"The Music Is in my Heart" by Kumatenshi
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Disclaimer: All characters (aside from original ones) are derived from "Detective Conan" and are copyrighted to Aoyama Gosho. The original version (which is very different from this one) was posted on a Conan Mailing List on New Year's Eve a year or two ago.
+++++++++++++++++++++++
1.1
1.2 * * *
1.3 Chapter Two: Loss & Mistake
* * *
I stared at the digital alarm clock sitting on the rosemary beside table. The time it displayed was 19:00, 5 hours till midnight. In 15 minutes, Hattori should be here to help me unveil what happened to Hikaru. I stared at my own reflection in the mirror. The girl I saw was wearing a purple Chanel evening gown with a sapphire necklace hanging around her neck. Both items were simple yet elegant. In fact, the reflection in the mirror would be perfect if only the girl wearing them was changed from a depressed, ugly duckling to a cheerful and beautiful swan. Unfortunately, nothing in this world could be perfect and it was the duty of the mirror to reflect the revolting truth. I bid my reflection farewell and left my room, ready to meet my guest, "Kudo Shinichi".
Souga-san was punctual as he always was and brought Hattori to my house at exactly 19:15. The moment Hattori stepped out of the car I was stunned, even though I was expecting a different look from him. I finally recalled why the name Kudo Shinichi sounded familiar. He was the famous detective in Tokyo who had aroused a lot of sensation a while ago until his mysterious disappearance from the media. Hattori also appeared to be surprised at seeing me. He just stared at me for a few minutes, without saying anything.
"Hattori-kun, your make up is perfect; you're now a complete look alike of that high school detective in the East. Are you sure though you won't get into trouble by disguising as such a famous person?"
"Don't worry, Natsuki-senpai, Kudo has vanished from the media for quite a while now, plus he is not so famous in Osaka, I guess this should be okay. Besides," he said in a lower tone as if to himself, "if I must have a cover- up, I'd rather masquerade as him."
"Is there a particular reason aside from rivalry?" I asked, smiling.
"May I say friendship?" He said, returning my smile.
"I do not know the best high school detectives in Kansai and Kantou are friends but this is better still as I suspect it will be easier to talk matters through should the real Kudo Shinichi show up."
"Don't worry, he won't." There must be some basis for Hattori's confidence but I would rather not diverge into the topic as I do not want to delay the search for Hikaru any longer.
"Anyway, I think we should enter now. The party will be starting soon."
Hattori nodded but hesitated a little and said, "Na…Natsuki-senpai;"
"Yes?" I asked with curiosity
"I will do my best and try to find Hikaru-senpai so please don't worry."
"Thank you," I said with a smile and turned to lead the way to the hall. At that moment, I thought I heard Hattori whispering, "Because I would like Hikaru-senpai to see how beautiful you are tonight". Could that be the voice of Hattori or could that be the voice from the bottom of my heart, I knew not. I did not want to know either because I was not as optimistic as readers of mystery novels tended to be. Unlike them, I realized that the solutions of mysteries could only lead to tragedies. When we entered the hall, guests had already started pouring in. I first introduced Hattori- kun as Kudo Shinichi to Nohara-san and my father.
"Kudo Shinichi? Could you be the son of the famous mystery writer, Kudo Yusuke?" My father asked enthusiastically. Hattori-kun bowed slightly.
"Oh, your father was a brilliant detective I must say. He helped me recover the jewelries and antiques that were stolen from my house a while ago. He was way more reliable and trustworthy than those police. Mirai, you should have told me earlier that you knew Kudo-kun. I would have invited him to lunch or something! By the way, Kudo-kun, I have invited an extremely famous detective to be one of the speakers tonight. Nohara-"
"Yes, my boss."
"Has Mouri-san arrived already?"
"Not yet, my boss."
"I see. When Mouri-san arrives, can you introduce him to Kudo-kun here?"
"Certainly, my boss."
"Mou…Mouri!" Hattori shouted aloud. His voice was so loud it attracted the attention of a few guests nearby.
"I…I am sorry. Natsuki-san, I already know Mouri-san so I don't need the introduction but thank you for the offer."
"Really? You know Mouri-san? That is better still. Nohara, arrange Mouri- san and our Kudo-kun to be seated next to each other during the speech."
"I understand, my boss." Nohara said politely. "Sorry to interrupt but my boss, Tanaka-san wanted to speak with you." Nohara-san pointed in the direction of a bulky but well dressed gentleman.
"I see. Kudo-kun, I am very sorry I must leave now. Please enjoy yourself. Mirai, I leave it to you now to make sure Kudo-kun has a good time here."
"Yes, my father. I will try my best."
When my father and Nohara-san left, I brought Hattori to the balcony where there were relatively less people.
"It was a fabulous idea to impersonate Kudo Shinichi," I applauded. "My father appeared to be very pleased with that."
"It is the worst decision now." Hattori said with immense regret.
"Why?" I could not help asking.
"Because…it's a very complicated matter. Let's not venture into the topic. Natsuki-senapi, please bring me to Hikaru-senpai's room now. The moment I have seen the room, I will have to leave, before I meet Mouri and his family." Hattori said urgently. I could tell he had his reasons and I did not want to press further. After all, unlike Hikaru, I did not have too much curiosity in other people's affairs. As we were climbing the stairs toward Hikaru's bedroom, I felt as if we were being watched by a pair of angry eyes but it could be my imagination. After Hikaru vanished, I felt my sensitivity had heightened to a level I had never experienced before.
"Hattori-kun," I asked along the way, "have you found out anything in the meantime?"
"I have indeed. Based on the sketch of the key you gave me, I did a search of it through the database for lock companies and discovered that it was the symbol on the handmade works of the master Sugai Koichirou. He was very famous for making jewelry boxes in his lifetime and he would put the sunflower logo both on the box as well as the keys." Based on this evidence, I decided to pay a visit to Sugai's wooden accessories and handcraft shop, which luckily was not too far away by car."
"Or by a police car with its siren on?" I teased the little detective whose face reddened a bit. Hikaru told me that Hattori had the habit of abusing the use of police cars. Once, he embarrassed my brother by giving him "a free ride".
"Anyway, when I arrived, I talked to Sugai Soichirou, the present owner of the shop and presented to him your sketch of the key."
"Did he recognize it?" I asked.
"He recognized it immediately for it was the last major piece of work by his late father. After which, the late master did not produce any new product until his death months later."
"So, that was the key of a jewelry box," I said.
"No. It wasn't." Hattori shook his head.
"But you said Sugai Koichirou specialized in jewelry boxes and that was his last piece of work." I said with a tone of confusion.
"That was his last piece of work alright but he did not make a jewelry case. Instead, he made a music box."
"Music box? No wonder Hikaru asked me if it could be a key to a music box. Probably he had some idea of what the key would open, even at that time. That was the reason why he was so excited and spent such a long time thinking" I said, trying to remember clearly how Hikaru acted the last moment I saw him.
"Probably, but there is more to the story." Hattori said with a sad expression on his face. "Sugai also told me that the last six pieces of works from his late father were created at a time when he was almost out of his mind. They were masterpieces, all the six of them, but they were also cursed as they brought misfortunes to the customers who bought them. Mrs. Kazega, who bought the first jewelry box, died in a fire. Miss Fujimura, who bought the second jewelry case, died in a plane crash. Both Mr. Edo and Mr. Takada, who bought the third and fourth jewelry cases for their wives, died in traffic accidents. Mrs. Izumi who bought the fifth jewelry case died of drowning in her own swimming pool. Finally, your mother, Mrs. Natsuki-"
"She committed suicide."
"I am sorry" Hattori said.
"Don't be. After all, it's almost 7 years after our mother has parted with us. Besides, I think there is something more you want to say, judging from your look. Please tell me, especially if it is something that would shed light on my mother's suicide."
"I am not sure if it would reveal anything but I did notice two differences between your mother's death and the others. First, your mother actively killed herself while the others died accidentally. Second, according to Sugai-san, the person who bought the music box was your father but the one who died was your mother. In all other cases, the person who bought the jewelry cases died, and not their spouse. He also said your father specifically asked Sugai Koichirou to make a music box and not a jewelry box despite knowing the latter was famous for making jewelry boxes."
"Hattori-kun, do you think Hikaru's disappearance could be connected to the music box?" I asked.
"I cannot deny the possibility". He said.
"My father specifically ordered it. I could imagine that." I said dreamily.
"Pardon me?" Hattori was slightly taken aback by my remark.
"My father once said a music box was no different from a jewelry box because the music inside was no less a treasure than the most expensive jewelries in this world. It would only make sense for him to ask a jewelry box maker to make a music box for him." I explained as I observed Hattori's face. He seemed to be seriously digesting what I just said.
"By the way, Hattori-kun, have you got a New Year's gift for your girlfriend?"
He jumped up at my question and stared at me with a blank face. Then, he defended, "I already told you Kazuha was not my girlfriend!"
"I didn't say Toyama kun, did I?" I laughed as I watched Hattori blushing harder and harder, not knowing what to say.
Of course, our conversation ended with Hattori's speechlessness but later, I discovered that while he was asking around at Sugai's, he also bought a small music box. He claimed he bought it because the store keeper was very friendly and it would be impolite to ask a bunch of questions and not buy anything. However, I suspected he was actually more sensitive and gentle than the tough guy he was trying to be. In that way, he was so similar to Hikaru.
After some twists and turns and more flights of stairs, we finally arrived at Hikaru's room that was on the fourth floor of our mansion. The room was very large and warm, with plenty of sunlight in the day and moonlight in a clear evening. The large French windows all opened to a beautiful balcony with a spectacular view of the garden. Toward the middle of the room was a king-sized bed with two beautiful rosemary wooden tables on either side of the bed. A little further, against the wall on the other side of the room was a huge wardrobe. When sitting on the bed, you would be directly in front of a digital entertainment system that consisted of a television, hi- fi, DVD-player, and other equipments. There were two connecting doors inside the room, a few meters from either beside table. The one near the window was connected to a private study room with computer, writing desk, and shelves of books. The other door was connected to a private bathroom with both shower and bath tub.
"Oh my, I would die of joy if this were my room," Hattori said while admiring the sheer elegance and luxury of the room. I giggled. Hattori then proceeded to the study but the door was locked.
"I'll open the door for you." I said, pulling a bunch of keys from my pocket.
"Does Hikaru-senpai always lock his study?"
"Yes, when Hikaru concentrates on his work, he hates to be interrupted. Hence, he always keeps his study locked." I said as I opened the door. Immediately, I let out a cry of surprise. The room was in a complete mess. All the drawers were opened and papers were flying everywhere.
"Is Hikaru-senpai normally that untidy?" Hattori asked as he took a look around the room.
"Well, Hikaru is not a very tidy person but it's never this untidy. Plus when I last came in, it was not like this."
"True, the state of this room indicates that someone has been here searching for something. Have you entered this room after Hikaru-senpai's disappearance?"
"I have. I entered several times yesterday, just to check he hasn't come back and locked himself in the room. Then, once this morning and once this afternoon."
"At what time this afternoon?"
"It must be around 2:15, I came in after lunch, just to check."
"Who has the key to the study beside Hikaru-senpai?"
"Well, only my father and me."
"Only you two? What about the servants?"
"Hikaru never allows any servant into his study."
"Why?"
"I never asked. However-" I replied.
"Yes?"
"Father is very forgetful and often leaves his keys lying around."
"So, it is possible someone in the house has picked up the key and has entered this room".
"Yes, but why would anyone want to enter Hikaru's study? Unlike father, there isn't much in here except his school work, maybe a few books on kendo, comics, and games."
"That's what I am about to find out." Hattori carefully searched though the documents that were lying carelessly around the room. While he was searching, I left the study and returned to the bedroom to prepare myself a cup of tea to calm my rising level of anxiety. The situation appeared to be worse than I have expected. It appeared that Hikaru found something that another person wanted desperately. I was really worried and absorbed myself in my thoughts, so deeply that I did not realize Hattori had already completed the search of the room and returned to the bedroom.
"Natsuki-senpai," His words startled me, so much that the cup I was holding slipped and crashed into the carpeted floor.
"Oh, I'm so sorry Hattori-kun, I was thinking." I said apologetically and tried to pick up the shattered pieces of glass, cutting my hand in the process.
"You are bleeding, Natsuki-senpai", Hattori said as he took out a clean handkerchief and bundled my wound. At that instant, the door of the bedroom was pushed wide ajar and in front of us were Toyama and a girl I have never seen before.
"Shinichi!" She said with a shocked voice and tears pouring down her pretty cheek. Then she turned and began to run.
"Ran-chan!" Kazuha shouted. She turned briefly toward us and called Hattori, "Moron". Then she rushed in the direction of the girl called Ran.
"The worst has happened." Hattori sighed. "I am sorry, Natsuki-senpai, but could you pardon me for a few minutes?" I nodded as I watched a depressed Hattori rushed out in the direction of the two girls.
Apparently, he had some explanation work to do.
To be continued
+++++++++++++++++++++++
Disclaimer: All characters (aside from original ones) are derived from "Detective Conan" and are copyrighted to Aoyama Gosho. The original version (which is very different from this one) was posted on a Conan Mailing List on New Year's Eve a year or two ago.
+++++++++++++++++++++++
1.1
1.2 * * *
1.3 Chapter Two: Loss & Mistake
* * *
I stared at the digital alarm clock sitting on the rosemary beside table. The time it displayed was 19:00, 5 hours till midnight. In 15 minutes, Hattori should be here to help me unveil what happened to Hikaru. I stared at my own reflection in the mirror. The girl I saw was wearing a purple Chanel evening gown with a sapphire necklace hanging around her neck. Both items were simple yet elegant. In fact, the reflection in the mirror would be perfect if only the girl wearing them was changed from a depressed, ugly duckling to a cheerful and beautiful swan. Unfortunately, nothing in this world could be perfect and it was the duty of the mirror to reflect the revolting truth. I bid my reflection farewell and left my room, ready to meet my guest, "Kudo Shinichi".
Souga-san was punctual as he always was and brought Hattori to my house at exactly 19:15. The moment Hattori stepped out of the car I was stunned, even though I was expecting a different look from him. I finally recalled why the name Kudo Shinichi sounded familiar. He was the famous detective in Tokyo who had aroused a lot of sensation a while ago until his mysterious disappearance from the media. Hattori also appeared to be surprised at seeing me. He just stared at me for a few minutes, without saying anything.
"Hattori-kun, your make up is perfect; you're now a complete look alike of that high school detective in the East. Are you sure though you won't get into trouble by disguising as such a famous person?"
"Don't worry, Natsuki-senpai, Kudo has vanished from the media for quite a while now, plus he is not so famous in Osaka, I guess this should be okay. Besides," he said in a lower tone as if to himself, "if I must have a cover- up, I'd rather masquerade as him."
"Is there a particular reason aside from rivalry?" I asked, smiling.
"May I say friendship?" He said, returning my smile.
"I do not know the best high school detectives in Kansai and Kantou are friends but this is better still as I suspect it will be easier to talk matters through should the real Kudo Shinichi show up."
"Don't worry, he won't." There must be some basis for Hattori's confidence but I would rather not diverge into the topic as I do not want to delay the search for Hikaru any longer.
"Anyway, I think we should enter now. The party will be starting soon."
Hattori nodded but hesitated a little and said, "Na…Natsuki-senpai;"
"Yes?" I asked with curiosity
"I will do my best and try to find Hikaru-senpai so please don't worry."
"Thank you," I said with a smile and turned to lead the way to the hall. At that moment, I thought I heard Hattori whispering, "Because I would like Hikaru-senpai to see how beautiful you are tonight". Could that be the voice of Hattori or could that be the voice from the bottom of my heart, I knew not. I did not want to know either because I was not as optimistic as readers of mystery novels tended to be. Unlike them, I realized that the solutions of mysteries could only lead to tragedies. When we entered the hall, guests had already started pouring in. I first introduced Hattori- kun as Kudo Shinichi to Nohara-san and my father.
"Kudo Shinichi? Could you be the son of the famous mystery writer, Kudo Yusuke?" My father asked enthusiastically. Hattori-kun bowed slightly.
"Oh, your father was a brilliant detective I must say. He helped me recover the jewelries and antiques that were stolen from my house a while ago. He was way more reliable and trustworthy than those police. Mirai, you should have told me earlier that you knew Kudo-kun. I would have invited him to lunch or something! By the way, Kudo-kun, I have invited an extremely famous detective to be one of the speakers tonight. Nohara-"
"Yes, my boss."
"Has Mouri-san arrived already?"
"Not yet, my boss."
"I see. When Mouri-san arrives, can you introduce him to Kudo-kun here?"
"Certainly, my boss."
"Mou…Mouri!" Hattori shouted aloud. His voice was so loud it attracted the attention of a few guests nearby.
"I…I am sorry. Natsuki-san, I already know Mouri-san so I don't need the introduction but thank you for the offer."
"Really? You know Mouri-san? That is better still. Nohara, arrange Mouri- san and our Kudo-kun to be seated next to each other during the speech."
"I understand, my boss." Nohara said politely. "Sorry to interrupt but my boss, Tanaka-san wanted to speak with you." Nohara-san pointed in the direction of a bulky but well dressed gentleman.
"I see. Kudo-kun, I am very sorry I must leave now. Please enjoy yourself. Mirai, I leave it to you now to make sure Kudo-kun has a good time here."
"Yes, my father. I will try my best."
When my father and Nohara-san left, I brought Hattori to the balcony where there were relatively less people.
"It was a fabulous idea to impersonate Kudo Shinichi," I applauded. "My father appeared to be very pleased with that."
"It is the worst decision now." Hattori said with immense regret.
"Why?" I could not help asking.
"Because…it's a very complicated matter. Let's not venture into the topic. Natsuki-senapi, please bring me to Hikaru-senpai's room now. The moment I have seen the room, I will have to leave, before I meet Mouri and his family." Hattori said urgently. I could tell he had his reasons and I did not want to press further. After all, unlike Hikaru, I did not have too much curiosity in other people's affairs. As we were climbing the stairs toward Hikaru's bedroom, I felt as if we were being watched by a pair of angry eyes but it could be my imagination. After Hikaru vanished, I felt my sensitivity had heightened to a level I had never experienced before.
"Hattori-kun," I asked along the way, "have you found out anything in the meantime?"
"I have indeed. Based on the sketch of the key you gave me, I did a search of it through the database for lock companies and discovered that it was the symbol on the handmade works of the master Sugai Koichirou. He was very famous for making jewelry boxes in his lifetime and he would put the sunflower logo both on the box as well as the keys." Based on this evidence, I decided to pay a visit to Sugai's wooden accessories and handcraft shop, which luckily was not too far away by car."
"Or by a police car with its siren on?" I teased the little detective whose face reddened a bit. Hikaru told me that Hattori had the habit of abusing the use of police cars. Once, he embarrassed my brother by giving him "a free ride".
"Anyway, when I arrived, I talked to Sugai Soichirou, the present owner of the shop and presented to him your sketch of the key."
"Did he recognize it?" I asked.
"He recognized it immediately for it was the last major piece of work by his late father. After which, the late master did not produce any new product until his death months later."
"So, that was the key of a jewelry box," I said.
"No. It wasn't." Hattori shook his head.
"But you said Sugai Koichirou specialized in jewelry boxes and that was his last piece of work." I said with a tone of confusion.
"That was his last piece of work alright but he did not make a jewelry case. Instead, he made a music box."
"Music box? No wonder Hikaru asked me if it could be a key to a music box. Probably he had some idea of what the key would open, even at that time. That was the reason why he was so excited and spent such a long time thinking" I said, trying to remember clearly how Hikaru acted the last moment I saw him.
"Probably, but there is more to the story." Hattori said with a sad expression on his face. "Sugai also told me that the last six pieces of works from his late father were created at a time when he was almost out of his mind. They were masterpieces, all the six of them, but they were also cursed as they brought misfortunes to the customers who bought them. Mrs. Kazega, who bought the first jewelry box, died in a fire. Miss Fujimura, who bought the second jewelry case, died in a plane crash. Both Mr. Edo and Mr. Takada, who bought the third and fourth jewelry cases for their wives, died in traffic accidents. Mrs. Izumi who bought the fifth jewelry case died of drowning in her own swimming pool. Finally, your mother, Mrs. Natsuki-"
"She committed suicide."
"I am sorry" Hattori said.
"Don't be. After all, it's almost 7 years after our mother has parted with us. Besides, I think there is something more you want to say, judging from your look. Please tell me, especially if it is something that would shed light on my mother's suicide."
"I am not sure if it would reveal anything but I did notice two differences between your mother's death and the others. First, your mother actively killed herself while the others died accidentally. Second, according to Sugai-san, the person who bought the music box was your father but the one who died was your mother. In all other cases, the person who bought the jewelry cases died, and not their spouse. He also said your father specifically asked Sugai Koichirou to make a music box and not a jewelry box despite knowing the latter was famous for making jewelry boxes."
"Hattori-kun, do you think Hikaru's disappearance could be connected to the music box?" I asked.
"I cannot deny the possibility". He said.
"My father specifically ordered it. I could imagine that." I said dreamily.
"Pardon me?" Hattori was slightly taken aback by my remark.
"My father once said a music box was no different from a jewelry box because the music inside was no less a treasure than the most expensive jewelries in this world. It would only make sense for him to ask a jewelry box maker to make a music box for him." I explained as I observed Hattori's face. He seemed to be seriously digesting what I just said.
"By the way, Hattori-kun, have you got a New Year's gift for your girlfriend?"
He jumped up at my question and stared at me with a blank face. Then, he defended, "I already told you Kazuha was not my girlfriend!"
"I didn't say Toyama kun, did I?" I laughed as I watched Hattori blushing harder and harder, not knowing what to say.
Of course, our conversation ended with Hattori's speechlessness but later, I discovered that while he was asking around at Sugai's, he also bought a small music box. He claimed he bought it because the store keeper was very friendly and it would be impolite to ask a bunch of questions and not buy anything. However, I suspected he was actually more sensitive and gentle than the tough guy he was trying to be. In that way, he was so similar to Hikaru.
After some twists and turns and more flights of stairs, we finally arrived at Hikaru's room that was on the fourth floor of our mansion. The room was very large and warm, with plenty of sunlight in the day and moonlight in a clear evening. The large French windows all opened to a beautiful balcony with a spectacular view of the garden. Toward the middle of the room was a king-sized bed with two beautiful rosemary wooden tables on either side of the bed. A little further, against the wall on the other side of the room was a huge wardrobe. When sitting on the bed, you would be directly in front of a digital entertainment system that consisted of a television, hi- fi, DVD-player, and other equipments. There were two connecting doors inside the room, a few meters from either beside table. The one near the window was connected to a private study room with computer, writing desk, and shelves of books. The other door was connected to a private bathroom with both shower and bath tub.
"Oh my, I would die of joy if this were my room," Hattori said while admiring the sheer elegance and luxury of the room. I giggled. Hattori then proceeded to the study but the door was locked.
"I'll open the door for you." I said, pulling a bunch of keys from my pocket.
"Does Hikaru-senpai always lock his study?"
"Yes, when Hikaru concentrates on his work, he hates to be interrupted. Hence, he always keeps his study locked." I said as I opened the door. Immediately, I let out a cry of surprise. The room was in a complete mess. All the drawers were opened and papers were flying everywhere.
"Is Hikaru-senpai normally that untidy?" Hattori asked as he took a look around the room.
"Well, Hikaru is not a very tidy person but it's never this untidy. Plus when I last came in, it was not like this."
"True, the state of this room indicates that someone has been here searching for something. Have you entered this room after Hikaru-senpai's disappearance?"
"I have. I entered several times yesterday, just to check he hasn't come back and locked himself in the room. Then, once this morning and once this afternoon."
"At what time this afternoon?"
"It must be around 2:15, I came in after lunch, just to check."
"Who has the key to the study beside Hikaru-senpai?"
"Well, only my father and me."
"Only you two? What about the servants?"
"Hikaru never allows any servant into his study."
"Why?"
"I never asked. However-" I replied.
"Yes?"
"Father is very forgetful and often leaves his keys lying around."
"So, it is possible someone in the house has picked up the key and has entered this room".
"Yes, but why would anyone want to enter Hikaru's study? Unlike father, there isn't much in here except his school work, maybe a few books on kendo, comics, and games."
"That's what I am about to find out." Hattori carefully searched though the documents that were lying carelessly around the room. While he was searching, I left the study and returned to the bedroom to prepare myself a cup of tea to calm my rising level of anxiety. The situation appeared to be worse than I have expected. It appeared that Hikaru found something that another person wanted desperately. I was really worried and absorbed myself in my thoughts, so deeply that I did not realize Hattori had already completed the search of the room and returned to the bedroom.
"Natsuki-senpai," His words startled me, so much that the cup I was holding slipped and crashed into the carpeted floor.
"Oh, I'm so sorry Hattori-kun, I was thinking." I said apologetically and tried to pick up the shattered pieces of glass, cutting my hand in the process.
"You are bleeding, Natsuki-senpai", Hattori said as he took out a clean handkerchief and bundled my wound. At that instant, the door of the bedroom was pushed wide ajar and in front of us were Toyama and a girl I have never seen before.
"Shinichi!" She said with a shocked voice and tears pouring down her pretty cheek. Then she turned and began to run.
"Ran-chan!" Kazuha shouted. She turned briefly toward us and called Hattori, "Moron". Then she rushed in the direction of the girl called Ran.
"The worst has happened." Hattori sighed. "I am sorry, Natsuki-senpai, but could you pardon me for a few minutes?" I nodded as I watched a depressed Hattori rushed out in the direction of the two girls.
Apparently, he had some explanation work to do.
To be continued