The New Motive

Assistance

"Nice try," the officer laughed, "but I'm gonna have to ask you two what your real names are. Then I'll have to phone your parents. Do they know you're here?"

About a half hour later they were arguing about how they weren't lying that there were still other kids trapped in the school and how they'd managed to escape, but no one seemed to believe them.

"No, I assure you, I am Shuichi Saihara. Why on earth would I lie about something like that?"

"Yeah, he's obviously telling the truth," Kokichi butted in, "evan an idiot could figure that out."

"That's no way to speak to an officer young man," he replied sternly, pointing at the violette as he spoke.

"Yeah, sure, whatever. Come on, Shu, let's go." Then he got up and started was walking towards the other to help him up.

"G- go where?"

"Well, you're going to the hospital."

"Ouma, no, I'm fine. I promise. It's really not as bad as it seems," he tried to convince the shorter, wincing in pain as he tried to walk to prove it.

"Hey, kids," the officer interrupted, "do you guys want a ride there? I do believe that you're lying about who you are, but you look pretty hurt."

"If you feel like being useful to us, you might as well," Kokichi snapped at him.

"What did I tell you? Watch what comes out of your mouth, mister. Just take him to the first car on the right, I'll be there in a moment."

It was apparent that Kokichi was certainly not a fan of the officer's, but he did as he'd said anyways, escorting Shuichi to a parked car on the side of the building.

. . .

The doctors found out that the detective had bruised one of the muscles in his leg during the fall, but that it was a minor injury and that he should be just fine. They bandaged it up for him, but Kokichi continued insisting on helping him around anyways.

The officer, who's name they realized they never caught, then drove them back to the station to phone their parents.

"Sir, please listen. There are still kids trapped inside that school. You need to get a team together to help them. We don't know how long they'll stay alive for. They need you."

"Kid, I need to call your parents or legal guardians. They can come pick you up. You can go home. Get some sleep. And in the morning we can all forget about this. I won't get you in trouble and it'll all be just a bad dream. Okay?"

"No. You don't get it. They can't escape on their own. They're being starved and forced to kill each other. Please help them."

"I need someone to call to come pick you two up. So, just give me a number."

"Sir, you're not listening to me. I ne-"

"Young man. A number."

"Just shut up!" Kokichi yelled at the two of them.

"How many times do I have to tell you-?"

"I don't care! Just fucking listen to him! Our friends are dying and you're telling us to just go home and forget about it! Do you even hear yourself? Well, newsflash buddy, neither of us have anywhere to go! And neither do any of those other kids! So get off your ass and help them!"

The officer seemed stunned at first, but then he narrowed his eyes sternly at the violette and spoke calmly.

"Get out," he placed some cash on the desk and slid it across to Shuichi. "Take this. Find a hotel to stay at. Get some food, medicine, whatever you need. Just don't come back here, because if you do, . . . you'll regret it. Especially you." He pointed at Kokichi and showed them out of the station, closing the doors behind them as dark clouds appeared overhead.

"Sai-chan? What's wrong?"

"No one's gonna help them," he muttered.

"Saihara, it's not your fault. You tried. You did your best."

"But I still couldn't save them, Ouma. I failed."

"Hey hey hey. It's all gonna be okay. I promise."

"Yeah?"

"Yeah. And I don't break my promises. You know how much I hate liars."

"Well I made a promise, too," he said as the rain began falling softly around them. They still stood under the awning of the station, but the faint pitter patter of the water against cement still reached them.

"What do you mean?"

"I made a promise," he repeated. "I made a promise to myself, but also to everyone else in the academy. I might not've said it aloud, but it was still there."

"And what might that be?"

"I promised that I'd save everyone. That one day we could all go home . . . and be happy again."

"Sai . . . hara?" Kokichi whispered, wondering If he was thinking what he thought he was.

"And I intend to keep that promise."

"No!" He hugged the taller tightly trying to keep him from moving. "You can't go back there! It's to dangerous!"

He hugged the shorter back, kissing his forehead and smiling down at him sadly.

"I have to," he said simply. "I have to at least try."

"B- but . . . no. I can't loose you. Not like that. I need you here. W- with me."

"Ouma."

"You can't go. Be- because without you . . . I- I'd be lost without you, Saihara," then Shuichi started walking down the steps back towards where they came from.

"Wait," Kokichi kept saying, chasing him in the cold rainy evening. He didn't even care that it soaked his hair and his uniform. "No, you can't go. Saihara don't. Please."

They finally arrived at the front of the school again and Shuichi made his way to the gates, pushing them open slightly before his boyfriend grabbed his arm.

"Sh- Shumai. Just listen to me. You don't have to do this. I can't loose you. You can't just leave me like this. Please."

The two just stood in the rain that now was pouring down upon them and the streets around them, looking at one another.

"I love you, Shuichi," the violette said quietly, grabbing his hand as he began crying, trying his best to hide it from the other.

Shuichi just smiled and replied quietly, "Then you won't forget me regardless." And with that he turned around and walked back up the steps to the school, letting Kokichis hand slip through his fingers, leaving him in the rain, stunned and unable to move.