Deliberation with Hina

A somber cloud hovered over the restaurant following Mocha's death. Hina had come back and was staring at her coffee as Rika walked by.

"I'll never forgive Yumeko for this," Hina glared as she nearly cracked the cup holding her coffee.

"I had no idea that pigtailed bitch would go so far," Rika glared.

"None of us did. Not then, nor back then. Although, something about the story is bothering me."

"What?"

"That they couldn't shave the hawk off."

"Huh?"

"Remember, she was dragged out by her hair. I also don't remember her hardening her hawk with wax that day."

"So what's the point?"

"If Fujiko was truly with Yumeko when they tortured Mo-chan, why the hell was she microchiped?"

"Sorry, I'm a bit lost."

"Ah, you probably don't know about Fujiko. Sit down, this will take a while.

Rika took a seat as Hina began her tale.

"Way back when, we had a colleague named Shirahoshi. She hailed from the elite Yamaguchi family. However, she was treated horribly. Her parents only fashioned her to be the bride for a guy that they deemed worthy of inheriting the name and prestige. Anyway, she was forcefully married, and later had two children: Yumeko, and Fujiko. Then when we decided to rebrand the salon, Shirahoshi found her courage and got a hardcore punk makeover. She then returned home and promptly issued a divorce notice to that scumbag. Best part, was that it might have ended up preventing him from becoming Superintendent general. Naturally, her bastard parents tried to silence her, even tried to have her killed, but that badass, with our help, weathered the storm."

"But clearly, something went wrong. That Yamaguchi guy's still superintendent general."

"Sadly yes, and it came from someone no one expected-"

"The Inquisition!?" Mimi gasped.

Suddenly, three men dressed in cardinal suits ran into the restaurant.

"NO one expects the cardinal inquisition, craw!" the leader squawked.

"Way to kill the mood," Rika sighed.

"Everyone's too gloomy!" Mimi pouted.

"Now to the balcony where we will torture the girl on a clothesline!" the lead cardinal said as the three dragged Mimi to the upstairs terrace.

"HEY! Don't torture me you feathered creeps!" Mimi protested as she was dragged away.

"Getting back to where I left off, Shirahoshi's own children were what ultimately brought her down," Hina explained.

"What'd they do?" Rika asked.

"They broke her."

"How?"

"I don't know exactly how. All I know is that when I came in, I found Shirahoshi restrained and gagged in one of the chairs. She was completely devoid of hair, and her eyes looked lifeless as tears rolled out of them. And maliciously smiling at their work was Yumeko and Fujiko. They were only children at the time, but that didn't stop Yumeko from wanting to break her mother for her own personal reasons. When I demanded to know why she did it, she claimed it was to ensure her father became superintendent general, thus paving the path for Fujiko to become untouchable as she evolved into "the queen that will humiliate and break all the beautiful women in the world" or whatever Yumeko's demented vision for her was. Sadly, Fujiko seems to  have embarked down that demented path. Poor Shirahoshi has been in a mental asylum to this day thanks to those two."

"Come to think of it, Itsuki mentioned how that bitch nearly broke her.

"And that's the anomaly, why was Mocha fine?"

"Because of the chip?"

"But why would they put the chip in instead of breaking her? Fujiko is also the kind of girl that would flat out scalp Mo-chan in order to get the hawk off. What I'm getting at is maybe there's someone else ordering them around."

"Maybe their father?"

"No. He can provide cover, but mastermind? No way. That and I don't think they truly obey him."

"But Yumeko's a Commissioner. There's no one else that could have ordered her, though Itsuki mentioned a chief was present."

"Likely the scapegoat Mochi told me about. Then there truly is a mastermind."

"Scapegoat?"

"It would be easier if I explain," Reika stated as she walked in.

"Well look who it is. Finally decide to show your face!?"

                                                                                    ...

Rika glared at Reika as she finished.

"And why should I trust you!? Your "reliability" ended up messing every thing up!" Rika glared.

"I was outplayed and kept in the dark," Reika replied.

"Screw you. I have no faith in you. Come back when you arrest Ookuma."

"Ookuma? *Sigh* I really can't stand that woman," Hina sighed.

"She mess with you too?"

"Plenty. At first, she praised us for rebelling against our overbearing families, but when we refused to adopt her ideology and become her sycophants? Hell. The cult attacked our place literally the night after we turned down Ookuma. The governor of Tokyo whom the cult assimilated was also one of Ookuma's political enemies."

"You think she's the cult leader?"

"Unlikely, but probably one of the few women they fear and won't dare to cross, meaning in a sense she does have some sway over their actions. I'd have to reference Fubuki's old videos to pinpoint what we know."

"Fubuki Dakota right? Is she good?"

"She's the only one I know braving the frontlines. Mo-chan was a hardcore fan, though I really only started watching her videos after I left for America. Heard Matcha's begun to watch her too. Fubuki has actually exposed quite a bit about Illumous. Though she's branded as a conspiracy theorist. Also the only person in the world to have a gag order on them should they be arrested."

"Gag order?"

"Yeah, the orders are to gag her first then restrain. A sign that her tongue truly is her most powerful weapon."

"And it wasn't cut out when she got tortured?"

"Apparently, Illumous is too afraid to. For she declared that should they cut her tongue out, her voice will become louder than they could ever imagine."

"So that's the angle she plays. She really is a brave one."

"I don't know what bad blood you have with Reika, but I can vouch that she is smart and reliable. She's also Bianka's older sister."

"WAIT WHAT!? Then I had her phone number the whole time!? I could have actually forced her to stop flirting instead of Mochi getting the point."

"That number is outdated. The phone was destroyed and the SIM card was destroyed," Reika stated.

"When?"

"It was before I was shipped out. In fact, it was the day I both met you and the day Mocha was arrested."

"So then why the hell didn't you do anything when I called you!?"

"I never received a call from you that day."

"I heard your voice! It was definitely you."

Reika suddenly went pale as everything came together.

"Fujiko," she muttered.

"Fujiko? Reika, what do you mean?" Hina asked.

Fujiko pick-pocketed my phone. I suspected she did, but I had no idea she answered a call. And you say it sounded EXACTLY like me?"

"Yeah?" Rika said.

*Slam*

"Dammit! She's really becoming a monster. Rika, what did you say that day!?"

"Um, I just said I thought the roided browless girl was the one behind the drug smuggling. Her name was... Inohara, I think."

"*Tch* then I was too late. Dammit! I should have pushed the superintendent on what really happened!"

"What really happened?"

"At the time, we were told by the chief that Mocha attacked Purin and Makoto resulting in Purin's injuries."

"So that's why she got promoted."

"SHE GOT PROMOTED!? THE HELL'S WRONG WITH THOSE COPS!?" Hina fumed as she looked ready to go on a rampage.

"This is likely why Mochi didn't tell you that. Yumeko and possibly Senior Commissioner Nakayama might have vouched for her considering all three are big Ookuma supporters," Reika stated.

"Why would Yumeko support Ookuma? Ookuma would likely replace their father with Nakayama, whom would not tolerate their antics."

"I guess perhaps she has other plans. Fujiko also helps out on Ookuma's campaign as well."

"Oh, I get it. She wants Fujiko to become Prime Minister."

"Well, this time I plan to take advantage of every card on the table. I'm not leaving the country, nor will I allow Ookuma to win the election," Reika declared as she left.

"Sorry our reunion couldn't be on better terms. Well, I sadly gotta get back. School's still in session," Hina stated as she left.

"*Sigh* And here I was thinking the year was going great," Rika sighed.

                                                                           ...

On the restaurant's second floor, patrons murmured as Mimi glared while crucified to a clothesline.

"I'm kicking those damn birds' asses if I ever seem em again," Mimi thought.