text6800;"""Sometimes, life gives you a second chance.""" text6801;"""All you need for it is a good night's sleep.""" text6802;"""The events of the past day had already faded, and no longer brought me as much pain.""" text6803;"""The storm had passed, and I was standing on the deck watching it go.""" text6804;"""My existential skiff had somehow avoided being crushed and it was all over now.""" text6805;"""But I had almost slipped up.""" text6806;"""Maybe the only thing Himitsu wouldn't have tolerated was self-pity. Even if it manifested like this…""" text6807;"""Sunday morning started peacefully as usual, as it's probably the only day when all (or almost all) Japanese people rest.""" text6808;"""It's a time to be with your family and deal with housework.""" text6809;"""I remembered it was Himitsu's big cleanup day. Did that mean I wouldn't see her?""" text6810;"""On the one hand, that was a good thing — we both needed to cool down.""" text6811;"""But I did feel… Bored?""" text6812;"""For the first time in a long while, I had a quiet day, and what did I do? Grumble at the thought that my life might finally return to its normal course?""" text6813;"""The breakfast seemed insipid and somehow wrong.""" text6814;"""After a couple minutes, I couldn't even remember what I'd been eating.""" text6815;"""TV didn't entertain me with the contents of its box, I hadn't bought any new games for a while, was bored with the old ones, and printed letters danced circles in front of my eyes.""" text6816;"""Now isn't this something! Just a week ago I could spend the entire weekend bumming around.""" text6817;"""Maybe it wasn't about being bored after all?""" text6818;"""Yesterday's evening with Himitsu distracted me from thoughts about Catherine, but nothing had really changed!""" text6819;"""Maybe I wasn't as sensitive about her being less than a thousand miles away from me anymore, but I couldn't solve the problem by ignoring it.""" text6820;"""A phone call interrupted the disorder of my thoughts.""" text6821;"""I forced myself to answer it.""" text6822;"""Hello.""" text6823;"""Awake so early? Weird.""" text6824;"""It took me too long, really, to recognize the voice — I definitely hadn't expected to hear her.""" text6825;"""You still remember my phone number?""" text6826;"""Have it written down.""" text6827;"""Oh, yeah, of course…""" text6828;"""What was I hoping for?""" text6829;"""What do you want?""" text6830;"""Aren't you rude today! Woke up on the wrong side of the bed?""" text6831;"""I distinctly imagined her smirk.""" text6832;"""Rude? You bet, after what happened yesterday…""" text6833;"""When she just ditched me at the bar.""" text6834;"""You mean the note?""" text6835;"""What else could I mean? You know, I even believed it for a second! I even came…""" text6836;"""She didn't answer immediately.""" text6837;"""So did I…""" text6838;"""Yeah? But you weren't there at eight, and the Bartender told me that you had left three hours before.""" text6839;"""That's correct.""" text6840;"""Suddenly, Catherine's voice grew firm.""" text6841;"""You didn't expect me to sit there for three hours, did you?""" text6842;"""So it was just another trick of yours?""" text6843;"""No, I was just waiting… in a different place. Outside. But you didn't come.""" text6844;"""I did!""" text6845;"""Not at eight.""" text6846;"""Yeah, maybe I was a couple minutes late — so what?""" text6847;"""I think you had enough time.""" text6848;"""…""" text6849;"""Except that I had spent that day with Himitsu in the amusement park and therefore hadn't found the note on time.""" text6850;"""But there was no reason for Catherine to know that.""" text6851;"""I came as soon as I could!""" text6852;"""What do you want from me then?""" text6853;"""I don't want anything, you're the one who called!""" text6854;"""You're right about that!""" text6855;"""She smirked.""" text6856;"""I guess I shouldn't have. Judging by your reaction…""" text6857;"""Katya, I'm a human being too!""" text6858;"""No one doubts that…""" text6859;"""You know, maybe I am in the wrong here. All these notes and secrets… It's not my style.""" text6860;"""I figured.""" text6861;"""What do you mean?""" text6862;"""Nothing really…""" text6863;"""Just a couple of days ago I seriously considered Catherine to be the person who had left the note at my door.""" text6864;"""As it turned out, she signs hers.""" text6865;"""Do you still want to talk?""" text6866;"""I couldn't see her face but wasn't sure I would have been able to read her emotions even if she'd been right in front of me.""" text6867;"""I would like to talk. But our conversations can hardly be called a dialogue of late.""" text6868;"""I'll see you in the city centre in two hours.""" text6869;"""Okay.""" text6870;"""And don't be late this time!""" text6871;"""Catherine almost commanded me and hung the phone.""" text6872;"""You bet I won't!""" text6873;"""I said into the silence and went to my room to dress up.""" text6874;"""…""" text6875;"""I didn't fancy the idea of coming to the meeting early and spending however long wandering there alone.""" text6876;"""So I was just sitting at the doorstep, looking at Himitsu's house.""" text6877;"""Today was their big cleanup day, right?""" text6878;"""For me too, perhaps.""" text6879;"""A big mental cleanup day!""" text6880;"""I could open the windows and air out the smell of dead feelings, throw away my musty thoughts, scrub the rust off the wrinkles of my brain, and polish my skull.""" text6881;"""A visit to a psychologist is a common occurrence in American movies, it isn't as widespread in Japan, and I'm not sure whether psychologists even exist in the USSR.""" text6882;"""I could probably use one.""" text6883;"""Himitsu's father's car approached the house.""" text6884;"""I gave him a nod of greeting, and he responded likewise.""" text6885;"""I wondered: would I already have a bullet in my head if Himitsu had told him everything that had happened between two of us lately?""" text6886;"""Or would a \""For Sale\"" sign appear in front of their house?""" text6887;"""Her father, Ryunosuke-san, was too… Japanese!""" text6888;"""I didn't remember her mother well, but she had seemed more friendly.""" text6889;"""No wonder they ended up divorcing.""" text6890;"""There was still an hour before the meeting with Catherine.""" text6891;"""If I walked slowly, I'd be right on time.""" text6892;"""…""" text6893;"""Sometimes I thought that normal Japanese people only had two sets of clothes: a business suit and a casual outfit, only worn on weekends.""" text6894;"""And for their casual look, everyone went nuts!""" text6895;"""I wasn't really obsessed with fashion but still tried not to stand out in a bad way.""" text6896;"""Although in Tokyo a tall European guy always stands out, no matter how he's dressed.""" text6897;"""A man had approached me on the street once and gave me the business card of a modeling agency.""" text6898;"""After that, I spent an entire evening looking at myself in the mirror and trying to figure in what way I resembled a model.""" text6899;"""The clock in the window of the shop across the street told it was the time we'd agreed to meet at.""" text6900;"""\""Tic-tac, tic-tac\""""" text6901;"""I'd almost had enough of this!""" text6902;"""Catherine was just about half an hour late.""" text6903;"""Had she decided to dump me again?!""" text6904;"""Japanese people usually agree to meet at all the same places: near stations, at fountains, on squares, and at monuments.""" text6905;"""Why this shop then..?""" text6906;"""Because this was the place where we had our first kiss.""" text6907;"""Just like that, on a busy street in the afternoon, without shame, in front of everyone.""" text6908;"""Maybe it wasn't the most romantic place, but I couldn't wait anymore, and she didn't seem to mind.""" text6909;"""But it all happened so long ago, as if in a previous life.""" text6910;"""And now I was standing here, losing the last remnants of my self-respect, waiting for who knows what…""" text6911;"""Sorry…""" text6912;"""I turned around to see Catherine standing in front of me.""" text6913;"""It was strange that she appeared from that side…""" text6914;"""I thought you'd come from there.""" text6915;"""I waved my hand in the direction where her house used to be.""" text6916;"""I don't need to take the subway anymore, miscalculated the time a little.""" text6917;"""Stellar logic. Yeah sure, the ones who come late to school always live closest to it.""" text6918;"""A little? I've already stopped waiting for you.""" text6919;"""Then what are you doing here?""" text6920;"""She smiled.""" text6921;"""Quite genuinely, as it seemed.""" text6922;"""Must be a habit too. Alright, let's walk, I can see the owner of that shop giving me suspicious looks.""" text6923;"""Of course, Katya knew what shop it was when she decided on the meeting point, but my words still made her blush and quickly lower her head.""" text6924;"""…""" text6925;"""For a while, we walked in silence.""" text6926;"""To be honest, I don't even know where to start.""" text6927;"""Let's just not start this all over again for the hundredth time, alright?""" text6928;"""I think we've already figured out who returned to where and why!""" text6929;"""Okay, we have…""" text6930;"""I mumbled limply.""" text6931;"""I really didn't have the strength to go over this again.""" text6932;"""Honestly, I just have no idea what else we should talk about.""" text6933;"""About Himitsu? But I couldn't just jump to that right off the bat.""" text6934;"""Let's enjoy the silence then.""" text6935;"""Do you need company for that?""" text6936;"""Well, we could also chat. My Japanese is a little rusty.""" text6937;"""Do you really need it though? In a year you'll be studying in a college in the States.""" text6938;"""Who knows…""" text6939;"""She replied wistfully.""" text6940;"""There's no way you want to stay here!""" text6941;"""And you?""" text6942;"""Do I have a choice?""" text6943;"""There's always a choice, but most people simply don't see it.""" text6944;"""That's easy to say in your position.""" text6945;"""It is.""" text6946;"""One thing I always liked about Katya was her sincerity.""" text6947;"""Not honesty, no — she kept a lot to herself, even hid things— but she was never overly polite and refused to adjust herself to others.""" text6948;"""She would disagree with or even offend older people if they were wrong, never idolized anyone remotely successful, as was common here.""" text6949;"""She always had that inner strength, and to be honest, I often felt a little intimidated around her, knowing she was a stronger person than I.""" text6950;"""That had been the case back then…""" text6951;"""Now she appeared to just be an arrogant, petulant, bad-mannered girl who toyed with me, fully aware of my feelings.""" text6952;"""So what're your plans for the future? Same as before?""" text6953;"""Exactly the same as before — nothing!""" text6954;"""What would Himitsu say about that?""" text6955;"""Do you care?""" text6956;"""Somehow it seemed to me that she did.""" text6957;"""Suddenly Catherine stopped and looked at me intently.""" text6958;"""Do you still not know anything?""" text6959;"""Know what?""" text6960;"""I felt uneasy, as if I was missing some vital detail.""" text6961;"""I don't want people to think I'm at fault here! That I'm interfering in your life or relationships!""" text6962;"""The thought alone makes me feel gross! Like I care!""" text6963;"""This sort of thing was typical for Catherine.""" text6964;"""She was always overly obsessed with how she appeared to other people.""" text6965;"""Just imagining it…""" text6966;"""Catherine clenched her teeth angrily.""" text6967;"""Nobody's accusing you of anything! Just put yourself in my shoes — it seems to be too much of a coincidence.""" text6968;"""Coincidence is a good way to put it. There's nothing more to it than that!""" text6969;"""Katya seemed outwardly calm while saying that, but I was sure that in reality she was much more agitated than the day before.""" text6970;"""We can forget all this and move on.""" text6971;"""I said, unexpectedly even to myself, and stopped.""" text6972;"""Forget?""" text6973;"""She asked, startled.""" text6974;"""Well, yes, it's the best option…""" text6975;"""Nobody's at fault.""" text6976;"""Yes, things just happened.""" text6977;"""Things happened, and in the end…""" text6978;"""Yeah.""" text6979;"""Mhm…""" text6980;"""That was the fastest and most ridiculous ending to any war in history.""" text6981;"""We achieved peace by destroying the population of both countries.""" text6982;"""That's why you decided to meet here, right?""" text6983;"""Catherine didn't reply, didn't even give me a look.""" text6984;"""All you said was \""in the city centre\"", and I came here.""" text6985;"""Because this is the most convenient spot. Not too far from my place or from yours.""" text6986;"""Well, it was definitely just a coincidence, nothing more than that…""" text6987;"""Here you go again.""" text6988;"""She let out a sigh.""" text6989;"""Just getting a little nostalgic, I beg your pardon.""" text6990;"""I'm not going to shame you for that.""" text6991;"""Catherine pretended to look at something on the other side of the street to hide her embarrassment.""" text6992;"""That's something.""" text6993;"""You can't shame a person for their… memories.""" text6994;"""It's a bad idea to point fingers to begin with. You have to start with yourself.""" text6995;"""Is that a statement or advice?""" text6996;"""Both, I guess…""" text6997;"""She paid zero attention to the obvious ambiguity of my words.""" text6998;"""Remember when you ditched a class because you had had a fight with our English teacher?""" text6999;"""Yeah, he was wrong, and I pointed out his mistake.""" text7000;"""In Japan, being older is more important than being right.""" text7001;"""Catherine laughed quietly.""" text7002;"""And then you followed me.""" text7003;"""Of course I did! The class was boring anyway. And I wanted to get to know you better…""" text7004;"""I guess you're not happy you know me now…""" text7005;"""Himitsu isn't, for sure.""" text7006;"""My entire life doesn't revolve around her, you know.""" text7007;"""Well maybe it did now.""" text7008;"""Don't take that as an accusation. Quite the opposite!""" text7009;"""What about you? Is there a dashing cowboy waiting for you in the US?""" text7010;"""This joke fell flat, and she didn't respond right away.""" text7011;"""No.""" text7012;"""Sorry, it's none of my business…""" text7013;"""I wasn't looking for one.""" text7014;"""I told you, it's none of my business.""" text7015;"""So you're not interested at all?""" text7016;"""Katya finally stopped and gave me a curious look.""" text7017;"""I don't know how to respond to that.""" text7018;"""Relax, it was a joke!""" text7019;"""You and your jokes…""" text7020;"""By the way, do you want to drop by?""" text7021;"""Catherine pointed at a building entrance next to us.""" text7022;"""Do you… live here now?""" text7023;"""What was this?!""" text7024;"""A continuation of the other night?""" text7025;"""It's more convenient than before, isn't it?""" text7026;"""Yeah, closer to our school.""" text7027;"""Wouldn't your mother mind me coming in?""" text7028;"""She's at work.""" text7029;"""Ah, is that so…""" text7030;"""I have a feeling you're misinterpreting the situation.""" text7031;"""I can't imagine how else I could interpret it.""" text7032;"""Okay, once again — I just don't want to be considered… I'm just being polite! It's Japanese hospitality!""" text7033;"""Yeah, you and I are very Japanese.""" text7034;"""Catherine smiled slightly, which somewhat calmed me down.""" text7035;"""Maybe it was time to stop pretending she was Hitler?""" text7036;"""She must have felt somewhat guilty as well.""" text7037;"""Alright, let's go.""" text7038;"""Catherine lived in a pretty large apartment.""" text7039;"""A place that spacious in the middle of Tokyo could only be afforded by very wealthy people. Or high-ranking diplomats.""" text7040;"""Not that the Winters family had had much to complain about even in the past — they used to live in a decent multi-family housing block, although not in the most prestigious of districts.""" text7041;"""Did that mean that her mother had been promoted?""" text7042;"""Sit down already.""" text7043;"""Catherine said, clearly displeased by me studying her guestroom for far too long.""" text7044;"""Everything looks so… European.""" text7045;"""Do you find it weird?""" text7046;"""Not really…""" text7047;"""Do you want some coffee, tea?""" text7048;"""I still couldn't figure out why Catherine had invited me here in the first place.""" text7049;"""No, thank you.""" text7050;"""Stop acting like you're being interrogated.""" text7051;"""She smiled.""" text7052;"""You would make a good policewoman…""" text7053;"""Noted, thanks.""" text7054;"""So, what did you want to talk about?""" text7055;"""Inviting me here after what happened yesterday… seems a bit strange to me.""" text7056;"""It was a moment of weakness. You might be surprised, but I'm a human being, too.""" text7057;"""We should have talked right away — I guess you're right about that.""" text7058;"""I remained silent, afraid to interrupt when she was speaking so candidly.""" text7059;"""Besides, I don't want you to think I did something wrong. I don't want someone else… anyone to think that!""" text7060;"""Because I didn't!""" text7061;"""She gave me a furious look — as if I was objecting.""" text7062;"""Kyosuke must've already told everyone at school.""" text7063;"""Come on, he wouldn't…""" text7064;"""Of course he did!""" text7065;"""But then why would she transfer to our school at all?""" text7066;"""I couldn't ask that question right now, as much as I wanted to.""" text7067;"""You are a terrible liar.""" text7068;"""It didn't feel like the first time someone told me as much.""" text7069;"""Terrible, because you usually have nothing to lie about.""" text7070;"""Because nothing happens in my life?""" text7071;"""Isn't that true?""" text7072;"""Do you want to teach me or…?""" text7073;"""…""" text7074;"""Katya stood at the side of the room, looking out the window with a sad expression, her arms folded over her chest.""" text7075;"""I'm not rushing you, just…""" text7076;"""Put yourself in my shoes!""" text7077;"""I can't. Not because I don't want to, I simply can't. I don't know your situation.""" text7078;"""She smiled slightly and shifted her gaze to me.""" text7079;"""You think I'm such a bitch, don't you?""" text7080;"""I don't… Sometimes I just… very often I don't really understand you.""" text7081;"""Neither do I.""" text7082;"""I don't know what'll happen next. You think I have it easy.""" text7083;"""…""" text7084;"""But you're responsible for your own life.""" text7085;"""Nobody can take you halfway around the world, like a piece of luggage, just because \""that's the job\"".""" text7086;"""I know you don't like it here.""" text7087;"""\""Don't like it\""?""" text7088;"""Catherine smirked bitterly.""" text7089;"""I have maybe one good memory of this country!""" text7090;"""What is it?""" text7091;"""Suddenly her expression changed.""" text7092;"""Maybe you'd still like some tea?""" text7093;"""Well, alright…""" text7094;"""Refusing twice would have just been impolite.""" text7095;"""Katya quickly walked to the kitchen, leaving me alone in the living room.""" text7096;"""What was she talking about?""" text7097;"""It seemed I was beginning to understand why she had invited me here but was too afraid to admit it even to myself.""" text7098;"""So as to not be even more disappointed afterward.""" text7099;"""She would come back with hot tea in hand, cold and arrogant once again, and I would only be able to think about how the two of us were about to make up.""" text7100;"""Maybe she simply didn't know what she wanted…?""" text7101;"""I stood up and walked round the room — it was spotless, though not really that big.""" text7102;"""A phone hung on the wall, and a small piece of paper with a telephone number was stuck next to it.""" text7103;"""I guess she hadn't memorized this number yet.""" text7104;"""I quickly grabbed a pen from the table and wrote the number on my hand.""" text7105;"""Catherine kept the place tidy, only a few notebooks carelessly scattered on the table standing out of the general picture.""" text7106;"""I picked up one of them and flipped through it.""" text7107;"""Modern Japanese language.""" text7108;"""For a hard-working student with far-reaching plans to enroll in a prestigious college, she made too many mistakes.""" text7109;"""Although I doubted she would need Japanese in the US…""" text7110;"""I looked more carefully.""" text7111;"""The way she wrote some kanji looked familiar to me.""" text7112;"""Was Katya's handwriting similar to Kyosuke's? No, not really, it was too even…""" text7113;"""I started to turn over the pages feverishly, looking for certain words. \""You\"", \""grave\"", \""people\"".""" text7114;"""Kanji and hiragana on the pages before me started to form into sentences.""" text7115;"""\""Nikolai-san, be careful! You are in grave danger. Certain very powerful people, linked to your father, are after you. This is not a prank or a hoax.\""""" text7116;"""No doubt about it — that note was written in the same handwriting!""" text7117;"""On the notebook's cover, in the same neat manner, was written: \""Catherine Winters\"".""" text7118;"""But how, why?!""" text7119;"""I started feverishly flipping through other notebooks — it was all the same.""" text7120;"""But back then, during the break… I was sure the handwriting was different!""" text7121;"""I heard steps coming from the kitchen and got scared out of my mind.""" text7122;"""Sorry it took so long — I don't usually drink tea, and you aren't a big fan of coffee…""" text7123;"""What's the matter with you?""" text7124;"""Catherine asked, startled — apparently I looked weird, putting it mildly.""" text7125;"""Nothing…""" text7126;"""Good thing I managed to put the notebooks back they way they had been""" text7127;"""Are you sure…? You look like you've just seen a ghost.""" text7128;"""She smiled and put the cup on the table.""" text7129;"""I couldn't force myself to pick it up, as I could feel my hands shaking.""" text7130;"""Suddenly I felt terrified of being in the same room with this girl.""" text7131;"""I was absolutely sure that the note wasn't a prank or a hoax. It would have been completely out of character for Catherine.""" text7132;"""If she had decided to write something like this, it was serious, whether it was a threat or warning.""" text7133;"""Nikolai…?""" text7134;"""Uh, yeah, sorry. I just remembered… I've got some stuff to do.""" text7135;"""Katya looked at me carefully but didn't say a word.""" text7136;"""Very urgent stuff. I need to…""" text7137;"""Even under other circumstances I would've hardly been able to come up with something urgent to do, especially something I somehow forgot about.""" text7138;"""Catherine would never believe me, like she didn't believe now.""" text7139;"""You don't feel comfortable being here?""" text7140;"""She asked in a detached voice.""" text7141;"""No, don't say that, I just…""" text7142;"""Right when I finally decided to talk to you…""" text7143;"""Off you go.""" text7144;"""Katya finished coldly, nodding toward the exit.""" text7145;"""Yeah, thank you… I mean bye! See you at school tomorrow!""" text7146;"""It took considerable effort not to break into a run.""" text7147;"""When I left the building, I realized that it was hard to breathe.""" text7148;"""My heart was pounding furiously, and it took some time to come to my senses.""" text7149;"""I wondered if she was watching me out of the window.""" text7150;"""Luckily, I was standing under a canopy.""" text7151;"""But I was standing for way too long. Suspiciously long…""" text7152;"""Trying to keep a steady pace, I walked away from Catherine's house.""" text7153;"""I felt better among other people, away from her.""" text7154;"""Why did I react like this?""" text7155;"""Yeah, I didn't want to think that Catherine would've made fun of me this way, but she'd changed so much in over a year and a half!""" text7156;"""And if she really wanted to warn me about something… The note mentioned my father's work.""" text7157;"""I doubted Katya had anything to do with it, but her mother…""" text7158;"""I slowly walked away from the ever busy centre of Tokyo, and soon skyscrapers gave way to small houses huddled together.""" text7159;"""It was quiet here, as always, and, more importantly, it was serene.""" text7160;"""Catherine wouldn't have liked it.""" text7161;"""Maybe she just wanted to take revenge on me?""" text7162;"""But why would she invite me to her apartment and try to explain something?""" text7163;"""I still couldn't fully believe she was the one to write that note.""" text7164;"""And what about the call? The voice had been clearly male.""" text7165;"""Even if I assumed that it was all Katya's idea, what, was she an evil genius with a gang of henchmen at hand?""" text7166;"""Of course, everything could be much simpler, I could be simply overthinking it and making absurd assumptions.""" text7167;"""But then why had my life been going its normal course until just a week ago?""" text7168;"""And now everything was going down the road to hell!""" text7169;"""Still, this day would soon end and a new one would begin…""" text7170;"""The few people on the streets walked with smiles on their faces.""" text7171;"""Sunday was possibly their only day off in the entire week — so why would they be happy about going to work tomorrow?""" text7172;"""If I were to rethink the flow of Japanese life from Catherine's perspective, everything would seem much more depressing than I usually saw it.""" text7173;"""But was that really enough to treat me like she had?!""" text7174;"""…""" text7175;"""I only reached home an hour and a half later.""" text7176;"""It was stupid to think that Himitsu was waiting for me — inside there was only silence, even more deafening in contrast with the outside, where the evening birds sang their songs.""" text7177;"""I walked to the kitchen, poured a glass of water and froze in something akin to delirium.""" text7178;"""What next? What was I supposed to do, how was I supposed to live?""" text7179;"""The note…""" text7180;"""I stormed to my room and took the note out of the drawer.""" text7181;"""Yes, the handwriting was definitely the same, there was no doubt that the note had been written by Catherine!""" text7182;"""I didn't even care for the \""Why?\"" of it anymore, the only thing I wanted to know was \""Why me?\"" Why was she doing this to me?""" text7183;"""Why did she keep doing this to me?""" text7184;"""But I still couldn't shake off the thought of our conversation in her apartment today.""" text7185;"""She just didn't resemble a sadist or a spy!""" text7186;"""What if her handwriting was faked? But what for?""" text7187;"""I continued coming up with theories, all based on my extraordinary importance.""" text7188;"""Maybe mostly because otherwise it meant Katya was doing all this out of resentment towards me, maybe seeking revenge…""" text7189;"""I didn't want to believe that, I simply couldn't force myself to.""" text7190;"""The ringing of the phone sounded peaceful, casual, but I flinched out of habit.""" text7191;"""It wasn't even evening yet — seemed a bit early for assassins, spies, or any other dissidents.""" text7192;"""Hello.""" text7193;"""My voice sounded unnatural even to myself.""" text7194;"""Nick, are you alright?""" text7195;"""Why would Michael need me now?""" text7196;"""Never better.""" text7197;"""Well if you say so.""" text7198;"""He continued after a short pause.""" text7199;"""It wasn't in his character to pry.""" text7200;"""So you didn't forget anything?""" text7201;"""N-no… What am I supposed to have forgotten?""" text7202;"""We were planning to go to the cinema.""" text7203;"""We were?""" text7204;"""I really, really didn't remember anything like that!""" text7205;"""Maybe we actually did.""" text7206;"""Most likely at school…""" text7207;"""He asked, and I agreed without even realizing what he was talking about.""" text7208;"""These days I only thought of one thing.""" text7209;"""Yeah, right, you know… Let's go another time… I…""" text7210;"""I have a headache and tomorrow we have classes… So…""" text7211;"""I didn't even want to come up with a believable excuse — in a situation like this Michael would be as tactful as possible no matter what.""" text7212;"""Alright. See you tomorrow then.""" text7213;"""So long.""" text7214;"""I hung up and stared at the front door.""" text7215;"""I could have asked her what was going on!""" text7216;"""I was pretty sure Katya wouldn't have killed me there and then!""" text7217;"""Suddenly I felt that I was missing something, a tiny detail, a trifle that was necessary to put this puzzle together.""" text7218;"""Or was it all just a dream?""" text7219;"""At the time, one and a half years ago, I often imagined that nothing had changed. I'd wake up the next day and everything would be the way it used to: Catherine hadn't gone anywhere, we were together and loved each other.""" text7220;"""And everything that had happened in reality was just another nightmare.""" text7221;"""It turned out that my nightmare went on to become more horrifying with every minute.""" text7222;"""And not waking up at all would have been the better option!""" text7223;"""I could have tried to find consolation with Himitsu, but after yesterday…""" text7224;"""And then suddenly, I felt better.""" text7225;"""If only someone could see me now — what a pathetic sight!""" text7226;"""Yeah, I've always been prone to agonizing over my thoughts, but I'd never sunk to the point of self pity, to this disgusting feeling that manifests when you think that the entire world is to blame, and everyone is against you.""" text7227;"""A car stopped at Himitsu's house — her father was back.""" text7228;"""Hadn't this already happened today…""" text7229;"""Recurring events — there had been too many of them during the past year and a half.""" text7230;"""The same day every day, the same day every month…""" text7231;"""The same day year to year.""" text7232;"""And in the end — a noose hanging from the ceiling of a six tatami room.""" text7233;"""Although I wasn't sure I'd even manage to properly hang myself, tall as I was.""" text7234;"""If things continued on the same course, even Himitsu would have had enough and leave me.""" text7235;"""So life itself was pulling me out of the putrid swamp by my hair and pushing forward, along the yellow brick road.""" text7236;"""With my companions — the Tin Man and the Scarecrow, perhaps Toto as well.""" text7237;"""I wondered if they would've liked the comparison.""" text7238;"""But in order to move forward, you have to make decisions.""" text7239;"""For example, talk to Catherine about the note!""" text7240;"""But not today… Today I was too tired.""" text7241;"""…""" text7242;"""Sunday night was descending upon Tokyo, a night that provided a chance to get that final bit of fun before Monday. The craziest and most desperate fun!""" text7243;"""So, half an hour later I stood at the doors of the familiar bar.""" text7244;"""Inside it was loud, filled with smoke, and reeking of booze.""" text7245;"""It's normal for the Japanese to have a drink or two after work, when hanging out with friends, or on a date.""" text7246;"""It was considered acceptable, sometimes even obligatory — what kind of corporate event would it be without eating and drinking?""" text7247;"""The only problem was that most of them had little to no tolerance for alcohol.""" text7248;"""Two or three beers were usually enough to take them out, call a taxi, or carry them home on your back.""" text7249;"""That's why I didn't like drinking with the Japanese — no matter what, in an hour's time you were left alone.""" text7250;"""At that point you're just wasting booze.""" text7251;"""Oi, Kolya!""" text7252;"""Bartender's greeting reached me through the noises of the crowd.""" text7253;"""He peeked over the heads of the people at the counter.""" text7254;"""Why had I chosen this bar and come here so often?""" text7255;"""I couldn't say it was close to my house, and the bar sort of resembled a Soviet ryumachnoya. And definitely not because of the Bartender…""" text7256;"""Hey-hey there! What can I get ya?""" text7257;"""I'll go for whiskey… Double whiskey!""" text7258;"""Wooow! Something happen?""" text7259;"""Yeah. Life happened!""" text7260;"""Is it that bad?""" text7261;"""Worse than usual.""" text7262;"""I'd love to hear about it, but work is a-plenty as you can see!""" text7263;"""He smiled apologetically, poured me a glass and was about to take the bottle away, when I stopped him by carefully grabbing his arm.""" text7264;"""Leave it be. I'm partying tonight.""" text7265;"""Kolya, do you know how much this whiskey costs?""" text7266;"""I don't and I don't care. You have nothing over five thousand yen anyway!""" text7267;"""True enough!""" text7268;"""Bartender guffawed and raced to the other end of the bar to greet a just-arrived middle-aged man with reddish cheeks.""" text7269;"""Without the Bartender around, there was little sense sitting at the counter, so I moved to a free table.""" text7270;"""A waitress approached me right away (they could be found here on the weekends), but I coldly told her that I wasn't hungry and didn't let her slip me a menu.""" text7271;"""Watching the drinking laymen was a kind of entertainment too.""" text7272;"""They didn't really care about being overheard by others, many shouting as loudly as they could.""" text7273;"""Visiting any bar in Tokyo on Sunday evening, you might learn that sales manager Ibashi secretly hates his boss, that secretary Minomi-chan cheats on her husband, and big boss Toki-san fears so much for his children's future that he can't sleep properly.""" text7274;"""The next day they'd all go to work in a good mood, even if they couldn't manage to recall what they'd done or said the night before.""" text7275;"""I looked at the full bottle of whiskey.""" text7276;"""And as for me…""" text7277;"""Is this seat taken?""" text7278;"""A young woman in a strict red business suit was standing in front of me. A European.""" text7279;"""I looked around the pub and realized that there were no other free seats.""" text7280;"""No…""" text7281;"""Oh, sorry, I'm just…""" text7282;"""She laughed and put down one of the complicated cocktails from the Bartender's vast collection.""" text7283;"""It's rare to meet a non-Japanese person here!""" text7284;"""Oh, I didn't mean… It's my first time here and I don't know you… Sorry again!""" text7285;"""She was clearly tipsy, laughed a lot, and had entered the condition wherein a decent lady needs but half a glass of champagne to become a chiffonier — highly sophisticated, but still a piece of furniture.""" text7286;"""Nonetheless, I was glad to have company, especially a woman's!""" text7287;"""My entire life couldn't revolve around two girls who didn't know what they want.""" text7288;"""I guess you're right, we're probably the only Europeans who have visited this bar in its entire history.""" text7289;"""Not counting the Bartender, of course.""" text7290;"""I smiled, trying to look friendly.""" text7291;"""Do you come here often?""" text7292;"""She looked to be about 25, perhaps older.""" text7293;"""Uh, sometimes.""" text7294;"""So you like this place?""" text7295;"""I'd been asking myself the same question a couple minutes ago.""" text7296;"""It's more like I'm used to it.""" text7297;"""Interesting…""" text7298;"""She said vaguely and riveted her eyes on me.""" text7299;"""You must be a student?""" text7300;"""Yes, sort of…""" text7301;"""For some reason, I couldn't lie persuasively to her and started to avert my eyes.""" text7302;"""I couldn't say I was just a high schooler!""" text7303;"""Todai?""" text7304;"""How did you guess?""" text7305;"""It just seems that your kind of handsome and intelligent young man must study there.""" text7306;"""She abruptly stretched her hand out to me.""" text7307;"""Irene Dupont! Parlez-vous français?""" text7308;"""I was embarrassed but responded with a handshake.""" text7309;"""Nikolai… Nikolai Anokhin.""" text7310;"""Oh, so you're from the USSR?""" text7311;"""And, without letting me say a word, continued:""" text7312;"""Moscow is a wonderful city, I've been there. The Kremlin, the Red Square! Are you from Moscow?""" text7313;"""…""" text7314;"""Maybe from Leningrad? A magnificent, magnificent place! Fabulous museums! Are you from there?""" text7315;"""You could say I'm from here.""" text7316;"""Oh, that's interesting. I've just arrived recently!""" text7317;"""Strange, I could barely hear an accent.""" text7318;"""I work as an attaché at the embassy. Everything here is sooooo!""" text7319;"""Irene spread her arms, clearly showing how exactly sooooo everything was.""" text7320;"""But unfortunately, I don't really have much free time. Like today we went out with my Japanese colleagues, but I lost them already, what a goofball!""" text7321;"""She broke into loud laughter.""" text7322;"""Can you imagine?""" text7323;"""It happens.""" text7324;"""I was flattered by the attention of a girl like this… or, I should say, a woman.""" text7325;"""Her beauty wasn't the same kind as the girls I knew.""" text7326;"""Maybe Ellie… But even she lacked Irene's mature charm.""" text7327;"""So here I am now, sitting all alone…""" text7328;"""Oh sorry, I meant to say with you! Of course, with you!""" text7329;"""She covered my hand with hers.""" text7330;"""Thank you, Nikolai, for accompanying this poor, silly mademoiselle.""" text7331;"""Thanks to you too…""" text7332;"""But enough about me! What about you, what do you study?""" text7333;"""She straightened up and removed her hand.""" text7334;"""Well, I don't even know…""" text7335;"""What a dumb thing to say!""" text7336;"""We just have some general subjects for now, I haven't chosen my major yet. Maybe something in liberal arts.""" text7337;"""Can you do that?""" text7338;"""She asked with surprise.""" text7339;"""That's what I would've really liked to know myself.""" text7340;"""Of course! It's Todai after all!""" text7341;"""It's good to be young…""" text7342;"""Irene said.""" text7343;"""I decided it was my opportunity.""" text7344;"""Come on now! If not for your suit, I'd think you were a student as well!""" text7345;"""She laughed.""" text7346;"""Do they make diplomats work on the weekends too?""" text7347;"""On weekends, on holidays, and — believe it or not! — on July 14th!""" text7348;"""Even July 14th? That's going too far!""" text7349;"""Yeah… Not like in the USSR at all! Workers' rights, the Internationale! Let's sing, Nikolai!""" text7350;"""Irene, I don't think that…""" text7351;"""Come on! They're singing their enkas, how are we worse?!""" text7352;"""A drunk group in a corner was indeed tunelessly belting out a love song.""" text7353;"""I still think we'll be misunderstood…""" text7354;"""Do you care about other people's opinions so much?""" text7355;"""Don't you? You're a diplomat…""" text7356;"""For a second she froze, her eyes cleared up, and certain awareness and even coldness appeared in her gaze.""" text7357;"""But the next moment she burst out laughing again.""" text7358;"""My God, I am so drunk!""" text7359;"""Nikolai, has anybody ever told you that you are handsome?""" text7360;"""…""" text7361;"""I'd be lying if I said no.""" text7362;"""Then can I… Can I also say that?""" text7363;"""I didn't know what to think.""" text7364;"""Half an hour ago I considered myself an adult, or, at least, was sure that I could behave like an adult in any situation.""" text7365;"""And now it turned out that it took only one drunk French girl in a dilapidated bar to shatter these assumptions.""" text7366;"""On the other hand… Irene looked very attractive, even too attractive.""" text7367;"""While talking, I managed to down a third of the bottle, and by then would've set sights even on Saya-chan.""" text7368;"""Nikolai, you are looking at me so…""" text7369;"""The whiskey washed away the last remnants of my timidness.""" text7370;"""I that's the way anyone would look at a beautiful woman like you if they were in my place.""" text7371;"""Nikola, you're saying this to a woman you've just met!""" text7372;"""But our acquaintance doesn't have to end here, does it?""" text7373;"""Irene blushed, now seemingly from more than just alcohol, and, leaning towards me, whispered in my ear:""" text7374;"""Then let's get out of here!""" text7375;"""My hands were shaking when I dropped a few large bills on the table.""" text7376;"""Please, monsieur!""" text7377;"""She stood up unsteadily and stumbled for the exit.""" text7378;"""I leaped to her immediately and offered a hand, which she grabbed right away and sagged against.""" text7379;"""…""" text7380;"""Finally, fresh air!""" text7381;"""When we emerged onto the street, she made a deep breath and pressed herself to me.""" text7382;"""We should catch a car.""" text7383;"""I doubt somebody would stop…""" text7384;"""Watch and learn!""" text7385;"""She laughed, walked closer to the roadway and waved her hand.""" text7386;"""I couldn't believe my eyes when a minute later a car stopped next to her.""" text7387;"""And what a car! An executive black sedan!""" text7388;"""Apparently I wasn't the only one struck by her beauty.""" text7389;"""Hop in!""" text7390;"""Irene called to me merrily.""" text7391;"""Well, it seemed that the fairy godmother had lost her magic wand in a bet, because Cinderella was going to come back from the ball with company, and, what's more, in a carriage instead of a pumpkin.""" text7392;"""At first, I didn't even pay attention to the fact that the car's windows were blacked out.""" text7393;"""Well, Nikolai, you are obviously not pretending.""" text7394;"""Irene said calmly.""" text7395;"""What…?""" text7396;"""Let's go.""" text7397;"""She nodded to the driver and looked at me with such antipathy that I started fidgeting in the seat.""" text7398;"""Irene, what's going on?""" text7399;"""Her drunk joyfulness vanished without a trace.""" text7400;"""My name is Irina Mostovaya. Major Irina Mostovaya. KGB USSR.""" text7401;"""And only then did I realize she was speaking Russian.""" text7402;"""With no hint of an accent.""" text7403;"""I mean, yeah, why would a Russian girl have an accent?""" text7404;"""No matter how long you learn a language that is different from your mother tongue, no matter how long you live in a foreign country, it will always be clear you weren't born and raised there.""" text7405;"""That's how it seemed to me, at least.""" text7406;"""Is this a joke?""" text7407;"""I still didn't fully realize what was happening.""" text7408;"""That's what I'd like to ask you.""" text7409;"""What does this have to do with me?""" text7410;"""Do you really not recognize me?""" text7411;"""She frowned.""" text7412;"""No, should I?""" text7413;"""Never mind. From here on, you only answer my questions and only with relevant and concise answers. Do you know what happened to your parents?""" text7414;"""They… We got in a car accident. They died.""" text7415;"""I remember I was sitting in the back, so I survived… Is that not true?""" text7416;"""I am the one asking questions here.""" text7417;"""And if you want to hear the answers, I expect a dialogue!""" text7418;"""I said with unexpected determination.""" text7419;"""Irina bit her lip angrily.""" text7420;"""Yes, they died in a car accident, but their death wasn't a coincidence. That's all you need to know for now.""" text7421;"""What do you know about their work?""" text7422;"""So my parents were… murdered because of their work?""" text7423;"""Yes.""" text7424;"""She gave a short response.""" text7425;"""Kobayashi Corporation.""" text7426;"""It wasn't a question.""" text7427;"""So what do you know?""" text7428;"""I know nothing! You're interrogating the wrong person! I'm just a student and, what's more, an orphan!""" text7429;"""You must already have realized that Kobayashi Corporation wouldn't be interested in a mere student.""" text7430;"""But why me…?""" text7431;"""Irina didn't respond.""" text7432;"""Tokyo was slowly moving by on the other side of the windows.""" text7433;"""I had no idea where we were going, and I didn't care.""" text7434;"""It was unlikely that they were going to kill me.""" text7435;"""That performance in the bar was probably just a test.""" text7436;"""To my surprise, I was able to think clearly and analyze the situation with a sober mind.""" text7437;"""That's what we'd like to find out.""" text7438;"""So all these calls to my house, were they made by the Corporation?""" text7439;"""No, they were from us. We wanted to warn you.""" text7440;"""But you didn't feel compelled to heed to our warnings.""" text7441;"""What should I do then?""" text7442;"""Are you sure you don't know anything? Think again. Maybe your father told you something and you forgot about it?""" text7443;"""Or maybe he left something to you? Papers, documents?""" text7444;"""N-no…""" text7445;"""I really couldn't recall anything like that.""" text7446;"""We were a completely normal family!""" text7447;"""So, in your view, a family of Soviet engineers who fled the USSR and started working for the biggest transnational company in Japan is normal?""" text7448;"""Irina smirked.""" text7449;"""Apart from that, everything was normal!""" text7450;"""Was it, or do you simply not remember?""" text7451;"""Even if…""" text7452;"""I couldn't believe my parents had been involved in something they could be killed for.""" text7453;"""Even if what you say is true… I don't know anything about that. I've never known.""" text7454;"""I find that hard to believe.""" text7455;"""You can believe whatever you want!""" text7456;"""I started using the polite version of Russian \""you\"" without thinking.""" text7457;"""But still, it was all clearly related to me somehow… to my family.""" text7458;"""Kagome's father and Kobayashi Corporation.""" text7459;"""Catherine's note.""" text7460;"""Having them believe as much was already enough.""" text7461;"""Nikolai…""" text7462;"""Irina sighed.""" text7463;"""Have you completely forgotten about your obligation to our Motherland?""" text7464;"""I don't remember having any in the first place.""" text7465;"""Her eyes flashed, but she managed to stay calm and continued:""" text7466;"""So you think you have it better here? In the country that killed your parents?""" text7467;"""Why should I trust you anyway?""" text7468;"""Better? I don't know. But until recently I'd been living a peaceful life. Before you dragged me into this!""" text7469;"""We didn't drag you into anything — on the contrary, we're trying to protect you!""" text7470;"""What wonderful protection… What does it amount to, exactly?""" text7471;"""Irina sighed.""" text7472;"""In order to receive something, you need to give something in return first.""" text7473;"""But I don't have anything…""" text7474;"""Stop mocking me!""" text7475;"""She shouted suddenly.""" text7476;"""You… you know everything! Just tell me what the Japanese want, and we can bring you home!""" text7477;"""Or do you think you've managed to fool me?!""" text7478;"""Why would you think they need something from me? If you were the ones who called…""" text7479;"""And the note was written by Catherine.""" text7480;"""At the moment, it's none of your business.""" text7481;"""Then what do you expect from me?""" text7482;"""Irina calmed down in an instant and studied me with an unblinking stare for some time.""" text7483;"""Fine. We'll handle it ourselves. You keep your head down, stay away from all this.""" text7484;"""That's it? That simple?""" text7485;"""Would you like it to be complicated?""" text7486;"""I still have questions…""" text7487;"""Which won't be answered, if you want to live.""" text7488;"""If you're telling the truth. If you're telling the truth… then the less you know, the better.""" text7489;"""Only sources of information have value. Ordinary students are of no interest to anyone.""" text7490;"""But be prepared to remain under surveillance for a while.""" text7491;"""By you?""" text7492;"""Us, among others! Or do you want an accident to happen to you as well?""" text7493;"""I felt a strong dislike toward this woman.""" text7494;"""I couldn't believe that just five minutes ago I had been hoping for some quick sex with a random acquaintance…""" text7495;"""Although in a way I got what I wanted, except I was the one getting fucked.""" text7496;"""One more thing. Behave normally! Nobody should know we've talked.""" text7497;"""Anything can expose you! Go to school, hang out with your girlfriends, drink, if nothing else.""" text7498;"""The car stopped smoothly.""" text7499;"""We've arrived, get out.""" text7500;"""I could make out the silhouette of my house behind the window.""" text7501;"""\""Hope Himitsu didn't see me brought home like this.\""""" text7502;"""I had the time to think.""" text7503;"""And keep in mind, we do not repeat ourselves. So do yourself a favor and remember everything I've just told you.""" text7504;"""…""" text7505;"""The luxurious black sedan with blacked out windows disappeared around the corner almost silently.""" text7506;"""I stood at the entrance to my yard, mindlessly watching it go.""" text7507;"""That's when I started to shake… Almost spasm in fear.""" text7508;"""How had I managed to remain outwardly calm and think straight?!""" text7509;"""My legs carried me to my house on their own accord.""" text7510;"""I closed the door.""" text7511;"""And the garden door.""" text7512;"""And another one.""" text7513;"""And all the windows.""" text7514;"""I had so many windows…""" text7515;"""I wished I had a gun!""" text7516;"""…""" text7517;"""I lay in bed staring into the darkness with dry eyes.""" text7518;"""It was obvious that the сhekists wouldn't come back. At least, not today.""" text7519;"""And what about the Japanese?""" text7520;"""If they kept me under surveillance, they could have seen me hop into that car…""" text7521;"""The only hope I had was that those KGB agents knew what they were doing.""" text7522;"""Kagome, what did you drag me into…?""" text7523;"""Catherine, what did you drag me into…?""" text7524;"""Right after I opened my eyes, the pulsating headache returned.""" text7525;"""It felt like I hadn't slept at all.""" text7526;"""Dark dreams born by my inflamed consciousness had kept me from getting any rest — I would wake up and fall asleep so fast that I couldn't tell dreams from reality.""" text7527;"""It was still quite early for a Sunday morning, but my headache only got worse as I lay in bed.""" text7528;"""I got up and walked around the room, stretching with delight.""" text7529;"""The meager breakfast reminded me how much I missed Himitsu on days like this.""" text7530;"""Truly, it's easy to get used to something good, stop noticing it and end up not appreciating it at all!""" text7531;"""Suddenly someone knocked on my door, and I could hear a voice coming from outside:""" text7532;"""Niko-kun?""" text7533;"""Now that was unexpected!""" text7534;"""I dashed to the hall.""" text7535;"""Hi!""" text7536;"""Himitsu was shifting from one foot to another, as if she couldn't bring herself to step in.""" text7537;"""I thought you were going to clean your house today.""" text7538;"""Yes, I am.""" text7539;"""Well, come on in!""" text7540;"""I just came for a minute…""" text7541;"""I looked at her questioningly.""" text7542;"""Although, alright.""" text7543;"""Himitsu smiled and stepped in.""" text7544;"""What is this?""" text7545;"""Himitsu gave the remains of my breakfast a rather displeased look.""" text7546;"""Let me make something quick for you!""" text7547;"""No need, I've eaten already!""" text7548;"""It was as if yesterday had never happened.""" text7549;"""I felt uncomfortable standing next to her, felt an urgent need to explain myself but was too scared to start the conversation all over again.""" text7550;"""Fine, then I'll make dinner and you can heat it up later!""" text7551;"""What about your cleanup?""" text7552;"""Cooking won't take long!""" text7553;"""Sunshine, enough!""" text7554;"""I didn't meant to call her that — it was a habit.""" text7555;"""Himitsu looked at me with uncomprehendingly and quietly sat down on the chair, letting her arms drop impotently.""" text7556;"""Find some time for yourself…""" text7557;"""Not that you can call cleaning that, but still…""" text7558;"""I guess I should've stayed silent.""" text7559;"""If I didn't have things to do, I'd spend all my \""time for myself\"" with you.""" text7560;"""She smiled, and her smile, sincere and even childlike, naïve, gave me determination.""" text7561;"""Don't you feel bored with me?""" text7562;"""I got used to it.""" text7563;"""Not a good thing to get used to.""" text7564;"""I laughed, but Himitsu didn't bat an eye.""" text7565;"""Some people get rid of bad habits.""" text7566;"""Like who?""" text7567;"""Well…""" text7568;"""If I started it…""" text7569;"""Don't mind Katya. Yesterday turned out… stupid.""" text7570;"""I can only imagine what I'd think in your place! But everything's fine!""" text7571;"""What would you think in my place?""" text7572;"""Himitsu never looked away from my face but appeared absolutely calm.""" text7573;"""Actually, anything!""" text7574;"""I let out an idiotic laugh.""" text7575;"""What if she came to murder me!""" text7576;"""I wouldn't even be surprised.""" text7577;"""Are you serious?""" text7578;"""Let's change the topic!""" text7579;"""Himitsu stood — no, fluttered! — up and went out into the garden.""" text7580;"""What wonderful weather.""" text7581;"""Yeah… We could go out. But you still have cleaning to do…""" text7582;"""It's okay, we can go out another time! And now I'll get back to cleaning and you to your homework! You did start your homework, right?""" text7583;"""And don't forget to eat dinner!""" text7584;"""Yes, mom…""" text7585;"""I let out a sad sigh when the front door closed behind her.""" text7586;"""It had gone alright, even better that I could've expected.""" text7587;"""So, had nothing changed between me and Himitsu?""" text7588;"""And what about Catherine? We never managed to have a proper talk the day before.""" text7589;"""Actually, I wasn't even sure if that's what she had come for.""" text7590;"""A scary thought crossed my mind — what if she did it on purpose… what if she was leading me on, hoping that Himitsu would catch us?""" text7591;"""If she wanted to take revenge on me, fine, but why drag Himitsu into it?!""" text7592;"""I started walking around the kitchen, hoping to calm down.""" text7593;"""Catherine hadn't just returned to Japan, to my school — she was back for vengeance!""" text7594;"""God, now this was paranoia!""" text7595;"""Even if she disliked me that much and I'd somehow offended her — that was no reason to behave like this!""" text7596;"""It was Katya, after all!""" text7597;"""I knew her too well or, at least wanted to think I did.""" text7598;"""Why not just ask her? That was simple!""" text7599;"""I dithered at the phone, staring at the piece of paper with the captivating numbers written on it.""" text7600;"""Sure, I didn't have Catherine's new number and couldn't call her, but I also desperately wanted to finish yesterday's conversation.""" text7601;"""To set the record straight once and for all.""" text7602;"""But that's not how things go, is it?""" text7603;"""The phone suddenly rang on its own, and after a long time staring it the shrieking machine, I finally picked up the receiver.""" text7604;"""Hello?""" text7605;"""I didn't say a word.""" text7606;"""Hello!""" text7607;"""Catherine repeated with discontent clear in her voice.""" text7608;"""Life's surprises aren't always unpleasant.""" text7609;"""Yes…""" text7610;"""Well hi.""" text7611;"""She said calmly.""" text7612;"""How do you know this number? Did you really have it written somehwere?""" text7613;"""I did, Sherlock.""" text7614;"""How are you doing?""" text7615;"""I'm fine.""" text7616;"""I didn't know what to say to her over the phone.""" text7617;"""Look, do you have any plans for today?""" text7618;"""Why? Do you have a proposal?""" text7619;"""Well, yeah, I thought we could meet.""" text7620;"""Why?""" text7621;"""Honestly, I feel like we didn't really finish our conversation yesterday.""" text7622;"""Is that so?""" text7623;"""…""" text7624;"""Alright, fine. See you in the city centre at two. And don't be late!""" text7625;"""Oka…""" text7626;"""I didn't even have the time to finish as she hung the phone.""" text7627;"""Well, it could be worse…""" text7628;"""Catherine had agreed too easily, even.""" text7629;"""…""" text7630;"""It probably took me too long to get ready.""" text7631;"""I spent an hour deciding on what I was going to wear, then I took a shower, shaved, combed my hair…""" text7632;"""Seriously, was I going to a meeting or a date?!""" text7633;"""On Sundays, people in Tokyo tend to move slower than usual.""" text7634;"""And not only because they don't need to go to work.""" text7635;"""Recreation is a ritual!""" text7636;"""They spend five or six days a week courting their clients and then they expect to be courted by waiters, shop assistants, administrators, actors and singers.""" text7637;"""It is extremely important to show your status as someone who's earned the right to respect and polite treatment through hard work.""" text7638;"""Sunday is the day when the man in the grey suit does not stand below anyone else, when he is their lord!""" text7639;"""Another thing — young people, strutting around in colorful outfits and pretending to be social rebels""" text7640;"""They feel superior to those hidebound retrogrades, having a couple years to spare before they start molting, shedding bright feathers and growing protective gray fur for the long summer of life.""" text7641;"""Observing all the different characters of Japan's capital distracted me from thoughts of Catherine, so I managed to get to the meeting spot pretty quickly.""" text7642;"""The clock in the shop window across the street indicated that there was still half an hour left…""" text7643;"""Why does it rain, I wondered.""" text7644;"""Not in the scientific sense, but from the rain's perspective — why does it do it?""" text7645;"""In its place, I'd stay in the clouds, closer to the stars.""" text7646;"""It had rained during the night — rain is a great sleep companion, and in the morning I felt rested, even the hangover spared me.""" text7647;"""Today was Sunday, which meant Himitsu was busy cleaning and I wouldn't get breakfast.""" text7648;"""Although it wasn't about the breakfast at all…""" text7649;"""I had to explain myself to her somehow.""" text7650;"""But I definitely wasn't going to tell her about Kagome and what I had learned yesterday in Kobayashi Corporation's offices.""" text7651;"""There was no need to drag Himitsu into this!""" text7652;"""And that wasn't the only reason…""" text7653;"""Well then, I intended to tackle the problems as they came.""" text7654;"""I made scrambled eggs yet again and started to eat them with gusto, having poured a generous amount of soy sauce on top.""" text7655;"""Was there soy sauce in Russia, I wondered.""" text7656;"""I was quite used to it by now…""" text7657;"""A doorbell.""" text7658;"""Had Himitsu found the time to visit me after all?""" text7659;"""But all I found was Kagome at my doorstep.""" text7660;"""Hi.""" text7661;"""She looked stiff and avoided looking me in the eye.""" text7662;"""Well hello. What brings you here?""" text7663;"""We need to talk about something.""" text7664;"""Alright, come in… Want some tea?""" text7665;"""Yes, thank you.""" text7666;"""Now that's unexpected.""" text7667;"""I uttered the thought out loud.""" text7668;"""I don't want to bother you! If you…""" text7669;"""It's all good, come on in.""" text7670;"""Kagome was focused on drinking the now-cold tea and was clearly gathering her strength to begin the conversation.""" text7671;"""Today she looked much more confident and wasn't so embarrassed being alone with me in my home.""" text7672;"""And we'd only known each other for a couple of days…""" text7673;"""Was she really that easy to get through to?""" text7674;"""I spent the entire night thinking about yesterday.""" text7675;"""And I think I know what we should do next.""" text7676;"""And that is?""" text7677;"""Remember how you mentioned Kobayashi Jun's granddaughter? Ellie, I think?""" text7678;"""Yes, what about her?""" text7679;"""She's his granddaughter, what's there to understand?""" text7680;"""I know that, but what do you want from her? You think grandpa confides with her about his affairs?""" text7681;"""I don't, but…""" text7682;"""Or do you want to threaten her?""" text7683;"""I just want to talk!""" text7684;"""Kagome's expression grew dark and she started to look more like herself.""" text7685;"""I don't see the point.""" text7686;"""Fine, if you don't want to help…""" text7687;"""She stood up, clearly expecting me to stop her.""" text7688;"""Was there something else?""" text7689;"""Kagome let out a displeased huff and sat back down.""" text7690;"""You do understand I have no one else to turn to, right? And you know her, too.""" text7691;"""I've already told you I don't.""" text7692;"""She at least knows you by sight!""" text7693;"""Iwamura seemed to ignore my words.""" text7694;"""Did she realize I was lying?""" text7695;"""Sure, I wouldn't say I was friends with Ellie, but I'd at least say hello to her on the street.""" text7696;"""Even if I wanted to… And I don't and I think this is a dumb idea, mind you! But even if I wanted to…""" text7697;"""I don't know her well enough to simply come up to her at school and—""" text7698;"""Then call her!""" text7699;"""Kagome interrupted me.""" text7700;"""How's that better?! You think I know her number?""" text7701;"""Well find it then!""" text7702;"""Kagome's behavior began to seem like that of a capricious child.""" text7703;"""And who would tell it to me?""" text7704;"""Is there really no one?""" text7705;"""I thought for a moment.""" text7706;"""I guess Kyosuke could know.""" text7707;"""He had a dossier on each and every even somewhat notable character at our school.""" text7708;"""And Kobayashi Ellie probably had the biggest one.""" text7709;"""Would it be a good idea to involve him?""" text7710;"""Maybe…""" text7711;"""Then what are you waiting for?""" text7712;"""Kagome asked with a smile inappropriate for the situation.""" text7713;"""Okay, fine, but if something goes wrong I'll say it was your idea!""" text7714;"""Kyosuke picked up almost immediately.""" text7715;"""Hello.""" text7716;"""He drawled in a disgusting manner.""" text7717;"""Hi, it's me, gotta ask you something.""" text7718;"""Oh, Nick, heya! What is it? By the way, I got my hands on a certain videotape… And it's really something!""" text7719;"""Porn was the last thing I cared about right now.""" text7720;"""I hadn't come up with a good enough excuse for needing Ellie's number.""" text7721;"""I wasn't sure it was even possible to think of something believable in such a short time.""" text7722;"""I'll give it to you straight: I need Kobayashi Ellie's telephone number.""" text7723;"""Kyosuke took a little while to respond, but when he did, he shouted:""" text7724;"""Nick, you old Casanova! I knew she sank into your heart after that time in the cafeteria!""" text7725;"""Can you just tell me if you have her number or not?""" text7726;"""I may, but you do understand… Information like this isn't easy to come by. It's worth a pretty penny. Or gainful barter.""" text7727;"""What do you want?""" text7728;"""Hm…""" text7729;"""He seemed to think about it.""" text7730;"""Let it be a favor. And then you'll return it when I need one.""" text7731;"""Deal. And also… Don't tell anyone I asked you for it, understand?""" text7732;"""Why, that's not in my best interest.""" text7733;"""He giggled and read out Ellie's number.""" text7734;"""Well, happy now?""" text7735;"""I let out a sigh of relief after putting down the phone.""" text7736;"""For this, I was now in Kyosuke's debt…""" text7737;"""See, it wasn't as hard as you were playing it up to be.""" text7738;"""Playing up?""" text7739;"""The dumb smile on my face was mostly a result of genuine surprise.""" text7740;"""So I was playing it up? Why thank you!""" text7741;"""Whatever, let's call!""" text7742;"""The phone stared at me with its ten holes and seemed to be grinning.""" text7743;"""I had absolutely no idea what I'd say to Ellie.""" text7744;"""Meanwhile, Kagome was sitting nearby, seemingly attempting to telepathically communicate her displeasure and impatience.""" text7745;"""Eventually, I couldn't bear with it either, snatched up the phone and resolutely dialed the number.""" text7746;"""A response didn't come for a long, painfully long time.""" text7747;"""Finally, an old man's voice sounded from the receiver.""" text7748;"""Kobayashi estate.""" text7749;"""No, it definitely wasn't Kobayashi Jun — his voice seemed to have been ingrained into my mind forever.""" text7750;"""Hello, my surname is Anokhin… and… I'd like to talk to Kobayashi… with Ellie-san!""" text7751;"""Please wait a minute.""" text7752;"""The voice dispassionately responded.""" text7753;"""I covered the receiver with my hand and whispered to Kagome:""" text7754;"""Probably a butler.""" text7755;"""It didn't even take a minute…""" text7756;"""Hello.""" text7757;"""Hi. It's… Anokhin, we've met…""" text7758;"""I was mumbling like an eighth-grader on his first date.""" text7759;"""Ah, the school boor! Hi, what brings you?""" text7760;"""She responded merrily, without a shred of surprise in her voice.""" text7761;"""I…""" text7762;"""I didn't know what to say now.""" text7763;"""Give it here!""" text7764;"""Kagome roughly took the receiver out of my hands.""" text7765;"""Roughly and so quickly that I had no time to react.""" text7766;"""This is Iwamura Kagome, Niko-san's classmate. You don't know me, but I know who you are. I know you're Kobayashi Jun's granddaughter.""" text7767;"""And what I need from you is for your family, for your goddamn Corporation to give back my father!""" text7768;"""I couldn't hear how Ellie responded and could only guess.""" text7769;"""Even then, you can still talk to him.""" text7770;"""Reaaaally?""" text7771;"""Kagome's lips stretched into an evil smile.""" text7772;"""Maybe I can't do much, but I'm fully capable of putting a princess like you in her place!""" text7773;"""Oh, is that so? Then come and let's talk face to face!""" text7774;"""To Niko-san's house.""" text7775;"""None of your business what I'm doing here.""" text7776;"""Oh no, just you wait…""" text7777;"""Do you want the entire school to find out about your… hobby?""" text7778;"""Doesn't matter how I know, you better be here in an hour.""" text7779;"""What's your address?""" text7780;"""Kagome asked me.""" text7781;"""I limply told her.""" text7782;"""I'm waiting.""" text7783;"""She hung up.""" text7784;"""How do you know that…""" text7785;"""I didn't even have the time to finish.""" text7786;"""That she pretends to be a rock star?""" text7787;"""Kagome smugly asked.""" text7788;"""Yes.""" text7789;"""Wasn't hard to find out. For my father, I'm ready to do anything.""" text7790;"""Indeed, Ellie wasn't exactly trying to hide.""" text7791;"""Not that she could, performing in clubs packed with people.""" text7792;"""But then why fear she'd be found out about at school?""" text7793;"""They would anyway, but the later the better…?""" text7794;"""I need to be careful around you…""" text7795;"""You bet!""" text7796;"""Alright then, let's wait…""" text7797;"""…""" text7798;"""Kagome was staring into space, sitting on the chair, barely even blinking.""" text7799;"""In the end, my composure snapped and I started to walk circles around the kitchen.""" text7800;"""You don't seem to be nervous at all.""" text7801;"""Would it help?""" text7802;"""She calmly asked.""" text7803;"""What would?""" text7804;"""Nothing. Although…""" text7805;"""She took the plate with the unfinished eggs from the table and cautiously sniffed it.""" text7806;"""Using yourself to test biological weapons?""" text7807;"""You know what! It's perfectly edible…""" text7808;"""Kagome smirked in good nature, and I immediately lost faith in my culinary skills.""" text7809;"""We can eat while we wait!""" text7810;"""…""" text7811;"""Ten minutes later, the table housed a full lunch with several dishes.""" text7812;"""They tasted at least no worse than Himitsu's but were cooked much more professionally.""" text7813;"""I was just about to compliment Kagome, then decided it wasn't the time or the place.""" text7814;"""She knew full well she was a good cook.""" text7815;"""Thank you, it was very good.""" text7816;"""I limited myself to a polite thank you.""" text7817;"""You bet!""" text7818;"""She grinned and started to clean the table.""" text7819;"""Let me at least wash the dishes!""" text7820;"""Can you?""" text7821;"""You wouldn't believe it.""" text7822;"""…""" text7823;"""Half an hour later, the doorbell rang.""" text7824;"""Kagome looked at the clock and thoughtfully said:""" text7825;"""Preciseness is the politeness of kings.""" text7826;"""Punctuality, not preciseness!""" text7827;"""I thought but kept my mouth shut.""" text7828;"""It seemed to have rained at night, but I slept like a log.""" text7829;"""I dreamed that someone was stealing my money.""" text7830;"""Small sums — a couple thousand yen a time — but they were doing it regularly, boldly, and with no repercussion, while I couldn't stop them.""" text7831;"""It happens often in dreams — the disgusting feeling of your own helplessness.""" text7832;"""I woke up, and the same feeling of helplessness followed me to reality.""" text7833;"""They say that dreams are a way for the brain to rethink the events of the preceding day.""" text7834;"""Shake them up and make conclusions in the form of allegories.""" text7835;"""Did that mean that I wanted to, but couldn't, help Kagome?""" text7836;"""I guess so, but you didn't need to be a somnologist to know that!""" text7837;"""The house was quiet as always. No more than usual, but Himitsu wouldn't come today either.""" text7838;"""Cleaning is important…""" text7839;"""I rummaged through the refrigerator and laid out a selection of ingredients for a bachelor's breakfast: several eggs, a piece of moldy cheese, and a bottle of soy sauce.""" text7840;"""I had to get used to it, things could get way worse from here on.""" text7841;"""Chewing on overcooked scrambled eggs, I meditated on what to do today.""" text7842;"""But my thoughts were constantly jumping back to Kagome and her problems, to the disappearance of her father and the conversation with Kobayashi Jun.""" text7843;"""Why had I lied to her? Was it really necessary?""" text7844;"""I didn't even know anymore…""" text7845;"""It was a moment's whim, a certainty I was doing the right thing.""" text7846;"""That's how critical decisions are sometimes taken.""" text7847;"""And if only it was just about me…""" text7848;"""But I hid that piece of information from Kagome, information important to her and her father.""" text7849;"""Who gave me the right to do something like that…?""" text7850;"""The doorbell rang.""" text7851;"""Who could it be so early on a Sunday morning?""" text7852;"""Standing at the doorstep was…""" text7853;"""Ellie.""" text7854;"""Hey, I've been dri… passing by.""" text7855;"""I cautiously examined my street behind her, looking for a limo and her bodyguards.""" text7856;"""Don't worry, I'm alone.""" text7857;"""Smart girl.""" text7858;"""Must not have not been the first time for her.""" text7859;"""I'm not worrying, just didn't expect you. What brings you here?""" text7860;"""Here!""" text7861;"""She handed me a pinkish envelope covered in heart and flower shapes.""" text7862;"""What's this?""" text7863;"""Well, open it and you'll see.""" text7864;"""Judging by how calm Ellie was, it clearly wasn't an invitation to… wherever.""" text7865;"""I opened the envelope to find several bills inside.""" text7866;"""For yesterday…""" text7867;"""You didn't have to bother. I told you it was a date.""" text7868;"""You wish!""" text7869;"""She pursed her lips and frowned.""" text7870;"""You also said you'd take the money.""" text7871;"""If you insist, mademoiselle!""" text7872;"""Indeed I do.""" text7873;"""Ellie smiled, and it seemed was about to leave, feeling that her debt had been paid.""" text7874;"""By the way, how do you know where I live?""" text7875;"""I'm an ojou-sama, remember?""" text7876;"""She gave me a coquettish glance.""" text7877;"""Would you like to… come in? Just for a cup of tea, that's all! It's Sunday…""" text7878;"""I guess I simply didn't want to stay alone with myself and the pressing feeling of guilt.""" text7879;"""Even if right that moment I were to run to Kagome to apologize, what would it change?""" text7880;"""Would this be a date?""" text7881;"""If you want it to be…""" text7882;"""Ellie glanced around and said in a kind of mysterious voice:""" text7883;"""If only for a little while.""" text7884;"""…""" text7885;"""And what about your…""" text7886;"""I almost said \""retinue\"".""" text7887;"""What about your boys?""" text7888;"""I'm alone today.""" text7889;"""Really?""" text7890;"""I was genuinely surprised.""" text7891;"""Do you think I'm some kind of princess in a high castle? That I only come out for concerts?""" text7892;"""No, but well, yesterday you said…""" text7893;"""We have a big house. It's not hard to slip away when I need to.""" text7894;"""And what happens if you're… well, caught?""" text7895;"""Ellie's only response was a sad smile.""" text7896;"""Better not find out it, got it.""" text7897;"""You've got a cozy place. Any brothers or sisters?""" text7898;"""No, I'm alone.""" text7899;"""Me too.""" text7900;"""She responded pensively.""" text7901;"""No, I mean completely alone. My parents died some time ago.""" text7902;"""I'm very sorry.""" text7903;"""Thanks. I'm used to it. At least that's what I sometimes think.""" text7904;"""And I often can't be alone. Even if sometimes I really want to.""" text7905;"""I was looking at this girl and couldn't figure out what she was thinking.""" text7906;"""I was lonely so I invited Ellie in. Did she agree to spend some time alone with herself?""" text7907;"""Did that make me a piece of furniture?""" text7908;"""I mean, I can leave.""" text7909;"""No, you misunderstood!""" text7910;"""She laughed and seemed to become even prettier than before.""" text7911;"""My chest tightened, and I remembered Catherine.""" text7912;"""Or rather, realized it had been a while since I thought about her.""" text7913;"""In that sense at least.""" text7914;"""I didn't really think any—""" text7915;"""I was interrupted by yet another ring of the doorbell.""" text7916;"""Two visits in the same day?""" text7917;"""I was getting popular.""" text7918;"""Wait, I'll be right back.""" text7919;"""I think I'll go, don't want to be a bother.""" text7920;"""Don't, I'm telling you, I'll be right back! Maybe it's the post…""" text7921;"""Post? Could I come up with anything dumber than that?""" text7922;"""I simply didn't have any idea as of who it could be.""" text7923;"""…""" text7924;"""Coming, coming!""" text7925;"""The doorbell rang again, this time longer and more annoyingly.""" text7926;"""I opened the door and saw Kagome…""" text7927;"""I'm not here to start an argument!""" text7928;"""She proclaimed from the get-go.""" text7929;"""I've got a new idea, and you're going to help me.""" text7930;"""I'd be glad to, but I'm kinda busy right now…""" text7931;"""You owe me for yesterday.""" text7932;"""She may have been right, but still some people always manage to choose the most unfortunate moments.""" text7933;"""You pace around, wind yourself up, constantly think of the best way to apologize…""" text7934;"""I don't know, sit on the toilet, for instance, and this person slams the door open with a kick and starts to trying to sell you on some wild nonsense…""" text7935;"""Yeah, I do, but let's… do it later… next time. I'll give you a call.""" text7936;"""No, we do it now!""" text7937;"""Kagome raised her voice.""" text7938;"""You don't understand! I'm not alone…""" text7939;"""So what?""" text7940;"""So nothing, dammit!""" text7941;"""The sound of footsteps came from the hallway.""" text7942;"""I froze in place, preparing for the worst.""" text7943;"""This was not good!""" text7944;"""I really should go…""" text7945;"""Oh! You're exactly who I need!""" text7946;"""Me? Do we know each other?""" text7947;"""No, but we will! My name is Iwamura Kagome. I want your grandfather, your damn Corporation to let my father go!""" text7948;"""Would this not have happened had I not had a fight with Kagome yesterday?""" text7949;"""I don't understand what you're talking about. Your father… What does it have to do with grandpa?""" text7950;"""Everything!""" text7951;"""She didn't even try to hide her anger but still attempted to talk as calmly as she could given the situation.""" text7952;"""Ellie shot me a questioning look.""" text7953;"""You see, the thing is… I don't want to drag you into this.""" text7954;"""She dragged herself into this!""" text7955;"""How, exactly?""" text7956;"""By being a part of that accursed family!""" text7957;"""You know what!""" text7958;"""Ellie shot Kagome an angry glare, but I was sure she simply didn't know how to react.""" text7959;"""I do, imagine that. And you'd better learn who your grandad really is and what his Corporation does.""" text7960;"""Nick, I don't understand what she's on about.""" text7961;"""Ah, so you already know each other…""" text7962;"""Listen, you may not care about me, but at least stop embarrassing yourself — the entire neighborhood is about to gather around this place. Do you want that?""" text7963;"""Then let's talk inside.""" text7964;"""No thank you, I'll go!""" text7965;"""You're not going anywhere.""" text7966;"""She said in a voice that really did make Ellie stop.""" text7967;"""I had to do something!""" text7968;"""It was obvious that Ellie had no connection to her grandfather's dealings, but she was still a Kobayashi…""" text7969;"""Unfortunately, the sins of the father are a real thing, especially in Eastern societies!""" text7970;"""Either way, Kagome didn't give me a chance.""" text7971;"""I guarantee you that we better talk on good terms. Unless you want the entire school to find out what you do at nighttime.""" text7972;"""…""" text7973;"""How do you know everything?""" text7974;"""Kagome only smirked in response.""" text7975;"""Fine.""" text7976;"""Ellie uttered quietly.""" text7977;"""You don't have to do this.""" text7978;"""We'll just talk, right?""" text7979;"""Ellie smiled sadly.""" text7980;"""The night passed peacefully, under the quiet sound of a rain that brought the cold breath of autumn with it.""" text7981;"""I'd forgotten to close the door to the garden and woke up feeling quite chilly.""" text7982;"""A hot shower quickly washed off the last remnants of sleepiness, and the new day, urged on by the summer-like, hot sun, came into its own.""" text7983;"""What was Kagome doing now, I wondered?""" text7984;"""Yesterday's conversation with the Bartender made me think.""" text7985;"""What would I have thought in her place?""" text7986;"""Would I want to listen to banal apologies, or would I expect something more substantial?""" text7987;"""After a quick breakfast consisting of vaguely flavored scrambled eggs, I dialed the number of the information desk.""" text7988;"""I'd like to know the phone number of the restaurant \""Gifts of the Sea\"", please. Yes. The address is…""" text7989;"""I hadn't even thought to ask Kagome for a number because she most likely wouldn't have told me.""" text7990;"""But if you live in a restaurant, be ready that you'll be easy to find.""" text7991;"""Good morning, can I talk to Kagome-san?""" text7992;"""The phone was answered by some young guy, probably one of the employees.""" text7993;"""I had to wait for quite a while.""" text7994;"""In the background, I could hear typical restaurant noises: the welcoming shouts of the waiters, the bubbling, the chewing, the slurping of eating Japanese, the sounds of the cooks' busy work.""" text7995;"""Hello.""" text7996;"""Kagome's panting indicated that she too was hard at work.""" text7997;"""Before you hang up, I want you to know I didn't tell you the whole truth yesterday.""" text7998;"""Actually, I lied to you. That wasn't what we talked about with Kobayashi Jun at all.""" text7999;"""She didn't respond, and the silence dragged on.""" text8000;"""Hello, you there?""" text8001;"""You think I don't know that?""" text8002;"""Kagome finally asked.""" text8003;"""I just think I have to tell you everything. Let's meet somewhere in the city center today?""" text8004;"""I also have something to tell you. I'll come by. Soon, in an hour or less.""" text8005;"""To my place?""" text8006;"""Just like that?""" text8007;"""Yes, see you.""" text8008;"""She hung up, and for a while longer I kept listening to the dial tone.""" text8009;"""Kagome had to have something on her mind…""" text8010;"""Something reckless and risky, I was almost sure.""" text8011;"""Damn, and Kobayashi Jun warned me against reckless action, too!""" text8012;"""From Kagome's side primarily.""" text8013;"""Good thing she'd decided to talk to me after all.""" text8014;"""But now I was going to spend an hour thinking of what she was going to tell me! I definitely was!""" text8015;"""Goddammit!""" text8016;"""I quickly stepped outside to get some air.""" text8017;"""Clothes and bedsheets were hung in Himitsu's yard.""" text8018;"""I didn't want to distract her from her cleaning, or even drag her into this in the first place.""" text8019;"""The street was empty, which was quite normal for Sunday afternoon.""" text8020;"""In different circumstances, I would have simply walked where legs would take me, but right now I needed to wait for Kagome.""" text8021;"""In the distance, at a crossroad, a white dress gleamed into view.""" text8022;"""A familiar white dress.""" text8023;"""No way…""" text8024;"""I went in pursuit, almost running.""" text8025;"""Did you follow me?""" text8026;"""Not that Ellie even seemed to be trying to hide, and her exclamation didn't sound very surprised either:""" text8027;"""The school boor!""" text8028;"""I have a name you know! Nikolai, Nick.""" text8029;"""Well hello then, Nick. I'm taking a walk.""" text8030;"""Would you look at that, one of your kind with no security! And of course, you ended up in my neighborhood by accident? And on my street, too?""" text8031;"""Of course.""" text8032;"""She answered innocently.""" text8033;"""Why was I attacking Ellie?""" text8034;"""Yes, there was little chance she'd wandered here by accident.""" text8035;"""But the chance that she'd simply be allowed to walk around alone was even smaller than that…""" text8036;"""You must be watching me!""" text8037;"""Well, maybe I am.""" text8038;"""Wait, really?""" text8039;"""Of course not, dumbass! You think I can't just go out for a walk?""" text8040;"""The thought did cross my mind, to be honest.""" text8041;"""Ellie let out a sigh and lowered her head.""" text8042;"""It's not that difficult when you live in a house like mine.""" text8043;"""House like what?""" text8044;"""That was obviously a dumb question.""" text8045;"""Like mine!""" text8046;"""Well alright then, it was nice to see you, but I'm kinda busy today…""" text8047;"""Wait.""" text8048;"""She said unsurely.""" text8049;"""I came here for nothing then?""" text8050;"""Ah, so you didn't end up here by accident after all?""" text8051;"""You didn't go to the music shop with me yesterday!""" text8052;"""Ellie blurted out and pouted.""" text8053;"""Err, well, sorry.""" text8054;"""It's alright, I just thought that… I'm just not used to…""" text8055;"""She got tangled up in her own words and went silent, just staring at me.""" text8056;"""You're unexpectedly honest for a tsundere.""" text8057;"""What? I'm not… Now you'll be the school boor forever!""" text8058;"""Not the most shameful nickname, to be honest…""" text8059;"""Anyway, I have no time for a conversation with you!""" text8060;"""Ellie turned around, walked a couple steps, and ran into Kagome as the latter emerged from around the corner.""" text8061;"""Wonderful, everyone is here.""" text8062;"""What… who…""" text8063;"""My name is Iwamura Kagome. And I want your grandfather, Kobayashi Jun, and his goddamn Corporation to give me back my father!""" text8064;"""Who is this?""" text8065;"""Ellie turned to me, looking frightened.""" text8066;"""My classmate, Iwamura…""" text8067;"""I responded uncertainly.""" text8068;"""In different circumstances, I would have most likely held Kagome back, but at the moment the feeling of guilt was too strong.""" text8069;"""We need to talk.""" text8070;"""Kagome continued in the same cold voice, not addressing anyone in particular.""" text8071;"""About what? I don't even know you! And what you said about grandpa…""" text8072;"""I don't really care, we may as well talk here.""" text8073;"""I looked around.""" text8074;"""Himitsu's house was just a hundred meters away, and this conversation was most likely going to turn into a loud argument.""" text8075;"""We'd be lucky to avoid a fight…""" text8076;"""Ellie, let's go to my place for a bit.""" text8077;"""The girl gave me a dumbfounded look.""" text8078;"""Iwamura is hardheaded, sure, but you don't need to be afraid of her.""" text8079;"""It wasn't hard to guess what Kagome was going to talk about.""" text8080;"""I'm not going anywhere with you two!""" text8081;"""Ellie looked to the side and seemed to regret that her bodyguards weren't with her today.""" text8082;"""I'm not going…""" text8083;"""She repeated, quieter.""" text8084;"""So you want everyone at school to find out what you do at nighttime?""" text8085;"""Alright, stop, that's crossing line!""" text8086;"""Why? All's fair in war.""" text8087;"""Is this a war to you?""" text8088;"""You're both crazy!""" text8089;"""I'm completely sane, but there are circumstances… Please, let's go to my place!""" text8090;"""I swear it'll be alright.""" text8091;"""Fine.""" text8092;"""Ellie reluctantly responded.""" text8093;"""Did I make myself clear?""" text8094;"""I sternly addressed Kagome.""" text8095;"""I'm not sure who you think I am.""" text8096;"""Kagome huffed and walked ahead.""" text8097;"""See?""" text8098;"""I tried to smile but seemed to only scare Ellie even more.""" text8099;"""Soon the three of us were sitting in my kitchen.""" text8100;"""I introduced the girls to each other.""" text8101;"""But what next?""" text8102;"""There was no sense in trying to think that I had no choice and wasn't to blame.""" text8103;"""Even if Kagome's actions were sometimes almost impossible to predict, Ellie still had absolutely nothing to do with it!""" text8104;"""And I was still going to end up being the scapegoat — I was the one Kobayashi Jun had warned…""" text8105;"""The girls stood at different sides of the kitchen, refusing to look at each other.""" text8106;"""Ellie folded her arms over her chest, carefully studying my garden.""" text8107;"""Kagome meanwhile languidly crossed her legs and stared at me in anticipation, implying that I was the master of the house and the ball was in my court.""" text8108;"""Girls, how about tea?""" text8109;"""Your tea isn't poison, but I'd rather not drink it more than I have to.""" text8110;"""Kagome sniffed, while Ellie addressed me with a smile:""" text8111;"""I'd like some, thank you.""" text8112;"""The teapot still held enough of the morning's brew, but offering something like that to guests (one of which had her own restaurant) would be disrespectful even to myself.""" text8113;"""I quickly cleaned out the remnants and poured in fresh hot water.""" text8114;"""Meanwhile, Ellie sat down opposite from Kagome and seemed to be trying to destroy the latter with a glare.""" text8115;"""Bad move…""" text8116;"""So what did you want to talk about, Iwamura-san? Your tantrum earlier wasn't exactly informative.""" text8117;"""That was no tantrum, I…""" text8118;"""Kagome was about to go off again but managed to collect herself.""" text8119;"""My father used to work for your grandfather's company. And not simply \""work\"", he dedicated his entire life to it!""" text8120;"""You people didn't just fire him but took… kidnapped him in the middle of the day!""" text8121;"""You probably have nothing to do with it and don't even know what your grandfather is capable of…""" text8122;"""But that doesn't matter! In history, there are plenty of tyrants who answered for their sins together with their families!""" text8123;"""Had she prepared this speech in advance?""" text8124;"""So what do you propose? Would you send me to the guillotine?""" text8125;"""Ellie smirked.""" text8126;"""Just a couple minutes ago on the street, she had looked scared and lost, but now she had calmed down and regained her usual confidence and even a noble air.""" text8127;"""I just want you to talk with your grandfather.""" text8128;"""I guess Kagome didn't have a tangible plan and didn't even really know what she wanted from Ellie.""" text8129;"""And what am I supposed to tell him? That some petulant girl accused him of who knows what? I'd sooner call the police!""" text8130;"""Now that was definitely a bad idea!""" text8131;"""Girls…""" text8132;"""I shyly tried to interfere.""" text8133;"""Go on, do it!""" text8134;"""Here's the tea…""" text8135;"""Kagome didn't even look at me, while Ellie accepted the cup with gratitude:""" text8136;"""Thank you.""" text8137;"""Though she immediately moved it away and continued the verbal skirmish:""" text8138;"""Are you sure it wasn't your imagination? You know, we have a good hospital, I can ask a psychiatrist to see you.""" text8139;"""Is sarcasm all you're capable of? Do you think you're better than me? And why is that? Just because you have money and power?""" text8140;"""Not at all. I just don't attack people for no reason.""" text8141;"""Kagome bit her lip and turned away for a second.""" text8142;"""If I had a choice… Yesterday we went to the offices of Kobayashi Corporation but didn't manage to achieve anything.""" text8143;"""We went? You mean you and…""" text8144;"""Ellie gave me a questioning look. Not an angry one but seemingly chastising.""" text8145;"""I immediately felt ashamed, as if I had kicked a ball into the neighbors' yard and climbed after it without permission.""" text8146;"""Yeah, we did… Don't get it wrong, it's true that Kagome doesn't always express herself sensibly, but her father really is in trouble…""" text8147;"""Trouble? I didn't seem to have chosen the best word for it either.""" text8148;"""Doesn't always?""" text8149;"""Sensibly?""" text8150;"""Each one of them seemed to hear only what she wanted to hear, with Kagome finally seeming to have noticed I was in the room too.""" text8151;"""So what happened to her father?""" text8152;"""He was… taken. By some people. We…""" text8153;"""I agreed with Kagome, but with the way she had treated Ellie, it was hard to stand with her as a united front.""" text8154;"""It was even harder to choose words that wouldn't upset Ellie.""" text8155;"""We think that Kagome's father was taken because of his work for Kobayashi Corporation.""" text8156;"""And you too…""" text8157;"""Ellie said sadly.""" text8158;"""Because it's the truth! How many times do we need to say it for you to understand?""" text8159;"""I can't believe that grandpa…""" text8160;"""She seemed to think about it for a moment.""" text8161;"""Why should I believe you without any evidence?""" text8162;"""What evidence do you need? My father's body with his fingers cut?""" text8163;"""If you want to say that we are thugs or something, that's just laughable! Kobayashi Corporation is known all over the world! To think that because of a single employee…""" text8164;"""A single employee? You don't know who my father was, what he did for you.""" text8165;"""True, I don't.""" text8166;"""Ellie calmly responded.""" text8167;"""He was a scientist. A talented scientist, maybe even a genius.""" text8168;"""Then why would we kidnap him?""" text8169;"""I immediately remembered her grandfather telling me that Kagome's father had stolen the corporation's secrets.""" text8170;"""That's what I want you to tell me!""" text8171;"""Here we go again… Aren't you tired of it?""" text8172;"""Ellie addressed me.""" text8173;"""Well, her father did disappear.""" text8174;"""I responded unsurely.""" text8175;"""And what does that have to do with me? If she thinks we are at fault here, let her file a police report!""" text8176;"""Against Kobayashi Corporation, known all over the world?""" text8177;"""Kagome smirked.""" text8178;"""For the first time in this conversation, Ellie obviously realized Kagome was right about something and frowned.""" text8179;"""In any case, I know nothing about it!""" text8180;"""See nothing, hear nothing, say nothing?""" text8181;"""Another point for Kagome.""" text8182;"""Though at the start of the conversation I felt guilty for my indecisiveness, now I clearly understood that it was a bad idea to interfere.""" text8183;"""But Kagome thought otherwise.""" text8184;"""Why are you just standing there?""" text8185;"""Me? What about me?""" text8186;"""Yesterday we were there together.""" text8187;"""And by the way, he was the one who talked to your grandfather.""" text8188;"""Is that true?""" text8189;"""Ellie asked with surprise.""" text8190;"""Things kind of happened that way…""" text8191;"""I looked at Kagome.""" text8192;"""But I told you our conversation in detail.""" text8193;"""Assuming you didn't lie.""" text8194;"""She grumbled under her breath.""" text8195;"""And after you talked with grandpa, you still intend to support her nonsense?""" text8196;"""Ellie asked with indignation.""" text8197;"""I'm not really…""" text8198;"""Come on, tell her what you talked about with Kobayashi Jun yesterday!""" text8199;"""I knew perfectly well that she was right.""" text8200;"""Moreover, Ellie's grandfather had admitted that his people took Kagome's father!""" text8201;"""But what did any of that have to do with Ellie?""" text8202;"""Nothing, obviously!""" text8203;"""Not to mention, yesterday Kobayashi Jun had given me clear orders to keep an eye on Kagome's behavior and definitely wouldn't be happy that we dragged his granddaughter into this…""" text8204;"""On the other hand, I felt an acute sense of guilt, duty, and an annoying need to do the right thing.""" text8205;"""Even if it was only the right thing from Kagome's perspective.""" text8206;"""I had to help find her father!""" text8207;"""The girls were looking at me impatiently — I had to make a decision.""" text8208;"""Support Kagome""" text8209;"""Support Ellie""" text8210;"""Let's calm down, for a start! Shouting and insults will get us nowhere.""" text8211;"""Spill it already!""" text8212;"""Ellie was looking at me with distrust.""" text8213;"""Fine…""" text8214;"""After all, I was simply telling the truth!""" text8215;"""Ellie, yesterday your grandfather really did admit that his people had taken Kagome's father.""" text8216;"""It was definitely a bad idea to mention that the latter had stolen some kind of secrets from the corporation.""" text8217;"""After all, that wasn't even something I shared with Kagome.""" text8218;"""What are you saying…?""" text8219;"""She wasn't really upset, just surprised.""" text8220;"""It's true.""" text8221;"""But why?""" text8222;"""Because—""" text8223;"""Because of his work, why else?!""" text8224;"""Kagome rudely interrupted me.""" text8225;"""So what was he working on?""" text8226;"""Don't know, I'm not a scientist.""" text8227;"""Even if so, what do you want from me?""" text8228;"""Ellie asked after a pause, her voice much less certain.""" text8229;"""You could talk to your grandfather…""" text8230;"""About what? Don't you understand that I'm not privy to his business? And your story still sounds implausible.""" text8231;"""Then just try to put yourself in Kagome's shoes — how would you feel?""" text8232;"""She seemed to think about it for a moment but then assumed a haughty expression and said:""" text8233;"""Me? In her place? Why would I?""" text8234;"""Yeah, that's just how you are, your entire family! Fucking heaven-dwellers!""" text8235;"""I'm just not used to holding out a tin cup like a beggar!""" text8236;"""You…""" text8237;"""Nope, not happening.""" text8238;"""Enough already!""" text8239;"""I raised my voice.""" text8240;"""Ellie, seriously, nobody is trying to belittle you here. We simply don't know who else to turn to.""" text8241;"""Maybe her father won't be harmed. Maybe there were even reasons to take him… But that's not the point right now!""" text8242;"""Then what is?""" text8243;"""We…""" text8244;"""Once again I unwittingly switched to plural.""" text8245;"""But the desire to help Kagome burned in me stronger than ever.""" text8246;"""And Ellie insisted on not understanding, not even trying to understand, what was going on. She just kept pretending to be a capricious young lady.""" text8247;"""And I was starting to get fed up with that.""" text8248;"""Even if there was nothing she could do for us, to act like this…""" text8249;"""We're simply doing everything in our power. We have few prospects and absolutely no allies.""" text8250;"""And what do you care?""" text8251;"""Ellie asked with a grin.""" text8252;"""She was probably implying that if I was helping Kagome, there had to be something between us.""" text8253;"""There was no reason to dissuade her — I definitely didn't want to talk about my parents and hoped that Kagome wouldn't either.""" text8254;"""Is that so important?""" text8255;"""No, not at all. But the two of you are starting to resemble blackmailers or something.""" text8256;"""What? No, we aren't…""" text8257;"""You totally are! You're demanding that I do something… What if I refuse? No, seriously! I'll have you know that my bodyguards know where I am, and if I don't come back…""" text8258;"""Stop talking nonsense!""" text8259;"""I shouted.""" text8260;"""At that moment, Ellie's behavior seemed much more irrational to me than Kagome's.""" text8261;"""Even though it would be foolish to deny that her words made me think, even made me scared.""" text8262;"""Seriously, what the hell were we doing…""" text8263;"""So if you don't mind, I'll go.""" text8264;"""Kagome didn't respond, just silently sat there, studying the cracks on the wall with a vacant stare.""" text8265;"""I'll see you off.""" text8266;"""…""" text8267;"""Listen, I'm sorry that things turned out this way…""" text8268;"""We were standing in the hallway, Ellie putting on her shoes, the price of which probably equaled the monthly income of Kagome's restaurant.""" text8269;"""I'm not making any excuses, but we probably went too far.""" text8270;"""Probably.""" text8271;"""You shouldn't tell your grandpa or anyone else about this.""" text8272;"""She gave me a careful look and smiled.""" text8273;"""Why were you standing up for her like that?""" text8274;"""There are… reasons.""" text8275;"""Reasons between the two of you?""" text8276;"""No, personal reasons.""" text8277;"""Fine, then your first offense is forgiven. Ciao!""" text8278;"""Ellie left the house, almost fluttering in her snow-white dress.""" text8279;"""…""" text8280;"""Well, happy now?""" text8281;"""I said to Kagome as I returned to the kitchen.""" text8282;"""Yes, quite.""" text8283;"""Except we haven't achieved anything, only made things worse!""" text8284;"""Why do you think that?""" text8285;"""Because Ellie is about to tell her grandfather everything. You think he'll be happy?""" text8286;"""I think that he'll at the very least think about it. And if something happens to us after that, what will his dear granddaughter think?""" text8287;"""There was some logic to her words, and I was sure Ellie wasn't going to say anything anyway.""" text8288;"""You're so… Ah, whatever!""" text8289;"""I let out a sigh and sat down on a chair next to Kagome.""" text8290;"""But thank you for helping.""" text8291;"""Especially after yesterday.""" text8292;"""Except I'm not at all sure I did the right thing… In the future, let's discuss and think things through before acting, alright?""" text8293;"""In the future?""" text8294;"""She smiled.""" text8295;"""Well, we still haven't found your father…""" text8296;"""And haven't learned what happened to your parents.""" text8297;"""That too.""" text8298;"""So you want to keep helping me?""" text8299;"""Only if you act more sensibly from now on.""" text8300;"""A terrible word. Makes me feel psychotic or something!""" text8301;"""Kagome laughed, and for the first time since we met I felt comfortable around her.""" text8302;"""It's not about the choice of words but their meaning.""" text8303;"""That's easy to say when you don't hear those words directed at you all the time.""" text8304;"""Are you going to keep comparing me to everyone? Even after today?""" text8305;"""I will not. Not for now at least.""" text8306;"""Why thank you!""" text8307;"""By the way, how's your restaurant?""" text8308;"""Same as always.""" text8309;"""She responded with surprise.""" text8310;"""Why are you asking?""" text8311;"""No reason, I just thought you must be worried about other stuff right now.""" text8312;"""It's work.""" text8313;"""Kagome shrugged.""" text8314;"""Someone has to do it. Grandpa counts on me, our employees and customers too.""" text8315;"""Sounds very Japanese.""" text8316;"""Is that a bad thing?""" text8317;"""No… Just seems a little weird from my point of view.""" text8318;"""Why?""" text8319;"""Well, because… I don't know. Alright, nevermind!""" text8320;"""Kagome didn't respond, and I also didn't know how to continue the conversation.""" text8321;"""…""" text8322;"""So what are we going to do next?""" text8323;"""Wait.""" text8324;"""Wait for what?""" text8325;"""Kobayashi Jun's reaction. We've got no other options left.""" text8326;"""Are you sure he'll react?""" text8327;"""I would in his place.""" text8328;"""She responded seriously.""" text8329;"""So long then. See you at school.""" text8330;"""…""" text8331;"""I wanted to see her to the station, but Kagome refused.""" text8332;"""So what would happen tomorrow…?""" text8333;"""Had we even done the right thing?""" text8334;"""Had I done the right thing by allowing Kagome to interrogate Ellie?""" text8335;"""Would Ellie spill everything to her grandfather?""" text8336;"""My own troubles with the calls and the note had long faded into the background — I was convinced they were closely connected to Kagome's situation.""" text8337;"""And I would need to come back to them at some point.""" text8338;"""But if I were to tell Ellie everything now, she would most likely talk to her grandfather, and he clearly wasn't used to repeating himself.""" text8339;"""Wait, let's calm down first.""" text8340;"""I addressed Kagome.""" text8341;"""We don't know the entire truth yet, so it's too early to draw conclusions.""" text8342;"""And what do you want from Ellie? How can she help us?""" text8343;"""So you're not going to tell her anything?""" text8344;"""She asked evenly, but I knew full well this calm was only seeming.""" text8345;"""I can only tell what I know, but I can't impose my assumptions on others and make hasty conclusions.""" text8346;"""I see.""" text8347;"""Kagome said in the same cool manner and stood up.""" text8348;"""What else can I expect from the likes of you!""" text8349;"""Leaving already, Iwamura-san?""" text8350;"""Ellie asked victoriously.""" text8351;"""Nothing left for me to do here. Not now, not ever.""" text8352;"""I wanted to stop her, but how would that look?""" text8353;"""To stop Kagome from leaving, to let her continue Ellie's interrogation?""" text8354;"""After I had already decided to not drag the latter into this?""" text8355;"""When the door closed behind Kagome — loudly, with an echoing slam — I even let out a sigh of relief.""" text8356;"""Sorry about her. Quite the temper…""" text8357;"""To be honest, I didn't really understand what this was all about.""" text8358;"""Well…""" text8359;"""How could I explain the situation without parroting Kagome?""" text8360;"""You're prepared to do a lot for her.""" text8361;"""Elly smiled slyly.""" text8362;"""There's nothing between us, if that's what you mean. God no!""" text8363;"""Why not? I think she likes you.""" text8364;"""Kagome? Likes me? Ha! Why do you think that?""" text8365;"""Feminine intuition.""" text8366;"""Nonsense!""" text8367;"""She was probably just poking fun at me. In retaliation!""" text8368;"""No, we have a completely different relationship. A common interest, so to say.""" text8369;"""Interesting. And what is it about? She doesn't look like a person who gets along well with others.""" text8370;"""…""" text8371;"""And by the way, what did you talk to my grandpa about?""" text8372;"""…""" text8373;"""I kept a heroic silence.""" text8374;"""Or was that another joke?""" text8375;"""Wouldn't say Kagome looks like a comedian.""" text8376;"""I don't hate her, if that's what you mean. But well, just put yourself in my place.""" text8377;"""I understand.""" text8378;"""And still, she clearly believes what she says… So what was that about my grandpa?""" text8379;"""I had already decided that Ellie didn't have to know about our conversation, so I had to lie to the bitter end.""" text8380;"""Nothing much.""" text8381;"""And what was I going to do when Kagome herself would say what had really happened?""" text8382;"""I don't think you'd be able to help…""" text8383;"""Certainly not if I don't even know what I'm meant to help with.""" text8384;"""It's a delicate question…""" text8385;"""In short, you just don't want to tell me?""" text8386;"""…""" text8387;"""Believe me, I've had enough time to learn every conversational tactic out there!""" text8388;"""Fine, I'm convinced. I have reason to believe that your grandfather is somehow connected to the disappearance of Kagome's father.""" text8389;"""And?""" text8390;"""What?""" text8391;"""He surely had his reasons. Maybe her father… I don't know… had done something unlawful.""" text8392;"""She was perceptive!""" text8393;"""That's why I don't want to jump to conclusions.""" text8394;"""I don't think you should tell anyone about what happened.""" text8395;"""Scared?""" text8396;"""Ellie smirked.""" text8397;"""Let's say I exercise advisable caution.""" text8398;"""Fine, if you say so.""" text8399;"""She stood up from the chair and walked round the kitchen.""" text8400;"""You've got a nice house, it's cute!""" text8401;"""Did you want to say \""small\""?""" text8402;"""No, I wanted to say \""cute\"". Living in a mansion with two or three occupied rooms out of a hundred is a strange luxury.""" text8403;"""I've only got the one…""" text8404;"""I waved in the direction of my room.""" text8405;"""What about your parents?""" text8406;"""They died.""" text8407;"""Sorry.""" text8408;"""It's alright. Happened long enough ago. I'm used to it.""" text8411;"""But still! Mine too, you know…""" text8412;"""Really?""" text8413;"""Yes, a car crash during father's tour through Europe…""" text8414;"""I was dying to ask her about that.""" text8415;"""And her father, touring?""" text8416;"""That's who she took after?""" text8417;"""But that would've been inappropriate. At least at the moment.""" text8418;"""But you have your grandpa!""" text8419;"""Yeah, the kidnapper…""" text8420;"""Ellie smiled sadly, and I felt even more uneasy.""" text8421;"""Everything I say comes out wrong!""" text8422;"""Want to see the house then, if you're curious?""" text8423;"""…""" text8424;"""In my room, she immediately noticed the bass guitar.""" text8425;"""Pity you don't play anymore.""" text8426;"""Oh, you play!""" text8427;"""Nah, used to but stopped.""" text8428;"""Why?""" text8429;"""Because… Well, I just did.""" text8430;"""Pity, a real pity…""" text8431;"""Oh come on! I wouldn't be any good anyway…""" text8432;"""Can I try it?""" text8433;"""My chest suddenly felt tight, the very thought that Ellie was going to play my bass guitar made me feel uncomfortable.""" text8434;"""A regular guitar, her vocals — whatever, I didn't really care. But she could probably play the bass better than I ever could have!""" text8435;"""It's not tuned…""" text8436;"""I'll tune it.""" text8437;"""How about another time?""" text8438;"""I said seriously.""" text8439;"""Greedy-pants!""" text8440;"""She pouted.""" text8441;"""I've just got a lot of stuff to do…""" text8442;"""Like what?""" text8443;"""Like cleaning!""" text8444;"""I managed to think of something.""" text8445;"""I'm supposed to be cleaning today! I'll change the bass strings too, you can play it another time!""" text8446;"""Does that mean you're confident there will be another time?""" text8447;"""I'm not… That's not what I meant!""" text8448;"""Relax!""" text8449;"""She laughed.""" text8450;"""If you take everything that seriously you'll grow old quick!""" text8451;"""Isn't eighteen a bit too early to think about getting old?""" text8452;"""I wasn't even sure I'd live long enough.""" text8453;"""Hm… Grandpa also says that I don't think about the future at all.""" text8454;"""Well, do you?""" text8455;"""I asked naively.""" text8456;"""Of course I do! Same as anyone. Sometimes…""" text8457;"""A wistful shadow passed over her face.""" text8458;"""Alright, I should go now.""" text8459;"""I hope you talk to your girlfriend and this won't happen again!""" text8460;"""She's not my girlfriend! I've known her for barely a week!""" text8461;"""Alright, Don Juan. Happy cleaning!""" text8462;"""…""" text8463;"""After seeing Ellie off, I returned to the kitchen, fell into the chair, and breathed out:""" text8464;"""What the fuck even was all that?!""" text8465;"""What does something as simple as a couch mean to a man?""" text8466;"""And why did I live in a traditional Japanese home when neither I nor my parents were Japanese?""" text8467;"""Even if the building itself was, say, gifted to us or given for temporary use, the furnishing clearly should've been chosen by mom and dad…""" text8468;"""Were they fine even with this after the modest adornments of the Soviet Khrushchev-era apartments?""" text8469;"""Maybe so…""" text8470;"""Truth be told, I didn't know much about interior design, but I definitely remembered that our old Soviet flat had had a couch. It was red with a black pattern. On springs.""" text8471;"""Jumping on those springs, I used to almost reach the ceiling, feeling like a cosmonaut on his way to the moon.""" text8472;"""Maybe I should've bought something like a couch myself and put it in front of the TV.""" text8473;"""Himitsu had a couch in her living room, several even!""" text8474;"""Although they very were different from those from my childhood.""" text8475;"""Yet another ringing of the doorbell distracted me from the memories.""" text8476;"""What if it was a couch salesman with a fresh catalogue…?""" text8477;"""Standing on my doorstep was just Michael.""" text8478;"""Hey. Something happen?""" text8479;"""I definitely hadn't expected to see him here.""" text8480;"""How did he even know my address?""" text8481;"""Hey. Nothing, all good. Let's go?""" text8482;"""He said in his usual, even tone.""" text8483;"""Where?""" text8484;"""To the movies.""" text8485;"""I sometimes found Michael's brevity tiring and even a bit maddening.""" text8486;"""Why not say everything right away and avoid the meaningless clarifying questions?""" text8487;"""He could clearly see I had zero idea what he was talking about!""" text8488;"""Which movies?""" text8489;"""The ones we agreed to go to.""" text8490;"""I do not, at all, know what you're talking about.""" text8491;"""Michael let out a sigh.""" text8492;"""You were the one who asked me to go. Two weeks ago.""" text8493;"""Oh, well, two weeks ago…""" text8494;"""For me, that was like last century!""" text8495;"""I guess…""" text8496;"""So should we go?""" text8497;"""Well, let's go….""" text8498;"""I shrugged.""" text8499;"""I didn't have any plans for the evening anyway.""" text8500;"""But Michael didn't even flinch and kept looking at me.""" text8501;"""And the tickets?""" text8502;"""We can just buy them there, right?""" text8503;"""Do you not even remember what the movie's about? All the tickets are long sold out. You said you'd buy them in advance.""" text8504;"""Well, I didn't, as you can tell…""" text8505;"""Or maybe I did but forgot?""" text8506;"""No, I wasn't suffering from memory loss yet!""" text8507;"""I hoped…""" text8508;"""A pity.""" text8509;"""Looking at him, you wouldn't say he actually felt bad about it.""" text8510;"""There's been hell of a lot happening lately… Wanna come in?""" text8511;"""I still need to do some homework.""" text8512;"""Well you found time for a movie!""" text8513;"""I smiled and opened the door wider, inviting him inside.""" text8514;"""…""" text8515;"""Want some?""" text8516;"""I took out the bottle with the remaining whiskey.""" text8517;"""I took out the bottle of whiskey.""" text8518;"""We've got school tomorrow.""" text8519;"""Yeah, as if you'd agree on any other day!""" text8520;"""Michael was on the side of good — an exemplary straight A student, he kept himself reserved from the pleasures of life.""" text8521;"""And you shouldn't either.""" text8522;"""In a different situation, you'd be right.""" text8523;"""…""" text8524;"""And if there was someone else in my place.""" text8525;"""Is everything that bad?""" text8526;"""We walked to the garden and sat down on the porch.""" text8527;"""The weather cleared up after the night's rain, and the outside was dominated by real summer weather.""" text8528;"""I'd love to be in the countryside, in nature…""" text8529;"""Himitsu had an entire village house, with a real grandma and grandpa.""" text8530;"""Except it'd been a while since I visited there.""" text8531;"""Bad? Depends on what you compare it to. Starving children in Africa probably have it worse.""" text8532;"""Is it because of Catherine?""" text8533;"""I smiled.""" text8534;"""It was funny to hear Michael call a girl he didn't know by her first name. We were still in Japan, even if not Japanese ourselves.""" text8535;"""No. Different stuff. Say, what do you know about Kobayashi Ellie?""" text8536;"""Don't know her personally.""" text8537;"""Well you must've heard something!""" text8538;"""He thought a moment and didn't respond immediately.""" text8539;"""People say a lot about her… Why don't you ask Kyosuke?""" text8540;"""Why do you think? He'd probably tell me the size of her chest, but not anything substantial.""" text8541;"""She's respected at school. Even by the teachers. Which doesn't come as a surprise — she is a Kobayashi after all. But there are rumors that things aren't all that simple with her. Not as…""" text8542;"""Michael tried to find the right word.""" text8543;"""Obvious.""" text8544;"""Gotcha. So what's so un-obvious about her?""" text8545;"""Well, you for instance can afford to have a glass or two.""" text8546;"""And?""" text8547;"""They say she has a few bad habits, too.""" text8548;"""Even with its relative novelty, calling rock music a bad habit seemed weird…""" text8549;"""We weren't in the sixties anymore!""" text8550;"""Like what?""" text8551;"""I don't really know. I prefer not to talk about people behind their backs. Just telling you what I've heard. Everyone knows about it.""" text8552;"""Yeah, everyone besides me.""" text8553;"""Michael shrugged.""" text8554;"""And what about our class representative? Iwamura?""" text8555;"""What about her?""" text8556;"""I definitely wasn't about to tell Michael about our adventures.""" text8557;"""But I also found it difficult to pick a different reason to be interested in her.""" text8558;"""Let's say she's not a simple girl either.""" text8559;"""It is weird that you don't know anything even about your classmates.""" text8560;"""Well, that's how I am…""" text8561;"""Don't have much to say about her. You must've noticed she doesn't get along with others.""" text8562;"""I have. Wouldn't even say that \""get along\"" is the most fitting term here.""" text8563;"""Yeah, I guess. I don't know anything else though.""" text8564;"""Still, thanks.""" text8565;"""For a while, we both sat there silently.""" text8566;"""It's strange that you're interested in other girls when you…""" text8567;"""He faltered for a moment, which didn't happen with him often.""" text8568;"""When you've got a chance to restore your relationship with Catherine.""" text8569;"""There's plenty of fish in the sea, you know!""" text8570;"""Not that I'm involved with either of them romantically.""" text8571;"""In my heart, I was grateful to Michael for the chance to talk peacefully, share something personal, and be sure that the entire school wouldn't find out about it the next day.""" text8572;"""Must be weird to hear something like that from me, huh?""" text8573;"""No. It's weirder that you've never talked about anything like that before.""" text8574;"""You mean I wasn't interested in girls?""" text8575;"""Was barely interested in anything, really.""" text8576;"""Well, I was interested in movies…""" text8577;"""I grinned stupidly, stupider still because I didn't even remember inviting him.""" text8578;"""By the way, there's supposed to be a good movie on TV soon. Not the one we were supposed to see, but still.""" text8579;"""Want to watch it?""" text8580;"""Why not?""" text8581;"""…""" text8582;"""When Michael left, the city had already been engulfed by the soft embrace of the unusually warm autumn night.""" text8583;"""I had no desire to sleep and, warmed by the alcohol, went on to look for an adventure.""" text8584;"""The adventure awaited me behind the doors of the familiar bar."""