10th of January, 5:00 pm, Kana's house
Kana has forgotten the most basic 101 when it comes to being an actress in modern times. You ALWAYS check if the offer is legitimate, especially if it sounds too good to be true. She went to work immediately after reading Miyako's mail, spending hours upon hours looking deeper into this TV program.
She presses on a news article from just a few months back; her eyes widen as she reads it. It is about a young actor who got into a serious car accident; they say he barely survived, but his wife, on the other hand, had less luck. Months later, he made his comeback on their show. To his horror, they started showing him images of the accident and mocked what happened. Afterwards, he quit acting, and nobody has seen him since.
She finds another article from just a few months back. It describes how they invited a teen idol onto their show. Halfway through the set, in front of thousands of fans, they just revealed her secret relationship. Upon realization, she ran off the stage, trying to hide her face before forever disappearing behind the curtains.
"This is horrible," she whispers to herself, completely submerged in her screen. The further she scrolls down, the more scandals pop up. Yet, they were never sued or faced major backlash since their lawyer team is just as ruthless as they are, while their audience seems to be a bunch of diehard sadists. "What kind of person would do stuff like that? That's not just mean… It's nothing less than evil."
Kana pulls her phone out, scrolling through her contact list. At first, her finger hovers over Ruby's contact details.
No, she wants to be left alone.
She keeps scrolling, eventually hovering over Aqua's contact. She tries to call him, yet he doesn't pick up — Like always.
Maybe Mem…
No, I need a more objective assessment of the situation…
I know who could help me…
But do I really have to?
Kana quietly sighs. Then she calls Akane. She really doesn't want to do this. She never considered Akane as one of her close friends, so calling her, instead of Ruby or Mem-Cho, for something this important feels off.
The phone rings a few times. Then, Akane picks up and speaks. Her voice is calm, but there is an underlying sense of unrelated urgency in it. "Kana? Haven't heard from you in a while. How are you doing?"
Kana is slightly startled by Akane's voice. She called Akane and expected her to answer; yet, actually hearing her voice feels strange, regardless. "I'm holding out…" she says, "How about you?" She quickly adds to not seem like an asshole.
Akane: "I'm fine too. Thanks for asking… So, why did you call me?"
Kana leans back in her chair; the soft cushions feel comfortable. She got this chair years ago; it's one of these really expensive ones that promise to make your back pain disappear.
Kana: "Straight to the point, huh? Don't worry I won't take much of your precious time."
Akane: "Kana, that's not- I'm here for you, like I said. I just thought that since you called me out of all people, it might be urgent."
Kana: "Akane, it was a joke, I know that… But you're right, it really is urgent. Look…"
Kana uses her free hand to brush through her red hair, gently tugging on it and swirling it around her finger.
"I messed up a bit, I agreed to appear on some scummy TV program… Well, I obviously didn't know it was scummy when I agreed, but- *sigh* They have a really bad history."
Kana's finger stops the spiraling motion and stays completely still, as the phoneline stays silent apart from a subtle static noise.
Akane: "Oh… That's not good… But first things first. You agreed to appear on TV? A lot of things must've happened since we last spoke. But I'm happy for you."
Kana resumes her spiraling motion for a few seconds, then she pulls her hand away and sets it down on her lap.
Kana: "Yeah, a lot happened, and I might've forgotten to tell you. Sorry.
Akane: "No, it's totally fine… Back to the problem. Should I try to find a way to get out of the contract, or what is it?"
The line stays silent for another long moment. Kana can feel the palms of her hands, pressed against the fabric of her skirt, start to become a bit sweaty.
Kana: "No, that's not it… I want you to honestly tell me if you believe that I can withstand their treatment. You know, the celebrities they used for their success never knew what they were in for. But I know their schemes, so I could prepare myself."
Akane: "... Judging from what I've seen, I know you can do it."
Kana: "You're right. But tell me, why do you believe that I can do it? Like, what if all of these others thought that they were so much smarter than the system, too?"
Akane: "Well, I can't say for certain, but you have a few advantages. For example, you know what they plan on doing… Also, such TV programs usually target naive and inexperienced celebrities… Kana, believe me when I tell you, you are neither of these things. You've been doing this for almost two decades and seen the worst sides of it. If you can't do it, no one else I know who's around our age could do it either."
Kana: "Stop praising me like that or I'll get all emotional."
Kana smiles, a hint of irony in her voice. Yet, she can't deny the warm feeling spreading in her chest when she listens to Akane's words.
Akane: "I have an idea… It's a bit risky, but I wouldn't tell you if I didn't believe that you could pull it off. How about you try to turn the tide and embarrass the moderator instead? You can't do it too aggressively, otherwise you'll look like a villain, but I believe you can find the middle ground."
Kana's eyes literally light up as she listens; the gentle smile on her face evolves into a full-blown grin as her mind acts out various scenarios.
Kana: "That sounds like a brilliant idea. Thanks, Akane."
Akane: "No problem."
The call stays silent for a moment while Kana's smile starts to shrink again.
Kana: "You know what, Akane? I think we should act together again in the near future… I'll be honest now, so please don't hate me for it. When I first saw you act, I hated it, I hated the way you imitated instead of giving a role your own flair… But I was wrong about you, you do give roles your own flair, and your acting isn't just imitation… So I want to apologize."
Akane holds her breath for a moment. Her mind is flooded by thoughts and emotions. The guilt about being the reason why Kana was cut to begin with suddenly floods back, overwhelming her for a moment before she can contain it again.
Akane: "Are you sure? You aren't mad because I was the reason for… You know, for what happened to your face…"
Kana's smile falters even further as she reaches for her face with her free hand. The wound feels weird beneath her sweaty palm. It hasn't fully healed into a scar just yet; regardless of this, it feels weird, unexplainable even.
Kana: "Not really… Sometimes, late at night, I start giving you the fault for it… But that's not a fair thing to do. I know that you didn't want to hurt me, and it is also the lesser of two evils compared to what could've happened to Aqua and Ruby."
Akane blinks away the small tears that began to form in the corners of her eyes.
Akane: "I'm sorry, regardless… It's probably worse when you don't have anyone who's at fault for what happened. Am I right?"
Kana: "...Enough of this. You didn't respond to my proposal about acting together."
Akane: "You're right. I'd love to act with you again in the future. Let's look at how things stand when we both have more free time, alright?"
Kana's finger begins to swirl her hair all over again.
Kana: "That sounds great, I'll call you again soon, alright?"
Akane: "Alright, bye."
…
Akane's room is filled with silence as the call ends. She is just about to go back to her research. Thinking about a way to find Aqua, she notices that the quiet ticking of the grandfather clock in the hallway has stopped.
An unexplainable shiver runs down her spine as she gets up from her chair. She tries to walk to her door, but it's no use. The door doesn't appear to be getting closer.
Then, a bodiless voice appears, quiet and gentle, as if it wouldn't want to frighten Akane. It seems to be coming right from inside her own head.
"Miss Kurokawa, don't be scared, I mean no harm." The voice is kind, yet a sudden new voice appearing inside your thoughts would make anyone flinch. Akane's breath catches in her throat. Her hands curl into trembling fists, and her ears ring as though the silence itself were pressing against her skull.
"W-Who are you?" Akane asks after the initial shock dies down. Her voice sounds a bit timid.
"You can refer to me as Susanoo. I am the holder of the 3rd great power, the power of the storm."
Akane relaxes a bit. Something inside her tells her that this entity means her no harm. "Let's say I believe you. What is it you want from me?" The tension in her chest eases further, though her pulse still flutters unevenly. A faint warmth seeps into her fingertips, as if reassurance is flowing through her veins.
"I need you to stop Amaterasu for me. I believe you already know that this would be highly beneficial for both of us."
Akane falls back into her chair. She notices that not only the sounds of the clock, but also the singing birds and honking cars are gone. "I'm trying, I really am. But all of this is just so hard," she says as she buries her head in her hands, roughly massaging her temple with her fingertips.
"I know. And I want to apologize for leaving you alone all this time. You must have a lot of questions about the things I didn't include in my books… So ask away."
Akane's hands immediately stop the movements. She holds this position for a moment before raising her head as if she were facing somebody. "Wait… You wrote these books?"
"Yes, it would be pretty hard for anyone else, wouldn't it? My wind allows me to see and hear everything. Yet I am mostly unable to interact with the world."
A hint of doubt starts to form inside Akane's heart; she is yet to be fully convinced by the creepy voice inside her head. "You are unable to interact with the world, so why can you talk to me then?"
"I said 'mostly' I can interfere on a small scale. I can share my wisdom when the balance of this world is threatened."
Akane hears the massive grandfather clock in the hallway tick once. Suddenly, an idea comes to her mind. "Okay, then tell me where Aqua is right now."
"Your friend is in an abandoned house on the outskirts of Setagaya. Here, let me show you."
Her eyes widen, pupils dilating as the phantom image burns into her vision. A sharp chill rushes down her arms, leaving goosebumps in its wake, as if her body knows she is seeing something beyond mortal means. A clear image of Aqua's location was just embedded into her brain. "This… This is amazing," she stutters out after a moment. After another break to comprehend what just happened, she speaks, her voice less hesitant, "Okay, can you tell me more about Amaterasu?"
The fact that time seems to resume around her is dismissed as the voice in her head just broke the laws of physics once again. "As you wish. He is the evil of this world, wherever he goes, destruction follows, yet he can only influence those who carry dread at the brink of insanity inside them." Susanoo takes a short break. "As for his goal, he wants to obtain a body."
"But-" Akane thinks for a moment. "Why does he need a body?"
Susanoo: "It enhances his strength by the utmost… But what he wants to do with this strength is a mystery even to me."
Akane: "Can you tell me what he plans exactly?"
Susanoo: "Amaterasu wants to build up so much misery in your friend that it will become too much for him. This will split his soul and his body. The soul will die without a body, while the body will turn into a Shura, a mindless husk that can be inhabited by another soul at will."
The room falls eerily quiet. Then Akane hears a bird singing outside her window, grounding her again. "But how does he plan on doing that? Is he just going to kill all of Aqua's friends?"
"No. Amaterasu is unable to interact with anyone but Aqua… Yet, his plan remains a mystery even to me… I only know what's spoken or done; I can't look into the minds of others either."
Akane exhales shakily, her body sinking deeper into the chair. The phantom chill lingers in her bones, yet her heartbeat steadies — a fragile anchor against the immensity of what she has just learned. "That- That's horrible. Please tell me what I can do."
"You need to remove Amaterasu's grasp… In simpler words… You need to find a way to make Aqua happy."