I awoke to the next day, March twenty-seventh, a Sunday.

I had an unpleasant dream last night. I was standing on a white void, then in front of me were the people I know and love: from Aka down to the three girls. They were static, but once I slowly walked to them, they started walking backwards away from me, as if I was avoided. I trembled and was quite clueless, so I began to run towards them, but they also ran backwards away from me. I stretched out my hand, but it seemed like that made it worse as they ran away from me quickly by the second. Eventually, my feet felt like it was on quicksand, then I suddenly fell into the void. The void then felt like it was deep down the Mariana Trench. I drowned, drowned, drowned. I panicked. I suffocated.

The one question rumbled through my head was: what did I do wrong to deserve this?

. . . .

There was no answer at the other end.

Either way, it's been a long time since I experienced a nightmare. But when I woke up and looked around my room, I was puzzled as to where the sun rays were. Then I checked the time on my phone.

10:56 AM

Holy hell, I figuratively and literally drowned in that rude and unsightly nightmare.

I was unsure if you'd still call me a morning person or an early bird, but it's pretty rare for me to wake up a few hours before noon. You see, when I got here last night, I literally couldn't fall asleep. Unlike a typical evening where Tomo would urge me to play together on a voice call or have some midnight podcast brewery with Ala-chan, they were all offline since we left Miko's condominium. I didn't even dare try to chat or call them since I might disturb their slumber or something. As for trusty Aka, the mochi store was lights-out when I arrived, so I guess she went to bed early.

I wasn't kidding when I said I was alone all night. It was eerie. And no, that wasn't the only reason why I couldn't fall asleep easily. I also was struck at how amazing yesterday was.

The first thing I did before getting up from my futon and tidying it back to the closet (yeah I do clean it up now) was to chat Tomo a "Good morning Dachi <3". Yeah I know, I sound emotionless, but just trust me on this one. We'd usually bid each other a good night and a good morning everyday—which is really wholesome, some conversation within the day on what's what with each other, then maybe a game of HeroTom. Even though noon's around the corner, she's still offline. Probably still asleep from being sober and a night owl.

Of course I took a bath first. After that, I took some goods from my refrigerator and placed them in a tote bag. I went outside and down to the mochi store.

"Good morni—oh, it's you." Aka greeted with flair that lasted for a second.

"Sheesh, at least complete your greeting. Good. Morning. To. You." I replied.

"Sorry, I thought you looked like a different person for one second. What'ya have there, kid?"

I showed the contents of the bag, "Lunch."

"Wait, you cook?" she raised an eyebrow.

"Do you have something against me or what?"

It's odd to see Aka sulking, so we argued for a moment in front until I got myself at the back of the shop. Interestingly, she was wearing a jinbei as opposed to her usual store getup. It was a navy blue jinbei and had the character for "typhoon" all over it, so she must be having a bad day. She later told me about the declining sales of her shop and some personal mishmash she wouldn't get into detail.

"You don't mind me using your kitchen right? What if they'd mistake this shop as not a mochi store?"

"I don't mind. Also, it's about lunchtime anyway, not many people would gather here."

Yes, yours truly, will make an actual dish today. Apart from the goods I bought from my fridge, I asked Aka if she has two paper medium cups (not for drinking) and sporks, and she's okay with me getting some. First I cooked some eggs, chopped some beef, carrots, and a mash of leafy vegetables. All of what I chopped got mixed in the two servings. Getting two cups of rice from the rice cooker here, I placed one cup per serving, seasoned it, and mixed and mashed it per serving, and of course I placed the egg on top on each of the two servings.

I placed one cup of the dish in front of Aka, then one at my side, sitting afterwards.

"What's this?" she poked the egg on her serving.

"Shawarma, well not the real authentic shawarma, it's a run-the-mill DIY sort of thing."

"Not sure kid, you just randomly mashed stuff." she was still doubtful about what I made, until she actually ate it with a scoop of the spork, "On second thought, it's good." she muffledly said while covering her mouth.

While street food it may seem, it's still an appetizing breakfast. . . lunch. . . uh, brunch today. Aka called it a bento-that-have-been-mixed-in-a-blender because she was amazed at the idea of putting it in an all-in-one package as opposed to it being separate.

"Say Aka, the store was already lights-out when I got back home."

"Oh, well kid, 'ya told me it's a birthday party. I assumed it's going to last until midnight, so I just went to bed early."

"Eh? I was already back here around nine-thirty."

"That's odd. Youthlings like you seem to carry a party until the last drop of the day—I mean two to nine still sounds like a huge amount of time. Why did you guys end at nine?"

"Let's just say half of the party animals are really sober."

"Huh, tell me more about it."

Just like that, I told Aka everything, starting from the lunch I had with Ala-chan at MinnaMart near the City Square. I'm really known for having a bad memory especially back home, but this is somewhat an exception since it was a thrilling day (though memory is still shaky at the greatest denominator). Aka has been fascinated everytime I described Merumeru, her expression felt like she had never been there, even though she did... a long time ago.

"Color-coded buses, overhauled transportation and commute, underground trains, and a stricter implementation of car ownership? Are you guys even in Merumeru? You might've mistaken it for Seiru."

"I'm pretty positive it's Merumeru, Auntie Aka. Oh right, they have a new residential area with high-rise buildings consisting of condominiums and permanent spaces."

"D'uh—is Seiru slowly urbanizing Merumeru or what?" she's somewhat enraged about it.

When Aka came to describe her account on Merumeru, she stated that it really is and feels like as if Venice and New York had an offspring; old-antique looking buildings, unclear ordinances, abundance of cars, outdated railway system, potential crime rates, over-urbanization—in short, it's worse than New York. To sum it all up, it's another tale of Singapore. But man, hearing Aka saying a ward urbanizing another ward, Seiru and Merumeru respectively, is a tingly sensation of capitalism and neo-colonialism.

So the title "Venetian of the North" is a euphemism? Who knows?

"Huh, you got a lovely party then—a cake, a dinner, a toast, drunken rascals, and an adult game of cards. I'd say that's youth at its peakest finest!" she added with a wink, albeit weird for her to pull. "Anyway, since y'all four are present including the love of your life, how's she doing back there?"

"Nothing much—actually we haven't talked much at the party. We only talked when we had dinner and when we left the condominium."

"Eh? That's strange. And you mentioned you didn't even go together in a group of three towards her party, so hearing this makes it even stranger."

"Well I just thought I'd respect her space. If she's reserved and introverted, then I'll respect her bubble. It's not like I can force her to be uplifting and expressional in one setting."

She busted out her vape and lit it up, putting it on her mouth. Blow. "You see kid, if I were her man, I'd be a hundred-one percent skeptical about it, then talk to her about it. You did mention over your first hangout last month that she's a complete dead owl at you, but a haywire doofus at Ala and... Miko was it? Yeah."

I stayed silent, but she continued after expecting a response from me, "Okay Akko, let's lay down the dots here. I'd say you went from an agreeing-without-sympathizing type of person to becoming a agreeing-blindly type of person. You're an entirely civilized person with rights and feelings—you can express all of that, but you're purposely resisting it. Didn't I already tell you about having a voice? You go tell your girl about that cheesy attitude of hers."

"Right right, I'm sorry."

"Needn't to say sorry kid. I know you two are happy and all of that, but you can't be happy without sorrows."

Dang, didn't I say that to Tomo the other day too? Well I hope she understood that saying as well.

"Speaking of those three, man I haven't met Miko and your girl yet, when are they gonna buy my mochi?" she sighed tiredly.

"Well, hopefully we'll hang out here at Ruruteru again. Don't worry Auntie Aka, I already advertised their mochi to you, they'll be your finest judges since I'm confident they're of Japanese descent."

It wasn't long until I left the mochi store and bid Aka farewell for now. Despite her sharp-tongued discussions like we always do, I still thank her for being a hearing aid. I'd say I'll have her promoted from being Auntie Aka to Mother Aka.

Before I went to the direction up the staircase of the apartment, I noticed a navy-blue sedan parked in front of the apartment. There are on occasion one or two cars parked in front for the other residents here at the apartment, but I'm pretty sure this is an intruder—visitor, excuse me.

When I went to the second floor and walked to my room, I abruptly stopped my steps. In front of my door was a tall woman with puffy short black hair that covered one of her eyes. Coupled with a blue waistcoat with a white inner, tight skirt, and stockings, I'd say she's pretty hot in an objective sense. I'd imagine a certain demographic of males falling for this woman because she emits an abusive and masochist aura (from their imagination). She was standing erect in front of my door when I glanced. Once our eyes met, it wasn't a stranger-like, unharming kind of gaze, but rather I was greeted with scarlet eyes of menacing and bloodlust gaze, as if my eyes were getting punctured by a syringe.

"Excuse me." she spoke deep with temper and ire, "Do you happen to be 'Akko'?" She later flashed a wallet-like object and opened it, revealing a badge alongside a card of her credentials, "Kyoko Camba on the Investigative Department of Ruruteru, Representative Status." For a moment, I tried saying her name in mind which my vocal cords felt like screeching on a blackboard, with the k's all over the place.

"Hi." I apathetically greeted and made a small bow.

"W-wh—" Kyoko felt like she lost her character for a bit, maybe my casual-usual greeting doesn't fit? She eventually mustered up in a pitch, "Ahem, mind if we take this business inside for a while?" she questioned me with the coldest tones I've ever heard, felt like I wouldn't run away from this one.

"Okay."

I walked in front of the door, albeit shakingly from the massive aura of seriousness this woman emits. It's as if Mogu in A Witch's Last Tour had that black magic endurance trial, hopelessly succeeding so as to not make her emotions get the worse out of her from the looming excessive black magic. Unlocking my door, I guided Kyoko to the wooden table to my right, "Take a seat." I said. Closing the door thereafter, I went to the kitchen and prepared cups of water for the both of us. We had ourselves settled at the wooden table. God I hope she doesn't falsely suspect the surroundings because the naked lightbulb on top of us makes it look like a rundown robbers' den.

"Let's get this through," narrowed her sight towards me, "Miko Miura is dead."

". . . . Oh." I reacted apathetically.

"What do you mean 'Oh'?" she somewhat lost her composure.

"O-oh, I've been terribly known for being plain and boring, plus everyone keeps talking about my eternal 'frown' they call it on my face. Apologies, but I am concerned."

Being that the police arrived, I overthought the inferences that I have been collecting in my mind for a bit. There are three so to speak: first is because of Miko's death, second is the fact that I had brain candy thoughts about Miko, Tomo, and I being criminals, and third is the train card 'fiasco' back in Merumeru where I had been doubting if I should scan twice or not because Ala-chan was riding on my back. Huh speaking of criminals, I thought at first that Ala-chan would be best suited for being one due to her loud and flimsy nature, but in that brain candy of mine, she's the cleanest of us four.

It's that feeling that kicks in where you're relieved to know the truth, but it's still an unfortunate truth nonetheless. It's like achieving justice and crime at the same time; heaven and hell, blood and water.

"Since you are the police, a representative who prolly got channeled by the folks back in Merumeru, someone from the investigative department, a dead body, and an interview of some sorts, this isn't just death right?"

"That's right." Kyoko nodded with coolness that's still heaped by standards, "Thanks for saving me time to discuss." said like she's a parasite in survival games that felt like she'd hit me with a sniper after sympathetically and kindly gave her one.

"What happened, if I'm allowed to ask?"

"Her body was found to be strangled at her condominium today, around six in the morning, witnesses claimed."

"Strangled... like roped up to death?"

"You heard me." the pressure of her sight revved up around me uttering the word roped.

She placed her hand on the table with force that's somewhat audible but not a bang, "Okay, that's your details for now. You were at Miko's condominium past noon from around two to quarter to eight?"

I nodded.

"Okay good." she expressed not in a teamwork-kind of joy, but still sharp-tongued and dead serious, "I know your friends and folks have vouched for you, but to double-check, would you tell us the names of the people who were with you on that occasion?"

Sigh. "Ala Mann, Miko Miura, Tomo Omoe, and me. That's all for the entire duration of our party."

"That's all?"

"Yes."

"Okay," she wrote on her clipboard, probably a transcription, "On a flip sidenote, can you tell me your close contacts aside from those three?"

"Aka Honda, my neighbor, around morning, while in the afternoon it was Miko's parents."

"Are you sure?"

"Mhm."

I thought job interviews were the most barraging, but this is even on another level. This felt like an airstrike of questions to the point that my head is already breaking down. I'm not a fast processor, I'm a slow person.

"All right, that's all the contacts checklist. Now how about—"

"Hold on." I abruptly ended her speech, "You're getting me all into places if you keep on throwing me questions like a billionaire sweeping down cash. Please give me some breathing room at least."

"Apologies." she replied, probably the most anticlimactic unsympathizing apology I've ever heard. It felt like it was an objective-before-subjective kind of discipline taught to her though.

Even with that said, it seemed like the airstrike of questions hadn't changed, like it was a placebo effect. At first, I was keen on including the part where Miko and I went to get some "errands" by having a talk on the rooftop then actually ran some of her errands. That will leave me two twists: an unmatching story, and the fact that I didn't pay attention if the condominium and the surrounding areas were tightly secured with security cameras. Good thing I thought about security because I remembered how atrocious and locked down the elevator was there (unless you have a keycard). In short, I was afraid if this would be disclosed to both Ala and Tomo, but I forgot it's confidential and classified information.

For an hour or even past that, I mentioned every itsy-bitsy detail of yesterday until now: Visited and had breakfast at Aka's place past six in the morning. Went back to my room and played on my laptop. Took a nap. Woke up at twelve noon. Went with Ala-chan to MinnaMart close by the City Square to have lunch. After we were waiting for the train outside, we boarded the 12:45PM schedule only to arrive at Merumeru one quarter in the afternoon. Visited Miko's house. Arrived at Miko's condominium just before two. Formally celebrating the party yadda-yadda-yadda. They had a toast. Played games. Miko and I doing our "errands". Arrived back at her condominium at quarter to eight in the evening. Party ended. Tomo and I left the building whilst I carried Ala-chan on my back. Miko called while I was in the lobby when Tomo was asking at the reception for bus schedules. We dropped off at the train station around nine. Tomo parted ways with us. Ala-chan and I boarded the nine quarter train only to arrive back at Ruruteru roughly thirty minutes later. I walked to her house to drop her off. Arrived here at my apartment just before ten. Had trouble sleeping until about two earlier in the morning. Woke up four minutes to eleven this morning. Visited the mochi store downstairs, and here we are now.

God that was a rap, I need some slack off some elbow grease.

With every answer came Kyoko nodding with either "Mhm, okay" expression. Eventually, I was terrifically relaxed to death upon hearing this:

"Woah, you sure are wordy and really on point with your memory. Though there are points that I've heard just now coming from you, it matches the story Ms. Mann and Ms. Omoe disclosed earlier. Alright alright." she said quite flatly however.

Don't you love the feeling of truth? I hope Kyoko also does now that she has finally encountered a witness with a brain after working on the investigation department and interviewing millions of lifeless and untruthful witnesses in her lifetime. God she should be really thankful.

"Let me clarify, Ms. Mann was with you from twelve noon until past nine in the evening?"

"Yup. Except for the errands though."

"And you mentioned about Miko calling you while you were in the lobby of Building 2 of the Neo-Residential area, kindly elaborate your entire call session."

"Well, she called in to thank me for my birthday gift to her, then she suddenly wanted to sleep, abruptly ending the call after."

"Are you sure it was Miko Miura on the line?"

"Yes. If I remember her voice in the call, it's more muffled and drowsy-sounding than usual. I'm pretty certain it wasn't an artifact on our headsets."

"Mark your words, that was the furthest contact you had with Ms. Miura more than anyone else." she sported a fun fact, well she said not in an uplifting sense however.

After a few moments of jotting it down on her endless clipboard, she finally left a sigh and dropped the pen. It wasn't like any drop down to the table, she flicked it with coolness. It's like seeing a bonafide detective boasting her coolness and flawlessness in solving a case in some movie.