Marked (BokuAka)

41. Explanations

Bokuto's POV:

"So..." Bokuto's voice trailed off as he sat in front of his two unimpressed friends. He'd been stammering and jumbling up his words for at least two minutes now,

Akaashi sighed, the noise yanking him from his focus. "Look, what Bokuto-san is trying to tell you is that my mum is one of Akane's murderers," Akaashi said so nonchalantly that Bokuto couldn't register the words at first. Once the information finally entered his brain, he gasped, spinning around to look at Akaashi as if he didn't know that already. Konoha and Sarukui followed suit, the both of them ogling Akaashi, mouths hanging wide open. "That's why he told me first. He wanted to know how I wanted to go about telling you guys."

"And..." Sarukui put his hands together, creating a clapping sound. "You're cool with it? You seem very..."

"Uncaring." Konoha filled in.

"Emotionless." Bokuto chimed in, tilting his head to convey his curiosity at Akaashi's flat and informative voice.

Sarukui glared at the two of them, disapproving of their carelessness. "Neutral." He corrected, leaning forward and staring intently at Akaashi. "How did you figure this out?"

"I found out." Gosh, how would they believe me? I mean, c'mon! Me? Figure out a huge part of this case? It's insane!

"Really?"

"Yeah. I met up with Akaashi yesterday, and I met his mother. She looks exactly like the woman in the picture. Also, she would be able to get into the school."

Konoha blinked. "That isn't enough to figure it out. It is a lead, but definitely isn't certain."

Bokuto winced. He was confident, but maybe Konoha was right? I guess I might've jumped to conclusions a bit too quickly.

"I don't know." Akaashi's response drew everyone's attention. I mean, he is a natural attention-drawer. Look at him! He's beautiful! "My mother... well, she hates soulmates. Absolutely despises them. She had an unpleasant experience with my father. Really, the motives line up. Tonight, I'm going to do a bit of investigating around my house. Bokuto can come. He knows where I live."

Konoha glanced up from his bowl, where he was formerly prodding at the thick noodles. He widened his eyes, discreetly pointing between Bokuto and Akaashi.

Bokuto's heart lifted, and his smile was almost impossible to suppress, but it had to be done. It wasn't exactly kind to smile at someone's mother possibly being a murderer. But, in response to Konoha's unspoken question, he nodded swiftly, smiling ever so slightly to convey the excitement bursting out of his chest.

Konoha gave Bokuto a smile of his own, sending a thumbs-up to further show his similar happiness for Bokuto. "That sounds good. Sarukui and I can ask some teachers if they've seen Akaashi's mother wandering around the school, and maybe students that have a club earlier in the day."

Akaashi nodded, pulling out his lunch again and staring at it, almost as if he were asking the depths of his thermos for the answers to this case, or to magically make his mother innocent of the crimes someone—*cough*, Bokuto—had accused her of.

In terms of his mother's innocence, Bokuto didn't know what he hoped for. If she was innocent, Akaashi wouldn't have to go through the mental turmoil of having a convicted murderer for a mother. It would mean he'd continue living at home, without any teasing or rudeness from other people. However, he really, really wanted Akaashi's mother to be guilty because it would mean an end to Washio's suffering, and possibly give the police a lead and morale boost. It was a complex and confusing situation, one that Bokuto didn't want to be a part of. But he supposed it brought him something he'd originally thought he'd never have. Something that had weighed on him for the past year. Finally, finally, he had a soulmate. The most perfect soulmate to ever exist, probably.

Akaashi was an angel. An ethereal beauty, a smile to die for. In fact, Bokuto might actually die from it, it was so... sweet. An awesome personality... Bokuto had the BEST BOYFRIEND EVER.

Yep. He was blessed. Finally, whatever being ruled the Earth must've smiled upon him. But, apparently, they didn't see fit to not kill Akane and get him to solve a murder, though it did bring him closer to Akaashi...

Hmmm. Gift or no gift? Blessing or not?

Bokuto glanced over at Akaashi again, studying his features. Akaashi's lips were tilted towards the floor in a similar direction to his eyes. He seemed to have trouble facing his friends, even though Akaashi wasn't the one who killed all those people.

How to help? Hmmm. He doesn't like physical contact, but maybe a quick squeeze of the hand? Also, he's been a lot more touchy since yesterday...

Tenderly, Bokuto extended his hand to hold Akaashi's under the table, keeping his eyes trained elsewhere to divert suspicion. Akaashi acknowledged the gesture with a quick squeeze, then let his arm go limp.

Tonight, he was going to investigate the home of a possible murderer. It... it might prove deadly. But it was something that had to be done. For the fate of his friends, and their soulmates, for his classmates too. So the police could prevent another hanging body in the halls.