text32203;"""When you've just woken up and haven't opened your eyes yet, especially in those first few seconds, it might seem like while you were asleep, someone carried you to another place.""" text32204;"""Usually there's a vague feeling of something being wrong — like a painting you look at every morning being slanted.""" text32205;"""It's only a few degrees off, but that's enough for you to notice the geometrical imperfection.""" text32206;"""Said wrongness doesn't have to be expressed in something tangible — for example, it can also be the same white ceiling you stare at every time after you appear out of dreamland.""" text32207;"""The very sensation of something being not as it should is enough.""" text32208;"""And that's exactly what I was feeling now.""" text32209;"""So, I was in the Kyosuke's room, the clock read six in the morning, and my head was pounding as if a woodpecker were locked inside.""" text32210;"""I tried not to think about the pain and distract myself.""" text32211;"""What had happened yesterday? Himitsu, her father, that uninvited guest…""" text32212;"""It seemed strange that I had been afraid to enter my own house and retreated without any objection, like an old lion banished from its pride.""" text32213;"""But that was exactly the reaction they had expected from me!""" text32214;"""Catherine's mother, because it proved that her threats had worked.""" text32215;"""Ito, because it left me with no choice but to give him non-existent documents.""" text32216;"""Maybe, Irina, too — after all, I'd made an agreement for the same documents with her.""" text32217;"""And since then I'd been behaving exactly the way they thought I would.""" text32218;"""I was sure nobody expected any surprises from me.""" text32219;"""Which meant that…""" text32220;"""The idea came to me in a fraction of a second — unstoppable like the flash of a pulsar, immense like intergalactic space and unclear like the source of a \""Wow!\"" signal.""" text32221;"""But in order to evaluate it and think it through, I'd need much more time.""" text32222;"""The terrible snoring reaching me from the bed wouldn't let me remain horizontal any longer, so I got up and walked to the restroom on my tiptoes.""" text32223;"""Kyosuke's mother had already woken up and was cooking breakfast.""" text32224;"""What a burden for this woman to take care of two fully grown brats! She'd definitely have something to talk about with Himitsu.""" text32225;"""These thoughts made me feel uncomfortable and I mumbled awkwardly:""" text32226;"""Good morning.""" text32227;"""She just looked at me, surprised, and replied that she wasn't expecting us to get up so early.""" text32228;"""But Kyosuke wasn't even thinking about that — he was splattered unnaturally on his bed and, judging by the smirk on his face, was busy dreaming.""" text32229;"""Get up!""" text32230;"""I shouted in his ear.""" text32231;"""Aaaaah!""" text32232;"""Kyosuke jumped up from the bed and looked about in shock.""" text32233;"""What?""" text32234;"""I know what we need to do.""" text32235;"""Do? What?""" text32236;"""I need a car.""" text32237;"""Car? What car?""" text32238;"""Wake up already!""" text32239;"""It took a while before his сloudy eyes focused on me.""" text32240;"""Nick, come on, it's 6 AM! I don't get up this early even… ever!""" text32241;"""It's a matter of life and death!""" text32242;"""Fine…""" text32243;"""He grumbled, got up with a grunt, put on his trousers and glasses, all the while scratching his his belly, which hung almost to his knees.""" text32244;"""Ready to listen?""" text32245;"""Yeah, like I have a choice…""" text32246;"""So I came up with an idea on how to get out of this situation. And I need your help. At this stage specifically, I need your car.""" text32247;"""Nick, today's only Wednesday! We still need to go to school…""" text32248;"""The hell do you mean \""school\""?! It's a matter of life and death.""" text32249;"""From the look on Kyosuke's puffy face, I could see he was thinking it through.""" text32250;"""And how am I going to explain it to my mom?""" text32251;"""Leave it to me.""" text32252;"""I don't mean to doubt your resourcefulness, but let me remind you that school is basically her holy cow.""" text32253;"""Then we'll just say we need the car for school!""" text32254;"""Persuading his mom turned out be a difficult task indeed.""" text32255;"""I lied shamelessly about going to a museum in a part of Tokyo with no trains or public transport.""" text32256;"""Thinking about it, it was weird someone like Kyosuke was trusted with a real car.""" text32257;"""The old Toyota was more or less his age, but still.""" text32258;"""As soon as he turned eighteen, Kyosuke passed his driving test and was solemnly given the key to the old lady.""" text32259;"""Although he didn't really have that many places to go, so most of the time it gathered dust in their garage.""" text32260;"""I told you it would be a piece of cake!""" text32261;"""I don't know, Nick…""" text32262;"""I told Kyosuke the details of my plan.""" text32263;"""Don't sweat it! Nobody is even going to see you. You'll just leg it out of there!""" text32264;"""Don't you mean wheel it?""" text32265;"""No, I meant leg. Nevermind.""" text32266;"""I sighed.""" text32267;"""Anyway, if the dictionary had a definition of \""bad idea\"", it'd use your plan as an example.""" text32268;"""Do you have a better one?""" text32269;"""No…""" text32270;"""So, at nine o'clock we were on the road.""" text32271;"""The morning traffic had already started to thin, but Kyosuke was only barely managing to drive, constantly losing his clutch and switching gears uncertainly.""" text32272;"""Even a rookie could single out a car like that if they were following me.""" text32273;"""We parked in an alley not too far from my house.""" text32274;"""Alright, did you get everything I said?""" text32275;"""Yeah, yeah…""" text32276;"""Just wait for me here and… don't fuss.""" text32277;"""Yeah. Good luck.""" text32278;"""Kyosuke looked unusually serious and focused.""" text32279;"""Wrinkles would occasionally cross his wide, glossy forehead, as if someone were tapping jelly with a spoon.""" text32280;"""I just nodded silently and got out of the car, trying not to slam the door.""" text32281;"""As expected, nobody was waiting for me at home.""" text32282;"""I carefully examined all the rooms and the garden, but there wasn't a soul in there.""" text32283;"""Maybe I had been just imagining things yesterday?""" text32284;"""Although that didn't matter for what I was about to do.""" text32285;"""It seemed like Ito had gone to work already — and that gave me confidence.""" text32286;"""Finally, I approached the telephone and pointlessly stared at it for a few minutes.""" text32287;"""We rarely think about how inventions like the telephone, TV, radio, and computer have changed our lives.""" text32288;"""We're too used to them and forget what life was like without them.""" text32289;"""Only a hundred years ago humans were doing perfectly fine without any of these technological miracles.""" text32290;"""Moreover, a thousand years ago humankind existed well enough without even the basic blessings of civilization: the steam engine, printing press, and penicillin.""" text32291;"""A hundred thousand years ago, the ancestors of Homo Sapiens weren't much different from other species of ape and probably didn't think that generations later their descendants would conquer the atom, overcome gravity, and desperately fight each other for the non-existent secrets of long-dead people.""" text32292;"""I took out the telephone book, slowly flipped through the pages, grabbed the receiver, and dialed the number of my grandparents in the USSR.""" text32293;"""And again, the only sound I could hear was those strange beeps from a distant telephone thousands of kilometers from me.""" text32294;"""I wondered if it was snowing there already.""" text32295;"""But then the receiver went silent, and the silence was broken by frequent dial tones — number was not available, please call later.""" text32296;"""I dialed the number again and again, until I was completely confident that the people who were supposed to receive the signal understood it.""" text32297;"""The wait was excruciating, it seemed like nobody was going to come and I shouldn't have even tried – it would only irritate the KGB…""" text32298;"""But about half an hour later, someone gently knocked at the door.""" text32299;"""It took quite an effort not to run over and open it immediately.""" text32300;"""I had to at least pretend to be calm!""" text32301;"""Someone knocked again, this time a bit louder.""" text32302;"""Finally, I walked to the door and confidently swung it open.""" text32303;"""Just as I expected, Irina was standing at the doorstep.""" text32304;"""\""Thank God!\"" – went through my mind.""" text32305;"""You called?""" text32306;"""She smiled nicely.""" text32307;"""Has anyone seen you?""" text32308;"""Who was supposed to see me?""" text32309;"""I jerked my head in the direction of Himitsu's house.""" text32310;"""If you play your cards right, you'll never have to worry about that ever again.""" text32311;"""Yeah, come in already!""" text32312;"""I still couldn't figure how to address her — in casual or polite form.""" text32313;"""Irina took her shoes off, walked to the kitchen, looked around, and nonchalantly sat at the table, crossing her legs.""" text32314;"""You've got a nice place.""" text32315;"""I hope you aren't here just to look at my house.""" text32316;"""One thing doesn't exclude the other. Too luxurious a place for a single…""" text32317;"""She was clearly trying to pick a fitting word and not offend me at the same time.""" text32318;"""For a single person. Too much empty space. Impractical.""" text32319;"""Are you going to dispossess me of my property or will we just сut to the chase?""" text32320;"""Irina scoffed with displeasure, but immediately grew focused and seemed to strain every muscle in her body. Even her face came to resemble a wax mask, solely intended to show how serious this conversation was.""" text32321;"""Before we even start… I need to make sure that nobody saw you! Because… Himitsu…""" text32322;"""I was stumbling over my words and was clearly nervous.""" text32323;"""The collar of my shirt was choking me, even though it wasn't buttoned fully, and my nape was sweating.""" text32324;"""Don't worry — nobody saw me.""" text32325;"""And… Your agents?""" text32326;"""What agents?""" text32327;"""I presume you haven't come here alone?""" text32328;"""Am I in danger here?""" text32329;"""She squinted, studying me attentively.""" text32330;"""I was suddenly much less confident.""" text32331;"""Of course she was just a woman, but she was also a KGB agent.""" text32332;"""Sambo, karate, hand-to-hand combat – I had no idea what martial arts she knew.""" text32333;"""But it was too late to back out now — Irina was sitting across from me, two metres away, waiting for me to hand over these damned documents.""" text32334;"""I think the job of an intelligence officer is dangerous by default.""" text32335;"""I took a couple of steps towards her.""" text32336;"""Especially in a foreign country and undercover.""" text32337;"""It's stressful. Would you like some tea?""" text32338;"""No.""" text32339;"""She seemed to realize I was up to something, but couldn't figure out what it was.""" text32340;"""Well, I'm going to have some.""" text32341;"""I tried with every motion to appear as if I was just walking to the stove to put the kettle on, but as I passed by Irina, I quickly crouched down and pulled her arms behind the back of the chair.""" text32342;"""What are you doing?!""" text32343;"""There was no time to respond.""" text32344;"""I had prepared the tape in advance.""" text32345;"""I took it out of my pocket and firmly tied Irina's hands.""" text32346;"""I stood up and, with an awful sound, tore off about half a meter of tape.""" text32347;"""If you scream, I'll tape your mouth.""" text32348;"""Go to…""" text32349;"""She had to understand my words weren't empty threats. A couple minutes later, KGB agent Irina Mostovaya was sitting in my kitchen taped up and speechless.""" text32350;"""Damn, Nikolai, you really went for it!""" text32351;"""But it was only the beginning.""" text32352;"""I ran to my room, grabbed a bag from the floor, returned to the kitchen, and approached Irina from behind.""" text32353;"""I dropped the bag to the floor and poked the girl in the back with a stick I had found earlier in the garden.""" text32354;"""I didn't much care if it felt like a real gun or not!""" text32355;"""What mattered is that she believed that she was in real danger.""" text32356;"""Now we're going for a little ride. Do exactly as I say and nothing bad will happen to you!""" text32357;"""I pulled her off the chair with a single jerk, surprised by how easy it was to do.""" text32358;"""Dragging Irina along, I walked to the garden, squeezed through the gap in the fence, and found myself in the narrow alley between plots of land.""" text32359;"""The woman was barely resisting and obediently dragged herself along.""" text32360;"""For a moment, it even made me wary, but I waved the thoughts away and focused on the next part of my plan.""" text32361;"""Before we walked onto the street, I took out a piece of cloth and blindfolded her.""" text32362;"""Irina was mumbling something, but it didn't stop me.""" text32363;"""Suddenly progress became much more difficult, and I had to push her in front of me.""" text32364;"""There it was, Kyosuke's car…""" text32365;"""As soon as he noticed us, he quickly got out of the driver's seat and rushed to help me.""" text32366;"""Together we managed to stuff her into the trunk and I checked again to see if her hands were tied firmly and if her mouth was taped properly.""" text32367;"""Are you sure she didn't see me?!""" text32368;"""Kyosuke asked me nervously when we got in the car.""" text32369;"""Sure as can be.""" text32370;"""I was much more concerned that Irina would start kicking the metal of the trunk.""" text32371;"""Which would look weird to say the least.""" text32372;"""What would we tell the police, \""We're bringing a naughty dog to the vet\""?""" text32373;"""Of course, someone might have noticed the tied-up girl who was, clearly against her will, walking along with a young, large man, but the risk was inevitable.""" text32374;"""Actually, you know what, give me a rope!""" text32375;"""I tied Irina's arms and legs well enough to make a shibari master jealous.""" text32376;"""Now it's all good.""" text32377;"""Nevertheless, Kyosuke still looked scared.""" text32378;"""Oh, I don't like this idea at all, Nick…""" text32379;"""It's too late to chicken out! Let's go!""" text32380;"""He sighed deeply and ran the engine.""" text32381;"""Every time we passed a police car, it felt like my heart was sinking to my shoes.""" text32382;"""I was throwing glances at Kyosuke occasionally — he was sweating, breathing heavily, and his face had turned purple-red.""" text32383;"""That's how amateurs get caught — only a blind man would miss their anxiety.""" text32384;"""But in the dense flow of cars, our old Toyota didn't stand out at all.""" text32385;"""There was a gorgeous yellow Porsche in front of us, its driver talking on the phone.""" text32386;"""To the right was a ridiculous-looking Isuzu truck fully loaded with hay.""" text32387;"""Who'd ever need so much hay in the city?""" text32388;"""It was clearly more suspicious than a couple young fellows in an old car, a million of them on the streets of Tokyo!""" text32389;"""Finally, we left the busy highway and the rest of our ride was pretty uneventful.""" text32390;"""Irina was unusually silent — a couple times I even wanted to stop and check if she hadn't fallen out on the way.""" text32391;"""I didn't know if choosing Kyosuke's country home to interrogate her in was a good idea, but I simply had no other options.""" text32392;"""We quickly covered the walls of the garage with black cloth we had bought in advance, took out all the furniture and other stuff, and put a chair in the middle of the room.""" text32393;"""Of course, it didn't look like a KGB torture chamber, but I wasn't trying to inspire any nostalgia in Irina.""" text32394;"""And there she was, the major of Soviet intelligence tied to a chair, fully at my mercy.""" text32395;"""Kyosuke stood guard outside, but the nearest houses were too far for anyone to hear us.""" text32396;"""Whatever happened inside this garage…""" text32397;"""Didn't expect this, did you?""" text32398;"""I carefully pulled the tape off her face.""" text32399;"""Now we can talk on my terms.""" text32400;"""Do you really think you'll get away with this?!""" text32401;"""Irina screwed her face into an angry grimace.""" text32402;"""What do you plan to do next? If I don't return to the embassy, they'll start looking for me! And they know that I went to your house!""" text32403;"""I think you've mistaken me for a man with something to lose.""" text32404;"""So what next? Are you going to lock me up here or…""" text32405;"""Her eyes flared up, and I barely suppressed the urge to look away.""" text32406;"""That entirely depends on you.""" text32407;"""I'm going to be honest: I don't and never had any of Ito's documents.""" text32408;"""I knew it!""" text32409;"""She said quietly, biting her lip.""" text32410;"""But that doesn't mean that I don't have any documents! I had to learn about the ballistic missiles somehow, right?""" text32411;"""I hope you don't think I just guessed?""" text32412;"""So, I do have some documents on the Project.""" text32413;"""And I'm supposed to just take your word for it?""" text32414;"""No, why…""" text32415;"""I showed her a list of paper from those very documents, the most interesting one, in my opinion.""" text32416;"""The calculation for firing a hundred tons of payload into orbit.""" text32417;"""Irina studied the rows of numbers and figures for a while.""" text32418;"""Enough.""" text32419;"""She said heavily at last.""" text32420;"""So? Do you believe me now?""" text32421;"""Why couldn't you start with that, instead making yourself out to be a who-knows-what?""" text32422;"""Because I don't trust you, I guess. And spare me your angry rhetoric about patriotism! I don't trust anyone! I just can't afford to.""" text32423;"""In any case, your behavior… is over every line!""" text32424;"""If there's no other way to show you that I'm serious and ready to do anything to protect myself and Himitsu, this had to do.""" text32425;"""Anything, you say? And what are you going to do if I refuse?""" text32426;"""I'll hand these documents over to Ito.""" text32427;"""I gave a short reply, as if we were chatting about something mundane.""" text32428;"""Think what lies on the scales: on one side, you have a couple of school kids, while on the other — the interests of the most powerful country in the world. As I see it, the choice is pretty obvious.""" text32429;"""Unless, of course, I'm missing something…""" text32430;"""Irina remained silent and was clearly picking the right words in order to avoid saying anything I wasn't supposed to know.""" text32431;"""I, on the other hand, had already laid out all of my trump cards and was waiting for my opponent to respond.""" text32432;"""Can I have some water?""" text32433;"""I grabbed a bottle I had prepared in advance, removed the cap and brought the neck to her lips.""" text32434;"""This isn't exactly comfortable.""" text32435;"""Sorry, but the service was already included in the price of the room.""" text32436;"""She winced but took a few gulps.""" text32437;"""A thin trickle ran down her chin.""" text32438;"""In an abrupt motion, Irina tried to wipe it with the lapel of her her jacket.""" text32439;"""I couldn't help but smirk, and the young woman shot me an angry look.""" text32440;"""If you don't want any problems, I need to contact the embassy within half an hour.""" text32441;"""Why are you always trying to get something out of me without giving anything in return? Not even promising anything! Is this how you work with your informants?""" text32442;"""Informant my ass!""" text32443;"""She grinned genuinely.""" text32444;"""It seemed that Irina sincerely believed that I was indebted to her just because I was born in the USSR.""" text32445;"""Or, maybe, it wasn't about that at all…""" text32446;"""Name your conditions.""" text32447;"""But whatever the case, I really did have documents of interest to the KGB.""" text32448;"""Irina grew serious again.""" text32449;"""I want you to take me and Himitsu to the USSR.""" text32450;"""Is she fine with it?""" text32451;"""I'm still a USSR citizen! At least, I was born there… And Himitsu's mother is Russian too, she lives in the USSR!""" text32452;"""I… we have the right to go back.""" text32453;"""Don't you think taking the daughter of a prominent Japanese intelligence agent out of the country like that isn't the brightest idea?""" text32454;"""I think these documents are more important to you than any possible diplomatic consequences.""" text32455;"""You're right about that. But where are the guarantees I'll do what I've promised? Or that I won't be ordered otherwise?""" text32456;"""You must realize I'm just an agent — there are people who give me orders, and they have the Centre… I mean, their own senior leaders in Lubyanka.""" text32457;"""If I don't contact my Japanese friend after we arrive in Russia, he will hand all the documents over to Ito and tell him everything that happened.""" text32458;"""Including this conversation.""" text32459;"""Of course, they could make me say whatever they needed there…""" text32460;"""Suppose…""" text32461;"""She said and fidgeted in her chair.""" text32462;"""You know, Nikolai, a great intelligence officer is dying in you!""" text32463;"""I find all of you and your games deeply disgusting! You can't use people to achieve your goals like they're just tools!""" text32464;"""Oh, and I want to know what really happened to my parents!""" text32465;"""That's the simplest question. The car accident was organized by people from Kobayashi Corporation, because they suspected your parents were spying on the Project for the USSR.""" text32466;"""But… that wasn't the case, right?""" text32467;"""If it was, I wouldn't be sitting here, don't you think?""" text32468;"""She squinted cunningly.""" text32469;"""I still don't get it… They thought they were spies, sure, but why was it all so convoluted? Why leave me alive? Why not just take all three of us out somewhere into a forest…""" text32470;"""You better ask your dear Ito about that.""" text32471;"""My dear… In another situation, we'd discuss this in detail! But right now I'm only interested in a way for Himitsu and myself to leave this damn country!""" text32472;"""Keep in mind that Ito's house is being watched. As much as you're fond of improvisations, I wouldn't suggest going there in broad daylight.""" text32473;"""I sighed and closed my eyes.""" text32474;"""I probably shouldn't believe your promises, that's obvious. But what choice do I have? Let's just hope that communists are more honest than capitalists.""" text32475;"""I'm glad that you've finally realized that. For my part, I promise that you and your girlfriend will be safe. We will get you to the USSR undamaged.""" text32476;"""I'm glad to hear that, but we aren't some package… The only thing you haven't mentioned is a label saying \""Don't tilt!\"".""" text32477;"""I sighed, came closer to her, and untied her hands.""" text32478;"""Irina stood up, stretched herself, shrugged, and rubbed her wrists where the traces of tape were.""" text32479;"""Then she scoffed in annoyance, looked around the room, and, finally, smirked victoriously:""" text32480;"""Amateurs!""" text32481;"""…""" text32482;"""On the way back we were completely silent.""" text32483;"""Kyosuke was constantly trying to hide his face, although I had told him a few times that it wasn't needed anymore.""" text32484;"""Irina was sitting behind us, apparently bored. Just in case, we had blindfolded her so that she couldn't see Kyosuke, and put a large bucket hat on her which I had prudently thrown in the bag at home.""" text32485;"""It seemed as if nothing special had happened to her. As if she was kidnapped on a regular basis…""" text32486;"""Actually, thinking about it, she did accept my conditions maybe too quickly.""" text32487;"""In any other situation… in any other situation, it would have made me nervous.""" text32488;"""But at the moment I didn't even want to waste nerve cells thinking about that.""" text32489;"""We're here.""" text32490;"""Kyosuke dropped us in the city centre and immediately left at full throttle.""" text32491;"""Irina reached into her purse and took out a tiny piece of paper.""" text32492;"""When you're ready, call this number. Don't worry, it's a secure line. Then you'll receive further instructions.""" text32493;"""Ah, and call from a telephone box!""" text32494;"""From a telephone box…""" text32495;"""I repeated automatically.""" text32496;"""My confidence instantly evaporated into Tokyo's smog.""" text32497;"""The carnivorous city with its vibrant streets, the rush hour, and ferocious skyscrapers — this was her territory.""" text32498;"""Although Irina hadn't lost her spirits even when tied up.""" text32499;"""Until then.""" text32500;"""She said and disappeared into the crowd.""" text32501;"""It felt as if this kidnapping had been a part of her plan to begin with…""" text32502;"""So, Himitsu was being guarded. Then I had to think of something.""" text32503;"""I seemed to have gotten used to trickery and deception, and this spy rollercoaster no longer made my head spin.""" text32504;"""All in all, for a start I just needed to contact Himitsu.""" text32505;"""Yesterday she had told me she'd call, but what was the point in waiting?""" text32506;"""I looked at the clock and immediately ran to the train station — only half an hour was left before the end of class.""" text32507;"""Students were leaving the school with smiles on their faces, carelessly chatting with each other.""" text32508;"""I paid no attention to them, focused on watching the windows of the second floor.""" text32509;"""At this point I couldn't care less about the norms, school rules, or traditions of Japanese society.""" text32510;"""If everything worked out, soon I wouldn't be here anymore!""" text32511;"""Himitsu's classmates were preparing for a school festival.""" text32512;"""Some girls, dressed as maids, looked very cute to say the least.""" text32513;"""I shook my head to drive the inappropriate thoughts away.""" text32514;"""There was Saya-chan!""" text32515;"""Dressed in a normal school uniform, for some reason.""" text32516;"""Hey!""" text32517;"""I called to her and started waving my hands.""" text32518;"""The girl pulled an annoyed expression, but walked out of the classroom.""" text32519;"""What do you want?""" text32520;"""Something important. Do you want to help Himitsu?""" text32521;"""Help? What happened to her? She hasn't been at school today…""" text32522;"""Saya frowned.""" text32523;"""It's something about you again, isn't…""" text32524;"""No time to explain! I need you to give her a note.""" text32525;"""A note? Why?""" text32526;"""Why, why… Because! Let's say the story with changing schools is still happening. And I don't have much time.""" text32527;"""Why can't you do it yourself?""" text32528;"""I sighed — it really felt like an interrogation!""" text32529;"""Because she's, how to put it… grounded. And nobody would let me see her.""" text32530;"""So…""" text32531;"""She gave it some thought, but apparently failed to understand the seriousness of the situation.""" text32532;"""If I do nothing, Himitsu will be taken away forever! And this time much further than her grandma's house.""" text32533;"""And you'll never see her again. And neither will I… Saya, I'm not joking!""" text32534;"""Fine. Yes, I got that…""" text32535;"""She responded unsurely.""" text32536;"""So you want to kidnap her from her house? Like a fairy tale prince!""" text32537;"""I didn't know if she liked romance stories, but at that moment Saya looked way too excited.""" text32538;"""Except this isn't a fairytale! And I'm risking my very real neck.""" text32539;"""I'll do it.""" text32540;"""The girl replied with the look of a soldier going into their final battle.""" text32541;"""And don't forget to bring me Himitsu's answer.""" text32542;"""I told her where and when I would be waiting for her.""" text32543;"""Alright, good luck then.""" text32544;"""I gave her a piece of paper folded in quarter.""" text32545;"""…""" text32546;"""My house was empty and quiet like a crypt.""" text32547;"""It felt like I was the first living person to enter this kingdom of Thanatos in centuries.""" text32548;"""I didn't need to worry about the KGB's surveillance and hoped the Japanese wouldn't expect me to appear right under their noses.""" text32549;"""As for Catherine's mother and the Americans… Well, risk had become an essential part of my life.""" text32550;"""I sneaked inside using the alley between the plots of land to take a final look at the house where I have lived for the past eleven years.""" text32551;"""Everything here was awfully familiar: the old hoarse teapot, the painting on the wall, the table with the kotatsu we had used for family gatherings, and even the recently bought game console.""" text32552;"""My heart tightened in silent sadness, my body bound by pity for all these inanimate objects that had become a representation of home to me.""" text32553;"""This happens when you see a broken, discarded toy — you start thinking about how it used to bring joy and happiness yet was thrown away mercilessly to rot in a dump among thousands of similar exiles.""" text32554;"""Is it even possible to feel sorry for things?""" text32555;"""What was going to happen to them without me?""" text32556;"""Would they find new owners or end their lives in loneliness, not needed by anyone?""" text32557;"""Is every person merely the sum of one's feelings, thoughts, deeds, social connections, and status?""" text32558;"""Existence determines consciousness — and I, as a person, became the way I was mostly because of all these things, these walls, the overgrown garden, and the roof that would leak when it rained.""" text32559;"""Was it sentimentality? Maybe…""" text32560;"""Maybe even Himitsu wouldn't be able to fully understand this childishly naïve attitude toward life.""" text32561;"""But I'd already had to drop everything that made up my material world once before.""" text32562;"""Even if it hadn't been as stressful as it would have been as an adult — children are much better at absorbing new things and adapting to changes.""" text32563;"""According to the laws of the USSR, where I was going to return to, Nikolai Anokhin was considered to be an adult.""" text32564;"""But what was my life going to be like there?""" text32565;"""Probably no easier…""" text32566;"""Besides, I was going to take Himitsu with me… and we would live together as a family!""" text32567;"""My thoughts were going back and forth at mindblowing speed, and somewhere on the edge of my mind, a feeling of anxiety appeared — a primal fear of the unknown.""" text32568;"""Was I really doing the right thing?""" text32569;"""And, more importantly, would it really be better for Himitsu?""" text32570;"""Maybe we could hide somewhere in the south, far away from Tokyo. Or in the snowy mountains of Hokkaido.""" text32571;"""Although Kobayashi Corporation's reach was long enough to get to us anywhere in Japan, not to mention Japanese intelligence!""" text32572;"""And a tall European would be unlikely to get lost among short farmers and shepherds.""" text32573;"""Besides, Himitsu liked Russian culture — language, literature, arts, and so on.""" text32574;"""She had long dreamed of visiting Moscow and Leningrad.""" text32575;"""And, although she never mentioned it, she would almost certainly be happy to see her mom…""" text32576;"""The setting sun colored the kitchen in warm colors, spilling its last rays over the roofs of neighboring houses.""" text32577;"""It was already dark in the yard, and the crowns of red trees highlighted by the light of the ending September carefully covered the dim bushes with a carpet of fallen leaves that now looked almost grey.""" text32578;"""It was symbolic that I was leaving the house today, as if I were ripping a page off the calendar.""" text32579;"""Looking closer, you could see that the entire garden was covered in such pages, keeping memories of different events of my life.""" text32580;"""April 1986, August 1976, September 1985…""" text32581;"""I decided not to take anything with me except for Ichinose's documents, still hidden under the porch.""" text32582;"""That would be safer, that would be simpler.""" text32583;"""You can't take everything at once, so my memory of this house would be preserved in its entirety, like a photo, like a mind picture with no missing pieces.""" text32584;"""I patted the roll of bills in my pocket, gave the kitchen one final look, inhaled the air that I'd never mistake for anything else, and made my way to the street using the path I'd already gotten used to.""" text32585;"""Goodbye, my home. I am a stranger here now.""" text32586;"""A gust of cold autumn wind blew away a tear it found somewhere.""" text32587;"""I dropped by Kyosuke's house to ask if Himitsu had called him.""" text32588;"""She hadn't. Not yet, at least.""" text32589;"""Maybe she wasn't allowed to use the phone?""" text32590;"""But Ito couldn't have handcuffed her to a radiator, after all!""" text32591;"""Of course, there was the possibility that she still hadn't talked to him.""" text32592;"""Perhaps he was at work…""" text32593;"""After all, he did have an official job, a cover, or whatever they called it?""" text32594;"""Saya-chan arrived on time and immediately handed me a note from Himitsu:""" text32595;"""Gotta admit, you look actually cool now… senpai.""" text32596;"""Was she really going to start calling me senpai?""" text32597;"""In a different situation that might have even made me feel proud of myself.""" text32598;"""In the note, Himitsu wrote that she agreed with my plan, even if she thought it dangerous.""" text32599;"""Just as I had said, there was no other choice: her father wasn't letting her out of the room, the house was guarded, and from what she heard when he was on the phone, she understood that going to her grandma would seem like a vacation compared to where he intended to send her to.""" text32600;"""Then there were words of love and apologies.""" text32601;"""I was moved and Saya-chan, apparently, noticed that.""" text32602;"""I don't want to say it, but I may have been wrong about you.""" text32603;"""When I saw Himitsu today… She was crying while writing this. And your look when you were reading it…""" text32604;"""She got completely embarrassed and turned away.""" text32605;"""So what's the plan?""" text32606;"""I think you're better off not knowing. For your own safety.""" text32607;"""I… I just… wanted to help.""" text32608;"""Thanks, but no need. I mean it! If everything goes right, I'll handle it on my own. And if not…""" text32609;"""Why does it sound like this plan is dangerous not only to you but also to Himitsu?""" text32610;"""Better tell me, who else did you see at her place?""" text32611;"""Who else I was supposed to see? Just Himitsu.""" text32612;"""So, nothing suspicious, unusual?""" text32613;"""No.""" text32614;"""Then maybe they were waiting for me… Well, I had to be extra cautious then.""" text32615;"""Not that the idea even resembled anything cautious to begin with!""" text32616;"""Well, then I also have to admit that you turned out to be not that useless after all.""" text32617;"""I smirked in good nature.""" text32618;"""Screw you!""" text32619;"""Saya said, more for the sake of decency.""" text32620;"""Anyway, thank you again.""" text32621;"""Good luck. Take care of her.""" text32622;"""Will do!""" text32623;"""I waved to her in farewell.""" text32624;"""And now, for the most difficult part…""" text32625;"""…""" text32626;"""While I was getting nostalgic at home and then waiting for Saya, Kyosuke was making preparations.""" text32627;"""We met a few blocks away from Himitsu's house when it was completely dark.""" text32628;"""Did you make it?""" text32629;"""I did!""" text32630;"""He blurted out, handing a black plastic bag over to me.""" text32631;"""My friend looked very proud of himself.""" text32632;"""I hesitated, but still took the bag, looked inside, and swallowed.""" text32633;"""It had seemed much easier in theory…""" text32634;"""Smoke grenades.""" text32635;"""Kyosuke had found a recipe in the Anarchist's Cookbook.""" text32636;"""Nothing too difficult: just paper and ammonium nitrate, commonly used as fertilizer.""" text32637;"""It was all easy to find at any gardening store.""" text32638;"""But seeing Kyosuke's smiling face was only making me more scared.""" text32639;"""It's not like he was the one about to join the Viet Cong!""" text32640;"""And the lighter?""" text32641;"""Here. Snatched it from my dad.""" text32642;"""He gave me a gold-covered, sparkling Zippo lighter.""" text32643;"""I fidgeted with it in my hands.""" text32644;"""Why this one? You could just buy a plastic lighter.""" text32645;"""Everything has to be just right.""" text32646;"""Throwing smoke grenades at Japanese spooks doesn't sound \""right\"" to me!""" text32647;"""But it's your plan.""" text32648;"""He grumbled.""" text32649;"""I only said we need a distraction…""" text32650;"""In any case, it was too late to change anything.""" text32651;"""Alright then… If we don't return in two hours, leave.""" text32652;"""Kyosuke looked at me seriously — it seemed like he'd finally grasped that this wasn't a game.""" text32653;"""Nick, I…""" text32654;"""Let's just skip this part.""" text32655;"""Good luck! I'm sure everything will be fine!""" text32656;"""I just nodded in response, turned away, and slowly walked toward my destiny.""" text32657;"""At first, every step required incredible effort — my legs were like lead, and it felt like I had to strain every muscle to move them.""" text32658;"""Again and again — just half a meter closer at a time.""" text32659;"""Zeno would have been pleased with this analogy.""" text32660;"""…""" text32661;"""My watch read eleven.""" text32662;"""I was hiding around the corner and looking at Himitsu's house.""" text32663;"""At the first glance, there was nothing unusual about it.""" text32664;"""I had to figure out where the surveillants were.""" text32665;"""Maybe in the garden or even inside, in the living room?""" text32666;"""Fortunately, not a single car was parked on the street.""" text32667;"""What would I do if I were Ito…?""" text32668;"""Most likely — try to block all Himitsu's escape routes.""" text32669;"""Then it would be logical to place his enforcers along the perimeter, not expecting that I would use the main entrance.""" text32670;"""In that case, the most important thing for me was get the timing right, down to the second!""" text32671;"""I took a few deep breaths, and, not looking around, scrambled to the house.""" text32672;"""It took me a lot of effort not to stop when I approached the gate – every step required immense energy.""" text32673;"""So far everything seemed to be alright.""" text32674;"""I walked around the house, pressed myself against the wall, and lit three smoke grenades one after another, hands shaking.""" text32675;"""Made of tightly folded old newspapers, they were burning gradually but quickly, so I didn't have more than thirty seconds to act.""" text32676;"""Soon I was holding three smoke grenades in my hands.""" text32677;"""Then I threw them into the garden, took a camouflage coat out of the bag, put it on, and jumped into the bushes.""" text32678;"""I threw a firecracker and began to wait.""" text32679;"""The seconds before the explosion seemed to last hours.""" text32680;"""Unlike Kyosuke, I'd never had any passion for pyrotechnics and treated them with due fear.""" text32681;"""Finally, I heard the explosion — bang!""" text32682;"""For a moment my whole world was swallowed by the sound, then my ears popped, and everything before my eyes started to vibrate rapidly, as if confirming field theory.""" text32683;"""The heat is on.""" text32684;"""I whispered and shut my eyes.""" text32685;"""When I opened them, Ito and a couple of thick-built men in black suits were already in the garden.""" text32686;"""Now every fraction of a second mattered.""" text32687;"""I crawled a few metres to make sure that I was out of their sight.""" text32688;"""I jumped to my feet and dashed to the front door.""" text32689;"""Quietly, but confidently, I knocked on it with my fist three times and then once more.""" text32690;"""My heart skipped a beat, I forgot to breathe, everything went dark before my eyes, and my ears still rang from the explosion.""" text32691;"""I swallowed anxiously. Once, twice.""" text32692;"""I could hear vague shouts coming from the garden.""" text32693;"""Himitsu hadn't appeared, but despite that, I had to move on with the plan.""" text32694;"""I lit a few more grenades, dropped one of them right under my feet and a couple more in front of the house, closer to the fence.""" text32695;"""\""Where are you, Sunshine?!\"" — I asked her in my thoughts.""" text32696;"""Finally, the front door opened and, drowning in smoke, Himitsu appeared at the doorstep.""" text32697;"""Niko-kun…""" text32698;"""Her whole body was shaking, her face was frozen in an expression of humble anguish — it was probably how ancient Christian saints looked before their execution.""" text32699;"""I was acting on autopilot, perceiving reality as if I were watching an American action film and not starring in one.""" text32700;"""Quickly!""" text32701;"""I grabbed Himitsu by the hand and dragged her away from the house — further from Ito and the life she knew, to freedom and uncertainty.""" text32702;"""But not to that desired freedom from Greek myths — the freedom from the Gods' will — but rather the carnivorous liberty of the pioneers of the wild west, where every choice comes at a high price.""" text32703;"""The shouts were getting closer. Himitsu turned around, and I had to squeeze her little hand tighter.""" text32704;"""Suddenly, gunshots sounded in the smoke behind us.""" text32705;"""It felt like I'd been struck by lightning, I even jumped as I ran.""" text32706;"""Fear paralyzed my whole body, and my first reaction was to stop.""" text32707;"""That was a primal instinct — to freeze and pretend to be dead, hoping that the predator would believe it and wouldn't go for carrion.""" text32708;"""But doing so now was tantamount to suicide!""" text32709;"""I cast a quick glance at Himitsu — she seemed to have entrusted me with her destiny entirely and stopped reacting to what was happening in the real world.""" text32710;"""Our eyes met, and a little smile appeared on her face.""" text32711;"""That turned out to be enough for me — I pulled myself together and, without looking back, ran forward, dragging Himitsu along.""" text32712;"""Finally we got far enough to catch our breath.""" text32713;"""They were most likely shooting in the air, probably to scare us.""" text32714;"""Everything is going to be alright…""" text32715;"""I tried to calm her down – and myself.""" text32716;"""I'm not afraid. What matters is that we're together!""" text32717;"""These words made my heart feel light, and even Ito didn't seem to be pursuing us anymore.""" text32718;"""Even if what she said was stupid — it was necessary to be afraid, as fear is what helps us survive.""" text32719;"""Even if we couldn't stop and needed to keep running.""" text32720;"""Let the world wait!""" text32721;"""I pulled Himitsu closer and kissed her, warm tears running down my cheeks.""" text32722;"""Forgive me! Forgive…""" text32723;"""Why are you apologizing, Niko-kun?""" text32724;"""For not realizing the obvious for so long. Forgive me… I love you!""" text32725;"""I love you too!""" text32726;"""I don't know for how long we were standing there as one, drowning in an intimacy we had never known before.""" text32727;"""But then after minutes, or, maybe, hours, Himitsu pulled away and asked me in a serious tone:""" text32728;"""What are we going to do next?""" text32729;"""Hmm… Next we have a meeting with someone.""" text32730;"""Picking up our pace to a quick walk, we passed a few blocks then got on the train.""" text32731;"""Only after being at a considerable distance from Ito, could I manage to relax somewhat.""" text32732;"""I called Irina from a telephone box.""" text32733;"""An unfamiliar male voice responded in Russian:""" text32734;"""Hello.""" text32735;"""I've done it.""" text32736;"""For a good half a minute, the receiver was silent.""" text32737;"""On the waterfront, in an hour.""" text32738;"""And right after these words, I heard short beeps.""" text32739;"""Well?""" text32740;"""Everything's going as planned so far.""" text32741;"""Except, of course, for the fact that I didn't have the documents they needed on me.""" text32742;"""I had given them to Kyosuke — after all, nothing would've stopped the KGB from taking them from me when we met.""" text32743;"""Unfortunately, it also meant that we couldn't see each other anymore.""" text32744;"""It was necessary to ensure that the documents were secure, and, more importantly, that Kyosuke would be safe.""" text32745;"""Alright, sit down and listen to me.""" text32746;"""Himitsu sat obediently with her huge green eyes flashing in the night like two moons.""" text32747;"""Now we'll go to the waterfront and meet a KGB agent there. If everything works out fine, she will help us get out of the country.""" text32748;"""You always dreamed of going to the USSR…""" text32749;"""Okay, if you say so.""" text32750;"""She said calmly, as if we were discussing what we were going to eat for dinner.""" text32751;"""Good then. Don't be afraid of them! They can feel your fear, like predators!""" text32752;"""Just stand next to me and try not to stare at her too much. But also don't just stare down. Right! Imagine she's Kyosuke.""" text32753;"""They also say it helps to perform in public if you imagine your entire audience is naked.""" text32754;"""Okay.""" text32755;"""Himitsu said in the same serious tone.""" text32756;"""Oh, and…""" text32757;"""What else could I say?""" text32758;"""I could only hope Irina would keep her word.""" text32759;"""Perhaps taking Himitsu with me wasn't the best idea, but I had no one to leave her with.""" text32760;"""Ito would be hunting us and he would first and foremost check all my friends and classmates.""" text32761;"""And leaving Himitsu alone was just dangerous.""" text32762;"""As much as I loved my Sunshine, I had to admit she wasn't the smartest girl in the world.""" text32763;"""The further we went from the city centre, the more confident I felt.""" text32764;"""Himitsu was holding my hand firmly, as if someone was trying to take me away from her, and staring out the window, watching the nighttime Tokyo pass by.""" text32765;"""Perhaps for the last time in her life…""" text32766;"""I was so tired of thinking about different scenarios for the upcoming meeting that I was just waiting to face it as something inevitable.""" text32767;"""Although perhaps I had to think about Himitsu's feelings, too — running away from home was much more stressful for her than this entire spy mess for me.""" text32768;"""When we walked out of the station, an announcement came that there would be no more trains for the day.""" text32769;"""Lucky us.""" text32770;"""Himitsu smiled, grabbed me by the hand, and shivered.""" text32771;"""It was getting noticeably cold in the night and I regretted that I hadn't taken any warm clothes.""" text32772;"""I could see the lights of the restaurants on the waterfront, but there were barely any people on the streets.""" text32773;"""As we were slowly walking along the houses, I saw Irina, sitting behind a table in a ramen café.""" text32774;"""When we came closer, she gave us a wide smile and invited us to join her with a gesture.""" text32775;"""An empty bowl, a bottle of sake, and a couple of glasses were standing on the table.""" text32776;"""They do make excellent ramen here. And, more importantly, they don't speak a word of Russian.""" text32777;"""I sat across from her and pulled out a chair for Himitsu.""" text32778;"""If you haven't guessed it yet, this is Himitsu. She speaks Russian.""" text32779;"""Nice to meet you.""" text32780;"""Himitsu nodded slightly in response. Exactly as she was taught!""" text32781;"""Do you want something to eat? A drink? It's my treat!""" text32782;"""We're not in a joking mood.""" text32783;"""We'll, it's your choice…""" text32784;"""She put her elbows on the table, locked her fingers, leaned forward, and rested her chin on her hands.""" text32785;"""Her expression returned to its professional impenetrability.""" text32786;"""Do you have the documents?""" text32787;"""Is our deal still on?""" text32788;"""We keep our word.""" text32789;"""I'd like to have a guarantee though.""" text32790;"""Nikolai, do you intend to test my patience again?""" text32791;"""What do we have, in actuality? You've only shown me a single page! It's very interesting, yes, but an insignificantly small piece of the whole picture.""" text32792;"""How can I be sure that you have the rest?""" text32793;"""How can I be sure that you won't get rid of us once you get the rest?""" text32794;"""Himitsu grabbed my hand under the table, but didn't show in any way that she was afraid.""" text32795;"""We're going in circles… After what you've done this afternoon, you're not in a position to set conditions.""" text32796;"""Maybe, but let's stick to our initial agreement: as soon as we leave the plane in Russia, I'll make a call, and my man here will hand the documents over to you.""" text32797;"""Irina was staring at me as if studying me.""" text32798;"""It's probably how a zoologist examines a predator newly arrived at his zoo.""" text32799;"""Attentively, meticulously, without due deliberation, but clearly realizing his superiority, protected from its sharp teeth and claws by the thick bars of a cage.""" text32800;"""Sometimes I think I understand what you found in him.""" text32801;"""She addressed Himitsu.""" text32802;"""Himitsu didn't respond.""" text32803;"""But be careful! Men of his type are fickle by nature.""" text32804;"""How about we stay on topic?""" text32805;"""As you wish. I'm going to have a drink.""" text32806;"""She poured sake into her glass and looked at it thoughtfully for a while.""" text32807;"""Are you sure you're don't want some?""" text32808;"""I ignored her question and just frowned.""" text32809;"""You must realize that I'm doing you a great favor by having this conversation with you two.""" text32810;"""After all, we'd be fine without these documents, and for the Japanese they have no value.""" text32811;"""Then what are we doing here?""" text32812;"""I went all in.""" text32813;"""Risk is a noble thing.""" text32814;"""She smirked.""" text32815;"""Although I think that the documents must be at your fat friend's place. By the way, tell him that he should fix his car — it shakes a lot in the back.""" text32816;"""I froze, startled, unable to respond. And what could I say?""" text32817;"""We couldn't find the documents at your house, so thank you for the hint.""" text32818;"""Checkmate.""" text32819;"""I should've trusted my feelings when I thought the kidnapping had been too easy.""" text32820;"""Are you sure you don't want a drink?""" text32821;"""She grinned.""" text32822;"""Kyosuke… What did you do to him?""" text32823;"""Oh, don't worry, nothing so far. And it's in your power to keep it that way.""" text32824;"""So what else do you want from me?""" text32825;"""Irina was just toying with me. Maybe she wanted to get revenge for the kidnapping.""" text32826;"""Had I really been hoping to fool the KGB…?""" text32827;"""You can't do this to us!""" text32828;"""All of a sudden, Himitsu piped up.""" text32829;"""I… I've always dreamed of visiting my mother's homeland, I've been imagining the country as beautiful, spanless, and filled with people whose hearts are filled with generosity and righteousness.""" text32830;"""If my father does something bad… Even if the entire country does — you can show that you're better than them, kinder, more honest!""" text32831;"""She went silent, not knowing what else to say.""" text32832;"""A passionate speech like that might work on an antagonist in a novel, but obviously not in reality.""" text32833;"""But Irina sat there thinking.""" text32834;"""You just keep demanding! Money, protection, patronage! And all you give in return are tiny pieces of information, thinking they're worth it!""" text32835;"""You know, I don't really need to sit with you here…""" text32836;"""She stood up abruptly and approached me.""" text32837;"""I just wanted to look you in the eyes when I say it!""" text32838;"""Wait!""" text32839;"""Himitsu shouted and Irina stopped for a moment.""" text32840;"""If you don't need Niko-kun's documents, I have others for you!""" text32841;"""I… I know where my dad keeps all the important papers, I know the combination for his safe. I took a few pages with me.""" text32842;"""She caught her breath and continued in a softer tone:""" text32843;"""It's a dossier on the people you're interested in.""" text32844;"""I looked at Himitsu, dumbfounded, but her face was frozen in an expression of self-righteousness.""" text32845;"""Here…""" text32846;"""She took a neatly folded bunch of papers out of her pocket.""" text32847;"""Irina took them reluctantly and looked them over.""" text32848;"""Who would have thought!""" text32849;"""She finally said, her voice sounding as if she were watching an impressive circus performance.""" text32850;"""You're lucky to have her!""" text32851;"""She smiled at me and turned to Himitsu again:""" text32852;"""Where's the rest?""" text32853;"""I'll bring them when we have a deal.""" text32854;"""Irina was looking back and forth between us with clear mistrust. A deep wrinkle crossed her forehead, instantly making this young woman look a few years older.""" text32855;"""Watch and learn, rookie!""" text32856;"""She said, annoyed, and I realized the threads of our lives were in just a moment taken over by Himitsu.""" text32857;"""Without her, the KGB would never be able to get this dossier.""" text32858;"""Fine. We have a deal. Call us tomorrow evening on the same number.""" text32859;"""First you will get us to the USSR, and only then we give you the…""" text32860;"""You've shat the bed, now sit quietly and dry your sheets!""" text32861;"""Irina's gaze was virtually incinerating.""" text32862;"""Everything will be shipshape.""" text32863;"""She looked at Himitsu and smiled.""" text32864;"""Then stood up and threw a ten thousand yen bill on the table.""" text32865;"""…""" text32866;"""So when were you planning to tell me?!""" text32867;"""I sprung on Himitsu as soon as Irina disappeared in the night.""" text32868;"""Well, I didn't know… didn't think… just didn't know how to start!""" text32869;"""What was there to know? You could've gotten us killed!""" text32870;"""But everything turned out fine, didn't it?""" text32871;"""I could only believe that fortune favors the fools.""" text32872;"""It didn't exactly resemble a well thought out plan.""" text32873;"""Fine, so what do you plan to do now?""" text32874;"""Tomorrow I will go home and take the rest of the papers.""" text32875;"""Go home and take the rest of the papers!""" text32876;"""I threw my arms up in the air.""" text32877;"""Your father can't wait to give them to you, I'm sure…""" text32878;"""Niko-kun…""" text32879;"""However, I couldn't come up with a better plan.""" text32880;"""I'm freezing.""" text32881;"""Indeed, Himitsu was shaking more noticeabley with every minute.""" text32882;"""And I'd had no time to think of a place to sleep.""" text32883;"""We certainly couldn't go back to Kyosuke's place, and I had zero idea who else would give a room to two school kids with the KGB and the Japanese secret service on their tail.""" text32884;"""Would you look who's here!""" text32885;"""The icy wind that blew from the ocean seemed to have brought with it Kagome, who appeared as if from the depths of the sea.""" text32886;"""I'm the one who should be surprised…""" text32887;"""It was indeed an unexpected encounter. And it definitely happened at an inappropriate moment.""" text32888;"""What're you doing here?""" text32889;"""Me, I live nearby. What about you two?""" text32890;"""She looked at Himitsu, and slightly inclined her head, showing something akin to a greeting.""" text32891;"""Having dinner! A drink, too — want to join us?""" text32892;"""I poured some sake in a clean glass with a theatrically slow motion and stretched it out to Kagome.""" text32893;"""I see you've resolved your money problem?""" text32894;"""She threw an askew glance at the bill on the table.""" text32895;"""Our last conversation hadn't finished the way I wanted, so I felt a bit awkward.""" text32896;"""The money one, yeah, I did.""" text32897;"""I put the ten thousand yen in my pocket. It was enough for a decent hangout.""" text32898;"""Now there's a living space problem.""" text32899;"""You mean you have nowhere to live?""" text32900;"""We don't. Nowhere to spend the night.""" text32901;"""Uh-huh.""" text32902;"""Kagome mumbled and sat down on the chair Irina had been occupying just a minute ago.""" text32903;"""What happened?""" text32904;"""We ran away from our homes.""" text32905;"""I replied snidely.""" text32906;"""Don't you live alone?""" text32907;"""Well, let's say she ran away from home, and I got… evicted.""" text32908;"""That really true?""" text32909;"""She looked at Himitsu.""" text32910;"""Well…""" text32911;"""Do you think I'm lying?!""" text32912;"""I pretended to be insulted.""" text32913;"""I think she was unlucky to get involved with you!""" text32914;"""You don't say? That's a serious statement!""" text32915;"""I thought that Kagome would be hostile towards Himitsu since she had figured out who Ito really was.""" text32916;"""The sins of the father…?""" text32917;"""Iwamura-senpai, don't be angry with him… We really are in a difficult situation.""" text32918;"""Seeeee?! What did I tell you?!""" text32919;"""Himitsu pinched my leg hard under the table.""" text32920;"""I got it, shutting up…""" text32921;"""We'll probably leave Japan forever soon. That's why we can't return home no matter what.""" text32922;"""Was she really trying to win Kagome's sympathy? If that was the case, it was a very smart move.""" text32923;"""You should know what we're talking about and how serious it is.""" text32924;"""I added without a shade of humor.""" text32925;"""If only I cared…""" text32926;"""Kagome replied in a bored voice, moved her gaze to Himitsu and arched her eyebrows — apparently feeling guilty. After all, she hadn't had a fight with her.""" text32927;"""I'm genuinely surprised at how lucky you are in life.""" text32928;"""You've found your father, so you should have no reason to curse fate either. How is he doing, by the way?""" text32929;"""Can't complain, no thanks to you!""" text32930;"""Iwamura-senpai, maybe you have a place to spend the night? For a day, two at most.""" text32931;"""Maybe I do…""" text32932;"""She drawled mysteriously and stared at the moon, now risen above the clouds.""" text32933;"""We'd be very grateful!""" text32934;"""Gratitude is poor payment.""" text32935;"""We can just find a hotel.""" text32936;"""I whispered to Himitsu and reached in my pocket to check whether the roll of bills was still there.""" text32937;"""It wasn't.""" text32938;"""I checked all my pockets, jumped up from the chair, put everything I had on the table, but Kyosuke's hundred thousand yen had disappeared without a trace.""" text32939;"""Must have fallen out when I was crawling in the bushes at Himitsu's house.""" text32940;"""Niko-kun!""" text32941;"""Got an itch?""" text32942;"""A nervous tic.""" text32943;"""I smiled idiotically and sat down.""" text32944;"""I'm sure I looked like a person who farted loudly right in the moment of the silent pause before the climax of a performance.""" text32945;"""You aren't being followed, aren't you? That's the last thing I need now.""" text32946;"""She was twirling a chopstick in her fingers and clearly trying to decide what to do with us.""" text32947;"""No, we've just arranged everything.""" text32948;"""Arranged everything, huh? Leaving the country? Will your father be fine with that?""" text32949;"""Iwamura's eyes flashed.""" text32950;"""He doesn't know I'm here.""" text32951;"""Himitsu replied confidently.""" text32952;"""I see. A real Romeo and Juliet, would you look at that!""" text32953;"""That story didn't end so well.""" text32954;"""Kagome threw the chopstick away and stood up.""" text32955;"""I'm not promising you a suite, but you two will have a place to sleep.""" text32956;"""We walked down the waterfront in silence, with Kagome leading the way and us in the back.""" text32957;"""The loss of the money was quite a blow to me.""" text32958;"""Once again I had to be reminded that money isn't just a means of payment, but also a measure of freedom.""" text32959;"""I would probably never need yen again in my life if we left Japan tomorrow, but, based on my own bitter experience, I knew that in life anything could happen.""" text32960;"""And the more money you have, the more options become available""" text32961;"""Finally, Kagome stopped by one of the many restaurants.""" text32962;"""So that's where you live…""" text32963;"""Anything wrong with that?""" text32964;"""No, everything's fine.""" text32965;"""Kagome stared at me intently for a couple of seconds, then scoffed, opened the door, and turned on the light.""" text32966;"""…""" text32967;"""You'll sleep in the back room.""" text32968;"""She paused, clearly thinking of something.""" text32969;"""You'll need a futon. I'll give you one.""" text32970;"""Don't make noise. You wake up at five o'clock — the restaurant opens early. Any questions?""" text32971;"""I felt like a soldier at a briefing.""" text32972;"""Thank you.""" text32973;"""Himitsu tried to bow, but I stopped her.""" text32974;"""Alright then…""" text32975;"""…""" text32976;"""The futon turned out to be old, smelling of dust and mold, but seemingly clean.""" text32977;"""And, of course, we had one futon for two of us.""" text32978;"""Not that I was embarrassed to sleep together with Himitsu…""" text32979;"""Rather, I was concerned about her reaction.""" text32980;"""However, Himitsu was the first to get under the blanket.""" text32981;"""It was dark in the back room, only faint moonlight reaching us through the tiny window under the ceiling.""" text32982;"""The last night of September turned out to be exceptionally cold, we were breathing out clouds of steam, and somewhere nearby, under the numerous boxes, mice were squealing pitifully.""" text32983;"""Niko-kun, hug me…""" text32984;"""I held Himitsu close. She was warm and smelled nice.""" text32985;"""I wondered how conscious her decision to run away with me had been.""" text32986;"""Maybe it was just childish rebellion, a need to go against what adults want, no matter what?""" text32987;"""In that case, for an eighteen-year-old, a couple of days out of home, far from the warm bed and full fridge, are usually enough to reevaluate their views on the concept of independence!""" text32988;"""Well, our situation wasn't exactly ordinary…""" text32989;"""Suddenly, I felt Himitsu's hand caress my chest. Stopping at my neck, going lower.""" text32990;"""What was Irina talking about? What did you do with her in the morning?""" text32991;"""Err… Let's say we had a round of aggressive negotiations.""" text32992;"""Is that so?""" text32993;"""She firmly pinched my nipple.""" text32994;"""Ouch!""" text32995;"""Iwamura-senpai told us to be quiet!""" text32996;"""Don't start then.""" text32997;"""I think, you're already… good to go without me.""" text32998;"""Indeed, I was extremely aroused, and it wasn't hard to guess how the whole thing was going to end."""