Katawa Yandere - The Entire Lilly Route - Parts 5-8

Part 5
Feeling ever so lucky for being a polyglot, you wave off the discovery that may have otherwise been a disaster. "Oh, that's just some history stuff I need to memorize. Would you care for some tea?"
"Sure." Hisao replies.
You set about preparing it while Hisao himself remains abnormally quiet. After you hand him his cup and saucer, he breaks it. "You know - that was nice, today."
"I thought so, too, Hisao."
He chuckles a bit - the first time you've actually heard him laugh, even if it does lack passion, it's a very nice change. "Really, I mean it. After everything that happened, leaving my old life, finding out about my heart, languishing in the hospital for a third of the year, getting transferred here... I've honestly felt overwhelmed."
You remain silent, appreciating that it finally seems like he's able to talk to you.
"It was nice, today, with you. I actually felt relaxed for the first time since... I can't even remember." He pauses for a moment; you realize the weight of what he’s saying. Something as simple as today – heading out to shop for a friend’s birthday… It’s probably the most normal thing he’s done since his incident.
"Would... would you like to do it again sometime?" You ask him, doing your absolute best to suppress your nervous trembling.
He remains silent for what seems like seven years, but is more like a second or two in reality. "Yeah, I'd like that Lilly."
The rest of your time together that night passes in a dreamlike blur, your heart essentially pounding in your eardrums. After he bids you goodnight and retires back to his own room, you flop down on your bed and breathe a contented sigh.
Going around together like that... it's practically a date, isn't it? You let that thought carry you off to sleep.
The next day, you wake up, still in an incredibly good mood, pick out your two canes, and almost skip out the door. Your morning passes uneventfully and before you know it, it's lunchtime. You realize that you and Hisao never actually agreed where and when to meet, so naturally, you want to find him and ask him. On the other hand, you know that Hanako might have been missing you yesterday and you'd rather not have her feel like you were shunning her, especially with her birthday morosity fast approaching...
Deciding that Hisao won't mind you dropping by his dorm later on, and also to avoid the risk of the Student Council spoiling your good mood, you head to the library to pick up Hanako.
"Yuuko?" You ask upon arrival, who greets you in the way of her people by jumping up and smashing her head against her desk. This girl really needs some fucking Xanax.
"Oh! H-Hi Lilly."
"Pardon me, but have you seen H-"
"LILLY!" A happy cry comes from across the room, compounded by a pace that can only be described as a sprint. Hanako reaches and hugs you. In spite of yourself, you giggle.
"My, my. Never mind, Yuuko, I seem to have found her." Taking her by the hand, the two of you walk to your tea room. Once there, you set about your typical clockwork process of tea preparation.
"So Lilly," Hanako perks up eventually, still seemingly happy just to be in your company again. "Where were you yesterday? I... um... went by your room... o-one or twice..."
"Oh..."
"Oh, Akira had something she needed to talk to me about." You say - which isn't really a lie. She did. You just didn't know that until after you'd left.
"Oh... Y-Yeah... I h-h-heard about that." She says, lowering her voice almost to a whisper.
'You did?' - You don't say it but you think it, allowing Hanako some silence to continue.
"Yeah... Akira called. I'm really sorry about your aunt."
"It's fine." You reply without missing a beat. "I barely even knew her."
"Um... Lilly?" She asks. "Why... why are you staying?"
After pausing for a moment to think your answer, you smile sweetly at Hanako and say "My family here needs me."
Hanako don't press into the subject any further, but she doesn't seem at all dissatisfied with your answer. The rest of your lunch period together passes in tranquility.
After class, you go look for Hisao. Where to look for him, though?
You know he's something of a bookworm, just like Hanako, so the library's a safe bet. You could also probably try his room without any anomalies now that his strange neighbor's been incarcerated in a mental institution. It's possible that he lingered after class as well - but it's also possible that StuCo did as well...
You head over to Hisao's dorm room, having a better feel for the male dorms by now than you really should, to be honest.
The floor still has some of the debris from when the paramedics retrieved Kenji that first time, so you're doubly sure you're in the right place.
You navigate up to his room and listen closely. You don't hear any kind of activity. It's still not so late, but it isn't inconceivable that he's napping. It's also possible he's not there.
You knock on the door. "Hisao?" No answer. You try again, but slightly harder. Only slightly since if he truly has fallen asleep you know he'll have a difficult time getting back to it thanks to his pills. Again, no answer.
 You'd rather not come across as possessive, even if you are... maybe just a little. So you call it at that and retire to your own dorm for the night, making a mental resolve to check up on him first thing tomorrow.
[Intermission]
At the nurse’s office, Hisao lays on a bed, sleeping connected to an EKG. In the next room, two figures are having a conversation.
“Man, just my luck. I finally get him to run with me and I push him too hard… Heh, I guess I just blew my chances, didn’t I?”
“Not necessarily. Now, he’s all the more aware of his weakness – he’ll seek out help to strengthen himself. And who else who he ask but you in that matter?”
“Eheh! Ehehehe!” An impish giggle. “Yeah! You’re right! I still have a chance! And that’s all I need!”
The male figure - tall, well built, wearing a long coat rises from his chair and faces the small figure sprawled on the office cot. “Your quest to win a competition in order to follow in your dead father’s footsteps and possibly find love along the way… Why do I feel like we’ve done this before?”
“I dunno? Maybe because it’s just an awesome wish to have?”
The standing figure chuckles. “Well then, REJOICE EMIYA SHIROU your wish will soon be granted.”
That same impish giggle.
[Intermission]
“S-sho when I ashked Lillyyyyy why she didn’t want to leaveee… HIC!” Hanako slurs after finishing her third glass of whiskey. “She shaid she couldn’t leave her family here!”
Holding their own little succession of birthday celebrations to make up for missing a party, Akira is seated just beside Hanako on a plush couch in the small apartment in Yamaku she’s been using as a base. On the table are two bottles of whiskey, someone’s shoe, four sets of keys, an old storybook with a Czech title and an illustration of a monster of the cover, a half-eaten cake, and three cell-phones.
“Really?! She said that, huh?” Akira replies, having had at least twice as many as Hanako, but seemingly completely unaffected, her crimson eyes still as sharp as ever.
“Y-Yeah! She said that! That’s ush, right?!”
“Yup, yup, kiddo!” Akira says, patting her head gently. “We’re the only family she’s got in Japan.”
“Lilly… caresh…” She trails off and suddenly begins snuggling into Akira’s modest chest with a broad smile. “She cares about us… We’re her family…”
Akira, well accustomed to much worse drunken behavior, isn’t taken aback and delicately strokes Hanako’s hair.
“Yes, yes we are…” She speaks softly. “We’re the only family she has. Us and maybe Hisao if she wants him…” She reaches into her jacket pocket and delicately pulls out her ticket to Scotland, staring at it with a serene smile. “We don’t need anyone else.”
[End intermission]
You awaken the next morning well before your usual time. In spite of yourself, you were worried about Hisao the whole night, a worry sleep did little to alleviate. Around midnight last night, you heard Hanako stumble back into her room, a fairly common occurrence wherever Akira is concerned, but otherwise the night was dominated by silence.
You reviewed Hisao's already-memorized file, readied your canes, paced back and forth. Your worries were probably unfounded, but you couldn't help it.
Realizing there's no way you'll be getting back to sleep anytime soon, you prepare yourself for the day, donning your school uniform and figuring out how to carry all three of your canes. (No small task, given that the rapier doesn't fold down and the third one doesn't actually function as a navigational cane - just resembles one.)
Coming out of your room, you cast about and hear dead silence. You wonder what to do... That school's nursing faculty is open 24 hours a day, you could check there if you're truly worried. You could stake out Hisao's room. Or you could try to check on Hanako, though it may well be more merciful to just let her sleep off Akira's influence.
Decided to allay your fears that Hisao's been injured, you head over to the Nurse's office. The school is silent in the early morning and eventually you find your way there. Opening the door, amazingly, you find the Nurse wide away at this ridiculous hour.
"Hello there, young Lady. What brings you here at this hour?" He asks in a chipper tone.
"Pardon, but I haven't been able to find a... 'friend' of mine. Hisao Nakai?"
"Oh, you're looking for Hisao? He's fine, don't worry."
That statement actually makes you more concerned somehow. "He's... HERE?"
"Yeah - there really wasn't much need for it but I kept him here overnight anyways just to be on the safe side."
Feeling your blood turn to ice water, a million thoughts, questions and ideas flow through your mind right now. If you didn't think before you spoke you'd probably sound like Rin.
"What happened to him?" You settle on.
"Minor heart flutter during conditioning."
"Conditioning?" You echo in a puzzled tone.
The nurse gives a cursory explanation of the need to strengthen atrophied muscle - especially in heart defects. He then adds "I guess he pushed himself too hard for some reason."
You feel sick, wondering what got into him.
He opens a door to the regular beeping sound of an EKG. Making your way over to him, you gently stroke his face. It's Hisao alright - a very peaceful visage about him.
"If you wanna know more about what happened, you can go talk to Emi, she was with him at the time." 'With him'? The echo runs through your thoughts. "She’ll probably be out for her morning run any minute now. Or you can just wait here with him. It's no bother either way. I'm gonna discharge him as soon as he wakes up anyhow."
As badly as you want to go confront Emi and hear the words of truth from a broken trachea, Hisao is much more important. You pull a chair next to his bedside and seat yourself. The nurse leaves and closes the door.
You simply sit there, in utter silence, for what must be over an hour in the early morning, gently stroking his face periodically. He truly is handsome...
Eventually, the chirping of birds tells you that it must be dawn. A slight stirring from Hisao, then... "L-Lilly?"
"Hisao?" You ask in an earnestly concerned voice, almost breaking, one that surprises even you. "H-How do you feel?"
"Lilly..." Hisao repeats your name. Normally you like that, but now there are more important things to worry about. Suddenly, you feel a pressure as he squeezes your hand.
"I'm fine. Seriously, it's ok." You realize you couldn't have been hiding your concern too well.
"I was just here for observation. I didn't even want to come here at all, but Emi insisted on it."
"Emi? What?"
Hisao gives a laugh. "I tried to race her. Guess I felt nostalgic for the days when I could do stuff like that..." He trails off, then he gently lifts a hand up and strokes your face. "Sorry I worried you."
You can't ask any more questions after that. Certainly, you want to, but your voice doesn't want to work. You just stand there, holding his hand to your face.
After a while (but not long enough) the nurse comes in. "Hey there, sunshine. I told you he'd be alright."
You simply nod in response.
"Mind giving us a bit now? I need to do a quick checkup before I let him go."
You nod and very delicately, so slightly that it could be easily mistaken for an accident, plan a small kiss on Hisao's hand before releasing it.
You exit the room, feeling much better now to know that Hisao's alright.
Burning inside you, you feel an unquenchable rage. With an anger born of tranquil fury, you head down to the athletic field, listening to the sounds of birds chirping and the early-bird students shuffling to class. When you arrive, you find the field empty - absent Emi's distinctive leg clacking.
You grit your teeth and clench your hand into a fist around your cane. Today she's evaded you, it seems. There though, feeling your face warmed by sunlight, you make a silent oath to yourself that her transgression WILL be avenged.
'thankgodthankgodthankgodthankgodthankgodthankgodthankgodthankgodthankgodthankgodthankgodthankgod' - It's the only thing on your mind for several minutes. After a bit though, other thoughts begin to surface. Thoughts about how you should handle this latest development.
[Elsewhere]
Emi sits perched upon a cot as the Nurse inspects her prosthetics, an almost disappointed look on her face.
"Looks like you put a bit more wear on yourself than usual today." He states matter-of-factly.
"Couldn't be helped." She retorts. "I waited at the field just as you said, but she didn't show, so I just threw a few extra laps in."
"I see..." He purrs, finishing the alignments. "Either I underestimated her concern for him or her sense of self-control..." He then looks up into those saucer-like eyes. "OR, a third option is that I overestimated your sense of patience."
Emi's sole retort is to blow a raspberry and look pouty.
[Elsewhere]
Sitting in the student council room, two pairs of eyes, one blue and one gold, are watching the sun rise together.
[So, Shicchan, why have you been keeping us sidelined?]
[There was simply no need to intervene.]
[Does that mean you're giving up?] Misha signs, looking almost hopeful.
['Give up'? Have you forgotten who I am?] She snaps back with a choppy series of gestures.
[Shicchan...]
Shizune gives a sharp exhale and then walks over to the desk, settling herself down and tenting her fingers for a moment.
[Right now, the balance of power around Hisao is extremely delicate. There's something to be said for daring, but daring without control is stupidity.]
[What do you mean, Shicchan?]
[Letting your enemies fight each other while you hang back and watch is often a better tactic than even the most carefully coordinated offensive.]
Misha cocks an eyebrow. [So what do you want us to do, now, then?]
A thin smile creeps over Shizune's face.
[End elsewhere]

=========================================================================================================================

Part 6
Your two-hour-long nemesis having evaded you, you stand at the edge of the athletic field for a while, basking in the sunlight's warmth as you make your oath to shield Hisao from all who would steal him away from you.
Unfortunately, in the process of basking and oath-making, you forget to check the time until you hear the first bell ring. Fuck.
Invoking the ancient Japanese ritual of late-class-transit, you jam a piece of toast into your mouth and haul your ass across the school grounds.
You arrive without having lost too much time and thankfully your teacher forgives it. Class itself seems to pass in slow motion, concerned as you are over Hisao's brief stint in the infirmary.
Finally, the lunch bell rings and you exit the classroom to the sound of "Lilly!" and a Hanako hugging.
She clings to you for a moment before saying. "Um... L-Lilly? You l-l-look a little pale. Is something the matter?"
"I'll tell you later, Hanako. For now, I see to check on something."
"Oh... O-ok." She squeaks and releases you. "I-I'll s-see you after class..."
Leaving Hanako, you make your way over to Hisao's classroom, keeping your hearing cocked for his voice. You hear nothing of note in the hallways save a few words of praise for whoever trashed the cafeteria a couple days ago.
Arriving in front of the classroom door, you straighten your collar before entering.
"Hisao?" You call inside, stepping cautiously through the doorway.
"WAHAHAHA! Hey class rep! Fancy seeing you here!"
Misha was the only one to greet you, so you can conclude Hisao's not in the room. Shizune and Misha might know since they have class with him, although you loathe the prospect of asking them for information.
You push aside your animosity with StuCo for a moment. Really, it's only Shizune that you actually dislike.
"Misha?" You ask sweetly. "Have you seen Hisao anywhere?"
"Oh! Hicchan?" She replies exuberantly. "I saw Emi snag him when he went out to the hall."
"I see." You acknowledge, trying to keep a poker face. "Do you know where they might have gone?"
"Hm...well, she usually eats up on the roof, so maybe you could check for him there?"
"Thank you." You turn and leave the classroom, but a skipping rhythm of footsteps from behind stops you.
 "Um... Lilly? Is Hicchan ok? He seemed a little out of it in class."
 Strangely, you only heard one set of footsteps. Is Misha asking this for her own benefit?
You decide that if Shizune wanted to know herself, she'd never actually ASK you about it. This has to be just Misha.
"Well..." You begin before giving a short description of Hisao's brief infirmary stint after running with Emi.
Making sure to protect Hisao's privacy to at least some degree, you lie and say you don't know how long he was there or what caused it. You don't mention that you spent a few hours at his bedside either.
"I see..." Misha says, actually using a quiet tone of voice for what must be the first time ever. "Thanks!" She calls out at her normal volume before vanishing back into the classroom.
Departing Misha, you ascend the stairwell as quickly as possible and open the door.
"Oh! Hi there Lilly." Hisao's voice instantly greets you. You feel a small wave of relief wash over you.
"Hey Hey!" Emi's voice comes in the same direction as Hisao's. "Come to join us for lunch up here?" A feeling of relief immediately soured.
"Always room for one more." Hisao adds. "Rin, can you scooch over?"
"As opposed to what? Pulling myself? Cartwheeling?"
You decide to swallow your disdain for now at least.
"Of course, it'd be my pleasure to join you all."
Rin vacates her seat and you sit down next to Hisao. On the small benches, you're almost pressed up against him. A nice feeling. And also Hisao decides to share his own lunch with you when you remember you didn't actually bring one, which is equally nice.
The conversation is significantly less interesting. Rin and Emi seemingly having mastered the ancient art of speaking passionately about absolutely nothing. Emi talks about pirates a bit, Rin interjects with comments that seem to bear no relation to sentient thought, such as whether Shiki can kill servants. You just stay quiet and enjoy your proximity to Hisao for the time being. Eventually, the lunch period ends and you all shuffle down the stairs.
"See you tomorrow, Hisao!" Emi calls out as she disappears down a hallway with Rin in tow.
He doesn't reply, so you assume he waved to her or made a glance or something.
You only have a minute or two before you get back to class...
Holding onto Hisao's arm, you stop him.
"Hey Hisao..." You say, unsure of what question you actually want to ask first.
"Hm? It's ok, I told you, I'm fine." He guesses at what you want to talk about, lightly tapping his chest. "I pushed myself way harder than I should have. Emi says it's common the first time someone starts exercising. She'll be keeping an eye on me next time."
"'Next time'?" You ask, doing your best to keep any murderous intent out of your voice.
"Oh, well, the nurse says I've got to do some kind of regular physical activity and Emi decided to make me her running partner. For the mornings, at least, she's down there all the time." He adds with a slight chuckle.
You mean to pursue this further, but the bell rings.
"Ah! Dammit! I'll see you later, Lilly!" He calls as he disappears down the hall.
The second half of the day passes much like the first: in slow motion. That seems to happen a lot when you'd rather be somewhere else.
When class finally ends, you have a few afternoon options to choose from.
You decide you have a bone to pick with Emi before you do anything else.
Recalling what Hisao said, you realize you should check the athletic field for her and walk there at a leisurely pace, letting the school grounds clear themselves out as all the student leave to go do homework or smoke pot in the bathroom.
Sure enough, as you draw closer, you hear the distinctive clacking of Emi's running blades.
"Heya, my favorite foreigner!" She greets you after a moment, dashing over. "Something I can help you with?"
"About what happened with Hisao this morning... You were with him?"
"Oh yeah..." She says, her voice losing its chipper tone. "That was scary..."
"What the hell were you thinking? Making him race you?" You say a bit snappishly.
"No harm in it..."
"Do you even KNOW about his heart?" He say almost in a growl.
Silence for a moment, then she responds with an edge to her voice. "Better than you do, I'd say."
"What... Do you mean by that?"
"The hell do you think I mean?" She snaps back. "Hisao needs to strengthen his heart if he wants to live past thirty! You don't care about that?!" Genuinely angry, she continues. "Have YOU been doing anything to help him heal?! Have you done anything at all for him besides make him tea?!"
Silence.
“You dare profess to tell me how to love?!” You cry, pulling your cane. “Mongrel! KNEEL BEFORE THE QUEEN OF SCOTLAND!” You bellow, drawing your rapier in one hand and nunchaku in the other, you lock onto to Emi and launch a double-pronged attack. However, launching is all you’re able to do as a lightning-fast body slam from a seemingly unprepared Emi smashes into your forearm, snaking through your initiative strike.
“Fine! Have it your way!” She says, almost laughing as she rolls back up into a crouched position. Concealed as part of Emi’s prosthetics, the girl breaks out a pair of thin-bladed cutlasses and spins them through the air, bracing for your onslaught.
Keeping your distance for the time being, you launch a series of randomly-angled attacks with your nunchaku, all of which pass through the air and ground. Weaving through attacks with easily enough force to shatter bones, Emi simply blows a raspberry at you.
“Speed like that’s no good. You have to do it like THIS.”
A small explosion kicks up as her leg-blades tear deep cuts in the ground and she catapults past your first cane. As Emi raises her twin blades, a flurry of slashes come at you. A rapier is not a defensive weapon, but thankfully Emi’s short limbs limit her angles of attack. After an almost rhythmic series of metallic clashes: Thuck. Emi sinks one of her leg blades into your gut. It feels as though you’ve been hit by a car – you’re sent reeling back several meters.
“Eheheheh!” Emi presses her advantage and closes in on you before you’ve managed to recover, pushing that perfectly conditioned body of hers to an incredible speed. You thrust your rapier squarely at her chest as she approaches, but at the last second she simply bends her upper half out of the way with a seemingly unnatural flexibility. Realizing the need to buy yourself breathing room, you hurl the grip of your nunchaku-cane with your other hand. With an impish giggle, Emi vanishes in an explosion of kicked-up earth.
As you rise, now wielding only one weapon, you mentally register Emi now more than ten meters away, casually bouncing one of her leg-blades up and down. You weren’t even able to track her path. In horror, you realize you know this technique. Akira mentioned it a long time ago; “Shukuchi” – a term you never actually believed in.
It goes by various other names in eastern martial arts, but the ideology remains the same: a means of instantly bringing oneself from complete rest to their full sprinting speed using extremely powerful leg muscles. To an observer, it’s said to look as if you’ve teleported a few meters. Against this health-devil, you realize you’ve got no chance of winning in a conventional battle situation.
No choice, then.
You draw your third cane, your deadliest. The reason you and Akira have kept referring to is as ‘that’ or ‘the third cane’ is because you’re not sure what exactly to call it: the thing doesn’t really resemble any weapon in human history.
Neodymium is a rare-earth magnet that became commercially available in the latter half of the 20th century. The magnetic field generated is several orders of magnitude stronger than that of conventional magnets. The attractive force between two magnets larger than a few centimeters is enough to break bones if you get pinched.
That’s your third cane: Thirty-three neodymium needles coated with a ceramic armor shell. Manipulating these with a field generator that forms the grip of your cane, you can fire a lethal barrage.
The reason you’re not supposed to use it is because magnets are not telekinesis, no matter how badly Hollywood would have you believe otherwise. They can either ‘attract’ or ‘repel’ – that’s it. And in this scenario, ‘attract’ means ‘You have thirty-three fucking knives flying directly at you’, so if you make a mistake in trajectory you might skewer yourself. Also, the amount of energy needed to sustain such a strong field is tremendous: even with your hi-tech battery you’ll only get about four minutes before you need to recharge it.
Pulling the trigger, you fire your barrage of needles as if from a gigantic shotgun. The air hisses and whistles as 33 sleek armored needles are flung out in a wide spiraling pattern, with the center fixed on Emi.
It’s an unavoidable attack, or at least it should be. If you were fighting anyone else but Emi, it would be.
Impossibly, her small frame and perfect physique allow her to evade your strike, hurling herself low and to the side. Reversing the setting to ‘attract’, you hope to catch her with a backside attack, but with her EX-ranked agility she avoids it; snaking through the lethal barrage as the air hisses around her.
“QUEEN OF SCOTLAND! DO YOU HAVE ENOUGH CANES?” She cries as she closes the distance between you in the blink of an eye.
You have time for one final attack and blast your hail of needles but even at this nearly point-blank range she avoids it, seemingly bending space itself around her by means of shear speed.
Shunk.
With a braced upward cut, Emi scissors her blades together and takes your hand off at the elbow. Before the pain of it has even fully hit you, she keeps the momentum of her attack going and body-slams into your torso. Unable to scream on account of being winded, you tumble together, with Emi controlling her balance and landing atop you in a straddling position. Giggling impishly, she rains a hail of savage hacking blows down on you.
In the moment of clarity one experiences before death, you realize so many of your mistakes. Mistakes such as beginning a deathmatch with Emi in the first place when you had no idea of her capabilities. The terrain you chose for it: a flat brightly lit field without any cover, where someone with sight would have the greatest possible advantage over a blind person, where there were no avenues for escape beyond trying to outrun a track star, and most importantly where Emi could make full use of her insane speed and agility.
As all feeling in your body in replaced by an icy coldness, Akira’s waning echoes in your mind – that it was best to win your battles without actually fighting.
“Ehehe” You make out that same impish giggle, then. CRACK. A final stroke of a cutlass splits your skull.
[Bad end]
[Continuation]
Your bloody body lies still along the grass as you experience the taste of death, then...
Flash. "THIS... ISN'T... REALLY HAPPENING!!!!"
You scream out, doubtless drawing strange looks from passing students.
Heart racing, you settle yourself as you quickly walk away from the school entrance.
Getting bad vibes from the track field, you take a swig of liquid courage and head over to the female dorms to go spend some time with Hanako.
Her door springs open after just one knock and she greets you with her customary Lilly-squeak. It's good to know that her birthday blues haven't started affecting her yet...
She leads you into her room and you both sit down on her bed together. She puts her arms around you and nuzzles into your arm a bit.
"So Lilly..." She asks after a moment. "What was the matter earlier today?"
"Well, actually..." You bring Hanako up to speed on the events of this morning, how Hisao got hurt due to Emi's carelessness.
"I see... So that's why he wasn't in class earlier..."
"What? You KNEW?!" You yell in surprise. Hanako nearly jumps through the ceiling.
"I-I-I k-knew t-t-t-that he w-wasn't in c-class." She almost whispers. "I'm s-sorry I didn't say anything, you never asked..."
Taking everything about this scenario in, you feel a mix of emotions; guilt, anger, longing, kinship, love, determination... So many thoughts and feelings run through you before you turn your inner focus back to Hanako.
Hanako seems genuinely sorry for not telling you, which you are not at all happy about. But on the other hand, how was she supposed to know about how important Hisao was to you?
You get the feeling that keeping her in the dark might be unwise, but at the same time, you're not sure of her own feelings, either.
"Hanako, I'm sorry..." You speak softly as you draw her into a hug and rock her back and forth a little. "I..."
Your heart catches in your throat for a moment, but you push through it.
"I... love him..." You whisper. "I love Hisao."
Silence permeates the room for a moment that seems like a year, then Hanako reaches her arms around you.
"Lilly..." You feel her head shift and realize she must be looking at your face. You don't even need sight to be able to tell that you're blushing. "If he'll make you happy, that's all I need."
She snuggles up against you. You feel as if a weight was lifted off your chest now that you've actually said it. And even better is the fact that Hanako accepts.
The rest of your night is spent talking about Hisao. You tell Hanako of the time you've spent with him and some of the things you've been doing in your quest to make him yours.
Hanako confesses that she had a feeling about that already. "But... I'm happy that you still made time for me."
She goes on to talk about how she's been spending time with him at in the library - getting book recommendations on things like chemistry or physics as well as novels. How they sometimes play chess together. His behavior in class... The rest of the night is spent filling each other in on all the blanks you've both been leaving.
"He really seems nice... I'm happy for you..."
[Elsewhere]
At the airport, Akira, temporarily a brunette, steps through the customs check and hands over an immaculate fake passport. After a moment of checking, she's warmly welcomed home.
She hasn't slept in easily 36 hours, but pushes through it. This was something that had to be done.
Reaching the cell-receptive part of the airport, she checks her phone. No calls from Lilly, so that's good, she supposes.
Walking out to the parking lot, she makes a mental note to call her sister first thing in the morning. She's had something of an epiphany.
She'd done a bit of reading on the long flight, pouring over Hisao's dossier over and over.
Something jumped out at her perusing his medical records. Something she hadn't noticed before. Something which might help answer some of the riddles.
There was one name that showed up more than any others. One person who saw Hisao more than anyone else, but wasn't even related to him.
One name.
"Iwanako"
[Elsewhere]
Emi sits on her bed with Rin, who has a long black bag slung over her shoulder.
"So, it looks like Lilly might be my main rival here..." She concludes.
"Cool." Comes Rin's flat reply. "Since art club's been canceled, I've got free time to help you with."
"Glad to hear it, Rin - the Nurse said something similar."
"I'll start making our tie-dye camouflage tomorrow."
"Rin... Where the HELL is that gonna help us blend in? Do you think we'll be going into battle at a Grateful Dead concert?"
Rin looks up, as if pondering this possibility. "So what did you have in mind, then?"
Emi responds with her devilish smile.
[End elsewhere]
Awakening the next morning, you feel more relaxed than you have these last few days. It was kind of Hanako to hear you out.
Dressing and arming yourself for the day, you wonder if you should drop by Hanako's room for an early morning tea. It's been a little while since you've done that together.
Hisao's condition still bugs you, even though you have his history, you're no doctor. You debate dropping by the nurse's office to ask him about what 'conditioning' might actually entail.
As for Hisao himself, you know he'll be training with Emi this morning, so dropping by his room would be pointless since it'd be empty. Actually, so would Emi's if you wanted to have a look through there... Though that has risks for obvious reasons.
You decide it would be nice to go see Hanako. Readying yourself, you leave your room and knock on her door.
"Hanako? Are you awake?"
No response.
"Hey, you should be getting up for class soon, anyways..."
No response.
You keep this up for a couple minutes, getting the same result. Deciding that she's overslept, or at least hoping that's the case, you leave and head to class.
Taking your breakfast in the outdoor cafeteria that the school hastily set up after you and Misha wrecked the old one is actually a nice change. Still, the environment has a bittersweet flavor to it.
It seems rather quiet right now. Between getting into all sorts of fights, doting on Hisao, and trying not to forget Hanako, right now, having no real obligations is actually a lonely feeling...
Deciding that you should let Akira know recent developments, you get out your phone and dial her.
Elsewhere, Akira awakens to the sound of your ringtone in someone's bathtub, clutching a slotted spoon in one hand and wearing a bloodstained tie around her head like a bandana. After a moment, she picks up.
"Hello?" You hear her voice.
"Good morning, Akira, I hope I didn't wake you." You hear a slight shuffling on the other end.
"Eh, I needed to be woken up anyways." Then you hear a child's voice. "Hey lady, why were you in our bathroom?" A gunshot.
"Sorry about that. So how are you? Is everything alright?"
You launch into an explanation of how you've been these past couple days, ending with Hisao's heart trouble and Hanako.
"Hm..." She says, analyzing everything you've told her. "Emi Ibarazaki... I'll try to gather some intel on her. I should be in Yamaku by later tonight, so we can talk at length then."
You breathe a contented sigh. "Thanks Akira, I'm really sorry about asking you for all this when you're getting ready to leave for Scotland..."
"Oh, somehow I doubt that'll be an issue. Anyways, try to keep things calm for right now. Rushing in without intel is never a smart move. Which reminds me..." She pauses. "Has Hisao ever mentioned anyone named Iwanako?"
Your turn to be silent as you run back over everything he's said. "No. Why? Who is that?"
"No idea. Going over Hisao's visitors list while he was in the hospital, she saw him more times than his own parents. But I can't find any connection between the two..." She gives a yawn and then continues. "Though I haven't really had a chance to do any real digging lately... Hm..."
After a moment of internal debate, you decide. "Never mind this Iwanako for right now. If she was a real factor, I'd definitely have at least heard about her. Emi's a much more immediate threat."
"Yeah, you're right." She replies. "I'll get in to Yamaku sometime this evening. We can grab dinner together and do some recon. Sound like a plan?"
"You're the best, sis."
And with that, you hang up. Class goes by in its usual blur. You're really starting to wonder why you even bother showing up.
Finally, when the lunch bell rings, you step outside and "Hey Lilly."
You clasp your hands in front of you in mild surprise. That's not Hanako's voice...
"Hisao?"
"Yup, that's me." A moment of awkward silence, then "Hey... Um... Do you wanna grab lunch together?"

=========================================================================================================================

Part 7
Doing your best not to outwardly jump for joy at Hisao's invitation, you immediately take his arm and let him lead you off.
It's not like this sort of after-class pickup is unknown to you thanks to Hanako, but having Hisao do it makes for a pleasant change of pace.
Sadly, the mood sours a bit as events unfold.
He doesn't talk much on your way to the temporary cafeteria, and even after you arrive he doesn't say much of anything apart from when you both grab something marginally edible and find your seats.
You manage to make some small talk, but he seems distant somehow...
"Hisao?" You ask delicately. "Is something the matter?"
"Not with me, but yeah, kinda..." He sighs. "You're Hanako's friend, right? I mean, she always says such nice things about you whenever we hang out."
"I try to be, yes." You answer.
"Well..." He trails off, getting his thoughts in order. "Well, yesterday... She had something like a panic attack... She just locked down in the middle of class..."
Your thoughts freeze. Yesterday, when you saw her, she didn't mention anything even vaguely like that.
"And today..." He continues. "She just didn't show up for class at all. Is she alright?"
You remember showing up by her door earlier, but hearing nothing. Given how she was last year... You'd hoped she'd gotten better, but if she did it apparently wasn't enough.
Even worse is that Hisao seems genuinely worried by the tone of his voice. What to say?
"Hm..." You say. "Would you like to go check on her now? We can probably make it back before class."
"Yeah, ok." He replies, taking your hand.
Together, you walk across the school grounds towards the female dorms. You use the topic at hand to segue in a few questions about how Hisao and Hanako seem to know each other.
"Well we kept bumping into each other at the library... Started playing chess at lunch..." He replies. "I don't know, I guess she's kinda like me... Just, you know, without the panophobia." He sighs. "So how about you? How do you two know each other?"
He asks as you walk into the dorm entranceway.
You give a cursory explanation of how you met. "We just sort of fell in, I suppose..." You addend.
Although actually, that's a question that catches you somewhat off-guard. Just what exactly IS the nature of your relationship with Hanako? You've never really thought about it at any real length...
Reaching Hanako's door, you both freeze.
You put your hand on Hisao's chest. Ostensibly to stop him, but of course, you leave it there a bit longer than you need to.
You rap your hand lightly against Hanako's door. "Hanako?" You call out, keeping your ears cocked for any sounds. "It's Lilly."
You decide against mentioning Hisao for right now.
"Are you in there?" You ask rhetorically. She has to be, there's nowhere else she'd be.
No response. Dimly though, you can make out a breathing pattern behind the door.
You breath a short sigh and turn back to Hisao.
"Is... Is she ok?" He asks, concerned.
You understand why he might be, actually, given the circumstances. The last time he saw her, she wasn't in the best of conditions, now this...
You gesture at the door. "You give it a try."
"Huh? Well... ok." He steps over and knocks softly, clearly trying to emulate you but lacking your dexterity.
"Hanako? It's Hisao. Are you alright in there?"
You've kept keeping your hearing focused completely on Hanako's room while he does this.
Behind the door, as soon as Hisao speaks, you make out a sharp gasp. Then... utter silence. Not even a breathing rhythm, as if she was holding her breath now. The atmosphere is dead still for several tense seconds.
Hisao moves to knock again, but you put your hand on his arm. "I think she just needs to rest right now." You tell him. "Don't worry, I'll check up on her again later tonight."
"Well... ok." He replies and takes your arm. "Has this sort of thing happened before?"
He asks as he leads you back to class.
"Unfortunately, yes..." you reply. "About this same time last year, she did more or less the same thing. She locked herself in her room and didn't come out."
"What? Why?"
"I don't know." You reply. "I left her food a couple times but in the end I couldn't get her to come out."
"Lilly." He squeezes your hand, which you take some measure of comfort in.
"It'll be alight Hisao. She came out on her own eventually. Just give her some time."
He stays silent for a moment, as if weighing your words, then says "Yeah. You're right." He exhales in a small sign of relief. "Thanks, Lilly."
Without enough time to actually return to lunch, the two of you go on a small stroll through the school grounds together. It's a nice day and serves to relax the both of you a bit.
When the time comes for you to head back to class, Hisao stops you just before you part ways.
"Hey Lilly. A-are you free this weekend?"
"Hm? Yes. Why?"
"I just fancied getting out for a bit, kind of like before. Only without any shopping this time." He adds that last part as a joke, but you're too enraptured by that first part to remember to laugh. Collecting yourself...
"That sounds lovely, Hisao." And you both part ways.
Having successfully scored another not-date, your day brightens considerably. The rest of your dull class passes quickly and after a short amount of time, it's over. This was about the time Akira said she'd be getting in, but strangely, she hasn't called you yet.
You decide to check Hanako's door again. You doubt she'll actually answer, but you can at least leave her some food.
The school cafeteria kitchen is emitting those strange screaming sounds again, so you doubt you'll find anything good there.
You wind up ducking into the student council room after listening closely for the sound of 'WAHAHA's to make sure you're in the clear and appropriate a lunch tucked into a cabinet. You'd like to set the place on fire or something, but decide stealth is better right now and make a fast exit.
Having successfully raided Shizune's base and stolen her f00dz, you go try Hanako's door again. As predicted, she doesn't answer. After a moment, your phone goes off.
"Hey hey, Lilly! I'm back! Waiting by the front gate right now, where are you?"
"Oh, Akira!" You reply. "I’ll be there in a just a minute" You hang up and speak clearly into the door.
"Hanako, I'm leaving you some food. At least eat properly, ok?"
As you move to leave, you hear a small squeak from behind the door. "t-thanks"
Akira's never really been hard to find when she wanted to be found and you've detected her car in no time.
"Lilly!" She calls out, drawing you into an uncharacteristically firm hug as you approach. "Always good to catch you."
"Likewise."
You both file into her car and blast away to the rhythm of beer cans opening and shitty 80s music.
Taking Akira's offered beer can, you down some and then ask. "My my, Akira, you seem to be in a good mood."
"Oh, you know." She replies. "Just feeling free for the first time in... really ever..."
You're about to ask her to clarify when she tosses something on your lap. A folder.
"There's that bit on Iwanako I told you about. I did a marginal amount of digging on her, but as you requested, I put most of my focus on Emi."
Same school as Hisao... You muse to yourself, thumbing over the brail. Were they close friends or something?
You shake the thought from your mind and refocus on Emi, the more pertinent threat.
"Did you find out anything on Miss Ibarazaki?"
"A little, but not much, securing confidential records takes time, unfortunately."
Her car smashes into something solid and stops, but evidently this was supposed to happen.
"We're here." Akira declares, kicking her door open before coming around to get you. "You don't mind if we eat at my temp here, do you? I ordered out before I got you."
"No, of course I don't mind." You say, taking Akira's arm as she leads you inside.
Akira's temporary apartment in Yamaku has sort of a strange smell but the layout is quite utilitarian and casting about with your cane you quickly get a feel for it - a few pieces of hastily dragged-in ikea furniture covered in miscellaneous items: a braille typewriter, a couple laptops, binoculars, what appears to be a fish, a four-barreled derringer, a wig, a meditation wheel, two dolls, and of course, several liquor bottles.
You quickly sink down into an easy chair and Akira tosses a takeout box of Mongolian beef into your lap.
"Actually..." You say as you both begin eating and your sister slides a glass of wine of to you. "I'm afraid Hanako's not well..."
"What do you mean?"
"Well..." You take a sip. "Like last year... do you remember what I told you about that?"
"Oh..." her voice falls a couple notes. "Yeah..."
Silence for a moment, then you detect Akira taking a long drink of her own. "Do you want me to try and talk to her?"
"No, it's quite alright." You reply. "It all worked out for the better last time. It's best not to put any undue pressure on her."
"Roger that." Akira replies, pouring herself another glass.
The rest of your night is spent pouring over low-clearance personnel records which Akira can legally get as a lawyer.
"For the heavier stuff, I'm gonna need to do a little legwork." She tells you. "So the safest course of action would be to wait a little bit until we have a better view of the whole picture."
"How long do you need?"
"A couple days, maybe."
"A couple... Wait, what about your trip to Scotland?"
"I'll cancel it."
"Akira?!"
She giggles, setting a sugar cube on fire above a glass of Absinthe. "Relax. It's less of a concession than you might think right now."
She doesn't go into any further details and together you go over some of Emi's school records.
Emi Ibarazaki; currently age 19, missed a grade due to medical reasons, grades slightly below average, but innumerous awards and merits for athletic ability.
"In other words." Akira concludes. "Might not be the best idea to straight up fight her."
"Then what are you proposing?" You ask.
"Hm... nothing 'yet'... I still don't have a very good feel for her. It'd really help if we knew what she was after. What exactly she sees in Hisao... Do you have any ideas? Has he ever talked about her at all?"
Well... you really don't know her so well either, but if you had to guess...
You make a monumental effort to put aside your prejudices for now and actually cast yourself into Emi's mind. It's hard, given how little you actually know about her... Still...
"Maybe she wants to try healing someone... the same way she was healed."
"Hm... Like a messiah complex... with a scary seasoning of adolescent hormones?"
"Nothing wrong with having a healthy adolescent sex drive." You reply before gnashing your teeth. "She just picked the wrong guy for it."
Akira chuckles and makes another Absinthe. "Okie-dokie, then. Her medical records are gonna need to be the first thing I check in that case. Psych profile can wait a bit. Your school nurse - what's his name?"
"Um... Hm..." You take Akira's glass out of her hand and down a small swig before passing it back to her. "I don't actually know..."
"Hm. We're already off to a bad start then."
The two of you pass the rest of the night in a mixture of doing bare-bones research and getting plastered.
The next morning, you awaken curled up atop what appears to be Akira's kitchen counter with your hair styled into liberty spikes for some reason.
You stagger to the bathroom and wash that out before anything else. Then comes Akira's voice over your shoulder.
"Heya! Glad to see you're up! I was worried I'd have to come wake ya."
"Akira... please... not so loud... Wake me? For what?"
"Um... school? Isn't today a school day for ya?"
Fuck. It actually is. How does Akira do this every day?
"Ugh... Yeah, school. I can do this." You reply and begin readying yourself as best as you can while Akira mixes up some of her signature anti-hangover scottish death elixir.
Taking some in the car on the drive over, you feel marginally better... Or at least no longer likely to puke.
"So yeah, I made some calls in the early morning while you were karaoking 'Be Prepared'. I'm due to meet someone later today to try and get those medical records."
"You're sure this person will cooperate?"
"Oh yes."
And with that, Akira drops you off in front of the main gate.
You make you way to class without much enthusiasm. All throughout the day you keep alternating between trying to figure out Emi and trying to reestablish a good sense of inner balance.
Exiting class to the sound of now obnoxiously loud lunch bell, you find Hisao waiting for you again.
"Hey Lilly."
"Oh! Hello Hisao."
He moves to take your arm again and then stops. "You don't look so good, is something wrong?"
Although mildly alarmed at first, you begin to find it sweet at a second glance. That he'd be concerned about your well-being...
"Oh, slight cold. Pay it no mind." You reply, smiling earnestly. It's actually so easy to smile when he's around.
"So, how was your morning?" You ask, hoping the breathmints do their job, but not being too worried. Akira tends to be really good with drinking-related advice.
"Weird, actually. Outside of class, I spent it with Rin."
"Rin... Tezuka?" You ask, puzzled.
"Yeah - Emi didn't show for track practice today, so I just didn't even bother." He pauses. "There must be some kind of bug going around the whole school, I guess. Because the nurse said she's sick, too."
"My, my, that's such a pity." You reply with the barest pretense of sincerity, secretly praying that she caught the ebola virus.
You draw closer and take his arm. "Shall we go to lunch then?"
"Let's." He says immediately.
Given your slightly discombobulated state, you lean into him rather than simply letting him lead you, which he actually doesn't seem to mind in the slightest.
You take the opportunity to nuzzle slightly into his shoulder as you walk together.
This day... although off to a somewhat shaky start, now it really isn't so bad.

=========================================================================================================================

Part 8
You let Hisao lead you to your usual secluded spot in the outdoor cafeteria, nuzzled against his shoulder for support. Really. That's all. For "support".
The odd 'WAHAHA' barely on the cusp of your acute hearing gives you a little cause for concern. Thankfully, the distance seems to be increasing. StuCo better fucking not ruin this moment for you...
Getting a slightly twitching lunch from a cafeteria lady who bids you farewell with the words "Cthulhu Fhtagn", the two of you take your seats just at the edge of the enclosure.
He speaks a bit about his class, how his teacher, Mutou, dropped the idea of forming a science club with him as the founding member.
"Not sure, I mean, yeah, physics is pretty easily my best subject, but still... I've always tried to avoid clubs." He admits a bit shyly. "What do you think?"
You put your hand on his and smile. "I think it's a great idea, Hisao." you reply in earnest.
"I'm glad you've found something to pique your interest."
It's rare for Hisao to get excited about anything at all, but you really do like it when it happens. You might as well explore this avenue.
"Yeah, ok. I'll give it a shot." He responds.
The rest of your lunch passes idly, but pleasantly.
Not much else of meaning is exchanged. Mostly just idle chitchat about where you could hit up tomorrow. Then, at the end of lunch period as Hisao's leading you back to your classroom, he pauses, as if remembering something.
"Oh, by the way, I'm trying to avoid getting killed in English. Would you mind giving me a hand studying after class today?"
English is a cinch for you, of course. All the better if you can put it to use here.
"Sure, Hisao, I'd be delighted to be of help. I'm just gonna check on Hanako first, alright?"
"Great, thanks a bunch." He pauses. "She didn't answer for me earlier, so if you see her, give her my best."
The ringing of the lunch bell brings an end to your conversation and you both shuffle off to the monotone mixture of hellish boredom and perverted daydreaming that is high school.
After class, you mix up a small do-it-yourself meal in your tea room and carry it over to Hanako's dorm.
You set it down and knock once. "Hanako?'
No reply. Hardly unexpected.
You decide that even though it's almost a certainty that she's in there, you need to at least hear her voice.
"Hanako? It's Lilly. Are you alright in there?"
No response again. You'd rather not smother her, but...
"Hanako. Please, just say you're alright. I'm really starting to worry."
"I'm fine." Comes her flat reply through the door at last.
You breathe a sigh of relief that she's not catatonic at least, still, is that enough?
"Ok, Hanako. I'm glad to hear it." You reply in the direction of the muffled voice. Having good sound recognition really pays off in situations like this.
"I'm leaving you some food, ok? I'm afraid it's nothing gourmet, but you should eat it if you haven't had anything else today."
She doesn't reply; you set it at the foot of her door and straighten.
"Alright, come find me if you want to talk." You turn and start down the hallway. After a couple steps, you hear her voice again. "T-Thanks."
Having pacified your mind with Hanako, you head to the male dorms. Knocking sharply, he opens up.
"Hey Lilly. Thanks for coming."
"My pleasure, Hisao."
The rest of your evening is spent helping Hisao navigate the nightmare that is the English language.
You review conjugations of possessives, especially 'your'; try to show Hisao that 'an hero' is probably not what he wants to call someone; and it really says a lot about these strange people that they actually have a word for "the act of throwing someone out of a window". (You suspect the Glaswegians are responsible.)
After teaching for who-knows-how-long (you sort of lost track of time) you realize that Hisao hasn't said anything in a while.
"His-" You start to call out before picking up his breathing rhythm. It's slow and light. He's sleeping.
It's kind of cute, actually, you can't help but smile.
Deciding to take advantage of the opportunity, you quietly stand up and begin delicately prodding through his belongings.
There really isn't much to look through. Feeling the walls and sparse furnishings, you still find no decorative items. All his pill bottles are still there - a harsh reminder of his heart condition which sends a chill down your spine. Pushing that aside, you continue.
He's in possession of several large piles of books - which you can't read, but can at least make out most of the titles based on the indented print on the cover. Mostly physics, a few chemistry, and surprisingly large collection of novels. He has something of a taste for old literature, it seems. Not unlike Hanako's. It matches what she herself told you about him.
Other than that, you find nothing of great interest. His life seems fairly empty, almost to a sorrowful degree.
Settling yourself back down, you feel somewhat conflicted between the feeling of assurance that his life is largely as you thought it was and a slight sense of guilt for not trusting him.
You debate that for a minute and decide it was all for a just cause; then pull a blanket over him and leave, retiring to your own room for the night.
[Meanwhile]
In Emi’s room, the petite girl is laying beneath a set of sheets pulled up to her waistline as she’s slouched against the wall holding a cup of tea. Rin is staring out her window while the Nurse, who remains standing, tosses a trio of manila folders onto her desk.
“So you were able to put together a those histories like I asked?” Emi observes.
“Indeed.” He replies, before flipping the top one open. “There’s not much on Lilly, sadly. In either medical or psychological profiling, there’s nothing written that’s incredibly interesting.” He pauses and listens to the organ music playing out of fucking nowhere for a moment.
“Lilly Satou: An aristocrat of mixed Japanese/Scottish decent, privately educated before coming to Yamaku. Grades are top-tier, IQ moderately above-average, emotional intelligence is almost off the charts. No records of delinquency, no administrative trouble at school, and no lengthy hospitalizations. As I said, her written profile is somewhat bland.”
“How about what isn’t written?” Rin chimes in, not breaking her gaze out the window. “You know? Like negative space for people?”
The Nurse actually gives a smile in response.
“Those… were my thoughts exactly, Miss Tezuka.”
He closes Lilly’s folder and raises an open palm. “Her intelligence alone isn’t enough to justify her academic performance, so we can assume it’s the result of mental focus. Additionally, she’s consistently been a record of some sort of club or student governing body her entire career…”
“Meaning?” Emi asks blandly, sipping her tea.
“Her most dangerous ability isn’t any kind of great intelligence or athletic skill. It’s her overwhelming sense of charisma. The girl has a natural ability to make people follow her…”
“Meaning we should pay more attention to her coterie?”
“Exactly so.” He elaborates, picking up the next folder.
“Hanako Ikezawa. Currently her closest friend. Age 17, substandard grades ostensibly due to chronic truancy. Her medical and psych profiles are much more entertaining. You can read the details yourself…” He says, tossing the folders over to Emi. “But in summary, the girl was disfigured in an accident as a child and developed a cluster of comorbid anxiety disorders when trying to reintegrate after medical discharge.”
“To someone like her, almost lacking a real sense of self, the charisma of Lilly Satou must have seemed an irresistible font.”
“Is that written in her file?” Rin asks blandly, finally turning away from the window and flopping down onto Emi’s bed.
“Of course not, there’s a lot of conjecture involved in these things.”
“Who’s this third folder?” Emi asks, opening it.
In response, the Nurse furrows his brow a bit.
“I did some research into Lilly’s family history: that file is Akira Satou, her older sister…” He trails off at that and moves for the first time, taking up Rin’s previous spot looking out the window somewhat wistfully before elaborating.
“Her personality file is nothing short of ‘bizarre’… Constant records of delinquency, underage drinking, fights at school… She clearly holds no regard for authority or the law, yet she became a lawyer. Estranged from her family, yet took a position in her father’s company. Unqualified to be a parent, but became Lilly’s guardian.”
He turns back to Emi and Rin. “The lack of consistency in her actions borders on lunacy. It’s as if she doesn’t have morality, goals, or actual motivation, but she still pushes herself forward for no reason at all.”
A moment of ominous silence follows the end of this lengthy exposition. This is curtly broken by Emi sneezing directly into Rin's face.
"Hehe. Sorry..."
Elsewhere, in a darkened file room illuminated by a single flashlight, Akira lays slouched into a wall by an opened metal cabinet, coming to a similar conclusion about the Yamaku Nurse...
[End meanwhile]
You awaken early the next morning, having a troubled night.
You rise and ready yourself for you trip into town with Hisao. Right clothes, right perfume, right hair... Everything has to be right.
Truthfully, you've been daydreaming of it ever since he asked.
To him, it may be nothing more than going to blow off steam and hang out with a friend. To you, though... Well, it holds a bit more meaning.
You giggle at the thought and check your hair for what must be the fifth time. You then arm yourself with your canes, wishing a horrid death to anyone who would wreck this day for you.
Still, despite your meticulous grooming, it's still fairly early by the time you finish and you're left wondering what to do.
You decide to check on Akira and see if she's made any progress on the intelligence front.
The time matters rather little wherever she's concerned. The girl is just as liable to be sleeping (read: passed out) at three in the afternoon as at five in the morning.
You flip out your phone and dial her.
Elsewhere, Akira lays sprawled out across the backseat of her Lancer, Hideaki having temporarily taken over driving duties.
Next to her are a pair of folders, two empty and two full bottles of Jack Daniels, the corpse of an unknown twintailed teenage girl with the phrase "ONEESAMA" carved into her forehead, a mop, and half a box of crispy-creme doughnuts.
Despite actively working on her third bottle while her accomplice drives, she easily slicks out her phone as soon as your ringtone pops up.
Back at Yamaku, Akira's chipper voice rings loud and clear through the receiver. "Hey hey, Lilly! What's your reason for being up this fiiiiine morning?"
Blandly, you realize you didn't actually tell her about your not-date with Hisao. Another of several conversation topics...
"Oh, actually, I have an... appointment with Hisao today." You reply happily, not bothering to hide it since Akira knows anyway. This sends her into a fresh fit of giggles.
"HAHA - Aw, you confessed?" She asks.
At this, you feel your cheeks reddening. "Nononono, nothing like that, it's just us going into town for a while... Just the two of us..."
Akira redoubles. Come to think, that may not have been the best choice of words for a denial. After a moment, she subsides.
"Town, huh? That'll be perfect if you'll let me interrupt you lovebirds for just a little bit."
"My, my. You found something, Akira?"
"Yup yup. Got what you wanted." She states. "I'll fill you in on the details in person, but..." Her tone drops a few notes. "Don't start anything trouble at school for a bit, ok? I'll fill you in on why later today."
"Ok, no problem." You reply.
"Goodie. Oh - and one more thing. Before you head out, can you go grab a map of your school grounds and a school calendar?"
It's an odd request, but nowhere near as weird as some of the things she's asked for in the past. You can just drop by the library before heading out if you hurry.
"No problem."
"Great! Seeya later, sis." And with that she hangs up.
Your slow morning suddenly becoming busy, you head out the door and double-time it to the library. The stuff Akira needs you to print out will be on there, but...
BUMP. Yuuko's customary brain-damaging greeting. "Oh! Hello Lilly. I was just... Um, wait, I'm really sorry, but the, um, the library's not actually open yet. Can you come back later?"
"I'm terribly sorry, but I need to make a few really fast printouts. Can you please overlook it this once?" You ask as sweetly as you can.
"Oh... Um... A-alright. Just don't tell anyone, please..."
"Thanks, Yuuko." You reply and head over to the computers.
Even at a school as well-funded as Yamaku, high-school computers are always shitty windows 95s and pulling up those two simple things to print takes much longer than you anticipated.
You hate computers. Humanity should have just stuck with scrying orbs.
Nevertheless, you finally manage to get your things printed and head back out. You can't print maps in braille, though, so you just sort of hope the right thing came out.
"D-Did you find what you needed, Lilly?" Yuuko asks, stopping you as you exit.
"Actually, Yuuko, can you double-check this for me, please? It's not in braille."
"Oh!" BUMP. "Sure!" She says, literally jumping up out of joy to be of service and smashing her head it the process.
As she takes the map, you empty a shot-bottle of vodka into the coffee cup on her desk. This girl needs to chill the fuck out for a while.
"Oh, it's our school map. Planning an event, Lilly?"
"Yes." You say, taking it back and smiling. "Planning a surprise party for a friend and wanted an ideal picnic spot. Please don't tell a soul."
"Got it!" She says with enthusiasm.
With that, you exit the library and check the time. Hisao should definitely be up by now.
Will he have gone for his morning run today? Or will he still be at his dorm?
You decide it's unlikely that Hisao will have gone for his run, not today, at least you hope not. You head to his dorm and hear signs of activity behind his door before knocking.
"Hisao?"
"Oh, hi Lilly. Come in, it's not locked."
You enter through to open door.
"Good morning Hisao." You say, giving him a fast hug. Nothing overly long or lecherous, nothing friends couldn't do. It's just enough to break the touch barrier.
Also, it doubles as an aid to get a feel for what he's wearing. He's switched out his school uniform finally for what appears to be... A sweater vest?
"So, ready to go?" You ask, pulling back.
"Um... Yeah. Just give me a minute." He replies. You make out a rustling sound, and then what sounds almost like gagging.
"Hisao?!"
"m'fine Lilly." He replies before sighing. "I wonder if these things would still work if I just made a milkshake or something out of them..."
He just gulped down his pill-set right in front of you?
"Anyways." He continues, taking your hand. "Shall we be off?"
"Let's." You reply with an earnest smile.
Your journey to the city is considerably lest strained than last time; no obligations to the now M.I.A. Hanako, no manipulating unstable students into terrorist attacks. It's just the two of you together, chatting about nothing. It's nice.
The bus ride passes in no time and you both settle in to the same cafe you ate at last time.
Besides their delicious omelets, there's another reason for this cuisine choice. It's the spot where Akira usually finds you. And sure enough, after a few minutes...
"Hey hey, you guys!" You hear an upbeat voice coupled with the smell of alcohol.
"Hey Akira." Hisao greets her.
"Hehe. You two look good together. Is this a date?" She replies as she reaches your table. Taking a sip of your drink when this happens, you nearly inhale a teabag.
"Wa- I- Um- I-" Hisao sputters.
"Only joking." She says, giggling. "You mind if I borrow Lilly? I promise, it'll be short."
"O-Ok."
Akira takes your arm and leads you aside.
"You look nice today. Put a little extra effort into yourself for the occasion?" She jokes.
"Akira- Wha- Please." You stutter, failing to suppress a flush. "Don't tease me like that."
"You we're the one I was teasing." She responds, chuckling. "That was just an added bonus."
"Wha-"
"Hisao went bright red. It was actually cute." She elaborates, giggling.
"Anyways, down to business. Don't want to keep you two apart." She segues and hands two folders to you.
"Emi Ibarazaki and her affectionate caregiver." She explains. "There wasn't one on Rin because her therapist went insane. Same as her parents."
You hear her stretching.
"You can review the details yourself there, but to summarize: they're a real duo. An insanely driven athlete practically addicted to physical conditioning and a genius surgeon who should have a much higher position than he does. He's a real weird one..." She trails off.
"I got those things you wanted." You hasten to say before you forget, withdrawing the two neatly folded papers from your bag.
"Ah, goodie. I knew you wouldn't disappoint."
"What did you need those for?" You ask as she takes them.
"Field work." She replies simply. "I've learned mostly everything I can from the sidelines. It may be time to get my feet wet soon..."
You smile - a mix of machiavellian satisfaction and earnest appreciation for your sister.
"Thanks Akira."
"Don't mention it." You hear her shift slightly. "We can talk more tomorrow; I'll be in your neck of the woods. As of right now, wouldn't want to keep Hisao waiting much longer, now, would we?"
You nod in response.
"Right. I'll skim over these tonight. But as of right now..."
"Ehe!" Akira giggles again. "Yup, don't let me keep you from your undate, Lilly." She says, patting your arm.
"Thanks."
At the sound of Akira's retreating footsteps. You can't help but grin to yourself. Today, you've already made great strides in your quest for Hisao and it's just barely after breakfast.
You turn and begin heading back over to where you left him.
Now to try and top that opening act with the rest of the day...