𝐜𝐡𝐚𝐩𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐞𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭𝐞𝐞𝐧
【｡_｡】 . 【｡_｡】
"Isn't it obvious...?" Rantaro weakly chuckled, shaking his head before the look of doom overcame his expression as he looked Shuichi dead in the eye.
"The One Night Killer did . . "
Shuichi felt his stomach sink then sink deeper when he heard Rantaro's answer, though part of him expected the worst to come for a reply. The blue-headed male sat there, silent.
"I'm sure you can figure out who they are.." Rantaro said, a faint smile tried to tug at his smile. "After all... who was the other suspect you had besides me?" Rantaro asked, letting go of Shuichi's shoulder.
Shuichi spoke up.
"Someone Kokichi is closed to, someone he can report to..."
Rantaro smiled his usual smile once again.
Shuichi's eyes glanced at the door to the club before he looked back at the bartender.
"Korekiyo Shinguji."
Rantaro winked, quietly clinking his tongue and shot Shuichi a finger gun gesture.
"Bingo."
Shuichi swallowed, his expression was serious. He grabbed both of Rantaro's shoulders. "I need you to tell me everything.." he stated, his tone low and firm. He wasn't taking a no for an answer.
.
.
.
"What's wrong dear ?" Korekiyo asked as he held out a large heart-shaped box of chocolate to the other. "Why, you.... seem most displeased as of late..." No matter what Kiyo tried lately, it seemed Kokichi was angry with him... more than usual that is. "After everything I've done for you, can't I at least see those beautiful eyes of yours?"
Kokichi stood there, his arms crossed over his chest, his gaze to the side and down to the floor, as he refused to look at the man sitting behind the desk. Both were alone in Korekiyo's office.
"I don't want your crappy dollar-store valued candy," shot back Oma with a huff, ignoring Kiyo's comments and blowing out an exhale to push some locks of hair out of his face.
Korekiyo smiled with interest at the other. Almost like Kokichi was some sort of fascinating pet of his. The masked man pulled out another box, setting it on the desk in front of him after taking the box of chocolate and dropping it in the trashcan under his desk.
"Your outfit for your next performance," he said, earning a small glance from Oma. "We've been invited by a friend of mine to entertain at their casino. The private show will be in the back..." he said, the second sentence sounded darker. Korekiyo pushed the box a bit closer to Kokichi.
Oma stared at the gift before reluctantly picking it up, pulling off the ribbon and taking off the lid. Inside the box was a neatly folded sexy black bunny suit. Like something you'd see an anime girl figurine wearing.
"Oh. How cute," commented Kokichi without much enthusiasm.
"Kekeke~ Was that another of your lies?"
"No," Kokichi lied again, but Korekiyo only chuckled more to himself.
"Fascinating ~ Truly fascinating. . " he awed in daze at Kokichi.
Kokichi felt uncomfortable so he looked back away. "A-anyway.. I promised to do another special show for you... so you'll keep your side of the promise?" He asked, raising his time a bit, sending a glare at the other.
"I'll leave Saihara alone as long as he doesn't interfere with us."
Kokichi dug his nails into his arm.
"Good..." he mumbled to himself. After all... as long as Shuichi didn't get involved with this, Kokichi could go through anything Korekiyo throws him into.
.
.
.
"Oma-kun... he started about three years ago. Ever since he did, he's been Shinguji's biggest money maker," Rantaro began to explain to the detective. They both sat on the back steps in front of the back door outside of the club.
"When did you start working for Shinguji-san?" Shuichi asked.
"A year or so before Oma."
"Did you lent out your car yesterday?"
"Shinguji asked me. He said his was in the shop."
So was Korekiyo trying to throw the blame on Rantaro? He did easily admit to Shuichi that Rantaro had a black SUV. If so, Shuichi wondered if Korekiyo knew Shuichi was a detective too. That could give Shuichi a big disadvantage.
Shuichi nodded, indicating Rantaro could continue.
"Back then.. Kokichi had nothing. I think he had been an orphan most of his life and didn't have friends or family. When he met Shinguji, Oma agreed to work at the club and learned to pole dance and strip and ended up being the star of Wisteria Nights. He's basically what the club is known for. Everyone comes to see him."
Rantaro sighed, running his fingers through his bangs, brushing them back. The cool night air felt nice against his forehead and body that felt hot.
"Shinguji," he muttered, his tone bitter. "He.. sees Oma as nothing but a toy– some sort of favorite pet he liked to pamper and coo over." He looked up at Shuichi.
"After Oma began sleeping with other men for money, Shinguji came up to him with a deal Oma couldn't refuse..."
*FLASHBACK*
"You... you what ..?" Kokichi's tone sounded shaken. He had woken up to his boss calling him. Kokichi felt exhausted: last night he had been entertaining and ended up going home with someone. Oma went back home early that morning to get some rest, but he immediately awake when he heard what Korekiyo had to tell him.
"I said I killed him, Oma-kun," Korekiyo replied as if it was a matter of fact. He sounded so calm, so nonchalant about it.
Kokichi fell to the floor. Tears in his eyes. "T-that's a pretty screwed up joke, Shinguji-chan.."
"If you experience the lustful thrill of slaughtering a human being in the most beautiful of ways— then you wouldn't be so confused —"
"WHAT THE HELL IS WRONG WITH YOU?!" Kokichi was shaking, he gripped his cell phone. "The poor guy... he had been cheated on... He just wanted to forget his ex... even if it was for a night..." his tone trembled as he began to cry. "He was nice and–"
"And now he is dead ."
Those words made Kokichi freeze. He couldn't speak up, he couldn't move his phone away from his ear.
"To kill someone during or after sexual encounters is what drives me. It's the most interesting aspect of humanity I can find. To kill after an exchange of love..."
He paused. Then continued.
"It seems the police are already investigating... Why... it will be most unfortunate for you if the police were to figure out you were the last person that man was with before his death... And.. excuse me, but someone with your sort of job... doesn't have a lot of reliably and respect..."
Kokichi's crying even stopped. His eyes full of tears but he couldn't cry. His heart felt like it stopped. Was he going to jail? Korekiyo's words stung but felt so true. Kokichi was the most obvious suspect.
"But..." Korekiyo added...
"Listen to everything I'm going to tell you... and I promise no one will hurt you my dear Oma-kun."
*PRESENT*
Shuichi blinked a few times after Rantaro finished. So Kokichi really was being blackmailed.
"How.. do you know all this?"
"Oma-kun told me. I'm the only one I know of that he tells me what he goes through. Sometimes he drinks at the bar and it makes him drunk that once he starts he can't stop, so I've tried to be of help to him... but," he sighed a shakey sigh. "I haven't been able to do much for him."
"Besides try and kill Momota in his place," added Saihara and Rantaro nodded.
"He told me in tears he couldn't do it!" Rantaro exclaimed, almost begging Shuichi to believe. "I couldn't let him do it either! After everything he had gone through... I couldn't let him become a murder as well..."
Suddenly, Shuichi stood up.
Everything made sense now. Korekiyo had the resources to know everyone's schedules, when they would be out such as the times and dates the employees left with customers, he had money to gift Kokichi as Rantaro claimed, and Shuichi wouldn't deny Korekiyo had something off about him.
"Where are you going?" Rantaro asked, his eyes following Shuichi's figure as the detective wore a dark glare as he opened the door back to the club, but paused to answer Rantaro.
"For now... I'm going to come up with a plan to get the bastard to confess to his crimes... I'll make him pay for what he's done.." Shuichi muttered back, gripping the door handle as he took slow, heavy breaths. He never felt so angry before; last time he did, be thought his friend was almost dead. But something was a bit different this time— this time , someone was breaking apart Shuichi's heartstrings by hurting the person he cared for.
"I'm not going to rest until the One Night.. no— until Korekiyo Shinguji is behind bars."
【｡_｡】 . 【｡_｡】