Foreground Part II

[Word Count: 1571]

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Shouzou and Yuki walked up to Shouzou's car, with Yuki taking the passenger seat and Shouzou sitting behind the wheel. The journey began in silence as they merged back into the bustling street. Shouzou kept his focus on the road, while Yuki gazed out of the window, lost in her thoughts.

After a few minutes, Yuki realized they were passing her apartment building. She spoke up, catching Shouzou's attention. "Um, Shouzou, I think we're driving in circles."

Shouzou didn't take his eyes off the road and nodded in acknowledgment. "We are. You haven't told me where we're going."

Yuki let out an exclamation of realization before letting out a small laugh, while Shouzou fought back a hint of irritation in his smile.

"Well..." Yuki pondered for a moment before responding. "I guess our first stop would be the police station."

Shouzou nodded and adjusted his course, driving towards the police station with determination. Yuki sat beside him, quietly humming a tune to herself. The streets were relatively calm, with only a few cars passing by. Shouzou maintained his focus on the road, navigating the traffic smoothly.

Yuki looked out of the window, observing the scenery passing by. She noticed pedestrians strolling on the sidewalks and a few closed shops. She continued humming her tune, finding solace in the peaceful drive.

As they approached the police station, Shouzou gradually slowed down and parked the car. Both of them stepped out, ready to proceed.

Two officers stood in front of the main entrance, their attention immediately drawn to the sight of two individuals in black suits arriving in a black car. They kept a watchful eye on Shouzou and Yuki as they approached.

Yuki offered a formal greeting as they passed by the officers, receiving a somewhat nervous response from one of them. They entered the lobby, which was clean and organized, adorned with various crime prevention posters. Behind the reception desk stood a young woman with a slim figure, her black hair neatly tied up in a simple ponytail.

When the door opened, the woman was taken aback by the sight of two individuals in black business suits entering the police station. The blond one seemed out of place, but the grizzled man accompanying her exuded an intimidating aura.

Approaching the desk, Shouzou stood back while Yuki walked up to the police officer.

"Hi," Yuki greeted, scanning the officer's uniform before squinting to read her name tag. "Shizuka."

Shizuka tensed at the mention of her name but returned the greeting nonetheless. "H-Hello, how can I help you today?"

Ignoring Shizuka's slight stutter, Yuki leaned forward on the desk, resting her elbows on it. "I wanted to ask something. You see, I recently found a kid, and I was wondering if he's on any missing persons lists."

Upon hearing the situation, Shizuka found her composure and straightened her back. Her stutter disappeared as she responded, "Of course. Do you have his name?"

"Yes, of course. It's Leo," Yuki answered.

Shizuka typed on her computer and briefly turned to signal Yuki to continue.

Yuki stared at Shizuka blankly before realizing her mistake. Pressing her lips together, she then further realized, "I don't know Leo's last name."

Without dwelling on the wait, Shizuka continued her search. Leo wasn't a very common name, so finding him shouldn't be too difficult, she thought.

The search took longer than expected, and Yuki

grew restless, walking around idly while whistling, while Shouzou opted to take a seat.

Finally, Shizuka spoke up again. "How old is he?"

Yuki stopped in her tracks, pondering for a moment. "He looked to be around 10, maybe 11ish."

Shizuka typed on her computer, asking another question. "What's his hair color?"

"Oh, it's black," Yuki answered, a hint of joy in her voice.

Shizuka continued typing and clicking through various reports.

Yuki leaned over the desk, staring at the blocky computer monitor. Eventually, she spoke again, "Did you find him?"

Shizuka's response was a hesitant, "Maybe."

Opening a profile, Shizuka began explaining the situation. "Leo doesn't seem to have a proper file. There are no records, no pictures. The only things confirming his existence are a copy of a birth certificate and a missing persons report."

"Missing person?" Yuki thought out loud before asking, "And his parents?"

"His mother also has a missing persons report, while his father seems to have passed away recently..." Shizuka started, but Yuki's interruption cut her off.

"Yes!" Yuki exclaimed, realizing her mistake once again, she turned to Shizuka with a sheepish expression. "I'm sorry, I'm really sorry. That wasn't appropriate."

Yuki's embarrassment was amplified when she heard Shouzou snort from behind her.

Shizuka remained composed, looking at Yuki before continuing. "His father recently passed away in a house fire. The cause of the fire was undetermined, but various cigarette butts were found scattered around the home, so it's suspected they may have been the cause. Additionally, the victim was reported to be living with his son, and only one body was found among the wreckage, leading to a missing persons report."

Both Yuki and Shouzou listened intently to the report. Yuki felt a pang of sadness upon hearing about Leo's immediate family, while Shouzou's mind was filled with thoughts.

"House fire, huh?" Shouzou pondered silently.

"Now, with that out of the way," Shizuka said, regaining Yuki's attention. "Where is Leo Liebert?"

"Liebert?" Yuki asked, slightly surprised.

"It's his full name," Shizuka clarified.

"I see," Yuki said, comprehending the information. "Well, to answer your question, he's currently at my apartment."

Shizuka took out a pen and began jotting down Yuki's answers. "And how did you come across Leo?"

"My uncle found him," Yuki replied. "He said Leo walked into his hotel."

"Any injuries?" Shizuka inquired.

"Hmm, he is wearing bandages," Yuki responded. "On his hands, maybe his arms too, but I could only see his hands, and I didn't want to make him uncomfortable."

"I see," Shizuka wrote down more notes before looking back at Yuki. "That should be enough for the report. We'll most likely need to send an officer to pick up Leo to drop the missing person report, as he doesn't have any family members who can pick him up."

"He doesn't?" Yuki asked, worry evident in her voice

"No," answered Shizuka simply. "According to the report, we tried to contact Leo's father's family regarding his possible whereabouts, but they said they had disowned his father and wanted nothing to do with him or his new family."

Yuki's spirits sank upon hearing this news. Leo truly was alone. However, she also realized that this information strengthened her resolve to follow through with her initial plans of adopting him.

With the conclusion of the report, Yuki and Shouzou provided the officers with directions to Yuki's apartment so they could pick up Leo.

Meanwhile, back at the apartment, Leo was lying on the kitchen floor, feeling bored and restless. He couldn't help but think about his belongings that were left behind – his bike in the back of Takeshi's car and his backpack at the antique shop. As time dragged on, Leo grew more and more impatient.

Suddenly, he heard a knock at the door. Startled, Leo sat up from the floor and looked towards the hallway leading to the door. There was another knock, causing him to squint his eyes in confusion. Reluctantly, Leo got up and approached the hallway.

"This is the police. Can you open up?" a voice called from outside.

Leo's eyes widened, and he looked around in a panic. "Shit, shit, shit!"

Backing up, Leo patted his hoodie and retrieved his gun, contemplating his options. He could go out guns blazing, but...

"Come on, Leo. Open the door. We know you're in there," the voice outside urged.

"Fuck."

Leo stopped in his tracks, desperately searching for a plan. His gaze landed on a bookcase, and he quickly climbed to the top, concealing his gun. After climbing back down, he approached the front door, took a deep breath, and unlocked it. Opening the door, he saw two middle-aged officers standing there, holding a key, about to open the door.

"Ah, there you are," one of them said. "Come along then."

Stepping back, they allowed Leo to walk out, and one of the officers led him to the elevator while the other locked the door to Yuki's apartment. The three of them descended in silence, with Leo growing more curious about the situation. Surprisingly, they didn't handcuff him.

"What exactly is going on?" Leo wondered to himself.

Upon reaching the ground floor, the officers escorted Leo to their squad car. The ride back to the police station was quiet, with Leo leaning back in his seat. The driver occasionally glanced back at him before focusing on the road. Having heard most of Leo's story, both officers couldn't help but feel a semblance of pity for him – no family to go home to, and the few relatives he had wanted nothing to do with him due to his father.

Upon arriving at the police station, the two officers guided Leo inside. The first person he spotted was Yuki, pacing around while talking on the phone. As she turned around and saw Leo, she placed her hand on the mic and yelled out to him.

"Don't worry, Leo. I know a great lawyer."

Confused but intrigued, Leo nodded in response, uncertain of what was to come.