Fools
[Answer]
Dojima sighed and flipped open his cell phone, pressing speed dial for a certain number.
He waited and waited until it finally told him his call couldn't be man tiredly rubbed his face in exasperation and looked at the clock on the stove.
3:28 it blinked.
Three in the morning and Souji wasn't home. This wasn't like him. If he was going to be late, he'd have at least called or texted someone.
Sighing, Dojima pressed the speed-dial number again, and waited. His call couldn't be connected. Getting off the couch, he slipped on his shoes before glancing at the ceiling. Nanako was sound asleep. He wondered if he should leave her a note, before deciding against it. Putting on his coat, he walked outside and locked the door, flipping open his cell phone again. He called a different number this time.
It took a while, but he was finally answered.
"Uh… Hello?"
"Adachi, get dressed."
"Dojima-san? It's like three in the morn-"
"Souji's missing."
[Breathe]
"Yosuke, you took it too far!"
"But, Partner, he-"
Souji shook his head in dismay before running to the unconscious Adachi on the floor of Magatsu Inaba. He wasn't moving. Naoto would have been better at this than he was, but she was busy trying to keep Kanji under control.
"Senpai, what are you doing?!" Rise screamed, "Leave him alone! He doesn't deserve a second chance!"
Souji didn't even turn to her as he started to perform CPR on his enemy. No… Souji didn't think of him as an enemy… More of a misguided friend. They were telling him to stop. Even Naoto was requesting that they just leave.
But how?! How could they just do that? He'd been there for them, as a friend!
It felt like hours, but the detective under him made no signs of returning to the living.
"Breathe, Adachi-san!"
Nothing.
"Breathe!"
Kanji and Yosuke had to pull him away. He managed to escape their grasp and tried CPR again. The man wasn't moving.
"Senpai…" he turned to Naoto, who stared at him, "…Leave him be."
"But…"
"He's gone, Senpai."
Souji shook his head, "No, you're lying! I can still…"
Naoto slapped him, but said nothing. Kanji and Yosuke had to pull him away again. Souji looked back at the fallen detective as his friends dragged him away. He still wasn't moving.
[Childish]
"Souji-kun, this is really childish…"
"Aw, but it's all in good fun, Adachi-san! See?"
The detective took the mirror, and shook his head in dismay. Souji had drawn an eye-patch, whiskers and coloured his nose black with face-paint.
"Now paint something on my face! Come on, it'll be fun!"
[Dust]
A knock appeared on the doorframe behind him, "Daddy, are you okay? Mom's been calling for a couple of minutes."
He turned back, looking at his teenage daughter with tears stinging the corner of his eyes. The girl's face was automatically pressed with concern and she hurriedly rushed over, kneeling next to her father.
The man gave a gentle smile, "Sorry, sorry. Don't worry, nothing's wrong. I just… found this when I was cleaning out the closet."
The girl curiously peered at the dusty box in her father's hands, "What is it?"
"Memories from my childhood… Probably the only good ones."
The girl squeezed her father's shoulder, knowing of his not-so-child-friendly past. "Can I see?"
"Of course."
He quickly blew away the dust on the box, and opened the lid. Inside there were pictures, some hand-drawn, and one a photograph. There were also two letters and what looked like a card from a game. The girl picked up the photograph first, laughing lightly.
"Oh my god, Daddy, is that you?" She pointed at the silver-haired teen in the middle of the picture.
"Yeah, that's your old man."
The girl laughed, "I bet you had quite a couple fans at your school!"
The man laughed with her, lightly ruffling her hair, "Come on, let's go downstairs before your Mother kills us."
"Will you tell me more about your friends here afterwards?"
"Certainly."
[Erase]
"Adachi-san, do you sometimes wish you could erase the world… and make a new one the way you want it?"
"Yeah… All the time."
[Face]
When he looked in the mirror, it used to scare him. But now, he was used to it.
When he looked in the mirror, he was looking at a different face. A different person.
[Gone]
"Dad, where's Big Bro?"
Dojima tried to force a smile; it didn't work out that well. He'd been missing for three days. He wasn't answering his calls. Some of his friends were missing too. Dojima assumed it was just a teenager thing, but…
"Is he missing? Did he leave? Where is he, Dad?" tears were welling up in her giant eyes.
"D-Don't worry, Nanako-chan! I'm sure he's just been hanging out with his friends! Or his jobs have been keeping him really busy!" Adachi piped up, as the girl fought away her tears.
Dojima sighed and stared at the clock, "Go to bed, Nanako. I promise you he'll be fine. I'll be up there to tuck you in in a sec."
The girl nodded tiredly and quickly bounded her way up the stairs. Adachi turned to his superior worriedly.
"Dojima-san…"
"Don't say it, Adachi. Just… don't say it."
[Please]
He decided against it at the last moment. He let Namatame go. He almost became… he almost killed… He was so blinded by rage… by… fear and… oh god, Nanako. Why Nanako?
Yosuke was yelling at him, even picked him up by the collar. Souji could feel the TV warp as the very edge of his back touched it. A cold chill shot through his entire body at the feeling, and he struggling to regain any composure. Somehow, he convinced his furious best friend, all of his friends, to… stop and think. They just… they needed to stop. They needed to think.
Teddie was missing.
The group bundled outside, before his friends parted ways and headed back home. Souji grit his teeth and walked back into the hospital. He hated hospitals… but…
His pace was brisk—precise—scared. He was so scared. So terrified. He almost… Yosuke almost… They all almost… And Nanako… Why? Why Nanako?
The teen was gritting his teeth and clenching his hands so tight he felt nothing.
"Souji-kun? What are you still… H-Hey—!"
The teen grabbed onto the detective without a word, digging his fingers as deep as he could into the man's coat as the tears mercilessly ran down his cheeks.
"…I'm sorry, kid…" the detective mumbled under his breath, returning the embrace awkwardly, "I wish I could do something, but…"
Souji could only cry as his world crumbled around him.
[Time]
Time seemed to stop as he stepped out of his car. He couldn't hear Adachi's words or the sirens or the yelling or the bystanders as they crowded around gossiping. He could only hear his footsteps echoing on the cold concrete as he made his way to the scene, not even noticing when he passed the police tape.
He continued to stare up, and only up. He saw three bodies hanging on telephone pole wires, but only one had his main focus; the only one with a visible face. The body was so pale, so blue. Wide, listless eyes seemed to be looking down at him.
Time seemed to skip when he found himself at home, staring at the front door blankly. It was still light out. He didn't even realize he'd left the scene. He slowly, shakily grabbed his keys from his pocket and unlocked the door, the low hum of the TV greeting him. Quickly, he closed the door and rushed to the living room, the sight of his daughter sitting on her cushion, staring blankly at the television screen, her tiny hands gripping onto the remote control for dear life.
"Nanako…" he quickly turned the broadcast off and took the remote from the girl's hands, picking her up and taking her to the couch, "Nanako… I…" he didn't know what to say. It was like when her mother…
The girl turned to her father, her eyes just as listless and dull as the body's…
"When will Big Bro be back? When will he be back?" she started muttering. She wouldn't stop. Over and over, she continued to mutter the phrase. Dojima sobbed, quickly pulling his daughter into a hug.
The next time he looked at the clock, the girl was asleep in his arms.
3:28 it blinked.
Three in the morning and Souji wasn't home…
[Wound]
He'd went in the TV alone. He decided that he was going to train by himself so he could be stronger. He'd almost failed everyone once before… and he almost did again. He barely managed to make it out of the world, using a GoHo-M just in time as a Shadow was ready to tear him in half.
He'd been in there longer than he thought. Junes was locked up, and no lights were on. He could feel his arm bleeding, his head bleeding.
He limped to a wall and slid down, digging for his phone. No matter which arm he used, they both hurt, but he grit his teeth and bared the pain, calling his uncle.
The answer was immediate.
"Souji, where the hell are you?!"
"Uncle… It hurts… Blood… I…"
"What hurts? Souji, where are you?!"
His vision clouded over, and he tried to say something, but blood was the only thing that flew out of his mouth before he fell limp.
"Souji? Souji, answer me! Souji!"
[Yell]
People were yelling. So many things he couldn't hear, but they were yelling. Souji strained to open his eyes, the blurry image of feet scrambling around entering his sight.
"Partner? Hey, stay with me!" he lightly rolled his head, Yosuke kneeling over him, "We called an ambulance! Help is on the way, just stay awake, man!"
His head was pounding, everything hurt.
Everyone was yelling.
Souji shut his eyes, "Please… shut up…"
[Zero]
He was limitless—had infinite amounts of potential and options.
But here he was, the day before he left for home, alone with Adachi in that same jail cell where he saw Nanako on the midnight channel…
He walked over with infinite amounts of potential and options—staring at the letter, the lighter… the man with the mischievous smile… He felt like he only had the one.
His hands moved on their own.