"Mochi!"
Miyu burst into the room like a whirlwind of pure energy, with a radiant smile that lit up everything in her path. It was as if she had been searching for me for weeks.
Before I could react, she was already in front of me, grabbing my hands with enthusiasm.
"I can't believe it! You're here too?! That's amazing!" she said, her eyes sparkling like stars. "Thanks again for saving me! Seriously, I still think about it and get chills!"
"I-I…" I tried to respond, but didn't get the chance.
"And listen to this! They told me I have a special ability, can you believe it? I didn't see that coming either! I always knew the supernatural was real," she laughed, waving her hands. "So when they offered me to join OHRA, I said yes right away!"
I smiled shyly, unable to get a word in. It was like watching an overexcited puppy.
"Oh! And look at this! I got a weapon!" she exclaimed, letting go of one of my hands to grab something from behind her.
She pulled out a wagasa, a traditional paper umbrella. The deep red tone of the paper contrasted with the subtle floral patterns decorating it, and the black handle looked elegant and sturdy.
"Isn't it beautiful? It looks like a regular umbrella, but it's super tough! They said it has special abilities and can be used as a shield. I have no idea how to activate them yet, but I'm practicing!" she said proudly, spinning around while holding the wagasa above her head.
I simply nodded, still holding her other hand. I didn't know if I was dreaming or what, but it was hard not to catch her enthusiasm.
Miyu was a storm of emotions.
"Ah, sorry, I'm talking too much!" she suddenly said, stopping abruptly. "It's just that I'm so excited… You're on my team, right?"
"Y-yeah…" I finally managed to respond, letting out a small laugh.
"Then we'll work together! It's going to be the best thing ever!"
For a moment, all my nerves disappeared. She was so cheerful that it was impossible not to feel at ease with her.
"Hey, Mochi… since we're on the same team… that makes you my senpai, right? Can I call you Mochi-senpai?"
It was the first time anyone had called me that.
"I don't mind–"
"Perfect! Let's take a picture, Mochi-senpai! To celebrate this moment."
I didn't have time to say anything. She quickly stood by my side, took out her smartphone and stretched her arm out. I barely had time to smile before she took the selfie.
"Awesome! We look gorgeous. Can I post it on my blog? My followers will love meeting my teammate."
"Huh? A blog? Hmm… it's fine with me, but…" I leaned in and whispered in her ear. "Miyu, I don't think that's a good idea. This is a secret organization… they might get upset if you post something like that. It could even be dangerous."
"Don't worry about it," she replied with complete confidence. "When I joined, I asked if I could keep my blog. After all, pictures of anomalies will make my views skyrocket! They said it wasn't a problem…"
I looked at her with narrowed eyes. Did they really give her permission for that? Wasn't OHRA supposed to be a secret and ultra-discreet organization? I'll have to ask Haruka about this later.
Clack.
The door opened firmly, interrupting our thoughts. We both turned our heads toward the person who had just entered...
A boy walked in who looked just a year or two older than us. He wore a dark open jacket over a simple white t-shirt, slightly wrinkled pants, and had a carefree air about him. From his head sprouted a pair of black horns, curved backward, nestled among his messy blonde hair. Behind him swayed a long black tail that moved lazily, as if it had a life of its own.
"Huh? So you two are my new teammates?" he said with a confident smile, raising a hand in a casual greeting. "Nice to meet you. I'm Zeke, third-rank agent… and also your team leader."
Miyu and I exchanged a quick glance of surprise.
"Leader?"
"Yeah, it was confirmed just a few minutes ago. But don't worry, I'm not the kind of guy who gives orders just because," he laughed as he walked over with a relaxed stride.
"I'm Noa," I introduced myself with a small bow, still a little nervous.
"And I'm Miyu!" she added, smiling brightly. "Nice to meet you!"
Zeke nodded, running a hand through his hair as he looked us over with interest.
"Perfect. Looks like I got a good team."
"Mochi… what does 'third-rank agent' mean?" Miyu asked, tilting her head curiously.
The question caught me off guard. Truth be told, I didn't really know either. I turned to Zeke for help. He noticed my look and smiled.
"Don't worry, it's my job as team leader to explain all this," he said confidently.
He walked over to a bench and sat down with his arms crossed, then began his explanation in a didactic tone:
"In OHRA, there are five main ranks that determine an agent's experience and level. The fifth rank is the lowest: recruits. That's where you both are right now. It's where all newcomers start, and where you learn the basics."
"Ohhh…" Miyu murmured, listening attentively.
"Then there's the fourth rank: operators. An agent at this rank is considered fully trained. They're the ones who usually receive standard missions and patrol urban areas."
"And you're in the third, right?" I asked.
Zeke nodded.
"Exactly. Third-rank agents are specialists. Generally, we've fully mastered our assigned weapon and know how to use a decent variety of spells. From this rank onward, we're allowed to lead teams and handle medium to high-risk missions."
"Sounds hard to get that far…" Miyu said, a bit impressed.
"It is. But from that point on, the power gap becomes even more massive," Zeke continued, resting an arm on his knee. "Second-rank agents are the elite of the organization. They're incredibly strong and skilled; they can complete extreme-level missions solo. Your friend Haruka, by the way, is one of them."
"I knew it! Haruka is amazing," I said before I could help myself.
Zeke let out a soft laugh.
"Yeah, she is. Finally, there are the first-rank agents. They're so powerful that many no longer consider them fully human. To reach that level, they have to undergo an extremely risky operation… if they survive, they gain incomparable power."
"An operation? What kind of operation?"
"It's confidential. I don't know many details. I just know that each OHRA branch is led by one of them. In fact, this branch has two."
"Well, if you understand how the ranking system works, then we can consider today's meeting over. The main thing was to officially introduce ourselves."
Miyu and I nodded.
After that, we exchanged numbers. Zeke told us he'd get in touch as soon as our first mission was assigned.
He said goodbye with a casual wave and left the building, leaving us alone again.
I stood looking at the door for a few seconds. I didn't have much else to do today, and I couldn't go home yet. I guess I'll head back to Haruka's place and wait for her there.
Just when I was about to say goodbye, Miyu spoke to me:
"Mochi-senpai, do you have some free time after this?"
"Yes, I'm free today."
Her eyes sparkled like a child in front of a candy shop.
"Perfect! I transferred to a school near here," Miyu said with a big smile. "There are no classes today, but I have to stop by and handle some paperwork to get everything sorted."
"A school near here…?" I repeated, thinking. "The only school close to the OHRA branch is… mine."
Miyu blinked a few times, like she was slowly processing what I'd just told her. Then, as if a spark had gone off inside her, her face lit up immediately.
"Seriously?! That's amazing! We're going to be classmates too! I'm so happy!" she exclaimed, giving a little hop and squeezing my arm. "Destiny definitely wants us to be together!"
I couldn't help but laugh at her exaggerated reaction.
"If you'd like, I'll walk you to the school," I offered with a smile.
"That's exactly what I was going to ask!" she replied, delighted, grabbing my arm naturally, as if we'd been friends forever. "Let's go, Mochi! This day just keeps getting better!"
We left the OHRA headquarters together, and the warm midday light welcomed us with a gentle breeze rustling the tree leaves. We walked at a good pace, following the path I knew by heart to the school.
As we chatted about trivial things, I remembered something I'd wanted to ask her for a while.
"Miyu… what did you mean when you said you had a special ability?"
"Oh, that," she replied with a calmer smile. "Leader Ofelia told me that my eyes are special. Apparently… I can see ether."
I stopped for a second to process what I had just heard.
"You can see ether?"
"Uh-huh. Weird, right? But apparently, I was born with that ability. I didn't know what it was until they explained it to me."
Now that she mentioned it, I clearly remembered that moment during the tunnel incident, when she pointed out that she had seen the anomaly inside the phone booth… even before I did — and I'd already received training from Haruka. I didn't understand it at the time, but now it made sense.
"That explains a lot," I said quietly, more to myself than to her.
Miyu smiled with a hint of pride, though she also looked a little unsure.
"I still don't know how to fully control it, but they're teaching me. They told me that if I train properly, I could even see subtle fluctuations in the environment — like a radar!"
"Wow… that sounds really useful."
"Right? It's a little scary too, though. Sometimes I see strange things that others don't," she murmured, lowering her voice a bit. "But, well, I'm not alone anymore. I have a team now."
Her words caught me off guard, but they made me smile without meaning to.
"Then… we'll have to protect each other," I said, looking ahead.
"Exactly, Mochi-senpai! Double protection!" she exclaimed cheerfully, lifting her wagasa like it was a flag.
We kept walking, laughing and chatting.