2069 (about thirty years after the events in Phylactery: E-Lunar)
The city of Little Japan was always a peaceful one, priding itself on being the most festive town in its whole country.
However, what will happen when economics a...
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"You want to learn how to drive, Tanaka?" Mr. Miguel asked one afternoon, as the two sat around in the room of the Cooking Club.
"I want- I want to do a lot of things. I wanna know- I. I don't know!" Tanaka suddenly began to cry that Monday afternoon, hiding his face in the sleeves of his usual jacket... the black fabric getting soaked.
"Mhm?" Mr. Miguel folded his hands together, furrowing his brow.
"What is up with your backyard? What is... this 'Awespring'? But also... Me and Nora. I felt such a strong connection with her... and so... when am I ever gonna find that again? She... made me feel so amazing."
"Tanaka." The Hispanic professor looked at Tanaka dead-on with his brown eyes.
"Huh?" the student looked up, his own eyes red and moist.
"You find yourself scared right now, don't you?"
"I- I- Yes."
"You know, since the first few days you and I started talking, I could tell that... you were a boy with dreams. With ambitions and dreams and a passion and love... far greater than your own height." Mr. Miguel moved an open palm across the air.
"Is that... a bad thing?" Tanaka hiccuped, his face red.
"Nope. It's a great thing. You know, everybody has dreams that are much bigger than them. The difference is, some grow with those dreams, other don't."
"What?"
"Tanaka. You can achieve your dreams. You can find true love with someone- anyone. It doesn't have to just be Nora. But you know what?"
"Hm?" the brown-haired boy's lips quivered, his shoulders shaking.
"You won't achieve damn near anything if you allow your fears to be bigger than you. I see you have a few things you want to achieve in this life... but you know what? You'll never get what you want if you're too scared." The professor's shoulders raised.
"I'm... sorry sir. You're- you're right! I'm tired of... being scared! I thought I was going down the right path so far but so long as I even think about letting fear in like this, it will never do any good."
"Correct. Now..." the Hispanic teacher pushed the bridge of his glasses close to his face. "... in the recent event of investigating the murder of Nora Vanderbilt, I've called up a junior detective whom I'm very good friends with. Ivette Reaory, though he goes by... Ivory."
"Detective Ivory?" the voice of Marissa could be heard suddenly amongst the crowd of busy club members, the floor being pelted by her brass-sounding shoes. "I think I've heard of him before."
"You very well might have. He's the smartest junior detective who's part of the ODA- Ontario Detective Agency. He's made quite a name for himself over the years. The ironic thing is, however, that he is not a junior in age at all. It's been thirty years since he joined the force."
Marissa snapped her fingers. "Yeah! He gets a lot of coverage. Obviously, he lands himself honorable mentions on the news from time to time- they only ever call him Ivory like that because he still considers himself a 'junior' detective. Can't have a junior's real name being put out. However, I think I've seen some critics review him online."
"What are critics doing reviewing a detective?" Tanaka bobbed his head back and forth.
"And I thought I'd seen it all." Mr. Miguel sighed, folding his hands once more. "Anyway, Junior Detective Ivory should be coming here to speak with us today. He's good at consoling people, despite the fact that he himself is a very stale personality."
"Do you think he has any idea who could've -- you know -- hurt Nora?" Tanaka's fists clenched, his teeth tightening together.
"Yes, I would say he does. Even I have my own theories."
"Really? Well... what are they, Mr. Miguel? I mean... after all... I miss Nora too, god damn it!" a tough exclamation from Marissa rang across the room, though it barely interrupted the mass crowd which filled up the club.
"Well..." the pink-pants-wearing teacher pushed the bridge of his glasses closer to his nose. "... one thing seems off. When people found her, she was laying right in the middle of the road, facing a huge building which sat on the left side of that road. So, that's two possibilities. Either her position was changed as she was lying on the ground, or her untimely passing most likely had something to do with that building."
"Wasn't her body found to be like-"
"Not in a very comfortable position? Quite. If she would've just turned left to that building and say... suffered some fatal heart attack, then her fall to the ground would've... not been pleasant... but not exactly been grounds for the kinds of blunt force traumas that the police discovered." Mr. Miguel licked his upper lip and creased his forehead. "It was... so odd. I saw it all on the news. I've also been reading up about it online."
Tanaka rubbed his stubble. "Wait. You're thinking-"
"She may have been pushed off of that building. Yes."
