"Oh Hinata, it's good to see you," I said in a half-shout, running up to blue-haired guy in question. My breathing was a bit ragged after almost stopping altogether in half-fright after hearing his voice, imagining it to be Angel's. (and to a lesser extent, the disciplinary npc's)

He looked over my flushed, desperate face. "What's wrong? Did something. . . " He backed a few inches from me, "Uh. . . You know how you kept on asking if I was. . . ? Yeah I'm not- really not swinging my bat that way, and-"

I stared in confusion at him. What the heck was he talking about? Didn't he know he'd just become a convenient backup force for me? I recalled the strange light. That was my one lead!

I grabbed the side of his coat, urging him to run with me. I- we couldn't miss this chance, if only to fulfill Yuri's orders. Ignoring his strangely horrified exclamations and his efforts to get away, I pressed towards the roof.

"I don't have time to explain," I said in excitement to him. He made an awkward face. "Let's head to the rooftop, where I can show you what I mean. I'll show you my feelings aren't wrong. . . " I didn't stop to think about how obsessed I sounded. All I thought of at that moment was the lead, even if a small part of me still doubted it.

"W-w-well this is a really weird development for me, b-b-ut Otonashi, you have to know that I really can't help you on that regard, though I might know some other folks in the Front who're interested in that sort of thing. . . "

"Are you kidding? I have no time to get the others! You're the only one I need!"

"Well, I'm. . . flattered and all-"

"And besides, it won't do to gather the entire Front just for this. I can do it with them later," Certainly, if this lead anywhere, I would need whatever manpower Yuri granted me. I squeezed his coat in determination. He squeaked, quite unmanly for that. I looked inquisitively at him.

"S-s-so you're saying you're fine with just anybody? I'm just the more convenient one?" I almost thought I could feel some sort of resentment there. We were getting close to the rooftop door. I refocused on the goal.

"Don't be stupid. I don't know about the others, but out of the ones I know, you're the only one who's just right for me. Noda's a maniac, Matsushita 5-dan's a bit slow, and there's something I just don't get about Takamatsu. And I don't even want to go on about TK or Takeyama. You're the only one, well. . . " I glanced bemusedly at him, "You're the only guy I can probably trust with this."

"Otonashi. . . " I was glad that he finally got it, even though I had to explain a whole lot along the way. He was staring kind of strangely at me, "I. . . "

"We're here," I realized loudly, pushing open the door with a loud clang. I let go of Hinata at that moment, unholstering and cocking my Front-issued gun in the next. I scanned the empty rooftop for anything suspicious.

"Wait, so this isn't. . . so is this a training test of sorts? You want to test. . . your gun?"

"What?. . . " I said distractedly, looking up at the noontime sky. Nope, no weird light. I felt my heart start sinking to my stomach. Had I been too late or had that just been a fluke?

"Because you really shouldn't mess with other people like that." There was an angry hint in his tone now, and I raised an eyebrow at him. "What are you talking about?"

He started chuckling to himself. "I get it, those words were all just a ploy to get me up here, and then. . . Alright, I getcha man. Let's train as hard as we can up here, where no one else is. Let there be blood!" He cocked his own gun, pointing it at me.

"What the heck's wrong with you, Hinata?" I raised my hands up.

"What? I thought you brought me up here for training?"

"Training? What made you think that? I wanted help with my investigation, and you were conveniently the closest backup I would get – in case we ever met Angel or something." I explained to him.

"Investigation? Is this about the school legend thing?" He looked around the rooftop, his eyes suddenly lighting up in realization. "Oh damn, I should've known, after this morning's briefing. . . " He lowered his weapon, shaking his head in silent reproach.

"What did you think it was?" I narrowed my eyes, thinking back to his words. "That I'd want to train killing with you? I'm not as barbaric as the rest."

"It's. . . nothing." He sighed again, looking at me in amusement "I just. . . well I guess you could say I misinterpreted what you said earlier a bit." He added in an undertone, ". . .and I was just wondering if I'd be catching or pitching. . . "

I cocked my head, wanting to know what the heck I'd said that he misinterpreted, when Hinata switched to a more business-like tone, continuing, "So anyway, what did you draw the gun for then? Did you expect trouble up here?" He took another sweep of the empty rooftop.

"Yeah, I got some clues about it. It was very convenient for me. But I think I was just led on by that hunch here. It looks like there's nothing. . . " I trailed off.

"Nothing? Well, it's just a school legend after all, man. I'm wondering what Yuri's really thinking assigning something like this. There's no real benefit to the Front in the long run, in my opinion."

"There's nothing. . . strange alright," I walked up to what I'd seen. It was something shining on the roof surface, and initially I thought it was a coin of sorts. But when I got closer, what I saw on the ground was. . .

A feather.