Changing Masks

by Nicholas Metelsky

  'Dang, I have so many questions now, I don't know where to start.'

  'Haha, spill them all, and then we'll sort them out.'

  'Firstly, what about servants? You just mentioned that the house is designed for them as well, but you have no servants. I'm also curious about the guards. Your status requires you to keep guards close by. Even without status, having guards wouldn't hurt. I also wonder why my parents settled here. They don't belong to your clan, and they shouldn't be in the Koyama neighborhood. Also, what is Kagami-san's rank if she has one?'

  'Veteran. As for the servants, all questions to Kagami. She has this idea that the better the wife, the fewer servants one needs. Although occasionally, we do call for servants as we have a big house. As for the guards, we like to keep it simple: sensors, hidden and open-mounted surveillance cameras, and, of course, satellite monitoring. The ordinary residents of the neighborhood are also elite fighters. Not everyone, of course, but many of them.'

  Now I understood why I hadn't noticed anything. The whole neighborhood was stuffed with electronics. If there were live guards here, I would have felt their presence, but not in a case like this... with the satellites and such. Although the satellites weren’t a big deal, using them to spy on an individual in a city like Tokyo was insane. It was interesting though — what kind of satellite were they using that they had been permitted to place it over the capital. The rest of the technology also piqued my interest. I had known about it all along and admired it every day. A lot of it, of course, was hidden. I thought of it as an expensive security system, as I had always been aware that I was living among people who were not particularly poor. The fact that it's all part of the system, including Dojo, in other words, the gym, in the meaning the Japanese impart to it, makes a lot more sense. I went there once on my own and, a couple of times, I was dragged there. That's why I always tried to avoid it. Now I get it. It turns out that the gym is a training base for clan fighters. Hmm. All I have to find out now is whether or not I was followed whilst on one of my nightly raids. They obviously know about them.

  The old man was clearly pondering something and seemed in no hurry to talk about my parents.

  'Okay. I did not want to tell you this but there’s no option. You see, Shinji,' he said, looking me straight in the eye, 'your parents were part of the clan. They even had their own coat of arms. Six years ago, they committed a crime: they tried to rob the clan and steal something very important. Their punishment was exile and loss of the coat of arms.' Wonderful! In addition to everything else, my ill-luck parents turn out to be thieves.

  'I still don't understand why they didn't take me with them.'

  'Evidently, they wanted you to stay with the clan. They knew that we would not evict you and that we would look after you, and maybe even take you back. Kagami very much insisted on this, but you are still a minor.'

  'Why did you say ‘evidently?’ Are there any other reasons?'

  'We could come up with a plethora of reasons, but they might well sound paranoid and improbable.'

  'What are they though?'

  'Like I said, there are a ton I can think of. However, if they had given up their rights to you from the start—I'm sorry for these words—then everything would be simple and straight forward, but for now all we can do is guess.'

  Lord, this is so stupid! A single decision in the past led to all these misunderstandings. Why didn't I just go to the neighbors straight away like the parents' note instructed? They would have quickly legalized the adoption process, and today, I'd be member of a clan — a very strong clan at that!

  The truth was, that now I had almost restored my abilities as an Absolute, I didn't even want to join a clan. The career prospects were too depressing. I did not even know whether I should tell the old man about my parents or not. No one would force me to join the clan, of course, but if they only knew how I had lived this whole time without any support. Just imagine: a ten-year-old kid that everyone knows inside out manages to get money not only for food, but rent, clothes, school supplies, and so on. How could I find out whether he knows about my ‘dark life’ or not? Now, more than ever, I wanted him to know, then I'd be sure that his attitude toward me would not change. On the other hand, a person vested with such power and wealth as Koyama Kęnta, would have gotten his hands dirty more than once. Plus, he was a wise old man and would understand that I had no other choice. How could I bring up the topic now? Should I just ask him straight?

  'I have one more question for you, Kenta-san. Have you been following me during my... nocturnal absences?'

  'No, Shinji. We just learned about them,' the old man chuckled. At least, he is honest! 'I am no Empath or Shadow, but I can tell a lie from the truth with my level of world perception. Although Kagami still worries every time, not to mention the earlier occurrences.'

  'Really? And you never ordered for anyone to follow me?'

  'I forbade it. You don't want to know what was at stake.' Judging by the way he grimaced, it was indeed better if I stayed out of it.

  'Um, why?'

  'It's a long story,' he deliberated. 'You see, Shinji, if you were a member of the family, then there'd be no questions: we'd have a report from you by now. If you were just a stranger, some neighboring boy, I would have dug information out on you purely out of curiosity. The fact is that you are neither one of those. Our family loves you, and Kagami genuinely thinks of you as her son, but in fact, you are not even a clan member. So, when I was told about your night walks, it was a bit of a dilemma. On the one hand, we were all worried about you, and the girls, by the way, still know nothing about it; on the other hand, if I'd given the order to follow you, I’d be prying on a man, who is dear to me. If you were older, it'd be different. Eventually, we waited and decided not to meddle with Akeno. You looked confident enough, did not lose heart, did not carry any unexpected cuts and bruises, and your grades kept improving,' the old man finished with a smile.

  'What if I'm a spy?' Well, I had to ask, because his words sounded so outrageous and childish that it hurt.

  'You? A spy? Your actions are too illogical for that. I was more inclined to think that you had got involved with bad company, some bandits.' I'm not saying a word. He looked sadly at the empty cup that he rolled between his palms.

  'You know, Shinji, I'd better get going.' I have to clean the house yet and there are other errands that need doing.'

  'Would you like another cup of tea before you leave?'

  'No, no, thank you. I really do have a lot to get on with.' He sighed, 'No time for tea. It's the first day of school, after all.' I got up at the same time as he did and led him to the door.

  'Good-bye, Kenta-san.'

  'Goodbye, Shinji. If you have any questions, please contact us. I'll always help you as much as I can.'

  'Thanks, Kenta-San, will do.' Closer to midnight, I remembered that I had forgotten to ask him about the school clubs and just missed out on a chance to get out of it. Although, he was bound to come back to apologize for his granddaughter. We’d speak then.

  * * *

  The Swallow was a very popular nightclub, which almost closed down a year and a half ago. Its founder and round-the-clock bartender Honda Atsusi was spotted by one of the criminal groups. They cornered him and started using his establishment as their headquarters. The club turned into a nest of ill-deeds and a shack for drugs. It makes sense that the club was never advertised. They didn't have a PR-manager, and getting into the club wasn't easy for a regular club-goer. Profits were non-existent; the local mobs paid the rent and maintained the building. They also covered the cost of some of the food and beverage supplies but never tried to make the place profitable. Then came Akemi Nakata. She wasn't after the club, but subsequently to destroying the gang and taking away everything they owned, she basically retrieved The Swallow and returned it to the previous owner. All she did to return the favor was to impose a standard tribute. As a result, poor Honda, with virtually no money and a tarnished reputation, almost lost his c
lub.

  That was when I came into the picture. I figured that it'd be nice to have a place that could be used as an excuse. If I was asked where I spent the night, I could simply point at the club and say that I had hung out there all night, and the club members would confirm it. Basically, I needed a cover story and the club was perfect. I was too young to buy it on my own, so I asked Akemi for help, and she advised me to try it with The Swallow. First, she mentioned a different club, but I replied that it'd be nice to remove the tribute from my future establishment; then she sent me to see Honda.

  She also sent Isiatamu as my support, who only said one phrase throughout the entire conversation.

  'This guy wants to buy your club, so name the price.' Drama followed: howls, weeping, cursing, accusations of forced bankruptcy and robbing him, ruining his dream. He assumed a very determined expression and claimed that he'd rather die than sell his club. In general, the fourteen-year-old boy had to take over the conversation. As a result, I had the club for fifty percent of the value. My responsibility was to improve the financial situation of the club and keep the criminals at bay, which, in fact, was Akemi's job. Of course, Honda had to keep silent about me. On paper, he was still the owner of The Swallow. That was perfect. The owner needed me and was aware of what he'd be getting himself into if he let me down. I was sure he'd had enough of the criminal mess over all the years and understood it all very well. In a couple of months, I even let him have one percent more of the ownership just so that he could say with a clear conscience that he was the senior partner. By the end of the conversation, it appeared that Honda was showing more respect towards me, but it was unclear to me why.

  Atsushi, nicknamed Shotgun, provided monetary support, and the advertising happened to kick off with my help. Right now, my ‘advertisement’ was sitting in their favorite spot. It wasn't clear if they were celebrating something or just having dinner. The spot was a U-shaped sofa with an oval coffee table, both stood next to a wall across from the bar counter.

  'Hi folks. Having fun?'

  'Wow, Shinji, you prove my point once again: you can always sense the right moment!' I was greeted by a dark-haired guy, twenty-five years old. It was hard to see in the dim lighting of the club, but I know that he had dark brown eyes and a small X-shaped scar over his left eye.

  'Huh? So what happened?'

  'An hour and a half ago, we signed a contract with Train Records, so congratulate us, we're going on a world tour!'

  'Wow. So I win! I told you you'd do it in less than two years.'

  'Dang, I forgot all about that,' said Noriyuki.

  'He's right,' added Itaru.

  'Well, you know Shinji,' said Eva, the only woman in the company.

  'Sit down and have a drink with us!' Taku cut in and immediately received a slap on the head from Eva.

  'You look surprised, Shinji,' smiled Roko who was the leader of the band called Inter, 'as if you didn't believe it yourself.' That was partially true. Back then, they had had a bad streak in their personal and professional affairs. So I decided to encourage them. They shrugged it off, and then I started a bet. One percent of CD sales was at stake. Honestly speaking, I did not believe I'd win, but I had to do something to encourage them. So now, I have two percent, one from the bet and one for the song lyrics and music. They are from my own world, but don't tell anyone.

  'I just didn't think it'd happen that fast.' It had taken them just six months. Today, they're one of the most popular bands in Japan. They're even known abroad. Most importantly, they were great advertising for the club.

  'We wanted to give you a call but didn't know what you were up to as it's already late. We never know if you are free or busy, going to bed or going out so we decided to tell you tomorrow,' Eva said. She wasn't wearing her colored eye contacts that changed almost every couple of days, and I could see her natural yellow eye color. She was the only person in the band who didn't have black hair. I heard that her natural hair color was dark blond but she rocks a dark blue hairdo.

  'By the way, we're counting on you,' added Itaru, the guy with the broken nose. He was the drummer and the only songwriter except me. 'We might use a couple of new songs.'

  'Fine,' I replied, surveying the table full of drinks and snacks. 'Just don't forget to tell me which countries you're going to on tour. Ooh, deep-fried shrimp! So when are you leaving?'

  'In six months,' said Roco. 'These meatballs aren't too bad.' I should add that Roko and Eva are a couple and they treat me like their younger brother. When I figured that out, I decided not to interfere: they can take care of me all they want as long as it's not irritating. Also, they were all classmates except for Eva—she was a year younger.

  'Crap, it's the first day of school today!' Taku remembered, a black-haired guy like the rest in the group. 'Drink to that!' He exclaimed. He choked after catching Eva's look. 'At least, I will.' He added. Funny guy. He was known for constantly encouraging everyone to drink, as if he was on an eternal quest to find a drinking buddy. I once witnessed his drinking contest with Shotgun. Not that he is resistant to alcohol, but for a person who doesn't drink much, Taku can get away with a lot.

  'Oh, yeah,' noted Eva, still giving Taku the look. 'It's your first day of school. Tell us how it went. What school did you pick?'

  'Dakisyuro,' I said, looking for something to drink. On the table, as was their tradition, this company had soda and then there was Eva's cherry juice. That's excluding the alcohol. 'Just another day. Nothing special.'

  'Dakisyuro?' Roko raised his eyebrows. 'You gotta have tie-ins there. With such connections, you'd be better off going to Shirubariri. Same rank. They have their own quirks, but it's way better than Dakisyuro.' I thought better of telling them that I lived in the area. It was no secret, but I didn't feel like answering the questions that were inevitably going to arise. I was too ashamed to tell them the real reason.

  'My tie-ins are with this particular school. I wouldn't be able to get into any other school.'

  'Oh, I see.' Roko stretched the words out. 'Yeah, then it makes sense. If you can make it through, it's gonna help you in the future.'

  'Wait, I don't get it. What's so terrible about going to Dakisyuro?' Inquired the only girl in our company.

  'Hmm. Do you remember who my dad is?' His dad was head of the Buruhato clan, which was small and not very well-known. However, it didn't change the fact that it was still elite. Even this small clan was capable of all sorts of things. Roko, on the other hand, had some disagreements with his father which set him on his own path after high school. 'It wasn't a problem for me to be admitted to any of the four prestigious schools, but I was prepared for Dakisyuro. That's where my father and older brother went. The only problem is Dakisyuro... How do I say it... Have you heard of the four elite schools in the metropolitan area?' A pair of babyishly innocent eyes were staring back at him. 'Okay. In a nutshell, the Tokyo District has a lot of high schools which are comparable to Dakisyuro in rank, but these four schools are considered to be the best. In my opinion, they deserve to be. For example, they have the strongest sports clubs, which regularly show up in the finals.

  In addition to sports clubs, there are regular clubs, that are constantly mentioned on TV. Add exhibitions, events, concerts. The names of these four schools are constantly buzzing, you just don't pay attention. That's not the point though. So we have Danashafu, Shirubariri, Seijo, and Dakisyuro. Each school has its own peculiarity. Danashafu specializes in highly innovative technologies, advanced and experimental teaching methods. Shirubariri practices military discipline. It doesn’t get any more military: they most likely have a bathroom break schedule. Seijo—religion. Then, Dakisyuro is based on martial arts. You all know that I'm not a great fighter. I have skills, of course, but... My brother, for example, was beaten a couple of times in the first month of school. Take into account that by that time he already had the rank of Warrior. I didn't really care though. Had I not met Eva, I wouldn't have got to know you guys. When I refused to go to Daki
syuro, my father called me a coward,' Roko, said, staring at the ceiling. 'After that, he didn't even suggest I go to a different elite school. Just saying. Shinji, if you were in a clan or had any ancestry, it wouldn't matter, but be prepared: you'll be tested by others there. It sucks that you fight even worse than me.' Well, he clearly knows nothing about me. He probably doesn’t know anything about Shina either. Anyway, it'd be better if she stayed out of it.

  'Roko, how come after meeting Eva you refused to go to Dakisyuro? She's younger than you, after all. I didn't skip a year of school, did you.'

  'She went to a mixed school. The middle school and high school shared the same grounds but had different buildings.'

  I sat with them for another twenty minutes, before the anticipation finally overwhelmed me. In the end, I did not come here for free food. Well, I did that too, but maybe later. First, I wanted to check out my new purchase that had been delivered here the day before. I suspect you understand why it wasn't delivered to my own house: conspiracy.

  'Alright guys, it's fun hanging with you, but I have some things to do. How long are you going to be here for?'

  'Umm,' paused Roko, surveying the others in the company. 'Depends. We're not leaving just yet. It's gonna be another couple hours at least.'

  'Perfect. Then I'll come back when I'm done.'

  'Great. We'll wait.'

  I got up and stretched, then went straight to the bar counter, where Shotgun was bustling about. Well, perhaps, bustling is not the right word because he was just standing there polishing an already perfectly clean glass with a cloth.

  'Greetings, Honda-san.'

  'Greetings,' he responded in Russian. He was not studying the language, in fact, he only studied his native Japanese in school, but he remembered a lot of phrases in the different languages of the world, and he liked to show off his knowledge. 'How was your first day at school?'