chapter3 · 057-ep57
Episode 57: Iroha's Feelings
A little before Father and I arrived at the scene.
The smartphone on my desk vibrated.
Since I began taking time off school, I had been checking notifications far less often.
I didn't feel like opening the concerned messages my friends sent me now either.
Even so, the moment I saw the name displayed on the screen, I reflexively picked up my phone.
Himura-kun.
It was a short message, a video, and location information.
【I'm at the Former Minami Ward Third Materials Yard now】
【Takatsuki and the man who fought at Meeting Room Seven before are here】
【They're trying to take Awakener Development Program participants into a Gate】
I immediately opened the video.
Several unfamiliar men and women had been gathered in front of what looked like an old warehouse building.
A Gate floated beside them.
There were no police officers or guards around its entrance. I couldn't even see a no-entry barrier.
Takatsuki-san stood in front of the people who had been gathered.
A little ways away was the man who had fought Himura-kun in Meeting Room Seven.
I paused the video and checked the location information Himura-kun had sent.
Former Minami Ward Third Materials Yard.
Himura-kun was near there now.
Perhaps he was hiding from Takatsuki-san and the others as he recorded this video.
I was about to call him when my finger stopped.
I couldn't make a ringtone sound for someone when I didn't know where they were.
He might be watching the scene at this very moment, or he might already have entered the Gate.
If he was fighting, a call would only get in his way.
I closed the screen with Himura-kun's name and opened Father's.
All I had to do was send the video and location information.
Even so, my finger wouldn't move just before I pressed send.
『If necessary, I will post the footage of you eavesdropping from the next room on SNS.』
I remembered Takatsuki-san's voice.
And what I couldn't say in Father's study that day.
And how, after returning to my room, I typed messages to Himura-kun over and over, then erased them.
I remembered all of it.
If I told Father, footage of us eavesdropping in the rented meeting room would be posted on SNS.
It would bring one more unnecessary problem to the Awakener Development Program, which was already being criticized.
Himura-kun would get caught up in it even more than he was now.
So I thought I had no choice but to stay silent.
If I did nothing, things couldn't get any worse.
If I didn't go to school, didn't contact anyone, and didn't leave my room, then at least I wouldn't cause a new problem.
I wouldn't trouble Father or Himura-kun.
I had thought over and over of reasons not to act.
I don't think all of them were wrong.
It was true that Takatsuki-san had footage.
If it was made public that we entered the room next to Meeting Room Seven and used a listening device, Father's position would unquestionably worsen.
But it wasn't only that.
I was afraid Father would learn that I had acted on my own again.
I was terribly afraid he would be disappointed in me.
I didn't want to admit that I had involved Himura-kun and that the video had spread because I did something unnecessary.
For Father.
For the Awakener Development Program.
For Himura-kun.
Behind reasons like those, I even hid the feeling that I didn't want to be blamed.
And this was the result.
Takatsuki-san and the others advanced their preparations and put their plan into action,
while Himura-kun was chasing that scene alone.
If I had told Father sooner, maybe he could have stopped them before it reached this point.
Maybe Himura-kun wouldn't have needed to go into a dangerous place alone either.
But it was too late.
I couldn't go back to that morning and tell Father.
I couldn't erase the time when I couldn't send Himura-kun anything either.
I couldn't pretend the things I had done never happened.
But that didn't give me a reason to do nothing and not move again now.
"...I have to do what I can right now."
I didn't need to resolve everything myself.
I became unable to do anything because I tried to handle even what I didn't understand alone.
What I needed to do now was pass the information I had to someone who could act immediately.
Father should be able to do that.
【This just arrived from Himura-kun】
【It's the Former Minami Ward Third Materials Yard】
【Takatsuki-san and the man who fought Himura-kun in the video that spread before are shown】
【They are gathering Awakener Development Program participants at what appears to be an unregistered Gate】
I typed one more thing at the end.
【There is something I need to tell you, Father】
Less than a minute after I sent it, Father called.
『Iroha. When did this video arrive?』
"Just now."
『Was the location sent by Himura-kun himself?』
"Yes. I think Himura-kun is at the scene too."
After confirming whether the person in the video was truly Takatsuki-san, Father said he would contact Kujō-san and the police immediately.
"Father."
『Is there more?』
"Takatsuki-san was in that rented meeting room when the video was taken."
The other end of the line went quiet.
『What do you mean?』
I told him what happened in Meeting Room Seven from the beginning.
That I had followed Takatsuki-san with Himura-kun.
That from the neighboring room, we heard them discussing causing another problem to stop the Awakener Development Program.
I told him without hiding even that we had used a listening device to hear them.
Of course, I couldn't see Father's expression over the phone.
Because of that, continuing to tell him only what I had done without knowing what he thought was scarier than facing him directly.
Even so, I didn't stop midway.
"Takatsuki-san realized we were there."
『Did he say anything then?』
"He said that if I told you, Father, he would post the footage of us eavesdropping on SNS."
『And that is why you haven't told me until now.』
"...Yes."
Father didn't say anything right away.
"I'm sorry."
I should have told him sooner.
The day Takatsuki-san threatened me.
At the latest, when I was called to Father's study the next morning.
There were as many chances to tell him as I wanted, yet I kept choosing silence.
"I know I made a decision on my own. You would have every right to be angry. But please help Himura-kun and the others now."
My voice shook a little.
『Yes.』
Father answered briefly.
『That is why I am moving now.』
"Father."
Before he hung up, I stopped him once more.
"I'm going to the scene too."
『No. We do not yet know what is happening. It is not a place I can take you.』
"I understand."
It was dangerous, so I shouldn't go near it.
I didn't know what was happening at the scene either.
If I headed there on my own now, I would only get in Father's and the others' way.
Even so, I didn't want to wait at home like this.
"Until safety is confirmed, I won't get out of the car. I won't move on my own either. But please let me see this through to the end."
Father was silent on the other end for a while.
『You will not get out of the car until safety is confirmed. Even after we arrive, you will follow instructions from me or the police. Can you promise that?』
"I promise."
『All right. I will come pick you up now. Get ready and wait.』
The call ended.
I immediately began changing clothes.
A while later, when I looked out the window, a black car had stopped in front of the gate.
I took my bag and left my room.
Father was in the back seat.
The moment I got in beside him, the car started moving.
A little later, the car stopped a short distance from the former materials yard.
Father got out first.
I would wait inside for a while.
I wouldn't get out until safety was confirmed.
That was our promise.
If I once again put only my own feelings first here, nothing would have changed from before.
After a while, Father called.
『The man called Kanzaki and Takatsuki have been secured. I am told the scene has been confirmed safe as well.』
Kanzaki.
That man's name, apparently, was Kanzaki.
When I entered the former materials yard with Father, many police officers were moving around inside.
I saw Himura-kun almost immediately too.
When our eyes met, Himura-kun looked a little surprised.
I wanted to go to him right then, but Father headed toward Takatsuki-san.
After confirming Himura-kun was there just once, I followed him.
Father stopped in front of Takatsuki-san.
"Takatsuki."
He said the name once.
"Explain what this is about."
Takatsuki didn't answer Representative Mibu's words immediately.
His face had grown even paler than when Kanzaki spoke about Black Gate earlier.
He looked at Mibu once, then immediately averted his eyes.
"According to Kanzaki's statement, it appears Takatsuki Ryōsuke brought this plan to Black Gate."
Kujō-san explained to Representative Mibu.
"We believe he was also involved in contact with the staffing company and passing on participant information."
"Is that so?"
When Representative Mibu asked, Takatsuki gave a small nod.
"Yes."
"You gathered the participants here and led them into the Gate as well?"
"Yes."
Even after he admitted that much, Representative Mibu didn't raise his voice.
He watched Takatsuki, waited a moment, then asked.
"Why did you do this?"
Takatsuki slowly raised his face.
"Because I thought that even under you, Representative, I would always remain only a convenient assistant."
"What do you mean?"
"I have worked to make this Program succeed."
Takatsuki's voice gradually grew louder.
"When the field lacked personnel, I drafted plans for additional staff. When participants offered opinions, I organized them and put the ones we could improve into reports. I considered what the opposition would challenge us on. I prepared nearly all of the response plans for if an accident occurred after expansion."
Representative Mibu didn't interrupt.
"It was the policy you intended to advance, Representative. So I thought I had done everything I could to make it succeed."
Takatsuki looked straight at Representative Mibu.
"And yet I was excluded from the meeting that decided the Program's expansion."
The anger in his voice intensified.
"Only the documents I prepared were brought to the meeting, while another secretary attended in my place. I was only told the decided contents afterward."
"That matter."
"That matter?"
Takatsuki's mouth twisted.
"To you, Representative, it was only that minor a thing."
"Takatsuki."
"I worked to advance your policy. Yet I wasn't allowed into the place where the final decisions were made."
Takatsuki paused once.
"You didn't need me. You only needed the documents I made and the work I cleaned up."
Around then, it seemed someone on the side of the influential representative who opposed the Awakener Development Program approached him.
You know the field best.
Representative Mibu is using you.
After we revise the Program, we want you to join our policy team.
Takatsuki was talking as though spilling out what he had been told midway through.
"For the first time, there was someone who saw what I had done."
"And so you leaked my information?"
"I thought nothing would change if I remained under you, Representative."
"You tried to destroy the Program you had been trying to make succeed yourself."
Takatsuki didn't answer immediately.
"I thought even if it succeeded under you, Representative, nothing would remain for me."
"So you thought it would be better if it were gone?"
"Not that far..."
"Then what did you want?"
Takatsuki's words stopped.
"You deceived participants into entering a dangerous Gate, intending to use an accident if one occurred to stop the Program. That was your plan."
After watching Takatsuki for a while, Representative Mibu continued quietly.
"You are mistaken about one thing. That meeting was not only a place to decide whether to expand the Program."
"What...?"
"It is a system only just begun. There was a possibility of accidents, and a possibility of political failure. Those who joined the final decision at that meeting would also be in positions to bear responsibility if it failed."
Takatsuki listened in silence.
"You were still an assistant policy secretary. If I added you to the final decision, your name would remain too if the system failed."
"That was why you excluded me?"
"Yes."
Representative Mibu answered without hesitation.
"Once the system stabilized, I intended to promote you to a full policy secretary. I intended to leave the practical work of Awakener policy to you as well."
The momentum in Takatsuki's face vanished.
"You never said anything like that..."
"I did not."
Representative Mibu did not deny it.
"I thought it was not right to discuss personnel matters before there were results. I also thought you would understand if you considered the nature of the meeting."
Takatsuki didn't move as he looked at Representative Mibu.
"It was my fault that I did not say everything in words."
"Even if you say that now..."
"Yes. Explaining it now does not change what happened."
Representative Mibu's voice remained calm to the end.
"But my failure to explain and your leading participants into a dangerous Gate are separate matters."
Takatsuki's mouth stopped.
I think Takatsuki's dissatisfaction at being excluded from the meeting was real.
Maybe he had reasons of his own for thinking that only he was being forced to do practical work and would never be acknowledged in the end.
But even if Representative Mibu's explanation was insufficient, that didn't make what Takatsuki did afterward unavoidable.
Takatsuki himself chose to leak information to someone else and deceive the participants into gathering here.
Takatsuki looked away from Representative Mibu and around at the scene.
The police officers around us.
Kanzaki, pinned down by Kujō-san.
Then me, the investigation team coming out of the Gate one after another, and the participants in this incident.
After looking at the people there one by one, Takatsuki turned back to Representative Mibu.
"I..."
He tried to say something.
But no words came after that.
It had been Takatsuki's misunderstanding that he wasn't recognized.
But even if that misunderstanding was cleared away, nothing that happened here could return to how it was.
Perhaps Takatsuki finally understood that too. He could no longer say anything as he hung his head.