Ace Attorney: Council of Crime

Part 20 (Buddy)

//February 22, 2030. GatherLaw Inc., 5:26 PM//

It was past five when I finally made my way through the door back home. "I'm home," I called out, though I knew that nobody would be able to hear me since the walls were soundproof.

Much to my surprise, somebody had heard me, and they were walking my way now. The person, a girl who was highly involved with the company by the name of Clarith Blake, had bobbed white hair and shy red eyes. She wore a white dress with black ballet flats and a loose, sea green ribbon tied gently around her waist.

"Clarith!" I exclaimed as soon as I walked in, running to her side.

"You're home!" Clarith smiled, wrapping her arms around me in a tight embrace. "I'm happy you're back. Byakuya was being mean to Neptune and I again and I don't like it when he does that sort of stuff to us..."

I hugged her back, running my fingers through her short hair. "No need to worry now. I'm back, and he won't be pushing to around while I'm here. I promise," I whispered to Clarith, who smiled in turn. She looks so beautiful when she smiles like that...

"I can't believe you guys are having a reunion without me."

The next one to come down the stairs was Neptune Mercure. She's Clarith's close friend and is therefore my close friend. Neptune's darkly colored brown curls bounced with every step she took on her way down the stairs. Neptune reached my side and crossed her arms. "Dishonoring my presence just so you two can plan out a date? I don't know what I'll ever learn to do with you two," Neptune told us, shaking her head in exasperation.

"It's not like that!" I exclaimed defensively. "And we're not dating!!"

"You really expect me to believe something like that? Because, I'll have you know, I don't. It's so clear you two are meant for each other, so why not hold hands and see if your lips happen to find the other's lips irresistible and extremely soft?" Neptune suggested.

"Neptune-" Clarith tried to begin, a blush creeping onto her face.

"Sorry for embarrassing you... Not. You two need to see each other for what you really are. And stop getting dragged off by forensics school or being an Interpol agent because Conrad likes screwing with your life," Neptune continued to say, as if Clarith hadn't even tried to cut her off.

"It's not that he's doing that, he just needs somebody to make sure Interpol doesn't find out about... That family member and do something bad involving Jack," I explained to them.

"Because Conrad screwed your life over and made you do it," Neptune cut in, making me sigh. She never takes any sort of hints. It's one of her endearing yet tiring qualities, let me tell you. She's cool and a nice person, but it would be nice if she realized what the definition of 'subtle hinting' was.

"What about you go and talk about weird cases that I can't look into because of GatherLaw protocol or something while Clarith and I have some alone time?" I suggested.

Neptune seemed to understand what I was saying this time around, so she waved and walked out, leaving Clarith and I locking eyes alone in the room. I took Clarith's hand loosely in mine and held it close to my chest. "I missed you," I told her with a (love struck) smile.

"I missed you, too. I was really worried that you wouldn't be coming home for a while because of your important mission into the Kuranin," Clarith frowned. "I wish you didn't have to do this stuff and only had to erase things about Mr. and Mrs. Wood's niece..."

I sighed and shrugged. "I wish that, too, but we both know it isn't something that's going to just happen out of the blue," I told her, making Clarith look down with heartbroken eyes. She hated it when I got a job at Intrepol, thinking it could put me in danger and give us less time to hang around each other.

It's too bad that she was right about both of those things...

Clarith took my hand and led me up to her room, one she shared with Neptune on the second floor of the mansion. Why they're here is a long story, so I won't bore you with the details.

Clarith opened her door and walked through. She closed it behind us after flipping on the light switch. "Are you feeling any better about your job?" Clarith asked me. We sat down next to each other on her bed.

I sighed. "I guess it could be worse, but things aren't exactly as bright as I always hoped that they would be," I told her truthfully. "I thought Interpol would be more than just a bunch of people in dark cubicles occasionally seeing the sun on field things... And the field isn't all that positive either... It's really bloody..."

Clarith tensed up upon hearing my final word. She always did that when she heard something having to do with blood. I asked her why once, and she told me that she had been witness to a trial, but her colorblindness made her mess up in her testimony to the point where she accidentally almost got a friend a guilty verdict. "You don't have to keep going..." Clarith finally whispered. The fear laced into her voice made guilt cloud my insides.

"It'll be okay, Clarith. Just you wait and see. Everything will be fine soon, and we can start dating without my job interfering all the time," I smiled. Clarith grinned back. She leaned over, gently placing her head on my shoulder. I blushed, wrapping an arm around her body and pulling her close. Clarith closed her eyes and nuzzled in tighter, making me smile ever so slightly.

Being around her always made my fears and sad thoughts go away...

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Ship

Casually lays on bed and types

Why not

-Digital