December 30, 2199 - 18:21
The rain continued to fall. The sky grew darker, and eventually, a strong wind began to blow. As night fell, the air grew colder. This was already a high place, incredibly high when counted from the ground. And to top it all off, there was nothing to block the wind and rain.
"Ah... this is just the worst."
Standing on the rooftop of the Kagutsuchi branch of the Novus Orbis Librarium, at the highest point of the 13th Hierarchical City of Kagutsuchi, Hazama stared up at the endless rainstorm, genuinely exasperated.
His black suit, not part of the uniform, and the hat he wore for protection against the rain, were useless. Within seconds of arriving, they were soaked through. He had thought that if he waited a bit, the rain would lighten up, but he now wondered what the point of wasting that time was.
"If this wasn't a direct order from my superior or that person, I'd call in sick and go back to the script department." It was utterly depressing. The thought of having to work alone in this wind and rain was unbearable.
"Well, there's no use complaining forever." Hazama muttered, pitying himself as he pulled a small communicator from his suit's inner pocket. He put it to his ear and waited.
The day had long since passed, and it was dark. There was no chance of moonlight with these thick rain clouds. The pale light from the rooftop entrance behind Hazama illuminated the circular, wet rooftop like a spotlight, casting a cold glow.
"It's me." A voice came through the communicator. It was a man's voice. Low, with no trace of emotion in it.
Hazama put his hands in his pants pocket and straightened his back slightly.
"Good evening. This is Hazama. I've arrived at the scene. It's pouring rain, by the way."
"I see. Then begin."
"Oh, so cold. No words of encouragement, Colonel?" The brim of his hat was useless. Hazama pushed back his wet bangs with his fingers and smiled wryly. Although, if the man on the other end had offered words of encouragement, it would have been so creepy that he wouldn't be able to focus on his work.
"We don't have much time. Hurry up."
"Yeah, yeah. Honestly, both you and that person are so demanding." Hazama added, "I'll see you later," and ended the communication. He tossed the small communicator into the air as if it were a toy, caught it, and then returned it to his pocket.
The rain was cold. Hazama slightly lifted the brim of his black hat. Golden eyes peered out from beneath his wet hair. He fixed his sharp gaze on the countless raindrops shimmering in the light, and beyond that, on the empty, silent rooftop space that was also quietly getting wet.
Hazama shrugged slightly and smiled. It was as if he were speaking to someone.
"I know. I want to finish this quickly too."
The sound of the rain continued uninterrupted. There was no one else there but Hazama, and of course, there was no one else to see. The rooftop, bathed in rain and mist, was silent and empty, unable to speak or complain. It only grew wetter.
Hazama put away the communicator, adjusted his hat a little, and stepped toward the center of the rooftop. The sound of his hard leather shoes tapping against the wet floor echoed with a faint splash of water.
Hazama smiled as he walked. With both hands in his pockets, his thin shoulders rose slightly, and they shook rhythmically with each sound he made. Alone, on the peak of Kagutsuchi where not even birds dared to approach, Hazama smiled softly, as if without a care in the world. He spoke as though soothing someone only he could understand.
"Don't rush me so much. We'll get it back eventually, Terumi."