Chapter 19:

Safety First

Yumix; Unveiled - ARC 5

( ARC 5 )

The Fall Of The Counterplans

Volume 02, Chapter 17 : [ Safety First ]

Original work. By the author "Pili."

(Italic dialogues represent character inner monologues)

That night, the cafeteria was as usual, alive with noise and activity.

Utensils were clinking against plates, laughter erupted from nearby tables, and the hum of conversations drifted around.

But unlike the others, only one person appeared completely detached from reality… Hiroki, who sat alone at a corner table, staring blankly at the cold cup of water in his hands.

He wasn't really focusing on the water. While his gaze was fixed on the ripples, his mind was somewhere far away.

Beside him sat his untouched tray.

He wasn’t hungry. Not really. Yet, he hadn’t moved it far away either. Letting the food go cold felt easier than deciding to eat.

Outside, the courtyard was visible through the glass of the window. A few recruits passed by casually, some walking in pairs. Everything seemed ordinary.

Hiroki kept gazing for a moment.

That scene brought something back from the depths of his memory… something from his past life.

He remembered back then, walking home from school. The sky always seemed grey in his memories.

He would often see the children walking briskly, holding their parents' hands. He was just watching from a distance, pretending he hadn't noticed them. But in reality, those scenes reminded him of his own mother.

Hiroki’s fingers tightened slightly around the fork.

That house…

When he would open the front door late in the evening, hoping, just for a second, that things might be different.

But reality had never been that kind.

As he walked in, the smell of alcohol hit him first. Bottles scattered on the floor. Furniture was out of place. And far there, his father was asleep in the living room, mumbling something he never bothered to understand.

He used to stand there for a few seconds, walk up the stairs, and close the door of his room, just like he always did.

Silence was his only sanctuary back then.

Even at school, it was the same. Sitting in the back row, next to the window. The other students would laugh, make plans, and talk about their lives. He was there, but just as a spectator. Just a ghost haunting the back of the classroom.

There was one girl, though. With her long black hair and quiet dark purple eyes. She used to glance his way sometimes, curiosity mixed with hesitation. But he never returned the gaze. Not because he disliked her. He just wouldn't bother.

"Why do I have to remember all this now…? I thought I had buried that life deep enough."

Hiroki exhaled sharply, his gaze dropped to the table.

The sound of footsteps passed behind him, pulling him back to the present. This world. The PHG.

"The weight we've been carrying so far seems now to be impacting our mental state."

Hiroki settled in, relaxing as he rested his left hand against his cheek.

"Still, this seems like nothing compared to what Amaya has gone through so far." His gaze was quite dull.

*A few days ago…*

The place was initially wrapped in a heavy silence. It was the meeting room.

Hiroki and his group were present, looking anxious.

On the opposite side, behind the desk, stood Seina Karino, her posture straight, and her hands resting on the table. Ryuuji was beside her, his arms crossed, and his eyes fixed on the group.

Additionally, there was an extra guard standing at the gate.

"Before anything else," Seina finally began, her voice was calm but firm, "I need to make something clear."

She raised her gaze slightly, meeting each of them in turn.

"From today onward, Hiroki’s group will be suspended from main operations."

The room fell silent.

Yoru was the first to react, standing up in disbelief.

"…Suspended?" Her brows furrowed immediately. "You mean all missions?"

"Only main missions," Seina corrected. "Anything involving large-scale movements, high risk, or outsider regions."

"So we’re not out," he said, trying to keep it light. "Right…? But why then?"

"This isn’t a punishment as you guys may think," she replied. "It’s a decision made for your safety, and for the stability of the situation."

Hiroki was on edge, still trying to grasp the heavy order against them.

"This must have a reason behind it. Did something happen that changed things?"

Hiroki knew this wasn’t random.

Seina finally settled in, then carried on speaking in a calmer tone.

"I assume you haven't forgotten Renne's declaration last time."

At that name, the air shifted.

Yoru nodded after a moment, confirming her words.

"Yes…" she spoke in a low tone. "That moment… she said a lot about the date and the kingdom. She didn’t seem to be bluffing. She said the Kingdom would pay the price soon."

Seina pressed her hands beneath her chin and zeroed in for few seconds.

"It's disgraceful that a mere young girl would issue such a threat to the kingdom. This is more like a war declaration against us." Seina seemed more worried than usual.

A slight annoyance flashed across Hiroki's expression. "And that’s why we need to be out there too! We need to stop them before—"

"And do what?" Seina interrupted him instantly. "Run blindly to fall again on their trap?"

The words failed Hiroki; he couldn't reply.

"…We don't even know exactly their numbers. We also don't know their location. And frankly…" She paused, her gaze softening slightly as she glanced towards them. "The three of you are not ready for a full-scale war. Especially after what you just went through."

There was nothing else to say but to sit back again. The authority in her voice was absolute.

Silence fell for a moment, then Seina started talking again.

"We’ve confirmed several movements linked to the Night Crows over the past few months," she said. "It started small at first. Disappearances. Relocations. Supply routes changed without record… It just kept noticeably worse."

Kenji’s expression hardened.

"…Missing people?"

"Yes."

Seina didn't elaborate further. She didn't need to.

Hiroki’s fingers curled slightly that moment.

Amaya’s face flashed through his mind… But no one even mentioned her name or talked about her.

"We don’t yet know their full objective," Seina went on. "But Renne’s words align too closely with what we've been tracking to be overlooked."

Yoru glanced at Hiroki briefly, then back at Seina.

"So you’re grounding us because she specifically mentioned him, is it?" she said bluntly.

Seina didn't deny it.

"No. I'm doing this because you guys are not ready for such a thing," she answered. "We can’t just let you rush into all of this randomly."

Hiroki looked utterly blank after what she said.

"And if something happens before that date…?"

Seina met his eyes directly this time.

"Then we’ll handle it properly," she said. "Not emotionally or recklessly."

Her tone softened just slightly.

"You guys… have been through enough. But… Nothing will change from my decision for the moment."

The meeting didn’t last much longer after that.

Instructions were finalized, and limits were set.

Yoru and Kenji started leaving already, but Hiroki hesitated on his way. He lingered near the door for a second and glanced back.

That was when he noticed it.

Seina wasn't looking at them anymore. Instead, she was speaking quietly with Ryuuji.

Their voices were low enough that he couldn’t hear a word, but the atmosphere between them seemed serious.

For a brief moment, Seina’s eyes shifted sideways.

They landed on Hiroki.

Not directly. But just enough for him to notice.

Then she looked away and continued speaking.

"Seina-sama… I wonder what you're hiding from me."

He moved forward slowly without looking back.

And so, later that night, they all returned to their rooms…

*Back to the present*

The same place, the cafeteria that remained loud. One by one, people there gradually began to leave.

Hiroki leaned back slightly, resting his head against the chair.

"Well… This is how we ended up. Quarantined… as if we were the problem."

But then…

A chair scraped across the floor just next to him.

"Heeellloo…?"

Hiroki remained lost in thought for seconds.

"Hello?! Earth to Hiroki…?"

A sudden hand waved frantically in front of his face.

"H-Huh?"

Hiroki flinched, pulling his head back. He was nearly falling off the chair.

It was Yoru. She crossed her arms, showing her annoyance.

"Man, you looked like you were astral projecting or something. I’ve been calling you now, and you didn't even notice us."

Kenji spoke; he was beside Yoru.

He approached with two glasses of juice and placed them on the table.

"Oh… Good evening, guys." Hiroki replied finally.

"Man, you look terrible today," Kenji stated casually as he took a seat. "We didn’t see you at breakfast. Thought you slept through the day again."

Hiroki glanced at the cup, then up at him.

"Yeah, my bad. I just… didn’t feel like talking too much today."

Yoru also sat next to them on the chair, looking a bit worried.

"You look terrible… I'm serious." She rested her chin on her hand. "You’ve been staring at that water like it insulted your ancestors. Are you still thinking about Seina’s order?"

Hiroki looked down at his hands. "Yeah… I guess."

Hiroki then raised his gaze slightly upwards toward them, looking nervous.

"Did I seriously seem weird?"

"Yes," She replied immediately.

"That bad?"

"Positive," Kenji spoke this time.

It took a few moments before Hiroki gave a small breath of a laugh.

"Well… good to know."

"…"

For a moment, an awkward silence settled between them.

"So… still nothing," Kenji spoke, tapping the table lightly. "No new orders or any updates."

Yoru nodded. "Seina seemed serious about keeping us out of trouble."