Stalking Kanji

May 16

After school

"The ones who were on last night, it was definitely Kanji and Cal." Chie said

"Kanji Tatsumi Huh? He definitely didn't look like the social type." Yosuke said

"Now there's an understatement. Isn't he really scary? Didn't you see the news special the other day?" Chie asked

"Yeah I saw it." Yosuke said

"You mean the special on Biker Gangs? I watched it too. He wasn't like that when he was younger though." Yukiko said

"You know him Yukiko?" Chie asked

"Uh huh. But we haven't talked to each other in a long time. His family runs a textile shop, and we've been a customer of theirs for many years. So I speak with Kanji kun's mother from time to time. Oh why don't we go there now! We might be able to talk to him in person!" Yukiko said

"Sounds good. At the very least we can ask if anything strange has come up recently. I wouldn't want to run into him in a dark alley, but I'm pretty sure he won't fly off the handle at his family's store." Chie said

"Alright, then let's get going." Yosuke said

"I'll pass." I said

"Why?" Yu asked

"You've seen how Kanji is, do you really think putting him and I in the same room together would be a good idea?" I asked. "Besides, we need to investigate on Cal's end too."

"Right, but, you're the only one who'd be able to do that." Yu said

"Right you are." I said before walking out.

Yu's POV

We headed over to the textile shop. There was an old lady, and (Naoto) a slender young man with blue hair inside.

"Hello." Yukiko said

"Ah, Yuki chan. It's so nice to see you." The owner said

"Well then, if you'll excuse me mam." The man said

"I'm sorry that I couldn't help more."

"It's alright, you've given me plenty to think about. Thank you." He said before walking out.

"What's up with him? Weirdo." Yosuke said

"I 'unno, never seen him before." Chie said

"Yuki chan, you're as lovely as always. Your features are starting to remind me of your mother when she was young. How can I help you today? Are you out shopping with your friends?"

"Oh, um well, actually.."

We started talking to her and asking about Kanji. Chie noticed something over on a table.

"Hey, this scarf. I've seen this somewhere before." Chie said

"Huh? Oh you're right, where was that?" Yosuke said

"Oh! It was that place! Inside the TV!" Chie said

"That's right! That room with those faceless posters! Then, it's that announcer's." Yosuke said

"Are you acquaintances of Ms. Yamano?"

"Uh, well kinda. Um, did Ms. Yamano happen to have a scarf like this?" Yosuke asked

"Yes, it was a special order she placed. She actually ordered a pair, but in the end, she only ended up wanting the women's scarf. It left us with no choice but to sell this one separately."

"Oh man, there IS a connection to the first case! What are we gonna do?" Chie asked

"H-How should I know?" Yosuke asked

The doorbell rang.

"Hello? Delivery here for the Tatsumis."

"I'll be right there. I'm sorry, you'll have to excuse me."

"Oh it's ok, we should get going." Chie said

"I'll come again mam." Yukiko said

"Is that so? Well, then please say hello to your mother for me." She said before walking off.

"It really is connected to the first case after all." Yosuke said. "But it's just a scarf! Would the killer target someone just because of that? Dammit, what's going on? C'mon let's talk outside."

We headed on outside.

"Hm? It's Kanji kun." Yukiko said

"Wha- quick hide!" Yosuke said

Kanji was talking to that guy from earlier.

"You're not fooling anyone you know." Chie said

"Shhh! I can't hear what they're saying!" Yosuke said

"T-Tomorrow's fine with me. Huh? S-School? Of course I'm going to school." Kanji said

"Then I'll meet you at the gates, after school tomorrow." He said before walking off.

"D-Did he say he was interested? He's a guy, and I'm a guy, but, he's interested in me? Huh? What hell are you pricks looking at!?" He said.

Crap he spotted us!

He chased us away.

"That scared the hell out of me. He's even worse in person than on TV." Chie said

"The one on TV last night was definitely Kanji kun." Yukiko said

"Yeah, and I just realized something. Remember the common points we were talking about? His mom fits the pattern, she's a woman and she knew Ms. Yamano. But it was her son that appeared on TV. So what does that mean?" Yosuke asked

"Kanji's a target." Yu said

"Yeah that's what it seemed like based off of the TV image, but his mother fits the pattern more than he does." Yosuke said

"Oh, maybe it's similar to my case. If you think about it, my mother fit the victim profile more than I did. She's the one who dealt directly with Ms. Yamano, but I was the one who was targeted." Yukiko said

"Does that mean it'll be the kid again, instead of the mother? But if that's true then the killer's motive makes no sense at all! It'd have nothing to do with silencing witnesses or revenge or anything." Chie said

"Ya think we're on the wrong track? Maybe even the first case had nothing to do with grudges or revenge. Or is there some kind of secret in the Textile Shop itself? Argh I'm totally lost!" Yosuke said

"But we can't ignore this." Yukiko said

"Hm, why don't we just go ahead and ask Kanji himself?" Chie asked. "We could at least see if anything odd's happened lately, he scares the wits out of me, but..."

"Hey wasn't Kanji making plans with that weird kid a moment ago? Something about meeting up at school? I heard he's been skipping school ever since the new year started, doesn't that seem a little suspicious?" Yosuke asked

"Yeah, something did seem weird. It's suspicious alright, there's something funny going on here, I can sense it." Chie said

"Sense? You sound like Teddie, still, we might find some clues. Alright, let's try staking out both Kanji and his family's store. We definitely don't want the killer getting ahead of us. That being said, Yukiko can I have your cell number?" Yosuke asked

"Hey, was this your plan all along?" Chie asked

"Uh no. I got everybody's number except for hers. And the Y section of my address book needs some filling out." Yosuke said

"While we're on the subject, could you stop calling me at night just to tell dirty jokes? You really sound like a pervert." Chie said

"H-Hey! I'm trying to have a conversation with Yukiko here!" Yosuke said

"Hm, oh that reminds me I need to buy tofu on my way home." Yukiko said

"She didn't hear a word I said." Yosuke said

"Okay, the stakeout is set for tomorrow!" Chie said. "Hm, stakeouts, tailing people, whoo, I'm getting goosebumps!"

I'd better let Y/n know about our plans for tomorrow.

Y/n's POV.

Damn, nothing from Kengo yet. Well, it's about that time of month, I'll pop by Naoto's office and give my report. Maybe grab some dinner too. Might hear something from her end.

I grabbed some takeout from Junes and headed to the police station.

Evening.

I quickly dropped off some food for Dojima and Adachi, then I knocked on Naoto's office door. I don't want to wait too long, but I don't want another shoe thrown in my face.

"Coming." She said. "Ah, Y/n, I was just about to contact you. Thank you for waiting this time."

"I brought food. I figured since you guys are working overtime that you might not get a whole lot of chances to eat." I said

"Thank you, come on in then."

She cleared her desk and we sat down to eat.

"I hope you're not considering this to be a date." She said

"What? No, no no no. I'm well aware of how badly that could screw things up for you." I said

"You don't know the half of it. Actually I was going to call you here for another reason. It's about the murders and the kidnapping." She said

Oh boy. I'm in shit now.

"I'm well aware of how similar these cases are to your parents' deaths, and I need you to be honest with me. Are you involving yourself with this case in any way?" She said.

Hm, let's see, if I tell her, will she believe me? I mean I barely believe it myself. For the sake of staying out of Juvie and in good terms with her, I better tell her.

"... yes. I've been doing some investigating of my own into the cases, and have even come up with my own working theories." I said

"I'm not surprised, given the circumstances. Given that you haven't committed any sort of crimes - I'm assuming, I can't reprimand you. If you don't mind me asking, what have you found out?" She asked

A fuck lot more than the police have.

"The main one that's been going through my head at the moment, is that the person who killed Ms. Yamano and Ms. Konishi, is not the same person who kidnapped Yukiko Amagi." I said

"Where do you draw that conclusion?" She asked

"The autopsy reports. At some point before the victims were killed, they were both raped. I know Yukiko personally, and she says she wasn't, or at least from what she remembers." I said

"How did you know about that? That information was never made pub- Adachi?" She asked

"Adachi. He apparently can't keep his mouth shut." I said. "As I understand it, the killer also raped my mother, and the reason that he killed her was that she had finally figured out who he was. I mean it took her almost 15 years but- I'm getting off topic."

"That's, an angle I never considered." She said.

"The Ultimate question, is how the kidnapping happened, and why." I said

"We haven't figured that out either, on top of where was she taken. I have reason to suspect that there may be another possible victim, Kanji Tatsumi, he fits the profile of a majority of the victims, except for one detail." She said

"That's what I've been thinking." I said

"I can't really say more, the rest is classified, but, your information has put a new perspective on things." She said

Fortune Social Link: Rank 3

I headed home for the night.