text24811;"""I woke up early in the morning, still tired and sleepy, but quickly realized I wouldn't be able to fall asleep again."""
text24812;"""It was getting worse and worse by the day…"""
text24813;"""But while I couldn't do a single thing to Kobayashi Corporation, I could at least handle a gang of rowdy teenagers!"""
text24814;"""At least, I could try…"""
text24815;"""Long before class started, I was standing at the school gate, waiting for Asakura and Kawashima."""
text24816;"""Why them?"""
text24817;"""I was absolutely sure that the others lacked the brains to come up with anything like that themselves, and there was no point dealing with pawns."""
text24818;"""A car brought Asakura to school pretty early — there was a good hour left before classes started."""
text24819;"""I had to hide behind the fence in order to avoid the driver's attention."""
text24820;"""When the car drove away, I approached Asakura."""
text24821;"""We need to talk about yesterday!"""
text24822;"""You can't just jump at people like that!"""
text24823;"""She immediately responded with indignation."""
text24824;"""Yes, about that, too."""
text24825;"""I don't know what you're talking about."""
text24826;"""The girl scoffed and turned away, not even pretending to be surprised."""
text24827;"""I'm talking about you breaking my window yesterday and smearing my door with paint! I spent half the night cleaning it."""
text24828;"""What made you think it's us?"""
text24829;"""Asakura asked defiantly."""
text24830;"""I've got cameras in the yard!"""
text24831;"""C-cameras…?"""
text24832;"""That scared her."""
text24833;"""Yes, cameras."""
text24834;"""Anyway, I know nothing about this, I have to go!"""
text24835;"""I grabbed her by the arm."""
text24836;"""Oh no, you're not going anywhere! We're going to stand here together and wait for the others!"""
text24837;"""Maybe my threat worked or maybe she fell for the bluff about the cameras — either way, Asakura stopped resisting."""
text24838;"""…"""
text24839;"""Ten minutes later, Kawashima appeared."""
text24840;"""Good morning! We've been waiting for you!"""
text24841;"""I greeted her in an artificially friendly voice."""
text24842;"""What's going on here?"""
text24843;"""He's crazy! He's accusing us of some nonsense! I have no idea who wrote what on his door!"""
text24844;"""I never said there was something written on it."""
text24845;"""Oh…"""
text24846;"""She got even more flustered."""
text24847;"""Anyway, that's exactly the case!"""
text24848;"""I continued."""
text24849;"""Your stunt yesterday was caught on camera!"""
text24850;"""Camera?"""
text24851;"""Kawashima smirked maliciously."""
text24852;"""It seemed like she wasn't as gullible as her friend."""
text24853;"""And where can we see the tape?"""
text24854;"""We'll watch it together at the police station!"""
text24855;"""Wonderful, we'll be looking forward to a subpoena!"""
text24856;"""Miku, let's go! There's no point listening to this imbecile!"""
text24857;"""She said to Asakura, and I realized that holding two girls in place would be at least twice as difficult."""
text24858;"""But I was saved by Ellie, who happened to come to school just on time!"""
text24859;"""Miku, Mari…?"""
text24860;"""I turned around, and, before they had a chance ran away, blurted out:"""
text24861;"""Everyone's finally here! We've just been waiting for you! I thought you'd be interested to know what your friends do on weeknights."""
text24862;"""Ellie threw a questioning look, first at me then at the girls."""
text24863;"""They painted my door yesterday and broke a window!"""
text24864;"""Is that true?"""
text24865;"""Of course not! Don't listen to him!"""
text24866;"""I have evidence!"""
text24867;"""Yeah, camera recordings, we heard that already!"""
text24868;"""She smirked."""
text24869;"""To be honest, I had kind of lost confidence in that trick."""
text24870;"""What camera?"""
text24871;"""Still, Ellie was surprised."""
text24872;"""The cameras that record everything happening in my yard."""
text24873;"""I've already told you — we'll be waiting for a call from the police! Until then…"""
text24874;"""Okay, so what were you doing yesterday night?"""
text24875;"""Why the hell would I tell you?!"""
text24876;"""She flared up — a guilty mind is never at ease."""
text24877;"""Marie…"""
text24878;"""What, Ellie? Am I supposed to just stand and listen when I'm accused of some bullshit?"""
text24879;"""If it would've been the first time…"""
text24880;"""You can say all you want, but you can't prove anything!"""
text24881;"""I don't need to!"""
text24882;"""I looked at Ellie defiantly, letting everyone know that the only opinion that mattered here was hers."""
text24883;"""She responded by shamefully lowering her eyes."""
text24884;"""The battle seemed lost, until a player I never would have expected entered the game."""
text24885;"""Kagome."""
text24886;"""The way we were standing made it difficult for others to walk past us, but she still tried to slip by."""
text24887;"""Aha, there you are!"""
text24888;"""Kagome stopped and gave me a wary look."""
text24889;"""Are you going to keep claiming you're innocent? That you're not bullying Iwamura?"""
text24890;"""Can you make up your mind? First we're window breakers, now bullies…"""
text24891;"""They're all links in a chain."""
text24892;"""Come on, show them!"""
text24893;"""I turned to Kagome, but as I got closer I could see her black eye was no longer visible."""
text24894;"""Niko-san, I don't want to get involved in this…"""
text24895;"""She said quietly. So quietly that I barely heard her."""
text24896;"""What're you mumbling there?! Speak up!"""
text24897;"""Asakura, having stood quietly before, entered the conversation."""
text24898;"""See, Ellie? This is what I've been talking about!"""
text24899;"""What, am I supposed to just stand and listen while this… beggar mumbles under her breath?! What if it's about me…"""
text24900;"""You think you're untouchable or something?!"""
text24901;"""Well we certainly have more rights than… You're not going to compare us to…"""
text24902;"""Miku, please be quiet!"""
text24903;"""But Marie-chan…"""
text24904;"""You can keep playing the hero, just remember that it's going to end badly for you."""
text24905;"""Is that a threat?"""
text24906;"""It's a warning."""
text24907;"""See? Listen to this!"""
text24908;"""I addressed Ellie."""
text24909;"""To be honest, guys, I don't understand what's going on."""
text24910;"""What's there to understand? Yesterday they committed a terror attack on my house…"""
text24911;"""A terror attack!"""
text24912;"""Kawashima giggled."""
text24913;"""But never mind… As I was saying, they're constantly bullying Iwamura!"""
text24914;"""Kagome kept standing motionlessly, like a statue, carefully examining the cracks in the pavement at her feet."""
text24915;"""Why aren't you saying anything?"""
text24916;"""I asked angrily."""
text24917;"""I've got nothing to say."""
text24918;"""Oh, you've got nothing to say! So, I'm the one who's supposed to protect you! Somehow you're not so shy with me!"""
text24919;"""…"""
text24920;"""You see, Ellie! She's got no problem with us!"""
text24921;"""Right?"""
text24922;"""Asakura came closer to Kagome."""
text24923;"""You've got no problems with us, right?"""
text24924;"""She asked in a challenging tone…"""
text24925;"""And immediately got a juicy slap on the face."""
text24926;"""It all happened as if in slow motion — Kawashima and Ellie froze, I didn't know how to react either."""
text24927;"""If they had been guys, I wouldn't have been so surprised."""
text24928;"""But Kagome, ready to defend herself like that…"""
text24929;"""Kagome, who stubbornly kept quiet all that time!"""
text24930;"""Ow!"""
text24931;"""Asakura said after a sizeable pause."""
text24932;"""See, Ellie! They're both crazy!"""
text24933;"""Kawashima jumped to her friend, hugged her by the shoulder, and took her as far as possible from us."""
text24934;"""Kagome lowered her head again and looked exactly like she had a minute ago."""
text24935;"""I don't know what really happened, but after that — you can solve your problems yourself!"""
text24936;"""Ellie said and ran after her friends."""
text24937;"""What the hell was that?!"""
text24938;"""You wanted me to stand up for myself — and I did!"""
text24939;"""She replied roughly and headed for the school."""
text24940;"""At first, I wanted to run after her, grab her by the arm, stop and shout at her…"""
text24941;"""But then I realized it was pointless."""
text24942;"""In the end, I was the one who'd created this volatile mixture, provoked this conflict."""
text24943;"""It was strange, even, that it only ended with a slap and not murder."""
text24944;"""I followed Kagome with my eyes, waited for her to go inside and change her shoes, and only then walked to the school building."""
text24945;"""However, Ellie was waiting for me there, hiding behind a locker."""
text24946;"""I stopped, and she just shook her head admonishingly."""
text24947;"""Is Asakura alright?"""
text24948;"""She'll live. For now…"""
text24949;"""I didn't mean that it was that serious."""
text24950;"""First a slap — then what?"""
text24951;"""Don't exaggerate! Besides, Kagome had her reasons!"""
text24952;"""To be honest, I didn't completely believe that myself."""
text24953;"""Sure, I could cut her some slack for being bullied up to that point, but doing something like that in public would only make things worse!"""
text24954;"""An outside observer, even knowing the truth, would probably think: sure, those girls were in the wrong, but just look at her!"""
text24955;"""Often the handsome criminal earns more sympathy than his ugly victim…"""
text24956;"""Fine, I'm not justifying her actions! That's obviously no way to behave…"""
text24957;"""But her stunt is no reason to ignore what is happening!"""
text24958;"""I see you're ready to forgive her. That does make one think, you know…"""
text24959;"""Here we go again!"""
text24960;"""I rolled my eyes and sighed."""
text24961;"""I for one have no intention to talk to that lunatic anymore!"""
text24962;"""You do understand that they'll keep picking on Iwamura if we don't do anything, right?!"""
text24963;"""Also, what about the paint on my door?"""
text24964;"""Well, if you have the recording from the camera…"""
text24965;"""Ellie said somehow unsurely — I wasn't sure what was strongest in her words: the reproach, the surprise, or the irony."""
text24966;"""I don't have any cameras, why would I?!"""
text24967;"""But you have to believe me! Why would I lie?! Do I look I'd frame someone just to prove I'm right?"""
text24968;"""She gave it a moment's thought."""
text24969;"""I guess not…"""
text24970;"""But think about it: what can I do? Even if you're right… I'm not saying I believe you, but let's just assume."""
text24971;"""Even if you're right… What do you want for me? Am I supposed to turn them in to the police?"""
text24972;"""I don't know… You could… at least talk to them!"""
text24973;"""I see you're a big fan of talking yourself! Can't say the same about your Iwamura though — she prefers jumping straight into action."""
text24974;"""Jesus, why are you so fixated on her…"""
text24975;"""But it was clear that to everyone else, Kagome was something like the old woman from Crime and Punishment."""
text24976;"""Although it was unlikely that Kawashima and her gang had asked themselves the same questions Raskolnikov did, but even from a random observer's viewpoint Iwamura evoked very little sympathy."""
text24977;"""Especially if that observer was Ellie — who hadn't had a very high opinion of Kagome even prior to that."""
text24978;"""Because you're constantly protecting her!"""
text24979;"""So what?"""
text24980;"""So…"""
text24981;"""Nothing!"""
text24982;"""She grew embarrassed first, then angry."""
text24983;"""Don't you understand?"""
text24984;"""Whatever I really thought about Kagome, Ellie expected an answer immediately."""
text24985;"""Agree with Ellie"""
text24986;"""Keep defending Kagome"""
text24987;"""What does my opinion matter? Even if I agree with you, that's not the way to treat someone! She did nothing to deserve it!"""
text24988;"""Imagine yourself in Iwamura's shoes!"""
text24989;"""You know, you can imagine being in anyone's shoes — even a starving African child's! It's all easier than living in your own."""
text24990;"""Somehow, her words got to me."""
text24991;"""Easy for you to say!"""
text24992;"""Yes. And precisely because it's easy for me to say, I'll never act like that and won't tolerate it in other people!"""
text24993;"""I'll talk to Miku. Maybe she should tell the teachers everything."""
text24994;"""I understand that neither you nor Asakura or Kawashima have ever been in Iwamura's shoes!"""
text24995;"""Not just in the material sense but every other too. I doubt anyone's ever given you a black eye!"""
text24996;"""Why are you trying to drag everyone down to the lowest common denominator?"""
text24997;"""I'm not trying to drag anyone down, Jesus!"""
text24998;"""The conversation had clearly taken a wrong turn."""
text24999;"""It seems to me that you are! I'm going to talk to Miku. Maybe we should tell the teachers everything!"""
text25000;"""You absolutely shouldn't do that!"""
text25001;"""And why is that?"""
text25002;"""Because you girls would have to do something insane for the teacher to pay attention to it and take Kagome's side!"""
text25003;"""But I was afraid to say that out loud…"""
text25004;"""Iwamura's got enough problems already…"""
text25005;"""And why should we solve her problems?!"""
text25006;"""Nobody's…"""
text25007;"""Nick, you seem like a reasonable person! Why do you hang around this hysterical girl?"""
text25008;"""I can only think of one explanation…"""
text25009;"""Her mouth formed into a wicked smile."""
text25010;"""I couldn't tell Ellie I suspected her grandfather's company to be behind the death of my parents or that these days I was getting regular visits from the KGB."""
text25011;"""Kagome and I were allies by necessity — and you don't have to like your allies, they just have to be helpful."""
text25012;"""I'd missed the moment when things became so serious…"""
text25013;"""A week or so ago I had arbitrarily decided to follow my unsociable class representative — and this is where it brought me."""
text25014;"""You can think whatever you want."""
text25015;"""I pretended to be offended."""
text25016;"""It's a terrible pity you're not seeing what a viper you have at your chest!"""
text25017;"""…"""
text25018;"""Sure, I didn't know Kagome that well, but Ellie didn't know her at all!"""
text25019;"""Fine, I need to go to class. I hope you'll draw the right conclusions."""
text25020;"""Same to you."""
text25021;"""I responded briefly and waited for her to go up the stairs."""
text25022;"""…"""
text25023;"""Well, the situation was unpleasant, no matter how you look at it!"""
text25024;"""As if the Corporation, the KGB, and Catherine weren't enough of a headache, now there was this!"""
text25025;"""I'd started a pointless fight with the school's elite with no chance of winning it!"""
text25026;"""Ellie was clearly right about one thing: putting yourself in someone else's shoes is a stupid idea."""
text25027;"""Just a week ago I wouldn't have even thought any of this."""
text25028;"""What changed? Well, that was pretty obvious…"""
text25029;"""Sure, I needed to talk with Kagome, but what would it do?"""
text25030;"""I didn't want to repeat the same thing for the hundredth time and had no other way to persuade her."""
text25031;"""Besides, I still didn't quite know what I thought about what she'd done."""
text25032;"""Maybe in a different situation, in a world of absolute equality, I would've punched Asakura long before Kagome…"""
text25033;"""I wasn't a fan of most norms, rules, and laws, but when I ended up looking down the barrel of the gun I started seriously considering their necessity."""
text25034;"""Asakura clearly knew she was invincible within the given quasi-social institute — our school."""
text25035;"""She hadn't thought someone could fight back — especially so violently."""
text25036;"""Under different circumstances, she would've probably been much more polite, while still staying within the unspoken accepted rules of this community."""
text25037;"""Kagome, meanwhile, ended up not giving a shit about said unspoken rules…"""
text25038;"""I wondered why she hadn't pushed back earlier."""
text25039;"""In the end, I came to the conclusion that I couldn't blame Kagome despite the thoughtlessness of her actions, and that we would likely have to take care of their consequences together."""
text25040;"""When I entered the classroom, I could feel the air almost ring with tension."""
text25041;"""Asakura's desk was empty, and an exclusion zone seemed to have formed around Kagome."""
text25042;"""The girls were whispering about something, gathered together in the corner of the classroom, while the guys were behaving like normal."""
text25043;"""Not all of them, though — as soon as I sat down, Michael and Kyosuke approached me."""
text25044;"""Nick, we heard what happened at the gate…"""
text25045;"""He was speaking quietly, but everybody was trying not to look at us anyway."""
text25046;"""You have my most decisive greetings, friends!"""
text25047;"""I exclaimed loudly to demonstrate that I wasn't going to follow those stupid rules, unlike the others."""
text25048;"""Would you be quiet?!"""
text25049;"""Kyosuke hissed at me."""
text25050;"""Don't try to shut my mouth! I'm not a criminal and people have no reason to keep quiet and look away when they see me!"""
text25051;"""Criminal or not, you got yourself into a nasty situation. And it's been exaggerated beyond measure by Asakura."""
text25052;"""Michael said reasonably."""
text25053;"""I sighed and looked up to him — my friend was calm as usual."""
text25054;"""I, on the other hand, was fed up with all this injustice!"""
text25055;"""Having more acquaintances and influence, Asakura could easily present the facts in the way most convenient for her, hence distorting the truth."""
text25056;"""On the other hand, who was I to talk about the truth?"""
text25057;"""Our perception of events is formed by a plethora of factors and looks nothing like the static moment captured in a photograph."""
text25058;"""I just don't want to be wrongly accused!"""
text25059;"""Nobody's accusing you of anything yet."""
text25060;"""Exactly, yet!"""
text25061;"""Nick, we've talked about this already…"""
text25062;"""Kyosuke started apologetically."""
text25063;"""And I thought I was clear last time!"""
text25064;"""I snapped at him and turned away — I didn't want to be reprimanded for nothing again."""
text25065;"""But Nick, our silence won't change anything."""
text25066;"""Fine, so what do you think I did wrong?"""
text25067;"""How about for a start you let me tell you what really happened?!"""
text25068;"""It's like this: Asakura and co painted on my door yesterday and broke a window!"""
text25069;"""Except Asakura says you did it yourself to accuse her."""
text25070;"""Really? Then she'd made a nimble preemptive strike, too!"""
text25071;"""It's always better to be the first to admit the existence of the accusation — then there's no risk of being caught off-guard later on."""
text25072;"""Why would I do that? Who do you believe?"""
text25073;"""Nick… But why would they do something like that? After all, Ellie-sama's friends aren't some street thugs."""
text25074;"""Yeah? What's the difference?"""
text25075;"""He didn't reply, and neither did Michael."""
text25076;"""I wasn't expecting this from you guys."""
text25077;"""We believe you, but what does it change? You keep escalating this pointless conflict. And for what?"""
text25078;"""For what…"""
text25079;"""I repeated, thinking it over."""
text25080;"""Of course, in the given situation I was already protecting myself from their attacks."""
text25081;"""But that wasn't how it started."""
text25082;"""If it hadn't been for Kagome, I wouldn't have had any problem with them at all."""
text25083;"""So then, I'd been protecting her and it all went from there?"""
text25084;"""But why would I? Just because both of us had issues with Kobayashi Corporation?"""
text25085;"""You can't win anyway. You do realize an accusation without evidence is about as much of an offense as what you say they've done, right?"""
text25086;"""And if you can't prove that they really did it…"""
text25087;"""Oh come on! Everyone knows nobody would try to accuse them without a reason!"""
text25088;"""Are you sure about that?"""
text25089;"""In all honesty, I wasn't sure about anything at this point."""
text25090;"""It had always seemed to me that there was some sort of higher justice that doesn't have to be constantly proven to people."""
text25091;"""Maybe it did exist in the USSR, or maybe I just felt like that because I had been a child there."""
text25092;"""But the older I got, the more convinced I was getting that, in the end, those with the most rights end up as those in the right…"""
text25093;"""Okay, and what do you think I should do? Keep quiet and sit still, hoping I'll get lucky and won't get hurt?"""
text25094;"""Depends on what you want."""
text25095;"""And what do I want?"""
text25096;"""Michael stared at me unblinkingly but said nothing."""
text25097;"""If Iwamura-san is really that important to you…"""
text25098;"""Why do I need a personal interest to stand for justice?!"""
text25099;"""I exclaimed, but nobody even looked in my direction."""
text25100;"""Because we're not in an anime or manga."""
text25101;"""You're the last person I want to hear something like that from!"""
text25102;"""But if even Kyosuke was saying that I was detached from reality, something was definitely wrong!"""
text25103;"""But he's essentially right, Nick."""
text25104;"""Right or not… Why am I never right?"""
text25105;"""Once again, I received no answer."""
text25106;"""Fine, so what do you suggest I do?"""
text25107;"""We're ready to support you, but only if you're confident about… what you're doing."""
text25108;"""Confident about what?"""
text25109;"""You know what I mean."""
text25110;"""Suddenly, I didn't even want to ask him again."""
text25111;"""So, are you?"""
text25112;"""How much of an effect did how Kagome was treated at school have on our joint venture?"""
text25113;"""Or was that not the only thing that I was worried about?"""
text25114;"""Say I'm sure"""
text25115;"""Exercise caution"""
text25116;"""Yes, I am! Otherwise, why would I do all that?"""
text25117;"""Who knows with you!"""
text25118;"""Kyosuke said with a good-natured smile."""
text25119;"""You're making it sound like this is an interrogation!"""
text25120;"""We just want to help you!"""
text25121;"""And stop you from making mistakes, just in case."""
text25122;"""Just in case? Do you think I've gone completely crazy? That I don't even know what I'm doing?"""
text25123;"""We all make mistakes when driven by emotion."""
text25124;"""Tell you what: even if I'm emotional, it doesn't change the truth! I won't let anyone smear curse words on my door!"""
text25125;"""Nobody's arguing that's wrong, but…"""
text25126;"""Michael, don't."""
text25127;"""Kyosuke put a hand on his shoulder."""
text25128;"""Fine."""
text25129;"""Michael sighed and said nothing more."""
text25130;"""Nick, you can be sure we'll support you even if the entire school is against us!"""
text25131;"""Thank you, friends!"""
text25132;"""I was genuinely moved by his words."""
text25133;"""…"""
text25134;"""Asakura returned to the classroom right before the bell rang but didn't even glance at me."""
text25135;"""Kagome was sitting with an even more absent-minded look to her than usual."""
text25136;"""Class went surprisingly peacefully, and since I didn't want to make the conflict any worse, I tried to attract as little attention as possible."""
text25137;"""After cooling down a bit, I realized that Kyosuke and Michael were right, in essence if not in the finer details."""
text25138;"""If you decide to oppose the system, at least be smart about it!"""
text25139;"""Gathering everyone involved in the school yard for a showdown in front of the entire school clearly wasn't the best decision."""
text25140;"""And now I had to deal with the consequences!"""
text25141;"""Kagome hadn't been in favor with the school's upper echelons even before that, but now things could turn into a real witch hunt against her!"""
text25142;"""At the same time, I realized that Asakura and co would need some time to recover from the shock and — more importantly — convince Ellie that they hadn't done anything wrong."""
text25143;"""At the moment, she was the judge and the jury."""
text25144;"""By retaliating right away, they would only confirm that I was right."""
text25145;"""At the very least, that meant I had some time to collect my thoughts, regroup, and think of an adequate defense for facing them next time."""
text25146;"""And there would be a next time — that I was sure of!"""
text25147;"""When class was over and the bell rang for the last time, Kagome packed her things and walked out of the classroom so quickly that I didn't even have the time to do anything."""
text25148;"""Yes, I still believed that Asakura and Kawashima wouldn't try to take revenge on the heels of this morning's scene, but better safe than sorry!"""
text25149;"""Catching Kyosuke's chiding look, I ran after Kagome."""
text25150;"""She changed her shoes pretty quickly too, not leaving me enough time even to tie my laces."""
text25151;"""I ran into the school yard and immediately heard a familiar voice:"""
text25152;"""Hey, what's the hurry?"""
text25153;"""I turned around and saw Ellie, who was standing in the same place behind a locker as this morning."""
text25154;"""Well…"""
text25155;"""I powerlessly watched as Kagome disappeared behind the school fence."""
text25156;"""Don't worry about her, everything's going to be fine. I've talked to the girls."""
text25157;"""You talked… about what?"""
text25158;"""I probably had a very silly look on my face, because Ellie suddenly smiled."""
text25159;"""You asked me yourself. Don't you remember?"""
text25160;"""Yeah, of course. I just didn't think you believed me!"""
text25161;"""Let's take a walk?"""
text25162;"""Sure."""
text25163;"""We walked out the gate and, accompanied by the shocked looks of other students, went in the direction away from the station that Kagome must have been in such a rush to get to."""
text25164;"""…"""
text25165;"""When the school was left far behind, Ellie finally stopped."""
text25166;"""Won't your bodyguards be worried?"""
text25167;"""They aren't my nannies!"""
text25168;"""She huffed, but immediately brought the serious look back to her face."""
text25169;"""It's a shame that you take me for a common stupid rich girl."""
text25170;"""I don't…"""
text25171;"""To be honest, I hadn't prepared for this conversation, so I didn't know how to react."""
text25172;"""I can play music… rock music…! Though only because my grandfather silently allows it."""
text25173;"""It's something like a game: I behave well and try not to get involved in anything too nasty, and he pretends nothing's going on."""
text25174;"""So, what do you think will happen if I break this truce?"""
text25175;"""I don't know, but what does it have to do with…"""
text25176;"""Point is, I have to keep up appearances in public."""
text25177;"""Ellie continued, as if not noticing me."""
text25178;"""I'm not the one who makes the rules, but it's not in my interest to break them."""
text25179;"""So what will happen if you tell your friends that their behavior is, let's say, inappropriate?"""
text25180;"""I asked timidly."""
text25181;"""At the very least, they won't understand me. That's for starters. And then…"""
text25182;"""Even the leader of a pride can't force lions to become vegetarians!"""
text25183;"""What a poetic metaphor…"""
text25184;"""I made a stupid remark, but she ignored me again."""
text25185;"""Of course, I'm sympathetic for you friend like any normal person would be…"""
text25186;"""And then, for a moment, Ellie returned to her usual persona of a spoiled ojou-sama:"""
text25187;"""Except not for her personally! For an abstract individual in her situation!"""
text25188;"""You didn't even know each other a week ago…"""
text25189;"""I was looking at her and couldn't understand who was standing before me: a normal high schooler like myself, the heir to the Kobayashi empire, the leader of a gang of teenagers, or the vocalist of a rock band."""
text25190;"""Perhaps all of them at once or someone else entirely?"""
text25191;"""There was so much unfamiliar about Ellie's life to me that I couldn't even imagine what she was thinking about or what she was feeling!"""
text25192;"""If I, Himitsu, Kagome, even Catherine were basic substances, she was a chemical compound with an incomprehensible name."""
text25193;"""The more convinced of it I became the more guilty I felt about the conclusions I'd jumped to after the incident at the swimming pool."""
text25194;"""Honestly? I'm not the one to be giving you advice here."""
text25195;"""Yes, I want to protect Iwamura, because… because I believe it's the right thing to do!"""
text25196;"""But you're the only one who knows all the circumstances of your life."""
text25197;"""I appreciate it."""
text25198;"""She gifted me with a disarming smile."""
text25199;"""But I haven't done much — only asked them not to give any reasons for new accusations for now. I don't know how long that'll last…"""
text25200;"""Suddenly, Ellie no longer looked like the confident queen of the school, but just a normal girl who was bound unfairly by the laws of social interaction, same as I was."""
text25201;"""Probably even more, much more!"""
text25202;"""At least I could allow myself to be an outcast and not give a damn about anyone or anything, but only by being an Elusive Joe nobody wanted to catch."""
text25203;"""In my daily life, the concept of honor only existed in chivalric novels."""
text25204;"""But for a girl living in a golden cage from birth, honor was above everything."""
text25205;"""At least that's how Kobayashi Jun must've raised Ellie."""
text25206;"""That's already a lot!"""
text25207;"""But what are you two… you going to do next?"""
text25208;"""Say you intend to defend Kagome"""
text25209;"""Iwamura doesn't deserve this kind of treatment. If it's in my power to defend her, I will!"""
text25210;"""Say you haven't thought about it yet"""
text25211;"""Well, I haven't thought about that yet… I'm used to solving issues as they come."""
text25212;"""Is that so?"""
text25213;"""She frowned."""
text25214;"""Yeah, I know it sounds like a lazy answer, but I'm not the most serious person in the world either!"""
text25215;"""I tried to play it off, because I really didn't know what I was going to do next."""
text25216;"""Indeed, at the moment it was just empty babble."""
text25217;"""For now, I was only planning to talk to Kagome."""
text25218;"""Maybe your friend would be better transferring to another school."""
text25219;"""Ellie said seriously."""
text25220;"""When there's only half a year left before graduation?"""
text25221;"""Nick, don't you understand that nobody will help you fight windmills?! Not me, not anyone else!"""
text25222;"""Why me?"""
text25223;"""Because up until now, Iwamura had somehow been around for two and a half years without getting into trouble!"""
text25224;"""The events of the last two weeks quickly came to mind."""
text25225;"""Indeed, it seemed not to have started with Catherine's return, but the moment I stood up for Kagome at the school gate."""
text25226;"""Indeed, it seemed not to have started with Catherine's return, but the moment I saw those assholes picking on Kagome at the school gate."""
text25227;"""So it's all my fault?!"""
text25228;"""I'm not blaming you or anything, but think about it…"""
text25229;"""She lowered her eyes, as if ashamed of her own bravery, but what she said was enough to throw me off balance."""
text25230;"""I don't know how to respond to that…"""
text25231;"""Fine, don't say anything then!"""
text25232;"""She stood on her toes, whirled around, walked to me, smiled, and hooked her arm around mine."""
text25233;"""We have a rehearsal today. Would you like to watch?"""
text25234;"""Me?"""
text25235;"""Now that was seriously strange!"""
text25236;"""Are you sure that… considering the circumstances… it's appropriate?"""
text25237;"""Besides, I don't know anybody from your band!"""
text25238;"""I immediately remembered that weird keyboardist in sunglasses."""
text25239;"""Although… I guess I do."""
text25240;"""See! You aren't a complete stranger then!"""
text25241;"""In another situation I would have jumped at the opportunity to distract myself and see something new, but now, with Catherine question unresolved and the KGB, when I'd brought Kagome's problems to a boiling point…"""
text25242;"""On the other hand, people always postpone chances until later, saying now isn't the right time, that they have more important things to handle first."""
text25243;"""And that they'll get to them first thing!"""
text25244;"""If I had had a chest for missed opportunities at home, it would've been bursting by the time I turned eighteen!"""
text25245;"""If you insist…"""
text25246;"""My parents often chastised me for wanting immediate results for minimum effort."""
text25247;"""But thinking about it, isn't that attitude caused by failures inevitable in the process of maturing?"""
text25248;"""For many people, the last thing they ever achieve by applying continuous effort over a span of time is a school diploma."""
text25249;"""What follows is a job with no prospects that soon becomes another vital habit, like eating."""
text25250;"""Maybe someone among them wanted to become a pianist, before realizing they have no talent."""
text25251;"""Another one always dreamed of scoring a goal at the world championship, but was too sickly for it."""
text25252;"""Even the third person's desire to get into a technical college was never going to happen since they didn't have the ability for the hard sciences."""
text25253;"""And, after all that, you hear this pointless cliché that you didn't try hard enough!"""
text25254;"""If each got according to his needs, there wouldn't be anyone to work in factories and grow rice!"""
text25255;"""Objectively, only the rare few achieve success, while the conscientious and the diligent are at every corner!"""
text25256;"""Especially here, in Japan, with its centuries-old cult of hard work."""
text25257;"""While we were on our way to the rehearsal studio, I kept behind Ellie, staring at her back and trying to imagine her practicing the guitar, working her fingers bloody until she learned another riff."""
text25258;"""I tried — and just couldn't do it…"""
text25259;"""It was much easier to imagine Ellie playing like a virtuoso only an hour or two after picking up a guitar."""
text25260;"""I worked myself up so much I actually started feeling uncomfortable around her."""
text25261;"""You know, I actually—"""
text25262;"""Here we are!"""
text25263;"""She turned around and interrupted me merrily."""
text25264;"""…"""
text25265;"""The studio, or \""repbase\"" as it'd be called in Russian, looked very normal."""
text25266;"""I'd been to places like this once or twice in my life, and the main difference was that the equipment here was significantly more expensive than what I had used."""
text25267;"""Looks like we're early…"""
text25268;"""But that's fine! Wanna rehearse a bit?"""
text25269;"""I don't really know."""
text25270;"""I felt very uncomfortable, the sensation growing stronger every minute."""
text25271;"""Come on, while there's nobody here!"""
text25272;"""Alright…"""
text25273;"""Ellie walked to the stand with the guitars and picked out one of the basses."""
text25274;"""Here you are."""
text25275;"""I carefully examined the guitar."""
text25276;"""Are you sure?"""
text25277;"""Why? I don't think our bass player will mind."""
text25278;"""Actually, I meant its price — the guitar seemed five times more expensive than the one I had at home."""
text25279;"""Well, if you say so."""
text25280;"""…"""
text25281;"""We played the melody we'd been rehearsing the day before a few times, and, to my surprise, I noticed I was doing much better."""
text25282;"""Damn, El, you must have read our minds!"""
text25283;"""When we finished, I turned around and saw the drummer and the second guitarist standing in the doorway."""
text25284;"""Actually, it'd be more correct to call him the first one, since Ellie was playing the rhythm."""
text25285;"""Hi guys! We're…"""
text25286;"""She got a bit embarrassed."""
text25287;"""I automatically stood up and put the bass away."""
text25288;"""Not bad at all, but you need to work with a metronome more often."""
text25289;"""I'm not really…"""
text25290;"""But I still don't get it, how did you find out?"""
text25291;"""Find out what?"""
text25292;"""That Yamada's leaving the band?"""
text25293;"""Yamada is what?!"""
text25294;"""Wait, so you didn't know?"""
text25295;"""Of course I didn't!"""
text25296;"""Then who's he?"""
text25297;"""Both of them stared at me in surprise."""
text25298;"""We go to the same school. I just invited him to the rehearsal."""
text25299;"""I see…"""
text25300;"""The drummer and the guitarist appeared to be a couple years older than us and generally didn't look much like rock musicians."""
text25301;"""Anyway! Where are our manners? My name's Ishida, I'm aiming to become a professional musician, just a part-timer for now."""
text25302;"""He shook my hand firmly."""
text25303;"""Quite a nice guy."""
text25304;"""Mitsuyoshi. I study Arts."""
text25305;"""The drummer introduced himself briefly."""
text25306;"""Nick. I'm a high school student."""
text25307;"""I mumbled idiotically."""
text25308;"""Again, in an unfamiliar situation, my confidence disappeared without a trace."""
text25309;"""It's easy to be prepared for everything when absolutely nothing new happens in your life."""
text25310;"""Prepared only in name."""
text25311;"""Although there might've been more to it."""
text25312;"""So what happened to Yamada?"""
text25313;"""Ellie asked in a formidable voice."""
text25314;"""El, don't say it like it's our fault!"""
text25315;"""I'm not blaming anybody, but we have a concert soon! An important one, you know that!"""
text25316;"""Yamada said that his parents made him move to Kyoto with them."""
text25317;"""For how long?"""
text25318;"""Forever."""
text25319;"""But Kyoto isn't that far, he could…"""
text25320;"""How do you imagine that?"""
text25321;"""Ishida asked sadly."""
text25322;"""It's almost five hundred kilometers! He's still studying at school, too."""
text25323;"""Ellie sighed heavily and didn't reply."""
text25324;"""I mean, he could've warned us in advance."""
text25325;"""Exactly! You don't just move all of a sudden!"""
text25326;"""Yamada said he was hoping to stay here until the end."""
text25327;"""And, of course, he didn't think about us! That we also need time to find and train a new bassist!"""
text25328;"""The door opened and Z FEEL-Z's keyboardist entered the room, still in his shining glasses."""
text25329;"""Nobody was expecting me yet here I am!"""
text25330;"""Actually, everybody was expecting you — we have a rehearsal today!"""
text25331;"""An awkward silence descended upon us, but the weird guy in glasses didn't seem to be embarrassed in the slightest."""
text25332;"""Nick, meet Tokyo Rider."""
text25333;"""Tokyo… Rider…?"""
text25334;"""He asks us to call him that."""
text25335;"""Because I'm a free rider!"""
text25336;"""Actually, we know each other a little…"""
text25337;"""And I knew that our meeting wasn't just a coincidence."""
text25338;"""Whatever you say…"""
text25339;"""Alright, back to Yamada!"""
text25340;"""Ellie looked seriously upset."""
text25341;"""We can always just record his part."""
text25342;"""I'll never perform with a recording! Especially on such an important day."""
text25343;"""Then I don't know what to do…"""
text25344;"""I know someone in a university band. Well, they play funk actually and I wouldn't say that—"""
text25345;"""What's wrong with him?"""
text25346;"""Tokyo Rider interrupted him and pointed at me."""
text25347;"""Eh?"""
text25348;"""The others stared at me like they'd just found Paul McCartney in their studio or something."""
text25349;"""I'm not even a bass player! I just tried it a couple of times…"""
text25350;"""And I thought you were pretty alright."""
text25351;"""You weren't even here!"""
text25352;"""I was standing behind the door."""
text25353;"""Why?!"""
text25354;"""I have nothing against him, but he doesn't know the material."""
text25355;"""Five songs."""
text25356;"""Anyone can learn five songs."""
text25357;"""Hey, wait…"""
text25358;"""We can simplify some bass parts…"""
text25359;"""Ellie said thoughtfully."""
text25360;"""If we're choosing between that and performing without bass at all…"""
text25361;"""I'm sure he can handle it!"""
text25362;"""I mean, I wouldn't want to work with someone so inexperienced in rhythm, but…"""
text25363;"""Would you wait a second!"""
text25364;"""I shouted, and Z FEEL-Z went silent."""
text25365;"""Don't you want to talk about it with me first?"""
text25366;"""Nick, we're just discussing our options."""
text25367;"""Nobody's forcing you if you don't want to!"""
text25368;"""I just can't believe this is really happening…"""
text25369;"""Catherine, Kobayashi Corporation, the KGB, Kagome, and now they were asking me to play bass for Z FEEL-Z?!"""
text25370;"""Was it all a dream?!"""
text25371;"""I forgot to even think about all of my clearly more important problems."""
text25372;"""If you hesitate less and rehearse more, it'll all be fine!"""
text25373;"""I don't really have much time to rehearse…"""
text25374;"""What're you so busy with?"""
text25375;"""Ellie asked without a shade of sarcasm."""
text25376;"""What am I busy with…?"""
text25377;"""Apparently, with staying at home and working myself up imagining one disaster after another."""
text25378;"""Guys, I need to think this through."""
text25379;"""I finally managed to say."""
text25380;"""We'll need the answer no later than Monday."""
text25381;"""But you can start learning the songs now!"""
text25382;"""He gave me a pile of crumpled music sheets."""
text25383;"""Are you aware I have no idea how to read music?"""
text25384;"""You'll figure it out!"""
text25385;"""Well, since we're all here anyway…"""
text25386;"""Ishida handed me the bass I'd been torturing five minutes ago."""
text25387;"""Even if I ended up turning down their offer, I was honored to get to play with Z FEEL-Z! Even if it was only a rehearsal…"""
text25388;"""…"""
text25389;"""Playing together with Ellie turned out to be much easier!"""
text25390;"""Just a minute into it I got so nervous that I started missing the rhythm and picking the wrong frets."""
text25391;"""However, nobody scolded or criticized me, quite the opposite — everybody tried to encourage me and show me how to play the piece correctly."""
text25392;"""By the end of the rehearsal, I'd even managed to do a more or less okay (at least, in my opinion) job of playing my bit."""
text25393;"""So, how was it?"""
text25394;"""Fantastic, guys, just fantastic!"""
text25395;"""I blurted out, wiping my forehead."""
text25396;"""I think you did pretty well too, so, if you want…"""
text25397;"""I still need to think about it."""
text25398;"""Alright!"""
text25399;"""I said a warm goodbye to everyone and walked outside, leaving the musicians to collect their instruments."""
text25400;"""I couldn't get a dumb smile off of my face the entire way back home."""
text25401;"""I occasionally caught my reflection in shop windows and tried to suppress it, but the idiotic grin would reappear within a minute."""
text25402;"""The excitement wouldn't let up; there was no reason to celebrate, but my feet brought me to the familiar bar by themselves."""
text25403;"""…"""
text25404;"""When I walked out, quite tipsy, the sky above the city was decorated with a myriad of stars."""
text25405;"""A couple of beers helped me calm down and collect my thoughts — maybe I really did need a break."""
text25406;"""Yeah, this definitely wasn't a good time for music or learning how to read it!"""
text25407;"""But the tightly folded sheets with Z FEEL-Z songs sat tightly in my pocket."""
text25408;"""Whatever works!"""
text25409;"""Although I could also gain something more practical than just emotional benefit out of this situation."""
text25410;"""With disgust, I remembered Kagome's words about trying to get closer to Ellie."""
text25411;"""Was it the same disgust that I had felt the first time?"""
text25412;"""Iwamura would probably be happy to hear that I was successful at strengthening my relationship…"""
text25413;"""Ugh!"""
text25414;"""For a second, I imagined that everything in my life was finally getting back to normal."""
text25415;"""Kobayashi Corporation would release Kagome's father, Irina would return to the USSR, Catherine would go back to the US where she belongs…"""
text25416;"""Either due to the fairy tale nature of the idea or he alcohol, I disappeared into this daydream for a good ten minutes."""
text25417;"""Having forgotten about everything, I was just floating down Tokyo's streets, filling my lungs with the spicy air of freedom and security."""
text25418;"""Until a disturbing thought pierced my mind."""
text25419;"""Where she belongs…"""
text25420;"""Wait! I was talking about Katya! The girl I had sworn to love forever!"""
text25421;"""The picture of that bright future dimmed before my mind's eye."""
text25422;"""The vivid colors turned dark, the painting became covered in dirt, mould, and spider webs, then turned to ashes."""
text25423;"""Could I just do away with the feeling that had defined my existence for the past few years?"""
text25424;"""To rip apart, destroy, and throw away the love that had seemed unbreakable not so long ago?"""
text25425;"""What would take its place? Or was I supposed to spend my remaining days on Earth with a hole in my heart?"""
text25426;"""I was the one who chose this life, I made a vow! Not to her, but to myself…"""
text25427;"""Hot tears burst out of my eyes, but I didn't know if they carried more regret or resentment."""
text25428;"""…"""
text25429;"""The lights were on in my house."""
text25430;"""It was chilly outside — I'd managed to sober up a bit, but the treacherous lightheadedness let me know that my condition was plain for anyone to see."""
text25431;"""I didn't want Himitsu to see me like this, especially considering how we had left things last time."""
text25432;"""We hadn't seen each other for several days — and what had I been doing…?"""
text25433;"""Although it's not like I had much choice — what would I do, sleep outside?"""
text25434;"""I opened the door, slowly took off my shoes and, just as slowly, walked to the kitchen."""
text25435;"""I tried to control my every step — in order to not wobble or show any other signs of my good mood."""
text25436;"""Niko-kun?"""
text25437;"""Himitsu was sitting behind the empty kitchen table."""
text25438;"""Good afternoon… I mean, evening!"""
text25439;"""And I immediately failed."""
text25440;"""You're late."""
text25441;"""Yeah, kinda…"""
text25442;"""She cast a quick glance at me, but that was enough."""
text25443;"""Were you drinking?"""
text25444;"""Just a bit…"""
text25445;"""Why was I apologizing?!"""
text25446;"""Suddenly, I felt extremely angry with myself."""
text25447;"""Your choice."""
text25448;"""She said in a voice so calm, that it made me want to offer even more excuses."""
text25449;"""Sunshine, don't do this!"""
text25450;"""What?"""
text25451;"""You know…"""
text25452;"""I don't."""
text25453;"""Don't be so passive-aggressive?"""
text25454;"""Passive-aggressive, Niko-kun?"""
text25455;"""She smirked threateningly."""
text25456;"""And what would you call your behavior? Active-aggressive?"""
text25457;"""I'm not…"""
text25458;"""Suddenly, the alcohol seemed to have evaporated."""
text25459;"""I couldn't get enough air and leaned against a wall."""
text25460;"""Anyway, as I said, that's your choice."""
text25461;"""Sunshine…"""
text25462;"""Don't call me that."""
text25463;"""Her voice trembled."""
text25464;"""Don't call me that anymore! You don't have the right!"""
text25465;"""Himitsu, look, I just dropped by the bar to chat with the Bartender and stayed up late…"""
text25466;"""You could've just not come back at all!"""
text25467;"""But this is still my home."""
text25468;"""I smiled idiotically."""
text25469;"""What happened to the window next to the door?"""
text25470;"""She changed the topic abruptly."""
text25471;"""It broke."""
text25472;"""And the door?"""
text25473;"""What about it?"""
text25474;"""You think you cleaned it that well?"""
text25475;"""I did think that, yeah…"""
text25476;"""Niko-kun… You're sinking deeper and deeper into something dangerous every day. First it was just some conversations, now people are breaking your windows?"""
text25477;"""Those aren't the same people."""
text25478;"""Ah, so now there's multiple of them?"""
text25479;"""Himitsu flung her arms up in the air in desperation."""
text25480;"""You don't need to worry about the window and the door."""
text25481;"""What should I worry about then, Niko-kun? How would I know what to worry about and what not to if you don't tell me anything?"""
text25482;"""You don't need to worry about anything."""
text25483;"""I said very quietly."""
text25484;"""What? Speak louder, I can't hear you."""
text25485;"""You don't need to worry about anything!"""
text25486;"""I almost shouted."""
text25487;"""Don't you understand that I'm trying to protect you?! The less you know, the better!"""
text25488;"""Did you ask me if I needed any protection?"""
text25489;"""She burst into tears."""
text25490;"""You just don't get it."""
text25491;"""Yes, I don't! But I really want to!"""
text25492;"""…"""
text25493;"""I didn't know what to say."""
text25494;"""Dumping the truth, all of it, on Himitsu' shoulders right now seemed like nothing more than cowardice."""
text25495;"""She'd done enough for me to not have to live in constant fear of the coming catastrophe."""
text25496;"""Niko-kun? Are you going to say something?"""
text25497;"""…"""
text25498;"""Fine, then I better go."""
text25499;"""Good night."""
text25500;"""Was all I managed to say."""
text25501;"""…"""
text25502;"""When she left, I got a terrible headache."""
text25503;"""I poured myself a half glass of whiskey and drank it in one shot — the relief came almost immediately."""
text25504;"""After just a couple hours of euphoria, life had once again treated me to a wrench to the head, each blow more painful than the last!"""
text25505;"""It was becoming clear to me that if things were to continue like this, Himitsu would be completely lost to me. Very soon, too."""
text25506;"""And most horribly, a quiet voice deep inside my mind whispered that, perhaps, it was for the better…"""
text25507;"""But only yesterday I had wanted to see her so desperately!"""
text25508;"""Having rushed back to my head, the alcohol was hiding Himitsu's scornful expression, instead pulling Ellie's smiling face out of my memory, as well as… Kagome's image, which seemed completely inappropriate in this situation."""
text25509;"""My cheeks burned with shame — but it wasn't even because of Himitsu; rather, I was ashamed of myself for not giving myself a severe enough penance."""
text25510;"""Yes, I had plenty of other problems."""
text25511;"""Yes, I had to think about my own life first and foremost, a life threatened my many dangers."""
text25512;"""But what's the point of a life without those who love you…?"""
text25513;"""Ellie, Kagome — I knew them both for but a short moment and had no idea what would happen next."""
text25514;"""And Himitsu — there she was, nearby! Living across the street…"""
text25515;"""And Catherine. No, I couldn't just turn off every thought about her…"""
text25516;"""However, no matter how hard I tried, I couldn't imagine a future with Himitsu and Catherine as bright as the one I'd imagined that afternoon — without them."""
text25517;"""The bottle of whiskey was emptying at an impressive speed, the cloudy amber fog sloshing inside having successfully migrated to my head."""
text25518;"""It was becoming more and more difficult to connect the images that were chaotically appearing in my conscious mind."""
text25519;"""Finally, I closed the bottle and somehow got to bed — I couldn't just spend the entire day tomorrow under the blanket suffering from a hangover."""
text25520;"""Couldn't I? Why not…?"""
text25521;"""The answer to that question could only be given by the new day."""