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Return to Me

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The park here was nothing like those of the smaller towns. Theirs were miniature formal gardens for the elderly that had retired there for the quiet life. They had benches, ornamental trees, flowers year round and water fountains in clear lakes that were stocked with Koi carp. But not here. Not in Osaka – although the parks were beautiful in their own way. Here a park meant acres of concrete interspersed with neat grass verges as the passersby rushed through on their ways to their destination.

"You're brooding again," came an amused voice from just behind the ebony haired figure relaxing on the weathered park bench, "I don't understand how someone who has everything he'd ever want could be so depressed all the time."

"I'm not depressed. Just thinking," Ryo shot back as he glanced over his shoulder at his body guard. The man wasn't the most personable fellow he'd ever encountered but he did his job without much complaining and was relatively good company. He hadn't been his first choice for an employee. His first choice had chickened out after his future employer been abducted then mutilated from what he could gather and he hadn't heard from him since. It was a pity. He'd really liked the strange white haired man almost immediately. It was a rare thing to find someone you felt a connection with in these times and he'd felt a connection with that Inuyasha fellow almost immediately. Just like he'd felt a connection with Chiyo before she disappeared like a modern day Cinderella. What was it about him that drove people away? It wasn't like he'd done anything to them. Well, not really. It wasn't his fault the police had treated that silver haired guy like a suspect and…okay it was kinda his fault that he'd groped Chiyo. That. That was his fault.

"I'm not brooding – merely taking in the scenery is all," Ryo replied in a bored tone of voice, "Why don't you take a seat? I doubt very much anyone plans on abducting me in broad daylight."

"See you say that but then I look at the scars on your wrist and I think differently," the man snorted derisively as he glanced pointedly at the ragged pink lines, "They never did find the guy who did that to you. It's a cold case for the moment, isn't it?"

"It is," Ryo replied curtly - his stomach squirming uncomfortably as his thoughts continued to focus on the woman from the ball before his eyes brightened and a grin grew on his face as he pulled out his phone, "Speaking of which, I should call the police department and, uh, see whether any progress has been made."

"That's what gets you out of your slump? Seriously?" the man snorted as he shook his head and rolled his eyes, "If I'd known that I would've had you do that months ago."

Pointedly ignoring his companion, Ryo pulled out his phone and searched his contacts for the department handling the case before eagerly pressing call and waiting with baited breath as the phone began to ring. In no time at all, he'd arranged for an appointment to review his case and the evidence therein...and hopefully see a certain police officer.

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"I'm requesting permission to re-open Case File No. 95-45212," Chiyo announced definitively as she sat across from the police chief who visibly deflated the moment those words came out of her mouth and was hard pressed to not roll his eyes when she added, "As well as Case File No. 99-24512."

"Chiyo," the man began in an exasperated tone as though this was the most asinine question that he'd ever heard, "Your father's case is almost a decade old and your brother's case was just a case of drunk driving. I'm not going to give you permission to go digging up the past and opening old wounds when there is no new evidence or leads."

"Sir, if the case is reopened perhaps there will be new leads to be found," Chiyo retorted as she narrowed her eyes, "You know I'm just going to keep asking to reopen them."

"It's personal, I understand that but Chiyo, if we couldn't solve it then there is no way in hell you're going to be able to solve it now," the chief responded with a heavy sigh before adding in a much more gentle and affectionate tone, "Your father was one of my best friends. I understand how badly you want answers. I want them too but I cannot open a case without new evidence. It's out of my hands."

"Well I just need access to witness lists or...or something," Chiyo breathed desperately, "I refuse to believe there is nothing you can do. There has to be a way."

"Chiyo, I'm sorry but there's just... not," the Chief answered glumly before he glanced down at the paperwork before him and sighed heavily, "You're dismissed."

Huffing in frustration, Chiyo pushed her chair out and stood - her body almost vibrating with rage as she went to the door and opened it aggressively before damn near slamming it closed behind her and blindly running into the poor soul who'd been foolish enough to not look where he was going either.

"I'm so..." Chiyo began as she tried to get her bearings before stopping when she recognized the face and instead ended her sentence with an accusatory, "You."

"Yes me," Ryo responded in an amused tone as he grinned broadly at her, "How convenient that I should run into you, Chiyo. I was just coming to my appointment to review my case file."

"Your case file," Chiyo repeated suspiciously as she gave him a once over before glancing over his shoulder at the large man behind him who lifted a single hand in greeting, "For what case, exactly?"

"My abduction of course," Ryo responded cheekily as though it was the most obvious thing in the world, "A true cold case. My kidnapper was never found. Disappeared without a trace."

Swallowing thickly Chiyo gave him a once over - her eyes assessing him from his toes upwards until they landed on the ragged pink scar around his wrist.

"Is that from the kidnapper?" Chiyo asked quietly as she gestured towards the injury, "What happened?"

"Some nut job tried to hack it off with a saw or something," Ryo responded casually as though it were an everyday occurrence, "I got off easy in my opinion. He killed the girl I was dating at the time."

"You seem devestated by the loss," Chiyo responded coolly, "She must have meant a great deal to you."

Paling visibly, his sapphire eyes widened with such hurt that Chiyo was hard pressed not to cringe away from him and ultimately muttered a soft apology before turning to leave.

"I didn't know her all that well," Ryo managed to answer hoarsely as his hand moved to caress his healed injury, "But she was a nice girl who didn't deserve to die that way. I want answers not for myself but for her if you really must know. I feel responsible."

"I'm sorry," Chiyo muttered as her face flushed crimson in shame, "I honestly don't know where that came from."

"Yes you do," Ryo laughed humorlessly before adding in an imploring tone, "I acted abhorrently the other night and now you assume I see women as objects or something when I assure I don't. Please consider giving me another chance. What about dinner tonight, hm? "

Oh, how she wanted to believe him but that woman's warning rang in her mind and sighing heavily, Chiyo ultimately decided against it, "I'm sorry but no."

"Oh," Ryo responded as he visibly deflated and furrowed his brow, "That's too bad then. I, uh, must be getting to my appointment. It was nice seeing you again, Chiyo."

As he turned - feeling the cold sting of rejection, he missed the fleeting look of regret that flitted across her face in favor of saving face himself.

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"Let me know if you have any questions," the Chief sighed heavily as he leaned back in his chair, "I'm sorry to say we don't know more. It's the damnedest thing."

"Thank you," Ryo responded quietly as he chewed the inside of his cheek and tried to focus on the task at hand rather than the rejection he'd just suffered. It was hard to concentrate though when his mind kept replaying how things might've gone if he wasn't such a fucking idiot. In all his life, he'd never felt so compelled to grab someone's ass as he had been hers. Literally, it felt like the most natural thing in the world and he didn't think twice for reasons that were beyond him. Still, she'd forgiven him - hadn't she? - before she went to the bathroom. Something must've happened between the incident and powdering her nose. It was driving him crazy.

As his sapphire eyes drifted down the cover sheet taking in the basic information, two notes suddenly stood out to him almost as though they were on fire.

'Lead Officer(s): Chiyo Nakamura and Kosei Takashi. C. Nakamura removed. Osamu Mukai...'

'Victim discovered by C. Nakamura in abandoned warehouse. Victim suffered...'

"What the literal fuck?" Ryo whispered under his breath. It couldn't be. How would it be that she didn't remember him or even mention that it had been her that found him? And then to act like he was the only one in the wrong for something as innocent - okay, well not innocent - something that he'd apologized for? Clearing his throat, Ryo looked up at the police chief and asked in an aggravated tone, "Would it be possible to talk to the woman who found me? I have some questions."

"Good luck with that," the Chief chuckled, "She doesn't remember anything about the incident. Something happened in that case that addled her mind a bit. Had to take her off the case and she underwent psychiatric evaluation."

Well that would explain the discrepancy. Still, it was an interesting coincidence that neither of them remembered anything about the case and yet here it was on printed paper. Proof that they had indeed met before.

"I'd still like to speak with her if that's alright," Ryo responded quietly as he went back to flipping through the case file, "After I'm done here, of course."

"I'll arrange it," the Chief responded good naturedly as he picked up a case file of his own and began flipping through it, "Maybe your face will fix whatever's wrong with her."