Chapter 21 - Lights Changing Colour

The next day was the day they were to hang out again.

Louis had not specified a time, so Legosi texted him to let him know he was on his way over at around noon. Jack made kissing noises behind him as he left and he rolled his eyes.

He made it to Louis' dorm without a response. No matter. He knocked on the door.

No answer.

He knocked again. Was he asleep?

Louder this time. "Senpai?"

Legosi pulled his phone out to call him. That had to wake him up. It immediately went to voicemail.

Legosi hung up rather than leave a message. He tried the door.

Surprisingly, it opened. The sun streamed in through the blinds, laying light against the empty room. "...Sen...pai?" He crept in.

The room was clean...even more clean than it was yesterday. It looked like nobody had even stayed there. He walked to the bathroom door, knocking on it before opening it. As he thought, it was empty. The only evidence that Louis had even been there was his lingering scent. But other than that, there was no one to be found.

Legosi tried calling him again. Nothing. He felt his heart start to race as a pit formed in his stomach. He felt cold.

He ran outside, looking around desperately. There was no sign of struggle, at least, so it couldn't have been another kidnapping, right?

His phone buzzed.

Legosi looked at his phone, relief beginning to flood through him. It was an unknown message.

?: Hello, Legosi. It's Haru from the hospital. I was supposed to see Louis today but he wasn't home. I was thinking you might know where he is?

Legosi grew ice cold...again. He didn't even think of the fact that Louis had told them both they could hang around, or how she even got his number.

Legosi: I just stopped by his dorm and he's not there. I don't know where he went.

Legosi: Should we ask Principle Gon?

Haru: I think you should ask around first. Let's see if anyone around the school knows. Give it an hour. We can't jump to conclusions, after all.

But she couldn't help feeling a sense of dread. This wasn't like Louis. Something definitely happened.

Legosi felt weird, suddenly talking to Louis' girlfriend out of the blue, but it was necessary.

Legosi: Okay.

They began their search, asking everyone they could think of and more. No one had seen the deer. In the process the students at school became concerned.

Louis the red deer had vanished.

It was late afternoon when Legosi saw a small body and a white pair of ears. It was Haru. Legosi ran toward her, not even caring about how scary that might be to her. "Haru-san!"

The bunny jumped back. "L-Legosi!"

Legosi leaned down, panting. "I wasn't able to find out anything." The look in his eyes was unmistakable. He was scared.

Haru looked down. "No one I know knew anything either...We might have accidentally started rumors in the school, as well. People are saying he might have been kidnapped again."

Legosi rubbed his hands together nervously. If it had just been him, then it'd make sense. Maybe Louis still had some secrets that not even Haru knew…

"H-Haru-san? If you don't know where Louis is, then where'd you get my number from?"

"That lab you know gave it to me. I've seen you guys hanging around," she explained.

"O-okay. Well...what do you think we should do now?" He wanted to hear her opinion first, since she was closer to Louisi. Plus, she just seemed to have an air about her that said she could take care of things. Maybe that's why Louis liked her.

She turned to him and looked up. "I think we should do what you suggested in the beginning. Talk to Principal Gon."

"Right." He tried to remember where his office was. He set off, Haru in tow.

They both arrived and Haru was the one to open the door. Luckily, the principal was at his desk and looked up at them.

The secretary looked confused, but let them in, since Principle Gon didn't have much to do during summer break.

"Legosi, Haru. How can I help you?" the tiger asked, smiling.

Haru walked up to the desk. "Do you know anything about Louis the red deer's whereabouts?"

Legosi stood behind her with a weird, bug-eyed expression.

Gon took a moment to look at them both, then turned around in his chair, not facing them. It was clear these were Louis' close friends, or they wouldn't have come to him. This was going to be tough. "Louis...Is gone."

"WHAT!" Legosi covered his mouth, apologizing for his outburst immediately.

Haru wasn't finished. "Explain."

Principal Gon looked down and sighed. "I don't know the circumstances, he just...Dropped out completely. All his classes, his grades, the drama club...Poof."

"B-but he would have told me!" Legosi looked over at Haru. "...us."

"I'm sorry. Like I said, I'm unsure of the circumstances. All I know is that his father ordered it and he was out of here pretty much immediately. It's a shame. He was good for the school." Gon spun back around and looked at them. Their faces...

"His...father..." Legosi said, quietly. He felt something. Something he felt that night with Bill. He clenched his fists.

Haru did the same. "Why all of a sudden? Louis didn't do anything!"

"I don't know. His father was very angry with us, though." Gon knew exactly why, but he didn't want to tell these kids. Security at their school wasn't the best...

"The kidnapping?" Legosi felt guilt once again. If only he had been faster back then...

"No. It was something else," Gon said.

Haru grew more tense. "What? What was it?"

Legosi felt even guiltier. He slunk down, tail between his legs.

Haru heard the sound, turning around. "What is it, Legosi?"

Gon observed them.

"...Nothing. I'm just..sad."

Haru put a hand on his shoulder, then looked back at Gon. "What did you do?"

"It's uh...More like what we didn't do." Gon pulled his collar a bit.

"Who is his father? Louis-senpai always talked about him like he was very powerful..." Legosi looked up with sad eyes.

"His name is Oguma. He's the head of the Horns Conglomerate and a very powerful and influential man."

Haru felt anger. How could he just take Louis from me like that...It's not fair…

Legosi was conflicted. He was angry that Oguma had taken Louis, of course, but he also knew that he must have somehow known about their trip out yesterday...

But, at least maybe he'd be able to answer his phone later. At least he was safe, right?

Principal Gon sighed. "I am sorry to be the bearer of bad news. Now, I have some things to take care of. We will make an official announcement later this afternoon about Louis' whereabouts."

Haru swallowed. That was going to sting.

They both left Gon's office, spirits down.

Haru went to the side of the door and put her back to the wall. "It's nice to formally meet you, by the way. I don't like the circumstances, but even so."

"Likewise." He wasn't actually sure how he felt about it, but he liked being a part of Louis' life more. Of course he was jealous of her, but he wasn't going to let that bleed through.

"I'm sorry that you have to go through this. Louis told me you were his only true male friend." She smiled a bit at him. "Sometimes I think he likes you more than me. But, don't worry, I didn't get annoyed with hearing about you!"

Legosi's ears perked up, eyes wide. He sat down on the floor, back to the wall. He brought a hand up to his face. "He...he really said that about me? We've only been friends for two months..."

Sometimes I think he likes you more than me...Did she mean those words?

"He did say that. He really trusts and confides in you... I think I'm still processing the feeling that the man I love is gone.

"He...he'll be back. He has to come back sometime..." Legosi wiped his eyes. "And before that...he'll call us when he can...I know he will. He doesn't want to be there."

"I guess we should stick together and try and be friends. Just because Louis is gone doesn't mean we can't be friends. Even though...You're really scary. I keep getting the urge to run away when you talk." She sat next to him, legs twitching a bit

"...Well...thanks for being open about it, I guess." Legosi laughed a bit. This girl was strange. She acted nothing like the way she looked. He hid his claws and looked away. "I won't do anything...don't worry."

"I guess we're both kind of known throughout the school. All the rumors that I'm a slut...How you saved Louis...Thank you so much for that, by the way."

"I...I don't know anything about you, actually. Um, I'm always here if you need to talk. That all sounds awful." He thought about the day he had saved Louis...it was almost a blur now. He hated thinking about it. "And...it's no problem. I'm sure any animal would have done it, if they had known."

"You know that's not true. Legosi...Do you know something about why Louis is gone?" She looked at him. How could she tell?

Legosi took a deep intake of breath, making a hissing sound. He balled his fists up to his face, shrinking back. "I'm...I'm sorry..."

Her eyes widened. "What is it?!"

"We...we left the school grounds yesterday to go into the city. He kept saying...how if his dad found out he'd be in big trouble but...we went anyway." He sniffed. "I didn't know the consequences would be this big…" He felt that this was definitely going overboard, no matter who Louis' dad was? Just for sneaking out?

"Why did you do something like that?...Why did HE do something like that?! He knew we were supposed to meet today..." Haru frowned.

"I don't know, I just wanted to be with him." He slunk back more from being scolded. "And I think he really wanted to get out of here for a bit. We both didn't consider the consequences, I guess. I felt like I couldn't say no to him..."

And I didn't want to.

"Just like reckless lovers in a movie," Haru sighed, pulling her legs up.

"..." Legosi took a breath, looking down and away. "...I love him." It was quiet. He hoped she didn't hear.

Haru looked to him. "We love the hardest person to love, don't we?"

Legosi whipped his head to face her in surprise before looking forward again. "Yeah..." It was almost a whisper. He put his head in his knees, beginning to sob.

He had just gotten Louis back and he lost him again. It just wasn't fair. How was he supposed to know he was standing on such a soft and perfect rug that would be swept from underneath his feet so suddenly?

"It hurts, Haru-san..." He sniffled. "I've never felt like this for anyone before...It feels like my insides are trying to tear themselves apart…"

"I know exactly how you feel..." She mumbled. "Exactly how you feel...But we can't do anything now but move on." She couldn't let this stop her life. She didn't even know where Louis was. He could be out of the country, for all she knew.

Truth was, she was still processing everything. The tears would come later.

"W-we'll see him again. We have to." He didn't know what Haru's life was like to make her feel the way she did, but Legosi wasn't going to let go of his first love, especially if it was someone like Louis.

"Legosi...I want to have hope, but...We don't even know where he is."

"Even if it's after we graduate...or longer! We'll see him." He looked over at her again. "You...you don't hate me for wanting to be with him?"

"No...I don't. Truth is..." She took a deep breath. "I don't think he ever loved me the way I loved him."

"...I'm sorry. I guess...we both feel the same in that regard..."

"What?"

"He doesn't love us the same way we love him..."

Haru sat quiet for a moment. "I met him and then three days later I had feelings. It was a little fast. He was just...unlike any other guy I had slept with." Haru had a thing for guys who were "different", there was no hiding it.

Legosi bristled at hearing her say that. They had slept together that fast..."We know the real Louis..."

"Yeah. We met at least once every week before he got his big injuries. Even if it was just sex, it was kind of...Catharitc, in a way."

Legosi blushed intensely. He wasn't used to talking about this sort of thing. At least, not with animals he knew about, and certainly not ones he had feelings for. "When did you meet?"

"We met in the garden club. He was hiding there to shed his antlers...I found him and we started talking. He was bleeding pretty badly but just talking normally. I didn't really know who he was like everyone else did."

"Over the next few days I took care of him while we waited for fake antlers to be ordered and...On the third day he leaned in to kiss me. I don't think he knew what he was doing."

"Heh…" Legosi wiped the last of the tears from his eyes. "That sounds like him. I bet he was really happy when he heard you didn't know who he was..."

"He was. I think that's why he...thought he liked me. Then we started sleeping together and I wasn't sure what was really going on...Eventually, I fell for him, but I don't think he ever really fell for me…He always reminded me; 'I have a fiance. I can't afford to be in love with someone else,'" she explained, legs pulled up to her chest. "He was always so sad, though...Have you noticed that?"

Legosi nodded solemnly. "He's tied down with all his obligations...That's why he wanted to be free of them. But now...he can't do that…"

Haru looked down. "Like a prince locked away in a tower. He mentioned that he liked the game chess once...because of the designs of the pieces but also the strategy. I always thought he was my king and I was his queen, but it turns out it's already checkmate. I was taken off the board before I even got to move."

"I guess you both like chess analogies, then...He said...I was his knight yesterday." He scratched his ear. He still didn't know what to make of that...

Haru blinked. "That's so cute, Legosi!" She smiled. "He never called me anything like that." She didn't even feel jealous. Louis only deserved to be happy, no matter where it came from.

Legosi blinked. He didn't know what to make of that, either. What was their relationship actually like? Were they really not as close as he thought they were? "I guess I always thought you two were really close. I'm sorry."

"How close did you think?"

"I thought that he would choose you over his fiance, and the two of you would get married. I even imagined myself at the wedding..."

"I'm sure you imagine something else now," she laughed.

"I imagine that he's still here..." he pulled up his legs tighter as he said this. He already missed Louis' voice, his smile, his face…

"I meant you imagine yourself at the wedding in a different way..." She looked down. "You should let go of the other one. It will only hurt you more."

Legosi thought about them both wearing nice tuxedos, holding hands at the end of an aisle...He shook his head. "I'm a carnivore, and a male on top of that. It could never happen."

Haru hugged him. "I know. I'm sorry." She had a realization and her eyes grew gloomy. "Everything's going to be different now, Legosi..."

Legosi put one of his arms around her, and it almost completely enveloped her. "I...I guess so..."

The two sad animals who loved Louis stayed there for a while, holding one another while their memories flooded with him. Legosi couldn't imagine what life would be like without Louis at the school. In his life.

He wasn't looking forward to what was ahead.

Author's Note: The song that goes along with this chapter is by Stars and has the same title as the chapter.