Chapter 15: Barrage
"After hours into the fray, police were able to apprehend the fugitive by the name of Hajime Sano, one of the HCC president's twin sons, along with two of his close pals also convicted of kidnapping. After a negotiation made by the CEO himself, his sons settled down; ending the fight that could've bruised both body and soul. The victim, Hiiragi Kagami, was taken to safety back to her family in Saitama Prefecture by one of her best friends. Neither the CEO nor the girl who was with him earlier wanted to give out their opinion regarding the incident. He did assure that justice will determine the fate of one of his twin sons. He also promised the Hiiragi family compensation for the moral damages done to the victim in the form of cash. For more details about the incident, watch the 9:00 news tonight."
"Whew!" Konata breathed easy. "For a minute there, I thought that man was going to molest you, Kagamin. It's a good thing I taught that very important lesson."
Her infuriated friend lay silent as she looked at the blue sea and the orange sky.
"Izumi, I think now's not a good time to talk." Kuroi-sensei suggested.
For the entire trip back to Saitama, all of them were as silent as a library. It was one of the situations wherein Konata's hyperactivity was downright useless. For now, nothing could up her friend's spirit; not after the chain of events that occurred for several hours and his cold action towards Takashi. Although her tormentor was behind bars, her heart felt that it was still behind bars—caged and locked up from the outside world. She carried an insanely heavy burden on her back and she still had a long way to go before the next town. She thought of many things on the way home. If it weren't for him, the two boys who were with him could've done their thing, destroying her morale in the process. Still, one good deed wasn't enough to atone for the heaviness of his conviction. Now that the incident had already become a nationwide disturbance, she anticipated that her family was well-informed of the occurrence. The date wasn't cancelled but cut short. The last event of the day which was supposed to be a romantic dinner for two at the Takara residence was suspended in association of this event. The beautiful day that she had imagined had turned into the worst nightmare she had ever experienced in real life. No, it was more than a nightmare—it was hell on earth.
For her, to be fought over blood for blood and life for life felt very wrong. She was a trophy on display, waiting for the last man standing to grab her and go. Foremost of all, life wasn't a lottery prize; she knew that very well. Human life was as fragile as glass and irreplaceable as an old yet rare artifact. When the brothers Hajime engaged in a non-lethal yet bruising battle, they already made a crack in the glass—a small crack with devastating moral effects. The remaining ways of peaceful negotiation would've worked better than a one-on-one fight but the challenger insisted that the will to fight was necessary in loving somebody. While Sano is completely locked up behind bars, Takashi couldn't stop rubbing the side of his face hit by Kagami's palm. It stung more than the sting of a bee; it hurt more than words could ever do. Most of all, it came from the girl she admired since his childhood. Miyuki, although the life-threatening circumstance ended without a loss of life, still felt anxious and uneasy. If there was anything deafening aside from noise it was silence. When the limousine arrived in front of the Takara residence, they didn't say anything—not even a warm goodbye. The old man had something in his mind waiting to be conveyed at the right time.
"Before I forget Takashi, I need you to come with me to America after the semester."
"But I thought you don't need me to succeed your place." Takashi said.
"Don't get the wrong idea. It's the only way to put an end to your brother's uncontrollable rage. If you feel like taking responsibility for your actions, then come with me abroad to clear the family name off the embarrassment."
"But what about—"
"Didn't I make myself clear a while ago? Come with me if you want to clear your name; unless you value romance over riches."
"I…don't know what to say."
"The semester ends in a couple of days. Use that time to decide. Don't let me down this time. You've put this family in much strain too much—both you and your brother."
The old man and the limousine left the residence shortly afterwards. Takashi suddenly turned to Miyuki and placed his hands at her shoulders.
"I'm sorry, Miyuki. I broke my promise." Eventually, he went inside the house, carrying his heavy and painful burden.
Within the limits of the town of Washimiya, the Hiiragi household finally settled down after hours of helplessly watching the live coverage of the hostage crisis that rumbled an entire nation from top to bottom. They also received word that Kagami is safe and sound and on her way back home. She couldn't be blamed for what had happened outside their reach. She was merely forced into submission by somebody's will. When Kuroi-sensei's car arrived, Kagami's mother came out running and hugged tight.
"I'm glad that you're safe, Kagami." She cried tears of joy. "I would blame myself if you were not here in my arms."
"That good for nothing jerk…!" An enraged Matsuri replied. "For once, I expected that she would be in good hands."
"Oh Konata-chan, I can't think of anything to repay your kindness." The mother bowed down in front of Kagami's rescuers. "Thank you very much."
"There's no need for a reward." Konata replied humbly. "I'm also deeply saddened by the turn of events."
The night was serene and quiet. Nobody rejoiced but nobody wailed in agony. Nobody spoke about the incident or the Hajime brothers. Nobody even dared to bring it up. Nobody took proper action to restore her cheerful smile back. They all pleaded on one force that was undeniable: time.
The next day, torrential rains returned to the vicinity. Everything was once again drenched in water, although thunderstorms were absent. It seemed like a normal rainy school day for Kagami and the rest of her buddies. There were only a few days remaining before the end of the semester; only a few days before the parting of ways. She dressed up in her school uniform and hurried down the stairs for breakfast. Instead of eating a full meal that was served in front of her, she only consumed two pieces of toast before leaving the house with Tsukasa. It seemed to be a normal day for all, as if nothing significant ever happened.
Upon arriving at school a train and bus ride later, everything seemed normal. Kagami's classmates greeted her like the usual instead of questioning her about the nationwide crisis. They all wanted to forget that the hostage situation yesterday even happened. It was hard for them to do because it had become a part of their past. Everybody acted like the ordinary; she's the only one who was out of the ordinary.
"Hey Hiiragi, let's have another wonderful day!" Misao approached her as lively as ever.
Kagami answered back with a slight nod.
"Ho, ho, ho, the scary monster lies dormant this morning."
"Misa-chan, I don't think that's such a good idea." Ayano said fearfully.
"Don't worry; she won't even lay a single finger to hurt me."
"But she..."
Ayano couldn't remind both of them of the crisis yesterday. Her friend already had a bad Sunday. She couldn't afford to make it any worse today than yesterday. Nevertheless, it was a wise move. Kagami suddenly stood up and looked at the time around her wrist. There was still plenty of time before the first period. She left the classroom without a moment's notice.
"Huh? Where is Hiiragi-chan going?" Ayano asked.
"Probably to the restroom…" Misao laughed loudly.
Correction, she wasn't heading for the little girls' room. In fact, she climbed to the next floor where all the seniors' classrooms were situated. It felt very different when one was in the corridor of upperclassmen. With a lot of free time in their hands before their respective first periods, they hang out by the corridor windows and watched the rain shower down on the damp ground. The reason was clear: Takashi's presence. She approached a girl from a certain class and asked his whereabouts with the utmost respect.
"Ah, Hajime-kun…? Sorry but I haven't seen him yet. I tried calling him but he wouldn't answer his phone."
"I see…thank you very much." Kagami replied and bowed down.
"I'm sorry if I can't be of any help."
A complete failure, she went back down to her own territory and made it back to her classroom just in time for the first period. Her mood today was way even worse compared to last week. She felt like dying right away not only for being a prize in a duel to the death but also for embarrassing her family who was now the talk of the town in complete secrecy. She couldn't bear any more pain and needed to be silenced immediately—before Takashi could even stop her. She was trapped in a barrage of suffering raining down around her; a thick barrage that could be broken from the outside. But with Takashi out of her picture, who would be strong enough to break through this formidable wall? Who has the power to rescue a damsel still in distress?
During lunchtime in Konata's class, Kagami never came to eat lunch together with her best friends. It wasn't unusual but if it had something to do with the crisis yesterday, then it was otherwise.
"Onee-san hasn't spoken to me since this morning." Tsukasa said worryingly. "I can't have a big sister like that."
"I feel terribly responsible for Kagami-san since her date was my cousin." Miyuki apologized. "I'm really sorry."
"This is a very unique setting." Konata replied. "It doesn't happen much in the anime or manga. It's more on soap operas."
"Soap operas…?"
"You mean those dramas of love and life?"
"Yup, the one and only…and if I can remember correctly in one soap opera, the boy and girl got back together in the end."
"But how did they do it?"
"It's always that setting in most of the soap operas on TV but it will be very hard to do in real life."
"Ah but Miyuki-san, I have a plan on how we can put one and one together again."
"Really…? How…?"
"Please tell us, Izumi-san."
"I'll need more manpower if I'm to execute Operation: Kagami's Flag 2."
"Then we're counting on you, Kona-chan."
"We'll help in anyway possible, Izumi-san."
"Okay then we will start tomorrow."
TO BE CONTINUED
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A full year has passed…new characters…new settings…new challenges…what will be destiny's judgment on a forbidden love?
Why does it feel different again when it's…?
Kagami in the Rain 2: Desolation
Expected Date of Release: December 2007/January 2008