Awaken from a Dream Page 10

  The two women watched the bustling crew with some measure of hope in their eyes.

  “Huh?” Yoriko said as the monitor went black.

  Someone seemed to have moved directly in front of the camera—probably some oafish crewmember casually standing there, not realizing that anyone might be watching the feed. But soon it became evident that that someone wasn’t just standing there by chance. They were doing it on purpose.

  And then the person moved, leaning face-first into the lens.

  Yukiko felt the hairs over her body stand on end. Something inside her told her to look away from the screen before she saw anything else. It’s the rabbit, she told herself. It has to be the rabbit. I mustn’t look, no matter what.

  But, defying her will, her eyes remained fixed on the screen.

  The face came right up to the lens like someone playing peekaboo. And, as she had dreaded, the face was not that of a human.

  It was round and furry.

  It had two big, wide-open eyes.

  It had an upturned mouth.

  It had two buck teeth.

  It had two long, skinny ears.

  It was the rabbit. It was that damned rabbit mascot.

  Yoriko let out a little gasp.

  Yukiko’s eyes widened as big as they could.

  The rabbit’s mouth grinned even wider. It let out an eerie laugh that could have easily come from a witch or some ghostly monster.

  One of its eyes had sagged from its socket. Small patches of fur were burned away here and there along its arms.

  Yoriko thought, This is it. This is the monster Yukiko was talking about—real, not imagined. This is Yukiko’s tormentor.

  Yoriko shouted, “Someone, anyone, come here!”

  As Yukiko heard her manager shout for help, she felt her consciousness slipping away.

  With a bitter shake of his head, Kanda grumbled, “I spoke with an acquaintance of mine on the police force. Like I feared, the detective said it just wasn’t enough for them to do anything.”

  Her temper flaring, Yoriko said, “But look at how she’s been hurt. Is causing mental anguish not a crime?”

  The agency’s president shook his head again. “It’s not. I think you’re right—mental and emotional pain is every bit as serious as physical pain. But unless that rabbit bastard inflicts tangible, physical harm, the police won’t act. That’s just the way it is. Frightening someone isn’t even a misdemeanor.”

  “Then what can we do? If we wait until something has already happened, it’ll be too late. Shouldn’t the police be interested in preventing crime from happening in the first place? If they won’t do anything, we have to think of what we can do—otherwise Yukiko won’t be able to feel safe anywhere.”

  The image of that rabbit’s menacing face on the studio feed would likely remain with her forever. Only when she saw it did she understand Yukiko’s terror. It was no wonder the singer had been so out of sorts lately.

  That rabbit had waltzed right into the TV station and disappeared without a trace. The same had happened at the department store. Only minutes after Yukiko saw the rabbit, he had vanished.

  After arriving in response to Yoriko’s shouts for help, a group of the TV station’s employees searched all around the studio. But they found neither hide nor grimy hair of the rabbit. This wasn’t just someone in an animal suit. He was capable of misdirection and deception to an almost supernatural degree.

  Yoriko said, “What we need to do—the only thing we can and must do—is form our own protective squad.”

  “Don’t you think that’s going a little too far?” Kanda asked. He hadn’t seen the rabbit with his own eyes. He didn’t even begin to try to understand Yoriko and Yukiko’s fear. As far as he was concerned, they were being a bit hysterical.

  “No, it’s not going too far,” Yoriko said, “and I’m doing it with or without your approval. In fact, I’ve already decided who will form the squad.”

  “You have?” Kanda asked.

  “That’s right. And I expected you might not be on board with my plan, so I took the liberty of getting started on my own.” She turned to the door and said, “Yuji-kun, you can come in now.”

  The door slowly opened, and a boy hesitantly walked in. With his long hair and sharp-eyed expression, he tried to make himself look like an adult, but more likely than not he was just barely high school age.

  He bowed his head to Kanda.

  “You probably know him already,” Yoriko said to Kanda. “This is Oe Yuji, the president of Yukiko’s fan club—the Snow Children.”

  Kanda hadn’t recognized the boy at first, but the introduction jolted his memory. They had met once before, right after Yukiko’s debut when the nascent fan club’s president came to this office.

  Yoriko continued, saying, “I’m sure you’re aware of how much he’s done for us. He arranges for the club members to come to Yukiko’s events as a group, helps promote her campaigns, and much more.”

  “Certainly, I am,” Kanda said. “And I’m very grateful for it.”

  He glanced at Yuji, who bashfully lowered his head to look away.

  Yoriko said, “I know it’s asking a lot of the club, but I know they want to help, and I think we should let them. Isn’t that right, Yuji-kun?”

  The boy stood at attention, puffed out his chest, and said, “Leave it to us, Yoriko-san. We’re ready to give our lives to protect Yukiko-san.”

  Kanda was taken a little aback by the kid’s militaristic eagerness to serve, but he also recognized that it was the perfect attitude for an ad hoc bodyguard.

  “All right,” Kanda said, “we’ll do it Yoriko-kun’s way.” He looked to the kid and said, “We’ll be counting on you.”

  Yuji bobbed his head deeply. “Thank you, sir. I will see to Yukiko-san’s absolute safety. I’ll convey the orders to my subordinates immediately.”

  Shimizu Kunio walked down the poorly-lit street, savoring a certain sense of fulfillment.

  A chic apartment building was visible in the gaps between the branches of the carefully maintained row of bushes alongside the street. When Kunio thought of how Tsukioka Yukiko was somewhere in that building, he felt pleasure spring up from deep in his chest. The sensation was powerful enough to make him tremble.

  I’m so glad I joined the fan club, Kunio thought fervently. His passionate support for Yukiko had been rewarded.

  If he hadn’t joined her fan club and been active in the inner circle, he would have never ended up here, standing outside her apartment, let alone with the honor of being her protector.

  Kunio glanced at his wristwatch. It was two in the morning. Yukiko was probably asleep by now.

  Kunio imagined the idol wearing pajamas with some cute pattern on them, breathing softly and adorably in her sleep. He remained vigilant to ensure that she could remain slumbering peacefully until daylight came.

  Kunio had joined Yukiko’s fan club almost half a year ago, and he always cheered loudly for her at her events. His passionate support caught the attention of the fan club’s management (specifically, the head of the inner circle, Oe Yuji), who invited him into the elite group of Yukiko’s most ardent fans.

  Being in the inner circle was not easy, and the privilege came with rigid rules and severe expectations. They had to clear their lives to match Tsukioka Yukiko’s schedule. The moment he was in, he was no longer his own person.

  Yuji had told him, “Tsukioka Yukiko-san is a treasure—one that we must protect even if it means risking our own lives. We must do everything within our power to support Yukiko-san so that she can become an even bigger star. You must understand that when you join us, you lose your personal freedom.”

  Kunio nodded deeply in response. He felt his back muscles tense up.

  After graduating high school, he found a job at a nearby factory, but it didn’t fulfill him. He felt like he was just going through the motions of life.

  The moment he saw Yukiko on TV, everything changed. For the first time, he felt complete
. The transformation in his life was like a monochrome screen coming into full color.

  His tedious job at the factory became easy when he thought of it as something he did for her. He was willing to give her everything—that was how valuable she was to him. Nearly every moment not spent at work was spent on supporting Yukiko and cheering her on. Without fail, he bought every new CD and photo book on the release date—not a day later. Whenever she had a local event or performance, nothing could prevent him from going to see her.

  Why was he drawn to her with such intensity? Probably because she came off as sharing some of his negative qualities—in particular, timidity and introversion. Whatever the underlying reasons, his passion as a fan brought him into her fan club, got him invited into the inner circle, and now found him standing on guard outside her apartment.

  Even within that inner circle, the hierarchy was firmly established, and good conduct was a must. As with such groups, simply being a member of the elite did not mean a fan would get any closer to the subject of their cause. In fact, they had to remain at a greater distance than the typical fan.

  The very top management got to be on familiar conversational terms with her, but to new recruits like Kunio, even speaking to her would be like a dream within a dream.

  But now here he was, keeping watch over her through the night. How could a fan be more blessed than that?

  Kunio didn’t know why he was keeping watch. He hadn’t even the slightest idea. Yuji’s orders were to guard the area around Yukiko’s apartment building until morning. That was it. It wouldn’t have been in Kunio’s place to ask any questions, nor did he even entertain the thought.

  He was happy to simply be near Yukiko, no matter what the circumstances might have been.

  All that I must do, he thought, is stay on the alert so that Yukiko-san can sleep without worry. Even as his thoughts got carried away, romanticizing his role as her protector, his sense of duty burned inside him like an open flame. He kept a sharp eye on the darkened streets.

  Maybe some deranged, malicious fan is stalking her around her neighborhood. My mission might be to protect her from him.

  Kunio wondered what he would be like if he were that kind of fan instead. Wouldn’t he be around here somewhere, stalking her around her neighborhood, hoping to accomplish some sinister goal?

  I won’t let him!

  Even as he thought this, another part of him wrestled with the possibility that some twist of fate could have turned him into the very person he was out to stop.

  And so, as he carried out his commander’s orders, and though he was fired up by his duty to protect Yukiko, his conflicting emotions swirled about inside him with no signs of stopping.

  A rustle came from the bushes.

  Someone was hiding in the shadows.

  From what Kunio could see, the lurking figure was crouched over, completely still. The intruder appeared to be trying to get a look inside the apartments.

  Kunio thought, Is this the bastard who’s stalking Yukiko-chan? Then, without any hesitation, he resolved himself. I’m going to chase him away!

  On silent footsteps, Kunio approached the suspicious figure. He got a better angle through the bushes and saw that someone was indeed crouched there.

  This wasn’t a normal person. He was gigantic. For a moment, Kunio’s resolve wavered, and he gulped down a breath of air.

  The intruder must have sensed someone was near, because he swiftly arose. He had a furry body, denim overalls, and a round face twice as large as a man’s.

  What? Kunio thought, feeling almost disappointed. It’s someone in a rabbit costume.

  What potential threat did a person in a rabbit suit pose to Yukiko? Kunio had only known mascot characters to hand out balloons to kids, or flyers to passersby. They were friends to children.

  Kunio was puzzled. He asked himself, What is someone in a rabbit costume doing here? Shouldn’t he be in some department store’s rooftop amusement park? And it’s the middle of the night, too.

  Suddenly, the rabbit turned toward Kunio.

  It was then that he saw the face. What he had assumed would be the lovable visage of a cartoon rabbit was instead a half-melted, monstrous thing.

  Kunio held down a scream.

  The rabbit’s ears stood up.

  The would-be bodyguard understood instinctively what that meant—the rabbit was going to attack.

  Kunio took one step back, and then another.

  The rabbit swayed his way through a gap in the bushes, and then emerged.

  Kunio’s legs froze as he looked up at the giant rabbit. I-I have to run. I have to run now.

  That’s what he told himself, but his body refused to listen. His only movement was the fearful shaking in his face. For the first time in his life, Kunio knew true terror.

  Slowly, the rabbit walked forward, stopping right in front of the young man. A piercing, repulsive smell came drifting from the suit.

  In a hoarse, inhuman voice, the rabbit said, “You’re shaking.”

  Kunio thought he glimpsed two evil eyes staring out at him from the rabbit’s mouth.

  The rabbit raised a furry hand and grabbed Kunio by the shoulder. The hand felt soft and rubbery. In that instant, Kunio’s body came back into motion. He rocked his shoulder, pushing away the rabbit’s hand, and with a wordless battle cry, he threw himself at the creature.

  Kunio’s terror powered him, and he found himself filled with a strength he had never known he possessed.

  The rabbit fell over backward into the bushes, and Kunio went with him. The young man sat up, straddling the rabbit, and put his hands around the suit’s fat neck. On the other side of the scratchy fabric, he felt an unexpectedly slender human neck. All he had to do was squeeze. He put all his strength into the task, strangling the rabbit as hard as he could.

  The rabbit flailed his arms and legs. Sweat rolled down Kunio’s forehead as he kept on squeezing.

  Just then, the rabbit’s cutesy mouth curled into a twisted snarl, and a voice rasped out. “I’ll…kill…you.” The scratchy voice, muffled by the mask, sent an even deeper terror into Kunio. “I’m running out of time—not that you’d understand. September twenty-sixth. Her first live stage performance will be on the Marusho roof.”

  Kunio fought the rising urge to run away screaming and instead put everything he had into squeezing the rabbit’s neck. The creature swung up his arm and drove an open palm strike into Kunio’s face from below.

  Kunio’s head rocked back. His arms weakened. Then the rabbit was back on his feet, grabbing the stunned Kunio by both shoulders. He plunged his giant head toward the young man’s face.

  Again and again, the rabbit head-butted him. The costume’s head was only a shell constructed out of light materials, but after enough strikes Kunio’s face began to welt and bleed.

  Kunio no longer had any fight left in him, but the crazed rabbit kept slamming his head into the young man’s face. At some point, Kunio lost consciousness. His upper body had gone limp, and he rocked back and forth like a wooden marionette, each forward motion met with another strike. His face was a disfigured mess. Wide rivers of red blood flowed freely from his eyes, his nose, his mouth, and from wherever the skin had rent with another opening. An occasional gasping cough indicated he was still alive.

  The rabbit took Kunio’s bloody face in both hands and pulled it up against his own. Then he whispered, “I’ll do this to anyone who tries to get in between me and Yukiko. And don’t you forget it.”

  Yukiko sat at a makeup table in the green room provided for her by the Marusho department store staff. As she applied her makeup, she thought about her decision to go forward with the concert.

  She was scared, certainly. She was very scared.

  She knew she should have begged and pleaded to call off the event, but she’d done nothing of the sort.

  It was the last thing she wanted to do, really—even after her manager gave her an easy way out, saying, “If you don’t want to do this, you
don’t have to. I can come up with an excuse for you.”

  It was a nice offer, but Yukiko viewed canceling her performance as letting that repugnant rabbit win. She didn’t want to lose—especially not to that rabbit. Her hatred toward her costumed stalker had grown into something too large for her to keep in check. What better revenge could she have than capping off her successful exhibit with a stellar live performance?

  The police hadn’t been able to find Shimizu Kunio, a volunteer bodyguard who had gone missing from outside her apartment. Only the police and the young man’s direct relatives knew of his disappearance. The president of Yukiko’s fan club had gone to great lengths to ensure that the media remained ignorant of her volunteer security force.

  Had the media found out about Kunio’s disappearance, reporters would have been on her like a pack of hyenas. Blaming her would have made for a great scandal.

  Yukiko worried that the rabbit might have done something to the man, though she kept the thought to herself. She didn’t even tell Yoriko.

  The rabbit’s true intentions remained a total unknown. All Yukiko knew was that he seemed to be fixated on her. Perhaps his ultimate goal was to make Yukiko his. If that were the case, then it stood to reason that he had attacked Kunio for interfering. Yukiko was convinced that logic was sound.

  Up until now, the rabbit had terrorized Yukiko by appearing near her. But that was all he had done. He struck terror into her only to vanish like so much mist. That was his consistent pattern.

  But now he had attacked someone. Even if that person had interfered, the change in the rabbit’s behavior was alarming. Had he finally revealed his true, violent nature?

  She didn’t think that was what had happened—or at least, not exactly. Instead, she believed that the rabbit was now prepared to get her by any means necessary.

  Yukiko shivered. Apparently, she hadn’t fully numbed herself to the terror.

  Will he come here? she asked herself, then answered, He will. I’m sure of it.

  But she wasn’t going to let him do as he pleased any longer. She was going to hold her concert just as planned, and if the rabbit came, she wouldn’t be alone. The talent agency’s staff was on hand, along with Oe Yuji—hungry to avenge his comrade—and a group of plainclothes cops there on Kanda’s insistence. Surely, they would be able to subdue him.