"By the door that would lead you
Straight on the track,
It's a thousand to one
You would never come back."
A soft voice of an old man wanders through my head like a beautiful enchanting lullaby as he bid me a goodnight. With my sights hazy and vague, I smile at the man holding a piece of paper and said, "Good night."
I closed my eyes in thoughts of falling deep asleep. But things didn't go as I thought it would, I instead woke up. The disturbing tone from the alarm clock woke the crap out of my resting body. Sitting up abruptly from bed, I ruffled my hair in frustration.
That dream, not again. I sigh, shaking my head gently. As I do so, my gaze shifted to the painting hanging just across my plain boring room. In the picture is a portrait of a train in amid distant, travelling in a dim night underneath the presence of the moonlight. No matter how much I take my thoughts off it, they never leave. It's been haunting me since, the last time I remember — okay, I don't know! I might as well dispose the gothic painting.
My life is getting weirder.
This is not the first time I had encounter such dream. Though I am already aware that dreams are weird from the very start and mine isn't an exception to this, I just find this specific dream of mine that has been bothering me lately, excessively vivid. I even once had mistaken them for a real life event.
Shaking the thoughts off my complex, I got up from bed and did some of my daily morning stretches before actually walking downstairs for a bowl of cereals.
My morning is mostly just like this, either waking up from a weird vivid dream — just like today — or being awfully disturbed by office calls. My name is Gin Aiken, twenty-four years old and I work as a chronicle journalist. My life might come out boring to some people, but for me, it is just as how I would wish it to be. I'm not a fan of extraordinary things, or unnecessary life activities, so most of the event of my everyday life is typical and okay — despite the fact that I am a bit popular for some weird reason. I would say that if I were in an adventure movie, I would most likely to die first.
After taking a shower, I got changed into my infamous blue polo shirt with dark yellow tie, black slacks, matched together with my well-polished shoes. I soon then left my apartment and head straight to the subway to proceed to the agency I work at. I have a car as a gift from my uncle but I instead want to transport myself using public trains because why not? I'm building my country.
"Good morning, Aiken-san."
As soon as I stepped into the building, unfamiliar faces of staffs greeted me. I smiled gently, heading straight to the elevator.
Oh did I mention? I might come out as a plain boring guy to you, whoever you are, but I am actually pretty popular – especially to girls. I don't understand why women are mostly attracted to boring men. Oh well, girls are girls. As long as I appear presentable, every girl would want to hop on me.
Being the only person to step inside the elevator, I watch it slowly slide closed as I pressed the ninth floor where my office is located. The elevator then suddenly stopped and opened on the fifth floor, showing an unfamiliar face of a tall, blonde, young lad.
The man looks noticeably shocked to see me – which, I don't know why. I'm sure pretty girls likes me, but I didn't know my charisma works on guys too? But the idea itself, is gross.
He enters the room abruptly and let out a faint cough.
"Aiken-san, if I'm not wrong?"
I didn't bother to look at him, my eyes are fixed on the metal that I hope would open anytime sooner. I hesitated first but I ended up talking to him anyway. "and you are?"
His eyes then visibly twinkle as he grabbed my hand for a handshake. Blinking in confusion, I pulled my hand back.
The weird boy rubbed his nape and chuckled nervously. I made the situation awkward and I'm not sorry for it.
Creep.
"I-I'm sorry. My name is Sou Tanaka. I'm twenty-two, a this year's graduate from Tokyo University! It is my first week here in Yamamoto Company. Please take care of me!" he suddenly bowed before me like I'm a god or something, making me let out a soft, but displeased sigh.
"Raise your head." I commanded, looking at the younger employee. "Yes yes." He says.
"How did you know my name?" I asked. I'm not mostly interested to know how popular I am. But, I remembered the Director telling me to be nice to my younger colleagues, which troublesome, but not that hard to accomplish.
"Director Yamamoto told me wholesome information about you – what you eat, drink, how excellent you are in anything you do and everything! You are more like the role model for us newbies. The Director Yamamoto is so proud of you that he even gave us this thing!" he then pull out a notepad from his bag, with my picture in the front cover.
Okay, I'm used to this. But this is still abnormal.
"That— this is embarrassing. What do you do here?" I simply tried to change the subject.
He shoved his notebook back into his bag, smiling from ear to ear. "Director Yamamoto hired me to be Aiken-san's personal assistant. I was about to head to your office but luckily happened to encounter you here instead! This must be fate. Let's do our best."
The young blonde, Sou smiled. The elevator then soon opened, making his face even more visible against the sunlight. His skin is tanned, and he's a little bit taller than me and the rest of the employers around considering his young age.
There is only one emotion in me right now – annoyed because of the stupid things that Yamamoto has dragged me into, again. This is undoubtedly not the first time that the old man has embarrassed me.
This made me remember the first time I got promoted as an executive journalist. He literally ordered a cake of my face, changed everyones computer into my picture as the wallpaper, and even published an actual book about how outstanding I am.
Sometimes, it sucks to be the favorite when you're getting too much attention that is unnecessary — for me at least. Maybe that's why I am quite famous here because the Director is rubbing it into their faces, manipulating everyone to like me. Some employers even got into conclusion that I might be the director's illegitimate son.
But I am actually his nephew.
Director Yamamoto does not have any children at all, that is probably why I am spoilt. We agreed to each other not to tell anyone about our relation – for me to avoid unwanted attention, but guess what?
Back to reality, I stepped out the elevator and rushed straight into the directors office — leaving the blondie behind taking to himself.
And as expected, I got greeted with women, pulling me towards my special seat and started massaging my shoulder. I glared at the bunch of women and they took a step back. Thank you.
I grunt and grab a pen nearby, throwing it onto the bald director who is peacefully drinking his coffee.
"When will this nonsense stop?"
He grinned happily like a little kid, "My dearest nep—," he stammered. "employee, have you already met your assistant? He's physically strong, having the things that you are lacking. He can be handy time to time, and you're welcome." He nodded to himself, being proud as ever like he just made the best choice in the whole world.
"Are you kidding me? I don't need him." I said bluntly.
"Stop acting like a girl, can you even take care of yourself? You're twenty-four-"
"And I don't need a twenty-two year old boy to take care of me."
"You're twenty-four and you don't even have friends. Who will take care of you when I'm gone? At this point, you should have gotten yourself a girlfriend."
"I don't need that. I can take care of myself."
Sighing in defeat, he rolled his eyes and tosses a folder to me. "How about this, you take him with you to Hokkaido and you decide whether to keep him or not."
Obviously, I will not. I prefer doing tasks by myself, I don't need a helping hand to complete those stuffs for me. I had been successful in my career for years, and I don't need an excess baggage. Having that unexperienced kid by my side would be my downfall.
"Hokkaido?" Catching the tossed item, I opened the folder and inside of it are file reports regarding the case of people suddenly disappearing and nowhere to be seen. I look at him in his eyes, trying to make him spurt some information.
"There's been rumors that people mysteriously disappears around the province of Hokkaido. As far as I know, it has been going on for about months – and the phenomenon remains a solid rumor not until last week." he took a sip on his cup. "More of the citizens dropped out of sights and weird unknown plants emerged from the said area. Scientists are saying that might had been accomplished by aliens – but people wouldn't just buy that kindergarten hypothesis."
My mouth opened like a dumb gold fish. Now this is weird, weirder than his bald head really. And, I don't really know how to respond to it. This must be the oddest report that I have had to investigate.
Alien? You've GOT to be kidding me. Who still believe in them?
I shook the thoughts off my head and stares at the folder that the Director gave me. I nodded, standing up from my seat. "When's this trip to Hokkaido?" I asked.
"Tomorrow."
"Tomorrow? Isn't that too early?"
"No. The entire city will be in lock down for a month or months as far as I heard, so there will only be one express train to travel Hokkaido - we're actually lucky enough to receive these reports earlier than the other agencies."
I have been to many different places already in Japan since my job associated to travelling in order to gather information. A sly smirk curves on my lips, closing the documents and arranging the newspapers back to its folder. What a jock pot is it, I'm so gonna prove to everyone that aliens are nothing but dumb shit made-up idea by scientists to make dumb people amused, and to look up to. I admit that I've been fooled once though, but never again.
I look at the Director with a pleased grunt, "Alright."
I turn around and was about to take my leave when he added, "Take care, and don't forget to take Sou with you. You never disappoint me."
"Hm."
I didn't even bother to bid him a good bye, I just walk straight pass the women, leaving the room with the folder of reports in my hand. As I walk over the crowd of people, I feel a delicate thing bumped onto my arm. I look down to the person, trying to recognize her small appearance. "Ms. Takahashi?"
Michiko Takahashi is the daughter of Migorou Takahashi from Takahashi Agency, just across this very building is Yamamoto's sworn rival. You can say that these two departments are competing for popularity all over Japan.
I stare at the girl suspiciously and held tightly on my folder. As I said, Takahashi and Yamamoto Agencies are fighting for popularity – so stealing reports from one another is nothing out of ordinary.
"Who are you– wait, you know my name?! Holy crap I must tell daddy about this, oh my devil!" with an unreasonable flustered face, she rushed into the elevator, squirming.
What.
"Wah, what was that?" a sudden expected person then appeared on sight. Holding two cups of milkshake in his hands, he handed me the other. Not bothering to even look at the item, I continue to walk away from the people.
I had enough of today's worth of effort. I don't have to stay anymore longer, my business is to get my things ready for tomorrow. Once I get home, I will review this pieces of information I have and get my ass moving. Everything is easy as long as the irrelevant are eliminated. And somehow, there's this one irrelevant thing that I can't eliminate and god knows how much I want to.
"G-Gin-san!" I heard the boy following me, not giving up to give me his cup of milkshake.
I glanced over the blondie. Tanaka? Is he really Japanese? He seems taller than me and looks somehow American. His skin is darker than the usual Japanese boys around and he have an extraordinary dark blue orbs, slightly being covered by his light locks.
To be honest, I don't necessarily have to hire an assistant. I can do whatever things on my own – better than a team can. I never had friend and I never wish to have one, my life is already troublesome.
I sighed, halting from my tracks.
"7:50 am, Hokkaido Station. Don't be late or you're fired."
—
Hey, to anyone who's reading this! Thank you much for checking out. I had actually published this on my other account, although, I forgot my account in formation and ended up making another one. I just checked it out and I was surprised that it got reads! Please tell me how you feel about the story, I'll try my best for you guys to like it! <3