The east wing of the Kuroda mansion was where sound went to die.Nobody lingered back there. Staff walked in, did what they came to do, and walked out again. You could feel it the moment you turned into that corridor, something that made your voice drop on its own and your feet go careful. Could've been the medicine smell that never left the walls. Could've been something else. The kind of feeling that comes from knowing something sad has been happening in a place for a very long time.Hana walked the hallway. Her shoes were quiet on the carpet. There was nothing on the walls, no pictures, no mirrors, just that same pale paint she'd been looking at for three years now. She knew this corridor the way you know your own bedroom in the dark. The creaky spot under the carpet near door six. The handle on door nine that wobbled if you turned it too fast. She knew all of it without thinking anymore.She stopped at the last door. She held the handle of the door, pushed it open and went in.The

Ren dipped his hand into his bowl of popcorn and threw a piece at Yuki. It hit her on the forehead and bounced into her lap."Hey!" She picked it up and threw it back at him. It missed him by a mile and landed on the floor somewhere."Terrible throw huh," Ren said as he laughed carefreely."That was a great throw. You just have bad reflexes, you know.""Bad reflexes?” He leaned back and placed his feet up on the coffee table. "I caught three pieces earlier. Three pieces. You were right there.""You got lucky three times.""Luck is just skill in disguise."Yuki shook her head and grabbed the remote. She flipped through channels until some old black and white movie came on. A man in a hat talking to a woman in a dress."What is this?" Ren said."No idea. It was just on.""Change it please. Looks boring.""You change it.""Girl, you're holding the remote."Yuki looked down at the remote in her hand. Then at him. She threw it at him.He caught it. One hand. Didn't even look up."See?" he

The officer's fingers moved to the zipper. It was loose. He then zipped the bag open.Inside were not drugs. Not powder. Not anything illegal. It was a clear bag filled with new clothes. Shirts. Socks. Underwear. Brand new. All folded neatly.He blinked. He reached inside and pulled out a shirt. He held it up. It was a plain white t-shirt."What?" he said.His face was confused. His jaw was dropped. His mouth opened and he closed it immediately."What is this?" he said to no one in particular. His voice was flat.The female officer stepped closer. She looked inside the bag. She pulled out a pair of socks.She raised one side of her cheeks. "They are just clothes," she said. Her voice was a whisper. She looked at the tall officer.Ren exhaled so loud he almost choked. His shoulders dropped. His hands fell to his sides. He looked at Hiroshi. His eyes were wide.Yuki let out a sound. It was more like a laugh. Half sob. Her hands were no longer over her mouth. She was smiling. She was cry

Mr. Endo spoke again. His voice was tired. "What do you want us to do?"Kazuo walked back to his chair. He put his hands on the back of it."Go home," he said. "Make your calls. Reassure your investors. Tell them this is a conspiracy. Tell them we have the situation under control.""And if they do not believe me?" Mrs. Fujiwara said."Then they can leave," Kazuo said. "And they can lose their money. And they can watch us rebuild without them."Mrs. Yamamoto stood up. Her chair scraped against the floor. Her sharp eyes were fixed on Kazuo."And if we leave?" she said.Kazuo smiled. It was not a nice smile."Then you will regret it," he said.Mrs. Yamamoto stared at him for a moment. Then she sat back down.The meeting continued. People argued. Kazuo listened. He did not raise his voice nor did he lose his temper.But his hands, which were hidden behind his back, were curled into strong fists.Back at the apartment, Hiroshi was sitting on the couch.He had his feet up on the coffee tabl