Your Protector

Chapter 39

Hanako was panicking. Her mother, on the other hand, not so much. She, of course, believed he ran away, and the worst part, she didn't seem all that affected by it. When her daughter told her that her "son" was missing, she just gave Hanako a quiet 'oh' and went on with carrying in groceries.

Hanako wanted to hurry to the police station to report this, but her mother found it to be a waste of time. The black-haired girl could only assume the worst happened to him, considering there is a possible killer on the loose possibly after him.

After Hanako helped her mom bring in all the groceries, she was ready to book it for the police station, but her mother stopped her immediately. The woman was convinced Taro simply ran away and would return the next morning. No matter how much Hanako begged for her mother to let her leave, the woman would not give 'yes' for an answer.

When their father came home and was told of the situation, he was fully on his wife's side, just as, if not, more unconcerned about his "son's" whereabouts.

Hanako was helpless to save her brother. He could be miles away by the time she finally got to the police station the next morning, held captive by some maniac, planning to do who knows what to him.

When she did get to the police station, she frantically told the chief everything that had happened in the interrogation room.

"The front door was slightly open, so I checked the front lawn, but he was nowhere in sight! I... I think he's been... been..."

"Been what?" the chief raised a brow. He listened to Hanako's case very closely, his mind considering all the possibilities of what could've happened to her brother.

Hanako swallowed the terrified lump in her throat, before she blurted out, "Kidnapped!"

The chief's eyes visibly widened. He momentarily glanced at the observation window, where two officers were watching from the other side. They glanced at each other with knowing looks.

"Do you really think it was him?" Kazama asked, the only officer that truly believed in Budo's innocence. When he heard that Budo's boyfriend had gone missing, his heart was already sure it knew the truth.

"It would make sense," the other officer replied. "Guy who's allegedly infatuated with him takes him hostage after being revealed to be an attempted murderer."

Kazama shuddered at the thought. "Could anyone be that insane?"

His fellow officer scoffed. "We have witnessed three deaths, almost four, in one week. Honestly, there are worse things to believe."

"Do we still think Masuta-San is guilty?"

The officer groaned and rolled his eyes. Kazama's insistence to prove Budo innocent was becoming just as annoying as Budo's friends. "Kazama-San, we've been over this. Masuta-San has nothing to prove that he didn't kill Ronshaku-San. He's guilty until proven innocent!" he snapped.

Kazama looked at him like a kicked puppy. The officer internally cursed, regretting being so harsh towards the cadet. "Listen, buddy," he sighed, "I know you believe in Masuta-San's innocence, but right now, we have a fugitive to search for, and possibly a kidnapped person. Keep your head in the game."

With that, the officer left the observation room. Kazama let out a hopeless sigh, before turning his head back to the interrogation room. He looked at Taro's sister with pity, especially when he heard her voice which was hoarse and terrified.

"He's been kidnapped, Chief... I know it."

The man let out a tired sigh. He wanted to give the poor girl some words of encouragement, but the best he could give her was empty promises. And he has learned over the years of his career that filling distressed citizens with false hope never bode well for him.