𝐩𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐨𝐧𝐚, 𝐟𝐮𝐫𝐮𝐲𝐚 𝐫𝐞𝐢 𝐟𝐚𝐧𝐟𝐢𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧

00:05 - Time is a storm in which we are all lost.

"You're called too?" Sumire monotonely questioned her partner, Akai Shuichi who turned from a corner and continued to walk right next to her as she walked towards one of the meeting rooms in the headquarters.

The green eyed agent only nodded at the brunette's reply before he question her about her lastest visit that only supposed to be a week but lasted a month because of an accident at Japan, the country she considered as her second home, England being her home country where she grew up with her grandparents.

"How are you copping with your mentor's death? Did you managed to sleep last night?" He hesitantly asked, receiving a scoff from the person he managed to be good friends with during the two years they spent together.

"We live in the same apartment. My bed is right infront of yours... I'm sure you already know the answer to both of your questions." She stated in her normal deep almost sarcastic tone, yet her eyes were clouded and nobody could read her emotions at all. All anyone would see was blank, emotionless cobalt blue eyes staring ahead as they walked down the hall, even though there was a seemingly questionable small smile on her face.

"You don't have to continue if you're still not comfortable talking about it... Just by how you speak of him, I could already figure he's a big part of your life. So, drop that fake smile of yours." His tone suddenly softens.

Sumire was relieved by the lack of judgement and immediately dropped the act, but the pity... The pity is almost worse even if her partner don't physically nor verbally show it to her as she could easily see right through him after spending two years together as partners. No visible wounds adorns her pale skin except for the small thin one on her cheek that seems to be caused by a flyring debris when the rollercoaster where her mentor was riding on exploded that is already starting to heal, but nothing hurts more than the pain of loss she's been feeling inside ever since that day.

The same old exact scene replayed itself multiple times in the brunette's head as if the memories of that day are still haunting her, taking her mind by storm every single time. It's just that she didn't expect such thing to happen the exact day she found time to visit Kuroba Toichi in her busy scheduale.

"If there is anything I can do for you--"

"Shu-kun, it’s fine," I interrupt him. 

"I’m fine. I just... I get a little sad and a little anxious sometimes about it, that’s it." That is a massive understatement, but she really don’t want to delve into it right now, especially when they are both being most likely going to be picked for a new mission or be put into some task force. 

"You don’t have to treat me any differently. Please. That would only make me feel worse."

He takes a deep breath and stares at her for a few seconds, as if pondering whether she's telling the truth or not. After what feels like an eternity, he finally smiles.

"Atleast by now, you finally managed to be so open to me without being naive. I love that about you." Akai Shuichi stated as he flashed a barely visible smile at the brunette, causing her to loosen up as if knowing how the male said it for her to be able to change the subject.

"Gentle now. I don't want your girlfriend to come for my head later." Sumire chuckled in amusement with a smirk plastered on her face, purposely changing the topic of their discussion to avoid anymore looks out of pity from her partner.

"Jodie isn't my girlfriend and she can't even understand Japanese." He reasoned, not noticing the smirk still etched on Sumire's face as she faced him before she started walking backwards.

"Both yet for that... A friend of hers and I are teaching her and I'm sure you'll eventually ask her out soon, so why deny it." She muttered under her breath, making sure that it's low enough for Shuichi not to hear but he still managed to catch it unfortunately.