Web of light. Part 1. part 36

"Yeah, naked and wearing ribbons, even better! I still don't understand how you managed to persuade me, you know!"

"I think someone wanted to show off in front of Yuto..."

"Shimomuro!"

"I'm silent, I'm silent..."

Aya Kaname seated the girls around the kitchen table, easily maintaining a casual conversation about nothing, and left her daughter's friends to enjoy properly brewed green tea. From thick-walled ceramic glasses, the second brewing, and not Japanese, which, in Kaname Sr.'s opinion, was outright hay, but real Chinese, hand-rolled into the notorious "golden balls". Tea that gives peace and wisdom... True, most of it gets lost if you don't follow the ancient ceremony of taking a drink — or at least don't casually talk about any nonsense at the table, but that doesn't mean you have to drink all the garbage, right?

The woman listened to the sounds coming from the kitchen: the girls were arguing about the cinema, using mostly unknown, sometimes strange names as arguments. Aya herself doesn't particularly like TV, and she finds cinema a controversial hobby — whether it's theater! — nevertheless, she smiled very contentedly. Of course, her daughter found friends. Not just any "friends" or "useful acquaintances"-the loving mother gradually began to bring the girl together with the latter category of people herself-but real, kinship-based relationships. Those are the friends who will help you in trouble, regardless of what kind of story you got into, who don't care about the "opinion of the world", who judge you by their own opinion, and not by someone else's... And in her daughter's life, a boy appeared at the end of spring. Yuto Amakawa. Naturally, Hiroe didn't say anything to her mother: Kaname had spent so much time teaching her only student for nothing, that a woman should have her own secrets... in certain areas, of course. And such a young, childish affection is also love... the first... but that doesn't stop it from being a personal feeling. And no one has the right to pry into a woman's heart, where she keeps her most beautiful weakness!

Naturally, Kaname Sr. was well aware that her daughter "had someone," and although she didn't show it, her daughter naturally knew that she knew-and knew who. It's hard not to guess: Hiroe has already contacted her mother to help her find a teacher in meditation techniques, and the story of the call for an interview with the Committee... Of course, Aya would be curious to have a heart-to-heart conversation with her daughter and appreciate how Yuto was able to fall into her soul? But... She understood perfectly well: to know is to appreciate. The assessment, whatever it is, will still be subjective... and this is getting into your daughter's heart, because you will want to influence your beloved blood... No matter how much you hold back, it may turn out involuntarily. She had been taught to destroy and create feelings well. One of the few skills she vowed not to pass on to her daughter: one nearly ruined life is enough... But still curious! Moreover, she herself had already been able to assess the behavior and tact of the heir of the almost destroyed clan. And such things happen sometimes, too — an ordinary school, and — bang! The Prince! An ordinary accident is more complicated than any other Cunning Plans! Amakawa... Surely the girls will blurt out a lot of interesting things in conversation... Kaname smiled and stopped listening and went up to her room. The daughter has to figure it out for herself. And Aya has something to do, too.

"Am I late? I ran very fast!" Rinko looked completely out of breath, except that her cheeks were a little redder than they usually are in such a cold weather.

"No, you're just in time," Hiroe, who was going outside to meet the girl, listened to something and nodded in satisfaction. "Can we finally talk about why I called you here? I'm talking about Yuto."

"I hope he's not back?!" Kuzaki's cheeks instantly flushed, and her palms convulsively clutched the glass given to her — for such a slightly cooled tea, Aya would have reprimanded her daughter, but her mother was not there, and the shorn girl herself did not particularly distinguish between all these "shades of taste."

"Blushed, you know," Shizuka stated melancholically, "some vulgar thoughts again..."

"If a boy makes you blush, then he's not indifferent!" Yu flashed her glasses with the most serious look.

"He's my friend! And I'm not doing anything like that... And stop teasing me already! I take care of him!"

"Rather, it's about you. "Shizuka, let's buy some more funchosa, Rinko likes it so much.""

"You agreed to help us in the house, you hungry snake!"

"Oh! Is it already "us"?"

"Yu! At least don't start!"

"But it's so romantic!"

"Yu!!!"

"I'm silent again, I'm silent. By the way, why are you at home and not at Croissant?"

"Because that's where we meet for work. And household chores need to be discussed at home." Hiroe waved her index finger in a completely uncharacteristic manner, clearly parodying someone. After Kaname's glasses flashed, it became clear who exactly it was.

"Why not at my place?" Yu grinned, recognizing herself, mirroring the reflection of the glasses.

"Do you really want your little brother to help us with the discussion? He's so frisky... has become."

Yes, the younger Shimomuro, cured by the "progressive method" of Amakawa, became two orders of magnitude more energetic and more chaotic, although it seemed that this was impossible! Cats, dogs, snails, trees, flowers, muddy puddles and dusty corners — everything that he had been deprived of for so long now attracted the boy with terrible force. And neither the threats of the parents helped (to whom the doctors recommended "just in case" to reduce contact with allergens, you never know, there will be a relapse), nor the nurse's cuffs — the six-year-old urchin continued to run headlong, and only another cold could stop him, but even Yuto could not say whether the treatment was to blame or the fact that The child turned out to be completely unskilled due to illness...

"Your house, Rinko, is too close to Amakawa's house, I'm not talking about Shizuka at all. That leaves only mine."

"Logically."

"If it's logical, then I'll continue. I think we should give Yuto a rest. And myself along with him. And not just "you stay at home, we'll solve all the problems for you" — Amakawa will never agree (and he will be absolutely right, I note), and besides, you can get away from the problems here in the city. If there are no serious ones, they will pull on trifles, you know. So, in a month — Christmas holidays, school will not be hanging over our heads, although we already go to it in such a way that in any other place the principal and the class teacher would feel bad! The polytechnic is not working either. The patrol will last four or five days without us — we have already checked that. You need to go somewhere, however, you won't be able to go abroad to a resort, Shizuki and Yuto will have difficulties with this (and that would be ideal!), so thoughts about a vacation in Japan are being accepted.

"You can go to Tokyo or Kyoto to stay in a hotel, go shopping, and there will be lots of sales and fairs after Christmas."

"We won't be able to go there alone, and most likely they won't let us go without the parents of at least one child from the group."

"They let me go to the sea!"

"We were on our way to the seaside to shoot a movie, and we had a note from the school principal for each family."

"I think he won't refuse now."

"It's a bad idea to use the same person's help every time. Of course, the director owes our Yuto a little, but... Yu, how do you usually spend Christmas?"

"We go shopping, we eat delicious food."

"Shizuka?"

"I used to sit on a branch and do nothing unless I had to fight, you know."

"...I don't think it's the most fun thing to do either... You know. And choosing a branch won't make it any more fun... Rinko?"

"Well... My parents and I usually go to the springs to visit relatives and live there for a week. However, I help to serve the visitors, and not for nothing. Do you think it's worth asking for it all together?"

"A good alternative. Let's take it as a working option. And you can also..."

"Hello, children!" Hiroe's father greeted the girls from the hallway, laying out an umbrella to dry out. "Can I ask you for some tea, or is there one of those Scary Girlish Conversations going on right now where no man should meddle?"

"Dad! Don't ever say such nonsense! And there's tea... that is, it will be now... Here, I'm already putting the kettle on!"

"I'll make some tea," Mizuchi left her seat at the table and reached for the tea, while Hiroe approached her father with an empty mug... and I noticed something faintly glowing on his head. Automatically, she reached for the source of the glow... and Baku, the Chameleon of Dreams, abruptly recoiled from the magic-absorbing hand — not all of Hiroe's clothes were standardly protected, but street (and school) clothes necessarily passed through Amakawa's hands. However, considering who the "directorate" had and was supposed to communicate with, it was quite logical. Hiroe was taken aback, completely unprepared for this turn of events, but Rinko reacted. With a quick movement, she knocked the not-quite-material spirit off the back of the man's head, but the creature didn't even hurt itself — a lightning leap towards the open door... and the water blade cuts the yokai in half... along with a few centimeters of the floor. Fortunately, Kaname Sr. was looking the other way at that moment. That's how it started, you know," Shizuka commented, casually making tea. True, in the hands of an ordinary high school student, tea cannot be brewed in just half a minute — but who pays attention to such trifles? The conversation broke down after the incident, the girls went home, and soon Hiroe escorted them to the gate. When she returned, she found her mother on the threshold of the kitchen, looking at an almost imperceptible thin crack in the floor covering.

"Daughter. Is there anything you want to tell me?"

Kaname Jr. sighed heavily...

Interlude 34. Central Office of the Social Committee, Office of the Deputy the head of the 3rd combat counteraction Group, Toya Fujisaki. Sugowara Kouji

"Toya-san."

"Sugowara-san."

The exorcists bowed to each other, and the owner of the room hospitably pointed to a chair next to a coffee table. Here's an easy way to make a meeting informal — in addition to the desk, there was a kind of cozy corner in the office of the deputy of the 3rd combat group. The secretary brought in the usual coffee and biscuits. Following the eldest family, among their own, everyone who considered themselves to be part of the Jinguji clan adopted pseudo-European manners. A subtle hint is not here for you. On the other hand, the number of Gaijin mercenaries accepted from the outside was also significant, and the emphasized internationality (as in McDonald's, Kouji grimaced) may have been a compromise solution. Well, that's right, here are the salted crackers and butter — all that remains is to speak English.

However, it didn't go to extremes. After paying tribute to the drink, the owner of the cabinet was the first to speak out, telling his former subordinate about the latest "secular" events — the Jinguji launched an active campaign in Latin America, and there are rumors that the issue of recruiting personnel from mainland Africa is now being resolved. However, the footage has not yet been sent to Japan. The area of interest in the Philippines and Europe swallowed the "meat" of any force — just give it. After a bit of banter on the subject of commanding a squad of blacks in ritual palm skirts and deliberately comparing magic and football — there are also "national" teams, if I may say so, it's good if half of the players are from their own country, Fujisawa gradually turned to the topic of Kouji's interest.

"...So, as you can see, the Eldest family is really building up a combat wing here on the Islands, otherwise, frankly, we were already thinking about recruiting renegade spirits, haha. And what, there were precedents — how are we worse than some kind of Amakawa!.. Okay, okay, don't make such a face: it's a stupid joke, I agree. But the situation is such that, honestly, I would not refuse any help — if only there was someone to put forward to the forefront." Toyah suddenly finished seriously.

"Is it that bad?"

"So far, it's not that bad. The Troika (Fujisawa means his squad) had three departures this week. Three! Two people in the hospital — people just didn't have time to recover. The third time I had to shoot, it was just like there. The militant lowered his voice, waving his hand to point somewhere to the south.

"Of course, with two eliminated..."

"Not with pistols," the owner of the office explained, "The assault rifles were given out. For the whole group."

"What?!"

"I'm telling you how it is."

"Damn it!" shouted Sugowara. "Cso! CSO! Was it in the city?"

"No, the mountains. The fucking pilgrims got in, one had a satellite phone, so they pulled out the group for a key verbal analysis. And there are already assault kits in the turntable. That's the only reason these two are in the hospital, not in the stomach of a yokai."

"And in the city?"

Instead of answering, Fujisawa walked to his desk in two steps and returned with a piece of paper. "Order 67/07."..use in the city... only light small arms with B-2 and B-3 type special ammunition... if necessary, use the arsenals of regional offices..."

"Now it's clear why they were called to Tokyo. Arsenals, then..."

"You see, we're even collecting shell casings... For now."

"For now?"

"Toya handed his friend a second sheet. It's just an acceptance certificate: weapons, ammunition..."

"This?!"

"Not three eyes, I also rubbed, nothing has changed."

"But an infantry mortar..."

"That's the way it is, Kouji-san, that's the way it is..."

The men fell silent, and it was clear from their looks that both of them had been transported somewhere far away in their memories. Then Toya pulled out an ashtray. Lit a cigarette...

"You didn't come to see me out of old friendship either, did you?" The deputy commander broke the silence.

"Yes, I had an A+ situation in my reporting area, and there was no response to the call. He called me back three hours later..."

"A-plus? Last week? It's clear. They say they will form the third and fourth sevens, from the returning ones. Are you without victims?"

"Yes, I was lucky. No one was injured, not even civilians. However, you would know if it wasn't..."

"It makes sense. What at least happened?"