June 14, 1999 -- Yamane Household (Locked to Maria), after school

[all_onis_are_true]

[They needed to search the forest. The note had made that pretty explicitly clear. Someone had lured Souji out to the forest sometime between the time they last saw him and the time they saw that note. The only question was, had he disappeared before they did the ceremony, or after? And what would it mean either way?

His parents weren't back yet when Hiroshi and Maria returned. He'd barely been able to appeal to have Maria stay over; thankfully, his mother was much more understanding when he'd explained that she had nobody back at her place to take care of her, even if his father was clearly unhappy keeping THAT girl in his place. Sorry, Dad, but some things just overwrote filial piety.

He'd gotten the mail as they entered, flipping through it idly, if anxiously.]

...? This is odd...

[Behind the envelope with an emblem of a certain school was one that was completely blank beyond his name. Almost as if somebody had stuck it in at some point. He looked at Maria.]

Ah, my mail probably isn't too interesting. Why don't you go and round up what we'll need to go searching tonight, Maria?