A gentle breeze passed by as a slight chill crawled on the little autumn's skin. Moonlight shone through their figures, emitting some form of etherealness. It was a night full of mysteries – a night where everything finally began to move forward.
It was the night when the gears finally started to move again.
Yuzuru Aki, a 22-year-old gal, suddenly found herself at the mercy of a certain police officer and tried her best to act like an ignorant lady who roams around the streets at night. There are a lot of possible ways to escape from this scenario, but because he discovered her even though she barely made a sound, this man has already proved that he will be a bit troublesome to handle.
So, before she acts, the little autumn must wisely choose her next words. Should she act like an ignorant lady who doesn't know what time it is, or a curious one who wanted to see the crimes that were currently happening?
'How bothersome,' Aki thought to herself just as she lowered her hand down, noticing that Officer Ain's hand also became relaxed.
But before the little autumn could open her mouth and speak just to remove the tension that might form due to their silence, Officer Ain must have coincidentally thought the same thing. A few seconds was all it took for him to reply. "Yes. The moon is lovely to look at. Though I suggest rephrasing that statement to avoid misunderstanding."
Confused, the little autumn then tilted her head. "Misunderstanding?"
"I-I mean-" Noticing the crack in his character, who was about to threaten her with a gun earlier, the little autumn suddenly found herself curious as to how quickly he was changing the aura he emits. Now he suddenly looked like a man who has trouble speaking to women. "You're a girl! How could you not know what it means?!"
"…"
Sighing, Yuzuru Aki replied. "Being a girl doesn't mean that I should know what those lines indicate. And being a man doesn't mean that you shouldn't know it too."
Blinking, Officer Ain shifted from where he was standing and embarrassingly placed a hand behind his head. "Ahaha, I guess you're right. I apologize if that offended you."
"None taken." The little autumn chuckled, but quickly added, "But now I'm curious. What does it mean?"
"Ah… I mean…" Gulping, Officer Ain took a step back. But before Aki could push through with this discussion, he cried out. "Enough about this! Miss, why are you not at home? Our presence in your café should have been enough to make you realize how unsafe it is to go outside."
'And there goes my plan.' Aki thought to herself while taking a step back to hide her disappointment. 'Option one it is.'
"I needed some fresh air and decided to take a detour on my way to the convenience store," Aki answered, sweat crawling down her back. Her eyes then wandered to check his expression, noticing his hazel-colored eyes boring into her dull ones, forcing her to look away. "I apologize for my ignorance, Officer. Can you let me off just this once?"
After a few seconds of silence, he then sighed, successfully bringing back the little autumn's gaze on his figure. With his blonde hair tied, unlike his earlier hairstyle, and an expression that shows who he is and what power he holds, it was at that moment that the little autumn thought of how police-like he currently looked.
Officer Ain then directed his flashlight to the opposite side of the road and mumbled, "Well, I can't let you off by yourself now, can I? Come on, I'll take you to your home."
"…" With no other choice but to follow him and postpone her night patrol – yet again – Aki dejectedly nodded her head while taking a step forward to catch up with Police Officer Ain.
'Another night, another chance lost.' Aki inwardly sighed, wishing nothing more than to smack herself due to her carelessness of being discovered.
Once again, they found themselves unable to speak, not knowing what to say and what to ask. For the little autumn, who doesn't know how social networking and interactions work, it's already considered acceptable to act in such a way. But for Officer Ain who practically works in a career that requires proper communication with the citizens, the way he acts compared to Lieutenant Rainer is… kind of weird.
'He's more or less like a rookie, of some sort.' Yuzuru Aki couldn't help but wonder while giving the said police officer a side glance.
An act that he immediately notices, surprising the little autumn once again. "If my guess is right, are you wondering if I'm a newbie compared to Lieutenant Rainer?"
Perceiving her widened look, Officer Ain laughs before continuing his statement. "To be honest, I just graduated from the police academy a few months ago. So, yeah I'm still inexperienced compared to him."
Raising her eyebrows just when they reached 46th Street, Yuzuru Aki spoke. "Inexperienced, yes… but you have good instincts."
"Instincts… huh." Officer Ain then lowered his head and mumbled his next words. "Must be because of the genes."
'Genes?' They walked for a few more steps as Aki waited for him to explain what he meant by those words. But when he didn't, she had no choice but to ask. "What about your genes?"
"…" Officer Ain purses his lips, contemplating whether or not he'll spill the beans. It took him a couple more steps, just a few meters away from 47th Street, before replying. "I haven't introduced myself, haven't I?"
"Huh?" Unexpectedly, that random question made her head turn just to gaze at his amber-colored eyes. Now that she thinks about it, the only officer who gave an introduction at their café was Lieutenant Rainer. So, yes… "You haven't."
Upon nodding his head, he continued. "My name is Daniel Ain Clyde, a newly appointed police officer that would serve as Police Lieutenant Rainer's support. Nice to meet you, miss?"
"Aki." The little autumn continued, just as she realized what his surname meant. "Clyde? Are you related to the current Police Chief?"
"Ah…" Disappointed, Officer Ain pouts. "So, you do know him. Bummer. Being the son of someone like him puts a lot of pressure on me."
He then continued to talk about how his professors in the police academy would always expect him not to fail a subject, and to excel given that he's the son of Mr. Baldur Clyde, the current Chief of Police ever since the Republic of Veto was established.
But Yuzuru Aki failed to comprehend a single thing that came out of his mouth ever since the Police Chief was mentioned. She can still vividly remember it, his warm and calloused hand that was able to pull them away from their hellish reality, the only man that managed to provide food and shelter to the Numbered that were able to escape.
Their benefactor.
He became her only reason as to why she fully doesn't resent the police force. He single-handedly changed their whole perspective and biased opinions.
He, whose eyes immediately became moist after seeing them locked up in their cells that day, is the only man she could fully trust in their department.
That's why upon learning that he has a child, something within the little autumn finally clicked.
Maybe… just maybe… his family was the reason why he was able to embrace their wounded and stained bodies, treating them as if they were something precious to hold.
"Are you still listening?" Officer Ain's voice eventually broke the little autumn's stupor as his amber-colored eyes immediately locked onto hers. It was a different color, compared to that man, so Officer Ain must have gotten it from his mother. "You didn't hear anything I just said, did you?"
'Ah.' A second was all it took for Aki to realize that the police officer had stopped walking just to lean forward and gaze at her clouded eyes. Knowing that she was busted, the little autumn lowered her gaze and sheepishly smiled. "Sorry. I got lost in thought."
"Thought so." Shrugging in defeat, he then proceeded to walk once more with the little autumn in tow. "That bastard also doesn't listen to what I'm saying. Though he's much worse, I can guarantee you that."
Tilting her head, Aki asked. "Are you referring to Lieutenant Rainer?"
Groaning, Officer Ain then pointed at her and cried out. "Yes! That ignorant superior of mine is so troublesome to work with!"
"…"
Eyes filled with pity, Aki commended Officer Ain's endurance.
But just when he was about to badmouth his superior even further, a certain sound came out of his walkie-talkie, successfully claiming both of their attention.
"Speak of the devil." Officer Ain mumbles under his breath before turning his gadget on. "Ain here. Is something wrong?"
The frequency that came out of his gadget suddenly gave an ominous feeling, something that made the little autumn feel shivers crawling down her spine. She doesn't want to acknowledge it, or even hear its next words, but upon hearing his voice - his announcement - it was too late.
"Trouble at 49th Street." The voice of Lieutenant Rainer and his statement weren't hard to comprehend. Understanding what he meant by that only increased the static that was forming inside the little autumn's head. She didn't want to hear it, she doesn't want to know where exactly it occurred.
But for the sake of ensuring 'her' safety, Yuzuru Aki must endure.
An act that ultimately led her to sprint, as Lieutenant Rainer's voice continued to echo inside her head. Hearing such a statement from his monotonous and uninterested voice made the static even louder, as she sprinted away from the man who continued to call her name.
"Miss Aki!" Officer Ain cries out, sprinting along with the little autumn. "Please slow down!"
'Slow down?' The little autumn scoffed while taking another turn to reach 48th Street. "I can't!"
Not after hearing those words.
Those very words would soon cause the little autumn to despair, wanting nothing more than to wreak havoc and chaos.
"The cafe we were at earlier was found to have been raided." His voice once again repeated inside the little autumn's head just when she jumped over an abandoned box that was located at the side of the road. "There's a high chance that the escapee did it, especially after he encountered the cafe's owner a few nights ago."
'He knew…' The little autumn thought, gritting her teeth from frustration. 'They fucking knew… and made us look like fools!'
And just when she was about to reach their home street, a sudden light captured her attention, eyes gazing at a speeding car just a few meters away.
But before she could avoid it, a heavy and large body collided with hers, bringing both of them down on the other side of the road.
"Miss Aki! Are you all right?!" Officer Ain's voice had finally registered in Aki's head, forcing her to look up and witness the growing wound on his elbow. "Just… just calm down first. Okay? We'll get you through this-"
Annoyed, pissed, and full of despair, the little autumn finally cried out. "No, you can't!"
'None of you can't.'
As adrenaline forced her to stand and continue running, a certain hand of a police officer suddenly reached and grabbed her wrist, forcing her to hiss from pain.
"You're hurt!" Officer Ain emphasizes this by making her feel the wounds she had just attained. "Your friend is safe at our precinct. Miss… you must calm yourself!"
"And I fucking told you that I can't!" Her vision eventually began to blur, making her slump on the ground, both feeling utterly useless and out of hope. "I have… I have to see her, our home, our… haven. If I can't, then I'll-"
'Lose it.' Yuzuru Aki then closes her eyes, cursing at how cruel fate is towards their lives.
*****