Page 60 of Pandion

“Um, where are we going?” Harumine glanced at Yajima to see if he would follow. Yajima checked the street behind them again but opted to tag along.

“The train station, I’m assuming. We can discuss the destination on the way there, but right now we should get going while that mob is still busy inside.” Kagesawa turned into another back alley and headed in the opposite direction from the nearest station. Harumine was about to point this out before realising said station was practically next to the local EA office. It was probably a smart move to avoid the area.

I think I know where we should go.The EA had started organising safe spaces for empaths, but with its resourcesdwarfed by the unrest and with the two of them no longer being licensed empaths, relying on the EA for help was not an option.

However, none of this affected Harumine’s alumni status. Moreover, it was the only place besides the EA headquarters that Harumine could think of to host the equipment and the knowledge that could help shed light on what was going on inside Kagesawa’s head.

There might be some unexpected benefits to being the natural teacher’s pet–type of student. Harumine had been on good terms with most of his professors, but there were a few in particular that sprung to mind.

TheSEU.

He could tell Kagesawa wasn’t thrilled, but it was understandable. The SEU had a reputation, and it could differ a lot depending on who you spoke to.

Are they even going to let me in?Kagesawa glanced at Yajima.Not to mention him.

“Are the two of you projecting about me? He has that look.” Yajima glared at Kagesawa.

He looks like he’s skulking everywhere he goes by default. No sane person would voluntarily let him in and expect him to not be thieving at the first opportunity.Kagesawa’s comments were comically petty. The dynamic between the two had the faint scent of an old divorced couple.

Harumine tried to keep a straight face. This was not the time to indulge in humorous mental imagery… but it was hard to resist.

“Only the highest praise, I assure you,” he said to Yajima. “I think I have a safe place in mind for us, and you’re free to join.”

Chapter 23

The train took a little less than a half an hour from T station to S station. The worst of the morning congestion had passed, and there was a fair number of seats available. So far no one had stopped them to ask any uncomfortable questions, and the commuters looked like regular people going about their regular business.

Since the anti-empath protests were localised around the EA’s offices, empath communities and other affiliated spaces, the rest of the country seemed largely unaffected by the unrest. The surrounding calm was deceptive.

Harumine was confident that the SEU had the resources and competence to shield itself from all of this like an impregnable fortress, but there was no telling what awaited between the station and the SEU main campus and whether they could get through unscathed.

Something wrong?Kagesawa looked like he was asleep, but apparently that was just for show.

Nothing beside the obvious,Harumine responded.Are you feigning sleep to appear inconspicuous or to avoid having to talk to Yajima?

With how Yajima had disappeared, it was no wonder there was a rift between them. Despite this, Harumine could tell they’d been linked and worked together for several years. There was something very familiar about Yajima, and the two seemed close despite the mood and the time apart.

Both. I’m suddenly reminded how annoying he is.Kagesawa’s face remained neutral, but his projection sounded irate.

Out of all of your links, I feel like he’s the one I could get along with.A little rough around the edges, Kagesawa had said. They were much alike in that respect.

Kagesawa cracked an eye open. Harumine could sense the question. He hesitated. He could have swept it under a rug with a lie, but that felt about as uncomfortable as outing his pointless link interviews when Kagesawa had disappeared. He sighed.

You left without leaving a note. I did some research. He seems palatable by comparison.They were not necessarily bad people, but at least Yajima hadn’t left solely for selfish reasons.

What sort of research?Kagesawa sat up straight and turned to look at Harumine.

A few observations. Never mind. It wasn’t very fruitful.

“Why do I get the feeling there’s a conversation going on, and I’m being excluded?” Yajima eyed the both of them.

“This is our stop.” Harumine pointed at the sign, saved by the timing.There’s a back route into the campus, usually used by the students that weren’t so keen on following the curfews.

Harumine knew of its existence for having used it to avoid bumping into other people when he’d wanted to make a quick run to the nearby bookshop or the konbini for a midnight study snack.

When the train stopped at the station, he led Kagesawa and Yajima down the stairs and to the smaller East exit. So far, there were no signs of protesters or anything else threatening. The sidewalk all the way up to the familiar konbini was nearly empty. Harumine dared to be cautiously optimistic. The rest of the way would be more secluded through a quiet residential area.

“Do you need something from the konbini?” he asked. There were vending machines at the school, but the selection was laughable. The cafeteria was for students only, so there was no guarantee they’d be allowed to use it.

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