Chocolate Fic for melonpaan

[cupid_johnny]

To: melonpaan
From: calledinvain

Title: Through the Looking Glass
Pairing: Wait and see.
Rating: PG-13
Summary: Let's be spies. AU.
A/N: For melonpaan.



An unexpected arrival

“Do you feel better?” The young woman handed him an ice pack and clucked her tongue sympathetically as he pressed it to his bruised face.

Toma winced. “It’s fine, it doesn’t hurt at all,” he lied. “Do all the applicants get knocked over by the boss, or am I a special case?”

“I said I was sorry,” came the disinterested voice from behind the bookshelves. “I did shout, “Look out!”

“That was after you pushed me down,” he retorted. “Normal women usually don’t erupt from the walls.”

“We don’t really do normal here,” the first woman said. “Anyway, I’ve got to go, busy day ahead. Maki, please don’t kill this one, we haven’t had applicants in months!”

“Fine,” said the voice. “What’s this one’s name again?”

“Ikuta Toma-san,” said the woman before Toma could speak. “He answered the ad correctly, so he’s got the brains for the job. Be nice, Maki.”

“Mmmph,” the Maki voice said. “I’ll think about it.”

The woman shrugged and smiled at him. “She’s harmless, really. If you need anything, just press this.”

She handed him a pale silver card with a button attached to it. There was a faint etching of a wing on the button.

“What’s this?”

“It’s our in-house paging system. Maki made it, and you can get one of our interns to help you once you press the button.”

“You’re leaving then?” Toma hoped the desperation didn’t show through his voice. “I didn’t get your name?”

“Ah silly me, I forget people like to know things like that,” the woman said. She smiled. “You can call me Shihori.”

That was Toma’s first day at the Artemis Agency.

He never saw Maki, only saw a disembodied hand poke out from the bookcase, a coffee mug attached to the end of it.

“The coffee machine is in the room you just left. Black, please.”

“I didn’t answer your ad to just make coffee.”

The hand waved impatiently. “Coffee is a vital part of the creative process. Black, please.”

“This job better be worth this,” Toma muttered, and took the cup.

At the other end of the telescope

He knocks on the wall, runs his finger experimentally to where the shelves join the walls until he finds the hidden release. The walls move seamlessly apart, as he thought they would.

The world behind the bookshelves - Maki’s hide out - was surprisingly cozy and well-lit. Brightly colored cushions lined the floor; stacks of books were laid end to end, with some stacks serving as makeshift tables. Maki’s coffee cup was on its tray on top of a stack. He picked it up and looked at it. It was empty, but he thought he could still smell the warm scent of roasted coffee beans.

There was an armchair and a small wooden desk in the room, and that was the extent of the furniture.

Toma walked over to the desk - it had two drawers, both locked. He tugged at the handles anyway, hopefully. They didn’t budge, but the desk moved slightly and he heard the scrape of wheels against metal.

His eyebrows rose and then he smiled. “Curiouser, and curiouser.”

He moved the desk all the way to the side and found the door in the floor.

There was a digital lock, but he bypassed it easily. His years of working for and with her had helped him after all.

A small flight of stairs led him down and then he was looking at walls. Walls blanketed with paper and just stuff. Post-its, napkins, take out menus, fancy stationery; scraps of gift wrap, the only thing they shared were that they were covered in Maki’s precise and neat handwriting.

He was looking at her ideas, the beginnings of her plans, all the blueprints for the machines she had designed and inventions she dreamed of.

He spotted a familiar blue page and leaned closer. There it was, his response to the ad she put out. He had run out of white paper, and the convenience store only had blue A4. He had been so tired of sending out his resumes to hear nothing in return, that he thought he had nothing left to lose.

Blue paper. It stuck out and he saw that Maki had written on it, “Interesting.”

His heart beat a little faster.

Toma walked further down until the wall became an archway.

Further beyond there was a chair, its back turned to him.

Banks of monitors flickered from the wall and he thought he could see a telescope.

He cleared his throat.

“Maki?”

And that’s when I went home

“Maki?”

He said it a second time, a little louder. “Are you there?”

Nothing, only the hum of monitors and then - as he stepped closer, he heard her.

“Toma?”

“Are you really there?” And it took him a minute to realize the words were hers and not his.

“Are you?”

It seemed to Toma that the walk to her chair seemed needlessly long, even though it was merely minutes.

He stood behind it, not trusting himself to speak without saying something ridiculously sentimental.

He settled for “Yeah.”

The chair slowly turned and he held his breath.

When he saw her face, saw her, he exhaled. “I was hoping it was you.”

Maki smiled, a shy curve of pink and dimples. “Hi.”

Ready? Ok.

Jun adjusted his bow tie, checked his reflection in the back of a spoon, nodded approvingly, and sauntered in. The club was near full capacity and he could feel the energy in the atmosphere. Drinks were flowing, people were dancing and the rhythm of the music moved him -sashayed him over to the bar next to the long tall drink of water. She was dressed in purple, a rich plum shade that called attention to the exquisite details of the gown and the wearer.

He turned to the bartender and gave him his best smile. “Another drink for the lady please? On me.”

The lady snorted. Then she turned her attention to Jun. “Hello, Matsumoto.”

“Mirei-chan. Of all the bars in all of Tokyo, you graced mine? I’m touched.”

“It’s strictly business, I promise you,” Mirei replied.

Jun leaned over so that his mouth was by her ear. “Then what’s with the signal? I spotted you as soon as you showed up on the security cam. Nice dress by the way.”

“Maki wants to talk to you.”

Jun leaned back on his heels, surprise etched on his features. “Now there’s a name I didn’t think I’d hear again. Maki’s still in the game?”

“She never left.” Mirei sipped at her drink leisurely, almost carelessly except Jun could tell she was irritated. He had a very keen eye for detail.

“Is she still looking for Meisa-chan?”

The twitch at the corner of Mirei’s eye was the only tell, before she smiled brightly and slid the empty glass across the bar.

“I think I’m done now.”

He followed her, his long stride matching her step for step.

When they were a safe distance away from curious onlookers, he tapped her on the shoulder.

Mirei turned around, annoyed. “What?”

It was like a dance they had rehearsed - he laid his hand on her shoulder and as she turned, he brought her back to meet him.

Mirei’s face was level with his, the heels giving her extra height. They were practically eyelash to eyelash.

“Mirei,” he said softly. “Didn’t you miss me, even a little bit?”

“No,” she said, a trifle unsteadily. Her eyes narrowed. “And what did I say about personal space?”

Jun tilted his head and pretended to think about it. “I’ve forgotten. Care to remind me?”

Mirei wrapped her fingers around his bowtie and tugged him closer. “That you should always ask a lady before you get all up in her face,” she breathed, her Chiba accent slipping through. She stepped on his instep sharply and Jun’s face contorted.

Mirei folded her arms demurely and waited for his cursing to subside. “Seriously, Matsumoto, you’re losing your touch.”

“Were you always this bratty or was I too blinded by lust to notice?” Jun said, gritting his teeth. “For fuck’s sake, you’re wearing stilettos.”

“Whatever, it’s not like it penetrated or anything,” Mirei scoffed. “Now are you going to help or not?”

“Fine. This’ll make us even,” Jun snapped. “After this, her immunity is done, do you understand?”

“Until her gadgets save your ass again, you mean? Fine, I’ll tell her that.”

Jun rolled his eyes. “What do you need me to do?”

“There’s someone you need to visit.”

When she tells him the name, Jun’s eyes widen. “What does she want to see him for?”

Mirei shrugs. “He’s the last one who saw Meisa.”

“He’s got some top level security, though.”

“I trust you can figure something out. You always do.” Mirei smiles, and Jun is reminded of heartbreak and secret rendezvous and it’s dangerous because he doesn’t care.

That was the thrill of the chase for you. When he closes his eyes, he thinks he can still smell her perfume, the feel of her fingers digging into his shoulders.

When he opens them again, Mirei is gone.

Where you’re coming from

The first week, the only person he sees is Shihori. Well, to be accurate, the only person he knows is Shihori, because he can’t really tell the interns apart. They’re just an endless rotation of smiling girls, some hybrid super being named NanamiSaraMaryNao-chan. Shihori is blunt, Shihori is hilarious, and Shihori is kind of cute.

Well more than kind of. When she smiles, her face lights up in a way that reminds Toma of the lights during Christmas.

Shihori twinkles.

“I’ve just been pouring coffee and alphabetizing files,” he complains. “It wasn’t exactly what I imagined.”

Shihori raises an eyebrow. “Oh? And what did you imagine?”

“Something more than being a personal barista. And I haven’t even seen all of this Maki person. Just her hand.”

And her mug, he thought sourly. That stupid peach colored mug with a smiling bear on it.

“What did the ad say?” Shihori asks.

Toma pushes some paper on his desk disconsolately. “I can’t remember. Something about general file keeping? Temporary to hire position?”

“Huh,” Shihori says. “You’re right, it’s not what you imagined.”

“What is it that you do? You’re always running off unexpectedly,” Toma says, changing the subject.

“Odd jobs, mostly,” Shihori says breezily. “Cleaner, OL, pottery, professional barfly. A bit of this and that, you know.”

“Ah, right. So how do you know Maki?”

“Professional circles,” Shihori says, and even though Toma tries his best, she doesn’t say anything more about Maki.

Maki’s attitude toward him is puzzling.

At first, she only asked him for coffee and gave him directions for filing. The files would already be on his desk.

Then a note book joined the files and he was given post it’s to mark the appearance of certain words in the files.

He doesn’t really pay attention until he starts noticing the sequence of words. Star, missing, heart, May. Repeat and rinse.

He files them away, meaning to ask what the pattern means, but Maki never says anything to his enquiries.

To fill the time - and there is a lot of time, Toma starts talking out loud. He doesn’t consider it talking to himself, more like carrying on a one sided conversation. He talks about the weather, how the long winter hopefully means a beautiful spring to look forward to. He talks about Hokkaido, his hometown, and how perfect it would be to visit the hot springs. He’s always wanted to bring a girlfriend to the ice sculpture festival. The ice sculptures look like something spirits created instead of being the work of real flesh and blood craftsmen. It always amazes him how much work and care goes into the sculptures, and yet they are only temporary.

“Everything melts away, eventually. But the artists don’t mind - they just start over again next year. I think that’s amazing.”

Maki’s voice surprises him suddenly. “I need you to go pick up my bike for me.”

“Motorbike?”

“Bicycle-bike.” Maki says, but she sounds amused. “It’s the green one, when you go.”

She names a place in Asakusa, and Toma goes the next day.

It’s a specialty shop - no surprise there, Maki didn’t seem the type to have a regular anything, and he is helped by two clerks - Rin and Tori. Rin is a short girl with big eyes, magnified by the glasses she wears, a sturdy blue framed pair. They make her look as if she is playing at dress up, an imposter with bad vision.

Tori is tall and hovers around Rin, as if she was his sun. They know what bike he is talking about immediately, and Rin hands it over as if she was passing a ceremonial torch.

“Maki-san already paid for it, so you can just take it,” Tori says. “Anything else we can do for you?”

“No, that’s all,” Toma says. “Thanks for helping me.”

“You’re welcome,” Rin says shyly. She peers at him and smiles, and it’s remarkable how it changes her face.

The glasses seem less ridiculous now.

Tori unceremoniously shows him the door, and Toma blinks.

When he leaves for the day, he says his usual goodbye. He doesn’t expect Maki to respond with, “Bye-bicycle.”

“What?” He’s sure he’s heard wrong.

Nothing. Toma shakes his head and closes the door behind him.

Ice melts

Spring announces itself with soft pink cherry blossoms exploding all over the city and in the flounce of Shihori’s yellow dress.

Toma’s resigned himself to being hopelessly in love with Shihori in the way that children declare something their favorite. He has a knack for falling hopelessly in love, there’s something in his nature that doesn’t seem to care if it’s requited or not. Shihori, for her part, is quite kind about it, even though she says to him that she’s engaged.

“Engaged? To who?” Toma says, then mock sighs. “Forget it, I am jealous already.”

Shihori laughs. “You wouldn’t know him anyway. He has irregular hours, we catch up when we can.”

“Irregular hours? Is he some kind of masked crusader?” Toma waggles his eyebrows suggestively. “Or a super criminal?”

“A businessman,” Shihori clarifies. “In the business.”

“This goes with your this and that, eh?”

“How sweet, you remembered,” Shihori says lightly. “Yes, you could say we met on the job.”

“Fine, get married and break my heart,” Toma says. “I know your type.”

“Hm, I wonder.”

He vents about it later to Maki - whose silence is almost comforting now. He doesn’t know how he knows, but it feels like she listens attentively.

“And then she said he’s a businessman! He could be Yakuza. I mean, what kind of business could it be?”

“Her fiancée is a baker,” Maki says abruptly. “In the bread business.”

“You know him?”

“I introduced them to each other,” Maki says. “Amnos Patisserie.”

“That’s his name?”

“That’s his shop.”

In a pure coincidence - so he convinces himself, Toma finds himself in front of one Amnos Patisserie on his day off.

The sign is beaten copper. Everything looks handmade and hewn and organic, like the store had always been there, and would always be there. Toma eyes the honey toast, which is priced at a reasonable 200 yen. It is golden brown and slightly dewy with condensed milk and melted butter. He wonders if it’s as delicious as it looks.

“Would you like a sample?” The man - the baker behind the counter asks. He is soft-spoken and tan, and Toma notices his hands. They are not what he thinks a baker ’s hands should look like, but when he bites into the proffered sample, he changes his mind.

The man was an artist with bread and pastry.

“Ohno-san,” Toma says, his mouth slightly full, and not caring one bit, “This is amazing.”

“Thanks,” Ohno says. “Would you like some to take home?”

“What, you mean for free?”

“No, my fiancée wouldn’t like that, but at a reasonable discount,” Ohno says amiably. “I’m always trying something new.”

Toma leaves the store with a bag of freshly made melon pan, six slices of honey toast, and loaf of bread.

He brings the melon pan into work and puts it on the tray with Maki’s coffee.

When Maki’s hand pops from the bookcase, he sticks the melon pan in her outstretched palm.

He feels her surprise, and then her fingers close around the bread softly.

“It’s good, you’ll like it.”

“I know,” Maki says softly. “I’ve had it before.”

“Oh,” Toma says disappointed. “I wanted it to be a surprise.”

“It still was,” Maki says. “Thank you Toma.”

Why live in the world when you can live in your head?

“I’m bored,” Meisa announced one day.

“Stop the presses,” Maki said absently. “What is it now?”

“We should be doing something with our lives,” Meisa said. “Not just hanging around in the library!”

“I like the library,” Maki said. “And we are doing something - we’re studying for our college entrance exams.”

“Ugh, I’m not sure I want to go to college. Have you seen the job market lately? It’s not looking good for college graduates.”

“The job market isn’t exactly clamoring for high school graduates, either. I don’t want to be working in a conbini for the rest of my life, Meisa.”

“Working in my mother’s café isn’t a walk in the park either,” Meisa retorted. “Especially the lunch hour crowd.”

“So what’s your idea then?” Maki decided to humor her best friend. Life was always more interesting that way.

“There has to be something out there for our skill set,” Meisa said. “Give me a day or two and I’ll let you know during P.E.”

“I’m co-captain of the basketball team this year, I’m in charge of the drills,” Maki said. “We’re going to be running all the time.”

“Fine, I’ll tell you during home ec. It’s a useless class for me anyway.”
“It’s not useless,” Maki said. “What are you going to do if you need to make dinner for a family of five on a budget meant for three people?”

“I’ll call you to come over and figure it out,” Meisa said flippantly. “Obviously.”

“Of course, silly me.”

Meisa comes up to Maki as she is putting the finishing touches on a bookshelf. “I’ve come up with the perfect plan,” Meisa crowed. “We are going to be international women of mystery.”

“Hmm?” Maki said absent mindedly. “Hand me that glue gun, Mei.”

“Spies, Maki-chan. Let’s be spies.” Meisa slapped the gun into Maki’s hand.

“What? Spies?”

“Yes! We can find things. Solve mysteries. Fight crime.” Meisa’s eyes sparkled. “It’ll be the best thing ever.”

“You want to join the police academy?” Maki asked confusedly.

“No, I want us to be spies. We can run our own agency!”

“We can’t even drive yet,” Maki pointed out. “If we’re going to be finding things, it’s going to have to be within distance of a subway station or bus stop.”

“Irrelevant,” Meisa waved that aside. “You can make things, I’m good at reading people’s hearts, and we can put our heads together to solve problems. It’s the perfect idea.”

She wound a yard of wool around Maki’s neck. “So what do you think? Partners?”

Maki tugged at the wool. “What is this?”

“Pot holder. I forgot to stop knitting,” Meisa admitted.

“I’ll fix it,” Maki laughed.

I’m gonna change my life

Meisa did end up working part time for a detective agency, mostly chasing down errant debtors. Apparently the sight of a beautiful woman was enough incentive for lowlifes to crawl out of their holes and give up the money. She met another likeminded girl while waiting for a debtor to come out of a pawn shop.

The first thing Meisa notices about Mirei is her bright magenta coat. It is cut to fit, with a slight flare at the hem. Mirei works as an apprentice bounty hunter, which is amazing to Meisa. Mirei introduces her to her boss, a no nonsense woman with a severe haircut and even sharper cheekbones. Isaka-san has been a professional for years, and she and Meisa immediately hit it off.
Later, at Maki’s house, Meisa sprawled on her bed and told her everything.

“The best part of it is, you can still have your own life,” Meisa said. “Mirei works part time as a model when she’s not chasing down bounty.”

“So we’re bounty hunters now?” Maki asked. She pushed up her glasses and put down her statistics text book. “What exactly are we doing?”

“Spies in a multi-disciplined task unit,” Meisa said. She looked at her best friend’s expression. “Or something that makes more sense. Give me a minute.”

“I still think joining the police academy makes more sense,” Maki argued.

“No one respects the police,” Meisa said. “Have dramas taught us nothing?”

“Well you’d definitely be the rogue detective who didn’t do things by the book,” Maki laughed.

“And what about you?”

“I’d be the librarian.” Maki took off her glasses. “Seriously though, are you serious about this agency thing?”

Meisa nodded her head resolutely. “Swear on Namie Amuro’s name.”

“Swear by White Love,” Maki said. “Speed-san will guide us.”

“Okay. It’s a promise,” Meisa vowed.

All we need is a little bit of momentum

Mirei was their first client. She paid up front in brand new bills and a Prada purse. Maki stared at the amount of money on the desk, and then quickly shoved it inside the purse. “What did you say you lost again?”

“Not what, who. There’s a big time bounty out on this loan shark. I have a modeling gig in Chiba that I absolutely can’t miss, so I have no time for reconnaissance. That’s where you two come in.”

“Ohhh stake out time,” Meisa said, and rubbed her hands together. “I have binoculars just for this kind of situation.”

“Who are we watching for?” Maki asked.

“He’s called Mikimoto. He’s got security, so be careful. If you need anything, just call me.”

“Roger that,” Meisa said, and laughed. “Come on, Maki. “

Reconnaissance is mind-numbingly dull. Meisa passes the binoculars back to Maki. “Why isn’t he coming out?” She rubs at her eyes. “We’ve been here for,” and she looks at her watch, “four hours! Four hours, and the guy hasn’t come out.”

“I’m hungry,” Maki sighs. “I knew I should have stopped at that bakery.”

The sound of Meisa’s stomach rumbling startles them both into silence. Then Meisa says tightly, “We’ll give it another hour, and then I’ll go get us some pizza.”

“One more hour,” Maki agrees.

Thirty minutes pass, and just as Meisa’s about to get up, Maki pulls her back down. “The door knob! I saw it move!”

Meisa peers through the binoculars, and Maki’s right. The door knob turns, and then a grizzled old man peeps out, looking both ways.

“Is that him? Read the file!”

Maki skims over the notes Mirei gives them. “Seems like that’s the guy. Let’s go.”

She shoves the papers into her backpack and passes Meisa a wig. “Are you ready to play tourist, Meisa?”

“Okay, fine,” Meisa replies in accented Japanese. “Can you tell me where the Tokyo Tower is?”

She puts on an oversized pair of dark sunglasses, and gives Maki a thumbs up.

Maki clips a small recorder in the inside pocket of Meisa’s jacket. “Make sure you record everything, okay? We need evidence.”

“Okay, thank you,” Meisa says too loudly. “You are very kind and wonderful, okay?”

She grinned.

Just as Meisa reaches the stairs, she sees someone detach themselves from the side of the building and head for the stairs. The new person is wearing sunglasses too, and a distractingly bright purple coat.

“Oh no you don’t,” she mutters underneath her breath. “I saw him first.”

She takes the steps two at a time and hears following footsteps, so she quickens her pace.

“Meisa? What are you doing?” Maki’s voice comes through on her earpiece. “You’re not exactly being stealthy.”

“Can’t talk, being followed,” Meisa says stiffly. “Think we have competition.”

“Purple guy, right, check,” Maki says. “Okay, remember when you went to theater camp and learned how to sword fight?”

“Uh, is that exactly relevant?”

“I put something else in your coat,” Maki’s voice crackles over the communication link. “Improvise, Mei.”

Meisa sticks her hand in her pocket and pulls out a pair of metal knitting needles.

She grins. “You want me to crochet his face in?”

“They attach to each other, Meisa. Engarde!”

That is how they meet Jun. Matsumoto Jun, or as Mirei put it, “That asshole who’s always trying to steal my cases from me.”

He agrees to split the finder’s fee with them 70/30. He amends it to 60/40 after Meisa presses the tip of her makeshift fencing foil against his throat.

Jun is awkwardly handsome, Maki notes, and his poise faltered whenever Meisa looked at him too long. Meisa noticed this, and made a point to stare at him. Jun cleared his throat and said, “Like I said, I have connections. I have friends who are private detectives, and friends who are on the police force.”

“Are you a politician’s son or something?” Meisa asked suspiciously. “You don’t look like it.”

Jun laughs. “What’s a politician’s son supposed to look like?”

Meisa shrugs. “I don’t know, but you’re not it.”

“I happen to know one,” Jun admits. Maki smiles. “Of course you do. So, Matsumoto-san, how do you know Mirei?”

“He doesn’t know me,” Mirei practically spits at the suggestion. “He’s just some wannabe who moonlights. His day job is something boring and practical.”

“He said he was an entrepreneur,” Maki recalls.

“Which is code for unemployed dreamer,” Mirei sniffs. “Ugh, I can’t believe he’d negotiate with you for the money.”

“Meisa did have a rather sharp point though,” Maki offers. “So, what else aren’t you telling me, Mirei-san?”

Mirei looked surprised, and then averted her gaze. “About what?”

“Where do you know Matsumoto from?”

Maki doesn’t press, just looks at Mirei, until she sighs and rests her head against the table. “Fine, he thought I was a thief and made a citizen’s arrest. I changed his mind quickly.”

“You caught the real thief?”

“In a manner of speaking.”

The truth was, after giving Matsumoto the slap to end all slaps, Mirei had opened the bathroom door just as the real thief was running around the corner. She hadn’t seen the door until it was too late.

Isaka-san had given her a raise for that, after deducting her share of the reward money. Matsumoto had sent her flowers.

“And he’s been trying to jack cases away ever since,” Mirei finished. “Ugh, this is boring. Let’s talk about something else.”

“Do you want to join us in our agency? Meisa and I could always use someone with your skills,” Maki asked.

“But I’ve been working with Isaka-san for so long now,” Mirei protested. “She’s helped me with a lot of things.”

“Ah, then how about as an independent contractor? You can still work with Isaka-san, but if we need you….”

“I’d step in, finish the job and get my cut?” Mirei said quickly.

“Obviously.”

“What is the name of your agency anyway? I don’t think I asked last time.”

“Artemis.”

Your sleeplessness makes you a liar

“So I was wondering,” Toma starts conversationally. “What is it that you actually do? What is Artemis Agency anyway?”

It’s been five months since he started working. He’s wandered through the library countless times, looking up titles and cross referencing files. There’s no rhyme or reason and he gives up trying to connect the material to anything he knows in the real world. A history of Spain, how to breed alpacas, the best time to visit France for a bicycle tour - everything seems so random and discombobulated.

“We find things,” Maki’s voice floats through the intercom. “We deliver information to people. We provide services.”

“Like what?”

“Nothing like you’re thinking,” Maki says severely. “We’re not escorts.”

“I never said,” Toma protests, and then he hears her laugh. “I know, but you were thinking it.”

“Wasn’t,” Toma mutters, but smiles anyway.

“Hey Maki, am I ever going to see you?”

“Why?”

“Because it’s a little weird taking orders from someone I don’t see. I mean, aside from your hand.”

“It doesn’t matter what I look like.”

“It’s not that,” Toma says, then amends, “well, not all of it. I just like to know I’m working for a person. You could be a robot for all I know.”

Maki’s silence speaks volumes, and then, “I’m not a robot.”

“Are you sure? That’s what a robot would say.”

“Well, then I guess you’re working for a robot.” Maki’s voice sounds tense, and he immediately feels guilty.

“Sorry, I don’t care if you’re a robot - I mean, no, of course you’re not.”

“I could make robots though.” Maki sounded slightly mollified. “It’s just programming and wires.”

“So you build things too?”

“Yeah.”

“But nothing creepy right? You don’t have some kind of artificial intelligence project going on in the basement with rats, right?”

“I don’t have any killer robots, Toma.”

A beat.

“Maybe an aggressive car.”

“Ha, funny.”

“Can you go pick up a part for my bicycle?”

“Sure. Same place as last time right? I could say hello to Rin-chan. Freak out Tori-kun a bit.”

“Why?”

“Well, seeing as you never leave the wall, Maki - there’s a whole wide world out there. It’s pretty fascinating, in a human drama sort of sense.”

“I go outside.”

“When?”

“When you leave.”

“You mean I could run into you on the street and I would never know?”

“Maybe.”

“Ha, I bet I could figure you out.”

“Only if I talk to you. You know my voice only.”

“I bet the rest of you is as nice,” Toma blurts out. He feels his cheeks redden, and he coughs. “Anyway, bicycle part - what part?”

“I need new brakes.”

“Okay. Do you need anything else?”

“Surprise me.”

Rin-chan is talking animatedly to another customer when Toma wanders in. Tori-kun is pricing bicycles in the corner, while keeping a nonchalant eye on his coworker. Toma grins and watches the pair of them.

Rin’s gotten rid of her glasses and now that her face isn’t hidden by comically large frames, he can see that she is pretty.

He saunters over when she’s finished with her customer, and he leans against the counter. “Hi, Rin-chan,” he drawls.

Rin brightens at the sight of him and smiles cheerily. “Toma-san! My best customer. How are you?”

“Ah, feeling regretful that I haven’t seen you sooner. I should have made an excuse,” and he can see the tips of Tori-kun’s ears go red. He leans in conspiratorially. “Anyway, I have two orders for you today. New brakes and,” he spots a carrier bag on the wall. It is blue and green, and there is a wooden pin in the shape of a…”Is that an alpaca?”

Rin glances over at the wall and smiles. “Oh yes, it is. We just got that design in today, actually.”

“Perfect. I want that one. Oh, and don’t charge it to the account, I want to pay for it separately.”

Rin smiles as she wraps it up. “Present for your girlfriend?”

“I don’t have one, actually. Do you have a boyfriend?”

Toma watches as Tori’s back hunches up.

“No,” Rin says demurely. “I don’t.”

“What a shame,” Toma says and Tori’s posture relaxes, almost sags. “Well, I’ll be seeing you again, probably the same time.”

He glances at the clock on the wall. “Hey, your time is off. That’s two hours behind.”

Rin shakes her head. “Oh no, we keep it on time. Maybe your watch is broken.”

“Maybe? I’ll fix it later.”

“See you soon?” Rin smiles, and Toma wonders what Tori-kun is thinking.

“Yeah, definitely.”

The receptionist NanamiSaraMaryNao-chan lets him back in and he walks into the familiar office.

“I got your brakes,” he calls out. “And something else.”

“Really?”

“It’s a surprise, like you wanted.”

Toma looks at his watch. “Oh, I must have been gone longer than I thought. It’s time for me to go.”

“Then I’ll see you tomorrow?”

“Same time,” Toma says. “Are you sure I can’t see you?”

“It’s better that you don’t,” Maki says. “Anyway, I’ll talk to you tomorrow.”

“Okay, bye.”

Toma finds himself walking back to the bicycle shop. Tori-kun is wiping the windows outside when he arrives.

“Yo,” Toma greets him. Tori-kun’s face stiffens, then he bows. “Hello Toma-san.”

“You don’t have to call me that,” Toma says. “I’m not that much older than you are.”

“It’s business hours,” Tori-kun says, but he loosens up a little. “Did you forget something?”

“I just wanted to see if Rin wanted to get some coffee,” Toma says breezily. “Is she in?”

“She’s out,” Tori says shortly. “Also, she doesn’t date.”

“Really? Did you ask her?”

At this, Tori deflates. “No. I can’t get the courage. She’s just so….”

“Pretty? Cute? Out of your level?” Toma supplies.

“She’s distant,” Tori snaps. “I mean, she’s perfectly friendly and kind, but she doesn’t really give anything away.”

He frowns. “I’ve been working with her for over a year and I still don’t have her phone number.”

“I know someone like that. So why do you still…”

“It sounds pathetic, I know,” Tori says. “But I’m just happy to be around her.”

“That is pathetic,” Toma agrees, then slaps Tori on the back. “I’m rooting for you though.”

“Thanks, I think.”

“You never know, maybe today’s the day.”

“The 28th? Yeah, maybe.”

That night, Toma thinks about Rin and Tori, and how glaringly obvious life can be - and how unfair at the same time. He thinks about Maki and what she looks like - is she tall, is she short? What color is her hair? What does she like to eat? Would she like his present?

Happy just to be around her.

“You’re pathetic, man,” Toma says out loud. “Stupid fool.”

Private eyes

Artemis Agency breaks even on their fourth case and has enough money to move into their own building by case seven. Meisa takes Maki out to celebrate, and Mirei and Jun tag along.

“What do you think you’re going to do with all the money you’ve made?” Mirei asks idly.

Maki stirs her drink and listens to the clinking of ice cubes. “Maybe I’ll start a research lab. It’s what I really like doing.”

Meisa leans against her and reaches for her cocktail. “I want to go on vacation. Somewhere warm and sunny.”

“Like Spain?” Maki teases. “Lots of gorgeous scenery there, I hear.”

“Mm,” Meisa says. “I could take dance classes, learn how to cook.”

“You can barely cook Japanese food,” Maki says fondly. “What are you going to eat in Spain?”

“Everything,” Meisa declares. “I’m just going to go to the beach and get fat.”

“What about you, Jun-kun? What are you going to do with your share of the money?”

“I’ve got my eye on some investments,” Jun says, without taking his gaze off of Mirei.

She snorts. “Yeah, I paid for dinner last night by the way.”

“I’ll make you dinner, I’m really good with Italian dishes,” Jun says. “Come over.”

He waves his hand. “All of you, you can come over. I’ll make a pizza.”

“I can’t, got an early call time tomorrow. Can-Can wants their models to look like they get sleep.”

“Maki? Mei-chan?” Jun waggled his eyebrows. “I have a wine cellar.”

“I’ve got to install our new security cameras,” Maki says.

“I have to watch her install them so I don’t accidentally trip them later,” Meisa says.

Jun pouts. “You’re all no fun.”

“I get to play with lasers, I fail to see how that’s not fun,” Maki says. “Enjoy your pizza. Come on, Meisa.”

“Yeah, Matsumoto, I’m out too. See you around,” Mirei says lightly.

“Let me call you a taxi, at least?”

“Fine.”

“So those two, what do you think the odds are?” Meisa asks Maki, as they stroll out arm in arm.

“Eh, I give it a month before he asks her to move in with him. And she sets fire to the place.”

“You’re so romantic,” Meisa drawls.

“You don’t see all the stuff I see,” Maki says. “All the divorce cases we turn down? I do my research first. There’s a lot of unhappy people out there. The cheating, the lying - I don’t get how it’s worth it at all.”

“Not everyone is awful,” Meisa says. “There’s things that can be fixed, people who change.”

“I know,” Maki says. “But those are rare and few.”

“Just don’t forget to leave your books for a while. I promise the outside isn’t so scary.”

“I’m happy just to be doing this with you,” Maki confesses. “I didn’t think it would work, but it has, and I think we’re going to be okay.”

“Team Maki and Meisa,” Meisa declares. She raises their entwined hands up in the sky. “Tokyo, and then the world!”

Sweet power

“Do you think this is a good idea?” Shihori stands in front of the nondescript building and frowns. “It doesn’t look like much.”

Maki pats her on the shoulder. “Trust me, there’s a world class baker in there. He’s the perfect one to cater your engagement party.”

“I’m not sure Shota likes sweets, though.”

“Ohno-san can do amazing things with savory pastries too. Come on, what are you waiting for?”

“All right, I guess it can’t hurt,” Shihori says slowly. “Maki, thanks for finding this place.”

“It’s what I do,” Maki says modestly.

Ohno-san greets them at the door, and Maki doesn’t miss the intake of breath when he sees Shihori.

For her part, Shihori couldn’t take her eyes off of Ohno either. Maki leaves the two of them staring at each other, and wanders over to the cakes.

She spots the perfect one. When she gets back, Ohno is explaining the different bread types to Shihori. “This one is kame-bread, because I bake it in the form of a turtle, see?”

Maki takes a picture of the cake and sighs.

Ohno gives her the cake on the house. Shihori breaks up with Shota the same night.

“Happy Birthday, Meisa,” Maki says, and lights the candles.

It is the 28th of May, and Meisa has been missing for a month. If you counted by the calendar.

In Maki’s estimate, Meisa has been gone for two years.

Your sleeplessness makes you a liar, part two

“What are you building back here?” Meisa picks up a notebook and pages through it. “Are these theorems? Maki, are you a mad scientist?”

“More like a tinkerer,” Maki says offhandedly. “It’s kind of like taking apart a car engine and putting it back together again.”

“Oh yes, like the average person off the street does,” Meisa says. “Maki, this looks really complicated. Are you sure you know what you’re doing?”

“It’s a plan. For…a time experiment,” Maki says carefully.

“What, a time machine?” Meisa has always been quick to catch on.

“Why not? Isn’t that something we always need more of? Time?”

“Yeah, but that’s just in stories. You couldn’t possibly make a time machine.”

“Maybe not, but I could always try. What’s the harm?”

Famous last words

The time machine sits in the basement of their building for a month, then slowly grows to take over the bottom two floors.

When Meisa checks in on Maki, she finds her sleeping by one of the engines, and she checks her forehead. Maki’s flushed and shivering. Meisa shakes her in alarm.

“Wake up! Maki, wake up!”

Maki wakes up with some difficulty. “What’s wrong?”

“What’s wrong with you?”

“I just overslept, that’s all. I have to finish this.”

“Maki, I think you need help. This isn’t healthy.”

“It’ll be fine, Meisa, wait and see.”

“I don’t like it. I don’t see the point. “

“It’d be interesting. Aren’t you even a little curious? What if we could go back in time? Or the future?”

“But what if you get hurt? This isn’t like you.”

“I’ll be fine. Anyway, don’t you need to go? That new assignment?”

“Nino can wait. I’m more worried about you. Let me take you to your room, at least.”

Maki had moved into the Artemis Agency a month ago, and Meisa was worried.

“It’s like you can’t even escape work, it’s always here. You shouldn’t have moved in here.”

“Once it’s finished, everything will go back to normal, I promise.” Maki yawns. “Maybe I will take a nap.”

“You need to eat too. I’ll order you some take out.”

“Fine, Mei-chan.”

“Just stay in the real world for a little bit longer, okay? It’s better.”

The ghost in the machine

Toma tears up the stairs, clutching his watch to his chest. He runs past the startled interns and pushes through the sliding doors to Maki’s office.

“You,” he yells. “You’ve built a time machine, haven’t you, Maki? I thought I was going crazy, with the clocks on the walls never matching my watch. But then - I went to the bicycle store, and Rin was gone. Tori-kun thought I was making things up. He was going to call the police on me. You’ve done something, haven’t you? You’ve made her disappear.”

He leaned against the wall for support, and caught his breath. “How could you do this?”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about.” Maki’s voice said flatly.

“There’s no such thing as time machines.”

“Ah, but if there was, you’d be the person smart enough to make one. I’ve been doing your research for months now, remember? I couldn’t see the patterns right away - because there wasn’t one that I could recognize, but then I thought of everything you’ve said. The clocks on the walls at the bicycle shop. You were always sending me back in time!”

“You do notice things after all.”

“And always on the same day. The 28th. What happened, Maki?”

“I was conducting an experiment.”

“People, real people are involved. You can’t experiment on people’s feelings like that.”

“Are you really that upset over Rin? She’s not real.”

“What?”

“Rin isn’t real. She was just…a diversion.”

“Tori-kun thought she was real enough. I thought she was real enough,” Toma argued heatedly. “That’s fucked up, Maki. What is the matter with you?”

“I was testing to see if I could successfully bring someone back and forth between times with minimal damage.”

“I was a guinea pig? That’s just great.” Toma started rifling through the shelves. “Come out of there, and stop hiding. I want to see you.”

“That’s not a good idea.”

“Oh, and ruining someone’s timeline is such a great idea? Stop hiding behind your words.”

“Toma, I really think you should leave.”

“Yeah, I’m over following your orders. I quit right now.”

“Toma,” there was a definite warning in Maki’s voice. “I’m serious, you need to leave right now.”

“What are you going to do, sic your aggressive car on me? There’s no way a car can get into this building, we’re on the fifth floor.”

“Toma, I just checked the security feed, and there are some very unpleasant men who are going to be up here in less than four minutes. I’ve already instructed the interns to evacuate.”

“Like I’m supposed to trust you now? Maki, are you even listening to me?”

“I listen to you all the time. Get DOWN.”

Her voice saves his life. Toma hits the floor just as the windows explode, shattering glass everywhere. Toma hears police sirens and the aggressive whirring of helicopter blades.

He lies flat on the ground and listens carefully. There are men shouting and he hears doors breaking. Aside from being covered in shower of debris, he is remarkably injury-free.

The police dogs find him first, and that is how Toma winds up in a cell at the Tokyo Metropolitan Police station.

He is transferred from the cell into a windowless room. One incandescent light illuminates the area, and he’s half wondering, half hoping that a balding man chewing a cigar will interview him, to add to the ridiculous surreal quality of his situation.

He is disappointed to find his interviewer to be neither fat nor balding. Instead the man is young, and thin. He offers Toma a glass of water before sitting down.

“Hello, Ikuta-san. My name is Ninomiya.”

Lightning in a bottle

Ninomiya-san worked for an agency based out of Akihabara, which was almost enough to make Toma disbelieve every word out of his mouth, except for the fact that Nino expected that.

“I deal with strange occurrences and unsolved mysteries, Ikuta-san.”

“That’s one of way of classifying crazy 2chan talk,” Toma muttered. “Seriously, I want to know, are any of my taxes going into this agency?”

“None at all, I assure you. We operate from a generous private fund.”

“So what do you want?”

“We want to know how much you know about Horikita-san’s time machine.”

“Who? Wait, you mean Maki?”

“Indeed, she’s the individual we’ve been looking for.”

“She denied she had one. That’s all I got before you blew up the building,” Toma said testily.

“We have tried being more polite in the past, but got no reaction. This time I thought it would more appropriate for a direct approach.”

“People notice buildings exploding out of nowhere. This is probably the top story in the ten o’ clock news.”

“Actually, the citizens of Japan are watching the latest political upheaval in the Middle East and shaking their heads right now. We are everywhere, Ikuta-san and we do clean up.”

“You sound as creepy as Maki did,” Toma shuddered. “Does it come with being super smart? I’m getting that feeling from you.”

Ninomiya smiled and the friendly action unnerved Toma further. “I’m flattered, Ikuta-san. I’m of average intelligence, actually. But I differ from the average Jin on the street by being five times more ambitious.”

“So…Maki really does have a time machine. Why do you want it? Oh wait, stupid question….”

“There are no stupid questions.”

“My high school teachers may have disagreed with you there,” Toma said. “I told you, Maki didn’t tell me anything about the time machine. I don’t even know what she looks like.”

“So she protected you for a situation like this.” Ninomiya murmured. “Two steps ahead, I see.”

“What, what situation? She lied, and also is an evil genius who may or may not be an evil robot. I’m not seeing any upside to this.”

“Shut up,” Ninomiya said politely. “You will be disposed of after I extract some more information.”

For the first time Toma noticed the small thin briefcase on the table. Ninomiya unzipped it and revealed a gleaming array of metal instruments.

Toma swallowed.

Ninomiya picked up a wicked looking instrument and weighed it in his hand. “Tell me Toma, is it nice being ordinary? I’ve never known that feeling.”

Toma found he couldn’t speak, or move. Sudden fear paralyzed him.

Ninomiya smiled. “Say ahhhh…….ggggrrrkkkk!”

Toma watched in disbelief as the man crumpled in front of him. A hooded figure stood in front of him, holding a taser.

“This is why we don’t trust the government,” the figure said. “So much interference.”

Toma found he could breathe again. “Who are you?”

The figure pushed back the hood, and revealed herself. Her hair was sleek and black and framed her face perfectly. She smiled at Toma. “I’m the woman who’s going to get you out of here, Toma-kun. Now follow me if you want to live.”

They ran.

And only one has the time right

Toma followed his rescuer through a maze of hallways, she always seemed to know where the security cameras were, and took them out with calm efficiency. While he was wheezing and trying to calm his inflamed lungs, she had no problems. She looked over at him while he ran and quirked an eyebrow. “Do you need me to carry you?”

Toma felt that he should defend his manhood, except that his entire body was in pain. “I don’t run for my life all that often, sorry.”

“It’s a pretty good workout. Keeps you young,” the woman quipped. “How are you with heights by the way?”

“I literally had a building bombed out from under me today, why?”

“We need to take a short cut. Here,” and the woman was busy wrapping a harness around him and what was she doing with that hook - and oh fuck, they were rappelling off the building.

Toma didn’t have time to scream.

When they were back on solid ground, sweet, merciful beautiful solid ground, Toma collapsed in an ungainly heap of limbs. The woman grunted and pushed him off of her. “Too close, Toma-kun.”

“How do you know me?”

“How do you think you got the job?” The woman stared down at him amusedly. “You were late for the train, right?”

Toma blinked, and then remembered. He gaped at her. “It was you!”

Story of his life so far: one Ikuta Toma, graduated from a fancy program at an equally prestigious university - and all the doors to the major companies were shut in his face.

They just weren’t hiring, and certainly not at his education level, they explained. We can’t afford to pay you what your degree entitles you.

“I’m fine with any money at this point”, he protested. “Really, I’d be happy sweeping the floor at DisneySea.”

They weren’t hiring either.

He had given up after the latest rejection, and pondering a future back in Hokkaido, when he realized he was two minutes away from missing his train. He cursed, and began running.

He knocked over a young woman in his hurry. Ashamed, Toma began bowing and apologizing simultaneously. The young woman had simply gathered up her belongings and walked off, not even looking at him.

She left behind a newspaper though.

It was opened to the classifieds section.

An ad was circled.

RESEARCH ASSISTANT WANTED.
Entry level pay, with benefits. Please inquire at this…

“It was you,” he breathed out. “You bumped into me at the train station.”

The woman did a little curtsey. “Guilty as charged. So, Toma-kun, would you like me to help you get your job back?”

“I quit. Maki lied to me. She lied to me about everything.” Toma said bitterly.

“Maybe she had her reasons,” the woman said gently.

“That’s a stupid reason. How do you know about her anyway? Are you an evil robot too?”

She laughed. “That’s a new one. No, I’m not. But with you, I am the only other person who’s managed to travel through time successfully.”

Another piece of the puzzle. “You’re the reason behind May 28th.”

The woman gave him a sad smile. “That’s my birthday.”

Over the next two hours, Toma learned:

Women were complicated.

Women time travelers even more so.

Meisa had wandered into the testing site, looking for answers. Ninomiya had been with her, as he was curious about Maki’s research.

Maki found them arguing and had panicked, pushing a random sequence of keys on her control panel. Meisa had vanished, Ninomiya did not.

“So it worked.”

Meisa nodded. “It worked. Maki really did it.” She said it with a tone of pride.

“Then why haven’t you contacted her? She’s been trying to replicate that sequence ever since.”

“I was angry at her, and it took me a while to get over it,” Meisa admitted. “Plus, I was freaking out at being so far off in time.”

“How did you get back?”

“I think part of it was Maki’s research - the things you compiled for her? She kept on opening doors for me.”

“Every day, I got a little closer.”

“But you’re here now.”

Meisa shook her head. “It’s seven days in the future. You haven’t been blown up yet, the building’s still intact, and Maki is still running her tests.”

“I don’t understand ---“

Meisa waved her hand. “I’ve had a lot of time,” and she grinned, “and I’m still not sure about the mechanics of it all. I could say quantum or particles or maybe quote you the winning lottery numbers for tomorrow - but questions of science are going to have to wait. Do you trust me?”

“Not really.”

“A skeptic, what a refreshing change. Tell you what. If you go back to the agency and it’s not there, I’ll take you to Spain. Show you around.”

“A vacation with a stranger?”

“The best kind,” Meisa shot back. “Anyway, you want to know what happened to her, don’t you?”

“Maki? I’m sure she just built herself a super escape pod and floated away,” Toma said.

“She has feelings, you know. Really, she does.”

“I don’t care,” Toma lied. “I just helped her with things, it’s not like I have feelings like that or anything.”

Meisa looked at him and then snorted. “Such a liar. Don’t go into acting, Toma, you’d be terrible at it.”

“What?”

“You like her. You like her enough to stay for as long as you did, even though she was just a voice coming from the wall. A hand at the end of a coffee mug. You liked that she was weird and smart and that she listened to you.”

“I don’t even know what she looks like,” Toma protested.

“It doesn’t matter, you like her already. More than you know.”

Meisa tapped her chin thoughtfully. “And also, you do know what she looks like.”

“This isn’t going to be some kind of love story,” Toma said weakly.

Meisa rolled her eyes. “It doesn’t have to be. I’m just saying - you were closer than you thought.”

She fished something out of her pocket and handed it to him. “Here.”

It was the wooden key chain off of Maki’s courier bag, slightly scorched. He could see the alpaca smiling at him though, and it gave him a renewed sense of hope.

“Tell her that people can’t be fixed. But that they can change.” Meisa’s voice was soft. “Tell her I said hi.”

Questions of science

“There are no stupid questions, except for that one.” Maki’s voice is firm. “Why do you want to know what my favorite color is?”

“It’s something personal. It’s just a token, something that proves you exist outside of this wall.”

“Really?”

“No, I’m making conversation. It’s a harmless question, Maki, just answer it.”

“There are no harmless questions,” she says, but then then her voice softens. “I suppose I like blue.”

“Really? I like blue too.”

“Can we get back to work, Toma?”

“Fine.”

Where to start

“I was hoping it was you,” he said and gazed at the woman in the chair. Rin, or rather, Maki, pushed her glasses up her nose self-consciously.

“Hi.”

“Someone says hi back,” he said, and Maki’s eyes brightened. “You met Meisa?”

“Yeah. I was hoping to meet you though.”

Maki groaned. “That’s lame, Toma.”

“Give me a break, I’ve had a couple of upsetting days lately.” He settles himself in the chair with her. “So, tell me all about yourself. Is Maki your real name?”

“Well….”

“I knew it, killer robot.”

- The end ?
Happy White Day!