COTE: Mysterious Siblings(DISCONTINUED)

Volume 1: Past Wounds, Present Problems

Toma Hisoka POV

After getting our room keycards, we all went our separate ways to put down our stuff. Ayanokouji was in Room 401, I was 408, and Shizuko was in 907. The girls and boys were separated in floors, the latter getting the lower ones.

I took a brief glance at my room, separated my items then put them in their respective places. Food in the kitchen, bath essentials in the bathroom etcetera etcetera. At this point it was already around dusk, so after my talk with Ayanokouji and Shizuko, I'd have to eat the cup noodles instead of cooking for today.

Knock knock knock

That was pretty quick. I opened the door to find Ayanokouji standing in front of it.

"Come in."

"Please excuse me." He said.

He took off his shoes then went inside my room. I closed and locked the door again since I thought Shizuko would take a little while. She bought a bit more items than we did, since she needed the more delicate female based essentials.

"Now, while we're here, I'd like to talk with you one on one, without your little sister." Ayanokouji said.

"Oh? Is there something she shouldn't know that you couldn't mention?"

"Yeah. You mentioned you had a mother awhile ago in your introductions didn't you?"

"What about her? The only thing I'm willing to share is that she's no longer with us." I said. I didn't want to reopen those old wounds.

"When you introduced yourselves to me back at the entrance of the school, you're last name was pretty familiar."

He stepped towards me then looked me in the eyes.

"Was your mother's name Toma Mizuka?"

"...How d you know her."

"A few years ago, she helped me out by quite a bit. Seeing as she's gone now and you two are her kids, I suppose I want to somehow repay her by doing you a few favors."

My mom used to not come home for days, and when she does she always looked happy to see us again. However after about two weeks when she left again, her company called.

It was apparently a place called the WR Corporation. They said that mom died due to a lab accident and they'd like to pay us to keep quiet. Since we were very low on funds, I agreed. We had the funeral around a week after her body was given to us. Shizuko and I were the only ones to attend, not even her colleagues from the WR Corporation came. It honestly got me thinking on why they wanted us to stay quiet about her death.

What does Ayanokouji mean by mom helping him a few years ago? It's been eight years since she was gone. What is this guy's history with her? I may have to rethink trusting him.

"Don't believe me?" He asked, sensing my doubt.

"I can believe that she actually helped you, but that would mean she helped you at least eight years ago. You knew her for that long?"

"Yes, however I met her ten years ago and she's been helping me up until she stopped coming. I was actually pretty concerned, but I found out that that man killed her."

I flinched. So he means to say that mom didn't die from an accident, but rather from murder?

"Who's 'that man'?"

"I don't think you should know him for now, but from your reaction you didn't know the reason for her death is murder. So I think I should help you two out to find the truth."