Shokugeki no Soma isn't my personal property. All rights reserved to respective author, artists and company involved, especially Tsukuda Yuuto, Saeki Shun and Morisaki Yuki.

Black, from his upper suit clothe to the very bottom including his gloves, tall and refined stature, seemed to be less than a man in his thirties, still in his younger days compared to those who seemed to be more experienced in his occupation. Only that was a mere judgement of appearence. Who knew what he really does. The face isn't strict, but still disciplined lean personification. Coral pupils in both eyes, brown thin eyebrows and neat hair with the same color.

Roaming along the wide road around the hotel area in a steady pace, he couldn't really remember the exact name of the building but one thing was certain. He knew who's inside it. Slowly but surely walked into the destination except that was another entrance less commonly went through by the other guests. He couldn't help but smile as he thought about it as he went through the empty hall.

Taking a small flash drive from his left inner pocket with his left hand, and a particularly small phone in his right hand from his right pocket of his clean trousers. After a quick glance to the storage device, went and turned the phone on, a few taps on the screen to show page of a unique apps, then another tap on 'Refresh' command. At the end to show a young man in his teens with red hair and golden hair. The man felt that something was missing from this picture, as he started to think and let his mind wandered to another thought as he kept his pace on his way.

"Right." He said his first word in foreign language, as he remembered a few things.

"This smile isn't supposed to be there." His facial expression got a bit awkward as if he saw something fairly unfamiliar.

"Some years, what C would say about this I wonder." Muttered the man mentioning something that a common people could barely understand.

A few minutes of walk but he still didn't encounter any people or even a mosquito, as he put two devices to where he got them out, in an a path of silence. A few doors he had went through, only air, lights and walls around him. But in those moments the air getting even colder, then he stopped in front of closed black door, with little light above his standing posture. Beside the door, there was a small square device, a small scanning and swiping device, presumably for biometrics and unique identity documentation.

As he got there, he took out a tool similar to a credit card but the form was firm and hardly pliant, then swiped it through the device planted on the wall.

*Click*

A few text message and voice from the scanning device came up, the same time successful input procedure succeeded.

"Biometrics Required"

That was only one part of the procedure apparently. The man looked at the screen as he saw pattern of a hand appeared on it. Then he followed the instruction and put his palm on it to authenticate his permission.

"Scanning" The mechanical voice was heard after the screen blipped for a few seconds.

"Confirmed"

The whole procedure was over. The door was slide opened to the left side.

Then the entire room was lighted up automatically, almost the entire viewing area were panorama of monitors, by the information showed on the edges of the screens, it could be seen that the footages on the screens were live display of observation cameras. He viewed them for a moment. The found something he wanted to see on a certain screen on his lower left side. He tapped on the screen to find more about the footage.

"C1." He muttered softly, then put out the USB device he pocketed before and plug it in to the side of the monitor, as he did so he turned around to the entrance. As he was out of the room, the program stored in the USB deviced was executed, it couldn't be seen what it did, as the lights were off, and he was gone at the same time. Who knew where his destination was.

Morning, before 9.

Supposed to be a program in the morning for the students, young chefs. Irregular to the time of Tootsuki Academy morning, this time it's not a mere teacher and students session. But a seminar in the specified workplace.

As the time wasn't for the scheduled yet, most of students and staff were still in the lounge, some in the dining room, or even in their own bedroom. Such as the first year student, Sakaki Ryouko.

She was finished with her breakfast for the day, and was in the bedroom for quick check of diverse but well organized tools for her next few days of school trip. There were quite number of stuff she had in her room, but definitely not for moving in to the hotel room. Two days since the beginning of the trip, and still some time before it's over, but she had brought in a few things into her newly bought bag which the purpose was souvenirs. Not many but were memorable. As she put a few in order, she found unexpected thing in it.

A regular sized black phone that she recognized in the last few weeks. It was Yukihira Souma's phone.

'I wonder when I took it in.' She couldn't remember the exact time she put his phone in her bag. Was it yesterday? Or the day before?

Giving up the thought she put it out of her bag and stared at it for a few seconds. Tapped on the screen for a few times, to found out the black lock screen featuring common information on it, such date and time then a few program shortcuts. By first glance it's a bit different for a youngster's phone display.

She tried to open the locked device, but couldn't get through the security measure, fingerprint and passwords. Then she gave up in the end, as the warning notification came up.

"That was bad." She talked to herself, as she realized she was trying to pry on someone else's phone. She waited a few minutes, so that the lock returned to its former display.

"Would be better to return it." She stood up and walked out of the room to the place of the phone's owner.

The moment she was there, she knock on the door.

"..." There was no response from inside the room.

*Thud**Thud**Thud**Thud*

A few times of trying gave her the same response. Tranced, she had no idea where he would be at this time other than his own room. She started to look around, trying to find someone.

Coincidentally, she found a middle-aged man, the father of the one she was looking for, Yukihira Jouichirou. She walked to him. By the same time red haired man, who was with his usual carefree manner and wearing casual black long shirt, also found her in front of Souma's room and waved his hands as she came to him who was lightly smiled.

"Morning, Yukihira-san." She started with a greeting.

"Morning, Sakaki. The weather is good isn't it?" He said as he raised a common topic.

"Sure is, Yukihira-san." She agreed on it.

"Souma wasn't in his room?" He asked about the important point, as he had some thought of someone who just was in front of his son's present lodging.

"No, after a few minutes there, I didn't hear or see him." She went on about the youngster, thinking about it for a while back, he never had been far away from public space.

"I see. Did you need something?" He was wondering about her business with the younger Yukihira.

"I was about to return this to him." She responded as she raised and hand over the device. It's his son's phone.

"I see." He saw it and took it with care.

"Did you ask anyone else where he is?" His interest was deepening as he put the phone away.

"No, I didn't. I thought he still has something to do in his room, I didn't see him in the diner either." She said as she put her hands together behind her.

"Where could he be at this time I wonder. I came from the outside, and also went to a few places around here, but I didn't see him either." Strange sense of anxious of knowing nothing was never exactly a good feeling.

""Hmmmm...""

Both of them getting bewildered as neither of them could find or think of anywhere that the lad could be at the moment.

"It would be hard if only us looking for him. I'll look around once more and ask a few people." Rather than thinking about it further he started to act.

"I'll do so too, Yukihira-san." She decided to do the same.

"Great, tell the others too when you come across them." He instructed her.

"Of course."

After bits of formalities, they went on their separate ways.

-Lounge Area-

Countable number of people were located in the location, some of them were recognizable individuals for Sakaki. As she saw them, she went to approach them.

"Morning, guys."

In return those present in their own similar ways.

"You seemed to be looking for something. What is it?" One of them, Aoki, asking her as he noticed something.

"Yes, someone for certain. Have you seen Yukihira-kun?" As the topic was raised, she continued.

"Yukihira? Wasn't he in his room?" Ibusaki enquired.

"No, I went there, but it's empty. I even asked his father on my way here, he didn't know where he is." Sakaki pondered out loud.

"Yukihira can't be found, did you look anywhere else?" Sato probed for more of the situation. His eye-brows were raised as he had little doubt that the red haired student is rarely gone quietly.

"His room and this place. Yukihira-san said that he was outside and a few places closeby, but he didn't see him." She said worriedly.

"Did you call him? I think he has his phone with him."

"His phone is in Yukihira-san's hand, so we can't contact him."

"Well, for a modern era youngster, he left his phone with his father?" Yoshino wondered about that fact.

Then more and more of them enquired further on the circumstance.

"More or less, that is the situation." Sakaki sighed.

"Well, I think we need to spread out and try to see what we can find. I'll share the situation with the community." Hayama who, by chance, passed through the area close to the group.

Hearing more of the predicament. Since then everyone splitted up to search the building, including Sakaki herself.

Slowly, academy staff and students got to know the situation of red haired student's disappearance, and wide range search was initiated.

"Yukihira is missing?" An old man in his sixties was in the lounge, face to face with Yukihira Jouichirou.

"I just found out when someone trying to enter his room a few minutes ago. Didn't look like that he's in the room."

"Did you try to enter it yourself?"

"No, I don't think he had any reason to miss or ignore someone calling him."

"...We'll never know about that. Let's try to break in, first find something that has anything with this circumstances."

"I'll contact the receptionist, then."

"Let's go there together."

As they acquiesced what to do, left without any delay, hopeful that everything could go favorably for them in a lot of ways.

*Click*

A room with the C1 label on its door was opened as the door knob was turned, leaving the bedroom visible for the guests who entered it.

"There was no sign of forced entrance, the lock is working just fine." the young reception staff reported as she took a quick judgement by slight glance on the lock.

They were in without any signs of disordered display on the scene. They went and checked out the location. Bathroom, wardrobe, daily necessities seemed to be untouched, clothes were neatly hanged in place.

"Did the surveillence footage find something?" Elderly Nakiri enquired the staff by the door.

"No, we didn't see anything unusual, no one but Yukihira-sama himself entered the room since the previous day." The staff revealed a certain negative affirmation on the question, as she was certain of security department's commitment in their job.

The air and atmosphere of the room showed so much in common to any other room that has its own occupant. They left some doubts that this situation itself isn't more than a coincidence of disinformation. There are people who aren't back in their own room even for a few days of business, especially travelers.

There was no particular feeling to see such room in this kind of state, most of them were familiar things in the eyes of the two adults. Bedroom sheets are well in order, the same as the pillows, drawers, bedside table, sink and en suite bathroom, everything was clean.

Red haired man started to try and look into his son's belonging, begins with the bag. Taking the contents out one after another, most of them are study-related tool, and did so without any specific thought of them. Until...

"Hmm?!"

He found something peculiar, a black mobile phone, while it's still recognizable that what kind of device is this, he never knew his son had this gadget as the phone he thought of belongs to Souma is in his hand.

"Phone?"

"Sure is, but this is not his." He said as he inspected the small electronic.

"What do you mean?"

"I have his phone with me."

Yukihira Jouichirou pulled out another mobile device from his pocket. A black touch sceen device, smaller in size compared to the one he doesn't recognize in his other hand.

"Someone put it there?"

"Possibly? But I know that Souma didn't."

"Is it functional?"

With a single press on the side button by Yukihira, the phone didn't respond, it wasn't powered up. Then he gave it another push, a long one this time.

*Bzzt*

*Flash*

The device was turned on, with the screen lighted up after a short vibration, they wait it out to see further what is inside the device.

As the phone was ready to use. There was no password protection being set up, showing the typical home screen wallpaper and menu. No unusual reaction from the phone until an apps ran on its own.

"What is it?" "Message? Video?"

The mobile phone showed something on playback on its display. But before it began, the television across the bed was turned on, which attracted everyone's attention to it.

*Bzzt*

It wasn't a video message.

"Good morning, gentlemen."

The two people who observed the display was a bit disturbed as they didn't see anything on it. Instead black display with a voice came up. A voice of a man, didn't sound to be old one, nor it sounded very young either, possibly in his thirties or even twenties. The voice wasn't soft, a little firm but not much, it was a voice that had a strong sense of patience in it, could be an experienced man in a way they somewhat understood, but in the end this couldn't say much about how he look like as there was no indicator of any visual info on the picture, it's not a typical video.

"By the time this message was triggered, it would be at the time you found that Yukihira, the younger, was no longer in your observation area, to be honest not even in the country. This is a pre-recorded message, pyshical presence of those who are involved in this is, by this very moment, no longer here."

Hearing the sentence, both men were alarmed as their countenance wasn't in anyway relaxed as the the way it was in the previous few seconds, in a way didn't want to give up. Then the voice continued.

"Yukihira Souma's forthcoming schedule is being readjusted, as someone who is young as he is, unfortunately his carefree time can no longer coming into a realization."

Some light regrettable tone was reveberated as he went on. Both viewers didn't seem to be in agreement judging by their facial expression.

"Please note that this is a result of his and my employer's consideration, who would be at his side as soon as this afternoon comes."

Some questions were meant to be answered, even if it was in such a vague kind of answer. But still, not much data acquired from the answer. The voice picked up the atmosphere to a more positive kind.

"There are a few reasons for his departure from your side, but one could be the main reason is that his alternative substantial proficiency was needed since a very long time ago, might be longer than you can imagine. What he will do, I don't have any liberty to share it, as far as I understand he will move one way or another frequently, with or without his eyes open."

A few more abstract informations out of this unknown person, in someway both gentlemen had no idea whether to take this video seriously.

'No!'

Both reminded themselves that the main problem is the golden eyed youngster is still in this person's or rather this person's employer's grasp. This fact kept them in reality and ignore all of their previous doubts in this persisting predicament.

"He will be healthy in a sense, his return isn't predicted but by our initial calculations indicated that it would be in a few weeks or a few months. If you want to keep tracking him, then I would recommend to abandon the thought, exposing him would be an inconvenience for everyone."

Eyes, since the last sentence of the recording, wide open. Yukihira Souma getting into harmful situation had been confirmed, they should at least let know his present condition. Of course this wish didn't came true, as the last part of the recording starting.

"Most of information share that isn't sensitive has been granted. This vindication might cause discomfort and disruption, pardon us for being here in a hasty. Please don't pursue more of this."

Hearing the last few seconds, the voice went steadier in each and every seconds, showing that this unknown person had decided to go through all of this at all costs. This indicated a premonition that trouble or even bigger than expected was happening on the other side.

*Sigh*

In an actual time, both was given up on this person, not that they can do anything about present time.

"One more thing. Yukihira-sama had left a message."

Thought to be the last of the message, unexpectedly there was an extra to the playback. The TV display turned off, without any sign of being functional in the first place...

Confused, both men looked back on the phone display, which all of sudden went back on light. It was showing a face of a young man in his absolute collected stature body language. Even though the display was only showing his face up to his chest. But still the appearance was still, nothing was moving except his mouth.

"...Be there soon."

As soon as he said that, he smiled. Both gentlemen were astounded. It was genuine and earnest smile, they forgot when was the last time he showed this expression, especially his father, who remembered that in recent time, the youngster barely changed his tone. In such timing, that everyone could be happy to see such countenance, this indicated the complete opposite effect for both adults.

By the time their thought went deeper, the diplay went black. Then a seconds later, there was small electrical sounds went off.

*Zap*

It wasn't harmful for the one who hold the device, but it didn't indicate anymore functioning aspect, as small smoke came out of the phone. It self-destructed.

"What kind of trouble this will be?" Yukihira Jouichirou seemed calm, but his voice was shaking, even though it wasn't much.

"Who knows. We can only trust your son." The principal was uncertain, but with some exceptions.

"He could have said a few more things, that idiot son of mine." An irritated father in his thirties hissed, as he gripped the broken device stronger than before.
"He must have knew something we don't. Well he certainly didn't hope we are upset about this, at least by half of his expression." The elderly try to decrypt what the second playback all about but still doubt was all that was in his mind.

"And the other half?" Questioned the younger man.

"Only he knows what that is." The unknown still didn't do an encouraging communication for everyone there.

On the other hand, the hotel staff who unknowingly went out and returned on the middle of the playback didn't know what to say about this whole affair. Is this a kidnapping crime? Or just a guest's early check out? Who knows. But this was all out of their reach, especially her, as someone who didn't have anything to do with this teenager involved. She needed to do her job.

"Should we contact the law force?" She suggested to the two guests.

"Not for the moment, we need to contact school staff first. If this goes out fast, there's no guarantee that student will stay as they are in the last few days." The elderly man said after thinking what to do.

"Understood, I'll excuse myself then, please contact us if you have come to a decision. Have a good day." She said as she went out, as much as she understood that this was all for nothing she needed to report it to her superior.

"I hope that the staff and their superior didn't leak it." Red haired man muttered to the other.

"We can't say for sure. But we can't stay here forever. I'll gather the other school staff, we'll start from there." The latter said as he went out along with the other man.

"I'll go and say something to his friends, they should be worried." Elder Yukihira mentioned the others who were at least knew that one of student council isn't in the same place with them anymore.

"I hope this don't circulate far in this area." The most senior staff assumed about the affair.

"Old man, I'll leave the rest to you."

"Right. If you can find something out about the message with your connection, it would be great. I'll do the same on my side."

With that both went their own way.

By lunch time, information circulation among students were under control. Only some of the students found out about Yukihira's disappearance, most of them were his friends and the Elite Ten members along with the former ones. Those who were aware of the news gathered in a meeting to handle the situation even better.

By the end of the meeting, his circumstances were camuflaged, further spread was prevented. Hotel staff also complied with the decision, and cooperate not to share anything and had the room without the resident vacant.

"The luggages left behind, I'll have them sent back to the dorm."

Yukihira Jouichirou handled most of things private to his son on his own. As the other complications because of the younger Yukihira's departure weren't exactly in his control, he let the school staff manage them.

As for the school staff side...

"Yukihira and I, along with the receptionist were the only ones who saw the message. I'm not sure if anyone actually had it documented." Principal led Elite Ten to the vacant room which was no longer in use.

"For now, I will let you inspect the room. Personally, I hope you can find something." He made his last remark before leaving the room for the students to see.

Both present and former student council members were silently looked around the room, seemingly nothing was out of ordinary, even though the luggages were transported earlier of the day. By present time past lunch time, they had the chance to see the scene for themselves.

"...For Yukihira going through a bit of eventful time in school trip... How should I say it...? As expected?!" Eizan enunciated, thinking that something like this could happened to one of Elite Ten, is a bit unthinkable.

"This isn't funny, kidnapping, but by principal words and Yukihira's father reactions, this seemed to be voluntary conduct by the victim himself."

"But only that short message, we can't say that he was perfectly willing to do so."

Hayama and Kurokiba, one after another they made their own comments on the matter, while spreading around the place to look deeper into the space they were in.

"By far we didn't see much to find out. Did anyone come in before us and the principal?"

"Yukihira-san and hotel staff, I don't think I missed anyone else."

"Oh, I saw someone else came in along with Yukihira's father. A man a bit taller than him and seemed to be a scary one, with a lot of scars on his face." This put the attention to Saitou as he seemed to remembered something.

"Eh? Who was it you're talking about?"

"I'm not sure myself, but he seemed to be Yukihira-san's acquaintance, maybe an old friend of his."

"That person? He was the one who Yukihira-san called after this matter was spread to the wider people."

"I think I have seen this person somewhere, by your description. Can you tell us more about him?" Marui tried to find out more.

"He seemed to be taller than Yukihira-san, and as I said before he had scars on his face, wore a bit worn out suit but without the jacket, he wore white shirt, black tie, black trousers, the same as his shoes. His face was relatively clean without much facial hair. He had a lit up cigarette in his mouth. The scars on his face, how should I say it... at least there are four deep scars left on by shard edge, on the bridge of his nose, on his cheek and on his lower left side of his mouth, others were not as deep as these four." Satou depicted the features of the man he saw once.

"Hmmm..."

"How was it Marui, you know him?" Aoki looked at his classmate.

"Hmmm... Bridge, cheek and mouth... This person, could it be... Yamamoto Ryuuji?" Marui rubbed his chin with his left hand.

"Yamamoto? Don't tell me it's that Yamamoto who is renown because of his fire rescue?"

"Yeah, that's the one. You could look it up yourself, see the picture."

"Let's see... Yamamoto Ryuuji..." Aoki put his phone out and search the person in question by his own quickly.

"OOH! This is the one!" Satou exclaimed as he saw the picture that resemble the scary-faced man he saw earlier.

"Truly one intimidating appearance." People around them could see what exactly he was saying as he zoomed in the picture of the person in discussion.

"He's a private detective, for the profession he often goes by his actions rather than words. One of them is the fire rescue. He's the first one to be on the scene and went in without any delay, following that, the other teams went in to cooperate with him." Marui explained further about the matter.

"He's definitely here because of the missing Yukihira, but is he Yukihira-san's friend or something?" Wondered Ibusaki.

"That's possible, as far as I know he doesn't receive many case to handle, unless there was something important enough to take his attention." Marui thought out loud his recent data record.

"If there isn't much to notice at this stage, that detective could be done with this room." Hayama speculated.

Hayama then approached the big screen device, picked up the remote control and tried to turn it on.

"Mhm?! It's not turning on?" A bit unexpected to him that public gadget wasn't usable.

"I heard from the principal, both this TV and the phone was destroyed right after its last use. So, it was really the case." Nothing seemed or sounded to be in order for a functioning gadget from it.

"What kind of person to actually went this far to spoil the evidence?" Seemingly to the point of unreasonable for people to do this far, especially if he's not guilty.

"No idea. But we had nothing at all on this person, the only ones know about him is the principal and that uncle." Even if the words sounded to be unconvincing, two people didn't have any reason to lie about it.

"I wonder what about the others." A bit distracted from present uninhabitated room, someone thinking about something else.

"What do you mean?" Asked the other.

"You know, the cousins, Tadokoro and Sakaki, and I don't even see Arato around here." Talking about the obvious of those who weren't present at the location.

"If you're talking about those people, except for Sakaki, there rest of them are handling school-related activity. As for Sakaki... I'm not sure, she's with Yukihira-san... I think."

"Well, they have their own things to take care of. Honestly speaking, we should be helping them rather than being here."

"Seniors are also in the location to lend a hand. Aren't they, Isshiki-san?"

"Well, we do supervise a few trivial things and standing by on the side especially for this kind of situation." Isshiki said as he gladly went around the room.

"Talking about the academy, is there any designation for Yukihira?" As Council of Ten were vital part of the Academy, anyone would be worry about it.

"In the organization, most of things were operated as expect. Minor details about to be confirmed." Hayama spoke of the a few things about the topic.

"What about external relations?" Questioned further.

"Sponsor partnerships were negotiated, we have a few new associates in the coming events for public purposes." Future procedures seemed to be approved.

"Did they really go as planned?"

"Those four were away to handle further particular aspects. But if you really need to know, almost everything was managed by Yukihira, you know."

"Seriously? If he really did, it would take sometime at the least. But they were all done already?"

"As far as I know, everything was settled yesterday, as the final document was approved last night."

"That's a surprise, is that really that Yukihira? The one who never interested in anything but food?"

"That's a difficult question to answer, we don't know much of what he went through in the last few days or weeks." Isshiki didn't seem to mind the red head changes.

"Now you mention it, what did he do these last few days?"

"There were times, at least one of us saw him, but there were times that no one saw him at all. Those were the moments he did his job... I think." Yoshino muttered.

"We can't say we know what he did at all times." Hayama said.

"By the way, his exchange program is cancelled, isn't it?"

"Should be, as you can see this happened beyond our own understanding."

"Honestly speaking, should we doing something like this now?" Eizan enquired.

"What do you mean?"

"We got nothing on him, and he didn't leave anything left for us to know. He should be in exceptional circumstances right now. As much as we can go being in the council for many things, crime solving isn't one of them."

"You made your point there, but for us to leave it like this is..."

The discussion stopped at a dead end as they looked at each other and the surrounding place, the place as so tidy, their use was limited and about to be at the end of present purpose, a breeze came in to wake them up that time always be moving on, they didn't know what to do in the same situation. As much as they want to do something about it, they only could sighed loudly and realized that they had limited capability to do in time.

On the other hand and location, middle aged men on their own discussion about the same person.

"I know that you're someone who ran around places on your own. But for your son following your step is a bit unexpected, but that may be because I don't know him well enough." A scarred man took a package of cigarettes, and put one of them in his mouth and lit it up with a lighter.

"I don't mind if he wanted to go on his own, but this doesn't seem like he wanted to go on doing what he always does. At least I want to know what exactly happened." The red haired man said seriously to the man beside him.

"You very well know that I'm someone who use my body rather than my brain, right? You could always report this to the police." He blew out smoke out of his mouth as he put the cigarette to his side.

"Well, your brain also part of your body which you use rather well, and I do trust you more than the police." The elder Yukihira still firm on the case.

*Sigh*

"I found a few things in the room. But I'm not sure what to say about it."

"What is it?" His interest was peaked.

"Does your son practice self-defence?" His friend's tone was serious.

"...What do you mean?" His curiosity deepened.

"There are a few damages found in the room, like the table, and the wall, they're small but observe and you'll find the trace of blunt contact, I'm not sure what that is but it could be the shoes, knuckle or some other body part." He fumed on his filter-tip.

"What about them?"

"Not much were there left but other than that there are a few hints of sweat on the floor. There are not much of them but it could be said that people in the room were making contact with each other."

"Contact? You mean they fought each other?" His eye brows creased.

"We can't say for sure. But few things could verify this idea, for example, only two or three clues but neither of them had a big contact with the environment with the furniture, there would be at least more than a few centimetre of visible signs for some of the body parts for like hands and legs. Little pyshical impact on things could means two things, whether its short contact or light contact." He elaborate his thought a bit more.

"Short or light?" The parent repeated in questionable tone.

"Short means that your son or that other person, could make immediate recovery after contact, and light is that there's little to no contact between the two."

"So even if they were in a struggle with each other, there's not much of impact to both?"

"Yes, this also means that your son should be at most lightly injured, we don't know how much is it though. That's why I asked you about his practice."

"That's a relief, he should be okay, I don't think that he's a fragile boy even if I don't know the details about that part. What else did you find? How about that other person?"

"That's the most bothersome of the scene, there was not even a hint of footwear remnants there, as if he floated around the place."

"Did he have any means to go so far?"

"We can't say so much from the scene about how did he do it, but we might know why from the message. Could you tell me again about the message?" By then Yukihira repeated message in a most accurate way he could find and mentioned a few things that came to his mind.

"He said that it wasn't by his own will that he did this... Employer..." The investigator went deeper on his pondering.

"Abroad." Then he caught on something in his mind.

"Did your son go abroad before?"

This question was puzzling the single parent, it wasn't because of the question itself but that specific word.