MHG-V3-4 (Initial Draft)

Chapter 2 - a song

A2.2
"She's just a normal school girl, nothing special." Teruko said in Ken's ear as he sat in the back seat of a taxi headed toward the complex that housed Teruko's server.
"Who?" Ken said, being roused from a sleepy daydream about flying over the ocean. He didnt know why but his imagination sometimes took him on weird journeys when he had nothing else to do.
"Samantha Kang." Teruko said, "The girl who bet you at the mathematics comp."
Ken rubbed his head. Was she still talking about that?
"Her father is the more interesting character. A high level officer at the NSA - the same place you *almost* submitted information about Ayaka to."
Ken remembered that. He had been about to submit damning evidence of the criminal activities of another girl similar to Teruko named Ayaka. Instead he'd made a deal with Ayaka, which had resulted in him helping her escape the rogue organisation that was using her powers for criminal purposes and transferring her to the same compound where Teruko lived.
What got to Ken though, was that Teruko had been digging so deep into the private life of this girl who had bet him in a competition. Didnt she have any deceny?
"I dont suppose you have her photo?" Ken said sarcastically.
"Here."
Ken gulped as an image suddenly flashed in front of him of a middle school girl about the same age as him, dressed and posing for a formal photo. She was pretty, with long dark brown hair. It was probably from a school record or something.
"I didn't actually want-"
"...dont have any photos of her in a bikini but I could try if you wanted.." Teruko laughed.
Ken grit his teeth. One thing Teruko *didn't* have was shame. At least she trusted him enough that she could make a joke like that without worrying that he might actually be interested in her.
"But.. Samantha Kang? She's not Japanese?" Ken asked.
"Do you think everyone in this city is Japanese?" Teruko retorted. "How do you even know i'm actually Japanese? I could be African or something else entirely!"
"Your name and your face..!" Ken protested, but then realised his mistake as soon as he had said it. Her name, her image, everything about her identity was made up. Even her gender could be..
"You are a girl, right?" Ken asked suddenly.
There was silence in his ear for a moment before Teruko suddenly burst out. "Of course I'm a girl! What kind of a question is that?!?"
"Well... because..."
"Shesh.. stop thinking weird things." Teruko said with annoyance in his voice. "Anyway, back to the point..."
*She had a point?*  But he did feel relieved that that misunderstanding had been cleared up.
"...actually its the foreigners who often do well on exams like these since they normally come from rich families. Anyway, it doesnt seem like there's anything suspicious about her, so thats good."
"I didnt expect there'd be anything suspicious about that." Ken said vacantly.
"Thats hecause you didnt pay attention." Teruko said. "Your score and Samantha's are so far above everyone elses that its remarkable. To put it anothet way, for a middle school student to have scored as highly as you did is exceptionally rare, especially if you compare it with past year results. That you would score so high is understandable since you have me..."
This girl had no shame...
"...but for someone else to reach that level, its highly suspicious. However if her father works for the NSA, chance are he tutored her himself, perhaps even grooming her to work at the same kind of place. In case you dont know, the NDA only hires the best."
Ken thought back to his encounter there with that man named Mark. He had seemed a very nice man, and had even guided him to choose the path that lead him to rescuing Ayaka rather than implying her in a raid that almost certainly would have resulted in her being "shut down."
"So you can put that worry to rest?" Ken said hopefully.
"I'll keep on eye on her just in case." Teruko said, "But you dont need to concern yourself with it. So, what are we going to today?"
"Weren't you upgrading the compound security today?"
"Sure, but I didnt invite you all the way to my house just so you could let some contractors in through the front door..." Teruko said.
"So what do you want to do?" Ken asked.
"How about writing a song?" Teruko suggested.
"Writing a song?" It was the first time for Teruko to suggest such a thing so the idea suprised Ken at first. "What kind of song?"
"Any kind you like." Teruko said.
"I didny know you were the poetic kind." Ken said.
"Havent you heard any of my music?"
Ken felt a bit stunned. She had written music before? How had he been her boyfriend for almost a year and not known about this before?
"I'll show you when you get here." Teruko said. "I'm sure you'll like it. Hehe."
Teruko chuckled naughtilly, which indicated that he might *not* in fact like it, but he leaned back against his chair and smiled anyway. It was nice, after the action that had taken place earlier in the year, that they could relax and hang out like this.