Tsubami laughed softly as she pat my back, proud of my successful date with Emma yesterday and sighed deeply. "Well, who knew Nanako would present herself once you began to understand Emma. This makes this case much more interesting.."
"Case?" I asked, looking at Tsubami with a curious expression.
"Ah, you don't know. Nanako is part of our most recent case. We're trying to understand her patterns with whatever information we have, but we know mostly nothing about her other than her tragedy," Mr. Hoshido said, sipping on his morning coffee and exhaled softly.
"Right, the Matsugaya Festival incident. You know...how long ago was that incident again?" I asked, looking down at my hands to try to count the years that passed by.
"It was actually more recent than you think. The incident only happened 30 years ago. Nanako is still a fresh spirit technically. Just one that refuses to pass on," Lotus answered, exhaling softly as she looked at the sky.
"Only 30 years..? My parents were still in elementary when it happened. This is recent...wait, that means the perpetrators are still alive!" I said, standing up on my feet and looked back at Tsubami and the others.
Mr. Hoshido pushed his glasses up and looked at his watch as it buzzed with a message. "This sudden surge of energy you got. Something is on your mind. What are you thinking about?"
"I have been thinking about the second rule dealing with Nanako all night while on my date with Emma. Don't exorcize her without fully appeasing her. What if what she wants is justice? After all, most restless spirits usually die with unresolved pain and regrets," I suggested, my gaze shifting between Tsubami and Mr. Hoshido.
Tsubami chuckled softly and crossed on leg over the other as she looked at her phone. "So, you want to try to find Nanako's killer? After all, no one was arrested that night and there are four suspects..."
"Just like how Nanako is targeting your four friends, each friend group Nanako has targeted has had glaring similarities. Each of them echoes Nanako's four friends," Mr. Hoshido added, sitting back in his seat and looked up at me.
"The only suspects we should investigate are women who are at least 48 years old and has attended Matsugaya High School 30 years ago. And taken the possibilities, the perpetrator is a mother and has married the same man Nanako once loved," Tsubami finished, looking up at me and tapped her knee with her index finger.
"So, Nanako's murderer is someone connected to my four friends, is a mother, is at least 48 years old, and married the man she once loved..? Well, my mother couldn't be the one since Nanako killed her...and my father's group actually had five people..." I said to myself, closing my eyes as I began to process everything they said.
"This is why we want you to just focus on the girls. This is added weight that you don't have to carry right now," Tsubami said, standing up from her seat and walking over to me.
I hummed softly and slipped my hands into my pockets. "Only connected, so she can't be the mother of one of my friends, they are all younger than 48, but that doesn't exclude family members. However, this would be easier if we knew who the man she loved was..."
"Oh? You're actually considering it? Why?" Tsubami asked, tilting her head curiously.
"Because something doesn't make since to me regarding my mother and Nanako. Every letter I've seen from my parents, I can now hear Nanako's voice through my mother...she actually loved my father, so why go to Level 10 and kill them both?" I asked, opening my eyes with a deep sigh.
"Something drove Nanako mad and it wasn't my father ignoring her nor was it them being separated because I can't remember a time where I didn't see them together. That means, someone tried to exorcize her..." I concluded, opening my eyes with a hint of Insight twinkling in my eyes.
Lotus looked at my sharp gaze then glanced up at the sky, noticing a single dove flying over me and descending onto the table. She noticed the dove look at me with an approving gaze, his head moving as if to nod before flying off.
'Hm...did the Holy Spirit agree with him? I don't doubt that conclusion as it's the most logical one...rule number two is big for Attachment Based Spirits,' Lotus thought to herself.
{Chapter 19: SPA Day!}
In the heart of Shibuya, Tsubami drove down the bustling streets toward a moderate office building sitting 20 stories high, the parking lot full of company cars and white vans with the SPA logo on the sides. Parking her car, we all got out and made our way into the building.
Inside, the main lobby was vast and open, banners and pillars sectioning off various departments depending on ones needs. Though it looked like a normal bureau, everything inside screamed that it was more than a detective department. They did have Human Resources, so not everything here was dealing with the supernatural.
"Follow me, we're gonna be heading up to the 12th Floor," Tsubami said, walking over to the elevators and pressed the up button.
"How many departments do you all have?" I asked, walking up to Tsubami and waited for the silver doors to open.
"Mmm, about ten give or take?" Tsubami answered, glancing over at Mr. Hoshido for assistance.
"We have mostly everything a normal bureau would have, CIA, DHS, DEA, EPA, JPSS, JP District Law. The SPA just has their own subdivision on the higher floors such as the Occult Prevention Agency and the Japanese Exorcist and Security Administration," Mr. Hoshido answered, looking down at his watch to answer a message.
"Whoa...even I didn't know we had all of this. I'm part of the Guiding Shepherds of Shibuya, so I only help people with their spiritual struggles! I've never actually seen an Occultist or a Sorcerer on the field before," Lotus gasped, her eyes sparkling with a hint of wonder.
Tsubami chuckled and looked forward with her hands in her coat pockets, watching the elevator doors open and began walking forward. "Well, we're heading to the Supernatural Bureau of Investigation in tbe Detective Department. We're gonna meet up with the Minister."
Each of us followed Tsubami inside and watched the elevator doors close behind us. Tsubami pressed the button for the 12th Floor then the elevator began climbing up the building, each floor made being an increased number upon the digital blue screen.
Lotus and I looked out the translucent glass, noticing the different departments as we rose higher and higher in the air. The main lobby now looked as if they were ants below us, the spacing between each floor growing larger than before until we finally reached the 12th Floor.
The Minister, Mr. Mori, sat at the meeting table while taking a sip of his instant coffee, his gaze focused upon the recent report that Tsubami sent in from yesterday. Hearing a bit of commotion from outside, he glanced up and noticed Tsubami laughing as she pushed me toward their office and let out a hum.
"Inside you go~! It's time to meet the boss!" Tsubami called out, pushing me into the open door with a giggle then looked up with a gasp. "Sargent Tsubami, sir!"
Mr. Hoshido glanced at Tsubami and shook his head as he walked into the office, fixing his tie and let out a soft exhale. "Sometimes, I wonder how and why you are passing my class.."
Mr. Mori chuckled softly at the two then stood up from his seat and cleared his throat. "Well, I'm glad to see you all here again. First, I want to welcome our new face here. You must be Mr. Izuna Motosaki?"
"Y-Yes sir," I answered with upmost respect, giving Mr. Mori a bow and stood up straight.
Mr. Mori let out an amused hum as he looked into my eyes, gaining a bit of Insight about me within seconds. "You must be Mikoto's son then? Ahh, I recognize those discerning eyes anywhere. Tsubami! Why didn't you tell me that your partner was the son of Erik and Mikoto Izuna?"
"W-What? Look, I didn't even want to be investigating Nanako at all! I was on paid leave and Granny Hisu called me back here because of him!" Tsubami scoffed, pointing her finger at me.
"Oh sorry, I didn't mean to interrupt your little vacay from Destiny Islands. You know, I didn't exactly want to release Nanako either, but here we are. Besides...isn't the MHI-30 a cold case anyway? Even with what we know, the culprit has a life and the options are vast," I said, looking around the room.
"You're right it's a cold case, but because Nanako is awake again, the SPA has taken the case up again because of your parents and the other victims along the 30 year timeframe. Your mother just happened to the the most recent, and to solve this case...we need to know why Nanako got angry," Mr. Mori said, walking over to the meeting table and looked down at the other reports.
Each of us took a seat while Mr. Hoshido walked over to the projector screen and picked up a remote, clicking a button to show the first slide. "As we know Nanako, or more commonly known as The Tomodachi, has Obession Levels or what the current generation calls them Yandere Levels."
"Level 10 is known as Lover's Suicide, where Nanako will become so Obsessed and in love with her partner that she drives her host into murdering their lover and themselves afterwards. In this state, Nanako literally dies also, but is put in a dormant state," Mr. Hoshido continued, looking back at the projector screen.
Mr. Mori looked at the ring camera video on the next slide, letting out a hum and adjusting his glasses with a focused expression. "This was on the day Mikoto and Erik were killed in America. I thought only the Izuna Family moved?"
"That is what I assumed as well, but if you look closely..." Mr. Hoshido said, pausing the video and zooming in on the front porch. "There is someone wearing a white cloak with a Clan Emblem on the back. The Clan symbol resembles one with Spiritual Prowess."
"That narrows it down a lot. The Fugigami Clan has vast spiritual blessings, but not once has Nanako ever even paid attention to me or Lotus. She's been curious, but never viewed us as a threat," Tsubami said, crossing her arms and leaning back.
Mr. Hoshido flipped it to the next slide, the slide showing ten Clan Emblems which were similar to the blurred emblem in the video. "These ten clans are the only clans with a similar emblem. For today, I want to investigate the Yamamoto Clan."
"Why not start with the Chisaka, Haruna, Ayami, Suzuki, or Nagagami?" I asked, raising my hand to get Mr. Hoshido's attention as if we were in class. "It's already been revealed that Nanako's targets echo her four friends."
Mr. Hoshido looked over at me, gently signalling for me to lower my hand. "You don't need to raise your hand. But, that is a good question and the reason is people remarry, clan names change, or people change. These ten clans are the only clans we know has had connections with Nanako before her death."
"Including those five clans you mentioned," Tsubami said, closing her eyes and lowering her head. "That makes 15 Clans, but five of them are not mentioned in the image because these are recent targets and clans. The ones who resemble her beloved friends the most."
I hummed softly with understanding, my eyes twinkling lightly as I looked at the images of the ten clans. 'So, she's choosing based off personality resemblance? Why? Why is she targeting Aisha, Emma, Rebecca, Naomi, and Otsuki..? There has to be a deeper reason, but I'll accept this for now...'
------------------------------
Driving down the Hojin Division of New Japan, banners of the Yamamoto Crest waved in the air, a light blue five tomoe symbol placed upon the center of each banner. The streets were urban and decorated with vintage and modern vehicles, resting across from Nagoya.
I stared out the window while Tsubami drove down the road the Hojin City Hall, noticing multiple citizens looking at our van with a mix of confusion and curiosity. Once Tsubami parked the van, I opened the door and stepped outside, fixing my coat and looked around the environment.
"It's the SBI, what are they doing here in Hojin?" One guy asked, taking his cigarette out of his mouth and flicked it toward the ground.
"Probably here on another ghost busting mission? Ttakku...And look, they've got a new face. Who is that guy?" Another man asked, pointing at me with his thumb.
"Alright, everyone! Back up, you already know it's the Supernatural Bureau!" Tsubami began, waving her arms and caused everyone to spread out.
"It's Tsubami Fugigami..." One woman whispered to her friend, gasping softly and looking around at everyone else.
"We're getting quite a lot of eyes aren't we? Maybe we should tell everyone why we're here?" I suggested sarcastically, slipping my hands into my pockets and looked at Tsubami.
Tsubami chuckled and reached inside the van, taking out a megaphone and flipping the switch to turn it on. She pat the microphone a few times, a ringing frequency echoing out and causing everyone's ears in the area to ring.
"Ahem! Kon'nichi, Residents of Hojin! This is Sargent Tsubami speaking right now, and we are here for an official investigation!" Tsubami began, hearing everyone groan and begin to grow worried. "Hey! Everyone calm down, none of you are in trouble. We are just focused on one clan, the one that runs this district!"
"Who here knows the current Head of the Yamamoto Clan?" Lotus asked loudly, having to use her hands to boost her voice.
I looked around at everyone listening, watching as they whispered amongst themselves to figure out why we were looking for the Head of the Yamamoto Clan. As I searched around, I noticed a pair of eyes staring at me intensely, as if they were excited to see me.
"Is that...Motosaki?" Naomi asked and stepped closer, her eyes sparkling with glee as she recognized me then pushed her way through the crowd toward me.
"H-Hey! Miss Suzuki, wait up!" Benji called out, grabbing his toolbox from the ground and hurried after Naomi. "What is the random rush of energy?"
I watched as Naomi rushed over to me then heard a few cars in the area begin honking, yet my gaze remained focused upon Naomi with a smile. "Naomi, I didn't know you were here as well."
"Mhm! I come here regularly because my great and humble father owns multiple dealerships and the Suzukai Brand is making big numbers, Ah~hahahaha~!" Naomi boasted and let out her usual noble laugh, her hand elegantly placed near her mouth as she laughed.
"Hey! Who's annoying laugh was that?" Tsubami asked over the megaphone, swinging it around and causing another loud ring.
Naomi grunted as she covered her ears from the noise, and looked up at Tsubami, her gaze immediately shifting into an annoyed expression. "Hey! Fugigami Princess! Can you talk normally?!"
Tsubami glanced over at Naomi and lowered her megaphone then smirked at her. She chuckled softly and walked over to me and Naomi. "Well, well, the Modern Royal is here at this urban city?"
"Hmph! Well, why wouldn't I be here when my father owns multiple dealerships? I am here on official business getting my new GMX remodeled," Naomi said in a snooty tone, pointing back at Benji.
Benji bowed toward me, Lotus, and Tsubami. "Hey, I...didn't expect to see you all here today."
"What's good, Big Ben," I said, gently patting his shoulder and shaking my head at him. "Aye, good luck, you're stuck with her all day."
"C'mon, help a bro out. She's been nagging all day, I need a break," Benji whispered to me, placing his hand upon mine.
Naomi stared at me for a moment, her gaze lingering with a smile then she looked over at Tsubami, noticing her smirk and let out a soft scoff. She turned over to Benji and began pushing him backwards with a chipper attitude. "Come on, Benji! They are clearly busy and my GMX isn't gonna remodel itself!"
Tsubami laughed softly at the two then rose her phone up to Naomi with the camera app pulled up, a joyful yellow silhouette forming behind Naomi as the two walked away. 'A joyful yellow...Hm, if she's here then we must be pretty spot on. Mr. Hoshido, you have my praise Captain.'
"The plan has changed! Motosaki—" Tsubami began, looking over at where I once stood and noticed I was already gone. "Huh? What the? Where—"
Lotus pointed over in the direction Naomi went. "It seems his investigation has priority. After all, being separated from Motosaki for too long will anger Nanako."
I jogged through the crowds after Naomi then found my way toward a beautiful workshop where Benji and a few of his co-workers were working on Naomi's car. I looked over and noticed her sitting on an office chair, sipping on her juice box as she twisted from side to side on the chair.
I placed my hands into my pockets and walked over to Naomi, a few mechanics in the area looking over at me and looked at my SPA lanyard hanging around my neck. I flashed my badge toward then as I walked over to Naomi.
"I am here on official business with the SBI. Sorry, but I'm gonna have to borrow your boss for a moment," I said, lowering my lanyard and walked over to Naomi and gently grabbed her arm.
"Mmm?" Naomi hummed, looking up at me as I helped her out of her seat. "Saki-kun?"
I looked back at Benji and whistled to get his attention, smiling at him as he looked over at me. "Yo, I'm taking your boss for a few, is that cool?"
"Huh? But I thought you were working with the SBI right now," Naomi asked in confusion, squeaking lightly as I pulled her over with me.
Benji watched as I walked away with Naomi and let out a sigh of relief. "Finally...five minutes of peace."
I walked through an alleyway and finally let Naomi go and stopped walking, looking at her with a soft exhale. "You being here really complicates a lot of things."
Naomi crossed her arms and looked up at me with an eye roll and a smile. "Oh? And I was supposed to know you were coming to Hojin? You know, your business is interrupting my work too."
I stared at her for a moment then let out a scoffing laugh, pointing my finger at her. "Right because spinning around in a chair is heavy lifting. I didn't mean to snatch the princess off her little throne."
"Ugh, I hate it when you're so sarcastic!" Naomi whined, playfully pushing me back and feigned an annoyed expression.
I chuckled as I stepped back against the wall behind me, exhaling softly then looked out into the distance then back at Naomi. "So, what does one of the richest noblewomen do for fun around here?"
Naomi grinned at me then grabbed my hand, pulling me with her out of the alleyways and hummed with excitement. "No one else knows this, but I'm gonna show you what I do for run around here."
Now part of me felt as if this was a bad idea because all I literally knew about Naomi was she was blessed by God with wealth and riches, and she loved acting and theatre. Something within told me that I should get prepared for a high speed adventure.
The two of us began approaching a massive stadium where a few Hojin High School and Academy sudents walked in and out from. Naomi looked back at me, her eyes twinkling with excitement as she began dragging me in as my feet began to drag behind her.
"Come on! You wanted to know what I did for fun!" Naomi giggled, using both hands to pull me with her.
"I just seen one guy running out of here weeping bro. What is going on in here?" I asked, now slightly concerned for my own safety.
"It's nothing horrible, I promise! Just move your feet already!" Naomi said through her teeth, grunting as she used her strength to tug me along.
Entering into the large stadium, groups of students were lined up in front of a booth which sold tickets to a drag racing event, one line being for the racers and the other for the audiences. Naomi brought me through the check in and toward the garage area, the inside full of the scent of gasoline and heavy duty rust.
One guy looked back at the two of us and smirked, his grin widening as he watched Naomi walk inside first. "Mmm, look who it is. The daughter of the great Suzuki Kaeda. Oh, how have I missed you."
Naomi watched as the guy approached her and stepped aside as he tried to touch her. "Hmph...I am not here for you, Kaido. I am showing my bestie around right now."
Kaido looked over at me, raising an eyebrow then scoffed. He looked down and noticed my badge, his eyes scanning the name on my ID. "Izuna Motosaki. Izuna..? Like that powerful Miko that died? You're that woman's son?"
"That woman has a name," I said, staring at Kaido with an analytical gaze then looked at his school uniform and noticed it belonged to Matsugaya High School. "You must be that Kaido your Hounds keep barking about."
Kaido smirked at me and chuckled lightly, looking at Naomi while pointing at me with his thumb. "This guy gets a spot on the SBI and thinks he's hot shit now? Wow, Nao, you have a way of choosing men huh? Why not go with me, a well known Yamamoto Clansman instead of a fake Uchiha who's the last of his?"
I smirked at Kaido's comment then laughed lightly, crossing my arms then looked at Naomi before breaking out into another laugh. "Ah man, this guy is hilarious. So, you're a Yamamoto Clan member? This works out so perfectly for me, thank you God."
Kaido chuckled at my percieved arrogance then walked over to me and placed his hand upon my shoulder. "Hey man, I've been informed about what you did to my guys at Matsugaya yesterday. Now you're stepping on home turf acting like the big shot?"
I smirked at Kaido and shook my head, letting out a soft exhale. "You don't seem to grasp the situation, but I'll explain it to you in simple terms. We are looking for the Head of your clan, whomever it is. However, I think I have downtime to have some fun."
"Oh? The Investigator is setting downtime for us? Oh, how I honor your decision," Kaido taunted, pushing me back and walked over to his car and chuckled. "Nao, I don't know why you hang around fake tough guys."
Naomi's left eye twitched at Kaido's disrespect toward me and my clan, the lights flickering slightly within the garage as her blood pressure began to rise. I could feel the air growing tense and glanced over at Kaido, noticing a second shadow stretching out toward him then instinctively grabbed Naomi's arm.
Immediately, Naomi began to calm down and the second shadow stopped moving as if responding to my touch. She looked over at me, her hardened eyes gradually softening. "Huh..?"
'That shadow again...Nanako is definitely influencing her, but... something was different,' I thought to myself, my eyes never leaving off the ground where the second shadow once was.
Kaido sat down in his seat and grabbed his wrench to continue screwing on his new tires upon his Z0X Ferrari. "So, what do you want? As you can see, I'm busy preparing for my race around the Hojin Division. If it's not important, see your way to the stands."
I walked over to Kaido with my hands in my pockets, inspecting his car and hummed softly. I looked around, noticing a few other mechanics watching my every step. "I already told you, the SBI is investigating your clan."
"For what? We haven't had a Mass or performed any rituals at all. Besides, why is the SBI here instead of the OPA or JESA? You're wasting your time here, man," Kaido said, grunting softly as he bent down to continue tightening the bolt on his rim.
I shrugged my shoulders and picked up a screwdriver off the workshop table, closely inspecting it. "A case just reopened, and we just need to know a bit of information from your Head. Whether it be your father or your mother, it doesn't matter who."
Kaido sat up slowly with a sigh and leaned back in his chair with a stretch then looked over at Naomi. "Do you know what he's talking about?"
Naomi stared at Kaido with a lingering stare, one that could pierce into his very soul. "I do."
"What was that?" Kaido asked, cleaning his ear out to hear Naomi's quiet answer better.
"I said I don't," Naomi answered louder, her usual tone coming back with a hint of annoyance.
I smirked at Naomi's answer and set the screwdriver down and slipped my hands back into my pockets, leaning against the workshop table. "There's no point in asking the Suzuki Noblewoman, she's not under SPA investigation. It is your clan, so unless you start answering...be prepared to see me everyday."
Kaido smirked at my confidence and stood up, pointing at me with his wrench. "Mikah, Kenji, and Satoshi told me about that bullshit confidence you have, like you wear your soul on your sleeve or something. Who do you think you are?"
I looked down at my sleeve and wiped off a bit of dust from it then looked down at my badge, holding it up and lifting my gaze at Kaido. "I am me. Nobody else. So are we gonna do this or do I have to embarrass you on the track?"
A bit of "ooohs" filled the garage at my direct challenge on Kaido's turf, my sassy comment even getting a few laughs from a few girls and Naomi. Kaido looked around and scoffed, his annoyed gaze falling back upon me as he licked the inside of his cheek.
"Kuso...this guy is actually more annoying than I thought. Alright, since you want to be the tough guy so badly, I'll accept your challenge. If you win, I'll take you to my father. If you lose, you leave Naomi with me and take your Scooby Doo squad and leave Hojin," Kaido said, setting his wrench down and grabbed his car keys.
I chuckled softly at Kaido then got off the table, walking off with confidence. "Fine. Have it your way. Just to let you know, my mother was one of the best drivers in New Japan...so be prepared to be embarrassed by 'that woman'."
Naomi stuck her tongue out at Kaido before hurrying behind me then an empty soda can on the workshop table flew off and smacked Kaido on the back of his head. Kaido grunted and looked back at his friends, the two of them looking just as confused as he was.
"Wait, Motosaki, are you actually gonna race Kaido? Have you ever been in a race before?" Naomi asked, catching up to me and gently grabbing my arm.
I stopped walking and smiled calmly, looking back at Naomi then hummed softly. "I haven't, but you have. I already knew once I learned Kaido was a Yamamoto that he wouldn't tell me where the Yamamoto Head is...so I had to get him distracted while I snoop around."
"Wait what? So what are you gonna do about the race? He's preparing as we speak!" Naomi exclaimed, pointing back at the garage behind us.
I chuckled softly and exhaled softly, placing my hand upon her cheek gently with a few soft pats. "Itoshii...you wildly underestimate my insight. You don't think I've had a plan since getting here? I already knew I would have to get my hands messy, but uhm...you're helping me."
"Huh?" Naomi asked with a soft blush, raising an eyebrow in confusion.
I gently grabbed Naomi's hand and began leading her back to Benji's garage, Naomi trailing behind with a hint of amusement as she allowed me to drag her along. Reaching the garage, I knocked on the metal walls, getting Benji's attention immediately.
Benji sighed softly as he noticed I had returned with Naomi. "What happened? She became too much?"
"No, quite the opposite actually. Listen, I need you to act as me for a quick second in a drag race. You have car and road experience, and my first mission kinda rides on this," I said, giving Benji a bright smile.
Benji glanced at Naomi then back at me, shrugging his shoulders. "Mmkay, I mean it's just a quick drag race. Who am I racing against?"
"Kaido," Naomi said innocently, giving Benji a cute smile.
"K-Kai—" Benji wheezed, coughing lightly and falling back against his workshop table. "Y-Yamamoto?! Kaido of The Hounds?! Bro, what the heck are you doing?"
I reached into the inside of my coat pocket then pulled out a $100 bill, and stretched it out in front of him. "Would Mr. Benjamin Franklin convince you? This could literally get you a new toolkit."
Benji grunted softly, glancing back at his old, worn out tools then looked back at the blue bill in my hand. He scratched the back of his head, truly debating with himself about it then let out a begrudging sigh. "Fine..."
"Whoa! You bribe with money too?" Naomi asked, gasping at the crisp bill in my hands then looked up into my eyes.
"I wouldn't call this bribery, more like a favor. I'll owe Benji this one by taking you with me on my mission," I chuckled, walking over to Benji and sliding the $100 bill into his pockets then leaned forward to whisper in his ear.
"You don't need to beat Kaido, once he figures out you're not me, it'll be too late. Just have fun, and know I'll be cheering for you," I said discreetly to Benji, patting his shoulder and giving him a smile before stepping back with my hands in my pockets.
"A-Alright," Benji nodded, gulping lightly and exhaling through his nose.
"Ahh, Sayonara Benji-sama! You're gonna do great!" I said, smiling at Benji and waved as I walked off.
Yeah, he's getting killed on the track. No way anyone is beating that Z0X Ferrari.
"Bye-bye, Benji~!" Naomi beamed, waving Benji goodbye as she followed me.
'This guy just got me killed...' Benji said mentally, lowering his head and sighing deeply as he dragged his feet to grab his racing gear.
--------------------------
Kaido walked out onto the racetrack and looked over, noticing a muscle car rolling forward and rose an eyebrow. "Is he seriously gonna race me in that beat up car?"
Benji put on his helmet and let out a soft exhale, stepping out of his car and reached into his pocket, freezing as he felt a laminated badge in his pocket. He pulled it out, his eyes widening behind the visor of his helmet as he noticed my badge then felt his phone buzz.
[Me (Det. Izuna): I left you a little gift, so it would be a bit harder to detect our bait-n-switch plan. Naomi is also deployed in the stands, she's currently waving.]
Benji looked up at the stands, noticing Naomi waving her arms in the air to get Benji's attention in the midst of the noisy crowd. 'He put a lot of thought into this...How long does he plan on distracting Kaido..?'
Benji felt his phone buzz once again, looking back down to see another message from me.
[Me (Det. Izuna): Race him over and over, keep his ego inflated. Each win will make his goons and fans go crazy. He's like Naomi, he's theatrical. He will let you win one just to boost his ego on the next.]
[Me (Det. Izuna): Trust me, I know egotistical people from my time in New America. Give me one hour max.]
"Hey! Are you ready to get crushed?! It's over for you, Izuna!" Kaido howled, smacking his fists against each other with a chuckle.
Benji grunted softly at Kaido, looking up at him and flashing my badge at him with a nod. "Get ready to be... eliminated!"
Kaido laughed at Benji's response and looked over at the referee ahead. "Yeah, I'm cooking him. How many should we do? How badly should I embarrass him?"
"Mmm, I think we could go until 5 PM. I think I would love to see his spirit crushed!" The referee giggled, holding her phone up to record the race.
I looked down at my smart watch, noticing Benji message back and chuckled softly, leaning over to show Tsubami. "He finally messaged back."
Tsubami looked over at my watch, covering her mouth and closing her eyes. "How did you even convince him to go with this bit?"
Lotus peeked over our shoulders and gasped, looking at Benji's distress message and gently smacked me and Tsubami upon our arms. "This is so mean! Why didn't you just race Kaido?"
"What? You wouldn't have this information if I went and raced Kaido then lost! Do you know what Nanako AND Naomi would do to me if I lost after talking that big? I have never touched a race track in my life," I laughed softly, moving away from Lotus to avoid her second smack.
"You lied!" Lotus called out, chasing after me to deliver her justice.
"It's just called half truths!" I exclaimed, hiding behind Tsubami and peeked around her.
Tsubami chuckled at the two of us, shaking her head and looked out at the large mansion ahead. "You two are gonna get us in trouble with the horse playing."
The three of us began to approach the mansion, the vast front yard filled with luxurious plant sculptures, maids tending to the gardens, and a beautiful pearl road leading up to the home. The maids stopped their work and gasped as they noticed Tsubami, each of them gossipping with one another to figure out why the SBI was at their home.
Tsubami rang the doorbell and looked into the ring camera with a smile, waving into it. "Kon'nichi, Mr. Yamamoto~! Can you come to the door please?"
Mr. Yamamoto groaned softly as he heard the constant buzzing of his doorbell then stood up from his couch with a grumble. He grabbed his glasses off the coffee table beside his seat then made his way to the door, looking at the camera pad right of his door to see Tsubami waving at the camera.
"Maybe he isn't home right now?" Lotus asked, looking at Tsubami with confusion.
"Nah, he's definitely home. There was no Board Meeting for Hojin today, nor did the Matsugaya Education Committee call one. He's 100% home," Tsubami said, ringing the door bell once again.
Suddenly, the front door swung open with Mr. Yamamoto standing before us in a simple button up and a pair of slacks. His eyes shifted between us, studying our appearances then hummed softly. "What brings the SBI here today? There was no public event on our end."
"This isn't about a public mass or whatever, I'm actually here in SBI uniform not JESA or OPA. To put it clearly, your clan is under investigation over a cold case that reopened," Tsubami said, holding up an official SPA Warrant.
"What? Cold case? What is that man Mr. Mori planning? Ever since he started the SPAB, he's changed. Has his motives finally turned into revenge? The committee has warned him...there's nothing for him to find. She's dead already," Mr. Yamamoto asked, pushing up his glasses with a light scoff.
Tsubami sucked her teeth lightly and licked the inside of her jaw. "I nearly forgot how much of an asshole you are just like your son. Let's make something clear you rotting ba—"
I quickly covered Tsubami's mouth and pulled her back with an awkward chuckle then exhaled softly, turning my gaze toward Mr. Yamamoto. "You seem to sound like you know why we are here, and you sound like you have valuable information."
"And who might you be?" Mr. Yamamoto asked, looking at me with a hint of curiosity.
I took out my phone then pulled up a picture of my ID before holding it out for Mr. Yamamoto to see. "I am Motosaki Izuna, a newly recruited member of the Supernatural Bureau of Investigation. I'm sure you recognize my clan name?"
Mr. Yamamoto stared at me and crossed his arms, exhaling softly and closing his eyes. "You're Mikoto and Erik's offspring. So, you did release Nanako just like Lady Hisu warned us about. What a fool..."
"Hey! How was Motosaki supposed to know she was resting in Mr. Izuna's attic? That's not a fair assumption!" Lotus called out, pointing her finger at Mr. Yamamoto. "Ugh, I almost don't even want to do this investigation.."
"Neither do I want my time wasted like this. If you may, please leave the premises," Mr. Yamamoto said, turning around and began closing the door.
I quickly caught the door and pulled back upon the door, swinging it back open with a serious expression on my face, my eyes gleaming with determination. "We've shown you an official warrant, if you try to leave now, we could just detain you and put you in the back of our van."
Mr. Yamamoto looked into my eyes, noticing my mother's fierceness and courage within my gaze then scoffed lightly. "Fine, have it your way. Come inside..."
The three of us walked inside and were led into the living room by a maid then treated to a cup of tea and a few snacks. Mr. Yamamoto walked toward the head seat of the family table and sat down, grunting softly and exhaling softly.
"So, what would you like to discuss?" Mr. Yamamoto asked, looking at the three of us and noticed Lotus closely watching his body language with a notebook and my gaze studying his every move.
Tsubami relaxed on the couch, crossing one leg over the other and crossed her arms with a smile. "Right now, you're only a suspect. First, I want to know where were you around ten years ago when the Izuna Family moved to New America?"
"Ahh, I was still here in New Japan taking care of my own family. I was still dominating the political field, growing into the Minister of Hojin as I am now. I have no ties to Erik nor Mikoto other than the times they were working," Mr. Yamamoto answered.
Lotus nodded and wrote down what Mr. Yamamoto said in her notebook while I let out a soft exhale and closed my eyes. Tsubami glanced over at our reactions then nodded, turning her gaze back to Mr. Yamamoto then sat up straight.
"Alright, you have nothing to do with Erik and Mikoto as far as we can tell. How about Nanako? As you know, those two events are connected along with the other string of deaths by the Tomodachi. Did you know Nanako before her death?"
Mr. Yamamoto stared at the wall of trophies ahead of him for a moment, the sounds of chattering slowly filtering his ears. He closed his eyes and hummed softly. "I did...I was helping her with a project for the Spirit Day..."
~Yamamoto's Memory of Nanako~
"Ah~ Kaeda! Hold on!" Nanako called out to Kaeda, running over to him through the halls and grabbed his arm.
Kaeda Yamamoto looked back at Nanako, fixing his glasses with a stack of political books in his arms. "Nanako? What's up?"
Nanako glanced around with a secret grin, pulling Kaeda down to her level to whisper in his ears. "I'm planning to surprise Jeht and my friends and I need your help..!"
"My help? For what? Why don't you get Mrs. Fugigami to help you? I have more important things to handle, besides...I don't want anyone getting the wrong idea about us," Kaeda pulled away with a light groan.
Nanako giggled at Kaeda's reaction and held her hand behind her back. "If you help, I can get you a date with Usagi~! Oh, and I'll even help you rank up in the debate club, come on~!"
"Ugh, fine..." Kaeda groaned softly.
~End of Yamamoto's Memory~
"That was the last time we spoke after I helped her with her project or surprise, and she got me into the Student Political Committee, we barely spoke afterwards due to being busy. I had nothing to do with Nanako," Mr. Yamamoto retold, sitting back in his seat and sighed.
"Who is Usagi?" I asked, my arms crossed and eyes closed calmly.
"Mmm...and old fling. We haven't spoken much since Nanako's death, and I don't know where she is. Probably has an entire family of her own by now," Mr. Yamamoto answered, his tone carrying no deception.
"He's clear," I said, opening my eyes and stood up from the couch and fixed my clothes. "There's nothing left for us to gain here."
"Just like that?" Lotus asked, glancing up at me.
"Any other questions would be filler, and my father always taught me to avoid asking unnecessary questions during investigations. If anything else comes up, we'll come back...but for now his story is too vauge for any real conclusions," I said, giving Mr. Yamamoto a bow before walking off.
Tsubami watched as I walked off then smirked, standing up as well and humming softly. "Well, I guess that concludes that. If you happen to remember anything else, give us a call or stop by the office. We'd love to speak more with you."
Mr. Yamamoto listened as we all walked off and sighed softly, loosening his tie from around his neck. 'Why are they trying to solve an unsolvable case..? What is going through that boy's head..?'
------------------------------
Benji groaned as he lost another race against Haido, leaning forward against his steering wheel and listened to the roar of the crowd in the stadium. He glanced up at the scoreboard, seeing the score was an astronomical 1-35. "I can't keep doing this..."
"Man, this guy absolutely sucks! All this big game he was talking earlier is not holding up huh?" Kaido laughed, stepping out of his car and walked over to Benji's car.
Benji looked over at his window as Kaido knocked on it then he slightly lowered the window. "Yes?"
Kaido scoffed with a mocking smirk, pointing at Benji with his thumb then opened his car door and pulled Benji out. He grabbed my ID back then sneered, looking around at the stadium. "This is the great Izuna that embarrassed the Hounds?! This guy has proved he's nothing!"
"Yeah! You tell him Kaido!" One girl cheered through the crowd.
"You're the best!!" Another cheered with a squeal.
Kaido turned around to look at Benji and chuckled, holding his hand to his ear. "You hear that, Izuna? You hear the name they are chanting? Kai-do! Kai-do! Kai-do!"
Kaido laughed and held his arms out, walking around for a victory strut as the stadium cheered his name. Benji grunted softly and looked around nervously then felt his phone buzz with a message. He pulled his phone from his pocket and read my message.
[Me (Det. Izuna): It's all finished here. You can stop now. You did great, Naomi showed me the Livestream. You almost got him the 34th time, kkattang~! (^_-)]
Benji smiled at my message then grunted as Kaido smacked his phone out of his hand. "What the—"
Kaido smirked at Benji then rose up Benji's visor then grunted in shock, noticing Benji's eyes instead of mine then looked around. "What?! Yo, who the hell are you?!"
"Yo, who is that?!" One guy asked, bursting out into laughter.
Kaido looked back at Benji then heard his name being chanted somewhere then looked past Benji, noticing someone walking up. "What..?"
"Kai-do! Kai-do! Kai-do! Kai-do! Haha! You did exactly what I thought you would. You know, if you put this much effort in your academics instead of this bullcrap, you'd be like your father by now," I said, chuckling as I walked forward with my hands in my pockets.
Kaido grunted with embarrassment and glared at me, his eye twitching with annoyance. "What?! Where were you the entire time?! You weren't the one racing?"
"Nope, that was my friend Benji. Thanks to him, I was able to complete my mission. Your clan is in the clear for now, but as far as you and the Hounds...you will be my personal mission," I said, smirking at Kaido with a chuckle.
"Oh? Benji won one? YAAAA!!! Kkataasamyo!! Benji!!! Woohoo!!!!" Tsubami cheered loudly from the crowd, clapping her hands loudly and began cheering through the megaphone.
Kaido grunted softly as he looked back and noticed Tsubami, his gaze growing slightly annoyed by her presence. 'The Head of the Fugigami Clan is back..? Tch...this is quite annoying...'