It's been two weeks since Yui stopped going to school. She is currently skimming through a newspaper for adverts on schools that do not require final exams to be considered for admission. She stops when she finally sees one but it's a culinary school. She sighs as she copies important details from the page into her notebook. At this rate, all her efforts in finding a good school will end up fruitless. Maybe she'll ask Fusae when she returns, she concludes.
*
Fusae walks up to the door of her boss's office and knocks. She is dressed in a suit and has a pair of square glasses on as a disguise. She pushes the door open and walks in.
"You called for me, sir?"
"Yes," he affirms. He is sitting behind his desk and casually appending his signature to some documents. "I want to introduce you to someone. He'll be taking up your current mission."
Fusae is dumbfounded by his statement. She has been working for him for over two years and never has anyone been assigned a mission she was in charge of.
"Your client wants you replaced. I want to believe you did not mess up in any way." Before she can argue, he picks up the receiver on his desk. "Send him in!"
Her supposed replacement steps in and all of Fusae's emotions of confusion and helplessness gets substituted with rage.
"What do you think you are doing?" She takes a step forward threateningly. Asahi ignores her and walks to the front of the desk.
"Good morning! Asahi Sato at your service!" Fusae scoffs as he makes a bow.
"Welcome on board, Asahi! This is Fusae Nakano and she will be briefing you on your mission."
"Good morning! Nice to be of acquaintance."
As soon as they step out of the office, she grabs him by the arm.
"Haven't you ruined my life enough?"
He picks her hand effortlessly and lets it drop to her side.
"I'm sorry for appearing in front of you when you least expected it but I have a life to live."
"So now, you think your life has some worth, don't you?" she scoffs.
Asahi sighs and rubs the space between his eyebrows. She will not make this easy for him.
"I think every life is full of worth," he counters.
"You don't have the right to be happy after what you did," she remarks.
"You should worry about your happiness not mine," he says. She falls silent.
"How is Yui these days?" he asks.
"How dare you?" She raises her palm to strike him but he catches it.
"Your sister was at the Yama bridge two weeks ago." Colour drains from Fusae's face.
"And she sure didn't come to enjoy the view of the ocean."
A shiver runs down her spine. "Let's talk elsewhere." Her voice is quieter and colder.
He obliges and they step outside the office building.
"I understand you get busy with your mission but you should spend time with your sister."
Fusae glares at him.
"You shouldn't ruin your future because of what happened in the past," he says.
She is silent and Asahi frowns when he doesn't hear a comeback from her.
"I have to go now," she says quietly. She walks past him slightly brushing her shoulder against his. His hand collides with her bag but she doesn't stop neither does she apologize. He watches as she reaches the main entrance of the building and makes her way out. He sighs and starts to head inwards when he notices an envelope on the floor.
'She must have dropped it by mistake.'
He rushes after her. She is navigating her way through the parking area right outside the building. She is about to open her car using the remote control when she hears him call her name. She stops and turns around to see him approaching her while waving an envelope.
She rummages through her bag and realizes it is hers and has probably fallen without her knowing.
"You dropped this," Asahi says as he halts in front of her.
"Thank you!" She says with a light smile. "It's a surprise for Yui," she explains and he listens. "I want her to go and study in a foreign country. She just needs to do the interview at the embassy."
Asahi is unsure of what to say seeing that she has decided to share such a piece of information with him.
Fusae rolls her eyes. "Of course you won't understand." He stretches the envelope to her but instead of collecting it, she pushes it back to him. "Can you do me a favour and mail this to my address?" He gives a nod and doesn't argue with her.
"Thanks," she says. She is about walking to her car when she suddenly remembers something.
"Is there a reason I'm being replaced?" she asks. Asahi hesitates, worry lacing his features. He isn't sure he wants to divulge that piece of information to her.
"Why do you think?" he asks cheekily.
"Nevermind!" she sticks her chin up and storms off.
Asahi takes a quick look at the envelope and begins to walk in the other direction. He is contemplating taking one last look at Fusae when a sudden explosion is heard, sending him flying few metres away.
•••
Yui goes downstairs to check the mailbox for any mail. She is a bit elated when she sees one addressed to their house. She retrieves it only to find an unfamiliar logo on the seal.
"GBA?" she narrows her eyes as she tries to recall where she has seen it. Suddenly, it clicks to her.
"Gloss Bodyguard Academy!" She remembers seeing it in yesterday's paper. She rushes back upstairs and starts to look for the page in the paper. There is a call for application on the page and Yui remembers she intentionally did not apply for it. So, how did a letter find its way to her?
Strangely, there is no details at the back of the envelope which is s odd because a name and an address ought to be on it. Similarly, a letter can not be posted without an address.
Yui ignores the tingling feeling in her stomach as she
breaks the seal.
The words are boldly handwritten in ink.
FUSAE,
BE CAREFUL