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A few days have passed since the epic final battle against the now disgraced Inspector Bringer. Despite now being fully aware of Bringer’s crimes, Officer Zhu Yuan is not in relatively high spirits, especially when compared to her fellow officers and newfound friends (Cunning Hares, Belobog Industries, Victoria Housekeeping, Sons of Calydon, and Section 6), who all came together post-battle and celebrated Bringer’s defeat with varying levels of joy… unless you were Ellen Joe, who slept halfway through the celebration.
Shaking off her thoughts and feelings about Bringer, the young officer returns her focus on to the road. She arrives at the parking lot next to her destination…
Random Play.
Zhu Yuan has unfinished business with a certain pair of siblings who work at this specific video store, but she didn’t want to rush into finishing it. She just needed some time to herself to come to grips with the reality that the man who saved her life as a child has fallen so far from grace that he would become a criminal himself.
“Officer Zhu Yuan,” someone called.
Walking towards her car is one half of the sibling pair – the brother, Wise. Zhu Yuan
“Oh, Manager,” Zhu Yuan responded.
“I was just about to run some errands when I saw your car,” said Wise. “Are you here to… uh… purchase a movie or something?”
“I came here to, um, finish that conversation,” Zhu Yuan answered awkwardly. “You know the one, right?”
“Oh, right. That one,” Wise remembered. “I was hoping to talk to you about that eventually. I showed up at the station yesterday, but you weren’t there. Seth and Qingyi said you were either on patrol or taking time off.”
“A bit of both, actually,” said Zhu Yuan.
“Look, Zhu Yuan, about what I did… what Belle and I kept from you,” Wise started, but he sounded a bit nervous.
“Before you start, let me just say something,” Zhu Yuan interrupted.
Zhu Yuan’s facial expression hardens as she takes a deep breath and long exhale. Wise patiently waits for her to take her turn, but the look on her face was making him a little more nervous.
“I’m not going to pretend I don’t somewhat understand why you hid the truth from me,” said Zhu Yuan. “You’re a Proxy. I’m a PubSec officer. That may sound childishly simple, but I’d be lying if I said I don’t get it. Under normal circumstances, I would arrest you on the spot.”
Zhu Yuan pauses for a few seconds.
“But that still doesn’t change the fact that you were unwilling to trust me,” Zhu Yuan added, avoiding eye contact for a moment as her face hardened again. Anger and sadness were evident in her tone. “You saw me break protocol to protect the evidence carrier from Maroon’s gang. You saw with your own two eyes that I was willing to do whatever it takes to ensure the safety of the public. On top of that, you sent your Bangboo to help me… twice. If there was ever a time to tell me the truth, it should’ve been when you decided to expose Eous to me. We were already forming a friendship at that point. You helped me with the ducks. You helped me with the EMP case. You helped guide me through the Hollow when the situation was dire, and I didn’t even know it was you doing it. Also, Qingyi was right there, defending Proxies who act with honor and good will. Had you told us that day that you were Phaethon, I would’ve… ugh…”
Zhu Yuan stops herself. She noticed that the sadness in her voice was waning until anger was all that was left. Closing her mouth and her eyes, she tries to calm down as she unclenches her fists.
“Sorry,” Zhu Yuan apologized for her tone. “I knew I needed to talk to you, but I didn’t realize I would vent like this.”
“Hey, feel free to vent all you want,” Wise welcomed. “It’s not like I don’t deserve your anger. You’re right. I should’ve been fully honest with you that day. I may have gathered the courage to expose Eous’ identity as Phaethon’s Bangboo to you, but I didn’t have enough courage to tell you that I was Phaethon.”
“I’ve been replaying that day over and over in my head, imagining what I would’ve said and done, how grateful or skeptical I would have been if I knew Phaethon’s true identity,” Zhu Yuan continued, her tone mostly sorrowful this time. “I know the cat’s out of the bag now, but the way I found out… I just can’t shake this bitter taste on my tongue no matter how many times I tell myself that it's all in the past now… and on top of that, I had to give Qingyi a thousand Dennies because I was so certain you wouldn’t deceive me like that.”
“I take it she never considered returning those Dennies?” Wise asked in a semi-joking manner.
Zhu Yuan just grunts.
“Sorry,” Wise apologized. “Bad time for a joke.”
“Qingyi… damn you,” Zhu Yuan cursed under her breath. “She told me yesterday that the reason she didn’t tell me she figured out that you were Proxies was not just because of my mission to eliminate the need for the Inter-Knot but also because she thought it would be better to personally hear it from you.”
“She knew you wouldn’t react well at first,” Wise figured. “I won’t lie. The way you reacted to Qingyi’s stance on Proxies made me even more hesitant to confess. I should’ve given you more credit. Some friend I am, huh?”
Zhu Yuan sighs and says, “But here we are. Everything is out in the open. You and your sister, you’re Phaethon, the greatest Proxy ever known in New Eridu. They complete every commission with unmatched efficiency, all with the ability to communicate with their clients inside the Hollow in real time and guide them like no Proxy can ever do. Not only that, but they’re also famous for being the most honorable of Proxies. Other Proxies have history of screwing over their clients or sacrificing innocent civilians to get the job done. But not Phaethon. They help people who they feel deserve the help.”
“Like I said before, I may be a criminal, but I like to believe I have a conscience,” said Wise.
“The most lawful among the unlawful,” Zhu Yuan recalled.
“Well, what do you think about me now?” Wise asked curiously.
“You’re not a bad person,” said Zhu Yuan. “At least, I like to think so. Unless you’re just a really good actor, I can tell you do care. It’s just that… keeping secrets, especially ones as big as being a Proxy… I understand why you did it, but I just didn’t want to believe such good people could hide their true face
“You’re thinking of Bringer, aren’t you?” Wise guessed.
Zhu Yuan sighs again. Her sigh sounds exhausted, as she is likely drained from raising her voice earlier.
“He saved my life, but he kept a dark secret from me, from everyone,” Zhu Yuan said somberly. “And then there’s you, Manager. You saved my life, but you kept a big secret from me.”
“Zhu Yuan, you’re not suggesting that I’m like…” Wise paused, shocked by the comparison.
“No, of course not,” Zhu Yuan assured. “It’s just… I thought that I would feel better about all of this after we stopped Bringer. Instead, I’ve felt worse. Thinking about Bringer’s deception… and your secrecy… ugh, please don’t take this the wrong way.”
“It’s the feeling of betrayal, isn’t it?” Wise guessed. “Figuring out I’m Phaethon and discovering Bringer’s true colors, I can’t imagine how overwhelming it’s been for you.”
“Trying to smile through our post-battle celebration was hard enough,” said Zhu Yuan. “Imagine trying to sleep… or do paperwork… or drink coffee without accidentally crushing the cup in your hand.”
A brief silence occurs between the two. Wise looks like he wants to speak, but he’s waiting for Zhu Yuan to say something first.
“I guess there’s no point in me venting any further,” Zhu Yuan sighed. “What’s done is done. No matter how much I yell at you, it won’t change what happened.”
“I really am sorry, Zhu Yuan,” Wise apologized again. “I really hate to see you like this. I really do.”
“Well, I’ve said what I needed to say,” said Zhu Yuan. “Your turn, Manager.”
“Based on everything you just said, I doubt anything I have to say can make you feel better,” said Wise.
“Well, don’t think of this as trying to make me feel better,” said Zhu Yuan. “Just talk.”
“In that case, where do I start?” Wise replied.
“Let’s start with the why,” said Zhu Yuan. “I think I’ve nailed down the reason why you hid your true identity from me, but I want to hear it from your lips.”
Wise sighs as he prepares himself. He’s been waiting for this moment for a while, waiting to continue this conversation with Zhu Yuan. He rehearsed some lines, but he wonders if he should just, as they say in the movies, speak from the heart.
“Well, what you said, it’s half the reason,” Wise confirmed. “Honestly, explaining the rest requires a bit of context of my past, before I became a Proxy. It’s not something Belle and I just willingly share with anyone, unless we feel it’s necessary.”
“Is there some scandal involved?” Zhu Yuan asked jokingly.
“Ma-Maybe,” Wise stuttered.
“I was joking,” Zhu Yuan said, eyes wide open. “Manager, what did you…”
“Let me explain,” Wise pleaded. “Once upon a time, Belle and I had a teacher. Everything we learned to become Proxies, we learned it from her. She meant everything to us. She was… she was like family. But then something bad happened. We lost her. And the crisis that took her away from us, she was accused of creating it. Belle and I have had to deal with the fallout of these accusations. ‘Students of the Guilty.’ We defended our teacher, but all we have are words with no evidence to back them up. It was anything but easy for us since we lost everything that day.”
Zhu Yuan notices the constant changes in Wise’s tone while telling his story. He sounded mostly somber, but there was also sadness and grief, as well as suppressed frustration. He sounds awfully passionate about this teacher he’s talking about. She keeps listening, curiously wondering where this is going.
Wise continued, saying, “With the state of mind we were both in, Belle and I knew we couldn’t just lie down and let someone else solve our problems for us. It didn’t help that nothing was being done about it. We became Proxies not just to keep our wallets full but also to search for answers. We knew we're walking into dangerous territory. Proxies are considered criminals. The life of a criminal means endless worry about making sure every mission is accomplished with timely precision and utmost care. One wrong step, one little slip-up, whether it’s from a personal error or meddling clientele, could destroy everything we’ve built. We’ve had some close calls as of late, like a few days ago when you and Qingyi had to stop your fellow officers from searching Random Play. We could’ve lost everything that day. I could’ve lost… Belle…”
Wise stops for a moment to collect his emotions. The way he said his sister’s name just now, his tone was full of fear and worry. The image of him and his sister being taken away in handcuffs took over his thoughts. The idea of watching his sister face the consequences for what they perceive as a noble cause, it brought back that anger he felt when he almost lost her that one day.
Zhu Yuan decides to calmly break the silence.
“Judging by the passion in your voice, this whole Proxy network is definitely not just for kicks. It’s everything for you,” she said. “I must say, I haven’t heard you sound this sentimental since… since the day we first met, when I rescued your sister.”
“Belle… she’s all I have left,” Wise said. “If anything happened to her, I’m worried of what I might do. Losing our teacher, it nearly broke us. Maybe in another lifetime, we wouldn’t be so noble as Proxies. But you’ve seen what Belle is like. All that energy, that smile on her face, her big heart… I’d hate to lose all of that. I don’t keep my work a secret just because of profits and progress in my investigation. I keep it a secret because also because I don’t want to see my sister lose both her hope and freedom.”
“I feel like there’s more to this story than you’re letting on,” Zhu Yuan suspected.
“You’re right. There is,” Wise said honestly.
“But I won’t pry any further… not today, at least,” Zhu Yuan decided, out of consideration and sympathy. “You really do love your sister, don’t you?”
“More than anything in this world,” Wise admitted. “But, please, don’t tell her I said that.”
“Cross my heart,” Zhu Yuan replied.
“Well, that’s it. My turn’s complete,” said Wise. “Like you said, there is more, but… I’m just not ready to explain everything yet. I do trust you, Zhu Yuan, and I don’t want to lose our friendship, but…”
To Wise’s surprise, the officer takes hold of his hand with both of her own.
Wise flinches as he looks at Zhu Yuan in the eye. Her gloved touch was as gentle, about as gentle as she tried to be, accompanied by a softened expression on her face. Wise’s mouth released some confused sounds, but not words came out.
“If you really do value our friendship, I trust you to share as much as you want when the time is right,” said Zhu Yuan. “Just promise me you won’t leave me in the dark ever again.”
“I-I’ll try to,” Wise promised.
“And you’re wrong about one thing, Manager,” said Zhu Yuan. “Belle is not all you have left in this world. During our little get together after the battle at Port Elpis, I’ve spoken with some of your friends. Anby, Caesar, Lycaon… you’ve amassed a circle of allies that not only trust you to keep them safe but also genuinely care about you and your well-being. And for what it’s worth…”
Zhu Yuan takes one hand off of his and rubs her shoulder, all the while wearing a flustered expression on her face that turned into a genuine smile. A mild shade of red appears on her face… at least, Wise was certain he saw a change in color on her cheeks.
“You have me as well,” Zhu Yuan added.
“Really?” Wise asked, his face lighting up.
Zhu Yuan nods and says, “I may do things by the book, but I won’t compromise the safety of the people of New Eridu for the sake of mindlessly following protocol.”
“I take it this means you’re not gonna arrest me today?” Wise joked.
“Even if I did, Miyabi would give me an earful about it until you’re a free man for the rest of time,” Zhu Yuan joked back.
Wise and Zhu Yuan share a laugh at the thought of the battle-crazed fox coming in and raising her sword against the PubSec officer if she so much as touches her handcuffs near the video store manager.
When the short laughter died down, the two went back to looking at each other. Another lengthy silence occurs between them. They both try to continue the conversation, but they only let out words like “oh” and “uh.”
Zhu Yuan looks down and realizes that she’s still holding Wise’s hand. Realizing how much she has prolonged this sudden display of affection, Zhu Yuan withdraws her own hand and puts both hands behind her back, blushing and fake-coughing awkwardly. Wise rubs the back of his neck, seemingly embarrassed by the moment as well.
“Speaking of Miyabi,” said Zhu Yuan. “Did you hold my hand that day because she told you to?”
“I… uh… how did you know it was her?” Wise responded, surprised she knew.
“I overheard Miyabi talking to Qingyi about that one time she persuaded me into getting over some hard feelings I had that day,” Zhu Yuan said, sounding annoyed and embarrassed. “Apparently, my mother told her to hold my hand, look me in the eye, and speak gently. The way Miyabi spoke about following that suggestion and how effective it is, she acted like it was some military tactic to manipulate the enemy.”
“Is that what you were doing just now? Manipulating my feelings?” Wise teased.
“Hey, I’m the one who should be asking you that. You held my hand first,” Zhu Yuan teased back. “But seriously, that felt so out of nowhere and, at least in my eyes, seemed unlike you. Our relationship was in a tense state, yet you decided to just randomly take my hand like I was your lover or something…”
“A lover, huh?” Wise teased.
“Manager!” Zhu Yuan scolded, flustered.
“Yeah, I may have gotten desperate,” Wise admitted, blushing as he did. “But I really wanted to apologize to you. I meant what I said. I don’t want to lose our connection, even if we are on opposite sides of the law.”
“Even if we are, we both have something in common,” said Zhu Yuan. “We both want to keep the people safe. We don’t like seeing people suffer, especially if we can do something about it.”
“I’m sure it’s what my teacher wanted from me,” Wise said with a mournful tone and a longing smile.
“Don’t be afraid to contact me if you need help,” said Zhu Yuan. “If you’re searching for an extra set of hands for commissions, don’t hesitate to deploy me.”
“Wouldn’t you get in trouble with your superiors for random trips into the Hollow?” Wise asked worriedly.
“Maybe, but I want to help you,” said Zhu Yuan. “Talking to everyone at the celebration, I can’t help but want to be part of what they want… to be there for you. If you really want me to trust you, then you should be willing to trust me.”
“Well, be sure to check your phone at all times,” Wise replied with a smile.
Zhu Yuan’s phone rings suddenly. How funny, huh?
The caller is Qingyi.
Zhu Yuan immediately answers.
“Hi, Qingyi,” Zhu Yuan greeted. “Is there something wrong?”
“Are you with the Manager right now?” Qingyi asked.
“I am,” Zhu Yuan answered. “Why?”
“Put this call on speaker,” said Qingyi.
Zhu Yuan puts the call on speaker so Wise can hear her co-worker.
“A couple of officers went missing while chasing carjackers into a Hollow,” said Qingyi. “You know what that means, Manager.”
“Just send us your location and we’ll send Eous immediately,” Wise replied.
“Wait a minute. Qingyi, why didn’t you just contact the Manager directly?” Zhu Yuan. “Why did you have to call me and ask me if I’m with him?”
“Oh, no reason,” Qingyi dodged. Her tone sounded like she was teasing her co-worker or something. “I hope I wasn’t interrupting anything important.”
“Uh, n-not really. I think we were just about done here,” Wise said awkwardly.
“Yes, we are,” Zhu Yuan said, trying to suppress this awkward feeling. “Well, Manager, I guess we’re working together again.”
“I’m really happy we could do this, Zhu Yuan,” Wise smiled.
“I… me, too,” Zhu Yuan smiled back.
“Humans. Such an interesting but confusing species,” Qingyi commented.
“I guess we are,” Wise agreed casually.
“Well, I guess I better be off,” said Zhu Yuan. “I’ll return after the mission to talk to your sister. I’d like to hear what she has to say about hiding secrets from me.”
“I hope she’s prepared a better apology than the ones I’ve given,” Wise commented.
“Thank you for sharing your feelings, Manager,” said Zhu Yuan. “You’ve given me a lot to think about. I appreciate it.”
“Does that mean you forgive me?” Wise asked.
“I’ll decide when I get back,” Zhu Yuan answered with a smile.
Zhu Yuan gets back in her car and prepares to drive off. Before she does, she looks at Wise. That smile on his face, so soft and genuine. And it was for her, because she agreed to remain friends and allies with him.
Ignoring the heat under her cheeks, Zhu Yuan drives away and towards the coordinates that Qingyi sent.
Wise watches as Zhu Yuan drives away… only to notice a certain someone peeking from around the corner. He can recognize that mischievous grin and blue shade of hair anywhere.
Belle.
Noticing that she’s been seen, Belle casually walks towards Wise while humming a suspicious tone. She stops abruptly in front of her brother, with hands behind her back and wearing that mischievous smirk. The smirk makes Wise confused and a little worried.
“So, bro, how’d it go?” She asked.
“Were you eavesdropping this whole time?” Wise asked.
“Not really,” Belle answered quickly. “I just so happened to pass by when she just so happened to take your hand. Am I finally getting a sister like I’ve always wanted?”
“Belle!” Wise replied in a flustered tone. “Wait… always wanted? Are you trying to say you’re not happy having a brother like me?”
“Whaaaaaat… noooooo,” Belle denied humorously. “Having you around is… tolerable… but I always thought it would be nice to have a sister, although it’s hard to get one when Mr. I-Don’t-Understand-Girls is so hopeless.”
“Belle, I’m not really in the mood for joking about this right now,” Wise blushed.
“You really are hopeless,” Belle laughed.
“I’m gonna go buy some food now,” Wise evaded.
Wise walks away from his sister, mainly to avoid the topic of girls. Belle shakes her head as she watches her brother. She notices him scratching the back of his neck and looking at his hand… the very hand that Zhu Yuan touched. Belle can’t help but giggle to herself at the sight of the beautiful PubSec officer grabbing hold of her hopeless brother’s hand.
But she said he held her hand first, Belle recalled. So he actually went through with Miyabi's suggestion? Smooth.
Just as Belle was about to walk back into the store, she looks at her brother again. The amused smile on her face turned into a gentle smile. Her teasing expression turned into an emotionally contemplative one.
“Love you, too, bro,” said Belle.