So I had a new scar now. That was quite remarkable. It was much more impressive than the small one that ran along the length of my right middle finger.

Other than that, while my left ankle was sprained and my ribs were bruised a bit, I was surprisingly unscathed. It was quite a miracle, especially considering all the ordeals I had just been through. After an extra hour of checkups, I was discharged from the hospital, and Kurusu left with the other girls. Cerea, however, stayed back to take care of something at the Cultural Exchange building. Papi and Suu wanted to stay with me, but I told them I would be home shortly and didn't want them to witness my wrath toward Smith.

We left the hospital together, with me leaning on Cerea for support whenever I felt too weak to keep going. She was so kind, never complaining when I needed to pause for a rest. We walked in silence, giving me a chance to think without interruption. Cerea didn't need to engage in small talk, which was a relief.

My grip on Cerea tightened as we approached the regional office for the Cultural Exchange - a nondescript building that was only two stories tall. I couldn't help but feel a sense of disbelief that such a seemingly underfunded establishment was responsible for handling all human-liminal relations in Japan.

"Would you like to reschedule this, Aki?" Cerea asked her gaze intent on me. "I'm sure Smith-sama would understand if you needed to push back your meeting."

"Thank you," I told her, "But this issue requires urgent attention. I won't be able to relax until it's been resolved."

Cerea hummed, her voice light and curious. "You sound far grimmer than usual," she observed, her eyes growing wide with concern. "If I may be so bold...does this have to do with the liminal that caused your injuries?"

"Yeah," I answered as we walked in, "It's not just that. Something is seriously off with the Cultural Exchange, and Smith needs to explain why."

Cerea gently reminded me, "Though the Cultural Exchange is far from perfect, it has done some good. I would much rather have it than the alternative."

I was about to inquire what other option she was alluding to, but before I could, we had already arrived at the reception desk, and the dialogue was momentarily halted. The secretary, a meek-looking man, guided us to our destination, and we parted ways afterward.

After breathing deeply to steady my nerves, I knocked confidently on Smith's office door.

"Come in!" came the voice from the other side.

My hand quivered slightly as I tentatively grabbed the doorknob and twisted it. My body was exhausted from the day's events, but I had to stay focused. I could take a break later when all was said and done.

"Ah, Aki-kun," Smith greeted with a hint of surprise, lifting her sunglasses to meet my gaze. She took a moment to appraise me before continuing, "Considering the number of times you were almost killed, you look remarkably well."

Deep breaths, man, deep breaths don't flip your lid on Smith.

"It's all thanks to MON that I'm still here," I said, my voice heavy with relief as I settled into the chair opposite her. Ah, it's so nice to sit down again. "How's Kii doing?"

"Your dryad Friend? She should be finishing up the procedure to have the 'experimental nutrients' removed from her body right now," Smith replied, "May I ask how you know her name?"

I had known I would be questioned about it, so I had taken a risk by mentioning her name earlier. I wasn't sure if it had been the right decision, but I was too overwhelmed by negativity to care about deceiving Smith.

"Papi had mentioned a while ago about befriending a dryad in the forest," I explained, keeping my voice even, "so I suspected it was her."

"I see." I wasn't entirely sure she bought that. Smith sighed and leaned back into her chair, rubbing her head. "This whole thing on top of your incident with Preya has just been one big headache...."

"I'm sorry to hear that," I growled.

Her lips curved upward in a slight smile. "I guess I shouldn't be complaining to you of all people about this," she admitted, "But you made it out unscathed in the end, so I suppose all's well that ends well."

"No," I said sternly, my fingers white-knuckled on the armrests of my chair. "Smith, I have something I need to ask you."

"Hm?"

My heart was pumping like crazy in my chest as I felt heat rush to my face.

I furiously demanded to know, "What in the actual fuck were you thinking leaving Preya in that wretched dump?! She was being forced to live in an overcrowded and filthy apartment with some complete deadbeat who didn't even bother attending to her needs! It was so bad that she ran away when she had the chance! She's a raptor, for fucks sake - how could you possibly let her end up in such a place?!"

At one point, I suddenly stood up from my seat without realizing it. Taking a deep breath, I kept going before Smith could respond.

" What is the point of the Cultural Exchange if it allows such appalling events to occur? Are you not supposed to be the ambassadors of human-liminal relations for a whole nation? I certainly can't see it! Why would any liminal trust you after what happened? Preya even had to forge a plea for assistance from her host to receive help; what kind of shit is that! How could such a travesty have occurred? How did a dryad manage to slip through the cracks like that? Do you people not give a shit about your jobs?!"

My legs suddenly gave way, causing me to collapse back into the chair. I felt a tightness in my chest as I struggled to catch my breath.

"I'm just...." I continued, lowering my voice, "So... fucking fed up with this."

I wouldn't say I liked raising my voice to people. I always got too worked up in what I wanted to say and never expressed it as fluently as I intended due to my agitation. I had always been the least likely among my peers to challenge someone, whether out of cowardice or fear of overstepping boundaries. It was becoming less frequent than I ever let my temper flare since I liked to think I was a reasonably tolerant individual when push came to shove.

But what I witnessed today was too much for me to bear. Perhaps it was due to my exhaustion, coupled with my weakened mental defenses, but the liminals had placed their faith in the Cultural Exchange, expecting it to both aid them and safeguard their rights as individuals. This was no longer the situation where this kind of thing could be shrugged off with a laugh and quickly forgotten after some cheap fanservice humor to break the tension.

Smith asked, her voice sounding stoic after a few moments of silence, "Are you done?" I wasn't looking at her anymore, but the word that came to mind to describe her tone was 'stoic.'

I nodded slowly, trying to find the words to express my feelings. As I took a few deep breaths, I realized that the better way to express my thoughts was to wait until I was calmer.

"Look at me."

She stared at me with her steely brown eyes, her sunglasses removed. I couldn't gauge her emotions, though my tumultuous feelings may have been the cause of my inability to read her.

Smith firmly declared, "You aren't wrong. The Cultural Exchange is an absolute joke of an organization in its current form. The Bill that we are based on is, at best, flawed and, at worst, completely counterproductive, which is why several countries have already implemented multiple amendments to address these issues."

She paused, moving to bring her cup of coffee closer.

Japan has not seen the same gross displays of negligence as other nations due to a lack of passionate people about the Cultural Exchange. Whether it is attributed to laziness or xenophobia, the Cultural Exchange office is one of the minor government offices. The employed people often see it as a source of income rather than a way to promote cultural exchange.

"But why?" I exclaimed, disbelief filling my voice. "The unveiling of liminals to the public is one of the most meaningful events in human history - if not the most significant! Who wouldn't want to be part of something so extraordinary?!"

"As I have previously stated," Smith stated angrily, "There are numerous reasons for this. Unfortunately, not many people truly want to help out creatures from folklore. Even those who hold positions of power don't seem too keen. However, many citizens support the Cultural Exchange but lack the resources or motivation to commit more actively."

"And are you one of those 'disappointingly few'?"

"You should be well aware of that by now," she said, her face creased into a frown. "I'm certainly not the person you should be voicing your grievances to regarding this."

"Then how could Preya have gone unnoticed? Are you too overwhelmed to have remembered one of the most dangerous species in the vicinity? It appears that you are overlooking some very fucking crucial matters here!" I could feel my anger rising again. Take a deep breath...

Smith narrowed her eyes at me and released a deep, intimidating breath. She stood up, her imposing figure towering over me, and walked around her desk to be right in front of me.

"You may not know the full extent of my story, so that I won't hold that against you," Smith said in a low, menacing tone, sending a chill down my spine. "I take the protection of liminals very seriously, and it frustrates me to no end that I wasn't able to prevent Preya or Kii's situations from getting worse. I may have better control of my emotions than you do, but make no mistake, I care deeply."

She let out a deep sigh. "Which was clearly to my detriment. To answer your question about why I am such a poor performer in my job, I once proved my worth and competency in the early stages of my career as a task force leader. Hence, the higher-ups decided to assign me more and more responsibilities as time passed. Unfortunately, they didn't recognize that being a combat unit leader was completely different from running an entire branch of the Cultural Exchange."

"So you were too good at your job for your own good?" I hazarded.

"Yep, and now they disregard my requests for additional help, either because there is insufficient staffing or because they simply do not care."

"Why don't you just resign or go back to your previous job since you were so much more successful in it?"

"It's absolutely out of the question," she replied without hesitation, "Given how difficult the task is, I can't think of anyone I trust enough to handle the responsibility who also genuinely cares about liminals as much as I do. I can't abandon them."

Smith, the habitual procrastinator, was refusing to leave her post. It was evident that she had genuine care and concern for her job. She was vastly different from the lighthearted Smith that I usually encountered. She appeared abnormally solemn. Could it be that my words had a profound impact on her?

As I gazed at her, I could see the passion and honesty in her words, and I realized that this part of her was always there, even before I knew her. My words had allowed it to shine through.

I regretted screaming at her so much, and I felt compelled to learn her "full story." Despite my issues with her, I now had a greater desire to understand her.

I asked, "Why do you care so much about this? I'm glad you do, but what is the source of your interest?"

Smith's shoulders slumped, and she seemed to age a decade instantly. I instantly regretted my inquiry.

"Aki... before we proceed any further, I need to be sure of something first," Smith finally said. "I want to trust you, and that's the only reason why I haven't knocked you on your ass yet, but I need to know if you expect me to divulge something that I only tell a few people."

"Sure," I said, nodding in agreement. She had been providing thoughtful and comprehensive responses to my questions, so this seemed like a reasonable request to make.

"Did you know about Rachnera and Kii beforehand?"

I opened my mouth to resp-

Wait.

What.

"Come again?" I asked.

"Did you know about Rachnera and Kii beforehand?" Smith repeated.

Uh.

"Why would you think that?" I asked, desperately stalling.

"Given the particular situations you inquired about earlier, which mirrored what happened with those two, and your unwavering assurance when they happened, it's impressive how you've dealt with liminals so far, especially since you supposedly come from a place where they don't exist," Smith said, giving me a calculating look.

"Ah," I exhaled, running my hand through my hair, "Now that you explain it, it makes sense why you'd believe that."

Well, shit.

Smith pressed further, "I think your behavior has been exemplary, and anyone that expresses such rage over Preya's situation is a good person, in my opinion. I don't think you've had any involvement in the matter at hand; however, it is still very suspicious. This leads me to believe that you know something, or at least more than you seem to. It's rather suspicious."

What do I do here? Should I tell her the truth that she's a fictional character in my dimension, along with everything and everyone else? Would she believe me? And if she does, how would she react? She could punish me for not disclosing the information earlier, or she could go as far as to ban me from the Kurusu house. Perhaps I haven't done enough to help Rachnera and Kii, and she may see that as a valid reason to throw me in prison.

Christ, I wanted today to end already.

"I... yeah, I suppose it is," I admitted, nervously licking my dry lips, "That's... not an easy question for me to answer."

Smith leaned against her desk and said, "Neither is your question for me. Let's call it an equitable exchange."

For some reason, the phrase made me snort, despite it all.

"Smith, I'm trusting you with this information and asking you to keep it confidential for now. Could you please not tell anyone else what I'm about to tell you? I'm not ready for them to know yet."

Smith hummed in agreement. "That's quite funny because I was just about to say the same thing in response to your question. Alright then, let's hear what you have to say."

That is not quite an answer, but whatever. I was dragging this out as is. I took a deep breath.

"I had already been aware of them," I confessed, feeling awkward as I shifted in my seat. "The only reason I hadn't come forward to tell you was because I was afraid that you wouldn't believe me or, worse, think I was insane."

"I see," Smith said slowly, "And how did you know?"

"I saw it happen, and I read about it too," I answered, unable to meet her gaze, "You see..."

"Hold on a minute," Smith interjected, "Does this have anything to do with the Far Side?"

I blinked.

"Um... maybe?" I replied, unsure, "I mean, I've been suspecting that was how I got here in the first place, but-"

"So that's why you were inquiring if I had any knowledge of it earlier," Smith mused, lifting her finger to her chin. With a resolute nod, she peered into my eyes. "Let's postpone the remainder of your response. I need to look into something first."

Wait, what? What the hell was going on?

I gulped, my mind racing with uncertainty. "Are you certain?" I asked, my voice trembling slightly.

"Very much," Smith answered instantly. "I truly appreciate your willingness to share that information with me."

I didn't recognize the Smith I was speaking with. Could this be her true self, beneath all the sarcastic retorts and apathy? Or had I never encountered this particular persona before?

Smith sighed deeply before continuing, "I can't give you the full story now, but I'll give you a glimpse since you gave me a little. Does the name 'Katsuragi' sound familiar to you?"

It was the last name of a central character from one of my favorite shows of all time, but I seriously doubted that was who she was referring to. I shook my head.

"I'm assuming you haven't had a chance to yet. In one of the binders I gave you when you requested more information about this world, there should be a section dedicated to 'Katsumi Katsuragi'" Smith appeared to be lost in thought, as if she recalled something from a distant memory. "Read it, and then we can talk more afterward."

"Will do," I said with a nod.

"Excellent," Smith said, standing up and brushing the dust off her suit. "Now, if you don't mind, I must attend to a certain dryad."

"Can I come?" I asked without thinking twice, "Kii shouldn't be the one punished; it should be-"

Smith raised a hand to interrupt me, her face contorting into a sardonic smile. "Trust me," she assured me confidently, "I'm pretty good at this part of my job. I know who the real culprits are."

"Right," I laughed half-heartedly, "Look, I...."

"You were justified in your anger," Smith said, offering me a helping hand. "I'm doing my best. I know I'm not the most suitable person for the job, but until someone else takes over, you're stuck with me. The Cultural Exchange can be transformed, but only if someone takes the initiative to initiate the change. Unfortunately, I'm not that person. All I can do is take out the bad guys."

I gazed up at her and couldn't help but smile. I had no more strength left to be angry at Smith. It was obvious that she wasn't the root of the issue. Thus, I took her hand.

"I'm sure you're capable of so much more than that," I replied as she hoisted me up.

To be continued!