《The Falling Petals》


 the one who fell from the heavens

    It was a quiet evening save for a few cats meowing in the alleys. Majority of the houses on the Iwasaki-doori were dimly lit, some with curtains covering most of the light inside while some were simply empty. One empty house looked plain as though the owner never had time to decorate or plant flowers. Then suddenly a man could be seen walking up to the door of the house and reaching for the doorbell.


    Before his finger touched the bell, the door opened and a young woman appeared. She had short black bobbed hair with red framed eyeglasses. She was sporting a light blue blouse and a white knee length skirt. The young woman walked out a few steps and gave the man a warm hug before disengaging.


    ¡°I¡¯m so glad you could come¡­.¡± The young woman said softly.


    The man¡¯s expression could not be seen but one could only imagine he was smiling.


    ¡°Oh, I¡¯m so sorry, please come on inside,¡± the young woman said, stepping to the side to allow the man in.


    *****


    Morning arrived at 3 Chome for the citizens of Kashiwa. Students and employees were scrambling to grab breakfast before heading to the rail. In one house, a young boy with messy black hair named Orion walked around the living room packing things into his backpack. His parrot occasionally chirped from her cage in the corner by the settee, watching her master.


    ¡°I wonder if this is enough for the field trip¡­.¡± Orion pondered to himself. He stopped in front of the parrot¡¯s cage. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Kiyo, but I won¡¯t be home for a few days.¡± Then he continued packing.


    The parrot gave a precise cry, flapping her wings once.


    ¡°Thanks, Kiyo, you¡¯re the best,¡± Orion said, a slight smile forming on his face for the briefest time as he returned to packing. He felt guilty leaving his parrot alone for a few days, but he supplied enough food for the bird considering he lived alone for the most part.


    Once Orion finished packing, the boy threw the backpack over his back and walked to the door. He slipped into his black sneakers and left the house. Orion turned to the left to see his fellow student and childhood friend Mari waiting for him in front of her house. Orion approached Mari standing a few feet away, taking wide strides.


    Mari had red shoulder length hair with clips on both sides of the hair; she wore the school uniform with a black blazer over a white shirt, a navy blue tie and a dark red pleated skirt matching, with thigh high leggings and navy-coloured Mary Janes. When she noticed Orion approaching, she turned toward him.


    ¡°Orion!¡± Mari called out, waving her arm over to him. ¡°Over here!¡± Mari had left the house a tad too early because she was excited to walk to the train station with her childhood friend and crush. Her heart was racing as Orion walked over to her, her brain full of anxiety wondering what he¡¯d think of her. She loved how calm and collected he always was.


    Orion waved back. ¡°Hope you weren¡¯t waiting too long, Mari,¡± Orion said as he walked over to Mari. He didn¡¯t like making people wait for him, feeling abashed that he hadn¡¯t left earlier.


    Mari shook her head. ¡°Not at all. Well, umm, I guess we should go now.¡± Her heart was still racing, even more than before now that Orion showed up. Butterflies aflutter in her stomach, she clenched her fists tightly.


    ¡°Agreed,¡± Orion nodded as he started off on the road. The two friends walked side by side toward the train station with silence falling between the two as they walked. Mari played with her fingers nervously as she walked beside Orion, fidgeting as she tried to carry her duffel bag for the field trip.


    ¡°Is something amiss, Mari?¡± Orion asked with concern in his voice but did not spare a look at the other girl. His eyes were focused in front of him as he walked with his friend. Orion could only wonder what was making Mari nervous.


    ¡°Oh¡­ No, Orion,¡± Mari answered hesitantly. Her head drooped down so that she couldn¡¯t see anything but the ground in front. Her duffel bag felt heavier than earlier, but this must be the anxiety in the act. ¡°Um¡­ I¡¯m just nervous about the field trip,¡± Mari told a half-lie.


    Orion stopped in his tracks and turned to face his childhood friend. ¡°It¡¯ll be fine, Mari. You worry too much.¡± Then Orion leaned forward and took the duffel bag from Mari¡¯s hands with relative ease using one hand. He swung the bag over his shoulder. ¡°Looked pretty heavy for you.¡±


    ¡°Hehe, thanks, Orion!¡± Mari smiled. Her heart started racing even more with the gesture. She didn¡¯t expect Orion to take her bag or try to reassure her anxieties. But one thing she wished happened was for Orion¡¯s fingers to brush against hers when he took the bag.


    ¡°Let¡¯s head on over to the station before we miss the train,¡± Orion suggested. ¡°Let¡¯s race to the station.¡± Orion stretched his legs and prepared to run to the station. Having an extra duffel bag wasn¡¯t going to interfere with the run.


    ¡°Sounds good, Orion, I¡¯m not going to lose!¡± Mari retorted. She stretched her arms and legs out before starting the run.


    The two decided to just dash at approximately the same time since they didn¡¯t have a third-party referee to time the race. Orion and Mari started running the rest of the way to Toyoshiki station. As they reached the station, it was Orion who arrived first. Catching their breaths, Orion and Mari tapped their railway passes and walked toward the platform where their train would be. As they arrived, Orion leaned against a pillar while waiting while Mari stood a bit from Orion, glancing at the tracks every now and again.


    ¡°Hey, Orion! Mari!¡± A boyish voice called out.


    The two glanced back and saw another boy walking briskly toward them. He had on a pair of black rimmed eyeglasses with short brunette hair that covered his face partially. The boy was sporting the school uniform of black blazer over a white tee and a navy-blue bowtie with long navy plaid trousers; he had a large backpack as well as a laptop bag on his right side.


    ¡°Oh, Satoru!¡± Mari called out, waving at the other boy. It had been a while since she saw their friend Satoru. She¡¯d been busy with housework for the past week before the field trip.


    The newcomer named Satoru walked up to Orion¡¯s side and grinned. ¡°Hey. I saw you two running to the station, so I tried to hurry and catch up. Glad I didn¡¯t miss the train!¡± Satoru tried to catch his breath, his hands on his thighs.


    ¡°Knowing you, you would have missed the train,¡± Orion joked. He loved teasing Satoru and making fun of him, but in reality, he appreciated his friendship with Satoru. The boy Satoru was vital to him for new cases.


    ¡°Shush,¡± Satoru stuck his tongue out at the other boy. He hated always being teased by Orion; it was like something Orion had to do every day that they met up. Satoru dreaded the field trip for that sole reason.


    ¡°Gross,¡± Orion casually commented, leaning away from Satoru. He wondered if Satoru knew just what he was doing, sticking his tongue out in public.


    That was when the announcement came on to indicate an incoming train. The group made small talk as they waited for the train. As the train entered the station, the three childhood friends waited for the train to stop and embark.


    The train zipped past along the tracks to Kashiwa station where the three students had to transfer to the rapid Joban Line to Tokyo where their school Yamato High was located. The three chatted about the field trip on the train ride. Upon arrival at Kashiwa station, Orion led the group along the platforms for their destination, beelining their way to the platform. As the train arrived and they were on their way, Mari leaned a little against Orion who did not move away but stared into space.


    ¡°This is Tokyo Station. Please get off on the left side of the train. Again, this is Tokyo Station.¡±


    Mari straightened up and rushed toward the doors before the other two guys, her face flushed from what she did on the train ride.


    ¡°Why are you in such a hurry?¡± Orion asked after disembarking the train along with Satoru. He scratched his head in curiosity, wondering about Mari¡¯s behavior. Thinking back to the train ride, he did notice Mari was leaning against him, but Orion figured that was due to not having room for the pole.


    ¡°Are you that dense?¡± Satoru asked. He couldn¡¯t believe his friend. But Satoru knew Orion was always dense when it came to emotions, as Orion¡¯s motto was always ¡°Emotions are a hindrance.¡±


    ¡°What?¡± Orion stared back at Satoru. He really didn¡¯t understand Satoru¡¯s passive aggressiveness right now. Sometimes when Mari gets into her antics and gets upset with him, Satoru always gets on Orion¡¯s case about it.


    ¡°¡­Never mind.¡± Satoru sighed and walked up to Mari. He patted the girl on the back and said, ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Mari.¡± In reality, Satoru had hidden feelings for Mari, but he could never tell the girl that considering how much she was head over heels for Orion.


    ¡°It¡¯s okay, Satoru¡­¡± Mari said quietly. ¡°Please don¡¯t bring it up anymore.¡± She drooped her head, holding onto her duffel bag with both hands again. She wished she never had these feelings for Orion, because Orion was one of the last people to reciprocate.


    Satoru sighed again. ¡°Whatever man. You¡¯re wasting your efforts, Mari.¡± Satoru resigned himself to his fate of being only a friend to Mari. It had hurt and pained him, so Satoru turned away from Mari.


    ¡°I¡­ know! I know! I know!¡± Mari shouted, tears falling down her cheeks. She gripped her duffel bag tightly to the point her knuckles were white.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong, Mari?¡± Orion asked, walking up to the two friends. He looked around to see a few people gathered watching the scene unfold between Satoru and Mari. He stepped up in front of Mari.


    ¡°¡­It¡¯s nothing¡­¡± Mari said dejectedly, her head still drooped. ¡°Let¡¯s just go, we¡¯re attracting unwanted attention and we¡¯re going to be late.¡± She still didn¡¯t lift her head up but instead headed to the exit.


    ¡°Well, if you say so,¡± Orion shrugged. He caught up to Mari with Satoru, still curious what unfolded between the two. He patted Mari on the shoulder as they walked.


    The group headed to exit the train station and prepare for the trek to Yamato High. The three discussed casual topics loosely and before they knew it, they were already at the school building. There were small groups of students gathered around the entrance area, talking amongst themselves as Orion¡¯s group headed for the double doors of the school. As they entered, there were still crowds of students gathered around; Orion led the group to the left and into one of the classrooms where a few teachers held clipboards with group assignments.


    ¡°Oh, it¡¯s Orion Minamoto,¡± a teacher looked up at the group as they entered the classroom. ¡°Let me get your assignment¡­¡± The teacher began ruffling sheets before stopping midway into the stack. She pulled out the sheet and looked up at Orion again. ¡°Let¡¯s see¡­ You are going to be with Mari Suzuki, Satoru Nakamura and Amane Mizushima. Mizushima hasn¡¯t arrived yet so please wait for her here.¡±


    ¡°Got it, teach,¡± Orion nodded. He went to a window and leaned against it with his back, appearing lost in thought as he waited for the fourth member of the group. It was about thirty minutes before the last member showed up: she had long, flowing brown hair with a ribbon on the back, thin-rimmed eyeglasses though if it was actual eyeglasses is a question for another day, a red long coat over her school uniform, black leggings and black buckle shoes. The girl combed through her hair with her hand and then rushed over to the teacher¡¯s side with her suitcase in hand. In a few seconds, she walked over to Orion.


    ¡°I¡¯m so sorry for making you wait!¡± the newcomer cried out as she bowed to Orion. ¡°There was traffic and¡­ and¡­¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it,¡± Orion nodded. ¡°Let¡¯s get out of here and go to our designated bus.¡±


    ¡°Got it!¡± Amane said cheerfully as she tagged along the rest of the group as they exited the building.


    *****


    Yamato High¡¯s second year students were spread into three tourist buses that transported the students to the Tokyo Narita Airport where they had booked the entire plane to fly to Okinawa Island. Designated groups sat together on the plane to avoid confusion when landing. The flight took around two hours and forty-five minutes but with the disembarking and airport procedures, it took a little over three hours for all the students to settle in in their hotel. The three groups loitered around the hotel lobby as the teachers went to get the room keys.


    ¡°This is really exciting,¡± Mari squealed with innocent joy in her voice. ¡°I wonder how we¡¯re getting split up in terms of rooms¡­¡± She looked around and there was nature everywhere outside. Other students were chatting loudly in their own groups.


    ¡°I¡¯d wager a guess that they¡¯ll separate us by gender,¡± Amane conjectured. ¡°That only makes sense after all.¡±


    ¡°Nailed it.¡± Orion looked around the lobby and spotted a teacher approaching the group. ¡°We¡¯re in luck.¡±


    ¡°All right kids,¡± the teacher said, pulling up his clipboard. He was Mr. Tanonaka, the social studies teacher. ¡°We¡¯re going to split you kids by gender so have one person come up for the room key.¡± He looked down on the clipboard and said, ¡°Minamoto. You will room with Nakamura.¡± Orion stepped forward and took the room key, pocketing it into his trousers. Then Mr. Tanonaka called out, ¡°Mizushima, you will be with Suzuki.¡±


    The girls were still exchanging nervous glances, uncertain who should take the room key when Mr. Tanonaka walked up to Amane and slipped the room key in her hand; Amane started to fidget in place as she looked around the group. ¡°Umm¡­¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s up?¡± Orion asked casually. He observed the girl who looked refined and fancy. She didn¡¯t seem like the type to cause inconveniences to others. He thought she¡¯d be helpful for the cases, but he knew he shouldn¡¯t involve innocent civilians.


    ¡°I hope no one minds that I have the room key,¡± Amane said nervously. ¡°I mean I¡¯m not part of your group and all¡­¡± She looked down with the key in her right hand. All her life, she¡¯s been worried if she was worthy enough for almost everything. It was one of her weaknesses though she rather wished no one witnessed that.


    ¡°No one does, I¡¯m sure. Don¡¯t worry about it,¡± Orion reassured.


    ¡°Hee hee,¡± Amane giggled. ¡°You¡¯re right, I¡¯ve just been feeling a bit nervous. I¡¯ve never shared a room with non-family members.¡± She was glad they didn¡¯t pick up on her weakness, or if they did, they were gracious enough to not bring it up.


    ¡°I¡¯m the same way... uh¡­¡± Mari said hesitantly, realizing she didn¡¯t know the other girl¡¯s name.


    ¡°It¡¯s Amane,¡± Amane smiled, bowing lightly while holding out her dress.


    ¡°I¡¯m Mari,¡± Mari bowed a little. She liked Amane so far and hoped to become fast friends with her during this field trip.


    With that, the group headed to the elevators to put away their luggage; their rooms were both on the fourteenth floor and apparently separated by a few rooms so the group were able to chat while making their way to their respective rooms. Once they reached their rooms, Orion and Satoru waved farewell to the girls before entering their own room.


    ¡°This is pretty spacious,¡± Satoru whistled, settling down his backpack and laptop bag on the settee. ¡°Should we go to the beach now? Or maybe we should grab something to eat first; I¡¯m famished.¡±


    ¡°Good idea,¡± Orion agreed, setting down his backpack beside Satoru¡¯s before he sat down on the bed. ¡°Let¡¯s get some Okinawan soba.¡±


    ¡°Sounds delicious!¡± Satoru nodded. ¡°Let¡¯s ask the girls if they want to come along.¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s go then,¡± Orion said before heading out the room with Satoru. They walked down the hallway before knocking on 14G where the girls were staying; it took a few moments for Mari to come to the door.


    ¡°Hey you two,¡± Mari said, with a fresh face after crying earlier. She had washed her face thoroughly before the two knocked on the door. She didn¡¯t want Orion to see her tear-streaked face again.


    ¡°Hey Mari, you want to get some Okinawan soba? You can ask Amane too,¡± Satoru said. He peered into the room and noted it was about the same as theirs. Which only makes sense since they¡¯re still all students. He hoped Mari would come along to make up for the earlier spite.


    ¡°Oh, Amane actually went out with some friends of hers just now,¡± Mari reported. ¡°But I¡¯d like to come along.¡± She stepped outside the room, letting the door close shut. ¡°I don¡¯t have the key but I do have Amane¡¯s phone number, so I just have to contact her when I¡¯m ready to return.¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s go!¡± Satoru called out and headed away from the hotel room with Orion and Mari following closely behind.


    The group departed to a nearby restaurant that served Okinawan soba when Orion heard a few customers discussing a murder in Tokyo.


    ¡°Did you hear?! That poor woman was strangled to death.¡±


    ¡°I heard. Who could do such a thing?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s horrible. What kind of people are in Tokyo?¡±


    ¡°I know. I hope they won¡¯t come here.¡±


    Orion rested his head on his hands as he listened, wondering if he would be contacted for this case. He was quite curious about what happened, but he could not do anything if they did not invite him into the investigation. Meanwhile, Orion and the others ordered the Okinawan soba noodles and chatted while waiting for their order.


    ¡°Are you worried?¡± Satoru asked as the food arrived at their table. He knew Orion must be craving to know what case the people were discussing. It was typical Orion at this point, considering he¡¯s playing a high school detective.


    ¡°Not quite worried,¡± Orion replied nonchalantly. ¡°Just curious.¡± He took a pair of chopsticks and started eating the noodles, slurping a few times. He wanted to know what new case the police took on, what this strangulation was and who the victim was. Orion wanted to know so badly!


    ¡°You want them to invite you in, don¡¯t you?¡± Satoru homed in as he took a pair of chopsticks and started eating as well. He knew what Orion was thinking: his brain must be racing with questions about the new case. But he can¡¯t get on it unless the Chief Superintendent invites him along.


    ¡°Maybe,¡± Orion muttered in between slurps. While eating, Orion had a hand in his pocket in case the Chief Superintendent messaged or called him about the new case. But knowing it was just one case, he might not get a message at all until there was another victim.


    Satoru simply sighed as he finished his food. Orion and Mari were just about done so the three split the bill and stood up to leave the restaurant. Just before they left, Orion heard more from the gossiping customers.


    ¡°I heard the police are having trouble finding the culprit.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s scary. Isn¡¯t the Tokyo Metropolitan Police supposed to be really good?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, but they haven¡¯t been able to arrest anyone.¡±


    With that, Orion left the restaurant with Satoru and Mari and headed back to the hotel. The three ordered three ice cream cones and sat in the lobby to destress.


    ¡°I¡¯m sure they¡¯ll call you,¡± Satoru said, licking his ice cream. It was a little annoying how preoccupied Orion was with one case that just occurred. He didn¡¯t mind helping Orion with his cases but the fact that he wants to butt in in all the cases was worrisome.


    ¡°I¡¯m not worried about that,¡± Orion commented. ¡°I¡¯m worried about the trail the killer left behind. I can¡¯t stay here for long.¡± Orion sighed while eating his ice cream. He was worried about another victim showing up while he¡¯s here in Okinawa, but he can¡¯t do anything about this.


    Satoru sighed. ¡°You¡¯ll manage; we¡¯re only here for four days.¡±


    Orion took out his phone and checked for any messages. Nothing. Orion put his phone back and sighed. He finished his ice cream and then leaned his head back on the settee, staring at the ceiling without a word. That was when Amane approached the group. She was wearing a white bikini with a thin transparent cloth wrapped around her waist and thin sandals with a flower on top of each sandal; she sat down next to Orion, her handbag swung over her right side.


    ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± Amane asked, glancing at the absentminded Orion. She thought he was acting a bit weird, staring into the ceiling in the hotel.


    ¡°Oh, it¡¯s¡­¡± Mari said hesitantly, uncertain if she should mention Orion¡¯s a helper detective to someone else.


    ¡°It¡¯s nothing, Orion just being Orion,¡± Satoru finished for Mari. He wanted to be safe and not reveal Orion¡¯s hobby of helping out the police. At least for now anyway, maybe Amane would join them later on.


    Support the creativity of authors by visiting the original site for this novel and more.


    ¡°I see!¡± Amane smiled. Then she perked up. ¡°Hey, do you guys want to go to the beach with me and my friends?¡± Her friends wanted to play beach volleyball, but they didn¡¯t have enough people so Amane left them to scout for more players. She also felt like Orion was downtrodden, so she wanted to do something to help.


    Orion sat upright. ¡°That¡¯s a good idea. Why don¡¯t we all go?¡± Orion turned his head and nodded to Amane. He thought that was a great idea to pass time and try to ease himself out of the anxiety he was experiencing.


    ¡°A¡­a¡­ beach?¡± Mari asked incredulously. ¡°I¡­¡± Mari stared down at her hands. She was worried what Orion would think of her swimsuit. She saw how beautiful Amane looked in hers and couldn¡¯t help but think she¡¯d never be a match for her.


    ¡°Do you not have a swimsuit?¡± Orion inquired. ¡°We can buy one for you if you need.¡± Orion was confused with Mari being flabbergasted. It was just a beach; he didn¡¯t see much of a big deal.


    ¡°I do! I just¡­ it¡¯s nothing!¡± Mari flushed beet red. She wished Orion would understand her dilemma but he was a boy so he wouldn¡¯t. She looked up at Amane who was radiant, talking to Orion casually. Mari felt a pang of jealousy as she watched.


    ¡°You are so dense, Orion,¡± Satoru sighed before he rose from the settee. ¡°Well, let us get back to our room and change. Sorry you have to wait, Amane.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s fine! I¡¯ll be right here,¡± Amane said cheerfully. Then she realized she had the room key. ¡°Oh, you¡¯ll need the key, Mari.¡±


    ¡°A-ah right¡­¡± Mari said slowly, nodding. She had to shake off the jealousy before the other girl noticed something and questioned her. Shaking her head, Mari took a few deep breaths to relax, which helped.


    ¡°I¡¯ll go up with you,¡± Amane got up and headed to the elevator with Orion¡¯s group.


    Orion and Satoru headed off to their room 14C as Amane and Mari went off to 14G.


    In about thirty minutes, the four students met outside the elevators. Orion had on blue swimming trunks while Satoru had on black trunks and Mari wore a flowery bikini top with a bikini bottom under a pink skirt. The group of four descended the elevator and joined Amane¡¯s group of four friends for the beach. Beach volleyball was decided as the group was evenly divided for each team.


    ¡°I¡¯ll play with you guys,¡± Amane offered cheerfully to Orion, Mari and Satoru before stepping into position on their side of the field. The match went on for about half an hour when Amane¡¯s friends said they were all going for a swim. ¡°Oh, okay, I¡¯ll talk to you guys later,¡± Amane waved to her friends as they headed for the water.


    Orion and the others looked around and sat on a nearby bench; Amane sat down beside Orion and stared out into the ocean.


    ¡°Um¡­¡± Amane muttered. ¡°I heard the rumors. Are you really a high school detective?¡± She looked over to Orion. She wanted to know if he¡¯s really a detective or acting as one. That would be interesting if he was.


    Orion sat up and faced Amane. ¡°Wait. What rumors? Where did you hear this from?¡± He was curious what kind of rumors were spreading about him in school. It was his first time hearing it, but of course rumors don¡¯t go to the person in question.


    ¡°Oh¡­ Classes really, like home ec class,¡± Amane replied. She twirled her fingers around her hair as she talked. It was really nearly the entire school talking about it.


    ¡°Interesting¡­¡± Orion trailed off, his eyes wandering to the ocean. ¡°Well. Yes. Yes, I am.¡± He figured it wouldn¡¯t hurt to tell Amane what he does on his free days. He felt he could trust this girl.


    ¡°Really! That¡¯s so cool,¡± Amane said enthusiastically, clapping her hands together. She looked radiant, chipper. Her cheeks were flushed from the sun. ¡°Did you hear about the¡­ murder case that just happened in Tokyo then?¡±


    ¡°We actually just did, in a restaurant,¡± Orion answered. It was the start of his anxiety after all. Now that it was brought up again, Orion could feel the anxiety rising. Trying to calm himself, he took a few deep breaths to ease the thoughts.


    ¡°I¡¯m willing to bet you¡¯ll be there too! I heard they¡¯re having trouble right now,¡± Amane said eagerly.


    ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s what we heard in the restaurant.¡± Orion leaned back on the bench and closed his eyes. He pondered what the Chief Superintendent was doing and when she¡¯d contact him about the case. He checked his phone again but no new messages or calls came through.


    Amane observed Orion for a bit before she took out her phone from her handbag and suddenly stood up. ¡°Oh no, we have to get back to the hotel! Our class is going to the Okinawa Senseki Quasi-National Park at 5:00 PM!¡±


    The other three stood up as well with unexpected shock on their faces.


    ¡°Oh no!¡± Mari panicked. ¡°We¡¯re going to be late!¡±


    The group hurried back to the hotel where the other students were already gathered in the lobby. They returned to their rooms to change into their casual outfits. After changing, Orion then took the lead to head to their designated teacher Mr. Tanonaka who was busy conversing with the other teachers but pulled away when he saw Orion¡¯s group approaching.


    ¡°There you are, Minamoto,¡± Mr. Tanonaka said. ¡°Your group will be cleaning up the Peace Memorial Park. The bus that will take you there is outside the lobby.¡±


    ¡°Understood,¡± Orion nodded as he led everyone else outside.


    The four students embarked on the minibus that will take them to the quasi-national park for the cleanup. Two hours later, they were brought back to the hotel for dinner. Other students were already seated in the dining hall when Orion¡¯s group entered. Orion wandered to a table for four by the window, which was oddly available considering the existing crowd.


    ¡°I¡¯m beat,¡± Orion commented as he sat down and stretched his arms. He then rested his head on the table in fatigue. They had done a lot of physical activity today in the park, and all Orion wanted to do now was sleep.


    ¡°So am I,¡± Satoru yawned. He sat down next to Orion. ¡°I¡¯m going to bed early tonight.¡±


    ¡°I think all of us are,¡± Mari nodded, sitting in front of Satoru as Amane sat across Orion.


    ¡°Yeah, that was really tiring,¡± Amane said tiredly.


    The waiters started bringing out the meals to the students; the menu tonight was rafute, which was shoyu pork. After dinner was finished, all the students returned to their hotel rooms. Orion¡¯s group took the elevator together and said their goodnights before parting.


    Orion and Satoru were sitting on their beds, both yawning quite profusely. ¡°Well, good night Satoru,¡± Orion said as he pulled the blankets from the bed.


    ¡°Good night, Orion,¡± Satoru said as he did the same to his bed.


    It was a quiet evening save for a few cats meowing in the alleys. Majority of the houses on the Iwasaki-doori were dimly lit, some with curtains covering most of the light inside while some were simply empty. One empty house looked plain as though the owner never had time to decorate or plant flowers. Then suddenly a man could be seen walking up to the door of the house and reaching for the doorbell.


    Before his finger touched the bell, the door opened and a young woman appeared. She had short black bobbed hair with red framed eyeglasses. She was sporting a light blue blouse and a white knee length skirt. The young woman walked out a few steps and gave the man a warm hug before disengaging.


    ¡°I¡¯m so glad you could come¡­.¡± The young woman said softly.


    The man¡¯s expression could not be seen but one could only imagine he was smiling.


    ¡°Oh, I¡¯m so sorry, please come on inside,¡± the young woman said, stepping to the side to allow the man in.


    *****


    Morning arrived at 3 Chome for the citizens of Kashiwa. Students and employees were scrambling to grab breakfast before heading to the rail. In one house, a young boy with messy black hair named Orion walked around the living room packing things into his backpack. His parrot occasionally chirped from her cage in the corner by the settee, watching her master.


    ¡°I wonder if this is enough for the field trip¡­.¡± Orion pondered to himself. He stopped in front of the parrot¡¯s cage. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Kiyo, but I won¡¯t be home for a few days.¡± Then he continued packing.


    The parrot gave a precise cry, flapping her wings once.


    ¡°Thanks, Kiyo, you¡¯re the best,¡± Orion said, a slight smile forming on his face for the briefest time as he returned to packing. He felt guilty leaving his parrot alone for a few days, but he supplied enough food for the bird considering he lived alone for the most part.


    Once Orion finished packing, the boy threw the backpack over his back and walked to the door. He slipped into his black sneakers and left the house. Orion turned to the left to see his fellow student and childhood friend Mari waiting for him in front of her house. Orion approached Mari standing a few feet away, taking wide strides.


    Mari had red shoulder length hair with clips on both sides of the hair; she wore the school uniform with a black blazer over a white shirt, a navy blue tie and a dark red pleated skirt matching, with thigh high leggings and navy-coloured Mary Janes. When she noticed Orion approaching, she turned toward him.


    ¡°Orion!¡± Mari called out, waving her arm over to him. ¡°Over here!¡± Mari had left the house a tad too early because she was excited to walk to the train station with her childhood friend and crush. Her heart was racing as Orion walked over to her, her brain full of anxiety wondering what he¡¯d think of her. She loved how calm and collected he always was.


    Orion waved back. ¡°Hope you weren¡¯t waiting too long, Mari,¡± Orion said as he walked over to Mari. He didn¡¯t like making people wait for him, feeling abashed that he hadn¡¯t left earlier.


    Mari shook her head. ¡°Not at all. Well, umm, I guess we should go now.¡± Her heart was still racing, even more than before now that Orion showed up. Butterflies aflutter in her stomach, she clenched her fists tightly.


    ¡°Agreed,¡± Orion nodded as he started off on the road. The two friends walked side by side toward the train station with silence falling between the two as they walked. Mari played with her fingers nervously as she walked beside Orion, fidgeting as she tried to carry her duffel bag for the field trip.


    ¡°Is something amiss, Mari?¡± Orion asked with concern in his voice but did not spare a look at the other girl. His eyes were focused in front of him as he walked with his friend. Orion could only wonder what was making Mari nervous.


    ¡°Oh¡­ No, Orion,¡± Mari answered hesitantly. Her head drooped down so that she couldn¡¯t see anything but the ground in front. Her duffel bag felt heavier than earlier, but this must be the anxiety in the act. ¡°Um¡­ I¡¯m just nervous about the field trip,¡± Mari told a half-lie.


    Orion stopped in his tracks and turned to face his childhood friend. ¡°It¡¯ll be fine, Mari. You worry too much.¡± Then Orion leaned forward and took the duffel bag from Mari¡¯s hands with relative ease using one hand. He swung the bag over his shoulder. ¡°Looked pretty heavy for you.¡±


    ¡°Hehe, thanks, Orion!¡± Mari smiled. Her heart started racing even more with the gesture. She didn¡¯t expect Orion to take her bag or try to reassure her anxieties. But one thing she wished happened was for Orion¡¯s fingers to brush against hers when he took the bag.


    ¡°Let¡¯s head on over to the station before we miss the train,¡± Orion suggested. ¡°Let¡¯s race to the station.¡± Orion stretched his legs and prepared to run to the station. Having an extra duffel bag wasn¡¯t going to interfere with the run.


    ¡°Sounds good, Orion, I¡¯m not going to lose!¡± Mari retorted. She stretched her arms and legs out before starting the run.


    The two decided to just dash at approximately the same time since they didn¡¯t have a third-party referee to time the race. Orion and Mari started running the rest of the way to Toyoshiki station. As they reached the station, it was Orion who arrived first. Catching their breaths, Orion and Mari tapped their railway passes and walked toward the platform where their train would be. As they arrived, Orion leaned against a pillar while waiting while Mari stood a bit from Orion, glancing at the tracks every now and again.


    ¡°Hey, Orion! Mari!¡± A boyish voice called out.


    The two glanced back and saw another boy walking briskly toward them. He had on a pair of black rimmed eyeglasses with short brunette hair that covered his face partially. The boy was sporting the school uniform of black blazer over a white tee and a navy-blue bowtie with long navy plaid trousers; he had a large backpack as well as a laptop bag on his right side.


    ¡°Oh, Satoru!¡± Mari called out, waving at the other boy. It had been a while since she saw their friend Satoru. She¡¯d been busy with housework for the past week before the field trip.


    The newcomer named Satoru walked up to Orion¡¯s side and grinned. ¡°Hey. I saw you two running to the station, so I tried to hurry and catch up. Glad I didn¡¯t miss the train!¡± Satoru tried to catch his breath, his hands on his thighs.


    ¡°Knowing you, you would have missed the train,¡± Orion joked. He loved teasing Satoru and making fun of him, but in reality, he appreciated his friendship with Satoru. The boy Satoru was vital to him for new cases.


    ¡°Shush,¡± Satoru stuck his tongue out at the other boy. He hated always being teased by Orion; it was like something Orion had to do every day that they met up. Satoru dreaded the field trip for that sole reason.


    ¡°Gross,¡± Orion casually commented, leaning away from Satoru. He wondered if Satoru knew just what he was doing, sticking his tongue out in public.


    That was when the announcement came on to indicate an incoming train. The group made small talk as they waited for the train. As the train entered the station, the three childhood friends waited for the train to stop and embark.


    The train zipped past along the tracks to Kashiwa station where the three students had to transfer to the rapid Joban Line to Tokyo where their school Yamato High was located. The three chatted about the field trip on the train ride. Upon arrival at Kashiwa station, Orion led the group along the platforms for their destination, beelining their way to the platform. As the train arrived and they were on their way, Mari leaned a little against Orion who did not move away but stared into space.


    ¡°This is Tokyo Station. Please get off on the left side of the train. Again, this is Tokyo Station.¡±


    Mari straightened up and rushed toward the doors before the other two guys, her face flushed from what she did on the train ride.


    ¡°Why are you in such a hurry?¡± Orion asked after disembarking the train along with Satoru. He scratched his head in curiosity, wondering about Mari¡¯s behavior. Thinking back to the train ride, he did notice Mari was leaning against him, but Orion figured that was due to not having room for the pole.


    ¡°Are you that dense?¡± Satoru asked. He couldn¡¯t believe his friend. But Satoru knew Orion was always dense when it came to emotions, as Orion¡¯s motto was always ¡°Emotions are a hindrance.¡±


    ¡°What?¡± Orion stared back at Satoru. He really didn¡¯t understand Satoru¡¯s passive aggressiveness right now. Sometimes when Mari gets into her antics and gets upset with him, Satoru always gets on Orion¡¯s case about it.


    ¡°¡­Never mind.¡± Satoru sighed and walked up to Mari. He patted the girl on the back and said, ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Mari.¡± In reality, Satoru had hidden feelings for Mari, but he could never tell the girl that considering how much she was head over heels for Orion.


    ¡°It¡¯s okay, Satoru¡­¡± Mari said quietly. ¡°Please don¡¯t bring it up anymore.¡± She drooped her head, holding onto her duffel bag with both hands again. She wished she never had these feelings for Orion, because Orion was one of the last people to reciprocate.


    Satoru sighed again. ¡°Whatever man. You¡¯re wasting your efforts, Mari.¡± Satoru resigned himself to his fate of being only a friend to Mari. It had hurt and pained him, so Satoru turned away from Mari.


    ¡°I¡­ know! I know! I know!¡± Mari shouted, tears falling down her cheeks. She gripped her duffel bag tightly to the point her knuckles were white.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong, Mari?¡± Orion asked, walking up to the two friends. He looked around to see a few people gathered watching the scene unfold between Satoru and Mari. He stepped up in front of Mari.


    ¡°¡­It¡¯s nothing¡­¡± Mari said dejectedly, her head still drooped. ¡°Let¡¯s just go, we¡¯re attracting unwanted attention and we¡¯re going to be late.¡± She still didn¡¯t lift her head up but instead headed to the exit.


    ¡°Well, if you say so,¡± Orion shrugged. He caught up to Mari with Satoru, still curious what unfolded between the two. He patted Mari on the shoulder as they walked.


    The group headed to exit the train station and prepare for the trek to Yamato High. The three discussed casual topics loosely and before they knew it, they were already at the school building. There were small groups of students gathered around the entrance area, talking amongst themselves as Orion¡¯s group headed for the double doors of the school. As they entered, there were still crowds of students gathered around; Orion led the group to the left and into one of the classrooms where a few teachers held clipboards with group assignments.


    ¡°Oh, it¡¯s Orion Minamoto,¡± a teacher looked up at the group as they entered the classroom. ¡°Let me get your assignment¡­¡± The teacher began ruffling sheets before stopping midway into the stack. She pulled out the sheet and looked up at Orion again. ¡°Let¡¯s see¡­ You are going to be with Mari Suzuki, Satoru Nakamura and Amane Mizushima. Mizushima hasn¡¯t arrived yet so please wait for her here.¡±


    ¡°Got it, teach,¡± Orion nodded. He went to a window and leaned against it with his back, appearing lost in thought as he waited for the fourth member of the group. It was about thirty minutes before the last member showed up: she had long, flowing brown hair with a ribbon on the back, thin-rimmed eyeglasses though if it was actual eyeglasses is a question for another day, a red long coat over her school uniform, black leggings and black buckle shoes. The girl combed through her hair with her hand and then rushed over to the teacher¡¯s side with her suitcase in hand. In a few seconds, she walked over to Orion.


    ¡°I¡¯m so sorry for making you wait!¡± the newcomer cried out as she bowed to Orion. ¡°There was traffic and¡­ and¡­¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it,¡± Orion nodded. ¡°Let¡¯s get out of here and go to our designated bus.¡±


    ¡°Got it!¡± Amane said cheerfully as she tagged along the rest of the group as they exited the building.


    *****


    Yamato High¡¯s second year students were spread into three tourist buses that transported the students to the Tokyo Narita Airport where they had booked the entire plane to fly to Okinawa Island. Designated groups sat together on the plane to avoid confusion when landing. The flight took around two hours and forty-five minutes but with the disembarking and airport procedures, it took a little over three hours for all the students to settle in in their hotel. The three groups loitered around the hotel lobby as the teachers went to get the room keys.


    ¡°This is really exciting,¡± Mari squealed with innocent joy in her voice. ¡°I wonder how we¡¯re getting split up in terms of rooms¡­¡± She looked around and there was nature everywhere outside. Other students were chatting loudly in their own groups.


    ¡°I¡¯d wager a guess that they¡¯ll separate us by gender,¡± Amane conjectured. ¡°That only makes sense after all.¡±


    ¡°Nailed it.¡± Orion looked around the lobby and spotted a teacher approaching the group. ¡°We¡¯re in luck.¡±


    ¡°All right kids,¡± the teacher said, pulling up his clipboard. He was Mr. Tanonaka, the social studies teacher. ¡°We¡¯re going to split you kids by gender so have one person come up for the room key.¡± He looked down on the clipboard and said, ¡°Minamoto. You will room with Nakamura.¡± Orion stepped forward and took the room key, pocketing it into his trousers. Then Mr. Tanonaka called out, ¡°Mizushima, you will be with Suzuki.¡±


    The girls were still exchanging nervous glances, uncertain who should take the room key when Mr. Tanonaka walked up to Amane and slipped the room key in her hand; Amane started to fidget in place as she looked around the group. ¡°Umm¡­¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s up?¡± Orion asked casually. He observed the girl who looked refined and fancy. She didn¡¯t seem like the type to cause inconveniences to others. He thought she¡¯d be helpful for the cases, but he knew he shouldn¡¯t involve innocent civilians.


    ¡°I hope no one minds that I have the room key,¡± Amane said nervously. ¡°I mean I¡¯m not part of your group and all¡­¡± She looked down with the key in her right hand. All her life, she¡¯s been worried if she was worthy enough for almost everything. It was one of her weaknesses though she rather wished no one witnessed that.


    ¡°No one does, I¡¯m sure. Don¡¯t worry about it,¡± Orion reassured.


    ¡°Hee hee,¡± Amane giggled. ¡°You¡¯re right, I¡¯ve just been feeling a bit nervous. I¡¯ve never shared a room with non-family members.¡± She was glad they didn¡¯t pick up on her weakness, or if they did, they were gracious enough to not bring it up.


    ¡°I¡¯m the same way... uh¡­¡± Mari said hesitantly, realizing she didn¡¯t know the other girl¡¯s name.


    ¡°It¡¯s Amane,¡± Amane smiled, bowing lightly while holding out her dress.


    ¡°I¡¯m Mari,¡± Mari bowed a little. She liked Amane so far and hoped to become fast friends with her during this field trip.


    With that, the group headed to the elevators to put away their luggage; their rooms were both on the fourteenth floor and apparently separated by a few rooms so the group were able to chat while making their way to their respective rooms. Once they reached their rooms, Orion and Satoru waved farewell to the girls before entering their own room.


    ¡°This is pretty spacious,¡± Satoru whistled, settling down his backpack and laptop bag on the settee. ¡°Should we go to the beach now? Or maybe we should grab something to eat first; I¡¯m famished.¡±


    ¡°Good idea,¡± Orion agreed, setting down his backpack beside Satoru¡¯s before he sat down on the bed. ¡°Let¡¯s get some Okinawan soba.¡±


    ¡°Sounds delicious!¡± Satoru nodded. ¡°Let¡¯s ask the girls if they want to come along.¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s go then,¡± Orion said before heading out the room with Satoru. They walked down the hallway before knocking on 14G where the girls were staying; it took a few moments for Mari to come to the door.


    ¡°Hey you two,¡± Mari said, with a fresh face after crying earlier. She had washed her face thoroughly before the two knocked on the door. She didn¡¯t want Orion to see her tear-streaked face again.


    ¡°Hey Mari, you want to get some Okinawan soba? You can ask Amane too,¡± Satoru said. He peered into the room and noted it was about the same as theirs. Which only makes sense since they¡¯re still all students. He hoped Mari would come along to make up for the earlier spite.


    ¡°Oh, Amane actually went out with some friends of hers just now,¡± Mari reported. ¡°But I¡¯d like to come along.¡± She stepped outside the room, letting the door close shut. ¡°I don¡¯t have the key but I do have Amane¡¯s phone number, so I just have to contact her when I¡¯m ready to return.¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s go!¡± Satoru called out and headed away from the hotel room with Orion and Mari following closely behind.


    The group departed to a nearby restaurant that served Okinawan soba when Orion heard a few customers discussing a murder in Tokyo.


    ¡°Did you hear?! That poor woman was strangled to death.¡±


    ¡°I heard. Who could do such a thing?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s horrible. What kind of people are in Tokyo?¡±


    ¡°I know. I hope they won¡¯t come here.¡±


    Orion rested his head on his hands as he listened, wondering if he would be contacted for this case. He was quite curious about what happened, but he could not do anything if they did not invite him into the investigation. Meanwhile, Orion and the others ordered the Okinawan soba noodles and chatted while waiting for their order.


    ¡°Are you worried?¡± Satoru asked as the food arrived at their table. He knew Orion must be craving to know what case the people were discussing. It was typical Orion at this point, considering he¡¯s playing a high school detective.


    ¡°Not quite worried,¡± Orion replied nonchalantly. ¡°Just curious.¡± He took a pair of chopsticks and started eating the noodles, slurping a few times. He wanted to know what new case the police took on, what this strangulation was and who the victim was. Orion wanted to know so badly!


    ¡°You want them to invite you in, don¡¯t you?¡± Satoru homed in as he took a pair of chopsticks and started eating as well. He knew what Orion was thinking: his brain must be racing with questions about the new case. But he can¡¯t get on it unless the Chief Superintendent invites him along.


    ¡°Maybe,¡± Orion muttered in between slurps. While eating, Orion had a hand in his pocket in case the Chief Superintendent messaged or called him about the new case. But knowing it was just one case, he might not get a message at all until there was another victim.


    Satoru simply sighed as he finished his food. Orion and Mari were just about done so the three split the bill and stood up to leave the restaurant. Just before they left, Orion heard more from the gossiping customers.


    ¡°I heard the police are having trouble finding the culprit.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s scary. Isn¡¯t the Tokyo Metropolitan Police supposed to be really good?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, but they haven¡¯t been able to arrest anyone.¡±


    With that, Orion left the restaurant with Satoru and Mari and headed back to the hotel. The three ordered three ice cream cones and sat in the lobby to destress.


    ¡°I¡¯m sure they¡¯ll call you,¡± Satoru said, licking his ice cream. It was a little annoying how preoccupied Orion was with one case that just occurred. He didn¡¯t mind helping Orion with his cases but the fact that he wants to butt in in all the cases was worrisome.


    ¡°I¡¯m not worried about that,¡± Orion commented. ¡°I¡¯m worried about the trail the killer left behind. I can¡¯t stay here for long.¡± Orion sighed while eating his ice cream. He was worried about another victim showing up while he¡¯s here in Okinawa, but he can¡¯t do anything about this.


    Satoru sighed. ¡°You¡¯ll manage; we¡¯re only here for four days.¡±


    Orion took out his phone and checked for any messages. Nothing. Orion put his phone back and sighed. He finished his ice cream and then leaned his head back on the settee, staring at the ceiling without a word. That was when Amane approached the group. She was wearing a white bikini with a thin transparent cloth wrapped around her waist and thin sandals with a flower on top of each sandal; she sat down next to Orion, her handbag swung over her right side.


    ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± Amane asked, glancing at the absentminded Orion. She thought he was acting a bit weird, staring into the ceiling in the hotel.


    ¡°Oh, it¡¯s¡­¡± Mari said hesitantly, uncertain if she should mention Orion¡¯s a helper detective to someone else.


    ¡°It¡¯s nothing, Orion just being Orion,¡± Satoru finished for Mari. He wanted to be safe and not reveal Orion¡¯s hobby of helping out the police. At least for now anyway, maybe Amane would join them later on.


    ¡°I see!¡± Amane smiled. Then she perked up. ¡°Hey, do you guys want to go to the beach with me and my friends?¡± Her friends wanted to play beach volleyball, but they didn¡¯t have enough people so Amane left them to scout for more players. She also felt like Orion was downtrodden, so she wanted to do something to help.


    Orion sat upright. ¡°That¡¯s a good idea. Why don¡¯t we all go?¡± Orion turned his head and nodded to Amane. He thought that was a great idea to pass time and try to ease himself out of the anxiety he was experiencing.


    ¡°A¡­a¡­ beach?¡± Mari asked incredulously. ¡°I¡­¡± Mari stared down at her hands. She was worried what Orion would think of her swimsuit. She saw how beautiful Amane looked in hers and couldn¡¯t help but think she¡¯d never be a match for her.


    ¡°Do you not have a swimsuit?¡± Orion inquired. ¡°We can buy one for you if you need.¡± Orion was confused with Mari being flabbergasted. It was just a beach; he didn¡¯t see much of a big deal.


    ¡°I do! I just¡­ it¡¯s nothing!¡± Mari flushed beet red. She wished Orion would understand her dilemma but he was a boy so he wouldn¡¯t. She looked up at Amane who was radiant, talking to Orion casually. Mari felt a pang of jealousy as she watched.


    ¡°You are so dense, Orion,¡± Satoru sighed before he rose from the settee. ¡°Well, let us get back to our room and change. Sorry you have to wait, Amane.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s fine! I¡¯ll be right here,¡± Amane said cheerfully. Then she realized she had the room key. ¡°Oh, you¡¯ll need the key, Mari.¡±


    ¡°A-ah right¡­¡± Mari said slowly, nodding. She had to shake off the jealousy before the other girl noticed something and questioned her. Shaking her head, Mari took a few deep breaths to relax, which helped.


    ¡°I¡¯ll go up with you,¡± Amane got up and headed to the elevator with Orion¡¯s group.


    Orion and Satoru headed off to their room 14C as Amane and Mari went off to 14G.


    In about thirty minutes, the four students met outside the elevators. Orion had on blue swimming trunks while Satoru had on black trunks and Mari wore a flowery bikini top with a bikini bottom under a pink skirt. The group of four descended the elevator and joined Amane¡¯s group of four friends for the beach. Beach volleyball was decided as the group was evenly divided for each team.


    ¡°I¡¯ll play with you guys,¡± Amane offered cheerfully to Orion, Mari and Satoru before stepping into position on their side of the field. The match went on for about half an hour when Amane¡¯s friends said they were all going for a swim. ¡°Oh, okay, I¡¯ll talk to you guys later,¡± Amane waved to her friends as they headed for the water.


    Orion and the others looked around and sat on a nearby bench; Amane sat down beside Orion and stared out into the ocean.


    ¡°Um¡­¡± Amane muttered. ¡°I heard the rumors. Are you really a high school detective?¡± She looked over to Orion. She wanted to know if he¡¯s really a detective or acting as one. That would be interesting if he was.


    Orion sat up and faced Amane. ¡°Wait. What rumors? Where did you hear this from?¡± He was curious what kind of rumors were spreading about him in school. It was his first time hearing it, but of course rumors don¡¯t go to the person in question.


    ¡°Oh¡­ Classes really, like home ec class,¡± Amane replied. She twirled her fingers around her hair as she talked. It was really nearly the entire school talking about it.


    ¡°Interesting¡­¡± Orion trailed off, his eyes wandering to the ocean. ¡°Well. Yes. Yes, I am.¡± He figured it wouldn¡¯t hurt to tell Amane what he does on his free days. He felt he could trust this girl.


    ¡°Really! That¡¯s so cool,¡± Amane said enthusiastically, clapping her hands together. She looked radiant, chipper. Her cheeks were flushed from the sun. ¡°Did you hear about the¡­ murder case that just happened in Tokyo then?¡±


    ¡°We actually just did, in a restaurant,¡± Orion answered. It was the start of his anxiety after all. Now that it was brought up again, Orion could feel the anxiety rising. Trying to calm himself, he took a few deep breaths to ease the thoughts.


    ¡°I¡¯m willing to bet you¡¯ll be there too! I heard they¡¯re having trouble right now,¡± Amane said eagerly.


    ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s what we heard in the restaurant.¡± Orion leaned back on the bench and closed his eyes. He pondered what the Chief Superintendent was doing and when she¡¯d contact him about the case. He checked his phone again but no new messages or calls came through.


    Amane observed Orion for a bit before she took out her phone from her handbag and suddenly stood up. ¡°Oh no, we have to get back to the hotel! Our class is going to the Okinawa Senseki Quasi-National Park at 5:00 PM!¡±


    The other three stood up as well with unexpected shock on their faces.


    ¡°Oh no!¡± Mari panicked. ¡°We¡¯re going to be late!¡±


    The group hurried back to the hotel where the other students were already gathered in the lobby. They returned to their rooms to change into their casual outfits. After changing, Orion then took the lead to head to their designated teacher Mr. Tanonaka who was busy conversing with the other teachers but pulled away when he saw Orion¡¯s group approaching.


    ¡°There you are, Minamoto,¡± Mr. Tanonaka said. ¡°Your group will be cleaning up the Peace Memorial Park. The bus that will take you there is outside the lobby.¡±


    ¡°Understood,¡± Orion nodded as he led everyone else outside.


    The four students embarked on the minibus that will take them to the quasi-national park for the cleanup. Two hours later, they were brought back to the hotel for dinner. Other students were already seated in the dining hall when Orion¡¯s group entered. Orion wandered to a table for four by the window, which was oddly available considering the existing crowd.


    ¡°I¡¯m beat,¡± Orion commented as he sat down and stretched his arms. He then rested his head on the table in fatigue. They had done a lot of physical activity today in the park, and all Orion wanted to do now was sleep.


    ¡°So am I,¡± Satoru yawned. He sat down next to Orion. ¡°I¡¯m going to bed early tonight.¡±


    ¡°I think all of us are,¡± Mari nodded, sitting in front of Satoru as Amane sat across Orion.


    ¡°Yeah, that was really tiring,¡± Amane said tiredly.


    The waiters started bringing out the meals to the students; the menu tonight was rafute, which was shoyu pork. After dinner was finished, all the students returned to their hotel rooms. Orion¡¯s group took the elevator together and said their goodnights before parting.


    Orion and Satoru were sitting on their beds, both yawning quite profusely. ¡°Well, good night Satoru,¡± Orion said as he pulled the blankets from the bed.


    ¡°Good night, Orion,¡± Satoru said as he did the same to his bed.

 chapter two: okinawa trip and murder!

    Case One: the one who fell from the heavens


    Chapter Two


    Morning arrived on Okinawa Island as the students got out of bed for a new day. Orion and Satoru had already risen and washed their faces. Then, the two got their knapsacks packed and headed out of the hotel room to meet up with Mari and Amane. They had agreed to meet at the elevator lobby on their floor for the next day. Satoru changed into a casual green hoodie with light blue jeans for the second day of their field trip.


    Satoru and Orion headed outside to the rendezvous point with the girls. When Satoru and Orion arrived, Mari and Amane were already there. Mari had on a yellow button-up blouse, a matching white knee length skirt and red Mary Janes while Amane wore a white flowy short-sleeve shirt, a pink pleated short skirt and white buckle shoes.


    ¡°Hey you guys!¡± Amane called out to the two boys approaching them.


    ¡°Good morning,¡± Orion greeted. ¡°I hope you didn¡¯t wait too long.¡±


    ¡°Nah, not at all, right, Mari?¡± Amane giggled.


    ¡°That¡¯s correct,¡± Mari muttered, her eyes looking away from the others. ¡°Umm... So should we go now? Wait, where are we going today?¡±


    ¡°Well, we do have a free day today,¡± Amane answered.


    ¡°Oh sweet,¡± Satoru whistled. ¡°But man, if I knew, I would have slept in instead. Oh well.¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s grab some breakfast first,¡± Orion suggested to which everyone assented.


    The group of students descended the elevator to the third floor where the restaurant was located. The school reserved the third-floor restaurant for the students during their stay. A waiter approached the group and led them to a table by the window, and as they were seated, they picked up the menu and perused the items.


    ¡°I¡¯ll like an omurice and orange juice,¡± Orion ordered.


    ¡°Continental breakfast and apple juice, please,¡± Satoru said as he put down the menu.


    ¡°The three stack pancakes!¡± Mari called out. ¡°Oh, and orange juice, please.¡±


    ¡°Belgian waffles and orange juice,¡± ordered Amane, putting down the menu.


    The waiter bowed and took the menus with him as he departed for the kitchen with the new orders. Orion leaned back in his chair and closed his eyes briefly. He glanced around the restaurant, which wasn¡¯t too crowded for a 9:00 AM breakfast; there were a few other tables with students seated and a couple of waiters standing scattered around.


    ¡°Is something amiss?¡± Amane asked innocently.


    ¡°Huh?¡± Orion looked at the other girl. ¡°Oh, no, just looking around.¡±


    ¡°Hee hee, I thought we had a case in our midst!¡± Amane giggled.


    He wouldn¡¯t just answer like that if I was the one asking¡­ Mari thought to herself, feeling a tinge of depression. She sighed and looked away from her childhood friend, attempting to distract her mind.


    ¡°So, when is everyone¡¯s birthday?¡± Amane inquired.


    ¡°Huh?¡± Orion countered the question with another question of his own.


    ¡°Horoscopes!¡± Amane squealed.


    ¡°Oh. Mine is March 13,¡± Orion replied.


    ¡°Um¡­ my birthday is July 20,¡± Mari mumbled that it was almost inaudible.


    ¡°I¡¯m a Leo,¡± Satoru said simply.


    ¡°Oh! Fellow Pisces!¡± Amane exclaimed, extending her arm out for a high five to Orion, who returned the high five. ¡°My birthday is actually March 10. We¡¯re a match made, Orion!¡± Amane giggled.


    Mari winced but tried to hide the pain from showing on her face though she noticed Satoru had a worried expression on his face, so she probably didn¡¯t do a good job. Her thoughts ran along the lines of: Why is she able to do all that with him without any repercussions? How does she get away with it? I hate this¡­I¡­I¡­ hate¡­ her¡­ Then realizing what she was thinking, Mari shook her head vehemently, holding back the tears.


    ¡°Are you alright?¡± Orion inquired, looking straight at Mari.


    ¡°Huh¡­ uh, yeah, I¡¯m fine,¡± Mari quickly nodded. ¡°I¡¯m all good.¡±


    ¡°Suspicious,¡± Amane eyed the other girl. ¡°Did I say something to upset you?¡± To which Mari just shook her head rapidly. ¡°Well¡­ if you say so. I¡¯m sorry if I did.¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s just weird sometimes, don¡¯t worry,¡± Orion shrugged.


    Amane giggled. ¡°Hee hee, the three of you seem so close. I¡¯m almost jealous.¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s nothing to be jealous of,¡± Orion said. ¡°You have your friends.¡±


    ¡°Hehe, that¡¯s true,¡± Amane smiled. ¡°But all of us aren¡¯t that close.¡±


    Just as Orion was about to respond, two waiters arrived carrying their meals on serving trays. The waiters quickly spread the meal to the person who ordered it and left with the empty serving trays. Everyone partook in their breakfast, not saying much until all four students were finished.


    ¡°We should play some cards for now,¡± Orion suggested.


    The other three assented with a nod as the four of them rose from the table and headed to the elevator lobby. They ascended the elevator to their floor and stopped in the lobby. It had to be determined which room they would be using for the playing cards. Orion decided they would use the guys room to avoid potential embarrassment, so they followed Orion to 14C.


    Orion swiped the key into the key machine and a beep was heard, where Orion turned the knob and pushed the door open. He stepped to the side while leaning on the door to let the others in first. Then Orion let the door close and walked toward his bag. He ruffled through his belongings until he found some playing cards and took them to one of the beds where the other three were already seated.


    ¡°Let¡¯s get started,¡± Orion flexed as he sat down on the bed across from Amane. ¡°What should the rewards be for the winners?¡±


    ¡°Hmm¡­ how about the first winner getting free lunch?¡± Amane suggested uncertainly.


    ¡°Sounds good to me,¡± Orion nodded.


    ¡°No objections here,¡± Satoru said.


    ¡°None here either,¡± Mari said softly.


    Find this and other great novels on the author''s preferred platform. Support original creators!


    The four friends played a round of cards, an intense round as they would want to be the one being treated for lunch. After approximately twenty minutes, the first victor came out to be Orion. He leaned back onto the headrest and stretched out.


    ¡°I¡¯d like some Okinawan soba,¡± Orion casually commented.


    ¡°We just had that yesterday,¡± Satoru refuted.


    ¡°What can I say, it was really good,¡± Orion shrugged and sat upright. ¡°Okay, let¡¯s get some desserts then.¡±


    ¡°Desserts for lunch? Well, can¡¯t say I will refuse it,¡± Amane smiled. ¡°The rest of us should play a few more rounds. The last one will pay for the meal for all of us.¡±


    ¡°Challenge accepted,¡± Satoru said.


    The remaining three passed the time with more cards, with the first winner being Amane and then Mari won. It turned out Satoru owed the group lunch. Satoru fell flat on the bed amidst the cards which scattered while he groaned loudly from his losses.


    ¡°Why did I have to lose?¡± Satoru wailed. ¡°Ahhhhh¡­ Please be kind to my wallet, everyone¡­¡±


    Amane and Mari laughed as Orion just rolled his eyes. ¡°Come on, that¡¯s your own loss,¡± Orion said. ¡°Let¡¯s go now.¡±


    Orion and the two girls got up while Satoru took his time to compose himself and to grab his laptop. He tucked his laptop under his arm as he followed behind Orion who was walking close to Amane and Mari. Satoru sighed to himself as he tried to resign himself to his fate this afternoon.


    The group departed the hotel and walked to a nearby caf¨¦. As they were seated, everyone perused the menu for a few minutes before deciding what to order. Orion signaled the waitress once everyone was ready.


    ¡°I¡¯ll like a tiramisu cake,¡± Orion ordered.


    ¡°I will have strawberry cheesecake,¡± Amane spoke.


    ¡°And I will have an egg custard,¡± Mari said.


    ¡°I¡¯ll take a regular cheesecake,¡± Satoru ordered.


    ¡°Would you like something to drink?¡± the waitress asked.


    ¡°We¡¯ll take green tea,¡± Orion replied.


    ¡°Thank you, we¡¯ll be back with your order shortly,¡± the waitress bowed and left the group to head into the kitchen with the orders. Another waitress came by with a teapot and four small cups and settled the teapot on the table with a cup for each person. She poured the tea into each cup before departing the table.


    The four students discussed various topics loosely until two waitresses came by their table with their food. The main waitress for their table set the ordered dish to each person before both waitresses left the table again. They ate in silence, enjoying their dessert lunch in peace. That was when Orion heard a few customers gossiping about Tokyo again.


    ¡°Did you hear? The police still haven¡¯t caught that killer.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s terrible. What do they think they¡¯re doing?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know but Tokyo is getting quite dangerous. What if the killer does it again?¡±


    ¡°I have to warn my son, he¡¯s living in Tokyo now.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, you better tell him to be careful.¡±


    Orion finished his tiramisu cake and set down his fork as he listened to the other customers. He leaned back in his chair and closed his eyes. Orion was so lost in thought that it took a couple of tries from Mari to take him back to reality.


    ¡°Orion!¡± Mari called out. ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡±


    ¡°Huh, oh, it¡¯s nothing,¡± Orion said, startled.


    ¡°It¡¯s the other customers,¡± Satoru explained. ¡°He¡¯s dying to be invited to the team.¡±


    Orion was about to respond when his phone beeped a few times; it meant he received a text message.


    ¡®Orion, where are you? Text or call me when you can ¨C Fujioka¡¯


    Nailed it, Orion thought, smiling to himself. He pulled up the contact for Erika Fujioka and dialed the number. After a few rings, a woman¡¯s voice came on the phone.


    ¡°Orion?¡± Fujioka asked.


    ¡°That¡¯s me,¡± Orion replied. ¡°I¡¯m on my school field trip right now. It¡¯s our second day.¡±


    ¡°Oh, sorry to disturb you during your trip.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s no problem. What¡¯s going on?¡±


    ¡°You surely must have heard about the murder we discovered yesterday?¡±


    ¡°Sure have.¡±


    ¡°Well, we¡¯re having a bit of trouble here. All the suspects have airtight alibis.¡±


    ¡°Hmm¡­¡± Orion contemplated. ¡°What are they?¡±


    ¡°The first one is the vic¡¯s boyfriend. He was last to see her alive, but he claims to have been at the bar with his friends. They also got into an altercation recently because he suspected the vic of cheating. The second one is the vic¡¯s best friend. She claims to be at work and that is checked out. She¡¯s also in love with the vic¡¯s boyfriend. The third and last sus is someone named Satoshi Kagome. We can¡¯t find a motive for him but he was seen at the vic¡¯s house on the day of the crime. However, he was supposedly on a business trip in China.¡±


    ¡°Hmm¡­ Kagome¡¯s alibi doesn¡¯t SOUND very airtight, but who knows¡­¡± Orion pondered, closing his eyes. ¡°What was the cause of death? Time of death?¡±


    ¡°Right. The victim died between 9:00 PM to 10:30 PM. The cause of death is strangulation, but we suspect it was drowning. There¡¯s evidence of some of the hair being soaked premortem.¡±


    Orion remained silent for a few minutes before opening his eyes. ¡°Did you investigate Satoshi¡¯s alibi thoroughly? Are you certain he was in China on the day of the crime? He¡­¡± Orion stopped himself when a bulb lit up in his head. ¡°I¡¯ll call you back.¡± Then Orion hung up and looked at Satoru. ¡°Can you look up some flight information for me, Satoru?¡±


    ¡°Huh, what¡¯s up?¡± Satoru asked confusedly. ¡°But we¡¯d have to go back to the hotel. I don¡¯t have internet access here, you know.¡±


    ¡°Right, right,¡± Orion nodded as he waved his arm for the waitress. The waitress came by and gave them their check, to which Satoru paid and the rest of them departed for the hotel.


    Upon arrival, Satoru led the group to the hotel lobby toward a settee. Satoru sat down and turned on his laptop. Glancing at Orion, he asked, ¡°So which flight?¡±


    ¡°Any flight coming back from China yesterday,¡± Orion replied. ¡°Any airline company will do.¡±


    Satoru nodded and began typing rapidly on his laptop. He was so focused on his task that he was motionless except for the tapping on the keyboard. Orion leaned back on the settee and closed his eyes in contemplation. Mari and Amane exchanged small talks together until Satoru made a noise.


    ¡°Got it!¡± Satoru cried out. ¡°So further details, please?¡±


    ¡°The arrival time should be around 12 to 6 PM and there should be a similar arrival time for today,¡± Orion stated, opening his eyes.


    ¡°Understood,¡± Satoru nodded and returned to his task.


    ¡°This is interesting,¡± Amane commented to Mari.


    ¡°No surprise, Satoru is such a dork,¡± Mari giggled.


    ¡°Shut it, Mari,¡± Satoru called out before he resumed typing.


    ¡°It¡¯s typical work,¡± Orion yawned. ¡°Don¡¯t get too excited now, Amane.¡±


    Amane giggled. ¡°Why not? I¡¯ve never seen a detective in action, you know.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re just being silly,¡± Orion commented casually.


    ¡°Thanks!¡± Amane said, laughing.


    ¡°That wasn¡¯t really a compliment,¡± Orion stated.


    ¡°Sure it was! Better than other words you could¡¯ve used,¡± Amane smiled.


    Mari winced at their exchange, feeling a tinge of jealousy that someone new could have such an exchange with Orion. She turned away from the two chatting casually and leaned forward to Satoru. ¡°How¡¯s the search?¡±


    Satoru looked up from his laptop briefly. ¡°Huh. It¡¯s going.¡± He leaned backwards and looked over to Orion. ¡°Hey, I¡¯m almost done. What other details do you need?¡±


    ¡°Look for a passenger named Satoshi Kagome,¡± Orion replied. ¡°If he actually took the right flight, if he went another one, something like that.¡±


    ¡°Got it,¡± Satoru mumbled to himself as he returned to his task.


    ¡°You¡¯re a nerd too, Amane,¡± Orion returned to face Amane.


    ¡°Am not!¡± Amane pouted. ¡°You¡¯re the nerd!¡±


    ¡°You wear glasses, just like Satoru here,¡± Orion said, pointing at Satoru working on his laptop.


    ¡°Just because I wear glasses???¡± Amane asked incredulously. ¡°YOU¡¯RE the weird one!¡±


    Orion laughed. A genuine, heartfelt laugh that Mari has never heard before. Her heart felt like it was sinking as Mari clenched her fists away from their sight. Not that they would notice, Mari thought. Satoru had noticed though and looked up from his task.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it, Mari,¡± Satoru whispered to which the other girl sniffled. ¡°Oh, I¡¯m done now, Orion.¡±


    ¡°Great, spill it,¡± Orion leaned forward in his seat.


    ¡°Okay. Here goes,¡± Satoru started, leaning back on the settee and pulling his laptop on his lap. ¡°There¡¯s a flight booked by Satoshi Kagome for yesterday, but he never showed up for it. However, there¡¯s a record that shows him on a flight for the day before yesterday.¡±


    ¡°Just what I thought,¡± Orion nodded eagerly. ¡°Wait, what time was the flight?¡±


    Satoru glanced at his screen for a moment. ¡°1:20 PM.¡±


    ¡°Time to call Fujioka.¡± He took out his phone and dialed the same number as earlier. It took a few rings before a woman¡¯s voice came on.


    ¡°What¡¯s up, Orion?¡± Erika asked.


    ¡°Satoshi Kagome. His alibi isn¡¯t as airtight as you thought. He came back the day before yesterday on the 1:20 PM flight. I wager he pretended he was back yesterday as that was his original flight, but something must have happened to make him return a day earlier¡­¡±


    ¡°Wow, how did you get that information? We couldn¡¯t find that out.¡±


    ¡°Um, it¡¯s a trade secret.¡±


    Erika laughed on the other end. ¡°Well, I¡¯ll get this to the others, and we¡¯ll search Kagome again. Let you know when we get anything solid.¡±


    ¡°Much thanks,¡± Orion nodded and then hung up the phone.


    Back in Tokyo, a woman was moving around her apartment to clean up for her special guest today. She had long black hair, hazel eyes and wore a simple sky-blue chicken strap dress. The woman¡¯s movements had grace even as she was cleaning up. After thirty minutes passed, the doorbell rang throughout the apartment and the woman cleaned herself up before rushing to the door. She opened the door to a man a little taller than herself, dressed in white dress shirt and dark blue trousers.


    ¡°It¡¯s been a while,¡± the woman smiled fondly at the man standing across from him.


    ¡°It has,¡± the man smiled fondly.


    ¡°Come on in, Satoshi,¡± the woman stepped to the side to allow the man inside the apartment.


    ¡°Thank you, Yuzu,¡± the man smiled. ¡°I do need to use the restroom right now.¡±


    The woman named Yuzu led the man Satoshi to her bathroom by hand. When she entered, Satoshi suddenly grabbed Yuzu from behind as if giving her an embrace. Satoshi pulled the lift rod and turned on the cold water. When the water filled, Satoshi thrust Yuzu¡¯s head into the water and held it there. Yuzu tried to struggle but it was to no avail as Satoshi kept his strength on her head underwater.


    Once Yuzu stopped struggling, Satoshi released his grip on her head and the body rolled off onto the floor. Satoshi pressed the lift rod and allowed the water to release. He then dragged the body into the living room and dropped it off by the couch. Afterwards, Satoshi pulled out piano wires from his pocket and wrung the wire around Yuzu¡¯s neck tightly to ensure there were residual markings. He pulled along the wire through the apartment and tied the other end to the door. With that, Satoshi made his finishing touches and left the apartment.

 chapter three: new victim

    Case One: the one who fell from the heavens


    Chapter Three: new victim


    It was now the third day of the Yamato High field trip and it was another free day for the students and their final day in Okinawa Island. In hotel room 14C, Orion had risen early at 7:00 AM while Satoru was still asleep in his bed. Orion leaned back on the settee as he toyed with the suspects¡¯ alibis in his mind; he could not sleep well because his brain kept going back to the case.


    The sun started shining through the room despite the curtains being drawn that Orion had to wince and cover his eyes. He moved to the other chair so that his back was to the curtains.


    Meanwhile, in an office building in Tokyo, Satoshi Kagome stared at his computer monitor with a soured expression on his face. There was a sticky note on the centre that read:


    To Satoshi Kagome


    You are now to clean up the meeting room after use.


    Community Team


    Satoshi could only see red. Furious; he clenched his fists as he stared at his monitor. He hated that he was always ¡°assigned¡± to clean the office every day. It was annoying him. After a few minutes of just staring at the computer screen, Satoshi hung his head low. It was futile to resist; they would always find something to make him do, no matter how trivial.


    ¡®Fine¡­ If that¡¯s how they want to play it, I¡¯ll just take another woman,¡¯ Satoshi thought, a devious smile coming on his face. Then someone¡¯s voice came in and interrupted his thoughts.


    ¡°Satoshi? Are you alright?¡± a young woman¡¯s voice came through.


    Satoshi looked up into the face of Miki Tsushima. She was aged twenty-five and had worked here for a little shy of two years. She wore a yellow blouse, knee-length black skirt and black heels. She was leaning over one of the cubicle walls.


    ¡°Yeah, I¡¯m fine, perfect,¡± Satoshi muttered to himself more than to Miki.


    ¡°Want to grab lunch together?¡± Miki asked.


    ¡°Hmm¡­¡± Satoshi contemplated before shaking his head. ¡°No, you shouldn¡¯t get lunch with me.¡±


    ¡°But why¡­¡± Miki looked downcast.


    ¡°People will talk.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t care if they talk!¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    The two of them were silent for a while.


    ¡°I¡¯ll go¡­ I see you just don¡¯t like me, so I won¡¯t bother you anymore,¡± Miki mumbled, sniffling.


    ¡°I¡­ didn¡¯t say that.¡± Satoshi sighed. ¡°But it might be best if you didn¡¯t associate yourself with me anyway.¡±


    Miki ran off to her desk without listening to Satoshi. She felt rejected; she wanted to spend time with Satoshi, whom she fancied for a while now. But Satoshi never gave her the time of day ever.


    Satoshi ripped off the sticky note from the monitor and tossed it into the garbage bin under his desk. He was furious again, this time about Miki. It was understandable that Miki wanted to eat lunch with him, and he wanted that too, but he was afraid she would become a target for them if he let her close.


    Satoshi sighed again; he could not focus on his work right now. Rising from his seat, he decided to take a walk around the office; he could do so because the top executive liked him and let him take however many breaks he needed. Satoshi stopped by Miki¡¯s cubicle without being aware, who was busy typing away at her computer. He decided it was fated to occur, so he walked up to the booth.


    ¡°Look, Miki¡­¡± Satoshi started to speak.


    ¡°I thought you rather talk to your other girlfriends,¡± Miki mumbled bitterly.


    ¡°That¡¯s not true and you know it,¡± Satoshi said aggressively. ¡°Look, I¡¯m just looking out for you. You know how the managing team has it out for me. I just don¡¯t want you to be targeted.¡±


    Miki was silent, contemplative of Satoshi¡¯s words, before she nodded. ¡°Okay.¡±


    ¡°I really would love to grab lunch with you, if you still want to,¡± Satoshi exhaled.


    ¡°Of course!¡± Miki said, suddenly standing up. When she realised what she did, the young girl quickly sat back down. ¡°Um, how about 12:30 PM then?¡±


    ¡°Sounds good,¡± Satoshi nodded.


    When it was about time, Satoshi got up from his cubicle and went to the lift. Already waiting there was Miki with her black handbag.  Satoshi gave a small wave to the woman before joining her side. The two descended to the ground floor, discussing about various topics such as dinner meals and job-related discussions animatedly. Leaving the building, the two walked around the sidewalk until they found a small sushi conveyor belt restaurant and entered the place.


    The two were seated together by the conveyor belt near the exit. As they waited for the dishes to rotate, Satoshi and Miki discussed their personal lives and background. The topic slowly went around work as they grabbed sushi plates for themselves.


    ¡°Why does everyone pick on you?¡± Miki asked as she put salmon sushi into her mouth. ¡°Mmm¡­ delicious.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± Satoshi sighed. ¡°But I rather they didn¡¯t start targeting you because of this.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll be alright, Satoshi!¡± Miki smiled.


    Satoshi smiled slightly. ¡°Well¡­ if you insist. I¡¯m sorry I¡¯m not stronger to protect you.¡±


    Stolen novel; please report.


    The two finished eating the sushi and Satoshi decided to pay for two of them. It was time to return to work, so Satoshi and Miki were on their way back to the office, their hands phasing through one another but not quite touching. As soon as they reached the office building, they ascended the elevator to the top and parted ways.


    ¡°Um, do you want to walk home together later?¡± Miki asked meekly.


    ¡°I can¡¯t today,¡± Satoshi answered. He looked hesitant, unwilling to reveal his plans to Miki. His goal of killing another woman. ¡°I¡­ have plans tonight. Sorry. Tomorrow would work better.¡±


    Miki¡¯s face lit up. ¡°Really? That¡¯s a promise then!¡±


    ¡°Promise,¡± Satoshi smiled.


    When it was time to leave, Satoshi turned off his computer and grabbed his suitcase. He hurried along to the elevator as his thoughts went to his next victim. The sticky note left a bad aftertaste in his mouth, and he wanted to take one of the Community Team members as his victim, but he had no idea how he would get into their house. Plus, it was too risky to involve someone from his workplace; he didn¡¯t want the police getting on his trail.


    A lightbulb lit in his head. There was one person he could visit; it was Sakura Ito, from middle school. He kept in contact with her for the express purpose of getting revenge. Satoshi took out his phone and texted Sakura to invite her for dinner.


    Satoshi received a reply almost instantly, which had been an affirmative to the dinner plans. She replied saying the Italian restaurant in downtown Tokyo would work.


    An hour passed and Satoshi was seen with a young woman outside a restaurant. The young woman had black bobbed hair and red-rimmed eyeglasses, sporting a fancy red dress that went down to her knees and red heels. The two exchanged an embrace and then disengaged to enter the restaurant.


    Satoshi and Sakura were shown to a table by the window with a view of the street. Satoshi decided to order clams while Sakura ordered foie gras; both agreed on having red wine with their meal. While they waited for their food, the two exchanged small talk.


    ¡°It was such a surprise to see your text asking for dinner,¡± Sakura murmured.


    Satoshi merely smiled.


    The food arrived and it was shortly consumed, upon which the cocktail was brought in. Satoshi poured a glass for Sakura and then himself. His plan was to intoxicate Sakura and then bring her home. As the time went on, Satoshi deliberately but cautiously poured glasses of margarita for Sakura while they talked until her face was as red as a tomato. He then paid the check and hoisted Sakura up, using his shoulder as support.


    Satoshi hailed a cab and moved with Sakura¡¯s body. He knew Sakura¡¯s address, so he told the cab directly as Sakura had passed out at this point. The cab ride took about ten minutes where Satoshi paid the fare and got out with Sakura leaning on him. Moving to the apartment building, Satoshi reached his hand into Sakura¡¯s handbag and took out the keys.


    Once Satoshi got inside the apartment, he placed Sakura on the settee before locking the door. Wiping the keys with his handkerchief, he slipped the keys back into the handbag. Then he carried Sakura into the bathroom without turning on the lights and turned the faucet in the bathtub. Once the water filled, Satoshi let Sakura down gently into the cold water, feet first. The woman started to stir as she was lifted into the bathtub with cold water, slowly awakening. Uncertain why she was in her bathtub, Sakura began to open eyes and realized what was happening. Trying to get out of the tub, Satoshi quickly pressed Sakura¡¯s head into the water despite her struggling. He kept the pressure until Sakura stopped struggling and then released his grip. Feeling for a pulse, Satoshi was content there were none.


    Rising from the tub, Satoshi took out a handkerchief and wiped the faucet on the bathtub and sink. Then he wiped the doorknobs and left the apartment. His emotions were on a high right now as he just took revenge on three women this time. There was time to contemplate his next victim, to throw the police off his track. He thought about text messaging Miki, but he was also tired at this point, so he decided to resign himself to sleep.


    In the meantime, in Okinawa Island, Orion and his friends were seated in the third-floor restaurant after ordering dinner. Orion stretched and yawned before playing with his utensils at the table. Satoru had pulled out his laptop and begun typing rapidly.


    ¡°Orion, stop that,¡± Mari scolded.


    Orion frowned. ¡°What are you, my mom?¡±


    ¡°No, but that¡¯s going to annoy someone around us!¡± Mari said, her voice rising.


    Orion sighed. ¡°Fine, whatever.¡± Orion turned away from the group and stared out the window. They were able to get a table by the window again.


    Amane giggled. ¡°You two are rather close!¡±


    ¡°No way,¡± Orion said, turning his head to face Amane. ¡°She¡¯s more annoying than anything.¡±


    Mari stared at Orion, clenching her fists from under the table. She never heard Orion complain about her but suddenly he called her annoying and denied being close with her. Tears threatened to fall but Mari bit her lip and looked away from the table. ¡°Yeah, well, you¡¯re stupid!¡±


    ¡°What are you getting defensive for?¡± Orion asked.


    ¡°You¡¯re so stupid!¡± Mari turned to face Orion. ¡°You think you¡¯re all that but you¡¯re really just stupid!¡± With that, Mari got up from her seat and ran in the direction of the elevators.


    ¡°Um¡­¡± Amane said hesitantly. ¡°Did I say the wrong thing?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry about her,¡± Orion shrugged. ¡°She¡¯ll come to.¡±


    ¡°She looks really upset though¡­¡± Amane trailed off. ¡°I¡¯m going to check on her. You guys can eat first.¡±


    Amane got out of her seat, toward the elevators. She figured Mari returned to their room, so Amane went to check the hotel room first. Back at the dinner table, Satoru closed his laptop and faced Orion seated next to him.


    ¡°That was way too cruel, Orion,¡± Satoru scolded lightly. ¡°Mari¡¯s a delicate girl.¡±


    ¡°What are you talking about?¡± Orion asked. ¡°She¡¯s the one always tagging along the investigations. You¡¯d think she¡¯d have a thick skin by now.¡±


    ¡°Not when it comes to the matters of the heart, no,¡± Satoru shook his head. ¡°Now you¡¯re letting another girl comfort Mari.¡±


    ¡°Why not? Girls understand other girls.¡±


    Satoru sighed and shook his head again.


    ¡°I don¡¯t see what got you so riled up.¡±


    Meanwhile, Amane arrived at the fourteenth floor, she looked around the floor for Mari. She knew Mari couldn¡¯t have gone into the room because Amane had the key. Then she heard a soft crying toward where their room was. She strolled forward and reached out to Mari who was crouching in front of the room with her hands covering her face.


    ¡°Mari¡­¡± Amane said softly. ¡°Are you okay¡­?¡±


    Mari looked up with her eyes red and nose runny. ¡°Amane¡­? No¡­ I¡¯m not okay. I didn¡¯t think Orion would say that about me¡­ I¡­ I¡­ I thought we were close. I thought he didn¡¯t mind me tagging along with him to cases. But he¡­ he really thought I¡¯m¡­ annoying.¡± Mari started crying into her hands again.


    Amane knelt to Mari and gave her a tight embrace. ¡°I¡¯m really sorry, I didn¡¯t mean for my question to end up hurting you.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s¡­ not your fault,¡± Mari sobbed. ¡°I¡¯m just stupid, stupid for loving him.¡±


    A surprised expression was on Amane¡¯s face, but she wasn¡¯t surprised at the indirect confession to Orion. She noticed Mari had a certain fondness for the boy. ¡°You¡¯re not stupid for that,¡± Amane said, patting Mari¡¯s back. ¡°It¡¯ll be okay.¡±


    ¡°I swear¡­ I swear he would like you first before me,¡± Mari sighed before detaching herself from Amane. She stood up and straightened her orange skirt and yellow blouse.


    ¡°I don¡¯t think so,¡± Amane shook her head as she rose. ¡°We¡¯re going back to regular relationships once this trip is over. So, please don¡¯t give up.¡±


    Mari stared and then nodded, wiping her tear-streaked face. ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll try my best.¡±


    ¡°We should get our dinner now then,¡± Amane smiled.


    The two returned to the restaurant and their food had just arrived shortly prior to the girls¡¯ return. The group finished their meal and had gone to the hotel lobby where they each ordered a cup of iced coffee.


    ¡°Welcome back, Mari,¡± Satoru waved to the redhead. ¡°How are you feeling now?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m¡­ better now, thanks, Satoru,¡± Mari smiled.


    ¡°Thanks, Amane,¡± Orion directed his attention to the other girl. Then he looked to Mari. ¡°Next time, just talk to us, Mari.¡±


    ¡°Anyway, it¡¯s really ending tomorrow,¡± Satoru suddenly said. ¡°It feels like time just flew by.¡±


    ¡°It really does,¡± Amane nodded in agreement.


    ¡°It¡¯ll be back to the norm tomorrow,¡± Orion said, yawning. ¡°Let¡¯s stay in contact after this trip, Amane.¡±


    ¡°O-Oh, that¡¯s fine!¡± Amane smiled widely.


    Mari looked in pain. Not expecting Orion to bring that up, Mari felt her heart sink to her stomach. Looking away, she sniffled and stared straight ahead at nothing.


    ¡°U-Um¡­ Maybe I shouldn¡ª¡± Amane started to say, noticing Mari¡¯s movements.


    ¡°No harm to it,¡± Orion interrupted the brown-haired girl.


    ¡°A-Ah, if you say so,¡± Amane said uneasily.


    ¡°I-It¡¯s fine,¡± Mari said unsteadily, her voice sounding like it was about to break.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong, Mari?¡± Orion asked, looking at the girl.


    ¡°N-Nothing¡­!¡± Mari stammered, clenching her fists. Then turning to face Amane, she said, ¡°Um, I¡¯ll be glad to talk to you again, Amane.¡±


    ¡°Likewise,¡± Amane bowed her head, still feeling uneasy because she knew how Mari loved Orion and now Orion is talking about staying in contact. A part of her is thrilled but she still felt the sting in her heart.


    ¡°See, we can all get along,¡± Orion said, looking quite pleased with himself.


    Satoru merely sighed at Orion¡¯s oblivion. Then he turned to look at Amane. ¡°Anyway, nice to meet you, Amane.¡±


    ¡°Likewise!¡± Amane chirped, smiling, placing her hands on her skirt.


    Orion yawned. ¡°We should get to bed early tonight so we don¡¯t oversleep tomorrow.¡±


    ¡°That makes perfect sense,¡± Amane smiled as she rose up from her seat beside Orion.


    ¡°Y-Yeah¡­ let¡¯s go¡­¡± Mari said dejectedly.


    ¡°Are you okay, Mari?¡± Satoru asked as he also rose up.


    ¡°Huh? Oh, y-yeah, I¡¯m fine,¡± Mari said as she also got up from the settee. ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡±


    As the group went to the lift, they separated to their respective rooms after saying their good nights. Amane unlocked the door and let Mari in first before locking the door. The girls walked to their beds and sat down facing one another before they


    ¡°U-Um¡­ W-What if Orion falls for you¡­?¡± Mari said hesitantly, averting her eyes from Amane.


    ¡°I don¡¯t think so,¡± Amane said cautiously. She watched the other girl avert glances. ¡°He doesn¡¯t seem the type to fall in love.¡± Admitting she felt some warmth when she was around Orion, that was not something Amane could say aloud to Mari.


    ¡°That¡¯s true¡­¡± Mari said, sighing. ¡°You¡¯re right. I just got lost in my own thoughts to think I¡¯d have a chance, but you¡¯re completely correct.¡± She leaned back on her bed and covered her eyes with her arm. ¡°I wish¡­¡± She let her sentence trail off, without continuing it.


    ¡°¡­I¡¯m sorry,¡± Amane said, averting her eyes. She changed position and stared at the empty kettle on the table across from the bed.


    ¡°It¡¯s¡­alright,¡± Mari said, sniffling. She clenched her fists briefly before turning around. She got out of bed and pulled the bed cover off before hopping into bed again.


    ¡°I really am sorry,¡± Amane said as she laid back on her bed. She turned away from Mari. She felt guilty because she was happy to stay in contact with Orion. ¡°Um¡­ good night, Mari.¡±


    ¡°¡­Good night, Amane.¡± Mari murmured before she covered herself with the blanket.


    ¡°Good night, Mari,¡± Amane said, doing the same with the bed.

 chapter four: return to tokyo

    Case One: the one who fell from the heavens


    Chapter Four: return to tokyo


    It was the last day of the field trip for Yamato High. All the students were gathered in the hotel lobby with their suitcases. Orion checked his phone for any new messages and at the fifth check, there was a new text message from Erika Fujioka.


    ¡°There¡¯s been another murder. Call me when you¡¯re able.¡±


    Orion¡¯s eyes widened. He quickly dialled Fujioka¡¯s number as he stepped away from the group. The group turned to look at Orion who had walked away with his phone in hand. After a few rings, Erika Fujioka picked up.


    ¡°That you, Orion?¡± Fujioka asked.


    ¡°Yes. We¡¯re about to leave right now but what¡¯s going on?¡±


    ¡°Ah. As I messaged you, there¡¯s been a second victim. Name¡¯s Yuzu Hashimoto aged twenty-nine. She was definitely drowned. But we don¡¯t have any suspects for this case.¡±


    ¡°But you suspect it may be Kagome, right?¡± Orion inquired. ¡°Did you try investigating if Kagome is related to this case?¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re doing that right now, I just wanted to let you know about this new case first,¡± Fujioka stated.


    ¡°Well, we¡¯re coming back to Tokyo today so let me know any updates when we return,¡± Orion said.


    ¡°Got it. Stay safe, Orion.¡±


    Orion hung up and walked back to the group. He stretched his arms, with an enthusiastic look on his face. ¡°Another case came in. Drowning.¡±


    ¡°Two already? Are they related?¡± Satoru inquired.


    ¡°They¡¯re not sure, but I have an inkling they are¡­¡± Orion trailed off.


    ¡°We¡¯re returning now so it should be fine!¡± Mari said merrily.


    ¡°You¡¯re suddenly happier now,¡± Orion observed. ¡°And it¡¯s too early to be so optimistic.¡±


    ¡°I just trust your ability,¡± Mari smiled.


    It was evident to Amane that being reassured she would eventually gain Orion¡¯s affections helped her feel much better. Unbeknownst to Mari, Amane felt happy to have conversed with Orion for the duration of the trip. She felt like there was a connection with Orion but never dared to voice that out lest Mari fell back into her depression.


    ¡°Hey Amane,¡± Orion started. ¡°We should stay in contact even after this trip. Let¡¯s exchange numbers.¡±


    ¡°A-ah¡­¡± Amane hesitated, looking at Mari from the corner of her eye. ¡°Um, sure!¡± She noticed Mari¡¯s mood started to drop and a frown forming on her face, but Amane couldn¡¯t help herself.


    ¡°Don¡¯t be so stiff,¡± Orion said carefully.


    ¡°Aha, sorry about that,¡± Amane laughed. ¡°You just caught me off guard.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s fine,¡± Orion replied. Then with a concerned expression, he asked, ¡°Are you okay?¡±


    ¡°U-Um¡­ yes,¡± Amane said uncertainly. ¡°Don¡¯t worry about me! I¡¯ll be glad to stay in contact.¡± She said with a genuine but shy smile. The two returned to discussing as a group while waiting for the teachers to arrive.


    Thankfully, they didn¡¯t have to wait long as the teachers finally showed up and directed the students onto the travel buses to transport them to the airport. When they arrived, all the students gathered around the boarding gate as they had no designated groups for the return trip. The students waited around the gate until it was time to embark and return to Tokyo Narita Airport. Everyone went to board the plane and soon after they all seated, with Amane sitting next to Orion. Amane sat next to Orion while Satoru was seated beside Mari, much to Mari¡¯s chagrin. However, due to exhaustion from the field trip, everyone ended up taking a short nap on the flight home.


    It was 4:25 PM when the plane landed. The students dispersed to their families picking them up; Orion was tagging along with Mari¡¯s family since they were neighbors. Satoru got picked up by his father and left first. Amane was picked up by her chauffeur in a small limousine who waved goodbye to Mari and Orion.


    ¡°I¡¯ll text you soon,¡± Orion waved.


    ¡°I¡¯ll be waiting,¡± Amane smiled, waving through the window as the car drove away.


    Mari clenched her fists as she overheard the short dialogue exchange between Orion and Amane. It triggered her jealousies so hard she found it difficult to breathe.


    Mari¡¯s parents soon arrived, and Orion and Mari boarded the SUV and the two were driven back home. They stopped at the house in between Orion¡¯s and Mari¡¯s, to release Orion as well as leave the car themselves. When everyone was out of the vehicle, Mari¡¯s father approached Orion.


    ¡°Would you like dinner with us?¡± Mari¡¯s father inquired.


    ¡°Thanks, but no thanks, I have a few things to take care of. I¡¯ll take care of dinner eventually,¡± Orion nodded.


    ¡°Come on, Orion, come join us,¡± Mari said encouragingly.


    ¡°I really have to take care of some personal things,¡± Orion replied.


    ¡°Mari, don¡¯t pressure the boy,¡± Mari¡¯s father chided the girl. ¡°Anyway, just don¡¯t starve yourself because you¡¯re alone,¡± Mari¡¯s father said caringly.


    You could be reading stolen content. Head to Royal Road for the genuine story.


    ¡°Got it, don¡¯t worry,¡± Orion smiled.


    Orion walked up to his house and unlocked the door. Closing the door behind him, he exhaled deeply before turning on the lights. Removing his shoes, Orion walked deeper into his house and dropped his suitcase on the settee. Stretching a little, he reached for the birdcage and unlocked the door to let Kiyo fly around.


    ¡°Hey, I¡¯m back, Kiyo,¡± Orion smiled gently as he unlocked the parrot¡¯s cage.


    Kiyo flew around Orion¡¯s eye level before settling on his shoulder. She chirped a few times before nuzzling Orion¡¯s face.


    ¡°I missed you too, Kiyo,¡± Orion smiled as he moved around the living room. He settled on the settee and took out his phone. Orion sent a few texts, one to Fujioka, one to Satoru and lastly to Amane. Satoru had responded and said he made it home whole. Then he felt his phone vibrate again and checked it. It was Amane.


    Hey Orion. I¡¯m still in the car but everything will be fine. I live kind of far from school¡­ and especially the airport.


    Drive safe... Orion pressed the send button and leaned back on his settee, thinking back about the field trip. It was a rather pleasant one, surprisingly. Orion lived here because of a distant uncle after his parents died in an accident and there was a chance of being passed around foster homes, so this uncle took him in. However, this distant uncle was almost always overseas managing some business, so Orion was always alone. As a result, Orion got his parrot not too long after living with his uncle.


    The phone vibrated. It was Amane again. Thanks! I hope you¡¯re resting well now.


    Yeah, I¡¯m just chilling at home right now. Waiting for a text regarding the case we went briefly over.


    Just as Orion sent that, an incoming call came on, so Orion quickly took it. ¡°Orion here.¡±


    ¡°Are you back home now?¡± Fujioka¡¯s voice came on.


    ¡°Yeah, just got back home not long ago. What¡¯s up?¡±


    ¡°We got another murder. This time it¡¯s drowning this time, too. It was at her home, and she was intoxicated.¡±


    ¡°Another one already?!¡± Orion exclaimed, causing Kiyo to flap her wings once.


    ¡°It seems this culprit has balls. He¡¯s taking a victim once a day. We can¡¯t afford to slow down, but we can barely tie them together.¡±


    Orion remained silent. He had an inkling it was Satoshi Kagome from the first case because he claimed to take the wrong flight. But then what was the connection between him and the second and third cases? There must be something. Orion was unable to connect the dots at this moment, so his mind started zoning out.


    ¡°Orion?¡± Fujioka¡¯s voice interrupted Orion¡¯s thoughts.


    ¡°Oh, sorry, I was just thinking,¡± Orion muttered over the phone. ¡°I¡¯m not sure how, but I¡¯m sure the cases are all connected. They must be.¡±


    ¡°How are you so certain?¡±


    ¡°I just know it must be it! I don¡¯t have a lick of evidence right now, but we must pursue Kagome.¡±


    ¡°We can¡¯t just arrest him without evidence. He¡¯d just be let out right away if we did that. And it¡¯ll make us look bad.¡±


    Orion grunted and punched the settee. ¡°Damn it!¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll keep trying to pursue Kagome. You just try to rest for now, okay?¡±


    Orion grunted again. ¡°Fine. But I want any updates tomorrow.¡±


    ¡°Got it.¡±


    Orion leaned back on the settee, closing his eyes. There were various things that could be checked about Kagome. One could be his history with all the victims. Orion got up from the settee and made a dash to his computer on the table in the dining room. He turned on the laptop and quickly typed up Satoshi Kagome before he stopped himself. Wait. I¡¯m going to need Satoru for this, considering he¡¯s the unknown hacker. I can¡¯t just google this guy up.


    Taking out his phone, he texted Satoru. Satoru, I need a favor even though you just got home. I need you to look up Satoshi Kagome for me. And Yuzu Hashimoto. Text or call me if any difficulties come up.


    Resting in his chair, Orion sighed. He abhorred inaction and this was one of the times where he could do nothing but wait. It frustrated him, feeling helpless. Sighing, Orion got up from the chair and went to the kitchen to see what he could make for dinner. He wasn¡¯t famished, but he figured he might as well feed himself, so he would have the energy for the investigation tomorrow. Checking the refrigerator, there were some salmon, tuna and ham inside. ¡°Good enough for a sandwich,¡± Orion said to himself as he took out the ham and prepared a sandwich.


    Once Orion finished eating, he rechecked his phone. Satoru had messaged him while he was chowing. I¡¯ll start working on it. Wait for me on the PhoneBox.


    Orion got up and returned to his laptop and logged onto the PhoneBox. He saw Satoru had logged in, but his status was on do not disturb so he didn¡¯t risk interrupting Satoru. Twiddling his fingers, Orion leaned back on the chair and petted Kiyo, which was on his shoulder.


    As time passed, Orion almost dozed off a few times before he heard the ping. Sitting straight, he reached for the keyboard.


    NotANerd


    I think I got something, Orion


    Constellation


    What did you get?


    NotANerd


    This Satoshi Kagome was born on October 10. He was raised by his single mom but what happened was that his mom abused him all the time. Also, he was always bullied in school up until graduation. He¡¯s working at Maneshiro Group, Inc. but it seems he¡¯s always picked on for doing menial tasks after hours. Also, about this Yuzu Hashimoto¡­


    Constellation


    Yes?


    Satoru was typing...


    NotANerd


    Okay, Yuzu was in the same high school as Satoshi. She was in the cheerleading squad and I dug up information that says she was one of the primary people bullying Satoshi


    Constellation


    Bingo. Thanks, Satoru. Will need your assistance again when Fujioka gives me the other victims¡¯ names.


    NotANerd


    No problem. Just let me know :)


    Orion took out his phone and dialled Fujioka¡¯s number. As soon as she picked up, Orion said: ¡°I found the link with Kagome and the second victim.¡±


    ¡°That was quick. Didn¡¯t I tell you to rest?¡± Fujioka said sternly.


    ¡°I can¡¯t relax knowing there¡¯s a serial murderer out there.¡±


    Fujioka sighed over the phone. ¡°Lay it on me.¡±


    ¡°Satoru helped me find out that Kagome has always been abused and bullied, and it¡¯s still happening now. Hashimoto was in the same high school as Kagome and was one of the prime people bullying him. Who are the other victims?¡±


    ¡°The first victim was Mayura Akiyama, and the third victim was Sakura Ito.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll get back to you again!¡±


    Orion hung up the call and reached out for his computer before typing a message for Satoru.


    Constellation


    Yo Satoru. The vics are Mayura Akiyama and Sakura Ito.


    NotANerd


    Got it. Give me a few moments.


    Orion leaned back in his seat as he waited for Satoru to return. Petting Kiyo, Orion checked his phone for Amane¡¯s response: there were two new texts from her.


    I¡¯m home now. I feel really wiped now that I have time to settle down.


    Are you holding up fine?


    Orion blinked before responding: I¡¯m fine. You should take a good rest.


    Another text came in from Amane: I¡¯m fine! Anything you need help with? :)


    Satoru¡¯s doing the work right now so no, not right now. He¡¯s the¡­hacker.


    You guys are so close! Oh, but I must go help out around the house right now. I¡¯ll talk to you later, Orion. <3


    The heart startled Orion for a moment before he composed himself. He wasn¡¯t sure what that was for, as no one else used that with him. He shook his head rapidly to shake off his feelings. This wasn¡¯t the time to get lost in thought. That was when Satoru responded.


    NotANerd


    Got it, Orion


    Constellation


    Lay it on me.


    NotANerd


    Okay. So, first Mayura Akiyama. She lives alone but she has a boyfriend she often has fights with. They don¡¯t live together though. She¡¯s accused of cheating and¡­ that may be true. She¡­ was most likely cheating with that Kagome guy. You know, the one you had me look up


    Constellation


    Really? Holy crap.


    NotANerd


    Anyway, the next victim Sakura Ito. She was from the same high school as Kagome too. Looks like she and Yuzu were friends and both bullied Kagome


    Constellation:


    Bingo. Thanks, Satoru.


    NotANerd


    Take care man


    With that, the two friends logged off and Orion turned off his laptop. Reaching for his phone, he automatically redialled Erika Fujioka¡¯s number.


    ¡°What did you find out now?¡± Erika asked.


    ¡°Mayura Akiyama was most likely cheating on her boyfriend with Kagome. Sakura Ito was the same as Hashimoto and both bullied Kagome.¡±


    ¡°We found that out just now,¡± Erika commented.


    ¡°Oh. Did you arrest Kagome then?¡±


    ¡°No, not yet. We need concrete evidence before we can take him in. We only just got their connections, but I know, we don¡¯t have much time left if he¡¯s going to keep his MO as one a day.¡±


    ¡°We really don¡¯t have much time¡­¡± Orion trailed off.


    ¡°We¡¯ll be working on this, so you take it easy. You got school,¡± Erika advised.


    ¡°We actually have tomorrow off, so let me tag along,¡± Orion pleaded.


    ¡°Get some rest first,¡± Erika said firmly.


    ¡°All right, all right,¡± Orion sighed.


    ¡°I¡¯ll contact you tomorrow,¡± Erika said before hanging up.


    Orion yawned and checked the time on his laptop. It was 11:45 PM. It got late before he knew it. Orion turned off his computer and headed upstairs to his room with Kiyo still perched on his shoulder. He changed into a tee and sweats, then got into bed while Kiyo perched on the lamp.


    ¡°Good night, Kiyo,¡± Orion murmured as he reached out and turned off the lamp.


    In another part of the city, Satoshi stood in his bedroom stark naked. He ran his hand along his torso before jerking it away from his body. Staring down at his hand, Satoshi thought about Miki. If he got through this ordeal, he¡¯d like to ask Miki out.


    Satoshi kicked a container nearby and immediately regret it; the pain flared up his foot to his brain. Immediately grabbing his foot reflexively, he lost balance as Satoshi was not used to standing on one leg. On the floor, Satoshi thought about stopping the killings, before the police caught onto him, then he still had a chance with Miki. He released his grip on his foot, Satoshi laid back on the floor and stared at the ceiling.


    He decided on it. He wasn¡¯t going to kill anymore. And ask Miki to be his girlfriend. Satoshi will do it; he swore on his mother¡¯s grave that he will.

 chapter five: newfound friends

    Case One: the one who fell from the heavens


    Chapter Five: newfound friends


    The following day was a day off for the students of Yamato High. Orion met up with his group to gather in the Metropolitan Police Department headquarters where Erika Fujioka was. She had scheduled for the group to come in to be filled in with what was discovered and their plans forward. As Orion gathered with Satoru and Mari, they headed to the train station for Shibuya for their transfer. As they got out of Shibuya station, Orion found a familiar face headed in the same direction. The girl was wearing a pink strap dress that went halfway down her thighs and pink sandals along with a yellow flower on the top and a summer straw hat on her head.


    ¡°Amane?¡± Orion called out to the girl.


    The girl turned around, twirling a bit, revealing it to be Amane. She waved at Orion and the others. ¡°Hey, Orion!¡±


    The group walked up to the other girl. ¡°What brings you here, Amane?¡± Orion asked.


    ¡°Oh, I was doing some errands for my mom,¡± Amane smiled. ¡°Um, what brings you guys here?¡±


    ¡°Oh, it¡¯s for the cases that occurred during our field trip,¡± Orion replied. ¡°If you don¡¯t have to report back to your mom immediately, you can come along with us.¡±


    ¡°Oh no, no rush for me,¡± Amane said. ¡°I¡¯d love to join you!¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s get to Amanegaseki then,¡± Orion said.


    With Amane in tow, Orion led the group to Amanegaseki where the Metropolitan Police Department headquarters was located. Weaving through the guards and introducing himself, Orion walked past a few offices with officers standing around over a blackboard with notes on their cases. Next was the break room, where various snacks and coffee machines were displayed on the counter, to which the group zigzagged through the break room. In the next two areas past the break room where there were a few officers who were seated at their desk typing rapidly, presumably reports. Then they found themselves in Fujioka¡¯s office. It was a minimalistic room, a desk on one side facing away from the window and two settees in the centre of the room with a large red rug between the settees and a glass coffee table on the rug. The group looked around in awe of large office space. It may have looked simple, but it held a lot of power for those who sat here.


    ¡°Orion here,¡± Orion said concisely.


    ¡°Welcome back, Orion,¡± Erika smiled. ¡°You too, Mari and Satoru. And¡­¡± She eyed Amane closely and was about to speak when Amane put a finger on her lips to signal silence on her background, to which the gesture confused the other three. Instead of saying what she initially thought to speak, Erika asked, ¡°Ah, who may you be?¡±


    ¡°Amane,¡± Amane bowed, holding out the edges of her dress. ¡°Um¡­ Mizushima.¡±


    ¡°Ah, yes, Mizushima,¡± Erika nodded repeatedly. She gave Amane an OK signal with her eyes to which the other girl nodded gratefully.


    ¡°Uh¡­ What was that about?¡± Orion asked curiously.


    ¡°Oh, it¡¯s nothing, Orion,¡± Amane smiled sweetly at the other boy. ¡°Anyway, uh, about what you were called for.¡±


    ¡°Right,¡± Orion said as he stepped up in front of Chief Superintendent Erika Fujioka. ¡°Here to report, Orion Minamoto.¡±


    ¡°Why don¡¯t you all take a seat on the settee?¡± Erika smiled, gesturing with her hand to the mentioned settees.


    The group took a seat by the settees, where Orion sat on one side with Amane next to him while Satoru and Mari sat across from them. A secretary came in and put down four cups of cold green tea in front of the students.


    ¡°So, according to the information Orion provided through Satoru, we figured who his next victim should be. Looking through their yearbooks, I would say it would be Akiko Soma. She lives near Amanegaseki so we¡¯ve sent some officers for protection, but I figured you might want to go there yourselves.¡±


    ¡°That is correct,¡± Orion nodded.


    Erika took out a sheet of paper and laid it on her desk. ¡°Here is her address.¡±


    Orion got up and went to the desk to grab it. ¡°Thanks, Fujioka.¡±


    ¡°How many times do I have to tell you? You can just call me Erika,¡± Erika sighed. ¡°You¡¯re like a little brother I never had.¡±


    ¡°Sorry,¡± Orion said, abashed. ¡°I¡­I¡¯ll remember that next time, heh¡­¡± Orion averted his eyes from everyone. ¡°Anyway, let¡¯s go.¡±


    In response to the little dialogue, the group exchanged a look of confusion but also of sentimentality that the two had. It was curious for the rest, not knowing what exactly occurred between the two.


    Erika laughed. ¡°Be careful out there.¡±


    Orion led his group out of the office, weaving through the offices and open areas before leaving the building. As they reached the exit, an officer approached the group. He was uniformed and seemed to be of a medium rank.


    ¡°I was told to offer you a ride to the next victim¡¯s house,¡± the officer said, standing upright.


    ¡°Oh, that¡¯s good,¡± Orion nodded.


    ¡°Are you ready to go?¡± the officer asked.


    ¡°Yes, we¡¯re ready,¡± Orion replied.


    The officer led the group to the right and then straight ahead to the patrol car. He unlocked the doors and allowed the kids to embark inside the car before going in the driver¡¯s seat, where Orion sat in the passenger seat while the other three squeezed in the backseat. A smirk was on his face as he stuck the key into the ignition before driving off. As the officer drove off, silence filled the car.


    ¡°So, what can you tell us about the next potential victim?¡± Orion asked, breaking the silence.


    ¡°I¡¯m sure you received her name, but she was in the culprit¡¯s high school. She was a primary member who bullied Kagome,¡± the officer explained as he drove. ¡°She¡¯s thirty years old, single, and lives alone.¡±


    ¡°Hmm¡­¡± Orion said contemplatively. ¡°So, you guys think she¡¯s next and he¡¯ll come to her at her home.¡±


    ¡°Yes, sir,¡± the officer replied, having hidden his smirk earlier so the kids wouldn¡¯t see it.


    The car ride finished as they arrived at the victim¡¯s apartment. Orion looked down at the piece of paper and it said: ¡°apartment 3D.¡± He exited the car and looked back to check on his friends. They got out of the car and the girls brushed their skirts down to fix how they looked. Satoru had his laptop bag hanging across his torso and stretched the moment he got out of the car.


    ¡°Man, that was one heck of a ride,¡± Satoru complained while stretching his limbs.


    ¡°I-I¡¯m sorry,¡± Mari muttered under her breath.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, too,¡± Amane bowed her head at Satoru.


    ¡°Ahhhh, it¡¯s none of you girls¡¯ fault!¡± Satoru got flustered. ¡°Orion, you traitor!¡±


    ¡°What?¡± Orion asked in genuine confusion. ¡°I¡¯m the closest to the police so I should be seated in the passenger seat.¡±


    ¡°Traitor!¡± Satoru cried out bitterly as his shoulders drooped.


    ¡°Whatever. Let¡¯s get going.¡± Orion shrugged as he turned around to the apartment complex. He was suddenly walking quickly, and the others had trouble catching up to him.


    As the others hurried after Orion, Amane managed to look at Orion¡¯s paper to know where their destination was. They clambered through to the lift and Satoru pressed the third-floor button. Exiting the lift, Amane led the group through as they checked every plaque beside the door until they found Orion on the way.


    ¡°Orion!¡± Amane shouted. ¡°Don¡¯t just leave us behind!¡±


    ¡°Oh, there you are, Amane,¡± Orion said distractedly, waving his hand around and apparently pocketed the address paper into his jeans pockets. ¡°Let¡¯s get on inside. There are already police inside.¡±


    Outside the apartment complex, the officer who drove the kids stood watching the group of kids climb up the stairs for the lift in the apartment complex, a smirk appearing on his face again. He had plans to kill this potential victim and then implant Kagome¡¯s fingerprints around the apartment. He, too, had been bullied by the victims but this officer would rather frame Kagome for that. But he, Takeshi Tokomi, will make this a success and the kids will be none the wiser.


    As the group knocked and then walked into the apartment, where it was minimally furnished, a small TV situated on a table across the small settee. There was a hallway to the right of the entrance where Orion presumed it held the bedroom and bathroom. On the left of the door and straight ahead was a small fridge against the wall.


    ¡°Small, compact place,¡± Orion observed.


    ¡°Very small,¡± Satoru noted, looking around the apartment only to stumble upon a young woman with jet black hair to her shoulders, deep dark brown eyes and reddish lips. She wore a beige cardigan, black pants and suede shoes even though she was in her own apartment. ¡°Uh¡­ sorry, ma¡¯am.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s fine,¡± she said sweetly at Satoru.


    Orion looked down at the woman¡¯s shoes and then up at the woman¡¯s face. ¡°Are you expected somewhere? And I¡¯m correct to presume you are Akiko Soma.¡±


    The woman turned and looked up at Orion, who towered over at his height of five foot eleven. ¡°Oh, yes, I have a lunch engagement today,¡± the woman smiled. ¡°Yes, I am Akiko Soma.¡±


    This novel''s true home is a different platform. Support the author by finding it there.


    ¡°I advise against going,¡± Orion warned the older woman.


    ¡°Oh, those murders? I¡¯ll be fine!¡± Akiko laughed.


    ¡°It¡¯s no laughing matter,¡± Orion suddenly raised his voice. ¡°You could get killed!¡±


    ¡°Haven¡¯t you police already had the killer¡¯s details anyway?¡± Akiko drawled on.


    ¡°That¡¯s beside the point,¡± Orion said. ¡°We may know his name, but we haven¡¯t caught him yet.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m going to eat lunch with my childhood friend, Aya Tachikawa,¡± Akiko emphasised on the feminine name. ¡°So¡­ unless you¡¯re telling me the killer is a woman, I think I can go with my friend.¡±


    Orion was stunned. He stepped back a few steps. ¡°All right. That¡¯s fair.¡±


    ¡°Orion?¡± Amane asked in a whisper. ¡°Are you okay?¡±


    Orion turned to face Amane. ¡°Yeah, I¡¯m fine. This is nothing.¡± Then he turned around and stared into the darkened hallway. He wasn¡¯t sure why he was suddenly enamored with the corridor. Shaking his head, he returned his attention to his friends. ¡°Do you mind if we went inside, Miss Soma?¡±


    ¡°Huh? Oh, sure, by all means,¡± Akiko said, a bit startled by the question.


    Orion walked into the hallway, turning on the lights on the way inside while the others ran after him as he walked briskly into the hallway. As he noticed an open door on the right, Orion turned on the lights while he entered the room. It was bright and a full-sized bed was set in the centre of the room against the wall with pink curtains hanging from the top. A window was on the opposite side of the door, left open so Orion and the others could feel a breeze. A dresser was set next to the dressing table with make-up clattered about the table.


    ¡°What¡¯s up, Orion?¡± Amane asked.


    ¡°Just¡­something seems weird¡­¡± Orion said with uncertainty in his voice. He took a step deeper inside the bedroom, heading to the dresser. He opened the doors, and a variety of dresses and outfits were exposed to Orion. He looked at the bottom for any yearbooks but there were no books. Closing the doors, Orion knelt and opened the drawers below the dresser. Searching the clothing, Orion came across a small book and yanked it out.


    It was a yearbook from 2002. Orion flipped through the pages until he found Akiko Soma¡¯s page:


    Akiko Soma


    Class President ¡®02


    Best girl <3


    Orion almost threw down the yearbook but kept his grip on it. Then he flipped through a few more pages to find Satoshi Kagome¡¯s entry.


    Satoshi Kagome


    Class of ¡®02


    Worst kid *hehehe*


    Orion shut the yearbook and slammed it back into the drawer. He got up and turned to face the others. ¡°Well, I¡¯m done now. Let¡¯s head out.¡±


    ¡°Orion? Are you SURE you¡¯re okay?¡± Amane asked with concern.


    ¡°Yeah, I¡¯m good,¡± Orion nodded. He took out his phone to text Fujioka for Satoshi¡¯s work address just in case they needed to visit him at work. Unconsciously, he clenched his fists as he walked out.


    ¡°Orion? Did something happen?¡± Mari asked quietly, noticing the clenched fists.


    ¡°Just¡­ I can see why the criminal did what he did,¡± Orion sighed. ¡°And I don¡¯t like feeling like that. Sympathy for a murderer is never good.¡±


    ¡°Orion¡­¡± Mari said hesitantly.


    ¡°Orion.¡± Amane¡¯s voice came through to him. ¡°It¡¯s okay if you feel a little bad for the culprit, so long you don¡¯t try to excuse murderers. It¡¯s only human, especially if the culprits are real human beings¡­  you know.¡±


    Orion looked straight at Amane. ¡°You¡¯re right.¡± Orion sighed. ¡°I let my emotions run wild. Sorry about that.¡± He scratched the back of his head.


    ¡°It¡¯s fine,¡± Mari replied, trying to sound confident. What really stung her was how Amane could already stabilize him with this being her first time tagging along. She bit her lip out of frustration.


    ¡°Let¡¯s check the rest of the room,¡± Orion said, feeling somewhat better now. Without a word to the others, he knelt by the bed and lifted the covers, then lowered his head to the ground to peer into the hidden glories of Akiko Soma¡¯s life. Except it was dark.


    ¡°Curses,¡± Orion mumbled to himself but caused everyone to look around for him.


    ¡°Orion? Where are you?¡± Mari asked confusedly.


    ¡°I¡¯m trying to look under the bed but it¡¯s confoundingly dark here,¡± Orion complained.


    Amane walked over to the bed and turned on the flashlight on her phone before kneeling. She flashed her mobile device through the spot where Orion was kneeling at.


    ¡°Thanks, Amane,¡± Orion said gratefully. ¡°Just keep it like that until I make gestures to where you should shine the phone.¡±


    ¡°Okay, Orion,¡± Amane said, sat down on her legs as she held the phone upright by the bed edge.


    ¡°Yeah¡­ one board game¡­ no, make that two. Some magazines¡­ can¡¯t make out what they are¡­ move the phone a bit to the right, thanks¡­ I see something else in there, like some kind of small box around the centre,¡± Orion muttered to himself. Then he got up, which prompted Amane to get up and turn off the flashlight. ¡°I need your help, Satoru. You go on one side, and I go to the other and we¡¯ll going to push this bed for that little prize.¡±


    ¡°Really? You sure that¡¯s okay to do?¡± Satoru asked uneasily.


    ¡°She doesn¡¯t have to know,¡± Orion said evasively. He walked over to the bedrest side of the bed and gestured with his head to Satoru to take the position. ¡°Come on, the faster we do this, the quicker it¡¯ll be, and she won¡¯t know.¡±


    ¡°Ugh, fine,¡± Satoru sighed, feeling resigned to his fate. He handed his laptop bag to Amane who took it obediently, holding it carefully with both arms.


    The two boys pushed the bed with all their strength, moving the bed slightly but it was obvious they weren¡¯t going to get anywhere like this. Mari and Amane looked at each other and nodded before going to the bedside to push the bed. It wasn¡¯t a lot of strength the girls could add on, but the move budged just a little bit more.


    ¡°This¡­ is not what I expected,¡± Orion sighed, resting his body against the bed. Then the unexpected happened. The bed suddenly shifted a few meters away from Orion, causing him to flail his arms before he fell, and then it stopped.


    ¡°Well then,¡± Orion said, staring at the little rectangular box in the centre of where the bed was. He lurched forward and grabbed the little box, clutching it close to him as he jumped back to where the others were waiting.


    ¡°Let¡¯s see what this is,¡± Orion smirked as he opened the box. Inside were mostly junk but there was a small teddy bear inside the box. Lifting the bear from the box, Orion held it up for the others to see. ¡°What¡­ is this?¡±


    ¡°A teddy bear?¡± Amane asked. ¡°It looks really old though.¡±


    ¡°It looks rather cute,¡± Mari said quietly.


    ¡°Besides that, Mari,¡± Orion replied. He passed the teddy bear into Amane¡¯s hands as he rummaged through the box. There were only faded bracelets and necklaces in the box. Orion placed the box back on the floor where he found it and walked around, feeling around for a switch to move the bed back. Once found it as the bed rumbled softly as it moved back into place.


    ¡°What are you taking this teddy bear for?¡± Amane asked, waving the old stuffed animal in her hand.


    ¡°I have reasons to believe this belonged to Kagome¡ª the culprit,¡± Orion said. He paused and watched Amane for a bit. ¡°It looks good on you, if it wasn¡¯t so old and dusty.¡± Then he started walking out of the bedroom.


    ¡°Am I supposed to keep holding it?¡± Amane asked as she quickly walked to Orion¡¯s side while Mari and Satoru were left playing catch up.


    ¡°Wait up, Orion!¡± Mari cried out.


    Orion sighed and stopped in his tracks, causing Amane to suddenly stop as well. She played around the worn stuffed animal with her hands as she waited for the other two to catch up.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go,¡± Orion said, leading the group out of the hallway and back in the main living room. As Orion entered, Akiko Soma noticed the stuffed animal in Amane¡¯s hands immediately.


    ¡°Where did you get that?!¡± Akiko stammered, raising her voice that the other officers turned their heads to the commotion. Realizing the racket she was making in her own apartment, she lowered her voice. ¡°Please. Where did you get that stuffed animal?¡±


    ¡°Umm,¡± Amane looked timid and afraid.


    ¡°We found it under your bed,¡± Orion explained, coming to Amane¡¯s side and taking the worn teddy bear into his hands. Deducing that Akiko wouldn¡¯t have an old stuffed animal in a box under the bed and that she was a primary bully of Satoshi Kagome, the old teddy bear must belong to Kagome. ¡°Did this belong to Satoshi Kagome?¡±


    ¡°I¡­¡± Akiko fell silent, hanging her head low as opposed to how she was earlier. ¡°It¡­ Yes, it belonged to him in high school. He was always alone so he always had that thing there with him every day.¡± She paused for a moment. ¡°One day, my group of friends and I found him in the cafeteria by himself with that accursed thing in his hands. We didn¡¯t like how he was always silent and never tried to stand up for himself. So¡­ I tore the teddy bear from his hands and¡­¡±


    Akiko¡¯s head seemed to hang even lower. ¡°He¡­ He went crazy. He just started grabbing random things and throwing them at us. We wanted him to stop, so we just fled the scene. I don¡¯t know what happened after that¡­ so I just held onto that thing there as a¡­a reminder, I suppose.¡± Akiko looked up, tears streaming down her eyes.


    ¡°Akiko¡­¡± Amane said quietly, staring at the crying woman. ¡°Um¡­¡±


    ¡°I know. He probably wants to kill me especially,¡± Akiko said, tears still flowing.


    ¡°You¡¯re right about that,¡± Orion replied bluntly. He stared at the poor woman, still holding onto the stuffed animal. ¡°You have no clue what you did to Kagome back then. Do you know you could technically be held responsible for these murders?¡±


    ¡°Orion¡­!¡± Mari said sharply. She stared at Orion. ¡°You can¡¯t say all that to the poor woman!¡±


    ¡°Why lie to her when she knows the truth?¡± Orion snarled.


    ¡°He¡¯s¡­ He¡¯s right,¡± Akiko said, having wiped her tears. ¡°It was¡­ my fault. I should be dead¡­¡±


    ¡°T-That¡¯s not true!¡± Mari stammered quickly. ¡°No one deserves to die!¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s right. You may be the one who unhinged Kagome, but you should not be dead,¡± Orion replied, his voice much gentler.


    ¡°Y-Yes, I will!¡± Akiko stuttered out. ¡°I will seek out Kagome and return his teddy bear.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not so sure that will do,¡± Orion answered. ¡°He¡¯s not a lonely, high school kid anymore. He might even hurt you if you confronted him.¡±


    ¡°A-Ah¡­¡± Akiko said desperately. ¡°I¡¯ll do anything!¡±


    ¡°Hmm¡­¡± Orion said contemplatively. Orion went to a wall and leaned against it, his hand cuffed under his chin, going through scenarios in his head about what he could do to catch Kagome. Could Orion use Akiko to lure him out? Or should he think of alternative plans? However, Orion couldn¡¯t think of another method. He did think of going to his workplace as that was a sure sign to capture him. But there wasn¡¯t any condemning evidence to convict him. Thinking it was time to return to HQ, Orion voiced it out to his other comrades. ¡°Let¡¯s go. Back to Fujioka.¡±


    ¡°Uhhh, okay,¡± Satoru said uneasily, walking over to Orion.


    Upon leaving the apartment complex, the group boarded a bus to Amanegaseki for about ten minutes. They arrived back at the Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department headquarters where the group navigated through the offices and open areas to Erika Fujioka¡¯s office. Just as Orion entered the room, Erika stood up from her desk.


    ¡°Good timing,¡± Erika said. ¡°We got the autopsy report. And a few more evidence was collected.¡±


    ¡°Great,¡± Orion said as he went to stand in front of Erika. The others followed suit, standing beside Orion. ¡°What does the autopsy report say?¡±


    ¡°Take a seat first,¡± Erika said, gesturing to the settees in the centre of the room before taking a seat in her own chair. ¡°Alright then. All the victims died of drowning. There weren¡¯t any signs of wounds on the bodies anywhere, which show that the culprit is familiar with the victims.¡±


    ¡°Hmm¡­¡± Orion said mindfully. ¡°And what about the evidence?¡±


    ¡°We found Kagome¡¯s fingerprints in all of the houses,¡± Erika replied dryly. ¡°And on the victims¡¯ bodies. He drowned them.¡±


    Orion gulped. He knew Kagome was the culprit but after learning about his past, Orion had a heavy heart about the case. Starting to lose himself in his thoughts, Orion closed his eyes, trying to shut out everything. Orion wanted to know why he had to kill all those women. Suddenly he felt a warmth on his hand, causing him to open his eyes and look down on his hand. Amane¡¯s hand was wrapped around his.


    ¡°Remember what I told you? It¡¯s okay if you feel somewhat sympathetic,¡± Amane smiled, tightening her grip on Orion¡¯s hand. She noticed Mari glaring at her with daggers from the other settee, but she wanted to help Orion more than anything. It pained her to see him like this. ¡°It¡¯s okay, Orion.¡±


    ¡°Thanks, I guess,¡± Orion exhaled, pulling his hand from Amane¡¯s to prevent further misunderstandings.


    ¡°Something wrong, Orion?¡± Erika asked with concern in her voice.


    ¡°Ah, um, no, not anymore,¡± Orion answered, flustered.


    ¡°We¡¯re going ahead with the arrest now,¡± Erika said as she rose up from her seat. ¡°I just wanted to share the last details with you.¡±


    ¡°Thank you,¡± Orion nodded gratefully.


    ¡°Oh, I won¡¯t be able to get you kids home,¡± Erika said, stopping in her tracks. ¡°Mizushima¡­¡±


    ¡°I got that covered!¡± Amane chirped before the Chief Superintendent could finish her sentence. ¡°We¡¯ll see ourselves out.¡± She got up. ¡°Um¡­ I¡¯ll make a quick phone call!¡±


    She dashed out of the office with her phone in hand. After a few minutes, Amane returned to the office where Erika had already left for the arrest. ¡°Okay, um, we¡¯re all set. The car will be here in approximately twenty minutes,¡± Amane told the group. ¡°We should wait outside.¡±


    ¡°Sounds good,¡± Orion said, rising from his seat. The other two followed suit in silence.


    As the group waited for the car in silence, Amane tapped her foot on the ground repeatedly. She was getting nervous after what she did in the Chief Superintendent¡¯s office. It was bold and reckless, considering Mari was sitting right across her, knowing Mari loved Orion. Hanging her head low, Amane felt incredibly guilty.


    That was when a black Mercedes SUV drove up to the group before stopping completely. Everyone watched the driver¡¯s door open to reveal a slim middle-aged man stepping out of the vehicle from the other side. He walked briskly but formally toward Amane


    ¡°Lady Amane, I am here to escort your friends to home,¡± the man said, bowing to the young girl.


    Amane blushed immensely. ¡°F-F-Friends? U-Uh¡­ I told you not to call me ¡®lady,¡¯ Mori!¡± She sighed and turned to face the group. ¡°Well¡­ Let¡¯s head home then.¡± She opened the backseats doors and waited for the others to board the car. Closing the door, Amane went around the car, climbed into the passenger seat and locked the door after buckling her seatbelt. They rode in silence until Mari spoke up.


    ¡°Um, Amane¡­¡± Mari started off uneasily. ¡°Um¡­ You¡¯re our friend too, so don¡¯t worry about what um¡­ the driver said.¡±


    Amane felt warmth fill up her chest. She hadn¡¯t ever felt that way before even though she had her own friends before meeting Orion¡¯s group. Her thoughts whirled as she tried to figure out what exactly she was feeling. It felt nice, that was certain. But Amane was afraid that if she accepted people in and they got closer to learn more about her, they might end up abandoning her. That was too painful for her to bear. The friends from class didn¡¯t know Amane¡¯s background or issues.


    ¡°Uh¡­ um¡­ T-Thanks¡­¡± Amane stammered out, flustered and emotional. ¡°Um¡­ Mori¡¯s¡­ actually my personal chauffeur¡­ I didn¡¯t feel right to call my parents¡¯ chauffeur for my own¡­request.¡±


    ¡°Wait, personal chauffeur? Whoa, is your family loaded?!¡± Satoru suddenly shouted in the vehicle. Then he looked around Orion and Mari who shook their heads. Sulking, he said, ¡°Sorry Amane.¡±


    Amane giggled. ¡°It¡¯s fine. Um¡­ My parents are pretty successful, I guess. We have a large estate in Chiba¡­ It¡¯s really, really big.¡± Amane felt bubbly at describing her parents¡¯ house even though she was worried about the group suddenly detaching themselves from her. But she persisted in revealing a little bit more of herself.


    ¡°That is very interesting,¡± Orion said, cupping his chin with his hand. ¡°I¡¯d like to visit sometime.¡±


    ¡°Oh, that sounds like a great idea! Everyone can come!¡± Amane said cheerfully, almost too chipper. ¡°I¡¯m sure my parents will be fine with that.¡±


    ¡°Better ask your parents first,¡± Orion warned the brown-haired girl.


    ¡°Of course,¡± Amane pouted but realized Orion wouldn¡¯t be able to see it.


    ¡°I can see it,¡± Orion suddenly said, startling the girl. ¡°Just kidding. But I can imagine you pouting.¡±


    Mari gripped her knee tightly from their new exchange. ¡®Orion definitely likes her. But why can a newcomer get so close to you, Orion? Why?¡¯ Mari cried.


    ¡°Mari?¡± Orion called out to the girl on his right. ¡°Are you carsick?¡±


    ¡°N-No,¡± Mari stuttered, releasing her grip on her knee. ¡°Um¡­ I¡¯d love to visit Amane¡¯s house, too.¡± She lowered her head, so her voice was a bit quieter than usual.


    ¡°It¡¯s a deal!¡± Amane called out, clapping her hands in front of her. ¡°I¡¯ll talk to my parents about this!¡± Warmth spread across her chest as she could only imagine all the fun times she could have with Orion, Mari and Satoru at home. However, it might be a bit intimidating with the entirety of her home. In fact, it was intimidating to have them come over as she never invited anyone else before.


    ¡°Yeah, that¡¯d be cool to visit,¡± Satoru added on. ¡°I¡¯d love to go too.¡±


    ¡°Yeah! Well¡­ It might be easier if we just look around and go somewhere else. I mean, it¡­might get overwhelming?¡± Amane said uncertainly.


    ¡°It¡¯ll be fine,¡± Orion assuaged the other girl. ¡°We¡¯ll be fine. We¡¯re big boys and girls.¡±


    ¡°Um¡­ Okay, if you insist,¡± Amane said uncertainly. Then she noticed the car stopped. ¡°Oh, Satoru¡¯s home is here now.¡±


    ¡°Right, right,¡± Satoru said as Amane¡¯s chauffeur Mori got off the car and opened the door. ¡°Well, see you guys later. You too, Amane.¡± Satoru disembarked the car and walked up to his house before the chauffeur closed the door and returned to the driver¡¯s seat.


    The car drove off again as Orion and Mari sat in the back in silence again. Amane didn¡¯t know what to say now, that she started going back to worrying about Orion disassociating with her. Nervous, Amane played with her fingers in her seat, unseen by Orion and Mari.


    ¡°It¡¯ll be okay, Amane,¡± Orion suddenly said, like he could read minds. ¡°I can¡¯t read minds, but you must be nervous telling us a bit about your background. You¡¯re not the type to reveal your background or past. Don¡¯t worry, we won¡¯t tell anyone else. But relax, it¡¯ll be fine.¡±


    ¡°Y-Yeah¡­¡± Amane said, unconvinced this time. ¡°I-I¡¯m sorry. I¡¯m just still nervous.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯ll be fine, Amane!¡± Mari tried to cheer up the other girl. ¡°You can blame Orion for anything bad that happens.¡±


    ¡°What?¡± Orion asked. He did not believe this girl was using him as a scapegoat. ¡°I¡¯m the one assuaging Amane.¡±


    The group talked about various light topics as the car moved through Tokyo. As it neared the destination where Orion and Mari lived, Mari got off the car first and then Orion, then finally Amane jumped off the car. Mari went into the house and as Amane walked toward Orion, he walked over to her.


    ¡°Well, good night, Amane,¡± Orion said, waving to her as he walked toward his house.

 chapter six: dinner party murder

    Case Two: blood runs colder


    Chapter Six: dinner party murder


    A month passed since Orion Minamoto solved the Satoshi Kagome case. Satoshi Kagome was sentenced to death by hanging a week after his arrest. Miki Tsushima was the only mourning one at the court when he was announced guilty. The officer Takeshi Tokomi didn¡¯t commit any more murders after Satoshi Kagome was arrested and tried. The month has been smooth sailing for Orion after the trial.


    It was a Saturday afternoon, and classes were cancelled for the day. Orion leaned back on his settee with his phone in one hand with his eyes closed. He had an entire day free, but he did not know what to spend it on. Orion was hoping Mari or Satoru would invite him somewhere, but there were no texts from either one.


    That was when his phone vibrated, so Orion opened his eyes to check his notifications.  There was a new text message from Amane.


    Umm¡­ Orion, would you like to hang out?


    Orion considered for a moment, before deciding that he would go. Alright. Where would you like to meet up?


    In a few minutes, Amane responded: How about you come visit? I can have my chauffeur pick you up.


    Contemplating for a few minutes, Orion decided to go along. Alright. I¡¯ll give you my address. And with that, he attached his address in the text message.


    Orion got up from the settee and returned to his room to change into something more appropriate: a black hoodie over a white shirt and dark blue jeans. He went over to the door, wore his black sneakers and waited for Amane¡¯s chauffeur by the door. Though, he had plenty of time to wait. It was about twenty minutes before the chauffeur arrived and Orion departed his home, unaware that Mari was watching from the living room window.


    ¡®Orion¡­ Where is he going? Wait¡­ Is that Amane¡¯s car? What are they doing together?¡¯ Mari thought, with a pained expression on her face.


    ¡°Welcome, Master Orion,¡± Mori the chauffeur said, opening the backseat door for Orion.


    ¡°Thank you,¡± Orion bowed his head before getting in the car.


    Mori returned to the driver¡¯s seat and drove back to the Mizushima estate with Orion in tow. As they rode in silence, Orion checked his phone and noticed two text messages from Amane.


    My chauffeur should be on the way now.


    Are you on the way now?


    Orion typed his response: I just got picked up.


    That¡¯s good!


    Orion contemplated the reason for picking him up to visit.  The others haven¡¯t gone to Amane¡¯s home before, but he just figured he was bored, and this could kill time. Deciding not to nitpick someone¡¯s hospitality, Orion dropped his current thoughts and stared out the window for the rest of the ride¡¯s duration.


    The car stopped as Mori got out of the vehicle. He took a few minutes at the gate before returning to the car. The gate opened up at the center and Mori drove straight through and around to the estate front door. He climbed out of the car and opened the door for Orion.


    ¡°Here we are, Master Orion,¡± Mori said, bowing.


    Orion got out of the car. ¡°Thank you for the ride.¡± He walked through the front doors but stopped before pushing them. Uncertain what he should do, Orion looked back for Mori, but the chauffeur had already disappeared with the car.


    ¡°Orion?¡± A feminine voice from the doors.


    Orion turned around to see Amane. She wore a pink kimono with her hair tied up with a cherry blossoms pin and white socks over beige sandals. Orion thought she looked pretty in that outfit.


    ¡°Yeah, I¡¯m here,¡± Orion greeted his friend.


    ¡°Ah¡­ Um, I¡¯m just dressed like this because¡ª¡± Amane started to say before Orion interrupted.


    ¡°You look good in that,¡± Orion nodded. ¡°So¡­¡±


    ¡°Right,¡± Amane said, trying to look chipper. ¡°I¡­ was hoping you could lend an ear.¡±


    ¡°Oh, just that? That¡¯s fine with me,¡± Orion said, feeling more at ease now.


    Amane led Orion into the mansion, gesturing to each room such as the guest rooms near the entrance. The two of them passed the music room where a black grand piano was in the center. The next room was Amane¡¯s bedroom, which was a few meters from the music room. Amane continued showing the mansion to Orion when they stopped by the courtyard located at the back of the house. She opened the door and allowed Orion to enter first before following him.


    ¡°So¡­¡± Orion repeated himself. ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡±


    ¡°Well¡­¡± Amane started. ¡°I¡­don¡¯t really have any true friends. Sure, you met four of them on the field trip, but we don¡¯t really hang out. So, I¡¯ve been thinking about you, Mari and Satoru a lot this past month¡­ I¡¯m really scared, Orion. I¡¯m afraid of losing you guys¡­¡±


    ¡°Amane¡­?¡± Orion cocked his head to one side. ¡°It¡¯s okay. I won¡¯t be leaving any time soon. Neither will Mari or Satoru.¡±


    ¡°O-Oh¡­¡± Amane looked down and then up at Orion, meeting his eyes. ¡°T-Thank you, Orion¡­ I¡­I just¡­ am terribly afraid. I appreciate what you just said, but I still can¡¯t help but feel afraid.¡±


    Orion walked over to Amane and placed a hand on her shoulder. ¡°Hey, it¡¯s alright to feel afraid. But remember we¡¯re not going anywhere.¡±


    ¡°A-Ah¡­ Y-Yeah, you¡¯re right,¡± Amane nodded, holding back her tears. ¡°Mmm, you¡¯re right.¡±


    As Orion was about to respond, his phone vibrated a few times. It was a phone call from Erika Fujioka, the Chief Superintendent of the Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department. Looking at Amane who looked away, Orion picked up the call.


    ¡°Orion here,¡± Orion spoke to the phone. Amane leaned forward closer to Orion.


    ¡°Erika here,¡± Erika said. ¡°I have a favor to ask of you, Orion.¡± Her voice sounded kind of muffled and like she was in a crowded location.


    ¡°What is it?¡± Orion asked cautiously.


    ¡°I need you to go to this dinner party by the Maruyamas,¡± Erika said, continually to sound muffled. ¡°Here¡¯s the address.¡±


    Orion wrote down the address. ¡°What is this about? Why am I attending a family dinner party?¡±


    ¡°I got a¡ªfeeling that something¡ªwill occur there soon¡ª Look for¡ªKana Maruyama¡ª¡± Erika said, though this time the line kept breaking up. ¡°Be¡ªcareful, there¡ªOrion.¡± That was when the call was cut.


    ¡°Well then,¡± Orion said, putting away the phone before turning to Amane. ¡°Um, so would you like to join me for a family dinner party?¡±


    ¡°Huh?!¡± Amane said, flabbergasted. ¡°What¡¯s this about a dinner party?¡±


    ¡°Uhh, Fujioka just called me to attend this family dinner party because something¡¯s going to happen there,¡± Orion said. ¡°But she didn¡¯t give me a reason or anything. Just a name. The call kept getting cut off.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s the name she gave you?¡± Amane asked, tilting her head to the side in confusion.


    ¡°Kana Maruyama,¡± Orion replied, stretching his neck.


    ¡°Oh, she¡¯s in our class,¡± Amane said, remembering the bright, cheery girl in their class but she sat away from Orion and the others. ¡°You really didn¡¯t recognize the name?¡±


    ¡°Hmm, not at all,¡± Orion shook his head vigorously. ¡°Well, since you recognize her name, then come along with me. I¡¯m sure we can figure something out about our attendance.¡±


    ¡°Mmm, alright,¡± Amane nodded. ¡°I¡¯ll go with you.¡±


    ¡°Thanks, Amane,¡± Orion nodded. ¡°Uh¡­ Mind if your chauffeur drives us there?¡±


    ¡°Of course,¡± Amane smiled. ¡°Mori will be more than happy to.¡±


    Amane changed into a more appropriate outfit consisting of a yellow blouse, black skirt with matching red Mary Janes. The two departed Amane¡¯s house and went to the SUV with Mori standing beside the car. They boarded the vehicle as the chauffeur drove the duo, riding in silence with their thoughts heavy on this mysterious dinner party.


    Meanwhile in Shinagawa-ku, Tokyo, an elderly man sat at his desk in his study. He was scribbling on a piece of paper while his manservant stood to his right in silence. His hand moved nonstop on the sheet until he looked up and placed his pen on the desk. Looking to his manservant, he said, ¡°Hiyono, please call the rest of the¡­ family. Tell them to come over on Friday night.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Master.¡±


    With that, the old man was left alone in his study. He did not resume writing but instead, rested his chin on both hands. He had a huge announcement to make to his offspring. They must expect a stipend when he, Gombei Maruyama, passes away. But alas, that will not happen! Gombei intended to write everything off to his faithful manservant Hiyono Kurosaki. He had already informed his lawyer but unfortunately his lawyer was in Kyoto at this moment.


    Gombei stretched his old limbs and resumed writing his letter. In fact, this was his will he intended to give to his lawyer. His arthritis wasn¡¯t good at times, so he wanted to get the words down before he was unable to write anymore. He closed his eyes for a few moments.


    ¡°Master.¡±


    Gombei opened his eyes again and found Hiyono. ¡°Yes?¡±


    ¡°All have been accounted for. They will be here Friday evening,¡± Hiyono reported stoically.


    ¡°Thank you, Hiyono,¡± Gombei said. ¡°You¡¯re good to me. Really good¡­¡±


    ¡°At your service, Master,¡± Hiyono continued in his stoic manner.


    A little way in Shinjuku, Tokyo, a young woman could be seen packing daily necessities and clothing into a medium-sized suitcase. The young woman was named Kaguya Maruyama, aged twenty-eight and married to Yosuke Watanabe for about four years. They didn¡¯t have any kids because Kaguya was a successful fashion designer and Yosuke Watanabe was a succeeding dentist in the main hub of Tokyo. They deemed having kids too detrimental at their current point in life.


    Kaguya finally finished packing and locked up the suitcase. She called out to her husband Yosuke to lift it off the bed and to the door. Tilting her head to the left, Kaguya checked the time: 11:50 AM. There was still time before the family reunion in Shinagawa-ku but Kaguya still liked to be there earlier than later. It bugged her when she was close to being tardy.


    If you encounter this tale on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.


    Kaguya rushed Yosuke into carrying the suitcase as they headed down the elevator and to the parking lot where their silver-colored Mercedes-Benz was parked. Yosuke took the luggage into the back and hopped into the driver¡¯s seat where Kaguya was already seated in the passenger seat. Yosuke started up the car to drive to Shinagawa.


    Meanwhile two hours after Kaguya Maruyama departed her home, another woman was also packing up clothes between the suitcase on the bed and the closet. This one was named Ayane Yoshida who was thirty-nine years old and married to Yamada Maruyama. Yamada was the oldest child of Gombei Maruyama. The couple had an only daughter named Kana Maruyama, who was seventeen years old.


    ¡°Kana, did you start packing yet?!¡± Ayane shouted from the master bedroom. Kana had her own bedroom next to her parents.


    ¡°Yes, mom,¡± Kana answered in the same volume. ¡°I finished packing already!¡±


    ¡°Get ready to leave!¡± Ayane shouted again. ¡°You too, Yamada! Stop lounging on the TV.¡±


    Yamada made a grunt and turned off the TV in the living room. The couple lived in a small apartment with a small TV and few necessities. They weren¡¯t poor but neither were they considered wealthy. That¡¯s why Ayane hoped the family reunion would bring some good news, specifically the will considering her father-in-law Gombei was getting on in age.


    Ayane packed the suitcase shut and pulled it to the floor. She slid the suitcase behind her as she exited the master bedroom.


    ¡°Get your behind over here, Yamada, and let¡¯s get going,¡± Ayane yapped at her husband. ¡°You too, Kana! Get ready to go to your Grandfather¡¯s.¡±


    ¡°Yes, yes, mother,¡± Kana said, rolling her eyes and getting off the settee. She went into her room and came out with a small suitcase rolling behind her. ¡°I¡¯m done now, see.¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s go,¡± Ayane urged as the family exited the apartment complex. They walked to the parking lot and got into their gold-colored Toyota Camry. Yamada lifted both suitcases into the trunk and closed it, then returned to the driver¡¯s seat. Ayane was already in her seatbelt in the passenger seat and Kana sat in the back behind Yamada. The family headed off to Shinagawa-ku.


    The two families drove through the highways to the family home in Shinagawa, Tokyo. Kaguya arrived at the house first and was greeted by the valet Daisuke Moriyama. Kaguya and Yosuke stepped out of the car, leaving the keys with Daisuke and walked to the house entrance.


    Upon entering, the house was as they remembered it when they lived there. The living room had three settees with a TV on one wall and a coffee table in the middle of the settees. The kitchen had a glass wall showing the greenery outside and a long table with fourteen seats around it.


    Kaguya turned to the manservant Hiyono. ¡°Where¡¯s Father, Hiyono?¡±


    ¡°Master is in his study right now,¡± Hiyono replied.


    Kaguya and Yosuke left the kitchen to head to the study on the second floor. When they reached the study, another family was already inside talking with Gombei. Peering into the door gap, Kaguya recognized Yoshida, the oldest sibling in the family and his wife Ayane. Their daughter Kana was standing behind her parents while they were chatting with their father.


    Kaguya stepped back from the study and started walking to her designated room with Yosuke. On the way, they met with another sibling, Hiyori Maruyama and her husband Hiro Inoue. They had two children named Yukio and Meiko, but the children didn¡¯t come.


    ¡°Oh hello, Hiyori!¡± Kaguya greeted her sister heartily, wearing an elated expression on her face as she saw her sister. She hadn¡¯t seen her sister in many years since, so she spread her arms out for a light embrace.


    ¡°Oh, it¡¯s you, Kaguya,¡± Hiyori smiled, returning the embrace before disengaging. ¡°How¡¯s business for you two?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s dandy,¡± Kaguya replied. Her hands wrapped around each other as she spoke. ¡°How are the children?¡±


    ¡°They¡¯re fine,¡± Hiyori answered. ¡°They¡¯re with Hiro¡¯s parents for the weekend. I just have a feeling something might happen this weekend¡­¡± A worried expression was visible on Hiyori¡¯s expression as one hand went up to the right side of her face.


    ¡°Are you still superstitious?¡± Kaguya asked with concern in her voice. She remembered Hiyori was always the superstitious one of the family since childhood. It was rather nostalgic to learn she was still the same.


    ¡°I¡¯m¡­serious,¡± Hiyori said hesitantly. ¡°I just hope I¡¯m wrong.¡± Her eyes wandered to the other end of the hallway, where the rooms for the elder siblings were located.


    ¡°I¡¯m sure you¡¯re wrong, dear,¡± Hiro tried to reassure his wife, putting a hand on her shoulder and ruffling her hair lightly. ¡°It¡¯ll be fine. Don¡¯t worry.¡±


    That was when Hiyono appeared in front of the two families. ¡°The Master is ready.¡±


    ¡°Oh! Thanks, Hiyono,¡± Kaguya bowed her head. ¡°See you later, Hiyori.¡± Kaguya and Yosuke departed for the study.


    Hiyori and Hiro decided to go to the kitchen after having rested in their room for a bit. When they got downstairs, their final sibling had arrived but without their children. It was Kaede Ito and Takeshi Maruyama, aged thirty-four and thirty-six respectively. They had two children named Satori and Maeko, who were with Kaede¡¯s parents. Kaede and Takeshi were seated on the settee in front of the coffee table with a white pot of tea and two cups.


    ¡°Good afternoon, Takeshi, Kaede,¡± Hiyori greeted her sibling and his spouse with a smile. She remembered Takeshi to be the reckless one of the children while growing up. It was nice to see that Takeshi has calmed down for the most part with a beautiful wife and lovely children.


    ¡°Oh, it¡¯s Hiyori!¡± Takeshi responded in kind, extending a hand. ¡°How are you these days?¡±


    ¡°Good afternoon, Hiyori,¡± Kaede bowed her head respectfully. She avoided eye contact for some reason. Perhaps it was simply shyness. Even as her head came back up, she looked to the side than at anyone.


    ¡°We¡¯re good! Your children didn¡¯t come either?¡± Hiyori asked as she took a seat by the nearby settee with Hiro. She smiled sweetly at her brother.


    ¡°No, they didn¡¯t want to come,¡± Takeshi explained. ¡°All the better. You know how Father is.¡±


    ¡°Yeah¡­ I also just had a feeling something bad was going to happen this weekend,¡± Hiyori warned.


    ¡°O-oh, really?¡± Kaede asked nervously. Her eyes went to Hiyori momentarily but immediately went to the teapot a second later.


    ¡°It¡¯s just a feeling,¡± Kaguya tried to reassure her sister. ¡°It¡¯s probably nothing.¡±


    ¡°It is nothing, dear,¡± Hiro repeated himself from earlier. ¡°It¡¯s all going to be fine.¡±


    The two families went on various topics as it had been ten years since they all came together. It was during the time before all the adults moved out of the family house, which was around ten years ago. Now the place is lively once more, for just the weekend.


    A few hours later, the families were assembled around the living room waiting for dinner. The women sat together on the settee except for Ayane who stood off by herself near the entrance to the dining hall. The men were gathered in the living room by the glass wall, chatting about work and politics.


    That was when the doorbell rang. Hiyono moved silently to the door and spoke a few sentences to the newcomers. He then stepped back into the mansion and addressed the family.


    ¡°Kana Maruyama? There are guests for you,¡± Hiyono announced stoically.


    Kana got up from the settee with a confused expression on her face. She wasn¡¯t sure who would know about her in her Grandfather¡¯s house let alone know about her. As she walked to the door, her eyes widened at her guests. It was Orion Minamoto and Amane Mizushima standing looking a bit uneasy.


    ¡°Orion? Amane? What are you two doing here?¡± Kana asked, still surprised at her guests.


    ¡°Come over here and I¡¯ll tell you,¡± Orion gestured to Kana. He didn¡¯t want anyone else to know why they were here. As Kana approached him, he whispered into her ear. ¡°The Chief Superintendent told us to come here and seek you out. Something¡¯s happening here.¡±


    Kana gasped audibly. ¡°W-Wait¡­ One of my aunts was saying just that¡­ What is going to happen?¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t tell you because I don¡¯t know,¡± Orion replied, still in a whisper.


    ¡°Can you get us in for the¡­ dinner party?¡± Amane whispered.


    ¡°Mmm, I think so,¡± Kana said contemplatively. ¡°I¡¯m sure Grandpa wouldn¡¯t mind, but my family might¡­ Well, no loss in trying.¡±


    Kana led the other two toward the living room, where the entire family were seated together. Kana took a deep breath before she began. ¡°Um, these are my classmates and¡­ they¡¯d like to join us for dinner.¡±


    ¡°Oh? Dear Kana¡¯s friends?¡± Ayane said with a snarky tone. ¡°Why didn¡¯t you tell us in advance?¡±


    ¡°Uhh... Mom¡­ They¡­just arrived, I¡¯m sorry,¡± Kana said despondently.


    ¡°Now, now, Ayane,¡± Hiyori interrupted. ¡°It¡¯s fine with us for your friends to come over. But do let your Grandfather know too.¡±


    ¡°Of course, Auntie Hiyori!¡± Kana responded cheerfully, then led Orion and Amane to the stairs. They climbed the stairs to the second floor while discussing school-related subjects as they walked. As they reached the next story, Kana turned to the right to the head of the household¡¯s study where she knocked on the door. She announced her name before entering with her classmates upon hearing her Grandfather¡¯s voice.


    ¡°Hello, Grandfather,¡± Kana bowed to which Orion and Amane bowed as well. ¡°My friends just came by and¡­ I was wondering if they can stay here for a bit.¡±


    ¡°Oh, Kana, is it? That¡¯s perfectly fine,¡± Gombei answered with a smile on his face. ¡°I will arrange a room for the two. It does not affect what I¡¯m about to announce in any form.¡±


    ¡°Thank you, Grandpa!¡± Kana said with great joy in her tone and facial expression. She turned to Orion and Amane. ¡°Well, um, I guess we should return to the living room.¡±


    When the gong was heard, the three students walked back to the living room, meaning the head servant Hiyono was announcing dinner time. The three jogged their way back to the living room and into the dining room.


    ¡°Grandpa said my friends can stay,¡± Kana announced to the family. ¡°Umm, Hiyono, mind setting up two more chairs and dishes?¡±


    ¡°Of course, milady Kana,¡± Hiyono bowed before retreating to the dining room to pull out two chairs. Then he put two plates on the table where Orion and Amane sat together.


    The families sat together at the table as assigned by seniority. The last one to arrive was Gombei who was taking his time going down the stairs. The moment he arrived, he stood at the head of the table and raised a toast.


    ¡°I welcome you, my heirs and friends, to my humble abode,¡± Gombei said formally. ¡°Now, please eat.¡± He then took a seat slowly with the help of Hiyono.


    The family ate the food in silence as per usual, considering not everyone got along. Kana wished she hadn¡¯t come along but her maternal grandparents were unavailable this weekend. Family reunions were always on the tedious side for Kana¡¯s paternal side. But seeing two classmates made the dinner less boring.


    Kana stood up and at that moment, all the adults stared at her including her own parents. She pushed aside the chair and started walking away when her mother grabbed her hand.


    ¡°Where are you going, Kana?¡± Ayane asked sharply, looking annoyed. ¡°We¡¯re still eating.¡± She had put down her chopsticks on the dish while gripping Kana with the other hand tightly.


    ¡°I¡¯m done eating, mom,¡± Kana replied stubbornly, trying to pull her hand loose from her mother. ¡°You¡¯re hurting me.¡±


    ¡°You sit right back down, young lady,¡± Ayane said in a harsh tone, getting up from her seat.


    ¡°Come now, she can leave the table if she wants,¡± Kaguya said soothingly, putting down her chopsticks on the table. She had a serene smile to soothe Ayane.


    ¡°No, I will not have it like that,¡± Ayane responded in kind, ignoring the smile. She refused to let go of Kana¡¯s hand. ¡°This is not how I raised you, Kana!¡±


    ¡°Let her go,¡± Gombei suddenly said. ¡°It¡¯s fine. I have something to announce with the parents only so she can go relax in the living room. As with her friends.¡± Gombei had a rare smile on his face as he gestured to Kana to leave the kitchen.


    Kana pushed the chair into the table and bowed to her Grandfather before leaving the room. Amane was about to rise from her seat when Orion pulled her wrist to gesture that they were staying. Gombei looked at everyone at the table. Nodding once, Gombei reached out his hands to the family.


    ¡°I would like to hereby declare none of you as my heirs,¡± Gombei announced boldly. He had the biggest smirk on his face as he said that. ¡°My bequest will not extend to any one of you!¡±


    With that, Gombei got up and waved to Hiyono who came over in a few seconds and assisted the elderly man to his study. The rest of the family sat in silence. No one dared to speak or move. Everyone¡¯s thoughts were on Gombei¡¯s sudden announcement about basically disinheriting all of them. None of them was going to inherit from his will. It was preposterous.


    Yamada suddenly stood up. ¡°Father¡¯s not right in the head. That¡¯s gotta be why he said all that. But surely, he¡¯d leave something for us¡­ right? Who else would he leave everything to?¡± Yamada asked nervously, his voice shaking slightly. Sitting back down, he picked up his chopsticks and started playing with them.


    Takeshi stood up as well with a determined expression on his face. ¡°You¡¯re right. He can¡¯t just leave us out of his will.¡± He started to move toward the living room.


    ¡°But he just said it,¡± Kaguya argued rationally. ¡°He seems pretty sane so far, so what evidence do you have that he¡¯s ¡°not right in the head¡±?¡±


    ¡°Are you on our side or his?!¡± Yamada countered aggressively, balling up his hands into fists. He looked ready to pounce on the next person.


    ¡°Of course I¡¯m on yours,¡± Kaguya said smoothly, leaning back in her chair. She looked around her siblings and their spouses, all of which looked uneasy.


    ¡°Oh dear¡­ we were hoping to receive some of Father¡¯s assistance soon too¡­¡± Hiyori said slowly, her face looking troubled and pale. She put a hand on her forehead and leaned back into her seat.


    ¡°Are you having financial difficulty, Hiyo?¡± Kaguya asked kindly, standing up to walk over to Hiyori.


    ¡°Um¡­ to be honest, yes¡­¡± Hiyori answered slowly, looking away from everyone. Then she looked down at her hands. ¡°Yukio¡­ Meiko¡­¡± Tears threatened to fall from her eyes as she moved her hand down to her cheek. ¡°We need the money¡­¡±


    Her spouse Hiro reached out and placed a hand on her shoulder. ¡°It¡¯ll be okay, hun.¡± He gave her a small squeeze.


    ¡°You don¡¯t know that! Father¡¯s abandoning us all!¡± Hiyori suddenly shouted, getting out of her seat. ¡°We¡¯re going to be doomed if Father doesn¡¯t help us! What don¡¯t you get about that?!¡± Hiyori¡¯s hair flew behind her as she got out of her seat.


    Kaguya reached Hiyori and placed a hand on her other shoulder. ¡°Sweetheart, I¡¯ll try to help you as much as I can, so please calm down.¡±


    Hiyori turned on Kaguya, shouting: ¡°Oh, of course, you with your successful business and your husband¡¯s practice! I don¡¯t need your help!¡± She flung Kaguya¡¯s hand off her shoulder.


    Hiro got out of his seat and tried to pull Hiyori away. ¡°Hun, stop it.¡±


    ¡°None of you understand!¡± Hiyori screamed at everyone around the table. Her face was flushed red with anger and fear.


    At this time, all the adults had stood up around the table. Ayane walked slowly but confidently over to Hiyori and when she reached the other woman, Ayane raised her hand and slapped Hiyori.


    ¡°Will you just shut up?¡± Ayane scorned. ¡°You claim no one understands you but you¡¯re not the only one struggling financially. You¡¯re not the only one who needs Father¡¯s support! Kaguya¡¯s the only one who is completely independent!¡±


    Hiyori held a hand to her cheek where she was slapped. ¡°I¡­¡± Her eyes fell down to the floor, unable to face any of her siblings.


    ¡°Don¡¯t you go forgetting it,¡± Ayane said aggressively. ¡°I don¡¯t need any of your apologies either. I¡¯m going to my room.¡± And with that, Ayane practically dragged her husband Yamada along to the stairs.


    ¡°I, too, will go to my room,¡± Kaede muttered as she left with her husband.


    Kaguya was silent but tugged on Yosuke¡¯s arm to signal departure. The two walked to the living room where Kana was watching some anime on TV. Kana glanced up at the new visitors.


    ¡°What¡¯s going on? Why is everyone leaving separately?¡± Kana inquired. As she was not in the kitchen, she was oblivious to what had transpired there just now.


    ¡°Hiyori had a breakdown and then your mother calmed her down. Harshly,¡± Kaguya explained as she took a seat on the nearby settee. Yosuke took a seat next to her.


    ¡°Mom did? Wow¡­¡± Kana said in disbelief. She stared at the coffee table. Her mother rarely helped someone calm down; in fact, she was more likely to trigger someone further.


    ¡°Are your parents struggling financially, Kana?¡± Kaguya asked.


    ¡°Mmm¡­ I suppose we are. Mom¡¯s working, dad¡¯s working, and I¡¯m in school. We have money coming in, but I think we¡¯re spending it as they come so we don¡¯t have any savings,¡± Kana said thoughtfully.


    ¡°Don¡¯t you want more money?¡± Kaguya asked as she leaned forward, looking at the young girl. She knew young girls always wanted more money for clothes and makeup.


    ¡°Mmm¡­ no, not really. I mean I guess I¡¯d just buy more clothes but that¡¯s a dumb reason to want more money,¡± Kana shook her head.


    ¡°That¡¯s a surprise,¡± Kaguya said with a smile. ¡°Not many girls would say no to more money. They want more clothes, perfume, et cetera.¡±


    ¡°I guess so,¡± Kana shrugged. ¡°I¡­ have a set of friends I look up to who I would like to be like.¡± Kana blushed deeply, thinking about those friends, Orion and his group, who had just entered the living room where the others were.


    ¡°That¡¯s nice,¡± Kaguya smiled. ¡°Would you like¡ª¡±


    The sentence was interrupted by Hiyono who came in out of breath and unlike his usual stoic manner. He was panicking and running around the living room like a lost little child.


    ¡°What happened, Hiyono?¡± Kaguya asked as she stood up, walking to Hiyono.


    Hiyono stopped running around and rushed over to Kaguya. ¡°Oh, Lady Kaguya! The Master! His room is locked, and he won¡¯t answer the door. I¡¯ve been trying for twenty minutes now. What should I do?¡±


    ¡°Hmm¡­¡± Kaguya thought out loud. ¡°Call the men out. We¡¯ll knock the door down.¡±


    ¡°Okay, Lady Kaguya! I will get the men,¡± Hiyono bowed as he left the living room and to the second floor.


    ¡°What do you think that is?¡± Yosuke asked curiously.


    ¡°I¡¯m not sure. Maybe Father just passed out in his study. Hard.¡± Kaguya suggested. ¡°But you must help out the other men too, dear. Let¡¯s go upstairs.¡±


    The two got up from the settee and Kana got the same idea, to follow them to find out what¡¯s wrong with her Grandfather. Orion and Amane rushed upstairs to where the study was. As they reached the study, the other family members were waiting outside. Hiyono came out of the waiting crowd when Kaguya showed up with Yosuke, Kana, Orion and Amane.


    ¡°They¡¯re all here, Lady Kaguya,¡± Hiyono reported, standing stiff in front of the young woman.


    ¡°Good,¡± Kaguya nodded.


    Kaguya walked forward and called the men over to the study¡¯s door. The four men leaned away from the door at first and then after a count of three, all four men slammed their bodies on the door. The door remained taut. The men slammed their bodies against it again and the door started to shake. With another slam, the door broke down completely and everyone leaned in on the study.


    In the middle of the study was the desk and Gombei leaning forward with his face on the desk. There could be seen a darkish fluid dripping from the desk and onto the floor. No one dared to move just in case Gombei was going to wake up.


    Eventually Yosuke and Yamada walked up to the desk, only to discover the darkish fluid was blood. They covered their mouths with their hands and with the other hand, moved the body. The body simply slouched backwards onto the chair, the blood flowing from his neck and onto the floor.


    ¡°Don¡¯t touch it!¡± Orion shouted, walking up to the body slouched on the desk.


    Kaede screamed while Hiyori fainted right on scene and Hiro hurried and caught his wife. Ayane stared in disbelief as her daughter reached out to her, but she merely shook the hand away. Kaguya stepped back a bit and looked lost in thought. Takeshi had disappeared from the group.


    Kana took a step forward when Yamada warned against her.


    ¡°Don¡¯t, Kana,¡± Yamada warned. ¡°We have to preserve the area for the police.¡±


    ¡°Police?¡± Kana said out loud. ¡°Orion is here, and he¡¯s here on behalf of the police.¡±


    ¡°I request everyone to step away from this room,¡± Orion said authoritatively as he walked forward with Amane following behind him. ¡°I would request Yamada and Yosuke to stand guard at the entrance. Do NOT LET ANYONE (except the police) into the study. Please call Fujioka, Kana. Come help me, Amane.¡±


    ¡°Got it,¡± Amane nodded.  She stepped to the side of body and tried her best to assist Orion to study the body without touching it before the police came.


    Kana looked back once at Orion and Amane. ¡®Why is Amane helping out? Are they¡­ dating? Oh, gods no¡­¡¯ Kana thought as she left the study. ¡®They can¡¯t be¡­ Orion¡­¡¯


    ¡°How can I help you, Orion?¡± Amane asked her friend.


    ¡°Be on the lookout for any curious bystanders and make sure no one comes in here,¡± Orion instructed his good friend. He then returned his attention to the body. Leaning forward, he observed a wound in the chest where the heart would be. ¡®Might be an instantaneous death¡­¡¯ He examined the rest of the body as best he could but there didn¡¯t seem to be any other wounds on the body, especially not with the blood soaking through the clothes.


    ¡°I¡¯m afraid we¡¯ll have to wait for Fujioka,¡± Orion said to Amane who was keeping watch over the door.

 chapter seven: interrogation and sleep-over

    Case Two: blood runs colder


    Chapter Seven: interrogation and sleep-over


    The police arrived at the Maruyama residence though unlike what Orion¡¯s expectations were, Himura and his team were on the case. Orion led Amane to meet Inspector Himura, who had a soured expression on his face upon seeing the ¡®kid detective¡¯ in the victim¡¯s household and his subordinate Hisao Inoue. Orion slowly walked up to Himura. ¡°I believe the culprit died from a wound in the chest and it was instantane¡ª¡±


    ¡°No more,¡± Himura said strictly. ¡°That¡¯s for the coroner to decide.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± Orion hung his head low.


    ¡°Come along now,¡± Inspector Himura told Orion.


    Orion quickly chased after Himura, gesturing to Amane to follow along.


    The group arrived at the living room where most of the women were situated. They approached the women, glancing around to see who was where. Kaguya Maruyama and Hiyori Maruyama were sitting together with each a cup of tea on the table. Ayane stood to the corner by the curtains, almost as though she was trying to camouflage with them. Yosuke Watanabe stood by his wife but kept a safe distance just to be cautious. Kaede Ito and Takeshi Maruyama were shaking in place, disbelieving what they just witnessed. The rest of the family were absent from the living room.


    Himura led the group past the living room and up the stairs to the second floor. The family in the living room stared at the police force in their family house walking all over the place with their shoeprints. Kaede looked nervous beside her husband, always looking over her shoulder in case an officer wanted to speak to her. As they reached the second floor, the group turned to the study entrance.


    ¡°I will speak with everyone after we¡¯ve gathered more information,¡± Himura told Yamada. ¡°Let the others know.¡±


    ¡°Will do, officer,¡± Yamada nodded and left the study with Yosuke. The two went down the stairs to the living room where the rest of the family were sitting.


    ¡°Go look in the drawers and closets for any evidence, Inoue,¡± Himura directed his subordinate, Hisao Inoue. Himura looked around the room from his position as if memorising the room.


    ¡°Yes, sir!¡± Hisao saluted before going off to the desk. He avoided touching the body as much as he could while he searched the drawers. He opened and closed the drawers as he went through them.


    Orion simply stood in place, staring at the body at the desk, the glass window behind the body, the cabinet on the left, and a bookshelf on the other wall. It looked like an ordinary bookshelf, but Orion figured something was being hidden here. Either that or removed.


    Orion turned to Kana. ¡°What can you tell me about your grandfather and his disposition? What about your family?¡± Orion had a sharp aura to him right now.


    ¡°Ahhh¡­¡± Kana said, feeling a bit dazed with the questions. She put a hand on her forehead.


    ¡°Slow down, Orion,¡± Amane said, putting an arm around Kana.


    ¡°O-oh, thanks, Amane,¡± Kana nodded. ¡°Umm¡­ well, Grandpa was pretty stingy with money even if he has a lot. But he still supports all of us when we need it. Yet, as you know, he announced after dinner that none of us were going to inherit anything and everyone kind of went crazy over that. Grandfather left the dinner table first ¨C well, I left first technically but he left after making such an announcement. I was able to overhear the adults talking about the disinheritance from the living room. But they don¡¯t know I overheard them.¡±


    ¡°Hmm¡­¡± Orion contemplated. He turned around and left the study to the room with a closed door across. ¡°Whose room is this?¡±


    Kana turned around to face what had Orion¡¯s attention. ¡°That? Oh, it¡¯s Grandfather¡¯s room. Why? Is something wrong with it?¡± She glanced curiously at Orion.


    Orion walked forward to it before he stopped himself. Something was wrong with the door. There was a mechanism in the doorknob, possibly a slight electrocution when someone touched the knob. What Orion didn¡¯t understand was why there was a mechanism on the bedroom door and not the study where the scene of the crime was.


    That was when Kana walked over to the bedroom door with an outstretched hand in the direction of the doorknob... when Orion pulled Kana over to him, resulting in holding her close before letting her go within a few seconds. Kana¡¯s face was flushed due to what Orion suddenly did. Amane was watching from the entranceway of the study. A slight pained expression was on her face briefly before she looked away.


    ¡°Someone put a mechanism in the doorknob. You¡¯d have been electrocuted if you touched it,¡± Orion warned.


    ¡°T-thanks, Orion,¡± Kana shook with anticipation. Her heart was still pounding while her stomach filled with butterflies.


    ¡°I¡¯ll have to report this to Himura,¡± Orion said as he turned back to the study.


    As Orion walked off to Himura again, Kana pondered why her Grandfather had a trap mechanism in his doorknob. ¡®Or is it someone else¡­? Did someone set up a trap in Grandfather¡¯s room? Is there something there that we shouldn¡¯t know about?¡¯ Kana said internally.


    After reporting, he returned to Kana and Amane who were still waiting at the entrance. ¡°Kana, tell me how the family members left the kitchen. In order if you can.¡±


    ¡°Umm¡­ so I left the kitchen first and sat in the living room watching anime. Then after a few moments, Grandfather came out with Hiyono and went upstairs. After Grandfather left the kitchen, mom and dad left, but I¡¯m not sure where they went. Then it was Auntie Kaede and Uncle Takeshi. Then it was Auntie Kaguya and Uncle Yosuke. And then¡­ that¡¯s it. Auntie Hiyori and Uncle Hiro never left the kitchen until they were gathering the men to kick down the door.¡±


    ¡°Interesting¡­¡± Orion said in a distant tone. His eyes were unfocused on the scene in front of him. ¡°The glass window in the study could be opened and someone could use it to gain access. But what I don¡¯t know is if it¡¯s locked from the inside or outside. I¡¯d figure inside.¡±


    Orion hurried inside the study where Himura was. As Orion reached Himura, he noticed Himura was busy staring at the contents in the drawer. Himura picked up the contents and laid them bare on the desk. It contained a few receipts, blank notepaper and one letter. Picking up the letter and perusing the letter, he let out a cry.


    ¡°Aha!¡± Himura exclaimed. ¡°Got you now.¡± He was holding up a white, ruler-lined paper with a few words in his hands. At a first glance, Orion guessed it was the will.


    ¡°What did you get?¡± Orion asked, peering at the paper in Himura¡¯s hand. He reached for it, but Himura pulled it away. Orion resigned himself from looking at the paper and glanced around the study.


    ¡°This letter,¡± Himura explained, turning to face Orion. ¡°It¡¯s his will draft. But what are you doing here?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯d like to inquire about the glass window. Is it locked from the inside or outside?¡± Orion inquired, putting his arms down as he was not allowed to see the will draft yet. He tilted his head at the inspector after asking the request.


    ¡°Definitely the inside,¡± Himura answered, visibly annoyed. ¡°It¡¯s not a locked room murder for nothing.¡±


    ¡°Please check,¡± Orion insisted.


    ¡°Ugh, fine. Hang onto the letter and don¡¯t let the family see it if any of them decides to come by for whatever reason,¡± Himura muttered. He had been told to invite Orion onto the case by Erika Fujioka, but Orion had already arrived at the crime scene on his own. He didn¡¯t know who invited him, but it must have been a family member, probably the Kana kid following around Orion. Himura checked the window and found the lock was fastened on the inside. He unfastened it and pushed the window in the opposite direction. Stepping outside, he checked thoroughly for any locks on the outside. There was nothing. Himura reported as much to Orion when he returned inside.


    Orion stared at the letter in his hand. It wasn¡¯t a very long letter, but it was discriminating. It read:


    I, Gombei Maruyama, hereby leave 1,00,000 yen to my valet Daisuke Moriyama.


    I, Gombei Maruyama, hereby leave 100,000 yen to each of the servants.


    I, Gombei Maruyama, hereby leave everything remaining and the estate to my faithful manservant Hiyono Kurosaki.


    There were no mentions of the family in the will draft.


    ¡°Kana,¡± Orion called to her attention. He waved his arm over to gesture to Kana, who was a little away from him.


    ¡°Yes?¡± Kana turned her head to face Orion as she walked over to Orion¡¯s side, with Amane following along.


    ¡°Is everyone struggling financially?¡± Orion asked, looking intently into Kana¡¯s eyes, causing her to feel slightly nervous.


    ¡°Umm¡­ All except Auntie Kaguya and her husband. They¡¯re pretty successful, so I imagine they don¡¯t even need Grandfather¡¯s money,¡± Kana answered nervously. ¡°I-Is something wrong?¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s going on, Orion?¡± Amane inquired curiously, peering over to Orion.


    ¡°I¡¯m getting the feeling we¡¯re still missing something,¡± Orion said as he turned away from Kana. He clenched his fists. ¡°I don¡¯t like this at all. There may be another victim¡­¡±


    ¡°What?!¡± Kana exclaimed, staring at Orion. ¡°You¡¯ve got to be kidding me.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not,¡± Orion said seriously with a straight face. He looked around the study where Himura and Inoue were dismantling the room. Then Orion looked at the bedroom door. Something was missing. A common link. It was no good.


    ¡°Oh, I heard Hiyori saying more than once that she felt something wrong was going to happen. I wonder if she meant this¡­¡± Kana said slowly.


    ¡°She¡¯s not psychic,¡± Orion replied. ¡°But nonetheless, this is disturbing. Do you think you can arrange for us to stay the night?¡±


    ¡°Me too?¡± Amane asked incredulously, gripping her skirt tightly with her hands. She was staring at Orion, but he took no notice as he was lost in his thoughts.


    Stolen content alert: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences.


    ¡°Preferably,¡± Orion nodded. ¡°Uh, I¡¯ll sleep on the couch.¡±


    ¡°Mmm¡­ I think so,¡± Kana said hesitantly. ¡°I¡¯ll talk with Hiyono.¡±


    Kana left Orion and Amane in search of the butler Hiyono. Amane had worn a casual pink blouse with a white skirt that went down to her knees and white loafers. She twiddled her thumbs waiting for Kana to return. Orion wore a grey jacket over a white dress shirt, a pair of dark blue jeans, and black sneakers. He just stared at the bedroom door with his hands in his pockets as though it would reveal its secrets to him.


    ¡°Well, Hiyono can set you guys up in his room and he¡¯ll take the settee in the living room. Wait. Are you two going to be okay?¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s a settee or another bed in there, isn¡¯t there?¡± Orion asked. He looked over to Amane, who was a little bit away.


    ¡°Yes¡­ I think a settee at least,¡± Kana said slowly, realizing it meant Orion and Amane were sharing the same room in a large house for one night. Pangs of jealousy were felt in Kana¡¯s heart as she thought more about it.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go check with Himura,¡± Orion changed the topic and headed back in the study. As the three entered the study, Orion walked up to Inspector Himura. ¡°Did you find anything, inspector?¡±


    ¡°No. The only thing was the will draft,¡± Himura grunted. ¡°One that you are still holding onto.¡± Himura reached out a hand and Orion returned the will. Himura folded the paper and tucked it into his police notebook.


    ¡°There¡¯s one family that MAY be exempted from being a suspect,¡± Orion reported as he stood next to the inspector. He had a thoughtful expression on his face.


    ¡°Who¡¯s that?¡± Himura peered down slightly at Orion. He realized he was working rather peacefully with the young boy. That Fujioka would be madly pleased if she knew.


    ¡°Kaguya Murayama and her husband. But maybe it doesn¡¯t exempt them,¡± Orion replied uncertainly. He was twiddling his fingers as he said that. There was no guarantee Kaguya was innocent, just less chances than the rest of the family.


    ¡°Why would you exempt them?¡± Himura asked. He was interested in hearing the reason from this so-called genius high school detective. Himura never liked the fact Orion joined the heavy cases.


    ¡°Because they¡¯re pretty wealthy themselves,¡± Orion said plainly. He had his hands outstretched. ¡°They¡¯re independent from the victim.¡±


    ¡°That doesn¡¯t mean they didn¡¯t kill him,¡± Himura said. ¡°However, you¡¯re right. They don¡¯t have any motive if we look at the draft.¡± Himura put a hand on his chin as he contemplated what information they had right now. There was way too little information right now.


    ¡°I¡¯m going to stay here for the night,¡± Orion reported. ¡°I have a bad feeling. Also, the bedroom doorknob has a mechanism to electrocute the person who tries to open it. Be careful.¡± Orion pointed to the bedroom across from the study.


    ¡°Got it. Let me know if anything comes up right away,¡± Himura warned. ¡°Here¡¯s my number.¡± He took out a piece of paper and wrote down his number, then handed it to Orion who took it and stuffed it in his pocket. ¡°Text or call me if ANYTHING happens. Doesn¡¯t matter what time of day or night it is.¡±


    ¡°Will do,¡± Orion nodded.


    ¡°Oh, we¡¯re going to remove the body soon. The forensics and coroner were delayed, but they¡¯re on their way now,¡± Himura said. ¡°Can you interview the family members and then report back to me? Here¡¯s a list of their names.¡±


    ¡°Sure thing,¡± Orion answered eagerly, taking the piece of paper in hand. It was the first time Himura asked for his assistance, so he felt rather good. Orion left the study and waved over Amane and Kana who went with him to the stairs. They descended and two of the families were seated in the living room.


    ¡°We need a room to interview everyone, separately,¡± Orion announced to his small group in a whisper as they walked to the kitchen by sticking to the wall. ¡°But I¡¯m afraid I cannot allow you in with the interviews, Kana. You¡¯re related to everyone here.¡±


    ¡°Mmm¡­ how about the kitchen?¡± Kana suggested as she walked in line with Orion. She felt disappointed that she couldn¡¯t help Orion, but she resigned to her fate.


    ¡°Let¡¯s check the kitchen,¡± Orion said.


    Orion and the others walked through the house to the kitchen, which was empty. He took the seat usually occupied by Gombei while Amane stood on his right, he nodded in approval.


    ¡°Okay, can you get me Kaguya, Kana?¡± Orion asked, looking up to the other girl.


    ¡°Got it,¡± Kana nodded and went off in search of Kaguya. A few minutes later, Kaguya was seated in one of the chairs while Kana exited the kitchen to the living room to wait.


    ¡°Good evening, Kaguya Murayama,¡± Orion said politely. ¡°I¡¯m Orion Minamoto, here on behalf of Tokyo Metropolitan Police. I¡¯d like to ask you a few questions.


    ¡°Oh? Are you our little Kana¡¯s boyfriend?¡± Kaguya teased. ¡°You¡¯re rather cute!¡± She had a devious smile on her face as she teased Orion.


    ¡°No, not at all,¡± Orion shrugged it off. ¡°I¡¯d like to ask you for your movements this evening.¡± He had to know her alibi to see if she could be exempted from being a suspect.


    ¡°Ah, straight to business, are we?¡± Kaguya giggled. ¡°Well, when I first arrived, I first saw Father and we spoke about my business. I¡¯m a fashion designer for a major brand. He also discussed my husband¡¯s practice with him, expressing interest in helping him out. But we refused the assistance. I couldn¡¯t let my brothers and sister know we¡¯d received help when our businesses are booming.¡±


    ¡°I see,¡± Orion acknowledged. ¡°What about dinner time?¡± Everything was going smoothly for Kaguya¡¯s innocence. He liked her despite her playfulness; it reminded him slightly of Amane.


    ¡°Hiyono rang the gong and all of us came downstairs,¡± Kaguya said, a hand under her chin as she recalled the events. ¡°Father was the last one to come.¡±


    ¡°What did you do before dinnertime?¡± Orion leaned forward, both hands on his chin. ¡°And after, too.¡± This was getting to the crucial part of the evening.


    ¡°Before dinner, let¡¯s see¡­¡± Kaguya said thoughtfully. ¡°I was in my room with my husband. I was fixing up my makeup before dinner. My husband was with me the entire time, I assure you. As for after dinner¡­ I¡¯m sure Kana told you what happened during dinner, but I left second to last, and I was speaking to Kana in the living room until Hiyono came in all panicking about Father being locked in his study.¡±


    ¡°All right. I get the image now,¡± Orion commented. ¡°You may leave now. Please ask Ayane Yoshida in.¡±


    ¡°Got it,¡± Kaguya smiled. She got up and waved while she walked out of the kitchen.


    Ayane stepped into the kitchen to see Orion seated with Amane standing on one side. Ayane had on a red kimono with her jet-black hair tied in a bun as she walked over to a seat. Sitting down, she looked elegant. But in reality, her mind was spinning around Gombei¡¯s death and how the inheritance should be split between the four siblings now. She was in delight right now, but she couldn¡¯t show it to anyone doing police work.


    ¡°Yes? How may I help you?¡± Ayane asked sweetly.


    ¡°I¡¯m Orion Minamoto and I¡¯m here on behalf of the Tokyo Metropolitan Police. Can you please give me your whereabouts around dinner time and after?¡±


    ¡°Certainly,¡± Ayane smiled again. ¡°Well, I was in my own room before dinner to fix up on my makeup. I expect you¡¯ll be hearing that a lot from my sisters. I don¡¯t know where my husband was. As for dinnertime, Kana decided to leave the dinner table before we were done eating, which is quite rude, but you saw that,¡± Ayane smiled. ¡°But Father let her leave so that¡¯s that. After Father¡¯s announcement, all of us were uneasy and troubled. Especially Hiyori. I kindly helped calm her down. Then I returned to my room, by myself. I didn¡¯t stop anywhere but straight to my room until the servant started freaking out about Father being locked in. Do you understand?¡±


    ¡°Crystal clear,¡± Orion simply said. ¡°You may go now. Please ask your husband to come in.¡±


    Once Yamada Maruyama entered, he staggered toward Orion as he stumbled into a chair. He sat submissively at the other end of the table with his head drooped.


    ¡°Welcome, Yamada. I¡¯m Orion Minamoto, interviewing on behalf of the Tokyo Metropolitan Police. Please give us your whereabouts before and after dinner.¡±


    ¡°I understand. Before dinner, I was talking to my brother Takeshi in the dining hall. After dinner, I was¡­ where was I?¡± He pondered for a while. ¡°I think I was in the living room.¡±


    ¡°Are you sure? I believe your daughter was in the living room at the time,¡± Orion said calmly.


    ¡°Oh right, that¡¯s right,¡± Yamada said uncertainly. ¡°I really can¡¯t remember where I was after dinner. I¡¯m really sorry.¡± He looked uneasy and unfit; his hands clenched into fists.


    ¡°It was just a few hours ago,¡± Orion insisted, leaning forward in his seat. Yamada was definitely acting suspicious. He knows something and Orion is intent on learning what that is.


    ¡°Oh, maybe I was talking with Hiro! You know, Hiyori¡¯s husband. That¡¯s probably it, heh heh.¡± Yamada quickly said, putting on a feigned relief expression on his face. He wasn¡¯t about to let go of his moment to shine with the inspector. Even if this kid said he was doing the interrogation on behalf of the police, he can¡¯t trust the kid.


    ¡°Is that really it?¡± Orion questioned him, still leaning forward in his seat. He had to get the tidbit from Yamada. It may prove to be essential.


    ¡°Yes, I¡¯m pretty sure it is,¡± Yamada insisted, shrugging his shoulders. Yamada was intent on not letting anyone know what he knew, except the inspector.


    ¡°Very well, you may go. Please ask Hiyori in,¡± Orion directed, resigning, feeling frustrated.


    A young frail woman stepped into the kitchen looking around and took a seat by the end of the table, sitting neatly in a light pink dress, her hair flowing freely behind her.


    ¡°Welcome, Hiyori,¡± Orion bowed his head briefly. ¡°I¡¯m interrogating on behalf of Tokyo Metropolitan Police. Would you please give me your whereabouts before and after dinner?¡±


    ¡°Certainly,¡± Hiyori nodded. ¡°Um, well, before dinner, I was in my room by myself to refresh my makeup. My husband came in when the gong rang though. Then after dinner, my husband and I were still in the kitchen. Both of us were still in shock when Father told us he wasn¡¯t going to include any of us in his Will¡­¡±


    ¡°I understand, and were you still in the kitchen when your butler came by?¡± Orion asked. He leaned forward to listen better to the frail woman but also in case she had something important to reveal.


    ¡°Yes,¡± Hiyori tilted her head, making her look like a lifelike glass doll. The boy seemed to be important, considering he was doing the interrogations. Hiyori only hoped they didn¡¯t know what transpired in the kitchen when she had a breakdown.


    ¡°Thank you, Hiyori. Can you please have your husband come in now?¡± Orion instructed, extending his arm out to gesture departure.


    ¡°Understood,¡± Hiyori nodded and got up to leave.


    Hiro Inoue entered the kitchen looking ragged. He wasn¡¯t very masculine or muscular so the effort to break down the study door must have taken a lot out of him. In addition, it was about 11:25 PM. Hiro sat down at the opposite end of the table with a blank expression on his face.


    ¡°My wife told me you wanted to talk to me,¡± Hiro said mechanically, staring straight ahead but not at anyone.


    ¡°Yes, I¡¯m here on behalf of the Tokyo Metro¡ª¡± Orion started to say when he was interrupted.


    ¡°I get it. I know you¡¯re here for the police, though it is beyond me why they¡¯d set up a high school kid to interrogate us for our alibis,¡± Hiro scoffed. He finally looked Orion in the eye. He distrusted the police, and anyone associated with the police.


    ¡°Will you cooperate or not?¡± Orion asked unprovoked.


    ¡°No,¡± Hiro stated plainly. ¡°I will not.¡± He got up and left the kitchen immediately.


    ¡°Can you get Kaede for me, Kana?¡± Orion called out to the hallway where Kana was waiting.


    ¡°That¡¯s fine,¡± Kana said as they heard footsteps from outside. Kana came back in the kitchen with a young woman in tow.


    ¡°I was told you¡¯d like to speak with me,¡± Kaede said shyly. She had dark brown shoulder length hair with clips on the top right side. She wore a white vest over a yellow blouse with a matching orange skirt that went below her knees.


    ¡°Yes, I¡¯m interrogating on behalf of the Tokyo Metropolitan Police. Can you give me your whereabouts post dinner?¡± Orion inquired the young woman.


    ¡°Ah, after dinner¡­ I was feeling tired after eating such a meal and then with Father¡¯s announcement¡­ It really tired me out. So, I was resting in bed. By myself,¡± Kaede said, emphasising on the last bit.


    ¡°Who do you think committed the murder?¡± Orion suddenly threw the question out, shocking Amane. He wanted to see if he could bait one of the suspects into revealing something with that question. There was also the sheer curiosity of what the family thought about the case.


    ¡°Orion¡ª¡± Amane reached out to the boy.


    ¡°Huh?¡± Kaede looked confused but alerted this time. ¡°Um¡­ Probably Ayane. She seems the most likely one. I mean, she slapped poor Hiyori when she was hysterical.¡±


    ¡°Thank you, Kaede. Please ask your husband to come in,¡± Orion bowed his head.


    Takeshi Maruyama walked in, and there was an air of dignity as he entered. He sat on one of the chairs closer to the door. ¡°Yes?¡± Even his voice was dignified.


    ¡°Hello, this is Orion Minamoto interrogating on behalf of the Tokyo Metropolitan Police. I¡¯d like to know your whereabouts after dinner,¡± Orion tilted his head briefly. Takeshi may look dignified, but he must have one or two secrets with him.


    ¡°Well, I was in the garden outside when it happened. Then the butler came for me, saying something about needing men to break open the study. Boy, was I confused.¡± Takeshi laughed lightly as if a murder hadn¡¯t happened just a few hours ago.


    ¡°Were you with anyone else?¡± Orion inquired.


    Takeshi shook his head. ¡°I was alone. Sorry.¡±


    ¡°Ah, another thing. Were you with Yamada before dinner?¡± Orion threw in the question to validate Yamada¡¯s alibi, or at least partially.


    ¡°Yamada? Yeah, we were talking in the dining room before dinner was ready,¡± Takeshi nodded. He tilted his head to the side curiously. ¡°Why? Is Yamada under suspicion?¡±


    ¡°No,¡± Orion replied plainly without giving away any vital information. ¡°Now, final question. Who do you think killed your father?¡± He tossed the bonus question squarely into Takeshi¡¯s face that his composure suddenly disappeared.


    It was obvious Takeshi was taken aback, but he regained his composure quickly. ¡°Hm¡­ If I were to wager a guess, I¡¯d put it on Yamada¡­¡±


    ¡°Thank you for your time,¡± Orion bowed his head.


    Orion stood up and faced Amane. He sighed and stretched before gesturing to her to follow him out of the kitchen. On their way, they bumped into Kana, and she followed the two into the study.  Taking the stairs, Orion reached the crime scene. The body was taken away by now, and only Himura and Hisao were left in the study.


    ¡°Are you finished now?¡± Himura asked as Orion approached him.


    ¡°Yes. I still standby that Kaguya and her husband are most likely innocent. Hiyori seems a bit frail, but you never know what can happen when you push someone to their limit. Her husband was uncooperative and would not give us his whereabouts. Kaede seems airheaded and Takeshi is a hard nut to crack. Ayane and Yamada both seem suspicious to me,¡± Orion explained himself, in a slightly lowered voice.


    ¡°Dad¡­¡± Kana started to say and turned away from Orion and the inspector.


    ¡°Sorry, Kana,¡± Orion apologized, lowering his head.


    ¡°Hm¡­ there¡¯s not enough material. The murder happened around 7:00 ¨C 9:00 PM, according to our coroner. It was instantaneous; the aorta was severed,¡± Himura reported in a whisper.


    ¡°This is going to be dangerous,¡± Orion whispered back. ¡°I¡¯ll let you know if there are any improvements overnight. I don¡¯t plan on sleeping tonight.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t overdo it,¡± Himura muttered. Then he straightened up. ¡°Come on, Inoue, it¡¯s time to leave for the day. We may return tomorrow or when the autopsy results come in.¡±


    ¡°Got it,¡± Orion nodded.


    Himura had Hisao Inoue put police tape lines across the study¡¯s entrance as an attempt to blockade any entry. Himura waved goodbye to Orion and left the house with his subordinate. Once the two departed the house, Orion pulled Kana and Amane by the sleeves to the garden, where it was empty.


    ¡°Okay, so I told Himura but I¡¯m planning on not sleeping. I would like the two of you to sleep in the butler¡¯s room. I¡¯ll be there too, just watching guard.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ll be tired tomorrow!¡± Amane protested, grabbing a hold of Orion¡¯s sleeve. She was worried about Orion¡¯s health if he was going to jeopardize it for a case.


    ¡°Yeah, come on, I can sleep in my parents¡¯ room no problem,¡± Kana resisted. ¡°Just please¡­¡± She looked like she was about to cry so she dropped her head down, wringing her hands together.


    ¡°I¡¯m just worried about the case and future victims,¡± Orion sighed. ¡°All right then. But you MUST text or call me if ANYTHING happens, okay?¡± He wrote down his number on a paper earlier and handed it to Kana.


    Kana nodded, looking chipper again, taking the piece of paper deliberately. ¡°I promise.¡± She placed a hand on Orion¡¯s, which was visible to Amane, but he jerked away immediately. Looking a bit disappointed, Kana turned her head to the other side.


    With that, Orion, Kana and Amane returned to the house where most of the household went to bed. The only ones still awake were Kaguya with her husband and Takeshi who were chatting in the living room. The kids waved goodnight to them and headed upstairs when Orion stopped in front of Gombei¡¯s bedroom door.


    ¡°This door still bugs me¡­ Why is it boobytrapped when no one is even trying to open the door?¡± Orion pondered to no one in particular. ¡°Ugh, no good. Let¡¯s get to bed.¡± He led the small group further and further away from the boobytrapped door.


    ¡°Yeah, I agree,¡± Amane nodded as they walked toward the end where the butler Hiyono¡¯s bedroom was located until Kana stopped midway. She wrung her hands together, looking melancholic and hesitating.


    ¡°Um¡­ this is where I¡¯ll go,¡± Kana said softly. ¡°This is my parents¡¯ assigned room. So¡­ good night, Orion, Amane.¡±


    ¡°Good night!¡± Amane said as she followed Orion to the butler¡¯s room.


    Inside the butler¡¯s room was a majestic large king-sized bed but there was a regular white sheet under a folded red blanket. The room was loftier than a usual servant¡¯s room, so this speaks volumes as to Gombei¡¯s reverence to this butler.


    ¡°Umm¡­¡± Amane said, staring at the darkened room as the lights weren¡¯t turned on.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong, Amane?¡± Orion asked, looking in her direction. Her silhouette was familiar enough for him to tell it was Amane and not someone else. Walking over to the girl, Orion placed a hand on her arm. ¡°Hey, what¡¯s wrong?¡±


    At the sudden touch and being lost in her thoughts, Amane jumped up before looking around to see Orion beside her.


    ¡°O-Oh, no, nothing,¡± Amane muttered, face flushed. ¡°I guess¡­we¡­I mean I? should sleep.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯d be a good idea,¡± Orion nodded.


    ¡°Um¡­ I can keep watch too,¡± Amane offered hesitantly.


    ¡°How can I ask a girl to keep watch at night? Especially with a dangerous murderer about,¡± Orion said, quickly dismissing Amane¡¯s offer. ¡°I can¡¯t do that.¡±


    ¡°Ah¡­ Alright then, Orion, I trust you,¡± Amane said as she climbed into the bed. ¡°Well, good night, Orion.¡±


    ¡°Good night, Amane.¡±

 chapter eight: disinheritance

    Case Two: blood runs colder


    Chapter Eight: disinheritance


    The clock struck 3:00 AM in the Maruyama household. Inside Yamada¡¯s room shared with his spouse and daughter, a silhouette was seen hovering over Yamada¡¯s side of the bed. They were holding up a small item in their hand, slowly lowering it on Yamada¡¯s head. Another figure was seen tackling the silhouette just as it was about to come crashing down on his head.


    Meanwhile, Kana had woken from her slumber and was watching the scene unfold from a sudden noise in the room. Gripping her phone tightly, Kana was ready to message Orion when she noticed a silhouette approaching her father. Moving quickly, she sent an SOS text message to Orion and then tackled the silhouette head-on.


    The silhouette fell but it was too dark to see who it was. In addition, the shape had on a robe with the hood covering most of their head. The mysterious person escaped the room quickly and dashed out of the hallway. In a few minutes, Orion and Amane arrived at the bedroom together. Orion turned on the lights to see Kana on the floor.


    ¡°What happened?¡± Orion asked, moving quickly to Kana¡¯s side. He knelt to her and offered a hand.


    Kana looked up at Orion with tears in her eyes. She took his hand and the two of them rose. ¡°I-I¡¯m sorry¡­ I heard something in the room, so I woke up. Then I saw someone near my dad with something small in their hand. I thought they were going to kill him, so I texted you.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s a good thing you messaged me,¡± Orion reassured. He had been in a light doze holding onto his phone when Kana texted him. Upon reading it, Orion shook Amane awake and the two departed to Kana¡¯s parents¡¯ bedroom.


    Lying near Orion and Kana was a small statue. It appeared to have been dropped by the culprit when Kana tackled them. Orion bent down and picked up the statue as he examined it. It was small but solid; it could probably kill someone with enough force. He set the statue on the lamp stand and returned to the girls.


    ¡°Let¡¯s check out where the culprit went off too,¡± Orion suggested while he led the girls outside the bedroom. As they stepped out, Hiyono was walking outside but going to the garden. The observation had been an afterthought for Orion considering he was chasing after the potential culprit.


    The group descended the stairs into the living room where they found Ayane sitting on the settee with a glass of milk in hand. She nodded to the group as they approached her.


    ¡°What are you doing here at this time, mom?¡± Kana asked nervously. She was worried it was her mom she tackled and the one who tried to kill her dad.


    ¡°Me? I couldn¡¯t sleep so I went to get a glass of milk,¡± Ayane answered plainly, without anything to hide. ¡°Hiyono is so good to us even after Father was killed.¡±


    Kana was about to speak when Orion gestured to her for silence. He grabbed Kana by the wrist and led Amane to the kitchen where Kaede was sitting on one of the chairs by the table. She was wearing white lingerie with a floral design. Hearing the group¡¯s footsteps, Kaede turned around.


    ¡°Oh, it¡¯s you kids,¡± Kaede said. It was fortunate she was able to hide the robe she was wearing earlier before the kids showed up. But it wasn¡¯t lucky that she dropped the statue she had. Now she needed to find another weapon.


    ¡°Hello Kaede,¡± Orion greeted. ¡°What brings you here at this time of night?¡± He had a suspicion it was Kaede, but it could also be Ayane. He didn¡¯t want to suspect Ayane because of Kana, but he knew he¡¯d have to if the evidence against Ayane rose.


    ¡°Oh, I couldn¡¯t sleep so I came down here to think,¡± Kaede said, smiling. Her smile proved a little faked. She certainly had a lot on her mind since her father-in-law announced disinheriting his children. That meant lack of funds for her family, especially her children Satori and Maeko.


    ¡°Did you bump into Ayane on the way?¡± Orion asked cautiously. He wanted to figure out their alibis. If both people are downstairs, one of them had to be the culprit. It was likely that the second person downstairs is the culprit.


    ¡°Ayane?¡± Kaede thought for a moment. She certainly saw Ayane in the living room when she got there but she couldn¡¯t tell the kid that. She deliberately answered, ¡°No, I didn¡¯t see her when I got here.¡±


    Kana¡¯s expression changed, becoming dark as she started tearing up and gripping her fists tightly. She felt devastated, like someone dropped a bunch of bricks on her. Shaking her head, she turned away from Orion and Amane and started to leave the kitchen.


    Orion grabbed Kana¡¯s hand and pulled her closer to him, shy of an embrace. He whispered, ¡°Hold on a moment, Kana.¡± He let go of Kana and turned to Kaede. ¡°Are you sure? She must have come by here for that glass of milk.¡±


    ¡°Oh yes, I¡¯m very certain,¡± Kaede continued smiling. ¡°I didn¡¯t see anyone here when I came here.¡± She didn¡¯t like how the kid Orion kept interrogating her about seeing someone else here or not. It was like he suspected her of murdering her father-in-law.


    ¡°Hmm, well, all right,¡± Orion nodded and started leaving. Kana grabbed a hold of his sleeve with a questioning look on her face. He merely gestured toward the exit to her.


    The three left the kitchen and headed toward the living room. Orion stopped just at the entryway to the living room and cautioned the other two to stop as well. Ayane was still sitting there with her glass of milk, which was currently half full.


    ¡°We have to determine their alibis and who was here first,¡± Orion whispered. ¡°Someone must be lying. I¡¯m going to pose the same question to Ayane. Don¡¯t worry, Kana. I¡¯m sure it¡¯ll be fine.¡±


    Orion and the others approached Ayane on the settee. She was wearing a pink negligee under a white bathrobe with her glass in hand. Ayane looked serene from the angle where Orion stood. Upon hearing footsteps, Ayane lifted her head up.


    ¡°Oh, how may I help you now?¡± Ayane asked sweetly, making Kana wince a bit by the sweetness. Kana knew her mother wasn¡¯t sweet at all; in fact, she¡¯d say her mother was more bitter. But Ayane put the most innocent expression on her face.


    ¡°I was wondering if you could tell me what time you came down here,¡± Orion asked. He was determining who came down first and if they saw one another in passing.


    ¡°Around 1 AM,¡± Ayane guessed. ¡°I couldn¡¯t sleep at all.¡±


    ¡°Did you see Kaede at all?¡± Orion finally pushed the vital question through. Depending on Ayane¡¯s answer, it will show which one is the culprit.


    The tale has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation.


    ¡°Kaede? Hmm¡­¡± Ayane thought for a while. In her mind, events flashed through since she came downstairs. There was no one in any of the rooms until Hiyono came over to her. He asked if she couldn¡¯t sleep and she said yes, so he went and made her some warm milk. Then it was until shortly ago when Kaede showed up in a bathrobe. ¡°Ah, yes. Yes, I did see Kaede not long before you kids came around.¡±


    ¡®Bingo,¡¯ Orion thought. ¡®This is definitely something I can use.¡¯ Out loud, he said, ¡°Thank you for cooperating.¡± He bowed his head before heading to the kitchen, with the two girls following along cluelessly.


    ¡°What¡¯s going on, Orion?¡± Amane asked in a whisper as she walked alongside Orion back to the kitchen.


    ¡°I¡¯m pretty sure Kaede is the one,¡± Orion whispered back. ¡°At least she¡¯s the one who tried to attack Yamada.¡±


    Orion took large strides to the kitchen, and before Kana could get in a question, the three already arrived at the kitchen. Kaede was still in her seat, staring out into space. Her hands were on top of each other, the thumbs twiddling lightly.


    ¡°Hello again, Kaede,¡± Orion greeted from behind. Kaede had jumped up slightly in her seat when she heard Orion¡¯s voice calling her. ¡°Relax.¡±


    ¡°W-what is it?¡± Kaede asked nervously. She thought she was clear to go when Orion left at first, but he returned. She was panicking, thinking she made a mess up.


    ¡°Ayane remembers seeing you. A little before we came by. Can you explain that?¡± Orion asked sternly. He was getting right to the point. He couldn¡¯t afford to mess up at this point.


    ¡°Uh¡­ Well¡­ That can¡¯t be it,¡± Kaede said nervously, unsure what excuse she should use. There wasn¡¯t anything she could use. She was in the kitchen the whole time, wasn¡¯t sure why Ayane would sell her out like that.


    Just as Orion was about to grill Kaede, a scream was sounded throughout the house. Orion looked up and glanced around the kitchen to determine where the scream came from. Amane and Kana were doing the same as Kaede, who looked alarmed.


    ¡°Auntie Kaguya!¡± Kana finally said. ¡°She¡¯s in trouble, Orion!¡±


    Orion dashed to the living room with Amane, Kana and Kaede following right behind him. What was missing was Ayane and the only thing that remained was the empty glass. Ayane had been lying and trying to set up Kaede as the culprit. The curious part is why Ayane would try to kill her own husband. Orion dashed up the stairs with the others following behind.


    Once Orion reached Kaguya¡¯s bedroom, he pulled open the door forcefully. The others had finally caught up and Orion entered the room, turning on the lights. Ayane was standing over Kaguya holding the small statue that Orion left behind in their room.


    ¡°Stop it, Ayane!¡± Orion shouted to the woman. He started walking toward the bed with Kana following closely behind.


    ¡°Mom, what are you doing¡­?¡± Kana asked, shocked at this development. She never expected her mother to try to kill anyone. ¡°Did you¡­¡±


    ¡°Shut up, you ingrate!¡± Ayane shouted back at Kana. ¡°I did this for us. That old man dares to disinherit us. Now that he¡¯s gone, all that¡¯s left are the other family members, and then we can get all the inheritance.¡±


    ¡°Stop it¡­ mom¡­ stop it!¡± Kana said, crying and shouting at her mom. She fell to her knees with tears running down her cheeks.


    Amane knelt to Kana, patting her on the back. She held the other girl close to her. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Kana¡­¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry to inform you but you won¡¯t be getting his inheritance,¡± Orion said sternly. He looked down at Kana and felt a pang of regret in his heart. But he had to do this. He decided to risk it. ¡°He had a will done already.¡±


    Ayane looked taken aback. ¡°W-what¡­¡± She fell backwards and dropped the small statue on the floor. Ayane stared straight blankly at the news. Her plans were ruined.


    ¡°What are you doing, Ayane-nee?¡± Kaede asked. She stared at Ayane and Kaguya and then the statue on the floor. ¡°Did you¡­ kill Father?¡±


    ¡°No! I didn¡¯t kill him!¡± Ayane shouted, shaking her head. ¡°I¡­ just¡­ attacked Kaguya.¡±


    ¡°What about your father-in-law? Your husband?¡± Orion pushed for an answer. It was either Ayane or Kaede who killed Gombei and attacked Yamada. He was determined to find out who.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t kill Father! Why would I attack my own husband?¡± Ayane screamed. Then she got up and picked up the statue. ¡°I didn¡¯t kill anyone¡­¡±


    Orion turned around and faced Kaede who was staring at Ayane. Then he grabbed Kaede by the wrist. ¡°It was you then. You killed Gombei Maruyama and attacked Yamada Maruyama.¡±


    Kaede stood still in her negligee. She didn¡¯t say anything or move at all. Then a laughter came from her. Slowly, it grew in intensity until it became a full out maniacal laughter that rang throughout the house. She tried to cover her mouth, but she was laughing hysterically by now.


    ¡°AHAHAHA!¡± Kaede screamed while laughing. ¡°You¡­ who do you think you are? Accusing me of killing my father-in-law and attacking my brother-in-law? This is a joke!¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not a joke,¡± Orion said softly. He gripped Kaede¡¯s wrist tighter, so much so, she started to wince. ¡°Murder is not a joke.¡±


    ¡°I did no such thing, and you can¡¯t prove it!¡± Kaede shouted into Orion¡¯s face. She flung the arm that he was holding onto, causing Orion to reel backwards and let go of the arm.


    Kana rose up with Amane when Kaede pushed Orion back. Both girls went to Orion¡¯s side with a worried expression. Orion regained his balance and walked back toward Kaede with a determined expression. He grabbed her arm again and raised it in the air.


    ¡°We can get proof,¡± Orion said stubbornly.


    That was when the other family members showed up, including Yamada Maruyama and Takeshi Maruyama. Kaguya had wrapped herself up with the blanket and her husband Yosuke was holding her with one arm. Hiyori had worn the white bathrobe around her, and Hiro was in a tee and shorts walking behind his wife. Takeshi came in last with a depressed expression on his face.


    ¡°Just drop it, Kaede,¡± Takeshi said softly. ¡°I saw you sneak out of the room and go into Yamada¡¯s.¡±


    Kaede froze in place. Everything felt like it was falling apart in front of Kaede¡¯s eyes. She saw her daughters Satori and Maeko show up and disappear from her. Her husband Takeshi came and went as well, without a word. Now, it was futile.


    ¡°I thought you were cheating on me with Yamada at first. That I did something wrong, and you were mad. That you were taking revenge on me for something,¡± Takeshi said stoically. ¡°But this is worse. What will I tell our baby girls?¡±


    ¡°I¡­ I did this for us¡­ For our babies¡­¡± Kaede said dejectedly and fell on her knees. She stared at her hands and started sobbing. ¡°I¡­ what have I done?¡±


    Orion took out his phone and texted Himura to quickly come to the Maruyama household immediately. As they waited, Orion watched over Kaede and Ayane, the latter in case she tried to attack another family member.


    ¡°Why did you attack me?¡± Kaguya asked Ayane. She had released the blanket around her and stood on the other side where her husband Yosuke was.


    ¡°I wanted to get rid of you for the inheritance¡­¡± Ayane said slowly, staring at the statue in her hand. Slowly she dropped the statue on the floor, which made a clunk! noise.


    ¡°Mom¡­¡± Kana said, tearing up. ¡°I¡­ I¡¯m sorry, mom¡­¡± Kana started crying again.


    Kana continued to bawl for a while until Himura showed up with a few officers in tow. When Himura arrived at Kaguya¡¯s bedroom, Orion simply nodded and pointed to the sobbing Kaede on the floor not far from him. But before Himura moved, Orion gestured for him to move closer.


    ¡°Also, Ayane attempted to assault Kaguya, the one on the bed there,¡± Orion whispered to Himura. ¡°Ayane¡¯s stooped near the bed.¡± He stared down at the sobbing Kana, unable to help her as he was not used to crying girls.


    Himura moved forward and handcuffed Kaede and Ayane. He led the two women outside the bedroom when Orion called out to Kaede.


    ¡°One moment,¡± Orion interrupted. Himura had stopped in his tracks. ¡°How did you get in and out of the study, Kaede?¡±


    Kaede smiled at him. ¡°Since you found out it was me, I might as well tell you!¡± Kaede said playfully. ¡°The study window has a latch on the inside and outside. And once you¡¯re outside, there¡¯s a little ¡®secret¡¯ passageway leading directly to the garden.¡±


    Takeshi walked up to Kaede with sorrowful eyes. ¡°Why, Kaede¡­? What about Satori and Maeko? What am I to do with them?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, dear,¡± Kaede said sadly. ¡°You¡¯d have to raise them yourself. Don¡¯t be mad at my Mother and Father for how I turned out. Let them help you out.¡± Kaede raised both handcuffed hands up and touched his cheek before dropping them again.


    ¡°Mom¡­¡± Kana said slowly as Ayane passed the kids. ¡°Why¡­¡± Kana clenched her fists and looked down, tearing up again.


    Ayane remained silent. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Kana. Yamada. I¡¯m sorry,¡± was all Ayane managed to say as she stared at the ground.


    Himura continued to the squad car with police officers surrounding the arrested women. The officers helped Ayane and Kaede into the police cruiser before getting into their own cars. The others were gathered in the living room watching. Hiyono finally showed up, looking nervous as he looked around for someone. It was Orion that he found.


    ¡°Master Orion!¡± Hiyono came running, out of breath. He was holding a bathrobe in his arms. ¡°Kaede-sama¡­ It¡¯s not all her.¡±


    ¡°Are you saying you helped?¡± Orion inquired quietly. His eyes were on the bathrobe in Hiyono¡¯s arms. It was most likely Hiyono played the accessory part in this case.


    ¡°Yes, Master Orion,¡± Hiyono acknowledged. ¡°I helped Lady Kaede out of her robe and helped stash it in the garden. She is not the only one who should be arrested.¡±


    Amane and Kana both stared at the butler in surprise. They didn¡¯t expect him to come up with such a reasoning. Orion simply looked at him and said, ¡°You know what to do.¡±


    Hiyono was speechless for a few seconds. Then he said, ¡°Y-yes, Master Orion! I will go to the police station and confess everything.¡±


    ¡°Really, Orion?¡± Kana asked uncertainly. ¡°But he¡¯s done so much¡­¡± Tears threatened to flow.


    ¡°Yeah¡­ I¡¯m sorry, Kana,¡± Orion averted his eyes from his classmate. ¡°It¡¯ll be fine, I¡¯m sure. He should get a lighter sentence since he¡¯s confessing.¡± He shrugged his shoulders and walked out of the house. ¡°Well, we should be going now.¡±


    ¡°We?¡± Kana said, cocking her head to the right. She looked around and saw a black SUV parked by the house. ¡°Ah¡­¡±


    ¡°Well, see you later, Kana,¡± Amane waved as she said her farewell. She walked over to Orion¡¯s side and the two of them set off in the darkness to the vehicle. The chauffeur was already waiting, so he opened the door for Orion and Amane. They soon left the vicinity in the darkness.


    Kana stood watching the soon gone SUV. She felt a pang of jealousy as Orion and Amane left. It was obvious Orion wouldn¡¯t have gotten here in his time if he took the trains, but she still felt pained that he came with another girl. She wanted to be the one in his eye, the only one he¡¯d look at. But it seemed impossible now.


    Kana sighed deeply, drooping her head. It caught the attention of the other family members who looked at her curiously. She put up her hands and said, ¡°Oh no, it¡¯s nothing to worry about! I¡¯m fine! Should we go then?¡±


    ¡°No, we should get some sleep, if possible,¡± Yamada advised. ¡°It¡¯s like 4:00 AM anyway.¡± Yamada looked extra tired as if he hadn¡¯t slept for days. His voice sounded worn out because of what happened in one night. It felt like a night gone forever.


    The remaining family members went off to their bedrooms, all worn out physically and mentally. They were wary of the spouses of those arrested but ultimately, they were family so all was forgiven. Or mostly forgiven.

 chapter nine: curse of the hakutaku

    Case Three: curse of the hakutaku


    Chapter Nine:


    Two weeks have passed since Orion solved the case at the Maruyama household. Kana still sent flirtatious text messages and daily messages asking what he was doing or what he planned on doing to Orion regularly despite what happened to her mother. She was strong and in love, which made the combination more lethal.


    At Yamato High, where Orion was enrolled, Orion was seated in homeroom, waiting for the teacher to arrive. Amane sat behind him and nudged him slightly with her mechanical pencil. Orion turned around to see Amane with a new appearance: she tied two ribbons at the sides of her hair instead of the back.


    ¡°You look nice, Amane,¡± Orion complimented his friend.


    ¡°T-Thank you, Orion,¡± Amane said, flustered at the sudden compliment.


    Mari was seated beside Orion and looked at the two. ¡°Um, what¡¯s going on?¡± Mari asked. ¡®They¡¯re doing it again. Orion definitely likes Amane. I know it,¡¯ she said internally.


    ¡°Nothing,¡± Orion said dryly. ¡°I just noticed Amane changed her hairstyle, so I gave her a compliment.¡±


    ¡°Oh¡­¡± Mari said. ¡®Why did it happen so quickly? When did this all happen?¡¯ Mari felt like she was going insane.


    That was when Kana entered the classroom and went straight to Orion. Kana was wearing a white beret over her brown hair that went down to her waist, with her uniform of a black blazer, a navy-blue tie and a dark red pleated skirt; she matched it with black thigh high leggings and black loafers.


    ¡°Orion! How are you?¡± Kana asked cheerfully, as though the murder case with her family hadn¡¯t taken place. But that was just Kana¡¯s coping skill. Her family had settled the inheritance with Hiyono before he was arrested and jailed for being an accessory to murder. However, Kana was just happy that her father didn¡¯t have to push too hard for money, especially with her mom being in prison.


    ¡°I¡¯m alright,¡± Orion answered casually, leaning back in his seat with his arms crossed. ¡°What about you? Is your family okay now?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m good! We¡¯re all good now! Hiyono decided to return the inheritance to the family before he was arrested. Thank you so much, Orion!¡± Kana bowed deeply to Orion; her hands folded in front of her dress. ¡°Oh, I better get to my seat!¡±


    Orion waved to Kana as she walked to the other side of the classroom where her seat was.


    That was when the Composition teacher Ms Itsuki arrived at the classroom and ordered silence. She was looking around the homeroom when everyone was already settled down. Then she had the class representative, which was Amane, stand up. ¡°Stand, bow¡± Amane said, before sitting back down. Ms Itsuki went through the daily reminders for the class and then started on the day¡¯s first lesson.


    The day went by peacefully and the students were dismissed from school. Departing their classroom together, Orion, Amane and Mari walked toward the stairwell when Satoru showed up exiting his classroom.


    Amane stopped at once. ¡°Oh no, I have archery practice!¡± She slammed her fist on her other hand. ¡°Ahhh. I¡¯ll text you when I can, Orion. Bye guys!¡± Amane waved to the group before running off to the field area.


    ¡°Well, let¡¯s get going then,¡± Orion said to Mari and Satoru. It was once again the childhood group walking home together. As the three left the school vicinity, something dark was occurring elsewhere in Tokyo.


    It was a small apartment where Mako Yamamoto lived. She was twenty-nine years old and worked as a salesperson. At the moment, Mako was cleaning her kitchen with a duster when she stopped. The doorbell could be heard ringing throughout the apartment.


    Mako dropped the duster on the counter and went to the door. Opening the door revealed a young middle school girl in a dark red school uniform and black loafers. She had long black hair that went halfway down her back.


    ¡°Hello, I¡¯m from Nagasaki Middle School newspaper club,¡± the young girl stated. ¡°I¡¯d like to ask you a few questions if you don¡¯t mind.¡±


    ¡°Oh, sure thing, um, what¡¯s your name?¡± Mako said endearingly. She stepped aside to allow Tomoyo to enter and then closed the door behind the small girl.


    ¡°Tomoyo Mizutani,¡± Tomoyo answered as she walked deeper into the apartment. Moving to the living room, she set her school bag on the table. Unzipping the bag, she reached inside for two things: a syringe and a mask with a with a man-like face. It consisted of nine eyes and six horns. She held the syringe behind her back as she walked toward the woman.


    Mako noticed Tomoyo walking toward her as Mako walked toward the middle schooler. As she got closer, she noticed the mask and shuddered at the sight of it. She wondered what this middle schooler wanted from her. ¡°So, uh, what did you want to ask? That mask is rather creepy.¡±


    Tomoyo rushed to Mako and pulled out the syringe from behind her as she injected the needle into Mako¡¯s neck in a swift movement. Before the older woman could respond, she fell in a heap on the floor.


    Enjoying the story? Show your support by reading it on the official site.


    Satisfied, Tomoyo grabbed the mask and tossed it on Mako¡¯s face before returning the syringe into her schoolbag. Closing her bag, she went to the door and checked that there was no person around to spot her leaving the apartment; she had done the same upon arrival. She avoided the elevator and took the stairs, whistling an old tune from her parents¡¯ old village. She was in a good mood now, having downed one enemy, but there was one more target before her mission was done for the day.


    ¡®They¡¯ll pay¡­ They¡¯ll pay with their lives,¡¯ Tomoyo thought as she went down the stairs. Upon reaching the first floor, she looked around and then exited the building. She was cleared the entire way, causing a smile to show on Tomoyo¡¯s face.


    Back at Orion¡¯s place, Mari and Satoru were seated on the settee with Satoru¡¯s laptop on his lap. Kiyo was flying around the living room to perch on various spots. Orion was sitting on his computer chair facing his two childhood friends.


    ¡°So, what¡¯s with you and Amane?¡± Mari asked suspiciously. She had been feeling uneasy over Orion and Amane¡¯s bonding, not aware she was being irrational and jumping to conclusions. With both hands gripped on her uniform skirt, she stared at Orion, expecting a good explanation.


    Satoru noticed the uneasiness emanated from Mari and placed a hand on her shoulder. He understood how she felt; he, too, was jealous how Mari feels so strongly for Orion even though he has never showed any sign of affection for her.


    ¡°What do you mean?¡± Orion asked plainly, not understanding what Mari was getting at. He scratched his head, confused. ¡°There¡¯s nothing between Amane and I. Honestly.¡±


    ¡°You two are so close¡­¡± Mari said softly. She looked down on her fists, which loosened their grip on the skirt. ¡°Especially the past month or so!¡±


    ¡°Well, I guess we¡¯re just good friends,¡± Orion shrugged. ¡°She helped out with a case two weeks ago.¡± Orion yawned and stretched his arms.


    ¡°That can¡¯t be all!¡± Mari demanded aggressively. ¡°You two must be dating!¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re not,¡± Orion said calmly. ¡°Chill, Mari. You¡¯re going to burst a blood vessel.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m fine!¡± Mari yelled.


    Orion looked at Satoru, but his eyes read Hurt Mari and I will never forgive you. Sighing, Orion felt exasperated with what Mari was doing. ¡°I swear I am not thinking of doing anything.¡±


    ¡°¡­It¡¯s nothing,¡± Mari muttered, feeling dejected. She wrung her hands together in frustration. ¡°I just¡­thought you two were acting rather close. But it¡¯s fine. Of course, you two can be close friends.¡± She looked up with a forced smile on her face. ¡°It¡¯s totally fine.¡±


    ¡°Of course it is,¡± Orion said exasperatedly. ¡°I don¡¯t know what you two are getting at by trying to grill me for answers.¡± With his head hung low, Orion rubbed his temples gently to try to soothe his headache. He looked up to see Mari looking disappointed and guilty while Satoru had a hand on Mari¡¯s shoulder for consolation.


    ¡°Look, you¡¯re worrying too much,¡± Orion said awkwardly. ¡°There¡¯s really nothing going on between Amane and me¡­¡± Orion stared at Mari and Satoru and wished they would understand. Emotions were a hindrance to him and that motto hadn¡¯t changed. ¡°I¡¯m still the same as ever.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Orion¡­¡± Mari muttered an apology. ¡°There are also rumors that you¡¯re going out with Amane.¡± She wrung her hands again, her face twisted with agony for what she was saying. Mari hadn¡¯t wanted to feel jealous, but she couldn¡¯t help it. She felt like Orion was being taken away from her.


    ¡°Rumors are rumors,¡± Orion said stoically. He didn¡¯t understand what the big deal Mari is making. Orion didn¡¯t care for rumors, and he doubted Amane did either, yet an outsider cared. Sighing, Orion got out of his chair and walked over to Mari who was still looking pained. ¡°Don¡¯t worry about the rumors.¡±


    In another apartment complex was Takeshi Sato, a forty-one-year-old salesman who was finishing his dinner. He downed a cup of sake and poured more. It was a good day for Takeshi. He managed to sell a failing building to this elderly couple in Chiba and now he will get the commission and sale.


    That was when the doorbell started ringing. He put down his sake bottle and glanced backwards at the door. ¡°Who the fuck is that now?¡± Takeshi said drunkenly as he got to his feet unsteadily. He walked toward the door and peeked into the peephole.


    It was a young middle school girl with long red hair and sporting a dark red school sailor uniform.


    ¡°Why the fuck is there a middle schooler here? Ah whatever,¡± he mumbled as he unlocked the door and opened it for the kid to walk in.


    ¡°Hello, I¡¯m Tomoyo Mizutani,¡± Tomoyo greeted as she bowed. ¡°I¡¯m here from Nagasaki Middle School newspaper club. I¡¯m here to ask a few questions if you don¡¯t mind.¡±


    ¡°I-I don¡¯t mind,¡± Takeshi hiccupped.


    Tomoyo walked into the living room and set down her school bag on the table where Takeshi was having dinner. She reached into the bag and pulled out a syringe and another mask from Mako¡¯s place. She hid the needle from behind her and walked over to the older man.


    ¡°What did you feel¡­when you killed them?¡± Tomoyo asked sinisterly.


    In a moment of shock, Takeshi stared at the little girl. Before he could speak, Tomoyo pulled out the syringe and injected it into his arm.


    Wordlessly, Takeshi fell on the ground in a heap. Tomoyo knelt and felt for a pulse. Satisfied there was none, she grabbed the mask and put it on his face. She took the syringe and stuffed it into her school bag before leaving the apartment. She looked around for any passerbys and satisfied there were none, she exited the building.


    Tomoyo walked to the train station and returned home. Her mom was cooking dinner, and her dad was still at his job, where he was a mail clerk at a publishing company. Her family wasn¡¯t wealthy, but they lived comfortably off.


    ¡°I¡¯m home, mom,¡± Tomoyo announced as she kicked off her shoes. Her mother didn¡¯t respond, just continued to cook. In fact, her mother hasn¡¯t spoken to anyone in approximately two years since her own parents killed themselves in Mizushima Village. She just did her duties in silence. Tomoyo was exacting revenge for her mother by killing those involved with her grandparents¡¯ deaths. She will never forgive those salespeople who went to the village and wreaked havoc.


    After changing, Tomoyo went out to the living room where dinner was set on the table. Her father returned home, looking rough as usual after work. It was a simple dinner of eggs and sausage with rice and asparagus. The family ate dinner in silence, which was usual considering Tomoyo¡¯s mother muted herself.


    The dinner took about half an hour and Tomoyo went for a shower. She returned to her room in her pink pajamas, flopping on her bed. Sitting up, Tomoyo played around her phone when she remembered she had a test and she hadn¡¯t studied for it. She quickly scrambled out of her bed and pulled out her textbooks and notebook.


    Mari and Satoru had left Orion¡¯s place, leaving him alone with his thoughts. Orion lay on his bed in the dark, lost in his thoughts. Lying in bed, he thought about Mari¡¯s outburst and couldn¡¯t understand it at all. ¡®Why would Mari suddenly get so aggressive about Amane and I being friends? That¡¯s all we are, right? I don¡¯t understand at all.¡¯ He turned over and took out his phone. Amane hadn¡¯t texted him at all since she said she would.


    Hey what¡¯s up?


    Orion sent the message and closed his eyes. Before he knew it, his phone vibrated, opening his eyes to check the phone.


    I¡¯m so sorry, Orion! A group of family friends came over right when I got home, and I only got free time now.


    Orion started typing a response: It¡¯s fine, Amane.


    Amane was typing. How are you doing? :) Oh, can I call you instead?


    Orion thought for a moment before deciding. Sure thing.


    Within a minute, Orion felt his phone vibrating. He picked up the call, seeing it was Amane. ¡°What¡¯s up, Amane?¡±


    ¡°Um¡­ I just figured it¡¯d be easier to talk on the phone,¡± Amane said in a lowered voice.


    ¡°That¡¯s fine,¡± Orion replied. ¡°So, what¡¯s up? How was practice?¡±


    ¡°It was fine!¡± Amane answered cheerfully. ¡°How was everything with Mari and Satoru?¡±


    Orion thought for a bit. He didn¡¯t feel it¡¯d be right to tell Amane about Mari¡¯s worries. ¡°It was¡­ something, you could say. Was something happening at your place?¡±


    ¡°Ah, a-ah¡­¡± Amane stuttered over the phone. ¡°Um¡­ well, you see¡­ S-Some incident happened back in my family¡¯s hometown. They wanted to discuss something that happened not long ago¡­¡± Amane sounded distant and wary.


    ¡°Hey, you okay there?¡± Orion¡¯s voice came through to the other girl in her room.


    ¡°O-Oh, sorry, yeah, I¡¯m¡­fine,¡± Amane answered. ¡°Um¡­ Orion? If the day comes when I must tell you¡­¡± She trailed off.


    ¡°Yes?¡± Orion asked eagerly.


    ¡°¡­I¡¯ll tell you when that time comes,¡± Amane said softly, almost inaudibly to Orion.


    ¡°That¡¯s alright,¡± Orion said reassuringly.


    ¡°Orion¡­¡± Amane said almost inaudibly. ¡°I¡­¡±


    ¡°Yes?¡±


    ¡°Um¡­ It¡¯s nothing! I think it¡¯s time to sleep, so good night, Orion,¡± Amane quickly said. ¡°Sweet dreams.¡±


    ¡°You too, Amane,¡± Orion said. ¡°I¡¯m here for you for whatever you need.¡±

 chapter ten: mizushima village

    Case Three: curse of the hakutaku


    Chapter Ten: mizushima village


    Morning came for Kashiwa as Orion woke up. It was Sunday morning, a free day from school. Orion stretched his arms as he kicked off the blanket and sat up in bed. He rubbed his eyes and yawned. Looking at the clock on his desk, it read: 7:05 AM.


    ¡°I¡¯m awake too early again,¡± Orion muttered to himself. He got out of bed and changed into a white tee under a jacket and light blue jeans. Orion grabbed his phone from the bed stand and exited to the living room.


    His phone vibrated and he lifted his hand up to see it was from Kasumi, Satoru¡¯s younger sister. She doesn¡¯t usually text him because she usually calls, so Orion found it odd to see her text. Swiping his phone screen, he read the message:


    hey orion! wanna meet up? im around the area


    Orion yawned again and typed on the screen for his reply: Sure, where do you want to go?


    A response came immediately: i wanna visit kiyo! is that ok?


    Yeah that¡¯s fine, just ring the bell when you¡¯re here.


    Orion sat down at the settee while waiting for Kasumi¡¯s arrival. While waiting, he turned on the TV and browsed through the channels for a short bit when the doorbell pealed. Getting out of his seat, Orion walked to the door and slipped into a pair of slippers before opening the door.


    On the outside, it was bright for being 7 AM and ushered in the middle school girl standing at the entrance. She had long brunette hair around midway her back, the same colour as Satoru, and wore a flowery dress that went down to her knees. Kasumi may be related to Satoru, but their parents divorced about two and a half years ago, and as a result they lived in separate districts.


    ¡°Good morning, Orion!¡± Kasumi greeted cheerfully. She hadn¡¯t seen Orion in months, so she certainly missed the high schooler.


    Kasumi walked forward a few steps and gave Orion a big embrace before he could walk away. But instead of turning her away. As a contrast reaction, Orion patted Kasumi on the head before giving her a slight smile. Kasumi rested her face on Orion¡¯s chest but by now, he walked further into his place, leaving the girl standing in place before she ran after him.


    Orion went to Kiyo¡¯s cage and unlocked the door. The parrot flew around Kasumi before perching on her left shoulder. She chirped a few times happily as Kasumi¡¯s finger stroke her.


    ¡°Did you miss me, Kiyo?¡± Kasumi giggled, rubbing the bird¡¯s chin with one finger. Kiyo was always a good bird, from what she remembered.


    Kiyo chirped once and nuzzled Kasumi¡¯s cheek. Kasumi petted the bird a few times before facing Orion. She thought there was something funny about Orion, but she couldn¡¯t put a finger on it.


    ¡°Hey Orion?¡± Kasumi asked sweetly, dancing lightly around Orion and as she went face-to-face with him, she stopped and placed her hands on his chest, peering up into his blue eyes. ¡°Are you dating someone?¡±


    Orion looked back into Kasumi¡¯s hazel eyes. ¡°What? Where did you get that idea from?¡± Orion scratched his head with his right hand and looked baffled. ¡°I¡¯m not.¡±


    ¡°Are you telling me the truth?¡± Kasumi pouted, tiptoeing against Orion¡¯s body. She wanted to hear it straight from his mouth that he wasn¡¯t dating anyone. ¡°You seem different, is all.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m telling you the truth. I¡¯m not dating anyone,¡± Orion stated. He wasn¡¯t sure what brought these questions on from Kasumi, as it wasn¡¯t like she had romantic feelings for him.


    ¡°Heehee!¡± Kasumi said, as she twirled away from Orion. ¡°I got the answer I wanted to hear!¡± She felt relieved that Orion didn¡¯t have a girlfriend, though it wasn¡¯t as if she had feelings for him. Orion was more like a close friend she could confide in for anything. Kasumi was more afraid that if Orion got a girlfriend, he might become less available for her to confide in.


    ¡°You¡¯re so weird, Kasumi,¡± Orion commented casually. ¡°What were you doing around here anyway?¡± Orion observed as the young girl twirled around the room with Kiyo perched on her shoulder. He guessed it would have to do with Satoru.


    ¡°I was thinking of visiting Satoru¡­¡± Kasumi said as she stopped twirling. ¡°But I¡¯m afraid he¡¯d just get mad at me.¡± A sad expression fell on Kasumi¡¯s face as she dropped her head down. She felt like her brother never wanted to see her. ¡°And Mom would be mad if I said I went to visit brother Satoru, so I told her I was visiting you.¡±


    ¡°We can visit him together,¡± Orion suggested as he placed his hand on Kasumi¡¯s shoulder. He knew Satoru was just worried about hurting Kasumi because they lived apart and didn¡¯t want to strain her by seeing her too often.


    ¡°Really?!¡± Kasumi squealed excitedly. She twirled around Orion and gave him another big hug. It made her elated that she would be able to see her brother again. And there might be a chance of meeting her father, though her mother would never approve of that.


    Orion put Kiyo back in her cage before going to the doorstep to put on his sneakers. Kasumi trailed close behind him as he locked the door. The two headed on their way to Satoru¡¯s house, chatting about miscellaneous topics. It took about ten minutes before they arrived at Satoru¡¯s one-story house. His father must be at work as the driveway was empty. Orion walked up to the door and pressed the bell.


    Satoru opened the door shortly after. To his surprise he saw his sister and his best friend together. Eyeing them suspiciously, Satoru stepped to the side to let the two inside. He closed the door and led the two into the living room where there was an abundance of snacks on the coffee table.


    ¡°What brings you here, Orion?¡± Satoru asked warily, watching his best friend take a seat on the settee. He wasn¡¯t sure what warranted his visit, especially when it included his own sister. He loved his sister, but he was also wary about their situation.


    Orion shrugged and used his elbow to gesture toward Kasumi, who was looking around the living room. He mouthed the words, ¡°She wanted to visit you¡± to Satoru. He saw Satoru sigh before fixing his attention to Kasumi. Orion figured Satoru got his message.


    ¡°So, what brings you over here?¡± Satoru asked Kasumi, his hands behind his back. He was happy to see his little sister, but he didn¡¯t want her to get in trouble with their mother for coming out here. Their parents still disliked each other intensely even after two and a half years.


    ¡°I just missed you, brother,¡± Kasumi pouted. She twirled around her brother for a bit before settling down on the settee beside Orion. It had been a while since she saw Satoru, but he hadn¡¯t changed. His laptop was on the coffee table on a standby screen. ¡°Can I not visit you?¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t say that,¡± Satoru said defensively. ¡°I missed you too, dear sister.¡± Satoru¡¯s face softened and a smile appeared on his face. He did miss seeing Kasumi and it was a pleasant surprise to see her come by out of the blue.


    A huge smile appeared on Kasumi¡¯s face as Satoru said that. She was elated now and full of energy. Kasumi jumped out of the settee to land beside Satoru. ¡°Let¡¯s visit Mari too!¡±


    ¡°We could have gotten her first since now we¡¯d be walking back the same way¡­¡± Orion sighed. Then his phone started ringing so he checked the caller ID. It was Erika Fujioka from Tokyo Metropolitan Police. He quickly picked up: ¡°Hello, Orion here. Yeah. Yeah. Only two? Got it. Will be there in a jiffy.¡±


    ¡°What happened, Orion?¡± Satoru asked curiously. He peered over Orion¡¯s phone, but the call already ended. Satoru guessed it was from the police, most likely Erika Fujioka.


    ¡°Fujioka called about a strange new case and wants me to come along. I¡¯m going to call Kasumi to drive us over,¡± Orion explained briefly before looking for Kasumi¡¯s number and pressed the dial. He explained the situation to Kasumi and it was agreed she¡¯d make it there in approximately at a maximum of twenty minutes.


    ¡°Who¡¯s this Amane?¡± Kasumi asked suspiciously. She noticed Orion¡¯s face softened while he was on the phone with this ¡®Amane¡¯. Kasumi reached out for Orion¡¯s hair and ruffled it, which to her surprise, he didn¡¯t brush her hand aside or scold her.


    ¡°She¡¯s Orion¡¯s girlfriend,¡± Satoru teased, stepping back from Orion in case he tried to do anything as revenge for what he said.


    ¡°G-girlfriend?!¡± Kasumi squealed. ¡°You told me you didn¡¯t have a girlfriend, Orion! Did you lie to me???¡± Kasumi started pounding questions to Orion, jumping down to the settee.


    ¡°I don¡¯t! Don¡¯t believe everything Satoru tells you,¡± Orion said exasperatedly. He leaned back on the settee with one hand over his forehead and eyes closed. Then he opened his eyes with a devious expression on his face. ¡°Yeah well¡­ Satoru¡¯s got a girlfriend¡­ and it¡¯s Mari.¡±


    Kasumi¡¯s eyes widened. She jumped up again and started getting up close to her brother. ¡°Is that true, brother?! Are you dating Mari? But wait¡­ Doesn¡¯t Mari like Orion? How did this happen? You must give me all the details, brother!¡±


    Satoru glared at Orion, who was smirking in his seat with his arms crossed. His eyes seemed to say Payback. ¡°No, it¡¯s not true, sister! Don¡¯t believe everything Orion says! Mari likes Orion!¡±


    ¡°Me? Why are you¡ª¡± Orion started to say when his phone vibrated. He checked his phone, and it was a text message from Mari. ¡°Hey, look it¡¯s your girlfriend texting me, Satoru.¡±


    ¡°She¡¯d rather be your girlfriend than mine,¡± Satoru replied, with a slight bitter intonation in his voice. He turned away from the other two with his arms crossed. ¡°Hey, isn¡¯t it almost time for Amane to get here?¡±


    Just as Satoru said that, Orion¡¯s phone rang, and it was from Amane. He nodded a few times before hanging up, mumbling to himself. Rising from the settee, Orion led the others outside to where a black Mercedes-Benz SUV stood waiting with a chauffeur next to the vehicle.


    ¡°Oh, I¡­ didn¡¯t realize there was going to be a crowd,¡± Amane said guiltily, sitting in the backseat. She looked down at her hands, which were intertwined. ¡°Umm¡­ I guess two people can come on back.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll go,¡± Satoru suggested. ¡°Sis, come with me. Let¡¯s not bother the lovebirds.¡± Satoru climbed into the vehicle with Kasumi following behind to the seats in the back. After the two were seated comfortably, Orion climbed into the seat beside Amane. The door closed automatically as the chauffeur returned to the driver¡¯s seat. Orion gave an address in Tokyo to the chauffeur, and the group started moving.


    ¡°Oh right, this is Kasumi, Satoru¡¯s younger sister,¡± Orion introduced to Amane. ¡°She was visiting today.¡±


    Kasumi bowed her head to Amane who looked behind her. ¡°Hello, I¡¯m Kasumi. I don¡¯t actually live with Satoru since our parents are divorced.¡±


    ¡°Nice to meet you, Kasumi. I¡¯m Amane. I¡¯m in the same class as Orion,¡± Amane bowed her head in return. She stole a glance over to Orion who was nodding and returned the look.


    ¡°She seems refined,¡± Kasumi whispered to her brother Satoru. ¡°I like her.¡± She nodded a couple of times before leaning back in her seat. She folded her hands on her lap as she sat back.


    The four chatted about loose topics as the chauffeur drove to their destination. As the time progressed, the four became silent as topics dwindled down. In silence, they rode together as Amane leaned toward Orion and rested her head on his shoulder.


    ¡°Oooh, I see why you said she¡¯s Orion¡¯s girlfriend!¡± Kasumi whispered to Satoru. ¡°I feel so bad for Mari¡­¡± She looked down at her hands before looking back up. ¡°But those two looks so cute together.¡±


    ¡°Traitor,¡± Satoru whispered. Satoru felt bad for Mari even though he had feelings for her, but he wanted happiness for Mari more than anything even if it would hurt him. Satoru sighed to himself.


    ¡°What are you two whispering about?¡± Orion asked casually. He remembered he hadn¡¯t responded to Mari¡¯s text yet, so he took out his phone from his pocket and swiped the screen.


    Hey Orion umm are you busy?


    Orion looked baffled as he read the text. Mari seemed hesitant to message him, which was odd for him because Mari was always straightforward with her messages. He thought for a while on how to answer and eventually responded: Yeah, going to a case right now.


    Amane didn¡¯t move her head, but she glanced down to Orion¡¯s phone and saw the message he sent. She looked up at Orion, who merely gestured to his phone and whispered, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, it¡¯s just a text.¡±


    The car started to slow down before it came to a full stop as they neared their destination. The chauffeur got out of the car and opened the side door. Orion climbed out first followed by Amane and then Satoru and Kasumi. The three followed Orion into an apartment complex where a police officer was waiting at the entrance.


    Orion walked up to the police officer with the others, ¡°I¡¯m Orion Minamoto. Erika Fujioka called me over.¡±


    ¡°Got it,¡± the police officer said. The officer took out his walkie-talkie and spoke into it: ¡°Minamoto is here, Fujioka.¡± Another voice came back through: ¡°Let them in.¡± The officer nodded and opened the door for Orion and his friends. ¡°Go up to the third floor. Apartment 3D.¡±


    Reading on this site? This novel is published elsewhere. Support the author by seeking out the original.


    Orion led the group up the stairs to the third floor and looked around for apartment 3D. It didn¡¯t take long to find it as the door was open and a few officers were outside the door. Orion jogged his way to the apartment with the others doing the same behind him.


    As Orion reached the officer, he said, out of breath: ¡°This is Orion Minamoto, reporting for Fujioka.¡±


    ¡°Understood. Please come in,¡± the officer said as he stepped to the side and lifted the police line. The four students ducked under it and entered the apartment where Erika Fujioka was waiting with Keshiki Himura. The apartment was mostly untouched as they entered. The body was still on the floor in the living room with a mask over the body.


    ¡°Hey Orion,¡± Erika greeted Orion. She had on a black suit outfit with her brown hair tied in a bun. She reached out to Orion to stop him from proceeding any further. ¡°Hold it.¡±


    ¡°Yes?¡± Orion said, stopping in his tracks.


    ¡°Who is that new cutie?¡± Erika asked teasingly, gesturing to Kasumi. She winked at Orion.


    ¡°This here is my younger sister Kasumi,¡± Satoru hurriedly pointed to her sister. He didn¡¯t want his sister teased to be dating Orion though Orion was his best friend. Satoru was simply overprotective of his sister.


    ¡°Cute,¡± Erika said casually. ¡°Anyway, it looks as though the victim was poisoned and there¡¯s been a small injection hole on the side of her neck. We¡¯re currently finding out what poison. But we have another case not far from here.¡±


    ¡°How far?¡± Orion inquired. His hand was under his chin, lost in thought. The victim could be a local or someone who drove around for their targets, depending on the answer. It would have to factor in the second case as well.


    ¡°About ten minutes driving,¡± Erika answered. He noticed the pose Orion was in, his contemplative, lost in thought position. That¡¯s what she loved about the boy. ¡°It¡¯s approximately the same duration if you were to take the train.¡±


    Alarm sounded in Orion¡¯s head. Train. There was something there about the word train with this case. It¡¯s possible the culprit really took the train to get to their victims. But who would be taking the train to kill? There was also a habit that most women use poison to kill their target, possibly due to their smaller figure. But there was still a real chance that it was a man behind this case. He could still be wrong; it could simply be someone driving from one location to another.


    ¡°Earth to Orion, earth to Orion,¡± Erika¡¯s voice interrupted Orion¡¯s thoughts.


    ¡°Huh? Oh, sorry, I was just thinking¡­¡± Orion trailed off. ¡°I¡­am not sure, but I think they may have taken the train. I may be wrong, though.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll give the chauffeur the address when we¡¯re ready to go,¡± Erika nodded. ¡°The estimated time of death was given at 3 to 6 PM yesterday. Cause of death is poisoning,¡± she stated matter-of-factly.


    Orion examined the apartment, but nothing was out of the ordinary. There wasn¡¯t anything missing from what he could tell and no monetary loss, so it wasn¡¯t a burglary.  He looked down at the corpse with the mask on it, with the observation that the victim must have suffered before dying.


    ¡°Was there forced entry?¡± Orion asked, still staring down at the body. He stared at the mask. It was an odd design. There were nine eyes and six horns with a manlike face. The mask creeped Orion out just by looking at it. Then he heard a gasp coming from AMane, so he glanced over at her, who looked pale. ¡°What¡¯s wrong, Amane?¡±


    ¡°No, no forced entry,¡± Erika responded before Amane could answer. ¡°Must be someone she knew or trusted.¡±


    ¡°I¡­ The mask¡­¡± Amane said in a whisper. She was visibly shaken, hugging herself. The mask reminded her of her parents¡¯ village.


    ¡°What about it?¡± Orion asked, reaching out a hand to steady Amane. He could tell Amane was shaken up, but he did not know the reason. It was worrisome seeing Amane shaking.


    ¡°I¡­ know what it is,¡± Amane said, still pale. ¡°It¡¯s the hakutaku. My parents¡¯ village worships it as the guardian spirit for herbal medicine. But¡­ why is it here?¡± Suddenly Amane felt like vomiting and dashed to the bathroom.


    While waiting for Amane, Orion examined the mask further. It looked grotesque with the numerous horns and eyes on its body. He wondered what a spirit mask is doing here in a crime scene. After a few minutes, Kasumi returned looking paler than before.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry¡­¡± Amane said shakily.


    ¡°It¡¯s alright, Amane,¡± Orion reassured, patting her on the back. He was worried about Amane¡¯s health now; something must have triggered a change. Could it be that mask of the so-called hakutaku? He never even heard of something like the hakutaku. Orion glanced at Satoru who merely shrugged.


    ¡°I¡¯m really sorry, I¡¯m okay,¡± AMane said, still with a pale complexion and started to perspire. Suddenly she remembered what the other adults had been saying around her grandparents¡¯ deaths. They had been practically murdered by the salesman who came to the village and had their shop taken over. They were bullied and harassed daily. Amane could still hear the adults¡¯ voices now and her legs gave way, causing her to fall to the floor until Orion caught her before she completely fell to the ground. ¡°Ah¡­ Orion¡­¡±


    Erika Fujioka watched the scene unfold, starting from the mask explanation. She didn¡¯t want to suspect Orion¡¯s friends but from what she said, it was mighty suspicious. That she recognized the culprit¡¯s tool raised red flags. Erika approached Amane and helped her to her feet with Orion¡¯s help.


    ¡°Can you tell me more about that mask?¡± Erika asked gently, trying not to trigger a sick person. She had to know what relation she had with the culprit and the victim. Erika placed a gentle yet tight grip on Amane¡¯s shoulder.


    Amane looked up into Erika¡¯s dark brown eyes. She could tell it was intimidating that she started shaking slightly. ¡°Umm¡­ there¡¯s not much else to say about it. My parents know more about it, but it¡¯s basically just our guardian spirit for herbal medicine. It¡¯s not supposed to be associated with¡­ murder.¡±


    Erika stared into Amane¡¯s unblinking eyes, lost in her own thoughts as to what role this Amane played. How did she come to this knowledge about the mask and this seemingly random village? Yet she came here with Orion, and that speaks volumes about the girl. ¡°All right. If you get to learn more about the mask, let me know immediately via Orion.¡±


    Amane nodded weakly as she tried to stand on her own two feet. However, that failed, and she gripped onto Orion¡¯s arm for balance. ¡°I¡¯m sorry¡­ I¡¯m no use right now,¡± Amane said with her head drooped.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it,¡± Orion reassured Amane, holding her up with both his arms. Orion was surprised at how a single mask made her suddenly weak to her knees. He had to ask Satoru to look up the hakutaku when there was a chance though from the glances, but it seemed Satoru knew his request. Orion knew he could count on Satoru with the cases.


    ¡°Anyway, let¡¯s head to the second victim¡¯s place. They¡¯ll be moving the body here soon so let¡¯s get out of their hair,¡± Erika announced, leading the group out of the apartment.


    The four went downstairs taking the elevator this time around because of Amane¡¯s sudden weakness. Orion led Amane and the other two toward the parked Mercedes-Benz where the chauffeur was waiting for them, apparently already outside the car.


    ¡°Is the lady okay???¡± The chauffeur asked, panicked. He was charged with watching over the Mizushima daughter when they went out despite being a chauffeur. But he always treated her like a daughter.


    ¡°She¡¯ll be fine,¡± Orion answered for Kasumi, and then gave the second address to the chauffeur, who merely nodded and went to open the side door. Satoru and Kasumi went in first to the backseats and then Amane climbed into her seat with Orion following suit. The car travelled to its second location, which was another apartment complex not unlike the first victim¡¯s. Erika arrived in her own car shortly before the main vehicle.


    Orion and the others got out of the car and went to the entrance where Fujioka was waiting. She informed them the victim was on the second floor this time so the five of them climbed the stairs to the apartment. The door was open with police tape around the door, and forensics were already there taking photos.


    Erika showed her badge and went inside with the kids following behind. As they entered the living room, the body was lying on the floor, distorted like the previous victim. There was another mask on the corpse, this time it looked as though it was thrown on the body instead.


    Amane turned pale again as she heard the voices again. ¡°It¡¯s that man! He killed them! He killed Mizushima! He harassed the couple and now he tried to make a profit out of their store. He¡¯ll never get away with it.¡± Amane felt sick to her stomach and clutched her abdomen as she leaned on the wall. She wasn¡¯t sure why she was suddenly hearing voices back from her grandparents¡¯ deaths a few years ago.


    ¡°Amane?¡± Orion asked out of concern. ¡°Are you okay?¡± He reached out to the pale girl with an outstretched arm. Amane hadn¡¯t responded, so Orion walked over to her and touched her forehead. It was hot and sweaty. ¡°Are you sick?¡±


    ¡°No¡­¡± Amane said weakly. ¡°I just¡­remembered what happened when my grandparents died. I think it¡¯s this guy¡¯s fault they died. I remembered the other adults screaming that fact.¡± Amane tried to stand up straight but was unsteady on her feet, so she clutched Orion¡¯s arm.


    Orion tried to steady Amane as he walked closer to the body. The arms and legs were contorted beyond what you would imagine a human body could bend at. He held up Amane with his left arm as he gathered Erika¡¯s attention. ¡°Potassium Cyanide. That¡¯s what the culprit used.¡±


    ¡°Potassium cyanide, huh,¡± Erika pondered. ¡°I¡¯ll let forensics know. But knowing what they used is half the game.¡±


    ¡°I know,¡± Orion said, grimacing. He stared at the dead body in front of him. Who would kill this man? And the other woman? There must be something tying these two victims, and Orion had to find out before more victims popped up. Wait. There was a common thread between the victims. Kasumi¡¯s grandparents were from the village and so was the mask of this hakutaku. He turned his head to Amane. ¡°Where is your parents¡¯ village, Amane?¡±


    ¡°Huh?¡± Amane looked baffled. She was starting to stand on her own feet after feeling weak for a few moments. She tilted her head to one side and thought for a moment. ¡°My parents¡¯¡­village? I¡¯m not entirely sure. I¡¯d have to ask them.¡±


    ¡°Please,¡± Orion pleaded, holding up his hands in front of Amane. ¡°We need to go there. The earlier, the better.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll call them right now,¡± Amane said. She stepped back and went to the doorway, taking out her phone. She dialled her mother¡¯s phone number and waited for it to ring. ¡°Yes, mom. It¡¯s me, Amane. Um¡­ Can you tell me where your village is? ¡­ Oh, it¡¯s just called Mizushima Village. I¡¯ll let Orion know. ¡­. No, mom, he¡¯s just a friend. ¡­. Understood, I¡¯ll be careful. You too, mom.¡±


    When Amane turned around, she found Orion standing close behind. It startled her that Amane jumped a bit and placed a hand over her chest. She walked over to the others with Orion and reported her phone call with her mother in a whisper.


    ¡°Ah, thank you, Amane,¡± Orion smiled softly. ¡°I¡¯ll have to thank your mother one of these days.¡± Orion actually overheard the phone conversation and felt a tad downtrodden at being called as ¡®just a friend¡¯ though he¡¯d never let that out because he technically really was just a friend. But Orion was just grateful they got a location to go to for the case.


    ¡°A-a-ah,¡± Amane stuttered, flustered. ¡°U-um, it¡¯s really nothing. I¡¯m not entirely sure why you want to go to the village.¡± She didn¡¯t expect Orion to suddenly ask for her parents¡¯ village. It was worrisome thinking her village was connected to the two murders. She was also worried about what the villagers would think of bringing police to the village albeit it was only the chief superintendent.


    ¡°The culprit has something to do with the village,¡± Orion said bluntly. ¡°I¡¯ll be blunt; it¡¯s because of the mask. I still have to connect more dots before I can explain myself better.¡± Orion put his hand on her shoulder and left it there. ¡°But don¡¯t worry, I don¡¯t believe it was one of the villagers. There¡¯s a connection though, however slight as it may be.¡±


    At the sudden physical contact, Amane blushed deeply and looked away from Orion out of sheer embarrassment but did not move her body from her spot. It felt nice that Orion was volunteering to comfort her on his own.


    ¡°Are you two lovebirds done?¡± Erika teased, entering the scene with Satoru and Kasumi behind her. Orion had been merely thinking of how to comfort Amane. ¡°So, did you get the village name?¡±


    ¡°Yes. It¡¯s Mizushima Village,¡± Orion reported, glancing at Amane, who looked abashed and then back at Erika Fujioka. ¡°I think it¡¯s around the Alps.¡±


    ¡°It is. We will go now. I¡¯ll travel with you guys,¡± Erika said with a wink. ¡°I can sit in the backseat with Satoru and his sister.¡± Erika figured Orion and Amane would sit together in the car, so the rest was deductive reasoning. She decided it was best to go undercover with the kids or the villagers may panic.


    The group headed downstairs and exited the building, to which the chauffeur was already outside the car. His eyebrow rose in sight of Erika Fujioka¡¯s approach to the car, but he nonetheless opened the door for the group. Erika climbed in first then Satoru and Kasumi while Kasumi climbed in front followed by Orion. Kasumi gave the chauffeur the instructions to drive to the Mizushima Village by the Japanese Alps.


    It took a little over two hours to get to the village where villagers were walking along for shopping or visiting neighbors. They didn¡¯t notice an SUV approaching them when the chauffeur turned at a corner and parked the car.


    ¡°I won¡¯t be able to go further in. I¡¯ll be waiting for you here, milady,¡± the chauffeur said to Amane as he pressed the unlock button for the side door, which opened by itself. The group descended out of the car and onto the gritty roads, and Erika closed the car door.


    ¡°Well, let¡¯s get going,¡± Erika advised, leading the group deeper into the village. Slowly the villagers noticed the group when a middle-aged woman stopped in her tracks and pointed at them.


    Is that you, little Amane?¡± the woman called out. She looked around in her fifties, dressed in a white blouse, black slacks and white sandals. The woman walked closer to Amane and the others. ¡°It really is you, little Amane! Never thought I¡¯d see you again since you were tiny.¡±


    Amane blushed profusely at being recognized. She didn¡¯t recognize the woman, but they must have met when she was a little kid. ¡°Umm¡­ yes. Who are you?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s me, Naomi! I knew your parents since you were tiny,¡± Naomi said, grabbing onto Amane¡¯s hands and shaking them. ¡°What brings you here?¡±


    ¡°Uh¡­¡± Amane stuttered, uncertain what reason she should give. She can¡¯t just give out that she was here investigating a murder that connected to the village. Amane turned to look at Orion, who was contemplating what to say.


    ¡°We¡¯re here to visit Amane¡¯s family village,¡± Orion told a half-lie. It wasn¡¯t a complete lie since they did want to visit Amane¡¯s village. They couldn¡¯t tell it was related to a murder case. Orion was also curious about the village where Amane¡¯s family came from. ¡°Who would we be able to contact to learn more about the hakutaku?¡±


    ¡°Hakutaku? Our guardian spirit? What do you need about it?¡± the middle-aged woman Naomi inquired, a baffled expression on her face. ¡°Wait, are you little Amane¡¯s boyfriend?¡±


    ¡°Huh?! Uh¡­¡± Orion stuttered, caught off guard by the last question. His face flushed red as he stuttered. He wasn¡¯t prepared for that question at all. Attempting to dodge the last question, Orion said, ¡°Oh, we just wanted to learn more about the hakutaku¡­¡±


    ¡°The elder probably knows the most,¡± Naomi answered, observing the black-haired boy a bit more. He looked biracial, but he wasn¡¯t bad for the eyes either with his dark blue jacket and light blue jeans. If she was younger, he¡¯d be her type. ¡°He¡¯s in the house further down then turn right and you¡¯ll see it.¡±


    ¡°Thanks,¡± Orion nodded, bowing his head slightly before he turned and gestured to the rest to follow. He wanted to escape Naomi¡¯s questions before it made him more flustered. He was still shocked by the question about being Amane¡¯s boyfriend.


    ¡°It¡¯s no problem, dearies,¡± Naomi said endearingly. Then she turned to Amane. ¡°Don¡¯t wear him down too much, Amane dear.¡± Naomi giggled to herself before walking away from the group. She hoped she helped little Amane though she still has no clue why they would come out here to learn about their guardian spirit.


    The group made their way through the village, passing by villagers shopping where some stared at the group as they walked for being a rather large group of people in the village. Amane walked close to Orion out of fear of recognition. They finally reached the elder¡¯s house, which was a two-storied building with a sign above the door that said, ¡°Do not fear, do not worry¡± and two pillars on the sides of the house. Orion knocked on the door and a voice came out saying to enter. The group entered the house one by one and as they entered, they saw an elderly man sitting by the table with a cup of tea and a pot on the table.


    ¡°Welcome to Mizushima Village,¡± the elder greeted as he turned from his seat. ¡°And you, little one, it¡¯s been a long time since I¡¯ve seen you.¡± The elder gestured toward Amane who fidgeted. ¡°Don¡¯t fret. I sense I can help you with something. What is it, my children?¡±


    ¡°First off¡­ I should introduce myself,¡± Erika said, stepping up to the elder. She figured she should let the elder know, even if the villagers are best left ignorant. ¡°I am Erika Fujioka, Chief Superintendent of the Tokyo Metropolitan Police. We¡¯re here investigating a few murders in Tokyo that seem to have connections to the hakutaku. I advise you to assist us in investigating.¡±


    The elderly merely smiled. ¡°Of course, of course. My name is Takao and I¡¯m the village elder of Mizushima Village. Pray tell me how I can assist you. I hope no one in the village has committed murders.¡± With that, the elder Takao laughed briefly before a somber expression returned on his face.


    ¡°Please tell us about the hakutaku,¡± Erika started off, taking out the two masks that were left on the bodies. ¡°Anything will help.¡± She was determined to get relevant information no matter what. Clenching her fists, she hoped the village elder would volunteer information.


    ¡°Of course,¡± Takao said. ¡°Pray take a seat and I will tell you what I know.¡± His hands were outstretched to the table in front of him. The group took a seat by the table, with Erika sitting to the right of the elder and Orion to the left.


    ¡°You see, hakutaku is a holy beast, a wise chimerical beast that resembles a white ox. It has nine eyes, three on its head and three on each of its sides, and six horns. Hakutaku usually lives in mountains, but only appear where the ruler of the land is a wise and virtuous leader. Ah, they can also understand our languages and know about all things in creation. Of course, they are our guardian spirits for herbal medicine.¡±


    ¡°Interesting¡­¡± Erika pondered curiously. Her hand was under her chin as she was lost in thought. It certainly resembled the masks with that description. But it doesn¡¯t key in on who the culprit was.


    ¡°Fujioka,¡± Orion interrupted Erika¡¯s thoughts. ¡°I didn¡¯t get the victims¡¯ names. Ask him about them.¡± He had his elbows on the table, leaning forward to Erika. Orion had a feeling the victims were also connected to the village in some form.


    ¡°Ah yes, Takao. Please tell me if you¡¯ve heard of or seen two people: Akiko Yamamoto and Takeshi Sato. Anything will help.¡±


    The elder Takao¡¯s face turned pale at the mention of the two names. It was obvious they were connected to the village. ¡°I¡­¡± Takao started to say before words failed to come out of his mouth.


    ¡°Please tell us, elder,¡± Amane suddenly spoke up, looking determined with her hands in fists. She wanted to help Orion however she could, and if being in her family¡¯s village as a descendant would help, she was willing to use it.


    ¡°Little Amane¡­ It¡¯s been so long since I¡¯ve seen you,¡± Takao said reminiscently. ¡°All right. I¡¯ll tell you all what happened. It involves little Amane¡¯s grandparents.¡±


    ¡°Ah¡­¡± Amane said softly, almost inaudibly, as her fists relaxed on the table. She had a feeling her grandparents were related. Her grandparents died five years ago, and her family came out here for the funeral. At the time, she was only eleven years old and didn¡¯t comprehend all the things the adults were saying. Now she will learn the truth.


    ¡°It started around ten years ago. Salespeople and the like started coming and going around here. Some even moved here and started harassing the good people. They bullied them for their stores, profit, money and more. One day, five years ago, Takeshi Sato pushed and bullied and harassed the Mizushima couple. Little Amane¡¯s grandparents. He did it to the point they got deathly sick and passed away not long after.¡±


    ¡°Grandpa¡­ grandma¡­¡± Kasumi said, tears forming in her eyes. Her fists were clenched on the table to which Orion reached out and placed a hand on hers, squeezing it gently. ¡°Sorry, Orion¡­ I¡¯ll be okay.¡±


    ¡°What about Akiko Yamamoto?¡± Erika inquired, connecting Amane to the current case. But she didn¡¯t suspect the Amane girl anymore. It had to be someone else with a connection to the village. ¡°Did she also bully residents?¡±


    Takao nodded grimly. ¡°She didn¡¯t affect little Amane¡¯s family at all. She came here three years ago and harassed residents for their livelihood.¡± His hands rested on one another as he told the group about the victims. ¡°Oh, she did cause the suicide of the grandparents of the Mizutani family.¡±


    Kasumi stared at the elder. Suicide. Mizutani. She seemed to remember something about a schoolmate being called to the faculty office due to a family emergency, but Kasumi never expected the schoolmate to be connected.


    ¡°Um¡­¡± Kasumi started to say but stopped herself. She didn¡¯t know the student¡¯s first name so she couldn¡¯t offer much about the case. But Kasumi felt that was the key to finding the culprit. They could probably find out who the student was.


    ¡°What is it, Kasumi?¡± Satoru asked with concern in his voice, turning to face his younger sister. He was worried about getting her involved with the case, but she pushed herself in by coming with Orion.


    ¡°I¡­ There was this student at my school whose last name was Mizutani. I remembered the last name only, but she was called to the faculty office for a family emergency three years ago. I think it¡¯s the same student.¡±


    ¡°Really?¡± Satoru asked, flabbergasted that such a coincidence could be found here. He was also worried about his sister going to school with a serial killer. Though the fact that there¡¯s a middle schooler who¡¯s killing people is terrifying by itself.


    ¡°Yes!¡± Kasumi said enthusiastically. ¡°I¡¯m positive. Um¡­ well, that happened around October.¡± She barely remembered the month but was positive it was around October. She scratched her head and thought a bit more to be certain. ¡°Yes¡­ I¡¯m sure it was around October.¡±


    ¡°That matches up,¡± Takao nodded. ¡°The Mizutani¡¯s died around mid-October.¡± Takao closed his eyes as he spoke. He remembered Mizushima¡¯s passing away in heartbreak and then two years later, the Mizutani¡¯s took their lives. He wasn¡¯t sure what they had done to warrant this, but he and the other villagers always blamed the outsiders who came in.


    ¡°Tell me,¡± Orion spoke up, his hand still holding onto Amane¡¯s for support. They were making progress on the case already. He wondered if the culprit thought about how they inadvertently tied in the village with their masks. ¡°Who are the other salespeople who came by? We need their names, please. As much wrong they¡¯ve done, no one deserves to die.¡±


    ¡°I agree with you, son,¡± Takao said painfully. ¡°There were eight other salespeople who came by. Let me get you a copy of a list with their names.¡± Takao stood up slowly with his cane as he walked to the left side of the house. Opening a drawer, the old man ruffled through papers before coming out with one sheet in his hand. Takao returned to his seat and placed the paper on the table, moving it to Orion¡¯s spot.


    ¡°Thank you, Elder,¡± Orion bowed his head as he took the paper, releasing Amane¡¯s hand. He folded up the paper and put it in his jacket pocket. The elder was an awfully nice man, so he hoped to solve the case soon. Orion got up from the table, in which the rest followed suit.


    The group exited the elder¡¯s house, and Orion took out the folded paper. He then handed it to Erika. Orion suggested returning to Tokyo and the rest agreed as they headed back to the car where the chauffeur was waiting.

 chapter eleven: attempted escape

    Case Three: curse of the hakutaku


    Chapter Eleven: attempted escape


    Orion¡¯s group sat in Amane¡¯s car in silence as they rode back to Tokyo. Orion was lost in the conversation with the village elder as he drummed his thigh with his finger. He pondered about this Mizutani from Kasumi¡¯s school. It was worrisome that a middle schooler was going around killing people; as much harm as those people have done, Orion could never condone murder. However, Orion knew there was an off chance that this Mizutani wasn¡¯t the culprit.


    Amane sat in silence with her head down, dealing with her memories of her grandparents¡¯ death again. She wasn¡¯t sure who killed her grandparents¡¯ murderer, but she didn¡¯t feel good about it at all. Remembering how lively her grandparents were once, Amane felt herself tearing up. Her grandparents always baked cookies and sometimes cakes when Amane visited with her parents. They always gave her little gifts, whether it was snacks or dresses. Tears fell from her eyes and onto her hands, which were clenching her dress. ¡®Granny¡­grandpa¡­ Why are you gone? Why can¡¯t you come back to us?¡¯ Amane thought helplessly.


    Orion glanced over to Amane, who had her head tilted and, Orion guessed it, was crying. He wished he could do something as it stung him to see her looking so depressed. Orion reached out a hand toward Amane but stopped himself. Amane may need some time and space to recuperate, and Orion might be overstepping boundaries. His chest felt tight as he balled his fists in frustration.


    Satoru and Kasumi watched from behind, a pained look on their faces. Satoru wished Orion would just make a move since everyone could tell Amane was feeling depressed. He reached out a hand and tapped Orion on the shoulder. Orion gave him a questioning expression.


    ¡°Just do something and help Amane already,¡± Satoru whispered, leaning forward in his seat. He felt exasperated with Orion; his hands clenched into fists. Orion garnered girls¡¯ attention without much effort with his cool-headed personality. That drove Satoru insane. He unclenched his fists only to grip them again.


    ¡°I¡¯m not sure what I can do,¡± Orion replied in a whisper. ¡°She¡¯ll be alright, I think. She¡¯s a tough girl.¡± His chest tightened as cold sweat broke out on his back as anxiety plagued his thoughts. ¡®What if she thinks I¡¯m getting too close? What if she thinks I¡¯m just being invasive?¡¯ Orion thought to himself and then shook his head of those thoughts, realizing he was going into overdrive.


    Amane shifted her position to face Orion and pulled at his sleeve. She moved closer to him and rested her face on his arm. Clutching his arm, Amane started crying again, muttering her grandparents¡¯ names. Orion was unable to react properly, except just staring down at the crying girl.


    ¡°It¡¯s¡­alright, Amane,¡± Orion whispered to the sobbing girl, reaching out a hand to pat Amane¡¯s head.


    ¡°O-Orion¡­ I¡¯m sorry¡­¡± Amane muttered in between sobs. ¡°I¡­I just miss my grandparents. It¡¯s been five years though.¡± She buried her face on Orion¡¯s sleeve, clutching it as she hid. Tears fell freely from her eyes.


    ¡°It¡¯s fine,¡± Orion said softly. ¡°There isn¡¯t a time limit on how long you grieve.¡± He wished he could do more for Amane right now, in her time of need. He racked his brain for something advisable to say, but his only experience with familial death was his parents¡¯ deaths, and he was only a toddler back then. He can¡¯t word it that he understood because Orion barely felt he understood what it meant to lose someone.


    Amane sniffled and rested her head on Orion¡¯s shoulder instead. She clutched onto his jacket tightly with both hands. The only thing Orion could do was pat her head a few times to console the girl. The time passed while Orion attempted to comfort the poor girl when the vehicle suddenly stopped. The chauffeur reported unexpected traffic on the freeway and that their current location was around Koshu.


    **


    Back in Tokyo, Tomoyo Mizutani was at home cleaning for her mother. She was waiting for an opportunity to leave the apartment for her next victims, but her mother wasn¡¯t feeling well. Her mother often had relapses where she got headaches and became bedridden. That made Tomoyo angrier with the salespeople who raided her parents¡¯ village.


    Clenching her fist as she wiped down the kitchen counter, Tomoyo stared at a family photo with her father, mother and her. They were all smiling. It was six years ago, just a year before her grandparents committed suicide. Her parents surrounded her in the photo as they smiled, and she had a huge grin. They had been at Tokyo Disneyland for her ninth birthday. But now, her mother was mute, never smiling again. Her father struggled to be the only breadwinner and tried to appease his wife. Tomoyo unconsciously wiped the photo frame with the cloth in her hand when she heard footsteps from her mother¡¯s room.


    ¡°Mom?¡± Tomoyo said as she turned around to see her mother out of bed. Her mother wouldn¡¯t answer her, but instead, Tomoyo¡¯s mother walked up to her and took the cloth from her hand, resuming the kitchen cleaning wordlessly.


    ¡°Mom¡­¡± Tomoyo muttered under her breath. She swore she would take revenge on all the salespeople. No matter how much they begged, she would not let them go. They were all going to die, painfully. She clenched her fists and moved to her room to gather her instruments for the next batch of targets. She took her backpack and swung it behind her as she left the apartment.


    Tomoyo walked to the train station and tapped her Rail pass. Her next victim was Ryouko Tasokani, right in the heart of Tokyo. Tomoyo rode the train to Amanegaseki as that was the closest station to where her target lived. She had to walk a bit, but she was okay with that. It felt weird for her to get off at the police headquarters to commit a murder. Her hands felt clammy and cold sweat broke out. She shook her head as she walked, trying to calm herself down.


    Once Tomoyo reached her destination, she glanced around for any passers-by. None. She had to be safe, considering how close this was to the police station. She walked up the apartment building and climbed the stairs to the fourth floor, where the target lived. Ringing the bell at 4G, Tomoyo waited patiently.


    Inside apartment 4G, Ryouko had been cooking some omelette when the doorbell pealed. Wondering who that was, she wiped her hands on the cloth hanging by the kitchen cabinet. It was rare for Ryouko to receive visitors, so she was very curious who this one was. She approached the door and looked through the peephole. It was a young girl, possibly in middle school, in her school uniform and a backpack. Ryouko opened the door to the girl and let her inside first.


    ¡°Hello, I¡¯m here on behalf of Nagasaki Middle School newspaper club,¡± Tomoyo said with a small bow. ¡°I would like to ask you a few questions if you don¡¯t mind. Ah, my name is Tomoyo Mizutani.¡± She figured Ryouko wouldn¡¯t remember her family¡¯s name even though she¡¯s done worse to the village. Besides, Ryouko wouldn¡¯t have time to recall and report it when she was done.


    ¡®Ah, so she IS a middle schooler,¡¯ Ryouko thought to herself. ¡®How cute.¡¯ Aloud, she said, ¡°Oh, sure, no problem.¡± She stepped to the side to allow Tomoyo to enter first before closing the door after her.


    Tomoyo moved in and took off her backpack to place on the table. As usual, she took out the hakutaku mask and the syringe and hid them behind her as she turned to face Ryouko. Tomoyo watched the woman walk toward her.


    ¡°Would you like some tea, Tomoyo-chan?¡± Ryouko asked endearingly. She went to the stove and turned off the fire before returning to where Tomoyo stood. Mizutani sounded familiar but Ryouko couldn¡¯t exactly remember what that name was from. She went to a lot of neighborhoods before.


    ¡°No, thank you,¡± Tomoyo said, smiling, though the smile did not reach her eyes. Her brain started working immediately to determine what information to extract from Ryouko. Her hands gripped the syringe behind her.


    ¡°So, what would you like to ask me?¡± Ryouko inquired, smiling. Now she knew which name Mizutani was from: Mizushima Village. Ryouko wondered if this kid was from the village and if the newspaper was really writing about some remote town in the Alps.


    ¡°How was your trip to Mizushima Village?¡± Tomoyo asked, getting straight to the point. She wanted to get this over with; being with Ryouko gave her goosebumps.


    ¡°Oh? It¡¯s been a while now¡­¡± Ryouko said slowly. ¡°It was a good time, really. I liked the village. The village is so quaint, and everyone is friendly.¡±


    ¡°I see¡­¡± Tomoyo said, gripping her syringe tightly behind her. Rage built up inside her as she wanted to inject the needle into Ryouko already. She clenched her teeth trying to be patient. ¡°What exactly did you do at the village?¡±


    ¡°Ah, that¡ª¡± Ryouko started to say. ¡°Wait, don¡¯t you need to write down our interview?¡± She just realized Tomoyo wasn¡¯t writing anything down on a notebook or anything, but her hands were tucked behind her for some reason.


    ¡°Oh, I have a really good memory,¡± Tomoyo smiled with her lie. She hated that Ryouko noticed she wasn¡¯t writing anything, unlike the previous two targets. She noted Ryouko was clever, but she was cleverer. ¡°What did you do?¡±


    ¡°I just tried to help the villagers with their shops,¡± Ryouko said casually. ¡°Sometimes they¡¯re stubborn, so I had to use a little force. Hehe, they¡¯re so easy.¡± She remembered how often she hassled the villagers to sell to her cheaper and buy from her at higher price with a slightly more persuasion. It was easy money back then.


    Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on the original website.


    Tomoyo suddenly saw red at the last comment by Ryouko. ¡®How dare she say that¡­ How dare she. I won¡¯t forgive her,¡¯ Tomoyo thought to herself. Without regard, she lunged forward as she pulled her syringe out and struck Ryouko in the neck. At the sudden attack, Ryouko grasped into the air and grabbed Tomoyo by the hair, pulling a few strands in her hand before she collapsed on the floor. Ryouko spasmed for a few seconds before lying motionless. Tomoyo then grabbed the hakutaku mask and tossed it onto the body. She put her backpack back on and prepared to exit the apartment. Upon leaving, she bumped into Keshiki Himura, though she was unaware of who he was or where he came from.


    ¡°Oh, I¡¯m sorry,¡± Tomoyo stumbled, becoming disoriented for a few moments. She didn¡¯t dare take a look at the person she bumped into but tried to flee from the scene out of nervousness. Her thoughts were jumbled up and a cold sweat broke out again as she ran from the building.


    ¡°It¡¯s fine,¡± Himura said, turning back to look at the fleeing girl. ¡°Take care out there.¡± He believed he just witnessed their current culprit; the one Fujioka messaged him about just now. Himura wasn¡¯t worried about the girl escaping; they had their ways to track her down.


    Tomoyo ran from the apartment building as thoughts raced in her brain, anxiety rising, and she felt palpitations. Her plans were ruined; someone saw her leaving the apartment. As she reached a park, Tomoyo fell to her knees and she held herself close, shutting her eyes. She didn¡¯t care if anyone saw her like that; now Tomoyo didn¡¯t know what to do with her mission. She hadn¡¯t anticipated being seen as she was always careful about entering and leaving. She knew she should just return home for today, but she felt paralyzed. Suddenly, Tomoyo felt nauseated and threw up on the spot as she crouched in a corner.


    Finally regaining some strength, Tomoyo got up and started walking to the train station absentmindedly. She tapped the rail pass and took the train back home. Her mother had finished cleaning and was nowhere in sight when Tomoyo arrived home. Tomoyo retired to her room and simply dropped the backpack on the floor as she curled up on her bed. She was trembling, not from the cold but fear, fear of being found out what she was doing.


    She wondered who the man was, suddenly showing up in the apartment building. What if it was a cop? What if it was a lover? Tomoyo clutched her head and closed her eyes tightly as if to block out the thoughts racing in her head. She didn¡¯t know what to do, and she had no one to go to since she decided to go solo.


    **


    Where Orion and the others were, the traffic started easing up more, so the ride went more smoothly. Amane had fallen asleep leaning against Orion, her hands on her lap and Kasumi had done the same in the car but leaning her head against the window. Satoru bent backwards, lost in his thoughts. Erika Fujioka was texting her subordinates regarding the case with the piece of paper from the elder open on her lap. Just then, she received an alarming text message from Keshiki Himura.


    ¡°Orion,¡± Erika said, getting the teenage boy¡¯s attention but not too loudly to avoid waking the two girls. She leaned forward in the car seat toward Orion. This message was startling, and they were on the right track even if they were still quite some ways from returning to Tokyo.


    ¡°Yes?¡± Orion asked, tilting his head back to look at the older woman. He simply turned his head around carefully to avoid waking Amane up. The last thing he wanted to do was to wake her up and have her relive her days with her deceased grandparents.


    ¡°Himura thinks he found the culprit,¡± Erika announced. ¡°He happened to be near one of them and checked her apartment out and¡­¡± She trailed off intentionally to give a bit of an edge to what she said.


    ¡°And?¡±


    ¡°She was dead already,¡± Erika said. ¡°But her body was still warm, so it must have been done relatively early. And he found a young girl fleeing the apartment. He thinks she¡¯s the culprit.¡± She didn¡¯t add that Himura already went to headquarters to track down the kid from Nagasaki Middle School. She cracked her knuckles as she rested in her seat.


    ¡°Did he see where she went?¡± Orion inquired. He would guess no but she was probably running by then so she would have gotten out of his sight shortly after. It was still worth a shot to ask the question though.


    ¡°No, he didn¡¯t specify anything about that,¡± Erika replied. She stretched her arms from feeling sore with the long car ride. Erika tapped her thigh repeatedly while waiting for reports on the case. The car ride was getting to her, but she agreed to join them at Mizushima Village. She gave a slight yawn and rubbed her eyes.


    Orion thought for a bit. He thought the girl was the culprit, but what will she do now? The girl made a mistake and is probably going to be caught now. Erika may not have said it, but Himura was most likely on the chase now. Orion balled up his fist, wishing he was there to question the culprit.


    Amane stirred in her sleep as she opened her eyes slowly. Blinking a few times, she sat up straight with a flustered face and avoided Orion¡¯s glance. She rubbed her eyes and looked around her surroundings. Looks like they were still on the road back to Tokyo.


    ¡°Um¡­ What happened?¡± Amane asked softly, noticing Kasumi was asleep.


    ¡°I think we found our culprit,¡± Orion answered. ¡°And I think the police are already on the track of chasing her, am I wrong, Fujioka?¡± Orion felt safe enough to voice his actual thoughts to the Chief Superintendent.


    ¡°That¡¯s right,¡± Erika said, eyes closed. ¡°We¡¯re on the cusp of arresting the girl. But Himura would prefer I did it.¡± Himura had messaged her the child¡¯s name, which matched the name of the grandparents from the village, but he did not feel comfortable acting against her. He didn¡¯t think she was going to kill anyone else, at least not right away. ¡°The culprit is named Tomoyo Mizutani.¡±


    ¡°Tomoyo¡­¡± Kasumi¡¯s voice came through. ¡°You¡¯re¡­not joking, are you?¡± Kasumi¡¯s stomach started gurgling and hurting. Tomoyo was always friendly, hardworking and intelligent in school. She strived to talk to her fellow classmates. It was hard to imagine someone like her to be murdering adults.


    ¡°Not at all,¡± Erika answered. She eyed the young middle school girl, who had a hand over her chest. There was no mercy on the job, so Erika didn¡¯t feel guilty. She patted the girl once on the head before withdrawing her hand. ¡°This is part of the job. I¡¯m more surprised a middle schooler was able to pull this.¡±


    Just as Kasumi wanted to respond, the chauffeur announced they were at the Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department headquarters. The squad exited the car one by one and carefully before Amane told the chauffeur to wait at the parking lot as an emergency. Erika led the group into the building and made her way to her office, where Himura was waiting.


    Himura raised an eyebrow at the students but remained silent. He stood upright by Erika¡¯s desk and once she took her seat, he delivered his report. ¡°The culprit is Tomoyo Mizutani, aged 14 and lives in an apartment complex in Shibuya. I have not made an arrest yet.¡±


    ¡°Good,¡± Erika said, closing her eyes. She opened her eyes again. ¡°We can mobilize the officers now. I would like Orion to accompany them; he¡¯ll have his own transportation, just give the chauffeur the address.¡±


    ¡°Understood,¡± Himura noted. He took out his notebook and tore off a sheet of paper. Then he wrote down the address on the form and handed it to Orion. ¡°I will be leading the arrest.¡±


    ¡°Got it,¡± Orion nodded, taking the paper and putting it in his pocket. He was curious about what made Tomoyo kill all three people. Revenge seems a bit too simple for an answer for this case, but it just might be it. In all honesty, Orion was surprised he was allowed present for the arrest.


    ¡°We¡¯re going now,¡± Himura said promptly. ¡°Get your transportation ready and meet me outside the culprit¡¯s apartment.¡± He said it with a plain face that no one could read as he departed the office.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry about Himura,¡± Erika reassured the group. ¡°He¡¯s a good officer. Just try not to get in his way.¡± Erika smiled faintly. She reached out on her desk and took in a pile of paperwork to put in front of her. ¡°Well, all of you better head out or you¡¯ll be late.¡±


    ¡°Thank you, Fujioka,¡± Orion said, bowing. ¡°We¡¯ll take our leave now.¡± Orion took the lead and headed out of the office with the others following suit. They left the building and went to the chauffeur where Orion gave him the piece of paper with the address.


    The group got back in the car and headed to Tomoyo¡¯s apartment. Kasumi was silent the entire trip, brain racking up reasons for why Tomoyo would do something like this. Tomoyo had always been friendly to her no matter what, so for her to do something like murder is unthinkable for Kasumi. Kasumi didn¡¯t like this case at all.


    Satoru noticed his sister¡¯s depression and reached out a hand to pat her. He decided to pull her close and embrace her for however long she needed. Satoru patted his sister a few times in the embrace as Kasumi rested her head on Satoru.


    The group arrived at their destination in a short time, and they exited the car. The apartment looked modern and newly furnished. Orion noticed the undercover vehicle at the parking lot, which meant Himura was already here. Orion led them up to the third floor where Tomoyo lived and encountered Himura with a few officers.


    ¡°You¡¯re here,¡± Himura stated matter-of-factly. ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡± Himura wasn¡¯t fond of Orion being invited to cases, but he had orders. He bit his lip as he turned away from Orion. Mixed feelings stirred in him, his chest tightening but Himura chose to ignore the emotions for the time being and knocked on the door. After a few knocks, a young woman opened the door. ¡°Hello, I¡¯m Keshiki Himura from Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department. I would like to speak to your daughter, Tomoyo.¡±


    The woman stood frozen in place, staring emptily at the inspector with her hands over her mouth. She didn¡¯t move at all or speak a word. Then wordlessly, the woman stepped to the side with tears brimming at her eyes. She felt her family was falling apart now as she felt faint and leaned against the wall for support.


    Himura stepped inside as Orion and his group followed behind, glancing at the distraught woman. Orion felt a sinking feeling in his gut for breaking up a family. It seemed there was something more to the mother than just being upset over the police coming over for her daughter. Orion closed his eyes as he entered the apartment.


    Upon entering the apartment, a young, small girl was seen by the window as though trying to escape. She had long red hair flowing behind her and sporting a dark red school uniform while barefoot. Tomoyo held onto the windowsill as she tried to climb out.


    ¡°Stop!¡± Himura shouted to the young girl. He hadn¡¯t expected Tomoyo to try to flee from the third floor. It¡¯d be on him if she jumped and got herself killed. He balled up his fists as he stood in place.


    ¡°Don¡¯t come any closer,¡± Tomoyo warned in a near whisper. Her voice shook with fear as she gripped the windowsill tighter that her knuckles were white. She didn¡¯t dare look at the officers who entered.


    ¡°Don¡¯t do it, Tomoyo,¡± Orion said soothingly as he stood next to Himura. ¡°Why don¡¯t you tell us why you¡¯ve been killing people?¡± Orion tried to calm his voice and nerves so Tomoyo wouldn¡¯t get nervous. ¡°Is it because of what they¡¯ve done to your grandparents?¡±


    ¡°My mom¡¯s been a mute¡­ since my grandparents killed themselves,¡± Tomoyo said. ¡°My family hasn¡¯t been the same now. My mom won¡¯t talk to anyone¡­ She won¡¯t go outside anymore¡­ It¡¯s all their fault¡­¡± She stepped down from the window but kept her grip, looking down on the floor. ¡°Father doesn¡¯t speak to me and only tries to help mom¡­ None of you would understand!¡±


    ¡°I do understand,¡± Amane stepped up next to Orion and Himura. Placing a hand at her chest to calm herself, she wanted to make Tomoyo realize she wasn¡¯t alone. ¡°Please. My grandparents were killed by the same people. But granny and grandpa wouldn¡¯t want us to take revenge for them.¡±


    ¡°You¡­¡± Tomoyo said as she stared at Amane. Then she realized the girl there was the true descendent of Mizushima Village. And she was talking out Tomoyo from doing anything. But Tomoyo refused to listen. ¡°You¡¯re Mizushima. You don¡¯t understand. Your parents are still together and intact. Your family is fine.¡± Then in a flash, Tomoyo turned to the window and leapt out the window.


    No!¡± Himura dashed to the window and stuck his head outside. Tomoyo had landed on her side with blood oozing out. He quickly demanded an officer, ¡°Get an ambiance here QUICK!¡±


    Tomoyo¡¯s mother had been watching and fainted when she saw Tomoyo jump out the window. Orion dashed to Tomoyo¡¯s mother¡¯s side and caught her before she fell to the floor. Orion carefully placed the woman on the floor.


    ¡°Ma¡¯am?!¡± Orion shouted. ¡°Damn, this is a mess.¡± Orion looked around and contented himself with the apartment being safe enough for the unconscious woman. ¡°We¡¯ve got to go now, guys. Himura will be leaving.¡±


    ¡°Got it!¡± Amane acknowledged, running beside Orion to exit the apartment. She was concerned for Tomoyo¡¯s well-being, especially after jumping three stories. ¡°I hope Tomoyo will be okay¡­¡± She trailed off as she ran along with Orion.


    When Orion reached outside, Himura was already talking to the ambulance drivers, and they had wheeled in Tomoyo in the car. It sounded like Tomoyo was still alive, and Himura sent two officers with the ambulance. As the ambulance drove off, Himura turned to face Orion.


    ¡°Well, thanks for the effort,¡± Himura said stoically. We¡¯ll take it over from here.¡± Himura didn¡¯t give a glance to Orion but turned away and returned to his car. It was a somewhat failure as the culprit tried to kill herself and almost succeeded at it. He felt a sinking feeling in his stomach.


    ¡°I guess it¡¯s over, guys,¡± Orion sighed in relief. He felt he had done what he could have. There was no way of knowing if Tomoyo would have jumped or not until she did it. Still, a nagging feeling stuck with him as he walked to Amane¡¯s family car.


    ¡°Tomoyo¡­¡± Kasumi said sadly, clutching her chest as though in pain. ¡°I wish I knew¡­ Maybe then she wouldn¡¯t feel as lonely.¡± She stopped in her tracks, causing the others to stop as well. Kasumi bit her lip as tears started to fall from her eyes. ¡°I¡­I¡­why am I crying?¡±


    Amane walked back and held the other girl in her arms, patting the other girl on the back as she cried. ¡°There¡¯s no way for you to know, Kasumi¡­ Don¡¯t blame yourself. It was really, really personal. But don¡¯t take the blame for something out of your control.¡±


    ¡°A-Amane¡­¡± Kasumi stuttered in the midst of her crying. ¡°I just¡­wish¡­I could have¡­done something¡­¡± Kasumi rested her head against Amane. The heavy feeling inside Kasumi started seceding slowly as the tears flowed. Slowly, she detached herself from the other girl with a flustered face. ¡°Um¡­ I¡¯ll be okay now¡­¡±


    ¡°Are you sure? You can take your time,¡± Amane said with a concerned tone. ¡°We¡¯re not in any rush.¡± She felt like crying herself but knew it was not the time for it right now. There was always a time when she was back in her room. But she wondered if she would have turned out like Tomoyo had her situation been worse. There was no way to know.


    ¡°Yeah, I¡¯ll be fine,¡± Kasumi said bravely, trying to put on a smile on her face. She didn¡¯t feel happy or anything. In fact, she felt empty inside. Tomoyo used to greet her every morning, always with a cheerful face and demeanor. But now she was going to be in the hospital under police guard. Kasumi sighed deeply.

 chapter twelve: farewell

    Case Four: the meaning of farewells


    Chapter 13: farewell


    Two months passed since the case with Mizushima Village and Tomoyo Mizutani. Tomoyo had awakened after two days and confessed to the murders. Tomoyo went to a psychiatric prison for juveniles as she paid for her crimes. Her mother was devastated and tried to commit suicide right after hearing the sentence and ended up in the psychiatric hospital. Her father was beyond devastated having lost both his wife and his daughter.


    The Yamato High had ordained summer uniforms as it was May. But considering it was Sunday, Orion was sporting a blue tee shirt with dark blue jeans. He yawned just as the doorbell pealed. He wondered who that could be as he walked to the door. When he opened the door, it revealed Satoru and Kasumi.


    ¡°Hey Orion!¡± Kasumi greeted Orion enthusiastically. She took the previous case hard and had taken a few days off school after feeling ill enough physically. But now she seemed to have returned to her usual self. ¡°Let¡¯s grab Mari!¡±


    ¡°Where are we going?¡± Orion asked as both his hands were taken by Kasumi, pulling him along. ¡°At least let me put my shoes on.¡± Kasumi obeyed to that and allowed Orion to put on his black sneakers. Then promptly grabbed his hands again and led him outside with Satoru following behind with an exasperated look on his face.


    ¡°Kasumi, you really need to tell Orion what you¡¯re planning,¡± Satoru tried to intervene. He loved his sister dearly but sometimes she got on his nerves like now. She got too excited and forgetful to explain details to the other party.


    ¡°Oh, oh,¡± Kasumi said, still grabbing onto Orion¡¯s hands. ¡°We¡¯re having a picnic! Here in Kashiwa! Well, Satoru¡¯s place since dad¡¯s treating everyone to lunch. So, I guess it¡¯s not really a picnic¡­¡±


    By then, the group arrived at Mari¡¯s door where there was apparently a commotion inside. Kasumi knocked on the door a few times before Mari came to the door. She was wearing a pink tank top with white shorts and white socks and pink sneakers.


    ¡°Kasumi? Oh, Orion and Satoru¡­¡± Mari said a bit dejectedly. ¡°Umm¡­ what brings you guys over here?¡± She didn¡¯t want to invite them inside because of the discussion her parents were having. They were arguing about her father¡¯s relocation job to the States and what will happen to the rest of the family. Her mother would definitely go with him, but they weren¡¯t sure if Mari and her brother, Kazuki should go with them or not.


    Orion noticed a puffiness around Mari¡¯s eyes as though she had been crying. He felt a pang in his chest as he watched Mari try not to let them inside her house. He wanted to know why so he reached out a hand and said, ¡°Mari, what¡¯s wro¡ª¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re having a luncheon at Satoru¡¯s!¡± Kasumi said cheerfully, oblivious to the background. She grabbed Mari by the hand and pulled her outside the house. ¡°Come on, your parents will be okay without you for a few hours.¡±


    ¡°Umm, umm, I really should tell them first though,¡± Mari said softly. ¡°Just give me a second.¡± Mari ran inside the house and after a few moments, she came back out with a renewed expression. ¡°It¡¯s all good now.¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s go then!¡± Kasumi shouted excitedly, leading the group to Satoru¡¯s house. She walked excitedly with her arms going up into the air. It was a rare occurrence that her mother allowed her to visit her father. Joy filled her heart as she was giddy.


    ¡°Mari, are you okay?¡± Orion whispered to Mari, stepping behind to walk beside his childhood friend. Concern was seen on his face as he watched her expression.


    ¡°Uh¡­ um¡­ yeah, I¡¯m fine¡­¡± Mari said slowly, avoiding Orion¡¯s eyes. ¡°I¡¯ll be fine, don¡¯t worry.¡± Part of Mari wished Orion didn¡¯t care so much because it wouldn¡¯t hurt as much to see him bonding with other girls. But another part of her was happy he is showing concern for her. ¡®What happened to Orion that he¡¯s showing concern outright¡­¡¯ Mari thought to herself. ¡®It must be Amane¡­¡¯


    ¡°Are you sure?¡± Orion asked. He reached out a hand and patted the other girl on the head. He knew she was crying, and he wanted to help her feel better.


    Mari nodded, blushing from the pat. ¡°I¡¯ll be fine¡­!¡± She tried to sound optimistic, and it seemed to have worked since Orion removed his hand and faced forward. She wanted to grab onto Orion¡¯s hand and walked alongside him, but she couldn¡¯t be selfish. Mari loved how intelligent and cool-headed Orion was. He was always wise and knew what to say. Maybe that was just how he garnered female attention.


    The group reached Satoru¡¯s house where his father was cooking. They sat on the settee waiting for the food as they chatted about miscellaneous topics, though avoiding the topic of the Tomoyo case. The food arrived at the table and the group gathered around the table.


    ¡°This looks so good, dad!¡± Kasumi exclaimed. She took her chopsticks and picked up some of the ramen. Placing the noodles in her mouth, Kasumi smiled widely. ¡°Delicious! Daddy, you¡¯re still this good!¡±


    Takuya Nakamura, Satoru and Kasumi¡¯s father, smiled at his daughter. He felt a swelling pride rise inside him. He missed his daughter a lot and was appreciative of his ex-wife letting her visit him. In fact, he was taken aback to learn she was allowed to. ¡°I¡¯m glad you like it, Kasumi.¡±


    ¡°You bet!¡± Kasumi cried out in joy. She felt elated, her mood and thoughts were on none other than eating at her father¡¯s place. She hadn¡¯t been in the right mindset for a while after the Tomoyo case. Maybe her mother saw the depression and pushed past her own difficulties to let Kasumi be happy.


    Orion and the others began eating as well while Kasumi continually made exclamations on how delicious the ramen was. Orion agreed with Kasumi and made a remark on it to Satoru¡¯s father. As they finished their ramen, Satoru¡¯s father brought out ice cream popsicles for everyone.


    ¡°This is even better!¡± Kasumi exclaimed, taking the wrapper out of the popsicle. ¡°Thanks, dad!¡± She beamed at her father as she licked the popsicle. She felt like she was on top of the world right now, something that she hadn¡¯t felt in the past two months.


    ¡°I was worried about her, but I guess it was for nothing,¡± Satoru whispered to Orion, breathing in relief. Satoru and Kasumi¡¯s mother had confided in him that she hadn¡¯t been feeling the best lately.


    ¡°No, it wasn¡¯t for nothing,¡± Orion replied in a whisper. ¡°I think she was genuinely upset. I¡¯m just glad she¡¯s feeling better now.¡± Orion sighed in relief as he watched the middle school girl eat her popsicle. He then took up his popsicle and took the plastic wrapper out, then started eating it.


    ¡°What are you two whispering about?¡± Mari asked, also in a whisper. A pang of jealousy hit her heart, knowing something happened with the other three but she was left out. It depressed her quite a bit.


    ¡°Oh, umm¡­¡± Satoru fidgeted in his seat. ¡®How can I tell Mari what happened at the last case when she wasn¡¯t involved? While Amane was¡­ And then there was the embrace between Orion and Amane in the car.¡¯


    ¡°It was just a case a few months ago,¡± Orion replied nonchalantly. ¡°Schoolmate of hers happened to be the culprit but it was a tragic case¡­ where she tried to kill herself in an attempt to escape arrest.¡±


    ¡°Oh¡­¡± Mari said, feeling left out at first and then when she heard the last part, she was flabbergasted. She didn¡¯t know what to say to that. Mari stared at Kasumi who was acting freely and happily that she was unable to tell she was once depressed. ¡°I-I¡¯m sorry¡­¡±


    ¡°Speaking of that case,¡± Satoru brought up casually. ¡°How¡¯s Amane?¡± He knew he shouldn¡¯t bring up Amane to Orion in front of Mari, but he was curious, nonetheless. He also wanted Mari to know it seemed someone else got to Orion. Maybe then he¡¯d stand a chance.


    ¡°Amane? She¡¯s fine now,¡± Orion answered. ¡°She was a bit out of it for a week or so, but she¡¯s fine now. Although I did have to go out to see her for her to feel better sooner.¡±


    A pang of jealousy struck Mari¡¯s heart with those words. Her world felt like it was destroyed. Everything collapsed in front of her. She felt a heavy sinking feeling in her gut. ¡®Why did Satoru do this? Doesn¡¯t he know how I feel about Orion? Why is Amane and Orion so close already? What did I miss? What do I do now?¡¯ Mari¡¯s thoughts started to spiral out of control when Orion spoke up.


    ¡°Are you okay, Mari?¡± Orion asked out of concern. ¡°You¡¯re looking a little pale.¡± He had his hand outstretched to Mari, hoping to reach out to her that he was there.


    ¡°I¡­um¡­yeah, I¡¯m¡­fine¡­¡± Mari said, staring down at her bowl of ramen soup. She shook her head rapidly to try to shake off the negative thoughts swirling in her head. Her heart was still aching from the news. ¡°I¡¯ll be fine¡­ heh.¡±


    Satoru suddenly felt like the worst. He brought this upon himself, but to see Mari¡¯s reaction devastated him. He wished he never asked about Amane, at least not in front of Mari. He slumped in his seat as he watched the devastated Mari stare into her bowl.


    Suddenly Orion¡¯s phone vibrated. Orion picked up and swiped to the home screen and checked his message. It was from Kana with an urgent message:


    Orion!! I¡­I think I found another crime for you¡­ My dad and I were coming back from dinner yesterday when we saw a neighbor¡¯s door was slightly ajar and when we opened the door, there was a body on the floor. With blood all around her. She was dressed all nicely, too. I think you¡¯ll want to come by, probably with the TMPD.


    Orion¡¯s eyes widened in shock. Another murder found by Kana. Her first report involved her family directly and her own mother was arrested and jailed for attempted assault. Now it¡¯s a neighbor. But of course, he needs her address. He texted her for the address before he called Fujioka or Himura.


    ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± Satoru asked, lifting his head up again. He finally decided he wouldn¡¯t hurt Mari anymore and would try to get her on his own terms than using Orion and his girl entourage. He glanced over at Mari who had also brought up her head to listen to the conversation.


    Stolen story; please report.


    ¡°There¡¯s a new case, brought in Kana,¡± Orion reported to his two childhood friends. He was curious why a victim would be dressed nicely, and just how nicely at that. And the fact that there was apparently a pool of blood around the victim, the culprit couldn¡¯t have gotten away cleanly.


    ¡°Kana?¡± Mari asked suspiciously. ¡°Who¡¯s she?¡± A new female friend brought another pang of jealousy to Mari¡¯s heart. She felt weak again, but she persevered to not show it. Instead, Mari took a sip of the orange juice that came with the food.


    ¡°Oh, just a friend from school,¡± Orion said nonchalantly. ¡°I also helped her out with a murder case involving her direct family.¡± He remembered the case clearly. Kana¡¯s father was one of the children of the Maruyama household and the head of the household Maruyama had been murdered brutally, leaving the family without a written Will. It turned out to be the youngest sibling¡¯s spouse who murdered the head and Kana¡¯s mother tried to assault her in-laws as an attempt to decrease the division the family number will have on the Will¡¯s beneficiary.


    ¡°I¡­see¡­¡± Mari said hesitantly. She had no reason to doubt him, but she still felt jealous that she was not part of the case. ¡°Um¡­was Amane¡­?¡± She trailed off because she couldn¡¯t bring herself to ask.


    ¡°Huh? Was Amane what?¡± Orion asked confusedly. He looked at Mari who was squirming in her seat. He wasn¡¯t sure what Amane had to do with anything, so he was clueless on what Mari wanted to ask.


    ¡°It¡¯s nothing!¡± Mari suddenly slammed her fist down, making Kasumi and Takuya look at her. She flushed beet red as she hung her head low. ¡°It¡¯s¡­nothing¡­ Sorry for the commotion,¡± she muttered under her breath.


    ¡°Hey hey!¡± Kasumi chirped. ¡°How¡¯s Amane? Is she still grieving over her grandparents?¡± Kasumi wore an expression of worry for the older girl. She finished her popsicle and had laid the stick on the table by her bowl.


    ¡°She¡¯s fine now,¡± Orion answered softly. ¡°It took a bit but it¡¯s fine now. I made sure of it.¡± Orion remembered going out to her place to comfort her though that created a misunderstanding with her parents. Orion flushed lightly remembering when he first went to her place.


    It had been two weeks following the Mizushima case. Orion was at home resting and texting Amane when she started crying, or so she messaged him, and wanted to see him in person. He was concerned so he agreed to go to her. She told him she¡¯ll send her chauffeur to pick him up since it was quite a way from his place. The chauffeur arrived in about an hour and drove him to the Mizushima estate.


    The house was large in comparison to Kashiwa¡¯s residential area. There was a guard at the entrance who allowed the chauffeur passed as he had been Amane¡¯s personal chauffeur. Inside, the garden had various roses from tulips to roses to hydrangeas with gardeners taking care of the flowers. The mansion itself had four floors and approximately twenty rooms on each floor though that depended on which room since the sizes differ.


    Once the chauffeur stopped at the entrance, Orion hopped off the car and looked up at the mansion at its whole. He stepped into the mansion carefully, uncertain what would approach him in this huge estate. When he stepped in the mansion, a group of maids showed up.


    ¡°Welcome, Master Orion!¡± The maids said in unison. They all bowed simultaneously.


    ¡°Please come this way,¡± a differently dressed maid showed up in front of Orion. She had on a black kimono with a few white on the front. She led Orion through a few rooms and finally to an extra-large room with closed doors. ¡°This is Lady Amane¡¯s room.¡±


    ¡°Um¡­ thank you,¡± Orion said embarrassedly, blushing lightly.


    The maid simply bowed and left the area. Orion turned to face the closed doors, unable to bring himself to knock. He stared at the doors as though they would open on their own. Then he finally mustered up his courage and knocked on the door.


    ¡°Yes?¡± Amane¡¯s voice came from inside.


    ¡°It¡¯s¡­Orion,¡± Orion said hesitantly, though not sure why he was hesitating. It was Amane who wanted him to come over, so he obliged. He took a deep breath and calmed himself a little.


    ¡°Oh, Orion¡­ Um¡­ Yes, please come in.¡±


    Orion pushed the doors in and took a step inside the room. The d¨¦cor was in pink and so were the sheets and pillowcases. The desk was made of oak with a pink coloured chair tucked in its spot. Amane had been sitting on her bed with two adults by her side.


    ¡°Oh? Is this your boyfriend, Amane dear?¡± the woman teased jokingly.


    ¡°Mooom, please,¡± Amane said with a flustered face. She squirmed in her spot on her bed at her mother¡¯s teasing. She was texting Orion alone in her room when she started crying and her parents must have heard her, so they walked into her room to try to console her. But she had already invited Orion over before they came in.


    ¡°Your mother¡¯s right, you were so downtrodden until you were instructing your chauffeur to bring this boy over,¡± Amane¡¯s father, Takato said.


    ¡°Uh¡­ I¡¯m here,¡± Orion announced weakly. He wasn¡¯t sure what to take out of this exchange between Amane and her parents. It seemed like his presence was creating a misunderstanding between them.


    ¡°Ahaha, I¡¯m sorry, Orion¡­¡± Amane said, looking downcast to which her parents took the hint to leave the room. They bade her well and not to do anything reckless with Orion. ¡°Moooom!!¡±


    Her mother laughed before she departed with her husband Takato. Amane climbed out of bed and walked over to Orion. She gave him a warm embrace to which he reciprocated, holding her for a while.


    ¡°I¡¯m glad you were able to come,¡± Amane said softly, resting her face on his chest. She felt at ease now, compared to earlier when she broke down about her grandparents again.


    ¡°It¡¯s no problem, Amane,¡± Orion said, smiling and patting her on the head. ¡°If it helps you, I¡¯ll always do it.¡±


    ¡°Hehe,¡± Amane giggled. ¡°You shouldn¡¯t say something like that so easily, you know. And to just anyone. It could create issues for you!¡±


    ¡°Earth to Orion,¡± Satoru said loudly to Orion. ¡°What are you blushing for? What are you even thinking about?¡± Satoru was grilling Orion for spacing out in the middle of conversation. He had never done that before, so Satoru was curious for Orion¡¯s first.


    ¡°Huh? Oh, uh, sorry about that,¡± Orion muttered. ¡°I¡­didn¡¯t get much sleep, yeah, let¡¯s put it to that.¡± He picked up his phone and swiped it to check if Kana responded. She had given her address. ¡°Well, I got the address so let me call Fujioka.¡± He dialled Fujioka¡¯s number and got through to her. He reported the case and got that Himura would meet him at the victim¡¯s apartment complex. He sent a quick text to Kana that they were heading over right now with the TMPD. ¡°Let¡¯s get to Tokyo now. Man, I wish we had Amane¡¯s car.¡±


    Mari raised an eyebrow at Orion, feeling a surge of jealousy rise inside her. ¡°Amane¡¯s¡­car?¡± Mari asked incredulously, unable to help feeling bitter and showing it. But knowing Orion, he wasn¡¯t going to catch that bitter tone.


    ¡°Oh, uh, she¡¯s been driving us around for the last two months,¡± Orion explained awkwardly. He didn¡¯t really want to elaborate the details to Mari because he knew she¡¯d get upset for one reason or another. Instead, Orion stood up and led the group out of the house.


    ¡°I actually have some work to do, so I¡¯m skipping out,¡± Satoru said as he stood up. ¡°Sorry, Orion. Text me if you need anything looked up though, I¡¯ll try to get that much done.¡± It wasn¡¯t a lie, but he also didn¡¯t want to tag along Mari and Orion. Satoru sighed depressed as he looked away.


    ¡°Oh, alright then, Satoru,¡± Orion nodded. ¡°Take care and don¡¯t overwork yourself.¡± Orion wondered why Satoru was suddenly withdrawing from a case, but it was not his business, so he stepped back.


    Orion led the group to the train station where he bumped into Amane right before he tapped his Rail Pass. She was wearing a light-yellow dress with floral designs on it and a green ribbon on the back of her hair.


    ¡°Orion?¡± Amane asked as she walked up to Orion. She hadn¡¯t expected to bump into Orion at the train station. She had been wanting to visit Orion suddenly but her designated car was out for maintenance, so she took the train herself.


    ¡°Wait, what are you doing here, Amane?¡± Orion asked, surprised. He never thought Amane would be in Kashiwa and especially by train. ¡°What about your chauffeur?¡±


    ¡°Ah, the car¡¯s in maintenance right now,¡± Amane replied. She was mindful that Kasumi and Mari were also present, so she felt a bit uneasy to explain her reasons for being here. Nonetheless, she said truthfully, ¡°Um¡­I was going to¡­visit you.¡±


    ¡°Ah, well we¡¯re actually headed to a case Kana found,¡± Orion explained. ¡°Come along now that you¡¯re here.¡± He was relieved to see Amane again and really wanted her to tag along to the case. He¡¯d actually missed her though it hasn¡¯t been long since he saw her. Like yesterday at school.


    ¡°Are you sure?¡± Amane asked, uncertainty in her voice. She fidgeted in place as she avoided looking at Orion. A shaky feeling was felt in her abdomen as she worried that she was getting into too many cases with Orion. But she liked that he invited her in. It made her feel welcomed and wanted.


    ¡°Yeah, of course,¡± Orion nodded. ¡°Let¡¯s get going now before Himura will break me. Too bad your chauffeur and car aren¡¯t here.¡± Orion sighed as he took out his Rail Pass. He tapped it as the other girls did the same following him.


    ¡°Um, I could try to get another car out here,¡± Amane said as she walked beside Orion. Her heart was beating rapidly due being close to Orion. She felt like she got a lot closer to Orion after the Mizushima case with Tomoyo and her grieving.


    ¡°No, it¡¯ll take too much time,¡± Orion shook his head. ¡°We might as well travel by rail.¡± Orion would have loved to have a car out here, but the time to wait for the car and then travel to the location was going to take about the same time as taking the train.


    The group rode the train into Tokyo and in about an hour or so, they disembarked the train and walked over to Kana¡¯s apartment complex. Keshiki Himura was already there with a group of officers and forensics team.


    ¡°You¡¯re here, Minamoto,¡± Himura said stoically. He didn¡¯t understand why he was assigned to investigate this case with the boy again. But orders were orders, and he wasn¡¯t about to get into trouble with Fujioka for his personal opinions.


    ¡°Sorry for the delay, had to take the train over,¡± Orion apologised with a small bow. He glanced around the white apartment complex that was four stories tall. Kana¡¯s apartment was 2G on the second floor.


    Orion and Himura led their group into the apartment complex and climbed the stairs to the second floor. Himura went to Kana¡¯s apartment first and rang the doorbell. After a few moments, Kana opened the door. She was wearing a pink dress with floral designs and a pink beret along with matching pink sandals with straps that wrapped around her ankle.


    ¡°Oh, Orion! And the Tokyo MPD!¡± Kana beamed brightly at the group. ¡°I¡¯m SO glad you came.¡± Kana felt warmth from her chest as she saw Orion though she was a bit disappointed that he was surrounded by other girls. ¡°Let me show you to the apartment in question. It¡¯s right across from me.¡±


    Kana stepped out of the apartment and walked across to 2J, opening the door slightly. She stepped to the side to allow the police into the building and then followed Orion into the apartment.


    The forensics team started taking precautions and photographs of the corpse while the officers were investigating the apartment itself. Himura looked around and then spotted Kana and approached her.


    ¡°Tell me the details of your discovery of the body,¡± Himura commanded Kana. He was concerned that a high school girl found a body in this state.


    ¡°Umm, well, my dad and I went out to eat last night around 6 PM,¡± Kana began her retelling. ¡°We came back around 8 PM or so and I noticed this apartment door was slightly ajar. I was a bit concerned so I knocked on the door, but no one answered. After a bit, my dad and I pushed open the door and we saw the body like that.¡± Kana shivered as she remembered the scenes from last night.


    ¡°Why didn¡¯t you call the police last night?¡± Himura grilled Kana. It irked him that a body discovery wasn¡¯t reported first thing, and the police were only notified via a high school kid.


    ¡°Ummm¡­¡± Kana said nervously. ¡°I¡¯m not sure. I guess I was in shock¡­¡± Kana twisted her hands in anxiety. She wasn¡¯t used to being interrogated as she looked over to Orion for help. She had a pleading look on her face.


    ¡°What¡¯s done is done, and we know now,¡± Orion said, quickly coming to Kana¡¯s rescue. He knew Himura was right, but Kana was too upset upon discovering a body, anyone would be in her shoes.


    ¡°All right, all right, it has already happened,¡± Himura shrugged as he resumed examining the apartment. ¡°Next time, report directly to the police, please.¡±


    ¡°U-Understood,¡± Kana said nervously, hiding behind Orion that you could barely see her own person. ¡°I-I¡¯m so sorry¡­¡± She hung her head low apologetically. Her hands were wrung together in great anxiety.


    ¡°Quit bullying her, Himura,¡± Orion said vexedly. He turned around and gave Kana a quick, reassuring embrace. He felt daggers being stared into him as he did that, but he couldn¡¯t leave Kana alone.


    ¡°I-It¡¯s fine, Orion,¡± Kana sniffled, grabbing a hold of Orion¡¯s sleeve with her hand. She loved the embrace Orion gave her, though she was a tad disappointed it didn¡¯t last long. She loved the warmth that emanated from Orion and his timing with words and actions. Kana felt her face redden.


    Himura had already moved to another room, where the forensics were taking samples and photos of the corpse. Himura was speaking with the coroner on the details of the death when Orion and his entourage approached Himura, though the Kana girl was still hiding behind Orion.


    ¡°What are the details?¡± Orion inquired. He looked down on the body. It was a woman in her thirties, her face obviously had makeup applied on. She had on a chicken strapped thin white nightgown, with the nightgown soaking in the blood, and she was barefoot. Orion didn¡¯t notice any external injuries from where he was.


    ¡°Cause of death was a clean slice at the aorta, death instantaneous,¡± Himura answered. ¡°Coroner thinks the culprit has medical experience as well as funeral practises. But what I¡¯m curious about is how he got away without dirtying the rest of the apartment after the kill.¡±


    ¡°That is very curious¡­¡± Orion muttered. His eyes went over the apartment in a slow manner. He went around the pool of blood and went into the kitchen. It was spotless, too. Orion exited the kitchen and went to the dining room, but everything was spotless as well. He started walking back to Himura and the group with a confused expression on his face.


    ¡°Are you okay, Orion¡­?¡± Kasumi asked with concern in her voice. She walked toward Orion who gestured for her to stop because of the police presence. Kasumi wrung her hands together as she waited.


    ¡°I¡¯m fine,¡± Orion said reassuringly. ¡°I¡¯m not sure how the culprit got away without getting blood on himself. Wait. Himura.¡± He suddenly had a spark of inspiration as to how the culprit got away.


    ¡°What is it?¡± Himura asked. It seemed Orion had an idea how the culprit got away without leaving any evidence. He didn¡¯t like kids interfering with the interrogation, but Himura had to admit Orion was good. At times. That was it.


    ¡°Was the body made up the way it is now before or after death?¡± Orion asked. He had a feeling the victim was dressed the way she was by the culprit than her own choice. Then he realized something¡­ ¡°Wait. Was the victim even conscious?¡±


    Himura looked startled at the revelation of the possibility the victim wasn¡¯t awake. He turned to the coroner who had been standing there. The coroner scratched his chin as he looked down on the body. The boy had the right idea.


    ¡°I did detect faint chloroform in the victim¡¯s system,¡± the coroner replied. ¡°As for the earlier question, my guess would be that she was dressed prior to death.¡±


    ¡®Bingo,¡¯ Orion thought to himself. He figured the culprit drugged the victim with chloroform and then changed her clothes then killed her by puncturing her aorta. Then he put her down and escaped before the blood started flowing freely. ¡®But if that was so, how would they catch the guy?¡¯ Orion thought. He balled up his fists knowing that.


    ¡°Orion? Are you okay?¡± Amane asked softly, pulling on his wrist. She was worried about the silence from Orion. She didn¡¯t completely understand but the key to the case seemed to be on the time of death and when the body was let go. ¡°Don¡¯t overwork yourself.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Amane,¡± Orion reassured the girl. He then told the details he figured out to Himura who only looked slightly impressed. But the capture was going to be difficult as they didn¡¯t have any clues.

 chapter thirteen: dont say goodbye

    Case Four: the meaning of farewells


    Chapter 13: don¡¯t say goodbye


    Eiji Narukawa packed his belongings in his duffel bag. It contained some number of syringes, a few chisels, knives, and other miscellaneous objects for his mission. Eiji zipped up the duffel bag and swung it over his shoulder before leaving his apartment. His next victim was another woman named Satoko Mishima who lived in the residential area of Shinjuku.


    Eiji took the train to the victim¡¯s location and prepared himself for the mission today. He determined It was Satoko¡¯s time to leave the world, as she was forty years old now. She wasn¡¯t getting any younger. Eiji grimaced at what he was about to do, but it was his mission. ¡®I¡¯m sorry, Mother¡­¡¯ Eiji thought to himself, gripping his duffel bag tighter to the point that his knuckles were white.


    Eiji then went inside Satoko¡¯s apartment building and rode the elevator to the eleventh floor where she resided. He hummed to himself during his elevator ride when the elevator stopped and opened the doors. He stepped out and headed to apartment 11D where Satoko Mishima lived. Eiji rang the doorbell and waited patiently, whistling a nostalgic tune from his childhood when his mother was still alive.


    Satoko Mishima opened the door to see a young man standing outside her door. She did not recognize him at all, so she tried to close the door but Eiji was quicker than her and pushed his way through. He locked the door and pushed Satoko deeper inside.


    ¡°W-Who are you?!¡± Satoko asked in a panic. ¡°What are you doing here?¡± Satoko was visibly shaking, terrified for her life of what¡¯s happening to her right now.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, it¡¯ll be quick¡­¡± Eiji muttered mostly to himself. ¡°It¡¯ll be fine¡­ You won¡¯t feel a thing¡­¡±


    Satoko tried to scream but Eiji placed a hand over her mouth before any sound could come out. She started perspiring and her knees felt so weak that she collapsed to the ground. She couldn¡¯t stand up even if she wanted to escape from this home intruder.


    Eiji bent down and put his duffel bag on the floor beside him. He lifted Satoko¡¯s chin up with one hand and licked his lips, causing Satoko to shudder violently. Then he dropped Satoko and unzipped his duffel bag. He took out a handkerchief and sprayed it with a small bottle before covering Satoko¡¯s mouth and nose with the handkerchief.


    Satoko realized what was happening and struggled for her life to loosen the man¡¯s grip on her. But the more she struggled, the more the man held her tighter with one arm. She started to feel her consciousness fading but she still struggled and kicked with her feet in the air.


    Eiji kept gripping on the woman until she finally stopped moving. He went into his duffel bag and took out a white negligee, placing it on the floor beside the bag. Then he undressed Satoko and put the negligee on her. He folded Satoko¡¯s previous clothes and stood up, then put the clothes on her bed. Returning to the living room with the unconscious woman, Eiji picked out a knife and picked up his bag, to prevent it from getting dirty after the mission is carried through. He put the duffel bag by the door and returned to the body. He licked his lips once. He felt adrenaline rush through his body as he then pierced her aorta with the knife right by her chest. He quickly stepped backwards and picked up his duffel bag, swinging it across his shoulder.


    **


    Back in Kashiwa, Mari was jamming to her music in her room, trying to zone out her parents¡¯ discussion about her father¡¯s relocation. She didn¡¯t really want to leave, but she didn¡¯t know where else she could stay. Plus, her brother Kazuki wanted to go with them.


    Mari put down her headphones and sat down on her bed. She felt like tearing up again, which has been happening every day since her parents announced the relocation. She didn¡¯t want to leave Orion. Gripping her bedsheets, tears streamed down her cheeks, shaking her head rapidly.


    ¡®Orion¡­¡¯ Mari thought longingly. ¡®Why can¡¯t you help me too?¡¯


    Mari fell on her side on her bed, clutching her pillow to her chest. She closed her eyes as the tears fell down her cheeks. She felt despondent and reached for her smartphone. She thought about texting Orion but in her despair, she felt she¡¯d only be interrupting his time with Amane. ¡®Maybe I should just confess to Orion and be done with it¡­ Maybe then I will be freed from this agony.¡¯


    Mari started crying again when her phone buzzed with a new text message from Orion.


    Hey Mari are you okay?


    Mari gasped and quickly sent a response to Orion: ¡­I¡¯ll¡­.be fine¡­.


    Right then, Orion sent another text: What¡¯s wrong? You can talk to me.


    Mari struggled with the words before replying with: umm¡­ im not sure right now. I¡¯ll let you know when I¡¯m ready to disclose this.


    Orion sent another text: All right. That sounds good. Remember I¡¯m here for you.


    Mari struggled with her tears again, wondering what Orion would think or say if she were to confess to him. She decided she would confess to Orion if she had to relocate with her parents, after telling him about the relocation.


    **


    In Tokyo, Amane was reorganizing her room while listening to music on her laptop. She wanted to change a little of her room, starting with more throw pillows. Amane changed her bed sheets and pillowcases to another shade of pink. She rearranged her stuffed animals on her bed. Then Amane stood a little away from the bed and nodded in approval. Her room was slightly changed but still had the pink to match the walls. Amane then flopped on her bed with her smartphone in hand and scrolled through the messages to find the chat with Orion.


    Amane quickly tapped her phone to send the message: Hey Orion! How are you doing?


    Orion responded immediately: Hey Amane. I¡¯m good today. How about you? Are you okay?


    Amane flushed at the concern Orion showed her. She loved talking to Orion and how he was always willing to cheer her up no matter what the cause was. It made her feel loved and wanted. Then she typed up a message to Orion: Yeah, I¡¯m fine! Hey, can we meet up tomorrow?


    Orion was typing. Tomorrow? That might not be a good idea. I have something to do tomorrow. Sorry, Amane. I¡¯ll make it up to you!


    Amane sighed and flipped to lying on her side with her phone. She wanted to see Orion again, but it couldn¡¯t be helped. All right, Orion! It¡¯s a promise. :)


    Orion sent a quick response: Of course.


    **


    Orion stretched his arms as he got up from his seat. He had just finished texting Mari and then Amane, but he was really concerned for Mari even if she wasn¡¯t ready to tell him what was going on. He had decided to visit Mari tomorrow to see if he could get anything out of her. He felt guilty having to turn down Amane¡¯s offer to meet up, but he had to make sure his friend was going to be okay.


    He grabbed his smartphone and checked the time. 22:04. Orion yawned as he sprawled out on his bed. He held onto his smartphone as he started losing consciousness. Orion fell asleep for about two hours when his phone buzzed. Rubbing his eyes, Orion checked his smartphone.


    It was a message from Mari. orion¡­ im sorry to wake you up but can we talk?


    Orion¡¯s eyes widened. Yeah, what¡¯s up?


    Mari started typing. umm actually can we talk tomorrow?


    Orion¡¯s eyebrows were raised in confusion. That¡¯s fine. I was going to visit you tomorrow.


    Orion fell back asleep with his phone in hand in case of any emergency texts. The rest of the night went by peacefully for Orion. When Orion woke up again, it was around 8:02 AM. He yawned greatly before kicking off his blanket and sitting up on his bed. He remembered he was going to Mari¡¯s to check on her. And considering her late-night text, he was concerned about her wellbeing.


    This story originates from a different website. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.


    Orion sat upright and changed into a casual outfit of a black hoodie and dark blue jeans. He skipped breakfast and practically dashed out of his house to get to Mari¡¯s place. He rang the bell and waited for someone to open the door, though he admitted it was rather early. However, Mari opened the door regardless. She was wearing a pink blouse with a white knee-length skirt and a pair of beige sandals.


    ¡°Orion? Why are you here so early?¡± Mari inquired; her head tilted to the side in confusion. She felt giddy to see Orion early in the morning and wished he did it more often. But she was satisfied with today.


    ¡°I came here to check on you,¡± Orion said, bopping his hand over Mari¡¯s head. ¡°I know you¡¯ve been bothered by something, that much is known. But what¡¯s going on?¡± He patted Mari¡¯s head a few times.


    ¡°Umm¡­ well¡­ Can we talk at your place?¡± Mari asked softly, looking back inside her house. ¡°Just give a moment.¡± Mari went inside the house and then came out with a black backpack on her back. ¡°Okay, so¡­?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, of course,¡± Orion nodded.


    The two walked back to the next house that was Orion¡¯s and Orion unlocked the door for Mari to enter first. He then closed the door and the two took off their shoes before entering the living room. Mari sat meekly, looking around.


    ¡°Hey Kiyo!¡± Mari greeted the parrot, which had chirped in response.


    Orion opened up Kiyo¡¯s cage and the bird flew over to perch on Mari¡¯s shoulder. Then Orion took a seat beside Mari. ¡°So, what¡¯s up?¡±


    ¡°Umm¡­¡± Mari said hesitantly. ¡°Well¡­ It¡¯s about my parents. Umm¡­ They¡¯re¡­relocating¡­but we haven¡¯t discussed whether my brother and I will go with them or not, yet. I¡¯m really scared. I don¡¯t want to go.¡±


    ¡°Where will they be going?¡± Orion asked, a voice full of concern. He patted Mari on the back as she spoke. He was concerned too. He felt uneasy with the revelation from Mari.


    ¡°T-The States¡­¡± Mari stuttered. ¡°I really don¡¯t want to go. But my brother does.¡± She leaned to the side to rest her head on Orion¡¯s shoulder.


    ¡°I don¡¯t want you to go either,¡± Orion admitted to Mari and reached his arm out and held Mari close. He wanted to comfort the girl beside him, so he figured she¡¯d feel better with a hug.


    Mari flushed deep red at the gesture but embraced it. She turned to face Orion and started resting her face on his chest, clutching his hoodie with both hands and Orion responded by holding Mari with both arms. Mari started crying on Orion¡¯s chest, gripping tighter and tighter.


    ¡°It¡¯ll be okay, Mari¡­¡± Orion tried reassuring the girl.


    ¡°I-I¡¯m sorry, Orion¡­¡± Mari stuttered as she gasped for breath. ¡°I-I¡¯m r-really sorry¡­¡± She felt abashed now, too, after Orion gave her such a hug for the first time. She wondered if Orion had done this with someone else before, which gave her a prickly feeling inside. ¡°U-Umm¡­ I also have to say something else¡­¡±


    ¡°Yes?¡± Orion said softly. He petted Mari on the head while one arm held onto the girl. He smoothed her hair as he waited for her statement. He wanted to help her out as much as he could.


    ¡°U-Umm¡­ well, you see¡­ O-Orion¡­¡± Mari stuttered over her words. She wasn¡¯t sure how to word it and she was sure she was going to be turned down. It was most likely Amane that Orion felt something for. She was that certain about it. ¡°I-It¡¯s¡­ um¡­ It¡¯s nothing actually!¡± She couldn¡¯t confess after all. She didn¡¯t want to be turned down and rejected, and then to ruin the friendship they already had. ¡°I-I¡¯m sorry¡­¡±


    ¡°Mari,¡± Orion suddenly said as he pulled her from him to hold her at a distance with both his hands. ¡°Look. I really like you and you¡¯re a really good friend to me. I really care about you and I don¡¯t want you to relocate to the States either. But uh, how should I say this without hurting you too much? Well¡­ I don¡¯t feel the same for you as you do for me. I¡¯m sorry, Mari.¡±


    ¡°O-Oh¡­¡± Mari said slowly, looking down at Orion¡¯s face. She knew that was coming but didn¡¯t know it would come like this. She felt devastated and heartbroken, but she couldn¡¯t very well tell Orion. He came out honestly to her and then she couldn¡¯t just tell him how devastated she was. She clenched her fists in frustration. ¡°I-Is it Amane?¡±


    Orion stayed silent for a while. ¡°Who knows.¡± Orion shrugged and released Mari from his grip. ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter anyway. I¡¯m sorry, I know I hurt you but guessing who I may like is just going to hurt you more.¡±


    That was when Orion¡¯s phone buzzed, which was at an awkward time, but Mari nodded to let him check. She bit her lower lip as she presumed it was Amane texting him. And it was, in fact, a message from Amane: Good morning, Orion! How are you doing today?


    Orion smiled at the message and began typing a response. I¡¯m fine¡­ Had to do something this morning. Hey, want to come over?


    Amane started typing again. Really? That sounds good! I¡¯ll be there in half an hour!¡±


    ¡°I just invited Amane over,¡± Orion announced. ¡°Stay here.¡± He wanted to see if maybe Amane could help Mari feel better. He was still concerned over Mari¡¯s mental wellbeing.


    ¡°B-But I¡ª¡± Mari started to say, drooping her head down. ¡°All right.¡± She figured she could gauge Orion and Amane¡¯s relationship this way.


    After a while, a knock at the front door came through and Orion went to open the door. At the entrance, Amane stood there looking regal with a pink ribbon tied at the back of her head and sporting a polka dot light blue blouse, white shorts that went halfway down her thighs and light blue sandals that wrapped around her ankles. Upon seeing Orion, Amane ran straight to Orion and embraced him tightly.


    Orion returned the embrace, holding Amane tightly. Not knowing Mari was watching, the two remain in an embrace for a while before they disengaged. Amane was flustered, her heart racing and feeling giddy. Then she noticed Mari had disappeared back inside the house and a pang of jealousy struck Amane¡¯s heart.


    ¡°Well, I asked you over since I thought you might be able to help me cheer up Mari,¡± Orion explained. ¡°She¡¯s having a bit of a rough time¡­¡± He figured girls might be able to help each other better, plus he wanted to see Amane again.


    ¡°I¡¯ll try my best!¡± Amane said cheerfully, ignoring the jealousy in her stomach. She looked around and then back at Orion. ¡°Umm¡­¡±


    ¡°Right,¡± Orion said. ¡°Come along now.¡± Orion led Amane into the living room which was on the left of the entrance. Mari had been sitting on the settee, her hands folded on her lap. As Orion and Amane entered, Mari looked up and had a slightly disappointed expression on her face even if she saw the two embraced at the door. ¡°Hey, Mari. I thought you might need some extra support.¡±


    ¡°Hey, Mari,¡± Amane greeted the other girl nervously. ¡°How are you doing now?¡± Amane¡¯s voice was filled with concern. She knew Mari and Orion were childhood friends, and she felt she was stealing Orion away, but she couldn¡¯t help it. But to say stealing would mean Orion had feelings for her and that she was doubtful.


    ¡°Umm¡­¡± Mari said hesitantly. ¡°Well, my parents are relocating because of my dad¡¯s job and they¡¯re going to the States¡­ I don¡¯t really want to go though. My brother does.¡±


    ¡°I¡­I¡¯m so sorry¡­¡± Amane said, hanging her head low. She took a seat beside Mari on the settee. She patted the other girl on the arm consolingly.


    ¡°I¡¯ll be fine¡­¡± Mari said, trailing off from her thoughts. She wasn¡¯t sure why Orion thought it¡¯d be a good idea to invite Amane over. ¡°Umm¡­ I think I¡¯m in the way so¡ª¡± A pang of jealousy and sadness tinged Mari¡¯s heart as she was about to get up from the settee.


    ¡°Not at all,¡± Amane interrupted her, grabbing a hold of Mari¡¯s arm with one hand. ¡°I¡¯m here to listen to you!¡± As soon as Mari sat down again, Amane let go of the arm and smiled. She wasn¡¯t sure why Orion invited her to Mari¡¯s dilemma, but she wanted to help regardless.


    ¡°T-Thanks, Amane,¡± Mari said, smiling weakly. She never imagined she¡¯d be talking like this to her own rival in love. But she figured it wouldn¡¯t hurt; it¡¯s not like it was Amane¡¯s fault that both of them fell for Orion while he was oblivious to both feelings. ¡°Umm, but I really will be fine.¡±


    ¡°Then let¡¯s chat! Like about Orion,¡± Amane smiled slyly, looking to the side where Orion was watching. At the mention of his name, he jolted and stared at Amane with fake hostility. ¡°Oh! I know! You two should come with me to my place!¡±


    ¡°Umm¡­ are you sure?¡± Mari asked with uncertainty. She had never been to Amane¡¯s place, but she knew Amane came from a very wealthy family, so she was nervous about going there. Twisting her hands on her lap, she looked away from Amane.


    ¡°It¡¯ll be fine!¡± Amane said cheerfully. ¡°Orion¡¯s been there before. It¡¯s fine, right?¡± She looked eagerly at Orion, remembering the times Orion visited her during her mourning of her grandparents and the embrace they shared together. Though that was also when her parents started teasing her about Orion.


    ¡°Yes, it¡¯s fine,¡± Orion confirmed. ¡°Her parents are really friendly.¡± Orion spoke as a smile sneaked onto his face. He remembered one time he went to her family¡¯s house.


    It was about a month ago when Orion visited Amane again. Amane still didn¡¯t feel like going out outside of school, so Orion agreed to visit again. The chauffeur picked him up and drove him to the family house as usual.


    Orion arrived at Amane¡¯s family house and two adults were standing outside the door with large grins on their facial expressions. Orion approached them with a smile.


    ¡°Umm, hello¡­ Mizushima¡­¡± Orion said hesitantly, uncertain how to address Amane¡¯s parents. He looked uneasy, looking between the wife and husband.


    ¡°You can just call us by name,¡± Takato Mizushima smiled. ¡°My name is Takato. And Amane¡¯s mother is Michiko.¡±


    ¡°Umm¡­ okay, Sir Takato and Lady Michiko,¡± Orion said, still feeling slightly uneasy at calling Amane¡¯s parents by their given names.


    Takato laughed. ¡°I like you already. If you¡¯re serious with Amane, we¡¯ll give you our blessings.¡±


    ¡°Daaad!!¡± Amane¡¯s voice came from the entryway. ¡°What are you doing?!?!¡± She burst into Orion and her parents.


    ¡°Earth to Orion!¡± Amane¡¯s voice came through Orion¡¯s reverie. Her heart plummeted a little thinking about Orion possibly thinking about someone else.


    ¡°Oh, sorry,¡± Orion muttered. ¡°I was just recalling your parents.¡± Orion realized he said it in an awkward way, to create misunderstanding with Amane and Mari, who had just recently tried to confess to him.


    ¡°¡­Oh¡­ Um¡­¡± Amane flushed beet red at the mention. She, too, remembered the same scenario with her parents and Orion. Her heart was racing, thinking back to how her parents introduced themselves to Orion. Her face was still very red.


    Mari looked at both Amane and Orion and wondered just what happened with the two. A pang of jealousy struck Mari¡¯s heart, and sadness because Orion already rejected her before she made a better form of a confession. ¡°Are you two¡­dating?¡± Mari asked suspiciously.


    ¡°W-What?¡± Amane turned to look at Mari, having stopped blushing now. ¡°N-No! We¡¯re not!¡± Amane stammered, her face turning red again. Her heart was racing again, and she panicked about how Mari would feel.


    ¡°N-No,¡± Orion perspired. ¡°We¡¯re not.¡± Orion felt a pang of regret in his heart as he said that, but that was true after all. They weren¡¯t dating at all, though Orion felt a weird sensation in his chest when he thought about it. ¡®Maybe it wouldn¡¯t be so bad to go out with Amane¡­¡¯ Orion thought to himself. He shook his head. It was too early to tell.


    ¡°O-Oh¡­¡± Mari said hesitantly. She looked down at her hands and wrung them together on her lap. ¡°Umm¡­ So, are we going to visit Amane¡¯s home?¡±


    ¡°Yeah!¡± Amane said cheerfully, forgetting the question Mari asked about her and Orion. ¡®I wouldn¡¯t mind dating Orion¡­ but that¡¯s only IF he felt the same for me. Wait¡­ The same? Do I feel that way for Orion?¡¯ She shook her head. Things are too inconclusive right now to determine that,¡¯ Amane thought. Then aloud, she said, ¡°Umm¡­ well, my chauffeur is outside in the parking area so we can go anytime!¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s go!¡± Mari said, getting up from her seat.


    The three left Orion¡¯s house and headed to Amane¡¯s car where Amane took the passenger seat while Mari and Orion were in the backseat. The group rode in silence to Amane¡¯s house where they arrived in approximately thirty minutes. The group left the car and Mari stared at the entire mansion flabbergasted.


    ¡°This is where Amane¡­ lives?¡± Mari asked incredulously.


    ¡°Hehe, yes,¡± Amane blushed. ¡°Let¡¯s head on in.¡± She was afraid of what her parents will say now, especially with Mari around. But it might not bode well for Orion.


    Amane led the group into the mansion and upon entering, a row of maids was at the entrance, announcing, ¡°Welcome home, Lady Amane.¡± Amane blushed and hurried along to the interior of the mansion, with her entourage chasing after her. Her personal maid also followed her. She took them up the stairs and then to the left where her room was located.


    ¡°Well, uh, welcome?¡± Amane said nervously. ¡°Chika, bring some green tea and snacks.¡±


    ¡°Yes, my lady,¡± the maid Chika acknowledged as she left the room to prepare her task.


    Amane flopped down on her bed while watching her two guests. She wasn¡¯t sure why she invited Mari to her place, but maybe some tea will relax her. And casual topics to be discussed may help. Amane sat up on her bed and gestured to Mari and Orion to get closer.


    ¡°Yes?¡± Mari asked meekly. She wasn¡¯t sure how to act in such a grandeur mansion, even if it was her friend¡¯s. Butterflies were felt in Mari¡¯s stomach figuratively as she fiddled her thumbs.


    ¡°Come on, you can sit anywhere. Like my desk if you so wish,¡± Amane smiled. ¡°You too, Orion.¡± She was hoping Orion would sit next to her, but she knew that would set off triggers with Mari. Sighing, Amane clutched her shorts and looked away from her guests. Unexpectedly to Mari and Amane, Orion took a seat on Amane¡¯s bed, causing Amane to flush beet red. That was also when her maid Chika returned with a pot of tea, three teacups and a few cookies for snacks.


    ¡°Ack!¡± Amane suddenly let out a small shriek. ¡°Umm¡­ No, it¡¯s nothing, Chika. You can set down the tea and stuff on my desk.¡± Amane watched Orion relax on her bed near her and felt her heart racing. Her thoughts were speeding at the speed of light. ¡®Oh no, why did Orion take the bedside seat? Not that I mind but¡­  I¡¯m just worried about Mari.¡¯


    Chika took the teapot and poured out the three teacups, brimming with hot green tea. Mari took a cup and blew at it for a bit before taking a sip. It burned her mouth a bit, but it was delicious.


    ¡°That¡¯s good tea¡­¡± Mari said quietly, almost inaudibly. ¡°Umm¡­¡± She watched Orion relaxing on Amane¡¯s bed, feeling a pang of jealousy strike her heart. Though she was turned down, it still stung her to see him relaxing like that with another girl.


    Then Orion got up and took a cup and a cookie with him before turning to bed. He took a sip of the tea and said, ¡°Mari¡¯s right, this is some really good tea.¡± He had a slight smile on his face as he ate the cookie.


    ¡°Thank you,¡± Amane smiled. She glanced over at Orion who had finished the cookie. He got up to pour more tea into his cup and returned to the bed again. ¡°Umm¡­ I can grab some more chairs, if you want.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m fine as-is,¡± Orion replied quickly. ¡°I don¡¯t mind walking a bit to refill my cup.¡± He enjoyed the tea and snacks and sitting near Amane. Something about her made Orion feel at ease. He really enjoyed Amane¡¯s presence.

 chapter fourteen: intermission

    Case Four: the meaning of farewells


    Chapter 14: intermission


    Orion had returned home with Mari through Amane¡¯s chauffeur, while Mari went back to her own house and Orion to his own. Amane had tagged along with Orion to visit his parrot and wanted to be alone with Orion. He agreed readily enough, which lifted Amane¡¯s spirits.


    ¡°Umm, is there something going on between you and Mari?¡± Amane asked nervously, trying to calm her nerves by petting Kiyo the parrot that was perched on her shoulder. Amane didn¡¯t want to be jealous, but she couldn¡¯t help it.


    ¡°Huh? Where did that come from?¡± Orion asked obliviously. He looked over to Amane¡¯s seat with Kiyo chirping happily on her. He was glad his parrot liked Amane; he wasn¡¯t sure what he¡¯d do if Kiyo didn¡¯t like Amane. ¡®Wait¡­ Why would that even matter? Do I¡­like Amane?¡¯ Orion thought in a panic. ¡®I¡¯m not sure what I¡¯d do if I really like Amane. I think she reciprocates, but I don¡¯t know for sure.¡¯


    ¡°Umm¡­ you just seemed to have said you had something to do when it was to check on Mari, so¡­¡± Amane mumbled under her breath, but still audible enough for Orion to hear. She turned away from Orion and Kiyo flew to perch herself on Amane¡¯s lap.


    ¡°Oh, that,¡± Orion laughed nervously. ¡°I just noticed she¡¯s been feeling upset, so I was worried about her. I¡¯m sorry for worrying you.¡± Orion walked over to Amane and patted her on the head, who merely became flustered and tried to shy away.


    ¡°O-Orion!¡± Amane stuttered, still flushed. Her heart was racing, and butterflies were her stomach, figuratively speaking of course. Amane felt like her heart was going to explode as thoughts flooded her brain about Orion. She flustered even more, suddenly reaching her to grab the edge of Orion¡¯s shirt, who looked at her curiously.


    ¡°What is it, Amane?¡± Orion looked over to the girl sitting on the settee. His chest felt warm and bubbly inside as he was watching Amane. His arm reached out and patted Amane on the head a few times.


    ¡°Umm¡­ Orion?¡± Amane asked with a tilted head, looking up at Orion who was patting her head. Her face was even redder than before if that was possible. She was feeling a bit overwhelmed by her feelings and thoughts. Clenching her fists, Amane looked away from Orion because she couldn¡¯t bring herself to look him in the eye.


    ¡°Yes?¡± Orion responded warmly. He started pulling Amane from the settee and wrapped her up with both his arms, aware of Kiyo flapping up from Amane to avoid being squished. Kiyo returned to her cage.


    Amane¡¯s heart started beating furiously with the sudden embrace from Orion. She got so flustered that she lost track of her train of thought. She finally regained control of her thoughts, but decided it was too early to confess to him. ¡°It¡¯s nothing actually. But you startled Kiyo!¡±


    ¡°I know, I know,¡± Orion said apologetically. He released Amane from his embrace and walked back to Kiyo¡¯s cage. He took the parrot outside the cage with the bird perched on his right arm. He returned to Amane and placed the bird on the top of her head.


    ¡°Kiyo!¡± Amane squealed, her hands going up to her head where the parrot cuddled with her fingers. Amane watched Orion carefully, just in case he may be able to deduce what she wanted to say. Her heart was still racing inside her chest as she played with Kiyo. She wanted to stop her heart from beating rapidly, but her thoughts were full of times with Orion.


    ¡°Amane¡­ Are you okay?¡± Orion asked out of concern. A worried expression was shown on his face as he watched the girl. He was still concerned for Amane, so he pulled her closer to him, carefully as to not knock off his parrot.


    ¡°Eep!¡± Amane let out a small gasp, in surprise. She did not expect either of the embraces tonight and she felt a little jealous over Mari, but it seemed there was no nothing to worry about that. ¡°Umm¡­ Yeah, I¡¯m fine, Orion. I¡¯m sorry for worrying you.¡±


    ¡°Think nothing of it,¡± Orion said casually. ¡°You¡¯re important to me.¡± Orion embraced Amane tightly, trying to let her know just how important she was to him now. He wasn¡¯t sure what came over him, but he didn¡¯t mind this. He didn¡¯t mind being with Amane, though in what ways was still unknown to Orion now.


    Amane¡¯s face was flushed deeply in red as she stayed in Orion¡¯s arms. She pulled her hands up and turned around in the embrace to bury her face in his chest. She could smell the slight cologne that Orion used, which smelled really reassuring and calming. She clutched onto Orion¡¯s chest tightly.


    ¡°A-Ah¡­  You¡¯re really important to me too, Orion.¡± She muttered under her breath, her face still beet red.


    ¡°I¡¯m glad to hear that,¡± Orion smiled, petting Amane on the head a few times. He held Amane even closer as her grip on his chest went tighter. He felt very warm and peaceful with Amane in his arms. He then rested his head on Amane¡¯s head, who shivered a little, probably due to an element of surprise.


    **


    Mari flopped on her bed in a depressed state. She took her pillow and clutched it tightly to her chest. She didn¡¯t want to think about how she had been rejected already, when she hadn¡¯t even created a better confession. But it was obvious. Orion liked Amane way more and he didn¡¯t even have to say a word. Mari teared up as she clutched the throw pillow.


    Biting her lower lip, Mari turned to lay on her back and stared up into the ceiling. Her chest ached as she remembered her rejection. She didn¡¯t feel like doing anything. Her stomach hurt her with her inner turmoil. Mari rolled to the other side of the bed and stared at the white-washed wall. ¡®Amane has everything¡­ A happy family, money, looks, smarts, Orion¡­ I¡¯m so jealous,¡¯ Mari thought to herself. She threw the throw pillow to the side in frustration, her tears overflowing.


    Mari suddenly sat up and wiped her tears. She couldn¡¯t let this bring her down and this wasn¡¯t going to break her. She slapped her face with both hands to wake herself up. Mari reached for her phone on her desk and started texting Orion.


    Orion¡­ Are you busy?


    Orion hadn¡¯t responded for a bit. Mari felt disappointed but she wasn¡¯t giving him enough time to respond. Mari sighed regardless, clenching her fists in frustration. Then Mari decided to text Satoru.


    Mari: Hey Satoru


    In a little bit, Satoru responded to the text: Oh, Mari, what¡¯s up?


    Mari hesitated as she thought what she wanted to say. She wasn¡¯t sure why she messaged Satoru either. But she decided to just check on him: Oh, I was just wondering how you¡¯re doing.


    Satoru: I¡¯m good. What about you?


    Mari: Umm¡­. I¡¯m okay, I guess¡­.


    Satoru: What happened? Call me.


    Mari¡¯s heart skipped a beat. She wasn¡¯t sure why Satoru was suddenly so concerned about her. Staring at her phone, Mari wasn¡¯t sure if she should call Satoru or not. But she decided to call Satoru; he could be a good way to vent about her rejection. Mari dialed Satoru¡¯s number and it took him the first ring to pick up.


    ¡°What happened, Mari?!¡± Satoru asked in a panic over the phone. His voice was full of concern that was audible enough for Mari.


    ¡°Umm¡­¡± Mari hesitated. ¡°The thing is¡­ I tried to confess to Orion, but I couldn¡¯t do it completely, yet he guessed it and¡­ rejected me.¡± Mari felt the sting in her heart as she recalled the confession and rejection.


    ¡°¡­I¡¯m sorry, Mari,¡± Satoru said apologetically. ¡°I wish I could do something for you. Do you need anything?¡± Satoru hung his head low from outside the phone.


    ¡°Oh no,¡± Mari said, waving her hand, then realizing Satoru couldn¡¯t see that. ¡°I¡¯m good. I just wanted to chat, really¡­¡±


    This novel''s true home is a different platform. Support the author by finding it there.


    ¡°You can always talk to me,¡± Satoru said. ¡°Orion isn¡¯t your only friend, you know.¡±


    ¡°I know, sorry, Satoru,¡± Mari apologized. ¡°Um¡­ would you like to meet up?¡±


    ¡°That sounds good,¡± Satoru agreed heartily. It made his heart jump in joy at Mari suggesting meeting up without Orion. ¡°When would you like to meet up?¡±


    ¡°Umm¡­ right now, if that¡¯s possible,¡± Mari nodded, and again she forgot Satoru can¡¯t see that.


    ¡°That¡¯s fine. Uh, where would we meet?¡± Satoru asked.


    ¡°We can go to your place,¡± Mari said.


    ¡°Sounds good. Just come on over,¡± Satoru said as the two hung up.


    Mari changed into a yellow blouse and jersey skirt before she headed out. She walked the short distance from her house to Satoru¡¯s. Mari wasn¡¯t completely sure what she was doing, but she was feeling very lonely, and Orion never responded to her text. ¡®Probably busy with Amane¡­¡¯ Mari thought depressingly. As she approached Satoru¡¯s doorstep, Mari rang the bell. Satoru came to the door shortly.


    ¡°Hey, Mari,¡± Satoru smiled at his childhood friend. ¡°Come on in.¡± He led her into the kitchen and turned to her. ¡°Do you want anything to drink?¡± Satoru had a cup out already, for himself first before Mari answered.


    ¡°No, no thanks,¡± Mari shook her head. She wasn¡¯t sure why she reached out to Satoru. He had tried to hurt her yesterday by bringing Amane to Orion. In fact, Mari felt resentful with Satoru. Mari stared into the back of Satoru as the boy poured out orange juice into his cup. She didn¡¯t want to feel this way to her friends, but Satoru had to bring up Amane with Orion at Satoru¡¯s house. As if to say he knew those two were likely to be together.


    ¡°Satoru,¡± Mari said bluntly. She couldn¡¯t stand being here anymore, even though she invited him to meet up. But now that she was here, Mari couldn¡¯t stand being in the same vicinity as Satoru. Clenching her fists, she backstepped a few as Satoru turned toward Mari.


    ¡°Yes?¡± Satoru looked innocent. He picked up his cup and drank from it a bit before settling on the table again. He looked baffled at what Mari said so apathetically. He was concerned for her that his heart felt wrenched.


    Mari felt guilty for what she was going to say as she looked at her childhood friend. Mari breathed in deeply and focused her thoughts. She wanted to be honest with Satoru or else they wouldn¡¯t be true friends.


    ¡°Satoru,¡± Mari started, breathing deeply. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Satoru, but you, frankly, are pissing me off. You knew about Amane and Orion¡¯s closeness, and you still brought her up in front of me yesterday! You KNEW! But you still did it to me! What is the meaning of this, Satoru?! Why do you want to hurt me?!¡± Mari had started to breathe heavily, tears streaming down her face. ¡°Why¡­¡±


    Satoru stared at Mari after her outburst. He wasn¡¯t sure what to say, considering he just wanted to see Mari¡¯s response to Orion and Amane¡¯s closeness. Mari was right; Satoru wanted to hurt her. Not directly, but he wanted her to know Orion seemed to be taken. ¡®Yet how can I just tell her that?¡¯ Satoru thought.


    ¡°I¡­I¡¯m sorry, Mari¡­¡± Satoru said slowly, looking down at the ground. ¡°I don¡¯t have any words for you. You¡¯re right, I¡¯m cruel. But I truly am sorry for what I did to you, Mari. I really am sorry, Mari.¡± Satoru felt an immeasurable amount of guilt after Mari¡¯s outburst. He wasn¡¯t sure what he could do to make up to Mari. ¡°What can I do¡­?¡±


    ¡°Nothing!¡± Mari shouted, still crying. ¡°You¡¯re just like Orion¡­ treating people kindly and then you just drop them.¡± Mari tried wiping her eyes, but the tears wouldn¡¯t stop. She still clenched her fists shakily, not out of anger but frustration.


    That triggered Satoru. He didn¡¯t want to be compared to Orion, but worse was that she was assuming he dropped her. ¡°I didn¡¯t drop you! I¡¯ve always been supporting you!¡± Satoru shouted. ¡°In fact, even as you were going all over Orion, I still stuck with you regardless of my own feelings for you!¡± Satoru moved closer to Mari and held her in his arms.


    Startled, Mari froze in place as she was in Satoru¡¯s arms. She couldn¡¯t comprehend his actions. He was hurting her and then now he says he has feelings for her. Mari shook her head as tears continued to stream down her face. ¡°Wh-What are you saying?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m just saying I never dropped you,¡± Satoru said as he released Mari from his grip. He realized Mari wasn¡¯t going to reciprocate his feelings. His chest tightened as his mood plummeted. Satoru clenched his fists out of Mari¡¯s sight and avoided her look. ¡°Anyway, please leave.¡±


    ¡°Wh-What?¡± Mari stuttered. She was confused at Satoru¡¯s sudden change. He first hugged her and basically confessed now he¡¯s telling her to leave. But that was fine with her. She wasn¡¯t in a mood to deal with Satoru¡¯s mood changes either. Mari turned away and walked briskly to the door. ¡°That¡¯s fine with me. Goodbye.¡±


    Mari walked back to her house, biting her lip in frustration. She wasn¡¯t sure what was up with Satoru, suddenly confessing his feelings and then hugging her then kicking her out of his house. ¡®What is with that jerk?!¡¯ Mari thought to herself, clenching her fists as she walked home. As soon as she arrived home, she wanted to check on Orion but wasn¡¯t sure if Amane was still there. Hesitating at her front door, Mari stood in place for a while before deciding to go visit Orion. She walked a few more steps to his house and rang the doorbell.


    It took a while for Orion to respond and when he opened the door, Amane was standing behind him. Mari was instantly suspicious of the two and what they had been doing. Her heart ached as she watched Amane hide shyly behind Orion. ¡®What is she doing there¡­?¡¯ Mari thought. She bit her lip.


    ¡°Oh, Mari, what brings you here at this time?¡± Orion asked curiously. They just met a few hours ago so he was curious why Mari was back here already. He scratched the back of his head as he wondered Mari¡¯s reason for returning.


    ¡°Umm¡­ I was just going to check on how you are,¡± Mari said hesitantly, trying to make up a good reason for seeing Orion. She didn¡¯t have a reason other than to see him. Even if he rejected her. Mari sighed. ¡°I just wanted to see you.¡±


    ¡°Oh,¡± Orion said plainly. He blinked but did not allow entry to Mari despite knowing the implications of doing this. He didn¡¯t want to hurt Mari any more than he had and letting her inside would only introduce more pain and jealousy for the girl. ¡°Anyway, I have to get Amane back home.¡±


    ¡°Right,¡± Mari nodded as she turned around and returned to her home. Her chest hurt more after the scene that unfolded with Orion and Amane. They were alone together for hours while Mari barely stayed much time with Orion. She never got to spend long periods of time with Orion or Satoru. Then there¡¯s Satoru; he confessed his feelings for her, but Mari didn¡¯t feel the same for Satoru. Mari returned to her room and locked the door before flopping on her bed. Her tears started streaming down her face again.


    **


    ¡°Was that okay, Orion?¡± Amane asked quietly. She looked up at the black-haired boy she was standing behind as he closed the door. She gripped his arm nervously. Amane hoped she didn¡¯t make things weird between the two childhood friends. Her head drooped guiltily as she stared down on the ground.


    ¡°It¡¯s fine,¡± Orion shrugged. ¡°She tried to confess but I told her it wouldn¡¯t work out.  It wouldn¡¯t matter if she saw you or not. Are you worried?¡± Orion looked at Amane who was still looking down. He lifted up her head with his right hand, then patted her on the head. ¡°It¡¯ll be fine.¡±


    ¡°If¡­you say so,¡± Amane said unsteadily.


    ¡°I do say so,¡± Orion said, still lifting her face up with his hand. That¡¯s what he loved about Amane; always caring about others and worrying about them. ¡®Wait¡­ love? Do I love Amane? No, that¡¯s impossible,¡¯ Orion debated with his own mind. He shook his head as he watched the girl stare at the ground. ¡°It¡¯ll be fine, Amane.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Orion,¡± Amane said as she finally lifted her head up and looked Orion in the eye. She was done feeling guilty when she had done nothing wrong. She reached up for Orion¡¯s face who leaned a bit downwards so Amane could reach his face. She touched Orion¡¯s cheek lightly and smiled at him. He smiled right back at her. ¡°I didn¡¯t mean to doubt you.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s fine,¡± Orion smiled, ruffling Amane¡¯s hair a bit. ¡°That¡¯s just how you are, always worrying about other people.¡± He definitely like that about Amane, but it made him concerned about her possibly being taken taking advantage of or manipulated. Orion wanted to hug Amane again but wasn¡¯t certain what she¡¯d think of him getting so touchy.


    Amane leaned forward to Orion and peered into his eyes intently. She was curious what those grey eyes saw each day. Amane reached out her hand and touched Orion¡¯s cheek. She leaned forward onto Orion and clutched his shirt. ¡°Orion¡­ Sorry¡­¡±


    Orion wrapped his arms around Amane as she leaned against him. He could feel Amane¡¯s warmth emanating from her small body. A bubbly feeling surged inside Orion as he held Amane. He wasn¡¯t sure what it was, but he felt very comfortable being with Amane. ¡®Am I¡­in love?¡¯ Orion thought internally. He shook his head rapidly. ¡®Too early to tell.¡¯


    **


    Eiji Narukawa stood in front of an apartment complex in Shibuya with his duffel bag in hand. He stared at the building where his next target lived. Mitsuko Tachikawa aged thirty-four. She lived alone in a small apartment with no pets or boyfriend. Eiji gripped his duffel bag tighter as he entered the building.


    Mitusko was cleaning the kitchen when she heard the bell peal. She wondered who that could be, considering she doesn¡¯t normally receive visitors so she was curious who that could be. Thinking it must be a salesperson trying to con her into buying something she didn¡¯t need, Mitsuko put her kitchen rag on the counter and went to the door.


    It was a stranger at the door. He had messy black hair with black-rimmed glasses, sporting a blue tee shirt and black jeans. Mitsuko didn¡¯t know this guy. She was about to close the door on the guy when his arm suddenly outstretched and kept the door open. He stepped through the door and locked the door behind him.


    ¡°Wh-Who are you?!¡± Mitsuko stammered, falling backwards and landing on her behind. She shook her head rapidly, feeling in disbelief at what was happening to her. This normally happened to other people. Mitsuko tried to get back up, but her legs felt like jelly. As the intruder walked closer to Mitsuko, she flailed her legs at the intruder.


    Eiji noticed the kick or attempted kick, so he sidestepped from the victim. He put his duffel bag on the table and took out a washcloth as well as a small bottle. He sprayed the cloth with the bottle and placed the bottle back inside his bag. Then Eiji walked back to Mitsuko and pushed the washcloth against her mouth and nose.


    Mitsuko struggled against Eiji, flailing her arms and legs desperately. She didn¡¯t know what was going but she was terrified for her life. She felt her consciousness fading but Mitsuko continued to struggle against the assailant to the best of her ability. ¡°Wh-What are you doing to me? S-Stop¡­ Please s-stop¡­¡± Mitsuko cried out softly as her strength was being sapped.


    ¡°Shut up,¡± Eiji said harshly to the victim as he pressed the cloth against her nose and mouth even harder. ¡°It¡¯s your own fault. Your last day is here.¡± Eiji watched Mitsuko lose consciousness and then dropped her onto the floor.


    Eiji then went to the table and took out a white negligee and changed Mitsuko into it. He placed her regular clothing into the bathroom before he went to the duffel bag for his knife. Eiji sliced Mitsuko¡¯s neck and quickly stepped back with his knife. Before leaving, Eiji went to the bathroom to wash the knife and then replaced the knife in his duffel bag. Picking up the bag, Eiji closed the door and left the apartment complex.


    In an apartment complex in Shinjuku, a teenage girl named Nina Otonashi was walking around her parents¡¯ apartment floor. She was curious how many apartments there were and possibly who was where, since she recognized most of her neighbors. That was when she passed Satoko Mishima¡¯s apartment and noticed the door was slightly ajar.


    Nina pushed the door open a little and peered inside. Everything looked normal to her from where she was. The lights were still on, the table looked clean, and the apartment didn¡¯t look too messy. She wasn¡¯t sure exactly what kind of person Satoko Mishima was, but she seemed tidy. Then Nina took a sniff of the air, and it smelled like¡­ iron? Blood?


    Nina pushed the door open even further and stepped inside the apartment. There was a body at the center of the living room with a pool of blood around the body. The blood was coagulated at this time. Nina guessed it was Satoko Mishima lying in the apartment. But the moment she saw the body, she screamed and ran out of the apartment, leaving the door wide open.


    Nina returned to her parents¡¯ flat out of breath, then realized both her parents were still at work. She wasn¡¯t sure what to do so she decided to just call the police. She dialed 110 for the police and tried to calm down to explain to the operator what she had just witnessed.


    **


    Orion was sitting with Amane on his settee when he received a text message from Inspector Himura. The text message mentioned the latest case, the one Kana discovered, and how there was a new body discovered that matched the modus operandi. Lastly, Orion¡¯s presence was requested at the new body location and an address was posted.


    At the moment, it was in the evening, so Orion was hesitant to bring Amane along. Especially when the case could take a while and then it¡¯ll be too late for a young girl to be out and about. Orion looked at Amane and patted her.


    ¡°You should head home,¡± Orion said quietly, knowing she wouldn¡¯t like to hear that. ¡°The case may get late.¡±


    ¡°No,¡± Amane said plainly but stubbornly. ¡°I¡¯m going with you!¡± Amane liked sticking around Orion for cases or casual outings. She didn¡¯t want to be shooed away. ¡°Please, Orion¡­¡± She looked at Orion pleadingly, hoping she could somehow pull off puppy eyes with Orion.


    Orion sighed. ¡°All right, all right. Can your chauffeur drive us over there then?¡± He patted Amane on the head again. Orion couldn¡¯t just refuse Amane, and it would be helpful to have her chauffeur around. Being with Amane put him at ease though he couldn¡¯t afford too much of that in a case.


    ¡°Of course!¡± Amane answered cheerfully. ¡°Shall we go?¡± Amane looked eagerly at Orion. She loved investigating cases with Orion. Her heart started beating rapidly as this was one of their first incidents that they¡¯re investigating with just the two of them.


    ¡°Let¡¯s,¡± Orion nodded. He stood up from the settee while Amane had done the same. They departed Orion¡¯s house and headed to Amane¡¯s private car.

 chapter fifteen: confession

    Case Four: the meaning of farewells


    Chapter 16: <u>confession</u>


    Orion and Amane were driven to the apartment in Edogawa, which took about thirty-something minutes. The two sat next to each other in the car with silence between the two. As they arrived closer to their destination, Orion glanced at Amane, who was busy staring at her hands before he returned his glance to the outside.


    When the two arrived, the chauffeur went to park while Orion and Amane went inside the apartment complex. The apartment in question was 3C so the two took the stairs. As they climbed the stairs, Amane grabbed onto Orion¡¯s arm. The two entered the apartment with Amane clutching his arm and Himura came up to them at the door.


    ¡°You¡¯re finally here, Minamoto,¡± Himura said plainly. ¡°And you, Mizushima.¡± Himura turned around and waited for them to line up behind him to enter.


    The two students lined up behind Himura as he led them inside the apartment. Orion noticed this apartment was a bit roomier than the last victim¡¯s apartment. The apartment looked clean as though the victim had been cleaning it not long before the culprit got her. But there were no signs of struggle or forced entry, as he checked before they proceeded ahead. Orion stared at the lock and knob. ¡®Forced entry¡­. There weren¡¯t any signs of it, so does that mean the victim knew the culprit? Or did he just come dressed so casually she thought it was a friend?¡¯


    Orion shook his head as if trying to shake his thoughts around. He wasn¡¯t getting the right thoughts. He walked close to the body but not enough to step in the pool of blood that formed around the victim. ¡®A pool of blood¡­again. Why does he insist on making this such a mess? Pool of blood¡­¡¯ He slammed his fist against his other hand. He wasn¡¯t making any progress. ¡®I must be focusing on the wrong object.¡¯ Orion squinted and stared down at the body below him.


    ¡°This is scary¡­¡± Amane said cautiously, looking down on the body. ¡°And kind of cruel. Isn¡¯t the neck the cause of the bleeding? He must have cut there¡­mercilessly. I mean, that¡¯s where most of the blood is¡­¡±


    Amane¡¯s observation inspired Orion. The neck area was the most coagulated of the entire body, so it made sense the culprit sliced there. He knelt by the body but not close to the coagulated blood. ¡®And just how did the guy get away before making such a mess? Does he have medical expertise¡­? What about all their clothing? Why are both females in a transparent negligee. Is this a fetish? Or is it something else?¡¯


    Amane looked down on Orion kneeling by a dead body. ¡°Uh, are you alright, Orion?¡± Amane asked out of concern. She walked over to where Orion was kneeling and patted him on the head. She knelt beside Orion and tried to observe what he was looking at. She just saw a dead female body dressed in a partial transparent negligee with nothing else on her body. ¡®Maybe she was about to sleep when a home intruder arrived.¡¯ She was about to voice that to Orion when he suddenly stood up and she joined him. ¡°Orion?¡±


    ¡°Huh? Oh, sorry, I was lost in thought,¡± Orion muttered, rubbing the back of his head in abashment, and avoiding Amane¡¯s glance. ¡°Uh, what was it again?¡± Orion couldn¡¯t let Amane know he was so busy thinking about the case that he didn¡¯t hear her question or statement. He wasn¡¯t sure what would happen, but it would most likely hurt the other girl. He patted Amane on the head a few times to assuage her worries.


    ¡°I was just wondering if you¡¯re alright,¡± Amane pouted, pulling Orion¡¯s sleeve. ¡°You were pretty focused there¡­ I was just concerned, that¡¯s all. Looks like it was nothing to worry about though.¡± She looked away from Orion the same way he avoided her glance for the most part. She felt a bit neglected by Orion even though she shouldn¡¯t; this was somewhat his job after all. He was helping Tokyo Metropolitan Police after all.


    ¡°Hey Amane,¡± Orion suddenly said, focusing his attention on the redheaded girl. She was wearing a light blue polka dot blouse with knee length white shorts and ankle sandals. Amane was standing near him but for some reason he had an inkling that something was going to happen to Amane. One of the forensics guys must have sensed it too because he went out of the kitchen and tried to reach for Amane. Considering distance, Orion quickly reached out and stepped forward to grab Amane. His hand managed to grab a hold of Amane and then he simply pulled her toward him.


    ¡°Ah!¡± Amane suddenly gasped as she was pulled into Orion¡¯s space. She reached him and clutched his shirt at the startling moment when Orion grabbed her arm. She did not expect the actions. ¡°Wh-What¡¯s wrong, Orion? Did I do something?¡± Amane asked curiously, still holding onto Orion by the shirt.


    Orion merely held onto Amane as he watched the area. He felt they weren¡¯t clear in the apartment just yet. There was going to be something over the dead body. Then he pulled Amane to behind him and then started moving closer to the body. That was when the body suddenly exploded with all the coagulated blood.


    ¡°Orion! Orion! Are you there???¡± Amane asked out of panic, looking frantically in the smoke that was left in the apartment¡¯s living room where the body used to be at. She attempted to brush aside the smoke as she looked for Orion.


    ¡°Stop there, Amane,¡± Orion¡¯s voice came out from within the smoke. ¡°Inspector Himura! Are you there?! I¡¯m by where the body was,¡± Orion shouted to the inspector. As expected, the inspector and his team of officers opened all the windows and turned on all the fans in the apartment. Orion staggered out of the remaining smoke as Amane ran straight for him for a side embrace, which felt more like a tackle to the injured Orion. ¡°Ack!¡± Orion coughed a few times before standing up with Amane stuck to his side. ¡°I¡¯m alright, Amane.¡±


    ¡°Report!¡± Inspector Himura finally came up to the two who were in the remaining smoke. He did not know what to expect with the second case and a small explosion occurring where the body was. ¡®How am I supposed to report this to Chief Superintendent Fujioka, especially with civilians involved. Crap. This is bad.¡¯


    ¡°I was observing the body for any further details that could be gotten, and Amane here was assisting me in that. I was getting stuck on how the culprit always made a pool of blood around the body but always escaped without getting a drop of blood on him,¡± Orion started off first. He dug his hands into his jeans pockets as he spoke.


    ¡°Then Amane pointed out the neck must have been the source where the culprit slashed or cut. So we were trying to study the body and that pool of blood when I felt¡­like something was going to happen¡­to Amane, and the dead body,¡± Orion said, a faint blush went over his face. He looked away from Amane, not afraid of her response but how she would take that. ¡®I¡­think I¡¯m in love with Amane,¡¯ Orion thought internally. He decided he¡¯d confess to Amane if a good opportunity came up. His face turned redder than before as he thought through things internally.


    ¡°Got it,¡± Inspector Himura nodded as he wrote down Orion¡¯s report. He looked down at where the body used to be, but now it was just black ash with burnt blood particles. ¡°You kids can go home first. Don¡¯t worry about anything. You¡¯re still on the case.¡± Himura didn¡¯t like having to reassure kids, but he felt he should reassure them before they might go to Fujioka. Sighing, Inspector Himura was not pleased. Not only did they have a second body, but it also exploded on the entire team. They had nothing to take back to the morgue now. Himura sighed as he returned to examining the rest of the apartment.


    Orion and Amane left the apartment building in silence, walking side by side as usual but their moods were dampened by the sudden mini explosion. They had no clue what happened, and it could have injured Amane greatly. Orion clenched his fists in frustration, feeling he had almost lost the one he loved.


    Orion suddenly pulled Amane close for a side embrace and rested his head on top of her head. He held her close for a while as Amane rested her face on Orion¡¯s chest while clutching his shirt. He wasn¡¯t sure what overcame him to do this; might be the fact he almost lost Amane due to his carelessness. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Amane¡­¡±


    This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.


    ¡°Hmm?¡± Amane said, lifting her face up a bit. ¡°What are you apologizing for?¡± She buried her face against Orion¡¯s chest again for comfort. She wasn¡¯t sure what warranted this closeness, but it made her happy. She felt bubbly and her stomach full of butterflies as she clutched onto Orion¡¯s chest.


    ¡°Um¡­ I¡­almost lost you back there,¡± Orion said hesitantly, in a quieter voice than usual. He gripped Amane tighter in his arms. ¡°I really, really almost did. I¡¯m just fortunate that no harm came to you.¡± He buried his face in Amane¡¯s radiant dark red hair.


    ¡°Oh¡­ I¡¯m glad you were able to get me back safely,¡± Amane muttered, her face flushed and for once was grateful that Orion couldn¡¯t see her face as it was red as a tomato. ¡°I¡¯m alright now though.¡±


    ¡°I know, I know, but it was terrifying to deal with,¡± Orion said, still holding Amane close to him. ¡°I¡¯m sorry for this mess¡­¡± Orion trailed off as he smelled in Amane¡¯s perfume as he was holding her. He felt a huge relief right now as he was able to save Amane.


    ¡°No, it¡¯s fine, Orion!¡± Amane said as she looked up at Orion. His head was startlingly removed from its spot on Amane¡¯s head as Amane reached out to touch Orion on the cheek. She caressed his cheek for a while before tiptoeing to leave a small peck on Orion¡¯s cheek. Her face was slightly flustered as she avoided Orion¡¯s glance for a bit.


    Orion was startled. He did not expect a peck from Amane at this time and especially with his current mental state. Orion reached out and grabbed Amane¡¯s arm just in case she tried to run. He then leaned forward and kissed Amane on the forehead, causing the girl to blush furiously.


    ¡°O-Orion¡­!¡± Amane stuttered; her face still as red as a tomato. She lowered her head to stare at the ground as she was slowly aware that Orion had held onto her arm after she gave him the kiss. She knew she asked for it by giving him a peck, but she didn¡¯t expect Orion to reciprocate. Amane wondered if it would be a good time to confess to him when she suddenly received a text message. She checked the message. ¡°Oh¡­ I actually have to head home now¡­¡± Her voice was despondent with her head down as she wanted to stay longer with Orion.


    ¡°Oh¡­¡± Orion said, crestfallen. He looked away from Amane who was watching him for his response. Orion couldn¡¯t manage being away from Amane now, especially now that he realized his feelings for her. ¡°Um¡­ I wouldn¡¯t be able to come along, would I?¡±


    ¡°Oh,¡± Amane simply said as she checked her phone again. It was just a summons to return home. Normally she had the leisure of when she returned home so she wasn¡¯t sure why her parents were summoning her back home now. But it was getting late, and Amane worried her parents would tease them even more. Yet Amane wanted to do it; she wanted to spend more time with Orion. ¡°Um, I think that should be fine.¡± Her face was flushed as she avoided looking at Orion lest he saw how red her face was.


    ¡°Will your parents be okay with it?¡± Orion asked curiously, trying to get a glimpse into Amane¡¯s reaction. He grabbed her wrist and pulled her toward him but did not embrace her this time. Orion was being cautious with his affectionate actions; he didn¡¯t want to push Amane away. ¡°You should text them first.¡±


    ¡°All right,¡± Amane nodded as she took out her phone. She started texting her response to her father¡¯s text message. She was anxious about what they¡¯d say and how they may refuse Orion coming over again.


    Amane: Hey dad, I got your message. Mind if Orion came along?


    In a few moments, her father responded: Sure thing, that¡¯s fine. We¡¯ll get him a car to get home after.


    ¡°Well, that¡¯s that,¡± Amane said, sighing in relief. ¡°You can come over. We¡¯ll drive you back home after.¡± She gave Orion a quick squeeze of his hand and smiled at him. Her heart was racing when she realized she could be with Orion a bit longer. ¡°Let¡¯s go then, Orion.¡±


    Orion nodded as he followed Amane to her private car. Amane gave the chauffeur instructions to bring the both of them back home and later to bring Orion home when all was done. The two boarded the car and headed to Amane¡¯s family home, which took about half an hour to get to the estate.


    ¡°Well, we¡¯re here,¡± Amane announced to Orion as she disembarked the family car. Orion followed suit as the two stood in front of the Mizushima Estate. Amane still felt abashed at the thought of bringing Orion home again even though it wasn¡¯t the first time. She was always nervous about what Orion thought about her family and essentially, about her.


    Orion still felt intimidated by Amane¡¯s family home as it was massive, and her family was influential. He felt inadequate to be in their presence, though he didn¡¯t feel that way toward Amane. ¡®It¡¯s probably pretty rude I¡¯m not treating Amane with more respect,¡¯ Orion thought internally. Orion sighed and balled his fists to garner courage to face Amane¡¯s parents again.


    ¡°Are you okay?¡± Amane asked out of concern. She leaned forward and glanced over to Orion. She reached out a hand to touch him but was hesitant on how he¡¯d take that gesture. Amane hid her hands behind her. She wanted to know there was nothing wrong with him coming over to the family home again.


    ¡°Oh, I¡¯m fine,¡± Orion replied with a smile. ¡®I shouldn¡¯t sweat the details. I¡¯m sure everything is fine¡­¡¯ Orion thought to himself. He shook his head and smiled again. ¡°I¡¯m fine, Amane. Don¡¯t worry about it.¡±


    ¡°Umm, okay¡­¡± Amane said hesitantly before pushing through the entrance. The doors went through pretty easily for a young high school girl pushing on them. Amane led Orion deeper inside the estate and turned a few times before stopping in front of the annex where her parents were waiting. ¡°Let¡¯s go, Orion.¡±


    Orion nodded as he mentally prepared himself to meet Amane¡¯s parents again. He felt like he was seeing them to ask for Amane¡¯s hand in marriage, but he quickly shook his head before a blush formed on his face. He followed Amane to the annex and kept his head bowed for respect.


    The annex was somewhat small, and by that, it was about the size of an apartment. It had two four seats, in which two were occupied by Amane¡¯s parents. There was a small coffee table between the seats. There were various objects like wall scrolls hung up on the wall and on other parts of the walls were pictures of the family framed. There were various boxes placed in the annex.


    ¡°Welcome home, Amane,¡± Takato Mizushima greeted his daughter. ¡°And welcome again, Orion.¡± He was smiling from his seat. He gestured for the two teenagers to sit on the remaining two seats. As the two sat obediently, Amane looked abashed because she figured there was something going on with her parents to call her home like that.


    ¡°Hon, you should tell them,¡± Michiko Mizushima drawled on and then flashed a smile to Amane and Orion. ¡°Don¡¯t be alarmed, we just have something to discuss with Amane. It¡¯s nothing terrifying.¡±


    ¡°Maybe I should leave? I mean I certainly wouldn¡¯t belong here,¡± Orion said slowly as he started to rise up, but Amane pulled him back down with one hand. She shook her head as if to say it was okay for him to be present.


    ¡°What is it, father?¡± Amane asked, looking at her father square in the eye. She knew it wasn¡¯t something light either or she wouldn¡¯t be recalled home. But she didn¡¯t have any idea what the purpose of this was for her parents. ¡°Please elaborate.¡±


    ¡°Well¡­¡± Takato said slowly. ¡°There¡¯s this thing. A partner of ours has this son who¡¯s seventeen years old and they would like to arrange for you to meet him sometime soon. However! We¡¯re not forcing you to do it. You don¡¯t have to do it if you don¡¯t have to. Like if you already have someone¡ª"


    Amane flushed immediately at the last part. She felt like her father singled out her feelings for Orion though that was unlikely. Tightening her grip on her shorts, Amane slowly looked up at her father. ¡°Um¡­ I rather not meet this guy. I¡¯m sure he¡¯s wonderful and all, but I¡¯m really not interested,¡± Amane said adamantly, also trying to not to give any hint on who it was that took her attraction.


    ¡°Oh dear, we knew you¡¯d say that,¡± Michiko drawled. ¡°But we will respect your decision. We felt we should tell you about this potential arrangement as soon as possible, so we called you home.¡±


    ¡°Thanks, mom,¡± Amane beamed at her mother. She thought her mother already knew the truth, and maybe her father, yet they called her over anyway. They also allowed Orion to attend this short meeting. They both must know the truth about her feelings. ¡°Um, I¡¯m going to show a few things to Orion now then. I already arranged with my chauffeur to drop him home.¡±


    ¡°Thank you for having me,¡± Orion said as he rose from his chair, following Amane who also rose up. The two bowed to Amane¡¯s parents and exited the annex. Amane led Orion out of the area and into the main estate where the residences and kitchen were located. The estate was semi-traditional with some buildings built like in the past and some were modern, such as Amane¡¯s room. As Amane reached her room, she took out a key and unlocked the door before letting in Orion. ¡°Um, here we go¡­ I don¡¯t actually have anything to show you. But figured you might like it better without being scrutinized.¡±


    ¡°Thanks, Amane,¡± Orion said, feeling warmth sneak up on him. He felt incredibly nervous, like butterflies were fluttering in his stomach. ¡®It must have happened when I realized my feelings for Amane¡­ Now I¡¯m just a nervous wreck,¡¯ Orion thought to himself.


    ¡°Hehe, no problem, Orion!¡± Amane took a seat on her bed where Orion followed suit and sat next to her. She flushed immediately while slapping herself figuratively for blushing every time Orion sat near her. She felt like she was going to explode if she didn¡¯t confess her feelings for Orion.


    ¡°So¡­you have someone else?¡± Orion asked, turning his head away from Amane to avoid seeing her reaction. His heart sunk a little as he asked the question. He didn¡¯t want to know the answer, yet he also did want to know it. Conflicting emotions raged inside Orion¡¯s heart.


    ¡°What?¡± Amane asked, tilting her head in confusion with Orion.


    ¡°You know, what your parents were talking to you about,¡± Orion replied.


    ¡°Oh, no, not really¡­¡± Amane trailed off. ¡°I do have someone I¡¯m interested in, but I don¡¯t know how they feel about me. So, I¡¯m just happy being friends with them.¡± Amane twiddled her thumbs nervously, hoping she¡¯s not giving too much information that the someone was actually Orion. She really felt strongly about Orion. Her heart was racing as she looked down on her hands.


    ¡°I see,¡± Orion said, nodding. He looked up at Amane and took one of her hands that she was twiddling with. She suddenly looked up at Orion and a faint blush showed up on his face. He then turned his entire body to face Amane while still holding onto her hand. ¡°Amane¡­ I must tell you something.¡±


    ¡°Um, what is it?¡± Amane asked nervously. Her anxiety was rising, unable to tell what Orion was trying to tell her. Maybe he was trying to confess, maybe he was going to friend zone her, maybe it was something completely different. She avoided Orion¡¯s gaze as her heart started beating faster than before, if that was possible.


    ¡°I¡­¡± Orion started to say and then realized he couldn¡¯t speak. He pulled Amane close to him instead. His heart was beating rapidly as he attempted to steady his breath to get his nerves to calm down. He held Amane even closer before he continued his confession. ¡°Well, I know we¡¯ve known each other for a few months now and all those months have been splendid for me. I¡¯ve loved every moment I spent with you. I really, really care about you and¡­I always want to protect you. I love you, Amane.¡± He released Amane from his grip, aiming to keep eye contact with Amane even though he was a nervous wreck.


    Amane stared at Orion for a few moments. She was speechless. She didn¡¯t expect Orion to confess to her of all people, but it did make sense considering all the affection the two exchanged for a while now. Amane placed a hand on her chest, feeling her rapid heartbeat. She wasn¡¯t sure what to say or do with Orion. ¡°Orion¡­¡± Amane said slowly. ¡°Um¡­ I¡¯m flattered, really. I¡­don¡¯t know if I can give you an answer right now. I mean, I really, really like you too, Orion. Trust me, I do. But can you give me some more time?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s fine,¡± Orion nodded. He took Amane¡¯s hand and held it on his lap. He felt at peace now even though he hadn¡¯t gotten a proper response yet. Amane had placed a hand on top of his and squeezed it.

 chapter sixteen: third body

    Case Four: the meaning of farewells


    Chapter 16:


    Amane and Orion had parted on a positive note and Amane sent Orion off with her chauffeur as she prepared for bed. She changed into her pink pajamas and crawled into her bed, pulling up her equally pink winter blanket. She was remembering the embrace she had with Orion today and then the kiss to her forehead. She felt so giddy she didn¡¯t think she¡¯d be able to sleep.


    She could have confessed her feelings back then when Orion confessed but she didn¡¯t want to be hasty. Turning on her side, Amane covered half of her face with her blanket as she blushed deeply. Still remembering how Orion confessed and told her that he loved her, how he wanted to protect her, and just everything he said made Amane feel excited. But she didn¡¯t want to be pushy with her feelings or Orion¡¯s. Eventually Amane fell asleep under her blanket with a blushing face.


    **


    In the next morning, Himura and the team in Tokyo Metropolitan Police discovered the third body in these serial murders case that Orion brought to their attention. The entire department was in an uproar from discovering another body one day after another. The Chief Superintendent Erika Fujioka noted the chaos that Himura was in, so she called Orion for him to report to the third body discovery location. She had already given him the address and everything.


    Orion had been eating cereal for breakfast when he got the call from Fujioka of Tokyo Metropolitan Police. She reported a third body was discovered and that his presence would be appreciated at the location, and then gave him the address for the third body. He contemplated who to bring with him but decided ultimately to go alone this time. He wanted to bring Amane again, but he was afraid of dragging her around when she may not find it interesting. Worst case scenario, she would find it boring and as a result, Orion as well. That would be terrific. Thinking back to when he confessed to Amane, he felt a blush creep up on his face as he remembered.


    Orion had pulled Amane close to him while he was trying to calm his breathing. ¡°Well, I know we¡¯ve known each other for a few months now and all those months have been splendid for me. I¡¯ve loved every moment I spent with you. I really, really care about you and¡­and I always want to protect you. I love you, Amane.¡± Then he released her from his grip and tried to keep eye contact with Amane.


    Amane had been silent for a bit, but it seemed she was thinking what to say. She finally spoke: ¡°Um¡­ I¡¯m flattered, really. I¡­don¡¯t know if I can give you an answer right now. I mean, I really, really like you too, Orion. Trust me, I do. But can you give me some more time?¡±


    Orion finished his breakfast and washed the bowl and spoon before putting the bowl away in the kitchen cabinet. He started to head out of his house when he got a phone call. He took out his phone and saw it was Kana, so he picked it up.


    ¡°Hey, Kana,¡± Orion greeted the younger girl. ¡°What¡¯s up?¡± He asked as he put on his shoes to prepare to leave.


    ¡°What are you doing right now, Orion?¡± Kana asked sweetly over the phone.


    ¡°Oh, just about to head out to a case,¡± Orion replied, smiling though he knew Kana couldn¡¯t see the smile. He wasn¡¯t sure when he started smiling more, maybe it was since he met Amane on the school field trip.


    ¡°Oh, oh! Can I tag along?¡± Kana asked excitedly.


    ¡°I¡¯m not sure¡­¡± Orion said hesitantly. He knew Kana got in trouble with Himura for not calling the police about the very first case, but there was an uncertainty about having someone else with him right now. There was also the caution of Kana suddenly confessing to him, too. ¡°Um, I suppose it¡¯s alright. Just stick with me, okay?¡±


    ¡°Got it! I¡¯ll be stuck to you like glue,¡± Kana giggled over the phone. ¡°Text me the address and I¡¯ll meet you there!¡±


    The two hung up and Orion proceeded to text the address to Kana. After texting, Orion walked to the station and took the train to the location he was headed to. He walked to the destination and saw Kana waiting outside the apartment complex. She was wearing a light-yellow dress with frilly shoulder straps and white sandals.


    ¡°Orion, over here!¡± Kana waved over to Orion with both arms. She looked splendid and graceful with her small stature, but also youthful with her arms waving to get Orion¡¯s attention. It was obvious she had romantic feelings for Orion. She didn¡¯t hide them, but she got jealous of the other girls around him.


    Orion approached Kana with a small smile on his face. He waved back with one arm as he walked toward the girl. As soon as he approached her, Orion knew she was going in for a hug, so he sidestepped and avoided the embrace.


    Orion walked into the apartment complex and looked up to the police officer standing by the elevator. He gave his name, and that Kana was his friend, where the officer nodded and gestured with his head to the elevator. The apartment was on the sixth floor, 6J to be specific. Orion pressed the up button and waited for the elevator before embarking with Kana in tow. He walked over to apartment 6J and knocked on the open door to let the officers know he was there.


    ¡°It¡¯s Minamoto,¡± Himura said as he walked toward the high school kid. ¡°Take a look around for any clues for yourself, but just don¡¯t disturb anyone on the team. Especially not the forensics team.¡±


    ¡°Got it,¡± Orion acknowledged. He never really got along well with Himura for some reason, but he should be grateful he¡¯s being given space to investigate the case himself. Orion trudged his way to the living room where he expected the body to be at. But there wasn¡¯t any body. He walked into the kitchen where Himura and the coroner was, deep in their own discussion.


    This book was originally published on Royal Road. Check it out there for the real experience.


    Orion looked down on the floor and saw the body. It looked just like the previous victims. She was dressed in a white negligee, and she had a formal pose, her arms crossed in front of her chest. But Orion also noticed faint dried blood marks from the living room to the kitchen. It made more sense that the culprit had medical expertise, so Orion reported that to Himura.


    ¡°Hm,¡± Himura said contemplatively. ¡°That¡¯s what the coroner was suggesting. And also, funeral home expertise.¡± He crossed his arms across his chest as he thought for a few moments. ¡°What I don¡¯t get is how he¡¯s able to kill one victim a day.¡± It was frustrating for him they couldn¡¯t catch the culprit yet there were three victims already. The numbers were increasing stealthily, and they didn¡¯t have too many clues either.


    ¡°Hmm¡­¡± Orion pondered. ¡°I don¡¯t think we have to think too hard on this. He¡¯s had funeral home experience as well as medical expertise. We can narrow it down from there.¡± He crossed his arms across his chest as he spoke. ¡°There¡¯s also a small radius for his working circle. I think he¡¯s taking the subway to get to each location. Unless you have witnesses of a suspicious car?¡±


    ¡°No, we don¡¯t,¡± Himura answered. ¡°That¡¯s right. We do have those clues. I¡¯ll get them to do tests back at HQ.¡±


    ¡°Did you see the blood marks going between the living room and kitchen?¡± Orion inquired innocently. He didn¡¯t want to report that fact like they didn¡¯t see them, but he had to make sure they knew about it.


    ¡°Yes, we took photographs of them,¡± Himura nodded.


    Orion looked around the apartment. Noting Kana just wandering around the entrance, he felt bad he dragged her along. But she was the one who insisted on coming along. ¡°Well, I think this is all I found, so I¡¯ll head off now.¡±


    ¡°Bye, Minamoto,¡± Himura said curtly as the teenage kid left the apartment with his friend.


    Orion pulled Kana along and left the apartment complex, pulling her by the wrist. Kana, though surprised, had allowed Orion to tug her along. Orion kept pulling along Kana until they reached the subway station. Noting the short distance from the subway station, he knew he had to be correct that the culprit took the subway. Then he released his grip on Kana.


    ¡°O-Oh, are we here already?¡± Kana asked, a tad disappointed. She wanted to feel as close as possible to Orion, but he¡¯s always at a distance.


    ¡°Yeah, let¡¯s get back,¡± Orion nodded as he descended into the train station.


    ¡°Uh, can I come along and visit you?¡± Kana asked meekly.


    ¡°Oh,¡± Orion said flatly. ¡°Um¡­ I guess so.¡± He flushed slightly for a moment. ¡°I wasn¡¯t¡­actually heading home.¡±


    ¡°Oh? Where?¡± Kana asked curiously. ¡°Can I come along?¡±


    ¡°Err, it¡¯s best if you didn¡¯t tag along,¡± Orion said worriedly. He had no idea what Amane would think if he brought a female friend to her place. ¡°I really gotta go now. Bye Kana.¡± As he descended the subway stairs and into the aisle, but before he tapped his card, he pulled up his phone to message Amane.


    Hey Amane¡­


    Amane: Yes?


    Uh, mind if I visited?


    He hadn¡¯t thought much about visiting, but it just came into his mind after he was done examining the crime scene. He didn¡¯t even consult Amane beforehand. Hoping she wouldn¡¯t refuse him; Orion would feel elated to see Amane again.


    Amane: Uhhh¡­ Okay. That¡¯s fine. When are you coming here?


    I just finished examining another body in Tachikawa, so I¡¯m heading over now. Is that still okay?


    Amane: Yeah! Take your time, Orion. :)


    Will do.


    Orion put away his phone and tapped the Rail pass on the turnstile and went inside. He boarded the train just in time before it left. Tapping his foot on the train as he waited to be transported back to Tokyo metropolitan area before making his transfer to Amane¡¯s area. Once it was his stop, Orion disembarked and travelled to the next subway. As he rode, Orion stared out of the window and watched the scenery pass him by. He finally got off the subway and walked to Amane¡¯s place, which should take about twenty to thirty minutes.


    ¡®I¡¯m kind of excited to see Amane again even though I just saw her¡­ When have I become like this?¡¯ Orion thought.


    He arrived at the front door, one majestic yet intimidating door as it was the estate of the well-known Mizushima family. Noticing the door opening slowly, he walked closer to the door and noticed it was Amane. She had been dressed in a pink kimono with cherry blossoms design on it and beige sandals.


    ¡°O-Orion?¡± Amane asked meekly. ¡°I-Is that you?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, it¡¯s me,¡± Orion smiled sheepishly. Not sure why he was feeling embarrassed, he tried to pinch himself to wake up. It was the same as ever, seeing Amane and hanging with her, it shouldn¡¯t make him feel different. Then he figured it must be the aftereffects of the confession.


    Amane pushed the door open harder as Orion went through the gap she left. ¡°Umm, how was the case¡­?¡± Amane asked, staring at the floor as they walked inside. Leading Orion to her room, she passed her maid Chika on the way and told her to bring some tea and snacks as she continued.


    ¡°Just another body, but we established a few more facts,¡± Orion responded.


    As Amane and Orion arrived at Amane¡¯s room, she inquired innocently, ¡°What brings you over?¡± She looked at Orion sitting on her bed. Heart fluttering and slight shivering out of embarrassment, Amane tried to keep herself paced. Taking a deep breath a few times, Amane felt a tad calmer.


    ¡°Oh¡­ I just wanted to see you. Um¡­ Are you busy?¡± Orion asked, observing her formal kimono.


    ¡°Oh, this?¡± Amane looked down on herself in her kimono. ¡°I was just helping out with my parents for some event they¡¯re doing, and they needed someone to try on this new kimono that just arrived. I figured it was a good chance to try on a new kimono, so I¡­volunteered myself.¡± A faint blush formed on Amane¡¯s face as she looked up to see Orion staring. ¡°Do I¡­I look funny?¡±


    ¡°Absolutely not,¡± Orion replied honestly. ¡°You look great.¡±


    ¡°Hehe, thanks, Orion,¡± Amane smiled. ¡°But no, I¡¯m not busy. I was just wearing it for my parents. It¡¯s nothing big.¡± A warmth permeated through Amane¡¯s body as she watched Orion, the blush not leaving her face.


    ¡°Ah, all right,¡± Orion said, smiling. A slight blush crept onto Orion¡¯s face as his heart started racing. ¡°Have you¡­ thought anymore on what I told you yesterday?¡±


    ¡°U-Umm¡­ A-Ahh¡­¡± Amane said, stuttering. It had been on her mind this entire time, but she was afraid of mentioning that to Orion. Heart racing even faster, Amane wondered if this was a good opportunity to reciprocate. ¡°Orion¡­¡±


    ¡°Yes?¡± Orion asked, maintaining eye contact with Amane. Hoping she wasn¡¯t about to say no, Orion felt his heart race as anticipation settled inside of him.


    ¡°Um¡­¡± Amane stuttered, unable to maintain eye contact. ¡°I¡­ um¡­ I really do like you, too, Orion¡­ But¡­ I¡¯m still not too sure¡­ Please give me some more time.¡±


    ¡°Of course, of course,¡± Orion promised, holding her hand with both of his.


    **


    A tall, young man walked briskly toward an apartment complex, wearing a beige overcoat with his hands stuffed in the pockets. He had on glasses and black messy hair that went over his ears. Takeshi Okumura, thirty-five years old, entered the apartment complex and tapped his entry card before entering. He had his hands full with groceries as he walked into the complex. He climbed up three stories before turning to the right where his apartment was, then put down a few bags on the floor to fetch his key. Opening the door, he grabbed the groceries and put them inside before locking the door.


    Humming to a tune, Takeshi carried his groceries into the kitchen which was near the entrance. Putting in a few groceries into the fridge, he left some others inside the cabinets. He left a small cup of ice cream on the table and took out a spoon to wash before picking up the ice cream and moving to the living room. Flopping down on his couch, he opened the cover and peeled open the cover.


    Digging in the ice cream with his spoon, he popped one into his mouth. ¡®Delicious,¡¯ Takeshi thought, licking his lips. In a few minutes, Takeshi finished the ice cream and put the spoon down on his coffee table, which was littered with various magazines, going from a funeral home digest to doctors¡¯ magazines. Takeshi kicked the magazines off the table, scrambling each magazine to the floor.


    ¡°Bullshit,¡± Takeshi muttered.


    Takeshi was still angry because he was rejected from the University of Tokyo as a result of his sickness that prevented him from taking the entrance exam. Biting his lip, he picked up a newspaper excerpt.


    ¡°A 29-year-old woman was discovered murdered in Chiba. She lived alone in an apartment complex. It was discovered by a young girl living in the same building. Police are working on the cause and are doing their best to find a suspect.¡±


    Takeshi stared at the newspaper clipping and knelt to pick up the clipping. He wondered why he cut it out like that. Crumbling the newspaper excerpt, he rose from the ground and went to the kitchen to dispose of the newspaper.


    ¡°Useless.¡±


    He walked to his bedroom and lifted his laptop lid. Sitting down in front of the laptop, he merely stared at the blank screen for a while. Finally turning it on, Takeshi turned to sit on the side of his chair to stare at his dresser.