Madness

Chapter 2 - Found

11:45 am, Saturday, February 25th, 2023, in Yunomaru's Residence.

"What if the secret government finds me? What do I do then? I'd like to avoid trouble as much as possible." Yunomaru asked, having his hands on his lap and wearing a grey t-shirt and baggy jeans. He was having a conversation with Avarice. The kitchen area was bathed in warm sunlight that filtered through the sheer curtains, casting a soft glow on the white table where they sat. He was slouching while looking up at the well-dressed Avarice, who sat down on his left. Avarice wore a black, unbuttoned tux, a long-sleeved white shirt underneath, and a tiny yellow tie with small green dots around his collar. He had no gloves, showing off his freakishly long fingers as he held a small, white cup with steaming black tea inside it with his right hand. Avarice spoke playfully while adding five scoops of sugar into his tea with a small tea. (The small pot of sugar was in the middle of the table) "You say that, but you sold yourself to be a part of the secret government? Weird. But anyway," Avarice joked around. His dark brown hair was slicked back, and he was not wearing his fedora on this occasion, "They can only find you if they sense your presence. Those who have contracts can detect the presence of other contract holders. You can use this knowledge to your advantage and evacuate the area if you encounter a contract holder. However, it's important to note that not everyone in the society has a contract." He sipped his tea after speaking.

Yunomaru understood how it works in his mind. Avarice's body emanated energy that felt more composed and polished, while regular people had no such energy radiating from them, making them harmless and plain. "That means if they find me, they get me right away since they can sense that I have a contract." Yunomaru's voice was steady, his gaze focused on Avarice, clearly not in the mood to be playful. "Are members usually hostile?" "Not at all. They'll just flash their fancy white card at you like I did with you when we first met. But that's only if they're members with a higher status. I can't speak for what others might do if they find you out in the open." Avarice responded while putting his cup down, "Try to keep it cool and answer honestly. They can see through lies. It'll be trouble. I know you don't like that, but facing the problem is better than finding ways around it."

With that being said, back to the present.

Yunomaru stared at the ID that Itoshi Sae flashed at him, reading it carefully and then returning to the woman's emotionless eyes, "Sure. Come in. I'm just starting breakfast." He stepped to the side, allowing her to come in as the tapping of her black, shiny heels echoed in the hallway. "Oh, how thoughtful of you. I'd love to join you." Itoshi lips curled into a wider smile. Once she was in, Yunomaru closed the door while eyeing her, "Vice-Commander, huh? Shit. I have no idea what she's capable of, but I'll take Avarice's advice." Yunomaru thought to himself as he walked alongside Itoshi to the white table. Itoshi sat down at one of the ends of the table, closest to the hallway, while professionally crossing her legs. Her dark pink eyes narrowed at Yunomaru, who went back to making his breakfast. She heard the shower on in the distance while eyeing the two individually set plates and glass cups on the table, "Is someone currently with you, Ishida?" Itoshi asked politely while Yunomaru set a plate and glass cup in front of her, making eye contact again, "Yes, I invited someone over yesterday. Two street punks attacked her. She was badly bruised. I wanted to call an ambulance, but I knew they wouldn't be able to do much." He held up two jugs of apple and orange juice, "Apple or orange juice?" "Orange juice, please."

Yunomaru poured orange juice into the glass cup before pulling away. He then put the jugs in the centre of the table as he continued cooking. "I didn't expect you to be so chivalrous," said Itoshi as she picked up her cup and took a small sip. "I heard about the incident on the news. The punks you mentioned eventually recovered, but they did suffer some brain damage. I'm surprised they didn't interview you." "I was still in the area, but I guess people didn't point me out for some odd reason." Yunomaru responded, "How would you like your eggs?" "Scrambled, please." Itoshi continued smiling and asked, "However, about the girl you saved. Do you have any attachments towards her?"