—There doesn't seem to be chaos, why are they evacuating?.— I ask.
—This must be serious.— IA says when we see military vehicles arriving at the scene... there are soldiers, not just police.
—Could it be a murder or a terrorist threat?.— Judy asks, watching the armed soldiers, they are the self-defense forces.
They're closing the last fences near us, causing some people to come out.
—Please, you must leave the area. A satellite has reached the end of its life and may impact this area. We have enclosed it for safety. You may see flashes in the sky.— One of the policemen speaks through a megaphone.
IA looks at me without saying anything, and we continue walking on the opposite side of the fences.
—Why the army then?.— IA asks and continues
—When a satellite is nearing the end of its operational life, it's either sent to a graveyard orbit or allowed to burn up in the atmosphere. Even if it had navigation failure, it's still strange, wouldn't police and firefighters be enough?, if the area is already evacuated, why the military force?.— IA ponders aloud, looking at the soldiers and the blocked streets.
The soldiers stand beside the barriers, their faces uncovered but carrying assault rifles, a clear message of "no one should pass".
From what I see in the distance, there are two per street, not a whole regiment, but still the military.
IA stops and makes eye contact with Judy.
—What was that look?.— I ask..
—...…— None of them say anything..
—Do you really think of going in?, the satellite thing probably isn't true, it must be a bomb or a killer, that's why the military. — I say.
—A bomb in Japan?.— Judy asks rhetorically with disbelief.
—Located in a residential area?, and how did they find it so easily?, could it really be a killer or terrorists?.— IA continues.
—Why make such a fuss over a satellite?.— Judy adds..
I narrow my eyes, looking through one of the large fences blocking the accesses and streets, thinking and analyzing the situation.
Although all this is strange, the possibility of danger is there, but it doesn't make sense to put a bomb in such a place, where there aren't many people.
—This is not the place for an explosion, and if they were terrorists or a killer, they would have been caught or we would hear gunshots.— I say.
—What does that give us in conclusion?.— IA hugs Judy from behind, separating her from me, and they both look at me smiling.
—It must be something very big for the Japanese government to make such a circus.— Judy says.
—Are you coming?.— IA asks me seriously.
—You're crazy, they could kill us, you know?.— I respond, at the same time I examine the place thinking about where we could enter.
—Knowing you, you would just say "no", so we'll take that as a "yes".— IA says, smiling.
—I don't think they'll let us pass with the excuse of "I forgot something". Besides, none of us have an address on that side, and they've blocked access to the school.— I say as we walk down the street and I turn to look back.
—Mmmh..I think we're right to assume that something strange is happening.— IA says, looking at the sky.
Following her gaze and the sound I heard earlier, I see a helicopter, not a rescue or reconnaissance one... I don't know the model, but it's clearly a combat helicopter... on the sides, you can see machine guns and missiles... It flies above us towards the custody area.
—Whatever we're going to do, we must hurry.— I say, following the helicopter with my eyes.
—I'll go talk to that policeman.— IA says and runs towards an officer patrolling the sidewalk.
—Officer, is a satellite really going to fall?.— I can hear IA asking, the man only has a small-caliber gun and his typical uniform, he must be from the town.
—Ah..yes, that's what the government told us. You should go in the opposite direction, to the park. No one is allowed to pass.— The officer replies, he seems friendly, although I don't know if he's lying or really knows nothing.
—Why the army then?.— IA continues.
—I couldn't tell you. They arrived suddenly a few minutes ago with foreign scientists and had us fence off the entire area. They brought all these fences in trucks and they soon plan to prevent anyone from leaving their house or even evacuate the entire town.— The officer kindly replies.
Foreign scientists?, the entire town?, what harm can the remains of a satellite do?, why do they need a combat helicopter for that?. I don't think he knows anything, they must have told him about the satellite just like they did to the evacuees, or he wouldn't give us this information. It's more common to lie to lower-ranking security personnel than to tell them the truth, this seems to be the case. And all of this was happening while IA was sleeping.
Observing the officer's body language carefully, we approached with Judy, holding hands from the other side of the street.
—Foreign scientists?... wasn't it a bomb squad?.— IA asks him with disbelief but obvious curiosity, considering that he has not made a mistake, and to rule out a possibility.
—No, no, they were foreigners, I saw them when they got out and they were speaking in another language, English I suppose, not sure though.— The officer explains freely, despite us not being far from a soldier, far enough so that he wouldn't hear us, but the policeman doesn't bother to lower his voice. Could it be that the military doesn't know what's going on either?.
—Thank you, officer.— IA says, closing her eyes. She seems grateful for the honesty and trust of the policeman.
—Thanks.— I add.
—Don't mention it, just remember to go towards the park, you can't pass through here, the satellite could fall at any moment.— The officer's last words as he continues walking towards the top of the hill.
Without saying anything, we return to the other side of the street again so as not to attract attention. It's evident that we've known each other for a long time because we think very similarly, neither of us said that we should go back.
—That was weird, very weird.— IA says, walking slowly by my side, and continues.
—Do you think the military doesn't know anything either, Razar?, if the officer was lying, he wouldn't have mentioned the foreigners.— IA also noticed that the officer didn't seem to mind speaking loudly.
—It's hard to believe, although if "the orders come from above" they wouldn't ask questions. Maybe their job is just to escort those scientists and make sure nobody enters... or leaves.— I say seriously.
—And how are we supposed to get through?.— I add as we descend some stairs.
—If we had decided earlier, when we were at school, entering through the forest would be easy, but it's already closed.— IA says.
—We'll just have to go back to the top of the hill like I do... I knew it, you can't live without me, Razar.— Judy says confidently..
—Haha, you're right... that must be the only way. If we keep walking, we'll just find the same thing, everything blocked off and men with guns.— I say..
—"Grand opening of coffee shop -Coffee Shop-" hahah, is the coffee shop really called "Coffee Shop". Seems like your idea, Razar.— Judy says while reading a flyer stuck on a lamppost as we walk down the stairs, it has simple drawings of a girl with pink hair and another girl with long light blue pigtails.
—We would go today, but I think we have something more important to do.— I tell Judy, petting her head.
—We'll take a detour and go up from the other side.— IA says.
—Agreed.— I say.
—Meow...meow..— Some cats appear meowing before we advance.
—Sorry, kittens, I don't have food with me.— IA says.
—Do they eat chocolate?.— Judy asks jokingly.
—A new one shows up every week.— I say, and watch them pass by on the sidewalk as they realize that IA is in a hurry, they are pretty smart.
—I'll come back later with food.— IA says.
Initially, there was only one cat, but IA insisted on feeding them, and now there are almost 20, they've claimed this street as their territory.
We turn right, heading towards where the sun is close to the horizon, and start running. We only went down three blocks including the stairs, it's not much, we'll be able to get there before nightfall.
—I'm worried that they might have considered someone taking a detour through that place.— Judy says.
—They must believe that there is no one so crazy, but they also don't want to take risks, the problem with that is that they have been here for a short time, they have just closed that place, the most feasible thing is that if they had assumed it, the security would not be the same.— I say as we keep running.
A military transport passes in front of us, and the soldiers look at us, but we don't stop, it would be more suspicious if we suddenly stopped. Their thought must be something like "I'm a soldier and they looked me in the eyes, they wouldn't dare do something they shouldn't, they're running to another place.". A few glances between IA and me are enough to understand what we're thinking.
—As expected.— Judy says when we reach the limit of the residential area.
From below, it could be seen that it wasn't closed off, but there are military, they're just standing there doing nothing more than making sure nobody passes.
It was to be anticipated that they would consider this route, but they didn't have time to block it completely.
I can hear the helicopter returning, it's making rounds, I'd say. More suspicious is impossible.
IA stops with us, and walks in front of me, she must be thinking of a way to get through without being bothered.
—Now, Razar, you go, you hit him, and we run.— Judy says.
—Hahah, just like that?.— I ask laughing.
—Just like that.— Judy replies.
—Hahah.— IA laughs lightly at the joke.
—Just leave it to me.— Judy says, smiling confidently.
—He must be another perverted lolicon who should go to jail like you.— She adds, walking towards the soldier who is about 10 meters away from us..
—There was no need to say it like that.— I joke, seeing her small body from behind.
—Aren't you going to stop her?.— I ask IA.
—I could ask you the same thing.— IA replies.
We both start walking behind Judy but without saying anything.
—Hey, lolicon!, I'll give you some of this chocolate if you let me into my house.— Judy says to the soldier, taking out a piece of chocolate from her bag that IA had given her.
Hahah, was that the plan?... The soldier doesn't respond, he looks down to see her and then returns his gaze forward. After all, Judy just looks like a little girl, if you didn't know her, you would say she's like any other girl her age.
I approach Judy from behind, putting my hand on her head. This isn't really her house. Judy is an orphan just like IA and me, but she doesn't have guardians, she lives alone in her own house. That's why she visits me so often, every day, all the time... and without warning.
—I see them.— The soldier says.
But he didn't say it because of us, he's looking in the opposite direction of "the zone" I can see two vehicles driving towards where we are, they look military, but unlike the others, they're black and driving very fast.
—You must leave the area, the town will be evacuated until it's safe.— The soldier says, still not looking me in the eyes, his gaze fixed on the two approaching vehicles.
—!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!—
A loud noise is heard from the closed zone, and I turn towards the source of the sound.
..Was it an explosion?..
—!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!—
...What was that?…
I open my eyes at the situation. A much stronger one is heard again, of such magnitude that a gust of wind reaches us, the surprise makes it feel like everything shook. It was in the sky, it was like a semitransparent shockwave even though there's nothing in the air. The helicopter has stopped and the situation has caught the attention of the soldiers.
I look at IA seriously, trying to tell her that this might be our opportunity, she doesn't say anything, she understood me. We approach the space between two houses with the supposed goal of not getting in the way of the vehicles passing rapidly in front of us after the second loud noise.
—What the hell was that?.— The soldier near us asks, running towards his comrade.
IA was attentive and enters the small alley between two houses, since they have brick walls, they can't see us, and with Judy holding my hand, we manage to create an opening and enter. They'll be talking for a few seconds, enough time to assume that we've left and not that we're still here.
—What was that explosion?, and are those the foreigners?, more scientists?.— I hear one of the soldiers asking.
—I don't know... but they're driving too fast just to transport academics.— His companion replies.
I assumed that style of vehicle wasn't Japanese, and they seem to be the type that carries several units in the back, like vans.
—IA, are you sure about this?, I don't want anything to happen to you and Judy, my prejudice isn't the armed forces, it's whatever might happen in that place.— I say to IA, narrowing my eyes, showing my concern for them.
IA smiles and approaches me, leaving her hand on my cheek.
—We'll always be together, right?. You know I'd go to the ends of the universe if necessary.— IA says.
—Mmmh.— I express in agreement.
Judy just closes her eyes and leans her face against me.
We all remain silent and reach the end of the alley, there's a high brick wall that contains the forest area. I bend down to help IA by taking her waist so she can climb the wall of one of the houses, luckily, she's very light.
Once she is up, it is Judy's turn, she extends her arms to me and I pull her up in the same way and IA also helps her.
Both of them enter the forest which is slightly above the wall, as for me, I climb on my own.
They hide behind some trees, luckily, the bushes are green, making it easier to hide. Soon, we're all in the forest, nobody saw us, I suppose, or they would have called us, and the sound of the helicopter is still far away.
—What was that loud noise?.— I ask, looking at the ground to avoid tripping.
—It wasn't an explosion, there was nothing, but a slightly transparent shockwave was seen in the sky, maybe our "satellite" caused it.— IA replies, taking my hand as I help her climb a slope on the path between roots and old branches.
—Ahhh..the strange things you make me do..but I can't deny that my heart raced when I heard and saw that shockwave.— I sigh, my curiosity is intense.
—Whose idea was it to wait for those two vans to serve as a distraction?.— IA says with a smile as we walk quickly through the forest.
Judy is in front because she knows this place the best.
—Surely Razar planned this to kidnap us and do weird stuff to us..— Judy says.
— Hahah, how does that make me look, Judy?.— I laugh slightly.
As we walk, we see the school building. The colors of IA's and Judy's clothes don't help with camouflage, but everyone is looking in the opposite direction and we're far enough away, making nature our ally.
—This way I came today.— Judy says, pointing to the ground, taking a few steps back, and taking my hand. It's very rare for her to stray far from me, she must see me platonically or as a relative, perhaps a father.
Exiting the forest to move faster, we run behind the school where the incinerator is, everything seems quiet.
Without saying anything, we cross the building and venture back into the trees. Now that I think about it, I don't hear a single insect or bird... there's no wind either.
Slowing our pace when we're far enough from the fences, we peek through the edge of the vegetation, checking how safe it will be to descend without being seen.
—I'll go first.— I say without raising my voice. There doesn't appear to be anyone nearby, but the situation is becoming a bit paranoid.
I jump onto the roof of a house, there's not much difference in height, which makes it convenient, and being a roof with two sides, I can hide simply by leaning.
—IA.— I say, extending my arms towards her.
Without saying anything, IA jumps and I catch her to stabilize her body, at the same time she hides and looks around, most likely searching for a way to descend.
Judy is the last one, she's very light so I catch her in the air.
—Kyaaaa..— Judy whispers with an exaggerated expression..
—Thank goodness there are no dogs.— IA says, looking at the ground, and continues.
—Razar, hold me while I climb down the wall.— IA looks at me, near the edge of the roof.
I take her hands while she searches for the surface with her feet.
—Done.— IA says, and when I let go of her, she walks towards a brick grill in the corner, finally making her way to the ground.
—Judy, I'll go down first and you'll jump from the roof, kay?, I'll catch you again.— I say, putting my hand on her head.
—If you want to hug me that much, there's no need to pretend, Razar.— Judy says with a little laugh..
I smile and follow the same steps as IA, who is watching the street to assess the scenario we're in.
Without saying anything, I tilt my head, extending my arms upwards. Judy jumps without hesitation. I easily catch her, wrapping my arms around her, she looks a bit blushed. I take her hand, and we walk towards IA.
—Strangely, there are no police or military on this side, at least not on this street.— IA says, peering from the sidewalk, looking into the distance.
—So, if we're careful with the helicopter, we could walk without a problem, the houses will prevent them from seeing us.— I say.
We leave the yard where we were examining the place to cross the street. Running swiftly until we reach the next intersection a few meters away, where there's no way they can see us from where they closed the accesses.
—What a strange view.— IA says once we can move freely.
She's right, there's no sound, and everything looks deserted.