Red Data Girl - Series 1 & 2

My First Familiar - 6

An American Girl in Japan

Red Data Girl: My First Familiar
Chapter 1: Izumiko
Part 3 (2 of 2)

Although the rotors were spinning, the helicopter hovered at a steady two meters above the schoolyard, its nose pointed upwind. Then, it began to steadily climb up into the air. Izumiko knew she could trust Sagara's abilities as a pilot, so she didn't feel unsafe. However, flying off like this in front of the public eye was so embarrassing, she felt like her face was going to catch fire. Everything about the day so far had left her exhausted.

Izumiko noticed wearily that the school buildings were already growing smaller in the distance.

"Did Grandpa really say it was okay? About coming by helicopter?"

"Of course. It was an emergency after all," Sagara said quickly, checking the meters.

"An emergency? You mean how I broke all the computers?"

Sagara changed the topic.

"You were crying, weren't you? Was it because your teacher got so mad at you?"

Izumiko was almost sure she had stopped crying by the time he had arrived, but he must have noticed her red eyes. She responded awkwardly.

"No, it wasn't because she was mad at me,"

"If it was about paying to replace the computers, you can stop worrying about that. Your father will take care of it and one of the companies he works with will supply new ones and help recover the data. Even I could do that much,"

Sagara glanced at Izumiko in the seat beside him.

"Anyway, it was careless of me not to know that you were so bad with computers until today. Has it always been like this?"

"I don't know. It didn't seem like it when Dad was around, but..."

Izumiko was finishing her response when she realized that Sagara could confirm what she had seen and heard in the computer room. She hadn't told him yet.

"Mr. Sagara, Dad sent you in his place because he couldn't come back to Japan, right?"

"Ah. Actually, we were supposed to come back together. But Daisei had some work come up suddenly and he couldn't get away. Why?"

"The school that Dad wants me to go to wouldn't happen to beHoujou Academy, would it?"

"That's right,"

"I heard from Dad today. In the computer room," Izumiko continued. "I thought it was a dream, but if we were actually talking, that's even stranger. If that's really the truth, what happened was like some sort of occult occurrence. All the computers broke after I talked to him."

Sagara didn't answer for a minute. However, he didn't seem surprised.

"Actually, I got a message from Daisei as well. Given the situation, there's a few things I should tell you. You two were connected by computer through some sort of power in real time."

"Nothing like that's ever happened before. I can't use the computer at home at all."

Sagara finished checking the controls. Then he answered.

"Nothing has changed with Daisei. Therefore, if there have been any sudden changes, they've been on your side. For example, cutting your hair. Did I hear you cut those bangs on your own?"

It was a strange thing to be so specific about. She touched her bangs.

"You mean, this happened because I cut my hair?"