The rest of that evening passed in restful contentment. Although they were engrossed in the practical mundanities of grocery shopping it was clear the whole time that Hisao had played Lilly's heartstrings like a – well, like a stringed instrument of your choice. Although Hisao was greatly pleased with how proceedings were developing on that front, there was still a certain issue to be resolved. After Hisao had said his goodbyes to Lilly in front of the dorms, he retreated to his room to make a phone call. Or, at least, he tried to, but as he was opening his door...

"Hisao! Hisao, my man, that is you, isn't it?"

Hisao wondered whether Kenji's eyesight was so bad that he could just slip soundlessly into his room and leave Kenji thinking he'd been seeing things.

"Ah, it IS you!" Damn. "My good man, I've been hearing disturbing things about you! Apparently you've joined forces with those harridans in the Student Council?"

Hisao decided to go on the offensive: he urgently needed to make that call and playing passively could only prolong this tortuous experience. "Only as a means of reconnaissance, comrade: by planting myself as a sleeper agent in the nerve-centre of their operations, I can keep you informed of any alarming developments."

Kenji reacted favourably to this, rubbing his hands in a way that made Hisao picture him as a stereotypical 1920s villain. "Ah, well played sir! Position to destroy the enemy from within, yes, very wise. Just be careful though that you do not fall prey to their lascivious charms: these females will indubitably stop at nothing to enslave you." Hisao had difficulty containing the words 'lascivious charms' and 'Shizune' in his head simultaneously but pressed on regardless.

"Fear not, Kenji: there is too much at stake here for me to let down my guard so easily." Loath though he was to get anywhere nearer to the strange hermit, Hisao felt the need to place his hand on Kenji's shoulder as a sergeant might on his subordinate's shoulder, just to complete the illusion. The fact that there really was a lot at stake here, for Hisao at least, made it easy for him to sound convincing.

"I shan't worry," said Kenji, taking hold of Hisao's hand with his own in what he probably imagined was a gesture of brotherly cameraderie, but which actually made Hisao feel like washing his hands as soon as possible. "I can see you've got your head screwed on right, soldier: it was a bright day for Yamaku Academy when you strolled through those gates. Continue on and let me know if you dig up anything of use, okay?"

"Aye-aye." Hisao felt the urge to salute, but decided it might be just a little bit too over the top. "See you when I do."

"Right, goodbye for now."

Hisao marched through his open door with his head held high and chest thrust out, closed it behind him and immediately deflated against the wall. Why oh why had he been given the singularly most annoying dorm-mate in the entire universe? Still, there were more important things to focus on now: Hisao pulled out his phone and called Akira.

The first sound Hisao heard upon the call being accepted was an explosion, very loud and very close. As the phone was raised to Akira's ear Hisao heard orders being yelled out, death-threats in various languages and bullets flying in equal measure.

"Heeey, Hisao m'boy. How's it going?" Akira sounded as though Hisao had just caught her having a brewskie on the beach.

"Uh – Akira? Is this a bad time?" asked Hisao, the colour draining from his face.

"There could be worse times. What's up?" This last sounded a bit distracted as though Akira was concentrating on something else. The report of a semi-automatic assault rifle rang out close to the phone: in the distance a cry of agony followed.

"Yeah, uh, it's about one of the girls I'm supposed to capture. You didn't tell me-"

"Just a sec, they've surrounded me." There was a soft clunk as Akira laid down the phone, followed by what could only be the sound of a sword being drawn from its sheath. The next few seconds were a confusing cacophony of gunshots, screams of terror and pain and dull thuds that sounded not entirely unlike bodies and their dismembered parts hitting the floor. Hisao stood there listening to it, partly out of want for anything else to do but also because he was simply stunned by the sonic ultraviolence being channelled to him through the phone.

The noises stopped very abruptly: the only sounds echoing out in the deafeningly silent aftermath were a few spent shell-casings tinkling onto the floor. There was a strange 'whoosh' noise followed by a spattering of what Hisao could only assume to be blood, then the quick slide-and-stop of a blade being sheathed. Stiddaroli footsteps walked back towards the phone.

"Hey, sorry about that," said Akira. There was an audible crack as of someone working out a crick in their neck. "It's been a busy day at the office."

"...So I heard," said Hisao, pulling himself out of his stunned reverie.

"But yeah. Out with it, boy, what do you want?"

Hisao swallowed. "It's about Lilly."

"Oh, my sister?" said Akira jovially. "You've met her?"

"She's on the list."

The silence that followed felt to Hisao a million times more dangerous than the violence that had immediately preceded it.

"...I was afraid this might happen." Pause. "Hisao, I need to talk to you in person: this is not a discussion we can have over the phone. I'm a bit far away at the moment, but I'll be back in Japan by tomorrow. Can you meet me on the roof after your classes are done?"

"Sure." Hisao felt his lips almost cracking from how dry they were. "...You're not angry with me, are you?"

"Oh, I'm angry all right, but not at you." Akira laughed, her light tone re-establishing itself. "You have nothing to fear from me, boy: killing you – at least, before you complete your contract – would be more than my job's worth. Not to mention, now that I've learned this..."

This silence lasted a couple of seconds. "Akira?"

"Hm? Oh, right. So yeah, like I said: meet me on the roof of the main building after school tomorrow. I'll make you privy to some facts that I felt you didn't need to know before." Off in the distance, an alarm sounded: the sound of running footsteps pounded through the corridors. Akira chuckled. "I'd better get going: ain't no rest for the wicked, as they say. See you soon, Hisao."

"All right... have fun," he added weakly.

Akira seemed to appreciate the gesture. "When do I not?" she replied wickedly.

beeeeeeeeeee...