This is an idea that was inspired from a talk on Reddit with a fellow fan Taliesaurus. We wanted to explore the life of Michiru Kagemori before her transformation and her arrival to Anima City.
I do not own BNA: Brand New Animal, nor am I making any money in writing this. BNA: Brand New Animal is the property of Trigger studio and directed by Yoh Yoshinari. This is purely for fun and I hope you all enjoy it.
But it did.
And it happened on what should have been their happiest day together.
After a grueling practice session, Michiru's coach had informed them that Reiwa High would be participating in the high school basketball tournament. At this, Michiru was overjoyed. Only a few weeks ago, she had finally been cleared for basketball practice by her therapist. But that only gave her a few weeks to practice for the qualification round for her school's team, so she threw herself into training, desperate to catch up with her teammates. Every day after school, she hit the basketball court for an hour, running, jumping, and practicing with a friend. And on the weekends, she practiced for three hours, until her muscles burned with fatigue and her face was slick with sweat.
'Thankfully my teammates didn't mind,' she remembered. 'And Nazuna was there, cheering us on and ready with water and snacks. That really helped out.'
And it all paid off.
Elated, she ran to the lobby to tell Nazuna the news. Scanning the room frantically, Michiru found her sitting in a chair, rigid and tense. Her back was ram-rod straight, and her body seemed to exude an intense anxious energy.
"Nazuna, is something wrong?" Michiru asked.
Looking up, Nazuna simply said "I'll tell you in the park," before heading for the exit.
Racing to catch up, Michiru waited for Nazuna to tell her what was up. But her friend seemed quiet, too quiet.
'What could be bothering her?' she wondered. 'Was it the test? Or our homework assignment? Or was it…no! It couldn't be! She failed the audition?!'
Gritting her teeth in fury, she wondered how her friend could have failed the audition. Nazuna had worked so hard, practicing every day to perfect her performance. And Michiru was there every step of the way. After basketball practice, she would listen to Nazuna sing, keenly listening for cracks in her voice, or slow-downs in the tempo, or anything that might diminish her performance.
'I would like to think I did THAT right,' Michiru huffed to herself. 'I REALLY did my best, listening to her sing and giving her advice on how to improve. Wait! Did my advice really help? Or…did my pointers hurt her performance?!'
At this, she felt an icy chill flow through her blood. The idea that she may have scuttled her best friend's dream, by accident, was simply unbearable. Her anger was replaced by cold fear.
'Does she…blame me?' she wondered. 'Does Nazuna think I destroyed her dream? Or that I wanted to do that? Does she want me alone so she can yell at me for my role in scuttling her dream?'
Breathing in deep to calm herself, Michiru caught the scent of trees, woody with a hint of cool freshness, like a mint. The scent calmed her down as she reconsidered her situation.
'Don't panic Michiru!' she told herself. 'Nazuna hasn't said anything yet. And besides, that's not how she is. She wouldn't blame me for that. And she knows that there will be other auditions. That's what we all said; if you don't pass this one, there will be others. So give it your all and know that we're here for you.'
Looking up ahead, she found herself and Nazuna alone in the park. The cool breeze intensified the scent of trees, helping calm her mind. Nearby, the swings creaked and rattled in the breeze, and the leaves rustled softly. But Nazuna herself simply stood there, unmoving like a statue, with only her hair fluttering in the breeze.
"Nazuna?" Michiru asked, edging in closer…
…only for Nazuna to break out in cheers before turning to meet Michiru.
"I did it!" she exclaimed, her hands clasped tight;y. "I really did it! I passed the audition!"
Hearing this, Michiru rushed forward. In an instant, all her fear, confusion, and doubt vanished, leaving only pure, undiluted joy.
"No way!" she exclaimed, rushing toward her. "You're gonna be great, Nazuna! You got this!"
Clasping her hands, Michiru felt a shiver run through her like an electric current. It had to be all the excitement. Here they were, two best friends that had only months before had a near-brush with death, only to walk away with broken bones and a long recovery. Weeks of doctor's appointments, weeks of therapy sessions, weeks of watching their friends play and live their lives as though nothing had happened.
But now, here they were, back where it all started. Only this time, they were taking a big step toward achieving their dreams. Michiru was heading for the high school basketball tournament, and Nazuna had passed her audition. It was like they were looking fate right in the eye, daring them to try and take it all away.
Except the shiver grew worse, longer and more intense. Then, Nazuna whimpered as her body shuddered, then spasmed like an actual electric current was running through her.
"Nazuna?" Michiru asked, stepping back involuntarily. Suddenly, right before her eyes, Nazuna's hair turned a pale pink color. In shock, Michiru could only stare as a pair of triangular ears sprouted on top of Nazuna's head and her nose turned a glossy black. Underneath her fingers, she felt a warm, bristling sensation that made her instinctively release Nazuna's hands. Looking down, she saw that Nazuna's hands had sprouted pink fur and her nails had grown long and sharp, like claws.
"Nazuna?" Michiru asked, trying to make sense of what was happening. "What's…what's going on?"
"I-" she started, reaching for Michiru. But as soon as she caught sight of her new fur-coated hand, she held it in front of her eyes and flexed it, checking to see if it was really hers. Checking the other hand, her eyes widened in terror at what she was seeing. Suddenly, she yelped in pain as she reached behind her, hands grasping for something but Michiru had no idea what.
"Michiru! Help me!" she exclaimed, turning to reveal a large bulge in her skirt. And to make matters more disturbing it jostled side to side, like it was trying to escape. "There's…something in my skirt. Something big and moving. Get it out!"
"Alright," Michiru replied. Holding Nazuna's skirt, she tried to grab the bulge, but it kept swishing back and forth like a frightened animal. Suddenly, Nazuna yelped once again before shuddering in discomfort as the bulge grew larger and larger. Then, they heard a snapping sound from under Nazuna's skirt as a long, pink object fell out between Nazuna's legs before swishing violently.
"Michiru, it's furry," Nazuna whimpered. "Please tell me…what is it?"
"I've…got an idea," Michiru replied. "But please, try to calm down. It seems to react to your emotions, so if you're calm I might be able to grab it."
"Okay," Nazuna said. As Nazuna breathed deeply to relax herself, Michiru saw the object's movement slow to a crawl, allowing her to properly inspect it. It was long, almost reaching Nazuna's ankles, with a tapered end that seemed more white in color compared to the hot pink of the main body. Gingerly, Michiru wrapped her fingers around the object, feeling a soft, warm fluff underneath. Digging in slightly, she found her fingers sinking into soft, long fibers before hitting a solid mass that spasmed as Nazuna yelped in pain.
"Sorry!" Michiru said. "Does that hurt?"
"Yes," Nazuna replied in a whimper. Then, slowly, she asked "Michiru, where does it go?"
Pulling her fingers out, Michiru traced the object up Nazuna's legs to her skirt where it lay motionless, as though held in place. Lightly pinching the object, Michiru traced under Nazuna's skirt, awkwardly brushing her friend's buttocks in the process. But as she reached the base of the spine, the object vanished, like it sunk into Nazuna's body.
"Nazuna, I'm going to try something," Michiru said. Lifting Nazuna's shirt Michiru found her friend's back was covered in the same pink fur that now covered her hands. Edging the waistline slightly, Michiru found a spot bulging out from where the object vanished. Slowly, gingerly, Michiru probed the base with her fingers and found it had a bony core underneath a layer of fur.
At this, any hope for a different answer abruptly vanished as she pulled away from the investigation.
"Nazuna," Michiru said, dreading her friend's reaction. "It's…a tail. You've got a tail."
Dead silence was all that was heard in the park.
Then, Nazuna screamed in horror.
"I've got a tail?!" she yelled, jolting upright.
"Nazuna!" Michiru exclaimed, racing forward as Nazuna clasped her hands over her mouth. "You need to calm down! We'll find a way!"
But Nazuna simply froze there, silent and immobile as she felt her nose and lips. Slowly, with mounting dread, she pushed in around her face, feeling a short muzzle as her eyes widened more and more. Feeling her cheeks, she ran her hands up to the sides of her head, pressing in like she was looking for something that was not there. Continuing upwards, she felt her long hair before coming up to the triangular ears on top. Pinching, she felt them wiggle underneath just like a real fox.
It was all too much and Nazuna succumbed to panic. Hyperventilating, Nazuna began looking in all directions, eyes and even ears twitching frantically. Hearing a ripping sound, she turned around and Michiru saw her tail swinging wildly under her skirt. Yelping, Nazuna turned in a circle, trying frantically to grab her tail.
"Nazuna!" Michiru shouted, tackling her friend and pulling her close. "Stay with me! We're going to get through this. I'll help you. Stay with me. Stay with me."
Nazuna, too deep in her panic, violently bucked and shook, but Michiru held on. Desperate to calm Nazuna, Michiru tried humming Night Running, and to her relief Nazuna joined in. Slowly, the two girls began swaying with the music, and Michiru could feel Nazuna's panic begin to ebb away as her breathing slowed and her muscles relaxed.
"Th-thank you, Michiru," Nazuna whispered. Pulling away, tears welling up, she asked "What's happened to me?"
"I-I don't know," Michiru replied. "We're gonna figure it out. But first, you need to hide."
"Hide?" Nazuna asked. "How? Where?"
"Um," Frantically, Michiru glanced around. To their right was the slide and the swings, with the mound behind them. The park itself was surrounded by an iron fence with an inner ring of oak and elm trees for shade.
"The trees," Michiru declared. "You'll have to hide in the trees for now."
"The trees?!" Nazuna exclaimed, incredulous. "You expect me to hide in a tree?!"
"Come on!" Michiru urged, pulling Nazuna toward the edge of the park. "This won't be for long. I'll come back as soon as I can. I promise."
"But, Michiru!" Nazuna protested. "I-I can't climb trees."
"I'll help," Michiru replied, holding her hands in a cradle. "Come on. Come on."
Sighing, Nazuna stepped into Michiru's cradle and leaned up against an oak. Michiru, groaning with effort, pushed up slowly as Nazuna reached up for the nearest branch. As soon as reached it, Nazuna grasped the branch on both sides as Michiru pushed up overhead, Nazuna's tail whisking past Michiru's face. Grunting and groaning, Nazuna inched her hands up over the top of the branch, dangling like an inchworm before hoisting herself up into the tree, her tail brushing up Michiru's face along the way.
"Got it," she panted. "Now what?"
"I'll contact your mom," Michiru called out. "Let her know you need her at the park."
Pulling out her phone, Michiru tried the dial button but the screen remained blank. Confused, she pressed the screen again and again, but to no avail. Pressing the power button, the screen remained dark.
"Oh no!" she exclaimed. "My battery's dead!"
"Seriously?!" Nazuna exclaimed. "Where's a charger when you need one?!"
"What about yours?" Michiru asked. "Do you still have it?"
"Oh, right!" Nazuna said, eyes alight with hope. Rummaging through her pockets, she breathed a sigh of relief as she felt her phone. But as she pulled it out, it slipped through her fingers. Laying flat against the branch, she reached for it, her claws clipping the screen as it continued its descent. Seeing this, Michiru reached up and caught it just in time. Waving to show Nazuna, she watched her pull herself into a sitting position and smile in relief.
"Ready," Nazuna called out.
"Okay," Michiru replied and tossed the phone to her. Grabbing it as it reached its zenith, Nazuna pressed the dial button…only to hear a tick-tick-tick while the phone remained unchanged. Looking down, she sighed in exasperation before hitting the dial button with the joint of the thumb instead of the tip.
"What's wrong?" Michiru asked.
"My claws got in the way," Nazuna replied. "I'm good now. I'll call my mom and ask for a pickup. What about you?"
"I'm gonna stay with you," Michiru said. "At least until you get in touch with your mom."
"Okay," Nazuna said. But as she turned to her phone, her eyes widened in shock. "Michiru, the time! You have to get back to school!"
"But Nazuna-!" Michiru stuttered, unsure on what to do.
"I'll be fine!" Nazuna insisted. "I'll call my mom and have her pick me up. You can visit me later at my house. We'll go from there. But you have to get back before you get in trouble."
"But-!" Michiru began, but Nazuna's firm "Go!" brooked no further argument.
"Okay, see you later," Michiru called out, taking one last glance as she exited the park. She caught a glimpse of Nazuna waving good-bye, and her heart ached to think of leaving her friend to fend for herself.
'I'll come back,' she resolved, breaking out into a run, desperate to make it back in time.
Arriving just in time for fifth period, Michiru plopped herself into her seat, a panting, sweaty mess. Her legs burning from fatigue, she breathed heavily, gulping in fresh air to alleviate the pain. As the fatigue cleared up, she found herself thinking of Nazuna, the guilt of leaving her behind weighing heavily on her.
'I'll be back,' she resolved once again. 'Once this is over, I'll head over to Nazuna's, and help her in any way I can.'
"Who can solve the next problem?" the teacher asked. "Michiru Kagemori, how about you?"
"Huh?" Michiru stuttered, looking to the blackboard.
"Can you solve the next problem?" the teacher asked, sternly.
"Yes, I can," Michiru replied, standing despite her sore legs. Walking to the board, she felt everyone staring at her. Glancing around, most of them were curious about her current state, though to her annoyance, one was apparently laughing at her slow gait.
'Tsuku,' Michiru remembered. 'Smug overachiever. I'll show him.'
Reaching the board, Michiru read the problem and found herself staring up at a sentence in hiragana and realized she had to translate it into English. Sighing in dread, she looked over the sentence for clues.
'All right, let's see,' Michiru thought, eyes furrowed. 'Okay, there's no pronouns, so I'm guessing it's first-person, so probably I. And the verb is the past tense of nomu, which means to drink. And that's katakana, so a foreign word. Okay I think I got this.'
Tentatively, she took the chalk and wrote out "I drinked soda" in Roman letters.
'Got it!' she thought. Relieved and a little proud, she turned to the teacher, but to her surprise he merely raised an eyebrow and asked 'Are you sure?'.
"Um, yes," Michiru replied, dreading the response. Shortly after, a few students broke out in laughter at her response, though a few groaned nearby.
"Take another look," he said. "What is the verb?"
"To drink," she replied, somewhat confused.
"Which form?" he pressed, much to her annoyance.
"Um, plain?" she replied, much to the laughter of her classmates.
"Yes but what tense?" he pressed.
"Oh past!" she replied, kicking herself for the mistake.
"And how do English-speakers connote past tense?" he asked.
"Uh, they add the '-ed' suffix?" she answered, confused.
"For most cases, yes," he answered. "But there are irregular verbs that have different conjugations, and this is one of them."
"Ah!" she realized, kicking herself in frustration. "I got it!"
Turning back to the board, she erased the incorrect suffix but found herself struggling to remember the correct conjugation. Recalling that irregular English verbs usually changed the vowels, she looked at the word "drink" and erased the vowel before tentatively replacing it with "a".
"Is this right?" she asked, dreading the response.
"Very good," the teacher replied, much to her relief. "You may be seated."
Thankfully for her, that was the last time she was called up to the board. As the teacher dug deeper into the material, Michiru found herself thinking back to Nazuna. She just couldn't believe that she saw Nazuna turn into a beastman right before her eyes. It was just not possible. Humans were humans, and beastmen were beastmen. Sure, beastmen could take on human form, but Nazuna was born a human.
'But her hands,' she thought. 'They were so soft and furry. And her tail, the fur was so long and fine. And it was firmly attached to her, and was solid under that fur. And it moved! As did her ears! I saw it all happen! But how?!'
The teacher's material only vaguely registered with her as she tried desperately to make sense of what happened with Nazuna. That transformation should have been impossible, and yet she could not deny what she had seen, and felt.
'Maybe that was NOT Nazuna?' she wondered, eyes wide in shock. 'Maybe that was a fox beastman that happened to LOOK like Nazuna and she tricked me into believing she was Nazuna?'
For a moment, she sighed in relief, feeling the case was closed. But then her blood turned cold as she dug deeper into her theory.
'Wait! If that's true, then…what happened to Nazuna?!' she asked, her mind falling into an endless rabbit hole of questions. 'Was she kidnapped? Or worse? I only spoke with her last night, so when could it have happened? And why? Why find a beastman to take Nazuna's place? And who would do this? Who COULD do this? Was Mina right?! Are those men in suits behind this?! Did they abduct Nazuna?!'
Just then the bell rang, dismissing the class, snapping her back to reality. Soon, her classmates turned to each other and began chatting about the class. Much to her annoyance, her performance was brought up quite a few times.
"...rookie mistake…"
"First grade stuff."
"Still can't believe it."
'Yeah, it's not like your best friend is stuck in a tree somewhere!' she thought angrily. Her anger quickly gave way to worry as she thought about what happened to Nazuna.
'Or was it?' she thought, her prior rationalization coming back. 'No, it has to be her! I saw her use her student ID this morning to access the music room. I walked with her to school, and I walked with her back home yesterday. And I talked with her last night over her audition and my basketball practice. So there's almost no chance that a beastman could replace her like that. And that reaction was just…too real. Beastmen can change at will so why was that different?'
Once the logic came through, her doubt was replaced by absolute certainty. 'No! It HAD to be Nazuna, the real Nazuna! What happened was REAL!'
"Michiru, are you okay?" someone asked. Looking up, Michiru saw it was Ren standing over her. "You look pretty distracted."
"Oh uh…" Michiru trailed off, wondering what she could say. 'Would they believe me if I told them the truth? I mean I still don't believe it myself, so why would they believe me? But still I can't hide it forever. Oh, what do I do?!'
"Hey, where's Nazuna?" Mina asked, sending a chill deep into Michiru's bones. "Have you seen her lately?"
"Now that you mention it," Chiko replied, looking around. "I don't think I've seen her since lunch. Wasn't she with Michiru last?"
"Yeah I think so," Mina agreed, sending Michiru into full-blown panic as she turned toward her. "Michiru, you and Nazuna are always hanging out. Do you know where she is or where she went?"
Racking her brain, she tried to think of a way out but was coming up empty.
'What do I do?! What should I do?!' she thought frantically. 'Tell them the truth? Like I left her in a tree in the park? That won't go over well! Come on Michiru, think!'
"Did something happen?" Ren asked, her worry amplifying Michiru's. "Is she all right?"
"Uh she…" Michiru started, wheels turning furiously in her mind. "She started feeling…off around lunch so she asked me to walk with her to the park, thinking some fresh air would help. But it didn't and she had to call her mother to pick her up. I had to race back to school for fifth period but I'll visit her at home after school."
"Oh, that's all?" Ren sighed as Michiru felt her tension deflate. "That's a relief. Was it something she ate?"
"Or maybe just the stress over the audition?" Chiko suggested.
"Yeah that's it!" Michiru said. "She's just been so nervous about the audition that I think she's been overdoing it."
"Okay," Mina shrugged. Then her eyes lit up as she suggested "Maybe we could all swing by and check on her after school."
"I think that's a great idea!" Chiko replied, smiling. "What could be better than friends lending a helping hand?"
'Oh no!' Michiru thought, her panic rising again. 'If they go visit, they'll find out the truth! Okay, I can't hide it forever but still…I gotta do something!'
"Michiru, are you okay?" Ren asked. "You look pale. Are you coming down with something?"
"Uh, no!" Michiru exclaimed. "Just uh…worried about Nazuna. The whole audition thing's really gotten to her."
"So a visit from us would be a good idea," Chiko affirmed.
"Actually," Michiru replied, her voice a little high. "I think I should go alone. You know the old saying: two's company, three's a crowd."
"A rather small crowd," Mina said, bewildered.
"Yeah, that's right," Chiko agreed. "We should all be there. Nazuna needs our help."
"Trust me," Michiru said quickly. "Nazuna needs a little alone time. She needs time and space to recover. I'm just popping in for a quick Q&A after school so I can confirm she's home and doing better. I'll keep in contact with you all and let you know how she's doing, and when she's feeling up to it we'll do a little get-together, just the five of us."
For a moment, the girls simply looked at each other as Michiru sat there, smiling to hide her panic.
'I can't tell them what happened yet!' she resolved. 'They would never believe me without seeing Nazuna themselves. And once they have, what then? I mean, what could they possibly do to help? They're students, not doctors or scientists. All we could do is cheer her up for a time, but that's it. And their reaction to her is…tricky to know. Sure, we're talking about Nazuna, but she's a beastman now, or at least looks like one. And has anything like this EVER happened before? Oh here I go again!'
"Alright," Ren shrugged, alleviating Michiru's anxiety. "We trust you Michiru. But we're counting on you Michiru, and so is Nazuna. You'll keep us in the loop?"
"You bet!" Michiru promised, both to her friends and to herself. "I won't let you down."
As the bell rang to signify the end of sixth period, Michiru wearily packed her bag, only dimly aware of the ongoing chatter.
'At least I wasn't called to the board again,' she thought. 'Tsuku would have a field-day!'
Almost like he could hear her, Tsuku called out "Hey, Michiru! Get off your tail and hop into cleaning! You're working with me to sweep the floor."
'Oh right, cleaning duty!' Michiru cursed, collapsing onto the desk. 'Just when I thought I could head straight for Nazuna!'
"Did you hear me?" Tsuku asked, smirking. "Cat got your tongue?"
"Yes, I heard you!" she snapped, pulling herself up. "I just needed to catch my breath."
"Well you're lucky," Tsuku replied. "You're working with me. I'm the best with the broom."
"Yeah, real lucky," Michiru muttered as she moved her desk against the side.
"I got the brooms," Ren called out. "Ready when you are."
Shrugging, Michiru trudged over to Tsuku and Ren, grabbed a broom and began sweeping the floor. All around her, she could see the other students wiping off the blackboards and the windows, or cleaning out the desks, or standing by with pans to collect the dust. But she barely took any notice. She was just too focused on sweeping as fast as she could.
'Nazuna…' she thought, anxious to find her. 'I hope your mom got you and that you're safe at home. I mean I can't believe you were up in that tree all this time!'
The image of Nazuna hiding in a tree, her hot pink fur a stark contrast to the dark brown and light green foliage made her crack a little smile. Back in elementary school, she and Nazuna would often climb trees out in the countryside, just for fun and for the view. She had always climbed just a little higher than Nazuna, and would always egg her on to climb higher.
'Who would have thought that would come in handy?' she thought incredulously as she reached the dust-pan. Turning, she saw the casual, almost leisurely pace her classmates were taking, chatting about their assignments or upcoming plans, or just how to do a better job. But all Michiru could feel was an intense bitterness at their conduct.
'I wish these guys would pick up the pace a little! Less chat, more work!' she thought angrily, not noticing that she started sweeping faster than the others.
"Hey, Michiru!" Tsuku called out. "We're supposed to be working together! Match your pace to ours!"
"Sorry," Michiru said, gritting her teeth as the others caught up.
'Easy for you to say!' she thought angrily as she synchronized her sweeping. 'Your best friend isn't stuck in a tree!'
"Hey, Michiru," she heard Ren whisper from her side. "You're worried about Nazuna, right?"
"Yeah, definitely," she whispered back. "I just want to finish up quickly."
"I understand," Ren whispered back before she started picking up the pace. "For you and Nazuna."
"Hey, Ren!" Tsuku called out. But before he could continue, Michiru started following Ren's lead. "We're supposed to work together!"
"Yes, we are," Ren replied, mischief twinkling in her eyes. "Michiru and I are working together."
"Very funny," Tsuku sneered, but to his dismay other students began imitating Ren and Michiru. Sighing in exasperation, he bowed to the pressure and rushed to catch up with the others.
"Thanks," Michiru whispered.
"No worries," Ren whispered back, smiling. "Just focus on finishing here so you can check on Nazuna."
Smiling, Michiru nodded and set to work. Sweeping alongside Ren, she smirked as Tsuku caught up, his face set in an exasperated grimace. Reaching the other side, she quickly swept up the dust and debris into the waiting dust pan. Checking for any missed patches or trash, she felt a surge of pride and elation at the clean classroom floor. Smiling, she and the rest of her team headed for the corridor and began sweeping up the hallways.
'Just wait a little longer, Nazuna,' Michiru thought as she closed in on the awaiting dust-pan. 'It won't be long now.'
Finishing up the hallways, Michiru's team found themselves right outside the central entrance hall.
'Almost done!' Michiru realized, her heart soaring with excitement. 'Not long now!'
"All right, listen up," Tsuku said. "Here's how it will go. Ren will sweep up the floor adjacent to the entry while Michiru will sweep the area opposite her. But be sure to sweep toward the middle of the entrance hall. Once you get to the other side, come back while sweeping toward the middle. I will be sweeping the middle as you two make your way around the edges. Once we're side-by-side, we'll sweep forward together. Got it?"
"Got it," Michiru and Ren replied, heading out the door.
'At least he's committed to his work,' Michiru thought as she took up her position. 'Why else would he be class rep?'
Starting near the inner door, Michiru quickly reached the other side. Catching glimpses of her teammates, she saw Ren had done the same while Tsuku had only gone a quarter as far. Squashing the anger that rose within her, Michiru turned and began sweeping back the way she came. Sweeping hard and fast, she sneezed from the dust she was kicking up.
"Someone talking about you?" Tsuku asked.
"Evidently yes," Michiru replied, glancing toward him. Seeing him smile, Michiru flared her nostrils in anger as he resumed his work. But to her surprise, he was moving away from her and toward Ren while sweeping into the hall.
'Wait, what?!' she wondered, watching him for a moment.
'Ah! I get it now!' she realized. 'He's moving perpendicular to us to force the dust into the middle. Once we all meet up we can sweep it toward the dust pans. Brilliant!'
"Hey, get your tail in gear!" Tsuku called out.
Feeling any admiration for Tsuku's plan drain away, Michiru resumed her sweeping with a vengeance. 'And just when I thought he wasn't so bad!'
Angered by his remark, Michiru quickly reached her starting point and turned back toward the other side. Sweeping intently, she caught a glimpse of Ren smiling toward her. Feeling her anger melt away at the sight, Michiru slowed for a moment to smile back before remembering her promise to Nazuna. Firming her resolve, Michiru quickly resumed her pace and reached the other side shortly after Ren.
'Almost done!' she thought, turning toward Tsuku. Sweeping across the hall, she quickly closed in on his position, catching him just as he turned toward Ren.
"Last leg," he stated as she lined up with him. Checking on Ren, he said "All together now."
Moving as one, they swept across the hall, Michiru's excitement intensifying as they neared the far side of the room. Upon reaching the end, Tsuku said "Michiru, Ren, cluster toward the middle."
Nodding, the two girls split off toward opposite sides of the long pile they had created. Moving toward each other, they swept the pile into a large clump as those with the dust pans arrived to take it away.
"Finally!" Michiru sighed, wiping her brow. Before anyone could say or do anything more, she handed Ren her broom and bolted for the lockers.
"Hey, hey!" Tsuku cried out, but Michiru barely heard him. Grabbing her shoes, she slipped them on, the backs crushed under her heels, and raced out the door, leaving Tsuku to rant and rave impotently.
'Serves him right,' she thought vindictively. But her feelings quickly turned to concern as she thought of Nazuna. 'I hope she made it home safely.'
Reaching the corner, she reached down to reset her shoes, pulling out the backs to guide her heels inside properly. With her footwear in order, she raced toward the park.
'Wait, why am I going there?' she asked herself in confusion. 'I mean she did call her mom, right? So wouldn't she be at home? Shouldn't I be going there instead?'
In her questioning, Michiru found herself slowing from a full run to a light jog, her body operating on auto-pilot as she mulled over her questions.
'Can't hurt to check on her,' she decided, regaining her former pace. 'And if she's not there, I can call her or her mom to check on her. Oh wait! I'll do that right now!'
Internally smacking herself, she pulled out her phone and pressed the power button. But when the screen failed to light up, she groaned as she remembered her battery was dead.
'Why didn't I recharge it at school?!' she asked herself angrily. 'Run now, charge later!'
Shoving her anger aside, she doubled her pace, not stopping until she reached the park. Scanning her surroundings, she spotted the bench where she and Nazuna were at when her friend transformed into a beastman. Or at least seemed to. Looking to the trees, she saw the oak Nazuna had climbed into and ran toward it. Anxiously, frantically she searched the branches for her friend, but all she saw was dark brown bark and light green leaves, with no sign of Nazuna.
'I guess she made it home,' she thought, collapsing onto the tree sighing. 'I better go see her. I hope her mom doesn't mind me dropping by.'
Pushing herself off the oak, she trudged out of the park, the burn in her legs fading as she relaxed. But as she crossed the threshold, she heard a scuffling sound nearby, like someone or something moving quickly. Freezing in fear, she checked her surroundings but saw no one nearby.
Keeping perfectly still, she trained her ears, hoping to pick up any clues as to what that was. But apart from her breathing, all she could hear was the leaves rustling in the breeze. Then, she heard the scuffling again, followed by a yelp. Pinpointing the source, she dashed down the street toward an alleyway. Pausing to assess the situation, she found herself looking up at a series of apartment buildings on the other side of an empty street.
'What's going on?' she wondered. 'A fight? Or something else?'
Then, she heard the scuffling again, followed by someone yelling out in pain as someone grunted in exertion.
Then, she heard someone yell out in an all-too familiar voice.
"What do you want?! Let me go! Let me go!"
'Nazuna!' Michiru realized. Running up the alleyway, she froze at the sight of a black, unmarked van with a man in a black suit and sunglasses keeping vigil.
'A black suit!' Michiru realized, ducking back into the alleyway. 'What's he doing here? And what's happened to Nazuna?!'
Seeing him turn away, Michiru tentatively stepped out to get a closer look. Edging out, she heard the doors slam shut right before the engine fired up. As the van drove off, she looked inside the rear window, hoping to see who or what was inside. Squinting hard, she caught a glimpse of something colored hot-pink just before the van took off.
'Was that Nazuna?' she wondered. Looking all around, she searched for any sign of her friend but found only an empty street and dark windows.
'Did I…really see that?' she asked. Confused and alone, Michiru racked her head for answers. 'Was that…actually Nazuna in there? But if so, why? What did they want with her? And how did they find her? Why was she here? Wasn't her mom supposed to pick her up?'
"Mrs. Hiwatashi!" Michiru exclaimed. "Maybe she can explain this!"
Breaking out into a run, she raced up the street, her bag flapping hard against her side. Coming to an intersection, she abruptly stopped as a wave of anxiety washed over her. Battling back images of the accident, she looked up each of the streets. Seeing no vehicles in the area, she sighed in relief before resuming her run.
"Nazuna," she said, worrying over her friend. "Where are you?"
Coming up to Nazuna's house, she found the family car in the driveway. Feeling a strange sense of relief coming over her, she raced up the stairs and reached for the doorbell but stopped at the last moment.
'Wait!' she wondered. 'Just what am I going to say? Hello, how are you? By the way, your daughter transformed into a pink fox-girl right in front of my eyes. I left her in a tree on the way back to school, but she was abducted by black suits when I returned for her?'
Groaning at such a scenario, Michiru leaned against the door-frame and sighed in frustration. The prospect of having to tell Nazuna's parents about the seemingly impossible transformation she had witnessed was simply overwhelming. She was already picturing their reactions to such news and found that she could not decide which was worse.
'If they think I'm lying,' she mulled, her frustration mounting. 'They'll tell my mom and she'll ground me. How am I supposed to help Nazuna if I'm grounded? But if they do believe me, what will they ask me? How could I leave her in a tree? A TREE?! She's my best friend, not some stray cat! Oh, what do I do?!'
Just then, she picked up a familiar scent approaching the door.
'Mrs. Hiwatashi!' she realized, and a freezing cold anxiety gripped her bones as the door slowly opened. 'What do I do?! What do I do?!'
"Michiru?" Mrs. Hiwatashi said, clearly surprised to see her. "I wasn't expecting you."
"Oh, sorry!" Michiru replied sheepishly. "My phone's battery died and I couldn't recharge it before coming."
"Oh, I understand," Mrs. Hiwatashi smiled before looking out. "Is Nazuna with you?"
"Ah, about that," Michiru stuttered, her anxiety rising once more. "I'm afraid that…something happened with Nazuna."
"What?!" Mrs. Hiwatashi exclaimed. "What do you mean?!"
"It's a long story and…and I don't think you'll believe me," Michiru said, fidgeting under the scrutiny.
"Michiru," Mrs. Hiwatashi stated. "I've known you for years, and in all that time you've never lied to me, at least not when it comes to Nazuna's well-being. I trust you to tell me the truth."
"It's not that," Michiru exclaimed, frustrated and anxious. "It's that…what I saw is…impossible."
"Please, come on in," Mrs. Hiwatashi said, opening the door to beckon her onward. "I'll fix you a snack."
"Thank you," Michiru said, her feet feeling like lead as she entered the house. Inside, she caught a whiff of some highly spiced dish in the kitchen, accompanied by the bubbling of some thick liquid.
"Curry?" she asked, catching a glimpse of the pot on the stove-top.
"Yes," Mrs. Hiwatashi replied. "We haven't had curry in so long and I thought Nazuna would like a treat. She's been working so hard for her audition."
"I know," Michiru said, wistfully thinking of her friend. Past the kitchen, she saw Mr. Hiwatashi seated at the dining table.
"Michiru," he said, peering out over his glasses. "How nice to see you?"
"Thank you, Mr. Hiwatashi," she replied. Seeing him gesture toward the table, she seated herself and asked "How are things?"
Sighing, Mr. Hiwatashi said "Confusing. We've been getting a lot of visits from government officials and businessmen but no one apart from the CEO and the board knows what's going on. They're not telling us what the visits are about, and whenever we try to find out they tell us to get back to work."
"Do you have any idea what it's about?" Michiru asked. "Or who's involved?"
"Barely," he replied. Sighing, he removed his glasses and rubbed the bridge of his nose to alleviate a headache. "All we know is that Alan Sylvasta is involved somehow."
"Alan Sylvasta?" Michiru exclaimed in surprise. "As in one of the richest men in the world? A man who's been instrumental in building Anima City? As well as funding medical and biotech research?"
"And a major investor in the company I work at," Mr. Hiwatashi added, putting his glasses back on. "Yes, that Alan Sylvasta. At first, I only heard his name being passed around when my coworkers and I hit a few at the bar. But then, the board had us working overtime for a week, trying to get as much done as possible in time for Alan Sylvasta himself to visit our company."
"Really?!" Michiru exclaimed. "I mean you saw him for yourself?!"
"Yes, I did," he replied, a smug look behind his glasses. "We had to be all clean and presentable for him. If you had so much as one sweat-stain, or missed button, or unshaved whisker you risked having your weekly salary withheld."
"Wow," Michiru voiced, incredulous at his story. "What was he like?"
"Not quite you might expect," he answered, mulling it over. "He was calm, cool, but had a certain…playful side to him if you could believe it. Once, a board-member offered him some German dark chocolate, as a snack, and Alan replied 'well, you certainly know how to pick your poison'. We all had a laugh at that while the board member slinked away, a sheepish smile on his face."
"He REALLY said that?" Michiru said, baffled at the idea. But before she could inquire further, she picked up a new scent, something green, inbound from the kitchen.
"Here's some tea," Mrs. Hiwatashi said, setting a platter with three cups on the table. "Now Michiru, what happened to Nazuna?"
At this, Michiru felt that chill return and set deep in her body, as though her blood itself had turned to ice. She also felt a tightness in her stomach, like a gorilla had punched her straight in the gut, and she found herself struggling to breathe.
'This is it,' she resolved, clamping hard on her panic. 'I-I have to tell the truth. It's the only way I can help Nazuna.'
Taking a deep breath, she said "It started after basketball practice. Nazuna seemed pretty down or exhausted or something, so I asked if I could help. She asked me to come with her to the park, and I obliged. Knowing her audition had arrived, I thought she had failed or was passed over or something and she wanted to tell me in private, or away from the others."
"That does sound like Nazuna," Mr. Hiwatashi remarked. "She worked so hard for the audition, so being rejected or passed over would be extremely painful. She would want her best friend to help her sort herself out."
"That's exactly what I thought too," Michiru agreed, blowing on her tea. Taking a sip, she swished the tea side-to-side with her tongue, savoring the strong herbal flavor. As the flavor took on a slight lemon taste, she swallowed and continued her story. "And that's what I was expecting when we reached the park. But it turns out, she passed the audition."
"Really?!" Mrs. Hiwatashi asked. "That's wonderful!"
"Indeed!" Mr. Hiwatashi agreed. Looking up to the ceiling he sighed "Nazuna, our little baby idol."
Laughing slightly, Michiru smiled and sighed "That's what I thought as well. It was just…perfect. The two of us, together and well on our way to our dreams. Nazuna's audition and my basketball team. After everything we went through, it seemed like it was all uphill from there, like there was nothing to hold us back."
"It sounds wonderful," Mrs. Hiwatashi said.
"Then…something happened," Michiru continued, her smile fading. Feeling herself go cold, she took a rather large gulp of her tea, hoping it would warm her. Instead the hot tea burned her tongue, and in desperation she swallowed it all in one loud gulp.
"Michiru, are you alright?" Mrs. Hiwatashi asked as Michiru began coughing. "Too hot?"
"No, I'm fine," Michiru reassured her in-between coughs. Breathing deeply, she got herself under control and said "I just took too much all at once. I was feeling cold and I thought it would warm me up."
"Are you feeling unwell?" Mr. Hiwatashi asked.
"No, it's just that…" Michiru trailed off. Sighing, she continued, "I don't know how to explain what happened, or if you'll believe me."
"Michiru, trust us," Mr. Hiwatashi said, holding her hand. "We know you're an honest person and would never lie or deceive us about our daughter. So take your time and just tell us the truth."
Hearing his words, Michiru felt a warmth spread through her, like he was transferring his strength into her hand and up her arm. Sighing she said "Well, hearing that news I grabbed Nazuna's hands and then she began to shake."
"Shake?" Mrs. Hiwatashi asked, concerned and confused. "Do you mean like she was shivering?"
"Yes, but not from the cold," Michiru replied. "She looked more like she was in pain or discomfort. She curled into herself and started whimpering right before her hair changed color, taking on a bright pinkish hue and large, triangular…ears popped out from her hair. As I stared at her, I felt something warm and furry spread under my fingers and when I looked down I saw that her hands were covered in hot pink fur. And when she opened them, I saw her nails had grown into claws. As she and I were trying to take in what just happened, she felt something move behind her. When I looked, I found she had a long, furry tail, like a fox."
"I…I don't know how or why but," Michiru paused to take a large breath. "But somehow, Nazuna turned into a Beastman right in front of my eyes."
Turning to Mr. and Mrs. Hiwatashi, Michiru found them staring dumb-founded at her, their mouths hanging open in shock but neither making a sound. This awkward silence lasted for what seemed like forever, Michiru wilting under their blank gaze as they tried to process what they had just heard.
'I don't blame them,' she thought, sympathizing. 'If I hadn't seen it with my own eyes, I wouldn't believe it.'
"Michiru, you said that Nazuna transformed into a Beastman right in front of you," Mr. Hiwatashi said, slowly like he had just run a marathon or three. "You DID say that, right?"
"Yes, that's exactly right," Michiru confirmed.
Hearing this, Mr. Hiwatashi slumped back into his chair, inclining his head to stare directly at the ceiling in disbelief. Meanwhile, Mrs. Hiwatashi slowly, deliberately sipped her tea, staring blankly at the wall as droplets dribbled from her lips.
"How? How?" Mr. Hiwatashi asked. "How could this have happened?"
"I don't know," Michiru replied, afraid and confused. "I really don't know. I've never heard of anything like this happening before."
"Nor have we," Mrs. Hiwatashi added. "So what happened after that?"
"I tried to help her," Michiru replied. Her fear intensifying she took several deep breaths before continuing. "I looked for a place to hide but all I could see were the trees so I…helped her climb one. After that, I tried to call you to come pick her up but my phone's battery was dead. Nazuna had hers but she saw the time and told me to get back to school before the next period resumed. I tried to stay but she told me she would call you and be alright."
At this, Mrs. Hiwatashi turned and looked Michiru straight in the eye. Leaning in close she asked "Wait! Did you see her make the call? Did you hear her talking with me?"
"Um, no," Michiru replied, edging back from Mrs. Hiwatashi's proximity. "She said she would be fine and I had to hurry. Didn't she call you?"
As Mrs. Hiwatashi backed away, her eyes turning blank, an icy chill gripped Michiru's bones down to the marrow. "She didn't, did she?" she realized.
"No, she didn't," Mrs. Hiwatashi replied. "I didn't receive a call from her all day, nor did I see any text messages or any sign she tried to contact me. Darling, did she try you?"
Hearing her call, Mr. Hiwatashi furrowed his brow in thought before his eyes went wide. "No, she didn't. No calls, no texts, or anything. As far as I know the only calls my phone received were business calls."
"What-what does that mean?" Michiru asked, her confusion growing more and more. "Did Nazuna not try to contact you? No! She would have tried! She knew she needed help and would have tried something, anything!"
"Something must have blocked her," Mr. Hiwatashi concluded. "Or someone."
At this, a cold silence fell upon the room, like an icy blast had arrived straight from the arctic. The idea that someone was deliberately trying to block Nazuna, their beloved daughter and friend, from contacting them in her hour of need, and that someone had the means to completely isolate her from her loved ones was… chilling.
"Why? Why? Why?" Mrs. Hiwatashi asked, trying to make sense of it all. "Why would someone go after Nazuna? How did they find her? How could they have silenced her? And who would do this?"
"Whoever did so," Mr. Hiwatashi replied, furrowing in thought. "Must have a lot of manpower, money, and technology to pull it off. That rules out a lot of people but I can't figure out their motive. I mean, who would do this and why?"
"Michiru, do you have any ideas?" Mrs. Hiwatashi asked, a pleading tone in her voice. "Any clues might be useful. If you have anything, please tell us."
At first, Michiru was coming up short, but then she remembered what she saw right before running over.
"The black van," she whispered, a strange resolve forming inside her.
"What black van?" Mrs. Hiwatashi asked.
"When I came back to the park," Michiru began, her doubt and confusion giving way to her new resolve. "I didn't see Nazuna in the tree where I left her. I checked over the park but I saw no one there. Then, I heard a yelp, like someone in trouble, followed by a scuffle. Following the sounds, I came into this alley where I heard Nazuna scream for someone to let her go. I emerged and saw a black van guarded by a shady man in glasses and a black suit. They had just shut the doors on the other side and drove off when I arrived."
"And you think they took Nazuna?" Mr. Hiwatashi asked, a confused fury in his eyes. "How do you know it was her?"
"Well I saw someone with pink hair inside the van through the tinted windows," Michiru replied, growing more and more assured of her conclusion. "And there was no one else in the area and I'd know Nazuna's voice anywhere. I know she was in that area before they left but not afterward, and I know she had pink fur, just like whoever was inside that van. I know they took her…somewhere. But where and why I've no clue."
"Neither do we," Mr. Hiwatashi said. "But we'll find out. No matter what, we're going to get Nazuna back."
"How?" Michiru asked, desperate to help however she could. "I mean where do we start?"
"We start by bringing you home," Mrs. Hiwatashi replied. "It's dark out, and your parents must be worried about you."
"I can make it back on my own," Michiru said, shocked at the change in topic. "But right now we need to find Nazuna."
"Young lady," Mrs. Hiwatashi sternly replied. "We cannot help Nazuna if we're exhausted from a long day. You need your rest, and I won't risk you getting lost or hurt or worse after what happened to Nazuna."
"But-" Michiru started, only to wilt under Mrs. Hiwatashi's stern look. "Alright. But I'm coming back tomorrow so we can get started."
"Deal," Mrs. Hiwatashi agreed. Ushering toward the kitchen, she said "You can leave your tea here or in the kitchen. I'll handle it later."
Grabbing her tea cup, Michiru deposited it on the kitchen counter as she followed Mrs. Hiwatashi to the front door. As they reached the threshold, Mr. Hiwatashi called out "Michiru, thanks for telling us. We'll be sure to find Nazuna."
"You got it," Michiru smiled. "And we will."
"But we didn't," Michiru muttered glumly, losing her grip on the ball. Michiru, lost in her own thoughts, barely heard it bounce away toward the bleachers. As it came to a stop, she trudged after it. Retrieving it, she simply held it in her hands, staring blankly in her confused misery.
The very next day after school, Michiru called Nazuna's mother, eager to hear how things were going, but her call went straight to voice-mail. Confused, she raced over to Nazuna's house, slowing as she neared the intersection where she and Nazuna were hit, her muscles freezing at the reminder.
'I HAVE to get over that!' she thought to herself in frustration. 'I can't keep freezing in fear like a deer in the headlights. I'm a human, not an animal!'
Turning the corner, she looked toward Nazuna's house and saw a car pull up into the driveway. Excited to get started she raced over just as the driver seat opened and Mrs. Hiwatashi pulled herself out.
"Mrs. Hiwatashi!" Michiru called out, catching a whiff of that sweet floral scent.
"Michiru!" Mrs. Hiwatashi replied, smiling widely. "Eager to get started, I see."
"You bet!" Michiru exclaimed. "Let's get to work!"
Smiling, Mrs. Hiwatashi ushered her into the house.
"Please be seated," she said, turning into the kitchen. "I'm just going to get us some water and snacks."
"Got it," Michiru replied, making a beeline for the dining room. Spread out on the table were sheets of paper, pens, and pencils. Seating herself, Michiru picked up a sheet and started laying out the events of the day Nazuna disappeared, racking her brain for every tiny detail she could remember.
"Eager indeed," a voice piped in. Looking up, she saw Mrs. Hiwatashi, standing by with some water, fresh fruit, and crackers. Taking a seat, she asked "What have you got so far?"
"Well," Michiru started. "Around lunch, I was hanging out with the basketball team, all excited at the news that we would be competing in the high school tournament, and I went to see Nazuna. She seemed pretty down and asked me to come with her to the park. When we got there, she told me that she passed the audition and I was all excited for her. And that's when she transformed right in front of me. After a short time assessing what had happened, I helped her into a tree to hide as I had to get back to school. I had just managed to get back when the next period started, and once our cleaning duties were done I raced back to the park. I didn't see Nazuna there, but I heard scuffling nearby. I raced over and I saw a black van start up and depart right as the doors closed and I saw a head of pink inside the van."
"And that was Nazuna?" Mrs. Hiwatashi asked.
"Oh yes!" Michiru affirmed. "I know that voice, and that shade of pink anywhere!"
"So now we have a time-frame," Mrs. Hiwatashi said. "If you went out during afternoon recess and checked back after sixth period, that would have been around three hours. Did you see anything odd at the park when you checked? Like broken branches or something?"
Thinking back, Michiru tried her best to picture the park in her mind. But after a moment of desperate searching, she sighed "No, nothing. The first sign that something was wrong was that Nazuna had disappeared."
"Interesting," Mrs. Hiwatashi muttered. "That implies that Nazuna came down from the tree willingly rather than being chased out or pulled down. But was she alone or with someone else?"
"I don't know," Michiru sighed. "I mean Nazuna could have gone down by herself, but why would she have done that? Why would she have left the tree when I said I would go back to her?"
"Maybe she needed water," Mrs. Hiwatashi suggested. "Did she eat or drink anything beforehand?"
"I don't know," Michiru sighed, frustration mounting. "We didn't bring any food to the park, and I don't remember her having any on her. Besides, I don't think she'd leave just for a snack or a drink of water." Then her frustration gave way to discomfort as she suggested "But…maybe…she needed to use the bathroom?"
After a brief pause, Mrs. Hiwatashi said "I suppose that would be a pressing reason to leave the tree." Sipping some water she continued "You said that she would call me to pick her up at the park."
"Yes," Michiru replied, relieved at the change in topic. "But you said you never received a call from her."
"No I didn't," Mrs. Hiwatashi confirmed. "And I checked my phone. The last time Nazuna contacted me was the day before yesterday. So either she didn't try to call me or…someone blocked her from doing so."
"But if that's true," Michiru pondered. "Were they following her? Or listening in? How did they know where to find her? Did they hear her scream?"
"Scream? When did that happen?" Mrs. Hiwatashi asked, with shock and fear in her eyes.
"It was after I grabbed her…tail," Michiru answered, sheepishly rubbing her head. "We confirmed that she had one and she screamed in shock. But who would have been listening?"
"Good questions," Mrs. Hiwatashi replied. "And here's another: was anyone trailing or following you before Nazuna transformed?"
"I don't think so," Michiru replied, thinking hard. "We were all alone, and I didn't see anyone at the park or on the way there. But they might have been hiding behind the trees or other cover."
"I just had a thought," Mrs. Hiwatashi interjected. "That black van you saw; did you happen to see its registration plate?"
Thinking back, Michiru tried desperately to remember what the registration plate may have looked like. But to her dismay she could not recall any details, only that it was white with green letters.
"I can't give any specifics," she sighed, slumping down. "I just know that it had a white background and green letters."
"Well that means it's a private vehicle," Mrs. Hiwatashi replied, eyes furrowing in thought. "So it's either a regular person or someone masquerading as such, but why?"
"Is there a way we can track it down?" Michiru asked, frustrated and anxious. "Or for the police to track it down?"
"They can check the databases," Mrs. Hiwatashi said. "But without a specific number to look for it could take days or weeks. Are you sure there isn't anything more you can add?"
Racking her brain, Michiru focused hard on the image of the van departing down the street, clamping down on her fear for Nazuna's well-being. Closing her eyes, she tried to visualize the registration plate, the green letters against the white background.
'They fill up the space,' she realized. 'So they must be numbers, but what?!'
Focusing intently on the last number, she made out a single vertical line, topped by a horizontal one. Looking toward its neighbor, she made out a circular half but could not recall the rest before it sped off. Desperately looking over the image, she tried to fill in the gaps but it was all too blurred.
"I'm sure the last number was a seven," she said at last, exhaling hard. "With the third letter being a six or an eight. But that's it. It just went too fast for me to get a good look."
"Well, it's better than nothing," Mrs. Hiwatashi reassured her. "We have something more to deliver to the police than just a description of the vehicle. If you think of anything else, I know you'll tell me."
"You bet I will!" Michiru smiled, determined to save her friend. "I've already talked with my parents and they're ready to help in any way they can."
"I appreciate that," Mrs. Hiwatashi said, smiling warmly. "I'll submit a missing person's report by tonight and get back with you in the morning. In the meantime, help yourself to some snacks."
Smiling, Michiru grabbed some crackers and chopped strawberries. Layering them, she popped one into her mouth and sighed with delight at the taste. The sweetness of the berry mellowed by the salty aftertaste, the crunch of the crackers so satisfying as the juice moistened her tongue.
'So simple, yet so delicious!' she thought, savoring the taste. 'Too bad Nazuna's not here. She would love these.' she added, frowning at the thought. But, with some effort, she changed her gloom to resolve, hardening her desire to find her lost friend as she downed another cracker.
"I'm glad you like them," Mrs. Hiwatashi said, helping herself to a grape.
"Oh yes, they're delicious!" Michiru exclaimed as Mrs. Hiwatashi smiled.
"Well, help yourself," she said. "I need to make a few calls but I'll join you shortly."
"Okay," Michiru said, helping herself to a pear. Biting deep into the fruit, the juice flooded into her mouth, washing her tongue with a sweet yet mellow flavor. Pressing the fruit to her palate, she squeezed it into a pulp before grinding it down. Nearby, she overheard Mrs. Hiwatashi speaking on the phone, her voice a mix of fear and unbroken resolve.
"Yes, that's right," she said. "My daughter disappeared yesterday, apparently abducted by people in black suits driving a black van. No, I did not see it myself. A friend of my daughter saw it? Yes she's here. All right, I'll put her on."
At this, Michiru swallowed and headed for the kitchen just as Mrs. Hiwatashi handed the phone to her.
"Hello?" she asked, apprehensively waiting for a reply.
"Hello, I am officer Suchita," came the reply. It sounded like a man, with a gruff, no-nonsense voice. "I understand that you want to file a missing person report, and a possible abduction."
"Yes," she replied. "It's my friend, Nazuna Hiwatashi. She disappeared yesterday after school."
"Can you be more specific?" officer Suchita asked. "As in time and place?"
"It happened about twenty minutes after the final period," Michiru answered. "So around 1630 or so. It happened on a side-street north of the park near Reiwa High, opposite some apartment buildings."
"Can you be more specific?" officer Suchita inquired. "The more specific you can be, the better we can investigate."
"I'm trying," Michiru answered, racking her brain for details. "I know where it happened but I'm having a hard time trying to put an exact address to it. I can send you a photo of the place if that would help."
"Yes it would," officer Suchita reassured. "Anything helps. Now about this van. Did you have the registration plate?"
"Barely," she admitted. "I just couldn't believe what I was seeing. It happened so fast I didn't know what to do. I remember it was white with green letters, and the last number was a seven, with the third one being a six or eight, but that's it I'm afraid."
"It's all right," officer Suchita replied. "I'll look up the registration plates and see what we come up with. Did you see the people involved?"
"Just one," Michiru sighed. "A man with a black suit and dark glasses. He had short hair but that's all I saw."
"I have an idea," officer Suchita suggested. "You find out where Nazuna disappeared and take as many pictures as you can. Once you're done, you come into the police station and we'll look up the database while my partner investigates."
"That sounds great!" Michiru exclaimed, startling Mrs. Hiwatashi. "I'll be in as soon as I can! Take care!"
Handing back the phone to Mrs. Hiwatashi, Michiru grabbed a water bottle and bolted from the house. Barreling out the door, she raced back to the scene in question, barely hearing Mrs. Hiwatashi calling after her.
'Why didn't I think of this earlier?!' she wondered, kicking herself for her short-sightedness. 'I should have taken notes of the scene! Even if my phone was dead, my pens and paper were still working fine! I could have taken all the notes I wanted! Spare me this little trip!'
Pausing briefly at the intersection, she checked for incoming traffic. Seeing no incoming vehicles, she sighed in relief before furiously kicking herself for hesitating.
'Get over yourself!' she thought angrily. 'Nazuna's counting on you! You can't keep doing this!'
Resuming her run, she felt her heart pounding in excitement as she turned the corner…
…and froze in shock. Slowly, she backed into the shadows, trying to be as inconspicuous as possible, afraid to even breathe. Once she felt she was well-hidden, she turned back around the corner, and her anxiety escalated.
Up ahead she saw the black van, and across from it was a man in a black suit and glasses. A man she recognized immediately.
'Is that-?' she wondered, trying to make sense of what she was seeing. 'Yes, it has to be! I recognize him from before! What's HE doing here?!'
Looking closely, she saw he was stooped over near the apartments, as though he was looking for something but she had no idea what. Checking the street, she tried to see if there was a bush or a car that she could duck behind so she could look more closely. But to her frustration, the only vehicle she saw was the van, and there were no bushes or rocks or anything she could hide behind.
'And trash and recycling have already been collected!' she realized, furious at the situation. 'If only I had eagle eyes, or rabbit ears. This sucks.'
Turning back, she tried to make out the situation by reading his lips, but the man had his back turned to her. Suddenly, he stood up and began making his way to the van. Ducking back behind the corner, she peeked out one eye and saw his lips moving quickly, like he was talking to someone or jotting down a list.
'What IS he saying?!' Michiru wondered, desperate for answers. 'He's talking too quickly! Wait! Can I trust him? I mean he DID kidnap Nazuna. Oh if only I could do something! Wait!'
Realizing her chance, she wiped out her phone and selected the camera. Holding a hand over the camera to obscure the sunlight, she snapped as many photos of the man as she could before he entered the van. Hearing the engine start up, she mustered her courage and stepped out to take a quick shot of the registration plate. Terrified that he might catch her in the mirrors, she took as many shots as she could before ducking back around the corner. To her relief, however, she heard the rumble of the vehicle as it headed down the street.
'That was close!' she thought, slumping back against the wall. Opening her files, she found the picture of the registration plate and zoomed in, hoping she caught enough detail in the shot.
'Four hundred and ten, five eight six seven,' she noted. 'Kanji is pretty blurred. But I should be able to narrow it down a lot with the number at least.'
Turning back around the corner, she took several shots of the apartment complex and the street where it all happened. Seeing the area was deserted, she darted toward the spot she saw him at and started looking around.
'What WAS he doing here?' she wondered. 'Was he looking for something? If so, what? And why? Argh! So many questions, and so few answers!'
But as her frustration mounted, she froze at the screech of tires against the asphalt. Panicking, she ducked down, hoping that whoever was driving did not see her. As the vehicle's engine died down, she heard a car door open. Terrified that he had come back, she pressed down into the dirt, trying to make herself as small and inconspicuous as possible.
"Michiru!" she heard someone call out. "Michiru, where are you?!"
To her relief, that voice belonged to someone she knew and trusted.
"I'm here, Mrs. Hiwatashi!" she called back, standing on her knees.
"What are you doing there young lady?!" Mrs. Hiwatashi huffed, marching over as Michiru began brushing off the dirt and leaves. "And what was the idea of running out like that?!"
"Officer Suchita suggested that I take photos where Nazuna was kidnapped," Michiru explained as Mrs. Hiwatashi began brushing her off as well. "Once I had the photos, I could head over to the police station to show them while they ran up the database for a possible match. I was so excited I ran out without telling you. Sorry about that, but I got a LOT to show the police!"
"Oh, and what would that be?" Mrs. Hiwatashi inquired.
"Pictures of the man and the van in question!" Michiru exclaimed. "I got some great shots of him and the full registration plate, or at least the number. With this the police should have Nazuna tracked down in no time!"
"That's wonderful!" Mrs. Hiwatashi said, beaming in excitement as she headed for her car. "I'll take you straight to the police station! Jump on in!"
"And it all seemed so marvelous," Michiru sighed, holding the ball limply. "Officer Suchita was so kind and helpful. His partner looked up the number while we filed a missing person's report. He downloaded all the photos from my phone and promised he would stay in touch with us."
"Only he didn't," she said, her melancholy mixing with confusion. "Soon afterward, we lost contact with him. I went to the police station after school on Monday, just to see how things were going, but he wasn't there. His partner said he had been assigned to a different case. I tried to ask her about the case, but she wouldn't talk about it."
'I then tried her superiors, but they wouldn't talk to me either,' her grip on the ball tensed slightly at the thought. 'Probably because I was just a kid. Never mind that my best friend was abducted!'
Breathing deeply, she felt her anger subside as she continued rummaging her memories.
"And when I told my teachers about it," she recalled, her confusion returning with a vengeance. "They told me Nazuna had been transferred to another school. Transferred! They even had the papers to prove it! I mean, where did those come from?!"
Sighing, she tried dribbling the ball to calm her mind, but she could only muster enough energy for three bounces. Holding it in her hands, she stared blankly into the ball, her mind all a confused mire of questions, guesses, and wild ideas.
"Mina tried looking up the internet," she muttered, rolling her eyes at what they found. "Bunch of conspiracy theories on aliens, government plots, secret experiments, and ancient aliens. She did catch a few photos of the van and that specific man, but nothing on Nazuna herself. We even tried looking her up, but all we got was her transcripts at her supposed new school. We tried looking that up, but we hit a firewall. It's clear that someone's covering this up but who?!"
Gritting her teeth in frustration, she slammed the ball into the floor, hoping to alleviate her anger. But instead, all she felt was the ball slamming back into her hands. Yelping in pain, she looked at her hands as the ball bounced away. Her palms stung and were burning red but to her relief there was no bruising or bleeding.
'Good thing my hands are so tough,' she thought to herself as she retrieved the ball. Shaking her hands to try and relieve the stinging, she turned her mind back to her friend's abduction.
'I then tried my mom and dad, but they're stumped as well.' she thought, confused and depressed. 'Dad's coworkers are all saying she transferred to a new school, as are mom's customers. A few of them even offered congratulations for Nazuna receiving such an honor! Has the whole town fallen for this lie?! Is that all there is?! Will I never see Nazuna again?! Oh I wish I had a clue as to what was going on!'
Just then, she felt a prickling sensation run up the back of her hands while her palms and fingertips erupted in pain unlike anything she had ever felt in her life. Her fingers felt like the tips were being cut and pressed into while the palms felt like something was forcing itself onto the surface.
Dropping the ball, she looked down to see what was happening. To her shock and horror, her hands were covered in dark brown fur like a raccoon's, and the palms were covered in thick, fleshy pads while the nails had been sharpened into claws.
'What-what is this?!' she gasped out, her brain refusing to believe what she was seeing. 'What's going on?!'
