"Mayumi," a voice called. Mayumi turned her head abruptly toward the voice--it was her father--and, in the process, yanked her thin silver hair from her stylists' grasp. 'Nice color, bad body' was the consensus among them--and a rigorous program of volumizing conditioner, teasing and deceptive hair styles were employed to compensate. Mayumi was seldom seen on stage with her hair down. She looked at him with a pouty expression, her red eyes lending a creepy edge to the glance.
"Mayumi," her father repeated, "something's come up. I need you to come with me tomorrow to the Serenity Fund Benefit Ball. It's after school, so--"
"I thought I told you I wanted tomorrow off," she said, a hint of annoyance creeping into her voice. "I worked really hard this week, daddy. I was looking forward to getting some sleep. I realize that being an idol isn't about lounging, but--"
"Mayumi, this is important. The Serenity Fund gives more money to charity than any other organization in the world. If you don't go, it will make you look avaricious. The tabloids will have all sorts of rumors printed before the ball's even over."
"But I donated thousands of dollars to the Serenity Fund!" Mayumi protested. "Going to the ball doesn't make me any more generous."
"It does in the eyes of your fans. They don't know how much you've been donating. You have a reputation to uphold."
Mayumi sighed, defeated. "Fine. I'll go."
"That's my Mayumi! You're always making me so proud. There aren't many girls as dedicated as you. Well, I better arrange things for the ball. Good luck! I'm sure, as always, you'll have the audience cheering for more." With that, her father pulled out his cell phone and happily left Mayumi's dressing room.
"They really do appreciate how hard you work, Mayumi," her stylist told her, picking up where she had left off on the bun in Mayumi's hair.
"I know, Kana," Mayumi replied sadly. "But I really just wanted some sleep. Now I won't get back home until late on Tuesday, and I have to get up at five the next day."
She grinned. "Well, you know, no one said that being famous was easy."
Mayumi never said that she wanted to be famous, either. She'd rather be studying at a friends' house while cramming her face full of pocky like any normal high school kid. But it was no use thinking about it. She was here now, and she had to make the best of things. Mayumi touched her chest lightly; concealed beneath her dress was her compact. Only Mayumi knew about it. She always carried it with her, preferably in front of her heart. Just in case. Mayumi grabbed a watch from her dresser and fastened it to her wrist.
"Recently you've just insisted on wearing that watch," Kana remarked. "You really should wear something else for a change."
"No!" Mayumi replied, grabbing her wrist protectively. Kana looked at her oddly; Mayumi responded with a sheepish smile, realizing her response was a bit alarming. "It's lucky," she explained, letting go of her wrist. "I don't feel right without it. Just in case, you know?"
"Where did you get that, anyway?" Kana asked.
"Errrr..I...found it on the street. It's pretty, isn't it? Someone must have lost it. I figure if I wear it onstage, someone might recognize it and let me know it's theirs."
Kana still looked a little unconvinced. "Whatever you say, Mayumi," she finally responded. "If it makes you feel better, I don't see why not. Well, good luck onstage. We're all cheering for you!" Kana gave her an encouraging pat on the back; Mayumi returned a charming smile, briefly smoothing out the wrinkles in her dress before walking through the backstage hall and confidently on stage for her latest concert.
Tsuki ni michibikarete doko ni tadoritsuku to mada kangaete iru
Yasashige na lullaby kiite kako wo sukoshi dake
omou
Machigai mo hiai mo ippai dakedo anata ga iru
kara
Koukai-shinai
Pink-iro no tsuki no shita ni iru
kedo
Motto tsuyoi nagusame ga iru no
Tatoe ayamachi dake
shitemo
I love you tte itte ne
I'm still wondering to where I will struggle on,
being led by the moon
Listening to a gentle lullaby, I think just a little of the past
It's full of mistakes and sorrow, but since
You are here, I won't regret it
Though I'm under the pink moon,
I need an even stronger comfort
Even if I make only mistakes,
Say, "I love you," okay?
Moon Senshi: Unmei no Kodomo
Episode Thirteen:
"The Ganconer"
"You know, Ikkoku, they don't allow pets in school," Erik said impatiently, walking toward Goban high.
"That must bite," she said, still following him.
"That means you, Ikkoku. You are not allowed in school."
Ikkoku sighed. "Fine. I guess I'll have to keep watch from outside. I hope there's a branch near your classroom."
"Ikkoku, you can't keep watch from outside. You'd be too conspicuous. What if someone noticed you?"
"What, me? Ikkoku the ninja?"
"Yes, you. Now get lost, Ikkoku. Feel lucky that I let you stay at my house!" Erik snapped, shooing her away with his hand. Ikkoku flapped her wings and deftly dodged his cruel assault, returning to his shoulder soon afterward.
"Someone's got to keep an eye on you, Erik," Ikkoku said, an uncharacteristic note of seriousness in her voice. "Make sure you don't do anything stupid. Today you're facing the Moon Senshi for the first time since they've found out the truth. They're going to have a lot of questions for you."
"I don't need to answer their questions," he said stubbornly. "I'm a knight. My identity is supposed to be a secret. My motives are also supposed to be a secret."
"You can't just bury your head in the sand and hope that no one notices you, Erik," Ikkoku told him. "It's too late for that now. It was too late before you began, and it isn't good for you. Stop focusing on the etiquette and the cool superhero costume, and start thinking about your actual job. You're supposed to protect the Senshi, Erik, not avoid them. Look, there she is."
Erik turned in the direction that Ikkoku's beak was pointing; Seisui was crossing the street--oddly enough, she was walking away, not toward, school. She looked forward, but her mind was somewhere else. Her face looked a little red. He frowned. "What about it?" he said darkly.
"Oh, bother. Look, I'll stay here. You go do something heroic for a change." Ikkoku flew away, perching herself deep in the nearest tree. Erik continued walking forward. He was on a collision course with Seisui.
"Hey," Erik said. Soon, he was only a couple of feet away from her. He put a hand on her shoulder. "You look..." He paused for a moment, struggling with words. Stupid bird. "Unhappy..." he trailed off pathetically.
Seisui looked at him. Her face was a blatant beacon of her innermost feelings--what, to her, must seem like an unfathomable tragedy. Erik, on the other hand, had plenty of experience with this sort of emotion. "What do you know?" she said weakly. "Or rather, what do you care?"
"Because..." 'my pet falcon told me to?' Pathetic. Is this the most he could help someone? "...because it's my duty."
"Your duty?" Seisui said skeptically. "It was your duty to keep me from getting what I needed. Now that I can't possibly win, you've come back to help me? How could that possibly make sense?"
"Because you're miserable, Seisui. Any moron can see that. I don't know what happened between now and yesterday, but..." he paused. Seisui looked away. "..It's about Tokimo, isn't it? You had a fight with her, didn't you?"
Seisui bit her lip and looked up at Erik in frustration. "I can't be anyone's friend without being fake," she finally said. "Is that what my life is destined to be? Everyone around me is just trying to be what they want to be, playing pretend. Pretending they care when they don't or pretending they don't care when they do, or trying to be something they're not...even you, Erik, even you can't face up to who you really are. I have the gall to embrace the person I know I am, to pursue what's important to me, but I'm just punished over and over. I..." She paused. She was breaking down now, and she covered her face in embarrassment, to hide her tears. Erik put an arm around her and began walking toward a bench. Seisui weakly followed him.
"I don't even know what I'm talking about," she continued as she sat down, gasps racking her lungs. "I just...what is there...I don't know."
"Sometimes, the things we want will never be available to us, no matter what we do," Erik said. "I've lived over a hundred years, and I can't claim that more than a handful of those years were genuinely happy. I've had to give up on things I realized weren't possible, even though I wanted them so badly." Erik paused. Seisui tried to breathe; her tears were still flowing.
"I don't want to forget," Seisui protested. "I'll never forget."
"You don't have to forget," Erik said. "But you can't keep punishing yourself or telling yourself to do things that might not be possible."
"But what about Diana? We can't just ignore that!"
"No, we can't. You're right. But we need to take these things as they come. We all realize how important Diana is, but think about it this way. What if you killed Usako, and the next victim the youma took was your mother? Wouldn't you feel responsible?"
"But the reason Nemesis came is because of Usako's crystal. It attracts Chaos!" she protested.
"Even if you killed her, I think it's too late now to hope that Nemesis would just leave. That would just make Usako's crystal more available to her. You'd have to destroy the crystal, too--no mean feat--and even then, who knows? They might corrupt the world out of spite. You have to deal with this problem first. Who knows what could happen if your family were caught in the crossfire?"
Seisui said nothing. She was still crying.
"I have to go teach class now," Erik said. "But consider yourself excused for the day. I don't expect you to be up for class. I don't think you expect yourself to be up for class, either, judging from the direction you were heading." He got up. "Try to be strong, for your own sake. Know when to choose your battles."
Erik got up from the bench and walked toward the school. Seisui stayed behind, her hands covering her flushed face.
"'Know when to choose your battles?'" Ikkoku repeated, flying out from the bushes and landing on Erik's shoulder. "That's a good one, coming from the Amazing Human Shield."
"Shut up," was Erik's sole response.
Kazeko swallowed deeply as she began to regain her breath. She could still hear the wind whispering in her ears, taunting her with things she already knew.
"They do not lie," she could hear it murmur, "they do not lie, they do not lie..."
"I know!" Kazeko snapped, drawing the attention of passersby, who looked uncomfortably in her direction. Kazeko looked around; although the area was covered in concrete, a single, huge oak tree was growing in front of an office building, its lower branches sprawling outwards. Kazeko walked nonchalantly toward the tree, jumped up, and promptly began scaling its branches; this attracted even more attention, but Kazeko didn't care. The novelty wore off soon enough and people continued on their way, leaving Kazeko concealed in the sweeping branches of the tree.
Yes. She knew the locket was real; what the animal spirit had said was true. It was awful, of course, but it made sense. Even in her youth, she could control the air spirits easily, get them to do her favors. While even high druids struggled with their capricious nature, Kazeko was easily able to control them and receive their knowledge.
We're going to die...
Yes...that as well, the constant nightmares over the past few days, and the troubled fortunes since she left.
...Iain...
Kazeko clasped her hands together, and a soft light glowed within. Her brooch, purple tanzanite and lavender, appeared in her hands, along with a watch-style communicator in the same colors. This was what things came down to. Holding this in her hands meant everything she had done until now was a lie. She spent hours each day praying to Dannu, Morrigan, Scathach, thinking that they would bring her good fortune and enlightenment.
"The gods were supposed to be my guidance. If I am one of them, then who do I look to now? Do I pray to myself? How can I look to myself for answers when I couldn't even accomplish the things that were truly important to me?" She paused, rubbing her thumb absent-mindedly over her brooch. "Without Mom or Dad or Iain or even Dannu to look up to, who's left..?" Kazeko closed her palms over her brooch. Now she was truly lost. She put the brooch away.
A crawl reached across Kazeko's spine. A feeling of darkness and hatred crawled through her.
"Black Water..." the wind whispered vaguely.
"Seisui..." Kazeko responded. But where? She looked around quickly for the direction the dark, feverish heartbeat pounded from. "Over there..."
Kazeko quickly climbed down from the tree; there was no need to search for Seisui. She was alone; she sat on a bench, her face blank. She was talking to Black Water; Kazeko was sure of it. "...What are they saying?" she murmured to herself.
Kazeko's eyes widened. The feeling, the slinking darkness, all but disappeared--Seisui looked tired, her face flushed, her eyes puffy.
"What happened...?" Kazeko murmured vaguely.
"Tokimo!" Usako shouted, running after her and dodging through a huge clump of students who were apparently anxious to get home.
Tokimo turned around; Usako was soon on the receiving end of a very weak smile. "Hey," Tokimo replied. "You look worried."
"I look worried? You look terrible. But listen. Do you know where Seisui is? I haven't seen her around all day."
"I saw her this morning. She said she was going to class, but she never showed up. I think she must have left. Erik came in unusually late, even for him, though...hmmm...inspector Tokimo smells something fishy!" she mused to herself and began looking through the crowd--one hand shaded her eyes as her head darted back and forth. This was rather puzzling, Usako thought, considering that it was cloudy outside.
"Wait, Tokimo! I need to talk to you," Usako said, grabbing Tokimo's shoulder before she was permanently lost in the crowd.
"Huh? What what?" she asked, dropping her hand.
"Did Seisui...has she...come around?"
Tokimo face darkened. "The last time I talked to her, she didn't seem to understand or even want to understand. Things haven't changed since then, as far as I know."
Usako sighed. Hiroshi--evidently too slow for Usako--was just now approaching them, winded and out of breath. "I told you to wait up," he said with difficulty.
"Usako...I'm never one to encourage someone to be quitter. But...I'm not sure that Seisui is going to be your friend any time soon. I'm not sure she's going to be my friend any time soon." Tokimo shook her head. "Besides, we're still the Moon Senshi, Usako. Once this is over, we have a job to do." With that, Tokimo ran off--effectively ensuring that Usako didn't get a word in before her departure.
"What happened?" Hiroshi asked, regaining his composure.
"Nothing's happened," Usako said bluntly. "That's the problem."
"Erik!" Tokimo shouted, barreling toward him. "Hey! Mr. vonDarkmoor! Grumpy-Dump! Man in the Iron Mask!"
"Would you shut up?" Erik politely requested, turning toward her. "Why not get up on a podium and tell the whole school?"
"You sure? That might compromise your identity," Tokimo said seriously.
"What do you want, anyway?"
"Did you talk to Seisui at all this morning?" she asked. "You came in later than normal, and she never showed up for class." Tokimo craned her neck toward him, standing on her tip toes in order to better approach his face. "Didn't hurt anyone's feelings, did we? You'd better tell the truth. Either way, Inspector Tokimo will crack the case!"
"Have you been talking to her?" Erik said, looking away from Tokimo and toward a nearby tree.
"Me? No! Never!" a woman's voice responded. "Really this time. I don't even know Tokimo that well. I haven't been spying on her like I have you."
Tokimo looked toward the tree, astounded. "Wow! Erik, that tree is talking! And you know it! And it knows me! And I thought Kouken was unusual."
"A tree?!" The voice retorted, flabbergasted. "I assure you, I am not a tree." Tokimo watched as a really, really big bird flew out of the tree and onto Erik's shoulder. It was white. And it looked kinda like an eagle.
"Wow, a white eagle!" Tokimo said excitedly. "I've never seen one of those before. Why do you get your own talking animal, huh Erik? I want one, too."
"What about me?!" Kouken said irritably, his voice muffled in Tokimo's bag. He took this opportune time to poke his head out of her backpack.
"I have to share you," Tokimo responded. "Erik gets his very own."
"You can have her," Erik responded dryly.
"Hey!" the bird snapped. "Sorry, Erik, but whether you like it or not, you're stuck with me. And by the way, I am not an eagle. I'm a falcon. A gyrfalcon. And my name is Ikkoku."
"Nice to meet you, Ikkoku," Tokimo said. "Now stop trying to distract me, criminal! Inspector Tokimo asked you a question. Where were you this morning when Seisui disappeared?"
"He was talking to her," Ikkoku replied. "You're very observant. I forced him to be knightly for a change and help someone."
"If he was helping her, then why wasn't she in class?" Tokimo asked, eyeing Erik suspiciously.
"She had a lot on her mind," Erik responded. "She was very upset. She wasn't up for it."
"Well, which was it? Did she have a lot on her mind, or was she very upset?" Tokimo asked.
"Both," Erik replied. "But I think she might be backing off for a while."
"You mean--"
"Yes," Ikkoku replied. "She probably won't go for Usako's jugular, at least for the time being."
"But..." Tokimo trailed off. What did Erik say that had convinced Seisui to give up on killing Usako? Nothing Tokimo had said did any good. Seisui hardly knew Erik, and what little she knew she disliked. She frowned.
"But what?" Erik asked.
"Nothing. It's nothing. Thanks, Erik. Who knows what woulda happened if you hadn't stepped in? Anyway, I gotta go. Homework and stuff." Tokimo amiably waved goodbye to both of them as she walked away, smiling the whole time.
"Are you okay?" Kouken asked.
"Yeah. Great!" Tokimo responded, pretending to be enthusiastic. "This is awesome news!"
"You. Did. What?!" Yamiko screeched, brandishing a spatula at Sayoko. "I am not going. You'll have to kill me and drag my corpse. I would rather be in hell than at that ball."
"...Free dress?" Sayoko suggested. "Come on, Yamiko. It'll be good for you."
"I hate Kane. Hate. Him. He's obnoxious and nosy and I think he's stalking me, and..."
"And?" Sayoko prompted.
"Even your reasons for not wanting to get involved--It's not as simple as thinking Han'i is crazy, is it? You believed enough in what they were doing that you were willing to help out. But at the same time, you don't want to get hurt. Maybe it's even more than that--you don't want to see them get hurt, either. I think, truly, you are torn over what to do about this. Torn, and afraid."
"...and I don't wanna talk about it. He's weird, okay? Creepy."
"Yamiko, I think that he really understands you. You two are pretty similar, you know. Neither of you got along with your parents--"
"Leave mom and dad out of this!"
"--And he really cares about you. I've been through a lot of relationships, and I know when it's the real thing."
"Then why haven't any of your relationships lasted?" Yamiko asked caustically.
"Sometimes things don't work out the way you want them to, even when it's real."
"What if I said that's how I thought it was between me and Kane, assuming there really was something between us?"
"Then I wouldn't believe you," Sayoko replied. "Please, Yamiko? It's a bit late to say no now. He's probably gotten the dress already and everything."
"Why should I? You did this completely without consulting me!"
"Because I'm really worried about you, Yamiko," Sayoko replied. "Ever since Junior High, I've never seen a smile on your face. Even with the medication. I think that Kane is giving you your first real chance at happiness--even if you never go beyond friends. Yamiko, I just miss seeing a smile on your face. This means a lot to me. Please?"
Yamiko paused. Sayoko made a stupid puppy face. Typical.
"...I guess so," Yamiko reluctantly agreed. "I don't know how I let you talk me into this. I know I'm going to regret it."
"Oceanus!" Nemesis called, her cry ringing through empty hallways. "Oceanus!"
He appeared immediately, his eyes respectfully averted toward the ground.
"It turns out I have a use for you in Tokyo after all. You'll be happy to know that I do want you to target Seisui."
"Are there any other instructions, your Magnificence?"
"Do what you do best, Oceanus. You have performed admirably for me."
"Shall I dispose of them as I have the others?"
"Nothing so extreme. I just want you to frighten her a little."
"Yes, your Magnificence."
TA Girl's School was the most illustrious, prestigious private school in Tokyo; Princess Mars had attended it, and even before then, the school had a history of excellence. All of its students were expected to attain similar heights in education; even Mayumi, who was already busy with a double life of concerts, albums, and plethora of promotional events. "This one included," she mumbled in annoyance, looking down at the invitation. "I wanted to take a nap."
"Mayumi!" A classmate shouted excitedly. "Mayumi, we heard you decided to go to the ball. That's wonderful! Yuki and I are going, too," she said, motioning to her friend. They both wore their hair like proper ladies; long, black, straight, boring.
"It will be a pleasure to see you there," she replied, trying her utmost to sound sincere.
"There will be a lot of important businesses there," Yuki remarked. "Maybe we can find a rich boyfriend!" she said under her breath, glancing around her to be sure that no one heard her un-ladylike comment.
"There might be some cute guys," Mayumi agreed half-heartedly. Usually the guys at parties like that were stuck up jerks, even if they were cute. Mayumi liked the kinda guy who was protective, gentle, kind-hearted...someone dark and tall, yet--
"They say that the owner of Synapse Entertainment has taken an unusual interest helping your manager--"
"--you mean my father," she corrected them politely. She hoped her chauffeur got here soon.
"--Right, father find bookings for you. They say the owner of Synapse is not only rich, but also drop-dead gorgeous."
"Well, they would be right," Mayumi said, a troubled expression crossing her face. "In fact, Synapse wants me to do a tour in the U.S. this summer."
"That sounds exciting!" Yuki said. "But me and Hana will miss you. Promise to write!"
"Well, I--"
"This is your chance, Mayumi," Hana told her. "You should try and get engaged. Think how secure your future would be."
"Mmm," Mayumi grunted meaninglessly. Mayumi didn't want to hook up with someone secure. She wanted someone exciting.
Yuki and Hana looked at Mayumi in stupefied silence, shocked at her rude unresponsiveness.
"I mean, well...we'll have to see," she said suddenly, realizing she hadn't been minding her manners. "But I don't want to rush into anything with the owner of Synapse, since it could effect my ratings with male listeners."
"I guess that's true," Hana replied. "Ah, is that your chauffeur?" She said, motioning toward a black vehicle.
"So it is," Mayumi said, a gracious smile spreading across her face. "I'll see you all later," she added, walking over to her limo with a sigh. She felt her knee quiver as she stepped on a rock; her eyes widened an she narrowly prevented herself from tripping over. Grace, poise, beauty, etiquette--all virtues falsely grown for her dad. Really, she was a bit of a klutz. She stepped inside the limo and shut the door behind her.
"Let's go, Shiro," she said to her chauffeur.
"Yamiko!" Sayoko shouted. "Yamiko! Some grunt came with your dress. Better start getting ready for the ball!"
"I can't believe I'm getting dragged into this," Yamiko growled. Sayoko handed her a box wrapped in silver, foil-like wrapping paper; she sighed and opened it reluctantly. Whatever it was, it seemed extravagant--the box was quite big. Yamiko pulled the dress out.
She couldn't help raising her eyebrows in admiration. He had certainly nailed her taste. It was a black dress with a full skirt; the neckline was square, the sleeves were long with ruffles, and the effect was impressive. The fabric was ornamented with a profusion of small black beads, giving the dress a look of extravagance. At the bottom of the silver parcel were two other small boxes; upon opening one, Yamiko discovered an ornate, Victorian style onyx necklace, it's myriad black jewels sliding between each other like ants in a waltz. Inside the other box were earrings to match.
Sayoko whistled. "I don't even want to think about how much that dress costs or who made it."
"There's no tag," Yamiko responded. "He may have had it custom-made. He must have had this planned in advance..." she trailed off.
"He's only known you for a week or so, hasn't he? And even then, you've only seen him a few times," Sayoko said. "It wouldn't make sense if he had it made, considering he only found out your measurements yesterday."
"Hmm..." Yamiko murmured, thinking to herself. "I guess you're probably right."
"Well, it doesn't really matter, does it? Just try it on. I know you're impressed by his taste."
Yamiko sighed and pretended not to agree. "It's okay, I suppose," she replied, walking off to get dressed.
When she had finished, Sayoko had to admit that the effect was impressive. Even when Yamiko wasn't dressed up, she had a peculiar beauty all her own--but the dress that Kane had selected highlighted that beauty. Her skin was almost ghostly pale and her hair was raven black, giving Yamiko the eerie appearance of a silently watchful spirit or self-assured Vampyr. With a 'y', no less.
"You're wearing mom's bracelet," Sayoko remarked, noticing the band of silver flowers--camellia, forget-me-not, and gardenia--Yamiko had placed on her wrist.
"Yeah..." Yamiko said absently. "For good luck. I feel uneasy about this. Not just because I don't want to go, I mean," she added quickly. "I just feel...uneasy."
"You'll be fine," Sayoko replied dismissively. "You're just nervous. This is a big deal, you know. A lot of rich snots will be there. But it's nothing you haven't seen before. We went to tons of these swanky balls back in the old days. It'll be a walk in the park."
"I suppose so," Yamiko replied. "Or, at least, I hope so."
"Well, he'll be here any time now. I'm going to make myself comfortable and watch some TV. You can sit there and try not to muss up your make-up."
Yamiko rolled her eyes and sat down near the door. She still thought there was something off about Kane. The more she thought about it, the more it made her uneasy. The way he had just casually walked up to her that day. His boundless egotism. His bizarre interest in her and the Moon Senshi. Yamiko wrung her hands nervously. Did he suspect something? She had stupidly said that she knew Han'i. She had voiced her dissent of the Queen. But no. She went to the same school. Is it so impossible that she could have met Seisui, and that Seisui could have made her come around? But still....
She could barely let out a gasp as the doorbell rang; her heart beat furiously against her chest, trying desperately to shout something over the chattering of her thoughts. Sayoko gave her an odd glance, and Yamiko opened the door uneasily.
"Hello?" she said timidly. A man in a dark suit nodded toward her respectfully. "Mr. Amano waits in the car, ma'am. If you wouldn't mind..." he trailed off, motioning outside toward a shiny black limo.
"Certainly," Yamiko replied, walking toward the car. The chauffeur opened the door for her and motioned inside. After Yamiko gathered together the many ruffles of her skirt and took her place in back, the chauffeur closed the door, took his place in the front seat and started the car. Yamiko looked placidly at the leather upholstered interior, the refrigerator, the TV...anything but Kane.
"Sorry about all this," Kane said apologetically. He was dressed in a tuxedo--it didn't suit him at all. "This is the one part of my life they still interfere in."
"I'm surprised they aren't with you," Yamiko said, acutely aware of the emptiness of the vehicle.
"They try to spend as little time with me as possible, " he explained, looking absentmindedly out the window. "Even at the ball, they'll only talk to me if there are pictures to be taken or reporters interviewing them. Just as well. I'm not interested in spending time with them, either."
Yamiko was silent. Kane turned toward her, and she turned away from him, toward her window. "It's pretty sad," she said quietly. "Their own son. They might regret what they've done someday. Especially now that we live in dangerous times."
"Not as much as you do," he mumbled.
"What?" Yamiko said, turning back toward him.
"Nothing," he replied quickly. "I was just musing to myself. Anyway, don't worry about what happens at the ball. I'll floor everyone with a beautiful girl like you."
"I don't want to be flattered," Yamiko snapped. "Don't flatter me."
"Fine," he sighed. "I can see you won't go along with it, so I'll give up already."
