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

As Kavei stirred, the clinking of dishes pulled him from the fog of sleep. His eyelids fluttered open, the ceiling of his own room coming into focus. For a moment he lay still, confused, until the faint sting in his face reminded him of what had happened. Slowly, he sat up. His left hand was wrapped neatly in bandages, his cheek covered with a small, square band-aid.

“Patched up, huh,” he muttered under his breath, letting out a crooked little laugh that hurt his face when he smiled.

“Woke up?” a voice asked from the doorway.

Kavei turned his head and blinked. “Kai?”

Kai stepped inside, balancing a small foldable table under his arm. Without saying more, he set it carefully across Kavei’s lap, then disappeared out the door. When he returned, he was carrying a tray with steaming bowls and a glass of water. He placed it down with gentleness.

“What’s this?” Kavei asked, eyeing the tray.

“Dinner,” Kai replied flatly. “Eat. Right hand only, yeah?”

Kavei lifted his good hand and gave a mock salute. “Yes, sir.”

Kai sat beside the bed, arms crossed, watching as Kavei awkwardly picked up the chopsticks.

“Kasugazaki Benio called me from the hospital,” Kai said after a moment. His voice was calm, but there was a weight behind it. “Your niichan. He asked me to pick you up and stay with you. Apparently I was the second number on your log after Itsuhara Yukina ma'am.”

“Oh, so that’s why you’re here.” Kavei smiled faintly, then glanced down at the food. “I guess I should thank him. And you. Though it was… kind of terrifying back there.” He tried to laugh, but the sound came out strained.

“Kavei,” Kai said, his voice sharp now, cutting through his attempt to lighten the mood. “Do you have to get hurt every time you play detective? First it was fainting spells, then the head wound, then your hand, then getting shot through your palm. And—” Kai gestured at Kavei’s face, his jaw tightening. “Now you’ve got a shard of glass in your face. What’s next?”

Kavei scratched his temple awkwardly. “Cheek, not face. There’s a difference.”

Kai stared at him. “Same thing! Can you stop making a joke of this?”

Kavei’s smile faltered. “…I’m sorry.” His voice was quiet, almost guilty.

“Can’t you just be a normal middle schooler for once?”

“Junior high,” Kavei corrected softly, still trying to deflect with humor.

Kai gave him a long look, unimpressed. “You know what I mean.”

For a while, only the sound of Kavei chewing filled the silence. Then he said, “Commuting to school wasn’t easy, you know.”

“Hm?”

“When I lived in Kanazawa. I had to get admitted to a school in Shinagawa, then moved here. Things weren’t… simple. Nothing ever is.” His gaze drifted to the window, voice carrying a trace of nostalgia.

Kai leaned back, letting out a breath. “You always talk like an old man.”

“I get told that a lot,” Kavei said with a small grin. “But what I mean is, nothing is ever easy. Expecting not to get hurt while chasing cases is not exactly possible.”

Kai shook his head but then leaned forward again, expression hardening. “Listen. Your said sister, Shiraka-nee checked on you while you were unconscious.”

Kavei’s eyes widened. “She did?”

“Yeah. She was… furious you hadn’t called her. Itsuhara Yukina ma'am too—she wasn’t around, but she sent word. Said that once she comes back from her investigation trip, she’s going to give you a lecture so long you’ll wish you’d stayed fainted. She was the one who helped cover your name up as per Kasugazaki Benio's request. Said you asked him to do so.”

Kavei groaned, burying his face in his good hand. “Oh no… I can already imagine it. Hours of scolding.”

Kai smirked, just a little. “That’s what you get.”

But then his expression sobered again. “Also… your senior friends had taken you to the hospital when you fainted. Dr. Maone explained what’s been happening to you. Why you keep fainting, why your vision blurs and your head throbs.”

Kavei slowly set his chopsticks down. “…Tell me.”

Kai hesitated for a moment, then spoke carefully. “She said you have something called neurally mediated syncope. Basically, your nervous system overreacts when your blood pressure and heart rate drop too fast. That’s why you feel dizzy, can’t breathe right, your vision goes blurry, then—bam—you collapse.”

Kavei blinked. “So… my body’s just bad at handling stress. I don't get stressed though?”

“Pretty much,” Kai said. “Maybe not in expression. But it does come. It’s not life-threatening if you manage it, but if you ignore it… it can get dangerous.”

Kavei let out a dry laugh. “Figures. My own body doesn’t want me solving mysteries.”

“Kavei, I’m serious.”

“I know, I know.” He raised his hands in surrender. “So what now? I’m guessing there’s more to it than just telling me the fancy name.”

Kai reached into his bag, pulling out a small envelope of papers. He unfolded the top sheet. “Dr. Maone gave you a prescription. She wants you on fludrocortisone—helps your body hold on to salt and water, keeps your blood pressure stable. And midodrine, to prevent sudden drops. She also said you need to drink more water. Like, a lot more.”

“Water? That’s it?”

“And salt. She literally said to keep salted crackers or tablets on you at all times.”

Kavei gave him a look. “…That sounds ridiculous.”

Kai shrugged. “Better ridiculous than collapsing in the middle of working again.”

“Touché.”

Kai lowered the papers and fixed him with a steady stare. “She also wants you on bed rest for at least a week. And light activity after. No running around chasing suspects.”

Kavei groaned dramatically. “A week? I’ll die of boredom before then.”

“Better boredom than an actual collapse.”

“…You’re starting to sound like Itsuhara ma'am.”

“Good. Someone needs to.”

For a moment, neither spoke. Kavei toyed with his food, expression unreadable. Finally, he sighed. “Kai… thank you. For being here.”

Kai looked away, scratching his cheek. “Don’t thank me. Just… take care of yourself. You scared everyone.”

“Everyone?” Kavei echoed.

“Kasugazaki Benio. Shiraka-nee. Itsuhara ma'am. Me.” Kai’s voice softened, almost reluctant. “You matter more than you think, idiot.”

Kavei blinked, caught off guard. Slowly, a smile spread across his face—small, but genuine. “Guess I’ll try not to make you worry then.”

“You’d better.”

Kavei tightened his grip on the chopstick as his mind swirled with the medical conditions he had, revealed to him, only to wince as pain shot through his wounded left hand. The metal slipped from his grasp, clattering against the plate. He quickly pressed his right hand over his injured palm, as though he could smother the ache away.

Kai raised an eyebrow, unimpressed. “You are dumb,” he muttered, shaking his head as he reached across the table. He plucked up the chopsticks.

Kavei blinked at him. “What are you doing?”

“Feeding you,” Kai replied simply, already lifting a bite toward him.

Kavei leaned back slightly, giving him a skeptical look. “You’re kidding.”

“Do I look like I’m kidding?” Kai’s eyes narrowed in mock annoyance. “Stop being stubborn. Open your mouth.”

“I can feed myself,” Kavei grumbled, though his hand was still pressed to his palm.

“Clearly.” Kai waved the chopsticks toward him with a smirk. “C’mon.”

Kavei let out a long sigh, his pride warring with the throbbing in his hand. At last, he relented, leaning forward and taking the bite.

“There we go,” Kai said, satisfied. “See? Not that hard.”

Though embarrassed, Kavei let him continue. Bite after bite, he surrendered to Kai’s persistence until the tray was empty. When the meal was done, Kai gathered the dishes without a word, disappearing into the kitchen before returning to help Kavei ease back into bed.

The air shifted afterward, heavier, as the two of them sat in silence. Kavei adjusted against the pillows, his brow furrowed. Kai watched him closely, as though wrestling with his own thoughts.

“Kavei,” Kai said finally, his tone careful, “I have a suggestion.”

Kavei lifted his eyes, wordlessly inviting him to continue.

“You take one day per city, right? But at that pace, the investigation drags. What if we cut the time short?” Kai leaned forward, his voice carrying a spark of eagerness.

Kavei tilted his head. “And…?”

Kai’s eyes lit up as he laid out the plan. “We’ve got enough people. Kasugazaki Benio, Keiran Miyasi, Sazaki Saira, me, Hime-chan, Sebiki-san, Ryu-kun… that’s seven. Then there’s Kenma, Ojiro, and Narito, your old friends. Eleven in total. We pair up, hit four cities in a day. That way, you could wrap this up in two days.” Kai had heard the investigation plan from Miyasi.

Kavei studied him, expression unreadable. He didn't question how Kai knew it all. “It’s not a bad idea, and since you recommend the crew, I'll trust you,” he admitted slowly. “But tell me, Kai—what do you guys know about investigating?”

“I can break through,” Kai shot back without hesitation, his gaze steady.

Kavei’s lips twitched in the faintest hint of amusement at Kai’s confidence. Before he could respond, his eyes drifted to the side, landing on the tiles.

“Is Daichi asleep?” Kavei asked.

“Yeah.” Kai nodded toward him.

Kavei pushed himself upright, ignoring the protest of his body. He crossed the room and crouched beneath the desk, sliding out his laptop with deliberate care. Returning to the bed, he set it across his lap, the glow of the screen casting sharp shadows across his face.

Kai leaned closer, curiosity brimming.

“Okay,” Kavei said, fingers flying across the keys. “I’ve got a draft here. A proper breakdown: location, victim, witness, daily visits, clues.”

Kai’s eyes gleamed. “Those are what we need to find for every case, right?”

“Exactly.” Kavei’s tone had shifted—more alive, more focused. It sent a subtle chill down Kai’s spine.

Kavei cleared his throat and began to read. “One: Location—Yokohama. Victim: Aroshi, 5th grade. Witness: me and my friends. Daily visits—her house. Clues: blood sacks… and a student ID.”

“Student ID?” Kai interjected, brows furrowing. “Why would that be a clue?”

“I found it buried among the blood sacks in that room beneath the balcony tiles.” Kavei’s voice was clipped, but there was a weight behind it.

Kai leaned back, startled. “Wait, what? What was it doing there?”

“That’s the problem.” Kavei’s hands paused on the keyboard. “Either she was kept there by the criminal, or…”

“Or she knew about it,” Kai finished quietly.

The words lingered in the air, heavy and unsettling.

Kavei shut his eyes briefly, jaw tightening. “Yeah… or she knew about that place. It was her grandmother's house so I would like to be positive...”

Silence stretched, filled only by the faint hum of the laptop. The idea that the young victim might have been complicit gnawed at both of them.

Kai cleared his throat, forcing the tension to break. “Alright. What about Osaka?”

Kavei straightened again, fingers resuming their steady rhythm. “Osaka, right…” He exhaled, steadying himself, and refocused on the task at hand.

Next: Begining Arc