I can't think of a title for this chapter so I am leaving it as it is until I can. Suggestions are appreciated!

Akio

I heard the footsteps of my sister behind me, but I ignored them. I could tell from how exaggerated the footsteps were and the stifled giggles that accompanied them that she was clearly planning to try and surprise me in some way-subtlety had never been Sachi's strong point. So, I smiled to myself, and continued home as if there wasn't an overly gleeful nine-year-old stalking me. Though I did wonder why she was only heading home now-most days, she went straight home from school, whereas I usually had my animation club duties. Oh well, I'll just ask once she 'surprises' me.

I turned the corner and made my way down the road our house was on, and thought about the day. At club, we were well on task for the deadline for the short film competition we were entering during the summer holidays, though I was also making a video for a cover artist's new video and that was eating into my time. Not to mention the homework I had to do each night. I had always managed it before, and I would manage it again, but it wasn't much fun. Still, perhaps I could take a breather at the weekend.

Getting to the front door, I stopped to find my keys. I heard Sachi bounce behind me, but I continued to keep up the pretence as I pulled the keychain out of my bag and walked up the front path. I quickly opened the door and stepped through, 'forgetting' to shut it behind me, so Sachi could get through without needing to take out her own keys and 'give away the game' (this, naturally, being one of the few things she was able to remember to do to keep up her pretence).

"I'm back!" I called out.

Not hearing a response, I knew neither of my parents were home-though I knew Mum would be soon. I knelt down on the step, and prepared to unlace my school shoes, when I saw a letter on the floor. It was in a cream envelope which looked like it was made out of some fancy paper, but more unusually, it was addressed to me. Akio Arisato.

Well, that's unusual.

I didn't often get post addressed to me. Some school things, very occasionally. Birthday and New Year cards from distant relatives on my father's side (Mum was an orphan, which is why there were never any from her side), and once a while ago, subscriptions to a magazine I used to follow as a kid. Party invitations and the like were always handed to me in person, or emailed or messaged. I simply did not receive cream-coloured envelopes that bore my name in an elegant print, with a fancy logo in the corner. I picked it up cautiously, but only had time to register that the paper of the envelope felt as fancy as it looked, for that was when Sachi chose her moment to strike.

"Guesss whooooooo?" she said, putting her hands over my glasses.

"Um," I pretended to think as I hurriedly stuffed the envelope in my blazer pocket. "Is it Dad?"

A peal of giggles.

"Nooooo."

"Well, is it Mum?"

"Noooo!"

"Well then, it must be Sachi!"

"Yay, you got it, Nii-chan!"

Sachi removed her hands from my face, and I re-adjusted my glasses before turning around to face her. She grinned at me, looking very pleased with herself. The rainbow shrimp hairclips she had in her bright red hair were slightly lopsided, and her ponytails were a mess.

"How come you're only home now?"

"I went to the children's centre with Mika!"

"Ahhh." I nodded, remembering that sometimes Sachi did that. "Of course."

Sachi giggled at that, and bounded down the step and ahead of me.

"Anyway, come, Nii-chan, I want to eat a cookie and there are things to tell you and aaa-"

"Sachi, what do you have to do first?"

"Huh?"

Sachi spun back around and looked at me, confused. I sighed with a smile, and pointed at her feet.

"What's the routine, Sachi?" I asked, as I did a lot of the time.

Sachi frowned for a moment, then she lit up.

"Oh! Shoes!"

"And then…" I prompted.

"Lunchbox in the kitchen, and then change and clean-up, and then cookies." Sachi recited obediently.

"Atta girl."

Sachi grinned, and bent down to take off her shoes, while I locked the door. Then, I followed Sachi into the kitchen, ready to remind her of the routine if need be. Just like any other day, really.

Except that there was a mysterious letter in my pocket, and I had not forgotten about it.

…

Sachi was on her fifth cookie and what was probably her millionth anecdote, putting off her homework as well as mine, when we heard the key in the lock, and then a moment later, Mum's voice called out.

"I'm back!"

"MUMMY!"

Sachi instantly abandoned her cookie on the table before I could remind her to put it on the plate, and zipped out. I heard her babbling, and some of Mum's quiet responses. Oh? A few moments later, Mum came into the room and put her own lunchbox by the sink, Sachi clinging to her like a slipper limpet.

"Oh, Akio. How many cookies has Sachi had?"

"Er…."

"I had ten million!"

"It was five." I said, quickly. "That was number five."

Not that it was plausible that she'd actually eaten ten million, but still.

Normally, Mum would have scolded me-gently, but all the same, scolded me for giving into Sachi's sweet tooth, but today, she just looked at me. Sachi stared up at her, confused, then let go to return to her cookie and eat it up.

"After this, I'll do my homework!"

"Good." Mum said, seeming almost distracted as, rather than go up to change, she went to the cupboards, and started going through them, pulling out different things.

"I'm thinking of making rice pilaf with kafta tonight, perhaps with some lentil spinach soup." She said absently. "You like kafta, right, Akio?"

"I, um, do you want any help, Mum?" I asked, looking at her carefully.

I wasn't sure what it was, but there was something about all of this that made me think-wait. Something just didn't feel right.

"Oooh, I wanna help, I wanna help!" Sachi interjected.

"Oh, no, no." At this, an attempt at a smile as she turned momentarily to face us. "You two need to do your homework."

"Aww, but-"

"Maybe we can come help another day, right, Mum?" I said, quickly, as I noticed both Sachi's lip tremble and Mum look like a deer in the headlights.

"Exactly, exactly." Mum said, still sounding absent. "Now, I'm just going to change and then I will start straight away, so you shouldn't have to wait long."

"Alright." I said, simply, not really knowing what else to say.

I let Mum and Sachi leave the room first, and I waited, brushing away the crumbs Sachi had left on the table and washing the glass I had drunk juice from. I wondered if I should have pressed it. After all, Mum being visibly sad in front of us was not something that usually happened.

Maybe later, when Sachi is in bed. Besides, there are still things to do.

And I had not forgotten about the letter either. So, after looking around at the things Mum had left on the counter in preparation for cooking, I sighed and went upstairs.

…

Juro

Whenever the past has particularly haunted my wife, she responded by cooking Lebanese food.

Not that she doesn't cook the food of her childhood at other times. Akio and his friends love her 'foreign cooking' so she has made things for them many times before. But for all the years I have known and loved her, this has been a sure sign of her dwelling on the past. Simple introspection, or something triggering a specific flashback or memory. Whatever it is, if it's Lebanese food that she is making, it is almost certain that she has been reminded of the past, and never in a good way.

So when I came home only to smell those familiar smells, I was instantly worried. Not least because I knew that I would be the bearer of news that is likely to make her retreat further. I took a deep, heavy breath and called out:

"I'm back!"

Leaving my blazer on the banister, I headed straight to the kitchen, and simply stood there for a moment, watching Mai stir something in a pan thoughtfully, her shoulders high and an introspective look on her face.

"You're not going back to Brazil?"

Sadie shook her head, and returned to looking out of the window.

"It was never really home for me. Obaa-san and Teta were what made it home, and now…"

She did not need to complete that sentence. It was a tragedy on top of another tragedy, that her grandmothers had not survived to see that their beloved granddaughter, the bridge between their cultures, was safe and well after all. In some ways, I considered them extra victims of this travesty.

"What about friends? Other relatives? Is there nothing you'd miss?"

Sadie shrugged, still looking out of the window. From the reflection, I could see her brow furrow as she considered this.

"The food, maybe. But I can make food anywhere. I just need a kitchen." Then, she smiled faintly. "It will be fine though, Officer Arisato. I will find a way to make it work. I'll be fine, really."

"Well…"

I trailed off. It did not seem fair that while at least the other survivors had people to go back to, Sadie would be all alone in the world. Hostels tried their best, but they were nothing compared to a home. To companionship.

"Come and stay in my apartment." I found myself saying.

Sadie looked over her shoulder, eyes wide in surprise. I spluttered a little, and tried to get my impulse idea into some sort of order.

"It's not much, but I can stay on the sofa. And it would only be until you've found somewhere of your own. It'll be better than a hostel, after all."

"I…would that be allowed?"

I had not considered that, but I did not indicate that. Instead, I just continued smiling, as reassuringly as I could.

"There's nothing wrong in it. And besides, the case has been closed, after all. There won't be any conflict of interest."

Sadie tilted her head slightly, and considered this. Then, she nodded.

"If…that's really okay?"

"Of course it is."

"Then, yes please."

Even before I'd started to love her, I'd wanted to protect her. And now, I both loved her and wanted to protect her. It should have made this easier, but in truth it made it harder.

I cleared my throat, and Mai looked up, wide eyed, before smiling. A tentative smile, but still, at least, a smile.

"Juro!"

"Hey. What are you cooking?"

Mai reeled off the list of things she was cooking, and then turned her gaze away from me, stirring the soup with fierce concentration.

"Did something happen?" I asked her.

There was nothing obvious that I had missed. Her grandmothers' death anniversary had passed, as had the anniversary of her escape. Her parents' death anniversary was in November, but that had never affected her this badly. Mai sighed, and looked up.

"Did you know about Hope's Peak?" she asked, in a whisper, flicking her eyes up to the ceiling anxiously.

I blinked, wrongfooted.

"How did you know?" I asked.

Now it was Mai's turn to blink, and to look up at me again.

"I…overheard people talking about it on the way back home." She said. "But Juro, how come?"

"Well," I was about to tell her, but then I heard small footsteps, and I paused.

A moment later, the footsteps became louder and nearer, accompanied by:

"DADDY!"

"Woah!" I laughed as Sachi barrelled into me. "Hello there, cheeky monkey."

As Sachi immediately prattled about something or other, I looked at Mai and gave her a smile. 'Later, okay?' I mouthed. Mai nodded, and returned to her cooking, while I left the room with Sachi.

I just hoped it would all be okay in the end.

…

Akio

It became even clearer that something wasn't quite right with Mum when we actually sat down to have dinner. Sachi was always the one who talked the most at the table, as she was in most situations, but Mum could usually match the chatter, asking us about our days, while Dad would chip in from time to time. But this time, it was all Sachi, while Mum nodded idly and tried to smile. And Dad just kept looking at her, also smiling, but clearly fake.

I'd been all prepared to mention the letter, and to ask if either of them knew what Hope's Peak was-if anyone in the house was going to know about a school that had closed 20 years ago, it would be them after all- but I knew that I couldn't. Not like this.

"Is everything okay, Mum?" I asked as I helped to clear away the plates.

Mum startled, and blinked. Instead of answering, she looked over at Dad for some reason.

"Why're you asking that, Nii-chan?" Sachi asked. "Has something bad happened?"

"No, no, no." Dad frowned at me slightly, and I tried not to bristle at that. "Everything is absolutely fine. Nothing to worry about at all."

He said it in that authoritative way he had sometimes, when he tried to act as if the fact he was a detective made him akin to a superhero, who could make things true just by saying them, just from having the knowledge that came with being a detective. Which was fine for Sachi, who was still little after all. But me?

The fact that Dad was a detective-that made me a detective's son. And I don't think Dad has ever realised that.

"But…"

"Are you alright, Akio? You seemed a little distant today." Dad said quickly.

Okay, there really is something wrong. There was a part of me that felt like being snarky, and telling them that the fact they were clearly hiding something was what was wrong- but that wouldn't have been fair. Because I knew that for all it was patronising, they were doing it for the right reasons. I was lucky that I'd never had any real reason to clash with my parents when so many of my classmates did, and I didn't want to start now. Besides, he was right. I did have something on my mind.

"Could we talk after we're cleared up?" I asked hesitantly.

Dad paused, and looked at Mum, who didn't react. He rubbed his head and sighed before eventually answering me.

"I need to talk with your mother first." He said. "But after that?"

"Sure."

"You can leave the plates, Akio." Mum suddenly said, as if she'd only just thought of it. "Dad and I will wash them."

"I…it's my turn on the rota though?"

I pointed to the fridge, where the family chores rota was stuck on with a lopsided bunny magnet Sachi had made in first grade.

"Don't worry about it, Akio. " Dad said, in that same firm voice. "We'll do them. And after that, we'll be out on the swinging seat."

The swinging seat? I glanced out of the kitchen window at the wooden seat in the back garden, the place that had unofficially become the place to go if you needed time to calm down or cool off. It was not as if I spent all my days in sheer bliss, but I couldn't remember the last time I had used it. Or when any of us had. Okay, this is bad-as if I didn't know already. But what's the point of asking?

"The swinging seat! But who's gonna read me a story?" Sachi asked anxiously.

"I will!" I said, quickly.

"No, no, it's okay." Dad said firmly. "I'll be up, don't you worry."

There was no reason for me to think it was a lie. But all the same, I could not help but stare meaningfully at them as Sachi hurtled upstairs, singing some kids' song in a cheerful, off-key voice.

"Go on, Akio." Mum said softly, coming to take the soapy plate away from me.

Dad stood behind her, and put a hand on her shoulder, and nodded at me, as if to underline Mum's soft encouragement. I'd seen them stand like that so many times, but never quite like this.

And I still don't even know what 'this' is.

"See you later." I said, trying to be off-handed.

I turned around quickly and headed upstairs. But not fast enough to be able to avoid hearing a snatch of crying.

…

Juro

While Mai got ready for bed, I went to check on the kids. In the end, Akio had had to read a story to Sachi, and while I knew she would have been pleased at having extra attention from her big brother, I couldn't help but feel bad. I had promised, after all. But this thing…I had no idea how it would turn out, just that I needed to keep Mai safe from it. To protect her, as I always had.

The best thing, of course, would be if it never happened. But I understand the need, to tie up loose ends, to try and get some closure. I wouldn't be a detective if that wasn't the case. But….

I shook my head, and moved away from Sachi's room-where she was mercifully fast asleep, surrounded by countless teddy bears as usual-and headed down the corridor to where Akio's room was. There was no light coming out from under his door either, and sure enough, when I opened the door quietly to check, he wasn't studying, animating, or chatting with friends online. He was as fast asleep as Sachi was, but curled up on his side, facing me so that I could see how the curls of his brown hair fell over his face, obscuring his shut eyes. I could not tell if his sleep was peaceful or troubled, and I felt a stab of guilt at not being able to keep my word.

Hopefully, the investigation would run its course and simply close again, allowing us all to get on with our lives. Then I could really find out what was troubling Akio, and help to sort it out properly. Though, hopefully, it's nothing too bad, I mused as I took this chance and the sliver of light to idly scan what I could see of Akio's room, Akio's always been a good kid. Smart, kind. A real credit to us, patient with Sachi…he does not deserve to have his mother's trauma on his shou-

My thoughts ground to a halt as I spied an envelope on Akio's desk, looking out of place as it did, lying flat in the middle, open with a folded sheet of paper partially sticking out. After glancing over at Akio again, I carefully eased the door open a little more and slipped in, taking care not to make any sound as I went to the desk and carefully lifted the envelope, sucking in a breath of surprise, as my fingers registered the quality of the paper. I flipped the envelope around, and for a moment, everything stopped.

Not at the fact that it was addressed directly to Akio, but at the fact there was a very familiar emblem in the corner.

The Hope's Peak logo.

It cannot be, can it? Surely, they cannot be moving this fast? Another breath, and another sideways glance at Akio, and then carefully, carefully, I eased the sheet out of the envelope, and in the dim light of the corridor, I began to read.

Characters introduced this chapter:

Investigators

Juro Arisato, Murder Detective (my OC)

Prospectives

Akio Arisato, SHSL Lucky Student (my OC)

This chapter is really just to introduced Akio and Juro, who are pretty much the protags of their respective roles, and to give a sense what Arisato family life looks like, and how already Hope's Peak is straining it. But anyway, as far as submissions are going, I have had some excellent ones so far, but overall still very few, so yeah, submit away if you are so inclined! I might making the first few cast selections over the next week, but the current deadline still stands so do not worry about that!