Editing Mushi Uta:Volume 7 Chapter 1 (section)

== 1.02 Akatsuki Part 3 ==
After class, he went along with Haemori Ako, who came to get him, only on a whim.

Even if he returned to the place of residence prepared for him he had nothing to do. He had actually been ordered to not get involved with the investigation of the mysterious phenomena in town. If he closed himself in a room he would just end up thinking of unanswerable things again.

On their way to the club room, the girl Haemori Ako introduced herself simply.

She was a second-year student just like Akatsuki, serving as the president for the new club. As the self-proclaimed "True Journalist", she had apparently brought to light countless hidden truths.

Yet this impression came from the girl herself. Akatsuki's classmates were kind to this ignorant transfer student, so they told him that "you'd better not get involved". Anyway, it was hard calling Haemori Ako a normal student.

"…"

Ako brought him along to the journalism club room. Perhaps some warehouse originally, its entrance was a door located on the bottom of the stairs.

Yet they couldn't even reach the door. They stood side to side motionless.

"Umm…"

Akatsuki checked the face of the girl standing next to him.

Still holding the camera, Ako filmed the paper pasted onto the door with a serious expression.

On top of the paper stating "Journalism Club – Main Office" was a different piece of paper.

"Entrance forbidden to everyone involved (especially the journalism club!)"—signed by the student council.

An awkward silence befell the two, with the students going home passing by them one after another.

"…"

She was probably heartbroken. Ako wordlessly hung her head. Still holding the camera, she bit on her lower lips. Seeing that her eyes were moist, Akatsuki was startled.

"I-Isn't this some sort of mistake?"

He hurriedly tried to comfort her.

"The club's only going to be disbanded starting two weeks from now, right? So it's weird they already did this."

"…"

"I know, let's go speak to the student council! Okay? Let's go?"

He was weak against crying girls. He couldn't endure it even if it wasn't his fault.

"'Kay."

Ako recovered surprisingly fast. She turned her camera toward Akatsuki to hide her reddening eyes and spoke seriously.

"You've been deceived, club member Ogata. I wasn't depressed just now. It was simply acting in order to fool the enemy monitoring us. Acting is always required in my pursuit of the truth."

"O-Oh, I see… you've had me completely fooled."

"Also, even if it's our club room, it's really nothing special. I always carry what I need in my bag."

Easily asserting this, she turned on her heels. Akatsuki smiled wryly but followed her.

"So that's how it is. If so then it's not really—"

"But there're the videos and pictures I've taken recently. I filmed a really cute doggy on the riverbank lately. —I wanted to show it to my new club member."

Akatsuki was a bit surprised and stopped in place.

"Oh, I'd like to see it. I love dogs."

Smiling, he walked next to Ako.

This somewhat odd girl was not a bad person at all. She was hard to read due to always wearing a serious expression, but now that he knew why she'd been depressed just now he could understand.

Although they were filming inside the school, none of the teachers seemed to stop them. Even the students they went by all looked past Ako as if used to it. Akatsuki could feel that everyone was watching him much more curiously.

[[File:Mushi Uta 7 p063.jpg|thumb]]

He ended up going with Ako, whom he barely knew, but didn't feel bad at all.

He never thought that he'd blend into the student lifestyle ever again. Akatsuki had no advantageous abilities for infiltrating. Actually, even in Ouka city he was only sent to Mushi-capturing missions; he normally didn't attend his designated school.

He was aware that he'd lost his daily life. Yet spending all of his days in training and battle had perhaps fatigued him more than he thought.

"It's a nice school."

The facility was much worse when compared to the city, but the students were all lively. Just by walking around the school Akatsuki felt as if he was just a normal high schooler.

"Yup."

Still pointing her camera ahead, Ako nodded.

"I also like this school. Of course, this town as well."

"I see."

A natural smile rose to Akatsuki's face. —How long had it been since he smiled like this?

"By the way, Haemori-san."

"You can call me Ako."

"Hmm, so call me Akatsuki too. Anyway, how many people are in the journalism club? How many people do we need to prevent the club from closing down?"

"The amount of people needed to ensure the continuation of the club is five. Since we doubled the number of members as of today, overcoming the danger is but a matter of time."

"Doubled?"

"Until yesterday it was only me, so double that is two people."

Saying this sadly, Ako stopped in place. They came in front of the third year classroom.

"I see… Wait, what? You were the only one?"

Sending a sideway glance at the surprised Akatsuki, Ako opened the classroom's door. Not acting like she noticed the gaze from the remaining students inside, she entered it.

When one person among a group of people chatting, a girl with long hair, saw Ako, she raised an eyebrow.

"Haemori-san? Do you need anything?"

"I propose an interview of the student council by the journalism club. I would like for you to give an official answer about closing up the journalism club without any prior announcement."

Apparently this upperclassman was the president of the student council. Only now did Akatsuki realize Ako went to do just as he had suggested.

"Wait, can you please not film us? My friends have nothing to do with this."

"Filming within the school is a right of the journalism club acknowledged by the school. Also, this is a record of the official opinion of the student council, so don't get me wrong."

"Geez… And who's that? I've never seen him."

"The new member of the journalism club."

Looking at Akatsuki, the student council president muttered "No way…" and became speechless. Seemed like a mere new member caused her unthinkable shock.

"He just transferred to school today. And I took him to the club room just now… but there's still some time until the club closes down, so I wondered what was happening."

"Transfer student?"

"My sincere feelings about journalism shook the heart of justice lying inside him."

Ako spoke super seriously. Although he couldn't quite agree with this introduction, Akatsuki said nothing. He couldn't believe that not long ago he thought that she knew he belonged to a secret organization.

"We would like to report being oppressed by the student council. Seizing the club room even when the date has not yet passed is a major rule infraction."

"About that, since another club managed to gather five people we started preparing it for them. Even if you call it a rule infraction… since, until now, you haven't managed to get even a single person, wasn't it obvious your club will close down? If you manage to get five people I'll give it back to you."

"That is only the student council's estimation. My journalism club—"

"Say, this is a school. There are plenty students besides you. Could you please not be so selfish?"

The student council president sighed.

"Even if you call it your club room, aren't you just using it to store stuff? Do you know how hard it was to carry away all those photographs and suspicious disks?"

Ako gulped.

"No way… Did you just throw them—"

"We wouldn't go so far as to do that. Since there wasn't any place for all that, we put it in the warehouse behind school. Please retrieve them later. They might be a little messy though."

Hearing these words, Ako sank into silence. She wanted to say something but cast her gaze down in resignation.

Akatsuki recalled Ako as she was when she'd said she wanted to show him the dog picture.

"Isn't that a bit cruel?"

"You be silent. You just came here today, right? Hadn't you just joined because Haemori-san told you to?"

"That doesn't have anything to do with it. It is exactly because there are so many students that you need to follow your own decisions. Changing the rules when the people involved are not present, isn't that cowardice?"

Receiving an attack from an unthinkable person, the student council president scowled.

"Do you not know what sort of place the journalism club is?"

"I'm telling you that it doesn't matter. Or did you purposely clean up the room because you don't like the journalism club—"

"That's enough, club member Akatsuki. It's useless speaking to her."

Ako stopped Akatsuki. At some point she'd risen up again and started filming the student council president with emotionless eyes.

''But''—Ako shook her head when Akatsuki wanted to argue.

"She's simply being controlled."

"…Wha?"

Akatsuki and the student council president both emitted a stupid-sounding voice at the same time.

"I have noticed a shadow trying to sabotage our journalism club from a while ago. The prez in front of us is but a fake that has replaced her at some point."

The classroom sank into silence.

Not only Akatsuki and the student council president, even the other student's lines of sight focused on her.

"The once-righteous student council president is gone. The one here is but a scoundrel blinded by greed. She's probably trying to obstruct the justice of our journalism club."

After this imposing announcement, Akatsuki looked at the president.

Finally she responded, "I just had a cold and was sick for a while, please don't be so creepy…" and held her temples. To Akatsuki's eyes she looked like a plain, normal human.

"So? You understand now, right?"

Perhaps really enduring a headache, the president spoke to him with a grave expression.

"It's the sort of club that only talks of such nonsense all year round. You should also cut your ties with this girl. If not, you'll end up without any friends just like her."

Hearing this whisper, Akatsuki sank into a complex state of mind. By desperately jumping to Ako's protection he felt a weird sense of shame welling up inside.

"There's no point in staying here, club member Akatsuki. We will do only what we must as journalists."

Asserting this, Ako left the classroom.

"W-wait a minute! Ako…!"

He leapt to the corridor in pursuit. Perhaps having some other destination in mind, Ako walked briskly while facing ahead.

"Speaking of enemies or the president being replaced or whatever, what's this all about…?"

"Yes… I believe the time has come to discuss that with you."

After Akatsuki asked this timidly, Ako stopped in place. She turned her digital camera at him with a meek expression.

"The truth is this town is being targeted by a great evil. No one has yet to notice, but the True Journalist cannot be deceived."

"Evil? The one related to the president?"

"People like her are simply affected by it. It's something different from small fry like her. I named that existence the Demon Lord. It is extremely cunning and dangerous. Although I am competent, I wasn't able to ascertain their identity yet. However, there is no doubt that even now the Demon Lord is scheming to threaten our peace."

"Demon Lord…? What does that actually mean? Have you managed to find some evidence or—"

"Unfortunately, I was unable to acquire any decisive evidence. I do not even know if they are an individual or a group. I was trying to tail them, but…"

"No evidence… meaning, this is only your intuition?"

Ako amended, "No, it is the keen sense of smell possessed by the True Journalist."

Akatsuki dropped his shoulders and sighed. He thought that he might be able to grasp some clue about the abnormal happenings in this town.

But he was apparently wrong. Whether a fan of the occult or a conspiracy theorist, Ako was merely drunk on her own imagination.

At first he thought the existence of the SEPB had been revealed, and now he thought he might be able to acquire new clues—Akatsuki was tired at his habit to overthink things. He felt like he was being overly manipulated by this weird girl.

"Anyway, club member Akatsuki. Seems like the seeds of loyalty for our cause were quick to sprout within you."

"Eh?"

"I've recorded your courage of standing up to the student council prez."

Recalling that, he blushed. Now that he thought OF how much he covered for Ako, he again experienced a complex feeling.

While he was at Moira High School, he protested in front of the students many times. In order to allow the blind Senri to participate in school activities, he preached the entire school along with Iori and Azu.

"Thank you."

Akatsuki instantly widened his eyes.

He couldn't see it well due to the camera, but it looked like Ako was smiling. It was his first time seeing her smile.

"Next is this classroom. The circumstances being what they are, we need to meet up with our fan representative."

Before Akatsuki could speak, Ako turned the camera around. The face of the girl opening up the door of the class returned being serious as it was before.

"Satou-senpai."

When Ako called out this name, several students turned around.

"Oh, I'm talking about the third Satou-senpai."

"Ako-chan?" a voice called out from the end of the class. A girl sitting in the very edge of a group of a few girls approached.

"Third?"

"There are three people called Satou in this class. The third one by seating number is plain and is a bit unnoticeable, so we have to call her that. Her classmates probably don't even remember her private name."

It was a cruel thing to say about an upperclassman.

Yet he could also somewhat understand it once the girl came to them.

"What is it, Ako-chan? …Ah! Did a special issue come out?"

She was tall and had a good figure, but she wore her school uniform strictly according to the rules unlike girls this age. Never mind her long skirt, but she didn't even wear any accessories such as piercing or bracelets. Her black-rimmed glasses were hidden by her hair, so her face couldn't be seen clearly.

''I see, she really is plain. I can't see anything distinctive other than her height and the mole on her mouth.''

"W-what?"

"The Third Satou" suddenly blushed. Wondering what happened, Akatsuki noticed that her eyes concealed by glasses and bangs looked at none other than him.

"W-who is that?"

She was probably unaccustomed to interacting with boys. Akatsuki lowered his head with a "Hello".

"The newest member of the journalism club, Ogata Akatsuki. If you like him I allow you to rent him from time to time."

"Rent? Eh? I-I don't really…"

"'Twas a joke. This is Satou Youko-senpai. The fan representative of our club's publication 'Monthly AKO'."

Focusing the camera on both of them, Ako introduced them to one another. It was his first time hearing about Monthly AKO.

"Satou-senpai, I actually came to apologize today."

"Apologize?"

"I think of taking a break with this month's Monthly AKO. Our club's belongings have been confiscated due to a wicked conspiracy."

"Eeh? Then did that Demon Lord you wrote about in the last issue and his army of darkness caught up to you? Just when it was the time to strike back!"

"Yup. But fret not, this doesn't mean we have yielded to evil. We shall pretend to be weakened, and attack the Demon Lord when they lower their guard. I will never hurt you, my dear reader Satou-senpai."

"Oh, i-it's fine! I'll support you, Ako-chan!"

Looking at an upperclassman getting pumped up and clenching her fists, Akatsuki realized something.

This girl had the same hobby as Ako. Satou Youko happily absorbed Ako's flurry of conspiracy talk. Seeing them both, he could more or less imagine the contents of Monthly AKO.

"Now then, we shall part for a while. The next time we meet will probably signal the moment to unveil the identity of the Demon Lord."

"Do your best, Ako-chan!"

Ako left the classroom looking satisfied.

Akatsuki tried following her, but someone pulled on his sleeve. Turning around, he could see Youko timidly gazing at his face. Her cheeks were slightly red and she whispered.

"U-umm, Ogata-kun, was it?"

"Yes."

"Ako-chan's a bit strange at times, but can you treat her well?"

When Akatsuki returned her gaze, Youko averted her eyes abashedly. But perhaps still worried for Ako, she muttered in a subdued voice.

"She's not a bad kid. I-I can guarantee it!"

He looked at Ako's back. She apparently hadn't noticed that Akatsuki wasn't following her. "Now then, club member Akatsuki. We'll become increasingly busier from now on. First of all we need to invite new members—" she muttered.

"P-Please?"

Youko forced a smile while asking him.

Akatsuki regretted the fact that he'd thought of this upperclassman as plain. Youko apparently looked out for her underclassmen and was kind.

"Of course."

He'd already realized Ako was not a bad person. She simply was more conceited than most people, or more like, she had an active imagination. Since he'd gotten involved with Mushitsuki, many of them oddballs, he was confident he was less prejudiced than the average person.

"I will do what I can."

He smiled at Youko.

Akatsuki wasn't going to stay in school for long, but he thought of trying to help with whatever he could. At the very least, hanging out with Ako would mean less time spent on unnecessary thinking.

"…"

Youko stared absently at Akatsuki's face, silent. Not only her cheeks but even her ears reddened.

"Is something the matter?"

"N-no! I-I'm fine! Thank you… I knew at a glance you're a kind person so I knew you'd say that."

"Is that so? I think it's normal."

"No. I can tell…"

Youko's gaze looked at Akatsuki from the gaps in her bangs.

Her eyes were clear and beautiful. It was a pity for them to be hidden by her glasses and hair. They were black like obsidian and deep like the deepest ocean that could swallow you. He ended up staring at them without meaning to.

"You look kind, and… strong, too. Not in a physical sense. It's like you wouldn't lose to anyone if it was for the sake of some great goal—"

He grew curious in the movements of her lips forming these words. Her red tongue appearing from time to time between her teeth was alluring. He could sniff a pleasant scent from somewhere, so was Youko wearing perfume?

"Youko-senpai… why don't you wear contacts?"

Before realizing it he spoke on his own. Youko rounded her eyes.

"Huh?"

"Ah—"

He held his mouth. Akatsuki's cheeks flushed. What was he saying?

"I-I'm sorry! Having you say my name all of sudden, it's… it's nothing, don't mind it!"

"Ah, uh… No, it's completely fine! I'm the one who should apologize! Umm, sorry for speaking strangely all of a sudden!"

"Club member Akatsuki."

The lens of a digital camera suddenly cutting from the side caused Akatsuki and Youko to startle away.

"I was sure you were following me. What are you scheming with Satou-senpai?"

Since the petite Ako was filming the taller pair, she had to look upwards. They looked at the ceiling to hide their blushing faces.

"I-It's nothing, Ako! Come on, let's go! We need to gather members, right?"

"Why are you avoiding the camera, member Akatsuki?"

"D-do your best! Akatsuki…kun, as well."

"There's nobody there though? Where are you looking while saying that, Satou-senpai?"

Akatsuki pushed on Ako's shoulders, pushing her through the corridor by force.

As he glanced behind him, Youko waved at him with her face red all the way up to her ears.