Chapter 4
Yuri was tugging nervously at her hair. Keisuke and Ichihari were in the next room, most likely discussing her.
Just as she stood up, Keisuke came out and shut the door silently. "Hey." he said simply, looking annoyed. "G-Good afternoon." she stammered, nodding. Keisuke walked over to her, sighing, then he pulled out a vial of some red liquid. PandorE. He kneeled in front of her, so his face was level with her collarbone. He looked up at her.
"You know what this is, don't you?" he asked. "Yes. . ." Yuri said worriedly. "You need to act like nothing has happened. You need to go to school. If you don't, the police will get involved. If the police are involved, my boss's name will be made public. And if his name is made public, a lot of innocent people are going to die." Keisuke said. "What does that have to do with PandorE?" she asked. "I'm getting to that."
"So, if you go to school, you're in danger. Ichihari will drop you off, then wait all day to pick you up. This is stupid, because then he'll lead Sweepers straight to his house, but he insists. Ichihari is powerful, so I'm sure he can handle whatever the Sweepers throw at him anyway." Keisuke said. ". . .But in case Ichihari fails, and you're captured," he said. Yuri's heart throbbed. Keisuke was silent, then he went on. "If you're captured, drink this. It's enough of a dosage to kill an elephant. You'll be dead in no time, and it won't hurt. I'd rather you die painlessly than have your organs ripped out." he finished. Yuri was silent.
"Thanks, I guess?" she muttered. "Can't you just come with me?" she pleaded. Keisuke stood up, shaking his head. "I'm going away for a few weeks. I'm going to try to stop this contract between your father and my boss. If I succeed, you won't have to worry ever again." he said. Yuri stood up, grabbing Keisuke's shirt. "Then just take me with you." she said. "Where I'm going? Pfft! It's even more dangerous there." he said, removing her hand. "I don't care. You'll be there!" Yuri wailed. "Look, I can't, I'd be putting you in dange—" he started, before a choked sob from Yuri interrupted him.
She grabbed his shirt again, only gripping it as if she were going to fall. He stopped, startled. Yuri moved closer, burying her face in his chest. "I'm scared, Keisuke-kun! Please, don't leave me. I'm scared." she begged, crying. Keisuke opened his mouth, helplessly, then closed it. Again, he removed her hands, but he held onto them. "Yuri, don't be scared. Ichihari will protect you with his life. I'll come back." he said, smoothing her hair down again. She was silent.
"Promise?" she managed. Keisuke grinned, raising an eyebrow. "Sure. Yea, okay. I promise." he said. How convincing. Yuri thought. He patted her head, and said, "You're cute, and you're pretty feisty for being so shy." Yuri's face flushed deep red. "Point being: I'm sure someone at your school must have noticed you." Keisuke winked. "And they could be a good guy." With that, he left the room.
"I feel like a dad." Ichihari murmured giddily. Yuri got out of his car, rolling her eyes. "Thanks, Dad." she said, waving. Ichihari smiled, then said, "I'll be at this same exact spot. If something's wrong, call me." he said. Yuri nodded, then shut the car door. School has never looked so good. Yuri trotted inside, snow crunching under her feet.
Yuri stepped inside the classroom, nervously shuffling to her desk. 'Someone at school must have noticed you. They could be a good guy.' Yuri thought about that, wondering where exactly Keisuke went. Yuri looked out the window, her usual habit, and screamed.
She had seen Ichihari down below, but Tomoki and Mari were facing him, aiming a gun. Ichihari pointed them in the opposite direction, talking frantically. Ichihari-san! "Ninomiya-san? What's wrong?" someone asked from behind her. She whirled, startled. An unfamiliar boy stood in front of her, straining to look out the window. Yuri stood up, blocking his view. She wondered why she did that, but she grabbed the boy's shoulders, thinking fast. "A—A bird just ran into the window. It startled me, that's all." she said, trying not to pant. "O-Oh, I see." he said, raising an eyebrow.
He tried looking around her and out the window, but Yuri pushed her face into his. "Y-You look familiar." she said, praying for Ichihari. He brightened. "My name is Mamoru Hiroshi." he said. "Ninomiya Yuri, nice to meet you." she said, shaking his hand. She glanced out the window and saw Tomoki and Mari were gone, Ichihari sitting on his car hood typing on a laptop. Sighing with relief, she timidly released Mamoru's hand. He looked out the window as well, and seeing nothing suspicious, he returned his attention to her.
"S-So, anyway. . ." Yuri said, hoping he'd get the hint to leave. He stayed put, then leaned over. His smile broadened. "You smell of PandorE." he said. Yuri's eyes widened, and she stepped back, shocked. "I'm a Seller." he said, as if this cleared everything up. "S-Seller?" she wondered. "I sell PandorE and other drugs. I basically work for a black market type business." he said. And you just tell me? "Good for you." Yuri said a little coldly, looking for an escape. "Hey, don't be scared. Tell me how a girl like you came upon PandorE." he said. "A girl like me? What's that supposed to mean?!" she hissed.
He didn't answer. Instead, he waited patiently for her explanation. She told him. "Harsh." was all he said. He was silent for a minute. "How did you survive for so long?" he asked. ". . .I was helped." she said simply. "Who helped you?" he went on. "None of your business, that's who." she snapped. ". . .Not a nice thing to say." he said, frowning. 'They could be a good guy.' Again, that sentence. Hesitantly, she said, "Ever heard the name Keisuke?"
Mamoru's hand slammed onto Yuri's mouth. He looked stunned. "Don't say that name aloud. People would kill you for information on Requiem." he whispered. "Requiem? Is that what you call him? How. . .cheezy." Yuri said. Mamoru opened his mouth, then closed it angrily. "Look, that's what everyone calls him. But never say his name aloud. It's rumoured that, if you do, PandorA will come after you." he said. "PandorA?" Yuri asked.
"PandorA is the company for which Requiem works. Kinda like a big mafia company. PandorA owns over a third of the PandorE supply, and controls all of the trade and selling of Black Markets. If PandorA revealed itself to the public, it would be the most powerful and wealthiest company in Japan. Maybe even in America." Mamoru said matter-of-factly. "W-Whoa. . ." Yuri managed, stunned. Keisuke works for that hellhole? He kills for that place?
Mamoru had one more thing on his mind to tell Yuri. "I want to help you, anyway. I've watched you before and you're nice, and I don't want a nice girl like you to die for a cruddy organ donation." Mamoru said bitterly. "Yea, donation." Yuri said sarcastically. "E-Er, anyway, one of the main reasons PandorA is so powerful is. . .well, you won't believe me, but here goes:
There are Gods. Gods are everywhere. There could be one in this classroom, in the next one. PandorA has captured one of these Gods. She uses the power of, believe it or not, Creation. She sews the fabric of matter and all together, and she creates things. With her, PandorA has an unlimited supply of PandorE. Why am I telling you this? Well, that thing, that so called God, is Requiem's birth mother."
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