"Let's go home." Michael repeated gently, but Mei remained frozen.
Michael closed his eyes, then reopened them, noticing the food splattered on Mei's clothes and hair.
His lips trembled. He knelt, gently brushing the debris from her cardigan and hair.
Then, he took her hand, offering a strained smile. "Mei, let's go home."
Mei swayed, her rigid limbs softening.
Michael tightened his grip, pulling her gently. She walked beside him, one slow step at a time.
"Mei…" As they passed Kiana, she reached out, as if to stop them, but Michael grabbed her hand as well, leading both girls out of the classroom in an awkward procession.
The hallway's cold air jolted Kiana awake. She studied Michael. Aside from his slightly long hair, he didn't look much older than the other boys at school.
But something felt different… Who was he to Mei? A relative? An older brother?
She wanted to ask Mei, but Mei, still head down, seemed unwilling to speak.
Then, she heard footsteps in the hallway. Not the click of heels, but heavy, masculine steps.
And, strangely, Kiana recognized the familiar mechanical rhythm. She shivered. She knew who it was.
Michael, still holding their hands, encountered Katsuki at the top of the stairs.
They stopped, facing each other silently. Kiana, sensing an impending confrontation, held her breath.
But nothing happened. After a brief standoff, Katsuki handed Michael a slip of paper. "This is Raiden Mei's absence excuse form."
Michael took it, then, gesturing to Kiana, said matter-of-factly, "Now there's another one. Please take care of the paperwork for her as well."
Katsuki, seemingly deep in thought, nodded.
Michael, not wanting to waste time, led the girls downstairs.
As they left the building, Kiana finally spoke. "You…" She didn't know how to address him. "Do you know Mr. Katsuki?"
Michael paused, shaking his head slightly. "No, just asked him for a favor."
"Oh." Kiana didn't think much of it. She was more curious why he'd brought her along. She didn't know him, but she didn't mind. She was worried about Mei, and a chance to skip class was always welcome.
Unbeknownst to her, Katsuki remained motionless until they were out of sight, then walked to the rooftop.
There, he shed his disguise, the nanomachines composing his face melting away, revealing a cold, metallic skull and a single crimson eye.
"Connect me to the Overseer… A shame I don't have an umbrella," he muttered to himself.
After a moment, he spoke again. "No, everything is proceeding as planned. Both subjects are stable. However… I believe I just saw… his Excellency… Michael."
…
The black car stopped in front of an unremarkable ramen shop. Kiana glanced at it, unimpressed. Mei looked up, her expression clouding as she recognized the street.
The car door opened beside her.
"I know you haven't eaten lunch. Consider this a makeup for last night's meal," Michael said casually, offering Mei his hand.
Mei stared at his hand, noticing the calluses and scars, surprisingly ugly.
She took his hand.
Entering the ramen shop, a sharp pang of pain shot through Mei.
Same place, same street, yet her mood was completely different.
The aroma of ramen no longer tempted her.
Kiana, however, looked eager, but, unsure of the situation and lacking money, she remained silent.
"Cat got your tongues?" Michael smiled faintly. The owner recognized him. As he'd said, he remembered every face.
He wanted to greet them, but the awkward atmosphere made him hesitate.
Michael ordered. "Three bowls of tonkotsu chashu ramen. Make it quick."
"Right away!"
They sat down. The unfamiliarity, combined with the day's events, left them speechless.
It was past lunchtime. The shop was empty. The owner quickly brought their ramen.
Three bowls, three people. Kiana glanced at the other bowls. She was usually unrestrained, but knowing about ME Corp's situation and Mei's distress, she didn't want to seem insensitive. She focused on her own bowl.
Michael, however, merely sniffed his ramen, then shook his head. "The taste… hasn't changed at all…" He murmured something Kiana didn't understand, pushing his bowl towards her.
"This…?"
"I'm not used to it," Michael said simply.
Kiana, embarrassed, wanted to thank him, but his deep, weary eyes made the words catch in her throat.
Mei, however, didn't even touch her chopsticks. She mechanically ladled broth onto her noodles, silent and motionless.
"Mei…" Kiana quickly finished both bowls, glancing at the empty bowls, then at Mei. She bit her lip, unsure what to do.
She glanced at Michael. He sat upright, eyes closed, seemingly oblivious to Mei, lost in his own thoughts.
"Mei…" Kiana called again. Mei's hand paused, then resumed its mechanical motion.
Kiana inhaled deeply. The rain had stopped, the air was fresh, yet something felt oppressive, constricting her breath.
Finally, Michael spoke. "Mei, are you going to eat?"
Mei silently placed the ladle back in her bowl.
Michael pushed her bowl towards Kiana without a word.
Kiana, though initially delighted, felt no joy, only the discomfort of being overfull and a lingering unease.
Silence returned, even the owner moving cautiously.
Kiana finished the last of the broth, placing her bowl down and wiping her mouth. She stared intently at Michael.
"What?" He asked, then shook his head.
He patted Mei's shoulder gently. "Let's go. Time to go home."
Mei didn't move.
Michael waited.
"My father… how is he?"
Michael inhaled deeply, then, unable to lie, said, "I went to ME Corp this morning. Didn't see him, only Komatsu. But judging by his actions, he intends to take full responsibility for the fraud, to protect the company."
Tears streamed down Mei's face. "So… he really… did it?"
"No, he didn't." He should have told the truth, but he didn't. "I don't know. I didn't even see him. Besides, does the truth even matter now?"
"Slam!"
"Of course it matters!" It was Kiana who slammed her fist on the table, surprising Mei, but not Michael.
Seeing their stares, Kiana, worried about upsetting Mei, blurted out, "What do you mean, it doesn't matter?! If he's innocent, we have to clear his name!"
Michael blinked, feigning innocence, then smirked. "If he could prove his innocence, why wouldn't he?"
Kiana felt like he was being deliberately obtuse. He was being obtuse.
"But… but…" She struggled to articulate her thoughts, finally grasping at a flaw in his logic. "If someone framed him, how can he prove himself innocent? We have to gather evidence and exonerate him!"
Kiana didn't know Ryōma, only Mei. But she believed Mei deserved a good father, not a criminal. And even if it were true, shouldn't he be more tactful?
But Michael, seemingly oblivious to Mei's feelings, continued to argue. "Oh? And how long will that take? One year? Three? Five? Ten? Twenty? Even if he's innocent, until then, Mei will continue to be bullied. So, whether he's guilty or not, it makes no difference to Mei!"
Kiana was speechless. Mei clutched her cardigan, twisting the fabric silently.
Michael sighed, gently patting Mei's head. "I know I'm being blunt, but… instead of letting you suffer blow after blow, it's better to tell you the worst-case scenario upfront. It'll be easier to handle later."
The unexpected tenderness caught Mei off guard. She looked at him with a mixture of emotions, about to pull away, then, hearing his words, she quieted.
He was right. She couldn't avoid this. Better to hear the bad news now than cling to false hope and be crushed again tomorrow. After today, nothing seemed that bad anymore.
And… his hand on her head felt… comforting. Rough and warm, like her father's…
But he withdrew his hand, shattering the illusion. Mei lowered her head again, retreating into herself.
Kiana watched them, a nagging feeling of unease, a lingering question she'd been ignoring…
Ah! It was…
She slammed her hands on the table, standing up. "I remember now! Who are you to Mei?!"
Michael glanced at her, as if asking, "You're just asking now?"
He placed a finger on her head, pushing her back down gently, yet firmly.
"I…" He started to speak, then stopped, the words transforming in his mouth. "This isn't the place to discuss this. Go wait in the car."
He pretended to reach for his keys. The car outside beeped, the rear passenger door opening automatically.
Kiana hesitated, then stood up. Mei remained motionless. Michael patted her shoulder, and she stood up silently, quickly leaving the shop and getting into the car.
She moved so fast Kiana barely registered it. Michael's eyes flickered. He understood. She was afraid of being recognized.
"Go keep her company. I'll pay the bill," Michael urged. Kiana hurried after Mei.
He stood up, walking towards the owner.
The shop was empty. The middle-aged owner sat behind the counter, engrossed in his phone. Michael tapped the counter, and the owner jumped, quickly hiding his phone.
"Sir, you…?"
Their eyes met. The owner's gaze became unfocused, and he slumped to the floor.
Michael waved his hand, the phone appearing in his grasp. He quickly checked it, ensuring all outgoing messages had been intercepted and deleted. He left the money for the ramen and the phone on the counter, then returned to the car.
"Hey! Now you can answer my question!" Kiana could have asked Mei, but she knew Mei wouldn't answer. She'd waited for Michael.
But Michael, seemingly reluctant to speak, pulled a document from the glove compartment and handed it to Kiana. "Show this to Mei after you've read it."
"What… is this?" Kiana took it curiously. Mei, assuming it was the employment contract, didn't pay attention… until Kiana gasped.
"An adoption agreement?!"
She scanned it, seeing Ryōma's name, Mei's, and… "Michael."
Before she could read further, Mei snatched the document.
Michael turned, speaking softly, "The agreement was signed eight years ago. I'm sorry, Mei. In a way… I am also your father."