We have always been good at keeping secrets.

  And burying them.

  It is by design.

  Our design.

  Subtle anonymity.

  Plausible deniability.

  Although we may have missed one or two monuments here and there, the wider world had been fooled.

  Thoroughly.

  We, our existence, is the truth we buried so deep, we became a shadow of a myth and the rumor within the legend.

  - from the personal accounts of Kwame Mensah, Teacher, Mentor, Tetrarch of Africa.

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  “Did you understand everything I have said so far?” my grandmother asked sternly after she finished.

  “Uhm, yes, I understood, well, nearly everything,” I replied quietly. “Save for, a few things, like what is the order. And why can’t I tell mother?”

  “The order, is,” she said before sighing deeply. She then spoke slowly, like she was trying to choose her words carefully. “A group, where I am a member of. As for what we do, that, is not something that you are ready to hear. As I said, when you return and after my talk with Nana.”

  “As for your mother, well, as I said, I am more worried about you than her. That is why I am giving that shield to you,” grandmother said leaning backwards and stretching her back. “As for why, we don’t tell her, it’s not that I do not trust her, it is because I know her too well.”

  After saying that last part, grandmother sighed again.

  “Anyway, always remember what we talked about here,” she said with finality. “And try not to spread information about this place.”

  “Okay baa-san, I won’t, although, I have to ask the obvious,” I said, tilting my head a little. “What is even this place?”

  “Curious at what this place is?” she asked with a small smile. “How curious are you?”

  “Ve-very,” I said stammering a bit. “You do know that for the longest time, it’s not just me that wants to know what’s inside the shed, right?”

  “Well of course,” grandmother said nonchalantly. “How could I forget the time your two sisters tried to break in? They went as far as to use a power saw, that your father got angry at them.”

  “Yes, that certainly happened,” I said as the image of that memory flashed in my mind. “But, now that I am inside, forget the shed, this underground space, what is this place even for?”

  “Well, as you can see, this place is a secret room. It is sometimes used for meditation, but oftentimes, it is where I keep my valuables,” she said, her playful smile back on her face. “Does that answer suffice?”

  “Obviously not!” I replied instantly. “It must have cost a fortune just to have this place built!”

  I could not help myself, possibly from stress or excitement but words just kept coming out of my mouth.

  “You also said that our house, was old, so are you saying that this place was built in the past? But the way you opened the wall, it was just like magic! I mean, I don’t think they even have touch panels back then, did they?”

  “Even the doors closed on their own! Are you seriously trying to tell me that the automatic door function was installed in the past as well!? And why do you have a katana? Why are you storing it inside a rusty refrigerator?”

  After I paused a bit, I looked up to see my grandmother enjoying my reaction.

  “Shouldn’t you normally be cool and composed?” she asked me teasingly before she paused. “Ahahaha! Sorry, I can’t help it, it’s just that your reaction was exactly how he said you would react when you’re flustered.”

  I felt my face burn a little.

  “What does he have to do with anything?” I grumbled a bit, before finding my voice again to ask an important question.

  “How could he even predict something like my reaction!?” I asked rather loudly. “Is he one of the people that you showed this place!?”

  I could feel bubbling irritation inside me as I imagined the face of that damned smug, self-centered, smiling, know-it-all bastard.

  “I never said who ‘he’ was though,” she said raising an eyebrow teasingly. “But did you have a particular person in mind already?”

  “Baa-san,” I mumbled as I pulled my knees closer to my chest. “I hate you.”

  “Ahahaha!”

  After my grandmother’s uproarious laughter, she looked at me, not as someone waiting to reveal another secret, but as a grandmother doting on her grandchild.

  “Shizuku, I know why you decided on your advancement last March,” my grandmother said with a small smile. “He has been a good influence on you so I allowed it.”

  I opened my mouth to protest but my grandmother, though she had a small smile on her face, raised up a finger.

  “And yes, he is a good influence on you despite what you might say,” grandmother followed up quickly. “He pushes you to strive, without you even knowing. For that I can only be grateful towards him.”

  “It’s not that much,” I grumbled quietly. “Besides, I had the advancement because I felt that I was already ready.”

  At my blatant lie, my grandmother laughed, a bit louder this time.

  “Well, now, enough about that,” she said after she caught her breath. “I suppose, it’s about time, we finish this discussion, Shizuku. Always remember what I told you. Follow my instructions carefully and you will be alright.”

  A case of content theft: this narrative is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.

  “Okay baa-san, I will,” I said as I began to cover the shield in the cloth. “But, also, promise me that you will tell me about everything here.”

  “Are you that curious?” she asked with another teasing smile.

  “Of course! After seeing a secret room like this, who wouldn’t be!?” I replied indignantly.

  I could only sigh as grandmother began cackling again just as I finished wrapping the small item in the cloth. I then slipped it into my back pocket and waited for her to finish.

  It’s not that I can’t deal with my grandmother, it’s just that I always feel like I can’t win against her, even if I try.

  “There’s nothing funny about it,” I protested after she managed to compose herself.

  “Well, it is to me. And having a cute granddaughter is also a plus,” she said with a wide smile, which made me grumble again.

  After a few moments, grandmother stood up and gestured for me to do the same.

  “Time to go back, your mother should be looking for us by now,” she said as she started to walk towards the exit. “Do your last-minute preparations like none of this ever happened, okay?”

  “Okay, baa-san,” I replied.

  Normally, I would have said that nothing will happen and she was just being paranoid, but for my grandmother to go this far, even showing me a secret, few people knew of, now, I couldn’t shake off the feeling that something will happen during the trip.

  I just hope that whatever it was, it was not something too serious.

  We didn’t say much on our short journey back upstairs as there simply wasn’t anything left to say. There were a ton of questions, but grandmother said that she will explain once I get back, and I knew better than to doubt her. She is not one to break her word.

  When we reached the entrance of the shed, grandmother, with one hand, simply slipped the doors closed. I eyed the door dubiously as grandmother continued to walk towards the house.

  “As long as I close those doors, they will never open for anyone else,” grandmother said without looking back.

  “You can check if you want, I think your father kept a saw and tools under the sink,” she added playfully.

  “I won’t,” I said as I gave the door one last look before following her back to the house.

  When we arrived at the living room, we found my mother there watching TV. Her luggage was already out and waiting by the door. She was wearing a brown travel coat on top of her travel clothes and she had her hair gathered into a loose tail, drawn over one shoulder so it draped neatly across her chest.

  “Where did you both go?” she asked after she looked up.

  “I had to show Shizuku something in the shed,” grandmother replied.

  My mother simply nodded and looked at me.

  “Shizuku, you should go and double-check or finalize what you’re bringing, we will be leaving in roughly twenty minutes. Once you’ve finished, bring everything to the entrance”

  “Okay kaa-san,” I said and went in the direction of my room. “I already sorted everything out yesterday so it won’t take long.”

  I arrived at my room a few seconds later. I lay on the floor to gather my thoughts first. Today was definitely full of surprises, all of them I did not anticipate. What would tomorrow look like, knowing what I knew just now?

  That shed, the way my grandmother opened those doors. Was that magic? Or something so advanced that it looked like magic? What is the group, the Order, that my grandmother seemed to belong to?

  Who were those five people that knew about that secret space under the shed? And, what is this small thing in my back pocket? Why is it important enough that my grandmother risked revealing it to me?

  So many questions.

  The room felt still, but my mind buzzed, I realized that I had let my mind wander for too long. I quickly checked my luggage before carrying it to the entrance like mother said.

  A few minutes later we said our goodbyes before we got into the cab. We hugged grandfather first, then it was my grandmother’s turn.

  “Don’t forget Shizuku, and take care,” grandmother whispered to me as we both hugged. Both of my grandparents would not be coming because someone needs to stay and mind the house.

  “Don’t worry, baa-san, I won’t forget,” I said as we let go of each other.

  After that both she and mother hugged as I got settled inside the cab.

  “I would say to take care, but that goes without saying,” she said to my mother as they parted.

  “Don’t worry, Mother, I won’t allow any of the boys to get close to our Shizuku,” mother said with a serious face.

  “You don’t have to do any of that!” I said a bit loudly. Though I did try to keep my voice loud enough to be heard, but not loud enough to be considered rude to the driver. For his part, he just stared ahead, like he had heard nothing.

  “No, as we have talked about,” said grandfather cutting into the conversation. “I will judge anyone wanting to court my granddaughter. Daughter be sure to introduce me to them.”

  “By the time you tell us it might be too late!” grandfather countered. “I need to know if the person who is courting my granddaughter is worthy to inherit our name!”

  “And as I keep telling both of you,” said grandmother, cutting in. “only I have that right.”

  “Just get in the cab already!” I hissed through gritted teeth.

  “You have a lot to deal with, don’t you, Jou-chan. Don’t mind,” said the driver from the front. He said the last part in English.

  I turned my face to the side to allow my hair to cover my face. Really, why is it raining today?

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  Narrator 1, note 1: There are times when kindness can hurt. There are also times when kindness is funny. This is a situation where kindness is both.

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  The ride to the station was relatively smooth and peaceful. There wasn’t much traffic and we were lucky that we didn’t stop at any red lights.

  When we reached the station, there were still thirty minutes before our departure. So, instead of standing and waiting, I told my mother that I will look for my friends. However, as we reached the platform, I spotted some of them already.

  “Shizu-Shizu! We’re here!” Suzu Hoshino (星野 鈴) called out. With one hand raised and waving, her medium-length hair, styled in a bob cut was swaying back and forth. Despite being only 150cm tall, she was doing her best to get my attention.

  Despite her small stature, she is one of the most cheerful and bubbly people I have known.

  She was with Karin Toudou (藤堂 花梨), and Akane Kirino (霧野 朱音), her two best friends. Together, they make a slightly weird group.

  This is because Akane was the complete opposite of Suzu, she was one of the most silent people I knew. With her hair falling down to her shoulders in a straight, even cut, with blunt bangs shading her eyes and rectangular glasses.

  If one didn’t know her, they would probably say she was our class president, but they would be wrong, because that role fell to Karin, who had her medium-length hair styled in a high ponytail with side-swept bangs.

  Like in a spectrum, Karin’s personality is somewhere in between the other two. In terms of height, Suzu is the shortest, Karin is the tallest among the three at 160 cm, while Akane was shorter than Karin and taller than Suzu by 5 cm.

  I waved back and casually walked towards their group.

  As I got closer, I saw another trio mixed into their group. Aiko Akiyama (秋山 愛子), Aika Fujimoto (藤本 愛花) and Airi Shimura (志村 愛莉). In school, they gained a nickname, the 3-Ai’s (Three-Love), because they share a few things.

  First, they all stand at the same height at 162cm tall. Next, their names share the same kanji for love. Add to that their beauty and proportions which the male student body often talk about. They even have long hair, though each one styles theirs, differently.

  Airi wore hers in a neat hime cut tied in a bun, with her face-framing layers long enough to reach her lips. Aika let her wavy hair fall loose past her shoulders, though the right side was neatly tucked back behind her ear. Aiko also wore her hair down, but had her front bangs pulled back and tied into a small braid.

  But the most important similarity they share, the three of them have the same birthday, Valentine’s Day.

  I smiled at them as I drew near.

  Out of the corner of my eye, I saw my mother walking over to greet the other parents of my classmates. Judging by their numbers, that would mean that most of them have already arrived.

  I also saw our teacher, Kaname Toudou (藤堂 泰明) among the group. She is 24 years old and the elder sister of Karin. Standing side by side, though she kept her hair tied in a bun, the resemblance was uncanny, despite the 5 cm height difference between the two.

  The parents’ conversation was normal enough. Most of them were entrusting their child to our teacher. This is because our teacher also got invited, which was a shock at the time. For us students, the decision was easy, for our teacher however, it took the school until the last minute to decide.

  Fortunately, the school allowed her to join, if only to keep an eye on us and make sure we stayed out of trouble. It was a very difficult decision for our school because some of our classmates weren’t invited. Our class numbered 32 students, and 20 of us were going.

  That left 12 students, who were distributed in two other classes, at least for the entire week so they wouldn’t be left behind in their studies.

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