A little while earlier…
"Hey, losers," a voice called.
Daichi stiffened a little, clenching his fist. He knew exactly what he was supposed to do in a situation like this. He'd been told, over and over again, just ignore it. Talk to an adult or something, and they'd do… something. Daichi didn't really know what. Somehow, though, he didn't really feel like going to grab an adult.
"What are you doing?"
Jun seemed to sense his burning annoyance. "Daichan-"
It was too late, though. Daichi already turned to face them. "Just go away."
"Come on," one of the boys in his class, Satou Katsuo taunted. "Why so down, huh? Aw, did someone abandon you again?"
He really clenched up at that. The fact that everything was public knowledge made it so much worse. Of course everyone would figure it out when his grandparents insisted on picking him up from school directly for a couple of weeks (though they had stopped after he'd begged them), and Daichi had pretty much avoided the subject entirely. Unfortunately for him, Jun's Japanese was a lot better after living in the country for a year, and he was a total blabbermouth.
"Well," Katsuo continued, "we don't want you either."
"Daichan, it's not a good idea-" Jun pleaded.
He didn't feel like listening to Jun anymore. He was angry. His Daddy had promised that they wouldn't be gone for long. But… it had been weeks and weeks. What if they never came back? Of course Daichi loved his grandparents but… he didn't want to live with them forever. It wasn't fair. Everyone else got to live with their parents. Now everyone thought he was a freak whose parents didn't love him. And maybe they were right.
Daichi marched forwards and grabbed Katsuo by the shirt (which would have been more effective if he was taller, maybe). "I told you, go away."
"Ooo," Katsuo looked over his shoulder at the rest of his friends. "I'm so scared. What are you gonna do about it, huh?"
A punch to the jaw, as it turned out, was exactly what Daichi was going to do about it. He let go of the shirt as he delivered it, letting Katsuo stagger backwards. Instinctively, he clutched his face, but he wasn't down, if anything he just looked more mad. And Daichi should have known that punching someone was just going to make them mad. But it also kind of felt good.
He'd never really been in a real fight before. Karate practise didn't count, nor did messing around with his Papa, and that fight he'd had with Gima… well it couldn't count if Daichi hadn't even touched him. But Daichi had definitely touched Katsuo. He'd made the first swing. He did know what to do, though, protectively raising his firsts in front of him.
"I'll kill you, freak!"
Kill, huh?
Thankfully, it seemed Katsuo wasn't trained or well practised. He tried to throw his own hit, but Daichi used a basic rising block. The he tried again, and Daichi used his free had to punch him in the ribs as hard as he could. With every hit he was unable to land, Katsuo seemed more and more angry (which meant sloppy). And Daichi… he was getting super mad too.
Repeating easy movements… it didn't make him feel better. But whether he meant to or not, he started to focus on something else, without really realising how it would happen. It was like his brain had just drifted off… and he saw an opening. Instead of blocking, the next time, Daichi twisted his body and dodged, rebalancing again before he moved in, his hands either side of Katsuo's head. He found a strange kind of calm within himself, and clicked, right beside his ears.
Katsuo went still like he'd been electrocuted. But Daichi couldn't lose time, stepping back into a position to deliver a sideways kick right to the face, which finally knocked him right off his feet. It was easily enough to be considered a victory… but Daichi didn't really want to win. No, instead he pounced, sitting on top of him to pin him, and punched him hard in the cheek.
That felt better. Daichi didn't know how or why. The emotion running through him… he didn't recognise it at all. But it told him to keep going and he wasn't going to stop and argue about it. One.. two.. five… he didn't know how many hits he landed, but Katsuo wasn't even fighting back or responding anymore. Daichi didn't want to let up, despite that.
He was caught off guard by arms wrapping around his shoulders, attempting to pull him away. "Stop it Daichan!"
Daichi turned, about to punch whoever that was too, when finally he really saw Jun's face. His glasses had fallen off centre all crooked from his efforts, but he looked distressed. Most importantly, he was crying. Immediately Daichi felt bad. He hadn't meant to scare Jun, he really hadn't! Maybe he should have just listened…
"H-he looks really hurt!"
Oh, Daichi felt a strange twist in his stomach, he did. Looking down at Katsuo, it was more like a beaten corpse from one of his video games than how a normal boy was supposed to look. He'd never seen anything like it in real life. Immediately, he scrambled off him. Not that it would disconnect him from the crime. He had plenty of witnesses.
"I-Did I kill him?!" Daichi half shrieked. "Is he dead?!"
His Papa always said 'actions have consequences, just like my name'. He didn't really get it back then, but now… Murder was really serious. Daichi was going to go to prison, then, wasn't he? Quick, he thought, how do you hide a corpse again? Not that he was evet going to get out of it. Oh no. He hadn't meant to take it this far.
"Shut up," Katsuo, not so dead after all, spat out some blood.
"What's going on?" Finally, their teacher walked over.
Daichi had conflicting feelings about his third year teacher. He was a lot stricter than the old one, and definitely didn't let Daichi get away with as much extra curricular reading. Which meant Daichi didn't like him that much. Somehow, he got the feeling that it was mutual. He definitely looked pretty angry right then.
"He punched me," Katuso pointed accusingly.
Their teacher looked between them. "Is that true, Akabane kun?"
"…Only because he was being mean."
He looked between them. "Satou kun, go to the school nurse. Akabane kun, Song kun, headmaster's office."
"Told you it was a bad idea," Jun muttered.
Frustrated, Daichi stood up. He didn't feel better anymore. No amount of punching people would bring his parents back. Now that he knew Katsuo was alive, though, he didn't really regret it either. So he didn't exactly hang his head in shame as he was lead inside, and he and Jun were made to sit outside in the hallway. This was a new experience to say the least.
"What if they call my parents?" Jun finally said, staring at the floor. "I-I'm going to be in trouble."
Daichi felt a spike of rage, and jumped to his feet. "At least you have parents to call."
Something came across his face, and he breathed out deeply. "You're right. I'm sorry."
Finally he felt a moment of calm, mixed with guilt. "No. I'm sorry. You did nothing wrong. Sorry."
"It's-"
Before Jun could potentially forgive him, the door swung open. "Akabane Daichi, let's start with you."
Daichi started to feel very small again, a chill going through his bones at the tone of voice. Maybe it was just normal fear, at a time like this, but Daichi didn't feel much like resisting him. His legs felt like lead, though, as he walked into the office. It was actually pretty empty, there were a few boxes dotted around but other than that a desk was pretty much all there was in the room.
"Take a seat," he motioned, moving behind his own side, taking out a handful of paperwork.
Something was weird about the guy… And then Daichi noticed his name plate, and it struck him. Asano? Daichi squinted, really looking at the man. Well, he didn't really look much like Gaga at all… His hair was a soft green, and Daichi didn't think that would suit Gaga much. Wasn't Gaga's dad a headmaster? That was pretty weird.
"Asano Kouchou?" He said aloud.
He hummed, leafing through some papers, and scanned it briefly. "Akabane Daichi… perfect grades, near spotless record aside from one incident last year… What are you doing being sent to my office?"
A moment ticked by, and Daichi realised it was an actual question. "Um-"
"Are you the troublemaker type, Akabane kun?"
"No, I-"
He put the file down on the table. "Then what were you doing beating another student?"
Daichi knew he'd been caught red handed, so what was the point in lying? "He was mean."
Not looking particularly interested in that excuse, the headmaster raised his eyebrows. "Oh, I don't doubt that he was. Most children your age are capable of doing and saying really nasty things. But that doesn't mean you should hit them."
He swallowed. "I know that."
"Hmm," he hummed. "Well, you're not to return to class today. Go to the library for the rest of the day. I need to have a serious conversation with your parents, before you can leave."
Daichi stared at the surface of the desk. "My parents aren't here anymore."
He looked down at his file again. "Ah yes, it lists a guardian's number here. I'll be giving them a call."
An irritation grew beneath Daichi's skin. He didn't care at all, how much Daichi hurt inside. Daichi didn't even feel bad about what he did, or potentially getting punished for it. It didn't mean anything to him, what his grandparents had to say. Even when Jun shot him a look on his way out of the room, even when he entered the library, he just wanted to sit in the corner and curl up.
"Daichan?" The librarian questioned. "Shouldn't you be in your lesson?"
Daichi stiffened. "The headmaster sent me."
She looked him up and down. "Ah. Well, go ahead and choose whatever you like."
"I don't wanna read," Daichi muttered.
"Really?" She smiled kindly. "That's the first I've ever heard you say that. Are you sure?"
He hesitated. "D-do you still have that moon book?"
"Of course," she directed him, "it's just over there."
Daichi knew how to find specific books in libraries, so he located it within seconds, taking it with him as he slumped down on a bean bag, hiding between the shelves and turning his back to her. He vaguely remembered where the section was… he'd reread the passage a few times after he'd first discovered it. Not that it told him that much, but it did have photos.
His stomach turned when he eventually found the right page. Right there, with his parents staring into the camera, it was like they were looking at him. He gripped the book harder, as though he was about to rip it in two. Would they be disappointed? No sooner had the thought occurred to him, he pushed it away. No, he was disappointed in them.
He couldn't quite escape the sadness that came with looking at their image, though. His grandparents didn't really have photos around. Not that Daichi was forgetting what his parents looked like, in fact seeing them as teenagers meant they looked a little funny. It was something different and confusing. He didn't even want to look anymore, but he also didn't close it either.
"Daichan," the librarian eventually said, "I just got an email saying someone's here to pick you up."
Although he knew that was ultimately going to happen, he stiffened. He didn't regret what he did, but nobody liked getting punished either. He just knew his Grandma and Grandpa were going to be angry with him about it. It wasn't like it was avoidable, though, so he closed the book and put it away neatly, gulping down his fears and he headed out to the entrance.
Just a tiny… tiny part of him really hoped it would be his Daddy or his Papa who walked through that door. He knew they weren't going to, but a part of him was still disappointed anyway. Instead, it was his Grandma, who was waiting for him, clutching her handbag tightly. Immediately, he could tell she was absolutely mad.
"Grandma," he started, but didn't know what else to say.
"Come one," she said simply, "get in the car."
The drive back to Kunugigaoka took forever. Daichi almost wished that she would actually yell at him, just to fill up the silence. Sitting in the quiet just felt so much worse, especially when he could sense her anger. He didn't feel much like trying to talk either, so the best solution seemed to be staring out of the window, until they eventually returned to the apartment.
She started once he'd taken off his shoes. "What were you thinking?"
Daichi just stared at the floor.
"Answer me," oh, she was really angry. "Do you really have nothing to say for yourself?"
He turned his head. "I'm not sorry."
Rage burned in her eyes. "Daichi."
"What's going on here?" His Grandpa walked into the room.
His Grandma turned. "I got called by the headmaster because your grandson started a fight with another student. And not just a playground scuffle. He broke a boys' nose."
Daichi peaked up. "I broke his nose?"
His Grandpa worried his lip. "What did you do that for, Daichan? You know better."
He just shrugged. "He was being mean."
"That doesn't mean you should start a fight," his Grandma said sternly.
Daichi finally looked up at her. "Just give me my punishment already."
Somehow, she looked even angrier. "Don't you dare speak to me like that!"
"Why?" He trembled. "You're not my parents." Something really came over him, like he was going to explode, only tears came out instead. "I want my Daddy and Papa!" Daichi yelled, and pushed past, heading for his bedroom where he could at least slam the door.
"You better stay in that room," he heard her say, but he wasn't paying attention.
Once he was really alone, he started to cry properly. None of this was fair. He was angry, and sad, and confused… All he wanted was for his parents to come and pick him up again. At least then things would make sense. He didn't want to be here anymore. He didn't even know if they were okay. His Grandma and Grandpa wouldn't lie about that, would they? He threw himself down on the bed, sobs taking over him.
Maki leapt out, meowing in surprise.
"I'm sorry Maki," he sniffed, really meaning it. "Didn't know you were there."
Maki forgave him, apparently, because she started pawing at his face.
Daichi had really wanted to be alone, but Maki being there wasn't so bad. 'Be brave for me', his Papa had whispered into his ear, right before they'd walked out the door. He screwed his eyes up, clutching Maki more like a plushie than a living animal. Daichi didn't feel brave at all. But it wasn't like his Papa was here to see it.
Katsuo was wrong, Daichi decided. His parents definitely loved him. They wouldn't leave him on purpose. His stomach twisted. What if something happened? He remembered before… before he couldn't live with them… they called every single day. Everyone had phones. And at least then he knew what they were doing… this was all a huge secret.
But what? What would they be doing that they couldn't even tell him? His Papa played funny games with him sometimes, but they weren't real. But what if they were? He thought back to what he'd been reading earlier. They never did tell him anything about the moon. And Daichi wasn't stupid, he could tell they were keeping a secret from him. And there had to be a reason for that. But… nothing had happened to the moon, had it?
The idea of his parents being secret agents or something was crazy, he knew that, but he couldn't shake the feeling that something was going on. Maybe they were in real trouble. And… well… if nobody else realised that, then it was up to him to fix it! That was pretty brave. The tears stopped, just like that. There was no time to be sad anymore.
Of course, Daichi didn't know exactly what he was going to do about it. He couldn't save his parents if he didn't even know where they were. Which meant one thing, he needed to research this. Unfortunately, he hadn't brought any books that would be useful over. He could wait until school, maybe, but he'd already read anything about the moon from cover to cover. No, Daichi needed proper grown up science books from a real library.
He inhaled, sticking out his chest and he gathered the courage to open up the bedroom door. "Grandma-"
She hadn't softened in time. "I told you to stay in your room."
There was only one thing he could do. "I-I'm really sorry about how I spoke. And for getting into a fight. I'll never do it again!"
Her lips pressed tight together. "Thank you for apologising. But you're still in big trouble."
"A-actually, I really need a book from the library."
She just stared at him. "You're grounded from now on. You're only to come to and from school."
So that was a no then. Daichi really wanted to stand there and argue until his face was blue, but he was at a disadvantage. His Grandma could stop him from doing anything. So he needed to play this careful. He returned to his room, head full of thoughts. If he couldn't do proper research, then he was just going to have to come up with a plan all on his own.
"Okay," he said aloud, though only Maki was listening, perched in interest on the bed. He paced back and forth. "I don't know where they are. I can't do anything until I figure that out. So… that's the first thing I have to do."
Maki meowed.
He nodded confidently. "To get to school… I take the train and walk there. If I didn't show up… they'd probably call Grandma again. But Tokyo's big."
Whilst Daichi hadn't brought every single book over, he had some. He immediately went through to the shelf, sliding a few out of the way until he found what was a general history of Tokyo. It was pretty long, and some parts of it were boring, but what it did have was a map. He'd brought it because it was a big book, and he thought it would be useful… but not really like this.
He flipped to the right page, and studied it carefully. Every day, he walked to Kunugigaoka station to catch the train from platform two. It was the rapid train, so it only stopped at a few stations, including the one closest to his school. But… he followed the marking for the Chuuou Line with his finger, all the way to Tokyo Station where it ended. Tokyo Station… he knew that was where his Papa worked.
Well, if anyone knew where his parents were, it was probably the government. Unfortunately, he didn't know that many people in the government. There was Terasaka san… but then the better option stuck him. Karasuma san! Daichi didn't actually know exactly what he really did, but he knew it was really important. He flipped to the back of the book, looking up the right page for the Ministry of Defence.
Unfortunately for him, once he referenced the map again, it turned out it wasn't so near where his Papa worked at all. He went to following where the train line passed through, again, until his fingers stopped on a station that seemed close enough. Yotsuya. It was settled, then. He would act like he was going to school like normal, but he'd stay on the train for a few stops. From there… he had to hope Karasuma san would talk to him, and that he knew.
With that thought settled, Daichi finally stood up to change. He wasn't sure how long it would take to find his parents. His hand stilled on the draws. He should probably prepare some things. Tentatively, he unzipped his school bag, emptying out the contents. Homework wasn't going to help him, so he slid it under the bed, focusing his attention on what could possibly be useful.
Before he could really debate it, though, a warning knock came to the door. "Hey, Daichan," his Grandpa said as he entered, "do you want to go somewhere?"
Daichi looked up. "Grandma said I was grounded."
He smiled kindly. "You can keep a tiny secret, can't you? Come on, put your shoes on quietly."
Honestly, he wasn't going to miss that chance. Packing could wait just a little while. There was no sign of his Grandma as he stepped across the apartment, which made him feel a little weird. Still, he did as his Grandpa said, and made his way to the entrance, pulling on a pair of trainers. His Grandpa held the door open for him, and the slightly cool evening air hit his face.
"Is Grandma okay?" He asked, as his Grandpa followed behind and locked the door.
He winced. "She's fine, Daichan." He patted him on the head. "She just gets stressed sometimes, so she went to bed early tonight."
"Is it my fault?"
"No," he said, "but that doesn't mean what you did today wasn't bad."
Finally he swallowed. "I know."
"Come on," his Grandpa sighed, "we're not walking far."
Daichi followed him without any more questions. Of course, he knew the area around the apartment fairly well. There weren't so many places his Grandpa could take him that didn't involve the car trip. For a moment, it seemed like they were heading for the train station, but then his Grandpa signalled to cross the road in the other direction, and they stopped in front of some bright red tori.
His Grandpa looked down at him. "Do you remember what to do?"
Daichi nodded, bowing deeply as he crossed the threshold. Though it had been a little while since he went to a shrine, he'd had it explained to him over and over. He wasn't sure why his Grandpa had brought him, but he didn't question him, going over to wash his hands and mouth quietly. It was a little hard to reach the water properly, like always, but he just about managed it.
"Here," his Grandpa placed a single five yen coin in his hand. "This is what I do when I'm worried about something big."
Daichi examined it. "You mean if I pray, Daddy and Papa will come back?"
He looked over at the shrine. "I can't say that for sure. But it doesn't hurt, right?"
Nodding, Daichi felt a little nervous as he stepped right up to the shrine. Inhaling deeply, he tossed the coin, swiftly following it by bowing and clapping twice. His eyes flew closed, and he tried to concentrate on what he wanted to say. Please bring my parents back, please make sure they're safe, please help me find them. He bowed once more, feeling a little unsteady on his feet.
"Come on," his Grandpa said gently, leading him over to where they were selling omamori charms. "Choose which ever one you want. The prayer wrapped inside that cloth will keep you safe."
He looked over at the stall, admiring the different colour charms in front of him. All of them were for different things, of course. Help with studying, love, protection against evil… he scanned them all over, before finally reaching for a white charm that was simply for good luck. There wasn't anything specific for finding his Daddy and Papa, but he figured since he had that goal in mind, it was the right charm.
"I want this one," he said, and his Grandpa handed the money over to the shrine maiden. Daichi looked at the omamori charm sceptically. "Do you think it'll work?"
"If the gods are listening," he said, "then I don't see why not. Come on, let's buy something to eat."
Together, they walked towards the exit, bowing at the tori once again. Daichi wasn't sure exactly if he felt any better after that. If anything, he just felt a strange kind of determination. It was starting to feel more and more like he was doing the right thing. He of course didn't mention it to his Grandpa, though, as he lead him into a small ramen restaurant.
Honestly, Daichi savoured every last bit of his food. He was about to walk into unknown danger, and he wasn't sure if there would be much good food to eat. The ramen filled him up at least, nice and warm in his stomach. He kind of wanted something sweet after he was finished, but his Grandpa had already been kind to him. He didn't want to push his luck.
They returned back, and Daichi crept into his bedroom silently, actually changing out of his school uniform that time. Once he had his pyjamas on properly, though, he studied the drawers. He didn't know exactly how long he'd be gone for. Thinking ahead, Daichi grabbed a pair of underwear and socks, thinking they might come in handy.
He didn't want to part from most of his books at all, but he knew they were going to weigh too much. Digging in one of the bags he'd brought over from his Papa's place, he retrieved his nunchucks. Rule number… three was never walk into danger unarmed. He thought about his NERF gun, but it was too big to just fit in his school bag.
Daichi took quite a while, searching through most of his possessions. He wished he could be better prepared, but time was the more important thing. All together, by the time he was done, his bag was full of potentially useful items. He zipped it up, testing its weight to make sure he was happy to be carrying around with him for a long time.
"What do you think?" He asked Maki. "I wish I could take you with me…"
Maki didn't do anything, except tilt her head at him. But there was no way he could take her along with him. His grandparents would definitely notice, if Maki came too. Besides… he thought back to when he first found her. Maki looked so much happier now that she was inside and warm. And Daichi was going to come back soon anyway!
When he slipped into bed, though, he did take some extra care to make sure that Maki was wrapped in his arms. He wasn't sure if she could understand, but she didn't try to move away from him, no matter how much Daichi tossed and turned. It was a little hard to actually fall asleep, with the anticipation running through him, but eventually he drifted off.
The morning, though, was met with determination. Somehow, Daichi was paranoid his Grandma was going to make him empty out his bag and show the contents, but she didn't really say much to him. Daichi tried not to think too much about it, instead focusing on eating as much of his breakfast as he could. She'd be happy, when he eventually found his Daddy.
"I'm going," Daichi finally said, at the normal time he'd leave, picking up the money he'd been given recently to pay for his lunch at school.
His Grandma nodded. "Have a good day."
Daichi wanted to run over and wrap his arms around her waist in a hug, but he needed to be strong. He adjusted his shoes, before picking up his bag and making sure it was secure. Really, once the door was closed, it was just the same as any other day of school. He felt it, though, the sense of wrongdoing in every step he took. Even though everything was the same.
His way to the station didn't change, and just like always the train was really busy. But everything felt entirely different. He kept himself in a kind of focus, though his legs felt like they were turning to jelly when the train reached his normal stop. If he just got off right then, everything would be like normal. He had one chance to put an end to this idea for good.
Daichi clenched his fist around the omamori, which he'd kept in his trouser pocket, and the train doors turned shut again. There was no going back. Daichi tried to keep his head up, focusing on the screens above the doors which listed the stations. He didn't know the way at all beyond his school, so he needed to pay attention.
By the time the train came to the right stop, it seemed like everyone was getting off. Busy with their days, it was more like a stampede than people walking. He didn't get a chance to think about where he was going, just carried by the flow of people. He tried to stay positive, though. It wasn't like he could get that lost in just the train station.
Thankfully, there was enough money on his IC Card (he had some extra for emergencies, he guessed) to get him through the ticket gate without being stopped. He didn't stop to check the rest of the balance, but it was probably not enough for a return trip. There really was no going back, so Daichi just had to look ahead, which meant finding a map.
He didn't really have to look around for long, because there was a huge one right on the wall in front of him. It was a lot more zoomed in than the one inside his book, but he stared up at it, realising that he would have to go… up? Daichi squinted at it, realising he'd never had to navigate like this before. He knew the numbers around the station meant exits… so if he went to number three… it had to be pretty much a straight line.
Actually, just following a number wasn't too hard. The station was crazily busy though, so early in the morning, and with so many people walking around it was confusing. Besides… all the exit signs were pretty high up. He kept going, though, until he finally found an escalator. Success came when he finally made it outside, though it came with a weird feeling.
All the buildings around him were so high. He'd never been anywhere in Tokyo, aside from where his Papa and Daddy lived, alone before. Even though he knew he just had to walk straight, it still felt like it would be so easy to get lost. He swallowed, though, and set off, arms going up to clutch the straps of his backpack.
The walk felt like it didn't take that long. After a couple of minutes, the weird feeling wore off just a little, and he really looked around at his surroundings. He was sure his parents were some place other than just the city, but his mind started to wander anyway, imagining that they were being held hostage at the top of one of those buildings. He got a little distracted, picturing exactly how he would break in, and the Ministry of Defence kind of snuck up on him.
It was an imposing building, he noticed first, the main structure almost towering over the surrounding neighbourhood. Determination rose up within him again, at the sight of the open looking gate. He practically marched towards it, rehearsing the speech he would certainly give in just moments, should he come across anybody.
Unfortunately, the gates weren't exactly wide open. They were being guarded by a whole bunch of police officers, and it didn't look like he could just slip through them. Well, Daichi had hoped he'd be able to just walk through the front door and ask to speak to Karasuma san, but it didn't matter too much. All he needed to do was ask.
He cleared his throat, and the officer looked at him funny. "I want to talk to Chief Karasuma."
"Daifugou Academy?" The policeman read from his uniform. "Aren't you a little far away from school?"
Daichi frowned. "I need to talk to Chief Karasuma. It's about important stuff! H-he knows me!"
The officer crouched down. "Listen kid, you can't just walk into the Ministry of Defence with no pass. Are you waiting for your parents or something?"
"Then how do I obtain one of these passes?" He met his eyes. "I know the ministry's not that secretive."
He looked around. "Where are your parents?"
"Is something going on here?"
They both turned, faced with a tall man in a suit. Daichi wasn't going to waste the time. "I want to speak to Chief Karasuma!"
"I'm trying to explain that he can't be here-"
The man looked at him, though. "I'm sorry, Chief Karasuma is completely out of his office now, he's been away for months, and I wouldn't expect his return any time soon… Probably not the answer you're looking for. But you couldn't just come inside either, not without an adult."
Daichi kind of wanted to press more, but his ears were buzzing with the information he'd just been given. Before the police officer considered actually calling for someone, Daichi nodded and started to take off down the street, not entirely sure of where he was going. The first convenience store he came to, just about a minute later, seemed like a good choice though.
It hadn't been long since he had breakfast, but Daichi clutched what was supposed to be his lunch money, and grabbed a pancake from the refrigerated section. He figured out of all the things he was about to get into huge trouble for, eating unhealthily probably wasn't one of the important ones. The cashier gave him a funny look, but didn't complain considering he was handing over money.
He crouched outside the shop, opening the wrapper and taking a bite immediately. This type of pancake definitely wasn't anything compared to the ones his Papa made, but it was still amazing. But Daichi had to think. Karasuma san hasn't been to his office for months. Well, that was too conveniently like his parents to not be related. Right? That gave him more questions than answers, though.
The only thing he could really decide was that wherever his Daddy and Papa were, it was something to do with the government. It didn't really explain why though, or what they were doing that was so important they had to leave for months. More importantly, it didn't explain if they were in real trouble or not. If they were with the government, with Karasuma san, then they were probably okay… but something still felt so wrong to him about it.
"Excuse me," a masculine voice said, "I think I might have dropped my wallet somewhere around here."
"Oh," Daichi stood up properly, looking over his shoulder. "There's nothing here."
"Ah well," the man sighed, "what can you do, huh?"
He blinked. "There's a bunch of police down the road, you should ask them."
"Thank you," he smiled, his teeth almost too white. "I just came from there, though. You mean the ones stationed outside the Ministry of Defence, right?"
Daichi perked up, looking at the man properly. He was tall, but all grown ups seemed tall to him. Other than that, he mostly noticed the black. Black suit, black hair… it wasn't that unordinary. By all means, the most interesting thing was where he'd just been. Something told him that his man… he might be willing to speak, though Daichi got a strange feeling just from looking at him.
"You work at the ministry?"
He smiled. "Ah, not quite. I am involved with them, though. Particularly a few big cases lately."
It was almost too good to be true. "What kind of cases?"
The man dropped down, squatting at his level. "I'm not really supposed to talk about them. But, hmm, you are Akabane Daichi?"
A bad feeling shot through him, but instead of walking away, Daichi just tried to stand taller. "What's it to you?"
"Sorry," he held his hands up, "I'm not trying to scare you. It's just, I've been working very closely on this case recently. I had to memorise around thirty faces. I thought you'd know about it, if you're visiting the ministry."
"You know where my parents are?"
He hummed. "Right now? Not exactly. But I think I'll be seeing them very soon." He paused for a moment. "Actually, I think they might be in trouble. But, you might just be the right person to help me."
Daichi's head was swirling. Some part of him knew that this wasn't a good idea, that he should investigate more. But… this man had to be someone important, to know all of that kind of stuff. It seemed like he was exactly the answer Daichi was looking for. If his parents really were in trouble… and they needed his help…
"How?"
He beamed. "My name's Ohno, and I need you to follow me."
Kill. That was the first thing he thought, the first thing his instincts screamed at him to do. This boy in front of him, he was so small, so vulnerable. He squeezed the knife like he was trying to choke it. He could see it now, just an easy slash and he'd drop dead within moments, crimson staining the rest of his body. Kill.
"D-daddy?" He tilted his head, and his eyes widened. "Why do you have a knife…"
"Shh," he hushed, pacing slowly over towards him. "Don't worry about it."
He stood up, though, folding his arms. "I looked for you."
"Just stay still," he said.
"Daddy!"
Before he could stop it, he was rushed towards, two small arms wrapping around his waist. There was some shifting, before he realised the boy was crying. Squeezing him hard like he wanted to crush him. There was no killing intent, though. It was confusing. Of course, he didn't forget his knife, but he didn't move to position it right away either.
"Daddy," he said again, "you're finally here."
Somehow, he found his legs getting weak, and he fell down onto his knees. It got them to about the same height, and he was let go. He felt like he should speak, but nothing came to mind. There was no movement, nothing to make this difficult. Kill. The longer he hesitated, the more the urge grew within him. He raised his knife, but his wrist shook, not obeying the instructions his brain was supplying.
He turned his head, fixating on the mirror instead, where it displayed their reflections. Watching himself there, so poised, he couldn't understand why he hadn't killed yet. Why he hadn't sunk his blade into that flesh yet, he couldn't tell. He was pressed so close against him, a mop of purple hair concealing his face.
All things considered, he should have known his mistake immediately. He should have noticed sooner that that tiny head was also turned to face the mirror, and that even though he couldn't see those eyes, those eyes could see him. It was just the smallest glint, but it was enough. From their position, it was obvious he could see the knife positioned to strike him in the back. But then came a strange dark feeling, a chill that went down to his core.
He couldn't react fast enough. In less than a heartbeat, the arms were gone, hug cut short. Everything happened all at once. Instead of scrambling back to run from him, the dark feeling only grew. He came closer, too close, and positioned his hands either side of his head, up against his ears, with unsettling precision.
Click.
It was like a rod of pure electricity shot through his spine, and he knew he was paralysed. The room didn't exactly go dark, more of a strange blur as his ears started to ring. He had already been on his knees, but his body still dropped limp somewhat, unable to take its own weight. Unable to even move an inch. And that's when Nagisa realised he was about to be killed.
"Daddy?!"
No bloodlust?
Daichi. Finally, he blinked again, regaining control of his body. It turned out Daichi had no intent on finishing the job, nor did he move away from him. Finally, Nagisa's eyes focused, meeting golden irises which were wide with alarm. What was he doing here? What was Nagisa doing here? He immediately re-supported his own weight, protective adrenaline rushing through him.
"Daichi," he got out, "what-"
Daichi crumpled, his voice turning to little more than a whisper. "I saved you."
No sooner had he said that, the skull splitting ringing returned at full force, and the hand which held the knife shook again. Kill. He could see Daichi now, for who he was, but half his instincts screamed the same thing. Kill. Kill. Kill. It was certain that they only thing that would satisfy him, that would keep it at bay, was to take a life. It was as certain as the need to breathe in oxygen.
"Listen to me," Nagisa begged, trying to keep his voice as level as possible. "I need you to promise me one thing. Can you do that?"
Still very much alarmed, Daichi nodded.
Nagisa swallowed. "Turn around and close your eyes, okay? No matter what you hear, I need you to promise me that you won't look. Can you do that?"
He trembled. "I'm scared, Daddy."
"I know," if Nagisa had been capable of crying right then, he probably would have. "I know and I'm sorry. But I need you to do this for me."
Daichi didn't argue, thankfully, doing exactly what he said. Shuffling on his knees to turn around like that, he looked so impossibly small. With only the back of his head to look at, Nagisa wished he could have paused for a moment, just to take in every small detail of his face. But that would have made what he knew he needed to do so much harder.
There was only one thing Nagisa knew for certain, and that was that the need to kill wasn't going to stop. No, he needed to take a life and he needed to do it quickly. He wished there could be some other way, anything he could do, but his hope was gone. All he could do was thank the world for bringing him Daichi, for giving him one final moment of clarity through the storm that was raging inside his own brain.
So he raised his knife, channelling every last ounce of energy into it.
And then he plunged it into his own abdomen.
