I tried calling Sasaki's phone to no avail. I sent her some text messages as well, with similar results. Her phone had run out of battery, or so I hoped.
I don't remember exactly what I did after I arrived home. My throat was locked tight, and I trembled at the thought of the black slime residing in my insides. I didn't eat anything that day, and I could only slumber to my bed.
The rain hitting my bedroom window kept me up for most of the night. Every now and then I would slip into a dream. Too real to be a dream, too weird to be real.
I was kneeling on top of a dirty mat. The room was cold, but sweat was already trickling down my back. Laying in front of me was an Alien, her snow-like skin mostly covered by a ragged futon. She wasn't a person anymore, just something silent and waiting. Something discarded, decaying and crushed. I caressed her forehead before clenching my fist and looking forward. There, sat down against the wall, was the Devil. She rested her elbow on her knees, her hand covering her mouth. Next to her was a book. The angle didn't let me see the tile, but it was torn open, its pages scratched to shreds. I folded my hands into a fist and sprung forward -
- And I found myself flying through the city, a red aura helping me move through it. At first glance, due to the high altitude I was at, nothing looked amiss. As I focused, however, I noticed it. The city was illuminated by bright yet somehow formless giants, who demolished everything that stood in their paths. They didn't seem to be acting out of anger, pity or sadness. I noticed one of those giants was carrying something, and with a better look, it was a person. That giant moved erratically, its light was not blue but a light hue of orange. I flew towards that giant and -
- I plunged towards the ground at an incredible speed. I hit the concrete in the ground, yet it acted like thick, gelatinous liquid. I swam upwards. And though it looked more like climbing, I batted my arms around to no avail, the suffocation I was suffering feeling a bit too real. At the last moment, an arm appeared out of nowhere and I took it. My saviour was a girl, uncannily calm, surrounded by a still air so cold that even time slowed down around her. Kimidori.
She pulled me out of the concrete and into North High. It was empty. There were clear signs of some sort of commotion at the entrance, with shoes, clothing, backpacks, papers and books scattered all around.
"Even if I had direct orders to do so, I cannot help her, Kyon. We are in a similar position. No contact from the Data Overmind. Not even radiation giving away their existence. I am quite appalled by its destruction, and by my existence despite it. Without it, my purpose is directionless. My data jurisdiction isn't high enough to even try to combat this. It's disappointing, really. All this explosion of data is being wasted." Her legs gave up, buckling towards the ground but not losing direct eye contact with me. "I'll activate my emergency mode and wait for suitable parameters. I recommend she does the same. As for you, and all other beings on this planet, I'm sorry."
Her final message delivered, she collapsed to the ground. Everything around her slowly disintegrated and reappeared with another form. The books melted into sludge while the shoes sublimated away into a thick fog that started to swirl around her body. The ground itself was being restructured into a cage that fused itself against the walls and ceiling of the highschool. The sludge covered the gaps of the cage, like a kid shoving mud into a crack in the ground. I took a step back, dipping my foot deep into the slimy substance. It was warm, like a forgotten coffee in the middle of the kitchen. When it somehow got inside my shoes, I panicked. And when it started oozing into my own skin -
- I awoke on my bed, drenched in sweat. The cold air that suddenly froze my throat felt refreshing, and a reminder that I wasn't dreaming anymore. I clutched my stomach, reminding myself that I was free of that organic mass that smelled like rot. It was just a dream if a bit intense. It wouldn't do any good to find any other explanation.
Calm down. Breathe and calm down. Dreams never make sense.
The rain stopped briefly after a greying sort of sunrise, leaving me unable to go back to sleep. I checked my phone, but Sasaki hadn't answered my messages and hadn't called me either. It was rather soon, so I didn't think much of it at the time.
Accomplished, I slowly headed towards my desk, where a crumpled mess of objects was cast aside. Tachibana's number and that funny-looking orange ribbon. I let my body fall on the chair and wondered what to do. Kimidori and Tachibana were somehow related to all this mess. My gut feeling swayed me to distance myself from that twin-tailed girl, yet the air around her was clearly otherworldly.
My blurry eyes noticed something else besides the paper. It looked like lint, but upon further inspection, I noticed it was animal hair. Only one possible culprit. The stalking cat had entered my room. Turning towards my screen door, I didn't have to search much to see the cat curled up in a ball beside the curtains. The screen door was closed, so when did it enter?
As if it was reading my thoughts, the cat woke up, stretched with a healthy yawn and started scratching the balcony screen door. Compelled by the cuteness, I obliged and watched the cat jump towards the balcony rail before climbing above the house.
If all mysteries acted as cuddly, I wouldn't have to worry as much. However, once the charms ended I cursed under my breath. That damn stowaway had to be part of something greater.
Thrown out of my track of thought, I headed out of my room and had a simple breakfast. I couldn't enjoy my Sunday morning, being completely unable to shake off the intense feeling of paranoia creeping behind my back. In order to keep my mind busy, I surfed the TV news channels in search of anything regarding the poisonous coffee shop. The news, however, was as stale as ever. I even checked the cooking channel in desperation. It was like nothing was wrong in the world. Then the 24 Hour News Channel came along.
"-riously, the newfound galaxy has appeared suddenly and is visible to the naked eye under the right conditions. This phenomenon has stunned experts, as the galaxy has appeared out of nowhere, causing quite the ruckus in the astronomic field."
The picture provided by the TV crew left much to be desired. The small galaxy was situated between Vega and Altair, and was much smaller than them from our point of view. However, the spiral-shaped galaxy was lacking any type of core, almost like the black hole in the middle of it was somehow visible. It eerily resembled an eye.
"Kyo~n, I'm bo~red." My sister threw herself into the couch, sending the TV's remote control flying.
"Hey! Watch where you're sitting!" I managed to catch the remote mid-air. "Have you even had breakfast yet?"
"I did! I said good morning and everything. You're addicted to TV!" She managed to snatch the remote from my hands, and changed channels.
My protest was cut short as I realised that it was already 11 in the morning. My sense of time was completely out of place. At the very least, I had wasted some time while waiting for the world to start moving. Perhaps a bit too much.
"Ah yeah! Can you tell big sis Sasaki to come this Wednesday?" My sis rested her head on my lap, looking up with puppy eyes.
"I guess I can? What for?" I moved her out of the way, heading towards my bedroom.
"Bully! For my birthday!" With fake anger, she stuck her tongue out and rolled herself off the sofa.
"...I know, I know. I'll ask her right now." I excused myself while wiping away the sweat-bead that gave away my surprise.
I had completely forgotten about her birthday. I hadn't bought any presents for her either. I wanted to check the shops yesterday, but with all the drama going down it slipped my mind.
Hiding my haste, I slowly climbed the stairs and entered my room not too much later. Sasaki hadn't made any attempt to answer me, so I figured it wouldn't do any good to call her again. Trying to ease my stress, I scrolled through my contact list in hopes of Sasaki's home number magically appearing. But since she only used that phone to call my own house phone, I was out of luck.
It was then that my peripheral view noticed Tachibana's number in the table. After a single moment of doubt, I typed the number.
I had already tapped the contact button when I realised that I wasn't sure of what to ask of her.
"How many times do I have to tell you? I'm doing everything I can! I cannot keep fighting like…" Tachibana's snappy tone subsided when she realised I wasn't who she thought.
She quickly apologised after the fact, and I hurriedly introduced myself.
"Oh, you're the student with the noble name, I wasn't expecting your call. I'm sorry for lashing out before, it's been a rough night. So what is it that you desire from me?" Her demeanour was much calmer and collected than she was moments before.
"I'm not sure how to explain this, but what you said when we met. About being surrounded by madness? Let's say I bumped into it. And I need answers before I go crazy."
"Bumped into it? That's… Although I can't say you haven't piqued my curiosity, today's schedule is rather tight. Be a bit more specific, what do you want me to do?"
I mulled over everything that had transcended over the past few days. I couldn't just ask her to explain what was happening in the world, she didn't seem interested. I only had one solid lead, one name.
"Emiri Kimidori. That girl is connected to what happened to me."
Only Tachibana's restrained soft breaths could be heard for a few long seconds.
"...Where do you want to meet up?"
Tachibana recommended meeting up at a footbridge close to my home, barely five minutes away. The cloudy dark weather from yesterday still lingered in the skies and it didn't seem it was going to clear up any time soon.
As soon as I left the house, the cat appeared in front of me. It didn't try to stop me or anything like that, but it continued to follow me until it escaped my sight. It could still be around, but there was no way for me to know.
I had crossed that footbridge many times, more than I could count. It crossed over a secondary road in the middle of a residential zone, which was a shortcut towards the station. It couldn't be much longer than twenty or twenty-five metres. The years were starting to take a toll on many of the tiles, but the damage was mostly aesthetic. The handrail, while exposed in some places, still had its original paint coat over it and I trusted the strength of the steel in case of any emergency. The traffic below the bridge was low, as usual in a residential area. Following the road, you could see the mist and pollution that surrounded the downtown, sometimes with the blue hue of the sea behind it. Not too long after my overview, the slow figure of a girl climbed up the stairs at the other end of the bridge. Her sweatsuit was messy like it had been drenched in sugar water and dried in a very quick manner, leaving it hard and tacky.
She greeted me good morning, perhaps not knowing the hour, and called me by my name. It was strange to hear someone say it, but anything was better than Kyon.
Tachibana's cheerful voice couldn't hide her sluggish steps and bags below her eyes. The slight curve on her lips barely resembled a smile. Much like in our first meeting, it looked like she hadn't slept in days, running on fumes.
"It's been a while. Sorry that I had to come like this, I was going for a run." Her smooth words almost convinced me that she was telling the truth. "And who's the little guy?" She pointed between my legs.
My mind went through several emotions ranging from surprise, then shame, followed by confusion and finally to anger when I realised the fuzzy stalker standing right behind me. I moved towards the railing in surprise, letting the cat move freely.
"I didn't know people took cats out for walks as well. Can I pet her? Pretty please?" Tachibana's high voice suddenly reminded me of my sister. Though they looked nothing like each other, the infatuation with animals and hairstyles were messing with my perception.
"It's not my cat. In fact, it's the closest thing I have to a sworn enemy."
She didn't seem to have listened to my complaints. She crouched down and tried to pet the stalker. However, as I had experienced, it was a slippery animal and avoided her touch.
"Your sworn enemy? This fuzzball? She seems to quite like you." Tachibana tried a few more times to pet it, but the cat was too nimble and moved away.
"Don't be swooned by the cuteness. The first time I bumped into it, I almost had an accident." I tried to explain myself but Tachibana just giggled with a glint in her eyes. It was cute.
"Really?" The mysterious girl gave up on the cat and finally rose to my level. "Don't tell me, you also dislike western music because you don't understand it?"
Her correct guess was written all over my face. "...I don't dislike the tunes, I'm just not good at English. I prefer to at least have some understanding of what I'm listening to." I remembered chatting about this with Sasaki and Kanekawa.
"That's a convoluted way of saying yes! So you get frustrated because you don't understand it, just like the calico cat." I looked back at the culprit, and it was warily suspicious Tachibana. "You two started on bad terms so now you're on guard. Loose up a little bit. There's no point in fighting. She probably just wants some refuge and food and in return, you get some cuddly moments."
"You sound like a broker. Getting ready to enter business studies?" I finally said, cracking a smile.
"I'm not really that good. I just don't like seeing people getting so worked up over petty things." Seeing Tachibana talking like a normal person was somewhat rewarding, she almost looked normal. In fact, while her body was clearly tired and beaten, she still tried to act as normal as she could. Like a tired puppy still trying to play even though they're tired, Tachibana's attitude was adorable.
Bored by our conversation, the cat walked back a few meters, two or three, before tensely staring at Tachibana once again. Maybe the cat felt threatened or she really disliked the girl's touchy hands.
"How do you know it's a female cat, by the way? You don't really look like an animal person." She genuinely smiled at my question.
"Call it a sixth instinct. Besides, male calico cats aren't common. Anyways, you didn't call me for a biology lesson, did you? Quite the coincidence that something supernatural happened right after we met, don't you think?"
I wasn't sure if it was a direct question, but I chose to interpret it as a statement. I seized the chance and explained everything surrounding Café Dream, the beverage and the parasite. I deemed Tachibana's demeanour as genuine, but that was her previous cuteness trying to lure me. She was diligently listening until I mentioned the parasite and what it did. The change was subtle. The scripted nods made me aware that she wasn't listening, but what really brought her lack of attention to my notice was her eyes. They were blank, staring in the distance as her mind had completely shut down. At first, I believed it was her exhaustion, but it was a completely deliberate action. When I finished my story, her eyes suddenly gained the lucidity that had been lost.
"That's quite the story." She avoided my eyes before turning. "But I'm more interested in the fact that you noticed something was amiss. Your body, at the very least. I don't really sense anything special from you though… Oh, don't take that as an insult." Tachibana leaned into the railing of the bridge, tired from standing up.
"Are you a psychic or something?" She almost snapped her neck as I mentioned it, her eyes wide and drilling holes in my head. Her agitated motion was dispelled by a quick, hollow laugh. I didn't find it very amusing.
"That's funny, maybe I am. Let's say I have some abilities that make me stand out from the rest. What else can you tell me about that day? Perhaps something that triggered your hyperawareness of the situation?"
Tachibana didn't seem concerned at all about the parasite if she had even listened to that part. She was focused on me. And that 'hyperawareness' that she was talking about was definitely raising some red flags about the twin-tailed girl. She clearly wasn't all that… mentally well.