April 13, 2011

Forecast: Cloudy

Early Morning

I was walking to school when I saw the same orange-haired guy from yesterday ride his bike. He crashed and fell into a trash can. I walked up to him rolling around in the trash can. "S-Someone.." he groaned as he rolled around in the trash can.

Maybe I should help him.

I helped him out of the trash can. "Whew, you saved me. Thanks! Um, oh yeah, that's right. You're that transfer student, Yukari Narukami. I'm Yosuke Hanamura. Nice to meet ya." he winked. I blushed, "Is your bike okay?" I asked jokingly. "My bike? What about me!?" he whined. I laughed.

He seems to be all right.

"Say, did you hear about the incident from yesterday? They found that announcer lady hanging from an antenna! You think it was some kinda warning? There's no way something that weird could've been an accident." he muttered. "You might be right." I replied. "Dangling a dead body over a roof like that, that's just messed up. Then again, it's pretty messed up to kill someone in the first place." he stammered. He looked down at his watch then shot his head up at me, "Oh crap, we're late! You wanna ride? It's a little squeaky, but it should be fine." he offered as I snickered.

Morning

Class was hell, as usual. "Be quiet, you idiots! You guys ARE in high school, aren't you!? Can't you shut up during class? Don't you have any common sense? First of all, my hob is to waste my precious time teaching you assholes philosophy! And since I'm so nice, I'll straighten up your rotten attitudes while I'm at it! Aren't you honored!? And I'll be going especially hard on any of you morons that're curious about the murder! Got it!? Now get your books out!" Mr. Morooka lectured to the class. Even though his lectures were annoying, I still listened intently, and surprisingly, I felt smarter.

After School

Finally, class was over. Yosuke stretched and walked up to my desk, "So, you getting used to this place?" he asked. "Yeah." I smiled and nodded. "Wow, that was fast." he complimented, "There isn't much to do here compared to the big city, but there is that certain something you can't get anywhere else. The air's clean, the food's great, oh, you know about the local delicacy? It's grilled steak, man! Like that's anything special, huh? I know a place where you can get it cheap. Wanna come? You helped me out this morning, so it's on me." he offered.

Grilled steak? Sounds delicious.

However, Chie came up to Yosuke, "What about me, huh? No apologies? My 'Trial of the Dragon'." she reminded Yosuke. Yosuke suddenly looked nervous, "You always come around when I'm talking about food." he groaned. "How about it, Yukiko? Don't you think he should treat us, too?" Chie asked, turning to Yukiko. "I'll pass, I don't want to gain any more weight. I need to help out at the inn today anyway." Yukiko muttered. "Wow, Yukiko-san! You started training to take over the business?" Yosuke asked. "It's not like that! I'm just helped out when it gets busy. Well, I should be on my way." she explained. Yukiko leaves the classroom calmly.

"Oh well. We should get going too." Chie declared. "Huh? Do I seriously have to treat two girls?" Yosuke moaned.

Yosuke took Chie and me to the food court at Junes. I didn't mind considering I was being treated to food, but Chie wasn't happy. "THIS is the cheap place you were talking about? They don't have grilled steak here." Chie growled. Yosuke sat down with us at the table, "Yeah, well, once you hopped on the freeloader train, I had to change my plans." Yosuke replied. "Still, that's no reason to take us to your place." Chie snapped. "Dude, this isn't my place or anything." Yosuke answered back swiftly. I was confused at this matter. His place? Yosuke must have saw my confused facial expression. "Oh, right. I haven't told you yet, huh? I moved here from another city about six months back. This location just opened up, and my dad was assigned to manage it. So our entire family came out here." Yosuke explained. He looked at the soft drinks on the tray. "Here, this is to welcome you to town." he said as he took his soft drink. "Wow, thanks!" I said as I took my soft drink. "Satonaka, yours is on me too." Yosuke said to Chie. "Yeah, I know." she replied as she took her soft drink. We toasted and slurped our drinks. Our conversation became animated over small talk.

"It's only been half a year since this place opened up, but I haven't been to the local shopping district much since. A lot of stores there started closing, and oh, uh.." Chie stopped herself from talking. "You can't balme it all on Junes, can you?" Yosuke sighed. I was pretty confused but I let it slide. All of a sudden, a strange girl sat at a table near us. Yosuke's face beamed, "Hey, it's Saki-senpai! Sorry, be right back." he stammered. "Is she Yosuke's girlfriend?" I asked Chie curiously. "He wishes!" she giggled. Yosuke got up and started to go to Saki. "Oh, that's Saki Konishi. Her family runs a liquor store in the shopping district. I think she's working here part-time though." Chie explained to me. Saki Konishi?

"Hey, how's it going? You look beat." Yosuke greeted Saki. "Hey! I'm finally on break. What's up, Hana-chan? Boosting the family business by bring your friends here?" Saki asked Yosuke. "Madam, you wound me!" Yosuke joked, dramatically, "Kidding aside, you look down. Did something happen?" he asked, worried. "It's nothing. I'm just a little tired." Saki yawned. "Hey, if you need to talk, I'm always willing to listen, I-" Yosuke started to say before Saki cut him off. "I'm okay. Thanks, though." she chuckled, "Why'd I leave school early yesterday?" Saki mumbled under her breath, which confused Yosuke.

Saki's head shot up when she saw me, "Hey, is she the kid who transferred here?" she got up and started walking towards me. "Are you the transfer student? Oh, did you hear about me already?" Saki giggled, "It must be nice to have someone else from the big city to talk to, huh? I don't see Hana-chan hanging out with other people so much." Saki continued. "N-Not necessarily." he muttered. "He doesn't have too many friends, so I hope you two get along good. Hana-chan's a good guy, but he can get nosy sometimes. You gotta tell him right to his face when he starts to annoy you." Saki snickers. "Yeah, he's annoying" I giggled, jokingly. "Ahaha!" Saki chuckled. "All right, break it up. You're kinda getting on my nerves." Yosuke muttered. "Well, my break's just about over. Back to work I go, laters!" Saki remembered then left back to work. "Oh, uh, Senpai!" Yosuke called Saki but she didn't hear him.

"Saki-senpai says I'm annoying, but she's even nosier than me." Yosuke laughed, "She has a younger brother, and she treats me pretty much the same way." he said. "Ooh, you don't want her treating you like a brother, huh? Oh, I get it. So that's how it is." Chie retorted, "The daughter of a local family-run liquor store and the scion of the invading chain, the flame of forbidden love!" Chie joked. "Wha-!? Dude, it's not like that" Yosuke blushed. "Oh reaaally? Well, I know just the thing to cheer up that lovesick heart. You ever hear about the Midnight Channel? You're supposed to look into a TV that's switched off, alone, exactly at midnight on a rainy night. While you're staring at your own image, another person will appear on the screen, and they say that person's your soul mate." Chie explained with a smile on her face. "What? For a second, I thought you were actually going to say something useful." Yosuke scoffed and I laughed, "How can you get all excited over such a childish urban legend like that?" Yosuke grunted. "Childish, huh? You don't believe it, do you!?" Chie yelled fiercely. "Of course, I don't." Yosuke answers. "Well, it's raining tonight! Let's all try it out, then you'll see!" Chie volunteered. "Chie, this rumor is kind of weird, I doubt it will work." I told her. "Try it out? Wait, you haven't even tried it yourself!?" Yosuke exclaimed, "Wow, I'm trying to remember the last time I heard something this stupid." Yosuke ended. He turned to me, "All that aside, you know that incident yesterday? You guys think it was murder?" he asked, "Ooh, what if the culprit behind it was still lurking around?" Yosuke smirked. "Sheesh, you shouldn't joke about stuff like that. NOW who's the childish one?" Chie retorted, "All I am saying is, you guys better try it out tonight." Chie declared.

I now have heard the rumor about the Midnight Channel, where one can see one's soul mate on a rainy night. Maybe I should try it out tonight.

Evening

I came home to a house only with Nanako. Dinner looked delicous as Nanako and I ate. She sighed, looking upset.

Another dinner alone with Nanako..

"Did your father call?" I asked. "No, he always says he will." she sighed. Suddenly, the door slid open. Nanako looked up, "Oh! He's home!" she exclaimed excitedly. Dojima walked in, looking exhausted. "What a day." he groaned, "I'm back. Did anything happen while I was out?" he asked. "No, you're late again." Nanako whined. "I'm sorry, been busy at work." Dojima apologized as he sat down on the couch. "Can you put the news on for me?" he pleaded. Nanako sighed and flipped the channel to the News. An announcer came on.

"Next, more details in the developing story on the incident in foggy Inaba. Announcer Mayumi Yamano's dead body was found hanging above a house in this isolated rural town. It is confirmed that Ms. Yamano had been involved in an affair with Taro Namatame, husband of enka singer Misuzu Hiiragi."

It's just a follow-up report about the incident yesterday. Apparently, when Ms. Yamano was alive, she was having an affair with Mr. Namatame who was married to Misuzu Hiiragi. Could the incident be tied to their lover's quarrel?

"The police plan to investigate this relationship and question any personnel involved with them. In addition, we now bring you an exclusive interview with the local student who found Ms. Yamano's body."

Dojima sighed, "An interview with the kid? Where the hell did they find her?" he yawned.

"What went through your mind when you saw it? Could you tell she was dead? Did you see her face?" the reporter asked enthusiastically. "U-Umm..." the female student stuttered. Her face was blurred out and her voice was indistinct.

I've seen her before somewhere...

"Don't you think it's scary that someone was killed on a foggy day?" the reporter questioned in a spooky voice. "Huh? She was killed?" the student questioned surprisingly. "Oh, err, so did you see anyone suspicious around here?" the reporter asked awkwardly. "No, not really." the student answered. "We heard that you found it when you left school early. Did you have some personal business to take care of?" the reporter asked. "Huh? That's.." the student stuttered.

The reporter's enthusiasm seems to be perplexing her. Hmm, she reminds me of Saki Konishi.

The announcer came back on the television while I was thinking.

"-A tragedy that occurred near the local shopping district. Many storeowners are raising concerns about losing customers as a result." the announcer read.

Dojima grunted, "If they lose more customers, it'll be because you're making such a stink about it." Dojima muttered.

A commentator came on, "It really is a bizarre case, isn't it? I mean, hanging someone upside down from an antenna. I'd have to say it's a warning or a sign from the culprit." the commentator answered. "Yes, but so far, no one has come forward to take credit for the crime." the announcer replied.

"Loads of prank calls, though." Dojima yawned.

"So the cause of death I still unknown? And they don't have a single suspect yet?" the commentator asked, "Taxpayers' funds are going to a police force who can't even figure out if this is an accident or a homicide?" he questioned annoyingly.

Dojima grunted at the comment.

"We'll be right back after these messages." and the news went to a Junes commercial. "At Junes, every day is Customer Appreciation Day. Come see for yourself, and get in touch with our products!" the commercial sounded really happy yet again, "Every day's great at your Junes!" the singer sang. "Every day's great at your Junes!" Nanako sang. "Hey Dad, can we go to Junes together sometime?" Nanako asked only to be replied with Dojima snoring. "No?" she asked only to see he fell asleep. "Geez." Nanako sighed.

After dinner, I remembered something.

It's raining tonight. I promised Chie I would try out the rumor about the Midnight Channel.

With that promise being made, I decided to try it.

Later that night, I could hear it raining outside, while waiting for it to be midnight. It's almost midnight.

"Your soul mate appears if you look into a TV on a rainy night" Could it be true?

It continued to rain as I stared into my TV waiting for something to happen.

Nothing.

I knew it.

I turned away only to hear the TV fuzzing.

What the hell?

Blurry images of a girl began to appear as the TV continued to fuzz.

FLASH

Lightning clapped as a voice began ringing in my head.

"I am thou and thou art I. Thou are the one, that opens the door."

I held my head as more lightning flashed. The voices stopped. I looked up to see my TV which stopped fuzzing.

What just happened?

I poked my TV and then it was like a drop fell into water. There were waves everywhere. I stuck my hand in only to realize it was getting sucked in

"AAAH!" I grunted as I tried to pull my hand out. My head and my arm were stuck in the TV! I pulled and pulled, and finally, I fell back on my table.

"Owww..." I moaned, holding my head. I heard footsteps coming up the stairs.

"Are you okay?" Nanako called out. "I'm okay." I replied. "Okay, well, good night." Nanako replied as I heard her return to her room.

What just happened? I should probably tell Chie and Yosuke tomorrow.

TO BE CONTINUED