Outside the police station, Akane Kirigiri's heels clicked with growing urgency as she marched toward the entrance. She glances down at her watch to see that it is 8:00 am. Her face was determined, the kind of steely focus that only came when you had a mission to accomplish. She wasn't going to let Kazou and Rose stay in jail–not without a fight.
Akane burst through the door of the station, heading straight to the front desk. The receptionist, a disinterested young man who looked like he hadn't slept in days, barely looked up from his paperwork as she approached.
"I need to speak with someone about Dr. Kazou Kuroda and Rose Brook," Akane snapped, not bothering with pleasantries. "They've been arrested. I know they're here. I need to get them out."
The receptionist blinked at her slowly, his tired eyes barely comprehending what she was saying.
"Uh… yeah. They got out of questioning about 2 hours ago…," he said, finally lifting his gaze from the papers.
"I know that!" Akane's voice raised an octave, her frustration bubbling over. "I'm not asking for pleasantries. I'm here to get them out."
"Good luck with that. They're both behind bars for assault. What a petty crime if you ask me… Jail is a bit far, but whatever.
"You agree with me then!"
The receptionist shrugged. "Maybe..."
"Look, buddy, I have 1 million yen in my pockets right now, you see?"
The receptionist seemed unfazed. But what he said shocked her.
"You said a million?"
* * *
The door to the cell hallways opened. Kazou and Rose emerged, their faces drawn, their spirits weary. Kazou's expression was calm, but his eyes were shadowed.
Rose walked next to him, her body stiff with tension. When Kazou saw Akane sitting there, his face softened just slightly, a faint, tired smile tugging at the corner of his lips. It was a small, reassuring gesture, but it didn't make Akane feel any better.
"Guys!" Akane called out, standing up from her chair, her voice trembling with frustration. "I knew I could bribe you out!!!"
Kazou turned to her, his eyes meeting hers, and he smiled again, though it lacked its usual warmth.
"There's a lot of work to get done! Dr. Kuroda, Dr. Brook, I have already chatted with the kids, and they say that they have no clue what happened. They just woke up to the paramedics and the Police. They saw a massacre and noticed Nine was missing. We have to visit Ten. Maybe we can learn something from him!"
* * *
"Induced coma, huh?" she muttered, her voice sharp with disappointment. "Just my luck."
At the ICU reception counter, the nurse, a woman in her late thirties with kind eyes and a tired smile, gave a small nod.
"Yes. It was necessary. The swelling was too dangerous to leave him awake. The bullet missed… but not by much."
Rose inhaled sharply, visibly stressed.
"But he's stable?"
The nurse looked at Rose.
"For now. The doctors are hopeful. But he'll be monitored closely over the next forty-eight hours. We don't want to risk secondary damage."
Akane shifted her weight.
"Can we see him?"
The nurse hesitated for a second, then nodded.
"Only for a few minutes. All of you can go. But…" She looked between them, lowering her voice, "I think the presence of familiar faces might help. Even if he can't respond."
"If only Nine were here…" Kazou sighed.
"They're going to find her." Rose gave a bittersweet smile.
The nurse rose from behind the counter and led them down a quiet hallway. The only sound was the soft squeak of her shoes on the floor and the quiet beep of machinery from behind closed doors. At the end of the hallway, she stopped at a plain white door marked ICU-7.
"This is him. He's sedated. There's no change yet, but…" She looked over her shoulder, her voice softening. "He's fighting. Just so you know."
She pushed the door open slowly. Inside, the room was still and cold.
Ten lay in the bed—small, fragile beneath the tangle of wires and monitors. His skin was pale, almost translucent under the harsh white light. A thin bandage was wrapped around his forehead, the edge stained faintly pink. Machines beeped in steady rhythm beside him, and a ventilator gave a quiet hiss with each breath.
Kazou stepped in first. Rose followed silently, her hand brushing his. Akane remained just behind them, unusually quiet.
Rose's eyes welled. She pressed her knuckles to her mouth.
Kazou approached the bedside slowly, his voice a whisper.
"Ten…"
The child didn't move. His chest rose and fell, but his face remained still—too still. Kazou reached out and placed a gentle hand on his arm, his thumb barely brushing against the boy's skin.
"I'm sorry," he murmured, so softly it could've been for himself.
Akane stepped forward. "We'll figure out what happened. We'll find Nine. We'll fix this." No one answered. The only reply was the beep of the heart monitor and the hush of breath through the tubes.
Kazou remained at Ten's bedside, his hand still resting lightly on the boy's arm. Rose stood at the foot of the bed. Her arms were crossed tight across her chest, but it was less defiance now, more of a self-embrace—like she was trying to keep herself from unraveling.
"I can't believe this is him," she whispered.
Akane bent down and set a book on the nightstand. It was indeed Ten's favorite.
It was the Berend Vos story.
The story of the forgotten Polish soldier.
They stood in silence for another long moment. The machines hummed and beeped around them like a heartbeat too mechanical to be human. Ten didn't stir. Then a thought struck Rose, and her voice broke through the hush.
"What if Nine thinks he's dead?"
That landed like a stone in the room.
Kazou looked up sharply.
"If she saw the blood—if she heard the shot—"
"Then she's running for her life," Akane finished. "Alone. Scared. And thinking she'll never see her favorite person ever again."
Before they could say more, the door opened gently behind them. The nurse stepped in, her expression apologetic but firm.
"I'm sorry," she said gently. "Visiting time's over. We have to let him rest."
Kazou nodded without protest.
He looked at Ten one last time, his gaze lingering on the boy's face, and then let his hand fall away.
Rose followed him out, her steps slow, heavy. Kazou lingered at the doorway for a second longer/ The nurse stood silently at the side, waiting. When he finally stepped back, the nurse closed the door behind them with a soft click. They walked back down the hallway, each step echoing louder than the last. No one said a word.
"I'll find them. I will." Kazou mutters to himself confidently. "I will put an end to this murderer."