The stars were brilliant. Lin stood under the night sky, letting the wind pass through his hair and whip the hem of his clothes.
Someone stood before him, opposite him, standing equally silent. In this place where no one would come, they looked at the person who had called them out.
A conspiracy was unfolding in this unknown location...
"Kosma, did you bring everything?" Lin waited quietly for the midnight bell to toll. As the distant, ethereal sound echoed, he opened his eyes expressionlessly.
"Whew... I brought it all." Kosma also heard the bell that symbolized the start of the plan. After a moment's hesitation, he nimbly lifted the burlap sack from his back to his front.
Lin gave the contents a brief scan, huffed, and then sized Kosma up.
Lin shook his head in extreme dissatisfaction. "You're dressed too conspicuously."
"Am I? I'm just wearing my usual set."
Kosma's dark green hair wasn't prominent in the dark night, but his orange pupils were like two lanterns made of starlight, echoing his name, "Dawn."
Besides that, he was wearing the uniform designed by Eden. Perhaps it wasn't conspicuous normally, but right now, since they were planning to do something sneaky, it seemed inappropriate.
"No other clothes?" Lin asked with a frown, his face hidden in the shadows.
"None."
"Fine. Then we'll use a disguise. Don't look too suspicious."
Lin and Kosma nodded simultaneously. With perfect chemistry, they each pulled a pair of stockings out of their pockets and pulled them over their heads.
"..."
"..."
Staring at each other in silence, Lin had black stockings on his head, while Kosma had white ones. For now, they served their purpose, covering their faces tightly.
...Well, not that tightly. The horns on top of Kosma's head had poked two holes through the stockings.
But no one should be able to recognize them...
Lin silently scanned Kosma's horns.
"...Cool."
Kosma gave a thumbs-up under Lin cold gaze.
As for the source of their stockings... it was better not to say.
"Action."
The disguise was now perfect. Now was the moment to execute the plan.
Click.
The stockings were tossed into the trash can. The tied-up Lin stared expressionlessly at the little green-haired girl looking down at him from above.
"How should I even describe you?" Mobius paced back and forth in front of Lin, glancing at the communicator in her hand from time to time. "Kosma and Kalpas have also been caught. You guys really put on quite a show tonight..."
She wasn't using the mobility tool Vil-V had made for her; instead, she gazed at Lin in her natural young-girl form. Her gradient eyes reflected Lin face, now without his helmet.
"Every time I think I understand you well enough, you manage to refresh my cognition."
An expression of either shame-filled anger or disdain appeared on Mobius pretty face. She peeked at the trash can again, her teeth grinding.
"How did you even think of wearing stockings as a disguise at the Fire Moth headquarters? And... and you actually used... mine..."
Just as Mobius said, what Lin used were her stockings. To be precise, they were stockings from before her body shrank to its current size. Since they were no longer usable, Mobius had told Lin to dispose of the useless clothing. How could she have imagined Lin would use them like this?
"Talk to me—" Mobius gritted her teeth, cupping Lin face and staring at him word by word. "What were you doing in the middle of the night? And why did you come to my room!"
Now that the matter had been exposed, Lin briefly weighed his options for a few seconds and gave up on the idea of struggling.
So, he took a deep breath and met Mobius eyes.
"Ugh..."
Mobius felt goosebumps all over and took a step back. Normally arrogant, she actually flinched under Lin gaze.
Why are this guy's eyes suddenly so serious...
A certain thought flashed through her mind. Although she quickly dismissed it, once some things appear, they take root and become hard to ignore.
She swallowed and took another careful, subtle glance at Lin.
An unprecedentedly solemn gaze made her eyes dart away quickly again.
"Mobius."
Hearing Lin steady voice say her name, Mobius whole body shuddered.
"W-what?" As soon as she said it, Mobius wanted to slap herself twice. Her tone and choice of words were far from her usual self; anyone who wasn't deaf could hear the surge of emotion she was feeling.
"I..." Lin began.
"Hold it right there." Mobius reached out and covered Lin mouth. The sensation made her pause for a moment, but she put on a fierce look and asked, "What you're about to say... it's not about work, is it?"
Lin, unable to speak, shook his head.
"Is it... something private between us?"
Lin nodded.
"Positive?"
This time Lin paused for a moment before nodding.
Mobius patted her forehead; it was so hot she felt a bit flustered.
For real?
She began to seriously consider this matter: whether or not to let Lin say it.
But just as the thought emerged, she quickly criticized herself.
She was Mobius. There was nothing to be conflicted about. Her ambitions weren't bound within this weak human frame; even the body of a MANTIS was just a springboard for her to reach higher levels.
She really was being silly to feel a tiny, tiny, tiny bit of... hesitation.
After adjusting her mindset, Mobius looked at Lin with a contemptuous gaze again, let go of her hand, and opened her arms casually, signaling him to say whatever he wanted.
Come on, say it.
"Mobius..."
I won't care.
"I..."
"Wish you a..."
...Wish you?
"Happy Holiday."
"..."
"..."
While Mobius watched with a dazed expression, Lin mouth moved. He used his tongue to hold a party blower toy in his mouth, then gave it two "pfft—pfft—" blows.
"Pfft—"
Snap!
With a cold gaze, Mobius grabbed the extended toy and ripped it right out of Lin mouth.
"Are you joking? Or is today April Fool's Day, and you're celebrating that?"
"No."
Hearing this, Mobius was fuming. She tore the toy to shreds, her forehead pressing against Lin unchanging face, veins bulging. "I don't recall today being any kind of holiday! You'd better explain what you were doing, especially you! Otherwise, I'll..."
"Today is Children's Day," Lin said nonchalantly. "Happy Children's Day."
"...Huh?"
Lin used his tongue to pull out another toy and held it in his mouth.
"Pfft—"
The tip of the toy snapped against Mobius stunned face.