text36011;"""What do normal people do on the weekends?"""
text36012;"""Go to the countryside, to the movies or theatre, visit amusement parks and bars, meet their friends?"""
text36013;"""It all seemed distant and impossible to me."""
text36014;"""Although any of the activities on that list could distract me from my dark thoughts and self-deprecation."""
text36015;"""I didn't even know what occupied a greater portion of my thoughts — the situation with Kobayashi Corporation or my longing for Himitsu."""
text36016;"""The unresolved problem of Catherine was also tucked away somewhere in there."""
text36017;"""I woke up late and felt pretty alright, at least physically."""
text36018;"""The fridge didn't have anything for breakfast."""
text36019;"""Himitsu usually didn't buy enough groceries to last long term (probably because she didn't want them to spoil), and I wasn't a frequent guest at the store."""
text36020;"""But that didn't upset me much — I could always drop by the ramen shop!"""
text36021;"""I was about to leave when the phone rang."""
text36022;"""Hello."""
text36023;"""Hey, Nick!"""
text36024;"""Hey to you too."""
text36025;"""Not busy? Not that you could be busy with anything…"""
text36026;"""True enough. What did you want?"""
text36027;"""Mike and I wanted to go to the city centre, visit some shops maybe, play at arcades. Wanna join?"""
text36028;"""Yeah, sure."""
text36029;"""I replied without giving it much thought."""
text36030;"""I didn't really have any other options for spending the Saturday."""
text36031;"""And, to be frank, I was glad that he called."""
text36032;"""…"""
text36033;"""Kyosuke with his silly and inappropriate grin seemed to beam with positivity and optimism."""
text36034;"""Under different circumstances, it could seem pretty unpleasant, but now his good mood was in line with the situation."""
text36035;"""Michael was serious and focused, as always."""
text36036;"""So, how are you doing?"""
text36037;"""He was looking up at me, right in the eyes, and it made me feel uncomfortable."""
text36038;"""I'm alright."""
text36039;"""And how's Himitsu-chan?"""
text36040;"""Went to visit her grandma."""
text36041;"""So, you've been left all alone!"""
text36042;"""Don't pretend like you care."""
text36043;"""Damn, Nick! You've become so moody."""
text36044;"""Have I really changed?"""
text36045;"""I asked Michael."""
text36046;"""Tell me honestly, have I changed at all?"""
text36047;"""He adjusted his glassed with a single precise motion."""
text36048;"""I wouldn't say so."""
text36049;"""Come on, Mike! Since Catherine-san returned, our Nick hasn't been himself."""
text36050;"""He caught my annoyed glance."""
text36051;"""Not that I'm blaming him! His behavior is understandable. If I was in his place…"""
text36052;"""Enough already, Kyosuke."""
text36053;"""Michael said calmly, and Kyosuke went silent immediately, lowering his head."""
text36054;"""Why couldn't he do the same when I said it?"""
text36055;"""Alright, what are we going to do?"""
text36056;"""Well, I have an idea…"""
text36057;"""He rubbed his hands rather ominously."""
text36058;"""…"""
text36059;"""The hours at the arcade flew by."""
text36060;"""Video games distracted me from my real problems and allowed me to forget the outside world for a time."""
text36061;"""I wasn't as good as Kyosuke, but I managed to score way higher than Michael on every arcade machine."""
text36062;"""Which was nothing to be proud of — it was like a healthy athlete winning the Paralympic Games…"""
text36063;"""The medal might be gold, but you're still an idiot."""
text36064;"""And the arcade didn't even have medals!"""
text36065;"""By the time we walked outside, the sun was already setting."""
text36066;"""It would be cool if videogames were recognized as an official sport!"""
text36067;"""Like soccer?"""
text36068;"""Yeah! Then I'd definitely be a champion."""
text36069;"""I hope I won't live to see the day."""
text36070;"""I noted phlegmatically."""
text36071;"""Why?! It's also a kind of sport — it requires quick reflexes and training!"""
text36072;"""Kyosuke would spending entire days here, and, of course, he played pretty well, but it seemed to me that I could've easily beaten him if I spent as much time playing as he had."""
text36073;"""More importantly, though, I had no desire to."""
text36074;"""Alright, let's go and eat already!"""
text36075;"""I'd had a snack at the arcade, but it was time for a proper dinner."""
text36076;"""We went to a café and I ate until my stomach was full."""
text36077;"""Kyosuke walked off for a phone call, leaving me with Michael."""
text36078;"""So, have you managed to talk to Catherine?"""
text36079;"""Talk? About what?"""
text36080;"""To sort out your relationship, so to say."""
text36081;"""It seemed like that was all we had been doing!"""
text36082;"""We don't have any relationship anymore!"""
text36083;"""Is that so? So, you feel nothing for her?"""
text36084;"""I looked at Michael closely, trying to figure out what he was getting at, but his face remained emotionless."""
text36085;"""Why are you asking?"""
text36086;"""It's just if you two are done, I'd like to know about it."""
text36087;"""Don't tell me you've got your eye on her?"""
text36088;"""Yes, I have been thinking about that. If you don't mind."""
text36089;"""He replied without a hint of embarrassment."""
text36090;"""So that's how it was…"""
text36091;"""I wasn't even angry, just surprised."""
text36092;"""Although, to be honest, it felt unpleasant."""
text36093;"""I doubt there's a person alive who'd like it if his best friend started dating his ex-girlfriend!"""
text36094;"""I wasn't one of those people, at least."""
text36095;"""What would my answer change?"""
text36096;"""It's important for me to know your opinion."""
text36097;"""Don't you care about Catherine's?"""
text36098;"""You I can ask directly."""
text36099;"""I couldn't get rid of the feeling that all the ostensible courtesy and thoughtfulness was, in fact, a disgusting display originating from cowardice rather than concern for a friend."""
text36100;"""As if by warning me about his intentions, he was trying to exonerate himself of the responsibility for any possible consequences."""
text36101;"""That's quite a thing to say, bro… To be honest, I didn't expect that!"""
text36102;"""But really, how did I feel about Catherine now?"""
text36103;"""What would I feel if she started dating Michael?"""
text36104;"""Just a couple of days ago I'd have been able to answer that question easily."""
text36105;"""But now, after growing dangerously close with Himitsu…"""
text36106;"""So, what do you say?"""
text36107;"""It's none of my business."""
text36108;"""I can't decide for you or Catherine. She has her own life."""
text36109;"""Indeed, we hadn't been in a relationship for a while, and it was stupid to think she'd be alone until retirement!"""
text36110;"""Michael didn't react in any way, at least outwardly, simply saying:"""
text36111;"""I got you."""
text36112;"""I can't say anything specific right now."""
text36113;"""It's just too unexpected."""
text36114;"""In reality, I couldn't just give up Catherine that easily."""
text36115;"""It was disgusting to think this was some cowardly sense of possessiveness — like an older child refusing to give up a toy to a younger sibling."""
text36116;"""Her return was too sudden. So I still don't know how I feel about her. Sorry about that."""
text36117;"""It's okay, I got you."""
text36118;"""What are you going to do now?"""
text36119;"""That's difficult for me to say right away too."""
text36120;"""He smiled a little."""
text36121;"""But I assure you, this will not impact our friendship."""
text36122;"""Yeah, right!"""
text36123;"""And, if you decide you still love her…"""
text36124;"""What's the point, if she doesn't love me back?"""
text36125;"""That's another matter."""
text36126;"""I'd say it's the same one! In that case, we'd become rivals. Except you get a fresh start, you could say."""
text36127;"""Hey, how are you two doing without me?"""
text36128;"""Kyosuke returned and defused the awkward situation."""
text36129;"""However, the conversation was far from finished!"""
text36130;"""Ugh, I'm so full!"""
text36131;"""He adjusted his belt and sighed heavily."""
text36132;"""You should watch your weight. People say obesity will be the disease of the 21st century."""
text36133;"""Fairy tales! I'm sure by then they'll invent some machine to pump all the fat out."""
text36134;"""Yeah, and you'll be the guy to make it break!"""
text36135;"""We laughed together."""
text36136;"""…"""
text36137;"""And yet!"""
text36138;"""I was walking home, thinking about Michael's words."""
text36139;"""The last few days I'd spent with Himitsu made me forget about Catherine, but she hadn't disappeared. In fact, she was still living her life."""
text36140;"""And so she would continue: she'd fall in love, marry, have children… And all of this would happen without me!"""
text36141;"""For the first time I wondered whether our paths were going to part forever…"""
text36142;"""Unsurprisingly, I wanted to distract myself."""
text36143;"""I was just a few blocks away from my favorite bar when I remembered Himitsu's note about the dangers of heavy drinking."""
text36144;"""It wasn't that I felt ashamed for what I hadn't even done yet, but she was objectively right."""
text36145;"""I wondered what Catherine was feeling right now."""
text36146;"""She probably wasn't hanging out with her friends, if she had any at all."""
text36147;"""Was she at home, watching TV or reading a book?"""
text36148;"""Doing homework or cleaning?"""
text36149;"""How did she perceive loneliness, did it impact her as strongly as me?"""
text36150;"""Unfortunately, I couldn't find out — I couldn't just go and ask…"""
text36151;"""Why, though?"""
text36152;"""Because Michael had set his sights on her? Ugh!"""
text36153;"""How could I have been so wrong about him!?"""
text36154;"""On the other hand, he wasn't guilty of anything…"""
text36155;"""I reached my house and stopped."""
text36156;"""Old, with dark windows and a sunken porch, it looked almost abandoned."""
text36157;"""Had I been living here all alone, that would've been true."""
text36158;"""After all, Himitsu with her regular cleaning, washing, and cooking was responsible for the homely atmosphere of the house."""
text36159;"""Otherwise, the rare blinking light in the bedroom or kitchen would terrify the occasional passerby at night, inspiring ghost stories about the place."""
text36160;"""These thoughts, plus the ones about Catherine, were about to drive me crazy."""
text36161;"""I wondered if I still had the address of Himitsu's grandmother written down somewhere."""
text36162;"""I remembered the house and the surroundings pretty well, but I had absolutely no idea where it was."""
text36163;"""I managed to find their telephone number pretty quickly — it was in my notebook, as expected."""
text36164;"""Luckily, the address was written next to it."""
text36165;"""I grabbed the receiver and had already dialed the number when I suddenly stopped."""
text36166;"""Of course, I wanted to hear Himitsu's voice, no matter what she was talking about…"""
text36167;"""But the desire to see her in person was even stronger!"""
text36168;"""Obsessive thoughts have always been a problem for me."""
text36169;"""If something pops into my head suddenly and I can't stop thinking about it, I'm done."""
text36170;"""No matter whether it's about buying something stupid, drinking, or seeing Himitsu…"""
text36171;"""Of course, I knew the idea was stupid."""
text36172;"""Going to a village hundreds of kilometers from Tokyo at night, without even a warning…"""
text36173;"""The problem was that a part of this particular obsessive idea was my desire to surprise her."""
text36174;"""I wasn't even worried about the fact that it would be a bigger surprise for her father."""
text36175;"""Well, at least I was going to have some hot nikumans!"""
text36176;"""I flipped through the notebook and found a taxi number."""
text36177;"""There was a good chance that trains weren't going there anymore — it was pretty late."""
text36178;"""And even if they were, it would've taken too long."""
text36179;"""Meanwhile, I needed to leave this instant. Immediately!"""
text36180;"""I phoned for a taxi, and they named what I thought was an outrageously high price, but my brain was already flooded with dopamine, and I had enough money."""
text36181;"""The car came at nine with change."""
text36182;"""The taxi driver turned out to be a chatterbox, which lifted my spirits, since it distracted me from my inner voice telling me how this whole thing was the act of a madman."""
text36183;"""Of course, the best thing I could've done was stay home and go to sleep!"""
text36184;"""But then I would've spent the entire night thinking that I wanted to go to Himitsu!"""
text36185;"""I wanted, wanted, wanted to!"""
text36186;"""And that was it!"""
text36187;"""Soon I would have to face the consequences of my actions, but I had no desire whatsoever to think about that in advance."""
text36188;"""I told the taxi driver that I was going to visit my girlfriend to surprise her, mentioning we've been together for a long time."""
text36189;"""In a way, I wasn't even lying to him."""
text36190;"""He just smirked and gave me the standard tirade on youth and stupidity."""
text36191;"""I could imagine how he felt and lived, but I definitely couldn't imagine myself sitting behind the wheel 12 hours a day bringing strangers to their destinations, where they had some crucial business."""
text36192;"""Maybe conversations like this with people you only meet once is some sort of defensive reaction supposed to protect against monotony and… loneliness?"""
text36193;"""\""Happy families are all alike; every unhappy family is unhappy in its own way\""?"""
text36194;"""In that case, loneliness must be just as personal."""
text36195;"""When you see famous, successful people on TV, you think they're happy and satisfied with their lives."""
text36196;"""But you can't even imagine they also suffer from adversity and sorrow."""
text36197;"""From their own difficulties that don't resemble yours in any way."""
text36198;"""And it's quite possible that what you consider happiness means nothing to them."""
text36199;"""I think Yesenin and Hemingway had a lot to say on the topic…"""
text36200;"""Meanwhile, we left Tokyo, the dense city districts giving way to sparse countryside cottages."""
text36201;"""The autumn felt more prominent here — woodland was all along the way, dressed in yellow and red."""
text36202;"""The temperature dropped a few degrees, so I closed the window."""
text36203;"""Mount Fuji was getting further and further from us and soon vanished completely beyond the horizon."""
text36204;"""The sun had already set and the rain started to drizzle as if unwillingly, drops falling slowly on the windshield."""
text36205;"""Ah, and it's such a long way back!"""
text36206;"""The driver sighed."""
text36207;"""Do you know if there's a place to stay there? Hot springs, maybe?"""
text36208;"""There's a little town nearby."""
text36209;"""It was more like a small village."""
text36210;"""If memory served, it would only take ten minutes by foot to reach Himitsu's grandmother's house from there."""
text36211;"""That's where the taxi driver dropped me off."""
text36212;"""I bid him a warm goodbye, and left to look for a hotel."""
text36213;"""My watch told me it was midnight — a new day was about to start."""
text36214;"""The town itself hadn't changed at all, although many years had passed since my last visit."""
text36215;"""There was nothing surprising about that though — the long arms of Kobayashi Corporation and those like it were yet to reach out here, yet to build it up with shopping malls, movie houses, and stores filled with useless Chinese junk, and fill each and every square meter with monstrous apartment buildings instead of traditional Japanese houses."""
text36216;"""In this case, it probably just wasn't profitable, so the locals were lucky enough to not have their sleep disturbed."""
text36217;"""The steady, unbreakable rural Japanese lifestyle that had existed for thousands of years was something I couldn't help but respect."""
text36218;"""This respect grew even stronger when I compared it to the what I considered long outdated social norms and traditions of urban areas, and really post-industrial society in general."""
text36219;"""Maybe not all the effects of globalization are positive, but there is definitely something useful to it."""
text36220;"""I soon remembered the way and confidently headed off in the direction of Himitsu's grandmother's house."""
text36221;"""All the houses looked quite similar, especially in the dark, but following a gut feeling I managed to find the right one."""
text36222;"""A copper plate engraved with the word \""Ito\"" glistened in the moonlight — Himitsu's father's surname."""
text36223;"""The plot of land wasn't fenced off from its neighbors and the garden looked neat — not like the thicket in my yard at all!"""
text36224;"""I took a few steps down the road that led to the house, expecting memories to spring to mind, but that didn't happen."""
text36225;"""Yes, everything seemed familiar to me, but my heart didn't skip a beat when I cast a glance at the rakes and the hoes, the rickety blinds, and the stones neatly buried in the sand in front of the door."""
text36226;"""Maybe I just hadn't spent much time here before."""
text36227;"""Suddenly, I heard a familiar voice coming from the yard."""
text36228;"""I couldn't understand a word, but it was clear that the voice belonged to Himitsu's father."""
text36229;"""Of course, eavesdropping wasn't a polite thing to do, but I was almost physically drawn closer."""
text36230;"""Still, it was amazing that out in these small towns the Japanese still didn't worry about their safety, not even bothering to lock their houses!"""
text36231;"""On the other hand, how would you lock a shoji? With a bolt?"""
text36232;"""The door to the yard was open."""
text36233;"""I crept up as quietly as I could and looked inside."""
text36234;"""Ryunosuke-san was standing half-turned away from me and talking on the phone."""
text36235;"""Yes. Yes."""
text36236;"""He was clearly worried, and, perhaps, frustrated."""
text36237;"""Problems at work?"""
text36238;"""I'm telling you, everything is going fine! All according to plan!"""
text36239;"""Yes! No! Anokhin is under my surveillance 24 hours a day, I assure you!"""
text36240;"""Anokhin…?"""
text36241;"""Me, then?!"""
text36242;"""So what? I have my own life! My daughter has been handling the mission well."""
text36243;"""His daughter?"""
text36244;"""Himitsu?"""
text36245;"""Outdoor suirveillance isn't even my responsibility! Yes. Yes… No."""
text36246;"""Yes, Anokhin has been behaving normally, as always."""
text36247;"""What? Russians? Of course, I saw their agents, but it was to be expected. No, they haven't done anything yet."""
text36248;"""Our clients?"""
text36249;"""He smirked briefly, emphasizing the word clients."""
text36250;"""No, everything's quiet for the time being."""
text36251;"""Sure, I find it strange too, but we can only observe for now."""
text36252;"""He went silent for a while — apparently, his mysterious interlocutor was talking."""
text36253;"""You have no reason to doubt Himitsu! She knows everything about his life! Probably even more than he does."""
text36254;"""And that was the truth, which hurt me even deeper."""
text36255;"""Suddenly, I noticed large beads of cold sweat falling to the ground, and my heart beating so loudly that Ryunosuke-san would soon hear it."""
text36256;"""But I kept standing still, trying not to breathe, listening to the conversation."""
text36257;"""This isn't the first year I've been monitoring the Anokhin family, and, if I'm allowed to say…"""
text36258;"""It's always easier. No, I don't think so. Yes. Yes."""
text36259;"""Of course there are results! His contacts with the KGB. Listen, you… It would be an international scandal! We can't just…"""
text36260;"""Another pause."""
text36261;"""Hasty action may lead to the opposite result! Listen to me…"""
text36262;"""Yes. Yes. I got it. Goodbye."""
text36263;"""Ryunoske-san hung up and let out a sigh."""
text36264;"""I hoped he wasn't about to go outside for a smoke!"""
text36265;"""Because I didn't feel like I had the strength to take even a single step."""
text36266;"""Fortunately, Himitsu's father closed the door and the house soon fell silent."""
text36267;"""Quickly… Quickly…"""
text36268;"""I mumbled, sneaking through the garden."""
text36269;"""Sure, Ryunosuke-san hadn't noticed me, and I had nothing to be afraid of really, but I couldn't force myself to stay there a second longer."""
text36270;"""The further I could be from there, the better!"""
text36271;"""Once I found the road, I broke into a run…"""
text36272;"""…"""
text36273;"""I only came to my senses on the street of that little town the taxi driver had dropped me on."""
text36274;"""I've been under his surveillance?"""
text36275;"""For how long?"""
text36276;"""Himitsu?"""
text36277;"""As if Kobayashi Corporation, the KGB, Catherine and her mother weren't enough — now that too?"""
text36278;"""But how was Himitsu connected to all this?!"""
text36279;"""So, Ryunosuke-san was working for the Corporation?"""
text36280;"""Or, maybe, for Japanese intelligence?"""
text36281;"""He mentioned an international scandal — things like that would concern someone working for the government."""
text36282;"""Ahhh, fuck!"""
text36283;"""I probably could've taken it if he hadn't mentioned Himitsu…"""
text36284;"""I'd come here because of her!"""
text36285;"""In spite of everything, forgetting about all social norms and manners!"""
text36286;"""I just wanted to see her, hear her voice, maybe kiss her…"""
text36287;"""Handling her mission?!"""
text36288;"""So I was just a mission for her?!"""
text36289;"""Since when?"""
text36290;"""Since childhood…?"""
text36291;"""No, I simply couldn't believe that for all this time — all these years! — Himitsu had been lying to me in cold blood!"""
text36292;"""It was impossible!"""
text36293;"""Anyone but her!"""
text36294;"""God damn it! Is there a single person in my life who doesn't end up wanting me dead?!"""
text36295;"""I wearily sunk to the ground, leaning against the wall of a house."""
text36296;"""What could I do now? How could I live?"""
text36297;"""I'd been holding onto Himitsu as the only normal part of my life!"""
text36298;"""She was the only person who was completely honest with me!"""
text36299;"""Was…"""
text36300;"""These words made the weight on my heart even greater — I bit my lip until it bled."""
text36301;"""How could I look her in the eyes after that?"""
text36302;"""Her big green eyes that seemed like they could never have lied to me."""
text36303;"""Thick fog was descending upon the town from the surrounding mountains, the last lights went off in the windows, and a piercing wind started to blow from the north."""
text36304;"""I closed my light denim jacket tighter, but it didn't help much."""
text36305;"""Maybe I could look for a hotel?"""
text36306;"""There had to be one there!"""
text36307;"""But first I needed to go to the railway station!"""
text36308;"""…"""
text36309;"""The first train to Tokyo was leaving at four in the morning, so I didn't have to wait long."""
text36310;"""I was starving and wanted to sleep."""
text36311;"""I got lucky and a compassionate station keeper poured me a cup of tea and gave me a couple onigiri without even asking what I was doing there so late all alone."""
text36312;"""I hoped that at least he wasn't an agent of a secret service!"""
text36313;"""It was a stupid, stupid idea!"""
text36314;"""Why had I gone at all!?"""
text36315;"""But in scolding myself, I came face to face with that old dilemma: what is better — to live a peaceful lie or learn the bitter truth?"""
text36316;"""If I were to try and analyze Himitsu's father's words without any emotion — which naturally I couldn't do — I'd come to the conclusion he was just there to observe me."""
text36317;"""But whoever he was talking with wasn't satisfied with the results."""
text36318;"""And what kind of clients did they have?"""
text36319;"""Americans? Catherine?"""
text36320;"""What, was she watching me too?"""
text36321;"""That would easily explain her sudden return."""
text36322;"""Although, if Himitsu was handling her mission well, being around me at all times, Catherine had chosen a very unorthodox means of surveillance — trying to avoid her subject as much as possible."""
text36323;"""The first timid, still cold rays of the rising sun started to appear to the east, reminding me that I wasn't stuck in this town forever."""
text36324;"""But I had nothing good waiting for me in Tokyo either."""
text36325;"""Or anywhere else."""
text36326;"""And with no one…"""
text36327;"""…"""
text36328;"""The train arrived almost empty, and I was the only person to enter it on this station."""
text36329;"""The town was probably too far from the capital, or it was just too early."""
text36330;"""With three hours until arrival, I closed my eyes and fell asleep at once."""
text36331;"""…"""
text36332;"""I woke up about two minutes before reaching my station."""
text36333;"""When I walked outside, I rubbed my eyes and stretched — I still felt disgusting, feeling more tired than before."""
text36334;"""I definitely needed a good, proper sleep!"""
text36335;"""I barely reached home and tumbled into bed."""
text36336;"""Questions, answers, Catherine and her mother, Himitsu and her father, the Corporation and the KGB — I could deal with all that later…"""
text36337;"""But just as I approached home, a car stopped nearby and several people emerged from it."""
text36338;"""It happened as if in slow motion, as if not to me."""
text36339;"""I felt strong hands grab me by the neck, a kick come to the backside of my knee, my legs fold in response, and something heavy hit me over the head, making me pass out…"""
text36340;"""…"""
text36341;"""I came to my senses in a dark room lit only by a dim lamp hanging from the ceiling."""
text36342;"""It felt as if a small creature had been nesting inside my head and was now desperately trying to get out, smashing its way through my skull."""
text36343;"""At least I got some sleep…"""
text36344;"""I grinned sadly, and excruciating pain shot through the back of my head."""
text36345;"""Ooh…"""
text36346;"""When it rains, it pours — first came Himitsu's betrayal, then this."""
text36347;"""The KGB, the Corporation, Japanese intelligence — I seemed to be getting a little too popular."""
text36348;"""Hey!"""
text36349;"""I called timidly."""
text36350;"""Hey!"""
text36351;"""I said louder and still got no response."""
text36352;"""It was interesting how one shock built on another: I was shaken by Himitsu's betrayal, exhausted to the extreme, worn-out by the lack of sleep — and now seemed to have lost any ability to care."""
text36353;"""In my position I probably should have been shaking in fear, or at least felt some emotion more complex than delirium."""
text36354;"""Hey!!!"""
text36355;"""I shouted, as if upset with the kidnappers for not providing me with any entertainment."""
text36356;"""Some time later, I heard the quiet clicking of heels on a concrete floor."""
text36357;"""It was getting closer, louder, but too slowly — as if someone was walking an endless corridor."""
text36358;"""The door finally opened and I saw…"""
text36359;"""Hello Nikolai!"""
text36360;"""Mrs Winters…"""
text36361;"""I responded, not even feeling surprised."""
text36362;"""I wouldn't say I was expecting her, but when you suspect everyone, no one is out of the question."""
text36363;"""Settled in? Hope you've got all you need?"""
text36364;"""She grinned."""
text36365;"""Sheryl Winters would beat Catherine by a hundred points in a sarcasm contest."""
text36366;"""And considering the circumstances, her words felt much more frightening than any of Irina's direct threats."""
text36367;"""I should've known you were behind it…"""
text36368;"""Is something along the lines of what you thought I'd say, right?"""
text36369;"""Two could play that game, even if my hand was straight garbage."""
text36370;"""She didn't react beyond narrowing her eyes strangely, clearly having not expected this kind of answer."""
text36371;"""I'm glad you're in a good mood. That will make it easier to get to the point."""
text36372;"""And the point is? Why am I here?"""
text36373;"""I assume we can safely skip the part where you're surprised that I'm not just a diplomat and also kidnap people."""
text36374;"""I nodded."""
text36375;"""Catherine's mother wasn't used to beating around the bush either, or choosing soft words to explain hard facts."""
text36376;"""Then I'd very much like to know what exactly you gave Ito!"""
text36377;"""She tensed up and leaned forward."""
text36378;"""I didn't give anything to anyone. Moreover, yesterday I didn't even know that Ryunosuke-san… that Ito works for Japanese intelligence."""
text36379;"""I tried to keep my voice as calm as possible and figure out where to look — her eyes were piercing through me, and openly looking away seemed like the wrong move."""
text36380;"""And so my eyes kept darting around the cell that had absolutely nothing interesting in it."""
text36381;"""So you went to Ito's village for no reason?"""
text36382;"""My words about Japanese intelligence didn't even surprise her!"""
text36383;"""Not that it proved anything in and of itself."""
text36384;"""Yes, imagine that."""
text36385;"""Very interesting, then, that your visit turned out to be so short."""
text36386;"""She knew everything! But how?!"""
text36387;"""If you know it all, why play this game?"""
text36388;"""As your luck would have it, I don't know it all, which is why you're currently here and not, say, at the bottom of Tokyo bay."""
text36389;"""Mrs Winters smiled lightly, as if she was having a casual chat."""
text36390;"""I guess I should thank you for that."""
text36391;"""Your gratitude would be best expressed by answering my questions."""
text36392;"""I paused a moment, but realized I had no choice."""
text36393;"""I went to visit Himitsu but accidentally eavesdropped on her father's telephone call. About how he's been watching my parents for a long time…"""
text36394;"""About how Himitsu now watches me."""
text36395;"""Catherine's mother grinned."""
text36396;"""I can imagine how you feel."""
text36397;"""Don't pretend you care!"""
text36398;"""You weren't a stranger to my daughter, so I somewhat do."""
text36399;"""I can't figure out one thing — how can a parent use their children? Both Ito and you!"""
text36400;"""What makes you think I'm using Catherine in any way?"""
text36401;"""How about the fact that she returned to Japan now? That she transferred into my class? Just a coincidence? I don't think so!"""
text36402;"""Indeed, Sheryl Winters could be behind all of it."""
text36403;"""For some reason, you all think I have some kind of information on dad's work…"""
text36404;"""Who's \""you all\""?"""
text36405;"""She immediately took interest, squinting her eyes and tilting her head to the side."""
text36406;"""I should've been more careful with my words."""
text36407;"""Although that's probably what she was aiming at — not that I would spill the beans about the KGB specifically, but — a mistake."""
text36408;"""I wouldn't be surprised if you think that I helped him work on… whatever he was working on?!"""
text36409;"""And what was he working on?"""
text36410;"""Mrs Winter grew even more wary."""
text36411;"""A Stanford torus, damn it! How would I know?!"""
text36412;"""You make a very good point about coincidences. If you really don't know anything, it's very strange to have events happening around you that are completely impossible to imagine outside the context of a bigger picture."""
text36413;"""That's beyond a simple high school student."""
text36414;"""So we, the KGB, the Japanese — have all made a mistake?"""
text36415;"""Apparently she wasn't going to hide that she knew about my contact with the Soviets."""
text36416;"""So who is \""we\""? The US? Kobayashi Corporation?"""
text36417;"""People who can help you, Nikolai, if you meet us halfway."""
text36418;"""She sounded smooth and in some sense even more logical than Irina."""
text36419;"""Also, a prison cell makes it hard to think of much else but escape when you see a way out."""
text36420;"""I've already told you I know nothing about dad's work…"""
text36421;"""And I don't have and have never had any of his documents."""
text36422;"""And even if I did… If I did, I would've given them away just to be left alone!"""
text36423;"""Who would you give them to?"""
text36424;"""Y-you…"""
text36425;"""I responded hesitantly."""
text36426;"""And what if someone offered a more attractive price?"""
text36427;"""A more attractive price than my life?"""
text36428;"""Nikolai, don't be dramatic!"""
text36429;"""She suddenly laughed."""
text36430;"""We're simply having a conversation, discussing a potential mutually beneficial collaboration!"""
text36431;"""Naturally, I understand that there are others who are interested in you."""
text36432;"""Like who?"""
text36433;"""Like your Japanese friends."""
text36434;"""You mean Kyosuke?"""
text36435;"""I made an awkward quip."""
text36436;"""I doubted she was talking about Kobayashi Corporation — they probably knew full well what was in those nonexistent documents."""
text36437;"""It's a bad idea to forget your friends in need. Especially girlfriends."""
text36438;"""Girlfriends? Now what was new!"""
text36439;"""I… I don't know what you're talking about."""
text36440;"""Sheryl Winters didn't respond, only stared at me like an art critic studying the work of some avant-garde artist."""
text36441;"""How could I not believe such a sincere young man!"""
text36442;"""Her lips stretched into a fake smile, and she knocked on the door."""
text36443;"""Is that… it?"""
text36444;"""What else would there be?"""
text36445;"""Except, I guess…"""
text36446;"""She froze in the doorway, turned around, and gave me a chilling glare, without a trace of her former sarcasm, theatrical sympathy, and feigned kindness."""
text36447;"""We'll pick up where we left off today, if you give us a reason."""
text36448;"""…"""
text36449;"""A sack was put over my head, I was led through dark corridors, stuffed into a car, and thrown out next to my house."""
text36450;"""It was the dead of night."""
text36451;"""My entire body hurt, especially the wound at the back of my head. As if delirious, I opened the door, stumbled to the bed, and fell onto it, having lost conciousness while still in mid air."""