••●••

'The trust of the innocent is the liar's most useful tool'
— Stephen King

••●••

"Izumi... stole the paper...?" Akira spoke aloud, and everyone in the room was too shocked to even move, to even speak.

"Okay, fine. I'm going there now anyway. See you."

After the call ends, all six teens pay heed to the clicking of Izumi's heels echo down the hallway. Even after her footsteps disappeared, the room was silent.

"So she...." Ryuu began. He clenched his fists, his eyes filled with disbelief. "Shinzo stole the paper? I should've known she was the culprit!"

Ryuu was just about to storm out of the room and after Izumi when Ayame held out a hand to stop him. His eyes widened in response.

"Calm down," she ordered. She turned her gaze toward the doorway, and scowled. "Such evidence isn't enough to pinpoint she's the culprit. Besides, if you just storm up to her, she'd just deny it without proof."

"Proof?" Ryuu trembled in anger, hanging his head. "We have six goddamn witnesses right here! I just want to get her back for doing that to..."

Tadashi, who sensed Ryuu's frustration and wistfulness, put a hand on his shoulder. "Calm down, Ryuu. Kobayashi's right. Even if you want to get back at the mastermind for Saya, without proof, Shinzo will just shake off all of our accusations."

Ryuu's eyelids ascended and he spared Tadashi a surprised glance. He instantly glanced away with a meek nod.

Tadashi turned his gaze away from Ryuu and onto everyone else. Akira's eyes shone with fear, while Kisho and Haru both looked dumbfounded and wordless.

It was a lot to take in. Izumi Shinzo, the most popular, and one of the most against the topic of crimes, would...

"Everyone," Ayame spoke up, snatching everyone's attention. "Let's forget what we've heard right here."

Akira's mouth dropped. "Huh? Forget? How could we—"

"We're going to prove it," Ayame cut her off with a stern look. "With this much information, we don't have any proof. As Matsumoto said, Shinzo will just knock away all of our accusations against her. But so long as we get proper proof to prove that she's the one who stole the paper, everything will be fine."

"How do we do something like that?" Akira cried. "Izumi is popular, and she's the Prime Minister's daughter! I bet her dad could get rid of us just because we know this secret now!" Akira gasped at her words and put her hands to her head in alarm. "Oh no! What if he was in on this the entire time? What if it was the Prime Minister that killed our friends and got rid of the bodies! What are we gonna do? I don't want to die a meaningless death—"

"Minamoto, calm down," Juzo Fatora said with a sigh, and Akira flinched, blinking rapidly. She stopped her rambling immediately, and turned her gaze onto the green-haired male. Juzo's dull eyes seemed to spark with something. "I don't know what kind of game this is, but let's crack it."

Everyone's eyes widened at Kisho's words of encouragement. Maybe he wasn't all that clueless after all!

"But..." Juzo narrowed his eyes, a hand to his chin. "What paper did Shinzo steal again?"

Everyone blinked.

"You've gotta be kidding me." Ryuu face-palmed.

Tadashi forced a laugh.

That was Juzo for you. He said really good things, then ruined them soon after they came out of his mouth.

"Let's just follow Shinzo the best we can," Ayame stated. "There's a ninety-nine percent chance that she took the paper, so let's find some evidence to back it up. As soon a we do, let's confront her about it."

Determined, everyone in the room bobbed their heads.

"Any questions?" Ayame asked.

Accordingly, the male with orange hair raised his hand.

"Yes, Tomachi?" Ayame questioned Haru, wearing that stoic expression she always wore.

Haru stopped playing around with the already finished lollipop stick in his mouth and cocked his head to the side. "Before we begin this all can we go get food? I'm hungry."

They all stared at him.

Ayame rolled her eyes. "Tomachi, that—"

"—is exactly what we need," Akira finished for her. She rubbed her belly just as it rumbled. "All that excessive worrying has made me famished."

"But—" Tadashi began.

"Yeah, I'm craving a burger," said Ryuu, licking his lips. "Let's go to McDonald's."

Tadashi looked his way incredulously.

Ryuu sweatdropped. "Uh, sorry. Does fast food not sound good to you?"

Tadashi shook his head. "That's not it. I thought you wanted to do something about this right now, Ryuu?"

Ryuu frowned. "I do," he said. "But my stomach has a mind of it's own, y'know. And it's telling me I need a burger or else I can't function."

"They do say you can't work or think on an empty stomach," Juzo spoke up.

"That's true. Then it's four against two," Akira declared. "We'll plan at McDonald's and begin action tomorrow!"

The four teens raised their fists, let out a whoop in agreement, and headed out the door. Both Ayame and Tadashi shared a look.

Ayame sighed, "I can't believe them."

Tadashi smiled meekly. "Well, we are teenagers."

Ayame frowned at the mention. "I see. So teenagers must behave that way."

Blinking, Tadashi rotated to face her. Before he could even open his mouth, Ayame already started after the rest.

"Having food once in a while doesn't sound bad. Let's go, Matsumoto."

"Y-yeah," he agreed, sprinting to catch up with her.

Tomorrow, they would officially start.

☻ ☺ ☻

"Are you sure we should do this?" Juzo muttered softly while Akira snickered.

"I know Izumi will be terrified if we give this to her!" the blue-haired female said, holding a folded sheet of paper in her hand. "It says on it that we know that she stole the planning sheet. Once she sees it, she'll for sure be scared out of her wits!"

Juzo deadpanned. Is she sure this would work? he thought to himself. It's really plain...

Akira tiptoed towards Izumi's shoe locker while Juzo stood behind her and watched. Pulling open her locker, Akira placed the note inside. Jerking her head back and forth to check if the coast was clear, she raced back toward the green-haired male.

Juzo raised an eyebrow as Akira excitedly watched Izumi's shoe locker, waiting for said female to arrive. No matter how much he looked at it, it didn't seem like it was going to work...

"Princess Izumi! Do you need help holding anything else?" a voice squeaked, and out came the blonde with rows of both males and females following after her. Well, she was popular around the school; seeing this excessive crowd around Izumi daily wasn't any surprise.

Izumi reached her shoe locker and gave everyone behind her a glare. "Bag," she ordered, and the girl holding her bag happily lurched forward.

A male carrying Izumi's books held them out as well. "Here—"

Izumi scowled at him. "Did I ask for my books or my bag?"

Instantly, the male paled.

The entire crowd gasped and sent him a look of sympathy for what was going to happen next; what always happened.

Scoffing, Izumi snatched her bag and slung it over her shoulder. "Even dogs can follow orders better. Get out of my sight."

The male flinched at her words, gaping at her in complete horror. Not because he was made fun of or because he was relieved of his duties, but because he had failed Izumi when she finally allowed him to hold her stuff.

"Izumi really is terrifying," Akira murmured to herself, swallowing hard even at her distance.

Juzo merely kept his dull eyes locked on the blonde, interested in what was to unfold next.

"Princess Izumi," the male cried, snuffling as animated tears rolled down his face. "I apologize! Please forgive me!"

"Shut up."

Pulling on her shoes, Izumi spun around with a sigh, grabbed her books, and turned toward the exit of the building. The crowd hastily followed after her.

After everything died down, Akira breathed out in relief, "Thank God." She blinked. "Wait..."

"The note..." Juzo muttered and Akira hurriedly ran toward the locker.

"That's impossible! It should've fell out!" Throwing open the locker, Akira gasped once she saw the empty space. "It's gone! Izumi probably took it without us knowing! Ah, she truly is sneaky! The queen of masterminds! She's—"

"Minamoto," Juzo cut off the rambling Akira, pointing towards the locker next to Izumi's. "You put it in that one."

Blinking, Akira opened up the locker next to Izumi's and she paled once her eyes landed on the note.

"Oh..."

☻ ☺ ☻

"Shinzo."

Looking up from the lunch on her personal table in the cafeteria, Izumi's alluring eyes met Tadashi's pale ones.

Smiling weakly, he hooked his thumb behind him. "I need to talk to you."

~~

"What?" Izumi gave Tadashi a questioning frown, crossing her arms over her chest. Both teens were currently standing in an empty hallway, and Tadashi could already feel the high tension in the air.

"Um..."

He awkwardly scratched the back of his head, feeling the boring stares of Ryuu and Haru from around the corner. They had made him take the initiative to talk Izumi into confessing since he was the most "normal" of them all; whatever that was supposed to mean.

"For, um," Tadashi timidly shuffled his feet, racking up some things to say. "Remember the planning sheet that was taken from the clubroom? Actually, I've been thinking..."

Sneaking a glance at Izumi's blank reaction, portraying just how lost she was to this, Tadashi began to lose his confidence in his words. Shouldn't she be cracking by now...?

"What? You found something?" Izumi questioned, causing him to flinch.

"Uh..."

Izumi narrowed her eyes at his strange behaviour. "If you don't have anything to say, could you stop wasting my time? I have places to be."

Tadashi blinked rapidly, nervously taking a step back. He felt uncomfortable under her calculating stare.

"Um..."

Stare.

"...uh..."

Stare.

"...um...I..."

"Never mind, I'm leaving."

Without waiting even another second, the blonde turned on her heels and walked off. Tadashi's eyes widened as he watched her turn the corner.

He hung his head, his complexion pale in regret.

"You did your best." Ryuu awkwardly patted his back.

Tadashi frowned in response. "Yeah, at making a fool of myself."

"I told you we should've bribed her with food," Haru said, munching on Pockys this time around.

Ryuu spared him a raised eyebrow. "Really, Haru?"

Haru raised his arms exasperatedly. "What! Who would ever reject free food?"

Both Ryuu and Tadashi were about to retort but ended up sharing a look of agreement.

Good point.

☻ ☺ ☻

"Shinzo."

Leering, Izumi Shinzo glanced up to see her mortal enemy standing there with the usual inexpressive look she always wore. "What?" she barked, and it was enough to silence all of the fans surrounding her table.

Crossing her arms, Ayame slanted her eyes. "We need to talk."

"Huh? Hell no. I don't have time to spend on you." Standing up from her seat, Izumi scoffed, "First that sheriff chick and retard, then Tadashi, and now you. Stop pulling my leg already."

Glaring, Izumi's pink eyes glinted with anger.

"If you have something to say, it could wait until Tuesday, right? Don't involve me in things I don't want to get involved in."

Ayame watched the female and her "posse" disappear out of the cafeteria, and she put a hand to her chin in thought.

"Huh, Miss Kobayashi." Ayame was brought back to reality by the voice and she looked to see Katsura Inohara carrying a tray of food. Her mocha coloured eyes were questioning. "It's unusual to see you in the cafeteria. What happened?"

Ayame expelled a breath before shaking her head and walking off. "Nothing, really."

Katsura's surprised gaze never left Ayame until she was completely gone from her sight.

☻ ☺ ☻

"That's it. Yeah," Tadashi conversed, his lips stuck in a straight line. As it had been a week, his report was due so he informed Kazuma Kurosaki of all that he knew. He kept sneaking glances around the area, making sure that nobody else was around, especially his clubmates.

"I understand. I'll try to find something on my end," Kazuma stated on the other side of the receiver, and Tadashi nodded.

"Okay. Then..." Tadashi hung up the call and sighed. Even two weeks into this deal, it was still nagging at him for spilling the club's occurrences to him. Kazuma didn't have his complete trust yet, and yet he was still giving him information.

Was it bad that he was? Was he betraying his clubmates by doing such a thing?

"Then, Tadashi, if you truly believe your clubmates to be innocent, work with me. Prove me wrong."

Tadashi's lips downturned into a solemn frown. Innocent... It was because he still trusted Izumi that he was feeling this way.

Ayame said that there was a ninety-nine percent chance that Izumi stole the paper, but Tadashi still believed in that one percent she didn't.

A part of him knew. That Izumi must have been the one to have stolen the planning sheet. But, but...no matter what, it was still a dream to him. Hearing her words...

Even if Izumi did steal the paper, that didn't necessarily mean that she was the mastermind. She had a reason to have done this, Tadashi was assured of that thought, and that was why he continued to have hope.

"Nobody in the club...would commit a crime," Tadashi muttered to himself as he trudged through the deserted hallways of Kaisei Academy.

The irony of his words just made his gut twist.

"Yes. The mastermind's right-hand man... is amongst us. I'm not sure who it is but, I do know that he or she is heartless, ruthless, murderous; even more terrifying than the mastermind himself."

The mastermind's right-hand man? Was he or she really among them?

With everything that was happening, Tadashi didn't even want to think about who it could be.

"Hey-o, Matsumoto!" Akira Minamoto cheered the second the male walked into the clubroom.

"H-hey-o," Tadashi replied back with a forced smile.

Haru laughed. "Why so stiff? Don't tell me you're scared~!"

Haru held up his hands to imitate a ghost, and Akira gasped, feigning a look of horror.

"The curse of the CRF!" she cried dramatically.

"We're right at death's door!" Haru played along.

"Burdened by the crimes of others, us young detectives have to scavenge through this cold, conspiring world for answers before it's too late! We are never safe!" Akira went on. Although she was trying to be spooky, she was grinning from ear to ear.

Haru wore similar expression. "That'd make a good movie," he said with a small laugh.

Akira laughed boisterously. "It would. And if we're the main characters, we can't always be so pessimistic."

"How ridiculous!" Atsushi Yamada hollered. "Mocking what has happened thus far, to raise the tension or not, is completely unacceptable!"

Akira merely rose an eyebrow at him. "It's not mocking. I'm being serious."

"Serious? In what way?"

"My own. Everyone has their own pace, Ya-ma-da!"

Atsushi brows knitted together. "Do not say my name in such a frivolous manner."

"What are you talking about, Ya-ma-da?" responded Akira cheekily. "I always say your name this way, Ya-ma-da!"

"Minamoto! I do not approve of this!"

"But Ya-ma-da—"

Tadashi found himself drifting away from their conversation. It was then it dawned on him. Nobody aside from Ryuu and Ayame knew of the truth about Saya and the note from the mastermind. If they did, they possibly would have been more self-conscious about their words.

"Good afternoon," Katsura entered the room with a bow, and not before long, everyone else had arrived. Except for Yasuo and Mayumi. They hadn't been in contact with anybody in a long time. Maybe it was because all that was happening lately was finally getting to them, but regardless of the reasons, nobody in the club wanted to get involved with those two unless they really needed to.

As done every single Tuesday, the Crime Games commenced. Arguments were thrown around, suggestions were made, the perfect plan was concluded with. The room tried to stay as cheerful and happy as they'd always been, but the haunting memories of their closest members came back to them. More seats were emptier than ever; more than they should be, and that only made things lonelier. Nevertheless, everyone did their best to enjoy themselves.

By the time club time ended, everyone showed themselves to the door and left. Except for the five that were witnesses to Izumi's phone call days prior.

"I have something to inform you all of," Ayame declared, and all five members perked. Ayame's violet coloured eyes drifted towards every member there. "Oh, Minamoto already left?"

"She dashed right out once we were finished," Haru explained with a shrug.

She nodded. "Well, no matter. We'll briefly discuss this with her another time."

Taking a deep breath, Ayame crossed her arms across her chest.

"Let me be frank, but from trying to talk to Shinzo, I was able to deduce that she was acting completely..." She opened her eyes and narrowed them into a glare. "Normal."

Tadashi's face lit up. "Uh..."

Ryuu bobbed his head vigorously in agreement. "Way too normal, right? We tried talking to her but she just maintained that condescending tone and face like she always does!"

"It's because you didn't sweet talk her," Haru added in a pun, and everyone shot him a blank look in response. Haru smiled and said, "With sweets? Get it?"

Ryuu smacked him upside the head. "Shut up, Haru."

Tadashi smiled as Haru pouted childishly.

Ayame's eyes fell onto the green-haired male. "How about you, Fatora? Did you notice anything?"

Juzo blinked slowly, trying to process her words. "Anything...? Minamoto messed up so we didn't really get a chance to do anything."

Nobody was surprised at his words. Rather, they had sympathy that he had to work with her. As much as Akira loved crime stories, and her dad was the city's sheriff, she always seemed to mess up when it counted. Especially when a crime was involved.

"I see." Ayame nodded and went on, "Well, regardless, she is a tough nut to crack. Simply socializing with her won't work because she seems to have mastered masquerading her emotions. That's precisely why I decided to tail her."

"Tail her? As in, you followed her around?" Ryuu asked.

"Yes. And from that... I was able to figure out that Sasahara, you are not the only extracurricular student in this club."

Everyone was lost. Ryuu blinked, his expression contorted with confusion.

"What is that supposed to—"

"Shinzo is in seventeen clubs, besides this one."

"Huh?" Tadashi's eyes were wide.

"Though, she doesn't attend them. Only sometimes to help out if needed, but it doesn't change the fact that she is apart of them," Ayame continued, placing a hand to her hip. "Also, she goes to prep courses twice a week."

Tadashi felt his heart rate increase. What was this? Why was it that Ayame's words sounded so familiar? Where did he hear them before? When? He gritted his teeth. Why couldn't he remember?

"Familiar, right?" Ayame prodded, seeing everyone's startled expressions. "Do you all recall what the computer file read that day during the Crime Games that started this all?"

"That day?" Tadashi repeated, and his heart stopped at the memory.

"She overworks herself, too. Is a part of, like, twenty clubs. Prep courses twice a week."

The room froze. Tadashi found it hard to swallow.

"Moriko Kitoshi," Ayame said with a small smile. "I believe that Izumi Shinzo had a connection with her."

The sudden ringing of Haru's cell phone jerked everyone back to reality and the male dug into his pocket for the device. He blinked at the Caller ID before answering and putting it to his ear.

"Yes?"

"Ah, Haru-cchi!" Akira's voice echoed throughout the quiet room, her voice laced in panic. "Are you alone?"

"No, I'm with the four other sleuths."

Akira sighed with relief, knowing he was referring to them. "Thank God! Put it on speaker, now!"

Confused, Haru retreated the phone from his ear and clicked speaker. He shrugged at everyone who shot him a questioning glance.

"Ah, everyone!" Akira cried loud enough for them to hear. "I went home to look for information on Izumi since my dad has records of everyone in the city, and Izumi's folder was put under, "Top Secret." My dad never does that except for critical cases, or if it has something to do with criminals or high profile individuals, but..."

She took a deep breath to recollect herself before continuing, her voice shaking.

"So I checked it out and... it says that Izumi... killed her family."