text37638;"""Sometimes when you wake up you really want to finish watching a dream that had abruptly ended.""" text37639;"""Sometimes you just want to keep on sleeping because you don't feel rested enough.""" text37640;"""And on some occasions you don't want to get up at all…""" text37641;"""I couldn't even remember the last time I woke up chipper and full of energy, jumped out of bed and greeted the new day with a big smile.""" text37642;"""But today I opened my eyes and immediately felt as if there was a cloudy liquid spilling from one side of my head to the other each time I moved it.""" text37643;"""The memories didn't come back right away.""" text37644;"""Viscous like tar, they brought back the events of yesterday I had successfully forgotten overnight.""" text37645;"""I just wanted to turn to the other side and fall asleep again, but that's when new sounds from the kitchen entered my consciousness.""" text37646;"""With some effort I managed to get up, put some clothes on, opened the door slightly, and stuck my head out.""" text37647;"""Kagome was cooking breakfast with a smile on her face I'd never seen before — the serene smile of a person doing what they love.""" text37648;"""Good morning.""" text37649;"""I walked into the kitchen, wiping my eyes and smoothing my messy hair.""" text37650;"""Good morning.""" text37651;"""Kagome turned to me, still smiling for a moment, but then turned serious, preparing to discuss important matters.""" text37652;"""Won't your grandfather be having breakfast with us?""" text37653;"""He went to the police station early in the morning.""" text37654;"""Ahh, I see…""" text37655;"""After waking up, I usually needed some time to come to my senses, so right now I had absolutely no idea what to talk about, especially with someone I didn't know that well.""" text37656;"""Alright then…""" text37657;"""And I walked away to freshen up.""" text37658;"""There was a new towel drying in the bathroom, as well as a new tube of toothpaste and two toothbrushes on the shelf next to the mirror.""" text37659;"""In principle, there was nothing wrong with that, but I was a little alarmed by Kagome's arrogance.""" text37660;"""When I returned to the kitchen, the breakfast was already on the table.""" text37661;"""Have a good meal.""" text37662;"""I sat across Kagome and, without saying a word, put a solid portion of rice in my bowl.""" text37663;"""It seemed that my new roommate didn't like to talk while eating either.""" text37664;"""But breakfast turned out to be exceptionally tasty, and I couldn't help but remark on that.""" text37665;"""You must want to become a chef?""" text37666;"""What makes you think that?""" text37667;"""She asked without even looking at me.""" text37668;"""Well, you're really good at it — so I thought…""" text37669;"""Many people cook well, but the economy doesn't need that many chefs.""" text37670;"""Are you into economics?""" text37671;"""You could say that.""" text37672;"""So you want to be an economist?""" text37673;"""I'm planning to enroll into the economics department at Todai.""" text37674;"""She responded calmly, as if talking about her plans for the evening.""" text37675;"""Todai?""" text37676;"""I was surprised.""" text37677;"""Yes, why?""" text37678;"""I could imagine Ellie or Michael at Todai, maybe even Kyosuke…""" text37679;"""Nothing, I guess… I've just never thought about Todai. It must be difficult to get in there.""" text37680;"""You just need to pass the exams.""" text37681;"""Just!""" text37682;"""I smirked, but realized that Kagome was more or less right.""" text37683;"""After all, those exams were meant to be a way to find the best of the best, not an insurmountable barrier.""" text37684;"""Alright, sorry… It's just that for me Todai is something, like…""" text37685;"""I can see that.""" text37686;"""Kagome smirked and looked me in the eye for the first time.""" text37687;"""And what's that supposed to mean?""" text37688;"""Only that you have a clear understanding of your own abilities.""" text37689;"""Kagome's words sounded offensive, but there was nothing to latch onto — she was just stating a fact.""" text37690;"""Fine! Now tell me, what are you going to do next?""" text37691;"""Next?""" text37692;"""About your restaurant. About Kawashima and Asakura. About your father.""" text37693;"""She shrugged and started picking at the last grains of rice with her chopsticks.""" text37694;"""Right, now it's all my responsibility, is that it?""" text37695;"""I asked sarcastically, but Kagome didn't react in any way.""" text37696;"""Yesterday, your grandad said that you have no money left. How much do you need? Wait, I'll go get my wallet!""" text37697;"""I jumped up from the chair and really was about to go get her some money.""" text37698;"""Niko-san, calm down.""" text37699;"""She said coldly.""" text37700;"""There's no point in running around now.""" text37701;"""Yeah? Is there a point doing anything now?""" text37702;"""But I still returned to the table.""" text37703;"""Today is Sunday. What do you usually do on Sundays?""" text37704;"""Me? Nothing!""" text37705;"""She suddenly smiled, stood up, and started collecting the dishes.""" text37706;"""Then you won't have to come up with anything.""" text37707;"""…""" text37708;"""I was watching Kagome wash dishes and attempting to fully grasp the comedy of the situation.""" text37709;"""Only in Kyosuke's manga does the protagonist get a girl out of blue that has nowhere to go and they start living together.""" text37710;"""Her grandfather was the only thing that didn't fit into the otherwise perfect setup, but he could simply be playing a role I didn't yet understand.""" text37711;"""If I were to keep following manga logic, there would have to begin a fierce competition for my heart between Kagome, Himitsu, Catherine, and, I guess, Ellie — to bring the number of heroines to four.""" text37712;"""Not that I found such a turn of events particularly enticing.""" text37713;"""It takes a lot to run a harem — and I could barely handle my own life.""" text37714;"""In a way, living with Kagome was convenient — at least, I wouldn't have to worry about cooking anymore.""" text37715;"""About cooking…""" text37716;"""On the other hand, I had to worry about explaining all this to Himitsu.""" text37717;"""…Niko-san!""" text37718;"""I seemed to have lost myself to daydreaming.""" text37719;"""Hm?""" text37720;"""Niko-san, where's the dish soap?""" text37721;"""Dish soap…""" text37722;"""I slowly repeated as if trying to grasp the meaning of a difficult foreign word.""" text37723;"""I don't have any— there's regular soap over there.""" text37724;"""You don't? What do you mean, you don't?""" text37725;"""Why would I?""" text37726;"""I smiled simple-mindedly.""" text37727;"""I see.""" text37728;"""Kagome frowned and turned to the sink.""" text37729;"""Well, we aren't in a restaurant — there aren't many dishes, normal soap is good enough.""" text37730;"""It still leaves fat on the plates.""" text37731;"""Fine, got it — I'll buy some dish soap.""" text37732;"""I said and thought: not a day gone and she was already giving me orders in my own house?""" text37733;"""Then you should also buy new sponges, these aren't any good at all.""" text37734;"""She raised a sponge that seemed perfectly fine to me.""" text37735;"""Anything else?""" text37736;"""I asked in a demonstratively polite voice.""" text37737;"""Yes, actually…""" text37738;"""Kagome started to reply but caught herself.""" text37739;"""I must be imposing where I shouldn't?""" text37740;"""Though she didn't look too apologetic.""" text37741;"""It's not hard or anything…""" text37742;"""I kept playing the role of the generous host.""" text37743;"""I can still wash the dishes like this, of course. Forgive me, Niko-san.""" text37744;"""And then for whatever reason I felt guilty.""" text37745;"""I was gonna drop by a household store anyway.""" text37746;"""Great to hear.""" text37747;"""She smiled and turned off the tap.""" text37748;"""And then the doorbell rang.""" text37749;"""I was sort of happy for it having interrupted this uncomfortable conversation.""" text37750;"""Grandfather must be back already!""" text37751;"""Kagome brightened up and hurried to the hall.""" text37752;"""I stood up and followed her.""" text37753;"""But, the person standing at the doorstep was…""" text37754;"""Ellie.""" text37755;"""Hi…""" text37756;"""I greeted her, as Kagome managed to duck behind my back at the last moment.""" text37757;"""Nick, good morning… Am I interrupting…?""" text37758;"""She was visibly nervous.""" text37759;"""Interrupting? Well, you know, I'm…""" text37760;"""I mumbled, but Ellie didn't let me finish:""" text37761;"""I came to ask you… I mean I wanted to know… Did you think about our offer?""" text37762;"""Your offer?""" text37763;"""She frowned.""" text37764;"""About playing bass for Z FEEL-Z.""" text37765;"""Ahhh, right!""" text37766;"""I said as if I'd just figured out the answer to the simplest equation after having spent multiple hours on it.""" text37767;"""You know, now isn't the best time.""" text37768;"""I didn't have the determination to just refuse and kick Ellie out, even though I'd already decided I wouldn't be able to play in her band.""" text37769;"""You aren't alone?""" text37770;"""Ellie looked behind my back and saw Kagome, who had somehow managed to shrink and take up even less space than usual.""" text37771;"""…""" text37772;"""…""" text37773;"""…""" text37774;"""The silence went on a while.""" text37775;"""I wondered if there was really anything that strange about Kagome being at my place on a Sunday morning.""" text37776;"""Maybe not — but I was sure Ellie would react to it like it was something completely outrageous.""" text37777;"""What is she doing here?""" text37778;"""Ellie stepped in, and I automatically moved aside.""" text37779;"""Yeah, you see…""" text37780;"""But Kagome didn't stay silent:""" text37781;"""Your so-called friends burned down my restaurant. And Niko-san generously offered to let me and my grandfather stay at his place. Do you have a problem with that?""" text37782;"""Offered…?""" text37783;"""What?""" text37784;"""Ellie clearly hadn't been expecting that explanation.""" text37785;"""You heard me.""" text37786;"""That's ridiculous! I don't understand… Nick?""" text37787;"""Well, her restaurant did burn down. And I did offer to let them to stay the night here, because—""" text37788;"""I began to haltingly explain the situation, but Kagome interrupted me again:""" text37789;"""Niko-san, you don't need to explain yourself to her.""" text37790;"""I'm not explaining myself…""" text37791;"""Nick, is it true?""" text37792;"""I mean, I haven't seen it with my own eyes or anything…""" text37793;"""Oh, is that so?! And you're just taking her word for it?""" text37794;"""Would you like to take a look at the ashes? Go ahead! I'm sure you know the address.""" text37795;"""It was hard to even suspect Kagome was lying.""" text37796;"""The easiest thing to falsify is something that can't be verified.""" text37797;"""You can claim the pyramids were built by aliens or that you've seen a UFO.""" text37798;"""In the end people would take you for an idiot but not an outright liar.""" text37799;"""It would be much more difficult to prove, for example, that the Americans never landed on the moon.""" text37800;"""As for Kagome's restaurant — you didn't even need to go to the moon to find out.""" text37801;"""Even if it's true, what do my friends have to do with that?""" text37802;"""Who else could've done it?! Right after…""" text37803;"""She suddenly went silent.""" text37804;"""Don't judge other people by your standards! Just because you allow yourself violence doesn't mean others do.""" text37805;"""Besides, nobody in their right mind would respond to a slap with arson.""" text37806;"""There was logic in her words.""" text37807;"""Of course, Kawashima and Asakura were delinquents, but they weren't criminals!""" text37808;"""And it would be too much even for criminals — considering how dense the neighborhood was and its dilapidated state, the whole district could have burned down.""" text37809;"""If you thought about it, it was more like something a maniac would do.""" text37810;"""I don't believe in coincidences! Who else would do that?""" text37811;"""What do I care? Let the police sort it out!""" text37812;"""The police!""" text37813;"""Kagome smirked and immediately shouted:""" text37814;"""Your grandfather has them all on his payroll! It's strange that he didn't just kill us all right away! Would've been a lot less hassle!""" text37815;"""Nick, how could you let this crazy bitch into your house? Maybe she burned her own restaurant down!""" text37816;"""Kagome looked like a steam engine ready to overheat and explode.""" text37817;"""Girls, calm down already…""" text37818;"""I mumbled weakly.""" text37819;"""It was clear that both of them were so convinced they were right, it was completely pointless to try and change their minds here and now.""" text37820;"""I felt like the referee of a boxing match, pointlessly shouting \""Break!\"".""" text37821;"""I just had to prevent the argument from turning into a real fight.""" text37822;"""And you're protecting her! Nick, I never expected that of you!""" text37823;"""Niko-san just understands who your friends really are. Right, Niko-san?""" text37824;"""The last thing I wanted was to play the role of some sort of trophy that either party was ready to slit the other's throat for.""" text37825;"""Girls, I'd suggest you don't jump to any conclusions.""" text37826;"""Everything's clear enough as is. Who else would do that?""" text37827;"""You need to be arrested for defamation!""" text37828;"""That would be nice! Maybe then I could at least hope there would be an investigation!""" text37829;"""Kagome seemed to be genuinely convinced that Kawashima and Asakura were ones who set her restaurant on fire.""" text37830;"""Nick, I never expected this of you.""" text37831;"""But Ellie ignored her words.""" text37832;"""You really want to look like an innocent princess, don't you?! Why the hell did you even show up here?! What, do you not have enough other men running circles around you?!""" text37833;"""You don't, by the looks of it. You could have gone to a hotel.""" text37834;"""I couldn't.""" text37835;"""Kagome snapped.""" text37836;"""Naturally, she didn't want to tell Ellie about the money.""" text37837;"""Then to a friend's place… Oh wait, you don't have any! Then to your relatives, you have those, right?""" text37838;"""Ellie was gloating, and it looked quite ugly from the side.""" text37839;"""It's none of your business! I came to Niko-san, because… because…""" text37840;"""She didn't know how to respond to Ellie's snide remarks and the strain was just making her more and more red in the face.""" text37841;"""I realized this couldn't go on for much longer — or they could well start an actual catfight!""" text37842;"""But after all that I could no longer take Ellie's side — it would mean immediately kicking out Kagome and her grandfather.""" text37843;"""Ah, so Nick doesn't know yet…""" text37844;"""It's none of your business!""" text37845;"""Kagome shouted.""" text37846;"""Ellie, I think you better go. Sorry.""" text37847;"""I finally stepped in before it was too late.""" text37848;"""You have a big heart, Nick!""" text37849;"""She grinned and walked outside.""" text37850;"""I'll call you.""" text37851;"""Don't bother.""" text37852;"""Ellie responded and left the yard.""" text37853;"""Well, that was how my music career ended before it ever started.""" text37854;"""Well, what was that?""" text37855;"""I turned to Kagome.""" text37856;"""I should be asking you that.""" text37857;"""Me?""" text37858;"""You could have kicked her out earlier.""" text37859;"""Kagome snorted and went to the kitchen.""" text37860;"""Everything was over before I even knew what happened.""" text37861;"""God, Ellie just had to go and show up this early in the morning!""" text37862;"""It wasn't even Monday…""" text37863;"""I sighed, closed the door, and reluctantly followed Kagome, realizing that the conversation wasn't over yet.""" text37864;"""The dishes were dry, the smell of a healthy and nutritious breakfast had dissolved into the air, and my kitchen had become a much less cozy place once again.""" text37865;"""Kagome sat behind the table and nervously drummed her fingers against it.""" text37866;"""You could've at least let me talk to her one on one.""" text37867;"""I slowly walked back and forth and stopped across from Kagome.""" text37868;"""She looked like she was waiting in line for an unpleasant procedure at a hospital.""" text37869;"""Kagome remained silent and absentmindedly stared off into the distance.""" text37870;"""It's not like Ellie's done anything to you.""" text37871;"""She hasn't, Niko-san? Do you really believe that?""" text37872;"""She smirked spitefully.""" text37873;"""What, you think Kobayashi Jun's granddaughter would spend her nights setting fire to people's houses?""" text37874;"""I agree that you have every reason to suspect Kawashima and Asakura, but it's not like Ellie handed them the gasoline.""" text37875;"""She…""" text37876;"""Kagome bit her lip, as if she almost said something highly uncivilized.""" text37877;"""She's guilty in any case!""" text37878;"""Well aren't you just the embodiment of Marx and Engels all in one, the fearless class warrior!""" text37879;"""I said sarcastically, but my new tenant wasn't in the mood to laugh.""" text37880;"""Why do you hate Ellie so much?""" text37881;"""What am I supposed to love her for?""" text37882;"""You aren't supposed to love her, but…""" text37883;"""I sighed and went silent, wondering whether this was worth talking about at all.""" text37884;"""Sometimes, you're outright obsessed with her.""" text37885;"""She could have prevented all this!""" text37886;"""I didn't want to agree with her, but Kagome was partially right.""" text37887;"""Ellie had promised to talk to them — and even did, if I could take her word.""" text37888;"""On the other hand, she couldn't and shouldn't be held responsible for the actions of others!""" text37889;"""After all, they weren't a gang or something!""" text37890;"""I remembered my run-in with them at the bar and, for a moment, wondered about the true nature of that group.""" text37891;"""On the other hand, just yesterday I'd thought that Kawashima and Asakura would need some time to digest that slap from Kagome.""" text37892;"""It wouldn't have been smart to get their revenge immediately — they'd be the prime suspects.""" text37893;"""At least, I had thought so… And then things turned out the way they did.""" text37894;"""If I had been more far-sighted, I could be enjoying the quiet of a Sunday morning instead of having a meaningless conversation with Kagome.""" text37895;"""It's a little too late to confront her now, don't you think?""" text37896;"""It always starts small! In a decade she'll be destroying the lives of thousands of families!""" text37897;"""You're exaggerating.""" text37898;"""Are you sure about that, Niko-san?""" text37899;"""My forecasts weren't always accurate — you wouldn't need to search long to find plenty of examples — but I couldn't imagine Ellie in charge of an empire of evil.""" text37900;"""Then she probably shouldn't give up on her music.""" text37901;"""What?""" text37902;"""I'm saying Ellie shouldn't give up on playing music — just like Hitler shouldn't have given up on painting.""" text37903;"""Are you going to keep making jokes, Niko-san?""" text37904;"""I suddenly noticed that Kagome had started calling me by my first name way more often than before.""" text37905;"""It felt nice, but, at the same time, some unclear sense of alarm crept up deep inside me, vague and shapeless like smoke in a dark room.""" text37906;"""Yeah, joking around and stuff — such is a clown's somber fate…""" text37907;"""I am glad you're having fun.""" text37908;"""In reality, of course, wasn't.""" text37909;"""I just don't think we should escalate an already complicated situation and start fights with everyone we come across.""" text37910;"""With everyone or with Kobayashi in particular?""" text37911;"""Kagome was staring at me like we were playing Mafia.""" text37912;"""What are you implying?""" text37913;"""Her look made me feel uncomfortable.""" text37914;"""You seem to care a lot about her. You just can't imagine that somebody could ever think something bad about the mistress!""" text37915;"""Well, never mind…""" text37916;"""I sighed, having realized how pointless it would be to continue the conversation.""" text37917;"""Kagome obviously wasn't a person easily convinced, and if she was sure about something it was useless to even try.""" text37918;"""Somebody knocked on the door so silently and gently that I barely heard it.""" text37919;"""Now that must be grandfather.""" text37920;"""She ran to the hall, but this time I was faster than her.""" text37921;"""Even though there actually wasn't anyone to expect but her grandfather.""" text37922;"""Except that it was Kyosuke, who had picked the least appropriate moment to show up.""" text37923;"""Having opened the door, I froze in the doorway, looking at him, then turned to Kagome, and then back to him.""" text37924;"""Nick, I didn't know you had guests…""" text37925;"""He said, embarrassed.""" text37926;"""Yeah, Iwamura-san dropped by to…""" text37927;"""I was about to start making more excuses but then Kagome's grandfather appeared in the yard, and, having apparently not noticed Kyosuke, tottered to the porch.""" text37928;"""Niko-kun, you've got a visitor? Then I won't bother you.""" text37929;"""He slowly walked past me, took off his shoes, and headed to the kitchen.""" text37930;"""The silent scene lasted for some a while.""" text37931;"""…""" text37932;"""…""" text37933;"""…""" text37934;"""Fine.""" text37935;"""I sighed as if I'd managed to find my way out of a very stuffy building.""" text37936;"""It just so happened that Iwamura's home burnt down and… I'm letting her and her grandfather stay at my place for a couple days until… Well, that's the story!""" text37937;"""Ahhhh, I see.""" text37938;"""He drawled and smiled.""" text37939;"""Just don't tell anyone! This… well… This is an emergency situation!""" text37940;"""I understand perfectly, Nick.""" text37941;"""His smile grew even wider.""" text37942;"""Mum's the word!""" text37943;"""I glanced at Kagome again — she was standing with her lips pursed and arms crossed.""" text37944;"""Then I won't bother the two of you. See you tomorrow at school.""" text37945;"""Iwamura-san.""" text37946;"""He bowed politely and took his leave.""" text37947;"""Well ain't this just perfect…""" text37948;"""What's wrong? Are you embarrassed the others at school will find out about my circumstances?""" text37949;"""If Kyosuke knows, you may as well think that the entire school does too.""" text37950;"""So you are embarrassed?""" text37951;"""She smirked.""" text37952;"""Whatever, makes no sense to talk about it now!""" text37953;"""I loudly slammed the door shut and returned to the kitchen.""" text37954;"""The old man was standing in the middle of the room, looking around as if in search of something.""" text37955;"""Kagome immediately jumped at him with questions:""" text37956;"""Well? What did you learn?""" text37957;"""Her grandfather slowly walked to the table and sat on a chair, his joints cracking and vertebrae scrunching.""" text37958;"""It seemed as if he was just about to fall apart like a wooden doll.""" text37959;"""The policemen said that they're working on the case and looking for the culprits.""" text37960;"""Any details?""" text37961;"""They told me they will inform us if there was any news.""" text37962;"""Inform how? Did you tell them that we're living at Niko-san's place now?""" text37963;"""The old man looked at her, puzzled.""" text37964;"""Oh, Kagome-chan, sorry, I forgot.""" text37965;"""I see.""" text37966;"""It was strange but Kagome reacted pretty calmly.""" text37967;"""Let me just go there again and…""" text37968;"""No need. I'll go myself. You go rest.""" text37969;"""The old man exhaled heavily, but more out of powerlessness than disappointment.""" text37970;"""It's good to be young.""" text37971;"""Then he left to my parents' room where I'd placed their futons.""" text37972;"""See? Like I told you, the police aren't going to investigate anything!""" text37973;"""Well, wait a bit — it's only been a day…""" text37974;"""If the perpetrator isn't found hot on the trail, it gets much harder to track them down later.""" text37975;"""Speaking from personal experience?""" text37976;"""Statistics!""" text37977;"""There are three types of lies: lies, damned lies, and statistics.""" text37978;"""Did you come up with that yourself?""" text37979;"""No, Mark Twain did.""" text37980;"""Who?""" text37981;"""It was strange that Kagome intended to make it into Todai but didn't know such a famous writer.""" text37982;"""In a way it said even more about her than her attitude towards Ellie.""" text37983;"""The guy who wrote books about Tom Sawyer and Huckleberry Finn.""" text37984;"""Ahhh.""" text37985;"""She drawled without much interest, like I was talking about the orbital inclination of Jupiter in relation to the plane of the ecliptic.""" text37986;"""And how will this Mark Twain of yours help us find the arsonists?""" text37987;"""It was just an example. A metaphorical one.""" text37988;"""If philosophy helped solve cases they'd teach it in police academies.""" text37989;"""Aren't you pragmatic…""" text37990;"""Is that a compliment?""" text37991;"""Kagome suddenly smiled.""" text37992;"""So you're going to… search for the arsonists yourself?""" text37993;"""I already know who did it. I just need to prove their guilt!""" text37994;"""Are you sure that…""" text37995;"""I wanted to say that if it really was Kawashima, Asakura and their posse, they'd already burned one restaurant.""" text37996;"""And could well not stop there.""" text37997;"""But then I imagined the faces of the not-particularly-bright Asakura and the cunning, but also not-too-intelligent Kawashima.""" text37998;"""They didn't look like criminals any more than Ellie resembled an evil empress.""" text37999;"""Alright, I've got to go to the police. I'll figure out what's going on myself.""" text38000;"""I suddenly felt that I had to go with her.""" text38001;"""Of course, Kagome didn't ask me to —but I'd already been forced to be a part of her life, if only so long as she planned to stay at my place and however unwillingly.""" text38002;"""Do you want me to go with you?""" text38003;"""If you want to.""" text38004;"""She shrugged calmly and walked into the hallway.""" text38005;"""That was an unexpected answer.""" text38006;"""I froze for a few seconds, then ran after her — Kagome had already put her shoes on and left the yard.""" text38007;"""The weather was good today, the Sunday morning looked very appealing for a walk.""" text38008;"""When I finally caught up with Kagome, she started walking a bit slower.""" text38009;"""Are you sure going to the police is a good idea?""" text38010;"""I do have to tell them how to reach us, in case if they find something.""" text38011;"""Didn't you just tell me five minutes ago that the police won't even bother investigating your case?""" text38012;"""I did. But I at least want to do everything I can.""" text38013;"""Sure, it was necessary to give the police at least some contact information.""" text38014;"""After all, we couldn't exclude the possibility of an accident or that the arson had been performed by someone outside of Kawashima's group.""" text38015;"""I wish you'd use all this energy you have for something peaceful!""" text38016;"""What are you implying?""" text38017;"""Well, you did say you kicked Kawashima and Asakura out when they came to your restaurant…""" text38018;"""What, was I supposed to offer them tea and cake?""" text38019;"""She smirked instead of getting indignant.""" text38020;"""No, I don't mean that. For starters, you shouldn't have picked a fight.""" text38021;"""What, Niko-san, is standing up for myself not feminine enough?""" text38022;"""What does that have to do…""" text38023;"""She grinned so triumphantly that I suddenly felt guilty, as if I had actually said something utterly ridiculous.""" text38024;"""You're so easy dig at, Niko-san.""" text38025;"""Kagome laughed.""" text38026;"""Look who's talking!""" text38027;"""I grumbled.""" text38028;"""All my interest in continuing this conversation evaporated.""" text38029;"""…""" text38030;"""Kagome and I visited to the police station.""" text38031;"""The officers there indeed didn't seem too interested in their job.""" text38032;"""Not that I had ever had to deal with the police before, so I had nothing to compare them to.""" text38033;"""The officer on duty reluctantly wrote down my address and telephone number, unsubtly hinting that we were distracting him from something much more important, even though he was flipping through some magazine when we came in.""" text38034;"""Kagome looked upset and irritated when we walked out on the street.""" text38035;"""See! Just like I told you!""" text38036;"""Maybe their detectives are more energetic.""" text38037;"""I said unsurely.""" text38038;"""If they were all like that fat guy at the reception desk, there wasn't much to hope for.""" text38039;"""Since we're here, let's take a look at…""" text38040;"""I hesitated.""" text38041;"""At what's left of my restaurant?""" text38042;"""Do you not believe me, Niko-san? You think I made everything up?""" text38043;"""Christ, I never said anything like that!""" text38044;"""You didn't, but you thought it.""" text38045;"""Oh come on!""" text38046;"""Relax, I'm joking.""" text38047;"""She suddenly smiled.""" text38048;"""Let's go. I wanted to take another look anyway. Maybe something survived the fire.""" text38049;"""…""" text38050;"""Kagome's restaurant (or what was left of it, more like) was a sad sight.""" text38051;"""It seemed like the old wood had gone up like a match, burning down almost instantly.""" text38052;"""Thank God Kagome and her grandfather managed to escape.""" text38053;"""In place of the restaurant there was only a pile of charred wood and kitchen equipment.""" text38054;"""Here and there were shining plates, cups, spoons and other dishes, washed by the water from the nozzle.""" text38055;"""In the middle of it all stood an almost untouched chair, somehow having survived the inferno.""" text38056;"""Next to it was a pan, filled with charred pieces of wood that looked like burnt toast.""" text38057;"""Ravens were circling in the sky above us, apparently looking for something to scavenge.""" text38058;"""The fire hadn't spared anything valuable, of course.""" text38059;"""Kagome carefully walked over what was left of Gifts of the Sea, while I tactfully waited for her on the sideline.""" text38060;"""How does it feel, to lose everything you had in an instant?""" text38061;"""I'd lost my parents, but kept the house, and, as it turned out later, the bank account.""" text38062;"""Obviously, nothing can replace a person you love, but it's always easier to grieve in a Mercedes than digging through the ruins of your home.""" text38063;"""Once Kagome was done surveying, we returned to the station.""" text38064;"""Let's go home.""" text38065;"""She said.""" text38066;"""I noted that it was actually my home, but keeping her condition in mind, chose to keep quiet.""" text38067;"""On the way back, Kagome looked like she'd just escaped hell herself.""" text38068;"""Maybe we shouldn't have gone after all?""" text38069;"""I asked her carefully.""" text38070;"""She didn't respond immediately.""" text38071;"""We should have. Now I'm certain what I must avenge and who should pay!""" text38072;"""Avenge?""" text38073;"""I said with surprise.""" text38074;"""How, exactly? Are you going to kill them, or what?""" text38075;"""…""" text38076;"""You're alone, and there's plenty of them.""" text38077;"""…""" text38078;"""She stubbornly remained silent, which I could tell took a considerable effort for her.""" text38079;"""If you're planning something illegal, I need to know!""" text38080;"""It's none of your business.""" text38081;"""She finally hissed through her teeth.""" text38082;"""It wouldn't be… if you hadn't decided to stay in my house.""" text38083;"""Kagome bit her lip and stopped.""" text38084;"""I don't know what to do, but…""" text38085;"""Her cheeks started trembling, and tears swelled in her eyes.""" text38086;"""I can't just forgive them for this! How am I supposed to move on, knowing those bastards are sneering at me, enjoying their freedom!""" text38087;"""Niko-san, did you know that people from the entire neighborhood came to our restaurant?""" text38088;"""For example, Kawasaki-san. He's more than ninety years old, has twelve grandchildren and even more great-grandchildren!""" text38089;"""Suzuki-san goes out to the sea on a trawler and always comes by our place to for a drink every time he returns to shore.""" text38090;"""Honda-san often played Go with my grandfather.""" text38091;"""Alright, enough, I understand…""" text38092;"""Those people, and dozens others, are victims too.""" text38093;"""I'm not saying those responsible shouldn't face an appropriate punishment. But you aren't a police officer or a detective.""" text38094;"""But I… I have to…""" text38095;"""She burst into tears right in the middle of the street, the fish merchants giving me disapproving looks.""" text38096;"""I had no other choice but to hug her and try to calm her down.""" text38097;"""Kagome didn't push me away, but didn't press herself closer either, just standing and crying, as if she was leaning against a wall.""" text38098;"""There, there…""" text38099;"""Finally, Kagome calmed down somewhat, wiped her tears with a handkerchief, and looked at me.""" text38100;"""Sorry, Niko-san, for making a scene. That wasn't like me.""" text38101;"""And thank you for letting us stay at your place.""" text38102;"""No problem. I understand.""" text38103;"""Kagome was speaking forcefully, clearly trying to sound genuine, which made me feel embarrassed.""" text38104;"""Niko-san, I don't always express my emotions properly, and I might seem rude. I know. But my grandfather and I really are grateful!""" text38105;"""Alright, alright! I just acted like a decent person. Anyone would do the same in my place…""" text38106;"""Kagome looked at me enigmatically and shrugged.""" text38107;"""We barely talked on the way back.""" text38108;"""Apparently, she'd said everything she wanted, and I felt an ambiguous awkwardness that made me not want to strike up a conversation.""" text38109;"""But Kagome did drag me to a store and bought a number of simple groceries for lunch.""" text38110;"""And even paid with her own money.""" text38111;"""When I said that it was the last of her money, she just scoffed.""" text38112;"""The old man was waiting for us at home, thunderously snoring at the kotatsu.""" text38113;"""The sight made me a little embarrassed, but Kagome seemed to pay zero attention to him.""" text38114;"""Alright, I guess it's time to have lunch?""" text38115;"""She looked at the clock with a shade of doubt.""" text38116;"""Are you asking me?""" text38117;"""Yes. Who else?""" text38118;"""Well… Sure.""" text38119;"""I agreed carefully.""" text38120;"""…""" text38121;"""Kagome was cooking lunch with something akin to frenzy.""" text38122;"""Meanwhile I couldn't decide whether to stay in the kitchen or go to my room.""" text38123;"""I couldn't turn on the TV because of her sleeping grandfather, who hadn't even noticed our return.""" text38124;"""Since there were no other alternatives, it was a great time to think!""" text38125;"""If Kawashima and Asakura really really were to blame, their actions seemed extremely illogical.""" text38126;"""First, threatening Kagome and then later that night burning down her restaurant.""" text38127;"""Sure, maybe they'd simply grown extremely cocky and had even gone berserk from impunity, but Kawashima at least didn't look like a complete idiot.""" text38128;"""I didn't know who their parents were, but arson is no petty crime!""" text38129;"""It's easy to lose control over yourself when you're never punished for throwing around insults, or humiliating people, or getting into small fights.""" text38130;"""But it's not like every school hoodlum ends up a real criminal.""" text38131;"""Besides, all of them had something to lose — money, status, reputation.""" text38132;"""Was revenge for a slap enough to put all that at risk?""" text38133;"""I could even imagine Kawashima going so far as asking her friends to rape Kagome, but not burning her restaurant at night, with people sleeping inside…""" text38134;"""The risk of there being victims seemed unjustifiably high.""" text38135;"""Who was the culprit then?""" text38136;"""Maybe the police would manage to establish whether it was an arson or an accidental fire.""" text38137;"""I didn't know how Gifts of the Sea had been doing financially, but it was obvious that even if they had had issues, their creditors weren't going to destroy their debtor's only source of income.""" text38138;"""Competitors?""" text38139;"""Judging by what Kagome had told me about their regulars, I could quite confidently assume they mostly served the same people year after year and the customer base didn't much change.""" text38140;"""In general, the restaurant looked like an establishment that had been barely making ends meet.""" text38141;"""So it seemed that no one had an obvious motive to burn the place.""" text38142;"""Nobody — except for Kawashima and Asakura.""" text38143;"""But yet, it would've been an unreasonable response to a simple slap.""" text38144;"""Damn…""" text38145;"""I sighed and changed position — my legs had fallen asleep.""" text38146;"""What are you sighing for? I'm almost done.""" text38147;"""Kagome replied, displeased.""" text38148;"""No, it's not because of that.""" text38149;"""Because of what then?""" text38150;"""I cast a quick glance at her grandfather, but he kept snoring.""" text38151;"""I was just thinking that arson is a bit too much for high school students.""" text38152;"""Who isn't it too much for?""" text38153;"""She put the knife down and turned to me.""" text38154;"""Kawashima didn't seem like a total idiot to me. And she's next in their group's hierarchy after Ellie.""" text38155;"""So?""" text38156;"""Well, think about it… They come to your place in the afternoon to talk things over then burn it down the same night. Who would be the prime suspects then?""" text38157;"""You're speaking from the position of a person who is afraid of the consequences of his actions.""" text38158;"""Kawashima might not even think she'd ever have to bear responsibility for them.""" text38159;"""Money doesn't automatically make you into an idiot.""" text38160;"""Kagome didn't respond and kept cooking.""" text38161;"""Do you disagree?""" text38162;"""I just know it's them.""" text38163;"""That's it? You just know?""" text38164;"""…""" text38165;"""I don't want to play their lawyer, but presumption of innocence is still a thing. You need to prove their guilt, not the other way around.""" text38166;"""…""" text38167;"""Of course, if they left something at the crime scene, like a gas can with their fingerprints…""" text38168;"""I suddenly realized that I was, pretty much, talking to myself — Kagome had long stopped listening to me.""" text38169;"""The awkward silence was broken by her grandfather, woken up by the delicious smells.""" text38170;"""Kagome-chan, is it lunch time already?""" text38171;"""The old man stood up with such an effort I worried he might break a bone.""" text38172;"""I wanted to cook something for you but dozed off.""" text38173;"""He walked to the table and sat next to me.""" text38174;"""How are things with the police?""" text38175;"""…""" text38176;"""Lunch turned out to be no worse than breakfast — Kagome was an excellent cook.""" text38177;"""And, unlike Himitsu, she handled basic and complicated dishes equally well.""" text38178;"""Himitsu could impress me with borscht, but her basic dishes were often a bit plain.""" text38179;"""Thank you.""" text38180;"""Enjoy. That's the least I can do.""" text38181;"""Kagome was about to take the dishes away to wash them, but I stopped her.""" text38182;"""No way! This time I'll wash them myself.""" text38183;"""She just smiled in response.""" text38184;"""I opened the tap, partially listening to her conversation with the old man.""" text38185;"""…Honda-san. We were going to play today!""" text38186;"""For God's sake, it's like Go is the most important thing in your life!""" text38187;"""Kagome-chan, but…""" text38188;"""I'm sure when Honda-san sees the restaurant in ashes he'll figure out the game is cancelled.""" text38189;"""The old man didn't reply immediately.""" text38190;"""Gifts of the Sea was my life's work. I know you didn't spend much time in the restaurant, but I'd hoped you would inherit it.""" text38191;"""Since Shinji went into science… You could marry Niko-san and take him into the family.""" text38192;"""Grandfather!""" text38193;"""Kagome exclaimed, and I could hear both anger and embarrassment in her voice.""" text38194;"""Anyway, I have to go now.""" text38195;"""Where to?""" text38196;"""I turned around.""" text38197;"""Got something to do. What happened to the restaurant is, of course, a tragedy for us, but no one died and life goes on.""" text38198;"""…""" text38199;"""I didn't know what to say to that.""" text38200;"""We were roommates now — but that didn't give me a right to poke my nose into her life.""" text38201;"""Listen to Niko-san, grandfather!""" text38202;"""…""" text38203;"""The rest of the day passed without any incidents.""" text38204;"""I talked with the old man about this and that, watched the TV, read a book for quite a while, made dinner…""" text38205;"""And finally I couldn't hold back anymore:""" text38206;"""Do you know where Kagome went off to?""" text38207;"""I don't…""" text38208;"""He drawled as if he hadn't understood the question.""" text38209;"""Does she… often disappear like this, until late at night?""" text38210;"""Niko-kun, you have to understand that it hasn't been easy for Kagome-chan since her mother died. We didn't talk much when Yuno-san was alive.""" text38211;"""She and Shinji didn't last long.""" text38212;"""He sighed and stared out into the moonlight-lit yard with his old, cloudy eyes.""" text38213;"""Divorce… In my youth, nobody would have ever thought of that.""" text38214;"""Kagome's past was clearly full of secrets, and I wanted to learn more about it, but just when I was about to start asking questions, the doorbell rang.""" text38215;"""Kagome was back.""" text38216;"""I opened the door, she greeted me politely and came in, holding a bag in her hands.""" text38217;"""Is that what you call dinner?""" text38218;"""Kagome walked to the stove and lifted the lid of a pan in which I'd left some gyoza for her.""" text38219;"""Is there at least meat inside?""" text38220;"""Implying that the dumplings were store-bought.""" text38221;"""Well, we didn't know when you would come back…""" text38222;"""I said evasively.""" text38223;"""I see. I'm tired and I want to go to sleep.""" text38224;"""Okay, good night.""" text38225;"""It wasn't that late — but only by my standards.""" text38226;"""A lot of Japanese were indeed asleep by now.""" text38227;"""I'll go too, Niko-kun.""" text38228;"""Goodnight to you too, Moriyuki-san.""" text38229;"""…""" text38230;"""I was soon left alone, and my kitchen, for the first time in a while, appeared lifeless and empty, like someone had taken all the furniture and utensils out of it.""" text38231;"""I hadn't felt lonely there in… quite a while.""" text38232;"""Maybe it was about Himitsu, who had created a homely atmosphere, or maybe about the memories of my dead parents that would still sometimes come over me.""" text38233;"""But now, with pretty much strangers were sleeping in their room, I began to realize how big the house was for just one tenant.""" text38234;"""The sleep wouldn't come, and I long kept tossing and turning on the bed with a book in hand until I finally passed out.""" text38235;"""All the interrogations and investigations into Kagome's past could wait for tomorrow."""