Chapter 16: Next Mission

“So?” Ken asked.

“What happened, Nee-chee? You kept bugging Jen, right?” Ace asked.

“Youh, shou bouout mou uop.” Translation: Yeah, she beat me up.*

Nee-chee said.

“Goodness, you’re a handful jerk!” Ace said.

“You understand what he’s saying, Ace?” Ken asked.

He kept insisting that I should go back to being an agent so I got irritated. I clobbered him for good!

“Haha! What a nice face you got there, Nee-chee!” Shy said.

“But are you really okay with that, Jen? I mean, not going back to being an agent means not being able to be with us.” Shinsui added.

There’s no way it would be okay. I trained so hard this past year in order to be strong to protect you guys. I couldn’t bring myself to answer Shinsui’s question. 

“Oh! You’re all here! What’s up!” My substitute came. Damn, she’s too loud. She’s even louder than Shy.

“I need to go to the office. I’ll just catch up you guys later.” I stood and said that.

“Why’re you going to the office?” Ken asked.

“Ah, I forgot that I’m still a part of a club. I need to say sorry to our club adviser, since I skipped school for a year.” I explained.

“Bye, Jen!” Tch, the substitute’s waving.

On my way to the office, someone approached me.

“You’re Jenivive Genesis, right? Do you remember me?” Oh, the one I helped from the rich delinquents before.

“Yes, I do remember you.” I smiled at him.

“That’s great! I thought you had forgotten about that.” He scratched his head as if he's shy.

“So? What can I do for you?” I asked him.

“Well, I heard that you were gone for almost one year, so I...” Hmm, someone’s worried about me.

“I appreciate that you’re worried about me. I’m fine.” I smiled at him again.

“Ah, it’s okay. Opps, sorry.” Eh? He couldn’t speak well. He seemed flustered. Are you okay?

“What are you guys talking about?” All of the sudden, Jairo popped up out of nowhere.

“How come that you’re here?” I asked him.

“I was just passing by.” Jairo replied.

“Don’t play dumb! You’re still looking after me, aren’t you?” I added furiously.

“Seriously? I’m still a student. To be specific, a student who’s just passing by. What’s wrong with that?” Jairo explained.

“You little—!” Gosh, I started arguing with him. Well, that really happens a lot, but seriously?

“Oh? You two are already fighting?” Shinsui asked.

“Where did you pop up from?” I asked him.

“I bought snacks. Do you want one, Jen?” He offered.

“Thanks but I’m full.” I denied.

“Really? Okay then. What about you, Jairo?” He tried to offer.

“It’s fine. I’m not hungry.” Jairo answered.

I stared at Jairo.

“Don’t follow me!” It was then that I left. Before I left, I heard Shinsui murmur something.

“Jen’s fine. She’s not going anywhere. Calm down, Jairo.” I turned back and had seen Jairo’s sad face.

What?

Why are you so sad?

I asked myself that.

It was then that I remembered Mirlo’s words. So, Mirlo? How will I become a good friend to him? We always fight. Can I really be a friend to him?

“I’m sorry, Ma’am.” I apologized.

“It’s okay, Vivi. Sir Koshiru explained everything.” Ms. Dahlia, YES-O Club adviser, was the only one who calls me “Vivi”. More importantly, I was more concerned of Hashimaru’s excuses for me.

Oh well. Maybe I’ll just ask him when I see him.

“Could you help me with these, Shy?” They were putting the books back in the shelf.

“Do you need my help?” I asked them.

“No, it’s okay. You need to rest, Jen.” Ken said.

As if!

I was watching them. But that time, the huge shelf trembled and it almost fell on Shy and Ken.

“Waaa—!” I used the strong wind to push the shelf back, so that it wouldn’t fall to them.

“Whoa, what was that?” Every time I use this power, I become so strong but after that, it triggers a great toll on my body. After using it, my body weakens.

“Are you two alright?” I asked them.

“We’re okay. Thank you, Jen.” Shy was worried.

“More importantly... Are you alright, Jen?” I was coughing.

***

“Oh? Jen? Did you change your mind?” Hashimaru asked.

“Yeah.” I said.

“Okay, so you’re gonna be Jairo’s partner again.” Not so fast.

“Ah, about that.” Everyone looked so shocked.

“Let Jennifer be Jairo’s partner.” Well, for a while.

“Whaaaaaaaaaat?” Nee-chee reacted.

“How come you decided that on your own?” Jairo asked. He seemed so pissed.

“I think it’s rude for Jennifer to quit just because I came back.” I reasoned out.

“You’re so kind, Jen.” Jennifer showed a very cute face.

“Are you okay with just yourself, Jen?” Hashimaru asked.

“Yeah, I’m perfectly fine with it.” Why the hell did I do that? Sometimes, I really don’t understand myself at all. What a strange mind.

***

“Our mission’s to rescue orphan children from a group of kidnappers.” Nitsuji explained.

“Now that’s really disturbing.” Ace said.

“We’re not used to fighting.” Shy also looked at us, girls.

“You girls rescue the children. We will deal the kidnappers.” Nitsuji said.

“Whoa! We got a pro assassin here!” Nee-chee clinged onto Jairo.

“Quit it, Nee-chee!” Jairo kept pushing Nee-chee back.

“I have the latest gadgets here.” Shinsui said.

“Speaking of which, you didn’t use any gadgets when you defeated the hunters back in the cave of artifact, Jen. How come you managed to immobilize them?” He asked me. 

“I am not obliged to answer that.” I couldn’t tell them about it, so I’ll just keep it a secret.

***

When we reached the cave...

“Uwaaaaaaa!” The children were crying.

“These children are...” Ken asked.

“Yes. They are orphans. But most of them are street children.” Nitsuji explained.

“Let me go! Let me go!” A boy was struggling from the kidnapper’s grip.

I was shocked...

It’s a boy...

A boy... who looked exactly like Dylan.

I was about to charge in to save the boy but Jairo himself did it.

“Whaaa—!” I was in a verge of shock. I mean, all of us.

“What is Jairo doing?” Nee-chee exclaimed.

Jairo kicked the kidnapper away from the boy. I charged in too.