Liars and How To Find Them

XIV : Wait, No!

This was taking a lot more effort than usual, but Furuta understood why. With every investigator that approached him this morning, he kept getting caught off guard and thinking they were here to question him about you. Of course, none of them came up to him for that very reason until late in the afternoon.

By that time, he had started the 'worried boyfriend' act, knowing that it would be too suspicious if he shrugged off your unjustified absence at work. When your co-worker finally walked up to him to ask if you were sick, he tried his best to sound worried, which surprisingly didn't take him a lot of effort. Once he expressed his concern over your unexpected day off and the fact that you were currently MIA, the foolish girl nodded and hurriedly walked away, probably to warn higher ups of your disappearance.

For a few moments after the first day, he felt immensely satisfied. Had he scared you? Had he scared the investigator (L/N) into hiding? Had you gotten killed? Ran away from Japan altogether?

However, his smugness about the situation didn't last very long when he realized not having an eye on you right now might as well be his downfall.

You're intelligent; that much, he's well aware of. And you're most likely aware that Furuta can't see where you are right now, meaning he can't stop you if you leak information about him. You technically went into hiding, and if you were to barge into the CCG office right now, there was no way he could stop you before you speak to a higher up, who will obviously want to know why you weren't at work.

He was cornered. Furuta didn't think this through. Because of some anonymous source, which he still can't retrace, he was dead. As soon as you come out of hiding -- which he has no idea when it will be, considering he has no information about your current whereabouts --, you have the power to destroy his life. And knowing it'll be fair for Ami's parents, you will stop at nothing to let the truth out, will you?

When the third day rolled around, Furuta couldn't help but wonder what would have happened if he had acted on his feelings instead of his mission. There was no denying now that you had somehow gotten him infatuated to say the least, but... Would that have been a better outcome? Either way, you would have known about him... But if he would have been honest with himself, if he hadn't been denying so much, would his life be better right now?

On the fifth day, Furuta took a day off from the CCG. The tension was getting higher by the minute. Whenever he could, he'd have a view of the lobby through his computer, looking at the screen as soon as movement was caught by the camera. If things kept going this way, he was going to have a heart attack every time someone with (h/c) hair would walk in.

And so, he decided to wander around Tokyo instead of going to the bureau. It was probably better this way. Who knows? He might spot you somewhere in the crowd. Maybe today was the day where he can 'fix' this... issue he's been having. But even then, what would he do if he found you? Kill you? Lock you up somewhere? Brainwash you and have you lose all memory of him? Let you destroy his life and plans? None of those options tempted him.

Before he could let his mind drift even further into anxiety and worst-case scenarios, someone grabbed him by the arm and dragged him to a secluded place. He let himself get pulled away by the stranger, planning to strike as soon as they were away from the crowd, until the familiar head of black hair and tattoos struck him in the face.

"What a surprise to see you out of your studio, Uta!" Nimura cheered, hiding his worry behind a bright smile.

"You'd be dead right now if it weren't for us." The ghoul said, going straight to the point. "I knew you weren't alright up there, but are you barking mad? Letting (L/N) escape is literally suicide."

Alarms and red flags rose in Furuta's mind. "And why would I have to thank you? If anything, they either ran away or died right now." He decided to play the oblivious card right now, knowing Uta will most likely tell him anyways.

"Itori caught them before they could disappear from our radar. We're going to dispose of them as soon as the CCG think they've gone missing for good."

"You Clowns!" Furuta nonchalantly cooed as his brain begged him to do something. Probably something to ensure your survival, but even then... He's screwed if he lets you see the light of day again. "Always saving my ass when I don't need it."

"'When you don't need it?'" Uta repeated, a smug smile on his lips. "If so, I'll just call Itori to tell her she can release them. We made sure they didn't spill any info, but that arrangement can changed if you so desire it." He suggested, already digging through his pockets for his phone.

Oh, so Uta was planning on making him swallow his pride now, was he?

"I'm sure you're too proud to let your oh so precious detective go." Nimura shot back. "After all, you did say we shouldn't underestimate them. If I go down, they'll most likely bring you down as well."

The mask artist's smile only spread even more. For a second, Furuta thought he was still going to let you go -- which would be a total disaster --, but the ghoul in front of him kept his phone in his pocket.

Seeing as none of them were going to say anything, the CCG investigator simply turned his back on the Clown and walked away with a new dilemma.

He can't let the clowns have you, but he can't let you live either. You're going to ruin everything...

But at the same time, whether you believe it or not anymore, you're his and nothing can change that. Just now, he decided to come to terms with his unfortunate attachement and there was no way in hell he'd just give it up because some Clowns kidnapped you for his 'well-being'. That ghoul organization was as much of a backstabber as he. He knew that, even if Uta didn't mention it, you were currently being tortured both psychologically and physically. What he hoped was that you didn't let out any information whatsoever, even though he would understand if you did. It would be part of your revenge against him, to avenge your broken heart.

As the torn male walked through the busy streets of Tokyo, his decision became clearer and clearer.

Even if his 'plan' would wipe out that possibility, Furuta knows that deep within him, he wants to have a normal life. And he knows that you have what he needs to make that happen. All he needs is you, explanations, apologies, and a second chance.