Chapter 9: Coming on Strong
Author's Notes: Hey guys! Long time no see! I can't believe it's been an entire week since I last posted a chapter. Time sure flew by fast! Thank you all so much to for waiting patiently for this chapter. I know, this chapter is so late, but to make up for it, you might be happy to know that this chapter is even longer than the last chapter, and even Kousaka, Mao, and Hinata are in it too. Yay?
Also, thank you guys so much for the favorites, follows, and especially, thanks to AliceKat, the mystery reviewer, and Tris PhantomEvans for leaving a review on the previous chapter! You guys are awesome, and your reviews made me laugh a little!
As for this chapter—Yuki is definitely traumatized from what happened in the previous chapter, Yuki's memory of the second world is slowly returning, Aru's being really forward again, and we get to learn a few things about Aru. Not going to spoil it, you'll have to read it yourself. Without further ado, read on to chapter #9 . . . .
…
That same night, Yuki's house shone brightly with lights, a sharp contrast to the other houses in his neighborhood. Yuki had turned on all the lights, locked all the doors leading to the outside, shut all the blinds and windows, checked all the air vents, and even locked and barricaded his bedroom door with his nightstand. He had to make sure that there was no chance of Aru breaking into his house that night—not after what he'd just seen.
He was aware that his house probably stuck out like a sore thumb with all the lights, making it relatively easy for anyone to locate his house, but . . . try as he might, he just didn't have it in him to be surrounded in darkness again. He couldn't even risk turning on a nightlight. That would create shadows, and Aru could be hiding in those shadows, just waiting for the moment he'd let his guard down. Aru already knew the way to his house and had explored his house when he was in the bathroom a month ago, was it really such a stretch to think that Aru could've found a secret way into his house and used the darkness to his advantage? Aru was an internationally renowned detective in the making, after all. As irrational as it sounded, he doubted he would ever be able to sleep in the dark again. In fact, it would probably take years of therapy before he could even set foot in a dark movie theatre, which is saying something because he really liked movies.
Yuki sat on his bed, his body wrapped in blankets from head to toe. His head was down, his eyes glued to a single crinkled, torn page from Aru's sketchbook. His eyebrows furrowed, his mind drifting to when he found Aru's sketchbook.
…
Yuki opened the sketchbook, shining his flashlight on it as he flipped through the pages. He gasped. Each page had a giant "X" marked through each person. He counted sixteen people total.
The first page depicted a middle-aged man with long hair cascading past his shoulders. He wore a button-down coat and gloves. Beside the sketch was one word: Deceased.
The second page depicted another middle-aged man with dark hair reaching his shoulders and sharp eyes. He wore a suit with a white shirt and a black tie. Deceased.
The third page depicted a little boy around pre-school age with short, curly hair. He wore overalls over a collared shirt, and a toboggan hat. Deceased.
The fourth page depicted a teenage girl with long dark hair and bangs that obscured one of her eyes. She wore a kimono and had a bow perched at the top of her head. Deceased.
The fifth page was a little different. The sketch contained two people—a young man with a mullet wearing a jacket, and a young woman with short, wavy hair wearing a sleeveless vest. There was a giant "X" marked across the two collectively, and beside their sketches was one word: Deceased.
The sixth page depicted a large, rotund woman with short dark hair and rosy cheeks. She wore a white apron over a collared shirt, and had a chef's hat on her head. Deceased.
The seventh page depicted an older man with a mustache and medium hair slicked back. He wore a suit and a bow-tie over a white-collared shirt. Deceased.
The eighth page depicted an older, bald-headed man with circular glasses. He wore a dark cap and a dark suit with a scarf. Deceased.
The ninth page depicted a masked man in a dark jump suit. The mask that he wore on his head consisted of a small white sheet with an eyeball marking pulled over his head and a rope tied around it to give the sheet its circular shape. Deceased.
The tenth page depicted a teenage girl with short hair and long side bangs. She wore a low-cut blouse and jeans. Deceased.
The eleventh page depicted another teenage girl with long hair going down her back. She wore a white sailor hat and a vest over a white shirt, and a long skirt. Deceased.
The twelfth page depicted a teenage boy with dark shaggy hair. He wore a short-sleeve shirt with khakis. Deceased.
When Yuki reached the final page, his stomach dropped. The sketch depicted the skeletal remains of three corpses, their tissue disintegrated beyond all recognition. The corpses were splayed across the bottom of a large uncovered ditch. Beside the sketch were the words: Start Over.
His eyes grew wide, his body beginning to tremble. 'What . . . what is this?!' he thought.
…
Yuki continued to stare at the torn sketch page in his hand. Three corpses. He was staring at three actual corpses.
Why the hell would Aru have something like this?! He thought. Why the hell would ANYONE keep something like this?!
His eyes widened.
Unless . . . .
The thought that Aru might've had something to do with the deaths of the people in the sketchbook made him feel sick.
He took a deep breath, reminding himself not to jump to conclusions. Maybe . . . maybe Aru had nothing to do with the deaths in the sketchbook. Maybe it wasn't even Aru's sketchbook. Maybe Aru had simply borrowed it from someone who worked in the police department, so that he could determine who the three corpses belonged to better. Aru was training to be a detective, after all. He wouldn't actually murder anyone, right?
He shook his head.
No.
Aru may have been invasive, but he was no murderer.
And besides, even if Aru had drawn the sketches, then that still wouldn't mean that Aru committed murder. For all he knew, composing sketches could just be something within the realm of detective work, and Aru was simply doing his job.
That line of reasoning gave him comfort. Then, his eyebrows furrowed.
Still . . . .
His eyes shifted to Aru's notebook beside him. Maybe he would check the handwriting inside Aru's notebook to see if it matched the handwriting in the sketchbook, just to be sure.
With that thought in mind, Yuki reached over and picked up Aru's notebook. Yuki's eyes traced the front cover of the notebook. It consisted of black leather with a thin, rectangular strap wrapping around the right side of the notebook to the back cover of the notebook. The strap had a metal button holding the contents of the notebook shut. The front cover of the notebook read the words, "Akise Aru." Carefully, Yuki popped open the button to the notebook's strap, opening the book. His eyebrows raised.
The first page was addressed to him. It read:
For my beloved Yukiteru-kun.
Aru hadn't been kidding when he said that he was in love with him. He rolled his eyes. More like obsessed.
He flipped to another page. True to Aru's word, the page contained information about Aru's likes and dislikes. He was not the least bit surprised when he saw his own name appear at the top of Aru's list of likes. He could also understand why "a good mystery" was also included in Aru's list of likes. Any great detective needs a good mystery, right?
However, he was a little surprised to find "seeing others happy" and "spending time with friends" included among Aru's list of likes. It brought a slight smile on his face because it made him think of all the good moments he spent with Aru—playing Black Ops together, watching detective movies, competing against each other darts, and seeing the warm smile on Aru's face anytime he talked with Aru about the moments he shared with his family. Aru had seemed genuinely kind and happy when he was around him. In fact, he never once saw Aru act meanly towards him or yell at him, even when he was sure that he hadn't been the friendliest towards him at times. It made him wonder if Aru acted the same around others. Try as he might, he couldn't imagine Aru acting mean towards anyone. It made him rethink his opinion on Aru being a murderer. However, as his eyes passed over the word, "astronomy," he frowned because he couldn't be sure if Aru genuinely enjoyed astronomy, or if Aru only liked it because he, himself, liked it. Of course, that brought to mind memories of Aru's snooping through his phone diary, and of how he came to have Aru's notebook and torn sketchbook page in the first place.
Yuki moved on to Aru's dislikes. "Yukiteru's sadness" was at the top on the list. Yuki's eyebrows furrowed. It wasn't that he couldn't have guessed that his sadness bothered Aru since Yukiteru was on the top of Aru's list of likes, but . . . it was what Aru's list didn't say that bothered him.
One might reasonably assume that if someone included "seeing others happy" among their list of likes, then the opposite, "seeing others sad," would be included among their dislikes. But that wasn't the case here. Instead, Aru had written "Yukiteru's sadness." It was almost as if Aru viewed Yuki's own sadness to be above everyone else's. Yuki shook his head. No. That couldn't be true. He was probably just thinking too hard. Aru just . . . forgot to include it, that's all. He took a deep breath, proceeding to look through the other things on the list.
"Rules" was the next one on Aru's dislike list. Yuki's eyebrows rose at that. Was Aru a rebel? Or a bad boy even? He tried to picture Aru with a leather jacket, leather jeans, and a chain hanging around his neck. A slight blush stained his cheeks. He shook his head. No. Aru just didn't seem like the type. Then, he paused.
Then again . . .
Aru was willing to go through his family's records to find information about him and Aru even knew where his address was. Sure, Aru may have come up with a flimsy explanation of Yuki's house being somehow familiar to him, but who's to say that was the truth? If Aru was willing to go that far and didn't care about anyone else's sadness, could he also go as far as to commit murder? Yuki paled at the thought, deciding to move on to the last word on the list.
His eyes widened at the word, "liars." He thought back to the time when he had lied to Aru about his father's whereabouts. At the time, Aru didn't seem too happy with his explanation and had called even him out on it. Could that have bothered Aru? It was true that Aru had said that he expected that he wouldn't tell him everything, but still . . . had Aru expected him to lie about it? And, more importantly, was Aru holding a grudge because of it?
He gulped. Maybe . . . maybe all of the people in the sketchbook were liars and Aru had murdered them all out of anger, and drew sketches of the people as a happy reminder of his achievement. His eyes shifted to the torn sketchbook page beside him. He compared the handwriting of the words, "Start Over" in the sketchbook to the handwriting in the notebook. His heart skipped a beat. He could've fainted right there.
The handwriting matched each other.
Body trembling and wide-eyed, Yuki tried to calm down, reminding himself that it didn't mean anything. Aru could've just drew the sketches in his line of work as a soon-to-be detective.
Or a murderer.
Yuki shook his head. No. He shouldn't jump to conclusions like that. He had to focus and try to find more information on Aru. With that thought in mind, he picked up Aru's notebook once more, flipping over to the next page.
His eyebrows rose. It was a biography about Aru's parents. Skimming through the text, he discovered that Aru's father worked as a croupier at a popular casino, and Aru's mother was a museum curator at a local art museum. They were married for seventeen years and counting. He flipped to the next page, questions circulating on how the two might've gotten together with such different vocations, and on how Aru became interested in becoming a detective.
However, as soon as he reached the next page, he dropped the notebook altogether, hyperventilating. He couldn't do this anymore.
He was done.
Completely done.
Nope. Just nope.
What he saw on that page had nothing to do with Aru's parents or anything about Aru, for that matter. What he had seen was an exact image of himself in his room . . . a look of sheer terror on his face as he sat on his bed with a blanket wrapped around himself.
A dark red circle was drawn around him with large red-inked words beneath the image.
The words read . . . .
I have finally found you, my beloved Yukiteru-kun.
The doorknob to his bedroom door suddenly jiggled, followed by a loud knocking sound at his door.
Yuki hid himself beneath his covers, trying not to make a sound. His finger hovered over the number to the police precinct. He shut his eyes, his entire body trembling. Am I . . . next? He thought.
"Yukiteru! Are you okay? Why are all the lights on in the house?" his mother's voice called from behind the door.
Yuki's eyes widened, closing his phone, and quickly removing the blankets and getting off the bed. He pushed his nightstand haphazardly to the side.
"Yukiteru?" his mother's voice questioned.
In an instant, the door was flung open by Yuki, his arms wrapping around her in a tight embrace. Tears streamed down his face. "I'm so glad you're here," he said.
His mother's eyes widened at the scene before her. "Yukiteru, what's gotten into you? You're so pale. You look like you've seen a ghost. What happened?" she asked.
Yuki shook his head. "I don't want to talk about it," he responded. He looked up at her. "I know this is weird, mom, but can I please just sleep in your room tonight?"
His mother blinked once. Then, she gave a small smile. "Alright," she answered. "I won't pressure you, but I do expect an explanation sometime in the near future, young man. Got it?"
Yuki broke off from the embrace them. He nodded. Thanks for being cool, mom. He thought.
His mother glanced ahead, and then looked back to him, making a face. "Were you using your nightstand as a barricade?"
Yuki blushed, averting his eyes.
She shook her head. "I'm not even going to ask," she said.
With that, the two descended the staircase, and not a word was spoken about the incident that night.
…
…
In his mother's bed, Yuki closed his eyes. He decided to get a good night's sleep and not think about everything that transpired that night. His mind drifted to sleep.
…
A silver-haired boy with crimson eyes stepped around three corpses—a teenage girl with short brown hair; another teenage girl with long purple hair; and a teenage boy with dark shaggy hair.
…
The silver-haired boy continued his approach to Yuki, who had a handgun pointed at him. Yuki pulled the trigger repeatedly, but no bullets came out. The silver-haired boy smiled at him. "It seems you are out of bullets, my friend."
…
"Get away from him! He's dangerous, Pookie! He tried to kill me," a pink-haired girl said suddenly. Her waist was wrapped in bandages, her wound seeping through. In one of her hands, she held a dagger.
…
The silver-haired boy pulled Yuki close and met his lips. A look of shock passed over Yuki's face as the silver-haired boy released him. Yuki placed a hand to his lips.
…
The silver-haired boy narrowed his eyes, his crimson gaze set on the pink-haired girl ahead of him. In one of his hands, he held a metal pole. "I should've let you bleed out when I had the chance, Yuno. This time around, I mean to end you."
…
Yuki sat with a young gray-haired girl in total darkness, his eyes dully focused on a blue cellphone hovering in front of him. The screen read, "Yuno died."
…
Yuki's eyes snapped open, his breathing heavy as he sat up in his mother's bed. Beads of sweat trickled down his forehead. Sunlight poured in from the window, brightening up the room and serving as a stark contrast to how he was feeling.
What . . . what was that all about? He thought, running a hand through his hair. His mind flashed to a silver-haired boy stepping around three corpses. His eyebrows furrowed. That silver-haired boy resembled Aru. And those corpses . . . a girl with two long side bangs . . . another girl with long hair and a sailor's cap, and a boy with dark shaggy hair . . . where had he seen them before?
His eyes widened, realization dawning. I remember now . . . those three corpses in the dream were the same as the ones in Aru's sketchbook! His face grew pale.
That meant . . . .
His mind flashed back to the torn sketchbook page of the skeletal remains of three corpses. Don't tell me . . . the identity of the three corpses were those kids?! He thought.
Then, he remembered the silver-haired boy approaching a pink-haired girl—the one who had screamed for him to get away from Aru. His eyebrows furrowed in thought. What was her name?
The mental image of a phone screen flashed in his mind. His eyes widened. Yuno? He thought. He placed a hand to his forehead. But who was she exactly? He gulped, remembering the words, "Yuno died" that flashed across the phone's screen in the dream. Had Aru really . . . .
His eyes caught sight of a note beside him. He picked it up.
Had to go to work. Talk later, maybe?
Love,
~Mom
He sighed. He had to get to the bottom of this Aru thing and fast. His mom never left notes for him.
He rose up from the bed. He couldn't just leave things up in the air about Aru being a murderer or not-even if he was terrified about finding out the truth. If Aru was a murderer, then he needed proof of it to prevent others from becoming his next victims. But if Aru wasn't a murderer, then he needed at least some reassurance of Aru's innocence to make himself feel more comfortable around him. For those reasons, he had to be brave.
Especially for what he was about to do next.
…
…
A doorbell rang clearly throughout the house, gaining the attention of a silver-haired boy with crimson eyes. He closed the Sherlock Holmes book he had been reading, and set it down on the coffee table in front of him. He arose from the couch and walked over to the door. Opening the door, he was met with a boy with messy brown hair and a pair of cobalt eyes staring back at him.
Aru gave a warm smile. "Good afternoon, Yukiteru-kun. I've been waiting for you," he said.
Yuki shifted uneasily. "Good afterno-" He stopped short, his eyes wide as he felt a warm hand brush his cheek.
"You're trembling again. Are you cold?" Aru said, lightly caressing the other boy's cheek.
Yuki slapped his hand away. "K-knock it off," he replied. "I'm not cold. I'm just . . . ."
. . . freaked out by you.
Aru blinked. "You're just what?"
Yuki averted his eyes. "Never mind," he muttered. "I wanted to talk to you about something."
Aru smiled. "Perhaps you want to come inside first?" he inquired, gesturing with his thumb behind him.
Yuki gulped. "Is your electricity back?"
"Actually, yes. It came on shortly after you left last night," Aru replied.
Yuki narrowed his eyes. Imagine that, he thought.
Aru laughed. "What's with that look? Don't tell me you wanted to talk in the dark again."
Yuki shook his head. "No, that's not it," he answered. "I'll come inside, but it'll probably only be for a few minutes."
"Alright," Aru replied. The two walked into the house, and Aru shut the door behind him.
…
"So, what did you want to talk about?" Aru asked, once they were both seated on the couch in the living room.
Yuki bit his lip, deciding how he would breach the subject. "Have you, uh, been working on any cases lately?"
Aru's eyebrows furrowed. "I'm afraid you're going to have to be more specific."
"Well, uh, I mean . . . ." Yuki stuttered. "Were there any cases recently where you had to determine the identity of missing corpses?"
Aru's smile faded. "You wouldn't happen to be talking about any specific corpses, would you?"
Yuki's eyes widened. "Uh, n-no! This is all purely theoretical." he said quickly. The last thing he needed was for Aru to become suspicious.
Aru leaned forwards on the couch, his crimson gaze set on him. "I'm curious. Why are you asking, Yuki?"
Yuki looked down, saying nothing. This was exactly what he was trying to avoid. How was he supposed to answer that question without giving anything away? Should he lie? But . . . didn't Aru dislike liars? What if lying set him off into some murderous rampage? He gulped, looking around the room for anything to distract Aru. His eyes widened when he felt a hand move on top of his.
He looked up and gasped, his cheeks growing warm. Aru was so close to him. So close, in fact, that their knees were brushing.
"Please, Yuki," Aru said, causing Yuki to look back at him. Aru had a look of determination on his face. "If there's something you know, or even found, then please tell me. I'll believe you."
Yuki looked between their hands and then back to Aru's face. "I . . . I, uh," he stammered. He shut his eyes, standing up. "I need something to drink!"
Aru began to stand up. "I'll go get-"
"No, it's fine," Yuki interjected. "I'll get it. The kitchen's down the hall, right?"
He didn't wait for an answer as he headed for the kitchen.
Aru sat back down on the couch, a bewildered look on his face. "Actually, the kitchen's the other way," he mumbled. Then, he sighed, picking up his book once more. I sure hope he's alright, he thought.
…
Down the hallway, Yuki stopped to collect himself. He breathed a sigh of relief. That was . . . that was close. I almost blew it back there, he thought. Whatever happens, I cannot let Aru know that I found his sketchbook last night. His eyebrows furrowed in thought. I guess I can't just up and ask him about those corpses now. He'll figure me out in a second, and it might just turn out that Aru's the one that murdered those people. I'll just have to do my own investigating. Starting with . . . the people closest to him.
He looked around at his surroundings. Sure hope I don't find any corpses around here, he considered. The thought sent shivers down his spine. Then, he blinked. Speaking of "here," why am I in a laundry room? He face palmed. Aru must think I've gone nuts!
Yuki waited a few moments before he casually started back down the hallway and walked into the living room.
Aru looked up from his book. "Did you get lost?" he asked, a slight grin playing on his lips.
Yuki blushed. "Why didn't you stop me?" he retorted.
"You seemed preoccupied," Aru answered. He set down the book, reaching for something beside him. "Here." He tossed a water bottle to him.
Yuki caught it, still reeling from his embarrassing mistake. "Thanks," he said.
Aru smiled. "Anytime," he responded, patting the area beside him.
Yuki took the invitation, sitting beside him. He unscrewed the lid of his water bottle, sniffing it.
Aru took notice, giving a light-hearted laugh. "Sorry to disappoint, but you won't find any poison in that bottle."
Yuki said nothing, continuing to stare at his bottle in contemplation. Then, he took a deep breath and took a sip. He didn't taste anything particularly foul, so he took a couple more sips. Then, he screwed the lid back on, setting the bottle on the coffee table.
However, no sooner had he set the bottle on the table had Aru scooped it up, unscrewed the lid, and started drinking, his lips around the bottle.
Yuki's eyes widened in surprise. "Hey! That was mine," he exclaimed when Aru screwed the lid back on again.
Aru's smile grew. "Sorry, I didn't think you'd mind if we shared. That was the last bottle of water," he explained.
Yuki shot him a mean look. He did mind.
Aru laughed. "I'm beginning to like that look on you."
Yuki narrowed his eyes. "You know, I'm starting to understand why I don't see you hanging out with anyone other than me," he said. "Can anyone else really put up with all the weird things you say and do?"
Aru gave a knowing smile, seeing right through the question. "Would you like to meet my other friends, Yuki? I'm sure they'd find you intriguing."
Yuki's eyes widened. "Really? You'll introduce me?"
"Of course," Aru replied. "I'll text them about meeting up after school tomorrow. I'll let them know you're coming. Sound good?"
"Y-yeah," Yuki replied, nodding once. For the first time since he arrived at Aru's house, he gave a genuine smile. He was actually . . . he was actually going to meet other people his age. Not person, but people as a plural. This was going to be his most important moment ever.
Then, his smile faded. What was he doing? He wasn't meeting up with Aru's friends for fun. No. He was supposed to be investigating information on Aru to determine whether he actually murdered those people in his sketchbook. He was on a mission.
"Hey Aru . . . I have to go," he said.
Aru blinked. Then, he smiled. "Of course," he replied.
The two walked to the door, Aru opening it for him.
His smile grew. "See you tomorrow, Yukiteru-kun."
Yuki gave him an odd look. "Uh-huh . . . ." he responded. His eyebrows furrowed. He isn't going to kiss me goodbye? Then, he blinked. Wait . . . what?! Did I really just miss Aru kissing me? He shook his head. I think I've been hanging around Aru too long.
He walked out the door, not casting another glance behind him.
…
…
After school, the next day, Aru met up with Yuki at Yuki's locker, and together, they walked outside the school doors. As they went down the school steps, Yuki spotted three teens sitting on a bench together. His eyes widened, his mind flashing to three teens lying dead on the ground in his dream. Those three are the same as the teens in my dream! They're . . . alive?! He thought. His eyes shifted to Aru. What's going on?
"Someone want to remind me again why I hang out with you losers?" a boy with dark shaggy hair said.
"Um, maybe because we're the only ones that will still hang around you when you call us losers?" a girl with short brown hair and two long bangs replied.
"Hinata's right. You're being awfully rude today, Kousaka," a purple-haired girl responded.
The brown-haired girl snorted. "Rude? Try pain-in-the-ass, and he's like this every day."
"If by pain-in-the-ass, you mean, 'incredibly awesome,' then I couldn't agree more with you," Kousaka commented.
"I think the bigger question here is why we still hang out with you," Hinata said.
Aru and Yuki approached the group, causing the three teens to look at them. Aru grinned, turning to the boy beside him. "Yuki, these three are the ones I told you about," he started. He gestured to the boy with dark shaggy hair. "Over here's Ouiji Kousaka."
"'Sup," Kousaka greeted with a bored look on his face.
Aru gestured to the girl to the brown-haired girl beside him. "Next is Hino Hinata."
"Hey there," she greeted.
Aru gestured to the purple-haired girl beside her. "And, finally, this is Nonosaka Mao."
"Hi," she said, giving a cheery grin and a small wave.
"Everyone," Aru announced. "I'd like you to meet Amano Yukiteru, my boyfriend."
Yuki's head turned sharply to him. "Huh?!"
"What?!" Mao exclaimed, her eyes widened in shock.
"No way!" Kousaka yelled.
Hinata blinked. "I'm sorry, he's your what?"
Aru's grin grew. "My boyfriend," he repeated. Then, as if to prove his point, he turned to Yuki, leaning in until his lips touched the other boy's.
Yuki made an muffled noise, caught off guard.
Aru lingered for only a moment before he pulled away, fixing him with a loving gaze.
Yuki's cheeks hinted at a blush, his mouth slightly agape.
Hinata blinked again, not believing her eyes.
"Aww, how sweet!" Mao gushed, snapping a quick picture with her cellphone.
Kousaka broke out into fits of laughter, wiping tears from his eyes. "Fags!" he called out.
Hinata frowned, jabbing him in the side with her elbow. "Shut the hell up, Kousaka. Don't be such a douche."
Kousaka laughed even louder, not paying her any mind.
Mao looked over at Hinata and pouted. "Hinata, why don't you ever kiss me like that?" she asked. She leaned in towards her, puckering her lips.
Hinata pushed her away. "Because we're not together, you idiot," she replied.
"Aw, come on! Just one little kiss?" Mao insisted, leaning in for a second time. Hinata had to exert even more energy to keep her friend away.
Hinata frowned. "I said, no! Ugh, would you give it a rest already?" she responded in a tone that lacked malice.
Aru chuckled politely at his friends, seeming to enjoy their company, and Yuki marveled at their interaction. Was this what it was like to have friends?
The mental image of a brown-haired girl, a silver-haired boy, a dark shaggy haired boy, and a purple-haired girl physically supporting him on their shoulders as they walked out of a room together passed through his mind. He placed a hand to his forehead. Why did this feel so familiar?
…
The group of five teens had decided to head over to the park to shoot the breeze.
As Aru was distracted with talking to Hinata and Mao, Yuki decided that now was the time to start investigating. He walked over to Kousaka sitting alone on a park bench with a bored look on his face.
"Hey Kousaka?" he tried.
Kousaka scowled. "Look, if you're trying to recruit another person for a three-way or something, then you're barking up the wrong tree. I'm as straight as they come."
Yuki frowned, his face flushed in embarrassment. "No, it's not like that," he said. "I just wanted to ask . . . well, does Aru seem like the type of person that would hurt anyone?"
Kousaka rolled his eyes. "You don't have to worry. He ain't gonna abuse you."
"No!" he yelled, causing the other boy's eyes to widen in surprise. Yuki lowered his volume. "I mean . . . has he ever murdered anyone?"
Kousaka arched an eyebrow. "Why? You know something I don't?" he asked.
Yuki shifted his eyes in Aru's direction and then back to Kousaka. "It's complicated," he answered.
Kousaka narrowed his eyes, clear annoyance on his face. "As far as I know, Aru's not the type of person who would go around killing anyone. He's kind of strange, yeah, but he's always been the one to save lives and shit, not the other way around. You read me?"
Yuki breathed a sigh of relief. Maybe Aru wasn't a bad person after all. But then, what about the dreams he had been having?
Kousaka grinned. "Hey, what's stopping me from going over to Akise right now and telling him what you've been asking me?" he said suddenly. "It seems you want to keep this questioning thing a secret between us. Otherwise, you'd be asking him directly, am I right?"
Yuki paled. "No, please don't. I didn't want to tell him because I-"
"Tell you what," Kousaka interjected. "I'll keep this entire conversation a secret if you give me fifty bucks. Sound good?"
Yuki frowned. "Why are you doing this?"
Kousaka snorted. "Money, duh. Take it or leave it. It's the only way I'll go behind the back of my buddy, Akise, who I've known a lot longer than you."
Yuki hung his head low. It figures he wouldn't be able to escape bullies, even despite moving to a different school. ". . . . Fine," he relented, reaching into his back pocket for his wallet. He searched through and found three twenties on him.
He looked up at Kousaka, giving him a sheepish smile. "Change for a twenty?"
"You wish I liked you that much," Kousaka replied. His face brightened. "I'll take those three twenties off your hands though."
Yuki sighed, handing him the three twenties. He was already giving up fifty dollars, what was an extra ten anyways?
He frowned. His savings for a brand-new telescope, that's what.
Kousaka flashed him a wide grin. "Sweet! Nice doing business with ya," he responded, getting up from the park bench. He waved to the others. "Hey! I'm going to be cutting out now! I've got some errands to run tonight." When the others said their goodbyes, he walked away, leaving Yuki standing there with a glum look on his face.
Aru approached him, his smile fading upon seeing Yuki's expression. "Something wrong?"
Yuki shook his head. "Just tired. I'm probably going to head home now."
"I'll walk with you," Aru offered. "I'll let the others know we're leaving."
…
A few minutes later, the two were on their way towards Yuki's house, walking together in silence.
Yuki had his head down, his mind reeling about the strange dreams he had been having lately, and what they meant.
"Here," Aru's voice said beside him, getting his attention. Yuki looked up to find an outstretched hand holding three twenties.
His eyes widened. "What's this?"
Aru gave a small smile, keeping his arm out. "You lost sixty dollars, right? I saw you hand three twenties over to Kousaka earlier."
Yuki blinked. "You were watching us?"
"Yes. Kousaka's been known to take advantage of people at times. He gets better the more you know him," he explained. He brought the money closer to Yuki. "Please. Take it."
Yuki shook his head. "I can't do that. It's your money."
"Then think of it as payment for not warning you earlier about Kousaka," he answered. "Yukiteru-kun, I want you to have it."
Yuki studied the other boy's face for a long moment before finally nodding. "Okay, but I'm paying for dinner next time." He took the money, placing it into his wallet. Now that he knew from Kousaka that Aru wasn't a murderer, he felt a little more relaxed around him.
"I'd like that very much," Aru replied.
Yuki turned to him. "You know, I didn't even see you looking at us, and I kept glancing back in your direction to make sure you weren't watching."
Aru's smile grew. "Why?"
Yuki's eyes widened, catching himself. "Uh, because-"
"Did it have anything to do with the page you tore out of my sketchbook last night?" Aru asked.
Yuki stopped dead in his tracks, his face pale as he looked at Aru. "How . . . how did you know?"
Aru gave a sly grin. "As an internationally-renown detective in the making, I have to be able to notice minor details that others could easily miss. I suspected you might want to get close to the people around me in order to find more information about the contents of my sketchbook. Am I right?" he replied, meeting his gaze.
Yuki's eyes widened. "You knew."
Aru nodded. "There was a reason I wanted to walk with you tonight. I think it's about time we get to the bottom of the dreams we've been having."
Yuki blinked. "We?"
A slow smile crept onto Aru's face. "We'll talk more once we get to your house."
Yuki bit his lip, debating on whether he should follow. Then, he remembered the confusion that struck him after a series of strange dreams had entered his mind. That's right. He was still needed answers. He looked to Aru, nodding.
"Let's go," he replied, following Aru's lead.
…
Author's Notes: So, Yuki's finally going to get the answers he's been waiting for, huh? Or . . . is he? We all know how forthcoming Aru is with information, after all. But maybe Yuki's not the only one who's in for some surprises. Well, we'll just have to wait and see, won't we? However, I can tell you that there will be some suggestive themes in the upcoming chapter, but only implied.
Only one more chapter left guys! I hope you're ready! I'm anticipating that it's probably going to be another lengthy chapter, so be prepared.
I'll try to have the next chapter up by next Sunday. Key word is try! Stay tuned!
As always, reviews are greatly appreciated!
Cheers!