"Soooooraaaa~"
Sora remained asleep, undisturbed by the soft, singsong voice.
"Soooooooraaaaaa~"
The bluenette opened her eyes a fraction. Slowly sitting up, Sora looked around. She was in a sunny meadow of grass and flowers. A cool breeze blew her loose hair back.
Sora blinked. How did she get here?
In front of her, Sora squinted at a blurry figure six feet away. When she rubbed her eyes and opened them, the figure was much closer.
The blue Skylandian yelped in surprise and leaped to her feet. Now fully awake, Sora gave the individual a once-over. She (or he?) was around the same height, wearing head to toe in black rain gear and carrying a black umbrella. A hood obscured most of their face, leaving the mouth visible.
Sora tilted her head in curiosity. "Who are you?"
The black figure remained motionless, wearing a neutral expression.
"You better find shelter." The person said in a monotonous, feminine tone. "There's a storm coming."
The bluenette's eyes widened. It was the same voice from the train and hotel. So many questions popped into her mind. For now, she was confused by the warning.
"What are you talking about? It's a nice day." Lifting her palms, she glanced up at the empty blue sky. "See? Not a cloud in sight."
The mysterious woman deeply sighed, shaking her head slowly. "There are lots of things you don't know about. Like how cruel and deceptive people truly are."
Sora's blue eyes widened at her words. "But everyone is really nice in Sorashido City and Beika."
"Oh?" A hint of disbelief was heard in the dark lady's voice. "Is Kuse Natsumi one of them?"
Sora opened her mouth to respond but hesitated as a hurtful expression developed on her face.
"I-I admit meeting her was… rough. But…" Sora looked with determination at the hooded lady. "A hero should always show kindness to everyone. Like with Empress Undergu, I'll talk to Kuse-san and reach out to her. No matter how long it takes."
The woman in black stayed silent. Sora wasn't sure if she was moved or indifferent by her words. Hard to tell by the hood.
Finally, the figure opened her umbrella and lifted it over herself. Its shade made her black clothes darker and face harder to see.
"Very well. Do what you must. However… if she mistreats you again… I'll be waiting."
She melted into the ground, leaving a black stain. It grew bigger and bigger, swallowing the grass, flowers, and sky. The bluenette watched in terror as everything around her became nothing but total darkness.
X
Sora woke up with a sharp gasp. Still seeing darkness, the bluenette almost panicked more until she felt a softness underneath her.
Putting two and two together, Sora relaxed. She's in bed. Rooming with her friends. In a hotel. In Beika.
She's safe. It was all a dream. Yet, it felt so real. Not to mention… foreboding.
The Skylandian shook the scary thoughts out, getting out of bed. With caution, she maneuvered her way to the curtains and parted them. Warm sunlight escaped through the window, brightening the room and banishing the pitch blackness.
Closing her eyes, Sora took a deep breath to calm the last of her fears. After stretching her arms, she gazed down with drowsy eyes and a smile. Inch by inch, the sun rose, covering Beika in its yellow, glowing embrace. Early mornings never cease to amaze her.
A small yawn and rustle caused the bluenette to turn around. It was Ageha who rubbed her eyes, awakened by the sunlight.
"Ohayo, Ageha."
The female adult yawned again. "Ohayo to you too, Sora." She looked at the alarm clock, which read 7 am. Both girls looked at Mashiro who was still fast asleep.
Ageha smiled warmly at her childhood friend's peaceful sleeping form. As much as she disliked waking her up, the adult knew she must. For today's activity.
The auburn-haired woman got out of bed and strolled to Mashiron's bed. "Ohayo, Mashiron. Time to get up." She gently shook the girl.
Eventually, Mashiro's eyebrows and mouth stirred, the first sign of her awakening. Eyelids fluttered open, revealing groggy green eyes.
"Ohayo, Mashiro." Sora softly said, as Mashiro gradually sat up.
Seeing two blurry blobs, the pink-haired girl blinked a few times to clearly see Ageha and Sora standing over her.
Mashiro let out a yawn bigger than Ageha's. "O…ohayo."
With all three girls awake, they made their beds, washed up, and changed clothes. The trio then checked their bags and cooler to ensure they had everything. Once they were satisfied, several knocks were made at the front door. Putting on their sandals and sunhats, Sora, Mashiro, and Ageha gathered everything and reached the door. When it opened, there stood Tsubasa and Saguru waiting for them.
Ageha smiled brightly at the two boys. "Ohayo, Tsubasa! Ruru!"
She turned to Tsubasa. "Glad to see you up! As they say, the early bird gets the best beach spot!!"
The boy with orange hair narrowed his eyes and wore a lopsided smile. "You just made that up, didn't you?"
Wearing a teasing smile, she bent down. "Tee hee, maybe!"
Ageha now faced Saguru, her smile a little sad. "You sure you can't join us?"
"I appreciate the offer, but I already have plans with my other friends. We're going to an amusement park for the whole afternoon, and it would be rude of me to decline. But I hope you all have fun."
"Likewise."
Saying goodbye, the Precures and Saguru went their separate ways. After a quick breakfast, the four piled into Ageha's car and drove off. On the way, they excitedly talked about the splendid things they'll see and do at the beach. Last summer, they and Ellee had a blast with their first beach hangout near Sorashido City. It's where Sora learned to swim. Now a better swimmer, she can have more fun with her friends.
One hour and thirty minutes later, they arrived at their destination. After applying sunscreen, the four collected their beach belongings, changed into their swimsuits, and ran to the shore with enthusiasm.
The golden-yellow sand under their feet felt as warm and welcoming as the sun shining down on their heads. There were several teenagers sculpting majestic art in the sand. Tall, majestic cliffs surrounded the peaceful beach, dazzling a red color that rivals the surface of Mars. One difference: Life exists on the red cliffs as green vegetation blankets the top. In beautiful contrast, the ocean displayed a cobalt blue color. A mother and her daughter in small floaties were seen playing in the shallow water. Small waves crashed onto the shore, gently crawling their foamy way to the line separating the wet and dry sand. Only for gravity to pull it back into the vast sea.
After picking a nice spot and leaving their stuff, the Precures raced to the ocean. Laughter filled the air as they swam around and splashed each other. The sea waters were cool and refreshing, a nice counter against the intense heat created by summer. In fact, they're so crystal clear the four can see every creature and inch of the reef. Afterward, they returned to shore to make sand art. Under Tsubasa's guidance and Ageha's artistic creativity, the four friends sculpted a big sand orca. Its impressive markings and cute eyes and smile captivated many people as they showered it with compliments and took pictures. Once done, the colorful group donned on snorkeling gear and dove under the surface. Eyes widened in awe at various blue, green, and red colors of the reefs. Dozens of fish swam around the reefs, along with crabs, seahorses, and starfish. Some got close to their faces out of curiosity. Some darted away quickly, seeking shelter in the coral. Others paid no attention to the strange swimmers in their world. The four even saw a stingray, watching it settle on the ground and sifting sand onto itself until it virtually disappeared.
When it was time for air, the Precures breached the surface and swam back to shore.
"Kirei!" Mashiro said, removing her mask. "So many colorful fish. It was like a rainbow under the sea!"
"And the rocks… I didn't know they have different shapes and colors in the oceans." Sora said.
"Actually," Tsubasa said, as their feet hit sand. "Those 'rocks' are coral. They're living animals that built reefs for hundreds of millions of years. They look like rocks because of their hard calcium carbonate skeletons, which shield their soft insides. Coral polyps collect calcium and carbonate ions from saltwater, merge them inside of their bodies, and harden into calcium carbonate shells. It's called biomineralization. Coral reefs need it to grow and stay strong, since around 25 percent of the entire marine fish population rely on them for home, food, and reproduction."
While he explained, Sora was listening with wonder, her eyes grew and smile formed little by little. "Woooow! Amazing! Coral reefs are like heroes of sea creatures."
Mashiro smiled lightly. "Yeah, I suppose so."
"That's why it's important to protect coral reefs." Ageha declared, pumping her arms. "Every bit of help counts. If we all do our part, the reefs will continue to do theirs." Sora, Mashiro, and Tsubasa nodded enthusiastically.
The adult placed both hands on her stomach. "For now though, let's get some grub!"
After a quick shower and towel dry, the colorful bunch walked across the street to a nearby burger restaurant. Once the four ordered, they sat at an outdoor table under a canopy. While waiting, they began chatting about their next sand sculpture after lunch and drew their ideas.
"Ooh, let's make a sand crab!" Ageha held up a cute crab drawing and made a crab gesture with two fingers. "Those little guys are so kawaii!"
"Not bad," Mashiro drew the finishing touches on her drawing. "How 'bout a sand dolphin? They're cute, too." She said, flipping it to show a pretty drawing of it.
"Yeah," Sora nodded. "So high, they're reaching for the sky. But what about this?" In her hand was a poor drawing of a creature with a sharp thing sticking out of its face.
The picture baffled her friends, trying to guess what it was.
"Ummm…" Mashiro scratched her head. "Nice… narwhal?"
It was Sora's turn to be confused. "No, it's a swordfish."
"Ohhhhh."
"Fabulous ideas, everyone." Tsubasa said, looking at his watch. "I think there's time to make one or two of them before we leave at 5."
Sora nodded. "So, what did you draw, Tsubasa?"
The young boy turned his paper around. On it was an elaborate drawing of a puffin flying over the ocean. Delicate pen strokes and shades gave the seabird a more realistic appearance. It looked as if it would fly out of the paper and over the real world's salty waters.
"Sugoi!!!" The three girls cried, eyes growing and dazzling with amazement.
"Wowza!" Ageha exclaimed. "This drawing should belong in a museum. Your art skills have seriously improved over the past months."
Tsubasa blushed and waved his hand. "Oh stop, Ageha. You're exaggerating." Though he can't help but smile at his friends' praise.
When their food and drinks arrived, the group took a break to feast. Taking their first bites, their faces perked up at the delicious, juicy taste. A chorus of "mmmmh"s rang out as the four took gleeful bite after bite of their burgers.
Sora was about to sip her milkshake when she heard a very familiar voice.
"Moshi moshi… Ohayou, Minoru-kun!"
The bluenette froze, her lips barely touching the straw. Gradually, she turned her head to the left. Outside the restaurant, Kuse Natsumi was standing with her back facing Sora and her friends. She was wearing a yellow summer dress and sunglasses over her eyes. The parasol she's holding sheltered the woman from the sun's hot rays.
"I'm having a great time!" She said, wearing a big smile. "It's a nice, sunny day. Perfect for a walk around the beach. The ocean is so clear, I saw my reflection in the water. And Beika's new hotel… they really put the "grand" and "sunflower" in the Grand Sunflower Hotel! I've never seen so many sunflowers in my entire life! Everything was perfect. Except…" Her smile morphed into a distasteful frown. "Some ruffian nearly got me disqualified from the Summer Fashion Contest! When I wasn't looking, she kicked my suitcase to kingdom come and caused a messy dress explosion. What was she thinking?! Scratch that… she wasn't! It's a miracle my clothes survived!" Sighing, she shook her head in disgust. "I'm telling you: she has absolutely NO dignity! If you see a girl with blue hair and eyes, stay away from her. Don't want anything bad happening to you or your stuff."
While Sora listened the whole time, something bubbled furiously in her chest. Gritting her teeth, she glared at the woman with fiery eyes as hot as the afternoon sun. Strong hands holding the milkshake squeezed the poor plastic cup hard. The bluenette barely heard her friends' calls of concern for her, crushing the drink more and more until…
POP!
Her friends cried out as pink liquid splattered on the table, along with Sora's face, hair, and swimsuit. For a moment, no one moved a muscle. Tsubasa, Mashiro, and Ageha glued to their seats, staring at Sora with both shock and worry. The bluenette was also shocked, her eyes wide enough to see the whites. She glanced down at the broken cup, horrified and confused at what she's done.
It wasn't until Ageha lending her a bunch of napkins and Tsubasa and Mashiro cleaning the table did Sora come to. Muttering a thanks, the blue Skylandian wiped the milkshake off as best she could. However, she still felt sticky from the sugary dairy drink.
"I-I'm gonna go to the showers," Sora said, standing up.
"Want me to go with you?" Mashiro looked up, clearly worried about her friend's state.
"No, no. It's fine. I… won't be for long." The bluenette forced a small smile. The other Precures watched Sora with complete concern as she walked out the restaurant and to the beach. Little did the four know, someone is observing Sora intently.
X
Sora stood motionless underneath the running water with her head lowered. Hand pressed firmly against the shower's push knob for an endless downpour. Her hair was undone, now hanging down to waist length. The blue hero's face was very troubled, eyes glistening in pain and mouth twisting into a deep frown.
Staring at the puddle, Sora began to see something form in the water. At first, the shape was too blurry. But soon, it got clearer and clearer, darker and darker. When she got a better look, her eyes widened in recognition and surprise. In the reflection was the black-cloaked figure, the one from her dream.
"Running away again? I thought you're a hero, not a coward."
Sora was utterly shocked at the comment before shooting a glare at her. "Why are you here? Leave me alone!" She said in a raised, upset voice.
"My, my." The mysterious woman sounded astonished. "Getting angry, are you? Not very heroic, I'd say."
Sora closed her eyes to take a calming breath.
"Why do you keep following me? First the train, then the hotel, then my dream, now here. Just who are you?"
The black silhouette lifted one gloved finger. "First, I'm only trying to help you."
"Help me? With what?" Sora was confused by this answer.
"Your problem with Kuse Natsumi, of course. C'mon, you know it, too." The mysterious lady crossed her arms. "All you did was save an innocent, little child from a grave concussion. Or worse… death." A grave tone expressed at the last word, making Sora shudder. "Yet, what did she do? Blame you for your 'reckless' rescue. Kuse-san never even apologized for accusing you of dress theft, despite being proven wrong. Can you believe it? She cares more about her clothes than a human life." The cloaked person released a loud huff. "Sounds like that woman is the one with no dignity. Wouldn't you agree, Sora?"
"Wh… I… but…" Sora stammered. She then shook her head furiously, like a dog shaking itself after a bath. "No. I refuse to badmouth her. Two wrongs never make a right. When I go back, I'll find Kuse-san again, talk to her, and…"
"She'll change and become friends with you?" The person in rain gear interrupted in a dubious tone. She raised an eyebrow… at least that's what Sora thought. Hard to tell by the hood. "Trust me, Sora. Kuse-san will never listen. Think for a moment. Did she hear your side of the story? Did she listen to your friends or Conan-kun when they defended you?"
"... No."
"Then, try something else. Something to make you better. Something to make her listen. Something… to teach her a lesson." In the last sentence, the figure sounded scarier.
Sora's eyes expanded with fear. "N-no, NO!! I know what you're thinking. And you should forget about it!"
"Hm… You're persistent. I'll give you that. I wonder though… how long will it last?"
A strong chill shot through Sora's entire body. Not only from the cold water. It was the very dread she felt from Natsumi's warning.
"As for your second question…"
Suddenly, glowing blue eyes appeared on the figure's face. They locked onto Sora's regular blue eyes, fire blazing at the corners eerily.
"Only you know the answer."
The blue Skylandian gasped out loud, falling backwards on the ground. At the same time, she released the shower knob, ceasing the water flow. With shaky breaths, she peered down at the puddle, the black person vanished.
Those eyes… So dark, so angry. Yet, so familiar. She hasn't seen them since… No… It can't be.
Quickly, Sora slapped both hands on her cheeks.
"Keep it together, Sora! Remember: A hero must never surrender to the darkness."
Having calmed down a bit, the blue-haired girl squeezed the water from her hair. Before she could grab her hair ribbon, a strong breeze blew it off the wall and toward the parking lot. Letting out a surprised yelp, she went after it. After a small chase, the ribbon finally got caught on a side mirror of a black car.
"Whew!" Sora sighed in relief. She wiped her forehead with one hand and retrieved her ribbon with the other. "I should get back before the others worry… Huh?"
Before turning around, the Skylandian saw something unusual in the back seat. Curious, she stepped closer and closer to the window, squinting through it. When she got a clearer view, she gasped loudly, hands flying over her mouth in horror.
X
"I hope Sora's okay." Mashiro said, looking over her shoulder in concern.
After cleaning their table, she, Tsubasa, and Ageha waited for their blue friend to return.
"Me, too." Ageha said. "I've never seen her so angry."
Tsubasa hummed, leaning back in his chair. "You know, Sora seemed really upset during our encounter with Kuse Natsumi. When she said harsh things about her, Sora looked like she's about to cry. This time, though, it's stronger. As if she wanted to punch someone right then and there."
Both girls were horrified. They and Tsubasa glanced to where Sora was looking, only to find nothing. Natsumi had already disappeared.
Alarm grew on Mashiro's face as she slowly made eye contact with Ageha, then Tsubasa. "You don't think… she saw…"
BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP!!!!!!
A loud alarm interrupted the quiet atmosphere, causing the girls to jolt in their seats and Tsubasa to fall backward. Everyone else was also alerted, gathering outside and chattering about what it is and where it's coming from. While Ageha helped the boy up, the gentle teen turned her attention to the beach parking lot, where the sound came from.
"The beach… Didn't Sora head over there?" Mashiro said, her worry growing as big as the blares.
Ageha and Tsubasa looked in the same direction with alarm. Without a second thought, they tore out of the restaurant and darted toward the lot.
X
Sandals clapped hard onto the asphalt as the three searched frantically for the noise's source. When it was found, they froze in total shock. Before them was a black car blaring like crazy, its right front window smashed.
"Oh my gosh! Someone broke in!!" Mashiro exclaimed, her face white as her swimsuit.
Immediately, a worried Ageha dialed for the police. While she talked, Tsubasa examined pieces of glass scattered on the ground. Shifting his gaze to the right, he noticed a trail of small shards leading away from the damaged vehicle.
"Girls, look! I think whoever did it went that way." He pointed to the glass trail.
Tsubasa, Mashiro, and Ageha (who just finished the call) followed it to a big palm tree and were in for a second shock. Underneath the shade, a woman was lying in their big cooler, filled with ice and water up to her neck. She had an ice pack over her forehead and several wrapped around her neck. Her condition was beyond worse: eyes half-lidded and hazy, face red as a cooked lobster, and breathing faster than normal.
"Minna? Oh, thank goodness you're here!"
They whirled around to see Sora running toward them. She screeched to a halt, panting heavily.
"Sora, are you okay? What happened?" Ageha said.
"I'm fine. But she's not. I just phoned an ambulance. They'll be here soon."
Tsubasa stepped closer to the red-faced woman. He placed a hand on her forehead, wincing at the intense heat. Then, he put two fingers on her wrist to check her pulse.
The boy's face became grave. "This is bad. Really bad. She has a heat stroke."
"HEAT STROKE?!" The girls, except Sora who was equally distressed, yelled.
Tsubasa nodded. "Hot, red skin; no sweat; fast, strong pulse; rapid breathing…" The lady weakly moaned, her face wincing with discomfort. Suddenly, she turned her head and threw up on the ground. The disgusting smell led the Precures to pinch their noses. "Aaaaaand vomiting. They're common symptoms of a heat stroke. Without immediate medical treatment, it can cause organ failure, coma, or… death."
His friends gasped. Eyeing the poor woman, the four hoped the ambulance would arrive in time.
While Ageha cleaned the vomit, Mashiro glanced at the black car, then to the lady now fainted, and put a hand on her cheek.
"My word. First, a car was broken into. Then, someone caught heat stroke. How did our day come to this?"
At her mention of a break-in, Sora winced, biting her bottom lip.
"Hm? Sora, what's wrong?" Tsubasa asked.
"Actually," Sora began, looking at her friends with guilty eyes. "The one who broke that car's window was me."
Mashiro and Tsubasa's eyes exploded and jaws dropped at her confession. Including Ageha, who froze as she dropped a bag of vomit into the trash can.
"EHHHHHHHHHHHH?!?!?!"
X
In 2 minutes, the ambulance and police arrived at the scene. The medics carefully transferred the unconscious woman onto a gurney and brought her into the ambulance. The Precures watched with worried faces as they closed the doors and drove away to the hospital.
Two male police detectives approached Sora and showed their police badges. One held the name, Takagi Wataru, the other, Chiba Kazunobu.
"Excuse me, miss." Takagi said, taking out a notebook and pen. "If you don't mind, can you tell us what happened?"
The bluenette nodded silently. "Sure. Around 3:05 pm, I was soaking myself in the shower near the beach for two minutes. The wind blew my hair ribbon away, so I had to chase after it through the parking lot. But when I finally caught it…" She pointed to the black car with a broken window. "I saw that woman lying unconscious in the back seats! Her skin was so red, and she seemed to be in great pain. Panicked, I banged against the door, shouting for her to wake up. But she didn't. I tried opening each door, but they were locked. With no other choice, I smashed one of the front windows, which caused the alarm to go off. After unlocking the car, I carried the woman here. To cool her down more, I quickly ran to the beach to get a cooler, fill it with water from the shower, and wheel it back. I lowered her in the icy bath before packing ice in bags and putting them over her head and neck. Then, I dashed to the nearest phone booth and called an ambulance."
As Sora spoke, Takagi wrote down her statement carefully. When he finished, she looked at him and Chiba with a serious face.
"Takagi-keiji, Chiba-keiji. I'm the one who did it. Even though I had a good reason, breaking and entering is a crime. So…"
Sora held out her wrists. "Go ahead and arrest me."
"WHAT?!" Her friends stared at her in shock.
Mashiro grabbed the Skylandian's shoulder. "Sora, no! You saved someone's life! You can't go to jail for that!"
"Don't worry. We're not arresting her." Chiba said, with a reassuring smile. "According to Article 37 of the Japanese Penal Code, an act carried out to avoid a present danger to body, liberty, life, or property isn't punishable, as long as the damage from said act doesn't surpass the damage avoided. Since Sora only broke into a car to rescue someone, she's not accountable for criminal activity."
Tsubasa, Ageha, and Mashiro sighed with relief. Sora blinked in surprise and dropped her arms. She's never heard of this law but is relieved it exists. Drastic times often call for drastic measures, especially in rescues.
Takagi smiled, too. "Still, I appreciate you being honest and taking responsibility. Thank you for your time."
Sora nodded, a smile bloomed on her face. "You're welcome. Though I must apologize to the car's owner. Whoever they are."
"AAAAAAH!! MY CAR!!!!!"
A tall man shouted, running toward the parking lot. His bronze hair was tied in a short ponytail. He wore a white t-shirt, red shorts, brown sandals, and dark sunglasses covering his eyes. Following him are two people just as concerned as him. One is a woman with hair styled in a bun that's bright blue, like the ocean. She wore lime green sandals and a teal swim dress with white lilies designed on her long sleeves. A thick bandage is plastered on her right thigh. The other is a man who's deeply tanned and has a mustache and beard. His short, brown hair was parted in the middle with short on one side and long on the other, curling down like a tidal wave. He wore violet gradient swim trunks and mustard-colored crocs.
The distressed male stopped right in front of the car, wringing his hands intensely.
"Excuse me, sir." Takagi said. "Are you this vehicle's owner?"
The long-haired man nodded. "Hai. I'm Aranami Isamu. And these are my friends." Using his thumb, he pointed at the blue-haired lady. "Shigure Yuriko." Then to the other male. "And Yamaoka Yuji."
The two said hello, though their concerned faces tell another story.
Sora swiftly went up to Isamu and bowed her head.
"I'm deeply sorry. It was me. There was a lady trapped inside. She was suffering from the heat, so I had no choice but to break in. I'll pay for the damages."
Isamu stared at the smaller bluenette in irritation and disbelief. His left eye twitching involuntarily, seemingly about to blow up. However, he took a deep breath and let it out.
"It's… cool. My insurance will cover it. Just… don't do it again, ok?"
Sora firmly nodded.
The older bluenette was really baffled. "A person? In Isamu-kun's car? How can that b…?" At that point, shock replaced her confusion as she hesitantly asked Sora, "W-was she… wearing a tankini swimsuit that's yellow on top… and has colorful flowers on bottom?"
"Yes."
That one word caused her and the two men to gasp.
"C-C-Chiasa-chan?! What… how… where is she?!" Yuriko wildly swung her head both ways so fast, her head might fall off.
"She was taken to the hospital due to a severe heatstroke," Chiba said. He settled a hand on the outside of the car and instantly retracted. "Judging by the high temperature and Sora's story, Chiasa's body overheated from being inside the car too long."
The overweight officer spotted a shiny object in the backseat and picked them up. It was a set of keys on a silver carabina.
He showed them to the ponytailed man. "We discovered these keys in the victim's hand. Do they belong to you?"
"Hai. I lended them to Fujimura. She needed something from my car, but I was too busy. So, she borrowed them and left with Yuriko."
The woman in a bun nodded. "I didn't want Chiasa-chan to go by herself. When we got to his car, we searched all over the inside until she finally found it. We talked for a while, until I decided to walk around the parking lot. I asked for her to join me, but she refused, saying she's going back to the beach. So, I went by myself. After several minutes, I was suddenly startled by a loud noise and ran to where it was coming from. But when I got there…" She shuddered, in spite of the heat. "I was even more shocked! The window was smashed, and there was glass everywhere. I… I thought it was a burglar, so I hightailed it back to the beach. Once I found my phone, I instantly called the police and alerted my other friends." Squeezing her eyes tightly, Yuriko grabbed her head with both hands. "... It was at that moment I realized Chiasa-chan wasn't anywhere. Isamu-kun and Yuji-kun didn't see her either, making me more worried. We searched the entire beach but couldn't find her, so we returned to the parking lot and discovered you all."
Yuriko's male companions hummed in agreement. Yuji embraced her lightly to comfort her.
"Ah, yes." Officer Takagi said. "The police received a call about a car break-in at this location around 3:13 pm. On the way, we got a second call reporting the same incident. I believe it was Hijiri-san."
Yuji eyed the large and small pieces of glass on the floor with a big frown.
"It doesn't make sense. Chiasa knows better than to stay in a scorching car. So why?"
Just then, one of the officers came over. She whispered to the two police detectives who nodded as she spoke. The officer handed them each two clear bags: one with a container full of clear liquid and the other with a plastic water bottle.
Takagi and Chiba gave the three very serious and somber looks.
Takagi held up the first one. "We discovered this in Chiasa's swimsuit pocket. It's a strong sleep medicine."
The second bag was lifted by Chiba. "This water bottle was also found in her other hand. We had an idea but needed to test it first, so we had them sent to forensics. The results revealed sleep medicine was in the water she drank from, the same one in this container. Her prints were the only ones on the water bottle, as well as her saliva on its mouth. Given these facts, the keys in her possession, and the locked doors and windows, our conclusion was correct. She tried to commit suicide."
"EHHHHHH?!?!" The adult trio and Precure quartet shouted in unison.
"S-s-s-s-suicide?!" Yuriko was the most upset, tears gathering in her eyes. "No! I don't believe it!! Chiasa-chan's the most upbeat girl I know. She'd never kill herself!!"
"Come to think of it," Isamu said, with distress on his face. "Chiasa has been pretty down the past week. I asked her what's wrong countless times, but she always put on a smile and told me everything's fine. If she was really this depressed…" He crossed his arms and shut his eyes, furrowing his eyebrows. "Then suicide is a possibility."
"No…" Yuriko whimpered. The strength in her legs gave out as she fell on her knees. "IT'S ALL MY FAULT!!!!" Her face buried in her hands, huge tears leaking out and down her cheeks. "I should never have gone alone! If only I stayed, I could've saved her!!"
In a heartbeat, Isamu and Yuji bent down and tried consoling her, saying she's not to blame and it's beyond her control.
Like the window, the colorful quartet felt their hearts shatter at the sad scene. This was the first time they've heard of suicide. It makes them even sadder to think people would choose to kill themselves.
Why? What drives them to this? Are there things so horrible… so depressing… that people lose their will to live?
They thought while sadly watching the people on the ground…
"Chigau."
A young voice rang out. Everyone was shocked and turned to it. Standing near the door with the demolished window was a little boy, inspecting the door's inside. It was the very child the police and Precures knew very well.
Edogawa Conan.
Conan swiveled his head, his eyes blocked by the shine of his glasses.
"This isn't attempted suicide."
Fully turned around, the eyes are unveiled, a deep blue analyzing his audience.
"It's attempted murder."