In Love With A Ghost
"Alright. I'm sure this is all just a mistake. We'll go and see for ourselves."
All Suzuka could do was nod and hope that he was right.
They got Kazusa and drove off to the town they swore they'd never return.
Karin managed to pass the guards with Kazune's help.
After they successfully made it through they found Kazuma sitting in his cell alone. Karin slowly walked up to the cell. Either Kazuma was really entertained playing with his wrist watch or he was too lost deep in thought since he didn't notice when Karin walked in.
She cleared her throat to catch his attention. It worked since he appeared to be startled when she did.
"You..." He mumbled. He didn't know what to say to her. She probably thought it was him who attacked her and now she was here to let him have it.
He looked away not wanting to face her.
Karin wrapped her fingers around one of the bars to his cell.
Kazune looked at her, giving her a nod to reassure her that it was okay.
"Kazuma... There are some things we need to finish talking about. I don't want you to dodge my questions though. You have nowhere else to run." She said.
Kazuma sighed. "I know what you want to know, and you have to understand I can't give you the entire truth. There are more people involved than you think and this affects them. You can ask, but I won't guarantee a straight answer."
Karin thought she'd take her chances. She started with the most obvious question. "Are Kazuto and Suzuka Kujyou your parents?"
He nodded hesitantly.
"You ran away when I asked you this, but I really need to know. Do you know someone by the name of Kazune?"
Kazune had his eyes glued on Kazuma, waiting for an answer.
He nodded again hesitantly. "... Why do you know that name?"
As much as Karin would have wanted to tell him, she thought he wouldn't have believed her. "I just... I knew him as well."
Kazuma knew she was lying. "That's not possible. You see, he died a very long time ago. I'm going to ask again, how do you know that name?" He asked a bit more aggressively.
Karin was growing nervous. What was she supposed to say? She looked at Kazune hoping he'd have an answer.
"Tell him." He suggested.
Karin thought it was a stupid move, but it's not like she had nothing else to lose. "Fine... But you're not going to believe me." She said.
"Try me."
She took in a deep breath. "Alright. I moved into the house next to Kirihiko's some time ago. When I got there I found someone in my room. That someone was Kazune. And to make sure we're talking about the same person over here he has light blonde hair, dark blue eyes, and he looks to be around 17. At first I thought he had broken in, but... it turns out that he's a ghost with unfinished business. He wants to know what happened to him since he has some sort of amnesia. He looks a lot like your father and we think he might be related to him which might make you related to him." Karin had said that kind of fast but Kazuma got every word of it.
He stared at her with a dumbfounded look on his face. He didn't know what to say. The description matched his little brother's, but he had passed away when he was 4. There's no way whoever it was she talking about could be his little kid brother, Kazune. But he couldn't be sure... He had doubts now.
"So you're saying... This Kazune ghost guy has amnesia, and I might be related to him."
Karin nodded.
It's not that Kazuma didn't believe in the supernatural, believe me he did. But at this very moment he was skeptical about her words. "Prove it. If there really is a ghost, he should prove it."
Kazune knew what he had to do. He focused his energy on making himself solid so Kazuma could see him. But because Kazune had been tapping into it a little too much recently, he knew he wouldn't be able to make it last long. Karin made sure Kazuma was looking where he needed to.
Kazune did his thing and became solid.
But because his energy was low he phased in and out. Kazuma was still able to get a look at him though. He fell from the seat he was sitting on. "Wh- what the!?"
He couldn't believe it. There really was someone standing there next to Karin. And it looked like an older version of his little brother. "How is this possible...?" He asked himself.
Kazune stopped and fell to the ground. Karin tried helping him up. "You see? He needs our help. Will you help us find out the truth?"
Kazuma wasn't one hundred percent convinced that was his Kazune, but he had to know now too.
He nodded. "Y-yes." He was still a little freaked out.
An officer called out. "Kujyou! Your parents are here!"
They heard footsteps walking towards them. That was Karin's cue to leave. "I'm going to help prove your innocence okay?" She said.
Kazuma nodded. He was beginning to feel like he could trust her.
Kazune took her hand and they both phased out of there. '
That's going to take some getting used to...'Kazuma thought as he felt himself growing pale.
Kazuto and Suzuka walked up to their son. "Kazuma!" She cried out. They were both wearing trench coats and shades. Suzuka was wearing a dark brown short wig to hide her hair. They looked like a spy couple out of a vintage movie.
"Mom." Kazuma walked up to the gate to his cell.
She held onto his hand.
"How are you? You look a little pale, are you alright?" She asked.
He nodded. "Y-yeah. Just want to get out of here as soon as possible. I think I might have a good shot."
Kazuto looked at his son with a serious face. "So does that mean this is all a misunderstanding? Or did you really attack that girl? The officer said her name was, Karin. Is that the same Karin you told us about? The one asking questions about us and... you know. Is that why you attacked her!?"
Suzuka stopped him right there. "Don't jump to any conclusions. Let's hear our son's side of the story." She was getting really fed up with her husband's attitude towards their son.
Kazuma glared at his father. "No I didn't attack her... But yes, that is the same Karin. I spoke with her. She knows I didn't attack her. It was Kirihiko. He's framing me to get to her." He said.
"What? But why? It's been years since he last saw us." Suzuka said. "Why is he after you and that girl?"
"I'm not entirely sure. Karin has been investigating him recently after the attack. I think he knows and he wants her to leave it alone and let me take the blame for it." Kazuma knew he was going on a bit of whim right now. But it was the only thing that made sense at the moment. He decided not to tell them about Kazune until he was sure for himself.
Kazuto nodded. It did seem like something Kirihiko would pull knowing him. "We need to talk to that girl immediately. Suzuka, you stay here with Kazuma, I'm going to find Karin. Do you know where she lives, Kazuma?" He asked.
Kazuma was a little hesitant to tell him, not knowing what he was going to do.
"I'm just going to talk to her." Kazuto reassured his son.
He nodded, choosing to believe his father. "She lives in the old house..."
Kazuto paused for a moment, knowing exactly which old house Kazuma referred to. What were the chances? There really was something peculiar about this whole situation. "I won't be long."
"Don't do anything stupid." His son warned. "She's on our side."
Kazuto didn't respond and left.
Karin was in her room pacing around. "How are we going to prove his innocence? I know it's Kirihiko behind this... But he's a respected and feared man in this town. How will I get anyone to believe me?"
Kazune knew she had a point.
A few minutes later she heard a knock downstairs. "Hm? Who could it be at this hour?" Karin went downstairs to check. Her mom had already gone to bed by then. She looked through the hole and saw the man from the picture. "Kazuto..."
She slowly opened the door. "Mr. Kujyou..."
Kazuto was taken back. The young girl standing in front of him looked like a spitting image of his wife when she was her age. "A-are you Karin?"
She nodded. She stepped aside to let him in.
Kazuto went in and went to the living room. He sat down. "I'm sorry for coming by at this hour."
Karin shook her head. "It's fine. I know why you're here. Kazuma, right?"
He nodded. "That and other things."
Karin sat down as well. This was going to be quite the conversation.
"Is Kirihiko the one that attacked you? Is he framing my son?" Karin was surprised at the calm attitude he had right now.
"It's very likely. When I first met him, I thought it was just my imagination, but I got this weird vibe from him and the way he stares at me..." Karin started off.
'It's no wonder since you look like Suzuka.'Kazuto dryly thought.
"After that when I got attacked I snuck into his home to see if I could get any clues. I first got my suspicions when I saw a wound on his arm that matched the wound I left on my attacker. In his room I found a piece of cloth that also matched the costume's cape. And the initials the costume is bought under are K.K- but I guess those are Kazuma's initials as well so that might not be a valid clue..."
Kazuto shook his head. "I think you're onto something. I wouldn't put it passed him to do something like this to get back at me."
"May I ask why you two are no longer friends? In a picture I found in his office, you two seemed really close." Karin said.
Kazuto looked away. "Well... At first it started off as a friendly rivalry between the two of us to get my wife's attention when we were teenagers. Nothing serious. But Suzuka and I... we fell in love and Kirihiko could never get over that. It drove him crazy which eventually led to his obsession with her. But there were two things that made me cut all ties with him."
Karin could tell this was hard for him to share.
"Kirhiko and I worked on the theory of cloning many years ago. We almost made a breakthrough but he used our research to try and clone Suzuka. It didn't work though. That should have been the last straw, but him going to the press about my family was truly the final blow to our friendship which lead to our falling out. He accused me of using the research to make a child to replace the one I lost."
"Oh my god..." Karin couldn't believe Kirihiko would do such a thing. "How could he accuse you of such a thing..."
Kazuto looked at Karin. "… The accusations weren't false."
That surprised Karin even more.
"It was true. The son we had after Kazuma was stillborn. There was nothing the doctors could do. I tried bringing him back using both our DNA but it didn't work. It worked only with my DNA alone. And even then that was still unsuccessful." 'Kazune...' "He endangered my family when he went to the press. We were hounded 24/7 by reporters, and paparazzi wanting some science fiction scoop."
Karin now understood Kazuto's and Kirihiko's hatred for each other.
"Kazuma tells me you've been asking about my wife and I. Why?"
"Someone needs my help. That someone may have a connection to you." She answered. She didn't want to mention Kazune's name yet. Speaking of Kazune, where was he? Karin figured he'd be here listening to this next to her. She assumed he was where she left him in her room.
Karin fidgeted in her seat a little, nervous to ask. "What was your son's name? If you don't mind me asking."
"I think you already know. You've been asking about him as well."
"Kazune..." She contemplatively said.
15 Minutes Earlier...
Karin was in her room pacing around. "How are we going to prove his innocence? I know it's Kirihiko behind this... But he's a respected and feared man in this town. How will I get anyone to believe me?"
Kazune knew she had a point.
A few minutes later she heard a knock downstairs. "Hm? Who could it be at this hour?" Karin went downstairs to check.
Kazune was about to follow till he felt something pull him to the attic.
"Oh no..."
In the blink of an eye he found himself in the attic. He tried to leave but soon realized he couldn't. He was stuck there. Kazune turned around and found the box he had always protected open on the floor. "No oh no oh no oh no!" He repeated frantically.
He looked around to see if she was there.
"You're trying to leave me aren't you..." A young female voice could be heard.
Kazune kept looking for her. "Where are you?"
"I won't let you go..."
A gust of wind that seemed to come out of nowhere surrounded him. "She's not going to take you away from me!"
Kazune clenched his fists. "Don't you dare touch Karin!"
"YOU'RE MINE!"
Kazune got attacked by an unseen force.
After that everything was quiet again. Kazune was gone as well as whatever had been there with him.
End of Chapter. 10
Woah! A lot happened this chapter. Karin now knows part of the truth! And what happened to Kazune? Will Kirihiko get away with his crime? Keep reading to find out!
And a quick thank you for reading thus far. :) (and an extra thank you if you left/leave a review)