Translated by Mecorx and Pixel
When I woke up, for a moment, I didn’t know where I was. I spotted a picture painted on the ceiling. It was a bad picture of the sea, the sky and a sandy beach. In fact, it was unfinished. The blue paint ran out. Or my arms got tired, and then that was the end of it. There were jet black curtains on the window. When I looked at my feet, stretched out on the bed, colourful clothes covered my boots. The ones that were piled up seemed to have fallen. On my left was a white wall. A poster of Costa Del Sol was stuck there. I look to the right. There should have been a wall-length shelf that I made with Fabio, but all of the spaces were filled with clothes, jutting out and hanging down, hiding the existence of the shelf. It was like a wall made out of piled up clothes. The owner probably didn’t know what he owned and where it was. I spotted a wicker basket on the floor as I sat up. There were also clothes thrown in it. That orange one was probably a pair of shorts. The yellow one was a three-quarter sleeve shirt. The white blouse was embroidered with flying birds. Black jeans, and a light grey one piece dress. They were all items that looked familiar.
“How about this?”
“Yeah, I think it suits you.”
As I recalled the several conversations we had in the market, I looked around the room again. I’m inside the back room of the Mireille Detective Agency. Kyrie’s room. AKA the garbage dump. It was unimaginable chaos to the neat freak in me,.
I heard the sound of the office door opening, and quickly got off the bed. There were hurried footsteps. Then, the door to this room opened quietly, and Kyrie peeked her face in.
“Hey.”
“Are you alright?”
“Yeah.”
“That’s good.”
However, her expression showed that she didn’t feel as relieved as she said.
“You carried me here, didn’t you? Thank you.”
I came to the office, but I realised I forgot my key. I was at a loss, so sat down in front of the door and must have fallen asleep.
“What happened? You gave me a fright.”
“Must have been because I hadn’t slept for about 2 days. A lot has happened—”
“You seemed to be unconscious, not just sleeping. You didn’t respond, even when I shook or hit you.”
“Sorry.”
“Are you really feelin’ better now? You’re alright, right?”
“Yeah. Like a brand new lightbulb.”
Kyrie nodded emotionlessly and handed the medicine to me, then without much thought, pulled a flared satin skirt from the wall of clothes. After holding it to her waist, she threw it on the bed, then from another section, she pulled out a short black skirt with lots of decorations attached. She glanced at it for just a second, and then threw it on the bed as well. She seemed to know where everything was. What an amazing ability. Finally, she grabbed the pair of black jeans she had thrown in the basket.
“Wonder if it’s this, given the circumstances,” Then, she looked at the wall again and carefully pulled out a sleeveless blouse with little blue flowers printed on it, making sure it didn’t collapse. “I suppose this will be too cold.”
“What circumstances? Cold? Where are we going?”
“I’ll explain after I get changed, get out. And do not open the office door. Ok?”
Kyrie’s serious expression made me uneasy.
“Is it something bad?”
“Maybe.”
When I went to open my mouth, Kyrie glared at me as she placed a hand on the skirt she was wearing. I quickly left the room. My shoulder bag was on the sofa. Putting it over my shoulder, I sat down and waited for Kyrie.
“I’ll explain,” As soon as Kyrie changed her clothes, and came out, she began to speak. “You were out cold when I came back here. You wouldn’t wake up even when I called you and shook you. Do you know how scared I was? So, then I dragged you into the office, but then I remembered hearing that you’re not supposed to move someone who’s collapsed.”
“You’re exaggerating.”
“That’s how odd it seemed. So, I thought to call your doctor, you know, Dr. Drake.”
Dr. Drake’s clinic is quite far from the slums. Really, it’s closer to Doyle Village.
“Before, you said that Fabio was trustworthy. You never know whether a doctor in the slums is genuine, so I couldn’t just leave you with someone like that. So I ran.”
It was a touching story. But I couldn’t see what was coming.
“When I ran into the square, the Turks were there.”
Kyrie looked at me.
“Red hair and skinhead?”
Yep, Kyrie nodded.
“I figured they would have a phone, so I asked them to call Dr. Drake. Evan’s in trouble, and it’s all because you beat him up, I said. Then, what do you think those guys said? We don’t know an Evan. I got pissed off again, and told them they had beaten you up instead of Fabio. I told them to take responsibility for it.”
“Wow—.”
“So, red hair, Reno’s his name, takes out his phone, and calls the doctor. It wasn’t Dr. Drake, but Reno said he was a good doctor— then we came here together.”
“The Turks too?”
“Yeah. Um, Evan. The Turks knew about this place. They also knew I was running a detective agency. Wonder how—”
“Maybe they investigated Fabio.”
“Still, I’m surprised they knew you and Fabio were fellow detective.”
“I have a bad feeling.”
“Right? I’m scared.”
“So, what happened after that?”
“The doctor who looked at you, said you were just in a deep sleep, and to just let you lie there as long as you needed, then left. He said it would be a waste to give you medicine.”
“I’m embarrassed. But I’m alright now. But I wonder how the Turks knew about this place… I think we’d better find out. It feels wrong.”
“It’s not over yet.”
Kyrie quietly shook her head. Then, she went to the door, opened it slightly and checked the outside.
“Look, over there.”
As I approached the door she waved me over to, she squatted down. I stuck my right eye to the gap and looked outside, as well. It was late at night. It was too dark to see anything with just the faint candlelight shining from houses. But, as I looked harder, about 30 metres away, the skinhead appeared in the darkness. I remembered the brute force of when he had me in a nelson. As if reacting to those memories, the places where Reno and Chico punched me began to burn.
“That’s Rude. He’ll guide us to the car.”
Kyrie said this from down below. What car?
“Didn’t I tell you? We’re going on a drive in their car. We’ll arrive by midnight, and be back by morning.”
She definitely didn’t tell me that before. But I wasn’t gonna make an issue out of it.
“How exactly did that happen?”
This is turning into a nightmare, but I tried to stay as calm as possible.
“I was invited.”
“And so you said, ok.”
“Yeah.”
“Kyrie”, I called her away from the door. Kyrie was still looking at Rude, but closed the door, and reluctantly stood up. But she didn’t attempt to look at me.
“Why?”
“I was scared.”
Her voice seemed faint.
“I was scared!”
Kyrie suddenly shouted.
“At first, I was in a daze trying to save you, Evan. But when I heard you were fine, I calmed down, and thought how stupid I was. They were guys you should never rely on, no matter how much trouble you were in, yet, that’s what I did. They laugh, and seem charming, even kind, but they’re not normal people. Those were the eyes of people who always fight. Those were the hands of killers. When I think about it now…”
“Kyrie—”
“Those two slumped down on the sofa, and asked me to come with them. I thought if I didn’t agree to go, they wouldn’t leave. So I said if Evan goes, I’ll go. Then they said that was their intention from the start.”
I tried not to make any expression at all.
“Yeah, those guys, they are pretty scary.”
“Yeah.”
“Wait a minute. I’ll think of a way out.”
“Really?”
Kyrie gave me one of her rare, helpless gazes. I was going to be tested, now.
“Leave it to me.”
Where the hell were the Turks going to take us? There’s no use thinking about it. There was hardly any information at all. But no matter where we go, we weren’t going to get killed. That’s how I felt. At any rate, those guys were trying to become “beloved Shin-Ra”. They wouldn’t act recklessly. Really? Let me think. I guess the most dangerous one is the woman who beat the crap out of Fabio. Next was Rude, the skinhead waiting outside. Reno, with the red hair, ought to have been about equal to me. My first impression of him was of a delinquent who had just become an adult. Those punks normally had a strong sense of camaraderie. There’s our chance. I’m sure of it.
“I wonder if Reno’s going too?”
“Yeah. They said there would be 4 of us.”
Alright. Let’s take a chance on Reno. Kyrie and I, if we pretend to get along with Reno, it wouldn’t be too bad. If we escape from here, that’ll be impossible. I was prepared.
“They might be thinking of killing us once they take us out of Edge”
Immediately, my resolve was shaken.
“No, they shouldn’t have any reason to kill us—”
“Think those guys know about us, right? It’s the same as that. We don’t understand what they’re thinking about.”
“But—”
“I’m scared, Evan.”
Kyrie’s hand covers mine.
“Yeah. Let’s escape. Let’s just escape.”
I was surprised I said that. How could I say something like that?
“Evan—” Kyrie also looked at me in wonder. Then, after looking at the door for a moment, she agreed to it, and stood up vigorously. She took her backpack from the ebony tabletop. A military bag made of a thick, dark yellow material. It didn’t suit Kyrie’s slender back, but she would use it when there was a lot of luggage. In other words, she was prepared. To go with the Turks? Or to Escape?
“Evan, let’s use this.”
She took a round object out of the backpack, and threw it to me. I just about caught it instinctively. It was a semi-translucent ball with a little elasticity. Pale green. A color that Fabio would like.
“It’s the materia I got from Mr. Arde. Indispensable to Soldier members.”
They may be indispensable in Soldier, but we didn’t even know how to use them.
“Those guys would be surprised, right?”
Kyrie was holding a yellow materia. When it comes down to it, girls are stronger. I really felt those words. Kyrie could probably use magic. Magic to manipulate me.
–
There was a knocking sound. It seemed like a slow, lazy knock.
“Wait, we’ll be right there”
As Kyrie called out toward the outside, she went to the corner furthest from the office door, and beckoned me. I followed her unsteadily.
“Evan, you open the door. I’ll jump out. Rude will be surprised and dodge. I’ll just run. Rude will chase me. You take that chance to escape. I know the slums well. I’ll escape down an alley.”
Kyrie’s eyes shone with enthusiasm. Surely, my eyes were playing tricks on me.
“No, let’s switch places.”
What kind of man wouldn’t suggest that. However, I didn’t really know the layout of the slums. I’d probably be declined. But, I still had to say it.
“Got it.”
“What?”
“Evan, don’t worry about getting lost, just run like crazy. You’ll be able to get away.”
“How long do you plan on making me wait?”
It was Rude’s deep voice. Kyrie approached the door, and put her hand on the knob. It’s now or never. There’s no way out. Then she whispered…
“Evan, we’ll meet up at the south end of Edge. For our passionate hug and kiss. Alright?”
She turned the knob with the nicest smile, and opened the door. Rude, who was standing with his back to the door a few steps away, turned around slowly. A big wall that stood in the way of that hug and kiss.
“Evan, you’re cute.”
I lowered my head and sprinted out into the wilderness of the battle.
