I woke up with my alarm ringing in my ear. As I wake up my eyes wander around my room. My eyes focus on a letter and box that's on my desk. I pick up the Letter to inspect it. It didn't have anything on it, not even who it's from. "It's probably from mom," I thought as I opened the Letter.

 

   " Why did you kill me? Why did you kill me? You were my own daughter, yet you killed me. If you have any remorse for what you did, then speak to me one last time."

"What kind of sick joke is this."

My mother wouldn't do this, at least don't think she would. Then who would have possibly done this? The only other person I can think of who knows my father is dead is Yua, but she wouldn't do this."Would she?"

As I tried to figure out who did this, my gaze drifts back to the box. What could be in here? I was a little scared as I opened the box. From my expression, you swear I was defusing a bomb. I look in the box to find a key. A normal key, but maybe it's coated in some kind of poison, or when I pick it up it will trigger some kind of bomb. 

I build up the courage and pick up the key. Nothing happens. "Well that was anticlimactic," I thought.

That all there was, a note and a key. What the was for I could only guess. There was nothing on where I should go or what the key goes to. " I can figure all this out later, I have to get ready for my date".

I got ready then headed downstairs. My mom was watching the news in the living room. It was a report on an arsonist setting homes on fire. He was like some kind of superhero-villain because he would always leave a calling card. The only thing that was on it was the letters Z x W and the picture of a cat. They haven't been able to find the correlation between fires, Z x W, and cats. 

Mom looked concerned, but that was understandable. I thought about asking her if she was the one who did the letter and box or if she could help, but I decided not to. It would probably just stress her out more and I don't think she would do something like that. 

It's only 11 am so I have some time to kill before it gets close to 2 pm. I sit down next to mom. The news was on the same thing as before. I might as well use this time to figure out the note and key. Note probably means wherever he was buried and I will probably be able to figure out the key once I get there. Whoever put them there could be lurking, so I shouldn't be careful.

"Hey, mom"

"What is it, sweety"

"Where was dad buried?"

"Why do you want to know all of a sudden?"

Although it could just be my imagine, she looked worried. 

"I was thinking of visiting his grave."

"Oh, ok okay it's Aoyama Cemetery."

"Really, he was buried at Aoyama, isn't that the cemetery where a bunch of famous people was buried?"

"I was just as surprised as you were. Apparently, someone paid to have him buried there, but I don't who."

"Whoever would pay that much should have been pretty close to him."

"Yeah, most likely a relative or something, just make sure if you go there you stay away from there at night, I've heard some bad rumors about that place."

"I'll keep that in mind."

I look at the time and it's now 12 am. For the rest of the time, I'll take a shower, get some food and work on what I'll do during the date. It was now 1 Am, I should get going now."I'm leaving mom."

"See you later"

With that, I left. The address I got from Okuda was about a 5-minute training ride from the nearest station to my house as well as an additional 5-minutes to walk to the station. When I got off of the train I walk for 6 more minutes. When I got to Okuda's house I was a bit nervous. His house was a lot like mine except it was bigger. I ring the doorbell. The person who answered the door was his father. I felt like it was prom night and I was telling a father that I was here to pick up his daughter. "I'm here," I said awkwardly.

"I can see that, well since you have some time before two, why don't you come in."

"Y... Yeah"

I walk in and although the outside looks similar to my house, I notice that the floor layout is vastly different.  It was 1:20 Pm, I had about 30 minutes till we would need to head out. The building that was holding the exhibit was only about a 5-minute walk from Okuda's house.

"I'll get Okuda and find us something to do before we leave," said Mr.Takehiko. 

"Wait, did he just say we," I thought.

"You're going as well?"

"Of course why wouldn't I."

"No reason, I was just making sure."

Okuda comes down and for the next 30ish minutes we talk about cooking while taking turns to play Gomoku.

The time had flown by and it was time to leave. We leave the house and Mr.Takehiko locks the door behind him. As I walk I take in the scenery around me. I see shops selling things, family's, couple's and the elderly all walking to their own destinations. When we reach the building I realized just how big it was. This building would usually be used for cons, expos, and other things like that. 

The cooking exhibit was only one of many things that were hosted today. We walk into the building and there were two doors. There was a line formed to one of the doors. At the end of the line was a guy checking tickets and letting people in. We waited in line to show our tickets and to get into the building. After about ten minutes of waiting we enter the building. 

"If I knew we were going to wait that long, I would have left earlier," Said Mr.Takehiko.

We walk over to where and the chef had already begun. He was talking about Agemono¹In Japanese cuisine, the term agemono refers to any kind of deep-fried dishes. and three frying techniques that go with it, Suage²Foods are fried without a coating of flour or batter., Karaage³ A method where food is first coated in flour or arrowroot starch which preserves its natural water content and produces a crispy outer surface, and Koromo-age⁴ Foods are coated in batter before frying, just like tempura dishes.. 

"Hey I'm going to go look for a bathroom," said Mr.Takehiko. 

"Alright" both me and Okuda said. 

As Mr.Takehiko walked off I noticed I was kinda thirsty. 

"Hey, Okuda I'm gonna get something to drink you want anything?"

"I'm good"

The cooking exhibit we were going to was apart of this big cooking expo with all kinds of different types of cooking. The place where you could get food and drinks at the expo was pretty far from where we were at. When I got there there was a line and I waited in it for quite some time. I got my drink I head back to the exhibit. "I don't see Mr.Takehiko, I guess he's still in the bathroom," I thought.

I scan the crowd to look for Okuda. I spotted Okuda but he seemed to be talking to someone. Upon taking a closer look, I realized he was talking to a girl. They seemed to hit it off rather well. I hang back to Eve's drop there conversation. 

There were talking about cooking and Okuda was looking really happy. "I need to find a way to break them up" is what I thought. 

I positioned myself behind Okuda but where the girls could still see me. I make eye contact with the girl and made sure she could see me pouring my drink on purpose on the floor. Before she can say anything I say to Okuda " Hey can you come here for a second."

As Okuda turns around and walks towards me he slips on the puddle made by my drink and falls of the floor.

"Oh, Okuda are you okay?" I asked 

"I'm fine, it just hurts a little"

"I'm such a klutz, I spilled my drink and you got hurt because of it. This is all my fault I'm so sorry."

As I said this the girl chimed in looking visibly angry. 

"What are you talking about, you did that on purpose, why are acting so innocent?"

"I admit that I spilled my drink, but I wouldn't try to hurt someone on purpose," I say while trying my best to look sad and hurt.

"I know you planning th—"

"THAT'S ENOUGH, can't you see what your doing is making her sad, she already feels bad enough for causing me to slip," said Okuda interrupting the girl. 

"Why are you talking her side, she is clearly playing you."

"What are you talking about, this is just a simple accident that's all."

"Oh please, she just trying to get your sympathy."

"How can you say that, look at how sad you're making her."

Okuda then points at me and try to look as sad as I can. I even try to cry, but no tears come out. 

"See"

"She's just faking it."

"I'm done having this talk, come on Yuka let's go."

As we walk away I look back to the girl and stick my tongue out to mock her. She looked pissed when she saw it and stormed off. 

"Are you okay?"

"No"

"Is there anything I can do to make you feel better?"

I hug Okuda tightly while pretending to cry.

"Yeah, let me stay like this for a while."

"O...Okay" said Okuda while blushing. 

When Mr.Takehiko got back from the Bathroom Okuda had told him what had happened. I was still pretending to be sad, so he was talking to cheer me up. At this time, the expo was pretty much over and we decided to head home. When Okuda and his father made it home I thanked them for the day, said my goodbyes, and went home. 

I made it back home and immediately went to my bed. As I laid there I remembered the box and the key.  I got up and went to my desk. I found the key but the note was nowhere to be found. I continued to look around my desk. 

Moved some books that were on my desk and so I did, I found a small camera. This shocked me. Why would there be a camera in my room? Is there some creep watching me change or something? No, this definitely has something to do with the letter and that key. But how are they getting into my room without being noticed? "Maybe if I look around I might find some evidence?" I thought.

I look around my room, under my bed, in my closet, and on the floor. As I was looking under my desk I found a scrunchie. Now knew that rid mysterious person was a woman, but still, have a clue who it was. 

With all these questions swirling around in my head, I fell asleep.