Chapter 10: "Youth Wasn't Killed, it Died"
The off-white walls of the briefing room enclosed me once more. I nursed a cup of tea in my hands as I stared up at the roof from my seat. The ceiling was covered in the usual speckled tiles that you would see in your run-of-the-mill office buildings: slabs of white surfaces with black flecks that melted together strangely into abstract patterns that magically tessellated into squares. My attention was caught by the ceiling fans, which were doing absolutely nothing to circulate the muggy air despite their wings turning in lazy circles.
Why do ceiling fans exist?
What is their purpose, when modern science has produced climate control machines, such as the air conditioner, that are far more effective at cooling. Had technological evolution failed us?
The briefing room was packed with police officers and detectives, but you couldn't tell from the deafening silence.
"Alright ladies. Ears up, eyes open, and cheeks clenched. Let's debrief."
The voice of the Chief rouseD the souls of the exhausted populace in the room, many of whom had been working since the crack of dawn the previous day. The very same people who drank all the coffee and forced me to dispense an inferior drink as a source of caffeine to keep my own engine running.
The Chief paced at the front of the room.
"As you all know, cargo ship CS201 was intercepted in Tokyo Bay and the crew was taken into police custody and questioned. As expected, they were not privy to the contents of the containers, they just moved the cargo."
No one said anything, as none of this was anything new nor unexpected. But if this was the Chief calling a briefing, more… interesting tidbits were sure to come forward. The anticipation made the air more strained as the Chief cruelly built up the tension like some perverse author. I spotted an officer to my side take out a handkerchief and wipe the sweat off his brow.
"A shipping crate was found on the bottom deck that was not part of the manifest. Inside we found 6 underage girls. We also encountered an armed suspect. He attempted to attack the investigative crew, but was subdued. After questioning, he revealed he was from Malaysia and was part of a port gang that escorted certain goods. We didn't get much else, he joined the crew at the Malaysian port, after the secret container had already been stowed. No one knows where or when it was placed on the ship, just that it was there before the ship landed in Malaysia."
The Chief pauses to about-face and trotted in the opposite direction.
"The recused are all between the ages of 10 and 14. They come from all over the South East Asia region. Two from the Philippines, one from Thailand, one from Indonesia, and one from Sri Lanka."
Made sense. It was clear why they were from those particular countries, seeing as they were dealing with either violent governmental power transitions, coups, or drug wars. A few with all three. The girls were easy targets amidst the chaos.
The Chief continued. "Some were plucked from refugee camps and shanty towns, even taken off the streets. Not all were kidnapped, the two from the Philippines were actually sold to human traffickers by their families."
A heavy atmosphere settled in. An officer next to me had twitching fingers that crawled to his shirt's front pocket, where a few cigarette heads could be seen. The stress had reached critical mass, I noted duly.
I cracked my knuckles. Here we were, trying to catch fish, but a shark ended up getting itself trapped in our boat's net. Our search for a shipment of banned substances was in order to get better insight or some leads into a drug trade that was beginning to grow in Tokyo, but we ended up upturning a human trafficking ring. This was far more than we bargained for.
The Public Security Intelligence Agency's Tokyo branch might intervene at any moment and complicate matters. It was annoying to work with an organization that had far less red tape and far greater jurisdiction. Discrepancies between collaborators like that made it impossible to coordinate and things tended to get out of hand quickly. I was regretting not stopping by the convenience store to buy a can of MAX. Or six.
I cringe, and decide to be honest with myself: I would have gotten 12.
"The girls say that nothing was done to them." Added the Chief as he stops his rhythmic and semi-manic walk to have his eyes passed over the crowd. He'd return to it in a heartbeat if we let him keep speaking
"Of course they wouldn't be touched," I said loudly. All eyes were drawn to me, but I tried to ignore them. My hands started playing around with the cup of tea, sloshing the liquid against the lip of the paper container in lazy elliptical cycles. "Underage prostitution is high value, especially for virgins. To maximize profits you need to keep the merchandise intact. When they get to land, they'll be bathed; have their hair done; forced into a dress according to the preferences of some sicko customer; and then given to him to have his way with."
I finished talking and was met with complete silence. Someone coughed uncomfortably in the back of the room, echoing throughout the air with a sound not unlike a mortar shell.
"He's right." Agreed someone out of the blue, nearly causing me to drop my cup. "If they were being shipped here, then of course some people in Japan with deep pockets wanted this service."
I'm shocked, my reputation wasn't exactly at its best at the current moment.
"But we were expecting a shipment of opiates or narcs, not human capital." Interjected Shiba. "Are the two connected? Our source didn't seem to imply anything of the sort, and his information has been accurate so far."
"We haven't found a paper trail, we have no clue what to actually look for," I said. "The explanation can be anything at this point."
"It's a possibility, and I don't want to take anything off the table until we've investigated this further." Explains the Chief with a grim expression. "We've set up constant surveillance at the pier. We'll be updating you all on the situation as it evolves."
He looked over the briefing room slowly, meeting everyone's eyes one-by-one.
"Task forces may be organized to increase efficiency. Expect reassignments in the near future, so don't get too comfortable wherever you are. You're all dismissed."
Δ▼Δ
The talk of human trafficking and potentially having to move all my office supplies stirred my appetite.
I had no leftovers to make lunch with. If anything, this was a wake-up call that I was being far too reliant on Yukinoshita and Rumi for sustenance. I went out into the neighboring town and had a basic meal at a fast food joint. Mass produced burgers and fries were decent enough to live, but my stomach protested, demanding the amazing homemade food it was conditioned to/spoiled by.
Could this be some elaborate scheme between the two women to instill Pavlovian responses in me? How conniving, but I shall take advantage of it somehow.
I strolled back to the office at a leisurely pace. When I passed through the main doors and into the lobby I noticed Rumi standing by the information desk. Still in her school uniform, the teenager had a frown on her face while talking to Secretary-chan. Secretary-chan shook her head once at something Rumi said, and went for a sip of water.
"Rumi?" I called out as I come close.
Rumi turned her head at my call. "Hachiman."
Secretary-chan spat out her water and starts coughing harshly, causing Rumi and I to look at her in concern. She waved us away, insisting she was fine.
("He's into younger women? Ok, that works, I'm younger than him. Wait, what if he's into REALLY younger women?")
Some sort of chant to summon one of the 72 Demons was being said under her breath, and I couldn't understand a thing she muttered, so I just assumed she was actually alright.
"What are you doing here?" I asked Rumi. While she wasn't a stranger to the HQ, she wasn't exactly a common sight.
"I wanted to speak to Uncle Kenji." She pulled something out of her skirt pocket and held it out. "I found a cellphone on the subway and wanted to hand it over to the lost and found."
I took the cellphone from her hands and inspected it. It was a smartphone with a bright and sparkly pink case. "The Chief's busy right now, but I can take care of it from here, don't worry about it. Anything else?"
Rumi shook her head. "Thanks Hachiman. Shizuka says she wants you over for dinner."
"Yeah? I'll be there." Rejoice, o' stomach of mine. Your wish shall be granted. [1]
After grabbing the schoolbag by her feet, Rumi said goodbye and walked out of the station. I can't help the small smile that crawled its way up. I turned to ask Secretary-chan for a lost and found form, but she's looking at me with an uncharacteristic analytical stare.
"Lolicon?" she asked, her voice deathly seriously.
"Like hell, idiot." I snapped back.
"So, who was she?"
"Family." I answered without hesitation. "Oi, I need the form."
I began filling out the paperwork. Some of it had been filled in by Secretary-chan who wrote down the time and area that Rumi had said she found it. When the form asked for a physical description was when I gave it a good inspection
The case of the phone was covered with stickers of cute animals and catchphrases. The phone was weighed down by a long lanyard filled with stainless steel and enamel charms. I press the power button, and the screen switches to life. There's a lock screen, and the picture used was that of a little white dog frolicking around on the floor of a house. It looked like a bathroom rug with stumpy legs. A Maltese, I think they called it. Pretty cute.
You could practically learn everything about this person from their phone alone. The owner of the phone was most likely a girl. She was upbeat, cheerful, and probably liked a lot of things without discrimination. My gut instinct told me that they were a genuinely nice person, finding some sort of beauty in whatever they encountered. There weren't many people like that out there, I myself only met one such human being.
They also had a particular love for their pet, a mark of a saint. Or a psychopath. Same thing, right?
As I'm filling out the form, I heard a rush of footsteps echoing throughout the lobby. Whoever had just ran in was panting heavily when they came right up to my side and hurriedly spoke out to Secretary-chan.
"E-excuse me! I lost my phone on the subway! Did someone happen to turn it in?"
Secretary-chan and I shared a glance.
"Can you describe the device miss?" Asked Secretary-chan as she pulled out a sticky note.
"Uhhh, it's a smartphone. Has a pink case, I have a lot of stickers on it. And a lot of silver pieces on a strap. Oh, oh, and the background is a white dog!"
"Do you happen to have a screen lock on it? Any passwords?"
The woman gave the password, which I typed in to the phone. It unlocked and I hand the phone and paper over to Secretary-chan. The woman squealed in delight and thanked her repeatedly, which Secretary-chan smiled happily at. Infectious happiness is infectious, after all.
"Umm are you the one who found it? Thank you." The woman spoke to me.
I turned around, intent on telling her that I didn't really do anything and that a good Samaritan had actually brought it in. The woman seemed to be around my age. She had brown hair that fell down to her shoulders, and bright brown eyes. All on a rounded gentle face with equally soft features. She was attractive. But it wasn't the same kind as the hammer of sexy that was Haruno nor the noble elegance of Yukinoshita.
It was more of a 'that pretty girl-next-door' vibe. Unlike the other two, she was more approachable and less intimidating. Or rather that was how it was supposed to be, if she hadn't been looking at me as if I was Banquo's ghost. [2]
"HIKKI!?" She yelled in disbelief.
"... who are you?"
"Hikki, it's me!" She insisted, pointing at herself.
Who's 'me'?
"I'm sorry, I don't think we've met before…" I froze mid-sentence. Wait a second. 'Hikki?' There was only one person who called me by that name. Only one. Just one. I looked at the woman again, her features suddenly familiar. A girl with pink hair overlapped and it all clicked.
"... Yuigahama?" I asked almost out of breath, even my lungs in disbelief at this meeting.
"Hikki…"
We stood there staring at one another, both of us with mouths opened and eyes widened.
"Umm…?" Secretary-chan butted in. "Do you know her, Hikigaya?"
"Y-yeah." I stammered, trying to get my thoughts straight. "She was a clubmate of mine back in high school."
Secretary-chan blinked. "She went to school with you and Shiba? Wait, she was in the same club? So, she was there with you and your lawyer?"
"How did you know that?" I narrowed my eyes at the redhead behind the desk. The answer becames clear in a moment. "The DA?"
"Yup. Haruno-san stops by and chats once in a while. She has a lot of stories you know?"
Oh, I'm sure she does.
"Haruno-san?" I heard Yuigahama whisper.
I scratched the back of my head and addressed the friend I hadn't seen in years.
"Wanna walk for a bit?"
Δ▼Δ
Yuigahama demurely followed me into the courtyard, where the sun had begun to set, bathing the area before us in an orange glow. I took a seat at a bench, and Yuigahama does the same, albeit sitting half a meter away from me.
"... you have a new dog?" I asked out of the blue, eager to end the silence.
"Yeah." Yuigahama nodded. "We got one after Sablé… well... left."
"... I see." Amazing Hachiman, you really know how to set the mood, huh? "It looks cute, the new one."
"His name is Shiro, and he's a bit of a handful, but his leash stays on all the time." Yuigahama laughed awkwardly. "... so Hikki works for the police now, huh?"
"Uh, yeah," I said, caught off guard. "Well, specifically I'm a detective."
"Eh? Don't you have to be smart to be a detective?"
"I'm plenty smart." I responded with a scoffing tone, affronted at the implication.
"But Yukinon always called you dumb."
"Her standards are skewed. Most of the world is dumb to her anyway. Besides, I'm smarter than you at least."
"That's mean! I'll have you know I got good grades in college!"
"Yuigahama." I put on a mock serious voice, which seemed to get her attention. "It's not nice to lie."
She stuck her tongue out at me. "If Hikki was a real detective, he would have figured this out!"
"What are you talking about?"
We bickered back and forth over the legitimacy of my claim, with Yuigahama refusing to believe me until I show her my badge and ID. She looks impressed before her face becomes solemn.
"So… is what that lady said about Yukinon and Haruno-san…" Her words trail off, unable to figure out a way to sensitively break the topic. This amount of trepidation was unlike her, a testament to her uncertainty.
"Haruno is the new District Attorney. She's kind of my boss. Yukinoshita started working as a lawyer in her office, we worked on a case together when she came back from England. First time I saw her."
Lying would be easier, but the hardest to maintain, besides, Yukinoshita and Yuigahama are still close. The truth was the best solution. But not the entire truth. I haven't even told Yukinoshita everything regardless.
Yuigahama nodded her head slowly and looks at her feet. "That must be the reason why Yukinon invited me to stay with her for a few days."
Yukinoshita invited Yuigahama to come to Tokyo? Why didn't I hear about this? Well, I guess I'm the last person to be asking that.
"So, what's going on with you?" I asked, leaning backwards. "You still live in Chiba?"
"Yeah, I still do." A small breeze floated by and Yuigahama held a hand over her ear to keep her hair in place. I was entranced for a second, by how feminine and graceful it was. It was a far cry from the clumsy and skittish Yuigahama of old. "I have my own apartment, and I'm roommates with Hina-chan from Soubu."
" 'Hina?' " I parroted.
"Hikki… she was in your class for two years in a row, you know?" Yui said with a disappointed frown.
"H-hey, it's been a while!" I said defensively.
"Ebina Hina, you remember? She wears glasses." Yuigahama made two circles with her thumb and index fingers on both hands and placed them before her eyes. "The Kyoto trip?"
"Ah. I remember."
What a clusterfuck that was. No wonder my mind was in no hurry to recall that.
"Yukinon remembered right away!"
"Isn't that because you two have been talking nonstop since high school? She's better informed!"
Yuigahama blinked at me. "Yukinon told you that?"
"Yeah she did…," I said uncomfortably, stretching out my legs. "Back when she was first assigned, we had a talk. Not about a lot, but we did talk about you… something about a promise you two made."
"Oh.…" Yuigahama looked let down.
I sighed. "I guess I did make that promise too." Besides, it was a good opportunity to fix my mistakes.
"Hikki!" Yuigahama looked positively joyous. "Mmm! We'll definitely meet up soon."
"As long as it's not too soon." I chuckled and stood up. "Want me to walk you to the station? Oh wait, you're staying with Yukinoshita at her hotel, right? Want me drop you off there?"
"It's fine. I can get there," Yuigahama said softly as she brushed her clothing to get rid of the wrinkles. "I need to go somewhere else before. No wait, there's something we need to do first!"
"What? Use the bathroom? I wouldn't recommend our—"
"No, you idiot!" Yuigahama flushed and exclaimed. "Let's trade numbers! I can't let you run away from the Service Club Reunion." She held out her phone and pushed it repeatedly in my direction.
"Alright, alright." I surrendered my phone over to the brunette who entered her contact information onto my device with lightning fast speed.
With the process complete, Yuigahama shoved her phone into her pocket and started walking away. I was about to turn around and head back in myself, but I noticed her stop halfway up the courtyard unexpectedly and twirl around to face me.
"I'm glad Hikki hasn't changed!" She yelled before waving and ran away, hair fluttering in the wind. "See you later!"
I haven't changed?
My mind went numb as I saw Yuigahama's figure disappear, the low setting sun swallowing even her shadow. I turned on my heel sharply and begin walking back. I stopped by the bench we had just sat on, thoughts of Yuigahama and her words taking over my brain space. I kicked a pebble that was near my foot, watching in satisfaction as it hit the wall of the building and bounced off.
I haven't changed, huh?
Yeah, I can see that. She's right. Despite all the sins I had committed, all the lies I perpetrated, all the people I hadhurt knowingly: I couldn't improve. I couldn't change. I was still my old, pathetic self. And those six girls from the boat were just another testament to my inability to atone. In all these years, the only change was just that I got better at the things I swore against.
This Yuigahama was something different. Very different.
The most youthful one of us all, had perhaps the most change. She still had that pure basis, but now it was far more clear. The true Yuigahama Yui could be seen; no longer trying to fit in and she no longer had any need to engineer or fabricate a perception. She was just herself. And that was the most change I could imagine a person to undergo. So many things were new with her, new home, new memories, probably new friends as well. She even had a new dog.
Oh yeah, new dog. That's kind of important actually.
I paused to look up at the darkening sky. I see the first vestiges of the brightest stars in the Milky Way muscling their way through the dusk, wanting to be seen. I had the sudden realization that the catalyst for the formation of our club was no longer on this Earth. Those high school days we all cherished were long dead and gone, never to return. Just like poor old Sablé.
I don't even recall this Yuigahama saying 'Yahallo.'
Arc 1: "Detective Hikigaya Hachiman"
References:
[1] Fate/Stay Night, Kotomine Kirei's infamous meme line "Rejoice, boy. Your wish shall be granted."
[2] A reference to Shakespere's "Macbeth." The titular character, Macbeth kills his friend Banquo in order to secure the kingship. Banquo's ghost later appears before Macbeth at a dinner, visible only to Macbeth. To the guests it looks as if King Macbeth is screaming at an empty chair.
Author's Note:
This chapter introduces Yuigahama Yui. During the time that Hachiman was in Sri Lanka and Yukino was in England, Yui was going through her own life in Japan and undergoing her own changes. Yui to me is a character that Watari intended to use to prove that even the most common and generic person has depth should you get to know then. I don't particularly like her as a character, but I admire her resolution.
I hope you liked the the Shakespeare reference, I nearly worship him.. I was originally a playwright, and it was the medium I received a vast majority of my formal training in writing from.
One of my goals in this chapter was to express my own views of "growing up." Yui hasn't changed in the same way Hachiman and Yukino have. Yui had a much more mundane life after high school, but it still led to profound effects. Growing up, to me, is the accumulation of experiences and gaining different perspectives on the world. Yui didn't have to find herself like the other two, she simply learned more and let go of the teenage childishness and pretenses. She's more honest with herself because thats where her experiences have lead.
-SouBU
-SouBU
(Editors: XioKenji; Lord of Admirals 412; Xynovitch)
Revision Log:
03/17/2020: Re-uploaded with overhaul of tenses and changes in word choice and sentence structure as well as major grammar fixes. Deleted portions of authors note that are now irrelevant.