Knock knock
Clunk
In a few short moments, the door leading to the cabin besides Nikolina Pavlova's opened up, and there stood a young man, dressed in a black uniform with a headband fluttering around his forehead. He appeared to be in a state of complete awareness, much to her surprise, though his face betrayed a trace of grogginess in his expression.
"What are you doing at this time of night, Inspector?"
Before Nikolina could respond, Kazuma's eyes widened ever so slightly. He rubbed them and realized that the person standing in front of him was not the frail and sickly-looking Hosonaga, but a small, pale girl with one fist clenched around her other.
"Oh, I'm sorry. I thought it was a friend of mine."
It wasn't long before Kazuma's gaze took an inquisitive turn. A shiver ran down Nikolina's spine; curiosity was the last thing the girl wanted, and certainly not with anyone not related to the crew.
"Though I wonder, what are you doing here, this late at night? Is there anything you need?"
Nikolina's grip tightened. "I… am looking for furry friend."
"Excuse me? I couldn't quite hear you."
"Err, I am looking for black furry friend. She has glass bell around her neck and entered through the ventilator. Her name is Darka."
A hand rested on the man's chin as he thought about the girl's words. "Hmm… I do recall a figure dropping through the ventilator. Is that this 'Darka' you're looking for?"
Nikolina nodded. "Yes. Did you see where she went?"
"She was too fast for me to keep track of her," Kazuma said, turning to his cabin. "But there are only so many places where something like her can hide. I'll help you look."
"Thank you."
It didn't take long before Darka was found, who was residing beneath a table. After she was found, Nikolina took a look at the surroundings; there was a katana next to the table, a notebook which was filled with foreign writings and symbols, and a paper sign attached on the man's wardrobe, with the same foreign letters written horizontally. It appeared that this man was from the Far East, or at least had studied there for some time. 'Japanese', she had heard one of her managers called it. 'Damn katana-wielding monkeys,' he added.
With a hurried 'thank you', Nikolina hurried toward the door. It had been a long, long day, one that was filled with terror, wariness, and fear, and all the girl wanted was to rest herself and dream of what awaited her in America. She would have all the time in the world to wonder why a university student in the Far East would have access to a first-class cabin, anyway.
And yet, it took only one sentence to stop Nikolina in her tracks.
"Ah, of course! You're Nikolina Pavlova, aren't you? The Russian ballerina."
In an instant, she froze upon hearing that and turned to face Kazuma. While she tried her best to keep a neutral face, her wide eyes and quivering lips gave her away.
"Huh? N-No! I, I don't know that name."
"Yes, I saw your performance in Japan. The beauty of the ballet made a deep impression on me…" A serene smile formed on his face, one that helped Nikolina ease herself, even if it wouldn't last long. Darka appeared to share the same sentiment; the twitchy movements coming from her body ceased, while her claws retracted into her paws at once.
"But...what are you doing on this ship? I'm sure I read that your ballet company was performing in Shanghai at the moment."
Time seemed to freeze for the young ballerina. It was hard, no; incomprehensible, impossible for her to understand. How could this man from a Far Eastern land possibly know about some Russian ballerina? The Novavich Ballet wasn't very well-known outside of Russia, and the company wasn't the kind to arrange performances in foreign countries. Did this man attend one of her performances recently? Had a friend told him about it, perhaps? Was she, unbeknownst to her, popular wherever this man was from?
The pain from Darka's claw marks brought Nikolina back from her thoughts. This was no time to wonder how this university student knew about her. There were more pressing matters at hand, most obviously how she was going to explain her current state. And how she was going to get out of here without any repercussions.
Strangely, despite the imposing aura and the situation she was in, Nikolina felt a wave of relief wash over her. Perhaps she was desperate to tell someone other than the crew of her predicament, and that this meeting was a blessing in disguise. It wouldn't be the first time she felt like this, in any case.
Taking in a deep breath, Nikolina began to talk.
"Hm, I see... So you've run away..."
Kazuma went quiet after hearing what Nikolina had to say. His eyes, thoughts, and mind seemed to be elsewhere as his gaze turned to his desk. Nikolina stayed in her place out of fear, and for the next few minutes the room was as silent as a graveyard, save for the creaking of the floorboards and the sound of water splashing against the outer walls of the ship.
A bout of silence followed before Kazuma continued his inquiries. "And what do you plan to do once you land in America? I doubt that you would go unrecognized."
An answer managed to slip through the cracks of Nikolina's mouth, though not before some hesitation. Her body seemed to tense up before speaking, in any case.
"I will assume an alternate identity and find work as an old man. I do not care if I end up on the streets, anywhere would be better than the desolate residences the Novavich Ballet offers."
Anxious over what was going through Kazuma's head, a desperate Nikolina broke the silence in a second.
"Please! Please keep my secret! Don't tell anyone!"
The outburst shook Kazuma out of his pondering, and he quickly turned to face the girl. His expression had changed, something that the acute Nikolina had noticed. It was that of… understanding? Something that he could relate to? It sparked something of a train of thought in the mind of Nikolina herself. Was he too a runaway from wherever country he was from? Perhaps to escape from an abusive master or a variant? Whatever it was, it intrigued Nikolina, and she found herself wanting to know more about this man.
Yet it was a shame how quickly a situation could go to Hell in a blink of an eye. Or rather, how much a sudden decision could impact the lives of multiple people.
"Give me a moment. I could use another opinion here…"
Much to Nikolina's horror, Kazuma's eyes turned to the bell cord residing next to the wardrobe. He was going to alert the captain, and then the authorities of her presence. After making a risky gamble and entrusting him with her secret, this man - no, devil - was going to destroy it all at a moment's notice.
If time seemed to freeze before, then it slowed to a halt right now. The need to take action was overwhelming, but the girl couldn't find the strength to move. Memories of the Novavich Ballet began to fill her mind as if a dam had broken. Memories of the flogging, the paltry amount of food and water, the freezing and miserable state of her residence, the jeers and threats, each one rising in hostility, a hand caught inside her dress, its owner smirking and prodding her chest, feeling its soft flesh and small, refined curves…
It was enough to make a grown man cry. She had to do something, anything, to stop this man from talking. Even a second would be enough; it would be enough to alert Bif of him and plot how to deal with the man afterward. Lock him in the ship's holding cell or settle for negotiation, for example. Or maybe just throw him overboard and claim that a terrible accident happened. Whatever happened what Nikolina needed right now was a mir-
Darka escaped from her owner's arms and dashed towards Kazuma. And he was falling.
For what seemed like an eternity, Nikolina felt a raw, almost primordial presence looming over her. It muttered, 'Push him over the bedpost. You will have no problems afterward.' It tempted her, comforting her with assurance, that it was the safest and right thing to do, that she could claim it was an accident, that no one would care for some dead Far Eastern nobody. For a moment, she lurched forward, arms extended towards the man, the little devil on her shoulder grinning-
She grabbed the man by his sleeve, his face inches away from the floor and pulled him back up. From the right, Nikolina spied a streak of shoe polish and Darka's shattered glass bell.
The next thing he knew, Kazuma was staring straight at the ballerina. Her face was indecipherable; anger, fear, and bewilderment were among the obvious ones. But there was something else, one emotion that Kazuma hadn't anticipated; there was pleading in those eyes, almost as if he were her last hope for getting to Great Britain. It reminded him of those sad eyes Ryunosuke gave him when he told him where he was staying for the voyage.
"Heт."
"Excuse me?"
"Heт! I won't let you ring that bell cord. I know what you are planning!"
"Miss Pavlova, you must be mistaken. I assure you, I-"
"Don't lie to me. I can see what you are thinking quite clearly. You are all the same, you put on kind smiles, try to tell me 'it's all right, we won't hurt you, please come to us…' Kazuma took a step back, becoming increasingly sandwiched between her and the wardrobe.
"…and then try to drag me back to Russia! I had my suspicions about you ever since we met, but now you have confirmed them, you… you black-hearted devil! I knew people like you could not be trusted!"
A bead of sweat ran down Kazuma's face. "P-Please calm down, Miss Pavlova. I have not come to take you away."
"Then prove it. Prove that you are not an agent of Russia!"
It won't be long before a member of the crew knows of this. Kazuma turned to face the wardrobe, its large oak figure looming over him. Inside it was the key to proving his innocence to Nikolina, but it could very well prove to be his downfall. If she decided to report the stowaway inside…
The thought vanished as soon as it came. She was as much of a stowaway as Ryunosuke was, and Kazuma was certain that stowaways wouldn't report their fellow kind.
And so, in one swift movement, the man tore off the paper sign and opened the wardrobe's doors. The slumped body of a man, similar in build and clothing as Kazuma appeared and with spiky fringes garnishing his forehead, causing Nikolina to take a step back in shock. In contrast, his partner in crime was unfazed.
"Y-you were hiding a man inside your wardrobe? For how long? They are barely able for a child to reside in, let alone an adult…"
"For some time," Kazuma stated without so much as looking back. His attention seemed to be focused on getting this strange passenger to awaken.
"Ryunosuke. Get up."
The man continued to doze off without so much as moving. A grunt escaped from Kazuma's mouth before he lifted the man by his shoulders and shook him. Somewhere, Darka let out a soft meow.
"Ryunosuke."
Soon enough, Ryunosuke finally rose from the depths of his slumber. He propped himself against the wardrobe, one hand resting against his head. His eyes, heavy with drowsiness, focused weakly on the room before settling upon his partner.
Gradually, he managed to lift and straighten himself up, despite the throbbing pain in his head and the straining presence on his back. "Agh… what is it, Kazuma? Have we arrived in Great Britain earlier than expected?"
"No. I have someone to show you to, in fact."
It didn't take long for Ryunosuke to locate the presence of a third person in the room, one dressed in a faded blue parka with a pale complexion. Her long blond hair and crescent moon earrings bespoke of an echelon in the higher rungs of society, such as a noble or wealthy gentlewoman.
For Ryunosuke though, she didn't ring any bells. Even after inspecting her in closer detail, his mind remained as blank as a sheet of paper. A faint memory of Kazuma chatting about a foreign ballerina resurfaced, but it was quickly disregarded as irrelevant.
He turned to Kazuma. "Who is this, Kazuma? A friend of yours?"
The taller student shook his head. "She's Nikolina Pavlova, a Russian ballerina. Also known as the pride and joy of the Novavich Ballet."
"Novavich Ballet…? Ah! Do you mean that Russian ballet company? The one you went to Shanghai for?"
"Correct."
"But if that's the case, what is she doing here? Shouldn't sh-"
"Be with the Novavich Ballet?" Kazuma finished for him. "She told me all about it."
The girl nodded in return. "The Novavich Ballet is full of horrible people who take young girls with no friends and family and force them to dance with little food or water. The rooms they offer are cold and cramped, with little of anything else besides a bed and a table. They do not care for anything other than how much money they are making, if the girls can still dance, and how the common people of Russia view them."
A stunned expression formed posthaste on Ryunosuke. He stumbled back as if he had been struck. "Wow. That's… horrible to hear."
Silence fell upon the three individuals soon after, one in stunned silence, two in deep deliberation. If Ryunosuke were to be honest, the silent, almost tense aura in the room unnerved him. It reminded him of the times where Kazuma would fall silent upon hearing Jezaille Brett's situation, or whenever the topic of his 'mission' was brought up. It was something of a relief when Kazuma spoke up.
"Ryunosuke."
"Y-yes?"
"I have something to ask of you."
His eyes seemed to bulge at the sound of that. He couldn't help it; it had long since become a habit of him. "O-of course, Kazuma. What is it?"
"Nikolina Pavlova has entrusted us with her true identity and her status as a stowaway. She has pleaded for me to keep quiet and help her on her voyage to America. And now, I turn to you for your opinion."
If the stiffened body of the student didn't give his surprise away, his shaky voice did. "What? I'm not sure what you're getting at, Kazuma."
"What I mean is that I want you to decide what to do. Should we aid this ballerina, or not?"
"Ah, that? Yes, yes I was about to answer that right now, Kazuma." Or maybe not, thought Ryunosuke. He hoped that he wasn't too easy to read right now; Kazuma was getting quite good at reading his expressions nowadays.
The student turned to Nikolina, who recoiled slightly in his presence. "W-well, considering everything, it would be wrong - no, a complete betrayal - to leave this woman to the authorities. And, as a fellow stowaway, I say that we, we lend her a hand."
Genuine shock spread across Nikolina's face. "E-excuse me?"
"Well, you've thrown everything - your lifestyle, your company, your fame as the star of the Novavich Ballet, - away to escape from your managers and start a new life, away from the clutches of your former masters. You even went as far as to entrust us with your true identity. And what kind of person would I be if we were to assist in your departure back to your homeland?
What I'm trying to say is that you can place your faith in us. It must've been difficult for you to leave your homeland, and I can say with confidence that I have experienced the same recently. So please, don't be shy. We'll keep your secret, I assure you."
A quick glance at the senior student revealed that a proud, albeit small smile had crept upon his mouth, not unlike that of a mentor. "Well put, Ryunosuke. I couldn't have said it better myself."
As if by magic, the young ballerina had softened up by a fair amount. She no longer held her clenched fists by her mouth, and she assumed a subtle, yet telling pose of relaxation. Additionally, her eyes, previously filled with anxiety and trepidation, had loosened up.
"Спасибо, Mr…. ah, I don't believe I got your names."
"Oh yes, we never gave you our names, did we? My name is Kazuma Asogi, a Japanese university student who is currently on a study tour to study British law. And this, is my faithful companion Ryunosuke Naruhodo, who is… a stowaway."
To say that Ryunosuke was unimpressed would be an understatement. When you put it that way, you really make me seem insignificant, Kazuma…
"Interesting. In Russia, there is no such rush to absorb foreign culture, so study tours are rare."
"I see."
A glance at the clock resting above the doorway revealed that it had struck 1:50 AM. It was time to make her leave, in any case; if Bif happened to stumble upon her during his usual routine, it would cause quite the commotion in the ship and was one event Nikolina planned not on attending. Coincidentally, it was at that moment Darka made her way into her arms.
"Well, I suppose I must be going to my cabin now. The head sailor will be checking the cabins as part of his routine, and the entire crew would be up in their arms if they found out about this."
Kazuma nodded, with Ryunosuke following suit not long after. "Of course. It is rather late at this time of the morning, and to trouble you any longer would be a mistake on behalf."
Satisfied, she turned towards the hallway. With one free arm, she managed to wave at the pair, with them returning the gesture. From the corner of Nikolina's eye, she could see the younger student re-entering the wardrobe, much to his evident discomfort.
And for what seemed to be for the first time in an eternity, Nikolina smiled.
Maybe this journey wouldn't be such a bad idea after all.