"I did not visit you for reconciliation, you know that's totally impossible now. You really think you can explain yourself out of this?"
"It was just one night babe, and I had been drunk off my ass, I can't even remember the details of what happened to me and that girl!"
"One fuck, one lie, that's how it starts and you know that. You even said that you know me like the back of your hand, so you know as much as I do that if there's one thing I really hate, that's being lied to and deceived as if I'm an idiot to just believe every word you say."
"You know that I won't even make her pregnant 'cause it's only you for me! It has always been you and will always be!"
"Of course, you won't get her pregnant, 'cause you were sober enough to know what's happening that night, right?"
"It's-"
"Don't try to sweet-talk me anymore. I was just bearing with your ego and stupid lines 'cause we were supposed to be marriage partners for the sake of business but they're cringy as hell and the next time that you try to throw any of those lines to me I assure you I won't even think twice and just smack you on the face."
Despite being in mary jane stilettos, Amery swiftly walked away, but before she can reach the knob of her past partner's office, she was pulled harshly and without warning, making her stumble and feel a sudden sharp pain in her right ankle. Despite throwing dagger looks to the other, he just held her arms tighter, and it's far from the comforting manner he had always done before it all shattered away into distant memories.
And despite showing her strong image, she can't help but feel quite scared at that particular moment. For one, she knows how he wants to stay undisturbed at work, thus the soundproof walls, and despite the minimalism infused in the room's lay-out, she knows how any item there can be used as a murder weapon. After all, the guy she once planned to being together with was a past mixed martial arts fighter before turning into real estate for more stability and a quiet lifestyle away from the cameras and limelight inside the ring.
And as much as she hates it, she also knows how much of a possessive guy he could be.
"I know we both know we just stayed because of those bastards pairing us up for good, and I won't let the chance of having a child with you just slip away, and you know that as well, don't you? It's for the sake of our bloodlines too"
"With the way you're treating me right now, I doubt they actually checked you properly. You have more recessive traits than pleasant ones, and you know that too."
"You-!"
Knowing that it's only her words that are sharp, Amery ended up shutting her eyes tight and waited for whatever the asshole was planning to do with his strength, but their attention was immediately stolen by the loud smack of feet hitting the office door, two familiar faces moving towards them and pulling their boss out of the antagonist's, which he will be if this was a cliché story, hands and away from danger. Instead of a word of thanks or a grateful smile, they only received a scowl in response.
"Why does the protagonist need to be injured before some savior actually arrives? This is one of the twists I hate the most. And Hinami? We'll talk in my office once we finish our business here."
"Damn it. Ji, help me please?"
"That's why I keep on reminding you every single day, are you sick on the head or something?"
My boss is a living critiquing machine, and my workmate is a walking mess... why am I working with them again?
Your salary is enough to cover your living expenses with extra amount to save for possible plague, or for a loner party when the end of the world's schedule is announced.
"And how the hell did the two of you know I was in danger?"
In place of Hinami that's currently imagining the scenario once they return to the office and concocting acceptable excuses to avoid being thrown into the dragon's pit, Jia calmly faced and answered the person they work for and was actually supposed to be assisted by the older worker earlier today.
"You're using the shoes you always wore when you we're about to go to a meeting where enemies are involved. So before bloodbath happens, we came to the rescue."
After throwing a quick glance of disinterest towards the only guy in the room who's now fuming in anger from the interruption, the youngest of the three directed her blank stare to Amery, as if they're not in any danger at all.
"And we bought doughnuts before going straight here. There're honey glazed ones for you."
"Oh, good job then. Let's go be-"
"Where the hell do you think you're going Amery?! We're not finished here!"
"…not finished? From the day that you decided to think with your dick, we're already done. Worry not. Instead of an interview of your successful venture, it'll be our breakup story in the cover with full details in the center page. You like it as long as you're the focus of things, right? Right. You're a hypocrite. You didn't want a quiet life; you just craved for a new stage. Which you obviously wasted. Ciao."
Returning her attention to the two after smirking towards his direction, she gracefully left the room, without looking back to the disgraced image of the man he once imagined to be his lifetime partner. Albeit, forced by circumstance.
"Are there jelly and coconut ones too?"
"Hmm, Hina threw those for herself though."
"Oh, she did? I'll deduct those from her pay."
"Amery?!"
"Stop whining. I'm in the mood to kill someone, you wouldn't want it to be you, don't you?"
The weird looks thrown at their direction after walking out of the office of the guy she's supposed to be interviewing at this moment were not new to them. After all, they all look like a dysfunctional group, with the extremes in how they look and carry their selves.
Amery simply exudes elegance and professionalism, with her black hair neatly placed in low ponytail and her choice of formal yet stylish coat. For those who works with and had worked with her, however, know for a fact that it's nothing else but an image of trickery for saving her own grace and to avoid putting a blemish on her stark clean family's name. As much as she hates the burden of being in the shadow of her last name, she loves how she can enjoy all the benefit it could bring. Such as easier access to certain places no ordinary citizen can enter. Or getting away with murder, literally.
Hinami catches people's attention not only because of her quite eccentric fashion and her bold hair shades, with the latest one being an absurd combination of lemon yellow and streaks of violet, just because she saw one artwork with shades of those colors and it made her think of wanting to see the same mixture every time she looks at herself in the mirror. However, she just looked like a walking advertisement for some arcade popular to the teens in their area. As much as anyone wants to ask her life's choices once they see a glimpse of her day-to-day look, they can't deny the fact that weirdly, it all compliments her looks, being tall and slender at the same time, many mistake her as a model and end up complimenting her instead.
And Jia, the youngest of the three and as much as she likes being in the front when they were arranged based on height back when she was still in her old work, her choice of clothes makes her look smaller than she really is, with her oversized shirts and hoodies. Far from showing her feminine charms already quite covered by her androgynous face, she doesn't mind being mistaken as a boy to get away from the people that led her to live an inconsistent life with uncertainties and fear. She mostly keeps to herself, thus the serious look etched on her face most of the time. Though she might just be naturally just that.
They all have their own reasons for putting their masks on, just like the millions you pass by or walk along with on the roads of the cities you've come from or went to. As much as it would be easier to breathe without those fronts, life would seem unbearable afterwards.
--
The turn of events that followed afterwards were not what he expected to happen, nor has he foreseen his self being in a dire situation.
"Miracles happen because we act, not because we simply wait for it."
This is still where he ended up though, and as much as he wants to keep his sanity and quickly leave the dimly lighted place, his feet seemed to be stuck in place due to extreme fear. It has been a week since he had a proper meal, and through the days that he had ran away from the shelter where he was born, survival came with rummaging remains of food in trash cans and asking for left-overs in restaurants. It doesn't fill him up with satisfaction, but it does provide warmth once in a while, just enough for his frail physique.
It just messes up with his head more when he felt the acid rising to his mouth, making him vomit in place, with the only other guy in the room simply watching him in amusement. The sting from clenching his fists until his palms bled from the unevenly cut nails made him pull his self together for a while, but it was not enough to form a plan of escape.
"Dear, you can't sleep yet. Would you mind looking at me as well while I speak to you for a moment? Don't worry, it'll only last for a few minutes, then you're good to go. Please do nod if you're still listening. Good, that's good."
The boy looked at the man's face for a moment, then his attention lasts longer on the silver watch wrapped around the man's right wrist. Why are others born full of luck and blessings? Why are others born and simply forgotten? Those questions ran through his head.
"Please… don't…"
"Goodness. Where are my manners. Thank you for the meal."
--
Blood spattered pictures were scattered in front of the ministry of peace affairs, and in every step towards the entrance, what seemed to be pieces of hacked and sawed body were placed. As much as they have worked wonders in ensuring that both human and other beings have laws protecting them and for them to abide by the government's words, cases like this, at times, too grotesque for words, happen almost every day. And there's just not enough means of covering things up.
Total eradication of discrimination is wished upon by every citizen, as believed by every nation they belong to, especially now that it has been years since the last war had erupted and they are recovering quite well, but even normies can be outcasts, how much more for the different ones? This is when indifference doesn't work well.
"I told them to crack this case for a week already. This is the second time this week that a stranger's murdered body welcomed us at work, and I don't see any leads! I don't think the country's funds should be used on your team if this continues."
"Sir, you do know that it's quite a difficult case, and as much as I want to utilize all my people to chase this murderer, we don't have enough hands and feet to cover every crime in every inch of this city, so-"
"That's the reason why I'm telling you that we'll lend a hand."
A woman in crimson red coat, wearing ebony black shades to cover her iridescent eyes, interjected, making the two older men in ash gray official uniforms flinch in surprise. Both a gift and a curse, if she may say herself, her existence, that is. The expressions on the people's faces around her show either anxiousness or irritation, no in-between, and to calm herself from lashing out to them even for a little while, she looked anywhere else but the crowd, though it did not help after seeing the projected advertisement of the first central city she visited for the day.
"The nation accepts you.
We will be your cornucopia.
Be yourself.
Be one of us.
Be you."
What a load of bullshit.
"By the way, if you're gonna decide on your marketing activities, can I suggest another company to work on it? The one you have right now is full of...crap. Though the color palette chosen is quite nice, I must say."
Of course, her expression, that slight smirk after her words, shows that she's got more to say but for the sake of minimizing damages to both parties, she's holding her fort well while maintaining peace. What's the point of loud wars and bloody arguments without anything to gain from? Everyone can claim that they won based on what they believe is the core of such contention, but all have already lost just by stepping into that mine of wanting to win over the others. She learned it the hard way.
"We didn't invite you to be here, and we don't need you to help us in this case. We can-"
"Um, hush, please, I don't need to hear the opinion of a minion. I'm here to talk to the puppet of the government, sorry, I mean you, mayor."
The man in brown coat and plain dress shirt, who was almost forgotten as nothing but another bystander approached them with the usual smile on his face, though it doesn't reach his eyes at all.
"You're quite aggressive this early morning. Right, I forgot you're a late bloomer. Not wanting to be left behind, aren't you?"
If this was some kind of anime, sparks would have been flying already, with fires and explosion at the background, with the two figures looking straight into each other's eyes. As much as they hate to be in each other's throats, they avoid any possible worse conflicts than their current level of banters when it comes to having the same objective, or goal. Maintaining position and earning accomplishments are the best feat to serve to each other's tables.
"You know what I'm going through as well, right little brother? It'll be my last time to offer you this chance, after all, I'll be going to the neighboring city after this talk. Or perhaps I'll visit some place within the Far East Federation too. They do have interesting and compelling cases as well, you know."
"...let's go to my office."
"But honorable sir, this is not-"
"I said let's go. You're not trying to disobey me, aren't you?"
While gritting his teeth, he slowly bowed his head and extended his left arm, indicating a practiced show of respect to the other two. Before following the city official, the lady in red gently caressed the guy's head then whispered to his ear.
"I told you, you're too much of a minion for a predator like me. Practice your bow again and don't forget to be as graceful the next time we meet."
As much as he hated to admit it, he can't help but feel weak on his knees after the words left behind by the vixen.