I woke up in the morning, not with the sunlight hitting my face, but with a subtle knock on the door instead.
"Yes?"
"Rumis, breakfast's ready." Aunt informed from the other side of the door.
"I'll be down there in a few minutes." I quickly jumped out of bed and went to take a shower.
I don't remember when was the last time I had slept so late and took so long to take a shower. But, the night wasn't comfortable at all. I was already missing my own bed. Weirdly enough, I was home sick already, even though, it had been less than 24 hours since I landed in Brecei.
I took out a white t-shirt and blue jeans to wear.
This should be casual enough, right? Or do I have to go around looking like a fool to feel 'casual'?
I quickly made my way down the stairs to the breakfast table, setting my hair back from my face with my hands in the process.
"Good morning!" Abbigail beamed a smile at me.
"Good morning." I replied with a subtle smile. I didn't want her to get the wrong idea, but I wanted to make it clear for her that I wasn't interested in her.
Emery, quietly and efficiently set the table up, before Aunt settled down herself and I had a feeling she feared her. That was why her breath almost hitched whenever Aunt walked past her.
"So, What are you going to do today?" She asked me as she started eating her breakfast. "I mean, what are your plans for your trip to our beautiful country?" Aunt had a way of asking what she wanted in the most kindest way possible. What she really meant here was: When are you leaving? Or do you plan on staying at my house forever?
I forced a smile on my face, trying to think of the right words to reply to her.
"I'm actually here on a business VISA. I'm here to start a job or business anew. I've left everything behind and I am here to start my own career. So that I can forget about my past."
"So you're saying you've left my sister alone in Japan?" She asked, here tone sounding slightly judgemental as her grey eyes, the same color as mother's eyes, raked over my face.
"She was the one who sent me here, actually." I gave her a wry smile. "I am here to start a job. Soon, I will rent an apartment or maybe even buy it, for temporary residence. Then, I shall look into permanent residency."
Oh god! I was speaking formally again. Too formal. It was almost sounding like I was reading a lesson in class.
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We got off the bus, and infront of me was the huge beautiful building that I had heard so much of, The Desicles Hunting Organization.
We. Yes, we. I ended up coming to Emery's work place with her. I had nowhere else to go to today. And who knows, I may end up joining the DHO. But for now, I was just here to have a look around.
"This is our DHO." She said once I was done trying to get my breath back after that compact, and sweaty public ride.
"This is the headquarters?"
"No. The real headquarters is elsewhere. This is a dummy building where D.hunters wait until they get their new mission." She explained as we stepped infront of the gates and she put her I'D in front of the scanner. There was a long beep and the scanner turned green. That was when the gates opened.
Such security even for a dummy building?
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Emery led me to her office and as soon as she opened the door, I saw the chaos behind it.
A girl, with a hijab, probably Indian, swinging in a chair. A boy, almost my age, stood infront of the floor to ceiling window, cursing someone in... Italian? And another girl, sitting on the couch, crying as she held her phone.
"Guys." It took her a single word to make everyone quiet.
"HI!" The girl swinging in her chair quickly jumped up and waved.
"Who's that?" The other girl who was crying just a moment ago was now looking at me like I was a threat to them and what I just saw.
"He's the boy I mentioned yesterday. If you remember."
"Ohhhh, That boy!" The Indian girl said, looking a little too happy at the realization. But it took Emery a single death glare to shut them all up, then turned to me.
"You're not welcome here unless you're a D.hunter. So, either you go and apply to join the DHO, or leave." She said as if she was expecting me to leave right then.
"Care to explain how do I apply for a job here?" I replied, mimicking her cold tone.
Just then, the boy who was cursing someone on his phone stepped forward.
"You really need to learn how to talk to women." He flashed a smile at me as if we weren't strangers at all. "Alexis." He reached out a hand, I took it and shook his hand with all my force, but he didn't budge.
"Rumis Alexander." I did not so much as smile before turning around to leave. I had no need to stay here.
"I'll show you around and I might even teach you the manners required to talk to women, specially these three women." He nodded his head towards the girls behind him and smiled.
Something in my jaw twitched. No one ever told me what to do or what not, neither did anyone have the courage to teach me something because it reminded me of him. I wanted to punch myself for reminding myself of father again because my sole purpose to come here was to forget about him.
Surprisingly enough, he slipped through the small space that was left while I stood in the doorway and lazyly started walking infront of me and led me to the cafeteria, his slow smile unwavering.
Alexis. So you're up for becoming my next rival, huh? We'll see.