Childhood Friends

Chapter 5: The Apartment

Kaito felt like he had been hit by a brick when he started to wake up. It was almost like he had a terrible hangover. Did someone slip a drug into his drink last night? It felt like it. His body was heavy and he couldn't move much. He was laying on something hard and cold. It felt like hard wood. It didn't feel like the smooth floorboards that he had at home. It felt quite rough and unkempt. There was this musty smell lingering in the air. Kaito slowly opened his eyes. His vision was a little blurry at first, but he could easily figure out that wherever he was, it wasn't his home. The walls were a horrible blur of dark colours and seemed to be old. The air was cold and it felt like a breeze kept ripping through the room. Kaito couldn't tell what the furniture looked like because his eyes were still adjusting a little.

Kaito closed his eyes, hoping that it would help clear his head a little more. He racked his brain to try to remember what had happened. School was over and he was heading home. No, wait. No, he wasn't. He was following Maki. They were going to the bad side of town. That's when Maki...killed...that guy. Kaito's eyes snapped wide open when he remembered what had happened. After seeing what Maki had done, she rushed right at him. She must have knocked him out and brought him to...wherever this place is. Kaito groaned a little as he felt his head throb a little. He tried to raise his hand to feel the bump on his head, but he couldn't get it to move. It was restricted to behind his back. He tried to move both his hands, but they didn't get very far. Suddenly his mind was more awake at his current predicament. Rough rope dug harshly into his skin as he tried to move his hands more. He tried to move his legs as well, but they were tied up as well. He tried to speak but tape had been plastered over his mouth. He gave up trying to break free as he felt the harsh material getting close to piercing the skin. Sighing a little in defeat, he thought it would be best to get a better look at his surroundings. Using his elbow, he started to push himself up into a sitting position. After a few times, he manages to sit up. He pushed himself back until he was leaning back on the wall closest to him. The door was opposite him, allowing him to look at whoever comes through it.

Now that his vision had cleared up more, he was able to have a better look at the room he was in. It seemed to be a bedroom. Was it Maki's? It was almost completely run down. The wallpaper was old fashioned and at least half of it was peeled off of the walls, revealing pen markers graffitiing the walls. The ceiling had mould in the corners, thanks to the cold, and possible damp, atmosphere that the room held. The floor was completely bare, showing evidence that the carpet that was previously there in the past had been ripped off. The windows were boarded up, letting a few streams of the late afternoon light into the room. Telling by the position of the sunlight, Kaito could tell that he had been out for at least a couple of hours. Despite the condition of the room itself, the mattress and sheets on the old bed seemed to look almost brand new. It was clear that Maki really was living here.

Kaito tried to see if there was anything he could use to free himself with. He couldn't see anything that could be of any help. He noticed his bag by the bed in the corner of the room, but there wasn't anything in there that he could use to help free himself with. He kept trying to see anything like a nail or anything like that, believing that there had to be something. He was stopped short when he heard muffled footsteps approaching the door. He stayed still, narrowing his eyes in case whoever it was coming, wasn't who he wanted it to be. The door slowly opened, the hinges loudly creaking as it was pushed. Kaito relaxed when he saw Maki standing in the doorway. She didn't look emotionless or frustrated like she did back in the alley. Instead she seemed regretful, like she didn't want to do this to Kaito in the first place. She took a silent, deep breath and started to walk towards him.

"Damn it, Momota! You weren't supposed to be there. Why didn't you listen to me?" She scowled as she looked down at him. Kaito could see the anger in her eyes starting to appear. He broke eye contact with her, feeling ashamed by his stupid actions. He didn't think things through. He should have waited a little longer. Maki took another deep breath and she knelt down in front of him. Kaito looked up at her and saw that she seemed to be calm again. "If I take the gag off, will you promise to stay quiet?" After a second, Kaito nodded his head. He needed answers to the questions he has. Maki stared at him. It was clear to see that she was deciding if he'll keep his word or not. After a minute or two, Maki slowly raised a hand towards him. "This might hurt a little." Kaito braced himself a bit and the tape was ripped off of him. He winced a little after the unpleasant stinging sensation was left on his face for a few seconds. When it left, Maki had unscrewed a fresh bottle of water that was out of Kaito's sight on top of the dresser that was in the room. Silently, she offered it to the Ultimate Astronaut. It was only then that Kaito realised how dry his throat was. He gratefully accepted what was offered to him. He felt content as the refreshing, cool liquid trickled down his throat. Maki took the water away when she felt that Kaito had enough of it.