This is totally unedited; I read it over to make sure there weren't any errors, but I could definitely have missed something. Point it out if you spot anything, please?

Enjoy.

Unexpectedly, the dullest part of being an investigator wasn't the paperwork. Rather, it was the interrogations. For Oshitari, anyway. He pulled off his glasses and wiped them, wishing Hiyoshi hadn't talked him into it.

"'You've been putting this off long enough,'" Oshitari said, mimicking Hiyoshi's voice. "Hiyoshi, you hypocrite. Who's the one who arrives ten minutes late to work each day?" Oshitari gave an exasperated sigh and began sorting the files. He'd organized an appointment with Marui at ten-thirty in the morning, Yanagi fifteen minutes after, then Jackal, then Yukimura and Sanada, then Kirihara, and Yagyuu last. It struck him as odd that the person closest to Niou had asked to be last, but Oshitari decided not to question it—at least, not yet.

Someone knocked on the door, and he assumed it was his daily delivery of coffee. "Come in." The assistant walked in—followed by Marui Bunta, who was looking particularly disheveled.

The coffee was placed on his desk, but Oshitari took no notice. "You're about fifteen minutes early," he said simply. "Have a seat."

"I couldn't sleep," Marui admitted, and began to fiddle with one of the pens on Oshitari's desk. "I'm sorry; is this an inconvenience?"

"Not at all. Please don't be nervous," he added. "Weren't we rivals, once? The interrogations are purely routine work. I'm not rather fond of them myself, to be honest."

"I—yeah. Right." He closed his eyes and muttered something under his breath, which Oshitari didn't quite catch. "I'll help you ask much as I can."

Oshitari nodded and pulled out a notepad. "It will be appreciated. We'll start with the basics. Where were you on the day of the party, and what were you doing?"

"I—I arrived a bit late, and by the time I got there, the party had already started. I spotted Jackal first, so we started talking. You know, school and stuff."

"You two are sharing a dorm, aren't you?"

"Yeah, we are."

"Then why didn't you walk to the reunion together?" Oshitari asked curiously.

"I, uh, couldn't decide on what to wear so he left first," he mumbled.

Oshitari raised an eyebrow at that, but gestured for him to continue.

"Right, so we started talking, and then a few Seigaku guys came by and we talked about tennis for a while, and then we found Yukimura and company, and asked them about work and everything . . . It was pretty typical," he admitted. "I mean, there wasn't much out of the ordinary. We talked to some Hyotei people, too—uh, Jiroh, I think. Then Niou and Yagyuu walked over, but then Niou said he had to find something, which was kind of weird because it was his first time in the hotel, but I really didn't pay much attention . . . I—I should have, though. Maybe I would have noticed beforehand, and then . . ." He trailed off, and swallowed. "We were really close, you know? We kept in touch and everything, and even though he was all famous, he made time for the team."

Marui paused again and gave a forced laugh. "I'm sorry, I'm getting off topic. Okay, so he left, and Yagyuu stayed for a while before Yanagi and Inui—from Seigaku, I think—pulled him away to talk about some science thing. So I went to the buffet table and I just kind of stayed there till . . . You know, that."

Oshitari nodded. "Thank you. I'm sorry for your loss," he murmured. "Tell me a bit about him, if you would. Let's see, he was a talented actor."

"He was good at a lot of things," Marui replied slowly. "He could've been anything he wanted. It's not fair, you know? I mean, there are so many mundane people out there, and of all the people in the world, it had to be him. It's unfair." He seemed at ease now, talking about him. "He could have been anything he wanted, but he wanted to be an actor. I think he always thought acting was the type of thing that paid well and required little work—he was kind of shallow, but when it came to other things . . . Yeah."

"That'll do fine. You mentioned that he kept in touch with the team. Do you happen to know what he was doing on the day of the reunion?"

"I—he said something about visiting his family," Marui said abruptly. "His aunt and uncle. They weren't on great terms, but he was the type who took delight in making people squirm. It never got out of hand—always the little things. Yagyuu was the one who kept him in order."

"Yagyuu?"

"Yeah, he and Yagyuu were really close. Like, abnormally close. And Yagyuu looked after him a lot. Niou is—was—the type to get into trouble, just for the heck of it."

The rest of the interrogation went by uneventfully, with the standardized questions and answers. Marui confirmed the contact information, and left.

---

Yanagi and Jackal arrived only a few minutes later, and Oshitari wondered if they were unable to sleep as well. Yanagi, unlike Marui, looked steadied and calm—not at all the fidgeting mess his teammate was. "I'm Yanagi Renji, and I came to the reunion alone. I was the fourth to arrive, with the first few being Yukimura, Sanada, and Echizen of Seigaku. That is what you wanted to know, yes?"

Oshitari smiled wryly and nodded. "Thank you, Yanagi. Could you—"

"Tell you exactly what I was doing at the party?" Yanagi interrupted. "Of course. Naturally, I gravitated toward Yukimura and Sanada, after giving Echizen a brief greeting. We discussed their careers for a few moments. By the time we were done, the room was almost full. I had a word with Inui, but when he left to speak to Tezuka, I went to find the other RikkaiDai members. I'm afraid I don't remember the exact details of any conversations, but most of them revolved around their careers and such topics."

"I see. You've been a great help. Now if—"

"I could tell you what I believe Niou was doing before the party? I'm afraid he didn't say much, but he mentioned going out to eat with a few friends."

"Ah. Then—"

"You want to know what I thought of Niou as a person." He didn't bother to wait for Oshitari's (somewhat exasperated) nod of confirmation. "He was a talented tennis player, and a gifted actor. I don't believe anybody expected that, but there is no denying his aptitude. He was reckless and confident, but rightfully so."

Oshitari opened his mouth to speak, but once again, Yanagi spoke first. "I apologize if I'm interrupting you, but I'd like to make this fast." He pushed a card toward him. "This has all my contact information, as well as five sources—five friends. You can go to them if you'd like further information. Now, I have a meeting at Yusen Inc. I hope I was of service."

With that, he left, and Oshitari massaged his temple. "That," he mumbled to himself, "was the quickest interrogation I have ever led."

---

Jackal came next and apologized on behalf of Yanagi. "He's quite rushed today," he explained. "There's a meeting in regards to Niou's death, and he's been snappy all morning."

"It's fine," Oshitari assured. "Please, sit. For starters, it'd be a great help to me if you'd tell me as much as you remember about the party."

Jackal, like Marui, seemed edgy, but was much less obvious about it than Marui was. "I went alone," he began.

"Wait," Oshitari interrupted. "You and Marui share a dorm room, don't you? Why didn't you two go together?"

Jackal shifted. "I was in a rush, so we went separately." Without bothering to elaborate, he continued, "There were a few Hyotei members on their way to the reunion, so I walked with them. Shishido and Ootori, I believe. We weren't early, but we weren't really late either—Fuji was already there, talking to Marui, and Yukimura and Sanada had just arrived."

The rest of the interrogation went as planned—no interruptions (by Jackal, at least), and generally, received straight answers. Yes, that was a nice change of pace.

---

Oshitari flipped to a new page, but before he had a chance to look at the notes he'd taken, someone walked in unannounced. "Oshitari-kun," a silky voice greeted. "I believe we're early."

He looked up to see Yukimura and Sanada, each looming over him with calm if not slightly threatening expressions. "You are," Oshitari acknowledged, "but the rest of RikkaiDai was as well, so it doesn't make much of a difference."

Yukimura laughed while Sanada frowned, mumbling something that sounded faintly like "Tarundoru" under his breath. "I'd like to go first," the latter added, and sat down with his arms crossed. Yukimura smiled and left without another word.

Oshitari cleared his throat and said, "Welcome, Sanada.

"Hn."

"Please, don't be nervous about any of this." Sanada gave him a look that clearly stated, Do I look nervous to you?Oshitari did his best to ignore it."Answer my questions to the best of your ability, and this will be over and done with soon."

"Hn."

"Alright, then. Tell me what happened on the day of the reunion, and at the reunion, if you please."

"Yukimura and I arrived on time. We spoke to several former members of RikkaiDai, including Niou and Yagyuu. Later on, Yukimura left to speak to Tezuka. I spoke to those who approached me, but no one else. Most people were from RikkaiDai, but Fuji and Echizen came as well. Yukimura came back later, and we were about to find Akaya when Atobe made the announcement."

His voice was calm and rigid, and he spoke without blinking. There was no sign of relief when Oshitari moved onto the next question, no curiosity in his eyes when the investigator took notes. He remained perfectly mechanical, and Oshitari wasn't sure if he ought to commend him or shake some sense into him. "Do you know what Niou was doing on the day of the party? Several members of the team have informed me that Niou remained in close contact with the group, but no one was able to provide a concrete answer."

Expressionless, he said, "As far as I know, Niou went straight to the reunion. He wasn't the sort to keep people waiting.

Oshitari frowned but refrained from commenting. "And what did you think of Niou as a person?"

"He was a good tennis player," Sanada answered readily. "He could have been a professional."

Sanada seemed unwilling to say more, so he asked for the contact information and allowed him to leave. Yukimura entered a few moments after, without waiting to be called. "Wait for me, Sanada," he called back, and an affirmative grunt was heard. To Oshitari, he smiled. "Hello, Oshitari-kun."

"Yukimura," Oshitari acknowledged. "How has professional tennis been?"

"The opponents aren't nearly as good as the former members of the RikkaiDai tennis team." If it'd been anyone but Yukimura, the words might've sounded pompous, but as it was, they simply sounded proud. "I'd appreciate it if you didn't try to make small talk, actually. A friend has passed, and I'd like to help you with the situation without wasting your time."

"It's greatly appreciated," he answered sincerely. "Well, then, could you describe the day of the reunion to me?"

"Sanada and I arrived together, exactly on time. I remember checking my watch, in fact. We mostly spoke to RikkaiDai graduates, Yagyuu and Niou included. They were quite amiable; then I went to speak with Tezuka regarding his tennis career—I hadn't seen him in a while, you understand. He's been playing in Germany all this time. Anyway, then Echizen approached me, and we spoke for a while before he left with Fuji. I went back to Sanada after that, and he was telling me about finding Akaya. Then Atobe told us Niou was dead, and that was the end of that." He wasn't smiling anymore, but he didn't seem unhappy, either.

Impassive. That was the word for it.

"Okay," Oshitari murmured, half to himself. "Right, then. Do you happen to know where Niou was, that day?"

"I'm sure he went directly to the hotel," Yukimura said. "He was very reliable in terms of punctuality."

"How else would you describe him?" he prompted.

"He was a very gifted tennis player, but also a very good actor." He seemed to want to leave it at that, but then Yukimura paused. Something flickered in his eyes before he added, "He was a risk-taker, and charismatic. I think that might have been what led to such an untimely death." He smiled again and scribbled something on a sheet of paper. "This is my contact information. Please feel free to ask me questions at any time."

He left, and for a second, Oshitari could hear him talking quietly to Sanada. Their voices faded after a moment and he turned to his notes.

He frowned. Yukimura and Sanada's answers were very well-matched, but aside from theirs, the statements were rather conflicting.

---

This time, an obnoxiously loud pounding on the door alerted him of his next visitor. Kirihara Akaya walked in, arms crossed much the same way Sanada's were—although his expression was less threatening than indignant. "I'm not the murderer," he informed, sounding moody.

"I never said I suspected you," Oshitari replied, a bit exasperated. RikkaiDai was such a strange team.

"You never said you didn't," Akaya said stubbornly. "I'm supposed to be practicing tennis with Yukimura-buchou and fukubuchou. What do you want?"

"You still call them that?" he asked, surprised. "And I want to ask you a few questions about Niou, and the reunion. Surely you're aware of this."

"They're buchou and fukubuchou," Akaya answered with a shrug. "They always were, and they always will be." For a fleeting moment, Oshitari could hear Gakuto's voice.

"I'm Gakuto. You're Yuushi. I'll always be Gakuto, and you'll always be Yuushi."

"Just like Niou-senpai will always be Niou-senpai," the athlete continued. "You want to know what I did at the reunion, right? I wandered from person to person and insulted their tennis, 'cept buchou and fukubuchou. And Fuji-san, because that guy's weird and he almost broke my leg in the eighth grade."

"To be fair, you aimed a tennis ball at his stomach," Oshitari pointed out, not sure why he was defending Fuji.

"Technicalities," Akaya said, waving the thought away. "Anyway, I don't remember if I talked to Niou-senpai or not. I might have, I might not have."

"And what do you think your Niou-senpai was doing that day?"

"Don't talk to me like I'm three. I don't know what he was doing. He could've been doing anything. It's not like he told me. And even if he did, he could've been lying."

"What makes you think that?"

"He forced me into a lacy dress after telling me it's what all the tennis pros are doing," Akaya said wryly. "And then posted the pictures on my webpage." Before Oshitari could comment, he added, "I was only thirteen!"

Only thirteen? he thought sardonically. "So . . . you don't know anything. I find that difficult to believe, Kirihara, and I'm going to have to ask you to cooperate here."

"I don't know anything for certain," Akaya said, smiling wickedly. "I could tell you what I remember, though I'm not sure if it exactly happened that way: I have an awful memory."

"That's better than nothing, I suppose," Oshitari admitted.

"Great," he trilled. "So Niou-senpai and I were on our way to the reunion when we suddenly got attacked by ninjas dressed in hot pink. So of course, I unleashed my totally awesome tennis moves on them before Niou-senpai beat the hell out of them with his bare hands, but then a flaming penguin came by with a pig on wings and they stole my tennis racquet. And we couldn't let them get away with it, so we followed them, and they treated us to McDonald's as compensation, but then we got lost in the Amazon—which the president of Africa moved to Japan—and ended up late to the reunion."

Africa's not a country, was the first thought that came to mind. He is such a bad liar, was a close second.

But Akaya had made it obvious—he wasn't saying anything.

"Alright, then," he said, resigned. "Would you at least tell me what you thought of Niou?"

The mischief faded for a moment. "I think I'm going to miss him," Akaya answered slowly. "I think he was a really good tennis player, that he tricked people a bit too much for his own good, that he was a really good senpai. And I think he liked the way he died."

That piqued Oshitari's interest. "Oh?"

"Yeah; it was dramatic and stuff. He's going to get just as much attention dead as when he was alive. He got everything he wanted out of life, in the end."

"He never started a family."

"He never wanted one."

That left him a bit speechless, and Akaya took this moment to leave. "If you need to ask me any more stuff—which you'd better not—you can call buchou or fukubuchou. Bye."

---

Hiyoshi entered the room during his break and smiled sympathetically. "You don't look well."

"Their statements are absolutely contradictory," Oshitari said with a sigh. "Marui's story fits nowhere. Yanagi claims he only had a word with Inui at the start of the party, whereas Marui says he and Inui had pulled Yagyuu away for conversation. Jackal says he spotted Marui talking to Fuji when he arrived at the party, but Marui says Jackal arrived first. Yanagi says Yukimura and Sanada were among the first to arrive, but Jackal tells me they arrived after Marui, who said he was late. Yukimura and Sanada's stories are perfectly synchronized, but I suspect they planned it beforehand. And in any case, their stories don't match with anybody else's. Akaya's explanation was . . . far-fetched, to say the least. It amazes me how the man managed to graduate from high school."

"I heard that bit," Hiyoshi agreed. "Something about ninjas and McDonald's? He did always appear to be the creative type. If he's going to make something up, he might as well make it seem believable. Still, he proved his point well."

Oshitari nodded. "He refuses to tell us anything. I don't think anyone from RikkaiDai is willing to speak. Though, there is Yagyuu left."

"He was so close to Niou-san that I doubt he'll be willing to say much at all," Hiyoshi commented dryly.

"Or he wants us to solve the case and avenge his friend's death.

Hiyoshi chuckled. "You make it sound like a cheesy movie." His gaze darkened a bit. "This is murder. There's never a guaranteed happy ending," he said grimly. "To be honest, it's a little worrisome to think that one of the people we once played tennis with could be a murderer."

"It is," Oshitari murmured, and as if on cue, someone knocked on the door. "Come in."

There stood Yagyuu, his expression carefully blank. "Am I early?

---

"You're the last," Oshitari commented once Hiyoshi left. "Is there any reason you requested this particular slot?"

Yagyuu seemed amused, if nothing else. "Surely you've noticed that everything my friends told you are contradictory?"

"They were, though I must admit Kirihara's was the most creative."

"I'm sure his was," Yagyuu agreed fondly. "He's fiercely loyal, that one."

"Can I assume you'll tell me the truth?"

"You can."

"Why?"

"My teammates were trying to protect Niou-kun," he said. "I do not intend to."

Why were they protecting him? What was there to protect? What did they know? How did they know? But aloud, Oshitari only said, "Why not?"

"Niou didn't want to be protected," he replied calmly. "He didn't want to be looked after, didn't want to be smothered. It's unfair to him if, even in his death, people do so."

He sounded surprisingly bitter when he said that, but Oshitari paid it no mind. "That's a noble gesture, Yagyuu," he offered. "Niou would appreciate it, I believe."

Yagyuu didn't bother to deny or affirm Oshitari's statement, instead choosing to continue with the interrogation. "I'm sure you want to know what I was doing on the day of the reunion," he said. Oshitari automatically winced, remembering the conversation with Yanagi, and hoped this wouldn't be the same. "I was with Niou-kun the entire day. We were at a gun shop."

"A gun shop," Oshitari repeated, bemused, and leaned forward a bit.

"The pistol with which he was killed—he bought it that day. It was a fine revolver; he picked it himself. Akaya and Yukimura-kun quite approved of it, too."

"You went together?" he asked, startled. "Kirihara and Yukimura were with you?"

"Not just them; everybody from RikkaiDai. They knew Niou had been planning to buy a gun for the reunion—I don't believe he ever told us the reason for it, but I'm sure everybody had his own guess as to why."

"Did you?"

"I did not," he said. "I do not."

Oshitari leaned back again. "Didn't he have a gun to begin with?"

"I believe he did have a semi-automatic pistol at some point," Yagyuu confirmed. "It was from the same store, in fact. Marui-kun had been the one to pick it out for him—a silver one, with Niou-kun's initials engraved. I'm not quite certain why he chose to purchase a revolver."

"Did the team usually accompany him on trips to gun shops?" Oshitari inquired, wondering just how many times Niou went to that store.

"It was only those two times, as far as I know. He went to purchase bullets occasionally—he never really needed them, but he did frequent a shooting range. The team did often accompany him there—he insisted on teaching everybody how to use a gun. In any case, the team never accompanied him when it came to buying bullets."

"So the entire RikkaiDai tennis team knows how to use a gun," he mused.

He met Oshitari's gaze evenly. "Many people do. I hope you're not insinuating anything."

"No, no." He immediately dismissed the thought. "But why did Niou insist on it?"

"Protection, amusement, fear—it could be any of those things. But I do believe you are being deterred from the original question, Oshitari-kun." Without waiting for a response, he said, "He bought the pistol almost immediately before the reunion. The team initially went with him to the reunion, but we entered at different times to avoid paparazzi. We spoke to a multitude of people at the party; almost everybody, I believe. In the middle of a conversation with Marui and Jackal before Niou asked to be excused. I suppose he was meeting someone, but I didn't think much of it at the time. He'd always enjoyed being cryptic, and asking him would have been overprotective." He paused. "I did begin to worry when half an hour passed. Then an hour, and then two—and you saw me asking if anybody saw him. I'm afraid I didn't get very far with my questions," he added with a humorless laugh, "for Atobe came with the announcement only moments after."

Well, those were two questions answered. It remained to be seen whether Yagyuu's information was actually reliable, naturally, but the man didn't seem like he was lying. "What did you think of Niou, then? A description of his personality, perhaps; you were rather close to him, were you not?"

"I was," he granted. "But being close to a person doesn't necessarily mean one knows that person well." Once again, Oshitari's mind flashed to Gakuto. "Niou was a perceptive person; he was never caught off guard. If he lost, he accepted it calmly. He's the sort who can predict a victory or a loss long before its occurrence, which is why I don't believe he was particularly shocked by the murderer. If you noticed, his expression was a tranquil one."

"Your friends have called him a very talented individual," Oshitari commented.

"He was. He could have changed the world," Yagyuu said simply. "He chose not to, and that was what made him Niou."

Oshitari wasn't sure what to say in response, and settled for, "It appears you know him well, after all."

"I suppose." Yagyuu stood. "You have my contact information, should you require anything else. I've answered your questions the best I could. Goodbye."

Not for the first time that day, Oshitari was left staring at a closed door.