A Secret Unraveled (Completed)

Chapter 32: Show Time

It was almost time for the show. E Class was already in their seats and so were all the other fans. The seating areas were all filled with excited fans.

The venue wasn't too grand since Kazuko is a new fast rising artist. There were only a few minutes left until the concert began.

The lights went out, the stage lights and music started.

The fans started cheering and chanting.

Kazuko performed all the songs that were released in her latest album. 

After each performance, she would take a small break and interact with the fans.

Halfway through the concert, a few of the staff came out with baskets of merch and started tossing them into the crowds.

Kazuko launched t-shirts with a t-shirt cannon into the crowd.

She started with her most energetic songs and ended with some of her more calming songs to bring the concert to an end.

The music started to fade out and the fans started cheering. After the cheers died down, Kazuko had a few words to say.

"Thank you for being here tonight, it really means a lot to me that my music has reached out to so many of you and I wouldn't be here if it weren't for you all. Thanks for all your support! I love you guys! Oh, and for those who have a meet n greet pass can show it to the staff at the exits!" she said cheerfully.

The crowd cheered once more as the lights turned on for the audience's safety as they exit.

Kazuko waved to them as she slowly walked off stage back to her dressing room to freshen up for the meet n greet.

Once she was ready, a staff member took her to the lobby of the venue where the meet n greet is taking place. 

Security guards were by the doors, and around the line to keep things orderly.

There was a one way path for the meet n greet. After the fans were finished, they had to exit the venue.

The fans were lined up and once they caught sight of Kazuko they started to scream in excitement.

She greeted each of them with a handshake, a photo together, as well as signing an album and poster.

In that time, each of them were able to talk, ask questions and take photos, some even brought gifts. 

The meet n greet lasted a little over three hours.

Some laughed and some cried, but they all had a great time.

E Class was at the end of the line, huddled together like a group of penguins. After everyone else finished, only they were left.

"You guys must be the E Class from Kunugigaoka Junior High, right?" Kazuko asked with a smile. "A friend of mine told me all about you guys."

"She knows who we are!?" Some of the students shouted in surprise.

"Who told you?!"

"She told me to keep it a secret," Kazuko smiled. "But you'll find out soon, I'm sure of it."

The class had more time with her since they were a huge group. Eventually, they had to wrap up the time they had with her and the staff kindly gestured them to the exit.

Now that everything was over, Kazuko went back to her dressing room and took off her makeup, feeling somewhat refreshed after. She also changed before leaving.

Kazuko thanked all the staff members and her manager before heading out of the building through the back doors, for obvious reasons.

It was nice and outside, but it was dark and she was a little tired from performing for so long.

Kazuko wasn't aware of the suspicious black van following close behind her, until it was too late.

One person sneaked up behind her and put her in a chokehold while covering her nose and mouth with a chloroform cloth, and dragged her into the van.

Even with all the resistance she put out, all her energy was spent on the concert and meet n greet. 

Her screams were muffled by the drug covered cloth that slowly, but surely made her go hazy and unconscious.

The kidnapper successfully got her into the van and another person quickly tied her up with rope.

After some time, the van came to a permanent stop.

Kazuko slowly started to regain consciousness again. Her eyes were blindfolded real tight by a thick, black cloth, her mouth was taped shut. She had a massive headache and felt weak and limp all over.

The men who were in the van carried her body out easily. She heard them talking, but even the things she was hearing sounded muffled.

She was carried into a cold, dark room. They chained her to a chair in the middle of the room and left her there. No one else was in the room.

"Where am I?..." Kazuko thought and tried to move. "I can't move... It's no use, I'm too tired."

She passed out in the chair.

A few hours later she woke up again.

"Huh, it wasn't a dream?!" Kazuko panicked in her mind. 

"Am I going to die!? How long will I be here for!? Is anyone gonna look for me, will they even realize that I'm gone!? How could I let this happen?... My phone!"

She shuffled around the chair hoping that she'd feel her phone in her pocket.

"Oh good it's still there... but I can't get to it..." She took a deep breath. She kept struggling against the chains hoping to escape, but it proved to be useless.

~ Meanwhile in E Class ~

"Has anyone seen Shiniko today?" Koro-sensei asked.

The class didn't respond.

It's been three days since the concert and Shiniko's disappearance from class.

"It's not like her to skip school like this," Isogai said aloud.

"She wasn't with us for the concert and she hasn't contacted me in awhile now too," Kayano mentioned sadly.

"She doesn't even contact the rest of us, why would she contact you?" Terasaka retorted and Kayano sank in her chair a little.

"If only you knew..." Kayano thought.

"Is it possible that she..." Nagisa thought of the worst case scenario at that moment.

~ Kazuko PoV ~

While being confined in the room and chair, all she could do was sleep and stay awake until she fell asleep again.

With no way of telling time, it felt like eternity.

"It's probably been days since I got here, I wonder if I'll even see the sun again," she thought.

Heavy footsteps could be heard echoing from outside the room, coming closer and closer to Kazuko.

"That doesn't sound too promising..." she thought.

The door creaked open as the captor entered.

"It's so nice to finally reunite with you... " a rather familiar and masculine voice said. 

"My daughter..."

Kazuko began to squirm around in her chair, desperately trying to escape as she recognized that voice and her phone fell out.

"Well, what do we have here?" The man walked closer and picked it up. "Your phone?"

"You have no idea how much pain and suffering you caused for your family, and yet you live your life in luxury..." he said bitterly.

"So, let's have a bit of fun shall we?" He ripped the blindfold off. I closed my eyes since they've been kept in the dark for so long and they needed time to adjust to the light.

"Shiniko Kuroshira."