In the aftermath of their monumental victory, the team had gathered for a final debriefing with Karasuma. His tone was subdued yet formal as he addressed them. "The target is gone, and the Earth is saved. Thanks for all your hard work this past year. I imagine there are some things you'll find hard to swallow. You'll have eyes on you for a while, I'm afraid, and I'm sure they'll be asking you to keep silent on confidential matters. I'll do my utmost to protect you, of course, but allow me to apologize in advance." Karasuma bowed at a precise 45-degree angle, his gesture a testament to the gravity of their recent trials.
Mizuki, however, barely registered the formality of Karasuma's speech. She rested her head on her hand and lazily observed the room, her thoughts drifting as she noted the desperate reactions of the class. Karma's voice broke the silence in an attempt to get her out of her daydream. "Ne, you o—" he began, but Mizuki quickly placed a finger over her lips, signalling for silence.
"I'm fine," Mizuki murmured, continuing to drift in and out of her daydream. The minutes passed, and she soon became aware of everyone standing and staring at her expectantly. "What?" she asked, confused- and somewhat annoyed by the sudden attention.
"C'mon," Karma nudged her gently, prompting her to roll her eyes and stand up. Her gaze fell upon Karasuma, who looked up at her with an expression that combined curiosity with a hint of caution.
"I'm not going to apologise for punching you," Mizuki stated plainly. "Frankly, you deserved it."
"Mi-" Karasuma began to reply, but Mizuki cut him off with a sigh.
"But—" she continued, bowing her head slightly in a gesture of genuine respect, "Thank you, for teaching this good-for-nothing pack."
The term "pack" caused a wave of comic dismay among the class. They began to cry in a comical and melodramatic fashion. Not once had they thought of asking her true thoughts on them, they assumed they knew the answer... but this, this was far greater than anything they could've imagined. This was before Emiko's next words managed to pull them out of their oddities. "Where's your graduation, anyway?"
"The school's locked up tight," Karma responded, looking around with a slight frown. "Looks like it's at the civic centre."
"We'll need our folks to bring our uniforms," Kataoka noted, Emiko's gaze swept across the room as she took in the varied reactions of her classmates.
She observed from the back of the room, her expression reflecting a quiet introspection. Despite their attempts to mask it, the remnants of sadness were palpable. Emiko allowed herself a small, fleeting smile, though she quickly subdued it. It was clear to her how much they had grown and evolved over the past year. She mused to herself, 'How strong they've all become. I suppose that's what makes them my pack. You see this, Ryushi? This is all your doing.'
Turning her attention back to Karma, Mizuki held up her hand, spinning his house keys around her index finger. "Strawberry," she called out, "10 minutes." He nodded in understanding, and without another word, she leapt out of the window, vanishing from sight.
---
In the days following their victory, the thirty-billion-yen bounty was promptly paid out, just as Karasuma had indicated. It was, indeed, a form of hush money, though Emiko's indifference to its implications was evident. She had no intention of accepting any financial reward. For her, the value of their accomplishments far exceeded any monetary compensation. And besides, it wasn't as if she had ever wanted it in the first place.
---
As the moon rose high, casting a silver glow over the clearing, Emiko found herself standing alone, lost in thought. Karma approached quietly, his presence a calming balm to her turbulent emotions.
YOU ARE READING
Deadly One
FanfictionLife hasn't been the very best for Emiko Mizuki growing up. At the young age of six, Emiko's family was killed by a gang, following her father's last wishes she ran out of a bloodbath of a house and didn't stop until she was so tired she passed out...
