History Characters / SlowDamageMainCharacters

** The epilogue of Taku's route (which is covered in the ''After Story'' drama CD) has both Rei and Arimura remark on how Towa has become a lot more well-adjusted compared to before, especially after [[spoiler: Taku was released from prison]]. And whenever the two are alone, Towa shows a softer side towards Taku and occasionally asks for his affection-- neither of which he would have ever done in the past.

* GivenNameReveal: [[spoiler:His real name is Haruto Sakuragi]], though he would rather not have anything to do with that name. Any time he [[spoiler:tries to remember his real name, his mind would immediately repress the memory, causing him to forget]]. Even after he [[spoiler:comes to terms his trauma in the GoldenEnding, the fourth ''After Story'' drama CD shows that he'd still prefer to not be associated with his old identity]].

* IAmNotPretty: Towa rarely, if at all, comments on his own appearance. The one time he does is when Fujieda comments on how bad he looks due to the recent injuries he sustained, to which Towa misunderstands Fujieda's words and casually replies that he's always looked like a mess. In the ''After Story'' drama CD, he's visibly embarrassed when Fujieda tells him that he's beautiful.

* JerkassHasAPoint: He oftentimes acts harsh with Taku in the latter's route. But more often than not, his curt behavior isn't uncalled for, especially when he reminds Taku that whether he likes it or not, his troubles ended up getting Towa involved. Likewise, he calls Taku out for being irresolute yet again in the ''After Story'' drama CD and doesn't downplay his words when he points out how Taku's been vacillating in many matters; thus inadvertently making things worse. However harsh Towa's words were, they're also what helps Taku properly reflect and resolve to be more decisive for good.

* TortureIsIneffective: In the fourth ''After Story'' drama CD, [[spoiler:Towa gets taken hostage by some men who have a grudge against Fujieda]]. Any attempt they make to break him by beating him does nothing, however, as he's both engaged in and been forced to endure far worse. [[spoiler: Towa even stabs himself to distract his kidnappers and help Fujieda deal a surprise attack on them]], and all the while, he barely reacts to the injury.

** The word "''daijoubu''"[[note]]translated along the lines of "it's okay"[[/note]] makes Towa feel uneasy, and this is reflected in the game screen flickering for a brief second every time someone says it. This is because [[spoiler:his mother would always say that word to him in her twisted attempt to reassure him while he was forced to endure all kinds of torture from her clients]]. In the GoldenEnding, [[spoiler:he eventually overcomes this, even saying "I'm okay" both to trick Sakaki and to reaffirm to himself that he has finally relinquished Maya's hold on his psyche. The ''After Story'' drama CD even reinforces his recovery by showing that he no longer reacts negatively whenever the word is said in his presence]].

** In the Euphoria endings of the other routes, Towa states that he no longer engages in his usual artistic tendencies, as confirmed in the ''After Story'' drama [=CDs=].

* CantHoldHisLiquor: Played with. Taku isn't a lightweight and can handle a bottle of liquor just fine, but in one of the first Explorations, he makes an apprehensive remark about joining a friend for a drink since said friend is a heavy drinker. And in his ''After Story'' drama CD, Towa comments on how Taku started walking a bit funny after a few glasses of whiskey, though Taku does lampshade that it may have something to do with [[spoiler:how he hadn't drunk any alcohol during his year in prison]].

* GrewASpine: The core of Taku's CharacterDevelopment has him realizing that he's only causing more problems for both him and everyone around him by vacillating and remaining unsure of himself. In his good ending, Taku gets over this issue enough to [[spoiler: finally settle his conflict with Toono]], but it takes until the ''After Story'' drama CD for him to fully overcome his flaw after some further prodding from Towa.

* HisOwnWorstEnemy: The ''After Story'' drama CD shows that even after [[spoiler:he had already atoned for his crimes by serving time in prison]], Taku still has yet to get over his insecurities and his indecisiveness. However, when he's forced by Towa to confront himself over what he truly wants, he makes his resolve, and for good this time.

* InsecureLoveInterest: One of Taku's biggest flaws is that he almost always has second thoughts about the actions that he takes. Even though he resolves to look after Towa and keep him safe, he always hesitates in how he should go about it and wavers at the thought of whether he's doing the right thing or not. In the ''After Story'' drama CD, Taku proves that he hasn't yet completely overcome said weakness, as he's still left with doubts about whether [[spoiler:he should resume his job as a doctor and if he's still worthy of being Towa's partner after everything that had happened]].

* MarriedToTheJob: The events in the ''After Story'' drama CD imply that ever since Taku got his doctor's license, he's been so preoccupied with his work -- alongside other matters -- that he had never considered seeing someone for years... until he got together with Towa, and even that only happened due to unique circumstances that gave him the opportunity to tell Towa how he truly felt. Though the fact that no one ever mentioned at him ever having dated anyone in Shinkoumi, plus his relationship with Towa still not being made public, reaches to such a point that a patient of his eventually suggests setting him up with someone. Even the clinic staff (aside from Towa) can't help but express curiosity about the possibility of him having a secret love life.

* DarkAndTroubledPast: The third ''After Story'' drama CD reveals that Madarame [[spoiler: hailed from a family of mercenaries, and that even at a young age, he was repeatedly subjected to ColdBloodedTorture at his grandfather's orders in the hopes that it would turn him into a peerless and powerful fighter]]. When he was 15, Madarame eventually had enough and [[spoiler: killed his entire family before running away]].

* DomesticAbuser: His route is unarguably the most violent and tough-as-nails. Case in point, [[spoiler:he kidnaps Towa, beats him up if he fights back, and often pulls him into a ForcefulKiss; although he eases up on the harsh treatment in his good ending]]. In the ''After Story'' drama CD, they still engage in some violence as foreplay, but by then, it's completely consensual.

* MysteriousPast: Besides the part where he used to be a member of the Takasato-gumi, not much else is known about Madarame and it's obvious that there's a lot more history between him and Kaga than the few details that are revealed in the game. True enough, it isn't until the ''After Story'' drama CD that [[spoiler: the audience finally knows of Madarame's origins]].

* SelfMadeOrphan: [[spoiler: It's revealed in the ''After Story'' drama CD that Madarame murdered his entire family.]]

* StaticCharacter: He's the only love interest to not get any CharacterDevelopment from the beginning to the end of his route. This ties in to the kind of man Madarame is: everything about him is on the surface since he has nothing to hide and has no burden that he needs to resolve. While his ''After Story'' drama CD does provide more details about his past, he remains the same maverick he always has been since Towa first knew him.

* TokenEvilTeammate: The other main characters aren't lacking when it comes to having a checkered past and deep-seated issues, but their flaws still come with reason and when the chips are down, they choose to do right by others. Madarame, by contrast, is the way he is just because, with no other explanation behind it. The fact that he has no mental burdens also means he isn't tied down by moral or ethical scruples. [[spoiler: The ''After Story'' drama CD eventually gives him a backstory, though it only cements him even more as the trope given how he came out from his DarkAndTroubledPast as a dangerously mercurial and amoral man]].

** Hinted at in the ''After Story'' drama CD, where he and Towa realize mid-coitus that they're at risk of getting overheard by a family in the neighboring hotel room, though this doesn't deter Fujieda.

* PhotographicMemory: The ''After Story'' drama CD reveals that Fujieda has nearly impeccable memory when it comes to the cases he took up, since he's able to remember the cases he was involved with even from years ago.

* TheUnapologetic: Zigzagged. Fujieda makes it clear to Towa that he doesn't plan to apologize for raping the latter, though this is isn't due to lack of regrets and is more of him knowing that he has no excuses for what he had done. However, he does give an (indirect) apology later on by admitting that Towa was no more than a victim of Maya's abuse, and just because he's her son doesn't mean he should be held culpable for her crimes. And in the ''After Story'' drama CD, he's a lot more upfront about the fact that he has greatly wronged not only Towa, but many others as well in his attempts to find Mei.

* ViolentlyProtectiveGirlfriend: Gender-inverted. Fujieda doesn't employ violence as a first resort, but both the climax of his route and the ''After Story'' drama CD demonstrate that he won't hesitate to get physical if Towa's life is in danger.

* BrokenAce: Taku is highly respected by the local residents of Shinkoumi for being a skilled as well as compassionate doctor. Although this isn't a façade, it does hide a man who carries a suffocating deal of guilt and grief, and is far better at helping others with their problems than he is with his own.

* AdrenalineMakeover: In his route, once he takes off his glasses, unslicks his hair and does away with the suit for a more casual outfit, he goes from a serious-looking lawyer to [[https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-5vs46oH8Yis/YERHKHSIqXI/AAAAAAAAEVI/mfydad1afQAEICyolVyU4CkrFdnQOM99QCLcBGAsYHQ/s685/Screenshot_244.png an attractive hunk]].
* AmbiguouslyBi: Played with. Fujieda previously worked as a host and was mentioned to sleep with both men and women. However, he only worked in that profession for the money, so his actual sexuality is never confirmed. But given that he is one of Towa's prospective love interests, it can at least be confirmed that he is not opposed to a relationship with a man.
* AmoralAttorney: Played with. He easily evokes the image of one, as he's a lawyer who works for the Takasato-gumi. Even before he worked for them, he had garnered a reputation for taking on criminal cases that no other lawyer would accept. However, he reveals that he intentionally gained that kind of infamy because he needed to find a way to get close to the syndicate, since he (correctly) suspects that his sister was sold to somewhere in Shinkoumi, which the Takasato-gumi reigns over. At the end of his route, he subverts this trope altogether as uses his authority as a lawyer to aid those affected by the aftermath of the Takasato-gumi's collapse, and he also volunteers to help exonerate Taku in court.

* WellIntentionedExtremist: Taku is willing to cross a line or two to prevent [[spoiler:Towa from recovering his memories]], such as [[spoiler:burning any mail that contains relics of Towa's past]]. Towa is ''not'' happy when he finds out about this, but after [[spoiler:he unveils enough truths about his childhood and learns that Taku is struggling with secrets of his own]], Towa begins to understand that even if what Taku did wasn't objectively right, he genuinely did what he thought was in Towa's best interests.

He is also known as the artist ''euphoria'', and is able to grant the wishes of the person he paints. He does not paint just anyone, however, and will only paint when overcome with both inspiration and interest.

* AffluentAscetic: Towa resides on the third floor of Taku's clinic, and the place doesn't have much utilities besides the basic necessary appliances as well as all of his painting supplies. After Ryuujirou Takasato's death, the man's will dictated that a lot of inheritance money was left for Towa. But when inquired about it, Towa refuses to take even a single ''yen'' and has no complaints about his current living arrangements.

* AllGaysArePromiscuous: Towa is only interested in men and sleeps around with one on a regular basis, though not to the extent that he immediately propositions every man he encounters, jokingly or otherwise. The final route eventually reveals that his promiscuity [[spoiler:is connected to a severe case of childhood trauma]], and he gets over this trope once he gets together with any of his love interests. While still sexually active, he's nevertheless in a content and committed relationship, something that he unconsciously avoided having for years.

* AntagonisticOffspring: [[spoiler:While Towa technically qualifies for the trope, he's far from the sinister kind]]. When he was still a child, [[spoiler: he followed every one of his mother's orders regardless of how he felt about it because he would get harshly punished otherwise]], and his upbringing had never let him realize that [[spoiler: he could disobey Maya]]. However, the seeds of rebellion were planted when [[spoiler: he was befriended by Mei, who soon encouraged him to run away. Although that attempt failed and he never saw her again afterwards, he soon realized that his mother had something to do with Mei's disappearance, to which he then finally stood up to Maya]]. It resulted in [[spoiler: a scuffle where Towa pushed her down the stairs in an act of self-defense, and she died some time after the fall]]. But even with [[spoiler:the deep-seated trauma Towa was left with in spite of the amnesia he suffered from the incident, Maya's plans for him were still far from over]]. Once he learns [[spoiler:exactly what those plans are in the GoldenEnding]], he staunchly refuses to take part in it.

* AuraVision: Towa has the ability to see people's auras except for his own, and the way said ability is described hints that Towa might have something akin to real-life synesthesia. He's able to use this ability to tell if someone's being honest or not with him, and to read and manipulate people.

* BecauseYouWereNiceToMe: With Rei, Madarame or Fujieda, Towa starts to have feelings for them on the basis of a CommonalityConnection. But if Taku's route is chosen, Towa's growing affection for him blossoms from the reflection on how Taku would always look out for his well-being both then and now.

* BlemishedBeauty: Towa is a dead ringer for his mother, who is described by many to be incredibly beautiful. The difference is that he has a lot of scars that extend from his face down to his legs, and they're eye-catching in both an alarming and alluring way to many people.

* ButNotTooBi: Played with. While it's confirmed in Taku's route that Towa tried to date women before, [[IncompatibleOrientation he eventually found them to be too much work to go out with]]; never mind the fact that most women generally make him feel uncomfortable. Likewise, Towa's flings are strictly with men, he's more predisposed to choosing male over female models for his paintings, and he ultimately ends up with a man in any of the Euphoria endings.

* DarkAndTroubledPast: Towa went through a lot during his childhood, which is still putting it mildly. [[spoiler:He had an unstable psychopath of a mother who forced him to serve her customers, all of whom would brutally torture or [[RapeAsBackstory rape]] him. Every time, his mother would always attempt to comfort him with the words "it's okay", which soon turned into his TraumaButton]]. He then befriended someone who [[spoiler:tried to help him escape... only for that person to get killed on Maya's orders]]. Then finally, when he [[spoiler: rebelled against his mother for the first time and refused to let her continue her madness, she was utterly enraged and attempted to kill him. In the ensuing fight, Towa pushed Maya off of him, only for her to fall downstairs, resulting in her death]]. [[TraumaInducedAmnesia The resulting shock from the experience hit Towa so hard that he ended up forgetting about the whole thing.]]

* DayHurtsDarkAdjustedEyes: Downplayed. Towa can walk out during the day just fine, but he's not used to having the sunlight in his room, as he reacts with complete discomfort when Fujieda opens the windows to let in some fresh air.

* DeceptiveLegacy: In the true route, when Towa [[spoiler: asks Sakaki what his mother was like, Sakaki says she was a kind woman who loved Towa dearly, and that Towa loved her in return]]. Despite not being able to remember anything [[spoiler: about her]], Towa feels both uncertain and uneasy about [[spoiler: Sakaki's claims]]. It then turns out that [[spoiler: while Maya didn't exactly hate him, she still put him through several kinds of hell and is the reason that he's so miserable and broken]]. And in contrast to [[spoiler: loving her, Towa feels nothing but ''hatred'' for her]].

* DelinquentHair: It's hard to notice at first, but the tips of Towa's hair have a rusted-gold highlight color to it. It's revealed in Madarame's route that Towa used to dye his hair blonde in the past, [[spoiler:and will dye his hair blonde again in Madarame's Euphoria ending]].

* DrearyHalfLiddedEyes: Befitting his often-tired demeanor, Towa almost always has his eyes half-closed.

* AmbiguouslyBi: Played with. Fujieda previously worked as an escort and was mentioned to sleep with both men and women. However, he only worked in that profession for the money, so his actual sexuality is never confirmed. But given that he is one of Towa's prospective love interests, it can at least be confirmed that he is not opposed to a relationship with a man.

* HighClassCallGirl: Gender-inverted. Fujieda used to work in a host club as one of the escorts, and his customers were wealthy enough to help him pay his tuition fees while he was in law school.

* RagsToRiches: After Fujieda ran away from home, he used up all of his savings trying to find Mei and would have died on the streets had the owner of a host club not taken him in. After working for years as an escort while studying to get a law degree, he was eventually able to accumulate enough wealth to pay for at least three different apartments, with one shown in the game being particularly high-end.

!! Towa

!! Takuma Murase

** When Taku learns of Fujieda's plans to meet with Hasegawa, [[spoiler:he warns that the Takasato Group will do anything to keep all information surrounding Maya hidden, even if it means silencing those with even slightly loose lips]]. True enough, [[spoiler:Hasegawa gets shot at not long after]], and Taku doesn't waste the opportunity to reiterate his warning [[spoiler:to Fujieda about endangering other people in his quest to uncover the truth]].
** Zigzagged in this specific example. When Fujieda finds information about a nurse from Shinkoumi Hospital who may be able to [[spoiler:give them more information about Maya]], Taku is visibly reluctant to get in touch with said nurse, especially after what happened to [[spoiler: Hasegawa after she told the main cast everything she knew about Maya and Euphoria]]. Even Fujieda acknowledges that Taku's concern is understandable, but after a moment, Taku concedes and [[spoiler:offers to approach the nurse anyway]]. Thankfully, [[spoiler:the nurse didn't know anything damning enough to get her in any trouble with the Takasato-gumi]], but Taku still sternly advises Fujieda to keep quiet about the exchange so as to not risk getting her in danger.

* When Taku learns of Fujieda's plans to meet with Hasegawa, [[spoiler:he warns that the Takasato Group will do anything to keep all information surrounding Maya hidden, even if it means silencing those with even slightly loose lips]]. True enough, [[spoiler:Hasegawa gets shot at not long after]], and Taku doesn't waste the opportunity to reiterate his warning [[spoiler:to Fujieda about endangering other people in his quest to uncover the truth]].

** Zigzagged in one case. When Fujieda finds information about a nurse from Shinkoumi Hospital who may be able to [[spoiler:give them more information about Maya]], Taku is visibly reluctant to get in touch with said nurse, given what happened to [[spoiler: Hasegawa after she told the main cast everything she knew about Maya and Euphoria]]. Even Fujieda acknowledges that Taku's concern is understandable, but after a moment, Taku concedes and [[spoiler:offers to approach the nurse anyway]]. Thankfully, [[spoiler:the nurse didn't know anything damning enough to get her in any trouble with the Takasato-gumi]], but Taku still sternly advises Fujieda to keep quiet about the exchange so as to not risk getting her in danger.

* RealMenWearPink: Despite his otherwise gruff demeanor and serious personality, he has a sensitive side and shows vulnerability in certain emotional moments. He's very good at housework as he's the one who takes care of Towa's laundry, even regularly cleans Towa's apartment, and he can also cook his own meals if need be.

* MysteriousPast: Besides the part where he used to be a member of the Takasato-gumi, not much else is known about Madarame and it's obvious that there's a lot more history between him and Kaga than the few details that are revealed in the game.
* NeverFoundTheBody: Although Madarame was said to be dead by the Takasato-gumi, Sakaki admits to Towa that they never actually saw his corpse.

* OldFlameFizzle: His route reveals that he and Towa used to be in a relationship, to which they can return to being lovers again in the climax.
* OneManArmy: Madarame can knock out an entire crowd of armed men with his bare fists alone, and this is no exaggeration. More than one character has even commented about how Madarame is said to be ridiculously strong that he may even have the strength of ten men-- which isn't an exaggeration either.

* PsychoForHire: Back when he was still with the Takasato-gumi, Madarame was this trope in a nutshell. He's no more than hired muscle for the organization and has no loyalty to it. Likewise, the Takasato-gumi viewed him as a potential threat because of how capricious he was and how he doesn't follow anyone's orders, but they also opted to not do away with him because he was that strong, which was still of some value to them.

* StaticCharacter: He's the only love interest to not get any CharacterDevelopment from the beginning to the end of his route. This ties in to the kind of man Madarame is: everything about him is on the surface since he has nothing to hide and has no burden that he needs to resolve. While his ''After Story'' drama CD does provide more details about his past with Kaga, he remains the same maverick he always has been since Towa first knew him.
* TheStoic: He never loses control of his emotions and is always in a collected mood, showing no more than a sneer at best.

* TokenEvilTeammate: The other main characters aren't lacking when it comes to having a checkered past and deep-seated issues, but their flaws still come with reason. Madarame, by contrast, is the way he is just because, with no other explanation behind it. The fact that he has no mental burdens also means he isn't tied down by moral or ethical scruples.

* {{Yandere}}: Zigzagged. On one hand, he appears to fit the trope to a tee by [[spoiler: using underhanded means to capture Towa and keeping him chained like a wild animal for him to beat into submission, and he even warns Towa at one point that he'll hunt him down if he even manages to get away]]. There's also his fixation on Towa, or [[spoiler: at least what Towa used to be like in the past]]. But on the other, Madarame's mercurial nature makes him unable to fully qualify for the trope as he doesn't have enough drive to fully commit to his fixation, with one little change of circumstances being more than enough to make him lose interest and move on to other things-- as is the case with his actions in Fujieda's route. In said route, while he [[spoiler: initially takes the first steps to lure out Towa]], he's quick to cut and run when [[spoiler: he observes that there's almost nothing left of the Towa he once knew or wanted]].

* FuryFueledFoolishness: After learning that Mei is truly dead and gone, Fujieda snaps at Towa and blames him for what happened, except that his grief caused him to fail to consider that Towa was only a child at the time and thus would have no way of being complicit in his mother's crimes. He does realize his mistake later on and admits to it when he talks Towa out of killing himself.

* GreenAroundTheGills: While he doesn't get motion sickness on either a car or a boat, Fujieda doesn't do well on roller coaster rides as he feels light-headed and ill afterwards.

** When Towa, who was with Mei until her last moments, told him of what exactly happened when they were held captive in Euphoria, Fujieda falls silent and listlessly walks away. Like before, he eventually gets better; but for good this time, especially after he reflecting on himself and everything that had happened.

* InnocentlyInsensitive: Fujieda has occasionally shown to have a difficult time reading the room, which can lead him to often act in an awfully tactless manner.
** For example, even though he and Towa are well aware that Towa is unlikely to react well once he recovers his memories, it doesn't occur to him that Towa may need a moment to recollect himself every time he comes across yet another shocking revelation about his past, which Taku calls him out on.

* NeatFreak: Downplayed. Hopeless Fujieda may be in the kitchen, he's at least very diligent about his housework. Towa even observes that everything in all of his apartments are always organized and spotless.
* NoSocialSkills: Downplayed. While he's a very articulate man, he has a better time talking about business than about the weather. His serious demeanor also makes him unexpectedly upfront about certain topics at the most unexpected of times, often making him come across as awkward. To add, the short story from the artbook shows that even with his experience in sex, Fujieda is completely innocent where dating is concerned since he fails to catch Towa's playful joke at his suggestion that they (both of whom are two grown men) should go to an amusement park together, feeling that there wouldn't be anything strange about it.

* PsychicBlockDefense: Upon their second meeting, Towa is perplexed when he sees Fujieda's aura, since it is completely devoid of color and always stays static, unlike everyone else's. Towa eventually figures out that this is because Fujieda puts on an "armor" when he interacts with other people. Once his emotions begin to surface, the color of Fujieda's aura changes from white to red.
* RagsToRiches: After Fujieda ran away from home, he used up all of his savings trying to find Mei and would have died on the streets had the owner of a host club not taken him in. After working for years as an escort while studying to get a law degree, he was eventually able to accumulate enough wealth to pay for at least three different apartments, with one shown in the game being particularly high-end in terms of both the exterior and the interior.

* SexGod: After their second time together (since the first time happened under far more upsetting and nonconsensual circumstances), upon being asked about his... ''performance'', Towa can't help but honestly comment that Fujieda's skills in bed are ''impressive''.

* SourOutsideSadInside: At first, he seems like a completely cold ConsummateProfessional and any semblance of emotion he does show amount to no more than either apathetic indifference or snide condescension. Though this is nothing more than a mask to hide someone who has been through hell for a long, long time and is willing to persevere all for the sake of finding closure with the one relative he treasures.

* SugarAndIcePersonality: When he's first introduced, he comes across as unfeeling and the kind of person who cares only about his job and nothing else. Once his layers unravel, he starts to show a warmer and humane side to the people around him, ''especially'' Towa, who he grows to be a bit more vulnerable towards.

* {{Tsundere}}: Downplayed. After they get in a relationship, Fujieda's earnest personality makes him susceptible to getting embarrassed whenever Towa manages to catch him off-guard; although between the two of them, Towa qualifies for the trope more.
* TheUnapologetic: Zigzagged. Fujieda makes it clear to Towa that he doesn't plan to apologize for raping the latter, though this is isn't due to lack of regrets and is more of him knowing that he has no excuses for what he had done. However, he does give an (indirect) apology later on by admitting that Towa was no more than a victim of Maya's abuse, and just because he's her son doesn't mean he should be held culpable for her crimes. And in the ''After Story'' drama CD, he's a lot more upfront about the fact that he has done plenty of wrongs not only to Towa, but to many others in his attempts to find Mei.

* TheUnapologetic: Zigzagged. Fujieda makes it clear to Towa that he doesn't plan to apologize for raping the latter, though this is isn't due to lack of regrets and is more of him knowing that he has no excuses for what he had done. However, he does give an (indirect) apology later on by admitting that Towa was no more than a victim of Maya's abuse, and just because he's her son doesn't mean he should be held culpable for her crimes. He is also more upfront about the fact that he has done plenty of wrongs not only to Towa, but to many others as well in his attempts to investigate Mei's whereabouts.