Chapter 13
Edited by: Kanaa-senpai
Third Person Perspective toward Ivan (Protagonist killer)
July 17, 2014.
Over Donetsk Oblast, Ukraine.
”Papa, is it almost summer vacation?”
”Is that so? Where shall we go, then?”
―――
”Doctor, what’s the schedule for this conference on acquired immune deficiency syndrome?”
”Well…”
―――
”What’s the next movie?”
”Umm, well…”
These were the conversation that took place in the Airlines Flight 17, which was carrying 283 passengers.
And in the cockpit,
”Captain, you want to get out of this airspace as soon as possible?”
”Yes, it’s obvious. We’re in a country with a war, isn’t that right? I’d like to get a little extra pay for the risk.”
”That’s true.”
”What are you going to do for summer vacation?”
”I haven’t decided yet. I have a boss at home who’s more fearsome than the Kremlin.”
”I see. I also had a dictator named ‘wife’ too. I didn’t have the authority to make decisions.”
The captain and co-pilot were chatting amiably.
The other 13 crew members were busy serving customers, performing maintenance, or taking a nap.
All the crew members were Malaysian (*1), as they were Malaysian Airlines.
But more than two thirds (68%) of the passengers were Dutch, and most of the other passengers were Malaysians and Australians, with citizens of seven other countries (*1).
Among the passengers were delegates to the 20th International AIDS Conference in Melbourne, including a former president of the International AIDS Society (*1).
Also on board were a Dutch senator, an Australian writer, and a Malaysian actress(*1).
At least 20 family groups were on board, and 80 of the passengers were under the age of 18(*1).
At around 4:20 p.m. local time, the GPWS (ground proximity warning system) suddenly sounds.
”Huh!”
”What is it?
’Pull Up. Pull Up…’
A series of emotionless calls continue.
””!”””
Without knowing why, the two pull up on the stick and pull up.
The next moment, something explodes on the left side of the cockpit.
””!””
Despite the bright light and the cabin, the heat they feel is tremendous.
Both the cockpit and tail sections of the plane are torn off from the center of the fuselage.
”””Aaaaaaaaaaaaahhhh!””””
”””Kyaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa!”””
The crew and passengers are hurled out of the plane from an altitude of more than 10,000 meters.
Meanwhile, on the ground,
”Chief, please listen to this.”
”Hmm?”
A crew member plays a voice.
’Comrade (Tavarishchi) shot down a plane. It’s a civilian plane. That’s not good.’
”””!””””
Hearing this information, the agents of the counter-intelligence agency are in an uproar.
””…A civilian plane? Find the missing civilian plane! Those fucking terrorists!
”””Yes, sir!”””
Ukraine was being pushed by the pro-Russian forces.
This loss was an opportunity to turn the tide.
If Ukraine can win the international public opinion at once, it will be able to achieve true independence.
On the other hand, the misfiring group was in a panic.
”Damn, we haven’t missed since Flight 007! Who is it? Who gave the order?”
”””…”””
Everyone looks down.
They liked to shoot down civilian planes in the Soviet way, but when they really shot them down, they felt remorse in their conscience.
Ernst Udet (1896-1941), one of the downed WWI ace pilots, left this quote.
He said, “Never forget that each person you shoot down has a mother to grieve for.”
And this time, it was a civilian plane.
It is not surprising that the mood of the group is gloomy.
”Comrade Ivan.”
”What is it?”
”Lord Kremlin is on the phone.”
”!”
Ivan, who had been angry until then, straightens his posture.
He can be strong with his subordinates, but he can’t do the same to his superiors.
He tries to act calmly.
”…Yes”
'((Is it the second time)) right? Ivan.”
”Uh…”
Now he must have yellow eyes.
’The first time, I forgave you because of your military record. In Stalin’s time, you should have been purged.’
”…”
His first mistake was the shooting down of a Korean Air Lines plane, causing the Soviet Union to lose its international image following the shooting down of the Korean Air Lines plane.
At one time, there were even fears that WWIII might break out.
’You should learn from the prudence of Comrade (Tavarishch) Arhipov (a Soviet naval officer who prevented nuclear war during the Cuban Missile Crisis) and Comrade (Tavarishch) Petrov a Lieutenant Colonel in the Soviet Air Force who prevented the 1983 nuclear war crisis. Now, you don’t have anything to do with us anymore. Goodbye (Dasvidanya). You are effectively dismissed.’
”…”
Ivan drops his phone.
After bouncing on the ground, he receives a text message.
―――
'[Dismissal letter]
July 17, 2014
Ivan Ivanovich.
The above person is removed from all assignments.
That’s all.’
―――
’―Today’s news report has shocked people more than ever.
The victim’s body was dragged from the site and moved without permission.
The public is outraged after watching the video.
’Please, Mr. President.’
’Please let our people return home.’
’We want to bury the bodies properly at the funeral.’
The Dutch Minister of Foreign Affairs, the country that has suffered the most deaths, tearfully pleads.
The Dutch public sentiments were strongly provoked, the Russian embassy was surrounded, and protests were held every day.
The fact that a relative of the Russian president lives in the Netherlands also made people uncomfortable.
Needless to say, relatives and terrorists have nothing to do with each other.
However, it is human beings who can’t help but feel emotionally involved.
”…”
Ivan turns off the TV.
Then he slurps down a vodka drink.
Ivan has not worked since then.
He drinks, sleeps, wakes up and drinks.
He seems to have made enemies of the whole world.
Neither the pilot who shot down the Korean Air plane seems to have been punished severely by the Soviet Union.
He only said that he regretted shooting down a civilian aircraft, even though it was for the sake of military orders, and his wife, who was present at the interview, commented that it was his duty to shoot down the aircraft.(*2)
This is just Ivan’s intuition, but he may not be able to keep his mind if he does not tell himself so.
(…I was born in the wrong era, huh?)
If the Soviet Union had been alive and well, he might not have been punished, just like the pilot.
”…”
Now, he’s getting sleepy.
But he doesn’t want to sleep.
About 300 ghosts are whispering to him.
’Why did you kill us?’
’I wanted to live…’
’Give me my life back.’
”…shit!”
He grabs an AK-47 and blasts away.
Until his ammo is emptied out.
* * *
Protagonist’s POV
July, the peak of summer.
Sharon takes over as a part-time teacher.
”I’m here as an ALT. My name is Sharon Bradley. I look forward to cooperating with you.”
She writes on the blackboard.
’Sharon Bradley.’
Knowing this, the classroom is in an uproar.
”(Wow, she’s so beautiful…)”
”(She smells good…)”
Both men and women are admiring her.
Even Tsukasa, the queen of the school.
”(Amazing. As I thought, people over there are tall, aren’t they?)”
”(She’s my daughter.)”
”(What?)
”(It’s nothing)”
I guess Tsukasa was worried that I didn’t take my eyes off Sharon.
Because Tsukasa squeezed my hand tightly.
Well, she is a heavy woman, after all.
Sharon, on the other hand, smiles, waves her hand, and makes a show of affection.
On the surface, she is an ALT, but in reality, she is a public relations officer trying to restore the image of the U.S. forces in Japan.
・The Kokura mass desertion of black U.S. soldiers (1950)
・Kadena base child assault and murder case (1955)
・The assault of a young Okinawan girl by a U.S. soldier (1995)
・Attempted indecent assault of a U.S. Marine in Okinawa (2002)
・Assault of a young Okinawan girl by a U.S. Marine (2008)
・Murder of a woman in Chatan (2019)
Above list is a list of crimes committed by U.S. soldiers in Japan against Japanese people.
The victims of these crimes are serious U.S. soldiers such as Sharon.
Every time a delinquent U.S. soldier causes a problem, other soldiers are treated the same way, and they feel small.
That is why Sharon, member of public relations, is the one who cleans up the mess of the bad American soldiers.
”Teacher, you are very good at Japanese, aren’t you?” said homeroom teacher.
”Because I’m a learner. ―Ah, that’s right, teacher, I want something to do,” said Sharon.
”Yes.”
”I’d like to ask Kitaoji Ren-kun to assist me, if that’s all right.”
”Ren?”
Suddenly, she says my name, and all eyes are on me.
”Hmm? Me?”
”Teacher Bradley, what exactly is it that you need help with him?”
”I’d like him to carry the materials.”
”Why him?”
”We ran into each other before and became friends.”
”Ren! You bastard!”
Hearing this, the boy next to me grabs me,
”Shut up!”
I calmly handle the situation.
I grabs back the guy by the collar and pulls him down with one hand.
”Gufu!”
I knocked him unconscious.
”! Kitaoji―”
”Please wait!”
The homeroom teacher shouted, but Sharon stopped him.
”Everyone defends himself when someone shouts in his ear. Please don’t blame him too much. Peace education is important, but it is also important to protect yourself.”
”…Yes.”
The power of her muddled smile overpowered the homeroom teacher.
She’s my daughter, and she has the same power as her parents.
The way she said it was just like me.
”Well, Ren-kun. Will you take care of me?”
”…yes.”
I was prepared for this, but I never thought she’d be a teacher and I’d be a student.
Things are not quite the same.
* * *
Third Person Perspective toward Tsukasa
”Awawawa…”
Tsukasa was so flustered that she was foaming at the mouth.
(That teacher is a shotacon.)
It is, of course, a crime for a female teacher to touch her student.
Although it is rarely reported in Japan, s*xual abuse of boys by women has been happening one after another in the U.S., a crime-ridden country.
A typical example is Mary LeTourneau (1962-2020), whose case was made into a movie.
She had an affair with a boy in the 6th grade in 1996 and became pregnant, but was arrested the following year for child rape.
Fortunately, the baby was not aborted and was born.
The child was also a victim, but
’The only thing that matters is the fact that they loved each other'(*3)
Mary’s lawyer said so, and,
’She found the man of her dreams. But he was 13 years old'(*4)
Mary’s lawyer also expressed sympathy for her, and she was released on parole on New Year’s Day, 1998(*1).
After that, with many twists and turns, they finally got married in 2005(*1).
Pure love or assault?
”……hahhh.”
Tsukasa was hostile to Sharon, who was her (theoretical) love rival.
The reason why she liked Ren may be that Ren is fluent in English.
Now, Ren is going to the welcome party for Sharon held by the school.
Even though he was supposed to go back with Tsukasa, Sharon requested her to go back with Tsukasa.
(…Takkun, don’t cheat on me, OK?)
The cloudy weather soon turned bad.
It starts to rain hard and thunderstorms begin.
*Tick!
Even after the power goes out, Tsukasa keeps looking at Ren’s picture.
<hr/>［References and Sources]
*1: Wikipedia
*2: ‘The Great Chase’, Nippon Television Network Corporation, 1991 (大追跡’1991年日本テレビ)
*3: ‘The New York Times’, November 26, 1997 https://www.nytimes.com/1997/08/08/us/teacher-guilty-of-rape-for-s*x-with-student.html
*4: ‘Time’ February 16, 1998 (‘タイム’1998年2月16日)
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Edited by Kanaa-senpai.
Thanks for reading.