Prologue: Aftermath

Terrorist Bombing in Nerima - Residential district in Hikarigaoka suffers structural damages, no injuries

Tokyo, Japan - At approximately 12:41 a.m. Sunday morning, the first of a series of loud noises erupted from the 14th floor of the Kiku building of the residential complex in Hikarigaoka. The next one occurred on the street directly below as a car was seemingly crushed. Residents within a five-kilometer radius of the Kiku building then reportedly felt minor quakes for the next hour or so. Witnesses say that around 3:15 a.m. "fireballs" began flying through the sky. These fireballs - which authorities have declared to be bombs - would continue and intensify for the remainder of the night.
Authorities are currently investigating all of Hikarigaoka. While the incident has been ruled as a terrorist attack, the perpetrator has not been determined.
"We don't have any leads as of now, but we are doing our best to solve this case and bring the criminals to justice," officer Hida Hiroki told on-site reporters.
While damage is extensive, no injuries were reported. At least two buildings in the complex were damaged, as well as a stretch of Hanabi Avenue and an overpass bridge along the stretch.

Recent Bombing in Nerima Threatens Housing and Job Markets - Residents of Hikarigaoka express deep concern due to lack of progress regarding the incident

Tokyo, Japan - Takenouchi Toshiko, 30, a resident of the Ran building of Hikarigaoka, has expressed deep concerns regarding the October bombing.
"It's been nearly two months and nothing more has been done about [the bombing]," she declared Monday morning. "It's not that I blame the authorities. But my life here has changed drastically since then, and if this goes on, I don't think my family and I can stay in Hikarigaoka any longer."
Takenouchi, who owns and operates the Ten-Chi School of Ikebana, suffered a heavy loss as her school was temporarily shut down due to damage from the bombing. In addition to repair expenses, she reported that because of the incident, many of her students have left the area for fear of a second attack.
"Even if I get back on my feet soon, I won't have any students or source of income," she added despairingly.
As Takenouchi suggests, many others hold similar sentiments. Nearly 5% of Hikarigaoka residents have already relocated, and at least another 5% are considering or preparing to leave the area.
"Things will be fixed, someday," a resident who wished to remain anonymous stated. "But if they don't catch a criminal, that means whoever did this is still out there, and I don't want to stick around for round two."
As more and more apartment units are abandoned, many even consider leaving their jobs in Hikarigaoka to avoid the area altogether. Although this opens up space for new residents, the number of potential renters and job applicants has decreased dramatically in the past six weeks, most likely for the same reasons.
Professor Takenouchi Haruhiko, 31, husband of Takenouchi Toshiko, of Musashi Daigaku, echoes those seeking employment elsewhere.
"I have a great career at an excellent university. But, I also have a young daughter, and if I have to leave my job to keep her safe, I will."

Children Psychologically Traumatized? - Hikarigaoka parents blame bombing for hallucinations_

"Natsuko?" a voice called from the hallway. The blonde-haired woman looked up from her computer after typing the headline for her next article and rubbed her eyes. She turned to face her husband.
"You're still up?" she asked.
"Well I was asleep when I realized you weren't in bed yet," Hiroaki replied. "Come on and get some sleep, it's already one o' clock."
"Sure, just let me finish this article," she said as she returned to her work. "Harada wants this at ten so we can review it and have it edited in time for the evening paper."
"Well couldn't you come to bed now and wake up early to finish it?" He began walking over to the desk where Natsuko was furiously typing away. "What's this one about anyway? … 'Traumatized?' … 'Hallucinations?' Natsuko, what is this?"
"I interviewed some more witnesses to see if I could get anymore leads for the investigators," the rising reporter informed him without missing a beat. "What they said really intrigued me, so I really want to get this article done now while it's still fresh in my mind."
"From the sound of it, it seems like a pair of parents looking to sue someone," Hiroaki chuckled as he helped himself to his wife's secret stash of rice candy.
"Laugh all you like," Natsuko replied as she skillfully swiped the candy out of her husband's hand and popped it in her mouth. "It's really strange though… Just listen…
"You know how Takeru was going on about seeing a dinosaur fighting a giant bird right after the bombing? I dismissed it as something he just saw on TV or something, but about a month ago, I overheard some children talking about the very same thing. I thought they might have been the boys' friends, but I didn't recognize any of them. After a while, I realized that only children who lived in the Ran and Yuri buildings were the ones talking about it."
"So? Maybe you just overheard them when they were near home."
"Here's the interesting part: it was only children who lived on the sides facing Hanabi Avenue."
"What?"
"I know! Oh, and it gets better!"
"Natsuko, you're scaring me…"
"Oh come on! This is the strangest part! Remember how the police found those two kids where the overpass bridge was destroyed?"
"Okay…?"
"So apparently they're a brother and sister from the Kiku building."
"Wait a minute… Don't tell me… Do they-?"
"Yes," she replied as she turned to the now-stunned Hiroaki. "They live in unit 1440, the only apartment that was damaged in Kiku."
A deafening silence rang through the dark stillness as the two adults stared at each other, both trying to grasp the meaning of these seemingly connected incidences. The only sounds that could be heard were the nighttime noises of the streets, like car horns and stray animals yapping at the sky.