Chapter 1:

A Job Part 1

The Young Knight of the Desert


Kansai City, State of Japan. July 20, 2030; 1040 hours (Japan Standard Time)

Docked in the port of Kansai City was a cruise ship. In one particular room of the cruise ship was its occupant, a seventeen-year-old girl with light skin, dark brown eyes, and black hair arranged in a ponytail. She wore a white short-sleeved shirt and Daisy Dukes.

The girl was looking at her laptop. She showed boredom with her face as she continued to look at the laptop screen as this was normal for her.

I wonder how Mr. Ganji is doing? the girl pondered.

Suddenly, a sound came from the laptop’s speakers. A small black square appeared on the screen and inside was a smaller rectangle that was colored green with a white-colored horizontal line inside. Inside the line were eight black-colored crescent moons. To the girl, the rectangle was the flag with the words “Middle Eastern League” above and the words “Continue” or “Leave” below the flag.

Why would the Middle Eastern League want to hire us?

#

1130 hours

At a ramen restaurant, a man with very light skin, blue eyes, and blond hair in a crew cut ate his ramen while looking at a nearby bus stop. He wore a black button-up shirt with short sleeves, beige-colored trousers held by a brown leather belt, and brown leather shoes.

“If you don’t mind me asking, where are you from?” the ramen chef asked.

“South Africa,” the man with a crew cut answered.

“What are you doing here?”

“Private security. It’s preferable that I don’t talk about it.”

“I understand. I too was in the military.”

“And why are you working here?”

“I’ve always wanted to have my own ramen restaurant. Don’t worry, we’re near a high school so I get a steady income from the students.”

“That’s good.”

However, the smartphone of the man with the crew cut rang. Both men understood what that meant and as a result, the man with the crew cut took the smartphone with him outside and answered it.

“Mirzoyan, you called?” the man with the crew cut asked.

“Thank goodness I reached you, Mr. Vos,” a girl said from the other end of the call. “We got a job offer.”

“From who?”

“The Middle Eastern League.”

“Why would they ask for us? Hiring mercenaries for them is nothing new, but hiring us… it must be something drastic. In any case, have you accepted or denied the offer?”

“Not yet. I called to ask you if I should accept or deny.”

“Hold on. I’ll be there soon. I just need to finish my ramen.”

“Will do.”

“How was your call?” the ramen chef asked as the man called Vos returned inside with his smartphone.

“My employer needed me back,” Vos answered. “Best get to finishing my ramen.”

“Agreed. Next bus is only ten minutes away.”

#

1227 hours

At the bridge of the cruise ship, Vos rushed inside. Waiting for him was the girl, whom the former called Mirzoyan. The latter was now wearing a white button-up shirt with long sleeves and a skirt along with high-heeled shoes; both of which were colored independence blue.

“Any update?” Vos asked.

“None,” Mirzoyan answered.

“Please show me the offer.”

Mirzoyan opened her laptop and showed the job offer she picked up earlier. “It’s as I left it more than an hour ago.”

“Alright, press Continue,” Vos requested.

“Got it,” Mirzoyan replied before using the left button below the laptop’s built-in mouse to press “Continue” in the black rectangle.

“Says here they need men and/or women to protect an arms shipment,” Vos stated as he read from the laptop screen. Vos stated as he read from the laptop screen.

“Do we wait for Mr. Ganji to come back from school?”

“I’d like that, but if we wait longer, they’ll think we didn’t accept the offer. Not only that, we need to consult Maria Clara.”

“I can do that.”

“Please hurry. I’ll consult the others.”

#

1244 hours

“I’m back,” Vos announced as he returned to the bridge with Mirzoyan seated down while using her laptop.

“How did it go talking to everyone?” Mirzoyan asked.

“They accepted the offer, but they’ll change their mind depending on what Ganji has to say. What about Maria Clara?”

“She talked with her superiors. We can take the job or not because they’ll keep an eye on Miss Hoshikawa.”

“Good. Now we need to warn Ganji.”

#

1327 hours

Vos now appeared outside the high school near the ramen restaurant where he had lunch. The school bore the name “Nishi High School” with its equivalent in written Japanese above on a metallic plate on the left side of the school’s entrance.

He now concealed himself with a hat, trench coat, sunglasses, and a mask. He brought out a metallic canister as he saw the entrance of the main building of the school. Vos bent toward the ground while facing the school and used his right hand to lower the canister into the ground horizontally. Vos then threw the canister toward the school while it landed on the ground, allowing it to roll toward the school.

The students, seeing the canister, stepped away as they knew they could get hurt if they remained in the path of the canister. Hearing the commotion, Vos quietly left.

As the canister continued to roll toward the school proper, a seventeen-year-old girl caught it. She had short brown hair and dark brown eyes. Her uniform, the Nishi uniform for girls, comprised of a short-sleeved button-up shirt that was colored white, a jet black-colored skirt, white-colored socks that stopped before the knee, and black-colored leather shoes.

Again, the girl thought. I bet it’s for Ganji-kun again.

The girl grabbed the canister and opened it. Inside was a folded piece and as the girl unfolded it, she found the contents of the paper and sighed.

I knew it.

#

1439 hours

“There you are, Ganji-kun!” the girl exclaimed as she caught one teenage boy leaving a classroom.

“You needed something, Todoh-senpai?” the boy named Ganji asked.

“I caught this message,” the girl named Todoh answered as she got closer to Ganji and gave him the canister containing the message. “I can imagine you won’t be attending Ma- I mean, Hoshikawa-san’s Judo club?”

“Yes,” answered Ganji as he grabbed the canister. After opening it and reading the message, he faced Todoh again. “I apologize for this, so could you please tell Hoshikawa-senpai?”

“… Fine.”

“Arigatou gozaimasu,” Ganji replied while bowing half of his body.

“Just go before Hoshikawa-san catches you.”

#

1523 hours

Ganji ran up to the cruise ship’s bridge. He found not only Vos and Mirzoyan waiting for him but a woman in her late forties with very light skin, short blonde hair, green eyes, and wearing a white-colored button-up shirt underneath a lab coat, a black skirt, and high-heeled shoes that were also colored black.

“I apologize for being late,” Ganji said.

“It’s alright,” Vos replied. “I already talked with the others. We’ve all accepted but we can change our answers if you disagree.”

“What’s the job offer?”

“We’re to assist the Middle Eastern League in delivering weapons.”

“Where will the weapons go?”

“That we don’t know,” Mirzoyan answered. “I can imagine they will not tell us lest we accept the offer and go to see them.”

“It’s up to you,” the woman with blonde hair added. “We can say yes or no to this offer.”

“And does my decision have to determine everyone’s choice in this matter?” Ganji asked.

“Because we know it’s a problem for you going back to the Middle East,” Mirzoyan answered.

Tatev’s right, Ganji thought as he bowed his head and closed his eyes. I’ve been fearing the day I have to go back there, but this is a job offer. We’re an awfully small unit and the fact that the Middle Eastern League is hiring us means it must be a job that will pay a lot.

“Is it a yes or no?” Vos asked.

Ganji then faced Vos, Mirzoyan, and the blonde woman. “I’ll do it.”

“Are you sure about this?” the blonde woman asked.

“I’m sure, Doc.”

“Great,” Vos said before he turned to Mirzoyan. “Mirzoyan, will you do the honors?”

“Will do,” Tatev replied before she returned to her laptop.

“I’ll prepare an excuse letter for Tarou,” the blonde woman called “Doc” added before she left the bridge.

“And I best finish the homework they gave me before we leave,” Tarou said.

“We’re not leaving until we’ve purchased plane tickets,” Vos reminded.

“Got it.”

#

1549 hours

Tarou then wandered into a portion of the cruise ship that didn’t look like a cruise ship—a hangar for two Walgears. A Walgear was the machine Tarou saw in his dream that was but a memory of his. Walgears were developed after researching technology that was discovered from an alien ship that crashed into the Democratic Republic of Afghanistan in the year 1985.

In the hangar was one Walgear. Colored silver, it had limbs like those of a human being and two wheels on each leg. To Tarou, it was another Walgear like the one he fought seven years before when the Eurasian Tsardom invaded the Islamic Republic of Iran.

“Señor Ganji, why are you here?” a man with short black hair, light intermediate skin, and light brown eyes asked as he approached Tarou.

“Oh, Mr. Díaz,” said Tarou as he turned to the man who approached him. “I was just looking at Solbein.”

“A real marvel, isn’t she? All I can say to whosoever built that thing is… bravo!”

“I best get going,” Tarou said as he turned away from both the Walgear named “Solbein” and the man named Díaz. “Miss Wattana is asking that I spar with her since we haven’t done so in a while.”

“I was told by Señor Vos to prepare Solbein if in case of an emergency. Please don’t get it wrecked.”

“I’ll try.”

#

1759 hours

Tarou returned to his apartment. After parking his motor scooter, he grabbed a bag filled with food and drinks he brought to himself. As he turned toward the apartment, Tarou stopped as if he saw a ghost, or rather, a girl his age.

The girl had long blonde hair that went past her shoulders. She had blue eyes and light intermediate skin. Like the girl who gave Tarou the message from Vos, the girl standing before Tarou wore the girl’s uniform for Nishi High School.

“I figured you would come here after ‘helping your guardian’,” the girl said. “How was it?”

“Can we please discuss the rest of this inside?” Tarou asked.

“Very well. Please lead the way.”

#

1814 hours

Tarou and the girl with long, blonde hair reached the apartment of the former. After they removed their respective shoes, Tarou was the first to come inside in order to turn on the lights. He then stepped aside and gestured with both arms to have the girl proceed inside.

“After you, Hoshikawa-senpai,” Tarou said.

“Thank you,” the girl named Hoshikawa said before she entered.

As Hoshikawa proceeded inside the apartment, Tarou closed the door, then followed. He then placed the groceries he bought in the kitchen.

“I imagine you didn’t join for practice today is because you have another mission?” asked Hoshikawa.

“That’s correct, Maria,” Tarou answered.

“You called me ‘Hoshikawa-senpai’ a minute ago and now you go back to ‘Maria’?”

“If I’m to tell the truth, I might as well do away with the honorifics.”

“How long will you be gone?”

“Vos-san hasn’t bought the tickets yet. I’m to go to the Middle Eastern League and that’s all I’m telling.”

“Fair enough.”

“What did you buy?” asked Maria as she looked at the groceries Tarou bought.

“Felt like trying instant ramen. Crawley-san had some earlier and he wouldn’t shut up about it.”

“Why don’t I try cooking for you next time?”

“… Why would you want to do that?”

“Can’t I? You need to eat healthily.”

“Other than a few… ‘breaks’, I’ve eaten healthy almost my entire life. At times, I barely eat at all.”

“How long have you been doing this?”

“Since I was ten.”

Maria had nothing else to say yet. It was a surprise for her that Tarou would admit that he had been fighting since he was ten years old.

“When the Eurasian Tsardom invaded the Islamic Republic of Iran, the Iranian military got desperate enough that children like me were recruited as soldiers. It was done before and as for me, a boy who didn’t appear to fit into the community that found me as an infant because I didn’t physically look like them, I joined because the war was the first time I felt that my world changed. Unlike most children, I enlisted out of my own free will. Despite the odds, we kept on fighting until one day, a Hunter’s autocannon fired at me while I was trying to take cover at a house. I felt as if I should have died then but somehow, I’m alive.”

“But how did you end up meeting Vos-san and the others in Iron Dutchman Services?”

“I wandered across Iran. I then ended up in what used to be Libya and it was there I ran into Iron Dutchman Services. Hamilton-sensei pleaded with Vos-san to take me in and, somehow, he agreed.”

“Is that why you still fight as a mercenary?”

“Not really. I’m determined to know who I really am. All I have about my real identity is the name ‘Tarou’; Hamilton-sensei told me that I’m somehow half-Japanese, half-Iranian.”

“I’m sorry I asked.”

“It’s alright. Somehow, I feel at peace telling you this.”

“Aren’t you going to prepare your instant ramen?” asked Maria as she gestured to the untouched groceries with Tarou joining her in looking at them.

“Oh right, thanks,” Tarou replied. “Say, do you want some?”

“Thank you, but no thank you,” replied Maria as she moved toward the door, but not before rearing her head to face Tarou. “Will you consider my offer next time?”

“I’ll let you know.”

“What do you want me to tell Hasegawa-sensei about your absence in two days?”

#

Nizhny Novgorod, Eurasian Tsardom. 1354 hours (Novgorod Time)

A beep was heard in the office of one Vyacheslav Puzanov, the Director of the Eurasian Tsardom’s foreign intelligence agency the Otdeleniye Vneshney Razvedki or OVR. Sixty-seven years old, Puzanov was a man who saw combat more than he did intelligence work or deskwork. Light-skinned and dressed sharply, Puzanov had graying brown hair in a crew cut as a reminder of his days as a soldier, and blue eyes. He wore glasses over his eyes as he needed them to read documents—proof that he couldn’t outmaneuver age.

The door opened. Coming inside was a woman also dressed sharply with long brown hair tied in a bun, very light skin, and gray eyes. She carried with her an envelope with the words “Tol'ko Glaza”, written in black, on the other side of the envelope. The woman briefly turned back to close the door behind her and after that, faced Puzanov.

“Glad to see you Your High- I mean, Miss Tsulukidze,” said Puzanov. “I assume you have something new to report?”

“I do,” answered the woman named Tsulukidze. “It’s concerning Iron Dutchman Services.”

Puzanov sighed, then resumed facing Tsulukidze. “Look, Your Highness, I can understand why you’re concerned about Maria Hoshikawa, but unless you have real proof about who she really is, I suggest you leave Iron Dutchman Services alone.”

“But sir, I’m not presenting this report about Miss Hoshikawa over who her biological parents are. If we can try-”

“We did! It’s because of that operation the Gatekeepers have sent the Gatekeeper assigned to the Tsardom to ask your father, the Tsar, about the facility in Northern Sakhalin. Just leave your report and return to Japan.”

“Yes, sir,” Tsulukidze replied before leaving the office.

However, as Tsulukidze opened the door, another sharply dressed man appeared outside. He had short black hair and wore glasses above his blue eyes. The man stepped aside to allow Tsulukidze to leave and after she left did he proceed inside Puzanov’s office.

“What brings you to my office, Ivanov?” Puzanov asked his new guest.

“I have information concerning the rebellion in Iran,” the man named Ivanov answered.

“This better be worth my time.”

“I assure you, sir, it is.”

#

Kansai City, State of Japan. July 21, 2030; 0930 hours (Japan Standard Time)

Every man and woman in Iron Dutchman Services gathered at one of the two former cinemas of the cruise that they use as their headquarters, currently docked in Kansai City. Tarou Ganji, wearing half of Nishi High School’s uniform for boys but with beige-colored trousers and black-colored boots, then appeared with everyone else in the mercenary group looking at him.

“I apologize for being late,” Tarou said.

“You came just in time,” Vos replied. “Please sit down.” Tarou sat beside Tatev Mirzoyan.

“Now that everyone is here, we can begin,” Vos announced. “As you know, we’ve been approached for a job by the Middle Eastern League. While they’ve hired mercenaries like us, it’s the first time they’ve hired us.

“Therefore, we have agreed to take this job, which is a delivery escort. However, only four of us will go to Kuwait City tomorrow to meet the liaison from the FIA we’ll be working with.”

“Why four?” Tarou asked as he raised his hand.

“Because that’s as much as we can afford for plane tickets,” Vos answered. “We’re to simply guard the shipment and everything we need will be provided by the FIA.”

A woman with dark skin, long black hair tied in a ponytail, and dark brown eyes raised her hands next. “Yes, Wattana?” Vos asked.

“Who did you buy tickets for?” the woman named Wattana asked.

“One for me, naturally. One for you, Ganji, and Dr. Hamilton.”

“And why do I have to come along?” Hamilton, the blonde doctor, asked.

“You may never know what will happen,” Vos answered. “Especially if someone gets wounded. It’s for that reason I had Díaz prepare Solbein. I only hope it won’t come down to using it, but I doubt this will be a simple delivery escort mission.”

“When do you leave?” Tatev asked.

“Tomorrow,” Vos answered. “Flight leaves at 1100 hours. We need to leave for KIX as early as 0700, so we better get up early because we’ll have breakfast in the airport and lunch in the plane.”

“Yes, sir!” everyone else in Iron Dutchman Services loudly replied.

#

1215 hours

Tarou returned to his apartment. Just as he parked his motor scooter, he proceeded toward the apartment, only to find Maria Hoshikawa. Maria wasn’t in the girl’s uniform for Nishi High School as she wore a black-colored shirt with long sleeves, a purple-colored skirt, white-colored socks that and bar shoes.

“M-Maria, what are you doing here?” Tarou asked.

Maria opted not to answer with her mouth. She then showed metal canisters wrapped with a handkerchief with Tarou realizing what the implications were.

“I remember you asked if you could make lunch for me,” Tarou deduced.

“I did,” Maria replied. “Shall we-”

“I knew it!”

To Tarou and Maria’s surprise, Todoh appeared. She wore a white shirt with a zipper ranging from top to bottom underneath a blue jacket, a white skirt held by a belt that is colored red-brown, white-colored socks that reach up to the knee, and rubber shoes.

“Misa-chan, what are you doing here?” Maria asked.

“I… I was just walking around, then I saw the both of you,” Todoh lied.

“I find that hard to believe,” Tarou replied.

“You shut up!” Misa shouted. “You skipped out on Judo practice two days ago and now Maria-chan is here giving you lunch!”

“Is that a problem?” Maria asked

“Maria, you can go,” Tarou said to Maria.

“But Ganji-kun, why-” Maria asked to Tarou.

“I’ve caused enough trouble. Please. I’ll eat your lunch. I promise. Though returning the container will have to wait until tomorrow at the earliest.”

“That’s right, you’re leaving tomorrow.”

“Wait, you’re leaving tomorrow!?” Misa exclaimed toward Tarou just as Maria gave the container filled with the lunch she made to Tarou before she reached Misa and started pushing her far from the apartment.

“Wait, Maria-chan, what are you-” Misa asked while she was being pushed away by Maria.

#

1234 hours

What was that about? Tarou pondered as he ate the lunch Maria made for him. That was embarrassing but Todoh-san had every right to question my relationship with Maria.

The meal Maria prepared for Tarou comprised of chicken karaage with rice. After filling a piece of rice and chicken into a pair of chopsticks, taking the chopsticks into the mouth to drop off the food carried by the chopsticks, and chewing the food in his mouth, Tarou swallowed.

I… I don’t deserve this, Tarou thought as he grabbed the nearby glass of water and filled his mouth with the water. Why is Maria being this nice to me?

#

1358 hours

Both Maria and Misa Todoh were at an ice cream shop called Kansai Ice Paradise. While Maria filled her mouth with bubblegum-flavored ice cream, she saw Misa hadn’t touched her cookies and cream-flavored ice cream.

“You’re not touching your ice cream,” Maria said to Misa.

“I… I apologize for what happened earlier,” Misa replied. “You just made lunch for him, that’s all. And then I got too worried… “

“I… I don’t even know why I’m nice to Ganji-kun.”

“Y… You don’t?”

“I guess it was because of that incident when a bunch of men tried to… ”

“Oh… that. I guess that was pretty cool for Ganji-kun to do that,” Misa said before she touched her ice cream. “I’ve got to ask, why is Ganji-kun leaving tomorrow?”

I can’t tell Misa-chan about Tarou-kun’s real reason, Maria thought with caution in her mind before swallowing her ice cream. “Hamilton-sensei needed Ganji-kun’s help because she’ll be going to Aceh.”

“Aceh? Where’s that?”

“Indonesia.”

“I seem to recall hearing that she came to school about Ganji-kun. She can’t possibly be his mother.”

“She’s not. She adopted him while she was working at a refugee camp in Iran.”

“Speaking of which, ‘Ganji’ is an Iranian surname, yet Ganji-kun has the name ‘Tarou’, which is Japanese. How do you suppose he got that name?”

“I honestly wouldn’t know,” Maria answered just before she resumed eating her ice cream. I can’t tell her about that part of Ganji-kun’s past. She’ll suspect more about him.

“By the way, why did you make lunch for Ganji-kun?” Misa asked, startling Maria.

“Why… would you ask such a question?” Maria asked as her embarrassment became evident.

“Come on, tell me! Please?”

Maria sighed, signaling further embarrassment. “I caught Ganji-kun buying instant ramen, and I offered to cook him food because I felt it was healthier for him."

“Really?”

“Is that wrong?”

“Not really,” Misa answered before she resumed eating her ice cream. Maria resumed eating hers and unlike Misa, she was almost done with hers.

#

1857 hours

Tarou returned to the cruise ship that Iron Dutchman Services uses as its headquarters, now wearing a white shirt with a round neck. The ship bore the name Iron Dutchman, which made the ship the namesake of the mercenary group.

After parking his motor scooter, Tarou picked up a white duffel bag with his right hand while his left arm carried a sports bag. As he proceeded to the ship, he saw Vos waiting for him.

“Had fun?” Vos asked.

“If you consider finishing homework and having to humor Riku Todoh, who at least took me out to dinner, ‘fun’, then yes,” Tarou answered.

“I suggest sleeping early in an hour or two. We have to be at KIX by 0700 hours.”

“Roger that.”

#

1929 hours

Tarou reached a particular room in the Iron Dutchman. As it was a cruise ship, the room looked as if a group of mercenaries shouldn’t use it. For Tarou, however, a room was a room. As long as there was a bed, he had nothing else to ask for.

Sitting on the bed, he then removed his boots, followed by his belt, and his trousers. Tarou replaced them with pajama pants. Suddenly, he heard a knock on the door.

“Who is it?” Tarou asked.

“Tatev,” a girl answered from the other side of the door.

Tarou got off his bed and reached for the doorknob. Opening the door, he found Tatev Mirzoyan outside.

“Anything you need, Tatev?” Tarou asked.

“Not really, but I do want to ask you something,” Tatev answered.

“We can discuss it inside,” Tarou suggested. Tatev then proceeded inside the room with the former closing the door. “So, what is it you wanted to talk about?”

“Will… Miss Hoshikawa be alright with you going on this mission?”

“It’s fine. I didn’t tell her the specifics.”

“But what about you?”

“Me?”

“Don’t you feel bad about leaving Miss Hoshikawa?”

“I… honestly don’t even know. I caused a fight of sorts between her and Miss Todoh.”

“What happened?”

“Maria… she came to my apartment with lunch for me to have. She came over last night and saw that I bought instant ramen.”

“It’s because of Mr. Crawley, isn’t it?”

“You could say that. When Maria came over this afternoon, Miss Todoh caught us. I just told Maria to spend time with her.”

“Why?”

“I felt that I shouldn’t be involved with them. We were only hired to protect her from those planning to abduct or kill her, after all.”

“Right… ” Neither Tarou nor Tatev continued, as they found no other way to continue their conversation about Maria. “Why did you start asking about Maria all of a sudden?” Tarou asked.

“… I… I was worried… about you,” Tatev answered.

“Me?”

“You’ve been doing that task without complaint. You even saved her.”

“And it’s how we got Solbein in the first place.”

“I hope we don’t have to use it tomorrow. Otherwise, that would mean the mission took a turn for the worst.”

“Regardless, I have no intention of dying.”

“What makes you say that?”

“I’ve told you before that since I first took up a gun, I did so thinking I could find out about my real identity. I haven’t given up on that and our mission to guard Maria is the best way to do so.”

“But think about Maria. Would you want to take advantage of her like this?”

“We were hired in the first place to protect Maria because of how many organizations intend on abducting her.”

“Then I’ve heard all I wanted to hear,” Tatev declared before she moved toward the door and touched the door knob. “Good night, Mr. Ganji.” As a result of Tatev’s words, Tarou went back to the bed and pressed half of his head toward the floor. He pressed his elbows against each knee and slammed his palms against his forehead.

Someone else knocked the door. “Who is it?” Tarou asked as he faced the door.

“It’s me,” an older female voice answered, prompting Tarou to go to the door and open it again. He found Hamilton outside.

“Dr. Hamilton, what I can do for you?” Tarou asked.

“Just let me in, please,” Hamilton requested with Tarou stepping out of her way to do so, followed by him closing the door again. “You and Tatev were arguing loudly.”

“Did Vos ask you to come in here?” Tarou asked.

“He did. You know what he asked me: ‘Anita, do something.’”

“And you thought of a way to ‘do something’?”

“Yes. Allow me to ask this: are your problems with Maria and Tatev related to this mission?”

“They are,” Tarou answered, followed by sitting down on his bed as if he admitted defeat. “I should have known,” replied Hamilton before she joined Tarou by sitting down on his bed. “Would you like to talk about it?”

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Author's Notes

Maria Clara – a character from Jose Rizal’s Noli me Tangere. She was based on Rizal’s cousin and lover Leonor Rivera, who was wedded to one Henry Kipping in 1890. The individual whom Tatev and Vos talked about know that “Maria Clara” is an alias.

-kun – a Japanese honorific used normally for men, especially teenage boys. Because they’re in the same school, Misa refers to Tarou as “Ganji-kun”. Original Japanese: くん

-senpai – this Japanese honorific is used when a student is addressing another student one grade above them. In Misa’s case, she’s above Tarou by grade. Original Japanese: 先輩

Arigatou gozaimasu – “Thank you” in Japanese. The most formal equivalent as there are variants. Tarou was using “Arigatou gozaimasu” because it’s a heavy request for him to ask Misa to tell Maria that he won’t be attending Judo club. Original Japanese: ありがとうございました

Señor – “Mister” in Spanish.

-san – a Japanese honorific used when addressing strangers. In Tarou’s case, “Vos-san” can be translated as “Mr. Vos”. Original Japanese: さん

Otdeleniye Vneshney Razvedki – Russian for “Foreign Intelligence Department”. Cyrillic: Отделение внешней разведки

Tol'ko Glaza – “Eyes Only” in Russian. Cyrillic: Только глаза

-chan – a Japanese honorific used for two individuals who are close to each other. For both Misa and Maria, the former calling the latter “Maria-chan” and the latter calling the former “Misa-chan” indicates how close they are. Original Japanese: ちゃん

Karaage – a Japanese cooking technique where certain foods, mostly chicken, is deep-fried in oil. Original Japanese: 唐揚げ

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