"That was your idea, but don't think I'll let you do it all by yourself. I'll help you as best I can," said Jodie. It seemed as if she didn't just want to be a fifth wheel on the car, but also wanted to help with everything. I hadn't expected anything else either, but somehow I had hoped. I wanted to do my own thing without your help.
"If it absolutely has to be", I replied, not necessarily pleased. Without her being able to tell me anything else, I just started walking. I still had a few things to prepare and she didn't necessarily have to be there. I could already imagine how she looked after me and that she wanted to start screaming, but she had no more time. I was already gone.
Jodie must have set out and made her preparations, who knows how long they went, but I was busy with myself and packed everything up. The next morning we went to the airfield very early and we flew in the FBI's jet to Japan. Japan, I hadn't seen it for a long time and now I would come back to my homeland. I was finally home again, but the feeling had been weird. On the one hand it was nice because I longed for it a bit, but on the other hand, it wasn't great because I might see my family again.
"Are you happy to be back in your home?", Jodie asked. I was surprised that she didn't say anything during the long flight, but now that she landed, she had to say something too.
"Mhmmm", I just mumbled and pretended to be jet lagged. Maybe that saved me from giving her an answer. What did this woman expect? Did she really want to have a serious conversation about it or did she just want to talk to someone?
"It's okay if you don't want to talk, then leave it. I can ask you later," said Jodie and pulled something out of her pocket.There were two cards, one with the address of her apartment and one with Akai's. "Here, James got us two apartments where we can stay," said Jodie, handing me the card with the address to my apartment.
"Hmm," I said a little. Why do I need my own apartment? I could have got it myself and wasn't dependent on James.
"Well then, don't," Jodie replied. She didn't seem to like that I wasn't as talkative as she was, but I didn't really care. Let her think what she wanted.
"I'll see you later," I said and set off on my way. I knew the airport in Tokyo and knew where to go if I wanted to leave. Besides, I didn't need an introduction to the city like the others. I already knew my way around and wanted to run into old areas and take a look around. James had seen something else beforehand, but I didn't care, at least I didn't need his instructions any more. Where did I actually want to go now? I didn't want to see my family, but what would I do if I met one of them? Maybe they wouldn't even recognize me, after all, I've changed a lot. I needed some distraction and started walking. Inwardly, I hoped that jogging would bring something and it was really good for a moment, at least until my cell phone started ringing. It was James and I couldn't just hang up.
"What's up?" I asked as I put the phone to my ear.
"Where are you?" James wanted to know from me, because I hadn't said anything to him and I didn't really care about the whole thing.
"In Tokyo," I answered defiantly. Where else should i be?
"Akai, tell me where you are now," Black said. I could hear from his voice that he was not in a good mood because I was gone, but there was nothing he could do about it now, after all, he didn't know where I was."I'm jogging and near the big main street," I then replied. I still had to do what my boss wanted me to do, at least he still had the opportunity and could release me from my assignment. Exactly what I didn't want. I wanted to carry out this assignment and do everything possible for it, which is why I didn't try to mess with him any further. I did that now and then in the past, but it was enough now, at least for a start.
"Come back now," James asked me. "I'll explain everything to you all together and show you where you can find something," said the man.
"But you already know that I grew up here? I don't see that I'll come back and let you show me everything," I replied with rolling eyes.
"Then at least check in with us now and then," Black asked. He could understand me after all.
"Is there anything else you wanted from me?" I asked. At least I didn't think he was calling me just about that, maybe he wanted to know or say something else.
"It's still about your name. As long as you are here, you are not allowed to use your real name ...", James began and looked at a small piece of paper. He had already thought about a name and wanted to tell me about it.
"And do you already have a new name for me?" I wanted to know.
"Of course," James nodded and continued talking into the cell phone. "From today you will call yourself Dai Moroboshi", said the boss and waited for the reaction.
"Good, see you soon," I said and immediately hung up. We didn't have to talk anymore and I could quickly remember the name. Now I wanted to continue jogging again and just started walking. I didn't necessarily pay so much attention to the road, especially since drivers paid more attention to people. I ran and ran, no actually I was walking down the street as normal and had really forgotten almost everything around me, really, I could finally switch off my thoughts.I heard a car, it was behind me and I listened to its noises. All of a sudden I just crossed the street, the car kept coming towards me and before I knew it I was lying on it and then on the floor. I couldn't quite make out the woman who was driving it, but what I did recognize was that she was applying the brakes quite hard. I was lying on the floor with my eyes only ajar, I looked briefly at the young woman who was just coming out of her car. After that I don't know anything anymore, I must have passed out, even if it was a bit strange for me, because otherwise I wasn't that sensitive either. However, I heard sirens, it must have been the ambulance.
I opened my eyes again in the hospital, only hesitantly but then decisively. At the same moment I heard a voice, a female voice that was so lovely that I had almost forgotten what had actually happened.
"You are finally awake," said the young woman, relieved.
"Who are you?" I wanted to know. I could still remember the accident, but the image of the woman was blurred. Should it have been her?
"You don't remember? I drove my car into you earlier," the woman explained to me.
"Oh, it was you," I replied, reviewing the whole accident in my mind.
"I'm sorry, I wasn't paying attention," she apologized. It got pretty close to her, I realized that. She probably didn't hit someone every day, but somehow I could guess when I looked at her for the first time.
"It was my fault too, the blame falls on both of us," I said. It was true, since I was crossing the street on purpose.
"Are you in pain? Does your head hurt? Or something else?", The woman wanted to know. She was actually sitting by my bed trying to take care of me."I'm fine. I have no pain," I replied.
"Thank God. I'll just get the doctor here quickly," she said. She got up quickly and walked quickly to the door.
"Wait. What's your name?" I asked.
"I'm Akemi Miyano," Akemi introduced himself. I didn't want to be so rude either and told her my name. I almost said Shuichi Akai, but before I could speak I remembered.
"My name is Dai Moroboshi. Very pleasant," I had just turned the corner and gave her my alias. I then wondered, Akemi bowed partially, which I had not seen before.
"Likewise," Akemi replied. Then she ran out of the room and got the doctor.
For me it was strange, the whole time I had to smile a bit when I talked to her and as soon as she left the room, my smile stopped and I had a serious expression again. I had to think that it was bad now, it had been a really bad time to get to know someone. I sat up slowly and looked out the window. I watched everything that was going on outside. I couldn't lie quietly anywhere, and in the end I was fine too. My head didn't hurt, surely because I was stubborn, and nothing else hurt either. I wanted to get out of the hospital right away, but then I had to think about this woman again. I couldn't just leave without saying goodbye and as worried as she was she would look for me to make sure everything was okay. I couldn't scare Akemi again and just leave. And the order with the organization could also wait another day. Even though cell phones were forbidden in the hospital, I took mine out of my jacket pocket and called James first. He should know where I was so as not to reproach me again later."What do you mean, you are in the hospital?" Asked James. It got a bit louder and thus also drew Jodie as a listener.
"I let myself go," I replied. Why? I had to settle into my new life and the hospital was the best place for that. Here they would know me as Dai Moroboshi and enter all files by that name. Shuichi Akai wouldn't be here anymore.
"Why are you doing that? Think about the job," Black warned me.
"I keep thinking about why I did all this. Don't worry, I'll be fit again tomorrow and will do everything normally," I interjected. Maybe I was able to convince my superiors of all this.
"As you think Akai," he nodded in agreement. I didn't know why, but it was for the best and I didn't want to be questioned by him any further. His silence on that had been very relaxing for me and the old man didn't always have to know everything about me and certainly not what I was doing. But I was happy too soon, afterwards he asked me who the person was who approached me and how I was doing. That's how he had found out about Akemi and I didn't even think it was that bad. Should he know, what would it do for him? Nothing at all, exactly as much as it would get me. But slowly I heard voices again, it was Akemi, she had someone with her, it was definitely the doctor.
"I have to hang up," I said into the phone