Chapter Text
“Bed.”
Knock.
“Table.”
Bang.
“Chair…”
“Hello officer, to what do we owe the pleasure?”
“...”
“Now now officer, let’s be civil here-”
“Win- no, door…”
Clang!
“W-Windo…”
-
Jyugo felt the low rumble of the car beneath his bare feet. It was dim, and his knees felt sore from tucking them into the cramped space. Sitting to his right was a younger girl. He couldn’t remember her name, but she was the only other kid who didn’t have to travel in the bigger white van.
Trees and buildings sped past to his left, blurring into a dull image of grey. Jyugo’s hands trembled involuntarily, his eyes frantically looking around his environment.
There was a window, a different shaped door; but no table, or chair, or bed, nor mattress.
He caught sight of the girl crying next to him, heard the dull whispers of the pitying officers, felt his mouth slowly going dry.
The car came to a quick stop as a soft-looking officer with blue hair gently opened up the door next to him. Jyugo noted that his chest felt heavy, and his heart was beating louder than usual.
When gently guided out the vehicle, Jyugo slowly walked over to the building that said “POLICE” in big letters on the front with stiff movements. The world phased out as he was hauled away from the stuffy orphanage he called his life.
He was seated in a warm room, in a soft chair, and offered a cup of hot tea. He didn’t find it in himself to decline; burning his tongue by taking a thoughtless sip.
Jyugo counted the carpet, the chair, the window, and the door. He finally glanced at the significantly smaller side table as his senses seemed to calm back down, and he could think normally again.
It was weird, he thought. All of it.
The shouting, the crying, the loud bangs and crashes; and finally being quietly coaxed away into the car by a man Jyugo noted had no hair and a serious face.
He had looked back at the orphanage, where Jyugo saw the rest of the children being carried out on stretchers or more comfortable looking beds that rolled along the floor.
They were all injured. In some way.
The kid with white hair and equally as white eyes could barely walk without a limp. The girl with a birthmark over her eye couldn’t squeeze her fingers tight anymore. His roommate still shivered, even when Jyugo draped both of their blankets over him.
Jyugo fiddled with the rim of his cup, following the edge with his finger in quick, circular motions.
The girl was still crying, curled up on the other chair next to him. Jyugo tried to remember her name. Airi? Shoko?
“Uhm…” He spoke up.
The other girl shot her head up, looking at Jyugo with wide, glossy eyes, and only started wailing louder.
“Hey, uh- I think we’re safe now.” Jyugo’s voice trailed off
The girl sniffed, “Easy for you to say…” The girl mumbled.
“Huh?”
“You were always safe! Perfect Jyugo who never got punished… I wanna see Taiyo…”
Taiyo? Ah right, Taiyo and Niyo. An inseparable pair, the doctors would say. Jyugo remembered them clearly now.
“It’s not that I- I wasn’t…”
Jyugo decided not to finish that sentence.
A fragile silence overtook them, until a cheerful knock came from the other side of the door.
The door swung open, and through it came a dark-skinned man with a fiery red scar on the side of his face, who was also wearing sunglasses… indoors?
“Hello you two!” He cheerily exclaimed, “You two doing alright in here? Sorry to keep you two sweet children waiting, my name’s Mitsuru Hitokoe! Feel free to call me Mitsuru, Hitokoe, whatever floats your boat!”
Jyugo stared intensely at the man in confusion and slight shock, while he saw Niyo avoid eye-contact.
“Anyways…”, He drawled out the end, “I’m a social worker helping out the lovely officers who brought you here.”
This Mitsuru lad took a chair that was close to both Jyugo’s and Niyo’s, “So, how we both feelin’?”
…
“Not great talkers? Okay… Can ya tell me your names?”
…
“Right… Do you speak?”
Jyugo nervously looked from the ground, to Niyo, and finally to Mitsuru. While avoiding his face, he spoke up, “My name’s Jyugo… I’m 11.”
Though you couldn’t see his eyes, you could tell that Mitsuru’s face warped into that of slight shock. Hastily, he took out a notebook and started writing things down.
“Lovely to meet you Jyugo! And what about you young miss?”
Niyo looked up at him, quickly turning away. Expectantly, Mitsuru stared back.
“Uh-” Jyugo spoke nervously, “That’s Niyo, she uh, she has a friend that was taken away by the white vans.”
Mitsuru looked at him with understanding, “I see, I see… Well, in a few minutes my good friend Hajime will take you guys out and question you guys privately okay? Then when one of you is out, the other kid can have a nice chat with me! If you want.”
There was a sharp knock on the door.
“Speak of the devil… Hajime! Come in!”
Jyugo looked towards the man he saw earlier; the same man who walked him out of the orphanage with a calming hand on his back. He still wore the same serious expression, and he didn’t grow hair in the past hour either.
“Jyugo, Niyo, this is Sugoroku Hajime! A co-worker of mine.” Sugoroku gave a curt nod in acknowledgement, “Now now, who wants to go first? Jyugo! Why don’t you go ahead so I can talk to Niyo, okay?”
Jyugo uncrossed his legs and slowly got down from the chair as he watched Mitsuru whisper something to Sugoroku. Before leaving the room, he could see Mitsuru smiling at Niyo, who was finally looking at his face.
Jyugo followed Sugoroku as he led him through white hallways, not very unlike the orphanage.
“So, Jyugo was it? And you said you’re 11 years old?” Sugoroku spoke up from in front of him.
“Yes Sir.”
“Ah, just call me Mr Sugoroku, I work as a detective here at Fukuoka Station, right-” Mr Sugoroku held open a door for the both of them, “Please, sit over there.” Jyugo did so, “Now what’s gonna happen is that I’m going to ask you some questions. Answer them to the best of your ability, alright? If it’s hard for you, please just say so; you don’t have to force yourself here.”
Jyugo nodded as Mr Sugoroku sat down in his own seat and shuffled a few papers.
-
Jyugo was finally able to relax. It all hit him at once; the orphanage, the police station, the questioning.
Jyugo had answered as truthfully as he could, even when it confused Mr Sugoroku when he said he never got physically abused by the doctors. He was a good kid, he never had the desire to disobey them.
That was all.
Only Jyugo had stayed at the station, assuming Niyo was taken somewhere to see Taiyo. He sat back down in the nice chair he was in earlier after being taken to have lunch at the company’s canteen. He sat with Mitsuru, and met the two officers who escorted him there; Seitarou - the man with blue hair, and Yamato - the man who was driving.
The food was new and flavourful - nothing like what he had before at the orphanage. He hadn’t managed to eat much, despite Mitsuru encouraging him, but he enjoyed every bite of it.
He quite liked Mitsuru, though loud, he was funny, and was shocked when he found out Jyugo could speak both Japanese and English.
They continued chatting as Seitaro walked in with a fresh set of clothes.
“Hey Jyugo- We think this’ll be your size. Mitsuru and I will leave the room as you change, is that okay?” Jyugo nodded, “Okay good! Oh, and you might want to take off that collar for your medical exam later. Call us when you’re ready!”
The door shut behind them, and Jyugo was left alone in the room.
Take off the collar…?
It was thick, black, and heavy. The Doctor put it on him one day and told him to never take it off. So he didn’t.
Jyugo slipped into the long-sleeved top and relaxed joggers Seitarou had handed him. It was comfortable and warm. He reached up to feel the collar on his neck, feeling an odd sense of dread, and quickly slipped it off.
His neck was bare, it was cold and sore. Jyugo had his hands around his neck for a while before he dropped him, calling for Mitsuru and Seitarou to come back in.
It was clear they were slightly startled at the sight of Jyugo’s bruised neck, but didn’t bring it up.
All three of them walked to the small clinic, where an old man lazily sat at a desk, talking quietly with Mr Sugoroku.
“Hah. Seriously? Y’know it takes more than that…” The man grunted.
“Whatever. Just a thought.” Mr Sugoroku replied.
Mr Sugoroku began to head towards the door, placing a firm hand on Jyugo’s shoulder, “It’ll be quick, so behave yourself, okay?”
Jyugo nodded in response as Mr Sugoroku walked away.
His examination really was quick, the man took his height, weight, and asked for his age. He then quickly drew some blood, impressed at how well Jyugo handled it, gave him some cream for his neck and sent him off with a sweet.
Jyugo stared down at the milk candy in his hands.
“Oh, need help there Jyugo? I can open it for you.” Seitarou offered.
Jyugo handed it to him, taking it back once it was opened, putting it in his mouth.
It’s sweet. He thought to himself.
“Well! Only thing left for you, Jyugo, is to figure out your living situation now!” Mitsuru said.
“Uh, Mitsuru, I don’t have parents, won’t I just go to another orphanage?” Jyugo asked innocently.
“Well… yes- But you never know…” He answered slightly nervously.
“And besides, we still wanna talk to you, so you must stay close!” Seitarou added.
“Oh, okay.” Jyugo nodded.
This time, they didn’t go back to the room they were staying in, and instead went down to the front office. Most likely to figure out what to do with Jyugo.
As they got closer and closer, two vaguely familiar voices became louder and louder.
“-good kid. He’s obedient, but he needs to get out of the care system immediately.”
“Yes! You’re so right Hajime! But you don’t even own a comb!”
Jyugo could start to see Mr Sugoroku glaring at Yamato, who was still holding a brilliant smile.
“Whazzup Hajime! Godai!” Mitsuru ran up to them, the other two following not so far behind,
“Ah, Jyugo, perfect,” Hajime said, “Your paperwork has been processed since you got here. You’re my kid now - I’ve adopted you.”