2. Agitation.

T: Welcome to part two of 'chase' the management would like to inform you that warnings remain the same and that they can claim no ownership rights over anything other than the plotline.

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"…not really listening are you?" The enquiry is made in the softest of tones and yet he knows this voice well enough to detect the edge of frustration wrapped amid this gentility and to temper his response of, "Forgive me, Uyoko," in order to placate the other.

It is a technique that works well for, stretching across the table to take his hands into her own, his wife says, "I would like to feel that you would talk to me if something was troubling you, Kazutaka," worry, rather than irritation, now the dominant emotion in her voice.

"As I would, love."

"Yet ever since those thugs stabbed you last year it's been as though you are someone other than yourself…as though you are keeping something from me…" She trails then, hesitant to say anything further for risk of upsetting herself and thus exposing her weaker nature in so public a location.

Lifting her hands to his lips he kisses each in turn and then says,

"I suspect that the matter has affected me more deeply that I would care to admit. Tomorrow I shall make a point of going to see Dr Nagari and organising a few sessions with him."

"I could not ask such a thing of you, Kazutaka, especially when I know how you feel about psychoanalysis."

"In order to relieve the worry from you mind I would gladly endure much worse than a few sessions with Dr Nagari, love." The words bring a gentle flush of pleasure to her cheeks and with that the matter is dismissed.

"You wouldn't have happened to see a young boy recently, would you?" The enquiry comes during a lull in conversation and is so unexpected that he has to ask his wife to repeat it before he is able to respond,

"You shall have to be a little more specific, love."

"I have a photo of him somewhere in my bag." She remarks as opens the object in question and begins to rifle through its contents.

"Might I ask what it is about this boy that has you intrigued enough to take a photo of him?"

"There is nothing specific, just simply an odd draw. Ah, here we go!" She remarks as she pulls the photo from her bag and passes it into his care.

Depicted there in pinpoint accuracy is the pail completion, childlike bone structure and wide verdant eyes of one Kurosaki Hisoka, yet after staring at the thing a moment longer, he informs his wife,

"I'm afraid I've not treated anyone who looks even remotely like this child. Permit me to keep the photo and I will see if anyone else in the hospital knows who he is."

"Thank you, Kazutaka."

…………………………………………………………………………….

She has decided to take advantage of the fine weather and do her paperwork in the small courtyard that sat at the back of the building. It is a location that eases the hardship she finds always in this particular task and relaxes her enough that, before she is aware, she is singing softly to herself as she works.

Her voice steadily increases in volume right until the instant that realises that she is being watched and then it dies entirely.

Feeling slightly abashed at being caught in so frivolous an activity she turns to offer her apologies and is met with the living image of the boy from the photo currently in her husband's possession.

"You shouldn't be here," She informs him as she gains her feet.

"I had permission." The emotionless tone of the response fits well with the general air of apathy that surrounds the child and that further intensifies the pity that she feels for him.

"You are Muraki Uyoko-san?" The other enquires after a moment of silence.

Though she has a want to know how this boy has gained 'permission' to be in this place and why he has chosen her out of all the other people in Tokyo who might be of more aid to him, she does not ask him either of these questions but rather chooses simply to respond to his enquiry by saying,

"I am."

"Your husband is Muraki Kazutaka, is that not so?"

"He is."

Neither the boy's expression nor posture alters and yet it seems to her as though he has become suddenly more focused…as though he has been filled suddenly with an odd sort of anticipatory excitement.

"Would you give him this?" He enquires as he closes the distance between them and passes a sealed envelope into her care.

She stairs at the thing for a brief moment and then she enquires,

"You are a stranger to my husband, is that not so?"

"It is." The boy seems to understand her meaning for, but an instant after giving this reply, he says, "He is known to a friend of mine."

"Then this note is from that friend?"

"It is."

"Might I be able to have a name?"

"Tsuzuki Asato."

There is something in the way that the other speaks this name, some softening of his features, that tells of a great depth of care and, placing the note into her bag, she says,

"I'll make sure that he gets it."

"Thank you."

"Would you care to join me for a little something to eat? There's a little pastry shop just up the road that sells the most amazing western style deserts." She remarks just as the boy reaches the exit.

He lingers in the open doorway a moment, the light from the hall behind him casting his features into darkness, still she believes that there is the faintest of smiles on his lips when he responds,

"I need to get back, but thank you for asking."

Once he has gone she loops her bag over her shoulder, bundles her paperwork into her arms and returns to her desk.

"Did that boy find you?" The enquiry comes from her business partner and long term aquantence Akiko Yuki and, turning to her left in order that she might better see the other, she responds,

"He did."

"Is he the one that you were telling me about last week?"

"Yes."

"So who is he and why has he been following you?"

"He wanted me to give a note to Kazutaka…as to his identity…"

"You didn't find out, did you?"

"No."

"You've no sense of adventure, Uyoko." Yuki remarks before she turns her attention back to her desk.

She knew that Yuki was right, knew that she should have pushed a little harder in order that she might clear away the mysteries surrounding the boy and the draw she felt from him…however…

In truth she is afraid of the unknown that the boy represents, can not help but feel that the child holds some terrible secret that could well undo the very foundation of her world.

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T: Uyoko is an unknown element to me as I've only read as far as volume 11 of the manga, thus I've taken the little that I've created the sort of character I could well imagine Muraki falling for!

Review?