text32999;"""I rolled to the side, reached out, and didn't find Himitsu."""
text33000;"""The back room was still half-dark but it was easy to tell the sun was rising outside."""
text33001;"""I got up with some effort, shivered at the cold, and walked to the kitchen."""
text33002;"""There, everyone was preparing for opening: the kitchen hands were running back and forth, the water in the pots was boiling, I could hear the joyful сlinking of lids and the rhythmic sound of knives hitting the boards, and the entire room drowned in appetizing aromas."""
text33003;"""Niko-kun!"""
text33004;"""Himitsu was standing at the stove with a pan in her hands."""
text33005;"""What time is it…?"""
text33006;"""Six o'clock in the morning. I let you sleep longer."""
text33007;"""What are you doing?"""
text33008;"""I decided to help Kagome-san — after all, we're indebted to her."""
text33009;"""Kagome-san?"""
text33010;"""Here goes!"""
text33011;"""I didn't even know what annoyed me more: the fact that she was addressing Kagome so casually or that Iwamura had put Himitsu at work early in the morning."""
text33012;"""Yeah, alright, fine…"""
text33013;"""I yawned and scratched my fresh stubble."""
text33014;"""Get out of the way!"""
text33015;"""Kagome dexterously slipped under my arm."""
text33016;"""And what would you have me do?"""
text33017;"""Don't know. Just sit and… wait!"""
text33018;"""Himitsu only smiled apologetically."""
text33019;"""I walked into the dining hall where a lonely old man sitting behind a table caught my attention."""
text33020;"""Good morning."""
text33021;"""Huh?"""
text33022;"""He raised his head and looked around with half-blind eyes, unable to see me."""
text33023;"""Good morning!"""
text33024;"""I repeated in a louder voice."""
text33025;"""Good morning. You must be Kagome-chan's friend?"""
text33026;"""Something like that."""
text33027;"""It must've been her grandfather — he seemed to be too old to be her father."""
text33028;"""Without asking for permission, I sat opposite to him."""
text33029;"""Years taking their toll…"""
text33030;"""He smiled sadly, and there was much more mental clarity in his eyes than I was expecting."""
text33031;"""My wife and I used to run this restaurant together, and now I can't even see what's happening right under my nose."""
text33032;"""Thank you for taking care of Kagome-chan!"""
text33033;"""He said in an overly polite manner and tilted his head forward."""
text33034;"""No need…"""
text33035;"""Seriously, what kind of care was he talking about!?"""
text33036;"""We're grateful for letting us stay the night."""
text33037;"""She's never been good with people. Has her mother's character! You'd have trouble finding someone as stubborn as she was!"""
text33038;"""Kagome's grandfather continued, either not hearing or just ignoring me like old people do."""
text33039;"""Although had Shinji not met her, Kagome-chan wouldn't have been born…"""
text33040;"""Whatever happens, happens for the best!"""
text33041;"""I guess."""
text33042;"""I just didn't know how to reply."""
text33043;"""A lot of sorrow in you I see. A lot of thoughts, doubts and hesitation, unexpressed desires, and unfulfilled ambitions."""
text33044;"""What was he, master Yoda?!"""
text33045;"""…"""
text33046;"""Those truly free are those with freedom in their hearts, not those weighed down by their connection to the mundane."""
text33047;"""Grandad, enough, leave him alone! They won't be here long."""
text33048;"""Kagome apparently heard our conversation as she passed by."""
text33049;"""Sorry, sometimes he gets carried away."""
text33050;"""No worries…"""
text33051;"""You're just a set of fresh ears for him to yap into."""
text33052;"""Truly wise is the one who listens much, not the one who much talks, Kagome-chan."""
text33053;"""Then you definitely aren't Confucius!"""
text33054;"""She smirked and returned to the kitchen."""
text33055;"""There's no respect for elders anymore…"""
text33056;"""He lamented, while I quietly stood up and bowed slowly."""
text33057;"""I should go…"""
text33058;"""You've got an interesting grandfather… And where's your dad?"""
text33059;"""Kagome was skilfully chopping cabbage."""
text33060;"""Why do you want to know?"""
text33061;"""Christ, I just asked!"""
text33062;"""After… after the incident with Kobayashi Corporation it's better for him to not show up here for a while."""
text33063;"""True enough. Thanks again for letting us stay."""
text33064;"""It's fine! Besides, your girlfriend has been a great help. She should be a cook."""
text33065;"""Definitely."""
text33066;"""Himitsu was looking at us, confused."""
text33067;"""You aren't suspicious of her anymore?"""
text33068;"""Maybe."""
text33069;"""She put the knife away and took a moment to think."""
text33070;"""To be honest, I don't want anyone else to suffer from this damned Corporation. And if I can help somehow…"""
text33071;"""Like most unsociable, insecure people, Kagome seemed to need a while to get to know a person — and only then could she communicate with them normally."""
text33072;"""I just sighed in response and threw a piece of pickled plum in my mouth."""
text33073;"""The breakfast the girls made was truly fit for a king."""
text33074;"""That's probably how they serve a buffet in five-star hotels: dishes for all tastes, a huge choice of drinks, fresh fruits, and sweets."""
text33075;"""I wondered how Kagome managed to stay so slim facing a temptation like this on a daily basis."""
text33076;"""I was eating so much it was like I'd just finished fasting for a month."""
text33077;"""Niko-kun…"""
text33078;"""Himitsu put some vegetable salad on my plate."""
text33079;"""I cooked this."""
text33080;"""Those vegetables tasted like… vegetables."""
text33081;"""I ate some out of respect for her and got back to the pork patty — I hadn't eaten a tastier one in my life!"""
text33082;"""Did you also make this one too?"""
text33083;"""No. And it's unhealthy to eat so much red meat!"""
text33084;"""If the mind is healthy, so is the body. And I can see the young man has no problems with his appetite."""
text33085;"""Yes, but…"""
text33086;"""It's a restaurant, after all. We always cook more than we need."""
text33087;"""But that's not what I'm worried about!"""
text33088;"""Himitsu threw her arms in the air."""
text33089;"""What are you worried about?"""
text33090;"""Fine, eat your meat then!"""
text33091;"""She realized that nobody at the table shared her worries regarding my diet and gave up."""
text33092;"""When we were done with breakfast, I called Himitsu over for a talk."""
text33093;"""We need to clean the dishes."""
text33094;"""They can do it by themselves — you didn't volunteer to be their dishwasher!"""
text33095;"""I got tired of all this, so I grabbed her by the hand and took her outside."""
text33096;"""Niko-kun…"""
text33097;"""So."""
text33098;"""By now the sun was high in the sky and had warmed the waking trade district with its rays."""
text33099;"""We could hear the shouts from the seaport, ship horns, and the noises of the loading cranes — sailors always start their days earlier than other people."""
text33100;"""A cool breeze was blowing from the ocean — it was refreshing and helped me gather my thoughts."""
text33101;"""The summer sun shines too brightly — it's blinding, scorches the earth, and even penetrates the rare oases of shadow."""
text33102;"""You dissolve in this intensity of white light and lose yourself."""
text33103;"""In winter, snow glistens in the sun, covering everything in a shining carpet."""
text33104;"""In spring, it gets warm too early in Japan — so then, only in autumn can you see the world for how it really is, not drowned in the light of our star."""
text33105;"""Niko-kun?"""
text33106;"""I just got lost in thought… Are you sure you want to go back home? Alone…?"""
text33107;"""To be honest, I thought that her plan was correct. Moreover, it was the only possible way forward."""
text33108;"""But that didn't make me any less worried."""
text33109;"""Are you sure this Irina can be trusted?"""
text33110;"""No, I'm not. But what else can we do? Hiding from the Japanese government in Japan is like looking for the safest corner in a lion's cage."""
text33111;"""Himitsu smiled and took me by the hand."""
text33112;"""Dad isn't going to guard the house."""
text33113;"""And what if his people are there?"""
text33114;"""I have been living there my entire life, you know – I know how to enter and leave without being noticed."""
text33115;"""Alright…"""
text33116;"""It's not like I was afraid to entrust her with such an important task, right?"""
text33117;"""Alright, I'll wait for you here."""
text33118;"""For luck."""
text33119;"""Himitsu wrapped her arms around my neck and kissed me tightly."""
text33120;"""The first visitors coming to the Gifts of the Sea for breakfast looked warily at the two teenagers kissing right at its doorstep."""
text33121;"""…"""
text33122;"""Amongst all the things I hated in my life, stupidity and waiting stood out."""
text33123;"""The stupidity thing is self-explanatory, but being unaware of a situation and unable to influence events important to you is also unbearable."""
text33124;"""Himitsu had left just an hour ago, but to me it seemed to have already been an eternity."""
text33125;"""I was walking back and forth like a guard dog watching the restaurant."""
text33126;"""You'll scare all my customers off like that!"""
text33127;"""Kagome tried to shoo me inside a few times, but I just couldn't stay in one place."""
text33128;"""Finally, two hours later, Himitsu returned. She didn't look worried or frightened."""
text33129;"""Well? How did it go? All good?"""
text33130;"""Yes, everything's fine."""
text33131;"""She handed me a moderately thick folder filled with documents."""
text33132;"""Has anybody noticed you? Your father?"""
text33133;"""No, Niko-kun, everything's fine. It seemed that there wasn't even anyone at home."""
text33134;"""Even then…"""
text33135;"""It had been suspiciously easy."""
text33136;"""I decided not to share my worries with her, but I felt a strain I couldn't explain — as I if I were about to perform in a room full of people for the first time."""
text33137;"""Let's see what's in there."""
text33138;"""We sat behind a table in the corner. I placed the documents on it, and Himitsu brought a teapot and two cups from the kitchen."""
text33139;"""I see you're all used to the place!"""
text33140;"""Kagome-san allowed it!"""
text33141;"""I'm just joking."""
text33142;"""The folder contained files with information on various people — the sort you'd see in detective shows: a photo in the upper corner (not all the files had it), a short biography, and brief description of their work with the Project."""
text33143;"""Catherine's mother was there, too…"""
text33144;"""Sheryl Winters — an American diplomat, an employee of the department of Cultural Connections between Japan and the US."""
text33145;"""Cultural connections, yeah right!"""
text33146;"""I snickered under my breath and Himitsu looked at me, puzzled."""
text33147;"""Studied at… Married in…"""
text33148;"""Now, that was interesting!"""
text33149;"""Oversees U.S. presence in the Project, use of U.S. technologies and resources, directly subordinated to the CIA."""
text33150;"""The CIA! So Mrs Winters wasn't one to trifle with."""
text33151;"""I also found a file on Kagome's father, but for some reason I didn't want to read about him — probably out of respect or gratitude for Kagome."""
text33152;"""I turned the page and came across something I didn't want to see at all… a photo of my father."""
text33153;"""He was looking at the camera and smiling, young and full of energy."""
text33154;"""The photo was seemingly taken when he arrived in Japan."""
text33155;"""A black and white face frozen in the past, the face of a person who had no idea he only had ten years left to live."""
text33156;"""Let me."""
text33157;"""Himitsu took the folder from me and started reading:"""
text33158;"""An engineer, specialization: rocket science. Got a degree at… Immigrated to Japan in 1976, was working in the department of prospective projects of Kobayashi Corporation, suspectedly — a Soviet spy."""
text33159;"""Despite the fact that during the period of employment in the USSR our agents were working on him for a long period of time, counter intelligence has a sufficient evidential basis to assume Anokhin has been working for the Soviet secret service."""
text33160;"""Recruitment and his following emigration may have been planned by the department of foreign intelligence of the USSR's KGB."""
text33161;"""So my father was a spy too…?"""
text33162;"""I found that hard to believe."""
text33163;"""On the one hand, I could clearly imagine my father in the role, but what I couldn't accept was the fact that he'd been puting our entire family in danger for so many years."""
text33164;"""In the end, he died and took mom with him…"""
text33165;"""Niko-kun…"""
text33166;"""Go on."""
text33167;"""Anokhin and his family have been put under surveillance. Agent responsible: Ito."""
text33168;"""Himitsu went silent."""
text33169;"""It's alright."""
text33170;"""I understand… I just can't get used to it."""
text33171;"""Think of it as reading a fairy tale! Remember, like we did as kids? The stories I read to you…"""
text33172;"""Barely."""
text33173;"""Well excuse me!"""
text33174;"""Himitsu took a sip of tea and continued:"""
text33175;"""Although no definitive proof has been found of Anokhin's communication with Soviet intelligence, maintained surveillance is recommended."""
text33176;"""And the date below: February 2, 1986."""
text33177;"""So then, a few months before my parents' death, the Japanese had no plans to eliminate them…"""
text33178;"""Perhaps Ito was telling the truth when he swore he had nothing to do with that \""accident\""."""
text33179;"""Niko-kun…?"""
text33180;"""Alright, I'll go from here."""
text33181;"""I also found a file on Ichinose in the folder, but it didn't contain anything interesting."""
text33182;"""White and relatively new sheets were mixed with old, yellowed pages with different colored stickers on them."""
text33183;"""Ito was extremely meticulous and consistent — there was as much information collected on each person as possibly could be."""
text33184;"""There was even a separate page dedicated to me — unfortunately, it was half empty."""
text33185;"""I smirked."""
text33186;"""What an interesting thing to realize: my whole life amounted to a couple paragraphs attached to my father's detailed biography."""
text33187;"""Although I was only eighteen…"""
text33188;"""Alright."""
text33189;"""I closed the folder and tied a string tightly around it."""
text33190;"""It's time to call my compatriots!"""
text33191;"""I'm going with you."""
text33192;"""No way!"""
text33193;"""Himitsu opened her eyes wide and put on the expression of an offended child."""
text33194;"""I trusted you with an important mission — now I need you to trust me!"""
text33195;"""Although, of course, my trust was based solely on intuition."""
text33196;"""Why hadn't the Russians intercepted Himitsu when she was walking back with the documents?"""
text33197;"""I'd just been hoping they wouldn't dare attack the daughter of a prominent Japanese intelligence agent."""
text33198;"""And that turned out to be the case."""
text33199;"""However, there was no need for Himitsu to know about these thoughts of mine!"""
text33200;"""Fine…"""
text33201;"""She pouted but relented."""
text33202;"""…"""
text33203;"""I walked some distance away from the restaurant (although that barely made any sense) and called the Russians from a telephone box."""
text33204;"""The same male voice replied."""
text33205;"""Hello."""
text33206;"""I have the documents."""
text33207;"""Same place as yesterday."""
text33208;"""In reality, I only took a few pages from my father's file — as proof we really did have the documents."""
text33209;"""Besides, I had a few questions for Irina concerning the contents."""
text33210;"""I sat behind the table of the same ramen shop and ordered soba, just out of decency. I wasn't hungry at all."""
text33211;"""Irina appeared after about half an hour."""
text33212;"""Was Himitsu followed?"""
text33213;"""I asked immediately, skipping all the unnecessary greetings."""
text33214;"""She looked at me thoughtfully for some time and then replied in as serious a tone:"""
text33215;"""We haven't noticed anyone. Where are the documents?"""
text33216;"""This will do for an example."""
text33217;"""I pushed the paper to her."""
text33218;"""The young woman spent a long time reading it, like it was written in an unfamiliar language."""
text33219;"""Sometimes Irina would push a loose strand of hair away. Looking at this simple gesture, you could be forgiven for thinking there was just a normal Russian girl sitting across from you, a beauty who posed no danger whatsoever."""
text33220;"""But then she turned over the sheet to be sure that she didn't miss anything and raised her eyes to me, full of cold suspicion."""
text33221;"""Interesting. Even more interesting is that you brought exactly this with you. Not that your feelings have anything to do with our business, of course."""
text33222;"""Is what's written there true?"""
text33223;"""She squinted and leaned on the table."""
text33224;"""The truth is what the majority believes. When you do this for long enough, you begin to understand that really is the case."""
text33225;"""So, history is written by the victors?"""
text33226;"""If that's the way you want to put it."""
text33227;"""Still… I think I deserve some answers."""
text33228;"""Do you want to know whether your father really was a Soviet spy, sent to Japan with the goal of infiltrating Kobayashi Corporation?"""
text33229;"""And whether he had to hand over secret Soviet research to the Japanese in order to gain their trust?"""
text33230;"""And whether we were risking the Soviet rocket program for a vague chance at knowing our enemy's plans?"""
text33231;"""Well I wasn't thinking about it in that much detail…"""
text33232;"""I think you've already answered your own question."""
text33233;"""So Irina was implying that for the KGB the game wasn't worth the candle."""
text33234;"""I know Ito, and it's hard for me to believe that in so many years he never realized he was spying on the wrong person!"""
text33235;"""I repeat: the truth is what you want to believe. Ito really wanted to believe your father was a spy."""
text33236;"""But I still couldn't wrap my mind around the idea that a professional like Ito could make that kind of mistake."""
text33237;"""Tell me honestly, if it was the truth, would you have told me?"""
text33238;"""Irina pushed her eyebrows together and puckered her lips as if someone had put frozen cranberries in her ramen."""
text33239;"""I protect my country. If your father had been dangerous, he would pose a threat to it."""
text33240;"""That was another reason to fear the KGB — it was likely they had been the ones to organize the car accident!"""
text33241;"""Your answer doesn't inspire confidence."""
text33242;"""I didn't come here to prove anything to you! You have the information, and we can arrange what you need."""
text33243;"""Then how will we do it?"""
text33244;"""Tomorrow, at 6 in the morning, a car will come to the restaurant where you're hiding and pick you up. You will receive further instructions then."""
text33245;"""Understood."""
text33246;"""Well, if that's understood…"""
text33247;"""She smirked, stood up, and walked away without saying goodbye."""
text33248;"""There was still something wrong about this whole story… Very wrong!"""
text33249;"""Those secret documents left in plain view — just come and grab them!"""
text33250;"""Ito, who for ten years was, so to say, waging the wrong war."""
text33251;"""Chekists, who missed Himitsu and an opportunity to get the documents they needed without any hassle."""
text33252;"""My life was becoming a surreal comedy of errors."""
text33253;"""I walked along the waterfront for a few hours, trying to gather my thoughts."""
text33254;"""Buddhist philosophy insists on not worrying about the things you can't change."""
text33255;"""But for me it had always been unbearable to wait for an event I couldn't influence and whose outcome I wasn't sure of."""
text33256;"""Just like a prisoner before his execution."""
text33257;"""Somewhere deep inside he still believes his appeal might be approved, even though his mind tells him there's no chance."""
text33258;"""I returned to the restaurant almost at dinner time."""
text33259;"""Himitsu immediately pounced on me:"""
text33260;"""Niko-kun! Where have you been? I was worried!"""
text33261;"""Oh, right, sorry…"""
text33262;"""It was very typical for me to get lost in my own thoughts and forget about others."""
text33263;"""You're doing it again?!"""
text33264;"""No, I just needed to think…"""
text33265;"""You could think here!"""
text33266;"""She pouted and walked to the kitchen."""
text33267;"""Himitsu-chan!"""
text33268;"""Came after her."""
text33269;"""Well, at least someone wasn't wasting time…"""
text33270;"""I mumbled and walked after her."""
text33271;"""The evening was passing slowly."""
text33272;"""I told Himitsu about the meeting with Irina but decided not to share my suspicions."""
text33273;"""The restaurant was living its normal life: guests were coming and going, eating, drinking, having fun, and laughing. The cooks were working busily, pushing each other to work faster. Tiny, nimble waitresses were running around, flashing a professional smile to every visitor."""
text33274;"""Himitsu found a job for herself and was helping the cooks, and I could only observe the cohesive work of the Gifts of the Sea's staff."""
text33275;"""It somehow resembled one huge organism, a leviathan processing its visitors."""
text33276;"""They entered here hungry and ill tempered, then left full and happy."""
text33277;"""But the seemingly simple process of cooking dishes and serving guests in fact required a lot of diligence and organization."""
text33278;"""I sighed again and returned to my own problems."""
text33279;"""Now it was completely obvious I couldn't leave the documents to Kyosuke — unlike Himitsu, his life had no value for the Russians."""
text33280;"""So I needed to find another person that wouldn't raise any suspicions."""
text33281;"""In other words, a stranger…"""
text33282;"""Which was doubly difficult given that even my acquaintances could be counted on one hand."""
text33283;"""Finally, it was the time to close the restaurant."""
text33284;"""Kagome kindly saw off the late drinkers and, wiping sweat from her forehead, said:"""
text33285;"""The more they drink the more profitable it is for us, sure, but honestly…"""
text33286;"""I just smirked and looked at the empty lounge."""
text33287;"""Without visitors, it looked dirty and even abandoned."""
text33288;"""Need help with cleaning?"""
text33289;"""I don't even know… You might do more harm than good."""
text33290;"""Oh, stop it! What can I do? Set the whole place on fire?"""
text33291;"""Fine then, assistant-kun…"""
text33292;"""She smirked and threw a rag at me."""
text33293;"""I'd never thought cleaning could be so tiresome!"""
text33294;"""I felt exhausted as if I'd played ninety minutes of football."""
text33295;"""Although it took just about as along."""
text33296;"""We finished past midnight."""
text33297;"""Well, damn…"""
text33298;"""What did you expect?"""
text33299;"""Kagome was grinning, clearly proud of herself."""
text33300;"""Fine, you win! Shall I give you a medal?"""
text33301;"""Niko-kun, stop it!"""
text33302;"""Okay, okay, I'm done."""
text33303;"""I responded, disappointed."""
text33304;"""That argument — although it wasn't clear who was arguing and with whom — was lost."""
text33305;"""Well, we should arrange a proper farewell dinner. Gifts of the Sea never forgets good deeds!"""
text33306;"""Kagome's grandfather appeared out of the blue, as if he had been hiding somewhere the whole day."""
text33307;"""Granddad, enough! We're tired!"""
text33308;"""Come on, Kagome-chan, let the young ones try real Japanese delicacies for the last time. The recipes passed down from generation to generation in the Akira family."""
text33309;"""We would love to but…"""
text33310;"""We'll be very happy to!"""
text33311;"""Sunshine, come on…"""
text33312;"""I whispered, protesting."""
text33313;"""We can't refuse — it would be impolite!"""
text33314;"""Oh…"""
text33315;"""However, the old man wasn't lying!"""
text33316;"""Sashimi, sushi, Kobe beef, salted watermelon, and a bottle of sake."""
text33317;"""After a couple of glasses, the old man's cheeks turned pink, and he started telling stories about his youth."""
text33318;"""Stories that had nothing out standing about them, identical to the stories every Japanese old man of his age has."""
text33319;"""Soon he fell asleep, crossing his arms over his chest and lowering his head."""
text33320;"""Old people can sleep in any position, place, or situation."""
text33321;"""I poured more sake in my glass and immediately caught Himitsu staring daggers at me."""
text33322;"""Can't let the good stuff go to waste, right?"""
text33323;"""Wonderful!"""
text33324;"""She grabbed her own glass, previously barely touched, and emptied it in a single go."""
text33325;"""I wasn't sure if Himitsu had tried sake before…"""
text33326;"""Well, how is it?"""
text33327;"""It's disgusting! How do you even drink that?"""
text33328;"""Kagome, who had been mostly silent, suddenly laughed happily."""
text33329;"""You two really suit each other!"""
text33330;"""Why's that?"""
text33331;"""Niko-kun!"""
text33332;"""I mean, what made you say so?"""
text33333;"""I can just tell."""
text33334;"""What's our future going to be, though…"""
text33335;"""Didn't you say you arranged everything?"""
text33336;"""I arranged leaving Japan. But I still don't know what to do when we get to the USSR."""
text33337;"""And what's the problem?"""
text33338;"""The problem is that as soon as we walk off the plane, they'll demand these documents. I need to leave them in Japan, but I don't know who to trust them with."""
text33339;"""Kagome gave it some thought and then said slowly:"""
text33340;"""I can help."""
text33341;"""You've already helped enough. Besides, it's dangerous — the KGB needs these documents, and the Japanese will want them back."""
text33342;"""After they let my father go, I don't think I'm in danger."""
text33343;"""Why is that?"""
text33344;"""Because… There are reasons I don't want to talk about."""
text33345;"""I quickly thought through my other options, but it turned out that I simply had none."""
text33346;"""I can't ask you this."""
text33347;"""I know."""
text33348;"""She smiled and in an instant I heard Himitsu's drunk shout:"""
text33349;"""Niko-kun! Of course we owe a lot to Kagome-san, but behave yourself!"""
text33350;"""How could she get so drunk from a single glass of sake?!"""
text33351;"""God, it felt like I was reading a shitty manga!"""
text33352;"""Alright, I think we better go to sleep…"""
text33353;"""I told Kagome."""
text33354;"""Try to be quieter this time."""
text33355;"""It was hard to hide my embarrassment."""
text33356;"""Blame her…"""
text33357;"""I dragged Himitsu to the back room, where I put her on the futon, and she immediately fell asleep."""