Mika took several cautious steps, unsure of how to proceed. The tension in the air was palpable, full of something she couldn't quite name—despair, surrender, or tragedy. She had never seen her teacher like this. He was usually the picture of energy and intensity, something that she frequently admired, even envied, without realizing it. Now, though, he seemed half-dead: haggard, his energy drained, and his stare empty.
"I—" Mika hesitated, feeling her throat tighten. "I saw the note. The class... canceled." Her voice faltered at the last word. There was no reply, so she forced out a question: "What happened?"
Kenji Matsuda didn't answer right away. He just sat there, his hands resting on his knees, his face drawn in a way that made her heart ache. It was as though his very spirit had been crushed. Finally, he spoke, his voice hoarse.
"It's all over," he said, his gaze drifting away from her. "You should leave."
Mika's heart stuttered. "What do you mean? What is over?" She waited impatiently. "You mean your school?"
Kenji sighed heavily, lowering his head back again. "Everything. My whole life. My business, my reputation... everything." He paused, his shoulders slumping further. "There is nothing left, Mika, go home."
Heavy silence filled the room.
Mika took another desperate step. "But how? What happened?"
Kenji's voice was low and bitter. "Ryuji Takahashi."
Mika's confusion deepened. "Who is Ryuji Takahashi, and what has he done to you, Matsuda-san?"
Kenji gave a hollow laugh. "What hasn't he done to me! Ryuji Takahashi is the bane of my existence. My arch-nemesis, who has finally succeeded in destroying me."
"Nemesis? But why? I could never imagine that you would have... enemies."
He strained to turn his head toward Mika again. "I have no idea why. All I know is that ever since we met, he had been looking for ways to bring me down. Finally, he did."
Mika's heart sank as she moved closer to her teacher. "Who is he, Matsuda-san?"
Kenji took a deep breath. "He is evil personified." He glanced at Mika and must've noticed her complete bewilderment, because he reluctantly added. "A very successful businessman. A man with connections, money, power, and no scruples."
Mika lowered herself helplessly not far from her teacher. "Ryuji Takahashi," she repeated the name that sounded eerie to her.
"Don't!" Kenji Matsuda suddenly exclaimed.
Shocked, Mika looked over at him. The teacher's face was as white as a sheet of paper, but his eyes now burned with anger. "Please," he said in a lower voice, "don't mention this name in my house ever again."
"Of course, teacher," mumbled Mika. "I'm sorry."
"The person who bankrupted me, who left me with no future, doesn't deserve to be called by his name. He should simply be called Evil."
Mika felt a spasm of helplessness. She couldn't fathom what it must feel like for her teacher to have everything slip away. "But... what are you going to do now?"
Kenji closed his eyes for a moment, as if shutting out the world. "Nothing. I've fought so hard for so long, I have no will to do anything. I'm... done."
Mika stared, sympathy welling up inside her.
"Ending it all would've been the easiest," he said, not addressing Mika, but as if into the void. "I thought about it. But that would give him too much satisfaction. That's really that only reason that stopped me. Still, I'd like to disappear, to be far away from all the people. I'm going to leave Kyoto. I'll find a menial job in a village up the coast." He glanced around. "I started packing my things. But I won't need them anymore, so what's the point. I'll just throw them away."
Mika glanced at the precious books dumped on the floor, horrified.
"No, you can't throw away these books!" she said. "They are part of something. They are your history, too, Matsuda-san. You can't throw it away." Mika met her teacher's gaze. "You can't give up just like that. You can't let him win, Matsuda-san!"
Kenji gave a faint, helpless smile. "You're a kind girl, Mika. Kind and naïve. What can I possible do? There is no way back for me."
What do I do now?
Mika took a deep breath and instinctively touched her amulet. The weight of it made her more confident. As soon as she touched it, she felt a sudden energy spreading from the amulet, reigniting Mika's belief.
"There is always a way, Matsuda-san," she whispered, and then cleared her throat and spoke firmer and louder. "Let me help you. You'll think of something, all you need is time."
Kenji stared at her for a long moment, his eyes filled with a mixture of sadness and something else—something unreadable.
I have to find a way to convince him.
"You want to disappear – I'll help you," Mika said, without thinking. Words were popping into her head out of nowhere. "But you don't have to leave Kyoto to disappear. Things are best hidden in plain sight. Stay, but be invisible. I really need your help. I know you're very tired, so I'll explain everything tomorrow. But just promise me that you'll help me. I can promise you that I'll help you find a way to defeat Ryuji Takahashi and get everything that's rightfully yours back!"
Mika felt her amulet warmth, and it reassured her and calmed her down.
I feel that he will stay.
Kenji's eyes flickered. "Don't give me a false hope, Mika," he stammered.
"Trust me," Mika looked at him as intently as she could.
He gazed at her. They remained silent for a long while before he finally sighed. "Hide in plain sight… At least, it's worth a try."
Mika smiled.
I can't believe I did it!
She secretly felt her amulet with her fingers and thought of the witch.
It's just possible that it has the power that she talked about.
"I'll help you pack the boxes," said Mika, getting up.
"You don't have to do it, Mika," Kenji's objection felt half-hearted to her.
"I promised you I'd help," she said. "I'll start small."
And she began collecting the books from the floor with great care, under the stupefied and elated gaze of her teacher. He remained motionless for a few minutes, but then got up and joined in the packing.