Sorry guys for the major delay. Just work and life have keep my distracted. I will try to finish this, but I cannot promise a date when it will be finished. Thanks for understanding and enjoy.
The three friends stood in front of Ryuuji's apartment, unsure of what to do. Inko had come to Taiga's apartment because he had escaped from his cage and apartment due to intruders he had seen. They looked up at the staircase and saw the door. It was closed. Ami and Taiga faced Ryuuji, curious on what he would. Ryuuji breathed out heavily.
"Alright."
He took a couple of steps forward, but soon he felt a tug on his sleeve. He looked to his right.
"Ryuuji," Ami said. "Be careful."
Ryuuji nodded and started to walk towards the steps again. He soon felt a presence next to him and saw Taiga walking next to him.
"Taiga?"
"Knowing you, you'll need help. A master should always help her dog."
"Taiga."
Soon, he felt a tap behind him. He stopped and looked back. Ami had her face down, not hiding the fear she had.
"I-I'll go too."
"Huh?" questioned Taiga. "But you don't look so sure. You're obviously scared."
"… I can do it."
"But-"
"I want to be strong too."
"I don't know if this is about being strong."
"To be honest, I still have been scared since that guy attacked me. You guys looked so fearless. It's like that other time. Taiga, when I looked at you chase my stalker, I knew had to be strong. I quickly forgot when the guy attacked me, but I need to remember that I must be strong for myself."
"Stalker?" questioned Ryuuji.
"It was when we first met. You and I-"
Then Ami was reminded. She looked up at Ryuuji's bewildered
"Sorry, Ryuuji. Before your accident, I had a stalker problem that you and Taiga helped me out. That's around the time when you and I became friends."
"Oh," said a feeling-awkward Ryuuji. "Sorry."
Ami shook her head with a small smile.
"Don't be."
"Are you guys ready?" Taiga asked.
Ami and Ryuuji faced Taiga. Wordlessly, Ryuuji took the initiative and walked up the stairs. He put his hand on the doorknob and turned it. It turned completely. He gulped and was about to push the door open when he heard a voice.
"Ryuu-chan."
Ryuuji and the two girls looked back towards the street to see Yasuko facing them.
"Are you alright?"
"Yasuko?"
"Sorry I was late. I called Taiga, and she said that you were sleeping at her apartment."
Yasuko smiled.
"I was very relieved to hear that," she added.
Ryuuji and Ami faced Taiga. She stared blankly, looking like she was trying to remember. She embarrassedly smiled and stood proud, though it was obvious that she had forgotten.
"Yeah…um…"
"You probably were so tired you forgot," whispered Ami.
"Shut it, you Stupidchi."
"Oh, Ryuuji, are you going inside now?" asked Yasuko.
"Yes, but-"
"Wait."
Yasuko, as fast as she could on high heels, ran towards Ryuuji and placed her hand on the doorknob.
"Ryuuji, I should go first."
As Yasuko turned the doorknob, Ryuuji got into some type of fighting stance. Ami saw him in the corner of her eyes and made a small smile. Yasuko slowly pushed the door and entered. The three high-schoolers followed her.
"Hello?" she called out.
Ryuuji shook his head.
"No one's going to answer you," whispered Ryuuji.
They looked forward to see that their kitchen and bathroom was clear. The door to the dining area was open. Yasuko carefully walked to the dining area and saw that the only things out of place were Inko's page. The cage door had been opened and the door to the wooden patio was open. The doors to Ryuuji's and Yasuko's rooms were close.
"Ryuuji, let's check your room first," said Yasuko.
Ryuuji nodded and went to the front of the door. He carefully slid the door and saw that his room was clear. However, a couple of things seemed out of place. He saw that one of two small photo frames had the photo missing. It was the one when he graduated from middle school. His mother had stood next to him as he held his diploma and tried to smile. He had tried to put it away, but his mother had always placed on his desk every time until he just gave up. Yasuko walked up to the empty frame and lightly touched it.
"The picture missing. I loved that one. It reminded me my little Ryuu-chan grew up."
Yasuko looked back and saw Taiga and Ami on each side of him. She smiled as a tear went down.
"Yep," she said as she wiped her tear away.
Yasuko grabbed the frame.
"I'm going to check my room."
Yasuko walked to her room and slid the door open to see that her two photo albums were on the floor.
"Oh, my."
Ryuuji walked to her.
"Photos again."
Yasuko sat down on her knees and skimmed through her photo albums.
"It's weird that photos are the things out of place," commented Ami.
"It's kind of creepy if you ask me," said Taiga. "What kind of sicko does that?"
"There's only a couple of missing," said Yasuko, "like the time we went to the shrine three years ago. And the one when we went to the park to so you could do some bug-catching. And the school festival when your elementary school class did "Little Red-Riding Hood". I worked so hard on your costume."
"Hard to imagine you in a play," said Taiga.
Ryuuji blushed in embarrassment.
"Who did he play as?" asked Ami with a cute voice.
"He was the-"
"That's not important now," interrupted Ryuuji. "We should do something about the missing photos."
"I'll call the police."
Before Yasuko pulled out her phone, Ryuuji stopped her.
"… Do you need to?" asked Ryuuji.
Yasuko looked at him curiously.
"I think we do. Just to file a report."
Ami and Taiga looked at Ryuuji, knowing why he said what he said. To get the police involved was probably going to signal the person or persons who broke in that they knew. They were probably in the same gang as the guy who tried to kidnap Ami was in. However, they could not say anything. They did not want to alarm Ryuuji's mom. Knowing Yasuko, she would call the police.
"Yeah, but…"
"Ryuuji, I'm calling."
Ryuuji knew he did not have control on what his mother would do without an explanation. To tell her that a gang might target them before police could help would set a spiral of fear down her spine. Without this explanation, he could not stop his mother. However, he had to try.
"Yasuko-san, please trust me. You cannot call the police."
"Ryujji, I can," she said as she opened her flip phone, "and I will do so. To think some creep…"
She suddenly stopped herself to think. Thoughts about what was going on now and what had happened the past couple of days. What she thought the most of was…him. She remembered her past and knew she was at one time place in a situation similar to this one. The man had told her not to call the police and told her it was for her safety. She believed him and relied on him for his protection. After a few weeks, everything was taken care of. Ryuuji was only an infant when the man declared it safe. She closed her phone and looked at Ryuuji.
"Okay," she replied in a worried voice.
I'm pretty sure it was him. Only a few photos of Ryuuji and me are missing. And he might still have the keys of this apartment. He was always so sly.
"Really?" Ryuuji questioned.
"Well, if you are protecting me, I guess that's okay," giggled Yasuko.
Ryuuji, Ami, and Taiga smiled in relief.
"But I don't think it is safe to stay here. Um, Taiga, can I have Ryuuji stay with you for a while."
Ami looked back at Taiga. Taiga saw her look and slyly smiled.
"Yeah."
"Isn't it a little too close here?" whispered Ami.
"What was that?" asked Yasuko.
Ami shook her head.
"Nothing. Hey, Ryuuji, want to get some food?"
"Food?"
"Yeah. We haven't had breakfast yet, and we need to think of something."
"I guess-"
"I'll do something," said Yasuko. "I think I can end this."
"Mmmhhh?"
"Don't worry. I can end this."
"But how ca-"
"Don't think about the small details. Go eat. Yasuko can handle this."
"But-"
"Trust me. I'll get in contact with..."
Yasuko stopped herself and looked at the three high school students. She smiled and waved it off.
"I'm going to see Asaki to see if I can stay with her."
"What?" Ami wondered. "Y-You're not going to st-stay w-with T-Taiga?"
"I need to talk with her to get her help with this. You go eat. I'll text you later."
"But Yasuko-"
Yasuko showed Ryuuji some yen out of her pocket.
"Here. Now go eat. You girls take care of him."
Ryuuji wanted to tell his mother that she should not get involved, but he saw her eyes. He saw determination and love for her child. He felt that he could not stop her, no matter what he said.
"Okay. I am a little hungry."
Ryuuji looked at Ami and Taiga and smiled.
"Are you guys hungry too?"
They nodded, and the trio left. Yasuko smiled.
"My Ryuuji. He has made friends with such good girls."
Yasuko looked down at the photo albums.
"It was him. I know it was… I do not want to get Ryuuji involved."
Yasoku picked up the photo albums and flipped through the pages. Soon, she noticed one picture that was from long ago. It was a photo when Ryuuji was just barely born. It was a day or two after they had arrived from the hospital. It was when he was around. They had asked the apartment manager of the different apartment they used to live in to take a photo of them in their home. However, the picture was not the picture she remembered. She dropped the photo album, shocked that her son's face was crossed off with a pen.