|First mission of Team Raiha

"In that case….” she waited in anticipation.

“Chuck it. I couldn’t care less.” he turned his gaze, slightly annoyed.

“What a way to ruin the moment!!”

“Don’t blame me. There was no proper way to slice it.”

“Let’s get back to the movie, yeah?”

….

“I wonder if you’re really enjoying this.”

“Of course I am.”

“You were awfully quiet.”

“Sounds like someone likes hearing my voice.”

“Wrong!! Well, as long as you’re having fun.”

“Hey Zirou..”

“What now?”

He turned to his phone.

“I like..”

“Huh?”

“I love Sensei.”

“????”

“Is it a shock?”

“Aiko, I think I was wrong. You might actually be sleepy.”

“I don’t need sleep. I need your thoughts on this.” In his eyes, her annoying face just became more annoying. 

“I feel like I’m not qualified to give my two cents.”

“You can’t even read the room. Stupid jerk.”

“What did I do this time?”

“I was really curious about Sensei so I wanted to know more about her. The side of her that you know in exchange for this secret but you made me give it away for free.”

“Why didn’t you just keep it then?”

“I am tired of doing that. It felt like I was going to explode. Besides, if these feelings are genuine, then sooner or later I’ll have to decide whether or not to act on them. Preparation is key. Ugh, I sound like my mother.”

“Jeez. Why the hell are you blushing....I don’t know what to tell you if I’m being honest. How long have you been in love?”

“It wasn’t even a month after my arrival.”

“I won’t deny that love at first sight really exists. But are you really sure you’re in love?”

“Now that sounds like something she would say. “

“Your answer?”

“Of course I am.”

“If that’s the case, tell me more about this preparation of yours.”

“Oh?? I have nothing at the moment.”

“You dumbass!!!”

“It’s not my fault, okay? It’s my sister I usually discuss these things with but she’s busy with school and work. You’re the only one I’ve got right now.”

“A stranger? That’s no good. I can’t give you advice from any perspective.”

“What are my chances? Think I’ve got a shot?”

“All I can say is that none of that matters. Whether you have one or not, I’ll tell you to do it. Just add failure to that preparation of yours so you won’t end up disappointed.”

“I can’t cover up disappointment. I can only deal with it.”

“Right.”

“Pffft”

“What now?”

“Sorry. I don’t know why I said that.”

“Did it come out wrong?”

“It sounded a bit weird. It was something I stole from my Sister.”

“Is your Sister single?”

“Huh? Watch it.”

“I have my reasons for asking.”

“...She’s not.”

“No wonder it feels weird to you.”

“I’ll hit you.”

“We know what happened the last time you tried.”

“.…”

“Haha. I bet you were a clutz in your past life or something.”

“I..see that.”

“Clumsy enough to have died because of it.”

“Think I’ll slip up that bad, huh? Well, that I am.

I think I like that a bit. It makes me less awkward around people I don’t know.

Surprisingly, as a way to make up for the negatives, my social skills became smoother.”

“I didn’t think of that. The only time I realized I had a bit of an issue was when I left high school. When I started working, that was the first obstacle I had to overcome. Being mysterious has very little positives.”

“What job was that?”

“You don’t want to know.”

“Of course I do. I want to know more about you.”

“Why?”

“Cause you’re my partner.”

“Fair enough. I was a male host. A pretty decent one at that. That’s all you’re getting out of me. What? Why are you smiling?”

“It’s nothing.”

“I bet you think it’s because you told me about your love interest or something.”

“Nope.”

“Tell me then.”

“Nope.”

“Weirdo.”

{brr}

“Excuse me.” she picked up the phone.

“Mhmm. You’re back? Took you long enough. We were fine doing it without you. Huh? Give me five minutes then.”

“Who’s that??”

“Fudo Sensei.”

“We’re not done yet.”

“Seriously?”

“...Fine.”

“You know, it took me a while to process your powers but there are so many questions I have.”

“This again?”

“Listen, listen. So you said something about your powers being connected to your phone right? In that case, what would happen if your phone gets damaged?”

“Shit shit. I completely forgot.”

“You forgot what happens?”

“No no, not that. I had this same conversation with Fujisaki Sensei. She suggested I get multiple phones, and then link them together as proof they are truly mine. I haven’t tested them out as well as I would have liked.”

“Your powers are so bizarre that it seems like every step forward is essentially a trial and error. Don’t get discouraged, though. Lots of potential with that. Have you ever thought of what would happen if you used your multiple phones at once?”

“You think the teleportation limit is tied to a single phone?”

“Bingo.”

“I’m ashamed to admit that I haven’t tried. But I think I can get behind that logic. It sounds exciting.”

“Sure does.”

“Aiko chan bursting with excitement while whispering to an unknown man. Oh my. If your fans saw this, they would die of envy.”

The voice of the man was soft and playful, as he rested by the wall, his sights were set on the young man.

“That’s not it at all!!”

“Hmm. That suspicious smile says otherwise. I’ve never seen you smile like that before.”

“What smile? Zirou, am I smiling?”

“Don’t ask me.”

“Huh??”

“Heh, you’re just as fun to tease as ever, Aiko chan.”

“Why am I always the one everyone has fun teasing?”

“Some things just happen. Instead of fighting it, why don’t we accept it?” Zirou cut in with a smirk.

“I have to say, Kid. You look so similar to her. It almost makes me feel uncomfortable.”

The first notable thing was the snake he called a leather belt wrapped around him. It was glossy black and thin, with only a single hole, like it was made specially for him. The watch he wore on his right hand exuded simplicity but elegance. A keychain hung above his breast pocket, possibly as a reminder.

His glasses couldn't hide his thick brows but complimented his moss green hair that flowed behind him. Just like Atsuko, he sported a dark suit but she went all the way while he wore just a pale red shirt with the bottoms.

 
In short, he was a classic man. The only thing average about him were his facial features. In that sense, the young man was delighted. Everyone he had interacted recently was so good looking, they could have easily ditched this life of misery and gotten into modeling full time. Especially the lady beside him.

“If it’s Aiko, the only feature where we happen to have a few similarities is height, and I’m obviously taller.”

“Obviously not. Don’t play dumb.”

The unavoidable question inched closer and closer to his lips, although at first it made no sense to him.

“.…”

“You look like you’ve seen a ghost.”

“You know my Mother?” with a look of desperation on his face, he dropped his phone.

“What do you know about her? How do you know her? How long have you known her? Who is she to you?”

“You can’t just flood me with questions and expect me to answer them all. Do better.”

“You’re messing with me.”

“What reason would I have to pull such a lame trick?”

“From my experience, people do all sorts of things for reasons only they can understand. So relying on something that fickle will get me no where.”

“Fair point. For your reward, I’ll make the info a bit juicier. I happened to know your father too.”

“Is that so?”

“Was that a miss?”

“I just don’t care about the man. Quit the games. If you know anything about my mother, spill already.”

“I’ll definitely tell you. I just need you to answer a couple of questions to the best of your ability,okay? What do they say again? Right, there are no wrong answers.”

“I’ve got to say, my first impression of you is not looking too good, Sensei.”

“At least it’s better than Kosuke.”

“Haha, I take that back.”

“First question..Is she your type?”

“Huh??” her mouth was wide open.

“Now that I take a closer look..Nope.”

While he examined his partner, the man wrapped the book in his hand up like a mic and brought it close to his face.“Would you like to explain that better for the audience.”

“Well, you see, it’s very simple. Being with her will make me the biggest asshole in Japan.”

“Hmm. A truly bite sized response.”

“Got a problem with that, midget?”

“It’s none of my business anyway.”

“Second question. When looking for a lady, on a scale of one to ten, how important are the thighs?”

“Do we need a scale for that? There’s no number that can possibly reflect how important they are.”

“The only answer there ever was. You my friend, are a man amongst men. Exquisite taste aside, I am truly glad Miss Fujisaki found you. Seems like she struck gold.”

“I bet she did.”

“With just the right amount of confidence to boot. Aiko sure needs some of that.”

“I’m perfectly willing to share some.”

“Third question.. If a child with the ability to end the world was about to be born, what would you do? Would you kill it before it has the chance to become good or evil or would you let it live despite such a circumstance?”

“You’re asking the wrong person this kind of question.”

“No, I’m asking exactly the right person.”

“Of course, I’m going to eliminate it. With that much power, it’s basically a duty.”

“Even if it’s someone you love?”

“It needs to die for the sake of the world. Besides, I wouldn’t be able to sleep at night knowing my life is in the hands of another person and nothing I do can guarantee my survival.”

“As true as that is. Isn’t it also true that no one is born into the world evil?? The chances are split in half.”

“So you’ll take a fifty percent chance of survival?? You think this is a game of coin toss? Sensei, are you suicidal?”

“Aren’t those your emotions at play?”

“No, those are my survival instincts. There is no way in hell I would be fine with a single child having the power to kill me and everyone else. My instincts simply won’t allow it. And that’s definitely not a bad thing. On a good day, I won’t take a risk knowing that my chances of survival are less than ninety percent. Fifty is overwhelmingly reckless, even for me.”

“I’m glad I got to ask that question. Now I know who I’m dealing with perfectly.”

“That’s odd. Although I do understand. There are some things you just can’t help.”

“Right?”

“However… Something you said bothered me.”

“Oh??”

“That moral neutrality you claimed earlier is not as true as you might think. A lot of times people are moulded by their surroundings but that’s because they are in a position to. In life some people are moulded by their surroundings while others mould their surroundings to suit them. Everyone is equal by most metrics, that much is true. However, when that scale is out of balance, a problem arises. What will happen to the one responsible for this imbalance? Will he do as he pleases? Will his inner most desire become reality? I think you know where I’m going with this.”

“I do and I reject it outright. Fundamental evil is false, at least that’s what I believe.Why decide the actions a person may or may not take based on something they can’t control? You know nothing about them but you really think if they are left to their own devices, they will automatically choose evil? I reject that notion. However, I respect and acknowledge the concern that comes with it.”

“It’s a pretty thin line that can be crossed as easily as telling a lie.”

“And in these cases, talk is cheap, action is gold.”

“I admire your stance, Sensei.”

“Right back at ya.”

“That’s enough you two. Sensei, quit toying with him and assign our missions to us already. We really need to get started.”

“Aiko chan, why do you think I came here? I have the perfect mission for you. But before that, Zirou. Another reward for you.”

“Why do you have to make it weird.”

“What do you mean? That’s how I deal with my kids. You reward their actions, right?”

“The problem is pretty visible.” he shook his head.

“Zirou, huh?? I bet she chose that name. Only she could come up with such a name.”

“It’s not funny.”

“Sorry, sorry. Okay, so uhh.. Did she ever tell you about the void calamity?”

“She barely talked about it.”

“Well, I’m not surprised. It’s a bundle of trauma wrapped in a single event. Anyway, that was where I met both your parents. It was on that very day, I was about to meet my end when she risked her life to save me. Then afterwards, your father risked his life to save the both of us.

The three of us along with a couple of others made it out alive.

For three days, we managed to wait out the storm at an underground station. After that, I kept in touch a couple of times. After all, I was somehow connected to your Mother in one way or the other. Last time I did, you were already born. Long story short, she was my hero.”

A lingering smile that he couldn’t resist was coupled with tears. The truth hurt but at the same time, the opposite was true. The ‘truth’ he had carried on his shoulders for so long started to crumble. Those words were all he needed to hear. Hero, huh?

“Haha..Give me a moment please.”

“Take your time, Zir…ou? Huh? Why are you crying?”

“Uh. Sorry, I’m..I didn’t mean to...”

“C-Calm down, okay? I might have messed up the timing. They probably got together afterward and fell in love, okay? You aren’t illegitimate or anything, okay?”

“It’s fine, Sensei. I don’t think it’s that.” she tapped him on the shoulder.

“Hmm? Well, I’ll give you some space. Aiko chan, do you mind?”

“Oh..”

They quietly exited the room. A hint of worry on the bespectacled man’s face.

*sigh*

“I know you two can do this, so no need to rush things. You aren’t trying to prove anything to anyone. Remember that.”

“I know, I know.”

“Good. For the next two weeks. You will be only assigned one task per day. That should be enough, right?”

“Treating me like a newbie already?”

“I mean, aren’t you? You’ve not been here for up to three months yet.”

“.…”

“Take it easy. You’ve still got some time.”

“No, I don’t. Fujisaki Sensei gave me a month to get used to it but had to extend it to two. Sometimes I wonder why. It’s clear I’ve not got my act together.”

“Your ability is one of a kind. That’s what I think at least.”

“Sensei, you don’t have to make me feel good.”

“Uplifting my students is part of the job. As long as I don’t lie to you. Nothing wrong with what I said either.”

“Give it up, Sensei. Even if you told her a dozen times, she won’t believe you.”

“You’re back.”

“You sound like I was out injured or something. I don’t know too much about her but I know enough to say that.”

“Well, now that the whole team is here. I’ll give you your assigned mission.”

“Just one?” I thought every team started with three per day?”

“You’re just getting started and you want three?? And I’m the suicidal one??

That’s for when you’re somewhat used to this environment. I already told your partner.No need to be hasty.”

“Got it.”

“One last thing. You two should really spend as much time as possible getting familiar with your triggers rather than dabbling in such trivialities. Capiche?”

“U-Understood.”

“Good, now if you’ll excuse me.”

“Looks like you got stung. You okay?”

“It’s fine. I enjoyed every moment of that show and I’ll probably do it again if given the chance.”

“Me too. But other than that show, there’s really nothing that exciting airing right now. In other words, no more distractions.”

“That’s right.”

“Also, you mentioned something about him toying with me.”

“Oh, his whole question was simply bait and it’s safe to say it worked as intended.”

“So he just wanted me to reveal my inner workings so he hit me with a couple of questions that I won’t suspect the last one. It wasn’t that brilliant of a plan but I have no right to say that, considering the fact that I fell for it.”

“Don’t worry about it. He did something similar to me. At times, it’s crucial for the missions you take. If we have enough info on the given apparition, we can give those best suited to face it based on their personality. But don’t count on that. Doesn’t come as often as you might think.”

“I see. Well, check your phone…got anything?”

“Yeah. Our next mission will be in….Akihabara.”

“And I’ll be coming with.” he popped out from the door

“Ahhhh.”

“Hmm no. You’ll be coming with me.”

“S-Sensei. What are you doing here?

“I went to go take a leak and return so we could head out but then my wife called. Apparently my son faked going to school and stayed at the Arcade all day. Jeez, I was not as brave as that when I was his age.”

“Wait. Is this a joint mission?”

“Yeah.”

“Why didn’t you tell us?”

“Hmm? Thought I did..”

“Sensei..If your memory is slowly diminishing, you can at least say so.”

“But I..”

“Right. It’s not good to bear that kind of burden all alone.”

“I forgot..”

“You sure?”

“What’s with you two? We’re heading out now. Aiko, you mentioned something about having an A class apparition experience, right?”

“Yeah.”

“Then how about we go an extra step.”

“Are you sure we can handle that?”

He grinned.

“You have me there, the success rate is 100%.”