Cold Case: Beneath the Shades of Blue 6-10/10
Title: Cold Case: Beneath the Shades of Blue
Author:
joatex
Pairing: Akame
Rating: PG-13
Genre: Crime, Romance (a bit)
Warning: Character Death....I suppose....(-_-U)
Disclaimer: No.... the boys aren't mine, sad.... but true (T^T)
Summary: Ten years ago, 17-year-old Kamenashi Kazuya fell off a bridge, whose death was quickly considered suicide back then. Now, a Cold Case team has to find out if it really was suicide, an accident, or murder...
A/N: The first post has chapters 1-5 in it. and the second post will have 6-10. Anyway, I personally love the series Cold Case so...why not make a fic about it, right? lol In case you don't know about "Cold Case", it's a TV series in which an investigative team re-opens old cases. Enjoy (n_n)
Previous Chapters: 1-5
Chapter 6: I Love You
"Is there a reason you failed to tell us that Kamenashi was a lot more than just your "best friend", Akanishi?" Yuichi drawls.
"You didn't ask." Jin retorts. "No, really, it was never a secret. Everyone knew. I don't know, I just..." He shakes his head, then chuckles sadly "Well I'd like to say that I'm trying not to think about him.. but that's not true."
"According to Ueda's statement, Kamenashi left the gathering together with you." Tomohisa coaxes.
Jin raises an eyebrow at them "Well, yes... but that wasn't anything out of the ordinary. I mean, he practically lived with me whenever we didn't have school the following day." He smiles to himself "Also, like I told you, I had been away a whole month. I thought we'd..." he trails off, the smile giving way to a more somber expression.
Catching on, Yuichi continues "But something must have happened between then and when he was on the bridge. He must have left - or the other conclusion would be that it was you who-"
"No! I loved him. ...He left."
"Why?" asks Tomohisa.
Turning his head away, Jin sighs "He was.. really acting strange that day..."
"Now tell me, what's wrong with you?" says Jin as he pulls off his jacket upon entering his apartment together with Kazuya.
The other doesn't reply, he only frowns down at the floor.
"Seriously, Kazu. What happened?" Quietly, he adds "..Is it something I did?"
It causes Kazuya to look up at him in surprise "N-No. Not at all. I'm sorry…"
Jin sighs, goes over to his boyfriend and hugs him. The other immediately makes an uncomfortable sound that Jin doesn't hear. "It's alright, really. See, you don't have to tell me yet if you don't want to. Okay?"
Kazuya pulls out of the embrace in a fluent motion so that the other doesn't notice, "Okay."
Jin looks at him affectionately "I love you, Kazu."
For the first time that day, Kazuya smiles genuinely "I love you too…"
They stand like this for a while before Jin turns around and walks into his room with an audible grin.
"So~… My parents are out today. What do you say?"
Kazuya gasps silently, hesitating in following the other into the room. "O-Oh… Alright, I guess…"
"'Alright, I guess'?" Jin laughs. "Man, you don't sound too enthusiastic about it."
"No, no." the other reassures him. "I want to."
Jin sits down on his bed as he beckons his boyfriend to come closer "Nice~"
Before long, the two of them are heavily making out on Jin's bed. However, all the while, Kazuya appears highly uneasy.
As he feels the hem of his shirt be lifted though, Kazuya suddenly pushes the other away forcefully and gets up hastily.
"Get away from me!" he yells, leaving his boyfriend quite dumbfounded.
"Wh-what did I do..?" Jin asks confusedly.
Kazuya doesn't answer, but continues instead "Keep your filthy hands to yourself, bastard! Don't ever touch me again! Don't even come near me!"
As Jin, still puzzled, stands up to get to Kazuya, the latter only backs away and glares at him.
"Really Kazu, what's wrong?" Jin's brown eyes were fill with despair.
"You disgust me! You make me sick! Stay away from me, I mean it!" comes the venomous reply. Following this, Kazuya quickly leaves the apartment.
Jin stays behind, too shocked to even cry.
"The only time I've felt more hurt in my life was when I heard that he was… dead. I mean, fights between us were rare as it was, but there, it was like he was only trying to hurt me, something he'd never done purposefully..." Jin shakes his head again "Why didn't he just tell me what was wrong? He usually did... it was one of the very few things about myself that I was proud of, y'know?"
"Where did he go?" Tomohisa asks.
Jin lets out a slightly frustrated noise "I don't know. Home, I guess. I didn't see him after that..."
Chapter 7: A Lot of Pain
"It's like I said, the last time I saw him was when he left the apartment for the shop. I'm sorry..." Mrs. Kamenashi murmurs palely, appearing disturbed by something.
Not noticing this, Yuichi says "Don't be. Do you know where else he might have gone?"
However, the woman didn't even seem to listen anymore "I... I told him to tell Jin..."
"Tell him what?" Tomohisa frowns.
Distantly, Mrs. Kamenashi turns to look at him "I know why he was behaving the way he did. It was the one thing he told me instead of his friends..."
"What is that?" the detective urges.
"About.. two weeks before that day... my boy was almost raped." she swallows hard, a tear rolling down her cheek.
"And you didn't mean to tell us that?" Yuichi inquires incredulously.
"He didn't want anyone to know, and I wanted to respect this even after his death."
"You never thought that maybe the culprit might have been responsible for your son's death?" Tomohisa asks.
"I did, in a way. You.. wondered why I didn't think of suicide as improbable..." she averts her eyes shamefully. "Either way, he didn't want to be touched anymore after that... Sometimes he was alright, but then he wouldn't let me anywhere near him. That he even let Jin go so far before flipping only shows how much he loved and trusted him... I told Kazuya to tell him about the.. incident, but he refused. I understood that, but now I'm starting to believe he could have spared everyone, including himself, a lot of pain if he had just done it..."
After listening carefully, Tomohisa says "Might be... However, does that mean you have no idea where he went after leaving Akanishi..?"
The older woman thinks a moment before answering "There was one other person who knew of the incident. If he wanted to talk about it, he might have gone to him."
"Who?" asks Yuichi.
"His name is on the list as well. It's Taguchi Junnosuke."
Chapter 8: Junno
"No, Kame didn't come to me that evening. Knowing him, he probably found himself an uncrowded place and thought everything through on his own..." Taguchi Junnosuke, a tall young man with brown hair, chuckles at the loving memory. He leaves the children of the kindergarten to his co-worker's care before leading the detectives to another room to talk.
After closing the door, he continues "Tat-chan was, though. At my place, I mean. It was actually planned that he would stay the night. Not like you think. We've known each other since we were little kids and there was never anything between us. He often spent the night at my place."
"Does that mean Ueda has an alibi? Was he with you the whole night?" Yuichi asks.
"'Alibi'?" a sharp frown directed at the detectives flickers across Junno's face only to disappear again quickly. "Well… no. That day, he ended up leaving earlier than intended..."
"So, which movie would you like to watch this time?" Junno smiles brightly at his friend from his place crouched beside the piles of movies in the room.
"As long as it's not like that completely talent-freed flick last time, it's fine with me, really."
"Hey, it wasn't that bad..!" Junno retorts while pushing a random DVD into the player.
"Puh-lease! I could see the drama oozing out of your TV!" Tatsuya shudders at the memory.
Junno chuckles "Whatever..." before seating himself beside Tatsuya.
It was not five minutes into the movie before Tatsuya's cell phone rang.
"Haven't I told you, like, a hundred times to turn your phone off when we're watching a movie?" Junno demands while he pulls out the noisy device.
"Sorry... Hm? It's Jin..!" he exclaims before turning to his friend in a silent plea.
Sighing, Junno says "Just pick up already..."
Tatsuya doesn't hesitate a moment doing so. "Jin? Yes. Oh... Shit, that sucks..." Suddenly his eyes widen "What? You sure? Uh, sure I can. I'll be right there." He snaps the phone shut, staring at it.
"I have to go, Junno."
"Wait, what? What did he say?" Junno asks, confused.
"I don't know for sure..." Tatsuya replies equally confused. "He had a fight with Kazuya. He wants me to come over."
"..You do know you're supposed to be here with me, right?"
"But.. he needs me, Junno." Tatsuya almost begs him.
Junno's expression turns worried "Apart from the fact that you're about to just ditch me... do you think it would be a good idea..? With you and him and... I just don't want you to get your hopes up. So he had a fight with Kame, but he really loves him you know..."
"I know that!" Tatsuya counters a bit too defensively.
"If you really think you can handle it... I won't stop you." Junno gives up. As Tatsuya was making a dash for the door, Junno calls out "But don't you come running to me when you get your heart broken again.."
"I won't..!" comes the reply from somewhere in the hallway.
"And he didn't. He never even mentioned Jin's name after that..." Junno twists his lips regretfully.
"Wait - Ueda was in love with Akanishi as well?" Yuichi asks surprised, earning a nod from the young man.
"And he went over to his place the same evening Kamenashi fell from the bridge." Tomohisa finishes.
For a moment, Junno only gives them a cold, almost malevolent look that seems completely out of character for him, before stating "There were a lot of things going on in our group that day. But we all know that none of us could have killed Kame, which is why we've always kept quiet about each other. We've never mistrusted one another. The only reason we tell you these things now is because you're the first ones to ask. Got it?"
Chapter 9: Born From Despair
"Must have been hard. Always seeing the boy you loved with Kamenashi." Yuichi walks a semicircle behind Tatsuya, who is seated in the interrogation room this time.
"No, it wasn't." Tatsuya states with crossed arms.
"With all of you being friends, wasn't it like having it rubbed in your face time and time again that you couldn't have what you wanted?" Tomohisa inquired leaning over the table.
"No, it wasn't!"
The detective proceeded "After all, it was you who Akanishi called after their fight, and no one else. And you would never have treated him the way Kamenashi did, right? He didn't.. deserve Akanishi like you did, isn't that so?"
"That's not true!" Tatsuya stood up shouting. "I never held any kind of grudge against Kazuya! He was my friend, damn it!" He rubs at his eyes frustratedly.
After settling down again, he says "It.. is true that I liked Jin more than I probably should have. And yes, sometimes I wished it was me at his side instead of Kazuya. But I could never, ever have tried to take that place through violence!"
"How about emotionally? After all, you did go to Akanishi when he asked you to." Tomohisa countered.
Tatsuya bitterly chuckles to himself "Junno was so right, you know? It's impossible not to get your hopes up when the one you like just had a fight with their partner and asks you to come over. I should have taken his advice… and never had gone there..."
Tatsuya finds the door unlocked when he finally arrives at Jin's apartment. He cautiously enters.
"Jin? Where are you?"
"Here…" comes a meek answer from the bedroom.
Upon opening the door, Tatsuya discovers a picture of misery huddled on the bed. He is at Jin's side instantly, sitting down to his right and gently touching his back.
"God, Jin… what happened?" he asks compassionately.
"Kazu called me disgusting." the other mutters, broken. "He told me to stay away from him and left…"
"What?" Tatsuya furrows his brow shocked. "Kazuya did that? That's not like him at all…"
"I know!" exclaims Jin.
"I.. Well, I…" the other fishes for words. "I mean, he's been weird all day. He probably didn't mean it…"
"But what if he did?" reddened brown eyes shift to look up at Tatsuya's. "What if he really broke up with me? And I have no idea why?"
Tatsuya already appears internally torn by now; talking like this, the other is not making it any easier for him.
"R-really Jin, I really don't know…"
"What if I really repulse him?" Jin finally whispers as he lets his head sink miserably.
Apparently, this is too much. "You're not repulsive!" Tatsuya glares fiercely. "And Kazuya is an idiot if he thinks otherwise!"
Jin only blinks in bafflement "Uh?"
"Anyone should be happy to call you their boyfriend! I.. I would be happy…" Tatsuya whispers.
Jin stares at him unbelievingly "Tat-chan..."
Tatsuya only presses a swift kiss to the stunned boy's lips, which begin to tremble slightly with confusion.
When Tatsuya tries to pull away after several seconds, however, Jin follows unexpectedly. He returns the kiss with a need born from despair. Moments later, they are clinging to each other kissing heatedly, oblivious to their surroundings.
Suddenly, Tatsuya halts in his tracks. Jin leans back to find the other staring past him in a horrified manner. Jin follows his gaze; he gasps.
"Kazu!"
Kazuya was standing unmoving in the doorway, witnessing the scene before him. Two single, glistening tears roll down his face before falling to the ground. He runs out of the apartment.
Jin gets up quickly to follow him "Kazu, wait!"
Tatsuya, meanwhile, slowly leans down to rest his forehead on the mattress, hurt and paralyzed.
"Fuck…"
Tatsuya gulped past the lump in his throat. "I have no idea what happened then. But I know Jin couldn't have.. pushed Kazuya from a bridge or anything like that..." the young man insists.
Yuichi makes a doubtful sound "We'll see about that."
Chapter 10: Final Interrogation and Conclusion
"Last chance now, Akanishi." Tomohisa states sternly.
"You chased after him, right? So what happened next?" Yuichi demands.
"I didn't do anything!" exclaims Jin.
"Except that you almost cheated on him not one hour after your fight?" Tomohisa drawls.
Hurt and guilt flashes across the young man's face but it is held back by defiance. "He should have just told me what the fuck was wrong with him! I would have helped him with anything! But to answer your questions, yes, I chased after him, but I didn't find him. End of story."
After that statement, a long silence spreads in the interrogation room. Eventually, Tomohisa sat down beside Jin. In a calm voice, he asks
"Do you really want to know why he was so detached? Do you, Akanishi?"
The other frowns at him, not having expected this. "..You know? Really? Of course I want to..!"
"He was attacked in your absence. Attacked and almost raped." Tomohisa pauses while Jin's eyes widen in shock. "This is why he didn't want to be touched. The things he said to you - he didn't actually say them to you, but rather to that delinquent. He probably came back to apologize… maybe even talk to you about it. Instead, he found you - the one he trusted the most - with Ueda."
Pale-faced, Jin stammers "You're.. you're lying! That's impossible! No, he.. he couldn't..! No!" He gets up, shaking his head desperately. For a minute, his loud and shaky breathing is all that can be heard.
Eventually, he breaks down crying. "Shit!"
"You found him, didn't you. And then? What happened then..?" Tomohisa gently presses him after a while.
"Yes… I found him, he was sitting on the parapet of that bridge… But I.. I didn't…"
"Didn't what?" asks Yuichi.
"I didn't mean to! I didn't mean to..." the young man shakes his head where it is buried in his hands. "I loved him so much. I still do. So why…" he looks up at the detectives through teary eyes. "Why didn't he just tell me..? Why…?"
"Kazu!" Jin runs towards his boyfriend as he spots him on the bridge.
"Don't come near me!" Kazuya yells when the other has come close enough to reach out.
"I'm so sorry, Kazu, I really am…" Jin regretfully says. The other only jerks his head away to hide tears.
"I have no idea how that happened…" Jin continues. "It's just, those things you said before - they really hurt me… But I love you. I love you, you hear me..?"
No reaction besides a sad lowering of the head by the boy sitting on the parapet.
Miserable brown eyes fall upon Kazuya's left wrist. Shocked, Jin exclaims "Hey, you're bleeding!"
Wordlessly, Kazuya brings forth his right hand holding a slightly bloody shard of glass.
"You did this to yourself? Why?" Jin asks incredulously.
"Because…" the other starts, his voice cracking a little "Because I…" But then shakes his head, unable to proceed.
"Alright, we can work this out…" Jin tries to soothe both Kazuya and himself. "I have no idea what has been wrong with you all day, and I know I just made a.. a horrendous mistake, but.. we'll be fine. We'll be fine, I promise. Just come down."
Kazuya turns to look at him for the first time, sadness and hope shining through his eyes. He nods slowly, causing Jin to breathe out his relief.
The latter gently grabs Kazuya's shoulders to support him. However, the other immediately reacts to the touch. Struggling, he yells "Don't touch me!"
Taken aback, Jin shouts out "What? What is it now?", not releasing his hold on his boyfriend.
However, Kazuya's final shove against Jin creates a momentum that pushes himself over the edge. With a last, wide-eyed look, Kazuya falls.
"NO!" Jin screams and reaches out in vain.
But the other boy is lying motionless on the street below.
"No! KAZUYA!"
In the distance below, the desperate boy suddenly looks into the eyes of 15-year-old Tegoshi Yuya, who is staring up at him frightfully. He takes a few gasps of breath, then runs away.
+++++++++++++
/ You're beautiful, so silently,
It lies beneath the shade of blue,
It struck me so violently when I looked at you.
But others pass, they never pause
To feel that magic in your hand,
To me you're like a wild rose they never understand. /
Jin is led out of the interrogation room at the same time as Tatsuya. They look at each other shortly before Jin averts his face in shame and remorse and Tatsuya's gaze saddens.
/ I cried for you when the sky cried for you
And when you went I became a hopeless drifter.
But this life was not for you,
Though I learned from you
That beauty need only be a whisper... /
Tegoshi is standing on the bridge, peering down, when Mrs. Kamenashi walks up to where he stands. Smiling tearfully, she leaves blue roses on the parapet. The young man begins to talk to her.
Meanwhile, the 'Suicide' on Kazuya's case box is crossed out by the detectives.
/ I'll cross the sea for a different world
With your treasure, a secret for me to hold.
In many years they may forget
This love of ours or that we met,
They may not know how much you meant to me... /
Jin and Tatsuya leave the building to find Junno and Koki waiting for them outside with sad expressions. Koki immediately walks up to hug Jin as Junno does the same with Tatsuya. They all stand together now, joined as a group again. Like Junno said, despite the personal distance, their bond has never truly been severed.
/ Without you, now I see
How fragile the world can be.
And I know you've gone away
But in my heart you'll always stay. /
Still standing beside their two friends, Junno and Koki turn around. The four of them see Kazuya standing at the bottom of the stairs. He gives them a small, regretful smile, lets the shard of glass fall to the ground, slowly turns around and walks away into nothing.
The four friends hold onto each other tighter, crying.
/ This life was not for you,
Though I learned from you
That beauty need only be a whisper,
That beauty need only be a whisper... /
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
A/N: Hope you liked it. (n_n)
Author:
joatex
Pairing: Akame
Rating: PG-13
Genre: Crime, Romance (a bit)
Warning: Character Death....I suppose....(-_-U)
Disclaimer: No.... the boys aren't mine, sad.... but true (T^T)
Summary: Ten years ago, 17-year-old Kamenashi Kazuya fell off a bridge, whose death was quickly considered suicide back then. Now, a Cold Case team has to find out if it really was suicide, an accident, or murder...
A/N: The first post has chapters 1-5 in it. and the second post will have 6-10. Anyway, I personally love the series Cold Case so...why not make a fic about it, right? lol In case you don't know about "Cold Case", it's a TV series in which an investigative team re-opens old cases. Enjoy (n_n)
Previous Chapters: 1-5
Chapter 6: I Love You
"Is there a reason you failed to tell us that Kamenashi was a lot more than just your "best friend", Akanishi?" Yuichi drawls.
"You didn't ask." Jin retorts. "No, really, it was never a secret. Everyone knew. I don't know, I just..." He shakes his head, then chuckles sadly "Well I'd like to say that I'm trying not to think about him.. but that's not true."
"According to Ueda's statement, Kamenashi left the gathering together with you." Tomohisa coaxes.
Jin raises an eyebrow at them "Well, yes... but that wasn't anything out of the ordinary. I mean, he practically lived with me whenever we didn't have school the following day." He smiles to himself "Also, like I told you, I had been away a whole month. I thought we'd..." he trails off, the smile giving way to a more somber expression.
Catching on, Yuichi continues "But something must have happened between then and when he was on the bridge. He must have left - or the other conclusion would be that it was you who-"
"No! I loved him. ...He left."
"Why?" asks Tomohisa.
Turning his head away, Jin sighs "He was.. really acting strange that day..."
"Now tell me, what's wrong with you?" says Jin as he pulls off his jacket upon entering his apartment together with Kazuya.
The other doesn't reply, he only frowns down at the floor.
"Seriously, Kazu. What happened?" Quietly, he adds "..Is it something I did?"
It causes Kazuya to look up at him in surprise "N-No. Not at all. I'm sorry…"
Jin sighs, goes over to his boyfriend and hugs him. The other immediately makes an uncomfortable sound that Jin doesn't hear. "It's alright, really. See, you don't have to tell me yet if you don't want to. Okay?"
Kazuya pulls out of the embrace in a fluent motion so that the other doesn't notice, "Okay."
Jin looks at him affectionately "I love you, Kazu."
For the first time that day, Kazuya smiles genuinely "I love you too…"
They stand like this for a while before Jin turns around and walks into his room with an audible grin.
"So~… My parents are out today. What do you say?"
Kazuya gasps silently, hesitating in following the other into the room. "O-Oh… Alright, I guess…"
"'Alright, I guess'?" Jin laughs. "Man, you don't sound too enthusiastic about it."
"No, no." the other reassures him. "I want to."
Jin sits down on his bed as he beckons his boyfriend to come closer "Nice~"
Before long, the two of them are heavily making out on Jin's bed. However, all the while, Kazuya appears highly uneasy.
As he feels the hem of his shirt be lifted though, Kazuya suddenly pushes the other away forcefully and gets up hastily.
"Get away from me!" he yells, leaving his boyfriend quite dumbfounded.
"Wh-what did I do..?" Jin asks confusedly.
Kazuya doesn't answer, but continues instead "Keep your filthy hands to yourself, bastard! Don't ever touch me again! Don't even come near me!"
As Jin, still puzzled, stands up to get to Kazuya, the latter only backs away and glares at him.
"Really Kazu, what's wrong?" Jin's brown eyes were fill with despair.
"You disgust me! You make me sick! Stay away from me, I mean it!" comes the venomous reply. Following this, Kazuya quickly leaves the apartment.
Jin stays behind, too shocked to even cry.
"The only time I've felt more hurt in my life was when I heard that he was… dead. I mean, fights between us were rare as it was, but there, it was like he was only trying to hurt me, something he'd never done purposefully..." Jin shakes his head again "Why didn't he just tell me what was wrong? He usually did... it was one of the very few things about myself that I was proud of, y'know?"
"Where did he go?" Tomohisa asks.
Jin lets out a slightly frustrated noise "I don't know. Home, I guess. I didn't see him after that..."
Chapter 7: A Lot of Pain
"It's like I said, the last time I saw him was when he left the apartment for the shop. I'm sorry..." Mrs. Kamenashi murmurs palely, appearing disturbed by something.
Not noticing this, Yuichi says "Don't be. Do you know where else he might have gone?"
However, the woman didn't even seem to listen anymore "I... I told him to tell Jin..."
"Tell him what?" Tomohisa frowns.
Distantly, Mrs. Kamenashi turns to look at him "I know why he was behaving the way he did. It was the one thing he told me instead of his friends..."
"What is that?" the detective urges.
"About.. two weeks before that day... my boy was almost raped." she swallows hard, a tear rolling down her cheek.
"And you didn't mean to tell us that?" Yuichi inquires incredulously.
"He didn't want anyone to know, and I wanted to respect this even after his death."
"You never thought that maybe the culprit might have been responsible for your son's death?" Tomohisa asks.
"I did, in a way. You.. wondered why I didn't think of suicide as improbable..." she averts her eyes shamefully. "Either way, he didn't want to be touched anymore after that... Sometimes he was alright, but then he wouldn't let me anywhere near him. That he even let Jin go so far before flipping only shows how much he loved and trusted him... I told Kazuya to tell him about the.. incident, but he refused. I understood that, but now I'm starting to believe he could have spared everyone, including himself, a lot of pain if he had just done it..."
After listening carefully, Tomohisa says "Might be... However, does that mean you have no idea where he went after leaving Akanishi..?"
The older woman thinks a moment before answering "There was one other person who knew of the incident. If he wanted to talk about it, he might have gone to him."
"Who?" asks Yuichi.
"His name is on the list as well. It's Taguchi Junnosuke."
Chapter 8: Junno
"No, Kame didn't come to me that evening. Knowing him, he probably found himself an uncrowded place and thought everything through on his own..." Taguchi Junnosuke, a tall young man with brown hair, chuckles at the loving memory. He leaves the children of the kindergarten to his co-worker's care before leading the detectives to another room to talk.
After closing the door, he continues "Tat-chan was, though. At my place, I mean. It was actually planned that he would stay the night. Not like you think. We've known each other since we were little kids and there was never anything between us. He often spent the night at my place."
"Does that mean Ueda has an alibi? Was he with you the whole night?" Yuichi asks.
"'Alibi'?" a sharp frown directed at the detectives flickers across Junno's face only to disappear again quickly. "Well… no. That day, he ended up leaving earlier than intended..."
"So, which movie would you like to watch this time?" Junno smiles brightly at his friend from his place crouched beside the piles of movies in the room.
"As long as it's not like that completely talent-freed flick last time, it's fine with me, really."
"Hey, it wasn't that bad..!" Junno retorts while pushing a random DVD into the player.
"Puh-lease! I could see the drama oozing out of your TV!" Tatsuya shudders at the memory.
Junno chuckles "Whatever..." before seating himself beside Tatsuya.
It was not five minutes into the movie before Tatsuya's cell phone rang.
"Haven't I told you, like, a hundred times to turn your phone off when we're watching a movie?" Junno demands while he pulls out the noisy device.
"Sorry... Hm? It's Jin..!" he exclaims before turning to his friend in a silent plea.
Sighing, Junno says "Just pick up already..."
Tatsuya doesn't hesitate a moment doing so. "Jin? Yes. Oh... Shit, that sucks..." Suddenly his eyes widen "What? You sure? Uh, sure I can. I'll be right there." He snaps the phone shut, staring at it.
"I have to go, Junno."
"Wait, what? What did he say?" Junno asks, confused.
"I don't know for sure..." Tatsuya replies equally confused. "He had a fight with Kazuya. He wants me to come over."
"..You do know you're supposed to be here with me, right?"
"But.. he needs me, Junno." Tatsuya almost begs him.
Junno's expression turns worried "Apart from the fact that you're about to just ditch me... do you think it would be a good idea..? With you and him and... I just don't want you to get your hopes up. So he had a fight with Kame, but he really loves him you know..."
"I know that!" Tatsuya counters a bit too defensively.
"If you really think you can handle it... I won't stop you." Junno gives up. As Tatsuya was making a dash for the door, Junno calls out "But don't you come running to me when you get your heart broken again.."
"I won't..!" comes the reply from somewhere in the hallway.
"And he didn't. He never even mentioned Jin's name after that..." Junno twists his lips regretfully.
"Wait - Ueda was in love with Akanishi as well?" Yuichi asks surprised, earning a nod from the young man.
"And he went over to his place the same evening Kamenashi fell from the bridge." Tomohisa finishes.
For a moment, Junno only gives them a cold, almost malevolent look that seems completely out of character for him, before stating "There were a lot of things going on in our group that day. But we all know that none of us could have killed Kame, which is why we've always kept quiet about each other. We've never mistrusted one another. The only reason we tell you these things now is because you're the first ones to ask. Got it?"
Chapter 9: Born From Despair
"Must have been hard. Always seeing the boy you loved with Kamenashi." Yuichi walks a semicircle behind Tatsuya, who is seated in the interrogation room this time.
"No, it wasn't." Tatsuya states with crossed arms.
"With all of you being friends, wasn't it like having it rubbed in your face time and time again that you couldn't have what you wanted?" Tomohisa inquired leaning over the table.
"No, it wasn't!"
The detective proceeded "After all, it was you who Akanishi called after their fight, and no one else. And you would never have treated him the way Kamenashi did, right? He didn't.. deserve Akanishi like you did, isn't that so?"
"That's not true!" Tatsuya stood up shouting. "I never held any kind of grudge against Kazuya! He was my friend, damn it!" He rubs at his eyes frustratedly.
After settling down again, he says "It.. is true that I liked Jin more than I probably should have. And yes, sometimes I wished it was me at his side instead of Kazuya. But I could never, ever have tried to take that place through violence!"
"How about emotionally? After all, you did go to Akanishi when he asked you to." Tomohisa countered.
Tatsuya bitterly chuckles to himself "Junno was so right, you know? It's impossible not to get your hopes up when the one you like just had a fight with their partner and asks you to come over. I should have taken his advice… and never had gone there..."
Tatsuya finds the door unlocked when he finally arrives at Jin's apartment. He cautiously enters.
"Jin? Where are you?"
"Here…" comes a meek answer from the bedroom.
Upon opening the door, Tatsuya discovers a picture of misery huddled on the bed. He is at Jin's side instantly, sitting down to his right and gently touching his back.
"God, Jin… what happened?" he asks compassionately.
"Kazu called me disgusting." the other mutters, broken. "He told me to stay away from him and left…"
"What?" Tatsuya furrows his brow shocked. "Kazuya did that? That's not like him at all…"
"I know!" exclaims Jin.
"I.. Well, I…" the other fishes for words. "I mean, he's been weird all day. He probably didn't mean it…"
"But what if he did?" reddened brown eyes shift to look up at Tatsuya's. "What if he really broke up with me? And I have no idea why?"
Tatsuya already appears internally torn by now; talking like this, the other is not making it any easier for him.
"R-really Jin, I really don't know…"
"What if I really repulse him?" Jin finally whispers as he lets his head sink miserably.
Apparently, this is too much. "You're not repulsive!" Tatsuya glares fiercely. "And Kazuya is an idiot if he thinks otherwise!"
Jin only blinks in bafflement "Uh?"
"Anyone should be happy to call you their boyfriend! I.. I would be happy…" Tatsuya whispers.
Jin stares at him unbelievingly "Tat-chan..."
Tatsuya only presses a swift kiss to the stunned boy's lips, which begin to tremble slightly with confusion.
When Tatsuya tries to pull away after several seconds, however, Jin follows unexpectedly. He returns the kiss with a need born from despair. Moments later, they are clinging to each other kissing heatedly, oblivious to their surroundings.
Suddenly, Tatsuya halts in his tracks. Jin leans back to find the other staring past him in a horrified manner. Jin follows his gaze; he gasps.
"Kazu!"
Kazuya was standing unmoving in the doorway, witnessing the scene before him. Two single, glistening tears roll down his face before falling to the ground. He runs out of the apartment.
Jin gets up quickly to follow him "Kazu, wait!"
Tatsuya, meanwhile, slowly leans down to rest his forehead on the mattress, hurt and paralyzed.
"Fuck…"
Tatsuya gulped past the lump in his throat. "I have no idea what happened then. But I know Jin couldn't have.. pushed Kazuya from a bridge or anything like that..." the young man insists.
Yuichi makes a doubtful sound "We'll see about that."
Chapter 10: Final Interrogation and Conclusion
"Last chance now, Akanishi." Tomohisa states sternly.
"You chased after him, right? So what happened next?" Yuichi demands.
"I didn't do anything!" exclaims Jin.
"Except that you almost cheated on him not one hour after your fight?" Tomohisa drawls.
Hurt and guilt flashes across the young man's face but it is held back by defiance. "He should have just told me what the fuck was wrong with him! I would have helped him with anything! But to answer your questions, yes, I chased after him, but I didn't find him. End of story."
After that statement, a long silence spreads in the interrogation room. Eventually, Tomohisa sat down beside Jin. In a calm voice, he asks
"Do you really want to know why he was so detached? Do you, Akanishi?"
The other frowns at him, not having expected this. "..You know? Really? Of course I want to..!"
"He was attacked in your absence. Attacked and almost raped." Tomohisa pauses while Jin's eyes widen in shock. "This is why he didn't want to be touched. The things he said to you - he didn't actually say them to you, but rather to that delinquent. He probably came back to apologize… maybe even talk to you about it. Instead, he found you - the one he trusted the most - with Ueda."
Pale-faced, Jin stammers "You're.. you're lying! That's impossible! No, he.. he couldn't..! No!" He gets up, shaking his head desperately. For a minute, his loud and shaky breathing is all that can be heard.
Eventually, he breaks down crying. "Shit!"
"You found him, didn't you. And then? What happened then..?" Tomohisa gently presses him after a while.
"Yes… I found him, he was sitting on the parapet of that bridge… But I.. I didn't…"
"Didn't what?" asks Yuichi.
"I didn't mean to! I didn't mean to..." the young man shakes his head where it is buried in his hands. "I loved him so much. I still do. So why…" he looks up at the detectives through teary eyes. "Why didn't he just tell me..? Why…?"
"Kazu!" Jin runs towards his boyfriend as he spots him on the bridge.
"Don't come near me!" Kazuya yells when the other has come close enough to reach out.
"I'm so sorry, Kazu, I really am…" Jin regretfully says. The other only jerks his head away to hide tears.
"I have no idea how that happened…" Jin continues. "It's just, those things you said before - they really hurt me… But I love you. I love you, you hear me..?"
No reaction besides a sad lowering of the head by the boy sitting on the parapet.
Miserable brown eyes fall upon Kazuya's left wrist. Shocked, Jin exclaims "Hey, you're bleeding!"
Wordlessly, Kazuya brings forth his right hand holding a slightly bloody shard of glass.
"You did this to yourself? Why?" Jin asks incredulously.
"Because…" the other starts, his voice cracking a little "Because I…" But then shakes his head, unable to proceed.
"Alright, we can work this out…" Jin tries to soothe both Kazuya and himself. "I have no idea what has been wrong with you all day, and I know I just made a.. a horrendous mistake, but.. we'll be fine. We'll be fine, I promise. Just come down."
Kazuya turns to look at him for the first time, sadness and hope shining through his eyes. He nods slowly, causing Jin to breathe out his relief.
The latter gently grabs Kazuya's shoulders to support him. However, the other immediately reacts to the touch. Struggling, he yells "Don't touch me!"
Taken aback, Jin shouts out "What? What is it now?", not releasing his hold on his boyfriend.
However, Kazuya's final shove against Jin creates a momentum that pushes himself over the edge. With a last, wide-eyed look, Kazuya falls.
"NO!" Jin screams and reaches out in vain.
But the other boy is lying motionless on the street below.
"No! KAZUYA!"
In the distance below, the desperate boy suddenly looks into the eyes of 15-year-old Tegoshi Yuya, who is staring up at him frightfully. He takes a few gasps of breath, then runs away.
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/ You're beautiful, so silently,
It lies beneath the shade of blue,
It struck me so violently when I looked at you.
But others pass, they never pause
To feel that magic in your hand,
To me you're like a wild rose they never understand. /
Jin is led out of the interrogation room at the same time as Tatsuya. They look at each other shortly before Jin averts his face in shame and remorse and Tatsuya's gaze saddens.
/ I cried for you when the sky cried for you
And when you went I became a hopeless drifter.
But this life was not for you,
Though I learned from you
That beauty need only be a whisper... /
Tegoshi is standing on the bridge, peering down, when Mrs. Kamenashi walks up to where he stands. Smiling tearfully, she leaves blue roses on the parapet. The young man begins to talk to her.
Meanwhile, the 'Suicide' on Kazuya's case box is crossed out by the detectives.
/ I'll cross the sea for a different world
With your treasure, a secret for me to hold.
In many years they may forget
This love of ours or that we met,
They may not know how much you meant to me... /
Jin and Tatsuya leave the building to find Junno and Koki waiting for them outside with sad expressions. Koki immediately walks up to hug Jin as Junno does the same with Tatsuya. They all stand together now, joined as a group again. Like Junno said, despite the personal distance, their bond has never truly been severed.
/ Without you, now I see
How fragile the world can be.
And I know you've gone away
But in my heart you'll always stay. /
Still standing beside their two friends, Junno and Koki turn around. The four of them see Kazuya standing at the bottom of the stairs. He gives them a small, regretful smile, lets the shard of glass fall to the ground, slowly turns around and walks away into nothing.
The four friends hold onto each other tighter, crying.
/ This life was not for you,
Though I learned from you
That beauty need only be a whisper,
That beauty need only be a whisper... /
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A/N: Hope you liked it. (n_n)