Chapter 76: Mei-Mei Warona
VRRMM!
FWOOSH!
The convoy rolled forward dust trailing behind them like ghosts that refused to let go.
By the time they reached the border of Kingsville, the world had changed.
Where the wasteland had been silent, this place was alive.
Loud, crowded, and overflowing.
Murmur.....
Murmur.....
Murmur....
Markets stretched across every street, voices clashing in a chaotic symphony of trade, laughter, arguments, music, and movement. People moved like waves, never stopping, never slowing.
It was the complete opposite of everything they had just left behind.
The vehicles came to a stop just outside the entry checkpoint.
Aerin stepped forward.
"…Before we go in," she said, pulling out a compact kit, "…we can't walk in looking like that."
She gestured at them battle-worn, mismatched, still carrying the weight of Gregor Naught.
"…We stand out too much."
Minutes passed.
Fabric shifted.
Colours changed.
Aerin moved with precision, adjusting, cutting, and reworking until one by one they looked like something else entirely.
Travelers.
Merchants.
Locals.
Blended.
Brandon looked down at his sleeves.
"…Not bad."
Wasabi adjusted her collar.
"…Efficient."
Zachia smirked.
"…I almost feel normal."
Aerin, however didn't smile.
"…There was supposed to be one more," she muttered quietly.
Daito glanced at her.
"…Monday," she added, her voice softer.
"…I made something that would've suited him."
A brief silence passed.
Daito didn't respond, but his eyes lingered for just a second longer than usual.
"…Let's move," he said.
They entered Kingsville.
And immediately—
WOOSH!
They disappeared into it.
The town was overwhelming. Stalls stacked with goods from unknown regions. Street performers drawing crowds. Vendors shouting deals over each other.
Music blasting from different corners, clashing into a chaotic rhythm.
There were people almost everywhere.
Too many.
"…How are we supposed to find one person in all of this?" Champagne muttered.
Wasabi adjusted her device, scanning.
"…Signal interference is too high…"
"…Too many bodies… too much noise…"
Zachia exhaled.
"…Great."
Daito looked around, eyes scanning, calculating.
"…We split up."
Everyone looked at him.
"…Pairs," he continued.
"…Search the districts. Markets, alleys, rooftops, underground routes."
A pause.
"…If anyone finds anything, signal immediately."
They nodded.
And just like that—
SWOOSH!
They vanished into the crowd.
Time passed, and minutes turned to hours.
But they all found nothing.
No leads, not even signs.
Kingsville swallowed them whole.
Daito moved alone, now walking through a quieter section of the market, where the noise dipped just enough to think.
His eyes scanned faces, passing voices blending, memories flickering faintly in the back of his mind.
Then he stopped.
Because something felt… familiar.
He heard a voice, it was soft and laughing.
"…You always pick the worst fruits."
Daito's eyes widened just slightly.
He turned, and there she was.
Mei-Mei Warona.
Time slowed.
FWOO!
She stood by a fruit stall, holding a small basket, her hair catching the sunlight just the same way it used to.
Unchanged.
Yet completely different.
Daito didn't move nor speak.
FWOO...
Memories hit him all at once, classrooms, hallways, after-school walks.
The Laughter.
Silence.
Moments he thought were long buried. From primary school to high school. She had been there, through all of it. Not just a crush, something more, and then she turned.
Their eyes met.
And just like that, the noise of Kingsville disappeared.
"…Daito?"
His name on her lips felt unreal.
For the first time in a long time, Daito didn't have an answer.
Because this wasn't part of the plan.
And somehow, it felt more dangerous than anything he had faced before.
* * *
The days in Kingsville started to blur.
What was supposed to be a mission became something else.
At first, it was just a coincidence, a short conversation, a quick catch-up.
"…So you're really here?" Mei-Mei asked, smiling softly as they walked past a row of stalls.
"…Yeah," Daito replied, hands in his pockets, trying to sound normal.
"…Didn't expect to see you here."
She laughed.
"…You never expect anything, Daito. That was always your problem."
That felt familiar, too familiar.
Then, one meeting became two.
Two became three, and before he realized it, Daito started adjusting his time.
"…I'll meet you guys later," he said one afternoon through the communicator.
"…Just follow the plan."
Zachia frowned on the other end.
"…You said that yesterday."
"…And the day before," Wasabi added.
Daito didn't respond immediately.
"…I'm checking something," he said finally.
"…Trust me."
The line went quiet.
Across town, Champagne stood on a rooftop, staring down at the busy streets below.
He wasn't searching, not really.
Because he already knew.
Later that evening, Daito sat with Mei-Mei near a quiet food stand, away from the chaos.
Lantern lights flickered above them.
For a moment, it almost felt like the past had come back to life.
"…You disappeared, you know," Mei-Mei said, her tone softer now.
"…No goodbye. No explanation."
Daito looked away.
"…Things got complicated."
She tilted her head slightly.
"…They always were."
A pause.
"…Are you still running?" she asked.
That question hit deeper than anything.
Daito didn't answer.
Because for the first time in a long time, he wasn't sure.
Meanwhile, the team wasn't blind.
Another day.
Another delay.
"…He's doing it again," Brandon muttered, arms crossed.
"…We've searched half the city already."
Wasabi adjusted her scanner, clearly irritated.
"…No results. No progress. No direction."
Zachia looked at Champagne.
"…You've been quiet."
Champagne didn't answer.
"…You know something," Fah-jin said bluntly.
Silence.
Champagne exhaled slowly.
"…Yeah."
Everyone looked at him.
"…But I promised him I wouldn't say anything."
That only made it worse.
"…Are you serious?" Zachia snapped.
"…We're out here wasting time, and you're keeping secrets?!"
Champagne clenched his fists.
"…You think I don't know that?"
A pause.
"…But this isn't just about the mission anymore."
That line confused them.
"…What does that even mean?" Brandon asked.
Champagne shook his head.
"…Just keep searching."
Back in the quiet part of town, Daito walked beside Mei-Mei again.
"…You've changed," she said, watching him carefully.
"…So have you."
She smiled faintly.
"…Not as much as you think."
Another pause.
"…You're avoiding something," she said.
Daito stopped walking.
"…Maybe," he admitted.
She stepped closer.
"…Or someone."
Their eyes met again.
And this time, neither looked away.
Because beneath everything, the past wasn't just catching up.
It was pulling him in.
And every second he spent here was another second the mission slipped further away.
Somewhere else, Champagne stood alone again, looking over the city.
"…You better figure this out fast, Daito…" he muttered.
Because deep down he knew something the others didn't.
This wasn't just distraction, this was danger.
And if Daito didn't snap out of it soon, they wouldn't just lose the mission.
They might lose him, too.
* * *
Kingsville stopped feeling like a mission.
It started feeling like a memory.
"…Come on," Mei-Mei said, grabbing Daito's wrist lightly, pulling him through a narrow street lined with lanterns and hanging fabrics.
"You've seen the chaos… now let me show you the real Kingsville."
Daito didn't resist and didn't question it.
For once, he just followed.
They moved through quieter parts of the town places the crowds didn't flood.
Children ran barefoot through open alleys, laughing. Old men sat outside carved wooden homes, playing board games and arguing over rules that didn't matter. Women cooked together, sharing stories louder than the sizzling pans.
"…This place," Mei-Mei said softly, slowing her steps, "…it's not just noise and trade."
"…It's people."
Daito looked around like really looked.
And for the first time since arriving, he saw it, not as a city to search but a place to live.
"…You've been here long?" he asked.
"…Long enough," she smiled.
They stopped in front of a modest home.
It was simple, warm, and alive.
"…Welcome," she said, pushing the door open.
Inside voices.
Laughter.
The smell of food.
"…Mei-Mei?" a voice called from inside.
Then they saw him.
"…Daito?"
Time paused again.
Her family gathered slowly, recognition spreading across their faces.
"…It is you…" her mother said, stepping closer.
"…From school… you used to come over…"
Daito nodded slightly.
"…Yeah."
Her father chuckled warmly.
"…You were always quiet… always following Mei-Mei around."
Mei-Mei rolled her eyes.
"…He wasn't following me."
A pause.
"…He just didn't have better options."
A small laugh filled the room.
Then, a question, simple, too simple.
"…How's your mother doing?" her mother asked gently.
Daito froze.
Fwoo....
The room didn't change, and the voices didn't stop.
But for him, everything slowed.
"…She's…" he started.
Then stopped.
Because he didn't know a brief silence lingered.
"…She's doing okay," he said finally.
It wasn't a lie.
But it wasn't the truth either.
Mei-Mei looked at him just for a second and understood.
The moment passed, and the conversation picked up again.
They ate, talked, and laughed together.
Later, music filled the small home.
Someone started singing, and the others joined.
"…You still remember the lyrics?" Mei-Mei nudged him.
Daito scoffed lightly.
"…Probably not."
"…Liar."
She started singing anyway, pulling him into it.
At first, he barely spoke, and then slowly, he joined.
He was not perfect nor loud.
But present.
And for the first time in a long time, Daito wasn't thinking about battles, enemies or plans.
He was just there.
Later that night, they walked to a park, grass soft beneath their feet.
The city quieter now.
They sat down side by side, watching the sun melt into the horizon.
"…Do you remember them?" Mei-Mei asked softly.
"…Who?"
"…Our classmates."
"…That loud guy who always got in trouble…"
"…The girl who used to copy your homework…"
Daito let out a faint chuckle.
"…Yeah."
"…And Nagare," she added.
That name hit differently.
Daito's expression shifted.
"…Yeah…" he said quietly.
A long silence followed.
"…We were so normal back then," Mei-Mei said.
"…School… friends… dumb problems…"
"…Yeah."
"…Do you miss it?"
Daito didn't answer immediately.
The sun dipped lower painting the sky in orange and gold.
"…Sometimes," he admitted.
Mei-Mei smiled faintly.
"…You haven't changed completely then."
Daito glanced at her.
"…Neither have you."
She leaned back slightly, looking at the sky.
"…I had to," she said.
"…But not everything."
Another silence.
But this one was comfortable.
"…You know," she added, turning slightly toward him, "…you used to be even quieter than this."
Daito smirked faintly.
"…Didn't have much to say."
"…You still don't."
They both laughed.
The sun finally disappeared, leaving behind a calm, fading glow.
And in that moment, Daito felt something he hadn't felt in a long time.
Peace, no enemies, pressure, or expectations.
Just Her.
But somewhere deep inside something didn't sit right.
Because peace in Daito's world never lasted.
to be continued.....