"Investigation is still ongoing for the case of Hanatemari Tsuzura-san a sixteen year old girl who suddenly went missing…"

Ryota wrapped his hands around the ceramic coffee mug before him, his eyes never leaving the TV screen.

"Hanatemari-san a student of Hyakkaou Private Academy…"

Ryota brought the cup to his lips, gently blowing on it before taking a sip of the black coffee his father had prepared for him. To his right his father emerged from the kitchen, the circles under his eyes seemingly darker than before.

He took his seat at the head of the table. As Ryota brought the mug down he stole a glance at his father before putting his focus back on the TV.

"Hanatemari-san was last seen leaving by her schoolmates on the afternoon of October 6th…" while the clipped formal voice of the female reporter continued a picture of the missing girl flashed on screen. The girl had long wavy dark hair, a gentle smile and kind looking eyes. She was pretty no doubt and she also appeared to be the kind who trusted too easily, Ryota can tell.

And such a combination wouldn't last long in this world, he thought bitterly. He kind of regretted it though. The poor girl. He shouldn't be thinking like this.

"Ryota…" he heard his father say. This caused him to look up and turn back in his father's direction.

"You know what's weird about that case?" his father said, jerking his head at the direction of the TV while nursing his own cup of coffee.

"There are no traces at all of her disappearance. It's like she vanished into thin air."

Ryota took note of his father's slightly dishevelled disappearance- his uncombed hair, his upturned collar and crooked tie. What was it about this case that was tiring his father so much? People disappeared all the time. This Hanatemari girl wasn't even the only missing person reported on TV recently but she's gotten the most media attention solely because she was rich and pretty and came from one of the most elite, controversial schools in Japan.

Ryota thought about the missing person posts he would occasionally see when he scrolled through his social media feed. Those people begging for help with only social media to rely on…don't they deserve to get attention too?

"Why are you so obsessed with this case anyway? I think you'd do better assigned to something else." He knew he sounded selfish but he just found it unfair. How come people like her get to have so much media attention when there are more people out there who could use it? This girl for all he knew might've just ran away from home and didn't want to be found, Ryota knew those types.

His father ignored his question, sighing while pinching the bridge of his nose.

"We've done interviews with the girl's parents and friends and they were all clueless. Nobody knows what could've happened to her and they all described her as nice and wouldn't hurt a fly."

Ryota thought back to the picture that was shown earlier. Looks like his first impression wasn't so incorrect after all.

"And her parents seem to be nice people and holds a clean reputation so it couldn't have been a business rival but still we're looking into that."

Ryota tuned out the rest of what his father said as he turned back to the TV where now a girl in a Hyakkaou Academy uniform was being interviewed. The first thing Ryota noticed was her blonde hair, causing him to assume right away that she must be some foreigner so he was surprised when the girl spoke up in perfect Japanese.

"I don't know where she is now or what could've happened to her. I can only pray that she's safe and sound."

Ryota can see that the girl was struggling to hold back her tears.

Some voice from outside the camera spoke up. "Does Hanatemari-san have enemies at school? People she disliked or disliked her in some way?"

"No!" the girl shook her head fiercely. "Tsuzura…I, I mean Hanatemari is nice to everyone. I couldn't possibly think of anyone who might want to harm her. And I've known her since we were kids. She…she's really nice. A kindhearted person."

Ryota watched as the girl sniffed and dabbed at the corners of her eyes.

"Very well Saotome-san is there anything you'd like to say at all? A message to Hanatemari-san if you will."

At first Ryota thought it was ridiculous. How could a missing girl possibly hear this? If she was kidnapped she was possibly being held somewhere dark and isolated. But then he looked back at the blonde girl's lonely expression and his heart went out to her. She said they've been friends since childhood. It must really hurt her, Ryota can only imagine.

The girl gazed steadily at the camera, a bit more composed now as if she was confident that her friend would hear.

"Hanatemari if you're out there I hope you're safe and sorry for all my shortcomings as a friend. I promise I'll make it up to you so please…come back."

Ryota didn't like how his heart feels so heavy that morning as if that whole news about the missing girl personally affected him and he knew it was ridiculous because hello? He doesn't even know them and they live in completely worlds. Hell, he probably wouldn't even cross paths with people like that.

Maybe he just feel so sorry for what that blonde girl must be going through right now. His father had always commented on his strong sense of empathy but truth was Ryota wished he didn't have this strong emotional quotient. It was making him so concerned over things he'll never get to do anything about.

Ryota finally finished buttoning his uniform. He went to the local public high school and unlike that Hyakkaou Academy uniform he's seen on TV theirs was just a simple black one and a navy blue sailor uniform for the girls. Ryota briefly wondered what it would be like if he wore something as classy as Hyakkaou's maroon blazer and black necktie.

Then he shook his head, chuckling to himself. What a ridiculous idea. He should store it in his mind, file it under "list of my wildest fantasies" along with the likes of "dating a hot movie star" and "sailing on the rivers of France on a yacht". Hey a teenage boy can dream.

But little did he know that one of those items in his list will come true.

That morning his father agreed to drive him to school as he will be heading to his office afterwards and while Ryota enjoyed walking to school with his classmates he considered this a rare treat.

His dad's car was an old powder blue Toyota Corolla something he bought in the early 2000s when Ryota was just a kid. It may be old but it still ran fairly well and they both held it with a sentimental value.

As he hopped in the passenger seat that morning Ryota recalled a memory from his childhood back when his mom was sitting in the very seat he was on now while he was at the back, begging for them to drive through one of those fast food restaurants because he wanted some fries and how his parents would laugh at that.

He was jolted back to the present when his father hopped in beside him and started the car and soon they were smoothly travelling down the streets of their community. Ryota was about to reach over to open the radio when his father spoke up.

"Ryota I've been meaning to tell you something important. But please bear in mind that I am not forcing you into anything you don't want."

Ryota's heart began to pound not just at the seriousness of his father's voice but at the heaviness in the air- he can sense that a bomb was about to be dropped.

"W-what is it?"

His father took a deep breath before continuing. "It's about the missing girl's case you saw on TV this morning."

What? Ryota wanted to cry out. What does this have to do with me?

"We really want to solve this case, help the poor grieving family and find this girl. Find out what really happened to her but we cannot do it when everyone is saying the same damn thing how she's nice like an angel. This can't be an abduction. Kidnappers would've reached out by now for a ransom but they haven't and it's not actually the first time a student from that school went missing."

Ryota gripped the seatbelt tight his palms slick with cold sweat. Somehow he was starting to form a guess where this discussion will end up but a part of him kept saying that it was impossible. He couldn't possibly be…

Yet the majority of him felt this sort of tense excitement which he fought hard to keep down.

"We thought it best to have an insider from the school that can help us but so far they refused to cooperate, the spoiled rich brats who couldn't give a damn because it's not affecting them directly. And we cannot ask help from the friend of that missing girl her feelings would get in the way of the investigation. We need someone who has no direct link to her whatsoever in order to separate facts from personal opinions and biases. None of the teachers or staff wanted to help either. Something isn't right about that school Ryota and we wanted to get to the bottom of it."

His father took another deep breath as if this too was taking a toll on him. "And while I at first thought this was a dangerous thing to do I also thought about your future."

His father's driving slowed down as if he wanted to concentrate on his son a bit more, capture his reaction and properly convey what he wanted to say.

"My colleagues suggested that I send you to Hyakkaou, that you be our insider. I refused at first of course but then I remembered that with your grades you can easily apply for a scholarship so money won't be an issue and while I don't entirely trust that place I can't deny that it's one of the best high schools in Japan and if you go there…god Ryota your future in this world will be secure. Imagine all the universities that will be scrambling to accept you and your career opportunities. You can probably even study abroad and work there. You and I wouldn't worry anymore about expenses, where you will end up. That's the kind of future I want for you and that school will no doubt, help us get it."

If he was going to be honest Ryota didn't really had a dream. Unlike his peers who already had plans on what they want to do Ryota had no specific thing in mind. But as he listened to his father talk about Hyakkaou he began to envision that he was this sleek businessman in a suit and tie, briefcase in hand travelling to countries around the world. He will be driving this fancy black car cradling the latest phone in his hand, living in an upscale condominium in the better parts of town…and Ryota allowed himself for a moment to think that all of it can happen to him. That all of it can come true if he went to Hyakkaou.

Where a girl just went missing. And apparently she wasn't the only one.

"Now of course I'm not forcing you to make a decision yet I understand that this is a lot to take in. I will be talking to my colleagues about this. We'll be waiting for your answer."

Ryota nodded, unable to look his father in the eye. "Okay I'll think about it."

But deep down he already knew his answer.

And that was how two weeks later Ryota found himself standing in front of his bedroom mirror, a big smile on his face and his cheeks flushed with happiness and pride. On normal days he couldn't stand looking at himself for more than a minute; he's always thought of himself as average, even unattractive on most days but now as he let his fingers run over the silky black necktie he couldn't help but think how much better he looked. He almost seemed like a changed person.

I can't believe I'm actually wearing this.

He was in the middle of humming to himself when his door opened and his father stepped in and immediately smiled upon seeing him.

"Now don't you go acting all snotty on me now son." He said with a light chuckle. Mr. Suzui stood beside his son, placing a hand on his shoulder and Ryota can sense that he too was feeling the exquisite cloth his new uniform was made out of.

Their eyes met in the mirror and for a second there Ryota thought his dad might cry. But then he felt him squeeze his shoulder.

"I'm proud of you son…just looking at you like this makes me proud. Your mother would've been too."

Ryota didn't know how to respond to that but he did feel this swell in his throat that made him unable to speak.

"Now stop staring at yourself or you'll be late. Your new school is much farther now but since it's your first day I'll drive you."

Ryota grinned.

Leaving his old school wasn't that emotionally difficult. While Ryota was friendly with everyone he didn't really have a tight knit of friends he hanged out with and he wasn't a member of any clubs nor was he particularly close with any of the teachers.

When they did find out that he was leaving for Hyakkaou everyone suddenly became extra friendly to him, giving him hugs here and there and some even wrote him letters so he would "remember them by" but really it was just another form of sucking up because they all knew Ryota was going to a much more fabulous place now, one they can only imagine that's why they clinged on to the hope that Ryota would share a piece of that world with them.

Ryota threw away the letters without reading them.

"Is that perfume I smell on you?" his father asks while they were in the middle of the road. A feel good pop song was softly playing from the radio, totally matching Ryota's mood.

"I just thought I should make a good first impression."

His father shook his head, laughing to himself. "Next you'll be asking me to buy you a bloody silver watch."

"Well if you want me to be your insider I have to blend in with the other students."

"Ha ha nice try."

At the mention of him being an insider Ryota couldn't help but notice the way his dad's jaw clenched and how hard he suddenly gripped the wheel.

He decided to not mention it any further, believing that while he may be on cloud nine for getting into such a prestigious school the fact that it may be a dangerous place still cannot be ignored.

Neither of them spoke up the rest of the way, the songs from the radio the only source of sound inside the car. When they finally reached Hyakkaou they both inhaled sharply in unison, taking in the huge wrought iron gate with its intricate designs and the elegant red brick buildings.

Even though it wasn't his first time here Ryota still couldn't believe how unbelievably spacious this whole campus was. Ryota watched the sea of maroon blazers moving in and out of the school building and Ryota's heart skipped a beat at the thought that in a few seconds now he will be joining them. He grabbed his bag and prepared to head out.

"Bye dad I'll see you later." Ryota hoped he still looked presentable that somehow his nerves wouldn't show too much. But as he met his father's gaze he can tell his dad was more worried about something else.

Mr. Suzui reached over to squeeze his son's shoulder giving him a small tight smile.

"Be careful."

He must've expected too much. Ryota gulped and forced himself to smile as he stood in front of his new classmates. The classroom was pretty much like his classroom back at his old school though the desks and the floor tiles were a bit more different. Also his classmates looked…normal.

He expected them to be like the blonde girl he saw on TV who looked like a foreigner or just like those stereotypically wealthy characters on dramas but he found that they all looked fairly Japanese and well, just like his old classmates.

"Would you please introduce yourself to the class." The teacher was a man who had more gray in his hair than black and smiled kindly at Ryota which in turn encouraged the teen.

Ryota bowed. "Hello nice to meet you all I'm Suzui Ryota." He almost said that he's new here but luckily he managed to hold it in at the last minute.

"Please take care of me." he said as a finishing touch.

As Ryota raised his head back up he noticed that most of his classmates were regarding him curiously though of course this was obvious however he was struck with this sinking feeling that they were looking at him like animals studying its prey.

Or maybe it was just his imagination. He really should stop thinking about that missing girl.

The teacher gestured at someone from the class. "Jabami-san will you kindly please show Suzui-san around?"

Ryota followed the teacher's gaze and he almost did a double take. A girl with long silky black hair stood up and Ryota tried his best to hold in his gasp. She was undeniably pretty she can be like an actress or some other famous figure. She also moved gracefully exuding the air of a traditional Japanese woman. Maybe this was what set the Hyakkaou Academy students from Ryota's old classmates. They may all look the same but the air around them was different.

"Of course it would be my pleasure!" the girl beamed at them and Ryota almost sighed at how lucky he is, being escorted by a beautiful girl on his first day. He followed the girl out of the room and into the hallways which were quiet and devoid of any other student.

"I'm Jabami Yumeko it's a pleasure to meet you."

Ryota prayed he wouldn't suddenly be hit by clumsiness and appear awkward in front of this girl. "I-it's a pleasure to meet you as well Jabami-san."

"Oh please just call me Yumeko. I believe you and I are going to be good friends!"

This girl was perky that's for sure. Standing beside her Ryota was suddenly glad he decided to spray on perfume at the last minute.

As they walked Yumeko gave him the rundown of the building, where the classrooms and clubrooms are including the admin offices, library, cafeteria, etc. and while everything looked different from his old high school it wasn't like the ones Ryota envisioned in his head but that was okay. Maybe he just expected a little too much.

They were still walking in the middle of the hallway, far from where their classroom was and Ryota was kind of glad for it. he was also glad that Yumeko seemed to warm up to him on the first day. In his old school, girls wouldn't even talk to him unless it had something to do with schoolwork.

Yumeko was explaining some school rules as they walked and Ryota of course was paying attention though he did focus more on the sound of Yumeko's voice. It was strangely soft and sweet like a lullaby. Then his eyes darted over to the walls and that's when he noticed the rows and rows of old pictures.

The first ones he saw were in black and white and they all look like class pictures- a bunch of students in the old Hyakkaou uniform standing together with the school behind them as background. As the pictures progressed it became more and more recent, growing color. And while the style of the uniform changed two things did not: the building in the background and the serious, almost haunting expressions on the faces of the students pictured there.

A chill ran up Ryota's arm as he met their eyes. They all looked blank, hollow even. But now that he thought about it people didn't really smile for pictures back then. Yumeko took notice of this.

"Those are the previous student councils ever since Hyakkaou was founded." She still sounded perky, undisturbed by the creepy vibes the old pictures gave off. Or maybe it was just him, Ryota chided himself.

"The old uniforms look pretty cool don't you think?" Yumeko asked pointing at a picture with the numbers 1933 underneath it.

Ryota shrugged. "I think they're old fashioned." He said pointing at the long skirts of the girls but he gotta admit the boys' uniform looked cool with its linings on the blazer which was absent from today's.

"Does the current student council have a picture?" Ryota asked

"Oh no not yet. They don't want to take a picture unless things are…permanent." Their pace slowed down as they look at the pictures.

""Permanent?"

"Well you see, student council here isn't really decided by votes."

Now this conversation was getting weirder and weirder. Ryota was about to ask again when Yumeko grabbed his arm and pulled him so they could walk faster.

"I'll explain to you later. Come on!"

Ryota let Yumeko pull him away, more than glad to be away from those rows of pictures.

"And that's the student council office. I haven't been inside but I heard it's pretty big. They say it even has an aquarium!"

Yumeko points at a small wooden door with a golden plaque hanging above it that says STUENT COUNCIL. Ryota didn't want to admit that even the room was giving off strange vibes for him and he wasn't at all curious if they have a freaking aquarium inside.

They continued on their way until they stumbled upon the end of this particular hallway. A pair of double doors stood across from them and Ryota can see through the glass that it was dark on the other side. A sign is also attached to it, the words KEEP OUT in big black letters and underneath it a much smaller sign: AUTHORIZED PERSONNEL ONLY

"What's in there?" Ryota asked

"Oh that's an old lab." Yumeko replied, sounding pretty chill while Ryota was trying to keep his nerves in place. "They say it burned down after some experiment went awry."

"They never repaired it since?"

Yumeko only shrugged. "I don't think so. Come let's head back. Nothing to see here."

Ryota nodded, more than happy to be taken away from this creepy part of the building. However he couldn't help looking back, fixing his eyes on those eerie double doors and the darkness coming from the other side. He thought he can hear some faint humming but then he quickly brushed it off, dismissing everything as simply paranoia.

He should really stop thinking about the missing girl.

Ryota didn't have to think about where to sit for lunch. As soon as the bell rung Yumeko dragged him out of his seat exclaiming how hungry she was. As they made their way towards the cafeteria Ryota imagined the different kinds of food they have in here. Would they serve some foreign cuisine? Would they have some desserts? Ryota could hardly wait.

But as he was soon going to find out, he was in for another surprise one that would never have even crossed his mind.

As Yumeko pushed the cafeteria doors open Ryota braced himself for the rich aroma of food but what he found instead was…

"What the…"

Instead of food on the table, it was money. Money and dice and cards. He even spotted a roulette table not far from where they stood and several students crowded around it laughing to themselves.

Ryota's eyes widened as he took in the scenery. He was rooted to the spot.

Yumeko, whose hand was on his arm stopped as soon as she noticed Ryota wasn't beside her. "Ryota-kun? What's wrong?"

"Th-that." Ryota gestured at everything around them. He felt like his throat had suddenly gone dry and he even wondered if he was dreaming this all up. "W-why is everyone…i-is this even allowed?!" he felt stupid for asking, for sounding like some fish out of water.

Yumeko gave him a chilling smile. "That's what I wanted to tell you about. The best part of this school."

There was a mischievous glint in her eyes that made Ryota wonder if this was still the same girl he met specially now that she was looking up at him with that chilling smile that was growing bigger and bigger by the second.

"Th-the best part of this school?"

Yumeko threw her hands up in the air. "Gambling!" she cried out, confirming Ryota's suspicions of what was going on. "Gambling makes this place fun Ryota-kun. It's what this school revolves around like earth to the sun."

Ryota thought this whole thing was ridiculous, impossible even. But no matter how much he pinched his arm he was still there in that cafeteria and everyone around him was still laughing, playing. No not just "playing". Gambling. Right there in the freaking school.

Unbelievable. Are all rich kids like this? Ryota may not have much experience but he doubted it.

"Come on!" he felt a tugging at his hand which slowly jostled him back to his senses. Yumeko beamed up at him and Ryota couldn't help noting how alive she seemed at that moment like being around all this gambling awakened every cell in her body. There was even a spring in her step that was never there before as Ryota followed her to the counter.

"Let's hurry up or we'll run out of seats!"

The food wasn't even that great. Or maybe it was just him again and the unbelievable-ness of this whole situation.

Ryota stared down at his bowl of ramen, lazily poking his chopsticks against the boiled egg floating in his soup. All around him he can hear raucous laughter, swearing, coins being dropped…and the smell of money had never been so strong. While of course there were still students who are actually eating (this is a cafeteria after all) it pales in comparison to the number of people who had seemingly turned this place into a makeshift casino. Only thing missing were waiters carrying cocktails around and a slot machine here and there.

Yumeko on the other hand looked at the gamblers with curiosity, watching the ongoing matches around them. Ryota had always felt indifferent towards gambling; they could barely afford to feed themselves after all so where would they get the money? But still gambling to him felt like some terrible vice, an addiction that can ruin you like drugs. It was never good.

"Oh there is also one thing I should tell you." Yumeko said turning back to Ryota like she just remembered he was there. "See those students over there wearing tags around their necks?"

Ryota twisted in his seat towards the direction Yumeko was pointing. Near the roulette table a guy and a girl stood against the wall as if they were trying to be invisible. They wore ID tags that none of the other students have. Not far from there, two people sat playing cards and a girl had her legs propped up over someone who was on their hands and knees on the floor. An ID tag also hung from that person's neck.

A cold sweat broke out from Ryota's forehead. "What…"

"Those are what we call housepets. They're people who lost a gambling match and are unable to pay." Back to the roulette table the girl with the ID tag got splashed on by one of the players who was holding a glass of…whatever it was. But they didn't apologize and the girl with the ID tag made no move to clean herself. She continued staring into empty space, her hair and uniform soaked.

"You can only get out of your housepet status if you've managed to pay off your debt. But while you're still a housepet anyone can do anything to you and you cannot fight back."

Ryota turned away from the sight. "That's…that's ridiculous. Surely there are some rules."

"But those are the rules Ryota-kun." Once again Yumeko seemed pretty chill about the whole thing like a bunch of students being treated like slaves was an ordinary, everyday thing to her.

Ryota felt like throwing up.

"If you don't want to be a housepet Ryota-kun you should avoid gambling with the others. But oh gambling is so fun! Maybe we should play a little—"

"No." the word was out before Ryota can stop himself. "I'm not joining into any of these…whatever the hell is going on. This is insane and it isn't right—"

Suddenly Yumeko's face was only inches from him and she was staring at him coldly. Ryota wondered just how many faces this new friend of him has. The sounds of money and laughter all around him were all at once, a blur.

"Then Suzui-kun…" Yumeko's eyes at that moment were cold and dark, looking down at Ryota like he was a mere insect.

"Maybe you shouldn't be here."

She was back in her seat in a matter of seconds, smiling and commenting about a nearby gambling match leaving Ryota to wonder if he imagined the whole thing.

It wasn't the end of the day yet but Ryota was already exhausted. He sighed in his seat as in front of him the teacher droned on and on about the lesson.

How did he get himself into such a place? Had he known this school was really that different maybe he would've thought twice about agreeing to be his dad's insider. He looked around him as the lesson went on. Most of his classmates were hunched in their seats, busy copying notes and appeared like they really were paying attention. It was hard for Ryota to think that outside the classroom they were legit gamblers.

He looked at Yumeko who was sitting on the first row. She wasn't taking down notes but she was focused on the lesson, nodding here and there whenever the teacher would make a point. Ryota didn't know what to think of her and maybe it was too early to tell just yet. He needed a friend here that much was true and so far Yumeko was the only one willing to be that for him. Can he trust her though?

That was a question he didn't have the answer for yet and frankly he was afraid to find out.

Ryota willed his attention back to his notes. Maybe if he focused solely on his studies he can avoid all these gambling and housepet nonsense.

Just then the front door slid open and the teacher stopped midsentence as a figure stood in the doorway and eventually moved inside.

Ryota's breath was caught up in his throat as he stared at the person that just came in. he had only seen her on TV at first but he could not mistake that long blonde hair and those amber eyes.

She was a petite girl, definitely smaller than Yumeko but she walked with confidence, her head held high and her strides purposeful. She might as well take up the entire room with her presence alone.

"Saotome-san glad you can join us today."