone that can help.' That answer seemed to be enough for her since she moved to stand beside the table. She was surprised at the amount of information he had about her disappearance. He had everything from articles to police files.
"How did you get all of this?" Kyouya asked as he picked up a police file.
"I dated a girl who worked with the detective in charge of the investigation. I convinced her to do me a little favour and get me this." Nozomi told him and winked. Erika started to read them but Kyouya stopped her by closing the folder. They didn't know what happened to her and he wanted to soften the truth if it turned out to be too dark for her.
"So, what do you have so far? We should see what information we have between us and try to piece together what happened to Erika. It's hard to find someone that can give me information on her. Even the police barely gave me any information on her. We just don't know anyone in her life that would have a motive to kill her so I'm thinking she ran away."
"She wouldn't do something that would worry her family or friends like that." Kyouya sat across from Nozomi. "But I want to know something first. Why are you looking into her disappearance? You seemed to have been looking for a long time to gather this amount of information. I want to find what happened to a friend so why do you want to find her."
"Well, it would make a great article." Nozomi answered and Kyouya clenched his fists. Nozomi saw Kyouya's expression change and became more serious. "But I want to find what happened to her too."
"Leave!" Kyouya stood and slammed his hands on the table. The files shook and fell out of the folders. While Erika tried to organize them, Kyouya kept his glare on Nozomi. "Erika's a person, not someone you can use to forward your career. I'll find out what happened to her by myself but I'm not going to let you make money off her story."
"You really care about her, don't you? I didn't think you were that close to her in highschool." Nozomi commented and Kyouya couldn't say that he was wrong. The time he spent with Erika changed how he saw her and he couldn't help but wonder what would've happened to her if they had talked back then. Would she still be alive today?
"Whose phone number is this?" Erika's voice brought him out of his thoughts. She was looking through the files and came across her phone records. The week before she disappeared, she had received calls from a number at least five times everyday. She tried to remember the number but she couldn't and she frantically tried to look through the rest of the files but her hands passed through the paper.
"Erika," Kyouya whispered and discreetly placed a hand on her leg. Feeling the warmth of his hand, she felt her body relaxed. Even though he didn't want to Nozomi to make a spectacle out of Erika and her disappearance, he also needed the information he had. So, he turned to Nozomi and said in a stronger voice. "I'll work with you but I want you to respect her privacy and memory."
"It's an honour to be a part of your detective team. I'm sure that we'll find the truth." Nozomi grinned and eagerly shook her hand.
Man, I haven't edited in so long but I really wanted to update all my fanfics once this week before I go back to school. Nozomi is my fav side character (not only in OSTKO but of all shoujo) but he did start out as a pseudo-antagonist and I want to add that to his character in the fanfic.
