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Tadakatsu Fukui

"... Eh."

0 · 539 views · located in Unnamed City

a character in “Arc 4”, as played by Guardian Aelita

Description

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Name || Tadakatsu Fukui

Age || 19

Gender || Male

Sexuality || Heterosexual

Appearance || Tadakatsu is a rather aloof looking male standing at 5'8'' and a bored looking expression of his face. His hair is deep blue and goes to his neck while his bangs cover up the left side of his face. The remaining eye visable is light blue that almost borders on violet depending on the lighting. Tadakatsu often dresses up in very casual clothing if not just sticking with his school uniform out of convenience. He's often seen wearing ribbons to tie his collar rather than a tie out of pure laziness on his end. He's also often seen with his music player and earphones and often listens to music during his class.

Face Claim || Protagonist from Persona 3

Personality || Tadakatsu is generally an apathetic type of guy. While other dormmates of his might have some ambitions to them like an ultimate goal or something they want to do with their life, Tadakatsu hasn't had the motivation to find out what he wants in life. He's more likely to lay around in bed and sleep almost all day rather than get any actual work done. However, when pushed to a corner, he will work on something and do it quite well, albeit with a minor grumpy mood over being inconvenienced. He tries to stay out of the way of situations as much as he can and as such, he doesn't really want to get involved with the rumors regarding ghosts possessing his dorm. Until the ghosts interrupt his nap time, music time or anything else, he'll let them be. That isn't to say he's selfish. He just doesn't like associating with people unless he absolutely has to.

Room Number || 502

Roommate || Madoka Ikeda

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Likes:

Sleep || Normal people like to sleep for about eight hours a day give or take. Not Tadakatsu. He likes to sleep for much longer than that and has even gone for a day long nap if the guy is tired enough.

Classical Music || Out of all of the music on his music player, he has a small preference towards the classical genre. Mainly because it's music he can easily fall asleep to but also because he can appreciate the beauty of that type of music more so than any rap or rock song.

Reading || Despite his apathetic and lazy nature, Tadakatsu likes to read any book he can get his hands on. If he's not falling asleep on train rides to his school, he'll read whatever he can get his hands on. Horror novels, romance novels, history books, textbooks; anything is game for him. This labels him as a bit of a nerd but he doesn't really care.

Dislikes:

Dolls || He has a lot of reasons for disliking dolls. He finds them creepy, they look a little too off putting, sometimes the material used to make them is incredibly cheap and he just hates how they're so popular amongst kids (another thing he dislikes). But, those reasons just circulate among a giant and very personal reason he'd rather not disclose.

Any Dairy Product || Tadakatsu is allergic to any dairy product. Anything with dairy in it causes him to get a rash, have severe stomach problems and just feel generally miserable for the rest of the day. As such, he prefers to avoid any dairy type foods like cheese, milk, ice cream and even coffee if it has creamer in it.

Peer Pressure || This is the one thing he absolutely despises. No matter what, if someone's uncomfortable with something, don't force them into it. He has a very low tolerance towards anyone who uses this to get their way and considers it a smaller form of bullying. He'll be firm if he doesn't want to do something.

History || Tadakatsu as a young child had an easy time making friends. He was rather outgoing and enjoyed life as he took it by the reigns a lot of the time. Nothing seemed to be different as he got introduced to his father's best friend, Sakito Furyua and his daughter, Akeno. The two got along very well and did a lot of fun things together, however Akeno seemed confused on a lot of things so Tadakatsu took it upon himself to teach them to her. He even stuck around with her until high school where they were called cousins a lot due to how similar they looked. Tadakatsu decided to roll with it as he found a familial kinship in Akeno and was looking forward to producing music with her. However, a lot of life's stresses started to get to him. He needed to decide what he wanted to do with his future and where he wanted to go to college when he wasn't ready for that type of thing yet. Things only got worse when Akeno suddenly vanished and Sakito ended up getting arrested. With everything piling up on him, he gave up and became burnt out from all the stress.

Nowadays, Tadakatsu ended up deciding to go to Partisan Rose. Because of his parents dying in a car accident when he was younger, Tadakatsu lived with his grandparents up until he reached 18 when he moved out of the house to move into the Blue Lotus dormitory. He's still unclear as to what he wants to do with his life but he doesn't really care either way. He just wants to go through his life at a very leisurely pace.

Colors || Speech = Steel Blue / Thought = Slate Blue

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So begins...

Tadakatsu Fukui's Story

Setting

Characters Present

Character Portrait: Laeticia "Cel" Concepcion Character Portrait: Makoto Itsuna Character Portrait: Aziz Harumi Character Portrait: Hotaru Emirsdottir Character Portrait: Madoka Ikeda Character Portrait: Menou Koizumi Character Portrait: Yoite Arakaki Character Portrait: Akeno Furuya Character Portrait: Kujo Nobuyuki Character Portrait: Nagisa Makinami Character Portrait: Soichiro Tanizaki Character Portrait: Sora Kyousuke Character Portrait: Kanade Takamine Character Portrait: Asagi Arakawa Character Portrait: Misaka Amamiya Character Portrait: Fuyumi Hirabayashi Character Portrait: Tadakatsu Fukui

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Hotaru sighed in relief. At least Mitsuru was willing to help out herself and Sora in regards to their jobs. Still, it was quite a bit worrisome in regards to everything that was happening. Still, Hotaru could look on the bright side. The dorm could have easily banned anyone who disobeyed the rules altogether but at least they were willing to compromise. Hotaru smiled when she heard Aziz make the offer. Despite him peeping on everyone earlier, she didn't have too harsh of feelings towards the short male.

"Sounds great, Aziz-kun~ Ah, I should probably let Menou-chan know about the new changes! Oh, and Noa-chan too since she's still sick and all. Hopefully she won't be too disoriented."

Fuyumi smiled warmly at Sora's offer.

"That's very kind of you, Miss Kyosuke. I hope to not be too much of a bother to you."

She politely bowed in front of Sora before smiling warmly at her.

"I think I might be able to find you if I listen hard enough and ask for directions so I'll be relying on you a bit."

Fuyumi giggled a bit to herself as Akeno soon got a text message from her mother. She snuck away to enter her room and frowned at the phone, loading up the messages.

"Akeno, dearie~ I trust you slept well. Beautiful women after all need their sleep~"

Akeno cringed a bit at that. Beautiful... That was all Akeno would be to her future husband. Just beautiful... not funny, not kind, not charismatic, not anyone of substance; just eye candy. Still, Akeno knew better than to talk back to her mother so she texted her back.

"Yes, Mother. I slept well. Thank you. Can I ask you to come over to Blue Lotus on Friday?"

She looked at the phone and saw the reply shortly.

"Of course... What is this about? Did you get in trouble? You know, getting in trouble doesn't do the Furuya name much good."

Akeno frowned before replying.

"No, Mother. I've been good since my time here. They're just thinking of making the rules a bit more strict and want to get the opinions of the parents of the residents in Blue Lotus."

Her mother's reply came in shortly after she sent it.

"Oh, wonderful~! I'd be happy to attend to get my thoughts out there. Only the best of dorms for my perfect little doll."

Akeno gripped the phone tighter as her mother replied that. She was about to text her mother back before a new message appeared.

"By the way, Akeno. I heard that your little friend is coming to your dorm and school tonight. Hopefully he won't be too much of an inconvenience to you."

Akeno froze a bit before typing her reply.

"I understand. Thank you, Mother."

She didn't even bother reading her mother's reply before smiling happily to herself. It had been a long time since she actually saw him. She wondered what had happened since they separated in high school and was seriously looking forward to seeing her "cousin" again.

"K-Katsu..."

Back on the main floor, Madoka frowned a bit at Aziz's offer. He didn't trust the grape but he also felt uneasy. Why did he say it would be safer for all the Kurogane students to go to the school together...? Still, he noticed Menou standing on the stairs, trembling a bit. He figured the girl was probably there to apologize to Makoto. Still, it wasn't any of his business as he noticed Yoite wave at him. Madoka quirked an eyebrow.

"Let's walk to school together."

Madoka just nodded with a grunt and started to walk with Yoite following him and laughing a bit. Menou walked down the stairs, uneasy as she tapped Makoto's shoulder.

"U-Um... I'm sorry about last night... I-I understand if you're mad at me but I'm sorry for a-abandoning you t-to hang out with Aziz..."

She shook a bit with fear, still unused to being in large crowds. Hotaru went to action and rubbed Menou's back gently as the girl shook.

Setting

Characters Present

Character Portrait: [NPC] Bartender Character Portrait: Hotaru Emirsdottir Character Portrait: Menou Koizumi Character Portrait: Akeno Furuya Character Portrait: Asagi Arakawa Character Portrait: Kirika Katsuragi Character Portrait: Tadakatsu Fukui

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Hearing the dilemma made Hotaru worry a bit as she pocketed the key given to her by Mitsuru. Still, at the same time, this could give her a golden opportunity to demonstrate how well her classes have been teaching her and put them into practice.

"I could help out!"

Hotaru realized she sounded way too excited to say that and cleared her throat.

"What I mean is that I can help with reworking the concepts. I'm actually majoring in interior design and I got into Seven Stars because I was able to make out some really good schematics for the house."

She grinned.

"I also managed to work out designs for proms, plays and have even rebuilt my house to accommodate for other areas. I'll even do it for free if money's the issue. Please consider putting me up to this. I don't want anyone to stress out."

Hotaru felt exited. This would be her first actual chance to work with construction workers to build another floor. She just hoped Mitsuru and Kirika would accept her offer.


Menou looked at the hand and trembled, terrified at the idea of going outside.

"I-I... u-um..."

Still, in a way, he was right. Nothing was going to change if Menou didn't take any action. She took a deep breath and weakly nodded.

"... O-Okay..."


Akeno sat by herself during lunch and bitterly sighed. She was still feeling guilt and anger swirl inside of her over the change of rules and curfew but still felt at least partially responsible for it. She looked around and saw other girls laughing and talking to each other. Bitterness swallowed up Akeno's guilt as she saw them being friendly among each other. The only friends Akeno could have were pre picked by her mother. Still, she saw a familiar deep blue shade of hair among the crowd. Her eyes widened as she saw him walk sluggishly through the crowd.

"Katsu...!"

The sudden spoken word caused her to cough violently but she still waved hello at him. Tadakatsu turned his gaze to see her for a second only to immediately walk away after. Akeno felt her heart shatter at that as she walked over by a nearby tree to curl into a ball and cry.

Setting

Characters Present

Character Portrait: Hotaru Emirsdottir Character Portrait: Madoka Ikeda Character Portrait: Menou Koizumi Character Portrait: Akeno Furuya Character Portrait: Asagi Arakawa Character Portrait: Kirika Katsuragi Character Portrait: Tadakatsu Fukui Character Portrait: Kazuya Tamashiro

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Hotaru smiled a little at the dorm owner.

"Alright, but Gecky-kun really needs help so please do whatever you can. Good luck, Gecky-kun~!"

While she said that, she slipped some of her money in his right pocket, away from Mitsuru's eyes before taking off with the rest of it. She knew Mitsuru told her to spend it for herself but she couldn't just do that without helping out someone who really needed the extra hand. Still, she walked downstairs to see Madoka coming home from his classes. Hotaru grinned.

"Hi, Madoka-kun! I got my first official job~"

Madoka raised an eyebrow as he saw the bubbly brunette jog to him.

"Job? What're you talking about? Don't you have a job?"

Hotaru smiled and laughed.

"I meant my first official job for my career~ I helped design Black Rose a bit!"

Madoka blinked before smirking a bit.

"Did you now. How do you know it was actually a job?"

Hotaru grinned happily before showing him the money she earned.

"Mitsuru-san paid me for my hard work. Wanna go out somewhere?"

Madoka stared at the girl for a bit before shrugging.

"Why not? I have nothing better to do."

Hotaru cheered happily as she led Madoka out. As they left the dorm, a man with dark blue hair walked in, listing to his music while his eyes were closed. Once he opened his eyes, he saw the dorm room greet him.

"This is Blue Lotus... Least that's what the directions should say."

The man just let out a heavy sigh as he stepped into the dorm, lazily glancing around until he found a couch. Immediately, he sat down on it to pass out for a while.


Menou was a bit startled when Asagi suddenly asked her what major she was in. She looked to the side, nervous.

"I... I kind of haven't decided that yet..."

She played with her hair a bit. There was absolutely no way that she was going to tell him that she hadn't decided because she might kill herself by her next birthday. So, what to say to lie to him...?

"My parents didn't really get me into a lot of stuff as a child so I never really got to experience that much. So, I don't really know what I want to do with my life once I get out of college."

It was for the most part the truth. Her parents never really showed her much in regards to the world as they found it full of sin and Menou ended up being corrupted by the sin. Still, what she hid was that she didn't know if she even wanted to live long enough to find out what to do with her life. Shaking it off, she smiled a bit at Asagi.

"What about you? What do you want to do?"


Akeno was very surprised at the turn of events. First, she managed to get Kazuya's name, or Kazu as he preferred to be called. Somehow, it fit him well. Second, she got some new information out of him. He's apparently going to work in the new Black Rose cafÊ in the dorm as part of the cooking and brewing. Would this mean that he was going to live here? Honestly, Akeno hoped so. It was genuinely nice to have someone she could be somewhat real around. Third, he called Akeno her friend...

"Friend... Heh... It's actually been quite a while since I heard someone actually call me that... I wonder if he'll stick around..."

Lastly, he introduced her to an old friend of his. She studied the other girl in front of her. Black hair, brown eyes, 5'4'', looked like she could be a model... In other words, she looked to be the exact opposite of Akeno herself. She felt out of place with her light blue hair, pink eyes, petite figure and doll-like appearance. If her mother wasn't so controlling, perhaps at one point she could have been beautiful like this woman. Alas, such was not the case. Yet, she didn't feel bitter about it. She briefly remembered what Kazuya said about images.

"If I had to guess, her image is that of a model. Still, she seems almost like a ghost in some regards. Regardless, she seems important to Kazu..."

She decided to try and be real around this girl too. She flashed the girl a weary but genuine smile.

"Hi... I'm Akeno Furuya, though I think Kazu already said that. Don't worry about my phone talking for me, it's a long and complicated story. In any case, I hope we can get along well... Kirika..."

She felt a small burden being somewhat lifted off of her shoulders as she acted as her natural self. Though she also felt a bit worried. She never normally acted like her usual self, always as the peppy and cutesy doll her mother forced her to become. What would happen if her mother saw her try on regular clothes and act like a normal person around other people? She decided that she would only do it in front of these two, just in case.

Setting

Characters Present

Character Portrait: Aziz Harumi Character Portrait: Hotaru Emirsdottir Character Portrait: Kujo Nobuyuki Character Portrait: Nagisa Makinami Character Portrait: Kanade Takamine Character Portrait: Genji Yukitora Character Portrait: Tadakatsu Fukui

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"This is very much appreciated. Thank you."

Genji nodded his head in Hotaru's direction as she left, and walked back to the lobby where he saw Kanade eyeing another figure, seemingly asleep on the couch across from her. She glanced at him, eyebrows furrowed.

"What the fuck...?"

"I, uh...let's leave this to the reception people. Let's go, I got the money now."

"Thank fucking god," She groaned as she started to stand up. Genji sretched as they started back outside.

"Yeah, so you know the hobby shop that sponsored me? They're running a limited thing."

"Really now? Tell me about it."




As they arrived at the pizza parlor, Kujo managed to find a good spot for them and ordered. Though Nagisa wasn't a massive fan of his choice in it- she almost felt her arteries clogging just at the picture in the menu of what he ordered-, she wasn't going to complain now.

She glanced up as Kujo caught the look in her eye and laughed.

"Didn't know you were on a diet Makinami!"

"I'm not. I'm just...fascinated by the fact that that much meat can be on one pizza without giving the first person that tries it a heart attack."

Setting

Characters Present

Character Portrait: Menou Koizumi Character Portrait: Yoite Arakaki Character Portrait: Akeno Furuya Character Portrait: Asagi Arakawa Character Portrait: Kirika Katsuragi Character Portrait: Tadakatsu Fukui Character Portrait: Kazuya Tamashiro

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Menou played a bit with her hair as Asagi asked that question.

"I... I definitely like to play games... They're really fascinating and I think my favorites are RPGs. I also like to write small stories with other people on the internet, but..."

She looked to the side.

"I also really enjoy singing. I don't think I'm too good at it but it always helps me out when I need to calm down."

She sighed.

"That's about it as far as likes go. My dream was to become an idol or pop singer of some kind but there's absolutely no way I'd ever get in the industry..."


Tadakatsu woke up slowly after his quick nap on the couch. He stretched a bit and yawned. It was almost odd how despite him falling asleep, he still felt incredibly tired. Still, he supposed that was long enough and looked to try and find someone who was willing to show him to his dorm room when a man with light green hair showed up. He just stared at him as the man smiled.

"Hey~ Can I help you out?"

He rest against the door as Tadakatsu looked at him before shrugging.

"Can you tell me where room 502 is?"

The man was confused before getting it.

"Ah! You're a newcomer, huh? My name's Yoite Arakaki, glad to meet you~ Who might you be?"

Tadakatsu yawned a bit before answering.

"Tadakatsu Fukui."

Yoite grinned.

"Pleased to meet you, Tadakatsu. Right this way, I'll lead you there."

Tadakatsu just nodded as he followed the eccentric male.


Akeno just giggled a bit. Even if she was trying to be more real around them, she couldn't quite muster up her real laughter. She didn't really want to embarrass herself in front of them so she just took a sip from the mocha first. Her eyes widened slightly. The taste was a bit bitter, yet the chocolate was still there. She almost greedily gulped it down, coughing a bit and drinking some water after. She supposed she got a bit to excited but...

"Ah, sorry... I've only ever drank tea before so to taste coffee like this... I got really excited and couldn't stop drinking..."

She supposed her words were disjointed but she had to get across how delicious the drink was. After calming down, she drank the cappuccino next. Was that cinnamon...? She drank it a bit more slowly to try and savor the taste a bit more. The cinnamon tasting drink brought her to a warm and happy place as she continued to enjoy it. Once she was done, her tongue was burning itself alive in her mouth so she cooled it down by drinking the iced latte. It tasted bitter but also sweet. She didn't really like the last one all that much but continued to drink it anyway. When she finished, she happily smiled. Unlike the usual happy smiles, this one felt real and genuine to her.

"This tastes really delicious... Thank you, Kazuya..."

Still, she should at least explain why she enjoyed it so much.

"My mother doesn't really approve of coffee too much. She said it's awful tasting and tea is a more classy type of drink. I've always wanted to try coffee for myself but I never got the chance to. So... thank you for finally letting me try it, Kazu..."

Setting

Characters Present

Character Portrait: Menou Koizumi Character Portrait: Yoite Arakaki Character Portrait: Akeno Furuya Character Portrait: Asagi Arakawa Character Portrait: Kirika Katsuragi Character Portrait: Genji Yukitora Character Portrait: Tadakatsu Fukui Character Portrait: Kazuya Tamashiro

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Menou was silent as she considered her answer. On one hand, Asagi seemed incredibly friendly. She could work alongside him, get to know him a bit, become his friend and perhaps get some cash. On the other hand, it meant she had to step outside her room a lot to get to and from work. But, in a way, he was right. Menou couldn't function as someone who shuts herself in. She closed her eyes a bit in thought.

"If I do this... Perhaps I could absolve myself of some form of sin...?"

Menou opened her eyes and nodded a bit.

"I'll do it. I'll work with you."

Menou smiled as she said that, feeling somewhat proud of that accomplishment.

"Maybe I can get inspired by his work on future costumes... Hehe~"


Akeno felt her cheeks heat up a bit. He was sitting pretty close to Akeno and she wasn't quite sure how to make of the situation. She just prayed that he was the oblivious type and didn't notice her slight embarrassment. Still, she tried to rationalize it in her mind.

"Calm down, Akeno. Sure, a guy's sitting next to you for the first time in... a while, but it's not that serious. Friends sit next to each other all the time and he's just being really friendly. It's not that big of a deal."

She took a deep breath and calmed herself down, blush going away instantly. She looked over at Kazuya and hummed before typing out her response.

"Well, keep in mind that I only tried this coffee recently and don't really have a coffee expert's taste buds. For the dark mocha, I really loved it. It was really tasty and I could taste the chocolate and the coffee to create a really good flavor. The cappuccino is something else I enjoyed. I could taste some cinnamon in there and since cinnamon is my favorite type of flavor, I enjoyed it. Though, it's just my opinion so take it with some salt."

She took a small break to drink some water. Her tongue was still a bit burnt from gulping down the mocha so quickly.

"I think the latte is the one that needs some work. I like your idea on having milk and coffee as separate. Maybe you should add a variety of flavors of milk to try and come up with new combinations? I don't know if it would work, but it's worth a shot to at least try it. Maybe some strawberry milk and coffee together would come up with a good taste?"

She giggled a bit before coughing. She soon saw the familiar blue haired man enter the cafÊ along with her other friend, Yoite. Her eyes widened a bit as she saw him.

"K-Katsu..."

She coughed a bit after saying his name but Tadakatsu didn't seem to notice or at the very least, tried to ignore her presence. Yoite smiled and waved.

"Hey, Kirika-chan! I need a bit of help. Tadakatsu-kun here just moved in to the dorm and he needs a little help getting his bearings with the paperwork and what not. Mind giving him a hand when you're done?"

Yoite then noticed the familiar long haired male and smiled widely, hugging him.

"Gecky, welcome back!"

He let go to grin at him.

"So, how were your travels? Meet any new friends? I'll be sure to introduce you to all the newcomers as soon as I get Tadakatsu settled in."

Tadakatsu didn't focus on what Yoite was saying and looked around before finally seeing Akeno for the first time. His eyes widened slightly as he saw her for the first time. Akeno offered him a weak smile before Tadakatsu turned away to look at something else. Akeno felt her heart break all over again.

"Ah... I made him angry... It's been too long and I made my cousin angry... Heh... Why do I always ruin things...?"

Inside the sleepy man's head was an entirely different thought process.

"... I never thought I'd see Akeno again... So, he didn't kill her. That's good to know... Still, I can't just approach her... Ah, this is annoying... I need rest..."

Tadakatsu just yawned as Akeno looked down at the table, upset again.

Setting

Characters Present

Character Portrait: Aziz Harumi Character Portrait: Yoite Arakaki Character Portrait: Akeno Furuya Character Portrait: Kujo Nobuyuki Character Portrait: Nagisa Makinami Character Portrait: Kanade Takamine Character Portrait: Kirika Katsuragi Character Portrait: Genji Yukitora Character Portrait: Tadakatsu Fukui Character Portrait: Kazuya Tamashiro

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"Genji Yukitora. Pleased to meet you."

He nodded a bit in the brown-haired male's direction before looking back at Kirika as he put down the bowls, Kanade quickly doing the same before seemingly moving back outside.

"I live in 510. And uh, if you ever need any more help, you can feel free to ask me again."

A little while after their talk, Genji spotted his roommate along with a blue-haired man coming in. It was a newcomer- but he focused his attention on the green-haired man now approaching him. He patted the other man's back a little, chuckling.

"Yeah, it's good to be back. It's been a rather...weird, journey if I should say so myself."

He glanced over at the other man that Yoite came in with.

"On the newcomer...you could also ask Ritsuka-san at the reception desk, right? In any case, Kanade here was gonna help me out on finding out about the newcomers but I could always appreciate a little more help."

"Ehh?! You don't think my help alone's gonna work?!"




"Yeah, I think I'm out for this round too..."

Kujo, who had just been as reckless groaned, rubbing his head. Nagisa managed to down half before she set down the mason jar, wincing briefly.

"It's only slightly more potent than a convenience store slushie..."

"So that's how you got immune?"

Setting

Characters Present

Character Portrait: Makoto Itsuna Character Portrait: Aziz Harumi Character Portrait: Menou Koizumi Character Portrait: Yoite Arakaki Character Portrait: Akeno Furuya Character Portrait: Kujo Nobuyuki Character Portrait: Nagisa Makinami Character Portrait: Sora Kyousuke Character Portrait: Asagi Arakawa Character Portrait: Kirika Katsuragi Character Portrait: Genji Yukitora Character Portrait: Tadakatsu Fukui Character Portrait: Kazuya Tamashiro Character Portrait: Kazenari Tohsaka

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"R-really? I didn't know that..." Aziz was able to stand up after resting for a bit. "For all we know, you really might be an assassin." Aziz teases her lightly before standing up to pay for the bill. Returing to the table, he urged the others.

"Shall we go? We can just brown bag the rest." Aziz asks. "It is getting dangerous walking around at night..."



Following Genji's wake, Yoite arrived shortly with an unfamiliar looking person, possibly needing help navigating the rooms. Kirika gave him a good look-over. She did hear of a newcomer from her brother but she didn't really expect him to arrive today.

"It's my brother you should be asking about this..." Kirika sighed as she stood up. It was then she noticed Akeno giving the newcomer a look--and even muttered his name. For what she can gather, they seem to know each other...sort of.

"I guess I can sort the paperwork with Ritsuka. Furuya-kun, you two seem acquianted so, can you help him get around?" Kirika asks Akeno before turning to Kazuya. "You. You help carry stuff."

"Eh? Well, I guess it's not that hard..."

"We'll continue this tomorrow. Can you drop by the shop a little earlier than usual, say around 6 or 6:30?" Kirika asks Genji before disappearing downstairs. "I'll be waiting."

With Kirika gone, Kazuya gathers up all the glasses and dumps them in the sink. "Well, I guess that's the end of my shift for now!" Kazuya then turns to Akeno and the newcomer. "Let's do it Akeno-chan! Let's show the newcomer the whole floor--! Except I don't really know the whole floor so you'll have to help me navigate again. Outsourcing, I think it's called. Yep. Outsourcing."

Kazuya crosses his arms and nods in satisfaction. Though his father may feel bad about him being bad with directions, he was sure he'll be impressed with how he managed to remember the "outsourcing" word.



Asagi smiled when he heard Menou accept the offer. "Good to hear. Don't fret too much about it--we'll get along fine, I promise." Seeing the clouds turning dim, he decides it was time to head back.

"We should probably head back before traffic sets in. We start next week so you can take it easy for now. If possible though, I would like you to practice a bit of sewing from time to time. Only if you feel like it though. No need to force yourself. Well, looking forward to working with you, Koizumi-san~"



"Impossible...That's just too impossible..." With the meeting concluded, everyone was dismissed for the day. Makoto spent some time pondering over what was just discussed in the room while washing his face in the boy's restroom. No matter how you look at it, what President Kazenari suggested seemed highly implausible.

"May I have a word?" Kazenari asked while she waited outside. Their school is structured so that the boy's and girl's restrooms are on the same hallway.

"It's impossible..." Makoto repeated again. Kazenari stood up straight and stared at him straight in the eye.

"I understand you had your own misgivings towards the plan but, this is the only solution I can think of. Please try to understand." Kazenari explains. "I may require your help in the coming days. Can you keep your calendar open for me, Itsuna-kun?"

"Probably. I should be free for a couple more days."

"That's good enough." Though his answer was vague and a bit undecided, Kazenari seemed to have found it satisfactory. "See you tomorrow then, Itsuna-kun."

Outside, the sky has turned a lot darker. Still, Makoto felt some urge to waste some time in Emerald Gardens for a bit. Counter-productive to what was talked about earlier, he wasn't going to let some serial killer affect the pace of his life. Still, it'd mean heading home a lot later than normal and with the new rules on curfew, talking things over with Nagao or Cel may get a bit more complicated. As an insurance, he took out his phone and dialed a number he rarely called.

"Yes? I've got my hands full right now just so you know." Sora Kyosuke answers from the other end.

"Right, I'll get straight to the point. Can I head home with you later? Need some help with staying past curfew."

"Listen...I already got into trouble last time I went with Akeno--"

"I've got an alibi though. Don't worry, it'll work out fine. Besides, it's only in the event we both aren't able to head back before curfew." Fortunately, Makoto seemed to have this all planned out. From the other end, he heard a soft sigh.

"If you're sure...Anyway I got to go. Just drop by Lou's later." Without even saying goodbye, Sora puts down the phone.

"Now then--" Makoto puts away his phone and heads to the bus taking him to Emerald Gardens. "This shouldn't take long."

Setting

Characters Present

Character Portrait: Menou Koizumi Character Portrait: Yoite Arakaki Character Portrait: Akeno Furuya Character Portrait: Noa Arai Character Portrait: Asagi Arakawa Character Portrait: Genji Yukitora Character Portrait: Tadakatsu Fukui Character Portrait: Kazuya Tamashiro

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Yoite just grinned as he led Genji back to their old room.

"Gonna be honest, Gecky, it was a bit lonely here without you. Managed to get some paintings done but it's not the same without you here to interpret the meaning behind them and what not."

He hummed a bit as he sat down on his bed.

"Come on, man, you have to tell me everything. What was like during your travels?"

Part of him wished he could have accompanied Genji on his travels but at the very least, he was back here now. The painter would rather hear about his travels first before introducing him to all the new dorm members.


Akeno felt a bit awkward about leading both Tadakatsu and Kazuya around but at the very least, it gave her a chance to be around Tadakatsu again. If need be, she could ask Kazuya to step in if the situation got way too awkward. Still, Tadakatsu knew her from childhood onwards, hell, he was her cousin in a sense. She could definitely be real around him and Kazuya.

"Guess I'll be your tour guide then... Just follow me."

She took them to the first floor.

"Here's where most of the staff are located. Administration office is on the left, the receptionist is Cel for future reference and most people hang out here before going out for school and what not in the lobby."

Tadakatsu surveyed the area.

"Ah, this seems like a good enough place to sleep if I need to crash."

Akeno quirked an eyebrow.

"Since when did you sleep all the time?"

Tadakatsu focused his attention on Akeno. He was unsure if the guy beside her knew the whole story so he decided to keep it simple.

"Since you were forced to use that thing to talk."

Akeno winced a bit as she typed out her response.

"At least you're still as sharp tongued as ever."

He shrugged a bit before heading up to the second floor. Akeno noticed and quickly ran up, holding Kazuya's wrist so he would follow her up the stairs. She quickly let go after.

"This is the second floor. You'll find a cafeteria here along with the indoor pool and bathrooms. Don't get the girl's bathroom and boy's bathroom confused."

Tadakatsu raised an eyebrow with a small smirk.

"Don't think I will. Why?"

Akeno sighed a bit.

"A guy got caught trying to peep on girls in the bathroom."

Tadakatsu shrugged.

"Must not have want to seen them that bad if he got caught."

Akeno huffed at Tadakatsu's reply.

"Katsu, don't be a pervert."

"I'm not. I'm just saying if he was that desperate to see girls bathing, he'd try as hard as he could to not be seen."

Akeno softly hummed.

"To be honest, I don't know the whole details myself. I was lucky enough to not be there when the girls got peeped on and everyone's kept the whole story a secret from me so I only know that. Anyway, just don't go into the girls bathroom on accident."

She then led both boys up to the third floor.

"Speaking of, this is the girls floor. I'm going to take a small break here so you guys can process the tour so far."

She also wanted to check on her roommate so she opened the door to her room.

"301 is my room number for reference. If either of you need something, come over and say hi. I'm not the one that'll bite."

Noa let out a sleepy groan as she woke up to see two unfamiliar males. She quirked an eyebrow.

"Furuya, I didn't expect you to bring males in the our room. Why are they here?"

Akeno looked over at Noa.

"I wanted them to be here. That's why."

Noa shook her head.

"In any case, have them not disturb me too much."

Akeno frowned a bit.

"At least say who you are."

Noa faced the others with a small frown.

"Noa Arai. I'm a student at Kurogane Technical and Akeno Furuya's roommate."

She then faced the wall causing Akeno to deeply sigh.

"She seems friendly."

Akeno heard Tadakatsu tell that to her in a mildly sarcastic tone. She shook her head.

"She's like that with everyone. Don't take offense, Kazu."


Menou saw how dark it was getting and nodded.

"That's probably a good idea. Especially with the news about the murderer going around..."

She quickly paid for her ice cream before getting up.

"I'll see if Hotaru can lend me some of her sewing materials."

Setting

Characters Present

Character Portrait: Laeticia "Cel" Concepcion Character Portrait: Aziz Harumi Character Portrait: Menou Koizumi Character Portrait: Akeno Furuya Character Portrait: Noa Arai Character Portrait: Asagi Arakawa Character Portrait: Kirika Katsuragi Character Portrait: Tadakatsu Fukui Character Portrait: Kazuya Tamashiro

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"Not at all, my friendly tour guide!" Kazuya assures Akeno while she showed them around her room. "Hello! I'm Kazuya Tamashiro from Partisan Rose. Nice to meet you Akeno's roommate! I won't be around too often so don't worry about it!" Kazuya declares proudly.

The girl introduces herself as Noa and she was from Kurogane Technical. Kazuya never would've guessed though. He thought most Kurogane Technical students tend to stay out late engrossed in studying. Guess there's different varieties for each school.

"Noa? Like the guy in the Bible? And you're from Kurogane? It's nice to meet you then! I'll be around often by next week since I'll be working close by so it's also nice to meet you, friend of Akeno-chan!"

"But still...it's quite dark so we should settle in Tadakatsu-san. I need to be back before 10 or else my father will kill me..." A chill ran down Kazuya's spine when he thought about the earful he'll get from his father when he's late. "So Akeno-chan! Where should I put his bags?"



Likewise, Asagi managed to hail a cab to that took them directly back to Blue Lotus. Having paid for the fare, he and Menou finally made it back to the dorm.

"I guess you'll be going back to your room then? Good night! We start next week so I'll drop by your room around that time, 'kay?" Asagi bids his newfound friend goodbye as he also strolls up to the room after logging in with Ritsuka.



"I'll probably pass a bit on the game guys. Maybe tomorrow." Aziz informs his two companions when he heard them talking about the game. "I kind of want to rest up a bit. You can go ahead without me." He tells the others before heading back up to his room. He passed by a pink-haired girl on the way there but was rather out of it in order to think about it properly.

"Must be one of them newcomers...Oh well..." Aziz sighed as he went back to their room, hitting the covers immediately upon arrival.



Tuesday - 8:30 PM Blue Lotus
"You're rather late today." Kirika greeted Cel just as she entered the door, her backpack slung over her shoulder. "Ritsuka's been wondering what's taking you so long."

"Sorry, I got a medical exam which took AGES. I sent Ritsuka a text, didn't she receive it?" Cel explains to their landlord as she got ready to take over what remains of Ritsuka's shift.

"Idiot probably left it somewhere again. For all I know, she probably left it in the laundry."

"I actually wouldn't be too surprised if that actually happened." Cel laughed as she sat down, organizing the log books and papers on the desk. Unlike her, Ritsuka tends to be a bit messy and unorganized with the stuff. "Umm...is Mitsuru-san around? I need to talk to him."

"Aniki? What do you need from him?"

"Well...it's kind of a long story."

Setting

Characters Present

Character Portrait: Hotaru Emirsdottir Character Portrait: Menou Koizumi Character Portrait: Yoite Arakaki Character Portrait: Akeno Furuya Character Portrait: Kujo Nobuyuki Character Portrait: Nagisa Makinami Character Portrait: Noa Arai Character Portrait: Kanade Takamine Character Portrait: Asagi Arakawa Character Portrait: Fuyumi Hirabayashi Character Portrait: Genji Yukitora Character Portrait: Tadakatsu Fukui Character Portrait: Kazuya Tamashiro

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When Kazuya commented on Noa's name sounding like a guy's name, Akeno could practically feel the murderous intent coming off of the normally reserved and quiet girl. Akeno was unfazed as she knew Noa well enough to expect that kind of thing and was honestly surprised Noa showed a tiny bit of patience at first.

"Noa's a bit sick so I don't advise going near her at the moment."

Noa grit her teeth as she forced the words out.

"Yes, I'm pleased to meet you as well, Tamashiro."

Akeno just shook her head and sighed. Noa was free to exert frustration on whoever she wished while Akeno had no such freedom. Still, around Kazuya and Noa, she could be at least a bit honest. Same went with Tadakatsu... who was close to passing out on a nearby chair put in front of the computer. Akeno just shook Tadakatsu.

"Katsu, you need to sleep in a bed."

Tadakatsu just grunted and got up.

"Where are the beds then?"

She guided both Tadakatsu and Kazuya to the fifth floor.

"Here's where the boys sleep and it's where you'll be sleeping, Katsu. You said your room was 502? You'll be with Madoka Ikeda."

Tadakatsu just shrugged as he opened the door to go inside. Akeno watched and sighed. It had been a long and emotional day and she needed rest. Still, she glanced over at Kazuya.

"Kazu? Before you go, I want to give you my number. Feel free to call me if you want to hang out or walk to school together. We should probably go to school together tomorrow so I can try to help you explore the campus a bit. Hopefully you have some of the same classes that I do."


Menou waved goodbye to Asagi as he left while walking up to her own room. She was a bit surprised to see that Hotaru was not in her room yet. Did she get hurt? As soon as she thought that, Hotaru came in with a happy smile.

"Ah, Menou-chan! How was your day?"

Menou blinked a bit before focusing on Hotaru.

"I think I got a job... I'm working alongside Asagi a bit."

Hotaru gasped a bit and hugged Menou tightly.

"That's great, Menou-chan! You have to let me know what it's like to work with a fashion designer!"

Menou just weakly giggled as she yawned. Hotaru blinked and let go.

"Go ahead and get some sleep, Menou-chan. I gotta catch up on some homework."

Menou just nodded before turning off the lights to pass out.


Yoite grinned.

"Abandoned areas are just too much fun to explore. So, which one did you check out first? Was there anything you got for a souvenir?"

The last part was more of a tease but he was curious about his adventures.


Fuyumi was exploring the campus as much as she could when she heard Kujo call for the blind newcomer. She then walked over to the source of his voice before stopping beside him.

"My apologies for not coming over here sooner. In any case, how may I assist?"

Setting

Characters Present

Character Portrait: Yoite Arakaki Character Portrait: Akeno Furuya Character Portrait: Kujo Nobuyuki Character Portrait: Fuyumi Hirabayashi Character Portrait: Genji Yukitora Character Portrait: Tadakatsu Fukui

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Akeno just stared at Kazuya, blushing a bit at the message.

"S-Sheesh, he certainly doesn't waste any time..."

Tadakatsu looked over at Akeno and smirked a bit.

"Good to see you're still impulsive."

Akeno turned to Tadakatsu, frowning a bit.

"Oh, shut up..."

"Remember the time you had a crush on me too?"

Akeno blushed harder.

"I was younger and didn't know any better, get off my back!"

Tadakatsu laughed a bit.

"Sure you were. Still, glad we got that mess past us."

"I'll say. It was so awkward the month after I confessed. Ugh, good thing we never dated."

Tadakatsu looked over at Akeno.

"Still, I'm sorry with what happened."

Akeno looked down, cheerful smile long faded.

"If I had the choice, I'd have gone to the hospital to visit but... your mother long since decided to keep us apart."

Akeno shook a bit and smiled weakly.

"It's fine... I know my role now. That's not exactly going to change any time soon, even if I got Kazu, Yoite and you as friends..."

Tadakatsu frowned a bit.

"Only guys? Man, Nakaoka was right, you are a slut."

Akeno puffed her cheeks to playfully smack Tadakatsu's back, causing him to laugh.

"Alright, alright, I'll shut up. Still, get some rest, alright? Maybe we can walk together in the morning."

Akeno nodded.

"That'd be great... welcome back, Katsu."

"Good to be back, cousin."

With that, Akeno went to her room to pass out.


Fuyumi focused her attention on Kujo with a small smile.

"I take it this is about your friend, Aziz?"

She hummed.

"I'm quite perceptive when it comes to this stuff. In any case, I was already planning on something. Would a lunch be sufficient? I'm planning on making some for the others too but should I include a note for Aziz to help him feel better?"

Fuyumi was already making mental notes.


Yoite laughed.

"I'm sure Aika-chan will love it."

He looked at the time and sighed.

"Time really does seem to pass. In any case, I'll tell you more about the dorm and the people in it tomorrow. I'm sure you're tired from the long day."

Setting

Characters Present

Character Portrait: Makoto Itsuna Character Portrait: Hotaru Emirsdottir Character Portrait: Menou Koizumi Character Portrait: Akeno Furuya Character Portrait: Tadakatsu Fukui Character Portrait: Kazuya Tamashiro

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Kurogane - 8:30 AM

Hotaru wrapped up her first class with a rather heavy sigh.

"Emirsdottir-san?"

She turned to see her classmate with a happy smile. A rather petite and mousy looking girl with long black hair.

"Mikoto-chan! Hi, what's up?"

Mikoto fidgeted a bit.

"Can you please walk me home today...? I'm... I'm a bit scared with the murders going around..."

She hummed.

"Yeah, I can! But, it doesn't seem too smart if just us girls walk together alone. We should probably get more people involved like someone from the student council? Or a boy at least."

Mikoto flinched a bit but nodded.

"Y-Yeah, Emirsdottir-san... B-But who should we ask though...?"

She grinned and took Mikoto's hand while looking around before finding her guy.

"Makoto-kun!"

She was lucky to have caught him when she did. Hotaru gestured to Mikoto.

"Mikoto-chan is a bit worried about going home alone with all the murders happening so she wants to tag along to see if she can come with you."

Mikoto fidgeted a lot.

"I-I'm terribly sorry to trouble you, sir..."


Blue Lotus- 10:00 AM

Menou continued to take her notes as the teacher online told her specific details about world history.

"And we're done for the day."

Menou blinked as she looked at the computer screen. Normally her teacher would teach her something for at least another hour before dismissing her for the day to get some lunch. She blinked at the teacher on the screen.

"Um... Fujino-sensei...? Did I do something wrong in note taking...?"

The woman blinked and smiled, shaking her head.

"Not at all, Menou-chan. There's just something that I'm concerned about with you..."

Menou winced. Was it the last test? Did she fail it?

"Menou-chan, from what I've seen of your work, you're an excellent student. You put a lot of effort into your studies and it's clear that you have a bright future ahead of you."

Menou suppressed a small wince. There was no future for her. She was going to kill herself come her next birthday and the only reason she put effort into her classes was because she wanted to leave with at least a couple of decent memories.

"That said... I wish you would come to a regular class at least once. I understand that you have bad social anxiety but shutting yourself away all day isn't the proper solution. Also, I need to know what kind of major you're going for. Someone with such a bright mind shouldn't isolate herself in her dorm all day."

Menou just froze. This was absolutely not what she was expecting at all. Did the teacher really want her to get out and interact with more people...? Menou almost couldn't bear the thought of it.

"You don't need to answer me right away, Menou-chan. I understand completely if you need time to think this through. Just... please, at least consider it."

Menou took a deep breath.

"I-If it helps... I-I got asked to help work alongside someone in my dorm for a job..."

The brown haired woman's face lit up as she clapped her hands.

"Oh, Menou-chan, that's terrific! How do you feel about it?"

Menou sighed.

"Nervous... Really, really nervous... But... It's for the best, I think..."

The teacher smiled and nodded in approval.

"I'm absolutely positive that you can do it. Be sure to let me know how it goes for you. When does it start?"

"N-Next week... I'm helping out with clothing..."

The teacher seemed a bit surprised.

"Oh, I was unaware that you were into fashion. Well, good luck anyway, Menou-chan. Be sure to eat something healthy for a change."

Menou sighed as Fujino logged off.

"Why couldn't she have been my mom instead...?"

Shaking the thought aside, Menou grabbed some pieces of fabric, some thread and a needle to try and sew something together.


Partisan Rose- 12:00 PM
Akeno sat down at a lunch table eating some of the food Fuyumi made for everyone. She noticed Tadakatsu had sat down next to her, yawning.

"Classes were just as boring as I remember them being. Ah, your attire..."

Akeno looked over at him with a small smile. She ended up wearing the same clothes she bought yesterday in an attempt to try something new. She also had her hair free from the usual bun it was in and wore glasses.

"I decided to try and look a bit more natural today. You'd be surprised at how many compliments I got from girls."

Tadakatsu shook his head.

"Actually, that isn't surprising. That one lesbian really had a thing for you back in music club."

Akeno sighed as Tadakatsu chuckled.

"Ugh, don't remind me of that... Still, wish I could just get my hair short so that it all fit perfectly."

Tadakatsu shrugged.

"Eh, your hair looks fine to me though you always did like short hair better."

Akeno nodded.

"Yeah. For me, short hair just means I don't have to look so much like a doll and can actually exist as my own type of person."

Tadakatsu nodded.

"Gotcha, gotcha. In any case, is your teacher always a giant flirt?"

Akeno just hid her face in her arms while Tadakatsu stared at her.

"That's a yes, I take it. Jesus..."

Akeno just looked up to type away at her phone.

"You're gonna have to get used to it. I'm honestly surprised he didn't chew you out just for being a male."

Tadakatsu shook his head.

"I don't think he really cares about male students. He just favors females. In any case, you gonna walk back with that Kazuya guy?"

Akeno nodded.

"Yeah. He wants to find more detours and honestly, I'm the same. I had a lot of fun shopping yesterday. Plus, I'd like to get to know him more."

Tadakatsu shook his head with a small laugh.

"Yeah, well you kids better not have too much fun."

Akeno weakly but genuinely smiled at him.

"You dork, you're younger than us! Still, there's one thing that bugs me though..."

Tadakatsu raised an eyebrow but gave her his full attention. Akeno took the time to load up the text message from Kazuya and Tadakatsu read it to himself with a frown.

"Being stalked by someone who doesn't exist...? You think it's a ghost or something?"

He handed the phone back to Akeno so she could answer.

"I don't know... But whatever it is, it's really worrisome to me... I think it might have something to do with the murders going on to Kurogane students..."

Tadakatsu shook his head.

"That's probably a giant stretch. Still, you should be a bit on guard just in case someone jumps out at you two."

"Same here... I just got you back, Katsu. I don't want to lose you again..."

Tadakatsu smiled a bit and ruffled her hair.

"Don't worry. Now that I'm back, you won't get rid of me even if you want to."

Akeno pushed his hand off before smiling a bit at him.

"Thank you... In any case, we should get back to class..."

Tadakatsu nodded.

"Yeah. Wouldn't want you to be late and keep your boyfriend waiting."

He laughed as Akeno berated him as they walked back to class.

Setting

Characters Present

Character Portrait: Hotaru Emirsdottir Character Portrait: Menou Koizumi Character Portrait: Yoite Arakaki Character Portrait: Akeno Furuya Character Portrait: Kujo Nobuyuki Character Portrait: Noa Arai Character Portrait: Asagi Arakawa Character Portrait: Misaka Amamiya Character Portrait: Fuyumi Hirabayashi Character Portrait: Tadakatsu Fukui Character Portrait: Kazuya Tamashiro

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Blue Lotus - 4:25 PM

Hotaru's eyes widened in excitement over Misaka's good news. She then hugged Misaka tightly.

"Yes~!! The squad's getting back together again~!"

She then quickly let go to flash Misaka a happy smile.

"What time is soon, Misa-chan? Is it tomorrow, Friday, Saturday, Sunday? Details, Misa-chan~"

The last sentence was spoken as a small whine but the smile didn't deflate at all. She was excited to see her best friend again.


Old Black Rose - 4:30 PM

Akeno just laughed a little as Kazuya came back with a bunch of stuff for the sandwiches.

"Here... Why don't I help out with that?'

Akeno took the food from his arms to place on the table when she soon heard the door open. She glanced over to see Tadakatsu yawning.

"O-Oh, Katsu..."

Tadakatsu waved lazily with a small smirk.

"So, what're you two up to now?"

Akeno quickly put the food on the table to talk.

"Oh, me and Kazu? He's teaching me how to make sandwiches for the upcoming parent teacher meeting. How about you? You wanna be our guinea pig?"

Tadakatsu raised an eyebrow before sitting down at a table.

"I get the feeling it's more like I'm your guinea pig. Still, I'm down. Haven't eaten in a while so maybe you'll turn out something decent, Akeno."

Akeno pouted a bit.

"We'll just have to see how good of a teacher Kazu is."

Tadakatsu focused his gaze on Kazuya.

"I guess we will..."


Kurogane Technical Institute - 3:30 PM

Fuyumi listened in to Kujo's comments, giggling a little over him not knowing that strawberries were fruit. She guessed he thought they were a type of vegetable. Still, she seemed excited over going out to enjoy the boxed lunch she made.

"Then please, lead the way to where we can enjoy the boxed lunch~"

She then heard Kujo say that she should try and get to know the other dorm members a bit better. She hummed a little.

"Well, are there any tips on dorm members? Who should I avoid and who should I talk to often and what not?"

She trusted his judgement enough on those types of matters at least.


Blue Lotus - 4:20 PM

Menou sighed in relief as Asagi held her hand. The action made her calm down at least a little bit. She tried to assure herself that she could do it and that Asagi would be there to help her out.

"Y-Yeah... I'm free on Saturday and Sunday. I don't mind coming over for some advice and practice..."

She felt a little more sure of herself after that. This was something she was going to do. She had to do it otherwise she couldn't move forward. Menou Koizumi was determined.


Blue Lotus - 4:45 PM
Noa sighed in relief.

"That's all I know about Marie Kosuki, Kyoko Akiyama, and Megumi Harada."

It was, in all honesty, not much. She had never truly interacted with any of them before and felt frustrated that she didn't get anything aside from names, what their ages were and where they were murdered. Noa wanted them to be remembered as people, not as victims.

"Dammit..."

She then heard a soft knock at the door to her room. Opening it, she saw Yoite. He flashed her a small grin, waving.

"Yo."

Noa blinked.

"Arakaki? What are you doing here?"

Yoite stepped inside.

"I figured you would be in here. I wanted to see how you were doing after the murder of Tatara Isuko-san."

Noa sighed in relief.

"So, you recognize that it was a murder as well. People probably are already tossing it away as a suicide but who jumps from a high place just to scream on their way down if they truly believed that their death was the only option they had left?"

Yoite ruffled Noa's hair a little.

"You're already hard at work, hm? Well, I'm hopeful that whoever did this gets put away for a long- Ah..."

Noa noticed that Yoite had seen her tribute to the deceased and frowned.

"Arakaki, it's rude to peer over someone's work."

Yoite blinked and looked away with a small laugh.

"I'm sorry. Still, I noticed you had the names of those who died over these past three years to the killer."

Noa sighed and sat down on her bed.

"So, you noticed... I can't just let this guy keep doing this. His killings paint him in the limelight while all those who died are just glanced over as numbers. That isn't right. They were people as well and they need to be remembered more than ever. Their dreams were so close to being achieved only for scum to snuff it out? It's completely unfair. That's why I'm going to create this newspaper to honor the deceased."

Yoite smiled a little.

"That's admirable of you, Noa-chan. Still, you don't really know any of these people, do you?"

Noa looked down with a small frown.

"Unfortunately, I do not. I'm hoping to get information about them from family members, friends, teachers even."

"Let's start with Megumi Harada then because that's a name I haven't heard of in a long time."

Noa looked up at Yoite, mild surprise on her face.

"You know of Harada-san?"

Yoite offered Noa a small smile.

"Sure do. But, I'll tell you more about it when we get some dinner."

Noa frowned a little.

"This sounds a lot like extortion. I won't forgive you if you try to swindle your way into free food."

Yoite shook his head with a small and disappointed sigh.

"Why do you assume the worst of me? But, no, I can pay for my own food. I just wanted to treat you too since you seem so lonely in the dorm."

Noa looked to the floor with a small frown.

"I can handle my loneliness just fine, thank you..."

"Even so, just give this outing a shot. Who knows? You might like it."

Noa looked at Yoite before sighing.

"Very well..."

Yoite smiled at Noa.

"You made a very wise decision. Come on, to Uzamaki's."

Noa blinked.

"Uzamaki's is a ramen house. Were you craving ramen?"

Yoite nodded.

"Yeah, though I didn't want to make some instant ramen. Besides, sitting in a ramen house with a friend to enjoy it with is a lot more fun than sitting in there all by yourself."

Noa blushed a little.

"Y-You'd consider me a friend?"

"Yeah, of course."

Yoite flashed Noa a warm smile.

"Come on, then. Let's see if we can beat the rush hour."

Noa nodded as they left the dorm.


Uzamaki's Ramen Hut - 5:10 PM

Yoite sighed in relief as they sat at a table.

"I didn't think we'd even get past the doors..."

Noa shook her head with a small laugh.

"Apparently, a lot of people had a similar idea."

Yoite just froze a little, causing Noa to worry somewhat.

"Erm... Are you okay, Arakaki?"

"Huh? O-Oh, yeah. I just don't think I've ever heard you laugh before."

Noa shook her head.

"I'm perfectly capable of showing as much emotion as everyone else, Arakaki."

"I know. You should actually laugh and smile more often. It looks nice on you."

Noa's face turned a bit red as Yoite smiled smoothly at her. Noa just glanced away with a small huff.

"N-No it doesn't, you smooth talker."

Yoite just laughed a little as the waiter presented them their drinks. When they ordered their ramen, Noa calmed down enough to focus on Yoite.

"Now then. Please, tell me everything you know about Miss Megumi Harada."

Yoite sighed in nostalgia.

"God, where do I start? Well, we knew each other from when we were both freshmen. She went to Kurogane Technical and I went to St. Gabriels. We hung out with this one guy named Kazuto Itou. Megumi and Kazuto instantly clicked and we all hung out a lot after school. Megumi always had this dream of becoming a CEO for an important phone company. She was almost like you in a sense, Noa-chan."

Noa wrote the information down.

"I'm flattered to hear that but I highly doubt I'm in the position to become a CEO. My ultimate goal is to become a lawyer. But, what else can you tell me about Harada?"

Yoite smiled a little.

"Well, she was a quiet but intense type of person. You can almost never tell what she's thinking but when it comes to her work ethic, she gives it 100% every single time. Kazuto liked her a lot and the two were dating since their sophomore years. About a year ago, Kazuto planned on proposing to her but... Megumi was dead once he got to her home..."

Yoite shook his head, sighing.

"She liked cats better than she did dogs and we even once joked that she would be a crazy cat lady when she got a home all to herself. She always dressed in some type of suit or business wear and her hair was almost always up in a bun. We kinda thought she wanted to be an adult faster than anyone else. It was amazing how well together she was and how set she was towards her goals... Which only made her death that much harder to swallow... I, uh, I'm sorry. I can't really talk about her anymore."

Noa put down her pen and paper, looking at Yoite.

"I understand. It's only natural that you're still going through a lot of grief. Thank you very much for the information, Arakaki."

She then looked at Yoite in the eye.

"Arakaki. I promise you that I will do everything in my power to help Megumi Harada be remembered for the silent yet strong person she was. When the guy who killed her is caught, I'm certain he'll pay for his crimes."

Yoite looked back at Noa with a weary but genuine smile.

"Thank you, Noa-chan..."

Noa was about to say something else to try and help him but quickly stopped her thoughts when she heard the shrill voices of three girls. They were from Kurogane Technical and talking about the death of Tatara Isuko. She could take the insult to herself no problem. She was already used to people having a low opinion on her and she only cared about how her family felt about her anyway. Those girls probably only got into the school anyway because their parents bought their way to success.

What had irritated her though was one of the girls trivializing her murder as a suicide and even trivializing said suicide.

"Who the hell does she think she is...?"

Yoite noticed that Noa was getting angry and gently squeezed her hand.

"Noa-chan, calm down. She's not worth it. She'll eat her words once the guy that killed her is caught. Still, she does need to have some empathy. Even if she did commit suicide, what kind of person says such cruel things about someone who felt life was so hopeless that she would take her own life?"

Noa felt somewhat better by his words and sighed. People were a lot crueler than she had once thought.

Setting

Characters Present

Character Portrait: Laeticia "Cel" Concepcion Character Portrait: Makoto Itsuna Character Portrait: Menou Koizumi Character Portrait: Yoite Arakaki Character Portrait: Akeno Furuya Character Portrait: Noa Arai Character Portrait: Asagi Arakawa Character Portrait: Kirika Katsuragi Character Portrait: Tadakatsu Fukui Character Portrait: Kazuya Tamashiro

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Room 307 - 4:30 PM

Asagi stayed for a little while just until Menou could find the determination within her. When she said she was coming to practice with him, Asagi finally felt a feeling of relief wash over him.

"Alright. Well, since I'm not here as an official visit and as as far as both my organs and chromosomes goes, I'm still a guy so--" With a satisfied nod, Asagi got up to collect his things. "I technically can't linger too long in the girl's floor. I'll see you on the weekends then?"

Before he left though, he decided to leave one of the concept art references to Menou. It was of a female elf with rather simple looking casual attire--as far as "simple elf attires" go.

"I'll leave you this for the moment. Based from my scans, this is probably the easiest one. Our formal lessons start on the weekend but, I figured you might want to get a headstart. After all, you do strike me as someone with initiative."

Asagi gave Menou a smile and a wink before heading back out.

"See ya Koizumi-san! Oh, and if you have any questions, just call in~"



(OOC: Time skip equalizer. Let's just say the remaining minutes were spent with Akeno and Kazuya making the sandwiches.)

Old Black Rose - 5:00 PM

Just as the two were finishing up with the sandwiches, Tadakatsu, Akeno's cousin arrived to seat down with them. Kazuya watch the two get to talking for a bit, with Akeno offering to let him try their recipe. Kazuya just smiled.

"That's right Akeno-chan! We'll use this guy as our experimental unit for these top-secret sandwich recipes! Now, let him have it! Let him be blown by the power of this sandwich of friendship!" Kazuya encouraged Akeno, making himself look like some shonen protagonist as he did.

"What power of friendship?" Just as the three got settled in, the girl herself made her appearance.

"Hey! If you're not going to come, you should've at least given me a call!" Kazuya talked back to Kirika upon her arrival. "You should've spared me and Akeno-chan the trouble of walking!"

"You seemed like you had fun though. And Furuya-kun's a resident here so she would naturally walk back here."

"Well you see--huh? What do you mean I had fun?"

"Making these." Kirika pointed at the sandwiches he made with Akeno. It wasn't what she was really referring to though.

"Huh? Oh, yeah! I decided to call these 'friendship sandwiches'! Haha! It's got a catchy ring to it if I say so myself! Perfectly compliments the theme of the new cafe." Kazuya once again, looked rather proud of himself. Kirika just sighed and reached for one to try,

"Akeno made that one. Just to let you know." Kazuya informed her. "If you ask me--they're pretty good!"

Kirika gave the sandwich a small bite, taking in the flavor of the whole thing. Having taken that bite, she gently set the sandwich down on the plate. "It's not the same..."

"What! That can't be--I guided her every step of the way!" Kazuya protested.

"You don't understand. Even I can do the same thing. Add in the same amount of mayonnaise, use the same bread and tuna, toss it the same number of times and the result will still be different. You're the only one who can make sandwiches that tastes like yours." Kirika explained.

"Oh...I see..." Kazuya quited down. He never really saw it that way. "Uhh...thanks, I guess?"

"That wasn't a compliment...On a more objective note, her sandwiches tastes better than yours."

"WHAT?!" Kazuya then quickly turns to Akeno. "Don't tell me...you've quickly attained the skill that rivals the sandwich god's in such a short amount of time?"

"Doesn't matter. I'm only hiring you for drinks anyway." Kirika sighed and got up.

"Wha--? But I thought you said--"

"I asked you to come work for me. I didn't say you also had to make the menu."

"Well, what are you going to do about the food then? As far as I recall, your cooking tastes like shit!"

"I planned on getting a professional chef to do that. Anyway, there's nothing for you to do today so you can go now."

"Well I suppose..." Kazuya scratches his head. "I want to lounge around here a bit longer though. Is it alright?"

Kirika just looked at the three before turning away. "Knock yourself out." Kirika just resigned to herself and headed back downstairs to the lobby.

"Great! Oh and can you tell Mitsuru--?" He was about to remind her about his visit log but Kirika just signalled that she'll take care of it. With her gone, he turned back to the two. "Alright so, what's the verdict, Akeno's cousin?"


Uzamaki Ramen Hut - 5:10 PM

"Itsuna-kun...do you have something against Taich-san?"

"Taichi-san, what do you mean something to show him?"

The girl's focus then turns to the two boys, seeing as the two stand off against each other like two angry lions ready to pounce. Makoto kept his steady gaze while Taichi kept grinning to himself.

"Don't think this is the right venue to talk about that though."

"Why not? I mean, you guys have already been chatting about it earlier." The girls groaned when they heard that. "And laughing about it, as far as I remember."

Hearing that, Taichi got up and walked towards the younger male.

"Oh sorry. Forgot how you're the most 'moral and upright' person here in this room for a moment--"

Makoto let out a slight chuckle. "Well, I wouldn't say I'm the most decent person in this room but I'm at least more decent than you and the others there on your table."

"Haha, always have your own comeback huh?" Taichi likewise, let out a slight chuckle before turning to the girls. "Sorry, but he and I have some things to talk about. Can I ask you ladies to leave for now? I'll pick up the bill and we can hang out at The Sagittarius tomorrow."

Hearing him say that, the girls promptly collected their stuff and left, bidding Taichi their 'goodbyes' and 'see you laters' as they passed. Makoto wondered how Taichi could have gotten this popular at Kurogane. It was difficult enough to stand out as it is. He glanced back at Cel.

"Cel-san, is it okay if--"

Cel just nodded though...

"Don't worry it's fine. I'm not leaving yet though. Haven't had my fill of ramen yet." Cel answered him back with a confident smile, putting Makoto at ease. He wouldn't be alone at the very least.

"Hey, Makoto--!"

"Not my decision. I can't force her." Makoto placed his arms up when he said it.

"Tch, fine. Come with me outside. I'll show you what I meant."

As the two boys were walking out the hall, Makoto espied a familiar couple down on one of the tables, recognizing them to be Noa and Yoite. Makoto wondered when they got there, or if they managed to catch wind of the little commotion he had with Taichi and his group. On the other hand, Taichi just grinned before speaking up.

"Well? You curious or something?" He practically yelled before heading out, followed by Makoto. Clearly, he was urging her to follow as well.

He probably wanted her to see what he got as well.

Setting

Characters Present

Character Portrait: Makoto Itsuna Character Portrait: Hotaru Emirsdottir Character Portrait: Menou Koizumi Character Portrait: Yoite Arakaki Character Portrait: Akeno Furuya Character Portrait: Kujo Nobuyuki Character Portrait: Noa Arai Character Portrait: Asagi Arakawa Character Portrait: Misaka Amamiya Character Portrait: Fuyumi Hirabayashi Character Portrait: Kirika Katsuragi Character Portrait: Tadakatsu Fukui Character Portrait: Kazuya Tamashiro

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Blue Lotus - 4:25 PM

Hotaru jumped up and down, cheering happily in delight.

"Yes~! We're so close to seeing Yu again~!"

Hotaru listened to Misaka's concern and flashed her a gentle and reassuring smile.

"I'm sure you'll be able to see the other band members again. Maybe Raven will even be around so we can say hi to her."


Amagi Playground - 4:00 PM

Fuyumi listened carefully to his words. So, she should hang out with Aziz, Nagisa, Cel, Hotaru and maybe Akeno while avoiding Madoka, Arai and Kanade like the plague. She supposed she could do that but wouldn't Arai or Madoka be lonely?

"I appreciate your advice. Thank you very much, Mr. Nobuyuki. In any case, it sounds like you're enjoying your food. Can you please share with me what you liked or disliked about my dish? I'm looking to improve in my craft and create foods that everyone can enjoy."


Blue Lotus - 4:30 PM

Menou just nodded as Asagi told her he needed to go due to the dorm policy.

"I'm glad you're following the rules. I-I wouldn't want you to get in trouble... I'll do my best with the elf costume. See you later..."

When Asagi did leave, she looked at the elf costume and sighed. She could do this. She had to... otherwise, she wouldn't be able to move forward.


Old Black Rose - 5:00 PM

Akeno sighed in relief when Kirika told her that her sandwiches were good. At least she got that right despite being a first time chef.

"Thank you very much, Kirika-san..."

While Kirika scolded Kazuya, Tadakatsu stared at her. Something about what she said earlier bugged him. She said that Kazuya and Akeno looked like they were having fun but changed the subject to them making sandwiches. He figured that Kazuya was the simple type as he immediately took the change in subject with no questions asked and he knew with how absolutely low Akeno valued herself, she was going to listen to anyone even if they lied to her face. However, Tadakatsu wasn't so easy to convince as others. His thoughts were interrupted when Kazuya asked how the sandwiches tasted.

"Huh? Oh... Well, I thought they were pretty good myself. But, I'm not much of a sandwich guy so take my opinion with a pinch of salt."

"You mean, you aren't much of an anything guy. Kazu, with Katsu, I don't think I've seen him have any higher reaction to food other than "it's alright, I guess". But, at the very least, the sandwiches didn't go to waste~"

Tadakatsu nodded a bit.

"I'm gonna go take care of some things in the lobby. You guys have fun."

With that, Tadakatsu left, causing Akeno to look after him, worry in her eyes.


Blue Lotus Lobby - 5:05 PM

When Tadakatsu made it to the lobby, he looked around for the black haired girl. He needed to see if she could be trusted or not. Once he found the red hair ribbons, he approached her.

"Hey."

Tadakatsu stretched a bit.

"I'm gonna need to ask you a couple of questions. Wanna answer them?"


Uzamaki Ramen Hut - 5:10 PM

Noa sighed as Taichi and Makoto were leaving. Before they left, apparently Taichi found something important that he wanted to show them.

"He could do better than to just yell it. I can hear him just fine."

"You should get going."

Noa raised an eyebrow.

"The victims are my primary concern, not my president."

Yoite smiled a bit.

"I know, but it could be related to the victims and you could always use more information."

Noa thought for a bit then sighed.

"Very well. I'm sorry to have brought up painful memories."

"Heh, nothing I can't handle. Just be safe, Noa-chan."

With that, Noa left Yoite to follow Makoto and Taichi.

"Well, we're following you. So, what did you wish to show us, Mr. Vice President?"

Setting

Characters Present

Character Portrait: Laeticia "Cel" Concepcion Character Portrait: Makoto Itsuna Character Portrait: Yoite Arakaki Character Portrait: Akeno Furuya Character Portrait: Noa Arai Character Portrait: Kirika Katsuragi Character Portrait: Tadakatsu Fukui Character Portrait: Kazuya Tamashiro Character Portrait: Kazenari Tohsaka

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Old Black Rose - 5:05 PM

"You seem worried there Akeno-chan." Kazuya asked, a little concern at how Akeno's gaze followed her cousin all the way downstairs. Perhaps he found it a little unusual since he never got along with his cousins? Well, it wasn't like every family was like his which is why he felt like he wanted to understand her a bit more so he sat down beside Akeno. "Hey, you never told me what your family is like. You said your mom prefers tea over coffee--hmm...could you be...part-British?"

Kazuya wondered. He didn't really know Akeno's family background that much. "We would be able to prepare well in advance if we knew about it. If they're from British descent then I can just throw down random stuff and they'll surely love it! Their cuisine's quite bland anyway so--hahaha! Or I can do a simple bacon and eggs right haha!"



Blue Lotus Lobby - 5:05 PM

Kirika heard Akeno's cousin follow her downstairs, just as she finished sorting out Kazuya's visitor pass with Ritsuka. She recalled him being a newcomer to the dorm--only yesterday in fact.

"What is it? If it's about the guidelines or facilities then you'd be better off asking my brother--he's the one who owns this place anyway."

Kirika likewise, voices out the first thought that crossed her mind.



Uzamaki Ramen Hut - 5:15 PM

Having followed Taichi outside just by the parking lot, Makoto stood by with Noa. He could see the table he shared with Cel by the window. It seemed like their orders haven't been sent out yet. He caught Cel's attention and the woman just nodded at him.

"Well, Shirazumi-san--" Makoto started.

"You're quite rude huh?" Taichi calmly jabs at him. "Mere historian ordering me around and ruining my little dinner plans."

"I don't know. Those girls seemed to be hooked on to you already. Bet they're already at your beck and call at all times anyway."

"You're quite mean Itsuna-kun. Those girls lead way more interesting and colorful lives than both of you. Don't look down on them just because you're on the council--you don't know what's going on with their lives." Taichi steps up for the ladies earlier. "Besides, they have given me some important information prior to your coming here. Information related to what I am about to show you."

Makoto felt a little stung by Taichi's words. He's just done one thing he didn't like others doing to him. He cursed himself for coming to assumptions too quickly but nonetheless kept his calm. It wasn't the time for self-loathing now. Not when lives are involved.

"Yeah that. I suppose it has something to do with what you were telling me earlier?"

"Yes." Taichi paced around as he talked. Despite nearing rush hour, Nocturne Alley was quite empty of people. "Those girls were Tatara Isuko's classmates. If we are to believe what they just told me, then they were with the victim two hours before she--well, before it happened."

"What?" Makoto was surprised. From what he heard from Noa, none of the students at the time bothered to speak up.

"Yeah. I wasn't just here with them to satisfy my own ego. Besides, didn't Tohsaka wanted us to use every means at our disposal to help stop these string of murders? So don't judge me. Anyway--according to them, Tatara Isuko had already been acting paranoid since morning. She would always turn back as she walked, like someone was following her."

"Like a stalker?" Makoto suggested.

"Maybe. Those girls also said she missed two classes today. I don't know. We'll have to check the attendance sheets to find out. Anyway, the last time they saw her was in the cafeteria. And yes, she still seemed to think someone was following her."

Makoto pondered over Taichi's story. "Is that it? Have they talked to her or anything?"

"No. Based from what they say, Tatara Isuko didn't seem too likeable among the girls in the class." Taichi glanced at Noa before resuming his tale. "She was your typical stuck-up, by-the-book girl in the class apparently. She would often reprimand her other classmates for even the most trivial of things. Wouldn't actually be surprised if the murderer was someone from their class."

"Shirazumi--!"

"Well, am I wrong? Sometimes the victims aren't always your good little angels who's well loved by everyone. Anyway, it at least starts to make sense. Considering what I dug up just after Wakaba Mutsu's death yesterday."

"And that is?"

Hearing that, Taichi took out his phone and started heading to the folder where he kept his screenshots. He hands it to Makoto who immediately started scanning the images.

The screenshots were of a forum discussion website. And the particular thread Taichi dug up was practically a thread where people talk about the students they hated anonymously. The subjects were explicitly named and the reasons why the poster hated them were explicitly highlighted.

And there were a lot. The first victim, Kyoko Akiyama who was killed two years ago seemed to be disliked for being the girlfriend of some guy from another school. Wakaba Mutsu was hated on for her grades while Megumi Harada well--the people commenting bad things seemed to be mad at the fact that she was able to get into Kurogane Technical. Makoto assumed they were former classmates or people from her old school. It was a deep hole Taichi's dug alright.

"A forum where people talk about hating on other people...a revenge website..." Makoto realized. Taichi just smirked to himself.

"Makes sense doesn't it? Almost all the victims so far had been discussed there at some point. My guess is that this how the killer found his targets."

"I see...wait, why would you tell those girls that Tatara-san committed suicide then?"

"Hey, haven't you been listening? I already slipped when I jokingly accused one of them to be the murderer haven't I? Had I not made that joke then if the killer had been one of those then I would have ended up dead and you wouldn't have your lead." Taichi explains his actions.

"You were a little too loud though. Was that part of the plan as well?"

"Oh that?" Taichi chuckled. "No. That was a jab at the stupid school's image. Allow me my indulgences, Itsuna-kun."

Having heard Taichi out, Makoto continued browsing through the other images, making a couple more chilling discoveries. While he was preoccupied, Taichi turns to Noa again with a sly smirk on his face.

"Well, Miss Treasurer? Do you have your own questions?"



The Sagittarius - 5:45 PM

The Sagittarius was a rather classy joint mainly patronized by people coming from the upper class. Located at the third floor of Emerald Gardens, it was right near trendy and classy clothes and furniture shops--most of which beyond the budget of the ordinary student. It was a restaurant mainly dealing with Nordic dishes and the whole place was decorated like a fancy mess hall inside a fancy cruise ship with framed photos of Norway sights and sounds.

Kazenari had arrived earlier then their supposed meeting time in order to secure a spot and was relieved to find that at least only six of twenty tables were occupied with customers.

She was dressed in her usual casual attire consisting of a white dress shirt and pants. She also had a brown jacket on. All-in-all, nothing to give away the fact that she was from Kurogane Technical much less its Student Council president. She casually approached the receptionist and asked for a table.

"Good evening and welcome to The Sagittarius mam!" A mild-mannered, well-dressed gentleman welcomed her.

"Good evening. Table for two please?" Kazenari asks. The man looked around to see if anyone was following and upon seeing no one, assumed she would be waiting for someone.

"Right this way please."

The man seated her at a cozy table with a view of the window. Seeing that the man, she was meeting with hadn't arrived yet, she had went ahead and ordered when the server arrived, in order to speed things along once the man arrives.

Setting

Characters Present

Character Portrait: Makoto Itsuna Character Portrait: Hotaru Emirsdottir Character Portrait: Akeno Furuya Character Portrait: Kujo Nobuyuki Character Portrait: Noa Arai Character Portrait: Misaka Amamiya Character Portrait: Fuyumi Hirabayashi Character Portrait: Kirika Katsuragi Character Portrait: Tadakatsu Fukui Character Portrait: Kazuya Tamashiro

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Blue Lotus - 4:25 PM

Hotaru nodded in excitement.

"Definitely~! I'm sure we could all get some experience in since we're all so rusty."


Amagi Playground - 4:05 PM

"Hm...? Ah, yes. It should be getting darker by now. I'd love some assistance."

She reached her hand up for Kujo to help pull her up.


Blue Lotus Lobby - 5:05 PM

Tadakatsu shook his head.

"No, it's got nothing to do with that. I'll figure all that stuff out on my own. It's just something you said that's bugging me."

He looked her in the eye.

"Kazuya mentioned earlier that if you weren't going to show up, you should have called him so he and Akeno wouldn't walk. You told him that it looked like the two of them were having fun together, but when Kazuya asked about what, you said they looked like they were having fun making sandwiches."

Tadakatsu shrugged.

"Now, it could be that you got here super early and decided to watch Kazuya and Akeno make sandwiches together, but somehow I'm thinking you saw Akeno and Kazuya walk home together."

He shifted his gaze back onto Kirika.

"Am I wrong?"


Old Black Rose - 5:05 PM

Akeno was silent for a bit. Kazuya had questioned her family life. So many painful memories surfaced up for her and she grit her teeth in a desperate attempt to suppress them. In any case, Kazuya seemed convinced that Akeno came from a British descent. She could at least answer that much.

"No, not really. My mother wanted to be from a British family but we're all Japanese. Still, my mother wanted us to have the classiness of European families, complete with perfect daughter, perfect husband, perfect house... Everything had to be perfect in the public eye."

She shook her head a bit.

"You mentioned earlier about images? My mother wanted to keep an image with her at all times. She wanted us to appear as the top of the food chain; the one all other families looked at in envy with the perfect daughter as the centerpiece. She never let me do much outside of reading textbooks, get to the top of the class and dress in a particular style."

She looked down at her table.

"I only got a break from all that thanks to my Dad. He took me to a music club without my mother knowing. It was thanks to music club that I really got to know Katsu. We already knew each other as kids and met up often enough, but..."

She sighed. No, she wouldn't tell him what happened between the family that night.

"Things happened and we were separated. I ended up being home schooled up until college and now that I've finally met Katsu again, he's distant... I'm worried about him..."

She shook a bit, keeping her tears back.


Uzamaki Ramen Hut - 5:15 PM

Noa took a hard look at the pictures her Vice President showed her. Her face was the usual blank look as she studied over them carefully.

"I'm going to need the website's domain. If we can somehow track it down, we might have a lead on our hands."

She glanced at both males.

"Think about it. How else would the killer target these girls specifically? It has to be because he's either watching the site or runs the site himself."

She then focused her stare at Taichi.

"Mr. Vice President. Since you visited the forum, has my name come up? I'm almost 90% positive I'm in there in some way or form because of my abrasive attitude."

She played a bit with her hair.

"If so, we can use this to our advantage and plan to get him arrested at the time of the killing."

Setting

Characters Present

Character Portrait: Laeticia "Cel" Concepcion Character Portrait: Makoto Itsuna Character Portrait: Yoite Arakaki Character Portrait: Akeno Furuya Character Portrait: Noa Arai Character Portrait: Kirika Katsuragi Character Portrait: Tadakatsu Fukui Character Portrait: Kazuya Tamashiro Character Portrait: Kazenari Tohsaka Character Portrait: Hayato Morikawa

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Old Black Rose - 5:20 PM

Kazuya listened in attentively to Akeno's tale. The girl confessed to having a difficult family life with a very strict mother, and about having to live up to expectations so that other families may look up to them. He also felt bad about nonchalantly asking about her family without knowing the full story.

"Sorry." Kazuya started with an apology once Akeno finished her tale. "I didn't know and I just kept asking." He patted her on the shoulder. "Hey! I bet they'll be surprised once they see you on Friday! You can make sandwiches that are as good as mine (clearly, he did not agree with Kirika's assessment XD) and have a renewed, modern fashion sense! All of it the result of your experiences in this place. And not to brag but you also have me as a new friend so your circle of friends have just grown by one! That's good progress isn't it?" Kazuya asks her with a smile.

Still, he wondered about the mindset they took with regards to their family. Why the Brits of all people? The culture between the two were too far apart. Second, he couldn't exactly get the whole "perfect" daughter part. How would they expect people to see Akeno more if she can't be exposed to things that could develop her skills? Akeno also expressed concern with regards to the distance between her and Kazuya and seemed rather upset about it.

"Hmm...well your cousin seems like the distant, quiet sort..." Kazuya thought of what they can do to bond and get closer again. "Ah! How about you do a Seven Mysteries thing!"

Kazuya looked back at her to see if she was still following. "Back from where I came from, almost every place has mysteries associated with it, with seven being the most common. I'm sure there are some in here too! Yep, I think it's the perfect past time to share with that quiet guy! Yep!"

Kazuya crossed his arms, looking rather proud. Had his father been around, he was sure he would praise him for that idea. "So...don't feel too bad now okay? I'm always around to talk if you need me. Except maybe at 12 midnight to 6 in the morning since I'll be asleep hehe!"


Blue Lotus Lobby - 5:10 PM

Surprisingly, Tadakatsu didn't ask about things related to the dorm. Rather, his questions were about her mention of Kazuya and Akeno having fun. He thought she saw them walking home together and that was probably what she referred to. Admittedly, she didn't like the boy's tone and his choice of words. It was almost like he was accusing her of something.

"And? What if I did?" Nonetheless, Kirika asks in her usual uninterested tone of voice. "Does it concern or bother you in any way?"



Uzamaki Ramen Hut - 5:20 PM

"Hmm...getting to the bottom of this by tracking the website's domain isn't easy..." Makoto expresses his thoughts about Noa's idea. "First off, this forum site's pretty big with multiple threads dealing with a variety of subjects. The site may as well be located abroad."

"Yeah. Besides, the whole thing started with a simple discussion of "Do you have stories about people you hate at school?". Kind of like a chain letter. Once someone revs it up, it just gets going and going as people started talking. Pretty soon, everyone is explicitly mentioning names and other stuff." Taichi added.

"As far as everything's concerned, the site nor the site owner's not the problem. Rather, it's the ones sharing stories."

"Which is practically 75% of the student body from all three universities--even more."

Next thing Noa expressed her concern about is whether or not her name has popped up in the lists. Makoto turns to Taichi about this, given that he was the one who found the site first. It is also where his next concern lay.

"I haven't had the time to give the threads an in-depth look. The only reason I brought this up was because Tatara, Wakaba, Akiyama and Harada were explicitly named. It is possible they've been discussing you anonymously..." Taichi smirked again. "But yes, I think I've found your name dropped at a thread just before I stumbled into Wakaba's thread."

"Seriously?" Even Makoto was surprised.

"Yes. And so is my name and Tohsaka's. It's a venting site Itsuna-kun, what do you expect?" Taichi explained. "Well is that it? I'll need more time if I am to check this out any further. Most importantly, I've yet to bring it up with Tohsaka--

"I have one." Makoto finally speaks up his doubts. "How did you stumble upon this site Shirazumi-san? I don't think this would've popped up normally when you look it up. Is it possible that you've been posting here as well?"

"Of course not. I don't have anyone I hate in particular." Taichi sighed though he grinned again when he glanced at Noa. "Well maybe one or two but I have enough balls to tell it to their faces. No, I stumbled upon this the old fashioned way. I asked people."

"Asked which people?"

"You know who. The ones in that 'other place'? The one place we are never welcomed fondly?" Taichi's words immediately sunk in once Makoto realized what he was talking about.

"No way."

Taichi just chuckled. "You guys need to get your heads out of the books and explore the real world. You'd be astonished at what you'll find. Well, I reckon you know it now so I'll be taking my leave. Good night!"

And with that, Taichi Shirazumi disappeared into the night.

"In this city, there is one such place as what Taichi described." Makoto muttered within Noa's earshot. "A place where Kurogane students like ourselves aren't welcomed with open arms. Do you know what it is Arai-san?"



The Sagittarius - 5:50 PM

"Ah, there you are. I ordered for us if you don't mind. And don't worry, let me foot the bill for this night." Kazenari greeted the man from earlier. Like her, he had come to that place dressed casually and as far as Kazenari's eye could tell, nothing to declare that he was a member of a gang in the city. He arrived early as well.

A good first impression overall. Likewise, the man immediately got straight to the point by telling her how the Hounds have gotten riled up over the deaths. Knight's Sector is also the belt where most of the schools are located so the potential for the chaos to spiral out of control was very high.

"Yes. However, everything has a process by which it must be done. I'm sure you'll agree with me here. So first off--" On her side, Kazenari wanted to confirm a nagging suspicion she held the first time she saw the man and now that he has arrived to meet her here.

"You are...the leader of the Westside Hounds correct?"

Setting

Characters Present

Character Portrait: Makoto Itsuna Character Portrait: Hotaru Emirsdottir Character Portrait: Akeno Furuya Character Portrait: Kujo Nobuyuki Character Portrait: Noa Arai Character Portrait: Misaka Amamiya Character Portrait: Fuyumi Hirabayashi Character Portrait: Kirika Katsuragi Character Portrait: Tadakatsu Fukui Character Portrait: Kazuya Tamashiro

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Blue Lotus - 4:30 PM

"Ah, yeah. I'll be sure to cheer you guys on!"

Hotaru cheered with a small laugh.

"I haven't even spoken with Shingen-kun since the failed confession of the second year. I wonder how he's doing..."

She shook off the nostalgia to grin a bit at her.

"That aside, I can't wait to see everyone! Maybe there can be a music competition here too?"


Room 310 - 5:40 PM

Fuyumi nodded.

"Yes, I'll so my best to keep that in mind. Thank you for everything, Mr. Nobuyuki."

She politely bowed in front of him before stepping inside her room.


Blue Lotus Lobby - 5:10 PM

Tadakatsu just shook his head with a small shrug.

"Just curious is all. Besides, you should have joined them if it looked like they were having fun."

He gave her a small smirk.

"Only makes more sense, right? That way, everyone can win."

He yawned.

"Still, hell of a way of introducing yourself, Katsu. Ah well."

He took a quick glance at her.

"Sorry if it came across confrontational. Admittedly, social skills aren't my strong suit. Your wording just came across as odd to me is all."


Old Black Rose - 5:20 PM

Akeno weakly smiled at all the positive things Kazuya listed. Yes, those were all good things that Akeno had accomplished this past week, but they would all be negatives in her mother's eyes.

"Kazu... My mother's stubborn about this kind of thing. It's going to take a lot for her to change her mind on how I should be... But, maybe this is a good first step..."

She listened in to his idea on how to get Katsu's friendship back to where it was and felt a little better. Seven Mysteries, huh...? That could be a good chance for bonding. She relaxed and felt better.

"Thank you, Kazu. I really appreciate all the help..."

She hugged him a little before letting him go.

"Well... What other menu items do you have in mind...?"


Uzuamaki Ramen Hut - 5:20 PM

Noa grit her teeth. Of course she would be on the website. It was what she suspected after all. Still, she did feel rather foolish for her earlier plan. It wasn't so simple as hacking in to retrieve the IPs of everyone involved. Still, the one place where Kurogane students were unwelcome... It dawned on her suddenly.

"What the Vice President was referring to was St. Gabriels. Am I wrong?"

Setting

Characters Present

Character Portrait: Laeticia "Cel" Concepcion Character Portrait: Makoto Itsuna Character Portrait: Yoite Arakaki Character Portrait: Akeno Furuya Character Portrait: Noa Arai Character Portrait: Kirika Katsuragi Character Portrait: Tadakatsu Fukui Character Portrait: Kazuya Tamashiro Character Portrait: Kazenari Tohsaka Character Portrait: Hayato Morikawa

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Old Black Rose - 5:30 PM

"Hey, we won't know until we try so don't be too worried about it!" Kazuya assures Akeno once he heard her concerns about her mother not liking anything she has done so far. "Of you think about things too much then you'll never be able to cross that bridge when you get there. Sometimes, it's nice to make sudden decisions. Sure, we may make mistakes but that's part of learning too!"

"Just don't make the mistake of putting playdough in a microwave haha!!!"

It seemed the girl is looking up somehow so Kazuya felt it was alright to take it easy. Before he knew it, she hugged him gently before asking about the other things he had in mind. The act caught him off guard so he felt a little flustered.

"H-Huh? Oh, the menu...hmm..." Kazuya thought for a bit. "I wanted to do some rice dishes as well but if Kirika-san says she doesn't want me to do the menu then this probably concludes my business here."

Kazuya sighed as he sat down, thinking. "Ah! What about you Akeno-chan? Do you have something you want to try making but can't? Tell me and I'll try to help out. Let's see...how about making something for Tadakatsu-san? Something he might like?"



Blue Lotus Lobby - 5:15 PM

Surprisingly, the conversation went from slightly confronting to awkward fast with Tadakatsu admitting that socializing isn't his strong suit. Kirika relaxed. She heard him suggest joining in for a win-win situation. Kirika just sighed.

"I was driving in the car while they were in the arcade. Considering I've put my driver through enough detours as it is, I wouldn't want to keep him waiting any longer. That's all." Kirika explained.

"So are you done? Or do you have other concerns you want to talk about?"



Uzuamaki Ramen Hut - 5:30 PM

Makoto nodded when Noa brought up the other school. "Exactly. Outside of academics and university pride, St. Gabriel's and Kurogane Technical have long been hostile towards each other for an entirely different reason. We get along fine with the St. Gabriel students from the dorm but point is, it isn't exactly a place we can expect to just visit casually. It's not our territory after all."

He supposed Noa already knew the reason why so he decided to just leave it at that as well. "So for Taichi to actually get information from the other side...you have to hand it to him, his sneakiness and smooth-talking has its purposes."

He realized he had kept Cel waiting inside for quite some time and with Taichi gone well...there wasn't much reason to stay outside any longer. Yoite was waiting inside as well.

"Well, we'll know more tomorrow. I think. Let's go back."

(OOC: Will upload Kurogane - St. Gabriel Black History in the Library Files later so Kurogane characters will have that shared knowledge.)



The Sagittarius - 6:00 PM

Kazenari managed a slight smile when she caught this man off-guard upon confessing she believed him to be the Hound's leader. He asked her how she found out and he did confirm her suspicions. Still, the man could easily be lying but nonetheless, Kazenari felt her intuition was right on the money.

"Three things: First was the school visit and Nobuyuki-kun's earlier outburst. It was the way he recognized you. If I am to give an example...you cannot recognize the faces of everyone in the diet but you can at least recognize the Prime Minister's face. For him to recognize you that way means you're an active member of your gang seen regularly by those they come into conflict with. You must be the leader or at least, someone close to them."

The waiter soon arrived, pouring them each a glass of white wine. Kazenari takes a sip from hers, complimenting the drink. Once the waiter was off, she continued.

"The second is this, meeting me personally out here. For all you know, I could be someone from the other factions. There's a risk of sending someone who can turn traitor and leak your secrets. Given how odd all these circumstances are, the person sent should be someone well-respected and trusted within the group. Perhaps even the leader himself."

She paused for a while to see if he was still following.

"The last thing was simply, a gamble. When I initially asked, I had nothing backing up my suspicions aside from the previous assumptions. Your reaction prior to your confession gave it away for me. Besides, I don't think you're a good enough actor to fake your expressions."

Kazenari laid each one out in detail so there's no room for confusion. Appetizers were brought out first, consisting of prawns and egg over rye bread. Quite a simple start.

"Well, we're not going to get anywhere unless the facts are clear for both of us so let me start with this: Kyoko Akiyama, Marie Kosuki, Megumi Harada, Wakaba Mutsu, Tatara Isuko..." Kazenari enumerated the five victims in order starting from the first up to the most recent one. "Any of these names sound familiar? I believe some of them were affiliated with your group at some point. Possibly as a lover or a relative."

Setting

Characters Present

Character Portrait: Laeticia "Cel" Concepcion Character Portrait: Makoto Itsuna Character Portrait: Hotaru Emirsdottir Character Portrait: Yoite Arakaki Character Portrait: Akeno Furuya Character Portrait: Noa Arai Character Portrait: Misaka Amamiya Character Portrait: Kirika Katsuragi Character Portrait: Tadakatsu Fukui Character Portrait: Kazuya Tamashiro

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Blue Lotus - 4:30 PM

"E-Eh?!"

Hotaru blushed a little.

"Seriously...? All I did was make the stages last time... But, I have been improving on my singing a bit since then so I'll definitely give it a try."

Hotaru recovered quickly enough from her slight embarrassment with a happy grin.


Old Black Rose - 5:30 PM

Akeno was ignorant of how the hug left Kazuya a bit flustered but thought a little. What did she want to make for food? She thought back to happier times in music club where she and the other members would gather over take out food and enjoy to their heart's content; specifically pizza, stir fry and spicy chicken. There was the occasional sweet treat there too like brownies or cookies, but for the most part it was just that. However, she remembered that she, Tadakatsu and another girl in the club wanted to make a giant strawberry flavored cake.

"S-Stra-awber-rry c-cake..."

She coughed a little after trying to speak it before returning to her phone.

"I want to try and make a strawberry cake. When Katsu and I were in Music Club, we wanted to try and make a gigantic strawberry cake for everyone to enjoy. We messed up a lot and had no idea what we were doing so the first time we tried it, we came up with a brick instead of a fluffy and delicious cake."

She weakly laughed before continuing.

"Katsu's favorite types of food are related to strawberries so I want to cook something with strawberries in it for him."


Blue Lotus Lobby - 5:15 PM

Tadakatsu thought a little.

"Can't say I can come up with anything else at the moment. But, I'll be sure to contact you if I do. In the meantime, I'm going to head out for a walk."

Before he left, he glanced at the girl one last time.

"Oh, and give what I said about hanging out with Kazuya and Akeno a little bit of consideration, yeah? Akeno could always use more friends."

With that, he left the building to walk around.


Uzamaki Ramen Hut - 5:30 PM

As Makoto spoke up about it being time to get back, Noa blinked and realized she completely forgot about Yoite in the middle of her talk with the vice president. Shaking her feelings back, she nodded.

"Right. Let's enjoy our meal and think about this more tomorrow."

She stepped back into the ramen hut and saw Yoite there with the two bowls. Noa sat down calmly.

"Sorry it took me so long. I was rather busy with the vice president and everything."

Yoite raised a calm hand with a grin.

"No worries, no worries. I knew it was something important. Besides, at least you got back quick enough that the ramen is still warm. Go ahead and eat up."

With that affirmation, Noa ate her ramen slowly. Yoite looked over at Noa and kept quiet, causing the girl to raise an eyebrow.

"Yes? Staring is rude and if you have something to say, I won't bite off your head unless it's something stupid."

Yoite chuckled a bit.

"It might be dumb but you just looked a little lonely is all."

Noa froze a bit.

"And what makes you say that?"

"Your face seemed resigned after the vice president of your school mentioned something. You may not want it, but I'm always going to be around as a listening ear if you need it."

Noa was silent a little before heavily sighing.

"Regarding the victims, their names all popped up on a venting forum and my name is on the forum as well."

Yoite frowned a little.

"Sheesh, that does sound really serious..."

Noa looked down at the table.

"I don't need to have the approval of anyone else... The only people that matter to me are my parents and older sister..."

"You don't sound like you're sure of that."

Noa was a bit startled at Yoite's tone and looked up to him. She expected a judgmental stare but all she saw was sympathy in his eyes.

"Even if that was what you honestly feel, doesn't it get lonely...?"

Noa was silent as Yoite continued.

"You don't need to answer that and I'm not gonna force you to do anything you don't want to, but if you need a friend or something, you can always talk to me. I already shared some of my burdens on you, it's only fair that I let you do the same."

"... T-Thank you, Arakaki..."

Yoite smiled a little as Noa continued to eat her ramen.

Setting

Characters Present

Character Portrait: Laeticia "Cel" Concepcion Character Portrait: Makoto Itsuna Character Portrait: Akeno Furuya Character Portrait: Kirika Katsuragi Character Portrait: Tadakatsu Fukui Character Portrait: Kazuya Tamashiro Character Portrait: Kazenari Tohsaka Character Portrait: Hayato Morikawa

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Old Black Rose - 5:30 PM

"Strawberry cake huh? Hmm..." Kazuya thought about it for a bit. Truth is he has never really made a cake before and so he doesn't exactly know how it's done. He's tried baking other stuff but for now, cake was a little out of the question.

"Maybe I should practice at home?" Kazuya thought. Only a couple more days til the parent meeting and he wanted to show it off there too. He wondered if he could learn the recipe in time to also teach Akeno how.

"Alright! Let's do it! Ah, but probably tomorrow since this place doesn't have any ingredients for pastries nor strawberries for that matter." Kazuya beamed proudly as he takes her up on it. "The strip mall down at Queen's is a nice place to get fresh ingredients. I wonder if strawberries will be in season though?"

Kazuya makes a mental note to head over there tomorrow. Hopefully, he remembers this plan.



Blue Lotus Lobby - 5:20 PM

"Yeah, everyone does." Kirika muttered as Tadakatsu left. Making friends wasn't exactly her strongest point especially--

No, it wasn't right to think about it like that. She could hear the two indistinctively talking upstairs. As she said, the two seemed to be having fun. Honestly, it should be a relief to her that Kazuya could somehow laugh, smile and joke around again. However--

"Gah! Why does this all feel so frustrating?" Feeling frustrated for some reason, Kirika marches up to her room. She needed both the quiet and the space to cool off. As her head fell on the pillows, her thoughts soon started to dim until she fell asleep.




Uzamaki Ramen Hut - 5:35 PM

"You sure took your sweet time talking." Cel greeted Makoto as he rejoins her at the table. Their ramen had already been served though Cel hadn't touched hers yet.

"Sorry. You should've gone ahead and eaten without me."

"No can do! Family principle says we all eat together at the table. Besides, if I finish up before you and clean up while you're eating, you'll grow old a bachelor!"

"Ugh! Is that how it happens?"

"Maybe. It's an old superstition from where I was from."

"Superstitions do not really have--"

"--scientific basis I know. I take up engineering remember?"

"Your field isn't exactly hard science though."

The two got to eating their ramen first, slurping it down as per usual ramen etiquette, finishing up in just a few minutes partly due to the fact that it had already cooled down. Makoto finished up first and waited for Cel to finish hers before putting the bowls away.

"Thank you for the meal." Makoto thanks the chef and turns back to Cel.

"Tough day huh? Must've been nasty to see." The look of Cel's eyes already screamed "I know" at Makoto.

"You looked it up?"

"While you chatted outside. Should I not have done that?" Cel asked. As per Makoto's earlier request though, she tried to keep it down as much as possible.

"Well...it can't be helped now that you know about it now. But--" Makoto's voice dropped a little. "Don't tell this to the others okay? It might hurt the school's reputation."

"Sure thing." Cel assured him. Given that it was Cel, Makoto didn't find it difficult to believe her words.

"Thanks."

"Why are you so concerned about the school's repuation anyway? Is that the only reason why you don't want this to get out? Just to avoid blowing up the topic?"

"Well, yeah. I mean, being a Kurogane student's one thing I actually take pride in you know? No. Perhaps it's the only thing I actually take pride in. So if the school's reputation goes down, I go down with it. Shirazumi-san and Harumi-kun don't understand that."

Hearing that, Cel takes the boy's hand in hers. Somehow, she could understand how he feels--having only the prestige of your school to hang on to. She feels that, though he may not say so directly...perhaps, he really likes studying in that school.

"Hey, want to take a small detour somewhere? Just before we go home." Cel suddenly asked.

"Well, I'm not in any rush. But why?"

"Nothing. So, are you up for it?"

Makoto thought for a bit. Honestly, he was feeling a little tired walking around left and right. However, he can't deny he wanted to spend a bit more time with Cel. After all, she was leaving tomorrow. Not that she won't be back but seeing as how busy the next week is going to be, he might as well make the most of this night.

"Alright. Where are we going?"

Cel just smiled. "You'll see."



The Sagittarius - 6:00 PM

Kazenari listened in attentively to the man discussing the victims he knew in-between light bites of the appetizer and some water. Of the five mentioned, only two seemed to be related with gang activity and even between the two, only one was directly involved with Westside. Whether others would've been involved with Enigma, even the man doesn't seem to know.

"I see. So based on what you said, this can possibly still be related to your ongoing power struggle." Kazenari thought for a bit. It's possible that the other girls were killed by Westside should they be revealed to be involved with Enigma.

"Yet something still seems off..." Kazenari thought as she glanced back at the man across the table.

"Quid pro quo. I believe you also have questions to ask of your own, correct? It's why you came to school in the first place after all." Before proceeding any further, Kazenari gives the opportunity for the man to ask his own questions. The main course also arrived just in time, with the elderly waiter setting their dishes in front of them: Beef Stroganoff for the man and a fried herring for Kazenari.

"Feel free to dig in first if you please--umm..." It was only then that Kazenari realized they haven't introduced themselves to each other yet.