Reiji was suspicious, though it was for a good reason. It's been some time now since the government had put the entire city in lockdown. So it was certainly weird that someone would be here, especially a child.
The only place where people were gathering the most was the police station, granted the only reason they are there is to report more murders.
Reiji went off to find the source of the cry and and arrived to a nearby playground. When he looked around, a young boy that looked to be around eight years old was crying on the swing.
No matter how he looked at it, this situation is strange. A child alone without any supervision, it was already reasonable grounds for him to think something is amiss.
'Could his parents abandoned him hoping he would get murdered?' Reiji thought. It disgusted him, but incidents like these were not uncommon in this era. And although he felt pity towards the boy, he had no responsibility to take care of the boy.
As sad as it was his hands were already full with the amount of work he does, and that's before having to take care of a child, but that doesn't mean he's not going to try.
He kneeled down in front of the boy trying to reassure him with his best caring voice. "Are you alright kid? Where are your parents?" Trying to get as much information as possible Reiji tried to hold a conversation hoping he could give some answers to his situation.
The kid with tears in his eyes replied in between sniffs "...Gone..."
'Well that isn't helpful' He hopelessly sighed
"I'll help you find your parents" The situation went just as well as Reiji had expected, which was frankly not good at all. In other words, if he wanted to make any progress it would probably be best if he gave the kid to the station for a while.
Reiji sighed, he reached out his hand to the boy "Come with me, you must be hungry" Gulping, the boy boy nodded and took his arm. It seemed like he wasn't one to talk, so Reiji didn't ask anymore and led started to walk to the station.
During the walk to the station Reiji didn't strike up a conversation with the kid, so the entirety of that time was filled with silence and the occasional bird cries. The seemingly long walk had finally come to an end when they stood in front of the station entrance.
When he entered the reception room was empty. His eyes tread to the ring bell on the reception table, he reached his hand towards the bell and gave it a few presses.
*Ding*
*Ding*
*Ding*
Reiji went to the nearest chair and sat there with the child, waiting for someone to come.
Claire who just finished her business in the bathroom was disturbed by the bell chime, wondering who it was she went to the reception room to see someone she didn't want to see again today.
"Mr.Reiji? Didn't I tell you to get some re-" The moment she entered the room her eyes trailed towards his hand who was holding the arm of a child.
Claire gave him a shocked look of horror "Sir... Did you kidnap this child..."
Reiji however only responded with a raised eyebrow and his signature monotone voice "What? No, why would you think that..."
Claire gave a fake sigh of relief "Teehe, just kidding, I know you wouldn't do that"
The former however was not amused and stared dryly at her humor "..."
Seeing as his reaction was not at all what she hoped for, she realized that the kid may be one of 'them' although she silently hope he was not. "Is it another one of them...?" Reiji only nodded at her question. The girl looked guilty, clearly ashamed because she joked about it.
Reiji stroked her head in an attempt to comfort her "Don't worry too much about it, we have no control in this situation"
"In any case, we can't leave this child without any supervision" He continued.
Claire thought for a second "Why don't you leave him here, there' is always someone on shift in the station"
Reiji nodded "Yes, that's also what I thought"
He tried to lead the boy to the inside of the station, but Claire blocked his path.
"Claire?"
The aforementioned spoke with a sweet tone "Mr.Reiji, why don't you leave him to me and you just go home and rest?"
"Are you su-"
Claire released a threatening aura, she was not going to let him work anymore than he did today.
Reiji sighed "Alright then... I'll leave him to you"
The aura dissipated and what was left was her smiling. "Great, now you go home and relax, we can handle it" She pushed the investigator out of the building, reassuring him that it would all be fine.
That evening Reiji wandered around the town for no apparent reason, the last few months had been extremely stressful and now suddenly he was able to relax after a while.
He walked along the sidewalk looking at the vibrant city lights that contrasted with the empty roads. Reiji aimlessly walked to a nearby food shop that he used to go to with his wife.
*Ding*
The shop owner looked at Reiji suprised at the familiar customer. The owner was an old lady that lived in the apartment near this place, ever since Reiji moved to Tokyo his late mother would always bring him here to eat.
This place was littered with the memories of his childhood, even after he got married he would always bring his wife to eat here, that was until she was killed. Reiji couldn't bring himself to go back here as it would always hurt him.
She stepped away from the kitchen and patted him, but since he was much taller she could only pat his sides "Oh my, if it isn't Reiji dear"
Reiji gave a rare smile at the old lady "It's good to see you too Rei"
"I haven't seen you ever since Saya pa-" The owner covered her mouth "Oh, I'm sorry dear, I didn't mean to remind you"
"No... it's alright, I can't keep running from the past"
The owner looked at him with tears welling up in her eyes "She was such a good girl..."
The thought of his late wife pained him, but the joy he got from the memories he had with her overweighed it "That she was..."
The owner wiped her tears away, and walked back to her kitchen "Why don't you sit down, I'll cook you your favorite dish, don't worry about paying"
Reiji sat down at a table next to him. As the clock ticks by he looks around the shop, the atmosphere didn't change at all since he last came. The comforting music that played in the background while the sound of boiling stock played with it.
It was the kind of atmosphere you would expect when you just got home and you see your wife or mother cooking in the kitchen. He yearned for the day he would experience this story, but this was something Reiji could not wish for anymore.
His thoughts was stopped by the sound of the metal clanging, the pot had finished boiling and the metal lid bounced around from the pressure inside the pot.
"The food is almost ready, just sit tight" The voice of the old lady calmed him down. He asked himself 'when was it since I felt like this?'
When the the owner finished cooking, she brought the food right to his table. "Be careful dear, it's hot" She sat on the chair on the other side of the table watching him stare at the bowl of noodles in front of him.
Staring at the bowl of hot ramen Reiji took a pair of chopsticks and took a mouthful of noodles. The moment it entered his mouth he huffed from how hot it was. But even though it was hot, he couldn't stop taking another bite.
This was it.
I remember this.
The memories from before that day came flooding back, he remembered when he ate with his mother, he recalled when his mother would have to force feed him the vegetables because he didn't like green.
Then he remembered the first time his wife ate here, he wouldn't forget the face she made when she ate the hot bowl of noodles. He wouldn't stop teasing how funny she looked when she spit the food out because of how hot it was.
"Be careful dear, I told you it was hot" She was worried, but when she saw his face she just made a small smile "How was it?"
His tears drop on the table, yet he wasn't sad the hopeless feelings he's had ever since he lost his wife was gone "It was delicious..."
The owner just smiled "That's great to hear"