Bounded by Secrets

"Breaking Boundaries"

Jack entered the flight in his always cute and cozy outfit: a loose hoodie over a plain T-shirt, paired with sweatpants and his favorite worn-out sneakers. His laid-back style often drew amused comments from his teammates, but he never cared-it was practical and comfortable, and that was all that mattered. He adjusted the hood over his messy hair as he scanned the seats for an empty spot.

With a sigh, he finally slid into a seat near the middle, only to realize he was flanked by two emotional storms. On his left sat Asahi, sulking miserably, his right hand limp on the armrest. The poor kid had been paralyzed by an insect bite during their last mission and hadn't stopped grumbling since. To Jack's right was Mayumi, her shoulders trembling as she wiped away tears, clearly upset but offering no real explanation.

Jack blinked, momentarily taken aback. "Great," he muttered to himself. "Stuck between two crying babies."

"Hey, Asahi, what's up?" he tried, nudging the boy lightly.

"My hand!" Asahi barked, his voice cracking. "It's useless now! How am I supposed to fight? How am I supposed to-"

Jack raised both hands in a mock surrender. "Alright, alright, I get it. Just don't bite my head off." He turned to Mayumi, trying a gentler approach. "And you? What's wrong this time?"

Mayumi mumbled something incoherent, her voice muffled by her hands. Jack leaned closer, straining to hear. "... something about singing and Ren?" he guessed, frowning.

Mayumi didn't reply, only shaking her head. Her quiet sobs tugged at his nerves. Jack was patient with many things, but crying wasn't one of them-not when he had no clue what to do about it.

"Okay, listen up." He plastered a grin on his face, deciding humor might do the trick. "Asahi, maybe you can train your left hand to be better than your right. Ever seen a one-handed kung-fu master? You'd be a legend."

Asahi didn't even crack a smile, his glare sharp enough to cut steel. Jack turned to Mayumi. "And you, Mayu? Ren's being mean again, huh? Did he ban you from karaoke night?"

That didn't help either. Her tears flowed faster, and Asahi just growled under his breath.

Jack threw up his hands, exasperated. "You're killing me, both of you!" He stood and marched over to Ren, plopping down beside him with a huff.

"Ren, what's going on with Mayumi? She won't stop crying, and I'm stuck babysitting."

Ren glanced up briefly, as calm as ever. "She's upset because I made her leader for the next mission."

Jack blinked, caught completely off guard. "That's it? She's crying because of a promotion?"

Ren nodded, closing the notebook in his lap. "Leadership is a lot of responsibility. It's natural to feel intimidated."

Jack glanced back at Mayumi, her tear-streaked face buried in her hands. Understanding dawned on him, softening his frustration. Leadership came with weight, pressure, and expectations-things Jack understood all too well.

He sighed, shaking his head. "Alright, I'll go talk to her again. Wish me luck-I'll need it."

That night, as the team finally arrived at Ren's headquarters, Jack and Norio decided to leave for the bar. It was Norio's idea to celebrate his recent singing performance, but Jack, always up for a distraction, didn't need much convincing. Evening stretched into night, and the two found themselves deep into laughter, drinks, and Norio's impromptu singing concert, which had the entire bar cheering and clapping along.

By midnight, Jack and Norio were thoroughly drunk, stumbling out of the bar with slurred laughter. Despite his hazy state, Jack had insisted on driving, brushing off Norio's half-hearted protests.