Chapter 15:

New partner

Scorpion Grasses or simply, Forget-me-nots


"Life is about making an impact, not making an income.” — Kevin Kruse


“Good mor-“

He ignores her and keeps ongoing.

“Right, I forgot.” She says disappointed as she runs after him. “I can nag you how much I want now!”

Her devilish smile makes the boy sigh. This is going to be a very long day. But he will still enjoy it.

“I was thinking of going to the fourth floor and search for that yellow girl.”

The boy trips over the stairs and a folded note falls from his pocket. He stands up fixing himself and goes straight to his office.

Kibo understands his gestures and picks up the paper.

“Find someone for me.

Her name is Hoshi Daichi, Hajime Daichi is her brother. She might take you to the one you’re looking for.

Find as much information as you can on her.

Good luck!”

Before she could realize her smile faded. She didn’t know how to feel about this… They don’t have a thing, right?

“Even if we liked each other, which is not the case, we couldn’t have a happy ever after.” Her mind affirms.

She closes her eyes for a moment while tightening her grip on the note. A delightful thought appeared like a dream before her.

It was raining like in a movie and she was dancing with Haru. They were laughing so loudly that the music could not be heard. He had a hand on her torso and with the other one, he was holding her right wrist.

There were no bandanas or surveillance cameras. In that world, it was only the two of them, no one else.

It was a place where time didn’t exist and they can dance for eternity.

She opens her eyes and her smile appears again. It’s not forbidden to dream, right?

“This will become my favorite fairytale! A fairytale where he is the prince I must save and I am his brave knight who wins over his royal heart!”

She giggles at the image of them wearing feudal clothes.

*****

The fourth floor didn’t look much different. It was almost the same as the one representing Fear District.

People here seemed interesting, they all had a strange aura around them.

Kibo spent the whole day searching for the two girls. None of them was anywhere to be found. All she could do was hope that she will bump into them by accident.

She didn’t know how Hoshi looked, but with the help of that yellow girl, she had higher chances to find her.

At some point, a speaker announced the hour, which was 9 p.m. This time meant the end of the first shift.

“What? Is it already this late? I should hurry to the entrance before Haru!”

Rushing on the stairs trying to doge people she managed to reach his floor. The office was empty so he must have already left. She ordered a little his desk and put some of the found documents in a drawer.

Before leaving the room, she left a note on the computer.

When the doors opened, an intense pair of green eyes was revealed. She recognized the girl immediately because of the party cones. The two hearts on them were glowing in a bright red color.

They stare at each other for some moments. Judging from how the girl looked Kibo up and down it was clear as the day that she wasn’t thin air.

“Liking what you see?” Kibo articulates the words without thinking twice.

“Not really. You’re not my type.” A grin appears on her face.

“You know, you might look crazy for others. You’re speaking to-“

“An invisible person. Yeah I know, honey! Don’t worry, no one is around.”

Kibo points to a surveillance camera and the girl giggles.

“As I said, don’t worry! I’ve got my ways!” She winks. “I’m Hoshi by the way.”

“Hoshi? Like in Hoshi Daichi?”

So the two girls she was looking for turned to be one. This makes her situation easier.

“I see I’m pretty popular. But you see, when someone presents themselves, it’s polite to do the same thing.”

“Aiko.” She says while avoiding eye contact. “The surname doesn’t matter.”

Hoshi squeezed her eyes analyzing the one in front of her again.

“I don’t like liars. But let’s say that I forgive you because you didn’t know that.” She walks closer and puts her hands on Kibo’s shoulders. “You need me as much as I need you, so don’t screw things up. Okay?”

“I didn’t lie. My name is Aiko.” She adds while distancing herself. “Why would I lie about a damn name?”

“I never said your name was the lie,” Hoshi adds with a big smile on her face. “Thanks for confirming!”

“What’s the deal with you?”

“Already fed up with me? I didn’t even start!”

“You were the one who gave me your brother id, right?”

“Not really. Someone else did me that favor; I just gave him the card. He’s a close friend of mine and he also knows about you. You’ll get to meet Mieko soon.”

Even if they had the same height, Hoshi seemed a little more intimidating. Behind her outgoing personality, she was prepared for everything. She had her guard up.

“I’ve seen you today on my territory. May I know what you were searching for?”

“I was looking for you. Someone is interested in you so the person sent me to find information about you.”

“Seems like we had to meet sooner or later. I’ll take it as a sign.”

“What about you? I’ve seen you some days ago staring at this office.”

“I asked a man of mine to follow you and they said you spend most of your time in here. Haru’s woman, huh?” She tries to tease the little liar.

“Jealous, aren’t we?” Kibo returns the same energy.

“Just a little, but not for him. I don’t not into younger persons. How old are you?”

“I’m 21.”

“Then I'll make an exception for you! It’s your lucky day!”

“I’ll pass, but thanks anyway.”

So she’s older.

“I think someone is becoming impatient.” The one in yellow points outside.

“Oh no!”

She forgot, again. She runs towards the stairs.

“I’LL SEE YOU TOMORROW, HONEY!” Hoshi screams after her, trying her best not to laugh after seeing how clumsy Kibo is.

“SUUUURE!” An answer comes with an echo.

*****

He sighs in relief after a well-known silhouette exits the building.

Her face was red and she looked sweaty. Her heavy breaths were so loud that you could hear them from miles away.

“Did she run until here when she realized she was late?” Haru question himself holding an amused smile.

Before giving Kibo a chance to catch her breath he starts walking away.

She groans and swears all the way to a crossroad.

“If you don’t wait a damn second I will push you myself in front of a car!”

He takes out his phone and pretends to scroll on it.

“That’s what you get for making me tie my laces for 15 minutes.” He thoughts to himself.

After a few moments, she arrives next to him still very tired.

“I found her!” Kibo says between gasps for air. “She is the yellow girl I was looking for.”

The light turns green and they both move. She kept on staying behind, so he made his steps smaller.

“She can see me and there is one more person who knows about me. She said something about a Mieko?”

MIEKO? He hopes that’s not the Mieko everyone knows about. He is bad news.

“I will meet her again tomorrow to get to know each other. But she said that I need her as much as she needs me. I have a feeling that something interesting is about to happen!”

Her excitement never fails to relax him. He waited the whole day just to see her for a little while.

“It’s worth it!” He says out loud.

“What it’s worth it?”

He ignores her gain.

“HEY! What’s worth it?”

“Hello?!”

“WHAT’S WORTH IT?”