Prologue: Opening Pandora's Box Chapter 7

(Five days later.)

It was the weekend. Multi-colored leaves of red, orange, and yellow fell from their perches on the trees above as they scattered through the wind like kites. Soon, those branches will be barren of the vibrant colors as fall seeps away towards winter.

The chattering of birds has notably diminished as they make their yearly journey towards warmer climates. However, some still remained and sang their tunes, the last remaining notes of their autumn songs. A squirrel scrambled on the ground carrying a minuscule nut in its paws. Like one of those American football players, it ran purposefully to make a touchdown towards its nest to store food for the winter.

"Look Naegi-kun!" The blue-haired idol gripped onto Makoto's arm enthusiastically. Makoto blushed at the close contact with the girl.

"W-what is it, Maizono-san?"

"Up there!"

The girl pointed up to the heavens above in an exaggerated gesture. Makoto put his hand up in order to shield his eyes against the blinding light of the sun's rays. Narrowing his eyes, he spotted a couple of dark shapes in a V-shape flying in the sky.

"Cranes?"

"Cranes." Sayaka affirmed with a smile.

"Wow. They must be migrating." Makoto remarked. "That's pretty neat. Imagine that, going on their own personal flight across the world, visiting all sorts of places and other cranes, except that they don't need airplanes."

"Right?" the girl grinned. "Remember that crane you saved back at Blackroot Junior High?"

"You saw?" said the boy bashfully.

She beamed. "I was watching from the third level. You were really cool, Naegi-kun."

Red colored Makoto's cheeks like the red leaves that were falling around him as his tongue twisted itself into a knot.

"Um, thanks," he muttered.

"Hey! Naegi-chi! Maizono-chi!"

"Hagakure-kun!" Sayaka shouted, waving a hand. "Hi!"

The urchin-haired clairvoyant was sitting behind a badly-crafted fortune stool like one of those people at a carnival who try to sell their wares to customers. In his hands, he was gripping a deck of tarot cards. He was dressed in a poofy white jacket with his signature black coat still dressed on his shoulders like a cape. Coiling around his neck like an enormous snake was a hideous red, blue, and yellow scarf. Despite the cold, he was wearing the sandals he always seemed to be wearing.

"Didn't expect to see a pair of lovebirds staying for a while before migration."

Makoto stuttered. "She's not my girlfriend."

It was for a moment, but Makoto could have sworn there was a hint of disappointment in Sayaka's eyes, but it was so fleeting that he must have imagined it.

Hagakure raised his arms defensively. "Woah. I didn't mean it that way, man. No need to get defensive." He got up to his feet and clasped Makoto's hands together, surprising the lucky student. "Besides, it is the ABSOLUTELY wrong time of the year to get intimate!" He made a pointing gesture at Naegi when he said that.

"Excuse me?!"

Hagakure clicked his tongue in a knowing manner. "Naegi, Naegi, Naegi. I forget how inexperienced you are in these types of things." He slung an arm around Makoto's neck over the counter. "Listen. As your technical senpai, it is my job to bring you up to speed."

Dramatically, the senior Ultimate raised a finger. "Haven't you heard the phrase 'cold-hearted'? Well, that's because of the time of year. Cold weather is a killer for intimacy. You know, because of the temperature and stuff."

"Um, Hagakure, I think-"

"The winter spirits have been getting pretty rowdy lately. They've been sending frostbite and hypothermia everywhere." he dramatically wiggled his scarf.

"That's not-"

"They've been freezing couples and ruining marriages and friendships!" He raised up his hands dramatically. "That is why Valentine's day and White day during the spring. The Americans, they know what's up by having a-a-a, uh, what is that furry creature again?"

"A groundhog?" Maizono added helpfully.

"Right! Groundhog. A groundhog sees its shadow and six more weeks of winter. Six weeks!"

"..."

"The spirits of winter are constantly trying to keep people apart. That's why I've been giving a discount on love potions and protection spells for any and all who need it." He winked.

"..."

"My Lovey-Dovey set is 500,000 yen. Thirty percent off for couples." he added 'helpfully'.

"..."

"So, if you guys are looking for some help, I would be happy to give a discount." he winked at the two, again.

"..."

"And you don't need to worry about the quality of my product, man. I've gotten many, many, MANY requests. You can ask anyone around here. The love potions and protection charms are the best you can get in the market." Makoto looked at Hiro's sorry cabinet. Many of the 'charms' and 'amulets' looked like stuff that you can get at your local gift shop.

"No thanks. We were just walking around." Makoto said, removing his senpai's arm off of his shoulders.

Hiro put his hands up. "Fine. Your loss."

Sayaka giggled and leaned over towards Hiro.

"I'm sure a lot of people have been interested."

Hiro chuckled nervously. "Ah, yes, but I'm afraid that a lot of customers have not been...satisfied."

"Really?"

"Yeah. They called me a fraud. Can you believe that? Me! A fraud." He put a hand on his chest, looking appalled.

"That's awful." Sayaka sympathized.

"I know, right?!"

Makoto could tell Sayaka was just humoring him.

"I guess not everyone is going to be interested," he remarked.

Hiro shook his head.

"You're right. People these days just can't appreciate the work that goes into a business like mine."

Naegi suddenly realized something.

"Hiro, didn't you give me a card in September?" he asked.

The other boy stared dumbly at Makoto.

"Ummmmmmm, maybe?"

He smacked his forehead. "Oh yeah! I did! You still have it?"

"Uhhhhh..." Makoto did not say that he immediately threw it out without giving it a glance.

"Great! Come with me. I'll give you another one."

The fortune-teller turned and beckoned the two younger Ultimates to wait as he closed the door to his booth. Rumbling noises could be heard behind the closed doors.

After an awkward two minutes and thirty four seconds of waiting, Yasuhiro emerged with a toolbox stuffed with white paper.

"Here, ya go."

Makoto took one. It was a sad, flimsy piece of paper that was crinkled at the edges. There were crude drawings of spirits and other stuff only a preschooler could think of. Oddly enough, the handwriting was rather well-written being the only redeeming quality about the card.

He pulled out a white card that he has been constantly forgetting to take out of his hoodie.

Comparing the two was like comparing night and day.

"Hiro." Makoto asked in a confused manner. "I've heard that some fortune-tellers go by stage names. Do you call yourself 'Amatsu Mikaboshi'?"

The urchin-haired boy gave a snort. "'Dread Star of Heaven'? I'm not a chuunibyou. That's Hifumi's job." He paused and scratched his neck. "Although it would be cool to have one. Not to mention the advertisement potential..."

"So, you're not using Amatsu Mikaboshi? "

Hagakure gave a short laugh. "Me? Nah. Never heard of it before."

Makoto tried not to show the disappointment on his face.

Sayaka looked curiously at Makoto. "You're still hanging onto that piece of cardboard?"

"Huh? Oh. Yeah. I keep forgetting to throw it out."

The idol took the card and flipped it around.

"I would've expected you to hand this over to the authorities. If not them, at least a teacher or even Kyoko."

He had to admit, Sayaka had a point. However, there was something about the card that piqued his interest.

"I dunno." he shrugged. "I felt like holding onto it."

"Oh, okay."

The two were about to leave when Hiro stopped them.

"Hey, don't you want me to predict your future?"

Makoto frowned. "I'm not into this kind of stuff. Sorry."

"Come on, Naegi. You don't know that. Maybe you'll find something interesting." Sayaka suggested.

"But, I-"

"Naegi-chi, please." Hiro pleaded. He tried to give Makoto something resembling puppy-eyes, but because this was a man in his early twenties, it was more creepy than cute.

"Alright. Fine."

Hiro's face broke out into a wide grin.

"Sweet. Just follow me inside." the clairvoyant said, opening the booth.

The luckster turned to the idol, who shrugged nonchalantly, and he then entered the booth.

It was surprisingly bigger on the inside than what the outside suggested. There was a small table with an ancient-looking crystal ball surrounded by a multitude of candles and an old radio. In the back were a couple pictures of Hiro as well. There was one picture showing a younger Hiro with an identical looking man, most certainly his father, holding onto a fishing rod and not noticing that the hook was caught onto his underwear. Another picture showed an exasperated, pink-haired woman smacking her forehead at a bowing Hiro holding the crystal ball on the table. One showed that even as a baby, he still had that ridiculous porcupine hair.

"Okay, Naegi-chi." Hiro said as he took out a deck of cards from his pocket. "We're gonna do a simple tarot card reading. Since you're a beginner, we won't be doing the crystal ball yet. We'll be doing a three-card spread instead." He chuckled. "Spread, instead."

Naegi coughed..

"So, what do I do?"

"Well, you gotta take out a card from the top of the deck."

Makoto took the deck of cards and grabbed a card at random, handing it to Hiro.

"Hmmm, let's see..."

He flipped the card over and grinned.

"Oooooooh! The Wheel of Fortune, huh? Makes sense for the Ultimate 'Lucky' Student to have this card."

Makoto couldn't help but feel a little exasperated. He was kind of sick of being reminded of his 'luck'.

"Okay. The first card represents the past. It's upright, so that means that your life has always been defined by luck, forces out of your control. There are many opportunities ahead in your life!"

Nothing new. Thought Makoto to himself.

"The second card, however, represents your present. Huh. Interesting."

"What is it?"

Hiro turned the card.

"The Star."

Makoto raised his eyebrows. "Like the star sign?"

"Well, not exactly. It's more like a symbol of hope and guidance. It also represents spiritual healing."

"Wow." Makoto murmured. "That's actually...really cool."

Hiro nodded.

"Indeed. Now, the third card represents the future." Hiro took the last card and screamed when he looked at it.

"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHH!"

Makoto flinched and fell off his chair.

"What?! What's wrong?"

"Oh god." Hiro looked at the luckster. "Naegi, have you angered the gods?"

Makoto was baffled. "I-what? No, of course not."

"No, no. Something is wrong." The boy got on his knees and clasped his hands together. "Please forgive me. It is not my fault that this is happening."

"What's happening?"

"This! THIS!" Hiro pointed at the last card.

Looking at the card below the trembling finger, Makoto saw the image of a huge, stone tower on top of a mountain as lightning struck it, setting it ablaze. People were jumping out to escape the fire from within. All in all, not a comforting picture.

"The Tower? What's wrong with the Tower?"

"Everything!" the other boy yelled. "The Tower represents disaster, destruction, and catastrophe. This is not good. This is not good."

Hiro gripped Makoto's shoulders. "It's strange too. Usually, the Star comes right after the Tower, signifying hope coming right after a disaster. However, your's is different. Destruction is coming for you after you receive hope."

Groaning, the clairvoyant let go and sunk into his seat. "Why couldn't you get something more cheerful like Sun or Lovers? Heck, even a Devil is better than a Tower."

"But it's just a card. Right? You can't say for certain what's going to happen." Makoto said, trying to comfort the other boy.

"But it is. It's telling you what's going to happen. It's an omen."

"Well, maybe you were misreading it or something. You've made a mistake, right?"

"No. I can't. I never make a mistake." he said, his voice cracking.

"Um, maybe the cards are wrong. Or maybe you are."

"The cards are never wrong, Naegi." he muttered. "Never."

Hiro shook his head.

"Something terrible is coming. The future is not looking too bright for you, man."

"Okay, I'm just going to go now." Makoto slowly stood up and backed away from the other boy.

"W-wait."

Makoto looked over at the other boy, whose eyes were looking at the floor.

"Yeah?"

"If I were you, I would stay as far away from Hope's Peak Academy as possible. The school will bring nothing but trouble for you."

He opened his mouth to speak, but stopped himself.

"Hagakure-kun?"

"You've been warned, Naegi-chi." Hagakure said, being the most serious he's ever been. "This one's on the house."

Makoto was startled. Hagakure was not asking for money? He must have been seriously bothered.

"Right. Thanks. I guess."

Hagakure nodded and looked up.

"Take this." he said, almost slamming his hand on Makoto's palm.

Looking down, Makoto saw a bright image of a woman with two water containers underneath a huge, vibrant star and an image of a huge wheel surrounded by an angel, a lion, a bull, and an eagle. The Star and Wheel of Fortune.

"Take these. Keep them on you. You need them more than me."

"Are you sure? Don't you need to have all tarot cards?"

Hiro waved a hand dismissively.

"Nah, I have more than one. It's okay."

"Thanks."

"No problem."

The clairvoyant smiled, but it did not reach his eyes.

Makoto took a deep breath and exhaled. He put the cards in his pockets and walked outside the booth. Sayaka was waiting, kicking the leaves in boredom. She turned and smiled when she noticed her friend.

"Ready to go?"

Makoto nodded and the two walked off.

Sayaka chatted eagerly to Makoto, but the luckster's mind was preoccupied, too distracted to listen.

Something terrible is coming. The future is not looking too bright for you, man.

Those words. Those words were echoing through the chamber that is Makoto's head.

He shook his head. Get a hold of yourself. This is Hagakure we're talking about. He spouts mumbo-jumbo all the time.

Despite his attempts to dissuade himself from Hiro's words, the Star and Wheel of Fortune felt heavy in his hoodie pockets as he walked back to the dorms.

"Here's everything you need to know about the case."

Kyoko looked down at the files and photos that Kizakura brought her. She did not look up as her eyes glazed over the scenes in front of her. The scenes were brutal. One girl had a spear rammed into her abdomen. A huge Ultimate had a large knife poking through his neck, torn so messily that it looked less like a human and more like a wild animal tearing into a carcass. One unfortunate Student Council member had his head split open, with all the messy details that it ensued. Even Kyoko blanched at that one.

The Kamukura Project.

She read the file Koichi gave her. A student from Hope's Peak Reserve Course would be chosen as a volunteer to become the Ultimate Hope. They would be put through the process of experimentation in order to gain every known talent the human race possessed.

However, something went wrong.

On the last day of experimentation, just before the procedure could reach 100 percent, the host was stolen. Unconscious scientists were scattered on the floor, the machinery was sabotaged, and multiple research papers were stolen.

All in a span of seven minutes and six seconds.

Whoever stole the Kamukura Host knew what they were doing.

"This is the last known photo of the student who was supposed to be Izuru Kamukura."

Kyoko's eyes scanned the blurry picture. A green-eyed, spiky-haired young man stared back at her. He had a serious expression on his face and had a prominent cowlick on his head that was familiar to a certain luckster in Class 78.

"Hajime Hinata. A boy so completely unremarkable that he would have never caught the eye of the school if his parents hadn't paid for his institution there themselves." Kizakura said.

"So, this person would have been the Ultimate Hope?"

"Yeah. He was supposed to be the school's greatest achievement, but it will turn into their biggest failure if they don't find him soon."

Kyoko hummed. "Do you think the kidnapper and the mastermind of the Tragedy are related?"

"Jin's certain, so I'm certain as well."

Kyoko put a hand on her chin and began to pace. "Then, that would mean that the person behind the Tragedy has an inside man working for them."

"As far as we know, yeah." He leaned against the wall behind him, crossing his arms. "The most likely theory."

The lavender-haired girl began to organize her thoughts.

"It is impossible to steal someone off campus without being noticed, which would imply that whoever stole Hinata," she snapped her fingers. "Is still inside the school."

Koichi smiled. "Impressive."

"But where would they be keeping him?" Kyoko muttered. "The East side is out of question. The staff and security there is at its biggest and besides that, there are a number of Ultimates there who would know if something is wrong."

"How about the South side? That's where the Main Course's dormitories are. They could be hiding Kamukura there."

The detective shook her head. "Unlikely." She pointed to the papers in front of her. "According to these files, Kamukura was stolen inside his capsule. Someone would've noticed something as large and bulky as that being carried into the building."

She raised up two, gloved fingers. "That leaves the West side where the Reserve Course buildings are and the North side which contains the old school building."

She turned to the scout.

"Kizakura. Tell me everything you know about the West and North sides."

"Well, the North Side's pretty big. Has the gym, the old auditorium, the library, and the cafeteria. Nothing else. It used to be where the school held all its events and classes until they moved to the new campus and the school expanded. Now, we just use it for storage. Pretty much a ghost town now."

Kyoko's eyes gleamed.

"Storage. That would mean there are many rooms that can be hiding secrets from unwanted attention."

"The thing is, that's the same area where the 'Tragedy' happened."

Kyoko froze.

"You mean..."

"The old school building."

"Of course," the girl said. She had her suspicions, but she needed to be sure. "Can you elaborate on that?"

Kizakura put a hand to his forehead. "You see those pictures before you. That was where the Student Council massacre happened and where we found the bodies. The Steering Committee ordered an investigation right away, but the school's resources were already stretched thin at the time, so it was only done three days after the incident. Jin was furious and demanded the culprits be apprehended immediately, but the Steering Committee brushed him aside and claimed that 'the investigation is already being taken care of'."

Kyoko narrowed her eyes. "That's strange. Why wouldn't the Steering Committee give the full authority to the Headmaster and the police? That's the first thing the public would want and expect in a situation like this."

"I don't know, but it doesn't look good. But if you were the Steering Committee, wouldn't you try to cover up such a scandal and take as much control of the investigation as possible?"

"No. As a detective, I would know how to properly conduct an investigation and avoid such mistakes. There's no reason to hide information."

"Unless you are guilty of the crime," Koichi smirked.

"Hmm. That could be the case, but it is far too early to speculate without solid evidence.

The scout laughed. "I've never met someone your age with so much experience."

Kyoko was unfazed.

"We're not here to talk about me. We're here to solve this case. Can you tell me any more information about the incident in the North Side?"

He shrugged. "The Committee declared the incident to be a cold case and warned the higher-ups to shut their mouths and not ask questions. They also told us to keep quiet. It was a very, very hush-hush thing."

Sighing in frustration, the young woman in front of him tapped her foot on the ground impatiently.

"The committee's actions are suspicious and questionable. However, we have other matters to discuss."

She flicked her long hair.

"You mentioned that Hajime Hinata, the student who volunteered for the Kamukura Project, came from the Reserve Course, correct?"

"Yeah."

"I need to talk to some students from the Reserve Course."

Kizakura scratched his head. "The Reserve Course won't talk to anyone from the Main Course."

Kyoko scowled.

"What. Why?"

He winced. "Let's just say that they're... unhappy about their situation."

"Unhappy? What does that mean?"

The scout sighed. "Well, it's not like they're starving and living in poverty. Just envy, that's all."

Kyoko's eyes narrowed.

"Envy."

"Yeah."

"They are envious towards the Ultimates. Is that it?"

"Yeah."

She shook her head exasperatedly. "Then they should've tried to become Ultimates on their own. They have themselves to blame if they see honing skills a luxury." The detective pulled up her gloves. "However, when it comes to uncovering the truth, all biases must be put aside."

"I can make an arrangement. I'm pretty popular with the staff there. Especially the ladies."

"Really? I wouldn't have expected that." Kyoko said, a hint of sarcasm in her voice.

Kizakura laughed.

"Come on. Lighten up for a change."

"If I do, then I won't have the energy to crack this case."

"I get it, kid. I'll see if I can arrange an appointment."

Kyoko nodded.

"Very well. I'm counting on you, Kizakura."

He chuckled.

"Of course. Just one more thing." He went up to her desk and leaned down in front of her. "What will you do about your father?"

She blinked. She forgot that Jin Kirigiri was also investigating the Reserve Course building as well.

"Nothing. This is between us. No one else can know about this. Not even my own father. If he finds out that we're going behind his back, he'll shut us down and take away your access."

Kizakura nodded.

"You're probably right." He straightened up and took a sip from his flask.

"I'm always right."

The blonde scout raised his eyebrows.

"Right. You got that right." he smiled. "Just wanted to make sure.

"Thank you. That will be all."

"See you, Kyoko." He got up and gave a wave as he left through the door in her room.

Sighing, the girl got up and took a deep breath.

She had a lot of work ahead of her. She had no time to waste.

It was nighttime.

The stars shone brightly through the window as the moon, almost full, provided a silvery glow on the trees and flowers in the garden.

Yet far from the light hid a shady figure patting gently on the golden box next to them. Intricate designs of Hercules, the Gorgon, Cerberus, and other mythological figures adorned the object.

It rumbled, and hissed, and growled.

"Hush now. Be patient." the shadow whispered.

"Soon. Soon, the world will know the true meaning of pain and despair. But right now, have patience. Patience is a virtue."

The contents inside the box wailed, begging to be let out, but it was kept closed.

The shadow chuckled darkly.

"Soon. Very, very soon."

"And I can't wait."

(The next day)

Kyoko ignored the stares from the Reserve Course students as she walked through the hallways of the West quarter building. They looked at her like how a pack of wild dogs would stare at a wounded lion, wanting to attack yet afraid to provoke it.

Her footsteps echoed across the corridor, the heels of her boots clicking against the marble floor.

"Kirigiri-san. This is the classroom." Koichi said, putting a hand on her shoulder. She looked up to see the sign saying Reserve 77-B.

The detective nodded.

"Alright. Are you ready?"

She nodded.

"Good."

Opening the door, Kizakura led her through the classroom, the teacher at the front giving a confused look at the two. The students in the classroom gave annoyed and jealous looks as the Main Course student and the scout passed by.

"Hey, isn't that the detective? The one who cracked that case a while ago."

"I didn't know she was so young."

"Look at those clothes. Those must have cost a fortune."

"Who's the guy with the fedora?"

"Who cares?"

"Damn Ultimates."

"They get everything. We get nothing."

"Bastards."

The whispering and grumbling did not stop.

Kyoko pretended not to hear.

Kizakura shook hands with the Reserve Course teacher. "Mr. Abe, I would like to introduce you to this year's Ultimate Detective, Kyoko Kirigiri. Kyoko, this is Mr. Abe."

Mr. Abe bowed and extended his hand.

"Nice to meet you, Miss Kirigiri."

Kyoko gave a slight nod.

"The pleasure is mine, Mr. Abe."

He gave a concerned gesture to the two. "I'm afraid you will have to wait until the end of the class. The students are currently in the middle of a test and-"

"I can take your place."

Abe jolted back in shock. Kyoko also couldn't help but be taken aback as well with what Kizakura just announced. After all, he barely came to teach his own classes back in the Main Course.

"Excuse me?"

"I'll take over the class." Koichi grinned. "I don't think you would mind if a scout were to substitute for a day, would you?"

"Ah, I would, but-"

"No worries. You go get some coffee. I'll take care of the rest."

The poor man was confused.

"Um, okay. Sure. We'll just," he looked at Kyoko, "Umm, go and have some coffee."

Kizakura turned around and walked over to the podium, putting his hands together and facing the class.

"Alright, kids. Class is in session. I'm taking over today."

He gave a wide grin and spread his arms open, almost like he was expecting applause. However, no clapping could be heard. Instead, the entire class gave him a look of utter annoyance.

"Who are you?"

"You're not from the Reserve Course. I can tell."

"Did the Main Course just replace our teacher with a drunkard?"

"Are you kidding me? How am I supposed to get my grades now?"

"You have got to be kidding me."

Kizakura just chuckled.

"Now, now. You all must be confused. My name is Koichi Kizakura, the scout for Hope's Peak Academy who is always on the lookout for gifted young individuals." He smiled. "You can say I have a 'hopeful outlook' on life." He spread his arms meaningfully.

Awkward silence. Even the crickets were quiet. Kyoko smacked her forehead.

Koichi's smile dropped.

"Come on, guys. Work with me here. Because Ultimates are the 'hope' of humanity and I switched 'look' and 'out' around-"

"Kizakura, enough. No one's laughing." Kyoko interrupted.

Koichi put his hands down and gave a sheepish laugh.

"Heh, I guess not. Anyways, I'll be your substitute for the day."

The students were not amused.

"Why are you here?"

"This guy is an Ultimate?"

"I've seen him around the Main Course building."

"Doesn't he drink too much?"

Kyoko and Abe quietly left and closed the door behind them as Kizakura continued to laugh.

"So, what brings you to the Reserve Course, Kirigiri-san?"

"I heard reports that you were the homeroom teacher for one Hajime Hinata."

Abe frowned. "Yes. Yes, I was."

"When was the last time you saw him?"

"About three weeks ago."

"Three weeks? Was he not in class?"

Abe shook his head. "We received an official notice from his parents. Apparently, he has a family emergency and he will not be coming for the rest of the semester. At least, that was the last I've heard from him."

"What is his relationship with his classmates?"

"He was a normal student, really. Average grades. Decent behavior. Not many friends."

"What about the people he was close with?"

He scratched his chin.

"There was this one girl he occasionally met by the water fountain in front of the Main Course building. I heard that she was the Ultimate Gamer of Class 77-B. Her name was Chiaki Nanami."

Kyoko put a hand on her chin.

"I see."

The teacher brought up two fingers.

"He also talked to one Natsumi Kuzuryu for quite a bit."

The lavender-haired girl hummed thoughtfully. Natsumi Kuzuryu. Daughter from the powerful yakuza gang. She remembered how Kuzuryu was found in the Main Course building only a few days ago.

Abe sighed and put a hand to his forehead. "She became quite the celebrity here in the West wing. A lot of students were in awe of how she managed to sneak into the Main Course and flocked to her like sheep flock to a shepherd. The only person who did not was a girl by the name of Sato. I don't have the two students in any of my classes. I just heard the story from a colleague."

"Interesting."

He turned towards her with a curious expression on his face.

"Why is the Ultimate Detective so interested in Hinata-san, might I ask?"

"It's confidential. I apologize."

The man smiled.

She bowed. "No need. You're doing your job. That's all that matters."

The two returned to the Reserve 77-B classroom and found the whole class roaring at a joke that Kizakura was in the middle of speaking.

"...and he told me 'You have a cockroach problem? Then just set the whole place on fire and the swarm will kill itself instead.' I told him 'That's a scorpion thing! And it isn't even true!'"

Everyone laughed and cheered, Kizakura being the loudest among them. Kyoko just stared impassively with Mr. Abe slack-jawed at the sight before him.

"What have you done?!" the poor man yelled.

Kizakura just smirked.

"Just a little ice-breaker, that's all."

Kyoko pinched the bridge of her nose.

"Mr. Abe. You may take it from here."

Abe quickly ran to the front and waved his hands at the students.

"Come on, guys. We need to continue the test. We have less than an hour to finish!"

"Aww, man."

"Come on."

"But I'm not finished yet."

Kizakura waved at the class as he strolled out the door.

"See you, everyone."

The students waved back.

"Bye, Mr. Kizakura!"

"Take care."

"We'll see you tomorrow."

"Please, come again."

The scout laughed and winked at a group of girls blushing and giggling amongst themselves.

Kyoko sighed and shook her head.

"Kizakura."

"Hmm?"

"We're supposed to be investigating, not fooling around."

"Hey, I'm not fooling around." He said, raising his hands defensively. "I'm just getting into character."

"Getting into character?"

"Yeah, you know." he gestured. "To get on their good side. Get them to warm up. I did my part."

The detective sighed.

"Nevermind."

The two walked off, the chatter of the class dying out in the background.

Kyoko's head was deep in thought as she pondered the information that Mr. Abe gave her.

Nanami and Fuyuhiko. The Ultimate Gamer and the sister of the Ultimate Yakuza. Two other people who may know something about Hajime Hinata before he disappeared. Like the sort of relationship they had. Their interests and hobbies. Whether or not he had any enemies or was being targeted by someone.

"Hey!"

Kyoko turned around to see three Reserve Course students sneering at her from across the hallway. They were a little younger than her and were taller, but not by much. They were dressed in black uniforms and had the school's crest pinned on the collar.

"You're a Main Course student, aren't ya?" said the girl in the front. She seemed to be the leader.

"Yes, I am. May I help you?" Kyoko replied, turning around to face the girl.

"Yeah, you can. I want to know why you think you're better than us. Why are you so special?"

Kyoko's eyes widened in surprise.

"I beg your pardon?"

"Why is a Main Course student such as yourself poking her nose in the business of us Reserve Course students, hmm?"

"I have my reasons."

The leader snickered. "Don't you have a place to be? Why are you even in our area? The Main Course is not allowed here."

The detective raised an eyebrow. "It is actually the other way around. The Reserve Course are the ones who cannot enter Main Course grounds."

The boy on the right tapped the rim of his baseball cap. "Well, it looks like you have a little misunderstanding, huh?" He snarled.

Kyoko narrowed her eyes.

"Misunderstanding?"

"Yeah." The girl put a hand to her chest. "You see, you are in our territory and we would appreciate it if you got lost and leave."

"I have business to take care of. I am not going to waste my time."

"Then, it looks like we're going to waste some time." the boy on the left side said brutishly. He had piercings on his ears and nose and was missing his right front tooth.

Kyoko's eyes darted from the boy, the girl, and the one on the right, who was grinning stupidly.

"If you'll excuse me," the detective started walking away, but the girl grabbed her wrist.

"Hey, hey. Where do you think you're going?"

Kyoko looked down at her hand and back up at her face.

"Let. Go."

The girl did not let go.

Instead she smiled and whispered into the lavender haired girl's ear. "Kyoko Kirigiri, was it?"

Kyoko froze.

"What did you say?"

The girl smiled.

"I just noticed that you shared the same name with the Headmaster of this school. Coincidence, is it not?"

"..."

The leader's face widened in a hideously grin.

"I wonder, is it some sort of parental favoritism that got you into this school in the first place? Did you have to ask daddy for help in getting accepted?"

Kyoko trembled angrily. What?

"You-!"

"You're lucky, you know that?" the girl sneered. "It's not every day that someone as special as you would have a parent who could afford to give you such an opportunity."

Kyoko's vision went red.

"How. Dare. You."

She tore her wrist from the Reserve Course's grip and punched her in the jaw. The girl stumbled and fell, the two boys behind her yelling and charging.

Kizakura put himself in between the Reserve Course students and Kyoko.

"Hey, hey. Calm down."

"Get out of the way, you drunkard!" the boy with the baseball cap roared. "Let us deal with this Main Course bitch!"

"Woah. Language. Watch the language." Kizakura put up his hands. "You should apologize."

The two boys growled, baring their teeth and glaring at the scout.

"Or else, what?" the girl in front of them spat out a glob of blood.

Kizakura looked at the three and smiled.

"Mizuki Ito, was it not?"

The girl froze.

The scout turned to the boys. "Junpei Otsuka and Genta Murata. The three of you have made quite the name for yourselves here in the West wing. You all have had a number of complaints on your permanent records for assault, property damage, and vandalism."

The two boys' faces turned pale.

"If I were you, I wouldn't start trouble."

The two boys were hesitant.

"You have a lot more to lose." Kizakura smirked.

"Oh yeah?" said Mizuki. She was the only one of the trio to not look scared. "It's not like you can prove anything."

He grinned, but this time there was a predator-like smile on his face that made the trio step back. Even Kyoko was surprised.

"You really just said those words in front of the Ultimate Detective, and one of the staff of a school that is favored by its own government?" he gnashed his teeth. "No wonder your parents had to pay for your tutelage."

They backed up further, Mizuki looking terrified.

The man plucked the fedora off his head and twirled it around his finger.

"You have five seconds to scram." He raised up five fingers. "Five-"

The trio ran, disappearing down the corridor.

Kizakura chuckled and replaced his hat.

"Cowards."

Kyoko did not say a word.

"Kirigiri? What's wrong?"

Kyoko was breathing hard and clenching her fists.

"Kirigiri-san?"

Pulling her face back into a neutral expression, Kyoko turned towards Koichi and sighed.

"I apologize. I usually never let my emotions get the best of me."

And she was speaking the truth. Why did she lose her temper like that?

Kizakura gave her a knowing look.

"There's nothing wrong with letting out a little steam. It's what makes us human."

Kirigiri shook her head.

"It was a moment of weakness. As a detective, I have to stay calm, composed, and rational."

"It was only a moment."

"That was the last thing my grandfather taught me. To keep a clear mind."

"And that was the reason you got angry?"

She looked away, keeping quiet.

Kizakura raised up his hands in surrender.

"I didn't mean to probe. If you don't want to get it off your chest, then I can't force you.

"Just... a lapse in judgment." It was spoken so softly that it almost got lost in the air.

Koichi nodded.

"Alright."

Kyoko took a deep breath.

"Let's go."

They turned to leave, but they barely took a step when a voice called out to them from a distance.

"Kyoko?"

The two turned around and the young detective's eyes widened.

Standing from across the hall at the other end of the hall was a dark-haired man in a black suit, whose own purple eyes so identical to the girl's stared back in disbelief.

"What are you doing here?" asked Jin Kirigiri.

And with that, we have a family reunion coming up. I'm sure this will be a perfectly mature and sophisticated conversation between two adults. And Koichi.