Parfaits and such

“I wonder what hairstyle she’ll be rocking this time,” Naomi giggles as she opens the door to Sembikiya’s fruit parlour.

“It’s only been a couple of months since we last met, I doubt it’ll be that differe-” Natsume’s eyes open wide when she spots Misha sitting at a corner table, dressed in a neatly tailored suit, her shoulder-length golden brown hair curling elegantly to frame her face.

“Misha? Wow! What happened?” Naomi grabs the menu from Misha’s hands as she plops down in the seat next to her.

“Wah- umm I mean hello Nach-Naomi, Natsume.”

“Yeah, what did happen?”

“I’m cultivating my professional image, I’m tired of being treated like I was still a student.”

“I thought you’d settled in well, didn’t Mutou give you a warm welcome?” Naomi asks with a cheeky wink.

“I think he had a nervous breakdown the first time we met in the staff room. He’s been lovely, which is more than I can say about some of the other faculty who didn’t know me as well. So I’m making sure there’s nothing they can criticise.”

“Is the teaching still going well? You were buzzing last time, saying how you’d finally found what you were meant to do.”

“I think that’s part of the problem. I overhead a couple of them saying I made them look bad, but all I want is to do my best and inspire the students!”

With a meaningful look at Naomi, Natsume asks, “has the Principal been supportive?”

“Hmm? I don’t see much of him. Mutou’s always having to cover his duties, he spends a lot of time away doing his political stuff.”

“I’m sure you’re wondering why we set up this meeting, apart from the pleasure of your company of course. We want to talk to you about him and Ikuno, about things that happened ten years ago, about things that might be happening now…”

“Natchan, you can’t be serious? Of course I remember Ikuno changing class but Shicchan couldn’t find out why and now you’re telling me this?”

“I know it’s a lot to take in but do you think you can accept we have evidence and strong suspicions?”

“I’m not stupid, I know you wouldn’t bring me all the way here unless you were very sure. It’s just a shock that a man I admired might be capable of something so horrible. How can someone whose life revolves around helping others be like…” She trails off and tears spring into her eyes.

Naomi sighs and puts a comforting arm around Misha’s shoulders. “We don’t know, but we’ve seen people corrupted by money or a desire for power, or just being good at putting on a fake personality like that disgusting British DJ. We may never know but no matter how rotten he is, it doesn’t affect what Yamaku stands for and that is just as important today as it was when it was founded.”

Misha shrugs Naomi’s arm off angrily. “Why did you tell me? How am I supposed to go back to work knowing this? What did you think would happen the next time I see him?”

“I know it’s hard Misha,” Natsume says, fixing her with an intent stare. “We’ve been living with this for a decade. Don’t you want to know, to do something about it? To make sure no-one else can be hurt like Ikuno was?”

Misha slumps into her chair. “Of course, but what do you think I can do? I’m just the annoying nobody they laugh about behind her back.”

“The students love you Misha,” Naomi says gently, rubbing her back. “You’re in a unique position to help them, they’ll talk to you. You can advise them not to fall into the life Ikuno did.”

Natsume leans across the table and looks deep into Misha’s eyes. “At the same time you can help us bring him down by letting us know what he’s doing, who he’s trying to corrupt. You’re the only person who can do these things; we need you, Yamaku needs you. The students need you.”

“You two always were awful bullies. If you really think silly old Misha can do this…”

“Misha! Don’t put yourself down. You’ve told us some of the other teachers feel threatened by how well you do your job. You’ve told us how much the students relate to you. There’s no-one else who can do this. Now finish that ridiculously expensive parfait while we think about what we’re going to do.”

“Wahaha! It’s worth every Yen Natchan, I’ve never tasted fruit this good before.”

“OK, recap time. We’ll go through the newsletter and see if we can pick out any deaths in the last five years that seem suspicious. I’ll contact you with the details and you’ll see what their classmates remember. Have you got the USB stick with the steganography software?” Natsume asks.

“Yes, I’m so looking forward to getting all those cute cat pictures from you!”

“You do remember how to use it? Never mind, I’m sure you’ll work it out. Just don’t leave it plugged in to one of the library computers! What level of access do you have to student records, particularly medical records?”

“No no no Natchan, that’s too much. Besides, Nurse guards his records with his life.”

“Quite right Misha,” Naomi says with a warning frown at Natsume. “Now, what are you going to call the club?”

“I’m still not sure, I want to attract the quiet, lonely ones without the thirsty ones butting in. Maybe the Lonely Heartstrings Club?”

“That sounds lovely. If you need help working up the charter then just ask. You probably want to talk to Nurse too, he has an uncanny knack of knowing who’s struggling, who needs a friend, who’s too stubborn to ask for help…” Naomi says with a fond look at Natsume.

Natsume’s reply is interrupted by her phone which she answers with a sharp, “Ooe here. Oh hello Hanako. Wait, slow down, I can’t understand… Oh shit. Yes, we’re not that far from you, we’ll get there as soon as we can.” She pushes herself to her feet. “What are your plans for tonight Misha? As you heard, something urgent has come up.”

“Was that our Hanako? It would be nice to see her again.”

“It sounded serious, maybe this wouldn’t be the best time to-”

“I think she should come, perhaps it will convince her to co-operate fully when she understands what we’re dealing with.”

“I said I’ll help as much as I can!”

“Let’s see what happens to your ‘can’ after you hear what happened.”

“You’re scaring me Natchan.”

“Good. Come one.”

Hanako answers the door and says in surprise, “Misha?”

“Hello Hanako, it’s been a long time! I like your hair.”

“Is that Natsume and Naomi?” Lilly calls.

“Yes, and they’ve got Misha with them.”

“Hopefully Naomi will be able to understand what’s upset Rin so much, I can’t make much sense of what she’s to saying.”

They walk into the comfortable sitting room to see Rin sitting on the couch enveloped in Lilly’s arms, a blank expression on her face, her eyes dim. Her posture is rigid, she is neither accepting nor rejecting Lilly’s attempts to comfort her.

As Naomi kneels in front of Rin, Natsume holds Misha back at the door. “I know you want to help but let Naomi try and get the story, she has an uncanny knack for being able to understand Rin and translate to us mere mortals. I don’t want her getting distracted by seeing you.”

Misha nods unhappily, every instinct urging her to push Lilly out of the way and enfold Rin in her arms. She leans against the wall and watches Naomi gently caressing Rin’s cheek.

“Rin, can you try and show me what happened?”

“Naomi? Did she send the butterflies to get you? You can’t have been very far away, they don’t move very fast.”

“Don’t worry about that, focus on what happened. Make pictures for me.”

Rin was tired from spending so much time walking the streets. It was not just the walking that tired her, she found it exhausting to ask her fellow street artists about Ikuno. A surprising number of them remembered seeing her, always in the company of large, interchangeable, men. Always dressed in her trademark leather outfit, always presenting that confusing mixture of arrogance and humility. Sometimes freshly lacerated, sometimes being half-carried to a waiting car. Rin had not learned much new information for all her efforts, but what little she had been told helped her form a picture in her mind.

Satisfied that she knew how to portray Ikuno, she was making her way home when a very ordinary grey car pulled up next to her and an electric window whirred open.

“My dear, I know rich and powerful men who would be very happy to spend time in your company. Join me, we can discuss mutually beneficial arrangements.”

Rin carried on walking; she was used to ignoring unwanted attention from passersby who found her revolting or amusing. People were cruel but usually not violent. She was irritated that the car matched her pace as she kept up her steady pace.

• Picked up by the frail man, who says she would make a great novelty
• she of couse isn’t interested and barely understands what he means
• Misaki was out photographing graffiti and saw Rin and the frail man. She phoned Koki, who rescued Rin and took her to Lilly and Hanako who phoned Natsume
• her vision of Ikuno is of her body with a thousand cuts and a dragon emerging like smoke from them

Naomi takes Natsume’s hand. “Doesn’t this sound like the same man Kōki encountered?”

Misaki nods emphatically. “Yes, I was reminded of his story when I set eyes on him.”

Natsume squeezes Naomi’s hand. “I know you fancy yourself as an undercover agent but are you sure you know what you’re letting yourself in for if we go through with this crazy plan of yours?”

“It’s not that crazy,” Naomi protests. “It only seems crazy because you’re so damn protective! I’m not a little doll.”

She sighs. “Yes, I know you’re not, but you are a impulsive woman who is prone to getting herself in trouble.”

And then soemthing weird happened