Chained In The Past || OHSHC Fanfic [Sequel]

Secrets Within the Truth

Kaoru's View

I slammed my fist against the wall, the splintering pain immediately running up my arm through the rest of my body. It shook me to the core. How could I have fucked up again? I was so close to getting a lead on Tomoyo and I lost it. I lost her. I clicked my tongue and let my fist slide down the wall, and back to the side of my body. 

"Do you think this was it?" I asked aloud, pain and weakness evident behind those few words. Asuma looked over at me with a frown. "Do you think that was the only lead we would ever have?"

Asuma walked over to me, placing his hand on my shoulder for comfort. I eased up and glanced to the side, meeting his gaze. It was as if he pitied me, but he didn't at the same time. I couldn't blame him. I mean, everyone could have been right. I could be chasing nothing but a dead person. I would find nothing in the end but more despair, and I couldn't say they didn't warn me of that. 

"Be honest with me, Asuma. Please," I begged. 

He furrowed his eyebrows together. "Honesty? Are you sure?" He asked me. 

I nodded, "Yes."

He sighed and slid his back down the wall, sitting as if what he was going to say was going to be very long. I gulped a bit. I was worried. 'God, Asuma. Please tell me something I don't know.' Asuma's face fell and he gave me that look, like I should know what he was thinking. And I did, I knew he thought this was the only chance we had of finding her.

"I'm sorry, Kaoru. I don't know what else we can do to find her. We've tried so much over the past week and nothing has really happened besides us coming to a halting stop." Asuma went on, trying to get me to understand where his thoughts were coming from. "I want the best for you-- I want to get her back for you, but I'm not sure there is a legitimate way for us to confirm whether or not she is dead or somewhere out there."

I furrowed my eyebrows together and clicked my tongue. He was right. I really should start to at least acknowledge what he's telling me. He has been by my side this entire time unlike anyone else.

I nodded my head and looked up at Asuma, "No, I get what you're trying to tell me, I really do. I'm just, I really think she's still out there somewhere, Asuma. I mean, I wasn't even able to see her corpse and that drives me insane!" I yelled, my eyes beginning to water. "How can I let go of someone if I haven't even had the proper goodbye? The proper form of closure..."

All I wanted was a goodbye. All I wanted was to see her once more and to tell her how much I loved her. To thank her for coming into my life, and for allowing me to come into hers. The memories and moments we shared may have been minuscule, but they meant everything to me.

Asuma nodded, his eyes filled with sympathy. "I know, Kaoru, I know. I'm sure she never stopped loving you." He whispered, a small smile replacing his frown.

I smiled back, "Yeah, I'm sure you're right. I'll never stop loving her either." I told him.

His smile grew bigger, "Great, I knew---" Asuma was caught off guard as the screen that was once black, came back with a full picture of the surveillance footage from before. We both stopped our sappy conversation and pried our eyes to the screen. We need to examine everything. We need to know if that was Tomoyo. I need the closure. God, I just need her back.

'Pardon my sudden disappearance, it seems like I was in the process of getting overthrown by the officials who would like this surveillance footage to stay a secret...'

Asuma glared at the screen. "That may be so, however, that's not our concern right now. If you're going to continue talking, you might as well finish what you were previously going to say!" He chipped in.

I nodded, "That's all we need, please. We just need to know if this is her." I added on.

'Ah, understandable. The identity of subject 8234 is---'

Before he could even finish what he was saying, a hand was placed on my shoulder, which caused me to jump out my seat and turn away from the screen. I looked up at Wakame-san in pure confusion.

"W-what are you doing here?" I muttered out.

He looked over at the screen, "You're looking for the princess, aren't you?" He stated, referring to Tomoyo as his princess. He was the one who would drive her everywhere and take care of her. After all, he was her personal butler. He could go as far as considering himself to be Tomoyo's guardian at the time, as he did do everything for her.

"Yes, I haven't given up." I answered shortly.

He closed his eyes and smiled. "I appreciate that, Kaoru. I do."

Nodding quickly, I looked at the screen. My eyes flew wide open at that moment.

"Wakame-san, you know more than anyone what Tomoyo looked like, yes?" I asked him, my eyes glued to the screen.

Confusion overcame him, but he answered nonetheless. "Why of course." He said. "May I ask why you asked such a question?"

I grinned ear to ear, gesturing towards to the screen. "That girl right there, does she look like Tomoyo?" I asked him.

He moved a tad bit closer to the screen and examined. After a quick minute or two, he shook his head. "I wouldn't say that is her." He answered.

I knew it, I knew he would say that wasn't her. Although this could very well not be Tomoyo, something in me knew I couldnt give up. I couldn't just let this person rot there after seeing how they're being used as a test subject. But there was something I wanted to know, something that would definitely confirm that this could actually be her.

"Her eyes. What color eyes did Tomoyo have?" I muttered out, staring into the screen.

"Color? Why her eyes were purple, I can assure that." He told me, a smile on his face. "Such a rare color to have, yet she wore it so beautifully with her fair colored hair and lively personality."

'AHEM--'

We all jumped, having completely forgotten about the person who had been communicating with us through the screen. The eerie silence from earlier came back and we just listened, waiting for them to finish their previous statement.

'If you would have let me finish, I would have told you the identity of the subject at hand.'

"Please, yes please finish what you were saying!" Asuma pleaded.

"I'm sorry for interrupting, just-- please, we need to know." I chimed in.

We waited and nothing was said. Our words went through dead ears, or in this case, a non-responsive screen.

"Hello--?"

Asuma was cut off.

'Subject 8234 identity is Mrs. Haninozuka...'

Tears cascaded down my face, and all hope came flooding back into my body. I knew it, I knew we would find her one day.

'Her identity doesn't matter. What matters is that you find who did this to her and where your beloved is.'

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"What?" I breathed out, shocked that who she was didn't matter.

'Trust no one, not even your club members.'

Asuma and I looked at each other. We were beyond words.

'If you don't watch your step, watch your words, your moves. You'll be next---'
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'THEY'RE ALWAYS WATCHING'