Kayama Esumi: Night View

"What a lovely view... I should have brought my art supplies... Maybe I should try my hand at pen and ink since I'm here?"

 

As she muttered to herself, making the large ice cubes in her glass clink together, a heavy sigh was breathed in response.

 

The girl's gaze turned back.

 

"Is there something you want to say, Onikata?"

 

Narrowing her eyes with a look of displeasure, she called out the name of the very person who had sighed at her: Onikata Kayoko.

 

At that, Kayoko, wearing an exasperated expression, quietly walked over, holding a glass with ice just like her.

 

"You were at a party venue until a few hours ago, yet you're already thinking about drawing. Where on earth do you get that kind of energy and stamina?"

 

Standing side by side with her, Kayoko directed her gaze toward the night view of the Gehenna district visible through the window.

The brilliantly shining lights of buildings and streetlights forming pathways.

It was nothing special. To Kayoko, who was born and raised in Gehenna, it was just a night view she had laid eyes on hundreds, thousands of times. If anything, it probably wasn't all that different from the night views of other autonomous districts, yet the girl standing beside her not only called it a lovely view, but even harbored the desire to draw it.

 

Moreover, the two of them had just finished attending a celebration party hosted by a certain company and contributing to exposing its wrongdoings, meaning both of them were utterly exhausted from the party's chaos and dealing with people.

Because of that, Kayoko had gone out of her way to reserve a high-end hotel room, ranking quite high in the Gehenna autonomous district, specifically to let the exhausted girl, who had flown all the way from Trinity to help Gehenna, rest properly and look after her, but it seemed that was entirely needless worry.

 

When Kayoko casually glanced beside her, Esumi was gazing at the night view of Gehenna outside the window with a soft, enchanted smile. Seeing that near-ecstatic smile, it was clear there was no turning back now. Kayoko let out another deep sigh as if giving up entirely.

 

"...Hah. Is there anything you need?"

 

Handing over the glass with ice, she asked for requests with an exasperated look on her face.

Receiving the glass willingly, Esumi flashed a smile and expressed her gratitude before voicing her request.

 

"If possible, I'd love a slightly stiff paper and some ballpoint pens. It would be even more wonderful if you have two kinds of ballpoint pens, 0.5mm and 0.7mm, though that's probably asking too much, even for a luxury hotel."

 

"Who knows... well, I'll ask at the reception desk just in case. They surely won't have it in this room, though."

 

Glancing around, she noticed a notepad and a single ballpoint pen prepared on the table, but that clearly wasn't what Esumi was looking for.

She could source them from a nearby convenience store, but she couldn't exactly stroll openly through the middle of the night in the Gehenna autonomous district. Hoping the hotel reception might have something closer to what she wanted, Kayoko walked over to the room's doorway.

 

And then...

 

"Well then, I'll be stepping out for just a little while, Esumi."

 

Esumi.

Hearing her name called, the girl gave a small wave, seeing Kayoko off as she left the room.

 

≪1-2≫

 

Despite being a busy person, Kayama Esumi had gone out of her way to make time and fly in from Trinity.

 

Kayoko had participated in a celebration party hosted by a certain company alongside her, where they exposed wrongdoings secretly taking place and successfully thwarted the criminal acts through joint operations with the Prefect Team. That had happened roughly several hours ago.

The ones committing the wrongdoings were corporate executives bought out by a criminal organization and dancing in the palm of their hand. Because they had long been in charge of information gathering in the Gehenna autonomous district to expand their business reach and were exceptionally knowledgeable about the situation, the criminal organization had instructed them to hold a secret gathering disguised as a celebration party to extend their influence in Gehenna at this opportune moment.

The reason the Prefect Team alone was barred from attending the celebration party was also due to the underhanded maneuvering of the criminal organization and its executives, who wanted no interference with their misdeeds.

 

However, with Esumi, who was accustomed to parties, skilled at negotiations even against adults, and knew how to extract information, alongside Kayoko, who possessed extraordinary powers of observation and a wealth of experience, the meticulously crafted evil plan hatched by the criminal organization and its puppet executives was utterly shattered, and their custody was handed over from the Prefect Team to students of the Valkyrie Police Academy.

 

Now then, having successfully crushed one threat to Gehenna, Kayoko and the others found that the celebration party had been cancelled as a result. Furthermore, since Esumi had rushed to Gehenna without knowing the details and hadn't secured a place to stay, Kayoko had hurriedly booked a hotel room to give her exhausted friend a place to rest.

 

Kayoko had originally considered letting Esumi stay in her own room, but calling a Trinity student to Gehenna was already a massive problem in itself. Ako, who had been briefed on the situation, was a reliable person despite her appearance, but others might not be.

In particular, the Prefect Team's intelligence division had long marked Esumi, the most popular student in the Trinity autonomous district, as a high-priority target, and for such a person to stay in a Gehenna student's room, honestly, it wouldn't be strange for it to arouse undue misunderstandings.

 

That was why Kayoko had booked a high-end hotel where safety and service were guaranteed, but truth be told, her own head probably hadn't been spinning right due to daily fatigue.

Normally, she should have booked only a room for Esumi, but in the heat of the moment, she ended up booking a room for two. To her relief, it was a twin room rather than a double room, but there was no doubt she would be spending the night together with Esumi.

Of course, realizing her blunder afterward, Kayoko had panicked and tried to cancel, but when Esumi wryly replied that what's done is done, she had given up.

 

Besides, cancellation fees for same-day hotel bookings were steep, and even though safety and service were the priority, it was still a luxury hotel booked by Kayoko. With Esumi suggesting that they might as well enjoy a high-end Gehenna hotel while they were at it, Kayoko had offered repeated apologies as they headed to the hotel together.

Staying in the same room might have been preferable after all. Who knows what would happen if the Prefect Team's intelligence division got wind of this...

 

(Well... she herself seems more absorbed in the view outside the window than the surrounding gazes, the hotel interior, or the service...)

 

While descending in the elevator to get the items Esumi desired from the reception desk, Kayoko muttered those thoughts inwardly.

The monitor displaying the floors showed a two-digit number, and the room Kayoko had just been in was near the very top floor of the hotel. Naturally, the outside view from there was breathtaking, making it completely understandable why Esumi was so excited to capture that sight in a drawing.

 

Yet, the fact that she prioritized art even at a time like this felt so uniquely characteristic of her, while at the same time, Kayoko wished she would pay just a little more attention to her.

 

(It's true I dragged her along when she was already busy... but still, we're sharing a hotel room for the night, I wish she'd feel at least a little nervous...)

 

A relationship not quite close enough to call friends, yet far too intimate to merely call acquaintances.

They weren't the only ones building such a complex and mysterious relationship. Even so, there was still the difference in their positions as students attending Gehenna and Trinity. To anyone aware of the long-standing feud between the two academies, their relationship would look almost unbelievable. In fact, at the celebration party venue, most of the guests who came to speak to Esumi were shocked to see Kayoko, a Gehenna student, right by her side.

 

To outsiders, the relationship between Esumi and Kayoko was simply abnormal.

 

Kayoko herself secretly feared that her own conduct might cast a blemish on Esumi's reputation. That was the truth. A miserable life where her fierce expression frightened others, constantly dragging her into bickering and trouble.

In contrast, Esumi was loved by many, active brilliantly as an artist, and spent her life under the bright sun.

Light and darkness, truly.

If she slipped up even slightly, she might end up shrouding Esumi, the light, in darkness.

 

And yet, Esumi trusted Kayoko from the bottom of her heart.

Even when they ended up staying in a room together, she merely smiled wryly without a hint of reluctance. After finishing her shower, she wore the hotel's loungewear because she hadn't brought sleepwear, exposing her voluptuous figure without a shred of defensiveness right in front of Kayoko. She continually maintained a posture entirely devoid of vigilance.

 

While Kayoko was agonizing with intense anxiety over the shocking reality of Trinity and Gehenna students sharing a luxury hotel room, far before even thinking about stepping out of line, it was completely unfair.

 

(Well... maybe worrying about the current situation is just a waste of time.)

 

Where there is light, there is shadow.

Yet, no matter how desperately darkness tries to engulf it, light never loses its radiance.

The girl named Kayama Esumi might be just like that light, someone capable of clearing away Kayoko's mental worries and anxieties. At the very least, as someone constantly harboring loneliness, she couldn't deny that just having Esumi by her side brought her happiness.

 

As far as Esumi was concerned, she was probably just thinking of it as spending the night alongside a close acquaintance. That was likely all there was to it.

 

"...Hah."

 

How many times had she sighed today already?

Just as Kayoko breathed out a weary sigh, the elevator arrived on the first floor and opened its doors as if telling her to breathe in some fresh air and clear her head.

 

≪1-3≫

 

"Ballpoint pens... and two different sizes? Plus stiff paper?"

 

"Do you have them? An acquaintance waiting in the room says she needs them to draw."

 

"Let's see... it will take a little time to source them, but if you don't mind waiting..."

 

When Kayoko explained the art supplies Esumi desired to the receptionist, she was told it would take some time to procure them.

Hearing that, Kayoko knitted her brows slightly and checked the time on her smartphone.

 

"...How long?"

 

"About five to ten minutes."

 

"Understood. I'll wait until then, so please make it as prompt as possible."

 

"Of course, whatever our guest desires."

 

With a smile that suggested she was well-accustomed to such unreasonable requests, the receptionist turned to leave. At that moment, a heavy voice cut through the air, piercing the atmosphere: "No, that won't be necessary."

 

"...?"

 

Wondering if those words were directed at them, Kayoko turned her gaze toward the source of the voice and tilted her head.

 

"Who are you?"

 

Standing there was a mysterious figure clad in a pitch-black suit. Someone she had never seen before.

However, the person who spoke turned their gaze toward Kayoko and bowed quietly in her direction. Although it was a very shallow, casual bow.

 

"Pardon me, but I cannot reveal my name at this present moment. However, allow me to state that I am no enemy of yours. I believe that information alone should suffice for now... Onikata Kayoko-san of Gehenna Academy, Year 3."

 

"........."

 

At being called by name, Kayoko instinctively reached for her trusted sidearm kept for self-defense, if only for a split second. But right before she drew it, the person who had called her name checked her with one hand and replied, "Rest assured. That won't be necessary." Then they calmly and quietly stepped closer to the receptionist.

 

"Um... guest, is there something you need?"

 

Even Kayoko could tell the receptionist looked thoroughly bewildered by the arrival of such a deeply unusual visitor.

 

"Regarding the items she just asked of you, there is no need for that, as they are already provided here. Instead, if I may, would you mind holding onto this?"

 

What the adult in the suit handed to the receptionist appeared to be some kind of message card.

Unfortunately, from Kayoko's vantage point, the details weren't clear, but it probably contained a message for guests staying at this hotel.

Well, that didn't particularly matter right now.

Keeping her guard up, Kayoko spoke to the mysterious figure.

 

"Hold on. You're saying you've already prepared what I was looking for?"

 

"Yes, precisely. Kayoko-san... or more accurately, they are the items desired by Kayama Esumi-san, who is staying in the same room as you. I can provide them for you right this instant."

 

"...How do you know her name?"

 

"It's nothing complicated. Like others, I am a fan of hers... Having witnessed her great passion for art several years ago, I have taken the liberty of following Esumi-san's footsteps from afar ever since. Ah, but rest assured! I am certainly no stalker."

 

The suited adult produced a small package and gently handed it to Kayoko with both hands.

Kayoko took it out of sheer reflex, then shifted her gaze from the package in her hand back to the adult standing before her.

 

"What is this?"

 

"These are art supplies I had a contact of mine, an avid fan of Esumi-san, procure for us. I am certain Esumi-san will be genuinely delighted by them."

 

"...Were you attending that celebration party?"

 

The decision for Kayoko and Esumi to stay at this luxury hotel had been made just a few hours ago.

It certainly wasn't booked days in advance. To put it simply, their hotel stay was a spur-of-the-moment decision, and above all, Esumi wasn't the type of person to broadcast her schedule to those around her.

 

That meant, logically, this suited adult must have attended the aforementioned celebration party and witnessed Kayoko bringing Esumi to this luxury hotel. Put into words like that, it sounded scarcely different from a plain stalker... After remaining silent for a moment, the suited adult nodded quietly.

 

"Close enough, I suppose. Regardless, it matters little whether you mind my movements or not. I am about to leave Gehenna shortly... I merely wished to offer Esumi-san a final token of appreciation."

 

"In other words, you just wanted to hand this package to Esumi?"

 

"Yes. Originally I intended to ask the receptionist, but... as fortune would have it, since Kayoko-san happened to be here, I thought I would take the opportunity to hand it directly."

 

"........."

 

"My, do you not believe me?"

 

Naturally not.

Swallowing those words down, Kayoko dropped her gaze back to the package.

There was no indication that it contained anything dangerous. It was far too light to hold a bomb or hazardous materials, and shaking it gently produced no suspicious noises. It was entirely possible they were genuinely trying to gift art supplies to Esumi.

 

(Still, this person... gives me the creeps, and I can't trust them at all...)

 

It was just a gut feeling, but her brain was sounding alarm bells that this individual was dangerous.

However, there was currently no sign of an attack, and the person appeared completely unarmed.

While she was in a position to draw her firearm at a moment's notice, the other person merely stood with their hands clasped behind their back, letting out a peculiar chuckling sound. Kayoko relaxed her expression just a fraction and shrugged her shoulders.

 

".........Fine. I'll pass this gift along to her."

 

"Thank you. Then, as it is getting quite late, I shall take my leave. Have a pleasant evening, Kayoko-san."

 

Giving another shallow, formal bow, the suited adult walked toward the hotel's entrance.

 

"......Hey. Did you come to Gehenna from the start just to see Esumi? Or was there another reason?"

 

Finally, Kayoko tossed a question toward the departing back, and the figure spread their arms wide without stopping their stride.

 

"That is a secret."

 

"......figured as much."

 

It was a person shrouded in sheer suspiciousness from beginning to end. She hadn't expected a straight answer even if she asked, but Kayoko silently thought to herself that Esumi certainly attracted some remarkably bizarre fans, feeling weary of her immense popularity.

Well, since she worked as an artist, or rather, popular figures always attracted all sorts of diverse fans, if she searched thoroughly, there were probably dozens of such eccentric individuals in existence.

 

Holding the package, Kayoko glanced back at the reception desk, where the staff member still wore a look of utter confusion after witnessing the entire exchange.

 

"...Er... I'll be heading back up to the room now... Good work on your shift..."

 

"Y-Yes... Good night to you... as well...?"

 

Unable to find words to clear the strange atmosphere left behind by the suited adult, they exchanged awkward and clumsy farewells.

 

≪1-4≫

 

"Welcome back. You took longer than I expected."

 

Some time later.

Returning to the room with the package in hand, Kayoko was greeted by none other than Esumi, her roommate for the night. As usual, she was standing near the window with a glass in hand, perhaps burning the night view of Gehenna into her memory.

 

As Esumi shifted her gaze from Kayoko to the package in her hands, she tilted her head curiously.

 

"Onikata... what is that?"

 

"A gift from a fan of yours."

 

"A gift? Well, some customers bought my paintings at the party venue, and I know I have fans in Gehenna too, so I suppose presents aren't entirely out of the question, but... more importantly, what about the ballpoint pens and paper I asked for?"

 

"That's what this is... apparently these are the art supplies you need."

 

"...Huh?"

 

Esumi knitted her brows as if unable to make sense of it, and Kayoko felt the exact same way.

Honestly, she wanted to ask the mysterious person directly why, but by now they were probably long gone from the Gehenna autonomous district. Still, figuring there was no use worrying about it, Kayoko gently handed the package over to Esumi.

 

"I don't know the details, but it seems you're quite favored by some very strange fans, Esumi."

 

"Well, I have no idea what's going on either... but anyway, these are the art supplies inside?"

 

"The person who pushed this onto me said so. They said Esumi would surely be delighted."

 

"I can't say I've ever felt genuine joy receiving gifts from strangers before..."

 

Though she smiled wryly, Esumi seemed willing to open the package, offering a quick "Thank you, Onikata" before placing it on the table and quickly unboxing it.

 

"Whoa... amazing... could this possibly be..."

 

"...Esumi?"

 

Whatever was inside the package clearly elicited a gasp of genuine astonishment from Esumi.

She had initially looked skeptical, but her eyes gradually began to sparkle, and eventually she pressed a hand to her mouth as if trying to contain her overflowing delight. Seeing her make such an expression was a rare sight indeed, prompting Kayoko to step closer and peer into the package.

 

"Are those... pencils?"

 

Inside the package were pencils.

They ranged from the hardest, lightest 9H all the way down to the softest, darkest 6B, covering the entire range. They were neatly packed in a box, but the box itself showed signs of age, indicating they were vintage pencils manufactured many years ago.

 

However, knowing next to nothing about pencils, Kayoko had no idea why Esumi's eyes were shining so brightly over them.

 

Eradicating her confusion, Esumi picked a pencil from the box and began to explain.

 

"These are pencils made with a special core that is the hardest and most break-resistant among all pencil leads. They rarely break even if dropped on the floor, and they don't snap under hand pressure while drawing. They're practically made specifically for sketching. Actually, production on these stopped a long time ago, and these are some of the rare survivors."

 

"...So you're saying these are extremely premium pencils?"

 

"Well, manufacturers recently started reissuing the same model, but judging by the design of this storage box and the manufacturing year, these are definitely old-school pencils. If put up for auction, they'd easily fetch a five- or six-digit sum."

 

"Six digits... Esumi, are you seriously planning to use those right now?"

 

Kayoko wore a bitter expression, never having imagined she would witness rare, high-value stationery in person, let alone seeing Esumi fully intent on using them to draw right away.

If it were her, she'd be too terrified of wasting them to ever actually touch them.

 

Yet Esumi nodded with a delighted smile.

 

"Of course. These pencils were originally custom-made for artists like me, and even back then they cost well over four digits. Adding another digit or two doesn't change their purpose, and besides, I don't have a hobby of hoarding money. Pencils are fine stationery meant to be used by people, rather than locked away in a display case forever, don't you think?"

 

"...I suppose only an artist like Esumi could look at pencils that way."

 

Even without a hobby of making quick cash, wanting to preserve such rare items was perfectly natural. Antiques were valuable witnesses to history and tangible proof of past eras.

Yet Esumi dismissed all of that, placing the pencils on the table and pulling a slightly smaller sketchbook from the package.

 

"As expected. They brought a sketchbook instead of a croquis pad. The fan who gave you this really understands my style well, don't they?"

 

"Ah—is that so? ...Wait, um... is there any actual difference between the sketchbook and croquis pad you mentioned earlier? To me, they both just look like paper for drawing."

 

"A croquis pad is paper meant for quick sketching, designed with thin sheets so it's easy to carry around. Think of it as meant for basic practice and rough drafts."

 

She gave the sketchbook in her hand a light shake.

 

"And this is a sketchbook. Unlike a croquis pad, it has thick paper designed for detailed drawings that take a long time, meaning it can even handle watercolors. Since I happen to be a fast worker, I prefer sketchbooks. What impressed me about the sender is that they understood my working style completely."

 

Having unpacked the pencils and sketchbook, she tossed the now-empty packaging casually into the wastebasket, gripped her new art supplies, turned toward Kayoko, and expressed her gratitude once more.

 

"Thank you so much. Since my request was so sudden, I was fully prepared to make do with pen and ink, but being able to capture Gehenna's night view using my preferred medium makes me so happy."

 

"Hey, I had nothing to do with preparing those; that was all your fan."

 

"But it's a fact that you accepted them and brought them to me, right? If you hadn't gone down to the reception desk, these supplies never would have reached my hands in the first place."

 

Esumi beamed with overflowing joy, expressing her gratitude once again.

Kayoko turned her face away in embarrassment, muttering "Oh, come on," desperately trying to avoid staring directly into the girl's dazzling smile. Esumi chuckled softly, her shoulders shaking with amusement, before pausing as if a thought had occurred to her regarding the art supplies.

 

"By the way... could my fan who gifted these... happen to be a two-headed mannequin in a tuxedo?"

 

"A tuxedo... two-headed... mannequin? No, they were just a regular adult in a suit?"

 

"I see... so it wasn't him. How unfortunate."

 

Seeing Esumi murmur with a touch of disappointment, or rather, genuine loneliness, Kayoko secretly felt a flicker of doubt. "...Him?" Such a reaction was extraordinarily rare for Esumi, causing Kayoko's chest to tighten instinctively.

 

Not that she felt any urge to press further, Kayoko quietly placed a hand over her own chest and let out a small sigh.

 

"Well, never mind that. You'd better hurry up and draw before the night grows deep and the city goes dark."

 

With her creative drive finally fully revved up by the appearance of the long-awaited art supplies, Esumi cheerfully began setting up her workspace.

Even in a luxury hotel room, there was naturally no easel provided, so she moved a chair to the optimal spot near the window overlooking the night view, sat down, and placed the sketchbook across her lap.

 

Bringing the wastebasket where she had just discarded the packaging closer to her feet, she pulled out a pocket knife.

 

"Hold on, let's avoid any bloodshed in a hotel room."

 

Kayoko let out a startled voice at the sudden appearance of a pocket knife, but Esumi merely giggled at her excessively alarmed reaction.

 

"Relax, I'm quite used to handling this. Besides, sketching requires sharpening pencils first."

 

"Even so, a knife... wouldn't a regular pencil sharpener do?"

 

"Well, I suppose I could use one... but unlike writing normal text, sketching usually requires exposing a good length of the lead. I prefer sharpening them by hand so they're tailored to my exact grip."

 

While chatting, Esumi deftly began sharpening a pencil.

The sharp, well-honed blade shaved away the wood cleanly, doing so with a speed and precision unlike a standard utility knife, it was practically a master craftsman's work. Holding the knife in her dominant hand while using her left hand to manipulate the pencil, the simple task of sharpening a pencil transformed into an art form.

While people generally used various methods to sharpen pencils, Esumi kept her dominant hand steady to avoid placing unnecessary strain on it, utilizing a standard and efficient technique.

 

Kayoko watched her in silence.

 

"...Do you enjoy it?"

 

Before she realized it, the question had slipped out.

Even though it was just the mundane task of sharpening a pencil, Esumi looked genuinely happy doing it. It was only natural to wonder.

 

"Does anyone usually ask for impressions on a chore? ...Though, to answer your question, yes I do. I even enjoy this kind of preparation work."

 

"I haven't seen you in two years, Esumi, but you really haven't changed at all on the inside."

 

"Really? I've been involved with all sorts of students in Trinity lately, so I figured I'd changed quite a bit compared to the past..."

 

"Not your personality. Just your single-minded devotion to art... I doubt anyone else in Kivotos would choose to draw right before sleeping when their body is completely exhausted."

 

"Oh, come on, I'm sure there are others... in Trinity, or Wildhunt, or other districts. I'm definitely not the only one devoted to art, and I'm sure you'll meet plenty of artists like that someday, too."

 

".........I only know you, and I don't care to know anyone else..."

 

She spoke the words with a rare, lonely smile, but Esumi, whose entire focus was currently absorbed in sharpening her pencil, neither caught her expression nor heard the words clearly.

 

Stopping her hand for a moment, Esumi turned her face toward Kayoko.

 

"Onikata, did you say something just now?"

 

"......No. Just talking to myself."

 

However, having safely retreated back behind her usual expressionless mask, Kayoko merely shook her head in evasion.

 

"I see... Well, it's getting late, so feel free to go ahead and sleep, Onikata. I'll probably finish the drawing and turn in within an hour or two."

 

Knowing nothing about art, Kayoko still felt that trying to capture the vast night view of Gehenna in just two hours, using nothing more than a pencil, was absurdly fast.

Still, asking her to stand around blankly waiting for two hours while already at her physical limit was out of the question. Acknowledging Esumi's consideration, Kayoko gave a small nod. "I'll go take a shower and turn in," she said.

Esumi waved a hand casually and replied, "Got it."

 

With those words as her cue, Kayoko quietly walked toward the bathroom.

 

However, halfway there, she paused and glanced back at Esumi once more.

Specifically, at the unusually high-end, premium-material knife gripped firmly in Esumi's dominant hand.

 

"........."

 

Whatever thoughts lingered in her mind remained unspoken.

Kayoko's gaze lingered on the knife for a moment longer, before she abandoned the thought and resumed her walk toward the bathroom.