Finding Him
Chapter 12 : The Identity of the White Rabbit
by : Sakeena deathstalkker@yahoo.com


Legal disclaimers apply to all anime.


The mysterious identity of my successor as the notorious White Rabbit haunted me. For nights it would not let me sleep, I would toss and turn in my bed - ahem, in Ran's bed - endlessly. Then there was the constant invader. She offered me no choices, talked not once to me and just attempted to take control of my already "orderly" life, as I put it, and forced me to do something for her. The fear didn't leave me.

What came to my realization was far from expected. Neither me nor Ran would suspect that the next White Rabbit was who we found it to be. But it was, and we had evidence.

It all started with the usual day a the flower shop - Jun arriving in her bike early in the morning, Ohno Yuki earlier and us doing the same chores. It was Friday, three days later from out failed attack at the port. Friday, as Ohno, in a deep v-neck pink blouse and blue skirt, had answered when I asked why she wasn't in a uniform. Politely she bowed to us her usual show of courtesy. I asked no more though I was asking myself, 'so what if it's Friday?'.

Ran walked to me and whispered in my ears. "Did you see that?"

"What?" I asked innocently. I didn't see anything. Was Ran staring at her chest? I watched as the girl ran to Omi and they were talking happily as though we didn't exist.

"Her neck."

"What's with her neck?"

He took my arm and ran his fingers lightly beside the mark of the chains. He seemed to be studying it carefully. Quietly I looked at him and he met my eyes. I didn't like what he was implying. "She has these marks. On her neck."

"Are you sure?" I asked him.

He didn't answer and just stared back at me. "See it for yourself," he replied then left me thinking very hard about what he said.

It could be coincidences. It could be just some other marks. It could be just an illusion. It could be..could be anything but that! I wondered how I was going to be able to see clearly and closely without having to scare Yuki off.

The plan Yoji had was to spill something on her blouse then make her take it off so we could take a closer look. "So I can have a closer look," I corrected him. He just laughed.

I bought his plan anyway. Instead of looking and acting suspicious that won't just scare the girl but also even offend her, this mild-sorry-it's-an-accident -oh-what's-that? technique seemed a lot applicable.

Of course, Omi would not do anything to turn off Yuki much more spill something on her nifty pink blouse, and Hidaka was busy with Jun, while Ran was too grave it would not look like an accident at all, leaving me and Yoji to do our little plan. It was going to go like this : I would pass by carrying a pail of water to water whatever was the plant nearest them then Kudou would ran for some unknown reasons (they wont notice it; they were too engrossed with each other anyways) and "accidentally" shove me and the water would spill over Yuki.

So we went on with our scheme.

I spilled on both Omi and Yuki, and even myself. The girl screamed. "Oh no!" I cried out, muttering sorries. This got Ken's attention only for a while as he went to get towels which were tossed on us then his attention was back to Jun. Ran was outside and he could not give a damn about what's going on inside. He probably have realized what we were up to.

"I'm really so sorry --" I tried to say.

"No it's my fault," Yoji tried to apologize.

"It's ok, Miss Kanzaki, Mr. Kudou" Yuki assured with a smile.

"It's my fault anyway."

"Oh no it's my fault really," I told her. Poor girl.

"You're skirt's drenched," Omi told her, wiping his shirt with the towel Hidaka tossed.

"I know. I guess I have to go home to change."

"Oh no," I said quickly. Sneaking a look at Kudou who nodded at me, I went on. "I have uh..ah..a some change of clothes anyways at the basement. Or if I don't I'll take you to a shop to get one.. "She looked at me, confused. "Well..because..it makes me feel bad about this accident..and somehow I feel obliged to make up for it..Do you understand?"

She just grinned at me. "Oh that's fine, really Miss Kanzaki. You don't have to. I mean things happen.."

But I insisted. Yoji even helped me insist. "She's gonna hate me for this. I mean I shoved her..'

Finally, she agreed. Omi was skeptic, and was trying to read what was behind our faces. He knew.

After finding Aya's remaining clothes in the basement and Ran's orange sweater, we locked up ourselves in the bathroom with the clothes and the towel. And right when she was in her bra, I asked her, looking at the marks on her neck, very similar to mine, "What's that?"

Her eyes were somewhere, avoiding mine. "Ah this? That's from the necklace I wore."

"Really?" I asked, stopping to watch her doubtfully. She was a good liar, but I already knew what I knew. I could not blame her; I'd lie as well if I were in her position.

"What? Do you think I'm lying?" she asked defensively, pressing the towel on her arms.

"No," I replied casually. "It's just that I have the same marks and they were not from wearing a necklace."

She stopped putting on Aya's clothes to look at me steadily, her mood suddenly changing. "What do you mean?" It was as though I had turned to a friend from an enemy.

I pulled up the sleeves of Ran's sweatshirt. "It still hurts," I told her.

For a long time she gazed at it without a word, then traced her fingers lightly on it. "Where's this from then?"

"Where's that from?" I asked her.

Her head looked up so that her eyes would meet mine. It softened, then tears began to well up to the corner of her eyes. "I don't know. I really don't. Sometimes --" she tried to say some more but she could not. More tears fell. I held her close to me, burying her head on my chest.

That was how we found out who the Rabbit was.




April 2000 © Sakeena