Prologue: The Girl Named Ace Miklannia

Hey! I’m Yuuki Zenace K. Miklannia.

That’s a really long name, isn’t it? Oh, just Ace Miklannia then. Most of my friends call me “Ace”. I was just a very formal person. 

I love to read books, but not as obsessed as Jen, whoops! Sorry for that, Jenny! Haha! I’m sort of a weird person (Nah, I didn’t say that to insult myself), but I think that’s what makes me special. 

We are all unique. Everyone has its own strengths and weaknesses. For me, life has always been this way. No matter how hard... no matter how sad... there’s always a satisfying part of it. My brother, Kira, taught me that.

Shouyo Yukihira Miklannia, that’s his name. I had loved him so much... every part of him. He’s reliable, dependable, adorable. All positive adjectives describe him. Well, not like it’s SUPER exaggerated... but you know what? That’s how I see him. I really admired that person. His back has always been my goal. I tried to reach out my hands to him. But unexpectedly, he passed away. The worst thing about that is I don’t know how he died. I was really hurt. But that pain... was little by little eased by Ken.

“I’m still here.” She was my very first friend.

She is a best friend and a cousin of mine. We have known each other when we were young. She is a tomboyish gal, but she’s also very feminine. I get it, it’s very contradictory but that’s how I feel towards her. She loves sports too much; she also loves guitar too much. Maybe it was really destiny that she was partnered with Nee-chee. Nee-chee is a playful and a clumsy guy, and he was always bullied by Jen (is this necessary? haha), but I know that he’s a very responsible and thoughtful person. 

I am not athletic like Ken; I’m probably a frail girl type. Well, if you’re going to ask me about who’s more athletic between me and Jen. I guess I’m not the worst sport’s SUCKER in all history of sports. Jen, forgive me.

Then Shy came in, and followed. She was a very bright girl.

“I like that too. I guess we like the same thing.” I am not as noisy as Shy, but I can be also boisterous sometimes depending on the people I am with. I have known these two (Ken and Shy) since they’re my best friends ever since I got into high school. Shy is not too sharp, but she emits a very lively aura that makes you want to smile from the bottom of your heart. I also know that Nitsuji likes her. Yeah, maybe from that time?

“That’s fine by me... if you really want to see both of us killing each other, I mean.”

“K... k... killing each other? I’ll switch with you instead, Jen!”

“I’ll sleep with Jairo instead of Jen. Is that okay, Nitsuji?”

Jen purposely did that to test Nitsuji’s reaction towards Shy not being able to sleep with him in the same room. And Jen succeeded! Haha, nice Jen! Well, I happened to notice that one.

Nitsuji and Nee-chee are twins, and you can find their differences easily, but part of me says that they are both alike, since they worry for everyone. Well, Nitsuji doesn’t seem to be like that, but it’s true. He cares for Shy and the rest of us. He is a very loyal and dependable leader.

Then, I got to know Jen and everyone else... Jen’s real name is Jenivive Rennessee Ia Genesis. She probably didn’t mention that one to you, since she doesn’t like to talk about her personal info that much. I guess that right, did I? She is a very quiet and calm person. Well, she sometimes is sarcastic towards the boys, but she really is a good person when you get to know her. I didn’t know she was so amazing, until I had spent a lot of time together with her. I got to teach her Mathematics lesson.

“Ms. Miklannia, would you please tutor Ms. Genesis?”

That time, I thought she was just a loner and a very meticulous person when it comes to her studies.

“Sure. My name’s Zenace. My friends call me ‘Ace’.”

That’s when I first got to talk to Jen.

When she got partnered to Jairo, all I could think is... Is she going to be alright with him?

Well, you know, Jairo is a bit of weird too but we got along just fine. Maybe because of our weirdness? Well, let’s leave that aside. 

He is a professional assassin but he went and became an agent. I don’t really know his reasons but I have something in mind. He’s a bit overprotective of Jen, and that’s where the reason gets in. Anyway, Jairo is a dependable and he has a strong-willed personality. I know that they’re also polar opposites but they are almost alike in so many different ways. They argue, and bully each other a lot. It’s going to be tough making these two worked out. But it was all a deduction. I smilingly made a very false deduction. 

“Are you still alive or what? Open your eyes!”

“No, Jen! Don’t!”

“What are you laughing about?”

“I really hate girls who think like ‘There’s no guy who would want to resist me’. You’re not Aphrodite for goodness sake!”

“She’s alive.”

“Don’t you dare say that she’s dead, Shinn!”

“I could still remember him trying to gouge out Shinsui’s eyes when they had a fight just before you guys became an agent. He might kill yo—!”

“He’s not going to kill anyone. Shut up.”

They care for each other so much. They care for everyone so much. They are very alike in some ways. They are really... meant to be partners. I will not introduce myself any longer. I have kind, loyal and beautiful best friends. Oh? Shy and Ken were already my friends but things changed after I met Jen and the others.

***

Ah? My partner?

Do I really need to mention this retard freak partner of mine?

“Shinsui here! I love seafoods and stuff. I love color red. I love fruits too like grapes and apples. I love playing basketball. I love exercising. I love animals such as kittens. I love miniskirts. I love dating girls especially those who are pretty. Can I have your numbers later, girls?”

Ah, okay.

He’s my partner. Shinsui Silverknight. I don’t know anything about him actually. But there’s something about him that makes me feel so uneasy. Even though he looks like someone who loves everything in the world, there’s something about him that makes me think... he actually hates everything. I don’t know anything either. I just feel that way.

And it turns out that... what I feel is actually right all along.