The Pseudo Semicolon

CHAPTER 10 || PART: 2

And they indeed started with the janitor. Both of them confronted the poor old man during lunch break.

"A noise?" Mr. Peterson repeated and Akira nodded. "Well—I did, but it belonged to a cat."

"A cat? How did a cat enter the school?" Devland questioned suspiciously. "Also what's the colour of the cat?"

"Maybe it slipped past the guards–I don't know—And it was ginger if I remember correctly. And besides, it's not the first time this has happened." The old man shrugged and Devland wondered if all adults in Halderberry were this laidback.

"No wonder people get killed here every week." Devland muttered darkly, "I could murder someone in broad daylight and get away with it."

"Let's not get any ideas." Akira said hastily as they headed to the football field and quietly slipped under the bleachers. Devland leaned against one of the wooden supports and ran through some scenarios in his head.

"So the thieves used the cat as a distraction? Specifically a ginger cat."

"I've never seen a ginger cat hang around here before." Akira shook his head slowly, "Only a white one."

"Okay so let's assume that Mr. Peterson actually saw a ginger cat and not a black cat. I guess that somehow narrows the search down—find the ginger cat, find the owner and then we'll finally have a suspect!"

"Right—and you're sure that Roy and Mitchel are here?" Akira quirked an eyebrow.

"I'm never wrong, Fukumoto." Devland declared with a smug grin, "They'll definitely pass through this way."

"Whatever you say, princess."

Akira plopped down onto the grass and took some balls of crumpled paper out of his pocket. Devland frowned as Akira smoothened them and gently started folding them neatly.

"Huh, origami, who knew?" Devland whistled appreciatively as Akira produced a creased white crane from the paper. Akira shrugged and placed the crane in Devland's palm before continuing his work.

Devland marvelled at the origami work, observing the precise folds Akira had made.

"Bobby taught me how to make 'em." Akira explained as Devland held the handiwork at eye level.

"Truly an interesting individual, this Bobby." Devland mused as he settled the origami down in the grass, "Were you close with him?"

There came no reply and Devland simply sighed, slightly frustrated that he had to wait. He never had to wait for someone to trust him—considering that back in his old school, not a single one of them trusted each other. Truly a dog eats dog world.

But this? Waiting for someone to open up to you? Being worried over their well-being? This was new–but Devland didn't mind. It would only hurt if Akira didn't feel that way about him.

"Akira..." Devland started, "Do you consider me as a friend?"

He looked up and his heart stopped. Akira was nowhere to be found, instead a mountain of paper cranes had formed where he used to sit. Devland also realised that the bleachers were slowly getting covered with moss; green devouring the white.

"No—c'mon—why." He groaned, clutching his head in anger, "GET OUT OF MY MIND!"

"I won't forgive you." It said, "I won't forgive your kin for what he did to me."

"FUCK OFF JUST—LEAVE ME ALONE."

"You will pay a hefty sum when the time comes."

"Devland?" A clear voice cut through his murky mind. Devland's reality was shifting, curling in ways that defied all laws. He closed his eyes tight and honed in on the familiar voice. "Yooo-hooo, princess, is anyone there?"

Devland grabbed onto that string of hope, pulling himself up and up until he was sure that the grass under him wasn't swallowing him, that the sky wasn't devouring him.

He opened his eyes.

***

"Soooo both of them hate cats. Amazing—there goes our lead." Devland groaned, sitting down on the sidewalk. School was over now and all the students exited the building with the brightest smile on their faces.

"Well—there's still the party so" Akira shrugged.

"Right yeah," Devland took out his phone and handed it to Akira, "Your number."

"Woooow, so smooth." Akira teased as he punched in the digits. He handed it back and said, "Is this why the ladies like you?"

Devland leaned in and whispered, "No, but it's why the gentlemen like me."

Akira blushed a pretty pink and Devland roared with laughter. "I'll call you sometime today. If you don't pick it up, then your house will be in the top 10 on 'The World's most Haunted House' list."

"Why is your answer to every solution: 'Let's do something illegal.'"

"This coming from the dude who managed to vault over a fucking wall, construct a really elaborate plan to raid the chemistry lab under ten seconds and managed to determine which all doors are easy to pick. In my opinion, Fukumoto, you are a proper thief."

Devland meant it as a throwaway comment, something that was to be taken lightly. Maybe it's because he was still too jittery from his last encounter with the monster, but while he was speaking, he did not notice that Akira was slowly turning pale.

Until it was too late.

"I'm not." Akira said quietly, though there was more emotion in those two words than Devland could decipher. "I'm not a thief."

Devland was quiet as he analysed Akira's denial, contemplating on what to say next. He decided to go for the safest option. "Really? Because you certainly stole my heart."

Akira's face contorted in disgust as Devland grinned, internally cringing at how corny that line sounded, "Don't you ever flirt with me again."

"What'll you do, Fukumoto? Shut me up? I'd prefer it with a kiss." Devland coaxed as he made his exit, looking down at his phone with a perplexed expression on his face.

From the way Akira denied the joking accusation, there was no hiding from the fact that he is a thief. Or was a thief. That explains why the boy was so hesitant about breaking the law.

Also, it wasn't a far-stretch to guess that Akira stole for money considering the tattered old shoes and his old clothing. Was Akira embarrassed in admitting that? He probably was. It was understandable, Devland would definitely start stealing if he was in Akira's situation, but unlike the other boy, he would get addicted to stealing.

Devland sighed, deciding to focus on how to indirectly apologise to Akira for his insensitive comment. And buy him new shoes—there is no way in hell the one Akira was wearing felt comfortable.