Dein Weg ist Mein Weg

Chapter V

The Fan

"Where are we even going?" Saori asked as they continued following Yukari into the bowels of the Zuikaku. "Are you sure this is where Maho is?"

"Absolutely, Miss Takebe!" The girl answered enthusiastically as she led on.

"If I say 'run', we turn and go back the same way as fast as we can," Saori whispered to Hana. "I feel like we're being led into an ambush. Maybe this is how they got Maho?"

"Oh, don't be like that. I'm sure we can trust Miss Akiyama," Hana whispered back, before calling out to Yukari. "Excuse me, but how did you know this is where Maho is?"

"Oh…" Yukari said and stopped. "I...uh… I… I might have followed her ever since she came aboard. A-and this is where Miss Nishizumi has been heading every day since the fight with the President." In the dimly lit corridor, the two could only make out a hint of blushing on Yukari's cheeks, before she turned and continued into the depths.

"Wait," Saori called out and sprinted to keep up with their guide. "Why have you been following her? Are you some sort of stalker?"

"N-no, I wasn't stalking her… I… I just wanted to be near her. She's just so cool, and I've dreamed of meeting her for so long…"

"What do you mean you've wanted to meet her? She's just a high-schooler like us?"

Once again, Yukari stopped, but this time she spun around to face the two girls, almost blinding them with the flashlight she was carrying.

"What are you talking about?!" she yelled at them. "Miss Nishizumi isn't 'just a high schooler'! She's the greatest ever!" Yukari stared at the two girls in disbelief, before asking in a low and unsure voice, "W-wait… You mean you really don't know who she is?"

"What do you mean 'we don't know who she is'?" Saori asked as they stopped before Yukari. "She's just a high-schooler who transferred here after having to repeat a year, right?" She turned to look at Hana with exasperation, but Hana only shrugged.

"As far as we know."

"Wait, are you telling me she really is famous? And she didn't trust us enough to tell us? Maybe she's worried about paparazzi showing up if anyone were to find out." While Saori was busy going into high gear with her theories, Yukari walked over to a heavy metal door, and sighed.

"Miss Nishizumi is one of the greatest Sensha-Do aces of all time. She's the heir and first-born of the famous Nishizumi family, and led Kuromorimine's Sensha-Do team as its commander for the past two years. Together with her younger sister, the vice-commander, she was an unstoppable force, impossible to defeat. Until the accident, that is…"

"What accident? What happened?" Hana asked.

"It was during the final match of last year's tournament. Kuromorimine was facing off against Pravda, another powerhouse school, and one of Kuromorimine's tanks fell into a nearby river. There was no rescue in sight, and for some reason the crew didn't reappear in the water, so Miss Nishizumi left the flag-tank and ran to save her teammates. Unfortunately, the confusion that followed in Kuromorimine's ranks meant that Pravda could take out the flag-tank, and won the match. It was supposed to be Kuromorimine's tenth consecutive win, so people were… dismayed... to say the least. Many blame Miss Nishizumi for the loss."

"Forget about all that, what happened to the crew of the tank in the river?"

"No one really knows. The broadcast cut out before anyone found out what happened to them, and Kuromorimine refused to answer any questions. Considering the temperature of the water and how long they must have been under for, most people are pretty sure they didn't make it."
"That's awful…" Saori said with a gloomy look, which was unusual for her.

"Yeah… No one's seen Miss Nishizumi since the match either, until she showed up here at Ooarai that is."

"No wonder she didn't want to talk about her past… I can't even imagine what that must have been like…" Hana said in a low voice.

"We'll just have to show her our support when we find her. So let's get going. She must be so lonely…" Saori looked to Yukari, who gathered herself, and answered with a tone she most certainly hadn't used before.

"We're almost there, but…" There was something uncertain in Yukari's voice, something neither Hana or Saori could quite grasp. "Look… I need you to keep quiet as we pass through here. And make sure to not make eye contact with anyone. Ok? That's how people end up disappearing."

"What are you talking about?"

"Just... just trust me. Keep quiet and follow my lead, and we'll be fine." Yukari didn't give the two any more time to think as she pushed the door open and continued down the corridor, Saori and Hana hot on her heels. Lining the dusty and filthy corridors they now passed down were girls in torn or heavily modified school uniforms, each looking meaner and more prepared to assault them than the last. In one corner sat a group gambling, in another someone had started a fire in a barrel with old textbooks to give some warmth to the dreary halls.

"Just keep your heads down. We're almost there," Yukari whispered back to them, before turning one final corner. At the end of the short corridor was another heavy door, with two powerfully built girls standing guard outside.

"We're here to see the captain's guest," Yukari said to the two girls, and handed them a small envelope. "I hope that won't be too much of an inconvenience?" One of the girls took the envelope and opened it, looking at the contents inside, before nodding to her comrade who opened the door for them.

"What did you give her?" Saori asked in a nervous whisper.

"My allowance. Most top-siders don't get in without a bribe," Yukari whispered back without paying the answer much mind, and the three walked through the door. Inside they found what looked like a half-dozen different types of bars and pubs all mashed together, and sitting at the bar with a half-empty glass before her, and many more empty, was Maho.

"Maho!" Saori called and ran towards her, leaping at her and hugging her tightly. "We were so worried!"

"Get off me…" Maho growled back at her, keeping her gaze fixed on the glass before her. "How did you even find me?"

"We went looking for you at your apartment, but then Yukari told us she knew where you were," Saori said and pointed to Yukari, who looked like she could melt from excitement.

"M-Miss Nishizumi!" She said and bowed. "I-I'm so happy to get to meet you. I've been following you for a long time… A-as a tanker, I mean. I'm a big fan, and I just wanted to say, about last year's tournament…"

"Don't bring it up, or I might do something I regret." Maho emptied her glass and put it besides the others. "Another!" she called to the bartender, a blonde girl with short hair who was leaning against the wall cleaning a glass, but quickly put a newly filled glass of something rather foul-smelling before Maho, who continued to drink.

"B-but, are you ok? With all that happened during the match?" Saori asked.

"Yukari told us what happened, and we're so sorry we tried to get you to tell us about it. If we had known we would never…"

"You think you know what happened? You think you know why I stare into the abyss every waking moment, and every sleeping one too?" For the first time since the three had entered, Maho looked up from the glass before her, and glared at Yukari. "What did you tell them?"

Author's Notes

So, a bit of a shorter chapter this week. Or more correctly I suppose last weeks was very long. Hopefully it is satisfying enough for you all.

As usual, thanks for any feedback and reviews.