Third Floor Investigation

I fell into a rather restless sleep that night, another rare dream visiting my mind. This time, I saw the boy who had slapped my best friend, sitting across from me at one of the tables at the mortuary's downstairs lobby. I had offered to get him some tea, and he gratefully accepted.

I left him nearby and headed to the downstairs kitchen, where I kept the special ingredients for my secret recipe, "Buresuresu Suimin", locked in a pantry. It's a black tea, served warm, with two special, secret ingredients. One of them calms the nerves in small doses, and the other, I am unfortunately allergic to ingesting.

I carefully stirred the two ingredients into the teapot I kept locked up, and made the pot of tea the same way I had always made it before. Afterwards, I brought the tea kettle and cup with me, on a plate, to the boy.

After I made the boy the Buresuresu Suimin and placed the cup before him, I poured him a cup and gently placed it before him, smiling. He thanked me, and took a small drink to taste it. Before long, he finished the entire cup.

Before too long, it started. First, the boy started getting drowsy and confused, which I attributed to it being so late at night.

Next, the boy started complaining of nausea and stomach pains. No worries, I had already prepared a disposable tarp over the floor to make things easier to clean up. I helped lay him down on the floor, saying he would be less likely to fall and hurt himself if he wasn't feeling well.

Shortly after I laid him down and stepped away, the boy began vomiting and convulsing in the floor, at one point almost trying to make a snow angel in his own vomit for several seconds. Naturally, I watched patiently and smiled, for the smells of the dead weren't much worse than the ones given off by the living. He was getting exactly what he deserved, for what he did to my best friend, and he would never hurt another girl for the rest of his rapidly shortening life.

Eventually, the boy lay still. I checked his pulse after about 30 seconds, and found none. A smile spread wider across my face, and I breathed a small sigh of relief.

"You will never hurt my friends again," I softly whispered under my breath as I wrapped him up in the tarp, and loaded him up on a low dolly. I pushed him over to the crematorium, only the click of my heels echoing down the hallway.

"Wake up, everyone! It's 7am, and Nighttime is now over! Time to enjoy another fun-filled day at The Ultimate Talent Enhancement Center!" Monorakun's growling voice woke me up, as it did most mornings.

I got myself dressed, admiring myself at times in the full-length mirror, then slipped on my dark grey low heels and and headed towards the Dining Hall. With another successful Class Trial, I figured another floor would be opened, so I opened the Chat function, and was not disappointed.

*Shishano Kantoku entered the chat.

Mondo Owada: Hey, if anyone's looking for me or Nekomaru today, we'll be up at the new Shop Room on the third floor. Gotta build these hamsters a new, respectable home, and there's plenty of tools and materials up here to do it.

Hiyoko Saionji: So what? There's a dance hall up here too, and it actually doesn't suck, unlike the rest of this place!

*Hiyoko Saionji left the chat.

Korekiyo Shinguji: Kehehehe...All the prisoners here, so happy with their new cells. Such beauty!

Shishano Kantoku: So there's a Shop Room and a Dance Hall up there. Anything else?

Rantaro Amami: I don't know yet. Want to go see after breakfast?

Wait...Rantaro wishes to accompany me up there? I was certainly not one to turn him down. He was reasonably attractive, and respectful to everyone.

Shishano Kantoku: Certainly. Let's eat, then head up there together.

Rantaro Amami: Sounds good to me. See you in the Dining Hall!

*Rantaro Amami left the chat.

*Shishano Kantoku left the chat.

I made my way to the Dining Hall, where Teruteru was still whipping up breakfast, which were pastries filled with real strawberries, bananas, or blueberries, with melted cream cheese icing on one side. I took one of each, with a glass of orange juice. Rantaro, however, said he had already eaten, so he just waited patiently for me to eat, while drinking a glass of milk.

After I finished breakfast, I went to the Kitchen to put my dishes away. Teruteru was standing over a deep pot, stirring some noodles. I ended up getting his attention when I put my dishes away, and he turned to me, pulling a ladle out with some white noodles draped within it.

"Ah, Rantaro and the always-lovely Shishano! How are you two doing this morning?"

"I'm alright," Rantaro responded. I merely smiled and gave a curtsy.

"Ah, before you go, I'm working on a new pasta dish. A thick noodle, filled with my special Alfredo sauce that will whiten your teeth as it glides down your throat, smooth and savory! Want to sample it?"

Seriously. This again?

I sighed, somewhat disappointed in my inability to smile back at the pervy chef. "Only if you are willing to sample it first, yourself. I would even make my special recipe tea for you, for the occasion."

Teruteru looked excited. "Oooh, I'll be looking forward to this!"

I giggled, mostly to myself. "They always do." I then took my leave with Rantaro, up the stairs to the third floor. We talked about my older brother, Karadano, and how his physical therapist work was going. He was doing well for himself, though he did not seem to be interested in finding a girlfriend until he was more settled. I was not jealous of him at all; if anything, Karadano never seemed as interested in the family business as I was.

We finally got to the Third Floor, and we're greeted with another rectangular layout, with a view down into the Courtyard. No one was down there, though.

Deciding to go clockwise, we made a left and came upon a Dance Hall to our left. Peeking in, we saw Hiyoko, Mahiru, and...Monorakun?... inside. Hiyoko was dancing slowly, a fan in her right hand, while Mahiru took pictures and Monorakun appeared to watch silently, sitting on his haunches out of the way.

After Hiyoko was finished, Mahiru and Rantaro clapped for her. I joined in, not wishing to be impolite. Even Monorakun seemed to be clapping, though Mahiru was partially blocking my view of him.

"Bravo, Hiyoko, bravo!" Monorakun shouted. "Your dad and grandma would be proud of that performance!"

Hiyoko wheeled around and flung her fan at Monorakun like a Frisbee, narrowly missing his ears. "How DARE YOU use my father's name against me!"

Monorakun shrugged, seemingly oblivious to the fan being thrown at him. "What? I'm just saying you're doing your family name proud."

Hiyoko shit back, anger in her eyes. "Who are you to talk to me about names? What even IS a 'rakun', anyway? It's a bastard form of 'raccoon', just like you are!"

Monorakun's red eye started glowing. "Hey, I didn't get to pick my name, just like you didn't. Blame my creator for that one. Anyway, I'm done in here. I have business elsewhere. Ta-ta, Heiress!" Monorakun's eye then quit glowing, and he scurried on all fours out of the room.

Mahiru went to comfort Hiyoko, and as Rantaro went to see where Monorakun went, I decided to check on Hiyoko, who was more angry than anything.

"How DARE that filthy trash panda bring up my father to my face! I love my father more than anyone else alive! He always made me feel protected and safe, no matter what bad things happened to me or my family. He can eat my grandma for all I care, but he better leave my father alone!" Hiyoko raged.

Mahiru gently hugged Hiyoko and murmured something to her. Mahiru then glanced over at me, with a look I was very familiar with. A look that plainly said "We could use some privacy, please." Nodding silently, I left the two girls and met Rantaro at the doorway with a quiet, "Let's go."

We exited the Dance Hall and were immediately greeted on our left with another blocked-off stairwell, going up. We merely glanced at each other, knowing the price for entry already, then walked into a nearby room, with a sign above saying "Shop Room".

Inside was Nekomaru and Mondo, building something. Also, Toko was in here, minding the Devas and keeping them away from the machinery.

While Rantaro walked over to Toko, I headed over to Mondo and Nekomaru, being careful not to distract them. Upon closer inspection, it looked like a gymnasium, with four hamster wheels, some climbing nets, tunnels to run through and around, and ropes attached to the top of the enclosure that could be climbed straight up. There were even some little bench presses, with weights on them that could be taken on or off, but the barbells themselves were connected to a sort of track on both sides, so they couldn't cause any harm to the Devas. There were also water bottles attached to each of the four corners.

Mondo wiped some sweat from his brow, and I noticed he didn't have his large coat on; it was draped over a chair. He had some pretty muscular arms, likely from fighting and from maneuvering heavy motorcycle through the streets, I imagined.

"Yeah, I think this is a good start, dude. Lemme know if you think of anything else," Mondo said approvingly to Nekomaru.

Nekomaru thanked Mondo, who then grabbed his coat and left. Nekomaru then had Rantaro and Toko (who didn't want to carry all 4 Devas) bring them over to the enclosure to check it out.

While Rantaro spoke with Nekomaru, I decided to try to talk with Toko some.

"So, have you found anything to your liking on this floor?" I asked Toko, sitting with her at a sanding table.

Toko looked at me in disgust. "A d-dance hall? A track room? A d-d-dojo? And this p-place? No thank you!"

Suddenly, a glowing red eye appeared out of the corner of my eye, along with a sinking feeling in my gut.

"Awww, you don't like my accommodations up here?" Monorakun said, in a sort of pouty tone.

"No-no, and I d-d-don't like you, either. You look like something that should be bl-bl-blasted to bits with a megaphone!" Toko shot back.

Monorakun cocked his head. "Hmmmm...ah well, if you don't like it up here, I'm sure someone else up here might."

Toko looked at Monorakun, indignantly. "L-like who?"

Monorakun grinned. "Like...hmmmmm...YOU!"

Suddenly, Monorakun blew a pile of sawdust into Toko's face and scurried off. Toko coughed and waved the sawdust out of her face, then got a funny look on her face.

Oh, no. I knew what was coming next.

Toko sneezed, and when she brought her head back up, Jack Syo was in her place.

"Hell-llo everybody!" Jack happily announced.

Nekomaru took a defensive stance, his hands near the Devas, but thankfully, Jack's eye eyes ended up on Rantaro.

"Oooohh, the Avocado Boy is here! I don't even care where I am anymore, unless Master's around..." Jack rambled.

Figuring this was a good time to leave, I got Rantaro's attention, then gestured towards the door. He nodded, and we started walking out.

"Hey! Wait for me, Avocado Boy! No leaving me here with Nekopar...uh-huh, can't finish that word!"

The three of us walked past the Track Room, where Sakura was running laps by herself. The track appeared to be a rubber-like substance, with banked corners. There did not seem to be much else in here.

We moved on to the next room in front of us, the Dojo, noticing one more room to our right with no visible door yet. We heard arguing inside, a male and female voice.

Mondo and Tenko. Again.

"Quit running away from me, degenerate male! I can tell you love to fight! All you biker types do!"

"Look, chick, I already told you. A real man doesn't strike a chick, no matter the reason. You wanna beat me up? Fine, whatever, if it shuts you the hell up!"

"Ughh! No! Sakura-Sensei told me...but how am I to know which...? Urghhhh!" Tenko grabbed her head in frustration and confusion.

Mondo sat down on one knee and sighed. "Look, I get it. Some of us guys are complete trash. I'm not saying you're wrong there; I dealt with them in my own biker gang. But, dammit, you gotta get a grip on yourself before you end up going loose cannon and hurting, or even killing someone. Whatever that Sakura chick is telling you, it sounds like good advice to me. Try to listen to her. I'm leaving; do whatever you want in here."

And with that, Mondo got up and walked out, with only a curt "Scuse me" to the three of us. We took that as our cue to leave, as none of us wanted to be around an angry Tenko.

The final room...had no doors. You could walk completely around it, but there was no entry. I figured this must have been the secret room Monorakun and I found earlier, but I feigned ignorance. Rantaro did not seem overly concerned, and Jack did not care at all.

Looking at the time, it was 11:40am now. Looking at Rantaro and Jack, I asked if they wanted to catch lunch with me. Rantaro agreed, but Jack declined, wanting to enjoy her freedom before her "boring half" takes over again. So Rantaro and I walked together to the Dining Hall for Lunch, unaware that someone was already awaiting my arrival there.