~~~PART 1~~~
July 4th, for most of us, that is just another day on the calendar. But for the people living across the giant ocean, that means it's the time of year where you can blow up fireworks without getting the police called on you.
Last week had so many new things happening that I can't even begin to process what was going on. I had moved into this village only 8 days prior, yet it felt longer with how the length of each night became longer and longer than the previous.
Today was Monday, which meant a new issue of The Sunny Times was in print.
The Sunny Times July 4th
Mystery Behind Local Cats Gone Missing Solved!
The headline was plastered all over town as a way to attract attention to the club. We had a limit to how many we could print but even so the headline for this week's news was still abundant and people were genuinely reading it.
That last part was especially a shock to me as I thought people had moved on to digital when it comes to the news nowadays but I suppose the people here like to stay old-school like their buildings.
For your information, last week's issue was about some sports game that was going on around the area. I didn't pay much attention to it as I wasn't interested, in fact, I don't even know what game it was. However it did seem to me that a lot of people were gathering at the public billboard for the news.
I would also like to point out that last week I didn't have time setting up the newspapers around town. Asahi assigned me and Holmes to go investigate that mansion, so she was left alone to go put all 20 flyers, —technically it's a newspaper— all over every available public space.
However, since there are no investigations going on right now, we had the free time to help Asahi put up the flyers this time. Asahi gathered right somewhere in the main street in town the moment school ended and that is where we are now.
"Here you go. Izumi, Sora-chan, you two will handle the West side. Arisu, you're coming with me on the East side. Everyone got that?"
"Sure."
"...Roger…"
"Objective confirmed."
"Alright! Let's go! Mission, start!"
Once she had confirmation we were all ready she set us out to our next mission. She immediately dashed off right after, her left hand was holding Arisu's wrist and she vanished into the crowd not to be seen again ever (I wish).
"You ready, Holmes?"
"...Of course, my dear Watson..."
I held 10 flyers and Holmes had the remaining 10 flyers sitting on her lap as she sat on her wheelchair. It wasn't as if I was particularly busy or had anything planned but I really want to finish this as soon as possible.
But another thing was weighing on my mind.
I thought about it for a second how Holmes uses a wheelchair but she can use crutches just fine. That question remained in my head long enough that I started asking her about it.
"...Ah, if you're wondering about that. It's true that I can operate my crutches perfectly fine… But when you have the opportunity to sit everyday and wherever you go without much work while someone else helps you… It's a missed opportunity when you don't use it… Am I wrong…?"
Ooooh, so you're just lazy." I jokingly replied.
"Precisely."
Holmes could pick up on my jokes everytime and we both chuckle at the same time as a result.
The innocent conversation between me and Holmes reminded me of what Grandma had said yesterday.
Life is a balloon that tumbles or rises depending on what is inside. Fill it with hope and playful surprises, then you're in for a ride.
This laid back atmosphere I had with Holmes at the moment when the sun was still high above the sky was indeed pleasant. There are things you just can't experience if you don't leave your house often, and the pleasant nature of this village was one of the prominent examples of that.
When you can control your own life and fill your own playful surprises, suddenly it feels surprisingly comfortable.
If I had never met Asahi, I would've never had to go through any of those pesky and tiresome missions she had. However, if I had never met Asahi, I would also not have the initiative to go outside and witness this natural beauty of a view, and I would have never been able to meet Holmes either.
On the outside, she seemed like someone who keeps things to themselves, never really talking to anyone outside of their circle. But because we were in the same club, I had a reason to talk to her.
Life has more colors than black and white.
I suppose it's true that you cannot judge things the way they are. Hidden blessings and curses are everywhere, the only way to know them is to experience them firsthand.
As I was peacefully walking around the town center where most of the available billboards are, I was soon disturbed by the shouting of someone from behind.
"Heeey! Hey! You're Satori aren't you?"
I turned around to see who the culprit that made me and Holmes jump were, and it turns out that person was none other than the top student of the entire school, no, the prefecture, Kenshin Ando.
"Ah, hi there Ando, how are ya?"
"Pant… pant… S-Satori-kun… Where's Asahi?"
Ando came running at us when he saw the sight of two of the four members of The Sunny Times. And, just like before, he was searching for Asahi once again.
Hey now, if you're gonna keep going after another girl your girlfriend will get jealous.
"Asahi should be on the other side of the street" I replied.
"Damnit."
Having run all the way over to me he was already pretty exhausted, and with how crowded the market was at the time, it was even a pain to search for someone in this environment. Buildings were blocking the roads and making things out of sight for the plain eye. Her outfit is very unique and anyone would recognize it's her from a mile away because of that hat, but even the color of her hat blends together with the environment.
"Sigh… Anyway, relay her a message from the president of the student council. 'You have one more week of getting your fifth club member before your club's termination.' That is all."
Asahi had previously mentioned how the club needed 5 members to be able to get a position as an actual club in the student council's books. Whoever the head of the student council is must be pretty generous, giving her a lot of time before the termination.
Hell, I'd say they must be very unaware of the activities of The Sunny Times.
"Okay, sure, got it. By the way, who's the president of the student council?"
"Hm? Me, of course." Answered Ando.
"Huh?! Wait, you're the president?!"
I thought someone as smart and strict as Ando would've definitely laid some ground rules for Asahi in what she can and cannot do in the club. Or maybe he did and Asahi just ignored it completely and still got away with it, which was the most likely option.
"...Watson… Do you not know…?"
Holmes, who had been silently observing our conversation this whole time, now commented on my question that seemed to be a no brainer for anyone in school.
"S-s-Satori-kun! Y-y-y-you didn't know???"
Ando said in a panic over something that seems to be trivial, and honestly, not that important.
"Calm down buddy, I only transferred a week ago."
"...Watson, look… The damage is already done…"
Holmes pointed towards the ground, lower than where she is now, and what greeted me there was Ando on all fours banging the ground like his own desk.
"He… He doesn't recognize me…!"
"...Let me give you a lesson, my dear Watson… The president of the student council you see before you right now takes a lot of pride being the student council… You not being able to recognize him had greatly damaged his pride…"
"Does it really? What's so significant being the student council president anyway?"
"...My thoughts exactly… Ah, you made it worse…"
"Stop please…! No more…"
While Ando was having his own episodic seizure I simply walked out of the way with Holmes' wheelchair in hand and rolled our way out of there.
"Today I learned something new."
"...Quite the learning experience wasn't it…?"
We still had work given by Asahi to do so we thought we would finish that first before rendezvous and meeting Asahi back in the club room.
Today's mission was relaxing and I love the atmosphere this town brings. A very nice change of pace from all the running around missions Asahi loves so much. Me and Holmes collectively agreed to ignore what happened with Ando, and decided it was better to just laugh at the person when they're not present.
What's so good about being the student council president in some random village when you're the #1 highest ranking student in the whole prefecture?
~~~PART 2~~~
We finished our mission and made it back to the clubroom where 2 of the remaining members of The Sunny Times were waiting. We were immediately greeted when we turned the doorknob and entered.
"Yahoo! How'd it go?"
Asahi, being the only person in the room, greeted us at our arrival.
"It went fine."
"...Akagi-san… there's a message from Ando…"
First things first I assisted Holmes in and helped her sit down on a chair while she was the one to relay the message from our dear friend Ando.
"A week huh? That's awfully generous of him if I'm being honest."
"That's what I thought too."
"Maybe there's something to it… Or maybe not and I'm just overthinking it. Anyway! Izumi, tomorrow you and I are gonna go around the school at break to catch a new member!"
"Eh? Why am I dragged into this?"
For all of the previous times she had to find us a new member she always does it alone. Like with Arisu where she most likely just barged into the lower classes' room and kidnapped whoever had a high end camera.
"Tsk, tsk, tsk, we're not just gonna get any member, I need a certain special kind. Thus, I need your cooperation skills to catch our next one."
Perhaps everyone now raised their Asahi awareness level and stayed away from her incase they'd get kidnapped like Arisu. But Arisu seemed to be self volunteering here. Somewhere in my gut tells me she has other plans and an ulterior motive for bringing me along.
Last night I was able to pick up how Grandma reads other people's emotions. Their body language was the biggest factor. The tiniest movement we normal people do not notice was an important factor.
Things like where their focus is, if their eyes reacted a certain way, their tone of voice. Most people can't tell the difference and not notice them at all. We only get a certain feeling that something feels wrong, but when we're asked to pinpoint exactly what was wrong exactly, we can't.
Grandma also mentioned how 'eyes cannot tell lies' and most human reactions and emotion show through in their eyes. In fact, that was how she could tell I was lying the other day.
But Asahi wears sunglasses.
What does her eyes even look like right now?
Am I simply overthinking this?
I still can't read minds like Grandma, so I only have to put these feelings on hold.
Nevertheless, it was the first day of the week so Asahi went out to meet with her crows to gather more intel for next week's issue while the rest of us remained in the clubroom. There was nothing for us to do so we watched Arisu when he returned to perform magic tricks to pass the time.
His hand tricks were especially impressive. He might do a better Sleight of Hand trick than Asahi.
That night, dad wasn't drunk while crying like he always was.
Character progression! Nice one, dad!
~~~PART 3~~~
Nothing really happened that morning.
The same morning sequence was replaying like a broken record.
Aunt was making breakfast, dad is nowhere to be seen, and my back hurts.
Sitting at the same spot as I always do, I munch away at the food that had been prepared so kindly and neatly.
I don't really mind that everything was the same. However if I could change one thing about this breakfast scenario, it would be…
"So I've noticed that this entire week you've been making nothing but fish, huh."
"Sorry Izumi, it's one of the few dishes I can make…"
Aunt looked away from me out of embarrassment of being exposed. But I don't think it's necessarily a bad thing per say. It's just that a bit of variety would be much appreciated.
"Do you just exclusively buy fish at the market or something? I mean I'm not complaining about free meals for my stomach, but it would be more fun for you to make something different right?"
"I—I guess…A—Anyway, Izumi! Have you heard about the theater play that's live tonight? This village is known for its sake but the theatrical scene has been gaining a lot of popularity recently, you should check it out!"
"Oh you're talking about that one teather right? Yeah I know about that. I was planning to go to one on Saturday but that failed. I didn't know they perform on weekdays though."
"Yeah yeah, they do it pretty often. So if you're not busy, I recommend going there!"
Was it just me or does it feel like Aunt was trying to avoid something?
Well I might just be overthinking it since it's still early in the morning and both of our brains aren't fully awake yet. Either way the theater tonight sounds cool.
The rest of our meals were silent and I quickly finished not long after and went to school.
I wonder if I have to pay to get in or can I just tell Arisu to let me in. I'm one of the types of people that would try to spend as little money as possible, so please, be in my favor for once.
I had finally reached school after the annoying hike up a hill and the first thing I saw in my class was, of course, Asahi.
"Heyo Izumi! Don't forget about the mission this afternoon!"
She declared such a statement in the middle of the class for everyone to hear, so naturally, everyone froze. Everyone, including me.
To be honest, I completely forgot about it. I've forgotten about it until she says right in my face at least, so I stood there motionlessly with everyone else. But after a while, we all got back to our senses and people started whispering about us.
"Hey, what do you think she's gonna do?"
"Let's hope it doesn't involve us."
"What if it does?"
"I don't want to think of the horror!"
Damn this idiot.
I quickly walked over my way to Asahi to whisper some of my own insights on this matter.
"Why did you say that in front of everyone?!"
"Relax, relax, this was completely intentional. I'm still testing your capabilities afterall. If we went about this silently then it's going to be too easy for you. So I thought of making it slightly harder just for you."
She let out a tiny bit of her tongue out like a cat seemingly to tease me.
Damn her.
I don't even know what we're doing this afternoon.