Chapter 10 - Shimazaki Haruka
I have heard about this girl before… once from Rena and another time from Mayu. They haven’t told me any specifics but apparently Haruka is an important person here. She’s the owner of the facility… all I can do is question her reasoning… why the girl decided to create such place.
How can she travel freely from one place to another? Just the same manner that Yui left couple of times in the past few weeks, and also Sayaka just yesterday.
For some reason that one day without Sayaka was a bit awkward and uncomfortable. I wonder if that’s how its going to be from now on with Yokoyama staying here and looking after us and Sayaka doing…well who knows where she is and what is she doing.
Also, I’m pretty sure I will see less of Rena because Sayaka left her responsibilities for the girl. I didn’t even know…that you can get appointed like that…
But more important topic for me at the moment is the fact that I overheard short Haruka and Yokoyama conversation while they were walking around. I think I always get myself in situations where I heard certain secrets from someone else discussions that are not for me to know.
This time thought it wasn’t very specific… its actually something that I predicted before, or at least kept on guessing considering this as possibility. Mayu told me that its not possible that Rena had another room in this place…so I kept wondering what or who she was actually hiding that one time when I followed her. Okay… I have followed her more than once… but again… I’m swaying from the main topic.
Between the two (Yokoyama and Haruka) discussed some girl, without mentioning her name and something about trying to heal her but finding the idea too risky, also keeping her locked inside.
I knew that Rena is not going to tell me anything about the matter, even though… let’s face it, she knows more than others so I decided to go to another person I spend the most time with. Mayu.
I interrupted Mayu in one of her training sessions with Rino and Rie. Hearing her complain “oh come on… I don’t want you holding back! Agree to certain movements and attack plans in your heads and only than swing at me…”
I didn’t understand that part but I did come at the same moment when Rino managed to trip at the same time when she was running at Mayu and somehow it ended with her hitting Rie in the face instead.
I couldn’t stop myself from asking “Did I interrupt something?”
Those two ran from the training room immediately (maybe take care of Rie’s bleeding nose). “Seriously? Come back!” Mayu tried to shout after them but had to give up with a sigh “what?” asking me a bit annoyed by the intrusion.
I decided to get straight to the point. “You know about someone else… who’s locked in here?”
“Someone else?”
“A girl…I haven’t heard a name but… there is someone… I overheard…”
“You overheard a lot of things”
“Yeah…I know” I bit my lip feeling a bit guilty, but let myself to sway away from the topic only for two seconds. “The point is… I think they are keeping someone locked in here…”
“Do you have proof?”
“Well…no…but”
“I don’t care then”, Mayu jumped a little bit probably trying to get rid of all the energy she has been saving up for that training sessions with Rino and Rie.
“But…that’s cruel… I wouldn’t want to be… you know… be locked inside some room and…”
“Well…if there is actually someone who’s locked in this place…there has to be a good reason for it, don’t you think? So I don’t really care…you want to train or…?”
I sigh realizing that I won’t get anywhere with Mayu. “No…thanks”, I added sounding a bit bitterly (without even trying it) and turn around to leave adding “also…I still have to talk with Haruka..”
I walked outside hearing quiet “good luck” from Mayu but the girl didn’t show any more interest to the whole situation.
Obviously I barely controlled myself from bursting out and running around — asking people if they knew anything about this issue. Who am I kidding though… of course they didn’t know… no one knows anything here.
After two or three hours. As usual we have no idea about actual time, I walked in Haruka’s cabinet. Or Yokoyama’s cabinet… well they obviously shared the same one. I found the girl sitting behind her desk, she even smiled encouraging me to sit down “come in, Jurina. We haven’t met before… I’m Haruka…or Paruru…call me like you want”.
I had to smile back as politely as I could. Not that I have a choice. “Well…you already know my name so…”
“Good…so how are you feeling, Jurina? Do you like this place? Have you adapted quickly? Do you think there is still place for some improvement or…”
“There is always place for improvements…for example it would be nice if we knew everything about this place…or about our past lives”. Why I spoke up so bravely…I have no idea… words just got out of my mouth without me realizing it.
“Well…the truth is… if we could tell you about your life before getting in this place…we would… but only you can remember it”
“And was there ever someone who actually remembered?” once again I asked boldly regretting my question immediately.
Haruka only smiled at my question looking at me with wonder. That made me consider things… she could just tell me to leave, right? That’s her place…what if the world is really as dangerous place as everyone keeps telling us? Could I survive it or…?
“You worry too much, Jurina. Don’t worry…I can’t read your mind if that’s what you are thinking right now… but I know that you’re feel a bit uncomfortable…maybe even consider this place as some sort of prison… but if you truly believe that you would be better off outside…I couldn’t stop you… but I’m ready to answer your questions”.
“I asked Sayaka a lot… but she hasn’t told me anything…”
“I’m not Sayanee though…I also know a lot more than she does…so give it a try.I won’t bite” she added jokingly, probably trying to make me a little bit more comfortable. I don’t think it actually worked but… I decided to give it a try.
“What happened to the world? I don’t remember anything…about myself or about…”
“Oh…I see…you probably wonder why everyone keeps telling you…that you should develop powers…as if that’s something that you could develop”.
Is she truly can’t read my mind? It seems that she can sense what I want to say…maybe that’s just guessing…but if other have these sort of conversations… they should know more about this place and reasons, right? Why no one is talking about it then?
“Its because these powers are not natural… you weren’t born with it. You got it through experiments that have been made here after you got in… without our influence…you would just be a simple human being… unable to protect yourself…”
I have always thought of this place as something out of ordinary… but wait… is that really how it is… forcing us to have powers. That’s…
“I know you probably wonder where are you rights in this… but we need to prepare for war…and we couldn’t win it without you being as strong as you are… for example, Rena’s healing powers is something… we haven’t predicted… but she could save so many lives…”
“So there are people…alive people?”
“Of course… they’re hiding… and we’re searching for them… unfortunately… that’s not simple… I sent Sayanee on a mission so who knows when you’re going to see her…or if you see her again… the world is a dangerous place now”
“You haven’t…actually told me what happened…”
Haruka smirked. Could she actually be worse that Yokoyama? It didn’t seem that way… but her words… her skillfulness… made me wonder.
“Oh right… you noticed that, haven’t you? Well… your powers are created and formed with time…but there are people…with actual powers…and you know what happens when someone feels powerful enough to concur the world? They try to do so…destroying everything that gets in their way… they lose all their humanity… even killing is easy”
“That’s how it started?”
“Yes…and it continued like that…because everybody wants to rule the world… they don’t want to share… they hunt those people and if they knew about you…well… they kill you too. See…we’re kind of a good guys…”
“But we’re just sitting without doing anything…how is that…”
“You’re just not ready yet… before going out…and fighting… you need to know who are…understand it, deal with it…and learn to use your super powers”.
I stared back at Haruka quietly for some time, wondering how to form other questions.I had so many…and it seems like she’s actually giving me answers. That’s a change from everything that I heard before…
“You’re about to tell me that you have no powers, right? Well..with time…there is no need to rush it. So let’s skip it…without a doubt you have more on your mind?”
“Have you told this to everyone? Answering their questions?”
“No. This might surprise you, Jurina. But not everyone is as curios as you are. For instance… your pal Mayu hadn’t asked me anything…okay…sorry…she asked one thing — when can she leave the room. I haven’t had such a nice long conversation for a long time”.
Well that sounds like Mayu…though she seems more curios lately. Maybe she has changed?
“If you’re wondering if Mayu has changed recently…yes… she’s curios. She even took upon herself to train others… no one would have expected this from Mayu. I guess your presence have some positive influence on the girl. I think you heard about a rule of no romance…”
I cough. Okay… is that such a bad thing? They are even against friendships. That’s just silly.
“Maybe its about time we ignore this rule… its not like it got us anywhere… right? But… I actually have a question for you now…”
Haruka got quiet maybe trying to get some tension. As if I hadn’t got enough already. “Do you think everything I told you is truth?”
“What? You lied? You can read my mind…right?”
“Okay…everything else except that. I really can’t. That would be useful though”.
“Oh…I don’t know…” I have to say honestly and looked down at the table as it was easier than looking at this girl’s eyes.
“Giving up?”
“Well…I don’t think you lied about the world…I heard something similar from Sayaka…maybe with fewer words but still…”
“I’m in a good mood today so I’m going to share it. The truth is… I know everything about your life before getting in this place…”
I looked up instantly. It can’t be true…right? Would that make sense… to lie? Unless Sayaka actually didn’t know…but how can’t she? These three probably share everything that’s important… right?
“Sayanee and Yui knows a little bit… but not as much as I do. I haven’t shared my powers with you yet, right? I can see both… your past and future. I’m not telling your future of course…I don’t want to change it and me telling about it…certainly would do that. But I can tell you about your past…of course…everything comes with a price”.
“What do you…?”
“You know how restless Mayu is…all her nightmares are fragments from her past…she’s trying really hard to remember everything and that drives her insane…slowly… you know I once wanted to call this place ‘Psychotics’ as it could actually drive someone insane. Once before…it did. And the history might repeat itself. So you decide… would you like me to help Mayu remember what she needs to know…for the sake of her sanity…or… do you want me to tell everything I know about you?”
I’m going to regret it…I know it… before opening my mouth… I know I will regret this… but I still do…still say the words. “Tell me everything you know about me”.
Haruka raises one of her eyebrows with curiosity and laughs shortly “interesting…and here I thought you’re the protagonist of this story” with a smirk she also adds “but if you want to hear the story… let’s speak about Matsui Jurina then”.