"Let's start the meeting then,"
The never heard phrases started wrapping my throat from those freshly printed sheets on the huge table. For the matter, we were only 6 members to discover ourselves on the table with these documents wetting up by the off matters we were yet to hold on.
"There's a news story that aired in the headquarters a night ago that says that two professional ritual performers in Japan had been detected killing people with artistic rituals. This art has been done for 3 years now. There have been more than 30,000 people's deaths in 3 years and the similar affair comes out that they all allotted a ritual performance in their homes."
As he kept this marker on the glass table, thousands of thoughts began knocking on my head. I was so puzzled at finding myself being a bit prosaic at this current matter. Something just like this, I wasn't waiting to hear though. And then Mr. White's jaw line moved,
"Japan's undercover agency wants to hire you all to investigate this case and save their country from false rumours. Everyone will be given their targeted locations to investigate."
For the last time, he took a good glance at his guys and walked out of the meeting. Those documents laying in front of us were meant to stay with us through the investigation, that is all he meant from the first. I took a hold of my documents and gave a push to the chair to lift myself up to lead me a way out of this suffocating atmosphere but then a hard handheld on my wrist very gently that I left in puzzled,
"Moon, I want you to stay in this group discussion."
"All are given their separate location to pay their duty so there's no point in making a group discussion, Chai."
"I can understand what you mean by this but –"
"I'm ok without being a part of this."
He immediately loosened his hold and at the drop of a hat – I took a first departure. As the room closed gradually, I felt a sudden push behind me of being left alone once again but it doesn't make any sense, Moon. It was your own decision. You can't blame others for your false statements, after all, it was my choice.
"Agent Moon, Mr. White wants to meet you. He's in his office."
Looking at Mr. White's assistant I was only able to give a short nod. I have no idea why he called me separately. Or did those people complain about me for not cooperating with them? It's not possible for me to assume anything without specific knowledge. Sigh..
I immediately dashed inside without any respectful knock and grabbed myself a chair to sit with my criss-cross legs. "Why did you look for me?"
"Sigh… Is this the way you treat your boss, Moon?"
"It's alright, Assistant Jelly. I'm used to her stiffness." Mr. White said, calming his assistant.
He then took a seat and handed me an old envelope. It's a bit dusty. "What is this, Mr. White?"
I just made a procedure to open it when he started giving his statements. "Pictures of Yeran and her new boyfriend, Carl Edwin."
"I see." It's not something I'm not aware of. This thing threw me into such a deep consciousness but now, I just accepted the bitter truth.
I could see their pictures of being happy and healthy. So the relationship is going healthy and wealthy, huh? I pushed all those pictures back into the envelope and slid it towards Mr. White as he was already doing goal keeping with his hand.
"So, what's my work?"
"I gotta know that they both are living in Japan. So, I want you to keep an eye on them. If there's anything suspicious, just inform me. I need their every single whereabouts."
"Are you trying to interfere in her private life? You should stop this nonsense, Mr. White. She had the right to love the person she likes and eventually, live with him."
"I know what I'm doing, Moon! This is all for her good sake! –"
"I don't think so. I'm not going to do this, Mr. White. I apologise."
"Hey, Moon! Wait! I said wait!"
It's obvious that I didn't listen to him and walked out of the bureau. But this is not right, if not me he will hire someone else to investigate in Yeran's private life. This old man is seriously good-for-nothing! Tsk! I only not have to investigate on my given location but also suspect all those interrogators who are assigned in this mission to find that one frog who was specifically hired by Mr. White. What a multi task is this?! Sigh!
We were all supposed to fly to Japan the following day. But there's a condition, we aren't supposed to fly to Japan by ourselves which might trigger the suspects. We are recommended to find our way by self knowledge. So here I'm, preparing to convey Uncle Ren to take me to Kyoto, the place where his parents are surviving and my so-called Step-grandparents, though. And the place fortunately assigned to me was also Kyoto.
By this, I can conclude my planning is almost on accomplishment –
A knock on the door? My head turned towards my wrist watch – at midnight? There's something I feel off about this unexpected knock at this time… the person against the other side might not be pulled here with good intentions. What if it was none but… Taeng?
On light toes, I stepped towards the door and peeped out of the peephole – Huh? I was horrified to see an eyeball rotating in a symmetrical position. I gasped and a scream escaped out of my mouth. I immediately covered my mouth. My eyes were trembling and my heart was racing.
W-W-What was that? A monster? So creepy! So creepy! So creepy!
"Hey, Moon? Are you alright? It's me, Chai."
Chai? I wasn't able to believe him. I attempted to have another glance through the peephole and to my surprise it was – Chai? But before… Am I hallucinating? Sigh… seems to be.
"Sorry to make you wait, Chai. Get in."
"Thank you, Moon."
I walked to the kitchen corner just to begin stirring the coffee. While at work, I popped a question unexpectedly, "What brought you here at this time, Chai?"
"I was just worried about you, Moon…,"
Worried? A flash of beam spotted on my lips and I continued to listen to his rest of the statements. "Since I came here, I have found gaps between you and the team members. I don't know what happened so I came here to talk to you separately."
You've such a good-heart, Chai. With a genuine smile, I handed over the cup of coffee to him and grabbed my chair to place myself. "There's nothing like that, Chai. It's all the pressure of continued missions given to us."
"I remember we weren't given any kind of missions for the past 3 months, Moon. Stop beating behind the bush now."
Sorry I can't reveal the truth unless you find it yourself, Chai – only if you're curious.
"Stop thinking about it, Chai. Everything will become normal after all we are friends."
Only if this lie could come true. How can strangers become friends? Friends to strangers might be hard yet it could take its formation but it's rarely possible to see those strangers turning into friends once again after leaving behind all their ego. My friend, that's a twelfth of never. Maybe that chance will never come where we will be together for once in the end.
"Ah, that sounds right though."
"Yes," I stood up to increase the room temperature as it felt a bit down. "Have you decided how to reach your destination yet, Chai?"
Laying the coffee cup on the study table, he stated, "I might visit my destination with my girlfriend, Moon. It's just a thought yet to be implemented."
"Man, you got a girlfriend you haven't announced yet!"
I nudged him with a smirk and he made up a denial exhale. "You're sure prepared to tease me, huh?"
"You had hit the nail on the head, Dude!"
"I knew you well, Moon."
"You sure do. Be prepared, I'm not gonna pull your leg."
"Hey – you!"
"Haha-haha!"
...
As I stepped into the house of my Uncle Ren's parents a vigorous spell of chemicals hit me harder to bear it any longer. I forced myself to step back and covered half of my face with my cold palm. Wh-What smell is this?! From inside, their house was as ordinary as everyone's but this smell – that's something I never experienced before!
Wait – smell… gone away itself. I heard some generator noise rising around me. When I turned behind I saw a ventilator pushing the whole smell out of the house. It's something to call a bed of roses now. I removed my palm and began scrutinising the whole room when I noticed two aged people dressed in Japanese traditional wear, walking towards us with gorgeous smiles on their wrinkled faces.
"Oh, Tsuki-chan! It's the first time you visited us! I'm so happy, Tsuki-chan."
Huh? Tsuki-chan? What does she mean by that address? She was speaking in pure Japanese, though I understand their language. I wasn't able to figure out her address towards me.
I immediately looked at Uncle Ren who was already looking at me, said, "She is addressing you in her native language, Moon."
Oh. I see. "My greetings, Mr. & Mrs. Kiyoko." As I stated that I immediately gave them a perfect bow and looked forward. I-It suddenly seems awkward… all were shortly remained quiet and looked at me awkwardly. Did I say anything wrong?
"Moon, you were supposed to address them 'Grandparents' not 'Mr & Mrs. Kiyoko'."
He immediately held my head and made me bow with his statement, "I'm sorry on my daughter's behalf, Mom and Dad."
"Ah-haha, that's fine, Honey." I can see uncomfortability in their sheepish smiles. Sigh…
"Why did you even bring me here?" I whispered.
"You were the one insisting on coming here. Forgot?"
"Ah…, right."