Morning had dawned, but Arius was still hazy. The moon had merely disappeared and the sun had taken its place. The clouds covering the sky scattered the sunlight, and the mist drifting across the land finely shattered that light. Thankfully, there was no humidity, but the gloomy atmosphere was unavoidable.
It was a dismal day. Kenji brushed his tousled hair as he strolled through such streets.
The date should clearly be near the end of August, but for some reason, the air was a little cold. It was too chillingly saturated beyond imagination to just be because it was morning. Was it due to the region's peculiarity? If so, it could be understood. Understanding it wouldn't make anything better, though.
"Haa..."
His breath misted as he exhaled. He turned his gaze. The window covered with ice pellets had frost on it. Kenji aimlessly ran his finger over the window, then shook off the moisture on his fingertip. But contrary to such eccentric behavior, his expression was endlessly cold.
When not conversing with someone, his expression was always like that. Pupils devoid of any light. Tightly closed lips. Eyes that seemed like they could tear skin just by looking. Not a face that easily won others' favor.
He never intended to in the first place. Kenji hardened his eyes coldly and tilted his head slightly. His gaze met with someone standing on the rooftop of a derelict building. That was all, but the executive assigned as surveillance grabbed her neck and gasped for breath. Her staggering body perilously caught on the railing.
"...Tch."
Kenji clicked his tongue sharply and turned his head. Then the executive, who was about to fall, urgently regained her balance and gasped for breath. Behind the gas mask, her eyes looking at Kenji were filled with fear, but Kenji paid no heed.
He had expected they would attach surveillance, but didn't think they'd be this blatant.
'Did they think I wouldn't notice?'
Probably not. Beatrice is a bitch, but she's not a woman with a beast's head for intelligence. She probably intended to show it openly. A warning that she's watching, so don't do anything foolish. A laughable act. Kenji twisted the corner of his mouth and let out a weak laugh, "Huh."
Surveillance. Yeah, mere surveillance.
If she has the leisure to do that, I wish she'd come herself and stab me with a knife. Then I could throw off all the constraints binding my body and kill Beatrice.
In fact, the underlying reason for constantly provoking Beatrice was precisely that. Unlike other Gematria members, that bitch was belligerent. She'd probably use someone else's hand to cause trouble if things didn't go her way. He had to wait for that moment.
'Until then.'
Have to play the ill-fitting instructor role. Kenji smiled slightly and entered the derelict building where the squad stayed. Perhaps because they had already finished preparations, all five members were gathered in the living room. Their appearance was like baby birds waiting for food, but their eyes were utterly murky.
"Did you sleep well?"
"Slept well, thanks to you."
Saori answered. At the typical soldier-like response, Kenji held back a bitter smile. After telling the five standing stiffly to make themselves comfortable, he plopped down on the dust-covered floor. Saori let out a sigh of astonishment at the instructor sitting on the dirty floor, but Kenji's words were faster.
"I don't know your names well, so let's have a brief self-introduction session. My name is Kenji. Treat me casually, casually."
"...I'm Jomae Saori."
"I said treat me casually. It's fine to use informal speech."
Kenji said with a beaming smile. Saori seemed to hesitate briefly, but soon nodded.
"Jomae Saori. I'm in charge as the leader of the Arius Squad."
Starting with her brief introduction, the other girls opened their mouths.
Shirasu Azusa. A girl with pure white bob cut reaching her shoulders. A girl with an icy appearance. He liked that her eyes seemed more alive than the other four.
Tsuchinaga Hiyori. A mint-haired girl serving as the squad's sniper and pack mule. She stammered when speaking, and from the negative words she interjected during the introduction, one could tell she was timid.
Imanishi Misaki. A girl with black bob cut and unfocused eyes. She covered her lower face with a black mask, but the reason was unknown. Conversely, the bandages wrapped around her neck and wrists—one could very well guess why they were wrapped. Kenji's gaze sharpened slightly as he looked at her.
The last member, Hakari Atsuko. A lavender-haired girl who covered her face with a pure white mask. Seeing her write her name on her palm to show it, she seemed to have aphasia, but when he rudely asked, that wasn't the case.
[I can't speak due to circumstances. Can't show my face either.]
"What circumstances."
[Madam's order. Can't be helped.]
"Beatrice? That bitch ordered it?"
That bitch.
At that word, all the squad members' eyes widened. Regardless, Kenji narrowed his eyes and stared at Atsuko, then grinned and placed his hand on her head.
"It's okay to speak in front of me. You can take off the mask too."
[But.]
"Because Beatrice would be bothered? Don't worry. If she comes, I'll drive her away. If necessary, I'll just pull out an arm or something."
Kenji said in a light tone. Pull out an arm. Though spoken like a joke, the weight of those words was extraordinary.
"..."
Atsuko aimlessly stroked her left arm and sank into thought. A few minutes later, she carefully removed and threw off the mask covering her face.
"...Princess."
Saori called Atsuko in an uneasy voice while watching Kenji's reaction. Atsuko smiled faintly and nodded. Meaning it was okay. She glanced at Kenji, then used sign language only Saori could understand.
[He's someone who helped without asking for anything in return. It should be okay to trust him once more.]
"..."
[Saori.]
"...I understand. If that's truly your wish."
Saori let out a small sigh and stepped back. Not understanding sign language, he didn't know what conversation the two had, but judging by Saori and Atsuko's reactions, it seemed to have ended well. Kenji giggled and looked at Atsuko. Atsuko also showed a small smile and stared at Kenji.
"Nice to meet you."
"Your voice is as pretty as your face."
"Is that a compliment?"
"Would it be an insult? Nice to meet you too."
Atsuko chuckled and nodded.
With that, the self-introductions ended. Kenji stared at the five alternately, as if trying to memorize them, then looked at Saori and spoke.
"Had breakfast?"
"Haven't eaten."
"Then let's eat first. What's in the fridge?"
Azusa shook her head.
"Nothing."
"...Then what do you usually eat?"
"Picked-up bread. Sand grains and rice from supplies. Water pooled in puddles. And..."
As her words continued, Kenji's face soured.
It was absurd. How could people live eating only those things? The food homeless people ate on Earth was better than that. When they first met, he wondered how they didn't know about chicken and pizza, but now seeing this, it was more strange that they knew anything. Kenji interrupted Azusa's words around the time the term 'clump of bugs' was about to come out of her mouth.
"This won't do."
Beatrice, this damn bitch. Are you managing them or not?
Kenji internally cursed Beatrice as he got up from his seat. The gazes of the five girls turned toward him, and he muttered to them while taking money from the wallet in his pocket.
"Wait a bit. I'll go buy something."
"...Is there a reason to? We can just do as usual."
Misaki said. Kenji tapped her forehead with his finger and answered.
"Think of it as meddling. I did that before too, right?"
"...Ggrr."
Misaki couldn't find words to retort and lightly brushed her forehead with her finger.
"Then I'll be back. Wait for me."
Kenji spat that out and left the derelict building. The five girls left alone in the living room stared blankly at each other and each showed their reactions. Azusa maintained her firearm with a stony face, Hiyori looked forward to the food Kenji would bring. Misaki leaned against the wall and stared into space as if it didn't matter. Saori looked at Atsuko and let out a sigh, and Atsuko kept chuckling.
'A strange person.'
Atsuko thought as she put on the mask she had taken off as soon as Kenji disappeared.
But it wasn't an unpleasant feeling.
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*
Unfortunately, Kenji couldn't move freely in the Trinity autonomous district. Because of the missing person posters. Though not many, his face plastered large on utility poles, walls, and bulletin boards, with a sentence urging immediate contact if found, gave Kenji an indescribable sense of pressure.
"..."
Kenji tore off a poster stuck to a utility pole with a troubled expression. The number written below. It was Nagisa's. Seems she hadn't changed her smartphone even after a year. Or maybe just kept the number. Whichever, it was regrettable. Because he could guess the reason.
'She probably thought I'd contact her again.'
Of course, it could be self-conceit. But one can't ignore even the possibility, right? Kenji stared gloomily at Nagisa's number, then let out a deep sigh and stuck it back on the utility pole.
Though his desire to see those girls was immense, there were still things he had to do. Moreover, he couldn't act rashly. Kenji forcibly erased thoughts of them and tapped his face with an empty hand holding no bag.
*Gurgle.*
Then the black mask covering his face melted away. A temporary mask made of fear. Since he couldn't show his face openly, he had no choice but to wear a mask while going to the mart. Though people around looked suspicious, when he said he had severe burns, their suspicious gazes changed to pity. Thanks to that, he could buy groceries without any interference.
He plans to make breakfast himself. He could have packed something from a decent restaurant, but hearing Azusa's words, their stomachs were probably empty or not in normal condition, so making simple porridge would be better than greasy food. Then they could eat something relatively better for lunch or dinner. Buying a week's worth of groceries in advance, thinking of the future, was a good judgment.
Thus, Kenji returned to Arius through the catacombs. Thanks to the coordinates received from Beatrice, he didn't need to break through the barrier blocking the autonomous district's entrance, but because he disliked Beatrice, he shattered a few. Even so, they'd probably self-repair, so it didn't matter.
He took out his smartphone and checked the time.
8:00 AM.
Upon checking, Kenji hurriedly walked toward the building where the squad stayed. Considering the time to make porridge and the various preparation processes, time was tight. There was some leeway, but not ample.
Walking briskly for about 10 minutes, he arrived at the derelict building. Kenji immediately opened the door and went inside. Hiyori, sitting in the living room, screamed 'Eeek!' and trembled at the corners of her eyes. But upon confirming the person who entered was Kenji, she jumped up from her seat. It was basic etiquette toward the instructor, but for Hiyori now, something else was more concerning than such etiquette.
"I, is that all food?"
"No, ingredients. More importantly, is there a proper kitchen? I want to use fire."
"T, there's a separate burner. You can use that."
"Got it."
Kenji set the bags on the floor and took out the portable burner from the corner of the living room, covered with grimy handprints. Since its appearance wasn't much different from what he used on Earth, Kenji familiarly inserted gas into the burner and turned the switch. *Whoosh*, flames rose.
The heat was reasonably sufficient. After checking the fire's temperature once, he began preparing the ingredients he bought. His self-taught cooking skills from living alone were more than enough to boil a few bowls of porridge.
He put instant rice into boiling water instead of a microwave and let it swell. Since it was a process that took a little time, Kenji tore open the packaging of the newly bought pot and kitchen knife and turned his head toward where he felt gazes.
"Heh, hehehe..."
Hiyori was drooling while staring at the rice put in water. Then, meeting Kenji's gaze, she started and jumped up from her spot.
"S, sorry! I'm disturbing you, right?! Right?! I, I'm a useless existence. I'll stay tucked away in the corner!"
"No, no need for that..."
Kenji held back a bitter smile and placed vegetables like carrots and onions on the cutting board. Hiyori's eyes sparkled again. Kenji seemed to ponder briefly while moving his lips, then handed a long-cut carrot piece to Hiyori.
"H, huh?"
"Eat this while you wait. It's raw carrot, so it won't taste good though."
"N, no taste? I'll check!"
Hiyori quickly took the carrot piece and shoved it into her mouth. Her cheek moved a few times, then her face melted limply.
"M, mashingeous..."
"Tasty?"
"Y, yesh... a heavenly tashste..."
A single line of tears flowed down Hiyori's cheek.
Kenji laughed sincerely for the first time in a very long while.