Past events

March 6th, London

.

Fuji sat on the shore of the Thymes. soaked, cold, shivering. They had also picked Hiyoshi out of it. He was explaining what had happened.

For now, the police had their hands full on the son of the murdered parents and Fuji just sat against Tezuka, panting from the run.

"Why did you go and do such a thing?" Tezuka was quite angry. Fuji had told him not to be rash, but look who's talking...

"I...I tried to... get you declared... innocent..." Fuji panted.

"..." Tezuka sighed. "What happened?"

"that is...well..."

.

"So what is it you're here for? I'm a little busy. Both my parents died, you know?"

"Don't worry, it's just a short interview for us to stay up to date."

Hiyoshi sighed, sitting back.

"I've heard there was quite a struggle when your mother was murdered." Fuji noted things down on a paper carefully.

"Ah... It was my mother who was shot, after all. I couldn't just sit and wait. What if that freak would turn his gun to me, too?"

"I see... I was told it left some nasty bruises on you."

"Ah... on my neck and wrist..."

Fuji fell silent.

Then, in a sweet voice he asked: "But that's weird... Why would they be around your wrist?"

"How do you mean?"

Fuji stood up. "Did you know that there are 2 ways to disarm a person of an item?"

"I don't see how that's-"

"Ow, but it's very relevant. You see, the smartest move to make is to get yourself behind a person and grab him underneath the arms."

"So?"

"The other way, however, would count if the person holding said item would stand behind you. Grabbing him from behind would prove to be difficult. So instead, you press your hand against someone's throat to make them back off and grab hold of someone's wrist."

Hiyoshi seemed to lose his patience. "So what? It's not very unnatural to grab someone's wrist."

"It is... unless you want to take something from someone's hand."

Hiyoshi felt silent.

"...That's not true. He grabbed me to restrain me!"

"How could he? He'd at least need 2 free hands. one for your neck, the other for your wrist. But he didn't had both hands, since he was holding a gun. How is that possible? Only on one way: He wasn't holding the gun, but you were!" Fuji had him cornered. This could be the only logic assumption. But just this evidence wasn't what Fuji wanted. No, what more-

He could see something snap in Hiyoshi's eyes.

"...So what?... So what if it was me?"

"Excuse me?"

"You have no clue what happened. You don't know what it's like when your dad simply declines you out of his life all of a sudden. We had so many plans together! But he found out I wasn't his child and so he started to hate me."

Fuji fell silent. "Don't worry... I know just how complicated a parent's love is..."

"I wasn't even aiming at him! It was her I wanted to have dead!"

"So you killed Ann aswell..."

"What are you going to do about it? It's your word against mine. And the pathetic little evidence you have can be easily overthrown by my lawyer."

"..." -click- "...I doubt about that." Fuji held a small device in front of Hiyoshi. Fuji grinned at the boy's dumbfounded face.

"This, Hiyoshi-kun, is a tape recorder. The smallest of its sort, not out on the market yet. It taped our conversation. I believe that once the police hears it, it'll be hard for them to turn around a spoken confession."

Fuji had made a crucial mistake, though.

Hiyoshi was only slightly shaken by Fuji's action and so he knew what to do.

He snatched the recorder from Fuji's hand and made a run for it.

Without this evidence, the police had little ground to even suspect him. Only this evidence.

.

"I chased him down towards Vauxhall and that's where the police came in. The rest you know."

Tezuka sighed after holding his breath during most of Fuji's story. He then gave the boy a small nudge against the back of his head.

"Idiot... and you called me rash? Hiyoshi could have been armed... To go there alone is-..." Tezuka sighed again.

"The pressure spots on his wrist... can't it be used as evidence on its own?"

Fuji shook his head. "As he said, it's easily overthrown if the prosecutor is a little bit worthy of his title..."

The wet boy leaned his head against the shoulder of his elder. He was clearly exhausted.

Tezuka had almost forgotten that poor Fuji was soaked, but was now reminded.

"ah... You must be cold... I have a spare shirt with me.." Tezuka fussed in the bag he had taken along.

"hn... thanks.." Fuji sat back up, removed his slipover and unbuttoned his shirt.

Tezuka's heart thumped in his throat from what he saw underneath it.

A scar. Small, but apparently deep.

Tezuka was instantly reminded of the second case he had witnessed.

Tsubame was shot! Fuji had a scar!

It was now clear to Tezuka that Fuji really was Tsubame, after all!

.

Fuji was already buttoning his new shirt when he saw Tezuka's gaze.

"Ah, this?" Fuji chuckled a little uncomfortable. "It's a long story..."

"Do tell..."

Fuji stared over the water and sighed.

"4 years ago...I was kidnaped...

Some guys wanted money from my father...

In that time, I wasn't very close to my father. You could say I was neglected.

I blamed my father for allowing me to be caught. I didn't believe he'd pay up for my safety either...

But that man exceeded my expectations by far.

Together with Oshitari and the police, he came to safe me personally. I was told he was the one finding our location, even...

I was shot in the process... but this scar is worth seeing the true feelings of my father until its deepest core.

I can't even start explaining the expression in his eyes when he rushed in... called my name... held me sheltered...

For weeks, he stayed by my side in the hospital, refusing every doctor harshly who told him to leave. He vowed to me every day: 'I won't ever leave you be again. I swear I'll protect you...'

... That's... about what happened..."

Tezuka looked down. He felt nasty over suspect Fuji again. There are many reasons why one could have a scar. And it's always an unpleasant one.

Tezuka could hear from Fuji's voice that he hadn't been lying. Besides, it seemed to be a pretty old scar...

"I'm sorry..."

Fuji frowned, then smiled. "For what?"

"Ah... no, just...I should have trusted you more. You only wanted to help."

Fuji paused, then smiled. "We're pretty empty handed now, though..."

.

"It's time to go back..." Oshitari approached the two.

"I have a good hunch on what you were trying, Syu, but be a little smarter next time, nah?..." Oshitari took Tezuka along again.

"...Tezuka..."

Tezuka turned back, for as far as Oshitari allowed him.

"... I'll... find a way to help out... okay?"

"..." Tezuka smiled. "...ah."