Kaoru's View

Asuma and I have been searching for anything on Tomoyo for days. It's been 10 days and we haven't found anything that would help us find Tomoyo. All we could really find was basic information that even Kyoya would have in his grasp, and Kyoya knew everything. However, this was a case where he didn't know everything he wanted to know. Tomoyo was off the grid. It was like she was...actually...

-dead.

I clicked my tongue and smacked myself lightly. Why the hell was I even thinking about that-- that possibility? She couldn't be dead! She wasn't dead! I know she's out there somewhere. She has to be...

"You alright, Kaoru?"

I blinked and looked over at Asuma, "Huh? Oh, ugh, yeah. I'm fine." I said and laughed it off.

Asuma pursed his lips together and narrowed his eyes at me, "Mhm, whatever you say." He trailed on and faced his computer screen again.

I sighed and leaned back, letting my head hit the cushion of the sofa.

"You were thinking about her, weren't you?" He asked.

I lifted my head and nodded, "I make it pretty obvious, don't I?" I murmured.

He nodded, "Yes, yes you do."

I rolled my eyes and stood up. Making my way over to where Asuma sat, I looked over his shoulder to see what he was doing. The mouse on the screen moved and he clicked on a few files.

I could hear Asuma click his tongue in annoyance.

"Dammit, I thought I finally found it!" He swore under his breath. "This...this whole search through the government's data base is much harder than I anticipated it to be."

I frowned slightly, but nonetheless pushed a smile to my lips and was grateful for even getting any sort of help in the search for Tomoyo. Any small clue was something, yeah... Literally anything we could find on her meant that we were getting one inch closer to finding her.

We weren't going to stop anytime soon; mainly myself. Asuma clearly was trying his best to help me find her, but I couldn't help but feel as both our efforts were going to lead us nowhere. I had this feeling that all of this, all the time we've spent looking for clues on Tomoyo; we were going to hit a dead end and leave here with nothing...

Just like the others in the Host Club said we would.

I clicked my tongue and refused to believe that would ever happen. I don't want to believe that! I don't...-- I want to prove them wrong. I want to show them that she is out there somewhere, waiting for us to find her again! I will show them that they were the idiots who gave up when their friend was in need. The sole fact that Tomoyo's own brother and cousin left her behind is sickening. I still can't believe it to this day.

"Hey," I said softly, catching his attention almost immediately. "At least you're still here trying to find her along side with me."

His frown slowly turned into a small, faint smile. "Yeah, I guess you're right."

As soon as Asuma had finished with that one sentence, a message appeared on his computer screen. The computer screen changed and two words lit up brightly.

'ENTER PASSWORD'

We both rose our eyebrows in question and glanced at one another. We were afraid at the sudden message appearance, but this could possibly be a lead to finding her. If this was a chance, if this could possibly be a lead, we were going to take it like there will be no tomorrow.

"Asuma, do your thing." I said.

He sighed, "Are you sure about this,  Kaoru? For all we know, this could be a trap of some sort." Asuma stated.

I clicked my tongue. He was right. This could be a trap. After all, not too long ago we were trying to hack into the government's database.

I inhaled deeply and exhaled, a small smile forming on my lips. "Please, the risk is worth it. I just want to find her." I begged him.

Asuma looked at me from the corner of his eyes and smiled widely. "Understood," He answered and started to type away.

Asuma had entered what he thought would be the password and a gigantic 'X' appeared on the screen. This went on for a few minutes and that's when I started to really take in the fact that this could be a trap. Since when could you enter the password incorrectly more than three or four times without being blocked from trying again? This was odd. This was not normal.

"Asuma, I think you were right. This could be a trap--" I started, only to be cut off by loud static resounding from his computer.

His computer screen was glitching horribly and Asuma furiously typed away, trying to get a few more tries at the password. He bit his lip and my eyes widened once there was a countdown on his screen.

"Asuma!" I shouted, "I think you should really stop!"

He glared at the screen and didn't stop, "No!" He retorted, "I am not going to stop until we have a lead on your girlfriend's whereabouts. You have suffered enough!"

My eyes widened at his answer. I stood there shocked for a good few seconds before the flashing numbers slowly reached zero. I grabbed Asuma and pulled him away from the computer screen, wincing as I knew that I had just stopped him from possibly finding a lead. However, I couldn't lose anyone else. Not today.

The numbers slowly continued to flash on the screen.

8

7

6

We were both wondering what was about to happen. Either way, time would tell us just that. There was only a few seconds left until we found out.

5

4

3

2

1

Now... Now we find out.

0

'YOU'RE OUT OF TIME'

I held my breath and awaited for something to happen. I had seen enough films in the theaters to know that in scenarios like this, the computer can explode or a group of police officers will come bursting through the door to arrest you.

But in this case, that didn't happen. For some reason those words stayed on the screen. Asuma and I inched closer to the screen, wanting some sort of clue as to what just happened. And that's just what we got.

The words disappeared.

Instead, it was now as if someone was communicating with us through the computer screen.

'Amazing, isn't it? What a few words on a computer's screen can do.'

"What the hell is this?" Asuma seethed.

'Now, before you think of doing anything rather idiotic. Would you like to hear something I have to tell you two?'

My breath hitched in my throat. He knew there was two of us. How in the world did he know such a thing?! For some odd reason, my eyes slowly wandered up to the computer's webcam. My arms trembled and I gulped.

Was...was he watching us this entire time?

"Kaoru..." Asuma whispered.

'I'll take that as a yes.'

The screen changed.

'Well, before we start, I have something to show you. I lied about having to tell you anything. I would prefer that you... see for yourself.'

The screen changed once more, but this time it looked like we were looking through a surveillance camera's eyes. Asuma and I were both intrigued with what we were about to be shown. We inched closer to the screen, eyebrows furrowed together in concentration.

'Sit back, relax, and enjoy the show.'