Date: September 11
Place: Kyoto Headquarters
[Noel]
Our file was about a mission that was discontinued and abandoned due to a full wipeout of a small squadron.
I got the part where I read the names of the group of people who participated in it.
- - -notes- - -
Lists of Participants:
Yuto Sato (Male)
Ricky Brown(Male)
Keiko Ikeda (Female)
Yua Kato (Female)
Asami Sasaki (Male)
Kimiko Sato (Female)
Rachel Taylor (Female)
Mio Kimura (Female)
Kaito Yamauchi (Male)
Asahi Saito (Male)
Mochi Inoue (Male)
Lily Willian (Female)
- - -end- - -
There is a whole list of names and some recorded information about them, all unfamiliar once.
I flipped the pages until I finally got to the part where the details of their task were listed.
To my surprise, it was a simple one; a scouting task where you have to observe the area, take notes of the details around the place, and record some evidence.
Then in the very last paragraph, there was a special order of search and rescue if there appeared to be any signs of survivors.
I glanced at Kikoe who was attentively reading every word with such focus, that I managed to take a proper look at his whole figure.
He is on the short side, a skinny and frail body where you can almost see his bones. His hair is a total mess which looks like he hasn't cut it for a few months now. It was quite long for a boy, his straight and black hair fell onto his shoulders with no definitive structure, and his bangs were a little too close to his eyes as well. The black eye bags are making him more pitiful to look at.
[Kikoe]
I was forced to slowly turn to Noel as I could feel his stares getting too long.
"Yes?" There was no reaction from him. "What is it?" I tried the second time to catch his attention. He finally flinched and looked me in the eyes.
[Noel]
"No, it's nothing," I hadn't noticed that he was already calling for me.
He only let out a quiet disappointment in his breath before going back to reading.
As we read further, Cedrick's phone rang and he picked up at the first ring. "Reaper's vice speaking, how may I help you?" he spoke formally but with his raspy voice from fake sobbing.
"Yes!" he immediately straightened his back and replied with such enthusiasm that Kikoe instinctively exchanged looks with me. "Of course! I'll gladly head there now," he stood up faster than a kid wanting to play.
A big and wide smile was stretching his cheeks as he almost skipped on his way out without giving a single information of about the concept of their call.
We didn't bother to ask as we just continued reading.
A few minutes later, we managed to finish reviewing every material and we just needed to write a summary of it and we were done.
"Hey, can I ask a question?" Kikoe suddenly blurted out in which I gave an approval nod. "How is it working under her?" there was a hint of curiosity in his tone and also hesitation.
"I haven't been here for a long time but in the few days I've been assigned to her," I tried to recall every detail. "Although I'd say there were more sleepless nights and unavoidable despair," he looked worried about what I said. "I treasure the calming, and momentarily bliss," my head was full of thoughts when all six of us were sharing a meal.
[Kikoe]
"The feeling that I'm not alone and have them on my side is a big plus," he added, I can only imagine where his mind flew off as he reminisced.
His faint smile faded as he looked at my stiffened body. "Why'd you ask?" His focus was returned to me.
I see no need to hide the reason why so I simply told him that Rei wanted to recruit me officially.
His fingers played around his chin as he inspected my physique. "Why though?" He wondered. "What did she see in you?"
"Beats me," I try to take a few inches away from him as he continues with his inspection, pulling my hand and extending my arms, eyeing and squishing my skinny biceps.
"Then," he now holds my messy hair up, forming triangles just above my ears. "When did you first meet her?" He asked.
"I was the one who dragged her back when she got lost in the new building," I say, retrieving my hair from his hold.
"What building?" He asked.
"Where her three members were being treated," I gasped as I recalled his face's presence then. "You were there," I weakly complained.
I came to a pause when his energetic demeanor burned down.
"Sorry, I wasn't paying attention back then," his smile had a hint of unpleasant bitterness.
***start***
"I heard she was the type to sacrifice her members just to save her own skin"
"So be careful, don't become her meat shield"
***end***
The rumors surrounding her popped into my head as I realized why Noel reacted as such.
"Anyway," I panicked. "How about the vice? What's he like?" my puny brain could only think of this as another topic.
"Cedrick?" He thinks for a while before answering whilst giggling. "He's a nice and considerate person, you'll get along with him just fine," Noel then pointed to the workload that Cedrick was working on earlier. "Just make sure to be nice to him at all times."
"Yeah, I'll make sure I will," we both pitied him.
"Oh!" he exclaimed.
[Noel]
"What kind of missions did you partake in?" I questioned curiously as he was quite taken aback.
"Aside from carrying boxes, I've also done some paperwork," he started to count on his fingers and stopped at two.
"Have you never done outside tasks before?" I was stunned by his answer as he looked at me, puzzled.
And I returned his puzzled look.
"I'm from the Custodian Division," he pointed at himself, both of us just staring at each other in disbelief.
But that ended when something rang.
We stood up from our comfortable seats and looked everywhere for it. Until at the seventh ring, I managed to pick up.
It was a transmitter hidden at the very bottom compartment of Rei's desk.
"Hello, Reaper's personnel speaking," I say.
I heard young voices panicking at the end of the line. Then a weird voice spoke up.
"Where's Captain Rei?" it was a young girl, trying to lower and deepen her voice to resemble a boy.
"She's currently out as of the moment, you can call again later ifー" I was cut short and was ordered to find a pen and paper to write down their message.
"Hold on a second," Kikoe tossed me some unused paper and pen.
- - - start - - -
Never even expect danger,
Hanna entered laughing proudly,
Sending one or nothing
- - - finish - - -
"Is that all?" I asked after I finished writing their request but there was no answer and the call was simply cut.
"What was it?" I showed him the paper and after he read through it, his face crumpled in confusion.
He took a quick glance at me and I only shrugged.
Soon after Rei and Cedrick came back holding a small disagreement.