Chapter Text
Fujikawa laid in his bed, staring at the ceiling. The clock on his nightstand ticked, filling the odd silence. His dad was usually home, drinking Sapporo and watching some lousy show. However, tonight, it was silent.
His dad hadn't made it home yet and it left Fujikawa sleepless. What if his dad was laying in a hospital somewhere, slowly dying, and he didn't know? Fujikawa knew he was overreacting. He couldn't stop the thoughts entering in his head so he took a deep breath, and counted the stars.
Fujikawa's mom taped glow-in-the-dark stars on his ceiling when he was nine. He never removed them, and after his girlfriend's death, he used them to help calm his nerves.
One, two, three
There wasn't much time before someone else died. It leads to Y/N being the next victim. He didn't know her very much but he knew he had to protect her. He couldn't let anyone else die.
Four, Five, Six
His dad has been working out late every night. Probably because of the Tanaka case. He's out there, trying to find a serial kidnapper murderer and his dad was only fifty-three. He was old, too old to be chasing someone that dangerous. Fujikawa had to pick up the slack.
Seven, Eight, Nine
Fujikawa remembered the day Saito talked to the teacher. Fujikawa had been bringing paperwork to the office when he overheard Saito's private conversation. Was he actually lying? Or did the justice system fail Saito? Was his dad not a good cop? Fujikawa had to be better, he had to get to the bottom of this.
Ten
Fujikawa looked at his star-covered ceiling, not feeling any better. He tossed off the covers, going to finally settle his thoughts.
After throwing on a jacket, Fujikawa snuck through his house, trying to not wake his mother. The floorboards creaked with each step. He hoped his mother was a heavy-sleeper.
He successfully got to the door, slipping on his shoes when the hallway light turns on. "And where do you think you're going?"
Fujikawa flinches, slowly turning around to see his mother, holding her robe together. "I... I can't sleep. I was going to get fresh air."
Fujikawa's mother places her hands on her hips. "Mhm. Fujikawa, I know you've been sneaking out late at night. What exactly are you going out to do?"
Fujikawa finished putting on his shoes and stood up to face his mother properly. "If I'm honest with you, you'd lock me in my room."
His mother sighs and shakes her head. "So something stupid. I raised you to be smart, so did your dad. Do you think -- that whatever you are possibly doing -- isn't worth it?"
Fujikawa stares at his mother in her eyes, with full certainty, said, "It's worth it, mom. I promise."
His mother stared at him for a long time, before pinching the bridge of her nose. Fujikawa can't help but notice the sadness in his mother's eyes. It was a look that spoke of a lifetime of struggles, of dreams deferred and battles fought. The lines on his mother's face told stories of resilience and sacrifice, etched into her features like the chapters of a well-worn book. "It better be. I already worry about your father returning home, I don't want to worry about you too."
Fujikawa leaps forward, giving his mother a long, hard hug. He didn't want to upset her, but this was something he had to do. He had to protect Y/N, because he knew it was only a matter of time before she was next. "I'll be fine. You don't have to worry about me. Maybe when this is all over, we can sit and talk about it, okay?"
His mother nods and holds him tighter, almost as if she lets go, he'll be gone forever, and she won't be able to protect her son. Reluctantly, she lets go and smiles sadly. "Okay."
He smiles back at his mother before saying, "And please don't mention this to dad. If he asks, I went out to get some fresh air." He hated the fact that he was making his mother lie for him. Fujikawa just wanted to tell them the truth -- that he believed that his friend was next on the serial killer's list and he wanted to protect her. Maybe his father would even help in protecting her, but he knew deep in his heart that something wasn't right. Too many women have died and nobody still knew the identity of the killer. He had to take this into his own hands.
Fujikawa leaves, hurrying out the door before his mother could change her mind. He pulls on his hood and hops on his bike to head to his father's office, hoping he had already gone. He felt guilty, going to steal from his dad. It goes against everything he was taught. "Be a good person. Don't steal, lie, or hate." He was already doing two of those three things. He was going to steal confidential paperwork from his dad's office and to get in, he had to lie to the receptionist about why he was there. He had to make sure it didn't get to his father or it would lead to nothing. He formulates a plan in his head as he stays on the dark side of the street, staying out of view of any people passing by. Luckily, not many people were out except for the ones that worked late.
This whole thing was stressing him out. Not only was his girlfriend dragged into it and died, but now it was going to happen to another person he knew. It made his chest feel heavy with dread and he took a deep breath to calm himself. Memories of that day came flooding back to him.
That day was so peaceful. The cherry blossoms finally bloomed, the air smelling faintly sweet and the day was coming to a close, the stars starting to appear across the dark sky. His girlfriend and him were walking home together, hand in hand. "I've hardly seen you today, how was your day?" Kotomi asked, looking up at Fujikawa.
He shrugs. "It was fine. I've been stressed about finals so I got some studying done today."
"Ah." Is all she says, causing Fujikawa to look at her confused.
"Hm? What's wrong?" He can feel his heart plummet, anxiety taking over him.
Kotomi looks away, pouting. "I missed you."
Fujikawa stops himself from sighing in relief and smiles, stopping to hug her, his arms wrapping around her waist and his face buried in her neck. "I missed you too. I'm sorry we didn't get to see each other much today."
Kotomi sighs and hugs him back. "It's okay. I don't want to seem like a clingy girlfriend."
Fujikawa blows a raspberry in her neck, making her burst out laughing. "Shut up, I like clingy."
Kotomi laughs and tries pushing him away from her. "Okay, okay, get off of me before someone sees you being a perv."
Fujikawa frowns. "I'm not a pervert."
"Keep telling yourself that." Before Fujikawa can lunge at her to tickle her, his phone dings. He sighs, pulling his phone out of his pocket, his screensaver showing of him, Kotomi, and Amano. He remembered when they took the picture a couple of months ago. They all three got close and he started dating Kotomi. Kotomi was a kind-hearted person and hated seeing Amano by himself all the time so she tried to be friends with him, then introduced Fujikawa to him. It was obvious that Amano had trouble making friends due to how awkward he was. However, after they got him to open up some more, he was a decent guy to be around. He couldn't see why anybody thought he was weird. Amano had a passion for music, was funny, and a nice dude. Who cared if he stayed to himself most of the time? As Fujikawa opens his messaging app, he sees that it was Amano. Speak of the devil...
All he said was, "I'm sorry." Fujikawa frowned, sending Amano question marks in response. What did he have to be sorry for?
"Who was it?" Kotomi asked, peeking over to look at his phone.
Fujikawa tilted his phone toward Kotomi, watching her frown. "Weird. I wonder why he sent that?"
He shook his head, putting his phone back in his pocket. "I don't know. I'll ask him about it at school tomorrow."
That's the last time he saw Kotomi. As he dropped her off at her house, where the killer was waiting in her house because her parents weren't home yet, he gave her one final kiss, before sending her off to her doom.
A car horn snaps him into reality and nearly dodges the oncoming car, falling off his bike and onto the harsh concrete. When did he drift toward the middle of the road? He couldn't remember. Fujikawa's breathing becomes erratic from the fact that he almost died and the flashback that tormented him. He could still remember how her lips felt against his, how her laugh was contagious, and how kind she was. Her heart got her killed and he just wished he never agreed to be friends with Amano. Amano never told him why he sent that text that night, he wouldn't tell him what he knew about Kotomi's death, he completely withdrew from Fujikawa, leaving him alone. He wanted to hate him, but he couldn't. Something wasn't right about this whole thing and from the conversation he overheard, Amano seemed more like a victim than anything. Fujikawa was just so angry, he lost the two people closest to him and he didn't know how to fix things. If only Amano would just tell him what was going on.
Fujikawa was shaking and gasping for breath, realizing he was having a panic attack. He tried to remember what his mom told him. He took a deep breath, trying to regulate his breathing, and counted how many stars he saw in the sky. He got to twenty-three before finally calming down, standing up to get back on his bike.
The rest of the ride went smoothly, finally arriving to the police station. He parked his bike and went inside, putting on his fakest smile. The receptionist was an old lady, who had been working there for a long time. His dad referred her as Koko.
"Fujikawa! It's late, dear. Why are you here?" Koko asked, smiling at him. Fujikawa had been here a couple of times with his father and he knew almost everyone here.
"Hi, Miss Koko. Is dad here?" Fujikawa deflected the question, searching the room for him.
"He's gone already. He said he had some errands to run before he would head home."
Fujikawa flashes a smile at her. "Oh okay! I left something at his desk when I was here the other day, could I go grab it?"
Koko hums. "Oh, well I could go grab it for you, dear."
Fujikawa laughs nervously, itching the back of his head. "It's a bit embarrassing... I left a personal item that I accidently brought here. I have a crush on this girl and was making a love note--"
Koko waves her hand, dismissing him. "Say no more. Go on ahead. I remembered when I was your age and was in love." She sighs, as if remembering the days when she was young.
Fujikawa chuckles bitterly, trying to hide the fact that his heart hurts. "Thanks, Miss Koko." The door buzzes and he steps in, heading to his father's desk. Luckily, it seemed nobody was here right now so he could get this done quickly. He pilfers through the drawers until he finds the confidential folder about the case. He hides it under the desk so the cameras can't see what he is doing. While no one is looking, he takes his phone out of his pocket and takes pictures of the documents.
This was for Kotomi, Y/N, and Amano. Nobody else was dying on his watch.
I hated how Saito wouldn't talk to me. However, I could understand why he didn't. If it was true, that someone he knew was doing this, keeping him in silence in fear that anyone he cares about will get hurt, we were screwed. We're Juniors in high school. How are we going to stop a serial killer? The police and teachers didn't believe Saito, which felt suspicious. Something wasn't adding up.
"Hmm." The doctor said, removing the stethoscope from my chest. "Your heart sounds fine, just a little fast. Are you anxious or something?"
I was at my doctor's appointment, missing school. I got a regular checkup every once in a while. And since I was missing school, my mom came up with the idea of having a mother-daughter day. She said it's been a while since we have gone out together, especially after all that happened. I wonder who my under-study was going to be since I was gone today.
"Just about school." A lie. Why would I tell him that I worry about my friend and his unknown serial killer? "I have a lot of my mind."
He nods in understanding. "Oh yes, I understand. I worked really hard to become who I am today, which lead to a lot of stressful nights, hehe." He chuckles, standing up to go to the other side of the room to grab something.
I sigh, looking out the window beside me.
I spent the rest of the day with my mom, going out to eat, to the park, and finally headed home. She told me she was going to go ahead and head into work, so that she wasn't behind on anything. She also told me that someone from school was going to bring me my homework later. I didn't know who, but I assumed it was either Hana or Ren.
Before mom left, she handed me some money and told me that I could pick up stuff for dinner if I wanted to since she was going to be gone for most of the night. Going out late wasn't a good idea, especially since there was a serial killer on the loose. Maybe I could get someone to walk with me, or just rummage through the pantry.
I sat in the living room, watching TV when I heard a knock on the door. That must be the person that brought me my homework. I get up and open the door to see Fujikawa, who looks relieved to see me. "Thank God, don't ever miss school again."
I frown and lean against the frame of the door. "I thought you were Hana or Ren."
Fujikawa sighs, running a hand through his hair. "They wanted to, but I fought them for it. Anyway, I have your homework and I wanted to tell you something."
I raise an eyebrow at him, wondering what he had to tell me. I invite him in and we sit in the living room. He hands me the work I missed today, and then he pulls out his phone. "I have to show you these."
"What are you--" I stop as I looked, noticing they were police documents. I whip my head up in alarm. "How did you get these?"
Fujikawa looks away, nervous. "I may or may not have went to my dad's office and took pictures of the case he's on."
"Fujikawa!" I stare at him in disbelief.
"Listen, lecture me later. For now, take a look at these."
I sigh, taking the phone from his hands. I go through the documents, reading them.
"The serial killer targeted women, unsure if men are included or excluded. Only found nine people to be connected to this case. (Three being released to the public.) The killer seems to have a hatred for women, leaving polaroid photos with disturbing descriptions at the sight of the body.
The first bodies found were strangled while later on, the deaths became different, most dying from accidents. Unsure if it was boredom that caused this.
The killer has a thing for poetry and photography as seen in the photos. It goes to show different poems that are attached to the polaroids, each one written on the back.
After Yui Tanaka was found, she has a description of the killer--."
I look up at Fujikawa, who nods, he already knows what I'm thinking. I carefully read the next paragraph.
"From Miss Tanaka's description, it is a male who has black hair and has an athletic build. He also has a deep voice. Miss Tanaka believes he is 'around her age'. Kept his identity hidden with sunglasses, and a hat. He is intelligent, and is listed high on the danger status. However, a late statement from Tanaka reveals that he went to Nikkō High School. Currently investigating in hopes to find someone that matches the description."
"It's not him." I look up at Fujikawa, who looks pained.
"I know. I had a feeling it wasn't but let my anger get the best of me." Fujikawa stares at the ground, looking guilty. "But it doesn't mean anything. He knows who this person is and whoever it is, is keeping him quiet."
I frown, handing him back his phone. "What do we do?"
Fujikawa scrunches up his face. "I don't know. I'm at a loss. I thought this info would help me but it's only confused me more. My dad doesn't want to listen to me."
Part of me was glad that we knew for sure it wasn't Saito, but Fujikawa was right, he seemed to know who this person was. Who knew what was going on in the background.
Fujikawa looks up at me. "You need to be careful. Just because we found out that the killer has killed people who don't connect to Saito at all, doesn't mean your not next on his list. I've gone through all of the women a part of this case and at least three out of the nine women were connected to Saito."
"I'm curious about something though. Why does the killer attack women that get close to Saito?" I ask, confused.
"I'm not sure. Maybe we can get Saito to talk." Fujikawa says.
I shake my head. "I don't think he's going to say anything. I tried asking him yesterday but he only told me that he's tried to get help but was ignored." I see something flash across Fujikawa's face before it disappears.
Fujikawa is silent, thinking hard as he stares down at the floor. "I'll figure it out. In the meantime, please stay safe."
He gets up to leave and I grab his hand. "We will figure it out together. I want to help Saito and prevent anyone else getting hurt."
Fujikawa doesn't say anything as I let him go. However, before he steps out the door, he turns to me. "You have my number, right? I know we exchange them at the meeting but I wasn't sure if you actually put it in or not."
I nod. "Yeah I do. I have everyone's."
"If something happens or you need to get ahold of me, call me." Fujikawa looks dead serious as he tells me this.
I can only nod at his request as he leaves, leaving me alone. I spend the rest of the evening doing my homework. When dinner rolls around, I regret not asking Fujikawa to escort me to the convenience store. I was so wrapped up in the serial killer case that I forgot to ask him. I didn't want to bother anybody else, seeing as they lived further away from me.
I look through the pantry and fridge only to find bits and pieces of things that really wouldn't go together. So, that's why Mom told me I could go to the store, we have nothing. I pinch the bridge of my nose and grab the money my mom gave me, heading out.
It wasn't dark yet, but it was getting there. The sun was starting to set, leaving the sky an orange tint. By the time I got back, it would probably be dark. I grab my bike and pedal down the street, butterflies in my chest. As much as I put on a brave face, I was scared. I didn't know what I was getting myself into, this was so much bigger than I thought. How was a bunch of teenagers going to stop a serial killer? Why wouldn't the police listen to Saito? And why were the spirits relying on me?
I sigh as I pull in the parking lot of the store, quickly grabbing stuff to eat before heading back. On the entire way home, I felt like someone was watching me. I kept looking around but not seeing anyone, although it was getting darker and darker by the second and it was getting hard to see.
Maybe it was my paranoia. I couldn't let myself be constantly scared, waiting for something to happen. However, getting a knife or pepper spray was out of the idea seeing as I could be the one getting into trouble depending on how badly my target got hurt. It was absurd, how was I going to protect myself? Could I possibly get a free pass seeing as how there was a serial killer?
I threw my bike against the house and ran inside, not waiting for anything to grab me. I lock the door and take a deep breath, looking around the dark house. Also, I may or may not have turned on every light in the house because I was scared as I started to heat up my dinner.
I hear my phone go off and I pick it up off the counter to look at it, seeing it was a message from Saito. It was surprising, seeing as he's never texted me since we exchange numbers during one of our meetings.
"You okay? You weren't at school."
"I'm fine. I had a doctor's appointment today and my mom wanted some time together." Short, sweet, and simple.
"Good, I'm glad." And that was that.
I sigh, feeling a bit disappointed as I sit down by the table, trying to finish my food. It was ramen and some snacks cakes to go along with it. It wasn't much, but it was enough to satisfy me for the night. That's when I feel something on my throat as someone approached me from behind.
"Hello, Y/N~."