CHAPTER TWELVE


That morning, Souichi had risen early and had returned to the apartment he had been sharing with Morinaga in order to get a change of clothes. A quick shower had refreshed him, but it had not alleviated the tightness of his chest. Each movement felt as though it were in slow-motion, as if time had slowed down to less than a snails pace. He had just wanted to hurry up and get to the University so that he could personally put in his request, because he doubted he'd be able to concentrate at all after receiving such horrific news.

It had been lucky for him that they had understood his dilemma and weren't about to hold it against him, though they didn't realize that he also had planned to somehow find a way to search for Morinaga himself. 'I have to get the funds from somewhere though...but where?' While thinking that as he exited the building, he wasn't paying any attention to where he was going as he stared at the ground blankly, lost in thought. Not until he nearly ran into someone.

He glowered as he looked up, frowning for a moment, though he'd been about to open his mouth and yell at the other person. Yet that face belonged to Morinaga's elder brother, so the words had died in his throat.

Kunihiro blinked, straightening his glasses. "Sorry about that," even though Tatsumi had been the one not paying any attention, but he couldn't say he didn't blame him if that absentmindedness was due to what he thought it was. "Tatsumi isn't it?"

Souichi nodded, "Yeah...what are you doing here? Your brother..."

"I know, it was you I came to see."

"Why?" asked the blond suspiciously of the other man, wondering what he could possibly want to see him about.

"Well, you see, after learning about my brother and the fact that his body has not yet been found I wanted to go search for him myself, however something came up." He indicated the crutches he held under his arms, which finally drew the others attention.

"I see... but what does that..." before Souichi could finish the older Morinaga cut him off by explaining.

"Since my parents don't seem to concerned about it and I can't very well go search for my little brother in this condition, I thought perhaps I might enlist your aid... being my brothers partner and all."

Souichi stiffened at the last few words, blushing profusely at that. "What? Who said that!?" If Morinaga had told his brother that, but unfortunately he wasn't there to clobber him. 'I really need to find him, if only to punch him for this!'

"He didn't exactly tell me, but his behavior on the phone from my questioningly left me in no doubt."

Opening his mouth to tell Morinaga's brother otherwise, he closed it again, recalling that he'd said something about searching for that idiot and wanting his aid. He figured it might be better to hear him out rather than argue the point, just in case the man withdrew from that.

Kunihiro himself, taking the other mans silence to mean he'd been correct in his assumption, not that he would retract it anyway if the man had denied it, he continued. "I've quite a bit of money saved. Enough to hire a boat, someone to drive the boat and supplies. I would go myself, but as you have already noted I'm sure, I can't do that. So, would you be willing to go in my place to look for Tetsuhiro?"

Here was the perfect solution to the quandary he'd been in only moments ago, the one he'd been in since first thinking of it. At least if he were able to try and find Morinaga he felt sure he'd find him long before those idiots did who were only starting a search party so that they didn't look bad on national television. He on the other hand had a reason to find him, that had nothing to do with wanting to look like a good samaritan.

'He's got to be alive, and when I find him...oh when I find him!' but trying to remain calm in front of Morinaga's brother he replied as evenly as he could.

"Of course. I was just wondering how I'd be able to go off looking for him myself, and luckily for you I already put in a leave of absence from the University."

Kunihiro smiled, sighing thankfully. "Thank you. I've already hired the boat, the supplies should be ready sometime before nightfall too. When do you think you could be ready?"

"I just need to pack a thing of clothes and get my Passport, since you seem to have everything else under control." The sooner he started the search the better. "You do know where the plane crashed, right?"

The brunette nodded, "Yes, so does the person who'll be stirring the boat. They came highly recommended, although you'll be the only two on it, unless you plan to take someone else with you?"

"No, I don't plan to take someone else with me, that would just slow me down and I don't want to disturb my families routine either."

"Very well, here's the address where you can find the dock, the name of the boat and its captain. I'm sorry I wont be there to see you off, as I have someone else I have to see too. However, please be sure to call me if you run into any trouble. My credit card is at your disposal as well, as long as it has to do with finding my brother."

Souichi took the cards that the other man had taken out of his wallet and handed to him. He didn't think he'd need to use the credit card, but he didn't want to offend him, so he quietly placed it in his own wallet for safe keeping. Each of them going their own way as they prepared for the rest of the day.

'Just you wait Morinaga.' Was the last thing the light haired man thought as he packed his suitcases and left for the address that had been on one of the cards Morinaga's big brother had given to him.