"My name is Kayuga Hatsumoto. I'm 32 years old. I'm single but I live with my sister and our two dogs, and I'm here to win it big!"
DING-DING-DING!
Your head throbs like a jackhammer. The sound of bells ringing coupled with applause reaches your ears in muffled waves. You open your eyes but immediately shut them again, wincing under the harsh fluorescent lighting hanging over you. You hurt all over.
Why are you lying on the floor? Where are you?
You're lying on your side with your face pressed against cold smooth linoleum. You don't recognize the color of the wall you're facing. For some reason your limbs feel stiff and heavy. Why can't you move? Did somebody drug you?
You swallow weakly as that terrifying thought lingers, trying to recount your day. What's the last thing you remember?
Junpei.. You clearly recall him walking to school with you. But then what? You went to class, and then–
A cold shock runs through your entire body. You'd left class because something made you go outside. You inhale sharply through your nose and open your eyes again, trying to move your hands up to touch the side of your aching head, then you realize why you can't move.
Someone tied your hands together.
Your breathing speeds up automatically as your panic builds. There's a soft squeaking behind you, like a chair rocking backwards. You lay rigid and try quieting your breathing to sound like you're still unconscious. The pounding of your heart refuses to slow down. A part of you worries that your abductor may hear it.
You grit your teeth tightly. That's right…. You were abducted from school this morning.
That ugly word twists around in your brain until your eyes sting with anger and terror filled tears. How could you have let this happen? Careless! Stupid! Why would you run into an alley when you knew it was a dead end? You should have sensed a trap right away. Immediately you think of Junpei. Does he even realize you're gone yet? How long has it been?
You're working yourself up too much. A quiet sniffle escapes you too late and you hear the creak of the chair behind you once more.
"You awake?" a male voice asks.
You don't respond. Something about that familiar tone gives you pause. Where have you heard it before?
His footsteps approach and you feel his hand on your shoulder. He rolls you over onto your back so you can see one another. You're caught entirely off guard when you see your captor is actually much younger than you expected.
"Remember me, punk?"
You inhale sharply. It's the asshole you fought at the railyard! But why would he want to kidnap you? You don't even remember his name. Was it Ben? Koi? Ken maybe?
"Wh-what do you want with me? What's this about? Our fight?"
He sneers at you. You must have touched a nerve by bringing that up.
"Naw, I don't care about that."
You're getting really impatient now, struggling to sit upright to at least be at eye level with this lowlife.
"Look if it's the prize money you're after, I am open to the idea of a rematch, but you gotta level the playing field here a little more. You won't get any satisfaction from keeping me down like this. Now let me up and we'll fight like men."
Much to your shock, that gets a chuckle from him. He smiles in a creepy way. You still can't remember this asshole's name, but the way he looks you up and down gives you the worst feeling in the pit of your stomach.
"Funny you say that now. The guy in the suit has other ideas about you."
Your captor gives your face another curious scrutinizing, squinting as he leans in as if trying to make his mind up. You don't breathe even a little with him so close. He loses interest soon enough, returning to his chair in front of the television set with near mechanical boredom.
That look on his face makes you sick. What the hell is he talking about? And where the fuck are you? This room is perfectly square and each wall is gray, giving you no details on where this creep has taken you. Hearing your struggle makes him look back over his shoulder.
"Quiet. Or I'll gag you."
He turns up the TV volume and picks up his phone. He scoffs then yawns loudly.
"We have a few more hours to go, then you and I are taking a little ride after sundown."
Sundown? So it's still daylight outside. That's something at least.
"Then what?" you ask carefully.
He turns back to give you a cruel smirk. The audience on television claps their hands as they chant."Win it big! Win it big! Win it big!"
"Then I get paid. Now hush."
He goes right back to ignoring you as if you didn't exist, watching the woman on the screen jumping around waving her hands as a giant wheel spins.
..
.
Despite the unfortunate circumstances of their introduction, the boys outside of the crêpe shop turned out to be surprisingly empathetic to Junpei as he sat crying on the sidewalk. The boy with pink hair immediately offers a gentle pat on Junpei's shoulder, consoling him through his heavy sobs.
"You said someone is missing? What happened?"
"M-my boyf-friend," he chokes out again. "His name is Fushiguro. He disappeared out of one of his classes today. He wouldn't have just vanished without telling me though. He must have been taken! I don't even know what to do!"
"Should we call the police?"
The dark-haired boy makes a dismissive noise. "Police wouldn't open a case until 24 hours have passed. They tend to assume most missing teens are runaways who will come back later."
He wouldn't run away, Junpei thinks. He wouldn't leave me behind. Or Toji. Oh, God! What is he supposed to tell Toji? He quickly starts spiraling all over again, covering his mouth to stifle his hysterics. There's another reassuring squeeze on his shoulder.
"Hey, it's alright. How about we give you a ride? We can cover more ground that way and look for him together?"
He sniffles again. "A ride? You have a car?"
"Better than a car! We've got a street bike that can go anywhere. We can check out the side roads around here and look for your friend. Come on."
The pink-haired boy waves him over to their motorcycle parked outside the cafe. A pair of dogs are sitting in a small attached sidecar. They bark and whine excitedly when they approach.
Junpei stares at the bike apprehensively. How were they supposed to all fit on this thing? As if reading his mind, the boy with dark hair gets to work on quickly detaching the sidecar.
"I'll take the dogs with me and we'll search down the other side of the main road here. Do you have anything with his scent on it?"
"Huh? His scent? You mean you're gonna track him? With dogs?" Junpei asks.
"We can try. They're working dogs. I've been training them for jobs specifically like this. If you have anything at all that was his, it might help us find him."
Unsure what he meant by "working dogs," Junpei looked down at the Keroppi keychain in his hands before reluctantly handing it over to the stranger and giving a physical description of you as best as he can in his current frazzled state.
"That's all I have right now. I can get something better."
"Fine. Give Itadori your contact information. I'll call if I find anything."
He whistles sharply and the dogs take off with him following close behind. The boy with the pink undercut hands Junpei a helmet to put on. "I'll give you a ride around the strip, okay? Let's go."
"Thank you… um, I-Itadori?"
He smiles brightly. "No problem. And you can just call me Yuji. What's your name by the way?"
"Junpei. Junpei Yoshino." In an afterthought he turned back around as Itadori cranked the engine to life.
"Was his name Fushiguro too?"
"Yup!" Itadori confirms. "Funny coincidence, right?"
"I guess so. I didn't think it was a common name."
"Everybody calls him that 'cause he really doesn't like his first name. Now hang on tight, 'kay? I'm gonna speed a little."
The wind whips through Junpei's hair and he tightens his grip around the midsection of the pink-paired boy he's only just met. He's never ridden on a motorcycle before. The roar of the engine as they weave through traffic is making his ears ring in a constant pitch.
He still doesn't want to believe any of this is real. It feels like a long horrible nightmare. Squeezing his eyes shut one last time, Junpei thinks of you to build his courage. He consciously tries his hardest to keep them open, blinking one at a time so he won't possibly miss anything.
Car after car blurs together as they speed down the road. Junpei notices all of the places you've been together. The movie theater, the arcade, the aquarium. Each one bringing up bittersweet visions of you that make his throat feel clenched in a vice.
No. He can't let those negative thoughts win. He sets his jaw resolutely, wiping his tears away against his shoulder.
"I'll find you. I swear I will.
..
.
"This prolific and influential composer of the Classical period was among the first to write musical pieces for the piano, creating over 600 movements altogether."
"Who is…Beethoven?"
"I'm sorry that's incorrect."
You shift uncomfortable against the corner you'd sidled your way into, readjusting for the hundredth time to try alleviating the building pressure in your hands. Picking the corner put you in a position where you could at least view every detail of your prison.
There are old empty ramen packets scattered around, but not that many. The room smells as if it's been cleaned recently with some sort of industrial pine solvent. It doesn't look like your captor has been here for very long. A few days tops maybe. There's a futon mattress lying on the floor on the opposite end of the room. You immediately put yourself as far away from it as possible. Other than securing your wrists and ankles with zip ties, this guy hasn't touched you that you know of, but you can't fight the horrible images flashing through your mind involving that mattress.
The man who took you, if you could call a twenty-something kidnapping scumbag a man, has short black hair shaved close to his scalp. You can't see any discernible tattoos or scars on his face or arms. He looks like any other average build guy except for that soulless, bored stare. Whenever the commercials start, he checks over his shoulder to make sure you're still in place.
You have no way of knowing how much time has gone by. Since waking up you've watched three game shows in a row. When one ends he just surfs through the channels for another one. Based on standard television programming, you assume only a couple of hours have passed. Looking around again you try to find anything with a name or address on it. Bills, junkmail– anything helpful, but this place is so weirdly empty. There are no windows or no furniture other than the creepy futon. The only door is blocked by this asshole and his television set, not that you have a chance of getting to it. You're stuck with only your thoughts, carefully assessing everything you can see with hopeless repetition.
What was he talking about earlier? He'd mentioned a guy in a suit before threatening to gag you. That must be someone he's working for. Try to think. What is the last thing you remember?
Mr Watanabe. You were in his classroom for third period and asked to be excused after seeing this douchebag on the school grounds. You didn't even see him coming. He snuck up behind you while you were distracted by someone else.
Someone in a suit….
There's only one person you know who dressed like that. You close your eyes and rest your head against the wall. Your worst fears are beginning to slowly seep in. Toji warned you to be mindful and told you that his past was dangerous. But how could you have known his ex employer would do something like this? What did he even have to gain from kidnapping you?
It can't be me that he wants…
You stretch your arms as much as you can, twisting your wrists against the plastic cable cutting into your skin. Sliding your legs out to do the same with your ankles, you notice a blue button up shirt wadded up on the floor. The slightest bit of a name tag sewn on the front pocket catches your attention. Moving as slowly as you can without drawing attention, you drag the toe of your shoe to pull the shirt closer. Your fingertips catch the collar and you read the
Okay. Bui. So you know the name of your captor. How can you use this? There's still nothing around that shows any kind of address of where you are. You stare across the room at the flat steel door handle. Its design is clearly for utility use, so you're not in an official residence. Bui must be squatting here temporarily. The floor is still relatively clean other than his various garbage. You count up all of the empty noodle packets you see, ending with ten. Assuming this is all he eats for every meal, he's been here for maybe three days.
The television noise cuts through your thoughts again. The contestant on the game show squeals loudly as she wins her showcase of a trip to Jamaica. The ending credits roll and the theme song plays through the outro. Bui leans in to manually click through the channels on the set, pausing on another game show when he finds one. He turns around to check you again and then looks at his phone.
"Two more hours," he announces.
Your heart pounds with anxiety. You feel like you could throw up from the waiting alone. Why does he keep announcing the time? And watching these stupid game shows?
"You're enjoying this, aren't you?" you mutter before you can stop yourself.
He chuckles, not even bothering to look away from his show. "What's not to enjoy? You're gonna be the easiest money I've ever made."
"So you actually like working for creeps like Sakyo? What kind of a man are you?"
This time he shoots you an icy glare that instantly makes you regret firing off your mouth. He stands up out of the metal folding chair he'd been straddling and approaches you. You pull your shoes back from his. Grimacing when he stoops down to your level.
"You know…. you keep questioning my manhood, but I could do the same to you."
You try to pull back when he reaches toward your face but there's nowhere for you to go. He grabs your chin between his fingers, making you look at him dead on.
"Mr Sakyo said you're not who you're pretending to be."
"What are you talking about?"
Bui smiles in a way that makes your skin crawl. "He says you're not a boy. Just a girl playing dress-up and pretending to be someone's kid."
Your eyes harden instantly. Even if you're at his mercy, you're not about to let him think he's got anything figured out about you.
"Oh, yeah? And you just believe everything you hear?"
"I don't care who you are either way 'cause it doesn't matter. You're just a fat paycheck to me. But if I were you, I'd seriously think again about pissing me off."
He releases your chin, clearly enjoying the power he holds over you. There's a moment where his eyes linger a bit, taking in your features. He can tell there's a soft growth of facial hair barely visible along your upper lip and jawline. He loses interest soon enough and decides to go back to his game show much to your relief.
There isn't much time left. You're not sure what his plans are, but if they involve Sakyo, you need to find some way to call Toji. But where is your phone? Craving your neck to look behind Biu, you can see your backpack resting against the door. It might as well be on the moon right now.
You can feel your throat squeezing tight. You don't want to start crying but you're rapidly running out of hope. You wipe your eyes on your sleeve. When the cold metal button on the cuff rubs your cheek, it gives you an idea. You bring your hands up high enough to hold the button in your teeth, using your tongue to hold it while biting through the threads. It pops free and you wait for the right moment. You can't risk him hearing anything. When the audience starts applauding like crazy again, you spit the button on the floor and conceal it behind you immediately.
There. At least now there will be a trace of you here if they come looking for you.
When they come,you correct yourself.
Come on Toji... Find me. Please...
..
.
Toji sits scrolling through his phone, clicking past images of tuxedo designs that all blended into the next with little or no differences between the images. He groans when he hits the end of the page yet again without making a choice.
Was it the smartest idea to plan a date with Nagi that involved renting an uncomfortable monkeysuit? Without question. But he wanted the chance to make up for the disaster of their last date, so he had to think of something good. There were posters advertising Madama Butterfly all over town. Not exactly his taste, but she was excited when he asked her to see it. Picking out what to wear has been its own headache. He doesn't know what styles are fashionable or "in" right now. It would be embarrassing if he showed up in something outdated.
As much as he hates to face it, Toji wants to try to look nice for her. She deserved a nice night out and he failed to give her that before, so he called into work today to plan this date and rent a tux to arrive on time for this weekend.
He groans in annoyance again. Every one of these looks identical. He decides to just select one of the most popular ones and hope for the best. Before he can click to finish his purchase however, he's startled when a phone call comes through. He's puzzled further when he sees who it is.
"Hello? Junpei?"
From the other line, a frantic voice chops up amidst the static sound of wind.
"Sensei! – Fushi–ro! He's – ing!"
"What? Where are you? Are you in a car or something? What's all that noise?"
It's hard to make heads or tails of what's going on on the other side, but the next words come in clearer.
"I'm on a motorcycle! We're looking for Fushiguro, but we can't find him anywhere!"
"What do you mean you're looking for him?"
"He was taken from school!" Junpei shouts.
"Taken? How sure are you that he didn't just cut class again?"
Toji's mouth suddenly goes dry. This can't be happening. He tells himself it's a misunderstanding, but Junpei's voice is broken with tears.
"He left his third class and never came back! We were supposed to go somewhere for lunch together, he would have been waiting for me."
Shit…
"I found the keychain that I gave him on the school grounds and he would never leave something like that behind on purpose, so I know something must have happened to him!"
The boy's voice on the line is trembling and rushed, his fear infecting every word. Toji brings his hand to his face, muffling the horrified sound that erupts from him before he can control it. There's no way you would make your boyfriend panic like this.
The engine sounds on the line suddenly switch off. They must have parked somewhere. Toji takes the deepest breath he can manage. It does nothing to cease the trembling in his entire body.
"Where are you right now?"
"We're back at the front steps of school now. I-I don't know what to do!" Junpei wails helplessly.
We?
"Who are you with?"
"Some guy I just met named Itadori. His friend is also helping us look,"
There's a painful sob on the line before Junpei speaks again.
"His name is Fushiguro, too."
"What?" He must have heard that wrong. But then why would Junpei bring it up?
"Sensei, I'm so scared. What should I do? Should we go to the police? The other Fushiguro said the police won't help until 24 hours have passed."
There it is again. This time bringing an unnatural pause to Toji's response as he spirals internally.
"Sensei?!"
"I'm here. I just…. I don't think the police are a good idea.. for this."
"Why not? We have to dosomething!"
"No, Junpei. You need to go home and stay there. I mean it. Have you called your mother yet?"
"N-no.. I thought I should call you first."
Toji breathes a small sigh of relief, selfishly hating himself for it.
"Okay. Call her… but please don't say anything about this to her."
"What?! But–"
"I mean it! You don't know who did this, but I do. Just promise me you'll go home and tell your mother you were feeling sick. Say that I picked you up from school and brought you home. Understood?"
There's silence and finally a reluctant "...Ok."
"Good. Now go home and stay there. I'll find him and bring him back safely. Please try not to worry."
He hangs up. The images of the tux rentals website linger on his phone screen. The call only lasted a few minutes, but he felt winded and weak. The phone falls from his hand to the coffee table with a loud clatter.
Sakyo. It had to be Sakyo behind this. He wouldn't hesitate to gain this type of leverage against him. His plan has to be extortion of some kind. But where is he? Probably staying in some penthouse at one of the nicest hotels in town. There are several there that would catch his eye.
Good. He'll start there.
Toji laces up his boots, grabs his keys, then starts for the door before halting abruptly. He looks over his shoulder at the photo on his shelf and the urn sitting next to it.
With shaking hands he touches the picture frame one last time.
"Don't worry. I won't lose him too. I'll be back, Minato," he whispers while he tenderly removes the lid of the urn.
He reaches inside to pull out his gun, tucking it into his belt before covering it with a coat from his closet. Then he double locks the door and leaves.
All he can hear in the echoing stairwell is the sound of his heavy footfalls, his labored breathing, and an endless replay of Junpei's words.
"His name is Fushiguro too…"
..
.
Junpei hates how quickly he agreed to lie to his mom, but he's gotten used to it by now. It was effortless sending her a text to say that he was feeling sick and Toji would pick him up to take him home. She'll be too busy to notice the message for at least an hour knowing her.
Itadori parks his bike in front of Junpei's apartment complex. He checks his phone to see if there were any missed calls or messages waiting. Nothing yet. He grimaces and offers a reassuring smile to Junpei.
"Don't worry. Shiro and Kero are two of the smartest canines there could be. Fushiguro's been training them to help police find missing people."
Junpei's eyes widen. "Wow. Really?"
Itadori nods again. "Yup! He has a pretty strong passion for that sort of thing. Even though he may not outwardly seem like the warmest guy in the world, he does care alot about others."
Well that explains why they were both so eager to help. Junpei sniffles again, wiping more of his tears away while this boy he just met offers a comforting side hug.
"It's gonna be okay. I can stay around a bit if you want me to? That way you can hear the good news from Fushiguro when your friend is found."
Junpei whimpers and nods, choking back even more of his sobs. "That would be really nice of you. Thank you."
This unexpected kindness from strangers is so overwhelming. But a part of him winces physically each time Itadori mentions the other boy's name. The coincidence of all of this is too much to process for him at once.
"So you and your Fushiguro, are you…?" Itadori extends his pinky with curiosity in his eyes.
The gesture makes Junpei blush softly. "Y-yeah… We're dating."
"That's awesome! So are we! Er, I mean me and my Fushiguro. He's my boyfriend. We've been together for a little over a year." He blushes and awkwardly scratches the back of his head.
"Sorry. I've just never met another gay couple our age. It's cool! So how long have you been dating?"
"Only a couple of months… We just met this year." Junpei manages a fragile smile.
"That's awesome! Where have you gone for dates so far?"
Itadori is desperately trying to take Junpei's mind off of his worst fears. Focusing on brighter memories does make him feel a little more calm. Thinking of you always has that effect on him.
He can only hope you're thinking of him too and that you're still alright wherever you are.
..
.
To be continued….