Chapter 12: Beholden Reparations
"Yesterday, on prime time American television, the President of the United States spoke to the citizens of one of the largest nations in the world during the State of the Union Address. With the economic recession nearly subsiding, the President seemed optimistic of America's status in the world, assuring his populace that 'America is still the leader of the free world.'
Many contend that the President was referring to the recent economic report released by the World Economic Forum that made the claim that America was in hegemonic decline and that another actor was to soon rise as the hedgemont as we head into a new decade.
"The patriotic words were soon followed by a more controversial speech: calling the men and women of his nation to action. He described the plight of the Philippines, which had fallen into the chaos of civil war as anti-government and vehemently anti-American forces had occupied the capital. The rest of the island nation similarly was engulfed in the flames of combat. The President told of his desire to aid their ally in that chaotic environment, 'to keep democracy alive even in the middle of this SEA crisis.'
His pleas seemed to have it's intended effect, with recent polls showing support for armed intervention in the Filipino conflict rising to over 62% from last month's 48%.
"With Korea joining the Asia-Pacific Defense Commission along with Japan, Australia, and the now failing Philippines, tensions between China and America have become even more strained. In addition, Malaysia has agreed to host new American naval bases, the western country making it clear that they wish to continue projecting power in the Asian-Pacific region.
"Such a move had garnered an extreme response from China, who had quickly recalled all diplomats from America and issuing the statement: 'If the intentions of the United States of America are not clear, we will see this as hostile action near our borders and a threat to our sovereignty.'
As of this morning, the White House has sent official word, claiming that they are simply working towards helping their ally which was in the midst of a civil war. They further cited humanitarian efforts as well as supporting the United Nations Declaration of Human rights.
"This has done enough to reopen a diplomatic line to Beijing, but the world sits with baited breath for the next blunder or incorrect word to ignite hostilities between the world's two major powers."
The train came to a stop, the application of the brakes causing the car to vibrate and shake as its forward momentum was slowed, signaling that it had arrived at the station. I reached up and removed the headphones from my ears and pocketed my phone before standing up. The world wasn't going to get any better from me watching news reels on my social media feed.
The doors to the train car opened, and the phenomena of human osmosis took hold. People walked out of the train just a few moments before the cars was filled with men and women once more. I stood on the concrete platform, just an observer to the process. Each face of every person had a unique shape and characteristic, and also held unique emotions that they were experiencing at that very moment.
So many people move through here every day.
Did they worry about the things on the news?
Was it just gossip to them?
Was it just a buzz in the background of their lives?
I wonder what they think about, and why they find it important.
How much do they really worry about others?
Are there some things they just cannot help but do or think?
What do they believe in?
Does everyone believe in that?
Would it be worth believing in something everyone does?
Is that religion?
Is that what morality is?
Does morality count intention?
What are the intentions of the sea of people before me?
What are their convictions?
Where do they draw that line in the sand?
How do they draw their line?
What makes people do good things?
What makes people do bad things?
What makes a good person?
What makes a bad person?
What am I?
Δ▼Δ
"Would you be alright with talking about your past campaign?" Yukinoshita had asked before we began. "I'm aware some soldiers don't like to do so."
"I can handle that." I had sounded far more sure of myself than I had felt.
The air in the courtroom was more stifling and oppressive than ever before. Tension diffused like gasoline throughout every corner. I had the sudden worry that if someone lit a match the entire building would go up in a ball of flames.
Even the simple act of breathing felt excruciating. Yukinoshita on the other hand, remained unfazed. She sat to my side with a grace and poise befitting royalty, as if nothing in the world could shake her impeccable composure. I envied that assured confidence of hers.
I glanced at her, but she was looking elsewhere. Her head was toward the crowd. My eyes followed her line of sight and I'm momentarily distracted by an overly bright orange... thing... in the crowd. I squinted and saw a young man sitting in a neon orange hoodie, looking at me and smiling strangely. My eyes widened when I noticed a hole through his forehead. I blinked in shock and when my eyes reopened, he was gone. Before I could search the room once more, the Judge walked into the chamber. The sound of chairs being pushed back echoed throughout the chamber as we we all rise and bow, taking our seats once more when the judge allows us. With the appropriate words, the court was finally in session.
As she had said, Yukinoshita called me to the witness stand as soon as the session had begun and asked me to explain the circumstances behind my torturing charges.
"Detective Hikigaya, what happened during your service?"
"... after I had finished basic training, I was deployed to aid the UN Peacekeeping Forces." My voice had a lifeless tone to it, reflecting my emotional state at the moment. "It was becoming common practice, the JSDF wanted its forces to gain some live combat experience. I was a year out of high school at that time. My squad was to do service in Sri Lanka, during the civil war that exploded there. We were told to protect the villages and villagers in an area from both sides of the conflict."
I inhaled shakily and had to break eye contact when I couldn't handle Yukinoshita's blue orbs' piercing gaze. "In hindsight, we should have realized something would go wrong. There was a lack of personnel and gear. We didn't think much of it then. No one thought we would be attacked. After all, why attack UN or extranational soldiers that were here to protect the populace? I guess it was this train of thought that had us under equipped and under-prepared to hold off a full on assault. No one expected the enemy to attack and risk an international incident…"
My words trailed off and a stiffness permeated the room, every living being doing their best to emulate being dipped in amber.
"... what happened next?" Yukinoshita beckoned quietly.
"... it happened. They attacked," I said straightforwardly, but beneath the stand's counter my hands were shaking and I clasped them together to stop the tremors from moving to my body. "The village we were protecting was attacked in cold blood in the middle of the night. Many villagers died… as did the guys from my peacekeeping team. When the morning came we realized just how screwed we were. Our access to supply lines and reinforcements were blocked. We were stuck in a situation where we had limited food, limited ammunition, no intel, and knew that surrendering would lead to us being executed."
"Is this what led to your actions?"
I nodded slowly, swallowing dryly as images from that time played back through my head. The night where nearly everything ended. Nothing concrete, just flashes on a film reel, but each snapshot still made me recall those emotions in their entirety. Compressed bursts magnitudes stronger than the sum, like the pain of a thousand pinpricks being squeezed into a single feeling akin to being stabbed with a searing knife.
"We began to capture soldiers and extract information. To secure access to supplies essential for survival for the villagers and for ourselves. It took a year for us to get to a UN safe zone and get evacuated."
"Was there anything else you could have done?" Yukinoshita asked me softly. In the quiet courtroom it traveled to everyone's ears easily.
"Objection your honor! Relevancy!" Exclaimed the Prosecutor.
"Overruled," says the Judge without blinking.
"But your honor…!"
The Judge fixes him a tough glare. As if trying to say that she let him get his few questions in, and he had to play fair.
"In my opinion…" I started, flexing my wrists and gripping the fabric of my pants. "... there was nothing else to be done."
Yukinoshita nodded and said she has no further questions. The Prosecution similarly said that they have no questions to ask. I walked back to my seat and see Yukinoshita trade glances with a man in the crowd, whose face was now visible to me from this angle. The black haired woman stood unflinchingly before the judged and announced.
"I would like to call Hidetaka Jun to the witness stand."
Murmurs could be heard around the previously silent courtroom. My mouth hung open. Hidetaka Jun? As in the Colonel Hidetaka Jun who had headed my old regiment? I'm absolutely shocked, how did she manage to get him, a Colonel of all things, to come to civilian court!?
The Colonel was probably in his 50's. He looked older than I last remembered him, his immaculately trimmed beard and hair having grayed significantly. His medal covered uniform was stiff, not a single crease to be seen. It was most likely completely covered in starch when it was ironed, a trick every cadet learns to avoid the ire of the drill sergeant during surprise inspections.
The Colonel is sworn in and Yukinoshita strided forward to begin the questioning. "Could you please state your name, rank, and association with my client?"
The Colonel nodded his head politely. "Of course. My name is Hidetaka Jun. Colonel of the 32nd infantry regiment of the JSDF forces. The regiment Detective Hikigaya had previously belonged to."
"Colonel Hidetaka, were you at the court martial of my client, Hikigaya Hachiman?"
"I was indeed present." The Colonels voice was as solid as always, and deep like I would imagine a grandfather's voice to be.
"What was your role in the court martial?"
"I was on the tribunal for that event."
"Would you agree with Hikigaya-san's assessment that he had no other choice in that conflict?"
"Yes, I would," he said resolutely, his voice holding some sort of force that stilled the hearts of all in the room. "In times of war, when lives of both the innocent and his fellow soldiers were on the line, survival leaves very little in the way of options. The actions Hikigaya-san had taken were, in my opinion, the best for the crisis he was in."
My eyes widened. The Colonel was part of the tribunal, but the hard set look he had then didn't seem in anyway indicative of what he was saying now. Did he always feel that way?
Could I hope?
"What are your impressions of Hikigaya-san's personality and character?" Yukinoshita asked with a gesture.
"Hikigaya-san's sergeants and lieutenants have said that he was a quiet person. He tended to keep to himself and focus on his work, creating consistent results. But he was always looking out for his squad mates, even without them knowing. He had the makings of an ideal platoon leader in the future. I could easily see him becoming a lieutenant, if things happened differently.
"I'm ashamed that the JSDF took so long to support our fellow Japanese brothers-in-arms that were trapped on enemy land. We ultimately forced Hikigaya-san to do what he did. During the court martial, Hikigaya-san had claimed that he had committed all the atrocities himself, despite how ridiculous it was to believe for any reasonable onlooker. I respect him for his decision, and I think it speaks to the strength of his person: that he was willing to take on all the consequences because he placed the lives of those he wanted to protect before his own. I wish we could have more soldier's like Hikigaya-san. "
Hidetaka's eyes turned to me. An indescribable feeling filled me at being acknowledged. "I have to apologize to you, Hikigaya-dono. I wasn't able to express it then, but I wish to offer you my deepest apologies to the foot soldier who was there for their military, but the military was not there for him. We have broken a soldier who had potential."
Then he did the unthinkable. Colonel Hidetaka stood up from the witness stand and bowed. To me, who was a lowly tin soldier. [1]
Authority was necessary in the military. It kept the cogs and gears of the giant machine of soldiers, commanders, mechanics, chefs, everyone, in order and running like a well oiled machine. Because when all hell breaks loose, it was authority that brought stability, and allowed people to keep ranks and maintain an effective fighting force. The chain of command was paramount, and must never be perverted.
As a result, any instance of a high-ranked officer demeaning himself, such as by bowing to the rank-and-file was unprecedented. Unheard of. Unimaginable. To admit he did something wrong would destroy that man's authority.
But Colonel Hidetaka did so. He apologized to this run-of-the-mill and broken toy-soldier known as Hikigaya Hachiman.
I was about to stand up and bow in return, but I was frozen in place when my eyes met Yukinoshita's. They were wet and stared at me from before the witness stand, as if she was holding back tears. My knees turned to jelly and I fell to my seat.
The prosecution's desk and jury erupted into murmurs that requires the Judge to call for order in the court. Yukinoshita said she has no further questions, and she returned to her seat, her face once again returning to that serene sea. I leaned over and whisper in her ear.
"How did you manage to get the Colonel?"
"My father." Was her only response.
I looked at her incredulously, and she gave me a small triumphant smile. I sighed while looking forward and slouched in my seat, unable to believe the series of events that just occurred.
"Thanks," I said quietly, in a voice lower than a whisper. From the corner of my eye I caught Yukinoshita nodding.
I felt a tug on my sleeve, and when I looked down, I saw a few slender fingers holding onto my cuff for dear life.
I was reminded of a time immemorial.
Δ▼Δ
The prosecution asked for time to readjust their case, and the Judge declared the court to be adjourned until a later day. The air that had seemed to deny my existence just hours before was wiped away. I was in awe of the power of a single emotional speech that could change the attitudes of many humans in just a few moments. It was almost like a super power.
"YUKINOOOOO-CHANNN!" Screamed a voice as soon as we step into the court foyer. Haruno came running up and glomped Yukinoshita into a tight hug, much to the younger sibling's embarrassment.
"Nee-san!"
"That was brilliant! The case is basically over!" Complimented Haruno who broke into a tirade about how Yukinoshita made a genius move by bringing in the Colonel. His status instilled respect within the common man that filled the spectators and jury, while his emotional speech tugged at their heartstrings. His words were vindication for me; that now there was no way I was wrong. This proved my humanity.
The prosecution was falling apart, their one trump card utterly destroyed.
"It wasn't anything special…," said Yukinoshita shyly, rubbing her right arm with her left.
"Nonsense!" Haruno denied instantly. "You worked hard!"
"I have to agree." I concurred with a small grin.
"Well of course I had to work hard. Trying to convince any sane person that someone as creepy and anti-social as Hikigaya-kun of any positive description is a monumental task. I'm actually impressed at my own work."
Annnnnd there went the humility. A short lived sight, just like my hopes and dreams. But the smile on my face didn't disappear and I chuckled.
Haruno just laughed and places an arm around around either of our waists and pushed us towards the exit.
"We need to celebrate! I know this restaurant that has this great galbi!" [2]
Yukinoshita and I gave our complaints, but there is no intent to them. The only concession was that she let us walk ourselves when we had left through the courthouse doors into the bright daylight. Being out in the open, I felt compelled to take a deep breath.
Cool air fills my body, and I was renewed at a deep level. Like a weight had been taken off my chest and my lungs could expand completely once again. A few meters ahead of me, Haruno and Yukinoshita are engrossed in a conversation, the two sisters sharing smiles as they talked about something. Haruno suddenly looked at me and puffed her cheeks. In a moment she stomps up to me and wraps herself around my arm pulling me forward.
"No dilly dallying, Hikigaya-kun!"
"H-hold on!" I stammered, caught off guard. "Your sister looks like she's going to kill me!" And indeed, the cold glare of Yukinoshita permeated my very soul, her arms folded menacingly and entire posture ensuring that retribution would come at an opportune time.
"Is that so?" Haruno sang nonchalantly, ignoring the murderous gaze of her sibling. "Oh well, consider this your last meal." [3]
"Oi!"
The idea of "genuine" was something I had obsessed over in high school. Things that I could believe in without a shadow of a doubt. But many things had changed since then. I was so sure of myself for most of high school and my teenage years. I knew what I believed in and who I was. Or rather, I thought I did.
Right now, a lot of things were happening and I was starting to lose track of myself. Who am I? What do I want to do? It might be irresponsible to just go with the flow as I was, not caring for the consequences and how events might end. It was not genuine in the slightest, but just for the moment I decided to let the river of life carry me.
I was... happy.
I looked at the face of Yukinoshita, who had dropped the expression of wrath and now had a gentle and calm face. That ever-present smile adorned Haruno's own, and my gut said it was what she was really feeling. As I walked with them towards Haruno's car, I reflected on what the Yukinoshita sisters had been through, and what they had just done for me. And with all that in mind, I couldn't help but feel that, maybe, it was okay to accept an unsure happiness.
It's better than an assured sadness. So I let myself be happy. Just for now, at least.
Arc 1: "Detective Hikigaya Hachiman"
References:
[1] Not culturally accurate in Japan, but I feel that the conceptual weight of the "tin soldier" adds more to this scene. Tin soldiers were popular toys during in the 1800s, and were brought back into cultural prominence in America during the Vietnam War where many anti-war media referred to the soldiers as "tin soldiers" who were sent out into war like toys and return back broken.
[2] Also known as "galbi." Beef short ribs that are covered in a sauce made of soy sauce, garlic, and sugar. It is usually served with customers grilling it themselves at tables fitting with grills.
[3] When a prisoner is sentenced to death they are allowed to choose whatever they want to eat for their last meal.
Author's Note:
This chapter is a climactic moment and a major milestone in the emotional development of Hachiman as well as his relationship with Yukino. Yukino has managed to cross some sort of boundary that this more cynical and broken adult Hachiman has erected around himself. Yukino's actions this chapter will shape her career as a lawyer in events to come.
The court case isn't over, and not all mysteries surrounding it have been uncovered. Far from it. Colonel Hidetaka Jun was first mentioned in Chapter 7, so it shouldn't be too far out of left field for you readers.
The next few chapters will begin to focus more on a singular crime and its progression as well as the developing relationship between our two main leads. Lots of fluff, and one gag chapter to come. Afterwards, the plot should barrel forwards, so prepare yourselves.
-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.