Lunch break. At last.
Mahiru jumped from his seat, ready to run out and go looking for Kuro again when his phone buzzed in his pocket, and he stopped in his tracks. A message... that could only mean two things. Either it was from Kuro, or...
Remember what I told you earlier, Mahiru-kun? Meet me on the roof right now. Don't worry about getting the key.
Mahiru gritted his teeth. Dammit. Mikuni. Of course he'd want to meet up right now, at the very moment where he could have gone looking for Kuro in peace for the first time.
He half considered not going. After all, how important could this talk with Mikuni be, anyway? He barely had any idea what it should be about in the first place. Could it really not wait until later? Kuro's safety could be at stake. For all Mahiru knew he might be holed up somewhere, unable to escape his thoughts and fears and unable to move. And besides... Kuro was simply more important to him, as a person.
But Mikuni had been acting strange. From the early-morning phone call to these increasingly worrying texts, everything about his behavior emitted a sense of urgency that didn't seem like him at all. He had even moved up their meeting to the earliest possible moment, and Mahiru was pretty sure he wouldn't do that without an important reason. Maybe he knew something that affected his and Kuro's safety too, or maybe it was even about the fate of the whole group. Maybe whatever he needed to communicate was dangerous, or time-sensitive. Or maybe... maybe he even know where Kuro was.
He couldn't risk not going there.
I'm on my way, Mahiru texted back as he hurried through the hallways, past the rows and rows of students heading for the cafeteria and towards the staircase, climbing up the stairs two and three at a time. If Kuro was with Mikuni, he needed to get to him as fast as he could. And if he wasn't, it was best to get this meeting over with so that he still had enough time to go searching for Kuro. In any case he needed to get up to the roof as soon as possible.
The school roof was off-limits, but the door was unlocked, and Mahiru barely stopped to peer around before pushing it open and being greeted by blinding sunlight. He blinked, willing his eyes to adjust to the light already as he let his gaze roam around in search of any people. He recognized Jeje's stack of paper bag masks around the corner. Mikuni wasn't in sight, but if Jeje was there, he had to be in the same place. Where Kuro was he didn't know.
"Mikuni-san?" he asked, and both Mikuni and Jeje stepped around the corner to stand in front of him. Mahiru waited, but no one followed them. They hadn't brought Kuro with them. He wasn't here.
In that case he needed to get this over with as quickly as possible.
"Good morning, Mahiru-kun," Mikuni said with a smile that didn't reach his eyes. A shadow seemed to rest over his face, cold and quiet and ruthless, making a chill run down Mahiru's spine as he hurried to avoid his dark, hollow-seeming eyes.
"You're probably wondering why I called you up here today, and why I made such a big deal out of this." Mikuni's eyes flitted from side to side, as if to make sure they were unobserved. "Don't worry, I won't keep you long. There's only something I need you to know about the student council... or rather, about most of its members."
Mahiru frowned, surprised. "Why? You're part of the student council too, aren't you?"
"I am." Mikuni smirked, and for a moment he lowered his head, something passing over his face that Mahiru couldn't identify. "But what I'm no longer part of is the organization most of its members are in. Putting them all into student council is only a cover-up so they can keep this school under their control."
Mahiru's eyes went wide. "An organization? You don't mean–"
"Not a gang, no. Not in the classical sense." Mikuni motioned him away from the door and around the corner again, and Mahiru followed. "This group – whatever it is – is called the Criminal Control Committee, or C3 for short. They're... vigilantes, if you will."
"Vigilantes?"
"Yes. They have made it their task to keep street gangs in check, but their methods are... unorthodox. Let's say that a lot of it happens by incapacitating their leaders or otherwise taking over gangs and installing a regime of fear before dissolving the gang, with the threat that they'll come after anyone who tries to reassemble it. And they make good on their threats, you know. They have ways of finding out anything." Mikuni lowered his voice, staring straight into Mahiru's eyes. "Do you understand now? They are not your allies. They're your natural enemies."
Mahiru swallowed, another chill running down his spine. His body tensed up. He wasn't sure if he should believe all this. For all he knew Mikuni might be messing with him again, and this might be the setup to another joke of his, but... looking at him, at his face, his solemn, bitter eyes, listening to his voice was more than enough to make him understand this was nothing but the truth.
And yet...
"But... they're not going after the Servamps," he said quietly, doubtfully. "They only want our help to stop Tsubaki's gang, right? I mean, the Servamps dissolved ages ago, there's no need to fight them anymore."
Mikuni paused, visibly taken aback, then he sighed with the look of someone who was mildly disappointed but not at all surprised. "Mahiru-kun, Mahiru-kun..." He shook his head. "You really are too naïve."
"That's–"
"I know, I know. Trusting people isn't bad." Mikuni waved off Mahiru's protests before he could manage to voice them. "But you have to be careful with who you trust. And in the case of C3, I know what I'm about. I was part of their inner circle, after all."
Mahiru only frowned. "But–"
"No buts. Listen." Mikuni leaned even closer, lowering his voice to barely more than a whisper. "To C3, once you've been part of a gang, you are always an enemy. No matter how long it has been, if you so much as get in touch with another former or current gang member, you become a threat and an enemy. If you try anything at all, no matter if it's truly dangerous or for a good cause, if they see it as potentially dangerous, they shoot it down with every means they have."
Mahiru shuddered. Somehow the wind felt chilly against his skin, or perhaps it was the weight of Mikuni's words that made him feel the cold all the more acutely. He tried to stomach the thought. Tsurugi, no, the whole student council... none of them were their allies. They weren't on their side. They were trying to work against the Servamps too, even if he wasn't sure how.
Mikuni's words were believable, extremely so. And yet some part of him couldn't help feeling like he might still be wrong.
"But you left the group years ago," he insisted, even if he felt a little like a stubborn child doing it. "How do you know they haven't changed? I mean, they apologized for threatening us before. And Tsurugi-san is trying to help me become a better partner for Kuro in fights. Maybe they really are just after Tsubaki's group and will leave us alone! They wouldn't ask us to team up with them otherwise, right?"
"Wrong."
Another shadow fell over Mikuni's face, darker and colder and more lingering than all the ones before. "This is part of their scheme," he said. "They try to charm you into thinking they are on your side, and then they destroy you from within. I don't know what exactly they're trying to do with you all, but believe me. They'll only keep from harming you as long as you seem useful. After that they'll toss you like a used napkin."
His words made so much sense.
Everything Mikuni said, everything he tried to tell him was believable, Mahiru knew. Mikuni wasn't lying to him. Mikuni wasn't trying to mislead him on purpose, he wasn't that kind of person. He sounded like he knew the organization too well to be wrong, too. And yet...
And yet... he couldn't do it. He couldn't mistrust Tsurugi and his companions as completely as Mikuni did. Maybe it was his nature, his personality refusing to let him doubt people so much, or perhaps it just didn't match with his own observations, he didn't know. All he knew was that it felt wrong. Mikuni's knowledge was one thing, but the present was the other, and he knew better than anyone how much people could change in a short span of time. After all, back in middle school Kuro and the others had still been a gang too, a bunch of troublemakers, dreaded and feared before turning their backs on violence and starting to lead normal lives in high school. Tsurugi and the other members of C3 could have had the same change of heart. And if that was true, he didn't want to make the mistake of doubting them and losing powerful allies.
"I... know you don't trust them," he began, unwavering in spite of Mikuni's darkening gaze. "But I want to give them a chance. They–"
"Does your Servamp friend trust them?"
Mahiru stopped short, taken aback. "What?"
"Does he?"
Mahiru tensed, shuddering under the weight of Mikuni's dark, glowering gaze. His eyes had frozen over, but behind that layer of ice something burned in the distance, something sharp and piercing and all-perceiving. He knows something, a thought flashed through his head. Something he doesn't want to tell me.
"Uh... Kuro?" Mahiru thought back to all their interactions, all their conversations since Tsurugi had contacted him. "Well... not really, no..."
Mikuni's gaze didn't waver. "And you have never asked yourself why that may be?"
What was he implying?
"Well," Mahiru said, "a little, but... I just thought they had some kind of history together, since Kuro used to be in a gang and C3 basically hunts gangs and everything. I mean, they must've been enemies before, so..."
"What if I told you he once trusted them too?"
Mahiru stopped in his tracks. Wide-eyed, he stared at Mikuni, unsure what to reply in his disbelief.
"Kuro... did?" he repeated, half wondering if he had heard him wrong. "Kuro... trusted... C3?"
"Surprising, isn't it?" Mikuni smiled. "But it's true. I won't go into the details, but I can guarantee that he has regretted trusting them ever since he realized his mistake. After all..." He raised an eyebrow. "Did you never ask yourself how the Servamps disbanded?"
"Wait, you don't mean...?"
"These people were a part of it, yes. Or rather, the largest part of it is their fault." Closing his eyes, Mikuni leaned back against the wall behind him, letting his hair fall into his face. "And although I don't doubt your friend doesn't miss the gang and violence, I wouldn't be surprised if he feels sorry for some... circumstances."
Mahiru didn't say anything. He was stunned speechless. Something moved in his head, gears turning faster and faster until they produced a memory.
Who's gonna die this time?
For once I agree with big brother! I remember. I remember everything. And if you think I'll ever forgive you or trust you again, you are mistaken!
Kuro and Hyde had been so serious back then, so uncharacteristically serious. Eerily so. Kuro wasn't usually the type to throw around accusations either. And for Hyde to hate someone this openly...
Had someone died back then? Had C3's actions, the way they had forced the gang to disband, somehow managed to get someone killed? Or... had they forced the gang to kill someone else?
What had happened back then, exactly?
"So you've heard a few things," Mikuni said, eyeing his face with that knowing smile of his. "They did drop a few hints after all, didn't they? That's more than I expected from some of them."
"I... well, kind of..."
"Then you should know all you need." Mikuni shoved himself off the wall, motioning for Jeje to follow him as he paced towards the door. "Don't agree to anything they offer you. Don't let them into your life. I don't know what exactly they're up to with you, but I can tell it's nothing good." He reached for the door handle. "I'll take care of the rest."
"Mikuni-san, wait!"
Mahiru stumbled after him, shocked, startled and confused. Why was he leaving already when there was so much still left unexplained. "Aren't you going to tell me what happened back then?"
Mikuni paused. He didn't turn around, and when he spoke his voice was quiet, so quiet that Mahiru had to strain himself to hear the words over the sound of the wind.
"I could tell you," he said, "but it's best to ask the ones who were directly involved, isn't it?"
And before Mahiru could say anything else, he shut the door and disappeared into the staircase.
Mahiru stayed behind, baffled and puzzled beyond measure. His mind was still trying to wrap itself around everything he had just heard, struggling to process it. The student council– no, C3 wasn't an ally. They were supposed to be an enemy out to destroy all gangs, vigilantes that fought using methods even he had already witnessed firsthand. They had broken apart the Servamps in the past, and someone might have died in the process. The student council... might be responsible for getting someone killed.
Should he believe that? Was it true? And if it was, what was he supposed to do?
Just looking at previous actions, Mikuni was definitely the more trustworthy one here. He hadn't lied or tricked him before, and the only time Mahiru knew he had done something dangerous or forbidden it had been to protect his little brother. The student council, on the other hand, was a different matter. They had detained him against his will before, him and Kuro both, and it wasn't impossible that they might do the same again. They had apologized, sure. But was that apology genuine? And if it wasn't, what were they secretly up to?
He had good reasons to believe Mikuni and even better reasons to doubt C3. And yet some part of him wasn't fully comfortable.
Maybe... he just didn't like to be told who to trust and what to do, he thought. He didn't want this information presented to him on a platter, served by someone who might be biased. He wanted to find out for himself.
Yes, that was it. He would be careful. He would try not to trust Tsurugi or the others too much, even if doubting people already went against his nature, and he would observe. He would try to find out, to understand. What C3 was up to. What they wanted to do. What they had done before. If they had seen the error of their ways, and if they could be reasoned with. He was sure at least some of them had to be reasonable and willing to team up for real. Every new ally would be worth the trouble.
That was also what he would tell Kuro. Maybe that wouldn't calm him down completely, but it might relax him a little, knowing Mahiru didn't trust Tsurugi and the others unconditionally and was willing to observe first. It was worth a try, in any case.
Now he just needed to find Kuro.
Mahiru still didn't have any idea where he was, but he could try to call him. Or text him. With a little bit of luck he would answer, and then he could decide what to do. He just hoped Kuro was okay. As okay as his current situation allowed, anyway.
Opening the door, he pulled out his phone as he walked down the staircase, dialing Kuro's number and waiting. He didn't dare hope. Knowing Kuro, he might have muted his phone, or maybe he had fallen asleep and couldn't hear it or had left it at the dorm entirely. And even if he did see the call, there was no knowing if he would answer. In his current state...
He let it ring, rinng, ring... and then the voicemail answered.
Mahiru sighed, trying not to feel disappointed. That non-response could mean anything, from simply missing the call to ignoring it on purpose, and he honestly wasn't sure what he should hope for. If Kuro had missed the call, he probably wouldn't see any text messages either. But if he was deliberately ignoring him, he definitely wouldn't read them.
Hey, he typed into the screen nonetheless, hoping against hope,where are you? Everything okay?
He hit the Send button... and walked face-first into a figure in the hallway.
"Whoa– sorry!" he burst out, staggering back as the figure in front of him did the same. His eyes flitted up. He just hoped this wasn't a teacher; if the head of the disciplinary committee was caught texting while walking down the staircase to the forbidden rooftop, he'd never hear the end of it.
It wasn't a teacher, though. It was Kurumamori Junichirou.
"Oh, sorry," he said, looking as startled as Mahiru felt. "Are you all right?"
"Y-Yeah," Mahiru stuttered out before stopping in his tracks. He had been this close to starting a friendly conversation with him, but Jun was also part of the student council, he realized. He had been there when Tsurugi and the others had restrained him. And he was one of Tsurugi's closest friends. The likelihood of him being a dangerous C3 member was too high not to be at least a little careful.
Even if he couldn't believe that someone as serious and responsible-looking as him should have done anything really bad.
Jun adjusted his glasses, his expression friendly. "Sorry about that," he said. "I wasn't paying attention to where I was going."
"Ah, no!" Mahiru raised his hands in a hectic gesture. "I was on my phone while I walked, so..."
Jun frowned at him in what looked like genuine, straightforward concern. "On your phone at school, while walking?" he asked, and for a split second Mahiru wondered if he would lecture him for behavior like that. "Did something happen?"
Mahiru blinked in surprise, taken aback for the moment. "Uh... what makes you think that?"
"Just a guess. You don't seem like the type to do something like this without good reason is all." Jun met his gaze, dark eyes resting on his features as if observing the tiniest change in his expression. "Besides, it's pretty rare for you to miss lunch, isn't it? Whatever brought you up here must be pretty important if you're willing to go hungry for it."
A warm flush spread over Mahiru's face. Pretty important, yeah. That was one way to put it. If it was about Kuro, he was ready to skip lunch for his sake anytime. Even if Kuro would probably tease him and complain when he found out, he thought.
"Well, it's..." What should he say? He was itching to tell the truth, to just take his chance and ask if Jun had seen Kuro anywhere, but he needed to be careful. This guy was part of C3. C3 was a wild card in this equation, a group he probably shouldn't trust with this information for now. Who knew what they might use it for. Misono and Mikuni would definitely tell him not to reveal any vulnerable spots to the enemy.
Except this guy wasn't just C3. He was Jun from the student council. A calm, serious, reliable person who kept his two more eccentric friends in check and got the job done. And Mahiru really, really needed to find Kuro again. After all, if he was in trouble somewhere, or if he was sick or passed out again and needed help, he couldn't waste a second.
"I'm looking for Kuro," he said, simple and straightforward. "He disappeared earlier and hasn't come back since, have you seen him anywhere?"
Jun looked surprised for a second, then he frowned, a frown that might be either confused or concerned or possibly both, Mahiru couldn't tell. "Kuro...?"
"Yeah." Mahiru shifted awkwardly. "You don't happen to have seen him anywhere, right? You know, my friend..."
"I know. And I'm thinking." Jun closed his eyes, adjusting his glasses on the bridge of his nose and frowning as he muttered, "I think I might've seen him earlier... It was only from a window though. I'm not sure."
"Where?"
The frantic urgence in Mahiru's voice surprised even him. Was he really that panicked, that desperate to find Kuro? Get a grip, Mikuni's voice said in his head. You don't know if you can trust this guy. It's best not to show just how worried you are.
Except... screw that. He was worried. Kuro was his best friend right now, and he had disappeared, and he wasn't doing well. Anyone would be worried. He could show it.
"Where is he?" he demanded. "Can you show me the way?"
"That's..."
"Even if you're not sure. Where do you think you saw him?"
Jun frowned and sighed.
"I'm trying to remember," he said. "I'm not sure, but if I remember correctly..."
Mahiru didn't wait for him to finish. Brushing past him, he hurried along the hallway towards the next staircase leading down. "Let's go!" he shouted. "Please show me the place, Kurumamori-senpai!"
"Jun's just fine..."
"Jun-san, then. Please show me!"
Jun gave a brief nod, then he hurried to catch up to Mahiru, overtake him and lead the way, pacing through the hallway to the staircase and walking down, always taking two steps at a time. Mahiru followed behind, eager to run even faster, get to Kuro even quicker, but he restrained himself, gritting his teeth in an effort to try and not step on Jun's heels in impatience.
They turned a corner, then Jun stopped so abruptly that Mahiru walked face-first into him. Stumbling back, he blinked and peered around only to find the reason for the sudden stop in front of him.
"Tsurugi," Jun said in startled surprise. "Yumi. Why aren't you guys at lunch?"
The two in question exchanged a glance, then Tsurugi smiled that feline smile of his, stretching. "We were done eating," he said. "Besides, why weren't you at lunch?" He put on a mock pout, wiped his eyes and sniffled. "You ditched us, did you? Jun-chan, you have no heart."
"Shut up," Jun said flatly, hitting him over the head. "I had to help the teacher with some errands is all. I didn't think it would take long."
"Oh, really? And that isn't just some excuse you came up with on the spot? Let's be real, Yumi-chan, doesn't it look like our friend is trying to ditch us?"
"He totally does. We should pay him back for lying."
"Listen to me, you two!"
Mahiru squirmed. Every second these three stood here talking and bantering felt like an eternity to him, ticking away to shorten the time until he had to go back to class, lowering his chances of finding Kuro before this afternoon. "Excuse me," he said. "Not to interrupt, but..."
Jun gave a nod and muttered an apology, ready to keep going, but Tsurugi leaned down, taking notice of him for the first time. "Mahiru-kun!" he exclaimed, his eyes round with what might or might not be genuine surprise. "What are you doing with Jun-chan? Did you have to run errands too?"
"No... well, that's–"
"We're looking for someone," Jun said briefly. "And we're in a bit of a hurry, so could you just...?"
"Hmm, don't tell me." Tsurugi pursed his lips as if thinking hard. "You don't happen to be looking for your friend, Mahiru-kun? You know... Kuro?"
Mahiru tensed up. One part of him was alarmed. The other was eager, eager for any and all information about Kuro's fate, and that eagerness pushed aside all semblance of worry. Maybe he should be more careful. Maybe he shouldn't tell the truth here. But right now he didn't care.
"Have you seen him?" he blurted out, stumbling to stand beside Jun, staring up at Tsurugi with wide, frantic eyes. "Where is he? Is he okay?"
Tsurugi raised an eyebrow. "You must be very worried, Mahiru-kun," he said with a wistful little sigh. "What a touching friendship. Well, to my knowledge, he is–"
"I'm already showing him where I last saw him," Jun interrupted him. "But thanks."
Mahiru paused. Something seemed off about Jun's voice. It had become dark somehow, tense, as if he was unwilling to let Tsurugi take part in this for some reason, and his face was shadowed when Mahiru looked up at it. He didn't look or sound at all like someone who was simply refusing a friend's help. If Mahiru had to compare it to something, it would be... fear, perhaps?
But why should Jun not trust his own friend?
"Hey, now. Why so irritable, Jun-chan?" Tsurugi pouted at him as if nothing had happened. "Where are you two going, then?"
"The schoolyard. I think I saw him between the trees earlier."
Tsurugi raised both eyebrows. He exchanged a quick glance with Yumikage, both their expressions unreadable, then he turned back to Jun. "Oh, is that were he was before?"
Mahiru whipped around to blink at him. "Before?"
"Yes," Tsurugi said nonchalantly. "Because Yumi-chan and I just saw him behind the gym–"
Mahiru didn't hesitate one second. Darting past both him and Yumikage, he ran down the hallway, sprinting across the building with a newfound sense of destination. "I got it!" he shouted back over his shoulder. "Thank you!"
"Mahiru," Jun's voice rang out from behind him. "Wai–"
He was interrupted by Tsurugi's voice, and Mahiru drowned them out. He had a chance to find Kuro. He had a place to check. Maybe it was wrong. Maybe he wouldn't find anyone. But it was worth a try.
Kuro, he thought, sprinting down the stairs and hurrying out of the building. Hang in there. I'm on my way!
Kuro opened his eyes, unsure where he was or how he had got there.
He didn't know what time it was. He didn't know how long he had been here, curled up on the ground, his face buried between his knees, blocking out all light and noise. Everything since this morning had become a blur, and he wasn't sure if he had been out here for five minutes or five hours.
He did feel a little less bad than before, this much he was sure of. Not good, not by a long way. Just... not terrible. The self-hating voices in his head had become a little quieter, but they weren't gone, constantly whispering at him and calling him names and waiting for the first opportunity to grow louder until they blocked out everything else again.
Kuro shuddered. That feeling... he didn't want it back. His memories were vague, but the echo of that terror, the frantic, mind-numbing panic from earlier was still etched into his mind, a lingering sensation that sooner or later that state would return. He didn't want it to return. The terror, the despair, the complete hopelessness... the feeling that he would never feel better again, that the voices would never shut up unless he–
He wouldn't think about that. He shouldn't think about that. The voices were... they were wrong, he tried to tell himself. They were lying. It was hard to believe right now. But sooner or later, hadn't he always remembered that somehow?
He'd be fine. Eventually he'd be fine. He had always been fine in the end.
It felt like a lie.
Sighing, Kuro stretched out his legs, idly letting his gaze roam over the ground and the handful of trees in front of him. Trying not to think about all the what ifs in his head. What if that pitch-dark, frantic state came back again? What if he wouldn't get better this time? What if the voices weren't lying after all? What if they were telling the truth, and his usual self was simply too blind to listen to them?
If he fell into that dark hole again... he wasn't sure how many more times he could take it. He wasn't sure how many more times he could emerge out of it safe and alive and without breaking apart and shattering to pieces. He hadn't fallen this deep in a long time, he knew. Maybe once this was over, it would be another long time without it. But not forever. Never forever. And that thought itself was terrifying.
Don't think about it, the more reasonable part of him said, or at least he hoped it was the voice of reason speaking. Don't worry about it right now. You're making it worse.
Yeah, said another voice in his head. Because making things worse is all I can ever do.
He clenched his fists. Enough of that. He wouldn't think of it. He should think of something else... Where was he, for instance? Somewhere in the school yard... There were bushes around him, hiding him from sight, and behind his back stood a large tree, its gnarled roots extending into the earth on each side of him. The school building wasn't too far away, close enough for him to see into the ground floor windows and find the classrooms deserted except for a handful of people holding lunch boxes in their hands.
So it was lunch break right now, he thought. He supposed that meant he should probably be feeling hungry. And yet, when he thought of food, his entire body recoiled, squirming away in something akin to disgust. He couldn't even think of eating anything right now. But even if he did, he wouldn't want to. Getting up and dragging himself to the cafeteria wasn't worth it.
But the others, he thought, were probably all in the cafeteria now. Ryuusei and Koyuki had to be there, and Mahiru too, probably. Part of him wondered if that last part was a reason to get up after all, but when he thought of the smell of food his entire body shuddered with repulsion. Besides, they would definitely ask him questions about his disappearance, and he didn't have the energy to face that right now. Not that he'd know what to say in the first place. The truth wasn't an option, and he couldn't think of a lie.
If he wasn't looking for Mahiru though... maybe Mahiru was somewhere looking for him?
The spark of hope that had momentarily lit up in his chest flickered out and died on the spot. Yeah, right. Mahiru would never sacrifice his lunch break for someone like him. Or if he did, he shouldn't. At least he should get the food he needed and deserved, and Kuro would just stay here for a little longer. He could imagine worse places to stay. And it wasn't like he minded the solitude.
He didn't... mind the solitude.
Really. Definitely.
Well... he did miss Mahiru. He did wish he would come and stay by his side, simply keeping him company even if he didn't do or say anything. He just wanted someone to come and assure him that he wasn't alone, that someone was there, thinking about him and caring.
But he didn't mind being alone. Not enough to get up and bother Mahiru or anyone else. He'd simply stay here, and if he was found, he was found.
Not that he really counted on it.
Mahiru skidded to a halt behind the gym, his eyes darting from side to side and trying to be everywhere at once.
"Kuro?" he shouted, so loudly his voice reverberated off the walls. "Kuro, are you here?"
No answer.
He ran from side to side, sprinting and stumbling, looking, searching every hidden corner, every nook and cranny, once, a second time. "Kuro! Kuro?"
No answer. The handful of first-years playing basketball in the court nearby paused in their game to look at him in surprise. Other than that, there wasn't a soul.
Mahiru didn't care about their stares. He just didn't care. Tsurugi had said he had seen Kuro here, so where was he? Why wasn't he here anymore? Had he left already? But where to?
"Excuse me!" he shouted to the first-years, who looked half-torn between backing away and helping. "Have you seen my friend around here? Pretty tall, light blue hair, dark bags under his eyes...?"
They exchanged a glance, and even before any of them spoke Mahiru already knew what the answer would be.
"No," said the one closest to Mahiru, his expression confused and a little apologetic. "We haven't seen anyone since we got here."
Another one nodded. "Yeah, and we've been here since the break started."
They had been here all break. And they hadn't seen Kuro. Kuro hadn't been here all break, or if he had, he had been so well hidden that he would have been next to impossible to spot.
But that could only mean...
"Yeah. Okay," Mahiru stuttered out, hoping his fear and confusion didn't show on his face. "Okay... thanks anyway. Thank you!"
Turning around, he stumbled back into the courtyard, his thoughts spinning round and round and round in his head.
Kuro hadn't been behind the gym. At least he hadn't been here for the entirety of the break, or possibly he had never come here at all. Tsurugi had told him he and Yumikage had just seen him in that place, but he hadn't been there. Not in a way they could have spotted him in passing, at the very least. No, wait... what should they have been doing behind the gym anyway? It wasn't a place one just casually passed, was it?
Had they been mistaken? Had they somehow, for a reason Mahiru didn't need to know, found themselves behind the gym and spotted someone who looked like Kuro? But he had no lookalikes in this school. And even if he did, those two seemed to know him well enough to tell the real thing from someone who only resembled him.
But then... that only left one other explanation. One that tied in all too well with what Mikuni had told him earlier.
Had they led him into the wrong place on purpose?
Mahiru didn't want to think it. He didn't want to believe it, and yet this situation left him no choice. Tsurugi and Yumikage couldn't have made a mistake, and they had sent him here even though Kuro had never come to this place. That could only mean one thing, however he tried to turn it in his head, straining to twist it into something more favorable. They had both fooled him. On purpose.
But... why? What had they done that for? What could possibly be the point of misleading him when he was looking for Kuro? A harmless prank? Or... could it be something more serious?
He shook his head. Now wasn't the time to worry about their reasons; he could think about that later. What mattered right now was that he found Kuro and checked up on him. Wherever he was, if he wasn't here.
Between the trees, Jun had said. That was where he had been trying to lead him, before the other two interrupted. Should Mahiru go and search there? It sounded like a trustworthy hint. Jun had seemed serious when he said that. And yet...
Jun was also one of them, wasn't he? How could he trust him?
Well, he thought, maybe this had nothing to do with the whole C3 thing. Maybe Tsurugi had just decided to play a very unfortunate prank, and Jun's offer to lead him to Kuro had been genuine. He hoped that was the case. But...
What if it wasn't? What if they knew where Kuro was, and he wasn't under the trees either? What if something was wrong and they were trying to hide it from him? What if he was in trouble?
Damn it, he really wished he had Kuro with him right now. Kuro would know how to calm him down. Kuro would make a sarcastic remark about how little it suited him to mistrust people and that he should just stop fretting and do his thing.
Stop fretting... and do my thing.
He should go by gut feeling. Intuition. What was his intuition telling him? What should he do?
Thinking simply, he should try the trees.
Because if Kuro really was there, he'd regret it if he didn't at least try to find him.
The bell rang, and Mahiru stopped in his tracks. Damn it, the break was over. He needed to get back to class, and still he hadn't found Kuro. And once his classes started again, he wouldn't get another chance to look for his friend for several hours.
A mistake he had already made this morning. Not that it could be avoided. Rules were rules, and if he skipped class he would end up in trouble. He really needed to get back. And yet...
Screw this. He had a perfect record. And this was an emergency.
No matter how he looked at it, this really wasn't a difficult choice to make.
Tsurugi raised an eyebrow as he glanced at his watch, the start-of-class bell still ringing in his ears.
Shirota Mahiru-kun, he thought, opening his textbook and lowering his head to hide his face from view, just what did you end up doing? Did you go back to class? Or did you go after your friend?
Whichever it is, you have walked right into the trap.
