Wait [Modern AU]
Step #35
The following day was spent gathering the ransom money. The police were helping out with gathering the funds; but they're all Mum's funds since she had the money.
I'm actually kind of worried about our financial situation now. But since Dad's been kidnapped, it can't really be helped. We can only rebuild from there, from when we get him back.
Mum's a lot more level headed than she was before – it was a long and shaky day yesterday, and frankly, it felt more like a week's worth of stress than a whole day. Actually, not a week, probably half a year.
Right now, Itachi and I are at the dojo. We were doing some training since there was nothing to do in the house, and I needed to vent out on something, or else I'd probably go insane.
…not really, but there seriously was nothing to do.
Mum was with Akimi and Mikoto in the house, going through a lot of things with Kazuto, Fugaku and Shisui, who were going to and from the station and the house to get things in order.
"How long will this take?" I threw a kick at the punching bag, then another one so that it rebounded off it.
"What do you mean?" Itachi was sitting down, watching me. He was actually eating some dango that Mikoto made for him for today.
"I mean this kidnapping case and all." I steady the bag and throw a few punches at it.
"It will be over when we get your father back." Itachi pulled off a round dango from the stick, chewing on it slowly and thoughtfully. "But we don't know whether the kidnappers will oblige with what they've set out."
"What?!" I inhale sharply and whip around to face the teenager, who sat there nonchalantly eating his favourite sweet.
"I'm hoping we get your father back, but we're treading in dangerous water here." Itachi ate the last of his dango and threw the sticks in the bin.
He had stopped at the bin for a long while, like he was looking at something.
"Itachi? What's up?" I call.
Itachi turns to me and then back to what he was looking at before. "I'm sorry, but this place is closed right now."
"Itachi? Who are you talking to?" I didn't bother taking the boxing gloves off when I went to where Itachi stood.
When I got over to where he was, I saw that someone was actually there, peering inside the dojo with the door half open. They had a mop of red hair and half lidded brown eyes that were very pretty, and the most bored expression on his face. He was wearing a baggy hoodie and jeans with a pair of flip flops.
"Closed?" The red head questioned, looking around the place. His voice was kind of deep, which surprised me. He didn't sound as if he was going to have a deeper voice; I honestly thought it was going to be a lot higher than that. After all, he looks pretty young.
"Yes, it's closed. Did you want to book an appointment or a class? I can help with that if you really want to book." I offered, taking off the boxing gloves.
The red head look over to me and stared for a long while, before he tilted his head slightly to the side, "Are you a student here?"
I was a little taken aback by his sudden question and nodded. "I'm the daughter of the owner, so I handle some reception things too. But technically yes, I'm a student."
The red head nodded slowly to himself as if he were listening to a slow tempo song. He stopped and glanced at Itachi and me, "Can I watch you two?"
"Watch us?" That was a strange thing for me to hear, but it's not that people who wanted to become students didn't watch or anything, but it was strange hearing it come straight from a potential student.
I was a bit unsure, considering the dojo is closed, and that Itachi and I were really just here to pass the time.
I glance over at him and see that he was looking at the red head with an unwavering expression, but also one that it looked like he was thinking of something.
"Uh…I guess you could, but I don't think you can stay for too long." I place my boxing gloves back on.
"That's fine."
Okay, this was really weird. I don't know what he wants to watch. "Uh…what do you want to watch, um…?" I didn't know his name so I had to blank it out.
"Sasori." The red head answered. "How about a spar between you two?"
"O-oh, okay." I turn to Itachi and he looks at me with an unreadable expression.
"You can go first." Itachi murmurs to me. He walked opposite to me so that we were standing a few metres apart.
"Wait, do I even need boxing gloves for this?" I shake my head and take off the gloves again, throwing them somewhere to the side. "Okay, here I come!"
I charge at the Uchiha, throwing some punches first. Itachi either blocked or dodged all of them, which really irked me. Since sparring with somebody doesn't give you too much time to think, I had to literally throw out all I can give. And since it was Itachi that I was up against, I can probably go all out and he'd have no problem defeating me.
I try to trip him, but he jumps up and back, landing perfectly on his two feet, like those gymnasts at the Olympics. He'd score a perfect 100% if he did it.
Okay, enough flattering the guy.
"Are you just dodging?" I asked him with disbelief.
"I think I should get going now." Sasori stood up from his spot, staring at his watch. He glanced at both of us before leaving his eyes on me, "I might come back when this place opens again. It looks fun to learn martial arts." A small smirk caught my eye, "Thanks for the show." And he left.
"What?" I stare after the red head with narrowed eyes, unsure of what just happened.
In that time period that I was just staring at the door, Itachi had already gone and put his shoes on, "Let's go back to the house."
"What! Wait for me!" I quickly go and tidy everything that I had messed, before putting on my own shoes, closing up the dojo and going out to meet a patiently waiting Itachi. "You're too quick…" I sigh to myself and stretch my arms up high. "Alright, let's go back then."
Back at the house, those from the police station were there, ready to head back out to continue whatever they were doing. They left me in the dark, so I don't know anything. Though, I think Itachi knows but he won't tell me anything.
When we went in, Itachi went straight to Fugaku and said something really quietly. I stared at them intently when I came in, wondering what they were talking about.
Sometimes I wished that I could read lips.
I felt a hand go on my shoulder, and turned over my shoulder to see who it was. It was just Shisui.
"Hey." He said with a smile. He let his hand fall back to his side.
"How's the investigation holding up?" I question, turning around.
"For now, it's going well." The Uchiha glanced at Fugaku and Itachi before his eyes went back to me.
"So you're not going to tell me much, are you?" I laugh bitterly.
"Sorry." Shisui held an apologetic expression, placing a hand on my head. "It's confidential, so I can't say much more than that."
"I know…" I let out a long sigh and look to the side.
"Hey, cheer up, won't you?" Shisui pinched both my cheeks, pulling outwards.
I made an angry face, even though I wasn't angry, and glared at him. I don't know why, but Shisui burst out in laughter, so much that he needed to support himself on the wall.
I didn't understand what was so funny, but I let it slide. I was way too tired today. It was tiring to just think, to do anything.
"Sorry, sorry." Shisui wiped a tear from his eye.
"Is it so funny that you have to cry from laughing so much?" I poked his chest multiple times.
"But it was so funny—" And cue his second round of laughter.
"Shisui, calm down." Fugaku had miraculously appeared next to me, scaring the living daylights out of me.
Shisui held his stomach as he turned back around, trying to wipe that grin off his face.
Was my face that funny?
"We have to get back to the station. You can talk to her later." The police head opened the door, heading out. I saw Itachi come up beside me, watching his Dad go out.
Shisui glanced over his shoulder to his uncle, then turned back to where Itachi and I stood. He gave us a wave before taking a step out the door, "I'll see you guys later."
"Alright. Take care." I wave bye to him with a small smile.
"Bye." Itachi said.
And Shisui was gone.
Once the door closed, Itachi turned to me, "Let's talk privately upstairs. Father gave me some details to give to you."
Details? I thought with surprise. I nodded and we headed upstairs to my temporary room.
"Today's the first day of a total of 3 days." Itachi spoke quietly, "On the third day, Aunt Reiko and you will deliver the ransom."
I nodded slowly.
"I recall it being delivered at 5pm at the abandoned warehouse by the docks." Itachi glanced to the side before back at me.
His lips started to move as I listened closely. My eyes widened at what he was saying, not comprehending that they would do this.
"Why…?" I questioned with an unreadable expression. "Do you realise what would happen if they did that?!"
The strain in my voice didn't affect Itachi in the slightest. He looked me in the eye without a shred of guilt.
"There won't be any other way."