And Then There Were None (COMPLETED)

Now

12 years later

The bell sounds and the class empties out of the room.

I'm Shots Matsuhiro. I'm 20 years old, in my 3rd year of University/college at Endo University. I'm currently living with the son, Renji, of the family that took me in when I had been living in the streets as a kid abandoned by my father. When it was time to move out for university we realized that ours were close together so we'd decided to get a place close to both of our universities and split the bills between us. With the money Renji's parents send us for a part of the living expenses we've been doing pretty well.

"Hey Shota! Where are you going?" Ichiro-kun asks. He and I became friends in my 1st year, he's also a third year studying in the same field as I am. Ichiro-kun says he's going to become a math teacher while I'll become an English teacher.

"Home. You?" I ask. Ichiro-kun has always been an outgoing kind of person and I like that about him.

"I'm going to karaoke with some friends. Want to join?" He ask brightly putting his arm over my shoulder.

"I can't. Sorry." I hold up my books in response.

"Aright but studying won't get you everywhere, you have to live life, not read it."

"Whatever. Acing the finals is crucial to having a good winter break." I roll my eyes at him.

"Yea. Yea. Call me when you want to join alright? I'll get the boys together for a night on the town." He winks at me.

"Alright." I breathe out a sigh of relief now that I had safely avoided that.

"Oh hey, you signed up for the trip though, right?" He looks at me questioningly.

"What trip?" I don't remember anyone saying anything about something like that.

"The Christmas trip, dummy. You know, the one where we go to an inn and ice ski?" He raises an eyebrow.

"Ohhh right! Yea I did. Can't wait for it!" I cheer enthusiastically for his benefit. I don't want him to know how much I'm really looking forward to it.

"Good." He grins pumping his fist in the air with me.

"Its a week long trip right?" I ask, I wasn't sure how long it was.

"Yep. A good long week full of relaxation and fun!" Ichiro-kun twirls around as he talks.

"Haha! Ok well, later!" I say as his twirling form receeds.

"Later!" He calls back.

I head over to the train station to take the train all the way back to my apartment.

"I'm home! Anyone there?" I call out expecting to find Renji in the kitchen trying to cook till whatever he had tried to cook turned to charcoal. My voice meets empty air as I realize the apartment is empty, the lights still being off too. The trains must have been late for him. He usually gets home earlier than me.

I set my shoes at the door and slid my sock-covered onto the slick floor on my way to start dinner, I turn on the lights as I go. One hour into the food making process I hear the door to the apartment open.

"I'm home!" Renji-kun's voice fill the air.

"Welcome home!" I shout back from the kitchen. I wipe my hands on my apron and meet him in the hallway.

A look flickers in his eyes too quickly for me to catch it when he sees me.

"What took you so long to get here?" I ask him. "You usually get here before me." I look at Renji's rumpled state and tired gray eyes, his perfectly proportioned face and fair skin looks slightly pale under the light. His still spikey black hair that's usually in tip top shape falls limp over his eyes. His black and blue checkered collar shirt has creases all over it.

"Ugh! One my professors made me stay after class to do some work so by the time I made it to the train station it had already left. I had to wait for the next one. I spent all the energy I had left getting here." He moves to ruffle my hair.

Even though we're the same age, Renji somehow managed to gain a growth spurt and is now a foot taller than me. I'm six feet while he's 7'1.

"Hmm. What's that smell?" He asks, happily following me into the kitchen.

"Miso soup and spicy curry with vegetables. I'm also making chocolate pudding for dessert." I tell him. "The food still needs more time so you can go."

"Hmm. Alright. I need to finish an essay anyway." Renji turns and heads off to his room leaving me in the kitchen alone to finish making dinner in peace.

A half hour later and I'm done setting the table.

"Foods ready!" I shout.

"Coming!" He shouts back from his room.

"Oh yea, I wanted to tell you, Ichiro-kun reminded me about the Christmas trip at my uni. I can't wait to go. He says me and the guys are all going to get together and have fun. I wonder what Ichiro-kun has planned for the trip." I tell Renji as we eat. The trip still isn't for months but I can't stop thinking about it. I hadn't wanted to show my excitement to Ichiro-kun so I had played it down a bit.

"Oh. Hm. That's nice." Renji-kun's face turns sour while I talk. We eat in silence after that and retire back to our individual rooms for the night.
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Time passes by quickly as Autumn turns to fall and it starts to get colder. The trip still looming excitedly in my mind. Although, as my mood turns brighter though, Renji-kun's seems to get a little darker. The reason why still eluding me.
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"Hey Shota-kun! You still can't make it to kareoke?" Ichiro-kun asks putting an arm around my shoulder.

"I still can't, sorry. "

"Are you sure? We'll have lots of fun! You can sing whatever you want!" He jostles me.

"Sorry." I tell him trying to tear him from me.

"Pleaseee-" Suddenly a hand fly's through the air and tears Ichiro-kun off of me as were nearing the schools front gates.

"He said no." Renji's voice makes Ichiro-kun back off.

"When did you get here?" I ask Renji.

"I came to pick you up so we could go back on train together since I got released early today."

"Oh. Alright." Still unsure if I should leave Ichiro-kun whose now giving a hard look to Renji, while Renji looks back at him unperturbed.

"Bye Shota, looks like I still have something to take care of with one of my professors. I'll hang back, see you later."

"Ok bye Ichiro-kun." I tell him as Renji-kun grabs me by the arm and drags me off.

"Hey wait a minute-Ouch! Let go!" I pull against Renji-kun's firm grip as we leave the school. I can still somehow feel Ichiro-kun's eyes follow us unil we're out of view.

"What was that for?!" I ask him. Geez, what happened? What's with him? Something's off, Renji doesn't normally act or treat me like this!

"Nothing. Sorry." Is all he says on our walk to the train station. His hand still wrapped firmly in an iron grip around my wrist.

Why did Renji change when he talked with Ichiro-kun? It's not like Ichiro-kun was actually doing anything to me! For some reason I've had a feeling that Renji-kun's been a bit uneasy lately. Just what is it that's bothering him? How can I help him?
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Hi again :) hope you still like it. Plz comment and vote it would really motivate me a lot to know you guys are interested. Its 2:22 am and I'm getting tired I don't think I can see straight anymore...zzzzz.

Sincerely,
River 632