He had been injured at work.
That was what Baaya had told him when he finally woke up at his hospital bed. A fact that was quite obvious from his location and the aches and pain that he was feeling throughout his body.
She didn't tell him what work he was doing that resulted in getting shot in several locations and a splitting headache. Saguru, on his part, couldn't bring himself to interrupt her fussing. She must have been worried for a while and he didn't want her to worry even more by bringing up the fact that he couldn't remember how he got injured.
It was entirely possible that he'll be able to remember after getting more rest anyways. Memory loss wasn't uncommon when it came to head injuries.
After answering a series of questions from the nurse and doctor, and convincing Baaya to go home to get some rest, he finally had the room to himself.
Closing his eyes, he tried to remember what happened.
He couldn't quite get a clear picture of what happened. He knew that there was a struggle. That he fought someone, to defend himself? He did remember the surprise when he heard a shot rang out, and the burst of pain in his leg. He couldn't remember how he got shot the second time, but he definitely remembered getting backhanded by a gun to his face, knocking him down. He remembered someone picking him up, only to smack him down, hitting his head again...
Then nothing.
No clue of how he got to the hospital, or who helped him there.
Someone must have helped him, though.
Saguru felt quite confident about that assumption.
Japan was not his hunting ground. It wasn't like he knew anyone that could have helped him other than his father and Baaya, and both of them have already been eliminated from his deductions.
To be honest, Saguru didn't even remember when he returned to Japan. It must've been recent though...
At least he assumed so, but he could be wrong. In which case, his bout of memory loss would be a lot more serious than he previously suspected.
He tried to bring up information he had read on traumatic head injuries to reassure himself, and that was when he heard something rustling to his left.
Saguru turned to face the window to find that it had been open. Not only that, but there was a man in his room.
His eyes widened as he tried not to panic.
Considering what he remembered, he should have assumed that someone might be coming to finish the job. It was careless of him to not think of that beforehand.
Relaxing his face into a neutral position, he observed his intruder.
"Hello," he greeted him, "to what do I owe the pleasure of your visit?"
'Distract them.' He thought.
The call button was a bit too far from his right hand. It would be obvious if he tried to reach for it now. He had to distract them first.
The stranger tipped his top hat slightly, as if in greeting.
"To make sure that my efforts didn't go to waste of course, tantei-san," his visitor replied smoothly.
Saguru squinted at the man. He could see now that it was a man as the stranger approached him. His guest seemed to be very aware of where the light and shadows in his room are, as his face remain shrouded even as he approached ever closer.
Saguru observed the formal attire that the man was in and wondered what he had gotten himself into.
"Efforts..?" Saguru said.
The stranger's smirk widened and sharpened to a point.
Saguru noted that he couldn't see fangs anywhere.
"Hmm, yes. It would be a shame for you to die after all the heavy lifting I did you get you out, Hakuba-tantei," the man replied.
It was then that Saguru noticed the cape flapping slightly behind the strange man.
'Either a hero or a villain... anti-heroes don't wear capes...'
Saguru also made note of the bloodstains on the man's pure white suit jacket.
It seemed that Baaya wasn't the only one who was worried.
"You're the one that saved me then?" Saguru asked. He tilted his head up to look at the man. Face hidden by the shadows, with the monocle being the only visible thing from the glare of the moon's light.
"I wouldn't really call it 'saving' exactly," the man shrugged.
Nonsense. He likely would have died if the man didn't help him to safety.
"Regardless, you have my thanks," he said firmly. Then, remembering his manners, he brought his hand up to his visitor, stretching it out in the man's direction. "I'm Hakuba Saguru. Nice to meet you..."
He smiled gratefully at his savior, waiting for them to introduce themself to him.
Silence.
He blinked, and frowned slightly at the man's silence.
"Um..."
Gloved hand reached over to hold his gently. Turning it from the position for a handshake, to a horizontal position.
"You don't recognize me?"
Oh.
Saguru definitely will have to speak to his doctor about this tomorrow.
For now, he replied truthfully.
"I'm terribly sorry, but no. Unfortunately my memory had been slightly affected by the injuries I've suffered," he replied regretfully. "I must apologize. I hope I didn't offend you?"
He couldn't really see his visitor's expression due to all the shadows, but now... Now he could feel that there was a slight tension in the room. He cursed the fact that he ended up with more than just short-term memory loss.
The man remained tense and silent as he held Saguru's hand. He didn't seem to be looking at him anymore, but looking down.
Not wanting his guest to feel too guilty, he spoke up again.
"I'm sure I'll be able to remember someone as memorable as you in no time, though," he said encouragingly. At least he hoped he did. "If not, I'm sure we could always create new memories together?" He added.
His savior's shoulders seemed to tense up even more, before relaxing.
The man's thumb rubbed gently at his knuckles. Before the man brought his hand carefully to his lips, and looked up at Saguru.
He tried not to get flustered by the man's actions.
"Of course," the man smiled, a relaxed one this time, "you're right, Hakuba-tantei."
Then he let go of Saguru's hand and turned towards the window. As he reached the window, the man turned to him once more, bowing dramatically as if he was a performer at a theater.
"I must take my leave, tantei-san. Goodnight."
And then he was gone. In a flutter of cape and curtain, Saguru couldn't make out when or how the man got out with all the shadows blowing his vision.
"Goodnight..."
He'd gotten careless, Kaito thought to himself.
He'd gotten too used to the fact that Hakuba was always looking at him that he forgot what it was like to not have Hakuba's attention on him.
It didn't make the tightness in his chest feel any better when he remembered how the detective looked at him with blank politeness, like he was just another stranger.
But he was.
At least to Hakuba right now, he was a complete stranger.
The tightness in his chest squeezed ever tighter around his heart as he followed behind Aoko through the hospital. His face, a perfect mask of bored annoyance. Impeccable as always, after all, he has had the whole night last night to prepare this mask.
He thought he'd be hollowed out of all his emotions from how he let it dripped and drained out of him through his eyes, alone in his room last night.
But the tight uncomfortable sensations in his chest, threatening to choke him, proved otherwise.
If they were visiting anyone else, he wouldn't care to maintain his mask so perfectly. Then again, if it was anyone else, it might not have affected him this much. So he put his mask on. Figuratively and literally, feeling the concealer he'd applied under his eyes to hide the dark shadows and the redness. Eyes, clear blue with not a bit of red in sight after the eyedrops he'd used in the morning.
Finally, Aoko found the door and knocked before walking right in.
As much as he prepared himself, and despite the fact that he had already seen him, the sight of Hakuba covered in bandages in the hospital bed was still hard to take in.
Aoko greeted Hakuba, before they both realized that he had been in a conversation with a doctor. Kaito assumed that this was the doctor in charge of the blond's recovery, and wondered what they were talking about, especially with the worried expression on Hakuba's face.
Nothing good, probably...
Hakuba greeted Aoko in return, but also excused himself to finishing his conversation with the doctor first. The blond didn't say enough to make Aoko realize that he didn't remember her, or either of them.
"Yes, I'm sure, doctor. I don't remember," Hakuba insisted.
Oh. So that's what this was about.
The doctor frowned and asked Hakuba of the last thing he remembered. Hakuba frowned in turn.
He turned to look at Aoko, watching her frown as she politely tried to not pay too much attention to the conversation happening in front of them. She'd probably realized it by now. That something was wrong. More wrong than just Hakuba being in the hospital. Wrong enough for Hakuba to greet her with the politeness of a stranger.
When he was done speaking with the doctor, Hakuba turned back to smile awkwardly at them. The blond waited for the doctor to leave before speaking.
"I'm sure you guessed it by now, from the conversation I had with the doctor... but I'm afraid I don't remember you. I'm sorry."
The blond looked regretful, as if he was at fault for the memory loss.
Aoko reminded Hakuba of what the doctor said just now, that his memory might return in just a few days. She said it with all the hope that Kaito didn't have.
"For now, let's start over!" Aoko said before placing a hand on her chest, straightening her posture with the confidence neither of them had right now. "I'm Nakamori Aoko, your friend and classmate!"
Hakuba smiled at her. His smile was more genuine and less plastic than it was before the doctor left. As genuine as it was when he thanked Kaito for saving him last night.
"A pleasure," Hakuba replied, then turned to look at him, "and you?"
The blond tilted his head inquisitively.
For the second today, Hakuba looked at him with unknowing eyes.
Kaito felt his mask cemented itself even more firmly onto his face.
Rolling his eyes, he acted like visiting the blond was such a chore that he'd rather do anything else to avoid and replied.
"Kuroba Kaito." He said plainly, boringly, with great unwillingness. "And don't forget it next time," he added, letting a bit of truth slipped through.
Beside him, he could hear that Aoko was annoyed at his callous response, but he kept his eyes on Hakaba. The blond blinked. Then smiled again, this time with a hint of amusement and a raised eyebrow.
"I'll try to do that," Hakuba said with a bit of a chuckle in his voice. Then reaching his hand out towards Kaito, like he did the last time Kaito visited him. "Nice to meet you, Kuroba-kun."
Kaito looked down to stare at the hand in front of him, wondering if Hakuba knew. Probably not, the amusement in his eyes was plain and clear to see, without any hidden mischief that the blond usually had when implying his alter ego to Kaito. He huffs out an annoyed breath, relaxing his body intentionally, before grabbing the hand in an almost forceful manner.
"Yeah, yeah, whatever, Hakuba."
'It's a deal.'
He thought to himself.
'It's a deal, Hakuba. So don't forget me.'
Kaito shook Hakuba's hand, vowing to himself to do everything he could to help the blond get his memories back.
in which i attempt to fic for Hakukai's 30 yr anniversary, and failed... ish. i would like to thank timezones for saving my ass. that an the fact that Hakukai has like 2 first meetings ;)
catch me complaining about how my brain refuse to cooperate my twitter Onnoffwrites