Still, it was in that moment that my nonexistent hope that some of the original ideals of Moai might still have a hold on the group vanished. In the end, the second docent merely went about his task with some measure of diligence—nothing in particular really happening until I received another text from Tousuke.
“Second part’s over. Got in a group with that Ten guy. He was way too cozy with the ladies. Pissed me off. Seems to be popular with professional women too. Was more like some kind of debate though, was more fun than the first part. Guess that’s the elites for you.”
“I’m gonna laugh at you if you end up turning into a Moai member yourself.”
It seemed highly unlikely to me, but there was somehow an inherent impartiality behind Tousuke’s extreme thinking, so I couldn’t be entirely certain. I thought that Pon-chan might have just been being peevish when she said that just getting in with that group one time and getting a good look at them would be enough to make you hate them, but perhaps she had been serious. Still, even on the off chance that he did end up expressing some desire to join Moai, I wouldn’t attack Tousuke over it. I would genuinely laugh at him.
“I would too,” he replied. After receiving that message, I decided to relocate. I wasn’t going to get anything from just hounding the docents over here. I waited for them to switch places again, with a new girl coming in, then gave my legs a much-needed stretch and headed for the hall itself.
The fact that this meeting was being held on the weekend when there were fewer people around was most convenient for me while moving from place to place. If I were to brush shoulders with anyone at close range, I would have to stake my faith on Tousuke’s powers of disguise, but with so few people around, it would be easier for me to spot any Moai-associated acquaintances at a distance. In such events, I would be able to distinguish such people by their hair, clothing, and a number of other factors, while they would be forced to try and recognize me through my completely atypical getup.
The entrance of the hall came into view. Outside, there were a number of suited men and women, most likely professionals or seniors, so I kept my distance as I passed them by. Ahead, there was a school-run café, which is where I decided to station myself next. The café was open all days of the week for students, and there was a gentle stream of air-conditioning running inside. There were a number of other customers there already, but thankfully, one of the window seats was open. Though this spot would not give me a direct view of the hall entrance, I could at least see the hallway junction where one of the paths away from the entrance ended. Additionally, just as I anticipated, there were four young women in the café who seemed to be participants on break from the assembly.
I purchased a coffee and took my seat, flipping open a book and gazing out the window. One of my ears was angled towards the seats at the table behind me, the other towards the incredibly self-conscious conversation of the four girls. Sadly, no matter how self-aware and idealistic their conversation might have seemed, in the end, it was nothing more than idle chatter—or so I had been convinced, when finally the topic turned to something that was advantageous to our cause.
“Hm… Man, you know I’m always wondering with Ten where he got all that self-assuredness from.”
Ten. Ten, huh?
That was the guy who had been writing on that blog. Good, time for some real intel. I casually glanced over my shoulder to see the four girls. I did not recognize any of the formally dressed girls, but given that one of them had referred to Ten, a senior, without any honorific, one could surmise that she was probably a classmate of his.
“Maybe it’s his clothes? Or do you think he’s born with it?”
“If he were born with it, he wouldn’t always be showing off and pandering for approval.”
“Guess so. He never looks too pleased when Hiro gets mad at him, but he definitely strikes me as a very meticulously self-styled kinda guy.”
“You really think he’s that complicated? I’ve always just pictured him like a grasshopper!” One of the girls struck up an amusing smile.
“Him and that queen ant Hiro make a good pair.”
“Even though he’s just going to end up starving to death?”
The girls giggled at this. Apparently, this Ten was something of a ridiculous figure—or at least he was well liked because he accepted such a treatment. I could tell just by the fact that he had come up in such a conversation that they were fond of him. An ant queen though, huh?
Interesting.
“Good pair or no, I’d never hand Ten over to someone like that.” They were slightly malicious words, but I felt no real malice from them.
“Hiro’s more suited to like, you know, a nice old guy, with a fancy suit and a mustache. She’s had a lot of men in her life. I’m sure that’d bring out her softer side.”
“I mean that’s just what you’re into.” Another bout of laughter. I started to wonder if I’d be better off training my eyes than my ears on this frivolous conversation, but it was best that I didn’t. Then, the one more comparatively serious of the four took the helm of the conversation.
“Is this all right though? For us to not be in there cheering on the junior members?”
“That’s not for us to say. I mean, Ten did say that we don’t have to be in there if we’re busy.”
“Ah ha ha, are we really busy, though?” A fine retort.
“Suppose not. Guess we better get back in there!”
“We too must toil for the sake of the ant queen and the colony. That grasshopper can just perish!”
“Wow, cold.” She seemed to be the designated comedian.