A Costa Rican Paradise - Part I

Chisato’s POV

As we step off the plane, a car is already waiting for us on the airstrip. We didn’t exactly land at an airport—it’s more of a makeshift runway on the outskirts of the city, specifically west of San José, in the open plains.

According to the intel Mika-sensei shared, we need to retrieve a package believed to contain crucial information about the next operations of this criminal group. There are even suspicions that they might be linked to other organizations in Japan.

As Takina and I approach the vehicle, Mizuki catches up from behind.

"Hey, you two, you’ll have to decide who’s driving this time. Your trusted chauffeur won’t be available."

"And what exactly will you be doing?" I ask Mizuki. "Hunting for singles in downtown San José is not part of the mission, just so you know."

"With that attitude, it’s no wonder you have enemies all over the planet, Chisato!" Mizuki glares at me.

"I need to stay with the plane and be ready for when you two come running back, with the whole mafia on your tail, forcing us into an action-packed sequence where the jet is already moving, and you have to jump in just in time for takeoff."

Takina and I exchange skeptical looks.

"Right, and if something like that happens, they’ll probably send you back to the Lily Bells for incompetence, Chisato," Mizuki says with a smug grin.

"Shut up, old hag."

Mizuki’s face drops, but she just clicks her tongue and mutters something under her breath.

"Come on, Takina. I’ll drive."

With Takina as my passenger, we head toward our target location.

The GPS marks a one-hour drive, taking us further outside of  San José toward an abandoned industrial area—a cliché choice for a criminal hideout, but at least we won’t have an audience for the fight.

"Alright, Takina. When we arrive, we should split up to locate the package. According to the description, it’s a black briefcase with a laptop inside."

"Understood. Hopefully, we can finish this quickly."

"You’ll see, we will! We’ll even have time to do some sightseeing in San José."

I glance at Takina for a second.

"How about a date with your partner, Takina?"

I notice her tense up for a moment, but she responds faster than expected.

"That doesn’t sound bad."

"Good, then let’s finish this fast. We need to buy souvenirs for everyone before heading back to Hawaii."

The rest of the drive passes quicker than expected.

The view outside the window is breathtaking.

I never thought I’d get the chance to see beyond Japan.

But now, here I am, on the other side of the world.

And what’s even better—with Takina.

Mizuki, too. And the rest of the team back in Hawaii…

They probably never imagined their lives turning out this way.

This was sudden for all of them, yet no one resisted the idea of following me overseas.

I’m glad our family stayed together.

I guess, in a way…

The Alan Institute gave me this opportunity.

I don’t understand their reasoning behind such extreme measures or their ideology behind these so-called missions.

But at its core, their intent must have been good.

If their execution is flawed, that’s one thing.

Besides… it’s fine.

I have the power to make things better.

And I’m going to use it.

"Chisato, I think we should stop here."

Takina points to a spot near the side of the road.

"It’s better to go on foot from this point. We don’t want to alert anyone."

"Alright, let’s get to the fun part."

We park as far off the road as possible, ensuring the car stays out of sight.

We still have about a 40-minute walk before reaching the perimeter of the warehouses.

Takina’s POV

We’ve been walking for about 30 minutes now.

We’ll reach the target soon.

Chisato leads the way, keeping a steady pace.

"Hey, Chisato, how are you feeling?"

I can’t help but worry. Not even 24 hours have passed since she was attacked, and now she’s been on her feet all this time.

"Don’t worry, Takina. I feel fine."

She doesn’t seem to be lying… so I have to trust her.

"Takina! Watch out!"

Before I can react, Chisato grabs my jacket and pulls me down.

We hit the ground—and arrows fly right over us.

"A trap!"

In the distance, alarms start blaring.

They’re coming from the warehouse.

"We must’ve triggered some kind of security mechanism. We need to move."

Chisato gets up quickly, and I follow.

Looks like the real fight starts now.

We rush forward, reaching the perimeter fence surrounding the facility.

We can hear movement inside.

"Spread out and search the perimeter! Check every trap!"

The main gates swing open, and several guards on four-wheelers pour out into the woods.

"Takina, let’s jump the fence while they’re distracted."

Chisato fires a tension cable over the fence, and I follow.

We land on the other side, taking cover behind a few parked vehicles.

"Where do you think they’re keeping the package, Chisato?"

The facility is worn-down, but still massive.

A briefcase could be anywhere.

"The most logical place would be a designated operations room, where they store all logistical data for their activities," Chisato explains.

"As for where that might be… I’m not entirely sure."

Outside our hiding spot, the guards keep moving.

Luckily, the place isn’t heavily guarded.

At a glance, we’ve only counted about twelve people, including those who went to search the woods.

"Let’s hope there aren’t many more inside. But if things get messy… we’ll just grab one and ask nicely."

Chisato smirks.

She looks so cool when she’s focused.

"Alright, Takina. Time to split up."

"Remember—be careful and value life."

Chisato disappears to my right, slipping between parked vehicles.

I exhale, steadying myself.

"Alright. I have to prove to Chisato that I’m at my best, too."