How can this happen to him? He had a mechanic to watch out for those things, for crying out loud! He got out of his car, lost in the middle of a campaign road. He opened the hood and checked the engine. Hopefully, it wouldn't be too bad... There. No more fluid in the radiator. That's just great. He drank the last of his water on the way back. He took the empty bottle on the seat next to him and started the ignition. The electrical system went on and opened the GPS. Water... Water... There! A river. The... Kohaku River. Well, it wasn't that far away. The towing would raise a helluva bill if he made them come all the way out here.
So, the business man opted to take a walk. He followed the GPS indications and came to the water point without problems. He filled his bottle and got up to get back but something stopped him from leaving. There was a bright light coming from right over that hill. Someone was... whispering. Campers telling scary stories maybe? He walked over the hill to check it out, simply curious. What he saw there, he would remember to his last breath.
A very young woman, no more than seventeen, was standing chest high in the water. The agitated flow seamed to calm all around her as she let water drip from her opened palm. She was crying, the very picture of sadness. She was surrounded by a soft blue light that seemed to radiate from her. Her tears fell down as they touched the water, they seemed to clean it only to be stained back once they left her purification aura. The man stumbled back in superstitious fear. He ran back to where he left his car. He put the water he was still holding in the radiator, started his engine and sped away.
A river maiden...
He never talked of what he saw to anybody.
The next morning found Chihiro walking up on the river's side. She must have cried herself to sleep. She composed herself and brushed up the sand on her yukata. Now, she was almost presentable. Almost. Thankfully, she felt the spiritual energy keep her warm in her sleep. Granny told her the energy could take care of the most trivial need for a while like hunger and cold.
She got back to the train station. She had a lot to do, and not much time to do it. She figured that when no more forms of life would remain in the river, the spirit of it would die. She wasn't going to let Kohaku disappear like that. She got off at a station not that far from her parent's home. She didn't have much of a choice: the bank where her money was stood there.
She entered the building under the disapproving eye of the cashier. The woman talked to her as if she entered the building by mistake.
"Yes? How can I help you?"
"It's for a withdrawal."
"Can't you use your debit card?"
"Good idea. I think I'll get one now."
"I see. Can I have your name and your account number?"
She gave the information requested and the woman typed it in her computer.
"Well, this is convenient. Ogino Chihiro was sixteen when she went missing, five years ago. I don't know what you did to look just like she was... five years ago."
"I aged well. I guess signing a paper would not grant me access to my account."
"Exactly. In fact, in such case, we call the police."
"I have an alternative to that."
"Oh? And what would it be?"
"Call M. Takeru."
"M... Takeru. The director. How would waste his time help?"
"I know him. He will confirm that I am who I say I am."
"You'll leave if he does not."
"At once."
The cashier got the director on the line. Thankfully, he was in the building. He got down from his office, and the cashier was not to be calling the police that day…
"Chihiro-chan? Is that really you?"
"Hai, Takeru-kun... or should I say Takeru-san now?"
"Really funny. Come with me, we have much to say. Miss... sorry, I forgot your name again. Did she ask for something yet?"
"Yes... sir. A debit card and access to her account but the policy about missing people..."
"Nonsense! She informed this bank she was on a trip of unknown duration, thus, she wasn't missing to our eyes. Make sure the retroactive interest have been applied for the last five years."
"Yes sir. At once."
Her ex-boyfriend, now a handsome man, lead her politely to his office. To see the director took care of her with this much care, she could have been dressed like the wife of the emperor himself. Chihiro got her share of bows that she politely returned.
"What a graceful and polite young woman..." was said in her trail.
Funny how the illusion of money can change minds.
"So, you don't remember the name of your employees, Takeru-kun? I didn't know you so cold..." teased Chihiro once Takeru closed the door.
"I watched everything from a camera placed in the hall. We pride ourselves to be a friendly bank, with personal services like when my father was director, two years ago. Hahera-san is competent, but cold. She has to learn she is not above the client and that her talents does not make her irreplaceable."
"You grew up so much! I'm glad to see you again. I must admit that when I saw the personnel listing on the front door and that I saw 'M. Takeru', I thought it was still your father!"
"Ha ha! I know, right? Customers don't like changes too much when their money is involved. I didn't bother to add my first name. Please, take a seat."
They sat on each side of the desk. Chihiro knew the real talk was starting now.
"At first I thought to play that little scene only to give a lesson to Hahera-san. Here, I should ask you who you are as it is nearly impossible you wouldn't have changed in five years. But you seem to be more... mature. Then again... you always were."
"Don't worry, I wasn't frozen in some space labs! I was away... where time flow differently from here. Life is so sweet that you don't take a year..."
"I know a few billionaires who would give ninety percent of their stocks for finding such a place. So I guess you found... who was it again? Haku-san?"
"Yes. Life is really good with him. I was as happy as I could get."
"Was?"
"Yes. Something terrible is happening to him. I can't explain why, but his life depends on one thing now. The Kohaku River."
"The… Kohaku River."
"Hai. Probably you don't know, but it's badly polluted. I went to see it just yesterday. It's awful. His life literally depends on that river. I'm not talking of his mood, his job or his social conscience. I mean his health and very existence."
"So you came back home to change that. Is that it?"
"Yes."
"I will help you."
"Really?"
"On one condition."
Chihiro took a serious face. It was now she would know how much Takeru changed in five years.
"I have to meet my old rival," he stated, smirking.
None at all it seemed.
'I know someone who will help you get what you need. She put up a little agency that simply finds what people need and help them in any task. I told her to be discrete about your coming back.'
That's all he told her. This and an address. Four hundred fifty-six... Four hundred fifty-seven. There. It didn't look at all like an office and more like every other apartment of the mega block. Here goes nothing. As the door opened, Chihiro learned something about Takeru. He developed a twisted sense of humour.
"Come in! How may I... CHIHIROOO! Where the hell have you been? Are you alright? You look like a mess!"
"Hugh... I am being strangled to death, but otherwise I am fine, Tayima-chan."
"Oh! Sorry! Come on in!"
The inside looked a lot more as it should. A mess. Tayima was never the most orderly person, but she could always find herself in her mess. She must have some sort of weird system.
"So, did you find your blue dragon yet?"
"What?" asked Chihiro, clearly surprised.
"Ha ha ha! It's a joke between Takeru and me. He told me about this Haku guy and I told him how you said you were sent by a blue dragon spirit. So it became kind of inside joke between us."
The sparkling eyes of Tayima while talking about Takeru wasn't lost on Chihiro. Her friend might not even be aware of it. She would have to do something about it... when she had the time.
"How come I look like an old wrinkled woman and you've still got your teenager grace? It's not fair!" wailed the young woman, looking at her high school friend.
"Tayima, you're barely twenty-one."
"Three years passed the 'cute' period! Don't remind me!"
"You're incorrigible."
"And you're here! I'm so glad you're back: we have so much to talk about!"
"If you don't mind, let's talk about work first and get the first steps down. Then we'll chit-chat. "
"Always so serious..."
"Remember that time I saved you?"
Tayima got instantly her seriousness back.
"Yes, I do. I realize now more than ever what you saved me from."
"Now I've got to save Haku. He's in the grip of death. I don't know how much time he has. The doctor could not say. Weeks? Months? A year? I'm glad to see you again, don't misunderstand. But when Haku is concerned, everything else fades."
Tayima nodded.
"You're very vague and all, but in the name of our friendship and all you did for me, I won't ask more questions than needed. So, what do you need?"
"I've got the money. I need a team."
Chihiro wiped the sweat off her brow. She wore working gloves, hard pants and water boots. She would like nothing more than to feel the water on her ankles but it was not for today. She and her team of teen workers were cleaning up every single trash that got on, in or near the river. They had a few miles to cover, but the damage was not as bad as she first thought, which scared her. If it was not the trash, something else was doing the damage. They had to find out what. She took the tire she was getting out of the mud and threw it on the river bank. It was not a record at any length, but still impressive. The young ones, usually rude and blasé, followed her every move with awe. She radiated so much energy! If only they knew.
"Break time guys! Yatsumo-kun got back with coffee and donuts for everyone!"
And she was such a nice boss. All she asked was to work at their pace. None of them wanted to disappoint her.
"Hurray for the boss and the donuts!"
"Hurray!"
"I've got first dig!"
"You're mean, Chihiro-taicho!"
"Deliciously so! Akima, you're in charge for the rest of the day. I've got to go to the site that Todai student is going to test."
"What's it gonna be about again?"
"He will test the water for presence of contaminant agents. They said he's the best of his year. He's got credibility. We're going to know what's in this water we're swimming in."
"It doesn't look that bad."
She turned seriously toward him.
"Then it's even worse if you think this is normal. I would not want you to grow up in a world where this is considered good natural water."
"Hey... don't be mad… and you're talking like an old lady! You can't be more than..."
"Twenty-one. I'm twenty-one."
At that, she left a jaw-slacked teen behind and mounted her scooter. She put on the gas on and sped away.
"So... What have you got?" asked Chihiro a mere moment after getting off her ride.
"Nothing nice."
The student seemed to have brought a mini-lab with him. They paid him well and it was a very valid experience but still! She figured he would simply take a water sample. It was even better this way.
"You seem impressed by my 'arsenal'."
"It is impressing."
"I'm not going to do this half-way, believe me. If you help me, we'll take samples at different places in the river every hour. We'll be able to tell exactly what goes in the water, and by the currents, where it is from. We'll chart about the worst hours of contamination."
"What kind of contamination are we speaking about?"
"This is definitely man-made and on purpose. Someone is dropping stuff in the river. My computer will finish the analysis in a few moments now."
They started to take samples of the water, ground and vegetation. Chihiro was so thankful to Takeru to find such a specialist on short notice.
"What's happening?"
Chihiro turned around. She didn't know why but she didn't like the man. He was looking quite normal. He was with his wife and child. They seemed to find this a good spot for a picnic. The little child went to play in the water under the protective gaze of the mother.
"You should call your child back. It is not safe."
"Why? Are you a government agent?"
"No. I'm doing this on my own. We have good reasons to believe this river is being polluted."
"Ecologist. So you think you're so smart because you read one or two books, huh? You're one of the plagues of this society, disturbing our leaders for money that will go straight into your pockets only to help you close working companies! Our government would have seen to it if anything was wrong here! Why don't you go home and find yourself a job? Or better: a husband!"
Now Chihiro knew why she had a bad feeling. He was a commoner. One of those people who are blinded and totally disconnected from their environment. She knew how to deal with that kind. They loved their facts so much, especially printed ones. They were so simple.
"Todai-san! Could you get me the last results?"
"Hai, Taicho!"
"Todai-san? Taicho?"
"He's the top of his chemistry class in Todai. He's going to teach his teachers in a few years. For now, he's working for me."
The young men came with a pile of paper with a few words, phrases and number highlighted.
"Wow," simply said Chihiro, only raising her eyebrow. She did her best to swallow back the bile that crept in her throat.
"What? What is it?" asked the man, suddenly afraid of the paper she held.
"Phosphor, iron, oils, a fair dose of solvent, acids and... now that's not surprising."
"What?" The man was almost hysteric now.
"Coliforms."
"What's that?"
"A bacteria present in excrement. There is quite a lot of it. So... Your child is bathing in piss and poo. Nice for the skin."
"AYAMIII! GET TENSHI OUT OF THERE! WE'RE LEAVING!"
Chihiro turned her back on him and went to her employee.
"Sorry. I didn't get your name."
"Todai-kun will do! God, some people are..."
"A result of how we mould them. They cut the trees around them but they still show forests on TV. I'm sure that if the news would show dinosaurs, they'd believe they are back."
"That's sad"
"That's reality."
"There it is," spoke Todai-kun, pointing a spot hidden in weeds.
"We passed this spot and didn't even see it," whispered Chihiro, shocked.
"It's been carefully hidden."
"If not for the amazing quality of the water just upspring of here, I would have passed it too."
From the soil, a discrete cement pipe was constantly throwing up a grey-black mix of substances. They just had to look up to see the manufacture about two hundred metres away.
"They were not here five years ago."
"I'd say... They have been doing this for a little less than a year."
"A year too much. Take what you need from here. I've got a meeting to arrange with the boss of that... abomination."
"Stay calm. Don't rush head down against a company. Use the bureaucratic way first."
"And if I'm ignored, put on standby indefinitely or they buy their way out of law procedures?"
"Then we'll fight dirty. I may not look like it, but I'm a little bit of an extremist."
"Thank the spirits you're on our side."
A very well-dressed Chihiro walked in the front door of the administration building of 'Kohaku's product', a paper and cardboard containers manufacture.
"May I help you?" The secretary asks in an anonymous polite tone.
"Yes. I have an appointment with the PDG, M. Yatako."
"And you are...?"
"Miss Ogino Chihiro."
"Ogino... Yes. I've got it here. Please wait a moment. He will receive you shortly."
"Thank you."
She waited about ten minutes before being led to impressive double doors. At least, impressive for someone who didn't work at a place where the doors were meant to let pass huge spirits.
"Welcomes Miss..." said a man, presenting a hand to shake.
"Ogino Chihiro. Pleased to meet you, Yatako-san," answered Chihiro, unperturbed.
"Yes, yes. What can I do for you?"
"As you are a busy man, I will cut straight to the point."
She opened her attaché case and let out a manila folder. The simple kind, anonymous one that tell, 'you're in trouble, and there is a copy of me ready to pop out'. He took it, opened it and began to read under her patient eye. Fifteen minutes later, he put down the documents.
"There is a mistake."
"I'm sure there is not and I'm sorry of it, believe me."
"No, I mean it. We are very protective of the environment. It's even in our products campaign! We have government officials' certificates that confirm that our industry is totally clean. They take measures of the environmental impact as the law obliges us and we have really good results."
"Those reading were taken in the last weeks by one of the most promising students of Todai of his year in chemistry. No certificates can rule that out."
"You misunderstand. They can. They are. So you might want to drop it. This river is clean to the government's standards. We have nothing to hide, but if you keep on searching, you may end up... lost along the way. Please go home and forget about this."
"Thank you for tour time, Yatako-san."
"You're welcome."
'Thank you for your time Yatako-san.'
'You're welcome.'
Todai-kun stopped the tape.
"This explains the little visit I got yesterday."
"Visit?" asked Chihiro, frowning.
"At my lab at the University. Or more likely, what's left of the lab."
"They didn't..."
"They did it as a warning. Well, it's their loss."
"I'm so sorry..."
"A victory without a fight... is an easy one and I would not have minded. What I lost is nothing compared to the clean conscience I'll get fighting this war. Don't worry. None of the data is lost. The most precious equipment was hidden too. For them, glass tubes, essay tubes and colourful shimmering stuff is a chemistry lab. That's what I gave them to destroy."
"You mean..."
"Yes. I was prepared. I still declared it as vandalism to the police. One more proof when we'll take them down."
"So is it time."
"Oh yeah. Time to return the favour."
M. Yatako was going home after a long day. Journalists from TV or newspapers were trying to get an interview, or at least, a statement, about their part in the pollution of the Kohaku River. It seems other independent research labs received samples of the river and confirmed the given conclusion: the water was defiled. He knew this would be in the news, both on TV and in the papers.
He was getting in the parking lot when he saw security agents running around.
"What's happening here?"
"Sir! We apologize. They were gone before we could catch them."
"Who?"
"You must have just missed the message. Someone threw water balloons on the cars parked here. They threw them over the security fence."
"My car... Dammit."
"But something is wrong. It smells really bad for water."
"Smell? What do you..." Then said odour met him. He never smelled such a stench! He hastily put a tissue over his nose.
"Find the culprit! Call a cleaning crew and send my car to specialists to get that rotting stench out of there! They better do a good job..."
"Yes sir. Do you have any idea who would do this to you? Or why?"
"Do I look like a seer! It's YOUR job to tell ME who did this, beat then up, get them on court and beat them up again!"
"Yes sir! Sorry sir! Right now sir!"
The scared agent knew better than to keep asking questions. The poor man was not at the end of his trouble. It was a week of hell. Whoever was responsible for the acts hit them everywhere they had a blind spot. The camera system did cover the grounds but there were still dead angles passed the fences.
He had to call the cleaning crew to do something about a huge amount of water at the employees' entrance. Before they knew it, stinking water glued itself on tires and car frames, getting a strong odour under their windows.
The second day, it was dead fish and little animals. The cleaning crew was positive: they were poisoned by chemicals like the one we find in waste. Some people started to fear coming to work. The third day was rather peace full. Paper tracks were stucks everywhere on the security fence, even with the enhanced surveillance. Tons of those were thrown inside, getting carried by the winds. Most employees even had it mailed at their mailbox, in the company courier. By then, the employees were curious. The troubles had caused them only minor inconvenience, but those tracts changed things a little.
It told them about the state of the river. It told about the test result and the political corruption that stopped the government from acting, since they had the results in hands too. The last sentence was dreadful. 'Is that the water you want to drink tomorrow?' The next day, the employees all brought their lunch, and water bottles. To those who didn't, nothing happened. The administrative laughed at their employees, even if themselves had ordered take-out. The laughter died when they saw how one day of lost cafeteria food cost. They found contaminated stinking sand in the flower bands all around the buildings. They were dead by the end of the day.
On the fourth day, things got serious. The water tanks were contaminated by stained water. The food from the cafeteria was cooked with that water. Half the employees were sent home with antibiotics. The other half called sick the next day. The administration staff was, of course, still eating take-out or at the restaurant. They wished they didn't go to work either. With just enough security to close all the entrances, they barely stopped an angry mob to get in. They were trapped in the main building. The cops were called and remembered whom they had connections with.
It was ugly. The protestors were beaten up. Some of them were seriously injured. Broken limbs, cuts and bruise were happily sent their way by the so-called 'force of order'. One girl in particular had been targeted. They didn't realize she was distracting them while most of the others escaped. Few were arrested since no property damage had been done that day. The girl, with a broken arm, limping, got away.
That was the end of the week. The company had spent millions of yens in cleaning the place in just seven days. They would lose tens of millions more if the employees were still too sick to come to work on the weekend. Contracts might be lost. They would have to deal with this. They had to hammer the head of the group with their best lawyer and send the culprit to jail for as long as they could.
M. Yatako was watching the security tape of the crowd being beaten. Then he saw her. HER! She was the source of all that! He should have known! It was the waste they threw in the Kohaku River she spilled on them all week long. His conscience only gave him a twitch. He was used at suppressing it. He would get her. He would send 'The Shark' on her. He was one of the most competent lawyers of all Japan and distant family. He would do them a favour and put on hold whatever he was doing. The guy was so good he never had to do anything illegal to win. That's why he was so rich: no bribes to pay! He would enjoy seeing The Shark rip her to shred.
Chihiro had a bad night. Thankfully, Todai-san and the young ones that helped her clean the river were not as seriously hurt as she thought. She paid for all medical bills. Her money stack was getting lower, but she didn't want to take on Take-kun's offer of discreet financial help. She decided to take his offer to pull a few strings instead. They wanted to get violent? Let's show the world about it.
M. Yatako had assembled the whole council of administrators to greet 'The Shark'. He was a middle-aged man of very usual constitution. He wasn't tall or short, nor was he fat or skinny. His face wasn't sharp or soft, but his eyes were always shinning of terrifying intelligence. It was as if he was always smiling from a joke only he knew... of something he had over you, which he usually did.
"We are honoured to have a powerful man such as yourself to take care of this business, Itsuya-san."
"I can't be as powerful as the PDG of the company that pays for my service, Yatako-san..."
"Nonsense! I was referring to your talent and reputation as 'The Shark'! My money can pay for your service but I can never dream of achieving the level of persuasion you have on the common man..."
"You're a real flatterer, aren't you?"
The informal jab was laughed politely by the whole room. A personal meeting between him and M. Yatako would have been enough, but he seemed to like his little show of power. Oh well. Since he was paid to be there, as well to give him what he wanted.
"I saw the facts and I can assure you the days of freedom of this woman are counted."
The audience relaxed at once. They didn't want to drag that business too long.
"I can easily get her two years of jail only from the multiple trespassing. Then, one year for the damage done."
"Only one year?"
"That's the beauty of the thing. We'll look really good for asking so little, but there is a loophole. She'll get only a year if she can pay for all the damage."
"She'll never be able to get such a sum..."
"This is why we'll ask a year more for each million yen she can't pay back."
"That's at least five more years..."
"Plus a fine for reputation spoiling, which she won't be able to pay and only add to her time and we'll ask for public apology that she'll refuse. So she'll look bad in front of the mass media."
"You are a genius, Shark-san."
A guard erupted from the door, stopped dead in his track and bowed low.
"Yatako-san! The protestors of last week are back!"
"Excellent timing! The cops will surely..."
"Sorry, sir, to interrupt you, but she brought national TV along, with, as head reporter, Sakura Yayumi."
"What? How did she do that? That could mean trouble. We can't just send the police after them now! Maybe if we can get the cameraman's tapes..."
"I'm sorry again sir, but they are live on TV."
The guard ran to a giant screen in the corner of the room, opened it and set it to the national news channel. They saw their own building in background with the star reporter Sakura-chan and a young girl that could not be more than eighteen.
"For those who just joined us, tell us again what life was for you, these past months?"
"Thank you Sakura-chan. It wasn't pretty. I had to pick up garbage for months around the Kohaku River to keep it clean. I had the help of a few young peoples who have their country's pride to heart."
They heard loud cheering behind them and Sakura-chan giggled at that.
"But the worst was not that, Sakura-chan. When we took samples of the river water, we found out that it was carrying industrial waste, chemicals and bacteria in very concerning quantities. The company responsible for dropping these, Kohaku Product, refuses to admit their faults. They..."
The monitor went off.
"Tsk. Just she waits. We can use the mass media too. This doesn't change anything now, Shark-san. Shark-san? Itsuya-san, are you alright?"
He was looking at the black monitor still in shock. It was her! The river maiden! The one he saw a few months ago, crying in the river! She was as pretty and had the same energy that she had back then! Could they not see it? That aura of power that practically surrounded her?
"You can't win," he simply said, shaking his head, eyes wide.
"What?"
"Give up now before something bad happens. Surrender to her demands. Right now, on TV."
"Are you insane? Why should we..."
"Did you not HEAR ME? You hired me to tell you the best course of action! This is it! Give up while you still can! While you still have a company!"
The council was shocked and scared. When you see the biggest shark of the water turn tail and run, there must be something big coming!
"But... but... we can't! What will we look like!"
"Then will you let me handle this if you promise to honour the lady's demand?"
"Isn't there any other option?"
"Close the factory."
"Then I give you full authority."
"Thank you. I'll be going now."
"I gave you back the air, Jaji. We will keep you inform of any development about this through the day. "
"Thank you Sakura-chan"
The cameraman put up his hand, kept it there a moment before dropping it. Sakura-chan let out a sigh and smiled at Chihiro.
"Now this is a news report! Live TV about something important! Thank you for giving us this opportunity!"
"Thank you for taking it. It made the cops powerless. How could they attack us without risking injuring you?"
"Chihiro? Chihiro, is that you?" was heard right behind her.
"This is sooo... not the time," whispered Chihiro, dropping her head.
"Who is this," asked Sakura-chan.
"My mother. Father must not be far."
"Aren't you glad to see them here and see what you are giving so much effort in?"
"I left my house about six years ago, leaving them a letter."
"Oh," simply answered Sakura-chan, scrunching her nose.
"Exactly. They might be mad."
"Chihiro, come here this instant!"
"Told you so," said Chihiro.
Chihiro walked to her parents, not wanting to create a scene anymore then it was.
"Hello mother, father. I'm sorry but right now is really not the time for..."
Then her father slapped her. Rather hard.
"How DARE you? You're back from a five-year absence and do not give any sign of life for months? We saw the news! We talked to your friend Tayima. You bring dishonour to our household. Stop putting yourself on stage and get your things. We're going home. You'll have to face the consequences young girl..."
A cold rage filled Chihiro. Her spiritual energy peaked, leaving not even a red cheek where she'd been hit. She turned toward her father and looked right at him. It was as she feared: a commoner. How he could be after all he lived was a mystery. She could feel no more connections to her parents.
"Hito-san. I would like you to refrain touching me ever again. You can get back home and forget you ever had a daughter. I haven't been to that house you called home for over five years, and haven't considered it so for... over ten years or so. By the way, honour isn't what you're talking about. You confused it with shame and embarrassment. Honour is depending on your action, not image. Leave, and never come back before me. I disown you as my parents."
She simply turned. She heard him trying to get to her again but she guessed he had been stopped by some of her supporters. In fact, if she'd turn back, she would have seen her ex-dad on the ground. One of the teens that helped to clean the river sent an uppercut right in his stomach. He wanted to do it since he saw the man hit Chihiro. He refrained himself to keep up at the easy target now on the ground only in her favour.
Chihiro, fired up, went to the building gate and started to shout.
"What pride do you take from soiling the water of your country? Where will you stop? If those arguments aren't enough, think of those who have contracts with you! Once they hear about this, do you think they'll still do business with you? Those Americans with their big wallets, will they invest in you, taking the risk to be dragged in the mud? Will you silence us like the last time, with a beating? Don't you have any shame in destroying something so pure that's going to be there after your grandchildren pass away?"
She took her breath back and a man chose that time to come out of the building. Sakura-chan was on Air the entire time.
"It's Itsuya-san, 'The Shark'! For those of you living in your closet at home, The Shark is the nickname of the most respected lawyer of Japan! It seems that he's the one that will defend Kohaku Products in this war of words! We will witness the first round right here!"
Itsuya-san walked calmly to the gate and waved a sign to the security guard. They hesitated a moment, but ended up sliding open the heavy metal gate. Chihiro walked up to him. He stopped a moment in front of her but was unable to look at her in the eyes for long. He took two steps back, kneeled down on both knees and bowed low, his forehead touching the dirty ground.
"Gomen nasai."
Someone, somewhere in the crowd, dropped something on the ground. It's worth mentioning because that's the only sound that could be heard at the moment. No camera flashes. No talking or whispering. Not even the shuffling of feet on gravel. Everybody was frozen stiff. For the first time in her career, Sakura-chan was not the one to gather her wits first.
"Get back up, Shark-san," Chihiro said softly.
"I am no shark in front of the river maiden, but I will get back up because you ordered me to."
He had whispered so that only she could hear. He then talked to a normal volume that could be taped by the huge number of recording devices around.
"The company I accepted to represent, after a meeting about this case, realized that they were, and still are, at fault, on every account. This is unacceptable. Kohaku Products are going to set this right this instant. Specialists are going to be called and given the task to make this industry greener than grass. If we have too, we'll stop the production while the procedure is established. We're going to send teams to make sure nothing is left out of place. We do not need to organize any meeting with you. We know what's wrong. You told us numerous times. We're going to fix this, with no more excuses. Once again, for all the trouble, gomen nasaï."
The man bowed low, once again. Chihiro smiled slowly, took a step toward the man, forced him to straighten up and hugged him.
"Thank you. Thank you so much."
She was crying softly, but for once, it was in relief. Maybe, just maybe, the fight was over.
The man, in normal circumstances, would have patted her back awkwardly and smiled nervously, but this was the river maiden hugging him close. He felt as if he was surrounded by her gentle energy. It gave him the urge to cry too. He circled her back with his arm and let go of a few tears. The media had a field day about the 'crying shark'.
The Council of Kohaku Product was really down about all the promises that the Shark made in their names. Nonetheless, they faced the music. They could not get out of that one, especially after the Shark got back to them, his eyes glinting madly, and told them that if they did not do it, he would sue them even past the grave. Surely, that was minor inconvenience compared to breaking their words to a young lady… Their profits took the deep plunge, but even bad publicity is publicity. Itsuya-san helped them by organizing a severely mediated follow-up of the changes the manufacture went under.
In the time span of a month, it was done. Two days after the confrontation, the waste stopped totally from flowing out of the pipe. A team got there, dug around the pipe all the way to the building, and extracted it from the ground. Then, they filled back the trench. The production stopped a whole week. When they stated again, no waste was dumped around. Even the fumes coming out of the chimney seemed lighter. The river was inspected from beginning to the end. They went as far as to purchase some unused lands alongside the river so that none would do as they did before. They knew their budget would be tight for a few years after that, but it was better than... breaking their word to a young lady, of course.
Exactly one month later, one night, Itsuya-san followed a familiar road in the country side. He pulled his car over and stopped at a precise point. He remembered clearly. He was just a little over where he had his radiator problem last time. He didn't know how or why, but he knew he was at the right place, at the right time. He expected something to happen. He walked, without the direction of his GPS. He could hear clearly the water running, even in the distance. He saw, once again, the blue light in which bathed an apparition last time. She was there again, crying and laughing. The illumination on the water was of her tears that were spreading across the river easily. It went up and down the current, filling the view with light, even in the dead of the night.
The man's chest swelled. He gave up his professional pride in a heartbeat in that council room, but now he was feeling the pride that came from personal achievement. If it was not for him and his choice, she would not be laughing right now. He felt good. He felt more human than he ever did. Little did he know that he was one of the few that could see her as she was right now. He was no commoner. He wasn't superstitious anymore, he believed. He went back to his car, feeling his very soul cleaned from the view, and went back home. He slept with the peace of the worthy.
Chihiro was having lunch with Takeru-kun and Tayima-chan. She was apologizing for telling her parents where she was. She never imagined it would end up like this. Chihiro put her hand over Tayima's and locked eyes with her.
"Tayima-chan, don't worry. I'm not mad at you. You had your heart at the right place. They did not. I personally don't believe that hell is paved with good intention. What else would the road to heaven be made with?"
Tayima almost cried, but instead she gave a bear hug to Chihiro that almost send them out their respective chairs and Takeru's coffee on his lap. He was lucky to have it in his hand at that moment.
"So, Chihiro-chan, you still have a promise to keep. I want to meet my old rival. I thought he would come to lunch with us," told the banker lightly.
"It's not that easy, Take-kun. If you want to meet him, and it's the same for Tayima-chan, you have to travel to where he is. I believe you can make it. It's not anyone who can get there, but I can take you."
"No problem! I'll book a plane for us three!" said her first boyfriend cheerfully.
"We're going now. By train," countered Chihiro.
"Train."
"Yes, and you would be better to put anything you have going on hold and take at least… a month off."
"A month?" they both exclaimed.
Chihiro sipped her coffee, very relaxed.
"Don't you trust me?"
At that Takeru, locked his eyes on her a full ten seconds. Then, he took out his cell phone. He sped-dialled his office number.
"Hahera-san? It's Takeru-san. Yes. I take a month off starting today."
Takeru lifted his ear from his phone and they could all hear the yells. He bravely put it back in place and started talking.
"Hahera-san! Hahera-san! Jelly fish butter! No, that was to get your attention. Report any meeting to my assistant. Wasn't he formed for those cases? No cell calls, they probably won't reach anyway. Take care of my home bills as usual. That's all. Oh, and Hahera-san? Behave with my assistant. He's still innocent."
Takeru hung up. Tayima had a perplex look on her face.
"Innocent?"
"I discovered lately that Hahera-san was an S.M. adept."
"Are we talking S.M. as in..."
"Yeah. She wanted me to 'spank her like a bad little girl'. I told her to shut up and get me a coffee. I think she had an orgasm right there. She was disappointed that it didn't turn me on."
Tayima stared, open-mouthed while Chihiro was almost howling with laughter. Tayima took her own cell phone and dialled a number.
"Hi! Could I talk to Maki-chan? It Tayima-san. Thank you… Maki? I'm going away from my office starting this evening. Take care of the plants for me, okay? A month, maybe more. No, no calls. Just let them pile up. If they want me to take care of it, they'll wait. Alright? Thanks! Bye!"
Tayima hung up, ignoring the amused look of Takeru. But she could not very long.
"What? I'm a business woman too! I can get a month vacation when I want! It's my little company so I'm not asking any permission!"
"Who was it?" asked Takeru.
Tayima's face reddens.
"My neighbour's daughter. She waters the plants when I go away for a few days."
Takeru looked at her dreamingly.
"You're lucky. Your business associates sounds friendlier than mine."
Tayima's face heated up even more. Chihiro thought that she, maybe, would not have to push too hard to get them together.
"Take the minimum with you. We're meeting at the train station in front of Tayima's place in two hours. We have to get there before sunset."
She got up and took her leave.
"What does sunset have to do with anything?" asked Takeru.