"Oh-uh… thank you…" Hiroki stammered, blinking in surprise as he looked up at her.
"Actually," he continued, "I didn't even expect any of this at all."
"I see. Well… congratulations, I suppose," Ayuri replied sweetly with a quick smile.
"You were listening? How did you find out?" Yoru asked from the other side, her voice tinged with doubt and confusion.
"I was standing near the back, by the door. I didn't want to draw attention to myself. If I'd been standing with you when the announcement was made, it probably would've caused even more questions." Ayuri replied.
Hiroki glanced at her instantly, a subtle smile briefly crossing his face.
*"She knows, doesn't she?"*
"Still…" Kenji interrupted from the side, his tone betraying a hint of annoyance at the previous announcement. "Having our names called out in front of the entire guild… it feels a bit disorienting."
"I could see that in you," Ayuri replied, her tone softening. She glanced around at the other tables. The crowd had thinned out compared to just minutes before.
"At least there are fewer eyes on us now," she continued, looking back at the group. "Putting everything else aside, this is a big step forward. Seina doesn't recommend people like this without a solid reason. So… it really is a great achievement for you guys."
"We haven't even started yet," Yoru added from the side, closing her eyes slightly for a moment, ignoring Ayuri's exaggeration.
Kenji leaned back in his chair, casually placing his hands behind his head as he looked up. From afar, his rocking made him seem ready to fall. Then, he glanced at Ayuri, still in the same position.
"Hey, Ayuri. Speaking of which, if you've already worked with Seina before, why wasn't your name even on this list, even informally? Wouldn't it make more sense for you to lead the team?"
Ayuri glanced at him, surprised a bit by his question, before giving a light, self-deprecating chuckle and tucking a strand of white hair behind her ear. She then lowered her gaze slightly.
"Well… Seina knows how I work. I've never liked being tied to an official organization or a single squad. I've taken on leadership once before, but I've always preferred working independently," she said, then looked up again. "I've always helped her with many individual missions, but strictly as an independent agent, not as a royal soldier. She tried to convince me to enlist several times back then, but I turned down the offer each time."
"So that's how it is…" Kenji said understandingly after hearing all this.
There was a moment of silence before Ayuri continued gently.
"That doesn't mean she won't ask me to help you again, though. Just like during the last PHG mission… despite being assigned separately that time."
Yoru was a bit surprised for a moment when Ayuri said that, which gave them hope that she might be with them this time as well. A smile of quiet relief spread across Yoru's face as she took it in stride.
"I hope you don't disappear this time, at least."
Ayuri looked at Yoru, who replied with a simple nod, "I'll try my best."
"Turning down such a rank from the Kingdom… I can barely imagine having that kind of courage." Miyu spoke from the other side, cupping her face in her hands. "Ayuri-chan really gets to choose what she wants to do. I wish I had that." She puffed out her cheeks, giving Ayuri a small, unmistakably jealous look.
Ayuri simply replied with a small, friendly smile. She didn't say anything.
As for Hiroki, he seemed lost in thought before looking at Ayuri with a questioning expression.
"What about the other two names Ryuuji mentioned? Izuhara Rumi and Ashikaga Taro. Do you know who they are?"
Ayuri tilted her head slightly for a moment.
"I have no clue. I don't really interact with many of the other members around the compound, so their names don't ring a bell. You'll probably meet them soon anyway."
Then, Ayuri suddenly took a slow step back and rose from her seat, placing both hands briefly on the table as she stood.
"Anyway, I have to go now to catch up with Seina; she called me earlier this morning as well. We'll catch up again later."
"That was quick!" Kenji exclaimed, surprised by her sudden readiness to leave, even though it had been her usual habit since they'd met.
"Does this call have anything to do with us or the group we joined?" Yoru asked casually.
"I don't really know, but it's probably related to planning something," Ayuri replied.
No one asked anything more. Then, Ayuri turned completely to leave, but before she did, she glanced back at Hiroki one last time, her expression softening for a moment.
"Hiroki… this is your chance. Don't waste it. Good luck."
With a brief nod, she turned on her heel and walked calmly toward the far exit of the hall they were in, leaving a subtle silence trailing in her wake.
Hiroki sat frozen for a second, his gaze lingering on the spot where she had disappeared, feeling an unfamiliar warmth creep up his chest.
Beside him, Yoru's expression tightened unusually. She stared at Hiroki with half-closed, visibly annoyed eyes, her brow twitching in subtle irritation.
When Hiroki looked over, he was met with Yoru's glaring eyes, leaving him thoroughly confused by her sudden weird reaction.
Before Hiroki could even ask what that look was for, Yoru abruptly pushed her chair back, the wooden legs scraping sharply against the floorboards.
"I… have to leave now," Yoru stated, remaining firmly rooted to the spot for a few seconds. "I need to check my mailbox; they've probably put something related to Seina in there by now. We need to be ready."
Kenji looked at her, puzzled, not understanding the reason for her haste. "Wait, you're leaving already as well? I mean, it's not like staying here is the best thing after all…"
Yoru didn't look them directly in the eye, but she turned slightly for a moment, her cheeks turning faintly red as she struggled to speak.
"Y-Yeah, I'm leaving! Stop asking so many useless questions before I slam your head straight into the back of that chair!"
"Heh? What did I even do…?"
But before he could even continue, he caught a glimpse of Yoru's gaze, which seemed one of the most chilling and terrifying.
Kenji immediately threw his hands up in front of his face, leaning as far back as his seat allowed.
"O-okay, whatever. My life is still precious."
After a few moments, Yoru finally stood a few meters away, her tension slightly relieved. She remained standing, a hand on her hip, trying not to complicate things.
"Maah. It's just… never mind." Averting her eyes, she tried to regain her composure, "I'm going to take a look now. They've probably left something in there."
Then she glanced back briefly at Hiroki, who still seemed a bit confused. But her composure didn't last long, as she quickly tried to ignore the stares. "Then, see you later…"
She hurried towards the exit, leaving both Hiroki and Kenji glancing puzzled at her as she walked away.
Miyu, on the other hand, watched them calmly with a faint smile. She rested her chin on her right hand and let out a gentle, knowing sigh.
"Your reaction is something else."
Hiroki looked at her after she spoke in a low voice, clearly directed at him.
"Huh? What do you mean?"
"Nothing." She closed her eyes for a moment, an unusual amusement crossing her face. Then she continued, "Well… it seems her feelings are complicated right now. She'll probably return to normal in a few minutes."
"You're talking like you've known her for ages," Kenji added, his eyes narrowing slightly in confusion.
"Hmph," Miyu sighed briefly, before her tone returned to normal. "It's just something I can figure out. You shouldn't pry into what's going on inside a girl's heart."
Hiroki, as usual, remained deep in thought. It was easy to notice.
*"I thought I understood Yoru after all this time, but it turns out I didn't. Is she still holding onto her doubts about Ayuri…? Or is there something else?"*
At that moment, Hiroki leaned his head back completely, relaxing against the chair, his gaze rising to the high ceiling.
*"I really don't understand how girls think. Even back then, I barely talked to anyone outside… especially girls. Well, except my mother, of course."*
But then he paused abruptly, his expression shifting.
*"Well… there was a girl I once talked to before…"*
Something deeper within him faltered, leaving a crack in his usual quiet mask.
*"I always convinced myself that people only put up walls and told convenient lies."*
At that moment, his eyes narrowed as he recalled a scene he thought he had forgotten, only for it to flood back.
The rainy street. The black-haired girl crying out for help while he stood motionless, convincing himself that turning away was the rational choice. Despite this, Hiroki tried not to react. He didn't want to upset Kenji and Miyu over an old issue that had nothing to do with them.
*"I've always tried to convince myself that this would be enough of an excuse. But the truth is… I'm a guy who still can't even understand what other people are actually feeling."*
Hiroki leaned forward slightly, a hint of inner unease on his face. At that moment, Miyu caught a glimpse of his expression, which made her wonder.
"Is something wrong?"
Hiroki flinched, pulling himself out of his reverie, and forced a calm, neutral expression.
"No… It's nothing. Just thinking about the upcoming mission."
"Mission…?"
"I mean working with the Youth Elite Guard."
"You're right. Well, I think we should leave now. There aren't many people left compared to before," Kenji chimed in casually.
…
After they stood up, Miyu excused herself with a reassuring smile, facing a different direction from Hiroki and Kenji.
"Well, I need to get back to the library archives now. You'll probably be busy for a while, so I've got to keep going too. There are still a few sections of that history log I want to finish checking before evening."
"I appreciate that. Don't overwork yourself," Hiroki replied gently.
Miyu's expression softened slightly, relieved by his words.
"I won't…" she said quietly, before looking up at them from below. "Good luck with your journey, you two."
Hiroki nodded with a smile of agreement. Kenji simply gave her his usual thumbs-up, well-pleased.
With a polite little wave, Miyu turned and headed toward the left corridor leading to the library wing. Yet, the moment she walked away, her smile slowly faded, her lips tightening into an indecipherable expression.
…
Meanwhile, Hiroki and Kenji walked slowly and quietly down the underground passage leading to the main entrance of PHG.
Kenji stretched his arms high above his head, letting out a long groan.
"Ugh, thinking about it, this means we'll have even more work to deal with for the kingdom. Seina-sama is ruthless when it comes to her duties," Kenji grumbled slightly.
"You have a point," Hiroki tried to console him casually, "Still, it's only temporary for now."
"Besides," Hiroki raised his finger in the air, continuing, "we'll probably get a lot out of it. The financial rewards will probably be much better as well."
"That sounds motivating, but… just thinking about having to patrol a whole area at night like last time… I don't even want to remember it," Kenji replied in a low, unmotivated voice, though he wasn't really serious about it.
"You complain a lot. What did you expect when you joined the PHG anyway?"
"Ugh, whatever. Come what may, I'm ready for it," Kenji piped up, returning to his energetic self after quickly accepting his fate.
"That's the spirit," Hiroki replied quietly, sounding slightly pleased.
Then, they finally reached the hall—the main entrance to the PHG, where the reception staff and mailboxes area were located.
As soon as Hiroki glanced toward the mailboxes, he slowed his pace for a moment. His expression changed instantly, slightly surprised.
Standing near the wooden partition just past the mailboxes was a familiar figure.
Messy white hair. His usual white clothes. Sharp, calm gray eyes.
Who else could it be but Kaito?
…
Kenji's expression darkened slightly, and his relaxed posture shifted a little. Hiroki felt a subtle tension settle in his chest as his eyes were locked onto the boy.
Each of them had their own reason to feel a bit uneasy just seeing this guy. Hiroki was less affected, unlike Kenji, who still remembered the Miyu incident. Despite this, neither of them said anything to the other, each unaware of what the other had experienced.
On the other side, the boy wasn't even looking at them. He simply kept walking slowly, glancing unconcernedly around, though his expression remained unreadable.
Hiroki and Kenji carried on moving forward, closing the distance between them step by step.
The three passed each other in silence, their footsteps the only sound between them.
As they drew level with each other, neither boy turned his head.
Then, just as Kaito's shoulder brushed past Hiroki's left side, Kaito tilted his head slightly. A faint, weird smile played at the corner of his lips.
"…It looks like you're really going to get famous,"
His voice was barely audible, almost a whisper. But it was enough to elicit a clear reaction from Hiroki.
Without breaking his stride or glancing back, Kaito continued walking smoothly down the hall, his figure slowly disappearing into the dim light of the corridor behind them.
Hiroki didn't look back or reply; he just froze in place. His eyes widened slightly, not from nervousness, but because this eccentric person knew about this as well. A cold sweat trickled down his neck.
*"He wasn't in the hall… was he…?"*
---
[TO BE CONTINUED…]