In the Line of Fire, Chapter Four

[lafolie_sacree]

 Chapter Four: Aftershock Aftermath

 

"Good morning, Amou-san." a lady immediately greeted her when she entered the elevator bus. She smiled back at her and pushed the button of her floor. "Good morning too." she replied. "Oh, congratulations on being a part of the network. I'm so glad I can consider you as my workmate." and the woman went to a giggle. "Thank you. I'll do everything so that I won't disappoint anyone." she assured. "By the way, I'm Oomura Sachi, from the Marketing Department. If you have any concerns or if you need anything, feel free to drop by our floor. We're nice people." she said and the two shook hands. "I'm pleased to meet you, Oomura-san." Amou said. "It's so nice to meet and talk to you in person, Amou-san. Have a nice day." the lady said and got off at the fifth floor. Amou smiled to herself when the bubbly woman disappeared from the corner. It has only been three days since she her infamous contract signing and she's now being held like the nation's most loved comeback personality for the year. 

 

At least people still welcome me, right? She asked herself as she walked to their floor. On her list of schedules, she heaved a sigh when she realized that Director Sakaguchi was indeed right. She would need someone to help her with her schedule. She laughed a bit when she asked herself if she was a reporter or a celebrity.

 

"You look happy, Amou. Looks like you had a good sleep?" Umino greeted her the moment she stepped in the doors of the office. She smiled at him and laughed. "First day at work! Gotta be starting with good vibes, don't you think?" she said as she walked to her cubicle. A nice little stack of papers and folders were already waiting for her. She felt a sense of vigor coursing through her system, her eyes brightening with delight upon the mass of work that lay quiet on her desk. "Alright. I'll leave you to your little paradise." Umino said before strolling along. Amou quickly settled herself on her own corner and began working.

 

She took all the details in her head and heart as if they were her life source. She formed questions, statements and opinions faster than light speed. Her hands flew across the keyboard of her computer, the words appearing on the screen like magic. She was filled with adrenaline; her body never felt a single ounce of stress or tiredness. She knew that she was born for this; she was born to do this. She could feel her heart beating faster with every word, every phrase she made. She was so enthralled in her new job that she was able to send three reports just before lunch break. It was a feat and her new achievement. Several times, she was interrupted by phone calls from the different publishing houses that were affiliated with their network but that didn't stall her too much. She was on a roll and nothing could stop her....

 

Except maybe lunch break.

 

Amou stretched her arms up as she waited for her computer to shut down. The people inside the office soon stood and walked over to their peers, discussing where to go grab some lunch. A few went over to her desk, inviting her for a snack but she had to politely decline. She had to meet up with someone, as she had promised. Grabbing her purse, she made it to the elevator and down to the lobby where she immediately spotted the bright red that she was expecting to see. "Kahoko!" Amou called to the sitting lady who was busying herself with a magazine. A pair of beautiful golden orbs shone like the bright noontime sunlight. "Nami!" the woman jumped up and rushed to the ponytailed brunette. Both engaged in a tight embrace. "I'm so glad you could make it, Kaho. Were you busy?" Amou asked as they walked out the building. "No, not at all. Your call was a saving grace! You could only imagine how bored I am." Kahoko sighed in relief. She pulled out her car keys and the two ladies drove off to somewhere peaceful.

 

"Well, we've been together for longer than I can imagine so that can make up for my telepathic abilities concerning you." Amou laughed as Kahoko drove smoothly along the street. "Anyway, I had reserved a table for the two of us at the usual place." Kahoko announced. "Oh, yeah. It's been long since we last ate there. Are they still serving our meal?" Amou asked.

 

"You really call it our meal?" Kahoko snickered as she maneuvered her car on the parking area of a small restaurant by the edge of the city. It wasn't as fancy as the others in the city but the two ladies loved the homey and peaceful atmosphere that the location gave. It was like the house of the seven dwarves in Snow White: The restaurant was surrounded by well-kept grass that harbored freshly blooming flowers here and there. Butterflies of all sorts and colors flew all around and sometimes, bunnies would pop up from nowhere and give the guests a cute surprise. A huge oak tree provided much of the shade that the restaurant enjoyed, and there was a small pond at the side where you can catch your own fish. 

 

Just as Amou was about to push open the door, Kahoko stopped and eyed her. "You won't leave me any small detail, okay?" she said cryptically, and the hidden message reached Amou without fail. "I couldn't say no to my best friend. I only have an hour so we better start eating now if you want the complete details." Amou replied and the two got out.

 

Nothing much has changed, Amou noted. It was still the same old woodland-inspired interior that she loved. The excellent and intricate wood carvings that adorned the walls and beams took her back in time, when she was just starting out in this field. If most people have Starbucks or McDonalds to go to for comfort foods or cozy hangouts, this was her own version of those. So many memories were embedded in every corner of this place. She could spend the whole day lazying around in one of the cushion sofas that the place offered and eat every name listed on the menu as she worked her mind out for a new project or story.

 

The scent of freshly cooked meals made her realize just how much hungry she was. Kahoko approached a man and then they were directed to a spot by the east side, where the pond was at perfect view in the window. The shade gave the coolness that matched the warmness of the noontime wind. "Ah, this is so amazing. I missed this spot." Amou said as she trailed her finer across the well-polished wood with carved edges. Kahoko smiled back at her and sighed dreamily. "Yeah, it feels so nice to sit in this spot again." she said, shifting her weight on the soft cushioned seats. "Let's get devouring." Amou winked and called for a waiter.

 

"...And yeah, he did step out of the car." Amou said as she twirled on her carbonara. She looked up at Kahoko and saw how her gold eyes shimmered with worry. "Oh my goodness, I should have really moved in at the next unit." she said. "No, Kahoko. I'm fine. I know that your mother needs you more than any other person in this world." Amou reached out to hold her best friend's hand.

 

"But, Azuma is very unpredictable. Who knows what he would do next!" Kahoko shook her head. She wouldn't let anything happen to Nami. She had treated her as her sister. They have been friends for the longest time and they shared everything and anything under the sun. "I can still fend him off. I mean, I guess he's being a bit careful since he's got the spotlight on himself as well so he couldn’t and wouldn’t do something so drastic." Amou said, leaning back and crossing her arms. "I'm fine." she muttered again when Kahoko eyed her with too much concern. 

 

"I can't be too sure, Nami. I know you're capable of keeping him in a distance but...he's the most unpredictable person that you and I have ever encountered." Kahoko reasoned out. A small pinch of fear crawled at the back of her mind when she heard about the story of how Azuma's car was waiting for her behind her apartment. She knew how much Azuma was into her friend, there was no doubt that Nami was his world and his life, and that he would do anything to make sure she was fine but that didn't stop her from being too careful about him. Azuma was too shadowy for her. Sure, she approved of him for her friend since she knew his background and saw his love for Nami but...she can't be too complacent with him. After all, it was Azuma who...

 

"Kahoko? Are you okay? Kaho?" Amou was waving her hand in front of her face. Kahoko snapped out and smiled. "Are you okay?" Amou blinked at her. "O-Of course, Nami. I'm okay." Kahoko breathed out, silently placating her crazy heartbeat. 

 

"I knew it. I shouldn't have told you about Azuma." Nami sighed as she played with the ice on her glass. "And do you think I won't know about it. I'm as nosy as you are." Kahoko smiled. "You're my apprentice, after all." Nami laughed. 

 

"But kidding aside, Nami," Kahoko's serious tone quickly changed the mood. Outside, thick clouds began to cover most of the sky, blocking out the mighty sunlight that was taking residence in the vast expanse. "I want to be sure that you are fine." she said. Amou sighed at the stubbornness of her friend. "And how would you do that?" she asked back. Silence took over them for a few while, each of their minds working out a possible solution for this little puzzle. Both of them stared at the pond, watching the ripples form as the wind walked over the surface. It was like a droning effect, calming their tensed emotions.

 

"Ah!" Amou suddenly blurted out. Instantly, Kahoko looked at her, her eyes revealing that she too had thought of something. They locked eyes and stared at each other for a few seconds, before a smile identical to each other appeared on their faces. "I'll talk to Umino-san about that later. What do you say?" Amou asked, her bright blue eyes dancing with delight. Kahoko nodded, her fiery red hair catching the returning sunlight beaming from the crack on the clouds. "And I'll talk to Mother about it too." she responded.

 

"I'll call you tonight." Amou said and it was settled.

 

Amou wasted no time when she got out of Kahoko's car. She quickly made her way back to their floor and headed straight to their office. Despite the hallways being filled with employees returning to their desks and works, she was able to get through the obstacle just fine. There were already some people who were back on their seats and flipping through the unfinished parts of their work. She took a deep breath and faced the big cream door when someone cleared his throat behind her. "Ah, Kaji." she said and smiled. The handsome young man smiled back at her and nodded. "Can I talk to Umino-san for a moment?" she asked her superior's secretary. "Sure, you're free to talk to him as long as you need but," he paused to set down his precious mug of iced tea. "He left already." he sadly told her.

 

"What?"

 

Kaji placed his hands in his pockets and tilted his head. "Yeah. I was surprised when he called for me to say that he's leaving early." he replied. Amou crossed her arms and looked down on her shoes. "Did he say why?" she asked again. Kaji shook his head and offered her a seat, to which she gladly took. "No but it looked like it was urgent." he said, sitting down on his own seat at the other side of the table. "I think something grave and terrible happened, though." he whispered. Amou's eyes picked on the tone on his voice. "Any idea?" she pressed on. Kaji shook his head. "He didn't say why he was leaving early. He also said that he will be turning off his phone for a while so if anyone asks for him, I should ask for the message or a contact number in his behalf." he said. "Umino-san never turns off his phone, right? Updates are too important for him." Kaji added. Amou's brain started to move. "So that he can't be tracked, I suppose. He can get updates in any other way." she said under her breath. "Whatever it was that pushed him to do that decision, it must have been really confidential." Kaji nodded. Blue eyes locked with each other as they both tried to understand this puzzling event. “Thanks, Kaji-kun. I’ll get back to work.” She softly said as she rose from her seat.

 

The next half of the day became too heavy for Amou. She had managed to file in her other reports and she had even started to work on some that were due next week. She suddenly felt tired and stressed after hearing about Umino-san's sudden leave. Questions started to cloud her mind like a plague and she became irritated and frustrated with the fact that she couldn't answer any of them. "Umino-san, where are you?" she muttered as she turned off her unit. There was nothing left to do but to wait.

 

"Good work everyone. Take care on your way home." she greeted the people in the office as she left. She had to inform Kahoko about this. 

 

"Amou-san," Kaji held her arm gently. Amou spun and smiled at the man. "Oh, Kaji-kun. Are you going home?" she asked. The handsome blonde smiled back and walked beside her. "Yeah. How about you?" he asked in return and Amou nodded at him. "Can I walk you home?" Kaji asked as they reached the lobby. "Ah, you also take the same bus route, right? Sure, that would be nice." she said. "I could use a little company." she added. 

 

"By the way, Umino-san sent me a mail a while ago." Kaji said as they stepped out the building. "What did he say?" Amou immediately asked. Her heart pounded with the news. She held her breath as she waited for what Kaji was about to reveal. Whatever the reason might be, she hoped that Umino-san was fine. The last thing she wanted for the man was for him to get too troubled over something. She had treated the man like her father and it pained her to merely think that he’s in discomfort of any sort.

 

"He said that I should tell you not to worry." 

 

"R-Really...? He said that?"

 

"Yeah. Uh, actually, he asked me to walk you home." Kaji admitted with a sheepish smile. Amou laughed and patted the man's shoulder. "I'm sorry. I sure do hope this doesn't inconvenience you in any way." she said. If there was one thing that Amou doesn't want to do, that is to cause worry and inconvenience to anyone. "Don't mention it. Besides, just as what you had said, I take the same bus route."

 

"Thanks for walking me home. I owe you one, Kaji-kun." Amou said when they reached a forked road. "No problem, Amou-san. It's always a pleasure to help others. Good night." he said and the two parted ways. She knew Kaji even from before but it was her first time to actually talk to him about anything like what normal colleagues do. She found his presence quite comforting and reassuring with the sudden disappearance of Umino-san. She had always thought that she had nothing to talk about with him but it proved her wrong. He was well versed with most things and they literally just talked all the time. She felt relaxed and relieved that somehow, there was someone else who was feeling the same like hers and she knew that she could count on him if anything else came up. Knowing about this side of Kaji was a good surprise to her but the sense of happiness suddenly became too much for her. Something at the back of her mind tells her that she’s not supposed to...

 

"Oh..." her body stopped and tensed right at the moment she saw it. She knew that something was odd and her instincts were right. She took careful steps to her door, her eyes never leaving the strange and unwanted beauty lying at her doorstep. She bent her knees and grabbed the thing, its striking beauty suddenly appearing horrific to her eyes. In the dullness and gloom casted by the cheap light bulbs illuminating the floor, she wanted to believe that this was another nightmare, one that concerned him. She wasn’t sure if she should still feel surprised or fearful with this: she knew that getting in touch with him again would result to things like these. But there was something human and wrong with her, of course. She kept on hoping that he would stop and listen to her, that he would leave his old ways and just mind his own business. Suddenly, Kahoko’s words returned to her like a haunted music box that suddenly plays as if on cue.

 

Who knows what he would do next!

 

He's done it again, she told herself. 

 

"My, my. What lovely flowers. Your boyfriend must really adore you." An old woman from the same floor muttered when she emerged from the next room. Amou's hands trembled beneath the bouquet that bloomed in deadly beauty. Forcing out a smile, she nodded back at the old woman. “Adore is such an understatement.” She whispered as she pushed her door open, hoping that there are no more surprise gifts waiting for her inside.