Prologue - Despair Behind Closed Doors Part IV:
"Sooo, Junpei..."
Yaya's lips involuntarily curled into a small, yet smug grin as she approached the personal trainer. She found herself in a very pleasant mood, and not just because she had found a nearby booth stocked with all types of cheeses, which she had made plans to get samples of later. She could now continue to pester him over how he had taken his shirt off a few minutes ago. Currently, Junpei was looking into the store's refrigerators, attention fixed on the line of protein shakes.
"Huh?" He nearly bonked his head on a higher shelf when he turned around. "Oh, what is it, Yaya?"
The grandmaster forced down the urge to giggle, at least for now. "How about you tell me the real reason you took off your shirt?"
Shun, who was taking a hearty gulp of strawberry milk, almost ended up choking on it from the suddenness of the question. Thankfully, he didn't choke when he swallowed it down, but it didn't make him any less baffled. "W-Wha?! I thought we were done with that topic..."
"Y-Yeah, so why are you bringing it back up?" Junpei added, his cheeks a light pink shade.
"Well, yes. We were done with it, for the time being of course." Yaya placed a finger mischievously on her lower lip. "Even more convenient now that Ichirin isn't here..."
"Eh? What does she have to do with it?" Shun tilted his head, perplexed.
'Jeez, is Shun always this dense?' Yaya thought to herself, of course not out loud.
"It's fairly simple, really." She started, hands on her hips in a teasing fashion and her lips pulled into a cocky smirk. "I'm sure that Junpei's got a huuuge crush on our little Ultimate Jeweler."
"W-What?!" Junpei yelped, hands raised defensively. "T-That's not it at all!"
"Oh, are you sure?" Yaya leaned forward a bit, her smile only getting wider. "You saw how red Ichirin's face got when she saw you shirtless. And don't believe for a second I didn't see you smirk while you stuffed your shirt with ice."
The personal trainer fell silent, only able to blink. Shun was left speechless as well.
'Mmhmm, that's what I thought.'
"W-Well..." Junpei stuttered, his mouth trying to come up with some kind of defense only to come up with nothing. Sweat beaded across his forehead.
"I mean, she does have a bit of a point." Shun agreed with a small shrug. "You did look like you were satisfied 'cuz of how Ichirin reacted..."
"C-Come on, it wasn't like that at all! I-I mean, she's a little cute, but-" Soon after those words came out he realize that he realized he may have said too much.
"Good thing she isn't here to hear you say that, oh ho ho!" Yaya guffawed triumphantly, like she was a queen standing tall over her loyal subjects. "So, will Junpei Takishima win the heart of Ichirin Takigawa? Find out in the next exciting episode of Dragon Ball Z!" With a small wink, she turned on her heels and marched in the opposite direction.
"H-Hey!"
"W-Where are you going?" Shun called out.
"Well, unless you want to leave without paying for that, to find a cashier."
Shun shut his mouth, and quietly followed after, twisting the lid back onto the small bottle of strawberry milk. The two left behind a defeated personal trainer.
"How is your cheek feeling, Kai?" Ichirin asked softly, her hands reaching out to feel his face.
Kai slowly shifted his grip on the makeshift ice pack, before pulling it away from his cheek. Most of the ice has melted down into water, which left the left side of his face and his hand wet. The hissing pain had died down as well, so there wasn't much more of a reason to have it. As they passed by a conveniently-placed trash bin, he threw it away, and dried his hand onto the leg of his overalls. It was a relief that he could now write with both hands and be comfortable doing it.
"Doing a lot better. Thanks, Ichirin."
"O-Oh, it's nothing..." Her cheeks glowed a soft pink as she quickly looked away, her light-colored hair brushing across his shoulder. "B-But, I want to apologize..." She seemed to deflate a little, her head slumping as she stared down her dainty feet.
'Apologize?' Kai raised an eyebrow. 'For what?'
"I'm sorry that Kei punched you, a-and that I got you caught up in Noritaka's antics...I feel l-like it's all my fault..." She spoke in a hushed tone, almost like a whisper. She was rubbing her hands nervously. "I-I just got so worked up because all my jewelry was stolen...a-and...H-Huh?"
She let out a small gasp in shock as Kai gripped her shoulders tightly, and turned her around so her dark brown eyes were staring into his. He could now clearly see the rough, jagged scars across her face, and the tears welling up in her eyes that made it plain to see she was on the brink of tears. He released on hand, and pulled out a small cloth handkerchief.
'P-Please don't cry...' Seeing Ichirin tearing up was making his stomach feel weak and uneasy.
"It's all right, Ichirin. You haven't done anything wrong, so please don't cry." He showed her the message with his other hand, dabbing away at the tears that had slipped down her cheeks.
"A-Are you sure?" The jeweler sniffled, remaining still as Kai gently wiped at her tears with the soft, plush hankie.
"Positive."
Kai wasn't someone who could cheer someone up, since he didn't have a voice to, so there was a swelling fear clawing at his chest. A fear he didn't help the situation at all...
...which vanished once Ichirin had wrapped her arms around his torso and pulled him into a rather tight hug.
'H-Huh?! W-Whoa!'
"T-Thank you, Kai..." She let out a small sigh as she rested her head onto Kai's chest, which made his face glow a very bright shade of red.
'U-Um...'
He wouldn't normally have a problem with how she had hugged him out of the blue, if it weren't for the fact that she still had him pulled close after ten seconds. To make matters more awkward, they were standing in plain sight, where anyone could turn a corner and see them embracing. Of course, Kai decided to keep that to himself, because out of those he's met right now, Ichirin didn't deserve the negativity.
'Please...PLEASE tell me no one is seeing this right now...' Kai's eyes dart frantically to the left and right, as well as down the aisles, hoping nobody was watching.
There didn't seem to be anyone nearby.
'Oh, thank goodness...'
"So...are you two going to keep hugging...or..." The new, monotone voice let out a rather loud yawn mid-sentence.. "...are you going to actually buy something...?"
'Oh...' Never mind.
"E-Eep!" Ichirin squealed, her arms retreating from around Kai, behind her back in a heartbeat, her face a brighter shade of pink than before.
"Great, just what I needed waking up..." The boy half-groaned, half-yawned as he rubbed at his temples.
"I-I'm s-sorry..." The jeweler apologized.
"It's fine, really..." He yawned again, rubbing his tired eyes with his hands. "I just...haven't been getting much sleep...I slept for two hours today. Wooo, go me..." It was hard for Kai to tell if he was being sarcastic or not with his tone.
"Huh? Y-You should get some rest, then..." Ichirin said. "T-That much sleep isn't good for you..."
"I would, if I could..." The boy pinched the bridge of his nose, looking around at the shelves. "I hate this place. Reminds me of work..."
'Work?'
"Oh yeah, may as well introduce myself...right. Anzu Murano. Ultimate Cashier, I know right? A cashier as an Ultimate?"
ANZU MURANO
ULTIMATE CASHIER
Anzu was the same height as Kai was, but with the way he was slouched, it wasn't very easy to tell. But it was clear to see the cashier was extremely tired, and it showed in his appearance. His skin was drained of energy, his face almost as pale as Ichirin's, and his short, dark-brown hair was incredibly unkempt with stray locks poking out in different directions. Underneath his tired, blue eyes were dark, heavy bags showing how deprived of sleep Anzu really was.
He wore a light, cream-colored button-up shirt, which had its sleeves folded at his elbows. Long, brown trousers were held around his waist with a long, black belt, and he wore a pair of solid black dress shoes. Above it all was a standard, dark red apron.
"I-I'm Ichirin T-Takigawa, the U-Ultimate Jeweler. N-Nice to meet you..."
"And you?" Anzu had turned his head towards Kai, raising a finger in his direction.
"Kai Shiguro."
"Hm...not a talker, huh?" The cashier was too tired to raise a brow. "And no talent, either..."
"T-There wasn't a need to be so rude about it..."
"I'm not trying to be rude here..." Anzu snapped, or at least tried to because it sounded more like an aggressive yawn. "But I'm really not feeling in the best of moods, or awake for that matter."
"H-Have you tried coffee? I-I heard caffeine helps with sleepiness..." Ichirin suggested, although a bit shaken from Anzu's sudden aggression.
"Coffee? Ugh...can't stand the stuff..." He grimaced in disgust.
"Neither can I." Yaya said from behind Kai. She approached the three with Shun and Junpei following suit. "It's too bitter for my taste, especially black coffee..."
"Oh, another batch of new faces. It's almost like I don't need to go back to sleep." The cashier sighed, sarcasm in his tone, which seemed to go right over Shun's head as he hopped forward to introduce himself.
"Hello there, mister!" Shun set his open hand out, waiting for Anzu to return the gesture.
Except he never did. Anzu raised his hand, but only to rub at his forehead with a frustrated grunt. "Ugh...and more loud and obnoxious noises, too..."
"O-Oh, I'm sorry..." The volleyball star retreated, his smile drooping to a small frown.
"Hey, what the heck's your problem?" Junpei stepped up, as if Anzu's attitude had struck a nerve. "He's just trying to be nice to you, there's no need to be a jerk about it!"
"I've already said it before..." Anzu took a moment to yawn and rub his eyes. "I'm not trying to start a fight. I haven't gotten any sleep last night...and all I want is some peace and quiet to myself before I have to get to work."
"Ah, so I suppose you work here then?" Yaya asked, brows raised in piqued interest. "Quite an achievement to be able to work for Hope's Peak Shopping Center, don't you think?"
"Eh?" Anzu's gaze moved to the grandmaster. "I don't work here...and hopefully I never do. It's already bad enough working in retail, and it would only be worse for me if I worked anywhere else..."
"I see, I see..." Yaya nodded slowly in understanding.
"So, what should I do about this?" Shun held up his bottle of strawberry milk. It was half-empty.
"I don't know, just take it if you want to. I don't see anyone that actually works here, so I don't see how you expect to pay for that." Anzu shrugged sluggishly.
"W-Wait, isn't that shoplifting?" Shun recoiled as if he was just told to go out in the streets and kill someone. "Isn't that very wrong?"
"B-But you already started drinking it anyway..." Ichirin pointed out. "D-Doesn't that already make that invalid...?"
"H-Hey, I was planning on purchasing it anyway, 'cuz I would never steal something!" Shun was quick to defend himself, raising his bandaged hands defensively.
"Mmhmm, suuure you were Shun..." Yaya nudged the boy's side with her elbow.
Kai decided to not get involved in the conversation. He had found himself dwelling more on something Anzu had said earlier, rather than paying attention to Shun trying to keep a clean conscious.
'I don't see anyone that actually works here...'
Kai felt a strong sense of dread as those words echoed in the back of his mind, as they sounded as ominous as some of the other details he notice during his trip around the building. He started to ask himself questions, even though he didn't have answers for any of them.
'Why isn't there any staff members? Why are we the only people here, and why did we wake up locked inside of these shops?'
He flipped through the pages of Kenji's notepad, until he found the strange '11037' message scribbled on the final sheet of paper.
'And what does this even mean? Why is it in Kenji's notepad?' He remembered Kenji brushing it off as if it didn't matter, when he originally thought Kai had written it down himself. 'Does Kenji even know? I should ask him about this when I get the time...'
"Hey, Kai!"
Yaya's voice brought him back to Earth, and he saw her snapping her fingers in front of his face. "I've been trying to get your attention for the past five minutes. What was so interesting, if I may ask?"
He looked up, to find all eyes on him, save for Anzu. He was gone.
'He's probably off getting some rest...' And judging by Shun's cross expression, he likely was stuck having to take his drink without paying.
"It's nothing."
"Are you sure about that? You looked pretty focused on something on that page, ya know?" The girl snickered, leaning in close to catch a peek at the page.
"It's nothing, for the second time." Kai pulled the notepad away from her gaze.
"Come on, Kai! You're not being very fun..." She pouted in a very familiar fashion. "Anyway, you wouldn't happen to know where Kenji went off to, hm?"
"...I-I've already told you he's at the bakery, Yaya..." Ichirin said softly.
"Oh, I heard you." She smiled innocently, arms behind her back as she leaned up to the jeweler and poked her on the nose. "I just wanted to hear from Kai just to make sure!"
"Was...was that really needed?" Junpei asked.
"Hm?" Yaya only smirked in response. "Oh, are you being jealous, Junpei?"
"J-Jealous?" He pulled at his collar sheepishly. "W-What do I have to be jealous about?"
Kai and Ichirin shared confused glances.
"Did I miss something? Why's Junpei so flustered all of a sudden?"
Yaya's smirk remained. "Oh, you know all too well, Junpei..." Her voice was playful, yet deep, for a moment before it switched back to its usual tone. "But enough about that! Let's go find Kenji!"
If there was anything that Kenji loved as much as an inside scoop, if not more so, it was the sweet taste of sugar. And being surrounded by all sorts of delicious, sugary pastries made the journalist feel like he had died and went to his own personal heaven. The very first bite of a crisp, cheese danish riled him up like a kid on Christmas morning, and soon he found himself indulging on as many sweets as he could. He wiped a few crumbs from his lips and licked stray jelly from his fingers as he reached for a chocolate doughnut, one of the many treats stacked up on a silver platter.
"Dang, this place has some of the best sweets around! I'll have to add this to my report of Hope's Peak Shopping Center..." He said to no one in particular other than himself. As he slipped the doughnut halfway into his mouth he pulled out his black pen and opened his hand to scribble down a few notes, specifically about the junk food.
After he finished the doughnut, he was ready to snack on another when he heard a new voice.
"The beautiful, ace detective looked in awe at the variety of goods on display behind the glass, but she couldn't help but laugh at the boy stuffing his face with those same sweets." A young woman stepped up to the counter, stroking her chin as she observed the journalist.
Kenji tilted his head, chewing up the rest of the doughtnut before swallowing. "Are you talking about me?"
"Naturally, the detective thought to herself, he was the only one present, so who else could she be referring to?" She crossed her arms over her chest, grinning confidently.
'Why is she speaking in the third person? Does she think she's some kind of narrator?' The journalist scratched his cheek, perplexed. Kenji paused. 'Now that I think about it...'
"Hey, I think I've heard about you before...but I can't quite figure out how..." He raised a finger. "What's your name? You look very familiar..."
"Hm?" The girl was leaning over the counter, head resting in her hands as she supported herself with her elbows. "The young boy asked me for my name…" She continued her self-narration. "And I just did as he asked, no reason to deny him. Emica Ogasawara. Ultimate Police Dick."
"That's it! Now I remember!" Kenji grinned, a small lightbulb flickering on over his head. "But, I'm not sure I remember your title as a 'police dick.'"
"Oh! Well, if you want to be technical, I'm the Ultimate Police Detective. I just prefer to be referred to as the Ultimate Police Dick to have a more old-school, Sherlock Holmes asthetic, you know?"
EMICA OGASAWARA
ULTIMATE POLICE DETECTIVE
Emica was around the same height as Kenji, but she had a much thinner and curvier form by comparison. She boasted a beautiful set of bright, sapphire eyes that contrasted with the scarlet hair that she let down past her shoulders. Small, light freckles dotted her cheeks. Kenji could also note that her chest was rather large. Not that he was intentionally staring, of course. Yeah, definitely not staring...Moving on...
She wore a black, button-up dress that stopped just above her knees, with cute red buttons and small breast pocket holding a magnifying glass. To add on to the black attire, she also wore a pair of black high heels, and leather gloves that had traces of white powder on them. There was a matching bracelet on her right wrist. Both of Emica's ears were pierced, with two small, teardrop-shaped earrings. Good lord, that's a lot of black.
"That's right, you're the best detective around! Oh, this is fantastic!" Kenji may have been too excited to meet Emica, as his hand crushed the jelly doughnut he had recently grabbed into mush. He didn't seem to mind though, wiping the fruit filling on his pant leg before pulling out his ink pen. "So, it's true that you solved the murder of Thomas Douglas, just within the span of thirty minutes?" He asked, maybe a bit too enthusiastically for a topic as disturbing as murder.
Emica didn't seem to mind, however, as she pridefully put her hands on her hips. "The detective could only grin at the praise she had received, for it was well justified. There was no case she couldn't crack, courtesy of her ace skills on the field, and her good looks to boot." Her eyes glanced down to her chest.
Kenji looked up from the newly-written notes on his palm and followed her gaze, unaware of what he was being set up for.
"Oh, what's this?" The police detective smirked, noticing the quick peek Kenji took. "The young boy seemed to have matured into a young man as I found his eyes targeting my bosom. I wasn't exactly displeased by his actions, I'd been quite used to events like this back in the precinct. Therefore, I remained calm and kept my stature."
"H-Huh?!" Kenji's face lit up like a match, his cheeks very red. "I-I wasn't staring, honest!"
"Mmhmm..." Emica's smug grin only grew, her hand slinking up to the tray of pastries beside him. "I'll believe that when you give me one of these." Her finger sank into the doughy side of a velvet cupcake.
"Y-You could've just asked for one, you know?" The boy gulped, watching as she plucked the cake from the platter, and went to work peeling off the wrapper.
"She could've simply asked for the cupcake," She said, wadding the paper wrapper and tossing it into the nearest trash can, "but it was quite amusing for her to see the boy, who she now identified as Ultimate Journalist Kenji Yonezawa, become redder than a strawberry." She took a small bite of the cupcake, licking small bits of icing and crumbs from her lips.
"U-Um, so what's with the narration? Is it for the same reason you prefer to be called a Police Dick?" Kenji asked, wanting to bring the conversation to a new subject.
"Heh, I guess you can say that. I like to feel like I'm the protagonist of a crime drama, so I love speaking in the third person." Emica shrugged with a small chuckle. "Sorry if you're finding it annoying. It's just how I roll, sometimes."
"Oh no, I wasn't saying it was bad!" He quickly replied. "If anything, it was really interesting!"
"Oh, you're too nice. You know that?" She gave a small smile, her face flushing. "It's not everyday you see someone comment positively on your quirks, you know? Most just think I'm some idiot." She scoffed, shaking her head and rolling her eyes. "The nerve, I swear."
"Hm? I hope I'm not interrupting anything, you two!"
"Huh?" Emica asked, perking up at the voice, her and Kenji looking around for the source. "Who said that?"
'Wait, is that-?'
"It was me, silly!" Suddenly a familiar figure dropped down from the ceiling, landing safely on his feet between the two Ultimates, causing Emica to yelp in surprise. "I'm not quite sure we've met! The Phantom Kitsune, Noritaka Fukuyo, at your service!" He said with a cocky smirk, with an equally arrogant salute.
Emica, on the other hand, was still recovering from the near-heart attack the thief had given her.
"W-Where did you even come from?" Kenji was quick on the draw to ask the most important question. He looked up at the ceiling, finding a small opening leading into a vent shaft.
"Well, I suppose you COULD say I teleported. Buuuut, I guess you already figured it all out, hm?" Noritaka replied, with a nonchalant shrug of his shoulders.
"But...how'd you manage to do that so quietly?"
"Um, have you forgotten? You're talking to the Ultimate Thief, this is child's play to me! Though it isn't too late to back out on how I may have teleported, you know!" He laughed, swinging his cape like a phantom to make himself appear more mysterious. "Because you can still totally do that!"
"What a fascinating experience..." Emica spoke, once again back to narrating herself in the third-person. "Meeting someone as infamous as the Phantom Kitsune himself was something the detective considered as a milestone in her career. It's not everyday you come face to face with the Ultimate Thief in such a casual encounter."
"And you must be Emica Ogasawara. I've heard quite a bit about you!" Nori turned on his heels, still holding his smirk. "Ultimate Police Detective, if I recall correctly?"
"You would be correct. However, I prefer to be called the Ultimate Police Dick." Emica tucked a lock of her hair behind her ear.
He snorted. "…Oh wow, I've had the honour of encountering loooads of cops, but never one with the title of…pfff…Ultimate Police Dick." He was doing a very poor job at suppressing a snicker. "Ahh, well, Miss Dick, think you can lock me up behind bars that easy?"
Emica put a finger to her lips, thinking of what to say next. "She was certain it couldn't be so hard to catch the boy. Unfortunately, she didn't bring any handcuffs with her. Though now she knew to prepare herself in advance for next time." She cocked an eyebrow.
Nori tilted his head, eyes glinting from behind his mask. "I'm looking forward to seeing you try."
"And succeed." She gave a toothy grin in return.
"Oh, what do we have here?" Came another familiar voice from the side. "Seems like our friendly neighborhood Phantom Kitsune has appeared once again, along with a new face!" Yaya smiled as she walked up the counter. Trailing behind were the others.
"Ah, so it appears we cross paths yet again!" Nori leaned forward and bowed. "And with perfect timing, too! Hey Kai, catch this!" A small object flew over everyone's head and landed in the mime artist's gloved hands.
Kai smiled to himself, feeling a small hint of hope as he watched Noritaka reach into his satchel and pull out his coin pouch. His heart fluttered as it soared toward him, but it all vanished the moment he caught the bag between his hands. It felt light, much lighter than he remembered. Hope was replaced with dread. The reason why was simple.
'No, please don't tell me he actually stole everything! No, no no no!'
In a panic, his hands clumsily pulled down the zipper. Much to his dismay, every last coin and bill was gone. But in their place was a single rubber duck, which stared back at Kai with its painted, black eyes.
'Of course, why did I even bother thinking otherwise...' Kai frowned at the small toy. He immediately felt stupid for believing that someone like the Ultimate Thief would give stolen money back to someone. 'Would make as much sense as playing a game of tag with a rock...'
"Damn..." Junpei looked over Kai's shoulder as he held the small duck in his hand. "That's...low. Like, a Shiny Geodude using Self-Destruct kind of low."
"I mean, you have to admit it is kinda cute." Shun said with a chuckle. "I used to have one with this adorable sailor's hat on, and another with an even cuter propeller beanie, and-"
"That's great and all, Shun." Yaya cut the volleyball star off mid-sentence. "But you're not helping."
"S-Sorry..."
"How humorous." Emica spoke. "The Phantom Kitsune has proven to be quite the nuisance, having spent the young mime's hard-earned cash on a simple bathtime buddy. All the more reason for the Ultimate Police Dick to apprehend him, and bring him to justice."
"Oh ho ho ho, bold words, Sherlock." Noritaka folded his arms behind his head, wearing the cockiest of grins. "You'll find it rather impossible to contain the Phantom Kitsune!"
"S-So, you spent all of Kai's money on that?" Ichirin asked, pointing to the rubber duck.
"Hm? Nah, that wasn't even a fraction of everything he had in that pouch. Doesn't mean I'll be giving the rest back, though. Not a chance, heh." He winked. He was enjoying every second he looked into Kai's angry eyes.
'Now he's just asking for someone to punch him. I'm now wishing Kei had actually got him, it it would've shut him up...'
"W-What about my jewelry?"
"Hm?" Noritaka reached into his bag and pulled out a golden necklace that was beyond average. It was absolutely stunning, a beautiful piece of the shiny metal, decorated with even more gorgeous gemstones that possessed a brilliant luster in the lights above them. "Oh, like this? What about it?"
"C-Could I have it back, please?" She reached out for the necklace.
"Haha, nope!" It was yanked up out of her grasp. "Are you kidding? Compared to Kai's pocket change, I can make an absolute fortune out of something made by the Ultimate Jeweler herself!"
"B-But..." Tears welled in her eyes.
"Heheheh, so what are you going to do now? Go crying to Mummy and Daddy Richie because the big bad Phantom Kitsune stole your jewellery? Oh nooo, I'm totally shaking in my boots over here!"
Junpei grunted, balling his fists at his side.
"Buuut, you know what they say: Finders keepers, losers weepers. That's just how it goes, princess, so you better have your tissues ready!"
"Noritaka, that's enough."
"Eh?"
"How exactly can you gloat over making someone cry?" Junpei snapped, his knuckles white from clenching his fists. "Stop, right now. Before I do exactly what Kei should've done earlier, and I won't hold back. I will not hesitate to give you the Serious Punch you deserve, right in the teeth."
"Oh my, quite the white knight." Yaya giggled.
"J-Junpei, p-please don't...Please..." Ichirin pleaded, hiding her teary eyes behind her hands.
The Phantom Kitsune only yawned. "You know, you actually sounded scary for a moment. Seriously, you were doing just fine, but you screwed it all up with that anime reference." He inspected his nails. "But if it keeps you from geeking out on me..." The necklace was dropped around Ichirin's neck. "Here. Take it."
Ichirin looked up, face stained with tears. "R-Really?"
"Ugh, just keep his anime references away from me. Being swarmed by nerdiness is a fate worse than imprisonment..."
Kenji chuckled. "Ooh, this should make a killer article in the paper. 'Phantom Kitsune Gives Up Stolen Jewelry Because of Anime' sounds like a good title. What do you guys think?"
"Maybe edit that a small bit, and you've got a story worth its weight in gold." Emica suggested, nudging his side with her elbow. "Trust me, I know we can get that story published in a heartbeat!"
"I would definitely give that a read!" Yaya smirked, eyeing the Ultimate Thief.
"Tch, you really think one little mishap will bring the Phantom Kitsune down? Guess again! People will let go in two, three days tops! Especially since I can just rob their houses overnight!"
"I'm sure no one is just gonna forget about how you just gave back something you stole, because you were afraid that Junpei would just keep speaking the weeaboo language." Yaya stared at the eyes behind Nori's mask, hands on hips.
"Yea-" The personal trained stopped. "Hey!"
"T-Thank you, Noritaka..." Ichirin dried her eyes on her sleeve, smiling weakly yet sincerely as she wrapped her arms around his waist.
"Don't mention it. Seriously, don't ever mention this to me again." Although he tried to sound like this didn't bother him, deep down Kai knew...
'Seems like this is going to bother him all day. Finally, it's his turn to feel annoyed.'
Kai held up the small duck in his hands. He almost didn't notice Shun was also looking at the toy until he spoke up.
"So, um...are you going to keep it? I-I mean, I'm not trying to be selfish, but I would be happy to take it off your hands, if you don't want it of course." He scratched behind his ear.
Kai nodded. "I think I'll hold onto it, Shun. Thanks, anyway."
"Ah, alright. I was just being curious, 'cuz it looked like you weren't happy with it."
'Well, I'm not happy. But in all fairness, it is a little cute...' The duck squeaked when he squeezed it. He gave a small smile as he then tucked it underneath his beret. 'But more importantly, I need to talk to Kenji...' He slipped behind the counter, where the journalist continued to speak with Emica, Yaya and Nori regarding the potential newspaper.
"Huh? What is it, Kai?" He asked when the mime tapped him on the shoulder.
"We need to talk."
"Oh, what about?"
"Oooo, keeping secrets, are you?" Yaya grinned.
Kai ignored her as he pulled Kenji to the farthest corner of the shop, where a wide selection of breads was on display. He flipped to the back page, and presented the strange '11037' message.
"Why are you showing me this?"
"Explain why this is in your notepad."
"I-I don't know! I don't remember even writing that down!" Kenji ran a hand through his messy hair, only making it more unkempt. "I just thought by some miracle you knew the code to those padlocks and wrote it down...So you're telling me that wasn't you?"
"No, that's why I'm asking you. But if you didn't write it down, then who did?"
"I'm really not sure..."
BANG!
BANG! BANG! BANG!
"Huh?" Kenji jumped.
"So it seems like someone must still be locked up inside one of the shops." Yaya commented, looking in the direction of it. "And they must be really want to be let out. They're knocking pretty hard, you know."
"Guess it isn't doing us any good standing around here then, huh?" Noritaka smirked.
"You probably just want to see if they have anything you can steal." Junpei groaned.
"Guilty as charged." The thief purred.
"We should probably go help them, then..." Shun added.
"Alright, alright. But first, I should probably get familiar with you." Emica said, lifting a finger.
"Sorry, Kai. We can try and figure this out later..." Kenji shrugged with a weak smile.
'Yeah, right...' Despite how sincere he sounded, Kai doubted that immensely. 'But there's nothing I can do about that, I guess...'
After being acquainted with Emica, the now-party-of-eight made their way out of the supermarket. Following the source of the racket led them to a clothing department across the corridor from the jewelry store Ichirin had said she woke up in. It was also a fairly short walk, only a few dozen paces from the market. During which Kai trudged behind the group, staring at the notepad. It only brought back those same questions he had asked himself earlier, and it only made his head pound just thinking about them.
'How come I'm the only one who seems concerned about this?'
He looked at the others. Their conversations were a mix of topics, which made it troubling to hear the fullest of them all. Best he could hear was bits and pieces of each one. Despite this, he still felt the need to give his own thoughts to every one of them.
"...th-this was one of my first works. I-I hold it so close because a f-friend of mine helped me make it..." Ichirin was discussing with Yaya about the necklace Noritaka had stolen and returned to her. The jeweler was holding it rather close to her chest.
'Hm, I wonder who this friend is...and what they're up to now...'
"...so I suggest stretching your limb as much as possible. Limbering up is crucial for any sport." Junpei was giving Shun fitness advice, occasionally taking a moment to stretch his arms.
'Yeah, right. He's probably just showing off...'
"...so it's pretty obvious I want to write down any thoughts you may have when we finally catch you." Kenji waggled a pen in Noritaka's direction, he and Emica chatting about when they get him locked behind bars.
'I'm sure he'll find a way out, but if he gets what's coming to him it'll be worth it...I hope...'
BANG! BANG! BANG!
The racket had calmed down as the group made their walk there, and it was only until they got within feet of the shop that the booming sound of smashing metal echoing across the hall once again. At the first moment it started back up Shun rushed past everyone and up to the shutter.
"Um, hello?! Is there anyone out there?! If so, let me go!" A female's voice screamed, her fists pounding on the sheet frantically. "I just can't stand another second here!"
"Miss, I can assure you that everything will be fine." Another voice, a male's, spoke. "Just take deep breaths, and try to calm-"
"I told you to stay back! Don't take another step closer!"
"U-Um...are you two alright in there?" Shun was afraid to ask.
"Well, actually there are three of us. But regardless, we are all okay."
"Huh? Finally! What the Hell took you so long?! Didn't you hear anything for the past three minutes?!"
"H-Hey, relax!" The volleyball player was shaking a bit from the sudden hostility. "We're going to get you out of there!"
"Please do excuse her. She's feeling...trapped, I suppose..."
"Of course I'm feeling trapped! I usually don't complain about being brought to a clothing store, but being locked up inside of one is outside of my comfort zone! I just want to get out, and go home!"
"Don't worry. Hey, can someone tell them the combination?" Shun looked over his shoulder.
"11037." Yaya obliged.
"11037?" The male voice asked. "Okay, let me give it a try..."
"And hurry it up, will you?"
There was a pause as they worked on the padlock.
"That voice..." Kenji whispered. "Where have I heard it before? I swear, her voice sounds so familiar. Like, it's on the tip of my tongue but I can't figure it out..."
"Is that so?" Yaya asked.
"Hold on. That's..."
There was a small click, and soon the metal shutter was rising and revealing those on the other side. And in that moment, the journalist had become quiet, paralyzed with shock.
"No way..."
"Finally, I'm out of that mess-"
"SANA KASAI?!"
Kenji acted without warning, and in mere seconds he was already swarming the woman, speaking far too fast for anyone to possible comprehend. It was like someone had hit the fast forward button on him. Anything the group could understand included "Sonnet Sana", "big fan", and "acapella".
"Hey, hey, hey! Hands off, hands off!" She tried to swat him away, but it was much easier said than done, like trying to swat a fly. "Gross, gross, gross! Get away from me!"
"Oh my." Yaya couldn't find much to say. "He's...got quite the energy."
"It was quite the show," Emica started, observing the scene, "To watch Kenji Yonezawa become an uncontrollable fanboy upon meeting someone as famous and well-known as Sana Kasai. However, the young detective had to admit it was coming off as...disturbing."
"Though in all fairness, it isn't such an easy feat to achieve. It's as difficult as mastering Ultra Instinct." Junpei commented.
"U-Um...sure?" Ichirin's expression soured.
"Sana Kasai, eh?" Noritaka was rubbing his hands together greedily. "Oh, you know for a fact that a big name like that is STACKED with riches."
"Please don't tell me you're actually thinking about that..." Shun sighed.
"Okay, then I won't tell you!"
Kai only watched with a puzzled expression. 'Sana Kasai, who's that? Why is Kenji so hyped up about her?' He didn't quite understand. And this cluelessness didn't seem to go unnoticed, as he found himself just as cornered by Kenji as Sana was.
"Really, Kai? You can't look at me like that and tell me you don't know who Sonnet Sana is! Everybody knows who she is, she's that famous!"
"Well, I don't think Kai could tell you even if he wanted to, Kenji." Noritaka smirked.
'That freaking smirk! Urgh, that freaking smirk!'
Kai held back his malice towards the Phantom Kitsune, and looked back to Kenji. "Sorry, but I really don't. Whoops?"
"Tch, expected from a talentless worm." Sana scoffed, folding her arms over her chest like he had struck a serious nerve.
'I'm sorry?'
"Anyways, I'm Sana Kasai, Ultimate Acapella Singer, otherwise known as Sonnet Sana. Unless you're a fan of mine which you clearly aren't, if you want to talk to me, subscribe to my channel and follow me on all of my social medias, thank you."
SANA KASAI
ULTIMATE ACAPELLA SINGER
While he had never heard of her until now, Kai did have to admit that Sana was rather gorgeous, so it started to become clear to him why Kenji was visibly gushing. She possessed a thin and curvaceous physique. Her face was distinctly heart-shaped, blessed with smooth lightly tanned skin, free of blemishes or imperfections. Her two dark yellow, almond-shaped eyes were highlighted with black mascara and eyeliner, and they seem to pierce through him with her sharp gaze. She had long, curly dark orange hair that faded into bright red at the tips, which ended at the middle of her back.
She wore a single shoulder strap dress that had a similar color shtick as her hair. The upper half of the dress was white, but slowly faded into a dark red once it reached the layered skirt that stopped above her knees. Her feet were clad in brown, open-toed sandals, and an orange ribbon was tied into a bow around her ankles. Orange, transparent stockings reached up her legs. Around her neck rested a golden necklace with a white rose pendant. She wore a small pearl bracelet with a pink charm in the shape of a burning music note on her left wrist, and a white, diamond headpiece with matching daisies rested in her hair.
"Oh, this is like a dream come true! I have finally managed to meet the legendary Sonnet Sana!" Kenji was still excited, and in half a second had clicked his ink pen. "I just HAVE to get an interview with you! Please!"
Sana only backed away when he stepped closer, visibly cringing. "Gross..." She had taken in the blurry mess of blue ink across his palm and down his arm, the small bits of pastry on his jeans and splotch of fruit jam and ink on his jeans, and his muddy boots. "Do you always leave your house looking like...THAT?"
"Well, not always, but there's always time to clean up after getting that inside scoop. An inside scoop will never wait for you to take a bath, you know!" He didn't even seem bothered by her disgust.
"I'm sorry Kenji, but you really could use a change of clothes. 'Cuz, and I don't mean to offend, but you look like you ran through traffic." Shun suggested.
"See? He gets it." Sana rolled her eyes. "Clean yourself up and look more presentable, and I MIGHT consider letting you interview me, got it?"
"Hey, that's better than nothing! But could I get a small prelude beforehand?" The journalist grinned.
"No."
"Aw, come on!"
'He really is persistent...' Kai thought to himself. It was almost hilarious to watch Kenji plead to her for a small taste of her history and career, and he would've laughed if he could.
"Um, excuse me?"
There came that other voice, which Kai had almost forgot about in the midst of Kenji's excitement. He turned around, and was greeted with a girl as still as a board staring blankly at him from behind a pair of sunglasses.
'Wait a minute. Something doesn't seem right here.' He was confused, because he very clearly remembered the voice being male...
"I'm down here."
Kai's eyes flickered down to his feet, where he saw a small, mechanized figure tugging at his left pant leg.
"Greetings, and howdy!" The small machine waved a tiny hand.
Kai hesitated before he slowly waved back.
"I'm afraid we haven't been properly introduced yet! So, allow me: I'm Tetsuro, the Ultimate Roboticist! And behind me is my daughter, Tetsuko! Pleased to meet you!"
TETSURO
ULTIMATE ROBOTICIST
One notable feature Kai could see was that Tetsuro was incredibly short in size, and made Yaya look like a titan by comparison. His silver, metallic body beared a similar resemblance to a sentai, with small horns poking out on both sides of his head. Kai was surprised, as he didn't think a robot could be given the title of 'Ultimate', especially one such as Ultimate Roboticist. But Kai shoved that thought aside.
Tetsuko, thankfully, wasn't as short as her 'father'. In fact, she was much taller, standing just two inches shorter than Kai. Even more unlike Tetsuro, it was much harder to tell she was a robot. Compared to her creator's smaller, stockier build, Tetsuko was built more like your average high school student. Although, she still did have two small horns similar to Tetsuro's poking out from her bubblegum-pink hair, which was tied into two ponytails on opposite sides of her head. She wore a large, dark velvet jacket over a faded pink blouse and light pink skirt, which ended a fair bit above her knees.
"What about you? What's your name?"
Kai really didn't want to reply, but Tetsuko's hard gaze invoked a response out of fear. "Kai Shiguro."
"Hm? You're not much of a talker?" Tetsuro tilted his head, seeing his handwriting.
Kai shook his head.
"Sorry if I'm pushing the subject, but is it because you're just unable to, or because you're in-character? You are a mime artist, looking at your outfit, correct?"
"I'd rather not answer, I'm sorry."
"Of course, of course." The small robot nodded in understanding.
"Wow...how fascinating..." Kenji said quietly, laying on his stomach to get a very close look at him. "I've never expected the Ultimate Roboticist to be a robot himself!" Slowly he lifted a hand and gently poked Tetsuro in the chest with the tip of his pen. "Quite ironic, but very intriguing-"
Crunch.
The boy's eyes widened, and he let out a very girlish squeal as Tetsuko's foot came down hard onto his hand. He had tried to pull out from underneath, but she seemed to be applying all of her weight, as neither her nor his hand budged. "Ow! Owowowowow! Uncle, I'm crying uncle! I surrender, just please don't crush my hand!"
"Tetsuko! Don't be violent!" Tetsuro looked up at his taller creation.
She looked down at her creator, and begrudgingly lifted her foot. Kenji fell back on his rear, and clutched his hand to his chest, hissing in pain.
"I'm terribly sorry for that, um..."
"Kenji..." The journalist spoke through gritted teeth.
"Right, Kenji. Tetsuko has a habit of being...hostile towards other people, if she thinks they're a threat to both of us." The robot bowed apologetically. At least, that's what Kai guessed that was the intention.
'How can I tell when robots express their feelings?'
"I see, I see..." He looked down at his hand. "Well, it doesn't seem like anything is broken. I should be fine. But I have to wonder, why is Tetsuko so quiet? If you don't mind me asking, that is."
"Ah, that's perfectly alright! You see, Tetsuko's a bit...rude, so I mute her for that..." Tetsuko only stared at him as he spoke to the two.
"Okay, I guess that makes sense..." Kenji said, massaging his hurting hand.
Their conversation was cut short with a loud, nearly ear-splitting shriek coming from Sana. Everyone's eyes were all on her as she tried desperately to grab her diamond headpiece, which was now held firmly in Noritaka's hands.
"Give it back, now!" She threw her arm forward, hoping to swipe it back.
"Ah ah ah! I don't think so!" The thief pulled it out of reach, Sana's hands grabbing nothing but empty air. "This pretty little thing will make quite the pretty penny, if you don't know!"
"But it's MINE! Do you even have the smallest idea who you're stealing from?" She stamped her foot, before giving a second attempt to take her accessory back.
"Yes, I do! Sana Kasai, one of the richest and most pampered ladies in the music industry!" Noritaka sneered as he easily dodged her advance, before showcasing an impressive feat of acrobatics. He soared right over her head, and landed clean on his feet.
"He must've used a Super Speed Potion or something!" Junpei exclaimed, very clearly fascinated.
"How? Wha? What does that even mean?!" Sana was at a loss for words.
"Nee hee hee!" The boy giggled as he rushed up to the robot duo. "Hope you don't mind if I take your little toy!" And in a moment's notice he had scooped up Tetsuro and held him in his hands. No sooner than he did do this, Tetsuko's head jerked in his direction attentively. And while Kai couldn't confirm this, two small, red orbs glowed from behind her sunglasses.
The small roboticist squeaked as he found himself in the thief's arms. "H-Hey! Please let me go!" He wiggled a bit, but Noritaka's grip was firm on his body.
"U-Um, N-Nori...I don't think that's a good idea..." Ichirin whimpered. Apparently she also saw Tetsuko's glowing eyes.
"Hm...you're right, Ichirin..." The Phantom Kitsune feigned guilt, before returning to his cocky grin. "I knew I should've also taken those snazzy shades, too! Don't mind if I do!" He lunged forward, one hand reaching for Tetsuko's face while the other held Tetsuro close to him.
Once his hand came into contact with her cheek, there was a blur of movement so quick the thief couldn't process until it was too late, when he landed flat on his back several feet away from where he had once stood. All the air was forced from his lungs from the impact with the tiled floor, and Tetsuro was back in his daughter's arms.
Everyone else was motionless, their mouths gaping open. There was still silence until Yaya doubled over, in a fit of laughter.
"Ough...what...happened?" Noritaka choked out as he struggled to pull himself up, as every part of his body ached.
"You...were thrown...like a ragdoll." Shun didn't sound confident in his answer.
Kai couldn't even believe what he had seen. He had watched Tetsuko grab the Phantom Kitsune by the wrist, and with relative ease throw the boy away like he weighed nothing to her. With only one hand, for that matter. 'That's...that's terrifying...'
"How embarrassing..." Emica giggled. "For the second time in one day, the Phantom Kitsune suffered another humiliating blunder, but this time it proved he wasn't as slick as he may have thought he was. Oh, the press is gonna hear about this one..."
"What do you suggest the headline for this story should be?" Kenji chuckled.
"A-Aren't you even the least bit worried?" Ichirin piper up, upset. "He could be seriously hurt, a-and you are laughing at it..."
"Does it matter? He had every second of it coming to him, for being a little scamp." Sana scoffed, pushing past the group and making his way to the fallen thief. "Now, I'm going to take back what's mine."
She bent over to claim her headpiece, but as her fingers were close to it, Noritaka jumped back up onto his feet, and pulled it away from her. "Hah! You really thought a minor setback would keep me down for long? Think again, Sonnet Sana!" He turned and pointed at Tetsuko. "And you! This is not the end! You haven't seen the last of the Phantom Kitsune!"
With a swing of his cape, he turned on his heels and scrambled away.
"Hey! Come back here!" Sana screamed as she chased after him, even if she wasn't going to catch him anytime soon.
"Wait for me!" Kenji followed suit, clicking his pen. "I need that prelude, please!"
Kai blinked, watching as the three vanished from view.
"U-Um, do you think she'll get her tiara back?" Ichirin asked.
"I'm not sure. She doesn't have Junpei to anime-speak Noritaka into giving it back, haha!" Yaya snickered.
"H-Hey!"
"And Kenji probably won't get that scoop, either. But who knows, it's all fairly surprising what happens here!" The grandmaster smiled.
"Hey, may I ask something, everyone?" Tetsuro spoke up, being held comfortably in Tetsuko's arms. "Does...does anyone know how they got here? Because I don't remember anything before waking up in this clothing department..."
Shun scratched his knuckles. "No, I don't. Sorry."
"Why do you ask?" Junpei asked.
"Well, have you ever thought how strange how we're here, for some unknown reason? And with no memory, either?"
"You know, Kai did mention this to us earlier. Truth be told, I haven't really thought about it much." Yaya shrugged.
"I-It couldn't be anything t-terrible, right?" Ichirin was wringing her hands.
"Anything could happen, given the circumstances. I mean, we wake up locked up in shops, and there are no one else here but us. Is it too much to ask for answers?"
Suddenly, there was a small crackling overhead, coming from an unseen speaker.
"Ahem, ahem! This is a test of Hope's Peak Shopping Center's audio devices and speaker systems. If you can hear me, would you kindly escort yourself to the food court? I'm sure you have questions about this place, and I'm more than glad enough to answer them! If you are still inconveniently locked inside one of our stores, the combination needed to remove those dreaded padlocks is '11037.' Get to it, and don't be dozing off like a certain cashier! This has been an announcement brought to you by HPSC. I will see you all veeeery shortly!"
"Who was that?" Junpei looked around. "That didn't sound natural, at all..."
'You aren't questioning how they clearly know Anzu is here? Or how they mentioned that combination?'
"There's no way we'll know until we get a move on. Come on, it will be alright!" Yaya cheered.
Kai had major doubts with that statement, but held his tongue.
"I agree!" Tetsuro added. "Let's get to it!"
"The ace police dick agreed as well." Emica also added. "You couldn't get your questions answered if you don't go."
"Alright, but I should probably get Anzu, in case he didn't hear the announcement." Shun gave a weak smile. "Better safe than sorry!"