2023-10-20: Reconnection
- Cutscene: Reconnection
- Cast: Naoko Suzuki, Touwa Chiba (NPC)
- Where: Jindai High School, Nouvelle Tokyo
- Date: 0097-10-20
- Summary: Acting on concerns that continue to plague her, Naoko meets up with a childhood friend for the purpose of discussing the strange happenings in their shared hometown.
The gates of Jindai, once again. Even with odds of success so slim, and so many other things to worry about, Naoko Suzuki yet finds herself coming back here periodically.
It feels a little bad, knowing the reason she's doing this has nothing to do with wanting to see the person she's looking for. Not that it wouldn't be nice to see him again after all these years. But the reality is that she wouldn't be here if it wasn't for their shared past. A past that someone has tried to erase.
Even knowing what she does now, it's hard to imagine someone would do all that because of her. It seems more reasonable to assume it all relates back to whatever shady business her still-missing parents were up to. Even if not knowing where they are is normal to her. To the point where she can't shake the feeling that they're just going to suddenly turn up again one day. Randomly, unannounced, as if it hadn't been months, sometimes years since they saw her last. Not the kind of parental relationship that most have, she's aware. But she still values what she does have.
Naoko gazes at the uniformed students leaving through the gates, a stark contrast with her casual mode of dress. Despite being only a short distance away, it feels like there's such a wide chasm between them. Just look at them chatting, and laughing, probably about nothing much at all... this is what normal kids do. But she isn't a normal kid, is she? She never has been.
>"Do you regret not going?"<
Ariel's voice gives her a start, but she recovers quickly, shaking her head with a faint smile. "Nah. Don't think I would have learned anything important. Besides, if I'd left home back then, Sukeban would never have existed. I wouldn't have met all those people, and I wouldn't have made any difference in the world. So... I made the right decision."
She still regrets it a little bit, sometimes. Attending junior high actually did make her feel normal, for a little while. Even if it was a lie, it was a pleasant one.
Her thoughts on the matter instantly disperse when she catches sight of a familiar face. She can't suppress a gasp. That's him alright. But his hair... it's gotten so long, long enough to be gathered into a ponytail. She smiles warmly at the sight. Looks like Mr. Average Joe finally got himself a trait to stand out a little more. Maybe that means he's not so easily embarrassed as he used to be.
...Let's test that, she decides. Her smile turning into a mischievous grin, she cups her hands around her mouth, before yelling at the top of her lungs.
"Touwa-chaaaaan~"
The boy with the dark ponytail freezes up, looking absolutely mortified when several of the groups of students stop to look at Naoko, then to him. He turns beet red, using excessive hand gestures in his unheard excuses to the students, before he starts sprinting in Naoko's direction, fleeing more than anything. As soon as he's able, he begins pushing her away from view of the school gate, which she tacitly allows, her grin never fading. Once they round a corner, Touwa faces her with an exasperated expression.
"Naoko, I swear to god. Was that really necessary?!"
"Got your attention, didn't it?" She smoothly replies, stepping around him to gesture at the back of his head. "Nice hair, by the way. Speaking of image changes, wasn't there a cross-dressing pageant a while ago? How'd that go for you?"
The teenage boy sputters at the implication, impossibly growing even redder than before. "The dress was one time, Naoko! One time, let it go already!"
Naoko mock-pouts, "Aw, really? You didn't get in on that? Truly no greater disservice was ever done to the world."
Touwa reaches his breaking point, losing his energy as he lets out a sigh of resignation. Clearly the better choice is to steer the conversation away from this particular topic. "What are you doing here, anyway? I'm not buying that you suddenly changed your mind about going to high school. So, what, did you just come here to embarrass me, or is there some particular reason?"
Naoko pokes him in the ribs, prompting a mild flinch. "As a matter of fact, yes, there is. I was testing you. And you passed!"
Touwa squints in doubt. "Naoko, if this is your idea of a joke--"
"I'm dead serious." Instantly, Naoko's expression's changes to match the change of tone, enough to make Touwa pause. She preempts the obvious question. "I was testing to see if you remembered me, and what happened in the past. Looks like your memory is just fine. You have... no idea how glad I am."
In spite of the teasing, when Naoko looks this serious, Touwa knows that she means every word, and changes expressions to match. "...Okay. Tell me everything. What is this about?"
Naoko looks left and right, making sure that no one else is nearby before she replies. "Something's happened back home. Have you been back there at all? Because... people are claiming I never lived there. All evidence that I ever did is gone, even my house."
Touwa's eyes widen. "Your house? The Suzuki Mansion? How could anyone--" He shakes his head. Those aren't the right questions. "What about your parents?"
"Gone. They were to begin with, nothing new there... but they gave me a call early this year, told me to leave, that 'people were coming'. So I left. Some, um... friends of mine went there to ask after me half a year later, that's when the house was gone, and nobody remembered me. Not even your mom."
Chiba-sensei, a teacher at their shared junior high school. Sure, she could have tested her son's memory by checking if he remembered her standing up for him against the bullies who were on his case just for being the teacher's kid. But she had to go for what would prompt a funnier reaction, naturally.
In spite of everything, at the moment Naoko feels mostly relieved as she continues, "I was even starting to doubt my own memories. But... you still remember. So my past was real. That all... really happened. Which means..." She brings a hand to her chin. "There isn't any doubt, then. Whatever happened, it's something that happened to everyone who was in Akaigawa at the time."
Touwa, with crossed arms and closed eyes, looks pensive for a moment before relaxing his posture, looking down at the slightly shorter Naoko. "Alright. Say no more. I was feeling bad about not visiting my parents over summer... I'll see what I can do come winter."
"Touwa..." Naoko begins. He waves a hand in response.
"I know, you didn't come to me for help. But did you honestly expect you could tell me about all this without me wanting to know what's going on?"
Naoko knows better than to argue against such resolve. Instead, she cautions, "Okay, just, be careful. And don't mention me directly. Someone has to be responsible, probably these 'people' that my parents mentioned. They may still be watching... I don't want you getting into trouble on my account."
Touwa scoffs. "Don't lie, you love getting me in trouble."
Simultaneously, the two friends burst out in laughter. Just like old times, Naoko thinks. Some things never change, and she's never been more glad for it.