Cafeteria was bustling with activity, filled with lively chatter, while Hiroki's group just walked in. They picked a corner table that had plenty of room for everyone, and settled in.
Kenji stretched his arms wide, after taking his seat with exaggerated relaxation.
"Finally! I swear man, I could eat an entire cow right now," Kenji exclaimed lazily while placing his head on the table,
Hiroki let out a quiet chuckle, feeling his spirits rise with the easygoing energy.
On the other side of the hall, Miyu's gentle eyes nervously swept over the room. She hesitated, looking left and right, her expression uncertain, until her gaze landed on them. A relieved smile appeared on her lips, and her mood visibly brightened.
"Guys!" she called out, jogging toward them with excitement.
They all turned to her, slightly caught off guard.
Kenji was the first to chime in, throwing his arms up. "Miyu! We've barely seen you around. I was starting to think you were avoiding us!"
Miyu smiled gently, her laughter tinged with a touch of timidity, while scratching the back of her head. "I know, I know. Sorry about that. I've been… busy with my works."
"Busy researching that Golden Book, I assume?" Ayuri asked, her tone calm yet curious.
Miyu nodded, sliding into the seat they had left open for her. "Yeah… But I'll get to that in a second. First, I want to hear what I missed from you all!"
Ayuri at this moment got up quietly from her seat, "I'll be right back," she said with a casual smile. "Anyway don't let me miss anything important," and she moved on her way.
Miyu leaned closer next to Hiroki, glancing at him curiously. "So, what have you all been doing recently, then? anything special?"
Kenji reclined back grinning. "Well, you can say that Hiroki had a little… disagreement with the Golden Book."
"Huh? What?" Miyu's eyes widened, and she turned to Hiroki with clear curiosity. "Is that true, Hiroki? What happened?"
Hiroki scratched his head awkwardly, he glanced at them before responding. "Not really. It's just… what we tried didn't work as expected. That's all about it."
Miyu leaned back in her chair, and her initial rush of enthusiasm faded as she sighed. "I see. For a second, I thought there was some big breakthrough. Guess we're still figuring it out,"
Kenji chuckled, shrugging. "Well, it's not like these things comes with instructions."
Miyu nodded thoughtfully, her focus drifting for a moment. "Yet still, it makes me wonder… why it does seem to be so temperamental?"
With that silence, and before anyone could reply, Ayuri returned back, carrying a tray full of food plates.
"This is all by me today," she said cheerfully. "Consider it my treat as a gesture of our friendship!"
Miyu's eyes shone with delight. "Woah, Amazing! Thank you so much!"
Kenji bent closer, examining the dishes like a hunter sizing up his quarry. "Now this— this is what I call a feast!"
It was mealtime, with a pleasant, light atmosphere enveloping them, and conversations bounced around, while Kenji was completely absorbed in his food.
"Also… I've found some really interesting things about the Golden Book," Miyu said while eating."But… not enough yet. I still have a lot to figure out."
"You should not push yourself too hard," Ayuri replied gently, with some concern "It's not that worth exhausting yourself for."
"She's right," Yoru agreed with her. "What is good about it if that research takes all the time from your day?"
Kenji, meanwhile, glanced at Yoru's plate. "So… you gonna eat that chicken thigh?"
"Huh?" Yoru raised her eyebrow. "Why wouldn't I?"
Kenji shrugged innocently. "Just wondering…"
And without a warning, he grabbed it and ate it within two quick bites.
"HEY! You didn't have to do that!" Yoru snapped while glaring at him.
Kenji grinned mischievously, leaning back with a satisfied look. "Too slow."
Miyu couldn't contain her laughter any longer and erupted with a playful chuckle, while Ayuri kept watching with an amused smile.
Even Hiroki, found himself laughing, and the tension that had been on his mind previously started to fade.
Yoru, who had her arms crossed, pretending annoyed, softened her attitude as she glanced at Hiroki, with his sincere smile. He finally seemed to be relieved, and she felt the same upon seeing his expression. She rested her right hand on her cheek and gazed at him, feeling a pleasant joy inside.
After the mealtime was over, they all prepared to head off, each in his own direction.
"Well…" Miyu spoke calmly directly "I have to go back now, to complete my own PHG missions"
Kenji felt a pang of disappointment when she said that, "Oh man really, we barely managed to meet finally… Whatever, wish you the best in your works"
"Y'all too!" she smiled one last time and then hurried off, bidding them farewell "See you soon!"
Kenji kept waving his hand until she was out of sight.
Then, Hiroki spoke, "So… I'm heading now to the second floor for the meeting."
"You mean Seina's meeting tonight?" Yoru questioned him curiously.
Hiroki was a bit shocked that she was aware of it, "You also part of this as well?"
Kenji replied at that moment, "Of course, we belong to the same coordination group. Well except Miyu."
And he carried on, "Right now, Yoru and I will go to check on Amaya, as I suspect she feels lonely now"
Hiroki's expression revealed some sadness about her, yet he kept his head held high, "Right. I will go ahead of you to the upper floor then."
As he made his way forward with steady steps, Yoru called out to him "Hiroki…"
He turned around with some intrigue, waiting for her reply.
"Take care of yourself." She urged him with a lower tone.
Hiroki could only reply to her words with a confident smile. He nodded to her, and made his way towards the second floor.
As this night went on, Hiroki walked alone through the quiet corridors of the PHG Center. The second floor was dimly lit, and the solid open wooden walkways provided a clear view of the night above.
He noticed someone standing in the hallway, leaning his hands on the wooden railing overlooking the training areas outside. The dim glow of the moonlight then revealed his figure. It was Ryuuji, gazing out at the stars.
"You must be one of the invited for the special mission," Ryuuji said without turning around. After a pause, he glanced over his left shoulder. "What is your name?"
"H-Hiroki Kurogane," he replied hesitantly.
"Hiroki… I see," Ryuuji said, turning fully to face him, "It seems you're someone Ayuri holds in high regard."
"Oh, uh… I guess so" Hiroki scratched his head, unsure how to respond.
Ryuuji stepped closer, his expression turning a bit serious. "Hiroki-Kun, let me ask you one thing. Who do you want to protect? Your closest friends… or, humanity?"
Hiroki froze, taken by surprise by the question. "W-What? I—"
"Nevermind," Ryuuji interrupted, his tone softening slightly. "Forget what I just said."
Then he placed his left hand on Hiroki's shoulder, his gaze piercing. "But you should know. You will need to prove yourself—prove that you're strong enough, to protect the people you care about."
Hiroki's thoughts surged as memories from his past came flooding back. The weight of Ryuuji's words stirred something inside him, but he couldn't yet find the right answer.
With a sigh, Ryuuji took a step back, "The necessity will come that will change the rules," he spoke with a darkening tone "You may end up losing everything, unless you fight with all your might. Life is treacherous, and it won't wait until you're prepared.
Then he faced him again, his voice rising slightly as he delivered his final words. "So get on your feet, keep going. Your friends are waiting for you."
Hiroki gulped hard and nodded "O-Okay… understood"
At that moment, Kenji's voice echoed far from behind. "Hey, Hiroki! Is this the place?"
Hiroki glanced down at his friends, smiling faintly. "Yeah… this is it."
Yoru tilted her head, watching him curiously. "Huh? What's up with that weird grin?"
"It's not a big deal," Hiroki replied to her comment. They all gathered behind the closed door of the room, "So, this is where the action begins" Hiroki spoke up, a bit nervous.
Hiroki hesitantly reached for the door with his left hand, and opened it.
(Possible Artwork Soon)
Together, they entered the planning room, where Seina, Ayuri, and four elite guards were sitting, surrounded by a large round table in the middle. Seina stood at the middle far side, her presence commanding as she addressed the group.
"Now, as everyone is present, we can start," Seina stated firmly. Ryuuji closed the door quietly behind him and sat down, and as Hiroki walked in, his eyes met Ayuri's, which in turn she returned a friendly smile.
"This mission will require precision and focus," Seina began, her tone serious. "Each of you has a role to play. Hiroki… you'll act as the bait."
"Heh?" Hiroki blinked, clearly confused.
Ayuri's expression changed subtly as she looked at Seina "Wait, what does that mean?"
Seina dismissed the question with a nod. "You'll understand when the time comes. For now, focus on your preparations. You'll be split into two groups, and the mission's target will be disclosed via mail. Starting with Hiroki's group and his friends, and the second group will contain Ayuri and some royal elite members. The first group will begin their operation shortly, as the mail is probably in your inboxes by now."
She faced Ayuri and continued, "As for your group, their operations will most likely be after reviewing the first group's results. It is about searching for some suspicions that have been observed in certain areas"
She stood up firmly, placing both her hands on the table as she continued, "And as I said, the rest of the information will be examined shortly… This mission requires sharp focus and trust. Each group will operate independently to maximize efficiency and avoid… risks. Any questions?"
Yoru leaned over to Hiroki, whispering, "Why wasn't Miyu invited to the mission?"
"She told me that she didn't receive any mail about it," Hiroki replied quietly. "Maybe she isn't related to this?"
Seina's voice cut through the murmurs. "So, there are no objections. As everyone is ready now, we'll begin, Operation Twilight Divide!"
"Is the name really necessary?" Yoru commented, while the silence hung in the air.
Seina ignored the comment, motioning for the present people "Everyone can leave now, and begin on their duties."
People started leaving, while Hiroki's thoughts lingered.
"From what I understand so far, Kenji, Yoru, and I will head out to check out some area where things seem off. Seina has been keeping it quiet, which suggests this is a delicate operational matter. As for Ayuri… she claimed to have a special side mission at the moment, meaning we can't rely on her for this. After all, why were we left alone without any oversight by Seina?… a lot of things still puzzling me."
He glanced back briefly at Ayuri, her figure already turning away. "I wonder… about the tasks that keep Ayuri so busy whenever we need her."
Ryuuji crossed his arms and sighed. "I see… Let's hope your caution doesn't backfire."
Meanwhile, Ryuuji stood beside Seina, who hadn't left yet "Why did you set it up this way? Splitting them like that doesn't seem ideal."
Seina's gaze stayed fixed ahead, "Taking the first step requires my careful attention. Trust is earned, not given freely. There may always be spies among us."
Her face appeared calm and serene, but as she gazed back at the PHG Center building, her expression changed for a moment, with something unreadable flashing in her eyes.
And then she proceeded on her path forward…
[ To Be Continued ]