Chapter 10

Because you said “Let’s go to the beach” A little over a week after Saikawa’s big concert, school let out for summer vacation. The long (and timely) break was the perfect opportunity for making good on the promise I’d exchanged with Natsunagi and Saikawa. I assumed we’d be going to a beach somewhere nearby, but… “We’re off to the Aegean!” “That’s way too ambitious!” As the girls cheered and punched the air, psyching themselves up, I was compelled to point out how absurd this was. “Saikawa, look. Yes, Natsunagi and I suggested that the three of us go to the beach, but how did that turn into an eight-day trip on a boat? What exactly are you imagining when you talk about going to the beach?” In Japan, you’d usually think of Izu or Shounan or somewhere like that. Why had she jumped to Europe and the Mediterranean…? Meanwhile, Yui Saikawa—who was wearing a white dress and a big straw hat—just seemed puzzled. “Huh? But you said we should go, Kimizuka. Besides, the ship’s already sailed, so no need to keep harping on it, all right?” …It was exactly as she said. We were already out on the ocean, rocked by the waves. The three of us were standing on the deck of a cruise ship, gazing at the receding Japanese archipelago. “Hear, hear. Nobody likes wishy-washy guys.” Natsunagi slipped off her sunglasses and shot me a belligerent look. She was wearing shorts and a baggy T-shirt. Were the spaghetti straps I could see on her shoulders underwear or a swimsuit? Either way, that look was perfect for her. “Anyway. I’ve never been on a cruise ship, either, so I’m really looking forward to this. Thanks, Yui.” The smile Natsunagi gave Saikawa was the sort she only rarely gave me. After that incident, these two had gotten really close. “No, no, it’s the least I can do to, um, make amends. I can’t do much more than this.” She wanted to make amends for putting our lives in danger. Of course, an all-expenses-paid invitation to an ocean voyage on a glamorous cruise ship wasn’t enough to make up for that. Saikawa knew it, too. And so— “You’re going to fight SPES with us. As long as you do that, I’ll have no complaints.” That had been the promise we’d made—the alliance we’d formed as people whose lives were under threat from the same group. “Yes, of course. I’ll do anything I can.” It felt like both of Saikawa’s eyes were gazing right at me—her large, round black one and the sapphire one under her eye patch. “What’s the matter, Kimizuka? Why are you staring at my eyes? …Ohhh, I know. I’ve figured it out. Yui-nya’s got you for real this time, huh? Well, well, Kimizuka… Heh-heh!” Saikawa folded her arms, nodding away. Watching this so very genuine, so very simple girl— “You sure are cute.” —I went and said it. “Heh-heh! …Heh-heh, heh…heh?” At that, Saikawa’s proud chuckling ground to a halt. Before long, the upturned corners of her mouth began to twitch uncertainly, and for some reason, her cheeks turned red. “…U-um. I—I wish you’d be a little more subtle about these things, thank you…” “Hey, idol, your tolerance should be way higher than that.” So she could dish it out, but she couldn’t take it. I’d gotten a glimpse of another side of her—one I didn’t really need to know about. “Time out!” The next instant, a hand chopped down between Saikawa and me. “Watch it! Geez, Natsunagi, what was that for?” “…That was getting a little too rom-and-com for me.” “ ‘Rom-and-com’?” “Never mind! I have something serious to discuss!” Giving a cute little snort of disdain, Natsunagi folded her arms over her chest. “Why did that SPES group make contact with Yui now? Seems a little late for that, don’t you think?” “Oh, yes, true,” said Saikawa. “That’s a good question.” Natsunagi looked at Saikawa, and Saikawa looked at me, tilting her head. “Why now? Well, I mean…” I was about to say That’s completely obvious, then thought better of it. …Yes, come to think of it, it was odd. Saikawa had said she’d gotten that left eye six years ago. If SPES’s goal had really been to destroy it, it wouldn’t have been strange for them to act sooner… So why had they chosen to do it now? And Saikawa wasn’t the only problem. Why had SPES waited to start coming after me again? Over the past year, after Siesta’s death, they hadn’t shown the slightest bit of interest in me. They’d made the call that they had no time to bother with a lowly, nameless assistant (ouch), so why was I being targeted again now, a year later? That train of thought naturally led me to a certain deduction. “…Oh!” Natsunagi gave a small cry, as if she’d realized something. She might have come to the same conclusion through the process of elimination. In which case… “I dunno. There’s no telling what goes on in the minds of those lunatics.” Giving a faint smile, I punted Natsunagi’s unease off the field. “…You think?” “Yeah.” After all, this was just a deduction—no more than a theory. I was sure it wasn’t the truth. What if SPES’s true target wasn’t Saikawa or me, but Natsunagi, who had Siesta’s heart? Or what if they started getting worried after learning she’d made contact with Siesta’s former assistant? No, that couldn’t be it. It shouldn’t be. It was wrong for Natsunagi’s life to be destroyed over this. “Well, we’ll just have to accept that we have a big evil organization after us and figure out how to deal.” That’s why I said something meaningless to end the conversation. But in point of fact, whatever the reason was, after the Saikawa incident, we were definitely even higher on the “wanted” list than before. The enemy hadn’t shown themselves directly; they’d probably still been watching and waiting—but the upshot was that we’d issued a full declaration of war. The day when I’d have to haul myself out of my tepid life was here. “Um, so they’re hunting for us right now, and we’re taking a laid-back cruise…” Natsunagi struck a playful pose. Guess my diplomacy was enough for her. “Don’t go there, Natsunagi.” Still, I got the feeling this was actually the right move. After all, it had worked four years ago. Back then, Siesta and I had hightailed it out of Japan, leaving on an unforgettable journey with no clear destination. This was probably a reenactment of that day: preordained fate. “Well, ideally, nothing happens,” I murmured, and the words drifted away on the sea wind. No, I know. Really. I know. After all these different coincidences piling up, something was going to happen. We couldn’t possibly get off this easy. Almost immediately, it became obvious that my premonition was correct. “—Kimizuka?” Suddenly, someone called to me, and I turned. Standing there was… “Charlie…?” Her natural blond hair streamed in the salt wind, and her neat, clearly European features made even her surprise look beautiful. “…It’s been a year, hasn’t it?” I said. “Yes. It has.” We gazed at each other, our expressions hard. “Kimizuka, is this a friend of yours?” Natsunagi looked perplexed. “Yeah, Charlie is my…our old comrade.” Charlotte Arisaka Anderson had worshipped the deceased Siesta—and had been her apprentice.