One of the saddest things about the human condition is that we live in perpetual isolation from one another. Even in a crowd of thousands, or among our closest friends, we are still profoundly alone. No matter how well someone knows you, they will never know what it means to be you, and hence they will never fully understand you.

Most of our lives we try to forget this fact. Sometimes it works, and sometimes it doesn't.

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Prologue - White Noise
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Tatsuya Suou was feeling somewhat lost.

"Do you know about 'Chaos Theory'?"
"Isn't that just some buzzword from a while back?"

The door to his classroom slid open with a soft shunk. He hesitated a moment before stepping in. Two girls close to the door made a little sound, but none of the other students seemed to notice him come in. Lunchtime conversations murmured around him.

"What, something about a butterfly? Or a cat or something?"
"Well, it's much more complex than that, naturally..."

Why did I come to school today, he thought. I don't normally go, do I? He started to approach a desk and then sidestepped awkwardly as two boys carrying nicely made lunches sat down at it. Okay, I guess that one's not mine.

"...and you see, the smallest things can affect something very large. Like a butterfly flapping its wings in South America adds up to thunderstorms in Europe."
"I think he's making it up."
"Yeah, give us a break, Kenichi."

He made a few rounds of the room, casually trying to figure out what desk might be his. Several groups of girls had collected in the corners, and the center rows of desks were mostly occupied by people doing homework or dozing. Towards the front there were some empty seats, but on one scratched surface there was part of a lunch and on another there was a stuffed panda. He gave up and stood by the window, looking out at a gray sky. I can't believe I don't even know where my own desk is. Someone tapped his shoulder.

"Um, excuse me," said a voice behind him. He turned; it was one of the girls from the front of the classroom. He started to smile, but she looked up at him and said earnestly, "Are you lost? What class are you looking for?"

His smile faded.

* * *

Maya Amano was feeling very bored.

"We have to ask ourselves, what do our readers really care about?"
"Well, I don't think it's this band. They're already three months out of their debut, and not selling well."

She picked at her familiar yellow notepad, drawing idle loops in the margins. She carefully inked a peace sign into one, and then a smiley face into another. She admired her handiwork and then signed her name decisively.

"You can't take sales to be any indication of popularity. I mean, look at all those bootleg Pao Pao keychains the girls had..."
"That's a cartoon dog. This is a music group, don't you think it's different?"

Things have been so quiet lately, she thought. Nothing seems exciting anymore. She shifted in her seat and looked at the gray sky outside the large conference room window. Maybe it's just this weather that's getting me down. A clock over the door ticked obnoxiously.

"...what other options do we have?"
"Well sir, there's this new girl group from a local area. I think it could be just the thing to boost interest..."

She practiced her signature a few more times until she produced one that she thought was appropriately sassy. She added an exclamation point. Ma-ya! Her name sounded like some kind of dance that involved a lot of hips. She couldn't help but think of Ulala and stifled a laugh.

"Next on the agenda..."

* * *

Ulala Serizawa was feeling a little sore.

"...very dark eyes, short hair, about so long."
"Mm, can you think of any friends she might be staying with?"

She picked at her nails as she sat at the reception desk in Baofu's tiny, wood-paneled office. 'Desk' was a loose word to describe the place that she worked; rather, it was two pressboard end tables that were crammed together in the corner nearest to the door. Further crammed into the corner was Ulala herself, perched on something that looked suspiciously like a bar stool. She shifted uncomfortably.

"No no, I don't think she'd be with family."
"No? Still, I'd like to check. Here, fill in as many names as you can."

Bao and the client were behind a screen that sectioned off his part of the office. Ulala sighed and resigned herself to opening the mail for that day. She picked up an envelope and sliced it open neatly with a steel letter opener.

"Thank you so much."
"Thank me when we bring her back to you, miss."
"Here, take my number."

What a boring life this is, she lamented, carefully stacking the bills separate from the other piles of mail. What did I do with my time before? Toying idly with the remaining envelopes, she leaned over her desk to peer behind Baofu's screen, but all she could see were his shoes.
She pouted for a moment and then went back to tearing the mail open, empty envelopes falling to her feet. She was aware of the shadow of the client passing over her, then the door opening and closing. Baofu stayed behind his screen, and the only sound in the room was the quiet rustle of papers and the shick-shick of Ulala's long steel blade.

* * *

Katsuya Suou wasn't feeling much at all.

"Excuse me, have we met before?"
"...what? No, I'm sorry. I don't think I know you."

He picked at the olive in his martini, poking it with the little clear plastic sword until it was riddled with holes and saturated with gin. He skewered it after a few failed attempts and popped it into his mouth, munching somberly.

"No, I must know you. I'd never forget a woman as beautiful as you."
"Ah... really? But maybe... would you like to join me?"

He leaned forward onto his elbows, throwing back the rest of his drink. I shouldn't be drinking at lunch, he thought somberly, then ordered another one. I shouldn't be drinking alone. The new martini appeared and the smiling face of the bar girl swam for a moment in front of his shaded glasses.

"You have such deep eyes. I'm so lucky to be sitting with you."
"Please, you're making me blush."

He kept his eyes on the wooden surface of the bar and traced the grain of it with his tiny plastic sword. He took the second one out of his new drink and played with them for a moment, crossing and uncrossing them dramatically. Click, click, click they dueled, until his right hand prevailed and sent the other skittering across the bar.

He froze, his cheeks flushed with sudden embarrassment. Very slowly he reached across, snatched up the sword, and set it gently back into his drink. He stared at it for a moment, and then, unexpectedly, started to chuckle. It started very small and became larger and larger until his stomach ached. Gasping, he pushed his glasses up, wiped his eyes with a napkin, and left feeling better than he had all day.

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Chapter One - Caucasus Awaits
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Baofu had a lot on his mind.

Two runaways, a boy and a girl, had been reported that week. Though there appeared to be no connection between them, something nagged him and hinted that it was not mere coincidence. The end of his cigarette flared as he scribbled notes onto the back of a receipt. This is strange, he thought. Two kids, two days missing, two days apart.

"Baaaaao..." Ulala moaned from her side of the office. He bit down onto his cigarette. Two what? What was I thinking?

"Goodness, woman," he said, irritated. "What is it?"

A pause. "I'm booooored..." Baofu blinked once, then rubbed his temples slowly. Bits of ash rained down onto his paper. He cursed, transferring the cigarette quickly to an ashtray.

"Serizawa," he growled. "Don't you have work to do?"

Another pause and some rustling papers. "No."

He sighed and closed his eyes. "Then go home. Or out. Or anywhere but here." After a moment, he heard her get up and approach his desk. When he opened his eyes, she was standing beside his screen, her hand resting lightly on its edge. Behind her, he could see dim orange sunlight filtering through the office's lone window. Is it sunset already? He looked back to her face, startled. I lost track of time.

"Oh shit, Serizawa, I didn't realize how late it was." She looked at him for a moment, then laughed quietly. He watched her shoulders shake and her hair seemed very pale in the golden light. Tiny bits of dust danced around her.

"It's okay. I forgive you. But you have to go home too, yeah?" She tilted her head and tapped her wrist pointedly. He opened his mouth to object, but she quieted him with a chirp. "No excuses!" She turned to pick up her jacket. "You spend too much time here already."

He shook his head and looked back down at his notes. grl + 1. not w/o name – get # from ki. 2? He read it over a few times, then rubbed his eyes and brought it out to Ulala.

"Does this mean anything to you?" he asked. She took it from his hands and looked it over.

"No."

He shrugged. "Fine, let's go get a drink then."

The sun had already set by the time they got out to the street. Their office was small, but it was in a good location and they were only a short walk from downtown. Ulala pushed her hands into her pockets and shivered.

"So are you going to tell me about this case?" Baofu glanced down at her, but she was looking straight ahead. He took out his gloves and tugged them on, saying nothing.

They came to a streetlight and he took out a cigarette as they waited. It hung between his lips as he fumbled for a lighter. Ulala produced one from somewhere in her purse and flicked it on, holding it up for him. He raised his eyebrows and leaned in, the edges of the paper flaring and then glowing a faint red. The light changed and they walked across, bits of ash floating behind them.

"I didn't know you smoked," he said, after taking a long drag.

"I don't, but when you spend enough time around people like you and Ma-ya, you learn that it's a good thing to have around." She grinned. "But you changed the subject."

He sniffed, somewhat surprised that she had caught him. "Hm. It wasn't intentional."

"I'm sure it wasn't."

They came up on the Parabellum entryway and he guided her in. Someone recognized her and she ran over to chat while Baofu stalked off to claim a corner booth. He tapped his cigarette into an ashtray and stared out the window at the city lights. It was a quiet night - at least it was that. A single car drove by and the frosted bar window splintered the headlights into a bright fan across the wall.

Ulala returned, bearing two bottles. She slid into the booth and set them down with a dull clank. He picked one up and eyed it apprehensively. "Beer?"

She grinned. "I'm easing you off the hard stuff." She took a deep drink from her own and immediately started coughing. "Ugh, this tastes terrible."

He shrugged. "Guess I'm buying next time."

"Yeah," she said, laughing. "That was pretty much the plan all along." She sat back. "Now, tell me all about this top-secret case of yours."

Baofu smoked the last of his cigarette and then snubbed it out, his eyes obscured behind his dark glasses. "It's nothing serious. Just two runaways: Ichirou Otsuki and Mai Ogawa. Both reported by family, but aside from that there seems to be no connection between them." He paused and leaned back, steepling his long gloved fingers as he spoke. "They don't even go to the same high school."

Ulala looked out the window, holding her bottle to her lips. "Kasu High and Sevens?"

He nodded. "I want to start at the clubs. That's the best place to find young people, if they did indeed run away." He paused, pursing his lips. "And something is telling me to check the schools, too."

Ulala looked back at him in surprise. "Wouldn't that be a bad idea? Why would they bother showing up to school?" She watched as he shrugged and took another cigarette out of his coat. He played with it for a moment, and then stuck it back in his pocket. That's odd, she thought. Was that a nervous gesture?

"That's where their friends would be," he said. After a moment of hesitation, he added, "It's not entirely logical, but I feel as though we'll find something important there."

Ulala stifled a laugh. "Woman's intuition, huh?"

Baofu ignored her. "I have the files at the office. We'll work out the details tomorrow." He took a drink and the corners of his lips curled up sadistically. "Though I'm not sure I feel comfortable discussing important business matters with my secretary."

"Whaaaat?" Ulala slammed her bottle down, sending Baofu's ashtray skittering across the table. "Kaoru Saga, if you intend on ever seeing me in that office again, you had better take that statement back right now!"

He flinched. "Okay, okay, just stop yelling my name at the top your lungs, will you?" He smoothed his hair down and adjusted his glasses. "Yeesh... with friends like you, who needs enemies?"

She stuck out her tongue. "You deserved it. Besides, I'm done with my beer. Aren't you going to get your partner another drink?"

He raised his eyebrows. "Done already, Serizawa? That was fast, even for you." He fished out his wallet and opened it up. Inside he found several receipts, some scribbled phone numbers, and an embarrassingly old condom, but there was precious little that could pass for currency.

"What?" Ulala said. "No cash?"

"Unless antique Trojans have become legal tender, it seems that you're out of luck."

She wrinkled her nose. "Shouldn't you throw that thing out?"

He shrugged. "It seems to be a bad luck charm. I like hanging onto it; it keeps my life interesting." He folded up his wallet and stuck it back into his pocket as he stood up. "It's getting late, anyway. Go home."

She looked up at him, slightly pouting. "But I was having fun. Can't we go somewhere else?"

"Yes, that magical place where the drinks are free and the waitresses are forever young. I dream of it often."

She threw a balled-up napkin at him. "Alright, alright, I'm coming."

She stood up and shrugged into her jacket. As she stepped out of the booth she faltered and almost crumpled to the floor. Baofu caught her elbow and steadied her.

"Are you drunk already, woman?" he asked, though his voice was soft.

Ulala's vision swam for a moment. "No, I'm okay." She shook her head and righted herself, lightly touching the wall for balance. "I'm just a little bit lightheaded. Maybe I did drink too fast..."

Baofu sighed and put his arm around her. "Let's get you out of here. Have you eaten anything today?" She shook her head and looked a little green. He walked her gingerly out to the street, pursing his lips in agitation. "Dummy. Can't you walk at all?"

She nodded and made it two teetering steps before nearly swooning again. He caught her and cursed silently. Damn this woman.

They made their way slowly back uptown, and by the time they reached Baofu's place Ulala was nearly asleep on his shoulder. He paused in front of his apartment building, debated with himself, and then helped her up the stairs and into his home.

He grunted as he pushed the door open with his shoulder, rousing Ulala. He walked her over to his worn couch and set her down on it. She blinked, disoriented, and furrowed her brow.

"Am I home? Where's Ma-ya?"

Baofu disappeared into another room and came back with a glass of water. He handed it to her, then took off his jacket and threw it over a chair. "No, you're at my place." He fell to his knees and started rummaging through a pair of boxes on the floor. "Drink that."

She sniffed it. "Bleah."

"It won't kill you." Baofu pulled out a stack of old magazines and put them aside. "Here we go," he said, producing a rusty hot plate with a long electric cord. He stood up and carried it into the other room.

Ulala gingerly sipped her water and looked around the apartment. There seemed to be no furniture save for the couch that she sat on. A tangle of computer wires and monitors lived in one corner of the main room, and the rest of the floor was mostly covered with boxes. Next to her was a small stack of blankets and a pillow. He must sleep on the couch, she thought. It felt vaguely scratchy.

She leaned back, pulling a wooly gray blanket over her. The water had cleared her head, and she felt a wash of embarrassment. I'm never going to live this one down.

A few minutes later, Baofu appeared carrying a small steaming bowl. He handed it to her, along with a slightly bent spoon. "Instant ramen," he said, fetching his own. He sat cross-legged on the floor across from her. "Probably not what you're used to, but it was all I had."

Ulala thanked him and took a few small bites. He dug into his own, making slurping noises as he ate. He looked up. "I suggest," he said, noticing her nearly full bowl, "that you eat as much of it as you can." She sighed and took a few more mouthfuls, chewing slowly.

They ate in silence, and when she had finished, he took her dish and brought it back into the other room. She dimly heard water running, and as she closed her eyes the sound wavered at the edge of her perception. By the time he came back out she was already half asleep.

"Bao..." she murmured, her voice muffled by the blanket.

"What is it, Serizawa?" he said.

"I'm calling in sick tomorrow."

Dummy, he thought, and then made himself comfortable on the floor.