text17880;"""In my dream, there was an endless sapient ocean, its intellect as far removed from a human's as could be.""" text17881;"""Love, hatred, pride, power, money, revenge, family, primal instincts — none of that mattered to it.""" text17882;"""I couldn't understand what drove its existence. It was fundamentally impossible for me to comprehend what it thought about me…""" text17883;"""The alarm clock was an unpleasant surprise for me — I didn't even remember setting it.""" text17884;"""But it was time to get up and prepare for school.""" text17885;"""There were several reasons to attend class: first, I still had to talk to Kagome since I hadn't yesterday.""" text17886;"""Second, as paranoid as it might have sounded, the police could find my absence suspicious.""" text17887;"""Maybe Kagome would be more reasonable today.""" text17888;"""…""" text17889;"""But she wasn't in the classroom, and before the start of the first class the principal walked in and announced an all-school assembly.""" text17890;"""I've seen this somewhere before.""" text17891;"""Kyosuke said without a hint of sarcasm.""" text17892;"""A shiver ran down my spine, the feeling of some unclear danger seemed to have paralyzed my whole body.""" text17893;"""Nick, let's go?""" text17894;"""Yeah, sure.""" text17895;"""I said reluctantly and stood up.""" text17896;"""The strange podium was in the yard yet again. Kiyama-sensei was standing on it and meeting the students with a stern glare as they left the school building.""" text17897;"""Kyosuke and I stood in more or less the middle of the crowd.""" text17898;"""Michael joined us shortly, but Kagome was nowhere be seen.""" text17899;"""Don't you think it's weird that Iwamura hasn't come today?""" text17900;"""Would you be quiet?""" text17901;"""I waved him away.""" text17902;"""The principal looked over the students one last time, closed his eyes, and sighed in an overly dramatic manner.""" text17903;"""As you all know, a terrible tragedy took place several days ago. Eight students of our school met a brutal death at the hands of an unknown murderer.""" text17904;"""I promised you that we would find the perpetrator, and we — with the help of the police, of course — have!""" text17905;"""His speech sounded as dramatic as always, which seemed particularly inappropriate for the situation.""" text17906;"""It's hard for me to say this, but the perpetrator turned out to be one of the students of our school.""" text17907;"""He stopped, as if expecting a reaction, but everyone was listening quietly, looking at the old principal with silent attention.""" text17908;"""The reason for this monstrous deed was simple personal animosity…""" text17909;"""Come on, spit it out!""" text17910;"""Kyosuke grumbled next to me.""" text17911;"""I couldn't say a word though — I knew what Kiyama was going to say anyway.""" text17912;"""…Iwamura Kagome, a senior student of our school. Right now she is in custody, and the police are doing their work.""" text17913;"""Kagome? So it was her, after all…""" text17914;"""But I just couldn't believe it, remembering how Kagome had almost burst into tears yesterday.""" text17915;"""But I just couldn't believe it.""" text17916;"""It happens sometimes: you know something is going to happen, prepare yourself for it, but when it finally arrives you still don't expect it.""" text17917;"""I could accuse Kagome all I wanted, believe she was the murderer deep inside and reinforce that opinion with arguments of varying legitimacy…""" text17918;"""But I was completely unprepared for that to be the truth!""" text17919;"""I understand that it must be shocking for all of you! It was a great shock to me!""" text17920;"""Sure thing!""" text17921;"""Kyosuke scoffed.""" text17922;"""Well Nick, what did I tell you?""" text17923;"""He looked at me with eyes full of anticipation.""" text17924;"""It's not a fucking quiz show! You're not getting a prize for the right answer!""" text17925;"""I hissed at him.""" text17926;"""And there isn't a right answer here!""" text17927;"""I can't believe Iwamura is capable of… I mean — physically capable of killing eight people at once!""" text17928;"""Meanwhile, the principal continued:""" text17929;"""We couldn't imagine that such a monster was hiding among us, among our children. We couldn't know…""" text17930;"""Kiyama-sensei's primary goal seemed to be protection of the school's image.""" text17931;"""I assure you, if we had ever had any suspicions…""" text17932;"""Japanese are generally good at hindsight.""" text17933;"""I felt a sharp lack of air.""" text17934;"""I need to go.""" text17935;"""I said to Kyosuke and carefully pushed my way through the crowd to the school gate.""" text17936;"""I felt better on the street, with fewer people around and far enough away that the principal's rancid speech couldn't reach me.""" text17937;"""I took several deep breaths, leaning my hand against the school gate.""" text17938;"""I told you.""" text17939;"""A familiar voice came from behind me.""" text17940;"""Don't scare me like that!""" text17941;"""I jumped up and spun around.""" text17942;"""Ellie stood next to me with a gloomy expression on her face.""" text17943;"""I'm not gloating, not at all, but…""" text17944;"""I warned you from the very beginning.""" text17945;"""I hope you aren't about to say that Iwamura was accused because of you?""" text17946;"""Barely concealed notes of anger crept into my voice.""" text17947;"""We've been through that, too… You accuse my grandpa of everything.""" text17948;"""So it's not his fault now?""" text17949;"""I… haven't told him anything else.""" text17950;"""But her tone lacked confidence.""" text17951;"""Glad to hear that.""" text17952;"""I gave her a sour smirk and looked at the gathering in the school yard.""" text17953;"""The principal kept talking, but I couldn't hear exactly what he was saying. To hell with him anyway.""" text17954;"""Nick, I'm serious! This is better for everyone!""" text17955;"""But not for Iwamura…""" text17956;"""Do you still think she's innocent?""" text17957;"""…""" text17958;"""You don't trust the police?""" text17959;"""Yes, I didn't have much reason to trust them.""" text17960;"""Especially considering the interrogation Kagome and I had been subjected to after visiting Kobayashi Jun.""" text17961;"""What the hell was that?!""" text17962;"""There is no crime a capitalist would not commit for 300% profit.""" text17963;"""It's a good thing we don't have Marxism-Leninism here!""" text17964;"""I was a bit surprised by the depth of Ellie's knowledge but still couldn't help myself:""" text17965;"""It wasn't Marx who said that.""" text17966;"""What does it matter?!""" text17967;"""She grew angry and stomped her foot, but quickly caught herself.""" text17968;"""Sorry… I understand it's not easy for you. And I…""" text17969;"""I shouldn't have said all that! Sorry!""" text17970;"""She blurted out, turned around, and ran back to school.""" text17971;"""Well, at least now I knew it wasn't Ellie's fault.""" text17972;"""Although if Kobayashi Jun was involved in the arrest, he probably wouldn't tell his granddaughter.""" text17973;"""I calmed down a bit and went back to the yard.""" text17974;"""Just in time for the end of Kiyama-sensei's fiery speech.""" text17975;"""For a while, the students lingered, exchanging confused glances.""" text17976;"""Almost all of them were quiet, only a few whispering to each other.""" text17977;"""I walked to Kyosuke and carefully put my hand on his shoulder.""" text17978;"""Have I missed much?""" text17979;"""You can watch the tape.""" text17980;"""He replied sarcastically.""" text17981;"""I wouldn't even be surprised if he actually invited a TV crew…""" text17982;"""But I couldn't get rid of the thought that Kagome had brought it upon herself.""" text17983;"""What was she doing at the crime scene?""" text17984;"""What if the three of us weren't alone there after all and it wasn't just the ghosts of the night watching us?""" text17985;"""During lunch, Kyosuke, Michael, and I gathered in the cafeteria — not so much to eat as to discuss everything that'd happened.""" text17986;"""As tired as I was of all this talking, I knew the conversation was unavoidable.""" text17987;"""I don't want to repeat myself, but I knew from the very first day that Iwamura was the murderer!""" text17988;"""Let's not go there, alright?""" text17989;"""What, isn't it true? Tell him, Mike!""" text17990;"""No, it's not.""" text17991;"""Michael replied readily.""" text17992;"""You two are always like this…""" text17993;"""Kyosuke pouted and turned away.""" text17994;"""I still don't believe that Iwamura is guilty. I don't know what evidence the police have, but it can't be true, because it just can't!""" text17995;"""Think about it: eight people! At once! Did she shoot them with a machine gun?""" text17996;"""Besides, all of them had to have ended up there that night somehow. Against their will, probably.""" text17997;"""Nick, we aren't the ones you have to convince.""" text17998;"""I know that…""" text17999;"""I looked around — there were even fewer people in the cafeteria than the last time.""" text18000;"""It's interesting how an event that doesn't involve you directly can change your behavior.""" text18001;"""Were they really afraid that Kagome the maniac would jump at them with a knife right in the school?""" text18002;"""Still, for some reason all of them decided that hunger was currently low on their list of priorities.""" text18003;"""The numerous empty tables were the best evidence for my theory.""" text18004;"""I still don't understand, why are you protecting her like this?""" text18005;"""Because…""" text18006;"""I couldn't find the answer. Not for Kyosuke nor for myself.""" text18007;"""For the first time, I felt there was no way back.""" text18008;"""Whether Kagome was really guilty or not, framed or not, whether Kobayashi Jun was involved or not — none of it mattered since nothing could be changed.""" text18009;"""There was no way for me to help her.""" text18010;"""Because I really believe that she's not guilty.""" text18011;"""I said quietly.""" text18012;"""Eh, what? I can't hear you!""" text18013;"""Kyosuke exclaimed, leaned onto the table, and demonstratively put his hand against his ear.""" text18014;"""And immediately received a stinging slap on it courtesy of me.""" text18015;"""Calm down already!""" text18016;"""Ouch, that hurts!""" text18017;"""In any case, we can't do anything now.""" text18018;"""Michael said calmly, as if reading my mind.""" text18019;"""He probably just wanted to support me in his own way, since I doubted he cared about Kagome's fate.""" text18020;"""Thank you.""" text18021;"""Michael just nodded lightly in response.""" text18022;"""No, I mean, she could have accomplices.""" text18023;"""Triads, for example…""" text18024;"""Kyosuke's imagination had gone so wild he'd started believing his own nonsense.""" text18025;"""Have you ever thought that Iwamura might have some Chinese roots? If you look at her carefully…""" text18026;"""Kyosuke, enough.""" text18027;"""But by now he had stopped listening altogether.""" text18028;"""On the other hand, the yakuza option…""" text18029;"""I threw a piece of broccoli precisely in the center in Kyosuke's ramen bowl, several drops of stock splashing onto his clothes.""" text18030;"""It took him several seconds to process what happened, but he suddenly snapped out of it, squinting slyly.""" text18031;"""Take that!""" text18032;"""Then he threw a chopstick at me.""" text18033;"""I dodged, and the chopstick hit the back of the girl sitting behind us.""" text18034;"""That girl turned out to be Saya-chan. Luckily, Himitsu wasn't around.""" text18035;"""Suzuhara-san…""" text18036;"""Kyosuke prattled.""" text18037;"""Saya turned around, looked at him angrily, but said nothing.""" text18038;"""Sorry…""" text18039;"""My chubby friend looked a little too scared.""" text18040;"""How did he even know her surname?""" text18041;"""(Although I was more surprised that she had one: to me she was always just Saya-chan.)""" text18042;"""Do you two know each other?""" text18043;"""Us? No, but…""" text18044;"""Kyosuke was noticeably sweating.""" text18045;"""Don't tell me you've fallen for her!""" text18046;"""I laughed way louder than I should've.""" text18047;"""Quiet, you!""" text18048;"""Oh, I can't!""" text18049;"""Now the rest of the students were looking at us, not just Saya-chan.""" text18050;"""Look who's talking! I'm not judging you for Iwamura!""" text18051;"""Hardly the same thing.""" text18052;"""I finally calmed down a bit.""" text18053;"""Are you sure about that?""" text18054;"""…""" text18055;"""Sure, Saya-chan wasn't the prettiest girl in the world and didn't have the nicest personality, but at least she wasn't suspected of committing a mass murder.""" text18056;"""I felt ashamed.""" text18057;"""You know what, whatever!""" text18058;"""I crossed my arms over my chest and turned away.""" text18059;"""Sorry. I didn't know…""" text18060;"""I looked at Michael — he didn't seem to be interested in our conversation in the slightest.""" text18061;"""Yeah, and why did you think that I… that I…""" text18062;"""Being at a loss for words wasn't like him either.""" text18063;"""Nevermind.""" text18064;"""I said firmly and got back to the food.""" text18065;"""…""" text18066;"""The school day ended pretty quickly.""" text18067;"""My classmates were unusually quiet, a dismal expression stuck on most of their faces.""" text18068;"""Most likely, not a single one of them even considered that Kagome could be innocent.""" text18069;"""It's not hard to imagine an outcast who you wouldn't even sit next to have done something terrible. Nobody would even be surprised.""" text18070;"""For many, having some sort of physical or mental defect, even just being shy or lacking social skills, is an aggravating circumstance in and of itself.""" text18071;"""What must it be like to feel that the entire world is against you?""" text18072;"""…""" text18073;"""On my way home, I was desperately trying not to look at the people on the street.""" text18074;"""I felt like they were all sneering down at me, at the very least, maybe even prepared to attack me.""" text18075;"""What if deep inside everyone thought I was an outcast, too?""" text18076;"""How was I fundamentally any different from Kagome?""" text18077;"""By having a couple of friends and knowing Ellie?""" text18078;"""Our personalities were probably pretty similar from the outside.""" text18079;"""We'd both suffered at the hands of Kobayashi Corporation.""" text18080;"""We both had a very vague idea of and prospects for the future.""" text18081;"""We both were unhappy with our lives.""" text18082;"""When I thought about how I could've warned her yesterday but hadn't, I felt sick.""" text18083;"""But what else could I do?""" text18084;"""I had warned her yesterday but it didn't change a thing.""" text18085;"""Today my old house seemed to be looking down on me too.""" text18086;"""If my parents had been alive, they would have renovated it by now or at least kept the yard clean.""" text18087;"""I couldn't say I didn't care about it, but worrying about the inner and outer appearance of my home was somewhere around the bottom of my list of priorities.""" text18088;"""When I opened the door, I immediately felt something was wrong.""" text18089;"""But I had nowhere to retreat to.""" text18090;"""Indeed — Irina was sitting in the kitchen, idly flipping through the pages of a newspaper.""" text18091;"""Welcome. Sorry for coming in without an invitation.""" text18092;"""I said and, paying no attention to her, walked to the fridge.""" text18093;"""Good to see you, Nikolai.""" text18094;"""This is my house, actually.""" text18095;"""Of course, I should've been more careful around her, but these regular visits were starting to get on my nerves.""" text18096;"""I hope you've had enough time to think about our offer.""" text18097;"""I haven't, to be honest.""" text18098;"""Oh, and what's been keeping you so busy? Music?""" text18099;"""She smiled, but her eyes followed me with the attention of a predator.""" text18100;"""That too. And the murders at my school. Do you know anything about that?""" text18101;"""I asked randomly, more to distract her from attacking me.""" text18102;"""Do I know anything about the murders…""" text18103;"""She repeated thoughtfully, as if trying to grasp the meaning of what I'd just said.""" text18104;"""It seems the police just recently detained the suspect.""" text18105;"""Exactly. Iwamura Kagome. We were talking about her last time.""" text18106;"""And I think the two of you are in the same class.""" text18107;"""Stop playing dumb.""" text18108;"""The fake expression on Irina's face disappeared at once, giving place to cold concentration.""" text18109;"""Well yes, we framed her.""" text18110;"""But… why?""" text18111;"""Out of surprise, I started back and bumped into the fridge.""" text18112;"""The boxes on top of it shook but didn't fall.""" text18113;"""She was sticking her nose everywhere and had become a nuisance to us.""" text18114;"""How could a simple Japanese schoolgirl became a nuisance to the all-mighty KGB?!""" text18115;"""I exclaimed.""" text18116;"""Be quiet — the walls have ears.""" text18117;"""I thought they were yours.""" text18118;"""In another situation, Irina might have appreciated the joke, but today she apparently wasn't in the mood.""" text18119;"""I would've agreed with you under different circumstances, but Iwamura's father is hardly uninvolved in this whole affair.""" text18120;"""And if she hadn't bothered certain important people, she would be enjoying her freedom now.""" text18121;"""Then why not just kill her?""" text18122;"""Indeed…""" text18123;"""She replied as if returning the question to me.""" text18124;"""In any case, this will be a good lesson for you.""" text18125;"""Eight people! Don't you think that's too many for a lesson?""" text18126;"""What did they do?!""" text18127;"""Collateral damage.""" text18128;"""Right, why didn't I guess that right away?""" text18129;"""Alright, Nikolai, I'm not in the mood to chat with you.""" text18130;"""Weirdly enough, Irina rarely spoke about herself, it was usually all we and us.""" text18131;"""Then why are you… you here?""" text18132;"""I still couldn't figure out how to address her.""" text18133;"""I think I told you last time — it's good you've grown close with Kobayashi Jun's granddaughter.""" text18134;"""Is your relationship… developing?""" text18135;"""She relaxed her shoulders, leaned back, fixed her hair, and smiled.""" text18136;"""It was amazing how in a fraction of a second this woman could turn from KGB Major Irina Mostovaya to the silly employee of the French embassy Irene Dupont, appreciator of good drinks and handsome boys.""" text18137;"""We aren't… in a relationship. That's not my opinion, it's a fact.""" text18138;"""I replied reluctantly.""" text18139;"""It's very strange to play in a band together and have no relationship at all.""" text18140;"""You sure know a lot.""" text18141;"""We know plenty. But not enough. And you'll help us fix that.""" text18142;"""How?""" text18143;"""For a while, Irina kept looking at me like I'd said something unbelievably stupid.""" text18144;"""We've been trying to infiltrate Kobayashi Jun's inner circle for some time now, but he's very cautious.""" text18145;"""And that's where you take the stage!""" text18146;"""In a couple days, there will be a charity ball at Kobayashi's estate — and I need you to be there.""" text18147;"""Is it so difficult to get an invitation for a charity ball? Just make a donation.""" text18148;"""To be honest, I knew nothing about that sort of thing and was making an assumption based on books and movies I'd seen.""" text18149;"""We aren't in the US or even Europe. Every guest's background is checked thoroughly by the Corporation's security service.""" text18150;"""And of course, they'll let me in!""" text18151;"""I smirked sarcastically.""" text18152;"""They will — if you come as the beau of the host's granddaughter.""" text18153;"""Married me over my head huh?""" text18154;"""I'm glad you're having fun — positivity increases the chance of success. Just don't go too far.""" text18155;"""Let's say I get into the estate, what next?""" text18156;"""Next… well…""" text18157;"""She went through her bag, took out a small device, and carefully handed it over to me.""" text18158;"""It looked like a miniature camera.""" text18159;"""You don't need to know the details, but we have reliable intel that Kobayashi Jun recently made a secret deal with the Americans.""" text18160;"""He should have some papers concerning this deal in his office. Your task is to find and carefully photograph them.""" text18161;"""Again, even if I somehow manage to sneak into his office — how would I know what exactly I'm supposed to look for? He could have a mountain of documents in there.""" text18162;"""Irina scoffed and took a square instant photo out of her bag, depicting a paper sheet with a logo of Earth surrounded by several circles.""" text18163;"""There clearly used to be text under the logo, but it was painted over with a black marker.""" text18164;"""Look for this logo.""" text18165;"""What does it mean?""" text18166;"""It means that you know more than enough to complete the mission! Except…""" text18167;"""After the photo, she took out a sheet with the layout of the Kobayashi estate.""" text18168;"""It was clearly made by hand, but extremely carefully.""" text18169;"""You need to get into this room!""" text18170;"""She circled the right place with a red marker.""" text18171;"""What happens if I fail?""" text18172;"""My voice sounded like it belonged to someone else — cold and distant.""" text18173;"""Don't you already know?""" text18174;"""I mean — what if I can't find the documents?""" text18175;"""Irina once again returned to the image of perfect innocence.""" text18176;"""Then let's hope that your and Kobayashi Ellie-san's love ends up being more than juvenile infatuation.""" text18177;"""The words made me feel disgusted, even a strange sour taste appeared in my mouth.""" text18178;"""So I'm just expendable to you?""" text18179;"""Nikolai, what are you saying…""" text18180;"""And my death would be written off as collateral damage?""" text18181;"""You know, I'm tired of having these soul-searching conversations with you and trying to convince you of the importance of what we're doing.""" text18182;"""I wish I could know what we're doing exactly…""" text18183;"""I remarked, but Irina continued without paying attention to it:""" text18184;"""You don't have much choice. You either help us and we help you…""" text18185;"""Did you give the same offer to Iwamura? Did she reject it?""" text18186;"""You aren't her. And you should be grateful for that!""" text18187;"""So… you either help us or you're left alone with your problems.""" text18188;"""I haven't seen much help from you so far.""" text18189;"""If you manage this, we'll be able to bring you to the USSR.""" text18190;"""Unless you have something that's keeping you here.""" text18191;"""Irina suddenly stood up in one quick motion, grabbed the photo from the table, and put it in her bag.""" text18192;"""You understand. Until next time.""" text18193;"""I was left with the plan of Kobayashi's estate.""" text18194;"""…""" text18195;"""The rest of the day was spent in pointless rumination.""" text18196;"""It wasn't even about trusting Irina and her promise or not, but about whether I wanted to return to my homeland.""" text18197;"""Was anything keeping me in Japan?""" text18198;"""My relationship with Himitsu was completely ruined, and, worse than that, deep inside I believed it was for the better.""" text18199;"""Yes, there was a prospect of a mind-blowing music career — but how real was that fantasy?""" text18200;"""Ellie would graduate in half a year — and what would happen to Z FEEL-Z?""" text18201;"""She could repeat all she wanted that she wished to make her own choices, but not everything in a teenager's life bends to their will.""" text18202;"""Directly or indirectly, our choices are defined by our parents and loved ones.""" text18203;"""That influence is even more important in Japan.""" text18204;"""And, I'd imagine, even more so in the Kobayashi family.""" text18205;"""I was walking from one room to another when I suddenly noticed the smell.""" text18206;"""It's interesting how each house has its own palette of aromas incomparable to anything.""" text18207;"""The smell of dust, wood, paper turned yellow, of old clothes, moth-eaten and languishing in a wardrobe, and the odor of soap, that seems to be the same everywhere, yet smells differently in each house.""" text18208;"""But our specific smell had almost disappeared in the year and a half that had passed since my parents' death.""" text18209;"""Soon enough, there wouldn't be anything left in this house but stench, dampness, and mold.""" text18210;"""So I had to decide who I was afraid of more — the KGB or Kobayashi Corporation.""" text18211;"""Despite all the power the Corporation possessed, it hadn't manifested itself in any way so far.""" text18212;"""There was a threat to be found in Kobayashi Jun's warnings, Kagemaru's frightening facial expressions, and Ichinose's words.""" text18213;"""Meanwhile, Irina regularly visited me in person, was very talkative, and presented a vivid picture of what would happen if I refused to work with her.""" text18214;"""And after what they did to Ellie's friends…""" text18215;"""And then a thought suddenly came to mind.""" text18216;"""What if the KGB was just trying to profit off of the murders?""" text18217;"""There was really no way to know if Kagome had been framed or not.""" text18218;"""Especially after the police detained her.""" text18219;"""Given that the Japanese justice system isn't known for its acquittals, I didn't have much chance of seeing Kagome outside the walls of a prison.""" text18220;"""But thinking about it, I wouldn't have refused to accompany Ellie to the ball even without Irina forcing me to do it.""" text18221;"""Just the thought of us dancing in the middle of a bright ballroom made shivers run down my skin.""" text18222;"""Was I good enough to be her beau?""" text18223;"""Who fucking cares! I wouldn't refuse the opportunity if I got it.""" text18224;"""And then I could make things up as I go — I could just lie and say I had looked for the documents and didn't find any.""" text18225;"""Irina wouldn't have any way to tell whether I was telling the truth or not, right…?""" text18226;"""Any decision is better than none — and with that thought, I went to sleep."""