File #08"Ara, is that Takahashi-san? I haven't seen you around in almost 2 months. How was your assignment?"
Ai smiled at the matronly lady who greeted her as she halted at the lobby, an overnight bag in one hand and a black leather camera case slung over one shoulder.
"It was an interesting trip, Fuyutsuki-san. Ah, here's a souvenir from my trip." Ai fumbled around with her baggage for a bit, before producing a small box for her landlady.
"Oh, you shouldn't have!" But she accepted the gift anyway, as was normal. "I made sure your apartment was clean while you were away, so you won't have too much trouble settling right in."
"Thank you very much." Ai half turned and reached out from something...or rather, someone. "Come on Yuukarin, it's alright."
"Oh? Who is that?" The landlady squealed when she saw Yuuka hesitantly peek out from behind Ai. "How adorable! Is that..."
"My sister. She's been sick a lot, and was in the care of my mother." Ai explained briefly. Fuyutsuki nodded sympathetically. She had heard of Takahashi's unfortunate family situation, her parents having divorced and Takahashi separated from her mother at a young age.
"Why is your sister here then?" Ai lowered her head.
"My mother...passed away. I guess as her only living relative, the least I could do is to take care of my little sister."
"Oh my!" The landlady assumed a sympathetic, motherly pose almost immediately. Walking around Ai to look at Yuuka, she patted the younger girl on the head. She looked at Ai, who was discreetly dabbing at her eyes.
Ai looked solemn, almost on the verge of tears but still strong enough not to cry. "I hope you'll understand my situation and let her stay with me for now...she doesn't have anywhere else to go."
The landlady nodded. "I understand perfectly. It must be very difficult for the two of you now, so if you need any help, please don't hesitate to ask!" Ai nodded gratefully, reaching into her jacket for an envelope.
"Here's the rent for this month. We'll be in your care." The sisters bowed politely before taking their leave, Yuuka tagging along obediently behind Ai, who had to heave a heavy luggage case into the elevator.
Fuyutsuki looked on as the elevator doors closed, then down at the envelope. Those poor girls! She quietly vowed to shower them with as much care as possible while they were here.
~*~*~
"I didn't know you had an apartment here, Oneesama!" Yuuka looked around the sparsely furnished space that had the bare essentials and nothing else.
Ai grinned. "Doesn't hurt to be prepared for eventualities. I have several places in Tokyo, helps when I need a place to go to." She put down her things, unpacking quickly.
"It's a bit small, but we should be fine." Ai looked up as Yuuka poked her head out of the tiny (and only) window of the small apartment. "Yuuka? Are you listening to me?"
"Sorry Oneesama! I'm just so excited that I'm actually out here with you." Yuuka quickly crossed back to Ai's side, helping her sort out their belongings. There wasn't that many, and all were rather plain and certainly not expensive. Part of their cover after all.
"Are you feeling alright though? That drug..." Indeed, Yuuka looked paler than usual, a sunken look in her eyes despite the bright spark lingering in the depths. Her small hands twitched spasmodically, barely visible but certainly there without a doubt.
In short, she looked exactly the part of an ill person, not without some help though. Ai had sought the help from a very reliable source to fake the physical appearance of illness in Yuuka. She had had to pay through her nose to have it on such short notice, but haste had been necessary.
"Just a little tired..." On cue, Yuuka yawned, blinking sleepily and looking like hell warmed over. Had Ai not already been privy to the truth, she would have thought that Yuuka was really sick.
"Rest then. I'll wake you for dinner later." Her sister nodded, curling up and falling asleep almost instantly. Ai went back to work mode, checking her email on her cellphone and reading the latest message.
Done.
Takeda
P.S. Take care of Yuuka, or else!Ai nodded in satisfaction that her demands had been fulfilled. Ta-kun could be extraordinarily efficient when pressed. Only he had the necessary contacts to get what she needed on short notice anyway.
Extracting a plain manila envelope from her bag, Ai idly flipped through all the papers in there. Qualifications, various legal documents, identification...she had all she needed, and more. Ta-kun had even thoughtfully prepared the documentation for Yuuka as well, separated by a crimson divider within the envelope itself.
After ascertaining that all was in place, Ai stood up and inspected her surroundings with care. She had done it once over upon stepping in, but doublechecking hurt no one. Paranoia had kept her alive for long enough, and she wasn't about to relax her guard.
The thorough search produced nothing suspicious, so she sat down by a dozing Yuuka, already in a contemplative silence. Now it was all a matter of waiting for the inevitable.
That and, she would have to create a visible trail to establish the reality of her current identity. Sure, she didn't change her name, but her usual persona left no traces. The current "her" was another person altogether. And regular people had
history.
"Time to get busy again..."
~*~*~
Eri was bored.
That was the truth, short and simple. She had people, servants really, who would leap to her every whim, but she could barely summon enough interest to actually order them around.
Then again, she was a bit of a homebody, so staying cooped up in her room like this was hardly uncomfortable for her. Rather welcome, actually. If only her father would stop trying to insist that she go out and make more friends, preferably of her own age.
Oh, Eri knew he cared. Kamei Otosuke was a busy man, managing a thriving business on top of the commitments to his previous position with the government. He had little time available for anything outside of work, but he always took time to make sure his precious daughter was safe and happy.
Although Eri really thought that the bodyguards were a bit over the top. She knew her father was obsessively concerned with her safety, but she could do without the constant surveillance. It made things so difficult while trying to talk to other people.
People. She had followers around on campus, attracted by her money and of course, her looks. Eri might not be overtly narcissistic, but she knew she looked good. There had been any number of decent guys who had tried to ask her out, but all their efforts had been thwarted.
For good reason. Eri knew her marriage plans had already been arranged by her father. He did not trust random boys with no background; no, he had to make sure that
his son-in-law would be the perfect husband for his beloved daughter. Aka well off, reasonably attentive, decently attractive, and with no obvious bad habits.
In other words, boring. Eri felt that her future husband, whom she had only met once at an
omiai, was a decent enough man as far as she could tell. However, the problem was that he had
no distinguishing feature. He wasn't ugly, but he wasn't handsome. He was reasonably articulate, but had nothing to say behind his words. In short, as concluded above, boring.
Eri had no complaints about such an arrangement though. Boring equals safe, which meant that her future would be secure, as her father intended. She did wish that she could have at least one exciting experience before having to submit to the inevitable. Just once, something that would titillate her senses, make her feel
alive, and not be a damn bird in a gilded cage.
Kami-sama, if you exist, please let me have one last adventure, free from Father's control...An earnest prayer from a childish heart. Would it be answered?
Heaven knows.
=========================================
To Eri: Be careful of what you wish for.
And here's another chapter, kinda fillerish in a sense, but it fills up a few gaps in the story so far. The real thing will start soon, I swear!
Hope everyone enjoys this. ^_^
Topic: Nocturne [13/02 - Epilogue (END)] (Read 112548 times)