After Nemuri said goodbye to Kai, she headed towards the Iron Palm agency building, where the guards immediately recognized her and allowed her to enter without any questions.
"Important guests will be arriving, so please escort them to the conference room."
"Understood."
As she passed the guards, Nemuri spoke in a professional tone, to which the guards quickly responded similarly. She proceeded into the building, passing through an elegant and minimalist reception area, and swiftly reached the elevators.
Nemuri took the elevator up and entered the large, elegant conference room. She turned on a modern coffee machine and tidied up the place to accommodate her guests, who began arriving shortly thereafter, quietly taking their seats after a cordial greeting.
An hour and a half later, the six guests arrived, along with an unexpected addition. Seated from right to left at the conference table were: UA Academy's principal, Nezu; one of Japan's top professional heroes, Best Jeanist; the semi-retired legend, Gran Torino; the professional hero, Eraserhead; the renowned fashion designer, Yumiko Hado; and the major shareholder and acclaimed genius inventor from one of the world's leading tech firms, Keiko Yaoyorozu.
Lastly, but certainly not least, at the head of the table was the unexpected presence of the living legend, the undisputed number one hero in Japan, and probably the world, the symbol of peace, All Might.
Nemuri nearly jumped in surprise upon seeing All Might, as she knew he was acquainted with both Jiro-san and Alisa-san but had no way to contact him. It was a complete surprise to see him there. However, maintaining her composure, Nemuri quickly served drinks to the guests, as there was no staff available to assist her.
"Well, Midnight, I'd like you to tell me why you called us all here so urgently. You mentioned it was an Iron Palm summons to share important information, but I don't see him anywhere."
The speaker was a small anthropomorphic individual with features resembling a mouse, a dog, and a bear, a unique case where a "Quirk" developed in an animal—the principal of the Hero Academy, Nezu.
Nezu voiced the concerns visible in the expressions of everyone present, except for All Might, who unusually remained silent with a somewhat solemn expression beneath his characteristic heroic smile.
"First of all, I apologize for lying to you, but I considered it necessary to maintain the utmost discretion about the information I am about to share." Nemuri closed her eyes and took a deep breath before continuing. "Jiro Saito, or Iron Palm, his wife, Alisa Saito, and their young son were attacked during their vacation, and unfortunately, the only survivor of the incident was their five-year-old son."
"What?!!"
"How?!!"
"Impossible!!"
Voices filled with disbelief echoed through the room, with everyone visibly disturbed. Some tried to determine if Nemuri was lying, while others, especially the two other women in the room, seemed absolutely shocked and unable to believe what they were hearing.
"Everyone, please calm down."
Suddenly, All Might's strong and magnetic voice was heard in the room, causing everyone to look at him and silence to reign. He then asked in a solemn tone, to which Nemuri responded with a voice filled with sadness and reluctance.
"I'd like to ask if this has been confirmed, Midnight."
"Yes... the bodies of Alisa-san and Jiro-san have been recovered from the scene."
"I see..."
In response to Nemuri, All Might could only reply softly, with countless emotions repressed in his chest. Meanwhile, Principal Nezu asked in a serious tone, setting aside his usual playful demeanor.
"I'd also like you to provide more details about what happened."
"It's a bit complicated to do so at this moment, as the case is still under investigation. I don't dare speak carelessly, but it's being investigated by Police Chief Tsuragamae Kenji."
"I understand."
"When will the funeral take place?" Best Jeanist asked in an elegant tone, although it was evident that he was not as composed as he appeared.
"That's another reason I've called you here. The funeral will be held tonight, and everyone present is invited. However, I'd like to ask that this information be treated with great discretion to avoid hindering the investigation and to have enough time to protect their son from the media scandal this will cause."
"I will make sure to attend, and I believe I speak for everyone when I say I am committed to not disclosing anything about this," All Might said. Hearing his words, everyone nodded seriously.
"Nemuri-san, how is little Kai-chan?"
Yumiko Hado asked with a worried voice that threatened to break at any moment, while Keiko Yaoyorozu, unable to speak, just looked at Nemuri in silence, still struggling to believe that possibly her only friend had died so suddenly.
"Kai-kun is physically fine, but the event was devastating to his mentality. He changed dramatically overnight, so much so that I'm sure you won't recognize him when you see him. His attitude is completely different; it's so concerning that I've decided to take care of him to prevent the situation from worsening."
"You?!" Keiko Yaoyorozu couldn't help but exclaim, but quickly continued while trying to calm her erratic emotions. "I'm sorry… I don't mean to offend you, but I didn't see you wanting to take care of Kai-kun. Taking care of a child is not easy, especially for a single woman. That's something I can tell you from my own experience."
"I offer to take care of Kai-chan… he's already like a younger brother to Nejire, so it will be easier for him to adjust," Yumiko Hado added, her voice still trembling, to which Nemuri responded in a calm and serious tone.
"Hado-san, I appreciate your offer, but I must decline. You and your husband are very busy people, and Kai-kun is in a very delicate moment and needs all the attention possible, something you cannot provide. Also, don't worry, I understand your concerns, but I have already resigned from my agency and will retire for a while to focus entirely on Kai-kun."
"Your resolve is impressive… so I'll believe in you for now, but the way you describe Kai-chan worries me… is the little one really that bad?" Yumiko Hado asked apprehensively, to which Keiko Yaoyorozu quickly added in a cold tone, hoping it would help mask her emotions that could overflow at any moment.
"I feel the same. Where is he right now? I'd like to see Kai-kun immediately. The way you talked about his situation has me anxious, and I can't sit idly by."
"He's currently with the Pussycats while I handle this and other matters that need to be resolved as quickly as possible."
"Midnight, I'd also like to talk to the boy. Will he be at the funeral tonight?" All Might asked in a serious tone while looking directly into Nemuri's eyes, to which she quickly replied.
"Of course, All Might. I know it will be difficult for him, but it's necessary for him to say goodbye to his parents."
"Then I'd like to meet with him before the ceremony starts."
"I'd like that too."
"Me too."
Yumiko and Keiko's voices quickly joined in the request, so Nemuri promptly responded.
"Well, my original idea was for the funeral to start at 7 PM, so we could meet at 6 PM at a nearby café. However, I'd like you to confirm who will attend so I can send you the address."
"I'll be there."
"Me too."
"Same here."
…
"Well, I'll send the address right now, and since I know you're all busy people, I won't take up any more of your time."
"Thank you for letting us know, Midnight."
"…"
Everyone present began to leave, each taking different paths, but they all shared a common expression of distress on their faces. Even the perpetually smiling All Might looked a bit subdued.
When everyone had left, Keiko Yaoyorozu approached Nemuri with a cold expression that struggled to conceal countless emotions and asked in an apprehensive voice.
"…Did Alisa really pass away?"
Nemuri looked into the beautiful woman's eyes before sighing melancholically and responding.
"Yes… I understand it's hard to believe. Even I still struggle to accept that this is real and not some kind of joke, but it's the reality: Alisa-san has died."
Tears fell from Nemuri's eyes as she spoke, which seemed to break some sort of dam within Keiko. She fell to her knees, covering her face with her hands, and began to cry uncontrollably like a small child.
Seeing the fragile state of the beautiful woman on the ground—someone who had everything, fame, money, and power, but at this moment looked so lonely and helpless—Nemuri couldn't help but hug her on the floor and cry alongside her over the loss of an irreplaceable human being like Alisa.
After some time, Keiko managed to regain some composure. After wiping her tears, she spoke, trying to maintain a stable tone.
"Thank you… and I'm sorry for this embarrassing display. This is all so sudden and painful…"
"There's nothing to thank or apologize for. This is the worst moment of my life, but in some way, I'm proud to know that Alisa-san impacted so many lives so deeply."
"Yes… Alisa is unique…"
After talking for a while, Keiko said goodbye, and Nemuri proceeded to call the funeral home to confirm everything, informing them that the ceremony would start at 7 PM. She then called the agency manager and the office manager, who, although on vacation, were always on standby in case something came up.
After they answered the call, Nemuri asked the managers to send an email to their respective subordinates, scheduling a meeting for the day they return from their vacations, which would be in two weeks, and to send her the electronic resumes of all of them.
When she received the resumes, Nemuri sorted them and sent them to various agencies and companies of acquaintances to help reassign them to new jobs. After all, it was the least she could do for them.
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An extra chapter as a thank you to Kraxis93 for joining my Patreon. Thank you very much for your support.