❀ The Disease Called Love [Oumasai/Saiouma] ❀

That was Slashed Out

✧ Chapter 19 ✧
[ That was Slashed Out ]
✧༺♥༻∞　　∞༺♥༻✧

"What's the one thing uncommon about Kaito's case?" Kokichi asked, propping his head up with his hand.

Shuichi wanted to reach over and knock Kokichi's arm away, out of habit. After all, his mother used to tell him to keep his elbows off the table whenever they had to eat.

"If you can try to spot the difference between each and every case Dangan Island has ever had with Kaito's, this would be a piece of cake."

Shuichi looked down at the thick file of papers, looking at the photographs and familiar and unfamiliar cases. It was even larger than his school notes. Months and years of documents stashed into one binder.

So far, there had been around 2,400 people who had been either sentenced to death or injected with the serum. And was Dangan Island alone. Who knows what the rest of the world was experiencing?

Shuichi finally got to work, looking through the pictures and trying to make sense of Kokichi's words.

However, he couldn't seem to concentrate as his vision soon doubled. He was so tired, he felt like he was going to fall asleep where he was sitting. Shuichi sighed, faintly remembering a page from his history books that couples used to sleep on each other's shoulders-

"Wait." the blue haired boy blinked, holding his head for a moment while a sudden thought occured to him. He continued staring at the photographs.

Couples.

In each photograph, there were always two people getting dragged away. However, why was Kaito's case the only one with him?

Maki, who was supposed to be the other side of this 'relationship', wasn't present with him.

"Is.. it because Kaito was alone when he was taken?" Shuichi asked Kokichi, who was picking at a wound on his knuckles.

"Oh, yep! You got it." the other student grinned deviously, not looking up, "Kaito, aka, space boy, is the only case without a partner!"

"And.?" Shuichi empathised. "I don't see what's wrong-."

"It means," Kokichi dropped his gaze from his hand and raised an eyebrow to Shuichi, "If you were a scientist. A doctor. Anything. How would you feel if I gave you an experiment which is only half finished?"

Where was he going with this? Shuichi thought warily. Why was Kokichi thinking about the whole case this way? This has nothing to do with anything whatsoever..

The detective frowned, placing a hand on the table. "I would.. be upset and I'd try to do everything I can to solve the incomplete experiment?" he suggested.

"Right, spoken like a true detective," Kokichi declared, "You people are so misunderstood, it's sad."

A true detective? Shuichi wasn't even a real detective. All he did was to solve one case with his uncle. That's all.

"Don't degrade yourself like that Saihara-chan, I know that look on your face." Kokichi spoke up abruptly, cracking a grin. "Nee-heehee!"

Shuichi looked at the other boy, who stared up at him with a smug smile. "Anyway, back to the topic." the purple haired boy twirled a strand of his hair.

"So... my theory is that they're holding Momota captive because they don't know who he confessed to. He's withholding that information to protect..." he lowered his volume, "Maki. Get it?"

Kaito was stuck in the hospital because he didn't want Maki to get arrested? Of course Kaito would do such a stupid, noble thing like that.

"Additionally," Kokichi cleared his throat. "These newspapers are super rare, and apparently hold a lot of information. I need your help to look through them and maybe we can find something else which supports my theory."