text38799;"""I dreamed that Kagome was kidnapped and a ransom had been demanded from me.""" text38800;"""Of course in the morning I forgot the details — the only thing I remembered was that there was someone else with me at home, a girl.""" text38801;"""It wasn't really a nightmare, more like a thriller full of suspense, than a real nightmare.""" text38802;"""Unfortunately the ending of the dream was wiped out by the first rays of the autumn sun and Kagome's fate remained unclear.""" text38803;"""I opened my eyes and smelled something strange. A familiar scent from the kitchen.""" text38804;"""No freaking way!""" text38805;"""I jumped off the bed and ran out of my room.""" text38806;"""But Himitsu wasn't in the kitchen — Kagome was in charge of the stove.""" text38807;"""Oh, it's you…""" text38808;"""I wasn't too upset, just surprised.""" text38809;"""Niko-san…""" text38810;"""Kagome grew embarrassed.""" text38811;"""What?""" text38812;"""She made a vague gesture with her head, indicating there was something wrong with me.""" text38813;"""I looked down and realized I was standing in the middle of the kitchen just in my underwear.""" text38814;"""Ah, yeah, sorry…""" text38815;"""…""" text38816;"""I knew a Russian many years ago, before the war, he used to cook a great borscht, with those garlic buns…""" text38817;"""Pampushki.""" text38818;"""I suggested.""" text38819;"""Yes, probably.""" text38820;"""We sat at the kitchen table, eating borscht for breakfast.""" text38821;"""For me, this choice of dishes was becoming a regular occurence.""" text38822;"""Of course, the Kagome's soup was different from Himitsu's, and was at most only a cousin to a normal borscht.""" text38823;"""But, the taste was recognizable, and good too.""" text38824;"""But where did you find the ingredients?""" text38825;"""Well, I won't argue, red beet wasn't easy to find, but the rest can be found in any grocery store.""" text38826;"""I decided not to dwell on the fact that she had to have woken up extremely early to buy all that. And that she'd probably spent the last of her money on it.""" text38827;"""How much did you spend on all that? I'll pay you back!""" text38828;"""I won't say no to that.""" text38829;"""Kagome smiled.""" text38830;"""I was about to go to my room to grab my wallet when someone knocked on the door.""" text38831;"""Or more precisely, banged on it like they were trying to knock it down.""" text38832;"""I immediately realized it was no common guest and looked at Kagome.""" text38833;"""But she seemed just as scared and perplexed as I was.""" text38834;"""But, I couldn't just sit it out — I had to open the door.""" text38835;"""I summoned all the courage I had and walked into the hall.""" text38836;"""The impatient guest turned out to be Kagemaru.""" text38837;"""Come along! Kobayashi-dono wishes to speak to you!""" text38838;"""His looked killed any thoughts I had of arguing with him, but I still asked:""" text38839;"""Can I have a few minutes, at least?""" text38840;"""No. Put on your shoes and let's go.""" text38841;"""Niko-san… ?""" text38842;"""I turned around and saw Kagome, then looked at Kagemaru again — apparently, he wasn't in the least surprised by the fact there was an unfamiliar girl at my place early in the morning.""" text38843;"""See you at school.""" text38844;"""I told her, quickly put on my shoes, and followed Kagemaru.""" text38845;"""What's this about?""" text38846;"""Kobayashi-dono will tell you everything.""" text38847;"""He grit his teeth.""" text38848;"""…""" text38849;"""The drive seemed unbearably long to me, and it wasn't just because of the weekday traffic.""" text38850;"""Unsurprisingly, Kagemaru kept silent, and I was afraid to start a conversation.""" text38851;"""It was clear that something had happened.""" text38852;"""It was also clear I probably wasn't being brought into Kobayashi Corporation's offices in the morning to be killed — too many witnesses for that.""" text38853;"""I tried to accept it and just patiently wait for the meeting with Kobayashi Jun, but keeping calm turned out to be no easy task.""" text38854;"""My hands were shaking, I felt cramped and choky on the back seat — as if I were suffocating.""" text38855;"""Finally, Kagemaru stopped the car right at the main entrance.""" text38856;"""A few minutes later I was standing in the gigantic office of the head of the Corporation.""" text38857;"""Nikolai, we've seen too much of each other of late, I cannot say I'm happy about it.""" text38858;"""He looked focused and serious.""" text38859;"""Unfortunately, I haven't invited you for a pleasant talk this time either: Elizabeth has been kidnapped.""" text38860;"""He said and looked at me, clearly expecting some kind of reaction.""" text38861;"""Ki… kidnapped?""" text38862;"""Was all I managed to force out.""" text38863;"""Do you know anything about this?""" text38864;"""Of course, the old man wasn't in a joking mood, but it still sounded like he was reporting a decrease in quarterly profit at a board assembly, rather than the kidnapping of his very own granddaughter.""" text38865;"""No, Kobayashi-san, I don't! I swear!""" text38866;"""You seemed much braver your last time here. Saying you had plans for Elizabeth.""" text38867;"""That's not what I meant! There's nothing between us!""" text38868;"""I know.""" text38869;"""He continued in the same ice-cold voice.""" text38870;"""It'd be strange to hear something different from you.""" text38871;"""But it's the truth…""" text38872;"""Elizabeth didn't return home yesterday, and in the morning her so-called kidnappers left a note in the mailbox, saying she'd been kidnapped.""" text38873;"""He squinted, crossed his fingers in front of his face, and continued:""" text38874;"""Naturally, they asked us not to inform the police and to await further instructions.""" text38875;"""I didn't know what to do, didn't know what Kobayashi Jun expected of me, didn't know whether I was better off talking or remaining silent.""" text38876;"""Who could've done that?""" text38877;"""Like any serious businessman, I have plenty of competitors, but kidnapping children is against the implied code of honor.""" text38878;"""If we used every possible means to achieve our objectives, the collateral damage would be far too high for everyone.""" text38879;"""I understand that, and so do the others.""" text38880;"""That's why I'm almost positive it was someone outside that circle.""" text38881;"""…""" text38882;"""The world of politics, big business, and crime was so far beyond me that I had nothing to say.""" text38883;"""That's why, Nikolai, I started to suspect people Elizabeth has met recently.""" text38884;"""I was at home the whole day yesterday. And I have witnesses to confirm it.""" text38885;"""That's good.""" text38886;"""The old man leaned back in his armchair.""" text38887;"""Kobayashi-sama, you don't think it's me, right? Why would I kidnap Ellie-san?""" text38888;"""I'm not a detective or a forensic psychiatrist. Besides, I have no desire to get inside someone else's head, especially that of an impulsive teenager.""" text38889;"""His words made me uncomfortable, like a t-shirt label scratching against my back.""" text38890;"""But it didn't seem like he really suspected me.""" text38891;"""Otherwise Kagemaru probably would have been asking the questions.""" text38892;"""Maybe, contrary to what he was saying, Kobayashi Jun wanted to test me and see if I knew something Ellie was hiding from him.""" text38893;"""Kobayashi-sama… You should understand that I don't know Ellie-san that well. Sure, she invited me to play in her band, but my circumstances have changed and…""" text38894;"""It was quite reckless of you to deny such a generous offer.""" text38895;"""Maybe… But for now I have no time for music. You see, a classmate of mine turned to me for help…""" text38896;"""Her restaurant burned down, is that correct?""" text38897;"""Obviously, he knew without me having to tell him.""" text38898;"""Yes, that's right. So yesterday, the whole day,…""" text38899;"""Except, where had Kagome been until late at night?!""" text38900;"""…the whole day I was at home. And I have witnesses.""" text38901;"""I still paused, but forced myself to continue as if nothing happened.""" text38902;"""How convenient.""" text38903;"""You don't believe me?""" text38904;"""Nikolai, it's not about whether I believe you or not. What matters is whether Elizabeth is safe.""" text38905;"""Well yeah, who would argue with that…""" text38906;"""Can you remember anything else that might be important?""" text38907;"""I thought about it.""" text38908;"""Kawashima's and Asakura's arrogant faces came to mind.""" text38909;"""A revolt?""" text38910;"""The old man clearly knew about Kagome's restaurant being burnt to the ground, what did he know about our conflict with Kawashima's gang?""" text38911;"""I prudently decided to remain silent.""" text38912;"""No, Kobayashi-san, nothing for now.""" text38913;"""But if you remember something…""" text38914;"""He sighed and stood up.""" text38915;"""I'll bid you goodbye for today, but this conversation isn't over yet.""" text38916;"""Kagemaru brought me to the first floor and pushed me out of the lift.""" text38917;"""You can find the way out.""" text38918;"""I passed the turnstile, sunk deep in thought, and bumped right into a European looking man in a strict business suit.""" text38919;"""Excuse me.""" text38920;"""I muttered and headed for the exit of the Kobayashi Corporation building.""" text38921;"""But, I didn't go home — instead, I rushed straight to school.""" text38922;"""Kagome's busy evenings, her grudge against Ellie…""" text38923;"""Did I really suspect her of kidnapping Kobayashi Jun's granddaughter?""" text38924;"""It didn't seem like Kagome had the means to pull something like that off, but did she have the motivation?""" text38925;"""It's not easy to kidnap even the most average person — let alone the heir to Kobayashi Corporation!""" text38926;"""But Kagome's behavior of later suddenly began to seem just way too strange to me.""" text38927;"""Irina was another suspect.""" text38928;"""She'd already shown interest in my relationship with Ellie, and more importantly was just the kind of person from outside that circle Kobayashi Jun had been talking about.""" text38929;"""It was clear that the old man knew many secrets KGB was interested in.""" text38930;"""And, quite importantly, Irina wasn't burdened by the infamous Japanese code of honor.""" text38931;"""But I couldn't interrogate her, and I could talk to Kagome.""" text38932;"""I didn't want to storm into the classroom in the middle of the lesson, so I had to wait for a break.""" text38933;"""Finally, the bell rang, and as soon the teacher walked out, I ran over to Kagome.""" text38934;"""Fortunately she'd gone to school today.""" text38935;"""Let's have a talk!""" text38936;"""Niko-san, is everything alright?""" text38937;"""Her surprise was quite appropriate, but something about it seemed feigned to me.""" text38938;"""We're about to find out!""" text38939;"""I grabbed Kagome by the hand and walked her to the hallway.""" text38940;"""Ellie's missing. She's been kidnapped.""" text38941;"""What?""" text38942;"""Not here!""" text38943;"""She hissed at me and walked towards the stairs.""" text38944;"""Indeed, on the roof we could talk without any witnesses.""" text38945;"""Cold autumn wind wailed through ventilation grills, making the place far less cozy than it had been a just couple weeks ago.""" text38946;"""Ellie's missing. She's been kidnapped!""" text38947;"""I repeated.""" text38948;"""Do you know anything about it?""" text38949;"""No.""" text38950;"""Kagome's face didn't even twitch.""" text38951;"""I looked at her closely, trying to detect any signs that my words weren't news for her.""" text38952;"""But Kagome remained impenetrable to me.""" text38953;"""Are you sure?""" text38954;"""Niko-san, are you trying to suggest I kidnapped Kobayashi?""" text38955;"""You have your reasons.""" text38956;"""And how would I do that?""" text38957;"""She smirked and walked towards the railing.""" text38958;"""Well, you were wandering around God knows where the last couple days.""" text38959;"""I've been looking for my father!""" text38960;"""She suddenly exclaimed, angrily.""" text38961;"""Yes, but for so long…""" text38962;"""I responded in a less confident tone.""" text38963;"""Niko-san, I don't have to report where I go to you.""" text38964;"""And even if I wanted to… Don't you think think there are other people who have issues with Kobayashi?""" text38965;"""Like who, for instance?""" text38966;"""For instance, Asakura wasn't at school yesterday.""" text38967;"""Her skipping school a single day isn't grounds for an accusation.""" text38968;"""Yet you're accusing me, because I've allegedly been wandering around.""" text38969;"""She was probably right about that, I'd let my emotions get the better of me.""" text38970;"""I'm not accusing you. I've just had a very unpleasant conversation with Kobayashi Jun. And he suspects me.""" text38971;"""You, Niko-san?""" text38972;"""Kagome scoffed nastily.""" text38973;"""Me, yes.""" text38974;"""But if you're here, you must not be the primary suspect.""" text38975;"""…""" text38976;"""What else did he tell you?""" text38977;"""That they got a note, in which the kidnappers demanded he didn't go to the police and awaited further instructions.""" text38978;"""Kidnappers? So there are several of them?""" text38979;"""God, I don't know!""" text38980;"""I went to the bench and sat down.""" text38981;"""Interesting.""" text38982;"""Interesting what?""" text38983;"""First you try to help me, then my restaurant mysteriously burns down, and now Kobayashi gets kidnapped.""" text38984;"""If I were you, I'd suspect me too.""" text38985;"""So Niko-san, I don't blame you.""" text38986;"""But think about it: did I storm into Kobayashi's house in the middle of the day, kill all the guards, tie her up, and carry her away?""" text38987;"""Or do I have yakuza for accomplices?""" text38988;"""Or… Sorry, sorry, that's the limits of my imagination.""" text38989;"""Maybe you can come up with something more believable, Niko-san?""" text38990;"""…""" text38991;"""I bit my lip and turned away.""" text38992;"""Yes, it was hard to link Kagome to the kidnapping, suspicion alone wasn't enough.""" text38993;"""So what about Asakura, Niko-san? She would have easily been able to lure Kobayashi somewhere deserted and then…""" text38994;"""Asakura, Kawashima, and their gang did have significantly more resources.""" text38995;"""But why would they do that?""" text38996;"""Perhaps they didn't quite get along with Kobayashi.""" text38997;"""They'd been getting along before.""" text38998;"""Meeting you has changed a lot, Niko-san.""" text38999;"""You have a bad influence on women.""" text39000;"""She smiled, and I grew embarrassed.""" text39001;"""If they're capable of arson, they might be capable of this too.""" text39002;"""I still wasn't sure that Kawashima and her friends were to blame for burning down Kagome's restaurant, but decided not to say that out loud.""" text39003;"""But events really were happening at a breakneck speed.""" text39004;"""I wanted to tell Kobayashi Jun about our problems with them, but I couldn't make up my mind.""" text39005;"""Well you should've.""" text39006;"""She said without a hint of anger.""" text39007;"""Well yeah, but then I'd have to tell him about you and Ellie… not getting along.""" text39008;"""Kagome thought about that.""" text39009;"""Then maybe you were right not to do it after all.""" text39010;"""You don't seem to be afraid of Kobayashi Jun at all?""" text39011;"""Not more than the circumstances demand.""" text39012;"""Yeah, well, if she'd been in my shoes in that office she'd be singing a different tune!""" text39013;"""Why are you smiling?""" text39014;"""Nothing… Just thinking that you two have something in common.""" text39015;"""Really?""" text39016;"""Kagome was genuinely surprised.""" text39017;"""You're both stubborn, and willing to climb over other people to get to your goal.""" text39018;"""I don't know who you think I am…""" text39019;"""It was a joke, calm down!""" text39020;"""In any case, being compared to a person like that is… flattering.""" text39021;"""You're welcome.""" text39022;"""Alright, Niko-san, you have a good reason to skip class today, but I need to go.""" text39023;"""Can I expect you for lunch?""" text39024;"""Of course.""" text39025;"""Kagome smiled mysteriously and ran away.""" text39026;"""So, somewhat unfortunately, I had to admit that she had persuaded me of her innocence.""" text39027;"""I really couldn't imagine a way Kagome could've kidnapped Ellie alone, and it was at the very minimum strange to imagine that she had accomplices given that she had great trouble making even regular friends.""" text39028;"""So what was the forecast for tomorrow?""" text39029;"""If things kept escalating like this, I'd have to prepare for giant robots to invade Tokyo sometime this weekend!""" text39030;"""I left the school and walked slowly towards home.""" text39031;"""I should've asked Kagome whether Asakura had been at school…""" text39032;"""Well, I could ask her during lunch.""" text39033;"""Which I still had to make.""" text39034;"""For some reason I desperately wanted to focus on going to the store, choosing the best produce, and turning it into a meal that people besides myself would enjoy.""" text39035;"""And that's exactly what I did.""" text39036;"""Shopping always makes you feel better, even if it's only for food.""" text39037;"""I returned home from the store, loaded with groceries.""" text39038;"""In order for Kagome to truly show her cooking skills, she'd need supplies.""" text39039;"""Strangely enough, Moriyuki-san's shoes weren't in the hall.""" text39040;"""But the bags, their weight pleasantly pulling on my hands, didn't let me focus too much on the fact.""" text39041;"""I hopped into the kitchen and froze.""" text39042;"""Sitting casually at the table, legs crossed, was Irina.""" text39043;"""Don't worry, Nikolai. The old man went to the market.""" text39044;"""I immediately felt relieved.""" text39045;"""What are you doing here?""" text39046;"""I asked coldly, walked past her, put the bags on the table, and began to sort out what I'd bought.""" text39047;"""Aren't you happy to see me?""" text39048;"""She exclaimed with disappointment.""" text39049;"""Let's skip the niceties.""" text39050;"""What a pity! That's what I came here for…""" text39051;"""I drew myself away from the food and looked at her with disbelief.""" text39052;"""I wanted to praise you for a brilliantly conducted operation!""" text39053;"""Operation?""" text39054;"""Why of course! The kidnapping of Kobayashi's granddaughter.""" text39055;"""What, you seriously believe it was me?""" text39056;"""My laughter was almost hysterical, but Irina didn't show any surprise.""" text39057;"""Who else could it be? Kobayashi Jun wouldn't lie about his granddaughter's kidnapping, would he?""" text39058;"""So what? Is that a reason to suspect me? How do you imagine I pulled that off?""" text39059;"""That's what I want to hear. With details, if you could.""" text39060;"""She moved forward and rested her chin on her interlocked fingers.""" text39061;"""That's nonsense!""" text39062;"""I started to get angry.""" text39063;"""This situation had stopped being just strange and was turning into a farce.""" text39064;"""Nikolai, don't be shy.""" text39065;"""She began to whine, pretending to be a bimbo student.""" text39066;"""You know what, I can understand why Kobayashi Jun might suspect me, but you! You know that I'm just a normal high schooler.""" text39067;"""Irina frowned, the expression of friendly naivete vanishing off her face at once.""" text39068;"""So you're saying you have nothing to do with it? And your new friend — Iwamura, was it — too?""" text39069;"""Kagome's just a student, same as me.""" text39070;"""I paused to think of what I was going to say next.""" text39071;"""Of course, she has more reasons to be upset with Kobayashi Corporation but that on its own means nothing.""" text39072;"""If all you needed for revenge was the desire for it then there would be significantly fewer people on the planet right now.""" text39073;"""Then why are you being spied on?""" text39074;"""By who?""" text39075;"""The Japanese.""" text39076;"""In a different situation wouldn't have risked coming here, but I really want to know how you managed it.""" text39077;"""I didn't kidnap Ellie!""" text39078;"""Calm down, there's no need to shout.""" text39079;"""She looked around.""" text39080;"""We might be heard.""" text39081;"""Well, let them hear! Everybody should know I have nothing to hide!""" text39082;"""What a nice development then — it's nobody's fault!""" text39083;"""Irina dramatically flung her arms up in the air.""" text39084;"""It's stupid to suspect the Japanese. The Americans have nothing to do with it. Nor us. Who was it, then? Flying saucers?""" text39085;"""Maybe.""" text39086;"""I calmed down a little and looked at the situation from Irina's point of view for the first time.""" text39087;"""It did seem pretty strange.""" text39088;"""And I could just have assume that an accident happened to her. If not for the note…""" text39089;"""You know about that, too?""" text39090;"""Kobayashi Jun really wants his granddaughter back — his actions were hard not to notice.""" text39091;"""So, Nikolai, I was sure it was you.""" text39092;"""She made a pause and then smiled cunningly.""" text39093;"""And your friend.""" text39094;"""How much did I really trust Kagome?""" text39095;"""I could try to persuade Irina that she wasn't involved all I wanted, but if I myself had doubts, the KGB major would definitely notice.""" text39096;"""And, unfortunately, I still wasn't totally sure Kagome had nothing to do with Ellie's disappearance.""" text39097;"""If you exclude all other options, then what remains is true, no matter how improbable.""" text39098;"""No way I could tell that to Irina though.""" text39099;"""You could as well be blaming Asakura's and Kawashima's gang, Ellie's school friends.""" text39100;"""They haven't had the greatest relationship recently. And they were most likely the ones who set Kagome's restaurant on fire.""" text39101;"""What, really?""" text39102;"""Irina showed seemingly genuine interest.""" text39103;"""You can find out yourself. Asakura is from my class, Kawashima is from Ellie's. There are a few others, but they aren't important.""" text39104;"""And what would they achieve by kidnapping her?""" text39105;"""And what would we achieve by doing that?""" text39106;"""Well, in the case of your friend the motive is clear — she wants to get her father back.""" text39107;"""I asked on reflex and immediately scolded myself for it — she was right, and I had nothing to say back.""" text39108;"""I don't know their reasons, I don't know anything about the lives of people born with a silver spoon in their mouth.""" text39109;"""It's a fertile soil for developing your political literacy.""" text39110;"""Are you serious?""" text39111;"""I forgot all about the groceries I had to put into the fridge, walked to the table and sat down across from Irina, indicating as hard as I could that I wanted to finish the conversation as soon as possible.""" text39112;"""Well, Nikolai, I'll have to think about what you said.""" text39113;"""She reluctantly stood up and looked around, as if trying to find something in my kitchen.""" text39114;"""As I recall, I can get into the back alley from your yard?""" text39115;"""I sighed in desperation.""" text39116;"""Follow me, please.""" text39117;"""Once Irina was through the hole in the fence and out onto the narrow path someone had left between the plots of land, I returned to the kitchen to think.""" text39118;"""So I'm under surveillance?""" text39119;"""I walked to the window and carefully peeked outside.""" text39120;"""Of course, the telecommunications van you'd see in a spy movie was nowhere to be found.""" text39121;"""In fact, there were no cars parked on our boring little street.""" text39122;"""But Irina wouldn't lie about me being spied on — there was no doubt about that.""" text39123;"""Kobayashi Jun had made it clear he wasn't going to trust anyone's word when it came to his granddaughter's life.""" text39124;"""Her life…""" text39125;"""I really didn't want Ellie to get hurt, or worse.""" text39126;"""Even if we never saw each other again, I had nothing but deep sympathy for the girl.""" text39127;"""Maybe, it was mutual…""" text39128;"""Maybe, in another life, I'd have a chance to take our relationship to another level.""" text39129;"""But now I had to take care of Kagome (and her grandfather), and I could feel the bond between us getting stronger by the day.""" text39130;"""As if we were criminals, robbing one bank after another. Bonnie and Clyde.""" text39131;"""Not that I had any desire to end up the way they did.""" text39132;"""Somebody knocked on the door.""" text39133;"""Kagome's grandfather returned from the market.""" text39134;"""Moriyuki-san!""" text39135;"""I exclaimed, grabbed him by the hand and pulled him inside.""" text39136;"""Where have you been?!""" text39137;"""Good afternoon, Niko-kun. I was buying groceries, see.""" text39138;"""He shook a burlap bag in front of me.""" text39139;"""Yes, and you let a perfect stranger in!""" text39140;"""A perfect stranger? You mean that lovely lady from social services?""" text39141;"""Social services?""" text39142;"""I smirked powerlessly.""" text39143;"""Well done, Irina!""" text39144;"""Yes, she told me we were being compensated for our property burning down, and gave me ten thousand yen! Can you believe it?""" text39145;"""Ten thousand yen…""" text39146;"""I grumbled when we entered the kitchen.""" text39147;"""Didn't you think that that's too little for a burned-down restaurant?""" text39148;"""Well, I was just happy the government remembered us at all.""" text39149;"""And you weren't surprised by the fact that the social worker wasn't Japanese?""" text39150;"""Hmm, that did surprise me at first.""" text39151;"""He spent a moment in thought.""" text39152;"""But she was so polite and nice.""" text39153;"""I don't doubt it.""" text39154;"""I sat on the chair and turned away from him.""" text39155;"""The old halfwit would probably let burglars in without a second thought.""" text39156;"""Moriyuki-san…""" text39157;"""Hm?""" text39158;"""The old man responded as if waking up.""" text39159;"""Do you know…""" text39160;"""I tried to formulate the question on the go.""" text39161;"""Where Kagome has been going lately? She told me she looked for her father, but I want to ask if she might have any acquaintances or friends?""" text39162;"""Acquaintances, friends?""" text39163;"""The old man put the bag on the table and sat in the chair Irina had just occupied five minutes ago.""" text39164;"""He folded his arms like a chess grandmaster thinking over his next move and started talking:""" text39165;"""I don't know much about Kagome-chan's life before she had moved to the restaurant. Her mother divorced Shinji when the girl was very young. And we'd almost never talked.""" text39166;"""If it had happened a couple of years later, Kagome-chan and I would've probably remained strangers.""" text39167;"""What did her mother die from? Sorry to ask.""" text39168;"""Cancer. She was very ill.""" text39169;"""I see.""" text39170;"""I was never quite good at expressing sympathy and I didn't know what to say in this sort of situation.""" text39171;"""Should I have shouted about how sorry I was and tried to comfort him? Wouldn't that come across as insincere?""" text39172;"""Or maybe it was better to remain silent? But then I'd be seen as heartless.""" text39173;"""Although the old man didn't react in any way to my casual \""I see\"" and continued:""" text39174;"""Of course, Kagome-chan talked to her father, but I don't think she'd ever thought she'd need to move to our place.""" text39175;"""You see, she and her mother lived in Shirokan, and naturally, such a change of environment can be a shock.""" text39176;"""In Shirokan?""" text39177;"""I repeated, as if he'd just given me the solution to a problem I'd been trying to solve for a long time.""" text39178;"""What did Kagome's mother do for work?""" text39179;"""I don't really know. It was some sort of desk job, as far as I remember.""" text39180;"""That was pretty vague, but I decided not to pry further.""" text39181;"""Kagome-chan had just started at your school when it all happened. The illness was so sudden, Yuuno-san was so young…""" text39182;"""And she… didn't leave anything?""" text39183;"""If they really used to live in Shirokan, I found it hard to believe Kagome's mother didn't leave any money behind.""" text39184;"""The funeral and other arrangements were handled by Shinji.""" text39185;"""Of course, I didn't know anything about Kagome's father, but I found it hard to believe he'd steal his ex-wife's fortune.""" text39186;"""Maybe, like many people did nowadays, they'd lived on tick.""" text39187;"""Then the only thing Kagome would have inherited would be debts.""" text39188;"""At least now I knew how she ended up at our school.""" text39189;"""Didn't Kagome tell you anything herself?""" text39190;"""About what?""" text39191;"""Well, for example… I don't know…""" text39192;"""I couldn't ask the old man directly whether his granddaughter was capable of kidnapping a person.""" text39193;"""What was her life in Shirokan like?""" text39194;"""Definitely better than living in an old restaurant by a port.""" text39195;"""I'm old, Niko-kun, but I'm not out of my mind yet.""" text39196;"""Could it be that Kagome hadn't spent her entire life at the bottom of the pyramid?""" text39197;"""Naturally, even then her position wouldn't be comparable to Ellie's, but Kawashima's or Asakura's? Quite possibly.""" text39198;"""After my parents' death, I hadn't lost much in terms of money, so it was hard for me to imagine what it felt like — not only losing one's mother but also moving from Shirokan to an old restaurant by a port.""" text39199;"""Nobody asked her to help at the restaurant — we were managing somehow. She volunteered for it.""" text39200;"""He suddenly smiled.""" text39201;"""And, at first, she couldn't do a single thing. I marveled at how someone couldn't manage even the simplest recipes.""" text39202;"""But she put in so much effort, and little by little got so good at cooking, that we even started getting more guests. Some would come specifically for Kagome-chan's cooking.""" text39203;"""That's worthy of respect.""" text39204;"""But I always knew that she was forced to adapt to the new environment. In the beginning, Kagome-chan almost never talked to me or Shinji.""" text39205;"""As if…""" text39206;"""He pursed his lips, gaining an elusive resemblance to Kagome.""" text39207;"""As if we were the ones to blame for her mother's death.""" text39208;"""It's hard to lose a parent. I've gone through it — and I wouldn't wish it on anyone.""" text39209;"""There were many orphans after the war. But back then, people saw many things differently.""" text39210;"""Now you have TVs, telephones everywhere, rockets being launched into space… But in our time, people seemed to be more genuine and kinder, I suppose.""" text39211;"""I'm sure everyone eventually thinks things used to be better in their time.""" text39212;"""Even when Shinji was little. Ah…""" text39213;"""He stopped talking, so lost in his own thoughts I couldn't even hope he'd return any time soon.""" text39214;"""But then the old man suddenly raised his eyes, for the first time clear and full of understanding.""" text39215;"""Gifts of Sea was built by my father at the turn of the century. In a sense, my entire life has been spent in that restaurant.""" text39216;"""I don't know who would need me now or why…""" text39217;"""I had nothing to say for the second time and started feeling uncomfortable sitting next to him, but the doorbell saved me.""" text39218;"""Kagome had returned from school.""" text39219;"""Oh, you bought groceries? Perfect.""" text39220;"""She noticed the bag standing on the table and began to sort out the products.""" text39221;"""Kagome opened the fridge and found out it was full already.""" text39222;"""Are you preparing for war or what?""" text39223;"""Moriyuki-san seemed to be trapped in his memories of the past and couldn't quite switch from that difficult conversation to his daily life.""" text39224;"""I'll leave you young ones alone.""" text39225;"""The old man said, not addressing anyone in particular, stood up with was an effort, and walked to his room.""" text39226;"""What is it with him?""" text39227;"""Nostalgia.""" text39228;"""What were you talking about?""" text39229;"""Nothing in particular…""" text39230;"""I definitely needed time to digest all that new information about Kagome.""" text39231;"""Niko-san?""" text39232;"""She frowned.""" text39233;"""Ah, right, lunch! I was about to start cooking but forgot…""" text39234;"""How did you live without me?""" text39235;"""She smiled and grabbed the apron.""" text39236;"""…""" text39237;"""I was sitting in the same spot, thoughtfully watching Kagome make lunch.""" text39238;"""I couldn't get Kagome's grandfather's story out of my head.""" text39239;"""But I also had to inform her about Irina's visit.""" text39240;"""Do you remember what I said about the woman from the KGB?""" text39241;"""Yeah.""" text39242;"""She didn't turn around, but the knife in her hand lost some of its speed.""" text39243;"""So she was here today.""" text39244;"""And?""" text39245;"""She thinks it's me who kidnapped Ellie.""" text39246;"""You?""" text39247;"""Kagome laughed sardonically.""" text39248;"""Or you.""" text39249;"""But I was ready for that reaction.""" text39250;"""So the KGB suspects us?""" text39251;"""I tried to persuade Irina that I have nothing to do with it.""" text39252;"""What about me?""" text39253;"""Well, I put in a good word for you, too.""" text39254;"""How courteous of you, Niko-san!""" text39255;"""Of course, I would have preferred to be sure she actually was innocent.""" text39256;"""And what should we expect from her?""" text39257;"""I don't know…""" text39258;"""Well you know her, not me.""" text39259;"""Saying I know her is an overstatement.""" text39260;"""You get what I'm talking about, Niko-san.""" text39261;"""Kagome was starting to get angry.""" text39262;"""Well… It seemed to me that my arguments were good enough for her. At least, for the time being.""" text39263;"""On the other hand, Irina had a point.""" text39264;"""What do you mean?""" text39265;"""Well, no matter who you pick — the Japanese, the Russians, the Americans — it seems like nobody's to blame. But Ellie has still been kidnapped.""" text39266;"""What about her friends? Did you mention them?""" text39267;"""I didn't respond immediately.""" text39268;"""Niko-san?""" text39269;"""I did. Maybe Irina will manage to dig out something the others haven't.""" text39270;"""Excellent!""" text39271;"""Kagome said with deep satisfaction.""" text39272;"""Such a reaction seemed a little sacrilegious, and I wanted to change the subject.""" text39273;"""Oh, and your grandfather let Irina in, took her money, and went off to the market, leaving her alone here.""" text39274;"""I'll talk to him.""" text39275;"""She replied calmly.""" text39276;"""If you would be so kind.""" text39277;"""I suddenly noticed something weird about Kagome's legs — her knees were curved slightly inwards.""" text39278;"""Why do all Japanese girls have such strange bone structure?""" text39279;"""And also, Moriyuki-san told me a bit about your mother…""" text39280;"""I didn't really want to start this conversation — expecting she wouldn't be happy about it.""" text39281;"""But curiosity got the better of me.""" text39282;"""Did he?""" text39283;"""Kagome reacted to my words with barely concealed irritation.""" text39284;"""Yes… I'm so sorry! My parents died immediately, I didn't have to watch them suffer day after day.""" text39285;"""It was a long time ago.""" text39286;"""And you used to live in Shirokan?""" text39287;"""That was also a long time ago, Niko-san.""" text39288;"""And he said you used to be really bad at cooking! That I found hardest to believe!""" text39289;"""If you aren't happy with my food, don't eat it. It'll be easier for me.""" text39290;"""Her smirk bore no anger.""" text39291;"""I'm happy with anyone's cooking as long as I don't have to cook myself.""" text39292;"""Kagome suddenly drew herself away from making lunch, turned around, wiped her hands with a towel, and looked admonishingly at me.""" text39293;"""You know, Niko-san, if you ever want to compliment a girl, don't say anything like that.""" text39294;"""Yeah, and you're an expert on compliments.""" text39295;"""I laughed for no reason.""" text39296;"""Maybe I was different when I lived in Shirokan, what would you know?""" text39297;"""Were you?""" text39298;"""What if?""" text39299;"""The water boiled, so she had to go back to cooking.""" text39300;"""It was hard for me to imagine that Kagome used to be different.""" text39301;"""We often smirk when we hear something along the lines of \""I was slim when I was young\"".""" text39302;"""Could you ever imagine that fat slob as a fit young man?""" text39303;"""Could I imagine Kagome as a talkative, friendly, cheerful girl?""" text39304;"""And, most importantly, could she have changed so radically in only a couple years?""" text39305;"""On the other hand, if it was true, then I could somewhat better understand her dislike for Ellie.""" text39306;"""Maybe Kagome believed that she had been blatantly robbed of something that was hers by right.""" text39307;"""Do you miss it?""" text39308;"""What?""" text39309;"""Shirokan, those times…""" text39310;"""Nostalgia is counterproductive.""" text39311;"""Do you only do things that are productive?""" text39312;"""She accidentally knocked down a plate at the edge of the table, sending it to shatter across the floor.""" text39313;"""Ah, I'll clean it up!""" text39314;"""You know, we have a saying that broken dishes are good luck.""" text39315;"""And we say that a broken plate is a loss.""" text39316;"""She bent over to pick up the fragments and grumbled:""" text39317;"""Your place is so dirty, Niko-kun. Seriously, it feels like you're living in a stable!""" text39318;"""I really wasn't a fan of cleaning, not to mention the honor of it normally fell to Himitsu, but I still wouldn't say that it was fair to compare my house to a stable.""" text39319;"""May I clean up after dinner?""" text39320;"""May you?""" text39321;"""I repeated, as if making sure I'd heard her correctly.""" text39322;"""So I can say no?""" text39323;"""It's your house.""" text39324;"""Kagome scoffed with discontent.""" text39325;"""Alright. You may. But I'll help.""" text39326;"""As long as you're out of my way.""" text39327;"""She smiled.""" text39328;"""…""" text39329;"""We ate then started to clean the house.""" text39330;"""We spent a while searching for the vacuum cleaner since I didn't actually know where Himitsu kept it.""" text39331;"""Have you been living here long?""" text39332;"""My entire life… Since I moved to Japan.""" text39333;"""And you don't remember where anything is in your own house?""" text39334;"""She frowned.""" text39335;"""Well, you see, I don't do all this stuff myself often…""" text39336;"""So you have servants, too?""" text39337;"""Something like that.""" text39338;"""I tried to finish the unpleasant conversation as quickly as possible.""" text39339;"""Cleaning took a lot of time and for whatever reason came particularly hard to me.""" text39340;"""I grew tired and sweaty almost immediately, even though I seemingly hadn't put in too much effort.""" text39341;"""How did Himitsu manage to run around with a mop and rag the whole day and never get tired (or at least not show it)?""" text39342;"""Kagome turned out to be more prepared for housework.""" text39343;"""A restaurant must always be kept clean!""" text39344;"""She said with pride, and I had no reason not to believe her.""" text39345;"""At some point, her grandfather attempted to help us, but Kagome strictly forbade it.""" text39346;"""His back wasn't good — he'd fall apart in the process, is what she said. (I was sure he would, too.)""" text39347;"""Something as simple as cleaning suddenly caused me to feel a surge of positive emotions.""" text39348;"""I was disgusted to admit it, but for a short time I began to feel not completely useless.""" text39349;"""Kagome also seemed happy — she clearly enjoyed anything she could do well.""" text39350;"""You're practically glowing, you know.""" text39351;"""Kagome was mopping the floor around the fridge, raised her head, and looked at me in surprise.""" text39352;"""Hopefully not because you've got an exposed wire somewhere here!""" text39353;"""…""" text39354;"""When we were finished, I was so exhausted that I just fell to the floor next to the kotatsu.""" text39355;"""Thanks for helping, Niko-san.""" text39356;"""No, thank you!""" text39357;"""Well then, time for dinner.""" text39358;"""I noted, surprised that she still had energy to cook but didn't say anything out loud.""" text39359;"""Dinner was delicious, as always!""" text39360;"""I didn't know whether I'd be able to learn to cook so quickly if I were in Kagome's shoes… Probably not, to be honest.""" text39361;"""The vast majority of people tend to give up on things when they realize that clever hands aren't enough to handle them.""" text39362;"""It's also about the feedback — most people want immediate results and aren't willing to wait and bear the discomfort.""" text39363;"""I remembered my mother telling me about that, but if good advice could change a person's behavior, by now humanity would be colonizing the solar system instead of wasting time with pointless internal conflicts.""" text39364;"""Kagome-chan, your cooking is even better than usual. What did you add to the curry?""" text39365;"""A bit of sweet pepper.""" text39366;"""Wonderful! I'll have to remember that.""" text39367;"""He turned to me and squinted slyly:""" text39368;"""Niko-kun, you're a good influence on Kagome-chan.""" text39369;"""Grandfather!""" text39370;"""…""" text39371;"""I forced myself to wash the dishes, and then we just sat at the table, resting, while Moriyuki-san walked out to the yard and fell asleep there.""" text39372;"""The peaceful atmosphere at home was definitely making me comfortable, but, at the same time, seemed somehow unnatural.""" text39373;"""As if we were in the eye of the storm.""" text39374;"""Niko-san, are you worried about something?""" text39375;"""Of course I am, aren't you?""" text39376;"""I'm just trying to appreciate the moment while it's here.""" text39377;"""Good for you…""" text39378;"""I wanted to add something to that, but suddenly someone knocked the door quietly.""" text39379;"""So quietly that I didn't even realize at first that the sound came from the hall.""" text39380;"""Did you hear that?""" text39381;"""Yes…""" text39382;"""I tensed up and waited — the knocking repeated, now louder.""" text39383;"""Are you expecting guests?""" text39384;"""Yeah, throwing a party.""" text39385;"""I flung off, stood up, and walked to the front door.""" text39386;"""When had I last thought of Himitsu?""" text39387;"""I couldn't remember, but she was our late guest.""" text39388;"""Niko-kun, good evening.""" text39389;"""Her forced politeness raised a red flag.""" text39390;"""Yeah, hi… Has something happened?""" text39391;"""I turned around and happily noticed that Kagome had prudently decided to stay in the kitchen.""" text39392;"""That's what I want to ask you.""" text39393;"""What about me…?""" text39394;"""I laughed stupidly and scratched my nape.""" text39395;"""Niko-kun, I know that Iwamura-senpai is living with you now.""" text39396;"""You do, huh?""" text39397;"""All in all, that was to be expected — since Himitsu lived across the road, she'd sooner or later notice that the house got new tenants.""" text39398;"""Can I come in?""" text39399;"""Yes, sure.""" text39400;"""In the kitchen, Himitsu greeted Kagome very formally:""" text39401;"""Good evening, Iwamura-senpai.""" text39402;"""Good evening.""" text39403;"""The latter tried to hide her surprise as hard as she could, but I'd already learnt to recognize the shades of emotions on Kagome's face, so I quickly noticed that she wasn't too happy about my friend's late visit.""" text39404;"""You see, it just so happened that Iwamura's house burned down… So I'm letting her and her grandfather stay at my place until…""" text39405;"""I looked at Kagome, seeking support, but she apparently wasn't too concerned about what Himitsu thought of the situation.""" text39406;"""Until they decide what to do next.""" text39407;"""Is that right, Iwamura-san?""" text39408;"""That naming made Kagome pucker her lips tight, but she replied quite calmly:""" text39409;"""Right, Niko-san.""" text39410;"""Niko-kun, if you need anything, I'm happy to help!""" text39411;"""We have all we need, I think.""" text39412;"""My words sounded silly, the awkward silence becoming unbearable.""" text39413;"""It seemed that it'd taken Himitsu a lot of effort for to come here, but I simply had nothing to say to her right now.""" text39414;"""Yes, there was another girl in my house — and it wasn't even Catherine.""" text39415;"""Yes, my explanation sounded weird, and she probably took it as, at best, a half-truth.""" text39416;"""Iwamura-senpai, I'm sorry that your house burned down.""" text39417;"""Thank you.""" text39418;"""She replied begrudgingly.""" text39419;"""I've known Niko-kun my entire life — he might be unbearable at times, but he's generally a good person.""" text39420;"""Thanks for the compliment!""" text39421;"""I'll try to remember that.""" text39422;"""Well, if you need anything, you know where to find me.""" text39423;"""Bye.""" text39424;"""Once Himitsu was gone, I felt relieved.""" text39425;"""What is your relationship with her?""" text39426;"""With Himitsu?""" text39427;"""I sniffed.""" text39428;"""We're just childhood friends.""" text39429;"""I see.""" text39430;"""She said slyly.""" text39431;"""What?""" text39432;"""Nothing.""" text39433;"""Very nice of her to drop by and check on you. I'm just surprised she didn't do so earlier.""" text39434;"""Well, Himitsu… You see… I can't say it's easy for her to see…""" text39435;"""…me in your house?""" text39436;"""Kagome finished my thought.""" text39437;"""Well, yes, yes.""" text39438;"""Does she have feelings for you?""" text39439;"""I sighed heavily and turned away — it was unbearable to look at her at that moment.""" text39440;"""I don't want to discuss my relationship with Himitsu right now. We're just friends.""" text39441;"""You feel guilty.""" text39442;"""I didn't know if it was a question or a statement.""" text39443;"""Why would I?""" text39444;"""Because you also have feelings for her?""" text39445;"""As I recall you're a future economics student, yet you're acting like an amateur psychologist!""" text39446;"""Alright, sorry, it really isn't any of my business.""" text39447;"""Kagome smiled conciliatory.""" text39448;"""By the way, how is that foreign girl in our class doing?""" text39449;"""Catherine? What about her?""" text39450;"""Well…""" text39451;"""She demonstratively rolled her eyes.""" text39452;"""Actually, I really didn't know how she was doing.""" text39453;"""Maybe she was on a date with Michael.""" text39454;"""Maybe she was even already in his bed…""" text39455;"""Niko-san, you seem to be enjoying inexplicable popularity with the girls of our school.""" text39456;"""Oh, Catherine couldn't care less about me, believe me!""" text39457;"""If you say so.""" text39458;"""She's already found a new suitor.""" text39459;"""I'm not insisting you tell me — it's just to keep the conversation going.""" text39460;"""I looked at Kagome: her pose as she sat on the chair was casual and relaxed, and her smile mysterious.""" text39461;"""One could imagine that she was a more experienced older sister, about to give me advice on how to talk to women.""" text39462;"""You know what, Iwamura-san, I can deal with all that myself!""" text39463;"""I hope you haven't left a spot for me in your harem?""" text39464;"""What the…?""" text39465;"""I'm very grateful for your help, Niko-san, but not that grateful.""" text39466;"""Yeah, whatever.""" text39467;"""Kagome's jokes stung more than they should have.""" text39468;"""You're so serious today, Niko-san.""" text39469;"""One of us has to be.""" text39470;"""I guess.""" text39471;"""…""" text39472;"""I spent the rest of the evening with a book in my hands and no idea what Kagome did.""" text39473;"""When I walked to their room to say goodnight, the lights were already off.""" text39474;"""Another crazy day was over — I only had to get in bed and close my eyes.""" text39475;"""Yet, I was tortured by the feeling of something left unsaid or undone — as if I'd had to leave a theater in the middle of a performance.""" text39476;"""Ellie, her grandfather, Irina, Kagome, her grandfather, Himitsu, Catherine…""" text39477;"""All the actors had stayed to finish the play, the finale of which I was destined not to see."""