[Location: Kavei's house
Time: 8:00 pm
Date: 2nd August
Year: 2016]

As Kavei stirred from his slumber, the familiar sound of clinking and clattering filled the air, pulling him back into consciousness. Slowly, he sat up, his surroundings coming into focus as he realized he was in his own room. His gaze fell to his left hand, neatly bandaged, and he gently touched his face, feeling the presence of a band-aid covering the wound on his cheek.

"Patched up, huh," he murmured to himself, a wry smile tugging at the corners of his lips.

"Woke up?" a voice called out, breaking the silence. Kavei turned to see Kai standing in the doorway, a portable mini table in hand.

"Oh? Kai?" Kavei responded, his voice tinged with surprise as Kai placed the table atop Kavei's spread legs before disappearing momentarily, only to return with a tray in hand.

"What's this?" Kavei inquired, curiosity piqued as Kai settled down next to him.

"Dinner. Eat up, right-handed, yeah," Kai replied, his tone matter-of-fact as he gestured towards the tray.

"Yeah," Kavei agreed, reaching for the utensils with his uninjured hand.

"Kavei, I got a call from the hospital from Benio. Your Niichan. He told me to come get you... Why do you always..." Kai's voice trailed off, concern evident in his tone as he looked at Kavei.

"Haha, yeah. That was terrifying," Kavei chuckled, attempting to brush off the gravity of the situation.

"Kavei, I'm serious. Do you have to get hurt every time you go on this investigation of yours?" Kai pressed, his concern palpable.

"... Understandable why you would say that," Kavei conceded, his expression sobering as he reflected on his recent escapades.

"First it was you fainting over and over again, then you got wounded on your head, then hurt your hand, and you got shot in your palm and got your face pierced in," Kai recounted, his voice tinged with frustration.

"Cheek," Kavei corrected automatically, a hint of amusement in his voice despite the seriousness of the conversation.

"Same difference. Can you please stop this?" Kai pleaded, his frustration evident as he implored Kavei to reconsider his reckless behavior.

"I'm sorry," Kavei replied softly, a pang of guilt gnawing at his conscience.

"Can't you just be a normal middle schooler?" Kai continued, his tone tinged with exasperation.

"Junior high," Kavei interjected, a small smile playing on his lips as he recounted his recent transition.

"Something," Kai amended, his frustration evident as he struggled to understand Kavei's penchant for danger.

"It was hard commuting to school and back," Kavei explained, his voice tinged with nostalgia as he reminisced about his former life in Kanazawa.

"Hm?" Kai prompted, his curiosity piqued by Kavei's revelation.

"You didn't know? I lived in Kanazawa. Then got admitted to a school in Shinagawa. Sure, I live in Shinagawa now," Kavei clarified, his words tinged with a hint of sadness as he reflected on the challenges he had faced.

"Well, the point is nothing is ever easy," Kavei concluded, his tone resigned as he accepted the reality of his situation.

As Kavei tightened his grip on the fork, he suddenly realized the strain it put on his wounded left hand. Hastily, he released the utensil, grasping his injured palm with his right hand in a futile attempt to ease the pain.

"You are dumb," Kai remarked, shaking his head in disbelief as he picked up the chopsticks.

"What are you doing?" Kavei asked, bemusement evident in his voice as Kai took the utensils into his own hands.

"Feeding you," Kai replied simply, his actions speaking louder than words as he gently guided the food towards Kavei's mouth.

Though initially resistant to being fed, Kavei relented under Kai's persistent insistence, allowing his friend to take care of him in his moment of weakness. And as the meal came to an end, Kai cleared away the tray and table, returning later to help Kavei settle back down into bed.

In a dimly lit room, the air was thick with anticipation as Kavei and Kai engaged in a serious discussion. Kavei, with a furrowed brow, listened intently to Kai's suggestion, considering its potential implications for their investigation.

"Kavei," Kai began tentatively, "I have a suggestion, if I may."

Kavei nodded, inviting Kai to continue.

"If you take a day per city, then your investigation might not end too soon. So I was thinking if we could cut it short," Kai proposed, his voice brimming with eagerness.

"And...?" Kavei prompted, his curiosity piqued by Kai's proposition.

"Benio nii, Miyasi nee, Saira nee, me, Himeko, Sebiki, and Ryu. There are seven of us. And then Kenma, Ojiro, and Narito... We can team up in pairs and cover four cities a day," Kai explained, his eyes shining with anticipation. "Your investigation might as well end in two days."

Kavei mulled over Kai's proposal, recognizing the potential efficiency it could bring to their mission. However, he couldn't help but voice his concerns.

"It's seriously not a bad idea. But what do you guys know about investigating?" Kavei questioned, a hint of skepticism lacing his tone.

"I can break through," Kai declared confidently, his determination evident in his demeanor.

As the discussion continued, Kavei's attention was suddenly drawn to Daichi, who had fallen asleep amidst the conversation.

"Is Daichi sleeping?" Kavei inquired, his concern for his friend evident in his voice.

"Yeah," Kai confirmed with a nod.

With a decisive motion, Kavei rose from the bed, his mind already set on action. He retrieved his laptop from under the desk with careful precision, a determined expression etched onto his features. Kai watched silently, his anticipation mounting as Kavei powered up the device.

Seated once again on the edge of the bed, Kavei positioned the laptop on his legs, its screen illuminating the room with a soft glow. With a focused gaze, he began typing away, delving into the depths of cyberspace.

The atmosphere in the room crackled with anticipation as Kavei delved deeper into the investigation, his determination palpable in the air.

"Okay. So I have a draft here," Kavei announced, his voice tinged with excitement. "Location, victim, witness, daily visits, and clues."

"These are the things we must find out at the end of our investigation, right?" Kai confirmed, his eyes glinting with eagerness.

"Yeah. I'll tell you what I found, Kai," Kavei replied, his tone filled with a newfound enthusiasm that sent a shiver down Kai's spine.

As Kavei began to read from the draft, Kai listened intently, hanging onto every word.

"Okay, one," Kavei began, his voice steady as he recited the details. "Location: Yokohama. Victim: Aroshi, 5th grade. Witness: Me and my friends. Daily visits: her own house. Clues: blood sacks... and a student ID."

Kai's curiosity piqued at the mention of the student ID. "Student ID? Why is that a clue?" he interjected, unable to contain his intrigue.

"I found it amidst the sacks of blood in that room below the balcony tiles," Kavei explained, his brow furrowing in concentration.

"What? What was it doing there?" Kai questioned, his mind racing with possibilities.

"Either she was kept there by the criminal or... or..." Kavei trailed off, his voice faltering slightly as he considered the grim implications.

"Or she knew about that place," Kai finished, his words hanging heavily in the air.

Kavei felt a pang of unease at Kai's suggestion. Aroshi's involvement in the mysterious room beneath the balcony tiles was a troubling revelation. While he desperately wanted to believe in her innocence, he couldn't ignore the possibility that she may have been connected to the crimes in some way.

"Yeah... or she knew about that place," Kavei reluctantly admitted, his heart heavy with uncertainty.

"Hm. What about Osaka?" Kai prompted, eager to delve further into their investigation.

With a determined nod, Kavei refocused his attention.

Next: Begining Arc