Fourth Bullet Under the Bangs

In the end, Aria and I parted from each other on disagreeable terms.

I wonder if this was really for the best.

It was precisely the outcome I had always wished for. I was able to show her that I couldn’t do anything in my current state thanks to that bus-jacking incident. Thus, Aria became disillusioned and set me free. As a result, I could now leave Assault. All I had to do now was peacefully bide my time at Inquesta and transfer to a regular school next year. Then I could wash my hands of this Butei lifestyle and become an ordinary adult. What’s wrong with that?

But what is it—this feeling that’s eating at me?

Presently, I was spending the weekend with emotions that caused me boundless irritation. I couldn’t make any sense of them and they had lingered with me since leaving the hospital. Whether I was watching television or surfing the net, the sound of that hairpin opening and closing just wouldn’t leave from my head. I had heard that Aria was due to be released from the hospital on Sunday morning—this morning—and busied myself with cleaning and laundry so as not to think about her. But it was because of this…that I coincidentally caught sight of Aria in an unexpected place after she was discharged. It was at a beauty salon in the corner of Academy Island. The dry cleaners I had gone to happened to be next to the salon, and on my way home, I was so shocked to see Aria in her transformed state that I stopped dead in my tracks. She didn’t realize I was there, so it was somewhat like I was spying on her again, but…

“…”

Aria, looking a little down, still had her hair in twin pigtails, but her hairstyle was slightly different. She had bangs. She looked amazingly cute with them, really…but there was no questioning why they were there. They were for concealing the scar on her forehead. When that thought entered my head, my heart was again filled with a sharp prickling sensation. Making clip-clop noises with her sandals, decorated with puff balls which were the color of Rainier cherries, Aria walked towards the monorail station. She was dressed in her casual clothes. Since I had only ever seen Aria in her school uniform or class C equipment, seeing her look like any other girl was actually quite different. Wearing a simple, neat, white dress adorned with a light pink pattern, Aria had a modern look about her that made it seem as if she stepped right out of a fashion magazine. If a picture of her were put on the cover, both the magazine and the dress would probably sell like hotcakes. True, Aria was the type who always took care to make sure she had a respectable appearance, but it was the first time I had ever seen her this dressed up.

I wonder where she’s going. On a date? There’s no need for the interrogative case. That’s probably it. Aria’s boyfriend… She had one? I wonder what he’s like.

With those thoughts in my mind, I wasn’t really sure why…but I just started following her. Aria took the monorail to Shinbashi, and from there, going through Kanda via train, got off at Shinjuku. Following Aria from a short distance, I noticed that the guys in the city were eying her. It made sense. You’d be lucky to find a girl this cute. Not only that, but she put her all into dressing herself up nicely. It would’ve been odd if guys weren’t looking at her. Aria left the station through the west exit and emerged into the skyscraper-dominated city, her sandals incessantly clip-clopped every step of the way. The direction she was heading in also had me tilting my head. There was nothing here except for office buildings. Did that mean her boyfriend was a company employee? I continued to follow Aria, and she eventually stopped in front of one the most unexpected buildings. It was the Shinjuku Police Department. Why did she get all dress up to come to a place like this?

“…You stink at tailing people. I can see you as plain as day,” said Aria without even turning around to look at me.

I swallowed hard, despite myself.

Well, well. She knew.

“Um…well, you said it yourself. ‘If you’re a Butei don't ask questions. Investigate on your own.’” I felt awkward so I replied with a somewhat defiant attitude as I walked over to Aria’s side. “More to the point, if you knew I was there, why didn’t you say anything?”

“I couldn’t make up my mind whether or not I wanted to let you know about this…what with you being a victim of the ‘Butei killer’ and all.”

“?”

“Well, we’re here now. You plan on coming along even if I tried to send you away, aren’t you?” said Aria, lacking her usual stubborn spirit.

Aria entered the police department, and my mind was filled with puzzling thoughts as I followed behind her.

I recognized the beautiful woman who came into the visiting room for detainees on the other side of the acrylic glass window under the supervision of two guards.

If I recall…I saw her on the cameo embedded on the grip of Aria’s pistol. She was the lady who was engraved on that cameo and looked like Aria. Her long hair arced in a gentle curve and she had eyes like onyx. Her white porcelain skin was the same as Aria’s.

“Oh, my…Aria, is this young gentleman your boyfriend?”

“N-No, he’s not, mama.”

This lady who looked at me with a hint of surprise on her face, but spoke with a gentle and composed voice—she was Aria’s mother. Or so it would seem.

S-She’s so young. She seems more like an older sister of Aria rather than her mother.

“He’s a dear friend of yours then? How about that! You’ve gotten to the age at where you have male friends. And you used to be so bad at making any friends at all,” Aria’s mother chuckled.

“That’s not it. This is Kinji Tohyama. He’s a student at Butei High, not…what you’re thinking. Not by any means,” Aria declared positively in front of her mother who was smiling gently.

You don’t have to deny it that flatly.

“…It’s nice to meet you, Kinji. My name is Kanae Kanzaki. I’m Aria’s mother. It would seem you’ve been helping out my daughter.”

“Oh, no, I haven’t really…”

Kanae seemed like the type of person who gave the atmosphere a pleasant feeling, despite being in a room such as the one we were in. Truth be told, I have a weakness for people like this. Quite unlike me, I became flustered and was unable to speak very smoothly. Seeing me like that seemed to put a look of irritation on Aria’s face, and she leaned forward towards the acrylic glass.

“Mama, we’re only allowed to speak for three minutes so I’ll make this quick…this guy with the dumb look on his face is the third victim of the ‘Butei killings.’ Last week, a bomb was planted on his bicycle at school.”

“…Oh dear…” said Kanae, hardening her expression.

“One more incident occurred. The day before yesterday, there was a bus-jacking. The ‘Butei killer’ is suddenly becoming more and more active. That means whoever is behind this is going to reveal himself before long. So first, I’m going to catch the ‘Butei killer’ just like I planned. If I can prove your innocence in regards to the ‘Butei killings’ alone, I can reduce your sentence of eight hundred and sixty-four years to seven hundred and forty-two. I’ll do something about all the other accusations before the Supreme Court trial too. I swear.”

My eyes nearly popped out of my head when I heard what Aria just said.

“Then I’m going capture all those members of IU who made a scapegoat out of you and throw them in here.”

“Aria, I appreciate what you’re trying to do, but it’s still too early for you to take on IU. …Have you found a partner?”

“I…just can’t find one. No one can keep up with me…” “That won’t do, Aria. Your gifts are hereditary. But you’ve also inherited the less desirable traits of our family—your excessive pride and childish personality. At this rate, you won’t even be able to make use of half of your abilities. What you need is a partner who understands you and can serve as an intermediary connecting you to the rest of the world. A suitable partner will help to draw out your powers, increasing your abilities a thousand-fold. Your great-grandfather and grandmother also had outstanding partners, didn’t they?”

“…I’ve heard enough about that in London to make me sick. I’m called defective because after all this time, I still can't find a partner…but…”

“Take your time and walk slowly through life. Children who run too fast wind up falling down,” said Kanae slowly blinking her eyes, which had long eyelashes attached to them.

“Kanzaki. It’s time,” announced the guard standing next to the door while he looked at the clock hanging on the wall.

“Mama, just you wait. I will catch all the real culprits before the trial.”

“You mustn’t be too hasty, Aria. I’m worried about you. Don’t go running off on your own.”

“I have to! I want to get you out of here as soon as possible!”

“Aria, my lawyer worked hard to push back the date of the Supreme Court trial, so I want you to calm down and find a partner before anything else. That wound on your forehead is proof that you’re rushing into dangerous situations that you’re not capable of handling by yourself.”

Kanae scolded Aria for the injury that she had tried her best to hide, along with the bandages, under her bangs.

“I can’t! I can’t! I can’t!”

“Aria…!”

“It’s time!”

Kanae leaned towards the acrylic glass window trying to soothe Aria who had become quite agitated, but the guard put her in a full nelson and dragged her away. “Ah!” Kanae groaned slightly.

“Stop it! Don’t be so rough with her!”

Aria snarled her tooth like a small wild animal and her camellia-colored eyes were furious as she pounced at the acrylic window. The glass may have been transparent, but it was also thick and solid. Naturally, it didn’t give in to Aria, nor did it even budge. Kanae could only watch Aria with a look of uneasiness as the two guards dragged her out of the room. The door to the visiting room closed with a heavy, metallic thud that contradicted its soft cream-color.

“I’m gonna sue them. There’s no way treating people like that should be allowed. I’m gonna sue…for sure.”

The entire time, I couldn’t bring myself to speak to Aria as she muttered to herself while heading back to Shinjuku Station under a cloud filled sky. I merely followed behind her like a shadow.

“…”

Clip-clop, clip-clop, clip-clop.

Walking as noisily as ever, Aria made it back to the Alta Shopping Center where she suddenly…

Clip-

…came to a halt. I stopped as well. From behind, I could see Aria droop her head, tense her shoulders in anger, and clench her fists so tightly that they trembled along with her arms, which were pointed straight down.

Drip. Drip…drip.

A few drops of water fell at her feet creating small blotches on the ground. There was no need to check. They were undoubtedly her tears.

“Aria…”

“I’m not crying,” said Aria in an angry voice, trembling and with her head still facing downward. Surrounded by humid winds, we were subject to the smirks of passersby as we stood there in the center of the sidewalk. They were probably assuming we were a couple in the middle of a fight.

“Hey…Aria.”

I walked in front of Aria and stooped down a little, peering into her face.

Drip…drip. Drip.

From eyes hidden behind her bangs, pearl-like droplets ran down Aria’s inclined cheeks.

“I-I’m not cry–” Aria grit her teeth, and the tears flowed freely from her eyes, which she firmly held closed.

And then…

“…not cry…i..ng…! Waaaaaaaaaaah!”

The last thread holding her together snapped and she wept openly. Refusing to show me her face, Aria tilted her head all the way back and simply cried like a child. She wailed so loudly, it felt as if my heart were vibrating in response to the sound waves.

“Waaaaaaaaaaah…mamaaa…mamaaaaaaa…!”

Evening befell the city as it advertised trendy clothing and the latest electronic gizmos with its dazzling neon sign lights and up-beat music. Those flashing lights seemed to be playing with Aria’s peach-colored hair, the way they illuminated her head. And then, as if to add insult to injury, we were caught in a sudden shower. Both people and cars continued to pass by us, one after another, as we stood there in the rain.

A girl holding a cell phone to her ear noisily passed by saying, “Hahaha! Seriously?! That’s so funny!” I was powerless to comfort Aria, whose incessant crying mingled with the hustle and bustle of the city, and just stood by her side in silence.

At the start of the week, Tokyo was being visited by strong winds, and while attending classes for general academic subjects, I noted that the seat to the right of mine was empty. Apparently, Aria wasn’t coming to school today. Yesterday, when Aria finally stopped crying in front of the Alta Shopping Center, she told me that she wanted to be alone, so we parted ways there and hadn’t been in contact with each other since. That day, I followed Aria whom I just happened to come across by chance, acquainted myself with her mother as one of the victims of the “Butei killer”, and learned quite a few things—things I wish I hadn’t learned.

Aria’s mother was being held in custody as a suspect in the “Butei killings” and was already convicted at the appeals court. In all likelihood, the lower court reserved system was being applied. With this new system, in a case where sufficient evidence was presented, the process leading to a Supreme Court hearing could be expedited, preventing any delays to the trial. The sentence awaiting her at the Supreme Court was eight hundred and sixty-four years in prison—basically a life sentence. Looking back on the conversation that took place in the visiting room, there would seem to be other charges Aria’s mother was faced with besides the string of murders that were a result of “Butei killing.” Aria declared that all of them were false charges and was trying to clear her mother of them before the Supreme Court trial. The belligerent means by which she intended to do so was by capturing the true culprits as an official Butei.

There was also mention of a “partner.” Aria’s family, the “H’s”, was of nobility. Evidently, they were a distinguished family of police officers or something to that effect, and they all drastically enhanced their abilities by pairing up with a capable partner, thereby accomplishing all sorts of commendable deeds. This was why Aria, too, was being pressed to find a partner…but she was having difficulty with that. It was no surprise. It would be by no means, an easy task to find a partner who could keep up with a genius like her. Aria might have been using the term “slave” in place of “partner” to lower the standards of the person she was searching for, even if only in title, thus reducing the psychological burden she bore.

Pondering about all of this, my Inquesta class, which I was completely unable to concentrate on, came to an end, and I was alerted by a text message that was sent to my cell phone. It was from Riko.

Kii-kun, when class is over come to Club Estella in Odaiba. I have something important to discuss with you.

Normally, I would have just ignored a message like this. First of all, an invitation from a girl was an invitation to trouble, and Riko’s “important” discussions have never once actually been important. This time, however, circumstances are a little different. Riko was using the information from last week’s bus-jacking to continue her investigation, which was probably the reason she ditched today’s Inquesta class. Plus the fact that Aria didn’t come to school today was weighing on my mind. Something in my gut told me it would be worth it, so just in case, I got on the monorail to Odaiba.

I got lost a little along the way, but after arriving at Club Estella, I found out that the place was essentially a high-class karaoke box. In the parking lot was a customized shocking pink Vespa.

This horrible taste in colors…I’ve seen it before. This belongs to Riko.

On the surface, it looked like it had a 50 cc engine, but Riko had been boasting of how she paid Muto to remodel the Vespa to the point where it just barely passed automobile inspection, and now it could reach speeds of one hundred and fifty kilometers per hour.

Muto…you really need to be more discriminating about what jobs you take.

The time was six in the evening. The sky at sunset was so distinctly red that it resembled blood, and scattered clouds of navy blue were drifting along in it at an unusually fast rate. It was most likely an effect of the typhoon approaching Tokyo. The wind was quite strong. I entered the club and stepped into a bar lounge where there were female office workers on their way home from work and couples on a date picking at cakes that were like works of art. Looking around, I noticed some female students from Butei High here and there.

This place is pretty popular, isn’t it?

“Kiiii-kuuuunnn!”

Riko trotted her way towards me wearing a Lolita school uniform, as always. The one she had on today was really something. In particular, the skirt was bulging with frills like a carnation. The bulges were probably created by an underskirt called a pannier.

“Really now, Riko. What are you doing skipping class and coming to a place like this?”

“Hee hee. I was dressing up in this, my Sunday best. But you took so long in getting here I thought I’d been stood up. I’m so glad you made it.”

“We’re not in the kind of relationship in which one of us can do any ‘standing up’ or be ‘stood up.’”

“Oh, you’re being so cold. You’re about to head down the ‘Riko route’, you know?

“Say what? You make absolutely no sense.”

The upward glance she was giving me was oddly seductive, and I clicked my tongue.

Maybe I shouldn’t have come after all. What’s with this girl?

Riko latched onto my arm as if she was trying to hang down from it, and we went further into the establishment, with Riko in high spirits. Seeing this, the other girls from Butei High began whispering to each other.

“Oh my gosh. Now Kinji’s going out with Riko?”

“I wonder if he’s into short girls.”

“That’s probably the case. Don’t forget about Hotogi.”

Hey, you guys. I can hear you. Stop creating one misunderstanding after the other.

The karaoke room that Riko practically pushed me inside of was a private room for two decorated in an art nouvea style. Riko sat me down on a fluffy couch, and after seating herself right beside me, indicated with a wink the Mont Blanc and black tea on the table.

“I’m the one that called you out here, so everything’s on me.” Riko gulped down some awfully sweet looking milk tea and looked up at me with her large eyes.

“Aaaah, that hit the spot. Say, Kii-kun, you got in a fight with Aria, didn’t you?”

“That’s none of your business, is it?”

“Sure it is. You and Aria have to get along well with each other.”

“Why is that?”

“Because if you don’t, it’s no fun for me!”

Riko stuck a fork into the Mont Blanc and smiled at me. It was an expression that meant she was telling the truth.

“Kii-kun, say ‘Ahh.’” Riko brought the fork with the chunk of cake on it next to my face.

“I don’t think so. Stop being so dumb.”

“…‘Butei killing’…” She said it as if she were pulling out a winning card and my eyes reacted accordingly.

“…Did you…find something out?”

“I’ll tell you if you say ‘Ahh.’”

It was so embarrassing, I almost wanted to die, but desperate times call for desperate measures. I took a bite of the Mont Blanc that Riko offered me and gave her a threatening look with my eyes that said, “Now spill it.”

“Hee hee. I found out about this in the files at the Metropolitan Police Department. The thing is, the people who died as a result of ‘Butei killings’ might not have been just the motorcycle-jacking and the carjacking incident.”

“What do you mean?”

“There’s something called a ‘potential incident’. An incident that was officially categorized as an accident might have actually been caused by the ‘Butei killer’, but nobody knows because of a cover-up.”

“That’s possible?”

“I found such a case in the files. I think the person might have been a victim of the ‘Butei killer.’”

Riko took out a piece of paper that was folded in four quarters from her poche pocket and slowly unfolded it as if she were performing a magic trick. She then showed me what was written on it.

“!”

It felt like the blood in my veins had frozen solid.

December 24, 2008 Boating disaster off the coast of Uraga

Fatalities: Butei Kinichi Tohyama (nineteen years old)

“This name—it’s your brother, isn’t it? I’m thinking the boat was hijacked.”

Riko’s voice sounded like it was coming from far off into the distance.

…The “Butei killer”. What are you? Who are you? Why my brother? Why did you target my brother and me?!

“I like it.”

Riko’s voice was filled with passion, and upon hearing it, I came back to my senses. When I looked her in the eyes, she narrowed them as she gazed at me.

“I like it, Kinji—that look in your eyes. It sends shivers down my spine.” Riko brought the upper half of her body closer to me looking as if she were of deriving a sense of ecstasy. “Je t’aime à croquer. During the entrance exam, I fell in love with your eyes at first sight.”

“…Riko?”

In the course of the exam, I defeated Riko as easily as if she were merely toddler. I wondered if that was what she was referring to.

“Kinji.” In that uncomfortably confined room, Riko was demonstrating animal-like movements. Then out of the blue, she grabbed onto me. It was all so sudden that I was helpless to do anything about it and was pushed down into the couch.

“…Riko?!”

“Kinji, you sure are insensitive to love. It's almost like your purposely trying to be insensitive. Say…you do realize, don’t you? We’re in the middle of an event scene.”

My head was being enveloped by Riko’s two pigtails as well as the rest of her long hair, which was done in dog tails. Her baby face was so close to mine that there were barely five inches between us. Different from that of Aria’s, Riko was giving off a sweet feminine scent like vanilla or almonds. She brought her lips as close to my cheek as possible without actually touching it, and from there, her mouth approached my ear. I’m not sure what her intentions were, but she bit my earlobe. It hurt.

“Say, Kinji. I did go through the trouble of getting us this expensive room… It’s okay if you do the sort of thing that happens in the games…” said Riko in a passionate and sorrowful voice as she pressed her entire body against mine.

R-Riko. Had Riko always been this seductive?

Some of the guys at Inquesta who were more ‘appreciative’ of Riko called her the ‘busty Lolita face’, and with her lying on top of me, I now understood why. She was always dressed up in clothes a little girl would be interested in and had mannerisms of a child, yet the curves in her body were all too well defined, and a very soft body it was at that…

“Kinji, no one will ever find out what takes place in this room. Shirayuki is busy training for SSR, and Aria is going back to England. I heard she’ll be taking a charter plane at seven tonight, so she’s probably at Haneda airport by now. So…how about doing something fun with me? Hee hee.”

It was in part because Riko’s seductiveness was so sudden, but also because her advances were so unexpected, I didn’t have a chance to mentally prepare myself. Before I knew it, the core of my body was heating up and hardening as my blood began to boil. I was in hysteria mode.

“…!”

At that instant, something sparked inside my head. What Riko had just told me and the boating incident that happened in the past melded into a single line, as if they had been brought together with an electromagnet. And that line…led to a terrifying ending that could never be changed once it came to be.

This is bad. Real bad. I have to get moving. Now!

“Sorry about this…!”

In hysteria mode, I slipped my hand in front of Riko’s face and snapped my finger. The second Riko flinched and blinked her eyes…

“It’s about time for good little girls to return home and go to bed, isn’t it?”

“Huh?”

I had Riko’s small body scooped up in my arms, and turning around I laid her down on the couch. I then stood up and dashed out of the room smoothing my bangs upward. It was my hysteria mode hair style…