What you're name ?

Chapter 16 Aftermath

Made by @cataclysmiceve1 on Twitter!
-

TW // Descriptions of the aftermath of violence

-

Life has a lot of strange turns. And some of the most important ones are the most benign. It wasn't some dramatic scene from a romantic movie where a lover bursts in and saves the day. It wasn't terribly heroic, or flashy at all. All it took, in the end, was the concern of a friend—one Chuuya hadn't spoken to in nearly a month.

In a house, three blocks away.

Tachihara almost didn't say anything.  He almost convinced himself that he was overthinking it, that it was something too serious to accuse someone of if you weren't sure. But what if he was right? He knocks on the door.

"Michizou? Come in." His father's voice echoes.

He steps into his Dad's office, and the man pauses, seeing the concern clear across the teenager's face. "Son? What's wrong?"

"Well, I—" Michizou sighs. "I have this friend, at school—and I think something...might be wrong."

And, as fate would have it, the one person who spoke up, just so happened to be the son of a police captain. "...And you said he lives close by?"

Michizou nods, and Captain Tachihara sighs. "Well—it's late, but he looked really bad today."

"...I'll check it out, alright?"

Captain Tachihara doesn't know what to make of it at first, walking down the street. He's known the Nakahara family for years. They used to carpool for away games. He's had that man in his house. So when he tries to imagine him doing what Michizou accused him of... It's hard to imagine.

But when he reaches their street, one he's been on countless times since their boys were little, he notices the first thing that pricks his concern.

It's a quarter till midnight, and—every single house on the street has it's lights on.

He starts walking a little faster, his hand rising up to his belt.

And then he notices the next alarming thing.

There are so many dogs barking.

Now, he's breaking into a light jog.

From the outside, the house looks normal. But he can see neighbors peeking out. They don't say anything—clearly no one called anyone. But curiosity and concern lurk behind their eyes. And it makes the Captain even more concerned, that the house is so quiet.

He takes the steps, and he pounds on the door. "Hey! Open up!"

For a moment, there's just silence, but Captain Tachihara has been on the job for nearly twenty years now, and his gut tells him that someone is standing on the other side of that door, waiting for him to walk away.

He pounds on the door, harder this time. "Police! Open up!"

There's more silence.

Some officers would've left it there. There hasn't been an official call. He could lose his badge for less. But he isn't that kind of officer.