Kayo X Satoru
Chapter 7
Author's note: Things have been rough for me this last couple of years and I've had a lot of monitary issues plaguing my mind, interfering with interacting with my loyal fans. To add insult to injury, I don't have working internet where I live so I've decided to continue my work as best I can on my phone even though it's not helping me with punctuation or anything. I hope you all enjoy just the same.
Satoru sat beneath the shinto gate at the park where he was on a trip with Kumi-chan, his mother, Airi and Kayo. The green mountainsides surrounding the surreally peaceful locale gave Satoru an impending feeling of claustrophobia and his mind drifted to remembering the feeling of sinking deeper and deeper into the river. He held his breath as the water surrounded him and his hands worked fruitlessly to getting the seatbelt undone. His muscles burned, his lungs screamed at him to breath as his brain told him not to, but his brain's rejection got quieter and quieter as the darkness enveloped him and his rage burning and fueling him finally was wrung from him like a rag. His will collapsed and his lungs drew in icy water and his vision faded out.
"Satoru?" Kenya's voice rang over the phone, recalling him to reality.
"Yeah, I'm here. Is Kumi-chan ok?"
"She's fine. She just left the villa only a minute ago. I'm at the place that Yashiro asked her to go."
"What?!"
"Don't worry, he's already left," Kenya spoke, looking around the other villa. " I'm aware that we don't have enough evidence yet, but now he knows that you're the one getting in his way."
"Don't worry. The game has just begun, Kenya. He has to have a back up plan, if he doesn't have two or three, but we have to force him into a corner."
"I'll keep Kumi-chan safe," Kenya said, hanging up and examining Kumi's schedule and thinking.
In the other villas, Sachiko's old friend had collected the equipment that Yashiro had intended to use on Kumi and Satoru and helped close off some of the options for him.
"Now, unless he's going to climb a mountain to escape, he's got only one option. Going through the car park." he thought as he finished his part of the hunt.
Satoru sat alone in silence when a small light grew and gently bathed him in light as Sachiko approached.
"A lantern is better than your phone for light, don't you think?" she said smiling and handing it to him.
"Thanks mom." He smiled and took the extra lantern from her.
"I'm so relieved to see you finally getting better," she said with a loving smile.
"You embarrass me when you say it like that." He blushed as he realized he said his thought aloud.
"Well you made it embarrassing" she said blushing back.
His mind started to drift as he thought about how grateful he was for his mother when he noticed her giving him a suspicious look.
"What're you thinking about?"
"I was just wondering what you're doing next," he lied.
"Probably head back to the campsite, but I'm not sure since I don't know what time it is."
"It's 7:15pm," he said, his heart racing as his mind went to Kumi's schedule.
"Ok. I'll be heading back." his mom said, waving at him as she left and his phone rang.
"Kenya?" he answered, his voice betraying his panic.
"Everyone's here except Kumi," Kenya answered solemnly.
Sachiko stopped and turned around, looking at her son with concern as he spoke on the phone.
Kenya was on his way back to the villa he'd inspected as they realized that Yashiro must've hidden something there that none of them could find.
"What's wrong with Kumi?" His mother's voice nearly gave Satoru a heart attack.
"You were here?" he asked in shock.
"The whole time."
His mind raced as he tried to think about what could be different when he looked at his mother again, remembering that he'd asked for her help.
"Mom, quick, what have you noticed that's unusual?"
"What?"
"Just answer."
"Well either your old teacher is here or someone who looks a lot like him."
That's not helpful, he thought.
"Also where is your water bottle?"
"What?" his eyes looked behind him to find the space where it had been sitting empty. Then he realized that he must be planning to use Satoru's water bottle to poison her.
He scrambled to his crutches quickly while Kenya worked out on a map where she could've gone and they planned to get there. Satoru rushed to the boat rentals and was about to enter the building when something caught his eye.
"Boat number one is missing!"
