I grabbed my phone, looked up the name of the place on Maps, beamed when I found out it existed, and then gave it the lowest rating.Not only was the food unsatisfactory, but the service was also inferior.Again, I wondered, what qualifications were being sought when the owner of the place opened a vacancy?The rate wasn't worth it anyway. I won't go there again. Or accompany this girl wherever she goes, ever again. "Can you still hear me?" "Very clearly~" Susan exclaimed in a humorous tone.However, I wasn't in the mood for jokes. "Where's your house? I'll call a taxi.""My mother is a victim of Divine Punishment.""What?""You've even heard of that ridiculous term, right?" Susan said, looking at me again with a small grin.I tried to ignore her and act normally. Hearing the incident that I used to trick Hudson being said again made me wary.I thought that maybe Susan was her minion, but that was impossible. Because if that's the case, then Hudson is a bad picker. Compared to Susan
Women are unpredictable, but Susan seems to be the most complicated. Just now she was talking nonsense about 'killing someone', and now she was on her third glass of alcohol and starting to attract people's attention.Apparently, the bar was organising a special drinking challenge where those who managed to down the fastest ten glasses would get a free purchase at the next meeting.It was a ridiculous challenge. Besides the fact that we were underage, alcohol was one of the things I cursed and avoided.I don't know. I don't remember the exact reason. What is certain is that it was related to something dirty and I hated it.Nevertheless, Ssan was the first to volunteer, and was now standing in the centre of a crowd of people cheering and encouraging her enthusiastically."Well, Miss, this is the fourth glass. You still got it?" the bartender exclaimed, breaking up the noise.Susan just smiled. "You've got to be kidding. Don't underestimate me like this, pour all the glasses, I'll finis
"Did you hear me?""Ah, yes? What's wrong?" I stammered. It's bad. This is the third time Susan has said that, I hope she's not getting fed up."I said, the food is good, right?"I scooped up the pasta that I'd been eating for a while, put it in my mouth, and chewed. This was even worse than my cooking when I was sleepy.I took a quick glance at the tender's table, just to see what kind of chef was behind the kitchen, and... it was pretty ordinary.A smiling, 30-something man who seemed to be known to most of the bar patrons. Well, one valuable lesson there, familiarity can distort the performance of the senses."Yeah... that's it," I said, in the end. I looked at Susan's still beaming face, like she wished I had said something more. Something like what? Okay. It all started because of my (forced) involvement with those pesky thugs, but it wasn't an experience I wanted to remember, let alone retell proudly.Susan seemed to realise that. She leaned back, sighed, and picked up her mobil
"I was never told about this," I said, looking at Michael through the window.\The beautiful engineering memories I had experienced earlier were now slowly changing their form in my mind. It wasn't Susan's hand that reached up and grabbed my neck, it was Michael's. He was trying to strangle me and make me out of breath.What a crazy psychopath!I stared at Elena with unbearable irritation. I felt so betrayed. "You said I was your valued partner!""You are and always will be.""So? Who's that?" I exclaimed, pointing at Michael.Elena looked over, sighed, and nodded. "We apologise for the inconvenience and misunderstanding that occurred between the two of you. However, for the record, from the beginning, we never said that the only partner we had was you."That's a valid point, but that's not what I meant. "I thought we were co-operating and mutually beneficial here.""That's right. You give us information, and we give you money. Nothing less, nothing more," Elena said, this time more
"This is a waste of time." And a waste of energy.As soon as I told him to wait, Fletcher forced me to follow him to the car park, start the motorbike, and drive off again.This time to Liz's apartment. "What are we doing here?""If Liz is kidnapped, or harmed, the culprit will definitely come here once again," Fletcher said as he checked for a window crack that could let us--no matter how--inside."You watch too many films." After all, if anyone looked suspicious here, it was him."What can we do anyway? Wait? Waiting for what--"Just then my mobile phone notification went off. "Well, we're done waiting. I got Liz's family's contact information.""Wha--"I ignored Fletcher and scrolled through my phone to check the email.I guess it only asked for a landline number, not such a detailed civil document like this.All her information was listed there. From the names of both parents, place of residence, place of birth, school history.For some reason, this was starting to feel horrible.
"Eh? Have you heard about Grayson?""About him being an addict? Well... that's nothing new. People like them must use it. How do you think he's so smart if he doesn't 'high'?""But, after all that, the teachers still entered him in the competition? People these days are corrupted.""I don't think so anymore. The principal still has a brain, too. He won't make the school's name blatantly tarnished."I had just stepped inside, and it was still as crowded as I had imagined.What I did was actually quite trivial.Log into the anonymous account Elena prepared, join the school forum, spread the information, and BOOM!The news exploded the next day.The school's journalism club even set up a special section in the mading.PHIL GRAYSON: The evil conman who brainwashes everyoneThey have phenomenal word choice, huh. Just what you'd expect from a future newspaper editor.There was a slight feeling of guilt, but it was soon washed away and justified. Especially when the completion notification s
"You're saying you can't help?""We'd love to help, Mr. McKane. After all, you are our most valuable partner. But, eliminating an outstanding student that many people care about is much more difficult than destroying a colony of cockroaches like yesterday."That cockroach colony also had children in it, dammit. "And as a professional institution, we hope to minimise the collateral damage that could be caused, for both of our convenience."I clucked and said again. "I never asked you to hurt him, or anything more cruel than that. I just want you to teach him a lesson, or simply scare him would be fine. Make him a deterrent.""And that's after you've caused her trouble? He'll wonder. People will wonder. One random loose knot could be traced and put us all in danger."I sighed. I thought, my life has gotten a lot easier."However, you don't have to worry. We can give you the information you need. Where he lives, his family background, even the dirty secrets he's trying to hide. I know y
"It's been three days and no mission."I nodded and again felt that this cramped space resembled a prison. Elena sat with her hands crossed and looked at me intently every second, acting like an interrogator who doubted my every word. "I... I tried various things. I even started exercising again." It's just jogging and doing ten push-ups, though. "But, I didn't get any EXPERINECE. I guess the way to get it is by completing missions.""I see." Elena nodded, and started taking notes, again. "So, did the intensity of your previous missions come quite often?""Eh, well..." I didn't remember it in detail because at that time I thought it was nonsense. "It can't be called frequent, maybe around a day or two. But, never this long.""I understand your frustration, but from what you've said, it's probably normal. However, we can't make a definite diagnosis because the data you provided is incomplete," said Elena, now really looking like a scientist, especially with that lab coat and formal sui