Death of a Student [Bad End, WIP]
Posted: Sat May 12, 2012 3:27 am
Go easy on me, this is literally my first fanfiction, and the first I've written in years. Obviously incomplete, for now. Enjoy.
Part 1: Mutou, scene 1
Part 2: Kenji, scene 1
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The office door closed behind the investigator. The local police station was dark, dingy, and smelled faintly of cigarette smoke. The station seemed to exist only to clash with this perfect night. Nearly perfect, I reminded myself; how could I forget? The boy's blood, still damp, coated the front of my blazer; it had even soaked through to my shirt in a few places. I felt unclean, even after being allowed to scrub my arms and chest; even in a new shirt provided by a sympathetic officer, my skin crawled. I shifted uncomfortably in my seat, trying not to think of what had transpired not long ago.
The investigator cleared his throat. Startled from my reverie, I met his gaze, unsure of what to say. Thankfully, he broke the silence first. "Good evening, Mr. Mutou," he said in a even, professional manner. "I'm the investigator assigned to the Nakai case." His demeanor conveyed a sense of manufactured apathy, as if he was trying to separate himself from everything emotionally. I couldn't blame him; death was death, no matter how many times you encountered it in your career. I felt a small kinship with him; after teaching class after class, year after year of students, all with various disabilities, I had to distance myself from it the same way.
The investigator ran a hand through his wavy, graying hair and stated, "As I understand, you were first on the scene when the boy... met his untimely end."
"Yes sir," I replied weakly. "I was close enough to see it happen clearly."
Apparently satisfied with my short response, the investigator continued speaking. "Before I question you about what happened earlier tonight, I'd like to ask you to recount your experiences with Mr. Nakai," he explained. "We're not entirely sure what happened yet, but we'd like to get an idea of why it happened. I feel you would be able to offer unique insight into his general demeanor, and his interactions with the other students."
His reasoning was sound; I had taught the boy six days out of the week, and observed him elsewhere before and after school. Forcing the images of the boy's final moments out of mind, I opened my mouth to speak; it was then that I realized I was shivering. No, not shivering; shaking like a dead leaf in the autumn wind. My mind craved a cigarette; surely, the nicotine would calm my nerves?
I met the investigator's gaze again. "Do you mind if I smoke? Nerves, y'know," I exhaled with a small, forced chuckle. He nodded, and I quickly walked over to where my blazer hung on the wall. Reaching into the right pocket and removing the pack, I immediately noticed a dampness. My heart sunk; I didn't need to look inside to know what was lurking within. I let the pack slide from my hand, almost without thinking. It hit the floor with a damp thud. I turned to the investigator with a weak smile. "Can you spare one?" I inquired with a heaviness in my voice. I had meant for the words to come out in a joking manner, but I couldn't bring myself to do it.
I briefly excused myself from the room to clean my hands and try to compose myself. As I walked back towards the investigator's office, I heard a commotion being raised. Voices approached rapidly, and before I knew it, two large officers passed. Between them, they were dragging a familiar-looking young man, clad in a dirty, disheveled Yamaku school uniform. He was busy ranting and raving about something that sounded like... feminists? World domination? Something had clearly agitated him greatly; I briefly wondered what part he had in the investigation.
I heard a throat clear to my left; the investigator had caught me staring. He motioned me back into the office, a freshly-lit cigarette dangling lazily from his lips. "Here," he said, placing a pack of cigarettes in front of me as I sat down. "It's nearly full. I hate to encourage a bad habit, but you look as if you need it right now." I smiled wanly and thanked him, my hands shaking slightly as I pulled out a cigarette and lit it. After a few long drags, I could feel myself calming down. Not my usual brand, but still quite smooth. The investigator briefly left the room, then returned with an ashtray. I tapped the end of the cigarette in it, taking a moment to stop and collect my thoughts.
After another long drag, I sighed and inquired, "What would you like to know, investigator?"
Part 1: Mutou, scene 1
Part 2: Kenji, scene 1
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The office door closed behind the investigator. The local police station was dark, dingy, and smelled faintly of cigarette smoke. The station seemed to exist only to clash with this perfect night. Nearly perfect, I reminded myself; how could I forget? The boy's blood, still damp, coated the front of my blazer; it had even soaked through to my shirt in a few places. I felt unclean, even after being allowed to scrub my arms and chest; even in a new shirt provided by a sympathetic officer, my skin crawled. I shifted uncomfortably in my seat, trying not to think of what had transpired not long ago.
The investigator cleared his throat. Startled from my reverie, I met his gaze, unsure of what to say. Thankfully, he broke the silence first. "Good evening, Mr. Mutou," he said in a even, professional manner. "I'm the investigator assigned to the Nakai case." His demeanor conveyed a sense of manufactured apathy, as if he was trying to separate himself from everything emotionally. I couldn't blame him; death was death, no matter how many times you encountered it in your career. I felt a small kinship with him; after teaching class after class, year after year of students, all with various disabilities, I had to distance myself from it the same way.
The investigator ran a hand through his wavy, graying hair and stated, "As I understand, you were first on the scene when the boy... met his untimely end."
"Yes sir," I replied weakly. "I was close enough to see it happen clearly."
Apparently satisfied with my short response, the investigator continued speaking. "Before I question you about what happened earlier tonight, I'd like to ask you to recount your experiences with Mr. Nakai," he explained. "We're not entirely sure what happened yet, but we'd like to get an idea of why it happened. I feel you would be able to offer unique insight into his general demeanor, and his interactions with the other students."
His reasoning was sound; I had taught the boy six days out of the week, and observed him elsewhere before and after school. Forcing the images of the boy's final moments out of mind, I opened my mouth to speak; it was then that I realized I was shivering. No, not shivering; shaking like a dead leaf in the autumn wind. My mind craved a cigarette; surely, the nicotine would calm my nerves?
I met the investigator's gaze again. "Do you mind if I smoke? Nerves, y'know," I exhaled with a small, forced chuckle. He nodded, and I quickly walked over to where my blazer hung on the wall. Reaching into the right pocket and removing the pack, I immediately noticed a dampness. My heart sunk; I didn't need to look inside to know what was lurking within. I let the pack slide from my hand, almost without thinking. It hit the floor with a damp thud. I turned to the investigator with a weak smile. "Can you spare one?" I inquired with a heaviness in my voice. I had meant for the words to come out in a joking manner, but I couldn't bring myself to do it.
I briefly excused myself from the room to clean my hands and try to compose myself. As I walked back towards the investigator's office, I heard a commotion being raised. Voices approached rapidly, and before I knew it, two large officers passed. Between them, they were dragging a familiar-looking young man, clad in a dirty, disheveled Yamaku school uniform. He was busy ranting and raving about something that sounded like... feminists? World domination? Something had clearly agitated him greatly; I briefly wondered what part he had in the investigation.
I heard a throat clear to my left; the investigator had caught me staring. He motioned me back into the office, a freshly-lit cigarette dangling lazily from his lips. "Here," he said, placing a pack of cigarettes in front of me as I sat down. "It's nearly full. I hate to encourage a bad habit, but you look as if you need it right now." I smiled wanly and thanked him, my hands shaking slightly as I pulled out a cigarette and lit it. After a few long drags, I could feel myself calming down. Not my usual brand, but still quite smooth. The investigator briefly left the room, then returned with an ashtray. I tapped the end of the cigarette in it, taking a moment to stop and collect my thoughts.
After another long drag, I sighed and inquired, "What would you like to know, investigator?"