Ways of Decission

Ferruccio had tried to reach Seika, but she didn't answer the phone he had given her. The first call was just to check if she had taken the device with her at all. It rang for a while, but no one picked up. Ferruccio considered that she might have simply left the phone behind. Nevertheless, he decided to try again—maybe she was just busy or didn't want to talk at that moment. When the call went through again, he realized: the phone was intact and active. Yet, after a few seconds, the call was declined.

He leaned back and looked at the device in his hand. This rejection left little room for interpretation. She didn't want anything to do with him or this case. Seika seemed genuine. If she said she didn't want to have anything to do with him, she probably meant it.

"Should I have acted differently?" he thought. Ferruccio remembered their first meeting. He had hoped she was someone who spoke indirectly or meant the opposite of what she said. It would have been easier if her directness had been just a facade. But maybe he was wrong. She was likely being honest.

"I should have known better," he said. Although he had showered her with compliments to steer the conversation, those words hadn't been empty. They were sincere—which only made the situation more complicated. Should he have stopped sooner when she first pointed out his inappropriate remarks? Probably. But now it was too late.

At least he knew now that she really had the phone with her. Why else would she have declined the call instead of just ignoring it? Ferruccio believed Seika was smart enough not to leave it with someone else, as that would raise questions she wouldn't want to answer.

He rubbed his temples and leaned deeper into his chair. Despite her words and the memory of their interaction, he had to smile. Something about her had impressed him. Maybe it was her honesty. Yet one thought persisted in his mind: he hadn't explained to her how the phone worked.

"How could I forget that?" Ferruccio sat up as this oversight struck him. Shaking his head, he picked up the phone. It was time to try again. Would she answer this time? Or would she reject him again? Both possibilities seemed equally likely.

A few days later, Ferruccio was back in his office, attempting once more to contact Seika. Her connection to this organization was important and could steer the case in a new direction.

He pressed the call button, and the familiar beeping started. It rang for a few seconds, and he was already preparing to hang up—until a voice on the other end answered.

"What?" Seika asked.

Ferruccio paused briefly. "Hello, it's me again. The investigator, remember? I just wanted to check if the phone works."

"I know who you are. You gave me this crappy device. So? Does it work?"

"It seems so." He felt his words bounce off her. But he didn't want to give up. "Could I ask you for something?"

"What is it? Stop annoying me and speak up already!"

"It's about gathering some information on your members."

"What? You want me to spy on my own people? My family?" Her voice grew sharper.

Ferruccio hesitated. He knew his next words would upset her, but he said them anyway: "You should know that often, the people closest to us are the ones who can hurt or betray us the most. This realization has stayed with me for years."

A second of silence. Then she responded: "You have no idea!"

"Wait…Let me explain..." he began, but she cut him off:

"Shut up!" With a slam of a button, Seika ended the call.

Ferruccio kept the phone to his ear. He sighed, leaned back, and let his head fall against the wall. "That went fantastically," he ironically said.

2.

Seika stared at the phone in her hand as if it were a living being provoking her. The last sentence echoed in her mind:

"...often, it's those closest to us who..."

A sharp pain crept into her chest. She shook her head and tried to gather her thoughts. 

"What does that idiot think he is?" She threw the phone onto the bed, but her eyes kept drifting back to it. 

The image of her father forced its way into her thoughts. His voice, his words—memories she pushed aside with a jolt. But why did it hurt so much now? 

"Damn..." She buried her face in her hands.

Seika kept replaying Ferruccio's words in her mind. Was it really wrong to hate men just because her father had caused her so much pain? If the women in her gang were so different despite their commonalities, why shouldn't men be different too? This thought unsettled her, but she still couldn't trust Ferruccio. She hadn't given him her name or any information about the gang. That kept her safe. But Ferruccio knew what she looked like, and he knew where she had last met him—that was enough to make her nervous. And then there was that sentence: The people closest to us can hurt us the most.

The words wouldn't leave her alone. Was he right? Or was it just a clever ploy to manipulate her? She felt torn, caught in a whirlpool of thoughts with no clear way out. What was right? What was wrong? Why was it so hard to find a clear answer? 

To distract herself—or maybe to prove him wrong—she began gathering information about the members of her gang. The more she thought about it, the clearer it became that it wasn't just Ferruccio who could benefit. She could also learn from it and better understand the others. And, as she had suspected, she found nothing suspicious. Her sisters were innocent.

Still, the idea of handing the gathered information to Ferruccio grew in her mind. Not because she suddenly trusted him, but because she thought it was the best way to prove her gang's innocence. She hadn't remembered his name—why would she? She never expected to see him again. But sharing so much over the phone seemed impossible. They had to meet, but not near the headquarters. She couldn't risk that.

With a sigh, she picked up the phone. It was the first time she had tried to call him, and she didn't even know how. She examined the buttons—no number keys, just symbols. Finally, she noticed a button with an upward-curving arrow. She pressed it. A loud beep sounded, followed by softer signals. The beeping stopped, and suddenly a male voice spoke: 

"Robert E., Police Station 328. What's the report?"

3.

Seika: "Ah... This is crap..." 

?: "Who is this? Provide your assigned PR number." 

Seika: "Damn it... Where is that cop?" 

?: "Not that it concerns you, but we are all police officers here. If you don't immediately tell us who you are, we'll arrest you for stealing police property. We can locate your device at any time." 

Seika: "Fuck... Is this some kind of joke? What was that guy's name again?" 

Seika hung up and threw the phone onto her bed. "Great initiative, Seika." She felt a mix of anger and uncertainty. Had they really found her location now? Was that the cop's plan all along? The feeling that she had walked into a trap made her furious. 

But before she could think further, the phone rang again. She hesitated but finally answered with an annoyed sigh. "He's gonna get an earful!" 

F: "I'm sorry. My colleagues wanted to play a prank on me. I overheard it, but you had already hung up." 

S: "Why wasn't it you on the phone, but some Robert? I thought it was your phone?" 

F: "It's the police's phone. I just use it." 

S: "And now you know where I am? Delete that right now!" 

F: "Don't worry, it was a bad joke from Robert. These devices are too old for that kind of thing. You don't need to worry. Besides, didn't we agree that only I would call you?" 

S: "We never agreed on that. And you're not calling!" 

F: "Because I'm working. Not just chatting." 

S: "Chatting?! I work hard too! Why don't you recognize that?" 

F: "You haven't told me. But if you want, I'm happy to listen." 

S: "I can't say it over the phone." 

F: "Oh... Something private? Don't worry, I'm alone and the line is secure." 

S: "Are you crazy? Why would I tell you private stuff? It's... at most, personal." 

F: "Personal, huh? I get it. We should meet to talk in private." 

S: "What are you talking about? We're meeting for your work! I have the information you wanted." 

F: "Too bad... I thought it would be a date." 

S: "A date?" 

F: "Don't you know what a date is? When a man and a woman meet, go out to eat or dance..." 

S: "With you? Never. No, it's about work." 

F: "Understood. And by the way, dates can work without men too." 

S: "Exactly. Wero always does that with her girlfriend." 

F: "Now I'm blushing again." 

S: "Blushing? Do you have a fever?" 

F: "No, I'm fine. Nice that you care." 

S: "I don't care about you. And why are you blushing?" 

F: "Because I'm thinking about something embarrassing or romantic." 

S: "Romantic? What's romantic about it?" 

F: "Well, I was thinking about our date." 

S: "The one that will never happen. Forget that quickly. Where can we meet?" 

F: "Maybe the same place as the first time?" 

S: "That won't work. You're not welcome here." 

F: "I've always been unwelcome, haven't I?" 

S: "Yes. And you forget things so quickly. How did you become a cop?" 

F: "Then I suggest the café at the big intersection in the south. It's the only café there. I think it's called like... Vertas Do you know it?" 

S: "Yes... Café Veritas. I know that place." 

The place they meant was the café where she had seen her mother for the first time in years. A thought that made her pause briefly before letting the phone drop from her hand. The Device drop onto the floor and the manly voice coming from inside of it, asked once again.

F: "So... Will I see you there?"

Seika held her head with her right arm, her hand now on her forehand, that just before hold the device.

S: "Puh... If you use your damn eyes, you will."

4.

Weeks later they met at their fixed meeting point, Café Veritas.

Seika handed Ferruccio the pile of meticulously gathered information. The stack was so large that Ferruccio raised his eyebrows in surprise. He hadn't expected the gang to have so many members, let alone that Seika would take the effort to compile such comprehensive data. Many details were unnecessary or redundant, but he could see that she had made an effort to record everything precisely.

F: "This is really impressive. I can't review all of this at once, but if you can assure me that this data supports the alibis of all the members, then I'll trust it."

S: "Can't you speak in a way that I can understand?"

F: "Alibis?"

Seika nodded, slightly annoyed.

F: "An alibi means that someone can prove they were somewhere else at the time of a crime. It's used to show innocence."

S: "Then I have that."

F: "How did you do that?"

S: "That's a secret. We never agreed that I had to explain it to you. I've done my part, now you do yours."

F: "So, I check the information and, if everything checks out, that's it? We might never see each other again?"

S: "Exactly. Then it's on paper that we're innocent, and we'll never have to talk again."

F: "Somehow, I find that unfortunate."

S: "Why?"

F: "I enjoy talking to you. You're direct and honest, even if it sometimes hurts."

S: "Yes, I like that about myself too."

F: "You could say something positive about me now."

S: "If there were something, I would have said it already."

Ferruccio chuckled softly and shook his head.

F: "I feel like you've changed since we first met."

S: "That's just the typical delusion of an arrogant male jerk. But… maybe you're right."

F: "That's exactly what I mean. You still insult me, but… it feels somehow… warmer. Friendlier. I don't understand it myself."

S: "You've just gotten used to it."

F: "Maybe. Still, thank you for helping me despite all the difficulties. Can I thank you by treating you to a drink?"

S: "Free drinks? Sure."

F: "You're not afraid I might poison the drink or have ulterior motives?"

S: "Where does that stupid idea come from now? I can tell you're not a threat."

Ferruccio laughed again, feeling both caught and amused.

F: "How should I take that?"

S: "Just as I said it."

A moment of silence ensued. Ferruccio studied her, as if searching for an answer he couldn't put into words.

S: "Listen… I don't like to say this, but yes, I think I've changed. And I believe you're not entirely blameless for that."

F: "I don't understand…"

S: "You pushed me out of my comfort zone."

F: "What are you trying to tell me?"

S: "I think… I trust you. It would be a lie if I said otherwise."

F: "But why? I thought you hated men."

S: "I thought so too. But it's only my father that I really hate."

F: "And what does that have to do with me?"

S: "You showed me that not all men are the same. That I was wrong. I reflected on your words and realized that not all women are the same, so men can't all be the same either. I was so wrong. I'm sorry."

Ferruccio remained silent, his thoughts swirling. He didn't know what to say to this sudden honesty.

F: ", That was all you. Not me. I may have said things to you, but the change… that was all your doing."

S: "But you triggered it."

F: "No, I just gave you a nudge. The rest was all you. That's how it works. People don't change because others want them to, but because they do it themselves. And so did you, Seika."

Seika looked at him for a moment, then gave a weak, almost sad smile.

S: "Maybe you're right."

Just after an blink of an eye, she starred at this Man, when he casually mentioned her name.

S: "Wait. How do you know my name? I never told you."

F: "That… well, I'm a cop. We have our ways."

S: "So you've been spying on me the whole time."

F: "I just—"

S: "Forget it. That's it."

Seika stood up and headed for the door, her face a mask of anger and disappointment. Ferruccio followed her and tried to stop her.

F: "Please, give me a chance. I can explain everything."

S: "There's nothing more to explain."

F: "Seika…"

S: "It's not worth it."

Without looking back, she left the café. Ferruccio remained behind, his eyes fixed on the door. He felt the distance between them growing not just physically but emotionally insurmountable. Yet deep inside, he knew: he had developed feelings for her—feelings he could no longer ignore. How could she tell her, when she did not even gave him a chance to explain. He got her Name, because he got interested in her. He could see what was going on in her, slightly, not to deep, that he could name it, but enough that he wanted to know more. Was it Wrong to use his Status to search for Informations about her?

F: "Yes, it was wrong. What did you do, Ferruccio?" he asked himself