Saihara's POV:

I feel like I've just said an unforgivable lie. I promised Ouma something he may have been holding onto for years, a single wish a desperate and lonely soul made when everything else was ripped away from him, a wish from someone with nothing left to lose when the world tore away his mind, body, and spirit and stole what mattered the most to him.

He asked for something...something I don't honestly know if I can give him. He wants the person, the person who did all this to him, to his friends, to be punished for his crime as he should have all those years ago...

And I promised him I would bring him that much-needed closure. 

But I don't know how I can actually do that, it didn't even hit me at the time the reality of what I had promised him, I wasn't thinking logically but out of my pure desire to finally let him move forward with his life, to finally give him that opportunity but the reality is...I don't know how to do that.

I'm not even a real detective! Sure I've worked on cases before, but I'm not some super ultimate detective-I'm a high schooler! I don't even have the advantage of the case happening recently, because it was four long years ago in a warehouse that I doubt even Ouma knows the exact location of due to him being knocked out before hand.

If there even was evidence left behind the first time, I doubt its there anymore, whether because the sub physically removed it or because of just nature, or maybe the police hid even more than I'm already suspecting.

Because that promise I made to him is not just to find the man who dealt the killing blow-but who exactly hired him to perform that job, and the people behind making it look like a group of teenagers commited suicide.

What type of evidence was destroyed or omitted to keep it hushed up? Was...did my Aunt even get to see the body of her own daughter when she had passed? Did any of them see the bodies? And what lie had they told Ouma's mother when he was in the hospital to explain such horrible injuries and disabillities?

Does she know the truth? Or did Ouma never tell her...

...

Well...there is one other person who can help me right now.

I grabbed my phone and looked for her contact.

~-~-~-~

"Hello?" a voice called out, I was on the rooftop of the school waiting for her, I got up and turned over to see Harukawa, "oh...thanks for meeting me here" I told her, "your message was very vague" she told me.

I bit my tongue, I didn't know how much I could put into the message without the fear of someone else hearing. "Sorry about that, I just wanted to make sure it didn't get recorded" I told her, "well that sounds not suspicious in the slightest" Harukawa said rolling her eyes a little. 

"I know what really happened," I said immediatly, her eyes widened a little before her stoic face returned, "who told you?" she asked hesitantly, "Ouma, Ouma told me what happened...about the origins of the fire...and what really happened to him and DICE...and how he survived..." I told her.

She didn't say anything for a while, only looking down at the floor, her posture became more defensive before she finally took a deep breath and turned back to me, "I didn't think he would ever tell anyone about this to be honest" she admitted.

"I understand why though...what happened was horrible" I said shuddering at the thought, "yeah...but that still doesn't explain why you wanted us to meet" she said questioning my intentions.

"I wanted to ask if you could help me prove what really happened, or just tell me where it happened so I can try and get some sort of clues" I asked, Harukawa looked down a bit, hesitant as her shoulders tensed up before she mumbled something.

"Sorry I couldn't hear you, what?" I asked, "you won't find anything" she said, "what do you mean-?"

"Because the warehouse burned down four months after what happened" 

~-~-~-~

I looked over the charred remains of the building, a sense of disappointment and rage filling in my body. We had arrived early the next morning only for this tarnished sight.

How could no one connect the dots together? How could they allow this to happen? All that precious evidence is gone...

Even if it hadn't burned down I already knew I was going to have a hard time finding evidence due to how abandoned the place would have been and what might have been removed unintentionally over the four years but this just made my job much harder.

Harukawa didn't say anything just pulling out a shovel that was leaning against another building before handing it to me.

"What is this for?" I asked confused, "they might have buried whatever didn't burn or it might be burried under the debris" she said before she herself began to examine the terrain.

I looked over at the ashen landscape before joining her.

"I'm sorry..." she mumbled a little, "what are you apologizing for?" I asked confused. She looked down ashamed.

"Me and Kaito could have found something years ago for you or have proven it ourselves but we didn't...so I'm sorry" she said.

"It's not your fault, you guys were kids when this happened how were you supposed to have known what to do? And even if you did- you guys had to witness something horrifying and that could dampen on thinking this through logically" I tried to assure her but she didn't look convinced as she just kept digging at the ground sifting through the gravel.

We must have toiled for hours on end desperate for any piece that could have identified that the group DICE had indeed been brought here but it looked spotless.

There isn't even any visible blood...they must have cleaned up their work some time ago...or it somehow faded away over time.

Still...there can't be nothing! It's impossible with such a butchering that nothing was left behind!

"Saihara" Harukawa called as she wiped the sweat and dirt out of her face, she was staring at something that was glittering in the now sunset sky.

I walked over and she had picked up a small phone charm, it was of a cat and Harukawa squinted at it.

"What's off about it?" I asked, "this is Sanyu's phone charm, trust me this is definitely hers she was addicted to her phone and shoved cat videos in everyone's faces I recognize it" she added.

"It's here...why would it be here wouldn't he have destroyed their phones?" I asked. Harukawa shrugged "maybe he did it here when they were still unconscious or just moved them, look the chain was broken off so it was probably by accident" Harukawa said pointing at the chain.

She was right it looked like it had gotten snagged on something and forcibly torn apart only causing it to break away from the original phone.

I couldn't help but get excited over finally finding some piece of evidence after the long day of searching before my heart sank, "this isn't enough..." I muttered, "what do you mean? How can it not be?" Harukawa asked a little frusturated. 

"Because any teenage girl could have just randomly lost a phone charm in this area, if it was something that only Sanyu had it would have been something different...but as it stands right now it would just be brushed off...I need more than this..." I told her a bit disappointed myself.

Harukawa didn't respond only brushing herself off, "would a witness testimony help?" she asked. I looked up a bit surprised before she began to examine the terrain more, "I gave one back when this happened...soemthign tells me it isn't around anymore...it might be outdated, I probably forgot some details...but I can at least try..." she told me.

"...Please do" I told her, a part of me wanted to hold back for some reason as Harukawa walked around her mind seemed to be wandering away from me, "when it happened, Momota and I began searching for them...we of course didn't know exactly where it happened, or where they were taken we ran after the van as far as we could but we eventually lost it...and when that happened Momota and I just ended up searching the city thinking of where the most cliche spots for kidnapping would be...

"It must have been three hours and at that point I was pissed, I didn't...I just didn't really believe that this could be happening, Ouma and his friends couldn't be kidnapped, there was no possible way anything like that could happen...it's strange...even though I knew things like that happened...I never thought it could happen to someone I knew.

"When we finally arrived at the warehouse I was ready to call it quits when we heard Ouma scream...had it been maybe ten minutes later we would have missed him...he would have died there, and maybe we never would have found their bodies...and they would have just become missing kids forever...

"But Ouma did scream, and we did hear him, and we did find him...I was the one that went into the warehouse...and I...and I..." Harukawa didn't say anything for a while and to a normal onlooker you wouldn't have seen the true distress this was bringing for her, but to anyone who knew her it was obvious. 

Her posture was tense and while she wasn't shaking she kept her eyes set on the floor and they even seemed to be brimming a little with some tears before she quickly brushed them off trying to remain composed even though it was hopeless.

"I found DICE's bodies, the sight was horrible...there was a wall right here...right under a skylight they were in full view...must have been arrogance...they were chained onto the wall like some kind of hunting prize...and the smell...

"Ouma was on the other side since I guess he hadn't died yet...there were tools all along this side and a room nearby...that's probably where he held them...it didn't have any windows...just clawmarks...

"Now...I think I know DICE was the one clawing at the door...or kicking it...or doing anything to try and escape that hellhole...it didn't work, they still died." Harukawa murmured, "afterwards the police and paramedics arrived and Ouma got taken away...I saw another ambulence for the bodies...I thought they were taken to the morgue but maybe they weren't...because when they died...

"We didn't have any sort of urn for them...not really...so my guess is they said they got lost at sea...and maybe they even dumped them in the ocean...but whatever happened, no one knew what really happened...even when you look at Ouma and it should be obvious no one fucking got a damn clue...it's...it's pointless...why...why do I still hear him screaming...?

"Why...do I still have memories of those guys...? When I wasn't even their friend? Why do I still want to cry when I remember their faces and smiles...when I think of how much time I spent with them and at the same time none at all...I don't have the right to be sad so why am I...? Why am I..." Harukawa choked up before wiping her eyes and left without another word.

I didn't call her back.

Ouma's POV:

'Saihara' I signed trying to get his attention. Nothing.

For the past few days Saihara has been acting weird, he's been dare I say it...more introverted than normal. Maybe he got tired of me?

To be honest I wouldn't be surprised. Sad, but not surprised. I miss the days I could just pass notes to all of DICE.

Those were the good old days.

I felt around and looked for a book. Feeling the weight and wacked Saihara in the back with it.

"Ah!" Saihara yelped and I laughed, "why did you do that Ouma?" He asked, 'I don't know maybe because you asked me to hang out and you've been so silent I was starting to think you left' I teased.

'Seriously though what are you doing?' I asked, "oops, sorry Ouma...I've just been reading something" Saihara apologized.

"I can get you a book if you want?" He offered. I just said nothing, 'stop, and think long and hard about what you did wrong' I told him a bit annoyed by his lie but I decided to let it slide.

It took him five minutes.
Five minutes to remember.
Should I be happy seeing as he somehow sees me not as a blind kid or offended because of how long it took for him to remember.

"Oh yeah sorry" he muttered, 'Sai what are you doing?' I asked, "n-nothing" he lied.

'Saihara I think there's something very important for you to know since we're friends' I told him, "what?" He asked.

'You're the worst liar in existence' I teased, 'no but seriously you keep having me confess to stuff but you're hiding something just spill the beans' I told him.

"N-not today. Maybe another day?" He asked, 'oh come on what is it?' I pushed, "it's really not something you need to worry about ok? Please just...I don't know listen to music or something" he begged.

"Why not?" I asked using my voice, my throat got a bit irritated but I ignored the pain.

"Just trust me ok!" Saihara pleaded, "I can't! You know I can't!" I screamed. An awkward silence passed.

"I don't trust anybody...you know that..." I mumbled. Saihara just sighed, "I thought you trusted me?" He asked and I shrugged.

"I've never been the trusting type..." I admitted. It took months for me to completely trust DICE with my life. And I ended up betraying them by not voicing my suspicions. And look at what it costed.

"Yeah...I'll tell you soon ok? I promise" Saihara said and I nodded, 'I hope it's worth it though cause if it was baby photos or embarrassing family videos it wasn't worth this' I told him.

"No it isn't family videos, you wouldn't even be able to tease me about baby photos," Saihara said.

"Oh so now you remember I'm blind?" I joked and Saihara lightly flicked me on the head.

"Of course I remember, it's just...I don't know when I talk to you sometimes I just forget" Saihara failed to explain.

"Great job" I teased him and he sighed, "well I try, I bet you sometimes you forget we've only met this semester of the school year" he argued.

"Nope, you're the only person I've met after that f*cking sub ruined my eyes. What do you look like Saihara come on, I need to know if I missed out" I begged.

Saihara laughed, "well I have amber eyes...and blue hair...yeah basically" Saihara described.

"Thanks a lot" I groaned, "I don't know I never had to describe myself ok!" Saihara spit out and I laughed.

"Seriously though, I wish I met you before" I sighed, "me too, everyone including you are always comparing you with a ghost basically of whoever you were years ago" Saihara confessed, "I don't know...I wonder if we would have been friends then too" he almost whispered.

Would I have been friends with Saihara back then? He's Chiasa's cousin but I'm not even friends with Kiibo and he's my own.

But I guess if he can deal with me when I'm depressed maybe he could have dealt with me while I tormented everyone around me?

"I don't know. A part of me died Saihara with them..." I admitted, "I know, I can't imagine what it would have been like being tortured like that" Saihara agreed.

"No, that part...well it hurt...a lot...but listening to the sounds in that dark room with everyone crying around me...seeing them all taken...that's what did it...and I couldn't do anything..." I whispered.

"I'm sorry Ouma..." Saihara apologized, "it's fine..." I told him. Saihara took a deep breath "let's just say no matter what kind of people we were before we would have still become friends" Saihara suggested and I nodded.

"Sounds good" I told him, "you're using a voice a lot today" Saihara pointed out and I paused.

"I don't know, for some reason you don't make me a bucket of stress" I told him, "I'm glad" Saihara sighed.

"I have to go" Saihara mumbled, "come back to do...whatever soon" I told him, "next week ok? As soon as I'm done" he promised, "yeah yeah I'm holding you to that" I threatened.

I heard the door open and a loud gasp, "K-Kiibo?" Saihara asked, my eyes widened.

"W-what happened to you Ouma?"