Episode 18: Jasmine’s Promise

The cool evening breeze swept across the rooftop where Chou and I sat, our legs dangling over the edge as the city stretched out before us in a sea of lights. The mission earlier had left us both drained, but for some reason, neither of us wanted to head back to HQ just yet. It was quiet up here—a rare kind of peace we didn't often get to experience.

Chou broke the silence first, nudging me gently with her elbow. "Hey, you okay?"

"Yeah," I replied, though my voice lacked conviction.

She raised an eyebrow, her usual teasing grin replaced by something softer. "Liar."

I let out a small laugh, shaking my head. "You're annoying, you know that?"

"And you're deflecting," she shot back, sticking her tongue out at me. "Come on, Hana. What's going on?"

I hesitated, staring down at the streets below. It was hard to put into words, but the weight of everything—our missions, the pressure from Aoi, the constant danger—was starting to feel like too much.

"It's nothing," I said finally.

Chou didn't press further, but she didn't look convinced. Instead, she leaned back on her hands, her gaze shifting to the sky. "You know, sometimes I wonder what it would be like to live a normal life," she said, her voice quieter than usual.

I glanced at her, surprised by the sudden shift in tone. "You? Miss 'Let's take on the world'?"

She laughed softly. "Yeah, I know, shocking, right? But seriously. What if we weren't… this? What if we were just two normal girls, doing normal things?"

"Like what?" I asked, curious despite myself.

"Like going to school, worrying about exams, hanging out with friends… stuff like that."

I tried to imagine it—Chou as a regular high school girl, carefree and full of energy. It wasn't hard to picture, but the thought left a strange ache in my chest.

"Do you think we'd still be friends?" she asked, turning to look at me.

The question caught me off guard. "I… I don't know," I admitted.

"Well, I think we would be," she said with a confident nod. "Because no matter what, I'd find a way to annoy you until you liked me."

I couldn't help but laugh, the sound easing some of the tension I hadn't realized I was carrying. "You're ridiculous."

"And you love it," she said with a wink.

The next morning, Aoi called us into her office for a new mission briefing. She was as stern as ever, her sharp eyes scanning the two of us like she could see straight through us.

"This mission is critical," she began, her tone leaving no room for argument. "We've received intel that Dahlia is planning to meet with a key supplier tonight. Your objective is to intercept the meeting and gather any information you can about their operations."

Chou raised a hand like a student in class. "Quick question. By 'intercept,' do you mean 'cause a little chaos,' or…?"

Aoi's expression didn't change, but I thought I saw the faintest hint of a smile. "Gather information first. If chaos becomes necessary, so be it. But no unnecessary risks. Understood?"

"Yes, ma'am," I said, shooting Chou a warning look.

She saluted playfully. "Got it, boss."

The mission site was an abandoned warehouse on the outskirts of the city. It was the kind of place that felt like it belonged in an action movie—dimly lit, with crates and shadows everywhere.

Chou and I moved silently through the space, our senses on high alert. The faint hum of voices reached us, and we crouched behind a stack of crates, peeking out to get a better view.

Dahlia was there, her presence as commanding as ever. She was speaking with a tall man in a suit, his face partially obscured by the shadows.

"Do you think that's the supplier?" Chou whispered, her breath warm against my ear.

"Probably," I murmured back. "Stay focused."

But staying focused was easier said than done. The tension in the air was suffocating, and every creak of the floorboards beneath us felt like it would give us away.

As we listened, snippets of their conversation reached us. They were talking about shipments—large quantities of something being moved across the city. It wasn't much, but it was a start.

Just as we were about to retreat, the supplier turned his head slightly, and I caught a glimpse of his face. My heart stopped.

It was Ren Shionji, a man I hadn't seen in years.

"Do you know him?" Chou asked as we hurried back to HQ, her voice laced with concern.

I nodded, my mind racing. "He used to work for my family. Back when…" I trailed off, not sure how to finish the sentence.

"Back when you were still… there?" she guessed, her tone careful.

"Yeah," I said quietly.

Chou didn't say anything for a moment, but her hand brushed against mine, a small gesture of reassurance. "We'll figure this out, Hana. Together."

Her words were simple, but they meant more to me than I could say.

That night, I couldn't sleep. The memory of Ren's face kept playing in my mind, bringing with it a flood of emotions I thought I'd buried long ago.

As I sat by the window, staring out at the city, there was a soft knock on my door.

"It's open," I said, knowing who it would be.

Chou stepped inside, her usual energy subdued. "Couldn't sleep either," she said, sitting down beside me.

We sat in silence for a while, the unspoken weight of the mission hanging between us.

"Do you want to talk about it?" she asked eventually.

I shook my head. "Not yet."

"Okay," she said simply.

Her presence was enough.

The next day, Aoi briefed us on our findings. The intel we'd gathered was valuable, but it raised more questions than answers.

As we prepared for our next mission, I couldn't shake the feeling that things were about to get a lot more complicated.

But no matter what lay ahead, I knew one thing for sure: I wasn't facing it alone.