As they were nearly back at the hotel where they were staying, the girl still wore that conflicted expression of having something to say but not knowing how to say it. He spoke softly.
"Are you in some kind of trouble? Or is there something you need help with?"
"Ah? Ah... no, it's just... um..."
The girl froze for a moment. Being seen through did not feel good; it laid her embarrassment bare. After hesitating for a while, she finally sighed, seemingly letting go of her pointless shame.
"I just wanted to ask if you'll have time later..."
"I do. Do you need help with something?"
When he was not on a mission, he usually trained, so in a sense, he was actually quite free—she should have known that.
"No, it's just... if you're free, could we go out together?"
After saying that, she hurriedly added another sentence.
"Ling suggested it. You've helped us a lot, so Ling wanted to thank you and asked me to take her with us to an amusement park."
She spoke quickly, as though eager to explain herself.
"Isn't it Ling herself who wants to go?"
"Ah? Mm... mm! Yes..."
Hearing her somewhat absent-minded reply, he began to wonder whether she had even heard what he had just said.
So he swallowed the words, "Then the two of you can just go," and instead said,
"Got it. When?"
"...I'll message you later."
"Okay."
He nodded and pushed open the suite where the two of them were temporarily staying. The girl followed him inside, locked the door, and fastened the chain beside it.
"Click..."
Just as she was locking the door, she heard another door close. Turning around, she saw that he had already entered his own room, apparently preparing to rest.
The living room felt very quiet, as though she were the only one there.
Yet this environment made her feel more comfortable instead. He enjoyed this tranquil atmosphere, and she even felt a little happy that she had achieved what she had intended.
She walked lightly and soundlessly toward her own room, ready to rest.
The living room fell silent, as though no one lived there at all.
...Inside the room...
"The mission's done? As expected, it had to be you two... You work fast. Maximum efficiency."
The person on the other end of the call said with a laugh.
"Should I say that's our Golden Signboard for you? Wang?"
"..."
"Alright, alright. I know you don't like wasting words with me. Honestly, the moment I saw you calling, I knew what I needed to do... As for the bounty, I'll handle it the moment the client sends the money. Same account, right?"
"Mm."
"Then that's settled... You can rest for a while after this mission. There haven't been any major targets lately, so we won't need you. If nothing unexpected happens, you'll have a short vacation. What are you planning to do? I got a ticket to Eden's concert, so I'm planning to make a trip to Mu Continent."
"You..."
"Ah, forget it, forget it... I know, training again, right? And I know you don't like hearing me ramble... Can't you chat with me like Al does? I thought we were friends."
"I..."
"Hm? You haven't hung up yet? Looks like you're in a pretty good mood today~ What is it? Did something make you happy? Like finding an old companion or something?"
"You talk too much."
Xi Wang's voice turned cold in an instant.
"Alright, alright~ Sorry for poking at a sore spot. Sorry~"
The other person apologized casually, without sounding the least bit remorseful.
"Tell me, then. Did you need something from me? I'll tell Al later."
"...Can you still get tickets to Eden's concert?"
"Oh? Since when were you interested in that?"
The other person suddenly became interested and asked curiously.
"I'm going out with someone later."
"Oho... Sakura, right?"
"...Mm."
"Not bad~ I thought you were a block of dead wood, gloomy and dull all day long. Didn't expect you to finally get a clue..."
"?"
"Don't worry about it. We can definitely get tickets. We've got a few connections, after all. We can definitely get you good seats."
"Thanks."
Xi Wang replied sincerely, because the other person was right about one thing—they could be considered "friends."
"And... I'm out of candy. Please restock it."
"Hm? Already? Eat less, or you'll get cavities... Do you mean the specially made kind? That'll take a while to get."
"No, just ordinary ones."
"I see... Alright, got it. Go pick it up from the safe house at this encrypted coordinate. It isn't far from your home."
"Thanks."
"No problem, no problem~ That's what logistics is for... Oh, right. You two are going together, right? Do you need me to arrange a hotel, transportation, travel guide, and all that? I have some good recommendations~ Oh, and you can just pay with the card. I'll reimburse the expenses as official costs! And remember to buy each other gifts..."
Without paying any more attention to the other person's nonsense, Xi Wang decisively ended the call.
"..."
He silently stared blankly toward the other room for a while, then lowered his head to look at the small notebook on the table. It was a hotel-provided notepad, and a few scattered things had already been written on it. Judging from the format, it looked a little like a diary.
■■ Month, Day 2, 36 pieces, mission completed, (a lengthy summary of the mission process and some scattered descriptions of scenery and buildings), was invited out at the end, need to clear time and wait for Sakura's invitation...
At this point, Xi Wang paused, opened his terminal to check the date of Eden's next concert, then continued writing at the end.
Concert on the night of the 15th. Remember to tell Sakura in advance.
After writing that, Xi Wang set down his pen. He casually glanced over the page, then tore it off along with the page behind it that bore impressions of the writing, and lit them with a lighter.
"..."
He stared blankly at the flames, as though thinking about something, or perhaps thinking about nothing at all. He looked utterly vacant.
Only after the flames had burned out did Xi Wang seem to come back to himself. He swept the ashes into his palm, took a piece of candy from the Candy box, and put both the candy and the ashes into his mouth.
Today made 37 pieces.
Xi Wang quietly corrected the number in his mind, then slowly walked to the bedside and lay down on the floor beside the bed—where he had made himself a place to rest.
Still seeming somewhat unaccustomed to it, he turned onto his side and curled up slightly. He stared blankly at the Candy box beside him, shrouded in the bed's shadow, and the short blade wrapped in cloth.
Both items were close to him. He only needed to move his arm slightly to reach them, so there was no need to worry about anything happening.
I'm eating more and more...
As he tasted the sweetness mixed with a strange flavor in his mouth, Xi Wang thought this.
But he did not care.
He simply savored that sweetness carefully, closed his eyes, and slowly fell asleep.
...In the other room...
"Mm... yes, the mission has been completed."
The girl named Sakura said to the person on the other end of the call.
"Well done. As quick as ever. Just what I'd expect from you."
A familiar voice, familiar praise. Every call began this way.
"So... how is our blade doing?"
"Very well."
"Oh? No abnormalities? Still as stable as before?"
"Mm."
"Is that so? What a pity."
The other person seemed a little disappointed, but did not seem to care much. They soon returned to the original topic.
"The bounty will be transferred to you after the client sends it over. Same account, right? As for the coming period, you can take a good rest. Of course, if you need money, I can give you a few more missions. After all, you still have family to take care of~"
"...No need."
"Going back to see your little sister? That works too. You haven't gone back in a while..."
"You talk too much."
"But you still have to listen. I am your superior, after all."
The other person said something thoroughly irritating.
"And you don't need to be so wary. We agreed back then that once you joined, we would protect your sister. Your information, along with hers, has also been given the highest level of confidentiality... We keep our word, so as long as you don't defect, neither you nor your sister will come to harm."
Protection? It was really surveillance, wasn't it?
Sakura understood that very well, but she had no choice... Ling was her only family, and her only weakness.
"So... do you need a mission, Forget-me-not?"
The other person said faintly.
"...No. Wang invited me to go out later."
Before you continue