red string || sano manjiro/ mikey

chapter xxxv: missing

24 december 2005, christmas eve.

the supposed day when takemichi, baji, and chifuyu intercept to save hakkai. it has been three weeks and three days since they last met kazua. while the three have agreed to meet altogether, baji and chifuyu were left to wait for takemichi in the cold. he told them that he has to meet someone for a bit, and the two won't be rushing in with just both of them.

after all, they can't underestimate their opponent. baji is strong, one of the strongest in toman, but even he knows when to be cautious. he had his share of recklessness already. kazua will have his head if he dares to pull another stunt.

"tsk, what's taking him so long?" baji harshly tucked his hands in his coat's pockets, leaning against the railing that separated them from the frozen river. chifuyu, who was standing a little beside him with a thick knitted sweater on, checked the last text takemichi sent him.

"i don't know. it sounds serious, though." he muttered, releasing a puff of smoke from his lips due to the cold. "if we wait for more than thirty minutes, we might miss taiju and we could walk in a murder scene instead. should we call him?"

"maybe a little after five minutes. we can't waste time here." baji grumbled. "damn, it's so cold."

"want my scarf?"

"no. your mom might scold me if you get sick."

"alright, then."

"hey! sorry, i was late!"

the two's conversation was cut short when takemichi came running towards them while breathing heavily, having nothing but his toman uniform to cover himself up from the winter weather.

"what took you so long?!"

"takemitchy?! aren't you cold?!"

"i'm fine. i'm fine." takemichi pulled a wide smile. "let's go? we need to act fast. sorry."

"yeah, let's go."

baji hopped on his bike while chifuyu got on his, having takemichi riding the back since he doesn't own a motorbike yet. the long-haired man took the lead first and had the two follow a little beside him. "hey, have you guys reached kazua? she wasn't answering when i texted her last week."

"i don't know. i haven't texted her." chifuyu said back.

"maybe she's dealing with the stalker? what if they got her?" takemichi asks in panic. "sada-san could be in danger for all we know. she's been awfully silent."

"we can't really tell. she did limit communication with us." baji grits his teeth, awfully worried for the girl. he visited her home last week, too, when she wasn't answering his calls.

no one was there the entire day.

***

"kazzie?!"

senju rapidly pressed on the door bell by the gate, eyes displaying worry and panic for her friend. she hasn't seen her since they went shopping, and she clearly remembered kazua heading home by herself that day with her shopping bags in hand.

she should have gone home safely, but the girl was nowhere to be found. she's been silent for the past three weeks, and they were supposed to go to the cemetery together this christmas eve.

"kazzie! i'm not kidding around. i'll break the gates if you don't come out!"

senju knows that she can't do that. the home security kazua's father installed is the best one yet in japan, and no one was able to get through it all these years.

maybe someone did thorughout the three weeks that senju hasn't seen her.

"gosh," her teeth gritted together out of frustration. she bangs on the gate and unlocked her phone to try and locate kazua. "where are you?"

"she's not home?"

senju whipped around in a fighting stance, shocked to see a motorbike parked in front of the sada residence. the driver himself was enough to surprise her, though. he wore warm clothing for the winter weather, a scarf identical to the one kazua wears wrapped around his neck loosely.

"sazu's not home?" he asks again, dull eyes searching for answers. "you're her friend, aren't you?"

"mikey?"

senju didn't know why he was there. kazua had every intention to avoid the man himself, and according to her, mikey had no objections to it. he was distancing himself from her too.

so, why?

"baji talked to me, if you remember him." he said, kicking the kick stand to steady his motorbike, but he remained seated with his hands on the handles. "she's in danger, isn't she?"

"i was with kazzie on december 1st and she walked me home. i thought she got home safely on her own." senju explained, not even thinking twice about it. this is mikey, someone who holds kazua close to his heart. if there is anyone who can help her, then it should be him. "now that i thought about it, she didn't text me that she got home. i tried to locate her phone, but it's turned off."

mikey only looked at her for awhile, thinking about the situation rather quickly to try and pinpoint where the girl could possibly be. he had no intention of showing that he's worried for her, especially to senju who he isn't even acquainted to.

with a sigh, he kicks off the kick stand and threw a thumb behind him. "hop on. we'll look for her together." he said. "unless, you have something better to do than saving your friend?"

senju quickly got on his back, holding the handle behind the motorbike instead of his shoulders. she rolled her eyes at his sarcasm, though.

"at least i stuck around."

"you're not the one bound by the red string."

"please, you're the one who pulled her in that shit."

"we haven't seen each other in years and i still hate you."

"good because i hate you too."