I don't want this fight to be something we're never supposed to win... -- Florence Joyce
xxxxxx
[Rinako]
I was tired of running. I could feel that but I chose not to pay attention to it. All I wanted to do was to run and run until I finally find that heck of a guy.
Damn it! He was already out of my sight and all, but that jerk still could turn my mind haywire.
But even with that, I had to admit that I couldn't help feeling worried for him. It was as if a hand clenched my heart tight every time I would think that he could be in danger that he imposed onto himself. That guy doesn't have any care at all when it comes to himself. What was important to him was his emotions—his rage and hate.
And that was the worst!
That was why I had to find him as soon as possible.
'Sorry if I didn't inform you about this, Mayu.'
But I just didn't want my cousin to laugh at me for doing this for the guy whose guts I knew I hated to the core since day one. I didn't want to hear that from her at the moment. Finding Setsuji and as much as possible, stopping him from whatever mad actions his mind had come up with should be my goal.
I halted to a stop and panted hard with my hands placed on my knees. Seriously! My chest hurt because of too much running. But it was okay. I guessed it was worth it. Besides, it was my fault, anyway.
But I didn't regret listening to Mayu and Shuji's conversation earlier. I was right when I thought that he brought some bad news. Not only did I learn that Setsuji was still sick even after three days that he didn't attend his classes, but also that he was missing since the other night.
"What in the world is running in your mind, you irritating jerk? Don't you have anything better to do other than to give me more headaches to endure because of you?" Oh, great! I was going crazy. Why was I asking this to someone who wasn't even in front of me?
Oh, great! It looked like I would be the one to end up insane here before I realized it.
I had no idea what came to me and decided to storm out of the school. The moment I heard the name "Kataoka-san", I knew Setsuji was at it again. He would start hurting other people again. He would destroy more lives.
Kiho's words kept ringing in my mind. That I was the only one who could stop Setsuji from doing that. But heck! How was I supposed to do that? Here I was, having a hard time trying to keep up with the way his mind worked.
And the most important question of all...
Where would I start looking for that jerk?
Damn it! Why didn't I think of that earlier? I was starting to lose my mind.
Okay. Think, Rinako. Think. Make your brain function properly.
It went like that for a few moments, though I wasn't sure if it even lasted for a minute or two.
Until I realized something.
Was it possible that... the jerk I was looking for wasn't at the place where Setsuji found Kataoka Yuka? Besides, what could be the reason for him to return to that place? If that was the case, then that location was out of the list of possible places.
I was sure it wasn't the building where Izumi Kiho was thrown to his death. According to Yushiro, the building was demolished a long time ago. There wasn't any infrastructure built there until this moment.
"Great! Now everything's not conspiring to at least help me with this." It wasn't enough that I've been acting like a detective here for thinking too much. Like Nancy Drew, though I was sure I won't even come close to that.
Nothing would come up.
Until I remembered something. It was the words that Kiho said...
~"The reason why Setsuji-kun arrived home full of bruises and wounds was that he ended up beating up the people who were with the girl that happened to be my brother's girlfriend. Setsuji-kun forced them to confess where Kataoka Yuka-san was but they were tight-lipped about it. They remained like that even though he nearly killed them with punches and kicks that were full of Setsuji-kun's rage..."~
"Where did Setsuji find those guys who were with Kataoka-san that night?" Yes, I was aware that I looked like an idiot for talking to myself at the moment.
I had been asking a question that no one could help me answer at all.
I took my cellphone that was placed inside my bag. It was my brother's gift to me last Christmas, though it wasn't truly enough to compensate for not attending the occasion like he used to. He knew what I did with my old phone, that I threw it away for a reason. I scrolled through the list of contacts stored in that phone. Of all the people that I could ask, only two names stood out.
Yushiro and Kiho.
But who was I supposed to ask between these two about the answer that I needed? Geez! This was no time to contemplate that.
Argh! Whatever.
With a heavy sigh, I pressed the number to who I needed to talk and called that person.
"Hello? I need your help with something."