It was late and she was just ready to go to bed when she received that call.
The screen blinked, vibrating in silence for some seconds.“Kanji’s mother?” the detective felt a sting of concern in her chest that only got more painful when she picked the phone up and heard the old woman’s tremulous voice.
Kanji disappearing for days was something his mother was used to before they meet senpai. The detective wouldn’t have been surprised to hear that if she wasn’t aware of the boy’s intentions of mending his attitude.
She could easily understand why his mother was so unsettled.… What could have happened…?
Naoto instinctively stared at the TV, holding her breath. That couldn’t be possible… it was all over…
The old woman was still gabbling, but the detective couldn’t say a word until the clock passed midnight.
No Midnight Channel. She let out a deep sight and tried to clam Kanji’s mother down.Once eliminated that theory…
Naoto was finally able to hung up. Rushing to her closet, she dressed up as fast as she could, analyzing all the information she had to ascertain Kanji’s whereabouts.Did his mother try phoning him? It was worth giving it a try.
She marked his number and waited, holding the mobile pressing it against her shoulder as she put her jacket on.
Acceptance.
That was Kanji’s primary desire in his life, to be accepted; for who he was, for what he enjoyed and was allured to. He couldn’t quite comprehend why people refused to do so. It was such an effortless task. Accepting a person with all their flaws and all their quirks, it wasn’t complicated, especially with minor flaws and quirks. So, why did everyone reject the idea of accepting Kanji ? Was he a bad person ? Not really. Yes, he tended to ditch school, but to assist his mother in the shop. Was he foul-mouthed ? Yes, but who wasn’t ? He was a teenager. He truly wasn’t a bad person, so, what gave people the right to treat him as such ? What gave them the right to shun him for who he was and what he liked ? Adults tended to repeat the mantra ‘be yourself,’ yet, when Kanji stuck to those words, he was treated poorly. Where was the fairness in all that ?
The incident occurred after class let out for the day, Kanji had been heading towards the exit when someone seized his jacket and yanked him backwards before roughly shoving him against a locker. His breath had caught in his throat in surprise, stormy hues wide. He stammered to demand what the kid wanted when he felt them snatch the knitted cat he had created during lunch and snickered. After a scuffle between the two and direct jabs at his sexuality, Kanji clocked the kid in the face, yanking his plush animal before taking off. Letting his feet carry him at a running pace wherever they so please, the high-schooler eventually found himself in an abandoned park. Slowing to a half-jog, Kanji glanced around before tucking himself away in the playground, sitting at the bottom end of the tube slide. He didn’t bother hiding himself, no one ever came here, so he stayed out in the open. He did, however, pull his knees to his chest, dabbing into the dark recesses of his mind. Even after battling his shadow and defeating it, he was still haunted by it. Why was this still occurring ? Why was he still suffering ? Why hasn’t his peace came yet ?
Night descended, but Kanji still refused to go home. He had abandoned his phone long ago, having turned it off and tucked it away so not to be bothered. He spent the entire day wandering the park or curling up somewhere to weep. He knew he should go back, or at least let his Ma have knowledge in where he was, but he had always done this. He despised facing his problems, so he would run. Literally. It was the Kanji Tatsumi way. Granted, ignoring his problems is what led to him battling his own Shadow, but regardless, he just didn’t know what to do.