As Jason stepped out of the conference room, he noticed a young man with brown hair and glasses waiting for him, a katana resting at his hip. A small smile tugged at Jason's lips when he recognized him.
Jason: Were you standing there this whole time?
He nodded.
Joshua: So how'd it go?
Jason: Oh, same old thing. I gave my report to those corn dogs on the board and I couldn't really blame them for how shocked they were. I'm still having trouble believing it myself.
Joshua: Humans, Shadows and Clarions in one group huh? It sounds bizarre when you think about it.
Jason: Yeah… and Sanito died getting this information for us.
Joshua's face fell like something was bothering and afterwards he spoke again.
Joshua: You ever think that this Kaimi Daja group let Sanito gather Intel on them intentionally?
Jason sighed.
Jason: Yeah. The fact that he was killed right after he sent that information to me made it pretty clear.
Joshua: What about Lisa? How's she been holding up? I haven't seen her since the funeral.
Jason: She's been calm about it but I know deep down, she cries when we're not there. I wish there's more I could do for her.
Joshua looked at his friend's face, observing the sincerity written all over it.
Joshua: I think that's why Gabriel is making us teach the new students coming in today. So we can be close to her.
Jason: Oh he told you about that already? He said you're in charge of the new students with Marlo, and I'm supposed to join you guys.
Joshua chuckled at this.
Jason: What's so funny?
Joshua: Oh it's nothing. It's just that the thought of you teaching is so…
Joshua held back his laughter.
Jason: Huh? What's so funny about that? I can teach a bunch of kids just fine!
Joshua: I'm sorry, it's just... you don't exactly scream "patience" or "teacher material." You'd scare the students off with those dark circles under your eyes.
A vein in Jason's head suddenly etched out.
Jason: You wanna take this outside?
Joshua grinned cartoonishly.
Joshua: No way, no way. Besides, you'd just lose, like you did in our academy days.
Jason: NOW YOU'RE ASKING FOR IT!
Joshua continued laughing as he and Jason made their way out of the building. Once outside, they ran into Marlo, who had overheard their conversation before they got out, thanks to just how loud they had been.
Marlo was a young man, standing at just five feet tall, with a serene, almost unshakable calm in his expression. His navy-blue hair fell neatly around his face, adding a quiet depth to his thoughtful demeanor, as if he carried the weight of his own reflections in the stillness of his gaze.
Marlo: Man, I'm amazed you two are even best friends.
Joshua: Oh, hey Marlo.
Jason: Best friends? With this bozo? (hissed)
Marlo: It's been a while, hasn't it? We didn't get a chance to catch up at the funeral.
Jason: That's not the perfect place to do that, Marlo.
Joshua: Yeah…. And I have a lot of missions that keep me busy.
Jason raised an eyebrow.
Jason: Busy? You declined 99 out of 100 missions you got. Just how busy are you then?
Joshua: You wouldn't get it.
Marlo chuckled softly, the energy radiating between the two of them something he never seemed to tire of. It was electric, unpredictable, and yet comforting, a constant spark that never failed to draw a smile from him.
Marlo: I'm headed to the academy. Gabriel put me on staff listing.
Jason: We're headed there too. He asked us to teach as well.
Marlo chuckled which made Jason pop a vein.
Marlo: Teaching? You, Jason? Really?
At this point, you could see the steam coming out of Jason's ears.
Jason: What is with you guys? Why does everyone think I can't teach?!
Joshua laughed harder than he did before while Marlo tried to calm him down.
Marlo: Huh?? I mean it's just...
Jason: JUST SHUT UP OR I'LL KILL YOU BOTH!
Laughing, the trio made their way to the Hunter Force Academy, a little removed from the main headquarters compound. When they arrived, the students hadn't shown up yet, but Lisa was already there, waiting for them.
Lisa Arimoto, a 26-year-old woman with dark skin, black hair, and golden eyes, had been one of their closest friends for years, part of the same group with Jason, Marlo, Joshua, and Sanito.
The moment they saw her, their smiles faded, and she was quick to notice.
Lisa: Long time, guys. Why the long faces?
Jason: Well, it's just that… Ever since Sanito…
Lisa waved her hand dismissing whatever Jason was about to say.
Lisa: It's fine really. I know it's really odd to still be working after my fiance just died… but I'm not sure that being sad and depressed about it is what Sanito would want.
The boys were all stunned by her words.
Lisa: So I don't want you guys to feel sorry for me. Don't ever do that to me.
They all saw the look in their faces and nodded their heads in agreement. Lisa smiled afterwards.
Lisa: Thank you. So… have you guys been holding up?
Joshua began to nudge Jason with his elbow with a teasing look in his face.
Joshua: You were trying to act cool, huh?
Jason: Shut up, four eyes!
Marlo: (to Lisa) As you can see, not much has changed.
Lisa chuckled.
Lisa: Yeah, I can tell. Glad you guys are okay.
A thought suddenly crossed Marlo's mind.
Marlo: You know what? Let's hang out like we used to. It'd be nice to bring back the good old days.
Jason: Huh? What brought this on?
Marlo: Well… (pauses) Ever since we became hunters seven years ago, things haven't exactly been smooth sailing. We've lost a lot of friends and people we know. So it made me realize that we have to treasure the moments we have now that we're still breathing because we can do any of that after we're dead.
Marlo's words sank deep into each and every one of them and they all smiled and nodded in approval.
Joshua: I'm in
Lisa: Yeah, let's do it.
Jason: We should call Haruto and Koichi too. They wouldn't want to miss out on this.
Marlo: I thought you didn't get along with Haruto.
Joshua chuckled.
Joshua: When does Jason get along with anyone?
Jason: SHUT UP, FOUR EYES!!!!!!!!