After weeks of quiet, visitors came to the office. Each of them was a big shot, and for some reason, they were smiling brightly as they wandered around the office. Akira was examining every corner of the office as if trying to figure out the structure of the room, and Wakamo was sitting demurely on the sofa opposite Si-woo.
That sight itself felt very alien to Si-woo.
The name Kosaka Wakamo wasn't well known to the public, but the name "Calamity Fox" was quite famous in Kivotos. And not in a good way.
The Calamity Fox was a woman who enjoyed plunder, destruction, and arson. The motive behind such criminal acts was shrouded in mystery, but no matter the motive, crime couldn't be justified. The amount of damage she had inflicted on each academy autonomous district alone was significant.
Moreover, she was an excellent orator and agitator, always leading her followers around. It wasn't that they sincerely followed the Calamity Fox, but the fox was the same. She used those she had agitated as disposable pawns or as meat shields for escape. She had never once shown any care for them.
And the rumors about the Calamity Fox were born from such behavior.
The face under the mask is very scary. It's as hideous as a demon. She is the secret experiment subject created by Shanhaijing that escaped. The Calamity Fox can only feel emotions through crime, etc…… Most of the rumors about her were negative.
Si-woo knew that some of those rumors were false. For example, the one about being an experiment subject. She was a regular student from Hyakki Yagyo, not some experiment subject made by Shanhaijing. Nor was she a lunatic who could only feel emotions through crime. She was a girl who could feel joy, anger, sorrow, and pleasure through ordinary conversation.
But he still didn't know the face under the mask. Since she never tried to take it off, there was no chance to see. Akira had shown her bare face from their first meeting, but Wakamo hadn't. She had never taken off her mask from their first meeting at the correctional bureau until now.
But he couldn't ask directly. Because it might touch on trauma. Since she had stepped into the office, she would have to live as a member of Schale from now on. There was no need to leave a bad impression already.
"Do you like coffee?"
"I like it."
Even though he asked Wakamo, the answer came from beside the espresso machine. Akira, hiding her body behind a wall and peeking out only her face, answered. Si-woo checked the whirring espresso machine and let out a dry laugh.
"Do you know how to use it?"
"It's the same model as the one at my place. Would you like a cup too, cult leader?"
"No, I'm fine. What about you, Wakamo?"
Si-woo asked, looking at Wakamo. Wakamo chuckled and shook her head.
"If my husband isn't drinking, I'll pass too. And coffee made by a cat? If hair gets in, it might feel unpleasant."
"I wouldn't have given it to you even if you asked. And hair? Is that something a fox with a thick, ugly tail like you should say? Ah, sorry. You don't know how to take care of it, do you? Well, what can you expect from a savage who likes destruction and plunder."
Akira said so and shrugged her shoulders. Wakamo slowly turned her head towards her and stroked the dagger at her waist. The sharply honed dagger was ready to pierce someone's throat at any moment.
"......"
Si-woo watched the two acting up, then tapped the table with his finger.
'They're insane.'
Stalkers being Wakamo and Akira? That was understandable even with a hundred concessions. Rather, he could welcome them with open arms as unexpected reinforcements. The motive for stalking was unknown, but that didn't matter. What was important was that both of them would be of great help to Schale, both in terms of force and manpower. The fruits to be gained were quite significant to drive them away just because stalking was creepy.
He had known about the existence of stalkers for several months now. Since no hostility was felt, and the exact location couldn't be pinpointed, he had left it alone. And thanks to fiercely hiding the parts that couldn't be shown, what they saw would only be fragments of daily life or actions in Millennium, Abydos, and Gehenna.
They might have seen the meeting with Nagisa, but that didn't matter much. The things that happened at night were arranged so they couldn't see.
So there was no reason to pay much attention to their stalking, nor to be flustered that the stalkers were them.
But the problem was.
'Were they always on such bad terms?'
Si-woo alternated his gaze between Akira, who was wearing a bleak smile, and Wakamo, who was tightly gripping her dagger, and let out a sigh.
Si-woo first met the two at the correctional bureau, when they attempted to escape.
At that time, Akira and Wakamo didn't show hostility towards each other, even if they weren't close. But now...... blatant hostility wafted from their bodies. It made him doubt if they could work in the same space.
'A mediator role is needed.'
If the teacher were here, he would have entrusted that role to her. Unfortunately, the teacher wasn't in this space now. It meant he had to do it himself. Si-woo took a deep breath and opened his mouth.
"Both of you, stop it. Akira, come sit down first."
"I'll just make the coffee and come."
"Husband, if you don't like that cat, just tell me. I'll erase her from this world right away."
Wakamo said in a serious voice. Akira snorted, and Si-woo shook his head.
"It's not like that, just stay still...... and Akira, you too, just bring the coffee and come."
"Alright."
Akira smiled slyly and answered. A moment later, she came with a warm cup of espresso and sat next to Si-woo. Wakamo's body twitched, but Akira paid no attention and dipped a sugar cube into the espresso. Then she savored the aroma and brought the cup to her lips.
"Mmm...... it's delicious, it seems you use good beans."
Akira looked at Si-woo with a satisfied smile. Si-woo nodded vaguely and shifted his gaze to Wakamo. Akira smirked at his cold behavior, then placed the cup with thick lipstick marks on the table.
"Let's skip the preliminaries and get straight to the point."
"......"
"Join Schale."
Si-woo said in a calm voice. Akira laughed softly as if she expected it, and Wakamo tilted her head.
"Schale...... you mean?"
"Yes. It won't be bad conditions for you either. I can't completely erase your criminal records, but I can provide a hideout where you can conceal yourselves. I'll give performance bonuses, and you might be able to connect with the teacher."
No matter how much it was Schale, it was impossible to erase the criminal records of two people who were notorious as one of the seven prisoners. But he could give them a place where they could stay comfortably. That alone would reduce the fatigue from changing hideouts every day.
However, instead of accepting immediately, Akira leaned back in the chair and muttered softly.
"It's a tempting offer. But I'm not really drawn to it. I don't like being tied down to one organization either."
She turned her head and looked at Si-woo. Si-woo's face was reflected in her red wine-colored eyes.
"Do you know this, cult leader? The correctional bureau is so stupid that they can't recognize who I am if I take off my mask. It means daily life isn't hindered. Even if I stroll openly on the streets, no one will try to stop me."
"......"
"Moreover, I'm weak to sunlight, so I mainly act at night. For someone like me, a place to hide isn't particularly important. During the day, I can wander around with my mask off, and at night, I can blend into the darkness. Performance bonuses are appealing, but I still have a considerable amount of commission fees from stealing artworks, so I'm not short on money. And connection with the teacher? Well. I don't really care about ties with her."
Akira smiled slyly and placed her hand on Si-woo's thigh.
"Unfortunately, cult leader. What you can give me might be the best for you, but for me, it's all things I don't need. What should I do? The reason for me to join Schale has disappeared."
"......What do you want?"
In the end, Si-woo could only say that with a deep sigh. Akira giggled and stretched her finger to gently scratch Si-woo's thigh.
"It's nothing much. Just guarantee my freedom even if I belong to Schale, and give me the role of your assistant. That should be enough. Ah, and understand if I disappear sometimes."
"......"
"Hmm...... having secret meetings at night would be nice too. Have you ever tried alcohol? I have a personally favorite wine, so I'll visit occasionally, and let's drink together each time. If the door is locked, I'll come in through the window."
Si-woo looked at the criminal who openly declared she would break into his residence and twisted his lips. Regardless, Akira swayed her head left and right as if imagining something pleasant and hummed a tune.
"......Wakamo, what about you? Do you want anything?"
Si-woo asked, looking at Wakamo who was oozing killing intent. Wakamo was startled by his sudden question, then cleared her throat and answered.
"I just need time to be with my husband. Unlike that thief cat, I won't make any demands that would trouble my husband."
It was a thankful thing. Si-woo gave her a faint smile, then got up and printed the Schale membership documents.
As soon as the documents were placed on the table, the two snatched them up and immediately wrote their names. It was so fast that Si-woo was taken aback.
"All done, my husband~"
"Me too."
Wakamo and Akira placed the documents back on the table. Si-woo checked the neatly written names and nodded.
But the membership wasn't complete yet. One more essential thing was needed.
"I'll take one photo each. We need to put photos in the documents so you can move freely inside the building."
"Hehe, alright. I'll pose nicely for you. Don't use it in strange places, okay?"
Akira smiled seductively and struck a pose, angling like a cat. Si-woo clicked his tongue and roughly took her photo, then transferred it to the computer. And he deleted her photo from the gallery.
Seeing that, Akira's lips pouted out.
"......You didn't have to delete it."
"Shut up."
Si-woo dismissed her with one word, then looked at Wakamo.
"Can you take off the mask?"
"If it's my husband's request, I can do anything."
Wakamo said so and removed the fox mask she was wearing on her face. Thus, her bare face was revealed. Contrary to rumors or Si-woo's expectations, it was a face with a very gentle impression. The drooping eye corners reminded him of a puppy, and her amber eyes sparkled like gems. The thick eyelashes and red eye makeup might have looked somewhat sharp, but no sharpness could be found anywhere on Wakamo.
She was just gentle. More gentle than Akira. She looked more like a pure girl of her age rather than a criminal who was the object of everyone's fear as the "Calamity Fox".
"......I didn't expect this."
Akira muttered from the side. Si-woo also agreed silently and pointed his smartphone camera at Wakamo, who had a shy expression.
Click.
*
The day after two of the seven prisoners joined Schale.
Famous terrorists from Gehenna came to Schale as announced. Riding a yellow truck with the word "meal service" written on the bonnet. Si-woo sat in the Schale convenience store and examined their faces.
In the driver's seat was Akari, and next to her was Haruna. Behind them were Izumi and Junko.
And.
"Now...... I don't know either. Grill it or boil it, do whatever you want......"
"Fuuka senpai, don't give up!"
Two people he was seeing for the first time were tied up in the vehicle seats.
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