Without Me

Point

They bade each other farewell after that, going their own way again just like they had promised. He headed back to his dorm where Shou was waiting for him with papers scattered around the table as he wrote furiously. Jonathan closed the door gently as to not startle the other but it didn't quite work when he was already on edge.

"Oh hey. It's you. I've been putting down all my thoughts on paper so you can read them instead. Also, check this out. Bam! Missing people!" Shou said excitedly while handing the photocopied newspaper clipping to Jonathan who took it and studied the faces of the teenagers. They looked about his age. They were of different genders as well as looks but he believed they all had an exceptionally handsome or pretty look if anyone were to spot any similarities. Nothing else really stood out to him after all.

"Are you sure they've studied here before?" Jonathan asked, a little skeptical as he took a seat at his desk. Shou shifted his body position to look at Jonathan.

"Well, duh. I have proof that they studied here before. Check this files I managed to photocopy," he said and slid over more papers. They were the student profiles that they had to fill in to enter the school and the ones he showed were on the missing list. Jonathan felt the creeps in his skin.

"W-what if they are just... you know, missing? On their own. Nothing to do with the school?" He asked anxiously even though he doubted he wanted to know the answer to his questions now. A part of him was already believing in the fact that the school was up to something worse.

"What?! No. That's what they want you to believe, Jonathan, " Shou said and held his shoulders. "Don't you get it? As long as the students never really cause any problems, the police won't have any merit to check the school. To find what they're hiding!"

"Okay. Calm down," Jonathan said, patting the other's hands that were squeezing his shoulders a little too much. He didn't think Shou was this excitable but he guessed having someone to talk to was like opening Pandora's box.

"Sorry. Didn't mean to do that," he said while taking his hands off Jonathan's shoulders. "But anyways, you get the gist. I am 70 percent sure that the school has something to do with these students going missing. 8 of them is too many a number for me to just turn a blind eye too."

"Okay... okay. So let's say the school is the one doing all these. How are we going to find them?" Jonathan asked, half hoping Shou didn't have an answer to that.

"There must be something somewhere. I'm going to search the school grounds for the week. In the meantime, you just go on with your days until I find something again," Shou said and gave Jonathan a thumbs up, not that the other understood what that meant.

"This is too screwed up, Shou. What if you end up going missing too?" This time, the worry was clear in Jonathan's voice. He needed Shou to know of the consequences especially if the school was behind the case of the missing students.

"Then, that'll just prove that I was right."

"Right? Is your life more important or proving a point more important?" Jonathan asked, unnecessarily sounding harsher than usual. Shou let out a chuckle and shrugged.

"It doesn't really matter at this rate. It's not like I have anywhere else to go. But if. If I can help others, I'm taking the chance, Jonathan. Whether you approve or not. And if I go missing, you can make a police report and show them all of my research," Shou replied, eyes filled with determination. Jonathan could tell by now that Shou would be very stubborn with his decision so he sighed and nodded instead. Not having anywhere to go was something he faced as well but he wanted to at least make full use of his time here in this school without the trouble.

"Okay. As long as you promise me that you and I will both graduate from this school safely," he said after some thought.

"Well, if I can bust the school for whatever it's up to, we can do more than just graduate. Ain't that right?" Shou showed an excited grin but Jonathan felt the tiredness started to seep in. He gave the other a half smile and got up.

"Right. I need to take a shower. Go ahead and sleep first," he said and headed into the bathroom after Shou nodded.

Jonathan took his time to think and sort of his thoughts in the shower. Everything felt too quick for him. He was barely a month in the school but his suspicions were exceeding his curiosity levels. He wanted to know, to find out as well but he also didn't want to go missing. If those missing cases had anything to do with the school, of course. He could only hope for the best and that whatever they find wouldn't affect their school life.

After the shower, he settled into his sleepwear before settling down on his upper bunk. He put the blanket over himself to feel comfortable and sleep quickly took over him.

Morning came by quick and Jonathan woke up. Except this time, he didn't hear the alarm. He rubbed his eyes and got off the bunk bed. He noticed Shou's bed was already made up and he was gone. Feeling slightly disturbed, he turned to check on Shou's stuff. The ones on the table were still there and his clothes were still in the cupboard too. Although that didn't really stop his worrying, he really wouldn't know where to find Shou. Hell, he wouldn't know where to find anyone. He had forgotten to ask them for their numbers after all, seeming as they never asked for his either.

Those thoughts made him recall his dead phone and he dug through his luggage for the charger. Once he found it, he started finding for a socket. He was quite stunned when he couldn't find any in the room. He rubbed his neck a little and put the charger into his bag as well as the papers that Shou had left on the table which contained his investigations. He hoped the classes would have them or maybe the library. With that, he started his day.