"No way. AC Current looks so much bigger than I thought." Iteijyu praises as he got out of his car. He walks to the front door of the company with other students from other universities.
AC Current. An Electrical Company responsible for electricity transmission around Kyoto. Specializing with work-study opportunities, they help undergraduate students with first-hand job training for their degrees. In his curriculum, on-job practice is crucial for his graduation. The building has a large symmetrical layout of windows and a modern gradient gray color. Their guide, dressed in business casual, greets a warm welcome to the group.
"Hello everyone. My name is Mia Fudachi. I am a support specialist here at AC Current. I will give you a tour around each floor before you will be assigned with your field instructor." Mia gestures the group to follow her inside.
The interior of the place is of modern simplicity. Iteijyu zones out just looking at the whole place. One of the security guards looks at him apathetically and shifts back his focus. He turns back to see him switch out by someone. He's glad he won't see him again. His first impression is off to a good start.
"Most of your work will be done on the second floor with electricians and engineers. If you look outside, we have a construction site for students. You will rotate roles occasionally throughout your studies." Mia continues as they all step on the escalator to the second floor. Iteijyu ignores Mia and mindlessly looks at the janitor opening a door at the corner. Even listening to Mia bores him completely.
Many rooms are placed sporadically. There is an office room at the corner with a wide balcony. Many transparent, glass rooms circulate every corner of the place. There are group meetings in session about the improvement of products. The employees and the presenter all wave at the students. Iteijyu awkwardly smiles and shakes his hand up and down. Mia and the group enter a conference room. A big oval table in the center shows various sections of folders and group labels. Various Engineers and Electricians group together talking while anticipating their first cohorts.
"The table right here will show your university's name. Please find your respected lanyard. Your card will have your field instructor's name so please meet with them. We will begin shortly." Mia elaborates.
Iteijyu slowly scans the label. He looks at each individual worker and feels a small wave of anxiety. He never interacted with professionals before and already feels like dead-weight. What bothered him was the thought of living up to their standards. Iteijyu isn't the type to boast about his knowledge but without his parents supporting him, he tries his best to get through the day. He goes to the left center side of the table with three students from different campuses.
"Ah. You must be the last person missing in my cohort. Welcome aboard!" The electrician greets Iteiyju with a firm handshake.
"Hey. It's nice to meet you." Iteijyu shrugs. He puts his arms inside the pocket of his black hoodie.
The field instructor, a tall, cheetah breed with construction attire, positions himself. "Alright, let's get started! My name is Jiro Seijiya. I know you're all nervous but don't worry, we're here to help. For your first day, we will start the first hour of introductions in the lab and work on troubleshooting a fuse box. Remember to take your time. Everyone of you will make mistakes. This isn't a competition, you're all here to gain hours for your degree. Plus, we have other engineers to help you out! Don't worry, we will go into the technological stuff in the next few weeks. For now, we start with the basics."
Iteijyu thinks to himself while they walk together. "Hmm, I wonder if these guys are all experienced? I'm not good with hands-on stuff. I barely passed my exam. They don't look okay to talk to. No! I shouldn't be thinking like that. We're all here to learn. I got this."
"Something wrong?" a female tanuki student with a plain shirt and jeans asks him while they walk together.
"Huh? Nothing. Just kind of worried." Iteijyu glances away at the window.
"We all are. I have never worked in such a clean space before."
"You sound pretty cool. I'm Iteijyu Kasai."
"Nice to meet you. Kara Mitsuki. I got into this major because I used to help my dad out with broken tablets and we managed to fix them all."
"No way, that's awesome! I helped my dad fix a power outage and I learned on my own how to fix my old laptop!" Iteijyu chuckles.
"Looks like you got some experience!" Kara smiles.
The cohort group stops and hears the electrician explaining the room. The field instructor clears his throat. "This is the experiment lab where we troubleshoot all equipment inside. There are individual chairs around the room so take any seat you want."
#####
Mabaru gets out of his Biology class while walking to the library. It is afternoon so he has a couple of hours until he starts his lab in the evening. He orders a medium sized iced coffee while walking to the second floor. He spreads out his belongings with his books and boots up his laptop. His screen consists of different school tabs to organize articles and websites for his assignments.
"Alright, let's get to work. Or maybe, I could check on what Kazu's doing. Haven't heard of him for a while." Mabaru procrastinates and opens up his group chat on his screen. Coincidentally, Kazu arrives on time.
"YOO!" a slam reverberates the table.
"Ah! Dude, what the hell?! You made me spill my coffee!" Mabaru agonizes.
"Yeah for real what the hell was that for? We're in a library." Hisoki sternly asks.
"Relaaaaax, it wasn't that bad." Kazu smothers carelessly.
"'Bad' he says." Kin points out.
"It's okay. I didn't spill much, I think? Anyway, it's nice seeing you all again. I'm sorry Iteijyu and I haven't been hanging out often."
"You said that like two times. It's fine, we know you guys are busy. How's the first day?" Kin asks.
"Going great so far. I'm planning to meet with the same guy. The one who dorms with his sister."
"Hold on. He sounds familiar. I didn't think I caught his name yesterday. What's his name?" Kin asks again.
"Eiji Numeita."
"Eiji? I know him! He's the guy we've been researching about Ookami! We normally hang out when he's available."
"I want to see him. He sounds mysterious the way you described him, Kin. But, we're all busy with school. I hate it." Hisoki drops his head in disappointment.
"I know. I guess it's probably why we don't hang out as often as before."
"I'm pretty sure at least we all got someone to be." Kazu brightens the mood.
"Not everyone does..." Mabaru murmurs to himself.
"You said something?" Hisoki calls out.
"It's just. I noticed something about Iteijyu. I'm kinda worried. What should I do?"
"Hm. I think you need to tell him you're worried. He's done so much for you that maybe he needs an extra push too. You're his friend." Kin replies.
"That... is one of the most heartfelt things you have said Kin." Kazu notices.
"I don't know. Maybe this Ookami thing is messing with my head."
"I don't mean to interrupt but we'll be going now. We're gonna get dinner after. Are you sure you don't want to join? It's on the house." Hisoki invites him.
"I appreciate it but it's okay. Save your money, Hisoki. I have a night class. Iteijyu is going to pick me up once I'm done."
"Ah, you got it. Catch you later!" Hisoki waves. The other two follow behind him.
Mabaru looks down on his keyboard and regains his thoughts. "Kin's right. This whole thing is eating me. I should text him."
As soon as Mabaru pulls out his phone, he sees a student in the corner of his eye wearing a hoodie with his backpack. Mabaru flusters and scrambles his conscience. "Oh shoot. It's Eiji! Okay okay you can do it. You can get his attention. Just raise your voice a bit louder. Deep breaths okay, okay. Let's do it."
"Oh, hi Mabaru. I didn't know you're here." Eiji walks up to him. Mabaru flinchs and shakes his chair suddenly.
"Ah- Yeah! Haven't touched my book actually! I'm just too lazy to do the reading assignments. It's annoying."
"I can see why you got coffee. Make sure you add two shots of espresso, it'll make a difference in the long run."
"Hell yeah, a coffee lover."
"Is it alright if I may hang with you? My sister won't get off soon."
"Oh. That's fine. Did your class end early?"
"Yeah, my lab. My professor, for some reason, had to end class."
"Oh damn. Was she not feeling good or?"
"I don't know to be honest. I can only hope she's doing fine. Anyway, I can help you with today's reading assignment so we're all caught up with the lecture next week."
"Oh really? I haven't read my book yet."
"That's okay. I read it beforehand. I can give you a quick refresher. I have the notes on me right now."
"Someone's very organized."
"Am I? I'm not very studious mind you. I have to do what I can."
"See? Organized."
"Huh. Maybe I am."
#####
"Hey Iteijyu, your electrical connections are perfect." An electrician walks up to see his work. His wires have been connected to the correct placement.
"Is it? I haven't done electrical work since my first construction class." He rubs his head.
"You're a natural at this, kid. Electrical Engineering can be anything! You can be in the construction field or in the industrial side! The first week is going through the broad basis of your major. You're fine." The instructor sways his hand outward.
"Thank you. I just like working with small laptops, game consoles, and some technology stuff. My dad taught me how to fix an outage when I was young. That's how I got here."
"Your dad took a big risk, you know? But, I'm not complaining. There are other gizmos around here in need of fixing. You should be fine."
"Thank you, I appreciate it."
"Ah. Someone is calling for help. Continue with the fusebox." The electrician meets with a student at the far end.
Kara pulls up her chair and propels to Iteijyu. "Ahh~ Look at you, man. I told you you were off to a great start. Look at my fuse box, I rewired the ground wire to the incorrect color."
"Oh. You forgot to strip out the insulation on the wire. Don't make it too short. Your hooks aren't curled enough. That's why your end is hanging out a little bit. You wouldn't get a stable connection if they aren't tight."
"Damn. Thanks for the heads up."
"Don't mention it."
"Can't believe I'm ashamed in front of you, Iteijyu." Kara's head dips in shame.
"Come on, Kara. You said it yourself. We all start from somewhere. My dad showed me the basics when I was in high school. I was just lucky today!"
"Honestly, that's enough for you to make it in this field." Kara supports him.
"Come on, don't give me that. I'm sure you and your dad had fun fixing stuff together."
"Sorry Iteijyu, this is a habit of mine. I just need to brush off my skills, that's it. I learned how to make my own custom keyboard for a rhythm game."
"You're a rhythm gamer? Nice!"
"I have a lot of weird designs. I can show you once we're done with today."
"For sure!"
"It's actually not hard to circuit board. All you have to do is order parts and then, uh, go through a tedious process."
"Oh, I'd rather commission you and buy it that way." Iteijyu smiles.
"Ha! Deal!"
Their field instructor walks up to the front of the lab. "Hello everyone, it is almost five thirty PM. If you have any leftover fuse boxes not yet fixed, please place them inside the container on your desk. We will continue working with this on your scheduled days. Clean up your surroundings and wait outside of the room."
"Wow, time flew by very quickly. I actually had fun today." Iteijyu comments.
"Me too, man. Looks like everyone is leaving. Come on, let's go."
"I'll meet up with you later. I'm gonna go use the restroom." Iteijyu points his thumb at the door.
"You got it. I'll be in front of the receptionist." Kara reassures.
"Gotcha."
Iteijyu gets out of the restroom and wafts both his hands. As he puts his hands in one of his jacket, he drops his wired headphones near the restroom. He kneels down until he hears muffled voices adjacent to him. His right ear perks up with a conversation about today.
"What do you think about the new students?" An electrician asks the engineer and the field instructor.
"One of them stood out to me. Iteijyu Kasai. I'm surprised he was able to get the work right." The engineer smirks.
"To be fair, we're only teaching them the basics. It won't be until we put them in the technical course." The field instructor responds.
"We're going to the courtyard right?"
"Yep, that's where we'll put them to the test." The electrician chuckles.
"But, we have to take our time with them. We were novice guys before." The instructor comforts them.
"Yeah. It's just Iteijyu that surprises me. I remembered someone who worked here before."
"Oh yeah. That was a long time ago. What was his name?" The electrician asks.
"Yuto Kasai. I haven't heard anything from him but he suddenly vanished."
"What a shame. I bet Iteijyu will be his new successor."
"What? Even dad's coworkers don't know where he is." Iteijyu listens as his ears perk up.
"Man. Yuto would've been a good fit as an IT technician. He actually knows his work. Versatile too."
"I agree. If Yuto came back, he could've helped these guys! Iteijyu would've been proud of him."
"I think the last I heard of him was when he left, he had a conversation with someone special. Maybe he found a new oppor-"
"Excuse me? What are you doing?" A man with a business suit interrupts Iteijyu.
Iteijyu stammers. His hands fluster in front of him. "Wha! N-nothing. I was just uh..."
"Eavesdropping?" He sternly asks.
"No! N-not like that." Iteijyu struggles to respond. He stutters his words without excusing himself.
"..."
"Um."
"Apologies. I don't mean to intimidate you."
Iteijyu scratches his head out of embarrassment. "Sorry. You must be Minoru?"
"Yes."
"I never encountered anyone very important before."
"Let's cut to the chase. It is unacceptable to eavesdrop, that's none of your concern. Because I've seen your work at the lab and everyone here is impressed, I'm going to let this slide. I know you have big goals for yourself but don't continue this conduct."
"S-sorry. May I be excused?"
"Yes, you may. Your colleagues are waiting on the first floor."
"I'll be going now."
"Mm."
Iteijyu shrivels his fist in front of his eyes. "...Good job man. You screwed over Minoru, the big league of everything! I hate being nosey. But then again, why were they talking about my dad? Hm..."
"Hey! What took you so long?" Kara yells as her arms angle on her waist.
"I just met up with Minoru." He casually answers.
"Wait what? No way!"
"Yeah. I was shocked he was here. Then, he scolded me for eavesdropping. He let me go after. That was all."
"Woah. Did you realize how lucky you are?"
"Lucky? I was called out by him. I didn't mean to do it."
"What did you hear?" Kara asks.
"Oh? Interested in some gossip? Well, there's nothing much. He says we're going to do something new at the courtyard. That's all."
"Ah okay. I'll be going now. See you later, Iteijyu!" Kara waves.
"Peace."
Iteijyu reaches for his phone before he walks to his car. There is a missed message from Mabaru with a long text cut off. His expression shifts when he reads it.
Mabaru: Hey Iteijyu. I like to ask if you want to talk back home. I'm kind of worried something is going on and I don't want you to feel alone. I'm here for you.
Iteijyu opens his pupils and gently smiles. After everything he's dealing with, he needs to talk about it soon. He texts him back after.
Iteijyu: Thanks Mabaru. I'm okay with that. I'll pick you up soon. See ya.
#####
Every classmate went their separate ways. Mabaru is the only person walking by himself. His lab was pretty short, mainly operating a microscope and viewing different samples. Incandescent lights flicker as they illuminate small, circled, lights on the pavement. Mabaru sees Eiji again walking by himself. He decides to call him. Stumbling upon Eiji countless times must have been a miracle for Mabaru.
"Hey! Eiji!" Mabaru runs up to him, huffing each breath he takes.
"Oh, Mabaru. I didn't know you're out at this time."
"I just got out of my class. I'm going to meet up with Iteijyu."
"Ah okay. I should be going then." He redirects himself to his direction.
"Wait wait! I know we only met in class. Would you like to hang for a little bit?" Mabaru offers.
"Um, that will depend. Eri is staying with me at my dorm. Is there a reason why you want to talk?"
"Oh, I just wanted to meet with you. That's all."
"That's it? I never had anyone ask me to hang out." Eiji places his hand under his chin.
"You're cool! If you want, we can walk around the school if you like. I'm sure my friend wouldn't mind."
"I'd love to but it's okay. Security officers are patrolling around here and I have to be with Eri. Sorry Mabaru, maybe someday."
"You got it. Get some rest okay? Tell Eri I said hi." Mabaru lightly pats Eiji's shoulders.
"Of course. See ya in class." Eiji walks away from him.
Mabaru stands in place as he watches him. When he takes a step, he notices a black, spiral, planner on the pavement. He inspects the front cover with a sticker label on it.
"'Important plans with Eri'. Eiji must've dropped it. Hmm, it's almost late. Maybe I should go to the lost and found. Wait, no! The student center is already closed. I should return the journal to him. He shouldn't be far off."
Mabaru looks at the direction Eiji went and retraces his steps. He slowly runs to the direction and guesses where to go next. He relies on his instincts.
There were many buildings on different intersections of the area. The dorms are symmetrically placed as a grid pattern, with each intersection having a street name.
"Oh. Hang on. Planners usually have an address." Mabaru opens the first pages. He sees Eiji's name imprinted with big hiragana characters on top of a line and continues shuffling through the pages. He finds a section with a location name titled 'Kaneshon B side: 210'
"Ah. This must be it. I should be right around the corner. I hope I don't startle him."
Mabaru picks up a faint sound in front of him. He sees two people in casual clothing with one of them holding a box of cigarettes. Both are about to cross together.
"You sure you don't want a hit? It soothes your soul. I bet it'll help you with your workload." A tiger breed leans on his friend, struggling to maintain his balance.
"You smoke a lot everytime I go out. This is the last time I have to tell you man or else I have to call for help." The lion breed student complains about his attitude.
"For me? You do realize I don't do it all the time. Only at night."
"Still, I'm worried about you. Unless, there's something going on?"
"Do you have to talk to me like that? I'm doing fine!" He is walking badly until he almost hits Mabaru on his way.
"No. You're not. Just crash at my dorm. I'm sorry about that dude."
"It's fine. You take good care of him." Mabaru is chill with the accidental run-in.
"Oh trust me, I will."
Mabaru continues along the direction. Eiji's dorm complex is dark and silent—only the tall lights illuminate the area. He walks straight to the center garden as he comes to the main entrance. However, an unexpected arrival walks out of the door. His eyes widen when he sees who is coming out. A group of four young people clump together wearing black jackets and a hood covering their head. Mabaru feels anxious when he realizes they are the cult members mentioned by Minoru. There is no time to think. Their aura is already radiating major red flags from him. One of them—their group leader—tucks in a small envelope inside his pocket and convenes with his group. Mabaru quickly hides in a corner of a garden bed.
"Well. Looks like we got our payment from them. This should be enough for the boss." The cloaked leader recaps with the group.
"Good. I'm already tired of looking at this college."
"Don't worry, we're going to change that. Boss is going to compensate us very well. Come on you guys, let's go."
"Hold on. Something feels off. Do you feel like someone is watching us?"
"No. Security cameras are poorly managed in Kaneshon. We already avoided the guards around here."
"Yeah I know but, I feel like someone is around here."
"If that's the case, then you should look around. I'm going to go back to the car. "
The two men turn their backs and attempt to find the source. However, they didn't get any lead. The person who suggests the offer wants to think things through. He put his arms in front of his head and one of the members comfort him.
"Hey. What's going on? Feeling alright?"
"It's just, I want to continue with this plan. I feel like the world will be a better place if they understand what we've been feeling. I lost all that hope within me to keep going. And this job is going to prove what I'm capable of."
"I believe in you. I believe in all of us. It's what the boss wants. Do you know what's the first step?"
"To reveal the lies in this world. That the miracles are nothing but a hoax."
"I know. We all want them. But we know we're far better than that. The more I hear them, the more I get sick of myself living. We can do it okay?"
"Okay. I got you."
"And look. There's no one around here. Let's chill at our place after this. I'll order some food."
"Thanks for everything. I owe you one. You can go on now. Let me get a breather."
"I got you. I'll see you back in the car." The member leaves him alone as he walks away.
Mabaru overhears the conversation between the two and feels relieved. Typically in dangerous situations, it looks like they were doing fine. At the very least, not too concerning. They didn't hear Mabaru make a noise. He steps far back behind the building and turns around. He silences his fear and walks away from them. The quick shift from his body triggers a pulsating sensation. Someone, or something, makes contact with his shoulder. That small touch turns into a hard grip. Mabaru flings out of his spot and onto the pavement. He saw the same member talking to his friend. The member noticed there was someone.
"How much have you heard?" He grapples Mabaru on his shirt.
"Mm-Let Go! Stop!" Mabaru's mouth is sealed by the strong grip. The tension from him is stronger.
"Why should I? Now you know we exist." The member stomps his feet behind Mabaru's legs, stunning him immobile with his knees planted on the pavement. With a single ounce of strength, Mabaru looks behind to see a flying fist. He shifts his torso to slip to his right side and push him with his left hand. The momentum propelled gave him a chance to fight back. He can see an opening from him. He readies his right fist and throws a quick cross at his face. The unknown person retaliates back and grips Mabaru's punch. He apprehends his arms and holds him to a tight squeeze. Mabaru can feel his face gasp for air as he struggles to pull his arms out.
"I can't let you know what we're doing..." He stares at Mabaru emotionless.
Mabaru's vision darkens. The tight squeeze from him is enclosing too deep in his lungs. There is no way out of it. He scrambles his sight everywhere for an opening, anything. He feels his legs move freely the more he tries to restrain him. He uses this to his advantage and stomps his foot heavily. The member's arms slowly lost control, giving Mabaru another opening. The unknown person stumbles backward until a straight punch strikes his nose. The impact thrusts him to the ground as he is bleeding his nose out. Mabaru shakes off the impact and runs away.
"Hey! Get back here!" The loud voice swarms more concerns from students around. Lights from the buildings begin to light up.
Mabaru can't look back. Something bad is going on at Eiji's complex. Not just there, the whole school. He found out something and now he's a target. He's on their hit list. Thoughts race through his head the more he couldn't find safety. The vast space of the dorm area cages him closely the more he can feel his presence. His eyes widen again and run quickly. Mabaru looks behind him and he is coming close. He readies his arm to grapple him one more time. No one will rescue him. Mabaru desperately forces his legs to run quickly. In the nick of time, he hears a loud thud. Someone pins him against the wall and he didn't recognize who did it. He doesn't want to look back and continues to run away from him. He can't let himself be seen again.
The member struggles to move his arms pinned by the wolf breed. His face contorts with anger and a heartless stare.
"Just... what do you think you're doing?" Iteijyu angrily glares at him, using his right arm to lock onto his neck. The member's blood drips through both of their hands.
"And why do you care?" The figure lifts his left leg and sweeps a low kick onto Iteijyu's feet. Iteijyu's legs succumbs to his vulnerability and got hit with a left hook to his face. He tries to react quickly with a block but the impact of the punch impells him to the ground. Iteijyu's nose bled out and couldn't focus. The member darts to the street again to find Mabaru.
"Hey! Get the hell back here!" Iteijyu limps as he tries to run but falls down shortly. He struggles over and over again.
Iteijyu exhales countless breaths to keep up. He trudges through the street the more the swelling stings him. Iteijyu lost his momentum when many police officers scatter the area. He stops for a second and watches one of them shout loudly.
"Freeze! Surrender now!" The officer points his taser at him.
The figure ran out of options. He is cornered by every police officer in the building. He quickly scans the environment and notices a small crevice between two buildings. A car conveniently arrives at the right time with his group helping him.
"10-78 I have an unknown suspect escape near the computer science building. Block every exit near Kaneshon!" The officer scourges onto his walkie talkie.
"Men, split up and assist the Highway Patrol. He won't go far out here. I need you all to scan through Kaneshon's exits again."
"Yes boss!" Officers acknowledge the response.
The officer who commanded the group repositions his view and finds other students group together.
"Ah shit. I need all of you to go back to your dorms. It is not safe around here."
"What's going on? A chaser? A thief?" Many students mumble into a mess of questions.
"Please go to your dorms now!" Other officers notice the commotion and guide them back.
The officer who gave the command to his group notices someone on the ground. He glances at Iteijyu and approaches him. The officer talks softly and apologizes for what happened. He pulls out his hand and gestures Iteijyu to grasp onto it.
"Hey kid. I'm sorry you had to go through this. Here, I got you."
Iteijyu slowly opens his eyes. He is too scared to admit he got hurt. He didn't want to express it in front of him out of shame. He sniffs his nose to hold on to the tears and grabs his hand. He continues to avoid the embarrassment.
"Hey. I'm here. We have other officers covering Kaneshon."
Iteijyu knew the voice from somewhere. The tone from him is harsh and deep. He cackles his head upward and notices who he is. The officer gasps and steps back in astonishment. He remembers the student. Iteijyu smiles, taunting him like the pain was nothing. And even then, he is glad to see him return.
"I can't believe you're here. I'm glad you're back... Shidan."