~~~PART 1~~~
Any town would have the hustle and bustle of its prime-time activities. In the morning, it would be the market opening and people going up and down the street to purchase food for their families. While in the evening, it would be the bars and restaurants accompanying those who have worked hard for the day.
The town center is where all these activities took place.
With a river in the middle of the street, people were going in and out of various kinds of shops. The sound of doors being clank opened and closed was repeatedly heard from everywhere, and the laughter of those who were relaxing echoed outside of the establishments as well.
Such a noisy and lively place wasn't for everyone to handle.
"...uuu..."
Like Kiyama in front of me for example, who was in a wheelchair I was pushing.
She's been grunting and feeling as if her head like a wave of headaches struck her forehead. Her small hand constantly checks her own body.
"Are you okay? Do you maybe want to rest?"
"...No... It's fine... It's only a few more...Right?"
"Well, yeah..."
This afternoon, Asahi made the both of us go interview people for their stories of the rumored witch inside the forest.
I don't believe such a thing exists, especially not when a western mythology creature was in deep Japanese land. It would've been more believable if it were a youkai or a ghost.
The missing cats might be a coincidence after all, though I was still determined to find them.
"Oh, I see him."
I spotted the person we were looking for for the interview as I pushed the wheelchair accompanying Kiyama slightly faster toward our 4th witness.
The man who was peacefully knitting some sort of clothing outside of this shop, raised his head from his work to look at the 2 people who approached him.
"Ah, welcome. What can I help you with?"
"Good evening, I'm Izumi Satori and this is Aosora Kiyama. We're from the school's newspaper club and we would like to ask you some questions regarding the rumor that has been going around."
"The school's newspaper club...? Oh, that thing Asahi-chan made. Ha ha ha! If it's for her, then ask away!"
It looks like this old man already knows who Asahi is, and doesn't have a bad image of her, surprisingly.
"Then for the first question, can you tell us a bit about yourself?"
"Me, eh? Well, I'm Hideaki Tomoya, a senior citizen who's lived here for more than 60 years! Been a tailor as long as I could remember."
"Then, we've received some eyewitness accounts of a supposed witch around in the mountains. Can you tell us how you encountered it?"
As I acted the role of a reporter, Kiyama recovered shortly after and wrote all the valuable information down in her notebook just sitting on her lap.
"Y'mean that rumor? It's true I tell you! One day, I went down into the forest in the afternoon to gather some herbs for myself, then suddenly I heard a laughing cackle out of nowhere! Scared the living soul outta me. It sounded so close, yet I couldn't see anyone! I calmed myself down a bit, thinking it was just a prank. But then hundreds of cats came outta nowhere and stampede towards me! It felt like a dream I told you."
"An army of cats stampedes towards you...?"
That's news to me. A great number of stray cats have been reported missing, yet I didn't think someone would be able to hold on to that many and control all of them at once.
"...So the culprit might be a group of people..."
As if reading my thoughts, Kiyama made a quick assumption about the situation.
"Those felines came out from nowhere! I was just at the same spot those cats were a few seconds ago, yet they all came rushing towards me! I panicked and ran as fast as I was able to, and made it with my belongings left behind."
"Interesting, what was in your bags when you lost them? Perhaps anything expensive?"
"Nope, nothing. Just some herbs I got while I was searching for stuff."
Our previous witnesses had also carried bags while they were in the forest. And they all had different things in them. An ax for woodcutting, firewood, Bamboo shoots, flowers, and even some clothes.
And they all had a similar story as well. They heard laughter before having to run from their lives from a certain thing.
Previously, it was random noises. Some described it like fireworks, while some say it was like a burst of water.
This is the first where they used any sort of living creature before.
"Very interesting. Well, then that's all I had to ask. Thanks for taking your time with the interview."
"Don't mention it, say hi to Asahi-chan for me!"
After having concluded her reports, Kiyama folded the book back in her bag and I rolled her out of the street and into our next witness.
The next person wasn't really a witness, per se. It was the person who lived deep in the forest, the same someone who I and Asahi tried to return to the cat yesterday.
And the forest we have to go through is the very same forest the witnesses have encountered with this witch.
"... The wind feels nice today..."
Kiyama spoke without a queue.
Her random comment came out of nowhere, and frankly, I didn't know how to respond.
"It sure feels way better than in the city."
"...How does it feel like in the city?"
"Eh? Well, it depends on where you are. If you're in the neighborhood I guess it's quiet, but if you go downtown it can be noisy sometimes. Lots of restaurants and shops blast their jingles to attract customers. And you could always find someone causing some kind of scene somewhere."
"... I was referring to the wind... but that answer is fine too..."
"Oh, ah. I see..."
Fuck, that was awkward.
I couldn't read her intentions well enough, not to mention the fact that her face is literally below me and I can't see it. On the bright side, she can't see my confused face either.
"... It sounds really lively over there..."
Though it was another random sentence Kiyama said without a queue, And although the throwaway comment was easily discarded, I could feel a sense of lonesome in her voice.
Somewhere in my mind, I could feel she has a strong kind of emotion toward it.
Nevertheless, I continued pushing her wheelchair through the roads. More and more people were absent the closer we got to the edge of town. We've long walked away from the bustling shopping district and into the more open areas at the place, no one builds anything on it.
We were about to enter the same place Asahi and I got trapped in last night. Getting out was a nightmare, and the event only took place yesterday. My collective mind was still fresh, thus I was nervous when entering.
This time was different, however.
Not only can I see the pathway, but I could also see a lot more in front of me now. We didn't enter in the dead of the night like yesterday, the sun was still looming above us. Of course, slightly at an angle.
"... Are you alright Satori-kun...?"
"Hua! Ha, yeah! Of c-course!."
My attempts at reassuring myself were futile. Kiyama immediately notices the shakiness of my grip. My hands were shaking too much to the point of practically making her wheelchair into a rocking chair.
"... You might need some water... Here..."
She took out her water bottle from her bag and handed it to me.
"Thanks."
I accepted her generous offer and then carefully sipped a tiny amount to refresh myself. Of course, if I sip from the lid directly it would be an indirect kiss. So I avoided it completely.
Aah, not good. The water wasn't enough. I need to distract myself even more.
"So, Kiyama-san, how exactly did you join the newspaper club?"
"... How exactly...?"
Her head wavered here and there as if reminiscing a long-told story.
"... One day, I was at my desk reading a book... Then suddenly she came to me to say 'Oi! Yer really smart aren't cha? Join me in The Sunny times, I'll provide ye with all yer needs!' was what she said..."
The Impression she made of Asahi was a cute attempt with which I cannot help but laugh from it and hide my face to the side.
And I'm pretty sure she doesn't have a country accent.
"... I knew I shouldn't try to mimic her voice..."
"I'm sorry, I'm sorry! That was a really nice impression. So she calls the newspaper club The Sunny Times huh?"
Asahi probably thought that if they were going to be publishing stories to distribute to the school billboard, it probably needs a catchy publisher name.
Thus, she came up with the name 'The Sunny Times'. Taking inspiration from the world-famous British newspaper 'The Times'.
"... Enough chit-chatting Watson... Our mystery here is far from closed... Onwards to our next trail...!"
"Right behind ya, Holmes!"
Talking to Kiyama was the right decision. My worries have drifted off my mind and now we move forward.
~~~PART 2~~~
The patch of dirt slowly but surely began changing into a paved road with concrete, and a large majestic building came into view from all the surrounding trees. We had made it to the front entrance of the house.
What lay before us was a mansion of massive scale. And similarly to the other houses of this village, it was a house from the old eras, with 2 stories, and a wide courtyard with many flora.
The colorful mix of flowers only bloomed by the summer, and the number of large bonsai trees filled the empty spots.
"...Whoa..."
We were both stunned at what lay beyond the small gate. This little paradise tucked inside deep in the woods was like a majestic, magical area only a few knows off.
"Excuse me, can I help you?"
A caretaker cleaning the nearby front entrance spotted the both of us standing in awe at the magnificent architecture and vibrant atmosphere.
We were snapped back into reality when we heard her greeting.
"Oh, yes. I'm Izumi Satori, and she's Aosora Kiyama. We were hoping if we could meet up with the owner, Ota Jirou-san?"
"Jirou-sama, is it? Yes, he's available. I will escort you to the front entrance."
"Please do."
Damn you Asahi for making us enter such a high-class building. I can't keep my manners in check with all this shaking!
We were formally invited into the mansion for the meeting after I nearly slipped my tongue and messed up my words. And on the other end, Kiyama didn't seem troubled at all. Her emotionless face is still ever present, even during this time.
My heart still couldn't handle the part where I could mess up big time in some rich person's house. What if I break something? Would I have to pay for compensation? I don't even dare to begin thinking how much that would cost.
"Please come in..."
The caretaker opened the door for us to enter. Opening the sliding door revealed the lobby of the mansion. It wasn't anything grand like western mansions, but you could tell this was a very large interconnected building with many hallways.
"You can wait over here. I'll contact Jirou-sama about your arrival."
She pointed at us a few chairs at the front entrance to indicate this was the waiting room.
Shortly after, the caretaker of the garden bowed slightly and left us alone to wait for our next witness to come, Jirou.
I carefully and hesitantly tried to take off my shoes and put them on a shoe rack -presumably for visitors- politely, when I had forgotten one important aspect.
Kiyama's Wheelchair can't fit into the house. So by default, I helped her park her wheelchair by the front and helped her with stabilizing herself with the walking sticks she carried.
"Careful now."
She almost tipped over as she grabbed her important tool, but shortly recovered with my arm.
"...Thank you..."
"No problem."
We began moving deeper into the gigantic house and I was stunned once again by the interior design.
Though small, the lobby was packed with many shiny relics from all over. A tiny green dragon statue made of porcelain by the corner, a table with a rare flower on it in the center, and a highly dignified lamp hanging just above our heads. Even the tatami mat we were standing on felt expensive.
Many things were sparkling shiny. The workers who cleaned this mansion must have done a very great job.
And as it turns out, I wasn't the only one looking around the room like they saw a marvelous painting.
Kiyama had her jaw dropped at the sight of the lobby as well.
I nudged her a tiny amount to wake her up from her small fantasy to indicate we should most likely sit down first before the host or anyone saw our dazed state to make a fool of ourselves.
Our supposed waiting area was the table in the center, we were told to sit on the floor and so I did. Not before helping Kiyama, of course.
I have to confess however, it must be a pain in the ass to do this every day. Living with walking sticks and wheelchairs sure is inconvenient.
It makes you grateful to have your two legs still functional. Nevertheless, I didn't say a single word out loud and helped her adjust her position on the floor for her comfort.
Out of nowhere, I didn't even need to count, but I was positive that five seconds hadn't passed and another worker from the house came to greet us.
"Good evening dear guests, Jirou-sama is currently in his lounge room upstairs. We've been informed of your appearance and the master said to bring you to his room. Follow me."
A neatly dressed worker came into the door from another hallway. He was neatly dressed and had long sleeves. A weird fashion choice as it's summer.
...Aw man, Kiyama just sat down, and now we have to get up again... Such a pain...
My internal complaint never reached anyone's ears as I kept them to myself. But I unwaveringly and gently supported Kiyama once again to stand up.
We went towards a male worker who stood just behind the door to the hallway to lead the way. The hallway itself was also opened with only a wall on one side and a courtyard on the other, like our school, which led to the garden where it's lit up by some electrical lamps tucked away in the corner to make it hidden.
This mansion would meet our unexpected needs for such a beautiful mansion and continues to surprise us with each area.
"This way."
The man showed us the outdoor staircase that would lead toward the hosts' study area.
Thankfully, the stairs were brightly lit and there were guardrails. Kiyama struggled for a bit but she managed by my helping her not fall over.
Does she have to do this alone when climbing the stairs to the club room?
I couldn't help but think this must be a really awful thing to go through every day, but last time, Asahi seemed to help her up the stairs so maybe it was just my superstition that was incorrect.
The man followed suit behind as we all reached the top of the short yet steep staircase.
In the hallway, I noticed many doors were slid open. As we walked past them they were all filled with many books and scrolls of some kind. A very messy sight, and one that contradicts the clean look of the lobby.
"The master said it would be preferable to keep them the way they are, despite our attempts at cleaning this place up."
In my mind, I could picture a scenario where a rich old guy was too preoccupied with something and demanded to leave his belongings where they are, which irritated the highly skilled, highly trained maids and other cleaners to vent out their frustration by cleaning up the lobby to 110%
"...Is something the matter..."
I unconsciously laughed at my own imagination and didn't even realize it. But Kiyama noticed my dumb face.
I bashfully try to cover my face with much of my power, but no matter how powerful you are, you can't cover up memories.
At that point, I may or may not have walked slower to get behind Kiyama to hide my embarrassment.
"Master, here I am. The guests are here."
Our escort notified our presence to his master, the person we were going to be meeting with.
"Right, just open the door."
Someone inside the room confirmed the request, as the sound of a well-maintained and smooth-sounding wood slid slowly across the floor. The only room where the door wasn't open was being presented to us. And the next witness was inside.
"Excuse me..."
We made our way into the room.
The interiors were just as expensive looking as the others, yet just as disorganized as the others of this floor.
"Please, sit here."
As we were directed towards our seats, the host of this mansion himself seems busy with what he was doing as he puts down two cups of tea for us.
This room looked like a normal office with how the desk and tables are arranged. Yet there were so many fallen books, scrolls, and random pieces of paper everywhere which makes you wonder if this was a library hit by an earthquake.
"I hope we're not bothering you with our visit."
"No, it's fine. I always have time for guests. So, what is it that you need me for?"
He set aside the pieces of paper he was so diligently looking at to straighten his back and shift his gaze toward our way.
He appears to be a hardworking man, many places on his sleeves are either stained or messy, and he has a bandage on his pointer finger which I would guess is because of a paper cut. And contrast to the other workers in this mansion, he's wearing a western suit with a tie to boot.
"I'm Izumi Satori and this is Aosora Kiyama, we're here from the school's newspaper club to ask you about a certain rumor that a witch has been spotted near your property."
"The school's newspaper club? I bet it's Akagi-chan isn't it? That girl sure is hungry for random stories that may or may not even be true. And as for that witch thing, I don't know anything about it."
Another person that knows Asahi.
"Really? Have you ever heard or seen anything strange lately? All the witness' reports have been going on near your house."
"Hmm... Yeah, I can't really think of any. Maybe one of the workers here has, why not ask them later."
Nothing, huh? I don't want this to be my dead end, let me go for something else.
"Do you perhaps have cats living here, mister? If yes, then how many."
"Cats? That's a bit random, but I do have one cat. He likes to roam around, and my son adores him a lot, but I don't know where they are now."
"Your son adores cats...? Then is it safe to assume the missing cat the other day was your son's?"
"Ah yes, my son is only in elementary school, so he cried a lot when our cat wasn't home. Though I don't know what happened afterward and I haven't even talked to him since I only know he wept for his cat from my butlers, I'm very busy at the moment."
"Then if I may, do you know where your son is now?"
"He should be in his room, I think."
I nodded along to his answer before whispering to Kiyama.
"So what do you think?"
"... I can't fully picture a conclusion to this... But I can already imagine we're getting closer..."
Wait, really? Already?
I've never witnessed her deduction skills, but unlike Asahi, I had a feeling that I could trust what she said.
But I do get what she meant, I'm starting to think up a possible culprit for this. If we could just get that last piece of evidence, then we would score and go home big.
"Well, Jirou-san, I appreciate our little conversation, I don't want to drag your time out so if we would like to excuse ourselves."
"Oh, alright then. See you."
Alrighty then, let's go get our first clue!
~~~PART 3~~~
"...Knock, knock, knock..."
At a different building in the same property, we knocked on the door for one of our suspects.
"Yuji-sama, you have visitors."
The male worker that had been accompanying us was now alerting his master's son of our presence.
"What is it!? Just open it and don't bother me."
It was his queue to lead us the way in, as he hesitantly opened the non-sliding door for us. This building was the only one in the vicinity where there wasn't any Japanese-style architecture.
It's more like a large shed with a hallway and a room for one person.
The worker doesn't seem to be very pleased with how his master's son acted, but he opened it nonetheless.
"Yo! Nice to meet you, I'm Izumi Satori and she's Aosora Kiyama. Do you mind if we talk for a sec?"
"Huh? Why would I?"
This Yuji person seems to be preoccupied with toys on the ground. Roleplaying with his action figures and honestly, I'm surprised he wasn't on his phone. Traditional kids still exist huh?
"Who are you anyway? And why does she have a pair of walking sticks?"
"... Uh, because she needs them? Anyway, we're here from the school's newspaper club, we would love to talk for a little bit!"
"Nah, you guys are boring."
As I was just helping Kiyama sit for the third time, he scoffs at us and immediately looks away. The worker behind the door only sighed slowly as quietly as possible. Even if I did put on an approachable smile it seems it wasn't enough.
How do you deal with kids again?
Kiyama was positive he was one of our suspects, so I can't let him get away easily.
If I had my phone with me I would've bribed him with it, but my phone broke yesterday because of Asahi.
Asahi? Wait, what would Asahi do?
The first thing that comes to mind when I think of her was how she got my attention on something I couldn't ignore. By blackmailing my phone and address she made me follow along no matter what.
Then...
"Meooww!"
"Oh, Light, do you wanna play- Hya?!"
"Oooh, so your name's Light... Hey there Light, nice to see you again. Here, Kiyama, he's soft isn't he?"
"...Indeed he is..."
I got to the cat first and picked him up to play with. So it turns out this cat's name is Light, I'm guessing from the main character of Death Note. I showed Light to Kiyama who was happily playing with him on the floor.
We were both in awe at how soft his fur is. They must have a caretaker for the cat specifically because I can't imagine the kid grooming a cat to this level.
"Hey! That's my cat!"
"Oh is it now? I don't see your name on it. How about you call his name and see if he'll go towards you."
"...You're being awfully mean towards a grade-schooler, Satori-kun..."
"Shh, it's for science."
I wouldn't normally do this, obviously.
But I want to see if that'll work or not. If it doesn't, then I don't want to force a cat into this so I'll back out and think of another way.
"Why you... Here Light, come here!"
The cat merely looked at him briefly when heard his name, but decided to go back to indulging himself once again in the comfort of my arms and chest.
"Hey, Light, buddy come on!"
And again, futile. This time Light didn't even bat an eye toward him.
"...Light?"
"Uh oh."
I could already tell the signs of someone about to cry.
Oh, dear.
"Hik... Light?"
"Wait wait wait! Hold on, um... If you answer us a question, maybe he'll respond!"
"...Satori-kun, you're awful..."
I knooooow!
By this point, I began to scream internally.
However, despite almost being in a crisis, the worker that watched us the whole time didn't move in any way. In fact, he seemed almost relieved a bit.
I don't have time to worry about that, for now, I need to fix this!
"If you tell us what you were doing this week, maybe Light will come after you! Please!"
"Hik... What?... Hik..."
"Just tell us where you are this week, and this'll end now in a hurry!"
I was in a rush and a panic, which would be the ingredients for chaos. But I still pulled through and brace myself a tiny bit more.
"Yesterday... Hik... I was... I was Hik... looking for Light but I couldn't find... Hik... Him... So I went home..."
"Okay, now see? Light came back to you!"
I let go of Light and cast away the food I used to keep him in my arms and send him away to his owner.
"Yay! Light!"
"Phew, thank god."
"... If I haven't made this clear already, you're the worst, Satori-kun..."
"I won't do this again I promise."
I cannot deny what she said. If Asahi does this every day, does she throw her humanity out the window? Or are those sunglasses of hers supposed to be a mask that turns her into a vampire?
"Hik... Oh, Light I thought you'd abandon me..."
Yuji seems to be in a good mood again in no time. Thank god. Crisis averted.
"...Satori-kun, he only mentioned what he did yesterday... All the witness accounts said they happened throughout the whole week..."
"Yeah, I noticed it too. Why don't you ask the questions this time? Despite my name, I can't read your mind after all. And also I think he hates my entire being now."
"...Very well...I'll get this over soon. 'Tis elementary, my dear Watson."
It might be fun watching her be the reporter, and as we were switching roles, naturally I was the one who's recording this interview by writing the important bits, as I wait and see how she would turn this interview upside down.
I helped her crawl a tiny bit towards him to speak at eye level.
"...Yuji-kun, can you tell us what you did after school last week...?"
"... And why should I tell that to a middle schooler?"
His comment shocked both of us at the same time. Does he not know how to talk to girls? I can already see him not being very popular.
"...I'm not a middle schooler... I'm in high school..."
"Eeeh?! But you're so short! High schoolers are supposed to be like that guy over there."
He pointed towards me, making me the figure model of all high schoolers.
The fact of the matter is, Kiyama is indeed short. But she still fits right into the high school setting without much concern.
"Doesn't matter! I still won't talk!"
Uwaa, kids are hard to deal with. Is it because he's a spoiled rich brat?
However, with all the insults and annoyances thrown at Kiyama, she doesn't give up and merely sighed at his statements.
"...Yuji-kun, I know how to make your dad play together with you..."
"You do?! Wait, ahem, What do you know about me and my dad?"
"...I know a lot... I know why he's so busy all the time, and I also know how you feel when he doesn't have time to spend with you..."
Huh? Does she actually know or is it just bluffs to convince him?
Kiyama was a person of many mysteries. I still don't know her condition for her to be using walking sticks and wheelchairs, and I can never read her intentions with how monotone she is.
How much of this does she already know? Is Yuji already the prime suspect? Hell, why don't we just ask the police to do this job already? Why am I even here in the first place?
The more I ponder the more questions arise, not answers.
And the only way to get my answers is if I just keep watching.
"C-can you really convince dad to play with me?"
"...Of course I can, you can count on me... But before that, I need you to answer a few questions first...Okay?"
"S-sure..."
Something about how she talked in that was different. I could feel her tone become more approachable and more welcoming.
Her innocent aura was ever so present as if a field of unending flowers were blooming.
From what I saw in class, she always looks like she's alone and gloomy. Some might even call her a weirdo because of her disabilities.
But now it's nowhere like that, it's as if spring never passed.
This sweet side of her isn't what I expected, and it made not just me entranced, but also Yuji who was staring right at her delightful face.
"Okay then... Have you happened to have heard some laughter inside the forest this week...?"
"Laughter? Hm... ah, you must be talking about those rumors in town right?"
"...Why yes, do you know anything about them...?"
"The truth is... I'm the one that's causing the mayhem."
"...Bingo..."
"Wait, you mean-?!"
I had to cut in because I wasn't sure what I heard was what I thought. This was our first suspect, and does this mean victory? Already?
"Y-yes... I was the one who ordered the workers to release a bunch of cats into the forest...I told all the workers in the house to get a cat since Light was missing for so long. But they ended up coming back with several stray cats, and then I found releasing them into the wild and scaring people was really fun... I'm sorry."
"...We're very lucky aren't we? Satori-kun..."
"Luck doesn't even begin to describe it..."
Out of all of the people in town, the witch could be one of the hundreds of people, and yet, we already found the one behind it all.
"So you knew as well?"
I turned around from Yuji for just a second to look at the fourth person here. The male worker. He was standing by the door as dignified as ever, yet he was hiding his face to the side.
"My sincere apologies dear guests, it wasn't my intention to hide it from you. Yet I was afraid Yuji-sama might get angry at me for doing so."
Oh dear, we really hit eureka huh?
"...Then, one last thing, Yuji-kun... Can you tell us what happened to those cats you captured...?"
"They... Actually, I forgot what happened to them."
"...Did you release them already...?"
"If I may, they're still somewhere inside the property, I believe in the storage shack."
The man who was silent most of the time finally spoke out about the location of the cats.
"I will retrieve them right away."
He left not a second later to fetch our prize, and hurryingly walked swiftly past the hallway and into the dark outdoors.
"...Right then, Watson... This case is closed..."
"Sure, Holmes. But that isn't why we're here in the first place is it?"
"...You're right, I've forgotten about the stray cats while roleplaying as Sherlock... I'm sorry..."
"Nah, don't think about it. It's fun anyway, you act and talk like that. It was a completely different side of you with how quiet you were in class."
"...Fun... You say...?"
This time it was an intonation of curiosity. She wasn't feeling down, nor even in high spirits. She talked as if she had made a major discovery worth yelling "Eureka!" for.
"...Anyway, now we move on Watson...! Go fetch me those cats and return them from once they came...!"
She seemed more confident as this case is coming to a close.
In truth, we could call it a day right here and now. But we weren't here just for the culprit, we were here as reporters from The Sunny Times, and what we want is a good story...
"Apologies dear guests! The stray cats have run amok and are on the loose!"
And as if fate would have it, an opportunity arises.
The worker stormed into the building to deliver his reports, and to our surprise, it was more work to do.
"Wait, you mean they're out of their cages?! If they're left untamed, they might be lost in the forest and never return to town!"
And Yuji, the local cat lover, was equally as shocked by the news as he quickly rushes out of his room and into the many targets he'll need to catch.
"...Good luck, Satori-kun..."
"Yeah... you can't help us with this one can you?"
"...It would appear so..."
The day was becoming night with each passing tick of the clock, as we have to go back to school for our bags and Asahi, but she could probably wait a little bit, right?
What we want is a story, and what is a story without closure?