impossibility | discontinued

[3.2]

I've always wondered what it felt like to be a hostage but I didn't think I would be a hostage along with my entire school. I mean, only huge groups of terrorist can do this kind of scale.

A hand pulled me close and I looked up to see Ouji-kun coldly glaring at the giant screen in the gymnasium. I look at what he's looking and found the screen showing a video of the leader, perharps.

"Listen, you're now the hostage of the Karasu Organization." My body tensed. Karasu? Organization? No, no, they can't be appearing this early, right? Besides, they call themselves the Black Organization.

Not Karasu. I didn't realize that I was hyperventilating, not until Ouji-kun grabbed both of my shoulders and rested his forehead on mine. "It's alright. They won't hurt you. I won't let them, Shinobu."

I grabbed hold of his arms and hugged them to my side. Calm down. Calm down. They don't know you yet. Not yet. I have at least a few years to work these out. A few years before Shin encounters those people in black.

"Kudo Shinobu." My heart raced in fear and I swear, my heart's going to explode from horror and nervousness. "Only you can try and find a way out of there. The police can't interfere and if they do..."

The video shifted and I was horrified when I saw Shin tied up. "Nee-san! Don't listen to them! It's a tr—" The video shifted once more and it returned back to the masked leader.

"You have at most an hour. If you fail, consequences are upon you." The video shut off. The students in the gymnasium looked at me. I felt uncomfortable under their gazes as I pull Ouji-kun nearer.

I didn't want this. I didn't want Shin to be in danger. But who are those people? I've never met them, I've never even encountered them before. "It's okay. I'm here."

I was about to pull him closer but I knew I have to do something. It's up to me to get us out of here. I looked at my watch. 10:21

I have at most until eleven twenty to get us out. I let go of Ouji-kun's arms and stepped back. My best friend looked at me in confusion and then with worry. I didn't like to worry him.

I don't like to worry people in general. "It's fine. I... I have to do this."

"No, you don't. They're forcing you, Shinobu. It's not your obligation." However, despite those words and of my emotions earlier, I couldn't help the excitement bubbling at the pit of my stomach.

This is the thrill I always feel whenever I take on a case. This adrenaline rush that I've never felt before in my past life, this is what that keeps me going on cases. Despite the gruesome scene most of the times, I still find myself excited.

"Of course it is, Ouji-kun. This is a challenge. A challenge with no clues, a challenge with only my knowledge to back me up. This is why I became a detective, Ouji-kun. The challenges I'm forced to face. The challenges that I solve... it excites me."

I looked at him with determination and defiance. "If you stop me, then I will never talk to you again." There was a tense atmosphere between us and I noticed the flash of hurt in his eyes.

I buried the guilt that drowned my heart. This is no time to be a child. I'm older than what I look like. Ouji-kun is younger than me if we count the years of my past life.

I can do this myself and he didn't have to endanger himself. "... be careful." I grinned and nodded. "I'll solve this as soon as I can. I'll have us out before you know it."

Without wasting anymore time, I ran around the gymnasium to look for an exit. If those Karasu people are really here, then there might be clues of who they really are. Clues if they're involved with the men in black.

I first went to the entrance but found it locked on the outside. I tried for the backdoor next but it seemed to be in the same condition. I looked around. There are eight windows, two on each side of this room.

Two on the east, west, north and south. I found a ladder and with no one to help me, it took me roughly ten minutes to get it on one side. I tried to open the window but it was locked. I tried the other but I got the same result.

I dragged the ladder to the next wall and checked the windows and I repeated this cycle until I confirmed that yes, all windows are locked. There's no ventilation here so...

This is pointless! There's no escape!

Just who are those people?!

Calm down, Shinobu. Calm down. Think. Think. Don't be rash. Don't be irrational. Don't be frustrated. Don't be angry. Think. Calm down. Think. Calm down. Think carefully.

What did those people say? What did they say? They only told me that I'm the only one that can find an exit and they didn't specify why. They didn't also say their reason for this hostage.

How many were they? Think. Unsure. They don't have specified numbers. Think. What do you make of their leader? He's using a voice changer machine or did he simply mimic another voice?

Unsure. Why me? Why was I targeted specifically? I'm new here. Yes, I'm quite famous but people still underestimate me because I'm a child. Think. Was there something strange about this hostage situation? Yes, yes there is.

Was there something strange about the leader? Yes, yes there is. His shoulders doesn't suite a man. His neck was slender and so were his gloveless hands. He wasn't a he but a she.

Why take the entire school hostage and take another hostage? Come to think of it, Shin didn't exactly look terrified. He was more... worried, concerned than anything. He wasn't terrified and that confuses me.

Why wasn't he terrified? Scared? His life is in danger. He should be crying like any other eleven years old. A trap. That was what Shin was about to say before being cut off.

All of this is a trap but which one exactly? Come to think of it, usually in a hostage situation, the captive is beat up but that's not the case with Shin. He was alright, not physically or emotionally hurt.

He's alright. So what's going on? What exactly are their motives? I inwardly sighed. This case is almost like what Okaa-san—

... drat, I was completely fooled!

I folded my arms over my chest and stomped my way in front of the screen, which turned on not a second later. I ignored Ouji-kun's approaching form and glared at the video.

"Okaa-san, Otou-san, Agasa-hakase, Shin, all of you are getting the silent treatment from now on until I feel like talking." Once I uttered those words, the man— no, Okaa-san in disguise flinched.

I faced my schoolmates. "Ouji-kun and I are the only ones unaware of what's truly going on. The rest of you were informed by Okaa-san, were you not? You were told to act like one would act in a real hostage situation. Actually, most of you are in the Theatre Club."

Almost all of them flinched from my deduction. I grabbed Ouji-kun's hand and dragged him away. "Shinobu?"

I kicked the door open and I feel like a fool for falling for such tricks. I must have known these tricks would be picked up Otou-san from Toichi-jiisan.

"Can I stay with you over the weekend?"

And that's how I ended up staying with Ouji-kun's and Yūjin's apartment.