Blind Sided
-Jasmine-Fields-1979-
I Disclaim: I do not own the copyrights or trademarks of the respective authors, artists, and television programming of any Manga or Anime. Please note, with respect, that the images I use are clipped from open source images discovered on the Internet, with exception to photos pertaining to my own image and any business branding about my employers past and present.
Chapter 11
Aiko and Asami prompted Mei for what she was thinking and pulled the cameraman closer to them so that the microphones and background chatter wouldn't interfere with the conversation during this interview. This is what they told everyone.
"I'm thinking that we need to get the local university drama club involved. I don't remember everything about when I first came here or the first words I ever said to Yamato, but as I recall, I had also just gotten out of my military academy work. All the guys there treated me like...like shark bait and – what's his name again?" Mei asked referring to the man who snuck his hand under her skirt on their first encounter with each other.
"Kenji."
"Right. Him. Anyway, I have a low tolerance for sexual harassment. Most things guys say really don't impress me much."
"Hmmm." Asami was thinking aloud, "Are you an expert in sexual harassment?"
"No, but anyone can recognize the obvious, don't you think?" Mei glared at her surroundings while Aiko continued the inquiry.
"Do you have anything you want to say to the faculty right now?"
"I owe some of the faculty a conversation, but I'm not ready to discuss all those details. In my world, information is currency, so keep that in mind when making suggestions to the drama team. I am current on events that affect the population and will confess that having me speak into the camera like this causes risk to myself and my military friends."
"So why do this?"
"Because I can. Because I know the rules. Because I want what I want right now. And because I need to see college culture at its finest when information is gold."
"Do you have any ulterior motives?" Aiko asked.
That was a bold assertion, but Mei supposed that it was also an honest question, even though quite direct in its nature. She attempted to explain clearly.
"My motive is to find out what I can about other people and see how they fit into the bigger picture. Kind of like doing a cooperative humanities presentation for my former commanding officers, which is who I'm beholden to right now – all the while trying to keep all contracts in place for the defense sectors."
Asami didn't know anything about defense contracts, but supposed Mei was trying to keep things simple so that nobody was too bogged down in these details. When Aiko went to ask her last question, Asami cut in.
"We meant with Yamato. Do you have any ulterior motives with him?"
"Um. No? At least I don't think so."
What a weird way to answer, Asami thought. Aiko shrugged.
"Okay, mister cameraman with no name here," Aiko began, "there's nothing else to ask during this interview. Maybe in a future interview, but no more. Class will begin momentarily, and we know how the professors are about this."
The crew member gathered up his equipment and moved to the far exit of the classroom. Shortly thereafter, Kenji arrived. Mei looked bored and irritated now but said nothing.
Aiko and Asami took Kenji to the side and filled him in on needing to borrow the drama club's equipment for the next several months and asserted a timeline to schedule checking out the cameras and recorders. The need to involve the staff more heavily would be essential around the students in order to cushion problems that Mei and Yamato might not know about this university's theater actors and actresses. They were also skilled in conveying complex thought into simplified drama pieces. Those who were interested in the business of the entertainment industry would see, firsthand, some of the inaccuracies of working with and without script while keeping up imagination and branding ideals that all three negotiated contracts demanded by the agency responsible for creating this sort of work for everyone.
"So, we need to recreate Kenji sexually harassing every one of the girls? This is going to make Yamato look so innocent!"
"Too innocent, but is he really interested in Mei?"
"Mei's not innocent either, but I wonder why she kicked Yamato to begin with?"
"Details. Details. How to present each other to Megumi? She doesn't even know how they first met. How are they even meant to compete against each other?"
"You're right. That did cause a scene here."
Asami and Aiko agreed with each other on a point of fact, while noticing that Mei was now staring out the window with a frown. The conversation thrummed in the background and then the cameraman departed without saying a word.
After class, Mei walked to the gymnasium to her locker. The locker spilled open with notes and other things crammed in there. At first, she thought they were notes from one of her other classes or journal pages, but upon closer inspection decided to read one of them.
"Die, Bitch. You don't deserve him."
Did she recognize the handwriting?
No.
Maybe she was supposed to feel guilty for having a friend or two hanging out with her?
No. She would not. Her friends were few and far between. She felt no guilt, although...
Asami and Yamato with the rest of her peers were going to karaoke tonight. She'd be going to the bakery working – again.
Her shift lasted longer than the schedule; she ended up closing the bakery and though the streets seemed emptier than normal, Mei couldn't shake the feeling that she really was being followed with malicious intent. Hair on the back of her neck stood up and her senses searched for signs of others on the streets. No camera personnel; it was finally Friday night – and dark outside.
Glancing back she saw nothing in the streets, then picked up the pace speed walking. More footsteps. She was being followed. She huffed and followed her gut into a run.
Then she made a race towards the closest convenience store that had a safe zone on Third Street – not heading towards her apartment. All the cameras were with Yamato at the moment and maybe, just maybe one of them could be spared for a time.
Ducking behind the chip aisle, away from the windows was harder than it looked. She didn't want to alarm the guy following her, especially if there was a military mission going on and her contacts needed to reach her. She dialed Yamato after searching for her new phone.
Yamato almost hadn't answered right away, but his gut twisted. When he heard panting and heavy breathing on the other end, he almost hung up.
"Wait, I'll be right there."
He clicked his phone shut, then hurried to Third street.
"Mei!"
"Yamato! Oh, thank goodness! No one at home answered the phone!"
"Is this scripted?" he asked.
"No. Absolutely not. Did your cameraman follow? I need to get a good close look on the guy's face."
"Camera's not far behind. You alright? How long has this other guy been standing there?"
"Oh, about half and hour or so; maybe longer."
Yamato grabbed some ice.
"What's going on?" Mei asked.
"Got hot getting over here."
He paid for the ice then waited. Another shadow appeared with a small camcorder directed at the store.
"Right. I understand the situation. Let's go."
When Yamato put his arm around Mei's shoulder, he'd figured that the stranger would walk away immediately. He wanted to call out this stranger but thought twice about it as they took a couple steps toward him.
"Mei. I love you." Yamato declared in front of God, the cameraman and this stranger who looked familiar to him.
"This is your boyfriend?"
Yamato reached down and gave Mei a real kiss and for the first time kept an eye on the man. He was pissed and the anger rolled off him in waves. But this stranger would not leave.
"Are you going to leave or are you looking for fame here?" Yamato spat out angrily while the Cheshire cat grin on the cameraman turned to a serious frown.
The dark haired stranger walked away, eyes searching for recognition of a better escape than through the street lights. His target had company.
"He's gone. You recognize him?"
"No. Although, he looks like a dopple ganger of someone that I do know."
"I'm reporting this."
"Me too," answered the cameraman.
*~~~oOo~~~*