“Masaomiii Kidaaa~” the antagonistic voice lilts playfully from Masaomi’s cell phone. “Hello! This is Izumii, head of Blue Square. I have a quiz for yooouu!”
Recognizing the name of his rival gang leader, Masaomi jerks to his feet.
“Question 1: We’ve got a special guest here today. Who do you suppose it is? Hint: It’s someone very, very, very important to yooouu!” Before Masaomi can even interject, Izumii breaks out into his game show host impression again. He’s laughing. “Time’s up! But I bet you figured it out, didn’t you? Yes, yes! Your answer is correct!”
“Bastard!” Masaomi growls. “What have you done with Saki?!”
“Question 2: What do you suppose she looks like right now? Question 3.” A wet crack resounds through the phone’s speaker, and a young girl screams bloody murder before her cries wither into pained sobs. “What bone was it that just broke? Hint: She won’t be walking for a whiiiile!”
By now, Masaomi’s entire body is shaking with silent rage.
“Final question: What’s going to happen to her if you don’t come to the parking garage where you trapped us before in twenty minutes?”
Izumii hangs up, and Masaomi wastes no time throwing his cellphone at the wall. Still shaking with anger and grief, he breathes heavily for a few seconds before scrambling to the phone again and dialing another number.
No one answers.
Masaomi curses at the top of his lungs and bolts out the door, racing straight for that parking garage. He has to save Saki. He has to. After all, he’s her boyfriend. He loves her. And he’ll kill every last one of those bastards who hurt her while he’s at it. He runs all the way to the garage, ready to murder.
But the moment he sees it, right there in front of him, he freezes. Masaomi stares down at his own paralyzed feet as realization hits. He’s not shaking in anger. He’s terrified.
“Why? Why am I so scared?” It’s barely audible at first, but the volume of his voice rises with every word, frantic and cracking. “I thought I could do anything for her!”
He doesn’t move, even as a van barrels out of the designated parking garage with Saki in its backseat, even as he hears shouts and howls from within the garage itself.
✧ vanitas
Recognizing the name of his rival gang leader, Masaomi jerks to his feet.
“Question 1: We’ve got a special guest here today. Who do you suppose it is? Hint: It’s someone very, very, very important to yooouu!” Before Masaomi can even interject, Izumii breaks out into his game show host impression again. He’s laughing. “Time’s up! But I bet you figured it out, didn’t you? Yes, yes! Your answer is correct!”
“Bastard!” Masaomi growls. “What have you done with Saki?!”
“Question 2: What do you suppose she looks like right now? Question 3.” A wet crack resounds through the phone’s speaker, and a young girl screams bloody murder before her cries wither into pained sobs. “What bone was it that just broke? Hint: She won’t be walking for a whiiiile!”
By now, Masaomi’s entire body is shaking with silent rage.
“Final question: What’s going to happen to her if you don’t come to the parking garage where you trapped us before in twenty minutes?”
Izumii hangs up, and Masaomi wastes no time throwing his cellphone at the wall. Still shaking with anger and grief, he breathes heavily for a few seconds before scrambling to the phone again and dialing another number.
No one answers.
Masaomi curses at the top of his lungs and bolts out the door, racing straight for that parking garage. He has to save Saki. He has to. After all, he’s her boyfriend. He loves her. And he’ll kill every last one of those bastards who hurt her while he’s at it. He runs all the way to the garage, ready to murder.
But the moment he sees it, right there in front of him, he freezes. Masaomi stares down at his own paralyzed feet as realization hits. He’s not shaking in anger. He’s terrified.
“Why? Why am I so scared?” It’s barely audible at first, but the volume of his voice rises with every word, frantic and cracking. “I thought I could do anything for her!”
He doesn’t move, even as a van barrels out of the designated parking garage with Saki in its backseat, even as he hears shouts and howls from within the garage itself.
He doesn’t move for a very long time.