Chapter Text
He was happy to be home… to be back in his own bed above the video store he and his sister ran on Sixth Street… yet.
The gray-haired proxy, his emerald eyes staring up at the ceiling of his room, couldn’t help but feel like he had left part of his heart there at Suibian Temple. Sure, he and Belle were official disciples of Yixuan Shifu, but that didn’t mean they could spend all their time there. They had obligations to the store, to the other clients they had as Phaethon, and to continue to search for their Teacher. Laying on his bed, it made him a little wistful for the ceiling in his room at the temple.
He was happy to see all their friends again. The Cunning Hares, Belobog Industries (Well, besides Anton, since he helped with Suiban Temple’s restoration.), Victoria Housekeeping, The Sons of Calydon, Section Six (He didn’t get to talk to Miyabi or Yanagi much before they left on another mission.), Astra and Evelyn, and Mockingbird.
He and Belle had taken their time to reconnect with their friends. To catch up with how they were doing. It was great… and it filled another hole in his heart that had grown in his absence from them.
Unlike the others, he had lived at the Temple… He was a part of Yunkui Summit. So it made sense that the separation felt a little more raw. How were the members of Spook Shack faring? Despite his avoidance of anything related to horror, Wise was heavily considering joining the forum.
Then there was Obol Squad… He hadn’t expected them to visit as fast as they had. He had been restocking, only to hear Captain Magus say something about how a video store was a poor cover for Proxy business.
He enjoyed taking them to enjoy the same spicy noodles he and Soldier Eleven had shared countless times. It helped ease the hurt.
“I shouldn’t lie to myself.”
A frown etched its way onto the manager’s face. He had to admit to himself… that there was more than just Spook Shack, or Obol Squad, or even his Seniors and Shifu he missed. The image came to mind of a fluffy brown tail and a pretty scarlet ribbon to match her eyes.
Ye Shunguang. His senior, the newly crowned Void Hunter, current wielder of the Qingming Sword, and dubbed the Qingming Arbiter.
His heart ached for her. For the time they spent together… no matter how short it ultimately was. All the hardships they faced and obstacles they surmounted together. The promises that they had made to each other.
…He…
…He was pretty sure he loved her.
It had taken the separation between the two of them to reach that point; finally, he understood his feelings and what they had meant. He had… never felt this way about another person before. He had been too busy raising Belle before the capital fall, and with their proxy work and video store after.
He had never been good with women anyway… and to be honest… Wise had all but given up finding a partner. Logically, it wouldn’t be fair to drag them into the storm of danger that only seemed to get worse every month.
Xiao’Guang was a good friend… and it wouldn’t be fair to her. Even if she was a Void Hunter, she didn’t deserve to face his dangers on top of her own.
Wise brought a hand to his face, running over the stubble that had started to grow unchecked. He had better shave before Belle figured out he wasn’t doing well. He lazily reached over to his nightstand, not bothering to look over. His hand pawed around until he found his phone and pulled it over.
He only meant to check the time, but his attention caught on a message that had been sent to him.
It was a message from Anby, asking about the new movies they had in stock. Then another from Ben, asking if he would like to go fishing this weekend, and another from Shepard about another commission.
He sat up in bed, rubbing the sleep out of his eyes. The clock read eleven in the morning… he had slept in a bit. Good thing it had been his sister’s turn to open. He ignored the unread message he had sent to his senior. She was on a Void Hunter mission after all. It was totally within expectation for her to be too tied up to respond. Shunguang could be in a Hollow for all he knew at the moment. She could take care of herself… his senior was stronger than most people he knew. He had faith in her ability to defend herself. Ever since they had gotten back from the Qingming Sword and found a way to reduce the impact on her mind he knew that she was more than a match for almost anything that could be found in a Hollow.
“Master.” There was a sudden call from a synthetic voice, “There are unread messages on your personal phone. The new stock of movies has arrived and needs to be sorted.”
“Thanks Fairy… I’ll get right on that.”
He hoped that she would finish with her mission soon..
“Master, you have been staring at your message history with Ye Shun’Guang. Would you like me to give you search the Inter-Knot for articles to ‘Rizz-up’ potential partners?”
After returning a confirmation of new stock to Anby, Messaging Shepard that they would take the commission, and telling Ben that he would love to spend some time fishing, Wise stood up slowly. The did a double take as he registered his AI assistant’s words.
“What? No, Fairy. It’s fine. Thank you.”
It was time to get ready. To slide that mask back on. Fairy didn’t deign to respond, perhaps picking up on his mood through some kind of biometric scanner. The image of that smile played with his heartstrings even as he showered, dressed, and got ready for the day. The thoughts of his Senior.
Looking in the mirror last time, he stared at the new bags under his eyes. It would be hard to hide it but… well…
He stopped mid-descent of their stairs as a memory washed over him.
“She loves you, you know. The same way she loves Yixuan, her brother, and all her precious little friends … no, maybe even more than that.”
He could hear Shunguang’s alter now as clearly as he did the moment she spoke those words. The proxy shook his head, banishing the memory from his head. He slapped his freshly shaven cheeks and walked down like normal.
If she loved him like she loved her brother… then it was purely a platonic relationship for her then… but was that right? The time they spent alone together felt like more than that… but maybe he was just reading too much into it. She had been evasive lately… not exactly avoiding him but there was a noticeable difference from what they had before.
Never had he cursed the fact that he didn’t understand women more.
His mood slightly worsened by his own traitorous thoughts, Wise took the last step heavily. Eighteen was minding the store, and he could hear the telltale sound of Belle doing Proxy work.
The only thing that was missing was Fairy giving him a rundown of what had happened while he was sleeping, and potential jobs they could take. There were a few customers in the store… a few regulars that weren’t overly social. He gave them a friendly smile as he shuffled his way over to the back ‘storage room’.
Bangboo Six opened the door, and Wise absentmindedly gave them a pat on the head as he passed. His sister sat at the HDD, her eyes shining blue as they always did when they were acting through Eous.
“Good morning, Belle.”
The bluenette turned to smile at him, her eyes returned to the same emerald green as normal.
“You slept in a bit later than usual. I can’t blame you! Taking on that creature with Senior Xiao’Guang had to be exhausting.” Her eyes flicked back to the screen for a moment before her brows furrowed. “A lot later than usual.” A frown pulled at her lips. “Are your eyes bugging you?”
The special power he had awakened when he had strode forward to prevent ShunGuang from sacrificing herself to kill the ‘Creator’. That Yellow light that had healed his wounds… another mysterious power that stemmed from the implants in his eyes.
“No. I’m fine. I just… didn’t sleep well.”
That wasn’t a total lie. They had been the cause of a few migraines lately, but it had been a little bit since the last time that happened. Belle’s gaze searched his face for a moment before her attention was thankfully pulled back to the HDD.
“If you're sure… but you would tell me if something was wrong, right?”
Guilt stabbed at him. He hated making his only remaining family worry… he much preferred when she would act like a little little gremlin, and he was the one pulling his hair out to try to keep her safe.
“I promise.” He lied through his teeth with a soft smile, “I think it’s just a bit strange to be back here after spending so much time at Suibian Temple. I’m having a harder time settling in than I thought.”
Belle nodded, seemingly understanding.
“I miss Shifu and the others too…”
It was the end of their conversation. Nothing more needed to be said. It was a bit comforting to know that, to a certain extent, he and Belle were on the same page… he didn’t have the heart to tell her what was really bothering him. It felt a little silly to be upset about her.
He ate some leftover noodles from breakfast and decided to get some air.
Sixth Street was lively as ever, and despite the Void-Hunter-shaped hole in his heart, Wise found himself easing into feeling content. He had time to take a bit of a stroll before Anby would arrive at Random Play, so he could take that time to school his expression into the normal one he wore.
And what better way to give himself the energy to do just that than to have a cup of Tin Master’s coffee?
“Dear Manager?”
The voice calling to him was easily recognizable, and it didn’t take him long to spot the owner as she floated up.
Rina smiled gracefully as she came to a stop at his side. The head maid of Victoria Housekeeping’s red eyes crinkled with warmth that escaped the practiced expressions she wore. “I suppose even store managers need a boost to start their day, hm?”
Wise forced a smile on his face. Her eyes were a different shade from Xiao’Guang’s but he still found himself averting his eyes to the coffee in the woman’s hand.
“Hello Miss Rina, and good morning! Here to deliver coffee for a client?”
“An excellent deduction.” Her hands rose from their normally clasped position to pull out her purse. “If you would not mind waiting for me to deliver the drink to my master, I would very much like to share a coffee with you.”
Wise scratched the back of his neck. It would be a good distraction to talk for a bit.
“Well, when you put it like that, how could I say no?”
Rina clasped her hands together.
“Excellent! It should not take more than five minutes to deliver this. I will return shortly.”
Wise took a seat and watched the taller woman leave the store. Victoria Housekeeping always seemed so busy… he had to make sure Rina knew he appreciated her taking time out of her schedule to spend time with him.
He tried to force his thoughts on what he should bring on his fishing trip with Ben. The bear thiren would probably insist on covering it under Belobog’s expenses, since ‘keeping a healthy relationship with an important work partner’ qualified it to be a work expense.
Maybe he could bring some of the accountant’s favorite caviar and say it was a ‘Random Play expense’. The Mayor had paid them well for their time in Failume and dealing with the Lemnian Hollow Crisis.
He was sure that Belle would agree to the gift.
The store manager opened the Inter-Knot to check the price of caviar. The delicacy was as expensive as he thought it would be, but it was worth it for a good friend.
“I have to say, Manager, that I would not have pinned you as someone to purchase caviar online.”
He looked up to see that his companion had returned, and sitting in front of him was the latte that he always bought. Steam wafting from the open cup. Rina took a sip of her own cup, her eyes twinkling with a rarely seen mischievous light.
“It’s for a friend.”
He replied automatically, his voice a little flatter than he intended. “S-sorry. I mean, I have a friend who really likes caviar. So I was checking to see how much it’d cost to buy him some.” The older woman raised a delicate eyebrow but didn’t say anything. He took a nervous sip from his coffee before continuing. “I’m not really sure what kind he likes… though I suppose I can ask some of his friends to know if there’s a specific kind he likes… and thank you for the coffee.”
“You may have better luck checking around Port Elpis.” Rina supplied helpfully, but there was a slight frown on her face. “Manager, I have been meaning to ask. After everything that happened in Failume Heights…”
Wise tensed on instinct, and he knew better than to hope that the woman across from him missed it. “Are you doing alright? The Mayor informed Sir Lycaon of what happened and the hardships you endured during the crisis.”
The fake smile slid onto his face smoothly; it was getting easier already.
“I’m fine, thank you for asking.” After a brief moment of hesitation, he added, “I will admit that it has been difficult to sleep lately, but I had something similar happen after the Bringer incident.”
“I see.” Rina’s smile didn’t come back, even after she took another sip of coffee. It was easy to tell that she knew he was lying, but thankfully, it didn’t seem she would be calling him out on it. “Camomile tea before bed can assist with insomnia.”
He smiled, genuinely.
“Thanks, Miss Rina. I’ll be sure to buy some from the 141 later.” She hummed her assent and took another sip of her coffee. She looked at him expectantly. If Anastella were here, Wise was sure he would have heard her say ‘Spit out what’s really wrong already, idiot.”
He did hesitate for a moment. It would be nice to ask for some… perspective on things… but it was a little embarrassing as well. Here he was in his mid twenties, lovesick like a high schooler.
“You know, I’ve spent some time over in Waifei recently… I even visited Suibian Temple.
He trusted the maid, but he wasn’t sure if he felt close enough with her to share something like that.
“Tell me, do you have any other plans for the day, Manager?”
Her voice was a bit softer than usual, like the time she asked him why his HIA account had her ‘Agent’ used so often.
“One of the Cunning Hares is coming to the video store to browse our new selection soon, but other than that, no.”
Rina’s smile returned, gentle and filled with the compassion he knew she was full of.
“I think it would be best if you took the day off, Manager. I won’t pry into your affairs, but remember to take care of yourself as well.” She stood having finished her coffee. The usual sweet smile on her face returned, the carefully constructed pleasant expression slid back on. “I apologize for the sudden departure, but I must return to my master. Please take care.”
Maybe it was a little foolish to put on a mask around someone who wears one all the time. Wise stared at her in thought before responding slowly.
“Thank you, Miss Rina.”
He didn’t watch her leave. Guilt stabbed at him once again. He knew he shouldn’t hide this… and maybe talking about it would help.
He felt disgustingly selfish and that ugliness wasn’t something that Wise wanted to share. His senior was strong. She could take care of herself… and he could wait for her to come back yes. He also had to hope that she wouldn’t be reckless with the Qingming sword…
Wise had faith in her… it was just simply that…
He really did miss her.
His coffee was cold by the time he finished it, a truly terrible way to enjoy what was once hot coffee but he wasn’t the kind to waste something that was bought for him. He waved goodbye to Tin Master before beginning to shuffle has way back to Random Play.
Maybe Rina was right… actually… hadn’t he read somewhere that picking up a new hobby helped with things like this? Maybe he could spend a day off after helping Anby… and picking up caviar for Ben… judging by the prices he looked up online, he hoped the accountant would be okay with some of the cheaper stuff.
He met eyes with Anby the second he opened the door to the video store. Her neutral expression never breaking as he stepped up to her.
“Sorry for the wait. I took a bit longer to enjoy my morning coffee.”
“I just got here..”
The green clad girl immediately, with a precision that impressed and concerned Wise, “Where is the new stock? I heard that Coffee Mate released an extended edition. If you have it, I would like that to be my first rental.”
Blunt and to the point. Wise appreciated that about Anby.
“Right! I think that one is on the top of the pile. Let me go look for it.”
Anby nodded quickly, her eyes never left his as she spoke. At first it was a little unnerving to the Proxy. The eye contact was constant, but he had known the Cunning Hare for a few years now.
“Can I come with? I want to skim the box… I’ll even help you stock.”
Wise smiled, a genuine one for the first time. He really did appreciate his friends.
“I won’t say no to the extra hand and to be honest… You might even know the system better than Belle or me at this point.”
A ghost of a smile graced her face. The kind where you could blink and miss it if you didn’t know what to look for..
They moved to the backroom, careful not to bug Belle in her Proxy work. He would have to talk to her about the caviar later. Rina was right… he definitely needed a day off, and his fishing trip with Ben would likely be just what he needed.
It was still a few days away… but for the first time since returning from Suibian Temple, Wise was looking forward to something besides a certain Senior.
____________________________________________________________________________
The sea breeze was nice. It felt good to contrast the heat that rained down. The lapping of waves and the cry of seagulls caused some tension to leave his shoulders. The folding chair that he was sitting in was comfortable… meant for being placed around a campfire, but he found himself molding into the fabric comfortably while his line cut into the waves. No bites yet, but the man could feel himself start to get a little peckish. The salty smell at the edge of the pier drowned out the smell of French Fries, thankfully.
The top of his pole bent slightly… the first nibbles of a curious fish. Hopefully, the fish would bite down on his bait soon; otherwise, he would have to resort to eating food from the vendor selling unhealthy convenience food.
Wise didn’t want Senior Yinhu to smell the grease on him… he would surely get that disappointed look and then Senior Xiao’Guang would definitely-
Wise jerked on his line as images of excited red eyes flashed in his mind's eye.
A sudden dull ache in his chest cut that thought off, a frown unconsciously made its way to his face even as he re-cast his line. Here he was trying to get away from those thoughts, and they refused to stay away from the front of his thoughts.
“Mr. Manager…”
A voice rumbled, low and seemingly permanently anxious. Ben sat next to him, in what had to be a Grace modified chair that could support someone his size. The accountant's lone eye looked down on him curiously. “I appreciate you taking time out of your schedule to spend time with me.” Ben’s voice was slow and measured. Each syllable was deliberately rolled over in his mouth before being carefully constructed and then expressed. “...and for the caviar. You and your sister are too kind.”
“Of course, Ben. You’re a good friend, and I wanted to get you something nice.” The smaller man flashed him a smile before turning back to the ocean. “Thank you for inviting me. I needed a day off, and we never had time to fish together since the fishing competition.”
Ben let out a soft laugh and shook his head. His own fishing rod was clutched between his knees.
“I wish we could have caught up at Fantasy Resort. I spent the entire time not working on the stage and bots… your friend Pan and I were practically huddled around the Air Conditioner.” The bear let a small smile slip onto his face… a gentle one that was in stark contrast to his menacing appearance. “It might be better this way. You and those girls had your hands full with those corporate thugs.”
“Yeah, it was an interesting vacation… it felt more like work than anything at first… but at least there was some time to enjoy the games and the fishing.” After a brief pause, he added. “I was happy to help them, though. Alice and Yuzuha put in a lot of work to make the resort the best it could be.”
Ben let out a low hum in what Wise assumed was agreement. It was a nice companionable silence. Normally, it was something the store manager greatly appreciated about spending time with him. It was calm and relaxing in a low-key kind of way.
Now though… Wise let his thoughts wander where he didn’t want them. The lighthouse behind him, where he had taken Shunguang when they had spent time here. He found his mind imagining his phone vibrating; a text from the woman he loved asking him to spend time together like they used to..
At first, he had been worried that she had been hurt and was hiding it from him. Until last week, when Miyabi had come by the store and informed him how impressed she was by the new Void Hunter. The pair of them working together had finished a mission in record time, neither of them having gotten so much as a scratch.
He was relieved that she was safe… and logically, Wise knew that she was probably just on another mission or had to do some more training or something… and he never felt like she owed him her time or anything like that. Maybe she was even stressed and didn’t want to drag him down if she was in a bad mood…
…But he had thought they were close enough that he felt like she would be comfortable sharing those kinds of things with him. After spending weeks practically attached at the hip to her, it felt a little strange to feel like he was being held at arms length.
Maybe he had been right before when he thought of what her other self had stated: Perhaps it was just some kind of sibling bond in her eyes.
But he could have sworn she felt the same as-
“Ummm… Mister Proxy. I don’t want to tell a champion like you what you should be doing… but don’t you think you should reel in that fish now?”
Blinking, Wise stared up at his bowed rod just in time to feel it buck in his hands. The top snapped back to being upright. His line fluttered in the wind.
“Ah… I was a little… distracted.”
He didn’t look at Ben, but he could feel that his friend knew that something was up. He had been doing such a good job hiding it too.
“How about we take a little stroll?” Ben suggested, but his fishing rod was already placed to the side. “You seem like you have something on your mind… and we can chat and get some of those fries since the fish aren’t biting.”
The last thing Wise wanted to do was talk about the storm of emotions he felt that he was far too old to be dealing with, but fries did sound good. The manager nodded, and the pair packed up their fishing gear temporarily before heading farther in.
Despite it being the weekend, there were not many people at Port Elpis today. Maybe there had been some event or something nearby or something to that effect. The bear thiren was definitely meticulous enough to check for something like that before sending an invitation.
…As expected of Benjamin Bigger.
He couldn’t imagine the gentleman making fun of anyone… and while he didn’t think any of his friends would do so in a mean-spirited way, Ben was, in particular, an understanding person.
…Maybe too understanding when he thought about the kind of shenanigans Grace and Anton got into. The older man had calming presence and he had been closer with Ben then he had with Koleda or the others.
Maybe it was the kinship of two soft spoken introverts, but it made Wise want to talk about things he avoided.
Before he could talk himself out of it, Wise heard himself speaking as the pair began to climb the stairs up to the road.
“Have you ever… been in love, Ben?” Wise felt a little embarrassed, but it was too late to question it now. His companion took a moment to answer, seeming to think about how he would answer before uttering a single syllable.
“Yes.” The bear thiren looked down at his feet, a wistful expression on his face. “There have been a few times.” His words were even quieter than normal. “I can’t say that I have had much success in the field.”
The conversation was paused while they got their fries. The store manager did his best to ignore the lighthouse so close to them now. He felt like he could hear his seniors' laughter on the wind. They would have sat at the table nearby… but it clearly wasn’t designed with larger thirens in mind.
So that was how the pair found themselves walking back down to the railing looking over the sea from the road.
“I met… a girl in Failume Heights.” Wise started, he could see her eyes in his mind as spoke. The kind crimson irises that made his heart melt. “We… didn’t spend all that much time together now that I think about it, but the time we did spend together, we were practically never apart.”
Ben didn’t say anything, content to listen to his younger friend as he chewed thoughtfully on a french fry. It still felt a little embarrassing, but for some reason, the silence was reassuring.
“We made… promises together, shared things we had never shared with anyone else, she told me things that made me think that… she felt the same way,” Wise popped a fry in his mouth, letting its salty taste fill his mouth. He tried not to think about how Xiao’Guang loved these fries. “I’ve never felt this way before.”
“She sounds like an amazing girl.”
Wise smiled genuinely. Shun’Guang was definitely one of a kind.
“I didn’t realize it at first… what this feeling was. I’ve never even been close to loving someone before. We went through so much together in a short time.”
“...I take it from your mood that things are not going well?”
Wise shook his head.
“It’s not anything she's done or anything like that… but she's been really busy since the crisis ended. I’ve… barely heard from her since we parted ways at Suibian Temple. It’s been over a month since we talked in person. The messages she sent have been… curt.”
Ben hummed in thought, “Curt huh?”, tossing his empty fry carton in a nearby trash can. Internally, Wise winced… but the Sage in the Barrel had to know that this could happen. “It was sudden too… Do you think she's been busy? You know how work can get… but I have to say a month is a long time.”
“Her work is… demanding. Am… Am I just being dramatic?”
The older male scratched at his chin. “I don’t think your feelings are invalid, Wise.” Ben said carefully, “She may be just caught up with her work… though, a month is a rather long time to be so frosty.”
“One of her… coworkers came into the store and had mentioned that my… friend was enjoyable to work with. The job they had worked on together had gone well. So I know that nothing has happened to her or anything like that.”
“I would say… the best idea would be to take your mind off it, but I already know that that is easier said than done.”
Wise couldn’t help but snort, and the sound brought a small smile to Ben’s face.
“Any other advice, big guy?”
Ben turned to face him, smile still in place, and his dark eyes warm.
“I think, Mister Proxy, that you have a lot of friends in New Eridu and beyond that have missed spending time with you while you were gone. I think visiting with them might make you feel a little better… I don’t think you need to talk to them about this if you don’t want, but I think it would make your sister feel less worried.”
Wise furrowed brow.
“Belle? She was worried?”
“The two of you two are very close. It shouldn’t be surprising that she saw through you.”
Maybe he shouldn’t have been so surprised. He remembered the look she gave him that morning after he had coffee with Rina. It seemed like… Ben was giving good advice. Maybe he should take some time to spend with friends when he was feeling this way.
“Thanks, Ben.”
The bear thiren nodded sagely, he looked wistful himself, but before Wise could work up the courage to ask him about his own experience with romance Ben spoke again.
“Who knows? There is a real chance, Mr. Proxy, that she may not be your future wife. If that's the case, if you spend more time with the right gal… maybe you can find new love?”
Another girl? At first the thought made him frown. His senior was special to him and he didn’t want to let her go… but how many movies had he seen with this exact plotline? The main character pining over someone who has no interest in them and leading a bitter hopeless life in response.
“I’m not sure… I guess there's always a chance.”
Ben shrugged, watching as Wise tossed a fry for a seagull to feast on.
“You don’t have to. I don’t think it’s wrong to wait or to move on right now. It is your life after all, Mister Wise.”
____________________________________________________________________________
Behind the counter of Random Play, Wise found himself feeling better for the first time. It had been a day since he had gone fishing with Ben, and he found himself taking the bear’s advice. It was just after lunch, and he was enjoying holding Eighteen in his lap while he looked down at his phone.
His screen was open with a message to Lycaon. The wolf thiren was suggesting teas and other things to soothe stress… even going as far to offer housekeeping services for free. He had the feeling that a certain head maid may have said something to him.
It was touching… yet Wise was still out of it from the the talk he had with Ben yesterday. His advice felt solid… and he was sure that his friend was right but. He needed a day to himself first.
Bangboo Eighteen hummed happily in his lap, snuggling up closer just as the door chime rang. He stood up, setting his bangboo back down on the stool.
“Hey, Manager… Just here to return the tape Jane rented.”
There was time not too long ago that he would feel a tinge of panic at the sight of a New Eridu Public Security officer would have had him sweating buckets at the thought they might discover his and Belle’s other source of income.
“Ah, Captain Zhu Yuan.”
Now he was nervous for other reasons.
The woman’s gaze was not on him; instead, her orange eyes were fixed squarely on the bangboo in his arms. A frown was etched onto her face, and her right arm crossed over her body to grab at her left.
He could still remember like yesterday; the listless expression on the security officer’s face as she counted out Dennies from her wallet to give to Qingyi.
“...I didn’t believe it. I was convinced that the Managers wouldn’t deceive us, so I was willing to bet on it.”
He could still see the accusatory stare. Her orange eyes burning with betrayal.
“Too bad… I was wrong.”
They hadn’t had much time to… reconcile since then. Interactions were curt and clipped… to the point. Every time they had to go to PubSec for some reason, they were always directed to Qingyi. Zhu Yuan had clearly been avoiding them… and Wise honestly couldn’t blame her.
“Thank you for bringing that back.”
He took the tape, not bothering to see what the title was, from her with a polite smile, and Eighteen took it from his hands to scan back into their inventory. He kept his eyes on her, sure that he was going to get a curt farewell and the black and orange-haired woman would be out the door and rounding the corner by Box Galaxy.
To his surprise… Zhu Yuan remained standing at the front desk. Her brows were furrowed now, and suddenly she turned to him. Those orange eyes dancing with conflicted emotions.
“Manager… if you don’t mind me asking. Are you… doing okay? Those bags under your eyes…”
The officier trailed off, clearly not sure how to broach the subject. Wise gave her his beset customer service smile.
“I’m fine! I’ve just had some trouble with insomnia lately.”
He could tell she didn’t buy it.
“I see. Do you have time to talk?”
Gone was the authoritative edge she always seemed to have now; instead, her voice was softer. Wise blinked before standing up and carefully placing the little robot back on the stool.
“Eighteen can watch the store. Belle is doing… other work in the back…. But we could talk upstairs if it's alright with you?”
Zhu Yuan nodded, having steeled herself for the conversation ahead. They climbed the stairs slowly. All the while, Wise felt his heart hammering. Should he text Belle? Or maybe even Miyabi? That was the only reason they hadn’t been arrested before. He knew that line of thinking wasn’t right… They had made their peace before, when Miyabi had been taken away by Bringer’s forces.
Things hadn’t been the same since then. She had been more distant despite their apologies.
He opened the door, letting the officer walk in first before stepping in and shutting it behind him with a soft click. Zhu Yuan stood awkwardly, her eyes looking around his room with a hint of curiosity on her face.
“Your room is a lot neater than I expected.” Making her way over to the coffee table, she raised an eyebrow at the leftover noodle bowls, soda cans, and burger containers. Behind her back, Wise winced… since he had been back, cleanliness hadn’t been his first priority… neither had eating healthy. The woman didn’t comment on it, but he knew better than to assume that she didn’t notice.
“S-sorry about those. Let me pick up a little before we-”
“Stop. It's fine.” The slight humor in her tone made some of the tension drop from his shoulders. “You can’t help that you live here… and it wasn’t like you were expecting me to come up here.” After a pause, she turned to him and added, “I don’t think Qingyi would be happy to find that you are drinking cold drinks and not hot tea, though.”
Wise closed his eyes and laughed.
“I suppose I’ll have to thank you, officer, for not telling her.”
The small smile appeared for a moment on Zhu Yuan’s face before returning to that uncomfortable grimace as she looked away. Wise gestured to the seat, feeling some of his own anxiety return. “H-how about we sit? It would be better than standing when we have this conversation.”
They both sat down, that awkward feeling growing to the point where he was about to speak, Zhu Yuan broke the silence.
“I understand why you wouldn’t tell me… us… that you and your sister were proxies. We are police after all, and if I found out after saving Belle from that car, then I would have arrested you two without a single thought.”
“We…” Wise coughed, “...didn’t want to put you in that position… Or us either.”
Zhu Yuan nodded; her clenched fists were on her thighs. The video store manager could imagine that her knuckles were turning white under her gloves.
“I understand… we haven’t spent a lot of time together compared to Qingyi, Jane, or hell, even Seth now.” She seemed a little frustrated by that, but Wise couldn’t fully understand why. “When we went to rescue Miyabi, you apologized, and after that, so many things happened..” She paused for a moment. ”Then you two left to Waifei Peninsula— I’m going to assume you two had something to do with the crisis over there— and it felt like I lost my chance to… apologize.”
Wise furrowed his brows. Apologize? She had every right to be upset with them… they were breaking the law and didn’t tell her. She could have easily been an assumed accomplice if they had been less than ethical proxies.
“There’s no need to apologize… Belle and I knew where you were coming from.” His voice was soft as he spoke. “We have broken New Eridu laws… even if it wasn’t done with criminal intent.” Zhu Yuan looked up to meet his eyes. Her eyebrows were raised, so Wise continued. “Honestly, I can say that I’m honored that you would trust us enough not to arrest us on the spot during the Bringer Incident. You could have easily grabbed us before Miss Miyabi called.”
“You have kind eyes.” Zhu Yuan muttered, a faint blush creeping up her cheeks. “It was the reason I thought you weren’t deceiving us… me.”
“I’m sorry.”
It came out on reflex, and the black and orange-haired woman sighed heavily.
“I thought that after those times we worked together and you helped us with the campaign. I trusted you… and it hurts to not be trusted back… I told you that before, too, but I realized after seeing how desperate the situation became in Waifei that I never truly made up with the two of you. ”
“I..I understand.” Wise swallowed heavily, “I’m so-”
A finger shot to his lips, freezing him mid-word.
“I’m tired of apologies. Just… I hope that you feel like you can trust me in the future.” Her hand dropped from his face, and her orange eyes bored into his green ones. She stood up, she looked relieved, like a weight had been lifted from her shoulders. “Okay. I have to go… but let's talk soon? Tell Belle that I’m sorry for being a drag lately. I’ll make it up to her later.”
“You weren’t a drag.” Wise found himself saying before he even thought of it. “For what it’s worth, we do trust you.” An idea suddenly came to mind… maybe because he was still emotionally raw from whatever was happening with his senior, but he found that he did want to trust Zhu Yuan with more. She was an honest and apparently loyal friend. She deserved more from the proxy siblings. “I want to tell you more… about us and our goals. I'll talk to Belle first, but I'm sure she'll agree.”
Zhu Yuan blinked, and then a warm smile settled on her face. It was a sharp contrast to the professional glare she had given him when she found out about his second job.
“Okay. That sounds good to me. Until then, Wise.”
A notification on his phone took his attention for a moment, when he looked up, the captain was gone… and with her was the trash he had left on the table.