Lelouch POV
Another Boring day at Ashford.
Lelouch wished he could say it; he was on stage, reciting a Shakespearean poem. It seems that Milly has taken an interest in making him work with the drama club; he's seeing those kids too often. At least it was a good opportunity to keep his promise to Naoto. He managed to involve the entire student council. It seemed like Kallen and Milly were slowly becoming friends. He had to admit it was almost amusing to see Rivalz try to make amends with the Red for ruining her clothes. Kallen, as the "sick girl she was," was put in a leadership role. The blue-haired boy seemed to be doing the work of three people.
Milly: "Quick, Rivalz, you need to clean up the room. There's a real performance in an hour".
Rivalz, desperate, asked: "WHAT?! I still have to fix the costumes and...".
Okay, it was funny. Lelouch finished his lines, and shortly after, he received a call from Ohgi.
Ohgi: "Hey Lelouch, don't come to Shinjuku for any reason and prevent her from coming".
Lelouch was surprised by the request: "Why don't you tell her yourself?".
Ohgi took a few seconds to respond: "She wouldn't listen; it's dangerous here, and I'm sure she had planned to come today".
Lelouch: "How do you think I can stop her?".
Ohgi: "I don't know, distract her, tell her your dog died. I don't have time for this... I have to go".
Ohgi ended the call, and Lelouch had to come up with a plan quickly. School was about to end, and she would probably go straight to Shinjuku. Lelouch stared at Kallen, searching for a solution, then, seeing Rivalz fall, an idea came to him.
Naoto POV
Ohgi: "Naoto, they're back".
Naoto: "How many?".
Ohgi: "20 and... a Knightmare".
Naoto can't believe this: "What? Are you sure?".
Ohgi: "Yes".
Naoto: "If things go wrong, we don't have the strength to drive them away, why they're here?".
Ohgi: "They say they're looking for a criminal, a girl with green hair".
Naoto: "Does she really exist? Or is it just an excuse to show off their strength?".
Ohgi: "I'm not sure, maybe she exists, but there are too many, and they're too well-armed for just one person".
Naoto was uncertain; they didn't have anti-Knightmare weapons. "Let's go observe them, tell the guys to prepare the weapons, but to stay at distance until further notice".
Nunnally POV
She was so happy. It didn't happen often that Lelouch invited someone home, but she always found it pleasant to have company. They were such fun people.
When Rivalz told her that this was the second attempt to throw a welcome party for Kallen, she understood the reason. However, she was incredulous after learneing that the idea came from her brother. Nunnally knew that deep down Lelouch had a kind heart; he showed it to her every day. But it was impossible not to notice the coldness he often showed towards Milly and the others.
Nunnally whispered: "Hey Rivalz, does Lelouch love Kallen?".
The blue-haired boy almost shouted in surprise: "WHA... um no, I don't think so. Even though it's true that they've been spending a lot of time together lately. But I don't think it's love, I think he's trying to make her spend more time with the council. He helped Milly 'force' her to participate in various activities, and yesterday he was with us when we went to the cas..." Rivalz interrupted himself before saying something too much. "But then, who understands Lelouch.".
Nunnally: "I understand. Could you tell me something else...".
He was about to answer, but he was interrupted.
Rivalz: "Hey, Lelouch! Let me go!".
Lelouch: "What do you always say? Orders from the president".
The cap of a bottle popped, and the sound of drops of wine hitting the floor was enough for Nunnally to understand what had happened.
Naoto POV
Ohgi: "I've been here for two hours, and they still haven't caused any damage".
Naoto: "There's something going on here. Why send Clovis's personal guard?".
Ohgi: "If it was really for the girl?".
Naoto: "There are secret services for that kind of job. The only reason he sent them is that he needs someone he can trust".
Ohgi: "The sun will set in a few hours; they'll probably withdraw before. They know it's not a good idea to stay in this area without visibility. Let's keep observing them".
Naoto was frustrated: "As if we had a choice".
Lelouch POV
The party was over, and Ohgi was unreachable. Everyone had left except Kallen. Lelouch had asked her to keep Nunnally company in the hope of gaining time, but time was up.
Lelouch: "Hey Kallen, are you going home now?".
Kallen: "No, I'm going to visit my brother. Why?".
Damn, damn, damn, Lelouch needed an idea, QUICKLY. "Well... he opened a bar, and I heard they also make some very good traditional Japanese sweets".
Kallen blushed a bit: "Lelouch, are you asking me out?".
That wasn't what Lelouch meant. "NO... I mean..." Kallen seemed furious, probably not because of the answer but because of the tone. Lelouch had a card to play to avoid getting beaten. "Well, I'll tell you the truth. Naoto told me about the ghetto, and I noticed it's getting late. I was hoping to keep you here until you gave up on the idea".
Kallen looked him straight in the eyes: "You're lying".
Lelouch: "..."
Kallen: "But one thing is true; you don't want me to go to the Ghetto, why?".
Lelouch was speechless. It wasn't that easy to read him. Had he stepped too much out of character? No matter now, staying silent wouldn't help him overcome the problem.
Some seconds of silence passed before Kallen asked: "You won't tell me, right?".
Or maybe silence was the answer, Lelouch is messing up a lot today. "Trust me, please".
Kallen: "Fine, but I hope that bar you talked about really exists. You're paying".
Lelouch was tired of this day; he didn't feel like opposing anymore. "Fine, Q1".
Kallen: "Q1, was the queen in chess, right? You had nothing better?".
Lelouch: "It's the most powerful piece on the chessboard. You should be honored".
Kallen: "Yeah, yeah, I hope those sweets are really good".
Naoto POV
The sun was finally setting, and the guards were leaving, but...
Ohgi was relieved: "In the end, it went well".
Naoto: "True, no one died, but how long can we continue like this?".
Ohgi: "Naoto, do you mean...".
Naoto: "I don't know, but what should we do if they come back, and instead of intimidation, they use weapons?".
Ohgi: "So far, it has worked; we saved many lives.".
Naoto: "I know, sorry Ohgi, I... I'm afraid we might have to fight a real war. The Britannians are increasing controls more and more; violence against civilians is becoming more common, and under-the-table agreements are getting more expensive. If the time comes, will you be with me?".
Ohgi responded without a moment's hesitation: "Naoto, I believe in what we're doing, and I believe in you. I know you'll make the right choice when the time comes".
Naoto smiled at his old friend. They were about to go home, but Lelouch called him. "You better find a good explanation for Kallen on why you didn't want her there, and you owe me a lot of money." Lelouch closed, leaving Naoto perplexed about the second part of the speech. "Ohgi, did you promise money to the guy?" Ohgi: "No, why?".