SailorStar9: Nya? The prologue goes up. This is Chapter 1 and no review. No one's reading this fic! *Sob, sob, wails*
Tailmon (from 'Digital Light of Hope and her current muse): Great, now you readers made her cry. Leave your comments in your review, or else... (Sharpens claws)
Disclaimers: I own nothing.
Chapter 2: Tantei Gakuen Q: Episode Two
Three nights before...
Takeyama Yuki was in his room, practicing on English dictation, until suddenly, his pen ran out of ink and he scribbled onto the paper pad in frustration. Tossing his headphones onto his bed and switching off the tape recorder, he flipped open his sketch pad when his cellphone rang.
Upon receiving a similar message, he and Suzuki Ayaka went out to the streets, walking aimlessly.
The next day...
"Nekoda." Moroboshi stated.
"Yes?" Nekoda blinked.
"I don't care about anything today." Moroboshi remarked.
"Okay." Nekoda nodded. "Hey, let's forget about the advancement exam, okay?"
"I've had enough of those career bureaucrats." Moroboshi agreed. "Do you understand how I feel?"
"Wait, it hurts." Nekoda winced as Moroboshi shook him. "Ah! Moroboshi-san!" he gasped, noticing something. "That! Hey, are you okay?" he asked, the two officers rushing over to the two unconscious students on the ground. "Hey, hey, are you okay? Hey! Wake up! Wake up! Are you okay?"
"Where am I?" Takeyama inquired, as he and Suzuki awoke.
"In front of Akihabara Station." Moroboshi replied. "Ah, what are your names? What happened? Huh?"
"Name?" Suzuki echoed.
"Name." Nekoda confirmed.
"I don't know." Suzuki shook her head.
"Eh?" Nekoda blinked.
"Nam..." Suzuki trailed.
"Hey." Nekoda turned when Takeyama started wailing in pain.
The crow on the dustbin nearby dropped a newspaper cutting relating a 'Missing Junior High School students' report.
On the streets...
Kyu was walking to the Mission Room when he came across an officer making an arrest. The door slam on the police vehicle took him back to the moment when Yoneyama-sensei shot herself. Surpassing the memory, he ran past the police car.
In the Mission Room...
"Isn't that right?" Megu asked, hanging her maids' outfits. "Yeah, yeah. This really is the best."
"Ah, this.." Kazuma reached over to take a closer look at an outfit.
"Hey wait, don't touch my clothes." Megu retorted.
"Megu, it's amazing how much useless stuff you brought." Kazuma retorted. "You're not moving in here."
"Kazuma, you too." Megu snapped. "What's with this manga?"
"Hey, that's mine." Kinta cut in.
"Is that so?" Megu tossed the book back into the pile.
"Ah, that's like my bible!" Kinta protested.
"Okay, okay." Megu waved the protest off.
"Everyone..." Kyu walked over to the two silent teens on the sofa, both bent over a chessboard. "They seem so strong."
"If they don't do that, they won't bear it." Ryu reasoned, moving his black bishop to claim Ami's knight.
"Eh?" Kyu blinked.
"Having someone die in front of you, they can't possibly be alright." Ami supplied, using her castle to claim Ryu's second knight.
"That's an unconventional move." Ryu admitted.
"I like being unpredictable." Ami grinned.
"Then..." Kyu looked at the two. "You too?"
"In this line of work, it's something you have used to, whether you like it or not." Ami replied, moving her rook into its new threatening position.
"I never assumes it'll end that way." Ryu admitted, claiming Ami's newly placed rook. "Well, it's been a good lesson."
"A good lesson?" Kyu echoed. "Putting it that way..."
"And I do believe I've won this game."Ami declared triumphantly, her knight in checkmate position, she quirked a smirk at her opponent. "Checkmate."
"You people!" Nanami-sensei cut off all conversation.
"Don't tell me..." Ami muttered in disbelief, the trio joining the rest of the group.
"You look like you're having fun." the fake cactus pot shook.
"I knew it..." Ami sighed as the pot turned around, revealing Nanami-sensei's face.
"Nanami-sensei!" Kyu gaped.
"This classroom was specially prepared for you by Dan-sensei." Nanami-sensei stepped out. "Then, you even dare bring in something frilly like this?" he picked up the girly outfit on the hanger.
"Sorry." Kinta apologized for the younger teens. "Sensei, how long have you been here?"
"Long before you people came in." Nanami-sensei replied.
"Even so, a cactus?" Kyu echoed in amusement.
"Stop!" Nanami-sensei retorted. "Attacking your target's vision is the essential point of the disguise technique."
"It's just a costume, no matter how you look at it." Megu snorted.
"Well, well, well." Nanami-sensei chided. "I'm completely prepared here."
Must.. resist... urge... to... stab... him... Ami fought the overwhelming desire to stab Nanami-sensei repeatedly with her stiletto dagger.
"But before that, this is for you." Nanami-sensei presented the group with a new mission disc. "A new task from Dan-sensei."
"That's fast." Ami admitted.
"Members of Q Class." Dan-sensei came on screen, the group standing at attention. "How do you do? This time, I want you to investigate a case of missing persons. 2 junior high students, studying at a private cram school, suddenly disappeared from their homes. Three days later, they were found on the road in front of Akihabara Station. What's strange about this is that they've lost all of their memories, and it is as if they're a completely different person. Because of this case, the students of the cram school are quite disturbed. With your abilities, I'd like you to solve this case. I pray for your success."
"Well, for now, it doesn't look like a murder case." Kyu voiced after the video ended.
"Kyu, don't jinx it." Ami warned.
"Alright, everyone! This time, let's combine our powers and do our best!" Kyu declared, ignoring her. "Yeah!"
"But everybody's gone..." Megu reminded.
"Eh?" Kyu turned to see everyone else had vanished.
"It can't be helped." Megu got out of her seat. "We're all rivals competing to be Dan-sensei's successor."
"You're so selfless." Nanami-sensei remarked.
"Eh?" Kyu blinked.
"But that's what's good about you." Nanami-sensei added. "It's okay to just be yourself. Don't think about unnecessary things and just run forward."
"Okay!" Kyu nodded and took off.
"Disappearance of junior high school students, huh?" Nanami-sensei mused once Kyu was out of earshot.
At the Igarashi Academy...
"The best way to gather information is through cram school friends, right?" Kyu suggested, having followed Megu to the cram school.
"Kyu!" Megu turned.
"Huh" Kyu blinked as Megu dragged him off.
"Seems like we thought of the same thing." Kyu reasoned.
"Why are you acting like we're close friends?" Megu asked.
"Because Megu, last time, you were encouraging me." Kyu reminded.
"Eh?" Megu blinked, recalling the previous case. "That was because you looked depressed, so I cheered you up. Stop daydreaming, stupid."
"Hey, let's investigate together." Kyu reasoned as they stepped out of the elevator.
"No way. Shut up!" Megu retorted. "There it is." the pair stopped before the classroom.
"A-Class." Kyu noted.
"After you." Megu gestured.
"Eh? Me?" Kyu blinked.
"Yeah." Megu pushed him froward. "Go ahead. Hurry and go."
"Excuse me." Kyu peered into the classroom. "Is it alright?" he entered the room.
The students looked up at him in unison and went back to their work.
"I'm sorry." Kyu retreated.
"Why did you run away?" Megu demanded when Kyu hid behind a pillar, breathing in relief.
"Read the mood." Kyu replied. "That wasn't an atmosphere where you can just ask questions, right?"
"Huh?" Makino Daisuke stopped in his tracks. "Are you new members of A-Class?"
"Ah, no... we're..." Kyu stammered.
"We're here to observe the prep school." Megu replied. "Could you be a member of the A-Class?"
"Well, you can say that." Makino replied.
"A-Class is a special class that's composed of students with really good grades, right?" Megu pressed.
"But lately, something has been shaking things up." Makino replied.
"Why?" Megu inquired.
"Don't you know about the students of this class who went missing?" Makino asked.
"Do you know something?" Kyu insisted.
"It's God." Makino whispered.
"God?" Megu echoed. "God as in 'God the Almighty'?"
"Yeah." Makino nodded. "They hear God's voice and are reborn."
"Hey, Makino." Igarashi-sensei stated. "What are you doing? We're starting class."
"Okay." Makino nodded.
"Who was that?" Kyu whispered
"Headmaster, Igarashi-sensei." Makino replied.
"Ah, hey, what's your name?" Kyu asked.
"Makino Daisuke." Makino replied. "Bye." he entered the classroom.
"You people are chosen people." Igarashi-sensei droned. "If you don't want to be losers who lead pitiful lives, win through the competition and mercilessly defeat your rivals. Got it?"
"Yes!" the students chorused.
"No good..." Megu shook her head. "I don't think I can be friends with them."
"The voice of God, huh?" Kyu mused.
Meanwhile...
"Huh?" Ryu voiced, finding Takeyama sketching in a park. "You're Takeyama-kun, right? I'm from the same cram school, Amakusa Ryu. Hm, you don't know me, huh?"
"Sorry." Takeyama apologized.
"What a pity." Ryu took a seat beside him. "For someone in A-Class to retire..."
"It can't be helped." Takeyama replied. "The problem is when I try to remember the past, I get a painful headache."
"You're good at drawing." Ryu noted.
"When I do this, I feel like my worries disappear and I feel calm." Takeyama answered.
Elsewhere...
"Sorry to interrupt your practice, but can I have a moment?" Kinta asked, approaching Suzuki's street dancing group. "You're Suzuki Ayaka-chan, right?"
"Here." the males members crowded around Kinta as the female member led Suzuki off.
"Huh?" Kinta blinked.
"You're part of the press who wants to investigate the case of Ayaka's disappearance, right?" the male group member accused. "I'm saying, 'Pay up if you want to interview her.'."
"No, I'm not like that." Kinta assured. "Sorry, but can you tell me what's going on?"
"I told you to stop already!" the female member retorted, seeing Suzuki's distress. "You people force her to remember; that's why this always happens."
"Eh?" Kinta echoed. "What do you mean by that?"
"Don't get involved any further." the rest of the male members warned. "Let's go."
At the Igarashi Academy...
"Makino-kun!" Kyu greeted Makino who had exited from the classroom after the session ended.
"You two were still here." Makino noted.
"About the talk we had earlier: was there anything strange about the 2 students who went missing?" Kyu prodded.
"Sheesh." Makino shrugged. "I don't remember. I don't really talk to anyone in class."
"Then were there any troubles?" Kyu pressed.
"Not really. Say..." Makino stopped in his tracks. "Why are you guys asking so many questions?"
"Eh?" Kyu blinked.
"Makino!" Igarashi-sensei voiced. "Do you have time to chat around? If you let your guard down, you might fall behind."
"I understand." Makino replied.
"Morita-sensei." Igarashi-sensei stopped the teacher.
"Yes?" Morita-sensei blinked.
"The grades of the students went down 2 points during the last mock exam in English." Igarashi-sensei warned.
"I'm very sorry." Morita-sensei apologized.
"I have no business in anything that doesn't show results." Igarashi-sensei reminded. "Remember that there'll no second warning."
"Yes." Morita-sensei replied.
"Here, teachers get graded too, huh?" Megu echoed in disbelief as Morita-sensei hurried to the next class.
"To them, the most important thing are numbers." Makino remarked. "Just like the students here."
On the streets...
"Now that I think about it, they're unlucky too." Megu noted.
"Eh?" Kyu blinked.
"Because this isn't an era where you can be happy with just a good academic background, right?" Megu stated.
"Friends running towards the same dream..." Kyu mused. "We're probably lucky to have those, right?"
"You know, Kyu." Megu remarked. "You're really a happy-go-lucky person."
"Eh?" Kyu blinked. "How so?"
"You've never thought of trying to outdo us or something?" Megu was puzzled.
"Um, I don't want to lose..." Kyu admitted. "Kinta!" he noticed the eldest of the group on the other side of the street and a group of boys following him.
"Want something from me?" Kinta asked, having lured the group trailing him under an underpass. "Sorry, but guys following me around doesn't make me happy at all. Bye."
"Hey wait, bastard!" the leader retorted, surrounding Kinta to prevent him from leaving.
"This doesn't look like a normal robbery." Kinta nodded, seeing the penknives.
"Shut up!" the leader attacked.
"Kinta!" Kyu shouted, having arrived to the scene with Megu.
"Why are you here?" Kinta asked, having tossed a thug onto the floor.
"Because those people are following you." Kyu replied.
"It's dangerous." Kinta warned. "So just stay there."
"Kyu!" Megu tried to pull him off.
"No!" Kyu stood his ground. "I can't leave you alone and run away!"
"Huh?" Kinta echoed.
"I'll get you!" one of the thugs attacked, seeing an opening.
Kyu reacted and tired to fight off the group with a metal pole, only to be knocked off balance by the additional weight.
"Falling down because of fear?" Kinta joked, having knocked the thug off.
"Kinta's amazing." Megu gaped when Kinta kicked a thug away and finished the last one with a headbutt.
"Let's go!" the leader told his group, having lost the fight.
"Kyu." Kinta went back to the youngster. "Were you injured?"
"Kyu, are you alright?" Megu asked.
"Yeah." Kyu nodded.
"You idiot." Kinta chided. "Why did you do something reckless?"
"Kinta..." Kyu started. "You're my friend. I can't abandon my friends and run away."
"Stupid!" Kinta scolded. "Why were you following me around?" he held the straggler in a grip.
"No reason!" the thug replied.
"Whose order was it?" Kinta demanded.
"I dunno." the thug answered. "I just received an email on my cellphone."
"What?" Kinta echoed. "I'm going to borrow this a while." he retrieved the cellphone.
"Kinta, where are you going?" Kyu asked.
"Hurry and get your wound treated." Kinta advised.
In the Mission Room...
"Ouch!" Kyu winced as Megu tended to his injury.
"Sheesh." Megu sighed.
"Be gentler." Kyu begged.
"You're a guy, right?" Megu reminded. "Bear with it. Ok." she stated, adding a band-aid.
"Ryu, Ami, welcome back." Kyu greeted the pair who had entered. "Where'd you go?"
"We met with Takeyama Yuki, one of the kid who went missing." Ryu replied. "He probably has Dissociative Amnesia."
"Dissociative Amnesia?" Kyu echoed. "What's that?"
"Damage to the mind, caused by stress." Ami supplied. "They protect themselves by selectively forgetting parts of their memory."
"When they try to remember the past, they experience nausea or headaches." Ryu added. "That's one of the symptoms."
"In short, because of the exam preparations, they were driven to a corner and they lost their memory?" Kyu reasoned.
"That's one possibility." Ryu noted.
"But, for the same thing to happen to both of them..." Ami frowned. "It's way too much of a coincidence. Maybe..." she trailed. "We're using the wrong approach. Time to add a little feminine touch to the situation." she smiled.
"Eh?" Ryu blinked when his partner made call. "What are you doing?"
"Calling in a favor." Ami grinned. "Hello, Nerissa-nee-chan? Yeah, it's me. I have something to ask of you. Yes, I know. You'll do it!" she echoed in disbelief after a few seconds. "Nerissa-nee-chan, you're the best! Thanks! It's settled." she turned to her partner. "Nerissa-nee-chan will help us crack that tough nut of ours."
"How?" Ryu asked.
"You'll see." Ami grinned. "Nerissa-nee-chan has a way with people, especially with Takeyama's type."
"I think one of the lecturers is suspicious." Megu mused.
"Why?" Kyu asked.
"You saw it today, right?" Megu reminded. "The haughty attitude of that headmaster. I'm sure one of them is harassing the headmaster for revenge. Tonight, I'll go to the school and look for evidence."
"Eh?" Kyu echoed. "It's dangerous. Alright, I know: I'll go with you. I'm worried if you go alone. Right, Ryu?"
"Leave me out of this." Ryu muttered.
That night...
"You were saying?" Ami joked, the five having staked out outside the cram school.
"Very funny." Ryu muttered.
"Alright, it's exactly 12 midnight." Kazuma looked at his watch.
"Let's go!" Megu nodded and the five acted.
"Hey." Ryu voiced, hearing music and a cellphone ringing in the headmaster's office. "What's that sound?"
"Over there." Ami headed towards the corridor. "It's from this room."
"Is someone here?" Megu wondered.
"But no one's answering." Kazuma pointed out.
Ryu tugged at the door handle when the cellphone stopped ringing, only to find it locked.
"Lights." Ami instructed, pulling out her lock-pick from the pouch around her thigh. The other four focused their touch-lights on the knob as Ami worked on the lock, the door opening seconds later.
"Kazuma, lights." Ryu stated, his touch-light having shone onto a leg.
"Megu, are you alright?" Kyu asked when Megu turned away upon seeing Igarashi-sensei's corpse when the lights were turned on.
"Don't worry." Megu assured. "I'm alright."
"Kazuma, take note." Ami instructed.
"Yeah." Kazuma replied, taking out his camera to take photographic evidence.
"Good job." Nekoda nodded to his superior after the police removed the corpse.
"Yeah." Moroboshi replied. "Who discovered him first. Hey!" he suddenly noticed the five teens. "Why are you people doing here? Did you come in without permission? That's trespassing."
"Besides that, the investigation is more important right now, right?" Ami reminded.
"Identity of employee?" Moroboshi asked his subordinate.
"Ok." Nekoda referred to his notes.
"The victim's name is Igarashi Takumi, 45 years old." Kyu cut in. "The headmaster of this cram school."
"Cause of death?" Moroboshi inquired.
"Yes, um..." Nekoda looked at his notes.
"It's most likely bleeding to death due to the severing of the carotid artery." Ryu cut in.
"Approximate time of death?" Moroboshi looked at his subordinate.
Nekoda gestured for the teen for the go ahead.
"Ah, go ahead." Kyu passed the gesture right back.
"Ah, me?" Nekoda blinked.
"Yes." Kyu nodded.
"What are you confirming for, idiot?" Moroboshi scolded.
"Ah right." Nekoda nodded. "Estimating from the rigor mortis, we assume that it was from 10pm to 11pm."
"The emergency staircase's door was locked from the inside." Kazuma added. "The only entrance left is the service entrance."
"Then, where was the security guard?" Moroboshi inquired.
"He was patrolling the building." Nekoda supplied.
"Then, why don't you check the elevator's security camera?" Ami suggested.
"Right, Nekoda-san?" Megu gave the officer a grin.
"Um..." Nekoda stammered.
"What are you being convinced for?" Moroboshi chided. "Where's your pride as a detective?"
"Feminine whimsies indeed." Ami gave Megu a side-glance.
"I'm curious about something." Ryu voiced.
"What?" Moroboshi inquired.
"Eh?" Nekoda blinked as Ryu showed them the photos Kazuma took.
"Please look at the pottery fragments on top of the body." Ryu stated. "It's completely covered, as if bathing in blood. If it fell after his heart stopped beating, there wouldn't be this much blood."
"In short, the victim could be still alive, but it's just that he couldn't move." Ami concluded, following his reasoning. "Then, was he put to sleep by a sleeping pill or something like that?" she mused.
"Most likely." Ryu agreed with her.
"For what?" Moroboshi was puzzled.
"That's what we'll investigate." Ami replied.
"I see." Moroboshi nodded. "That was some good investigation. Then, we'll..."
"Officer Moroboshi." one of the officers cut in.
"Yeah?" Moroboshi asked.
"One moment." the officer pulled Moroboshi aside.
"The vase and the ornament used to be on top of the shelf." Megu mused as Kyu picked up the photo frame on the table.
"Why did it fall, when it was placed that high?" Kyu wondered.
"Maybe it fell when he was struggling with the criminal." Megu suggested.
"Look." Kyu stated, referring back to the photo when he saw the glass fragments on the ground. "This glass ornament, it was placed that far, yet why did it fall into pieces here?"
"Hey, enough." Moroboshi called out. "Go home already. Why don't you watch some soccer on TV?"
"This is bad!" Nekoda reported. "Moroboshi-san, the Chief of the Precinct has called. Another student of this school has gone missing."
"Name?" Moroboshi asked.
"Makino Daisuke, 15 years old." Nekoda replied.
"Eh?" Kyu and Megu echoed.
In Dan-sensei's office...
"Is Pluto a part of this case after all?" Nanami-sensei voiced his suspicions.
"Considering the circumstances during the last case, it looks like Celia-san's vision had been proven right; they're really back in action."
"Should we take the Class Q out of this case?" Nanami-sensei suggested.
"No." Dan-sensei replied. "I'll let them continue the investigation."
"But it's also possible that..." Nanami-sensei protested.
"For me, possible or not, I don't want them to overdo it." Dan-sensei voiced. "But, I don't have much time left. That's why I want them to grow up as fast as possible. For that to happen, I have no choice but to put them in a real case."
"Sensei..." Nanami-sensei muttered.
"Nanami," Dan-sensei stated. "Please assist them. Once Q Class finds out who the true criminal is, Pluto will definitely come and eliminate the true criminal. That'll be our chance."
The next day...
"Did you find out whose email address that was?" Kinta asked.
"Before that, where's the article you promised?" Haruka inquired.
"Here." Kinta handed her a package.
"Kinta, you didn't do anything to a junior high school girl, right?" Haruka joked when she saw the plastic doll.
"Huh?" Kinta blinked when Haruka passed him an envelope. "Are you serious?" he sighed, when he saw Suzuki's address.
In the Igarashi Academy's hall...
"Ah!" Nekoda suddenly gasped.
"What's wrong?" Moroboshi asked when Nekoda paused the tape.
"Look at this." Nekoda replied. "Look, she's wearing glasses." he focused on Megu. "Looks defenseless and cute. I'll take a picture for proof. Ouch!" he winced when Moroboshi smacked him, causing him to miss the shot. "Ah, I just got the table."
"In order to get inside the headmaster's room, you have to use this elevator." Moroboshi stated.
"Yes." Nekoda replied.
"Then the criminal should show up." Moroboshi reasoned.
"Yes." Nekoda agreed and continued playing the tape.
"This is about the time when the crime occurred, right?" Moroboshi asked as Nekoda fast-forwarded the tape. Ah! Stop!" he exclaimed when Morita-sensei came onto the screen.
"Ah!" ok!" Nekoda stopped the tape.
"I think this man is..." Moroboshi trailed.
In a park..
"Hey! Where are you throwing at?" the catcher chided when the pitcher tossed the baseball off course.
"Sorry, sorry." the pitcher apologized as the catcher went to retrieve the ball. "Come here!" he called out.
"Eh? What's wrong?" the pitcher asked.
"Someone has collapsed." the catcher replied, the camera moving in to reveal Makino.
"No way!" the pitcher gasped.
At the hospital...
"Anyway, is your leg okay?" a baseball player asked his injured teammate.
"It's alright." the wheelchair-bound pre-teen replied. "It's be cured in 3 days."
"Impossible!" the baseball team joked.
"How was your last match?" the injured player inquired.
"We won, of course." the team replied.
"Yay! Yay! Yay! Yay! Yay! Alright." the wheelchair-bound player whooped.
"Makino-kun." Kyu voiced, as he and Megu found the teen on the terrace. "Are you alright? Yesterday, where were you?"
"You guys..." Makino trailed. "Who are you?"
Yesterday, we talked at the school, right?" Kyu reminded. "Do you remember? What's wrong?" he asked when Makino clutched his head in pain.
"Whenever I try to remember something, my head hurts." Makino replied.
At the Igarashi Academy...
"Notice of Temporary Closure." Kyu blinked at the notice bulletin.
"It can't be helped." Megu replied. "The headmaster died after all."
"Um, hey." Kyu stopped three A-Class students. "You're members from the A-Class, right? It's concerning the death of Igarashi-sensei. Did any trouble happen at school?"
"No, not really." one of the students replied.
"Then, how about Makino Daisuke-kun?" Kyu pressed after the student walked off.
"Sorry, but I've never talked to him." the second student replied and went off.
"I'm not interested in others apart from their grades." the third student added, exiting.
"Moroboshi-san." Kyu blinked as the two detectives came in.
"This time, I win." Moroboshi boasted.
"Eh?" Kyu blinked.
"We caught the suspect." Nekoda supplied.
In the school hall...
"Stop here." Moroboshi told Nekoda when Morita-sensei appeared on scene.
"Ok." Nekoda stopped the tape.
"It's true that last night, I came back here after going home." Morita-sensei admitted. "But that's because I received an email from the headmaster."
"E-mail?" Nekoda echoed.
"Yes." Morita-sensei nodded.
"Can I confirm that?" Nekoda inquired.
"Ah yes." Morita-sensei dug out his cellphone. "Um... Ah here." he showed the detective the message which read: Term tests results are out. I would like to talk to you about them as well as your teaching path from now on. I'll be waiting at school at 0.5 pm – Igarashi.
"But during the time Igarashi-san died, you were the only one seen going in and out." Moroboshi noted.
"Are you kidding me?" Morita-sensei protested. "I didn't kill him. Last night when I came here, he was in his locked room. And, like always, he was listening to some music."
"Music?" Kyu echoed.
"It's the headmaster's hobby." Morita-sensei added. "After the students and teachers leave, he listens to classical music loudly. When I called out in the hallway, he wouldn't answer. Even when I called him on the phone, he didn't answer either. That's why I thought he was just harassing me, like always."
"We'll listen to you at the station." Moroboshi nodded. "Please follow me."
"Wait, officer!" Morita-sensei protested. "Please, listen to me!"
On the streets...
"At the time Igarashi-san was killed, the only one who came there was Lecturer Morita." Megu mused. "Plus he was bitter toward Igarashi-san. With these circumstantial evidences, he's definitely the murderer, right?"
"But if it's a premeditated murder, he wouldn't defenselessly show himself on camera and he would've erased the e-mail too." Kyu reasoned.
"Then who killed him and how?" Megu wondered.
Kyu was in deep thought when a sudden burst of music alerted him.
"What's this?" Megu winced, covering her ears at the loud, pounding music.
However, Kyu's attention was diverted when he noticed a water bottle on a parked car's hood. "Could it be?" he wondered, an idea coming to him.
"Kyu, where are you doing?" Megu asked, running after him as Kyu took off.
"I think I can solve the trick on how Igarashi-san was killed." Kyu replied.
"Eh?" Megu blinked when Kyu gestured for her to follow.
Meanwhile...
"They say that drawings reflect the artist's heart, right?" Ryu voiced as Takeyama drew over the angel picture in frustration. "That drawing is overflowing with your emotions that's being clouded by worries. Losing your memory is a lie, isn't it? You were driven to a corner by the exams and you lost your freedom to draw, so..."
"Ryu, that's enough out of you." Ami chided. "I'm sorry." she looked at the enraged Takeyama. "My partner here." she gave Ryu a mock-glare. "Doesn't know the word 'subtlety'. I'm no expert at interpreting paintings, but I can tell you are talented. What do you say?" she gave Takeyama a smile. "I'll introduce you to a great teacher."
"A teacher?" Takeyama blinked in surprise.
"I do believe every amateur artist knows of her." Ami added. "Kaioh Nerissa."
At the mention of the genius painter, Takeyama relented.
In Nerissa's art gallery...
"Now, we'll just leave Nerissa-nee-chan to work her magic." Ami declared proudly, after inducting the two to meet.
"What's that about?" Ryu asked, curious. "That return favor Kaioh-san spoke off."
"It's just something Nerissa-nee-chan and I worked out, like a trade-off." Ami explained. "Everytime, she does me a favor, I return that favor by playing a violin-harp duet with her in her nearest upcoming concerts."
Elsewhere...
Kinta has found Suzuki practicing in front a mirrored door.
"Dance practice by yourself?" Kinta inquired. "You must really like dancing, huh? Losing your memory was a lie, right? You sent people to attack me because you were scared that I'd find out that you were lying."
"What are you talking about?" Suzuki demanded. "I absolutely can't understand where you're going with this."
"Parents nagging you to study and your beloved dance was taken away." Kinta listed. "No wonder you feel suppressed. You disappeared and pretended to lose your memory, trying to regain your true self."
"Are you going to tell my parents?" Suzuki asked.
"If I did that, it wouldn't solve anything." Kinta pointed out.
"Eh?" Suzuki blinked.
"Before, I got my dancer friend to teach me." Kinta started to street dance in front of the mirror. "Like this?" he ended with a pose.
"You suck." Suzuki remarked.
"What?" Kinta blinked. "Then, you do it. You're good." he noted after Suzuki finished the dance sequence. "When I was young," he added, continuing his dance steps. "I shoplifted a plastic model that I really, really wanted. But looking back, that wasn't something that I enjoyed. Something you've gained cunningly, has no value, right?"
In Igarashi-sensei's office...
"Kyu, what did you find out?" Megu asked as Kyu led her back to the office.
"The reason why the criminal rendered the victim unable to move." Kyu entered the office.
"The one Ryu mentioned?" Megu inquired.
"Yeah, that was a clever alibi trick made by the criminal." Kyu noted.
"Alibi trick?" Megu echoed.
"Yeah." Kyu nodded. "Every night, Igarashi-sensei had a habit of loudly listening to music, right?" he switched on the CD player.
"Yeah." Megu nodded.
"The criminal used resonance vibration which was activated by music to kill Igarashi-sensei.
"Resonance vibration?" Megu echoed.
"When a substance reacts in response to a large wavelength, a phenomenon that creates vibrations." Kyu explained. "First, the criminal used sleeping pills or something to make Igarashi-sensei fall asleep. Then, using the vase and candlestick, he made a device so a knife would stab the carotid artery. Then, the music was activated using a timer, and the vase dropped from the top of the bookshelf. Megu, turn the volume up."
"Okay." Megu turned up the volume. "It got stabbed." she blinked in surprise when Kyu's experiment worked.
"In short, the criminal wasn't present when the crime was committed." Kyu concluded. "Using Igarashi-sensei's habit of listening to music every night, the criminal killed Igarashi-sensei remotely."
"Then, is the criminal whom the camera captured before the crime happened, the true criminal?" Megu wondered.
"Yeah." Kyu nodded. "That's right. Lastly, why did the ornament being that far, fall all the way here? Hello?" he answered the call.
On the streets...
"Kyu?" Kinta started. "I know the truth behind the case of disappearance."
In the Mission Room...
"A forwarded email?" Kyu echoed after Kinta and Ami reported their findings.
"At first, it was just a modest warning." Ami replied. "'Are you really okay with your current life?'"
"'If you could restart your life all over again, what kind of 'you' would you choose?" Kinta continued. "Those who couldn't do what they really want and were stressed out, guided by the advice to disappear, tried to be reborn as a different person."
"And the identity of the provoker?" Kazuma pressed.
"No information that revealed the identity came around." Ami answered. "It's just that the screen name is 'God'."
"God?" Kyu echoed.
"A being that leaks a magazine or manga before its release, or someone respected is called 'God' on the internet world." Kazuma supplied.
"But, Kinta, Ami, you two are amazing." Kyu gushed. "Great job on the information."
"Eh?" Kinta blinked. "It's no big deal."
"Well, it pays to have connections." Ami grinned.
"Even if your rival just scored some points, you're really positive, Kyu." Megu remarked.
"But, you're honestly amazing, Kinta." Ryu voiced. "You were able to open her hearts and get the information out. It's vexing, but I can't do that."
"As I've said, you don't know the word, 'subtlety'." Ami reminded. "You accuse him of lying straight in his face; of course any normal person will be offended."
"Kazuma, what have you been looking at?" Kyu inquired.
"The only ones who knew the headmaster's habit of listening to music every night are the school's authorized personnel, right?" Kazuma mused. "Huh?" he blinked when Makino came on screen, causing the rest of the group to crowd around. "This guy is looking at the security camera, right?"
"His glasses are different." Megu noted. "His glasses before and after disappearing are different. I noticed it when we visited him."
"Why is that so?" Kyu's brain started turning. "I know who the criminal is." he stated, after making the connection on the glass ornament.
"Eh?" everyone else turned to him.
"Yeah, I got it." Megu ended her call. "Thanks Neko-chan. Kyu, according to Forensics, the thing you mentioned was found in the fragments of the glass ornament." she reported back to the group.
"Hey, according to the Internet News Flash, a large number of students around this area have gone missing." Kazuma added.
"Eh?" Ryu echoed.
"Kinta, Ami, where did Ayaka-san and Yuki-san hide during the time they were supposed to be missing?" Kyu asked.
"At a grade school building." Kinta replied.
"The one that was abolished recently." Ami added.
That night...
"Hey, are they really in this abolished building?" Megu whispered when Kinta suddenly tripped over something in the darkness.
"Kinta!" the younger teens chided.
"Ah, that shocked me." Kinta apologized. "Sorry, sorry."
"What a shock." Megu heaved.
"Guys." Ami stopped in her tracks.
"What's wrong, Ryu?" Megu asked as Ryu entered the laboratory.
"Nothing." Ryu replied. "It's just that I think I heard some voices over there."
"Around the gym area?" Kinta mused.
"Let's go." Kyu suggested.
"Yeah." Megu nodded and the rest headed out.
With the other four out of earshot, Ami shut her eyes and stated, "How long do you intend to hide?"
"You knew?" Ryu turned a sharp look at her as Yurie and Cerberus emerged from their hiding spots.
Along the corridor...
"Someone's here." Kazuma stated, having heard a piano's melody echo.
"What now?" Megu asked, the four peering in.
"Let's go." Kyu concluded.
"One, two." he and Kinta pulled the doors open.
In the gymnasium...
"Were you guided by God, too?" Kyu asked, the four rushing in. "Then, you should go home right away."
"God will be caught by the police soon." Megu added.
"Don't do things without my permission." the disguised 'God' voiced as he entered via the second story side door.
"Show your face, Makino-kun." Kyu requested and Makino removed his mask.
Along the corridor...
"Pluto's behind this case again, after all." Ami snorted.
"We were simply creating a murder plan." Cerberus corrected. "The client is the one who executes it. The proof that connects him and us is gone."
"I wonder..." Ami let out a cold smirk, the frigid tip of her stiletto knife poised at Cerberus' throat, her Guardian Ring's power activated.
"Still so cold." Yurie remarked. "Just as expected from the Guardian of Mercury. Ryu-sama." she turned to Ryu, ignoring the flash of shock on Ryu's face. "No matter how hard you try to run away from us, you can't run away from your destiny."
"My life is my own." Ryu stated. "I won't take orders from you people. Ami." he looked at the revealed Guardian.
Nodding, the girl revoked her power and unsheathed her knife.
"Your destinies are like your shadows." Cerberus reminded.
The two teens ignored him and went on their way, a silent agreement between them to keep each other's identities a secret until they could reveal it to the rest of the group.
In the gymnasium...
"You were really the true identity of God." Kyu stated after Ryu and Ami rejoined the group. "And the murderer of Igarashi-sensei. Fragments of a glass ornament were at the crime scene's carpet. I thought, why did an ornament located that far, end up on the floor. The answer? Your glasses. You secretly slipped into the headmaster's office and attacked Igarashi-sensei. During that time, you dropped your glasses and they broke. Since you couldn't pick up all the fragments, you camouflaged it by breaking the glass ornament."
"The proof is that you've changed glasses before and after you've disappeared." Megu added. "I asked Forensics and found out that among the ornament glass fragments, spectacle glass fragments were mixed in."
"Why?" Kyu asked. "Why did you..."
"Kyu-kun," Makino stated. "Have you ever let your friends down?"
"Eh?" Kyu echoed.
"I had baseball friends during grade school." Makino explained. "But right after attending the cram school, 'I have to dump you or I'll get dumped.'. Every day, Igarashi indoctrinated me. Eventually, I became happy when my friends failed. Inside, I laughed at other people's suffering. I became a person like that. At this rate, I'll grow up to be like Igarashi. When I thought of that, I became scared."
"That's why you killed Igarashi-sensei?" Kyu inquired.
"Yeah." Makino nodded.
Flashback
"You dropped your cellphone." Igarashi-sensei returned Makino's handphone.
"Thank you very much." Makino replied and reclaimed his cellphone.
"Makino." Igarashi-sensei stated, stopping Makino in his tracks.
"Yes?" Makino turned.
"Your communication history, it was only your mother, huh?" Igarashi-sensei inquired. "Good work, Makino. There's no other student who loyally follows my teachings. You will surely win through the competition. From now on, just think about defeating your rivals."
"At that time, I thought I had to kill him and be reborn." Makino continued. "In order to escape Igarashi, I had no choice but to eliminate him from my view."
"Did you really think that you could be reborn by doing that?" Kyu asked. "By sacrificing other people's lives, did you think you can start all over again? No matter what the reason is, murder cannot be forgiven. You had no right to take Igarashi-sensei's life. Plus, calling yourself 'God', and instigating the disappearance through email, was because you thought they felt the same way. Were you trying to save them? If you wanted friends, why didn't you strike hard? Remember the time when you still played baseball, suffering through practices together, fighting, encouraging each other. Just like that, before you know it, you get along well. Isn't that what a friend is? Isn't that what a companion is?"
"Are those people there your friends?" Makino looked over at the group.
"Yeah." Kyu nodded. "Friends chasing the same dream."
"I'm jealous that you can proudly say that." Makino admitted.
The next morning, outside the abandoned school...
"Kyu-kun." Makino started before he entered the police escort vehicle.
"What?" Kyu asked.
"Once I have properly paid for my sins, will you play catchball with me?" Makino requested.
"Of course." Kyu nodded.
In the school's hall...
"Are you going to shut your client's mouth with hypnosis?" Nanami-sensei stopped the whistling police-officer-disguised Cerberus in his tracks.
"You are?" Cerberus asked.
"Dan Detective Office, Nanami Kotarou." Nanami-sensei declared.
"So, you're Nanami-kun huh?" Cerberus snorted. "I've heard a lot about you."
"Wow, I'd love to hear what you know." Nanami-sensei remarked in sarcasm.
"An over self-conscious confidence, huh?" Cerberus added. "But that's also your weakness."
"Such a child's trick." Nanami-sensei snorted when Cerberus took out his silver pendent, only to be attacked by a hypnotized police officer from behind. Reacting, Nanami-sensei tossed the officer over his shoulder. "Bastard!" he cursed when he lost sight of his target.
Outside the school...
"I wonder what'll happen to us?" Megu wondered. "Will we be rivals forever? Or will we..."
"Hey, Kyu." Kazuma voiced.
"Yeah?" Kyu asked.
"Since when did we become friends?" Kazuma wondered.
"Eh? Since when?" Kyu echoed. "We're friends, right?"
"What a happy-go-lucky person." Megu remarked.
"I'm hungry." Kinta cut in. "Let's eat some chanponmen."
"I'll pass." Kazuma remarked as the group walked off.
"Eh?" Kinta blinked. "Why?"
"Kyu, what are you doing?" Megu prodded. "Hurry, let's go."
"Yeah!" Kyu nodded and took off after the group.
SailorStar9: Now that's done, read and review.