~Tatsuya~
The cell phone vibrates softly on the glass table. I pick it up - a new message from Rei.
> Rei:
The guy she was talking to - name: Saitō Shōgo.
Middle tier at the Fushichō-ikka. Officially only logistics, but unofficially much more influential.
Has served loyally for years, no conspicuous lifestyle.
Considered extremely cautious.
Rumor has it, however, that he is betraying the Fushichō-ikka.
I'll send you his profile.
A few seconds later, an attachment follows. I open it - several pages full of details: movement profiles, known contacts, old surveillance photos. So the Fushichō-ikka... That makes things a lot more interesting.
I lean back and let the image of the man rest on the screen.
Saitō Shōgo.
If she was traveling with him - and if she's connected to the Fushichō-ikka - then yesterday was no coincidence. Then I was being watched. Tested, perhaps.
I type another message - this time to Jin, my most reliable observer.
> Tatsuya:
The woman who was at the club with Shōgo - find out who she is.
Everything.
And if she's still here... I want to know before she makes her next move.
I put the phone aside, but my mind keeps rattling.
The Fushichō-ikka and the Shinjū-kai are supposed to meet soon. If they've already sent people ahead...
Then we're already in the game. And I've only just started.
---
The morning light falls cool through the windows, while the smell of black coffee lingers in the air. I sit in the half-shadow, my cell phone vibrating on the glass table. A message from Jin. Finally.
> Jin:
I've combed through everything.
No traces. No pictures. No name.
As if she didn't exist.
I'm sure - this is no coincidence.
Probably a direct connection to Fushichō-ikka.
I read the message twice.
No digital traces - in a world where every movement, every smile shows up in some system. Nothing. That means it was deleted before it even became visible. Or... it's part of the innermost circle. So deep inside that it's not meant to be found.
And suddenly everything makes more sense.
The look in her eyes. That second when our eyes met.
She recognized me.
I knew it at that moment - there was no uncertainty in her eyes, no hesitation. No feigned interest. Just control.
She knew who I was. And she wasn't going to be rattled.
Damn.
If she was talking to Saitō Shōgo and knew who I was at the same time - then her appearance at the club was more than just observation.
It was a move.
I scroll back to Rei's last message.
> Rei:
Saitō Shōgo.
Middle tier at the Fushichō-ikka.
Officially logistics, unofficially - influence.
Very cautious. Very loyal. No mistakes so far.
But "no mistakes" is relative - and I've learned that in families like the Fushichō-ikka, loyalty can be a mask.
Maybe they were testing him. Maybe that's what she was there for: to find out if Shōgo was wavering. And I got caught in the middle of her test.
Damn, that makes them even more dangerous.
I type:
> Tatsuya:
Jin - stay on Shōgo.
And if she shows herself again, no direct moves. Just observe.
I want to know if she's staying... or if she wants to disappear.
I lower my phone, the empty glass in my other hand.
She has recognized me.
But I haven't recognized her.
Not yet.
And I don't like that one bit.
---
~ Misaki
I'm standing in the kitchen, chopping vegetables while the smell of cooked rice fills the room. Suddenly the door opens and Haruki enters.
"Well, awake for once?" I ask with a grin.
He rubs his eyes and leans against the doorframe for a moment. "You have to get up at some point." His gaze wanders to the stove. "What are you cooking?"
"Rice with vegetables and fish. Nothing special." I give him a look. "And you? Any plans for today?"
"Not really. More in my head." He comes to the table, sits down slowly and sighs quietly.
I put the bowl of food in front of him and sit down opposite him. We sit quietly for a moment, the soft clink of cutlery and the distant hum of the radio filling the silence.
"Ren and Makino are coming tomorrow around noon," I finally say.
Haruki nods, chewing thoughtfully on his lower lip. "Good, then we need to be prepared. Oh, and while we're here in Kyoto, we might as well take a closer look at the city. Maybe there's more than just work here." he says with a pleading look.
I smile weakly and nod. "Maybe you're right."
We continue eating in silence while the city slowly awakens outside.