The Mole: Anime Edition 2.0
By: Gomamon
The Premise:
Twelve strangers must work together in order to win up to one million dollars. But working among them is a traitor, a saboteur, a Mole. One of these people is a double agent paid to deceive the others and sabotage their missions. The player that figures out who the Mole is and does the best job of tracking their every move wins the money. Who is the Mole?
The Contestants:
1.) Amy (Sailor Moon)
2.) Chiyo (Azumanga Daioh)
3.) Conway (Pokemon)
4.) Harima (School Rumble)
5.) Kaname (Full Metal Panic!)
6.) Keiichi (Oh My Goddess!)
7.) Kyon (The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya)
8.) Marcus (Digimon)
9.) Nami (One Piece)
10.) Nodame (Nodame Cantabile)
11.) Ogiue (Genshiken 2)
12.) Satoshi (D.N. Angel)
- - -
EPISODE ONE: YOU ONLY LIVE ONCE
(Part 1 of 3)
* * *
Day 1 - 7:45AM
* * *
When Nami first sent in her application for The Mole, she was under the assumption that she would be competing against some of the brightest people across the world. This was supposedly an intense intellectual competition which challenges the players' wits and forces them to think outside the box. Physical strength, a beneficial characteristic in most reality television programs, was not as important as mental strength. Thus, anybody can win this game as long as they were smarter than the rest. Nami, who saw herself as a considerably bright girl, felt curious about the calibre of her competition. Will she be competing against certified geniuses? Child prodigies? Some fancy schmancy award-winning scholars?
Sadly, it did not take long before Nami realized that she was surrounded by idiots.
Based on first impressions, she was certain that more than half of these people were completely stupid. The dumbest looking one also stood out the most. Marcus Damon, a muscular young man with long dishevelled brown hair, had been pacing back and forth for the past five minutes. Nami watched this interesting specimen walk around in circles, scowling at nobody in particular. Marcus looked like somebody who just broke out of an insane asylum, but had no idea where to go next. He was bursting with youthful energy and simply could not stay still. Verdict: This muscle-bound idiot would be lucky to even make it past the first round.
The other males did not seem like the sharpest bunch either. There was Harima, a bulky and bearded high school student whore sunglasses indoors. Verdict: What a dumbass. No chance of winning.
Then, there was Conway, who stood out right away with his thick-rimmed glasses and overall geeky persona. He was currently playing on his handheld gaming console. Verdict: Just an immature little kid. Not a serious contender.
Two of the men had fallen asleep in their seats. Kyon – the tall, skinny one – put his head down, with his hands folded across his chest, and was snoozing quietly. Keiichi, on the other hand, had his body sprawled across multiple chairs, with his mouth agape, and was snoring like a foghorn. Verdict: Dumb and dumber. Both were cannon fodder.
The only man who intrigued her was Satoshi Hiwatari, a strange looking boy with deep blue eyes behind a pair of wireframe spectacles. He was young, yes, but he also looked wise beyond his years. He definitely seemed more cunning than his male counterparts, in Nami's opinion. Unlike the other contestants, Satoshi looked very alert about his surroundings. He had shifty eyes, as if he was concealing an unmentionable secret. Verdict: A likely threat. He seemed to take this competition seriously, which was more than what Nami can say about the others. She was sure that Satoshi will go very far, and possibly win the entire game.
All of a sudden, Satoshi turned around and stared at her direction. She flashed him a friendly smile, but he did not reciprocate the gesture. Feeling somewhat self-conscious, Nami averted her gaze to the travel brochure in her hands. A cheerful slogan caught her attention: Welcome to Cerulean City, where a mysterious blue aura surrounds it!
Cerulean City – even the name itself sounded beautiful. According to the brochure, this popular vacation destination was the sunshine capital of northern Kanto, covered with sandy white beaches and lovely seaside scenery. However, the only view that Nami can see at the moment was a line of airplanes outside the window. Due to some unanticipated production difficulties, the twelve contestants were forced to remain inside the waiting area of the Cerulean City Airport, for at least the past forty five minutes.
Since most airport stores and restaurants were not opened for business yet, the building was still fairly deserted this early in the morning. Quite understandably, Nami was growing restless. To pass the time, she grabbed a ballpoint pen from her bag, flipped open her empty journal, and began scribbling down notes about her fellow competitors.
"His name is Sousuke, right?"
Giggle.
"Yeah, I don't know how to describe the two of us. It's, like, a complicated relationship…"
Another giggle.
Right away, Nami took notice of the chatty schoolgirls sitting across from her. They were Amy Mizuno, the pretty one with a short hairdo, and Kaname Chidori, the even prettier one with glossy long hair. Despite meeting just forty five minutes ago, the twosome had been chatting, giggling, and gossiping like the best of friends. While the players were forbidden from interacting with each other before the game started, these girls broke the rules anyway without being the least bit subtle. If their behaviour now was an early indicator, Nami feared how many more rules they will break in the near future.
The rest of the women looked just as clueless. Noda Megumi, better known for her pet name Nodame, was listening to music on her MP3 player. Sitting beside her, Ogiue was reading a manga. The youngest female, Chiyo, was eating a chocolate bar.
They all looked so simple. Nami couldn't detect a single genius amongst them.
A horrible realization suddenly dawned upon her. If they're all so stupid, what does that make me? Although Nami never considered herself as a natural genius, she was still overwhelmed by the apparent stupidity of her competitors. Maybe it was a good thing that she was competing against stupid people. Then again, that might make her defeat all the more embarrassing if she lost to one of these morons.
After a brief moment of contemplation, Nami put down her pen and journal without writing a single word. She soon realized there was no need to take notes, because she cannot picture a possible scenario where she would be outsmarted by anybody here. Based on first impressions, her competitors were all hopeless dolts. Nami reassured herself that she definitely won't lose the game. Not against this pitiful bunch.
* * *
8:14AM
* * *
Misty Waterflower, former player of The Mole: Pokemon & Digimon Edition and now hostess of The Mole: Anime Edition, entered the waiting area with a happy announcement. The production crew cleared their technical difficulties and were now ready to begin the first mission. Several players grinned in anticipation. They could already feel the adrenaline pumping in their blood!
Chika Ogiue, however, felt a few knots tied in her stomach. She saw the airplanes outside and assumed the worst. The university student had not revealed to anyone yet that she was deathly afraid of heights. And she wasn't the only person either.
"Oh god, let's hope we aren't jumping out of any planes today." Conway announced. He openly voiced his concerns to the group, whereas the more reserved Ogiue kept her insecurities bottled up inside. "I'm terrified of high places. They give me the heebie-jeebies."
"Just close your eyes and pretend you're in a dream." Nodame suggested.
"Are you kidding me!? You'll miss out on the amazing view if you don't open your eyes! Man, skydiving is going to be so awesome!" Marcus exclaimed enthusiastically.
"First rule of the game: don't jump to conclusions. Just because you're inside an airport, it doesn't mean there will be a skydiving mission." Misty said in her schoolmistress voice. She can be a stern host when the situation demanded one. "However, you guys are right this time. Your first mission does involve jumping off a plane." She relaxed into a gentler smile. "Before I give any further instructions, I'd like to have everyone's full attention. So…could someone please wake up Keiichi?"
Everybody turned their attention towards the young man, who was still lying on the chairs and snoring very loudly. How he could sleep through all the noise, nobody knew. Kaname gently jabbed him in the shoulder. No response. She pushed him more forcefully the next time. Keiichi jolted awake while mumbling something unintelligible. He also wiped some drool from his mouth, causing the girls to giggle. They had already dismissed him as the type of guy whom other men find harmless.
"Good morning, Keiichi. Are you awake now?" Misty smiled.
"Sorry. I'll start paying attention." Keiichi said, blushing.
The host returned her gaze on the other players. Dressed in a simple white blouse and a pair of snappy black dress pants, with her shaggy orangey-red hair hanging by her shoulders, Misty's appearance carried a distinct combination between partly feminine and partly tomboyish. She was a petite woman, but by no means was she fragile. Her physique was toned and athletic due to many years of swimming as a daily exercise routine. Perhaps the most prominent feature about Misty was the mail carrier bag she wore over her left shoulder. It was very massive, very (pastel) yellow, and very mysterious looking. In the days to come, the players will discover many of the game's biggest secrets were hidden inside that bag.
In fact, they were about to learn the most scandalous secret right now.
"First of all, there's an important issue I'd like to discuss," Misty explained. Her enigmatic expression did not waver as she spoke. "As we all know, the objective of this competition is to identify a saboteur within the group. However, no such person exists at the moment." She decided to paraphrase her message in simpler terms. "In other words, nobody here is the Mole…yet."
The twelve contestants did not know how to respond to that statement. They felt startled, to say the least. A few of them were caught off guard, because they had already picked out several obvious suspects based on first impressions and gut instincts. To discover these assumptions were completely wrong came as an unpleasant surprise to most people not to mention it was a harsh blow to their egos. They had been so certain about their intuition, but everybody was on an even-levelled playing field all along.
You mean he's not the Mole after all? Nami stole a quick glance at Satoshi, who was listening intently to the instructions.
"We're going to choose the Mole right here, right now," Misty continued. She opened her carrier bag and pulled out a stash of envelopes. "I have twelve letters. One of them contains instructions to the first mission today. If you're the recipient of this letter, congratulations, you're randomly selected as the Mole."
Ogiue was not one of the people who smiled or gasped happily at the announcement. The poor girl just looked downright nervous. This wasn't how she imagined the game would begin. She thought the Mole would be predetermined by the production crew long before the actual competition started. Instead, the selection process will take place now, in front of the entire group, and the Mole's identity appeared to be a total crapshoot. Every player here had a one-in-twelve chance of becoming the coveted saboteur.
Unlike some contestants, Ogiue had no desire to be the Mole. She thought the role was too mentally stressful, and she did not perceive herself as a very good liar either. But ultimately, her destiny in this game was based on sheer luck. She could only hope that she won't be the unfortunate chosen one.
"The other eleven letters are identical." Misty explained, while waving the envelopes in the air. "They consist of short, two or three sentences, profiles about each contestant, including their name, age, occupation, and hometown. If you receive one of these letters, you're competing as a legitimate player, and you've the opportunity of winning up to one million dollars." She paused for a moment before continuing. "I will distribute these letters one by one. Please do not open them until I say so. And in fairness of the competition, I'd advise you not to show your letters to anybody else."
The host flashed a mysterious smile to the group.
"Good luck."
Amy Mizuno was the first person to choose an envelope, then her friend Kaname did the same, and the other players soon followed. When all twelve letters had been allocated, the contestants dispersed to different locations in the airport. Nobody read their letters until they were absolutely certain about their privacy.
Ogiue sat down on a nearby chair and ripped open her envelope. She slowly pulled out a single sheet of white paper. There were many mixed emotions going through her head right now – fear, anxiety, and desperation were all on the top of her list. As she unfolded her letter once and then once more, she muttered a quick prayer for good luck. Please God, not me. I don't want to be the Mole. Ogiue took a deep breath. She finally glanced down and scanned her eyes across the page. The first words she read were:
To whom it may concern…
* * *
8:22AM
* * *
From the moment Kaname stepped out of the airport, she did not believe there was a single honest competitor in this game. She wasn't an exceptionally sceptical person in real life, but the intuitive high school student had a gut instinct that she was surrounded by a bunch of liars. Technically, the chosen saboteur should be the only liar in the game, yet most human beings had a tendency to lie under certain circumstances. Put a million dollars at stake, and even the most moralistic people may show a dishonest side. In a competition based on deceit and greed, she was certain that nobody here will be telling the truth.
It was with this attitude that Kaname Chidori, aged seventeen, first approached her fellow competitors.
By the time she finished analyzing her letter, there was already a sizable group huddled outside of the airport, chattering among themselves. Before Kaname could greet them, she was quickly intercepted by the host. Misty collected her letter, took a brief glance at the contents, and smiled. That was the only communication they exchanged. It appeared to be a knowing smile, as if she was trading an inside secret between woman-to-woman. Oh girl, I know what you know. Kaname decided to say nothing. Afterwards, she joined the other seven contestants outside, while introducing herself to each person.
The usual pleasantries took place. Every introduction started with a casual 'hi' or a more formal 'hello. Hands were shaken, names were exchanged, and smiles were passed amongst everyone. Out of all the people she just met, Kaname was particularly fond of a guy named Kenji Harima. He was not much older than her, perhaps eighteen or nineteen years old, but there was something undeniably cool about his appearance. The dark sunglasses, scruffy facial hair, and a rockin' black leather jacket all hinted to a bad boy at the core. In fact, most players already made early assumptions about the ex-delinquent high school graduate. He must be a notorious troublemaker! Or he must have a criminal record of some sort! However, Harima was a rather easygoing guy, and even a bit of a putz, once people got to know him better. He was hardly as intimidating as he looked, even though he could be a very intense competitor at times.
"Just so everyone knows, I'm not the Mole." Harima told the group early on. "You guys can trust me, I swear!"
"Yeah right." Kaname grinned, shaking her head in disbelief. If anything, that confession made him even more suspicious than before.
Two of the men, Kyon and Keiichi, were friendly enough, even if they seemed a bit unremarkable at first. One was tall, skinny, and wore a perpetually unenthusiastic expression on his face. The other was shorter, stockier, but also a lot more charming with his goofy grins and that cute dimple on his left cheek. Neither man stood out in the group, although Kaname noticed that the first guy would demonstrate a dry sense of humour every now and then.
The muscle-bound Marcus made a stronger impression on her, albeit in a negative way, because his abrasive mannerisms were already getting on Kaname's nerves. He was a bit too aggressive, a bit too rude, and a bit too eager to make his opinions known. She tried avoiding contact with him whenever possible. Perhaps she will grow to love the guy over time, but probably not, since her first impressions of people tended to last forever.
Kaname got along much better with the females. Bubbly Noda Megumi, or Nodame ("No-da-me!" She would repeat this until every person announced her name correctly), was all smiles and giggles from the start. The twenty-three-year-old pianist was currently studying abroad in France. She seemed infatuated with the brand new MP3 player around her neck, and it contained some classical melodies that nobody else had heard of before. Brahms who? Stravinsky who? Schubert, wasn't that some kind of dessert? Nodame felt awestruck at how little these people knew about her favourite hobby in the world. Then against, this was not the most musically inclined group of contestants.
Nami was an interesting character. Judging from the scars and tattoos all over her body, she appeared to be a fighter. Not just in the literal sense of the word, but this ruthless woman looked like she fought her way through a very difficult life. If Harima was the bad boy of the group (which he really wasn't), there was no doubt that Nami was the undisputed bad girl amongst the cast. No doubts about it, she was one tough motherfu-
Stopping in the middle of her thoughts, Kaname had to remind herself not to use such vulgar language around Chiyo, the youngest and tiniest player in the game. She was also the most adorable girl ever, but that went without saying. With her big round eyes and perky little pigtails, she pretty much epitomized the essence of all things cute. However, what made Chiyo endearing to so many people was her pleasant demeanour. Few people had ever met a girl as polite and well-mannered as her. The words 'please', 'sorry', and 'thank you' were the most commonly used in her vocabulary. She also showed no signs of superiority whatsoever which, considering her upbringing, was quite a feat.
"Don't let her pigtails fool you," Kyon smirked. "Chiyo just told us she's a university student…in America."
"So, you're one of those child geniuses?" Kaname raised an eyebrow.
"I'm just an ordinary girl. I'll be turning thirteen next month." Chiyo smiled modestly. She tried to play down her natural intelligence, which may come across as threatening to some people. "But I'm not really that smrat. I still have a lot to learn from everyone!"
Currently, there were four players absent from the group: Amy, Conway, Ogiue, and Satoshi. For whatever reason, they were still reading their letters inside the airport. It was Nami who first joked that the most 'suspicious' looking people took the longest time, but her observation was soon shared among several others. Nearly ten minutes had passed already, and it did seem strange that some people were still analyzing their short and straightforward letters.
Marcus had an interesting theory. He thought the letters were shady, and the people who took such a long time to read them were even shadier. In fact, he was almost ready to declare one of the absentees as the Mole, but that may be jumping the gun too quickly – even for an impulsive guy like him. Nonetheless, Marcus made it no secret that he trusted those four players the least.
"I think their letters might be different from ours!" Marcus exclaimed. He had a very loud and dominant voice. Whenever he spoke, nobody else could get a word into the conversation. "I'll be straight up with you guys. My letter had a bunch of profiles and that's it. Took me about a minute to read everything. I was the first one out of the airport." He folded his arms across his chest. "Why are they still inside? What the hell is there to read?"
"Maybe they wanted to memorize our profiles?" Chiyo suggested.
"Or maybe they're trying to memorize the instructions for our first mission." Marcus acted as if this was a dramatic revelation. "Ah, I bet those letters would take a long time to read!"
At that point, Marcus forced the other players to reveal the contents of their letters. He wanted to make sure the Mole was somebody still inside the airport. While a few people were reluctant to share information, everybody soon admitted to receiving a normal 'civilian' letter. In other words, they all received identical message, which in theory should prove that none of them was a potential suspect.
Yet, there was also the distinct possibility that somebody could be lying. If the Mole already infiltrated their group, he or she had every reason to conceal their hidden identity. Kaname understood this fact early on, and she cannot believe the simple-minded Marcus overlooked such an important characteristic of human nature. Of course people will lie, duh! Nobody was going to admit they had the Mole's letter. The guilty party will just pretend that he or she received the same message as everybody else. Thus, this interrogation approach was a vigilant effort that ultimately accomplished nothing.
Kaname, however, remained quiet during the discussion. She didn't like speaking with Marcus, who was so opinionated all the time. Plus, she quite enjoyed watching the buffoon make a total fool out of himself. The more he spoke, the dumber he appeared.
"I know what you guys are thinking. This proves nothing, right?" Marcus looked very proud of himself at the moment. "But what if we ask really specific questions? Like, what's the last sentence in our letters? Anyone who can't answer correctly must be the Mole!" He snapped his fingers conclusively. "We can find out who the Mole is just like that!"
"There's a possibility your plan could work, but I highly doubt it."
The mysterious, monotonous voice originated from the fire escape exit. The players turned around and saw Satoshi Hiwatari, who was walking towards the group in slow but sturdy strides. Short, pale skinned, and dressed in black attire, he would have looked like an ordinary (if slightly melancholy) teenager had his biography not stated otherwise. He was another child genius within the group. At the age of fourteen, Satoshi graduated from university with honours, and was made the chief commander of the police force. As his profile indicated, he was no ordinary teenager. He was certainly no ordinary competitor either.
Whereas Kaname was greeted with energetic smiles and laughter, the atmosphere changed drastically when Satoshi approached the group. Everybody fell silent, and some of them even looked a bit wary. It was because Satoshi carried an air of intelligence which, unlike Chiyo's natural genius, came across as very daunting. Yes, he was a smart guy, but everybody knew it. And most importantly, Satoshi knew it too. For that reason, these people had a difficult time trusting him. They thought he was a dangerous competitor. Or worse, they thought he made a very likely Mole.
"Sorry I took so long. I'm a meticulous reader." Satoshi seemed unaware of the hostility surrounding his presence. For all his analytical expertise, the teenager could never read people very well. He extended his hand towards Marcus, who reluctantly shook it. "Hello. My name is Satoshi Hiwatari, nice to meet you."
"Hey kid, what makes you think my plan won't work?" Marcus asked.
"Have you considered the scenario in which all of the letters are the same?" Satoshi scanned his eyes across the group. Judging by the blank looks on their faces, he could tell they had not thought about this possibility. Naturally, some of them didn't even understand what he meant at first.
"Huh?"
"What if the producers lied to us? What if the Mole was chosen prior to today?" Satoshi expanded on his answer. He spoke in a calm and quiet voice, which sounded very different from Marcus, yet it still accomplished a similar level of impact. Nobody could get a word into the conversation, but only because they were too busy listening to what Satoshi had to say. "This task was meant to cast unnecessary paranoia within our group, and it did exactly that."
Mumbles of excitement immediately scattered amongst the group. Everything seemed to make sense now. The competition was a glorified mind game after all, so of course the producers would pull off a stunt like this. The Mole may have been chosen long ago, which made these letters meaningless in essence. Yeah, that must be the reason. Several people nodded their heads to themselves. They were satisfied with this logical explanation. It made perfect sense, it comforted their anxieties, and it was good enough for them. Hey, that Satoshi kid is pretty smart!
Yet, Marcus did not back down from his stance. He was never one to admit that his opinions could be wrong.
"Hold on. Your theory sounds like one big convenient excuse." Marcus folded his arms across his chest, defensively. "What if you made up the whole thing just so we won't interrogate you about your letter? What if you're trying to hide something from us?"
"That's also a possibility," said Satoshi.
"Tell us what's in your letter, or we won't believe a word you say!" Marcus exclaimed in an accusatory manner.
Then, Satoshi did something unexpected. He smiled. Those who were acquainted with the teenage genius in real life should know that he rarely ever smiled. And it was not just any typical smile either. This was a confident smile. A triumphant smile. A devious smile.
"Why would I want to do something like that?" Satoshi asked.
"Aha! So, you're not innocent!" Marcus exclaimed.
"You can think whatever you want about me. I don't mind." Satoshi continued smiling, which only infuriated Marcus even more. "I never said I was guilty or innocent. That's a judgment you'll have to make on your own."
Marcus did not have a proper rebuttal, as expected. Meanwhile, the other contestants stared at Satoshi with a mixture of different emotions. Some were amused, others felt in awe of him, and a few seemed to be genuinely terrified of his intellect. After all, they just witnessed a mental smackdown on poor Marcus, who never stood a chance in this debate. Not once did the teenager lose his composure. Not once did he lose his train of thought. Not once did an uncalculated word or sentence leave his mouth. Although nobody knew how to describe it, there was something very eerie about Satoshi Hiwatari. He already established himself as a natural genius, a fierce competitor, and quite possibly the craftiest Mole ever.
In the end, there was no concrete evidence to determine whether Marcus or Satoshi was right. So, for the sake of harmony, the group decided to just let the matter rest.
Shortly after, Amy and Ogiue exited the airport one after the other. They were two of the quieter people in the group. In Amy's case, it was because she liked to think before she speaks. Ogiue, on the other hand, was just an introverted person. Either way, the contestants greeted both women with open arms. They were glad to have a change of pace after such a heavy discussion earlier.
Only one person remained in the airport afterwards. It took fifteen minutes after the letters were distributed for young Conway to join the rest of the group. He wore a somewhat tense smile on his face as he greeted his competitors, while apologizing for his prolonged absence.
"Sorry, I was in the washroom." Conway lifted his glasses suggestively and said nothing more.
The twelve contestants were reunited at last. While the conversations flowed and personal information was exchanged, nobody let their guards down for a single second. They remained constantly aware, constantly alert, and constantly on the lookout for suspicious behaviour. Eleven of them were legitimate players, who must work together in order to win up to a million dollars. But one person – the chosen one – will plot, scheme, and sabotage many upcoming missions, all in the name of the Mole.
* * *
8:30AM
* * *
When Misty felt certain all twelve letters were safely returned to her carrier bag, she approached the contestants with the next set of instructions. It was time to begin the first mission. First, the players were asked to divide themselves into two groups: men and women. Then, they will choose a representative from each group. Misty added that the chosen person should be a capable leader, or at least somebody who was courageous enough to lead by example.
Marcus volunteered for the position right away, no surprises there. The muscular man spoke up before anybody else had the chance to open their mouths. He was just the type of guy who would dive straight into danger without ever contemplating the situation or the consequences. Plus, he had that radiant energy about him. He looked like a leader, he spoke like a leader, and he acted like a leader. Marcus Damon was born a natural leader, which made this decision painfully predictable.
"I'm not certain if we should trust Marcus as the leader." Satoshi was the first and only person to oppose this self-elected candidacy. "From our discussion earlier, he seems like an impulsive individual who makes rather rash assumptions about his surroundings. It isn't the type of behaviour I'd attribute to a good leader."
"You…you…!" Marcus shook his fist at the teenager. He struggled with an adequate comeback. "You know what, you just shut up! Don't patronise me! What do you know about leadership anyway?"
"Hey, come on. Let's not argue. Play nice." Keiichi smiled weakly at the two men.
Despite stating his opinion, Satoshi did not press on this issue any further. He had enough restraint and awareness to know that arguing with an idiot was pointless. Especially an idiot as stubborn as Marcus Damon, who refused to accept the perspectives of others. It was either his way or the highway. If that man wanted to be the leader, nobody could stop him. Satoshi didn't mind. He believed that actions spoke louder than words. Everybody will see how good of a leader Marcus can be based on his performance in the mission today.
The choice was less political for the women, but it proved to be just as difficult. Nobody willingly stepped up for the role, even though more than a few of them possessed leadership material. Nami, as assertive as she may be, preferred to sit back and observe the first mission from afar. Nodame, the oldest woman in the game, showed no interest as well. Amy may have considered volunteering for a brief moment, but she was always so shy around strangers. As for Chiyo and Ogiue, the thought never crossed their minds at all. They assumed that somebody else will emerge as their leader in due time.
Kaname had no desire to be the female representative as much as the next person. The timing was too early, the situation was too foreign, and she was too annoyed with Marcus to be put in the same role as him. Yet, she waited too long in the airport for the first mission to start, and she did not want to stall time any longer. Thus, guided by her impatience, Kaname decided to volunteer for the position.
"Alright, alright, I'll do it." Kaname said with a small sigh. She hoped she wouldn't regret this decision later.
So, the representatives were chosen for both groups. Marcus for the males, and Kaname for the females. Then, Misty told the two of them to swap places, surprising everyone. Marcus smiled goofily as he stood by the ladies, while the guys were smiling too at Kaname's addition in their group.
"Everyone will be skydiving today." Misty announced. Ogiue and Conway tensed their expressions immediately. "You'll be divided into two planes with the groups you have right now. For every person who jumps, I'll add $1000 into the pot." She turned towards the two representatives. "Marcus and Kaname will be jumping first, but here's the catch. Yes, there's always one."
The players can tell from the mischievous grin on Misty's face there was an unpleasant surprise in the first mission. And they were right.
"The two of you will be skydiving naked. No clothes. Nada." Misty continued with her instructions, "Since the stakes are higher, you'll be playing for a larger sum of money. I'll add $10,000 to the pot if one of you jumps and $20,000 if both of you complete the task. Au naturel, of course." The host's smile widened. "If everyone jumps off the plane, you can earn a total of $30,000. Not bad for a day's work, huh?"
Misty waited for the group to respond or cry out in protest, but she was met with an awkward silence. Some people seemed to be snickering silently, while a few others looked mortified on the spot. Nobody spoke though. They didn't know what to say at a time like this. Their first mission entailed skydiving, nudity, and thirty grand into the pot. What a memorable way to begin the competition!
"Anyway, you've half an hour to decide if you want to go through with this mission or not. Good luck." Misty concluded.
The group was still stunned beyond belief. They all expected a skydiving mission, but none of them thought they'd have to do it in just their birthday suits. Suddenly, that confident smile on Marcus' face vanished. And Kaname didn't look too pleased either. Neither wanted to strip naked in front of some strangers they net met before. Even worse, they were put into groups with members of the opposite sex, just to make the situation even more squeamish and uncomfortable. It had been an intentional trap, as both representatives discovered a little too late, and now their courage will be put to the ultimate test.
"Well, I'm glad Kaname is on our plane." Kyon muttered quietly, breaking the ice.
There were some nervous giggles.
* * *
8:40AM
* * *
Conway sat in a corner of the room, eyes closed, hands wrapped around his knees. He rocked himself back and forth in an almost rhythmic fashion, as if he was under some sort of trance. He wished he was in a happier place, another place, any other place besides this dreaded airport. The young boy never rode on an airplane before. He couldn't even ride an escalator without his heart pounding a million beats per second. What do they call a fear of heights again? Vertigo? No, that was a famous Hitchcock movie. Pteromechanophobia? No, that was some ridiculous term he read on Wikipedia. Acrophobia? Oh yeah, that was it. Throughout his entire life, Conway struggled with an extreme case of acrophobia, which he was not prepared to overcome during the first mission. He was terrified about the skydiving today – absolutely terrified.
"When you take off your glasses, everything will be blurry." Satoshi told him.
"Yeah, what he said." Harima added, in a rather brisk and blunt manner. "Don't be such a coward."
If only the solution was as simple as taking off his glasses, but Conway's phobia was far more complex than that. The vast sky, the moving plane, and the depthless altitude weren't the only things bothering him. It was the idea of falling that caused Conway the most distress. He hated how he would be falling in midair, losing control over his body, plummeting to the ground and possibly straight into hell. Falling helplessly was a foreign sensation that he had no desire to experience. Even at his young age, Conway was a very cautious and neurotic boy.
However, the others could not empathize with him. They were all so excited about participating in this mission. Well, maybe not Kaname, who stomped into the dressing room still a little pissed off about the whole nudity aspect. But the men were ready. They were more than ready to make the plunge. After all, how many times in their lives will they get the opportunity to jump off an airplane? How likely was it that they will be given this opportunity ever again? Why would anyone want to miss out on this amazing opportunity of a lifetime?
It was just as Harima said. Anybody who did not participate in this mission was a coward – a wimpy, snivelling, unmanly coward.
"I don't think cowardly is the right word to describe this situation." Conway sounded defensive in his excuse. "It's just that my body feels…queasy when I look down from a high place. This isn't like walking down a flight of stairs. We're talking about a couple of thousand feet above the ground!" He lowered his voice to a daunting whisper. "Aren't you afraid we might break our necks and be paralyzed for the rest of our lives?"
"Well, if you put it that way…" Keiichi chuckled.
"Enough!" Harima shouted, slamming his fist on a nearby wall. More specifically, it was a wall adjacent to Kaname's dressing room, which caused the poor girl to shriek in fright. "We aren't on the plane yet and you're already a mess! Get a hold of yourself, Conway! Be a real man! Grow some frickin' balls!"
"My balls have nothing to do with my fear of heights!" Conway retorted. It took him a couple of seconds to realize that he uttered something completely nonsensical, but by then it was too late to retract his words.
"Man, this conversation just took a nosedive." Kyon muttered to himself.
And this was how Conway ended up in a corner by himself, wallowing in self-doubt and worrisome thoughts. Per his request, the others respectfully left him alone, but that did not mean they supported his decision. Conway tried to evade their disapproving glances. It was no use, however, since he already felt like he disappointed the group. The peer pressure was getting to him. He didn't want to let his team down. He didn't want them to think he was useless right off the bet. He didn't want anybody to distrust him in the upcoming missions.
At his age, Conway felt rather inexperienced about life compared to everybody else. On one hand, he would love to step out of his comfort zone and expand his horizons. There won't be many adventures like these in the future, if ever again. On the other hand, he just couldn't get the fear out of his psyche. Heights, bad! Jumping, bad! Skydiving, very bad! Then, he had to worry about the mission itself. He might not be competing for a big sum of money, but quitting a mission wasn't the best way to build first impressions. What to do, what to do, what should Conway do?
"Hey there, don't get worked up about it."
When Conway looked up, he felt surprised that it wasn't the voice of an angel as he originally envisioned. Instead, the pleasant words came from none other than Keiichi Morisato – gentle voice, gentle smile, and gentle guy. Sensing a person in distress, the twenty-one-year-old college student walked over to the young boy and offered him some comforting advice.
"Do what feels right in your heart. Don't let the others pressure you." Keiichi smiled as he gave Conway's shoulder a light squeeze. Truth be told, he was using every old cliché in the book, but nobody ever said that his advice had to be original. "If you aren't comfortable with jumping, then don't do it. Simple as that."
"But I don't want to let anyone down." Conway sighed.
"The decision is yours. Don't worry about what anyone thinks of you." Keiichi said in a calm and pleasant manner. "They jump, that's their problem. You just deal with what you feel."
What did Conway feel at the moment? There was a chaos of emotions going through his head right now. Fear, most prominently. He also felt a sense of dread lingering within him. Yet, underneath it all, there was pride. This mission was turning into an issue between him and his ego. Conway didn't want to feel like a weakling, a pushover, a coward. He did not seek nor care about the approval of others. What he wanted was to prove something to himself. He wanted to prove that he was strong, he was capable, and he was a risk taker.
In this mission, Conway wanted to prove that he was a real man – a man who may pee his pants while skydiving, but still a man nonetheless.
"You know what? I think I'll give it a try. Why not?" Conway flashed his companion a weak smile. Somehow, he managed to find the right motivation to skydive during this short conversation. "I feel like I need to do this, or I'll be disappointing myself."
"If that's what you want, then go for it." Keiichi smiled back.
"Plus, a naked woman sounds like an alluring incentive, heheheh." Conway said with a slight chuckle. He was proud to admit that his motivations had not been entirely wholesome.
"Yeah, I guess there's always that aspect…" Keiichi's smile weakened a little.
On the other side of the room, Harima cast a suspicious glare at Conway and Keiichi's direction. He couldn't hear the conversation that transpired between the two men, but he had reasonable doubt that Keiichi might be up to no good. It wasn't because the college student had an unfavourable reputation. In fact, it was the exact opposite. Keiichi was known as the quintessential nice guy of the group, charming everyone with his harmless smiles and benign attitude. But while most nice guys finished last, sometimes they can be the Mole too. Harima understood that just because somebody was friendly, it did not exempt them from all suspicion.
So, he decided to give Keiichi a little warning.
"HEY!!! You better not talk him out of it!" Harima hollered. As an afterthought, he added, "I'm watching you!"
"Keiichi was consoling me!" Conway jumped to his companion's defence.
"Like hell I'll buy that excuse!" Harima snapped back.
Feeling somewhat confused, Keiichi laughed at the remark instead of responding back. He patted Conway on the shoulder one last time before he got up and walked away. Then, all of a sudden, he froze in his tracks. He could hear the dressing room door opening behind him. Keiichi turned around, not intentionally, but he wouldn't have regretted it even if he did.
Because Chidori Kaname, wrapped in a teensy little white towel, was definitely meant to be a head-turning sight.
She blushed at first, how could she not? She even felt a little flattered. All of the men stopped what they were doing and turned their curious gazes towards her. Some immediately looked away, but there were a few who continued to gawk at her with bewildered eyes. And who could blame them? She was such a gorgeous girl with her creamy white skin, curvy physique, and those long slender legs. Can a man be faulted if he wanted to enjoy this mesmerizing view for just another moment?
Apparently yes.
In a seemingly innocent voice, and with the sweetest of smiles on her face, Kaname said to the men:
"Look at me for one more second, and I swear to god I'll rip your eyes out."
* * *
8:50AM
* * *
Ogiue decided that she won't jump out of the airplane.
It was a done deal. She apologized profusely for her lack of courage, but the young college student knew there was no way she can go through with the mission. Call her a coward, call her a saboteur. Ogiue knew herself better than anybody else. She knew she just couldn't conquer her number one fear of heights. And for the most part, her team members were incredibly understanding about her predicament. Perhaps the group lacked a vocal dissenter like Harima, or an empathetic motivator like Keiichi, but none of the women seemed too concerned that Ogiue was not skydiving. In fact, they consoled her with smiles, hugs, and pats on the back. They didn't push the issue too much. After all, nobody should be forced to do anything unwillingly, right?
"Sorry…" Ogiue muttered, hanging her head in shame.
"You don't need to apologize to us." Amy spoke in a soothing, soft-pitched voice. "If you're uncomfortable, nobody is going to force you to skydive. Money isn't everything. We have plenty of other opportunities to win some in the future." She flashed a gentle smile. "Please don't worry about it!"
Then, Chiyo did the same thing.
The youngest contestant followed Ogiue's example and also decided that she wasn't in the mood for skydiving today. She was not the biggest fan of airplanes. Plus, she had absolutely no desire to be on board with a naked man. It was a reasonable, if somewhat childish, objection considering the source. Chiyo was so young and innocent and oh-so-precious. Never mind the fact that she was much more worldly than she lets on, everybody thought the little girl must be protected from any corruptive influences. So, the group agreed it was for the best if Chiyo backed out of the mission as well.
"I feel terrible for letting the group down!" Chiyo's lips quivered. She looked as if she was on the verge of tears.
"You haven't disappointed anyone, Chiyo. No one is blaming you. We all understand." Amy smiled again. Whenever she spoke, she never once lost her grace, her serenity, and most importantly, her patience. "What's important is that we keep a positive attitude. As long as we try our best, whether we succeed or fail, that's what counts in the end!"
But she didn't try at all!
As much of a straight-shooter as Nami could be sometimes, she didn't verbalize her thoughts on this occasion – although it was tempting, very tempting to give these people a piece of her mind. She felt immensely frustrated with how the mission was progressing so far. In short, Ogiue and Chiyo were both quitters. Whether the reason was a fear of heights or a fear of naked men, the results were still the same. They lost $2000 already because two people refused to do the mission. And in Nami's opinion, that was just unforgivable.
The worst part, however, was Amy Mizuno. She actively supported these quitters with meaningless flattery and tedious consolation, almost as if she was praising them for doing squat in the mission. She was just the type of person who would give out those useless participation awards in a competition (except Ogiue and Chiyo didn't even bother to participate). And she was just the type of person that infuriated Nami the most.
"Amy is my polar opposite." Nami would later state in her video confessional, "I predict the two of us won't be getting along."
Nami had promised herself not to make any enemies on the first day, which was the reason why she bit her tongue so many times in the last fifteen minutes. She didn't want the group to turn against her already. Still, it was difficult to teach an old dog new tricks. Nami couldn't refrain herself from letting out a sarcastic quip every now and then.
"Well, that's $2000 gone right there. We're off to a great start." Nami rolled her eyes. "At least the rest of us are jumping."
Perhaps she spoke too soon. At that moment, Marcus walked out of the dressing room, clad in only his underwear. He was one layer of clothing away from the full monty, but the young leader was having second thoughts about the task. He had no qualms about the skydiving part, but he wasn't so sure about stripping buck naked in front of five cute girls. He wasn't comfortable with the nudity aspect, period. What would his friends and family think about this? What if the video footage leaked to the Internet? What if the weather outside was extremely cold?
"Hey girls…" Marcus began, but he was immediately interrupted. Chiyo squeaked at the sight of the man in his underwear. She turned around, blushing like crazy. Ignoring her reaction, he continued, "I'm not comfortable doing this, ya know?" Marcus rubbed his neck. He hoped they'd understand. "Naked skydiving is weird. I don't want to expose my junk to the whole world."
"Are you chickening out?" Nami asked.
"I want to do the skydiving! I'd do the skydiving bit in a heartbeat!" Marcus argued vehemently, "I'm just not ready to do it…naked…and in front of all you women."
Un-believe-able! Nami was on the verge of snapping out loud. This was their third quitter, not to mention it was a full grown adult man to boot.
When Ogiue and Chiyo backed out of the mission, Nami remained passive because losing $2000 didn't seem like a big deal in the grand scheme of things. Whatever. The group can earn that money in another mission. Marcus, on the other hand, was playing for ten times the amount of everybody else. So, quite understandably, Nami felt unenthusiastic about supporting his decision to quit. Besides, wasn't he the one who proclaimed his love for thrills and adventures earlier? What changed his mind from then to now?
"It just doesn't feel right." Marcus added, shaking his head.
"Will it help if we get naked too? So that Marcus doesn't feel alone?" Nodame suggested.
Amy and Nami simultaneously whipped their heads around, glaring at the pianist, as if to silence her. They didn't like her idea for obvious reasons, since they'd earn the same amount of money whether they participated in the mission naked or not. If there was a choice, both women preferred to keep their clothes and dignity intact.
"I'm not comfortable with being naked around other women." Marcus sighed and shook his head again. He was too preoccupied with himself to take advantage of the situation.
"There are lots of cameras around as well." Nami reminded him, quite cheekily. "Don't forget the cameras and the adoring public."
"Nami! Don't say things that discourage him!" Amy frowned a little.
"I'm not discouraging the guy. I just want him to realize the full consequences of his actions."
"But you're making him scared!"
"I'm not scared! Just uncomfortable!" Marcus interjected.
"Come on. Don't be such a girl. Show us your balls." Nami was grinning.
"I think I hate you." Marcus turned away.
Throughout this whole exchange, Ogiue didn't add a single word. In fact, she wasn't paying any attention to the conversation at all. She was too busy enjoying the guilty pleasure of staring at Marcus in all (or most of) his glory. Unlike the other women, she was quite comfortable with the sight of naked men, given her perverse interest in yaoi. A naked man? Pfft. Been there, saw that, and even sketched a few of them in her college art classes. Too bad Ogiue already said she wouldn't participate in the mission, because Marcus had a really buff body. She could look at him all day long.
I'm a disgusting girl. Ogiue thought to herself, blushing immensely. And yet, she couldn't help but wonder how Marcus' manhood will compare to her boyfriend's. She knew her yaoi experience will be enriched if she had a better understanding of the male anatomy. Now, she was feeling curious. She really wanted to see it. She was even able to overlook her fear of heights since she was so eager to see her object of desire.
As innocent as Ogiue looked, this yaoi fan can have a very dirty mind.
While one woman's thoughts turned to the gutter, another's imagination ran wild in a different direction. Nodame, the bubbly and free-spirited pianist, had always been a very creative person. Her earlier suggestion, getting everybody on the plane to strip naked, was struck down as promptly as it was brought up. That setback, however, did not stop her from thinking of other ways to complete the mission.
"What if…" Nodame had a slight twinkle in her eyes. "What if Marcus is the only person who skydives? What if the rest of us don't accompany him on the plane?"
Nami glared at the pianist again, but this time she was the only one. Amy was actually contemplating the idea in her head. It seemed realistic and practical. This way, Marcus will feel comfortable enough to do the mission. Sure, they'd lose $5000 if none of the women skydived, but it was better than losing $10,000 if the lone man opted out instead. The group can sacrifice a little money for the greater good. Under the given circumstances, this was the optimal solution for everybody. Thus, Amy nodded her head in approval.
"Marcus, if it makes you feel more comfortable…" Amy began.
Oh hell no!
"Hold on, I object!" Nami waved her arm in the air to get everybody's attention. She could predict how Amy was going to finish the rest of her sentence. "I don't know about Marcus, but I'd like to do the skydiving, thank you very much! I won't just wait here and let him have all the fun!"
"We're trying to maximize our winnings!" Amy argued.
"Look, Marcus can still skydive if he wants to. He just has to do it naked." Nami smirked. She couldn't hold back anymore. So much for not making any enemies on the first day. "But I'm not going to let him ruin my experience. I really want to skydive! I won't get another opportunity like this again!"
Amy bit her lips. She thought the group finally thought of an ideal arrangement for everyone, but Nami was unwilling to compromise. It was actually quite funny from an objective point of view – Marcus refused to get on the plane, while Nami refused to get off the plane. If only they could swap places! Amy bit her lips even harder. That would have been the best solution for everyone, but alas.
"I don't want to force you to do anything that makes you uncomfortable." Amy turned to Marcus with a soft sigh. "But I don't have any better ideas. The best I can offer you is a promise. I promise you that we won't peek. We'll all close our eyes. We won't look at anything."
"Or maybe there's nothing to look at." Nami added.
Marcus shot her an annoyed glare. This impish looking woman was quickly getting on his shit list with her snippy remarks.
"Nami!" Amy scolded, "Whose side are you on? You're acting like you don't want us to win the money!"
"Hey, at least I'm participating." Nami shrugged her shoulders. At least she was doing more than Chiyo or Ogiue in this mission. At least she was willing to skydive.
"Gimme a few more minutes to think about it." Marcus said in a dejected voice as he walked back into the dressing room. As his friend Yoshi would say, this was the worst. Oh, how he wished he was on the other plane! With the beautiful, and possibly naked, Kaname Chidori…
* * *
8:54AM
* * *
While Marcus was still mulling over his decision, Nodame stepped aside to record a one-on-one confessional with the producers.
"Hellooo~" Nodame smiled as she sat in front of the camera. The production crew smiled back. They all adored her. She had a way of endearing herself to people in her special, quirky way. "I don't know what I'm supposed to do here. Should I just start…babbling?"
At twenty three years old, Nodame was one of the oldest contestants in the game, even though she did not necessarily act her age. She was 'an immature child trapped in an adult woman's body', as her boyfriend would say. In her spare time, the pianist liked watching children's cartoons and playing video games. At one point, she even wanted to be a kindergarten teacher before she settled into a music school overboard. With all due respect, most people would agree that Nodame was not the most normal girl. Growing up, she had always viewed the world a little differently from everybody else. She liked to think outside the box, and it was for this reason why she got the first confessional in the competition.
"Hi Nodame, we're going to ask you a couple of questions, okay? Just relax and be yourself. You'll do fine." One of the producers explained.
Nodame gave him a thumbs-up gesture, signalling the question period to start.
"So, what did you think about the first mission?"
"I think you just wanted to see some skin." Nodame deadpanned, "I think y'all are a bunch of perverts, am I right?"
"Umm. Please, Nodame, please stay on topic." The producer, who looked embarrassed, did not know how to respond to that shockingly bold accusation. He tried his best to clarify the meaning, or at least change the awkward subject. "I'm asking you about your opinions on your fellow contestants in this mission."
"Oh."
She thought about her answer for a while. After spending the last half hour or so together, Nodame developed her fair share of opinions about the other players, which she was glad to share with the cameras. Unsurprisingly, she turned her attention towards the man who stood out the most. Marcus Damon, the only man in the group, had already caused a few waves here and there since the game began. First, he got involved in a heated debate with Satoshi. Then, he contemplated quitting in the first mission. The fact that Marcus was so loud, brash, and aggressive made his presence even more prominent. How could anyone not notice him?
"Marcus might be the Mole." Nodame began her answer with another daring accusation. She was not one to hold back with her words. "Well, I sure don't envy his position right now. I can't imagine how I'd feel about stripping naked in front of so many strangers." She paused. "But then again, I think he made a big fuss over nothing. He's a guy, he looks pretty in shape, so I don't understand why he has anything to hide. He's the last person I'd expect to be so…shy about nudity. I dunno. It seems suspicious to me."
Another player who stood out was Ogiue. She rested on the opposite end of the spectrum. Quiet, meek, and passive; this girl barely spoke more than a few words thus far. Nobody would have noticed her if she wasn't the first person to quit the mission. Since then, Nodame kept a close eye on Ogiue. The quiet ones were always the most suspicious.
"Ogiue is afraid of heights, or so she says." Nodame rubbed her chin in a thoughtful manner. "My senpai is also afraid of airplanes, and I know first-hand it's a fear that you can't really fake. She looked genuinely terrified at the prospect of skydiving, but I dunno. I can't say how good her acting skills are…"
Nodame let her voice trail as her mind wandered elsewhere. She couldn't talk about one quitter without mentioning the other.
"Chiyo didn't participate either, but she's not on my radar for some reason. May be it's because she's the youngest, so she gets a free pass in all the missions. I think that girl can get away with murder using those puppy dog eyes." Nodame squealed. "She's just tooooo adorable!"
"Wait, let's backtrack for a bit. You mentioned something about your senpai earlier. Who is he again?" The producer asked.
"I'm glad you asked." Nodame grinned. Without missing a beat, she replied, "He's the father of my six future children. Four girls and two twin boys. All musicians, of course."
"Nodame, you don't actually have any kids."
"Ah, it's all in due time! I'll get knocked up soon! A girl can dream, right?"
"Um, okay then…"
Her boyfriend, her precious Chiaki-senpai, wouldn't have completed this mission even if they paid him a million dollars. Nodame was always the free-spirited one in their relationship. The bold one. The daring one. The one who was eager to try new exciting adventures. The one who was willing to jump out of an airplane from thousands of feet above the ground.
"Anyway, let's get back on topic." The producer cleared his throat. "What about Amy and Nami? Did you sense any tension between those two?"
"They're like complete opposites." Nodame said, nodding her head to herself. "Amy is so kind and polite, but you know, she was sort of enabling the quitters. Like, she didn't persuade any of them to do the mission." She paused. "And Nami, well, she's even worse. She was discouraging Marcus with those snarky comments. I mean, she could've kept her opinions to herself. It wouldn't have hurt anyone if she kept her trap shut. But nooo, she had to verbalize her feelings anyway." Nodame laughed a little. "I thought both of them were acting strange in the mission. Actually, everybody was acting a little corky today. Even me."
The producer then asked her if the Mole was at work during the first mission. She replied 'yes' without any hesitation.
"Yep, I believe there was some shady sabotage from the Mole!" Nodame's big doe eyes widened as she spoke. "I hope it's not too early, but I think the people in my group are all suspicious. Every single one of them. I just don't know who is the guiltiest yet."
On the first day, Nodame effectively narrowed down the field to five suspects: Amy, Chiyo, Marcus, Nami, and Ogiue. Somebody in this group had to be the saboteur.
But who could it be?
* * *
11:22AM
* * *
Here was Kaname, sitting in a small private jet, completely buck naked. She was accompanied by her five male team members, all of whom had their eyes closed, and with their backs facing the naked beauty. The men were under strict orders that if they so much turn around to take a glance, something very terrible will happen to them. Something that they will regret for the rest of their lives...for whatever amount of time they remained alive anyway.
"Parachute or not, I will throw you off the plane. I will murder you if I catch any of you looking. Got that?" Kaname warned.
"Yes ma'am." The men mumbled in unison. She didn't sound like she was kidding.
When Kaname signed up for this game, she never imagined a scenario where she would willingly strip naked in front of five guys she never met before. But for the sake of $10,000, this gutsy high school student was prepared to check her pride out of the door. Besides, it wasn't like she had anything to be ashamed about. Among the consensus from the men, Kaname was easily the most attractive girl in the game. Beautiful blue hair, vibrant face, infectious smile, smoking body, long athletic legs...this girl had the whole package.
"Are you ready?" A production assistant asked her.
"Yeah. Let's do this!" Kaname nodded her head.
The high school student slowly made her way to the edge of the plane. She took a deep breath when she realized how high up in the air she was. Twelve thousand five hundred feet from the ground, to be precise. Yikes. Kaname had been so concerned about the nudity aspect that she didn't take into full consideration that she was jumping off a frickin' plane! That sure straightened out her priorities. It wasn't until she actually peered down below that Kaname realized she could possibly be plummeting to her death. Dead at the age of seventeen. The good ones always died young.
Kaname shook her head slightly, ridding herself from these morbid thoughts. She had gone too far into the mission already. She already took off her clothes, got on the plane, and had all the equipment – as well as her personal jumpmaster – attached to her body. It was definitely too late to call it quits now. Kaname reassured herself that she had nothing to worry about. Earlier, she had gone through a vigorous training session where they taught her the basics of skydiving. She watched the videos, learned the techniques, and had a personal guarantee from her instructor that nothing will go wrong.
"This is going to be fun." She smiled. Better focus on the positives rather than the negatives.
"Good luck, Kaname!" One of the men shouted from behind.
"Thanks, guys."
After some last minute instructions, where she was reminded to concentrate on her breathing and when exactly she should release her parachute in case of an emergency, Kaname was ready for the dive. That was when her senses all kicked in at once – the loud buzzing sound of the plane engine, the gagging smell of the fuel, the horrifying sight of the heights below. Oh. My. God. She was really going to do this. In a matter of seconds, she was actually going to jump off a plane.
"On a count of three..."
One.
Kaname whispered a quick prayer under her breath.
Two.
She thought about Sousuke, and what he would say if he saw her now.
Three.
Kaname made the leap.
The men knew from her terrified yet jubilant scream that Kaname had just won them ten thousand dollars.
"Is she gone yet?" Keiichi asked a few seconds later. He still had his eyes closed, just in case.
"Yeah, she's gone. You guys can turn around now." Kyon confirmed. One by one, the other men sighed in relief. Including Conway, whose glasses were confiscated by Kaname before they boarded the plane. "We don't have to worry about being killed anymore."
"I didn't think she would do it. She proved me wrong," said Satoshi.
"What a girl." Harima whistled.
"So, now that she's gone..." Kyon turned his attention to his male companions. He wore a slightly sheepish smile on his face. "Who else took a peek?"
Conway was the first to snicker, followed by Harima, and eventually Keiichi. Pretty soon, four of the men burst into guilty laughter. They were in hysterics. Despite Kaname's earlier vehement threats, there was one thing about the male species that she simply could not control. Boys will always be boys.
* * *
11:27AM
* * *
Amy greeted her friend with a towel as soon as Kaname arrived at the landing zone, safe and sound. Nodame was there as well, while the others decided to wait at the airport. Kaname unattached her equipment, thanked her instructor, and then wrapped the towel around her body. She grinned excitedly at the other girls.
"Oh. My. God." Kaname laughed. Just that reaction alone can summarize her feelings. "That was amazing!"
If she was asked to describe her experience in one word: breathtaking. It was absolutely breathtaking. Kaname recalled the rush of adrenaline from the moment she stepped off the plane. Sure, she instinctively closed her eyes at first, but once she opened them a few seconds later, that was when she captured the full majestic sensation of flying in the air. She felt the wind, the sky, and the freedom all at once. She felt liberated.
"That was the best thing ever. Put me on the plane again! I want to do it again!" Kaname exclaimed enthusiastically.
"You looked like you had a lot of fun." Amy smiled.
"I did!" Kaname's face was beaming. She turned towards her companions and inquired about their experiences. "Your group went already, right? How did it go?"
The other two women exchanged smiles with each other. They, along with Nami, had made the plunge a while ago. It had been as fun as Kaname described. Well, at least the adventurous Nami and the free-spirited Nodame felt that way. As for Amy, she joked about the reason they called it an once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. Once was a thrilling experience, but she probably wouldn't want to jump off another airplane ever again. She'll save that activity for adventure seekers and actions stars on the big screen. No more skydiving for Amy Mizuno, thank you very much. Once was more than enough.
Unfortunately, three members of their group did not participate, which meant they only added $3000 into the pot as opposed to a whooping $15,000. Kaname's jaw dropped when she heard the news. She could almost understand why Chiyo or Ogiue did not jump, but Marcus? He was the guy who professed his love for all adventures! She was certain that he'd make the plunge!
"He gets into fistfights with dangerous monsters, but he won't show his buttocks to a few girls." Nodame smiled goofily as she said the word 'buttocks'. Hehe. What a funny word. "Hmm, it makes you wonder."
"If there's any consolation, I'm sure my boys are all jumping. Even Conway." Kaname reported.
Right on cue, the women heard a piercing scream in the sky. They watched a distant yellow-and-green figure plummet from the plane. It was Conway, screaming on the top of his lungs, while he enjoyed the best experience of his life. The parachute opened mid-air, but that did not cease his screaming. Conway couldn't help it. These were the screams of genuine terror, the screams of genuine anxiety, and also the screams of genuine joy. After all, he overcame his fear of heights during this mission. Conway had every right to scream as loud as he wanted.
"AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!! AHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!"
"Go Conway! Go Conway!" Nodame cheered on the sidelines, pumping her fist into the air.
"AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!! HELPME! OHMYGOD! HELPME! AHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!"
"As I was saying…" Kaname shifted her attention back to the other women. "I didn't think anyone would back out from the mission! Wow!" She shook her head a few times in disbelief. "And Marcus, of all people! What happened to him?"
"He must feel terrible for letting the group down," said Amy.
"Not unless he's the Mole. He's probably laughing his buttocks off and giving high-fives to the producers right now." Nodame looked confident with what she was saying. "Marcus lost the first mission. That sounds like something a good Mole would do."
* * *
11:33AM
* * *
Kaname immediately sat down for an interview to capture her feelings on camera. It had been a couple of minutes since she jumped off the plane, but that elated and totally overwhelmed sensation would last for hours to come. Judging from the way she spoke, the high school student was, quite understandably, still on cloud nine.
"Man, I still can't believe I did it! I actually jumped off a plane! A frickin' plane! Naked!" Kaname laughed.
She was certain this would be one of the highlights in her journey, although Kaname anticipated even greater adventures to come in the future.
"To be honest, I didn't want to do it at first. I mean, I didn't look forward to being naked in front of five guys and a million cameras. First impressions are really important in this game. I don't want these people to remember me as the 'naked skydiving girl' right off the bet." Kaname chuckled a little. "But my gut tells me, no matter how much time has passed, I'm never going to live this down."
Oh well. Kaname shrugged her shoulders nonchalantly. Not only was she a gutsy girl, but she also demonstrated remarkable sportsmanship. Her initial embarrassment will turn into a nonissue soon enough.
"I guess I'm the type of person who likes to try everything that life has to offer. After all, I only get to live once. And this is quite obviously an once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. C'mon, I'm a high school student! What are the chances of me skydiving in my everyday life? This is a mind-blowing experience! It's why I signed up for the game in the first place. I love trying out new experiences!"
When asked about how the other players will perceive her from now on, Kaname hoped they'll see her as an adventurous girl who will devote herself in all of the missions. Hopefully, they will see her as a motivated team player and a very tough competitor. Hopefully, they will trust her.
"I'm putting my one hundred percent in every mission, because I want to win as much money as possible. Yeah, I'm here for the experience, but the money is pretty good incentive too!" Kaname laughed at the thought of winning up to potentially a million dollars. "And I, like everybody else here, will do just about anything to win the grand prize. After skydiving buck naked, there's nothing in this game that can faze me anymore."
She flashed a determined grin at the camera.
"So…bring it on, Mole! I'm ready for you!"
* * *
END OF PART 1
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Author's Notes:
Hello, new readers. Hello again, returning readers. I hope you all enjoyed the first chapter of The Mole: Anime Edition 2.0. The next chapter (Part 2) will be posted two weeks from now, and all subsequent updates will also follow a biweekly schedule. Please feel free to track these updates using the convenient Story Alert system below. Alternatively, you may visit my website for an even more interactive experience.
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Once again, thank you for reading the story. I hope you are ready for a long and exciting journey in the upcoming months!