Kokomi knows that she's being followed.

It's the new kid. He must think he's being so slick, trailing nonchalantly a block or two behind her but Kokomi hasn't managed to go unkidnapped for over sixteen years without developing a finely-honed awareness of her surroundings. Besides he's gone to her school for two weeks and he's never headed this way after school before.

Why is he following her? When she magnanimously graced his day with her presence, did he get some stupid idea that the glimpse of a dream that she'd granted him to brighten his sad and lonely life might actually come true? Is he really socially incompetent enough to do that?

She remembers his disaster of an introduction with a sinking feeling. He totally is.

Great. This just what she needs. Goodness knows her week had been going too well before this.

Well, if worse comes to worst she has ten centimeters on him and five years of fairly intensive self-defense classes so she's reasonably confident that if he tries to lay a hand on her she can make him wish he hadn't.

Still, she'd rather have someone else step in instead, so she doesn't have to resort to such unladylike measures. While she's considering how to best summon intervention the footsteps behind her begin to rapidly draw closer. She turns to see her new classmate rushing towards her.

Kokomi readies herself to grab and throw him to the ground but thankfully this proves unnecessary.

"I see that you seem to have noticed me." Akechi pants as he comes to a stop with a couple of meters still between them, "I apologize for any distress that I might have caused you, but I assure you that my intentions were nothing untoward."

"Ah, then what were they?" Kokomi asks.

"Your first-year friend came to me with concerns regarding your wellbeing brought on by the way that you passed out yesterday. I was simply tailing you to observe your afterschool routine under the assumption that it might allow me to discover the source of your woes. Though since the gig is now, as they say, up, I suppose that I may as well simply inquire what the matter troubling you is?"

Kokomi's first instinct is to tell her new classmate that she's fine. However, given that she passed out in front of everyone it's unlikely that he'll believe her. In that case maybe she should tell him as much of the truth as she can without raising suspicion. Maybe that will get him off her back.

"Okay so, you've heard the news about the disappearance of Mugami Toru, right?" she says. The story had hit the news earlier that week.

"I had not in fact heard about that. I've never paid much attention to celebrity news. Personally, I think the lives of ordinary people are much more interesting." At this point Akechi seems to realize how callous his current tangent is given the context, and hurriedly attempts to course-correct, "Though I do not mean to say that it is not perfectly understandable why you would be so saddened by the news of his disappearance. You must have been quite a fan."

"It's not that." Kokomi says, not really knowing why. She should just let Akechi walk away satisfied with the answer that he thinks he's found or even lean into to lead him farther away from where the truth has been buried but finds the thought of him seeing her as just another Mugamin stomach-churning for some reason that she can't name. "The truth is I'm his sister."

Akechi tilts his head thoughtfully, "So what you are experiencing is not the grief of a fan but rather that of a family member. I am an only child myself, but I have experience with the pain of having somebody dear to you vanish without warning. Would you like me to help you find him?"

Kokomi should clearly accept this offer. That's what a perfect pretty girl aggrieved by the disappearance of her brother would do. It's also, conveniently enough, very much not what a murderer would do.

And yet, she remembers the feeling of her brother's tongue in her mouth, the years of his touches that would linger too long or settle on places that made her itch with discomfort, the dreams where he clings to her and promises her that, no matter what, he'll escape from the awful place that he's trapped in and find his way back to her, and finds that the best she can muster is a gentle refusal. "Thank you for your offer but there's no need. His agency has already hired professionals to look into his disappearance. If they can't find him, I'm afraid you won't be able to either."

"You strike me as remarkably unenthusiastic about the prospect. Did you and your brother not get along? Even, perhaps, to such an extent that you'd prefer it if he wasn't found at all?" Akechi says staring at her with big, dark eyes that bore into her soul.

"What are you talking about? I mean, I suppose we had our ups and downs but that's normal. We had a perfectly normal sibling relationship." Kokomi lies frantically, "Of course I want him to be found."

"In that case, then surely you'd agree that having another pair of eyes looking for him would only increase the chances of that?" Akechi asks, leaning forward eagerly, "I might not have access to the resources that the investigators your family hired but perhaps my unique perspective could allow me to uncover leads that they had overlooked, and I am willing to provide my services, such as they are, absolutely free of charge."

"Well, I suppose that it couldn't hurt." Kokomi admits. After all, it's not like she has to worry about him actually finding her brother, and as for the risk of him discovering the truth, she doubts that he poses any more of a threat of that than the investigators already on the case do already.

"Excellent. I shall provide you with this so that you may reach out to me with the relevant information at your leisure." Akechi says, bowing as he presents Kokomi with an honest to goodness business card before walking away.

When Kokomi gets back home, she checks her phone to see a text from her father.

"I've scheduled an audition with some of my industry connections next Wednesday. Does that work for you?"

Kokomi texts back, "It does, thank you. :)"

She can't help but feel like she's just set her own execution date.

That night she dreams of performing at a festival, all alone on a tall platform for the festival goers who have gathered to watch her down below.

She thinks she sees her brother among them trying to shove his way to the front of the crowd but she's far too far above to them all to tell.

When she approaches the edge to get a better look, one of her heels gives way sending her plummeting-

Down,

down,

until she jerks awake in her bed.

It's still the best night of sleep she's had that week.

Dreams of Tanabata

chapter 7

Chapter Index

	Kokomi knows that she's being followed. It's the new kid. He must think he's being so slick, trailing nonchalantly a block or two behind her but Kokomi hasn't managed to go unkidnapped for over sixteen years without developing a finely-honed awareness of her surroundings. Besides he's gone to her school for two weeks and he's never headed this way after school before. Why is he following her? When she magnanimously graced his day with her presence, did he get some stupid idea that the glimpse of a dream that she'd granted him to brighten his sad and lonely life might actually come true? Is he really socially incompetent enough to do that? She remembers his disaster of an introduction with a sinking feeling. He totally is. Great. This just what she needs. Goodness knows her week had been going too well before this. Well, if worse comes to worst she has ten centimeters on him and five years of fairly intensive self-defense classes so she's reasonably confident that if he tries to lay a hand on her she can make him wish he hadn't. Still, she'd rather have someone else step in instead, so she doesn't have to resort to such unladylike measures. While she's considering how to best summon intervention the footsteps behind her begin to rapidly draw closer. She turns to see her new classmate rushing towards her. Kokomi readies herself to grab and throw him to the ground but thankfully this proves unnecessary. "I see that you seem to have noticed me." Akechi pants as he comes to a stop with a couple of meters still between them, "I apologize for any distress that I might have caused you, but I assure you that my intentions were nothing untoward." "Ah, then what were they?" Kokomi asks. "Your first-year friend came to me with concerns regarding your wellbeing brought on by the way that you passed out yesterday. I was simply tailing you to observe your afterschool routine under the assumption that it might allow me to discover the source of your woes. Though since the gig is now, as they say, up, I suppose that I may as well simply inquire what the matter troubling you is?" Kokomi's first instinct is to tell her new classmate that she's fine. However, given that she passed out in front of everyone it's unlikely that he'll believe her. In that case maybe she should tell him as much of the truth as she can without raising suspicion. Maybe that will get him off her back. "Okay so, you've heard the news about the disappearance of Mugami Toru, right?" she says. The story had hit the news earlier that week. "I had not in fact heard about that. I've never paid much attention to celebrity news. Personally, I think the lives of ordinary people are much more interesting." At this point Akechi seems to realize how callous his current tangent is given the context, and hurriedly attempts to course-correct, "Though I do not mean to say that it is not perfectly understandable why you would be so saddened by the news of his disappearance. You must have been quite a fan." "It's not that." Kokomi says, not really knowing why. She should just let Akechi walk away satisfied with the answer that he thinks he's found or even lean into to lead him farther away from where the truth has been buried but finds the thought of him seeing her as just another Mugamin stomach-churning for some reason that she can't name. "The truth is I'm his sister." Akechi tilts his head thoughtfully, "So what you are experiencing is not the grief of a fan but rather that of a family member. I am an only child myself, but I have experience with the pain of having somebody dear to you vanish without warning. Would you like me to help you find him?" Kokomi should clearly accept this offer. That's what a perfect pretty girl aggrieved by the disappearance of her brother would do. It's also, conveniently enough, very much not what a murderer would do. And yet, she remembers the feeling of her brother's tongue in her mouth, the years of his touches that would linger too long or settle on places that made her itch with discomfort, the dreams where he clings to her and promises her that, no matter what, he'll escape from the awful place that he's trapped in and find his way back to her, and finds that the best she can muster is a gentle refusal. "Thank you for your offer but there's no need. His agency has already hired professionals to look into his disappearance. If they can't find him, I'm afraid you won't be able to either." "You strike me as remarkably unenthusiastic about the prospect. Did you and your brother not get along? Even, perhaps, to such an extent that you'd prefer it if he wasn't found at all?" Akechi says staring at her with big, dark eyes that bore into her soul. "What are you talking about? I mean, I suppose we had our ups and downs but that's normal. We had a perfectly normal sibling relationship." Kokomi lies frantically, "Of course I want him to be found." "In that case, then surely you'd agree that having another pair of eyes looking for him would only increase the chances of that?" Akechi asks, leaning forward eagerly, "I might not have access to the resources that the investigators your family hired but perhaps my unique perspective could allow me to uncover leads that they had overlooked, and I am willing to provide my services, such as they are, absolutely free of charge." "Well, I suppose that it couldn't hurt." Kokomi admits. After all, it's not like she has to worry about him actually finding her brother, and as for the risk of him discovering the truth, she doubts that he poses any more of a threat of that than the investigators already on the case do already. "Excellent. I shall provide you with this so that you may reach out to me with the relevant information at your leisure." Akechi says, bowing as he presents Kokomi with an honest to goodness business card before walking away. When Kokomi gets back home, she checks her phone to see a text from her father. "I've scheduled an audition with some of my industry connections next Wednesday. Does that work for you?" Kokomi texts back, "It does, thank you. :)" She can't help but feel like she's just set her own execution date. That night she dreams of performing at a festival, all alone on a tall platform for the festival goers who have gathered to watch her down below. She thinks she sees her brother among them trying to shove his way to the front of the crowd but she's far too far above to them all to tell. When she approaches the edge to get a better look, one of her heels gives way sending her plummeting- Down, down, down, until she jerks awake in her bed. It's still the best night of sleep she's had that week.
	Chapter Index