[Author Note]
Disc: HrPrTeam
Hi.
(Yes, I couldn't think of an author note while writing 1700 words for a chapter.)
__________
Sakamoto P.O.V.
I put up my pointer finger. "1 adult."
Rather than raising suspicion, I bought a ticket at the front instead of breaking in. If everything works out, I'll only be here for less than an hour.
She gave a nervous smile and handed me a ticket, likely concerned or surprised I was entering alone.
It was a science museum, but it mainly attracted families and children.
Which means I'm already standing out.
Shin would've been perfect if he wouldn't get in the way of the job. Having him as cover would be great right now.
Assassination 101: Emotions and hesitation get in the way.
Worst case, it can kill you.
In the future, I shouldn't come alone if I go to places like this. Though I'll probably never be back here anyway.
Coming alone, huh?
A rare smile showed on my face. "Maybe I'll take Aoi here sometime."
It wasn't my thing, but who knows, maybe she'll enjoy it.
I stop in place when someone approaches me from the side.
My eye twitches as I keep my hand close to my holster, hidden in my trench coat, in case they try to make a move.
This is likely the place that created some of the superhumans, so I've got to be extra cautious.
For all I know, the families could all be planted assassins. The newcomer was a woman in a dinosaur outfit, but she might have been dressed like that to lower my guard.
She smiled. "Hiya, would you like to take a picture as a souvenir?"
My eyes narrow slightly as the situation is strange.
I leaned forward and whispered in her ear. "A photographer approaches a lone adult to ask him to take a picture, an obvious trap. Now, I have a few questions for you."
Instead of panicking, she blinks and has a look of confusion on her face.
Hmm, this isn't the face of someone who was caught.
A professional?
She scratched her cheek and smiled awkwardly while pointing at a person. "Well, the lady over there said you were all together. Did I get the wrong person?"
Lady over there?
My head turned, and I facepalmed when I saw who it was.
What the hell is SHE doing here?
Damnit Rion.
...
Rion waved and started walking toward me. "Yo Sakamoto, fancy seeing you in a place like this!"
What made it even more bizarre was that she had a dinosaur mask over her head.
I rubbed my forehead. "Why are you here? I'm on a job right now."
Doesn't she have anything better to be doing with her time?
She leaned forward. "Huh? You're in a science museum, for a job?"
*sigh*
I might as well try to get something, considering she's still a damn good assassin.
No matter how much she puts off her work.
I put my hands in my pockets. "I don't have time for this. I need to find a guy named Asakura to find out where some other researcher is. Know anything about him or where he's at?"
She pulled out a rock candy stick and started eating it.
...
Rion blinked. "No clue."
...
Figures.
At that moment, I noticed that someone was absent.
I'd assume Rion would bring her if she came to a place like this. "Where's Akira?"
She sighed. "Akira lost badly when we played bowling. She wanted to go home, so I left her with Nagumo."
Rion destroyed her niece in bowling? That sounds like something Toji would do, not Rion.
I raised an eyebrow. "So you came here alone?"
Even though it's weird, at least I won't be the only person who showed up alone. She even played into it by attracting more attention with her dinosaur mask.
Rion tilted her head to the side and pointed her thumb behind her. "Of course not, I brought Toji instead."
I froze.
Definitely misheard that.
He's the type who stays far away from places like these.
Just in case, I'll focus my senses on Rion's previous position.
It didn't take long to see something that was cursed. It was unbelievable.
Leaning on a rail and looking at a T-rex skeleton was Toji.
That's Nagumo...right?
Rion smiled since she could guess my thoughts. "I was surprised when he decided to come with. I thought I'd never get him off the couch."
I was forced to accept it because the only person who could hide his presence this well was my roommate—the man who owned a massive worm baby.
No wonder I couldn't sense him before. He concealed his presence more than when we fought against him.
Leave it to Rion to expose him.
Instead of keeping up the conversation, I started to walk away.
The last thing I needed was distractions.
*pft*
My eyebrows raise when I look at the photographer smile and laugh.
She breaks out laughing, and her voice starts sounding more masculine. "HAHAHAHA! Holy crap, Akira was right, Toji was here!"
Ugh, I know that voice.
The woman disappeared, replaced by a black-haired teenager with a goofy smile, still wearing the dinosaur outfit.
*click*
I widened my eyes when I realized Nagumo had taken a picture of Toji.
Well, it was nice knowing you.
...
A few seconds passed, and he didn't make a move. If it was Toji, he surely knew everyone was there.
Rion paused and narrowed her eyes at Nagumo.
Good, she is going to say something.
She spoke. "Nagumo, weren't you supposed to be there with Akira?"
It was a valid concern, but there was someone else to worry about now.
Nagumo did a casual wave with a smile. "Don't worry about her. I know you care for the kid, so I assigned a job to Shishiba. It turns out that you have a lot of power as a leader of the JAA's B team."
Flashback: 2 Hours Ago
Nagumo clapped. "Now, for your first assignment, you will protect Rion's niece!"
The new Order members were shady, so he defaulted to the only person he knew and trusted from the JCC.
Shishiba looked at him like an idiot. "I'm not a damn babysitter."
Nagumo shrugged with a smirk. "Tough shit, I'm the leader. You'll listen to the JAA's Orders, hammer boy."
Shishiba sat on the couch, irritated at his new assignment. "I'm gonna kill you someday."
*pat*
Nagumo put his hand on Shishiba's shoulder and wiped away a fake tear. "Thanks for your sacrifice."
Flashback End: 3rd P.O.V.
Rion looked up at the ceiling. "Ah, right, I forgot he joined the Order."
By the time Nagumo finished his flashback, Toji had already arrived in the group.
Nagumo took notice of him. "Was that a cool dinosaur~?"
Toji looked unbothered, mostly because he expected it. Playing into his antics only fueled the fire.
He knew a while ago that Akira would never keep her mouth shut.
Toji looked at Nagumo with a blank expression. "If you came here just to laugh at me, that's pretty sad."
Yes, he went through the trouble of finding Akira a babysitter just to laugh at him.
Nagumo shrugged. "I didn't care if Akira was lying or not. I wanted to take a picture, even if there was a 1% chance of you showing up. It's like seeing Bigfoot. Of course I wouldn't miss it!"
And yes, he is 21 years old.
Sakamoto sighed. 'What was that about distractions?'
Toji pointed his thumb to his right. "By the way, White hair, lab's over there."
While it didn't look like he was paying attention, he still listened to his surroundings.
Nagumo's smile widened, and he spoke before Sakamoto left. "Since we're all here, let's get a picture together!"
Rion noticed that Sakamoto started sneaking away.
She narrowed her eyes. "Sakamoto, get your ass over here. We're taking a picture together."
Toji huffed a laugh but said nothing.
Nagumo clapped his hands together. "See? Rion gets it! Who knows if one of us will die? A memory would be nice."
The three others gave him a deadpan expression since he was well aware that he was raising a flag.
Toji put his hands in his pockets. "I'll kill you if you post it somewhere."
Being seen in a place like this was enough for him.
Nagumo gasped in mock offense. "Would I ever betray your trust like that?"
The three others spoke in unison. "Yes."
Everyone knew Nagumo, and it was absolutely something he would do.
Nagumo shook his head with a genuine smile. "Nah, for real this time. We haven't done something like this before. Plus, this camera I stole...borrowed from the staff is pretty good."
Sakamoto scratched the back of his head. "Just take the damn picture. I've got stuff to do."
Nagumo pulled out the camera and brought it in front of him with all the other young adults in the background.
*grab*
Rion put her arms around Sakamoto and Toji's shoulders and dragged them closer.
Nagumo stood in front, smiling with closed eyes, making a peace sign while wearing the dinosaur suit he had worn when disguising himself as a staff member.
Rion stood behind him, slightly to the left, with a smirk, holding the two non-talkative members of their weird group while still wearing her dinosaur mask on her head.
Sakamoto stood on the left, looking to the side with a neutral face, hands in his pockets.
Finally, Toji stood on the right with crossed arms and a bored expression.
Nagumo spoke while clicking the button. "Say cheese!"
However, the only person who did so was Nagumo.
*click*
The camera shutter clicked, and a picture was taken.
Before the group dispersed, Nagumo spoke. "Oh, by the way, that will be 4900 yen for a large print."
...
*bonk*
*bonk*
*bonk*
In response, Nagumo received three bonks to the head.