Whispers in the Winter Wind

A month had passed since that time, and Yasushi's parents had taken a pause from their work commitments. Yuji began a month-long break, starting this month, while Kohana planned to extend her time away from work to care for their newborn, Himari.

They had also relocated back to Japan, moving into the home where Yasushi, Jingliu, and Xinyi lived. Initially, both Yuji and Kohana considered residing in their old house. However, after much discussion and encouragement from Yasushi and Jingliu, they opted to stay with the family, where they could share responsibilities and support one another more easily.

At present, it was a Saturday afternoon. The following day, Yasushi and several others were scheduled to meet with the Gyudo Homeless Association again. This was because their investigation into the councilmen was complete.

They had gathered sufficient proof, and the next steps involved confronting these individuals, revealing their wrongdoings, and ensuring their removal from office. Only then could they begin their larger mission: transforming how the city approached and addressed the issue of homelessness.

"Here, take some lunch with you, and don't forget drinks as well. Nobody can say for sure how long the meeting will last. Also, make sure to bring Nandini, Yinhaie, Yunxue, Catherine, and maybe Layena too," Kohana said as she packed a lunchbox with care for Yasushi, Jingliu, and Xinyi.

"Mom… it might be better if you rested and spent time with Himari instead," Yasushi said, his tone a mixture of disbelief and concern at his mother's boundless energy and her insistence on handling household tasks.

Kohana turned around sharply, placing her hands on her hips with authority. "Absolutely not! I refuse to let my son go without food during such an important meeting!"

Yasushi sighed heavily, deciding it wasn't worth arguing any further. Although there were still two hours left before the meeting and plenty of time to prepare, his mother remained resolute in her decision. Just a month after giving birth, she was still taking charge in ways that left him bewildered. He couldn't make sense of it, thinking of her as nothing less than a determined, uncompromising figure.

"So, did you all finish gathering information on those people? Your father and I had some thoughts about them before we left for that quantum project. We didn't pursue it further, though. It felt like it wasn't something we should get involved in, even if that might sound neglectful," she remarked with a tone that suggested she felt regret.

"I understand what you mean. You both had other priorities, and the issue of homelessness wasn't something close to your daily concerns. Don't be too hard on yourself. I — we'll handle this," Yasushi said, reassuring her, which made his mother smile. "By the way, where's Dad?"

"He went out with some staff to pick up a few things I needed. They should be back soon. Anyway, you should go over what you plan to say. Invite that Sakura girl, too; she's wonderful company," Kohana said, gently encouraging them to leave the dining room.

Yasushi's group eventually decided to move to another room and contacted Sakura to join them. Once she arrived, her unease grew as she took in the vastness of the home, the opulence of its design, and the sheer number of staff bustling about.

"God... you guys actually live here? How do you even manage to use all this space?" Sakura asked, her head turning as her eyes roamed over the surroundings.

Yasushi let out a small laugh. "You just get used to it. Don't forget, I wasn't always living like this — things only changed after I met these two."

Sakura sighed, her shoulders dropping slightly as though giving in to the strangeness of the moment. Coming from a modest background, her family had always been firmly rooted in the working class. Despite this, fortune seemed to have favored her in key moments, leading to opportunities like the scholarship that allowed her to attend the same college as Yasushi and the others, even if she was a year behind them in graduating.

"So, how are we going to handle the meeting with them? Are we just going to follow their lead and let them decide the direction, or are we taking charge?" Xinyi asked, shifting slightly in their seat, their posture suggesting some restlessness.

"We're not fighting against each other, so it makes sense to get them aligned with us. It's likely they started looking into things on their own after we shared what we had, though they might have some limitations. Even so, we can ask them what they've found," Yasushi began, surveying the people around him.

"Afterward, we can bring up anything we think needs adding or revising. That includes what Nandini, Sakura, and I observed when we visited them. If they've made changes, that's great. If not… it might put some strain on how we work together," he added.

Yasushi hoped their meeting with the members of the Gyudo Homeless Association, along with his conversation with Akazuki, had made an impact. He also hoped Akazuki had spoken with Kyousuke about their approach of prioritizing one person at the expense of others, a method that seemed practical in maintaining shelters like theirs for the homeless.

Yasushi had also informed the rest of the group about what had occurred earlier that day, ensuring everyone had the opportunity to understand the situation fully and form their own perspectives. This preparation was crucial, especially given the importance of the meeting scheduled for later.

Only a specific group of individuals would attend — Yasushi himself, Sakura in her capacity as president, Kotaro, who was an orphan and had been living without stable housing during his time in college, along with Nandini and Yunxue, the latter having strongly insisted on being included.

This selection of attendees seemed unconventional, but their collective presence was deemed necessary. Kotaro, in particular, had a unique viewpoint to offer. With no surviving family members nearby — either because they were no longer alive, living overseas, or too elderly to assist — his daily struggles provided a personal and impactful perspective on the challenges faced by those without secure housing.

Despite these difficulties, Kotaro maintained an optimistic outlook and was eager to contribute his experiences to the discussion, hoping to advocate for meaningful changes that could improve conditions for the homeless in their city.

The group spent the following hours engaged in careful planning, preparing to address the key points they intended to bring up at the meeting. They worked collaboratively, refining their approach until the time came for them to depart.

+-+

Their small group made their way toward the building that housed the Gyudo Homeless Association. The walk didn't take long, and along the way, light conversation passed among them. They brought Kotaro up to speed on their plans, and he expressed no hesitation in agreeing. What they had proposed matched well with what he intended to say.

Once they reached the building, they entered without delay. In the entrance hall, Akazuki was seated, appearing to have been waiting for them. The moment he noticed their arrival, he stood and greeted them with a smile. "You're here. Great! Let's go; everyone's ready for us," he said, motioning for them to follow him.

They walked behind Akazuki, arriving at their destination sooner than expected. After passing through the security system at the door, they stepped into a room furnished with several chairs arranged around a circular table.

Kyousuke, seated and waiting, welcomed them warmly. "It's good to see you again," he said, gesturing toward the chairs, inviting them to sit.

They sat down at once, and Sakura retrieved a set of papers handed to her earlier by Yasushi. As their president, it fell naturally to her to take the lead in this meeting, even though Yasushi and his group had gathered the bulk of the information being discussed. He appeared unbothered by this arrangement, seemingly content to relax for a moment.

"Getting right to it, are we? That's fine with me," Kyousuke said, leaning forward. "But first, let me introduce ourselves for the benefit of anyone who wasn't present before." He followed through without delay, ensuring everyone was properly acquainted.

Once Kyousuke concluded, Nandini spoke up, her voice breaking through the moment. "We talked to Akazuki a few months back about something specific. Did anything change with that, or is it still the same?" Her question immediately drew attention her way.

The room quieted as members exchanged uncertain glances. Akazuki appeared uneasy, his expression shadowed by what seemed like sorrow. However, after a brief pause, he nodded in response, though the motion carried a reluctance that didn't go unnoticed.

"Like you mentioned a few months back...we can't risk the entire group for one individual. So, we worked out a plan for him — a guideline with clear steps to follow and a timeline to meet. The idea wasn't for him to become completely better, but for him to function well enough to manage things without causing damage. That meant taking his medication regularly, attending weekly therapy, and following other necessary routines," Akazuki explained.

He lowered his gaze to the table as he spoke, his voice steady but with a sharp edge of exhaustion behind it. After a pause, he sighed and looked back at Yasushi and the others. "He lasted two weeks. Then, he fell back into his old habits. This cycle repeated a few times before he eventually stopped trying. He walked out, saying he could manage on his own. Not long after that…we found him. He had overdosed."

The room grew silent as his words sank in. Yasushi, Nandini, and Sakura, though not entirely surprised given the state they had last seen him in, had still hoped for a different outcome.

After a brief pause, Yasushi spoke. "Then we won't need to worry about that anymore. Unless there are others here just like that?"

Nana Sotori responded without hesitation. "There are a few other candidates, but none of them are as destructive as that man. They've been taking their medication and seem to be progressing well in their respective rehabilitation programs. For now, we believe they don't need to be removed from the program. Personally, I think they're on the right path toward recovery."

"We can never guarantee that," Yasushi replied. "Some people relapse even after years, and everything falls apart from there. It's good they're following the plans given to them, but it's more important not to let your guard down. Complacency could be a mistake." His statement made Nana nod, though her expression revealed her unease at the uncomfortable truth.

"Then let's get back to it," Kyousuke said. "We'd like to address what you've found about the councilmen."

They agreed, and Sakura placed the stack of papers in front of them. "These are just some of the documents. We didn't want to use too much paper, so the rest is in this," Sakura explained while pulling out a small object and setting it on the table. The unfamiliar item drew puzzled looks from the group. Seeing this, she gave a slight smile and said, "This represents the future, but we'll discuss that after you've gone through these."

Once the papers had been distributed, Kyousuke's group started examining them. The contents didn't provide the complete narrative. Instead, they consisted of succinct points, accompanied by photographic evidence and descriptions of each council member.

The group was already familiar with the individuals in question, having interacted with them repeatedly while seeking assistance for the city's homelessness crisis. Despite their efforts, none of the council members had taken any meaningful action, leaving the group with no alternative but to turn to these measures.

What was printed on the sheets contained basic, yet troubling information. The materials presented included questionable posts that had been uploaded to their social media accounts. Most of the content consisted of text rather than photographs, as these would be displayed on the device brought in by Yasushi's group.

Additionally, the papers revealed inappropriate comments they had made on various websites. Although these posts were made under different usernames to maintain anonymity, the connections between those usernames and their identities were detailed and would also be shown on the device.

However, what drew the most attention from those reviewing the documents was the content on the other side of the pages. These contained speculative plans that outlined efforts to sabotage the Gyudo Homeless Association.

Among these was a disturbing mention of "removing" Kyousuke Zensu, with the apparent goal of destroying the association. The reasoning seemed to be that with Gyudo out of the way, their objectives would face less resistance, as the other associations were largely inactive in pursuing significant change.

"I-is this serious!? D-do they really plan on doing this…!?" George Williams asked, his voice shaking as his eyes darted between the paper in his hands and Yasushi's group.

"We wouldn't have written it if it wasn't true, George," Yasushi replied, his tone unwavering as he faced them. "Every word on that page is the result of years of thorough investigation. There's no speculation, no exaggeration — only facts. If it weren't real, we wouldn't have included it. That last piece of information was added only recently because they've caught on to our plans and are reacting to the fact that we're gathering."

The room sank into another round of unease as everyone absorbed what they had read. Kyousuke leaned back in his chair, letting out a long sigh. He hadn't anticipated this development. His efforts had been aimed at improving the lives of the homeless scattered across the city. Never had he thought those actions would lead to a threat against his life.

"I can assume this isn't everything, is it? That thing you brought with you…" Kyousuke asked, looking back at them.

"Not exactly. It's more like a projector. We'll show you the rest of what we discovered," Yasushi replied. He paused, his tone changing. "Just keep in mind, what you're about to see is deeply unsettling. If you're squeamish or feel you might not handle it well, I suggest you don't participate."

Despite the warning, no one stepped away, remaining where they stood. Yasushi took that as an agreement. He stood up, motioning for Nandini to join him, and together they activated the device. It was powered by quantum technology and artificial intelligence — an innovation originating from their parents. Yasushi had proposed the concept months ago, knowing they would eventually need it, and it had been approved.

Once the device came to life, an image appeared in front of it — a floating blue window resembling something from a game interface. The images displayed within it made the members of the Gyudo Homeless Association go pale as the full reality of what they had uncovered became clear.