Mikumo
Mikamo started acting weird when Mikumo was about to turn seven months old. A few weeks after that milestone, the news arrived at the Academy that Representative Kuramitsu of Seniwa had ordered a complete turnaround of his previous policies. Seniwa’s new isolationist policy now closed off their country to the outside world.
“It’s all right,” Mikamo assured Washu. “I have asylum. If it gets worse, I can get citizenship here right away.”
“But then your family…” Washu started.
“Sure, I’m worried, but… I mean, it’s nothing to brag about, but this kind of thing happens a lot in my country. I know how to deal with this.”
Washu was relieved to hear that. A month later, however, Mikamo left to go on a walk with Mikumo and never returned.
It was a sunny day. Washu had been out of town, giving a lecture in a neighboring city at Naja’s request. When she returned to the farm in the evening, her husband and son were already gone. According to the butler, Mikamo had taken Mikumo on a walk right after Washu departed. Before noon, he called to say, “I want to show Mikumo the ocean, so I’ll be back late.”
“Good grief, not again,” laughed Washu to the butler. Mikamo had a tendency to take Mikumo on adventures on a whim, so she did not think of the excursion as a big deal. When the sun set, however, she started to feel uneasy. Unable to contain herself, she ran outside.
As if waiting for her, Akara Naja was standing there.
“Naja! Mikamo and Mikumo haven’t come home yet. Will you look for them with—” She tried to start running, but Naja grabbed her arm. “Naja…?”
Naja looked at her silently, but her grip was firm. The expression on her face told Washu what had happened.
“You know…don’t you?!” Washu shook Naja’s shoulders and yelled. “Where are they?! Where did they go?!” She shook her again and again. “Answer me!!”
Naja averted her eyes but spoke in a voice Washu could clearly hear. “They went home…”
“…!!” Washu tried to run, and Naja embraced her. “Let go. Let me go!!”
“It’s too late…”
“No!!” With a roar of anger, Washu shoved Naja aside.
“Washu!!”
Washu looked up at the sky. She knew that, if she used her powers, she could make it there. Powers inside her that she had never used… That she had even forgotten she had. She must use those powers to bring back Mikamo and Mikumo!!
The moment she tried to do so, however, something kept stopping her.
That would only repeat the same thing all over again.
“…!!”
That would only repeat the same thing all over again.
“…!!”
That would only repeat the same thing all over again.
“…!!”
THAT WOULD ONLY REPEAT THE SAME THING ALL OVER AGAIN.
Washu opened her eyes wide. She could not defy the voice inside her. All the sadness and turmoil in the world could not sever the chains of those words. Losing all strength, she collapsed to the ground.
“Why…?” Washu mumbled, neither to herself nor Naja.
Naja picked herself off the ground and said, “Niwase Mikamo’s real name is Kuramitsu Mikamo.”
“…!!” Washu turned to face Naja, aghast.
“Yes, he’s the grandson of Chairman Kuramitsu, of Seniwa’s supreme council. The chairman died last month. The person on the news is a body double. As you know, Kuramitsu was enthusiastic about opening up the country, and he wanted to do it while he was still alive… So he was quite aggressive about advancing his agenda. But his son Misaka, the next in line, and current de facto leader, is Mikamo’s father. Misaka was against the rapid reforms. And the faction opposed to opening up the country found it hard to accept the fact that Misaka’s son, Mikamo, was at the Academy. Misaka was worried about Mikamo’s future and told him to return home. That meant your son, too, Washu-chan.”
“He said he would stay here…”
“That’s where home is for Mikamo. That’s where his family is.”
“But I…”
“He wanted to leave Mikumo-chan with you, but…” Naja murmured, with downcast eyes. “You’re living in a world that won’t allow you to make decisions by yourself, whether you like it or not. There are a lot of defectors from Seniwa. The ones who supported opening the country, the ones who lost the power struggle. What would happen if they came after Mikumo-chan here? Jurai and Seniwa consulted with each other and determined that Jurai would take care of you, Washu-chan, and Seniwa would take care of Mikamo-kun and Mikumo-chan. It’s ridiculous, but powerful people are always cowards.” She noticed that Washu had stood up. “Washu-chan…?”
At that moment, Washu disappeared without a sound. “She teleported?!” Panicking, Naja activated the tracking device on her wristwatch. She had placed the transmitter on Washu when she hugged her. Confirming that the signal came from Washu’s library, Naja sighed in relief.
Then her breaths came faster, overwhelming her. Her body trembled.
“I’m sorry, Naja-kun.” Professor Ikuma emerged from under the trees.
Naja turned around, shaking. Tears streamed down her cheeks. “Professor!! What should I do?!” She clung to him and sobbed.
He gently patted her head. “What a conundrum. Someone as smart as Washu-kun can understand the situation from the perspective of all involved parties, so she can’t even bring herself to cry… Poor thing. It’s heartbreaking. I thought of her as my own daughter.”
“Are you sure you don’t mean granddaughter?”
“What did you say?”
Hoooonk!!
“H-hey! Don’t blow your nose on my sleeve!!” Ikuma bopped Naja lightly on the head.
Naja crouched down, holding her skull. If she did not make light of the situation, she felt that her guilt would crush her.