text13552;"""The alarm forcefully tore me out of Morpheus' embrace.""" text13553;"""I didn't remember setting it. Himitsu couldn't have…""" text13554;"""In any case, Michael was expecting me at school — luckily I hadn't overslept, although I didn't have the time for breakfast.""" text13555;"""…""" text13556;"""The center of attention in my classroom was Kobayashi Ellie, standing almost in its doors and turning her beautiful head left and right, clearly annoyed, waiting for someone.""" text13557;"""Aha!""" text13558;"""She exclaimed when I came closer.""" text13559;"""As if on command, dozens of eyes stared at me.""" text13560;"""Not here.""" text13561;"""I walked over to her, grabbed her by the arm, and took her away from the classroom. Ellie didn't resist.""" text13562;"""We went to the roof — and it was only there that I let her go, noting in my head how comical the situation was.""" text13563;"""But this wasn't the time for sitcoms: right now, Ellie was the only person who could help me.""" text13564;"""Sorry I did that, but we shouldn't be seen together any more than necessary. It'll be safer… for Catherine.""" text13565;"""Catherine Smatherine! I didn't ask you to drag me into your drama! And now with those photos…""" text13566;"""She grew embarrassed — it was clear she found it difficult to talk about the drugs.""" text13567;"""I didn't think you were like this""" text13568;"""We weren't friends, even calling us acquaintances would be a stretch, but for some reason those words really got to me.""" text13569;"""You would've done the same in my place. Not to mention it's all your grandfather's fault.""" text13570;"""Ah yes, of course…""" text13571;"""Ellie flung her hands up and turned away.""" text13572;"""Am I wrong?""" text13573;"""Maybe you aren't…""" text13574;"""Do you want to tell me something?""" text13575;"""I… talked to my grandfather.""" text13576;"""You must understand that I don't discuss kidnappings with him every day — or any kind of similar topic.""" text13577;"""And how do you even know?! What if it's all a misunderstanding?""" text13578;"""You were the one who heard him talking on the phone.""" text13579;"""I did, sure, but…""" text13580;"""She closed her eyes and let out a deep sigh.""" text13581;"""In short, I had to really press him and even compromise on some stuff to get the information you need.""" text13582;"""I hope it wasn't too inconvenient for you.""" text13583;"""I said caustically, but Ellie didn't seem to notice the sarcasm.""" text13584;"""Well, you know, I had to agree to…""" text13585;"""Don't. I really don't care.""" text13586;"""Huh?""" text13587;"""Really, who'd care about my life!""" text13588;"""Even if you don't care, I had to lie through my teeth: that she's my friend, that I'm really worried and can't sleep over it…""" text13589;"""I don't doubt you can improvise.""" text13590;"""She pouted, the expression making her look very cute.""" text13591;"""In the end, grandfather said your Catherine was kidnapped by Japanese intelligence!""" text13592;"""And how does that fit in with your story that he was giving orders to have her taken somewhere?""" text13593;"""How would I know?""" text13594;"""Ellie was definitely telling the truth — or, at least, retelling her grandfather's words.""" text13595;"""Will you get off my back now?""" text13596;"""If it was only about me…""" text13597;"""I stopped myself.""" text13598;"""Even if I didn't agree with Michael on everything, tugging the rope in a different direction was a bad idea.""" text13599;"""Thanks for trying, but this isn't the Olympics and you aren't getting anything for participation. All that matters is the result, which in this case is Catherine's release.""" text13600;"""And what if my grandpa has nothing to do with this? What else can I do?! Are you going to destroy my life even if I can't help you at all?!""" text13601;"""She shouted.""" text13602;"""Well, for starters, nobody made you… take drugs.""" text13603;"""I wanted to use a stronger word, but restrained myself.""" text13604;"""You really aren't any different from the rest! All anyone wants from me is money…""" text13605;"""But I don't want your money.""" text13606;"""Money, influence, power — what's the difference? Call it whatever you want, it's the same thing.""" text13607;"""At least I don't have any ulterior motives.""" text13608;"""You probably believe that, too.""" text13609;"""Ellie smirked sadly.""" text13610;"""What about your friend? How much do you trust him?""" text13611;"""Michael…""" text13612;"""I started talking but stopped short.""" text13613;"""Why the hell would I make excuses to her?""" text13614;"""This girl was just playing on my sense of guilt, and even if she was right, Catherine's life was still more important to me than Kobayashi Ellie's morals!""" text13615;"""Michael is worried about Catherine too.""" text13616;"""Anyway, I've done everything I could!""" text13617;"""She said angrily, crossed her arms over her chest, and turned away from me, clearly indicating that she wasn't going to back down.""" text13618;"""Yeah, I clearly lacked confidence without Michael. I was starting to regret I hadn't brought him with me""" text13619;"""But this was about Katya!""" text13620;"""And I didn't want him to be the one to save her in the end.""" text13621;"""I think you really want to help, but you don't know how.""" text13622;"""Want?""" text13623;"""Do I have a choice?""" text13624;"""There's always a choice…""" text13625;"""Yeaaaah? Then why don't you all get the fuck out of my life?""" text13626;"""The more I looked at her the more I recognized myself in her.""" text13627;"""And that realization made all my anger somehow disappear.""" text13628;"""Why do you think I could get anything out of grandpa? Even if he's the one to blame, if he won't agree to release your friend, then what?""" text13629;"""Should I throw a tantrum in his office?""" text13630;"""Anything he does, he does for a reason. I don't know what she got herself into, but I wouldn't want to be in her place right now!""" text13631;"""I'm not justifying his actions, but…""" text13632;"""Ellie seemed to run out of steam and, exhausted, sat on the bench.""" text13633;"""Imagine someone came to you and threatened to ruin your life if you didn't climb Mount Everest!""" text13634;"""It's possible, but not likely.""" text13635;"""Nobody's asking you to climb…""" text13636;"""Although I had to admit that Ellie was mostly right.""" text13637;"""She made an attempt and was shot down.""" text13638;"""Not even — she did give me some new information.""" text13639;"""The Japanese secret service had Catherine…""" text13640;"""I found that hard to believe at first, but the idea that Catherine had been taken by the Corporation was reliant on Ellie's words too.""" text13641;"""Did he tell you anything else?""" text13642;"""I barely got even that out of him. If only you knew what I had to promise for it!""" text13643;"""Oh right, you don't care…""" text13644;"""I'm just trying to save the girl I love. Believe me, I'd be glad if I could do it any other way. But whatever it is, I'd do anything to save Catherine!""" text13645;"""You're not a knight in a fairy tale!""" text13646;"""She suddenly laughed.""" text13647;"""What…?""" text13648;"""We're not in a book where everything the protagonist does goes toward one purpose — saving the princess. Where even the villains are there for the reader's entertainment.""" text13649;"""In real life, I couldn't care less about the princess' fate! Had Anna Karenina jumped under that train at the start of the story, there wouldn't have been a novel.""" text13650;"""And you know what, I wouldn't want to read a novel with you in it!""" text13651;"""I looked at Ellie in shock.""" text13652;"""What, did you think I could only play guitar?""" text13653;"""A-as long as you have Catherine, we have the photos, remember…""" text13654;"""I said in a stuttering voice and headed for the exit, my face burning.""" text13655;"""Failure. A complete failure.""" text13656;"""I hadn't lost the war, but defeat in that battle was bad enough to throw me into confusion.""" text13657;"""Right now I had to discuss our following plan of action with Michael.""" text13658;"""I returned to the classroom but didn't find him there.""" text13659;"""Kyosuke, where's Michael?""" text13660;"""How am I supposed to know?""" text13661;"""He grumbled in response.""" text13662;"""Has he been at school today?""" text13663;"""Maybe he has…""" text13664;"""What's the matter with you?""" text13665;"""What's the matter with me?""" text13666;"""Kyosuke looked at me and frowned.""" text13667;"""What's the matter with you two? Keeping secrets and expecting me to, what, sit around and throw guesses at a wall?!""" text13668;"""We don't have any secrets…""" text13669;"""Stop making a fool out of me! First you ask about Ellie-sama, then whisper about something with Michael, thinking I wouldn't notice…""" text13670;"""But I got it! You've decided you want to hook up with her, and Michael's helping you! How could you hide something like that from me?!""" text13671;"""Oh God, Kyosuke… If you knew Ellie a bit better, you wouldn't want to hook up with her!""" text13672;"""Ha! Better? That's the last bit of proof I need! So, how much better do you know her? That much?""" text13673;"""He started to make inappropriate gestures with his hands, making me cringe in embarrassment.""" text13674;"""Stop that!""" text13675;"""I grabbed him by the wrist.""" text13676;"""If only you knew how far you are from the truth.""" text13677;"""Kyosuke stopped and stared at me in confusion.""" text13678;"""Michael?""" text13679;"""I reminded him.""" text13680;"""I think he was asked to bring something to the staff room.""" text13681;"""Thank you.""" text13682;"""I was shifting from one foot to another in front of the staff room, throwing occasional glances at the clock.""" text13683;"""Entering the room seemed to me like jumping into a tank full of sharks.""" text13684;"""Students and teachers walked in and out, almost all of them giving me a confused look for a couple seconds, as if I was an unusual piece of art left here by mistake.""" text13685;"""Finally, there was Michael!""" text13686;"""We need to talk, I have news.""" text13687;"""He just nodded in response.""" text13688;"""When we got to the old wing of the school, the bell rang.""" text13689;"""I just had a very interesting conversation with Kobayashi Ellie. On her initiative, by the way.""" text13690;"""She says she talked to her grandfather, and he claims Catherine has been kidnapped by Japanese intelligence.""" text13691;"""Is that so? Why would they do that?""" text13692;"""Her mother…""" text13693;"""Was it a good idea to tell Michael the truth about Mrs Winters?""" text13694;"""Guess I had to come clean…""" text13695;"""Her mother works for the CIA.""" text13696;"""I see.""" text13697;"""He said calmly.""" text13698;"""You see? Well, that's good to hear…""" text13699;"""And I don't think Ellie is lying. At least she believes what she says.""" text13700;"""Her belief doesn't change anything. I would've been surprised if she had tried to trick you.""" text13701;"""What are we going to do next? We can't exclude the possibility that she won't be of use anymore.""" text13702;"""Aren't you a bit too worried about Kobayashi-san?""" text13703;"""I just don't like your scorched earth approach. We tried to pressure her — and we got some information.""" text13704;"""So what do you suggest? We give her the negatives and pretend nothing happened?""" text13705;"""I don't know.""" text13706;"""I replied honestly.""" text13707;"""What do you suggest?""" text13708;"""I think it would be a good idea to bring our ultimatum to Kobayashi Jun's attention directly.""" text13709;"""The word ultimatum made me flinch.""" text13710;"""To go all-in?""" text13711;"""To take the next logical step.""" text13712;"""That all sounds good in theory, but after you're hit on the head, stuffed into a car, and interrogated in a dark room, it's hard to be that confident.""" text13713;"""That happened to you?""" text13714;"""A lot happened to me…""" text13715;"""Okay, then I'll do it myself — I'll talk to Ellie. Whether she likes it or not, she'll have to tell her grandfather about the photos.""" text13716;"""Should I go with you?""" text13717;"""No, you've already done your part — it'll be better if someone else talks to her now.""" text13718;"""I've fucked up my part, is what you wanted to say?""" text13719;"""You had no choice.""" text13720;"""It would be stupid to blame Michael for having bad intentions — after all, instead of having this conversation, he could've done everything himself from the start.""" text13721;"""Something tells me that in my place you'd… Nevermind! See you tomorrow then?""" text13722;"""See you tomorrow.""" text13723;"""He bid farewell.""" text13724;"""I was sure that teachers reacted to Michael's late arrivals much more calmly than mine…""" text13725;"""…""" text13726;"""On the way home, I witnessed a minor car accident: two drivers couldn't agree on who should take a lane, and one of the cars smashed into the other.""" text13727;"""A Japanese Toyota and an American Ford.""" text13728;"""The Ford was left-handed, too — a rare sight in Japan.""" text13729;"""The driver was some foreigner — in the surrounding noise, I couldn't figure out what language he was speaking.""" text13730;"""The Japanese guy who suffered the accident was calling the police from a telephone box, while the gaijin was running around his car assessing the damage.""" text13731;"""I had to say that the Ford was much better off than the Toyota, which itself looked pretty comical.""" text13732;"""In any case, it was dangerous to stay around for too long — the police could take me as a witness.""" text13733;"""Not that I was in any particular hurry, but I had no desire to deal with the Japanese authorities more than necessary, even in the form of traffic police.""" text13734;"""…""" text13735;"""So, I entrusted Michael with Catherine's destiny — and it made my stomach turn, I could almost feel my body physically rebelling, like a runner halfway through a marathon.""" text13736;"""The idea that it was all for the sake of rescuing her seemed less persuasive each time I thought about it.""" text13737;"""Sometimes a person behaves completely paradoxically: he has heart issues but smokes two packs of cigarettes a day; he can't pay his mortgage but takes out a loan for a new car; keeps leaving dirty socks all over his bedroom, knowing his wife is about to file for divorce…""" text13738;"""And just as paradoxically, I wanted Michael to fail.""" text13739;"""It was something like the primal jealousy an Australopithecus male feels toward a more successful tribesman who gets all the food and females.""" text13740;"""Of course, I knew that right now Catherine's life depended in large part on Michael, but I couldn't do anything about the feeling — primal instincts are hard to shut down.""" text13741;"""Humans had only developed civilization about ten thousand years ago.""" text13742;"""The modern miracles of scientific and technological progress had taken place only over the past two hundred years.""" text13743;"""And before that, our ancestors fought for survival and the transmission of their genes in conditions that were very different from the comfort offered by twentieth century Tokyo.""" text13744;"""Is it really wise to fault evolution for taking it slow?""" text13745;"""Class hadn't ended yet — and I really hoped I wouldn't find Himitsu at home.""" text13746;"""I had nothing to talk about with her, and her persistence was irking me more and more.""" text13747;"""Love cannot be forced.""" text13748;"""I opened the door and was immediately on guard.""" text13749;"""The hall seemed to look the same, but there was a subtle wrongness to it that kept me from relaxing.""" text13750;"""Maybe it was what a custodian would feel patrolling his museum, trying to figure out what was wrong before finally noticing one of the painting was off by a couple degrees.""" text13751;"""I listened in on the dusty silence of the home I knew so well — something unfamiliar was coming from the kitchen.""" text13752;"""Not even a sound, but more like a feeling, a light vibration of the floor or a breeze.""" text13753;"""I carefully walked forward.""" text13754;"""Not that I wasn't afraid at all — but I decided that I had nowhere else to go and unless there was real, mortal danger, I would fight for my home to the end.""" text13755;"""Sitting behind the table in my kitchen was a guy I didn't know.""" text13756;"""He was pretty young, looked to be barely 25, but the emaciated, tired face added another 10 to that.""" text13757;"""Who are you?""" text13758;"""I breathed out.""" text13759;"""The guy looked at me with eyes full of contempt, as if he had been waiting for an office worker for an hour and then saw him coming back from dinner casually picking his teeth with a folded wrapper.""" text13760;"""Nikolai Anokhin?""" text13761;"""You're in my house, of course I'm Anokhin!""" text13762;"""I have a message from Kobayashi-dono.""" text13763;"""Of course, I should've expected that — and how could I not have thought about it sooner?!""" text13764;"""Blackmailing Kobayashi Ellie isn't like threatening a classmate that you'll tell on him for smoking!""" text13765;"""You must stop blackmailing Ellie-sama immediately and hand all the negatives over to me.""" text13766;"""I don't know what you're talking about.""" text13767;"""You're going to save both of us a lot of time if you stop playing stupid.""" text13768;"""I'm in no hurry.""" text13769;"""He continued in the same tone that sent shivers down my spine:""" text13770;"""We can resolve this issue the easy way or the hard way. Quickly or very slowly.""" text13771;"""Even if I wanted to, I don't have the negatives.""" text13772;"""The guy was persuasive — he clearly worked for Kobayashi Corporation for a reason.""" text13773;"""Where are they, then?""" text13774;"""If he was asking, that probably meant his friends were yet to visit Michael.""" text13775;"""But it was just a matter of time — if they found me, they would find him.""" text13776;"""Somewhere secure. And if anything happens to me…""" text13777;"""That doesn't work.""" text13778;"""What?""" text13779;"""If anything happens to me, my friends will give the negatives to the right people. That doesn't work in real life.""" text13780;"""Why?""" text13781;"""I smiled dumbly.""" text13782;"""Because when your dead body is at the bottom of Tokyo Bay, you won't care about any photos.""" text13783;"""Humans by nature only care for their immediate safety.""" text13784;"""Fair enough…""" text13785;"""I muttered.""" text13786;"""So I will ask again: where are the negatives?""" text13787;"""I don't have and never had them — I'm serious!""" text13788;"""Then where are they?""" text13789;"""When things go really sour, survival instinct kicks in.""" text13790;"""I knew I wouldn't be able to save Catherine having been sent to feed the fishes.""" text13791;"""They are at my friend's… acquaintance's place.""" text13792;"""I wondered what Michael would think of this turn of events.""" text13793;"""What if… What if he had dragged me into this just to frame me and make me a scapegoat?!""" text13794;"""I would like to talk to your friend.""" text13795;"""What a coincidence…""" text13796;"""You will call him and ask him to come here with the negatives and all copies of the photos.""" text13797;"""Does that work?""" text13798;"""I smirked wearily.""" text13799;"""He's not an idiot, he'll know that something's wrong.""" text13800;"""At least he'll have a chance to do the right thing.""" text13801;"""The guy responded without batting an eye.""" text13802;"""And… when we give you the negatives, will you let us go?""" text13803;"""Of course.""" text13804;"""Just like that?""" text13805;"""Without the photos you're no threat to Kobayashi-dono.""" text13806;"""But there was Michael's father, too — apparently they didn't know anything about him yet.""" text13807;"""In any case, he's still at school — classes aren't over yet.""" text13808;"""I looked at the clock.""" text13809;"""Then we will wait. Take a seat.""" text13810;"""Thank you, but I prefer to stand.""" text13811;"""The guy didn't look like a dangerous fighter, and in a different situation I would've figured I could handle him.""" text13812;"""But just a couple days ago I'd thought the same of Michael…""" text13813;"""You should take the load off your feet.""" text13814;"""Just feels weird being offered a seat in my own home. Since I'm temporarily not in charge here, I wouldn't want to abuse your hospitality.""" text13815;"""Gaijin…""" text13816;"""He scoffed.""" text13817;"""My brain was using a hundred and twenty percent of its capacity, and all for nothing.""" text13818;"""I was imagining hundreds of possible scenarios — only a few were in my favor.""" text13819;"""Whether you can apply logic from detective novels to real life or not, getting rid of witnesses seemed like a good move.""" text13820;"""And I had nowhere to expect help from.""" text13821;"""Maybe if Himitsu decided to drop by…""" text13822;"""And what then? He'd just get another hostage?""" text13823;"""No matter how bad our relationship became, the thought that something might happen to her made my heart ache.""" text13824;"""I just remembered, I don't know his phone number…""" text13825;"""You knew it a minute ago — and now you've suddenly forgotten it?""" text13826;"""No, we just see each other at school every day — I never had a reason to call him so I've never asked.""" text13827;"""So what do you suggest?""" text13828;"""We can still make it to the school before the end of class, if you don't mind…""" text13829;"""For some time the guy kept looking at me with that same indifferent expression on his face.""" text13830;"""Then he jumped up from the chair and pulled out a pistol.""" text13831;"""Stop pushing your luck!""" text13832;"""Here it was, mortal danger.""" text13833;"""I'm not…""" text13834;"""Suddenly, the garden door opened and Ryunosuke-san appeared in the doorway with a pistol in his hand.""" text13835;"""The guy turned around but everything happened so quickly that he couldn't even react properly.""" text13836;"""What happened next seemed to occur in slow motion: there was the sound of a gunshot, the guy flinched like someone pricked him with a needle, Ito pulled the trigger several more times.""" text13837;"""Finally, the intruder fell to the table and then to the floor.""" text13838;"""Ito was so fast the guy never had a chance.""" text13839;"""I gave you the option to resolve this amicably.""" text13840;"""Look, I'm not looking for trouble!""" text13841;"""But you've found it. Let's go.""" text13842;"""He brought me outside, to a parked car.""" text13843;"""Just don't hit me on the head — I'll go by…""" text13844;"""But it seems a blow to the head is a necessary attribute of every kidnapping — and my consciousness left me…""" text13845;"""…""" text13846;"""I came to my senses in a small room, seated behind a table.""" text13847;"""Opposite to me, hidden by the blinding light of the lamp directed at me, was a huge, middle-aged man.""" text13848;"""I could see tattoos peeking from under the collar of his shirt, which clearly identified him as a yakuza.""" text13849;"""Awake huh?""" text13850;"""He scoffed merrily and lit a cigarette.""" text13851;"""The ashtray before him was full of stubs.""" text13852;"""Where am I? Who are you?""" text13853;"""It doesn't matter where you are. What matters is where the photos and negatives are.""" text13854;"""What photos?""" text13855;"""My head still felt like it was swimming in a thick soup.""" text13856;"""Suddenly, the man stood up, came closer, and put a glass of water on the table before me.""" text13857;"""The sooner we finish, the sooner I can get to the girls. You're not going to keep me here long, are you?""" text13858;"""He clearly wasn't used to people arguing with him, especially on his own territory.""" text13859;"""I've already told your colleague that I don't have the negatives. My… friend has them. Michael. His name is Michael.""" text13860;"""Well, the situation I got into was just about as conductive to putting my own safety above everything else as it could possibly be.""" text13861;"""You think you can just blame everything on some \""friend\""?""" text13862;"""What…?""" text13863;"""I asked with genuine surprise.""" text13864;"""I'm not trying to — it's true! He has the photos and negatives! Why would I lie?""" text13865;"""The yakuza smirked and put his giant hands on my shoulders.""" text13866;"""He didn't use any force, but the very idea that at any moment my neck could be grasped between his bear paws and snapped like a twig terrified me.""" text13867;"""I will ask once again: where are the photographs?""" text13868;"""I don't know, I swear! You think I wouldn't tell you if I did?""" text13869;"""Have you talked to Michael? Why do you think I'm lying?!""" text13870;"""Right now I'm talking to you.""" text13871;"""He interrupted me, leaving no room for further conversation.""" text13872;"""The expression and voice of my jailer weren't strictly threatening, but they didn't have to be — just his expression was scary enough.""" text13873;"""Especially when I was at his mercy.""" text13874;"""I swear, I've told you everything I know!""" text13875;"""I can't quite figure out…""" text13876;"""Suddenly, he leaned down to me, and his face appeared some centimeters away from mine.""" text13877;"""I could smell tobacco, alcohol, and rotten teeth.""" text13878;"""What are you trying to get with this silence? Just give me the photos — and we'll part ways on good terms.""" text13879;"""I don't have them, why can't you understand!""" text13880;"""Fine, you asked for it!""" text13881;"""He swung back and slapped me with the back of his hand.""" text13882;"""The force was so great it almost knocked me off the chair.""" text13883;"""Remember now?""" text13884;"""I started feverishly trying to come up with a lie to make him leave me alone.""" text13885;"""Maybe I could say that the photos are in a safe place and negotiate?""" text13886;"""However, the first guy I met at home clearly told me that tricks like that won't work on them.""" text13887;"""How did I let myself get dragged into all this?!""" text13888;"""I never saved Catherine and ended up a hare's breath from death myself.""" text13889;"""Well, I was pretty much already on the scaffold — I doubted I could get out of this.""" text13890;"""Fuck off!""" text13891;"""I wheezed and spat out blood.""" text13892;"""What?""" text13893;"""I don't have any photos! And killing me won't make any appear!""" text13894;"""You're a brave one!""" text13895;"""He sat on the chair again, took out a cigarette, and smoked it.""" text13896;"""But if I kill you, the photos might die with you. How's that option sound?""" text13897;"""Go ahead!""" text13898;"""I shot back, trying to look as indifferent as possible.""" text13899;"""I wouldn't say I'd finally lost all fear, it's just that I didn't see the point in trying to convince this cutthroat of something he'd never believe anyway.""" text13900;"""I wondered about Michael's role in this story — for them, he didn't seem to exist, and I was the only culprit.""" text13901;"""Even though in reality things were just the opposite!""" text13902;"""Could Michael have framed me on purpose?""" text13903;"""The yakuza hit my face again, then my stomach.""" text13904;"""Still wanna die?""" text13905;"""Michael. He has the photos!""" text13906;"""I don't know any Michael.""" text13907;"""Another punch followed, about as strong as the previous one.""" text13908;"""This nutjob was skilled — his punches were meant to be painful but not cause significant damage.""" text13909;"""At this pace, he could keep torturing me for a while.""" text13910;"""What do you need from me?! Fine, the photos are at home, are you happy now?""" text13911;"""I'll show you, but you'll have to get me home first.""" text13912;"""Nice try!""" text13913;"""Another punch in the stomach followed.""" text13914;"""You don't need any photos — it's just revenge, isn't it? But why?! Who did I wrong so badly?""" text13915;"""The yakuza stopped answering and just kept systematically hitting me.""" text13916;"""…""" text13917;"""My whole body was in pain.""" text13918;"""I was lying under the table in the fetal position, letting out occasional groans.""" text13919;"""That sadist finished the execution, having apparently gotten tired, and left me alone.""" text13920;"""By now it was clear that they didn't need any photos from me.""" text13921;"""At least, he clearly didn't believe I had them.""" text13922;"""Apparently, this is how how Kobayashi Jun showed me that he's not to be threatened…""" text13923;"""But why make it so complicated?""" text13924;"""If I wasn't going to ever walk out of here, wouldn't it be simpler to just kill me right away?""" text13925;"""Or, perhaps, the thug felt some animalistic pleasure from torturing other people. People who couldn't defend themselves.""" text13926;"""Physical pain left no room for thoughts, but I still desperately wanted to see Catherine.""" text13927;"""Even if just once, from afar, but so that I would know that she was alive and well!""" text13928;"""Even if Michael somehow rescued her by framing me…""" text13929;"""Anything just so she'd be safe and sound!""" text13930;"""I coughed, leaving enough blood on the floor to form a large puddle.""" text13931;"""I would probably not survive another encounter with that maniac.""" text13932;"""Sorry, mom. Sorry, dad. Sorry, Himitsu. Sorry, Katya…""" text13933;"""I was whispering, trying to give one last confession to the cold concrete floor.""" text13934;"""My whole body convulsed, I stopped feeling my legs, and could barely move my arms.""" text13935;"""It was cold in the room, and it seemed to get even colder with every second.""" text13936;"""For some reason, I wasn't afraid of death anymore — there was only the aching feeling of regret for what I could've done differently, what I never did at all.""" text13937;"""Life and death can be so close to each other.""" text13938;"""Just this morning I'd been full of hope, trying to change things, and now I was simply waiting for the end to come — either from my injuries or from another beating.""" text13939;"""Of course, I could've changed something, done something differently, but no one is ever immune to chance.""" text13940;"""The room began to grow dark — perhaps they turned the lights off.""" text13941;"""Or perhaps…""" text13942;"""Ryunosuke-san!""" text13943;"""I breathed out.""" text13944;"""Ito said nothing, walked to the table, carelessly pushed the dead body aside as if it was a bag of garbage, grabbed the chair, sat down, and said with disgust in his voice:""" text13945;"""Amateurs!""" text13946;"""Then he looked at me like he had just realized that I was here too.""" text13947;"""Nikolai, please take a seat.""" text13948;"""This time I couldn't refuse.""" text13949;"""Ito wiped his gun with a handkerchief and put it into a jacket pocket.""" text13950;"""Th… thank you.""" text13951;"""I mumbled, although it was hardly appropriate in this situation.""" text13952;"""You have nothing to thank me for. You should thank Himitsu, if anyone.""" text13953;"""Although as far as I know, the two of you don't have the best relationship right now.""" text13954;"""He sighed and carefully examined the kitchen.""" text13955;"""I offered you help, Nikolai, but you decided to do it your way.""" text13956;"""I have no right to judge your choice but I can't ignore its consequences.""" text13957;"""You're too far into something you shouldn't have gotten involved in.""" text13958;"""Your search for Winters' daughter could cause problems for people you don't want to mess with.""" text13959;"""Then why did you stop him?""" text13960;"""I asked grimly, looking askance at the body.""" text13961;"""Because, although our interests mostly align, we often disagree on the details.""" text13962;"""Your interests align… with whose? Kobayashi Corporation's?""" text13963;"""Ito didn't respond, and I could clearly see shrewdness and cold determination in his eyes.""" text13964;"""Nikolai, haven't you noticed that the more you know, the more problems you create for others?""" text13965;"""And what kind of problems was Catherine creating?""" text13966;"""You chase ideals of justice, but you forget that they often clash with objective reality.""" text13967;"""And humans tend to choose what's more important to them personally.""" text13968;"""You sound just like that guy.""" text13969;"""In any case, now you understand that these aren't empty threats.""" text13970;"""Nikolai, where are the photos?""" text13971;"""I don't have them! Do you think I wouldn't have given them to him if I did?! God, Ryunosuke-san, I would have given him anything to be finally left alone!""" text13972;"""But you do know where they are, right?""" text13973;"""They're… Michael has them. He's my classmate.""" text13974;"""I no longer had any desire to put myself at risk to protect him.""" text13975;"""Then we're going to wait for him together.""" text13976;"""It might take a while — he wasn't going to drop by my place today.""" text13977;"""Then call him. You know the number, don't you?""" text13978;"""I…""" text13979;"""I didn't want to tempt fate for a second time.""" text13980;"""Yes, I do.""" text13981;"""Even though it was too early to give up — it would be better to pretend I was cooperating with Ito.""" text13982;"""We walked to the hall, I dialed Michael's number, but nobody answered.""" text13983;"""I handed the receiver over to Ryunosuke-san so that he could hear it for himself.""" text13984;"""I hope you didn't dial the wrong number.""" text13985;"""What'll happen to me when you get the photos?""" text13986;"""Ito winced like he'd found a fly in his ramen.""" text13987;"""At least now you can imagine what'll happen to you if they end up in the wrong hands.""" text13988;"""You know, you can be convincing if you want to, but that doesn't make you sound any more trustworthy.""" text13989;"""The time for trust has passed.""" text13990;"""Unfortunately for you, I no longer care whether you trust me or not.""" text13991;"""I was desperately trying to figure out what was on his mind.""" text13992;"""If Ito just needed the photos, wouldn't it be easier to wait for the guy from the Corporation to do all the dirty work?""" text13993;"""And why would he kill him, then? I doubted they'd be happy about it.""" text13994;"""I'm wondering, is it easy to work multiple sides? Or does Kobayashi Corporation decide Japan's politics these days?""" text13995;"""Ito frowned, but his anger only fanned mine. I felt like a child standing behind bulletproof glass, feeling safe enough to throw stones at gorillas.""" text13996;"""I don't think Himitsu would want to live in a world where money rules everything…""" text13997;"""Nikolai…""" text13998;"""By the way, she knows Catherine. Maybe they don't have the best relationship, but I'm sure she wouldn't be happy to hear that Catherine was tortured to death in the Corporation's dungeons for the sake…""" text13999;"""For the sake of what, actually, Ryunosuke-san?""" text14000;"""You just don't understand how much is at stake.""" text14001;"""He replied, as if making an excuse.""" text14002;"""You're right — I don't. But I'd very much like to! I'd like to know what's important enough to justify the death of my parents and now, maybe, Catherine!""" text14003;"""Fucking hell, you're just methodically stripping away everything important to me!""" text14004;"""Ito's hand slowly moved towards the pocket with the gun…""" text14005;"""That's when the front door flew open — apparently, in my righteous fury, I hadn't heard the approaching steps — and Himitsu appeared on the doorstep.""" text14006;"""Papa…?""" text14007;"""She said, surprised, emphasizing both vowels — as if she couldn't decide whether to speak English or Japanese.""" text14008;"""Ryunosuke-san, in turn, clearly didn't expect to meet his daughter here.""" text14009;"""I, in contrast, had been expecting Himitsu and hoping she would save me.""" text14010;"""Niko-kun…?""" text14011;"""There was a lot to accuse Ito of — but he would never harm me in Himitsu's presence!""" text14012;"""Unfortunately for you, Ryunosuke-san, I have to bid you farewell — I've got things to do!""" text14013;"""I jumped over the porch and broke into a run.""" text14014;"""Niko-kun?!""" text14015;"""I could hear Himitsu shouting after me, but it was too late to stop me.""" text14016;"""But despite my confidence, I seemed to hear the crack of bullets fired at me.""" text14017;"""I had neither the desire nor energy to look back, but the imaginary shots went silent only when my house disappeared around the corner.""" text14018;"""…""" text14019;"""I ran a few blocks without rest and only stopped when I completely ran out of strength.""" text14020;"""I needed a few moments to come to my senses and for the blood in my temples to stop pounding like crazy.""" text14021;"""So, there was no going home from here on.""" text14022;"""Every day things were getting worse and the destruction of my normal life accelerated.""" text14023;"""Sometimes the memories of what I'd previously found boring brought me nothing but a bitter smile.""" text14024;"""May you live in interesting times!""" text14025;"""And the reason for that — at least indirectly — was Catherine's return.""" text14026;"""Did that mean that everything could have stayed the same, if we had never met again?""" text14027;"""And how much more could I endure for the faint hope of love?""" text14028;"""Even our last days spent together resembled inertia more than a new start.""" text14029;"""Katya, what are you doing to me…?""" text14030;"""I muttered and went looking for a telephone box.""" text14031;"""But despite everything, the mere thought of Catherine ran a pleasant electric charge down my spine, leaving behind calm confidence, contentment, and a sense of gratitude.""" text14032;"""Even our separation and all the hurdles of the last weeks couldn't shake my love for Katya.""" text14033;"""A love that was stupid, foolish, in many ways irrational and even destructive — but it was only thanks to it that I felt alive, like an adrenaline addict standing atop Tokyo Tower with a parachute behind his back!""" text14034;"""I quickly found the box.""" text14035;"""By this time, Michael might have already returned from school.""" text14036;"""I wasn't particularly worried about his phone being tapped — because, as it seemed, neither the Corporation nor the Japanese knew about his involvement.""" text14037;"""Which was strange in and of itself.""" text14038;"""So strange that I couldn't come up with a single even remotely believable explanation for that.""" text14039;"""However nobody picked up the phone, just like last time.""" text14040;"""I bought a bottle of water and a chocolate bar from a vending machine.""" text14041;"""If I wasn't mistaken, that was the first food I'd eaten that day.""" text14042;"""An empty wallet does not delight the eye or inspire optimism.""" text14043;"""Although if I had to live on the streets, it was high time to learn to survive without money…""" text14044;"""I dialed Michael's number again but to no avail.""" text14045;"""Most likely he just hadn't returned from school yet, but how long was I supposed to wait?""" text14046;"""It wasn't safe to stand in the middle of the street a couple of blocks away from home — if, of course, Ito had already taken measures and organized a pursuit.""" text14047;"""On the other hand, I couldn't know what Himitsu had told him.""" text14048;"""And I had no doubt she wouldn't keep quiet!""" text14049;"""In any case, I would've preferred to wait for Michael in a safer place.""" text14050;"""And I couldn't think of a safer place than the apartment of Catherine's mother.""" text14051;"""My idea was that the Japanese definitely wouldn't try breaking into her place — after all, they worked on the same Project.""" text14052;"""Not that it had stopped them from kidnapping Katya…""" text14053;"""Anyway, I had no other options and very little time to think.""" text14054;"""I reached her place quickly, even while trying not to run to not attract any attention.""" text14055;"""Yes?""" text14056;"""Mrs Winters voice sounded all business from the intercom.""" text14057;"""Do you ever go to work?""" text14058;"""I sighed.""" text14059;"""Nikolai, our encounters have become so regular that I begin to worry you're interested in me rather than Catherine.""" text14060;"""I'm not in a joking mood. Please, open the door.""" text14061;"""The magnetic lock clicked with an unpleasant sound and the door opened.""" text14062;"""Mrs Winters met me with a kind of unnatural hospitality.""" text14063;"""I'm about to eat, are you hungry? I don't know what Catherine was feeding you, but I'm not much of a cook, so usually I order takeout.""" text14064;"""What was she even talking about…?""" text14065;"""So, do you want to eat?""" text14066;"""Yes, thank you.""" text14067;"""I replied automatically.""" text14068;"""I really was starving — the chocolate bar only teased my appetite — but was it appropriate to just stuff myself with pizza, hamburgers, or whatever she was ordering?""" text14069;"""I noticed once again that some things I did and said went straight from neurons to reality without any input from my consciousness.""" text14070;"""I wondered if that was the case for everyone or if I was special.""" text14071;"""As Catherine's mother talked to a restaurant on the phone, the atmosphere became more and more awkward.""" text14072;"""Sushi? Why sushi?""" text14073;"""Finally, she placed the order and hung up.""" text14074;"""Well, we are in Japan.""" text14075;"""Oh right, my bad!""" text14076;"""I said sarcastically and sat on the sofa without permission.""" text14077;"""So what is it this time, Nikolai?""" text14078;"""I know who kidnapped Catherine! It's Japanese intelligence. Or the Corporation… Or both.""" text14079;"""A man from the Corporation was waiting for me at my house. Although for a different reason…""" text14080;"""I briefly told her about Michael, Ellie, the photos, and our plan with the blackmail.""" text14081;"""You're unbelievable!""" text14082;"""She laughed.""" text14083;"""Every new story is stupider than the last!""" text14084;"""I was stuffing myself with sushi, barely chewing it (I have to say, they were delivered unexpectedly quickly).""" text14085;"""It's not just about me. When that guy took out the pistol, Ito appeared and…""" text14086;"""The excessive amount of wasabi made me tear up.""" text14087;"""I hope he'll at least clean up after himself. Even if I'm not about to go back home any time soon, I don't want to know that there's a dead body rotting in my kitchen.""" text14088;"""It was strange to tell Sheryl Winters all that — and to trust her as the last person who could help me.""" text14089;"""After all, it wasn't that long ago that I was her prisoner.""" text14090;"""I didn't expect that from Ito.""" text14091;"""She frowned.""" text14092;"""But you don't seem surprised at all that they have Catherine!""" text14093;"""I had my suspicions.""" text14094;"""And, of course, you forgot to tell me!""" text14095;"""I threw the chopsticks on the table so hard they flew to the other end of the room.""" text14096;"""However, Mrs Winters didn't even raise an eyebrow.""" text14097;"""And what have you achieved?""" text14098;"""I'm at least doing something instead of sitting on the sofa eating fucking sushi!""" text14099;"""Even though that was exactly what I was doing.""" text14100;"""I think at least one person's suffered because of your enthusiasm.""" text14101;"""It's his own fault…""" text14102;"""I replied, much less sure of myself.""" text14103;"""Oh, Nikolai…""" text14104;"""She put her chopsticks away and wiped her lips with a napkin.""" text14105;"""Can your friend be trusted?""" text14106;"""Yes! I mean… I'm not sure… I hope so.""" text14107;"""It's just somewhat strange that you had guests and he didn't.""" text14108;"""I thought that too.""" text14109;"""Mrs Winters, what is this Project people have died for?""" text14110;"""People die for what they believe in.""" text14111;"""It's not as if Oppenheimer was fond of genocide — it's just that other people believed the atomic bomb could stop the spread of communism.""" text14112;"""Do you want me to stop worrying and love the bomb?""" text14113;"""To be fair, I don't give a damn about communism, democracy, or atomic bombs — I just want to save Catherine.""" text14114;"""But you seem to be more interested in abstract concepts and political theory.""" text14115;"""There are factions within the Project that don't agree on the direction it's going in.""" text14116;"""Even though all of them generally want the same thing, scheming is unavoidable.""" text14117;"""It disgusts me that Catherine has become their bargaining chip, but I assure you, she isn't in danger!""" text14118;"""I guess it's my fault for bringing her back to Japan. But that's what she wanted.""" text14119;"""What…?""" text14120;"""As soon as she found out that I was going back, she demanded to come with me.""" text14121;"""Mrs Winters didn't notice my surprise immediately.""" text14122;"""You didn't know?""" text14123;"""She grinned.""" text14124;"""Catherine, Catherine… Always complicating things. Although I was the same at her age.""" text14125;"""So Katya wanted to come back?!""" text14126;"""But that meant… No, I couldn't believe that so easily, after all she'd said!""" text14127;"""A feeling of deep bliss spread through my body against my will — I, again, felt that sweet moment of first love.""" text14128;"""But why such sincerity?""" text14129;"""Right now Sheryl Winters resembled a villain from a cartoon revealing her evil plan to the protagonist, fully assured she'd already won.""" text14130;"""So what are you planning to do?""" text14131;"""Once they realize that their actions are pointless, they will release Catherine.""" text14132;"""What do they need?""" text14133;"""She squinted slyly.""" text14134;"""Nikolai, you're not expecting me to tell you classified information, are you?""" text14135;"""No, of course, not! It's just me everyone always demands stuff from!""" text14136;"""Either way, I can't be walking in the dark anymore!""" text14137;"""I don't know if you approve of our relationship — since you say one thing today and another tomorrow — but I really want to believe you trust you daughter's choices, if only a little…""" text14138;"""If Catherine didn't tell you she wanted to come back, it seems she still doesn't know how she feels.""" text14139;"""I didn't respond — Sheryl Winters was right and I had nothing to counter with.""" text14140;"""What are you going to do next? You are going to do something, right?""" text14141;"""Yes, I need to discuss the situation with my colleagues.""" text14142;"""She squinted again.""" text14143;"""With people who can help.""" text14144;"""And you should stay here for now. There's no safer place for you in the entirety of Tokyo.""" text14145;"""It would be stupid to argue with her, but I still scowled and looked down like a capricious child forced to accept his punishment.""" text14146;"""There should be some food in the fridge. I think. And I'll try to drop by the supermarket on the way back.""" text14147;"""Mrs Winters, you don't have to…""" text14148;"""Indeed.""" text14149;"""She smiled, grabbed her bag and left, leaving me alone.""" text14150;"""I felt quite uncomfortable in the unfamiliar apartment, even though it was Catherine's.""" text14151;"""Well, they had only just recently moved in.""" text14152;"""The walls, furniture, lamps, and curtains had yet to become saturated with that spirit of comfort and coziness you can feel in a lived in house.""" text14153;"""I walked to the bookcase and randomly picked up a few books.""" text14154;"""All of them turned out to be unread and seemingly had come with the apartment.""" text14155;"""The TV was shining like new, and the dishes in the cupboard had never been used.""" text14156;"""The place resembled a hotel room more than private accommodation.""" text14157;"""It seemed like the last time somebody cooked in the kitchen had been before the Winters' family moved in.""" text14158;"""In the fridge, I found long-expired milk, a packet of miso, and some spaghetti (why?).""" text14159;"""It wasn't much, but I wasn't hungry at all, and if not Mrs Winters' words, I probably wouldn't have even checked the place for food.""" text14160;"""All in all, it was clear that work was Sheryl Winters' first, second, and third priority — there was no time for anything else.""" text14161;"""Had that always been the case?""" text14162;"""I tried to recall anything but couldn't.""" text14163;"""All my time spent with Catherine felt like one bright flash of love and passion — I didn't quite keep track of her mother's schedule.""" text14164;"""Despite what happened to my parents, we'd always been a normal, happy family.""" text14165;"""Is it easy to grow up with a role model like Sheryl Winters around?""" text14166;"""Of course, Katya had a father (and he was still alive, I think?), but, as I understood, her parents divorced right after Catherine had been born.""" text14167;"""National interests above personal ones, the bare minimum of belongings, the bare minimum of emotional attachment, constant relocation. Mrs Winters spoke of communism with such disgust, but she herself sacrificed her life for the sake of public good.""" text14168;"""However, it was her choice — and it wasn't my place to judge it, but Catherine had never been given one!""" text14169;"""While exploring the apartment, I stopped at two closed doors opposite from one another.""" text14170;"""Behind one of them was a normal bedroom — you'd find dozens of photos of similar rooms in the windows of every real estate agency in Tokyo.""" text14171;"""If you didn't already know someone lived here you'd have a hard time figuring it out.""" text14172;"""At first glance, it seemed the room held no personal belongings — so I concluded that it was Mrs Winters' bedroom.""" text14173;"""Then, the other one had to be…""" text14174;"""I tightly gripped the handle, and the cold of the metal burned my skin.""" text14175;"""What if the curse of Tutankhamun awaited me behind the door?""" text14176;"""But there was only a similar bedroom with a few slight differences, like a school uniform on the bed, a few bags in the corner, and makeup on a table in front of a mirror.""" text14177;"""I was standing in the doorway, feeling like I was intruding on a personal space.""" text14178;"""You can love another person as much as you like, but in the end we enter and leave this world alone — there are always places in your soul not meant for the eyes of others.""" text14179;"""I was sure that Catherine wasn't planning on organizing a tour for me any time soon, so I — with considerable effort — closed the door and returned to the living room.""" text14180;"""…""" text14181;"""It's interesting how much casual idleness at home differs from that forced on you somewhere else.""" text14182;"""I was watching TV, flipping through Shakespeare and Japanese magazines, walking back and forth, and spent several hours watching Japanese people as they were, as always, rushing somewhere down on the street.""" text14183;"""I boiled the spaghetti, seasoned them with a stale bolognese sauce I had found in the utensils drawer, and ate, examining the strange design on the kitchen tiles.""" text14184;"""It had long grown dark outside, and I was about go mad with boredom and uncertainty, when, finally, I heard the sound of a key turning in the front door.""" text14185;"""Catherine's mother returned in a foul mood.""" text14186;"""That Ito of yours!""" text14187;"""She threw her bag on the table, realized what she'd done, took a cigarette pack out of it, smoked, took a deep breath, and dropped the ash into an empty cup.""" text14188;"""If I had known how troublesome he'd be, he'd never have come anywhere close to the Project!""" text14189;"""I found seeing Sheryl Winters like this more pleasant than her usual disaffection — at least I could confidently say there was some progress.""" text14190;"""Ito is as mine as he is yours.""" text14191;"""I didn't mean… Ah, forget it!""" text14192;"""Is there anything left to eat?""" text14193;"""I thought you were going to buy something.""" text14194;"""Had other things on my mind!""" text14195;"""She snapped back, but immediately stopped herself, as if she realized she was taking it out on an innocent child.""" text14196;"""Sorry. It's just been a terrible day.""" text14197;"""There's spaghetti. It's all I found.""" text14198;"""I smiled apologetically.""" text14199;"""…""" text14200;"""Of course, the dinner wasn't particularly sophisticated, but Mrs Winters ate everything silently and even thanked me.""" text14201;"""Will you tell me what you learned?""" text14202;"""She sat on the sofa and lit another cigarette, while I stood at the window.""" text14203;"""They say they took Catherine \""for her own safety\"". Allegedly, the KGB is spying on me — and Catherine could be in danger.""" text14204;"""What nice reasoning! The Mukden Incident, no more, no less!""" text14205;"""So what are they demanding?""" text14206;"""Nothing. For now, at least, they just want to tick me off.""" text14207;"""Which they were clearly pretty good at.""" text14208;"""They can't… they don't have a right to threaten me!""" text14209;"""They're just Japanese! They're only foot soldiers and should know their place!""" text14210;"""I'd never seen her this angry.""" text14211;"""But they can't keep Catherine for… When will they let her go?""" text14212;"""Apparently, they're trying to get some concessions with the Project…""" text14213;"""She raised her tired eyes at me.""" text14214;"""Anyway, it's none of your concern!""" text14215;"""Enough for today, it's late.""" text14216;"""Mrs Winters put out the cigarette and stood up.""" text14217;"""You can sleep on the sofa.""" text14218;"""…""" text14219;"""It was hard to fall asleep in a stranger's house. I kept tossing and turning, every time bouncing on the awful spring cushions.""" text14220;"""I tried to remove them — but sleeping on the wooden plank with nails sticking out of it that was even worse.""" text14221;"""I remembered us having a sofa like this back in our old apartment, in the USSR.""" text14222;"""I liked jumping on it, but otherwise it looked extremely old and was nearly broken.""" text14223;"""And then there was the unbearable noise from the street: the cars, the sound of ventilation, the strange shouts.""" text14224;"""The window, like a projector, flashed with all the colors of the rainbow — all because of the neon signs that twined around the walls of the surrounding buildings like poison ivy.""" text14225;"""The obvious downsides to living in the city centre I had never known about.""" text14226;"""…"""