Fists and Lipsticks 2: The Silver Crescent

CHAPTER 55: Camera

CHAPTER 55: CAMERA

 Let’s run away.

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"So, stalking people via security cameras is your newfound obsession now?"

 "It's not 'stalking'. It's being cautious."

Yoshifumi Rei grimaced, taking off his headphones and slouching indolently on his recliner. His father, Shigeo, plopped down right next to him inside the badly-lit control station of the YR Laboratory. In front of them were twenty 15-inch television screens stacked one on top of the other, airing both live and recorded feeds of the security cameras mounted on strategic places within Lady Nu Huang's hotels back in Japan. Not that his being stranded in Switzerland for the past couple of days had some massive influence to his spying instincts. Rei had been 'naturally' like that ever since the Spectra started messing with their lives. It was his way of being 'extra careful', although more often than not, his being too watchful over matters was precisely the cause of his missing out on the things that were most obvious. "It's better than just sulking in our 'big cage', isn't it?"

"Who's that?" Shigeo pointed towards the man on the screen who was in the act of handing to a woman a bundle of documents.

"Ryuuzaki Kenichiro – just one of our men in the Silver Crescent. I asked him to pose as my deputy while Chris and I are away… no one important," Rei shrugged uncaringly. "Why are you here?"

Shigeo shrugged, "Is it wrong to give your son a dose of moral support?"

"It's not 'wrong'. It's annoying."

"Well, you don't look 'annoyed' to me at all."

Shigeo was right, for the moment he turned to face his son, Rei's lips were already curved to a delighted grin. He straightened up on his seat as he took hold of the long brown envelope previously placed on top of the narrow desk behind them and from it pulled out the scandalous photo of Yoshida Ayane and Sato Yuken kissing.

"And what are you planning to do with that picture?" Shigeo frowned. "Rei, you're wasting your time with this nonsense obsession of yours! Instead of pointlessly stalking insignificant people through those cameras and doing ridiculous, childish games just to pester others out of jealousy, why don't you come up with a way to get us back to Japan before that woman runs away with the Vault!"

"Relax. Ayane-chan will not go anywhere."

"What makes you so sure?"

"Because she can't… and she won't…" Rei replied confidently. "So if being a nitpicker is your idea of showing 'moral support', I suggest that you just go home and pack your bags – the sooner, the better."

"Pack my bags? Why? Where are we going?"

Instead of giving a straight-forward reply, Rei held up the scandalous picture of Ayane and Yuken and once again flashed a mischievous grin. "Let's just say that I found us the perfect passport back to Tokyo."

No one has ever seen Doctor Okamoto Shizuki as enraged as she was that evening.

She startled everyone as she banged the door of her clinic shut, her footsteps heavy as she strode across the hospital corridors with her fists clenched tightly. She passed through the reception area without saying goodbye to the nurses-on-duty with that sincere, optimistic smile as she usually did; she did not even bother to turn or even nod out of politeness to the other doctors and patients with whom she crossed paths along her way. The nurses-on-duty were astounded by Shizuki's rather unusual temperament – not that anyone could blame them with their reaction. Shizuki had lived such reputable character, even dating back to high school days where she was described as intelligent, shy, hopeful, and good-natured.