Fic for ltgmars! (Part 2 of 5)
Fic for ltgmars (Part 2 of 5)
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VII
Two days after the night they had spent in Tokio, Ikuta and his co-workers finally decided to pay a visit to Sakamoto. They originally wanted to go earlier, eager to unveil more of the mystery, but Yoko was too hung over to even walk. Looking at his condition, Ikuta made a mental note to be the questioner next time. After getting two more pieces of information from Kokubun, he was forced to go home only wearing his boxers.
Surprisingly, Sakamoto’s new workplace was located at the center of a neighboring town, proudly standing in the middle of a luxurious tourist attraction complex. Kokubun wrote the address on a piece of paper, and they noticed that it was, in fact, an aquarium attraction only after they stood in front of the building. As soon as they opened the door, Ikuta’s mouth fell open. They were standing in an enormous lobby with a highly polished black marble floor and a fountain made from the same material at its center. Taking a few steps further, Ikuta noticed that the fountain was surrounded by several statues of water creatures: fishes, eels, crabs, sea horses. In the middle of the circular pool, stood statues of Merpeople and sea monsters the size of a human. Glancing up, Ikuta saw the largest, tallest, most spacious aquarium he had ever seen. He stepped back, feeling himself drowned by all the blue.
Ikuta nudged Aiba. “What kind of creature is this Sakumoto?”
Aiba whispered, “A hippocampus, I believe.”
Ikuta murmured back, “No wonder he changed his job. This place is closer to his true environment.”
Aiba nodded approvingly.
Yoko came towards them. “The receptionist said we could go to Sakamoto’s office on the 2nd floor.”
“What did you tell her?” Ikuta asked.
“The truth. I said we were sent here by Sakamoto’s best friend, Kokubun. Sakamoto immediately asked us to come up. Apparently, Kokubun sang here every night as a part of the attraction.” Smirking smugly, Yoko led them to the staff stairs at the back. “Come.”
The stairs led them to an alley . Yoko tilted his head to the left, guiding them down the passage until he stopped them in front of a door near the end. Sakamoto’s name was written on it. Yoko took a deep breath and knocked. “Sir, we’re Kokubun’s friends.”
“Wait!” Someone shouted from behind the door. There were a few splashing sounds, and a few minutes later, Sakamoto opened the door, smiling widely. Water dropped down from his hair. “Well, come in, come in.” He ushered them in, shoving them toward the sofa.
He was older than Ikuta expected but also friendlier. Ikuta let his eyes wander around. The room was small but nice, with a small corner to accept guests, which was exactly where they were currently sitting. Sakamoto kept a large empty aquarium in the corner as well. Glancing at their host’s wet arms and feet, Ikuta had a vague guess of what it was for.
Sakamoto looked at their faces, exclaiming proudly. “I’ve seen you before. Innochi’s boys, aren’t you?”
“Yes, sir,” Aiba replied.
Sakamoto sat on an armchair in front of them, clasping his hands. “Now, why did Kokubun send you to me? I owe him something, so I’d be happy to pay my debt.”
Aiba looked at Yoko, who nodded, giving his permission for Aiba to talk.
“Sir,” Aiba started, “we’re looking for more information about the sleeping dragon, and Kokubun said you know more about him than he does.”
Sakamoto’s smile immediately vanished from his face. “He told you that?”
Aiba nodded.
“Damn it, Kokubun.” Sakamoto clenched his fist. “I remember telling him never to speak of this problem.”
“He said that we should decide if we believe you by ourselves,” Ikuta said.
Sakamoto sighed, looking thoughtful. “He told you that too? I was drunk when we had a talk about the dragon. I was not supposed to say that to anyone.”
“He said that he is trading your debt with this information,” Ikuta went on. “Why is everyone so afraid to talk about the sleeping dragon?”
Sakamoto eyed him carefully, judging Ikuta from head to toe. “A newbie, aren’t you?”
“Ikuta joined our office only a month ago,” Yoko answered for him.
Sakamoto stood up, circling the small room a couple of times before letting his voice out again. “What do you expect from knowing more about the dragon? Locating him?” Sakamoto tittered at his own idea. “We don’t even know if he truly exists!”
Aiba coughed, looking uncomfortable in his seat. “Actually, a client did ask us to locate him.”
Sakamoto stopped. “What sort of client was he?”
Aiba turned to Yoko. “Can we tell him?”
Yoko crossed his hands. Raising his head up, he started describing their client. “He looks like a skinny boy, but we could feel his power flowing from him.” Yoko shuddered. “I never came across anyone like him before.”
Sakamoto rubbed his chin and seemed to be thinking about Yoko’s description for a while. Opening his mouth up, he tried to say something, but he closed it again, looking confused and unsure. He circled the room once before sitting back in the armchair, contemplating something. Yoko and Ikuta exchanged glances, wary.
“I think I saw him before,” Sakamoto finally said in a low voice. “Does he wear an eye patch?”
Yoko moved forward, almost bumping into Sakamoto’s knee in his excitement. “Yes, that’s him!”
Sakamoto nodded, leaning back. “He visited my boss a few days ago. I accidentally saw him as he got out of Matsumoto’s office.” He paused for a moment before finishing in a small voice, “I’ve never seen Matsumoto so furious before. He shouted that the boy should leave soon, or he’d do something both of them would regret.”
Yoko’s mouth gaped open, Aiba let out a small gasp, and Ikuta’s brows furrowed.
“A few days before?” Ikuta asked suspiciously. “Can you remember the exact day?”
Sakamoto continued rubbing his chin, thinking for a moment. “It was the night of the storm.”
“And what time was it?” Ikuta continued asking.
“Around 7 P.M., if I remember correctly.”
Yoko, Ikuta, and Aiba exchanged glances. Ikuta could see that his friends were thinking the same thing. Yoko turned his head, voicing out the speculation that had been going on in their minds after hearing the information. “It had to be before he went to our office.”
Ikuta crossed his arms. This information made everything even more complicated than it already was. “What kind of relationship could they possibly have?”
Aiba, who had been quiet for a while, suddenly slapped his knees, breaking up the tension. To Ikuta’s surprise, instead of seeming afraid, he looked more excited than before. “This is kind of getting more thrilling, isn’t it?”
Well, Ikuta thought, thrilling was certainly the perfect word to describe the situation.
“Listen. I don’t know if you are aware of this,” Sakamoto told them. “Matsumoto is a sea monster too. In fact, he recruited me, because he knows what I am. Many of us here are sea creatures.”
Ikuta blinked. That explained the aquarium and how no one considered the fountain as something extraordinary.
“Aiba,” Yoko put his hand on his co-worker’s shoulder, “are you sure we should continue this? This case is bigger than anything we have handled before, and,” he started to raise his voice, “in case you haven’t noticed, Inocchi is not here to guide us. I think we should stop now.”
Aiba did not stir. “I just have this feeling that we should continue. If Nino wants to harm us, he could easily do it anytime.” He turned to Ikuta. “What do you think?”
Ikuta considered the question. Aiba had a point. If Nino’s purpose was to endanger them, he didn’t need to go through all this trouble. There was something else here, and Ikuta wanted to know what it was. However, Yoko was right as well. This case was getting much more complicated than they thought it would be. What was Nino’s business with a sea monster? Why was Matsumoto so furious after their conversation? Why did Nino go to them directly afterwards? Why did Nino give them an impossible task? They needed to make a decision about what they should do next and fast. He lifted his head. “Could you first tell us about the information Kokubun said you have, sir, so we can fix on what we should do next?”
Sakamoto looked perplexed. He approached his aquarium, putting his hands in the water, trying to calm himself down. After a few minutes that seemed to last forever, he sighed. “Fine, I believe Inocchi has a strong reason to tell you about it.”
He rubbed his hand on a towel, sitting back down in front of them, toning down his voice. “This is something that has been told in my family for generations, from father to son. There has been an attempt to wake the sleeping dragon before. Hundreds of years ago. Or perhaps thousands, no one knows for sure.”
Aiba’s jaw dropped. “By who?”
Sakamoto shook his head. “The story doesn’t tell who did it; it only tells about the effect. It was an unsuccessful attempt, and as a result, an earthquake happened. The great earthquake.”
“The great earthquake?” Yoko echoed.
“We still feel the effect today,” Sakamoto continued. “The earthquake was the start of natural malformations. Ever since the earthquake, nature started dying slowly. My family says that the malformations are the punishment of trying to wake the dragon before the correct time.” Sakamoto paused, looking at his feet with deep uncertainty before continuing. “My family’s version of the legend says that the dragon didn’t go to sleep willingly. My great-grandfather said that the earth tossed him away when he was no longer needed. He was forced to retreat back from the earth’s affairs.”
Looking at the three of them, Sakamoto finished in a serious tone, “I personally believe that the dragon had been awakened, and the malformations are part of his revenge for being forced to sleep for centuries.”
Ikuta narrowed his eyes, taken aback. He turned to see his co-workers, seeing that they were as stunned as he was, confused at how to respond. How should they handle this? Ikuta was starting to regret asking the question. Yoko was right; they should probably stop now.
“Can we meet your boss?” Ikuta asked slowly, trying their luck for the last time.
All of a sudden, the door opened wide. All of them jerked. A man came into the room. “There’s no need, I already heard everything.”
Sakamoto hastily stood up. “Matsumoto.”
Ikuta scanned the man curiously. So this was Sakamoto’s boss, he thought, Matsumoto, the sea monster that had an argument with Nino several days ago.
Ikuta gulped. What he saw was beyond what he had expected. Amazed, his eyes were fixated at Matsumoto’s glowing skin and three moles near the lips. Matsumoto was dressed in a glittering blue outfit that would look ridiculous on other people, but strangely enough, the outfit only enhanced Matsumoto’s features more. The eyes that looked back at him were deep and sorrowful, his perfect eyebrows furrowed with a hint of annoyance clearly written on his face. Still, Matsumoto was, for the lack of a better word, beautiful.
Matsumoto flicked his long curly hair, and Ikuta quickly turning his gaze away, embarrassed. Aiba took a step backwards, also lost for words. Matsumoto averted his gaze to his employee. “I never knew that you held such kind of information, Sakamoto.”
“It’s only a bedtime story my father used to tell me,” Sakamoto replied shyly.
“Bedtime story?” Matsumoto chuckled. He turned to Yoko. “Nino, is it, the name he used now?”
Yoko was startled. “Yes, it is.”
Matsumoto passed them by, sitting on the armchair Sakamoto sat on. Even the way he walked was gracious, Ikuta noted.
“I have known him for a long time,” Matsumoto said grimly. “I don’t know why he is searching for the dragon, but dealing with Nino always means trouble.” He moved forward, crossing his hands together.
Aiba fidgeted from where he stood, looking more nervous than the rest of them. He was looking at something in the corner of the room. Ikuta followed his eyes. A bubbling sound was heard from Sakamoto’s aquarium, and he noticed that the water inside was rippling slightly. Aiba couldn’t seem to move his eyes away from it. Ikuta elbowed him, and Aiba gasped, getting his focus back on the conversation.
Matsumoto gave them one cool, stern look. His voice was firm but also sounded sad and lonely. “He can’t be trusted.”
Yoko hesitated for a while, gathering his courage to ask, “What did he want from you that night?”
“It’s none of your business.” Matsumoto suddenly changed his attitude. Looking irritated, he gestured at the door. “Now, please, leave my precious employee alone.”
Even as they left, Aiba’s eyes were still fixated on the bubbles in the aquarium.
VIII
“Ikuta, Ikuta, wake up.”
Ikuta waved his hand, trying to make the sounds go away. He was exhausted from his little adventures during the past few days, and he needed his rest.
Matsumoto had casted them away from the office buildings, looking disturbed as he heard news about Nino. The three of them had spent the rest of the day arguing whether or not they should continue the case without being able to reach a decision. Aiba kept insisting that they should follow the mystery until they could solve it, while Yoko thought they were not supposed to disturb a legend that was centuries old. Ikuta had not been able to choose a side. It was the first time he had seen Aiba and Yoko in a fight; they were usually so close to each other, but Aiba sounded unusual that night. He had been unusual ever since they left the aquarium. They finally agreed on taking a break, spending the night to rethink their choices. Ikuta was not sure that they needed his opinion. After all, he knew nothing about their world.
Knowing about the dilemma awaiting him when he woke up, he shut his eyes tighter, but the person who called him was persistent. “Ikuta, Ikuta, you need to wake up. There’s something important. Please.”
Ikuta groaned. He opened his eyes, slowly lifting his body from the bed. Looking around, he found Maru and Yasu standing on his bedside table, celebrating their success of waking him up. Ikuta rubbed his eyes, yawning. “What? Do you need more milk?”
“No, no!” Maru waved frantically. “You need to follow us. We saw someone.”
Ikuta sighed, eager to go back to bed. “See who?”
“The one who asked you to search for the dragon.”
Ikuta snapped his eyes open, no longer tired. He kneeled down beside the table, listening with full concentration. “Where?”
“In the alley behind the coffee shop you often visit!” Yasu yelled triumphantly.
“Lead me to him.” Ikuta quickly grabbed his night coat and sandals, pausing for a while to let the elves jump into his pocket. He ran out of the door, following the street to Morita and Miyake’s coffee shop, stopping near the alley Maru and Yasu pointed at.
The air was cold, Ikuta thought as he tightened his night coat. He hid at the corner, trying to catch his breath. He watched the two figures that were talking in the narrow alley. Maru and Yasu were right; it was indeed their client. He put his finger on his lips, ordering the elves to keep quiet before taking a peek again, trying not to let out a sound.
Nino was kneeling on the top of the garbage bin, shuffling a pack of cards, looking as cheerful as always. Still, there was something about him that kept Ikuta’s attention, making him almost unable to avert his gaze away. Ikuta shook his head, forcing himself to divert his attention to the other person standing in front of Nino: a man who was standing nervously. The man’s eyes wandered to observe the environment as if he was afraid that someone would catch him talking there. Ikuta narrowed his eyes. He knew the figure, especially the fedora hat. It was Kokubun. The height of a human.
Kokubun looked around once more before turning his head back to Nino. Ikuta had to admit that it was rather weird to see him with clothes on, standing as tall as human.
“Why? Why do you ask me to do this?” Kokubun asked in a low voice. “What are you planning to do?”
Nino gave a small smile; hands kept shuffling the cards aimlessly. “You have done a good job. Now, I need you to do the same thing as before.”
Kokubun made a movement as if he wanted to shake Nino’s body but decided better. He put his hand down, clenching his fist. “Why are you searching for the dragon? What are you planning to do after you find him?” asked Kokubun stubbornly.
Nino sighed. “You don’t understand, T’chi. I already know where the dragon is sleeping.”
Kokubun’s mouth fell open. He looked at Nino as though he was seeing a ghost.
Behind the wall, Ikuta gritted his teeth. Nino already knows where the dragon is sleeping? What does this mean?
Nino took out five cards from his deck and placed them in the air, facing backside. Ikuta held his breath. Each of the cards were floating in the air after Nino let them go, swinging a little bit to the left and right with the wind.
Kokubun took a step backwards, looking afraid.
Nino didn’t seem to realize his friend’s reaction. He proceeded by showing each card one by one. They were all aces, save for the joker in the middle. He hummed cheerfully, looking pleased with the result. “Can’t you see it? The pieces are starting to be put into their places.”
Kokubun shook his head; his voice was shaking a bit. “Why? Why do you need them to search for the dragon if you already know where he is? I don’t understand.”
Nino stopped humming. He stared at Kokubun with his cold golden eye, replying dryly. “I need him to open the place for me.”
There was a pause. Nino’s eye showed sorrow so painful, sending a cold shiver down Ikuta’s spine. He unconsciously gripped his night coat tighter.
“Him?” Kokubun sounded as confused as Ikuta was. “Who?”
“You don’t need to know.” Nino flicked his hand lazily. The cards changed position, swapping place with each other while the joker remained in the center. “You just need to follow my instructions.”
The wind shifted direction, and all of a sudden, Nino’s expression changed. He inhaled the air, sniffing. “It seems that someone has been eavesdropping on our conversation.”
Kokubun turned his body around in surprise.
Nino merely laughed. “Come out, come out, I already know you are there.” His eyes were fixed to the wall that Ikuta was hiding behind.
Ikuta looked down below at the two elves. Both of them shook their heads disapprovingly, but Ikuta needed an answer. He took a step out, revealing himself slowly to face his mysterious client.
“What are you planning to do? Why do you ask us to search for the dragon if you already know where he sleeps?” he blurted out the questions. Ikuta was rarely angry, but he could feel his voice shaking with anger. Anger, frustration, confusion, hurt, betrayal. All those feelings were mixed together, directed at the person in front of him who had asked them to do an impossible task and then rolled them around in his hands, treating them as his puppets.
Nino smiled a little. “Follow the path through, and you’ll find the answer.”
Ikuta was about to ask more questions when Nino abruptly jumped at him, pressing his forehead into his, hissing, “You are one of mine.”
He tried to push the man back, but Nino held his head with both of his hands, blowing into his eyes and pushing Ikuta to the ground. It all happened so fast that Ikuta was unable to react. He tried to get up but was forced to lie back down again, groaning as he felt an unexpected sharp pain in the back of his eyes. A few gold flakes shimmered in his eyes, clouding his sight with golden glittering colors. Ikuta closed his eyes with both hands, gasping for air as his eyes twitched uncomfortably. It felt like his eyes were stabbed repeatedly with a knife. He cried louder as the pain crept to his head, paralyzing him, filling his brain with more golden flakes. Ikuta hit his head on the ground to remove the pain, but it was useless. He lost the sense of time as he bit his lip, trying to shove the pain away. Just as Ikuta felt he couldn’t bear the pain any longer, it stopped as fast as it had appeared.
Ikuta inhaled a deep breath, needing a few moments to realize that the pain had gone for sure. He opened his eyes slowly. The gold flakes were gone. He shook his head, numbed by what had just happened to him.
When he lifted his head up, he found out that Nino was still there, standing with his back on the wall. He crossed his arms; his eyes were watching Ikuta carefully.
Ikuta stood up with much difficulty. His limbs were weaker than he thought it would be. He growled. “What did you just do to me?”
Nino smirked. He seemed to enjoy Ikuta’s pain. “You’ll see.”
Ikuta roared, arms spreading out to take hold of his client, but before Ikuta could reach him, Nino had jumped, grabbing several jutted bricks, and lifted himself up, climbing his way up to the roof. Ikuta ran to the wall, trying to find a way to climb it, but the wall was simply too high. He would not be able to make it to the top. He watched hopelessly as Nino jumped easily, having no trouble reaching the top.
“Oi!” He shouted furiously in despair. He ran alongside the wall, trying to chase him despite knowing how useless it was. Nino turned back, waving at him, laughing, jumping from one roof to the other as if he was as light as a feather. Soon, he was out of Ikuta’s sight, and only his chuckling sounds remained behind. Ikuta groaned. He punched the wall desperately, frustrated at his incapability.
Kokubun showed up behind him. His voice was small and considerate. “You won’t be able to catch him.”
Ikuta spun his body around. Grabbing Kokubun’s collar, he shoved him to the wall. He knew it was wrong to direct his confusion at the gnome, but there was no one else there. Kokubun’s hat fell onto the ground. “You...” he started.
“I have no choice, okay?” Kokubun shouted in panic tone. “He knows my real name.”
Ikuta did not stir, but he tightened his grip. They were alone in the deserted alley; no one would question what he was doing. “What do you mean?”
Kokubun coughed. “Listen. We, creatures of magic, are different from ordinary people.”
Ikuta pulled Kokubun’s collar, choking him. “Explain.”
“We don’t share our real name, because our names are equivalent to our souls. The one who knows our names have absolute power over us.” He closed his eyes, tilting his head. “I couldn’t refuse him.”
Ikuta let his hands go. Kokubun stumbled but quickly managed to stand again in full dignity.
“Is that true?” He asked the elves in his pocket. Both of whom nodded, backing the statement up.
“How could he know your real name if you didn’t tell him?” Ikuta asked, still looking unconvinced.
Kokubun glared at him. “I don’t know. He came to me one day out of nowhere calling my name out.”
Ikuta walked around, eyeing Kokubun suspiciously. “Why should I trust you after you lied to us?”
“Look,” Kokubun shouted, hands in his pockets. “I didn’t lie. He told me that I had to lead you to someone who knew more about the dragon than I do, and I led you to Sakamoto, who truly has more information about the dragon. Isn’t that what you wanted?”
Ikuta wanted to argue, but he knew Kokubun was right. They had been eager to hear more information about the dragon, and Kokubun showed them the right direction. They probably would still go to Sakamoto even if they knew Kokubun was told to do that by Nino.
“What did he just do to me?”
“I have no idea.”
“What else does he want you to do?”
Kokubun sighed. He grabbed his hat and put it back on his head, looking grim. “He told me that I should lead you to someone named Sakurai.”
“And who is this Sakurai?”
Kokubun shook his head. “I’ve never heard of him before.” He hesitated for a while. “Nino said he lived at the farm on the West District.”
Ikuta walked around in frustration, trying to guess what Nino wanted from them. If he purposely led them to Sakamoto, that would mean he knew they would find out about his argument with Matsumoto too. Ikuta’s mind was spinning. Nino wanted them to know his relationship with Matsumoto, but why? Did it mean Sakamoto’s fairytale story was the true version of the legend?
He turned his head to Kokubun. “Do you know what he meant by needing someone to open the place?”
Kokubun sighed. “I am as confused as you are.” He looked at the roof then back on the ground, fidgeting. He sounded irritated. “Look, he’s gone now, and I was forced to do this. I am sorry, but I’m the same as you, a pawn on his game board. I know nothing more than you do. Can I go now?”
Ikuta was skeptical; in fact, he was not sure who he could trust anymore. Still, he couldn’t find a reason to hold up Kokubun. Kokubun was not the source of their problem; Nino was. “I guess so, but remember,” he warned him, “we know where to find you.”
“Don’t worry.” Kokubun opened his hat, saluting Ikuta as he walked in opposite direction of the coffee shop. “I don’t think he still needs me.”
Ikuta watched Kokubun’s back with a grim expression, lost in thoughts. Perhaps Kokubun was right; Nino wouldn’t need him again after he found out about their secret agreement. No, Ikuta shook his head silently, not an agreement. They were all just pawns in Nino’s board game, not knowing where Nino would lead them.
Nino had done something to him, and even after he left, Ikuta still grimaced when he remembered the pain and the golden flakes flashing in his eyes. He blinked his eyes several times, not feeling any different. However, Ikuta didn’t believe that someone like him would do that without having a purpose. Yes, Nino did whatever he did for a reason. The question here was, Ikuta pondered, what would he do about that?
Maru and Yasu snuggled free from his pocket. “Are we being helpful?” Maru asked.
“Yes, you are. Good job.” Ikuta handed them a few pieces of candy. He looked above, watching the sun rising as he thought carefully about what he wanted to do. Ikuta took a deep breath. The sky was clearing and so was his mind. Looking below, he smiled at the sight of Maru and Yasu munching their candies. “Now, we need to report this back to Yoko and Aiba.”
IX
“Are you serious?” Yoko slammed the table, horror-struck after listening to Ikuta’s report.
“Very,” Ikuta winced as a few pens scrolled down the table into his lap. He had just told them everything that he had seen earlier. Their reactions were immediate, as Ikuta had expected them to be. Yoko had been listening to him with eyes wide open, while Aiba silently stood next to the table.
“Kokubun led us to Sakamoto on Nino’s order,” Ikuta calmly repeated the information, deliberately not mentioning what Nino had done to him.
Yoko shook his head, looking troubled and confused. “I thought my ears fooled me.” He sat back on Inocchi’s chair, mumbling words that sounded suspiciously like outrageous and unbelievable.
Ikuta crossed his legs. You are one of mine. Ikuta bit his lip. He had been enraged initially, but he calmed down after deciding what to do. He needed to know what those words meant, even if it meant running into danger.
Yoko spun the chair around slowly, unconsciously swirling the pen in his hand. Then, to Ikuta’s surprise, he suddenly stood up, circling the room pointlessly, his expression aghast. He continued mumbling, blurting out a few unclear words. After a few turns about the room, Yoko finally started asking questions. His voice was thick with confusion. “Why did he do it? What’s the purpose? Why us?”
“What should we do now?” Aiba asked.
Curious, Ikuta took a glance at him. Aiba was restless, moving his feet unconsciously to the left and right, looking thoughtful but also nervous. The smile and determination that was usually present on his face was nowhere to be seen. His face was pale. Ikuta couldn’t blame him; this development had to be more thrilling than what Aiba had expected. Still, he had never seen Aiba act like this before. Did Aiba feel guilty for insisting that they continue the investigation?
Ikuta opened his mouth, but before he was able to express his concern, Yoko had replied to Aiba’s question first. Staring at Aiba as if their co-worker was mad, he told them, “We should stop. Simple.”
Aiba didn’t budge. He kept moving around, looking like he was about to say something but not sure of how to tell them, opening and closing his mouth several times. Yoko didn’t pay attention to it though. He was too lost in his own thoughts, muttering some possibilities of why their client acted that way. Each sounded more illogical than the previous one.
Ikuta crossed his fingers, his brows furrowed in thought, mind ticking to calculate the words he was about to say. It was the time to convince his friends to agree, to make them see his reasons. Aiba might say something to change Yoko’s mind, so he had to say it ahead of him. Nino had done something to him, and he intended to find out what it was. He cleared his throat. As he had hoped, both Yoko and Aiba raised their heads up, paying attention to him.
“Gents, please listen to me here,” Ikuta started. “I told you that Nino said he knows where the dragon is sleeping.” He paused, giving Aiba and Yoko some time to nod. “But,” he gave a cool, careful look, “he also said that he needs someone to open the door for him.”
Yoko waved his pen around, his tongue made a frustrating tsking sound. “Yes, Ikuta, but the question is, who?”
“I don’t know.” Ikuta shook his head. “And neither does Kokubun.” He rubbed his chin, taking a few moments to rephrase his words.
“Remember,” Leaning his body forward, he grabbed the pen from Yoko, pointing it at Yoko’s face, “Nino also wanted us to search for another man. Sakurai.” His eyes swept his friends’ reactions. “Do you recall that name?”
“No,” Aiba quickly shut down his hopes.
Ikuta sighed. This would not be as easy as he thought.
Yoko grabbed the pen back. His eyes studied Ikuta carefully. “Are you saying that we should continue searching for this legendary-perhaps-aggressive-perhaps-nice dragon?”
“We’re already halfway.” Ikuta hastily replied, trying to explain where he came from. Tapping the table with a pen taken from his lap, he spoke in a flat voice. “If Nino uses us for his own advantage, I want to be there until the end. I want to know what we are actually being used for. I don’t like giving up before reaching the end of the road.” He crossed his arms firmly, stressing out the last part.
Yoko’s eyes left him a bit to search for Aiba’s reaction. Yoko didn’t immediately respond to Ikuta’s statement, and Ikuta didn’t rush him, waiting patiently for their opinions. Ikuta was certain that the silence meant they were actually agreeing with what he said. He tried to sound confident, but the fact was, he needed his friends. He couldn’t do it without them. If they chose to give up, Ikuta wouldn’t be able to solve the mystery. He bit the inside of his mouth, silently praying that they would agree to pursue the case.
Yoko sighed, leaning back in his chair, looking defeated. His hands instinctively went to his forehead, rubbing it in frustration. Ikuta stayed silent. Any moment now, he thought as he took a glance at the clock. Yoko groaned hoarsely. Sitting back up, he finally admitted, “I hate to say this, but you have a point.”
Ikuta grinned widely, feeling a sudden air of relief. “I know you’d agree.”
He moved his eyes to Aiba next, hoping that he’d be in agreement. “What do you say?”
Aiba said nothing; he suddenly took the seat next to him instead, fingers tapping the table nervously. Ikuta licked his lips nervously. Aiba had been the one who was more excited about the investigation ever since the very beginning. Ikuta could only hope that he still had the same enthusiasm to finish the case.
Aiba took a deep breath. When he was ready to talk, his eyes were looking straight to Yoko’s. “I need to confess something.”
“What?”
“I’m scared of that man,” Aiba whispered, as if it was something forbidden to be said out loud.
Ikuta and Yoko quickly exchanged glances, both having mirrored expression of bewilderment. When neither Ikuta nor Yoko replied, Aiba went on. His voice was a little unsure. “Matsumoto.”
Yoko coughed. He fixed his position in the chair. “Why?”
Aiba shook his head, looking even more uneasy. “I don’t know.”
“But there must be something he did that made you feel that way…”
“It’s his presence. Yoko, don’t you understand?” Aiba suddenly raised his voice, driven out by his irritation.
Ikuta dropped his leg, surprised to see a side of Aiba he had never seen before. When he noticed that Aiba was shaking, he promptly turned his head to Yoko, somehow feeling comforted to find Yoko as equally clueless as he was. No, if his senses were right, Yoko looked even more confused. His eyebrows furrowed, his expression startled. Judging from his reaction, Ikuta assumed that it was truly rare for Aiba to behave like this.
Yoko, however, didn’t stay stunned for a long time. He swiftly regained his composure. He spread out his arm, giving a signal for Ikuta to stay silent. “Have you seen him somewhere?”
Aiba continued shaking his head. “I don’t know. I really don’t know.”
Yoko suddenly stood up. He walked to Aiba’s chair, kneeling in front of their friend, holding his hands in his.
“It’s okay. Look, it’s okay.” Yoko pressed their foreheads together, urging Aiba to calm down. His hands never let go of Aiba’s. He kept rubbing them slowly, waiting until the trembling stopped, murmuring soothing words into Aiba’s ears. Looking at the intimate behavior, Ikuta tried to look away, silently wishing that he was not sitting in the room.
Aiba pressed his forehead back, nodded alongside Yoko’s words. After a while, Aiba’s anxiety finally died down. He hugged Yoko, mouthing his thank yous. Yoko patted his back in return.
Aiba raised his different-colored eyes at Ikuta, offering him a shy smile. “I’m sorry.” He looked embarrassed. “I’m sorry, I shouldn’t blow up like that.”
Ikuta patted Aiba’s shoulder carefully, smiling back. “Hey, it’s okay.”
Aiba took a deep breath before beginning his explanation; a sad smile escaped his lips. “Sometimes I get a glimpse of feelings like this. You know how I can talk to plants, right? Well, it’s not just that. I can feel their emotions too. I can feel their sadness and grief and anger and dreams. Sometimes, I dream of things that didn’t happen to me - flashes of images that don’t mean anything. Inocchi said that I have too much empathy, and it is supposed to be a good thing instead of a bad thing.”
“Aiba usually has a headache when the symptoms appear.” Yoko pointed out with a hint of worry. “Or he feels really, really unwell.”
“Yoko, it’s okay. I don’t think he knows me. His feeling was just too strong, and it rippled back to me.” Aiba waved his hand around. “Anyway, we need to figure out our next move now.”
Ikuta blinked. “Are you sure?”
Aiba bobbed his head in excitement.
Ikuta could see that he had slowly recovered to his usual self, acting as if the outburst didn’t happen. Nevertheless, Ikuta was still concerned. He liked Aiba, and he obviously didn’t want to drag him, or Yoko, into doing things they didn’t want to do, no matter how badly he wanted to solve the case. Ikuta leaned forward, speaking slowly. “Aiba, I said those words before I knew about your other… ability. If you want to stop, I will stop.”
“No,” Aiba shook his head persistently. “I consider this as a sign that we should keep on searching.”
“Are you certain?” Yoko asked.
Aiba nodded his head, smiling.
“Then, we need to search for this man,” Yoko let go of Aiba’s hands, suddenly turning his interest to Ikuta. “Sakurai.”
Ikuta nodded, agreeing. “Where do we want to start?”
“You said he lives on a farm in the West District,” Aiba said.
“If we believe Nino, yes.”
“We also need someone to keep an eye of Matsumoto.” Yoko stood up. “See if he knows more about the dragon. Find out why Nino visited him, and if he visits him again.”
Ikuta nodded. He knew that, with this decision, their investigation had taken one step further, making it harder for them to go back. “Should we check on Kokubun too?”
Aiba considered his question for a while. “I don’t think so. We can’t really blame him if Nino has his real name.”
“Let’s see.” Yoko grabbed a pen and paper, writing down notes. “Ikuta, you’re new. Matsumoto won’t suspect you as much as he would us. Could you…”
“Yes.”
“I haven’t even finished the question yet.”
“You need me to watch him, right?” Ikuta blushed.
Yoko gave him a suspicious look, but Ikuta forced himself to his face straight.
“Yoko and I will search for Sakurai,” Aiba announced.
“Okay, let’s do it that way then.” Yoko nodded, deciding to let Ikuta go. “Wait.” He walked to one of the chests that was stuffed below Inocchi’s chair and came up with a whiskey bottle. Opening it, he grinned. “Better celebrate this with something good. Morita’s and Miyake’s specialty.”
Ikuta laughed out loud upon seeing the bottle, remembering the night when he first found out about his ancestors. Although he still didn’t know what he was capable of doing, he couldn’t stop smiling when he compared his old life with the new one. Who knew that he - a part-time reporter who was usually only given the chance to write a small boring column- would have an adventure of his own?
Aiba poured the liquid down their glasses. Lifting up his glass, he proposed, “To the dragon?”
Yoko and Ikuta raised theirs. “To the dragon.”
‘And to find out what Nino did to me,’ Ikuta silently added before drinking his whiskey.
X
The next day, they went to separate locations. Yoko and Aiba were off to search for Sakurai, while Ikuta headed out to spy on Matsumoto’s daily activities.
It was harder to find Sakurai’s location than Yoko and Aiba had expected. Sure, they knew - or at least tried to convince themselves that Nino was truthful this time - that he lived somewhere in the West District, but the area was way bigger than the East District where they had met Sakamoto. Browsing through the phone book, they didn’t come across anyone with a name close to Sakurai.
Yoko and Aiba eventually had to stop several times to ask people if they knew anyone named Sakurai. One man said that a Sakurai lived in a village at the center of the town; another man told them that a Sakurai taught economics at a well-known university; yet one more man pointed toward the direction of a luxurious mansion. All of the advice they received led Aiba and Yoko to nothing but traveling around the town, ending up in various strange places without any hint of the Sakurai they were searching for.
On the third day, they were as clueless as when they had just started, and Yoko was about to give up - feeling sure that Nino had once again tricked them - when a miracle happened in a small market at the foot of the mountain. They were just asking random people in the market, hoping that someone knew anyone named Sakurai when a man piped in during their conversation with a vegetable stall owner.
“I know someone named Sakurai,” He spoke calmly.
Yoko turned his head. The man who said those words was standing in front of a milk stall, carrying a few large cans of milk with both hands. He was shorter than them both, with broad shoulders, short legs, and handsome features.
Yoko bowed his head, and the man returned the gesture politely before turning his back, proceeding to put the milk cans in the back of his nearby pick-up truck. Aiba gave his thanks to the vegetable stall owner and ran to catch the man.
“Sir, wait. I’m sorry, sir. Did you just say that you know Sakurai?”
“Mm.” The man nodded again. He jumped up into the bed of the truck, bowing down to fix the position of his milk cans. “I’m pretty sure he doesn’t know you though.”
“He doesn’t,” Aiba confessed. He held the car’s door forcefully, head looking up to draw the man’s attention back to them. “Someone asked us to search for him.”
The man stopped what he was doing. Kneeling down, he tilted his head a little. “Who?”
Yoko stepped forward to join the conversation. “We don’t know by what name Sakurai knows him, but we are here to ask him about something important.” Yoko toned his voice down, practically whispering in the man’s ear. “The sleeping dragon.”
Aiba let out a gasp.”Yoko!” He poked his co-worker worriedly, but Yoko ignored him, merely waving his hand impatiently to shush Aiba up.
“We have been searching for him for days, and we really need to find him, so please, if you know where he lives, could you tell us where it is?” Yoko pleaded.
The man hummed slightly, considering Yoko’s request for a moment. His face remained unreadable. Shaking his head, he pushed Yoko away gently, his voice sounding more sincere than before. “Who?”
Yoko clicked his teeth together, getting impatient. He moved forward, but Aiba quickly grabbed his arm, preventing him to say anything that might cause a stir between them.
“He looks like a boy. Pale and skinny, with one eye covered with an eye patch and one healthy light brown eye,” Aiba told the man honestly, thinking that he better tell the truth at this kind of time.
Upon that answer, the man nodded calmly.
Yoko nudged Aiba, inquiring the unspoken question. Aiba shook his head, silently asking Yoko to not say a word. He simply took a step backward, giving the man space as he jumped down from the car, rubbing his chin thoughtfully.
“A light brown eye? Or a golden eye?
Hearing the response, Yoko clapped his hand, looking ecstatic as it proved that they were getting closer to the answer. If this man knew who their client was, it would be easier to explain their case. “Yes, that’s him. Sometimes his eye color will change into golden, true!”
The man raised his head, stating flatly. “Nino doesn’t need you to search for Sakurai. He knows where we live.”
Aiba widened his eyes. He shouted, “We?” at the same time that Yoko asked, “You are Nino’s friend too?”
“Well, yes, Sakurai and I share a house together.” The man jerked his head to the back. “Up in the mountain.”
“Can you please take us there?”
“I can, I guess.” The man shrugged. “But why do I need to do that?”
“I’ll be honest here,” Yoko leaned forward, getting serious. “Nino ordered someone to trick us, and we want to know why. He mentioned that we need to find Sakurai, and so we came here, searching for him, hoping that he’ll know the answer.”
Aiba nodded his head to back up Yoko’s statement. This man was the only one who seemed to know the Sakurai they were searching for. Aiba silently wondered why Sakurai preferred to live in such a private place. Though this mysterious man had told them where they live, the mountain was huge. People could easily get lost in it, and Aiba knew they could waste several more days exploring it before they found the place. That’s if they could find it. There was always the possibility that they would get lost. He wouldn’t really mind it, because he could talk to the trees, but Yoko wouldn’t like it much.
His eyes scanned the mountain, shuddering at the fact that they would meet the mysterious Sakurai soon. Of course, it would only happen if they successfully persuaded the man in front of them to take them to their house.
In the meantime, the man leaned his back on the car, hands in his pocket, thinking about their request cautiously. He looked at the mountain for a while. His feet stayed firmly on the ground, but it was clear that his mind was busy pondering something else. Yoko gave a signal to Aiba to talk again at the same time the man opened his mouth. Tilting his head a little, the other manspoke with a wondering tone.“Doesn’t it mean you fell into his trap then?”
“This is different!” Aiba protested. “This time we fell into his trap willingly!”
“Aiba!” Yoko hit Aiba’s head, half amused and half annoyed. “We didn’t fall into his trap. We are here to outsmart him.” Aiba quickly rub his head, smiling sheepishly.
“It will be hard to outsmart Nino.” The man chuckled softly, his hand reaching for the driver’s door.
“Wait!” Aiba called out, a hint of panic was clearly heard in his voice. “What about us?”
The man stopped, confused. “You asked me to take you to him. Have you changed your mind now?”
“Eh?” Aiba grabbed Yoko’s arm, clutching him tight. “Are you going to?”
“Come aboard.” The man smiled sweetly, circling the car to open the passenger seat for them.
Aiba beamed. “Thank you!”
Yoko let out a triumphant yell. He shook the man’s hand, gripping it tighter than he should, overwhelming the man with his eagerness. “Thank you! Thank you!”
“By the way, I’m Aiba, and this is Yokoyama. Nice to meet you!” Aiba introduced their names, gesturing to Yoko and himself. “What’s your name?”
The man opened the car door. “I’m Okada.”
On to Part 3
Back to Part 1
VII
Two days after the night they had spent in Tokio, Ikuta and his co-workers finally decided to pay a visit to Sakamoto. They originally wanted to go earlier, eager to unveil more of the mystery, but Yoko was too hung over to even walk. Looking at his condition, Ikuta made a mental note to be the questioner next time. After getting two more pieces of information from Kokubun, he was forced to go home only wearing his boxers.
Surprisingly, Sakamoto’s new workplace was located at the center of a neighboring town, proudly standing in the middle of a luxurious tourist attraction complex. Kokubun wrote the address on a piece of paper, and they noticed that it was, in fact, an aquarium attraction only after they stood in front of the building. As soon as they opened the door, Ikuta’s mouth fell open. They were standing in an enormous lobby with a highly polished black marble floor and a fountain made from the same material at its center. Taking a few steps further, Ikuta noticed that the fountain was surrounded by several statues of water creatures: fishes, eels, crabs, sea horses. In the middle of the circular pool, stood statues of Merpeople and sea monsters the size of a human. Glancing up, Ikuta saw the largest, tallest, most spacious aquarium he had ever seen. He stepped back, feeling himself drowned by all the blue.
Ikuta nudged Aiba. “What kind of creature is this Sakumoto?”
Aiba whispered, “A hippocampus, I believe.”
Ikuta murmured back, “No wonder he changed his job. This place is closer to his true environment.”
Aiba nodded approvingly.
Yoko came towards them. “The receptionist said we could go to Sakamoto’s office on the 2nd floor.”
“What did you tell her?” Ikuta asked.
“The truth. I said we were sent here by Sakamoto’s best friend, Kokubun. Sakamoto immediately asked us to come up. Apparently, Kokubun sang here every night as a part of the attraction.” Smirking smugly, Yoko led them to the staff stairs at the back. “Come.”
The stairs led them to an alley . Yoko tilted his head to the left, guiding them down the passage until he stopped them in front of a door near the end. Sakamoto’s name was written on it. Yoko took a deep breath and knocked. “Sir, we’re Kokubun’s friends.”
“Wait!” Someone shouted from behind the door. There were a few splashing sounds, and a few minutes later, Sakamoto opened the door, smiling widely. Water dropped down from his hair. “Well, come in, come in.” He ushered them in, shoving them toward the sofa.
He was older than Ikuta expected but also friendlier. Ikuta let his eyes wander around. The room was small but nice, with a small corner to accept guests, which was exactly where they were currently sitting. Sakamoto kept a large empty aquarium in the corner as well. Glancing at their host’s wet arms and feet, Ikuta had a vague guess of what it was for.
Sakamoto looked at their faces, exclaiming proudly. “I’ve seen you before. Innochi’s boys, aren’t you?”
“Yes, sir,” Aiba replied.
Sakamoto sat on an armchair in front of them, clasping his hands. “Now, why did Kokubun send you to me? I owe him something, so I’d be happy to pay my debt.”
Aiba looked at Yoko, who nodded, giving his permission for Aiba to talk.
“Sir,” Aiba started, “we’re looking for more information about the sleeping dragon, and Kokubun said you know more about him than he does.”
Sakamoto’s smile immediately vanished from his face. “He told you that?”
Aiba nodded.
“Damn it, Kokubun.” Sakamoto clenched his fist. “I remember telling him never to speak of this problem.”
“He said that we should decide if we believe you by ourselves,” Ikuta said.
Sakamoto sighed, looking thoughtful. “He told you that too? I was drunk when we had a talk about the dragon. I was not supposed to say that to anyone.”
“He said that he is trading your debt with this information,” Ikuta went on. “Why is everyone so afraid to talk about the sleeping dragon?”
Sakamoto eyed him carefully, judging Ikuta from head to toe. “A newbie, aren’t you?”
“Ikuta joined our office only a month ago,” Yoko answered for him.
Sakamoto stood up, circling the small room a couple of times before letting his voice out again. “What do you expect from knowing more about the dragon? Locating him?” Sakamoto tittered at his own idea. “We don’t even know if he truly exists!”
Aiba coughed, looking uncomfortable in his seat. “Actually, a client did ask us to locate him.”
Sakamoto stopped. “What sort of client was he?”
Aiba turned to Yoko. “Can we tell him?”
Yoko crossed his hands. Raising his head up, he started describing their client. “He looks like a skinny boy, but we could feel his power flowing from him.” Yoko shuddered. “I never came across anyone like him before.”
Sakamoto rubbed his chin and seemed to be thinking about Yoko’s description for a while. Opening his mouth up, he tried to say something, but he closed it again, looking confused and unsure. He circled the room once before sitting back in the armchair, contemplating something. Yoko and Ikuta exchanged glances, wary.
“I think I saw him before,” Sakamoto finally said in a low voice. “Does he wear an eye patch?”
Yoko moved forward, almost bumping into Sakamoto’s knee in his excitement. “Yes, that’s him!”
Sakamoto nodded, leaning back. “He visited my boss a few days ago. I accidentally saw him as he got out of Matsumoto’s office.” He paused for a moment before finishing in a small voice, “I’ve never seen Matsumoto so furious before. He shouted that the boy should leave soon, or he’d do something both of them would regret.”
Yoko’s mouth gaped open, Aiba let out a small gasp, and Ikuta’s brows furrowed.
“A few days before?” Ikuta asked suspiciously. “Can you remember the exact day?”
Sakamoto continued rubbing his chin, thinking for a moment. “It was the night of the storm.”
“And what time was it?” Ikuta continued asking.
“Around 7 P.M., if I remember correctly.”
Yoko, Ikuta, and Aiba exchanged glances. Ikuta could see that his friends were thinking the same thing. Yoko turned his head, voicing out the speculation that had been going on in their minds after hearing the information. “It had to be before he went to our office.”
Ikuta crossed his arms. This information made everything even more complicated than it already was. “What kind of relationship could they possibly have?”
Aiba, who had been quiet for a while, suddenly slapped his knees, breaking up the tension. To Ikuta’s surprise, instead of seeming afraid, he looked more excited than before. “This is kind of getting more thrilling, isn’t it?”
Well, Ikuta thought, thrilling was certainly the perfect word to describe the situation.
“Listen. I don’t know if you are aware of this,” Sakamoto told them. “Matsumoto is a sea monster too. In fact, he recruited me, because he knows what I am. Many of us here are sea creatures.”
Ikuta blinked. That explained the aquarium and how no one considered the fountain as something extraordinary.
“Aiba,” Yoko put his hand on his co-worker’s shoulder, “are you sure we should continue this? This case is bigger than anything we have handled before, and,” he started to raise his voice, “in case you haven’t noticed, Inocchi is not here to guide us. I think we should stop now.”
Aiba did not stir. “I just have this feeling that we should continue. If Nino wants to harm us, he could easily do it anytime.” He turned to Ikuta. “What do you think?”
Ikuta considered the question. Aiba had a point. If Nino’s purpose was to endanger them, he didn’t need to go through all this trouble. There was something else here, and Ikuta wanted to know what it was. However, Yoko was right as well. This case was getting much more complicated than they thought it would be. What was Nino’s business with a sea monster? Why was Matsumoto so furious after their conversation? Why did Nino go to them directly afterwards? Why did Nino give them an impossible task? They needed to make a decision about what they should do next and fast. He lifted his head. “Could you first tell us about the information Kokubun said you have, sir, so we can fix on what we should do next?”
Sakamoto looked perplexed. He approached his aquarium, putting his hands in the water, trying to calm himself down. After a few minutes that seemed to last forever, he sighed. “Fine, I believe Inocchi has a strong reason to tell you about it.”
He rubbed his hand on a towel, sitting back down in front of them, toning down his voice. “This is something that has been told in my family for generations, from father to son. There has been an attempt to wake the sleeping dragon before. Hundreds of years ago. Or perhaps thousands, no one knows for sure.”
Aiba’s jaw dropped. “By who?”
Sakamoto shook his head. “The story doesn’t tell who did it; it only tells about the effect. It was an unsuccessful attempt, and as a result, an earthquake happened. The great earthquake.”
“The great earthquake?” Yoko echoed.
“We still feel the effect today,” Sakamoto continued. “The earthquake was the start of natural malformations. Ever since the earthquake, nature started dying slowly. My family says that the malformations are the punishment of trying to wake the dragon before the correct time.” Sakamoto paused, looking at his feet with deep uncertainty before continuing. “My family’s version of the legend says that the dragon didn’t go to sleep willingly. My great-grandfather said that the earth tossed him away when he was no longer needed. He was forced to retreat back from the earth’s affairs.”
Looking at the three of them, Sakamoto finished in a serious tone, “I personally believe that the dragon had been awakened, and the malformations are part of his revenge for being forced to sleep for centuries.”
Ikuta narrowed his eyes, taken aback. He turned to see his co-workers, seeing that they were as stunned as he was, confused at how to respond. How should they handle this? Ikuta was starting to regret asking the question. Yoko was right; they should probably stop now.
“Can we meet your boss?” Ikuta asked slowly, trying their luck for the last time.
All of a sudden, the door opened wide. All of them jerked. A man came into the room. “There’s no need, I already heard everything.”
Sakamoto hastily stood up. “Matsumoto.”
Ikuta scanned the man curiously. So this was Sakamoto’s boss, he thought, Matsumoto, the sea monster that had an argument with Nino several days ago.
Ikuta gulped. What he saw was beyond what he had expected. Amazed, his eyes were fixated at Matsumoto’s glowing skin and three moles near the lips. Matsumoto was dressed in a glittering blue outfit that would look ridiculous on other people, but strangely enough, the outfit only enhanced Matsumoto’s features more. The eyes that looked back at him were deep and sorrowful, his perfect eyebrows furrowed with a hint of annoyance clearly written on his face. Still, Matsumoto was, for the lack of a better word, beautiful.
Matsumoto flicked his long curly hair, and Ikuta quickly turning his gaze away, embarrassed. Aiba took a step backwards, also lost for words. Matsumoto averted his gaze to his employee. “I never knew that you held such kind of information, Sakamoto.”
“It’s only a bedtime story my father used to tell me,” Sakamoto replied shyly.
“Bedtime story?” Matsumoto chuckled. He turned to Yoko. “Nino, is it, the name he used now?”
Yoko was startled. “Yes, it is.”
Matsumoto passed them by, sitting on the armchair Sakamoto sat on. Even the way he walked was gracious, Ikuta noted.
“I have known him for a long time,” Matsumoto said grimly. “I don’t know why he is searching for the dragon, but dealing with Nino always means trouble.” He moved forward, crossing his hands together.
Aiba fidgeted from where he stood, looking more nervous than the rest of them. He was looking at something in the corner of the room. Ikuta followed his eyes. A bubbling sound was heard from Sakamoto’s aquarium, and he noticed that the water inside was rippling slightly. Aiba couldn’t seem to move his eyes away from it. Ikuta elbowed him, and Aiba gasped, getting his focus back on the conversation.
Matsumoto gave them one cool, stern look. His voice was firm but also sounded sad and lonely. “He can’t be trusted.”
Yoko hesitated for a while, gathering his courage to ask, “What did he want from you that night?”
“It’s none of your business.” Matsumoto suddenly changed his attitude. Looking irritated, he gestured at the door. “Now, please, leave my precious employee alone.”
Even as they left, Aiba’s eyes were still fixated on the bubbles in the aquarium.
VIII
“Ikuta, Ikuta, wake up.”
Ikuta waved his hand, trying to make the sounds go away. He was exhausted from his little adventures during the past few days, and he needed his rest.
Matsumoto had casted them away from the office buildings, looking disturbed as he heard news about Nino. The three of them had spent the rest of the day arguing whether or not they should continue the case without being able to reach a decision. Aiba kept insisting that they should follow the mystery until they could solve it, while Yoko thought they were not supposed to disturb a legend that was centuries old. Ikuta had not been able to choose a side. It was the first time he had seen Aiba and Yoko in a fight; they were usually so close to each other, but Aiba sounded unusual that night. He had been unusual ever since they left the aquarium. They finally agreed on taking a break, spending the night to rethink their choices. Ikuta was not sure that they needed his opinion. After all, he knew nothing about their world.
Knowing about the dilemma awaiting him when he woke up, he shut his eyes tighter, but the person who called him was persistent. “Ikuta, Ikuta, you need to wake up. There’s something important. Please.”
Ikuta groaned. He opened his eyes, slowly lifting his body from the bed. Looking around, he found Maru and Yasu standing on his bedside table, celebrating their success of waking him up. Ikuta rubbed his eyes, yawning. “What? Do you need more milk?”
“No, no!” Maru waved frantically. “You need to follow us. We saw someone.”
Ikuta sighed, eager to go back to bed. “See who?”
“The one who asked you to search for the dragon.”
Ikuta snapped his eyes open, no longer tired. He kneeled down beside the table, listening with full concentration. “Where?”
“In the alley behind the coffee shop you often visit!” Yasu yelled triumphantly.
“Lead me to him.” Ikuta quickly grabbed his night coat and sandals, pausing for a while to let the elves jump into his pocket. He ran out of the door, following the street to Morita and Miyake’s coffee shop, stopping near the alley Maru and Yasu pointed at.
The air was cold, Ikuta thought as he tightened his night coat. He hid at the corner, trying to catch his breath. He watched the two figures that were talking in the narrow alley. Maru and Yasu were right; it was indeed their client. He put his finger on his lips, ordering the elves to keep quiet before taking a peek again, trying not to let out a sound.
Nino was kneeling on the top of the garbage bin, shuffling a pack of cards, looking as cheerful as always. Still, there was something about him that kept Ikuta’s attention, making him almost unable to avert his gaze away. Ikuta shook his head, forcing himself to divert his attention to the other person standing in front of Nino: a man who was standing nervously. The man’s eyes wandered to observe the environment as if he was afraid that someone would catch him talking there. Ikuta narrowed his eyes. He knew the figure, especially the fedora hat. It was Kokubun. The height of a human.
Kokubun looked around once more before turning his head back to Nino. Ikuta had to admit that it was rather weird to see him with clothes on, standing as tall as human.
“Why? Why do you ask me to do this?” Kokubun asked in a low voice. “What are you planning to do?”
Nino gave a small smile; hands kept shuffling the cards aimlessly. “You have done a good job. Now, I need you to do the same thing as before.”
Kokubun made a movement as if he wanted to shake Nino’s body but decided better. He put his hand down, clenching his fist. “Why are you searching for the dragon? What are you planning to do after you find him?” asked Kokubun stubbornly.
Nino sighed. “You don’t understand, T’chi. I already know where the dragon is sleeping.”
Kokubun’s mouth fell open. He looked at Nino as though he was seeing a ghost.
Behind the wall, Ikuta gritted his teeth. Nino already knows where the dragon is sleeping? What does this mean?
Nino took out five cards from his deck and placed them in the air, facing backside. Ikuta held his breath. Each of the cards were floating in the air after Nino let them go, swinging a little bit to the left and right with the wind.
Kokubun took a step backwards, looking afraid.
Nino didn’t seem to realize his friend’s reaction. He proceeded by showing each card one by one. They were all aces, save for the joker in the middle. He hummed cheerfully, looking pleased with the result. “Can’t you see it? The pieces are starting to be put into their places.”
Kokubun shook his head; his voice was shaking a bit. “Why? Why do you need them to search for the dragon if you already know where he is? I don’t understand.”
Nino stopped humming. He stared at Kokubun with his cold golden eye, replying dryly. “I need him to open the place for me.”
There was a pause. Nino’s eye showed sorrow so painful, sending a cold shiver down Ikuta’s spine. He unconsciously gripped his night coat tighter.
“Him?” Kokubun sounded as confused as Ikuta was. “Who?”
“You don’t need to know.” Nino flicked his hand lazily. The cards changed position, swapping place with each other while the joker remained in the center. “You just need to follow my instructions.”
The wind shifted direction, and all of a sudden, Nino’s expression changed. He inhaled the air, sniffing. “It seems that someone has been eavesdropping on our conversation.”
Kokubun turned his body around in surprise.
Nino merely laughed. “Come out, come out, I already know you are there.” His eyes were fixed to the wall that Ikuta was hiding behind.
Ikuta looked down below at the two elves. Both of them shook their heads disapprovingly, but Ikuta needed an answer. He took a step out, revealing himself slowly to face his mysterious client.
“What are you planning to do? Why do you ask us to search for the dragon if you already know where he sleeps?” he blurted out the questions. Ikuta was rarely angry, but he could feel his voice shaking with anger. Anger, frustration, confusion, hurt, betrayal. All those feelings were mixed together, directed at the person in front of him who had asked them to do an impossible task and then rolled them around in his hands, treating them as his puppets.
Nino smiled a little. “Follow the path through, and you’ll find the answer.”
Ikuta was about to ask more questions when Nino abruptly jumped at him, pressing his forehead into his, hissing, “You are one of mine.”
He tried to push the man back, but Nino held his head with both of his hands, blowing into his eyes and pushing Ikuta to the ground. It all happened so fast that Ikuta was unable to react. He tried to get up but was forced to lie back down again, groaning as he felt an unexpected sharp pain in the back of his eyes. A few gold flakes shimmered in his eyes, clouding his sight with golden glittering colors. Ikuta closed his eyes with both hands, gasping for air as his eyes twitched uncomfortably. It felt like his eyes were stabbed repeatedly with a knife. He cried louder as the pain crept to his head, paralyzing him, filling his brain with more golden flakes. Ikuta hit his head on the ground to remove the pain, but it was useless. He lost the sense of time as he bit his lip, trying to shove the pain away. Just as Ikuta felt he couldn’t bear the pain any longer, it stopped as fast as it had appeared.
Ikuta inhaled a deep breath, needing a few moments to realize that the pain had gone for sure. He opened his eyes slowly. The gold flakes were gone. He shook his head, numbed by what had just happened to him.
When he lifted his head up, he found out that Nino was still there, standing with his back on the wall. He crossed his arms; his eyes were watching Ikuta carefully.
Ikuta stood up with much difficulty. His limbs were weaker than he thought it would be. He growled. “What did you just do to me?”
Nino smirked. He seemed to enjoy Ikuta’s pain. “You’ll see.”
Ikuta roared, arms spreading out to take hold of his client, but before Ikuta could reach him, Nino had jumped, grabbing several jutted bricks, and lifted himself up, climbing his way up to the roof. Ikuta ran to the wall, trying to find a way to climb it, but the wall was simply too high. He would not be able to make it to the top. He watched hopelessly as Nino jumped easily, having no trouble reaching the top.
“Oi!” He shouted furiously in despair. He ran alongside the wall, trying to chase him despite knowing how useless it was. Nino turned back, waving at him, laughing, jumping from one roof to the other as if he was as light as a feather. Soon, he was out of Ikuta’s sight, and only his chuckling sounds remained behind. Ikuta groaned. He punched the wall desperately, frustrated at his incapability.
Kokubun showed up behind him. His voice was small and considerate. “You won’t be able to catch him.”
Ikuta spun his body around. Grabbing Kokubun’s collar, he shoved him to the wall. He knew it was wrong to direct his confusion at the gnome, but there was no one else there. Kokubun’s hat fell onto the ground. “You...” he started.
“I have no choice, okay?” Kokubun shouted in panic tone. “He knows my real name.”
Ikuta did not stir, but he tightened his grip. They were alone in the deserted alley; no one would question what he was doing. “What do you mean?”
Kokubun coughed. “Listen. We, creatures of magic, are different from ordinary people.”
Ikuta pulled Kokubun’s collar, choking him. “Explain.”
“We don’t share our real name, because our names are equivalent to our souls. The one who knows our names have absolute power over us.” He closed his eyes, tilting his head. “I couldn’t refuse him.”
Ikuta let his hands go. Kokubun stumbled but quickly managed to stand again in full dignity.
“Is that true?” He asked the elves in his pocket. Both of whom nodded, backing the statement up.
“How could he know your real name if you didn’t tell him?” Ikuta asked, still looking unconvinced.
Kokubun glared at him. “I don’t know. He came to me one day out of nowhere calling my name out.”
Ikuta walked around, eyeing Kokubun suspiciously. “Why should I trust you after you lied to us?”
“Look,” Kokubun shouted, hands in his pockets. “I didn’t lie. He told me that I had to lead you to someone who knew more about the dragon than I do, and I led you to Sakamoto, who truly has more information about the dragon. Isn’t that what you wanted?”
Ikuta wanted to argue, but he knew Kokubun was right. They had been eager to hear more information about the dragon, and Kokubun showed them the right direction. They probably would still go to Sakamoto even if they knew Kokubun was told to do that by Nino.
“What did he just do to me?”
“I have no idea.”
“What else does he want you to do?”
Kokubun sighed. He grabbed his hat and put it back on his head, looking grim. “He told me that I should lead you to someone named Sakurai.”
“And who is this Sakurai?”
Kokubun shook his head. “I’ve never heard of him before.” He hesitated for a while. “Nino said he lived at the farm on the West District.”
Ikuta walked around in frustration, trying to guess what Nino wanted from them. If he purposely led them to Sakamoto, that would mean he knew they would find out about his argument with Matsumoto too. Ikuta’s mind was spinning. Nino wanted them to know his relationship with Matsumoto, but why? Did it mean Sakamoto’s fairytale story was the true version of the legend?
He turned his head to Kokubun. “Do you know what he meant by needing someone to open the place?”
Kokubun sighed. “I am as confused as you are.” He looked at the roof then back on the ground, fidgeting. He sounded irritated. “Look, he’s gone now, and I was forced to do this. I am sorry, but I’m the same as you, a pawn on his game board. I know nothing more than you do. Can I go now?”
Ikuta was skeptical; in fact, he was not sure who he could trust anymore. Still, he couldn’t find a reason to hold up Kokubun. Kokubun was not the source of their problem; Nino was. “I guess so, but remember,” he warned him, “we know where to find you.”
“Don’t worry.” Kokubun opened his hat, saluting Ikuta as he walked in opposite direction of the coffee shop. “I don’t think he still needs me.”
Ikuta watched Kokubun’s back with a grim expression, lost in thoughts. Perhaps Kokubun was right; Nino wouldn’t need him again after he found out about their secret agreement. No, Ikuta shook his head silently, not an agreement. They were all just pawns in Nino’s board game, not knowing where Nino would lead them.
Nino had done something to him, and even after he left, Ikuta still grimaced when he remembered the pain and the golden flakes flashing in his eyes. He blinked his eyes several times, not feeling any different. However, Ikuta didn’t believe that someone like him would do that without having a purpose. Yes, Nino did whatever he did for a reason. The question here was, Ikuta pondered, what would he do about that?
Maru and Yasu snuggled free from his pocket. “Are we being helpful?” Maru asked.
“Yes, you are. Good job.” Ikuta handed them a few pieces of candy. He looked above, watching the sun rising as he thought carefully about what he wanted to do. Ikuta took a deep breath. The sky was clearing and so was his mind. Looking below, he smiled at the sight of Maru and Yasu munching their candies. “Now, we need to report this back to Yoko and Aiba.”
IX
“Are you serious?” Yoko slammed the table, horror-struck after listening to Ikuta’s report.
“Very,” Ikuta winced as a few pens scrolled down the table into his lap. He had just told them everything that he had seen earlier. Their reactions were immediate, as Ikuta had expected them to be. Yoko had been listening to him with eyes wide open, while Aiba silently stood next to the table.
“Kokubun led us to Sakamoto on Nino’s order,” Ikuta calmly repeated the information, deliberately not mentioning what Nino had done to him.
Yoko shook his head, looking troubled and confused. “I thought my ears fooled me.” He sat back on Inocchi’s chair, mumbling words that sounded suspiciously like outrageous and unbelievable.
Ikuta crossed his legs. You are one of mine. Ikuta bit his lip. He had been enraged initially, but he calmed down after deciding what to do. He needed to know what those words meant, even if it meant running into danger.
Yoko spun the chair around slowly, unconsciously swirling the pen in his hand. Then, to Ikuta’s surprise, he suddenly stood up, circling the room pointlessly, his expression aghast. He continued mumbling, blurting out a few unclear words. After a few turns about the room, Yoko finally started asking questions. His voice was thick with confusion. “Why did he do it? What’s the purpose? Why us?”
“What should we do now?” Aiba asked.
Curious, Ikuta took a glance at him. Aiba was restless, moving his feet unconsciously to the left and right, looking thoughtful but also nervous. The smile and determination that was usually present on his face was nowhere to be seen. His face was pale. Ikuta couldn’t blame him; this development had to be more thrilling than what Aiba had expected. Still, he had never seen Aiba act like this before. Did Aiba feel guilty for insisting that they continue the investigation?
Ikuta opened his mouth, but before he was able to express his concern, Yoko had replied to Aiba’s question first. Staring at Aiba as if their co-worker was mad, he told them, “We should stop. Simple.”
Aiba didn’t budge. He kept moving around, looking like he was about to say something but not sure of how to tell them, opening and closing his mouth several times. Yoko didn’t pay attention to it though. He was too lost in his own thoughts, muttering some possibilities of why their client acted that way. Each sounded more illogical than the previous one.
Ikuta crossed his fingers, his brows furrowed in thought, mind ticking to calculate the words he was about to say. It was the time to convince his friends to agree, to make them see his reasons. Aiba might say something to change Yoko’s mind, so he had to say it ahead of him. Nino had done something to him, and he intended to find out what it was. He cleared his throat. As he had hoped, both Yoko and Aiba raised their heads up, paying attention to him.
“Gents, please listen to me here,” Ikuta started. “I told you that Nino said he knows where the dragon is sleeping.” He paused, giving Aiba and Yoko some time to nod. “But,” he gave a cool, careful look, “he also said that he needs someone to open the door for him.”
Yoko waved his pen around, his tongue made a frustrating tsking sound. “Yes, Ikuta, but the question is, who?”
“I don’t know.” Ikuta shook his head. “And neither does Kokubun.” He rubbed his chin, taking a few moments to rephrase his words.
“Remember,” Leaning his body forward, he grabbed the pen from Yoko, pointing it at Yoko’s face, “Nino also wanted us to search for another man. Sakurai.” His eyes swept his friends’ reactions. “Do you recall that name?”
“No,” Aiba quickly shut down his hopes.
Ikuta sighed. This would not be as easy as he thought.
Yoko grabbed the pen back. His eyes studied Ikuta carefully. “Are you saying that we should continue searching for this legendary-perhaps-aggressive-perhaps-nice dragon?”
“We’re already halfway.” Ikuta hastily replied, trying to explain where he came from. Tapping the table with a pen taken from his lap, he spoke in a flat voice. “If Nino uses us for his own advantage, I want to be there until the end. I want to know what we are actually being used for. I don’t like giving up before reaching the end of the road.” He crossed his arms firmly, stressing out the last part.
Yoko’s eyes left him a bit to search for Aiba’s reaction. Yoko didn’t immediately respond to Ikuta’s statement, and Ikuta didn’t rush him, waiting patiently for their opinions. Ikuta was certain that the silence meant they were actually agreeing with what he said. He tried to sound confident, but the fact was, he needed his friends. He couldn’t do it without them. If they chose to give up, Ikuta wouldn’t be able to solve the mystery. He bit the inside of his mouth, silently praying that they would agree to pursue the case.
Yoko sighed, leaning back in his chair, looking defeated. His hands instinctively went to his forehead, rubbing it in frustration. Ikuta stayed silent. Any moment now, he thought as he took a glance at the clock. Yoko groaned hoarsely. Sitting back up, he finally admitted, “I hate to say this, but you have a point.”
Ikuta grinned widely, feeling a sudden air of relief. “I know you’d agree.”
He moved his eyes to Aiba next, hoping that he’d be in agreement. “What do you say?”
Aiba said nothing; he suddenly took the seat next to him instead, fingers tapping the table nervously. Ikuta licked his lips nervously. Aiba had been the one who was more excited about the investigation ever since the very beginning. Ikuta could only hope that he still had the same enthusiasm to finish the case.
Aiba took a deep breath. When he was ready to talk, his eyes were looking straight to Yoko’s. “I need to confess something.”
“What?”
“I’m scared of that man,” Aiba whispered, as if it was something forbidden to be said out loud.
Ikuta and Yoko quickly exchanged glances, both having mirrored expression of bewilderment. When neither Ikuta nor Yoko replied, Aiba went on. His voice was a little unsure. “Matsumoto.”
Yoko coughed. He fixed his position in the chair. “Why?”
Aiba shook his head, looking even more uneasy. “I don’t know.”
“But there must be something he did that made you feel that way…”
“It’s his presence. Yoko, don’t you understand?” Aiba suddenly raised his voice, driven out by his irritation.
Ikuta dropped his leg, surprised to see a side of Aiba he had never seen before. When he noticed that Aiba was shaking, he promptly turned his head to Yoko, somehow feeling comforted to find Yoko as equally clueless as he was. No, if his senses were right, Yoko looked even more confused. His eyebrows furrowed, his expression startled. Judging from his reaction, Ikuta assumed that it was truly rare for Aiba to behave like this.
Yoko, however, didn’t stay stunned for a long time. He swiftly regained his composure. He spread out his arm, giving a signal for Ikuta to stay silent. “Have you seen him somewhere?”
Aiba continued shaking his head. “I don’t know. I really don’t know.”
Yoko suddenly stood up. He walked to Aiba’s chair, kneeling in front of their friend, holding his hands in his.
“It’s okay. Look, it’s okay.” Yoko pressed their foreheads together, urging Aiba to calm down. His hands never let go of Aiba’s. He kept rubbing them slowly, waiting until the trembling stopped, murmuring soothing words into Aiba’s ears. Looking at the intimate behavior, Ikuta tried to look away, silently wishing that he was not sitting in the room.
Aiba pressed his forehead back, nodded alongside Yoko’s words. After a while, Aiba’s anxiety finally died down. He hugged Yoko, mouthing his thank yous. Yoko patted his back in return.
Aiba raised his different-colored eyes at Ikuta, offering him a shy smile. “I’m sorry.” He looked embarrassed. “I’m sorry, I shouldn’t blow up like that.”
Ikuta patted Aiba’s shoulder carefully, smiling back. “Hey, it’s okay.”
Aiba took a deep breath before beginning his explanation; a sad smile escaped his lips. “Sometimes I get a glimpse of feelings like this. You know how I can talk to plants, right? Well, it’s not just that. I can feel their emotions too. I can feel their sadness and grief and anger and dreams. Sometimes, I dream of things that didn’t happen to me - flashes of images that don’t mean anything. Inocchi said that I have too much empathy, and it is supposed to be a good thing instead of a bad thing.”
“Aiba usually has a headache when the symptoms appear.” Yoko pointed out with a hint of worry. “Or he feels really, really unwell.”
“Yoko, it’s okay. I don’t think he knows me. His feeling was just too strong, and it rippled back to me.” Aiba waved his hand around. “Anyway, we need to figure out our next move now.”
Ikuta blinked. “Are you sure?”
Aiba bobbed his head in excitement.
Ikuta could see that he had slowly recovered to his usual self, acting as if the outburst didn’t happen. Nevertheless, Ikuta was still concerned. He liked Aiba, and he obviously didn’t want to drag him, or Yoko, into doing things they didn’t want to do, no matter how badly he wanted to solve the case. Ikuta leaned forward, speaking slowly. “Aiba, I said those words before I knew about your other… ability. If you want to stop, I will stop.”
“No,” Aiba shook his head persistently. “I consider this as a sign that we should keep on searching.”
“Are you certain?” Yoko asked.
Aiba nodded his head, smiling.
“Then, we need to search for this man,” Yoko let go of Aiba’s hands, suddenly turning his interest to Ikuta. “Sakurai.”
Ikuta nodded, agreeing. “Where do we want to start?”
“You said he lives on a farm in the West District,” Aiba said.
“If we believe Nino, yes.”
“We also need someone to keep an eye of Matsumoto.” Yoko stood up. “See if he knows more about the dragon. Find out why Nino visited him, and if he visits him again.”
Ikuta nodded. He knew that, with this decision, their investigation had taken one step further, making it harder for them to go back. “Should we check on Kokubun too?”
Aiba considered his question for a while. “I don’t think so. We can’t really blame him if Nino has his real name.”
“Let’s see.” Yoko grabbed a pen and paper, writing down notes. “Ikuta, you’re new. Matsumoto won’t suspect you as much as he would us. Could you…”
“Yes.”
“I haven’t even finished the question yet.”
“You need me to watch him, right?” Ikuta blushed.
Yoko gave him a suspicious look, but Ikuta forced himself to his face straight.
“Yoko and I will search for Sakurai,” Aiba announced.
“Okay, let’s do it that way then.” Yoko nodded, deciding to let Ikuta go. “Wait.” He walked to one of the chests that was stuffed below Inocchi’s chair and came up with a whiskey bottle. Opening it, he grinned. “Better celebrate this with something good. Morita’s and Miyake’s specialty.”
Ikuta laughed out loud upon seeing the bottle, remembering the night when he first found out about his ancestors. Although he still didn’t know what he was capable of doing, he couldn’t stop smiling when he compared his old life with the new one. Who knew that he - a part-time reporter who was usually only given the chance to write a small boring column- would have an adventure of his own?
Aiba poured the liquid down their glasses. Lifting up his glass, he proposed, “To the dragon?”
Yoko and Ikuta raised theirs. “To the dragon.”
‘And to find out what Nino did to me,’ Ikuta silently added before drinking his whiskey.
X
The next day, they went to separate locations. Yoko and Aiba were off to search for Sakurai, while Ikuta headed out to spy on Matsumoto’s daily activities.
It was harder to find Sakurai’s location than Yoko and Aiba had expected. Sure, they knew - or at least tried to convince themselves that Nino was truthful this time - that he lived somewhere in the West District, but the area was way bigger than the East District where they had met Sakamoto. Browsing through the phone book, they didn’t come across anyone with a name close to Sakurai.
Yoko and Aiba eventually had to stop several times to ask people if they knew anyone named Sakurai. One man said that a Sakurai lived in a village at the center of the town; another man told them that a Sakurai taught economics at a well-known university; yet one more man pointed toward the direction of a luxurious mansion. All of the advice they received led Aiba and Yoko to nothing but traveling around the town, ending up in various strange places without any hint of the Sakurai they were searching for.
On the third day, they were as clueless as when they had just started, and Yoko was about to give up - feeling sure that Nino had once again tricked them - when a miracle happened in a small market at the foot of the mountain. They were just asking random people in the market, hoping that someone knew anyone named Sakurai when a man piped in during their conversation with a vegetable stall owner.
“I know someone named Sakurai,” He spoke calmly.
Yoko turned his head. The man who said those words was standing in front of a milk stall, carrying a few large cans of milk with both hands. He was shorter than them both, with broad shoulders, short legs, and handsome features.
Yoko bowed his head, and the man returned the gesture politely before turning his back, proceeding to put the milk cans in the back of his nearby pick-up truck. Aiba gave his thanks to the vegetable stall owner and ran to catch the man.
“Sir, wait. I’m sorry, sir. Did you just say that you know Sakurai?”
“Mm.” The man nodded again. He jumped up into the bed of the truck, bowing down to fix the position of his milk cans. “I’m pretty sure he doesn’t know you though.”
“He doesn’t,” Aiba confessed. He held the car’s door forcefully, head looking up to draw the man’s attention back to them. “Someone asked us to search for him.”
The man stopped what he was doing. Kneeling down, he tilted his head a little. “Who?”
Yoko stepped forward to join the conversation. “We don’t know by what name Sakurai knows him, but we are here to ask him about something important.” Yoko toned his voice down, practically whispering in the man’s ear. “The sleeping dragon.”
Aiba let out a gasp.”Yoko!” He poked his co-worker worriedly, but Yoko ignored him, merely waving his hand impatiently to shush Aiba up.
“We have been searching for him for days, and we really need to find him, so please, if you know where he lives, could you tell us where it is?” Yoko pleaded.
The man hummed slightly, considering Yoko’s request for a moment. His face remained unreadable. Shaking his head, he pushed Yoko away gently, his voice sounding more sincere than before. “Who?”
Yoko clicked his teeth together, getting impatient. He moved forward, but Aiba quickly grabbed his arm, preventing him to say anything that might cause a stir between them.
“He looks like a boy. Pale and skinny, with one eye covered with an eye patch and one healthy light brown eye,” Aiba told the man honestly, thinking that he better tell the truth at this kind of time.
Upon that answer, the man nodded calmly.
Yoko nudged Aiba, inquiring the unspoken question. Aiba shook his head, silently asking Yoko to not say a word. He simply took a step backward, giving the man space as he jumped down from the car, rubbing his chin thoughtfully.
“A light brown eye? Or a golden eye?
Hearing the response, Yoko clapped his hand, looking ecstatic as it proved that they were getting closer to the answer. If this man knew who their client was, it would be easier to explain their case. “Yes, that’s him. Sometimes his eye color will change into golden, true!”
The man raised his head, stating flatly. “Nino doesn’t need you to search for Sakurai. He knows where we live.”
Aiba widened his eyes. He shouted, “We?” at the same time that Yoko asked, “You are Nino’s friend too?”
“Well, yes, Sakurai and I share a house together.” The man jerked his head to the back. “Up in the mountain.”
“Can you please take us there?”
“I can, I guess.” The man shrugged. “But why do I need to do that?”
“I’ll be honest here,” Yoko leaned forward, getting serious. “Nino ordered someone to trick us, and we want to know why. He mentioned that we need to find Sakurai, and so we came here, searching for him, hoping that he’ll know the answer.”
Aiba nodded his head to back up Yoko’s statement. This man was the only one who seemed to know the Sakurai they were searching for. Aiba silently wondered why Sakurai preferred to live in such a private place. Though this mysterious man had told them where they live, the mountain was huge. People could easily get lost in it, and Aiba knew they could waste several more days exploring it before they found the place. That’s if they could find it. There was always the possibility that they would get lost. He wouldn’t really mind it, because he could talk to the trees, but Yoko wouldn’t like it much.
His eyes scanned the mountain, shuddering at the fact that they would meet the mysterious Sakurai soon. Of course, it would only happen if they successfully persuaded the man in front of them to take them to their house.
In the meantime, the man leaned his back on the car, hands in his pocket, thinking about their request cautiously. He looked at the mountain for a while. His feet stayed firmly on the ground, but it was clear that his mind was busy pondering something else. Yoko gave a signal to Aiba to talk again at the same time the man opened his mouth. Tilting his head a little, the other manspoke with a wondering tone.“Doesn’t it mean you fell into his trap then?”
“This is different!” Aiba protested. “This time we fell into his trap willingly!”
“Aiba!” Yoko hit Aiba’s head, half amused and half annoyed. “We didn’t fall into his trap. We are here to outsmart him.” Aiba quickly rub his head, smiling sheepishly.
“It will be hard to outsmart Nino.” The man chuckled softly, his hand reaching for the driver’s door.
“Wait!” Aiba called out, a hint of panic was clearly heard in his voice. “What about us?”
The man stopped, confused. “You asked me to take you to him. Have you changed your mind now?”
“Eh?” Aiba grabbed Yoko’s arm, clutching him tight. “Are you going to?”
“Come aboard.” The man smiled sweetly, circling the car to open the passenger seat for them.
Aiba beamed. “Thank you!”
Yoko let out a triumphant yell. He shook the man’s hand, gripping it tighter than he should, overwhelming the man with his eagerness. “Thank you! Thank you!”
“By the way, I’m Aiba, and this is Yokoyama. Nice to meet you!” Aiba introduced their names, gesturing to Yoko and himself. “What’s your name?”
The man opened the car door. “I’m Okada.”
On to Part 3