Playing with Hope
Chapter Three
Jago had been part of the security department of Moon Corp. long enough to know how everything in the company worked. He was one of the tops in his area and his expertise from other high profile jobs before this one had only furthered to help the company prosper. His input was always valued as he was rarely wrong when dealing with everything security related and he prided himself on having such a wonderful job.
When he was smaller he had dreamt of being a policeman, but he wouldn't trade his job for all the yen in the world. He knew everyone who worked in the whole corporation, no matter the country, no matter how small the place. His uncanny ability to remember every face and name had come in handy on numerous occasions, and if you needed to know where somebody was, Jago was the safest bet.
He was also one of the few people, outside of those with the Hiiragizawa name or high enough position, to have clearance to most anywhere in the company. So when the rumors started that the Moon Four, as the media called the four owners, were planning on going through with the rule of six, he was not perturbed at all. They would never think of replacing him. He was much too valuable and knew too much.
Secure in his thoughts that nothing would come to him, Jago looked around at the working employees and smirked. Twenty four of these corporate bastards' bosses were going to be shot out of here so fast they wouldn't know what hit them. As he walked back to his office -- which was smaller than he'd liked it be -- he thought about how long it would be before one of the Moon Four would search him to ask him to take care of the most persistent ex-employees. Some people just didn't know how to handle the bitter truth.
"Jago, boss-sir, would you look at these files for me?" came the rather child-like voice of one of his best security guards. Had be been slightly more chauvinistic than he was, or had he not know that this guard was one, if not /the/ best after himself, he wouldn't have allowed her to be so dismissive of his name. As it was, he was rather fond of the woman, and had taken to her almost as the daughter he would never have.
He grunted as he took the files, and continued walking towards his chair. She took a seat in front of him and waited expectantly until he finished glancing at the files. She took great delight in watching his eyes widen at the information contained within, and when he looked up at her, her face had taken the wild grin she had been known to carry when she was especially happy or giddy.
"How did you find this?" he demanded gruffly. He didn't look as happy as she was with the information but she knew it had more to do with his personality rather than the fact that the files were bad news. Because bad news was the last thing the files brought.
She shrugged nonchalantly, and for a second it was all he could do not to strangle her. How could she be so nonchalant over something as important as this!
"I was bored this morning and started checking the old records and surveillance tapes. See, good things do come to those who are nosy." She answered him, looking at her extremely short nails. This job didn't leave the time for a good manicure.
Jago looked back down to the files and with more emotion than Ura had heard him express in a while said the same thing she was thinking.
"We are going up with this."
Ura rolled her eyes and laughed. "I knew I could trust this with you. Now do listen to me." She said her voice hardening a bit. "If you leave me out of this I'm going to make you regret it, hear me chief? I didn't have to include you in this at all. It was all out of the goodness of my heart."
When she started speaking Jago had looked up at her, and once her little speech was finished his faced looked a bit shocked at her words. He quickly regained his arrogant expression and smirked.
"Ura, you should know better." A silent understanding passed between them and she nodded satisfied.
"This couldn't have come at a better time, boss-sir." She said chirpily, her earlier tone dismissed for the moment. "I mean, just when people are about to be fired we come out with this. The Moon Four are going to love us!"
Jago remained silent but nodded. At his nod she took the opportunity to lean forward and take the precious files from his hands.
"I need to take these back, sir, if you will. I know you're my mentor and everything, but I'll feel safer with them. You know me." She smiled and stood up quickly, her ponytail bouncing from side to side.
Jago laughed at her antiques, but let her get away with it. "Meet me for lunch, we have to discuss when the best time to bring this up is."
"One step ahead of you, man-sir. One step ahead of you." She winked at him and threw a small folded piece of yellow paper. Once she did she turned towards the door and left, the files safely on her arms.
Jago opened the paper looking at the door and after he looked and read it he rolled his eyes. There were few people he trusted, experience had made him more paranoid than he thought possible. But this young woman was quite possible the one he trusted the most. It went beyond almost everything he believed in, women were unpredictable, but he truly believed he could handle this one.
He crumpled up the paper and throwing it in the garbage can, leaned back into the chair. Let's eat at the cafeteria today, indeed. The digital clock in his desk changed digits and beeped announcing the change of hour. It was ten in the morning and he felt the day was off to a very good start indeed.
~~~~
More than twenty minutes had passed since the appointed time to meet, and Sakura was starting to think that maybe she was being stood up. The university library was quiet, but since it was still morning and most of the people in this side of the campus took the night classes, it was understandable. She had tried calling Tomoyo to her mobile a few minutes before the due time, but she hadn't answered.
The meeting that was previously scheduled for 2pm that very same day had been changed unexpectedly by her prospect tutor who had said she had something she had to do at that time. So the meeting was changed to the morning to avoid having to wait another day. Something that Sakura thought was quite silly if one was not planning to show up at said appointment anyway.
She watched the few other students studying and sighed. The books around her were opened to several different subjects, all of which she had some sort of difficulty. Still, she hadn't as much as glanced at them, opting instead to draw something in her journal. It was something she did when she was bored and this time it was the name of the university with a variety of colors - the words /Tokyo University/ blinking up at her innocently.
She heard the library doors open and close a bit too loudly, and then the fast footsteps of someone who was most certainly in a hurry. The noise made her look up and it surprised her to the scared face of her always-happy roommate Mei. Once Mei spotted the green-eyed girl, she headed towards her trying to be a bit more quiet as to not disturb the others.
"Sakura!" she whispered almost breathlessly. "Come on! Get. Up!" she signaled quickly grabbing the other girl's hands and tugging her up. Sakura stood up a little unstably and looked at the breathless girl with complete bewilderment.
"What's happening?" was the first thing she asked. It was unnerving to see her friend in such distress and she wasn't quite sure what to think.
"I-" She started then shook her head, pulling her towards the exit. "Y-you have to come."
About to tell her to wait, her things were still on the table, she closed her mouth upon seeing the look in her friend's eyes. This was serious.
Once outside, Mei led her away from the library into a more secluded area and then biting her nails looked desperately at her friend.
"What is it, Mei?" Sakura asked again, this time her voice trembling.
"I think my sister's been killed."
~~~~
Flying was not a novelty for Eriol. Having spent most of his childhood moving from place to place with his father, he was used to spending time in short as well as long flights. Nonetheless, it was infinitely better to travel for pleasure then it was for business. This time the line blurred a little since he was sure he was going to enjoy this small trip. Since he was to personally ask for this next person to join his company.
Though it was been a while since he had last seen him, if his informers keep him accurately up to date there was to be no problem at all. Sure, the boy was a tad too head strong but that was exactly what he needed in this. Someone who knew what he wanted.
It was not to be a permanent job; the boy's mother had made sure of that. His first priority was the Clan, but she had agreed that this would be a wonderful experience for him and would serve to enhance his business skills. So it was decided, his mother would tell him an outline of what he was to do, and he would only go there to answer deeper questions and because he was family. Besides, it would do him good to see family.
The ride was smooth, the turbulence almost nonexistent, and he entertained himself reading the latest cover of the most famous teenage magazine in China at the moment. Not his preferred reading, he liked to know all different point of views, and this particular issue held an interview with said candidate for the job; the future Li Clan Leader - Li Syaoran.
It was filled with silly questions, things only fan girls were really interested in, but as he looked at the several pictures of the never smiling youth he couldn't help but smile. If his memory didn't fail him, and he was almost positive it wouldn't, he knew this was going to be as pleasurable as he anticipated.
The voice of the pilot came from up in the cabin announcing that they would be arriving within the next ten to fifteen minutes, and his smile widened. Closing the magazine he turned to look out the small window and out to the vast country below. He felt as if he could almost reach out an arm and grab at the clouds outside. It was almost the same feeling he felt when he pursued a great business deal, except the clouds didn't fade away when he closed his hands around them. At least not unless he wanted them to.
~~~
"You. w-what?" Sakura blurted almost immediately.
Mei sniffed and nodded.
"I think she's dead. I mean..." she rephrased, "I'm sure I know Eva's dead. I just /know/ it. Oh, Sakura, what am I going to do? I told her not to get involved with those people."
Sakura stared at her friend, not quite comprehending the words that were coming out of her mouth, yet listening to her anyway. The other girl stopped to take a breath and then looked at the auburn haired girl with the same desperation as before.
"This is, Mei, are you sure?" She was stumped. What was she supposed to say? What was she supposed to do? She had no idea what to do in a situation like this and by the way Mei was looking at her it was clear the other girl was expecting her to solve her dilemma. "Does anyone else know?"
"I think so." she choked wringing her hands nervously. Her eyes darted everywhere and nowhere, almost as if she were expecting someone to come out and take her away.
Sakura had met the sister in question. It had been about a year ago and she had stopped by Mei's house to visit and she was there. Something that was unusual, since she worked for a big deal pharmaceutical in the western part of the world, and rarely had a chance to visit her family. Mei's mother and Mei's sister, the same Eva they were talking about now, were discussing the absence of Eva's twin sister. Her twin was also part of a big corporation, but unlike the younger by a few minutes, she had stayed on part world.
"Okay." Sakura muttered, a bit disoriented. As she looked at her friend she couldn't help but feel that she was not doing a very good job at this. So she went with her instinct and hugged her; the other girl began to cry.
Chapter Three
Jago had been part of the security department of Moon Corp. long enough to know how everything in the company worked. He was one of the tops in his area and his expertise from other high profile jobs before this one had only furthered to help the company prosper. His input was always valued as he was rarely wrong when dealing with everything security related and he prided himself on having such a wonderful job.
When he was smaller he had dreamt of being a policeman, but he wouldn't trade his job for all the yen in the world. He knew everyone who worked in the whole corporation, no matter the country, no matter how small the place. His uncanny ability to remember every face and name had come in handy on numerous occasions, and if you needed to know where somebody was, Jago was the safest bet.
He was also one of the few people, outside of those with the Hiiragizawa name or high enough position, to have clearance to most anywhere in the company. So when the rumors started that the Moon Four, as the media called the four owners, were planning on going through with the rule of six, he was not perturbed at all. They would never think of replacing him. He was much too valuable and knew too much.
Secure in his thoughts that nothing would come to him, Jago looked around at the working employees and smirked. Twenty four of these corporate bastards' bosses were going to be shot out of here so fast they wouldn't know what hit them. As he walked back to his office -- which was smaller than he'd liked it be -- he thought about how long it would be before one of the Moon Four would search him to ask him to take care of the most persistent ex-employees. Some people just didn't know how to handle the bitter truth.
"Jago, boss-sir, would you look at these files for me?" came the rather child-like voice of one of his best security guards. Had be been slightly more chauvinistic than he was, or had he not know that this guard was one, if not /the/ best after himself, he wouldn't have allowed her to be so dismissive of his name. As it was, he was rather fond of the woman, and had taken to her almost as the daughter he would never have.
He grunted as he took the files, and continued walking towards his chair. She took a seat in front of him and waited expectantly until he finished glancing at the files. She took great delight in watching his eyes widen at the information contained within, and when he looked up at her, her face had taken the wild grin she had been known to carry when she was especially happy or giddy.
"How did you find this?" he demanded gruffly. He didn't look as happy as she was with the information but she knew it had more to do with his personality rather than the fact that the files were bad news. Because bad news was the last thing the files brought.
She shrugged nonchalantly, and for a second it was all he could do not to strangle her. How could she be so nonchalant over something as important as this!
"I was bored this morning and started checking the old records and surveillance tapes. See, good things do come to those who are nosy." She answered him, looking at her extremely short nails. This job didn't leave the time for a good manicure.
Jago looked back down to the files and with more emotion than Ura had heard him express in a while said the same thing she was thinking.
"We are going up with this."
Ura rolled her eyes and laughed. "I knew I could trust this with you. Now do listen to me." She said her voice hardening a bit. "If you leave me out of this I'm going to make you regret it, hear me chief? I didn't have to include you in this at all. It was all out of the goodness of my heart."
When she started speaking Jago had looked up at her, and once her little speech was finished his faced looked a bit shocked at her words. He quickly regained his arrogant expression and smirked.
"Ura, you should know better." A silent understanding passed between them and she nodded satisfied.
"This couldn't have come at a better time, boss-sir." She said chirpily, her earlier tone dismissed for the moment. "I mean, just when people are about to be fired we come out with this. The Moon Four are going to love us!"
Jago remained silent but nodded. At his nod she took the opportunity to lean forward and take the precious files from his hands.
"I need to take these back, sir, if you will. I know you're my mentor and everything, but I'll feel safer with them. You know me." She smiled and stood up quickly, her ponytail bouncing from side to side.
Jago laughed at her antiques, but let her get away with it. "Meet me for lunch, we have to discuss when the best time to bring this up is."
"One step ahead of you, man-sir. One step ahead of you." She winked at him and threw a small folded piece of yellow paper. Once she did she turned towards the door and left, the files safely on her arms.
Jago opened the paper looking at the door and after he looked and read it he rolled his eyes. There were few people he trusted, experience had made him more paranoid than he thought possible. But this young woman was quite possible the one he trusted the most. It went beyond almost everything he believed in, women were unpredictable, but he truly believed he could handle this one.
He crumpled up the paper and throwing it in the garbage can, leaned back into the chair. Let's eat at the cafeteria today, indeed. The digital clock in his desk changed digits and beeped announcing the change of hour. It was ten in the morning and he felt the day was off to a very good start indeed.
~~~~
More than twenty minutes had passed since the appointed time to meet, and Sakura was starting to think that maybe she was being stood up. The university library was quiet, but since it was still morning and most of the people in this side of the campus took the night classes, it was understandable. She had tried calling Tomoyo to her mobile a few minutes before the due time, but she hadn't answered.
The meeting that was previously scheduled for 2pm that very same day had been changed unexpectedly by her prospect tutor who had said she had something she had to do at that time. So the meeting was changed to the morning to avoid having to wait another day. Something that Sakura thought was quite silly if one was not planning to show up at said appointment anyway.
She watched the few other students studying and sighed. The books around her were opened to several different subjects, all of which she had some sort of difficulty. Still, she hadn't as much as glanced at them, opting instead to draw something in her journal. It was something she did when she was bored and this time it was the name of the university with a variety of colors - the words /Tokyo University/ blinking up at her innocently.
She heard the library doors open and close a bit too loudly, and then the fast footsteps of someone who was most certainly in a hurry. The noise made her look up and it surprised her to the scared face of her always-happy roommate Mei. Once Mei spotted the green-eyed girl, she headed towards her trying to be a bit more quiet as to not disturb the others.
"Sakura!" she whispered almost breathlessly. "Come on! Get. Up!" she signaled quickly grabbing the other girl's hands and tugging her up. Sakura stood up a little unstably and looked at the breathless girl with complete bewilderment.
"What's happening?" was the first thing she asked. It was unnerving to see her friend in such distress and she wasn't quite sure what to think.
"I-" She started then shook her head, pulling her towards the exit. "Y-you have to come."
About to tell her to wait, her things were still on the table, she closed her mouth upon seeing the look in her friend's eyes. This was serious.
Once outside, Mei led her away from the library into a more secluded area and then biting her nails looked desperately at her friend.
"What is it, Mei?" Sakura asked again, this time her voice trembling.
"I think my sister's been killed."
~~~~
Flying was not a novelty for Eriol. Having spent most of his childhood moving from place to place with his father, he was used to spending time in short as well as long flights. Nonetheless, it was infinitely better to travel for pleasure then it was for business. This time the line blurred a little since he was sure he was going to enjoy this small trip. Since he was to personally ask for this next person to join his company.
Though it was been a while since he had last seen him, if his informers keep him accurately up to date there was to be no problem at all. Sure, the boy was a tad too head strong but that was exactly what he needed in this. Someone who knew what he wanted.
It was not to be a permanent job; the boy's mother had made sure of that. His first priority was the Clan, but she had agreed that this would be a wonderful experience for him and would serve to enhance his business skills. So it was decided, his mother would tell him an outline of what he was to do, and he would only go there to answer deeper questions and because he was family. Besides, it would do him good to see family.
The ride was smooth, the turbulence almost nonexistent, and he entertained himself reading the latest cover of the most famous teenage magazine in China at the moment. Not his preferred reading, he liked to know all different point of views, and this particular issue held an interview with said candidate for the job; the future Li Clan Leader - Li Syaoran.
It was filled with silly questions, things only fan girls were really interested in, but as he looked at the several pictures of the never smiling youth he couldn't help but smile. If his memory didn't fail him, and he was almost positive it wouldn't, he knew this was going to be as pleasurable as he anticipated.
The voice of the pilot came from up in the cabin announcing that they would be arriving within the next ten to fifteen minutes, and his smile widened. Closing the magazine he turned to look out the small window and out to the vast country below. He felt as if he could almost reach out an arm and grab at the clouds outside. It was almost the same feeling he felt when he pursued a great business deal, except the clouds didn't fade away when he closed his hands around them. At least not unless he wanted them to.
~~~
"You. w-what?" Sakura blurted almost immediately.
Mei sniffed and nodded.
"I think she's dead. I mean..." she rephrased, "I'm sure I know Eva's dead. I just /know/ it. Oh, Sakura, what am I going to do? I told her not to get involved with those people."
Sakura stared at her friend, not quite comprehending the words that were coming out of her mouth, yet listening to her anyway. The other girl stopped to take a breath and then looked at the auburn haired girl with the same desperation as before.
"This is, Mei, are you sure?" She was stumped. What was she supposed to say? What was she supposed to do? She had no idea what to do in a situation like this and by the way Mei was looking at her it was clear the other girl was expecting her to solve her dilemma. "Does anyone else know?"
"I think so." she choked wringing her hands nervously. Her eyes darted everywhere and nowhere, almost as if she were expecting someone to come out and take her away.
Sakura had met the sister in question. It had been about a year ago and she had stopped by Mei's house to visit and she was there. Something that was unusual, since she worked for a big deal pharmaceutical in the western part of the world, and rarely had a chance to visit her family. Mei's mother and Mei's sister, the same Eva they were talking about now, were discussing the absence of Eva's twin sister. Her twin was also part of a big corporation, but unlike the younger by a few minutes, she had stayed on part world.
"Okay." Sakura muttered, a bit disoriented. As she looked at her friend she couldn't help but feel that she was not doing a very good job at this. So she went with her instinct and hugged her; the other girl began to cry.