As I promised soon...! I didn't want to make you all wait so long yet again for an update.
This chapter is a little... different... lol. And it feels like there's a lot in it. @_@ Well, it did pass a decent amount of time... Well, now you can see how a few things fit a bit more into place maybe.
Enjoy for the weekend~
Chapter 22 – Rise of the CircleBeep… Beep… Beep…The monitors against the stark white wall in this private room told the bleak tale of the status of the small girl who lay on the hospital bed. It had been a chore getting a decent private room for her – when the group of young arrived at Greater Utsunomiya National Hospital their injured had been admitted to the emergency room. No one questioned at first why a group of schoolgirls seemed to be in such bad shape, but they gave them no special treatment either. That was, at least, until Ai and Maimi had a talk with the hospital’s Director.
Despite her current setting, Maimi adopted a wistful smile thinking of that encounter. They might have lost their mind control with Saki’s unconsciousness at the hands of one of those damnable Skulls, but Maimi still had…
other… methods of persuasion. Afterward, they had moved Saki straightaway to one of the nicest private rooms in the Trauma-Neuro Intensive Care ward. The thought of that made the smile fade from her face and refocused her attention on the unconscious, slowly breathing girl whose still hand she held.
The others weren’t given such accommodations of course, though Ai insisted on getting Kumai at least out of the emergency room because of some sort of loyalty that had developed between the two. Due to the nature of her injuries, Tsugunaga was grudgingly given better care also even though Maimi was upset with her for losing her apparently dangerous weapon to those two wretched second-years. Since then and her own ensuing battle with them, they had jumped to the top of Maimi’s short list of whom to deal with first when she had the chance.
They would never have even made it to the hospital if they didn’t have the fortune to stumble upon a bus carrying tourists not long after they reached the main road outside Seishin. The tourists would get a much closer look at the Japanese educational system than they had planned, and with Ai taking the wheel, they eventually made it into Utsunomiya city.
“You’d better hold on…” Maimi whispered to the former head of House Goto in a strained voice. “We need you…
I need you… Ai-chan has…” she winced before she went on, “…managed to take good care of us since the battle, but we won’t be able to chase our dreams without you.”
She swallowed and even wiped away a tear. Everyone knew her as an emotional leader, but she always kept what she thought of as her weaker emotions tightly coiled whenever she was among others. What they didn’t know was that many nights, even as she lay beneath the royal velvet sheets within her room in the tower, she cried herself to sleep. She wondered if that was just a side of her emotions that came along with the rest of her personality, or if it might have even caused the instability within her. She gripped the hand she held tighter. Saki was the only girl from Seishin who had been with her at a time she let herself cry.
Hearing movement behind her, she sniffed and hurriedly wiped her eyes. It was time to be strong again.
“How is she?” she heard Ai ask in a quiet voice. Maimi just shook her head, not turning around.
“We need to find a place to go,” the girl continued, and feeling her face dry enough, Maimi twisted slightly toward her. As always seemed to be the case since leaving Seishin, Niigaki was glued to her side, this time with an arm on her waist and her head on Ai’s shoulder, as if to provide comfort. A slight difference now had young Kumai standing behind Ai as well, if in not such a familiar position, peering around as if for a threat just like a suitable guard despite the sling holding her currently unworkable right arm.
Seeing Ai’s sincerely concerned face made her want to reach out to the girl before her emotion and pride rose up within her against it. Just because her older colleague seemed to show some of the best qualities of leadership didn’t mean Maimi had to like her own increasingly lesser status. She couldn’t even hold the battle against her, because it sounded like it basically ended evenly for her even though she actually had gone up against one of the three.
“I told you we should never have left Seishin,” Maimi said in a voice tightened by the debate raging through her body. The three girls stared carefully at her as if wondering when she’d break at the obvious tide within her… and of course because a few times previously she, well, had.
“If we wouldn’t have gone,” Ai responded patiently, “the Skulls and their lackeys would have left us with many more injured than we had, and we wouldn’t have made it to the hospital before losing at least some.” She gave a meaningful look to the girl on the bed, whose hand Maimi’s tightened around protectively. She cursed herself at the respect she was now almost forced to give the girl.
Then, as if at some sign, Ai turned and nodded to her companions. Risa nodded and released her, stepping back slowly to the door. Kumai also left, if for some reason more reluctantly. Then Ai pulled up one of the chairs in the room near Maimi and sat backwards in it beside her, folding her arms on the back and resting her chin on them.
“I didn’t realize how close you were to her,” Ai said slowly, as if choosing her words carefully.
Maimi turned away before more emotions could show on her face. “Of course you did,” she said in an even voice, then mumbled, “You’re too smart not to notice.”
“Okay, you got me,” Ai responded. “I knew you were close. But I’d always wondered what happened between you two.”
“That’s something that’ll always stay between the two of us,” Maimi said, fighting back once more against moistening eyes. She was not going to let Ai be the next one to see her cry.
She and Saki and had been close, at least at one time. With the graduation of Yoshizawa, who was a mentor to both of them, their bonds started to disintegrate, and once Tsunku did… whatever he did to unlock their true power, Saki had literally almost seemed like a different person.
“You are once again acting in a way that does not befit your station, Matsuura.”The memory of that reprimand from Saki had chilled her, even though she had a girl on her lap at the time. Fleetingly she wondered what had happened to Umeda, since she didn’t think she was on the bus they took to the hospital. She wondered if Saki was only so caustic to her because of the girl, but the name she used had bothered her ever since.
I am not
my house! she insisted to herself, doing her best to ignore what else it could mean.
“Well if that’s the way it is,” Ai said, “then why don’t you move on? Such a passionate girl like you surely shouldn’t go long without, well, having someone to express things to.” Maimi turned to look at her, unable to stop her moistening eyes even though she hardened her face. “Oh…” Ai said, and looked away from her at the peacefully sleeping girl who completed their trio.
“What?” Maimi asked. The girl was just annoying sometimes in the little she said.
“It’s Suzuki, isn’t it?” Ai asked, and Maimi’s breath caught.
“Can you read minds too…?” she asked amazedly and a little fearfully. It was bad enough Ai was becoming their leader, but if it came out she also shared Saki’s powers…
Instead of a response though, Ai chuckled, causing Maimi to let out her breath in confusion. “No, of course I can’t,” she said. “At least I don’t think so. I think that’s the province of just our little friend here. It’s just what they call empathy.” She turned to Maimi. “A little of that maybe could do you good sometimes too.” Maimi felt her anger rise up again, but she tried to hold it in check. “I’m sorry,” she said, giving Maimi a quick regretful look. Then she straightened again seriously. “But Suzuki is a different matter.”
“How so?” Maimi asked, trying to control herself to match the girl she talked with.
This time Ai adopted a grim expression. “Whatever might have been, she’s chosen to side with our enemies. Don’t you even remember all the times she’s rejected you?”
“She kissed Natsuyaki right in front of me,” Maimi burst out, surprising herself with the abruptness.
Apparently it surprised Ai too as she looked up, visibly startled. “I didn’t know that,” she said, before her face hardened again. “But that’s even more of a reason. Do you think a girl would do that… among everything else… and still want to have anything to do with you? Goodness Maimi, she tried to rip your soul apart! That’s not exactly saying
‘I love you’…”
Maimi turned back to Saki, now glowering at the helpless girl. She hated Ai, that was all; just hated her. The worst thing was, she knew she was probably right. She let her anger flood her being as she looked into Saki’s face, which was bruised and bandaged. It was so unlike Saki to look so helpless. Even when they were close, Maimi had always been wary of her as she seemed to take care of herself in anything…
do anything… She mentally edited her short list to leave the top space blank for whoever did this to her. Then, as if somehow summoned, she suddenly felt a thought appear in her head.
“Natsuyaki!” she gasped, and turned to Ai who was giving her a strange look. “Natsuyaki was the one that did this to her!” She didn’t know how she knew, but somehow she knew it for certain.
“What are you talking about?” Ai asked. “We know all of them are powerful, so there’s no way for anyone to know but…” She darted her eyes to Saki, and Maimi quickly followed suit.
The prostrate girl’s eyelids fluttered slightly before slowly sliding open, and they moved to take in her environment in a daze. “Saki-chan!!!” Maimi breathed, and now took the girl’s hand in both of hers. Weak fingers bent slowly to close around them. Maimi smiled, feeling tears come but not caring anymore. She looked over at Ai. “She’s awake!” she informed her as if they weren’t both seeing the same thing. “Saki-chan’s awake!”
Ai smiled too, in visible relief. “I see she is. The others will be thrilled to hear it.”
Maimi, in her joy, didn’t hear it at first, but when Ai motioned toward Saki again she turned to see that the girl was trying to speak. “Take it easy, Saki-chan,” she said soothingly. “Don’t try to do too much yet.”
“It’s… okay…” Saki said. Her eyes moved to take in the both of them. Maimi swallowed. If she was talking, now would come the next test… one that had come so quickly Maimi wasn’t prepared for it. “I’m happy… both of you…”
“We’re fine,” Maimi said, and reached over to stroke the visible part of Saki’s hair. Ai smiled in agreement.
Saki looked into Maimi’s eyes for a long moment. Maimi felt something cold within her throat. The girl’s quietness was bothering her. “You’re in the Trauma-Neuro Intensive Care Unit,” Maimi explained to her slowly. “Whoever beat on you wasn’t playing around, and when we saw you were unconscious and the blood in your hair…”
“Natsuyaki,” Saki breathed in a stronger voice, making Maimi blink.
“Miyabi Natsuyaki,” Ai said, and Maimi turned, having nearly forgotten the girl was there. “That’s who attacked you?” Saki blinked her eyes slowly, a gesture the other two took as a nod.
Ai exchanged a look with Maimi, seemingly unconvinced, but Maimi could tell her doubt was quickly wearing away. “Well,” the older girl said after a moment. “I should go tell the others the good news. I’m sure they’ll all want to come in to see you. Momoko probably won’t be able to come yet though, because I think she’s still getting patched up.”
With that, she made as if to rise, but Saki uttered a short
“No,” command, causing her to drop back into her seat. She gave Maimi another glance, surprised at how abruptly she followed the order, before returning her attention to the bandaged girl.
Saki took a couple breaths as if trying to regain air to talk, and eventually spoke her longest yet, “If everyone made it… we should return to our original plan… I need…” She seemed to try to lift the side of her body closest to Maimi and Ai, and Maimi reached out reflexively to support her. It fell back to the bed though after she was able to barely move it even a centimeter. Just that seemed to completely exert her though, as her breathing quickened as she continued, “I need… water…”
Maimi nodded, and reached for the glass that stood on the bedside table. The doctors hadn’t expected her to wake yet, but the water was always kept there just in case. However, before she could take the glass, it rose seemingly of its own accord and, as she stared stunned, floated slowly off the table and toward the bed, all the way across Saki before coming to rest in a hand she’d somehow managed to outstretch to catch it. Before the gaping looks of Maimi and Ai she lowered the glass to her mouth, and raised her head slightly to take a long drink before offering the glass back to Maimi, who jerked to take it from her after not being able to respond at first.
“Ahh,” Saki said, letting her head rest again and her hand fall back to her side. “Much better.” Her voice was much stronger now.
“But Saki-chan…” Maimi said slowly, “your head…”
Her friend tilted her head to look into Maimi’s face, and Maimi thought she saw a smile form around her bruises. “I don’t know what happened to me,” she told them, “But I’ve never felt better.”
…
Only twenty-four hours later saw the three of them marching through the hospital corridors trailed by a cadre of white-coated nurses and doctors. Walking with them was a frantic Niigaki, as well as stony-faced Kumai and Tsugunaga, who made quite a pair with Kumai’s sling and Tsugunaga’s face still bandaged after the plastic surgery from yesterday. Despite that surgery, Maimi thought the girl would still have some scars that lasted forever. Saki was still in her hospital gown, while the others were in their seifuku that had kindly been freshly washed by the hospital staff.
“…Highly irregular!” said one of the nurses as she finished repeating once again what several of them had said since they left Saki’s Intensive Care room. “Doctor, the patient was found to have severe cranial trauma, including abnormal brain activity according to the CT scan done yesterday morning to be confirmed by an MRI this morning. She should not be up and walking around!”
“I agree Nurse Takeda,” said one of the doctors, “But we also cannot afford to risk further injury to the patient by forcibly restraining her. I have just never seen a case where…”
Maimi tuned out what they were saying once again, looking over top of Saki’s head to grin and roll her eyes at Ai. The doctor was more right than he knew; if any of them thought that Saki was going to “come quietly”, they were gravely mistaken. Still, she was glad that they wouldn’t try to make her go back by force, because she would rather not make a mess in here today. After all, that would just ruin their plans.
Eventually they reached a glass door that had a plate on it proclaiming “Director”, and pushed through to find a high desk with a secretary sitting behind it and looking slightly surprised, rising when they entered.
“May I… help you?” she asked, looking askance at the group of young girls and their company of doctors that had accompanied them to her office.
“We want to see the Director,” Maimi said, impatience flaring inside her at the woman’s stupidity.
“The Director is a very busy man,” she said, leaning down as if she was talking to small children. Maimi felt her insides flare up again, but Saki reached out to stop her arm before she could raise it. “If your parents would like to request an appointment with him, you can tell them to call anytime during the office hours of nine to eleven and one to four.”
She was now looking over the girls’ heads and frowning at the odd grouping of nurses and doctors who were still chatting quietly among themselves. They were comparing charts with some of the ones that had come along on the way just to see what the fuss was.
“Don’t you recognize us?” Maimi asked again impatiently. Even if Saki didn’t want her to
make things messy, that didn’t stop her from expressing her frustrations in words. “We’ve come to see the Director.”
“I’m afraid you’ll have to—” the secretary began, still believing she was in control of the situation.
“Is that his office?” Saki asked, speaking for the first time yet still using few words as usual. She nodded to a large wooden double-door behind the tall desk and off to a side.
The secretary, looking ruffled at being interrupted, glanced at the door and began again, this time with her words aimed at the white-coated group behind them. “Doctors, please summon these girls’ parents.” However, Saki started toward the door, Ai and Maimi jumping to follow. “Excuse me! You are not allowed—” She broke off as the door burst open before any of them arrived there, and couldn’t do anything but stare as they strode into the large office of the Director. Maimi looked again at the fountain that ran along the wall, remembering the last time she was here. She grinned. This time would be so much more fun.
“Good afternoon,” the Director said, rising from a mound of paperwork behind his desk. “Can I help…?” He froze once he recognized the intruders and suddenly looked like he wanted to run away. The door slammed and locked itself behind the girls but before the doctors or secretary could make their way in. “Has your friend recovered?” he asked anxiously, peering at Saki and her remaining bandages.
Along with being able to be up and around, the swelling of her bruises had gone down as well, though they were nowhere close to being gone yet.
“Mind over matter…” was all that Saki said when asked about them.
“That’s good,” the Director said as if his question had been answered by their momentary silence. He began to wring his hands. “Does that mean you’ll be going home soon?” he asked, in a voice that he tried to make glad but that Maimi thought sounded more hopeful.
“You’re a powerful man, aren’t you Director Tsukuno?” Ai asked in a calm voice.
Despite himself the Director smiled, as if he was preening his metaphorical feathers. “Why yes, thank you for asking,” he said. “I oversee all administrative functions of this hospital, and am second only in Utsunomiya district to the Assistant Undersecretary of the local Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare. This being the largest hospital in the area, I have general authority over the other hospital directors.” He finally seemed to get a bit suspicious. “Do you have some sort of request? A comment on the wonderful care our hospital provides perhaps?” he asked, gesturing to the silent girl in a hospital gown standing in between Ai and Maimi as if his hospital was her sole savior.
Ai grimaced over to Maimi, who grinned back. “I told you that’s the way these politicians were,” Maimi mumbled. “Can’t brag enough.”
“That’s assuming he was a politician,” Ai mumbled in return, though obviously knowing Maimi had triumphed in this. She turned back to the Director proudly. Politics was her forte after all. That’s why she was able to take the visible lead at Seishin at such a young age. Her emotions could be a double-edged sword in that respect.
The Director was giving the both of them puzzled looks, but Saki just stepped forward, this time alone, and picked up a paperweight from his desk. He looked like he wanted to stop her, and was about to say something before she finally spoke up, “Ministry of Health, you say? That does sound important.” She set the paperweight back down to his visible relief, though he still seemed to be uncomfortable with this barely dressed young girl standing in front of him.
“Tell me, can you introduce us to some people from this Ministry? You’re right; we’re
dying to talk to someone.”
The Director swallowed, but Maimi adopted a smile that she couldn’t stop from widening. This hospital, and soon Utsunomiya, would soon be in the palms of their hands.
…
Some days later, Maimi walked up to the door of a somehow nondescript squat building in the heart of downtown Tokyo near Ginza. She smiled as she passed a card through a reader there and, giving a look at the busy pedestrian traffic around her, walked in as the door slid open for her.
Passing immediately up a steep staircase, she came to another door which required a different card. She was annoyed at the security of the place, but understood that somewhere like Central just required a certain level of it.
Walking through the second door, she entered an office area where the staff ignored her as they had since she and the others first arrived here. When the Prime Minister and his guard escorted people into the building, the office staff tactfully tried to pretend they weren’t there, even if the guests might be slightly unusual in the forms of several teenage schoolgirls. And at this point, they were most definitely no longer
guests.
Maimi almost laughed again at how ridiculous the notion was that they had access to and veritably controlled such high level government offices. She knew Saki’s powers better than anyone of course, but even she was amazed at how easily she made it for them to infiltrate the top of the nation’s ruling elite. Somehow her powers had only increased after what happened to her in the battle, and for some reason, despite floating cups and doors opening by themselves, what impressed Maimi most about it was that by now the girl did not carry even a single scar as a reminder of it. If her power was so great that she could even heal herself only by willing it with her mind…
It’s just too bad she can't use that ability on others… Maimi thought as she passed a grim-faced, still-scarred Tsugunaga who was standing guard at the entrance to the office they had taken as their base. Maimi almost drew back in revulsion. That was one girl who would no longer be able to … She shivered. She couldn’t even think of it anymore. She just gave her a small nod as she passed, to find Saki gazing out a window like she did so often – moreso lately even – and Ai hunched over a desk that was even more elaborately carved than the one Headmaster Tsunku used to maintain. Of course, they were much more powerful now than he ever was. She grinned. If only he could see them now… His Circle, soon to be new rulers of Japan.
Ai looked up as she walked in, but leaned back down to the papers when she saw who it was. “Have fun?” the older girl asked.
“Always,” Maimi said, smiling. She just loved her little excursions out into Tokyo now that she knew the city was practically theirs.
After “convincing” the Utsunomiya political leaders to listen to what they had to say, as they’d traveled consistently higher in the government they inevitably made their way to Tokyo and the national leadership. It was low level at first; access to the highest was of course extremely restricted, at first even to Saki’s abilities, and they did not want to let slip the full brunt of what they could do. Yet…
After infiltrating several ministries and some members of the Upper House, they finally gained access to the Prime Minister and his retinue. Before long, they learned of this secretive organization formed by the previous Prime Minister called “Central”, which was said to be a version of the American CIA, but with a national authority surpassing it and an importance such that even its existence had not been revealed to the public. In other words, it was a perfect base for the Circle’s new leadership until they could announce themselves publicly.
That was something which they had to be very careful of at this point because even though they’d made their way to the top, there was just too much power structure in place around the country that would still cast quite strong suspicion on a few young girls telling everyone what to do. It would be some time before they got to enough leaders to make a difference. That was why Ai said what she did next.
“You know it’s dangerous to go out into the city alone like you do, right? If someone spotted you that had heard something about what’s gone on here…” She didn’t even look up from her papers as she lightly scolded.
“Oh come on, Ai-chan,” Maimi said. “Can’t I have a little fun?” She plopped down in a very comfortable armchair that she’d had brought in especially for her, even if it completely clashed with everything else in the otherwise business-like office. “Don’t you trust our little Saki-chan?” She looked over at Saki as she spoke, who brought her gaze down from the window slightly but still didn’t turn to look at her. “Nobody has
heard anything…”
Ai sighed, finally looking up. “You know I’d still feel better if you at least took some agents to watch your back. Yamato-san has eagerly offered as many of his men as we’d like for that.” She became thoughtful a moment and gave a quick glance to Saki. “Or anything, for that matter.”
Maimi shivered, and not at the mention of the top man at Central. Yamato-san was positively a pussy cat. “Have people trailing me around everywhere I go? That sounds a bit too stalker-paparazzi-ish for me. Not really the kind of life I want to lead. If that’s what ruling the world is all about I might just reconsider,” she said with a grin.
Ai gave her a level look that seemed to indicate that was exactly what ruling the world was about. In fact, Maimi had heard it all before.
“With leadership comes responsibility blah blah blah…” “You must care for yourself if you’re to care for everyone else blah blah blah.” Maimi was just about to tell Miss Ai-chan exactly what she cared about…
“Even you aren’t invincible,” Saki said from the window, and both Ai and Maimi turned surprised faces toward her as she endowed that intense gaze to Maimi. This also made her shiver, but she didn’t know whether from fear or excitement. She wondered if Saki’s ever-increasing creepiness was finally getting to her or if it was actually what drew her to the girl in the first place. If the latter was true, it would make certain other things make more sense as well…
“Excuse me,” Saki said again simply and with a slow nod, and she padded silently past Maimi and through the door.
Ai returned to her papers. “Will you at least consider it?” she asked, though sounding a bit resigned.
“Sure,” Maimi responded. “Tell Yamato-san to get whoever he thinks appropriate together – I want only the best of course if my life is in their hands – and they can follow me around however they like. I just don’t wanna see them. The idea still creeps me out.”
Ai, having now apparently completely forgotten her papers, blinked before gesturing to one of the girls hanging around near the door. “Kitahara, you heard her. Go tell Yamato her request.” She turned again to Maimi. “I take it you’ll probably be going out again soon?” Maimi only smiled in return. “Just have them ready…” Ai grumbled toward the guard, roughly brushing one of the papers aside into a trash can.
“Yes, Takahashi-san,” the commanded girl replied, and with a look at Maimi strode out the direction Saki had gone.
Maimi hadn’t even realized there were others in the room with them. Maybe she really did need someone to watch her back. There was only one girl left though, a small young mid-length black-haired thing, if with nice-looking legs. The girl must have caught Maimi’s appraisal and blushed. She obviously wasn’t as controlled as her friend yet – she identified them as friends now she recognized both girls – but they all were loyal. The girl reminded her though of something she wanted to do.
“Would you leave us for a minute?” Maimi asked the girl, who looked questioningly at Ai. Maimi clenched her teeth. She really needed to spend some more time around here if they didn’t even respect her authority at the same level as the others.
“It’s all right, Yuuka-chan,” Ai said, gazing curiously at Maimi. “Get yourself something to eat.” In a much less formal manner than Kitahara, Yuuka nodded and casually walked out.
“Why is everyone we brought with us from school so cute?” Maimi asked, looking after the girl even after the door closed behind her. “You would think we’re in a drama or something.” Ai just shrugged, still looking carefully at Maimi.
Lounging a bit further into the chair, Maimi looked up at the ceiling, though she knew the eyes of her partner were still on her. “You know I’ve been thinking of something you said way back at the hospital.”
“Oh?” Ai asked neutrally.
“You know, about Suzuki rejecting me and all that.” She lolled her head to see Ai giving her a small sympathetic smile. “Oh cut that out,” she continued irritably. “I don’t need anybody feeling sorry for me.” Her voice took on a stronger appeal. “That’s what I’m trying to say.
“I think…” She hesitated, evaluating her words before uttering them. “I think it’s time I move on. I’ve been obsessed with her for too long, and it was driving me crazy. I can tell since now I’ve thought about this more I’ve become rather calmer.”
“Is that so?” Ai asked with a small twist to the corner of her mouth.
Maimi shot her a dark glare. “Yes that
is so,” she repeated mockingly. “Although that could also be due to that I haven’t tortured anyone since…” Ai cleared her throat. She didn’t exactly like the idea of doing such a thing, except possibly when extreme enough circumstances called for it of course…
A flash of hatred suddenly flared up in Maimi at the remembrance of an evil girl who had stolen something precious from her once. She pushed the thought down quickly though. That was in the past. Besides, despite what happened at the school they hadn’t heard a thing about any of them since. For all she knew they could all have gotten themselves killed somehow.
Suits me… she thought, and finally successfully pushed them from her mind.
“So yeah,” Maimi said finally. “Moving on.” She looked at the door. “Do you have any idea if Maeda is…
attached… to anyone?” Ai sighed. “Oh come on,” Maimi teased. “It’s not like I’ve already found my lifelong soul mate like someone else might have.” She gave the girl a big toothy grin.
“I suppose you could do worse…” Ai finally grudgingly acquiesced, and turned back to frowning at her papers. Maimi wondered not for the first time what those actually contained, since it didn’t seem to her like Ai actually
read them…
“Then again…” Maimi pondered, still staring at the door and starting to curl a finger in her hair. “I could always try asking Saki out. Can you
imagine the things that girl could…” she trailed off, turning to Ai who had once again spurned the papers, this time pushing them to the side as if she’d finally given up.
“It wouldn’t be a bad idea for someone to get under her skin a bit and actually find out what she’s thinking,” Maimi continued, now in a more serious voice. “At least
I don’t have any idea what’s really going on in there anymore…” she said, fading away into a question she didn’t need to ask.
“We talk,” Ai said, standing up and walking around the desk. “Sometimes.” She looked down at Maimi. “Often about you.”
Maimi’s face broke into a grin. “Just like how we’re talking about her? We’re just such a big happy family, aren’t we?”
“But you’re right. I don’t know her either.” She took Saki’s spot at the window, looking out at the busy South Tokyo streets. “I’m still sure you know much more than I ever…”
Their conversation flow was broken as the door swung open and there was a sound of shuffling feet. Maimi closed her eyes and laid her head back. Only two people would rush into this office like that. “Gaki-san, Kumai-chan. There is such a thing as knocking, you know…”
“Ai-chan,” she heard the first girl she named insist, and Maimi gave a dramatic sigh. “We’ve just heard…” She sounded almost breathless. Maimi hummed in thought. Maybe this actually was something important.
“Nii-chan,” she heard Ai say in a warm voice, the loving familiarity of which made something tighten in the pit of her stomach. “What is it?”
“The Skulls,” Kumai burst out.
Maimi’s eyes snapped open.
“From the Attorney General,” Risa continued. “Shimizu-san just met with him. He said…” She exchanged glances with Kumai, the two now earning the rapt attention of both Circle members. “They were arrested with a charge of causing the… the Seishin massacre,” she said, and Maimi tensed at hearing that their deeds had reached a broader, and by the sound of it obviously more public, audience. “They were taken to a holding prison, but…” She exchanged a glance with Kumai again, who finished for her.
“But they escaped.”
“Escaped…” Maimi breathed, her thoughts suddenly and regrettably flashing back to the black-haired girl she was trying so hard to forget.
“They were in prison?” Ai asked, visibly surprised. Maimi hadn’t even connected the dots to that part. At the thought though she nearly laughed.
Well, more than some of them deserve… she thought bitterly. “Why didn’t Saki come tell us all this herself?” Ai questioned her two most loyal companions.
Kumai lowered her head as if unable to respond, and Risa managed in a low voice, “She was upset with the man for not telling us sooner…” The room fell silent, everyone realizing there was no need to say more.
“As if he could have…” she finished in a barely audible murmur.
Ai looked over at Maimi, who was staring at the two girls as if they embodied this new and all too stressful information. Wasn’t the timing for these things just incredible? In her frustration she almost wished Saki wasn’t going too easy on that attorney.
“The news has just gotten out to the public,” Yurina said, content to return to the original subject. “It’ll be in all the papers tomorrow.
Prisoners Held in Violent Ultra-bloody Deaths at Seishin Escape…” she mused grimly. “That’ll be some headline.” Maimi gazed curiously at how this girl also seemed so personally offended by what had happened back at the school. She wondered yet again why Ai had taken her on as her top guard.
Ai looked to her. “After Saki is… finished… we should meet to figure out what to do. I imagine we’ll want to make sure that at least the most intensive manhunt is undertaken.”
Maimi though continued staring at the two girls who increasingly seemed to become uncomfortable under her scrutiny, before breaking suddenly into a smile and turning to Ai as a third figure slipped quietly into the room. “I’ll tell you what I’m going to do,” she said. “I’m going to go shopping!” Everyone in the room stared at her, except for the newcomer who of course had no idea what was going on.
“Yuuka-chan, would you like to come with me?” she asked the girl. “I take it our shadows are ready anytime?” The girl nodded, wide-eyed at Maimi’s offer but obviously unable to refuse. “Good!” Maimi said, and taking her arm, headed for the door.
“Maimi!” Ai called after her, but they were already down the stairs.
…
“What kinds of things do you like?” Maimi asked her anxious companion as they walked down the Shibuya streets. For her part, Maimi was relaxed and enjoying the beautiful weather, as well as the oblivious pedestrians around them who were completely unaware they were in the presence of a Goddess.
“Just tell me what, and I’ll buy it for you. Jewelry, clothes…”
“Umm…” the younger girl responded, as they came around the corner and found that they’d entered the Daikanyama neighborhood. Trendy to designer chic fashion shops began to rise out from it seemed almost every side of the street.
“Awesome!” Maimi cried, clapping her hands together. “This is the perfect place!” She looked Yuuka up and down. The girl was still in her Seishin seifuku. “How about this one?” she asked excitedly, taking the girl by the arm and pulling her toward a store with elegant lettering. “Tsumori Chisato! I know she’ll find just the look for you.”
As the two were walking quickly toward the shop, one a little reluctantly, something tugged at Maimi’s intuition from further down the road, and she looked that way, but all she could see were the masses of other shoppers and the cars rolling along the street. She hesitated a second when they were almost at the door, Yuuka seeming to think she might yet be saved from whatever horror she might have thought was happening to her.
“Actually,” Maimi said. “You go along… Pick something out you like.” She turned to smile at her again. “Anything! It’s on me, and I’ll be there soon.” The former member of Saki’s house looked like she wanted to object, but eventually gave in, walking nervously through the revolving doors.
After the girl disappeared into the building, Maimi started down the street, peering around everywhere for the source of what was troubling her. After a few blocks she noticed she was entering an area with gaudier stores, and people walked around dressing in some of the most outlandish outfits. Two girls with completely different styles coming out of one of the stores caught her eye though and she froze.
No… she thought.
Not here. Not now…! I’m not ready yet to see you again… The more she watched the pair and expressed her disbelief, the angrier she got.
Well if this is how it’s going to happen, then I’m going to confront it! she thought at last, and entered the street to begin marching down it with her whole body tensed, cars swerving and honking at the stray pedestrian.
“Suzuki!!!” she yelled, and when she noticed she caught the attention of the girls, she quickened her pace down the street, now just barely avoiding the cars.
“Get out of my way!” she shouted at them, and when she flung her arms out whirlwinds rose up around her and between her and her target, knocking any unfortunate vehicle that happened to get in her way into the storefronts to the side, the other shoppers finally realizing something was going on they didn’t want to be involved in and screaming to get out of the way. Not all made it, but at the moment Maimi didn’t really care. She also didn’t care that it was one of the few times she’d used her power since that battle, and the first time in such a blatantly public setting.
When she closed in on them she slowed to a stop, still hardly believing her eyes. Seeing Airi dressed in such a ridiculous – if undeniably pretty – outfit, she nearly burst out laughing. “Well well, look who’s walking around here looking like she’s a princess! It takes more than fancy clothes to make you someone important, little girl.”
“I’m not a little girl!” Airi growled at her, and her smile widened.
After some pointless taunting exchanges reflecting the anger that was burning through Maimi despite her initial smile, it was Airi who brought things to the heart of the matter, and it stuck her as painfully as a needle.
“Do you realize how much pain and suffering you’ve caused me?” she asked quietly.
“No more than you asked for,” the girl retorted.
Stuck up as ever… Maimi thought.
Maybe the outfit does suit her… She told her so.
“Stop it!” Airi demanded. “You know what I’m talking about! It’s for everything, but above all what you did to… to…”
“To whom?” Maimi asked, feigning ignorance. “That Skull I tortured?” she asked almost as if it wasn’t worth mentioning. “Don’t tell me you
feel something for her.”
“I…” the girl responded. “I…
Maimi closed in on her, ignoring the frightened-looking friend behind her. “Do you really think she can love you?” Her voice lowered. “You were all I’ve ever wanted. Even long before the bathhouse last year…” The memory pained her, and she tried to shove it away. This was her time to make a stand. “I don’t know why but…” Her face hardened again. “But then that Skull took you away… We could have been so powerful together, you know. You, and me, and the Circle…”
“No!” Airi responded angrily. “You’re… the Circle… You’re evil…!”
“Are we?” Maimi asked. “Yes, we want to take over the world. But don’t we deserve it? We’re special, Airi. We have power that everyone else only dreams of. And what good is power if you don’t use it?” Then she raised her arms, what Yamato told her to do before they left if necessary, and her shadows appeared all along the roofs around them. She forced herself not to gape at them. She didn’t realize there would be so many… Instead she grinned.
“Osuzu!” the friend yelled, reaching out to Airi.
“Don’t worry,” Maimi reassured in a carefully un-reassuring voice. “They won’t threaten your friend. I just have to keep them around for… protection…” She took in Airi’s confused look and continued, “This isn’t the kind of power you were thinking of, is it?”
Instead of backing off though, Airi only closed on her, making her anxious. The girl looked furious as if she would strike Maimi dead on the spot, but there was something else going on in her face as well that Maimi was even more frightened of, but she didn’t know why.
“I think I should…” Maimi said, feeling as if she’d somehow suddenly completely lost control of the situation. Before she could react though, Airi leaned in and kissed her.
…
A few minutes later Maimi was running the blocks she’d come down just a short time ago, her emotions now a complete wreck and at least as bad as they were before Ai was gracious enough to try and help her along.
What did the damn girl do to me?!?! she repeated to herself. Of all the things she could have expected her to do, from trying to split her soul again to making the sun fall down on her, she couldn’t have imagined…
But she hates me!!!She vaguely noticed she was running past displays of Tsumori Chisato, and she heard a voice call out to her, one of the few that were not doing their best to keep a low profile to avoid whatever was happening from the direction she just come.
“Yajima-san!” Yuuka called, running out to her as she slowed to a stop, breathing heavily in her physical as well as emotional exertion. “What happened? Are you all right?” She looked carefully into Maimi’s face, who regarded her as well.
“But you’re cute too…” Maimi whispered indecipherably, and as the other girl’s look changed to one of confusion, she reached out and pulled her close just as Airi had done to her, kissing her hard.
After a moment she released the flustered young girl, who looked like she was in a daze.
“Not the same…” she breathed again.
“Why…?” she asked, nearly in tears once again. Was it possible…?
“M-Maimi…?” the other girl asked once again, the only thing she knew that for some strange, amazing reason, her hero had just graced her with her first… and such a wonderful… kiss.
Topic: The Circle of Three [CONCLUSION: 28: Ascension] (Read 100084 times)