Chapter 2: From Where the SEES Remained
Yasogami High School, Principal Office
Remember, put on a smile and be nice
A sleek ballpoint pen glided over the documents scattered over the maple wood table. Trails of black ink covered a small corner of each before the whole pile was collected, straightened, and inserted into the cabinet for safe-keeping. "Now, we are done with the formalities…"
"Thank you."Minato twisted his lips into the usual PR smile, just a tug at the corner, not too wide to make the expression insincere.
"You're awfully young to be applying for a teaching position, but a new face around here is always a blessing. Let me be the first to welcome you…" The old man on the other side of the table raised his shriveled right hand to meet with Minato's. "Welcome to Yasogami High, Arisato-sensei."
"I'm glad to be part of the faculty."
Minato felt callous bumps inside the principal's palm, not very surprising.
Takenaka Gin, even the man's name oozed an air of the older generation.
His clothing looked traditional as well as his footwear with wooden sole. He seemed passable for someone who had just walked out of the Meiji era.
Even after the passing years took away much of his physical strength, telltale signs remained that he once had an imposing physique. It wouldn't seem strange that a man like him spent days after days swinging a sword in a dojo, the sort of talent that might have gone to waste with his current occupation.
"It is a fine thing someone's willing to teach philosophy here. Certainly. Certainly. Not the easiest thing to find new teacher around this here. The position's been vacant after Mr. Morooka…"
Minato raised an eyebrow as the principal stopped to search for more appropriate words.
"…left us on a sudden term…We were making do on substitutes."
"Yes, I can imagine." The small slip in the principal's demeanor had caught Minato's curiosity, but prying was too much trouble than it was worth.
"Since Ms. Kashiwagi who was asked to show you around the school is proctoring an exam at the moment, please follow me." With some grunts and great effort, the principal painstakingly extracted himself from the armchair. "Blasted old hip…"
Minato rose from his seat to come to the old man's aid, but a sharp glare stopped him in his track. The message was clear, I'm old but I don't need help. Pride was one thing that even old age couldn't take away from the old principal Takenaka. It took three more effort to get him straightened up.
"Apology about the wait, Arisato-sensei. "
"Oh, I don't mind." Feeling an air of awkwardness intruding, Minato tried to change the topic as they were strolling down the hallway. "So there is an exam going on? I thought we still have a few days of midterm break left."
"Supplementary exams," the principal elaborated. "Things a bad enough without having more kids flunked out of school."
"Oh, I s-"
Minato bit down in the middle of his sentence to resist the involuntary muscular contraction of a sudden coughing fit. He had to get that handkerchief in hand first. Giving his new employer a faceful of microbes seemed to be a surefire way to make lasting negative impression.
"Bless you. Bless you. I'll introduce you to a good friend of mine. He sell those herbs and roots that whisk your cold away."
"It's more of a chronic thing…I've always been more susceptible to cold than most." Minato replied once the fit subsided. "I'll get a physical checkup soon."
"Hmph, any good man can't never trust those big hospital. Their people squeeze you dry, not an ounce of doctor integrity, just whether you'll pay by cash or by card. Unfortunate. Unfortunate."
"Well, it's just all the capitalist thing nowadays. A lot of things are changing, and most not for the better."
"Well said. Well said. No more, pride, honor, and anything that shaped our youth into a man, just money, money, and more of those blasted rich kids not obeying the rules."
Despite his reply, Minato's smile did became a little strained. Should his life be on the line, he would rather leave it in the hand of someone with proper medical certificate and complete set of hi-tech medical equipment. A backwater town witch doctor would be promptly placed at the bottom of his list.
Still, he knew better than to voice the opinion. There was no point in sparking an unnecessary debate.
'Keep life simple and keep people happy' was his simple motto, the secret of the man who had made and maintained so many social links in the span of a single year. It had served him well enough through the high-school life.
Everyone always have things that they wanted to hear, and Minato was keen in knowing exactly that. Perhaps, it was a brownoser's way of success, but he deemed it a fair game to be softening people up a little. The world was a hard enough place to live in.
Principal Takenaka shook his head as he eyed the town beyond the windows. "Things have changed after all those new people moved into Inaba, bringing those things that all don't belong here."
…And thus makes a perfect stage for a clash of between the tradition and the modern, Minato thought somberly. The thought piqued a little of his interest and was jotted down in his mental notepad. The topic could be saved for some interesting conversation later
"I personally thank you for coming out here even though the pay is not much, Arisato-sensei. Inaba might not have a lot, but good fresh air is one thing we have in plenty. You'll look much healthier in a few days, I guarantee it."
"That's great. I might even be strong enough to go without my meds in a few days," Minato quickly covered his insincerity with an enthusiastic nod.
There was no helping his 'zombified' looks as Junpei had once put it. Pale complexion and lean build gave him a physically weak impression, the set of traits which grew even more evident in the past few years. He didn't exactly expect that any fresh mountain air to be able to improve it for that matter.
"And we're here," Principal Takenaka came to a stop before an empty classroom. "You will be charge of this classroom for the rest of the semester."
Minato's glance darted around, taking note of the sign that read "1-B" over the doorway. The room appeared simple enough, unpolished wooden floor, a worn out blackboard, and three rows of seat. It didn't come equipped with all the electrical appliances, but he wouldn't need any to teach the words of boring old Plato and Kant and the all other dead white men.
"Very well then, Arisato-sensei, do keep yourself dry. I'll need you to be here next Monday, seven AM. No excuse for being late."
Minato nodded and accompanied the principal as he hobbled back to his office. The pitter patter of raindrop could be heard in the distance.
…So I guess he's not a social link…
Minato's PR smile faltered upon the realization that since a while back he had been screening for the holders of social links, unconsciously but screening all the same. The realization made him heaved a heavy sigh. A part of him already seemed to have accepted and was preparing for Igor's so-called journey.
"That's a long sigh. Anything not to your liking?"
"Something else. I got a lot my mind," Minato replied. Following along the flow, he ended up saying more than he had intended. "Someone said I might have just gotten too used to running away from a mistake."
"Arisato-sensei, back in my days, we don't complain and tackle troubles head on. Young people like you still haven't live long enough to know what it's like to be carrying the world on your shoulders."
"Actually, sir, I do believe otherwise." Minato withheld a silent chuckle and responded to the principal's chiding with a wry grin. Retorting might not be the best thing to do, but this was one comment that he couldn't let slide. "I actually have a pretty good idea how it feels to be carrying the world upon my shoulders."
He had the first-hand experience as the savior of mankind.
The weight of the world was far heavier that you could imagine…
Yasogami High School
Monday came with an unusual swiftness for Minato, who had spent the weekend in a daze, settling into his new rented place.
"All rise! Bow!"
Minato swallow a nervous gulp as all eyes in the classroom converged upon him. Standing before the blackboard gave a strange feeling. It wasn't that long ago when he was in one of those seats looking up to the teacher with disinterest.
"Arisato Minato, I'm going to be your homeroom teacher this year," Minato announced after loudly clearing his throat. "Sorry in advance about my voice. I'm not in my best of health as you can see. Raise your hand or just do something to catch my attention when I start to mumble. Now, let's not waste any time and get started."
Minato deliberately ignored the murmurs and the buzzes of activities, most likely about his young age or sickly look. He found this compromise to be much more effective than simply locking the classroom in a draconian grip.
"Akazawa…Akita."
Without waiting for the buzz to die down, Minato started checking names off the class roster. Students whispered to their neighbors as he crossed each name off the list, absentmindedly carrying on the task until a particular name stumbled him.
"Amada…?"
Minato scanned the classroom during the short pause.
"Here."
In a chair toward the back of the class seated a boy with shaggy brown hair and a warm smile. Although he had outgrown his childhood, his face still carried enough resemblances for nostalgia. Minato double-checked a particular name in the upper section of the class roster.
There hadn't been a mistake.
Enrolled in Yasogami High class '1-B' was one of his good friend and a member of the SEES.
Ken Amada.
Yasogami High (15.50 PM)
Exactly three second after the afternoon bell rang and the last lesson was over, Ken Amada was called upon to help with school related business. Other students gave him the looks of condolence, but Ken had a knowing smile as he followed Minato out of the classroom.
"It's a nice surprise to see you here," Ken began. "It's been quite a while, hasn't it?"
"Nearly a year, thanks for ruining my short attempt at self-isolation from all the persona matters." Minato snapped in reply. "By the way, you don't look surprise, Amada."
"Okay, you got me there…Still, it was Ken before, wasn't it?" The youth smiled, unfazed by Minato's apparent annoyance.
"I'd thought you would prefer to be addressed more formally, now that you aren't a kid," Minato replied. "Weren't you the one dying to grow up back then?"
"Unlike most of your student, I'm an already independent adult now, mind you…if you refers to the pays from doing our extermination routine as a proper job that cover rents and groceries." Ken protested, not too happy about being reminded of his childhood.
"Speaking as your teacher, you're still a minor until graduation. Please do me a favor and address me another accordingly then, Mr. Amada." Minato said, making a point on emphasizing Ken's last name for a sense of distance.
"…You sure have fitted into your teaching role quickly," Ken shrugged and quickened his walking pace.
"I made an effort to," Minato said and quickened his pace to match Ken.
An uncomfortable silence followed their exchange. The new reality of their status had just began to set in. Minato did operate as the field leader during their time in the SEES, but their respect for one another was mutual. In the school, Ken found it strange to be start giving Minato the type of respect that befitted their current position.
"Do follow me please, 'sensei.' The second floor of the practice should be a good place to sort out our issues. It's still too early in the semester for clubs."
The practice building was fairly devoid of the students after school, saved for a few that lingered about in the first floor. All was quiet once they had slipped into the empty drama room on the second floor. The room was picked clean prior to the semester break and all the chairs were piled on one side.
"Seeing this'll be a long talk, let's take a seat." Minato walked to the cluttered of classroom furniture and pulled out two chairs from the pile. "What's your plan here, Amada? Actually, screw that question. SEES people don't get transferred here and there just for cultural exposure."
"You think so? Eliminating new shadows is as good a way as any to get exposure to new perspective in life, maybe almost as life-enriching as this teaching thing you're doing" Ken said as he took the seat in front of Minato. "Doesn't seems like you're too eager to see us, despite that everyone is dying to see you return."
"I don't think so," Minato had his brows knitted together in displeasure. "I put those days fighting shadows behind me. My notice of retirement is there in Kirijo-senpai's office."
"Kirijo-senpai wouldn't send you down here, if she really accepted your letter of retirement. Of all the places, why else would she secure a teaching job for you down here right next to a possible lair of shadows?"
Minato grumbled in reply. He had to concede to Ken's point. It did seem strange that the Mitsuru's job recommendation just happened to be this teaching position out in the middle of nowhere, considering all the resources at the Kirijo Group's disposal. The thought of being machinated at hands of the Kirijo Group sparked a small annoyance, but it was quickly extinguished.
Patience…Patience…
Minato took several meditative breaths. Thinking back, lashing out at Ken all of a sudden was a childish thing to do. Allowing his real irritable self to take-over would only leave him with one enemy too many. There would be plenty of opportunities for finger-pointing later.
Minato cleared his throat and began in a lighter tone of voice, not entirely honest but it did make him more pleasant to deal with. "Sorry about earlier…it's been a hectic time, and I'm not in my best mood."
"Of course," Ken smiled, pleasantly surprised.
"Also, change of plan, let's do away with the formality. Being called sensei is giving me a strange vibe."
"What happened to staying professional?" Seeing that the earlier tension had more or less dissolve, Ken too began to smile.
"Your sensei is just not that uptight when there's no one around to report him for misdemeanor." Minato chewed on his lower lips to get rid of the remaining residue of anger. As always, friendly was the best way to approach. "So? What's the deal this time? I'm not going to join you there in the front line. Fighting shadows is big no-no now. Doctor's order. Okay, but I can lend you an extra brain at least."
"That will make a good start," Ken nodded expectantly, relieved that the conversation was going more smoothly. "Would it be too much to hope for more than your brain on our side? A few persona or two perhaps?"
"Being too greedy isn't a good strategy for haggling, you know?" Minato chuckled at Ken's sincere hopeful look, this time genuine. "You might end up walking home without even my brain."
"A harsh negotiator as always," Ken shook his head, but the hard feelings had otherwise disappeared. "Well, I've got a plenty of time to do the convincing. We got a long term investigation planned, so I'm enrolled here for the time being. Just one upside of not having a family."
Minato returned Ken a bitter smile. The hidden war between the shadows and persona-users had left both of them orphaned, bearing the same scar, so to say. Oddly, he felt more at ease with the idea of helping out, but indirect support was where he drew the line.
"Tell me the story, but do skip the beginning. I'm pretty sure it's going start something like 'Once upon a time, a lucky Kirijo informant tips you guys off about an incident of mysterious disappearance'. Then a few among our team of persona users were dispatched to investigate."
"It's a case of mysterious murder this time, but not far off the mark," Ken corrected. "The telephone murder case took place a couple of years ago, but the incident slipped through our radar, thanks to some copy-cat murders and possibly isolated cases of disappearance slash kidnapping. The fact that Inaba is located in God-knows-where countryside also didn't help."
"That's a weird-ass name for a murder case."
"Probably have something to do with how the victims were found," Ken said. "They were hanged on the telephone pole, you see, upside down and all wrapped up. Cause of death had been heart failures, no visible injury and no toxin was discovered after autopsy. All deaths occurred during the night with heavy fog. How's that for your story."
"Good enough for a horror film. Eight out of ten…" Minato commented dryly. "So you're finding the shadow culprit for the case?"
"The culprit is already behind bars…well, was behind bars. He's a persona user." Ken quickly amended. Nothing too surprising, murders committed using personas wouldn't leave behind the physical evidence to convict on murder charges. "Quite a bad joke that the only new persona user we've located turns out to be a murderer."
"Fortune often turns out to be one mean bitch, doesn't she?"
"She does, but what's interesting is a little something from his confession, after we peeled away all the ramblings…" Ken looked up in thought, recalling his earlier conversation with Mitsuru. "It's got interesting regarding his M.O. Oh, I'm sorry, I meant to say-"
"Modus Operandi, method of operation" Minato waved off Ken's explanation. "Go on."
Ken smiled sheepishly. He didn't have to dumb down the term for Minato. "Well, you heard what the crime scene is like. Impossible. When we pressed for details, he just laughed, saying he didn't know…well, 'didn't know shit' about how the victims became telephone-pole Houdinis. He used to be a model prisoner, although I didn't see all that much cooperation after he was released into our custody. He said he only pushed the victims in, and they did the rest of the job when the fog comes down, all the killing and hanging and stuff."
"They?" Minato gave Ken a questioning glance.
"We're assuming shadows. That was the most we've got out of him. His confession suggests that there is at least a place in Inaba where shadows are hiding or at least periodically gather. I'm looking more into that."
"Maybe, it's just one crazy guy ranting. Isn't that the cover story, anyway?" Minato asked.
Most of the time that was the fate in store for the people who had abused their persona power. Getting an indefinite stay in Kirijo Psychiatric Specialist Center with complementary straightjacket.
"Then how are you going explain that impossible murder. Either way, if this happens to be true, I'll have to ask for Akihiko-senpai and Iori-senpai and maybe even the rest of the team…" Ken looked down uncomfortably. Going solo into a den of shadow was a bad idea.
"The SEES is still understaffed, I take it?" Minato asked, not that he didn't already know the answer.
"When did we ever get close to having enough people…?" Ken's grumblingly replied.
The Kirijo Group, with Mitsuru at its head, might have a horde of informants and analysts ready to sift through any incident of mysterious murder/disappearance, but at the end of the day it was the few persona-users who had to be sent into the field.
Their scope of investigation covered the entire Japan, an impossibly large area to be thoroughly patrolled by five persona-users (six counting Koromaru who was always free but couldn't be counted on for independent investigation). Most of the time, it boiled down to a lucky guess, hoping that the alarm hadn't been set off by some overly-zealous analyst, stuck in the limbo of overtime work.
Unfortunately, that was how the investigation turned out most of the time.
Back then, the SEES had been hopeful. Had they managed to discover persona-users as easily as they did back in the days, the SEES would already have been an organization of many dozens. Instead, they shrank, having a lost some to permanent desk jobs, ailing love one…
And death…Minato lightly massaged the bridge of his nose as a particular memory rose like a specter, one that he rather kept buried.
"It's strange, isn't it?" Ken continued after a pause. "We've got a bunch of us coming together before The Fall, then nothing, no one else, not even a prospect in years. Statistically, it doesn't make sense…"
"There are always weird things out there, I suppose…" Minato leaned back on the chair. The gears in his brain churned out another train of thought. "Then again, it might've made more sense to tackle without using your data and numbers, if we think of persona awakening more as a reaction."
"To the shadows' presence…?" Ken maintained a grim look as he extrapolated.
Minato smiled. Ken would make a good student. "Think immune system. Human body doesn't need to produce antibodies without the presence of viruses. If a persona awakening is an immune response to shadows' attack, the development of persona would be rare or nonexistent in areas without high shadow activities. If shadows are holed up in in their lair, few cases of direct contacts would mean few cases of awakening."
"So you're saying that unless there are more incidents of attack, there won't be any more persona user." Ken said. His eyes narrowed at the possibility, unpleasant to say the least.
"Just a guess, or there might other who had already awakened from that…prior incident you talked about. Some just want an ordinary life. They are the people who convinced themselves that the shadows are nightmares and their power a fantasy. It isn't easy recruiting persona user."
"…It isn't. Apparently, one had just turned me down a few minutes ago." Ken made an accusing glanced at Minato. "Either way, we're going to keep the field leader position open. A change of heart, perhaps."
"Then I hope you're prepared for a long wait." Minato slid down the backrest and shook his head.
"As long as it would take, we've already gotten used to having our hope dashed while waiting for our ever-absent leader. Silver-lining, you know?" Ken couldn't resist taking a jab. No matter what he had said, Ken Amada did not take disappointment well
"Very funny. You were a lot cuter when you were a kid. Where did you get that smart-ass mouth from?"
"I learnt it from you, mostly, when you weren't trying to become a gloomy wreck of teacher. Back in those days before she-"
Ken bit his sentence in half, but the damage was done. Awkwardness washed in like a tide. Ken had stepped one of Minato's landmines, something that was never meant to be said, and the last few years had propped up many new ones.
"Sorry, shouldn't have brought that up."
"It's fine," Minato blinked twice and moved on. At times like this, it was easier to pretend that he heard nothing. The topic did led to a certain train of thought, however. "Just one question…who else do you have in your team?"
"I think you should already know who," Ken showed a flash of rage at Minato's intentional obliviousness. "There aren't too many people who cares enough to follow you all the way to Inaba."
"You're right. I suppose I do know." Minato heaved a sigh. Ken had read him through.
He was ashamed for having to use such a roundabout method to start a talk about Fuuka. The thought of her filled his brain with two conflicting emotions. On one side was the longing to meet and on the other was hesitation. She had sacrificed so much and, yet, he was still running away.
"Is she doing well? After the transfer to the hospital and everything, I mean…"
"Wouldn't it be better just to go and see her for yourself? You have to be going there anyway, right? Doctor's order."
"Forget the doctor. He knows better than to come around messing with my love life…It's just that both Fuuka and I need time to work this out," Minato heaved a long sigh. There was much to consider before he could actually muster the courage for a face-to-face meeting.
Uncomfortable silence grew for several moments longer until Minato looked out of the window and announced. "Seems like it's getting late."
"Yeah…. Pack up then?" Ken heaved a sigh, giving up, but only for the time being. "You know, we've already been planning a small party for your return. We thought a change of pace and such would change your mind. Looks like it's all a waste now."
"Put that party on indefinite hold…You won't be getting to it any time soon." Minato put down a hand and ruffled Ken's hair as they exited the drama room. The smaller gap between their heights made the gesture a little awkward. In his first year of high school, Ken had already grown up to match Minato's height.
"Please cut that own," Ken made a fiery scowl and pushed Minato's hand away. Then or now, he still hated being treated like a child. "Just for how long are you going insist on doing this?"
"Habits die hard…and I wasn't exactly trying to treat you like a child," Minato replied as they walked down the corridor. "After all, Ken, you already are mature."
"That's obviously flattery."
"That actually was my honest compliment," Minato chuckled and gave Ken a pat on the shoulder instead. "At least, you're more mature than I am. Way more. You healed. You got right back up, shouldering all those damn thing that needed to be shouldered. I couldn't…not any more. The pain is too much."
Ken remained silent as Minato ended in a self-deriding note and disappeared along the corridor. He had thought of arguing, but Minato's pained look silent him. Any attempt to push through would result in Minato shutting himself down. These topics were taboo.
Still, Ken did understand one thing. That final offhanded comment might have been the most honest thing that Minato said for the entire afternoon.
The fights they'd been through left horrible scars, more on Minato than any of them. His wound was deep and had barely began to heal. All the poking and prodding might slow the healing process
The bottomline was that the less-than-productive banter with Minato had consumed his entire afternoon. Ken realized the need to reschedule his investigation after emerging into a deserted school building. Anyone with valuable information was probably chilling at home with local TV channels and a can of Coke or blazing through the required reading for the next lesson.
Ken sighed and retrieved his iPhone. He didn't actually have to plan his next step in the school building, but it would only be fair to get something done after wasting an afternoon. Some sense of progress before returning home would make him sleep a little better tonight.
He had downloaded four dossiers the last morning (which no doubt were compiled by several Kirijo investigators in weeks of overtime). Three were third year students at Yasogami High, and one had graduated as of last year.
The inn manager, the delinquent, the idol, and the detective…
They appeared to have nothing in common, but that was only when scratching the surface. All four had been victims of mysterious disappearances, which the media were quick to dismiss as ordinary running-away-from-home case. All the serial-murdering made better front page news, especially after the four in question had returned safe and sound.
The Kirijo Group was more on the thorough side. Their better success was attributed to the magic called insane number crunching, massive amount of raw data plugged into graphs and spreadsheets for unnatural patterns.
Ken only understood less than fifty-percent all of the blah-blah bullshit from the statisticians with enough touch of insanity to run the numbers of murders and disappearances against innocent things weather forecast, local stores' promotions, and news reports (To be fair, when shadows' activities relies on crazier things like moon phases, there wasn't such thing as irrelevant data). From that, he had received two take-home points.
First, those four might have been victims of the same serial killer who had been throwing people all over the place into a horde of shadows. How an ordinary person managed to survive their little grabby hands was beyond his understanding, but it was too much of a longshot to assume that the persona-awakening had occurred in the nick of time for all four cases.
Second, the investigation was destined to be awkward as hell.
Hi, I just want to ask about the time you possibly have been kidnapped by a serial murderer….hopefully it hadn't been too traumatic an experience…
Ken scratched the back of his head. That just couldn't it be phrased in a way that make it less awkward, not that approaching the any of them would be easy in the first place.
For different but equally valid reasons, the idol and the delinquent weren't the most approachable type of people, and a first-year student trying to chummy up with the local inn manager might would raise too many questions. Too troublesome. Out of the four, the detective was his safest bet, the final one the list by the date of disappearance
Guess I'll work my way backward…Would've been easier if we can just called them in for an interrogation…
But they weren't polices, and even the police force would be face a huge shitstorm called 'fundamental human rights' should they nab some innocent civilian to be interrogated. News spread like wild fire nowadays, where authorities could be bashed, vilified, and disapproved all over the internet. Ken wasn't an opponent of free speech, but being on the receiving end made things a little different.
Viva information age…
Ken squeezed himself into a dead-end corner, making sure that his back was against the wall before retrieving the files. An intruding eyes would force him into a position to answer many difficult questions, not that there would be any in the hallway at this time.
The detective's PDF file contained a photograph of a young woman with sharply-trimmed hair. Her name was printed in bold letters under the photo.
Shirogane Naoto.
Ken recalled seeing it in the news more than once, the so-called rising star of the Japanese police force.
Hope you'll live up to your reputation, miss detective…
Ken had worked his way through half the document, when a certain sound hit him through the soft and steady raindrops, faintly at first like a whisper. Eventually, it fleshed out into a song. The piano was playing late afterschool in the club, where it was supposed to be empty.
A reminder of a classic school horror story, cycled countless times through generations of students.
But Ken wasn't scared of ghosts. Few persona users would be, knowing that many fodders for any horror story could be simplified to the words shadows and personas. Pulling the string on a mystery and its root tended to be one or the other.
Ken shifted his legs out of the leaning posture. The music room was upstairs.
…Can't hurt to take a look.
Yasogami High, Rooftop
Kujikawa Rise disliked Monday, particularly the first Monday of the semester, when the next weekend seemed years away and the next vacation decades, but this particular Monday was only becoming worse.
"Listen, listen! You remember Risette? The one that used to be an idol?"
The shrill squeaking and squawking penetrated jazzy beat from her earphone. Rise looked behind the metal pipe she was leaning on. There were two girls on the rooftop, probably first year, whose names Rise hardly remembered if she had ever heard.
Learn to look around you before starting to gossip…Thanks.
"The one that announced her big return? Wasn't that a while ago?"
"Yeah, yeah, and guess what? Seems like she got kicked out. Now, she's back out here."
"No way! Those idols are only good for their looks. What's she going to do now that she had to use her head?"
"Who knows? Bet she knows a lot of technique to smooch up to the teacher-"
Rise had enough. She unplugged her earphone and walked in between the conversing pair.
You two don't know anything…
The gossipers' face paled, choked on their words. Their conversation fell dead, but she knew the guilt wouldn't last long. Their gossip would continue even before she reached ground floor. "Kujikawa-san…"
"Oh, don't mind me…" Rise lowered her head and quickened her steps past the pair down the staircase.
None of you know anything…
Rise knew from the beginning that there was little space remaining in the show biz to accommodate a returning idol, but she didn't want to disappoint him.
The man who was now far beyond her grasp.
The industry had moved on while she was gone. New idols came and took her place in the spotlight: younger, cuter, and perhaps even more talented than she was. The agencies weren't interested in her talent. They were interested her dirt over the year of absence: secret love affair, pregnancy, substance abuses, any reason to make an idol retired. Seeing none, they promptly lost interest and left, but not before leaving her with a storm of new gossips to deal with.
After the connections died off and the channels were exhausted, Rise gave up and returned the life of an ordinary student. The buzz died to an occasional murmurs and rumors across the corridor, and soon the name 'Risette' just stopped being special.
'Risette' became an ordinary third year student, who wasn't even that good at studying.
Then came the talks and the gossips, sometime bluntly along the hallway and some other time more tactfully among private discussion. For the effort of trying to return to the world of celebrity, she became a target to be mocked by those she hardly knew. The adults were hardly any help. They were quick to point out her fall from fame as a warning for those starry-eye girls dreaming up their place in the show-biz.
Rise quickened her pace. The music room was only a turn away on the next corridor, just a quick stroll away. She managed to slip in with no one noticing.
Anger still burned, buzzing inside her ears like wasps. Those girl talked as if they had gained an access her most intimate thoughts. There was more to Kujikawa Rise than the dress, the dye, and the makeup. There was more to an idol after the songs and the stage ambience had been taken away.
Sure…there's still the pretty face and the breasts and the hind side. Who would give a hoot about everything else…?
There was a time when she would smile. Even though it hurt, she would smile at them. An idol was trained to flaunt an unbroken smile through all the daily irks and annoyances, but the façade took its toll. Eventually, the smile fell.
"Just when did everything get to be so complicated?" Rise mumbled. Her eyes traced the polished black body of the music room piano like an old friend.
Having the investigation team besides her helped, but the school was a battlefield that she needed to brave through alone. Kanji and Naoto were busy living their youth, and the senpais had graduated. They were not enough.
She needed more…
She needed him…
"Yu-Senpai…it's just so hard without you backing me up." Rise placed both hands on the piano. Her own reflection on the glossy black surface looked ugly. "Senpai…"
The cry and the moan eventually grew silent, then Rise burst into a fit of broken laughter. It was a sad girl's way of cheering herself up, knowing that the sound was confined with the space of the music room.
"Really, what am I doing…?" Rise mumbled, wiping away the dampness in her eyes after the laugh had subsided. The laughter only left a scornful echo toward herself. "After all…Yu-senpai belongs to Yukiko-senpai now…"
Rise tried hard to prevent the pain and the disdain from spilling into her voice. At least, she believed she did, but beneath a thin layer of calm were storms that threatened to break through.
She needed to let some of it off.
She had waited for this moment. With the school band on the break, few students would actually make a detour to the corridor where the music room is located. Songs used to be her passion even without all the glamor of the lightings, the dancers, and the stage.
Primed on the white keyboard, her ten fingers began to dance, pressed on down on each key with the just-right strength and tempo.
Rise wasn't the best pianist, but the piece she chose was not complicated, just one of the lesser-known song that the she performed countless times. Compared to the complete stage ensemble, the sound of the piano alone gave a hollowed accompaniment, but it was enough. This haunting tune was enough to rescue her.
Rise began to sing. The words danced, riding on the melody. Music resonated, tearing down limits and constraints. Empowerment in the mire of powerlessness.
But her solace was cut short.
The singing died and so did the piano, when she noticed another head had poked in through the doorway, another first-year boy.
"Sorry, I didn't mean to intrude. The door wasn't closed properly…Oh, I'm Ken Amada, by the way." The first year sheepishly tried to explain himself as he was caught in a compromising position. "I was just listening and well….Was just thinking that was a nice song."
"Liar," Rise interrupted flatly. That was the excuse they always used when caught.
The same anger began to bubble from within. He was just another curious first year. She had seen too many of them, all hawking and hounding around to observe her like a zoo exhibit. A few weeks into the semester, not even they would care to give her a glance. Concealed emotions overflowed, stronger and unstoppable.
"You just wanted to take a peek… Is it that really that interesting to see someone failing after trying so hard?" Rise pressed on, trying to keep her voice steady.
"I'm sorry, but that's really not what I had in mind…Sorry, would you mind we talk a little bit? I've got some q-"
"I don't take questions now. I've had my share of being interviewed for the last two years." Without bothering to give him a second glance, she packed up. Entire scores of music sheets swept into her school bag.
"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to-"
"Is that all? I have an appointment with someone after this…" Rise waved Ken off, not with a hint of aggressiveness or anger. The way she looked now she was more of a husk than a person.
Rise walked straight into toward him and looked up. Her eyes were damp, but something inside didn't quite turn her into a damsel in distress. She hadn't bite, but wouldn't hesitate to.
"Please move. You're blocking the exit."
"Oh…I'm sorry…" But Ken had only apologized to the air as Rise had squeezed herself through a tiny gap and marched off without throwing a second glance his way.
Ken scratched the back of his head and sighed, watching her back becoming smaller and finally disappeared down the stair.
Kujikawa Rise, the idol...certainly a difficult one to approach….
