Heart of Justice Chapter 3

Panic set in for the normally composed girl. Had she been imprisoned while she was sleeping? Nothing added up, she'd not done anything to violate probation. Kyoko shook the door, attempting in vain to force it open and ignoring the weight of the shackles.

The girl with the hair buns looked back and sneered at her. "Seems you've come to, inmate!" she snapped in a harsh tone.

"The you in reality is currently fast asleep," the girl with the braid explained in a soft, almost monotone voice that was a stark contrast to her companion. "You are only experiencing this as a dream."

Kyoko opened her mouth to speak when the girl with the hair buns cut her off sharply. "You're in the presence of our master! Stand up straight!" she snapped.

"Welcome," the long-nosed being apparently serving as warden stated from his desk, his gravely voice echoing in the otherwise empty chamber. He rested his chin on one hand and drummed the desk with the other, his large grimace remaining in place the entire time. "I am delighted to make your acquaintance."

Had Kyoko's wrists not been bound in heavy shackles, she might have folded her arms and glared at the entity before her. Dream or not, she was hardly in the mood for this.

"I suppose you're wondering where this is. It exists between dreams and reality, mind and matter. It is a room that only those who are bound by a contract may enter." the warden explained. "I am Igor, the master of this place. Remember it well..."

Kyoko's violet eyes narrowed at the warden, Igor. "What do you want with me?" she asked, her tone low and unimpressed.

"I summoned you here to speak of important matters," Igor explained. "It involves your life as well."

Kyoko grit her teeth, her grip on the bars tightening. "I have enough to worry about right now. Let me out of this place!"

The girl with the hair buns slammed an electrified baton on the bars of the door, shocking it and causing the young detective to stagger back, startled by the sudden reaction.

"KNOW YOUR PLACE, INMATE!" the girl snapped at her angrily. "Who do you think you're talking to?!"

The warden, paying both of them no mind, glanced around at the panopticon prison that made up their surroundings. "Still... this is a surprise," he mused. "The state of this room reflects the state of your own heart. To think a prison would appear as such..."

The warden looked at her, his expression unchanging and making Kyoko more uncomfortable. "You truly are a prisoner of fate," he said. "In the near future, there is no mistake that "ruin" awaits you..."

The girl blinked in confusion. She was already certain she'd hit rock bottom at this point, she couldn't imagine things getting worse unless her parole was revoked. "...Ruin?"

The warden chuckled. "Worry not, there is a means to oppose such a fate," he explained. "You must be rehabilitated. Rehabilitated towards freedom. That, is your only means to avoid ruin..."

He leaned forward, halting the drumming of his fingers. "Answer me this, do you have the will, and the resolve, to challenge the distortion of the world?" he asked.

The world? What did the world have to do with this? Kyoko looked confused by the warden's words. The vagueness of what he said made her suspicious, though her grandfather would often be the same way when he counted on her to solve all the clues on her own. Still, she deduced, whatever was going on here it may have been best to play along for now, whatever ill fate the warden was portending to, she would have rather avoided. "...Very well."

The warden chuckled again, his position relaxing again. "Good. Allow me to observe the path of your rehabilitation..."

The twin girls suddenly stood next to each other and turned towards Kyoko, in perfect synchronicity. The warden looked at the two of them, then at the young detective. "Pardon me for not having introduced the others. To your right is Caroline, and to your left, Justine. They serve as guards here..."

The one called Caroline twirled her baton and glared at Kyoko from in front of the bars. "Ha! Try and struggle as much as you like..."

"...Our duty is to protect inmates," the one called Justine explained. "We are also your collaborators." Her golden, remaining eye narrowed. "That is, if you remain obedient."

"I shall explain the role of these two at another occasion," the warden said, and as one, the twins turned away from Kyoko to face him. "Now then, it seems the night is waning... it is almost time," he explained, drumming his fingers again on the desk. "Take your time to slowly come to understand this place. We will meet again, eventually..."

A ringing, not unlike one found on a simple wind-up alarm clock, suddenly want off.

"Time's up!" Caroline snapped. "Now hurry up and go back to sleep!"

The ringing grew louder and louder. Kyoko instinctively reached for the bars and everything faded around her into empty silence.

4/10

It was morning, Kyoko had since gotten up and changed into her school clothes. Hair brushed, braid tied, her studded black gloves in place, and zipping up her boots, the young detective was ready for the impending trip to her new school, Shujin Academy. A rather ironic name, she had to admit, given her current situation.

Her mind wasn't entirely on school, however, but rather on the strange dream from last night. The strange warden, Igor, had spoke of ruin and rehabilitation, two matters he'd remained more vague on then the young detective would have liked. Bringing her hand to her chin, the girl went over the events of the dream in her head.

All of it seemed so real, too elaborate and precise to be any sort of dream, though it was just as possible her own frustrations at her predicament may have caused it. That didn't explain the odd phenomenon that had occurred on her way here, though, or the fiery figure she'd briefly seen.

The girl took out her phone again, looking at the red app with the eye-like logo on it that continued to resist being deleted. She'd nodded off while looking at it last night. The incident with time freezing and the burning entity had both happened when it first appeared on her phone's screen. Kyoko narrowed her eyes at the app in suspicion. They had to be connected somehow, she had deduced. Very likely the otherworldly warden had the answer and she intended to get it out of him next time she saw him, whenever that may be...

"Looks like you're up." Sojiro said as he emerged from the stairs, Kyoko having been so lost in thought she hadn't even heard him come in downstairs or come up to the attic. Instead of his apron, Sojiro was wearing a white blazer and fedora. "Good, you're ready, too. Heh, I was actually worried I'd come in and find you still asleep. Well then, let's go introduce ourselves properly to the staff about your transfer."

Kyoko gave a silent nod, pocketing her phone.

"Now listen, the school you're attending is in the Aoyama district. It'll take a while to get there by train, and the transfers can be a hassle as well, so be sure you're up early," he explained. "I'll drive you there this time, just for today. Now let's go."

With that said, Sojiro turned and headed back downstairs, muttering something to himself about how normally his car would have a female passenger for entirely different reasons. Getting up from her bed, Kyoko proceeded to follow him down and to his car.

Thankfully the traffic wasn't bad. Parking in the visitor spot, Sojiro lead Kyoko to the front of the imposing gray building. No one was around, as could be expected on a Sunday. Turning around, Sojiro gave the girl a stern look as they stood in front of the large iron gates.

"Now do yourself a favor and behave yourself, alright?" he asked. "Don't get me wrong, I don't care about what happens to you if you step out of line, but I don't want any trouble coming to me, got it?"

Kyoko folded her arms as she watched him head through the gate. In some ways, the man reminded her of her grandfather. Stern, distant, but seeming to want what was best for her despite his claims otherwise.

"Hey, you coming?" Sojiro called down to her from the top of the stairs. With a nod, Kyoko immediately followed. Just as outside, the halls were practically bare save for a few faculty, allowing Kyoko a chance to get a feel of the place without crowds of students as she scanned her surroundings. The walls were a faded gray, the floor simple hardwood. Something about the overall atmosphere seemed almost cold in a way.

Finally reaching the Principal's office, Sojiro gave a knock.

"Sojiro Sakura. I'm here with the transfer?" he said.

"Ah yes," a male voice replied. "Come in."

Sojiro looked back at Kyoko, who stood there silently with her arms folded. "Remember, behave yourself," he said. "Don't speak unless addressed if we want to make a good impression."

Entering, Kyoko was greeted by an office that looked significantly more decorated and filled with a personal touch then the rest of the school had. Seated before her at a desk was an obese, balding man in a rather unflattering yellow suit with a slouching posture and condescending glare that made him look like a toad. Next to him was a woman who looked to be at the end of her twenties in a yellow sweater and blue skirt. The woman's short brown hair looked slightly unkempt and her rather sleepy posture and barely concealed dark circles under her eyes made her come off to the young detective as someone under a great deal of stress and trying very hard to hide it.

The principal forced a smile. "Welcome, Mr. Sakura. If you'd please just sign these forms right here" he said, pushing several papers to the end of the desk for him to sign before looking over at Kyoko. "Ah, Miss Kirigiri, was it? I am Principal Kobayakawa, the headmaster of Shujin Academy. Allow me to welcome you as well..."

Kyoko gave a polite bow in response. "Thank you sir," she replied. The man's tone was nothing short of passive aggressive, Kyoko picked up on it right away. The woman looked over at him, then at her but said nothing. "To reiterate," he explained, any false pleasantries he'd put on quickly fading as Sojiro began filling out the forms. "Just so we're clear, you will immediately be expelled if you cause any problems. You're very fortunate your grades were such that they allowed circumstances to go in your favor and get you accepted here, but don't think they will grant you anything else. In my opinion, you're nothing but a liability. Know that whatever you might have gotten away with in your hometown, those days are over. Get expelled here, you'll have no place else to go. I advise you keep that in mind."

He looked over at the woman next to him. "This is the teacher in charge of your class."

The woman looked up and finally spoke. "I'm Sadayo Kawakami," she said, reaching into her pocket. "Here, this is your student ID."

Kyoko looked at what had been placed on the desk: the card with her photo and information in a laminate casing, and... a folded up pink flier of some kind underneath it. The girl raised an eyebrow as she took notice of the latter, then looked up at the teacher in curiosity. The teacher noticed as well and hurriedly snatched the flier away, pocketing it quickly. Brushing back her hair in embarrassment, the teacher looked at Kyoko and spoke up again.

"Be sure to read the school rules. Any violations will have you sent to the guidance office," she explained. "And if by chance you cause any problems, I won't be able to do anything about it." She looked over at the headmaster. "That IS your promise, yes, Principal Kobayakawa?"

"Yes, she is fully responsible for all her actions."

The teacher looked away, distraught. "But... why me? Aren't there better candidates for this?"

The Principal lowered his head, appearing concerned. "It was a sudden transfer. Your class was the only one with an opening." Kyoko narrowed her gaze slightly. It didn't take being an expert teen detective to pick up that the headmaster couldn't care less despite his attempt to appear otherwise. One of those types, she surmised, who cared more about his own image then the students in his care. Fortunately Sojiro finished signing the papers and interjected.

"If you're done explaining things, mind if we get going?" he asked sharply. "I got a store to get back to."

"Of course," the principal replied. "Sakura-san? Please keep a close watch on her. Someone with an assault charge doesn't bode well to me, so make sure you don't let her cause any trouble outside of school."

Sojiro sighed and scratched the back of his head. "Well, I'll be sure to have a serious talk with her about the situation she's in," he said.

"Come to the faculty office when you arrive at school tomorrow. I'll show you to your class," Kawakami said.

"Understood," Kyoko replied, taking the student ID off the table and putting it in her blazer pocket.

"Well, sorry to take up your time, Principal," Sojiro said, before looking over at Kyoko. "Alright, let's go."

As the two got downstairs to the school lobby, Sojiro paused a moment, letting out an exasperated sigh. "Everyone's giving you the cold shoulder. That's what having a criminal record does to you..." He turned, Kyoko noticing the concern on his face as he spoke. "Turns out your past follows you wherever you go..."

His stern look returned, however. "...By the way, if you do anything to get expelled, I won't hesitate to kick you out, got it?"

"I won't," Kyoko answered, folding her arms and meeting his gaze with her own.

"Hm. An attitude like that will make everyone believe you're trouble, and I could save myself a lot of that and kick you out, now, you know?" Sojiro replied. "Look, whether you feel you were in the right or not won't matter. An assault charge is what it is."

His stern expression faded, however, as he looked around the school's halls. "School never changes, does it?" he mused, before looking back at the girl with him. "Alright, come on, we're going home..."

"What a troublesome situation," a male voice said suddenly, interrupting Kawakami from her thoughts as she leaned against one of the walls of the outdoor vestibules. Looking over, she saw a large, athletic man with shaggy black hair in track pants and a t-shirt, a whistle and stopwatch hanging around his neck. He chuckled slightly, "My apologies, is something on your mind. Miss Kawakami?"

Kawakami sighed. "I just can't believe they pushed someone with a criminal record on me," she said, the dismay evident in her voice. "Wouldn't a male teacher be better suited?"

The PE teacher pushed back his hair and put his hands to his hips. "So sorry to hear that. Gotta wonder why in the world they'd let someone like that be admitted in here in the first place!"

Kawakami could only shrug. "Who knows? It was the Principal's decision. I was told it was for the school's reputation. Second chances and all that may look good on paper, I suppose."

The man shook his head in disbelief. "And here I thought my volleyball team's contributions would have been more then enough to cover that."

"I suppose that's true," Kawakami responded, not sure how to otherwise reply to that.

"Hey," the PE teacher said with a friendly smile as he gave his arm a stretch. "Just be careful, alright? But then again, if anything were to happen, I'd kick a student like that out right away."

"Well, I keep wishing she'd just end up not showing up for school," Kawakami replied, looking down at the floor. "But still... that isn't something I should be saying as a teacher, is it?"

The PE teacher raised an eyebrow. "She? Heh, a girl with a criminal record? The wonders never cease," he said with a hearty chuckle.

"That's the thing, she seemed very polite. Very quiet... a bit cold... but... polite. I'm not sure what to think, really. Not the type that really screams "violent troublemaker"..."

"Well, you can't always trust what you see in front of you," the PE teacher replied. "Anyways, I should be heading back to practice. Got that big tournament coming up soon, after all!"

"Oh, right. I remember hearing about that." Kawakami replied. "Best of luck with that.

The PE teacher laughed. "Hey, this is me we're talking about, Kawakami-san. ...Of course, having such high expectations placed on you by others is quite a problem in itself, isn't it?" he asked with a grin. "We have to work hard to make up for the track team, too, after all!"

Kawakami sighed, recalling the story behind that. "Yes, that's true, too..."

"Well, I'll catch you later," the PE teacher replied, before walking off down the hall to the gymnasium and once more leaving Kawakami alone with her own thoughts.

"Why did it have to be my class...?"

The car ride home was, to say the least, less then enjoyable.

"Ugh. Traffic's not moving at all..." Sojiro's words had summed up the situation perfectly as they sat in bumper to bumper, gridlock traffic that seemed to span on endlessly. "You're taking the train starting tomorrow! Understand?" he asked, venting.

Sighing as he felt his outburst was probably uncalled for, Sojiro decided to try conversation on a different topic, especially as it looked like they'd be here a while. "So... how was the school?" he asked. "Think you can manage?"

"Yes," Kyoko replied simply, her gaze fixed firmly on the traffic ahead.

"Look, I hope you understand the situation you're in..." Sojiro continued.

"I do," Kyoko responded.

The man shook his head. "Still, you were expelled once already thanks to the charge. To think you'd re-enroll to a different one. Not the level of your previous one, I assume, given their willingness to accept you when the first one just up and threw you out..."

"It isn't, but I'll manage," the girl replied, a hint of tension betraying her otherwise neutral expression. The only high school more pristigious then the one she'd been in was the one her father was headmaster of... and now she'd been pushed a step back before she could take a step forward that she'd waited nearly her whole life for.

"Well, it's not like anyone will be sympathetic with you," Sojiro warned. "If that's what it was like at school, people might say stuff about me in the future, too... what a troublesome kid I've taken in..."

The girl folded her arms, bringing her hand up to her chin as she looked over at him. "Why did you take me in?"

"Because I was asked to do it!" Sojiro responded, a little more sharply then he'd intended. "...And I just... happened to agree to it... I've already been paid for it, too, after all, so can't exactly back out of it," he explained, turning on the radio.

"And now, for today's top stories," a reporter explained over the broadcast. "...a subway train has derailed, severely affecting the timetable all across the Shibuya area."

"Another accident?" Sojiro grumbled. "So that's why it's so crowded, there's been a lot of those, lately."

"...I see," Kyoko replied, glancing at the radio when Sojiro turned its volume down.

"...In fact, there was a real sad one just last month, actually. Before you came here," he explained. "If I remember right, the girl who passed away was only fifteen..." he looked down, his expression softening. "Her parents, they've gotta be just..." He didn't continue, instead just going quiet. The young detective decided to break the silence.

"I lost my mother when I was young," Kyoko replied, a slight break in her tone that she quickly covered. "After that I..." she sighed and stared ahead once more. "...But I can't imagine what it would be like for a parent to outlive their child,"

Sojiro gave no response, instead adjusting the radio's volume again.

"...All traffic around Shibuya Station is being redirected due to the accident, so drivers should expect jam-packed streets." the reporter continued, earning a sigh of disgust from Sojiro.

"Oh, come on!"

People in the subways screamed in terror as a train suddenly rocketed past them, the whiplash of the wind nearly knocking several off their feet as the train practically flew by. Passengers on board held on to rails and hangers for dear life as panic quickly overtook them. One had rushed to the door leading into the cab and banged on the window, struggling to get the conductor's attention.

"HEY! WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU DOING?! YOU TRYING TO GET US KILLED?!" the passenger cried out, the conductor remained frozen in place, his hands on the accelerator with his back turned to the door.

"HEY!" the passenger yelled, banging harder on the window. The man's panic turned to horror as the conductor turned around slowly and faced him. His face had become deathly pale as if all the blood had been drained of it, his mouth hung open and his eyes were completely widened as if his expression were locked in a state of screaming, but perhaps most strangely, was the fact that his eyes looked as though they had rolled up into his skull, leaving only blank, empty whites and giving him a ghoulish appearance. The passenger shuddered, staring at the conductor, then at the man's arm as he suddenly thrust the accelerator forward as far as it could go, and the train sped up even more...

Sparks flew from the tracks as the train's speed proved too much for it and with a sudden jump, the train was flung from the tracks and slid wildly out of control down the tunnel, flinging passengers inside in all directions. It wasn't long before the derailed train came barreling down the tunnel and smashed its way through the next stop, causing staff and those looking to board running in a panic as the train tore apart the platform and came to a stop in a crumpled heap.

"That was direct footage of the accident" a newswoman explained as the video of the train crashing ended. "According to the police, the engineer's life was not in danger despite his injuries. After questioning, even he had no recollection of his actions or his reasoning for his high speed when reaching the station. No further comments have been made, though police are still looking for a plausible motive.

"...It's less of an operating accident and more of a crime of the company and the government," an elderly, balding man in a black suit and wireframe glasses muttered as he watched the footage on the TV in his office, accompanied by a tall, suited woman in her twenties. "Site inspections apparently reported all of this six months ago... the deterioration of the tracks and the ATC..." he explained to the woman. "Seems the railway company and the minister of transport both turned a blind eye to the truth. They won't be able to hide it anymore, this will go all the way to the top."

The woman said nothing, and continued to watch the news report as it explained several other similar incidents caused by odd and unexplainable fits of apparent madness, and the public's growing concern over it.

"It's all linked. That's what you believe, correct?" the man asked, letting out a small chuckle. "Are you free tonight? We haven't gone out for a drink in a while," he offered.

"Thank you sir," the woman replied. "...but I have another meeting to attend." With a polite bow, she turned and left the office and headed downstairs into the courthouse lobby.

Waiting at the foot of the stairs was a thin young man with a briefcase and a mop of messy, light brown hair. He wore a school uniform consisting of a khaki-colored peacoat over a white dress shirt with a striped tie and black slacks, his hands covered by black gloves and the small red clip on the corner of his coat's lapel signified him as a third-year.

"Did you ask for me?" the young man inquired as he noticed the woman approaching, putting away his phone and turning to face her. "...Is it a case?"

"Not quite," the woman replied. "I want your opinion on something."

"Of course! Your judgement is quite often correct, though!" the boy said with a smile as he walked up to her. "Can we discuss it over sushi, perhaps? You are making a student work late, after all!" he added with a laugh.

The woman paused, considering his response for a moment.

"Conveyor belt only," she said, continuing on her way and paying little mind to the disappointment on the boy's face.

It was late in the evening by the time Sojiro and Kyoko had arrived back at the cafe. Late enough Sojiro had seen no reason to open. Grumbling about the waste of a potential business day, he ushered Kyoko upstairs, recalling something he had to give her before heading home.

As they reached the attic, Sojiro sighed as he looked at the news on his phone. "Eighty people involved... what a gruesome accident," he muttered in disgust, pocketing his phone before taking out a small notebook from his coat. "Here, it's a diary. You'll need to keep it up to date, understand?" he explained, placing it on a table near the stairs. "You may be under probation but there's no special limit to what you can do, besides following the law, of course. That said, I'm still obligated to report on you so I'll need you to record your daily activities."

Before Sojiro could say anything else or carry the conversation further, however, his phone suddenly went off. Turning away from the young detective, Sojiro brought his phone back out and answered.

"Hey, what's up? " he asked to whomever had called. A pause as he listened, and a smile came to the man's face. "I'm leaving right now. Don't worry, I'll be back in no time." Another pause as he listened to the person on the other line. Kyoko couldn't help but feel curious about who he could have been talking to that could change his mood so quickly, but especially as it was now, she decided it would have been rude to ask. Instead, she simply folded her arms and waited for him to finish.

"Uh-huh. I'll see you soon," he said, still smiling and hanging up. His smile faded to a more serious look Kyoko had since gotten used to as he turned to face her again. "Well, I'm off. I'll lock the place up so you're free to do whatever you want for the rest of the night, but stay out of trouble."

"I don't think you have anything to worry about," Kyoko replied, walking over to the table and picking up the notebook to look it over.

"I certainly hope not," Sojiro answered. "But I'd suggest going to bed. Your first day of school is tomorrow, after all. Save the night owl thing for another time."

With that, he turned and headed back downstairs, and Kyoko heard the sound of the front door closing and locking shortly after. Looking at the notebook, she decided to do as told and write down a few notes about her day, nothing new to her as her detective training had required a lot of note-taking. Doing so did bring back a slight nostalgic feel, maybe when this was all over she'd just read the whole thing.

A sudden ringing caught her attention. It sounded like a phone but not hers, nor was it upstairs. Getting up, the girl rushed downstairs and saw the yellow phone on the bar table had been the source of the noise. Kyoko blinked at the phone, wondering who it could be but with no one around to answer, she picked up and held the receiver to her ear. "Hello? Leblanc Cafe," she said.

"Hey, it's me" a male voice said on the other end that Kyoko immediately recognized to be Sojiro's.

"Mr. Sakura?" she asked.

"Yes. Anyway, I think I forgot to flip the sign around when I left. It'd be too much of a hassle to come all the way back, so can you check for me?" Sojiro asked.

The girl looked to her right and sure enough, it had been flipped so the OPEN side was facing the outside. "You did. I'll fix it," she replied.

"I realized I didn't get your contact information last night. Don't worry about it for now, though. Just turn the sign around and get to bed," Sojiro answered.

Hearing him hang up, Kyoko put away the receiver and walked over to the door, heading outside where the sign hung. The girl simply stood outside the store for a moment, the cool breeze in the air as she looked down the alley at the main street where a few people were still bustling about. Most of the stores were closed, with it being rather late, but still, the neighborhood had a nice, peaceful atmosphere to it that the young detective appreciated. Looking down the other direction, she noticed a sign for a laundromat and bath house, both would convenient for her needs while she stayed here, she noted. With that in mind, Kyoko turned the sign and went back inside, the door locking behind her.

Thoughts crossed the girl's mind as she lay in bed, the ceiling offering her no response to them. A few tries with her phone's GPS had allowed her to secure a route that'd get her to the proper train stations and into the Aoyama district where Shujin was, but getting to school was hardly what was nagging the young detective.

Attempting the search engine, she found news on the accident. As Sojiro had mentioned, about eighty people had wound up involved, many of them were now hospitalized. The girl narrowed her eyes as she read on about how the conductor had allegedly been at fault, a witness who had barely survived swore the man had pushed the throttle all the way to its maximum speed himself, though the conductor had no memory of doing so and now the Minister of Transport was under attack for the incident. in the few answers the police could get out of him. Her suspicion only grew as she saw mention of the other cases. Again Kyoko couldn't shake the feeling that these were all connected in some way. How was what continued to elude her, none of those involved had any history of violence or mental illness, and there was never any reports confirming they'd been drugged in some way or facing any health problems after. Nothing added up even after it had started two years ago.

The girl sighed as she turned off her phone. She'd probably need to get up extra early if they were still cleaning up from the accident.

Right as she set it down, the phone chimed. Pulling it back up, Kyoko saw that the app from before was flashing, as if it had something to say. The girl's eyes narrowed, recalling that yet another mystery was waiting to be answered as well. Feeling her eyelids grow heavy, Kyoko silently plugged her phone into its charger and turned over, letting herself drift off to sleep for the evening.

4/11

Today was the day.

Her sleep had remained uninterrupted, fortunately, and Kyoko awoke early enough to get dressed and ready without any problems. She heard Sojiro downstairs tending to the cafe as she gathered her things and came downstairs, her bag in hand. As she reached the foot of the stairs, she was greeted once more with the savory aroma of freshly-brewed coffee, bringing another faint smile to the girl's face as she took it in. Sojiro was standing behind the counter, a plate of steaming curry in front of him that she suspected was not meant for him.

"Good to see you up. So you're actually going to school, then?" Sojiro asked. He gestured down to the plate of curry and a glass of milk. "Here. I'll feed you, just make sure you finish before the customers get here, alright?"

Kyoko's eyes widened ever so slightly, her mouth opening just a little in surprise. She glanced down at the plate for a second and sat down, starting to eat. As the taste hit her, Kyoko was once again taken by surprise.

The curry was... incredible. The flavors were complex, yet so precise. The spiciness was bold but not overly so. It was so good Kyoko suddenly began eating faster then she intended, needing her glass of milk after.

"Delicious. Thank you," she replied with a small smile, before glancing over at the coffee being brewed and the jar near it. "Cuban Crystal Mountain. A good choice," she said. The surprise on Sojiro's face that he quickly rid himself of brought a small amount of amusement to the young detective.

"Yes, that's right. What's a kid like you know about coffee flavors?" he asked, though more curious then anything.

"I would be considered a coffee person," Kyoko responded as she watched the burners continue their work. "I've had many kinds over the years, ever since my grandfather allowed me to start having it. Often in the mornings or late at night."

"I see... and what do you know about Cuban Crystal Mountain?" Sojiro asked. Kyoko smiled again, suspecting her knowledge of the subject was being tested.

"It comes from the Carribean island of Cuba. Its largest beans from a harvest are used," her smile grew a little as she took in the smell. "I rather enjoy its aroma, as well as the low acidity and the sweet, nutty flavor it brings," she explained.

Her guardian nodded, "You do know your stuff, kid. I'll admit, I'm impressed."

"May I...?" Kyoko asked, glancing over at the burners again.

"Maybe another time," Sojiro replied, a slight, but apologetic smile on his face. "With all that happened yesterday it's probably gonna take longer then usual for you to make it to school so you should get going now. You'll only end up late if you get lost along the way."

Disappointed, but unable to argue with his point, Kyoko gave a nod and stood up, taking her bag and heading for the door.

"Hey, can you flip the sign on your way out, thanks." Sojiro asked.

"Of course," the young detective replied, doing so as she walked out the door and made her way to the train station.

Two incredibly crammed subway train rides and some incredibly packed stations later, Kyoko found herself at the exit leading up into the Aoyama district, and unfortunately the overcast weather had apparently decided to add rain to today's mix. Several students ran past her as they tried to find shelter from the rain as Kyoko calmly walked up the steps, wishing she'd brought an umbrella and hoping she wouldn't get soaked. Retreating to a shop with an overhanging roof, the young detective took out her phone and switched the GPS back on. The moment it came up, however, something else appeared with it. Something she'd been seeing an awful lot of lately every time she looked at the damn thing.

"This again..." she muttered to herself as she noticed the red and black app suddenly take up her entire screen again and resist all attempts to close out of it.

Kyoko soon realized she was no longer alone as a girl in a hoodie came over and took shelter under the overhang with her. Glancing over, Kyoko noticed the hooded girl was wearing a Shujin uniform under her white hoodie, with bright red tights under her skirt instead of the usual black she'd seen other students wear including herself, and brown ankle boots.

The girl slowly peeled back her hood, letting her long blonde hair she wore in a set of pigtails tumble down her shoulders. She was very fair-skinned, with large blue eyes that with her blonde hair suggested foreign descent. She glanced around, as if waiting for someone. Before Kyoko could realize she was staring, the blonde turned and looked over at her.

"My apologies," Kyoko replied simply, folding her arms and looking away at the sky, which unfortunately did not show any sign of letting up on the rain for the time being.

The girl smiled at her. "It's fine," she said, before turning and looking around again. Out of the corner of her eye, Kyoko noticed the girl's smile faded very quickly and a moment later, a white sedan pulled up to the sidewalk, the window lowering and revealing a shaggy-haired man in a blue tracksuit. As if they knew eachother, he greeted the blonde and offered her a lift, which the girl accepted as she walked toward the car.

He looked way too old to be a boyfriend, Kyoko noted, curious of what was going on. She also noticed once more the girl's smile faded rather quickly again as she entered the car with him.

"Do you need a lift, too?" the man asked, looking past the blonde at Kyoko and smiling at her. Kyoko looked at the blonde again, then back at the man.

"I'll be fine, thank you," she replied.

"Suit yourself," the man said with a shrug as he put the window back up, Kyoko noticing the blonde's mood seemed to have only worsened as she buckled herself in right before the window closed up and the car drove off.

Not a second later, Kyoko heard someone rushing towards where she was standing, and turned to see a boy about her age running over and coming to a stop near her, shaking his fist and glaring angrily at the car as it disappeared down the road.

"God-DAMNIT! Screw that pervy teacher!" the boy snarled. He was fairly tall though stood in a bit of a slouch, his Shujin blazer open with a yellow t-shirt underneath and his pant suspenders hanging loose on his sides, and having opted for wearing trainers instead of dress shoes. His most notable feature was his spikey, blonde hair that appeared to have been bleached by Kyoko's observation.

"Pervy... teacher?" Kyoko asked aloud, cocking an eyebrow at the boy's statement, causing him to turn and face her for the first time, a look of annoyance on his face.

"What, you gonna rat me out to Kamoshida?" the boy asked, glaring at her in suspicion. "I swear, I don't get what you girls see in that shitbag! If you knew even half of what he's done..."

"Kamoshida?" Kyoko asked, folding her arms still holding her phone in hand, her attention on the boy so the faint chime it'd made had gone unnoticed by her. "That man in the car?"

"Yeah, that's him alright!" the boy snapped. "Freakin' hate that asshole! Always does whatever he wants like he thinks he's king of the castle or somethin'!"

Kyoko only stared, piecing together what the boy was going on about. "Which castle?" she asked. Another chime, but she ignored it, figuring it could wait for now.

"Uh, Shujin, duh!" the boy answered. "How can you not know, Kamoshida? Like the whole school does, you go to Shujin, right? You got the uniform."

"Yes, I just transferred in," Kyoko replied.

"Heh, that explains it." The boy said, starting to relax as he noted the pin on her blazer's lapel. "A second year, huh? Same grade as me," he explained. "But yeah, as for Kamoshida, lemme just say it woulda been a bad move getting into that car... who knows what that pervert might've-"

The boy froze in place before he could say more, holding his head a second. Kyoko herself felt a similar, brief migraine and she could have sworn a red haze had blanketed her vision for an instant as well. It passed as quickly as it came, though she still felt a little light-headed as she heard the boy mutter about just wanting to go home.

"Ehhh, we better not be late. C'mon, this way," the boy said, heading down the street and Kyoko started to follow, glancing at her phone and the odd app that still took up its screen...

Within the confines of the interrogation room, Kyoko held her head as she struggled to remember all that had happened. The bruises she'd sustained throbbed, and now it even hurt to think. She couldn't even calculate how long it'd take for the drugs to wear off. Part of her just wanted to pass out so the pain could stop but this wasn't the time for it... that much she could recall as the words of the woman sitting across from her circled through her head.

The girl continued to nurse her hand before looking up at the prosecutor, trying to fend off the light-headedness she was feeling.

"You remember the subway accident from back then, don't you?" Niijima asked. "I assume you also know of the public uproar over what were referred to as the "psychotic breakdown incidents", right?"

"Psychotic... breakdowns...?" the girl asked, taking a moment to rub her head as she tried to become fully coherent again as her mind grew foggy again for an instant. "I should..."

"Yes, they were all over the news," the prosecutor explained. "...And one of the victims was a teacher from your high school. Were you still an "ordinary student" on that day?"

Kyoko shook her head, attempting to fight off the sudden dizziness. "...Explain," she said.

"Very well, but let me rephrase it," Niijima replied. "You had just transferred into Shujin Academy. An ordinary prep school that could be found in any city. Or at least, that's what it should have been. Now tell me, what happened around that time? Tell me everything, truthfully."

Shaking off the dizziness again, Kyoko gave a nod. "Very well..."