tw; drug mention, slander, death/murder mentions
“Akizora-san? What brings you here?”
“Tsukioka-san. May I come in?”
“Oh, uh, of course.”
“I’ve come to inquire about… Miyazaki-san. I recall that you’ve known the chairman since young, thus I was hoping you'd know something about her.”
“Hanari Miyazaki? Yeah, we met when we were little. She’s… certainly something.”
“Start from the beginning.”
“Alright, uh, the Miyazakis were a minor noble family from Yamashiro Prefecture. Hanari is the second of three children, and from what I could infer, she was barely paid attention to.”
“That would explain her attitude.”
“Yeah… Well, you see, the Miyazakis were eager to improve their status and stop from fading into obscurity. Thus, the only use her parents saw of her was…”
“To marry into a powerful clan?”
“Correct. And not just any clan, they were hoping to weasel their way into the Kurosawas. So she was introduced to the clan as her parents hoped to sway Yoshiro into offering his heir’s hand in marriage. But…”
“And that’s where she met Noboru?”
“Yes. And she was smitten. I’m not sure what it was. Perhaps it was their shared love of theatre, or that they were both the unfavoured child of their families. But I vividly recall the two spending a lot of time together. And when she wasn't around him, she would go on and on about him whenever she got the chance.”
“And what was she like, outside of… all that?”
“Well, you know the type of folk that just love to gossip way too much? That’s her. She was always mingling with crowds, sharing and discussing rumours and happenings. She always knew a little something about everyone, and uh, that was when she got… terrifying. The moment she learned that information was power, something changed. She shed her well-mannered demeanour in favour for a more confident and, haughty, one. And whatever info she could use against others, she did.”
“Hmph… Sounds like she figured out how to get the attention and control she always wanted.”
“Yeah… We barely talked after that.”
“...So what happened between then and when she joined us? I’ve never heard of her before until Noboru just showed up with her one day.”
“Really? I- I’m surprised. Uh, you see… She got into acting. A natural, many had described. And, yeah, she was right at home on stage. She started out with smaller roles, and got her big break as the lead in The Moon Maiden, at Ecruteak Theatre. After that, she got offered bigger roles, was praised as a rising star, with a strong reputation that didn’t seem to be faltering, to boot. She was certainly riding that high.”
“Okay, so how did she fuck that up?”
“From what I’ve heard, she was still gossiping and spreading shit about others, and she pissed off the folks who could actually do something about it. A pretty big scandal popped up- she was accused of abusing drugs. And you know how the public feels about drugs. She was dropped and replaced from her roles immediately and blacklisted pretty much everywhere. Her family kicked her out for bringing shame upon their name and she was hung out to dry.”
“Ah… And she disappeared after that?”
“Er, before that, she was proven innocent. Drug test came back negative. But she was pissed that almost no one was on her side. She vowed to never return to the entertainment industry, and that’s when she disappeared.”
“So what happened between them and now?”
“I’m not completely sure… Rumour has it that she fled to Caligo. Moved into a crappy apartment- a riches to rags sort of situation. Worked a few gigs, the one I’d heard the most was a job at some sleazy casino. Also heard she brokered info to make ends meet in the black market.”
“Okay, so… Then Noboru just appeared one day and picked her up?”
“I believe so? Supposedly, he showed up at her door, claiming he wanted to help her. Of course, still harbouring feelings for him, she ate it up. This… You must have heard of, right? The Miyagawa Trials?”
“Yes, indeed I have. Some poor sap’s corpse was dumped along Miyagawa. And that led to a fiasco where a whole bunch of people, mostly nobles, were arrested. …Don’t tell me it was all a ploy to get rid of those that wronged Hanari. I thought it was just to get rid of those conspiring against the Kurosawas.”
“Both, actually. After that, Hanari reentered Umbra’s spotlight- by Noboru’s side. I- I’m sure you’ve heard the rumours surrounding them already, like they’re dating and all that. Heh, I know Hanari wishes that was true, but she is deceived in that hope…”
“And that’s how she joined the Hanashōbu-kai?”
“Yep. Noboru picked her up just like that. Guess he saw her info brokering and obsession as too great to not take advantage of. And from the sounds of it, she’s already putting in a lot of work. She was the one who exposed Asanuma and his posse as double agents, as well as discovering the Nomura Clan’s plans to devastate our turf.”
”She did all that? So, that and her personal connection to Noboru would explain why the other lieutenants are so careful around her. Tch, alright. So why is she being assigned to the cafe to replace me? Doesn’t sound like the best use of her skills.”
”Uh… I don’t know if I should tell you this but… Have you heard of the rumours going around lately? The ones about… Noboru’s brother being alive? Well, it’s gotten to the point where he can no longer just ignore it. He wants to keep it hush-hush, so the cafe position will serve as a cover for Hanari as she investigates it.”
”Ah, I see…”
“...Is there something else bothering you? I thought you would be happy to return to Umbra.”
“I… simply worry about the cafe.”
“I doubt that Hanari would half-ass a task from Noboru himself. Rest assured, your hard work will not go to waste.”
“...Alright. Thank you for your time, Tsukioka-san.”
“Don’t mention it. Take care, alright?”
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