Part 32: 5/30/09

5/30/09

It seems they found someone outside the school this morning.



Loud Student: Oh, yeah! The one who was lying on the ground this morning, right?
I hope she just ran away from home… But I feel like this is the start of something big.
Gossiping Student: Yeah… There might be reporters and camera crews and stuff. * sigh * I don’t want to deal with it.

The whole school was talking about it.

Video- “Rumors”

Watch

Classmate’s Voice: Yeah, they haven’t got a clue…
Isn’t that bizarre!?
> Everyone is talking about a rumor that’s going around.
Man, can you believe these people…?
So, did you hear the details?
About what?
Well, a girl from 2-E went missing last night.
This morning, they found her lying on the ground in front of the school gate!
Nobody knows what happened, and supposedly, she’s still unconscious.

I mean she probably got attacked by a Shadow or something, this place turns into a whole nest of them at night. Doesn’t explain why she’d be here, though.



Yo, Yuka-tan.
This is a tough case, even for Junpei Iori, Ace Detective.
Ace Detective?
…Are you stupid or something?
……
More like Stupei, Ace Defective.
Hey! I resent that.
Anyway, where’ve you been?
I was talking to the teacher.
That girl they found… I saw her yesterday, on my way back from practice.
She seemed okay then…
Whoa…
Now, that’s really strange.

So’s Junpei.



Mr. J says to throw in the towel, boy!
Alright, alright.
Hey, there you go!
But seriously, more and more people are becoming victims… I’m a little worried.

I went to play with Maiko after school, and I met another friend of hers.



Have you seen Striped Shirt?
We were playing tag, but… It’s no fun if I can’t find him.
Hey, Striped Shirt!

Poor guy, he doesn’t look well.



You don’t look so good… Are you sick?
Kinda, yeah. I’m surprised you could tell.
Huh? S-So, you are sick?
Ha ha, no, I’m kidding. You’re so easy, Maiko.
No fair! I’m an innocent girl, so I actually believed you!
> Maiko ran off and climbed the slide…
…And you are?
I’m Maiko’s friend.
So you’re the girl she was talking about. I wondered what you were like…
Are you “too old” to play with kids, or are you still young at heart?
Hey, I’m hungry! I want takoyaki! Takoyaki!
> Maiko is yelling from the top of the slide…
You can eat with us too, Striped Shirt!
Nah, I’m okay, thanks.
I’ll see you guys around.
> The thin young man walked off.
He’s gone…
I usually see him around the shrine on Sundays.
I see him on the way to cram school, too.
Yay! It’s takoyaki time!
> You decided to go with Maiko to get takoyaki.

She’s still really broken up about her parents, not that I can blame her.



I remember one time Dad burned his mouth on this takoyaki!
…’Cause I put too many in his mouth at once.
He was like, “Fungaaaaaaah!”
……
> Maiko suddenly fell silent…
…Dad doesn’t spend much time at home anymore these days.
But, I have a birthday soon.
Oh! Do you think he’ll come home for my birthday?
Don’t worry, he’ll be there.
Y-You really think so!?
> Maiko cheered up a bit.
I mean, I know Mom will buy me presents, but still…
…She hasn’t asked me what I want, yet.
……
> Maiko fell silent again.
…If they really loved me, then they wouldn’t get a divorce.
You’re the only one who still plays with me, you know.
> Maiko seems to be enjoying spending time with you.
> Your relationship is stronger now!

I just hope that her father really does come home for her birthday.



Today’s laundry day, so I’d better get home soon!
If I don’t do laundry, the house will be a real big mess!
See ya!
> Maiko took off, so you decided to go back to the dorm.

Yukari’s not feeling that great, so we’re skipping Tartarus for tonight.



Did you hear the rumor going around school?
People can be so immature, sometimes. I mean, it’s just a ghost story.
Anyway, I’m not feeling very well, so I won’t be able to go to Tartarus tonight. …Sorry.
I’ll prolly just watch a little TV and then go to bed early.

Ikutsuki was hanging around the lobby.



Actually, that’s quite common.
Dealing with Shadows has a tendency to enhance other… senses.

Akihiko seems kind of annoyed.



Mitsuru is training and Yukari has a “weird” feeling…
Tch, I wonder what that means…

I know why Yukari’s freaking out, Junpei’s been telling her ghost stories all day.



All I said to her was that someone might be in her room… or under her bed… or in her closet.
I mean, come on, that’s nothing to get all worked up about, right?
What about behind the curtain…?
Whoa, do you like telling stories like that, too?
Just don’t go too far when telling ‘em to Yukari… She’ll freak out!

I mean we fight actual monsters, it’s hard to get afraid of fake monsters. On the other hand, Yukari threatened Junpei with something that is anything but fake.



I’d be happy to sleep with you, if it helps…
* sigh *
Maybe I should call the police, or better yet, Mitsuru-senpai…
Please… Anything but that!

I’ve heard bad things about what happens to people who make Mitsuru mad. These damned rumors are spreading all over town, an adult at the mall was even talking about it.



Woman: Since the victim was at the front gate, that must be the scene of the crime.
After all, if the victim had been attacked somewhere else, and then carried to the front gate…
Why would the culprit do such a thing? The reasoning doesn’t add up.
Anyway, there’s a high probability that Gekkoukan itself is involved in all this somehow…

If only she knew. Anyway Mutatsu-san isn’t a completely terrible person about all things.



You come here a lot too, huh?
…Hey, are you alright, kid? You know, money-wise?
High school kids don’t have much money, do they? At least, I never gave much to my son.
I get by.
Is that right…? Hmph, I guess you kids have ways to make money nowadays.
> Mutatsu seems impressed.
You’re not doing anything illegal, though, are ya, kid? …Not that I care.
…Now, gimme a straight answer…
Is there anything you want right now?

Nothing really that money can buy, don’t think we can bribe the Shadows to go away.



Hmph, don’t tell me you’ve attained enlightenment at your age.
> Mutatsu is impressed.
When I was a young man, I never had enough money to buy the things I wanted.
When you get to be my age… Hmph, never mind.
You work to make money so you can have a better life, but to make enough money you gotta work all the time…
…So you never get to enjoy that better life you’re working so hard to have.
…Quite a paradox, isn’t it?
…Do you know what the average lifetime income of a white-collar worker is?
…Including a retirement fund and an annual pension?
250,000,000 yen! Hmph, that’s not even close to a lottery jackpot!
Thanks to me, you learned somethin’ new today, eh, kid?
Now, don’t waste your life workin’ all the time tryin’ to get it rich; just take life as it comes.
> You saw through Mutatsu’s harsh words and felt his kindness…
> You understand Mutatsu better now.

I think there are some good points hidden in all that cynicism.



> You are getting sleepy…
I worked my ass off for a lousy 250,000,000 yen! And for what!?
I wish I could buy back all the time I lost…
> You decided to go back to the dorm.