"THEY FOUND KAZUICHI."
Gundham's heart skipped a beat. His breath caught in his throat, and his eyes widened. His grip on his phone tightened, and tears came to his eyes.
Had they really found him, or was this some sort of cruel joke? It seemed so unreal to him. Could Kazuichi actually be alive? Did they find him?
"Gundham?...Gundham, are you still there?"
"You're not trying to deceive me, correct?" Gundham said softly into the phone. He was on the verge of tears. Sonia could hear how broken he sounded. "They actually found him?"
"They found him, Gundham. They really found him. I promise you. He's at the hospital right now. I was actually on my w-"
Sonia paused when she heard sobbing. Was the great Gundham Tanaka actually crying? She looked hesitantly at her phone before heading out to her car.
"They...they found him..." Gundham practically whispered into the phone, not believing what he was hearing. "They actually found him..."
"I'm on my way to see him right now," Sonia told him as she put her seatbelt on. "Do you want me to pick you up, or-"
"I'll meet you there," Gundham told her rather abruptly before hanging up.
He ran a hand through his hair, eyes swimming with tears. They'd actually found him. Kazuichi Souda was alive.
They'd be reunited once again.
✧ | ✧ | ✧
"Gundham, you need to calm down-"
"But he's here! He's actually here!"
The two high school students marched through the halls of the hospital, searching for the room of the pink-haired male. Gundham was anxious, and he couldn't wait to see him again. Sonia, on the other hand, had to Gundham's anchor, reminding him that it was a hospital after all, and it was nearly two in the morning.
"Hey, hey!" Sonia grabbed Gundham's arm, slamming her heels into the ground. "Stop for a second, will you? Isn't that Mikan over there?"
Sure enough, Mikan Tsumiki sat behind a receptionist's desk, clipboard in hand. Her eyes landed on her classmates, and she offered them a small smile, blushing slightly. The two headed over to talk with the purple-haired nurse.
"W-What are y-you t-two doing h-here?" Mikan stuttered, looking nervously between the two. "It's a-after hours. I'm s-surprised you t-two even got in."
"Kirigiri sent me a text saying they found Kazuichi," Sonia said, pulling out her phone. She showed them the texts she had exchanged with the underclassmen.
"Is this true, mortal?" Gundham's eyes were wide, fingers twitching in anticipation. "Is he here?"
Mikan nodded, letting out a nervous yelp. "Ah, y-yes! They d-did f-find him! He's here, alright! B-But, I'm afraid v-visiting hours are o-over!"
"You can make an acception, right?" Sonia asked the female. "You do work here, after all. And you are his classmate."
The nurse shrieked, pulling at her choppy hair. "As m-much as I-I w-would like t-to, he's in c-critical condition. I'm a-afraid I'm n-not even allowed t-to see him. B-But I'm s-sure I c-can get you t-two in t-tomorrow!"
Sonia and Gundham let out sighs of relief. But didn't Mikan say he was in critical condition? Gundham got an uneasy feeling in his stomach when he though about that.
"C-Come b-back first thing in th-the morning!" Mikan told them. "I'll b-be sure t-to get y-you in then! B-But don't t-tell anyone he's h-here! Th-The m-media will b-be swarming him!"
They both promised the girl not to tell anyone before leaving. Gundham didn't know how to feel about this. He was happy Kazuichi was alive, but he was terrified that his lover was in critical condition.
That night, Gundham cried himself to sleep.
✧ | ✧ | ✧
"What do you mean he's gone missing?"
Gundham's voice was soft for once. He wasn't yelling, nor was he demanding that they tell him. He was just...quiet. Ungodly quiet.
He sat behind his school desk as he did every morning. Only this time, he wasn't looking at the lesson in disdain. His eyes focused on the group of police officers and detectives in front of the class.
"Kazuichi Souda hasn't been seen or heard from in the past week," Kyoko Kirigiri, the Ultimate Detective of the 78th Class, spoke. Of course she'd be running the case.
The Ultimate Breeder scoffed. "That doesn't mean he's missing. Maybe the mortal just doesn't want to be found."
"Why would you think that, Tanaka?"
He grew silent. He pressed his lips in a firm line, looking down at his desk. All attention was focused on him in that moment, and for once in his life, he felt incredibly small.
"He...Kazuichi and his father didn't have the best of relationships..." Gundham told them quietly, picking at his bandaged hand.
"Are you suggesting he ran away?" Kyoko inquired. "If that's the case-"
"No," he said a little louder, his deep voice beginning to tremble. "Kazuichi isn't the kind to do things like this. He wouldn't just...leave. He wouldn't do that."
The Ultimate Detective leaned against his desk, examining him with curiosity. She brought a hand to her chin, looking him up and down.
"Are you implying that someone took him?" She asked, standing up straight.
Gundham looked her dead in the eye, his voice cracking as he told her, "I'm implying that he is missing and you need to find him."
