29 / Suzuhara, Kirishima

A day later, still wearing yesterday's clothes and waking up with a bit of a headache, Renoir wonders if everything that had happened to him the last twenty-four hours had been nothing but a dream.

Maybe he hadn't actually run into an idol that turned into a corpse upon falling into a canal. Maybe he hadn't actually seen those other dead girls hiding in the shadows along with their dead dog. Maybe that crazy guy with the sunglasses hadn't actually threatened him if he told anyone what he had seen. And maybe that Genji guy didn't actually exist and that cigarette smoke that still clung to his clothes was his imagination.

Renoir let out a sigh, went to his desk and slammed his head, not too hard, against the wood. He groaned.

He knew he hadn't imagined all that. He knew what he had seen. Knew that Oneーno, Sakuraーwas a girl that was actually dead. She had told him herself, hadn't she?

"My name is Sakura Minamoto. And I died eleven years ago," was what she said. How do you make sense of all that? How does anyone make sense of anything, really?

Renoir gets up and on a whim, goes to his computer, typing away before he reaches his goal. It's an old video, a few months old. A recent concert in Drive-In Tori. He clicks it open and watches, with some morbid fascination as Sakura and the rest of those girls sing and dance and laugh along with the audience. Eventually, it's time for the girls to sign a few autographs and sell some merch and that's when the action starts; he sees the girl called Zero chase that chicken man all over the place with Sakura and Two running after them. He pushes himself away from the computer as the video plays, before stopping at the end.

The young man places a hand over his head, thinking before he goes to search for a name on the computer.

Sakura Minamoto.

Click and search.

At first, Renoir can't find much. He sees many Sakura's, all older, younger, even fictional. He can't seem to find the right one until he decides to type a bit more: dead.

He found a few more names. Nothing relating to the right Sakura until he happen upon an article hidden among the many other links. It was about a hit-and-run. The victim was seventeen year old, Sakura Minamoto, from the city of Karatsu, who on her way to school was mercilessly run over by an irresponsible driver who fled the scene. There was a picture of the street and finally, a picture of the dead girl, Sakura Minamoto.

Renoir let out a breath he didn't know he was holding.

He hadn't imagined it, had he?

Everything that had happened, happened.

What had that Genji said...his sister and those dead girls...they had been brought back to save Saga...but, from what? Aliens!? Other freakin' zombies!? Okay, so Renoir's nerves were getting the better of him.

He quickly turns off the computer, head swimming.

Renoir just stares at the blank screen; he just can't believe it. He just can't.

Dead was dead.

But then again, Sakura Minamoto was very much the opposite. She was dead, but then again she really wasn't. Even that didn't make a lick of sense but Renoir couldn't deny it now.

Sakura Minamoto was real, as was One and the rest of Franchouchou and their dead dog. Everything was real. Everything was spinning.

Renoir sighed.

And here he was worried about getting a job.

Monday morning found Shinta Okoba and Aoi Mizuno staring at a particular house.

It was a little after ten, and there were a few people walking about; some were neighbors, others merely wanderers going on errands or walks. Aoi and Okoba appeared to be the odd ones out, having not moved from their place, with the doctor still staring at the house and Okoba glancing, once or twice, at a small piece of paper he held.

Yesterday, as he was getting ready to bed after his meeting with Takeo and Aoi, Okoba had gotten a call from Yoshi. Apparently, the old policeman had decided to forgive him this time, as the chief had taken pity on him; as none of the case files he had mailed Okoba were new cases, one of them already closed and the other as cold as winter, the chief figured it was alright. Although he did warn him that if he saw any news report about either of those kids, his ass was out the door. Yoshi had taken that warning to heart and told Okoba to either "hire a private detective or find himself some other guy" as he wouldn't be able to help him now that that new system was in place.

Okoba had thanked him of course, and Yoshi, kind and forgiving, decided to help Okoba find Kirishima's address, for a small fee of 20,000 yen. The reporter had grumbled a bit about it but relented. It took less than two hours to find the address. Kirishima still lived in Saga. She was still living in Karatsu.

(she never left)

With the information in hand, Okoba had informed Aoi and Takeo that he'll be meeting with Kirishima to tell her about his findings. Aoi had offered to go with him, on account of having free time as the clinic will take a while and Takeo would have come too, but was kept busy with work.

Now, they were both here, a few paces away from Reiko Kirishima's home and already Okoba was a bit nervous.

Reiko Kirishima had been bad news. Once. She had been the leader of Dorami, the toughest, meanest biker gang in all of Saga and to prove it, she along with Saki Nikaido, had conquered most of Kyushu in less than two years. Heck, their gang had taken care of the Oki, a gang that at one timeーif rumors were to be believedーwould have become part of the Yakuza had their original founder still lived. Kirishima and her gang had taken them out in less than a few months, and that's when they were just starting.

And then, Kirishima quit the gang after Nikaido's death and from what he had found out courtesy of 20,000 yen, was that Kirishima had cleaned up her act and gotten married some years back.

Even then, Okoba couldn't really let his guard down. For all he knew, Kirishima had gotten back with her old gang and was running things from the shadows like some sort of bad guy from a terrible action flick. He knew he was being paranoid. Again. But he just couldn't help it.

Kirishima had earned her reputation and if the rumors were true of Dorami coming back from the dead, he just couldn't pretend Kirishima herself was innocent. Sure, the gang had disappeared as quickly as it had appeared but that didn't prove anything.

Okoba only knew Kirishima by reputation alone and she had been a dangerous brat.

Aoi, ignoring the tense air of her companion, quickly walked across the street, followed quickly by Okoba. The doctor knocked gently at the door and calmly said, "I hope you're not thinking that Miss Kirishima is trouble…"

"Hmm...what?"

"You've been avoiding looking at the house for a few minutes now...distracting yourself with that little piece of paper," she explains with a small shrug.

"Well, you know...checking if we had the right address and all that..."

"I see," Aoi responded dryly. "Stand behind me, for all we know, she bites."

Okoba sighed. "Alright. So, I'm a tad bit concerned...for all we know, she's still trouble."

"In what way? I figured if what you told me is true, then Kirishima quit after Nikaido's sudden passing...I'm guessing she moved on from that type of life."

Okoba muttered, "One just doesn't move away from that life…"

As the door opened, Aoi glanced at him and mouthed back, "Watch and learn," before turning to stare at the woman standing in the doorway.

Reiko Kirishima was a pretty woman; she had long, purple hair, tied into a rather loose ponytail, purple eyes and a gentle, almost tired expression on her face, wearing an apron over her simple shirt and pants. From his place near the door, Okoba manages to glance inside the home, it seems well-kept, there's a broom and a bag nearby, telling him that Reiko was doing some common housework. Not what he was expecting, really.

"Umm...yes? May I help you?" Reiko is obviously confused; two strangers at her door, and Okoba can't really blame her.

"Ms. Kirishima?" Okoba almost wishes he hadn't said that name.

Reiko's shock is evident, before her eyes turned deadly, like a snake about to pounce on its prey. There's a bit of confusion in those eyes, but Okoba can tell he hit a nerve just by calling her by her maiden name, the name that had brought so much terror in just a few year's time.

"...who are you?" The question is rather slow, almost threatening.

"Umm...I...we…"

"We came to talk," Aoi quickly says, a passive smile in place. The other woman stares at the doctor, blinks and scowls.

"Then talk."

"Perhaps inside?" Aoi suggests but she's quickly shut down by Reiko.

"I'll rather not have you people in my house…"

Aoi laughs. "Oh, oh no, no…! I'm just a doctor, actually...and this here is a reporter, Shinta Okoba...perhaps you know him?"

Reiko is taken aback by the suddenness of all, blinking her distrust and anger away in an instant. She's confused, Okoba can tell that much.

"You…" Reiko begins, suddenly unsure. "You...are the author of that article...about those idols, right?" The young woman suddenly nods as if she's remembering something. She frowns. "And...you're here. Why?"

"We want to talk to you about Saki Nikaido," Aoi says, getting straight to the point. Her smile is gone, her expression serious. "And about Franchouchou and the girl that looks like the dead."

Renoir found Genji at the cafe; he was alone, drinking a cup of coffee, a small box by his side, probably cake.

After a few hours of thinking about zombies and idols and stuff, Renoir had taken a shower, had gotten dressed and had decided to wander around before arriving at the cafe by the beach. He didn't even want coffee and yet, he had come this way.

Genji noticed him, raising his cup a bit, as if arguing Renoir to get closer.

It was a little after twelve o'clock and people were already piling up, distracting the waitresses with their orders.

"Hi," Renoir said, sitting on the empty seat. Genji nodded.

"Hello."

Both were silent, the only noises around were the patrons and their gossip, the waitresses walking about taking orders and a glass breaking somewhere inside the little cafe. People turned towards the broken glass, Genji and Renoir ignored it.

"So…" Renoir began. "...umm…"

"How are you?" Genji asks, blue eyes staring straight at his brown ones. "Yesterday was quite the adventure, huh?"

"Umm...y-yeah...yeah, I guess."

Silence.

"Listen...Iー"

Genji raised a hand. "It's fine. Really. I expected something like this to happen eventually after I found out."

"Umm...about?"

"My sister and her friends getting found out," Genji explained. "If I found out, someone else was bound to find out too, you know?"

"Oh." Renoir is fidgeting a bit. He doesn't know what to say. "...about what you said…"

"Hmm?"

"You know...about...about Saga?"

Genji scoffed. "Oh, that. Saga's in trouble, and those girls came back to save it...if you catch my drift. That bastard," Genji spits that last word as if it were poison, "is the one that brought her...them back. Made them idols to try and save Saga."

"From what?"

"Godzilla, aliens, whatever...I don't really care," Genji finishes his coffee quickly before putting the cup down a little too hard. "I'll be honest with you," he begins. "You finding out...was an accident...me finding out was an accident, too, I guess…" Genji shakes his head. "My sister literally told me to drag your ass back to that mansion," he gestured with his head towards the mansion in the distance; Renoir could see a few lights illuminating the windows. "She thought those guys might find you knocked out and beat the life out of you."

"Ah…" At least that explained how Renoir had ended up in the mansion. These two had saved him. Again. Sort of.

"She's a sweet girl...that sister of mine…" Genji goes on, staring ahead. "Was too nice for her own good…People take advantage of that sweetness…"

"Umm...are...are you saying that...weirdo...umm, what was his name again…?"

"Moron," Genji offered and for the first time since Renoir woke up, he laughed.

"Hah! No, I'm sure that's not his name!"

"Well, it's what he deserves…"

Renoir smiles sadly. "...so, what's the plan?"

"Carrot cake," Genji answers, tapping the box by his side gently with his hand. "After that, who knows." He's staring at Renoir as he says that, wondering what the other young man is planning.

"Umm...I can't say I know what comes next…"

Genji nods. "It's fine...we can't force you to do what you don't want...but, I'm willing to pay."

"Huh?"

"You know...money?" Genji says, cocking his head to the side. "Yen. Dollars. Whatever. Pick and choose. I'll pay."

"Uh, what?"

Genji leans close, glancing a bit around before saying, "My sister's safety is my main priority right now," he explains. "I'm willing to pay for you to keep that secret between us."

Renoir seemed a little unsure; coming here, meeting with this guy again and been told he's getting paid for his silence was a bit too much. He could understand why Genji was doing this, though. That girl was his sister and if word got out...but...still, it felt wrong to just take Genji's money like it was nothing.

(besides, who would believe him?)

"I…" Renoir shakes his head. "I...I don't want your money…"

Genji stares at him, blinking before sitting straight again. "I see…"

"L-look...I get that you are...umm...worried...but, really? Who would believe me?"

"Probably not many people…" Genji told him, sighing. "But...I found out...and it took me weeks to even talk to her…" He blinked. "Huh. Hey, Suzuhara, right?"

"Oh? Uh, yes?"

"Seeing as you're not willing to take my money...maybe you'll like a job?"

"Umm...job?"

"The girls are idols, yeah?" Genji went on. "I'm giving them a hand with the music...sound design, composition, whatever they need...so, do you have a job?"

"N-no...but, what's that have toー"

"I'm willing to hire you." Genji tells him. "You ain't taking the money because you think it's wrong, right? You can work for it, then. I'm hiring you on the spot, if you'll take it."

"Wait…! What!?"

"I said I want to hire you," Genji said, smiling a bit at Renoir's look of surprise. "You in good conscience won't take my money, so I figured I can hire you and solve that problem."

"I...I don't think that's how it works…"

Genji shrugs. "Eh, it's my money...I can do what I want with it. I earned most of it." He glances at Renoir. "So...what's the word? You want it or not?"

"Uuhh…"

"You don't have to tell me now," Genji says. "Take your time. Think about it...and call me." He takes out a piece of paper and pen, writes a phone number and hands it towards him. "Here...you already know where the house is, yeah?"

"Uh...oh, yes…"

"Call me if you change your mind. That offer is still on the table." And then, Genji got up from his seat, took the box and walked away without waving goodbye. Walking, slowly but surely, towards the mansion.

Reiko's expression changes so fast that Okoba is suddenly afraid.

There's a glare in her eyes, and she's actually snarling. "What the fuck are ya on about?" she says, her speech changing with her mood. Aoi doesn't budge. Not even a bit.

"Her name is Number Two...you surely noticed the resemblance."

Reiko's glare hardened. "What are you getting at? And what's all this crap you're trying to pull?"

"Number Three looks like my daughter," Aoi says, eyes softening suddenly. That remark causes a small change in Reiko, but she's still glaring.

"So? People can look alike...it's...it's not a crime."

"It might not be a crime but it's a hell of a coincidence," Okoba buts in, suddenly brave. "Most of those girls have a dead doppelganger, you know? Konno Junko, Mizuno Ai, Hoshikawa Lily, Niー"

"I...don't see...your point," Reiko says slowly, she's breathing in and out a little too fast, as if she was trying to contain her fury, or maybe something else. "...I don't know you. Please leave." And she slams the door in their faces. Hard.

Aoi and Okoba stare at the closed door for a bit before the reporter sighs. "Well...that didn't help at all…"

Aoi glances to the side, expression unreadable. "She believed us...at least...or was trying to…"

"It didn't look like she wanted to talk about it at all…"

The doctor sighed. "Her friend literally threw herself over a cliff to prove a point...of course it will be a sore spot for the poor woman…"

/…..

Reiko waited until she heard the strangers leaving that she lets herself fall to the floor, a hand on her face, the tears falling down, unable to stop.

So, she hadn't really imagined it at all, had she?

That girl...that…

...that was Saki, wasn't it?

It explained so much, explained her resemblance, explained her voice, explained her craziness.

Only Saki Nikaido would dare fall off a cliff again just to save someone and prove a point.

"Goddammit, Saki...you...you bitch…" And Reiko just cried, ignoring everything around her, even the phone that had started ringing.