Busy little Bee [Tetsuko & Hanako]

There were very few things quite as torturous as the simple and damned act of 'waiting'. Like many forms of torture, much of it came from the fact of taking away one's agency to act. Leaving someone to wait was as good as binding and gagging them. The pain came from the knowledge that, try though you may, your actions could not achieve what you wanted. You could not escape the eventuality of your own situation. You had no choice. You had only one choice, rather. To wait, to allow the cruelties of time to reign freely, to do as they wish. Whether time's purpose by benevolent or malevolent, you had only the choice to take the gamble, and suffer as it kept you waiting on a result.

If Tetsuko Shindou had the option of telling the doctors to begin Elise's surgery right away, she would have taken it without hesitation. Unfortunately, it just wasn't possible to do it so soon, even if the 'tools' necessary for their intended methods had been found and established, there was a procedure to these things, precautions to take to ensure the success of the surgery, to ensure Elise's survival. Precautions Tetsuko was entirely willing to take, though that didn't mean she liked the waiting that came with it. To not know if they'd even get that far, if Elise's condition would deteriorate... It was hell on the Shindou girl, it drained her even more, leaving her tired and ragged, her resolve colored by the grit she needed to get through this whole ordeal...

The paths before her hadn't changed, her goals hadn't changed, the things in the shadows she detested hadn't changed, and all there was left to do on her end was endure and make sure they didn't change. Tetsuko had her own doubts and fears, her own demons that would need to be let free once Elise was awake, but for now, her unchanging intention to save her past and the most important last fragment of it was all she could work to preserve. It wasn't easy, that much Tetsuko had expected from the beginning, and the young lass found herself wandering aimlessly more often than she would've liked, yet there was little more to do while she suffered the torture of waiting.

Tokyo Park was as good a place as any for her to walk, yet it was admittedly far from the ideal choice... Being here, somewhere she'd been with Elise, somewhere where it had... All started... Was not the best for Tetsuko's mental state. Being reminded of something she could've done that night, to stop all of this before it had even begun... Alongside being reminded of the times she'd spent so idly with Elise, so innocently and foolishly thinking of affection and feelings, without ever daring to delve into them. What she and Elise had shared still carried meaning, and it still would, but recent events had caused it to become hazy to Tetsuko, had caused her to wonder if there was really anything she could do to make up for the sin of standing by the side of someone she'd no right to even be loved by...

Lost in her thoughts, Tetsuko wandered, shambled even, across the park, tired and confused and weary. How contrary it was to her aim, letting parts of her present erode to preserve her past, but right now there was little that could be done to stop it. Tetsuko's dreary and repetitive thoughts were broken up by a less predictable and simple 'noise', that of the rapid pacing of a strangely concerned looking woman within the park. Pacing in front of a park bench, she was, a rather curious act that seemed to indicate some level of distress. On another day, Tetsuko might have walked on by, but now, she could use the distraction this intriguing act earned her.

"Um... Are you okay, Miss?" Tetsuko would suddenly and flatly chime in as she approached, eyes watching with a hint of wariness as she looked inquisitevely at the woman. It was clear something was bothering her, and Tetsuko wasn't so callous as to pry any deeper if she didn't have to, but she was indeed curious enough to seek an answer, and to seek the distraction this strangeness might provide. 

Tetsuko hadn't the foggiest idea what she was getting herself into by talking to the uneased woman, not really figuring much about her at all from appearance alone. She seemed like she was just a busy lady, and although the Shindou girl was actually unknowingly familiar with her in some very small capacity, Tetsuko was yet to discover this. She did at least seem to be correct in assuming this stressed out young woman was busy, but everything else Hanako uttered was completely unexpected.

A brow was furrowed as Hanako mentioned having seen her somewhere before, briefly wondering if the older woman had any interest in swordsmanship and was perhaps aware of her family, vaguely prominent in the rather closed-off world of kenjutsu. That theory was quickly dispelled as she mentioned seeing Tetsuko in the paper, and the Shindou girl's eyes widened, her face whitening slightly as she gulped down the sudden shock of realization. That even now, she could not fully distract herself from the events of that night. Her failures were evident, and she was aware that there was some material out there in which she was visible. Nothing more than a concerned bystander, was how she seemed, even with confusion about the blade he'd briefly held.

A bystander. Unable to act, unable to help, unable to prevent evil from running amok and tearing apart the things she loved. That was how Tetsuko believed she looked in any and all material from the attack in which she was present, which only featured her arrival mere moments before Nick's departure, and her desperate attempt to resuscitate Elise with compressions before she was carted off... Tetsuko was shaken with memories of that night, but didn't flee from them. She inhaled and exhaled steadily, listening to what the older woman, apparently a magazine author of some sort, had to say. Her sympathies were met with a brief and solemn bow of Tetsuko's head, in gratitude and solidarity. "Thank you... Yes, um, it's been... Hard..." Tetsuko uttered awkwardly, entirely unsure what to say and every second word getting caught in her throat. There was so much pain and despair wrapped around these events, that Tetsuko didn't know where to began. She hadn't any clue what she could say without breaking open herself.

Her breathing was starting to become a little unsteady, she was now frozen as she thought only to endure this talk before continuing her waiting game. It was OK, she told herself. Everything was going to work out, there were people strong at work, people far, far stronger than her. People who weren't so damned useless. Shaking those thoughts from her mind, it seemed the older woman was dumping all of her thoughts onto Tetsuko in a much less subtle way, clearly having a lot that was bothering her, a lot that she needed to get off her chest, perhaps... Such that Tetsu was starting to get a clearer image of the somewhat strange woman.

Tetsuko became a smidge more at ease, as introductions finally came around. "No, I... It's not a problem, I get what you mean... Everything happening, nothing we can do about it... It's a lot to carry..." Tetsuko quickly caught herself from making the same folly and slipping into her own worries, quickly extending a hand in greeting towards Hanako. "I-I'm Tetsuko Shindou. I... Guess you already know I'm a UA student. It's nice to meet you, Mizuki-san." Tetsuko asked, indeed curious about this older woman and what her reporting actually entailed. She seemed displeased with everything that had happened with Semper Fi, at least, enough to have covered it an article apparently, though Tetsuko wasn't familiar with many publications. Opinions about that mess tended to be... Polarizing... But with the niceties Hanako was giving to a UA student, Tetsuko presumed she fell on their side of the fence.

After shaking her hand, or not if the gesture was declined, Tetsuko would stand awkwardly still for a few moments, before speaking up again. She needed the distraction for now, and Hanako didn't seem like a terrible person to talk to. "I... I wouldn't mind talking more, Mizuki-san. Even about... I don't want people turning that on us too. I don't want them looking over what Eli did, just because Nick Cross..." Her teeth grit and face formed into a scowl, before she collected it and suppressed the emotions once again. "I'm sorry, no, you must be busy too..."

Both females were flustered to some degree, each with a lot on their plate... Not only that, but the burdens each of them carried were, in an act of strange coincidence, things that they believed were there duties, their jobs. Whether that be getting a good scoop on the recent happenings, or Tetsuko's much less clear quest to protect Elise von Eisenberg... It was perhaps because of this mutual desire to simply 'do their jobs' that had Tetsu willing to overlook how awkward things were, though, the swordswoman was also responsible for that as much as the nervous reporter.

The Shindou girl felt slightly suffocated as the topic of that night so swiftly arose, the very thought of it put a lump in her throat. It was a painfully vivid memory... Rin's phone call, running through the streets in her white hadajuban, ignoring the chill against he skin... The sight of Nick Cross standing there, over a collapsed and bleeding Elise. The sounds of their voices, of Elise's desperate please, of Nick's furious and harrowing cries... The sirens that came, the torture of waiting in the hospital, the tears that fell, the weight of the news, the fury, the pain, the sorrow the guilt... It was all enough to make Tetsuko start feeling a bit lightheaded, yet, there she was, with a chance to... Do something, thanks to this columnist.

It was a perfect distraction the woman had offered, and she seemed pleasant enough, shaking Tetsuko's hand and agreeing that it was frustrating, that there was this innate desire to be able to do something about what seemed like a perfectly helpless situation... Though, apparently, she'd only guessed Tetsuko was a U.A. student, causing the young swordswoman to realize it might not have been so obvious. The incident occurred off of campus, after all, so there was no way of being certain everyone involved was a student of the school. It was then that Tetsuko made her sincerest request, that Hanako speak with her more, that she hear her story about that night...

After Semper Fi, and the unreasonable media response that circulated, to think that Elise might still be viewed so negatively, after giving... Everything... To save Rin Kurama... It disgusted Tetsuko. It disgusted her almost as much as she disgusted herself with how little she was actually able to do about it. The Shindou girl had long since acknowledged her uselessness to Elise, and with that acknowledgment, came an oath to do whatever she could, to enlist whoever's help was needed, to make things right and bring about some measure of peace for Elise von Eisenberg... To make up for all that she'd lost by foolishly relying on the young swordswoman.

Fortunately, Hanako readily accepted, her professionalism and warm tone putting Tetsuko a bit more at ease when it came to explaining that harrowing night. Apparently, the woman had a friend who could anonymously report on the whole incident, exposing the evil and heroism, just as Tetsuko wished... Though there were secrets interwoven with the events of that night, Tetsuko had already sworn to keep them as long as she could deliver the most important aspects of the story... As long as she could let people know about what a kind Hero Elise was, and deliver a message of her own to a certain someone...

"That... That sounds good, Hanako-san. I want the truth about that night to be out there before any more lies are. I want people to know what... Eli... What she did... And what he did..." Tetsuko uttered quietely, her voice shaky and wrought with pain, conflict and... Frustration. Pure, self-directed, frustration. Her breathing started to become uneasy again, so the swordswoman looked over to the nearby bench and gathered herself. "Do you mind if we sit?" Tetsuko inquired, not trusting herself to be in any less relaxed a position while she recounted the events of that night.

Assuming there were no objections, Tetsuko would take a seat on the nearby bench, focusing on her breathing again to keep herself collected... The young swordswoman reminded herself that all this was the easy part. Saving Elise, thanks to the help of those far more powerful than her, was within the realms of possibility, and her hope told her that... It would not be the most difficult part of this ordeal... If she couldn't push through the pain now, how would she be able to ensure in the near future that Elise never suffered again? Of course, there was no guarantee Elise would awake, but Tetsuko knew that to admit that... Would take away whatever strength she still had to carry on.

"I suppose I should just recount the whole night, yes? You can... Ask any questions along the way..." Tetsuko inquired, to see how Hanako wanted to do things. However it was, Tetsuko was ready to comply... For Elise's sake... For Rin's sake... For her own sake...

It’s hard at first, but most things are.

Those were the words, once written down by Miyamoto Musashi, that Tetsuko repeated in her head as she steeled her nerves and prepared to begin recounting that night. It was a fresh wound, far too fresh to start prodding at the scars that hadn’t even formed. That didn’t, however, change the fact that it was entirely necessary to do so. There was a stark difference between what Tetsuko wanted to do and what she needed to do, yet the girls initial instincts were fortunately far outweighed by that inner desire to uphold her responsibilities. All she was going now was upholding the truth.

There were few things more precious, more invaluable to Tetsuko than the truth. It was unerring and unchanging, the truth did not hide in obscurity or uncertainty. To know the truth was a blessing, to deliver the truth to others was a noble and important act. That was, perhaps, why Tetsuko was less hesitant talking to this stranger who she believed was on their side. Normally, reporters might make her uneasy, cautious even. Tetsuko was, however, desperate right now. Desperate to make certain that Elise did not suffer more than she already had from the events that transpired. Again, it was her willingness to do what she perceived as necessary that allowed to go against her own typical nature.

The columnist’s assertion that Tetsuko needn’t force herself was met with a light shaking of the swordswoman’s head, an expression of dismissal toward the older woman’s worries. Tetsuko was, in some ways, already forcing herself. Forcing through the pain of these memories, the weight of her own burden, the crippling nature of the self-loathing that boiled in her core. To shy away from helping now, just because she might “strain herself”? Doing that would just be an insult to Elise, to the girl who’d already strained herself plenty and was now paying the price… Tetsuko could not afford to continue on in weakness, she had to push through and deliver the truth. She had to do what as necessary.

Without any more delay, Hanako had agreed that simply going over the events was the best way to handle things, leaving Tetsuko with no more excuses for stalling. The Shindou girl breathed in deeply, before releasing a long exhale that was visible in the cold air. No more messing around. It was time to face her nightmare.

”It occurred during the Halloween festivities…” Tetsuko suddenly began, without warning. Her expression was coloured by a quiet resolve, eyes cast slightly downward as she tried to keep herself cold, distant from these painful memories she was recalling. The hurt in her voice betrayed her true feelings. ”I was getting ready to meet Elise in the city when… I received a call from Rin Kurama.” Her hands rested against her thighs, gripping tightly against herself as she let her mind drift into that horrible, horrible night. ”She told me Elise was in trouble, and where she was. That… Was all. I remember, she sounded… Panicked. Afraid. Worried. The way she spoke it… I don’t know how to describe how it mad me feel.” Tetsuko scoffed at herself, her own loss for words. She had to think of some way to describe at… ”It was like… It wasn’t someone delivering bad news. It was like someone telling you something horrible was going to happen. Not knowing what it was… That’s the extra part. That’s what makes you feel like the floor’s falling beneath you.” There was such a detachment, an almost self-directed disbelief in her tone. The Shindou girl herself was unamused with what she was saying…

”Sorry, I… I’ll continue.” Tetsuko apologized, shaking her head to gather her thoughts. Being allowed to get all this off her chest… May well have gotten Hanako more than she bargained for. The Shindou girl breathed deeply again, before continuing. ”I ran, as fast as I could. In nothing but a hadajuban…” That detail remained in Tetsuko’s mind… Perhaps to remind her just how cold it was that night. Just how colder it got.
Moisture started to build up in her eyes as she continued. ”When I got there, he…” Tetsuko shuddered with the thought, choking down a sob as she held back her tears. ”Nick Cross had already hurt her… Her Quirk organ was damaged, and she…” The next pause was crushing, deathly silent, as Tetsuko realized she need not explain any further. ”I got there… Just after it happened… I… I could’ve…” No… Tetsuko stopped herself there. This wasn’t the time to lament her own failures… This wasn’t about here.

A teardrop would broke through every few moments, as Tetsuko redirected her focus. ”Before she… Fell unconscious… Elise told me something.” For the first time since she’d started telling her story, Tetsuko looked right at Hanako. ”She told me… Nick Cross had made Rin-san suffer… He himself screamed out, so horribly… He said something like… ‘She’s mine’…” Her face twisted, not only with the pain of this recollection, but with disgust at the man she spoke of. Tetsuko’s knowledge of Nick didn’t extend beyond what the public already knew, yet, the girl already had plenty cause to detest him.

”I… Don’t know the full story… I know he’s hurt her before… I just…” Tetsuko had already had some suspicions confirmed, but to voice them any more would be… Unfair to the girl they concerned. ”I’d… Appreciate it if you didn’t mention that past… It doesn’t change what must’ve happened…” The Shindou girl’s tears fell, yet her expression remained strong. Resolute.

”Nick Cross… He sought to hurt Rin-san again that night. Elise wouldn’t him do that… Elise was brave enough to fight him, to get in his way and let Rin get out safely…” Tetsuke spoke with a mixture of pride in Elise’s actions… And sorrow in their outcome…

”Elise fought him… Long enough that I… Even by the time I’d arrived… It had only just ended. Elise… Saved Rin Kurama.” Tetsuko looked away once again, her mood dipping as the memory approached its ending. Its tragic and cruel ending. ”Now… She’s in a coma…”

The sound of her sniffles to restrain herself were all that followed those damned words, as Tetsuko remained silent enough for Hanako to take her notes and ask her questions. If there was more that had to be said… Tetsuko wouldn’t hesitate to say it.

There was no doubt that speaking to Hanako was a cathartic experience. The older woman was the first person Tetsuko had really spoken to about the events, outside of police and doctors. Even in her meeting with Rin, Tetsuko had avoided the topic, focusing solely on the matter of awaking Elise from her coma. Even in telling her family of the event, Tetsuko had been brief and detached, unwilling to show her weakness to them. Perhaps it was the case that it took a stranger, someone who the Shindou girl had did not yet know had expectations of her, for the swordswoman to open up and let the building pressure out. A part of why Tetsuko was so willing to speak may well have just been because Hanako didn’t already expect anything of her.

It was what allowed the Shindou girl to speak so freely, so openly to the older woman. Her truthfulness and dedication to pushing through the painful memories she had of that night came from the duties Tetsuko had to uphold, the burden she was willing to bear for Elise’s sake, for the truth’s sake. To offer her own blade to the cause of information was done so out of pure responsibility. To show such weakness and vulnerability while doing so was merely from the comfort Tetsuko felt in Hanako’s presence. The swordswoman trusted the older woman, and only hoped that her ‘friend’ could be trusted as well.

This trust didn’t make recalling that night any easier, however, as Tetsuko pushed through the painful memories of a night filled with nothing but suffering and tragedy. Tetsuko was usually someone who placed a lot of merit in her memories, someone who loved nostalgia, the certainty of the past as she looked back upon it. This memory was going to forever stain that past, however. It was going to forever stand out whenever the girl wished to glance back at her path to the present…

Hanako was quiet throughout the story, aside from occasionally reassuring Tetsuko, which allowed the girl to carry on through her recollection without much trouble, aside from that which was generated internally. Tetsuko rarely had the chance to be guided and comforted by adults as kind as Hanako, so the Shindou was quickly developing a trust for the older woman, a trust for this ally of hers that would be publishing her words. Though by the end of the story, Tetsuko wasn’t quite sure how much of a help she’d been, her thoughts scattered and her retelling a bit messy in terms of the order of things… Delving into that memory took her off on so many tangents, so many terrible feelings that would be difficult to forget.

Once Tetsuko concluded, that silence hung in the air until Tetsuko found her hand sought after by Hanako who reassured the Shindou girl. Though Tetsuko felt like scoffing at the assertion she was brave, to say that Elise had been courageous was about the most truthful thing that could be said. It was understatement, even. ”She is brave… I’m just… Doing what I need to.” This was a matter of responsibility for Tetsuko… Perhaps even a matter of redemption. A matter of making up for her disastrous failures on that night.

There was but one question Hanako posed, and Tetsuko was quick to furrow her brow as she thought for an answer. ”I… Believe she called another student as well… Jasmine Noir-san…” The Shindou girl answered, a hint of confusion in her expression as she pondered ever whether she actually knew the answer to his question. ”She must’ve been well away by the time I got there… I don’t know if she called the police after myself. It would make sense… Though, there were plenty of bystanders who could’ve already called them by then…” Tetsuko was beginning to realize what bothered her about this question… It was perhaps the biggest revelation of Tetsuko’s own failures.

Rin Kurama had called Tetsuko Shindou that night. Because that was who she trusted to help. A trust… That was evidently misplaced.

”Elise… Is my childhood friend… She was always at my side, she trusted me to help her… That was why Rin-san called me first. What a mistake…” Tetsuko huffed, leaning forward and continuing to allow comfort from the older woman’s hand, while she brought her free hand in front of her eyes as she wiped away the tears, breathing shakily to gather herself. To think, Elise… Rin… They’d both thought of her. They’d both thought she could help. They’d both been wrong. Tetsuko didn’t even reveal to Hanako that Elise was her lover, not out of a want for privacy… It just simple felt wrong to call herself Elise’s girlfriend. It felt wrong to imply she deserved to stand by Elise’s side after failing her drastically.

As Tetsuko recovered herself, she found the shame she felt settle within her. It didn’t fade away, but it became far less prominent as a different emotion took form, Tetsuko’s mind drifting to the one who’d caused all this pain. ”I don’t want Nick Cross to get away with this…” The Shindou girl uttered, her voice tense with hatred for the boy. A justified one, to be perfectly fair. ”Elise… She showed him he can’t have what he wants, just because he wants it. I want him to know that a disgusting like him… Won’t get what he wants…” All shame was nothing next to rage, and Tetsuko felt incredible contempt thinking of the man who’d been behind everything.

”I want others to know… What Elise did… Her sacrifice…” Tetsuko soon settled, however, not losing sight of the true focus of this encounter. Nick Cross would get his due, there was a queue of people who wished to see him face justice. Elise von Eisenberg’s Heroism was more important right now.

”She’s going to be undergoing surgery soon… It may well save her… I… Have hope it will.” Hope was detestable word, one desperate fools clung to. Tetsuko, right now, was exactly that. Looking to Hanako again, Tetsuko breathed deeply, looking resolute toward the woman. ”Is there anything else you need to know?”
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It would have been easy for Tetsuko to point the finger of blame at many of the bystanders, who stood by idly, fled the scene or – perhaps most disgustingly of all – filmed the events from the sidelines. It wouldn’t have been hard at all for her to go off on how they could have or should have done something. Hell, in the position she was in, it might also have been understandable if she’d been upset with Rin for fleeing. Even though the raven-haired girl’s flight was entirely justified when one considered her past with the monster known as Nick Cross, there had already been a few, including Rin herself, who assumed that Tetsuko would blame her for running. That just wasn’t the case.

Yes, many of those bystanders could have done something. Even Rin might have been able to help if she hadn’t run away. It was not, however, their responsibility. They weren’t the ones who had been relief on, time and time again, only to fail. They weren’t the ones who’d sworn to protect Elise from harm after the passing of her parents. They weren’t the one whose familial duty it was to always show greater strength and honour, to be a hero worthy of her mother and grandfather. That burden, that responsibility, lay solely on the shoulders of Tetsuko Shindou. It was a responsibility she had failed to uphold that night, and thus, blaming anyone else would only distract from the truth of the matter. That Tetsuko was at fault for failing to save Elise von Eisenberg, even after Rin relied on her so readily.

The very act of others relying on her, in light of her repeated failures, was looking to Tetsuko like nothing more than mistakes, as she had said. What use was there in relying on a dull blade to get the job done? Tetsuko’s opinion, however, did not seem to be shared by the older woman, who interjected and squeezed Tetsuko’s hand. The Shindou girl just looked at her with a hint of confusion, unsure what it was the woman wished to say. What came was… Unexpected. The ironblooded girl felt like averting her gaze, like shying away from this attempt to reassure her, but kept her eyes on the older woman as she spoke. Indeed, what she had to say was within reason… Even if Tetsuko didn’t understand it one bit, she knew that Elise was comforted by her presence… It brought up conflicting feelings in Tetsuko. Torn between the subconscious knowledge that Elise did love her, that Elise did wish to stand by her side, and a darker belief that this would only serve to hurt the Eisenberg girl in the long run…

”OK…” Was Tetsuko’s quiet, choked response. ”Thank you…” Hanako meant well, the Shindou girl knew that much. Her presence was kind and helpful, a wiser and more mature influence on Tetsuko amongst the madness of her own youthful foolishness. Yet… As much as Tetsuko wanted to believe what she had to say, there was that lingering pressure from her own burden. Even if… There had been good intention behind Rin calling Tetsuko, that didn’t change the simple undisputable fact that she hadn’t been able to live up to their reliance on her help. Tetsuko… Couldn’t forgive herself for failing to help Elise. She didn’t want to forgive herself…

Continuing on, the topic of Nick Cross started to burn in Tetsuko’s got, a fire of disgust and hatred towards the monster who’d caused them so much pain, only for his own selfish desires. Hanako inquired how Elise knew of Nick, a fair enough question given the circumstances, but Tetsuko shook her head lightly. ”I… Don’t think Eli knew about Nick. Or knew it was him, they were apparently still in Halloween costumes at the time… From what I’ve heard, Rin-san knew it was Nick Cross and called for help, or at least looked like she needed it, it just so happened that… Eli was the quickest to jump in.” Tetsuko explained, regret and guilt sinking deeper and deeper into her core. Why did Elise have to jump, why did she have to be so kind and brave to stand up when no one else would, simple because it was her friend? Why couldn’t… Why couldn’t Tetsuko have saved her like she saved Rin…

The young swordswoman went on to make clear her intentions, what she wanted people to know about the detestable Nick Cross and the brave, kind Elise von Eisenberg. Tetsuko nodded gratefully as Hanako insisted her colleague would make sure this was known. Tetsu didn’t exactly know much about this friend of Hanako’s, but considering the older woman seemed to work with or alongside them, she trusted them as much as she trusted Hanako herself.

There was nothing more the older woman wished to know, it seemed, so Tetsuko only hoped her retelling was adequate. Her mind was kind of a mess, so all the Shindou girl could hope was that she’d at least made some sense and corroborated what was already out there. The woman retrieved a card from her bag, and Tetsuko took it, looking over the details and not hesitating to place it in her pocket. Hanako offered to talk again, even without it being about an article.

”Thank you, Hanako-san, I will keep you in mind, I am certain of it…” Tetsuko insisted, smiling softly. On one hand, Hanako’s comforting older presence did seem to the Shindou girl like a positive thing to have, yet… Tetsuko was also hesitant about the idea of seeking help too much. She hated to unload her burden on others.

The woman insisted once more that she was going to make sure the truth got out, Tetsuko starting to smile even more as her tears dried. It was warming, to know there were people out there willing to fight for Elise. Tetsuko would stand from her seat on the bench, facing Hanako and bowing deeply. From her own upbringing, it was the most practical and immediate way she knew of expressing thanks and gratitude.

”I can’t thank you enough, Hanako-san. Elise, Rin-san, everyone who wants the truth to be heard… I’m sure they’re grateful too. You and your colleague seem like some of the few who will really fight for it…” Tetsuko would say, trying to keep herself collected even if memories of that night still had her mind shaky. She stood up from her bow, gathering herself and breathing deeply again. ”I won’t bother you any further, Hanako-san. I hope to hear about the article in the future, please, do tell me when it is available.”

If there was nothing more the columnist wished to say, Tetsuko would make her departure, into the cold Tokyo air… Feeling a bit warmer.