Chapter 8
"Are you out of your mind?" asked Shoko, "Out of every guy here, you have to choose him?"
"It wasn't my choice" Akira looked down at her feet speaking in a hushed whisper. "Just like it wasn't Saki-oneechan's choice with Haruto-kun or your choice with L-Elf-kun".
Shoko was beginning to understand. Akira, quiet little Akira, formerly introverted little Akira, had fallen in love, "With him!" She thought.
"How long have you had these feelings?" Shoko asked.
"Since he asked me to dance at my brother's wedding" Akira answered. "We danced most of the night away" Akira continued, "Then he caught that damn bouquet!" she began to get angry. "I've seen him fight an entire army with no fear in his eyes; but that damn bouquet sent him running for his life!" She began to shake her head from side to side. "If only he didn't catch that damn bouquet!" she repeated again, the rage building up inside her.
"So you want to marry a man afraid of marriage?" Shoko asked, knowing her Oneechan a very complex young woman; but then again that's what brought them together wasn't it. The Oneechan Thrillogy as they liked referring to themselves. They were all complex high-spirited young ladies and over the last year or two it's obvious they all brought out something new in each other.
Akira had changed the most it seemed, but at the same time was still much of her former self. While she may have lost her introverted nature, she most definitely gained self-confidence while staying faithful to her hacker's strategist nature. Shoko was sure Akira had learned all she could about romance through websites and books. She could easily have taken it all and formed a "battle plan" of sorts. It was in her nature.
"Let's say we get him in a room?" Shoko asked. "How do you plan on keeping him there?".
"That's where you come in" Akira informed her "little sister". "As long as you can convince L-Elf it's a necessity having him there, he'll be there in a heartbeat".
"I'm not too sure about lying to him, Akky-oneechan".
"I never said you had to" Akira winked a sly little wink. "In this case the truth will get us just what we want".
Akira continued, "what would happen if outsiders found out what we're up to? That we've been lying about Haruto-kun's passing all this time?"
"Any revolutionists in the area would make it their business to see Haruto-chan is never brought back" Shoko admitted.
"So we need security beyond reproach? Security who we can trust? Security who will lay down their very lives to protect us if need be?".
Shoko nodded in agreement. What else could she say? Akira definitely made sense.
"Who do you think mostly fits that description?" Akira asks alread knowing the answer.
"Why that sly little minx" thought Shoko. "It's like we're playing chess and she's 12 moves ahead of me".
"you're absolutely right" Shoko informed her oneechan "He'd be perfect for the job". 'I'm having lunch with L-Elf this afternooon. I'll ask him to set it up".