~~~PART 1~~~
Has your house ever been infested with bugs? Mosquitos, flies, ants, anything that can multiple quickly enough to overwhelm a building.
I personally haven't. I shudder to think of the thought of a small, hairy, disease carrying creature running around my house back in Tokyo.
And tonight is the closest thing to a house infestation I've encountered.
"How many stray cats did you kidnap?!"
"We didn't kidnap them! We were gonna release them back!"
All around us were a bunch of small, hairy, and potentially disease carrying swarms of cats. The male worker who was supposed to recover them had accidentally left the cage open when the cats were preparing to leave and the sheer quantity was enough to overwhelm them.
So many cats burst out of their cage at once it knocked down the worker right on the spot, with the army of cats running over him as he laid on the floor lifelessly.
More cats mean more work, and I'm starting to think this wasn't worth the story material Asahi was looking for.
"Huff… Okay, I've gotten all that was in this area I think."
Everyone trying to catch the cats were appointed at various spots to spread out their reaches. It wasn't just me who tried to recover the cats. Yuji, and that worker were also hunting down these felines. Every other worker that was available was called in to help as well.
And Kiyama was… somewhere. She had gotten out of Yuji's building on her own and is now moving on towards someplace in the main building without telling me her plans, assuming she has any.
As I was final checking the assigned area I was in, which was outside of Yuji's front door to his building, I began to move up and search for more of them.
Going through the mansion property, I noticed it was rather a humorous sight. Everywhere at any place was a worker battling with a horde of cats under the shining moonlight. The rich, dignified, well dressed, workers are now having at it with multiple cats with serious looks on their faces.
Nevertheless, I move up into the main building as that's where most of the hard to get cats are at. On the outside of the mansion, the cats have the small trees and plants to run around in and climb, yet they were still manageable.
But inside of the building is where all the shelves and bookcases were, and those places are where cats like to get stuck at.
"Does anyone need help?"
I entered the building right away, alerting my presence.
"Shirou-san is having trouble in the kitchen."
The worker who responded didn't even look me in the eye, not because he was looking down on me, but because he was focused dead shot on his own opponent in front of him.
I rushed towards where the kitchen was to look at the current situation.
And as I entered, I saw the messy medium sized kitchen with one person gazing up on the top of a massive fridge.
"Do you need help, sir?"
"Oh hey you're taller than me, there's one fella behind that fridge over there, you could try to get him out if you can."
"Right!"
I want to clarify, I did not exaggerate the size of this fridge. The width of it covers a quarter of the long, rectangular shaped kitchen, and its height almost touches the ceiling.
"How did it get there?"
"I don't know but it's probably stuck."
"Meooow."
The cry confirmed it was indeed stuck up there, and now the problem is how to get him out, and down.
"Let me try to pull him out."
Next to the fridge was a counter I stood up on and peered into the tiny creek of the fridge. It was dark, yet I could still make out white fluff and green lit eyes inside of there.
I tried to extend my arm and reach inside to get hold of the cat, yet the cat was too far away from me to reach.
"Give me a broom!"
"Aight!"
After instructing him, the worker named Shirou left to fetch me a broom, and meanwhile I was looking around the kitchen to assist the cat in getting out of there.
The gap wasn't as tiny as I thought it to be, and maybe I could use something to persuade the cat into moving.
I went around everywhere, opening lockers and cabinets until I found a couple of food cans containing cat food. The sheer quantity of this cat food was surprisingly enormous.
They really were sheltering all these cats inside the house huh?
Nevertheless, I grabbed a few cans and came back to the fridge, this time on the opposite side, to face the back side of the cat.
Visibility was poor, but from what I can see my hunch was saying the cat wasn't really stuck. It has some space to move in and I just need a little nudge to encourage it to move out.
I laid down the cans on its side to prepare rolling it to lightly touch the cat to frighten him enough to get him to move. And as I roll the cans over towards the cat…
*Clank!*
The can was knocked over to the side, falling out of the fridge.
Its fluffy tail was flapping side to side like a dog seeing a squirrel.
"Oh come on…"
This time, I tried rolling it a little bit faster so that it doesn't lose to its tail. And as the can rolled over…
…
Miss.
My aim wasn't off, though it's dimly lit, I could still clearly see where the cat is at. And I could see my can rolling over towards it.
In other words, the miss wasn't because of my fault. The cat had moved to the side to avoid it entirely.
I knew you weren't stuck in there!
Well, despite that being a failure, now I can confirm the actual situation of this conundrum.
"I've got the broom!"
Shirou walked in to give me the broom.
"Thanks."
I reached out and kindly accepted the item he brought.
Now try avoiding this!
With proper equipment, this should be dealt with easily. Yet that wasn't the outcome I was hoping for. Instead, I learned of a new characteristic the cat had whether I wanted to or not. It was fast.
Miss.
Miss.
Miss.
I thrusted my broom like a spear to move the cat out of the way, yet I never landed a direct hit once.
I had to applaud how swift it can move in this place. Crammed, dark, and tight. How much does it like this place so much that it doesn't want to budge a single bit?
I told you, Asahi! Cats like places that are enclosed, warm, and empty!
But there was no point bragging about my statement when the person I was arguing with isn't even here. And I was still trying to get the cat out of the fridge.
After being completely humiliated by another cat, I tried to have the broom go from one side to the other, completely sweeping the fridge with no gaps. I went to the furthest side of the fridge to begin my next attack.
As I initiated it…
…
The broomstick went under the cat instead.
This is the most persistent cat I've met.
I tried various different levels of height with the broomstick, because I couldn't rotate the brush part since it was too narrow, I could only use the shaft. Yet, every attempt I made, the cat's fur was too slippery and it went below and passed him. This was also true when I tried to do it on the top part of the cat.
Thus, by this point, I couldn't think of another way of getting this cat down.
"How is it up there? Any luck?"
"No, he's really stuck himself in there. Doesn't want to move an inch."
I was genuinely shocked at how persistent this cat is. I really wanted to give up and leave before I do something stupid and possibly hurt the creature.
And as I was deep in thought, the sound of a bell rang through the building. It wasn't really loud, yet still noticeable for the human ears to pick up.
And right then and there was when the cat finally decided to get out on his own.
…You're kidding…
The same cat who was lazing around on top of that fridge was now energetically charging towards the source of the bells. Going past Shirou and even making him jump out of the way to make way for the cat.
As dejected as I am now, I followed the cat towards where the sound was heard from. My now worn out body continued its walk until I saw where the sounds were coming from.
"... There, there… Eat up…"
It was Kiyama.
She was sitting peacefully in the open living room surrounded by cats. There were so many of them there wasn't any place for me to stand on, and the sight itself looks as if she has an army of worshiping cats.
They were all eating from a bowl, every single one of them.
"... Oh, hi Watso- I mean, Satori-kun… Why do you look so pale…?"
"Oh you know, I was just tired from chasing all the cats."
I didn't have it in me to say I felt like a complete idiot when I could just bait them using food.
Wasn't that what I was trying to convince Asahi to do yesterday?! Damnit!
Nevertheless, I looked at the bright side, now I don't have to chase all the cats anymore, since they're all in a single room. And soon enough, the other workers began coming in to see the ocean of cats.
"Huff… Great job dear guests, now we can safely bring them back to town-"
"What is all this commotion about?!"
And not a second later the host of this entire property, Jirou came running down after all the noises created outside, and all the workers present froze in place.
"What have you all done to my garden!? It's in Shambles! And my living room has dirt all over the floor!"
Seeing their boss rush in furiously out of nowhere when he was busy indicated a lower pay wasn't the only thing their fate would entail.
"You! Fujimori! Explain to me right this instant, what's going on!"
"Well, you see master…"
The same person who had been escorting us was being interrogated. And no one had any courage to defy, or argue against their boss.
However, he wasn't my problem to deal with, so I went over to Kiyama as quietly as I could to pick her up on my back.
"Hey you're the person who interviewed me earlier! Got something to do with all this?!"
"Sorry, gotta bounce!"
"Hey come back here!"
I dashed out of there as fast as I could with Kiyama gripping my back to support herself not to fall. I immediately went to grab her wheelchair and continued running until the sight of the mansion was no longer visible, and into the lamp less path of the woods.
The workers said they'd release the cats back to town, so I'll leave all that to you guys.
May your monthly salaries not decrease.
~~~PART 2~~~
"Alright, so, I believe that was everything we needed to do?"
"... I think so too… But Watson… Aren't you… Embarrassed…?"
"Hm? What for?"
I recall our objective Asahi gave us today. She told us we needed to go investigate the reported witches in the forest and write out a good story. We did exactly that, and I don't believe I missed any more important details.
"I don't remember anything. What is it?"
"...No, it's just that…"
Her voice was getting quieter and quieter than they already were, and I felt her grip was getting stronger behind me on my shoulders.
"...I can just sit on my wheelchair…"
"Oh, sure."
I suppose it is weird to be carrying someone when they could just sit on a wheelchair, and pushing it while carrying her is hard in and of itself anyway.
*Plop*
I lowered her to her wheelchair and continued my walk into the darkness of the night. However, this time there was a source of light. Namely, Kiyama's flashlight from her phone.
"It's only been two days, but I still find it weird that the sun's already set for this season."
"...Not to fret… You'll get used to it soon, my dear Watson…"
"I hope so. By the way, are you going to keep calling me Watson?"
"...Ah, do you not like it…? My apologies…"
"No, it's fine. I'm just curious."
She does give off that bookworm vibe. I'm most certainly positive people here aren't that oldschool to not have a computer or wifi around, but imagining Kiyama sitting quietly in her room all day reading books fits her image.
"...I'm bound to my wheelchair and walking sticks… So I don't go out much… That's why I spend most of my time in my room…"
Figures.
"...However…"
She continues.
"...Today I got to go this far into the forest and encountered many different things… Thank you, Watson…"
Her sincere appreciation for accompanying her today caught me off-guard. It was a simple thank you, yet it had the weight of a thousand elephants. Friendship sure feels nice. I would've preferred to meet her first in this town rather than Asahi, but the fact that I met her at all was also a blessing.
"No problem, Holmes!"
I reassured her with my first genuine smile after coming here, and with that a thumbs up.
Humans are social creatures. So when you have someone out there who you can joke together with, work together with, and laugh together with, it makes life all the more worth it.
"...Watson, we might need to hurry back to school if we want to retrieve our bags…"
"Oh, right!"
~~~PART 3~~~
We made it in the nick of time.
My already weak stamina is being drained even more than usual with pushing Kiyama around on her wheelchair.
"I didn't even notice there weren't any gates here in the first place."
"...Which makes it convenient for us…"
We immediately went over towards the club room where we left our bags. Kiyama opted to go in with me since being alone at night in school is surprisingly scary.
And as we reached the door, I turned the doorknob to the clubroom to reveal something much to our amusement.
We found Asahi sleeping peacefully on the Director's desk. The quietness of the room echoed her breath silently. Directly sitting on the desk with which the large open window was behind her. The gentle moonlight entered and illuminated the room with a certain beauty.
Next to her was an old polaroid camera, and a bunch of photos of two people together, but other than that I couldn't make out any details whatsoever in this dimly lit room.
She's even wearing her glasses in her sleep.
I began to ponder if I should draw something on her face with a permanent marker before Kiyama suddenly turned on the light switch.
"Hya…? Oh, I slept... Oh, Izumi you're here! And Sora-chan too! So, How'd it go?"
Damn, the lights woke her up.
"...Good evening, Akagi-san…"
"Yo, Asahi. We got what you wanted."
"Uwa, already?! That's quick, I'll check it later. For now, good job! I need to continue my own investigation on these two couples later… You two can go home first."
"You're going to stay this late at school? Is that even an option?"
"It's fine, it's fine, no need to fret. This isn't my first time doing this. I need to plan out my attack more than I thought, those bastards are already wary of me…"
"Fine then, you do you."
Seems like Asahi has her own battles to deal with. And the best part is? It has nothing to do with me.
I didn't want to interfere with her work either. Her seriousness and dedication were clearly visible in her eyes behind those glasses.
"...Here are the reports for today…"
"Oh, thanks! I'll look into it tomorrow."
Kiyama hands her the report before turning around and leaving.
"Well then, see you tomorrow."
"Yeah, yeah, see you tomorrow"
Asahi sounded a lot more worn out than when I saw her this morning. Even though her actions may be questionable, you have to give her credit where credit is due with how heavy her determination is and how much effort she puts into them.
With both our bags retrieved, we both quickly left into the bizarrely cold, well lit summer night. And as we had to go our own ways, we said goodbye for the night and I quickly came home to be greeted without the stench of alcohol, nor any unnecessary sobbing tonight.
Maybe it isn't the time to drink yet, I hope I'll at least have a good sleep tonight…
~~~PART 4~~~
You cannot go against fate, is what I've learned today. If the mattress looks bad, then it will feel bad. So, no, I did not have a good sleep tonight. But at least I got to sleep a tiny bit earlier than usual.
And luckily the back pain was only temporary, so at this moment where we're having a small meeting in the clubroom with Asahi and Kiyama after school, I don't feel a thing.
"Hmm… I think you two have forgotten something important."
"Oh? What is it?"
Asahi has been inspecting the files and notes we compiled to make sense of the event and turn it into a potential story.
"You guys do have the materials for a published story… But did you take any pictures?"
""...ah…""
A revelation was bestowed upon the both of us. We both didn't even think of the necessity of a picture, but now that she mentions it, we really should've gotten a couple of them.
"That's not a good reaction, but that's fine, it's not like today is the deadline. In fact, I think you two completed this work way too early. This was supposed to be the cover story for next week you know? You can go back to that place again if you want and take pictures of the aftermath."
"What kinds of pictures are we going to take there? All of the events happened yesterday, now the cats are probably already released into town."
"True, you could just get a photo of the mansion. That would still work I suppose."
"Sure, that's fine by me. Are there any other things you should tell us before going?"
"I can't think of any… Well that's that, I need to return to my own case, so you two be careful now!"
She waved us goodbye before sending us off as she sent us back to that place again. In truth, I don't want to go back. Last time we were there it looked like the workers were in big trouble. Who knows what we would find if we returned.
A disciplinary scene? Or find no one at all because they were all fired? I doubt the latter, yet it's still painful to imagine.
And if we were to show up again, how would we explain the situation? Thinking about it only makes my stomach hurt and my brain running slower.
"...We're approaching the property, Watson…"
As my focus began returning to my body, I indeed noticed the lamp-less road ahead was paved, and an opening was seen beyond the woods.
"Oh, you're right. Holmes, I think we should be careful. I have a bad feeling we won't be as welcomed this time."
"... What a coincidence, I have the same feeling as well…"
We both agreed to sneak in instead of making ourselves more notable, so by the time we were near enough to the property, I went to a nearby bushes to hide Kiyama's wheelchair.
The last time we were here, I noticed the walls were pretty tall for either one of us to look over, so I opted to carry her on my back to catch some photos of the insides of the sacred garden in the woods.
I managed to convince her to latch on my back before we went close to the mansion again.
"You have your phone ready right?"
"...Of course…"
Firstly, we need an order when it comes to taking these photos. It's not like we actually have to make a chronological set of photos, yet it was one of the only ways to keep us on track with what we got.
So the first photo to capture was the front entrance.
This time, I was crouching on the bushes just outside of the gates. The picture of the front gates was first on our list. From here, we couldn't see the person who was working on the front gates like yesterday, so I braced for my first objective.
"Ok get ready."
Trying to move swiftly while carrying an entire person on your back is not something I'm specialized in yet. My movement became sloppy and nearly tripping over when I tried getting up from my crouched position.
But we still got the picture, and it looks like the angle was even perfect.
"Good job getting a nice photo with the unsteadiness of my back."
"...Your footing was excellent… You didn't shake as much…"
"Oh, really? That's great then."
And now for the part that neither of us had planned for. Taking a picture of the inside.
We weren't going to enter the gate, that's why I had Kiyama on my back in the first place anyway. But we still didn't know what was going on inside that taking a peak was risky in and of itself.
We slowly and quietly approached a nearby wall, tip-toeing to avoid any noise, and when we got close enough, we pressed our ears against the wall to listen to any sound that may be found inside.
And lo and behold, we heard some scraping sounds. It sounded like someone, or for that matter, a group of people were raking the inner garden, presumably from the mess that was yesterday.
"...Watson, lift me up a bit…"
"Got it"
Now it was time for actually seeing what it's like inside and taking the picture. We only needed a few since Asahi can't print a lot at once in the newspaper. Actually, she might only need one.
"There you go…"
Now that I've felt it, Kiyama doesn't feel too heavy to carry. That small body of hers is a blessing in disguise.
"Do you see anything?"
"...hmmm…"
I couldn't see anything from below, but to me it seems like for now, she's observing the grounds like a hawk.
And not too long after, I heard mumbling from the other side. It sounded like a conversation, but I couldn't make anything out. All I heard was the sound of a child and a grown adult, that's it.
I would assume it was the host and his son, as those two were the only ones who were a likely candidate. However, as though it was only my assumption, I thought those two wouldn't be on good terms with each other, yet the tones of the voices don't seem to indicate any sort of rage, in fact, they seem to be getting along together.
And I even heard laughter.
"Holmes, what do you see?"
I quietly whisper
"... A happy memory is being created…"
She replied, followed by a soft giggle.
I could only assume what she meant from that remark, and not to mention that giggle. I couldn't see what her face was making, but deep down inside I was sure it was joy.
The host of the house must have been too busy dealing with his own problems that he never spent any time with his family. I don't know where his wife is, but I know where his son is, and how he's feeling.
Though the disturbance of the swarm of cats yesterday was a curse, it was also a blessing in disguise.
Otto von Bismarck of Prussia united the many German states by making them work together to defeat a common enemy, namely, the French. and that's exactly what's happening right now.
They were now working together under a harsh attack from the cats, and now must work together to clean the mess. And in that process, they ended up spending time together.
Kiyama must've noticed it too.
"...Watson, I think we can go back now… one photo is enough, I presume."
"Alright, let's go back."
We both didn't want to get in their way, so we rushed out of there as quickly as possible, and as quietly as possible. We retrieved the wheelchair, and took a slow walk back to school as my legs became pretty tired.
Back to the club room we go.
And this time, the sun was still up.
~~~PART 5~~~
"Yo, Asahi! We're back… Oh, she's not here."
Upon entering the club room once more, with the sun casting down its golden rays bestowing us its heat,
our director was nowhere to be seen.
Kiyama didn't think much of the quiet room and quickly went to her desk after entering, setting down her phone and pulling out a laptop in her bag.
"...I'm gonna quickly edit all of what we have before she comes back…"
While she had something to do, I did not.
The laptop booted up with the sound of its fans empowering the entire room, Its loud humming echoed the walls. And it startled me a bit and even made me jump.
"...Sorry, it's always been like this…"
"Oh, it's fine. Once you're distracted you won't notice it anyway."
Her noticing my cowardly side was admittedly slightly embarrassing. However, a simple cough does the trick of moving on.
And now comes the time for me to find something to distract myself so I wouldn't notice the fan. I couldn't remember Asahi mentioning anything else other than to retrieve more photos, so technically my job here is done.
So I landed my curiosity on the intriguing bookshelf once more, still wanting to know what its content was like and what kind of collection I might find.
So for the third, yet certainly not the last time, I went to the bookshelf to grab a book, only to notice the sound of footsteps quickly running down the hallway outside and being recoiled at the sound of the door banging open.
"Huff…Oh great you're here! Sora-chan I'm gonna borrow Izumi real quick, you continue doing what it is you're doing."
"...ah… Alright…"
Asahi rushed in after her dash to the clubroom.
And of course, she grabbed me by the color and pulled me out of the room and into the hallway immediately where I was dragged with little to no freedom of movement.
You cannot go against fate, is what I've learned twice today. If the fourth and fifth time I don't reach the bookshelf and get distracted by something, I'll label that thing as cursed.
"Listen here Izumi, those two aren't the top of the town for nothing. They're really smart I'll tell 'ya. I need your help."
"*cough* *cough* ok I get it… But please release me first…!"
Her pull was tighter than it was the other day, I could barely breathe much from that and was seconds away from fainting.
She did eventually release her grip immediately and kept walking until we're both out of the school grounds and on our way down to the town streets.
Luckily there wasn't anyone around this time to see me like that.
"Hey, I've been wondering about this for a while now, but why do you wear your coat like that?"
A random thought popped up in my head while leisurely walking. Right after school ended was when she began wearing that coat and hat combo, and I've never seen anyone wearing their coats like that.
"Well it kinda looks like a cape doesn't it? It feels cooler that way. And besides, I feel more comfortable wearing it like this especially in summer."
Her answer made me all the more curious about her sense of fashion. From the outside, she does look like one of those working class adults from 1920s America, and her uniform she's wearing is a perfect contrast to her western attire.
"Enough of that, we need to stay focused. I already know where they'll go next because I ruined their plans yesterday and I overheard them, but they didn't go down without a fight. If we underestimate them again, we'll be in trouble."
"...I think you mean 'you' underestimate them."
I had decided that I would join the club, so I swear I wouldn't yell or moan during this whole thing. But circumstances may change my perspective. Like for example, right now.
We made it to somewhere on the edge of town. Not too far to be in the forest -Thank god- but not too close to have multiple buildings side by side of each other. Yet, the path is still paved, and there's a huge river flowing through on the side.
To describe this street, it's like a really long park. Food vendors on the side selling street foods, and park benches for resting spots.
It doesn't take long for anyone to realize the beauty of this river was perfect for a couple gathering with how wide it is, and not to mention being surrounded by natural growth for a little privacy.
Which leads to the conclusion that any boy and girl seen here would be a couple according to Asahi -despite how many people there are here-. As we were both hiding on a tree, sitting on one of its branches, we waited until our targets arrived.
"So we really are just stalking them huh?"
"Nonsense! We're just taking documented pictures of two people without their consent. Nothing wrong with that if you want to write a story for a newspaper. Journalists do this kinds of things all the time!"
"There are multiple things wrong with that statement."
"It's fine! it's fine Izumi! I've been doing this for a really long time, and I still have all my fingers and eyeballs attached."
Please don't say something scary like that with that cheery face of yours.
I couldn't really do anything when it's with Asahi. She always has the lead and I'm just her pet being dragged around. What was originally her own investigation that I thought had nothing to do with me, does indeed have something to do with me.
And when life hits you like that, you just have to say 'it is what it is' and move on.
Afterall, Winston Churchill once said: 'If you're going through hell, keep going'
"Oh, I see them! Izumi, get the camera ready!"
A boy and a girl of our age were seen walking on the river bed, her excitement bounced off the tree branch and shook the tree a little bit. With a goal in mind I couldn't just do this half assed.
Since I'm already dragged into this, I might as well complete her irritating tasks with everything I got.
Who knows, there might be a reward for getting this right.
With my newfound determination, I ready myself for Asahi's next instructions, patiently waiting for something to happen.
This might actually be fun.