Chapter 17 – Clues from Mecchen House (cont.)

It was calm and warm when we turned onto the road and crossed the street during an ebb in traffic. My fandom spirit made my eyes linger on the colorful sight of the anime shop, but we didn’t stop this time either. A group of men passed to our left. They looked quite tall and young.

They were dressed in a different color scheme than the Azako uniforms. All four of them had that pretty-boy look we also had when we first emerged from the forested path. One had slick-back black hair with a harsh frown, another had a soft crown of feathered-blond hair and light-grey eyes, another looked confident but long locks tumbled over his eyes and the one in the back seemed to be lugging more than he could manage with a younger brother look and worried eyes.

The confident one stopped the group with a snap of his fingers and turned to look at Jamie. His nose fanned out with a dark line rising to his thick eyebrows. He held a hand out and closed his eyes.

“And where are two lovely maidens such as yourselves going without a strong, protective escort?”

I had to wonder if that was a common line he used.

Jamie glared, growled a bit, and stomped off. I followed behind. I heard him call to us, “Why the hurry, ladies?”

A burst of wind, gusting at our backs, cloaked what he said next in the murmuring and chuckles of his acquaintances.

Jamie said, striding past the businesses, “I’d much rather deal with the police than those jerks.”

It didn’t take us long to reach the police box. Just one officer was inside, seated and writing. He seemed lost in thought. Jamie coughed. He threw the paper and pad in the far corner of the room, almost as a reflex. He took a moment to catch his breath, stood, and smiled to us with a light, sweat-drop appearance.

“Sorry about that. How can I help?” He had short, black hair that seemed to defy gravity with a series of rippling spikes at his crown. His arms were beefy. Even his feet seemed to dwarf us. He was dressed like the officers from yesterday in a soft-blue, collared shirt with pockets on both sides. His hat, decorated with a golden logo, sat on the table. He wore lovely, white gloves that reminded me of Mickey Mouse.

Jamie did seem much more at ease around him than the quartet. He asked, simply, “We’re trying to find Azako High School. We have a friend there. We need directions.”

The officer made a little bow and smiled. He pulled a paper map out of the drawer, rubbed his brow, and traced his finger over it. “My sister attends that school”, he explained. “Here, let me show you the easiest route.”

Jamie leaned close to get a better look and rested a hand on his shoulder. The officer looked over. He pulled his hand away and apologized.

The officer’s sweat-drop look returned in force. He bowed again and assured Jamie, “It’s quite okay… Madame… Madames… I mean. Here. You can take the Nasuka-bound line here. Azako is on the northern edge of this area. It’s technically in Nishibara, but before you reach Shiosuno. If you’re not from the area, I probably just utterly confused you, didn’t I?”

He laughed nervously. Jamie gave him a little smile and said, “It’s alright. So, you take this line…” Jamie’s hand crashed into the officer’s hand holding the paper. It made a little slap.

He darted it away and gave a little chuckle. “Umm… yeah. I don’t know if you know the routing system, but the track-board should tell you when that line will arrive. You just get on it, follow it to the 11-1 stop here in Kamitoba. You go east about three blocks and north one to the edge of a hill and you’ll see tall, silvery gates. That’s the school.” He picked up a pen and traced the route for emphasis.

I kept a bit of distance as he passed the map to Jamie and said, “You’re welcome to have this one. I have plenty of local-area maps. And there’s one on the side of every police box if you need to refer to your location.” He gestured to the wall and added with a chuckle, “The umm… outside, I mean.”

Jamie gave him the deepest bow I’d seen him give anyone. “Thank you for your help.” The officer returned the bow and smiled. “I’m glad to be able to help… Miss…umm… heh.”

It didn’t take Jamie long to chime in with the name, “Minamoto Kimi.” I wasn’t sure what to be more surprised over, the fact Jamie used that name for ‘himself’ or that ‘he’ had also presented the name correctly.

The officer smiled, gestured to himself, and said, “Policeman Yamamoto Kazu, at your service. I hope you both have a lovely day.

‘Kimi’s eyes widened. “Wait! You said your sister goes to that school. Is her name Miki?”

He blinked at us, confused for a moment. Then he clapped his hands. “Ahh… yes. That’s my sister’s nickname. Only her family is allowed to call her by her given name. She’s kind of embarrassed by it. I don’t see why, but I respect it. Do you two… know my sister?”

“We’re staying at Mecchen House,” I explained.

He made a tight ‘O’ with his mouth and nodded. “Wow! That’s so great. Maybe I’ll see you two around? This is my first day at this koban, but it’s already the best job I’ve had since finishing the Academy. And it just keeps getting better.”

He glanced at ‘Kimi’, who held the map close to ‘herself’ and said, “Well, thank you again. We just need to get new train passes, I guess.”

In a wink, he dove into a drawer and pulled out a gleaming, white card. “Here, I still have some left on this one. It should get you there and back with a little bit left.”

‘Kimi’ fidgeted between reaching for it and waving a hand in rejection but, with a sigh, 'she' took the card from Kazu, touching the edge, far from his grasp.

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A pair of officers entered from outside. They greeted Kazu. One of them was the mustachioed guy from yesterday. Neither said much to us, but they gave Kazu a few glances.

He gave a little nod to ‘Kimi’ and said, “Say hi to my sister for me.”

“Will do!” ‘Kimi’ replied with more exuberance than even ‘she’ seemed to expect. Kimi turned and hustled out before a massive blush broke out across ‘her’ face.

I followed after. Kimi slowed when we’d put some distance between ourselves and the police box. She was breathing quicker than usual.

I asked, carefully, “Is there something wrong?”

Kimi assured me, “It’s nothing. It’s like… darn female biology or something. It’s not that it means anything. I mean heck… with how things are… we have no idea if he’s actually real or not. He may just have been… put there to get me all flustered.”

That was something to consider. But then if we said one person was put near us intentionally… then where did it end? I posed the possibility to Kimi and she fluttered her hands in front of her as though she was trying to clear something in the air.

“I have no idea. I just know I’ve never felt anything like that around another… I mean… around these anime guys before. Not even Carolyn. It’s different even than the feeling around you. Which is still as strong as ever, I must say.”

I still had some questions for Kimi, but she seemed intent to get back to walking. She trudged single-mindedly down the street past the gift store where we bought the tape measure and confused a clerk.

We passed store after store, both looming and stout, with quiet clusters of people threading through and around us. I’d watched them with amazed curiosity yesterday. Today, I wondered if I knew some of them in another life, before all this happened.

It didn’t take long for us to find the purple walls of “Cute Boys Hair Care.” Carolyn was inside with a customer. We entered and waited off to the side. Carolyn gave us a glance, and said, “I’ll be with you in just a moment… wait… Do I know you girls? You two look familiar.”

Kimi and I glanced at each other and I stated, “You could say that…”

His light-brown eyes narrowed like little crystals as he peered over, half his attention on us and the rest on his work. He sprayed something on the customer’s hair and started to comb. A mess of green locks calmed down.

The customer paid and left. Carolyn stood and inspected us.

Kimi finally spoke, “Carolyn. It’s us. Jamie and Kelly.”

He made the connection instantly. “Wow! This place works fast. Someone made a Chia Pet out of you, Jamie. Wait. How far along is it?”

With a look, Kimi seemed to ask me to respond for her. I answered, “Everything. Pretty much. And we assume… you-know-what will soon follow.”

Carolyn took a step closer, scanning back and forth. “Well, I see you’re flat… so all the stuff I left behind? Wow, I figured you, or definitely Jamie, would find a way to stop it before that. It always seems guys protect that part of their anatomy above all else. I know I do now. But then you three always had this way about you.”

Kimi turned her head and asked, “What do you mean?”

Carolyn picked up a broom and swept up what looked like little shimmering grass from the floor. “I mean. Well, just the little things. How Jamie would be around me. I think I mentioned it before. Nathan’s overall demeanor. Your easy-going nature. I didn’t really want to say but, whenever I visited your apartment, it was always like going to a room of girls. At least, how I remember it.”

Kimi booted some hair around the floor with her shoe, and Carolyn scooped it up with the broom. They avoided each other’s glance. Kimi remarked, “As we know, your memory since what happened is poor, at best.”

Carolyn leaned on the broom. “Fair enough. So, what brings the two of you back today? Where’s Nathan?”

I took a turn at explaining. I slipped in details about how Nathan looked now, her new name, and about what we were doing today.

Carolyn twirled the broom. “He always was like the glue, held everything and everyone together. Keiko. It’s a pretty name and she sure does sound pretty now. She sounds happier too. I’m glad. Nathan always seemed like he was wearing an armored suit to protect others and shield himself. With you two, it was more like… a performance. Jamie, you were the skilled performer. You always liked to suggest your emotions were a put-on. But I always figured it went deeper than that. And Kelly, you always seemed watchful, expecting something to come along, like waiting at the station for a train… I’m sorry. It’s been something of a wistful time for me since you all showed up yesterday.”

He brushed the clump of hair into a dustpan.

I figured the same about Nathan and Jamie but, to look at myself like that, I couldn’t see the connection. There were so many voices telling me that I was a watcher, especially dark ones, but I didn’t feel like I was watching and waiting for something any more or less than anyone else. And I had risen to action. I had pushed away the dark ‘meanie’ from Ami’s room. I had organized, as Nina said. I had done things.

I asked Carolyn, “What about now… for me?”

He scanned me one more time, scooping up the leftover hair, and noted, “You seem stronger. More vibrant and a little fiery too.”

“Fiery?” The strange warmth from the darkness returned like the ember of a memory.

He chuckled. “Mostly your hair. But I don’t know. Just a thought. You seem more ‘you’ than you ever were before.”

Kimi slipped around. “If this is me, then I’d rather be someone else. I know you understand, more than anyone, the drawbacks to being female. And speaking of hair…” She fanned her locks with a palm and added, “I feel like getting a trim.”