2008, March 29; 2:00 PM
[Beep. Now? Seriously now? Nihilia, you know I— Yes… Fine.]
Aiko groaned as he slowly opened his eyes, squinting against the brightness. "Jeez… What happened last night?" His voice was groggy, his head pounding as he blinked, trying to clear his vision. He glanced around, realising he was back in his apartment. With a sigh, he stood up and made his way to the kitchen. There, on the floor, Yasuka was passed out, while Ryo was sleeping on the nearby couch.
Aiko crouched down, his hand hovering over Yasuka’s face before he slapped her awake. "HEY! WAKE UP, IDIOT!"
Startled, Yasuka shot up, shouting, "WHAT THE FUUUCK, I'M UP, I'M UP!" Her voice was groggy as she blinked in confusion.
Aiko frowned. "What REALLY happened last night…?" His words trailed off as a knock on the door interrupted him. Both he and Yasuka exchanged looks before heading to the door. Aiko opened it to reveal Captain Shiro of Division Two standing there.
"AAHH! It’s the Senior Citizen Manifesto!" Aiko quipped, but before he could react, Shiro slapped him across the face.
"Shut up," Shiro said, his tone unamused.
"HEY! Why’d you hit him!?" Yasuka protested, only to get slapped across the face as well.
"You too, be quiet." Shiro stepped inside, his sharp eyes scanning the messy apartment. He walked over discarded shirts and bits of trash littering the floor.
"Hey! That’s my shirt!" Aiko protested, glaring at the captain.
"Then don’t leave it on the floor, dumbass," Shiro retorted swiftly, shutting him down.
Yasuka, still rubbing her cheek, stammered, "W-Well, why are you in our house anyway…?"
"Our?? We?? Since when did you start speaking french??" Aiko shot her a look, clearly irritated by how she claimed his apartment.
Shiro ignored the exchange, crossing his arms. "Because you two are shit at being B.S.A. Agents and because I owe someone." His tone was flat as he continued surveying the apartment.
Aiko, Ryo, and Yasuka found themselves seated on the couch as Shiro continued his inspection. They could hear him muttering under his breath as he moved around, uttering words like "Gross" and "Disgusting." Every time he did, Yasuka and Ryo would smirk and snicker, mockingly glancing at Aiko, who glared at them in return.
When Shiro finally finished, he approached the trio. "Ryo, you can leave."
"Sweet," Ryo said, standing up without hesitation and promptly exiting the apartment.
Aiko and Yasuka’s jaws dropped in outrage. "WHAT? Why does HE get to leave??"
Shiro gave them a deadpan look. "Because he isn’t an idiot… well, he is, just not as much as you two."
Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on Royal Road.
Shiro pulled out his phone, casually scrolling through a message before turning his attention back to Aiko and Yasuka. His expression didn’t change as he gave them a once-over.
"Now, pack your stuff, we're going out." Shiro ordered.
"O-Out?? Out where??" Yasuka stammered, clearly caught off guard.
"We're going out to do our jobs, idiots," Shiro responded flatly, slipping his phone into his pocket. "Unless you want us to practice here.".
That shut them both up. Aiko and Yasuka exchanged glances before practically jumping off the couch, racing to see who could pack their stuff first.
Shiro walked out of the apartment, cigarette in hand, leaning on the balcony railing as he took a long drag. He could hear the chaos still unfolding inside as Aiko and Yasuka scrambled to get their things together.
A few minutes later, the two appeared behind him, now dressed in their somewhat proper B.S.A. uniforms. Shiro turned his head slightly, exhaling smoke. "Great, you two aren't that stupid. Let's go."
He started walking off without another word. Yasuka, still fumbling with her belt, called after him, "H-Hey! Wait up, you old man!"
Aiko, already grinning, nudged Yasuka. "Whoever gets to him first wins!"
"T-This isn’t a competition, idiot!" Yasuka snapped, but Aiko was already sprinting off toward Shiro, determined to win whatever impromptu race he'd just made up.
The three of them walked through the streets, the sky was pretty gray still, it might rain. They continued to walk, the tension settling slightly, before arriving at an old, abandoned construction site.
"Heh... are we here to build something? Can't lift bricks anymore, senior citizen?" Aiko teased with a smirk, only to receive a hard smack across the face.
"Be quiet," Shiro said sternly, taking a long drag from his cigarette before flicking the ash to the ground. His expression was serious now. "Now, I want you to kill me."
Both Aiko and Yasuka stared at him, dumbfounded.
"What?" Aiko asked, rubbing his cheek in disbelief.
"What?" Yasuka echoed, eyes wide as she glanced at Shiro.
"You heard me. Try and kill me," Shiro repeated, his tone unwavering.
"If you say so..." Aiko muttered, rushing toward Shiro with reckless speed. As he swung his fist, Shiro barely shifted to the left, raising his arm just enough to land a sharp hit on Aiko’s throat. The impact sent Aiko crumpling to the ground, coughing and gasping for air.
"WHAT. THE. FUCK! HAVE YOU LOST IT, OLD MAN?" Aiko wheezed out between coughs, clutching his throat.
"You failed to kill me. You were sloppy," Shiro responded coldly. Then, without missing a beat, he turned his gaze to Yasuka. "Now you."
"M-Me??" Yasuka stammered, a bit taken aback.
"Yes, you," Shiro said flatly.
A wicked grin spread across Yasuka’s face. "Well... DON’T MIND IF I DO! HAHAHAHA!" Her demeanour shifted dramatically as her eyes shifted, losing their pupils. Her fingers elongated into fleshy, grotesque claws that looked anything but human.
For a moment, Shiro’s calm exterior faltered—his cigarette fell from his lips as he stared at Yasuka's sudden transformation. But in a split second, he snapped back to his usual self, effortlessly dodging her wild, slashing haymakers. With a swift movement, he struck her in the throat just as he had Aiko, sending her stumbling back and gasping for air.
"Jeez... they said this Division could give Kazua a run for his money," Shiro muttered, clearly disappointed as he lit another cigarette with deliberate calm. "Now that I’ve assessed... whatever shitstain capability you just showed, we can get to the fun stuff."
Aiko, still coughing on the ground beside Yasuka, glared up at him. "SO YOU JUST PUNCHED US FOR NO REASON?? WHAT THE HELL, MAN!"
Shiro exhaled a plume of smoke, looking down at the two with mild amusement. "Quit whining. This was just a warm-up."
Aiko looks up at him with an odd sparkle in his eye and a look of confidence. “Oh yeah? Well, watch this!”
----------------------------------------