Weirdos IV: The Emerald Heart

A Time With You - 04

“Yay. Everyone’s finally here.”

It’s finally weekend, and Ike is currently with his friends in a restaurant. Faye actually made the effort to gather as many of their close friends as possible. Philip and Cezka went with them, as well as Cataleya and Jared. Even Jelal came with Faye, too.

“Wait a second. I just realized that Tony and I are the only ones who don’t have a date here,” Ike said as the other couples settled around their table.

“Well, at least you have RB,” Tony grumbled. “I’m the only single person here.”

Faye chuckled. “Just think of us as friends hanging out together, not as couples having a group date. Well, I actually asked RB to stay here in the city a little longer, but it seems that things are really pretty hectic in your farm,” the nurse said.

“Yeah. He mentioned it,” Ike said with a sigh. RB went back home just a day ago after spending several days in the city. “I actually tried to convince him to stay for one more day, but it appears he already had plans for the rest of the week.”

Jared tapped Ike’s shoulder. “You look a little livelier now. Did something good happen between you and RB while he was here?” the Revenge Attack Weirdo asked him with a sly grin.

Ike rolled his eyes as his friends chuckled. “Both of us were pretty tired when we first saw each other. Still. . . RB is RB. We ended up doing it. . .” he answered.

“Like I said, some action really helps liven up your mood,” said Jared. “You and RB rarely see each other, so you gotta take advantage of the little time that you two spend together. I know it must be pretty rough not having to spend your time with the one you love, but you have no choice but to endure it.”

Jared also works at the NMLEA. In fact, he’s a member of Koshi Ibasco’s team. They frequently see each other at the agency, and every time they meet, Jared keeps mentioning Ike’s exhaustion and lack of vigor.

“I’m tired because of our work at the NMLEA, not because I don’t get to see RB everyday,” Ike told Jared flatly.

“Now, now. Let Ike enjoy his time with us. We’re supposed to enjoy our time together. We’ve got pretty busy lives, so we should make the most out of our free time. Let’s stop talking about work for now,” Jelal suddenly said.

Cezka tapped the Fear Weirdo’s shoulder. “Excellent suggestion. Now let’s have some wine!”

Ike turned to Jelal as their friends started pouring wine into their glasses. “I thought you were out doing some work for Sir Garrick?” he asked.

“I was,” Jelal replied. “I actually just got back yesterday. Sir Garrick gave me a few days off as a reward for my recent mission.”

Instead of studying in Emerald, Jelal actually applied at the intelligence department of the NMLEA after he was given pardon by the national government after the war. He’s already finished basic education and was able to pass the preliminary examinations, so he was given the chance to undergo training with the Tactical Operations Group. After a couple of years of training, he passed and was given a job as an intel agent for the NMLEA.

Intel agents are considered as vanguards of the agency. They spend majority of their time on locations with suspected villain activity to gather information for the agents of the NMLEA. The success of a major mission depends highly on the information gathered beforehand by the intel agents. Due to the nature of their work, they always keep their identities hidden. The Tactical Operations Group rarely accepts applicants who are famous or well-known during their time in their respective schools. Intel agents are valued for their efficiency and secrecy. In fact, the general public is usually not aware of their existence.