Crime Games | ✓

44. An Unexpected Suspect

↑ Satoshi Kitawa (Juzo Fatora) above ↑

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'A dream you dream alone is only a dream. A dream you dream together is reality'
—John Lennon

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"Ayame, Ayame, come play over here~!"

The vision distorted but the image of a white-haired girl came racing towards him. All of a sudden, the scene faded and instead was replaced by a ditch. It was a construction site, and when he peered inside, all he saw was the image of a bloodied and broken body. As a result, he wailed.

"Tadashi, help me kill them," murmured the familiar male with blond hair out of nowhere, appearing before him. "Here's the knife. Cut her up like I instructed."

Just like he was instructed, he brought the knife down to the motionless body. It pierced her skin and—

"Tadashi! Tadashi!"

The brunet's eyelids snapped open and he lurched upwards, heaving and drenched in cold sweat. Somebody's arms gripped his shoulders and gave him a good shake before he finally snapped out of his daze and awoke.

"H-Huh..." Tadashi's eyes fell upon the person before him whose face was contorted with panic and he sucked in his breath. "U-Upperclassman K-Kazuma?"

The black-haired male exhaled a breath and unhanded his shoulders. "Geez, don't startle me like that."

Tadashi's heart was pounding in his ears from the dream as he steadied his breathing. His throat still ached and his stomach felt all weird whenever he moved. Closing his eyes, he flopped back down, staring up at the white ceiling. The ceiling fan swirled, being the only noise emitted within this hospital room.

"How did I get here?" Tadashi pondered. Kurosaki Kazuma leaned against the wall, frowning. At his silence, Tadashi's eyes opened. Instantly, memories flooded back to him and hit him in the face. His breathing hiked, eyes as wide as saucers. "M-M-My....p-parents... Wh—"

"They're dead."

Kazuma's straightforward answer jolted the teen and colour drained from his face.

"They were buried this morning," he went on. "You were passed out for a day. How are you feeling?"

Tadashi was frozen. How he was feeling? But his parents. What did he mean they were buried? That had to be...

Kazuma's eyes were on Tadashi from the corner of his eye, and seeing his shock contorted expression, he looked away.

"Don't move around too much," he ordered. "The doctors say your body was in a tremendous amount of shock and that's why you kept throwing up. It's better if you wait here for the nurse to come."

Just as the black-haired male turned to leave, Tadashi reached out and grabbed his sleeve. His eyelids were risen as high as they could've gone, his green eyes shrunk back. His body was trembling as he pushed himself upwards.

"Where's... Madoka?"

Kazuma glanced at him without much emotion. "You little sister's fine."

When Tadashi heard those words, his shoulders relaxed and his grip loosened. He flooded with a huge amount of relief. Just thinking about what happened had his stomach clenching so with the reassurance that his sister was all right...

"She's been waiting for you to wake up since you passed out," Kazuma's murmur wasn't enough to reach Tadashi's ears but it didn't have to because in that moment, the door to his hospital room flung open.