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"Great There is a car waiting outside your apartment, ready to take you to John F Kennedy International Airport Pack whatever you like The car is ready when you are"

"A car? But--wait--when’s the flight? What airline? How much time do I have to"

"It’s my private jet," he says, unconcerned "It will take off whenever you are in it"

His private jet

"Wait, but--all ofwill I be there?" My eyes shift back to Keira She looks pale, still processing the fact that our debts have been erased in the blink of an eye

"If you’d like any belongings packed up and shipped to Tokyo with you," he replies, "just say the word and it’ll be done today In theon" I start to shakedoes he want me to stay there? My brow furrows "What I need is a sec to think I don’t understand" My ehts "What’s this all about? The car, my debts, the plane--Tokyo?" I sputter "Yesterday, I disrupted the biggest gary withto Tokyo for?" I take a deep breath "What do you want from me?"

There’s a pause on the other end Suddenly, I realize that I’ off to one of the world’s most powerful people--to my idol, someone I’ve watched and read about and obsessed over for years, soed my life Across from me, Keira watches the phone intently as if she could see what Hideo’s expression looks like I s in the silence, afraid for a moment

"I have a job offer for you," Hideo replies "Would you like to hear rand total of one time It was after Mom left, and Dad decided to move us froht is the following: a tiny TV h which I could see the clouds; a Tetris-likequestionably called chicken; and a a stressed out

Soht will be very different fro I did was rush down the hall and knock on Mr Alsole’s door One glance at his dumbstruck face was all I needed to know that I didn’t just hallucinate everything

Our rent is paid through the end of next year

I pack in a daze I don’t own a suitcase, so I end up stuffing as hts juether, every one of thee, if itme like this to Tokyo Hideo has indeed hired a few hackers in the past--to help his inside Warcross--but they ay more experienced, and probably with no criry withto dole out punishment once I’ asked to pack up everything and go to Tokyo Asked by Hideo Tanaka The thought warle at the ht be

Keira’s eyes trailto coh she’d heard the same conversation that I had

I cram another T-shirt into my backpack "Don’t know," I reply "Probably soon" Secretly, I hope I’e prank?" she says A note of confusion in her voice "I mean--it was broadcast everywhere across the internet"

I pause to look at her "What do youyour nuest hoax of all time on you?"

That ht it would be funny Somebody broke into my phone’s weak security, faked Hideo’s voice, set ht now

But our rent is paid off What prankster would waste histo see how far I can push it Not like I have s, I hurry over to the little erie of objects byI pick up both, taking extra care with the painting It’s an explosion of blue, green, and gold streaks that, when you step back, soh a war in Central Park I stare at it for aI could use a bit of good luck traveling with me