It was a windowless room with an area of around the size you would see in a motel. Bunk beds were attached to the wall and there was a desk for two, but people could currently only be found in the passageway down the center of the room.
A single chair barely filled that passageway. It was almost entirely reclined and a girl lay on it with a blanket pulled up to her neck. She faced forward with a somewhat weak look.
"Sorry it suddenly got so bad, Futoyuki-san. My stomach doesn't usually act up like this..."
"Yes, well, there's no helping it, Arisa. Don't worry about it and get some rest. I think this is to make up for how well you were doing during the day."
Futoyuki stood in front of the room's door and he held a small boy's hand.
That boy being the younger Awdry brother.
He had wanted to drop by the Yagura Branch office for a moment to see how his new friend was doing, but that had not been possible once Futoyuki told him that something was happening.
So instead, the two older ones began to watch over him for the time being.
"I heard tomorrow will be an eventful day because of whatever is going on. ...Border's library and cafeteria are running twenty-four hours for the day for the directors and anyone else involved with whatever is going on. So we can probably go get a bite to eat because of that."
"Are you okay, Ms. Arisa?"
Hearing that question, Arisa raised her head and smiled.
"I'm fine. I just feel like my insides are being twisted upwards, like my stomach is caving in, and like the blood vessels in my head are about to burst. Oh, and I'm getting constant waves of intense chills and nausea, so...ohhhh, there it is, there it is, there it is."
"What did that mean, Mr. Futoyuki?"
"That midenkind gained a great many ways to express themselves with the invention of language. Oh, but..."
"Hm? What?"
"Well." Futoyuki nodded. "The people in the building before told me there's a way to avoid this suffering. And it works especially well when a girl has monthly problems."
"Eh? What is it? A drug?"
"No. It's apparently something the two of us can do together. Do you know what is?"
"Oh, so they are taking this in that direction, are they?"
"Huh? Did I say something weird?"
"I will scold you plenty later. I do not have it in me now, but consider yourself warned."
"Hmm. I don't really get it, but would it not work?"
"W-well, it is not that it wouldn't work..."
"What do you mean?"
"Hmm." Arisa thought for a moment, but she soon lifted the blanket up to her forehead. "I can't do this. I'm too weak now, so I'll let it slide. Just know that right now it is just a very painful stomachs from some bad food."
"Then I guess it'll have to wait until later." Futoyuki spoke to her with a bitter smile. "You seem to know what they meant, so tell me if you feel like it."
"Get out!"
"Okay, okay."
He pulled on the boy's hand and started to leave, but...
"Futoyuki-san."
"Eh? What? Should I buy you something?"
"Please don't try to make a joke about all of this right now. Anyway, um..."
"?"
Futoyuki tilted his head, but Arisa could not see with the blanket over her head. However...
"Did you want to visit the city today? You had a chance today, didn't you?"
"Well, I'm still a Neighbor, so I'd have trouble not messing around with those tangerine things."
"You need to bow down and apologize to the people of Mikado City..."
"Hm? I don't really get it, but since some of us are banned from leaving or entering the Border base, I might have been able to come back if I had gone. ...Still, it seems Kimura and the others are going to be busy because of my own mistake."
"Hm? ...A mistake?"
"Yes. There was a notice over Border's transmission earlier that they were having problems with a Trion Soldier the Wanderers made."
Futoyuki tilted his head as he explained.
"According to the directors, I still can't say much because they are uncertain if I am messing with them. Akasora-sensei has told me about some guy in Mikado City that can tell if I am lying or not, but I wouldn't lie anyway. ...It's strange that they will not take my help yet. Especially since that Blaze seems to have gone and attached itself to that girl."
White Fox: "Okay, someone tell me why we aren't just asking Futoyuki for some help here?"
The group had arrived at the Kurosaki building for their own guests. Inside the visitors quarters at one end of the surprisingly cold building, Yuki conversed over Border's transmission while checking on the door.
...This means the directors want to wait things out a bit. Boy, I wonder who is being stubborn over there.
White Fox: "Even if the directors are being pigheaded about this, can you do something, Kimura? You must have seen some issues come up when this three business meeting began in the first place."
Manager: "Yeah. If the three businesses gather together, something of course would come up because of it. If they want to earn some gratitude by 'assisting' Border by sending out those Neighbors, they have to act now. Then again, they must have had something else in mind to not even reveal themselves and use something from the Neighbors who had 'greeted' us this week. We need to give some thought to the fact that they chose now."
Ōji: "If you end up going to war with them after this, I'll give you a standing ovation."
Manager: "Dammit. After three times of doing that, you people just expect that from me! Just you watch! Things will be settled peacefully!"
White Fox: "I wish I didn't know what that is about, but do you know who we are dealing with here?"
Manager: "Eh? O-oh, yes. I did some more research... The shows everyone put on earlier was not something any of us could look over. Especially after what Ikoma-san had told us."
Black Wolf: "I heard some rumors about what Shiraishi works on, but I never look too deep into rumors like those. Kurosaki was easier to get data on while Kobayashi was easy due to them having someone in Minoru's squad. But...you know the, um, connection between Denji, Sekai, and some of us here, right?"
"They know the bare minimum," Yuki confirmed.
This place doesn't have a great hall further in, he guessed from the structure of the ventilation and ceiling.
White Fox: "Right. Some more knowledge should be helpful. If we are up against Denji and Sekai-san then just know that they are actually not slouches when it comes to these things. Even if they are working for someone, they are both great at using whatever they can."
But Yuki was confident in his own words.
White Fox: "Sekai-san does not pull his punches when he is serious...and he can definitely be overwhelming for anyone not prepared for it. Most of you have seen him in the BRW or have fought against him. Think of him being the mid-boss for those things. When it comes to this kind of thing, think of him as the higher-than-mid-boss."
Manager: "Thanks for filling in for Akashi-san there. But please remember not to show your fanboy side when talking about him. Anyway, with all that in mind, I plan to do something without letting my guard down."
"But," cut in Kurauchi.
Kura-uchi: "Denji is no joke either, right? Senshi has told me only a little of what he knows, and that is still coming from either the wolf or the fox. How much trouble are the ones at Kobayashi in? Most of us stay away from that man, so we know less than we want."
Manager: "Don't worry about that. ...Bakuto-san's information has come in from Yamamoto-san earlier when he made his first appearance for Kobayashi. I am not saying to overlook him, but remember that he is a hired hand of a worker and not the bosses."
Kimura paused for a moment and to choose her next words.
Manager: "He has the least amount of power out of the ones we have to worry about. Shiraishi can do something abnormal for anyone not a part of Border and Hikigane-san has been given a direct source of power. Bakuto-san is there for insurance. That being said, it is a bad thing that he is where Minoru-san and Hiura-san are."
Those two are the worst options to deal with him, silently agreed Yuki. Denji was a man who messed with words in a way Yuki never tries. To have someone like Minoru with him was dangerous while Hiura was simply too inexperienced to deal with him.
White Fox: "I would like to think he would at least go easy on Akane since she is Sekai-san's niece, but I'm not really holding my breath there."
"I see," replied Kurauchi and Yuki nodded as well.
White Fox: "I doubt it will be easy, but I'm sure Kimura can figure something out. She's quite good at adlibbing...and I'm not talking about gags, just to be clear. Now, anyway, I hate that I know what you guys were talking about before, but ending this by going to war would be par for the course, so feel free to do that if you have too."
Manager: "You people are getting a little carried away since leaving Border! It even rubbed off on that boy you took in!"
White Fox: "He was having fun tonight, so leave him alone."
Kura-uchi: "Right. So how are things going for you, Yuki? Where is Kon? In bed?"
Yuki looked behind him.
They were inside the visitors quarters at one end of the Kurosaki building for guests. Even the walls were covered in carpet and the bed was a twin size with a canopy.
The rooms were made so they had to sleep two to a bed.
And right now, a nude black-hair lay on the bed, beckoning him over with a smile.
But this was not Kon. It was a crossdresser and a nudist. So...
White Fox: "Kazuki, I am in the non-Suzunari room."
Ōji: "What!? You're pathetic!"
White Fox: "Th-that was sudden!"
Ōji: "You really are stupid! If you had a Ninja Room and a Nudist Room and stuck Kō in the latter, then that material could be sold to Misaki then those two doujins would buy me a new house! You understand, don't you!? I am talking about something that would have even Prince Shotoku flipping tearfully through the pages shouting 'More! More! Ah, you could call this the seventeen articles of sex!' And what have you given me instead? A Shudo Room!? Misaki has too much of that already!
White Fox: "I don't want to deal with all that, so I'll just respond to that last part: I never said this was a Shudo Room! And don't go selling crap like that to Suzu! I'll drag you down with me otherwise!"
Ōji: "I won't apologize to some idiot fox. Besides, I know a good amount of her Shipping Squad and I already told them it was. Looking forward to next month."
White Fox: "N-now you've done it! You've really done it now, haven't you!?"
Kura-uchi: "But Yu...ki. Sorry, I am still not completely use to that. Anyway, aren't you disappointed Takato-san is not with you? Especially after getting together with her?"
Well, he thought while crossing his arms and pondering the situation.
...Hmm...
White Fox: "To tell you the truth, even before that, I always stay in the same room as Mei, but since I'm always on the floor, I get nervous just thinking about being in the same bed as her, even when she thinks it is her being nice for saying that there is nothing wrong with us staying in the same bed. After all, she takes off all her clothes when she goes to bed. I can just imagine her hiding behind the curtain on the other side of the bed as she strips, but then noticing me, blushing, and going into her crazy blushing mode. Oh, you assholes coined Rampage Dress for that, didn't you? Stop that, by the way. I really will beat the crap out of anyone who brings that up. Anyways. If she frantically pulled the blanket over her after stripping, that would be really cute, you know, instead of trying to beat me up. Then I would stand at the edge of the bed and ask 'Can I get in?' and she would nod while hiding half her face below the blanket. Once I got under the blanket too, it would go something like this: 'Murakami has reminded me, and I am really holding back from crushing you here, but being given a child is joining together in bed.' 'Ehh? (←Me)' 'S-so, if we do this..." And then we hold hands! Yes, Mei knows about docking methods, but knows that she will not mentally last! That's important! So we end up falling asleep hand-in-hand, but since she has a habit of hugging in her sleep, she'll grab at my arm. And then, ahh, if she pushes up my sleeve... Kh! Oh, god... Anyway, the next morning, Mei would be a little sad and disappointed when she notices we aren't still 'joined together' when she wakes up, so I can gently embrace her to comfort her. 'That can wait until we get a bit older and I get more mature. I like embracing you like this just as much.' 'Yuki...!' And then comes the kiss! Just like this! ...This is a chair! It tastes like varnish! ...Anyway, I think it would be something like that. Especially since I know I her so well."
Kura-uchi: "Um, sorry, that was my fault. Yeah, sorry. I am really sorry. I will personally perform a dogeza for everyone."
Ōji: "That will kill your sanity level, so I recommend just skimming through it, Kurauchi. It's downright toxic."
White Fox: "H-how can you say that when you were the ones that asked me, you awful people!?"
A notification in the tabs indicated someone had joined the chat.
Wisteria: "Hm. ...You look like you're having fun, but tell me what this is about, Yuki."
Kura-uchi: "Hmm, now what should we do with this chat log? I am curious as to how Takato-san managed to get in, but that can wait until later. ...What are Kurosaki's specialties?"
White Fox: "Kh! I didn't know you were like this! Sensen and Tetsuji never mentioned this! Uh, um, ah! This isn't some other nation, but I'll bring you back some Koshi-no-Ume jam and Snow Rice Cakes."
Wisteria: "I see now. So you were discussing souvenirs. Anyway, Yuki. ...I want to talk about the events of the day and any general plans for tomorrow before going to sleep."
Mi-Kon: "Oh, I was going to suggest that for everyone, but you two are free to go ahead and do that before us."
Umi: "I'll be nice and set you up a chat limited to just the two of you."
White Fox: "Thank you...wait, aren't you supposed to be cleaning up!? Were you listening to all that!?"
Black Wolf: "Speaking of which, Yagura Branch Representative, I noticed you referenced me in that bizarre speech of yours, so we need to have a chat later."
This isn't looking good, he thought while pulling up a list of the photos he had taken of Mei at different times. They were doing this over the Border chat this time, so what look was he supposed to have on his face while showing her these? Then again, they were in different locations, so it all came down to his imagination which was fine in its own way. But...
White Fox: "Does this mean Border is ready for everything going on?"
Shobu came to a new understanding of the main garden.
He could sense all the way to the far wall of the approximately hundred meter space, but that was not because there was less information than during the day.
The density had cleared out. During the day, there had been heat, smells, humidity, and more rising from the ground and wavering as they went for his attention, but that was different now. It all rose straight up, joined together when they came into contact, and were more organized.
If the daytime air had been rough waves, then this was several skinny waterfalls rising from earth to heaven.
Those upside-down cascades rose from the entire range of the vegetation. He could reach his hand out and feel a chilly ticklishness that was not really a smell and not really transpiration.
...Wow...
He spread his arms to either side and grasped the flowers, plants, ground, and flowing water of this place. The air and humidity reached his skin from the cuffs and collar of the jacket with both the Border emblem and the Yagura emblem he wore for representative purposes, so he felt like he was floating in this place.
And he wondered something. If the differences between the many waterfalls were the differences between the flowers and plants...
"...Are they...colors...?"
There was one thing Shobu did not understand at all: colors.
It was different from the way Takeshi had once misunderstood them. Everything to Shobu was based on things unseen over things seen. Takeshi had simply not understood other colors, but now realized what he had missed.
He understood temperature, humidity, and wind. Thanks to touch, heat, and sound reflection rates, he could generally distinguish between the sky and clouds, water and earth, and clothing and paper. But...
...The "blue" sky...and "blue" clothing...are different...
His senses saw a great difference between the sky and dyes, so...
...What is similar enough...to the sky, air, rain, and earth...to be used as materials for dyes and paints...?
The answer was flowers and plants.
So if he used his perception of those as his basis for "colors", could he perhaps speak about them with others and understand them himself more smoothly? So on occasion, he would visit the flower bed that Suzume had in an area clear of anything that could harm them, listen to Suzume there, and increase the material he could use to judge colors. But...
"...Suzumebachi-sama...knows a lot of...weird things..."
She would play a Gagaku song she was working on or perform a dance she was working on.
...And sometimes she lets me...try the fruit wine she's making in secret... ...Yeah...
She also knew the flower language meanings of the flowers Shobu was trying to use as a basis for colors.
For example, when Shobu was trying to decide what "red" was...
"If you use that flower for 'red', then red inside you will probably be 'shy embarrassment'. Or I suppose it could honestly mean 'I am perfect for you'."
That latter option had seemed like too much, so he had chosen another. But when he had chosen a different one, Suzume had asked "Are you sure?" while sounding fairly worried. That was how he had created colors within himself, but...
...What kind of colors are there here...?
He noticed some flowers with familiar colors here and there. Walking between those was a lot like walking through a chilly ankle-height current moving between the small waterfalls. So he spread his arms to better feel the slight scent and heat of flowers as he walked out into the main garden.
He did not notice anyone there. ...Is that Seikai-sama and Nakagami-sama's doing...? He wondered. ...If so...what am I going to find here...?
He walked between flower beds, fields, and the many waterfalls and he crossed a stream. He spun around a bit on the bridge to perceive his full surroundings.
...Ah...
There were fireflies. They were glowing bugs. He saw the flow from them, even when there was no heat, but he knew that they were really beautiful from the sign alone.
"...Wow..."
Those beautiful spots flew around him amid the many reverse cascades.
...Amazing... he thought. ...It's a shame the others...can't see this... ...Maybe I should go call Ikoma-sama... But...
"Hey! Jin! I did what you said and it put me on a different route! And a wife!? Are you telling someone like me to break a major rule!? What? The wife'ss an cute girl too! You got a problem with that!? That's right! You just need to apologize... Since you apologized for your sin, I'll let you off easy and only work with Jinsei to flood the Internet with spoilers for your character's route."
...He sounds pretty excited...so I probably shouldn't interrupt him... decided Shobu.
Then a new thought came to mind. One that would not have been there if not for the "greeting" done to Mikado City.
...Would...Ema-sa-...
He corrected himself with a smile.
...Ema... ...Would Ema...enjoy this place...?
Before the "greeting", Shobu would never have though to say a name without some kind of honorifics. It would go against his own rules and invite unwanted thoughts into his mind, but now...
...Ema...allowed it... ...He said that...I can just...call him that...
A connection had been established by the two that continued with an exchange of messages. Unlike their first meeting, they were no longer strangers.
It felt nice.
...He said...he wanted to...introduce me to some...others... ...Could I also speak properly...to them...?
He had likely been talking about some friends instead of his team since, at the time, his shoulders had been more relaxed and his expression was a different one. Although it had been a bit difficult to tell.
Shobu smiled once more to himself as he thought about the possibilities.
Then he arrived at the main garden's central clearing. There was a large tree in the center and the beautiful spots flew around below it. Below the tree was something that rose to chest height on him.
...A stone...?
He was skeptical because it had a falcon sitting on it.
But he also thought ...A falcon...? because the sitting falcon had multiple eyes. Or rather, it had one eye and multiple dots resembling eyes. And so he concluded that this was neither a stone nor a falcon.
As he wondered what it was, he called a name aloud.
"...Ruri...-sama...?"
.
Ruri trembled when someone called her name without warning.
...Eh?
Her confusion was not just from the fact that someone had called out to her. She had been meditating in order to become one with her surroundings and calm herself. During that training, she should have been hard to spot. And yet...
"How?"
She could only assume it was due to her own inexperience, but she was still puzzled.
She faced forward while sitting.
"You...?"
.
Shobu sensed Ruri taking more definite form in front of him. Rather, she became more noticeable even with hair in his eyes.
The girl stood up and faced him.
So Shobu bowed and prepared to say "...It is nice...to see you again..."
But the girl spoke first.
"It's nice to meet you. You're...Border's representative I assume. I've heard all about you. I am Abe Ruri."
...Eh?
Shobu did not understand why Ruri had said "it's nice to meet you".
After all, he had already met her during the day. She had passed out during the commotion due to the trion attacks and the Neighbor shaped like a falcon, but they had definitely greeted each other and exchanged words.
...What does this mean...?
Did she have some reason to pretend she had forgotten? But...
"—?"
The previous falcon with strange eyes had vanished at some point. Shobu did not know what that meant, but Ruri faced him and asked a question.
"Um, so was I right? Are you Border's representative?"
...She really doesn't...remember me, realized Shobu. He did not understand what this meant, but...
"...Y-yes... ...Correct... ...I am Tenryū Sh-Shokubutsu..."
"So you are Tenryū-san. Well, you are a lovely dragon."
"...U-um... ...P-people tend to...say that I...am a plant..."
Ruri let a smile onto her lips. She also gave a sigh of relief, so she too must not have known what to do about this situation.
But for some reason, Ruri did not remember Shobu. As he wondered why, Shobu decided asking was unlikely to help. Whether it was an act or not, they had just exchanged greetings.
Confident that they now "knew each other", he asked a question while pointing to his own shoulder.
"...Was there...a falcon...?"
"A falcon?"
Ruri looked to her shoulder while standing up, but there was nothing like that there. But then she spoke up in apparent understanding.
"Oh. My mother likes to joke around and say that there is something like that as my divine protection. ...You can ignore her if she starts that up. But if you think you saw that, maybe there is some truth to that."
"...No... ...It was...my imagination... ...Sorry..."
...It was solid... ...It reminds me of...the ones the Wanderers use...
Shobu shook his head, but he honestly gave voice to his follow up thoughts.
"...It surprised me..."
"It surprised you, did it?" Ruri sounded amused. "Tenryū-san, how about I show you around?"
"...Eh...? ...R-really...?"
"The person who should handle that is unfortunately absent at the moment. Do you want to call the Border Attacker that's with you?"
Shobu glanced back toward the corridor to their rooms. He heard Ikoma have a fulfilling time, so he slowly faced Ruri and shook his bangs back and forth.
"...N-no... ...He sounds...serious..."
"I'm not sure what you mean, but I guess it'll just be you."
With that, Ruri grabbed Shobu's hand without warning.
That was a common action, but for Shobu...
"...Nn..."
He felt it was wrong and trembled at being treated differently from normal.
And it was a tremor of rejection.
.
Ruri realized she had acted too hastily.
A tense strength ran through the representative's hand.
...Oops.
This boy had excellent senses, but that meant being touched so suddenly only filled him with fear. So...
"Sorry."
She quickly moved to let go, but...
"—"
The representative firmly held her hand back. And with a rushed strength.
Had he felt bad for giving a reaction of rejection? He quickly shook his head.
"...It's..."
Was he starting to say "it's okay"? But he stopped and simply shook his head while a rough breath swallowed the rest of his words.
Ruri wondered what to do with the tension that had taken over after the tremor. The representative would not allow her to let go, but...
...In that case...
Just as she thought that, Border's representative raised his head. He had realized something and Ruri followed by looking up overhead as well.
"Ohh."
The tree branches up above were glowing.
It was the fireflies.
The fireflies grew in the stream and flew from there and they had gathered on the tree branches.
"It looks like the tree is blossoming."
"...The color..."
The representative calmed his breathing and asked a question while looking up.
"...What color...is it...?"
When Ruri looked again, she realized it was not white. Nor was it yellow. If anything...
"It's a pale glow of light green."
"...Is that...the color of fireflies...to you...?"
When she replied with "yes", the boy nodded.
He was no longer trembling and he felt no fear. He almost looked like a child after having a box of toys dumped out in front of them. But...
...What about me?
Ruri spoke while wondering that.
"Representative."
"...Wh-what...?"
"I'd like to show you around, so is that okay?"
The boy nodded. There was nothing there, but he looked up and tilted his head around as if viewing behind and between things.
"...The colors..."
He made a request with a smile.
"...Can you...tell me the colors...?"
There was a night sky there.
It was a tall sky. It was clear, the moon was out, and the moonlight dyed the white ground a pale blue.
A floor was on a level height with that ground, but it was separated from that surrounding surface. A giant platform was contained inside a giant pit in the ground.
The platform had a banister above it that said Mogami in white with words under it stating it belonged to the Kobayashi family.
That platform sat in front of a tall building that seemed lot it either sunk into the ground or grew up from it instead. However, the areas from each floor of the building and from the surface connected to the platform to make it seem much more like a sort of large home, yet also made it seem like a hotel. Many people and machines were quickly carrying supplies and equipment across.
The equipment to repair or replace building panels, the general necessities for buildings and anything that could be reused without having it break apart, and the food and fuel storages were given priority, but...
"I take it you resupply and perform maintenance by nighttime so that everything is ready for the daytime, Mogami-san."
On the Mogami rooftop, Minoru looked down into the seeming hole between the platform and building. He then looked to the land that was at nearly even level with the rooftop.
...It looks like it would be hard to send anything out from down here, but it leaves almost no risk of being hit on from afar. And Neighbor would miss it since I didn't even know this existed near Mikado City.
They would have trouble with an invasion from the surface, but he doubted any land Neighbors could make it this far without being destroyed by Border.
As she watched the A-Rank agent, Yoshiko wore a foreign-style uniform modified into a light yellow kariginu, lay on the rooftop's tatami mats, and snacked on some dango. She would occasionally drink sake from a bottle, but...
"Yoshiko. You're drinking pace is kinda high today, so it's a bit worrying, jeez."
A black-haired man was moving back and forth in his spot and making a surprisingly small amount of noise. Border's Sniper was also snacking on dango by Yoshiko's feet, but...
"Um, about that man..."
"Oh, this is Bakuto Denji, my treasured aide and gambler. Come on over here."
"Yoshiko. What is it, jeez?"
When the gambler came over, Yoshiko grabbed him with a smile and stretched him side to side. As a normal man, his arms stretched out far to make it seem as if he was spreading himself out.
"See, Sniper-chan, Minoru? ...This is Denjiha."
"Hmmmm, Yoshiko! That kind of forceful introduction leaves me kinda at a loss for words, jeez."
"Ho ho ho. Denji, you are such a strange creature to take such joy from being bullied."
Minoru nearly said "You're drunk, aren't you?", but he held his tongue and watched Yoshiko release Denji and gently get up.
It was strange to see the older man so subdued when compared to his usual attitude.
Even if I can only see that rotten gambler everyone knows about, it's hard to dismiss the lack of hostility he usually has...
What exactly was the connection between this Kobayashi hired woman and the fowl gambler? He wanted to ask, but it felt like there was no time for that either.
"Now... You more or less understand our general situation, don't you?"
"If you're suggesting we have a meeting, I believe that is scheduled for tomorrow afternoon."
"After Border figure some things out, you mean? Well, that's fine, but don't you think there are some things it would be best to know about each other before that?"
Minoru updated his judgment of this woman. She had supposedly called the two of them here so their rooms could be prepared and to keep them out of the way of the work below, but...
...She really was focused more on the three business meeting tomorrow. Even if her bosses are the ones meant to show up.
Yoshiko had shown no sign of arranging any resupplying down below since coming to the rooftop. Either it had all been finished beforehand or each group was trained well enough to make the best decisions on their own.
That suggested a certain meaning to the dango and sake she held.
...Did she really just want to snack and drink!?
The Sniper had been right to go with the flow and eat what was provided. Minoru had thought there was more to this and decided to be more cautious.
At the moment, the Sniper took a teacup from the tray on Denji's palm.
"This is Kyou tea we received via Kurosaki."
"Oh, so you're still trading even as you fight?"
"Did I just leak some classified information? But I won't lose. The power of a gambler is to give you the energy you need in dire situations, jeez. Natto!? I'll hear nothing of it, jeez. If you want eggs, eat salmon roe, jeez."
"Oh, I get it now. Do you say 'jeez' cause you are getting old? But isn't that English?"
"But in Japanese it's mattaku and saying 'ttaku' isn't cool, jeez."
"I didn't want to say anything, but is this a wild man by any chance?"
"That's right. I'm wild! I was born Izumo and, to make me more realistic, I was sent on a Come Back Gambler mission, but I got fed up with the world while swimming in the ocean and returned to nature!"
"Why did you get fed up with the world?"
"How should I put it? The adults? All the discipline from the adults, I guess..."
"Everyone has times when they want to act tough for no real reason," added Yoshiko.
"Ahhhh, Yoshiko. Don't put it so bluntly, jeez! A meaninglessly rebellious heart is the symbol of youth."
Life: "Yeah, sometimes your youth displays a meaninglessly rebellious heart in the mornings. Right, Yuki? And it's hard to restrain it. Right, Yuki? Don't you think, Yuki?"
White Fox: "Why did you send that my way three times!? And I have Mei with me, so it isn't meaningless!"
Umi: "Um, you mean...you were facing the wall and feeling yourself for a reason...?"
Ōji: "You are the worst... A truly terrible fox."
White Fox: "Huh, huh? What's this about feeling myself? This took a weird turn."
Hero: "Um, Onii-san? The next time you feel that way in the morning, I'm willing to help."
Almost Everyone: "Helping him feel himself..."
White Fox: "Don't add that '...'! Just don't! It gives me a bad feeling about all this! And how did Shiro get into this chat!? Umi, are you really doing your job here!?"
They like to listen in until they can use something they heard, thought Minoru as he looked to Yoshiko once more.
"There's something I would like to ask about. It's about the Falcon. Or rather, as we had heard from a source... Blaze."
Yoshiko reacted to that name.
A small smile remained on her lips, but she closed her eyes.
"I had a feeling you would..."
"Of course... I am not entirely ignorant of those Neighbors. We have had a recent encounter with them not so long ago."
That was true.
Border has fought the Wanderers and was thus aware of them, but that meant they understood only the basics and the stuff they had been told by them. And for Mikado City, that entire day may not have happened due to not actually seeing any of those Neighbors.
But...
"Mogami-san, I know that Soka would not give away secrets like that. ...So please tell me. I understand that not everyone could have been kept from the events that happened and that sightings will always be a thing not matter what," said Minoru. "But why did you directly attack it? And why are you the one to represent Kobayashi when Soka's parents should be doing that?"
That question received a question in response. It came from the Sniper who was tilting her head.
"By the parents...do you mean those parents? The Kobayashi ones?"
"Yes, he means Kobayashi Akio-san and Kobayashi Naoko-san." Yoshiko laughed quietly. "The parents who understood my position as a parent."
What does that mean? wondered Kimura as she tilted her head inside the cafeteria in the main Border base.
Krümel mistook it for rubbing her cheek against it, so the dog pressed against her face. Kimura responded in kind, and...
"Akashi-san, give me a history of Mogami Yoshiko and-..."
She belatedly realized Akashi was not here. Earlier, Hitomi had sent word that he would be coming back soon enough, but...
"It's a pain having to look everything up myself."
"Wan?"
I can think of it as teaching Krümel, she decided with an optimistic sigh.
...I need to look up a history of Mogami Yoshiko and her current treatment. Along with any connections she has publicly.
She is one of the workers under Kobayashi. So why was she now representing them instead of the bosses? And why was she attacking the Neighbors?
This had to be top secret. Probably on a level that prevented her father and the others from revealing it even if they knew on a personal level. And now it had suddenly come to the surface.
This is bait, realized Kimura while smiling bitterly at Mogami Yoshiko's strategy here.
"Let's hurry up and look this up, Krümel. Remember that it's about doing everything in the best way you can, not in the 'proper' order."
And...
Manager: "Minoru-san, can you get any information out of Mogami Yoshiko?"
Deer Prince: "There's one keyword that comes to mind. I'll try asking about that."
Kimura prepared to say "please do", but...
Deer Prince: "You have already accomplished one thing, so I'll do the same."
Kimura froze in place when she heard that.
...I see.
She had thought her earlier discussion with others had mostly been important to Border, but...
"Have I given you the motivation you need, Minoru-san?"
She spoke that aloud rather than via the transmission, so she received no reply. But everyone around her exchanged a glance and either nodded or smiled. So Kimura smiled a little herself and said something other than "please do".
Manager: "It's up to you then."
When he saw the Hogo Squad Operator's reply, Minoru thought, Don't leave these things to me so casually.
But at the same time, he asked Yoshiko a question.
"Can I ask you something? Why do you know about the Falcon Neighbor? And why are you really here? Also..."
"No one likes a child who asks too many questions."
"And everyone hates an adult that refuses to listen."
With that, Minoru asked a new question. It gathered together all the names that had come up recently.
"There's a word I've heard several times during today's fighting."
It was most likely connected to all of them. The one word tied them all together.
"What is the 'promise'? What exactly is the 'promise' that includes that falcon, you, and most likely Abe Ruri and Sekai as well?"