The Crimson Files: Chapter 22a
Akane had the strange feeling that she'd been up all night, which, she supposed, was true in a sense. She'd tried to nap on the flight to Zipang, but her body was convinced that it was the middle of the day, and so she hadn't had much luck. But now that she was in Zipang, and it was the middle of the day here, her body was convinced that it was the middle of the night, and was starting to feel fatigue setting in.
When Akane, Midori, and Lena got onto the train for the second phase of their trip, Akane soon found herself dozing off in her seat, and her mind began to wander. She was on another continent for the first time in her life, but she didn't have much of a chance to relish it. She'd probably be going to bed as soon as possible tonight, after meeting with Shiro, Youko, and Kazuya at Settsu University. And then they'd be off traveling again tomorrow, with little time in the morning to do anything before they got to Fuuka. From what Akane had heard, there weren't many accommodations anywhere near Fuuka Gakuen, so they'd have to commute for over hour each way. They'd have a bit of free time in evenings, but there wasn't much in the region that was all that interesting aside from Fuuka Gakuen itself.
It was a bit of a shame that Akane wouldn't get to see much of the real Zipang, but she was privileged to be able to be one of the first few people in centuries to see the inside of Fuuka Gakuen. That, and she'd finally get to meet Kazuya in person...
X-X-X
A loud clap woke Akane up with a start. Her mind raced to catch up with where she was and what she was doing, but Midori had already begun speaking. "Only five minutes to get there. I figured you'd need the time to fully wake up. Though I must say, your dreams certainly must have been quite nice. I didn't interrupt anything juicy, did I?"
"Huh? Ah, no!" Akane said, turning her head away from Midori. Her dreams were already starting to fade from her memory, but she could remember enough to know that they certainly weren't anything that Midori would consider "juicy." They were nice, though.
"Hmm," Midori said. It didn't sound like she fully believed Akane. "Well, I guess it doesn't matter. I still owe you one, so I'll make sure this visit is plenty juicy for you in its own right."
Akane's eyes widened, and she turned back to Midori in a panic. She'd already strained things between herself and Kazuya quite a bit when she'd agreed to participate in Midori's game. If Midori was that oblivious to what Kazuya was looking for, she couldn't possibly be any help. "No!" she said, then quickly lowered her voice so they didn't attract too much attention. "Um, I mean... you don't need to. Please."
Midori furrowed her brow at Akane. "Oh come on... I nearly got you in trouble with Professor Sayers. I owe you one. If you don't let me pay you back like this, then at least tell me what I can do for you."
"Just... don't embarrass me," Akane said. "If you must flirt with Youko, could you at least try to keep it a bit tame while the rest of us are around?"
Midori looked up as she tought about this, then back at Akane. "How tame is 'a bit'?"
Akane glared at Midori, then let out a sigh. "Well, first of all, keep your clothes on."
Midori blinked, her face actually showing surprise at this. "Why would I...? Wait," she turned away from Akane and stared at the seat in front of her and shook her head. "Er... well, just in front of you and Kazuya is mostly private..."
"No!" Akane said, managing to keep her voice down this time. "It's not. Anytime you and I are in the same room, it counts as public. Is that so hard for you to understand?"
"No..." Midori said. She kept her gaze glued to the seat in front of her, as if she was still trying to figure something else. "I think that's a given.... Um," Midori turned back to Akane and gave her a small smile. "I'm sorry about dragging you into that thing between me and Youko. I can't explain why I did it, but I shouldn't have done so."
"Oh," Akane said. "Well, thanks, I gue-"
Akane was cut off as a series of tones came out from the speakers above her and Midori. Akane couldn't speak Zipango, but she was pretty sure that it was saying that they'd arrived at Settsu Station.
When Akane, Midori, and Lena got onto the train for the second phase of their trip, Akane soon found herself dozing off in her seat, and her mind began to wander. She was on another continent for the first time in her life, but she didn't have much of a chance to relish it. She'd probably be going to bed as soon as possible tonight, after meeting with Shiro, Youko, and Kazuya at Settsu University. And then they'd be off traveling again tomorrow, with little time in the morning to do anything before they got to Fuuka. From what Akane had heard, there weren't many accommodations anywhere near Fuuka Gakuen, so they'd have to commute for over hour each way. They'd have a bit of free time in evenings, but there wasn't much in the region that was all that interesting aside from Fuuka Gakuen itself.
It was a bit of a shame that Akane wouldn't get to see much of the real Zipang, but she was privileged to be able to be one of the first few people in centuries to see the inside of Fuuka Gakuen. That, and she'd finally get to meet Kazuya in person...
X-X-X
A loud clap woke Akane up with a start. Her mind raced to catch up with where she was and what she was doing, but Midori had already begun speaking. "Only five minutes to get there. I figured you'd need the time to fully wake up. Though I must say, your dreams certainly must have been quite nice. I didn't interrupt anything juicy, did I?"
"Huh? Ah, no!" Akane said, turning her head away from Midori. Her dreams were already starting to fade from her memory, but she could remember enough to know that they certainly weren't anything that Midori would consider "juicy." They were nice, though.
"Hmm," Midori said. It didn't sound like she fully believed Akane. "Well, I guess it doesn't matter. I still owe you one, so I'll make sure this visit is plenty juicy for you in its own right."
Akane's eyes widened, and she turned back to Midori in a panic. She'd already strained things between herself and Kazuya quite a bit when she'd agreed to participate in Midori's game. If Midori was that oblivious to what Kazuya was looking for, she couldn't possibly be any help. "No!" she said, then quickly lowered her voice so they didn't attract too much attention. "Um, I mean... you don't need to. Please."
Midori furrowed her brow at Akane. "Oh come on... I nearly got you in trouble with Professor Sayers. I owe you one. If you don't let me pay you back like this, then at least tell me what I can do for you."
"Just... don't embarrass me," Akane said. "If you must flirt with Youko, could you at least try to keep it a bit tame while the rest of us are around?"
Midori looked up as she tought about this, then back at Akane. "How tame is 'a bit'?"
Akane glared at Midori, then let out a sigh. "Well, first of all, keep your clothes on."
Midori blinked, her face actually showing surprise at this. "Why would I...? Wait," she turned away from Akane and stared at the seat in front of her and shook her head. "Er... well, just in front of you and Kazuya is mostly private..."
"No!" Akane said, managing to keep her voice down this time. "It's not. Anytime you and I are in the same room, it counts as public. Is that so hard for you to understand?"
"No..." Midori said. She kept her gaze glued to the seat in front of her, as if she was still trying to figure something else. "I think that's a given.... Um," Midori turned back to Akane and gave her a small smile. "I'm sorry about dragging you into that thing between me and Youko. I can't explain why I did it, but I shouldn't have done so."
"Oh," Akane said. "Well, thanks, I gue-"
Akane was cut off as a series of tones came out from the speakers above her and Midori. Akane couldn't speak Zipango, but she was pretty sure that it was saying that they'd arrived at Settsu Station.