I bowed awkwardly, and left the room.
And then I ran.
I'm not sure where to, but I couldn't stand being there a second longer.
(Damn it-- !)
I knew something was horribly twisted.
But I had no idea what it was. This was the second time in my life I had ever bitterly regretted being nothing more than some boring and ordinary girl.
(Damn it! I'm an idiot! Such a shithead! Stupid, stupid, stupid, stupid, stupid stupid... !!!)
I raged internally, cursing myself.
***
“Why did I let her go... ?” Asukai whispered to himself, left alone in the guidance counselor's office.
“There was nothing about that girl to make her special.” Asukai looked at the door she'd left through. “So... why did she know?”
“It’s an awfully lonely picture. “
“No matter how you look at that picture, there is no trace of the painter’s intentions. “
“How did she... ?”
She said she wanted to save Kinukawa Kotoe, and she meant it. She was serious.
That seriousness had left Asukai feeling utterly defeated.
“Yes, Suema Kazuko-san. Exactly as you say,” he murmured. His face looked like that of a badly hurt boy. Like he was about to cry struggling furiously to stop himself.
At that moment, his phone rang.
His face snapped up, and he answered quickly.
He listened for a moment, then nodded. “Okay.”
The person on the other end said something else, and he shook his head. “No, it seems we have to move quickly,” he said. “Yeah. At this point, we can't avoid a fight. Yes, I'll take Spooky E out personally.”
IV
Once something
has begun to crumble,
here is nothing to be done
but rebuild from square one.
-- Kirima Seiichi
(VS Imaginator)
When I could sleep, I would go into a movie theater, and sit on the side in the very front row, where nobody would ever come. The times were always different; sometimes in the morning, sometimes at night. I doubt I ever snored. Nobody ever woke me up.
At night, I would find a 24-hour family restaurant, and wait for sunrise. I'd sit there, reading manga or something, to keep from being noticed. I was hardly the only one doing this, so I didn't stand out too much.
I wondered if my sister had filed a missing person's report with the police, so I started wearing glasses as a disguise, but I never met anyone who seemed to be looking for me.
And when I wasn't resting... I was Boogiepop.
Kids my age would attack drunken businessmen in groups to steal their money and prove their strength.
Suddenly, their attack would be interrupted by a dark, cloaked figure, who would spout haughty bullshit like, “How sad you are,” and then beat the crap out of them before fleeing like the wind.
Obviously, I did this because I didn't want the people I saved to get a good look at my face.
Half the time, though, I didn't know which side was to blame, but I always took the side of the underdog.
But if the people I saved seemed like they were going to exact revenge, I'd put them down too. Then I’d blow a whistle, like the kind police use, and vanish before anyone arrived.
... As soon as I was safely away, I’d slip into the shadows, whip off my costume, and stuff it into my bag before walking away with as innocent an expression as I could muster, always thinking:
'What am I doing?'
'Man, I'm certainly getting good at running away... '
And the like.
I'd given up the makeup. It was dark, and no one would be able to recognize me anyway.
Besides... it was always Orihata who was putting on the makeup. Without her here, I could never get it right.
“Ow...”
I glanced at my fist, and found I’d hurt it again.
My movements were becoming wild. My shishou always said there were no moves in karate that would allow you to injure yourself, and if there were, that was a sign you had not yet trained enough, or you were losing control. Both were true for me now.
I put some cold spray on the bruise, and put a pair of gloves over it, the sort of first aid Orihata had once done for me. Damn, I was thinking about her again.
“Argh...”
My opponents were nothing much, so I was narrowly scraping by, but if I actually ran into anyone dangerous, I'd be in serious trouble.
Most weapons, like knives, all I have to do is dodge, but if someone had a gun, I'd be a goner.
And then what would happen to me? Would this be what Orihata needed?
Absently munching on spaghetti carbonara (plus salad), pondering things, a thought struck me.
'Was this a roundabout way of killing myself... ?'
I knew I was pretty desperate, but did I really want to die?
“……..”
Carbonara sauce is made from soft-- boiled eggs, and tastes terrible cold, so my mouth never stopped moving the whole time I was thinking.
I even asked a waiter for a refill on my coffee.
“……..”
I added a lot of cream and sugar, and took a sip.
Even I was amazed at how low my sense of danger was.
I was ultra calm.
I didn't know what the hell I was trying to do, and nobody would ever praise me for it. I was gradually forgetting the correct movements for karate, flailing wildly and becoming a menace to myself.
(Hunh... )
I knew all of this, but I didn't seem to care.
Why not? Was something wrong with me? Well, that much was obvious, but exactly what was wrong?
(Hmmm... )
I thought about Orihata. I felt no anger towards her. I wasn't playing Boogiepop to get attention. I was actually hoping that she'd forgotten all about me.
When I remembered how I'd fawned over her, I was embarrassed. I couldn't forget how pathetic I was with my head in the clouds.
(okay... )
... I think I'm playing Boogiepop to apologize to her. If what I was doing was in any way useful to her... this thought was driving me.
(Man, what self- centered logic.)
I was unable to suppress a self- deprecating giggle.
Here I was, fully aware that the girl I'd been going out with had never really been in love with me at all. Yet, I couldn't stop letting her memory dictate my every move. God, I'm a loser.
(So stupid... )
I giggled again, but by this point I was pretending to read a manga anthology so that nobody would look at me suspiciously. Damn, but I'm getting too good at this.
The waiter passed by, and I ordered another cup of coffee.
***
“lt's him. No doubt about it,” Kinukawa Kotoe said, looking at Taniguchi Masaki, where he sat in the window of a family restaurant.
She and six others were standing on the other side of a four-lane road, across from the restaurant.
From the side, they looked like they just happened to all be waiting for the light to change so they could cross.
The other six were all thin men. Their ages varied, as did their clothes, from suits to school uniforms, leather jackets and jeans. The only thing linking them together was their singular lack of expression. This was the only thing, yet this distinguishing feature made it plain to see... they were all Spooky E's 'terminals.'
“Heh...” Kotoe grinned, seeing Masaki's glasses. “What a crappy disguise. Still, he was pretty good at running and hiding. Took some doing to track him down.”
“……..”
“……..”
The men behind her made no response.
The light changed, and a motorcycle pulled to a stop in front of them.
They stepped forward to cross the street, but Kotoe said softly, “No, wait...”
Masaki was about to leave the restaurant. It looked like he was going to prowl a little more tonight.
<
br /> “He looks serious. Split into three groups and tail him.”
They started across the street, passing in front of the stopped motorcycle.
There was nothing strange about the motorcycle at first glance, but on closer inspection, the driver was a little unusual. She wore a leather jumpsuit and safety boots. The kind people wear in a factory to stay intact, even if several tons fall on them. There was a military style backpack slung over her shoulders.
Her face was hidden beneath a full face helmet, but she was clearly female.
Kotoe's group reached the other side, and started following after Masaki. He had the Boogiepop disguise in a bag on his shoulder. Two of them took the lead, and the others took side streets, temporarily staying out of sight.
The signal changed.
“……..”
The biker girl made a sudden sharp turn into the other side of the road, and roared off back the way she had come.
***
(Only two following me... ?)
Of course, I had noticed.
The moment I saw that woman-- the girl who had been so snide with Orihata, Kinukawa Kotoe -- I knew the moment I'd been waiting for had come. Luckily, it looked like they didn't know that I was onto them.
I made a show of heading to a deserted area of town, like I'm sure they hoped I would, and then turned into a shopping area and had some fun going up and down elevators for a while.
It looked like there were several of them trading off, but I wasn't worried. I knew someone was after me the whole time, so I didn't bother trying to distinguish between them.
(Okay. Now what?)
I was having trouble deciding. I did have an idea, but it was a tad... out there.
(Right then... still not gonna change the fact that I'm pathetic.)
I left the main streets for a stretch of dimly lit back roads.
I knew this area well. This was the type of place I'd often patrol as Boogiepop.
And this alley leading down to the station had a special place in my heart. I hadn't been there in almost six months, though...
Yet, it still smelled of stagnant water. You could never call it beautiful.
“……..”
It made me a little sad.
I'm sure I'm far too young to reminisce, but if I had no future, then who cares if I act like an old man? I just went for it.
This was the place where I'd been surrounded by kouhai from my Junior High school... where I'd been saved by Orihata Aya... where I first met her--
(Man, she sure bowled me over. I mean, just look at how she... )
I could feel my face turning red at the thought of that memory. I brushed it off with a chuckle to myself.
Footsteps came towards me from behind.
I grinned, and dove into the shadows.
The footsteps sped up. They were on the offensive. They weren't going to just follow me around any longer.
Another set of footsteps came towards me from the opposite direction. They had me surrounded.
“Where is he?”
I could hear voices.
“He's gotta be hiding somewhere!”
“Don't panic. Every way out of here's a dead end. He must be here somewhere!”
I started counting.
(One, two... six in all. Basically, the same number I saw from the window.)
All men.
“We split up and search?”
“No. Wait. I have a plan.” This was Kinukawa Kotoe's voice. That made seven.
They were all here.
I started to move, slowly and carefully. Her voice grew louder.
“Hey! Taniguchi Masaki-kun! Are you still in love with Orihata Aya?”
I didn't answer.
“Do you know what she really is?” Kinukawa continued. “She never let you screw her, did she? Such a shame. After all the experience she's had with those other guys... you know what they call her behind her back? The public toilet.”
She was trying to provoke me. Trying to make me mad.
I didn't answer.
“And you've got a pathetic sense of duty to a bitch like that? How can you be fooled by that little goody two shoes exterior of hers?!”
In the darkness, I grasped the Nike bag, now much lighter.
For a second, I closed my eyes.
In my mind's eye, I pictured her.
“You're really strong, aren't you?”
“Masaki... will you become him?”
Wrong, Orihata.
I'm not strong at all. Truth is, I don't have any idea what's right. Only way I get by is from paying close attention to the expressions of the people around me.
But I think I can 'become' him. When you said that... when I was with you--
It might just have been a delusion. But I don't care if it was -- even without evidence, without proof... isn’t that what this is?
“That girl's better than anyone at fooling men. I almost feel sorry for how you jumped right into her trap. You're the saddest person in the world-- “
As Kinukawa was talking, there was a sudden noise from behind her.
The men rushed towards it. One of them kicked over a pile of wooden crates, exposing something hidden in the shadows.
The empty Nike bag, lying right where I'd flung it.
“-------- !”
The men stiffened -- their backs to me.
Surprise attacks are over in seconds.
I kicked them in the back, right between the spine and ribs, three of them in less than two seconds.
“GUH!”
All three of them went flying.
The other three turned towards me. As I'd expected, they all had guns.
But I was very close to them. I could attack as fast as they could aim.
I bent down and swung my leg, sweeping the legs out from all three of them.
All three lost their balance and fell over.
I leapt on them, slamming my knee into two of them.
Leaving them crumpled, I slammed my elbow into the third.
When I stood up again, all six of them were unconscious.
“……..”
I quickly picked up one of the dropped guns.
Spinning around, I released the safety, and aimed it right at Kinukawa Kotoe. And yes, I'd held a real gun before, back in Phnom Penh, and I sure was ready to use it.
She froze instantly. “... Taniguchi Masaki,” she stammered. “l think I may have underestimated...”
“I'm not Taniguchi Masaki,” I interrupted, quietly.
I wore a black hat and cloak. In this outfit, “I am Boogiepop.”
I stepped slowly forward, and placed the barrel of the gun against her chin.
But she wasn't the least bit frightened. She gave me a confident grin. “Okay, point for you. You've earned my respect. If I told Axis about you, they'd probably pick you up, convinced you were the real thing.”
I had no idea what she was talking about.
“Tell me what you did to Orihata,” I said, trying to suppress my anger, but well aware that I was failing. I was this close to the edge.
“But I just did. That was all true. She really has been with any number of men.”
“Did you make her do that?!”
“So what if I did? She still didn't tell you; she still betrayed you.”
“Augh......” My eyes misted over.
I suddenly understood what she had meant all those times she'd said she was sorry.
But I was a fool. I hadn't noticed. All this time, she'd been asking for help.
“I'll ask you again... where is Orihata?!”
“Wouldn't you like to know?”
“Fuck you!” Ignoring the fact that she was a girl, I smacked her with the butt of the gun.
She spat blood, and fell over into the ditch water.
Even then, she smiled.
“Hee hee hee hee... go ahead and kill me. After all, I've had my way with your woman all along!”
“Graah!” I could feel my hea
d ignite.
My hands were shaking so hard I could barely keep the gun pointed at her.
I could pull that trigger at any second.
“I'd planned to leave a corpse for everyone to blame, but I'm just as happy leaving you a murderer... how about it?” she wheedled, venomous.
“Sh-- shit. .. !” Wave after wave of hatred poured out of me. I couldn't stop it.
With a will of its own, my fingers pulled back the hammer.
With a click, it was ready to fire.
“Rrrrrrrrrr!” Grinding my teeth, I could hear my blood roaring in my ears.
***
“... Mm?” Kinukawa Kotoe frowned, puzzled.
Even though I looked ready to shoot her at any second, her gaze was directed not at me, but at something behind me.
Alarmed, I spun around.
Too late.
Someone had snuck up behind me, and they touched my neck, moving much faster than me. A shock ran through my body.
“GACK-- ?!”
Suddenly unable to move, I toppled over.
Electricity-- a stun gun.
“ldiot,” said a voice I'd heard before-- a girl's voice.
But could it really be her... ?
I struggled to turn my head, and at last succeeded. lt was her.
“I thought you were up to something dumb, but Christ... if I let you kill someone, how the hell could I ever face your parents?”
Only one girl talked like a boy and ran around in a leather jumpsuit and safety boots, heedless of how they looked.
“N-nagi-neesan... ?” My sister.
“I told you, don't call me 'Neesan,’” she snarled. No one else talked like her. “And why in god's name are you dressed like that? | dunno who the hell put you up to it, but you are a grade A dumbass,” she spit her words, tearing Boogiepop's hat and cloak off me while I was still paralyzed,.
“Who the hell are you?” Kinukawa Kotoe asked, trying to get to her feet. But Nagi poked her with her stungun, which was the rod kind, much like a police truncheon.
“You aren't going anywhere, Kinukawa Kotoe.”
Boogiepop Returns VS Imaginator Part 2 Page 6
