Nao woke shivering and cold in the middle of a field on what was possibly a Thursday. But, upon thinking, the girl could not remember what day it actually was or how she had woken up anywhere other than beneath her warm quilt in her apartment.

She stood quickly, looking around to regain her bearings.

In every direction there were rolling hills dotted with the pleasant color of daisies. It was a tranquil scene, but Nao's rushed heartbeat and worry replaced that quaintness of the moment with fear.

"Where am I?"

The billowing of smoke caught her attention, and Nao ran the crest of a hill, catching sight of a small cottage. There was no driveway leading to a road that would signal a way out, and the building was old and appeared almost condemned. The windows were shattered, and a strange car seemed to have smashed into the cottage.

But it wasn't the chimney pouring the smoke.

The cottage had been on fire, and it was still smoldering in the wake of the day.

Worried, Nao found her tired and aching body lurching toward the scene, and suddenly a haze of memories flashed before her.


"Akiyama-san?" Nao shyly looked up from her own plate towards her friend, who was occupied with a paper. "Aren't you going to eat your soba?"

It had taken nearly a week for Nao to convince Akiyama to go anywhere with her, and when she had finally succeeded he had been complacent in attitude. But upon arriving at the café where they now shared a meal, he became distant, and wrapped up in a newspaper he had bought earlier that morning.

"I expected news of at least one of the players from the tournament." He admitted, folding the paper quietly and turning to his meal. "But there has not been a note about any one of them."

Nao bit her lip. Something was bothering him, but she held doubts about it having anything to do with the Liar Game tournament.

The way he keeps avoiding me… She watched as he kept his head low, contrary to his table manners which often bested Nao in politeness. It's like he doesn't want to be here…

But that made no sense. Though he hadn't been thrilled on the prospect of walking around town for a few hours, he did agree after a long, drawn out silence over the phone.

Thinking on that now… Nao watched Akiyama stare straight at her, but his features were vacant, almost similar to the mask he wore during the tournament to off guard opponents. It was as if he was looking right through her. It seems like something has been bothering him all day.

When Akiyama's eyes finally concentrated on his meal, Nao let her eyes be redirected to the busy sidewalk behind her. Though there was the occasional interesting person that happened by, the way Akiyama had stared for more than a few moments through her head had her worried. There was no single object or person that stayed, save for some beatniks in the alleyway she could not make out.

Something must be bothering him. She concluded. But, before Nao could make any mention of his feelings he stood and only momentarily regarded Nao.

"I have something that needs doing." He announced, suddenly and without warning. Nao could only wonder why he would have an errand to do in the middle of the time he was supposed to be spending with her. "We'll have to continue this another day."

"W-wait!" Nao quickly followed after Akiyama, but was stopped by a waitress in order to pay. After a few tense moments, Nao was finally able to exit the restaurant.

But Akiyama was nowhere within sight.

Nao sighed dolefully as she waited patiently in a crowd of salary men and women waiting for the crosswalk light to signal. She had searched down three streets before finally realizing that Akiyama was long since gone.

At first, she had simply thought that he really needed an errand completed, but when she attempted to call him the phone was opened and than quickly closed.

As if he were making an effort to ditch her.

No! Nao thought forcefully. Akiyama-san would never-

A brutal force slammed into Nao's side, and she fell over with a gasp of pain.

"Sorry!" A slight man offered his hand to Nao. "Hurryin' to catch the train!"

"N-no problem!" Nao took his hand quickly was pulled up. The man patted her on the shoulder, which Nao presumed was an odd and familiar way the man meant to use to ask for forgiveness. He tipped his hat and ran off, leaving Nao to pick up her place within her mind again.

Akiyama-san would never-

It hit her then when she patted her side, noticing her handbag was suspiciously absent…

"There are no trains in this area!"


It was a struggle to catch her breath, and already Nao was lost in the back alleys of a grungier part of town. When she had finally realized that the man was a pickpocket she made a mad dash after him, hoping that she could convince him to give back a trinket still inside her handbag. She had no reason to involve the police. Surely the man would give what she wanted back after a few polite words…

Nao could not help but feel as if today was one of worst days, excluding the tournament of course. Of all the time for Akiyama to just disappear mysteriously, she had lost all her personal items she normally carried with herself as well! Her luck always seemed to be bad lately, and Nao hated being as gullible as she was at times.

She realized that someone hitting with that much of a force wasn't trying to catch a 'train'.

Bad grammar whistled in from a stack of boxes a few alleyways in front of Nao, and she could not nix her curiosity enough not to follow them, hiding behind the wall of the alley.

She peered over the corner, and instantly recognized the voice of her pickpocket.

"Lost Akiyama, did you?" The pickpocket stood in front of another man, stronger but still rather slight. Even so, it seemed as if the thief was in charge. Nao found that odd, upon examining them closely. They were much younger than she, being no more than out of middle school at best. She'd hate to think of them as common thugs at such an age. Even so, she had doubts about just asking for her belongings back.

The smaller one, probably fourteen or so, was rifling through Nao's wallet as he spoke. "The girl that was with him earlier seems to be a college student, judging by her ID. But Akiyama just left her out of nowhere, she can't possibly be his girlfriend or anything."

Strangely, the words stung when Nao heard them. But she quelled the feeling when more important thoughts registered within her. What did these men want with Akiyama?

"Akiyama chased me for about fifteen minutes before I lost him over a hedge." The other man responded. "Damn near caught me too, if it hadn't been for that woman I accidentally knocked over on the way. He ended up checking on her and I had time to fly."

The smaller one nodded. "Figures. Well, it's to our advantage at least. Still, 'suppose we should do something for the boss before trying dirtier methods."

Nao covered her mouth in surprise. Just who were these people? Akiyama and herself had only just finished the tournament! How could he find himself in trouble so soon? Why would he?

"Dirtier methods? Like kidnapping that girl?"

"Nah. It was too busy of an intersection to just nab some broad we don't even know. Judging by their date it could have even been arranged."

"But that call…"

Nao stepped back, knowing she wanted to hear nothing more. But she accidentally lost her balance and fell over, emitting a small strangled squeak when she covered her mouth in surprise.

She heard the pickpocket shush his companion, and a stifled silence followed. Nao held her breath, but when she heard footsteps, she felt herself propelled forward and began running down the alley.

Harried footsteps followed her alongside shouts, and though Nao had the incentive to escape she soon found them on her heels.

"There she is! She followed us!" The bigger one yelled.

"Nab her! This is our opportunity!" The pickpocket commanded.

Nao made the mistake of looking back and noted the sticks in their hands which must have previously been hidden in the folds of their clothing. They were gaining on her.

She'd never outrun them. They were simply too fast!

Nao made the decision to try and shake them off by darting down an alleyway. Though she smiled when she heard a "Split up!", whatever road she chose at least one of them were able to find.

She ran into a pile of cardboard boxes as she darted her way through other alleys in an attempt to elude them. But this section of town was old, and the streets narrowed. All too soon she found herself confused and in a tight alley.

It was a dead end. The wall above too high for her to climb, and glass, a means in which to keep out intruders, poked out through the cement.

Nao gulped, huddling down and hoping that perhaps that would pass this alley.

Two people turned the corner, and when she heard the nearing chuckling, Nao held doubts about getting home ever again.