text34131;"""Sometimes, a dream is just a dream.""" text34132;"""In this case however, it was a diseased retrospective on recent events.""" text34133;"""I was chasing Catherine, while she was running away yet constantly turning around, smiling, waving at me and shouting something.""" text34134;"""Her words were carried away by the wind, and only her eyes shone and lips moved in silent labor.""" text34135;"""Niko-kun!""" text34136;"""I started to hear behind me.""" text34137;"""Niko-kun!""" text34138;"""The voice was becoming ever clearer.""" text34139;"""Himitsu was chasing me.""" text34140;"""She didn't look angry, but rather sad and weary.""" text34141;"""Where was I running to? After or from who?""" text34142;"""In a dream, you move easily, effortlessly, as if floating, immediately gaining unprecedented speed without getting strained or tired.""" text34143;"""As if standing on an escalator as it rushes ahead.""" text34144;"""It takes you up or brings you down, depending on the point of view.""" text34145;"""…""" text34146;"""I opened my eyes and immediately realized it was early in the morning.""" text34147;"""This happens sometimes: you don't need to glance at the clock or look outside — your own body gives a signal that it has yet to fully recover.""" text34148;"""The heavy head, the puffy eyes, the dry horrors — I knew these symptoms all too well.""" text34149;"""Except I hadn't been drinking yesterday!""" text34150;"""I got the feeling that sleeping the rest of the time I had left wasn't the best idea.""" text34151;"""The Catherine from the dream seemed to have stopped, and I finally managed to hear what she was shouting.""" text34152;"""\""We shouldn't have met at all!\""""" text34153;"""… have met at all!""" text34154;"""… have met …""" text34155;"""I rolled to the other side.""" text34156;"""The KGB, the Japanese, the Project, Kobayashi Corporation, even my parents' death — if all that hadn't happened, Catherine would've still remained in my life.""" text34157;"""Moreover, she would've remained even had she not returned to Japan!""" text34158;"""If not in my life, then in my heart!""" text34159;"""If not in my heart, then in the neurons of my brain and internal glands.""" text34160;"""The mechanisms of romantic love might be of interest to an outside observer, a scientist looking at the problem as a matter of human physiology.""" text34161;"""But a man sick with smallpox would be more interested in how he had managed to catch it so late into the 20th century than its pathomechanisms.""" text34162;"""…""" text34163;"""A cup of hot tea woke me up.""" text34164;"""I seemed to recall that this pack hadn't been here before.""" text34165;"""Could Himitsu have brought it?""" text34166;"""Himitsu…""" text34167;"""She was about to come to wake me up.""" text34168;"""How surprised she'd be to see…""" text34169;"""Except I didn't want her to see me at all.""" text34170;"""Not today, not right now.""" text34171;"""Perhaps yesterday had gone a bit better than I could've expected.""" text34172;"""Perhaps I had reason to hope that my life would get better, at least in some respects.""" text34173;"""But now I'd woken up, and it started all over again!""" text34174;"""She can't see me like this.""" text34175;"""I was absolutely positive she would realize everything right away.""" text34176;"""I felt naked, with my feelings exposed, defenceless before the outside world.""" text34177;"""And so I ran…""" text34178;"""I left the house and simply walked wherever my feet would take me.""" text34179;"""My pace wasn't particularly fast but not slow either — I watched the road and the traffic lights, even avoided running into people.""" text34180;"""But it was all done on autopilot — my mind was elsewhere.""" text34181;"""Maybe in the dream where I was chasing Catherine.""" text34182;"""Chasing with full understanding that I would never catch her.""" text34183;"""Life can be a strange thing…""" text34184;"""Katya lived just a couple kilometres away from here — I could just go and ring her doorbell.""" text34185;"""Even if it was still too early and she was asleep!""" text34186;"""I could scale the fire escape and climb into her window!""" text34187;"""And then I could tell her everything I wanted to say.""" text34188;"""With beautiful words, elegant phrases, genuinely, and passionately!""" text34189;"""And she would listen to me and understand.""" text34190;"""Understand… And forgive me…""" text34191;"""What the hell! Why should I feel guilty about her?!""" text34192;"""I whispered quietly.""" text34193;"""Or so I thought.""" text34194;"""You'll be fine before the wedding!""" text34195;"""Came a snide comment from some old lady as she deftly slipped under my arm.""" text34196;"""I stumbled away, startled, and picked up my pace.""" text34197;"""…""" text34198;"""Soon I found myself in the park.""" text34199;"""It had been a while since last came here!""" text34200;"""I used to go here with Katya.""" text34201;"""She used to say this was the only place in the city where we could be alone.""" text34202;"""Or maybe she didn't and I just assumed that's what she thought.""" text34203;"""Catherine never liked to publicly show her feelings, and sometimes it even seemed like she was embarrassed that someone would see us together.""" text34204;"""The park itself was more or less a classical Japanese garden.""" text34205;"""I always thought that in a way nature was the same everywhere.""" text34206;"""Sure, Earth had different climates, some trees would grow on one continent but completely refuse to take root on another.""" text34207;"""But in general, it was the same vegetation, the same soil, the same murmuring streams.""" text34208;"""Maybe that was because we rarely perceive nature as something discrete.""" text34209;"""We may often think about the age of a particular tree, but no one counts the blades of grass in a meadow or the grains of sand at a beach.""" text34210;"""Neither is a plucked flower perceived by us as the end of a separate biological entity. It's just a process — it will wither, rot, and turn into something new.""" text34211;"""I walked into our favorite gazebo and sat down on a bench.""" text34212;"""Rare yellowish leaves floated back in forth on the small lake.""" text34213;"""Here — in a forest, you could say — the arrival of autumn wasn't as apparent, even though the temperature was a couple of degrees lower than in the city.""" text34214;"""I probably still wasn't used to summer-like warmth in the middle of September.""" text34215;"""What was the weather then, I wondered.""" text34216;"""It had been two years…""" text34217;"""Two years, is that a lot for plants? What about century-old oaks? What about me?""" text34218;"""I sank into my memories.""" text34219;"""My first summer in high school had ended.""" text34220;"""To be honest, I no longer remember what I felt, thought, strived for at the time.""" text34221;"""Only that I was simpler, more naïve.""" text34222;"""It was a normal school day.""" text34223;"""Fundamentally, our high school differed from its middle counterpart only in name and was located on the same grounds.""" text34224;"""I knew many of the students — we had been in the same class before.""" text34225;"""Besides, my good, chubby friend Kyosuke was sitting next to me!""" text34226;"""Don't you think it's weird we've ended up in the same class however many times now?""" text34227;"""Are you implying that it's not a coincidence?""" text34228;"""He made one of those grins that practically screamed \""come on, ask me what I mean!\""""" text34229;"""I'm just stating a fact.""" text34230;"""Because if I thought you arranged it somehow, I'd start to feel weird. Scared, even!""" text34231;"""Why me exactly?""" text34232;"""Who else could it be?""" text34233;"""He huffily mumbled something in response.""" text34234;"""I think we've got a nice class here!""" text34235;"""I looked around the classroom, but my eyes didn't linger on anyone in particular.""" text34236;"""Probably because I didn't have any particular ties to any of them.""" text34237;"""What do you think about…""" text34238;"""He moved closer to me and whispered:""" text34239;"""…the girls?""" text34240;"""Well, I don't really know.""" text34241;"""I'd lie if I said I didn't think about it — any normal guy my age does.""" text34242;"""But thoughts were where it ended. It was hard for me to even imagine myself next to someone other than Himitsu.""" text34243;"""Even though I didn't think about her that way either.""" text34244;"""If you were to rank them, who'd get first place?""" text34245;"""Ratings are your thing, piss off!""" text34246;"""I cracked back in good nature.""" text34247;"""You're obviously hiding something!""" text34248;"""Why would I be hiding something?""" text34249;"""Fine, I'll start then. What do you think about…""" text34250;"""He raised his finger and started to run it around the classroom, as if choosing a toy in a shop's window.""" text34251;"""Winters-san, let's say!""" text34252;"""Catherine was sitting behind the front desk, her back turned to us.""" text34253;"""Her long hair lay so smoothly that it resembled a frozen waterfall.""" text34254;"""Although coldness was also inherent to her character. At least that's how it seemed to me.""" text34255;"""I don't really know.""" text34256;"""I absolutely did know!""" text34257;"""If I were to answer Kyosuke's question seriously — which I never would! — Catherine Winters would be at the top of my list.""" text34258;"""Why? You're both foreigners.""" text34259;"""Don't you think that's a bit сhauvinistic?""" text34260;"""What?""" text34261;"""I said the last word in English because I read it in some sci-fi novel and simply didn't know how to say it in Japanese.""" text34262;"""Apparently, the vocabulary of the heroes in Kyosuke's manga was a bit poorer.""" text34263;"""I'm calling you a dickweed.""" text34264;"""You do realize your reaction is a little suspicious?""" text34265;"""Fine, what do you want to hear?""" text34266;"""Rate her out of ten!""" text34267;"""Let's say… seven?""" text34268;"""So low?""" text34269;"""He flung his arms up disappointedly.""" text34270;"""What, should I give a ten to each and every one of them? Having a top score wouldn't mean shit then! We're not in first grade where everyone gets A's in art class!""" text34271;"""I didn't get any A's…""" text34272;"""You're a different story, I'm talking about normal people!""" text34273;"""Oh, is that so? Should I pass your score over to Ms Winters then?""" text34274;"""He stood up from the chair theatrically slowly.""" text34275;"""What are you doing?! Calm down and sit!""" text34276;"""Of course, I didn't believe that Kyosuke really intended to do that.""" text34277;"""First and foremost, I didn't believe he had the courage.""" text34278;"""Scared, are you?""" text34279;"""I'm really not — just, why?""" text34280;"""Let's call it putting your personal life in order! Otherwise you'll be alone forever…""" text34281;"""Look who's talking! Also, did you think to ask for her opinion first?""" text34282;"""Well, you are quite the guy, the cock of the walk!""" text34283;"""He grinned and finally sat back down.""" text34284;"""When you're the one saying that… it just sounds wrong!""" text34285;"""We laughed together.""" text34286;"""…""" text34287;"""The lessons ended, and I was on my way home with Himitsu.""" text34288;"""I couldn't get Kyosuke's classmate ranking out of my head. Or at least the rank of one classmate — Catherine Winters.""" text34289;"""I had paid attention to her before.""" text34290;"""Maybe it actually was because she wasn't Japanese, but more likely because she was beautiful, elegant, clever, and possessed a kind of mysterious charm.""" text34291;"""At the time I didn't realize that she was simply more mature and feminine than the other girls.""" text34292;"""And in some sense, Kyosuke was right. I was hiding — even if just from myself — that I liked Catherine.""" text34293;"""Which is quite easy to do if you don't think about a girl in the context of a relationship.""" text34294;"""We talk about the beauty of actresses on TV screens, but few people actually fall in love with them.""" text34295;"""It's another matter when the actress is your classmate…""" text34296;"""That makes her way more human, in a sense, and also available — not just a 2D picture, but a real girl you can at the very least talk to.""" text34297;"""Listen, do you like anyone in your class?""" text34298;"""I asked Himitsu, continuing the flow of my thoughts aloud.""" text34299;"""But to her, this question was completely unexpected.""" text34300;"""L-like? What do you mean?""" text34301;"""Well, any of the guys.""" text34302;"""Why do you ask, Niko-kun?""" text34303;"""Just talked with Kyosuke over break. New class, new school, you know…""" text34304;"""So? Do you like someone?""" text34305;"""At the time I didn't even think about Himitsu's feelings, didn't think the conversation might be unpleasant for her. I was just talking about a normal school day with a friend.""" text34306;"""I don't really know…""" text34307;"""I grinned stupidly, scratched the back of my head, and turned away to hide my embarrassment.""" text34308;"""Niko-kun!""" text34309;"""Himitsu said angrily.""" text34310;"""You wouldn't have brought this up for no reason!""" text34311;"""Alright, my bad! There may be a certain American…""" text34312;"""American, huh…?""" text34313;"""Himitsu drawled.""" text34314;"""Is she pretty?""" text34315;"""What do you think?""" text34316;"""Well, she's certainly not going to like you!""" text34317;"""Why is that?!""" text34318;"""I asked with indignation.""" text34319;"""Because you're lazy, rude, and insensitive! Also sloppy and scruffy! Imagine if she saw what goes on in your room!""" text34320;"""Himitsu said all this in good nature, but her words still got to me.""" text34321;"""Why, thank you for the compliments!""" text34322;"""But that's the truth! You can't be offended by the truth!""" text34323;"""Truth… Yeah, right…""" text34324;"""I grumbled.""" text34325;"""In all seriousness though.""" text34326;"""Himitsu said a little later, her voice now completely different.""" text34327;"""What do you think about that girl?""" text34328;"""I don't think anything yet.""" text34329;"""So you're just gonna watch from a distance and do nothing?""" text34330;"""I don't know.""" text34331;"""That's not right, I think. If you like someone, you should tell them!""" text34332;"""Would you?""" text34333;"""Me?! We're talking about you right now!""" text34334;"""Maybe I will…""" text34335;"""But time passed, and it became obvious that I had to do something.""" text34336;"""I thought of Catherine more and more often, and the thoughts were starting to become frankly obtrusive.""" text34337;"""But at first, even approaching her seemed like an impossible task to me — so inaccessible she appeared.""" text34338;"""Besides, Catherine barely talked to our other classmates either.""" text34339;"""At first, I thought it was just due to her personality, but sometimes things would get simply ridiculous.""" text34340;"""One time, working in a pair, she went an entire lesson without saying a word.""" text34341;"""Proudly, with her head held high and a sense of dignity to her — just like a real lady.""" text34342;"""But still silently — and she ended up with an F.""" text34343;"""It would be one thing if that was all there was to it, but it was an English lesson!""" text34344;"""It was hard to doubt Catherine's knowledge of it, but a school is a social institution where both the result and the method matter.""" text34345;"""You could solve math problems with a calculator, but you wouldn't get an A for it.""" text34346;"""In the end, Katya turned up her nose and left the class.""" text34347;"""I felt like it was my chance and, complaining about terrible a stomach ache to the teacher, went after her.""" text34348;"""Giving an F to a native is messed up! That's exactly why I don't take Russian.""" text34349;"""I caught up to her on the staircase and awkwardly tried to start a conversation.""" text34350;"""Catherine just gave me a look of distrust and said:""" text34351;"""Yeah.""" text34352;"""Her Japanese grades weren't exactly amazing either, to say the least.""" text34353;"""And thus, finally, I found Catherine Winters' weak spot.""" text34354;"""…""" text34355;"""At lunch, I approached her, smiled, and started to speak in Japanese as legibly as I could manage.""" text34356;"""Hi. Sorry, for saying this out of the blue, but I noticed you were having a hard time with Japanese. Mind if I help? My name's Nikolai, by the way.""" text34357;"""She raised her surprised eyes at me and answered coldly:""" text34358;"""Thank you, but I'm fine.""" text34359;"""I mean, I understand that it's really stressful to end up in a foreign country, and a new school too… I've just been living in Japan for a while now—""" text34360;"""I'm fine.""" text34361;"""She interrupted me in the same tone.""" text34362;"""You know, the language matters the most! The faster you learn it, the faster you'll adapt…""" text34363;"""Catherine's look robbed me of all resolve to continue.""" text34364;"""Or not…""" text34365;"""…""" text34366;"""From the first moment of our acquaintance, Ms Winters made it clear that she only saw me as yet another annoying classmate.""" text34367;"""She wasn't any good at making friends, and I wondered more and more often if her lack of Japanese skills really was the reason for it.""" text34368;"""However, besides disappointment, I was also overflowing with enthusiasm, a desire to get my way at all costs.""" text34369;"""One day in the canteen, I unceremoniously sat across from Catherine without an invitation.""" text34370;"""Bon appetit!""" text34371;"""She didn't respond and even seemed to pretend I wasn't there.""" text34372;"""I just wanted to say I know we got off on the wrong foot. My bad — I shouldn't have imposed myself!""" text34373;"""It's not your fault.""" text34374;"""Catherine immediately switched to English.""" text34375;"""I just don't need help with Japanese. My knowledge is quite sufficient to survive the next three years here.""" text34376;"""Do you really hate it here that much?""" text34377;"""I responded in English as well, in anticipation of her reaction.""" text34378;"""Catherine didn't even bat an eye.""" text34379;"""How do I put it…""" text34380;"""It seemed like I had been reading too much of Kyosuke's manga — why did I even think she thought that I didn't know English?""" text34381;"""In any case, now she was much friendlier than the first time. At least by her standards.""" text34382;"""You know, at first I was really afraid of this new country. Everything was so… big!""" text34383;"""Although I had it easier, of course, being a child and all.""" text34384;"""Continuing to demonstrate her utter lack of interest, Catherine finally joined the conversation:""" text34385;"""How old were you?""" text34386;"""Seven, can you imagine?!""" text34387;"""I said enthusiastically.""" text34388;"""I can. I was seven once too.""" text34389;"""So what brought you here…? To Japan I mean, not the canteen!""" text34390;"""My mom is a diplomat.""" text34391;"""Oh, really? My parents are engineers. They work for Kobayashi Corporation, heard of it?""" text34392;"""I have.""" text34393;"""Catherine kept poking her fork into something that probably used to be a beef roast.""" text34394;"""So you're from the Soviet Union then?""" text34395;"""Yes ma'am! Nikolai Anokhin, at your service!""" text34396;"""Our countries don't have the best relationship. Why do you think ours will be any better?""" text34397;"""She smiled, if barely.""" text34398;"""Well, politics aren't my strong suit, but I don't think the common people should suffer because of the decisions of a bunch of idiots at power.""" text34399;"""I immediately realized it was correct to say \""in power\"", but Catherine didn't give me a chance to correct myself.""" text34400;"""That is a very shallow understanding of politics, Nikolai.""" text34401;"""I did say it's not my strong suit…""" text34402;"""So you advocate for world peace and friendship among all peoples?""" text34403;"""That'd be better, wouldn't it?""" text34404;"""I guess…""" text34405;"""What about you then?""" text34406;"""And why are we even talking about politics?""" text34407;"""I laughed.""" text34408;"""You started it.""" text34409;"""No I didn't! You said that our countries don't have the best relationship!""" text34410;"""Well, let's say so. Was nice talking to you.""" text34411;"""Catherine stood up, took her tray, and left.""" text34412;"""Not that I was going to stop her — this round had clearly been lost.""" text34413;"""…""" text34414;"""Several more days passed, and I was waiting for Catherine at the school gates to \""go home together\"".""" text34415;"""Yeah, right, next I'd be offering to carry her backpack!""" text34416;"""I probably still hadn't realized at the time, but my attempts to get close to her were transforming into a sort of competition between the two of us.""" text34417;"""Oh, hey! Going home? Me too.""" text34418;"""What a coincidence!""" text34419;"""The only result of my actions so far was the fact that she started to show more emotions.""" text34420;"""Most of which more or less fit under the definition of the word \""sarcasm\"".""" text34421;"""Are you taking the subway?""" text34422;"""Yes. And for some reason, I feel like so are you.""" text34423;"""For your information, I could go on foot, but since we've got ourselves this \""coincidence\""…""" text34424;"""I don't mind at all, don't get me wrong.""" text34425;"""I would never, God forbid!""" text34426;"""For a while we walked in silence — I pretended to harbour a grudge against Catherine, and she wasn't one to start a conversation.""" text34427;"""Or so it seemed to me…""" text34428;"""Your English is pretty good.""" text34429;"""I read a lot.""" text34430;"""What do you read?""" text34431;"""Science fiction, mostly. Sheckley, Clark, Simak, Heinlein.""" text34432;"""I don't like science fiction.""" text34433;"""Well, girls rarely do.""" text34434;"""Do you know many?""" text34435;"""A couple.""" text34436;"""Himitsu, for one.""" text34437;"""I see.""" text34438;"""From that moment on, my presence no longer interested her.""" text34439;"""What books do you like?""" text34440;"""Books? I can't really say. All kinds.""" text34441;"""My patience ran out.""" text34442;"""Listen, maybe you should stop acting like this?""" text34443;"""How am I acting, exactly?""" text34444;"""Catherine even stopped.""" text34445;"""You know full well that I like you. Then why all this? If you said \""no\"" right away, we wouldn't need to put on this act!""" text34446;"""You like me?""" text34447;"""That's when I grew embarrassed.""" text34448;"""Isn't that obvious?""" text34449;"""Not to a girl. Didn't you say you have a lot of experience with them?""" text34450;"""I said nothing like that! And anyway…""" text34451;"""So you want to date me?""" text34452;"""Well… yeah… That's a given!""" text34453;"""Alright.""" text34454;"""Alright what?""" text34455;"""I asked, dumbfounded.""" text34456;"""Let's date.""" text34457;"""Just like that?""" text34458;"""You did say that I could've said \""no\"" right away… I choose to say \""yes\""!""" text34459;"""Catherine gifted me with a genuine smile.""" text34460;"""Well, okay then…""" text34461;"""I almost asked, \""what should we do now?\"".""" text34462;"""By the way, we're here.""" text34463;"""And indeed, the station showed up from behind the corner.""" text34464;"""You must have a lot to think about. And since you don't live far from here…""" text34465;"""…""" text34466;"""See you tomorrow then… boyfriend!""" text34467;"""Catherine flashed an even cuter smile and left me standing in a complete stupor.""" text34468;"""Today I know that this kind of behavior was at least somewhat normal for her, but at the time I was so shocked that I didn't even feel any particular joy.""" text34469;"""Maybe I'd feel something similar if a hundred kilogram piece of concrete fell on the ground a meter away from me.""" text34470;"""It's nice that it didn't fall on my head, but…""" text34471;"""The following days were each one better than the other.""" text34472;"""I grew closer with Catherine, and even though I didn't quite understand why she was like that, she became less arrogant.""" text34473;"""…""" text34474;"""One day we were sitting in a park, embracing each other.""" text34475;"""America doesn't have parks like this one.""" text34476;"""Really? Seems like a pretty normal park to me.""" text34477;"""No, not normal at all. It's beautiful. Quiet, peaceful.""" text34478;"""Well, at least there's something in Japan that you like.""" text34479;"""Catherine's laugh was barely audible.""" text34480;"""By the way, do you know that in Russia you'd be called Katya?""" text34481;"""Katya? Sounds weird.""" text34482;"""I think it's really cute! I'll be calling you that from now on.""" text34483;"""No way!""" text34484;"""You don't like it?""" text34485;"""You'd be called Nick in America!""" text34486;"""You already call me Nick.""" text34487;"""She didn't respond, only sank deeper into my shoulder.""" text34488;"""We'll leave this place, right? Later, when we finish school.""" text34489;"""For America?""" text34490;"""I couldn't say the prospect made me too happy.""" text34491;"""It seemed that my psyche wouldn't withstand another big relocation.""" text34492;"""For America or somewhere else.""" text34493;"""For the USSR?""" text34494;"""I don't know.""" text34495;"""We'd need to get married first.""" text34496;"""Why's that?""" text34497;"""They won't give me a visa otherwise!""" text34498;"""Mom works at the embassy, we can come up with something!""" text34499;"""Do you think she'd be happy that instead of going to college, her daughter…""" text34500;"""Who said \""instead\""?!""" text34501;"""Katya asked with indignation.""" text34502;"""Well, we'd need to live on something…""" text34503;"""You'll go to work then, you don't want to study anymore either way.""" text34504;"""Sir, yes sir!""" text34505;"""She laughed again.""" text34506;"""Do you really want to do all of that… with me?""" text34507;"""The question surprised me, and I looked at her, but Catherine lowered her head.""" text34508;"""Of course! Wouldn't be here otherwise.""" text34509;"""Here — in this park? Or in Japan?""" text34510;"""On this earth! Kyosuke invites me to the Yamato crew all the time!""" text34511;"""You have weird friends. And you're also weird!""" text34512;"""My friends are totally normal! By the way, Himitsu's wanted to meet you for a while now.""" text34513;"""Your childhood friend? The half-Russian one?""" text34514;"""Yeah, I've told you about her.""" text34515;"""You must have way more in common with her.""" text34516;"""Even if I thought about it, I couldn't say what interested I shared with Himitsu.""" text34517;"""What are you hinting at?""" text34518;"""Nothing at all.""" text34519;"""She abruptly stood up from the bench and stretched her hand out to me.""" text34520;"""There's a special offer at the bar today: buy two burgers for the price of three and get the third one for free!""" text34521;"""You're pulling my leg!""" text34522;"""I grabbed her hand and pulled her to me.""" text34523;"""…""" text34524;"""But Catherine meeting Himitsu was inevitable, and honestly, it was surprising that it didn't happen earlier.""" text34525;"""…""" text34526;"""Yet another school day was coming to its end, and I was about to go home together with Cathrine.""" text34527;"""To my place, this time.""" text34528;"""We'd been dating for several weeks at that point, and the initial, strongest burst of passion was starting to wear off.""" text34529;"""Naturally, that didn't stop us from spending all our free time together.""" text34530;"""But that day, Himitsu met us at the gates of the school.""" text34531;"""Niko-kun… Hello!""" text34532;"""She bowed way too low, and I hurried to introduce Catherine to her:""" text34533;"""So uh, this is Himitsu. Himitsu, this is Catherine.""" text34534;"""Catherine-san.""" text34535;"""She was about to bow again but decided against it under my stern glare.""" text34536;"""Come on, why the formalities?""" text34537;"""Katty-chan?""" text34538;"""Himitsu asked, unsure.""" text34539;"""Katya only smiled back in embarrassment.""" text34540;"""Niko-kun, you never told me she was so tall!""" text34541;"""Himitsu whispered to me.""" text34542;"""Never crossed my mind, to be honest…""" text34543;"""Where do you study?""" text34544;"""In middle school! Here, it's on the same grounds, I studied there too!""" text34545;"""See, she used to get sick a lot and went to school a year later than me.""" text34546;"""Interesting.""" text34547;"""Catherine frowned slightly.""" text34548;"""Yeah, she always wanted to be in the same class as me but it never worked out.""" text34549;"""I think Himitsu can speak for herself.""" text34550;"""Katya suddenly interrupted me.""" text34551;"""Himitsu meanwhile was just standing nearby, picking at the ground with the tip of her shoe.""" text34552;"""She looked even smaller now, when compared to Catherine.""" text34553;"""Oh, yeah, sorry.""" text34554;"""The awkwardness soured the meeting of the two most important girls in my life.""" text34555;"""How about we celebrate your acquaintance then!""" text34556;"""Niko-kun…""" text34557;"""Himitsu said, still in a whisper but now with reproach.""" text34558;"""Why, that's actually a good idea! Don't you like it?""" text34559;"""Catherine asked her.""" text34560;"""Only if there won't be any alcohol…""" text34561;"""Alcohol? Does he usually…?""" text34562;"""Not at all!""" text34563;"""I waved my hands in denial.""" text34564;"""Received and understood. Thank you for the information.""" text34565;"""I didn't…""" text34566;"""How much more am I going to learn about you, boyfriend?""" text34567;"""She asked in English.""" text34568;"""Himitsu wasn't that good at the language, and this time Catherine was actually trying to hide the meaning of her words from others.""" text34569;"""Okay, it happened once or twice, she's just worried about me!""" text34570;"""Worried, huh?""" text34571;"""Katya immediately shifted her gaze to Himitsu.""" text34572;"""In any case, nice to meet you!""" text34573;"""Me too.""" text34574;"""…""" text34575;"""While the three of us were walking home, I was scolding Himitsu:""" text34576;"""Why start with that again? Why say all that?! Who asked you?!""" text34577;"""But I didn't even say anything…""" text34578;"""Himitsu was about to burst into tears.""" text34579;"""I should add that she used to be even more awkward around people.""" text34580;"""You have to think before you speak! You made me out to be an alcoholic or something…""" text34581;"""Anyway.""" text34582;"""I relented.""" text34583;"""Just don't do that anymore.""" text34584;"""That entire time, Catherine was watching us carefully, without a word.""" text34585;"""I was speaking quietly and wasn't sure she'd heard what the conversation was about exactly.""" text34586;"""You're quite close.""" text34587;"""Naturally, we've known each other for so many years! She's like a stupid little sister to me.""" text34588;"""Little sister, huh? Convenient.""" text34589;"""Want me to be the older one then? You can call me onee-san! A threesome with two sisters at once, now that'd be something, wouldn't it? Lucky man.""" text34590;"""She finished off her snide remark with a juicy slap on my ass.""" text34591;"""Good thing Himitsu didn't notice anything, at least.""" text34592;"""Truth be told, I liked Catherine's peculiar sense of humor, but sometimes it crossed all possible lines, and not only by Japanese standards!""" text34593;"""…""" text34594;"""When we reached home, Himitsu made that stupid bow again and bid us farewell:""" text34595;"""I think I'll go, I don't want to be a bother.""" text34596;"""Come on, you're not bothering us at all! Right, Nick?""" text34597;"""Yeah, of course…""" text34598;"""I thought I looked like an idiot.""" text34599;"""Even though for a moment, I enjoyed Katya's idea with the two sisters.""" text34600;"""But if you have something to do…""" text34601;"""It has been a pleasure to meet you.""" text34602;"""She addressed Catherine.""" text34603;"""You've got an interesting friend.""" text34604;"""Not everyone could put up with someone like you for so many years!""" text34605;"""Indeed, Catherine was right, even if she was yet to know to what extent.""" text34606;"""I suddenly returned to reality and looked around — the park was still just as quiet and autumn-appropriately chilly.""" text34607;"""The clock and my stomache together reminded me that it was high time for lunch.""" text34608;"""I was walking through the city, feeling detached from reality.""" text34609;"""Like Alice — stuck in a wonderland of memories, which by comparison made all the danger looming over me seem much less important.""" text34610;"""As if the best had already passed, and nothing good awaited me in the future.""" text34611;"""So what sense was there in worrying?""" text34612;"""…""" text34613;"""Hey there, Kolya, come on in! Long time no see!""" text34614;"""Today the Bartender seemed to be the embodiment of hospitability.""" text34615;"""I'm just here for lunch.""" text34616;"""But a moment!""" text34617;"""He was as eager to talk as always, but there were more visitors than usual, and he had to get back to work after bringing me my order.""" text34618;"""I was eating the ramen with gusto, and noted once again that all in all it was no worse than in a real Japanese ramen shop.""" text34619;"""Despite all the Bartender's peculiarties, you couldn't deny that he knew his trade!""" text34620;"""He just had to remove that irritating bell over the door!""" text34621;"""Its sound didn't just annoy me — it seemed to make my nerves themselves strain and tighten like strings.""" text34622;"""Meanwhile, someone I never expected to see here entered the bar — it was Saya-chan with her classmates.""" text34623;"""She looked around, choosing a table, noticed me, whispered something to her girlfriends, and headed towards me with clear determination.""" text34624;"""What are you doing here?""" text34625;"""That's what I should be asking you, Anokhin-san.""" text34626;"""She sat across from me quite unceremoniously and looked me right in the eye.""" text34627;"""What about me? I just dropped by for lunch. This place has wonderful ramen, by the way, my recommendation!""" text34628;"""Her presence was making me uncomfortable, and I didn't even really know why. Perhaps because of all the memories.""" text34629;"""Catherine was right about Himitsu at the time, and apparently, I started to feel ashamed again.""" text34630;"""And Saya was only making things worse!""" text34631;"""But you weren't at school today.""" text34632;"""Keeping an eye on me? I'm flattered.""" text34633;"""Don't play dumb.""" text34634;"""You're also out early, judging by the time.""" text34635;"""Our classes are already over, for your interest.""" text34636;"""Oh!""" text34637;"""I raised my eyebrows.""" text34638;"""Naturally, I wasn't interested at all.""" text34639;"""Himitsu was worried about you and went home.""" text34640;"""Why'd she worry about me? Here I am!""" text34641;"""Anokhin-san…""" text34642;"""Just call me Nick, I told you!""" text34643;"""For some reason, coming from her in particular, these formalities were especially sickening.""" text34644;"""Anokhin-san, you know what I'm talking about.""" text34645;"""No, I don't. And even if I did, I don't think it's any of your business.""" text34646;"""Worrying about a friend is very much my business.""" text34647;"""I couldn't object…""" text34648;"""In any case, you don't know all the details of our relationship.""" text34649;"""I don't see what details can matter when the relationship hurts one of the parties.""" text34650;"""I bit my lip and turned away, not even trying to hide my irritation.""" text34651;"""And now there's this foreigner girl too…""" text34652;"""What about her?""" text34653;"""I immediately looked back to Saya and grit my teeth, but she remained calm.""" text34654;"""Her return was quite timely. Now your life has no time left for Himitsu.""" text34655;"""Now that is definitely none of your business!""" text34656;"""So you're not denying it?""" text34657;"""I'm not going to get into a pointless argument with you.""" text34658;"""You don't need to argue with me, but think about Himitsu!""" text34659;"""I do, okay?! I do!""" text34660;"""I almost added \""all the time\"".""" text34661;"""What do you even know…""" text34662;"""I let out a sigh and threw a greedy glance at the alcohol stand.""" text34663;"""2 o'clock is the perfect time.""" text34664;"""Saya smirked.""" text34665;"""Turns out she was also quite attentive.""" text34666;"""Sure, I knew it in my head that there was a fair bit of truth to her words, but I just couldn't agree. If only for my own sake.""" text34667;"""Listening to you makes my ears bleed! A shot would make it at least bearable!""" text34668;"""You're hopeless.""" text34669;"""Maybe that's exactly why Himitsu likes me — ever thought of that?""" text34670;"""So you know it and keep acting like that?""" text34671;"""Relax, I'm joking.""" text34672;"""There are things you can't joke about.""" text34673;"""Excuse me for not being a prude.""" text34674;"""Or having much of a conscience.""" text34675;"""Seriously, what do you want me to say?""" text34676;"""Why do you act like that?""" text34677;"""It's none of your business!""" text34678;"""I'm going through a rough patch in life""" text34679;"""What are you, my psychologist? A relative?""" text34680;"""And whatever the case! You keep nagging at Himitsu about how terrible I am!""" text34681;"""Saya's face visibly changed — she frowned and seemingly grew a couple years older.""" text34682;"""Will it make you happy if we fight? Do you think it'll make Himitsu feel better?!""" text34683;"""What makes you think you know what's better for her?!""" text34684;"""How long have you known her? A year, two years? I've known her for ten! Ten fucking years! That's a shitload of time!""" text34685;"""I spread my arms, showing how much time that was exactly.""" text34686;"""You're sick. Himitsu must have terrible luck to be involved with such a jerk…""" text34687;"""She stood up and headed for her girlfriends' table.""" text34688;"""Nice, piss off! At least she has a jerk, while you're surrounded by cows!""" text34689;"""I said after her.""" text34690;"""And so is Himitsu. We've known each other since childhood, you know? We have a kind of… how do I say it… connection between us!""" text34691;"""Ten years! That's no joke. Half our lives, more even!""" text34692;"""Maybe you want the best for her, but it's not that simple.""" text34693;"""What's so difficult about her life? Don't you think you're the one making it difficult?""" text34694;"""It's… a relationship! Things happen!""" text34695;"""Relationship!""" text34696;"""She smirked.""" text34697;"""That's an interesting choice of words, Anokhin-san. Although, alright, I won't bother you.""" text34698;"""She stood up and headed to her girlfriends.""" text34699;"""In reality, Saya hadn't said anything new and there wasn't any reason to be upset with her.""" text34700;"""Mostly, I was angry with myself — the girl had hit a sore spot.""" text34701;"""With great precision, I must say!""" text34702;"""Meanwhile, Himitsu's classmates weren't in a hurry to leave.""" text34703;"""Having finished their milk cocktails and ice cream, they kept sitting there, chatting about casual stuff.""" text34704;"""I was throwing rare annoyed glances at them, but Saya was making a point to ignore me.""" text34705;"""To be honest, I simply found it hard to get up and walk past them to the exit.""" text34706;"""That would seemingly mean acknowledging my defeat and fleeing the battlefield.""" text34707;"""It was silly, but I kept sitting there to the bitter end, having chewed through even the chopsticks.""" text34708;"""Finally, their merry band got up from the table and prepared to leave.""" text34709;"""Saya shot me a farewell look, screwing her face into a snide grimace.""" text34710;"""She had to be thinking she won!""" text34711;"""Jeez, Kolya, who was that?""" text34712;"""The Bartender appeared next to me at once.""" text34713;"""If witch burning were still in fashion these days, I'd definitely report her to the Inquisition!""" text34714;"""So that was…""" text34715;"""Just a friend of Himitsu's.""" text34716;"""Aaah, I see!""" text34717;"""He said thoughtfully and sat down beside me.""" text34718;"""No actually, I don't.""" text34719;"""Maybe that's for the better.""" text34720;"""I paid my bill and left the bar.""" text34721;"""I was having a hard time getting my emotions in order after the reprimanding Saya had given me.""" text34722;"""Sometimes you understand you're wrong, can even accept your mistakes somewhere deep inside, but if someone points them out you can't help but argue.""" text34723;"""Yet another crazy day was coming to an end.""" text34724;"""I got caught in the rain while on my way back home and barged into the kitchen defeated.""" text34725;"""And immediately faced Himitsu's disapproving stare.""" text34726;"""There's probably no point asking where you've been, Niko-kun?""" text34727;"""Probably not.""" text34728;"""I agreed, trying not to sound rude, and walked past her.""" text34729;"""Gotta take a shower or I'll get sick.""" text34730;"""…""" text34732;"""A hot dinner greeted me when I left the bathroom.""" text34733;"""After everything, I could only marvel at Himitsu's patience.""" text34734;"""\""Not everyone could put up with someone like you for that many years!\""""" text34735;"""Couldn't have said it better myself.""" text34736;"""Sorry for disappearing today. I had to… had to think.""" text34737;"""Very well.""" text34738;"""What's well about it?""" text34739;"""I'm glad that you had time to think.""" text34740;"""Yeah? Well, okay… By the way, I met Saya-chan at the bar today.""" text34741;"""Really?""" text34742;"""Himitsu asked without much interest.""" text34743;"""I gotta say that she's… weird! Yeah, weird. And she could do without prying into other people's business.""" text34744;"""What does she pry into?""" text34745;"""Well, you must know better than me. I don't know what she says about me, but…""" text34746;"""Niko-kun, I'm capable of making my own decisions.""" text34747;"""She said in a bored voice.""" text34748;"""Of course! I didn't mean anything like that, it's just…""" text34749;"""Ah, whatever! I'm not trying to say I have to like all of your friends.""" text34750;"""That's nice.""" text34751;"""We kept silent for a while.""" text34752;"""So, did all those thoughts bring you to any conclusions? Were they about Katty-chan?""" text34753;"""No, no, of course not!""" text34754;"""It felt like Himitsu would pretty much explode at any mention of Catherine.""" text34755;"""I mostly wanted to check if I'm being watched.""" text34756;"""So, are you?""" text34757;"""Himitsu perked up.""" text34758;"""I don't know. Even if someone is watching, they're very good at it.""" text34759;"""Indeed, the Soviet intelligence agents, as well as the other players, hadn't shown themselves in any way in the past two days.""" text34760;"""That wasn't much of a timeframe to draw any broad conclusions, but it gave me at least some respite. Just to sink ever deeper into my personal drama.""" text34761;"""For whatever reason, I couldn't bring myself to call our love triangle a melodrama.""" text34762;"""Maybe \""tragedy\"" was a better word for it.""" text34763;"""So what do you think?""" text34764;"""I think that so far we're managing not to attract too much attention. And there's a good chance it'll stay like that.""" text34765;"""I really hope so!""" text34766;"""So do I. I'm really sick of this uncertainty.""" text34767;"""Himitsu looked at me attentively but said nothing.""" text34768;"""By the way, the dinner was very good! Thank you.""" text34769;"""So, did you talk about me with Saya-chan?""" text34770;"""Kind of. But you know her better than I. And you know everything she could tell me.""" text34771;"""I guess.""" text34772;"""Niko-kun, she really isn't a bad person, just a bit harsh sometimes. But it's not out of malice!""" text34773;"""Good intentions pave the road to Hell, you know.""" text34774;"""Although she'd be more the gatekeeper, meeting new arrivals.""" text34775;"""Himitsu laughed, but quickly caught herself and frowned.""" text34776;"""Hey!""" text34777;"""I'm serious! On the other hand, she could also get an offer for Charon's job — would be much better than the original anyway. She'd entertain her passengers with her grumbling along the way.""" text34778;"""Can you imagine Saya-chan in a robe?""" text34779;"""I pulled a towel over my head and made a face.""" text34780;"""Niko-kun, stop it!""" text34781;"""She kept laughing.""" text34782;"""I jumped up from the bed, ran to her, and threw the towel over her face.""" text34783;"""You're doomed to endless suffering in Hell for having overdone the tofu!""" text34784;"""Niko-kun!""" text34785;"""Himitsu kept desperately resisting and pushed me away.""" text34786;"""I lost my balance and fell to the floor, taking her with me.""" text34787;"""You dare, mortal?! You have the courage to oppose the will of Hades?!""" text34788;"""For a while, we struggled, and soon I ended up atop Himitsu, holding her hands firmly in mine.""" text34789;"""Which would already be quite a precarious position to be in, but it was also exacerbated by the fact that Himitsu's face flushed and her hair scattered on the floor.""" text34790;"""We fell quiet simultaneously, and she no longer laughed.""" text34791;"""In the descendent silence, only the sound of our heartbeats could be heard.""" text34792;"""The tension even halted the air in my lungs.""" text34793;"""Niko-kun, I want…""" text34794;"""I didn't play the fool and specify what exactly she wanted — I simply kept silent.""" text34795;"""Himitsu lay there unmoving still.""" text34796;"""Whatever happened now, she wouldn't take the initiative.""" text34797;"""But as bad luck would have it, I remembered Catherine again and that day in the park two years ago.""" text34798;"""I couldn't do this to Himitsu!""" text34799;"""First I had to sort out myself and my feelings towards each of them.""" text34800;"""I let go of her hands and fell to the floor next to her.""" text34801;"""Sorry.""" text34802;"""What are you apologizing for?""" text34803;"""She immediately, happily responded.""" text34804;"""I'd like to remind you that we've got school tomorrow!""" text34805;"""Himitsu painfully pinched my side.""" text34806;"""Ouch!""" text34807;"""Still, I was grateful for her tactfulness.""" text34808;"""That was yet another thing to add to the others I was grateful to her for.""" text34809;"""It's war then!""" text34810;"""I grabbed a pillow.""" text34811;"""…""" text34812;"""Exhausted, we were lying on the bed, resting.""" text34813;"""It was nine o'clock.""" text34814;"""It's so late already!""" text34815;"""Himitsu suddenly realized.""" text34816;"""Wouldn't say it's particularly late.""" text34817;"""I still need to do homework for tomorrow, they gave us a lot. And someone made me so nervous today that I had other things on my mind.""" text34818;"""I wonder who that might've been.""" text34819;"""Alright, I'm leaving!""" text34820;"""She stuck her tongue out at me and left, flashing a goodbye smile.""" text34821;"""When I was left alone, I took a deep breath and immediately felt overwhelmed.""" text34822;"""Without a prelude or a preface.""" text34823;"""I could've…""" text34824;"""What am I doing?!""" text34825;"""The sense of guilt was burning me from the inside.""" text34826;"""My broken heart joined the chorus, making my existence virtually unbearable.""" text34827;"""I seemed to be suffocating and burning at the same time, as if ending up in the real Hell.""" text34828;"""It was absolutely impossible to remain in silence and solitude anymore!""" text34829;"""…""" text34830;"""Hastily trudging through puddles, I reached the nightclub.""" text34831;"""My consciousness kicked in.""" text34832;"""I was sitting behind a table densely covered by beer mugs, shots, and rocks glasses, drowning in clouds of cigarette smoke.""" text34833;"""My thoughts were tumbling over each other, but my main goal had been achieved — I'd managed to calm down.""" text34834;"""Even if it was achieved this way — by drinking myself to unconsciousness.""" text34835;"""Some band was playing on the stage, but I wasn't in any condition to listen properly — the rhythmic drum of the speakers was more than enough.""" text34836;"""Suddenly an unfamiliar guy sat at my table and started to speak quickly.""" text34837;"""Although it was more like he was opening and closing his mouth, like a fish in water.""" text34838;"""Huh? What? I can't hear!""" text34839;"""I moved closer.""" text34840;"""I'm saying it's nice to see a European here!""" text34841;"""He said in English.""" text34842;"""I didn't even notice right away that he wasn't Japanese.""" text34843;"""Ah… Yeah.""" text34844;"""Where are you from?""" text34845;"""I live nearby.""" text34846;"""No, I mean from what country?""" text34847;"""USSR.""" text34848;"""I replied after a pause.""" text34849;"""My perception of reality was significantly clouded by alcohol, but I still didn't count on Kobayashi Corporation and the KGB suddenly leaving me alone.""" text34850;"""And I'm…""" text34851;"""He said where he was from, but I couldn't hear and decided not to ask again.""" text34852;"""Ed!""" text34853;"""The guy stretched his hand out to me.""" text34854;"""\""Ed\"" what?""" text34855;"""My name's Ed! What's yours?""" text34856;"""Nick.""" text34857;"""I shook his hand.""" text34858;"""You come here often?""" text34859;"""Sometimes.""" text34860;"""I'd guess he was slightly over 20, but all in all, Ed possessed an absolutely forgettable appearance.""" text34861;"""Were I to be interrogated the next day, I wouldn't be able to name any characteristics — no long hair, no big nose, no scars or birthmarks.""" text34862;"""You could say it was a very fitting appearance for a spy. Or an intelligence officer, depending on your perspective.""" text34863;"""I'm here on tour with my favorite band…""" text34864;"""He shouted the name so loudly that it even overpowered the buzzing of the guitars, but I still couldn't make it out.""" text34865;"""They're headlining today!""" text34866;"""Yeah…""" text34867;"""He seemed to be just a regular music fan rather than a spy.""" text34868;"""I downed the shot of whisky courteously offered by Ed, then another one, and the guy quickly began to seem like the a wonderful person.""" text34869;"""Listen, Ed…""" text34870;"""I was tripping over my tongue, but a drunk always understands another drunk — they're on the same page, so to say.""" text34871;"""Do you have someone? I mean, a girl…""" text34872;"""Yeah, my wife is waiting for me at home.""" text34873;"""Wife? So serious? I see…""" text34874;"""And you?""" text34875;"""And me…""" text34876;"""I sighed and downed half a glass of beer in one go.""" text34877;"""Hell knows what's going on in my life! I may even have two, hah!""" text34878;"""Well, I mean, not two wives… Two girls. And I don't know who to choose.""" text34879;"""What does your heart tell you?""" text34880;"""Heart? Is it ever that easy?! That only works in books! Stupid books!""" text34881;"""Okay, let's try a different approach: which of them seems to be the lesser evil?""" text34882;"""What do you mean…?""" text34883;"""I asked, startled.""" text34884;"""Ed turned out to be less drunk than me after all.""" text34885;"""Well, which choice would make you lose less? Which choice would harm others less?""" text34886;"""Well, if you put it this way…""" text34887;"""Catherine can live without me, for sure! She's been doing alright the last year and a half!""" text34888;"""But Himitsu… Well, I wouldn't say she'd off herself, but… Who knows though!""" text34889;"""Is it that serious?""" text34890;"""He asked compassionately.""" text34891;"""No, it's just… in the context of this discussion, you know? Ah…""" text34892;"""From what you've said, it seems like this Himitsu is just dependent on you.""" text34893;"""Dependent? No way! We're not like…""" text34894;"""It's a term in psychology. You, on the other hand, are dependent on Catherine!""" text34895;"""I'm not dependent on anyone!""" text34896;"""I felt resentment growing inside of me.""" text34897;"""I'm just trying to help, bro, cool down! Better get another round!""" text34898;"""And what does your psychology suggest to do in my case?""" text34899;"""I asked, after giving his words a a bit of thought.""" text34900;"""Getting rid of the dependency.""" text34901;"""By \""getting rid\"" of the dependency, you mean the way they usually do it in Holywood films? Think I should shoot Catherine?""" text34902;"""I laughed loudly.""" text34903;"""But then Himitsu would have to shoot me!""" text34904;"""In reality, there was nothing funny about that, especially in my situation.""" text34905;"""Especially considering that I could actually catch a bullet at any moment.""" text34906;"""There are easier ways. For example, visiting a psychologist.""" text34907;"""A psychologist? Are you serious? I'm going to tell him that…""" text34908;"""Catherine's mother was involved in my parents' death and I'm hunted by the most powerful corporation in Japan, but I can't think about anything but love, simultaneously feeling guilty about my childhood friend who has also built a dependency on me?""" text34909;"""No, I couldn't say that!""" text34910;"""It might be a good idea though. They'd send me to the mad house right off!""" text34911;"""I'd definitely be safe there!""" text34912;"""You're taking it too close to heart, making a tree out of a molehill!""" text34913;"""What? No! Ed, I think you're shitfaced!""" text34914;"""His mistake entertained me a lot and distracted me from my dark thoughts.""" text34915;"""Well, I'm still doing better than you!""" text34916;"""I guess so — you are older! Although, I… I'm trying to become a worthy alcomarathoner!""" text34917;"""Not bad, but be careful with that, otherwise you might never reach the finish line.""" text34918;"""We all reach the finish line, one way or another! Just the distance is different for everyone.""" text34919;"""Suddenly, the crowd grew silent and, after some time, an intro from a famous song came out from the speakers.""" text34920;"""Oh, here they are! Let's go to the stage!""" text34921;"""I did know this band, which made me even more surprised to see them at such a mediocre club.""" text34922;"""The furious energy of the music and the roaring crowd soon washed over me and made me forget about my problems.""" text34923;"""…""" text34924;"""When the performance was over, I even sobered up a bit, but Ed approached me immediately with a couple of beer cans in his hands.""" text34925;"""Here, try this! It's a brand one, we brought some with us!""" text34926;"""I took a few gulps, and that was just enough — the concert hall started to blur before my eyes.""" text34927;"""You know, Ed, you're a cool guy! Really cool! Pity, there are no such guys here! You know… If you want, we can continue at my place! An afterparty, so to say!""" text34928;"""I'd like to, but I still need to help the band load their equipment.""" text34929;"""Then I'll help as well!""" text34930;"""I tried to stand up but instead fell to the floor, and immediately burst out laughing.""" text34931;"""Whoops, I seem to be having trouble navigating!""" text34932;"""The next words Ed said to me seemed to sound from somewhere far away, like the yell of a captain of a ship passing by in the fog:""" text34933;"""Sit here for a bit, we'll drive you home!""" text34934;"""I will… Why not!""" text34935;"""I barely managed to climb on the chair and started to look for booze.""" text34936;"""And, of course, I found it soon…"""