● Illusory ●

Chapter 22

"Why of course! Feel free to pull him aside afterwards. I'm sure it's very important, yes?" Mr. Powell told us in a friendly tone. I nodded in response, before we resumed our meeting, moving on to the social issues between humans and gifteds. Then, afterwards, we spoke about the growing gifted population in Agloe and what Agloe will do for Marika and Rose, the two other gifteds.

Though, as the meeting came to a close, Mr. Powell told me, "You know, Miss Neverland, maybe your organization would get more funding and popularity if you had someone to represent, like how my son represents this company. Though, I don't think anyone at your organization could ever rival him aesthetically."

I resisted the urge to make rude remarks. "No thank you, Mr. Powell, I'd rather have my organization have a mascot for what it stands for, and as you see my organization is not a modeling company," I replied, though in my head I said 'But even a piece of old gum on the ground would be aesthetically superior to your son, since he happens to look identical to every generic male model in history'. "You see, I try to resist doing the same as others and forgetting what my organization is really all about. The beauty of someone's face shouldn't represent Neverland, it should be the beauty of life itself and the beauty of what life could be like if humans and gifteds lived in harmony."

"I see. I'd still consider a mascot though, Miss Neverland," Mr. Powell suggested, before dismissing the meeting. Once we left the room, Yuuko and I met with Kalle in one corridor, his guards standing nearby and watching us intently.

"Well, what is it?" Kalle asked with an anticipating voice. I looked to Yuuko then, expecting that if she wanted to speak to him, she would do so now.

"Listen, Kalle, I've heard some things about you lately that I just want to clear up, and I'm expecting you to be honest, alright?" Yuuko finally spoke, her mocha brown eyes locked on Kalle. The young man smiled.

"Oh, Yuuko, you know I'm always honest. What makes you think I wouldn't be?" he questioned. Yuuko's serious expression did not falter.

"Well, according to what I've heard, you're apparently not as honest as you seem," she replied, to which Kalle's inviting smile began to fade. Yuuko sighed then, and went on. "It has to do with Seiko."

Kalle was silent now, to which Yuuko went on. "Kallum, have you....done anything to Seiko? Especially before she disappeared?" she asked, to which the young man laughed as if she had told a joke.

"Oh, Yuuko, the only things I've ever done to your dear sister is make her smile and feel loved. Maybe perhaps kept her out of trouble a few times too," Kalle's friendly grin returned, to which Yuuko was still unphased.

"So, you haven't hurt her physically at all? To the point where you've made her flinch at your touch?" she went on. Kalle only shook his head, an innocent look on his face.

"Why would I ever do that? I love her too much to ever inflict anything like that on her!" he claimed, though there was still a skeptical look on Yuuko's face.

"And you haven't seen her since the three days before she disappeared?" she inquired, to which Kalle nodded. Yuuko only went on. "Did she say anything odd to you that day?"

"Not really, we just talked like we usually did. She did seem pretty annoyed though, and I did wonder why she was like that, and then voìla! The next day I hear she stabbed her friend!" Kalle informed us, to which I saw Yuuko squint. It took me a minute to catch what sentence in his speech made her skeptical.