Focus On Purpose

“Ina and Kay finished their half of the mission, and are on board with our idea.” Yuuichirou spoke up, sitting in the back of Moku’s van.

“Nice, I knew they could do it.” Moku commented with casual pride, while maneuvering the van onto paved roads.

“Hey, Moku?” Said Yuuichirou, for Moku to look at him through the rearview mirror.

“I just wanted to extend my appreciation towards you.”

“Heh, why so formal.” Moku laughed lightheartedly.

“Force of habit I guess, ha.” Yuuichirou chuckled slightly.

“Welp, feelings mutual, can’t say that you’re my preferred demographic, but I like being around level headed people, like yourselves.” Moku complemented.

“‘Preferred demographic’? What’s that? People from the Tokugawa shogunate days?” Getsurin joked, causing the others to laugh.

“Hey now, I’m Korean, I sure as hell wouldn’t be hangin’ with no Shoguns.” Moku played with the joke.

“Oh, you prefer your own company.” Yuuichirou joked.

“That’s right.” Moku remarked.

Their laughter continued for a few moments before they fell into silence. Letting their minds relax before more potential action will transpire later in the day. Taking the time to control what they can, the spiraling thoughts that are in disarray in their minds.

“I was thinkin’ before ya met me, y'all really only knew each other for about a week?” Moku suddenly asked.

“Pretty much, I ran into Kay, then that same day, we encountered Yuuichirou and his sister.” Getsurin quickly explained.

“We’ve kinda found one another by pure chance, a whim of fate.” Yuuichirou added.

“Whim of fate? I like that.” Moku pondered. “It's like sayin’ Fate’s plan is a little loose, not quite figured out, but the path is still there.” He continued. “Let me ask ya this—When push comes to shove, you’re going to give it your all right?”

“What do you mean?” Yuuichirou asked.

“Well, you’d put up a fight right? If you had to.” Moku elaborated.

“Sure.”

“Yeah.”

“Now, are ya fightin’ not to die, or is there something else?” Moku spoke casually. “Your sister, and your friend. For example.”

“I think that goes without saying, right?” Getsurin mentioned, taking a glance at Yuuichirou.

“Absolutly, and if there’s one thing that I’ve learned, it is never fight a man who’s willing to die for the people he loves.” Moku emphasized.

“I agree, I’d do everything and anything to make sure that Ina is safe and sound.” Yuuichirou evoked with seriousness.

“I’d like to think so, but… To be honest, I never thought a situation like that would even happen in my life… Well, until now.” Getsurin opened.

“That’s the ideal, if you think you can, then that’s enough, because no one should be in that situation.” Moku advised.

“Is there someone you’d fight for, old man?” Yuuichirou smirked.

“You're in her.” Moku quickly remarked.

“The van?!” Both Yuuichirou and Getsurin yelled.

“Damn right, I’ve got over 200,000 km with her.” Moku then rubbed the dashboard with affection.

“Okay, better question then: Why do you say that about men that have something to fight for?” Yuuichirou asked.

“Well.” Moku released a long sigh. “I’ll spare you the details, but we’ve had our fair share of coups back home… My time in the service: myself and a few others had what was supposed to be a quick reconnaissance mission in the middle of the night but—It quickly turned into a nightmare.” Moku paused for a moment, while Yuuichirou and Getsurin were unsure if he was trying to remember details, or didn’t want to remember at all.

Moku shook his head slightly. “Didn’t even realize it right away, but one of us just dropped, then another one was hit in the arm, and we instantly ducked to the ground, just barely covered by the grass and brush.” Moku began. “One soldier was shot clean in the head, with one more got pretty good in the arm. We had no clue where the gun fire was coming from, so we just crawled to our objective.” Moku fell silent once more.

Moku’s mind was clouded with the memories of the past, a true nightmare as he watched his comrades fall one after the other, unable to save them or even fight back. He could only provide them with vague details of the event, to eventually reveal that what was attacking them was a single enemy soldier. On a rampage, outright killing three of the seven man squad, to injure two more. Moku himself, just barely able to subdue the powerful enemy soldier.

“Holy hell, Moku, you didn’t have to share that. That sounds like it was an awful experience.” Yuuichirou sympathized.

“I know, but that man… He had something to fight for, in his final moments, that’s all he could say: ‘I have a family, I have a family, just let me go.’ But, as I stared at him with my pistol aimed at his head, angry as all hell. One of the other men in my squad shot him without a thought of remorse.” Moku muttered. “And, we just had to get back to camp and sleep off that madness, the lieutenant was kinda pissed, but he got over it.” Moku instantaneously returned to his casual cadence, just as if he wasn’t even talking about anything related to nightmarish combat.

Yuuichirou and Getsurin stared at Moku for a moment in disbelief at his sudden change in personality.

“Thanks, for sharing, I guess.” Yuuichirou mentioned, with slight unease.

“Belive it or not.” Moku replied, to also light a cigarette. “That same situation happened a few times, not as deadly, but same type of men, fightin’ for something—recklessly.” He mentioned casually, exhaling cigarette smoke.

Moku continued to chatter about his days in the service, mainly sharing the daily routine and how rarely they actually did anything at all. Mentioning the food, and the management of their military from the ‘know nothing’ politicians, as Moku phrased it. At that time, they were approaching Zuina’s home, in those moments of slowing down to match the speed limit of the neighborhood. Getsurin slowly formed an idea: To kill a man. The idea occupied his mind, as Moku talked, he assumed that Moku must have taken a life, he didn’t in his story, but the way he was ready to execute the spies, suggests otherwise.

Just a Getsurin readied his mouth for the question: “And we're here.” Moku announced, as Yuuichirou opened the door for Zuina and Kay to hop in the van.

Getsurin’s question will have to wait, now they must focus on what’s in front of them.

㊉ ㊉ ㊉

“Welp, it still looks like a hotel.” Moku predictively remarked.

With another hour added to their day from the drive to the supposed headquarters, the building was a building. One design to populate hundreds of people with, each with their own rooms, bathrooms, and privacy. Bland in a way that evokes the drab architecture of modern industry standards, one that Zuina had little to say about, as she hardly had the want to mention her education in architecture.

But one perspective: This is exactly what Xu Fu & Percy LLC wants. Innocuity is their aim, every passerby won’t do so much as glance at another building that perfectly blends in with the others, and functions as it was intended to, a space for the working class.

As they blankly stared at the building while Moku found a spot to park. Getsurin and kay volunteered to quickly gather intel about the hotel before they blindly entered. Within a few minutes, they returned with a rather puzzled look.

“So, there isn’t anyone there, at least on the first floor and lobby.” Getsurin mentioned, as the two got into the van.

“Yeah, the door wasn’t even locked, we just walked right in.” Kay added.

“What do you think? Maybe they’re expecting us?” Moku speculated.

“That’s not out of the realm of possibility, but this entire area is still populated like any other city.” Zuina sparked the idea.

“You think if they were planning something they would have evacuated this area?” Yuuichirou asked.

“I’d like to think so, at least make something that says under construction, some kind of facade.” Zuina reasoned.

“Yeah, something to make people avoid the area, it looks like nothing's really changed.” Moku promoted.

“I mean, there’s no way they don’t know how much destruction we could potentially cause, right?” Getsurin remarked.

“I agree, either they have no idea we’re coming, or they have the perfect plan ready for us.” Yuuichirou posited.

“Screw it, let’s just get in there and see what we can find.” Moku huffed with vigor as he opened his door.

“Hell, yeah, let's do this!” Kay was next to jump out of the van.

The others shrugged with indifference at the idea and followed Moku and Kay’s lead. Quickly prepping themselves to dive head first into a potentially life threatening environment. Perfectly suited with well fortified Kevlar vests and polished handguns at their waists. With the exception of Moku, who favored a more aggressive type of firearm. Daewoo Precision Industries Carbine K2C1 assault rifle. As his experience is best used with this particular rifle.

“Hold on, Ina, I think you should stay in the van.” Moments away from being ready to enter the hotel, Yuuichirou stopped Zuina from going any further.

“Huh? But why?” Zuina protested.

“It just would be safer, and you can be our connection to the outside, in case anyone may come in.” Yuuichirou reasoned.

“Not to mention that those three have crashed a full sized bridge on top themselves and walked away with so much as a scratch.” Moku pointed out, while Kay and Getsurin nodded with shy agreement.

“Well—what if something happens out here!” Zuina shouted, as they began to walk away.

“Don't worry, the vans bulletproof. She's basically a tank.” Moku quickly remarked, leaving Zuina behind.

Zuina growled with audible frustration, and feeling left out to just march into the van. Locking the doors and setting up the radio, accepting her role, but justifiably pouting the whole time.