“Are you sure it’s alright?” Honami asked, an apologetic expression on her face.
“S’fine. Our place’s got plenty of room to play, and there’s no lack of guys who can babysit either.”
It was an early hour of morning. Kusanagi had come to Honami’s apartment together with Totsuka.
Yata and Kamamoto had given him a full account of last night’s events. After that, Kusanagi phoned Honami in the middle of the night and offered to be responsible for taking care of Anna during the day.
What they’d told Honami was that, as Anna attempted to run away from home, Yata and Kamamoto just happened to be passing by. They’d left it at that. Anna’s runaway attempt had been such a shock to Honami, it seemed, that she had very easily accepted Kusanagi’s offer to keep Anna under constant watch and take care of her while she was at work.
After telling Totsuka to take Anna and go on ahead, Kusanagi lowered his voice.
“Did Anna-chan say anything about why she tried to run away?” he asked Honami.
With a sad and pained look on her face, Honami slowly shook her head.
“Not a single thing,” she said in a strained voice, as if the words themselves caused her pain when she spoke them. “Since last evening, she hasn’t said much at all. She was never very talkative to begin with, but… Last night, no matter what I asked her, she’d just freeze up and completely go stiff, acting as if she couldn’t hear or see a thing, or even speak at all. It was as if she really wanted to turn into a doll.”
As Honami let out a small sigh, Kusanagi gently placed a hand on her shoulder.
“Well, she’s such a small child ‘n she’s had to spend so much time in the hospital. It’s normal she’d grow difficult or moody. Our place’s always lively, ‘n Totsuka’s prolly good at taking care of kids… And, if I’ve got time, I can help with schooling her a little, too. Honami-sense, you can rest at ease ‘bout it.”
Smiling slightly, Honami looked at Kusanagi.
“Thank you. As soon as I finish work, I’ll come pick her up right away, so…”
“Well, about that actually,” Kusanagi carefully interrupted Honami’s words. “While Anna-chan’s got hospital leave, why don’t the two of you come live at my bar?”
“E-Eh!?”
Honami’s eyes opened wide with surprise.
The Blue Clansmen were keeping watch on Honami’s apartment. Kusanagi found that to be a grave, serious matter.
Now that this happened, the fact that Anna was a Strain was as good as confirmed. And, if she had been assigned a guard, there was a significant chance that she was judged to be a “high-risk level” one, even. On a just-in-case basis, he wanted Anna and Honami in a place where they’d be easy to protect.
‘Make sure you don’t forget whose jurisdiction you’re under,’ had said the Blue Clansman that Yata fought, apparently. That was no joke.
And furthermore yet, beyond the chances of something happening to the two women, they also had to consider the possibility of Anna harming others, especially the person who was closest to her – Honami herself. If Anna was indeed an inexperienced Strain, such a thing could easily happen even despite her not meaning to do so.
“I’ve got the second floor of my bar set up as a guest room. Mikoto’s being a nuisance and living in it right now, but I can kick him out for a while ‘n make it so you two can stay there. And I can drive you to school and back, too.”
Honami looked seriously troubled. Even Kusanagi himself, while he did try to persuade her, had the feeling he might have grossly overstepped his boundaries with this. Even though he’d found it improper for Honami to come visit the bar until now, he was suddenly offering to bring a child there – and moreover yet, to have her live there too.
But, even though she looked extremely apologetic, it seemed that Honami didn’t find that too questionable.
To be honest, a place where a bunch of vulgar and violent guys met up – like HOMRA – wasn’t a proper environment for raising a child at all. But for some reason, despite being a teacher, Honami apparently didn’t think so and seemed to fully trust Kusanagi and Suoh.
Kusanagi did feel just a bit guilty about it, but that still didn’t stop him from using both that faith and the woman’s worry for Anna in his favor as he persuaded her.
✤
Totsuka and Anna had been waiting in the park near Honami’s apartment. Lined up side by side, they sat on the swings.
Kusanagi quietly glanced at Totsuka, inquiring about the state of things with only his eyes. Totsuka discreetly shook his head in reply.
-----
“As usual, you’re a handy guy, huh?”
Half-and-half between impressed and fed up at the same time, Kusanagi spoke up. Looking as if he’d lost all his strength, Totsuka grabbed the swing’s chains and leaned on them for support.
“But I’m all worn out, Kusanagi-san…”
“…A handy, but really weak guy, huh…”
Sighing, Kusanagi turned to Anna once more.
Anna’s small hand was clasped tightly around the swing’s chain.
“There’s really no trick or deception to what Totsuka just did. And it’s not just Totsuka, but me as well, ‘n that Suoh Mikoto you met yesterday too, and all the guys who were at our place. We’ve all got abnormal powers like these.”
As if in a daze, Anna only kept looking at him. Kusanagi gave her a sweet, gentle smile like the ones he always used when he tried to seduce a girl. For some unknown reason, that earned him a cold stare from Totsuka.
“So, Anna-chan. Won’t you trust us?”
“Trust?” Anna repeated in a small voice.
“Yeah. …Totsuka must’ve already asked you, but… Well, let me ask you again. Anna-chan, you’ve got some weird powers like these too, don’t you?”
Anna didn’t reply. She only gripped the chain from the swing even more tightly instead.
“Anna-chan, y’said you were in the hospital all this time. But the truth is, you’re not sick, right? Those powers of yours were found out, so you’re being taught how to use ‘em at a special facility. And your powers are being investigated too, right?”
Anna kept stubbornly silent. Just like Honami had said, she sought to become just like a doll that couldn’t see or hear a thing, and couldn’t open its mouth to speak either.
But, that silence she kept only answered the questions all the more.
“…We call those like you ‘Strain’. There s’posedly are facilities made for the purpose of teaching Strain all sorts of things, so they won’t put themselves and those around them in danger. But, if you’re to rely on us, it’s even possible you won’t have to go back to the facility.”
However, Anna was still stiff as a doll. They waited patiently for a reply, but there wasn’t even the slightest sign that Anna wanted to open her mouth, and only an uncomfortable silence stretched out.
With somewhat lost faces, Kusanagi and Totsuka traded looks with each other.
part 4
“S’fine. Our place’s got plenty of room to play, and there’s no lack of guys who can babysit either.”
It was an early hour of morning. Kusanagi had come to Honami’s apartment together with Totsuka.
Yata and Kamamoto had given him a full account of last night’s events. After that, Kusanagi phoned Honami in the middle of the night and offered to be responsible for taking care of Anna during the day.
What they’d told Honami was that, as Anna attempted to run away from home, Yata and Kamamoto just happened to be passing by. They’d left it at that. Anna’s runaway attempt had been such a shock to Honami, it seemed, that she had very easily accepted Kusanagi’s offer to keep Anna under constant watch and take care of her while she was at work.
After telling Totsuka to take Anna and go on ahead, Kusanagi lowered his voice.
“Did Anna-chan say anything about why she tried to run away?” he asked Honami.
With a sad and pained look on her face, Honami slowly shook her head.
“Not a single thing,” she said in a strained voice, as if the words themselves caused her pain when she spoke them. “Since last evening, she hasn’t said much at all. She was never very talkative to begin with, but… Last night, no matter what I asked her, she’d just freeze up and completely go stiff, acting as if she couldn’t hear or see a thing, or even speak at all. It was as if she really wanted to turn into a doll.”
As Honami let out a small sigh, Kusanagi gently placed a hand on her shoulder.
“Well, she’s such a small child ‘n she’s had to spend so much time in the hospital. It’s normal she’d grow difficult or moody. Our place’s always lively, ‘n Totsuka’s prolly good at taking care of kids… And, if I’ve got time, I can help with schooling her a little, too. Honami-sense, you can rest at ease ‘bout it.”
Smiling slightly, Honami looked at Kusanagi.
“Thank you. As soon as I finish work, I’ll come pick her up right away, so…”
“Well, about that actually,” Kusanagi carefully interrupted Honami’s words. “While Anna-chan’s got hospital leave, why don’t the two of you come live at my bar?”
“E-Eh!?”
Honami’s eyes opened wide with surprise.
The Blue Clansmen were keeping watch on Honami’s apartment. Kusanagi found that to be a grave, serious matter.
Now that this happened, the fact that Anna was a Strain was as good as confirmed. And, if she had been assigned a guard, there was a significant chance that she was judged to be a “high-risk level” one, even. On a just-in-case basis, he wanted Anna and Honami in a place where they’d be easy to protect.
‘Make sure you don’t forget whose jurisdiction you’re under,’ had said the Blue Clansman that Yata fought, apparently. That was no joke.
And furthermore yet, beyond the chances of something happening to the two women, they also had to consider the possibility of Anna harming others, especially the person who was closest to her – Honami herself. If Anna was indeed an inexperienced Strain, such a thing could easily happen even despite her not meaning to do so.
“I’ve got the second floor of my bar set up as a guest room. Mikoto’s being a nuisance and living in it right now, but I can kick him out for a while ‘n make it so you two can stay there. And I can drive you to school and back, too.”
Honami looked seriously troubled. Even Kusanagi himself, while he did try to persuade her, had the feeling he might have grossly overstepped his boundaries with this. Even though he’d found it improper for Honami to come visit the bar until now, he was suddenly offering to bring a child there – and moreover yet, to have her live there too.
But, even though she looked extremely apologetic, it seemed that Honami didn’t find that too questionable.
To be honest, a place where a bunch of vulgar and violent guys met up – like HOMRA – wasn’t a proper environment for raising a child at all. But for some reason, despite being a teacher, Honami apparently didn’t think so and seemed to fully trust Kusanagi and Suoh.
Kusanagi did feel just a bit guilty about it, but that still didn’t stop him from using both that faith and the woman’s worry for Anna in his favor as he persuaded her.
✤
Totsuka and Anna had been waiting in the park near Honami’s apartment. Lined up side by side, they sat on the swings.
Kusanagi quietly glanced at Totsuka, inquiring about the state of things with only his eyes. Totsuka discreetly shook his head in reply.
-----
“As usual, you’re a handy guy, huh?”
Half-and-half between impressed and fed up at the same time, Kusanagi spoke up. Looking as if he’d lost all his strength, Totsuka grabbed the swing’s chains and leaned on them for support.
“But I’m all worn out, Kusanagi-san…”
“…A handy, but really weak guy, huh…”
Sighing, Kusanagi turned to Anna once more.
Anna’s small hand was clasped tightly around the swing’s chain.
“There’s really no trick or deception to what Totsuka just did. And it’s not just Totsuka, but me as well, ‘n that Suoh Mikoto you met yesterday too, and all the guys who were at our place. We’ve all got abnormal powers like these.”
As if in a daze, Anna only kept looking at him. Kusanagi gave her a sweet, gentle smile like the ones he always used when he tried to seduce a girl. For some unknown reason, that earned him a cold stare from Totsuka.
“So, Anna-chan. Won’t you trust us?”
“Trust?” Anna repeated in a small voice.
“Yeah. …Totsuka must’ve already asked you, but… Well, let me ask you again. Anna-chan, you’ve got some weird powers like these too, don’t you?”
Anna didn’t reply. She only gripped the chain from the swing even more tightly instead.
“Anna-chan, y’said you were in the hospital all this time. But the truth is, you’re not sick, right? Those powers of yours were found out, so you’re being taught how to use ‘em at a special facility. And your powers are being investigated too, right?”
Anna kept stubbornly silent. Just like Honami had said, she sought to become just like a doll that couldn’t see or hear a thing, and couldn’t open its mouth to speak either.
But, that silence she kept only answered the questions all the more.
“…We call those like you ‘Strain’. There s’posedly are facilities made for the purpose of teaching Strain all sorts of things, so they won’t put themselves and those around them in danger. But, if you’re to rely on us, it’s even possible you won’t have to go back to the facility.”
However, Anna was still stiff as a doll. They waited patiently for a reply, but there wasn’t even the slightest sign that Anna wanted to open her mouth, and only an uncomfortable silence stretched out.
With somewhat lost faces, Kusanagi and Totsuka traded looks with each other.