Author's note:
Last kind of bridge chapter for awhile. I'm excited to write this section! I've had plans for it for a long time now.
Enjoy!
Chapter 47: The Main Problem
Saturday, October 1st, 20XX Early Morning
Groaning, Akechi considered murdering his phone. Was it really time to get up already? Grabbing at the stupid thing, Akechi went to silence the insufferable alarm. Freezing with his thumb only a few millimeters from the screen, he let out an audible curse.
It was two in the morning. The caller was the only person stupid enough to call at this time: Shido. Rubbing at his eyes, Akechi stood up, ran a hand through his hair, yawned once, and only then did he answer.
"Hello?"
"There is a problem for you to solve."
"Direct as always," Akechi sneered. "What is it and why can't you fix it?"
"Your impudence will not stand forever boy," Shido growled in answer. "I've been having a bad night."
"I—" Forcing his mouth closed, Akechi closed his eyes and took a calming breath. Now is not the time! "What can I do for you?"
"A police investigator recently came to the district and accessed files on the Owada girl you dealt with."
"So?" Akechi tried to respond casually, despite his heartrate increasing exponentially. "You own the investigators."
"The Tokyo ones! He is here from Kyoto!" Shido almost screamed through the line. "Why is he here? Why is he looking into this? No—Nevermind, I don't care, just remove him."
"You don't think that's suspicious?" Akechi asked, wondering at the decay in Shido's composure.
"No more than every other mental shutdown. Now get to it. The details are being sent to you."
Bzzz!
As the line fell dead, Akechi let the phone slip from his grasp, bouncing against the carpeted floor. "Insufferable man…"
Having been jolted fully awake, Akechi knew that he would not sleeping anymore tonight and began donning clothes for the day. Brewing a cup of coffee, Akechi cracked his fingers and got to typing at his laptop. As Shido had said, his email already had a notification from the police station about the access request.
The request had been approved, but Akechi was more concerned with the ID that had been scanned in for confirmation. "Hasegawa Zenkichi eh? From Kyoto… Hold on, why is this name so familiar?"
It took Akechi only a few minutes to figure out the connection. "Well, well… The husband of the woman that Owada killed… Here to finish off his family?" Smiling, Akechi leaned back and started planning on how to use this newest development to reach his goals.
Saturday, October 1st, 20XX Morning
"October already…" Mumbling to himself, Ren cleaned the stalls of LeBlanc as he waited. Morgana lounged on the backs of one of them, tail swishing slowly from side-to-side.
"Hmm, does October mean you have exams soon?"
"Ahh, seventeenth to the twentieth," Ren confirmed with a nod. "Sumire has another tournament next weekend."
"Is that regionals?" Morgana asked curiously.
"Yeah, top five place into Nationals in November." Ren clarified. The season was officially over after that for the scholastic events. However, there was a club circuit that lasted until March for the girls to continue practicing year-round.
"Is that right…" Morgana yawned with half of his attention. "Hey, do you think something is going on between Ryuji and Lady Ann? They're spending a suspicious amount of time together. I heard that they went to a gym together this week…"
"I-Is that so?" Ren struggled to repress a smile. It's taking long enough… He had been sure that they were together after the Owada fiasco, but then things had gotten weird, and Ren had not been able to tell.
"Yeah… It does make sense—a little bit anyway—that Lady Ann would turn to that muscle-brained ape for training advice I suppose… But why not pay someone? Or ask me?"
Deciding that he would help Morgana with overcoming his denial of reality, Ren spoke softly. "Do you think that maybe they simply enjoy each other's company?"
"Ryuji's company? I mean, why would she? He swears all the time and… And is uncouth!"
Ren sighed, stretched his back and rubbed Morgana's head. "He is also incredibly brave and self-sacrificing. Ryuji is a good person, Morgana; you'll have to accept that at some point."
"Tsk," ripping his head away, Morgana jumped down and stalked over to the stairs. "Call me when the meeting starts."
The tinkle of chimes stopped the cat in his place. "Hoooya, boys! How's it going?" Walking through the door was Futaba who greeted them cheerily.
Raising his rag, Ren returned the greeting. "Not much, just trying to figure out the mysteries of Ryuji and Ann."
"Ooh, so you think they're dating too?" Futaba chirped excitedly. "I keep meaning to pull in Ann for some Girl's talk, but then a game or an anime come along and distract me and…"
"They are not together!" Morgana snapped. "There's no way… It isn't possible…"
"What's not possible?" A loud voice asked as Ryuji joined them in LeBlanc. "So, we got a new target or what?"
"Nothing!" Futaba answered in a singsong voice and a predatory smile that made it pretty clear what they had been talking about.
"O-Oh, is that so?"
"Don't listen to her," Ren advised. "How have you been, Ryuji? Started studying for exams yet?"
"Exams? Those are like… forever away."
"See? Stupid ape. There is no way…"
Morgana's muttered words were just audible, casting an awkward pall over the once cheery room. Coughing, Ren waved around his cleaning supplies. "Let me put these aways and I'll start making refreshments."
"Is everyone coming?" Ryuji asked, taking a seat at one of the booths.
Sticking his head out of the closet, Ren shouted back. "Yeah. Well, apart from Sumire and Haru."
Ryuji snorted. "Those two don't count at this point."
"So, Ryuji," Futaba spoke intently, sitting down across from him, legs folded up beneath her.
Giving her an evil eye that she couldn't see, Ren set about making a pot of coffee and some curry. While he worked, he listened to Futaba's ambitious interrogation.
"W-What?"
"Why didn't you come here with Ann?"
"N-Now why would I do that?"
"Ooooh, that was a suspicious stutter!"
"The only suspicious thing is that evil grin on your face!"
Pouting, Futaba huffed and crossed her arms. "You're mean. Just tell me the truth."
"…Ann has a shoot before the meeting," Ryuji muttered looking away.
"Muwahaha, I knew it!" Futaba howled gleefully. As she laughed, more people began to filter in. Yusuke, the aforementioned Ann, and finally Makoto. Ren froze in the process of making the curry as he set eyes on the girl following behind Makoto.
"Orchid Owada…"
"Hey there Ren," she replied with a wave and a smile. "Things going alright for you?"
"Ahh, not bad. Yourself?" Ren replied breezily, disguising his shock.
"Oh, things are actually looking up again."
"Is Sae pulling through?" Ren asked hopefully, turning his gaze to Makoto.
"In a way…" Makoto replied, not looking certain at all.
"What do you mean?" Orchid looked at her. "That man has my sister's file. That's a solid first step."
Drawing confused gazes from the entire room, Ren raised a hand. "Can you please start from the beginning?"
"Yeah, the hell y'all talking about?" Ryuji yawned.
With a swift kick at his shin under the table, Ann turned her beautiful smile to Orchid. "Please ignore him and continue."
"As animated as ever," Orchid chuckled. With a few short sentences she described the meal with the four of them and then the information Makoto had delivered about this police investigator.
As she explained, Ren grew more tense. Sharing a look with Futaba it seemed that she had a lot of reservations about the current path that things were taking as well. "Orchid, Makoto, are you two sure about this detective? The way that you talk about him, well…"
"Oh, he is definitely sketchy," Makoto agreed. For some reason though she also had a hint of embarrassment in her voice as she talked about him.
"…Is there a but?" Yusuke asked finally.
"I would hope we all have one," Futaba giggled.
"Hah! That's a good one Futs!" Lifting up a hand to her, Ryuji got his palm smacked with a resounding sound that split the air.
"There is a but in the statement as well," Orchid jumped in. "He is our best hope at finding out what happened to my sister. The only problem is of course his payment."
"Payment…?" Ren repeated, not understanding the somber tone that she had taken by the end. "I have a part-time job and mementos sometimes give baubles worth something. I'm sure we can afford the fee, especially if Haru is willing to help out still."
"It isn't a fee," Makoto said sternly. "This was my decision, and I will be the one to pay for it. This doesn't concern you all."
Ryuji yawned loudly, destroying the serious air that Makoto was trying to keep up.
"W-Why you…?"
"Never thought I'd hear the student council president say something so stupid!" Ryuji remarked loudly, still not looking at her.
"I know what you mean," Ann agreed with a sigh. "Good thing her last semester is coming up soon."
"Y-You two…"
"I'd recommend just accepting it," Yusuke advised with a gesture of his hand. "It has certainly made my life easier."
"Just spit it out already." Futaba said exasperatedly.
"Fine, fine," Makoto relented, "The detective wants to find the phantom thieves so he can get 'closure' over the Owada case."
"Why?"
It was Orchid that answered Ren's question. "This man… Hasegawa Zenkichi… He is the husband of the woman that my father killed and recently confessed to."
"N-No way…" Ann stuttered. "That's way too much of a coincidence!"
"It isn't a coincidence at all," Makoto grumbled. "Who do you think is the first person the police department referred him to when he asked about the phantom thieves case?"
"Your sister…" Ren finished, shaking his head in disbelief. "So basically, he wants to arrest the phantom thieves to end the 'cycle of revenge' or whatever?"
"Circle of violence, dude!" Ryuji and Futaba complained at the exact same time.
"Yeah, yeah, whatever." Waving them off, Ren looked to Makoto and Orchid for confirmation.
"I don't think so." Makoto shook her head. "He is just confused right now… At least that's the impression that I got."
"…If that's your impression than we will have to trust it. However…" Swallowing, Ren forced out the words, "If he wants a thief to take the fall, it will be me. I am the one with the least to lose."
"Dude!"
"Why do you always say such things!?"
Flinching under the barrage, Ren raised his hands. "C-Come on, we all know that it makes the most sense. If this is the price that I have to pay to save Orchid and Lily's sister than the price is obviously worth it."
"Ren…"
Giving the girl a hesitant smile, Ren was pleased to see the grudging admission from the rest of the thieves. Eager to move them on to the next topic, Ren coughed. "Now then, I think that we should briefly discuss our next target if Sae and this detective fail us."
"Hold on!" Morgana interrupted, jumping on the table. It was the first words he had spoken since everyone showed up. While it grabbed their attention, Orchid's reaction was completely different.
"Aww, aren't you a cutie Morgana? Are you sad that everyone is ignoring you? Come here." Stepping forward, she grabbed Morgana off the table, holding him in her arms.
"H-Hey! I have something to say, put me down!"
The rest of the room froze with amused expressions, unsure if they should mention that Morgana was more than a cat. They had refrained last time, but now… It did not seem to be a massive problem.
"Aww, you really want attention, huh?" Orchid said in a soft voice, oblivious to the room's attention. Stroking Morgana's fur with one hand, she had a gentle smile on her face.
"W-Well I guess I have to act like a cat here…" Muttering in defeat, Morgana relaxed into the contact. His previous meows of distress turning into a soft purring.
"Umm, thank you?" Makoto said, still stunned at the scenario.
"To return to Ren's question," Orchid said while her stroking of Morgana's fur continued, "The target is obvious, right? Masayoshi Shido."
The name darkened the room to Ren's eye. He was the man behind much of what was happening. The main problem in their path to justice.
"Agreed," Ryuji spoke up, voice firm.
As the coffee finished, Ren began pouring and distributing cups, Yusuke getting up to help. Hesitating before offering Orchid a cup, Ren set it on the nearby counter after seeing her consternated expression. Giving everyone a chance to take first sips, he had a bit of time to think about the target being brought up.
"Has anyone done research into Shido?" Ren asked. "I haven't found the time."
"What more do we need to know?" Ryuji asked.
The point was good, and Ren struggled to generate a meaningful reply. Checking on the curry, Ren's chance to reply was taken by Makoto.
"I can think of one reason to hesitate. If Shido is ordering the mental shutdowns then he must know about his palace and have defenses in place. Most particularly…"
"The man in black!" Ren broke in, the issue that had been tickling his mind finally remembered. "We may need to fight another person inside the metaverse…"
That made people shift. So far all of their fights had been against cognitive monsters. Ren wasn't sure if he could go all out against an actual person knowing that each strike could kill the person on the other side.
"I cannot take the risk for you all…" Orchid said slowly, "but does any of this matter? If you are on the side of justice, can you refuse? Regardless of if it is a trap?"
"She's right, as is Ryuji." Turning, Ann looked Ren straight in the eyes as she spoke. "I really hate the idea of fighting someone in the metaverse. I… I might hesitate, that is true. But we have to stop the mental shutdowns. We are the only ones who can!"
"You have a point," Yusuke mused, "the police are not useful against the ultra-powerful."
"As my father proved…" Orchid agreed, nodding.
"…This is too dangerous for just us," Ren argued. "We can perhaps start the exploration, but we need Haru and Sumire for this."
"Will they really come back?" Futaba asked. "I suppose Haru may be able to take a day off and you can force Sumire to come…"
"Probably how it will have to go," Ryuji nodded.
"Don't worry about Haru, I've been in close contact with her," Makoto informed them all. "She has mentioned already that after that conference she gave things will grow a little more lax."
"More lax?" Ren questioned. "Didn't you mention at school that she was working close to eighty hours a week? Even if it goes down to sixty…"
"Do you want her to help or not?" Makoto snapped. "I can't help with Sumire though, she's on you."
"…I understand," Ren nodded. "I think after Regionals she will have some time. So before that tournament ends we need to find the code words and do an initial search. After that… four, maybe five times exploring before the calling card?"
"The calling card appears to be the issue, yes?" Yusuke provided. "It tells him to raise his defenses."
"To get the man in black to defend him…" Makoto agreed. "We need a plan."
"How can we make a plan for a place we don't know against a person we don't know with an objective that we don't know!?"
"What do you mean we don't have an objective?" Ren questioned Ryuji's statement. "Same as always, steal his treasure."
"And have a repeat of Haru's dad?" Futaba asked. "Do we not want him to confess and stay healthy?"
"Do we?" Ann asked quietly. "As long as he confesses before his desires fade…"
"That's not justice!" Orchid yelled. Putting down Morgana, she glared at them all. "My father deserved the chance to face a jury. He should have had the chance to go to jail and attempt to make amends. Do you even understand why that detective is here!? I thought that you had learned better!?"
"Please calm down," Ren said into the silence that followed the rant. "You don't fully understand the complications here. In order to change his heart properly we need to convince him that the things he has done are wrong. That will be hard without accurate knowledge of everything that he has done."
"W-Wait, that's a requirement!? You have to… convince them to change their hearts? So it isn't a forceful change?"
"I-I mean, it is kind of blackmail in a way. If they don't accept it…"
"Then they lose all desires," Orchid finished in a mumble still shocked. Her anger had eased considerably. "I… I apologize for yelling at you all. I did not understand how challenging this was to execute properly."
"Exactly," Ryuji yawned, "if he continues to fight us… we may have to make a run for it with his treasure."
"That or leave and never be able to change his heart," Ren added on. Summing up the complications like this turned the whole situation into a real headache.
"R-Really? Then I must apologize once again… This sounds impossible."
"Nah," Ryuji waved a dismissive hand. "We can handle this. Don't worry about us."
"If you are certain…"
We aren't, Ren sighed but he did not speak his fears into being. With the continued help of Justine and Caroline, he should be able to protect them.
Saturday, October 1st, 20XX Night
"And that is mate…"
Confused, Ren looked at the board for another moment before seeing it. "Oh… so I lost again huh." Rubbing his eyes, Ren looked over at the beautiful girl on the other side. It was easy to tell why she was taking off as a model on top of her shogi abilities.
"Ren… What has happened? I thought you had finished dealing with your problems when you apologized… but your play today… Your style has completely changed."
"What do you mean?" Ren questioned. "I thought I was getting better."
"Not really." Hifumi denied, easily popping Ren's burgeoning pride with her sharp words. "The games are taking longer because you are grouping your pieces up together."
"Is that bad?"
"…Not inherently," Hifumi relented, but her eyes were still sharp as she lectured. "There are many top players that play defensively and capitalize on their opponent's mistakes. However… you have never played this way. From the beginning I was always surprised by how different your style was from your appearance. You were bold and innovative. Today's games on the other hand…"
"W-Well I wasn't getting better just playing experimentally."
"Not true. You were improving. You were never going to be a master level player, but you still were improving quickly. Now you play like a tentative beginner."
"Another brutal truth, huh?"
"Honesty is necessary for improvement."
Ren nodded along with that. "I suppose I just don't want to sacrifice my pieces pointlessly…"
"Pointlessly? You aren't sacrificing at all. I literally left one of my knights hanging for three moves straight for you to take."
Ren winced. "I thought it was a trap."
His head jerked back to straight as a soft touch on his hands drew Ren's attention. Finding both of his hands enfolded by Hifumi's he froze in shock.
"You need to trust your instincts more. You're the one that taught me that."
"I-Is that right?"
"Yeah… I am playing in a mini tournament this weekend. I was able to win against a higher rated player because of you. So why are you forcing yourself to change into this cagey, hesitant… thing!?"
Even more surprised by the sudden vehemence in her voice, Ren saw the concern in her eyes. Somehow, through only their shogi games, Hifumi had discerned Ren's state of mind. "You're amazing, you know that?"
"Ehh?" Blushing, Hufumi looked once at their clasped hands and pulled back quickly. "S-Sorry about that! T-Thank you again for the games."
"C-Can I ask a stupid question?" Ren asked despite having been dismissed.
"…What is it?"
"If… If the pieces on the board represented real people with you as the king, would you still be able to attack and sacrifice pieces?"
"Umm, that's a bit of an odd question but it makes sense in a way. After all, the generals of old used to play shogi to train their tactics. This sounds cold-blooded but… yes, I think I would be able to. If I played poorly, they will all die. If I play well, only a few will."
"Right, of course. Please forgive my silly question. I will try to play better next time." Rising, Ren bowed lightly before beginning to leave the church. Her tactics don't work here. Ren decided. He needed a way to get them all out.
Monday, October 3rd, 20XX Morning
"Do dodo dodo!" Humming to herself, Sumire skipped through the front gate of the school. Last week! Five days from now, she would be participating in an incredibly important tournament.
Practice had never gone better. With the new routine that ramped the difficulty up further, all of a sudden, the golden standard of 68 seemed to be in range.
"Sumire."
"Hmm?" Good mood fading, Sumire blushed bright red. "S-Senpai!?" Getting ambushed right inside of the front door, her squeaky voice drew the attention of the other students.
Frozen in place, she was reminded again of her confession, of Ren telling her that he would be claiming her at the end of the year either way. Uncaring about those he approached, leaning in to whisper in her ear. "Come eat lunch with me on the roof."
"Ehh?" Left behind completely stunned, Sumire could only duck her head as the students around her gossiped. Hiding her face, Sumire dashed away to her classroom.
Half zoned out through the morning classes; Sumire took a deep breath to settle her nerves as the noon bell rang. Grabbing her lunch bag in both hands, she slunk up the stairs, hyperactive mind going through all of the different things that Ren would want to talk to her about.
Did he change his mind about waiting? Or maybe he found a new girl?
Nearing the point of hyperventilation, Sumire staggered onto the rooftop. Despite coming here immediately after the bell rang, he was already there. Standing with hands in his pocket, facing the city, the wind ruffled his black curls. It looked like a scene from a movie as the brilliant autumn sunlight shone across his face, obscuring his eyes as the lens of his glasses turned white.
"Sumire." Speaking her name, Ren turned towards her, black eyes now fully visible. Striding forward, he stopped three meters away. "I am afraid that I have an unreasonable proposition for you."
AHHHHHH! "W-What is it?" Somehow repressing her inner terror, Sumire squeezed out a reasonable reply.
Bowing deeply, Ren apologized with a loud, "sorry!"
AHHHHH! THIS IS A REJECTION!? BUT I REJECTED HIM!?
"I really need you again!"
"…Huh?" Confusion deepening, Sumire felt a bud of anger beginning to swell within her. "P-Please explain clearly."
"We want to go after Masayoshi Shido next. Can you please rejoin the team to help?"
"Senpai…"
"Y-Yes?"
Pointing an enraged finger him, Sumire yelled from the bottom of her lungs. "That could have been a text message!"
"Urk!?"
"Of course I will help! I told you that I would!" Stopping momentarily, Sumire put an addendum on that. "After regionals please. I know this is important but…"
"We will start on the Monday after if that is okay."
"Sure…" Still glaring at him, Sumire twisted uncomfortably. "S-Senpai… Umm, did you really think that I would say no?"
"W-Well… I know that you're busy. I did not think that you would want your goal of catching up to your sister interrupted."
Bowing her head slightly, Sumire spoke with a self-deprecating wrath. "Even I can understand that there are things more important than my dream of doing gymnastics. Please never hesitate to ask me when there are things of this magnitude happening."
"I… I'm sorry about today. I've been acting weird around you I just…"
Glancing up at him, Ren's face was a contorted mask of self-loathing and confusion. Walking forward, Sumire touched his cheek. I want to kiss him… Freezing in place at the intrusive thoughts, Sumire jerked away like she was burned. "S-Sorry, I shouldn't be touching you like that." Rushing for the door, she stopped to look back at him once more. "Umm, if you have some time… I would appreciate it if you watched my tournament!"
Before he could answer, Sumire rushed away down the stairs. She would eat in her classroom, safe from those black eyes that drove her crazy so easily.
Wednesday, October 5th, 20XX After school
"How long is this going to take?" Kasumi complained, tapping her foot aggressively against the ground. The alley wall that she was leaning against was dirty. Her glare was keeping the suspicious characters that passed by at bay for now, but she knew it wouldn't be long until a group of men approached her hoping to get lucky.
"Done."
Whirling, Kasumi glared at Akechi. He had somehow managed to sneak up on her. "Finally. Did you find what you needed?"
"Yes. They are ramping up operations. I confirmed Ren's presence on the security cameras."
Mouth drying out, Kasumi struggled to swallow. "How… How do fake guns help them?"
"Intimidation I suppose. If it looks real enough…"
Would he really do that? Sumire is okay with this? Clenching her hand, Kasumi wanted to resolve this right now. But she knew that she was powerless to do so. Only Akechi could fix this. It grated on her. "Is there anything I can do?"
"There is actually."
Stepping up to him, Kasumi waited.
"You need to start a dialog with your sister. Try not to rouse her suspicions, but be aware of her location at all times. The days she mysteriously disappears will be the ones where the phantom thieves are working."
It was the last task that Kasumi wanted. "I think it would be easier for me to keep an eye on Ren honestly. Sumire doesn't want me in her life, she said as much."
"…True, but you eat supper together, correct? Can you not force her to devolve her plans for each day then?"
Kasumi could not tell Akechi that she had been hiding in her room to avoid Sumire. Not simply so that Sumire would not have to put up with her but also so that she would not lash out and bring up topics better left buried for now.
"I… I will do that."
"By the way…" Akechi gave her a sideways look. "Shouldn't you be practicing? Don't you have a tournament this weekend?"
"You think a tournament is more important to me than the mental manipulation of my sister? Please be serious. I've got the routines down well enough. My normal level is good enough for now."
"Hmm, is that right? Well, good luck watching her." At the exit of the alley, Akechi turned back to her. "You know… You could always try being more selfish. Act on your own desires and you will be far more powerful than you are now."
Powerful… That urge to be able to effect change. She felt it keenly. There was more that Akechi was not involving her in. He had entrusted some secrets to her that Kasumi knew were not to be taken lightly. There was something more however…
Rushing out after him, Kasumi grabbed unto Akechi's suit from behind. Standing up on her tiptoes, she pressed her chest against him, whispering in his ear. "I'll figure out the time from my sister… but I want in. I want to see this power."
She could not see Akechi's expression, but Kasumi thought he was smiling broadly. "I expected nothing less from you."
Wednesday, October 5th, 20XX Evening
"Easy man, easy," Zenkichi spoke placatingly. "This is all just formalities you know. She was a popular girl, got to do something."
"Should have said that earlier, dude," the police officer on the other side of the table sighed, visibly relaxing. "Thought you were some sort of wild card looking to stir up trouble."
"I am nothing of the sort," Zenkichi forced a smile, trying to ease the officer further. "Just tell me something and I'll write it down here."
"Hmm, I'm not much of one for stories…"
That's clear enough to see, Zenkichi thought derisively. The cop across the table from him was a bulky man with mean eyes. His type was a dime a dozen in the force. Rejoicing in having the only job that allowed one to easily get a gun legally in the country.
"Hmm, well… she was here. But now she is not. How's that?"
"Great," Zenkichi wrote that down on the form that he had pulled out, folded it, and put it away. With the notetaking seemingly done, the cop revealed a greasy smile. "Now, can you tell me what actually happened? There's a certain… person that we both know who will be interested."
"Haha, oh you know, the usual. Girl was hot as hell, wish she was still here, the prostitutes just don't hit the same…"
Clenching his teeth, Zenkichi was no longer aware of that expression he was making.
"Ohh, jealous?"
"…Yes." Zenkichi forced the lie out.
"Hah! No doubt! Anyway, I think the executor dealt with her. You'll need to go to that… certain man in order to figure out exactly what happened. All I know is that one day she was here, next she was gone. Only one man who can do that."
The executor? Zenkichi wanted to ask. Would it reveal too much? Deciding that the officer's guard was low enough, he risked it. "This… executor? Is that a nickname?"
"Oh, yeah sorry. That's just what we lowly guards refer to him as. He is the high-end counterpart to the cleaner."
The cleaner… Zenkichi knew instinctively that he could not press on that end any further. "Ah, of course. I'll need to get into contact with the executor to follow up, but this should be taken care of."
Standing up and stretching, Zenkichi prepared himself for the final unpleasant task of the day. Sticking out his hand, Zenkichi waited for the handshake.
"Ah, yeah. Good luck with that!"
Doing his best not to wince while in contact with the slimy skin, he tried to give his best grin. "Well, I hope that you get another treat soon."
"Me too buddy, me too!"
Leaving the room, Zenkichi managed to exit without raising suspicions. Rubbing his forehead, Zenkichi struggled to sort through the new information. The 'man' they had mentioned was likely the politician Masayoshi Shido at least according to Makoto. Zenkichi had found no evidence that counteracted that.
But who is 'the cleaner', and even more important, 'the executor'? What really twisted Zenkichi's mind was how deep the corruption ran in Tokyo. He had thought that Kyoto had been bad. Now he realized that it was merely the dregs that floated down from the capital.
I need to be careful…
Walking out of the station, Zenkichi was oblivious to the brown-eyed gaze from the second floor that tracked his every move.