Takeru’s attention was riveted on the knife held poised at his throat. He looked at his attacker with wide, frightened blue eyes and screamed. His last thought was ‘why?’ as the all-too-familiar figure plunged the knife into the boy’s throat.

Seventeen-year-old Yamato Ishida was inside trying to do his homework when he heard the cry. Knowing he was the only one around to hear it, he bolted to the door and saw his brother’s body crumpled on the ground, throat slit. He glanced up to see a shadowy form dart atound the corner.

Yamato dashed after it, but saw no one. Staring into the darkness, he shouted, “I’ll hunt you down!” Quieter, “I swear to God, I�ll find you. And when I do...� He clenched his fist, then turned back to the corpse of the twelve-year-old boy.

The cruel realization began to seep into Yamato�s system, tears blurring his vision. his throat constricted and he let out a choked, anguished sob over his brother.

After a few minutes, he decided to call the police. that�s what his father would do... if he had been home. But no, Yamato�s parents had gone out, leaving the boys alone.

With shaking fingers and trembling hands, he picked up the phone and dialed 9... 1... 1... �Yes?� came the calm voice of the operator.

�M-my... my brother w-was... was... k-k-�

�Yes?� the operator prompted.

�I think he was murdered-- No, I know it. But I-- I-�

�Calm down. Where are you?�

With the calm assistance of the operator, Yamato was able to choke out his address and was told that some officers would be there shortly, and that he should try to collect himself.

Shortly after the call, police cars with flashing lights and an ambulance showed up. Ten minutes later, Yamato�s parents arrived with the smell of burning tires and a screech of brakes. The next twenty-four hours were a blur of loud noises and bright lights for Yamato and the soft sobbing of his mother in the background. All he remembered clearly was his vow to find whoever had murdered his beloved brother Takeru, who had never done anything to hurt anyone.

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�Hope, that�s one down,� Takeru�s killer remarked to no one in particular.

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Yamato was back at school again, two days after Takeru�s murder. he had been unceasingly questioned by the police, and the headlines had screamed:

Young Boy Brutally Murdered
Authorities have no lead on the identity of the killer

Everyone had heard, one way or another.

�Yamato!� Sora Takenouchi cried. She and Koushiro Izumi dashed up to him.

�My condolences,� Koushiro said gently.

�We heard about-� Sora was silenced by an icy glare from Yamato. �Oh, my God, I�m so sorry, Yamato. We shouldn�t have brought it up. Come on, Koushiro, let�s leave him alone for a while,� she said hurriedly.

Yamato walked in a daze. People kept saying things, but he tuned them out. He stopped at a locker and twisted the dial in the sequence of his combination. The door remained locked. Yamato slammed ot with his hand.

�Uh, excuse me, that�s my locker,� said a girl who must have been a freshman.

Yamato peered at the worn-down number on the locker. �Qh, I�m sorry, wrong locker,� he mumbled and wandered off, completely unaware that the entire hallway was gaping at him.

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�What the hell is his problem?� Brittany asked her friend Alix, looking at the dent the creepy blonde guy had left in her locker.

�Britt, that�s the guy whose brother was murdered, you twit!� Alix exclaimed.

�Oh my God, really? I can�t believe I did that,� Brittany gasped. She hadn�t really been paying attention to the gossip that morning.

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�Hey, Yamato, I heard about Takeru,� Taichi said, coming up to him in the hall between fourth and fifth periods. Mimi elbowed him sharply and Taichi winced in pain. Mimi took advantage of this and slid up next to Yamato.

�Don�t mind Taichi, he�s an insensitive jerk,� she said disdainfully, looking up at Yamato through her eyelashes, which she had been told looked really beautiful.

�I know,� Yamato murmered, not looking at her at all.

�Well, if there�s anything you need to talk about, you can always come to me, Yamato,� Mimi offered.

�Yeah,� he replied distantly, and pushed open the door to his classroom.

Mimi stared at the closed door. �Well, how do you like that?� she thought indignantly. �I try to be nice to him and I get a slammed door. He hasn�t changed at all.�