New Line von Xanderionas ================================================================================ Kapitel 11: Chapter 11 ---------------------- Chapter 11: The blaring of Yagami’s alarm clock was among the most unwelcome experiences in her short lifetime. This Friday was no different for her, the more disturbing factor being that it was nearly seven in the morning. She groaned as she shuffled out of her bed and slammed the metal box, her room falling into a beautiful silence. Sharp morning light shone into the apartment, one slice falling directly into her eyeball. Sensing her laziness had no room, she pushed herself off the bed and stood up in the darkened room, pulling the curtains open and beginning her trudging morning routine. As she completed her shower and dressed up in her usual outfit, she heard her door open with a key. “Morning Rin.” “You really are doing your best to follow this routine, aren’t you Kou?” Rin said while taking off her shoes, still sounding genuinely impressed. Yagami took it as another thing to be proud of. “Of course. We’ve had all week to get used to this routine, so I might as well learn it while we have the chance.” Rin smiled as she went about preparing breakfast, humming a happy tune to herself. Yagami was pleased to hear it, even though they both sensed the underlying tension in the air. Their week of freedom was not without reason. The police had taken their time to approach Eagle Jump, other companies having been questioned first. When they finally arrived on Wednesday, Hazuki had already let the technicians run through all systems and guaranteed no malware had targeted them. Futaba had also visited the office on Tuesday, wanting to apologize in person and explain further details regarding their damages. Yagami and Rin had only been privy to small glances of what they had discussed, it sufficing though to make them deeply concerned. It seemed like the attack had been in preparation for quite a while, systematically targeting the Sakura Project files through key loopholes in their security that were unknown even to the programmers. As such, whoever had intended on striking them was well prepared to accomplish their goal. While almost everything could be restored thanks to their backups, it still was a grievous blow to their progress. Yet, Futaba’s people had shown more than enough mettle, working overtime to make up for what was lost. They were therefore still able to complete preparations for today, impressing Yagami to no end. If Anders had done anything right, it was to hire competent employees. The man himself had shown complete radio silence since Monday. According to Futaba, the same went for her, although she didn’t worry. “If he had any common sense,” she explained, “he wouldn’t try and distract himself anyway. He said he’d be there on Friday so have faith.” Despite her self-confidence, Yagami could sense a level of worry in her voice. She hadn’t touched on it though, unwilling to probe while Futaba was under so much pressure. Rin’s visit had evidently helped, Futaba showing a great improvement afterwards. What exactly had transpired Rin kept to herself, Yagami however not concerned as she knew the special relationship the two had. It was no different to her own interaction with Rin. Said person produced a steaming plate of eggs and vegetables, rice beside it all. “There! Eat up, we’re going to need it.” “Thank you for the meal.” They both dug in, enjoying the peace and quiet while they worked their way through the plates. Yagami could sense that Rin somewhat enjoyed these early mornings, likely finally having time to spend it together without being rushed for time like most occasions. As they neared the end of their meal, the doorbell rang again, Rin looking surprised. “Who could that be?” Yagami took a moment to recall. “I almost forgot; I had the landlord call an electrician to check the lights. They started flickering like mad a few days ago in the bedroom. I’ll get it.” She stood up from the table and walked to the door, peeking through the eye hole and recognizing a short man in a standard electrician’s outfit and toolbox. She opened the door and greeted him: “Good morning.” “Good morning Ma’am. I’m from the Hirodora company. We received a call from your landlord regarding your lighting?” “Correct. We were in the middle of eating, but come in and I’ll explain to you what happened.” “Thank you.” he said while entering the apartment, putting his shoes aside and following her to the main bedroom. Thankfully, Yagami had learned over the last week to keep her clothes packed away neatly in a washing basket, making it socially acceptable for somebody else to enter. She gave him the rundown of what happened, him explaining that he would run a few checks on the power supply and see where the problem persisted. Happy to see him capable, she went back into the kitchen to sit with Rin, who had also just finished. The two of them remained seated while the tinkering of the electrician echoed in the apartment, Rin receiving a message on her phone. “It’s Fuba. She said she wants to pick us up for the big reveal at the festival.” “Really? She doesn’t have to do that; we can go ourselves.” “It looks like she isn’t taking no for an answer.” Yagami couldn’t suppress a chuckle as the rattle of a toolbox resounded in the background. “She really has grown into a stubborn young woman, hasn’t she? I still remember when she couldn’t formulate a single sentence in high school.” “Yes.” Rin answered, her eyes a bit distant, “She certainly has gotten big. I wasn’t sure what to expect when I came to her office, but the way she handled the situation was nothing short of remarkable. What on earth could have changed her so much?” Yagami grabbed one of her chopsticks and poked a piece of leftover food around the table. “You know, I wouldn’t be surprised if part of it was us.” “Us?” Rin repeated, confused. “Yeah. She hung out mostly with us after all until we graduated. Remember what she told us when she sent us off at the train station?” Rin’s eyes went far into the past, likely towards the same petal-covered station and a young Futaba making a vivid declaration to work hard towards her dreams. A smile danced on her lips. “She certainly made a good impression. I still feel a bit saddened that she never contacted us in all this time.” “Fuba has her own life to live, Rin. If she felt like she wasn’t ready to show us the fruits of her efforts, then she doesn’t have to come to us. It was a coincidence we met up, but you could tell how happy she was to see us again regardless.” “That certainly is true. I can’t wait to see how they managed to set up the streets. I’m sure it will be wonderful.” They were interrupted by a light knock on the wall, Yagami turning around to see the electrician standing at the doorway with a professional smile. “Ms.Yagami, I have completed my checks. It seemed to revolve around a faulty breaker switch. I have replaced it and performed a sweep of all your lamps. You should have no further problems.” “That’s great. Thank you for your help.” The electrician bowed deeply. “We will send the bill to you within two working days. I shall take my leave now. I wish you young couple a good week-end.” Yagami chuckled while Rin blushed brightly. The electrician departed for the door, putting his shoes on and exiting without a sound. As silence overtook them, another message arrived on Rin’s phone: “Fuba says she’s outside. She’s going to come up first.” “Lucky me that I just started being proper and all then.” Rin gave a resigned sigh. “You know you can’t hide that from her forever.” “Watch me.” Not long after, the doorbell rang enthusiastically, Yagami opening it to have Futaba rush in like a hurricane. “Hey Yagi! Sorry but I really need the bathroom! Where is it?” “Down the hall to your left.” she answered, humored that habit of hers hadn’t changed. Futaba nodded as she tossed Yagami a set of car keys. “Great! You two go ahead and get into the car, it’s just outside the main entrance! I’ll come after!” “You sure Fuba?” Rin asked, concern audible in her voice. Futaba just jumped in acknowledgement, squirming like mad. “Yes, just go! I’ll be quick, I promise.” Yagami and Rin exchanged looks, before shrugging their shoulders and exiting the apartment, Futaba nearly screaming her relief as she found the bathroom. They giggled between themselves as they took the elevator down, finding Futaba’s car exactly where she said it was, a comfortable small four-seater that must have been second-hand. They sat down in it and waited patiently, Futaba taking a while that they did not inquire into. As they eventually set off, Yagami noticed the thick leather bag under her legs, stuffed into a compartment. “Hey Fuba, what’s this?” Futaba glanced at the bag, her eyes strained by something Yagami couldn’t discern. “Oh that. Boss will be home later today but forgot his papers regarding the festival in his office before he left for the meeting. We’re taking a small detour to bring them home to him, but we should be at the festival on time.” “So we’re driving to Anders’ place right now? How are you going to get in?” The answer came from a small key bundle in Futaba’s free hand, giving a sly smile. “I meant it when people thought we were an unofficial couple. We both have spare keys so we can go get something from each other should the need arise.” Yagami raised an eyebrow. “And you’re sure there’s nothing more to it?” “Like I said before, he’s not my type. And Boss isn’t interested either. He’s got too much to do during his spare time.” “Does he now?” Yagami was reminded how he was working at the Masked Glass during their first encounter. Given his position and the chaos at his workplace, it made sense. “Yep. Boss never understands what it means to hold back. If there’s a chance at success, regardless how small, he does everything he can to make sure it happens. What he did with our partnership was no different from the usual, to my chagrin.” Rin gave a giggle in the back seat, having listened intently to the whole conversation. “You must have it hard with someone like him.” “You wouldn’t believe it, Rin. I know I changed a lot since we saw each other in high school, but that was mostly Boss’ fault as well.” Both Yagami and Rin leaned in now, intrigued. Futaba gave a sigh as she saw no escape. “I told you how I entered the branch four years ago, right? The reason for that was because my boss from our hometown wanted me to ‘spread my wings’ a little and sent me as a secretary to this branch that’s been put under the leadership of a promising new manager. I didn’t know what to expect when I moved here, expecting a super serious and evil overlord who’d force me to be his pet coffee bringer. I have some bad experience with the guys from my first job. Anyway, I enter the office and the first thing I know, Boss drags me right back out without saying a word…” Yagami suppressed a chuckle. “...and takes me to an incredibly important meeting where our finances for the year would be decided. I had done nothing but shuffle papers for four years before that. I nearly fainted amongst all the pressure, having had to speed read through all the documents on the way there. But somehow, I survived. Boss saved the day of course, but he wouldn’t stop praising me afterwards of what a good job I did. I nearly strangled him in anger, completely beside myself. And yet, he only smiled and handed me my contract, on which my name and the title ‘Assistant Manager’ stood. I was speechless, shocked. I had expected to become another paper pusher, another rung in the ladder. Yet he had banked in putting me right beside him the whole time.” Futaba paused for a moment as they reached a red light, sighing deeply. “After a greeting like that, I couldn’t refuse. I suffered a lot for a while, eventually getting used to it. As time went on however, I noticed myself changing quickly. I became more open, more expressive. I told people what I thought about their ideas and opinions. After a year, I barely recognized myself. It was around then that Boss took me into his office and asked me whether I felt happier now. I didn’t get what he meant, until he explained that when he heard about me joining, he had inquired about my time at my first job. He felt that I had always wanted to be more expressive and thought the best way to help would be to have me tackle such difficult situations daily. I was angry at first for him having been so reckless, until I realized what it had brought me.” A smile danced on her face as she stopped the car in a small suburban neighborhood at the edge of town, a large house standing beside them that could easily fit a small family. “Since then, I swore to help Boss out with everything he did regardless of how mad it was. Boss has his limitations with his voice, I had my own with my shyness. But when we worked together, we both learned more and more about how to improve ourselves. If only he wouldn’t be so quick to take responsibility for everything. Hold on, I just need to go say hello and bring this in.” Futaba jumped out of the car with the bag, swiftly entering the house with the keys and vanishing behind the large door. As they waited, an almost uncomfortable silence reigned between Yagami and Rin, until the latter spoke up: “Kou?” “Yeah, Rin?” “I think...I should never have had to worry about Anders in the first place.” Yagami turned her head in surprise, Rin’s expression hinting on something complex that she couldn’t discern. “What does that mean?” “Think about it. He acts so kind without being prompted, everyone receiving such help from him that it borders on sainthood. And yet, he never asks for anything in return. No wonder, given that he lives in such a home. He must have a very lucky person living there with him.” That struck a chord with Yagami for some indiscernible reason, making her contemplate it with unusually befuddled thoughts. She had never considered the idea of Anders having a partner, it making sense though. She recalled his words at the bar when she asked him about his experience with bullying. The knowledge that he had someone had relieved her. Yet, as she sensed Futaba come back into the car, something stuck out for her. “Hey, Fuba.” she asked, Futaba looking up at her while putting the key into the ignition slot. “Yeah?" “Who did you say hello to in there? I thought Anders lived alone.” Futaba’s eyes narrowed slightly as she turned the key and the engine sprung to life, answering in a rather dull tone: “Not completely. He has a pet cat that’s been living with him since he moved in here. Calls it ‘Maria’.” Yagami eyes widened slightly in shock. Rin must have noticed it, asking: “What’s wrong, Kou?” “N-nothing. Just a weird choice of name, is all.” She wasn’t ready to talk about the mysterious bartender that manned a bar that could disappear with the flick of a switch. As she held her tongue however, Futaba picked up on the topic as she drove to the festival: “Actually, I think I recall the name ‘Maria’ having some significance here in town.” This being a first for Yagami, she inquired: “Really?” “Yeah. According to the old folks here in the bars, whenever you feel like you’re at the end of your road or struggling with some major problem in your life, a certain bar opens up in a small alley. That bar is said to be the last remaining safe haven of the forest that used to reign around here before the city expansion swallowed it up. And the one who runs the bar is Maria, a god that used to watch over the forest. It’s said that those who enter the bar become cleansed of their insecurity and worries, finding guidance and new strength to tackle the next day. But it’s an old tale sung by people over seventy. I don’t think there’s much to consider about it.” Unbeknownst to the other two in the car, Yagami’s mind was feverish. She ran through everything she knew about the bar, from the serene atmosphere to the enigmatic figure of Maria herself. She wondered to herself just what strange world she had entered, when Futaba exclaimed: “Finally! We’re here, you two.” Awoken from her mulling, Yagami looked out towards the main shopping district to see an awning sight. The Sakura festival was well underway, masses of people shuffling through the pink streets. And everywhere she looked, Yagami could see their designs spread around the district. Banners with their characters and Kerzo products hung in rows along the street, groups of young and old excitedly chatting between themselves as mascots of characters handed out flyers and tips for what stores to visit. There was a bright, sunny sky above it all, proving the weather forecast of rain deadly wrong. Yagami and Rin stepped out of the car, awed at the detail and effort that had gone into everything. Futaba stepped before them, grinning with delight: “Well, what do you think?” “It’s amazing Fuba!” Rin exclaimed, Yagami barely able to nod in agreement. Futaba put her hands behind her head as she laughed. “Glad you like it! We went ahead and did some selfish additions here and there for our own benefit, but we left your designs completely untouched. Come on, let’s go around!” Nobody argued against her, the three of them beginning their journey around the pink streets. Eventually, they came across Aoba and the rest, unable to restrain their curiosity themselves. They bombarded Yagami with congratulations for the success. She sensed a upwelling of pride as she eyed the crowds of people amusing themselves with the different products for sale, both Pinocco and Boldur showing great popularity. An outburst of laughter brought her to turn around, watching a Pinocco mascot carrying several small children, causing it to tumble a bit. She giggled as the mascot failed its task and let the children down again, the group clamoring for another round until their parents took them further down the festival. The mascot pretended to wipe its brow, before turning towards Yagami with its gigantic eyes. She gave a small wave at the mascot, amused by her creation at such a large size, when the mascot began to walk towards her in a humorous gait. Now intrigued, she and the others watched as the mascot wobbled closer and closer. Just as it reached them, it began to perform odd gestures with its comically oversized fingers, before Yagami understood it wanted to give them an autograph. Now genuinely amused, she grabbed the notebook Futaba held out for her and handed it to the mascot, who showed considerable difficulty maneuvering the accompanying pen with its outfit. Eventually though, it finished and presented the writing to Yagami, who read it with a grin before freezing up in shock at what it said. - Looks like your designs were a great success, Yagami. She tore her eyes from the paper, watching as the mascot fumbled with its large head before a real one popped out from it, revealing none other than Anders himself. “You!” Yagami yelled, stunned beyond belief at his sudden presence. Anders merely grinned as he put the mascot head under one of his arms, waving his remaining arm at the rest of the group. Futaba was the first to speak up, sounding less shocked than resigned: “And here you are. I was wondering what you meant with ‘important job’ when you texted me this morning. So, playing monkey?” Her tone was sharp, Anders showing no concern from it while Yagami twitched. Futaba didn’t let up, poking him hard on his padded chest while continuing: “Do you have any idea how much work it was to get everything running after that disaster on Monday? I get told to ‘figure it out’ and you get to relax at a funeral of all places. I’m glad I already brought your stuff to your place, otherwise I’d have tossed it out the window. So much for you being a ‘Manager’.” “F-Fuba,” Rin interrupted, “Maybe you should calm down a bit…” Futaba spun around, before being apprehended by Anders’ hand clasping around her shoulder. Anders lowered the mascot head and pulled one arm free from the costume, using the notebook to scribble: - I let you handle it because I knew you could. I got plenty sorted out on my own end as well, don’t worry. Good job passing your final test, Manager. Yagami stared at the page with the same confusion as the rest. “Anders, she’s ‘Assistant Manager’, remember?” Anders gazed at her in surprise, before shaking his head. - No, that’s where you are wrong actually. Futaba, you received the notice, right? “If I acknowledge it, I’m just going to start screaming. Don’t remind me.” “Wait, what?” Yagami asked, before a gruff voice behind her resounded: “So you ‘were’ here, Mr. Tansuke.” Everyone turned to face a bear of a man, his rugged face complementing his buff physique wrapped around brown overcoat and trousers while a short white stick hung out of his mouth. For a moment, Yagami believed it to be a cigarette, until she discerned it as electronic. A bit taken aback by the sight, Yagami listened to the man speak in a voice more befitting a whale: “I’m Officer Yamasaki from the prefectural police department. I’m here to take you in.” Shocked silence reigned among the group, letting two policemen in blue outfits walk up to Anders and force his arms out of the outfit, the click of handcuffs audible while the detective added: “Anders Tansuke, you are hereby arrested for the crime of cyber terrorism on the Kerzo Marketing branch. You have the right to remain silent.” Just as the policemen began to drag Anders towards him, Yagami stepped in-between, outraged: “Just hold on a second! What the hell do you think you’re doing? He’s the Manager of the freaking branch, why are you arresting him?” The detective glared at her, the sight intimidating but not enough to dispel her anger. He took a deep breath of the white plastic before answering: “You are?” “Yagami Kou, Art Director of Eagle Jump! I’m Anders’ friend, so answer my question.” “I see. Well, Ms. Yagami, allow me to inform you on the facts. Mr. Tansuke here has been found with evidence of his involvement with implanting malware into the Kerzo network, along with signs of tampering with company security to allow direct targeting of documents. All evidence has been accounted for and will be used in trial on Monday. Now please move out of the way or I can add you to the list of accomplices.” Yagami was speechless, the detective gently pushing her to the side as the four men began to head to a nearby police car. Adrenaline suddenly rushed through her body, only to be halted by Futaba holding her back. “Let me go, Fuba!” “Don’t do anything stupid, Yagi! You’ll just get caught up in it!” ‘Like I care! They’ve got it wrong, how could…?’ She paused, having caught something fall from Anders’ costume. She moved towards it and picked up what turned out to be a crumpled piece of paper, likely having been kept in his hand as it was somewhat damp from sweat. She watched in silence as the police pushed Anders into the car, before the vehicle drove off with it’s sirens blaring. A hand landed on her shoulder, looking back to see Rin and the rest giving her deeply concerned looks: “Kou…” Rin began, but Yagami shrugged her off, still seething inside: “It’s all lies! Why would he, of all people, try to sabotage his own branch?” “Kou, I know it’s hard, but please. We’re out in public, you should…” “Quiet Rin!” Yagami snapped, making her shrink back in surprise. She felt the paper in her hand and uncrumpled it, revealing a single sentence. Yagami’s vision began to grow dark, Rin’s scream a faint echo in her mind as the words burned into her mind: - Told you I’d keep you safe. Hosted by Animexx e.V. (http://www.animexx.de)