Étude of Humanity

Chapter Twenty-Three

A gem cannot be polished without friction, nor a man perfected without trials.

January third.

We just celebrated the new year, but MAME still kept going business as usual as if nothing happened; the syndicate wasn't anywhere festive and hyped when new year's arrived. In fact, we still had to work during New Year's Eve and New Year's Day. Maybe that big dinner during New Year's Eve counts? The hype however, wasn't anywhere near.

It was around seven o'clock, a little earlier than I should have. As usual, I parked my minicar inside MAME then went in the lobby.

"Ms. Hisa, excuse me!"

"Huh?"

"Boss has some urgency with you at the head-of-chief office. He has some important matters with you to discuss."

"Understandable."

That was me and the receptionist. We exchanged a bow, then I headed to "that" gothic-like menacing hallway.

It felt like Enterprise is responsible for ruining my day.

Walking towards the North Wing is probably my least favorite part of MAME. In fact, Sayre would only walk around these parts when Enterprise would call me to his office. When I'm on my way to the East Atrium, I'd usually take the South Wing that'll take me to the West Atrium then finally to the destination. Phew, it seems like I just talked about a walkthrough with the human heart with all the atriums and whatnot.

Once Sayre was in front of the door, I carefully opened it, went inside, then closed it from behind. The same old two-tone contrasted room that's as dimly lit as possible, felt like as if a vampire's going to tear me to bloodlust with all the tints of red.

"Oh, why hello there!" A silhouetted hand appeared from behind a chair and waved.

"!!!" Sayre was walking to the chair beside Enterprise, when I suddenly stopped and flinched to that deep and obscure voice. I didn't realize that someone was sitting on the opposite side of this long table which was just a mere distance to the door.

"Oh... Hey there... Mr. Killer." Sayre waved back effortlessly with a voice so appalling. I walked my way to the chair beside the executive chair at the opposite side of the table.

His chuckle emanated through the entire room. "It has been what... six plus three... about nine years? Damn, didn't knew I was like a father to some genius of a girl that's completely unrelated to me. If that's the case, maybe an adoption will do? That would be perfectly legal and fine for me."

"..." I kept quiet.

Same as usual, I could never beat his high sense of regard and confidence, as he just threw it off with a laugh so disembowelling that I can't even imagine it significantly more than a trauma.

"Hahah... What're you gonna do, huh? Stay silent? You know everything don't you, little braniac?"

Sayre would immediately grab a hold of a lit candlestick. "Why you——!"

I was about to throw it to him, but my small and frail arm was suddenly suppressed by a grab of someone's humongous hand.

"Aquamarine, there is time and place for everything, and my office isn't one of those."

There's Enterprise who I forgot was just behind the executive chair all along, blaming for my unwomanliness, and Mr. Killer who's just smirking and chuckling at my utter embarrassment at the other side of the table. It was filled with deep silence as Enterprise would take the candlestick from my hand, fix the table, then face his chair in front. It wouldn't take long before Enterprise finally conducted this so-called urgency when the whole array of screens just behind him changed into a digital whiteboard once more.