Author's note:

I honestly feel horrible having this be the chapter I'm putting out after a long absence.

This is more of an interlude than a real chapter as none of the main characters show up.

...Sorry.

Chapter 53: Corruption's grip

Monday, October 17th, 20XX Morning

Sae watched sadly as Makoto left for the day. Her younger sister's eyes were bleary yet filled with confidence as she went off to conquer one of her last exam periods of high school. Putting down her empty coffee cup, Sae rose to leave as well.

"Umm, have a good day, Ms. Nijima."

Turning back to the last inhabitant of their household, Sae smiled sadly. She's a good girl… Akane was doing her best to maintain a strong face and project an aura of indifference, but Sae could tell that each day without a message from her father hurt further.

That sadness was a gut punch that Sae could not simply ignore. Turning away from the girl, Sae did her best to keep her voice level as she responded. "Thank you. I will try to return in the evening."

The transit to work was busier than Sae was used to. With the grind that she had put herself through, the trains were emptier in the early mornings and almost deserted by night. After getting pushed around by the crowd, Sae finally arrived at the SIU building.

By this point, Sae got no weird looks, only appraising stares. Secretaries and prosecutors jealous that she could arrive later than them all and they had to greet her. Ignoring the mandatory workplace politeness, Sae arrived at the top floor.

"Is the director in?"

"Umm, I am not sure. I never saw him arrive…"

Waving at the secretary, Sae walked over to his office and knocked. When she got no response, Sae frowned and tried the door. "Director, I need to discuss the treatment of—" Gasping, Sae stared horrified at the scene that she found.

The director's face was tainted blue as he hung from his tie attached to the ceiling. His fingers, frozen in their grip of death, were tugging uselessly at the knot of his demise. "A… mental shutdown!?"

The shock of the event finally spurred Sae into full alertness. Her mind had known that this might come. Tsking, she lunged into motion. The death would be impossible to hide, but she needed to ensure that the path forward was open to her. She found her fear almost immediately.

A singular sticky note stuck to the desk. The words were frantic but legible, written in a bold, dark script. The pen used pierced the paper in a few places.

It read: Damn you, Shido! How dare you throw me away for some waif! I will not bear the agony of a shutdown. Damn you!

Short and to the point. Sae had to revise one conclusion as she looked up at the dead body: The director had not undergone a mental shutdown. This was a normal suicide.

Monday, October 17th, 20XX Evening

Opening his mouth widely, Ryuji bit deeply into the oversized burger. "Nrgh! It's shooo gud!" Clamping a hand over his mouth to prevent the delicious juices from leaking from his mouth, he savored the rejuvenating food. Big Bang Burger were running a promotion where the large challenge burgers were normal prices with no challenge attached. Ryuji was planning on coming everyday until it ended.

"Jeez, Ryuji. Be a little more refined, won't you?"

Even as Ryuji lowered the massive meteor burger to its tray, Ann was leaning over from the seat beside him, dabbing at his face with a napkin.

"H-Hey, I can do that myself!" Trying not to blush at the motherly actions, Ryuji snatched the napkin from her and did it myself. "Oh, and umm… thanks."

"N-No problem… Just do it yourself next time!"

"Haha, you got it!" Now clean, Ryuji put the napkin down, took a sip of his soft drink and stretched. His sore body was breathing in relief as his muscles got to work out their kinks for a moment.

"That was quite big… Are you doing alright after your run?"

"Oh, I'm doing great!" Flashing Ann a bright smile and big thumbs-up, Ryuji elaborated. "I was just so hyped up after today's exam that I just had to go for a run. It's crazy how much easier they were this time!"

Ann nodded her agreement. "Yeah, I was surprised as well. I never thought that learning how to write an exam was almost as important as knowing the material."

"Yeah, I can't believe I never considered it…" Shaking his head in wonder, Ryuji pondered how much easier it had today by following the rules he had learned. "It's just like running, you know? Everyone thinks they already know how to run, but they don't. Even a single day of form practice can make a huge difference on improving someone's pace."

"Ehh, really? Maybe I'll get you to teach me running sometime."

"Sounds good! Ren is too busy with his girlfriend nowadays to run with me."

"Ugh, you make it sound like I'm just a gym bro…" Before Ryuji could retort to her sharp words, Ann leaned in, her face hovering by his shoulder. "Ryuji, is your knee really alright now? You aren't pushing yourself for your mother, right?"

Ryuji tried to put on a brave face, but in front of Ann's worried eyes, the expression slid off. Sighing, he scratched his head. "Truthfully, it's a pretty important period for me. I need to start strengthening it, but another injury could really be the end."

"Ryuji…"

Her sorrowful voice was too much for him. "Haha, it will be alright! The doctor is super impressed by how it has healed! I think our metaverse expeditions have helped it a lot."

"Oh, so it is all proceeding properly?" Suddenly, with a cute pout, she punched his arm lightly. "You little. Trying to drum up sympathy, huh? Well then, I'll help myself to this!"

"H-Hey!" Protesting weakly, Ryuji could only watch as Ann munched on his burger. When she was done with that, Ann took out her notebook. "Come on, we have Japanese History and World History tomorrow."

"H-Hold on!" Ryuji placed his hand on hers. "What about you? Your parents have been back for an awhile now. Are things alright?"

Ann lowered her head, eyes flashing with frustration for a moment. "They're thinking about bringing me with them to America and moving there full time."

"N-No way!" What about—" Ryuji had grown enough to not blurt out the words.

"I-I'm not sure," Ann looked away, twirling her hair. Ryuji had no idea why her cheeks were growing though. "I-I didn't realize how serious you were…"

"Huh? How did you not understand how serious I am?" Ryuji gaped at Ann. It seemed impossible that she hadn't grasped his dedication to the thieves this past year.

"Y-You're serious? But you never even formally asked me…"

"Huh? Asked you? About what?" Ryuji responded, growing frustrated.

"A-About what!? About what we are talking about!" Ann responded, equally angry.

Voices floated over to Ryuji from the nearby booths. "Hey, check out that couple."

"I see them, think they're breaking up?

"The boy is so dense that I hope so for her sake…"

Tsking, Ryuji glared down a few of the onlookers, forcing them to turn back to their meals. Continuing in a lower voice, he turned back to Ann. "Sorry for being an idiot. I really am serious about our thieving work. I don't want you to go to America next year."

Ann, for some reason, turned even redder as her cheeks puffed out. "Y-You little… Making me… Ahh, never mind. I guess I really shouldn't have expected anything different from you."

"Argh, I can't do anything right…" Taking a large bit of the burger and giving Ann the side-eye, Ryuji eventually managed the works he really wanted to say. "Ann, I'll be sad if you leave."

"W-Well that's another six months. Let's get to studying and enjoy the time we have left!"

"You got it!" Following in line with the girl's demand, Ryuji took out his own study materials as they prepared for tomorrow. The large burger eventually fully devoured as the two of them took turns eating it.

Tuesday, October 18th, 20XX Morning

Sae sat at the edge of a small lake in a park and wondered how her life had ever led her here. She had done her best to freshen up, but after working all night, the early morning air had a lulling effect that threatened to guide her into dreamland.

A slight mist hovered over the pristine azure surface, lightly obscuring the far shore and the road beyond. It was almost enough to trick her into thinking she had found her way to a hidden treasure and not a public park in the middle of the city.

"Ironic, isn't it?"

Only her exhaustion stopped Sae from jumping up. Instead, she merely looked over as a bald man sat on the bench beside her. He was tall and well-dressed in a tailored suit of the best material. Wearing his signature glasses, Sae recognized the man instantly. "Masayoshi Shido…"

"Indeed. I rarely met your predecessor face-to-face. I hope you live up to expectations."

"I will do my best sir. Umm, what did you mean about it being ironic?"

"The lake. We sit here admiring nature, pretending that it is natural. No, this artificial beauty is nothing more than a wisp's illusion, guiding us to our doom."

What is this man rambling about? Maybe it was her exhaustion, but Shido's speech had an unhinged cadence to it. Just as she was wondering if the man was not as dangerous as she initially assumed, he turned to face her.

Even through the glasses, Shido's eyes burned with a raging passion. There was neither anger nor even greed in them. Mouth drying, Sae realized that she had gotten this man wrong. Every word her sister had told her was correct. Masayoshi Shido truly believed that only he could save this country.

"Sir… Can you save us? This country?"

"Ahh, I can." Shido answered confidently. "The chosen will be saved and the detritus will be washed away in the coming flood."

"Is that right?" Sae muttered. "It sounds almost biblical."

"Indeed. I am the one that will construct and pilot the ark of this era."

Sae struggled to keep the disbelief from her face. Clearly her efforts failed as Shido chuckled. "I do not mind some impertinence, but you will need to decide quickly whether you believe in me. If you do not, I will leave you to drown with the masses."

"No thank you. I'd much rather survive. I have people I'm responsible for."

"People you are responsible for… Heh, surprising. For one as heartless as yourself, I am shocked by your answer."

"Do you have no one that you care for?" Sae sked, genuinely curious. "People you would sin for?"

"I care for the country. Is that not enough? Individuals are no more than distractions. Data points that paint a larger picture of society's state. Everything now trends down and nothing can be done to avoid the coming cleansing."

"Can you care for the country without caring about individuals though?" Sae pressed. "If the individual is a data point then society is a trend. You may determine patterns from society, but you will never actually know the individual circumstances behind a story. That's the point of a prosecutor."

"Hmm, well you are more interesting than the last Director. However, your current view is lacking. Right now, you are weak. You confess to having vulnerabilities. In time you will cut out those weaknesses and reach your full potential. When you do, I'll have more jobs for you. For now, just do what you're told and get rid of that detective from Kyoto."

Standing up, Shido sauntered off without a word of farewell. Left staring, Sae slowly pulled herself off the bench. She felt each minute of overtime that she had worked. One long stressful day had ended and it was time to start another one.

Wait just a little longer, Zenkichi. I'll get you out soon.

Tuesday, October 18th, 20XX Evening

How strange… Haru pondered as she looked out the window, sipping at her tea. From the next-door room, she could hear Mariko's encouragement of her father as he started to assemble the model kit with no help. While he still could not speak, his eyes were growing more focused every day.

With the company promo boosting sales and their reputation being quickly restored her job was growing less demanding. Now, she stood around drinking tea instead of studying for exams. It was odd to say, but Haru actually missed it. Final exams were harsh, life determining periods in a student's life and yet… getting together with friends to prepare for those moments was a period of bonding that she would never forget. Now, Haru was on the outside looking in with an honorary diploma already lined up.

Bzz! Bzz!

Letting out an undignified yelp, Haru answered her vibrating phone. "Hello, Haru Okumura speaking."

"Haha, was how to answer the phone part of your training, Haru?"

"Mako-chan!" Haru harumphed. Stomping the ground she put down her cup and stalked away from the poor view of the exterior. "What's up? Shouldn't you be reviewing tomorrow's test material?"

"I will. I thought you may like to study with me."

"Umm, Mako-chan… I don't need to know to know any of that material."

"Now look at who is being mean!" Makoto whined over the phone. "I'll be over in five with snacks!"

"HUH!? Over in five!? T-That means you're about to disembark at the station!"

"I would never make a call on the train!" Makoto huffed indignantly. "I'm already at the conbini. So, what do you want?"

"Unbelievable," Haru tried but failed to make her voice harsh, bursting out into laughter. "Just pick your favorites. I'm sure I'll like anything you do."

"But…"

"But what?"

"…I don't know what my favorites are."

"…Me either." Haru admitted. "I never really had time to go to the conbini and pick up snacks…"

"Urgh, I don't want to call Ryuji…"

"What about Ren?" Haru advised. "He probably knows a lot about these things."

"Ahh, you have a point… But Ren is…"

Giggling conspiratorially together, Haru was surprised by the lack of jealousy. Sumire and him were so perfect together that Haru had to admit now that she never had a chance. No, maybe that wasn't quite right. It was more that Sumire had changed Ren so much that the person he had become was no longer compatible with her.

"Just pick whatever catches your eye, Mako-chan. I will warn you though that not a lot of studying is going to happen."

"Hmm? I have no idea what you mean. Anyway, talk to you soon!"

As the line went dead with a beep, Haru sighed as she put her phone back in its strap. Using the last few minutes of peace she would have this night, Haru went to the 'playroom' that Mariko had set up for her father.

Entering silently, her father continued to focus on what he was doing. Wielding a fine tip paintbrush, he was meticulously applying a white paint to the future spaceship. Progress was slow but consistent.

"Haru, is everything alright?"

"It's fine, Mariko, I just wanted to check up on you. One of my friends is coming."

"I see. Enjoy yourself, I'll be here."

"…I really can't repay you for this."

"And I keep telling you that I'm nowhere close to making amends yet."

As always whenever she talked with Mariko nowadays, Haru was left with a unsatisfied pout while the older woman smiled gently. "Fine. Have a good night."

"Ahh, we will."

Rolling her eyes, Haru made her way to the front door. The bell rang in the moments before she arrived. Opening it, she smiled at her friend. "Mako-chan! Come in!"

"Thanks, Haru."

As she had expected, half an hour later, no books had been opened. Mako-chan and Haru were halfway through the bag of seaweed chips however as they sat close to each other and gossiped.

As the conversation lapsed, Haru finally put forward the question. "So, Mako-chan, when are you going to tell me why you're here?"

"Ahaha, I can't get anything past you, eh Haru?"

Haru rolled her eyes and turned to her friend, gripping her hand in her own. "Just tell me what happened."

"I… I'm worried about my sister. Do you have any way of checking up on her?"

"Your sister? Is something wrong with Sae?"

"Ahh, she didn't come home yesterday. She's doing something and hasn't told me what."

"Hmm…" Haru put a finger on her lips. "I can definitely tell some people to look into it, but other people will learn that I'm curious about her. If you are fine with that then I'll make some calls."

Makoto did not reply for a moment. "Wow, you really are an adult now… I… I feel so bad, Haru. You've been going through so much and…"

"Stop it," Haru pressed a finger to Mako-chan's lips. "I can't say I'm happy with the way that things have gone, but we did our best. I'm content with that."

"Haru…"

"Really Mako-chan. I'm good."

"…Alright." She sighed, bowing her head. "Then please, look for my sister!"

"Will do!" Popping up from the couch, Haru got out her phone. "Thanks for the snacks and chat. Good luck on your exams tomorrow."

"Oh, I see." Blushing slightly, she packed up to go. "Ugh, I can't even claim that we studied now…"

Laughing, Haru hugged her as she bid Mako-chan farewell. Before the door had even closed, Haru was calling her vice-president.

Friday, October 21st, 20XX Evening

Stumbling into her home, Sae collapsed at the kitchen table, her head in her hands. She wished she had more time but already she could hear noises from Akane's room. Makoto and the girl would be out in moments.

Taking a deep breath to compose herself, Sae straightened her back, pulling her laptop out. She doubted that it would be a very convincing façade, but it was the best she could do.

Failure. The word hung over Sae like a dark cloud. Perhaps it had been the conversation with Shido, but all of her decisions were being double checked. She could do absolutely nothing about Zenkichi who continued to rot in the dungeon. The data she had gotten off him was damning, but far from a damning strike they needed. Sae was relying upon having more access as director. She should have expected this though. No one would give that much power to an outsider, no matter how promising they may be.

"SISTER!"

As expected, Makoto was there in mere moments. Skidding to a halt in the kitchen, she slammed her hands down on the table. The sound piercing Sae's pounding headache.

"Where have you been!? Haru told me that you've been promoted to Director of the SIU!? What is happening!?"

"…Sorry," Sae apologized as Akane came out as well. "I should have told you. Things are not proceeding according to plan."

"According to plan?" Makoto pressed. "What plan?"

"…It isn't important right now," Sae answered, the dregs of her exhaustion already slipping into her speech. One full day had been bad enough. But the few hours of napping that she had gotten on her desk each day were far from sufficient.

"Umm, Ms. Sae, my father… what happened to him?"

Sae couldn't look Akane in the eye. Nor could she pretend to work. Her guise of strength hadn't even lasted a minute before collapsing. Head bowed; Sae's words emerged as a whisper. "Your father… I can't save him. I thought I could get enough power to rescue him… but its impossible! Even now… I'm useless."

"Sister…"

"Wait, rescued? What are you talking about? My father is still gathering evidence, isn't he?"

Tears started to leak from Sae's bent head. She had entered this week with a purpose. Refreshed with a new perspective on life. In only a few short days however, she had learned the difference between perspective and drive. Sae had the former, but Shido had the latter. He didn't want to lead the country. He needed it. That small difference had a large effect. Sae was left in a position where she could barely move, barely react. She had taken out the old cog and inserted herself in its place. Now she turned with the machine according to the user's wishes, no different from the previous director.

"M-Ms. Sae?"

"I'm so sorry, Akane. You likely… will never see your father again."