❀ The Disease Called Love [Oumasai/Saiouma] ❀

By All That I Love

✧ Chapter 20 ✧
[ By All That I Love ]
✧༺♥༻∞　　∞༺♥༻✧

Shuichi backed away, his back hitting against the door as he saw Kokichi, strung up from the ceiling by thin ropes and wires around his wrists and ankles. One of his arms were dangling down, as if reaching for the fire below him. Blood was trailing down to his fingertips, and his face hidden by the shadows of his hair.

"If you try to save the precious evidence.." the voice from the mysterious person trailed off, gesturing to the burning table. "By all means, go ahead. But I must say, I trust my skills."

With a flick of his wrist, the figure held out a series of glinting silver knives. "I'll throw these at Ouma's ropes and there he goes, right into the flames. I doubt the fool would ever survive an ordeal like that."

"If you try to save him, however," the person twirled the knife, "Go ahead. And you should do so quickly.. fishing line is terribly painful." As if on cue, something dripped from where Kokichi was hanging by. It was a drop of blood, which sizzled as soon as it dripped into the fire.

Shuichi couldn't take his eyes away from Kokichi's suspended body. The other boy's eyes were closed, but at least he seemed to be breathing. His wrists and legs were strung up with thin, transparent fishing lines as the wires from the lights overhead supported his weight. "Ouma.." Shuichi took another shaky breath, "OUMA!"

"He can't hear you, Saihara, sorry about that." the figure sat on a part of the already half burnt table. The clues of Kaito's disappearance curling and burning in the flames.

"Oh, and by the way, you have five more minutes till the little gadget I used is deactivated. Iruma's Electrobombs are so sensitive and unstable, it's useless. Just like her-!" the dark figure cackled.

"And once it deactivates, I'm afraid the sprinklers and wires overhead would start up and there you have it, electrocution will occur."

"Ouma's death would be splendid!" the figure clapped his hands together, laughing maniacally, "Could he die by falling into a pit of fire? Bleed to death? Or electrocuted? Who knows?!"

Shuichi clenched his fists, squinting through the smog as he turned away from the burning table which held all the answers. All the answers to Kaito's mystery. His disappearance meant so much to him but Kokichi was in trouble.

I'm sorry Kaito.

"Don't be sorry Shuichi." he grinned, holding out a hand as the blue haired boy sat on the grass, rubbing his face.

Shuichi grabbed a long piece of rope he had noticed earlier and quickly made a loop. He clenched his teeth together and threw the loop up onto the roof, letting it catch onto the rafters.

There was no easy way he could get to Ouma... unless he swung himself over the fire himself and saved him. Shuichi held onto the rope, and swung across, his legs nearly touching the flames beneath him. He gasped, inching up a little as the fire tried to reach up for him.

Luckily, the rope managed to hold, so he could climb.

There was no other way.

"What? Oh please," Kaito shrugged, "There's always another way out." he held out a hand, "You just need to think harder."

"Are you really going to save your classmate Shuichi? Oh my.."

Shuichi paid no attention to the laughing figure, who was watching him with his magenta hued eyes. "Of all people you actually want to save? Isn't he the one who made Kaito get taken away from you?"