Nico feels rather energetic today. It's probably because she slept for 8 hours instead of four like she usually does. As she walks towards the subway station, she silently hums an old but familiar melody.
If someone were to hear her right now and ask what she was humming, she's not sure she could give an answer. She's been humming that song on her way to school almost every day when she wasn't dead tired.
She's been singing that song as a lullaby to her siblings almost every single night. She doesn't remember when she heard that melody for the first time, or when she started singing it as well.
All she remembers is the person whom she heard it from.
That nearly a decade long memory leaves a bitter aftertaste in Nico's mouth, so she stops humming that melody and quietly sings a pop song she just heard the other day. Nico ignores the occasional strange looks other people give her.
What is so wrong about singing to yourself, anyways? It's not like you are only allowed to sing in front of a huge crowd.
The subway is relatively peaceful today. No angry couples shouting at each other, no annoying middle school kids listening to English pop songs at full volume they can't even understand.
Nico is sitting right next to a middle aged man. Normally there'd be nothing unusual about this, but actually sitting on the subway is a very rare occurance. Usually, by the time Nico gets on, every seat is occupied. And no one really wants to give their seat to Nico. Even the men are too busy reading newspapers. They don't even notice the people standing in front of them.
The man next to Nico is no different. He is reading a newspaper, precisely an article about the latest discoveries of the scientists and students of Tokyo University. That topic doesn't interest Nico in the slightest.
The man on the other hand, seems to be really into it. His eyes are glued to the article and he only looks away when he checks the time on his watch. He does that frequently. Must be a busy man.
After Nico has sent her message, Nozomi was quick to reply (She must be an early bird!). Nozomi being Nozomi, the first thing she asked was what Nico wanted to talk about. After exchanging a few messages, Nico finally convinced her new "friend" that she'll talk about it later, but definitely not now.
To her surprise, Nozomi didn't ask her any further. She said she will be quite busy until about 1PM (doing some student council work or something), but they can meet up anytime after that.
The "anytime after that" comment was followed by a ";P". Nico instinctively ignored it.
The two girls agreed to meet up at around 2PM, before going to DMHS. They can discuss things on their way to the school. When Nico asked if Eli would be with them, Nozomi replied that Eli will be busy all day with council work so she cannot come help out at the other school today.
Nico was happy the blonde wouldn't be accompanying them. It's not like her presence was not welcome, but Nico didn't feel like it'd be a good idea to share her newfound information with the "queen" of the school. Who knows, she might mention something to someone accidentally and start a big scandal.
And she definitely didn't want that. Ueda was in trouble, and Nico knew the source of her problems was most likely someone from Otonoki. But who, she had no idea.
The man finished reading that two pages long article. Nico didn't really bother checking it out, but she looked at it for a second and if her memory was right, it was about a new robot that looks just like a human and can have basic conversations with real humans.
There was even a picture of said robot. It was a woman. Or rather, it had the appearance of a woman. Honestly, Nico found it creepy.
The man turned the page. The next article was shorter than the previous one, but the big headlines caught Nico's interest regardless.
"THE NISHIKINO SCANDAL CONTINUES"
It's not like Nico was surprised, the scandal was all over the media after all, but seeing an article about it in a renowned local newspaper caught her by surprise. She had no idea this scandal would evolve into something bigger, and actually make it into Tokyo Shimbun.
If the Nishikinos are so rich, can't they just bribe newspapers and whistleblowers to keep their mouths shut? Or can't they just go out there and tell the truth to the citizens, that nothing about this scandal is remotely true?
"The scandal of Nishikino General Hospital Continues.[…] According to an insider, who has access to medical records and knows the orders given to the staff of the hospital, changing patients' records isn't the only shady thing the family has done in the past, and continues to do to this day.[…] According to our informant, who wishes to keep their identity a secret, the hospital tried to cover a nasty accident that occured about a month or two ago. […] Although they know what exactly happened, our informant doesn't want to tell the whole story to the citizens of Japan yet. They say they want to give a chance to the Nishikinos to come out and admit their crimes voluntarily."
Before Nico can read any further, the man puts away the newspaper and stands up. He gets off at the next station, and Nico is left to wonder how this unsettling story ends.
As per usual, Maki spends the time before her afternoon classes with Tsubasa. The two make tea and discuss various matters in the meantime. Both of them speak slowly and gently like nothing is wrong, but both Tsubasa and Maki feel there's something wrong with the other.
While Maki is the type who hides all her problems and pretends nothing's wrong, Tsubasa has none of it. As soon as they sit down with the hot teacups in their hands, Tsubasa launches her attack.
"So, what's bothering you?"
Instead of going red and acting like she doesn't know what her friend means, Maki just sighs. She knew Tsubasa would ask sooner or later. Her eyes might not see, but her ears can hear. Hear even the smallest difference in someone's tone.
She remembers that funny story Tsubasa told her many years ago, when she visited DMHS for the first time. She was 9 years old at the time, Tsubasa was 11. Thanks to her unpleasant attitude the other students were quick to avoid her like the plague.
Having no friends, she spent all of her free time walking around the school and the forest nearby. She liked exploring every nook and cranny of the school, even if she was alone. She felt at peace.
It was during one of these explorations that she accidentally stumbled upon Tsubasa's tearoom. She quickly mumbled some apology and was ready to leave when Tsubasa asked if she wanted to sit down. Maki was a bit taken aback but she took the generous offer.
Tsubasa was so intelligent and so functional that Maki only realized hours later that the girl was blind. Maki wanted to avoid the topic so Tsubasa wouldn't feel awkward or bad about it, but the girl did the opposite: She talked about her condition, about her past and her struggles for hours without feeling shy or sad.
It was during one of Tsubasa's ramblings about blindness that Tsubasa mentioned how blindness really isn't that bad. In fact, a blind person like her is much better at judging people than others!
Maki didn't really believe that but Tsubasa was quick to present proof. She said that even if she cannot see, she can get a much better "view" on other people's features by touching them…the only problem was that not everyone liked to be touched like that.
Tsubasa could also know how someone felt by listening to their voice. Even when someone was acting happy despite actually feeling depressed, Tsubasa couldn't be fooled. She could notice the signs: the change in tone, the words they used, and the fakeness in their voice.
Ever since that day, Maki knew she couldn't hide her true feelings from Tsubasa. She tried to hide things from her a lot, but Tsubasa saw through her everytime.
The two spent a lot of time together. When Tsubasa needed to go somewhere it was always Maki who escorted her. They often got strange looks from the other students when they were seen together. Most people didn't understand how a girl like Maki and a girl like Tsubasa could get along so well.
Most people, including nurses and other staff members, considered them to be opposites. Maki was the one who had a quick temper and was sort of self-conscious, while Tsubasa was the one who always kept quiet and was always confident.
One time a brave student approached Maki and asked her "How do you two get along so well?".
Maki didn't know how to reply. She thought about it for half a minute, and when she found no answer she angrily told the student to mind her own business.
The question did linger in her mind a lot afterwards. She thought about it everyday for weeks, and only realized the truth much later. The answer itself was quite a paradox.
Even though Tsubasa could see through her and know everything about her, she couldn't see the "real" her. As witty and perceptive Tsubasa was, a blind person still couldn't see a person in their entirety.
That thought made Maki comfortable, and that was probably the answer to this old mystery.
How do we get along so well? Tsubasa sees the real me but at the same time doesn't see the part of me that I don't want others to see.
Tsubasa couldn't see that Maki was crippled and walked with a noticeable limp. Of course, her friend knew about her condition but still…She couldn't see.
If Tsubasa had an opinion about her, it was because of who Maki was, not because of "Maki the cripple."
It was fine to hate Maki. She honestly couldn't care about what others thought of her.
It was fine to like her as well. She didn't care about others opinions, regardless of what their opinion was.
What she did hate though, was when people said that Maki was so rude, so lonely, so annoying, so overcompensating…because she was a cripple. They said, behind her back, that she must feel shy about her condition and that's why she acts like she is so confident and outspoken. She probably only wants the number one spot to herself because that way they see "Maki the number one" and not "Maki the cripple".
And to be honest, they were right. But maybe if they didn't point out what a cripple she was, she wouldn't feel so self-conscious about it!
Tsubasa couldn't see that. And therefore, her opinion of Maki was not shaped by Maki's crippled state.
"Maki? Stop spacing out." Tsubasa gently shook Maki's hand to get her attention.
"Oh, sorry. I was just…thinking." The redhead gently squeezes the other girl's hand to show her she is okay.
"So, what's the matter? I know something must be bothering you." Tsubasa looks straight into Maki's eyes, and even though the Tsubasa's emerald eyes can't see, Maki feels like the girl is staring into her soul.
Maki sighs. "It's just…It's about that scandal thing I told you about."
Tsubasa looks a bit concerned. She knows this scandal is the last thing Maki likes to talk about. "What happened?"
"When Nico and I visited the hospital yesterday, there was another large crowd of protesters. I know this topic is entirely my parent's business, but…they were shouting disgusting things at me. Words sensible people never say. A man even tried to grab me but Nico intervened. It was crazy."
Tsubasa puts her hand on the redhead's again. "I'm sorry. I'm sure we'll get through this."
"We?"
Tsubasa smiles. "Of course! You, me, Honoka, Umi, the others… I'm sure you can count Nico in too."
Maki forces out a laugh. "And what can we do? We are all just children. Nobody listens to us." Maki sighs again. "Besides, we don't even know anything. I feel like my parents are keeping secrets from me. How can I help them and myself if I have no idea what's going on?"
Tsubasa takes an inquisitive look at her. "Wait. Are you saying your parents are hiding something from you?"
Reluctantly, Maki nods. "I mean, they've never outright told me they cannot tell me something, but whenever the subject comes up they'll change the conversation. And when I went home a couple of weeks ago, I found them arguing about something in the living room."
Tsubasa leans closer, very interested in the story. "And what happened?"
Maki takes a sip of her tea before continuing. "I took a moment to listen before entering. I didn't hear much, but I think they were talking about some room."
"Room?" Maki nods. "Yeah. I still don't understand what they were talking about, but it was about room…747, I think?"
"Is this Room 747 special?" Tsubasa asks.
"I don't know. I don't know anything about that room, to be honest. But there is one thing…"
"What?"
"You see, if it's Room 747 it means it's on the 7th floor. That floor is currently undergoing renovations, and no one, not even staff members are allowed entry." Maki takes another sip of tea. It's still a bit too hot. "The strange part is that I've never seen any painters around the hospital, and the only ones I've ever seen to enter the seventh floor were my parents and some higher ranking staff members."
Tsubasa hums. "Interesting. And did your parents say anything about the room? Or the floor?"
"They never said anything about the floor itself, but they said that 747 must be completely renovated and made functional again before someone finds out."
"Before someone finds out?"
"I don't know what they meant. I entered the room right after they mentioned this and they immediatelly stopped talking. They looked a bit nervous at first but then they changed back to how they usually were."
A few seconds of silence pass before Tsubasa speaks up. "I'm not sure what's going on, but that's an interesting story regardless."
Someone knocks on the door and Tsubasa tells them to come in. The door quickly opens and it's Honoka and a nurse.
"What's the matter?" Tsubasa asks calmly, although she has no idea why the two are here. Honoka is usually out there playing sports with Rin at this hour and Tsubasa has told the nurses not to bother her at this hour unless it's something urgent.
Of course, even though the question was directed at the nurse behind the energetic girl, it's Honoka who responds. "This nurse over there approached me and Rin when we were playing basketball and asked us where you two were! I said I knew just the right place and offered to bring her to you!"
"More like you grabbed my arm and forced me to run all this way…" The nurse silently adds.
Honoka starts rambling and Tsubasa knows this is the time to stop her before it's too late and they get stuck here listening to her for hours. "Honoka, why were you two looking for us?"
"Oh! That's because the nu-" Before she can continue the nurse puts her hand over Honoka's mouth.
"So. Mrs. Kondou called me on the phone about an hour ago. She told me Mrs. Nishikino wishes to see Maki before 1PM. I came here to escort Maki to the Nishikino manor."
"Escort?" Maki asks.
"Mrs. Nishikino said the driver is still busy today (taking care of his sick child or something like that) and she definitely doesn't want you to go with a taxi all alone. Therefore, I am here to accompany you."
"I see. And what does my mother want?"
The nurse furrows her eyebrows, a bit annoyed by the constant questions. She just wants to get going already. "She wishes to discuss matters concerning your future with you."
Maki gulps. So it's another one of those talks.
In the meantime Tsubasa and Honoka chat in the background. Tsubasa sits there patiently like a Buddha statue and listens to Honoka's endless stream of stories and jokes. Honoka on the other hand, keeps talking without taking a break to catch her breath, and her ramblings are accompanied by over the top hand gestures. The entire scene looks sort of comical.
"Alright, let's get going then." Maki states matter of factly and stands up. She says goodbye to Tsubasa and the dork and follows the nurse.
They are already in the hallway when someone grabs Maki's arm. It's Honoka.
This startles Maki a bit. "What do you want?"
Honoka gives the redhead a sheepish smile that actually makes Maki feel sorry for being rude. "Let's play cards when you get back, okay?"
Maki smiles. "Okay."
The road to Nishikino manor is as boring as it can possibly get. Maki spends the entire time watching the scenery while nurse (who has the emotional intelligence of a potato in Maki's opinion) stares out the other window and watches the scenery as well.
The taxi driver, who happens to be one of those types who always try to brighten the mood and initiate conversation, tries painfully hard to start a conversation with the two living hollows behind him, but to no avail. He stops trying after a while.
The Nishikino manor looks the same as always. Beautiful and vivid on the outside, but empty and hollow on the inside. Her father's favourite car is not in the garage, so Maki assumes this talk will only be between mother and daughter.
The nurse rings the bell and Mrs. Nishikino appears to open the door after a minute. Strange, it's usually the butler who does that.
Her mother talks to the nurse a bit, thanking her for taking care of her daughter, and telling her that she can go back now because Mrs. Nishikino will take Maki back to the school later.
After the nurse has left, Mrs. Nishikino beckons Maki to go to the living room. Maki does as told.
Maki's eyes scout the living room. It's only been about a week since she last visited the manor, but no matter how many times she's here, the manor still feels so foreign. The walls are an ugly beige colour, the room is full of a mixture of ages old elegant furniture and modern, high quality furniture. The entire decoration lacks character.
The same old pictures are hung on the walls. Photos taken by professional photographers and paintings painted by famous painters. They feel hollow as well.
The only thing that saves this so hated room is the grand old piano in the right corner. Even after all those years, it looks the same. It hasn't been used in a long time so it's covered in dust.
Maki will make sure to clean that off before she leaves.
"Do you want some tea?" Her mother asks, but Maki shakes her head.
"No, thanks. I just had tea with one of my friends."
"Oh, a friend? Which one?" Her mother asks inquisitively, like she actually cares, but Maki only responds with a sigh.
"With Tsubasa, of course! I have told you about her many times. She is the blind girl I always drink tea with, remember?"
"Oh, Tsubasa. Sorry, I forgot for a moment."
Maki grunts. "You always forget everything I say."
Mrs. Nishikino sits down on the couch, facing of Maki. "Let's not start this again." Her mother clears her throat. "Anyways, I wanted you to come over so we could discuss some important things."
Maki sighs. "Let me guess, it's about my future career."
Her mother nods.
"Wow, didn't see that coming." The redhead sarcastically adds.
Her mother ignores her comment. "So, as you know, your father and I want you to continue our legacy. You are a very intelligent girl despite your quick temper, and we know medicine is just the right orientation for you."
"If everything goes well, after you graduate from DMHS you'll begin your studies at Tokyo University. I'm certain you'll do well considering how dedicated you can be, and your father and I will be there for you if you need help."
"So, why I actually wanted to speak with you today is because I decided that from now on, you'll receive the same study material normal students get. Even though you are mentally healthy and have no learning problems, the curriculum of DMHS is still a simplified version of the national curriculum. And if you want to get into Tokyo University, you'll have to meet the standards of the national curriculum."
Maki nods. "I see. I only have one request."
"And that is?"
"I want to play the piano again. One time every two weeks is not enough." Maki states, and the look she gives her mother is enough to tell that she is serious.
Her mother sighs. "Fine. But I don't want your piano to get in the way of studying."
"It won't, mother."
Mrs. Nishikino gently pats her head. "In that case, you can play the piano again. Come on, let's play a piece now. I want to see how skilled you've gotten."
Maki stands up, filled with a new kind of determination, and walks over to the piano.
She pretends she is in front of a huge crowd again, and starts playing.
Nico has been standing in front of this tall tree for a while now. It's not like she in impatient, but she is growing impatient.
"Where is that stupid Nozomi? We agreed to meet at 2PM, and it's been 20 minutes!"
To escape boredom, Nico decides to walk in circle around the tree. The students nearby all look at her like she has lost it, but Nico doesn't care. She takes out her earphones and decides to listen to some music while she is waiting.
After a while she gets so into this strange ritual that she doesn't notice a certain purple haired girl standing right there and bumps into her.
"My my, can't control all that energy, can we?"
Nico grunts. "Where have you been? I've been waiting for you for like an hour!"
Nozomi chuckles. "Sorry, council work took longer than usual."
"Whatever. Let's just get going before we miss the bus."
As per usual, they do miss the bus. To add salt to injury, the bus leaves right in front of them, only missing it by less than a minute. Nozomi finds the situation funny, Nico, not so much.
"Great, the next one comes in twenty minutes." Nico notes.
Nozomi checks the time on her phone. "No worries, even if we go with the other bus we still make it to the school in time."
"But what are we going to do until the next one comes? Stand there and wait? I don't like waiting."
Nozomi chuckles again. "Yeah, I've noticed that."
Nico begins to think. Maybe they should go to that sweets shop she frequents? Alternatively, they can go to that new parfeit shop that opened last week. She heard it's pretty good.
Or they could also go to a newsstand…
"Wait, I actually want to buy something real quick. The newsstand is just around the corner."
Nozomi only nods and follows Nico.
"Thank God it wasn't sold out!" Nico exclaims as she holds today's edition of Tokyo Shimbun in her hands. Nozomi gives her a questioning glance.
"So this is what you wanted to buy? Didn't take you for the type who reads stuff like this."
Nico turns around with an annoyed look. "What's that supposed to mean?"
"Well, Tokyo Shimbun is usually full of politics, science, crime and things like that. I thought you'd prefer teen magazines or tabloids."
"So basically you are saying I look like someone who doesn't read stuff made for intelligent and mature people?"
Nozomi giggles. "No, that's not what I meant."
"You totally did mean that." Nico opens the magazine and looks at the first page. "Anyways, I don't read this stuff but there's an article in it I'm curious about." Her eyes scan the contents page, looking for said article.
"What article?" Nozomi asks.
Nico finally finds "THE NISHIKINO SCANDAL CONTINUES" near the middle. She quickly turns the pages and proudly points at the article with her hands. "Aha! Found it!"
Nico gives it to Nozomi so she can read it. "Here, this is what I was talking about."
"THE NISHIKINO SCANDAL CONTINUES"
"The scandal of Nishikino General Hospital scandal that divided the citizens of Tokyo reaches a new chapter. According to an insider, who has access to medical records and knows the orders given to the staff of the hospital, changing patients' records isn't the only shady thing the family has done in the past, and continues to do to this day. "The Nishikinos used their reputation as one of Tokyo's most respected families to hide the crimes they have committed in the past." Said our informant. According to our insider, who wishes to keep their identity a secret, the hospital tried to cover a nasty accident that occured about a month or two ago. This incident was what finally made them turn against the Nishikinos, as it was so repulsive that they could no longer turn a blind eye on the hospital's actions. Although they know what exactly happened, our informant doesn't want to tell the whole story to the citizens of Japan yet. They say they want to give a chance to the Nishikinos to come out and admit their crimes voluntarily."
A large photo in the middle divided the article into two. There was a tall, red haired woman wearing a doctor's coat standing right next to a man. The man seemed familiar to Nico.
"I remember! It's Takahashi Kenichiro, the deputy principal of DMHS!" Nico noted.
"It's written right under the photo…"
"Shut up."
The mysterious redhead woman was Maki's mother. Under the photo, the following was written:
"Takahashi Kenichiro, the deputy principal of Date Masamune High School. The woman on the right is Nishikino Sayaka, the current co-owner of the Nishikino Hospital Chain. Date Masamune is a school for disabled children between ages 3-18. It's been rumored that the two leaders co-operated in the past."
"What does the rest of the article say?" Nico asks.
"The story our informant has told us surprised many of us at the company. Everyone has known the Nishikinos to be one of the most respected families in Tokyo. The story is as follows: Roughly 1,5 months ago, the Nishikinos organized a charity event where the participants would donate their blood. The official statement said the profit would go to organizations who aim to help severely ill children, but in reality the Nishikino General Hospital took all the profit. This is not only a very immoral act but is also against the law.
A few donators found out about this rumor and asked the hospital's staff to tell them where their donated blood went, but the hospital refused their request, saying that they cannot give out "confidential information". Some braver donators went as far as to threaten to file a lawsuit against the Nishikino Hospital Chain, but the Nishikinos bribed these people. Our informant says they have evidence proving the bribery."
"That is some serious stuff." Nozomi says.
"Yeah…"
Nico looks at Nozomi with an unsure expression. "Do you think the Nishikinos can get out of this?"
Nozomi shakes her head. "I don't know. They are accusing them of some serious crimes."
"So, while we are waiting for the instructor to arrive, you might as well tell me what you wanted to talk about." Nozomi says.
Nico sighs. "I don't know where to start."
"At the beginning?"
"Sigh…So. Yesterday Maki and I went to the Nishikino Hospital. Before we left, Maki's father remembered something important and asked Maki to come with him. While I was alone I decided to explore the ground floor. I accidentally found myself in front of Kana's room."
Nozomi turns towards Nico at the mention of that familiar name. "Kana? You mean Ueda from Otonoki?"
Nico nods. "I was torn on whether I should enter or not when her mother appeared all of a sudden. I guessed Ueda didn't have many visitors besides her parents and I didn't want to make her mother sad, so I entered."
"The way Ueda acted at first was very odd. She and her mother tried to act normal but it was obvious they were hiding something. They avoided mentioning something on purpose. Ueda was rude to me until her mother left the room. I had no idea why she was so malicious. But when her mother left…she accused me of being sent by "Kagura". Before I could ask her who she was talking about her mother returned and she dropped the subject."
"That's very strange…" Nozomi noted.
"Wait, this is not all. Before all of this happened, I explored the upper floors of the hospital. Everything looked like the same, luxurious and comfortable, until I reached a certain floor. I wasn't really paying attention so I can't remember which floor it was."
"This floor was all empty. No patients, no staff, no one. The floor looked just like the others except that it was a bit unclean, probably because the staff hasn't clean it in a while."
"And what happened?"
"I suddenly heard voices coming from one of the rooms. I walked closer and listened in. It was a woman and a man arguing. I'm pretty sure they were the only ones inside. They were talking about some strange things."
"What did they say?"
"I didn't hear the whole conversation. From what I can tell, the woman was talking about some school she could no longer enter, which apparently made their situation harder. Then they said that Maki almost ruined "everything" because she found some kind of vial and Mrs. Nishikino suspects something is already going on."
"I messed up and those two heard me. I ran back to the elevator as fast as I could, and ran into a nurse. The nurse told me that the floor was called "floor X" and that no one, not even staff members are allowed to enter, since it's undergoing renovations."
"But if no one could enter how did those two get there?" Nozomi asked, becoming more and more fascinated with this strange tale with every second.
"See, that is the interesting thing. This "floor X" looked completely normal minus the dust thing, and nothing indicated it was being renovated. I couldn't smell any paint either."
Nico sighed. "So, that is the full story. Thoughts?"
Nozomi took a moment to think. "This is certainly very unsettling." She tried to put things together in her head but she had no idea where to begin. This whole story seemed so strange.
"Well, we don't have enough info yet but I have one idea."
"And what is your idea?"
"If Maki ruined their plans that means Maki must've done something, right? Perhaps she even saw these two people which was something that wasn't supposed to happen. Maki must know something."
Nico shakes her head. "Yes, but if those two didn't want to be found out then we can't get Maki involved in this. That would be dangerous."
"But if we don't do something things might get worse."
"How do you know that?"
"Instinct. And logic. If they said Maki almost ruined their plans that must mean their plan is still in effect. Who knows what those two people are up to. It's also a possibility there are more people involved."
Nico leans back on her chair and lets out a painful sigh. "Man, why must I always get involved in everything terrible!"
"Okay, we discussed this "floor X" already, but what about Kagura?" Nozomi asks.
"I honestly have no idea. I mean, I'm witty enough to know Kagura must be a girl, or a woman." Nico proudly exclaims.
"And most likely a member of Otonokizaka." Nozomi adds.
"Right." Nico clears her throat. "So, do you have any ideas?"
"Hmm." Nozomi takes a minute to consider everything Nico said. "If she assumed you were one of this Kagura's goons, that must mean Kagura has a large following. I'm positive we are looking for a very influental girl."
"And do you have any good candidates?"
Nozomi furrows her eyebrows. "What's wrong?" Nico asks.
"I have someone in mind, but I hope I'm wrong."
Nico gives her a questioning look. "And who is that?"
Nozomi pinches her nose playfully in response. "I'll tell you after I make sure she is or isn't the girl we are looking for."
Nico groans. Great, now she is keeping secrets. Why must everyone hide things from me?
"Okay. And do you have any idea why the atmosphere was so tense between Ueda and her mother? Like, what was the thing neither wanted to talk about?"
"No idea. Maybe you should ask Ueda. You are probably the only one from Otonoki she'd talk to."
Nico shakes her head. "I'm pretty sure interrogating her about what she definitely doesn't want to talk about is a terrible idea. And I have a feeling she wouldn't talk about it no matter how many times I tried."
The two spot the instructor in the distance. He greets them cheerfully and says sorry for being so late.
"I'm sorry for being so late, I had an important meeting with the staff members."
"It's fine." The two girls reply.
"Alright. Yazawa, you'll help out Umi today. Tojo, you'll help out Hanayo. Umi is in the library and Hanayo is at the running track. Most likely helping Rin, or something. I hope both of you will have an enjoyable day. Have fun!"
The instructor quickly runs up the stairs and disappears from their sight.
"Poor guy just can't catch a break." Nico notes.
"Yeah. Anyways, I believe we are going in different directions. How about we meet up after our job is over?" Nozomi asks.
"Sounds fun."
"Then that's settled. Have a good day!"
"Try not to scare Hanayo to death, okay?" Nico winks. Nozomi winks back.
When Nico disappears from her sight as well, Nozomi slowly begins walking towards the running field. She takes her time, since Hanayo is in good hands right now anyways. Hopefully Rin didn't make her run a few laps as well!
"Well, that was certainly an interesting story." Nozomi mentally notes.
"I wonder what the cards would say."
Nozomi pulls out a card from her left pocket.
It's Death.
Reviews and criticism are welcome!