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chapter five: newfound friends

  Case One: the one who fell from the heavens

  Chapter Five: newfound friends

  The following day was a day off for the students of Yamato High. Orion met up with his group to gather in the Metropolitan Police Department headquarters where Erika Fujioka was. She had scheduled for the group to come in to be filled in with what was discovered and their plans forward. As Orion gathered with Satoru and Mari, they headed to the train station for Shibuya for their transfer. As they got out of Shibuya station, Orion found a familiar face headed in the same direction. The girl was wearing a pink strap dress that went halfway down her thighs and pink sandals along with a yellow flower on the top and a summer straw hat on her head.

  “Amane?” Orion called out to the girl.

  The girl turned around, twirling a bit, revealing it to be Amane. She waved at Orion and the others. “Hey, Orion!”

  The group walked up to the other girl. “What brings you here, Amane?” Orion asked.

  “Oh, I was doing some errands for my mom,” Amane smiled. “Um, what brings you guys here?”

  “Oh, it’s for the cases that occurred during our field trip,” Orion replied. “If you don’t have to report back to your mom immediately, you can come along with us.”

  “Oh no, no rush for me,” Amane said. “I’d love to join you!”

  “Let’s get to Amanegaseki then,” Orion said.

  With Amane in tow, Orion led the group to Amanegaseki where the Metropolitan Police Department headquarters was located. Weaving through the guards and introducing himself, Orion walked past a few offices with officers standing around over a blackboard with notes on their cases. Next was the break room, where various snacks and coffee machines were displayed on the counter, to which the group zigzagged through the break room. In the next two areas past the break room where there were a few officers who were seated at their desk typing rapidly, presumably reports. Then they found themselves in Fujioka’s office. It was a minimalistic room, a desk on one side facing away from the window and two settees in the centre of the room with a large red rug between the settees and a glass coffee table on the rug. The group looked around in awe of large office space. It may have looked simple, but it held a lot of power for those who sat here.

  “Orion here,” Orion said concisely.

  “Welcome back, Orion,” Erika smiled. “You too, Mari and Satoru. And…” She eyed Amane closely and was about to speak when Amane put a finger on her lips to signal silence on her background, to which the gesture confused the other three. Instead of saying what she initially thought to speak, Erika asked, “Ah, who may you be?”

  “Amane,” Amane bowed, holding out the edges of her dress. “Um… Mizushima.”

  “Ah, yes, Mizushima,” Erika nodded repeatedly. She gave Amane an OK signal with her eyes to which the other girl nodded gratefully.

  “Uh… What was that about?” Orion asked curiously.

  “Oh, it’s nothing, Orion,” Amane smiled sweetly at the other boy. “Anyway, uh, about what you were called for.”

  “Right,” Orion said as he stepped up in front of Chief Superintendent Erika Fujioka. “Here to report, Orion Minamoto.”

  “Why don’t you all take a seat on the settee?” Erika smiled, gesturing with her hand to the mentioned settees.

  The group took a seat by the settees, where Orion sat on one side with Amane next to him while Satoru and Mari sat across from them. A secretary came in and put down four cups of cold green tea in front of the students.

  “So, according to the information Orion provided through Satoru, we figured who his next victim should be. Looking through their yearbooks, I would say it would be Akiko Soma. She lives near Amanegaseki so we’ve sent some officers for protection, but I figured you might want to go there yourselves.”

  “That is correct,” Orion nodded.

  Erika took out a sheet of paper and laid it on her desk. “Here is her address.”

  Orion got up and went to the desk to grab it. “Thanks, Fujioka.”

  “How many times do I have to tell you? You can just call me Erika,” Erika sighed. “You’re like a little brother I never had.”

  “Sorry,” Orion said, abashed. “I…I’ll remember that next time, heh…” Orion averted his eyes from everyone. “Anyway, let’s go.”

  In response to the little dialogue, the group exchanged a look of confusion but also of sentimentality that the two had. It was curious for the rest, not knowing what exactly occurred between the two.

  Erika laughed. “Be careful out there.”

  Orion led his group out of the office, weaving through the offices and open areas before leaving the building. As they reached the exit, an officer approached the group. He was uniformed and seemed to be of a medium rank.

  “I was told to offer you a ride to the next victim’s house,” the officer said, standing upright.

  “Oh, that’s good,” Orion nodded.

  “Are you ready to go?” the officer asked.

  “Yes, we’re ready,” Orion replied.

  The officer led the group to the right and then straight ahead to the patrol car. He unlocked the doors and allowed the kids to embark inside the car before going in the driver’s seat, where Orion sat in the passenger seat while the other three squeezed in the backseat. A smirk was on his face as he stuck the key into the ignition before driving off. As the officer drove off, silence filled the car.

  “So, what can you tell us about the next potential victim?” Orion asked, breaking the silence.

  “I’m sure you received her name, but she was in the culprit’s high school. She was a primary member who bullied Kagome,” the officer explained as he drove. “She’s thirty years old, single, and lives alone.”

  “Hmm…” Orion said contemplatively. “So, you guys think she’s next and he’ll come to her at her home.”

  “Yes, sir,” the officer replied, having hidden his smirk earlier so the kids wouldn’t see it.

  The car ride finished as they arrived at the victim’s apartment. Orion looked down at the piece of paper and it said: “apartment 3D.” He exited the car and looked back to check on his friends. They got out of the car and the girls brushed their skirts down to fix how they looked. Satoru had his laptop bag hanging across his torso and stretched the moment he got out of the car.

  “Man, that was one heck of a ride,” Satoru complained while stretching his limbs.

  “I-I’m sorry,” Mari muttered under her breath.

  “I’m sorry, too,” Amane bowed her head at Satoru.

  “Ahhhh, it’s none of you girls’ fault!” Satoru got flustered. “Orion, you traitor!”

  “What?” Orion asked in genuine confusion. “I’m the closest to the police so I should be seated in the passenger seat.”

  “Traitor!” Satoru cried out bitterly as his shoulders drooped.

  “Whatever. Let’s get going.” Orion shrugged as he turned around to the apartment complex. He was suddenly walking quickly, and the others had trouble catching up to him.

  As the others hurried after Orion, Amane managed to look at Orion’s paper to know where their destination was. They clambered through to the lift and Satoru pressed the third-floor button. Exiting the lift, Amane led the group through as they checked every plaque beside the door until they found Orion on the way.

  “Orion!” Amane shouted. “Don’t just leave us behind!”

  “Oh, there you are, Amane,” Orion said distractedly, waving his hand around and apparently pocketed the address paper into his jeans pockets. “Let’s get on inside. There are already police inside.”

  Outside the apartment complex, the officer who drove the kids stood watching the group of kids climb up the stairs for the lift in the apartment complex, a smirk appearing on his face again. He had plans to kill this potential victim and then implant Kagome’s fingerprints around the apartment. He, too, had been bullied by the victims but this officer would rather frame Kagome for that. But he, Takeshi Tokomi, will make this a success and the kids will be none the wiser.

  As the group knocked and then walked into the apartment, where it was minimally furnished, a small TV situated on a table across the small settee. There was a hallway to the right of the entrance where Orion presumed it held the bedroom and bathroom. On the left of the door and straight ahead was a small fridge against the wall.

  “Small, compact place,” Orion observed.

  “Very small,” Satoru noted, looking around the apartment only to stumble upon a young woman with jet black hair to her shoulders, deep dark brown eyes and reddish lips. She wore a beige cardigan, black pants and suede shoes even though she was in her own apartment. “Uh… sorry, ma’am.”

  “It’s fine,” she said sweetly at Satoru.

  Orion looked down at the woman’s shoes and then up at the woman’s face. “Are you expected somewhere? And I’m correct to presume you are Akiko Soma.”

  The woman turned and looked up at Orion, who towered over at his height of five foot eleven. “Oh, yes, I have a lunch engagement today,” the woman smiled. “Yes, I am Akiko Soma.”

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  “I advise against going,” Orion warned the older woman.

  “Oh, those murders? I’ll be fine!” Akiko laughed.

  “It’s no laughing matter,” Orion suddenly raised his voice. “You could get killed!”

  “Haven’t you police already had the killer’s details anyway?” Akiko drawled on.

  “That’s beside the point,” Orion said. “We may know his name, but we haven’t caught him yet.”

  “I’m going to eat lunch with my childhood friend, Aya Tachikawa,” Akiko emphasised on the feminine name. “So… unless you’re telling me the killer is a woman, I think I can go with my friend.”

  Orion was stunned. He stepped back a few steps. “All right. That’s fair.”

  “Orion?” Amane asked in a whisper. “Are you okay?”

  Orion turned to face Amane. “Yeah, I’m fine. This is nothing.” Then he turned around and stared into the darkened hallway. He wasn’t sure why he was suddenly enamored with the corridor. Shaking his head, he returned his attention to his friends. “Do you mind if we went inside, Miss Soma?”

  “Huh? Oh, sure, by all means,” Akiko said, a bit startled by the question.

  Orion walked into the hallway, turning on the lights on the way inside while the others ran after him as he walked briskly into the hallway. As he noticed an open door on the right, Orion turned on the lights while he entered the room. It was bright and a full-sized bed was set in the centre of the room against the wall with pink curtains hanging from the top. A window was on the opposite side of the door, left open so Orion and the others could feel a breeze. A dresser was set next to the dressing table with make-up clattered about the table.

  “What’s up, Orion?” Amane asked.

  “Just…something seems weird…” Orion said with uncertainty in his voice. He took a step deeper inside the bedroom, heading to the dresser. He opened the doors, and a variety of dresses and outfits were exposed to Orion. He looked at the bottom for any yearbooks but there were no books. Closing the doors, Orion knelt and opened the drawers below the dresser. Searching the clothing, Orion came across a small book and yanked it out.

  It was a yearbook from 2002. Orion flipped through the pages until he found Akiko Soma’s page:

  Akiko Soma

  Class President ‘02

  Best girl <3

  Orion almost threw down the yearbook but kept his grip on it. Then he flipped through a few more pages to find Satoshi Kagome’s entry.

  Satoshi Kagome

  Class of ‘02

  Worst kid *hehehe*

  Orion shut the yearbook and slammed it back into the drawer. He got up and turned to face the others. “Well, I’m done now. Let’s head out.”

  “Orion? Are you SURE you’re okay?” Amane asked with concern.

  “Yeah, I’m good,” Orion nodded. He took out his phone to text Fujioka for Satoshi’s work address just in case they needed to visit him at work. Unconsciously, he clenched his fists as he walked out.

  “Orion? Did something happen?” Mari asked quietly, noticing the clenched fists.

  “Just… I can see why the criminal did what he did,” Orion sighed. “And I don’t like feeling like that. Sympathy for a murderer is never good.”

  “Orion…” Mari said hesitantly.

  “Orion.” Amane’s voice came through to him. “It’s okay if you feel a little bad for the culprit, so long you don’t try to excuse murderers. It’s only human, especially if the culprits are real human beings… you know.”

  Orion looked straight at Amane. “You’re right.” Orion sighed. “I let my emotions run wild. Sorry about that.” He scratched the back of his head.

  “It’s fine,” Mari replied, trying to sound confident. What really stung her was how Amane could already stabilize him with this being her first time tagging along. She bit her lip out of frustration.

  “Let’s check the rest of the room,” Orion said, feeling somewhat better now. Without a word to the others, he knelt by the bed and lifted the covers, then lowered his head to the ground to peer into the hidden glories of Akiko Soma’s life. Except it was dark.

  “Curses,” Orion mumbled to himself but caused everyone to look around for him.

  “Orion? Where are you?” Mari asked confusedly.

  “I’m trying to look under the bed but it’s confoundingly dark here,” Orion complained.

  Amane walked over to the bed and turned on the flashlight on her phone before kneeling. She flashed her mobile device through the spot where Orion was kneeling at.

  “Thanks, Amane,” Orion said gratefully. “Just keep it like that until I make gestures to where you should shine the phone.”

  “Okay, Orion,” Amane said, sat down on her legs as she held the phone upright by the bed edge.

  “Yeah… one board game… no, make that two. Some magazines… can’t make out what they are… move the phone a bit to the right, thanks… I see something else in there, like some kind of small box around the centre,” Orion muttered to himself. Then he got up, which prompted Amane to get up and turn off the flashlight. “I need your help, Satoru. You go on one side, and I go to the other and we’ll going to push this bed for that little prize.”

  “Really? You sure that’s okay to do?” Satoru asked uneasily.

  “She doesn’t have to know,” Orion said evasively. He walked over to the bedrest side of the bed and gestured with his head to Satoru to take the position. “Come on, the faster we do this, the quicker it’ll be, and she won’t know.”

  “Ugh, fine,” Satoru sighed, feeling resigned to his fate. He handed his laptop bag to Amane who took it obediently, holding it carefully with both arms.

  The two boys pushed the bed with all their strength, moving the bed slightly but it was obvious they weren’t going to get anywhere like this. Mari and Amane looked at each other and nodded before going to the bedside to push the bed. It wasn’t a lot of strength the girls could add on, but the move budged just a little bit more.

  “This… is not what I expected,” Orion sighed, resting his body against the bed. Then the unexpected happened. The bed suddenly shifted a few meters away from Orion, causing him to flail his arms before he fell, and then it stopped.

  “Well then,” Orion said, staring at the little rectangular box in the centre of where the bed was. He lurched forward and grabbed the little box, clutching it close to him as he jumped back to where the others were waiting.

  “Let’s see what this is,” Orion smirked as he opened the box. Inside were mostly junk but there was a small teddy bear inside the box. Lifting the bear from the box, Orion held it up for the others to see. “What… is this?”

  “A teddy bear?” Amane asked. “It looks really old though.”

  “It looks rather cute,” Mari said quietly.

  “Besides that, Mari,” Orion replied. He passed the teddy bear into Amane’s hands as he rummaged through the box. There were only faded bracelets and necklaces in the box. Orion placed the box back on the floor where he found it and walked around, feeling around for a switch to move the bed back. Once found it as the bed rumbled softly as it moved back into place.

  “What are you taking this teddy bear for?” Amane asked, waving the old stuffed animal in her hand.

  “I have reasons to believe this belonged to Kagome— the culprit,” Orion said. He paused and watched Amane for a bit. “It looks good on you, if it wasn’t so old and dusty.” Then he started walking out of the bedroom.

  “Am I supposed to keep holding it?” Amane asked as she quickly walked to Orion’s side while Mari and Satoru were left playing catch up.

  “Wait up, Orion!” Mari cried out.

  Orion sighed and stopped in his tracks, causing Amane to suddenly stop as well. She played around the worn stuffed animal with her hands as she waited for the other two to catch up.

  “Let’s go,” Orion said, leading the group out of the hallway and back in the main living room. As Orion entered, Akiko Soma noticed the stuffed animal in Amane’s hands immediately.

  “Where did you get that?!” Akiko stammered, raising her voice that the other officers turned their heads to the commotion. Realizing the racket she was making in her own apartment, she lowered her voice. “Please. Where did you get that stuffed animal?”

  “Umm,” Amane looked timid and afraid.

  “We found it under your bed,” Orion explained, coming to Amane’s side and taking the worn teddy bear into his hands. Deducing that Akiko wouldn’t have an old stuffed animal in a box under the bed and that she was a primary bully of Satoshi Kagome, the old teddy bear must belong to Kagome. “Did this belong to Satoshi Kagome?”

  “I…” Akiko fell silent, hanging her head low as opposed to how she was earlier. “It… Yes, it belonged to him in high school. He was always alone so he always had that thing there with him every day.” She paused for a moment. “One day, my group of friends and I found him in the cafeteria by himself with that accursed thing in his hands. We didn’t like how he was always silent and never tried to stand up for himself. So… I tore the teddy bear from his hands and…”

  Akiko’s head seemed to hang even lower. “He… He went crazy. He just started grabbing random things and throwing them at us. We wanted him to stop, so we just fled the scene. I don’t know what happened after that… so I just held onto that thing there as a…a reminder, I suppose.” Akiko looked up, tears streaming down her eyes.

  “Akiko…” Amane said quietly, staring at the crying woman. “Um…”

  “I know. He probably wants to kill me especially,” Akiko said, tears still flowing.

  “You’re right about that,” Orion replied bluntly. He stared at the poor woman, still holding onto the stuffed animal. “You have no clue what you did to Kagome back then. Do you know you could technically be held responsible for these murders?”

  “Orion…!” Mari said sharply. She stared at Orion. “You can’t say all that to the poor woman!”

  “Why lie to her when she knows the truth?” Orion snarled.

  “He’s… He’s right,” Akiko said, having wiped her tears. “It was… my fault. I should be dead…”

  “T-That’s not true!” Mari stammered quickly. “No one deserves to die!”

  “She’s right. You may be the one who unhinged Kagome, but you should not be dead,” Orion replied, his voice much gentler.

  “Y-Yes, I will!” Akiko stuttered out. “I will seek out Kagome and return his teddy bear.”

  “I’m not so sure that will do,” Orion answered. “He’s not a lonely, high school kid anymore. He might even hurt you if you confronted him.”

  “A-Ah…” Akiko said desperately. “I’ll do anything!”

  “Hmm…” Orion said contemplatively. Orion went to a wall and leaned against it, his hand cuffed under his chin, going through scenarios in his head about what he could do to catch Kagome. Could Orion use Akiko to lure him out? Or should he think of alternative plans? However, Orion couldn’t think of another method. He did think of going to his workplace as that was a sure sign to capture him. But there wasn’t any condemning evidence to convict him. Thinking it was time to return to HQ, Orion voiced it out to his other comrades. “Let’s go. Back to Fujioka.”

  “Uhhh, okay,” Satoru said uneasily, walking over to Orion.

  Upon leaving the apartment complex, the group boarded a bus to Amanegaseki for about ten minutes. They arrived back at the Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department headquarters where the group navigated through the offices and open areas to Erika Fujioka’s office. Just as Orion entered the room, Erika stood up from her desk.

  “Good timing,” Erika said. “We got the autopsy report. And a few more evidence was collected.”

  “Great,” Orion said as he went to stand in front of Erika. The others followed suit, standing beside Orion. “What does the autopsy report say?”

  “Take a seat first,” Erika said, gesturing to the settees in the centre of the room before taking a seat in her own chair. “Alright then. All the victims died of drowning. There weren’t any signs of wounds on the bodies anywhere, which show that the culprit is familiar with the victims.”

  “Hmm…” Orion said mindfully. “And what about the evidence?”

  “We found Kagome’s fingerprints in all of the houses,” Erika replied dryly. “And on the victims’ bodies. He drowned them.”

  Orion gulped. He knew Kagome was the culprit but after learning about his past, Orion had a heavy heart about the case. Starting to lose himself in his thoughts, Orion closed his eyes, trying to shut out everything. Orion wanted to know why he had to kill all those women. Suddenly he felt a warmth on his hand, causing him to open his eyes and look down on his hand. Amane’s hand was wrapped around his.

  “Remember what I told you? It’s okay if you feel somewhat sympathetic,” Amane smiled, tightening her grip on Orion’s hand. She noticed Mari glaring at her with daggers from the other settee, but she wanted to help Orion more than anything. It pained her to see him like this. “It’s okay, Orion.”

  “Thanks, I guess,” Orion exhaled, pulling his hand from Amane’s to prevent further misunderstandings.

  “Something wrong, Orion?” Erika asked with concern in her voice.

  “Ah, um, no, not anymore,” Orion answered, flustered.

  “We’re going ahead with the arrest now,” Erika said as she rose up from her seat. “I just wanted to share the last details with you.”

  “Thank you,” Orion nodded gratefully.

  “Oh, I won’t be able to get you kids home,” Erika said, stopping in her tracks. “Mizushima…”

  “I got that covered!” Amane chirped before the Chief Superintendent could finish her sentence. “We’ll see ourselves out.” She got up. “Um… I’ll make a quick phone call!”

  She dashed out of the office with her phone in hand. After a few minutes, Amane returned to the office where Erika had already left for the arrest. “Okay, um, we’re all set. The car will be here in approximately twenty minutes,” Amane told the group. “We should wait outside.”

  “Sounds good,” Orion said, rising from his seat. The other two followed suit in silence.

  As the group waited for the car in silence, Amane tapped her foot on the ground repeatedly. She was getting nervous after what she did in the Chief Superintendent’s office. It was bold and reckless, considering Mari was sitting right across her, knowing Mari loved Orion. Hanging her head low, Amane felt incredibly guilty.

  That was when a black Mercedes SUV drove up to the group before stopping completely. Everyone watched the driver’s door open to reveal a slim middle-aged man stepping out of the vehicle from the other side. He walked briskly but formally toward Amane

  “Lady Amane, I am here to escort your friends to home,” the man said, bowing to the young girl.

  Amane blushed immensely. “F-F-Friends? U-Uh… I told you not to call me ‘lady,’ Mori!” She sighed and turned to face the group. “Well… Let’s head home then.” She opened the backseats doors and waited for the others to board the car. Closing the door, Amane went around the car, climbed into the passenger seat and locked the door after buckling her seatbelt. They rode in silence until Mari spoke up.

  “Um, Amane…” Mari started off uneasily. “Um… You’re our friend too, so don’t worry about what um… the driver said.”

  Amane felt warmth fill up her chest. She hadn’t ever felt that way before even though she had her own friends before meeting Orion’s group. Her thoughts whirled as she tried to figure out what exactly she was feeling. It felt nice, that was certain. But Amane was afraid that if she accepted people in and they got closer to learn more about her, they might end up abandoning her. That was too painful for her to bear. The friends from class didn’t know Amane’s background or issues.

  “Uh… um… T-Thanks…” Amane stammered out, flustered and emotional. “Um… Mori’s… actually my personal chauffeur… I didn’t feel right to call my parents’ chauffeur for my own…request.”

  “Wait, personal chauffeur? Whoa, is your family loaded?!” Satoru suddenly shouted in the vehicle. Then he looked around Orion and Mari who shook their heads. Sulking, he said, “Sorry Amane.”

  Amane giggled. “It’s fine. Um… My parents are pretty successful, I guess. We have a large estate in Chiba… It’s really, really big.” Amane felt bubbly at describing her parents’ house even though she was worried about the group suddenly detaching themselves from her. But she persisted in revealing a little bit more of herself.

  “That is very interesting,” Orion said, cupping his chin with his hand. “I’d like to visit sometime.”

  “Oh, that sounds like a great idea! Everyone can come!” Amane said cheerfully, almost too chipper. “I’m sure my parents will be fine with that.”

  “Better ask your parents first,” Orion warned the brown-haired girl.

  “Of course,” Amane pouted but realized Orion wouldn’t be able to see it.

  “I can see it,” Orion suddenly said, startling the girl. “Just kidding. But I can imagine you pouting.”

  Mari gripped her knee tightly from their new exchange. ‘Orion definitely likes her. But why can a newcomer get so close to you, Orion? Why?’ Mari cried.

  “Mari?” Orion called out to the girl on his right. “Are you carsick?”

  “N-No,” Mari stuttered, releasing her grip on her knee. “Um… I’d love to visit Amane’s house, too.” She lowered her head, so her voice was a bit quieter than usual.

  “It’s a deal!” Amane called out, clapping her hands in front of her. “I’ll talk to my parents about this!” Warmth spread across her chest as she could only imagine all the fun times she could have with Orion, Mari and Satoru at home. However, it might be a bit intimidating with the entirety of her home. In fact, it was intimidating to have them come over as she never invited anyone else before.

  “Yeah, that’d be cool to visit,” Satoru added on. “I’d love to go too.”

  “Yeah! Well… It might be easier if we just look around and go somewhere else. I mean, it…might get overwhelming?” Amane said uncertainly.

  “It’ll be fine,” Orion assuaged the other girl. “We’ll be fine. We’re big boys and girls.”

  “Um… Okay, if you insist,” Amane said uncertainly. Then she noticed the car stopped. “Oh, Satoru’s home is here now.”

  “Right, right,” Satoru said as Amane’s chauffeur Mori got off the car and opened the door. “Well, see you guys later. You too, Amane.” Satoru disembarked the car and walked up to his house before the chauffeur closed the door and returned to the driver’s seat.

  The car drove off again as Orion and Mari sat in the back in silence again. Amane didn’t know what to say now, that she started going back to worrying about Orion disassociating with her. Nervous, Amane played with her fingers in her seat, unseen by Orion and Mari.

  “It’ll be okay, Amane,” Orion suddenly said, like he could read minds. “I can’t read minds, but you must be nervous telling us a bit about your background. You’re not the type to reveal your background or past. Don’t worry, we won’t tell anyone else. But relax, it’ll be fine.”

  “Y-Yeah…” Amane said, unconvinced this time. “I-I’m sorry. I’m just still nervous.”

  “It’ll be fine, Amane!” Mari tried to cheer up the other girl. “You can blame Orion for anything bad that happens.”

  “What?” Orion asked. He did not believe this girl was using him as a scapegoat. “I’m the one assuaging Amane.”

  The group talked about various light topics as the car moved through Tokyo. As it neared the destination where Orion and Mari lived, Mari got off the car first and then Orion, then finally Amane jumped off the car. Mari went into the house and as Amane walked toward Orion, he walked over to her.

  “Well, good night, Amane,” Orion said, waving to her as he walked toward his house.

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