With a sigh, Yosuke is resting his head on top of a desk in the Newspaper Club’s room, listening to the muffled sounds of baseball practice outside as he waits for the other members to arrive, if they’re even going to. Across from him, on the other end of the desk, Hanako has left one of her plushies — a colorful stuffed octopus. Yosuke gazes into its smiling eyes.

Yosuke: … So what’s going on with you?

Takotan the Octopus: …

Yosuke: You into hugs, huh? … I’m afraid the girl I love isn’t, so I’m not sure I’ve still got the skills to pull it off.

Takotan the Octopus: …

Yosuke: No, no, no… It’s my fault. I don’t mind, I’m not much of a huggy person myself— (he jumps up as the door slides open, revealing a familiar flashy appearance)

Niko: …What the fuck are you doing?

Yosuke: N-Nothing! Just waiting on everyone else to get here!

Koharu: Well, wait no longer. (passing by Niko, she takes place in her usual spot) We’re doing those homeless murders. Might be relevant after all.

Yosuke: H-Huh? (he perks up) Seriously? In the school newspaper?

Niko: Doubt it. Shirahara’s not gonna sue the principal into allowing us to publish something like that! At this point, the newspaper is basically a front for the supernatural sleuthin—Meep! (she takes a step back as Koharu shoots her a terrifying glare)

Seia: (The door slides open again, and in walks Seia) Hello, pumpkins. What’s happening in journalism? 

Yosuke: P-Pumpkin?

Koharu: You. Your father is a judge, right? Assuming he knows things about ongoing investigations?

Seia: Hello to you too. He’s a judge, not a police officer, so usually that has to wait until someone is charged and he’s assigned the case… 

Koharu: Tsk. Suppose so. Besides, you already said “hello”.

Seia: What kind of police information were you wanting? 

Koharu: Homeless people are getting killed. Brazenly. You’ve seen the news. (she nods at Yosuke) His friend’s father was shot.

Yosuke: He’s not my friend!

Koharu: Heard about another case. Gunshot, but no other evidence. Thought it was turf war stuff, none of our business. But in this city you never know.

Yosuke: Wait, I didn’t hear about this “other” case… Is that why we’re investigating this all of a sudden?

Koharu: I’m curious. That’s all.

Hanako: (She enters, immediately spotting her stuffed octopus) Ah, why is Takotan out…? (she looks around the room as she picks up and hugs the toy) …We’re investigating these murders officially, then?

Shinju: (Entering behind Hanako) … And putting it in the school paper? 

Seia: Very hard-hitting journalism compared to my old school’s paper… 

Koharu: Can’t afford to. School paper’s about school matters. We do the magic stuff on the side. Doesn’t mean I’m cutting you any slack when it comes to reporting on school matters.

Seia: So, do we have a reason to think a Puella’s been doing this?  

Koharu: Not really. But the murders are so frequent, with police getting no closer to the truth with their investigation… Makes me think something’s off.

Shinju: We heard before it looked like they were killed with a gunshot. That’s not very easy in Japan… usually. Of course the Balancers somehow brought an entire national arsenal with them. 

Niko: Oh, good call! That is pretty sus, yeah!

Yosuke: … Punisher had the ability to create those weapons, but it seems like she only ever did one at a time. She can’t have left them behind when she died.

Koharu: Interesting. (she briefly glances and nods at Shinju) I hadn’t even thought of that. (she turns her gaze towards the window) Heard my father. He discovered a body on his way home from a work drinking party. Another homeless man. Why’d anyone want to systematically kill homeless people?

Yosuke: … ‘cause they won’t be missed.

Koharu: (she nods) Exactly. Think this is some kind of experiment, or practice — doesn’t really matter who is getting killed.

Niko: Wait… If people are getting gunned down left and right, how come I’m not sensing that? These are folks from Mitakihara, right?

Koharu: (she frowns) … People die in this city everyday, right?

Niko: Well, yeah, but usually it’s like, of natural causes, right? If someone got murdered, I’d feel it. A soul taking up permanent residence in the Dreamscape causes these kinds of waves, right? It reverbs. But I haven’t been feeling anything like that at all. 

Koharu: What do you mean, “reverbs”?

Niko: Well, the Dreamscape’s like, this big “net” of Souls, right? It’s like that game with the sticks. Every stick you remove causes other sticks to move as well.

Yosuke: Isn’t the whole point of that game not to move the other sticks as you remove one?

Niko: Well, but that takes effort, right? Normally, someone’s death affects the emotions of the people around them. And since I’m plugged into all of that, I’d sense it if people in town were dropping like flies.

Koharu: … Unless no one cares if these people die.

Niko: Hey, that’s rude!

Koharu: I mean, what if that is the reason why the killer is targeting the homeless? It’s people who have no connections, but who are still very much seen. 

Yosuke: … So you can kill them with complete disregard for subtlety or secrecy if you wanna stir shit, but still keep your identity a secret? Is that it? 

Niko: That’s… That’s fucked up, man.

Yosuke: But… These people aren’t alone. I mean, they may be homeless, but that doesn’t mean they don’t have friends or family. One of the men who was killed was the father of one of my classmates.

Shinju: Someone here has a father who’s homeless? Who? 

Yosuke: Shinomiya, from the basketball club. Long story, something with a divorce and the whole… situation these last couple of months.

Seia: I noticed he hasn’t come to hit on me for the past few days like usual. 

Niko: Ugh, boys suck, man.

Yosuke: … N-Not all b—(he takes a plushie to the face)

Hanako: ! Toritori-chan! 

Shinju: Hey, those are Hanako’s, man, don’t just throw them around like that. 

Koharu: … Sorry.

Yosuke: A-Apology accepted. (he dusts off the plushie, which has fallen to the floor, and sheepishly hands it back to Hanako)

Koharu: Not to you.

Hanako: (she takes the little bird plushie, cradling it not unlike a child or pet)

Koharu: (she turns away, somewhat guiltily)

Seia: … Toritori is a bird, I assume. Do you have any manatees? I like manatees. 

Hanako: Ah, um… y-yes, I do, actually. Here, let me see if I can dig him out… 

Seia: Wow, I wasn’t expecting a yes. They’re a pretty underground animal around here. 

Niko: Underwater, actually! Shinju can probably get you in touch with a real one if you wanna!

Shinju: I admit I’ve been slacking on my freshwater swimming. But I don’t think we have any manatees in Japan outside of zoos and stuff. 

Koharu: Focus?

Seia: Mm. Right. I guess one of us could interview Shinomiya-san for information about this. With some sensitivity, of course. 

Yosuke: I’ll see if he’s, eh, up for it.

Seia: You two are… tight? (She holds up two fingers crossed together to demonstrate) That’s a surprise… 

Yosuke: We are… acquainted? Like, classmates, I guess! Not really anything more than that.

Koharu: Kindred spirits?

Yosuke: N-No! I don’t even like the guy! It’s just—

Koharu: He’s an acquired taste?

Yosuke: I-I just said that to get in his good graces!

Niko: (under her breath) Loser~!

Seia: If you want to be in his good graces, you could disguise yourself as me. That seems to work with him. 

Yosuke: I-I think I’m good… thanks. I’ll just see if he’s up for it.

Shinju: In the meantime, I’ll get Sis to take a look at this. Since there are guns involved, she probably already knows and hasn’t told me, but whatever. 

Hanako: (Finally, Hanako manages to pull out the manatee plushie, gently and sheepishly pushing it into Seia’s hand.)

Seia: (She takes the toy, carefully feeling around to find its head) Ah ha. Yes, this perfectly huggable torpedo shape is definitely a manatee. 

Hanako: (A soft smile spreads across Hanako’s face)

Shinju: … You got any chinchillas in there? (she shakes her head, refocusing) Oh, right. Maybe you could let Kiwako know and we can get those, um, Ravens in on this? They do intel, right? 

Hanako: Ah, right, um… w-well… I can ask, the next time I can get a hold of Kiwa-chan.

Koharu: … Why don’t you just call her?

Hanako: … (With a look of pure foolishness on her face, she pulls out her phone, dialing Kiwako’s number)

Seia: What’s Manatee-san’s name? … (quieter) Oh, are you on the phone?

Hanako: (After a rather awkward minute of silence, Hanako sighs, putting her phone away again.) Ah, um… she didn’t answer. A-And I couldn’t come up with a good enough name for the manatee, sorry…

Niko: That girl’s not answering her phone? She was practically glued to the damn thing!

Hanako: I, um… I’m not sure what to do now.

Shinju: Call her back later, I guess. Or is something wrong between you two?

Hanako: Oh, no, nothing like that. Just… she’s been behaving strangely, and I’ve been trying to figure out what’s going on ever since she went back to Kamihama…

Koharu: Then go.

Hanako: (She stares at Koharu for a moment, then slowly nods.) I’ll be back by Monday morning.

Shinju: We’ll try not to have the universe explode while you’re out again, don’t worry.