Diamonds and Spades

Chapter 5:

As Kuro closes her eyes, trying to sleep, the thoughts about the radar keep on popping in her mind. What in the world happened? She thinks, and her old stories about ghosts and paranormal beings pop up. No, it was totally a glitch, right? That's what she hoped for. That it was only just a glitch and Snowy wasn't... an illusion. Kuro hears the shuffling of her roommates, and she knows that everybody thinks it's wrong. Because it all is.

"If this is a big problem, it's going to get in the way. We should tell somebody--" Midnight says while brushing her hair in the morning. Kuro interrupts her with a loud "NO!" and everybody turns to her. "If we tell a teacher or any adult, they'd all probably ignore us or think we're crazy. They'll also probably say it's a glitch, which it is." Kuro shivers, wondering why a small radar ruined the mood.

"We need to figure out where Josh King Apartments is, and read some articles and other things. But first, we can't work on a mission with an empty stomach. It's time for breakfast." Kuro looks in the bathroom mirror, putting on her earrings. Her red diamond, and her black spade earring. Her favorite pair she wore everyday since her mom died, it was her only memory.

Her mom had an immense crush for games that included playing cards, like 'Go Fish', 'Rummy', or 'Spades', so she got a pair of the earrings. It seemed like the earrings enveloped in a hug or a gust of warmth from her mother, because the instant she put them on, her goosebumps went away. She sighs, and scurries to catch up to her companions. "Do you know what's on the menu today? Ms. Rag's special pancakes or waffles, or what?"

The talk about food seems to calm them down, and Mockingjay goes over how when she first ate the agency's first made KFC (Korean Fried Chicken), she almost cried at the spicy taste, which reminded her of home. It seemed they had a lot of cultural food, so Kuro went to see if they had something her mom usually made, such as Hot Pot or Cha Siu Bao. For the morning, they had some hashbrowns, cereal, and a choice of pancakes or waffles.

After the food, the group goes back to their dorm, where they brush their teeth and add some finishing touches to their appearance. Kuro tries a hairclip to push her bangs away, but it still falls back down. She gives up on her bangs and instead curls the blue parts of her hair. Suddenly, there's a knock on the door and Snowy walks in. Kuro doesn't want to hurt the girl, so she discreetly checks the radar, acting like she's looking through the drawer.

Still only four people, so she put over her fanny pack and tucked it inside, so she could walk up to her and see if she needed to be closer in. She did just that, but still only four people, and she noticed it was the area she, Midnight, Spring, and Mockingjay were sitting, but not where Snowy was. "Hey, Snowy, did you wanna tell us something? Yesterday you seemed like your mouth wanted to burst with words." She was concerned, and wanted to see what she would say.

"Oh, did I look like that? I really didn't have anything to say. Just thoughts about the mission that you answered as soon as I thought about it. Can you read my mind?" She laughs, but Midnight notices a hint of worry, so she glances at Kuro, and Kuro glances back in a quick second before she laughs with Snowy, giving her a half-reassuring look, like she didn't know anything.

"Alright, so research, right? I've heard of Josh King Apartments before, my dad went there once and told me that his colleague said it was haunted, just because of a black cat. Then after that, it closed down and rusted in no time. It was really big and luxurious, take a look." Snowy pulls out a computer from her big backpack, and when Kuro leans down to look closer at the old pictures, she accidently touches the device and it sends a cold shock up her arm.

Kuro brushes it away, and examines the photos. Snowy was correct, it was really big and luxurious located on the seaside, near the more private area of the island. On A-Isle Maps, it said that Josh King Apartments was 'Closed', and underneath that it said 'Nobody is allowed to enter, although you may at your own risk' Kuro clutches Spring's hand after she reads 'at your own risk'. Maybe the mission would be more dangerous than she thought, but she hoped that it would be better.