Felix walked slowly, the soft blue sky overhead, not a cloud in sight. A coffee cup in one hand and a suitcase in the other, he made his way toward the agency's air terminal.
Ahead of him, Maria waited beside the jet, arms crossed, tapping her foot impatiently. He decided to take his time walking, enjoying the cool air.
When he finally made it to the entrance, Maria placed her hand on his shoulder, tightening on it, "I won't be there to take care of you, okay? No one's gonna be there to pick up after your mess, understand?" Her voice dripped with condescension, her dark eyes full of pity.
A vein pulsed on his forehead, but he kept his composure and played along, "I understand. You don't have to worry about me."
"You didn't forget to pack a grappling hook, did you?"
"I actually brought two, in case one explodes again."
"Hope you do a better job bodyguarding this girl than you did with me. If you want my advice, just try not to let her get shot."
His eye twitched, resisting the urge to hit her.
"I'll... try my best." He clicked of his tongue, unfortunately she had a point.
Unable to retort, he felt a sense of defeat.
"Don't forget about me, okay?" She teased, placing her hand on Felix's cheek with a teary, mocking smile on her face.
Overcome by his annoyance, grabbed her cheeks and stretched them out, "What is wrong with you?!"
"Ah guwayt— menny thi— s-stahp it!" But as she tried to whimper out her response, he pinched her cheeks tighter.
He sighed and let go before looking at her with a serious look, "You want me to get you an autograph or something?"
"What, you thinking of taking a photo with idols or something? I hate idols. I'm more of a rock kinda girl." She answered in a somewhat oddly triumphant tone.
"You hate idols?" He repeated curiously.
"I dunno. They always seem so upbeat and overly cheerful. Always ecstatic to make fans happy. It all seems so fake to me." She said as she lowered her head, her tone was sharper than usual and dripping with petulance.
"Harsh... Alright, if that's it, then I'm going—" Felix replied, taking a step forward.
"Actually," Maria's tone shifted again, more serious now. "There's something I wanted to ask."
"Mhm, what is it?"
"What is it that's bothering you?"
"— nothing's bothering me." He hesitated.
"Don't lie to me, you've seemed different since this morning." Her dark eyes narrowed slightly.
"Like I said, it's nothing."
"It's about Jackal, isn't it?"
"Huh?"
"I saw you smirk when you heard his name."
"Hm… right. I'm just… we finally get a trail." Felix had a twisted smile, "We finally get to find him."
"Right… Good luck, and leave nothing to chance, as Chief Vivian would put it."
"Thanks."
As he was about to walk past her, however, Maria grabbed him by the shoulder again, "You may be the first esper, or the professional masked assassin, or whatever people expect of you… but at the end of the day, you're still just you. Resident dumdum and... my irreplaceable friend. So, tread lightly. Don't bite off more than you can chew."
"Don't worry, I'll be okay." He replied as he placed his hand on her head.
From inside the jet, Felix saw Maria waving at him. He waved back, and caught a glimpse of the silver-haired woman and the blond young man from earlier, stepping out of a black car at the agency's entrance.
With his cheek resting against his hand, he continued to gaze at them until they became dots too small to look at.
As the engine's hummed, the world began to shrink. He leaned against the leather chair and closed his eyes.
*
As the hours passed, visions of the past flashed in his mind as he drifted to sleep. Fragmented memories replaying as dreams.
He saw himself as a child on a podium with several other children, standing under the gold and red banners of the Golden Lion Agency. The loud voice from the microphone was an indescribable blur, and the only words that he could clearly make out was "Proud" and "The Implementation."
They were then herded into black cars by men in dark suits, their faces obscured by shadows.
As he stepped out of the vehicle, he was greeted by the warm, stiff air under the clear blue sky. Yet the sight ahead struck him much more discomfort, as he saw the facility standing before them — A white building that felt like it belonged to a city long forgotten. A relic with crumbling corners and a dirty, fading white coat that grayed with age.
The feeling of desolation quickly dawned on them. Their senses screamed not to enter inside.
Not a single one dared to step forward, so the men in suits dragged them inside one by one. Yet as the man grabbed his arm, he heard one of the men yell out in pain.
One of the other boys had bit his handler's hand and quickly bolted.
Fear and adrenaline took over the boy as he made his escape, but before he could get far, a loud crack, along with the scent of gunpowder.
Felix's eyes jolt open as he gasped. He had a distraught expression as his heart raced, only to realize that the jet was descending. He looked out the window and saw the city was rapidly approaching.
As the plane touched down, he was greeted by a breath of cool, crisp air, relieving the tension left from the nightmare.
He was swiftly ushered to the city by a car with Obsidian Industries logo, taking him to the building where the heiress was residing.
At the front of the building were three bars, one taller than the next, encased in two triangles. The logo of Obsidian Industries.
Felix entered the corridor at the highest floor, his footsteps echoing softly as he approached the door where he was to meet the heiress.
Standing in front of him was a group of young women clustered nervously behind the door, blocking the entrance.
"Um…" He muttered.
Startled, they slowly shifted their gaze to him.
"You girls wouldn't happen to be Starry Sweethearts, would you?" Felix tilted his head, trying to sound casual.
One of the girls stiffened, her expression flustered. "A-ah, yes!" she stammered.
"Um, are any of you girls Yumiko Sakurazawa?"
The girls looked at him with an uneasy expression.
"A-are you Yumiko's new bodyguard?" One of the girls asked hesitantly.
"W-wait, Ayame-chan." Another girl from behind her tugged her sleeve.
"Yes. Is there something wrong?" His eyebrows furrowed.
Somehow, I feel relieved they don't speak English perfectly.
"She's… waiting for you." The girl, Ayame, stammered to answer, looking at the door with weary expressions.
The uneasy atmosphere hinted for him to proceed with caution.
But as he looked at their faces, he suddenly found himself thinking about a woman with silvery hair patting him on the head.
Maybe I should try to ease their worries, the way Luna used to do for me. Now what would she do… How should I handle this?
The ecstatic, orange-haired woman from earlier suddenly flashed in his mind, asking for his autograph.
He reached into his pocket and pulled out his phone. With a gulp, he forced out a smile.
"Sorry if I was weird, I'm um… I'm actually a fan… your music is really good." A bare-faced lie to ease their nerves, "would it be alright to take a picture?"
Their eyes lit up slightly as they replied in a livelier manner, "Y-yes!"
One of the girls nudged the one standing in the center, teasing, "Ayame-chan, won't your boyfriend get mad if he saw you with another guy?"
"He, he's not my boyfriend!" Ayame yelled softly with bright red cheeks, her voice high-pitched, "Anyways, let's take the picture!"
"Alright, thanks."
As they snapped the photo, the girls all posed, their tension dissolving.
Felix felt an odd sense of relief and comfort. He had hoped this simple act would calm them, even by just a little.
"It was… nice to meet all of you." He said stiffly, barely able to say it without his voice cracking.
But as he waved them goodbye, Ayame caught his sleeve and whispered, "Be very careful… There's… more to this than you know." Her tone was suddenly much clearer.
His eyes sharpened, and he faked a smile, "Right, thanks for the warning Miss Ayame."
He offered her a handshake, but her face shriveled in panic at the sight of his hand.
One of the girl's then grabbed Ayame by the shoulders, "Don't worry about her, she just doesn't do handshakes."
"Ah, I will. Thanks." He replied before waving goodbye.
Cheerful, upbeat girls who would be ecstatic to make a fan happy… Idols sure are a strange bunch.
He thought to himself as he reached for the door.
"More to this than I know…"
Felix's eyes sharpened as he reached for the knob.
The savory scent of sizzling meat hit him immediately. Inside, a thin young girl in a white tank top stood by the stove, tending to a pot with a pair of chopsticks. Her blonde ponytail swayed with each movement.
"Are you my new bodyguard?" She asked, not even sparing a glance. Her English was clearly fluent, a sharp contrast to the girls he had just spoken with.
He stepped inside and scanned the dimly lit room, but it was clear how spacious it was. The entrance was a kitchen with apricot-painted walls, and faux-decorum such as a marble counter-top connected to a marble pillar.
"I believe so."
The stove clicked off, and the sound of sizzle grew silent.
She turned around and eyed him down, "Moody, broody, and covered in all black. You must be the agent papa sent."
"That assessment is… harsh." He dryly remarked, placing his belongings by the door, "So, that means you're Yumiko Sakurazawa, or should I call you Natsumi Sakurai?"
But just as he turned to face her, his mismatched eyes met with the muzzle of a gun. And just as suddenly — she pulled the trigger.
~