Chapter 6: Versus Crow Ranger Yellow!

 

 

 

Chapter 6: Versus Crow Ranger Yellow!

 

“SO this is where you’ve been slacking off, you good-for-nothing chief.”

At the back of the police station, hidden in the middle of a mountain-like pile of cardboard boxes, was an old staircase in a corridor leading to the rear entrance. Buried between two large water dispensers and several candy machines was the police chief leaning against the wall smoking a cigarette. By using the nearby window he skillfully directed the smoke out of the building and kept his presence hidden.

“Hmph, I’ve been busted, huh? Looks like I’ll have to find myself another place to relax.”

“Why you… You do know that our station is supposed to be completely smoke-free now, right?”

“Oh yeah, right. Terrible, that, don’t you think? I, for one, find it objectionable that whenever the esteemed general public happens to come up with some bright idea, we have to rush to implement it. Look at me, having to hide in my own station to have a smoke because of some bleedin’ lungs.”

Ren only sighed at the chief blowing a cloud of smoke in his face. He was a smoker too, so it wasn’t as if he couldn’t empathize with the sentiment, but not to the extent of actually sneaking about to smoke. Besides, the moment he took his eyes off the man, he’d no doubt disappear somewhere to skip work. Were all officers counting the days till their retirement like that?

“There’s something I wanted to talk to you about.”

“We can talk here, right? Go on. Oh, here’s the ashtray.”

“I’m not smoking! Getting chewed out if they find me or getting a pay cut’s not really a part of my plan for today.”

The man tutted and deliberately closed his lips around his cigarette, which looked a bit childish. He was dressed in a wrinkled shirt, with a somewhat lopsided necktie looped around its collar, his slacks held up by suspenders. His entire outfit seemed picked out only to exemplify his slovenly appearance.

The man was none other than the boss of the ‘Champions of Justice’, the one Ren and the gang called ‘chief’. One day, he announced the formation of a new squad, to be called the Crow Rangers, designated Ren as Green, and gave him the smartphone with the built-in tracking device. No matter how far removed from reasonable that was, as a member of the force, he could do nothing but nod his assent to his new assignment. Such was the tragic reality of having a job where respecting the chain of command was of the essence.

Ren’s first thought had been, The chief must’ve lost his marbles. What was all this talk of Supreme Ruler of Evil, magic, and Champions of Justice all about? No one who has reached the ripe age of twenty-six expects words like that thrown at them with utmost seriousness at their place of work. But when he tried going to the place marked on his tracking device, he had indeed encountered a ‘Supreme Ruler of Evil’ there, who had been using ‘magic’ to boot.

She was just a girl. Even as she got innocently flustered by the grown-ups’ teasing, she still did her best to pursue her goals and achieve them. If he just closed his eyes, he could vividly picture her many expressions—here she was, eyes lit up from within by defiance and determination, and there she was with her cheeks stained pink in embarrassment and surprise.

It was in order to learn more about this girl that he came to ask his slacker of a boss a few questions. So, Ren leaned against the opposite wall before the man, leveling him with a glare, and growled threateningly, “Mia. Tell me about her.”

“Mia… You must mean Mia Oonari. What do you want to know?” Chief willingly indulged him.

Ren was bemused at the unexpected ease with which the man yielded, but pressed on. “First, the tracking device. Why is there a chip buried in Mia’s body?”

“That’s her father’s doing. He planted one in his own body too, and he was the one who handed me the tracking system.”

“I thought as much. Why would he do such a thing? Weren’t you and her dad enemies, you being a Champion of Justice and him the Supreme Ruler of Evil and all?”

The man opened his mouth, only to expel some smoke from it in a quiet exhale. He had a peculiar expression on his face—it was as if he had been anticipating this very question coming someday, and felt at peace with having Ren finally ask it.

“Mia’s father gave me the system before he became the ‘Supreme Ruler of Evil’. We were friends since high school, him and I. It was when I got dispatched here, to this town, to work as a police officer, that he appeared all of a sudden and offered the tracker to me.”

This meant that the connection Ren had inferred was not between the police at large and Mia’s father, but between the chief and Mia’s father, on a personal level. So, the girl’s father had given the tracking device away before becoming the Supreme Ruler of Evil. Mia must’ve been a baby at the time.

“Say, since when did the whole ‘Champions of Justice’ things start? …Here, in the police force, I mean.”

“I don’t know, but, according to rumors, we’ve had them for a long, long time. Only in this town’s police corps, for some reason. It’s probably due to Mia’s family living here for generations, but anyway, somehow, the Champions of Justice seem to have always been here, their member lineup changing every time a new Supreme Ruler of Evil emerges. That seems to be the tradition. Don’t ask me who decided all this, I really have no idea,” Chief said somewhat apologetically, ducking his head. “If you want exact dates, just find some old news articles. Prior to Mia’s father, both groups were in the news quite often.”

Leaning against the wall before Ren, Chief took another hefty drag of his cigarette, before releasing another puff. It was hard to believe that the man in front of him was actually one of the people appointed to be a Champion of Justice during Mia’s father’s time as Supreme Ruler of Evil. And, using the tracking system, every time a surge of magic was detected, he headed to the crime scene, nipping the evil deed in the bud.

“Evil deeds? Did he really do any, Mia’s old man?”

“That he did! All awfully petty though, now that I think about it. We once fought at a big dog park, when I found him there releasing the massive pack of dogs he formed by luring pets away from their owners with his magic. All the dogs were enhanced to insane levels—could likely have taken out a Kodiak bear and won on their own. They were a nightmare to deal with.

“Then there was that time he appeared at the trip paid for by the force for my outstanding service, when I was itching to go have a soak at the hot springs, and he put a literal damper on the mood by making it rain pumpkins. And I am not talking tiny little baseball-sized ones, but car sized. Imagine hundreds of pumpkins the size of a car falling out of the sky… Gah, just thinking about it brings back old pains. Or, when I’d go to a cabaret club, he’d make all the hostesses fall in love with him, so they’d ignore me completely. …Ah, that was just because he had a pretty face, dammit.”

Ren had seen the pictures of the man, and he had indeed been good-looking. But, however nice his facial features, he could never look at him the same way ever since he found out that he had been taking baths together with his high schooler daughter.

Be that as it may, the evil deeds he had perpetrated were even more small-time than Ren had imagined, to the extent that no one in their right mind would think to call them that. Not that giant pumpkins and overpowered dogs weren’t dangerous, but they just didn’t really scream ‘Evil’. The level on which he had operated was almost the same as Mia’s—just more competent.

“Don’t tell me that the Supreme Rulers of Evil haven’t done anything but lame pranks, generation after generation?”

“Nah, like I said, just look up the news articles. Prior Supreme Rulers of Evil have had a hand in some pretty awful crimes up to Mia’s grandfather’s generation. Gas accidents due to unknown causes, mass abductions, monsters from the deep, eldritch abominations from space, some of the battles have even rearranged the landscape in a few places. It all changed since Mia’s father became the new head of the family.

“Ever since then, the Supreme Rulers of Evil would only cause weird mischief unfit to be called evil deeds. It wouldn’t even get picked up by the media. Not that most people even pay much attention anymore—from what I remember, one of the spells they cast makes everyone view the Supreme Rulers of Evil and anything related to them as normal. Or some such nonsense.”

Ren narrowed his eyes, touching a finger to his chin. That actually explained a lot about the lack of reactions he had seen. The behavior of Supreme Rulers of Evil had changed, starting from Mia’s father’s generation. What could have been the reason for it? The tracking system he gave to the chief before becoming the family head… Why did he hand over such a thing to his enemy? It was as if…

“I can’t help but think…he gave a tracker to you so that you could always find him.”

“That’s right. I think he wanted me to stop him. He never said that, of course.”

“…Stop him from doing what?”

The evil deeds? No, that couldn’t have been it. The evil deeds themselves were so out of place, after all. Mia’s father must’ve wanted something else prevented.

The chief, having smoked his cigarette up to the filter, was rubbing what was left of it out in his pocket ashtray. A thin wisp of smoke rose from his pocket before being snuffed out.

“I still don’t know what he was really thinking. We just fought whenever we stumbled upon him. He kept saying something about how completing the world conquest after defeating us was ‘their’ long-cherished desire or something.”

“Mia was saying the same thing. When she defeats us, she’s gonna activate the great magical art of darkness and stuff. What is this great magical art of darkness? Is it a spell that can’t be used without beating us first?”

“Most likely so. You know, every time he ran away from us due to running out of magical power, he had this strange expression on his face, looking suspiciously close to relief. After seeing it, I became convinced that magic can’t be anything good. That was probably why he wanted us to prevent him from using it.”

Mia’s father, the man who made the chief come running at the slightest hint of trouble and battled until he ran out of magic. It was as if he was using those fights over nothing as an excuse to avoid using the great magical art of darkness. It was strange. Ren felt the same kind of contradiction in Mia’s father’s thinking as he did in Mia’s—the man had ostensibly wanted to activate the great magical art of darkness, while, in reality, he hadn’t tried to do so, not even once.

Out of habit, Ren’s hand crawled towards his breast pocket, almost taking his box of cigarettes out, but then he remembered that this was a nonsmoking area and clicked his tongue in frustration.

“Come on, you can have a smoke. You’ve got your pocket ashtray. The window and fan will take care of the smoke, who’s gonna notice?”

“I’m not smoking! But seriously, you’re useless. I can’t rest until I understand the crucial parts of the story, which I still don’t get.”

“Hahaha, sorry about that. If it’ll improve your opinion of me, I’ll investigate this matter a bit further. But why are you so hell bent on uncovering the truth? Could it be that you’re feeling something for our little Mia?”

Ren’s expression clouded over in an instant—a wrinkle formed between his brows, his face radiating annoyance. Do I really have to explain myself to you? was written plain on his features. Chief chuckled at Ren’s reaction.

“You have a crush on her, huh? You, at twenty-six, crushing on a seventeen-year-old girl? I didn’t know you had a thing for young girls! You know there’s a word for that?”

“Wha—Shut up! When Mia turns twenty, I’ll only be twenty-nine! This much of an age difference is normal in our day and age!” Ren barked back reflexively, and bit his tongue in frustration, realizing what he had just said.

It was as good as admitting his feelings. Just as he thought, the corners of the chief’s mouth jumped up in a grin. How about a fist in your smug face, you incompetent bastard of a boss, ran through Ren’s mind. However, before he could act on that impulse, the chief’s face changed, the grin making way for a relieved, serene smile.

“What? What are you smiling like an old geezer for?”

“Like an old geezer? How so?”

“You know, a creepy smile, like you’re about to say something only obtained through age and experience, some profound nonsense like, ‘what a fine young man, don’t you think, dove?’”

Chief laughed, as if to say, “that’s harsh”. Then he muttered, “I’m fine with it, if you’re the one by her side. But be careful with that girl. She, or rather, all sorcerers of her bloodline, only have a certain amount of magical energy they can spend in a day. If they spend too much, it puts a great toll on them, physically, from which they can only recover in a deep sleep.

“But you mustn’t let her use more magic than the limit allows. If she looks tired, make up a random excuse and let her get away. The top brass are fine with anything as long as Mia is stopped, but if you don’t want to lose her, do as I said. And no matter what, don’t let anyone threaten her life. You do not want to see what happens if a sorcerer’s magic feels its host is threatened.”

Ren’s eyes flew open at the chief’s words. He remembered how Mia looked when she used a lot of magic; she looked exhausted afterwards. The day they had met for the first time, Mia had escaped in a hurry, probably because she felt her magical power reserves depleting. But what would’ve happened if he hadn’t let her go, but had given chase instead, fighting her further or just pulling a gun out and shooting her? What if he had driven her to use even more magic? …What would have been the consequence of that? Cold sweat started dripping down Ren’s spine.

“…And what will happen if she continues to cast magic despite being tired, and used all of her magical powers up or we threatened her life?”

“When her magical power reserves are drained till the last drop, she will die. If she tries to use more magic than she can, it will wear away her very soul, and she will be erased from existence… At least, that’s what her father said would happen to me once when we were kids. As for a threat to her life, well there’s a reason why the government hasn’t just sent a black ops team to assassinate the entire family line and it goes by the name of Ozone Layer. Let’s just say when an attempt was made, scientists around the world feared Earth might no longer have an ozone layer anymore and so we ended it there.”

Ren was at a loss for words. Chief continued to speak in a subdued tone of voice, his eyes cast down, his words steeped in deep regret and a bit of fear, “As for using up all their magic, we actually think that’s how Mia’s father died. He was fighting us, and I could see he felt the strain of it getting to him. He would usually run away when it became too much, but that day, he didn’t. And then…he activated a great magical art of darkness of his own creation, pushing through the exhaustion, and died because of it.”

Ren reeled, feeling as though he had taken a blow on the head. If she continues to use magic, Mia will… Mia will die.

***

AFTER speaking to the chief and digging further into the Supreme Rulers of Evil, Ren listlessly went about his daily tasks. As had become the norm somewhere along the way, he went over to Subaru’s and ate dinner with his friend and Mia, with the three of them huddled around the table. Sitting there, talking merrily over one another about nothing in particular was an integral part of their everyday life now.

Today, however, Ren didn’t let his gaze stray from Mia, trudging through the meal with less chatter than usual. Mia noticed that something was off about Ren, and inquired about it, but he brushed her concerns off with a smile and a curt, “It’s nothing”.

If he wanted to stay by her side, he would need to tread carefully. He had to convince Mia to give up on world domination, no matter what. After a great deal of debate, he found himself drawn to Mia. And for her to survive she would need to find another goal to devote herself to. The decision that he secretly made in his heart was to pursue her from this point on, no matter what happened down the line.

***

SUNDAY came rolling in without any real changes occurring in the town or world at large. It was a rare, precious day off for Ren. He chose to spend it with a cigarette in his mouth and a controller in his hand. He was taking it slow today, playing a video game since the moment he had woken up. It was a soccer simulator where he got to control a famous player with their real stats converted into the game.

On the floor, the essentials were lined up: beer, some dried squid, and an ashtray. He was only dressed in a T-shirt and boxers, not the most dignified outfit, objectively speaking. He shrugged the concern of his clothing off, deciding it was fine because no one would see him anyway. At least on his days off, he wanted to wear whatever he pleased. …That is unless he got called in for something that had to do with Mia.

She should learn to take it easy from time to time, too!

His smartphone was lying on his bed. The tracking device was activated, responding to the girl using her powers. It was probably just her doing her rounds around the town, as usual. Ren could tell by now what she was doing just by watching her movements on the map. However—

Ping! An electronic sound rang out. When he took a look at his phone’s screen, he saw a red dot unmoving, positioned on a road that ran along the riverbank. Mia was using her magic. She was casting so many spells in a single spot, it was most certainly out of the ordinary. Suddenly, he remembered the chief’s words, “There’s a limit to how much magic she can use in a day, so…”

Ren heaved a sigh. Ugh, he would really appreciate it if she stopped worrying him so much. Did she even know about her own potentially fatal weaknesses? He couldn’t very well ignore this, so he rose to his feet and hurriedly put on his clothes. Quickly tapping away on his phone to let the others know about what was happening with Mia, he heard a bleep indicating he just got a new message. …It was from Shou.

“I’ve got my hands on Mia♪ But it’s her fault! She was the one who approached me, k? So, anyway, I’ll be playing with her until you come get her. Bye〜”

Ren felt the blood draining from his face. His hair was a wild mess, but he didn’t care. He tumbled down his hallway and out the door, sprinting in the direction of Shou’s house.

***

SHOU was enjoying his day off duty, queuing up at the doors of an entertainment venue first thing in the morning. As he was standing there, a very familiar cute voice called out to him from up in the sky, “Found you!”

Shou looked up in confusion, there he saw Mia Oonari in all her long black cape-wearing, sickeningly cute wand-wielding splendor, perched atop a fence separating the venue building from the road.

Having confirmed that it was indeed none other than Shou whom she had spotted, Mia whooped and jumped down, making a perfect 360-degree flip in the air before landing on her feet in front of her quarry.

The gazes of all the men who were standing in line together with Shou were probably concentrated on the same spot—the one that got exposed when the girl was doing the spin, her skirt fluttering down around her legs. If one managed to sneak a peek at it, they would catch a glimpse of a sliver of cool blue fabric.

“Morning, Mia! Blue panties today, I see! And pink ribbons on both sides too, very cute! Great choice!”

“You swine, how were you able to glean that much detail when you have only seen them for a brief moment?!”

“I think it’s a part of the standard skill set of any man.”

We haven’t looked that closely! Thought the men standing around Shou, but Mia seemed to buy Shou’s excuse, equal parts impressed and shocked. Then she shook her head, as if to clear it and get her mind back on the right track, and thrust out her wand towards Shou, pointing it at him.

“Yellow, I hereby challenge you to a duel!”

“Eh? Don’t wanna.”

Mia staggered at such a blunt refusal. She scrunched up her face, close to tears, and whined pitifully, “But whyyy! I was so in the mood for this!”

“Yeah, but they’re installing the new machine today! I really want to try it out. And it’s the Redemption Event Day, too!”

At Shou’s answer, Mia took a closer look at the venue’s front, only to raise her voice in exasperation, “Lining up for pachinko, and this early too? …I feel like you have hit a new low!”

“But I wanted to get the best seat! I woke up at the crack of dawn for this, so let me off the hook for today, please? Okay?” Shou implored, but that only served to fan the flames of Mia’s anger.

A wrinkle etching itself between her brows, she finally snapped, seething, “Absolutely out of the question! I have grown soft lately, associating with you lot as if I lost my fighting spirit! But no more of that! What is more important here, me, who has renewed her resolve and decided to defeat you one by one, or pachinko?!”

“I don’t really care about pachinko. I’m here for the slot machines. …And since you’re asking, right now it’s probably the slot machines…” Shou answered flatly.

That made Mia completely lose her temper, with steam coming out of her ears. She violently grabbed Shou by the wrist. Then, she loudly chanted the spell, “Fly with me into the sky!”

A gust of wind drifted around their feet, and then their bodies soared up, getting propelled through the air with a whoosh. The men queuing to get into the casino stared blankly at their backs.

“Ah, well, just one of those days I guess…” someone mumbled and took the place that opened up in the line after Shou’s disappearance, the entire incident between Shou and Mia fading to the back of their minds the moment Mia and her passenger were out of sight.

***

MIA took Shou to the riverbank, away from the town center. She landed, planting her feet firmly on the ground, let go of Shou’s hand, and jumped a few steps back to put some distance between them.

Shou, only scratched his head awkwardly, mumbling, “Oh man… And I was really looking forward to that new machine…”

“Stop saying it in such a mournful voice! You are a member of the Crow Rangers, are you not?! I suggest you take this more seriously!”

“Yeah, I know, but see, I’m a pacifist. Unless you do something really terrible right before my eyes, I won’t feel like doing anything. …But you won’t do anything bad, right? You’re a good girl!”

Shou was only honestly telling Mia what he thought, but to her it sounded like he was making fun of her. Clearly offended, she forcefully waved her wand and cast a spell, “O wind, tear and rend!”

Swishing through the air, razor-sharp blades of wind flew straight for Shou. He jerked his arms up to cover his face, the fabric on his jacket sleeves ending up torn and full of shallow cuts. He stared at his arms, his face expressionless. …Eventually, one corner of his lips curled up, and he turned his face to look Mia dead in the eyes.

Shou’s smile, for some reason, made a chill run down her spine. Mia shuffled backwards, her legs suddenly feeling unsteady.

“Hmm, so you really wanna fight me, even though I’ve just told you I’m a pacifist. You little monster.”

“Monster?! No! This is how it was supposed to be from the beginning! I was just too soft on you lot until now!”

“Too soft, huh…? No. You just don’t know what the world is like, and all the dirty and wicked things that exist in it. Well, I guess I’ll have to humor you, but remember, you were the one who picked a fight with me, ‘kay? I’ll just give you a spanking for being such a bad girl.”

A crooked smile still plastered on his face, Shou slowly slid his feet into a fighting stance. Apparently, damaging his jacket proved sufficient to get him in the mood for a battle. Mia could do without that chilling smile of his, but all in all, the situation was finally progressing in the way she wanted it to. She clenched her stomach muscles and whipped her wand forward.

She let an image fill her head, poured the feelings it evoked into words, and finalized her spell by shouting out, “O Earth, rise up!”

A rumbling noise came from somewhere deep in the ground, and then the earth under Shou’s feet bulged, surging up high.

“Whoa!”

He jumped back down to the safety of the flat ground, but the soil swelled under him again. All around Shou, piles of earth shot up in a circular pattern, and then spread and fused with each other to form a single thin, long conical shape, attempting to block his field of vision. Shou evaded the wall of soil sealing him inside by performing a running jump off the enclosing walls and over the top and dashed towards Mia.

“Tsk. O wind, tear and rend!”

“Pff, that won’t work on me twice!”

The blades of wind were thin and straight, which meant that their area of effect was highly limited. Shou seemed to have realized that, so he quickly kicked off the ground with his right foot to gain momentum, and leapt to the side.

“You can run in a straight line and jump to the side on a moment’s notice?! I didn’t know you rangers had reflexes like that!”

Astonishment flooded Mia’s face, but she refused to be beaten, and, drawing strength from her ever-blazing will to fight, she braced her wand.

“O sh-shield of ice, protect me!”

As soon as she pronounced those words, a wall made of ice appeared in front of her, its expanding edges twisting themselves to form a circle which was closing around Shou. It seemed that Mia was out to buy herself some time, but all she had done was change her attack from wind, earth, wind again, and now to ice. While the elements changed, the attacks were relatively the same.

“And now I shall make hail rain down on your head!” Mia exclaimed, raising her wand high overhead.

A ghost of a smile crossed Shou’s face at that declaration. He exhaled in a short burst to even out his breathing, and then, raising a battle cry, he slammed his fist into the ice. With a sharp sound, a crack opened in its surface, widening and branching out with tremendous speed. Before long, the wall of ice shattered into pieces, emitting a high-pitched noise.

Mia’s eyes swam with fear—she hadn’t anticipated Shou breaking through her wall with such ease. Shou deftly hopped over the broken shards of ice and bolted towards Mia, taking off his jacket while running. Coming to a skidding halt before her, he spread his jacket out in front of Mia’s face, put it over her mouth and then tightly wrapped it around her head while sliding behind her. In a single motion Shou had Mia gagged and was in a position to debilitate or even strangle her if he wished.

“Mmph!”

“There, there. Now, zip those lips.”

With Mia’s mouth thus covered, she couldn’t do a thing. She squirmed and struggled, trying to free herself, but Shou had already restrained her arms. The only places left uncovered by the jacket on Mia’s face were her eyes; her nose too, but just enough to be able to breathe.

Shou bent down and whispered sweetly at her ear, “Hee-hee… Looks like you’ve lost, Mia. Now, like I promised, I’ll give you a spanking.”

“Mpamkimph?!”

“I need to make sure you won’t dare come bugging me ever again, so I’m gonna instill some respect in you—through your body,” Shou chuckled softly against her ear.

Shou was basking in sadistic glee, his voice coming out in a lazy lecherous drawl. There was a bewitching quality to its lilt; if someone with masochistic proclivities heard it, they’d melt into a puddle on the spot.

“You’re powerless at close quarters, right? I heard from Ren. Your magic has an area of effect, so if you attempt to use it in close proximity to your target, you’re gonna suffer damage as well. …I’m gonna call a cab now, and for the ride I’m gonna remove the jacket, freeing your mouth, but don’t even think of crossing me! If you try anything funny, the poor taxi driver will suffer for it. You don’t want that to happen, my sweet little Mia, so you’ll do as I say, won’t you?” Shou uttered, his words much more befitting a villain than a Champion of Justice, and giggled, blowing a gentle puff of breath over Mia’s earlobe.

Immediately, something cold crawled up Mia’s spine, her eyes filling with terror. She felt so different from Shou’s touch than she had at Ren’s; it baffled her.

Ren made her heart beat wildly in her chest, while Shou evoked a mysterious sense of fear in her, making her tremble. Shou eyed her with satisfaction, evidently savoring the way her face twisted in dread.

Shou took out his phone and called for a cab to pick them up, just like he had said he would. The car appeared quickly enough, and Mia, her face completely jacket-free, was hauled into the taxi by Shou, his hand draped over her shoulders as if they were a couple of young lovebirds. They rode for some time before arriving at Shou’s apartment complex.

As soon as he got out of the car, he put his hand over Mia’s mouth and ushered her to his unit, almost dragging her there. The apartment he called his home was pretty big for one person, and looked quite expensive. Evidently well-cleaned, it was neat and tidy.

Shou, pulling Mia along, opened the front door. …Mia took a peek inside and her eyes grew wide as saucers. Wha-What is this? What in the world is this place?

The first thing that stood out to her was probably the bed. It seemed extremely uncomfortable to sleep on—being X-shaped and all. Moreover, something resembling belts dangled from it here and there. Above the bed was what looked like the oddest seat she had ever seen made up of black leather straps and a way to move, raise, or lower the entire thing anywhere around the bed.

Next to the bed was a triangular piece of wood lying horizontally with its sharp edge directed upwards—another chair, probably? Visual evidence suggested it would be a pain to sit on. It had black belts attached to it, too. A set of handcuffs hung down from a nearby wall, and on the ceiling, a number of sturdy-looking iron bars were mounted. Mia had no idea as to what the use of all of this equipment could be. On another wall was an assortment of masks, some that covered the entire head, and some just the mouth.

As she was gazing dazedly at the interior of the room, she felt something cold against her lips. She jerked in surprise at the sudden sensation, but it was too late. Mia had something resembling a small golf ball with a lot of holes in it slipped into her mouth and immediately fastened behind her head with a black strap.

“Mmph?”

“I feel a bit bad about using a mouth gag on a first-timer, but we don’t want you accidentally using your magic in the heat of the moment, now do we? You can breathe through it, so you’ll be fine,” Shou cooed, putting handcuffs around the girl’s wrists and attaching them to a chain dangling down from the ceiling. Mia’s arms were forcibly raised overhead as Shou tugged on a nearby chain, her legs the only part of her body she could move freely.

“Mmh—Um-mph! Mmph?!”

“Hmm, I think a collar would really suit you. I would love nothing more than to put one on you, but let’s save that for Ren. After all, he’s the one who owns you, hehe.”

Owns?! I don’t remember being owned by anyone! Mia stomped her feet, but Shou only watched her indignation idly, his eyes twinkling with amusement.

“Ah, it must be so much fun taming a feisty girl like you. But fear not! You’re a virgin, aren’t you? Let’s save that for Ren, too. The only thing I’ll be teaching you is pleasure♪”

“Mmh-mmf?”

The more Shou babbled, the more uneasy and scared Mia began to feel. What was he saying? What was he going to do to her now that she was tied up? Mia watched him, her face tight with trepidation, as he opened a cabinet, its door creaking, and crossed his arms over his chest, creasing his brow in thought.

“Let’s start with a love egg, I guess? And then we’ll probably need an electric toothbrush. A rope, and… I have no experience dealing with children, so I’m a bit lost. How far should I go? I wonder if it’d be all right to use a dildo if I pick the smallest one. How much can I insert without popping your cherry? I gotta be careful,” Shou muttered under his breath.

Mia couldn’t understand a word of what he was saying, none, zero, nada, zilch. Eventually, Shou mumbled, “all right,” as if he decided on a course of action, and started pulling out a number of different items from the bowels of his cabinet. There was something pink and roundish, something looking like a wand, a bunch of red rope, something of a weird shape that had a switch on its side, and a mysterious contraption that had something suspiciously resembling electric wires attached to it.

“Mmph?!”

Mia had no idea what the purpose of all the items being pull out was, but that last one with the wires looked particularly ominous, especially when it sparked with Shou’s fiddling. The giggling that accompanied his setup was nerve-racking. It was probably due to it looking like it was created for the sole purpose of applying electrical current to people. A smile spread over Shou’s face upon seeing Mia’s horrified expression. How could he manage such a beatific smile while holding such a horrendous thing?

“Don’t worry, I won’t be using that. I just took it out because it was in the way and I have some fond memories using it with…hmm my last guest you could say.”

“Mmh-mmph!”

“Ah, you wanna know what it’s for? Well, it’s for applying electrical current which passes through these wires as you saw. But it feels nothing like an electric shock! It’s more of this sort of buzzing sensation. Although you can up the power, only special guests enjoy that kind of attention.”

As if purposefully trying to strike even more fear into Mia’s already wildly beating heart, Crow Ranger Yellow touched the two ends of the strange contraption that looked like clothespins, connected respectively to a red and a blue wire, to her body. The thing looked so much like a torture device that Mia shook her head frantically upon feeling the metal on her skin, a silent cry stuck in her throat.

After Shou put the mystery machine away, he hauled up some other suspicious thing, holding it in both hands, and deposited it on a nearby table. He then flashed a grin at her. “Okay, I’ll tie you up now!”

“HRMRM?!”

“I could do this without tying you up; handcuffs are more than enough, especially for a first-timer. But this is supposed to be punishment, so… It might hurt a little, but you’ll have to bear with me, okay?” Shou pulled the rope taut between his hands, giggling.

Mia’s terror reached its peak. I’m so scared, I’m so scared! This person is scary! Just at that moment, Bam! the door into the room smashed open with great force. When Mia’s eyes darted there automatically to see what happened, she saw Ren standing in the doorframe. He panted heavily, his shoulders raising and falling with each ragged breath he took. He probably ran all the way there at full speed. Large beads of sweat trickled down from his temples.

“Tsk.” Shou grumbled with a look of disappointment on his features. “Oh well. I guess you made it just in time. Wow, your stamina sure is amazing!”

“You…seriously mean to tell me…that this is what ‘made it just in time’ is supposed to look like?!”

“But you did! I haven’t even tied her up, or used a love egg on her yet. Just some really tame moans and screams, I haven’t even gotten to the pleasurable moments. Her hymen’s still intact, too!”

“Ugh, don’t say ‘hymen’! Were you going to tell me ‘oops, you were too late’ if you had already broken it or what?!”

Shou cocked his head to the side, and cutely at that, fiddling with the rope. “I didn’t touch her ass, either?”

“I’m not into that!”

“Oh? Well, your loss!” Shou mumbled under his breath to himself, detaching the chains dangling from the ceiling and removing the handcuffs from Mia. Finally, he carefully untied the knot that fastened the mouth gag. “Well, our time together has hereby run out! Wasn’t it so very nice of Ren to swoop in and save you, Mia?”

“…uh, haa…”

There was nothing covering Mia’s mouth now, but she wasn’t in any condition to use magic. It had been a tremendously terrifying ordeal. She had felt a horror she had never experienced before. Ren approached her with worry in his eyes and gently rubbed her back. At his touch, the accumulated tension within Mia snapped, and she hurled herself into his chest, holding tightly on to Ren.

“Whoa, huh?!”

“Sniff… Sniff, I was so scared, s-so sc…ared…”

Had she ever clung to him this willingly before? She must’ve been traumatized by whatever she experienced under Shou’s ministrations. Ren thought it was no wonder; being pushed into a room full of things that look like they belong in a torture chamber, having a mouth gag stuffed between her lips and her wrists bound, rope and various torture devices she had never seen before being dangled right before her very eyes. To an inexperienced girl who didn’t know a thing about the peculiar fetishes of the world, this must’ve been the very epitome of terror. Ren, holding Mia tenderly in his arms and soothingly carding his hands through her hair, shot Shou an accusing look.

“Hey, why did you have to bully her so bad?”

“Eh? This can hardly be called bullying. I’d much rather you recognized my goodwill in laying the groundwork for your future enjoyment,” Shou said with perfect sincerity, without any hint of ill intentions in his voice, at which Ren could only sigh. “Besides, it’s not like I would go out of my way for just anyone. She did ruin a perfectly good set of clothes, and dragged me through the sky without warning.”

Having calmed down a bit, Mia raised her head, still trembling slightly. Her eyes were wide and sparkling, from both residual fear and relief she experienced at Ren’s embrace, her cheeks flushed a pretty shade of crimson. …It was a dangerous face that could send a man’s heart into overdrive. A crease appeared between Ren’s brows.

“R-Ren, what is this room? That bed, that uncomfortable-looking chair, why do they have so many belts attached to them? Why is there a chair hanging above the bed? …What could this room possibly be for?”

“Ugh, do I really have to explain this? Um, so, you see…” Ren trailed off, scratching his head, uncertain as to how exactly he should put this.

Shou cut ahead, stating casually, “It’s just an S&M discipline room. I had to look for an apartment complex with soundproof rooms in order to make it. Do you know how much trouble that was?”

“Es-en-em? Discipline?”

Ren facepalmed, seeing Mia’s face blanch with fear at Shou uttering a bunch of incomprehensible words again. Ren sent a deadly glare the other man’s way, indicating for him to quit aggravating the situation further for the time being, and opened his mouth, speaking gently and choosing his words carefully to make it as accessible as possible.

“Hmm, how do I put this…? This room is for certain types of men and women using the facilities and tools that you see here to fulfill certain fetishes. Hurting women and men I guess, is a major part of it. Shou gets off on this; it’s sort of like his hobby.”

“Hurting women is his hobby?!”

“Hey, you got it all wrong! I am only helping them awaken to a new way of experiencing pleasure. And while it’s true that the focus of my efforts are women, it’s not like anyone will do. Only after careful selection do I make my move! I don’t usually waste my time with pure doms or sadists, not unless they have enough submissive or machoism tendencies mixed in—”

“Gaah! You keep your mouth shut! Anyway, there you have it. So, the bottom line is, give up on Shou. Trust me on this one; just leave him to his own oddities.”

While Ren was speaking, Mia turned around warily within the safety of his arms to take a furtive glance back. Noticing her eyes on him, Shou let a charming smile bloom on his face and raised a finger.

“Hehe, you’re free to come and pick a fight with me again. This time, I played nice and contacted Ren in advance, but I won’t do that next time. …There will be no mercy. But if you liked being picked on by me, hit me up whenever!” Shou purred, a corner of his mouth twisting and arching up in a sinister smirk. “Besides, I only play with willing partners, at least they have to be willing at the start.” Shou giggled as he snatched up the gag Ren had tossed aside and mumbled something about calling the lovely cleaner over for some fun and games.

Instantly, Mia’s shoulders quivered, and she gripped Ren’s clothes tighter. It didn’t matter that she was the Supreme Ruler of Evil and Shou was her enemy; the man was a menace, pure and simple. At the very least, Mia’s instincts were crystal clear on the matter—going up against Shou was out of the question. At least until she was a little older…

---

 

 

 

Chapter 7: Strategy Meeting about the Enemy’s Love Life

 

SUMMER break was over, and the coming of autumn ushered in the busy season for all kinds of events. At Mia’s school, they were holding a sports day. A handmade sign with “32nd Sports Day” written on it was proudly put up at the school gate for all to see. At the side of a wide sports field, students huddled together, divided into two groups.

“Go Red Team! Let’s win this thing!”

“Yeah!” Everyone cheered in response to the words of the head cheerleader.

There were probably very few schools where students displayed this level of excitement about the school sports day, but the school where Mia was enrolled went wild like this every year. Maybe it had to do with the school tradition; here, athletic activities, clubs, and classes were historically favored over more academic ones. Thus, it had always attracted sports-minded people which formed the majority of its student body.

Also, the winning team received an assortment of traditional Japanese confections as a prize. One might wonder if an opportunity to receive Japanese sweets would effectively motivate someone to do their best, but don’t underestimate how sweet a red bean paste bun that tastes of victory can be—it’s a flavor one never forgets.

“Let’s go for it Mia! And the cheerleading squad!”

“Y-Yeah, we practiced for it so much,” Mia nodded a bit hesitantly to one of the girls from her class calling out to her with her fist balled in a display of fighting spirit.

When drawing lots for participation in various events, Mia ended up having to take part in a cheerleading routine. This meant that during the cheerleading competition, she would have to dance in a frilly skirt and shake pompoms to the music. This felt so embarrassing, she almost felt like cursing her bad luck that put her in this position. However, she felt enthusiastic about the rest of the events: she would also participate in a sprint, a three-legged race, and a scavenger hunt.

The sprint was the first event of the day for her. Mia psyched herself up, the flame of passion burning in her eyes as she started warming up. Eventually, all sprinters were asked to stand on their marks, and then POP! The starter pistol went off. Mia dashed, running as fast as she could, easily overcoming her competitors and zipping through the obstacles. She took second place, only outdone by someone from the track team. Mia returned to her team, to everyone’s deafening cries of support, and had to go get changed immediately to make it in time for the cheerleading routine.

She cast a quick glance to the seats reserved for the parents on the bleachers; a sizable number of seats were filled by the students’ family members who came to cheer them on. Mia figured there would be fewer spectators than there had been in middle school, but the crowd was quite impressive. When she was a freshman and her father was still alive, he had come to watch her too.

He had taken a paid leave, a very rare occurrence, just for that purpose, and hadn’t taken his eyes off her from the opening ceremony till the closing ceremony. Whenever an event came up where Mia participated, he cheered for her at the top of his lungs. To Mia, it was one of her most heartwarming memories.

She stared absently at the seats, lost in the recollections of her father, when she suddenly had to do a double take, her eyes zeroing in on several faces in the crowd that were far too familiar for comfort.

“Eh?! Wh-Why?!” Mia yelped involuntarily, earning herself a curious look from a concerned classmate who had been standing nearby.

“N-No, it’s nothing,” Mia waved her hand frantically and plonked down on a seat.

Why, why are they here?! The people she had noticed on the bleachers were the Crow Rangers. The whole team too! But it’s the middle of a workday! What about their jobs?! But more importantly, how did they know that there was a sports day at my school, and why are they in the section reserved for parents? There were so many things that didn’t add up; Mia could hardly stop her mind from racing a mile a minute.

“Mia, the cheerleading competition is about to start!”

“Gahh! I completely forgot about it!” she cried out, cradling her head in her hands.

She didn’t think she could live down the shame of having to dance in front of her foes in a cheerleader’s outfit. However, she couldn’t drop out at the last minute just because of that, so she trudged listlessly towards the sports field, her face twisted up in shame.

***

“WHYYY! Why are you rangers here?!”

“Hee-hee-hee, your cheerleading dance was really cute!”

“Don’t worry, we’re just gonna eat lunch, watch you a bit more, and then we’ll be off.”

Mia glared at Misaki as if to say she absolutely refused to be watched, even “a bit more”, but then froze in place, her mind catching on the magical word “lunch”. Lunch break had indeed just started. All around them, people were looking for a nice place to settle down and eat, and pulling out their lunchboxes. In fact, Subaru slowly revealed a five-tiered lunchbox of their own.

“This will be our lunch. Let’s dig in.”

“Wow… You brought food with you.”

Subaru nodded at the bewildered girl, and pulled out the multi-tiered food boxes one by one. There was a box stuffed full of sandwiches and onigiri; a box containing fried chicken and meat and veggies on skewers. A box with an assortment of small appetizers, like omelet rolls, asparagus wrapped in bacon, and meatballs and cheese balls stuck on toothpicks for easy grabbing. Finally there was a box where summer rolls lay side by side with small aluminum foil cups overflowing with spoonfuls of potato salad; and for desert, a container housing a lemon pie. Mia regarded the colorful small feast before her with gleaming eyes.

“Incredible! Everything looks so good… Did you make all of it by yourself, Subaru?”

“No, I cooked together with Aya.”

“I made the sandwiches and the onigiri, oh, and I baked the lemon pie too! Let’s save it for last,” Aya grinned, gesturing for Mia to take something from the onigiri box, to which she eagerly complied.

“Th-Thank you for the food,” Mia mumbled, tilting her head down in a small bow, and bit into her onigiri.

The saltiness was just right, and the seaweed sheet around the rice ball was perfect—not too mushy, but not too dry either. Inside was a piece of smoked salmon. Salmon was the undisputed number one in Mia’s onigiri preference for fillings, so this discovery put a broad smile on her face.

“Aww, the face you just made is so cute! It’s that good, huh?” Shou chuckled, and took an onigiri for himself.

Ren, who was sitting beside Mia, also took one. “You a fan of onigiri, Mia?”

“I guess you could say that. They’re cheap and filling, and tasty to boot—there’s nothing bad I can say about onigiri,” Mia answered Ren’s question, munching on her rice ball all the while.

Ren snorted, and then burst out laughing at that. Misaki rolled his eyes but laughed too, taking a sandwich out of the box. “I thought you sounded like an old housewife before, but now you sound like a pauper.”

“Well, I have to scrimp and save to make ends meet! It would be easier if I could get a part-time job, but I don’t have the time for it,” Mia muttered, reaching for the omelet rolls with her chopsticks.

As she put it in her mouth, the salty flavor of soy sauce tempered by the sweetness of mirin spread over her tongue. By Mia’s standards, this was how omelet rolls should taste—sometimes, people made them so sweet it made you wonder whether they put in too much sugar. She couldn’t stomach those; omelet rolls were a side dish, and as such, they had to go well with rice.

Fried chicken flavored with ginger, crispy and savory asparagus wrapped in bacon, summer rolls drizzled with chili sauce, potato salad with plenty of mayonnaise—Mia’s chopsticks flew from one appetizer to the next, the Crow Rangers’ chatter picking up around her. They had the lemon pie Aya baked for dessert. The crust was crunchy, crumbling easily under her teeth, and the filling mildly tangy and zesty, tasting that much more wonderful because Mia had been craving something sweet after exerting herself earlier.

Naturally, she still felt obliged to treat the Champions of Justice as her enemies; just the other day, she picked a fight with Shou and had a terrible time as a result. At the same time, though, she had grown used to spending time with the group of five like this, and although Mia felt the glaring paradox of this situation eating at her, she still learned to appreciate and even relish the fun times they had together little by little, like the one they were having now.

Lunch was over, and the afternoon part of the program was about to start. The first event was the scavenger hunt, in which Mia was also taking part. The Rangers said they would leave after watching. After asking, she found out that most of them were off duty, but Ren and Subaru went so far as to take paid leave to come. Theirs was an unfortunate occupation that always ran the risk that they could be called in should something happen and there wasn’t enough manpower to deal with it, so they preferred to go home earlier than stay until the end of the day.

If Mia was being honest with herself, she really appreciated the Rangers taking a day off and even going so far as to make and bring a boxed lunch for her sake. …This was where normal people would say “thank you”, but in Mia’s case, pride got in her way and her lips refused to form those words.

Mia psyched herself up—she would take first place in the scavenger hunt and impress the Rangers. With the Red Team’s cries of support in the background, Mia took her place at the starting line. POP! The shot crackled through the air, and she sprinted straight for the place where the long desks were lined up to secure a piece of paper indicating the item she would have to find.

This was where it all stood or fell. If she picked something weird, she would be in trouble. The scavenger race was an event where victory largely depended on one’s luck after all. She unfurled her paper scrap, took a quick look at it, and froze. Panicking, she gave the paper another glance, but the letters spelling out “hunk” didn’t change.

Hunk?! Uh, I’m almost sure this is meant figuratively, and not in the sense of a large piece of food. A shame. …So, a good-looking man, was it? But I don’t know any good-looking men! I have no idea what makes a man attractive in the first place!

Mia was completely stumped. She looked around her and saw there were some other participants shuffling their feet, unsure of what to do. However, there were others who darted around the field, looking for their designated item. She had better start searching for hers too, but…

What in the world is a “hunk”?! Mia racked her brain desperately. Suddenly, a certain man’s face flashed in her mind, and she took off on an impulse. Shoving the onlookers aside to make way, she entered the section reserved for parents, and stopped right in front of the Crow Rangers who were watching the race.

“Hey, what’s up?”

“Ren! Come!”

Mia grabbed a startled Ren’s hand and ran, pulling him along. Just like the sprint, she ended up in second place. She would’ve preferred first place, of course, but with an item like that, second place was a godsend. While she was panting at the finish line, a number of her classmates rushed over to her.

“Great job, Mia!”

“Hey, hey, what was your item? Who is this guy?”

“Argh! Th-This is… Um… It was!” Mia sputtered, trying to hide her piece of paper behind her back, but it was torn right out of her hand by someone standing behind her. That someone was a sports day student on staff.

She briefly checked the paper, looked Ren up and down, and then nodded approvingly, “He’s a bit scary looking, but he’s a hunk all right. Approved!”

Apparently, she was in charge of appraising the items—if someone brought something completely unrelated to what was on their paper, their entry would be deemed void.

Ren’s face tightened at the mention of his scary looks, which he was very self-conscious about, but then one of the other female students peeked at the paper in the hands of the committee member.

“Hm? What was her item again? Huh, a hunk?! Wow, that must’ve been a nightmare to look for!”

“Lucky you, huh, Mia, having a hunk among your acquaintances!”

“So, who’s the guy? Wait, could he be your—”

“Gaah! Quit using that word, ‘hunk’! No! Uh, I just happened to think of him, there’s no deeper meaning to this!”

“Hunk?” Ren tilted his head curiously, staring at Mia’s flustered expression.

He then borrowed the paper from the girl who had it, examined it briefly, and made a wry face. “Huh? So you think I’m a hunk?”

“N-No! It is a misunderstanding! You were just the first person that came to mind! I was not thinking straight!”

Mia’s head started spinning from working herself up over this, her cheeks burning red. The other female students gazed at Mia with wide eyes for a brief moment, puzzled over her strange behavior, and then cracked up.

“Hehe, Mia, you’re blushing… So cute! This is the first time I’ve seen this side of you!”

“I am not blushing! This is a complete misunderstanding!”

“Hey, mister, are you Mia’s boyfriend?” one of Mia’s classmates asked, causing all the girls around to squeal.

Mia was flapping her arms around, desperately trying to insist they got it all wrong. Ren, on the other hand, just observed the screaming girls and hysterical Mia for a while. In the end, he flashed a devilish smirk and pulled Mia close, casually dropping, “Mm, yeah, something like that.”

“Ren?! What in the world are you saying, you numbskull?!”

“See ya around,” Ren sang, adding a mischievous smile at the end, stuffed his hands in his pockets and went back to the bleachers, leaving a gobsmacked Mia behind. He was clearly messing with her. He only said that in front of her classmates to watch her squirm from the sudden attention of her peers.

“Da-Damnation! I will get you for this!”

“Wow, Mia, so you have an older boyfriend?”

“Did he take a day off to come watch you?”

Predictably, Mia had to endure a barrage of questions from her classmates before she ran out of patience and hightailed it to the Red Team seating area.

“Seriously! I solemnly swear that I shall uncover what his weakness is, and then I shall utterly destroy him!” Mia sniffled as she ran.

The next day, the school was abuzz with rumors about Mia and her older boyfriend.

***

THE sports day that put Mia in such a tight spot ended and autumn rolled on; it was now November. Whir, whir, vroom, vroom. Mia was skipping class, riding a bus for a change instead of flying. As a general rule, she didn’t use magic except for when she acted as the Supreme Ruler of Evil. Today, she had something she wanted to discuss with her legal guardian. Mia had no relatives, so there was a person that managed her property, which mainly consisted of her father’s life-insurance money, and kept an eye on her. That’s not to say they were particularly close—he was her lawyer.

They weren’t chummy, sure, but he oversaw her finances in a conscientious manner, and for that, Mia was grateful to him. Apparently, he was an acquaintance of her father and their relatives knew each other. The lawyer didn’t like talking about private matters much, and Mia had little interest in finding out more anyway, so their relationship was strictly business.

Mia held onto a strap in the moving bus, absently staring out the window. Speaking of the bus, it was very crowded, probably because it was the time when most people commuted to work. Mia always went to see her legal guardian at his office early in the morning, so every time she took a bus to get there, she was amazed at how packed it was.

One time Mia was even harassed by a pervert on the bus. It was the first pervert she had ever encountered. Rather than get angry, she was surprised. Ah, so they really do exist, she thought. The hand that groped her breast was gone before she knew it. A weird calm overtook her as she was musing how unexpectedly short the fondling had been, but then she heard a voice at her ear saying, “So flat”. Her calm instantly flew out the window, and so did the guy standing behind her, blown away by her kick. It was a memory she wouldn’t soon forget.

As Mia was revisiting her sad past while staring out the window, she heard a tiny voice saying, “No…” somewhere close to her. She looked to the side and noticed a woman standing some distance from her, squirming in place, discomfort written plainly on her face. She was obviously upset about something, twisting her arms. Mia lowered her body a bit and observed the woman for a while. Through the tiny gaps between human bodies pressed together, she spied a stray hand digging its fingers into the woman’s behind. As soon as Mia noticed it, she shot into action. She weaved her way through the crowd, drawing close to the woman, grabbed the hand that was touching the woman’s posterior, and raised it overhead.

“Gah!”

“What are you doing, making an unwanted pass at a woman? If you want to fondle bums so badly, go and pay money to do it!”

“Wha—I-I wasn’t—”

The man agitatedly tried to defend himself, but the people around him had probably noticed what he had been doing, so everyone looked at him with disgust in their eyes. He then yelled at Mia, “Nonsense! Stop making strange accusations! I didn’t do anything!”

“How can you say that after having groped her buttocks that firmly? I have heard from Father that there are special establishments for people with your kind of proclivities. A go-go bar in a train car was it, I think? It’s not a bus, regrettably, but apparently it is a place where you can choose a girl you like by touching her butt. It is part of their service, so you can fondle bottoms all you like there.”

She had no idea why anyone would go so far as to shell out actual money just to grope women’s asses, or what “choosing” a girl entailed. She was just passing the information she had heard from her father on to the man, but he, for some reason, only screwed up his face in disbelief instead of gratitude.

“D-Do you even realize what you’re saying?!”

“Naturally. There are a lot of different establishments available. There is also one with an army setting, or a place where you can pretend to be a baby; there is a wide variety to choose from. What I am trying to say is, if you are so desperate for a touch of a woman’s body, just go to that kind of… Ah! Hey!”

They were arriving at a bus stop. The man violently slapped Mia’s hand off and hopped off the bus as if the devil himself was chasing him. She wanted to try and give chase, but couldn’t move her body properly in a bus chock-full of people. While she was standing there at a loss about what to do, the bus started moving again.

“Hmph… He escaped, huh. Well, I shall have to teach him a lesson the next time I find him.”

While Mia was imagining how she would lead the man to the train car go-go bar and lecture him there, she heard the woman who had been harassed by the groper address her timidly in a small voice, “Um, thank you so much.”

“Huh? You do not need to thank me. I failed to admonish that man, after all.”

“No, you helped me plenty just by chasing him off. You’re amazing. You’re just a girl, but you can speak your mind so freely… That’s remarkable.”

Strangely enough, to Mia’s ears, it sounded more like words of envy than words of praise. She studied the woman curiously.

She was slender; a wisp of a woman would be an appropriate way to describe her. She had a dignified presence about her, as if she enjoyed a high-class upbringing, and was dressed with impeccable taste. Unlike Mia, she seemed to be the kind of person who found it difficult to be assertive. She looked like she’d get swept away if you blew too hard on her.

Mia was stuck for words to reply, and the woman seemed troubled too, not knowing where to go from there. Mia was just thinking about what to do with this tense air between them, when the stop she had to get off on came into view.

“Oh! Stop the bus, I’m getting off—”

Almost squished to death by the mass of bodies around her while fighting to exit the bus, she reached the front doors, paid the driver and stepped off. As she was rejoicing at the feel of fresh air on her skin, she noticed that the woman from the bus was standing next to her again.

“Huh?”

“Um, this is my stop, too.”

“Oh, I see. I need to go to that law office over there. …I have to say, every time I ride this bus, I am amazed at how packed it is. I wonder if there’s anything I can do to improve this,” Mia lamented the current state of public transportation with her arms folded over her chest, which elicited a small chuckle from the woman.

“You’re speaking like a town mayor.”

“Town mayor… Well, you’re not entirely mistaken there. I’m not the mayor, but I do wish to create a town where the ordinary citizens can lead more fulfilling lives.”

She had said that with utmost seriousness, but the woman, widening her eyes for a moment, dissolved into giggles as if she had said something very amusing. “You are so funny! Ahaha!”

“Funny?! I had no intention of making a joke here.”

The woman only started laughing harder.

Her smile was as pretty as spring flowers, so captivating that Mia felt like admiring it forever. The woman put a hand over her mouth, trying to suppress her laughter, and refocused her eyes on Mia.

“I’m sorry my voice was so quiet back on the bus. I would like to express my gratitude again for what you have done for me. My name is Sayoko Tougou.”

“I’m Mia Oonari. Yeah, when something like that happens, the best thing to do is to yell and make sure everyone knows what is going on. When someone did that to me, I kicked his ass, though.”

Sayoko’s eyes grew round like saucers at the phrase “kicked his ass”. All of her facial expressions screamed class and grace, which served to reinforce Mia’s belief that she must be from a wealthy family.

“You are amazing! I never seem to have the heart to express myself so spontaneously. I’m a bit jealous of you in this regard, Mia.”

“You should be honest about your feelings with other people, Sayoko. Bottling it all up is not good for you, you know.”

“…That’s true,” Sayoko answered, her gaze slightly dropping. Then she raised her face again, as if having remembered something suddenly. “Oh, you had somewhere you need to be, right? I’m sorry for holding you back.”

“Don’t worry about it; it’s right there, so I don’t really mind. By the way, where were you going, Sayoko?”

“I need to speak to someone at the police station.”

Police station? Mia cocked her head to the side in confusion. There were police in the area, sure, but…

“Did you ride the bus all the way here just for a visit to the police box? There’s one practically at every corner though?”

“Police bo… Huh? Police box?! There’s nothing but a police box in this part of town?”

“Yeah. The town’s police station is in the opposite direction from here,” Mia explained, pointing out the way with her finger.

Sayoko blanched, “Oopsies…”

“Oopsies?”

“Ah, no, I meant… I, uh, seem to have gotten lost. I don’t know this town all that well.”

Mia sympathetically looked the woman in the eyes. There was something so vulnerable about her that appealed to the natural instinct to protect; she was the type that was especially irresistible to people like Mia who were born with a strong sense of justice.

Mia crossed her arms, conflicted. “If you are all right with waiting until I’m done, I could take you there? Dropping you off at the door should work out fine, I think…”

After all, the town’s police station was hostile territory to Mia. Sayoko, though, was blissfully unaware of that fact, and a bright smile bloomed on her lips at Mia’s words.

“Yippee! That’s so kind of you!”

“Yippee? Well then, let’s drop by the office first. This way.”

With her heart beating like a drum at the sight of Sayoko’s radiant smile, she took Sayoko’s hand and led her into the office building. The lawyer appointed as Mia’s legal guardian received her immediately, and, after exchanging pleasantries, he checked her bank statements, and handed her several months’ worth of allowance and grocery money. After their usual exchange was over, Mia left the building with the woman in tow.

“…Mia, what kind of business did you have at the lawyer’s office? …Ah, was that question too personal?”

“No,” Mia shook her head to Sayoko’s timid question. “You see, my parents are gone. I’m scraping by with the money that my father has left me. The lawyer I met at the office is my legal guardian. I have to meet with him regularly.”

At Mia’s explanation, a contrite expression overtook Sayoko’s face. “I-I am so sorry! I see… Your parents… You really are incredible, Mia. Despite being burdened with such a sad past, you’re staying so positive. You have such a strong spirit!”

“Yes, because I’m one of ‘the strong’! I cannot allow myself to feel lonely. I feel heartbroken about the fact that they are not with me anymore, but there is something I have promised Father I would see through to completion. I have inherited his will, and in order to honor it, I must push forward. I cannot afford to be negative!” Mia proclaimed passionately, balling her hand into a fist.

“You’re incredible,” Sayoko whispered, seemingly impressed, and lowered her gaze.

After a while, the bus heading to the police station arrived, and the pair hopped on. Inside the moving vehicle, Mia asked Sayoko to tell her more about herself. It turned out that she had come all the way from Kyoto.

“Do you come from a high-class family?” Mia asked eagerly.

To which the woman, biting her lip, answered, “We can hardly be called the elite, but my father is a business owner.”

According to her, her purpose in coming here was not sightseeing, but meeting someone. Also, she didn’t have much time because this was supposed to be a day trip.

“Wow, coming all the way here and having to be back within the day must be hard. You should at least take some time to see Tokyo Tower.”

“I was able to see it the last time I was here. I really wanted to climb Tokyo Skytree though,” Sayoko said wistfully.

Eventually, the bus reached the police station, and the two disembarked after paying for the ride. However, Sayoko just kept on looking towards the police station, seemingly unable to take even one small step in its direction, an air of indecision hanging above her.

“Are you not going?”

“…N-No. Of course, I must go. I must go, and, set things straight,” Sayoko said, but her feet were still rooted to the spot where she stood. The expression on her face was completely unlike the one she wore while she was chatting with Mia. Now it radiated pain. Sayoko suddenly gripped Mia’s hand. As she looked up at her, startled, Sayoko stared her in the eyes imploringly. “C-Can you come with me, Mia, please?”

“Eh?! Um, well, I… I would really rather not—”

“I’m begging you. Walk me up to the doors at least…”

“Don’t make those puppy-dog eyes at me!”

Mia was conflicted. But could she just shake the woman’s hand off like it was nothing? No.

“Up to the doors, okay?” Mia let out a small resigned sigh in answer.

“Thank you,” Sayoko breathed out in relief.

The two entered the station. Mia stepped foot inside, praying she wouldn’t run into the Crow Rangers. The station lobby was abuzz with people’s voices. As Sayoko stepped up to the front desk, she asked a female officer manning it in a trembling voice, “Um, is Mr. Saeki in? I’m aware that he must be busy with work, but there is something I absolutely have to talk to him about.”

“Excuse me, but what is your relation to Mr. Saeki?”

“My name is Sayoko Tougou, and Mr. Saeki is, um, well…he’s my fiancé.”

The bemused female officer gave the woman a long, hard stare, then told her to wait, and dialed a number on the internal line. Within the minute, a man came running down the stairs. Mia flinched at the sight of him.

“Re-Red!”

“Sayoko, why—Wait, what are you doing here?!”

Both Mia and Misaki yelled simultaneously, pointing fingers at each other. Sayoko gave the both of them an astounded stare.

“Mia, Misaki… Do you know each other?”

“Well, we sort of do, I guess… Work-related, you could say,” Misaki said, scratching his head in frustration, clearly at a loss about how to explain this, and fixed Mia with a glare.

Her eyes bore right back into him, saying without words that she’d gladly give him a fight if he wanted one.

“…You didn’t do anything to Sayoko, now, did you?”

“Hmph, not only did I not lay one finger on her, I actually saved her. From dirty hands seeking to defile her, no less! Now, I should expect you would want to express your gratitude to me. Kneel at my feet and say, ‘Please accept my heartfelt thanks, o mighty Supreme Ruler of Evil!’”

“Dream on! And today’s a regular weekday! Why aren’t you at school? If you’re cutting class, you’re in a world of trouble, missy!”

“I had something I needed to do today, so I skipped school! Stop acting like my big brother!”

Sayoko stood there helplessly with her brows knit together, unable to follow their noisy bickering. Misaki, catching on to her change in mood, hastily turned to face her.

“S-Sorry. Anyway, pay this little runt no mind. But, what happened? You didn’t even let me know you were coming. …You came all the way from Kyoto just to see me, right?”

“Y-Yes. Th-There is something I have to talk to you about. …I have to hurry because I don’t have much time. So, can you give me just a little bit of yours?”

Misaki nodded and started walking towards an interview room with Sayoko. However, Sayoko wouldn’t let go of Mia’s hand, so she ended up being dragged there as well.

“Eh?! Am I going there, too?!”

At the doors to the room, Misaki cast a sharp look down at Mia. “How long are you planning on following us?”

“Don’t tell me that! Look at this!”

Mia raised her hand for Misaki to see, it was still joined with Sayoko’s. He stared at it, dumbfounded. “Sayoko, why are you so attached to her?”

“Ah, I’m sorry. It’s just that her presence is reassuring to me, somehow… There’s something very reliable about her, if that makes any sense…”

“I’m here right now, so you don’t need her anymore, right? Didn’t you want to talk to me about something? Let’s talk, just the two of us,” Misaki said sulkily, probably irritated that his lover trusted someone else besides him so much, and opened the door to the room.

After some inner struggle, Sayoko softly let go of Mia’s hand. “Mia, I’m so sorry. Thank you very much for coming with me this far. That was really nice of you.”

“Not at all. I don’t really mind, but…will you be all right?”

“Yes. I have to stand my own ground. Bye-bye and thanks.” Sayoko entered the waiting room, the door clicking shut behind her. Mia stood in front of the door alone, her arms folded over her chest.

I-I’m so curious!

The gloom that hung around the creases of Sayoko’s features told Mia that whatever the woman had to tell Misaki, it wasn’t good. She knew that eavesdropping on people’s private conversations was terribly improper, and yet she couldn’t help but wonder what was going on behind the closed door. After a debate of exactly one minute with herself, Mia carefully pulled the door open a crack. Her curiosity had won out.

Misaki and Sayoko were sitting on a sofa in the office, facing each other. Apparently the beginning of the conversation that she had missed consisted of an exchange of greetings and some small talk.

“So,” Misaki gathered the wits to address the elephant in the room, “What’s up? You didn’t call or text me in advance and you came when I’m on duty… Is something wrong?”

“…Yah. Our time has run out. I’ve agonized over this for weeks, but… I can’t betray my daddy. From the bottom of my heart, I am truly very sorry.”

Misaki’s expression stiffened almost imperceptibly. Sayoko had slipped into Kansai dialect.

“What do you mean?”

“I came here to say goodbye. I love you, I really do! But…we’re not to be. Don’cha know how my father has never approved of us dating? Well, now he says he wants to marry me off.”

“Marry you off?” Misaki’s eyes bulged.

“It’s the president of another company. He buys from our company a lot; he’s a regular customer who spends quite a bit… But recently, he has started asking other companies for estimates. My father wants to ask him to order only from us in the future, so he came up with the idea to arrange our marriage.”

“But, it’s a marriage of convenience then, isn’t it? And you’re thinking of agreeing?!” Misaki said hotly, snapping his mouth shut quickly afterwards, realizing how his words came out as if he was blaming Sayoko for her decision.

Sayoko stared at her knees, a single tear gliding down her cheek. She clenched her fists and then released them, the tension going out of her body.

“I’m sorry, but I can’t go against my daddy’s wishes. When he told me that the company might go bankrupt if I don’t… I couldn’t say ‘no’…” She whispered the words of apology, over and over again, refusing to raise her head, muted sniffles the only other sound coming from her.

Mia gulped audibly at the unexpectedly dismal scene playing out before her, her eyes glued to the people inside the room. Suddenly, she felt a strange tightness in her chest. She dropped her eyes to check what was causing it, and noticed long arms that had snaked around her middle at some point in time.

“…?!”

She was about to cry out in surprise, but her opening mouth was immediately covered by a hand. When she looked up, Ren’s face floated above her. Standing on one knee, he was hugging Mia to himself from behind while peering into the waiting room. Above Ren, Aya was sandwiched between him and Shou, who stood with his body awkwardly bent down the middle. And on top of this pile of bodies was Subaru, draped over the rest of them. All of them were peeking inside the room too.

---

---

When did they all assemble here?!

Mia felt panic rise in her throat, but then she heard a resigned, “…All right,” in Misaki’s voice and returned her gaze to the scene in the room. Sayoko’s hand twitched at her fiancé’s words.

“If this is something you have decided for yourself, it’s not my place to say anything. Let’s end this,” Misaki dropped and slowly rose from the couch.

Sayoko, who was wiping the corners of her eyes with a handkerchief, looked up at him hastily. However, the man wouldn’t spare her a glance.

“Thank you for everything. Sayoko… Heh, saying this only makes me look like a huge sap. I’ll be praying for your happiness,” he said over his shoulder in a tone of voice so detached it sounded almost cold, and then he headed for the door.

Oh no, he’s coming! Wh-What do I do? Mia floundered about, not knowing where to run, when the world before her eyes made a sudden turn. Bam! A big thud resounded behind Mia’s back.

“…Guys, what are you doing…?” Misaki asked exasperatedly.

Mia looked around and saw Subaru facing the wall, writing something on a piece of paper; Shou pretending to talk on the phone, twisting his body sideways, away from the office; Aya was touching up her makeup in the middle of the hallway; Ren, still holding Mia close, sat with his back turned to the office door, and was braiding Mia’s hair.

“What do you mean, what am I doing? Can’t you see? I’m fixing my makeup.”

“Here, in the dead middle of a hallway?!”

“Ah, I’m taking a call.”

“You guys are way too obvious!” Misaki retorted to Aya’s and Shou’s excuses. He then directed a look full of suspicion towards Subaru, asking, “And what are you doing?”

“I’m copying sutras.”

“Why would you copy sutras in a police station?!”

“Sometimes I just feel the urge. It calms me down. Do you want to give it a try? Heart Sutra is full of wisdom.”

“Ugh, are you being serious or just messing with me? With you, I really don’t know!” Misaki fumed, and turned his gaze to Ren at last.

“So, what are you doing, Ren?”

“Oh, I’m playing with my darling Mia’s hair. See? Cute, right? French braid chignon looks great on all girls!”

“Darling?!”

“I have no idea what you’re saying! Also, how are you this good at hairstyling?!” Misaki ranted, and gave Ren, who had by then parted Mia’s hair in two, braided both sides and put them up in two neat bundles, a karate chop to the head, whispering, “Ugh, seriously. You bunch of busybodies. …Hmph. Well, since you’re all here, do me a favor and escort Sayoko to the exit for me, okay? I’m gonna return to my duties. See ya, lazy bums,” Misaki bit out moodily, and stormed off.

Subaru stopped his sutra-copying and stared at Misaki’s retreating back. “This looks grave.”

“The way the conversation went must’ve been a shock to him. So this is it for their long-distance relationship, huh?” Shou remarked somewhat wistfully, folding his arms behind his head.

Aya, who put away her makeup bag, peeked inside the room. “Yeah. But Sayoko looks devastated, too. She must’ve agonized over this.”

“I’m sure she did. It’s, what, their fourth year together? If you’re in a relationship with someone for this long, well…”

Ren stood up, still cradling Mia in his arms. She hastily whipped her head around and snapped at him, “Hey, when did you appear?! And stop clinging to me! Do you have any idea how much you startled me?!”

“Aw, but what else could I do but hug you after seeing you huddled by the door?” Ren said without a shred of remorse, and then patted Mia on the head in a placating manner. Then he inclined his head to the side, as if having remembered something suddenly. “But hey, what are you doing here anyway?”

“Um, well, I was the one who brought Sayoko here,” Mia confessed meekly, and everyone gathered around her with curious looks on their faces. Mia grudgingly summed up the events leading up to this moment in a few words.

Shou nodded sagely. “Well, then it might be a good idea for you to be the one to see Sayoko off too. I gotta get back to work, anyway.”

“Yeah, Ren and I as well. We’ll ask you how it went later,” Subaru said, squeezing Mia’s shoulder as if to say he’s entrusting the matter to her, and walked away.

“Later!” Shou and Ren exclaimed, and walked off in the opposite direction from Subaru. …To think that they really skipped work to spy on their friend.

They truly are textbook examples of bad adults, Mia seethed, eyes boring into their backs disapprovingly, but there was someone still standing by her side, namely, Aya.

“Aya, are you not going?”

“Nah. I’ll hang out with you and Sayoko for a bit. I have nothing else to do, anyway.”

You have nothing else to do?! Mia gaped at Aya. So this was the biggest loafer of them all!

Aya only snickered and offered her a weird excuse, pulling the door open, “I’m a very fast worker, so slacking off in moderation is a must for me!”

In the waiting room, Sayoko was sitting motionless on the sofa, silently crying. She probably felt like she could stop holding her tears back now that Misaki was gone. She only shed a single tear when she was talking to him, but now they flowed without end. Such a copious amount of tears traveled down her cheeks that Mia feared that she might cry out all the moisture in her body.

“Um… Sayoko. I know this isn’t the best thing to say, but if you’re crying this much, wouldn’t it be better to stay together with Misaki?”

“You’re right. It’s unfair of me. I was the one who broke up with him, so I have no right to cry now.”

“No, that’s not what I am trying to say. You said that it was something you have decided for yourself, but I can plainly see that you are miserable. Is your father forcing the marriage on you despite this?”

Sayoko dabbed her eyes with her handkerchief. When she raised her face to meet Mia’s gaze, she clearly saw that her eyes were puffy and bloodshot.

“My father has never approved of my dating Misaki. He said that I’d never be happy if I married him. That marrying someone of different status, who views money differently, would only end in regret. So, the president of our partnering company would be better for me… Father said he would make me happy, and the future of our company would be secured. He asked me if I really wanted to put our workers out on the street…”

Mia crossed her arms over her chest in annoyance. She didn’t like how Sayoko was answering her question. Growing irritated, she cut in, “No, I’m not asking what your father said to you. I am asking if he knows how heartbroken you feel right now. If, knowing how you feel, he still insisted on arranging your marriage.”

“…I think he knows that I feel heartbroken right now.”

Mia, who finally got the answer she wanted, nodded. And then she winced, her face darkening. A father who wants to marry his daughter off despite knowing the effect it would have on her—how can he say that he’s only thinking of her happiness? If he really wanted her to be happy, he would let her marry the man she loves. Also, despite all his talk of how this was all for Sayoko’s sake, she couldn’t help but feel that he placed more importance on the company’s profits.

This really is unforgivable, Mia thought.

“Okay, but status and opinions about money do matter a lot. I can see that you come from a wealthy family. You’ve never had to work a day in your life, right? Misaki’s salary isn’t low by any means, but it’s not like he earns so much that he can throw money around. At the end of the day, he’s just a civil servant in a small provincial town. Your father’s misgivings are understandable,” Aya asserted bluntly.

Fresh tears formed in Sayoko’s eyes at her words. Aya, however, had no intention of tormenting her. She was trying to sound out her true motives and feelings by purposefully being harsh.

Sayoko pleaded, her voice thick with tears, “I know how much Misaki makes, we’ve been together for four years. I don’t care. He said he wanted us to live on his salary alone, but I was going to work too. But Misaki wouldn’t propose to me…”

Misaki couldn’t make up his mind about tying the knot with his girlfriend Sayoko. He couldn’t take that step when he thought how, even if he stole her away from her parents who opposed their relationship and married her, Sayoko wouldn’t be comfortable with the life he could provide for her.

Sayoko was in the same boat. She, too, felt stuck. The anxiety that would come with her lifestyle suddenly changing, her parents who didn’t approve of them being together. “Love conquers all” is something that only happens in books. Reality will inevitably start slipping in through the cracks. She could understand her father’s worry for her well-being, his concern for the company’s future. That was the reason why after agonizing over everything, she made the decision to break up with Misaki.

Aya, as if sensing that, sunk into silence, folding her arms. Mia, however, gave Sayoko a puzzled stare.

“Hey, what did you really come here to do? Did you come here to say goodbye to Misaki? Or did you come hoping he would propose to you?”

“Huh?” Sayoko and Aya uttered simultaneously.

Mia crossed her arms over her chest with an inscrutable expression on her face. “I found it weird when I was listening to your story… Despite saying that you have come here to break up with Misaki and talking about your father’s company, you mentioned that Misaki wouldn’t propose to you. What did you really want in the end? Did you want to part ways with him, or did you hope he’d say ‘marry me’ instead?”

Sayoko and Aya were struck dumb. Aya was the first one to recover, opening her mouth to say, “Wow, you don’t dress things up, do you, Mia? That’s me, the pot, calling the kettle black, of course, but you’re in a league of your own. …But you’re right. Sayoko, what kind of response did you expect from Misaki?”

“I… I, uh…” Sayoko lowered her eyes.

Mia kept cutting in mercilessly, pressing her for an answer, “Sayoko, if you really only wanted to say goodbye to him, surely you could do that over the phone or by texting? And yet you came all the way here from Kyoto, on a weekday, first thing in the morning. Misaki was on duty, so you came to his workplace. Why? Was there a reason for choosing to make this long journey just to break things off with him?”

Listening to Mia’s words, Sayoko realized what her true motive in coming was. Yes. Why had she come all this way, despite there being a multitude of ways she could’ve broken up with Misaki? …She panicked because she was pressed for time. That was why she had boarded the first train out of Kyoto. Because it had to be today. For tomorrow…

“…I-I’m really the worst… I should’ve realized this sooner! What a fool I am…” She whispered, spontaneously slipping back into her Kansai dialect.

Mia and Aya exchanged glances and quietly listened to Sayoko’s confession.

“I was testing Misaki. Some part of me hoped that if I told him my feelings, he woulda said the magic words. I tried to push the decision on him because I couldn’t bring myself to say ‘let’s get married’. Even though there was no way he would, not with how he always respects what I want. I was bein’ silly, thinking that if maybe I saw him face to face, he would… I’m terrible.” She hid her face in her hands.

The tears that had stopped flowing for a brief pause started trickling down her cheeks again, sobs wracking her small frame. Her heart-wrenching wails didn’t stop echoing in the waiting room for a long while.

***

“…ARE you really okay with not saying anything to Misaki?”

“Yes. I’m going through with Daddy’s request. Misaki will hate me if I tell him that I want to marry him after all. I was the one who broke up with him, and so that’s what I’m going to do—put an end to our relationship.” Standing in front of the police station, looking like she could burst into tears at any moment, Sayoko tried to muster a smile.

If Misaki found out that Sayoko harbors lingering feelings for him, it would cause him unnecessary pain. Sayoko was probably thinking that as an adult, she shouldn’t put him in that position. The more this dragged out, the more it would prevent Misaki from moving on.

After considering this, Mia inquired, “Hey, you’re going back to Kyoto after this, right? You must be in a hurry. Do you have some urgent business back home?”

“Ah, yes. I am going to meet my future husband tomorrow.”

“Wow, that sounds awfully rushed. By the way, when did your father first bring up the idea of the arranged marriage?”

“…Three days ago, I think.”

Three days ago?! Mia and Aya were shocked. This was way too sudden. Maybe he did it to cut off any potential routes of escape for her, but Mia felt her blood boil at the idea of a father who disregards his daughter’s feelings to such an extent.

“…I understand the respect and love you feel for your father, but isn’t he going too far? Why didn’t you say something to him, Sayoko?” Mia huffed.

“You’re right,” Sayoko breathed out in a small voice, looking at the ground. “I have two elder sisters. Both of them have married according to Father’s wishes. So, you see, how can I marry the man I choose, when they couldn’t? That would be terribly unfair. That was why I couldn’t disobey my daddy.”

“What the heck? How much does he rely on marriages of convenience, this old—Ah, um, never mind. Hmm, well, if both of your sisters married in this manner, I can see how it might be hard for you to marry for love.” Aya was about to blurt out her true thoughts on the matter, but managed to catch herself in time and steer her tirade into a more sympathetic vein.

Sayoko stretched her lips in a thin smile. “…Maybe things would have been different if I were strong like Mia. In the end, I’m just a coward who cares too much about what other people think of me, so this was the only option for me. …It’s fine, I’ve made my peace.”

Sayoko looked like she had given up on everything. Ever since Mia met her that morning, she had seen different expressions flicker across Sayoko’s face, and each time she saw a new one, she thought, “ah, so beautiful and refined”, but Mia found herself repulsed by the face she was making now. It was rubbing her the wrong way for some reason.

“Sayoko, if you were like me, what would you have done?”

“Huh?”

“I’m saying, if you had my personality, what would you have said to other people?” Mia pressed on growing more agitated by the second, her hands on her hips.

Sayoko seemed a bit scared of Mia’s aggressive behavior, but after thinking for a moment, she opened her mouth, “I would properly refuse Daddy’s plans for me, and tell Misaki I want us to get married, I think. But because I couldn’t say that, I’m in this situation now… Haha,” Sayoko let out a hollow laugh just as the bus was pulling up to the stop.

The bus was headed for the train station. Sayoko stepped inside as the doors slid open and glanced down from the window at Mia and Aya. “Thank you so much for everything. I’m glad I could talk about this, even for a little bit. I’m especially glad I got to talk to you, Mia. …Take care.”

The vehicle’s doors closed, and off it took, snorting out a cloud of exhaust fumes. Aya and Mia watched it grow smaller and smaller, until it disappeared from view completely.

“Ugh, all this doom and gloom, and for what? I hate it.”

“I know. Hehe, Mia, you’re so honest with your feelings. You’re such a cutie!”

“Cutie?! I fail to understand how you came to that conclusion! I do not understand Sayoko! If she wants to say something, she should just do that! But she is so hesitant and wishy-washy… Ugh! I feel so mad!”

Aya affectionately looked at Mia, who was blowing up with frustration. Mia still lacked understanding of the intricacies of romantic relationships. Being in love was not only a pure, untainted feeling. Inevitably, somewhere along the way, ugly, dirty, unseemly feelings would get mixed in.

It wasn’t as if she couldn’t understand Misaki’s position, but Aya felt that she could relate to Sayoko’s point of view better as a fellow woman.

“I can understand the feeling of wanting to test your partner. Women always crave being loved. We want to be told that our man wholeheartedly adores us, is devoted to us, that he loves only us. Even when a woman harbors no tender feelings towards someone, she still wants to hear that she is loved, one-sided as it might be. Pretty selfish, isn’t it?” Aya mused.

Mia screwed up her face, looking more and more lost as Aya spoke.

It was probably still too difficult to comprehend for a child like Mia. Aya patted her on the head as if to say, “you’ll get it in due time”, and looked back at the station.

“Ah, but… A lot of our boys are wimps, don’t you think? I thought Ren was a bit wimpy, but Misaki is above and beyond him.”

“Hm? Wimpy? What do you mean?”

“Hmm… Wimpy refers to when someone’s being pathetic. Ren’s acting pretty pathetic, right? He’s quick to hug you, and kiss you, and fuss over you, but he can’t bring himself to tell you the most important thing.”

“You mean about why he’s acting like that? He explained that his kisses are just a way to spite me.”

Aya dissolved into bright peals of laughter at that. “See, he’s a wimp, just like I said!”

Mia, not really understanding what that was about, frowned. “…I have to say, I do not like this. I wonder why that is. It’s not as if ordinary citizens are in trouble, but I feel so irked, I’m just itching to do something. I can’t let it end like this.”

If Sayoko had really come to say goodbye to Misaki, Mia wouldn’t feel this way. But this was different. Sayoko was about to step right over her feelings and enter into an arranged marriage. This was, of course, her life and her choice. Mia didn’t have to step in. Nonetheless, she wanted to do something. This strange contradiction took root in her heart, making her clench her fist decisively.

“So,” Aya stared at Mia with the corner of her lips quirked up in a small smile, “Wanna call a strategy meeting?”

“Strategy meeting?”

“Yeah. Misaki’s on duty, so he won’t be coming, but the rest of the gang should be able to gather. I’m sure everyone wants to do something too. Hence, a strategy meeting.” Aya beamed, her previous gloom all but gone.

Normally, this would be where Mia would angrily burst out about how she would rather die than have a strategy meeting with the enemy, but on this occasion, she allowed herself to give an enthusiastic nod.

***

IT was late in the evening when Mia and the Crow Rangers who had finished work gathered in a family restaurant on the main street. Misaki was on duty, so he wasn’t with them. When Mia and Aya explained Sayoko’s situation to the rest of the group, Shou hummed thoughtfully,

“Hmm, so it’s a lady and the tramp situation, with a long-distance angst twist. Misaki’s living in a melodrama.”

That was when a waitress appeared to take their orders. Mia hurriedly flipped through the menu.

“I’ll have a loin steak and a scallop gratin. Set A, please. With a side of rice.”

“Set C, and omelet rice with demi-glace for me, please.”

Mia was intimidated by how quickly and smoothly Shou and Ren rattled off their orders. While she was staring at the menu in desperation, however, Aya and Subaru finished their orders too. She felt everyone’s eyes converge on her.

She awkwardly peeked out from behind the menu, and inquired timidly, “Um… Excuse me, could you please tell me what a ‘self-service drink area’ is?”

Not only the Rangers, but the waitress, too, widened their eyes comically. Mia realized that she had asked something stupid and dropped her eyes to the table in embarrassment, but Aya spoke to her softly, “See that area over there, with the drink machines? You can pour yourself juice, tea, or any other beverage you want. It’s like a buffet, but for drinks, you know?”

“I see. For just two-hundred yen, it’s very reasonably priced. A-All right, then I will go with a Japanese-style steak and set A.”

“What would you like on the side, rice or bread?”

“Bread?! Er, ah, um, ri-rice, please,” Mia stuttered out shakily.

After that, the waitress confirmed the group’s orders and walked away.

Mia, relieved by the waitress’s departure, let her eyes flit around the restaurant. It was packed, likely because it was dinnertime. Just as Mia was musing about how most people were with their families, which made sense for a family restaurant, she heard someone snickering next to her.

“You really don’t know anything, do you?”

“Hmph. This is my first time coming here. Not knowing how this system works is only natural if one has never been to such an establishment before,” Mia replied grumpily, taking Ren’s words to be a mockery of her ignorance.

She was about to fix him with a glare, but when she looked at his face, instead of his usual wicked grin she found a soft smile. He gently carded his hands through her hair, “Yeah, that’s true. Well, you can start learning about these things now. I’ll take you places.”

“…” Mia’s mouth formed a small O in surprise.

She felt her cheeks grow inexplicably hot, and she started babbling uncontrollably, “Wha-a-ah, er-r, tha—, you don’t ha—, thank—, um, no…”

What was she getting so flustered about? It was all Ren’s fault for smiling at her in such an unusual way! She desperately tried to convince herself that this was only her being surprised at his actions, nothing more. To distract herself, she confirmed how the drink self-service system worked with Shou and Aya and poured herself a cup of grape soda.

“Well now, let’s decide what we’re gonna do, shall we?” Shou breached the topic, taking a big gulp of his melon soda.

“Hmm, well first of all we have to know what Misaki’s feelings on the matter are. If he’s given up, then that’s that,” Aya answered, stirring her iced tea.

“That’s not possible,” Subaru declared resolutely, sipping on his cup of Assam tea. “Today, before coming here, I witnessed Misaki’s bad temper hit a new record. It was so foul even the section chief cowered in fear before him. That man’s oozing bitterness.”

The rest of the gang hummed, resting their chins in their hands.

Eventually, the food came, plates lining up before each member of the group. Mia was brought a steaming Japanese steak and some rice served on a plate. But wasn’t rice supposed to come in a separate bowl? Mia was certain that was the norm.

“There’s rice on my plate!”

“Yep, you’re right,” Ren snorted.

“Hmm, would you look at that,” Aya agreed.

“Why is rice served like that with a Western-style meal? Who first thought of this, even?”

“Isn’t it because it’s easier to eat from a plate with a fork?”

“I think I heard somewhere that it’s because rice isn’t supposed to be served in bowls in Western cuisine.”

After Shou and Subaru shared their expert opinions, everyone dug in. Mia started on her steak, armed with a fork and a knife. She was ashamed to admit it, but she wasn’t very proficient with the cutlery.

The meat was delicious, though. It couldn’t compare to the steak Subaru could cook, but it was nice and moist, juice bursting forth at every bite. The flavors of grated daikon, ponzu and shiso complemented it well, lending it a mild, aromatic sweetness. The only downside was that it was pretty small for its price. Even the roughest estimate said that she could have Subaru make the same thing for about a half of what she had paid here. Mia secretly decided to ask Subaru to make a Japanese-style steak one of these days.

As the amount of food decreased on their plates, Shou brought up the reason they had gathered here again, “First of all, we have very little time. The meeting with her fiancé is scheduled for tomorrow. Subaru’s off duty then, and if there isn’t any extra work or incidents, he could travel to Kyoto, but realistically, that doesn’t sound like a viable option.”

“We don’t know the time or the place of their meeting. Subaru can’t ask Ms. Tougou that, we don’t even have her contact info,” Ren pointed out the fundamental problem, chewing on a piece of his steak.

The meeting would take place all the way in Kyoto, which was quite far from where they lived, and without knowing the place and time, they couldn’t act even if they wanted to. Shou and Aya both heaved a frustrated sigh.

“Hmm, let’s see, if this is the first meeting for an arranged marriage, their parents will probably be there too. Let’s go from there,” Shou declared. Shoving his omelet rice aside, he procured an A4-sized LED tablet from his bag, and started typing away.

Mia was patiently nibbling on some potatoes when Shou pushed the tablet to the middle of the table excitedly, exclaiming, “I think this is them! I tried searching for companies based in Kyoto with a president whose surname is Tougou. I found two on the web. Tougou’s a pretty rare last name. I wonder which one’s our guy?”

Tapping on the LED screen with his finger, he opened the homepages of the companies he mentioned.

Ren touched his hand to his chin. “I think it must be this public stock company. The other one’s a limited liability company, it seems too small-scale. Misaki’s girlfriend is obviously from a very wealthy family. This company’s performance seems great for a middle-sized business, plus it has history.”

“A subcontractor of a famous kimono shop, huh? I see. That explains why her father felt so threatened by the potential bidding war. The market for Japanese clothing is rapidly shrinking. Does that mean that her future husband is supposed to be the owner of that kimono store?” Aya, who was the first to finish her food, cocked her head to the side, bringing her cup of iced tea to her lips.

Shou nodded, swallowed the last piece of his omelet rice, and took out his smartphone. “Well, let’s find out right away!” His face split into a sly grin.

Mia, who was technically taking part in this so-called strategy meeting but didn’t participate in the ongoing conversation, observed Shou’s actions with bemusement. Crow Ranger Yellow squinted at the screen of his tablet and typed a number into his phone, then he put it to his ear. Apparently, he was going to make a call.

“Hello. Excuse me, am I speaking to Mr. Masataka? I’m Yamada of Ito Textile.”

The group snorted and then burst out laughing. What was Ito Textile? Who’s Yamada? The scariest part was, Shou was spouting those lies with ease, without any hint of nervousness or hesitation. Mia was reminded of how utterly terrifying this man could be.

“Yes, the president has personally asked me for an estimate. Yes, yes. He asked that we get it to him as soon as possible, so I made it all in haste, but I’d like to hand it over to him in person… Oh, is he gone already? How about tomorrow? Ah, he will be away. I’ll bring it to him, wherever he is. After all, this is very urgent, you see? Haha,” Shou’s genial laughter tinkled melodically.

With his talents, being a conman might suit him better than being a policeman. It was probably his sense of justice that kept him on his path as an officer of the law.

“Yes, yes. Restaurant Kaede… In Gion, right. What a fine establishment! President Tougou has excellent taste! Oh, a first meeting with his daughter’s fiancé and his family? Why, what a joyous occasion! I feel extremely bad for intruding upon such a private moment, so I will give him the documents and be gone. Yes. No, no, that is too kind of you. Thank you very much for being so helpful! Have a nice evening, goodbye!” Shou, who had continued to smooth talk the other party without any pangs of conscience whatsoever, grinned broadly and hung up, hiding his phone in his pocket.

He quickly scribbled down the name of the restaurant in his notepad and looked it up on his tablet. “The nice receptionist lady even went so far as to tell me about tomorrow’s meeting. This is definitely the company that Sayoko’s father is managing.”

“Sometimes you really blow me out of the water. I couldn’t do that if I tried,” Ren intoned with fond exasperation.

From her place next to him, Mia vehemently nodded.

“Really?” Shou tilted his head to the side, and then frowned, worrying his lip. “I can’t find Kaede’s website. It looks like they don’t have one. …Ah, wait, I see the name on the Kyoto restaurant directory. And there’s a phone number, too!”

“We can find out their address if we call them. I’ll get on it,” Subaru said, and immediately dialed the number.

Apparently, decisiveness was a hallmark of police officers.

“We don’t know the time, but most restaurants don’t open until noon or evening. I’m pretty certain we don’t have to worry about them scheduling it for early morning. So, what are we going to do, manhandle Misaki onto the bullet train?” Aya wondered aloud, making pushing motions with her hand.

Ren knit his brows, folding his arms. “Yeah, but…bursting with regret as Misaki might be, he already gave her his blessing. He’s definitely not going to hop on that train with a smile. Even if we manage to convince him after he gets off work, it’s gonna take one and a half hours to get to Kyoto, and he’ll still have to get to the restaurant in Gion.”

There was just too little time. Moreover, this wouldn’t work unless Misaki was prepared to do everything in his power to get Sayoko back. In the end, it was all up to the two of them. Even if they tried to persuade him to go for it, there was no guarantee that he’d actually listen. Ren and the rest of the gang turned it over and over in their heads, worry etched into their features. Misaki was a stubborn person. Besides, how far could they go in meddling with another person’s love life?

Mia raised her voice sheepishly, “It’s just a suggestion, but I could take him to Kyoto?”

“Huh?”

All eyes went to Mia.

“If I fly at top speed, I should be able to go as fast as the bullet train. I have ridden a bullet train during a school trip, and I have seen it go by from the outside many times, so it would be easy for me to form an image of its speed. I can also easily spot the restaurant from up above, so I think that all in all we could get there quicker than if he were to take the train,” Mia elaborated to everyone’s astonishment.

She felt anxious that she had maybe said something weird again, but then Aya inquired, concern apparent on her face, “Mia, can you really do that? Bullet trains can go crazy fast, and it would take you at least an hour to fly all the way to Kyoto. Won’t that be too hard on you?”

“I’ve trained to fly ever since I was a small child, and I’ve studied how to achieve different speeds. Father has always told me that command of the skies is crucial in any battle. I have never actually tried to fly for a whole hour, but it can’t very well be that difficult, I suppose.” Mia explained that it would most likely feel like running an hour-long marathon.

“Okay,” Aya and the others nodded in understanding, but there was just one person among the group left scowling. It was Ren.

“…Mia, how can you be so certain you can fly a distance you’ve never attempted before?”

“Huh?”

“Um, so… Right, Mia, lemme ask you something now that we’re talking about this. Have you ever felt your magical power reserves on the verge of running out? Like, if you tried to cast any more spells, it would hurt you?”

Mia blinked in surprise at Ren’s question. Why was he asking her that, as if he was concerned for her well-being?

“I don’t know if it’s my powers running out, but I have experienced a feeling as if I could pass out from exhaustion if I continued to use magic. I’ll resort to using the marathon simile again, but it is the same sensation you get when you push past your limits when running for a long time. Father told me to remember how it feels when we were studying magic together, so I understand what you are talking about,” Mia answered truthfully despite herself.

“I see…” Ren mumbled, pondering her words for a brief moment, hanging his head a bit. Then, he snapped his head back up sharply. Everyone stared at him. “Who doesn’t have work tomorrow?”

The other Rangers shook their heads.

“I thought as much,” Ren tutted, apparently he wasn’t free tomorrow either.

“Mia, you have school tomorrow, right?”

“I do. But I want to do something about this situation so bad, it’s all I’m thinking about, so I must act upon it. …Which is why I shall have to skip classes.”

“Ugh. Normally, I’d give you an earful about this, but right now you’re the only one we can rely on. All right. I’ll leave the matter in your hands. I don’t expect that you’ll be able to convince Misaki to do it, but you can use magic, so take him there by force if you have to. But if he outright refuses to go through with it, let him off the hook. It’s his choice, after all.”

Even if she were to take Misaki to Kyoto against his will, if he didn’t want to fight for Sayoko anymore it would just end up being a waste of effort. Mia understood that much, so she nodded.

“Oh, and one more thing,” Ren added,

“When you’re headed there, if you ever feel like you’re too tired to do this anymore, stop flying, okay? If Misaki still wants to get his girl back, he can choose from any number of public transportation options if the need arises. Anyways, don’t push yourself too hard. You gotta promise me that,” Ren insisted, tightly grabbing her shoulders.

Why did he worry about her so much? Mia nodded, as if in a trance, her heart drumming against her ribcage. She shouldn’t care if she made him fret, but she couldn’t resist the earnest expression he wore on his face. Without noticing, she found herself nodding to Ren’s requests.