Third person POV
And then, by 2:53 p.m., the interview was finished like a meeting; the hands were shaken in agreement. Nathaniel promised to select the available actors and actresses with the right standards for the new remake. Hoshi and others agreed, before leaving the interview chamber. Now, walking to the lobby, Croix had been checking his phone and having calls with Mario and the other fellow NBI agents for almost an hour.
"Oh, you guys are done?" he asked upon seeing their presence.
"Yup, the remake will be made soon," Sha replied back, feeling relieved by this ordeal.
"Hey, Tito Croix," Hoshi said to Croix. "Aalis po kami ng Boracay ngayong gabi."
"Hoshi-kun said that we will ride a bus in a bus terminal called the Araneta Bus Terminal," Taro added brightly.
"It'll take a few hours for the trip to the Batangas Port though…" Bokuto folded his arms in stoic silence and tone.
"Ah, okay, sakay lang kayo sa kotse ko," Croix replied while standing up from his seat on the lobby sofa as if he had been there for hours. "Yung iba, sabihin ko lang sa aking mga coworkers para bigyan sila ng sakay papunta sa terminal. Pero, the president wants to meet up with you sa NBI headquarters."
Sha had a translation app in his phone activated the verbal Tagalog words of Croix and translated them into Japanese for himself, Bokuto, and Taro.
"Oh…okay, let's go there," Sha replied.
So, all of them left the studio building and went back to the NBI headquarters via Croix's SUV for the meeting with Simon Baños. There they all got off and entered the lobby, where the president himself and his escorts are awaiting their arrival.
"Mr. President po." Croix did a salute to Simon.
"Good afternoon, Mr. President," Hoshi added politely.
"Good afternoon to all of you," Simon replied softly, even for a president like him. "I am here to congratulate your bravery in solving the LRT case."
He then gestured to an opened box that had 8 medals, which the four of them are for Mariya, Saki, Paulo, and Reo for their role on distracting the corrupt police officers from tracking Hoshi, Sha, Bokuto, and Taro in their case-solving.
The box had a cushion on the 8 shiny and metallic medals of bravery and was carried by one of Simon's aides.
Seeing that, Hoshi and the other two in his group were stunned at their reward for solving the case, while Croix showed his, which was given earlier this morning during the memorial ceremony in the LRT depot. "I already have mine," Croix said. "These are yours and for the other four in your grupo."
And so, as everyone in the lobby room applauded, Hoshi and his group took the medals without bragging or being prideful about their achievement, and Sha tucked the other 4 to be given to Mariya, Saki, Reo, and Paulo later.
They shook hands with Simon, and as Simon proceeded with his short meeting with the NBI's higher-ups, they and Croix left the headquarters and went back to the Salazar home via Croix's SUV. The afternoon drive was nice and good; the Filipino urban jungle provided a unique image for Sha, Bokuto, and Taro while Hoshi felt nostalgia of it, but he doesn't fall for it. They will remain in the Salazar home to hang out for the next hour. 5 o'clock this afternoon will be their departure time to the Araneta Bus Terminal to catch a bus to Batangas Pier by 5:30 p.m.
At the same time, Mariya and Saki are now packing up their bags for the 5:30 p.m. bus trip, while Reo and Paulo are watching TV in the empty Salazar house.
By 4:00 p.m., Hoshi and his group arrived at the house, and Croix drove off back to the NBI headquarters to continue his job until the 5 o'clock pickup time came.