Chapter 28

Third Person Point of View

"Where are we going?" La-La asked Axel as they sat in the train station, waiting for their train.

"Starfall," Axel replied.

"That's far," La-La remarked, sighing deeply.

"I know. I don't understand why they gave me this task," he said, shaking his head.

"They're absurd as usual," La-La said, exhaling another sigh.

"You seem exhausted," Axel observed, a rare hint of concern in his voice.

"It seems so. I don't know the reason," La-La admitted.

"That's rare. You don't get tired easily," Axel noted.

"Yeah, it's unusual," La-La agreed.

Axel stood up and walked towards the nearest vending machine. La-La, still seated, watched him casually. Axel returned and handed her a box of milk.

"Milk?" she said, looking at it in surprise.

"Just drink it," Axel instructed, sitting down next to her.

"It will just make me sleepy," La-La protested.

"We have a three-hour journey ahead. Just take a rest during that time," Axel said.

"You better not leave me alone," La-La warned him, her tone half-serious, half-playful.

4 hours later

“That bastard!” La-La shouted.

La-La Point of View

Just a little minute early

Slowly opening my eyes, I found myself in an unfamiliar place. My head ached, and as I looked around, I realized I was in a café that seemed more like a hotel. My head had been resting on the table, my hands tangled in my hair.

The sun had already set, and the room was dimly lit. I stood up, annoyance bubbling up inside me. "That bastard!" I muttered angrily, standing up and slamming my hands down on the table, realizing Axel was nowhere to be found.

"Would you mind keeping it down, miss?" a voice said from behind me.

"Oh, I'm sorry," I said, turning around to see a familiar face. "You—" I reacted as I recognized him. This guy with black hair and blue eyes—the rude guiding spirit.

"Not you, Ms. La-La, it's Angelo. Good evening," he said with surprising politeness.

"What are you doing here?" I asked, still in shock.

"That's a rude question, but I live here," he replied.

"Here?" I asked, still trying to process the situation.

"Yes, here," he confirmed.

This felt strange and uncomfortable, similar to the feeling I used to have around Axel. I missed him, but why did this guy unsettle me the same way?

"Isn't this Starfall?" I asked.

"Yes, it is," he answered.

"It's far from the Department—I mean, headquarters," I said. Guiding Spirits work in offices in our department, and our department is in Wintermill, one hour away from the main city where I live, which means it's four hours away from here.

"I can work from home," he answered shortly, clearly uninterested in the conversation.

"Yeah, it's a thing now, huh," I said, then sat down. "By the way, what are you doing here? It's far from where you live, Ms. La-La," he asked, his interest seemingly piqued now.

Isn't your uninterested?

"I was dragged by a reaper," I answered.

"You mean Mr. Axel?" he asked.

"Oh, you remember him," I said, turning to face him. He was sitting with his back to me.

"How could I forget? Mr. Axel is a famous reaper," he said.

"He is?" I asked, genuinely surprised.

"It seems you really don't care about rumors, Ms. La-La," he said with a slight smile.

"Yeah, it's not like they benefit our job," I said, then suddenly noticed the numerous cups of tea in front of him. I paused. "Bruh—"

"Do you have company tonight?" I asked him.

"No," he answered curtly.

"Then what's with all those cups of tea?" I asked, pointing at the collection.

He turned to me, and time seemed to slow down as I got a good look at his face. He looked incredibly familiar. "They're mine," he said.

Huh? All five cups are his?

"Isn't that bad for you? I know tea is good, but..." I trailed off.

"Strong tea isn't bad. It's good for health, and it's not excessive," he replied.

Oh, okay. Better not talk to him more.

I started searching for my phone, patting my pockets, but it was nowhere to be found. I only had my card with me.

A case of theft: this story is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.

That bast—

"You've got to be kidding me!" I exclaimed in frustration.

"Is there anything wrong?" he asked.

Why does he care?

"No, it's nothing. I just don't have my phone with me," I answered. Now I can't call Axel to find out where he is. That guy wanted my help but abandoned me. I'm going to slap him as soon as I see him.

Suddenly, Angelo stood up and walked over to me, shocking me. I looked up at him.

What's wrong with him?

He reached out and offered his phone. "You can borrow this," he said.

"No thanks," I answered immediately. We sat in silence for a moment, and he looked at me as if I were being rude or something—well...

"It's just a phone. You don't have to be so stubborn," he said, his tone calm but firm.

"Uhm, there will be no help in borrowing your phone. I don't remember the numbers of people I know," I said to him.

"Is that so," he replied, then put his phone back in his pocket and took his seat once again.

I decided to wait a few more minutes, but since Axel seemed nowhere to be found, I thought it might be better to go home.

"You're already leaving, Ms. La-la" Angelo asked, his voice as neutral as ever.

"Yeah, he can make his way home by himself," I said.

"Then farewell," he said with a slight nod.

"Yeah," I answered, feeling a bit of awkwardness in the exchange. He seemed to care, but not really—he's a strange one. We've been working together for a while now, and I've never quite figured him out.

As I walked out of the building, I gazed upon the sky. The stars were nowhere to be found, but the moon was shining brightly.

"Ms. Lanaya?" a familiar voice called out. I looked to my left and saw Zayne.

What is this birthday boy doing here? He was also wearing a suit.

"Good evening," I greeted him. "This is Starfall. It's far. What are you doing here? And where is Mr. Axel?"

I should be asking the same thing to you.

"I don't know where Axel is. He left me here," I said.

"How can a guy leave a girl in an unknown place?" Zayne mumbled.

"It's not really an unfamiliar place. I've been here many times," I said to him. "What are you doing here, by the way?" I asked, trying to divert the conversation away from me.

"I was called here by someone," he said. Someone, huh.

"Oh, okay then. You should go. It might be urgent," I said to him, pointing my hand toward the entrance of the building. Then he suddenly removed his jacket and draped it over my shoulders.

"What are you—" I began, but he cut me off.

"It's cold out here. You look like you need it more than I do," he said with a gentle smile.

I blinked, momentarily taken aback by his unexpected kindness. "Thank you," I managed to say.

He nodded. "Do you need help finding Axel? I can stay with you until you do."

"No, it's fine. I can manage, and I’m about to go home" I replied, touched by his offer but not wanting to trouble him further.

Then suddenly, a figure came running towards us—it was Axel, with a horde of gangsters chasing him.

"What the hell is going on?!" I shouted.

"Run!!" he yelled. Before I could process it, he reached us and grabbed my arm. By instinct, I grabbed Zayne's arm, and now the three of us were running away from the chaos.

"W-w-what is going on, you fool???" I asked, breathless.

"I don't know, they chased me out of nowhere. I was just doing my job!" Axel replied, still running.

"Just run," he repeated, letting go of me. I let go of Zayne, and we continued sprinting.

"Isn't this something that can be solved by talking?" Zayne asked, trying to keep up. Axel glanced over and noticed Zayne for the first time.

"What are you doing here?" Axel demanded.

"Personal reasons. You shouldn't involve Ms. Lanaya in this kind of job," Zayne replied.

"Huh?! You have a problem with my job???" Axel shot back, insulted.

They were really arguing while running—unbelievable.

"This is fun!," a woman's voice chimed in. I turned to see a vampire running alongside us.

"Who are you?" I asked, trying to keep my pace.

"Queenie," she answered with a grin. Her speed matched mine effortlessly.

"What do you want?" I asked, wary.

"Just enjoying the chase," Queenie said, her eyes gleaming with amusement.

Axel and Zayne continued bickering, but I focused on Queenie. "Are you with them?" I nodded towards the gangsters.

"No, I just like a good run," she replied, laughing.

"Great, a thrill-seeker," I muttered under my breath.

"Any chance you'd like to help us out instead of just enjoying the chaos?" I asked her, hopeful.

Queenie looked thoughtful for a moment. "Why not? It could be entertaining."

Then, she abruptly stopped running. "Hey, boys!" she called out, drawing the attention of the gangsters. As they paused, confused, she used her power to send a wave of sleepiness over them. One by one, they collapsed, falling into a deep slumber.

The three of us halted, panting heavily from the adrenaline and the run. I glanced at Zayne, who looked both relieved and curious. "Is she an MT too?" he asked, observing Queenie with a mix of awe and wariness.

Queenie strolled back to us, her expression relaxed and satisfied. "There you go. I took care of them for you," she said with a playful smile. "Now, what’s this about a chaotic night?"

"Thank you," I said, catching my breath. "We were just caught in the middle of something... unexpected."

Axel, still catching his breath, added, “It’s not my fault they just eventually started chasing me. Don’t casually blame me around,” he said defensively.

“You dragged us into this,” I replied.

“No, I dragged you, and you dragged him,” Axel retorted. “And she’s just running behind.”

I couldn’t believe this guy.

“Are you okay, Ms. Lanaya?” Zayne asked with genuine concern.

“Yeah, I’m good. Sorry for dragging you into this,” I said, quickly apologizing.

Queenie, who had been quiet until now, suddenly asked Axel, “You’re a reaper, right?”

“So what if I am?” Axel replied, clearly annoyed.

“Your handsome, by the way,” Queenie said, giving Axel a sly smile. “The reason they were chasing you is probably because of me.”

Suddenly, the moonlight illuminated her, revealing her ginger hair and blue eyes—she looked almost doll-like.

“Because of you?” I questioned.

“Yeah, they are my targets,” she explained casually.

“Targets? You mean they’re part of your mission?” I asked, trying to make sense of it.

“By the way, it’s unusual for a reaper to have connections with humans,” she added, her gaze shifting between us.

Is she referring to us?

“I’m not a human—MT class Love Hunter La-La 32-B,” I said, introducing myself.

“Oh, is that so?” she responded, surprised.

She then turned her attention to Axel and Zayne. “You two are handsome as well,” she said, licking her lips. “How about I give you a kiss?”

“Wait, huh? What?!” I exclaimed, taken aback.

“Don’t joke around. I’m not in the mood for this,” Axel said, his tone serious.

“Kiss?” Zayne asked, confusion evident on his face.

“I’m a vampire from 30-A class,” Queenie stated with a smirk.

She seemed far older than us. Then, she walked towards Axel and reached for his chin. Axel immediately slapped her hand away.

“Reapers are always rude,” Queenie said. “Just a little kiss, and your sins will go away.”

“You’re crazy,” Axel said, clearly frustrated.

I stepped between them to defuse the situation. “Let’s not create more of a scene,” I said, trying to maintain peace.

Queenie looked at us with a mischievous grin. Vampires—or Sin Hunters as they’re sometimes called—are known in stories for their bloodsucking ways. They’re said to turn into bats and are afraid of the sun.

However, Sin Hunters are quite different from the myths. They don’t suck blood; instead, they have the ability to induce sleep and erase memories, much like reapers. They also possess the power to transform into animals. Their method of absorbing sins involves more than just a simple kiss; it’s a literal, intense exchange. Though they don’t typically venture out in the sun, it’s not because they burn; it’s simply because they do their work at night.

By the way Sins Hunter only hunt the 7 deadly sins.

The seven deadly sins are Lust, Gluttony, Greed, Sloth, Wrath, Envy, and Pride—each representing a fundamental moral failing, from excessive desire and indulgence to extreme anger and arrogance.

“I heard reapers have a lot of sins, so sucking from you would add to my points,” Queenie said to Axel with a smirk. But she is basically insulting him.

“You probably have more sins than I do,” Axel retorted.

“That blondie over there doesn’t have sins at all—he’s so clean, which is rare,” she remarked, glancing suspiciously at Zayne. Wait, she can’t know he’s a human; that would be a mess if MTs discovered our involvement with one.

“He’s the same type as me,” I said, hoping to deflect her curiosity.

“Oh,” she replied, with a hint of disappointment.

“Excuse me, I must interject. I think Miss Queenie is being quite rude. How about we part ways here?” Zayne said, trying to regain control of the situation.

“Don’t butt in here,” Axel snapped at Zayne, clearly agitated. I looked at him in disbelief. Suddenly, Queenie zipped over to Zayne, surprising everyone. She was now face-to-face with him.

“Do you want a kiss?” she asked Zayne directly.

This vampire is just casually asking people if they want a kiss? Isn’t that a bit creepy?

“I must decline,” Zayne said, stepping back.

“You two are so boring,” Queenie said with a stretch. “It’s been ten years since I’ve seen such handsome guys. It’s just a waste I can’t kiss you,” she lamented.

Oh, so she’s obsessed with handsome faces.