Cost of a Double Life

Although the ACES curriculum I went into is a highly specialized type of education system that combines all of the aspects of a certain field of study into a 4-year or 5-year course, it doesn't mean that we will not be receiving any other skill or knowledge that we can use save for what course we have chosen to go under.

Most of my classmates back in Kuroyama Colonial University took technical skill courses such as welding, sewing, weaving and wood and metal working. While there are also those that took non-professional medical courses like massage, physical therapy, folk medicine and homeopathy.

Therefore, the rumor and later on, assured fact, that I took on Culinary arts was something that further made me the odd one in my school batch. After all, it really is quite odd and probably scary to have a doctor who also cooks food for an eatery… if you know what I am trying to imply with this.

(T/N: For those who didn't understand, this is about a highly unlikely rumor that doctors are so used with dealing with humans that they end up seeing and tasting no difference between animal and human flesh. Again, this is not true and just purely hearsay.)

However, the saving grace in all of this is the fact that the professor who taught me all about Culinary arts is a former colleague of my mother when she is herself still a professor. It saved me the trouble of knowing and approaching her and the need to pay the exorbitant tuition fees for her course as it seems like she owed my mother a lot of money before she got to where she is now.

And that brings me back to the present where we are now knee-deep in the first day of the cultural festival.

"B-15 in Table 12, extra rice platter and non-spicy curry."

"E-7 in Table 3, no side dish and spicier fried chicken."

"Order up! Clear the counter!"

Thanks to my extensive work experience in Ars Classica, I reached a point in my workflow wherein dealing with piles upon piles of orders from customers that come and go in a matter of minutes has been a norm to me.

"Order up! Order up! Clear the counter, geez!"

"C-Coming right up!"

"R-Rai-san! We split the lines as you instructed, but they are still partly blocking the main road!"

"Nothing much we can do then! Let's just serve and ask them to leave as soon as they are done eating."

"R-Roger!"

Today is just the noon of the first day and the numbers in Sayaka's clipboard regarding our customer influx has been on the high hundreds already.

"S-Sub! I need someone to substitute for me!"

"Alright, get in here and go rest!"

"T-Thanks… Argh… my legs and arms hurt…"

For them who are not used to this extensive and highly active servicing work, their stamina can only last for an hour or so before they'll call quits and ask someone to take on their place on the floor as either a service waiter or a clean-up crew.

Most of my former classmates wanted to show off to the customers and chose to be service waiters, relinquishing the clean-up work to Mana's former classmates in Class 2-D. However, they soon realized that leading customers to their tables, giving them the menu book, taking their orders and tending to their every need until they are finished with their meals was a totally tiring work physically and mentally.

That's when I noticed that the ratio between their numbers in the service staff and the clean-up staff did a complete 180 once noontime, where most of the customers swamped to our place for lunch, came and that made things funny to me since it exposed their crappy "leave that mess to someone else" attitude in working with others that I am awfully aware about.

"Order up! These are getting cold already! Serve it out, geez!"

"Alright, we heard you!"

"If you heard me then stop lazing around and give it out. Are your grades really a big deal to you?"

"Tch!"

Anyways, this is mostly how things went during the morning until early evening. It brought back fond memories of my time in Ars Classica and the two other restaurants I worked in during my culinary arts minor course… minus of course, the animosity I have with these brats. At least in the places I worked at, those that are indifferent or doesn't like me personally, didn't let their personal dispositions affect our workflow. In that respect, they are very professional and sufferable.

As for these brats, they are just straight up horrible to be with. Save for the fact that there really was no one who thought about the kitchen issues as they went off to do what they wanted to do in their own closed groups, working with them is a whole occupational nightmare.

During the morning, I got into a bickering match with the group handling their waiter and maid uniforms as they kept on complaining about my fast-paced serving instructions that are causing some chaffing on their bodies where their clothes are tight at some parts which rubs it violently with the skin during rapid movements. I told them that they should've made more comfortable clothes since serving tables requires speed and freedom of movement, but they reasoned that aesthetics are more important. In the end, the men just removed their suit vests while the women switched to black indoor shoes rather than heeled shoes.

That wasn't the last time that I had this problem though. Because just moments before the previous one was resolved, the whiny brats handling the advertisements complained to me that none of the customers who came were actually being brought by their posters and online posts, but rather, the news that I, a head chef from Ars Classica, was here and cooking the dishes from the now closed up eatery.

I told them to stop whining about it and go back to serving tables. They protested about it and rather than wasting my precious time and energy convincing them to just suck it up and stop whining, I told them to go around and ask the customers waiting outside if they care about their posters… sure enough, they came back here later downtrodden, and obediently went back to serving tables after tossing their posters back to the storage area of our place.

However, that also wasn't the last thing that came up because of these fools. One hour before closing time, Sayaka mentioned that we have more than reimbursed the expenses we made in the first place. It was at this moment that the varying groups began to throw their weight around, wanting to receive credit for the massive success of their place.

Some said that the customers are attracted with their uniforms, while some other said that it was because of the decorations and fine furnishings, funnily enough, this bickering reinvigorated the advertisement group who said that they had a part with this success.

The proctors' evaluation letter for this day brought the unwanted news though as it detailed that the customers were mainly brought here and ate because of the food, i.e: it was because of what I am cooking here.

I didn't even stay behind to have another quarrel with them, I immediately said that I am tired, and I want to go home before they can collect their thoughts and curse me again.

All in all, it was as I expected it to be… a total success in the business-sense, but a total failure personally to me. If what I felt towards them back then was annoyance, that doubled and rounded-up to aggravation now after everything that happened today.

"Your place's lines reached our kiosk… looks like you used your superstar status to increase your odds of doing well in that place."

"Just shut up and eat your fish and chips… I'm tired to the bone right now, you know?"

"Gee… You really hate it when you're being called out about something, huh?"

"I do. So shut up and eat your food before I take your chips… You know what, let me have one."

"Hey! No fair! Noooo! Ah!"

"Thank you."

"Ahhhh! I hate you!"

While we are waiting for Kaori who said that she's been tasked with cleaning up their stall, I sat inside the car with Mana who is chowing down on the fish and chips that she ordered from me. I was planning on taking a nap so I can have strength to spare to bring the two of them to their respective houses, but Mana's prying on what happened to me today reminded me of my annoyances that I ended up being too agitated to rest properly.

"So, wanna hear about what I've gathered so far?"

"Speak away, I'm listening."

"Mm. For now, only the main academic building is bugged with both emitters and sensors. I've already sent the schematic to Yusa-san where I detailed all of those things that I found."

"Did your snooping around not raise any suspicions?"

"Nope. To the students, I'm just a former schoolmate who was sent here for secular work, while to the Sumeragi goons, I am just wandering around like anyone else."

"I see… That leaves the break-in and investigation in the Administrative building's storage room up to me."

"Wasn't that your specialty? It definitely fits you more than it fits me."

"It is… but that doesn't mean it's any less of a pain in the ass to me. If anything, covert work like this is more undesirable than what we did in Fukushima."

"Wow. You want to fight in a life-or-death battle more than just the boring snooping around? What are you? A war freak?"

"Stop jumping on assumptions like that. What I meant is that I am more at peace with knowing that I am in sure danger and the enemy is around me rather than having my own safety up to my own hands and I have to keep my eyes peeled against the enemy."

"I see… Well, onto a less serious topic…"

"Go on. I'm in."

"How was it? Seeing and being around Sayaka-chan again?"

"…"

"You should know what I am trying to ask right now… I am curious about whether or not the answer you gave to me when we are heading to Fukushima still holds true to this day."

How long was it since then? Almost over a year? I can only vaguely remember what I said back then… but I am sure that I wanted to split my life apart from them. I want to live my own life and they can live theirs… That was how I thought about it.

"So, does your words still hold true?"

"It does… It really does. Nothing has changed that much in how I see things and the fact that I decided to not care about them anymore. Besides, their attitudes and dispositions about me just strengthened my belief that they are indeed hopeless brats that I don't want to associate with any more than what is needed."

"I heard about that too from Sayaka-chan… She said you almost had a fight with Kotaro the same day you were hired. At first, I was flabbergasted with how you conducted yourself around them, knowing your level-headed mindset and attitude… but after Sayaka talked about Kotaro and how he seemed to always pin all of their problems to you, I almost took your side."

"Almost? What stopped you from doing the only reasonable thing in that scenario?"

"The fact that if you and that guy did get physical, you would probably leave his limbs mangled and his life barely holding on, which will jeopardize our mission."

"Oh."

"I know that you are kind of the disciplinarian to both me and Kai-kun when we're making mistakes ourselves… but I just can't help but think that maybe you're just at the same boat as the two of us in this thing."

"Of course, I am."

"What?"

"I'm just the same as you two, Mana… I am also human. There are things that drive me into unreasonable anger just like how Kai hates the Sumeragi group's enemies, and you hate being left out of the action."

"…"

After I said that, Mana seemed to have been hit by the same realization as I did just moments before because of her.

"It probably is caused by our extraordinary lives as Psychics… Even I sometimes forget that I am still a human being that can be swerved around by my emotions."

"Speaking of emotions as Psychics…"

"Yeah?"

"Do you remember that Replicant that you and the folks in the Sumeragi group saved near Morioka?"

"Replicant… You mean the one who is still stuck in her replicator cell?"

"Yeah… Do you remember her?"

"I do. Why do you ask?"

"She seems to know you for some kind of reason."

"Huh?"

"I believe you should go and visit Sapporo estate if you have some free time. The fact that anyone from the Sumeragi group is yet to call you means that what happened that night is yet to be important enough for them to ask for your presence… but just in case, I believe you should go there and investigate that matter on your own volition."

I was confused about what Mana meant by saying all of that… But then, I remembered what happened back then and how strangely familiar that girl in the cloning chamber was to me.

I wanted to ask more specific information from her, but the sight of Kaori walking towards the car made me straighten up to pretend that we just arrived here ourselves.

"Fuwaaah~! Today is a good and tiring day!"

"Looks like you enjoyed your opening day with your classmates… how was it?"

"It's as you said, Rai-senpai! It's so enjoyable and everyone was doing their best!"

"I see, I see… That's good to hear from you. Do you want some cola? There's one for you in the fridge under your seat."

"Eh? I-I'll take up that offer then! I am a bit thirsty myself after sweeping in our stall."

"Hehe. Go on. I brought it here for you."

I started the engine of the car and locked our doors before driving out of the campus with the two.

"Oh! I almost forgot."

"What is it? Why are you fiddling with the dashboard monitor?"

"It's the evening news. I want to see how Dad's meeting with the Prime Minister went."

"Wouldn't it be better to just call him?"

"Are you serious? Dad's phone number is surely busy right now since he's managing their party's campaign. I am looking at the news since that would give me at least a bit of a clue about how things are going."

At last, she found the internet TV setting and it booted up just at the right time as the news caster talked about Vice-minister Benimaru's meeting with the prime minister.

{"Today at noontime, the Ministry of Internal Defense has signed a memorandum of agreement with the Office of the Prime Minister regarding the rehabilitation of Fukushima city and the treatment of the insurgents who were caught in the civil uprising ten months ago. According to the copy of the agreement that was given out for public viewing, the Ministry has been given exclusive command over the rehabilitation effort of the city and handling the incarceration of the insurgents. Although some opposition parties have showed discontent and worry about this move by the ministry, it nevertheless quickened the response of the government to the uprising."}

"Huh… looks like your dad and his colleagues did a good job."

"Yeah… I'm sure he's in high spirits right now. What worries me though is how things will progress for our campaign kiosk now."

"What do you mean?"

"You heard the report… It says that opposition parties have raised concerns about us… I don't think the relatively peaceful day I had earlier in our kiosk will keep up for the rest of the week."

"Now we're in the same boat."

"I second that."

"U-Umm… Did you two have a rough day, Rai-senpai?"

"Hm? Not really, no. This is just the reality of being a working person. For both me and Mana, days like this are a daily occurrence. It's tiring, sure. But so long as we get to do a good job, every day is okay."

"Hehehe! Hearing you say that is quite funny, Senpai."

"Yeah. He might be quite gloomy and serious at times, but this guy knows how to make others reassured when he needs to."

While saying that, Mana began to ruffle my hair with an amused expression on her face. It seems like she's enjoying messing with me right now since Kaori is here and I can't raise my voice.

Anyways, after bringing the two to their respective homes, I went back to the Imamura Clan's estate where I and my kids are currently living in. With our home in Sunogahara-cho smack in the middle of an Astra energy hotspot after my fight with Miyazono Keiji, Kirin-sensei told us to live with her for now for the sake of the kid's safety and my own security as the men of the Miyazono group is surely looking for the guy responsible for their master's failed jailbreaking.

"That is all for now, Yurippe."

{"I see… Mana did a good job in finding those emitter and sensor nodes, but all of that means nothing until we haven't found out when they will be used."}

"I'm going back to school tomorrow by 0300 hours under the excuse of prepping ingredients for tomorrow. Since most students arrive at school by 0600 hours or maybe even later, that would give me ample time to infiltrate the Administrative building and find out just what is in that steel coffin that you showed to us in a picture."

{"Can you do it by yourself? If you need help, I can send one of Shiina-chan's girls to assist you in entering the place."}

"No need to bother Department Chief Eri. I've looked into the place and there is nothing much in there to worry about. Besides, I know the place better than those guards stationed around the area. I know a way in or two to get to where that steel coffin is."

{"I see… Well then, we will wait for your successful work. Keep yourself in tiptop condition and don't make your kids cry, Rai… Cutting transmission."}

As the dashboard monitor stopped displaying Yurippe's face, I turned my attention to driving into the Imamura clan's estate and tried my best to hide the stress and overbearing fatigue that I am getting from my work as an agent.

"…This is for the sake of something greater than me… I decided to do this, and I will see it through."

With that, I came to the room provided for me and my kids and was slightly disappointed at myself to see them all asleep now. In the hustle of my work, I didn't realize that it was already eight in the evening when I came back.

"Young lady Yukari wanted to stay up by the foyer and wait for you, young master… But she fell asleep after a while and I took it upon myself to bring her back to her futon so she can sleep comfortably."

"Is that so…? I feel pathetic as their father… his kids want to greet him home, but he always gets back home late."

"Please, young master. I believe your work is worth this small sacrifice from them."

"You're wrong… when it comes to kids, there is no small or big sacrifices. To them, all of it is they either get what they want, or they don't get it. There is no weighing of what is better or not."

As I looked at Mio, Yukari and Rea who are in their futons and crib, I felt a slight sting on my chest as my fear that my hectic work might end up drifting me away from them during these years when they need me the most seems to be getting true as the days pass by.

"Spokonoy Nochi, Mio… Yukari."

"…I didn't know that you can speak Russian, young master."

"Just minor greetings. I kept on being given that kind of goodnight by the one who raised me as a boy… In any case, is Kirin-sensei here? I wish to tell her something."

"Master Imamura is currently in the bathhouse after her training with the new members of the Sumeragi group. What would be the subject of your meeting?"

"About the Replicator cell that Sapporo estate holds."

"I understand. We will convey your wish to meet her once she is available."

"Good… In the meantime, I'll go and wash up too. I don't want to be scolded by Kirin-sensei with my messy look."

I took a warm shower and changed to casual clothes before I was called to Kirin-sensei's office where I saw her drying her hair with a hair blower. That made her fragrant shampoo to waft around in the room.

"With the warmth of your body… did you take a warm shower, Rai-kun?"

"I did. It was a tiring day for me."

"I see, I see… The same goes to me too, you know? I had to whip those lads into shape and even deal with some who wanted to quit before they can even do anything."

"I guess we're in the same boat… Well then, let's cut to the chase, Sensei."

"I already heard the details from one of my servants. You said you want to talk about that thing that you and the lads from Sapporo confiscated from the enemy back in your fight in Morioka?"

"Yes. Mana told me about it and how it somehow knows my name… I did have an experience of talking with the clone in the glass tube, but the fact that it knows my name and is calling for me… that is something that piques my interest."

"I understand… this was already conveyed to me by Lucas. I just didn't talk about it with the other higher-ups since as you know… there are factional disputes right now in our group."

"I heard about that from Furuta-sensei too. He said that the mention of me killing Hamasaki Satoshi and stopping the escape of Miyazono Keiji are being discredited by the isolationist faction…"

"Right… To say it with little to no restraint, you are attracting a lot of eyes right now, Rai-kun. Not just in the enemy side but also with our side. Defeating a Gardener is no small feat. Although your level as a Psychic back at those fights made none of that impossible, it still is a great achievement since you handled them by yourself."

That's right. I am catching a lot of gazes right now from everyone after the encounters I had with our enemies became resounding victories to me. Although the fight I had with Hamasaki Satoshi was something I was prepared to do everything for the sake of enacting revenge for Hiro's death, it seems like it wasn't seen like that by the others.

"In any case, I will convey to Lucas that you want to have that Replicator cell brought here to see what really the connection between you and that Replicant is and why it knows and calls for you."

"Thank you, sensei. I'll leave it all to you for now."

"Mm. Now rest up and regain your strength. It may have been a while since then, but I know that you are still very drained by your fight with Reiji. It's good for you to rest as much as you can."

I bid Kirin-sensei a good night and returned to my room where I carefully opened the sliding door to not wake up my sleeping kids. However, one of them perked up and sat up lazily to greet me a sleepy greeting.

"Good evening, Rai-san… Huwaaahhh~… Welcome back."

"Good evening too, Mio. Sorry if I awoke you. You should go back to sleep."

"Mmn… Rai-san."

"Yes?"

"Huggies."

"Huggies…? Oh, hehe… You spoiled kid."

On her request, I laid down with Mio inside her futon and wrapped my arms around her in a tight embrace that I used to give her back then when they just went under me as my foster children.

"Did you have nightmares again?"

"Nn, nn… I just… want to have you around."

Hearing her sleepy voice speaking those words hurt me internally. For the past week, I have been going home late as I was busy with preparing things in the restaurant and memorizing the security detail around the Administrative building in preparation for the entry that I will be doing later. Because of that, I have been neglecting my children's wish to talk with me and even the small thing of welcoming me back home has been for naught to them.

Whenever I remember this, I end up wanting to just forget all of this pursuit to avenge Hiro and fulfilling my responsibility as the Divine Challenger… But I know that I can't do that.

"I'm sorry for coming home late and not talking much with you guys anymore. Rai-san has been quite busy, and I've been finding it difficult to keep up with you kids."

"That's alright, Rai-san… Rai-san is… busy with his work."

"…"

"Yukari might complain… but we love Rai-san, so we will understand."

From my own experience, I know that no kid seriously means those words. Even if they say that they understand their parent's hectic work and it's alright if they can't be with them, deep inside, every kid wants to be with their parents even if it means they can't get to do their jobs.

"Don't worry, Mio… Soon enough, I will be able to go home earlier and more frequently. By that time, let's cook a lot of food and go out with Yukari and Rea. Who knows, now that I have a car, we can go to everywhere you wanna go. What do you say?"

My optimistic statement was met with Mio's silence. It seems like she finally drifted back to sleep as her soft and warm breaths slid on my chest where she is leaning her face on.

"That's right… Soon enough. Soon enough, I wish."

Instead of going to my own futon, I decided to sleep beside Mio as her arms are tightly wrapped around my waist which made getting away difficult. Besides, even if she is asleep, this small respite I have with her seemed to calm me greatly.

By two in the morning, I woke up and immediately dressed up in my S.S.S uniform to drive back to the school and do my infiltration work. Although it will be another morning without my kids being able to greet me, I steeled my heart to push forward with my work.

"How is it?"

{"…He's asleep. It's clear."}

With Yusa-san's surveillance drone having oversight on me, I drove past the guard who was asleep by the vehicle gate, and I didn't have to be questioned for my very early arrival. The same went for the Academic buildings where the guards are either minding their own business and not actively patrolling or are asleep in wherever place they laid down at.

"This is too easy… but I shouldn't be too confident about my chances."

{"Right. You know what happened the last time we did something like this. And this time, you are alone in there."}

Finally, I hopped the wall using my Astra energy enhanced limbs and entered into the Administrative building where the main objective of our mission is being held.

"Yusa-san… I'm in."

{"Copy that… This time, there are active guards around the block, so use this cover as much as you can to get into that place. I'm cutting the lightning in 3… 2… 1… now."}

As soon as the electricity was cut, I activated my Astra energy enhanced sight and dashed into the hallway while the guards are still in shock with the power interruption.

"Hey! Someone should go to the generator room and activate it."

"Darn it. I know this is Old Tokyo, but these blackouts are getting too frequent."

"Well, what do you expect from an old city? This is why I wanted to be deployed in New Tokyo or New Osaka instead of here. Darned higher-ups…"

I snuck quietly and efficiently across the hallways and stairs, keeping a mental map of the route I planned earlier to arrive as quickly as possible to the storage room where the steel coffin is placed.

"Hey, you-! Argh!"

"Wha-?! Who goes there-! Ick!"

"Intruder-! Arck!"

I changed my voice into a raspy one to pretend that a fight is happening near the guarded storage room. My bait worked as the two guards posted by the storage room's door rushed towards the corner and I made quick work of them.

"I'll be taking that, thank you…"

I got the key for the room, and I inserted it into the heavy lock to open the door that led to a deep flight of stairs downwards.

{"Sitrep, Agent."}

"Heading down to a hidden basement of the building. I'm activating my FLIR camera so you can map out the surroundings as I go."

{"Clear copy. I'll see if I can find a schematic for this part of the building from enemy intel."}

After dragging into the stairs and gagging the guards that I rendered unconscious, I made careful steps into the dark basement where I sensed a faint yet steady stream of Astra energy around one specific place.

"Emitters… but why this deep underground? And why are they only sending out faint Astra energy?"

I decided to not disturb the place too much for now and instead, snoop around the room so Yusa-san can map it out for the proper raid later. I turned the camera on my chest badge around, making sure that the footage can cover the entire room and what interesting things are in here.

{"Good. I've got all of the room in a 3D model. You can go ahead and check the metal coffin now."}

"Roger… What-!?"

Finally, I approached the coffin and at the first moment that I saw something written on it, I immediately recoiled to call Yusa-san.

"Yusa-san… Did you see that?"

{"See what? Your video feed's signal is weak under there, so I didn't get to."}

"Call Yurippe… This isn't just any minor infiltration and raid mission anymore."

{"What?"}

"Tell Yurippe that this has to be handled by the entire agency… this thing over here is of utmost importance."

After all, the name "Miyazono Ryuichi" isn't just any name.

"Tell them that the missing corpse of the Miyazono corporation's founder is here… and it seems like this is another hotspot rapturing from them."