Chereads / The Withering Cold / Chapter 5 - 5) "That Man and Woman"

Chapter 5 - 5) "That Man and Woman"

The morning rays of sunrise hit Hikaru's face, causing the face to brighten up. Hikaru's face contracts at the annoyance and he turns his back away towards the sunlight.

Hikaru was sleeping ever so soundly on his mattress, the blankets curled up to his chest..

"BA RING! RING! BA RING!"

The alarm clock rings loudly, causing Hikaru to panic and fall over his bedside, hurting his back.

"Ow..." Hikaru groans to himself in tiredness.

"H-huh? W-what happened? Last thing I remember was back up arriving in that sinkhole..." Hikaru says as he stands up, brushing the dust off his clothes.

Hikaru's eyes take a quick glance in the mirror and he sees a mark near his neck.

Hikaru panics and he quickly unbuttons his shirt and sees a long scar dragging down from neck to his navel... He puts his hand on his chest and traces it down to his navel.

"He really did a number on me...", Hikaru remembers last night's fight against Sora and that finishing slash, which still caused a burning sensation abiet tiny bit.

"It's fine ... At least a Special Agent saw me! I hope I get promoted!" Hikaru yells in determination clenching his fist and looking up at the clock.

The time was 8:30 AM, a few minutes until the Literature lecture in the University.

Hikaru's eyes dilate and he immediately starts packing his desk, sliding all the material on the desk in his bag frantically and he began wearing a white shirt and gray pants, still a bit unironed...

Hikaru grabs a nearby can of energy drink in a rush and starts to get ready to make a run for the university by wearing his shoes without sitting down.

"Darn it! I didn't finish my essay... Professor Hasuke will KILL ME!" Hikaru thinks to himself while being nervous and imagining a scenario where Professor Hasuke would punch him.

Hasuke opens his apartment door and closes it in a hurry and begins running down the stairs of the complex as he chugs down the cherry energy drink in a hurry.

When Hikaru arrives at the ground and is on the streets, he finished up his drink and finds a nearby garbage collection space and he makes a trick shot, like a basketball athlete would by jumping and throwing the can in.

Hikaru then makes a dash for the university by going all out in his running speed.. Hikaru was clearly scared of what would happen to his PPA career if he was kicked out of the bachelor's programme.

In a few minutes, Hikaru arrived at the local University... It was laden with red bricks, a black royal gate Infront and the University was mostly a story tall, but large in it's surface area. The current weather was making the red brick castle feel like something out of a horror movie, adding tone to the melancholic situation Hikaru is in.

"Come on! Come on! I'm not late! Yes! I just hope he doesn't notice!" Hikaru thinks to himself, running around the university before reaching the lecture room.

Hikaru slowly opens the door...

Inside the lecture room, the room was dark in order to accommodate the projection of a literature video on the board. Professor Hasuke was looking at the whiteboard whilst standing, his arms folded. There were papers on his desk, probably the assignment Hikaru was supposed to be doing last night.

Hikaru tip toes in the room and before he can do anything, a marker comes straight at his face, Hikaru dodges and the marker hits the switch, turning on the room lights.

"Ahem...", Hasuke says looking at Hikaru with his dark black eyes.

Hasuke a very tall middle aged man, though he looked fresh out of university. He had a few freckles on his cheeks and he had short eyebrow length straight hair, flowing all over his head. Hasuke's biggest feature was his massive broad shoulders, a very thin waist, big biceps and triceps and an overall well built physique. Probably decades of hard work. He is considered an attractive man by many peers and students.

"Mr Hikaru Shimo, you're late... Again..." Hasuke says in a semi-stern tone.

"I-um I-"

"No excuses. Please." Hasuke interrupts Hikaru who was already shaking.

Hasuke walks upto Hikaru and holds his cheeks firmly with his hand under Hikaru's chin and his fingers on Hikaru's cheeks.

"I hope you completed you assignment..." Hasuke says as he motions one of his hands which called for the sheet of paper on his hand.

Hikaru giggles a bit awkwardly

"Uhh, it might seem crazy what I'm about to say..." Hikaru says sheepishly while still in Hasuke's hold.

The students jeer at Hikaru's excuse.

"What is it, son?" Hasuke asks, a bit intrigued.

"I fought a Demogorgon and fell in a hole and fought some blond Jesus looking guy and a guy from the Marvel Comics came in and saved me?" Hikaru says in an awkward way, making him question his own answer.

Hasuke looks puzzled and a bit irritated and he scoffs at the answer.

"You expect me to believe you, Hikaru? Really?" Hasuke says walking backwards from Hikaru, a bit disappointed at the child.

The entire class erupts in laughter as they jeer Hikaru again.

"You, young man... Me and you here in this room after class... Don't you dare leave." Hasuke says smirking at Hikaru.

Hikaru gulps at his incoming doom and sits down sheepishly into his chair, pinching his arm.

*After Class*

Fourty five minutes passed by and every student had left the lecture room, laughing amongst themselves... Only Hasuke and Hikaru stayed back

Hasuke sits on his desk, opening up his legs, placing his elbows on his laps, and crossing his fingers.

"Well?" Hikaru asks confused.

"Mind explaining me that so called fights you had?" Hasuke asks, his forehead on his crossed fingered hands.

"Well, y-you see... I'm a PPA-"

"No shit." Hasuke interrupts Hikaru and immediately walks over to him.

"You are a PPA Agent?" Hasuke asks astonished at the revealation.

"Yeah, I am... What's wrong?" Hikaru asks puzzled at the astonishment of Hasuke's.

Hasuke places his hand on his waist.

"Heh, just as I thought... You were just trying to just pass the programme just so you can be quickly qualified for a Senior Agent position... I could see that from your lack of motivation... And I never thought I'd meet myself up again with the PPA..." Hasuke says folding his arms again.

Hikaru looks back up at Hasuke in a surprise.

"Y-you just read me... All up ..." Hikaru stutters while saying those words.

"Yeah, I know it all. Don't worry about the assignment or anything. I can let this one pass... You saved a life back there, right?" Hasuke says whilst ruffling Hikaru's hairs in a comforting manner.

"You may leave now... I think your actions yesterday might have gotten the attention of the higher ups... You got a chance at this, Hikaru...", Hasuke says as he puts his hand on Hikaru's cheek.

Hikaru immediately embraces the comfort and becomes cheerful again.

"I- uh have a question, professor..." Hikaru asks.

"What is it?", Hasuke responds in a calm tone.

"How do you know about the PPA?", Hikaru asks, tilting his head.

Hasuke is taken aback a bit, but he immediately smiles and says:

"That's because I was once an agent too ... But..."

Hasuke looks at the whiteboard.

Hasuke continues: "I chose to retire... To teach the upcoming generation... I'm content with my decision."

Hasuke smiles after revealing the truth.

Hikaru looks up at awe at Professor Hasuke.

"You gotta teach me some tricks and powers as my teacher!" Hikaru says as he jumps around in excitement

"Heh... Sure, whenever I'm free from work or my wife...", Hasuke says as he leans against the desk.

"You may go now.", Hasuke says waving to Hikaru.

"Sure, thanks, professor!", Hikaru replies ecstatically as he grabs his bags and leaves.

Hikaru runs out of the classroom with excitement and shuts the door. Meanwhile, Hasuke turns around and starts collecting the assignment sheets from his desk, packing it all up for him to return back to the staff room.

Suddenly, the lectureroom door opens...

"Huh?", Hasuke thinks to himself as he looks back.

A tall woman, around the height of Hasuke's, probably shorter a bit, paled skinned, white haired with pinkish magenta streaks walks in.

She was wearing denim gray jeans, a black turtleneck and sunglasses. She had almost an hourglass figure, but it seems her clothes didn't reveal the curves that much.

"Y-yoru?", Hasuke exclaims as his pupils dilate, surprised at the appearance of this woman.

Yoru removes her sunglasses...

"Hasuke Reiji, it's been a while... Let's talk.", Yoru says as she extends her arm towards Hasuke...

*Chapter 4, end*

*People's Protection Agency Arc start*