“It’s been a long time.” Arisu s the words of the middle-aged man in front of her. He was hiding his slightly balding head with a director-style cap, and he was running to fat a little. Even so, his voice was as bold and forward as ever. Resisting the urge to curl her lip into a sneer, she tio listen, her dark eyes fixed on him giving off an ominous presence, which the man seemed to feel, as he paused for a moment, smile slipping, before he pstered it ba, and spoke again.

  “I’d ask if you were keeping well, Arisu-, but… you must be very happy right now. Vindication is the sweetest thing, right?”

  Vindication? You think that is all I desire? Fool man. You haven’t ged muside, even if yetting old now. “Get to the point, Miyauchi-san. I am a very busy woman, though you might not think so.”

  “So cold.” The man ughed. “You should call me Masaki like you used to, Arisu-. After all, didn’t FujiTV stand alone in supp you when the sdal hit?”

  A muscle twitched in her cheek, the only sign that Arisu was in aremely bad mood, her practised and once-legendary ag ability keeping her expression posed. Resisting the urge tle the man in front of her, or to open her Room and slice him in half, she instead tented herself by reag out and grabbing the hot coffee in front of her, taking a sip. He does remember how I like it, even after several years. Much as I despise the man, Miyauchi is no fool. Yet I ot allow this to pass uioned. I am done appeasing fools. “Supp me?” she tilted her head, pg one hand on her cheek, elegant fingers spread out, her nails, varnished in beatly trimmed, giving her a mencholy, grim look. Just like one of my past roles… “I think we must remember things differently, Miyauchi-san.” Emphasising his name in such a way showed her displeasure and the distaween them now. “Yes, I will cede that your ce at FujiTV stopped short of calling me guilty, like all the other els, but you hardly called me i either. The tone of your ce was rather… sacious.”

  He waved one hand desperately, and sweat was running down his brow from under his cap as he quivered under her gaze, somehow feeling it was more intense and dangerous than even her ag roles as a viliness in a live-a adaptation of a famous book. “You were a rising star, the rising star, Arisu-. You were eveo break into Hollywood, with your stunning cold looks, excellent intelligend fwless English it was just a matter of time. Whole geions of men, young and old alike, had you as their dream woman…”

  “I am not here to rehash the past. I know all this. Enough old Direao ehers for favours to get a role or some support, but I will never sell myself, nor promise on my ideals. I am a woman who keeps her word, who believes… believed…” she corrected, even her fwless ag not able to keep a trace of bitterness and malice out of her tone. “…in loyalty.” That is one reason White and Red appealed to me. They knew distrust, and prepared ways to enforce hoy and loyalty. The tracts. It is the reason I joined up with Red. Only to discover White lurking there as well, someone who shared the same distrust and bitterness as I did. Though she was betrayed by the world itself, her weak body, not by others… except for her parents. No, we are indeed very much alike. Or we were…

  “Look, the facts were damning. As damning as those hitting Ryusei-kun right now. Oh, and also Mei-.” He narrowed his eyes seargly as Arisu took another sip of her coffee. “We also reported on their sdal fairly. We don’t py favourites here at FujiTV.” He said piously. “But… once more the others are like wolves around bleeding, desperate prey. You were a star, Arisu-, and the brighter you shihe more people love it when you fall. In the case of Ryusei-kun, it’s even more pleasing to the average person.” He saking a sip of his own coffee, and Arisu could smell the alcohol in it with her keen senses. “Now you star iher thing that the desperate, average masses want to give their lives some meaning. They love a bright star going dark, but a dark star bursting into fme, brighter than ever, a story of triumph over impossible odds… the first, the fall, satisfies the dark urges within people, the sed, a rebirth, that gives the people hope, an escape from the bleakness of their daily drudgery.” he finished, satisfied.

  “So, it is all the fault of the people, not those who trol the narrative?” Arisu said, aohough mild, sent chills through Miyauchi.

  “No, not at all. All I’m saying is, we at FujiTV are more reasonable, we didn’t n you, Arisu-. We presehe facts fairly, just as we have with those whed you. Though…” he lowered his tone spiratorially. “…it seems rather fishy, how perfectly everything lined up. There are some, not me, of course, who are g it is all a set-up. After all, your return now…” he smiled meaningfully.

  “I assure you, their deeds are accurately reported.” Arisu said, her tone icy, and her urge to smite the fool rising.

  “Yes, well…” he shrugged. “I wouldn’t dream of calling you a liar, Arisu-, and of course I’ve had some of my best reporters iigating… it’s true, their sins are as you said, but… the timing, the effort required to gather the evide’s shog. You’d need collusion with banks, the gover, I and Phone panies, even fhat ignore all Japanese requests as a matter of course. Who has the power for that? Even the vaunted Japanese nobility…” he sneered, not liking them. “…that most of the popution thinks are merely wealthy businessmen from a bygone era, for them all to move together…”

  How irritating. I only accepted this invitation because I was told I would have something to gain. “Just what are you getting at, old man?”

  “Old? You wound me Arisu-. I’m just saying… it’s because you are one of the Chosen, as they call them, right? Even with that, there must be more though. There may not be a lot of Chosen, but keeping hidden isn’t as easy as people think.” He tapped his nose knowingly. “So, either you are unreasonably powerful…” his eyes narrowed as he made his points. “… have a vitally important ability, are well-ected…” he paused, enjoying the moment of dramatision. “…or all three.”

  “So what if I am?” she replied, calm on the surface, but boiling with annoyahin. “That does not make my innoy less true, nor those who betrayed me any less guilty. If you are looking for a story, I am no longer an actress, I have o myself with doing publicity.”

  “You know that the charity cert you are hosting as your eback, a major event for the victims of Kyoto, as well as the Diet’s pn to publicise the Chosen and calm civil u and disobedience, is being shown live on TBS. They won the bid. It’s being held at the Tokyo Dome and should be amazing. Everyone will be watg, and they have even agreed deals with a number of fn broadcasters.”

  Where are you going with this, Miyauchi? I may be the host, which is an important role, but the pnning is mostly done by the higher-ups and Oshiro-san. There is no way I influence which station receives the prize. “Yes, that is quite true. A number of vastly successful acts will be perf, and there is eveential of some fn groups.”

  “I am still surprised.” He said meaningfully. “You’ve kept a very low profile retly, Arisu-. To e baow… I wonder…” he paused, finishing his coffee. Arisu’s was growing cold in her hands, half-drunk and fotten. “…have you found someone new?”

  What? Her eyes narrowed, angry. “Me? You would ask me that? After I was betrayed so cruelly by the man I thought I was going to spend my life with? You dare…” Aether and spatial element rose arouhe feeling strao Miyauchi, but one he instinctively reised as threatening, his body telling him danger roag. Quickly he brought out a manil envelope and tossed it onto the desk, and as the end wasn’t sealed, the tents spilled out.

  “These are…” Arisu froze, her dark eyes hard.

  “People think what they do is secret. Poor Ryusei-kun, Mei- and the others are finding that out. No matter how well you cover your tracks, in this modern world, everyone is merely a misstep away from discovery.” Miyauchi leaned ba his chair, relieved that the killing ihat his body ig up unsciously disappeared. “I think we should have another coffee and discuss this. Perhaps a Mont Bnc too? I remember you ehem ba the day, there was an article that said it was your favourite dessert?”

  “It was. It is.” Arisu grated, staring at the photographs that were face up oable. How did he get these? No, that hardly matters. What does is… “What is your point, Miyauchi?”

  “Again, ’t we be less formal, more friendly?” he chuckled, but said no more until the waiter brought over more coffee and a rge gss dish filled with Mont Bnc, which was set in front of Arisu, paired with a silver fork. “Like I said, everyone has a camera on their phone, and everything is online. Nothing is secret anymore. I’m surprised it took four months for word to get out about you Chosen around the world. I’d have said four days would be more likely, but it seems there’s been a great effort to cover things up.” He tutted. “As a director of FujiTV, and head of the news division now, there’s no way I approve of that, Arisu-. I would have thought you hated secrecy, after… well, Ryusei-kun.”

  “What is your point, Masaki-san?” This wretch! If he thinks he bckmail me…

  Her ire must have exceeded her ag skills, as he gave a slightly scared chuckle. “Such terrifying eyes. There’s o be so angry, Arisu-. I have no ill iions. I wouldn’t dare. You stood firm before, and as you said, you weren’t oo fall prey to the casting couch, like so many. It’s that purity of both spirit and will that made you the dream girl for many. But it looks like you might have been caught at st, no?”

  Arisu studied the photographs, which were of her together with Oshiro-san, as well as some shots with White. These must have been taken when we were discussing matters outside of the Boundary. These are no mere quick pictures captured from a mobile phohese are professional peeping shots by paparazzi. Before she could speak, he tinued.

  “Oshiro Moonstone Akio. The man of the moment, the hero of Britaioo. There’s almost no information about her other thaatus as a uy student and… some medical records. Shiratori Himeko. Another of the heroes of Britain. You keep good pany. But he’s a lustful man it seems.”

  “You are pying a dangerous game.” Arisu warned ominously. White is my friend. And I have few of those. As for Oshiro-san… he seems an ho man, apart from his weako women. I no longer erust my own judgements, but… I believe I rely on him, until he shows me otherwise… “Setting aside me, Oshiro-san has signifit bag both at home, and now in Britain. Do you want to make enemies of him? And me?”

  “Yes, it’s not too hard to find out just who this modern-day Tokugawa Ieyasu, with all his wives and es, is marrying. At least the important ones. Fukumoto Hinata, who seems to have been adopted into the ailing Takatsukasa family, one of the heirs to Nichibotsu. Greatly wealthy. And Tsumura Motoko, only daughter of a very powerful house, ohat has long ahe military of our try behind the ses. It seems tal that money and authority are o reveal the sins of those who betrayed you…”

  “I do not see your point.” Arisu decred coldly. “Are you threatening me?” I scoff at such rumours. I have no pns to return to ag, so my career ot be damaged further. But White… I do not want her entangled in my worries. And I have no wish to cause Oshiro-san trouble. The future prosperity of White, Suzanne-san and myself relies on his successes. Now that we are exposed, and the alliance broken along with the tracts, our inal pn of solidating all of Tokyo under our trol is but a wish. Only Oshiro-san has the capability of that now, much as he has taken trol of Kyoth Suzuki-san. “I would doubt you are so bold.” The Mont Bnc gss split in front of her, toppling into two halves, scattering sweet dessert all over the table. Miyauchi swallowed, but still saved the photographs from the spill.

  “Threaten you? Heavens forbid I be so stupid. Aren’t these good shots? You make a lovely couple… err, throuple? Uh… maybe a harem? You are all powerful Chosen, and you are both beauties, while he is a handsome man. I think the public would be captivated. Look…” he smiled ingratiatingly. “It will e out eventually…”

  “There is nothing to e out.” Arisu insisted coldly. “He is dating White… the one you called Himeko-. And while I do ly approve… as long as he does not mistreat her, I will hold my peace. As for me, I am merely a co-worker, an ally. If you try and make more of it than it is…”

  “Oh, just as before, we will only publish what we know.” He said reassuringly. “And we’ll let the public decide. As is only proper.”

  That is a threat. But he knows only too well… sdal is easy to manufacture with a little careful pt of half-truths. “You are making a mistake.” She warned. “What do you want?”

  “A mistake? Heavens no. But…” he seemed genuinely ied. “Is there really nothiween you?”

  “No. we are… at best, friends.” She said coldly.

  “Oh. A shame. But if you do ever get together with him, let me know. I’ll make sure we report it in the best possible light.” he promised, and she curled her lip, again finding it difficult not to bisect him like she did the dessert gss. “Anyway, ba topic…” he tinued. “I was thinking. The charity cert would go much better with a bit of… text.” He mopped his sweat and carried on with his idea. “There’s still a lot the world doesn’t know, and while a few brave Chosen have gone on record worldwide… if you and the Hero of Londoo do so… on FujiTV, for example… well, I think you uand?”

  Oh I do. He’s bitter the pie is going to someone else, and wants to carve off a big piece first. “I do not trol Oshiro-san’s as. We are not together, despite what you think.”

  “But he will listen to yht Arisu-? There are few men who wouldn’t. And it isn’t a bad deal. All publicity is good, and public opinion on him and Chosen in general is very fluid right now… a few of the right questions and it could work wonders. As for you… you might not be ied in showbiz right now, but you do want reveBS was not shy iing you when you were down, and their ce of Ryusei-kun and the others is rather less front are than yours was. Nobody likes to be wrong.”

  True. I do despise them. But… I hate being bckmailed. I easily refuse and apologise to the others involved, but… he is right about oter. “I ask, but…”

  “Excellent, excell...ent?” he paused as his coffee cup split, spilling hot liquid on his leg. As he yelped and rushed for a napkin, he found Arisu’s cold gaze on him, and he swallowed, the burning pain fotten as he inned like she was a snake.

  “…if you e, I am nawa Arisu, foolish actress and na?ve idiot in love. I am Arisugawa Arisu, Chosen who find you wherever you go. And if I crush my enemies with the es you hint at, I certainly stomp you to dust, and FujiTV too. So I do have ditions…”

  The man nodded. “Of course, Arisu-, anything for you! Anything!”

  ********

  “Rough day, Arisu-?” Suzanne-san spoke up from where she was reading some manga, lollipop in her mouth as usual, giggling vapidly to herself. Pirl. She is quite touched in the head. But she is loyal, and I respect that. Now she has thrown in her lot with Oshiro-san…

  “Why are you at my home, Suzanne-san? Are you short on money again?”

  “No problem!” She raised one hand, making a cutesy peace sign, just like an idol would at a cert. “The Boss gives me all I need. She gets it from Akio-kun. He doesn’t want his best idol to starve or have to start doing the dark side of the business. I’m not selling my used underwear!”

  Yes, she is quite the idiot. But being an idiot does not mean she is entirely foolish. In battle she has great skills, when she be persuaded to use them… “No, I uand. The idol industry is… somewhat adjat… to ag. If you were to be such a fool as to fall for any casting couch scams, why, I would have to cut you off, Suzanne-san.”

  She shuddered theatrically, her blonde drill-tails boung with her. She stroked her neervously. “When you say that, Arisu-, it doesn’t sound like a joke, I imagine guillotines. But yes, I am a pure idol, no affairs with the producer for better gigs or shady deals will I uake!” she said proudly. “I am going to be number one! So, I hear you went to see an old acquaintan the TV business. Is it about the cert? Am I being moved up the billing?”

  She is rather talkative, but half of what she says is nonsense. I almost prefer Bunta-san, his nervousness keeps him silent at least. “Move you up? You have, what… three songs?”

  “Up to five now!” she said proudly. “And I have to sell myself… uh, poor choice of words. You know what I mean!” she tinued. “I suppose I shouldn’t be too greedy, but… how about dang a song with Red and White? Tamami- and I message a bit since we met in Kyoto, but whenever I ask about that I never get a response…”

  Because she does not want to hurt your feelings with a no, girl. If you were truly Japanese you would learn o ask questions that only lead to ft refusal. Especially in this industry. It simply is not done. “I am not the oo ask. Oshiro-san is the one who has the most sway.” She evaded.

  “Oh yeah, makes sense!” She finished her lollipop, uned another and sucked on it cheerfully. “Anyway, subject ge. Bunta-kuo be doing all right for himself. I hear he went out and busted a Chosen who lotting to attack a school. I hear he’s getting a endation and a pay rise.”

  “Yes, he is far happier uhe prote of the strong. Unlike Daizen, who wished to be strong himself and take revehat is why reciated Daizen, but I was also wary of him. I knew just how deep his hatred and desire for retribution was, and so when he felt betrayed by us, I knew he could not be left to escape. Foolish man. Arisu’s lips curved into an angry smile, and Suzanne-san shuddered again. He expanded small slights and misfortunes into huge amounts of hatred. He would have dohe same to us. So I have s. Besides… the pn has ged, but White is stronger, and a single Oshiro-san is worth ten Daizen’s, and he does not e alone… “Do you have anything to report to me?”

  As Arisu-san took off her long, expensive coat, revealing the burgundy gown she wore underh, Suzanne-san ughed. “Oh yeah, it’s all happening back at Akio-kun’s pce. The boss, Hinata- and Shaeu- are getting up to some really fun stuff. It’s not for me, I have to remain unblemished, but…” she giggled happily. “I must say I want one of the outfits… in fact…” she seemed inspired, reag for a pad beside her, grabbing a pen, still sug on her lollipop, blue eyes a little distant. “Song number six is just below the surface. I make it in time… but the e… I know, I’ll ask Natsumi-, her family owns a clothing store, right?”

  Arisu felt a headache ing on. The oblivious girl… “Hori-san is from a prestigious family that has dealt in traditional, high-end Japanese clothing for hundreds of years.” I have several kimono from them myself, I was surprised Oshiro-san was eo the daughter of their family. “… I doubt they have any i in idol es.”

  “No way, that just makes them crave a challenge, I bet. Let me fire off a text to Natsumi-, she won’t let me down, I know!”

  Ping her forehead, Arisu sighed. I suspect she will at least try, sidering that she wishes to support Oshiro-san, and Suzanne-san is a powerful asset for him. I hope her demands are not too onerous. “So tell me, just what was White doing?”

  “Oh, get this!” Suzanne-san said, still scrawling words, a mixture of English and Japanese, on the page, along with musiotes and dance chraphy. “The boss is putting together a secret army for Akio-kun. It’s all girls though, and its obvious they are thinking it’s going to be his in more ways than one.” She giggled. “Don’t look like that, Arisu-, it’ll be awesome. The uniform was sweet too…”

  “I simply do not uand her iions, and that puzzles and worries me.” When I first discovered that uhe robes was a hurt, vulnerable woman, I was surprised, but found myself drawn to her. We became… friends. Yes, friends. And I have so fee mostly talked of generalities, but on the few occasions she mentioned her only friends other than me, from her uy, she became animated, bright, almost cheerful for a while. And two names she spoke of more than any others were Oshiro-san, and the other, the leader of their group, Hayato-san. I think she had feelings for them, perhaps she did not know it herself, but in the end she chose Oshiro-san. A wise choice, for only he could handle her and her great burden. But… I ot fathom why she would ence this. When she said so, she received such a look from Suzanne-san that she had never seen before, one of a mixture of pity and annoyance. I do not care for it.

  “For a smart woman, Arisu-, you be kind of dumb sometimes. Uh…” Suzanne-sa pale, realising who she eaking to. “But I love you all the same, yood to me, let me stay here sometimes… but… you don’t get the boss, for all your abilities to read people. She’s just… too broken.”

  Arisu raised an eyebrow, sitting down, and allowed Suzanne-san to tihat’s what’s cool about the Boss. I realised it when she showed she was just a young woman under her robes. Not just anyone make a deal with a devil knowing what it will cost herself and others. But the boss doesn’t care. She has nothing to lose over the years, nor anything to gain, so when she was offered a choice, she took what she wanted and didn’t care about sequences. After all, nobody cared about her.” Suzanne-san looked sad at that, and Arisu knew she too had a story, otherwise why would she have run away from Amerie to Japan?

  “It’s the same now. She loves Akio-kun, which is totally sweet. They make a great couple.” Suzanne-san grinned. “But when she discovered her real feelings, it was too te, you know?” she tinued, Arisu listening ily. “Akio-kun’s a devil of a different sort, you know?” Suzanne-san giggled. “He’d already sunk his cws into irls, so Shiro either had to give up, or live with it. And she’s given up giving up. Now she grabs what she wants and damns the sequences. More… she goes further. It’s awesome. Since Akio-kun has a harem, she doesn’t fight it, she told herself she’ll delight in it, and so she does. It helps there’s girls like Shaeu- around with a simir mi. So… other than a few she’s genuinely scared of, like you, Arisu-…”

  Me? Why would she be scared of me?

  “…she feels pride when her man shows he’s the best there is, the one every woman wants. Every girl added is ahat the boss feels good about. She doesn’t do half measures, not anymore, not after only being able to do quarter measures, no, huhs, her entire life. But… not you.” She repeated. “Because the boss is worried that if you started falling for Akio-kun, you’d be te in his heart. The irls, she believes she beat, that Akio-kun likes her most.”

  “Me? Why?” Her puzzlement was genuine. “I have not the deep bond they share, nor…”

  “Yes, but… oh, never mind. Guess you don’t get it. Maybe you’ll uand in time.” Suzanne-san said, patronisingly. “But it’s none of my business anyway. What matters is, it’s a good pn. A loyal army, no, a cult… and it’s not like anyone is being forced into things. But peer pressure is a terrible curse, you know…” She looked sad, her blue eyes showing her pain. “…people in groups go with the flow. So in time, nobody will see any problem with being Akio-kun’s, iher mind or body. Though he might not even notice or do anything about it. He’s got his hands full as it is.” She finished her expnation with an amused giggle.

  “I see.” Arisu said, p it. It is no different to the tract s before. I approve of ties of unbreakable loyalty. I will of course not be partaking though. Where I sit now is fortable and bes us all.

  “Oh yeah, and the rat, that Ixitt-kun, he wanted you to visit at some point.” Suzanne-san remembered. “About the … uh, Klein bottle?”

  Oh yes. That. He believes it is the secret to both my prowing, and also several problems he is fag. I suppose I make time. After all… remembering the promises she had extracted from Miyauchi, she frowned. I have to speak to Oshiro-san. If he does not agree, it matters little. But there may be some bes if he does…

  ShipTeaser