Tokyo Ravens - Volume 11 - Chapter 4.4

Part 4 
Eight in the morning. The alarm clock rang. 
She had accidentally forgotten to turn the setting off. She had woken up close to dawn yesterday, and hence had planned on sleeping until noon today. 
She had also considered ignoring it and continuing to sleep, but she had already woken up while she considered such a thing. Also, the clock's alarm would continue ringing for five minutes. 
In the end, Suzuka [30] crawled resentfully out of her blankets, moved to the desk, and stopped the mercilessly-ringing alarm. 
Her appearance was bad after just waking up, and she lifted up the alarm clock and glared at it as if wanting to say something. "Haah." But in the end, she sighed and put it back on the table. 
She hadn't slept enough, and her eyes were dull. There was a dull pain deep inside her head. Suzuka absentmindedly leaned towards the windowsill, pulling open the blinds. Then, she frowned thoroughly at the light that shone through. 
"......Hah. The weather's so nice. So annoying......" 
Since the heating and the humidifier had been working all night, there was condensation on the window and the scene across the glass was distorted. Suzuka unlocked the window for some fresh air, but she shivered and immediately closed the window again because of the cold air that seeped in through the slightly-opened window. 
Giving up on fresh air, she turned around and turned on the air purifier by the window. In any case, it wasn't any big problem if the air was a bit stale. 
Suzuka looked back and surveyed the room. 
Suzuka was currently in a room of the Onmyou Agency building. It was a personal research lab that Suzuka had used before. The research lab where she had experimented with the Taizan Fukun Ritual without the knowledge of the higher-ups. She had been sleeping on the sofa here until now, and rolled-up blankets laid there like cast-off skin. 
Suzuka had tried to resurrect her dead elder brother using the Taizan Fukun Ritual the summer three years ago. A team of Mystical Investigators that caught wind that Suzuka had been readying forbidden magic had broken in here. 
When they scattered and left the research lab, she had been planning on sacrificing her life to complete the Taizan Fukun Ritual. She had never thought she would return to the same place a year later. 
It had already been a year and a half since she moved back into this research lab. Come to think of it, this was the most she had used this room. But the situation was greatly different from the first time she had obtained this personal research lab. 
When she had become a National First-Class Onmyouji for the first time, this research lab had been Suzuka's castle. 
But right now, this research lab was Suzuka's prison. 
Also, the position Suzuka currently was in was a situation she was familiar with since childhood. 
Her life was dominated by the absolute dictatorial power of her 'father'. 
Though this was a familiar situation, on the other hand, to Suzuka who had once experienced freedom - her Onmyou Academy life - it was an extremely laughable suffering. 
"......So tired." 
Suzuka stifled a yawn, returning to her desk and turning the television on using the remote control. Then, she moved to the inner area of the room where hot water was supplied and started to boil water for black tea. 
She took out a bowl and a cereal box from the cupboard, then took out milk from the minifridge and poured it into the bowl with the cereal. She stirred it messily with a plastic spoon that came with a convenience store bento. 
After the hot water boiled, she put a teabag into a mug and took a big bite of the still-bubbly cereal. She took the teabag out and added in sugar-saturated milk at the appropriate time. Then, with her mouth filled with cereal, she munched with bleary eyes as she returned to the sofa carrying the bowl and the mug. 
There was an apartment room prepared for Suzuka at the moment. It was the apartment for Onmyou Agency employees that had been prepared for her after she entered the Onmyou Academy. 
But right now, she spent almost all her nights in the research lab. Even if she took a single step outside of here, she would be monitored and followed, and hence commuting every day was very irritating. She wouldn't feel any more relaxed even if she went back to her apartment, and all form of communication with outside had been cut off. So her life was centered on the research lab. 
Of course, although she didn't move because it was irritating, this research lab was undoubtedly being monitored as well. Obviously communication like phone or internet were forbidden, and she wasn't even allowed to possess a cell phone. The only information that came from the outside was from television and some magazines. Just like a prison. 
The freedom Suzuka was permitted was only related to the research she had been ordered to perform. 

"......Damn. My head really hurts. Stupid alarm clock." 
Suzuka unjustly belittled the alarm clock she had used for many years, watching television while sipping her milk tea. 
Just then. The door to the research lab was knocked on quietly. 
Suzuka's face twisted significantly. 
There were very few people who especially visited this research lab. There were essentially none who were likeable. Also, she could only think of one person who would visit before the Onmyou Agency work hours began. Of course, she was one of the unlikeable. 
Suzuka ignored the sound of the knock and continued eating cereal. She thought she might go away, but after some time, the door was quietly knocked again. 
"......Suzuka? Are you still sleeping?" 
A polite voice came from the hallway across the door. 'Are you an idiot', she wondered. She wouldn't be able to respond if she were sleeping. Hurry up and go away. She tried praying hard for that. 
Things quieted down for some time again. The television reported blandly on uninteresting news. 
But one minute later, there was another knock. It was still quiet, but it wasn't simple. She was gradually feeling impatient. In that case, the one being ignored would start increasing the pressure. 
Suzuka rose from the sofa after cursing loudly. 
She left the bowl of mostly-eaten cereal on the table, walking to the entrance with a frown. After she unlocked and opened the door, she saw the girl standing in the hallway. 
It was a girl one or two years older than Suzuka. An imposing girl with an inexplicable elegant air. But she seemed cautious right now. Though she didn't go so far as being servile, she shrank back in hesitation. 
Her defining characteristic was her brilliant red hair. 
"......What do you want?" 
Suzuka asked irritatedly in a low and completely sinister tone. 
The girl was immediately embarrassed, but said: 
"H-Hi. Good morning. Uh, I-I wanted to eat breakfast together......" 
Suzuka dropped her gaze because of those words and noticed that the girl held a paper bag in her hands. Come to think of it, it had the fragrant scent of bread. Though she had been eating, she felt her appetite being stimulated. Suzuka pursed her lips, saying in a cold voice: 
 
"I just finished eating." 
"Ah, I-I see. Sorry for bothering......" 
The girl replied with youthful wording [31] . She sounded cheery from what she said, but she looked very frustrated judging by her expression. She slumped her shoulders and said "Bye......" with voice that even sounded sad, planning on leaving the door. 
Suzuka's impatience grew even stronger when she saw that girl. She'd feel a bit bad if she made her leave like this - unfortunately, she didn't feel that way. Instead, it seemed as if her stress accumulated. 
Suzuka shook her head in resignation with an expression of not knowing whether to click her tongue or to sigh. 
"......It's alright. Want to come in?" 
The girl immediately looked back, and her glum expression until now brightened in a flash. 
"Yeah." A happy smile emerged on Souma Takiko's face like a puppy whose master had forgiven its prank.