Kaede726

“Hey, mom. Why won’t you go see onii-chan?” When the young Kazane asked her mother this, she received an insouciant smile back, “It’s enough for me to know he’s doing fine without me there. Though naturally I’ll go see him if he wants me to.” Although Kazane had been alone a lot since her mom frequently traveled overseas for work, only visiting home once every few years, she never thought her mother was a bad parent. Even as a child, she could tell her mother loved her unconditionally. Kazane’s innocent question came from how she never had seen her mother with her older brother. So her mother gave her a single answer, her smile still present, “You see, Shinra has-” ♂♀ What did her mother tell her back then? Kazane Kinomiya tried to remember it as she ran through Ikebukuro shrouded in night. That evening when she decided to meet her brother of a different father - Shinra Kishitani - she witnessed someone carrying a person in white leap out of the building’s window followed by ...

This is a story of the past and future. A story of a twisted moment in time. ♂♀ Somewhere in Russia. “Heya there! Young lady? You must be the Yamato nadeshiko here to listen to my tales of valor!” A bearded Russian man who awfully looked like a bear spouted with an open-mouth smile as he entered the parlor.

This is a story of the past and future. A story of a twisted history. ♂♀ In the future - at a park in Ikebukuro. “You sure are a curious one, young lady. Or perhaps it would be better for me to say fear is foreign to you?” A man wearing sunglasses and holding a cane, Akabayashi, spoke to a young woman in her twenties next to him on a park bench. “After all, you’re interviewing someone from the yakuza of all people,” Akabayashi remarked as he glanced down at the business card he had received from her.

This is a story of the past. A twisted story of the past. ♂♀ Somewhere in Ikebukuro, in a back alley “Umm, are you...Shizuo Heiwajima-san?” “Huh?” The third-year high school student, Shizuo Heiwajima, unconsciously scowled when he heard a voice call his name. A girl who looked like she had just entered middle school stood before him. She wore casual clothes and certainly did not look like the type of girl to approach a blond haired ruffian. “Um, I’m Kazane Kinomiya. If I mistook you for someone else, I’m sorry.” “...I am Shizuo. What do you want?”

This is a story of the present. A twisted story of the present. ♂♀ Raira Academy, in the guidance counseling room “Sonohara. You don’t plan on going to university?” It was a couple months after Anri became a second-year student in high school. Anri was asked that question by the head instructor of her year during her first guidance counseling meeting at Raira Academy. The instructor was holding her career choice survey they received from Anri’s homeroom teacher. “Yes...I’m considering to work right after high school.” “I see...That’s such a waste...With your grades, you could get recommendations for designated schools or universities higher in the rankings.” The instructor glanced at Anri’s scores displayed on the staff’s personal-use laptop.

This is a story of a certain abnormality. A story of a twisted abnormality. ♂♀ Kawagoe Street Kazane Kinomiya was Shinra Kishitani’s younger sister. He was apparently the child her mother gave birth to while with her former husband Shingen Kishitani, but they still had not directly met face to face. Perhaps it was because of timidity or perhaps it was to continue bearing the illusion as an illusion. Just over the past few days alone Kazane had been given explanations as to why she had not yet met her brother, but she finally decided to make the attempt to take that first step, arriving at this place to meet her family. “...I have to be brave.”

This is a story of love. A story of twisted love. ♂♀ In a private karaoke room somewhere in Ikebukuro. “Um...It was Kujiragi-san, correct? I would like to ask again...how do you know my name? You seem to know my brother from the sound of it...” They were in a private room of a karaoke box. Kazane Kinomiya posed this question, to which the woman sitting across from her - Kasane Kujiragi - answered expressionlessly,  “I am familiar with him. Initially I looked into your brother, Shinra Kishitani, for a work-related matter. Though at present, it is due to personal interest.” “Work-related...?” “Please consider me someone akin to an investigator for an insurance company.” “...”

Ikebukuro, in front of the Raira General Hospital “Izaya…Orihara-san.” Kazane had gone to visit Kadota after he had got into a car accident, but she happened to run into a man, whom had left a strong impact on her out of anyone she had met in the past, on the street in front of the hospital. He was Izaya Orihara. He was one of her brother’s few friends, and a close friend for a long time where they could be called inseparable, unlike the occasional moments he would talk with Kadota and his group. What arose to Kazane’s mind were the memories of when she was still a middle schooler a few years ago.

This is an interval story. An interval story in time. ♂♀ “I’m Chikage. …Chikage Rokujo. Nice to meet you.” A few minutes after meeting with the young boy Mikado Ryuugamine, the one who appeared in front of Kazane Kinomiya was a young man named Chikage Rokujo. “Ah…Hello, I’m Kazane Kinomiya.” “Kazane-chan? Is it Kazane written as sound of the wind?” “Yes, though the characters for Kinomiya is a bit complicated though…” “Then I’ll just call you Kazane-chan. Really, it’s such a nice name.” Chikage talked in a light manner, but just previously he had knocked several men off their feet. Although Kazane was surprised to witness the young man face off several ruffians and remain almost unscathed, no curiosity or weariness arose in her.

This is an interval story. An interval story in time. ♂♀ I have to move forward already. Kazane smacked her cheeks in front of the bathroom mirror to motivate herself in the lavatory of a certain small publishing company. She had helped write magazines as a freelance writer while also going through with university life, but recently she had improved at work enough to where even her articles she wrote on the interviews she made were used in magazines. Her livelihood had become stable, and she made a crucial decision when she settled into her career after graduation. “I have to meet my brother (step-brother).”

This is a story of the future. A story of a twisted future. ♂♀ Akane Awakusu was a first year student in high school that spring. She just started to believe she was adjusting to her new school after a few days since enrolling into Raira Academy when a girl approached her. A sudden shadow loomed over her as she rested beneath the spring trees during break, causing Akane to make out a girl standing before her. “Your family is the Awakusu Group, right?” The girl asked defiantly, slightly surprising Akane.

This is a story of the past. A story of a twisted past. ♂♀ It was a summer evening which had a seething heat yet to dissipate. Kyouhei Kadota was on his way back from school when he was stopped by a middle school girl. “Um, can I have a moment to talk to you?” The uniform the girl wore was from a middle school a little ways away from where they were at. She still had youthful facial features, giving the impression she was either in first grade or second grade. “Me?” Kadota titled his head, unsure why a girl he did not know had called out to him. Maybe she wants to ask for directions? Just as he considered the possibility, the girl bowed her head with a slightly nervous expression. “I’m Kazane Kinomiya! I, um...I have something I want to ask you about...” “What is it?” “Umm...You know Shinra Kishitani-senpai, right? I’m sorry. I saw you talking with Kishitani-senpai in the city before...” “Kishitani? Yeah, well, we’re in the same school.”

This is a twisted story. A story of a twisted “story.” ♂♀ A few years ago, in a certain city “Li~ke I~ sa~id, we really like anime, you know? So we’re all the same otaku buddies right? If you’re our friends you’d give a bit of change for our poor selves, right?” In the darkness of a back alley with little passerby off from the Akihabara main street. In a position behind a vending machine, several men surrounded a timid looking young man. “No, um...” “Ha? It’s no “um.” No, “um.” Look someone in the eye when you talk with them.” While giving a light slap to the face, the hoodlum like man threatened the timid boy. “I’m- I’m sorry...” “In the eyes!” The hoodlum continued to hit him in the face in succession, gradually adding more force. The young man was already facing towards him with tears welling up in his eyes, but the hoodlum earnestly continued to tease him without a care. The other men with the man who had been slapping him surrounded the boy while grinning.

This is a story from the past A twisted story from the past. ♀♂ “Why a gas mask?” Each time Kazane Kinomiya looked at the man she wondered about that every single time. The person she was watching was a mysterious, distant man connected to her by fate. Put it simply, he was her mother’s ex-husband, and an existence with not one ounce of blood connecting them to Kazane. The man was someone who would frequently appear whenever Kazane watched her older brother Shinra Kishitani, whom she had an interest in as she was related to by blood albeit from a different father. She wanted to ask her mother, ‘why does that man wear a gas mask?’ But it was a secret that she observed her brother Shinra Kishitani in the first place. Thinking she would lose everything if that got discovered, Kazane also decided to watch Shinra Kishitani’s father, Shingen Kishitani, as an object of observation as well.

This is a story from the past A twisted story from the past. ♀♂ A  few years ago at Raira Junior High “Liike I saiid~, butler clothes fit Yuuhei Hanejima-san the best!” “...Deny (No) ...Alcohol (bartender clothes) ...Fashionable (looks the best)...” “Noo, stupid, stupid Kuru-nee! You can drown in a cocktail shaker for all I care!”

This is a story of the future. A story of a twisted future. ♂♀ He is strange! He is someone hunting the bizarre! He is a heretic shinobi who strikes through the world’s darkness interwoven by illusions and madness! Carmilla Saizou is a vampire ninja! He lived a peaceful life as a vampire girl under the name Carmilla in his childhood due to family circumstances despite being a boy, but once his ninja master blood awoke within him he took the path to fight evil in order to defend the peace in New Tokyo! After five years since its first arc, the stage is finally going abroad!

This is a story from the past A twisted story from the past. ♂♀ About five years ago – New Years A boy who wore a white scarf wrapped around his neck dashed through the winter city on his bike. When the boy – Masaomi Kida – had just moved to Tokyo, he had gone out to a place a little ways from Ikebukuro and bought a juice at a vending machine alongside a main street. After running through the city he took a rest while leaning against the wall of a building. For a boy still in elementary school, it was quite the adventure to set out from the local area, but for Masaomi who had always journeyed afar from his time in Saitama it was a pleasurable tension. And so he continued to stare at the scenery of the city with bright eyes. “Tokyo is really amazing. There’s a lot of people.”

This is the story of the past. A story of a twisted past. ♂♀ A certain place fifteen years ago on Kawagoe highway – at Shinra’s apartment. When Shinra Kishitani was still an elementary school student, he came home one day from school, to see his roommate, Celty Sturluson, standing at the door. ‘Welcome back, Shinra.’ “I’m home! Celty!” The boy gave a child-like enthusiastic reply to the woman, who had shown her the message she wrote on a notepad.