5-1 Stolen Data (2)

Date: September 6

Place: Kyoto Headquarter

[Rei]

After we ate, on our way back to the lounge, a messenger stopped me and wanted to talk in private. I let my squad walk away as we both went into the shadows.

"Boss forgot to put this inside the file," he soon walked away right after he handed another tape recording to me. "And he also said to be careful not to lose someone, again," he ran as fast as he can with a grin on his face. They must be toying with me.

I don't know why but the people around me are whispering their thoughts enough for the entire world to hear. They must be doing this on purpose.

"What a terrible leader"

"You're telling me their members died but the leader and her secretary are alive?"

"What? They weren't seen on the field?"

"Do you think they ditched them and went the easiest path?"

"Poor kids, they weren't even aware that they were being sacrificed"

The audacity of these people is giving me a headache.

"What a bitch"

...?!*

Talk all you want, I'm not going to be bothered at all. I continued walking like I didn't hear a thing.

~~

"Since you've been improving quite well, I've decided to give you your first mission," I say handing him a normal file that contains my hours of hard work and my sleepless night. "Make sure to read them thoroughly, visualize what might happen, and prepare a counter-attack on every single scenario you think of," I say sipping on my coffee. He looked enthusiastic enough to not ask any question. "Also, write the weapons you would like or the things you're good at. I'll take a look at that list and make that information useful enough for you to succeed," I smiled, leaving him all alone to visit where I sent my other four members are. But before I left, I took a glance to see his excitement displayed all over his face.

"My first mission!" I hear him shout even at my distance away from the room.

I can't help but lie to him every single time I need. I don't need him hearing the private mission so I suggested for the three to have sparred with Cedrick to make an excuse in front of Noel. And the boys need to prepare their bodies for the upcoming task anyway and this is a good alibi for them to take their radar off of Noel. I can kind of tell that Noel's been suspicious of something that I can't put my fingers in.

"Rei, I think you need to see this," says Misaki running towards me with a tablet in her hand. She's wearing her lab coat, glasses, and messy hair. Out of breath, she tried her best to explain.

"Your data, all of it, gone!" stuttering while catching some oxygen for her lungs. She panics, showing me the tablet's empty folders. Looks like someone is on the move. There are quite a number of people around us. I tried not to be obvious by hugging her while I scan the perimeter which made her confused.

"Rei?" Misaki sounds lost but I tightened the hug and gave her a signal.

"I'm fine," I say casually. "They're moving," I whisper. "Don't worry," this time not a whisper, with a pat on her head like I'm calming her down. "Tell Yui to go to my lounge with her weapons with her," I whispered close to her ears. "I've got a copy anyway," I said normally. I ended the hug and smiled at her, she gets on fast.

"That's a relief, I better go back now," she says waving and running away. My peripheral vision caught a glimpse of someone leaving the scene and escaping through another hallway on the right. I can't afford to let them know that I'm into them so I let him escape.

Besides, I have a bigger problem on hand. Professor Norby is already moving and giving me a hard time. I'm not even surprised anymore, how could I forget the day when he tracked me and the day when Ciel died. Although, I expected something like this but just not this fast. I walked back to the lounge normally while I look at every corner of where I walk. I can feel their presence but I can't pinpoint who or where they are. I opened the door and closed it immediately. My eye caught Noel sitting, shirtless.

"I'm sorry, I felt hot after some push-ups," he explains, giving me a silly smile while going to put on his sweaty shirt. I walked to my table and looks for an extra shirt on the drawers.

"Dry yourself first and put this on instead," I say throwing him the clean and unused white shirt I found.

"Thanks," he replied doing what I told him to while I search for a pen and a piece of paper. But I can't ignore him who has trouble wiping his back so I walked to him and decided to help.

[Yui]

It's unusual for Rei to call for me and Misaki also came running, looking troubled and careful at everything she said.

* * * * *

"Yui, Rei calls for you to her lounge. She says to bring your weapons too," she says catching her breath after the long-distance she might've run. "Sorry, I gotta go," she runs again, careful not to drop the tablet while waving her free hand. She was also looking left and right like she is warry of someone might be watching us. I looked around too but I saw and sensed nothing.

* * * * *

    As if she was hiding something. What couldー

    Even my thoughts paused themselves when I saw Rei groping the back of the shirtless Noel with a blank face while he seems uncomfortable and forced with closed eyes and he was also blushing.

"Rei! What are you doing to that pitiful boy?" I raised my voice which caused both of them to be surprised and turned my way.