Marionette

Oceans, Chapter Thirty Four - Chinmoku [沈黙]

After a brief moment of Karasuma reprimanding Irina for her Hollywood Starlet outfit on a Middle-school trip, Amaya had been allowed to take up one of the seats in the back of their allocated placement in the economy-class of the train.

It was an entire enclosed carriage just to Class-E, presumably because of Koro-sensei's presence on the trip.

Amaya was the first on the train out of her class, and by the time the others began to board, she'd pulled on her headphones, turned them up to drown the world away, and had one of her novels open in her hands. She sat sideways on the seat next to the window, so that her legs were hanging over the arm of the chair, and off the front of the chair next to her own.

Her feet weren't literally on the chair, so it wasn't like she was going to get into trouble for it, unless Karasuma was in a really bad mood because of the way the day has gone, already.

Then she might get into trouble.

Somewhere in Amaya's peripheral vision she saw Irina drop herself down onto the chair diagonally across from her, her head hung and her Hollywood Starlet outfit replaced with a pair of track pants, and a purple and pink zipper jumper that seemed oddly similar to the ones that were part of the student gym uniform.

Even from Amaya's disinterested position in her chair, she could tell that Irina was devastated right now, kneeling pitifully with her head hung as she drew little circles over the chair with a finger.

Well, Amaya couldn't help but feel a little sympathetic to the woman right now - The both of them were in situations that they weren't happy with right now, while everyone else looked as pleased as punch.

'Katsuragi-san.' Karasuma spoke up all of a sudden, causing Amaya to lift her gaze to look up at the ever-serious man curiously.

She noticed him motion towards her legs hanging over the separating arm of the chair, causing her to let out a small breath as she rearranged herself so that her legs were folded with her right beneath her left hanging off the side of the chair.

Well, it was either sit next to a silent Amaya, or a sulking Irina - It was kind of a no-brainer which one Karasuma was going to pick.

Karasuma sat himself down and proceeded to read the papers on a blue clipboard he had tucked beneath an arm until now.

Amaya could hear her classmates chattering amongst themselves as they began to pack their gear away in the bag compartments at the top of the windows, even through her headphones blaring away.

Which meant that everyone was very loud.

The train sounded a notice announcing that they were closing the doors, and departing from the station in the next thirty seconds.

And yet when the train started to move, Amaya didn't fail to notice that there was no sign of their Assassination Target.

All of a sudden, there was a buzzing sensation from the pocket of her pants, and her music suddenly cut off to start playing her ring-tone instead.

With a small sigh, Amaya pulled the device from her pocket in order to look at the screen.

The Caller ID read Koro-Sensei, and Amaya immediately decided not to answer it.

Instead, Amaya cast a quick glance-over the carriage over the top of everyones heads for any sign of that creature, only to find that he wasn't here. She hoped it would stay like that for the whole trip, however she knew better than to put any thought behind her hope.

Even if he missed the train like she was suspecting, he'd just fly to Kyoto and meet them there.

Or at least thats what she thought he'd do.