text41026;"""Kagome's plan was ridiculously simple: we just had to wait for them to leave the documents in a mailbox, grab them, and then get out of there as quickly as possible."""
text41027;"""She spent a good deal of time looking for a mailbox she could force open easily."""
text41028;"""Even in theory it all seemed dangerous…"""
text41029;"""I'd woken up before Kagome did and was already sitting in the kitchen, idly poking the cold dinner I'd ignored yesterday with my chopsticks."""
text41030;"""It was Saturday, which meant that apart from enacting Kagome's suicidal plan, I had absolutely nothing to do."""
text41031;"""She finally appeared in the kitchen around eight o'clock."""
text41032;"""She passed by me on her way to the bathroom, yawning, but stopped in the doorway."""
text41033;"""Niko-san? You're up early today. Good morning."""
text41034;"""Good morning. And you're a bit late… Moriyuki-san already woke up and left to meet his friends."""
text41035;"""She looked at me, confused."""
text41036;"""Didn't you know?"""
text41037;"""No, no, of course I did… He told me. I let him go."""
text41038;"""I barely held back a giggle."""
text41039;"""Even considering her grandfather's age, this treatment was still a little condescending."""
text41040;"""What? Do you want to say something?"""
text41041;"""Nothing at all."""
text41042;"""…"""
text41043;"""Kagome decided not to cook anything, but instead just heated up yesterday's dinner."""
text41044;"""By then I'd already had my share of it — her cooking deserved the highest praise even cold."""
text41045;"""So?"""
text41046;"""Having finished breakfast, Kagome slowly looked around, as if searching for a spy hiding in the kitchen."""
text41047;"""So…?"""
text41048;"""Let's go through our plan once again!"""
text41049;"""Except it doesn't sound much like a <i>plan</i>. More like a suicide attempt."""
text41050;"""She frowned."""
text41051;"""What do you suggest then?"""
text41052;"""At the very least, we need a car."""
text41053;"""Do you have a driver's license?"""
text41054;"""I didn't respond immediately, having anticipated Kagome's reaction."""
text41055;"""I don't, but I know someone who has both a license and a car."""
text41056;"""And that someone is…?"""
text41057;"""She drawled questioningly."""
text41058;"""Kyosuke."""
text41059;"""I answered briefly, stood up, and walked back and forth around the kitchen, avoiding looking her in the eyes."""
text41060;"""Couldn't you come up with a better idea?"""
text41061;"""Kagome suddenly snorted."""
text41062;"""Not in such a short amount of time!"""
text41063;"""Think for yourself: we wouldn't have any chance escaping pursuit on foot, but a car would give us an advantage!"""
text41064;"""Do you really believe that they won't be able to catch up to a car?"""
text41065;"""I finally stopped and looked at Kagome — she was observing me carefully, but she didn't look angry."""
text41066;"""Of course, a car won't be a silver bullet, but with it we at least have a chance!"""
text41067;"""I didn't like the plan from the very beginning, but…"""
text41068;"""You'd do anything for Kobayashi's sake."""
text41069;"""She didn't let me finish, although I didn't know what I was going to say in the first place."""
text41070;"""But if it helps us get everything over and done with quickly and return to a normal life…"""
text41071;"""And what is it that you're going to do next, Niko-san?"""
text41072;"""Kagome kept asking questions in a tone that sounded like the conversation didn't concern her at all."""
text41073;"""Graduate from school and… live somehow."""
text41074;"""I didn't want to talk about what would happen <i>next</i>, as there were too many unresolved matters at hand."""
text41075;"""Did you consider that Kobayashi is right? That her grandfather won't forgive us for kidnapping his granddaughter, no matter whether we eventually let her go or not?"""
text41076;"""<i>We, we</i>!"""
text41077;"""I mocked her, counting my steps."""
text41078;"""But, Niko-san… Kobayashi saw you too."""
text41079;"""Do you enjoy… saying that?"""
text41080;"""Not at all. But I'm disgusted to see you scrambling around."""
text41081;"""Scrambling?"""
text41082;"""Why not finish the job first, then figure out how to live?"""
text41083;"""The worst part was, she was correct — I would have to resolve the matter one way or another and then bear responsibility for it. <w>Not only for myself, but also for Kagome."""
text41084;"""And there was no way to escape that, even if I decided to stay home."""
text41085;"""That's why I'm saying we might need help."""
text41086;"""I want to be done with it and stay alive. And out of prison, if possible."""
text41087;"""…"""
text41088;"""Apparently, she was quite against involving Kyosuke."""
text41089;"""Was he the problem, or did Kagome not want to drag any strangers into this?"""
text41090;"""What if I ask someone else — not Kyosuke?"""
text41091;"""Who, then?"""
text41092;"""She smirked, stood up, and began to collect the plates."""
text41093;"""I don't know what you're hoping for, but to me the future appears quite grim."""
text41094;"""What is revenge, beyond satisying our primal instincts? It's a signal to others not to treat us that way!"""
text41095;"""If Kobayashi Jun let his enemies get away with things like kidnapping his granddaughter, how long would he stay at the top?"""
text41096;"""Fine…"""
text41097;"""And it's not just about protecting his honor, but also the interests of the Corporation."""
text41098;"""Fine."""
text41099;"""What would its head look like, if…"""
text41100;"""Fine!"""
text41101;"""Kagome shouted."""
text41102;"""What…?"""
text41103;"""If you think we need a car, let's get a car."""
text41104;"""Just spare me the lectures!"""
text41105;"""Alright…"""
text41106;"""I really wanted to prove I was right, even though I realized there was no point to it."""
text41107;"""Well, why are you standing there? Go and call your friend!"""
text41108;"""I had to seize the moment, so I ran to the phone."""
text41109;"""Kyosuke listened to my plan unexpectedly calmly, not interrupting me even once, and only asked if we were sure about our plan."""
text41110;"""I had to say that we had never been more sure about anything, and that the plan was rock-solid with no weak points."""
text41111;"""I didn't know to what extent he really wanted to help me and to what extent it all seemed a game to him, but under different circumstances, I, of course, would've never dragged Kyosuke into such a dangerous affair."""
text41112;"""If I only had a choice…"""
text41113;"""I came back to the kitchen, where Kagome was pensively fiddling with a balaclava, trying it on this way and that."""
text41114;"""I see you're prepared."""
text41115;"""Looks good, huh? I made it out of a ski mask."""
text41116;"""On the one hand, the idea seemed to be prudent and logical, on the other, the mask looked ridiculous, as if it came from a kids' manga."""
text41117;"""Did you arrange everything with him?"""
text41118;"""I did…"""
text41119;"""Then what are you unhappy about?"""
text41120;"""I doubt he understands how dangerous it is."""
text41121;"""The car was your idea."""
text41122;"""I know, but still…"""
text41123;"""Fine, what next…?"""
text41124;"""We were waiting for Kyosuke, sitting on my porch."""
text41125;"""He must be from a wealthy family, if he has a license and a car at his age."""
text41126;"""I don't like to count other people's money."""
text41127;"""I'm just stating a fact, Niko-san!"""
text41128;"""She said with feigned indignation."""
text41129;"""I guess I really had never been an envious person, but Kagome…"""
text41130;"""Yesterday's fight with Ellie clearly showed she believed life had been unfair to her, to say the least."""
text41131;"""Soon I heard the sound of a running engine, Kyosuke's car stopped at the gate and, for some reason, he honked at us."""
text41132;"""Why are you honking?! We're coming!"""
text41133;"""Kyosuke awkwardly got out of the driver's seat, ran to the passenger door, and moved the seat back so that we could get in."""
text41134;"""Nick. Iwamura-san."""
text41135;"""He gave us a dumb smile."""
text45924;"""Kagome only nodded silently in response."""
text41136;"""There was one more problem.<w> A big problem — Kyosuke didn't know that <i>we</i> were the ones holding Ellie captive."""
text41137;"""Moreover, I had no idea how to tell him."""
text41138;"""Kyosuke-san, about Kobayashi…"""
text41139;"""Kagome suddenly spoke, as if she was about to explain something insignificant."""
text41140;"""Wait, wait!"""
text41141;"""I waved my hands at her, grabbed Kyosuke by the shoulder, and pulled him aside."""
text41142;"""Nick?"""
text41143;"""He looked up at me, perplexed."""
text41144;"""You see, the thing is… You heard Ellie is missing, right? Of course you have…"""
text41145;"""Well, it turns out we know where she is. But don't worry!"""
text41146;"""His facial expression grew more and more focused as I spoke."""
text41147;"""And we'll… inform… her grandfather about that once we get the documents we need."""
text41148;"""Are you saying that Ellie-sama was kidnapped by Iwamura-san?"""
text41149;"""I sighed desperately and closed my eyes."""
text41150;"""But she's okay?"""
text41151;"""Of course! Of course! Everything's fine!"""
text41152;"""Kyosuke remained quiet for a moment, clearly thinking of what to say."""
text41153;"""Nick, I was glad to help you if it was for a good cause, but this is too much…"""
text41154;"""Kidnapping a person — especially, Ellie-sama…"""
text41155;"""I stomped my foot angrily."""
text41156;"""Well what do you want from me?! I only found out a few days ago!"""
text41157;"""You've got to understand, it's too late to retreat. Even if we release her now, what would we achieve?"""
text41158;"""If everything works out and we get the documents, we'll at least have a guarantee we're safe!"""
text41159;"""Maybe I shouldn't have gotten involved in the first place, but what's the point of talking about it now…"""
text41160;"""It's not like I can convince Iwamura."""
text41161;"""Are you doing this for Iwamura-san?"""
text41162;"""He asked me in an unexpectedly adult tone."""
text41163;"""I'm also in danger!"""
text41164;"""Nick, that's not what I'm talking about."""
text41165;"""It was hard for me to answer Kyosuke's question — and not even because I didn't want to deceive him."""
text41166;"""I just didn't know the right answer either, like when you're not sure of yourself before an important exam."""
text41167;"""Even if that's true, what does it change?"""
text41168;"""Well, it might alleviate your guilt a bit — since you're doing it all for love?"""
text41169;"""Quiet, you!"""
text41170;"""I hissed at him and looked at Kagome, but she was just examining Kyosuke's car with a bored look on her face."""
text41171;"""Nobody here was talking about love! We're just companions in misfortune. In a sense…"""
text41172;"""I couldn't tell Kyosuke that Kagome had made me her accomplice without my consent."""
text41173;"""Being your usual self, huh, Nick? What about Himitsu-chan, Catherine-san…"""
text41174;"""Enough already!"""
text41175;"""I put my hand over his mouth and let out forced laughter to conceal my own awkwardness."""
text41176;"""…"""
text41177;"""We stopped on the street next to the one with the mailbox we needed."""
text41178;"""I couldn't imagine what the people that <i>solve problems</i> for Kobayashi Corporation would do."""
text41179;"""Were they just going to wait patiently, then capture and torture us to find Ellie's location?"""
text41180;"""Then this so-called <i>plan</i> of Kagome's made their job significantly easier."""
text41181;"""So, Nick?"""
text41182;"""Kyosuke was visibly nervous."""
text41183;"""What…?"""
text41184;"""Niko-san, we'll do this according to the plan!"""
text41185;"""<i>According to the plan</i> we had to drive to the mailbox, quickly retrieve the documents, and floor it out of there."""
text41186;"""You know, this doesn't seem like such a good idea to me now."""
text41187;"""Do you have better suggestions?"""
text41188;"""No, but…"""
text41189;"""I sighed and looked at Kyosuke."""
text41190;"""He sat with his hands tightly gripping the wheel, pretending to carefully study something in the distance."""
text41191;"""If we get caught and they'll start to beat information out of us — are you sure you can keep it in?"""
text41192;"""I can't say with any confidence I'll keep my mouth shut — I don't see a point in playing the hero."""
text41193;"""And it's not even about that… After we tell them where Ellie is, do you think they'll just let us go?"""
text41194;"""Why do you always think about failure?"""
text41195;"""Because that's how humans are! We consider the chance of failure first!"""
text41196;"""If people didn't think like that, there wouldn't be anybody to enjoy all the future successes!"""
text41197;"""Fine, just sit here, I'll go myself!"""
text41198;"""She tried to squeeze past me, but it was impossible to do so in such a small car."""
text41199;"""I'm not telling you to go alone, just…"""
text41200;"""Ah, whatever! Kyosuke, get us closer!"""
text41201;"""We stopped at the start of the street with the mailbox."""
text41202;"""It was a normal Saturday morning in a quiet Tokyo suburb — there was no one outside, everything was serene and quiet."""
text41203;"""I don't see anybody."""
text41204;"""Kagome said impatiently."""
text41205;"""I also haven't noticed anyone following us."""
text41206;"""Do you think the people working for the Corporation are amateurs enough that they'd let us to spot them?"""
text41207;"""I immediately remembered Kagemaru."""
text41208;"""Niko-san, nothing will change if we just stay here and wait! If we get caught, then we will."""
text41209;"""Nick, I'm ready whenever!"""
text41210;"""Kyosuke grabbed the wheel tighter."""
text41211;"""I couldn't quite find the courage yet — as if some invisible force was keeping me in the car."""
text41212;"""My legs felt like jelly, and my hands desperately didn't want to grab the handle to open the door."""
text41213;"""What was the point of being afraid when we were almost at the goal?"""
text41214;"""If they were following us, by now they would already know who was behind Ellie's kidnapping."""
text41215;"""Which meant we had no chance to escape either way…"""
text41216;"""Alright, fine…"""
text41217;"""I exhaled and gripped my mask."""
text41218;"""How long are you going to keep dragging your feet?!"""
text41219;"""I turned around and realized that judging by Kagome's facial expression, I wouldn't manage to hold her off any longer."""
text41220;"""She literally fought her way past me, waving her arms and kicking her legs, and ran to the mailbox, forgetting the balaklava in the car."""
text41221;"""Maybe she hadn't forgotten it and simply stopped caring if whoever was watching us recognized her."""
text41222;"""I swallowed, desperately trying to suppress the lump in my throat."""
text41223;"""Then I turned my gaze to Kyosuke — he sat behind the wheel, gripping it tightly, as if he was drowning and it was a lifebuoy."""
text41224;"""Meanwhile, Kagome had reached the mailbox, quickly opened it, searched its insides, looked back at us, and I could tell by her facial expression that it was empty."""
text41225;"""She examined the mailbox again, took out several letters and newspapers, almost put her head in there, but to no avail."""
text41226;"""Finally, I came to my senses and started waving my hands desperately, urging her to get back in the car."""
text41227;"""Fortunately, Kagome noticed and stopped her pointless search."""
text41228;"""It was happening as if in slow motion: her hair flapping in the wind, her heels flying high over the pavement with every step — just a little bit left…"""
text41229;"""Drive…"""
text41230;"""I whispered, unable to speak louder."""
text41231;"""What?"""
text41232;"""Kyosuke didn't hear me clearly."""
text41233;"""Drive. I don't know what's happening but we've got to get out of here as soon as possible."""
text41234;"""Thank God, Kyosuke understood the second time — his car's tires squealed, and he drove toward Kagome."""
text41235;"""Get in!"""
text41236;"""I had no time to move the back seat, so I just hopped out of the car, grabbed Kagome in my arms and hopped back in together with her."""
text41237;"""…"""
text41238;"""No one was pursuing us, which was strange in itself."""
text41239;"""We decided to stay in Kyosuke's apartment."""
text41240;"""Maybe it wasn't the best option, but since I'd dragged him into it anyway…"""
text41241;"""The whole plan turned out to be an absolute disaster, and, most importantly, it was a complete mystery why nobody was there waiting for us."""
text41242;"""Maybe, you got the wrong place?"""
text41243;"""Kyosuke asked timidly."""
text41244;"""I stared at him angrily, Kagome did the same."""
text41245;"""Every one of us seemed to want to say so much that nobody knew what to start with."""
text41246;"""Maybe you two would like something to drink? I have cola and ice tea! Water too, actually."""
text41247;"""Kyosuke managed to somehow ease the tension."""
text41248;"""When he walked out of the room, I took the initiative:"""
text41249;"""I told you it was a shitty plan!"""
text41250;"""We're alive — what more could you ask for?"""
text41251;"""Kagome snapped morbidly and without any hesitation fell onto Kyosuke's bed."""
text41252;"""Apparently, Kobayashi Jun has figured it all out…"""
text41253;"""What makes you think that?"""
text41254;"""No one else would be that interested in Akira Shinji."""
text41255;"""Of course, there was still a chance that he had been kidnapped by Irina and co, but they could have done that much sooner, without involving Ellie."""
text41256;"""…"""
text41257;"""We may have only made the situation worse."""
text41258;"""What do you mean?"""
text41259;"""I don't know! I don't know anything anymore!"""
text41260;"""I walked back and forth across the room, constantly stumbling over things strewn about the place."""
text41261;"""Maybe, you shouldn't have tried to get your father out <i>that</i> way!"""
text41262;"""Easy for you to say."""
text41263;"""Kagome replied even too calmly."""
text41264;"""True, as a person who had nothing left to lose, it was hard for me to argue with her."""
text41265;"""If I my parents hadn't died in that car accident and <i>their</i> lives had been in danger, would I have been standing there, all-knowing and brave?"""
text41266;"""Fine, I understand, but…"""
text41267;"""Here I am!"""
text41268;"""Kyosuke opened the door with a kick and entered the room holding a tray with glasses."""
text41269;"""…"""
text41270;"""…"""
text41271;"""Get something to eat, too!"""
text41272;"""What would you like?"""
text41273;"""He gave me a silly smile."""
text41274;"""Whatever you have. As much as possible."""
text41275;"""After Kyosuke left again, I continued:"""
text41276;"""Nobody followed us… At least, they haven't captured us."""
text41277;"""Mhm."""
text41278;"""Kagome seemed to be completely lost in thought."""
text41279;"""Doesn't it surprise you at all?"""
text41280;"""Should it?"""
text41281;"""Yes it should, God damn it! What are we supposed to do next?"""
text41282;"""I wish I knew the answer!"""
text41283;"""This morning I had been ready for anything: that we'd be taken captive, that there would actually be documents in the mailbox, that we'd find nothing — but in the end, I couldn't find it in me to come to terms with what had happened and move on."""
text41284;"""If it was some great plot of Kobayashi Jun's, it was beyond my understanding."""
text41285;"""Although, it rather looked like a sequence of absolutely unbelievable coincidences."""
text41286;"""…"""
text41287;"""Kagome remained stubbornly silent."""
text41288;"""Didn't you even allow for the thought that your stupid idea might fail?"""
text41289;"""<i>Stupid</i>…"""
text41290;"""She repeated quietly, and it seemed she was ready to cry."""
text41291;"""Okay, don't! That's not what I meant! I mean…"""
text41292;"""To be honest, I was pretty bad at comforting people."""
text41293;"""Yes, I could repeat formal apologies and dole out supporting words like a record, but it always seemed empty and fake to me."""
text41294;"""My blabbering wasn't going to help bring her father back, even if it was genuine."""
text41295;"""Besides, I kept going at her for that stupid plan of hers, even though I knew it was pointless, and I wasn't really offering an alternative."""
text41296;"""Perhaps it was really worth a shot. But, we tried — and it didn't work… Now we have to move on somehow."""
text41297;"""I'm really worried by the fact that we were basically ignored — nobody gave us the documents, followed us, or tried to capture us."""
text41298;"""Maybe Kobayashi Jun never got the letter in the first place?"""
text41299;"""…"""
text41300;"""It was as if I was talking to myself."""
text41301;"""And if that's the case, we might be quite lucky."""
text41302;"""Lucky, Niko-san?"""
text41303;"""Kagome asked maliciously, finally looking up at me."""
text41304;"""You don't seem to care at all about what happens to my dad!"""
text41305;"""If I didn't care…"""
text41306;"""I was about to shout at her, but managed to get my emotions back under control at the last moment."""
text41307;"""Do you think I'd be standing here?!"""
text41308;"""You're only doing it for Kobayashi's sake."""
text41309;"""And it's <i>for Kobayashi's sake</i> that I left her tied up in that fucking warehouse, right?!"""
text41310;"""…"""
text41311;"""Kagome again deemed it unnecessary to respond."""
text41312;"""Thinking about it, I really didn't know what I was risking my life for."""
text41313;"""Especially by following Kagome's stupid plans."""
text41314;"""Asking for a ransom in a mailbox — who would even think of this?!"""
text41315;"""Just then Kyosuke returned."""
text41316;"""I don't want to interrupt, but…"""
text41317;"""Then don't interrupt!"""
text41318;"""We exclaimed as one."""
text41319;"""Kyosuke closed the door, while I looked at Kagome and smiled."""
text41320;"""Maybe she wanted to return the smile, but held herself back."""
text41321;"""Since we mentioned Ellie—"""
text41322;"""So it is about Kobayashi!"""
text41323;"""She interrupted me and abruptly stood up."""
text41324;"""We should at least go check on her."""
text41325;"""You go if you need to!"""
text41326;"""I'd expected more or less that reaction, but still sighed on reflex."""
text41327;"""Do you understand that aside from not getting our letter, the second most logical assumption would be that the Corporation has already found Ellie?"""
text41328;"""That's why they didn't even bother to catch us."""
text41329;"""In reality, I didn't believe that myself — Kobayashi Jun was a very consistent person and would avenge the kidnapping of his granddaughter one way or another."""
text41330;"""Or even that they found Ellie, but they don't know that we were behind her kidnapping… Yet!"""
text41331;"""Then time works against us!"""
text41332;"""Stay here. I'll call you later."""
text41333;"""I rushed to the hall, quickly explained everything to Kyosuke, and asked him to look after Kagome."""
text41334;"""If Kagemaru and his colleagues had already found Ellie, they'd soon start hunting us down!"""
text41335;"""I didn't know what to do in such a case, but I was sure that forewarned is forearmed."""
text41336;"""This time, I was heading for that damn warehouse in a totally different mood."""
text41337;"""If yesterday I hadn't wanted Ellie to be there, now I wasn't so sure."""
text41338;"""What are you dragging your feet for? Hurry up!"""
text41339;"""I heard a familiar voice behind my back."""
text41340;"""Kagome caught up to me and started walking by my side."""
text41341;"""What are you doing here?"""
text41342;"""I was genuinely surprised."""
text41343;"""I'm not going to save my dad if just sit around doing nothing, so I've decided to help you one last time."""
text41344;"""<i>Help me</i>!"""
text41345;"""I smirked and quickened my pace."""
text41346;"""Aren't you ashamed at all?"""
text41347;"""No…"""
text41348;"""She said thoughtfully."""
text41349;"""Why would I be bothered about what happens to Kobayashi now, when my plan has failed?"""
text41350;"""But she didn't do anything to you!"""
text41351;"""What's the point of this conversation? What are you going to do now, Niko-san? Will you let her go?"""
text41352;"""Sure, that's what I wanted the most right now, it didn't seem right to tell Kagome as much."""
text41353;"""If they got the note but didn't meet our demands — what else can I do?"""
text41354;"""Keep pushing the idea with the documents and ransom? Show up in Kobayashi Jun's office and give him our demands personally?"""
text41355;"""But you aren't unhappy about it."""
text41356;"""Of course, it's good to not feel like a criminal anymore, you know!"""
text41357;"""Except I really doubt her granddad will be satisfied with it."""
text41358;"""As soon as Ellie tells who really kidnapped her…"""
text41359;"""Do you really think we can return to a normal life?"""
text41360;"""My father is still being held hostage by the Corporation. I don't even know if he's alive. What kind of normal life can there be?"""
text41361;"""She looked me in the eyes with a lingering question in her gaze."""
text41362;"""Right, sorry, I didn't think about that…"""
text41363;"""<i>You didn't think</i>?"""
text41364;"""Kagome came closer than Japanese decency allowed, and suddenly smiled."""
text41365;"""It was getting colder outside with each passing day."""
text41366;"""And though the sun was heating the surface well enough to wear light clothing during the day, at night the earth cooled down, and the morning frost reminded of the coming of winter more and more clearly."""
text41367;"""Niko-san…?"""
text41368;"""I spaced out for a moment, trying not to look at Kagome and not to think of how to answer her."""
text41369;"""Fine. You probably haven't decided yet what a <i>normal life</i> is for you."""
text41370;"""As if anything depends on my decisions…"""
text41371;"""I really didn't know what would happen next."""
text41372;"""In a way, so far luck was on my side, but it would be foolish to think that Ellie's grandfather would just forgive me and forget about it."""
text41373;"""Didn't Kagome realize that herself?"""
text41374;"""You could say her behavior was reckless, and she herself wasn't too smart."""
text41375;"""You could, but…"""
text41376;"""Of course, you have to have some luck in life — no two ways about it."""
text41377;"""You got lucky when you kidnapped Ellie…"""
text41378;"""Lucky?"""
text41379;"""She scoffed, but kept walking next to me."""
text41380;"""What else would you call it?"""
text41381;"""The right calculation?"""
text41382;"""God, it doesn't matter! Don't nitpick! As if the choice of words changes anything!"""
text41383;"""I'm just saying that you also had some luck."""
text41384;"""Here's a simple example for you: most players on the stock market have the same knowledge and information. But only a few of them win in the end."""
text41385;"""What does that have to do with anything?"""
text41386;"""What I mean is, it's entirely possible that you weren't the only one who tried to kidnap Ellie, but you were the one who succeeded."""
text41387;"""Then I have something to be proud of."""
text41388;"""Kagome smirked and finally stepped away from me."""
text41389;"""Suit yourself."""
text41390;"""We finally approached the station and I lost track of my thoughts, but by this point I was glad for the opportunity to be quiet for a while."""
text41391;"""…"""
text41392;"""The train brought us to our destination slowly, as if contemplating something."""
text41393;"""There were fewer people in the carriage than I expected, so Kagome and I didn't have to force our way through a crowd and we found our seats in peace."""
text41394;"""Although Saturday wasn't the best day to hurry anywhere."""
text41395;"""All that serenity and regularity suddenly made me anxious."""
text41396;"""It seemed that everything was happening so unhurriedly only because it was the last road we would ever to take."""
text41397;"""People sentenced to execution usually don't run to the gallows either."""
text41398;"""…"""
text41399;"""When we finally arrived and walked outside, I asked Kagome:"""
text41400;"""Aren't you afraid at all?"""
text41401;"""Of what?"""
text41402;"""If Kobayashi Jun got the note after all…"""
text41403;"""I sighed, gathering my courage."""
text41404;"""I mean, there's a chance we won't find Ellie there."""
text41405;"""Kagome thought about it but looked more annoyed than surprised."""
text41406;"""The thought did cross my mind too."""
text41407;"""You told me at Kyosuke's that you don't care."""
text41408;"""I don't."""
text41409;"""She agreed calmly."""
text41410;"""Alright! Let's go!"""
text41411;"""I walked so quickly that she had to run to catch up with me."""
text41412;"""Hey!"""
text41413;"""…"""
text41414;"""We almost reached the warehouse, when Kagome carefully took me by the hand and stopped me."""
text41415;"""Listen, Niko-san, maybe I seem petulant to you sometimes, but I don't mean it."""
text41416;"""And since we don't have much time left to spent together, I want to tell you…"""
text41417;"""Wait."""
text41418;"""I whispered."""
text41419;"""Sometimes we have to make difficult decisions, the consequences of which aren't obvious right away…"""
text41420;"""Wait, you!"""
text41421;"""I grabbed her, pulled her over, and put my hand over her mouth."""
text41422;"""Look!"""
text41423;"""Cars with sirens were parked outside the warehouse, policemen walking around."""
text41424;"""Well, here we are!"""
text41425;"""Niko-san?"""
text41426;"""Kagome looked at me with genuine fear in her eyes."""
text41427;"""Just as I said!"""
text41428;"""Let's get out of here! Just don't run."""
text41429;"""…"""
text41430;"""We walked normally, but my heart was beating like crazy."""
text41431;"""When approaching the station, I stopped and looked around to see whether somebody was expecting us there."""
text41432;"""But, the fish market district looked lively and busy as always — even if Kobayashi Corporation's people were hiding somewhere, it wouldn't be easy to spot them."""
text41433;"""That's what I was talking about."""
text41434;"""…"""
text41435;"""I'm not doomsaying — I'm just stating facts!"""
text41436;"""…"""
text41437;"""If you want to tell me that it's all my fault…"""
text41438;"""Niko-san, I'm not saying anything! It's not your fault at all!"""
text41439;"""She said louder than needed, but there was no reproach or affront in her voice."""
text41440;"""Well, then…?"""
text41441;"""What do we do now? Dad…"""
text41442;"""She wrapped her arms around her body and lowered her head."""
text41443;"""Don't just go imagining the worst! They might've just not received the note."""
text41444;"""Your father is probably alright."""
text41445;"""After Kobayashi's kidnapping, they might have decided that he posed a threat and it is too dangerous to keep him alive."""
text41446;"""There was logic in her words, but at this moment I was mostly concerned about myself."""
text41447;"""At least we're safe at Kyosuke's place."""
text41448;"""Or not."""
text41449;"""I grabbed her by the hand again and confidently headed for the nearest telephone box."""
text41450;"""But, Kagome didn't let me dial the number and grabbed the receiver first."""
text41451;"""What if they have the phones tapped?"""
text41452;"""What, all the phones in the city?"""
text41453;"""I smirked, and she pursed her lips, but then grew sad and <seq ka_sad>lowered her head, still gripping the receiver tightly."""
text41454;"""You want to call Kyosuke-san?"""
text41455;"""Well, yeah."""
text41456;"""What about grandfather?"""
text41457;"""Grandfather…"""
text41458;"""I repeated, as if I'd just heard a word in a foreign language for the first time."""
text41459;"""Moriyuki-san is, of course, a good person, but he doesn't present much value as a hostage."""
text41460;"""Niko-san…"""
text41461;"""Kagome said in a wilting voice, looking at the telephone and the characters scribbled sloppily on its metal."""
text41462;"""We can't just leave him on his own."""
text41463;"""Yeah, right…"""
text41464;"""Of course, it would have been improper to say her grandfather was totally senile, but, unfortunately, he really couldn't be left on his own."""
text41465;"""I'll ask Kyosuke to take care of him."""
text41466;"""Kyosuke-san?"""
text41467;"""There was more hope in Kagome's voice than skepticism."""
text41468;"""Yeah, why not? He's a decent guy when it comes to serious stuff."""
text41469;"""Maybe everything will work out on its own somehow?"""
text41470;"""I'd never expected fatalism like that from you!"""
text41471;"""I laughed, but waited to take the receiver out of her hands."""
text41472;"""I mean, we can't protect everyone."""
text41473;"""God, apart from us, nobody even needs any protection!"""
text41474;"""She didn't respond, just put the receiver back and stepped away."""
text41475;"""Fine…"""
text41476;"""I dialed Kyosuke's number and briefly explained the situation."""
text41477;"""What are we going to do next?"""
text41478;"""She asked after I hung up."""
text41479;"""I realized that I had to make a decision — Kagome expected a clear plan of action from me."""
text41480;"""I was even flattered in a way — that such a confident girl was relying on a simple idiot like me."""
text41481;"""But neither of us had what it took to fight the Corporation on equal ground."""
text41482;"""We had to escape — that seemed like the best option."""
text41483;"""I told you… What difference does it really make whether they found Ellie themselves or we let her go?"""
text41484;"""What matters is who kidnapped her! Who kept her hostage for so long, hungry and cold…"""
text41485;"""Niko-san."""
text41486;"""Kagome finally looked up to me, and I saw the reproach in her eyes."""
text41487;"""Fine, I agree it doesn't make sense to point fingers after the fact, but…"""
text41488;"""She looked so vulnerable that I barely managed to say the next few words:"""
text41489;"""I thought you were ready for everything."""
text41490;"""Had she really been that confident in her ability to predict the future?"""
text41491;"""I didn't think they'd find Kobayashi so quickly…"""
text41492;"""Kagome whispered very quietly and I asked her more for the sake of formality:"""
text41493;"""What?"""
text41494;"""I didn't think they'd find Kobayashi so quickly!"""
text41495;"""She suddenly shouted with tears in her eyes."""
text41496;"""Everything was supposed to go according to the plan! And <i>he</i> yet again makes us suffer!"""
text41497;"""Who's \""he\""?"""
text41498;"""Kagome didn't respond, just timidly grabbed my sleeve."""
text41499;"""What do we do next, Niko-san?"""
text41500;"""My pride walked hand-in-hand with responsibility."""
text41501;"""No matter what the reason for the abrupt change in Kagome's mood was, at this moment the girl expected decisive action from me."""
text41502;"""We better leave Tokyo. At least, for a time."""
text41503;"""What about grandfather?"""
text41504;"""Your grandfather would approve. Kyosuke will take care of him. Besides, the Corporation has no interest in him."""
text41505;"""Think about it! If they were, he would've been taken together with your father back then."""
text41506;"""Kagome had nothing to respond with to that, so she didn't object."""
text41507;"""We just have to lay low for a time… Until everything goes back to normal!"""
text41508;"""In reality, I was in the situation everyone imagines but no one believes will actually come."""
text41509;"""In Russia, many save for a so-called black day, without realizing that if it really did come, their money wouldn't be enough, or, most likely, no money in the world could help at all."""
text41510;"""With the breakdown of the banking system, banknotes will just become paper, and gold and diamonds that used to be worth millions of dollars will be exchanged for a piece of bread."""
text41511;"""Are there even extreme circumstances you can just confidently prepare for?"""
text41512;"""Maybe if I had a bunker in the mountains and years worth of food reserves…"""
text41513;"""Or, even better, a spaceship with warp engines and matter replicators!"""
text41514;"""But, thousands of people all around the globe get into car accidents, become the victims of criminals or disease every day."""
text41515;"""I'd saved my life but had no idea what to do with it next."""
text41516;"""And now matter how much I would scold myself for everything that happened, happened in big part because of my own actions…"""
text41517;"""These past few weeks I felt like a blindfolded man walking down a narrow path along a mountain."""
text41518;"""One wrong step — and the fall wouldn't be long…"""
text41519;"""Where should we go?"""
text41520;"""I drew up a map of Japan in my imagination, only to realize my knowledge of geography was far too limited for that trick."""
text41521;"""Although, I still knew some places outside Tokyo."""
text41522;"""There's a village… I've been there with my parents when I was little. It's quite far, and I hope they won't be looking for us there."""
text41523;"""What about money?"""
text41524;"""I'll have to call Kyosuke."""
text41525;"""…"""
text41526;"""Nobody was following us, and after a couple of hours we were standing in front the familiar bar that I hoped I wasn't seeing for the last time."""
text41527;"""That's all I have, Nick… Even that wasn't easy to find."""
text41528;"""He handed over a pretty thin envelope to me."""
text41529;"""Thank you… for it."""
text41530;"""How's my grandfather? Did you remember everything we said?"""
text41531;"""Kagome asked anxiously."""
text41532;"""We agreed that I'd give the key to my house to Kyosuke, and he'd visit Moriyuki-san several times a day."""
text41533;"""Plus, Kagome had given a note for her grandfather to our simple-minded friend, who we now had to rely on for so much."""
text41534;"""I'll drop by your place right after we say goodbye! You can count on me!"""
text41535;"""Iwamura-san."""
text41536;"""He bowed to Kagome for some reason, accepting the note."""
text41537;"""Wouldn't it be easier to run away together with the old man?"""
text41538;"""Somewhere deep inside I understood that the potential interest of the Corporation in Akira Shinji, the former leader of the project, far outweighed their desire to take revenge on two conceited school kids."""
text41539;"""So for now it would be better if we got as far away from the epicenter as was possible. <w>Better for everyone."""
text41540;"""So? Where are you off to now?"""
text41541;"""You realize you're better off not knowing, right?"""
text41542;"""Yes, right…"""
text41543;"""He sighed disappointedly and held out his hand to me."""
text41544;"""Good luck!"""
text41545;"""Iwamura-san."""
text41546;"""Kyosuke nodded at Kagome, bidding farewell, and disappeared into an alley."""
text41547;"""You didn't think much of Kyosuke until recently, right?"""
text41548;"""What?"""
text41549;"""She asked absentmindedly."""
text41550;"""Nothing! Let's go! We still need to buy the tickets."""
text41551;"""I thought of Irina on my way there — she'd said we'd better keep in touch."""
text41552;"""But I had no way to get in contact with her quickly, and I couldn't afford to wait."""
text41553;"""Besides, did I have any reason to trust her?"""
text41554;"""Irina had made it clear the KGB only needed information from me, and information was just something I didn't have."""
text41555;"""And I had Kagome by my side, which didn't make my mission any easier."""
text41556;"""In the end, I could only count on myself, as usual."""
text41557;"""…"""
text41558;"""Tokyo was left far behind, the sun disappearing behind the hills to the west."""
text41559;"""Kagome sat opposite me, looking out the same window."""
text41560;"""Over the last ten years I hadn't left the city often, and I only knew the village we were heading to because I'd gone there a couple of times in the summer, when I was a child."""
text41561;"""Maybe it wasn't the best choice, and we should have gone for somewhere by the Sea of Japan?"""
text41562;"""Kagome didn't argue when I suggested the village, and I wasn't keen on running deeper into the country just yet."""
text41563;"""We wouldn't be able to escape Kobayashi Corporation while in Japan anyway, and to leave the islands, we'd need a plan, money, and connections."""
text41564;"""Looking at Kagome, it was hard to say what she was thinking about."""
text41565;"""Was she worried that we had had to abandon everything and run away?"""
text41566;"""She probably was — anyone in her shoes would be!"""
text41567;"""To add to that, Kagome had lost everything she had with her restaurant."""
text41568;"""Even if the Corporation wasn't on our tail, her family future was uncertain to say the least."""
text41569;"""In a way, the situation was easier for me than her — I wasn't particularly attached to what I had."""
text41570;"""The house was only a series of timeworn walls that, after my parents' death, mostly held painful memories of long-gone days of peace and happiness."""
text41571;"""If I were to forget about the danger of Kobayashi Corporation, fewer things had changed in my life than I was ready to admit."""
text41572;"""After school I'd have to make ends meet anyway — whether it was in Tokyo or somewhere else didn't matter much."""
text41573;"""At least now I wasn't alone…"""
text41574;"""There used to be Himitsu in my life and, for a time, Catherine, but sitting next to Kagome I felt something completely new."""
text41575;"""Maybe we weren't too similar or have many interests in common, or topics to discuss, but, united by a common purpose, we were closer now than ever."""
text41576;"""Sorry that it turned out like this…"""
text41577;"""I finally broke the silence."""
text41578;"""What are you apologizing for, Niko-san?"""
text41579;"""I don't know… I just wanted to say something to cheer you up. It feels like you lost more than I did…"""
text41580;"""Did I?"""
text41581;"""She replied phlegmatically and went back to observing the country landscape outside the window."""
text41582;"""It was indeed unusually peaceful there, far from the noisy city life."""
text41583;"""It's like we're going on holiday! If I didn't know you that well, I'd say you aren't concerned about everything that happened at all."""
text41584;"""Do you know me well, Niko-san?"""
text41585;"""I'd like to think so…"""
text41586;"""I grunted, feeling a bit affronted."""
text41587;"""Come on, don't get upset! We did go through a lot together."""
text41588;"""She didn't exactly sound insincere, but it felt like a praise for a child after their performance at a kindergarten recital — in the end, everyone gets praised, no matter how well they played."""
text41589;"""I just don't understand how you manage to remain so calm."""
text41590;"""If I start worrying, will it help?"""
text41591;"""Just recently I had wanted to pity Kagome, but it was thanks to her that were running away from Tokyo to God knows where!"""
text41592;"""Whatever the case, living in your own house in the capital was much more comfortable than hiding out in some backwater province!"""
text41593;"""However, I couldn't help but admit that she at least was consistent, while I was shifting around: at one moment, I wanted to praise and support her, but at the next, I wanted to shout and lambast her."""
text41594;"""I just couldn't understand what feelings I had for the girl. <w>And that lack of understanding angered, or rather, scared me."""
text41595;"""Don't blame yourself, Niko-san, it's not your fault at all."""
text41596;"""Kagome suddenly smiled."""
text41597;"""What's my fault?"""
text41598;"""Nothing, you just look like you only expect me to chastise you."""
text41599;"""Well yes, the thought did cross my mind."""
text41600;"""I smiled in response."""
text41601;"""What would I chastise you for?"""
text41602;"""<i>What for</i>? Well, let's say for the fact that I only have…"""
text41603;"""I reached for my wallet to count my money, but stopped myself, having realized it was pointless — it's not like it would suddenly multiply."""
text41604;"""What, Niko-san, are you not used to counting your coins?"""
text41605;"""She seemed to have read my mind."""
text41606;"""There it is!"""
text41607;"""Kagome made a complicated face, as if she'd been caught red-handed but really didn't want to admit it."""
text41608;"""…"""
text41609;"""That's not even what I'm talking about! Money isn't the most important thing here!"""
text41610;"""The only people who think money isn't important live in luxury."""
text41611;"""Kagome said preachily and stared out the window again."""
text41612;"""So you think <i>I</i> lived in luxury?"""
text41613;"""The sarcasm in my voice echoed through the carriage."""
text41614;"""…"""
text41615;"""Fine. Whatever you say."""
text41616;"""Indeed, the little money we had probably wouldn't last us very long."""
text41617;"""In order to leave the country, we'd needed fake passports or, at least, enough money to pay some Chinese fishermen."""
text41618;"""It sounded difficult enough even in theory — even if I had pockets full of cash."""
text41619;"""Kagome sighed and I saw something akin to sympathy in her eyes."""
text41620;"""Niko-san, like you said, it doesn't make sense to point fingers now. I too would like to save my father and not leave my grandfather behind."""
text41621;"""Besides, I'm worried about leaving him alone with Kyosuke-san."""
text41622;"""But right now <i>we</i> need to take care of ourselves first."""
text41623;"""I wanted to believe her, but the future seemed far too nebulous."""
text41624;"""It is difficult to jump down a bridge into a muddy river, hoping it's deep enough."""
text41625;"""Meanwhile, Kagome and I had been tossed into a whirlpool head-first."""
text41626;"""God, I wished I'd accepted Ellie's offer — I could've been playing bass in Z FEEL-Z and lived on easy street!"""
text41627;"""…"""