Story Downloaded from Open Scrolls Archive (https://www.openscrolls.net)

Title: Don't Give Up (On Me) (#4601)
Author: isilelensar
Chapters: 13

Archive: Haikyu!!
Category: Alternate Universe
Description: She'd been taken away from him. He'd do whatever it takes to get her back.
Published: 02 Aug 2022
Updated: 02 Aug 2022
Warnings: canon divergent, semiyachi, implied sex
Type: Romance
Characters: Semi Eita, Yachi Hitoka


Chapter 1 - One

Oda, Shimane Prefecture

“Do you like it?” the voice behind her asked, sounding hopeful. A voice she loathed, but had no choice but to listen to. The blindfold he’d made her wear fell away from her eyes. She flinched at the brightness, and squinted until her eyes acclimated. It took her a moment to scan the room.
“It’s fine, I guess,” she replied indifferently, and stepped inside, dropping her bag to the floor.

It was bigger than most of the others she’d been consigned to. In fact, it was damn near palatial; one wall was nothing but windows, with a view of the sea. It was roughly the size of a luxury hotel room, or maybe a large studio apartment. Complete with kitchenette, a bathroom, and a closet. There was a round dining table with four chairs in front of the windows. The bed was huge, too.

If only she were here at any other time.
If only she were here with Eita.
Maybe then she’d actually like it.

“How long are we going to be here?”
“Long enough. Do you need anything?”
“No. I’m good.”
“You haven’t eaten since last night…”
“I’m not hungry.”
“I’ll buy you some food.”
“Where are we, anyway?”
“We’re safe. For now.”

Hitoka snorted as he left, quietly ordering Kyotani to stand watch, and closing the door with only the clicking of the lock sounding through the room. It was always like this. He pretended he cared, while she pretended she was fine. But it was mostly obsession on his part, and loathing on hers. She kept telling herself to not give up, to keep hoping they’d find her and bring her back home. Unfortunately, he still kept them moving, unable to remain in one place too long for fear of being caught.

Well, hopefully, her little messages were finding their recipients. She hated feeling useless, and if there was any way to leave a clue, leave some sort of trail, let those she knew were doing everything in their power to find her, she’d do it. The notes were small, something that could go unnoticed by her abductor and his henchman, or anyone else he trusted to help him. And for all that he kept saying he loved and adored her, he didn’t trust her with any kind of technology. No phone, no laptop, nothing. If she was allowed anything, it was heavily encrypted, and programmed to notify him of any suspicious activity.

Picking up her bag, she put it on the bed and opened it. She dug through clothing and found the small case she’d managed to keep with her. All it contained was a few small notepads, a couple pens, and two carefully tended photographs. Both selfies, but each with different people.

The first, she was smiling and laughing with Kei and Tetsu in line for a rollercoaster at a theme park.
The second… “Oh, Eita.”

It was her favorite picture of all the ones she took that day in Osaka. It was the last selfie they’d taken together, the castle in the background from the former guest house. Eita had surprised her by wrapping an arm around her from behind, ducked just enough so that their faces were close together, and then snapped the pic with her phone. Hitoka looked surprised, but her eyes were glowing and she was smiling brilliantly. Eita was also smiling, but his expression looked… happy, content.

“Only photograph what you love,” Tetsu said quietly, and Hitoka’s gaze snapped up to him. “Isn’t that how the saying goes?”
“Yeah. One of my favorites.”
“Says the photographer.” Kei snorted and smirked at her. “Don’t deny it. You love him.”
“Well, yeah. Of course I do,” she murmured. “We’ve been together for almost two years now.”
“With our help,” he reminded her, clicking so that another picture of Eita appeared. He’d tried not to smile, and failed, causing them both to laugh. “He’s never looked so happy. Not in the time I’ve known him.”
“I can verify,” Tetsu agreed. “He’s never looked that happy.”

The doorknob rattled and the door cracked open. Luckily, her back was toward it, so she quickly hid the case while acting like she was going through her bag.

“I didn’t buy much, but I hope it’ll do until I can buy more.”
“I already told you; I’m not hungry.”
“I am…”
“So cook something.”
“I’m not the best cook.”
“No, you’re not. But surely you can fix up something you can eat.”
“Hitoka…”
She swung around and glared at him, her hands clenched into fists. “Excuse me?”
“Sorry. Yachi. Even though we’ve been together long enough for first names…” that last was said under his breath.
“Excuse me?” she repeated quietly, her voice low with anger. “We’re only ‘together’ because of your… your… obsession with me. Because you stole me away…”
“Who’s fault is that?”
“Are you seriously trying to blame me? The fault is yours. All of it. You could have taken a simple ‘no’ as my final answer and left it at that, but no. You obsessed over, and stalked, me since high school!”

He said nothing as he went to the kitchenette and put the bags of food on the counter. He busied himself with putting everything away, except for some sort of tray. He opened it, and the most delicious, mouth-watering smells wafted through the room. Takoyaki, grilled corn, yakisoba… If she moved anywhere near that counter, she’d probably also find tekka maki and taiyaki, too.

“Oh my god, it’s pouring out there!” Eita said as he burst through the door to their room. “But I have triumphed! I bring back the spoils of war!”
In his arms were bags of food, collected from the festival that had just been postponed by a pop-up thunderstorm.
“Spoils of war, huh?" She giggled, bringing a towel to him. She helped take the bags from him and handed him the towel. “What did you bring us? It smells delicious!”
“A little of everything, baby. A little of everything.” He bent and kissed her cheek first, and then her mouth when she turned to face him fully. “Missed you, though.”
“Eita, the festival is right below us. You weren’t gone very long, either.”
“Still missed you.” He kissed her again and then leaned back to wink at her. “I’ll go change into dry clothes. Let’s have a picnic.”
“Okay. Love you.”
“I love you too.”

He was tempting her to eat; bringing her all the foods Eita loved.

She hated him. Oh, how she hated him. Until now, she’d never hated anyone in her entire life. But him? He had the singular honor of being the only one in the world she hated. Tears of anger, frustration, hatred, and yes, even despair, welled up and spilled over. Nausea hit her like a wrecking ball. Her hand flew to her mouth and she ran to the bathroom, only just managing to shut the door and get to the toilet before she was sick.

“Yachi? Are you okay?”
She huffed. “Obviously not.”
“What can I do?”
“Go away. Just… go away. Leave me alone.”
“Are you sure?”
“YES! JUST GO!” She fought down another wave. “Please,” she whimpered.

Hitoka didn’t know, or care, if he truly left. Falling to her knees, she leaned her heated face against the cold porcelain of the toilet. She was feeling pathetic and… and hopeless. They’d been moving from place to place for months now. They’d even left the country for a few weeks. She had no way of finding out if her friends were any closer to finding her. She missed them so much.

She missed Eita most of all.

An hour later, Hitoka cleaned herself up, and cleaned the bathroom. Walking into the living room, she found herself alone. Good. She had zero desire of breathing the same air as him. She made her way to the counter and looked at all the food. As much as she hated to admit it, he was right. She did have to eat, if for nothing more than keeping her strength up. So, even though she wasn’t hungry, even though she’d just been sick, she picked up a plate and served herself some of the maki, a couple doughy balls of takoyaki, and one taiyaki.

She went to the table and put her food down, and went to fetch her case from her bag. She put the pictures of her friends where she could see them, placed the notepads and pencils to the side, and went to get a drink. When she came back, she sat down and slowly started eating. It was as delicious as it smelled, and her empty stomach craved more. As she ate, she wrote a little note; 'Trapped. I need help. Call this number. Please!'

She added the number, and a doodle that would identify her if anyone asked. Ripping it off the pad, she crumpled it up as small as possible. She’d dispose of it later, and hope against hope someone would find it and make the call.


Chapter 2 - Two

Shiraito Falls, Karuizawa, Nagano Prefecture

They sat at the little picnic table near the falls. This had become a base, of sorts. Somewhere they could come to and not be bothered. Somewhere to attempt relaxation, even if it never came. Somewhere that they could be sure to be left alone to regroup and plan.

Kuroo and Tsukishima were going over their notes, and had a map of the country spread out over the table. Hayato was writing hastily in a notebook and going over the little scraps of paper they’d recovered from the people that found them and called. Wakatoshi was leaning against the table, facing the path in the direction that they came, eating onigiri. Satori was… well, he was somewhere. Ranging out, forever moving, keeping an eye out for anything. Or anyone.

“Semi, you need to eat something,” he heard Tsukishima say. “You haven’t eaten since yesterday.”
“Not hungry.”
“Yeah, well, even if you aren’t, you need to eat something,” Kuroo added. “Can’t have you laid up in the hospital for starvation and dehydration.”
“I’ve been eating,” he protested, though he turned from his view of the falls and went to the table.
“Barely,” Hayato said. “You look like shit. Eat.”
“What would I ever do without you?” Eita said sarcastically. Still, he took the sandwich Toshi handed him, unwrapped it, and sat down beside Kuroo. “Anything new?” he asked after he took a bite.
“Heathen,” Hayato muttered again. “Not really. He’s moved again, that much we know.”
“Switched coasts?”
“Probably.”
Eita finished his sandwich and tried not to throw the wrapper away in frustration. Kuroo held out his hand, and he gave it to him to throw away. Then, he bent and clunked his head on the table.
“This cat-and-mouse game is way past getting old.”
“Tell us something we don’t know,” Tsukishima groused.
“Are we any closer to finding her?”
“Not really. We only know locations from the people who find her little clues and actually call us.”
Hayato handed him the pile of little scraps of paper, crinkled and battered, looking like they’d been clinging to bushes before being found. Each one was written in her handwriting, and each one carried a little doodle of a guitar and a rose with a heart around it. Hayato kept track of where each note was found, and wrote down the date of when they took it from the finder. They criss-crossed the country in pursuit, always reacting to new information and going to her last known location.

Since her abduction, Eita had given up on his tour, canceling shows until further notice. Kuroo had done the same; she was his best friend and confidant, and the man had ‘adopted’ her as his lil sis. Both had their websites updated with a small explanation and they promised all ticket holders would be fully refunded. There was no known date when they’d return to performing. Tsukishima updated both pages from time to time, though most of it was just “Nothing New” and a date.

Pushing up from the table, he walked around a bit and then ended up back where he started; the perfect spot to take in the falls. It had been his decision to come here instead of going home to Sendai. She’d been so happy here, so calm. It was her favorite get-away spot before she met him, and then it became theirs. He was already half in love with her when she told him about the falls. Seeing her here pushed him over that metaphorical cliff. This place was special.

“You’re right. You said I’d love this place, and I do,” he said as he sat down beside her.
She was smiling brilliantly. “I’m glad! It’s peaceful here. When it starts getting dark, the night creatures start adding to the ambiance. And the sky is so full of stars!”
“Beautiful.” His eyes never left her face.
“But there isn’t much in the way of nightlife, I’m afraid. Some of the restaurants are open late, and maybe a few of the public hot springs. Everything else shuts down fairly early.”
“No worries. Sounds pretty good, actually,” he replied. “Relaxing, too.”
“It is. I’ve always loved it here.”
He reached down and took her hand in his, turned it over, and kissed her palm. Her expression gentled into something softer, glowing.
“You know what?”
“What?”
“I love spending time with you.”
“Yeah. Same.”
He kissed her wrist, forearm, and eventually, her sweet mouth.

It wasn’t like he had second thoughts bringing everyone else here, but this place had him in its spell. He could almost imagine she was here with them, laughing and joking and even roughhousing around with Tsukishima.

God, he missed her.

He started pacing. There had to be something else they could do. Someone else they could call. They’d already notified authorities in each prefecture where notes had been found, but there was only so much they could do, and it wasn’t guaranteed they’d start right away, or even keep looking. Then, an idea hit him. Maybe they could… A phone’s ring echoed around them, and Toshi answered.

“Hello? You did? Would you mind reading it for me?”
Hayato was already poised to write.
“Trapped. I need help. Call this number. Please.”
Hayato finished writing, and looked up at Toshi.
“Are there any distinguishing marks on the note? A guitar and rose in a heart? Yes, thank you. Where are you, if I might ask? Oda? Shimane prefecture. Thank you. Would you mind keeping that note for us? Yes, thank you. We’ll be headed that way shortly. May I have your location so we can find you?”

Eita listened so hard, he didn’t hear the falls anymore. Though, this particular conversation happened each time the phone rang. Toshi would ask the same questions, and because he was so calm and polite, the person on the other end was always extremely helpful. Thank god he had both Toshi and Tori on his side.

“I appreciate you calling, sir. May I know when you found the note? An hour ago? Yes, thank you. If you don’t mind, I’ll be in touch when we are close. Thank you. Good day.” He hung up, put the phone in his pocket, and then whistled loudly.
“Geez, Toshi! I wasn’t that far!” Tori materialized from wherever, walked up to the table making a show or covering his ears, and stood close to Toshi. “Another call?”
“Yeah.”
“Where are we off to now?”
“Oda in Shimane Prefecture.”
Less than a minute of thoughtful silence and then, “Ten hour drive. Roughly the same if by train.”
“We’ll take the train,” Eita and Tsukishima said at once. “We all need some sort of rest, and we can plan as we go,” Tsukishima finished.
Kuroo was already on his phone, purchasing tickets for everyone. Eita had his phone out, too, but Kuroo quickly turned to face him.
“Don’t you dare send me money for your tickets!”
“But…”
“No. If it’ll make you happy, you can buy tickets the next time.”
“You keep saying that.”
“Maybe one day I’ll mean it, too.”

Eita snorted, and came over to join his friends as they rose from the table. He helped them with gathering their stuff and cleaning the area. They made their way back quietly. Toshi and Tori had taken the lead, and were discussing where to go eat. Kuroo and Tsukishima were in the middle, both on a video call to another set of friends, or family members. Hayato was going over his notes, aimlessly drifting behind the pair in front of him. Eita followed behind them all, fighting the urge to go back and spend some time on his own.

He stood next to her as twilight fell. The falls still had a gentle blue glow, having been lit up earlier as part of a special evening tour. Fireflies rose and fell, drifting from here to there. But none of this held his attention for more than the time it took to see it once. No, what held his attention, what had always held his attention, was her. Her golden blonde hair shone like silver in the moonlight. Her gorgeous brown eyes were wide and filled with utter joy. And her face, her sweet, beautiful face was filled with child-like wonder. It never ceased to amaze him that she could look at life that way. It wasn’t like she didn’t know sadness, disappointment, or pain… far from it. She chose to see life as beautiful, wonderful, something to cherish while walking her path. And she chose him to walk with her, experience life the way she did. He’d bask in her light for as long as he could. He only hoped that meant forever.

Hands deep in pockets, head down, he kept the voices of his friends within range. So, he didn’t notice when Hayato fell into step beside him, didn’t realize until a handkerchief appeared in his field of watery vision, that tears were falling.

“Thanks,” he murmured, taking the square of cloth and patting his face dry.
“No problem.” He felt his friend’s arm around his shoulders, his hand squeezing lightly. “We’ll find her, Eita. We’ll find her and bring her home.”
“Yeah.”

They’d find her, and she’d be back in his arms. Where she belonged.


Chapter 3 - Three

Tosa, Kochi Prefecture

They arrived here a few days ago, having been forced to leave the last place sooner than he wanted. Another place, another room, and this time she was facing east. It was a little further inland, but still within walking distance of the ocean. If one were allowed to walk so much as a few minutes outside. Yet another thing she’d been unable to do much of since he’d taken her. The only times she was allowed outside was if she was with him, and he had Kyotani to make sure she couldn’t run away. Or run very far, if she tried. And she tried once, which made him keep her inside more often than not.

This place seemed to be part of a vacation home, with rooms to let, and it came with a tv, dvd/blu-ray player, coffee maker, toaster oven, a small fridge that came stocked with sodas, and even a hot plate to cook on. Off to the side, there was a smaller room that held a utility sink, shower hose, and a toilet. There was a door that led to a backyard area, but it was locked, and he had the key. Another door led to an identical room, which was his.

“That smells delicious.”
Hitoka made her own dinner: a rice omelet, toast, and a bowl of fresh fruit.

“Happy birthday, love!” she cried as she carried a tray of his favorite breakfast into their bedroom. He was sitting up and leaning back against the pillows, bare chested, his hands up behind his head, and the blankets settled low around his waist.
She almost dropped the tray.
“Happy birthday, indeed.” Eita’s smile was predatory, his eyes glimmered with heat and every intention to skip breakfast in favor of having her instead.
“Really? Not even going to eat the rice omelet I made for you?”
“It does smell good,” he replied reluctantly. And then, his stomach rumbled, and she laughed. She brought the tray to him and set it over his lap once he sat up a little further. They talked while he ate, until he picked up the bowl of fruit.
“Come here,” he murmured. She smiled as he placed a cool, sweet piece of melon against her lips. But before she could eat it, he took it away, and leaned over to kiss her deeply. “I love you.”

She glanced over at the door and smirked, eating another forkful of omelet. It was petty, but she didn’t care. She waited for his inevitable questions.
“You only made one serving?”
“Yep.”
She heard him heave a sigh. He’d stopped complaining about her only making enough for one about a month after taking her. It obviously didn’t stop him from hoping she’d start cooking for him, apparently.
“I’ll be right back.”
“Oh, don’t hurry on my account.”
“Kyotani will be outside. If you need anything?”
Which really meant she was stuck in the room for a while. Not that she expected any different. And not like she could try to escape, either. His guard dog might not always stay by the door, but he was never too far from his post.
“No thanks.”
“See you in a little while.”

She said nothing, and the door was closed with a click of the lock. It was a good thing she was almost done with her food now. She’d have pushed everything away after losing her appetite again. As it was, she only just managed to finish.

After she cleaned and put the dishes she used away, she cleaned up the rest of her mess and then found another movie to play. It wasn’t like she was actually watching them; it was just noise. It kept her company, sort of, when it was too quiet otherwise. She also found a book that had been left behind, and took it back to the table. It didn’t look like a genre she typically read, or even liked, but… it was something.

She opened the book, and leaned back in the chair, and made it look like she was reading. Kyotani had a nasty habit of checking on her, as if she’d somehow escape when they all knew she couldn’t. But while she turned pages, she thought about how she was going to hide her next message. And, as if she’d somehow summoned him, Kyotani opened the door and looked in.

“Need anything?” he grumbled.
“A ticket for the next train home,” she answered calmly.
He snorted. “Good one. Later.” He shut and locked the door behind him.

She had to bide her time. For some reason, he’d had Kyotani search everything before they left, including the wastebasket she’d thrown her message in. She was stone-faced throughout the search, and once they left to discuss their next destination, she quickly and carefully retrieved her message. Before they left, she dropped it and it rolled under the car.

She shook her head and put the book down. Maybe she should watch whatever movie she’d started. But after a few minutes, she began to regret that decision. Maybe she was a glutton for punishment; she watched it anyway. The movie was a romance with a touring guitar player and the groupie he fell in love with. It had been a big hit when it was released a few years ago. Hitoka chuckled. Life imitates art, apparently. And yet, she couldn’t just turn this off.

To tell you the truth
I don’t have much to offer
But I’ll give you
Everything I’ve got
I’ll reach out with my hand to hold

Late nights, long hugs, a place in my heart
Someone to talk to, to lean on, to care for
I’ll always be there for you
I’ll reach out for your hand to hold

Just know you’ll have all of me
I hope that’s enough
I don’t have much to offer
But it’s everything I’ve got
And I’ll reach out with my hand to hold

He asked her for a request before he went back out for his encore, and without thinking, she said, ‘Hand to Hold.’ Now, here she was, crying backstage as Eita finished singing her favorite song. Hayato gave her a damp cloth to cool her face, and then told her to get a little closer to the stage. Confused, she did what he told her, and Eita slid off his stool. Put his guitar on its stand, and came to her.

“Come on,” he said, taking hold of her hands.
She barely had a moment before she knew what he was planning to do.
“Oh, no! I can’t, Eita!”
“Why not? They want to see you and me together,” he was smiling, and her heart just couldn’t handle it.
“I’m a mess. I look like I’ve been crying.”
“Yeah, you do. But we can tell them a story.”
“A story? Eita, you’re not making sense.”
“Just, come on.”

Rising from her chair, Hitoka crossed the room and turned off the tv, and then went to wash her face. The messages she was leaving had to be helping, or her captor wouldn’t have moved them so quickly. Still, there had to be something else she could do. She had to think of some way to help her friends find her sooner. This cat-and-mouse game was way past getting old.

But first, she had to think of another way to even send her messages. If he was making Kyotani search the garbage, and make sure nothing was left behind when they left, she needed to be sneaky. Maybe if she hid it in the cupboards, between dishes? Or, if she could find tape, maybe tape it behind one of the pieces of furniture along the wall? Or maybe…

“I’m back!”
Damn it. Of course, he’d have to show up right before she could write a message. She heard him put down a bag of something on the table, and then his footsteps as he came toward her.
“Miss me?”
“Absolutely not.”
“Yachi…”
“What?”
He sighed. “Nothing. Once you're done, can you come to the table?”
“Why?” Not like she could avoid him anyway. This was the only other room.
“You’ll see.”

She took her time, cleaning the little room after she did her laundry. Clothes she took her time scrubbing until every last fiber was clean. If she could keep scrubbing them out of existence, she would do that, too. He’d bought her these clothes. And because she didn’t want to go around naked (she didn’t want him getting any ideas), she begrudgingly accepted the clothes. Aside from what she was wearing, she had two more pairs of shorts, two t-shirts, and two pairs of underclothes. She had a pair of faux Crocs and a pair of socks, too.

When she couldn’t waste any more time, she walked slowly to the table and sat down before he could offer her the chair like the gentleman he thought he was. The bags turned out to be more food for her, and some takeout for both him and Kyotani. On the table in front of her, there was a smaller bag.

“What’s that?” She pointed at it.
“Open it.”
“Why?”
“It’s a gift, Yachi. Please?”
“I don’t want it. Take it back.”
“Fine. I’ll open it for you.”
“Don’t bother.”
She moved to stand up, but caught the unpleasant gaze of Kyotani. She might not be afraid of her captor, but Kyotani was frightening, and they both knew the man scared her enough to obey even when she didn’t want to. She stayed in her seat.
“I noticed you have a little notepad in your bag,” he said, and Hitoka’s heart just about failed. She fought to keep her expression neutral. “I like your little doodles. Maybe you can draw one for me someday.”

She watched as a bigger notepad and package of colored pens dropped onto the table in front of her, as well as a little velvet bag. Was he actually buying her jewelry? Like she’d wear anything he bought her, other than the clothes on her back. She didn’t move, didn’t touch anything. Didn’t speak a word. Not even as he took the velvet bag and upended it, letting a pair of pretty blue butterfly earrings drop into his hand.

If she had seen these earrings in a jewelry store, on her own, she would have bought them herself. If it was anyone other than the two men in this room, she would have accepted them with a smile and thanks. If Eita were the one to give them to her, to fit them into her ears, to kiss her neck right where the butterflies hovered…

“I knew you’d like them,” her captor sounded pleased as he placed them on the table in front of her. “I never thought you’d cry.”
“None of my tears are for you,” she growled, finally rising out of her seat and glaring at him. At them both. “Take them back. I don’t want them.”
“But, Yachi…”
“I. Don’t. Want. Them.” She enunciated each word. “I don’t want anything from you.”
He stood up, too, and Kyotani as well. “Fine. I can’t take them back tonight, so they’ll have to stay there. Since you’re in such a bad mood, I’ll go back to my room. Sleep well.”
“I haven’t slept well since…”
“I know. I’m sorry. One day, maybe you’ll think differently.”
“Not even a little bit.”
“Goodnight, Yachi.”

She remained standing until after the door was closed and locked. Then, she went to the bed, dropped onto it, and let herself cry out her breaking heart.


Chapter 4 - Four

Oda, Shimane Prefecture

“This is where you found the note?” Kuroo asked the man, who shook his head. They were standing in front of a nondescript home in a residential neighborhood.
“I must apologize. My mother is the one who found it,” he explained, pointing to a little old lady sitting in their car, window open.
“It’s fine. We’re just glad you called the number she wrote on it,” Tsukishima added with a grin.
“She almost threw it away, but then noticed a bit of the little doodle, so she opened it and found the rest of the note.”

The man rocked from side to side, clearly curious, but not sure if he should pry any further. Behind Kuroo, Eita leaned against the van, while Tori sat inside, bent over and arms resting on his knees. He was watching everything closely, so of course he looked menacing. Eita gave his shoulder a shove and Tori straightened up. Better, but not much. Toshi stood at ease in front of the van, and Hayato sat in the passenger seat. No, none of them looked menacing at all, he thought. He felt himself smirk.

He was about to join Kuroo and Tsukishima when a couple of teenagers came pelting out of the house across the street, front door banging shut behind them, and their mother hollering after them. A boy and girl, both with a shock of orange hair, and judging by the close resemblance, twins. Both of them stopped in the middle of their group, heads swiveling between himself and Kuroo. The girl’s eyes lit up, and she whispered to her brother. Both of them grabbed their phones, and Eita jumped into action.

“Hey! Sorry, I know you really want to take pictures, but could you not?”
“Why not? Shoyo, our friends will never believe us! Tell him we need pics!” The girl was way too excited to listen. The boy, however, seemed to pick up on Eita’s plea.
“Natsu, they aren’t here for fun,” he said gently, even if he was just as curious as the man behind him.
“No, we aren’t here for fun,” Eita confirmed. “Someone was taken from me, and we’re looking for her.”
Natsu looked at him, putting her phone back in her pocket. Shoyo followed suit. She turned to her brother, and neither of them spoke, but you could just see them communicating.
“You’re looking for that lady, aren’t you?” Natsu asked. “The pretty blonde lady you brought out on stage during the concert in Kobe. The one whose picture is all over your website, and Mr Kuroo’s, too.”
“Yeah,” he replied, his throat tightening.
“Have you seen her?” Tsukishima asked, taking a few steps toward them. “Her, or anyone that may have been with her?”
“Kei, don’t scare them,” Kuroo chided, noticing how the kids backed away a few steps. This time, it was the boy who recognized Kuroo first. Unlike his sister, he kept his phone in his pocket.
“We didn’t see her,” he said carefully, eyeing Tsukishima as if he’d attack them at any moment.
“But we did see two guys,” she added, more to her brother than to them.
“We knew they weren’t from around here, so asked them if they were just moving in.”
“The tennis ball head guy was scary. He didn’t say anything, just growled like a dog.”

Tori started laughing from the van, and Tsukishima had to turn away to hide his amusement. The kids, and the man they met first, looked understandably confused. The man’s mother was cackling, too. Eita fought his own amusement and looked at Kuroo, who snorted and managed to hold in his own laughter. A feat in itself.

“You said there was another one?” Kuroo asked, his voice shaky from the effort of not laughing. “Can you describe him?”
“Light brown swoopy hair,” Natsu replied. “About as tall as tennis ball head. Brown eyes.”
“He seemed a whole lot nicer than the other guy, too,” Shoyo added.
“Can you think of anything else?”
“Just that tennis ball head was almost always outside the door, or walking around the building, as if he was looking for something. The other guy kept going in and out, sometimes with groceries, and sometimes he’d just sit on the stairs for a while.”
“Great! Thank you so much!”
“No problem, Mr Kuroo! It was really nice meeting you both!” Shoyo grabbed his sister’s hand and started to lead her back to their house.
Eita stopped them. “Do you guys still want a picture?”
“Nah. It’s okay,” Shoyo replied with a sunny smile. “You said not to, so…”
“Let me see your phones, if you don’t mind?”

Shoyo and Natsu both handed over their phones, and Eita went to stand next to Kuroo. They took a picture of them together, and then one each with the kids. Handing back the phones, he reached out and shook their hands with a little bow.

“Thank you so much for your help.”
“No problem!” Shoyo replied happily.
“I hope you find your lady friend soon!” Natsu said with a smile that shone just as brightly as her brother’s. They ran back, yelling for their parents to come see their new pictures.
Eita looked over at Kuroo, Tsukishima, and the man who was watching everything. He walked up to the elder, bowed, and shook his hand.
“Thank you very much, sir.”
“You’re welcome. I really hope you find your sweetheart,” he replied with a knowing grin.
“Young man! I want to see a picture of your girlfriend!” the man’s mother called from her seat in their car.
Eita took out his phone and pulled up his favorite picture of Hitoka. Turning it so she could see, he handed it over to the lady.
“She’s beautiful,” she said quietly. “I can see why you love her so much.”
“Yes, ma’am,” Eita whispered. The lady handed back his phone and then took hold of his hand. “You’ll find her, son. Don’t worry.”
“Thank you, ma’am. I hope so.”
“Not too much longer, now,” the lady said again. “Don’t give up.”
“No, ma’am. Never.”
Her attention snagged on something and she waved. “That young man that looks like a mountain. He’s trying to get your attention.”

Eita turned to see Toshi waving him over. He was on the phone again; Kuroo and Tsukishima were on their way over to listen in. Eita thanked the lady again, bowed to her and her son, and then jogged over to the van.

“They were in Tosa,” Tsukishima filled him in. “The lady who found the message said they just left this morning. She saw all three of them.”
Eita nodded, unable to trust his voice. Tosa wasn’t that far away. They were still chasing her, but maybe this will get them closer. He looked back at the two elders in the car, who waved before they pulled out onto the street and left.
“Did she see which way they were headed?” Hayato asked.
“Yes, thank you ma’am,” Toshi was saying. He nodded at Hayato, acknowledging his question. “May I ask if you happened to see which way they were headed?” He shook his head. “Thank you, ma’am, you’ve been a big help. I appreciate you calling. Yes, we hope to find her soon, too. May I ask if you would meet us? Yes, thank you, ma’am. We’ll be there soon. Thank you. Have a good day.” He hung up. “She said her street runs north to south, and they drove toward the north end. They turned west, but she said they could be anywhere by now.”
“What was in the message, Toshi?” Eita asked, craving to hear that Hitoka had drawn her little doodle again.
“Help me, please! Call this number. I miss you.”
Kuroo’s arm landed on his shoulders. “We’re closer to them now. If we’re lucky, they might not get too far ahead of us.”
“It’s almost a five hour drive,” Tori added. “And, I hate to say it, but it sounds like they’re headed for Tokyo, if they keep with their coastal pattern. We’d lose them for sure if they went there.”
“Let’s get in the van and talk about what we need to do,” Tsukishima interrupted. “For once, time might actually be working with us instead of against us.”
“Right.”
“The good thing is, we know one of her abductors,” Tori said proudly. “If tennis ball head isn’t Kyotani, I’ll eat my hat.”
“You don’t wear hats,” Toshi deadpanned from the driver’s seat.
“Thank you, Captain Obvious,” Tori replied sardonically. “Any guesses on the other guy?”
“Yeah,” Kuroo grumbled from his place beside Tsukishima. “But we need to call Oikawa for confirmation.”
“Ugh, that guy?” Tori complained. “Do we have to?”
“Yes, unfortunately. He’d be able to tell us if Hitoka’s abductor is the same man who’s been stalking her since high school.”
“I’ll call him,” Hayato offered. “Either of you have his number?”


Chapter 5 - Five

Takashima, Shiga Prefecture

For once, during this entire ordeal, she recognized where they were! And for once, they weren't somewhere along the coast. For whatever reason, he’d stopped at Lake Biwa, and they were in a cabin not far from the shore line. She recognized the area because she’d been here a few times before, taking pictures for clients. There had also been a few relaxing, but fun, getaways with Eita.

“Eita, put me down!” she yelled, but only half-heartedly struggled in his arms.
“Nope!” He waded into the lake.
“I was trying to get a tan! Put me down!”
“Last I checked, tan didn’t look pink.”
“What?!”
“Blonde hair, fair skin. Recipe for sunburn.”
“But I put sunblock on earlier.”
“You’re still pink. Time to cool off, love.” He stopped when he was hip deep in the water. Her back end was just touching the surface. She squinted at him.
“Don’t. You. Dare.”
Eita laughed, and then fell backwards. She came up gasping both from the cold water, and the fact that she barely had time to hold her nose. The splash fight that ensued had them laughing until she fell back into his arms.

She knew what she had to do, but she needed to figure out a way to carry it off without alerting him, or his guard dog. From the window of the cabin, she could make out the floating torii gate; Shirahige-jinja shrine was close by. They’d been close to several shrines while he dragged her all over the country, but she’d never once asked to offer prayers. In all honesty, she assumed he wouldn’t take her because she’d be seen, and likely identified. Maybe this time, if she begged prettily enough…

No, that wouldn’t work, either. She’d been nothing but a pain in his side since the first day, and acting all nice and sweet would definitely tip him off. And if it did somehow work on him, then Kyotani would definitely be suspicious. Still. She had to try something, right?

Early the next morning, she had a plan that might work. He’d sent Kyotani out for a few necessities, and he stayed with her. He was pacing around, clearly anxious about something. Hitoka neither knew, nor cared, what it might be that had him on edge, but she saw an opportunity and decided to take it.

"I'd like to visit the shrine," she said as nicely as she could.
"How do you know about the shrine?"
She perked an eyebrow. "Really? You can see the torii gate from here." She wasn't about to let on that she'd been here before.
"Right."
He was definitely in a state. She should tread carefully. "Why do you want to go?"
Now he sounded surly. Her hopes were fading fast.
She shrugged. "I want to pray."
"What for?"
"My prayers are between myself and the gods."
"So then pray. We don't need to go to the shrine."
Think Hitoka! Think! She had to come up with something to change his mind. But what?

Seeing she wasn't going to get anywhere now, she decided to bide her time. Perhaps it would be for the best anyway. Her plan needed refinement. She had to hope there'd be at least one more chance before he decided they needed to run again.

That afternoon, he closed the door loud enough to wake her from her nap, and tossed a bag onto the bed. With a gasp, she shot upright, breathing hard and heart racing. She glared balefully at her captor, who still looked like he was in a horrible mood.

“You scared me!”
"If we’re going to go to the shrine like you want, you'll have to disguise yourself."

She was about to protest, but thought better of it. This was the closest she'd been to leaving a message with a clear location; she'd do almost anything at this point. She turned and got out of bed, reached for the bag, and pulled out a black-haired wig, makeup, and another outfit. A skimpy one at that. She glared at him again.

"You want me to look like... like a…" she couldn't even say it.
He did. "A prostitute, yes."
"So I can pray, but no one will want to come near me," she said, figuring out his plan.
"Yes. If you truly want to go, you'll do as I say. And don't think about trying anything to signal for help. We'll be watching you."
"Fine," she said, taking the bag he brought, hers, and taking both to the bathroom. "I'll be ready shortly."
"Fine."

Twenty minutes later, she came out of the bathroom wearing the wig, outfit, and enough makeup to make her face feel five pounds heavier. She put her bag on the bed, and faced the two men waiting for her.

"Will this do?" she asked sarcastically.

Kyotani snorted and looked away. Hitoka assumed that meant she passed muster, at least for his standards. Her captor - the bane of her existence, and the man she hated - blinked a few times, shook his head as if clearing it, and then gazed at her with blatant desire.

She felt her stomach turn and a metallic taste in her mouth. But, she fought down the nausea and stared back at him.

"We need to go before the shrine closes," she said as politely as she could.
"I don't know…"
"Tell me you didn't make me get dressed up in this travesty of a costume just so you could stare at me."
"And if I did?"

Hitoka screamed internally. She couldn't let this chance slip through her fingers. Taking a deep breath, she made herself stay still, endured his hungry leer, and promised herself a long hot shower after they returned from the shrine.

"Let's get this over with," Kyotani growled, shaking his boss out of his salacious thoughts. She was loathe to thank him, but sent him a relieved glance instead. He huffed, spun on his heel, and strode out of the cabin.
"After you, my lady."
"Thank you," she muttered as she walked past him, narrowly avoiding his attempt to put his hands on her.

Once they made it to the shrine, she had to endure the humiliation of walking the sando toward the haiden. Fellow shrine visitors gave them a wide berth and angry looks, clearly keeping themselves away from her “impurity.” She kept walking, head held high, unwilling to act humiliated for something she wasn’t. They stopped to cleanse their hands and mouths, and some patrons made disapproving noises, backing away from them as they performed the sacred ritual. One of them walked off in a huff, and she could just tell they went to find a priest.

At the haiden, they were close to the offering box, and a priest did indeed show up. He murmured his apologies, and asked them to step aside. Hitoka looked around, and saw so many people looking as if they’d been vindicated for something. Lifting her chin, she calmly followed the priest. He led them to where two female shrine attendants stood, and they quickly separated her from her captor and Kyotani. They tried to follow, but they were already on the move, taking her into a little building hidden in the trees beside the haiden.

“Am I not allowed to pray?” she asked them, gauging their reactions.
“You are, but you must change into something more… decent.”
“I see,” she said as they started helping her from her clothes, they seemed kind enough. Maybe…
Now. It’s the best time. Do it!
“Help me,” she whispered. “Please.”
She gave them a hand signal, hoping they knew what it meant.
“Pardon?” They both nodded. They understood!
“Help me.” She took off the wig, and handed them a note. “Call that number, tell them where you saw me. Do it as soon as possible. Please.”
“Are you in trouble?”
“Yes! They abducted me several months ago. This is the first chance I've had to make contact with anyone else. I just want to go home. Please."
The two women looked at each other and the one she handed the note to went to the back of the building, and left. Another woman came in from the same door, and she helped fit the wig back on. Then, they tried to usher her out the back as well, but she shook her head.
“They’ll just find me again. The one that looks mean is quick, and sneaky. I have to go back. Act as if nothing is wrong. All I ask is for you to help the people on the other end of the phone number.”
“Are you sure? You won’t be hurt?”
“I’m sure. And the one that abducted me is delusional, but he hasn’t tried to harm me.”
Yet. Thank god. Another reason, or two, for prayers.
“You may go back out. The priest has to give his approval, and then you can pray. We’ll do everything we can to help.”
“Thank you so much! Oh, and if you get the chance, I need you to pass along a message for me.”
“Certainly.”


Chapter 6 - Six

Tosa, Kochi Prefecture (Outskirts)

“Yeah, thanks. I’ll let the others know. Right. I’ll let you know. Thanks! Later, man.”

Hayato hung up and turned in the passenger seat so he could look at the rest of the group. Tori was sitting behind Toshi, but he was slouched back in the seat and passed out. Everyone knew the man barely slept, so no one bothered him. In fact, the only two who were awake and listening were Eita and Kuroo, who held his sleeping fiance in his arms.

“Oikawa knew who it was before I even finished describing Kyotani,” he said quietly. “He said the man’s harmless, and knew about his obsession with Hitoka since high school.”
“Why didn’t he do anything?” Eita asked.
“What could he do? He graduated and went to university in Tokyo before things started getting worse. Besides, what he did know was that Hitoka’s stalker was just that; a stalker. Harmless.”
“Which is bad enough,” Kuroo chimed in. “Who is it?”
“Shigeru Yahaba.”
“Oh, I knew it!” Tori said loudly as he stretched himself awake. “I knew it.”
“How?? And don’t even say one of your hunches,” Eita said incredulously.
“I mean, it was mostly a hunch,” Tori explained. “But if Kyotani is around, it’s usually because Yahaba is, also.”
“Oh. So it is like…?”
“No, I don’t think so. It’s more like Kyotani used to follow Iwaizumi around like a devoted puppy, and after Seijoh’s third years graduated, he had to have someone to latch onto.”
“Yahaba got the short end of that stick, huh?”
“So to speak. There’s probably more to it, but I found out what I needed to, at the time, so I at least knew that much.”
Tsukishima grumbled from Kuroo’s shoulder, “Rude. Tendo’s too loud, as usual. I wanted to get a little bit of sleep.”
“We’ll get some sleep tonight, babe,” Kuroo said, kissing his love’s head. “Until then, we have a note-fider to meet.”
“We’ll be there in about thirty minutes,” Toshi informed them.
“Good. I need to get out and walk around,” Eita grumbled. And then his stomach followed suit. “Guess it’s time to eat, too.”

Hayato was about to answer when Toshi’s phone rang. Everyone in the van went quiet as Tori reached into Toshi’s pocket for the phone. He held it up and Eita moved to take it from him. They’d never received two calls so close together. Besides, he was feeling like that one friend who was only there to tag along. He needed to do something.

“Hello? Yeah? Wait… WHAT?! Toshi, stop! STOP!”
His friend quickly found a place to pull over, and Eita was out of the van as soon as they stopped.
“I’m sorry, my apologies. You’re where? Shirahige-jinja in Takashima. You’re at Lake Biwa?! You saw her?! Oh, thank god! Yes, yes, we’ll start that way immediately. We’ve just reached Tosa, so it’ll be a good…”
“Five, six hours,” Tori supplied.
“Five or six hours before we get there. Yes, do you know if she’ll be back? I see. What about where they might be keeping her? Oh, no, that’s okay. Hopefully they won’t be too far. Did she give you a message? She did? What did it say?”

The hand holding the phone lowered from his ear, and Kuroo rushed to wrap his arms around Eita, who moaned and swayed, almost falling to his knees. Tsukishima quickly came over and took the phone from his loosened grip.

“Hello? Yes, ma’am he’s fine, or he will be. I’m sorry? Semi Eita. He’s her boyfriend. Yes, the very same! How many of us? There are six. Really? Thank you very much! Yes. We’ll see you when we get there. Thank you!”
He hung up and gave the phone back to Toshi and took his own out. As he did that, he started explaining.
“That was Mika. She’s a shrine attendant and helped Hitoka out when she visited with Yahaba and Kyotani.”
“So, we’re going to Lake Biwa?”
“Yeah, immediately.”
“It’ll be faster if we drive,” Tori told him. “The train will take an hour longer.”
“Got it,” Tsukishima stopped tapping and then changed direction. “We do need to eat something, so I’ll order ahead,” he said. “We can pick it up on the way back out.”
“I’ll call our contact here,” Toshi said as he started dialing. “When Eita is ready, we need to get moving,” he reminded gently. With the phone to his ear, he started talking and got back behind the wheel.
“Mika offered us a place to stay. Once the priests knew the situation, they insisted on helping us.”
“Great! We can be on our way…” Hayato’s voice drifted off as he caught sight of Eita, holding on to Kuroo. “What was her message?” he asked carefully.
“All he’s told me is that she loves him and misses him. He won’t say anything more.”
“Something between them, I guess,” Tori said quietly.

“You mean it? You will?”
“Of course! How could you ever think I’d say no?”
“Great! Come on, I know a place where we can…”
“Wait. You want to do it now? Right now?”
“Well, yeah. Isn’t that the whole point to these things?”
“I mean, it is, and I want to…”
“But?”
“Wouldn’t it be better if our friends were with us, too?”
“I guess.”
“Look at it this way; if we do it now, we’d never hear the end of it from them for not inviting them. Endless teasing for the rest of our lives. And you already have Tori teasing you over a nickname. Since high school.”
“Point made.” He smiled down at her. “Set a date.”
“I already have.”

They were all quiet for a moment, and then Eita calmed himself down, asked for a tissue, and then turned to face them, his eyes burning with fierce determination.
“Hayato, call Oikawa back. He’s closer, and can probably pull a few strings. Tell him to meet us there and bring Iwaizumi, too.”
“Will do,” Hayato already had his phone out and was tapping the number.
“Toshi, Tori, we’ll need the fastest route possible. If there are toll roads, I’ll take care of it.”
“Done.”
“I’ve ordered dinner at a place close to the highway,” Tsukishima said. “All we need to do is pick it up.”
“Great.”
“What do you need me to do?” Kuroo asked.
“Call our note-keeper here, tell her we won’t be making it. Explain the situation to her, and see if she can send the note by snail mail, or something.”
“Okay, anything else?”
“Call Mika back. Get what info we need so everything goes smoothly when we get there.”
“Will do,” he replied. “What are you going to do?”
“I dunno. Supervise?”
“Or, maybe catch a few Z’s.”
“You expect me to sleep now?”
“Well, not right now, but somewhere along the way.”
“We’ll see.”
“Are we ready to go?” Toshi asked, and everyone who wasn’t already in the van jumped in.
“Takashima bound, gentlemen!” Tori said loudly as the van pulled a U-turn and sped back the way they came.

The moonlight drifted in through the window of their cabin near the shore. Her skin glowed in the faint light, her breathing deep and even as she slept. It was in moments like this that he was still amazed that she chose him. He reached up and gently brushed a lock of golden hair off her face and behind her ear, and then gently caressed her face. When he stopped, he looked up and saw her eyes were open, focused on him, and she was smiling. She laid her small hand on the back of his. They moved closer, until they were close enough to kiss. Which he did, slowly, drawing it out, drinking deep, tasting the sweetness of her. Then, he moved lower, to her neck, her shoulders, her chest; lingering enough to hear her sweet moans, and relish the feeling of her fingers through his hair. He drove her crazy as he kissed her abdomen, her hips, her pelvis. The inside of her thighs… he changed direction when he reached her knees and moved back up, teasing her, loving her, until he was as lost in her as she was in him.

Roughly five hours later, in the wee hours of the morning, they arrived at the shrine. The priests and attendants who had been waiting, showed them to the building they’d converted into crash space for the group. It was no surprise to anyone to see that Oikawa and Iwaizumi were already there, sleeping on one of the futons laid out for them.

It took another hour for them to convince Eita not to go looking for Hitoka on his own. They had to go carefully; they couldn’t afford to spook Yahaba into running again, or take their chances that he could snap and actually hurt her. Besides, they all needed a decent night’s sleep, including him, so they could think clearly and act rationally. Eita finally agreed, and again, no one was surprised that he was asleep before his head hit the pillow.


Chapter 7 - Seven

“We need to leave,” Kyotani rumbled over his typical morning bowl of cereal. Yahaba glared at him from the side for a second before returning his gaze to the sunrise.
“Why do you say that?”
“Just a feeling. This place is too well known, and someone might recognize her.”
“I needed a break.”
“By going to one of the most visited places in the country?”
“It’s the off-season.”
Kyotani snorted. “It’s the middle of summer, and we just managed to hit it at the right time. Doesn’t negate the fact that we need to leave.”
“You’re just antsy.”
Kyotani finished his cereal and stood up. Yahaba thought that would be the end of it, but his companion stopped before he opened the cabin door.
“If you want to get caught, that’s on you. I’ll be gone before that happens.”
“As if they wouldn’t find you later.”
“Even if they did, that’s beside the point.”
“What is your point, then?”
“If we don’t leave, and soon, you’ll be caught. She’ll be forever out of your reach.”
“She loves me. She’ll stay.”
“Yeah. Right,” the other said. “Keep telling yourself that.”

Once he was alone, he sunk into his thoughts. He really didn’t know why he thought coming here was a good idea, but they’d needed to stop for a little while. But after they’d holed up in this cabin, he’d seen how relaxed Yachi was. How much she enjoyed being here. She was even a little less prickly and more like the girl he remembered. Maybe staying here a little longer would work in his favor? Maybe staying here a little longer would make her see his love for her.

Still, Kyotani had a point. They couldn’t stay too much longer. Even if they’d hit the park at the lowest visited time, there were still plenty of people around. It was part of the reason he hadn’t wanted her to leave the cabin in the first place. But because she insisted, he’d made her disguise herself. Of course, she hated it. But to him, she looked beautiful.

Kyotani returned and grumbled something about her being awake now, and that he was going for a walk. He kept going, not stopping for anything. Guess that meant he’d be the one on guard duty. No matter, Yahaba thought as he slowly stood up and stretched. Maybe today she’d make breakfast for two. Maybe, after their visit to the shrine yesterday, she’d be a little more amiable toward him.

~*~

Eita ranged out around the grounds of the shrine with Hayato, keeping his eyes open for Hitoka. Or any sign of her. The attendants told them she was disguised as a hooker when she visited yesterday. Another reason, among many more, to punch this Yahaba guy in the face.

The rest of them helped as well, taking different areas to search, widening their range just a bit more with each passing hour. They’d split into pairs, wore ball caps and sunglasses, acted as if they were visiting and looked like tourists. Sometimes, one of the attendants would accompany them, and every other hour, they switched partners. By lunch time, everyone was exhausted, and some were laid out on the futons taking a nap.

Eita couldn’t sleep, so he went with Tsukishima to see the torii gate. Since traffic on the highway was heavier than usual, they had to settle for a spot near the road to gaze out at it. They sat in companionable silence, not really having spent too much time together before, mostly due to touring schedules, on the part of both Kuroo and himself, and work schedules for Hitoka and Tsukishima. They knew each other, were in each other’s orbits while with their significant others. But Eita couldn’t think of a time when they spent time together like this. It made him wonder why Tsukishima had decided to come with him in the first place.

“Wanna talk?” the man beside him asked.
“About what?” he asked, sounding surly. He hadn’t meant to. “I’m sorry,” he said a moment later.
“It’s okay. I’m just surprised you haven’t completely lost your cool.”
Eita chuckled. “I want to. You don’t know how much I want to just… wail on someone.”
“In that case, I’m glad you’ve managed your anger thus far.”
That made Eita laugh. “Kuroo is right about you.”
“How so?”
“Your snark is your way of being funny, sometimes.”
“Sarcasm has its uses.”
“I suppose so.”

They were quiet again for a time, watching the gentle waves of the lake wash up on the shore. Soon, several people floated by on paddle boards, moving close to the torii gate. It looked like they were on some sort of tour, because after a time, they were floating off again.

“Did you two do that when you came here?” Tsukishima asked quietly.
“No. We wanted to, but on the day we were supposed to go, it rained heavily.”
“Ah.” He waited a few beats. “Bet you managed to find something else to do, huh?”
Well, yeah, they did. Not that it was any of his business, really.
“We watched a few movies, took naps. You know, normal rainy day activities.”
“Oh, sure, sure. Of course.”
“Tsukishima.”
“Okay, first, we’ve known each other for how long now, and you still use my full surname? You do know you can at least call me Tsuki, right?”
“We don’t know each other that well…”
“Good grief. Hitoka was the same when we were in school. No wonder you two hit it off almost immediately.”
“Okay. If that’s what you want.”
“Call me Kei. I don’t mind.”
“What about Kuroo?”
“He doesn’t care which name you use. He’ll answer to either one.”
Eita grinned at Kei.
“Call him anything but late for dinner?”
“Exactly.”

They fell silent a little while longer, and then decided to go back. Upon their return, the others were snacking on some veggies and fruits, sitting around the building and discussing their next plan of action. Tori suggested going back up into one of the cabin areas; he had a hunch and wanted to verify if he was right. Oikawa was already on the phone to the local authorities, knowing someone on the force who might be able to help them out. Iwaizumi planned to go back out and search the temple grounds again. Tsuki… no, Kei had fallen asleep, curled up with his head in Tetsuro’s lap; they weren’t going anywhere for a while.

Eita had to admit he was tired, too, but knowing she was here, that she was so close, kept him awake. He needed to go back out there, search for her, find her. He was almost out the door when Oikawa called his name.

“I pulled a few strings,” he was saying. Eita looked back over his shoulder, and Tetsuro gently shook Kei awake. “They’ll be sending out a few people to help with the search.”
“Helpful,” Tetsuro said quietly. “When will they be here?”
“Unfortunately, not until after 5pm. They’re sending over those who volunteered to work after their shift.”
“Nice,” Tori said as he entered the room. “Did they say how many?”
“No, but my contact said in the ballpark of ten, maybe twelve guys.”
Toshi followed Tori, and minutes later, Hayato returned with Iwaizumi. Everyone except Eita gathered and sat down on the futons. His attention was more on the outside than what was being said in the group. But it was enough to ask a question.

“They aren’t coming in uniform, are they?” he asked.
“I don’t think so. Why?”
“It would attract too much attention, for one thing,” Kei sleepily observed. “As would arriving in police cars.”
“Good point.”
“And it wouldn’t be good for the priests or attendants,” Toshi added. “We don’t want to lose their assistance.”
“Right.” Oikawa was already on the phone.

Eita went back to watching the crowd, eyes drifting over the people visiting, a few priests, and attendants. He stayed there for a while, until he felt the need to sit down. Sighing, he started turning, when his eyes snagged on a peculiar looking buzzed haircut. Dyed blond hair, two vertical lines curved on either side of the head…

“Iwaizumi?”
“Yeah?”
“Would you know Kyotani if you saw him?”
“He’s really hard to miss. Slouched walk, looks like his eyes have heavy eyeliner around them, permanent angry expression. Tennis ball haircut.”
“Come here. Now!”
Iwaizumi was up and standing right behind him, while Tori took up position on the other side of the door. Eita quietly told him where to look, and both of them took a few seconds before responding.
“That’s him!”
“On it. I’ll follow,” Tori said and was gone before anyone could stop him. Eita was about to go with him, when Hayato held him back.
“I’ll go with him.”
“But…”
“No, dude. You’re recognizable and this is the one time you do not want to be recognized. The moment he sees you, he’ll disappear, and so will Yahaba and Hitoka. Stay here.” And he went chasing after Tori.


Chapter 8 - Eight

“I thought it wasn’t supposed to rain until later,” Eita said as he closed the door to their cabin and they both shook off excess water. “We look like a pair of drowned rats.”
“I was hoping it would hold off long enough to go paddle boarding, but I guess it’ll have to wait ‘till next time,” she added, rummaging around in their bags for warm clothing and towels. “We need to get out of these soaked clothes and get warm and dry. Neither of us needs to get sick.”
Eita gave her such a heated look that there was no mistaking his intentions. He slowly came to her, took the clothes from her hands, and dropped them on the bed.
“It’s not like our day is completely ruined,” he said, brushing a lock of wet hair from her face. “Come on. Let’s go take care of that ‘getting warm’ part.”

Hitoka sat by the window and daydreamed happier times. The weather was beautiful: clear blue skies, warm and sunny, and the leaves on the trees rustled with a bit of a breeze. Today would have been a good day to go paddle boarding. In fact, she noticed several people out on the lake enjoying the activity.

She had the cabin to herself, which would have been an excellent opportunity to escape… if it hadn’t been for Yahaba ranging around the cabin like Kyotani normally would. He was growing impatient, stopping every so often to look around for his henchman. Unfortunately, Kyotani hadn’t returned for hours, and even she was beginning to wonder where he’d disappeared to.The man was almost never gone this long. Not even for running errands.

Whatever. She got up and stretched, moving to the mini fridge to see what they had for food. Considering she only made her own meals, she usually had enough to last a few days. What she could find now was enough for a light meal, but nothing substantial. She grabbed a can of soda and started for the door to tell Yahaba she needed food, when he burst in the door, with Kyotani right behind him.

“We’ve gotta leave. Get your stuff together.”
It took her a minute to process. They were already going through everything, making sure no trace would be left behind, before she could even think.
“Wait! I thought we’d be here for a week! You said…”
“Plans have changed, my love…”
“Don’t call me that!”
“Sorry. Plans have changed, Yachi. We’re leaving.”
“Oookay,” she slowly went to her bag and started folding her clothes. Think, Hitoka!
“I want to visit the shrine again.”
“No.”
“Why not?”
“I said so. Hurry up.”
He’d never been this anxious leaving anywhere. Could this mean…? She moved a little slower.
“Hurry up, Yachi, or I’ll pack for you.”
She gave him a nasty look, took a shirt, and folded it at the same speed she’d been going. He stared back at her, for once looking less than the smitten man he’d been this entire time.
“Why are we in such a hurry, anyway?” she asked, hoping she might shake an actual answer out of him. For once. “It’s not like we’re on any sort of deadline.”
“Why are you even asking?” he countered. “It’s not like you were curious before.”

She couldn’t think of a reply. He was right; she never asked, just did what she was told. Hitoka could kick herself for that. Still, the situation now was several times more urgent than anything. Finished with packing, she tightened the drawstring on her bag and checked the time on the bedside clock: 5:27pm. While Yahaba took her bag, and gave it to Kyotani to put in the car, she walked over to the window.

And nearly fainted.

Leaning against a tree, half hidden in the shadows, she spotted a familiar face. His auburn hair was a mess, but that didn’t matter. Tendo was watching them! Tendo was here! Which meant that Eita had to be here! She crowded the window, hoping he saw her, and looking for anyone else. Within moments, someone appeared behind him, and Hitoka had to keep herself from reacting. Hayato was here, too! She put her hand on the glass and Tendo gave her a peace sign before backing up and disappearing completely, and Hayato with him.

“Come on. We’re ready,” Yahaba said as he brought over the blindfold he made her wear when on the move. Kyotani held her hands behind her in a firm grip she was never able to break. “Don’t worry, Yachi. Where we’re going, we’ll be able to spend as much time as we want there.”
“I don’t want to spend any time there.”
“Oh, don’t say that until you’ve seen it, my…”
“It doesn't matter where you take me, Yahaba, I won’t like it. It’s just another part of the coastline, east or west, that I would never want to see again. Because of you.”
“Well, at least you’ll remember we were together.”
Hitoka growled. “Actually, you know what? Give me names. I want to know everywhere you’ve taken me,” she said as he tied the blindfold and her world went dark. “That way, I can come back with the man I love and make even better memories.”
“The man you love?”
Hitoka didn’t miss how dangerously low his voice became. She didn’t care anymore.
“What part did you not understand?”
“You say it as if there’s someone else who loves you.”
“Well, you say that as if you didn’t already know. Considering you took me from the apartment complex where we live.”

Yahaba snorted and led her out the door, kept hold of her arm while he locked the door behind them, and then carefully led her off the small landing and down the walk to the car. Kyotani had the car running, that much she could tell. No! Not this time! I know he’s here! I can’t just go easily anymore!

For the second time during this whole ordeal, she fought back. She struggled against Yahaba’s hold, trying to break it. Digging her heels against the concrete walk, refusing to move forward. She grunted with the effort, cried out when he tightened his grip, but she still fought him. It wasn’t until she felt another pair of hands roughly grab her arms that she screamed bloody murder. As long as she could; as loud as she could. She screamed again and again, biting hands as they attempted to cover her mouth.

“EITA!!!”
“Shut up, Yachi! You’ll scare the other campers!” Yahaba tried using reason to shut her up. She didn’t care. Maybe someone will come help her get away, so she could find Eita herself.
“EITA!!!”
“Yachi, please!”
“Yahaba, we can’t let her keep screaming like this,” Kyotani growled. “She’ll attract more attention than we need.”
“I know, I just can’t hurt her.”
“LET ME GO!! EITA!!”
“I can knock her out,” Kyotani said. “It might leave a mark.”
“EITA!!!”
Yahaba sighed. “Do it. We need to leave.”

Hitoka struggled harder. She couldn’t be knocked out. She couldn’t scream anymore; she was too busy fighting. Lashing out, she stepped on toes, used her body weight, such as it was, to knock them off balance. She managed to break one arm free of their grip, and she swung as hard as she could. She felt her fist hit something solid, and a pained grunt from whoever she managed to hit. Good.

But during her fight, she took a step back, and slipped, her ankle bending awkwardly. There was an audible snap, pain shot up her leg, and she cried out in agony. That gave Kyotani the opening he needed, and he brought his hand down hard on her neck, right on a pressure point.

Stunned, she felt her body stiffen before she slumped to the ground, knocked out.


Chapter 9 - Nine

Tori was the first to arrive back at their makeshift base-slash-crash space, running up to the group gathering in front. Hayato caught up moments later.

“We found her,” Tori said, after taking a few moments to catch his breath. “The cabin they’re staying in isn’t too far from here.”
“Great,” Eita replied. “And you definitely saw her?”
“Yeah. But Eita…”
“So, then let’s go get her back. We’ll just follow the plan, and take her away from them.”
“Eita…”
“Someone should let the priests know there might be a fight…”
“Eita…”
“We’ll also need to figure out how we’re going home…”
“EITA!!”
That shook him out of his little reverie. He blinked, and then looked at his friend.
“They’re gonna leave.”
“WHAT?!”
“They haven’t left yet, but we don’t have time to stand around,” Hayato told him.
“Right. Let’s go. Lead the way.”

Tori turned and went back the way he came, with Eita and Toshi on his heels. Iwaizumi started after them a few minutes later. Everyone else worked hurriedly to change their plan, and make sure Yahaba couldn’t leave the area. Oikawa and Hayato went with the small group of plain clothes officers, led by Sawamura, who directed his men to split up and watch the closest exits. He told them to text if they saw anything shady. Kei and Tetsu stayed at the building, getting it ready for Hitoka’s arrival, and enlisting the aid of the ladies who helped her the first time. The priests diverted any curious visitors.

“It’s not that far,” Tori was saying as they ran through some trees that surrounded the shrine. “Kyotani didn’t take a direct route back, either.”
“Probably to keep anyone from following him, or figuring out where he’s going,” Eita replied, keeping up with his friend.
“Well, yeah. He’s not stupid. Well, not too much anyway,” Iwaizumi said, once he caught up to them.
“EITA!!!”
The four of them skidded to a stop for a moment, and then ran even faster after Tori. That was Hitoka screaming, and Eita had to get to her.
“LET ME GO!! EITA, PLEASE!!”
He pushed himself to go faster, passing Tori and bursting out from the trees in time to see her struggling.
“You go to her. We’ll take care of the other two,” Toshi told him, as they split up and went in another direction. Eita would’ve agreed; he wanted nothing more than to hold her in his arms and take her away.

But then she slipped, crying out as her ankle twisted at an odd angle. Still, she tried to keep fighting, but Kyotani brought his hand down right at her neck, and she stiffened before crumpling to the ground.

Eita saw red.

He knew nothing else but the need to do some damage to the man who just hurt Hitoka, and the man who had the audacity to touch her, picking her up in his arms.
He was already running toward them, barely hearing anything around him.

He launched himself at Kyotani before the man had the chance to get ready, hitting him in the head hard, with all the force of his anger behind the punch. The man grunted, fell to one knee, but was back up and swinging seconds later. But by then, Eita had thrown another punch to the other side of his face, and Kyotani was back on his knees. Eita left him for Iwaizumi, who was hauling him up and dragging him away, cursing at him the entire way.

That left Yahaba, who was cradling Hitoka to him, grinning madly and using her limp body as a shield. Eita glanced around, and saw Tori and Toshi had reappeared behind Yahaba, leaning against the car like they had all the time in the world. Eita stood at his full height, staring down Yahaba, a smirk showing up on his face.

“She’s mine,” the man was saying as he backed his way to the car. “You can’t have her.”
“Yours, huh? Is that what you think?”
He took a step toward Yahaba, who backed up a step. Eita glanced behind them and saw Tori motioning as if guiding a driver who was backing up into a parking spot. Toshi rolled his eyes and waited.
“Is that why you’ve stalked her since high school? You somehow got it in your head that she was interested, that she liked you? Even when she turned you down multiple times? You’ve somehow convinced yourself she’s yours?”
Another step. Two.
“She is! She loves me. I know it!”
Back a step. And another. Almost there.
Eita’s smirk grew sharper.
“She loves you, huh? That’s why you kidnapped her? Kept her from contacting friends and family? Kept her from everyone she actually loves?”
“They would only turn her against me!”
“Funny, but what I saw just now gave me the impression she was already against you. Didn’t look like she was willing to go anywhere with you, either.”
Just one more step…
“She’s mine! I won’t let her go!”
“Oh, I beg to differ,” he replied quietly.

He took a step. Yahaba did, too. Right into the waiting grasp of Toshi, who held him immobile by wrapping an arm around his neck like a vice. Tori came around and started prying his arms away from Hitoka, while Eita rushed forward, catching her up in his arms as soon as Tori loosened Yahaba’s grip enough. He paid no attention to the struggle behind him. He walked away from it all, carrying Hitoka gently in his arms, taking her away from everything.

As he walked back, he caught glimpses of the others as they converged on the duo and the cabin. They’d do what they were there to do. Eita didn’t even care anymore; the woman he loved more than anything else was back where she belonged.

The moment he was within sight of the building they were staying in, Kei came rushing out with Tetsuro right behind him. They were her best friends, and after everything they'd been through in the last few months, they were his, too. But, he'd just gotten her back. He wasn't going to let her go. Not yet. Maybe not ever.

“What happened?” Kei asked as he tried to reach for Hitoka’s hand. “Did she faint?”
“No. Could you find Mika? Ask her if there’s anyone medically trained. I’d like them to make sure she’s alright.”
“Yeah, okay, but…”
“I’m going to make her comfortable,” he said entering the building, not looking back. “Mind if I take one of your futon?”
“Nah, we can share,” Tetsuro said gently.
“Thanks, man.”
“No problem.”
“Let me help,” Kei was saying, but Tetsuro held him back. Eita heard him say something along the lines of, “if this were us, I’d keep you close and everyone else at bay. Give him time, okay, love?”
Eita didn’t hear a response.

Ten minutes later, Mika arrived with one of the priests, and he silently examined Hitoka from head to toe. He also tended to Eita’s hand, which was an angry shade of red and purple from where he hit Kyotani’s head. When he finished, he leaned back, put his hands together and prayed. Eita and Mika followed suit. Then, the priest spoke quietly.

“Nothing is broken, but her ankle is severely sprained. I will have a poultice made and a bandage to wrap it in until you can get her to a proper doctor. There will be enough for her ankle and your hand.”
“Thank you very much, sensei,” Eita replied, bowing.
“She will have a nasty bruise on her neck,” the older man continued. “I have a salve that will ease the pain a little.”
“Thank you.” Eita bowed again. “Sensei? When will she wake up?”
“It could be anytime. She was hit at a pressure point, which likely stunned her first and then knocked her out.”
The priest rose to his feet with the aid of Mika. He shuffled over to the door before turning back to look at Eita.
“She’ll be fine, young man. Take good care of her.”
“I will. I promise.”
“Mika will bring back the poultice, bandages, and salve.” And with that, the two left the building.

Eita reached down and took Hitoka’s hand, weaving his fingers with hers. But it wasn’t enough. It wasn’t nearly enough. He climbed in beside her, careful not to jostle her too much, and gathered her close. He took a deep, shaky breath, and let the tears fall.


Chapter 10 - Ten

The first thing she noticed was that it was dark. Too dark. She thought she’d somehow gone blind, but there was the tiniest bit of light shining through a crack in the wall. The next thing she noticed was the pain. The slightest movement and her ankle sent sharp arrows of pain up her leg. Her neck felt worse than the whiplash she’d had years ago in an accident. And her head! That tiniest bit of light was now a spear through her eyes into her brain. In fact, her eyes fought to stay closed, so she didn’t fight it.

She tried to move, to get a bit more comfortable, but then realized she was being held down. The arm around her chest was loose, like he had fallen asleep behind her. But then again, he was a light sleeper. Everytime he tried this, she fought against him. And while he hadn’t attempted it for a week or two, he still never got the hint that she didn’t want him touching her. So, he tried when she was most vulnerable. She’d lost so much sleep keeping her own guard up against him.

Mind buzzing and clouded with pain, and no immediate memory of what happened recently, she began to struggle. The arm tightened just a hair, and she screamed.

“No!! Get off me, Yahaba! Leave me alone!!” she struggled harder, not caring about the pain anymore, panting from her efforts to get free.
“Hitoka…?” The arm loosened further, enough for her to roll away. Except she only managed to roll onto her stomach. She felt a hand on her hip, and she flinched. The hand was immediately gone.
“Hitoka, what’s wrong?”
That voice! It wasn’t Yahaba’s at all. Nor was it Kyotani’s. Slowly, she cracked open her eyes and…
“Eita? You’re here?”
“Yeah,” he said quietly. His face was so full of concern, love, and maybe just a slight hint of fear. “What’s wrong? Is it the pain? I can help you…”
He was almost acting nervous. He reached out to touch her, but then pulled back.
“What happened? How are you here? Where’s… no, I don’t want to know where he is,” she said. “If you’re here, that means he’s gone, right?”
She heard fabric rustling, and movement all around her. She tried to lift her head to look around, but groaned from the pain. The sounds stopped, almost immediately.
“Let me help you, baby,” Eita whispered. She moved her head just enough to be an affirmative answer.

She felt his hands, gentle, yet apprehensive, as they calmly maneuvered her onto her back. He put a pillow under her head, and after a few minutes and a quiet order to someone else, a cold compress was placed on her forehead and the back of her neck. The pain in her head and neck subsided a little and she sighed with relief. But when he tried to straighten her legs, her ankle protested viciously.

“I’m so sorry,” he said quietly. Another quiet command, and he eased a pillow under her foot. “Hopefully, that will help. I need to apply more of that poultice and get a new bandage,” he said, half to himself.
“I’ll go find Mika,” someone else said in response.
“What time is it, anyhow? Will she even be awake?”
“It’s… a little after 4am.”
“If she’s not awake, then maybe one of the priests?”
“Possibly. If you can find the one that helped us a couple days ago, that’d be great.”
“Eita?”
“I’m right here, love,” he replied, his voice soothing and familiar and everything she’d wanted to hear for so long. “I won’t leave you.”
“Good.” His hand slipped into hers, weaving their fingers together. It was enough to pull tears from her eyes. “What happened? Who’s here with us?”
“I can tell you, but first, what do you remember?”

It took a little while before they ironed it all out. Eita explained how he’d been following her clues, along with several others, and just recently, two more. Once they received Mika’s call, they raced to Lake Biwa, and after a short rest, started searching for her. Hitoka remembered seeing Tori and Hayato, and started fighting once Yahaba and Kyotani made the decision to flee again. After that, he explained how they rescued her from her captors.

“So, how long have I been out?” she asked later, after Mika gave her some medicine for the pain, and left them with enough food and drink to feed an army.
“Just a couple days,” Eita replied carefully.
They were seated on the futon they shared, and he was leaning against the wall, holding her in his arms.
“Two days?!”
“Well, we figured you’ve been through so much stress and everything that your body just took over once you were knocked out.” He gently kissed her head. “How are you feeling, love?”
She snuggled closer, his arms tightened around her. “Much better now.”
He chuckled. “Much, much better, but…”
“Mika said the headache should lessen once I eat and drink something. The bruise on my neck, and the ankle pain, will both be rough to deal with, but I’m fine.”
“When do you want to go home?”
“I’ve been wondering why we aren’t already there.”
“Yeah, obvious reason being obvious, genius.” He reached up and threaded his fingers through her hair, carefully massaging her head.
“I know.” She did her best to snuggle even closer into his chest. “I missed you so much.”
“I missed you more.”
“Okay, less missing, and more trying to eat something,” she heard Kei say. “We don’t want to overstay our welcome, even if they’ve been gracious hosts.”
“Also, since it’s kinda late, why don’t we stay the night, and we can go home in the morning?” Tetsu added. “I’m sure they won’t begrudge us one more night.”
“Actually, while it would be nice to stick around with you guys, I’ve got to go. I have a deadline to meet,” Oikawa said. “Can I count on a few statements from you for my article?”
“As long as you keep them accurate,” Eita warned. “No embellishments.”
“I would never…” he started protesting dramatically, and then smiled at the baleful glares coming from the rest of the group. “Don’t worry. I don’t intend to sensationalize this one. Even I know when to keep it serious.”
“Then, we’ll look forward to your calls.”
“Great!” He pushed himself up off the floor and stretched. Iwaizumi followed suit. “It really was good to see you guys again. Maybe we can meet up again soon?”
When no one answered right away, Oikawa rolled his eyes and Iwaizumi snorted. “All completely off the record. I promise.”
“Good. We’ll talk to ya later!”
“Thanks for your help, guys.”
“Anytime. See ya soon!” And then they were gone.
“Honestly, we should probably find our way home, too,” Tori said, with a nod from Toshi, who was gathering up some of the food to take with them. “Work has probably backed up a mile, and I need some downtime before we start back up again.”
“Thanks for your help,” Eita said softly.
“Like Oikawa said, anytime. Give us a call when you finally make it home,” Tori smirked, flashing them a wink. Toshi handed him his share of the food, and they were both up on their feet and headed for the door.
“Later guys,” Toshi said quietly, with a wave as they left the building.

For another hour, those left behind talked quietly about their plans for after they picked back up with their lives. They all knew Eita and Tetsu had tour dates to make up for, and then made plans for a few shows together as a surprise for the fans. Kei would be busy updating their websites when they got home, and once Hitoka was back to one hundred percent, she’d resume her photography job.

Still, there was one place Hitoka wanted to go before they went home, and without saying a word, Eita knew exactly where she was thinking.


Chapter 11 - Eleven

The priest in charge of Hitoka’s convalescence insisted she stay a few days more, until he was satisfied she was on the mend. He recommended they go to the nearest hospital for a full check-up, but otherwise, he gave them his clean bill of health. They followed his advice and she was examined by a doctor that was a friend with the shrine’s healer priest. Hitoka was given a small supply of a topical ointment for her bruise and ankle, a prescription for small dosage painkiller to take only when necessary, and she was fitted with a boot to keep her ankle immobile. They were given instructions on when to go for another check-up, but otherwise, she was free to leave. Soon, they were on their way to the train station in Takashima.

“I’ll send you a text once the websites are updated,” Kei told them as he bent to kiss Hitoka’s cheek. Tetsu quickly followed suit.
“Do you have the pictures?” she asked.
“Yep! Oh, I caught up on some of the fans’ messages, too. They’re obviously still waiting for Tetsu and Eita to continue their tours, but there are quite a few more that want to know if you’re okay.”
“I think the pictures will take care of that,” she replied with a smile.
“They will indeed.” The whistle for the train back to Sendai sounded, and it was time for them to go. “Call us when you get there!”
“We will. You do the same,” Eita said as they left.
“We will! Talk to you soon!”

Once the train was gone, Hayato came up and gave Eita a slap on the back. His train would be coming soon; he was headed for Tokyo to meet with Oikawa, and then to visit family.

“I’ll iron out the schedule for your tour, and get with Kuroo’s manager for the extra shows you and Kuroo plan to do.”
“Sounds good. See if you can make extra arrangements for Hitoka, too.”
“Well, yeah, duh. If you and Kuroo are going to be performing together, then naturally, Hitoka and Kei will be there, too.”
“Smartass.”
The train Hayato had to catch eased into the station.
“Yeah, well, I’ll email you everything later. See you in a couple weeks?”
“Give or take. We’re not going to rush.”
“Good thinking. Talk to you two later,” Hayato said as he sprinted to catch his train. They waved as his train pulled out of the station.
“Just us now,” he said, squeezing her hand a little tighter. “Our train doesn’t arrive for another couple hours, do you want to do anything?”
“Being with you is enough.”
Eita smiled and guided her to a bench nearby. “Well, why don’t we see about getting a snack and a drink, maybe walk around a bit?”
“Sure.”

They found several small souvenir shops and bought snacks at the last one. Eita found a table they could sit at while they ate. She was still tired, and he could tell when there was a twinge of pain when she winced after an odd movement. He understood that things would be off between them, but seeing her try to look happy while also troubled, pulled at his heartstrings. It was like she wanted to talk, but couldn’t find the words, and remained silent. And he knew he had questions to ask, but didn’t want to burden her further. She needed rest. She needed time to heal.

All he needed… was her.

They weren’t going home. Not yet. There was one place she was longing to see, even asked if they could go. He was more than happy to take her. Once they were on the train, maybe they’d be able to talk. Except it didn’t happen there, either. After making their way to the platform, giving their tickets to the conductor to punch, and then finding their private berth, both of them were just awake enough to settle into a comfortable cuddle and fall asleep.

~*~

“You don’t know how much I needed to come here,” she whispered as they sat together at the picnic bench they called their own. The waterfall provided the background music, punctuated by the night sounds of crickets, cicadas, and frogs. “I kept hoping they’d let slip where we were, and I’d imagine finally escaping and coming here to find you waiting for me.”
“We did come here a few times,” he told her, a little apologetically. “It helped us keep calm and try to come up with a plan.”
“A few times?”
“Yeah. He was taking you from one coast to the other, and Karuizawa was the mid-point. The last time we were here, Toshi got the call from the person who found your note in Oda.”
“We need to invite them over more often,” she said.
“After the tour,” he reminded her.
“Right.”

They were quiet for a little while, and then he shifted a bit. He muttered a soft ‘excuse me,’ and left to start pacing along the edge of the basin. Hitoka watched him, knowing he was needing to move, to think of a way to ask her whatever was on his mind. He didn’t always do this. Most times, he’d just ask whatever he needed to ask. But maybe because of the situation, he was unsure if that was the right way to do it. She had to smile just a bit. Until recently, she’d been the only one to see his vulnerable side. Even then, Kei told her it had taken a week before he opened up for everyone else, too.

“Are you sure you want to come with me for the whole rest of the tour?” he suddenly asked, startling her a bit. She wasn’t expecting such a… normal question. “You know how grueling they can be.”
“I am aware. I’ve joined you before.”
“But not for a stretch this long.”
“No.” But she kept looking at him. “Will it be a problem?” she asked cautiously.
“No! You know I love it when you’re on tour with me.”
“Then why are you even asking me about it?”
“It’s just, your bruise…”
“Can be covered with makeup until it fades.”
“You’re ankle…”
“Will be fine, as long as I’m not on it constantly. Plus, I’ve got my boot,” she lifted her leg to show the brightly colored boot stabilizing her ankle. When she looked back up at him, she saw he’d turned back to look at the water. “What’s wrong, Eita?”
“Nothing,” he answered, a bit too quickly. “I don’t know how to ask,” he admitted a minute later, his voice a little softer. “Or even if it would be okay to ask.”
She almost didn’t hear that last part.
“Is it about Yahaba?”
Eita swung around, his face a mixture of surprise and anger.
“You can speak his name?! After everything he’s done?”
She shrugged. “Why give him that much power over me? Over us? Don’t get me wrong, I hate Yahaba with every fiber of my being, but there is one thing in his favor… Believe it or not, he never hurt me.” Physically, anyway.
“But when you woke up, you were scared and screaming for him to get off you. I thought that he’d… hurt you…”
“Did I?” she asked, trying to remember. “I woke up and thought I was still with them, and then the pain pretty much took over…”
He shrugged and jammed his hands into his pockets. “You screamed, ‘Get off me, Yahaba! Leave me alone!’ Scared everyone awake, too. And no one knew what to think, much less what to say to try and comfort you.”
“Oh. Oh, no, it wasn’t like that at all!” She rushed to stand, to join him, to reassure him, but she stumbled in her haste, and sat back down hard, her boot connecting with the table support, jarring her ankle. “Ow…”
“Be careful,” he said, rushing over to the bench, scooting her over and sitting in her spot.
“This thing is super awkward, so I’m sure I’ll be running it into something else again,” she said. “I’m fine, Eita. No need to protect me from the big bad picnic table.”

He gave her a look out of the side of his eye, and then smiled. It was his first real smile she’d seen since she woke up. Readjusting in place, he sat with his back against the table, facing the path that led back down to the parking lot. He held out his hand, gestured with his head, and said, “Come here.”


Chapter 12 - Twelve

It took a bit of clever maneuvering (no thanks to that infernal boot), and a lot of laughter (Eita took full advantage of Hitoka’s ticklish spots as he settled her into place on his lap), before they subsided into a comfortable silence. His arms were loosely draped around her hips, and hers were around his neck, her fingers playing with his hair. They faced each other, foreheads pressed together, mouths just inches away from fitting together perfectly.

Hitoka leaned back and smiled gently. “Guess I should explain my outburst, huh?”
“You don’t have to.”
“I think I do. Just so there aren’t any misunderstandings later.”
“Right.”
“At first, it was nothing more than an attempt to hold my hand, or putting his arm around me; little touches which are so common that I didn’t even think anything of it for the first few seconds. Then, I’d draw away, warn him to stop, to leave me alone. I didn’t want him to so much as think about touching me.”
“Did he stop?”
“Not right away. It’d be like he’d lay low for a few days before trying again. I literally had to slap his hand away, or shove him back, before he finally got the idea that I was serious. He still tried, but he’d back off if I caught him.”
Eita tightened his hold on her.
“I don’t know when he switched to a different tack, but one night, I woke up feeling warmth along my back, and an arm around my waist. I almost thought it was you behind me, but it felt different, and my brain kicked into overdrive. I screamed, turned over and shoved him so hard that he was on the floor before he knew what happened. A few minutes later, I realized I was still fully dressed, and under the blanket, while he tried to cuddle up to me.”
“And he didn’t try anything other than that?”
“No. He said he wanted me willing, but also he wanted us to be in love together. That was never going to happen, so he kept trying. It got to the point that I’d be awake until I knew for sure I was the last one to go to sleep.”

He pulled her closer, and buried his face in the crook of her neck. She always managed to find something good in everyone, and that seemed to include the two people who held her captive for months. It wasn’t like she was trying to defend Yahaba, either. She just had to make clear that the man wasn’t too far gone to do worse things to her. Though, in all honesty, Eita knew it would’ve only been a matter of time before the bastard snapped and did the unthinkable.

Slowly, as if they had all the time in the world, he moved just enough to imprint an open-mouth kiss on her neck. He savored the way she gasped, her arms tightening around his neck. He moved up, leaving a little trail of kisses in his wake. She moved against him, her fingers threading through his hair, tugging a little, too. She sighed, though it melted into a breathy giggle the moment he tugged her earlobe with his teeth. He would’ve traveled along her jawline to finally end at her sweet mouth, but she pulled back to look at him. Her hands gently held each side of his face, her fingers were splayed, and he could feel a slight shake.

“Hitoka?”
“From the start, he tried to make me believe you weren’t coming. That you’d let me go completely after time.”
“But you didn’t, did you?”
She shook her head once, but then her eyes welled up with tears, and she nodded.
“It was only once, and I wasn’t thinking straight,” she whispered shakily. “I was always blindfolded when we left a place, until we arrived in another. But you can’t mistake the sounds of travel, like cars and trains. Or planes.”
“Planes?”
She nodded again. “I don’t know what he was thinking, but I assumed he thought if we left the country…”
“I’d give up and stop the search,” he finished.
“Yeah. I couldn’t leave a message for anyone to find, not knowing where we were, if they spoke Korean or Chinese, or whatever language of the country we were in. The longer we stayed the more I had to convince myself that you’d still somehow find me. And it was hard, because he kept saying you weren’t coming, that you gave up. That he was the only one I could trust to stay with me forever.”
“That asshole! I should have…”

And then Hitoka was suddenly kissing him deeply, wildly, and hungrily. She gave him everything she felt in that single kiss, and he gave it all back in equal measure. Then, he tasted the tears that fell from her eyes. When he would have pulled back to comfort her, she held tighter, unwilling to let him go. It was a first kiss, of sorts, but also something deeper and more profound. They were two halves of a whole that had been cruelly ripped apart, but with the help of their friends, they were put back together again.

“Thank you,” she murmured once they could breathe again.
“For what?”
“For not giving up on me. Even at my lowest, I still held a little hope that you’d find me.”
“I love you,” he replied. “There’s nothing on earth that could’ve kept me from finding you.”
“I love you, too. So much.”

She kissed him again, this time languidly, softly, taking her time to savor him. This time when they parted, they were both smiling. Before she knew it, he wrapped his arms tightly around her waist, told her to hang on, and then stood up from the picnic table bench. He turned so that she could stand on the plank, and then faced forward again, offering a piggy-back ride.

“I can walk, you know,” she said even as she leaned forward and wrapped her arms and legs around him.
“I am aware. But it’s dark, and you admitted you’re clumsy with that boot on. Can’t have you do further damage.”
She shivered as his hands took hold of her thighs, gripping gently.
“Damage? I’m more careful than that!”
“I meant the boardwalk, the railing, and any hapless trees or saplings. Who knows, you might somehow run into a rabbit or some other innocent woodland creature.”
“Keep that up, and my boot may just run into your ankle.”
“Not from where you are.”
“Only when you’re least expecting it.”

They bantered back and forth until they made it to the car. The ride back to their hotel was spent quietly talking about the upcoming tour and their plans for the downtime in between shows. They called Tetsu and Kei to talk about the first joint concert, which would actually be a series of beach shows for the end of summer festival at Atami Sun Beach.

“I know a place you’ll love,” Tetsu suggested. “It’s closer to Ito. Nice and quiet, too. Almost your own private beach, really.”
“But Tetsu, that’s…” Hitoka started to protest, knowing the exact place he was telling her about.
“Don’t worry! I’ve got another place to take Kei. Who knows, he might like that one better.”
There was the slightest hesitation before Kei agreed. “It really is the best place. You’ll love it.”
“I’ve got a better idea,” Eita suggested carefully, easily picking up on the uncomfortable vibes both Kei and Hitoka were giving off.
“What’s that?”
“Trade ya. You keep that secluded little beach to Kei and yourself. I’ll take Hitoka to wherever you wanted to sub it out with.”
“Deal. Call me later and I can email you all the info you need.”
“Thanks, man.”
“No problem, bro.”
“Wonder what that was all about,” Hitoka muttered as she hung up.
“Dunno,” he replied, parking the car and turning to face her. His eyes were bright and his smile was wicked. “Why don’t we continue where we left off.”
“I thought you’d never ask.”

He carried her into their hotel, past a bemused receptionist, and into the elevator that took them to their room on the top floor. They didn’t come back out for another couple days.


Chapter 13 - Epilogue

The crowd roared after Tetsu and Eita finished their first of several colab tracks during the encore. Earlier, they announced that they’d be releasing a joint album of singles and duos the next year, with a possible tour for select cities to follow. Then, when Tetsu set up to sing his solo set, Eita went to what passed as a backstage area and waited for Hayato.

“Are they here, yet?” he asked Hayato, his manager and friend, as he quickly changed clothes.
“Just arrived,” Hayato replied. “They should be here any minute…”
“Took you long enough, Semi-Semi!” Tori announced his presence as he appeared around the corner. “We were about to start placing bets on how long it’d take.”
“Don’t call me that!” He gave Tori a dirty look, but then smiled at his friend, and at Toshi, who finally joined them. “I wasn’t going to be too long. I wanted to elope this past winter, but she wanted our friends with us, so we set it for spring, instead.”
“Elopement? How scandalous!” Tori didn’t look the least bit scandalized.
“Where is she, anyway?” Toshi asked, looking around for her.
“She’ll be back in a minute,” Hayato answered. “And no congrats yet!”
“What? Why not?”
“Let’s just say she’s blissfully unaware of our plans.”
“Plans? If you’ve already asked, and she said yes, then why…?”
“Call it a formality, I guess?”
Hayato handed over a small pink velvet box to Eita, who took it gently from him. Tori was already crowding him and Toshi was all eyes. Opening the box, he revealed what was inside.
“Ooooo,” Tori crooned. “That practically screams Yacchan! She’ll love it.”
“I hope so,” Eita said nervously, closing the box. “It took forever to find the perfect one.”
The sound of a camera snapping a round of pictures intruded, but no one saw fit to reprimand Iwaizumi, who held the camera, or Oikawa, who was leaning against the corner of the temporary wall.
“Dare I ask for an interview with the happy couple?”
“I’ll leave that up to her,” Eita replied. “But don’t count on one right away.”
“Tsk. Spoilsport. Still, I call first dibs.”
“Wouldn’t think of anyone else before you. Also, say nothing to Hitoka, got it?”
“Surprising our little star, are we?”
“Who’s a little star?” Hitoka asked as she walked up with Kei behind her, fluffing her hair. “Kei, stop that!”
“I just want it to be perfect,” he complained as she dodged him.
“Kei, stop! It’s fine. It’s fluffed enough. Though why we went to all this trouble is beyond me. I didn’t have to change…”

Her voice faded into nothing as she realized who was standing in the hallway. Eita watched her face as her expression went from happy to confused and then something comically in between. Good thing she’d been distracted enough by Kei that he had time to quickly hide the box in the pocket of his cargo shorts. Kei gave him a wink and a thumbs up.

“What are you doing here?” she asked everyone. She turned to Tori and Toshi. “Weren’t you going to Okinawa for a vacation?” Toshi shook his head, and Tori tried to look innocent while looking everywhere but at her. And whistling. Hitoka rolled her eyes and then looked at Oikawa and Iwaizumi and simply raised an eyebrow.

“Well, I met the deadline I spoke of at the shrine,” he shrugged helplessly. “Oh! Yahaba and Kyotani’s trial will be held in November in Takashima.”
“I know,” she said slowly. “It still doesn’t explain…”
“Kuroo’s wrapping up his set. Eita, you know which songs you’re going to sing?” Hayato interrupted.
“Yep!”
“Alright, good. Now, get out there!”

Hayato half shoved him out from backstage and he made his way out to where Kuroo stood waving at the crowd.

“You ready?” Kuroo asked, loud enough for him to hear.
“I have never been so ready in my entire life!”
“Good luck, dude! And congrats!”
“Thanks!”
Eita turned to the crowd and waved, picking up his guitar from the stand he’d left it on, and adjusted the mic.
“Thanks again for coming out to support us, guys! We really do appreciate it! Now, I hope you’re ready, because this encore performance will be the best one yet!!”

From backstage, Hitoka’s smile grew wider with each song he sang. They were all her favorites, and like any self-respecting fangirl, she sang along with him and the crowd who went wild. She watched as he played his guitar, scanned the crowd with his eyes, stopping at various points, gesturing for when he wanted the crowd to sing along with him, and again when he wanted them to quiet down. He loved this; loved being onstage. She could just tell how happy he was to be performing again.

And then, something occurred to her as she caught sight of the big screen tv behind Eita onstage. Pictures started flashing up there, starting with the ones she’d taken in Osaka, where they first met. Each successive picture was of either her, or them together, in various places around the country. Including ones from Shiraito Falls…

She felt a pair of hands settle on her shoulders and squeeze gently. Looking up, she saw Kei smiling down at her.

“What?”
“Nothing. Keep watching.”
“What’s going on?”
“You’ll see, big sis.”
“She’s so tiny, and you call her big sis,” Tori joked from beside them.
“By virtue of her being older than me by almost a month.”

Tori was about to say something else, when the music stopped, and Eita had gotten the crowd down to a dull roar. He stood up from the stool he was sitting on, went to put his guitar on its stand, and went back to the mic.

“For those of you following me on various social media platforms, and my official website, you should have a good idea of what today is. What it means to me. Right?” Most of the crowd clapped and cheered and some even shouted their answers. “You got it! That’s absolutely right! Good job, guys! Exactly two years ago today, at Osaka castle, I met the love of my life. Though, I should mention, I had a little help with that meeting.”

“Guess that’s my cue,” Tetsu said as he passed by to go back out onstage. He shook Eita’s hand and then picked up his guitar, sitting on the stool to start playing a very familiar song. The crowd started cheering, but Eita signaled for them to settle down again. He took the mic from the stand and started singing ‘Hand to Hold’ and made his way to where Hitoka stood waiting.

She felt Kei let her go, and she put her hand into Eita’s, who slowly pulled her back out onstage with him. The crowd roared to life, cheering wildly, and she barely heard Eita singing at all. She waved to the audience, and smiled when they started chanting ‘Yacchan!’ and ‘Semi!’ And the jumbo screen had cycled through all the photos, only to finally stop on their favorite one.

And then something else clicked. They were both wearing the same outfits they were wearing that very first day. He was wearing his maroon, scoop-neck t-shirt, khaki cargo shorts, and his Teva sandals. She was wearing a baby blue dress dotted with tiny daisies, and her favorite pair of strappy white sandals.

With her hand still in his, he slowly spun her around until she was in front of him, facing the audience, and finished singing her song. She barely noticed when Tetsu stood up, took the mic from Eita, put it back on the stand, and went backstage. Her attention was completely on Eita as he wrapped his arm around her shoulders, just like in the picture. He bent just enough so that his face was close to hers, just like in the picture. But, instead of holding up her phone to snap a selfie, like the picture, in his hand was a little pink velvet box.

“Eita?”
“Open it, baby,” he whispered in her ear. He held onto the bottom of the box, while she lifted the lid.
“Oh, Eita,” she said, feeling the tears spill over.
“I know I asked before, and you gave me the best damn answer I could hope for but… Marry me?”
“Yes!”

He took the rose gold ring from the box, and slid it onto her finger, letting the lights catch the small, brilliant cut, pink diamond. The audience ooohh’ed and aahhh’ed and congratulated the pair. Eita happily pulled her to the mic and kept his eyes on her.

“She said yes this past winter,” he told the audience. “She said yes again tonight. I knew I’d found someone special when we first met. I probably fell a little in love with you that day. It wasn’t until you showed me your little getaway in Karuizawa that I knew I loved you, and wanted you in my life forever.” He wiped away her tears. “Are you ready?” he asked after he put the mic back on the stand.
“Ready for what?”
“For anything. Everything. Being my wife,” he listed off with a shy smile. “But most importantly, are you ready to leave here?” Eita leaned forward so that his lips just barely grazed her ear. “I wanna celebrate. Alone. With you.”
Hitoka whispered her answer, and nodded her head, in case he didn’t hear her over the cheering crowd.

Eita picked her up and swung her around before carrying her off stage, past their friends who alternately patted him on the back and bent to kiss her cheek and congratulated them. Past the row of security guards, who just happened to be the same officers from Lake Biwa, and now kept curious onlookers from getting too close. Next to their car, Hitoka smiled brightly at Mika and the healer priest from Shirahige shrine, who offered their congratulations as well. And then, she noticed a few faces she didn’t recognize.

“These are the people who found your messages and called us,” Eita explained. He introduced her to each one. And then, he came to two young teens, their parents behind them, and both kids had a shock of unruly orange hair. “This is Shoyo Hinata, and his twin sister, Natsu. They didn’t find a note, but they did help in identifying who took you.”
“Is this your lady friend, Mr Semi?” Natsu asked, looking quite starry-eyed at him. Her brother whispered something in her ear. “I wasn’t doing that, Shoyo!” She looked apologetic. Then, she smiled brightly at Hitoka. “You’re even prettier in person, ma’am! I can see why he loves you.”
“Natsu!” Shoyo reprimanded his sister. “Sorry, ma’am.” he bowed.
“It’s alright. Thank you so much. Eita and our friends were able to find me sooner with your help.”
Shoyo’s hand went to the back of his neck, his face flushing. “We only did what anyone else would do, ma’am.”
“Can we take a picture?”
“Natsu!”
Hitoka and Eita laughed while they took the kids’ phones. Their mother offered to take the picture for them, and once they were all in place, she took the picture on each phone.
“We can send you a copy, if you’d like,” Shoyo offered while Natsu did a happy little dance and kept saying her friends are NOT going to believe this.
“Send it to my email on the website,” Eita told him. “Thanks again for your help, Hinata. And you too, Natsu.”
“No problem,” he replied. “Come on, Natsu, they gotta go!”

~*~

In the spring of the following year, the small group of friends gathered at Shiraito Falls, at the place that had served as a romantic getaway and a meeting place. But now, it served as a sort of outdoor cathedral, where Hitoka Yachi and Eita Semi exchanged vows. As soon as they finished the ceremony, a soft, warm breeze rustled through the trees, carrying with it a myriad of sakura petals, not including the ones thrown by their friends.

//fin
------------------------------------------------------------------

Printed from Open Scrolls Archive (https://www.openscrolls.net) on Sat Nov 14, 2026 1:13 pm