Étude of Humanity

Chapter Seventeen

Room 137, I.T. Subdivision 1.

A little fun fact from Sayre, the group assigned here is referred to as the Canonical Four. It used to be called the Canonical Three but Sayre obviously joined the party.

How do I know? Well, you should be knowing by now.

It might be eerie to say that Sayre foreshadowed the atrium looking like a multi-floored prison complex because the layout inside the room looks like a prison cell for one.

But Chihiro is here with me, of all the places, of all the people, of all the times I imagined in many corners of my mind.

Both of us don't have a choice; Sayre has to know what to do here next and Chihiro has to follow accordingly. Otherwise, we're doomed by Enterprise into all sorts of reprimands anyone could possibly imagine.

We settled ourselves in this cozy sofa with a table in front, which was just five steps from the entrance as it is directly from the bottom left corner of the entire room.

"Where are the other two when we're called the Canonical Four?" Sayre asked.

"Great question, m'lady. They're doing their shift today. It's a marvelous rarity for us to have at least one of us free in a day—actually, boss planned it quite out on hiring you on a day where at least one of us are free."

So they do address Enterprise as simply boss...

"I wonder why it has to be a day where you are free."

"Huh, that hasn't slipped my mind a single bit. Maybe—Maybe because the other two are... let's say they're eccentric and peculiar at best."

"Well, what would happen to me if I was greeted by those two first?"

"There's only one scenario that'll happen," he raised up a finger, "You'll be all over the place."

All over the place... Sayre would say that's not a very good chemistry to mingle at first.

"So, what are we going to do next?" Sayre asked.

"We'll be waiting for those two. Boss told me to do all sorts of exchanging introduction but considering our position, that would be kind of unnecessary, no? Let us wait instead."

"Ookay!"

Then we waited silently, hearing only the ambience inside like the rhurring airconditioner inside. The ambience that goes between us is vastly different compared to what it was years ago; Chihiro and Sayre would usually go on for conversation after conversation back in his room, talking mostly sentimental and rather personal things. Reminiscing that now, it's quite unusually unique for the both of us at such an age. If I were to use the "kids my age" excuse again, I can't think of even a single pair of kids other than us who would engage in such grown-up stuff.

There's... there's a lot of questions rummaging in my mind now that concern Chihiro; when did he got here? Does he still keep in touch with Ms. Sasami back in Sapporo? When is he coming back to his mother? How about school? Did he possibly abandon all of that with just an unexpected turn in his life decisions?

"Hm? You're making that face again, m'lady."

"Woohaa? What is, what is?"

"That face when you have a lot in mind," he sighed and smiled, "I guess you're still the same as you really were these years ago."

"Ahahaha..." Sayre awkwardly head-scratches, "I guess I didn't change!"

"So, what do you want to—"

Slam! The poor door in front of us was suddenly slammed open.