04/12 Tu
Rain
"Breakfast is ready!"
...
That was a bizarre experience... Better not dwell on it, not with everything else.
Nanako had presented Yu with a breakfast of toast and sunny-side-up eggs, a teensy amount of pepper sprinkled on them.
She still seemed a little distant, but then, her father had apparently rushed out just a bit before.
Poor thing.
The two cousins walked next to each other along the Samegawa Flood Plain, not quite far apart, but particularly close, either. Nanako pointed Yu in the direction of his destination as they parted in near her elementary school.
She gave an unexpected smile as she said goodbye...
The walk towards the largest building on the horizon wasn't particularly interesting, though some idiot on a bike slammed himself into a powerline post and just stood there, clutching at his leg.
I should leave him be.
A no-nonsense entrance to a crowded- But not quite full- Yasogami High Homeroom 2-2 was had.
Mr. Morooka had some kinda dental issue, and had been a bit of an ass to Yu as the two walked towards his classroom.
"Awright, shut your traps! I'm Kinshiro Morooka, your homeroom teacher from today forth."
The homeroom teacher, huh? Crap.
"First things first! Just 'cause it's spring doesn't mean you can swoon over each other like lovestruck baboons. Long as I'm around, you students are gonna be pure as the driven snow!"
What, no "everyone in this room is a whore?" After all that, you'd might as well.
"Now I hate wasting my time, but I'd better introduce this transfer student. This sad sack's been thrown from the big city out to the middle of nowhere like yesterday's garbage."
Story of my life.
"And he's just as much of a LOSER here as he was there, so you girls better not get any ideas about hitting on him! Tell 'em your name, kid, and make it quick."
Yu slightly cranked his neck towards Morooka.
"... You calling me a loser?"
Just a little into what was sure to be a fascinating rant about Morooka's shit list, a girl raised her hand, asking for Yu to sit in the empty desk next to hers.
The short-haired rescuer quietly offered her condolences for having to deal with the dirtbag at the front of the room.
What a weird announcement. What could be forcing the school to withhold the students?
Then came the sirens.
"Ah."
Quite a bit of random gossip flooded its way from several students near the towards Yu. Fog after pretty much any rain, a missing announcer...
And then, one of them walked over to the long-haired girl in the seat front and right of his. She refused his questions, but seemed a bit...
Gloomy.
That short-haired girl who saved him from further verbal torture at the begging of the day started chatting with her. Short hair seemed to be a bit of a rumor monger, and black hair was still sulky.
Short hair took it all in stride, and started babbling about some guy's soulmate fantasies.
Guess they're friends. Good for them.
"Attention, all students! There has been an incident in the school district. Police officers have been dispatched around the school zone. Please stay calm and contact your parents or guardians as soon as possible and quickly leave the school grounds. Do not disturb the police officers. Head directly home. I repeat..."
A little flurry of interest and fear flooded the room.
That short-haired girl that sat next to him invited Yu along on their way home.
She introduced herself as Chie Satonaka, and her taciturn friend as Yukiko Amagi.
Chie seemed friendly enough, though certainly not someone to anger, given her treatment of... Was that the doofus who smacked into the powerline post this morning?
He looks to be in a lot of pain... I'll just leave him be... 'Critical Hit to the nads' indeed...
A fish-eyed creep from some other school ambushed Yu, Yukiko and Chie on their way out the gate. He offered to go out with "Yuki," as he called her, in a vaguely threatening way, before getting turned down and storming off in a rage.
A flustered and slightly clueless Yukiko quickly sought guidance from her friend...
Only for the clumsy bicyclist to interrupt and try the same thing.
"I'd rather not..."
"That'll teach me to get my hopes up..."
One moment of being awkwardly surrounded by the school's preying eyes...
The girls properly introduced themselves, as Yu did the same. Chie was as talkative as earlier, and Yukiko was just as withdrawn.
Apparently, it was just as dry of things to see as the maps had said, though the Amagi Inn sounded at least a little interesting, even if Yukiko disagreed. A bit strange, given that she was apparently next in line to run the business...
A couple of housewives were gossiping to each other along the path home...
Some high school girl had found a... A dead body? In this backwater?
Much less, hanging from a TV antenna?...
Dojima spotted Yu, who explained that they were simply passing through. He gently asked the girls to get along with Yu, then asked them head to their homes.
Some other detective came running through and vomited into some nearby bushes.
"Adachi! How long are you going to act like a rookie? You want to be sent back to the central office?!"
The news that night went over the very same "dead body on an antenna" event that Yu had seen just earlier...
"The deceased has been confirmed as Ms. Mayumi Yamano, a 27-year-old announcer at the local television station..."
Come to think of it, wasn't she involved with that councilman in an affair?
Nanako said she certain that her dad would be fine, but something about her posture told Yu that she was very uneasy...
"They found her on the roof? That's scary..."
The TV started blaring a gaudy advertisement for the Junes department store chain.
"Every day's great at-your-Junes~!"
"Every day's great at your Junes~!"
Nanako had sung right back.
Yu asked if she was fond of singing.
"Uh-huh! I'm the best one in my class!"
The girl sat there and sang the jingle over and over...
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