Of course, Sousuke wasn’t stupid; Wraith’s disguises were just a cut above. Kaname had been getting the better of him lately, but he appeared to be quite an excellent agent otherwise. He really did seem to disappear into a crowd. Even Sousuke, who was very sensitive to hostile intent around him, seemed to have a duller antenna when Wraith wasn’t behaving with active malice.
Kaname started walking, and Sousuke followed her from behind.
“Chidori,” he began.
“What?”
“Are you hiding something from me?”
“Um...”
“Ever since Hong Kong, I’ve had the sense that... No, perhaps it’s my imagination.” Sousuke seemed to have a nebulous idea that Kaname was keeping something from him, and in fact, she was: both her meetings with Wraith and her encounter with the young man, Leonard, two months ago while he was gone.
Kaname did intend to tell him about Wraith when she had the chance. She’d been halfway serious about her offer of hot pot earlier; she wanted to get Wraith and Sousuke to sit down together so she could show off her cooking. Wraith didn’t seem like a bad guy, and things could only get better if he and Sousuke would make peace.
There was no way she could tell him about Leonard, though. She had explained about the assassin attacking her in the hotel district, and told him that someone else had finished the assassin off. She’d also brought up the robots she’d seen then. But what she and that “someone else” had talked about, and what he’d done to her... those were things that Kaname could never bring herself to say.
So far, Sousuke hadn’t pressed her about it, either. Today was the first time he’d voiced his suspicions. The near-miss with Wraith might have really made him nervous.
“You think I’m hiding something?” she asked innocently.
“Well... perhaps it’s not hiding, exactly... but are you keeping something to yourself?”
“No. You’re the one keeping something from me, right?” For some reason, Kaname couldn’t keep the comment from sounding barbed.
“Me?” Sousuke asked.
“About Christmas,” she clarified. “Why aren’t you going on the make-up trip?”
“I have a mission.”
You liar, Kaname thought. You’re going to a party with Mithril. You’ll all have fun while things get serious between you and that girl, right? I didn’t think you were such a liar... but I guess eight months living in Japan was time enough to learn how to be a snake... “Yeah, okay,” she said out loud. “A mission. Everything’s a mission. Why don’t you go marry Miss Mission, then?”
“I don’t understand that,” Sousuke told her, sounding genuinely confused. “If you have something to say to me, can’t you explain it in more concrete terms?”
“Are you being serious right now?!” Kaname glared at Sousuke. “You think... you think you can always get out of things by playing dumb?! Well, you’re wrong! Because I know everything!”
Sousuke was baffled. “I don’t understand. But I wanted to tell you something that—”
“Oh, shut up!” she yelled. “I don’t want to hear it!”
“Chidori—”
“Stay away from me! I’m sick of you!”
“This is so typical!” Sousuke fumed. “Why do you—”
“I said this conversation is over!” Kaname said brusquely. Then, brushing through the crowds, she strode away from Sousuke.
That night, it was needless to say that Kaname regretted her words, as usual. But even repeating their exchange in her head dozens of times, she couldn’t stop being angry. What the hell is his problem? she kept thinking. And, as usual, that was where her thought process stopped. All of his charms, which usually came to mind easily, disappeared, leaving only negative thoughts behind.
After all, he’s completely inconsiderate, and the way he thinks he can play dumb to get out of trouble proves that he thinks I’m stupid, Kaname reasoned. Actually, when I really think about it, he can’t really be that stupid, can he? Maybe that was just a character he’s been playing from the start. If that’s the case, he’s the biggest creep ever! The absolute worst! I can’t believe I fell for him, even for a second. I’m so glad I didn’t confess to him in the heat of the moment!
Every single man is a con artist, anyway. Every word out of their mouths is a lie to make themselves look good. They’re crafty, evil, super-energy beings, and you can’t trust them for a second!
Yeah, there’s no way I’ll ever date a man, she told herself fiercely. Especially not him! I hate you, Sousuke!
Over the next few days, Kaname barely spoke to Sousuke. He’d approached her reluctantly a few times, but Kaname wouldn’t give him the time of day. He sent her emails on her PHS, but she deleted them without a glance. He’d ask her, “Did you see my email?” and she’d say, “Yeah, I saw it. Go away now,” and brush him off.
It wasn’t unusual, as far as fights between them went...
But this time, their quarrel would cause a minor panic.
2: O Noisy Night24 December, 1401 Hours (Japan Standard Time)Port of Yokohama, Yokohama
It was a five-minute bus ride from JR Sakuragimachi Station to Shinko Pier. Situated next to a seaside park packed with couples at twilight, this was where the Pacific Chrysalis was currently docked. Its hull was glittering white, an array of artistically curved funnels and intricately layered passenger decks.
The Pacific Chrysalis was massive. At 272 meters long and 100,000 tons, it was one of the largest cruise ships in the world. Outside of a handful of Caribbean luxury liners that were even larger, there were few in the world that rivaled this one for size. Mithril’s amphibious assault submarine, the Tuatha de Danaan, was about the only ship on this scale that Kaname had ever been on, and the Pacific Chrysalis seemed to dwarf even that. It was like an entire city set afloat.
Since that military vessel was Kaname’s only prior seagoing experience, the amenities of the Pacific Chrysalis now seemed unspeakably extravagant. The interior, too, was vastly more spacious than the submarine’s had been,
