Chapter 7

Takeru takes pride in being the most immaculate agent in The Guide Protection Council. To look after one of the most protected professions in Neo Japan, one has to be thorough and detailed. And Takeru is good at paying attention to the smallest detail.

That is why, stationed in a middle-upper apartment unit next to the one they set Hinata Ren in, Takeru makes sure all the bugs he hid in the apartment's nook and crannies would capture the sound of the young Guide's tiniest step. He knows when the boy enters the bathroom to brush his teeth and how many times he opens the fridge. He knows Hinata did not sleep in the lush bed that night right after his transfer out of the hospital. The boy spent the night on the couch - not asleep, not crying.

He was expecting the boy to have another nervous episode after they picked him up from the Hospital. Yesterday, Guide Segawa finally sat the boy down and talked to him about being a Guide. When Takeru arrived in Room 207, the boy was circled by three of Guide Protection Council's top leading figures; one of them was, of course, Segawa Yasuo, who was holding the boy's hands in his own. 

"You killed me!! You made me dead!" Hinata Ren shouted. Not even Segawa Yasuo's own sons shout at him. "You killed me!"

It was on them that the whole country now thinks that Hinata Ren is dead in a portal-related incident in Shun-En. His name echoed in the news as one of the two confirmed deaths in the school.

They had to announce him dead for his own good.

Isaku, the leader of their Security Unit, held a somber expression; one that speaks of empathy. Next to him, Yui, the head of the Council's administration was looking down. But Takeru cannot forget the sharp turn Segawa Yasuo's normally calm voice is taking as he snapped, "It's necessary! You don't understand what this means! How many people would just take you for themselves if they can!"

Takeru remembered how those eyes went in his general direction for a hot second. They were exactly as how Han described it; round and brown, big as a doll's. Then those eyes darted back to the older Guide; conveying all kinds of upset.

But Segawa Yasuo is incredibly good at persuading others; and it is with this talent of his that he lulled Hinata Ren into agreeing with him despite the younger's disbelief that he, a Class F, can be a Guide.

"You can heal anything with it and prevent death. You hold the most potent guiding potential of all; the only one the world will soon have".

"Ren-kun, do you get it? Your power is way above my own, way beyond the reach of every other Guide in our rankings. Neo Japan will be safe with you..."

And when the doubt was still swimming in Ren's face, the Guide took out his trump card.

"Think of Tetsu, Ren-kun. Wouldn't Tetsu want you to do this?"

It was Takeru who put the name under Segawa Yasuo's radar; Hirufumi Tetsuya, an A-Class orphan, a basketball junior team captain, and a bunkmate to Hinata Ren. From his short visit to the orphanage both boys grew up in; from a picture of a picnic taped to the wall next to his bed to shared old posters labeled as 'Ren & Tetsu's' on the walls of their cramped shared bedroom; it was easy to conclude that Hirufumi Tetsuya held a significant place in Hinata Ren's life.

And everyone who knew Hirufumi Tetsuya knew he aspired to be an Esper.

Thanks to that, they managed to transfer Hinata Ren out of the hospital without any protest. Still, after being told that he is technically being removed from the life he had, Takeru was expecting Hinata Ren to have a bigger outburst. 

Yet he didn't.

So here they are. He and Han are put in charge of watching over the boy. And when someone is put under Takeru's watch, he makes sure that person does not leave his sight.

He's very good at making sure they don't notice it either. Some people have commented how his methods are borderline illegal; but if he is ever found out, Takeru can easily wipe some memories clean. To him, the safety of his client is above questioning its method.

From the wireless earbud on his right ear, Takeru hears the soft shuffle from the living room area to the kitchen. From its soft pitter-patter, he guesses Hinata's feet are clad in fuzzy socks. The sound of running water and a glass filled halfway full follows suit. Hinata is thirsty and is having a drink, he guesses.

Takeru is kind of doing the same. He is making himself tea and two buttered toasts are waiting for him on the kitchen counter. Behind this wall he is staring at, Hinata is standing with a glass in hand, drinking. Takeru too sips from his mug. Knowing his client's every movement convinces Takeru that he is doing his job.

He takes one toast and eats it absently, eyes not leaving that one spot on the wall where Hinata Ren is. The boy seems to be zoning off, maybe watching the view outside the kitchen window. As he takes his time just standing there, Takeru finishes his toast. He only walks away when Hinata finally leaves the kitchen; leaving one toast uneaten for Han.

If Takeru is good at erasing his trace, Han is talented at finding that trace. With his ability to track people's locations in a certain radius from where he is, Han is the absolute hunter. Besides that, he is also skilled in wielding various weapons and is always quick on his feet. The one thing he is lacking is perhaps his communication skills.

But that is where Takeru would step in. Unlike Han, Takeru does not find any trouble blending in and making connections whenever necessary.

Together, he and Han make the best duo in the Council's Security Unit. They are often partnered up to guard the higher-ranked Guides in the Association and they have yet stumbled in their missions. 

Then, the sound of slippers hitting the floor halts Takeru's thoughts. Then he hears the beep of the e-lock on the door. 'No way!' Takeru thinks, 'He's going out?'. It is not even 7 am yet and that boy is going outside?

In a rush, Takeru runs to the door of his apartment, switches his indoor slippers to outdoor ones, and unlocks his door with a tap of his thumb on the door handle. The boy is not supposed to be outside unsupervised. Just as he opens his door, he sees a small figure in blue pajamas just at the end of the hallway. 'You can't leave!' He's about to say to Hinata Ren, but stops himself when he sees the boy crashing against a tall dark figure before the turn to the elevator.

It's Han.

Hinata walks right onto Han with a muffled, "Oof!" He hurriedly stops himself and steps back, perhaps to apologize, but he just freezes up the moment he looks up to see the other man.

"Shit," Takeru just remembered the boy had a panic attack the last time he was with Han.

But Han, being horrible at reading the situation, simply blurts out; "Where are you going?"

It doesn't help that whenever Han says something, it always sounds like he's threatening you. "U-um, o-outside, to the konbini".

"Why do you need to go to the konbini?" And still, Han sounds like he's threatening the boy.

"T-to buy milk".

"You have milk in your fridge". The fridge in Hinata's unit is fully stocked with everything the boy might need.

This time, Hinata shifts awkwardly. He seems to mumble something under his breath, to which Han asks with a gruff voice, "What's that?"

"I said, I w-want strawberry milk".

Han starts to frown, probably trying to compute why anyone would cheap crap like those artificially flavored milk over regular ones - in return not realizing he is sporting a horrifying expression. "Uh, Hinata-kun?" Takeru comes to the rescue. The boy turned to see him. "It's too early to go out, don't you think?"

The boy freezes up yet again before giving a small nod, "Y-yes". Like that, he reminds Takeru of a small animal; and the oversized pajama does not help his case. He robotically walks back to his room and closes the door behind him, leaving Han and Takeru to stare at each other.

"Get ready in 1 hour," Takeru tells the taller.

"Yes".

**

"My God, why did you let him dress like that," is the first thing Segawa Yasuo says the moment Takeru and Han arrive at their main office with the young guide. Han has the gall to do a double-check on the young Guide.

"He looks fine".

"You wouldn't be able to tell the difference between a trash bag and a black dress, so do not ever tell me what does and does not look 'fine'. Look at him! I bought him clothes and this is what you let him wear to the office?"

A short distance away behind them, sitting on a pristine white chair in Segawa Yasuo's office, Hinata Ren dresses in the clothes he had in the orphanage. The printed anime character on the shirt he is wearing, which is clearly two sizes too big, is fading. The outer flannel shirt he wears over it is also thin and washed out. The cargo pants are folded at the bottom to not drag on the floor. 

"If I knew this would happen, I wouldn't have asked you to pick up all of his stuff from that orphanage," Segawa Yasuo grumbles, "Ugh, and to think today is the day he will meet a prospective contractor".

"He is?" Takeru blinks, "So soon".

Segawa Yasuo massages the bridge of his nose, "We can't help it, can we? With this amount of interest, we need to link him up with someone high up, otherwise there will be a fight. We don't need that".

There are many contracts a Guide can enter. New Guides normally don't have contracts. They provide services when needed by any Esper. Compatibilities, at this point, are often discovered on a trial-and-error basis. The general rule of thumb is that most lower-class Guides can easily Guide any class Esper, though they can only get so far with the Guiding per session. Higher-class Guides need a higher matching rate with an Esper for their Guiding to work, but once they match, the Guiding result is very efficient, requiring fewer sessions with tremendous results. 

They can enter non-exclusive contracts, in which the Guide is required to provide routine guiding to their contractor without limiting that Guide from forming other contracts or to provide guiding to a non-contractor. Each non-exclusive contract has its own terms in which the Guide might be required to provide weekly guiding or even to only provide guiding when their Esper is injured. Each term is unique, and a non-exclusive contract can be very binding that it comes so close to being an exclusive contract, or extremely non-binding that it seems like a contract is never formed in the first place.

Very few Espers have what is called an exclusive Guide. This implies exclusivity on the Guide's end, which means the Guide is not allowed to provide guiding to anyone but their benefactor. While this used to be common in the past, most Espers, especially high-class ones, find it more beneficial to be guided by multiple different Guides.

Hinata Ren's situation is unique in ways that the Government will be interested in dictating his terms and conditions, knowing that multiple parties would be keen on getting him into an exclusive contract. But such a power cannot be restricted to just one or two parties. The Government would have an interest to make sure each and every asset of theirs would reap the benefit of Hinata's miraculous healing power. And yet, such a power should also be restricted to those who deserve it - a semblance of exclusivity.

Only days after Segawa Yasuo finally enlisted Hinata to the Guide Association, talks on his contracts are already brewing with Matsuzaka Kei pushing the Association to form an exclusive contract with the boy right away.

The thing is, Segawa Yasuo has been doing everything to forbid that. If Matsuzaka Kei manages to have Hinata, then they are convinced the man would do anything so that the boy cannot guide anyone else but himself and, probably, his team in the National Legion.

If Segawa Yasuo is setting up a meeting between Hinata and a potential contractor, it would be someone strong enough to hold Matsuzaka Kei back for a period of time, but is also someone who would not be interested in monopolizing the F-Class Guide. Ideally, that person would be Takenouchi Sora. But, after hearing Sora's response from the call with his manager, it doesn't sound like Sora wants to form a contract right away.

"Who is it?" Takeru asks. Segawa Yasuo does nothing but let out a long sigh.

"You'll see".

As if on cue, one of the Guide's secretaries pokes her head in at the door and tells them that their visitor has arrived. With a hand signal, Segawa Yasuo instructs them to follow him out of his office. To Hinata, however, he smiles; "Ren? Follow me. I have someone I want you to meet. Come on".

In spite of his sharp opinions of Hinata's clothes, the man still reserves his warmest expression for the younger guide. Sometimes, as they walk to their destination, Takeru catches the man brushing invisible dust off of Hinata's clothes, or fixing the younger's hair. Both guides seem to be immersed in their private conversation while Han and Takeru tail them a few steps behind.

Soon it is clear that they are going to their VIP meeting rooms. Yui, the head of administration and their legal advisor, is waiting outside the double door to the room, looking a little nervous. "Yasuo," her deep voice calls out as she fixes her cat-eye glasses. The two leaders of the Council have a short silent communication through eye contact before Yui finds the shorter next to Segawa Yasuo.

Her whole demeanor changes in a blink of an eye, "Ah, hello! How do you find your new apartment?"

Even Hinata finds it a little bizarre. "Uh, i-it's nice".

"That's good to hear! I picked it out myself," Takeru honestly had never seen this woman with any other expression but her serious one, and yet at this moment, he is witnessing her winking at the boy. To say that he is terrified is an understatement.

The two leading figures of the Council have another short exchange before they finally enter the room. Takeru cannot help but cuss silently the moment he catches who is waiting behind those doors.

Flanked by two assistants and a carer, Narukami Ryuu sits in his cutting-edge wheelchair. The man is as traditional and regal as rumors make him out to be. He is wearing a blue haori over a darker nagagi. His silver beard and hair add to his ancient appearance. Even in his late 70's, all sickly and not even walking, one cannot ignore that the man was the once powerful Esper that secured Japan's victory in The Battle of the Awakened half a century ago. Narukami Ryuu is a hero to the nation, and years after his retirement as an Esper, he is still a figure to fear and to look up to.

"You... Are you... You're Narukami Ryuu," Hinata Ren's voice rings clear in the room after an exchange of pleasantries between the adults and they are all seated. Even from his spot next to the exit, Takeru can hear the awe and amazement dripping from Hinata's voice. His recognition of the old man is, obviously, all thanks to Hirufumi Tetsuya's obsession with being the best Esper in Neo Japan. Otherwise, most youths would only know this hero by name and not by his aged appearance. As he is only watching Hinata's back, he can just imagine the boy going all googly-eyed at the man, perhaps fascinated that he is seeing the real-life version of the legendary Esper he and his friend had browsed on the internet.

"That I am, young boy," The man spares the boy a long glance, from top to bottom, before he remarks at Segawa Yasuo, "And this is the boy you mentioned".

Segawa Yasuo behaves a little less forward in front of the older man, "He is. Hinata Ren, Narukami-Sensei".

This is when Takeru starts regretting not telling Hinata to change out of his old clothes because Narukami Ryuu is definitely judging how the boy is dressed. Hinata visibly shrivels under the elder's scrutiny and Takeru can see how he is squeezing his fist so hard under the table that separates them and Narukami's party. Again, the old man addresses Guide Segawa, "You are saying he carries the same power as Priyanka".

"Yes, he should, Sensei".

"But you haven't seen it for yourself".

"We - No, we haven't, Sensei".

"You haven't been able to test it out," the older man now redirects his full attention to the youngest in the room, "Because this boy reacted poorly to having his blood taken".

"Priyanka's guiding only works through her blood. A Guide like her cannot deliver her healing miracles through any other means. And here you have someone similar who cannot even face a needle," The old man pauses, and then he calls, "Boy".

Hinata snaps his head up to meet the older man's gaze, "Y-yes?"

"Do you know how much blood Priyanka has to give just to revive me once?" 

The boy is silent for a while, "I... I d-don't... I don't know".

"Close to four pints - enough to send most adults into a coma and possibly lose their life. I am not the only Esper she has to work with. She works with severe cases almost on a daily basis. Can you figure out how much blood that woman has given out? And yet you struggle to hand out a little sample".

At that, Hinata's head quickly bends to his own lap. Segawa Yasuo is quick to step in in the boy's defense. "That is something we can absolutely work out in the near fut -"

"Whether you can work it out or not, you, Guide Segawa, are offering me a half-baked merchandise. You are not 100% sure the boy wields the same power as Priyanka, and you're asking me to form a contract with him?"

"Sensei, I -"

"I want you to come clean to me," not even age can hold Narukami Ryuu back from putting pressure on someone as intense as Segawa Yasuo.

"Well," this is the first time most of them see Segawa Yasuo tipped off of his composure. The man takes a deep breath and puts both his arms on the table in a business-like gesture. "Sensei, you have been a trusted client in my private agency. My Guides and I hold you in high regard -"

"Cut the chase".

"- I need someone powerful enough to be Ren's contractor to hold the others back".

"And you chose me because I do not tie my Guides in a binding contract," The old man finishes, "Nor do I force them to abide by my needs".

"Yes, Sensei," Segawa Yasuo bows his head.

"You're telling me you want my name on a piece of paper so you can give this boy protection while offering nothing in return?" Narukami Ryuu's brows rise, "That is outrageous! I don't take in Guides who cannot or are not willing to give something back".

"Sensei!" Segawa Yasuo jumps to his feet and bows to the man, "I beg you, Sensei, please take Ren in! You are the only person who could send them all back and give Ren the time and space he needs to adjust to his new position!"

"Such desperation," the Narukami elder studies Segawa's form closely, "You can take any of those Esper's contracts and negotiate it. You're Segawa Yasuo; no one has ever turned you down. Unless -," Narukami Ryuu's eyes widen as he comes to a realization, "You already have a contractor in mind".

The man hits the jackpot. "Who? Who is the lucky guy?"

"It's Takenouchi Sora, Sensei," this time, it's Yui who answers.

The man gives a slow exaggerated nod at that name, "Ahhh, of course! It's for your son! Or sons, I'd say. So here it is, after a long speech about protecting the Super Guide, it all comes down to benefiting yourself, isn't it, Guide Segawa?" 

Segawa Yasuo silently rises back up to his full height. "Do tell me, Sensei; how is Shuu doing?"

"Guide Segawa!" One of Narukami Ryuu's assistants, the male one, warns, but Segawa Yasuo does not back down.

"How old is he again? 14?" The Guide smirks, "In a few years he'll be in the age range Sora would recruit. I heard Shuu-kun is interested in being an Esper - isn't he an S-Class elemental like yourself?"

"I warn you, Guide Segawa, do not bring my Grandson into this," The old man's voice is just above a mumble, but the threat is clear in his tone.

"No, this discussion is about your Grandson's future, Narukami-Sensei, because we both know how it feels to look after an S-Class child. The opportunity to fight those mutants is calling out to them, especially when they look up to you, a hero to the country, as my children are to my profession...," Segawa Yasuo pauses, "Yet we know what serious risk that calling poses".

Most S-Class Espers either go insane or are crippled in their 30's. Narukami Ryuu is a living example of that, and Segawa Yasuo's ex-wife, a famous S-Class, is currently in a mental hospital in South Korea. A lot of these are attributed to lack of guiding, as it is difficult for an S-Class to find a proper matching rate with Guides. 

"But Ren-kun can prevent that. He can make Shuu-kun's dream happen -"

"This is ridiculous. Shuu is not becoming an Esper -"

"But he can!" Segawa Yasuo interrupts the older man, "Without the fear of losing his mind or his brain! If he ever wants to, he can only do it minus the risk if Ren-kun is bound to Sora and his team of young Espers". Sora is only recruiting young Espers of a certain class into his team and their boys fit the criteria. If Ren is bound to Sora, then Sora's team will also have quick easy access to the Guide.

"Perhaps your Shuu is not interested in being an Esper, but wouldn't it be nice to know that he always has the option and that option is safe?" Segawa Yasuo returns to his seat and lands one hand on Hinata's back, "Because Ren is there?"

Narukami Ryuu allows his gaze to fall on Hinata Ren yet again. "Fine," the old man concedes, "I will form a contract with Hinata-kun". You can technically feel Segawa Yasuo lighting up at the answer, that is until Segawa Yasuo adds, "However, I do not hire a Guide unless I know this Guide will prove to be useful to me. So I am setting up my term; three months".

"Three... months?"

"I'd like Hinata-kun to provide me guiding in the form of his blood once every three months starting from next month. He has one month to work on his fear of blood; otherwise," This time the man pointedly glares at the older Guide, "If he fails to come through or to work on his fears, I will cancel my contract".

Segawa Yasuo is beaming.

"Is that understood, Guide Segawa?"

"Yes, Sensei. Do you want to discuss the terms now?"

"I'll leave that to my assistant. Eddie!"

"Yes, Narukami-Sensei!" The male assistant sits down and opens his briefcase, revealing documents. "Now, Gentlemen, shall we?"

Meanwhile, Narukami Ryuu is leaving the room with his female assistant and his carer. As he makes his way to the door, Narukami Ryuu gives Hinata a nod. Hinata Ren turns in his seat to watch the man leave, in return exposing his face to Takeru and Han from where they are standing.

The boy appears hilariously baffled.

And while Takeru likes accompanying his clients to the meeting room the least, seeing Hinata's expression almost makes it worth his time. Takeru was snickering under his fist, but his smile soon diminishes once he sees the older Guide leaving the room with Narukami Ryuu. "You stay here with Yui and Ren. I have another meeting to attend," says Segawa Yasuo.

Another hour of this meeting? Oh, they are screwed!

**

"Isn't that Takenouchi Sora?"

A Guide who works within Neo Japan's Guide Association points at a teenager sitting in a booth with a foreign man dressed in a suit. The teen looks just like Sora, with jet-black hair that extends to his shoulder and pale skin. The top part of his hair is gathered and secured by a hair tie, creating a messy flock at the back of his head. The young Esper is dressed out of his Esper getup, in a pair of shorts, an oversized t-shirt, and a pair of bulky sports shoes. The boy seems distracted by a serious call.

"Does he have a scheduled session at the office today?" Whispers another Guide to their colleague.

"I don't know, but I heard Sora prefers Guides from private agencies".

The Cafe they're at is a place close to the main office of both Neo Japan's Guide Association and the Guide Protection Council. Almost everyone that goes there is either a Guide or someone working for both institutions. The few times they catch an Esper there, it is usually those who are visiting for a guiding session or for a meeting with the administrative board.

"He really is just a teen, huh? But he's taller than I thought," Someone among the Guides comments.

"You've never seen him up close?"

"No! He does look a little different. I thought he would be bubblier".

There is something eerie in the absence of any smile on Sora's visage. The boy is renowned for his airy smile and whimsical attitude yet not a facial twitch can be seen on his facial muscle as he speaks to the person on the phone.

"Yes, Sayo-nee. Yes, that's what I've been saying. Kichi will be better off out of the hospital. You know I can set him up somewhere secure. What? No! I'll organize the pickup myself. Yes. Yes, Sayo-nee. He'll be fine, trust me. No, please don't send Secret Agents to spy on us".

When Sora ends the call, it's not with any change to his facial features. The boy's attention stays to his phone as he scrolls from one social post to another.

This brings an impossible situation onto Ari's lap for he is sure the server who is bringing them their drinks is a fan of the younger. She has been eyeing between her tray and Sora nervously. A trembling smile forms on her face as though she is making sure the moment the young Esper lifts his gaze, it will meet hers at her best expression.

Ari coughs, "Sora, where would you like your chai latte?"

The boy, barely taking his eyes off of his screen, simply points his chin to the round low table between them, "Just put it there, thanks".

The girl visibly looks dejected at the lack of attention. She puts his chai on the table and scurries to the kitchen, leaving Ari to sigh at his ward.

"The least you could do is be nice, Sora. Your popularity got you where you are now," he chides, only to be received with a mumbled, "Hm?"

It's not that it is a surprise to Ari that Sora can pull such a face. It's been a couple of years since he's known Sora, and in those years he learned that Sora is more than just a cheery face on the screen. He is a strategist. He likes to read the situation and plan his next move.

It is unfortunate that now he is faced with quite an opponent. To Takenouchi Sora, Segawa Yasuo is another figure in his professional sphere that he cannot read well. So far in their career, both have worked on different sides of the field. Sora is an Esper; Segawa Yasuo is a Guide and, in a way, a bureaucrat. Both are particularly influential in their respective jurisdiction; and yet never have they clashed on a professional level - until this point.

It is unavoidable, of course; yet it does not seem things are going the way Sora wanted to. Knowing him, he would like to have the upper hand over Segawa Yasuo on even the littlest matter. At the moment, however, things are proving to be going in the opposite direction. To be frank, Segawa Yasuo's offers have been extremely charitable towards their cause.

And Sora does not like that.

"Better drink up because we don't have much time before it's time to go," Ari chimes after a quick check at his watch. Sora gives him another non-committal hum as he takes a sip out of the large mug.

They finish their coffee break just half an hour later with Sora making a quick grab at the keys to Ari's BMW. "Let me drive!" The boy cheekily quips. Not feeling like arguing, Ari lets him. And so they leave to meet Segawa Yasuo.

**

To be Continued.