text3205;"""Get up!"""
text3206;"""Someone's voice was ringing in my head."""
text3207;"""It felt like I was being lobotomized."""
text3208;"""Get up! Niko-kun, get up!"""
text3209;"""I arduously opened my right eye."""
text3210;"""The pain abruptly jumped to the left half of the brain."""
text3211;"""Here you go…"""
text3212;"""Himitsu let out a relieved sigh."""
text3213;"""But today's Saturday…"""
text3214;"""I grumbled and turned to the other side."""
text3215;"""It's Friday! Get up!"""
text3216;"""She started to shake me by the shoulder."""
text3217;"""Enough already!"""
text3218;"""I finally grew sick of it and jumped out of bed."""
text3219;"""See, it wasn't that hard."""
text3220;"""Himitsu was smiling. <w>As if everything was fine."""
text3221;"""Although, why would something not be fine?"""
text3222;"""I looked at the clock — she was more or less keeping to her daily regimen. <w>So why did I feel so terrible then?"""
text3223;"""Breakfast?"""
text3224;"""You're not getting borscht today!"""
text3225;"""She puffed out her cheeks, just like a hamster."""
text3226;"""What's so funny?"""
text3227;"""Nothing, you just… look amusing."""
text3228;"""Himitsu blushed and her gaze darted back and forth across the room."""
text3229;"""Yeah, amusing. Like a little hamster!"""
text3230;"""She stomped her foot, hissed, and left the room."""
text3231;"""Himitsu always looked funny when she was angry."""
text3232;"""But it was all mostly a game."""
text3233;"""She was used to hiding her true feelings and emotions, and even I couldn't always say what was she was thinking at any given moment."""
text3234;"""Laid out on the table was a traditional Japanese breakfast."""
text3235;"""I reckoned it wasn't the best time to turn my nose up and pretend to be a gastronome, so I silently sat down and started to eat."""
text3236;"""<note=note18>Itadakimasu</note>."""
text3237;"""Himitsu said in a deliberately serious tone."""
text3238;"""Mhm."""
text3239;"""I snorted in response with my mouth full."""
text3240;"""Niko-kun, you don't pay attention to what's happening around you at all."""
text3241;"""What do you mean?"""
text3242;"""You sleep like a log. What if someone were to break into the house at night and rob you?"""
text3243;"""And what would they take exactly?"""
text3244;"""I laughed, choked, coughed, and jumped up to get myself a glass of cold water."""
text3245;"""How would the thieves know? The house looks nice from the outside."""
text3246;"""Uh-huh, so you really think robbers pull off their jobs on a whim, without investigating first?"""
text3247;"""And how would they <i>investigate</i>, hm?"""
text3248;"""Well, uh… I've no idea! Or do you think I earn side cash by robbing houses at night?"""
text3249;"""It's just that yesterday I saw a suspicious man nearby."""
text3250;"""A suspicious man?"""
text3251;"""Yes, he was looking at something through your windows."""
text3252;"""I let out an incredulous sniff, which embarrassed Himitsu."""
text3253;"""Or maybe it was just my imagination…"""
text3254;"""Of course, a lot had happened over the last several days, but I couldn't just write everything off as schemes of the enemies of the people."""
text3255;"""Moreover, in this case, Himitsu seemed to just want some attention."""
text3256;"""And she had her reasons — I really had been ignoring her a lot lately."""
text3257;"""So what was so <i>suspicious</i> about this man of yours?"""
text3258;"""I grinned."""
text3259;"""He's not mine!"""
text3260;"""Himitsu stood up and started to furiously wash the dishes."""
text3261;"""Hey! I didn't finish the food!"""
text3262;"""I tried to take back the bowl of miso. <w>It was almost full!"""
text3263;"""You don't like my cooking anyway."""
text3264;"""Breakfast is the most important meal of the day!"""
text3265;"""I even had to get up from my chair to win back my rightful serving."""
text3266;"""…"""
text3267;"""The water flowed from the tap so strongly it broke against the base of the sink and splashed everywhere."""
text3268;"""Soon Himitsu's school uniform grew wet, dark spots appearing here and there."""
text3269;"""Well, what do you think I should do? Go to the police?"""
text3270;"""She didn't reply."""
text3271;"""I'm not saying it was your imagination or that you made it all up. It's just that… Real life is much more complicated."""
text3272;"""How would you know?"""
text3273;"""She responded in a dull voice."""
text3274;"""It seemed like I shouldn't have been making fun of her so stubbornly."""
text3275;"""I slowly got up, approached her, and hugged Himitsu from behind."""
text3276;"""Come on, sorry…"""
text3277;"""I slowly whispered into her ear."""
text3278;"""Niko-kun, don't…"""
text3279;"""She tried to break free, but the attempt was reluctant, effortless, as though she wasn't sure if she really wanted to."""
text3280;"""These \""displays of affection\"" weren't anything unusual for us."""
text3281;"""I didn't know how typical Japanese people would react to something like this, but Himitsu was used to it."""
text3282;"""And I was too, even more so."""
text3283;"""It was only lately that I had noticed something start to change in our relationship."""
text3284;"""Maybe it was due to Catherine's return, or maybe because the two of us just grew older."""
text3285;"""And the things trivial for grade schoolers started to gain much more meaning."""
text3286;"""Alright, let's go already, or we'll be late!"""
text3287;"""Nonetheless, I had absolutely no desire to make excuses."""
text3288;"""I let go of Himitsu and took a couple steps back."""
text3289;"""Fine, I'll just go change quickly."""
text3290;"""She replied as if nothing happened, pointing at her soaked school uniform."""
text3291;"""…"""
text3292;"""I was standing outside, waiting for Himitsu."""
text3293;"""It was a typical morning for this part of Tokyo, nothing <i>suspicious</i> about it."""
text3294;"""Surely that was just her imagination yesterday."""
text3295;"""Although, the notes, the call… <w>I suddenly felt uneasy."""
text3296;"""Shall we go?"""
text3297;"""Himitsu stepped out of the gates of her house in a clean, dry uniform."""
text3298;"""Huh, were we given multiple sets?"""
text3299;"""Of course!"""
text3300;"""So I have a spare too?"""
text3301;"""Of course you do, it's in the closet!"""
text3302;"""I wanted to ask which closet she meant, but the words never left my mouth, and I felt an unbearable shame about my behavior today."""
text3303;"""And the way I treated her in general."""
text3304;"""…"""
text3305;"""And here's that ramen place!"""
text3306;"""We stopped near my favorite restaurant."""
text3307;"""Hmmm…"""
text3308;"""Himitsu said, clearly not interested."""
text3309;"""Want to go there sometime?"""
text3310;"""Niko-kun, how many times have I told you?!"""
text3311;"""Well, it's just that you're just always cooking, and this is… for a change…"""
text3312;"""There were so many thoughts swirling in my head the entire way, so many words sat at the tip of my tongue, and now I was mumbling something unintelligible."""
text3313;"""Would that be a date?"""
text3314;"""She asked snarkily."""
text3315;"""Well… Yeah, I guess."""
text3316;"""It only made things worse: Himitsu blushed and lowered her head so much it seemed like she was apologizing."""
text3317;"""Fine, some time…"""
text3318;"""Okay."""
text3319;"""I reached the school almost in speed walk."""
text3320;"""Himitsu could barely keep up with me."""
text3321;"""The class was even less crowded than usual."""
text3322;"""Which came as no surprise — it was Friday, after all."""
text3323;"""But then, what was <i>I</i> doing here…?"""
text3324;"""Hi!"""
text3325;"""At least Kyosuke was right on cue."""
text3326;"""Hey there, I guess."""
text3327;"""You look all gloomy early in the morning. Everything alright?"""
text3328;"""Couldn't be better."""
text3329;"""I quipped and glanced around the class. <w>Catherine's desk was empty."""
text3330;"""Since the start of the morning, Himitsu was leading my thoughts away from her, either intentionally or unintentionally."""
text3331;"""But yesterday's argument and all of its details were still fresh before my mind's eye."""
text3332;"""And now, of all times, it seemed somehow especially important, like a battle between two terrible monsters from Greek mythology."""
text3333;"""Have you seen Catherine today?"""
text3334;"""No, why?"""
text3335;"""No reason, I'm just asking."""
text3336;"""<i>Just</i> asking, huh?"""
text3337;"""A disgusting smile spread from one of his ears to the other."""
text3338;"""Yeah, exactly."""
text3339;"""I was trying not to react to the provocation."""
text3340;"""Nick, we never talked about it, and it's been four days already!"""
text3341;"""Nothing to talk about."""
text3342;"""I was starting to boil up inside but couldn't let another snap like yesterday's happen."""
text3343;"""There's nothing to talk about because I know as much as you do."""
text3344;"""Okay, but if you need anything…"""
text3345;"""Of course, I know where to go!"""
text3346;"""Certainly not to him."""
text3347;"""I stood up and approached Michael who, as custom had it, was reading a book."""
text3348;"""Hey."""
text3349;"""Remembering yesterday's incident, I tried to look as friendly as possible. <w>But still not too friendly."""
text3350;"""He raised his head and gave me a slight nod."""
text3351;"""How's it going?"""
text3352;"""Depends on how you look at it."""
text3353;"""And how should I look at it?"""
text3354;"""Depends on what you mean."""
text3355;"""Kyosuke's anime philosophy wasn't exactly fun, but Michael's pretentious pseudo-Buddhism would drive anyone mad."""
text3356;"""Alright, I see you're in no mood to talk. I wanted to ask if you've seen Catherine"""
text3357;"""No."""
text3358;"""I see, thanks."""
text3359;"""There was no point in continuing the conversation."""
text3360;"""Of course, Michael wouldn't bombard me with questions, but he also didn't need to — he had other ways to dig into people's souls."""
text3361;"""…"""
text3362;"""I asked several more classmates to no result."""
text3363;"""My vain attempts must've seemed strange from outside, but I didn't care."""
text3364;"""And everyone had long learned they could expect anything from me."""
text3365;"""But the thought of Catherine was haunting me."""
text3366;"""Because knowing her… <w>Left without a farewell. <w>Returned without a warning."""
text3367;"""What if yesterday's fight with Himitsu was the last straw for her?"""
text3368;"""Naturally, she had to stay in Japan, but changing schools wasn't out of the question!"""
text3369;"""And I didn't even know where she lived!"""
text3370;"""There was the possibility that she and her mother had returned to their old apartment, but I always thought there were no such happy coincidences in real life."""
text3371;"""But the school had to have information about her, home address included."""
text3372;"""Which meant I could try looking in the teachers' room."""
text3373;"""I'd been there many times and had a vague idea of where things were kept."""
text3374;"""On the other hand, it was the very peak of the school day — there was a high risk of being caught."""
text3375;"""And there was no guarantee I'd be able to find her personal file among the piles of paper."""
text3376;"""I was shuffling about stupidly, unable to make a decision."""
text3377;"""Meanwhile, there were just five minutes left until the bell."""
text3378;"""Go to the teachers' room"""
text3379;"""Do nothing"""
text3380;"""Ah, screw it, let's do it!"""
text3381;"""…"""
text3382;"""I walked quickly, not running so as not to attract unnecessary attention, and 30 seconds later reached the teachers' room."""
text3383;"""I listened carefully. <w>It was quiet inside."""
text3384;"""Slowly, I gripped the handle, and…"""
text3385;"""Anokhin-kun!"""
text3386;"""A familiar voice sent shivers down my spine."""
text3387;"""Kiyama-sensei! It's so nice to see you!"""
text3388;"""The man glared at me with undisguised annoyance."""
text3389;"""Anokhin-kun, what are you, so to say, fiddling around here for?"""
text3390;"""Kiyama-sensei, how could you! I just wanted to drop by… to ask…"""
text3391;"""The old man kept looking intently into my eyes, clearly expecting some kind of a plausible explanation."""
text3392;"""I think you were just eavesdropping."""
text3393;"""How could you say something like that?! Eavesdrop, me? Never!"""
text3394;"""Anokhin-kun, stop playing the fool. Tell me what you want."""
text3395;"""In the end, my plan failed spectacularly."""
text3396;"""But why couldn't I just ask him?"""
text3397;"""It was a stupid idea, but no more so than to just stand there, pretending to be an idiot."""
text3398;"""To be honest, Kiyama-sensei, you're right — I came here for a reason…"""
text3399;"""I let out a sigh, my head cast down."""
text3400;"""Really now? And what is it?"""
text3401;"""It's about Catherine Winters."""
text3402;"""What about her?"""
text3403;"""The Principal seemed to have realized something; his eyebrows soared up, he even took half a step forward."""
text3404;"""Don't tell me you've drawn her into your shameful, antisocial behavior!"""
text3405;"""No, I didn't…"""
text3406;"""I may tolerate you here only because I don't have a formal reason to expel you, but Miss Winters… She is an exemplary student with a bright future! We are all very happy to see her return to our school!"""
text3407;"""Kiyama-sensei…"""
text3408;"""But the old man had already gotten worked up and stopped paying attention to me, as if making a speech from a platform in front of a crowd of students."""
text3409;"""Of course, it's regrettable that you have no one to set you on the right path, to properly guide you, but that doesn't give you the right to pervert the other students!"""
text3410;"""Kiyama-sensei…"""
text3411;"""I repeated, louder."""
text3412;"""Your life is your responsibility, but it would be criminal to derail someone else's future…"""
text3413;"""Kiyama-sensei!"""
text3414;"""I almost shouted."""
text3415;"""To derail Miss Winters' future, I'd need to find her first! She's not at school today."""
text3416;"""Oh, is that so…"""
text3417;"""It seemed like the principal had managed to bring himself back to reality."""
text3418;"""And I wanted to learn her current address in Tokyo."""
text3419;"""You do understand that we cannot disclose students' personal information, don't you, Anokhin-kun?"""
text3420;"""What's so <i>personal</i> about it? What if I want to, say, bring her some homework?"""
text3421;"""Kiyama-sensei frowned and thought about it — my question clearly puzzled him."""
text3422;"""In the old principal's worldview, everything was neatly organized with a truly Japanese accuracy and meticulousness."""
text3423;"""He didn't understand and didn't accept anything that was outside the borders of this view, and became bewildered when anything within it didn't work as intended."""
text3424;"""To put it simply, a classmate could very well bring Catherine her homework."""
text3425;"""And to do that, they would obviously need to know her address."""
text3426;"""But to give it to me would mean to bring upon himself a shame incompatible with the way of a true samurai."""
text3427;"""Anokhin-kun, I'm glad you are…"""
text3428;"""Now he found it much harder to choose the right the words — the fire of his former tone had all but died out…"""
text3429;"""I mean to say you shouldn't be worrying about the academic performance of other students, you should instead watch your own."""
text3430;"""What does this have to do with my performance in the first place?"""
text3431;"""He was clearly about to say something else, but at that moment, the bell rang. <w>The principal let out a sigh of relief and said in conclusion:"""
text3432;"""I hope we're done here?"""
text3433;"""Yeah, sure are…"""
text3434;"""I grumbled under my breath, heading to class."""
text3435;"""No, it was a stupid idea after all!"""
text3436;"""No one would give me her address, and hoping for the teachers' room to be empty was even more stupid!"""
text3437;"""I simply went to wander the school, soon ending up in the cafeteria."""
text3438;"""The bell had already rung, so there was no reason to hurry to class."""
text3439;"""To kill some time, I bought a cup of green tea and a jelly bun."""
text3440;"""The cafeteria was empty except for one table, a girl sitting behind it."""
text3441;"""Looking carefully, I recognized Saya-chan — Himitsu's classmate and best friend."""
text3442;"""Any company's better than none."""
text3443;"""Hey there, you skipping too?"""
text3444;"""I sat down across the table from her, lazily sprawling myself on the chair."""
text3445;"""Anokhin-san…"""
text3446;"""Just call me Nick!"""
text3447;"""I flashed her a disarming smile, but Saya seemed unaffected."""
text3448;"""We've got physical education now, and I strained my leg recently. What about you, why are you here while everyone else is studying?"""
text3449;"""Relax, I told you I'm skipping."""
text3450;"""Typical…"""
text3451;"""Her blatant contempt was fighting against the code of conduct that demanded unconditional respect for those older than her. <w>Even if I was only older by a year."""
text3452;"""Well, thinking about it, she almost always treated me this way."""
text3453;"""And the reason for that was Himitsu. <w>Saya was convinced I treated her badly, didn't respect and ignored her feelings."""
text3454;"""Unfortunately, she was mostly right."""
text3455;"""Oh come on, don't start again! How's Himitsu doing, by the way?"""
text3456;"""Are you really interested?"""
text3457;"""No, of course not, I only just saw her this morning. But what else am I supposed to say when you meet everything coming out of my mouth at knife point?"""
text3458;"""It's just your imagination."""
text3459;"""No it's not! You're just convinced everyone should act exactly to your standards!"""
text3460;"""That'd be nice."""
text3461;"""She grinned."""
text3462;"""Okay, I see you're in no mood to talk. I guess I'll go then…"""
text3463;"""Why did you even come in the first place? To fight?"""
text3464;"""I was already about to stand up but in the end decided to achieve victory in this stupid argument."""
text3465;"""No, goddammit, to pick on you! Everyone else is studying, there's no one else around."""
text3466;"""No one at all?"""
text3467;"""Yes, no one at all. Don't be so full of yourself."""
text3468;"""I just…"""
text3469;"""You're just convinced you're right! So typical…"""
text3470;"""I mockingly imitated her."""
text3471;"""Wow, Himitsu's really lucky to have you…"""
text3472;"""Well, she at least has someone. And what about you? Any man would drown in your bile on the very first date."""
text3473;"""Saya's lips trembled — she was about to cry."""
text3474;"""I'd overdone it…"""
text3475;"""Okay, sorry! But you started it."""
text3476;"""Now the girl looked completely miserable."""
text3477;"""After all, she was just a child and had probably never experienced any real difficulties. The theatrical arrogance and self-confidence were protective masks to hide her insecurities."""
text3478;"""Unfortunately, you could hardly say the gods of Japan had gifted Saya with beauty."""
text3479;"""It's sometimes said that girls choose bad-looking friends to appear better in contrast."""
text3480;"""I wasn't sure if Himitsu ever thought about this, but the fact remained…"""
text3481;"""Alright, sorry!"""
text3482;"""Asshole, jerk, idiot!"""
text3483;"""She jumped up from her chair, threw an unfinished bun at me, and ran to the cafeteria's exit."""
text3484;"""Well, so much for conversation…"""
text3485;"""The lessons were running their course, and the class was unusually quiet."""
text3486;"""I didn't learn Catherine's address and neither did I know why she didn't come to school today."""
text3487;"""But how was that strange exactly?"""
text3488;"""She disappeared from my life for one and a half years, and now I was already panicking after a single day?"""
text3489;"""It was an unpleasant feeling, as if nothing had changed after her return."""
text3490;"""I kept agonizing over things and working myself up as I had before. But now I had a real opportunity and reason to talk with her and try to figure out our relationship."""
text3491;"""A real reason for hope…"""
text3492;"""There was no tangible goal ahead, no script for victory or defeat, only gray days that followed each other like gray clouds in the sky on a rainy day."""
text3493;"""I didn't believe everything would be like it was before."""
text3494;"""I didn't believe it would be much worse, because that would simply not be possible."""
text3495;"""I just wanted to be understood! <w>Maybe then something would change!"""
text3496;"""I felt like I was terminally ill, with only 50 or 60 years left to live."""
text3497;"""Maybe in this situation, it would make sense to try and get the most out life, to live every day like the last."""
text3498;"""But almost anyone would throw their hands up. <w>Why strain yourself if the end is inevitable?"""
text3499;"""And only one thing could still change something for me — the belief that everything I did wasn't in vain. <w>That someone else needed all of it as well."""
text3500;"""Maybe, somewhere deep inside, I was waiting for an apology too, even though all hope had long been lost."""
text3501;"""Look, look everyone! <w>I didn't just give up, didn't surrender my arms and cease to struggle!"""
text3502;"""Yes, I lost, but I fought till the very end, I did everything I could!"""
text3503;"""Time and time again it seemed to me that everyone was silently laughing at me. <w>Even Michael, even Kyosuke!"""
text3504;"""Because they knew how much of a loser I was. <w>If only they could understand…"""
text3505;"""The only one who wasn't laughing was Himitsu — because she was always close, she saw everything, from beginning to end."""
text3506;"""She <i>understood</i>, she cared!"""
text3507;"""She was like a nurse on a battlefield, caring for the soldiers fallen but still alive."""
text3508;"""But in that case, why couldn't I love her the same way I loved Catherine…?"""
text3509;"""It was as if some sort of chain shackled my soul — the chain of duty, making you leap into the fight with what remains of your strength, forgetting your real reason for battle."""
text3510;"""Fatherland, religion, love — it's easy to come up with a reason to heroically die, leaving a mark on history or at least in the memory of those close to you."""
text3511;"""It's much harder to come up with a reason to live — when the abstract concepts that flutter like banners over the enemy's stronghold disappear in the hazy smoke of daily existence."""
text3512;"""There was no meaning to my life, I just wanted my accomplishments in battles past recognized."""
text3513;"""Abandoned by everyone, blinded by the faded flashes of the once-great <i>feeling</i>, I wandered aimlessly through the now-empty battlefield."""
text3514;"""I no longer believed Himitsu could save me — why would she need a mortally wounded cripple?"""
text3515;"""Neither did I believe that I would be able to find my weapon by hand and charge forward, to the distant goal. <w>Hoping not even to win but to die, grasping <i>happiness</i> in my last moments."""
text3516;"""Hey Nick, you asleep or something?"""
text3517;"""Hmmm?"""
text3518;"""I was generally prone to daydreams, but they didn't rule my life, remaining on some existential level."""
text3519;"""Otherwise, I would have long lost myself to alcohol or taken my own life."""
text3520;"""I wouldn't normally call you a people person, but today you're just pitiful to look at."""
text3521;"""Well, thank you for the concern!"""
text3522;"""Is this about Catherine?"""
text3523;"""Kyosuke sat on my desk. <w>It creaked and even bent slightly."""
text3524;"""Man, you fatass, are you trying to cause an earthquake?!"""
text3525;"""I pushed him aside and laughed."""
text3526;"""I see you're lively as always."""
text3527;"""Michael approached us."""
text3528;"""Well, I can't speak for Nick…"""
text3529;"""Alright, let's go eat or something!"""
text3530;"""I just wanted to distract myself from my gloomy thoughts for a bit."""
text3531;"""Today we didn't need to elbow our way through the cafeteria — Kyosuke knew every runaround, not to mention the chubby young man had a great relationship with all the women there."""
text3532;"""We were sitting in the middle of the hall like kings, which made my Japanese friend look especially funny."""
text3533;"""All of that slightly improved my mood."""
text3534;"""Did you watch the game yesterday?"""
text3535;"""Michael asked, lazily poking the rice with a spoon."""
text3536;"""You bet! Of course! You know, in the third inning…"""
text3537;"""I never understood the Japanese obsession with baseball."""
text3538;"""Or rather, I couldn't understand the point of the game in the first place."""
text3539;"""Sure, it wasn't hard to remember the rules, but I was always more interested in the more <i>traditional</i> sports — football, basketball, hockey."""
text3540;"""And here were Michael and Kyosuke, USA and Japan, perhaps the only two countries where baseball was popular at all."""
text3541;"""So their conversation was starting to really bore me."""
text3542;"""Guys, give it a rest already."""
text3543;"""You can propose a different topic."""
text3544;"""Michael easily parried."""
text3545;"""What topics could I possibly have…"""
text3546;"""My mood quickly returned to being as bad as it could. <w>My recent agonizing thoughts overwhelmed me again."""
text3547;"""Nick, don't be like that…"""
text3548;"""Kyosuke mumbled sympathetically."""
text3549;"""I agree, you need to keep thinking positively in any situation."""
text3550;"""I was morally exhausted, tired of all these thoughts, and didn't have any strength left to get angry at them."""
text3551;"""Like you'd understand!"""
text3552;"""Sometimes, simple support is enough."""
text3553;"""Yes, Nick, we're your friends after all!"""
text3554;"""Guys, it's not so simple…"""
text3555;"""Psychologists say you can't keep everything inside."""
text3556;"""Kyosuke said didactically."""
text3557;"""I don't see any psychologists around here…"""
text3558;"""Sometimes you can get it off your chest with someone you're close with."""
text3559;"""Michael looked as imperturbable as ever."""
text3560;"""Of course, there was nothing strange in my friends' desire to help, but I couldn't get rid of the idea that they had goals of their own in mind."""
text3561;"""With Kyosuke it was obvious — curiosity."""
text3562;"""He was like a sucker fish, feeding on hearsay and rumors about the lives of others."""
text3563;"""He even had something like an information network in the school!"""
text3564;"""I liked to believe said network wouldn't start gossiping about my life as well."""
text3565;"""But although it was pretty simple with Kyosuke, Michael on the other hand…"""
text3566;"""He was diligently pretending to be interested in my situation \""just because\"", but somehow, I felt like that wasn't the case…"""
text3567;"""Well, let's say you don't exactly know…"""
text3568;"""It took me a bit to find the right words"""
text3569;"""… the backstory."""
text3570;"""Maybe."""
text3571;"""He responded coldly."""
text3572;"""We'll tell you then, not a big…"""
text3573;"""It took just a short glance from me for Kyosuke to hush up."""
text3574;"""It's not a secret or anything… It's just…"""
text3575;"""But really, what did I have to hide?"""
text3576;"""Our past relationship with Catherine wasn't a secret. <w>In reality, many people in the school knew about it."""
text3577;"""And I was acting as if I wanted to preserve something sacred, something only I, and maybe also Katya, knew…"""
text3578;"""It was stupid, but at that moment I couldn't act any other way."""
text3579;"""…"""
text3580;"""The unpleasant conversation somehow died out, and we finished the lunch in relative peace."""
text3581;"""The lessons dragged on at a painfully slow pace, but at long last the final bell rang."""
text3582;"""I was slowly packing the books when Himitsu materialized near my chair as if having jumped out of <note=note19>transwarp</note>."""
text3583;"""Niko-kun, let's go home together?"""
text3584;"""She gave me a cute smile."""
text3585;"""As cute as always, and I'd say much cuter than in the past several days."""
text3586;"""I had nothing against going home, but I couldn't get over the fact that I'd never found out where Catherine had gone."""
text3587;"""But what could I do?"""
text3588;"""There seemed to be only two logical solutions: to go where she'd been living before or to try and find her mother."""
text3589;"""On one hand, there was a certain chance they'd returned to the same flat they'd been using before."""
text3590;"""Why not? <w>It was most probably an ambassadorial apartment."""
text3591;"""On the other, her mother was a relatively famous person, so in theory it'd be easy to find her."""
text3592;"""But at the same time, the nasty voice of reason in my head was whispering that Catherine had only missed school for one day and that it was too early to panic…"""
text3593;"""Hey, hello! Earth to Niko-kun?"""
text3594;"""Yeah, sorry, I was daydreaming."""
text3595;"""Check Catherine's old apartment"""
text3596;"""Try to find her mother"""
text3597;"""Go home with Himitsu"""
text3598;"""Still, no matter how I looked at it, it was better to start at the beginning."""
text3599;"""Catherine had been living in that apartment with her mother for a long time, why wouldn't they go back there?"""
text3600;"""You know, I've got some things to do today…"""
text3601;"""And another stupid, thoughtless lie!"""
text3602;"""Well, no, not really. I just promised to meet with a friend."""
text3603;"""A stupid, slightly thoughtful lie. <w>Himitsu looked at me like she was about to say I have no friends."""
text3604;"""Alright…"""
text3605;"""Of course, she wouldn't say something like that, and I knew it."""
text3606;"""It was a fail-free excuse, just barely good enough to pass. <w>I just had to make sure not to use it too often."""
text3607;"""Wanna come by later today?"""
text3608;"""I've got a lot of homework."""
text3609;"""Himitsu dropped in response, trying to sound uninterested."""
text3610;"""Maybe it would work with someone else; not with me."""
text3611;"""Well, alright… Till tomorrow then."""
text3612;"""Till tomorrow."""
text3613;"""She didn't even smile…"""
text3614;"""…"""
text3615;"""I felt guilty over Himitsu but tried as hard as I could to distract myself from these thoughts."""
text3616;"""The Winters family's old apartment was located in the very center of Tokyo."""
text3617;"""I was always attracted by the local rhythm of life, all the neon lights at night, the abundance of various offices and shops."""
text3618;"""It contrasted nicely with the district where Himitsu and I lived."""
text3619;"""Hundreds of thousands of yen for a square meter, millions of yen flowing through the accounts of big companies with offices on the top floors of gigantic skyscrapers, a couple thousand yen in my pocket…"""
text3620;"""It was like comparing a poor fisherman from <note=note20>Hokkaido</note> with a powerful shogun from Honshu."""
text3621;"""But I wasn't jealous of the wealth of others and didn't strive to get rich myself."""
text3622;"""I just wanted to see the world and show it what I was capable of."""
text3623;"""In some sense, I was even glad I didn't have to chase after money 24 hours a day, forgetting to sleep and rest."""
text3624;"""Although that wasn't because of any <i>high morals</i>, which I didn't have, but probably because I didnt need much to be satisfied, just the bare minimum."""
text3625;"""I never wondered if I'd be happier having an apartment in a penthouse, a yacht, or a personal airplane."""
text3626;"""Given the choice, I would most likely ask a djinn for something spiritual, not mountains of gold and toilets of platinum."""
text3627;"""Seized by these thoughts, I didn't even notice when I reached Catherine's old place."""
text3628;"""…"""
text3629;"""Of course, her apartment was occupied by other people — something I should've expected."""
text3630;"""After all, it belonged to the embassy and was given to other workers, while Catherine and her mother were offered housing somewhere else."""
text3631;"""Well, at least I tried…"""
text3632;"""I was aimlessly wandering through the city, ogling the luxurious storefronts and their exorbitant prices."""
text3633;"""Maybe earlier I'd exaggerated a little about the platinum toilets. <w>Given some extra cash, I would've definitely bought some of the things on sale there."""
text3634;"""For the last half an hour, it seemed like someone was tracing my steps."""
text3635;"""Not properly following me — the attempts of the pursuer felt too amateurish."""
text3636;"""Finally, I got tired of it, dove into an alleyway, and hid myself."""
text3637;"""And there he was, the evildoer!"""
text3638;"""I grabbed him by the hand, dragged him out of the crowd…"""
text3639;"""And found in front of myself a cute, surprised face, two red braids, and pouting lips!"""
text3640;"""And how long exactly have you been following me?"""
text3641;"""Since you left school!"""
text3642;"""She answered resentfully."""
text3643;"""Why?"""
text3644;"""What would you do in my place? You said you were going to meet a friend, and instead…"""
text3645;"""\""Instead\"" what?"""
text3646;"""Himitsu bit her lip in frustration but managed to get a hold of herself and say:"""
text3647;"""Didn't Katty-chan live here before?"""
text3648;"""Well, let's say she did…"""
text3649;"""And you said… Is she there now too?"""
text3650;"""No."""
text3651;"""I gave a short answer and, not letting Himitsu get a single word in, continued:"""
text3652;"""Let's go home?"""
text3653;"""Niko-kun, wait…"""
text3654;"""…"""
text3655;"""It would probably have been easier to take the subway, but for some reason, I wanted to go for a walk."""
text3656;"""Himitsu was dragging herself along, everything about her implying I'd better explain myself."""
text3657;"""And I gladly would, if only I knew what to say…"""
text3658;"""As it stood, however, I just wanted to pay her back, in a sense, by spending time together."""
text3659;"""Even simply wandering the streets."""
text3660;"""You shouldn't go looking for schemes where there are none."""
text3661;"""I said, stopping at a big storefront."""
text3662;"""What do you mean?"""
text3663;"""I just wanted to talk, to find out why she returned, why she transferred to our school again. I have the right, don't I?"""
text3664;"""Mhm…"""
text3665;"""Himitsu quietly mumbled in response and lowered her eyes."""
text3666;"""It doesn't mean… It doesn't really mean anything. And you shouldn't follow me, everything will be alright!"""
text3667;"""Although I knew perfectly well that Himitsu was following me for different reasons entirely."""
text3668;"""I could have also said, \""Don't be jealous!\""."""
text3669;"""Maybe I should have done something like that? <w>Just to calm her down."""
text3670;"""Not to lie, no, just to leave the hardest part for later, for when I would have finally sorted out my relationship with Catherine."""
text3671;"""But deep inside I knew it would probably never happen; to sort out a relationship, you have to start with yourself."""
text3672;"""I don't believe you!"""
text3673;"""She suddenly said with resolve."""
text3674;"""It'll all end up like year and a half ago again — you'll suffer!"""
text3675;"""Himitsu, wait…"""
text3676;"""Don't you understand that's how it'll always be with her?! She's incapable of loving anyone but herself! She just likes to hurt others!"""
text3677;"""Calm down…"""
text3678;"""You just can't understand! How can you stand someone treating you like that?! It's not even love anymore, it's masochism!"""
text3679;"""Himitsu, enough already!"""
text3680;"""If I were in her place…"""
text3681;"""Tokyo's central business district was noisy, but a hysteric in the middle of the street was too much even for this place."""
text3682;"""People looked at us in alarm, and even I started to feel uncomfortable."""
text3683;"""Let's talk about this at home!"""
text3684;"""I don't want to, I won't! Talking is useless! What for? For you to nod your head again and then, in the end, do what you want and hurt me?!"""
text3685;"""The expression on her face shifted to one of deep resentment; her lips trembled; the first, most bitter, tears started swelling at the corners of her eyes."""
text3686;"""I can't keep going like this! If not for her, if only it wasn't for her, it would all be like before! Why does she simply take what she has no right to? I hate it, I hate it!"""
text3687;"""At that moment I forgot all about Catherine, I had to calm her down!"""
text3688;"""It wasn't even about Katya; poor Himitsu just didn't deserve to be treated like this."""
text3689;"""From the bottom of my soul was rising a burning sense of duty, irremunerable duty to Himitsu that I wouldn't be able to pay off no matter how much I tried."""
text3690;"""I hugged her and pressed her to my chest; I felt her in my hands, the fragile girl, the only human being who really cared about me."""
text3691;"""The sobs became quieter, and eventually, Himitsu's breath grew even."""
text3692;"""Let's go home?"""
text3693;"""She gave a slight nod and took me by the hand."""
text3694;"""This wasn't the time for yet more excuses or trying to sort things out; being with her was good enough."""
text3695;"""…"""
text3696;"""When we reached home, it was already evening."""
text3697;"""You probably need to get some sleep?"""
text3698;"""Mhm…"""
text3699;"""Himitsu responded without even looking at me and slowly headed for her home."""
text3700;"""Well, night brings counsel — perhaps things would calm down by tomorrow."""
text3701;"""Although I knew perfectly well that these sort of hysterics was uncharacteristic of Himitsu and would probably have consequences…"""
text3702;"""Why had I even thought the embassy's apartment would be left empty for Catherine's mother?"""
text3703;"""The USA's diplomatic mission surely had other employees as well!"""
text3704;"""But Miss Winters herself was a relatively public person, so finding her wouldn't be particularly difficult."""
text3705;"""Let's go!"""
text3706;"""But it would still be best to call from home."""
text3707;"""…"""
text3708;"""Himitsu looked joyful, perhaps even happy."""
text3709;"""So you met Saya-chan today?"""
text3710;"""I may have, but I didn't really want to remind myself of it."""
text3711;"""Yeah, at one point. Why?"""
text3712;"""No, nothing, nothing at all…"""
text3713;"""Himitsu replied impishly."""
text3714;"""Did she say something? About me, that I… well… said something wrong?"""
text3715;"""Nothing much."""
text3716;"""Well, okay then."""
text3717;"""I needed to change the subject quick."""
text3718;"""What are you so pleased about?"""
text3719;"""Himitsu only smiled in response."""
text3720;"""Come on, what is it?"""
text3721;"""It's a wonderful day today, isn't it?"""
text3722;"""I tried to remember if it was wonderful in the morning."""
text3723;"""It's already fall but it's still warm like in summer! Soon there will be rain, then cold, and then even snow!"""
text3724;"""Snow in winter, what an unexpected development!"""
text3725;"""But we'll be able to build a snowman, like when we were kids!"""
text3726;"""Yeah, except the one making it was me, you mostly just stood there."""
text3727;"""That's not true! I was managing the construction and providing moral support!"""
text3728;"""The childhood memories made me smile involuntarily."""
text3729;"""It was so long ago it seemed to have happened to someone other than me."""
text3730;"""Shocking events and emotional stress leave heavy imprints in one's memory, crossing out everything bright and joyful."""
text3731;"""Ah…"""
text3732;"""What?"""
text3733;"""I was just thinking. Was it… 10 years ago?"""
text3734;"""Yeah, something like that."""
text3735;"""She looked at me intently."""
text3736;"""Oh stop grunting like an old man, you!"""
text3737;"""I grabbed Himitsu by the cheeks and pulled them to the sides, molding a funny grimace out of her face."""
text3738;"""Ouch, it hurts!"""
text3739;"""Now you're grunting like an old woman!"""
text3740;"""…"""
text3741;"""When we reached the house, I stopped and said:"""
text3742;"""I've got a lot of homework, so…"""
text3743;"""Why are you suddenly hitting the books?"""
text3744;"""She squinted her eyes and looked just like a young investigator from the vice squad."""
text3745;"""Because if I keep things going like this, I'll get expelled even from the graduating class."""
text3746;"""It looked like she didn't believe me, or at least pretended to."""
text3747;"""No, really!"""
text3748;"""Fine, fine."""
text3749;"""Himitsu laughed."""
text3750;"""Go study, lazybones!"""
text3751;"""…"""
text3752;"""Of course, I wouldn't actually care in the slightest even if I were expelled — I just didn't want to tell her I was going to look for Catherine's mother."""
text3753;"""The yellow pages of my father's telephone book were evenly filled with firm, sprawling handwriting."""
text3754;"""Only the very end featured my crooked squiggles — sometimes vertically, sometimes horizontally, at times in Russian, Japanese, or even English."""
text3755;"""Kyosuke's number, Michael's, the bank's, social services…"""
text3756;"""I once heard that the circle of close contacts for a normal person isn't more than a hundred friends or acquaintances."""
text3757;"""Well, in that sense, the world was truly small for me…"""
text3758;"""There was also the number of Catherine's old apartment; I decided to call just in case."""
text3759;"""She no longer lived there, which was to be expected."""
text3760;"""I called the information center and learned the number of the American embassy."""
text3761;"""However, they refused to give me any info about Catherine Winters."""
text3762;"""For safety reasons, perhaps? <w>That was weird — she wasn't a spy or anything."""
text3763;"""I kept turning the pages."""
text3764;"""There was also a number of an acquaintance of father's, from the Japanese MFA."""
text3765;"""He said they did not possess the contact information for Catherine's mother."""
text3766;"""I made calls to several more places, but none brought any results."""
text3767;"""That didn't seem to be too strange; how long had it been since she arrived in the country, a week or so?"""
text3768;"""That wasn't enough of a length of time to accommodate yourself properly and talk to everyone she'd need to."""
text3769;"""It wouldn't be enough — for me…"""
text3770;"""Business people did everything much quicker, and communication was the most important part of a diplomat's work."""
text3771;"""I flipped through the telephone book once again, looking for familiar surnames."""
text3772;"""Ichinose… <w>I doubted he knew Catherine's mother — why would he?"""
text3773;"""I drove away the thoughts about the calls and the note — there was nothing odd about the current situation."""
text3774;"""…"""
text3775;"""Another hour or so of calling every possible number brought exactly zero results."""
text3776;"""The evening was drawing near… <w>I grew hungry and tiredly dragged myself to the kitchen."""
text3777;"""I had neither the desire nor the strength to cook. <w>I just sat heavily down on a chair and stared out the window, hoping, somewhere deep inside, for a miracle to happen."""
text3778;"""The miracle didn't make me wait very long: keys crunched joyfully in the hallway, and a second later Himitsu came in."""
text3779;"""Niko-kun!"""
text3780;"""She looked at me in surprise and even froze for a moment."""
text3781;"""I thought you were studying."""
text3782;"""I just finished…"""
text3783;"""And, forestalling her distrust, I added:"""
text3784;"""I'm lazy, not dumb!"""
text3785;"""Yeah, sure…"""
text3786;"""Do you want to have dinner?"""
text3787;"""You bet!"""
text3788;"""Himitsu headed to the refrigerator but suddenly stopped, as if thinking of something, and looked around."""
text3789;"""Something wrong?"""
text3790;"""It took her a bit to answer:"""
text3791;"""No, nothing, everything's fine. What do you want me to make?"""
text3792;"""If it was anyone else in her place, I may have believed everything was indeed <i>fine</i>."""
text3793;"""Was something wrong with the kitchen?"""
text3794;"""I looked around but didn't notice anything suspicious."""
text3795;"""Maybe there was some other reason?"""
text3796;"""Whatever you want…"""
text3797;"""Or was it just my imagination?"""
text3798;"""…"""
text3799;"""Well, cheers for the end of the school week!"""
text3800;"""We had finished the dinner and were just sitting at the table, enjoying the calm and quiet."""
text3801;"""Mhm…"""
text3802;"""What were you thinking of doing on the weekend?"""
text3803;"""I don't really know, haven't thought about it."""
text3804;"""And that was the honest truth."""
text3805;"""What about you?"""
text3806;"""Nothing at all?"""
text3807;"""She was clearly asking for a reason."""
text3808;"""Did you want to suggest something?"""
text3809;"""I didn't, I thought you did."""
text3810;"""I didn't either…"""
text3811;"""Niko-kun…"""
text3812;"""She frowned."""
text3813;"""Then who did you call?"""
text3814;"""Call? I didn't call anyone, why'd you think that?"""
text3815;"""The telephone book is lying open on the drawer."""
text3816;"""Ahh, you mean that! I just called the bank once!"""
text3817;"""She wasn't going to believe me — I knew the bank's number by heart, as well as a couple others, just because I never called anywhere else."""
text3818;"""Oh, naturally! I guess that's why the phone's been busy the whole time!"""
text3819;"""How do you know?"""
text3820;"""I called several times. Wanted to ask when I should come to not distract you from the studies."""
text3821;"""Uh, erm, well…"""
text3822;"""Were you busy with a round of international negotiations or something?"""
text3823;"""Bullseye, almost."""
text3824;"""In fact, I had nothing to respond with."""
text3825;"""I wasn't going to offer excuses but at the same time found myself somewhat guilty toward Himitsu."""
text3826;"""Mostly for not being able to hide from her that I'd been trying to find Catherine."""
text3827;"""So I decided to go on the offensive."""
text3828;"""So what of it? Yeah, I was making calls! Is that prohibited now?! And you're watching my every step! That's not right!"""
text3829;"""I'm not watching, I just worry about you!"""
text3830;"""She quickly grew sad."""
text3831;"""Were you looking for Katty-chan again?"""
text3832;"""There was no use in lying anymore — she'd figured me out anyway, and I'd grown quite tired of it all."""
text3833;"""Yes."""
text3834;"""I answered in a dull voice and, unable to stand her accusing glare, started to wash the dishes."""
text3835;"""Did you find her?"""
text3836;"""Himitsu's voice was trembling."""
text3837;"""No."""
text3838;"""Will you?"""
text3839;"""I don't know."""
text3840;"""But what for?"""
text3841;"""What do you mean what for? To…"""
text3842;"""I stopped short, realizing I didn't know the answer to this question myself."""
text3843;"""Do you think she'll disappear again?"""
text3844;"""I don't think anything, goddammit! Just put yourself in my place, what else am I supposed to do?!"""
text3845;"""I have… more than once."""
text3846;"""Himitsu was sitting on the chair, her back straight, looking somewhere through me with a blank expression on her face."""
text3847;"""I'll go."""
text3848;"""I had nothing to say to her."""
text3849;"""…"""
text3850;"""For a long time after the door closed behind Himitsu, water kept flowing from the tap."""
text3851;"""The sky had grown completely dark."""
text3852;"""This whole thing was weird — I had waited for a year and a half, and now couldn't endure a single day?"""
text3853;"""Catherine could have dozens of reasons to skip classes today."""
text3854;"""And most probably none of them were connected to me!"""
text3855;"""Let's go."""
text3856;"""…"""
text3857;"""Himitsu looked somehow too content."""
text3858;"""I wanted to ask what happened but couldn't bring myself to. <w>As if following a habit, I was making up a believable lie, anything just to not tell her the truth."""
text3859;"""But what in the world did I have to fear now?! <w>After all, I decided not to fuss about Catherine."""
text3860;"""I probably just got too used to keeping my true feelings hidden from Himitsu in futile attempts to prevent myself from hurting her."""
text3861;"""What are you thinking, Niko-kun?"""
text3862;"""Well, I…"""
text3863;"""Here I go again!"""
text3864;"""Just school. There's barely any of it left, and then it's adulthood."""
text3865;"""I smiled to somewhat smooth out the seeming gravity of the topic."""
text3866;"""Long overdue!"""
text3867;"""Well, it's more complicated for me compared to you."""
text3868;"""Why's that?"""
text3869;"""You made your choice long ago, you want to teach Russian. But I don't know yet…"""
text3870;"""For some reason, Himitsu blushed but kept looking at me just as intently."""
text3871;"""Better sooner than later. I have more time to get ready too!"""
text3872;"""I'm not arguing with that! But that's all well good when you know who you want to be. And I… To be honest, I don't want to become anyone."""
text3873;"""Niko-kun…"""
text3874;"""I'll go work retail for minimum wage and drink myself silly in the evenings."""
text3875;"""Niko-kun!"""
text3876;"""Fine, fine!"""
text3877;"""If I become a teacher, we could…"""
text3878;"""The end of the phrase lingered in the air."""
text3879;"""I mean, you could…"""
text3880;"""What?"""
text3881;"""Himitsu totally lost herself in the maze of her own unsaid words."""
text3882;"""But you used to have dreams and aspirations before!"""
text3883;"""And when was that?"""
text3884;"""I laughed."""
text3885;"""Before!"""
text3886;"""She stomped her small foot as hard as she could and stopped."""
text3887;"""A year and a half ago."""
text3888;"""I don't recall…"""
text3889;"""Of course you don't!"""
text3890;"""She clearly meant when Catherine and I were still together."""
text3891;"""But who did I want to become at the time?"""
text3892;"""The grief and pain seemed to have erased all other memories."""
text3893;"""No, I did, of course, remember how good it was to be together, the moments of joy and happiness."""
text3894;"""But at the same time, I completely forgot the mundane, everyday moments."""
text3895;"""As if that whole period of my life was fixated on her! <w>Catherine, Catherine, Catherine…"""
text3896;"""Was I not eating, sleeping, going to school, talking to Himitsu then?!"""
text3897;"""I bit my lip in frustration."""
text3898;"""There was only one thing you cared about back then!"""
text3899;"""What…?"""
text3900;"""You know what!"""
text3901;"""This standard woman's cop out suddenly sounded extremely fitting."""
text3902;"""Himitsu, come on, don't start again…"""
text3903;"""Come on what, don't start what?"""
text3904;"""I guess I was so used to finishing her sentences in my head, I was reflexively attributing words she never said to her."""
text3905;"""I don't want to fight! Especially not without a reason!"""
text3906;"""That wasn't at all convincing, so I took an extreme measure."""
text3907;"""I'm here now, with you, I'm not running after Catherine."""
text3908;"""It was time to put an end to our game of euphemisms."""
text3909;"""Where else would you be!"""
text3910;"""Her reaction was unexpectedly calm."""
text3911;"""You're your own worst enemy, after all."""
text3912;"""Well, if <i>that's</i> how you choose to put it…"""
text3913;"""She smiled and walked on toward home."""
text3914;"""What the hell was that…?"""
text3915;"""…"""
text3916;"""Himitsu was sitting in my room doing her homework, while I lay on the bed reading manga."""
text3917;"""It would seem like an absolutely normal sight if not for our conversation a couple hours prior."""
text3918;"""She was, however, acting as if nothing had happened."""
text3919;"""I felt uncomfortable to a degree but decided not to get back to the topic so as to not make things even worse."""
text3920;"""Niko-kun, should I spell \""осветить\"" or \""освятить\""?"""
text3921;"""Well that depends on what you're talking about."""
text3922;"""The sentence is \""освещает нам путь\""."""
text3923;"""Then there should be an \""е\"". What are you writing?"""
text3924;"""An essay."""
text3925;"""And the topic?"""
text3926;"""\""Religion and faith in Dostoevsky's novel 'The Brothers Karamazov'\""."""
text3927;"""Oooh…"""
text3928;"""I had never even read this novel… <w>Could I be envious of Himitsu…?"""
text3929;"""Our school held classes for most of the common languages of the world, but I'd rejected the idea of learning Russian as my second language since day one."""
text3930;"""I was fine as is, wasn't I? <w>Turns out I wasn't."""
text3931;"""So, is it interesting?"""
text3932;"""Read it, you can find out for yourself."""
text3933;"""Is it long?"""
text3934;"""Don't distract me! You've got your manga."""
text3935;"""The comparison of Dostoevsky to manga stung me even stronger."""
text3936;"""As you wish, milady!"""
text3937;"""I jerked myself up and went to the kitchen."""
text3938;"""More than a minute later, Himitsu was yet to show up."""
text3939;"""Was I really upset with her because the entirety of her life didn't revolve around me…?"""
text3940;"""Whatever!"""
text3941;"""…"""
text3942;"""Evening was drawing near."""
text3943;"""It was already time for dinner, and Himitsu still hadn't finished her essay."""
text3944;"""Annoyed (mostly with myself), I dug into the refrigerator, emerging with several eggs and vegetables."""
text3945;"""I could at least manage an omelet!"""
text3946;"""…"""
text3947;"""Not bad."""
text3948;"""Himitsu had a bite and complimented my cooking."""
text3949;"""How's Fyodor Mikhailovich doing?"""
text3950;"""Well, he tackles matters more philosophical than scrambled eggs."""
text3951;"""It's an omelet."""
text3952;"""I clarified and started to chew with double the speed."""
text3953;"""No, it wasn't envy at all, rather it was shame!"""
text3954;"""Yes, I was ashamed of being, in fact, absolutely pathetic even compared to Himitsu…"""
text3955;"""Why \""even\""…?"""
text3956;"""Did I really consider her just a piece of furniture?"""
text3957;"""Will you lend me the book?"""
text3958;"""Are you really interested?"""
text3959;"""She marveled."""
text3960;"""Well, it is <i>Russian</i> literature after all!"""
text3961;"""But there's no science fiction in it at all."""
text3962;"""That's not funny."""
text3963;"""I didn't want to upset you…"""
text3964;"""Himitsu uttered sadly."""
text3965;"""I'm not upset. But since when are you interested in things like this?"""
text3966;"""Well, it's…"""
text3967;"""I mean, I understand that you've been for a while, but not so heavily! This is philosophical literature you're reading already, and you're younger than me."""
text3968;"""I tried to talk calmly, but my voice sounded a tone higher than it should have."""
text3969;"""But I'm not younger than you, I just went to school later…"""
text3970;"""Maybe, but still!"""
text3971;"""Niko-kun, is something wrong?"""
text3972;"""Everything's fine! Everything's just wonderful! First Katya returns out of the blue, now I turn out to be the dumbest student in the school!"""
text3973;"""Katty-chan…"""
text3974;"""That's where realized I'd said too much in my fit of righteous anger."""
text3975;"""Catherine… It just came out like that."""
text3976;"""Himitsu put her chopsticks aside and stood up from the table."""
text3977;"""Don't worry, it's okay. I'll go."""
text3978;"""Himitsu, wait, you misunderstood! I just…"""
text3979;"""Niko-kun, it's alright. I just thought that what you said earlier today…"""
text3980;"""I'll go."""
text3981;"""Her face expressed nothing, and I just didn't know what else to do."""
text3982;"""Till tomorrow."""
text3983;"""She said, still coldly, and left."""
text3984;"""It looked like I really was the dumbest — whatever I said, it only made things worse."""
text3985;"""…"""
text3986;"""Meanwhile, the sky grew completely dark."""
text3987;"""I had most probably lived through worse days, but today was, on top of it all, also completely meaningless."""
text3988;"""I didn't manage to find Catherine but did manage to get into a fight with Himitsu."""
text3989;"""How typical of me!"""
text3990;"""If an idea gets into my head, I press forward with manic stubbornness, paying no attention to consequences or collateral damage."""
text3991;"""In the manga Kyosuke liked so much, heroes would rarely choose the path of least resistance."""
text3992;"""\""Contemptible!\"" — is what some of them would say. <w>\""Cowardliness!\"" — is what others would add."""
text3993;"""But I'd say that everyone decides for themselves if the means justify the ends."""
text3994;"""Let's say I were to get Catherine to explain herself…"""
text3995;"""Wouldn't that completely upset my relationship with Himitsu…?"""
text3996;"""And there was still the matter of the calls and the note… <w>Was I really in danger?"""
text3997;"""In any case, at the moment my head was filled with something completely different."""
text3998;"""\""If nothing changes with Catherine, and Himitsu never forgives me, then please do kill me!\"" — Is what I thought."""
text3999;"""But if I were to give up now, would that really be the end of it?"""
text4000;"""I tried to put myself in Himitsu's place."""
text4001;"""That didn't seem plausible."""
text4002;"""How would it look from her point of view? <w>Without finding anything out, <i>he</i> just forgets about Catherine and keeps living as if nothing happened?"""
text4003;"""Although it seemed to me that Himitsu would be quite alright with this scenario."""
text4004;"""Well, perhaps she would now. <w>But we're not seven years old anymore!"""
text4005;"""Something like this might fly once more, twice maybe, and then she'd just go away, cry it out, and leave everything behind as just another childhood memory."""
text4006;"""I barely believed my own logic but, driven by a surge of fear, kept piling up every remotely plausible theory."""
text4007;"""I felt ashamed about Himitsu but, at the same time, couldn't keep Catherine out of my head."""
text4008;"""Although after the events of the past day I wasn't sure about my feelings toward her either. <w>At least not completely."""
text4009;"""I was just tired. <w>With some sleep these feelings would fade away."""
text4010;"""Only to come back tomorrow?"""
text4011;"""No, I couldn't keep going like this!"""
text4012;"""I needed to find her and… let her go or…"""
text4013;"""At that moment I didn't want to think any further."""
text4014;"""Maybe I was afraid, but what the hell did it matter?"""
text4015;"""The last car drove down the street, its tires creaking quietly, and my district sank into pre-dawn silence."""
text4016;"""The morning came suddenly."""
text4017;"""Yesterday's tiredness seemed to have vanished as if by magic, even though I only managed to get 4 or 5 hours of sleep."""
text4018;"""I delightedly stretched and went to the kitchen."""
text4019;"""On the table lay a simple breakfast and a note."""
text4020;"""\""Niko-kun… See you in school. H.\"""""
text4021;"""I imagined Himitsu's displeased face and couldn't help but smile."""
text4022;"""It would be funny if it wasn't so sad…"""
text4023;"""She had a peculiar way to be upset with me."""
text4024;"""What would've happened if I did something really bad?"""
text4025;"""Would she make porridge instead of a three-course meal?"""
text4026;"""On the other hand, this was a pretty sad state of affairs."""
text4027;"""But there were more important things to worry about now!"""
text4028;"""Today I definitely had to talk to Kagome."""
text4029;"""I walked down the street, tossing up and catching a ripe red apple Himitsu had left behind."""
text4030;"""It could just turn out to be my last food until evening."""
text4031;"""I stood up, stretched myself, and went to the bathroom only to run into Himitsu in the hallway."""
text4032;"""Niko-kun!"""
text4033;"""Good morning. I came to make you breakfast."""
text4034;"""Good morning."""
text4035;"""Niko-kun…"""
text4036;"""What?"""
text4037;"""Himitsu blushed and lowered her eyes."""
text4038;"""Ah, right…"""
text4039;"""Yeah, I only had my underpants on, what of it? <w>Should I have been sleeping in a tuxedo?"""
text4040;"""…"""
text4041;"""Today's Friday!"""
text4042;"""Himitsu joyfully said, finishing breakfast."""
text4043;"""Hooray, finally!"""
text4044;"""I jokingly mimicked her."""
text4045;"""Hey!"""
text4046;"""In reality, all of my thoughts were occupied by yesterday's incident with Kagome."""
text4047;"""I definitely had to talk to her today!"""
text4048;"""…"""
text4049;"""I didn't even notice when we reached school."""
text4050;"""Oh, Saya-chan!"""
text4051;"""Himitsu exclaimed and was about to approach her friend but immediately stopped and gave me a guilty look."""
text4052;"""Go already! See you… later."""
text4053;"""She smiled and ran off.<seq hide_hi>"""
text4054;"""I had things to care about too."""
text4055;"""Thoughtful, I was walking through the school's yard; suddenly, joyful shouts coming from the pool reached my ears."""
text4056;"""Someone was clearly happier with life than me… <w>Who was it, I wondered."""
text4057;"""I slowly approached the fence and hid behind bushes."""
text4058;"""Splashing around in the pool was the parallel class."""
text4059;"""There was nothing interesting to it and I was about to leave for the school building, but my eyes stopped on Ellie."""
text4060;"""She looked gracious, perhaps even aristocratic. <w>Both in a school uniform, an informal gown, and in her swimsuit."""
text4061;"""Reflecting off of the water, flecks of sunlight played on her smooth skin, her wet hair fluttered in the wind, and her smile was so blinding Ellie couldn't help but stand out from the rest of the girls."""
text4062;"""I wondered if beauty always came complete with wealth and success."""
text4063;"""In any case, her life was most certainly simpler than mine."""
text4064;"""And it wasn't even about the events of the past several days — Ellie simply didn't have to worry about the future!"""
text4065;"""And what about me? <w>Was I going to finish school and go work for my food?"""
text4066;"""In another life, our positions could be switched…"""
text4067;"""Although, it could be that in this life, too, there was her complete opposite — Kagome."""
text4068;"""Well, Ellie might've had the better looks, but I caught myself thinking that I was comparing apples to oranges."""
text4069;"""Or rather, a girl wrapped in a gigantic puffer jacket, wearing felt boots, and with a thick wool kerchief on her head to a girl dressed in an evening gown with professional makeup on her face."""
text4070;"""Kagome… <w>I really didn't have time to admire lustrous sceney with beautiful girls!"""
text4071;"""I was about to leave when Ellie suddenly looked right at me and froze for a second."""
text4072;"""Eeeek!"""
text4073;"""She suddenly cried out and waved her hands at me."""
text4074;"""This was the last thing I needed!"""
text4075;"""All of her classmates turned their heads in my direction."""
text4076;"""Now I was going to also be known as the school's pervert… <w>Japan was strict about this stuff."""
text4077;"""What next?"""
text4078;"""I'd been a layabout, a hooligan… <w>A slacker, but never a pervert!"""
text4079;"""Anyway, this wasn't the best time to be ruminating…"""
text4080;"""I crouched and broke into a run away from the pool."""
text4081;"""Stopping only at the school's entrance, I looked back only to see no pursuit."""
text4082;"""I was sure they couldn't have seen my face among the bushes, which meant it was too early to crown myself with the title of pervert. <w>It would take some work yet to deserve it."""
text4083;"""I had already finished changing my shoes and was about to go to class when a shout resounded from behind my back:"""
text4084;"""Hey you!"""
text4085;"""In front of me stood Ellie, her breath heavy."""
text4086;"""And still clad in the swimsuit."""
text4087;"""When I… When I'd started to think you were normal! To peek at girls!"""
text4088;"""Well, to be fair, there were guys there too."""
text4089;"""I decided to play dumb:"""
text4090;"""No idea what you're talking about. Hi, by the way."""
text4091;"""Stop pretending! I just saw you at the pool."""
text4092;"""At the pool? What would I be doing there? I don't even know how to swim. Well, I do, actually, but not that well—"""
text4093;"""Stop clowning around!"""
text4094;"""She interrupted me and stepped closer."""
text4095;"""If for some reason you think you'll come out clean…"""
text4096;"""Doubt I'll come out any cleaner than you."""
text4097;"""I looked down at her swimsuit."""
text4098;"""What…?"""
text4099;"""It took Ellie a few seconds to understand what was going on, then it finally dawned on her."""
text4100;"""You! You! Pervert!"""
text4101;"""She covered herself with her hands and hid behind a locker."""
text4102;"""The nearby students had already been casting puzzled glances at her, but after this started to circle around us, at a respectable distance."""
text4103;"""So, swimming in a swimsuit is fine? Being in front of all your male classmates is fine? But here, with me, it's not?"""
text4104;"""It looked liked Ellie just wasn't listening to me. She kept glaring daggers left and right, like a cornered lion."""
text4105;"""You know you're not exactly in the right uniform for school, right?"""
text4106;"""It's all your fault!"""
text4107;"""It looked like she'd finally started to understand what I was saying, even looking out at me from behind the locker."""
text4108;"""You damn voyeur!"""
text4109;"""I wasn't peeping on you! I just passed by! Is it my fault our pool's there?"""
text4110;"""It really was a very weird place for a pool, actually."""
text4111;"""Why were you watching then?"""
text4112;"""Ellie said, calming down a little."""
text4113;"""Just daydreaming…"""
text4114;"""It was a bad excuse — the bottom line was that I was still peeping."""
text4115;"""Okay, fine, I'm a pervert, happy now? Nikolai Lazyborn of the House Anokhin, the father of lust, the king of hooligans, do-nothings, and future hobos!"""
text4116;"""A light smile appeared on Ellie's face."""
text4117;"""You're a strange one, can't even be angry with you properly."""
text4118;"""Is this a compliment?"""
text4119;"""From outside came a gust cool wind, and she shivered."""
text4120;"""Watch it! I'll forgive you — but for the first and only time!"""
text4121;"""Ellie ran back to the pool, her head cast down."""
text4122;"""I wondered how much this incident damaged her reputation as queen of the school."""
text4123;"""Or was she absolutely inviolable? <w>Would it take something worse for everyone to see that the queen was, in fact, naked…?"""
text4124;"""Giggling, I entered my class."""
text4125;"""The Ellie incident lifted my spirits and distracted me from worrying thoughts of my coming conversation with Kagome."""
text4126;"""Meanwhile, her desk was empty."""
text4127;"""You're unusually happy early in the morning. Did something happen?"""
text4128;"""Can't hide anything from Kyosuke!"""
text4129;"""Well, yeah, something did…"""
text4130;"""If I were to say I saw Ellie in a swimsuit he would probably have a heart attack."""
text4131;"""And what was it?"""
text4132;"""Nothing important…"""
text4133;"""Keeping secrets, eh?"""
text4134;"""Not a secret, it just doesn't matter."""
text4135;"""Sometimes it seems like you're hiding classified information!"""
text4136;"""Really? Why?"""
text4137;"""Doesn't matter."""
text4138;"""He replied, mocking me."""
text4139;"""Okay, whatever."""
text4140;"""Hey, wait, that's it?!"""
text4141;"""Yep."""
text4142;"""What else was there to talk about?"""
text4143;"""I glanced around the class, looking for Kagome, but she never came."""
text4144;"""Catherine wasn't there either, but I was, surprisingly, not too perturbed by her absence."""
text4145;"""I'll tell you if you win a bet with me."""
text4146;"""Kyosuke's eyes lit up."""
text4147;"""What's the bet?"""
text4148;"""You have to keep quiet the whole day today."""
text4149;"""You're always like that…"""
text4150;"""The bell rang, and the teacher entered the class, followed by Kagome."""
text4151;"""Oh well, there was a full day ahead."""
text4152;"""…"""
text4153;"""The lesson dragged on slowly; especially because I was replaying yesterday evening over and over in my head."""
text4154;"""Kagome saw me, there's no way she didn't!"""
text4155;"""And most probably she was the one to call the police."""
text4156;"""Let's say she had a reason for that, at least from her point of view."""
text4157;"""But if Kagome and this Akira Moriyuki really had nothing to hide, then why would she?"""
text4158;"""It would've been much easier to come out and say they'd never heard of Shinji!"""
text4159;"""At least it would be less suspicious…"""
text4160;"""…"""
text4161;"""As soon as the lesson was over, I jumped up and rushed to Kagome."""
text4162;"""I couldn't let her leave!"""
text4163;"""We need to talk!"""
text4164;"""Kagome pursed her lips and frowned."""
text4165;"""What about?"""
text4166;"""She made for a bad actress. <w>Himitsu could teach her a thing or two."""
text4167;"""You know what I'm talking about! Don't put on an act, please. At least not in class."""
text4168;"""I don't under…"""
text4169;"""Fine, whatever. I don't really care what people think of me, but what about you?"""
text4170;"""Kagome cast a quick glance at our classmates, but we hadn't caught their interest yet."""
text4171;"""Let's go."""
text4172;"""<seq ka_nodup>She nodded toward the door."""
text4173;"""…"""
text4174;"""A minute later, we were on the roof."""
text4175;"""I'm listening."""
text4176;"""The arms crossed over her chest and the focused expression on her face left no doubt that she knew what the conversation was going to be about."""
text4177;"""Her hair fluttered beautifully in the wind, her silhouette resembling an ancient Japanese warlord intently watching the course of a battle from a hill."""
text4178;"""Just a couple hours prior, I thought there was no way to compare milady Ellie to the peasant girl Kagome, but now I wasn't so sure."""
text4179;"""Well?"""
text4180;"""She finally uttered with impatience."""
text4181;"""Are we going to just stand here?"""
text4182;"""I woke up from my daze and said:"""
text4183;"""Can you explain your behavior yesterday?"""
text4184;"""…"""
text4185;"""Kagome's face seemed to be frozen in stone; she looked like a statue."""
text4186;"""Fine, then I'll talk for you."""
text4187;"""Yesterday you got scared about some suspicious guy trying to get into your restaurant when it was closed and called the police, right?"""
text4188;"""…"""
text4189;"""Is this something you normally do? Keep this up and your establishment will lose every last client! They come to eat sushi and end up in a prison van!"""
text4190;"""And who is Akira Moriyuki? Your father, uncle, maybe husband?"""
text4191;"""At the word \""father\"", Kagome's cheek twinged."""
text4192;"""She was completely unable to hide her true feelings, and this detached mask was the only solution she knew."""
text4193;"""Not like it helped much."""
text4194;"""Father, then. I see. Maybe you even know Akira Shinji?"""
text4195;"""…"""
text4196;"""Oh don't worry so much, I just need to talk to him about something."""
text4197;"""Kagome just kept standing there, looking somewhere past me."""
text4198;"""In any other situation her cold glare would make me avert my eyes, but right now I was too pumped up."""
text4199;"""Drop it already! What are you hiding?"""
text4200;"""I'm not hiding anything."""
text4201;"""Kagome finally answered with a slight strain in her voice."""
text4202;"""And then it dawned on me — what if it wasn't about Nikolai Anokhin in particular?"""
text4203;"""What if she was just scared?"""
text4204;"""Listen, don't think that… I mean, you have nothing to be afraid of!"""
text4205;"""By the looks of it, I'd shown weakness, and Kagome's expression changed immediately."""
text4206;"""Afraid? Of you? You wish!"""
text4207;"""I have no idea what your speech here was about. I just didn't want to have this farce in class, that's why I came with you."""
text4208;"""Oh, so that's how you talk now!"""
text4209;"""I knew she was lying."""
text4210;"""And she knew I knew."""
text4211;"""The only question was if she had the confidence to stand her ground."""
text4212;"""And what was this seemingly quiet, unsociable girl hiding?"""
text4213;"""Now, if that's all…"""
text4214;"""Kagome headed to the exit, but I appeared in her way."""
text4215;"""That's not all, Iwamura-san! Please do deign to explain yourself!"""
text4216;"""Or do you want to say you don't live on the waterfront, in a restaurant called \""Gifts of the Sea\"", and that you didn't see me there yesterday?"""
text4217;"""Exactly."""
text4218;"""Her response was unexpectedly calm."""
text4219;"""We came to a dead end."""
text4220;"""I couldn't start torturing her, now could I?"""
text4221;"""After you."""
text4222;"""I took a step back and gestured toward the exit."""
text4223;"""Kagome quickly, but not too quickly, walked past without sparing me as much as another glance."""
text4224;"""…"""
text4225;"""One thing was clear — she had something to hide."""
text4226;"""And I was trying to find out what my father had been doing at Kobayashi Corporation."""
text4227;"""Following Ichinose's lead, looking for this Akira Shinji."""
text4228;"""And in my search, I ran into a classmate of mine — Iwamura Kagome, a shy (at least at first glance), timid girl whose only dream was clearly for people to stop bothering her."""
text4229;"""Where's the logic in that?"""
text4230;"""Maybe all of this truly was a wondrous coincidence and she acted like she did because she was scared?"""
text4231;"""…"""
text4232;"""I returned to class and was immediately interrogated by Kyosuke."""
text4233;"""Nick, where'd you go with Iwamura?"""
text4234;"""None of your business!"""
text4235;"""I snarled."""
text4236;"""I had exactly zero desire to make up excuses he would believe."""
text4237;"""You've chosen an odd target, Casanova!"""
text4238;"""Kyosuke smirked and bumped me in the shoulder."""
text4239;"""Bugger off!"""
text4240;"""I snapped and he immediately disappeared into thin air."""
text4241;"""The next lesson started."""
text4242;"""No, I couldn't believe it! <w>This couldn't be just a coincidence."""
text4243;"""Kagome was somehow connected to Akira Shinji or at least knew something!"""
text4244;"""I decided to follow her today."""
text4245;"""The school day dragged on painfully slowly."""
text4246;"""During the breaks, I chattered with Kyosuke without letting my eyes off of Kagome. I didn't even go to lunch to keep her in sight."""
text4247;"""But I didn't notice anything suspicious, and why would I?"""
text4248;"""Finally, the school day came to its end, the students started to get ready to go home."""
text4249;"""I quickly threw my books into my backpack and ran out of the class."""
text4250;"""The last person I needed to meet now was Himitsu, and she was certainly about to show up."""
text4251;"""She would distract, hinder me, and then Kagome would surely slip away."""
text4252;"""I hid behind a lamppost on the other side of the street, across from the school gates."""
text4253;"""The minutes of waiting felt terribly slow, my eyes darting to the clock over and over."""
text4254;"""According to it, barely any time had passed, but I couldn't escape the thought that Kagome knew what was going on and was long on her way home, her \""tail\"" left behind…"""
text4255;"""At some point, the flow of students started to grow thinner, the last lesson ending a good half an hour ago."""
text4256;"""Quite a girl she turned out to be!"""
text4257;"""I lingered for a couple seconds more and quickly crossed the street; I needed to get back and check — something could've held Kagome back."""
text4258;"""But there she was…"""
text4259;"""Iwamura ducked out from behind the gates and headed toward the station at a calm pace."""
text4260;"""I virtually froze in place, my nerves and muscles strained to the limit, unable to move."""
text4261;"""I couldn't let her notice me!"""
text4262;"""I made a titanic effort and walked past Kagome, giving her just a fleeting glance."""
text4263;"""Meanwhile, she didn't look at me at all. <w>As always."""
text4264;"""Well, that's better than nothing…"""
text4265;"""At that moment I didn't want to think that this whole time she'd been watching me, waiting for a mistake…"""
text4266;"""Well, why did I even assume Kagome was partaking in this espionage of mine?"""
text4267;"""Although being paranoid didn't automatically mean I wasn't being watched."""
text4268;"""The distance between the two of us was growing rapidly, like between two cars in a math problem that left the same starting point going in two different directions."""
text4269;"""But this problem also had a common point of destination — the Gifts of the Sea."""
text4270;"""At least that's what I wanted to believe."""
text4271;"""The fastest way to get to its district would be the subway, and it was obvious what station Kagome would use."""
text4272;"""Whether I was playing private investigator alone or it was a game for two, she wasn't about to break into a run."""
text4273;"""Meanwhile, I had no problem choosing a different route and getting to the station before Kagome."""
text4274;"""…"""
text4275;"""The Tokyo subway warranted a separate mention."""
text4276;"""Of course, it didn't look nearly as majestic as the <note=note21>\""Stalin's Empire\""</note> style of the Metro, and that's because the main point of the capital's transportation system was functionality."""
text4277;"""An enormous number of stations and line changes, hundreds of kilometers of railways, integration with the suburban railway."""
text4278;"""Himitsu and I got to school on foot, so I didn't bother with this human anthill all that often."""
text4279;"""I guess somewhere deep inside it scared me — as did many things Japanese."""
text4280;"""Starting with the fact that, standing in a carriage, I was a good head and a half taller than the majority of people there…"""
text4281;"""But this time around, the crowds of people were actually beneficial to me — it would be harder for Kagome to notice me even if she were to look."""
text4282;"""This time, I didn't have to wait long — Iwamura arrived at the station's entrance right on time."""
text4283;"""Maybe she really was held back by something at school…"""
text4284;"""I boarded the carriage next to hers. So far everything was going according to plan."""
text4285;"""We got off at the exact same station I had been on yesterday."""
text4286;"""Gotcha, now she wouldn't be able to talk her way out of it."""
text4287;"""The narrow streets were giving way to each other, and it was getting harder and harder not to lose sight of Kagome, considering that it was dangerous to get too close."""
text4288;"""One turn, another, and the only thing I found in front of myself were lines of fish merchants and a bunch of local kids…"""
text4289;"""I stopped and looked around — Iwamura was nowhere to be found."""
text4290;"""For fuck's sake!"""
text4291;"""I swore aloud, earning an array of disapproving glances from the old women at a stall."""
text4292;"""How ill-mannered of you."""
text4293;"""A familiar sigh resounded from behind."""
text4294;"""It was Kagome."""
text4295;"""How…? But…"""
text4296;"""It was useless to say anything now, so I just waited for her to tell me something."""
text4297;"""You know, I could've just ignored you…"""
text4298;"""Kagome said thoughtfully."""
text4299;"""But you don't look like someone to be worried about. So I'm asking you straight — what do you want?"""
text4300;"""She became herself again, that haughty, annoyed expression back on her face."""
text4301;"""But man, how much our situation had changed in just a couple of hours!"""
text4302;"""There on the roof, I was interrogating her, convinced of my righteousness. <w>And what now?"""
text4303;"""I'd been following a schoolgirl, for quite a while, in Japan no less!"""
text4304;"""If she were to go to the police, my problems wouldn't look so important compared to the possibility of a harassment lawsuit on my hands…"""
text4305;"""I've told you already."""
text4306;"""But I had to put a brave face on this sorry business."""
text4307;"""Or do you think I believed you just like that?"""
text4308;"""A slight smile appeared on Kagome's face."""
text4309;"""Aren't you persistent."""
text4310;"""Of course!"""
text4311;"""But I've already said everything I wanted."""
text4312;"""And there went her cold disdain again."""
text4313;"""Why the performance then? You could've just called the police, like yesterday! How did you even notice me so easily?"""
text4314;"""It's a habit."""
text4315;"""A habit? Habit for what?"""
text4316;"""You wouldn't understand!"""
text4317;"""She suddenly lashed out."""
text4318;"""You don't get harassed every single day!"""
text4319;"""Harassed? Why would anyone harass me? What are you even talking about?"""
text4320;"""I flared up as well and, even though I noticed Kagome grow sadder, didn't think much of it."""
text4321;"""It doesn't matter!"""
text4322;"""She stomped her foot, which for some reason very strongly reminded me of Himitsu."""
text4323;"""If only it was as simple with Kagome as it was with her…"""
text4324;"""We aren't finished!"""
text4325;"""We are!"""
text4326;"""…"""
text4327;"""Kagome walked quickly along the waterfront, clearly heading to the Gifts of the Sea; I was trying not to lose her, lagging a couple meters behind."""
text4328;"""As you can see, I'm not going anywhere."""
text4329;"""I shouted."""
text4330;"""Probably louder than I should have."""
text4331;"""She stopped abruptly and, facing away from me, said with strain in her voice:"""
text4332;"""What do you all want from me?! Why can't you just leave me alone?! It's not like my life isn't difficult enough without you!"""
text4333;"""You have no idea how normal people live!"""
text4334;"""What do I have to do with any of it? I'm actually a pretty normal guy."""
text4335;"""Kagome didn't respond."""
text4336;"""Listen, I understand it's not easy for you… Those punks at school and all that."""
text4337;"""But believe me, I'm not like them at all. I'm not here to bully you! It just so happened that you are most likely somehow connected to a matter that directly concerns me."""
text4338;"""Kagome didn't respond…"""
text4339;"""Goddammit, do you think I'd mess with you if I had a choice?!"""
text4340;"""Yeah, sure it's hard for you! And I'm just here having the time of my life!"""
text4341;"""Oh whatever! You don't want to talk? Fine!"""
text4342;"""I turned around and started to quickly walk to the station."""
text4343;"""Wait…"""
text4344;"""Kagome's voice, barely discernible behind the sound of the sea, reached me."""
text4345;"""Well?"""
text4346;"""I fired a quick question, walking back to her."""
text4347;"""Y… you first!"""
text4348;"""Iwamura said stumblingly, avoiding my eyes."""
text4349;"""Me first what?"""
text4350;"""First you tell me what you need from Akira Moriyuki or Akira Shinji. What's your business with them?"""
text4351;"""At the moment Kagome wasn't giving me any cause for concern, so why couldn't I tell her the truth? <w>Or at least a part of it."""
text4352;"""I recently found out that Akira Shinji used to work together with my father and another man at Kobayashi Corporation. I have some questions to ask him."""
text4353;"""And what are those questions?"""
text4354;"""Now Kagome was curious."""
text4355;"""Sorry, I don't want to say it's none of your concern, although maybe that's the case, it's just…"""
text4356;"""\""I just don't want to put you in danger\""?"""
text4357;"""But to be honest, I didn't really give a damn about her."""
text4358;"""These thoughts evoked a viscous feeling of shame somewhere deep inside of me."""
text4359;"""It's personal information."""
text4360;"""Oh, so picking my brains for info is okay, but <i>Your Highness</i> may keep any secrets he pleases from the pitiful peasants?!"""
text4361;"""No, that's not what I meant at all!"""
text4362;"""Kagome returned to square one."""
text4363;"""She was so fixated on her own problems, she exploded each time anything reminded her of them."""
text4364;"""Fine…"""
text4365;"""I simply had no other choice."""
text4366;"""I recently learned there was a lot I didn't know about my father's work. Well, I didn't really know anything. I received a strange note, strange people have been calling me in the middle of the night…"""
text4367;"""So I'm trying to figure out what's even going on. I managed to find father's old colleague, he recommended me to look for Akira Shinji, who is supposed to know more."""
text4368;"""A note, a call… What are you trying to drag me into?!"""
text4369;"""I'm not dragging you into anything! Just a minute ago you knew exactly nothing about any of it and were perfectly fine!"""
text4370;"""Welp, that was a dumb thing to say."""
text4371;"""I mean, you have nothing to fear, you're not connected to me or my father in any way."""
text4372;"""Yes, but… God, what have I done to deserve this? I <i>am</i> kind of connected to Akira… Both Akiras."""
text4373;"""I gave Kagome a surprised look — was it really so simple?"""
text4374;"""But she looked like she'd already said everything she wanted and was now just intently studying the waterfront's pavement."""
text4375;"""Iwamura-san…?"""
text4376;"""Was that too formal?"""
text4377;"""She did, however, respond:"""
text4378;"""Akira Shinji is my father. He really did work for Kobayashi Corporation, but then he was laid off and has to help my granddad now — Akira Moriyuki — in the restaurant."""
text4379;"""And what's so secret about this that you couldn't tell me before?"""
text4380;"""Just because!"""
text4381;"""Kagome scowled."""
text4382;"""But why do you and your dad have different surnames?"""
text4383;"""He and my mother broke up when I was little, and I've been living with her under her maiden name. But mom died recently, and I moved in with dad."""
text4384;"""I'm very sorry…"""
text4385;"""Yeah, sure you are!"""
text4386;"""Iwamura grinned."""
text4387;"""I mean, you're right, I didn't know your mother, don't know your father or even really you. But what do you want me to say? Would you rather I kept silent instead of showing fake sympathy? It's just the proper thing to do."""
text4388;"""Kagome wasn't ready to agree — with anything, ever — but she knew I was right here, so she just ignored my remark and kept talking:"""
text4389;"""I don't know anything about father's work, but he's not that old! I'm sure he'd find a job in his field, but…"""
text4390;"""No one would hire him?"""
text4391;"""I guessed."""
text4392;"""She nodded."""
text4393;"""This is all very strange…"""
text4394;"""Well thank you, Sherlock Holmes! Am I to be your Doctor Watson?"""
text4395;"""She pulled the tips of her hair under her nose, making them look like a mustache."""
text4396;"""I involuntarily smiled."""
text4397;"""Well, if you want to be Watson, I'm okay with it. Onwards we go, to Gifts of the Sea!"""
text4398;"""No!"""
text4399;"""Kagome responded, immediately returning to her normal disposition."""
text4400;"""Why not?"""
text4401;"""There's nothing for you to do there. I'll talk with father and tell you everything afterward."""
text4402;"""Don't you think this whole thing concerns me a bit too?"""
text4403;"""What do you suppose you will even do there? You don't know anything yourself."""
text4404;"""Well, that's true but…"""
text4405;"""That's that then. See you!"""
text4406;"""Kagome, wait!"""
text4407;"""I grabbed her by the arm and immediately felt her tremble."""
text4408;"""Which was more unnatural to her, I wondered — the physical contact or being addressed by her first name?"""
text4409;"""Sorry, I didn't mean to."""
text4410;"""Kagome froze in place, her arms thrown around herself. She somehow seemed to grow even smaller."""
text4411;"""Come on, it's not that bad…"""
text4412;"""You aren't going to leave me alone, are you?"""
text4413;"""She asked quietly."""
text4414;"""As you can see."""
text4415;"""Fine, let's go…"""
text4416;"""…"""
text4417;"""Getting to Gifts of the Sea took a bit more time than I expected."""
text4418;"""Probably because yesterday I'd gotten back to the station mostly at a running pace."""
text4419;"""Did you really have to call the police yesterday?"""
text4420;"""Kagome shrugged."""
text4421;"""We may have a common interest here, so don't act like… like… don't act like that!"""
text4422;"""She raised her head and gave me a surprised look."""
text4423;"""What do you mean? Act like what?"""
text4424;"""Ah, whatever, forget it."""
text4425;"""I waved my hand so hard it accidentally hit a cart that'd been passing by, and a fat fish flopped down onto the road, slid down the pavement, and only miraculously didn't hit anyone."""
text4426;"""Goddammit!"""
text4427;"""I ran after it and into a fat lady in a kimono, the force of the collision pushing me to the side."""
text4428;"""Maneuvering between people, I finally caught up to the runaway fish. <w>But when I came back to Kagome, the cart was long gone."""
text4429;"""Are you alright in the head?"""
text4430;"""The girl burst out laughing with a genuine, heartfelt laugh, momentarily forgetting about everything that'd happened between the two of us and anything that could still happen."""
text4431;"""Embarrassed, I turned away, feeling myself blush."""
text4432;"""Here, for you!"""
text4433;"""I stretched the fish out to Kagome."""
text4434;"""A nice mackerel. Thanks."""
text4435;"""She knowingly examined the fish."""
text4436;"""Just don't expect me to cook something out of it!"""
text4437;"""I didn't really…"""
text4438;"""You've got a friend for that!"""
text4439;"""Catherine? <w>Catherine again?!"""
text4440;"""The one with the red hair. Does she dye it or something?"""
text4441;"""How do you know about Himitsu?"""
text4442;"""By virtue of not being blind."""
text4443;"""Well, I guess… You must be good at cooking too?"""
text4444;"""Must be."""
text4445;"""She gave a short reply and immediately added:"""
text4446;"""Here we are."""
text4447;"""Today the restaurant of Kagome's grandfather turned out to be open and packed with people."""
text4448;"""Well, I haven't exactly earned a treat, but I'm really hungry. I hope I can at least get some food at your place if I pay for it?"""
text4449;"""Wait here, I'll talk with father and come back."""
text4450;"""Iwamura said in a tone that would suffer no objections."""
text4451;"""Your wish is my command, mistress!"""
text4452;"""I sat down on the border stones, drooling at the smells that reached me from inside the restaurant."""
text4453;"""At first glance, Kagome didn't have it that bad: her grandfather owned a restaurant, her father had held a decently high position at Kobayashi Corporation until recently."""
text4454;"""Then why was she treated so badly?"""
text4455;"""Even if you can't stand up for yourself, the social status always helps."""
text4456;"""She wasn't at the level of the spoiled douches from our school, sure, but also nowhere near the bottom of society."""
text4457;"""A penny for your thoughts, young man."""
text4458;"""Addressing me was a pink-cheeked, noticeably drunk, quite short old man."""
text4459;"""Just waiting for someone here."""
text4460;"""A girlfriend, eh?"""
text4461;"""The smile on his face seemed to grown even wider as the narrow line of his eyes almost completely disappeared."""
text4462;"""You could say so — a friend in need."""
text4463;"""Heh, young blood."""
text4464;"""The old man puttered off, humming an old Japanese song about Katya under his breath."""
text4465;"""I caught myself thinking that I reacted quite calmly to him."""
text4466;"""Probably just because I currently had other things on my mind."""
text4467;"""I was about to go into Gifts of the Sea, when its doors flung open and Kagome ran out of them, clearly agitated."""
text4468;"""They took… they took my father!"""
text4469;"""What? Who took him?"""
text4470;"""She looked at me aghast, her breath wavy."""
text4471;"""They took father!"""
text4472;"""Who took your father? Took where?"""
text4473;"""Her eyes flashed, and Kagome took a step back."""
text4474;"""It's you… It's all your fault!"""
text4475;"""Hold on a minute! Calm down and think logically! If it's my fault, why would I put on this act?"""
text4476;"""But calling for the voice of reason was useless."""
text4477;"""Come on, think about it! I'd be the primary suspect! On top of it, I was threatened too…"""
text4478;"""I just wanted to talk, I didn't want to scare you. Sorry!"""
text4479;"""I made a low, Japanese, bow."""
text4480;"""It could be that this happened to your father because of me."""
text4481;"""I don't know what reaction I expected, but Kagome's expression grew softer, although she still looked grim, like Mount Fuji before a storm."""
text4482;"""Grandpa says two decently dressed men came today…"""
text4483;"""I immediately remembered the man who'd been following me a couple days ago."""
text4484;"""They asked to talk to father. Grandpa doesn't know what they talked about. Then dad left with them and told grandpa not to worry."""
text4485;"""But how could I possibly not worry!"""
text4486;"""I took a moment to think."""
text4487;"""Kagome was clearly right — to say there was reason to worry would be putting it lightly."""
text4488;"""At that moment I was convinced everything that had happened recently was linked: the note, the call, Ichinose, the kidnapping of Kagome's father…"""
text4489;"""<i>They</i> were hiding something and covering their tracks well!"""
text4490;"""But then why didn't they just kill me? <w>Who would pay attention to the disappearance of an orphan schoolboy?"""
text4491;"""No… There was clearly something more important going on."""
text4492;"""We have to call the police!"""
text4493;"""Kagome said resolutely."""
text4494;"""If things are as you say, I don't think the police will help us in any way here."""
text4495;"""What would you even know!"""
text4496;"""Think for yourself! We're talking about Kobayashi Corporation, understand? They've got the whole of Japan under their control."""
text4497;"""I'm going to call them, and you can do whatever you want!"""
text4498;"""Try to stop her"""
text4499;"""Do nothing"""
text4500;"""Hold on a second, I'm telling you! You'll only make the situation worse!"""
text4501;"""I didn't want to say that she at least still had her grandfather, but that was the truth."""
text4502;"""We need to wait and think it through!"""
text4503;"""But Kagome had no intention of listening to me."""
text4504;"""And I felt an inexplicable desire to do my own thing."""
text4505;"""I was absolutely sure she was wrong."""
text4506;"""Wait!"""
text4507;"""I grabbed her arm again and jerked her to the street."""
text4508;"""Let go, don't touch me!"""
text4509;"""Her voice was quiet, even too quiet against the drunken hubbub of the restaurant."""
text4510;"""I understand how you feel, but acting on emotion will only make things worse."""
text4511;"""I promise we'll find your father. I dragged you into this and all…"""
text4512;"""Kagome stopped trying to break free."""
text4513;"""Fine, in reality, we've just got common interests. We find your father — he answers my questions."""
text4514;"""But right now you need to calm down!"""
text4515;"""She stood pressed against the doors, her head hanging low."""
text4516;"""Do you understand what I'm saying?"""
text4517;"""Mhm…"""
text4518;"""Kagome made a slight nod."""
text4519;"""Oh, do whatever you want!"""
text4520;"""I was absolutely sure a call to the police wouldn't bring any results, but it simply was none of my business."""
text4521;"""Kagome returned virtually a minute later, infuriated."""
text4522;"""They… they said they see nothing strange about it!"""
text4523;"""That father left with those people of his own will!"""
text4524;"""How… how could they?!"""
text4525;"""What did I tell you?"""
text4526;"""She cast an angry glance at me."""
text4527;"""Kobayashi Corporation, remember?"""
text4528;"""The wrath on Kagome's face was slowly giving place to despair."""
text4529;"""What do we do now…?"""
text4530;"""Oh, so now it was \""us\""?"""
text4531;"""Well, I really didn't want to draw attention to her choice of words right now."""
text4532;"""Did your grandfather say anything else?"""
text4533;"""He's not young…"""
text4534;"""She replied after a long pause."""
text4535;"""He gets things wrong, if at all. If not for me and a couple other employees, the restaurant would've long gone under."""
text4536;"""Really? It looks to be thriving from the outside."""
text4537;"""Kagome smiled sadly."""
text4538;"""But still, it all started with you!"""
text4539;"""She said in a serious tone, though not angrily."""
text4540;"""Post hoc ergo propter hoc. Whatever's happening right now is just the consequence of something bigger. Me, you, your father — we're all just pawns in some game."""
text4541;"""Do you even hear yourself? \""Pawns in some game\""! You're talking like… like…"""
text4542;"""Like?"""
text4543;"""I don't know, I don't want anything to do with it! My life isn't sunshine and rainbows as it is. You may not be directly at fault here, but if only you kept away from us…"""
text4544;"""I was looking at her and just couldn't understand why she wasn't crying."""
text4545;"""If Himitsu were in her place, the tears would have already been flowing like a river at our first meeting at the station."""
text4546;"""Even Catherine wouldn't have managed to hold on for this long."""
text4547;"""To tell the truth, I could hardly understand how I managed to retain a seemingly cool head myself."""
text4548;"""Meanwhile, Kagome… <w>Yes, she was angry, she acted irrationally and even foolishly, but at the same time, she persistently held her own."""
text4549;"""It may not have been a direct fight with a looming threat, not a charge with a drawn sword, but… <w>This reaction was more akin to the silent protest of an ancient cliff."""
text4550;"""Beaten by hurricanes, whipped by the winds, it would remain in its place even a thousand years later."""
text4551;"""Without advancing even a single step forward and without surrendering a single centimeter."""
text4552;"""She was used to this life, and I'd climbed into her orderly world, bringing chaos and destruction."""
text4553;"""Fine, you're right, I shouldn't have gotten you involved in all this."""
text4554;"""I turned around and was about to leave, but Kagome stopped me."""
text4555;"""Oh no you don't! If you got me involved, you should take responsibility!"""
text4556;"""Do you have something in mind?"""
text4557;"""Yeah, I've got an idea. You were talking about Kobayashi Corporation, right? That's where we'll start!"""
text4558;"""But how do you intend to…"""
text4559;"""Meet me tomorrow in the park across from their office downtown."""
text4560;"""But…"""
text4561;"""And now I need to go to work!"""
text4562;"""How can you even think about that at a time like this?"""
text4563;"""I was genuinely surprised."""
text4564;"""What about it? Who will help grandpa if not me? Father wasn't of much help — he was good with abstract ideas, in theoretical sciences, but when it came to slicing cabbage…"""
text4565;"""Kagome let out a heavy sigh."""
text4566;"""Tomorrow. At noon."""
text4567;"""Yeah, okay…"""
text4568;"""She disappeared behind the door, and I heard drunken shouts of, \""Kagome-chan, Kagome chan!\""…"""
text4569;"""The windows of my house burned with dim light. It was about time I changed the bulb."""
text4570;"""The front door creaked quietly, and a voice came from the kitchen:"""
text4571;"""Niko-kun…"""
text4572;"""Did she have some kind of detector tuned to me, I wondered?"""
text4573;"""We haven't seen each other all day."""
text4574;"""She started as soon as I came in."""
text4575;"""Yeah, sorry, I saw your note… I had some things to care of today."""
text4576;"""At this point, even I could tell how implausible my lie sounded."""
text4577;"""Come, dinner's on the table."""
text4578;"""I went to your class after lessons were done, but Kyosuke-kun said you left right away."""
text4579;"""Yeah, I just couldn't bear being in his company for another minute!"""
text4580;"""I tried to make a joke, but Himitsu didn't seem to be in the mood."""
text4581;"""Really? Okay. Come, dinner's on the table."""
text4582;"""She said in her usual didactic tone, as if the events of the past week never happened."""
text4583;"""So, how are you doing?"""
text4584;"""To be honest, I just wanted to forget this crazy day."""
text4585;"""Fine."""
text4586;"""She didn't even look at me."""
text4587;"""In a different situation, I would've probably tried to continue the conversation, find out why she was acting like that."""
text4588;"""But in this case, it was clear."""
text4589;"""How long could Himitsu keep going like this…?"""
text4590;"""Well, it was entirely possible I'd be killed before she'd give up."""
text4591;"""And we had agreed to go on a date too…"""
text4592;"""It's very good!"""
text4593;"""In reality, I wasn't even paying attention to what I was eating."""
text4594;"""I'm glad."""
text4595;"""She responded as indifferently as before."""
text4596;"""So?"""
text4597;"""I loudly threw the chopsticks down on the table."""
text4598;"""What?"""
text4599;"""Are you going to keep acting like this?"""
text4600;"""Acting like what?"""
text4601;"""You know what I mean."""
text4602;"""I don't."""
text4603;"""And then I realized this was just her way of being upset with me."""
text4604;"""And Himitsu really did have things to be upset about."""
text4605;"""On the other hand, I didn't have to report my every step to her!"""
text4606;"""I had a life of my own, a dangerous life sometimes, one she had no reason to be involved in."""
text4607;"""You know, you're right."""
text4608;"""I rose from the table and strolled through the kitchen."""
text4609;"""Something's happened in the last several days…"""
text4610;"""It was best to tell her now. <w>Nobody knew what could happen next."""
text4611;"""And forewarned is forearmed!"""
text4612;"""It could be that I wasn't the only one in danger, that those close to me were too.<w>And I had nobody closer than Himitsu."""
text4613;"""You must've noticed."""
text4614;"""Himitsu looked at me unblinkingly with her big green eyes."""
text4615;"""I'm being watched… To be exact, I came to the attention of some mysterious people or a company. They didn't threaten me directly, but there's reason to believe I'm in danger."""
text4616;"""Niko-kun…"""
text4617;"""Wait, let me finish."""
text4618;"""It was hard to look into her eyes, even though for the first time in a long while I was telling the truth."""
text4619;"""It's all connected to my father's work. Or at least I think it is. And, well, it's probably not even about me — there's something bigger going on and I just ended up in somebody's way."""
text4620;"""Niko-kun…"""
text4621;"""Himitsu stubbornly repeated, growing ever gloomier."""
text4622;"""I'll talk to dad, he'll help!"""
text4623;"""Don't tell anyone about this!"""
text4624;"""I shouted, unexpectedly even to myself."""
text4625;"""She flinched."""
text4626;"""You shouldn't. These people, they…"""
text4627;"""I immediately remembered the fruitless call to the police."""
text4628;"""They can do anything! They've got everything bought and paid for!"""
text4629;"""Niko-kun, but how can we…"""
text4630;"""I found a man who used to work with my father. And now he's disappeared, he was taken! Because of me, understand?!"""
text4631;"""I didn't want to tell her about Kagome, didn't want to drag Himitsu deeper into all of this."""
text4632;"""You might be in danger too!"""
text4633;"""If I'm with you, I'm not afraid of anything."""
text4634;"""She tried to smile."""
text4635;"""Are you kidding me?! \""Not afraid of anything\""?! How can I protect you if I can't even protect myself?!"""
text4636;"""I had to calm down."""
text4637;"""Sorry. Maybe it's not really that serious, I may be overthinking things."""
text4638;"""But in any case, don't tell anyone about this, got it?"""
text4639;"""Himitsu nodded."""
text4640;"""It's important!"""
text4641;"""She wouldn't tell anyone, even on pain of death…"""
text4642;"""Alright, I got it."""
text4643;"""And most importantly, don't worry! I didn't want to scare you."""
text4644;"""Niko-kun, I'm glad you told me the truth."""
text4645;"""Himitsu came up to and hugged me."""
text4646;"""I carefully caressed her head and pressed her close."""
text4647;"""For a moment, I felt a burning desire for everything to be how it was, for my former life to return."""
text4648;"""How could I ever think it was boring?"""
text4649;"""I just wanted to protect you…"""
text4650;"""Himitsu trembled in my arms, crying."""
text4651;"""Come on, what is it?"""
text4652;"""It's just… just… Why does it have to be you? You don't deserve any of this! Your parents, Katty-chan, now this!"""
text4653;"""Catherine. <w>It's been a while since I thought about her."""
text4654;"""Yeah, I'm having the time of my life… I guess that's just my luck."""
text4655;"""Can I—"""
text4656;"""Himitsu didn't have time to finish, interrupted by the telephone's ringing."""
text4657;"""In the silence of the kitchen, its sound seemed like the thunder of a coming storm, still distant but already inescapable."""
text4658;"""I need to answer…"""
text4659;"""Niko-kun…"""
text4660;"""She hugged me closer."""
text4661;"""Don't worry, you! They wouldn't call me every day. They've got a secret organization there, not a telephone station, you know."""
text4662;"""I gently slipped out of Himitsu's embrace and walked to the hall."""
text4663;"""Hello…"""
text4664;"""My voice didn't tremble, but I felt myself shrink inside."""
text4665;"""Nikolai."""
text4666;"""I let out a sigh of relief."""
text4667;"""Yes, Ryunosuke-san, I'm listening."""
text4668;"""It was Himitsu's father."""
text4669;"""Is my daughter with you?"""
text4670;"""Sometimes I really couldn't understand why he was letting Himitsu spend so much time at my place."""
text4671;"""Surely he could find a better son-in-law."""
text4672;"""Yes, should I call her?"""
text4673;"""N-no…"""
text4674;"""He responded after a short pause."""
text4675;"""Just tell her to go home."""
text4676;"""Alright, definitely."""
text4677;"""I hung up the phone and returned to the kitchen."""
text4678;"""Your father called, he wants to see you."""
text4679;"""But… But I can't now! I'm…"""
text4680;"""What? Going to guard me? Don't, I'll be alright, I'll close all doors for the night!"""
text4681;"""Fine, but tomorrow I'll come early in the morning!"""
text4682;"""Uh, yeah, about tomorrow…"""
text4683;"""I scratched the back of my head and looked away."""
text4684;"""I've got some things to take care of… I mean… Fine! Tomorrow I'm meeting with someone who can help me."""
text4685;"""We're meeting in the middle of the day, in the city center. I'll be alright."""
text4686;"""I'll go with you!"""
text4687;"""God, here you go again… They're in a difficult situation right now. If we come together, it'll be suspicious! It won't take long. I'll call you as soon as I'm back."""
text4688;"""Fine!"""
text4689;"""She pouted but conceded."""
text4690;"""But remember, I'll be waiting."""
text4691;"""Yes, ma'am!"""
text4692;"""I saluted and smiled."""
text4693;"""…"""
text4694;"""\""Troubles sleeping come from idleness\"" — was something my father used to say."""
text4695;"""When you're so exhausted at the end of the day that there isn't any strength left to even brush your teeth, insomnia is never a problem…"""