<span style="color: dodgerblue">Kudo Junichi</span>and<span style="color: dodgerblue">Suzuki Masato</span>were nice people, Claire thought. She'd come to greet them at the air port and the three were becoming fast friends. Both were business graduates from Todai. One of them had a minor in accounting. Junichi was a year older. Masato was five years older.<br/><br/>"So how did you come to know my father" Claire asked, curious.<br/><br/>"We were the winners of his scholarship fund." Masato said, shrugging. "None of our grades were ever stellar though. I think he liked our work ethic and personalities more. We would spend time with him during the summer. He'd take us on trips, us and others. Two for each year. It goes out to various fields and we were the ones who had experience in business. There's one who has a minor in business but he's still only in second year"<br/><br/>"He was a great man. We owe a lot to him" Junichi added.<br/><br/>Claire looked forward. She never knew this side of her father. In some way she'd resented him because he never spent enough time with her mother and herself. Now from the sounds of it, her father spent time with these people as if they were his own children. Of course that wasn't saying a lot. Whenever her father was home though, she remembered how much effort he put into everything. He spent loads of money but also spent ten times more effort.<br/><br/>"Say.... why don't you come live over at the Yukishiro estate? Its too big to live in on my own and that way it'd be easier to plan." Of course she'd always heard about the dangers of being friends with your business associates but she had a good feeling about this.<br/><br/>"Are you sure? We wouldn't want to impose...."<br/><br/>"Not at all! And you know.... there's a beach nearby.... what better way to relax after a long trip than to go there?"<br/><br/>"Sounds like a good idea."<br/><br/>---<br/><br/>And that is how the three of them found themselves at the beach after unpacking. They spent most of it lounging on the sand, chatting and getting to know each other as well as swap ideas. Often, Claire would have this amazing idea before Masato poked all these holes in it. Junichi would laugh and point out Masato's flaws. It was clear that Claire would be the one coming up and implementing the structure of the project (yes well... if you fit that many transistors on the chip won't it explode?). Masato would be the one at the top, arranging deals, doing advertising and finding employees once they would be needed. Junichi would take care of the logistics, the financing, the accounting and record keeping. It seemed like her father had picked a good team, not just as partners but as friends as well.<br/><br/>"Have you heard? Apparently there's been a bunch of strange happenings in this town" Masato mused.<br/><br/>"Yes.... I'm not sure what to think. I'm not a very superstitious person but I can't help but think its no coincidence." Junichi, always the practical one, said "I think there's a group of criminals committing these crimes."<br/><br/>"Half of them are accidents." Claire pointed out. "I just hope our new firm doesn't get hit."<br/><br/>"Wonder why he insisted on this town." Masato asked out loud. "Its not exactly the industrial center of the world."<br/><br/>"Sentiment, probably. And there's place to develop." Jun pointed out. "I just can't help but think that we're here for a reason like we're the heroes who have to solve the mystery and bring peace back to the town"<br/><br/>Claire punched Jun in the shoulder who rubbed it and grinned. "Speaking of things to do. What do we register for the name? The Yukishiro Legacy Company?" She was only half joking.<br/><br/>"I have an idea" Jun grinned. "Centiplex"