"Hmmm…"
The sound of waves crashing against the rocks.
"Somethingwrong, Alain? "
The hum of tires speeding over asphalt.
"Nothingmuch, just…thinking. "
"Still unsure about the operation? "
Jean drove calmly while Alain, in the back seat, was lost in his own thoughts.
"Alittle, yeah."
Letting out a whistle, Jean adjusted the rearview mirror to get a clearer look at Alain's expression.
"I get it, but isn't that kind of a good thing? I mean, you never really got to experience a 'normal' life, right? "
Alain closed his eyes, letting his mind drift back to the events from three days ago.
"How do you feel? "
Ittetsu and the rest of the group looked at him with concern while he kept his head lowered, deep in thought.
"…I…will l do it."
With a firm look, the young man lifted his head and met his teammates' eyes.
"After all, I'm a member of the MASKs, right? "
(What kind of expression was I making back then…?)
Alain opened his eyes, staring at the sea stretching across the horizon through the car window.
"Well, being you, Alain… I'm sure we won't have any problems during the operation."
Jean cracked his neck with a small sideways grin.
"True, but I can't say the same about you, Jean. "
"Hey, what was that cheap shot for?! "
Smiling to himself after their usual daily back and forth, Alain pulled his phone out of his pocket.
"I'll go over the data one more time. You memorized yours already, Jean? "
"Évident~ Using our real names made it easier to lock in the roles. "
In response to Jean's confidence, Alain stared at his phone screen.
"Alain Romani, 17 years old. Academic repeater, transferring to Little Garden as a Second Year… legal guardians, Ittetsu Hoshi and Marietta Walker…"
A sigh slipped from his lips.
"Why did I get stuck with the repeater role…? "
"The operation has a fixed duration, one year and six months."
Jean let out a heavy yawn before focusing back on the road.
"You're starting halfway through second year and you'll have until third year to complete the objectives. Your graduation will be the natural conclusion of 'this' Alain Romani. "
"Makes sense, I guess… And you, 'Professor' Jean-Luc? "
"Eh… thinking about it twice, yeah, this is kinda weird. "
An awkward silence hung in the air for a few seconds before Alain's phone rang.
"It's the Captain. Hello? "
"Alain, where are you? "
"We're in… where are we again, Jean? "
Alain pulled the phone slightly away from his ear.
"Algeciras, we'll reach the boarding port at 5 PM. "
"Algeciras, approaching the boarding point, Captain. "
"Good. You have all your luggage and documents in order? "
Alain looked at Jean through the rearview mirror, and Jean gave him an 'ok' hand sign.
"Everything's organized. "
"Alright. I'll contact you once I've arranged the relocation of the operations base to a building in Nereus-0. Good luck to you both until then. "
The Captain hung up, giving Alain the chance to take a deep breath.
"He's already perfectly playing the guardian role, huh? "
"He's always been like that tho, right, Jean? "
"Yeah."
Another silence settled inside the vehicle, this one calmer than awkward.
A few hours later, Alain and Jean arrived at the boarding area and were greeted by a massive cruise ship at the port.
"Wooow~ they really don't hold back on transportation, huh? "
"Less fascination, more focus, Jean. "
Alain stepped out of the car and grabbed his luggage from the trunk.
"I'll go ahead. It'd be weird for a student and a teacher to arrive together. "
"Alright, have fun with people your age~ "
"Yeah, yeah. You try to get along with the other teachers, baguette. "
Passing by the driver's side, Alain exchanged a fist bump with Jean and headed toward the boarding pier.
While waiting in line, Alain observed his surroundings, listening to people's conversations.
"I wonder which class I'll end up in? "
"They say Class 2B is amazing, lots of high-grade espers. "
(2B… probably the 2 is the school year and B is the class… high-level espers, huh.)
"Class 1A has a super popular model, right? "
"I heard Princess Charlotte is in 3A. "
(Princess Charlotte… one of the mission's VIPs… so she's a third year…)
As the line moved forward, the chatter and gossip became less useful to Alain, and he focused solely on boarding.
"Documentation and Student Registration. "
A tall man in a black suit extended his hand.
"Just a second… here. "
"Hmmm… Alain Romani. Documentation in order, let me check… "
Pulling a tablet from a holster at his waist, the man swiped quickly through it.
"You'll be in Class 2B. You may board. We'll arrive at Nereus-0 in two days. Your classes will begin three days after arrival. Take your time to adjust. "
Handing the documents back, the man gave a slight bow and stepped aside.
(All good so far…)
Alain boarded the cruise ship, a dazzling and elegant place that looked straight out of a period movie.
(It really is impressive… though I feel kinda out of place.)
Walking around a bit, the variety of people was obvious. Students, maybe tourists, maybe new residents of Nereus-0.
People speaking African languages, Chinese, some with refined Egyptian features, others Spanish. But even more impressive was—
" WOOOOOOOW! "
"HAHAHA, never seen fire juggling before, huh? Pretty awesome ability, right?! "
"Who wants natural shaved ice? Made with freshly frozen fruit smoothies! "
Espers using their powers in broad daylight without any supervision.
(While it's not a problem by itself… using abilities in a closed space like this is risky…)
As he scanned the area, Alain flinched when a holographic screen suddenly appeared beside him.
"Welcome, young student! To the S.S. Calypso, the cruise ship authorized for embarkation and disembarkation at Nereus-0! It's a pleasure to meet you. I am the principal of Little Garden, Fujikawa Noah. "
(Premature contact with one of the monitoring targets, but…)
With a quick glance around, Alain noticed that aside from the adults, all the 'students' also had screens projected near them.
(… Looks like just a formality for new students.)
Alain shook his head and moved to a quieter corner of the room, leaning against the wall to get a better view of the entire area.
(No one notable. None of the VIPs or targets here… they're probably already on the island. )
Letting out a sigh, Alain began walking toward another section of the cruise, focused on mapping the place.
(Is Jean on this one? Or does the staff have their own separate cruise? )
Lost in thought, he eventually found himself on the deck, heading toward the bow after finding nothing noteworthy inside.
"…"
Slowly closing his eyes, he felt the sea breeze brush against his skin.
(It's so calm… kind strange for an operation. No quick in and out, grab the target and leave…)
He pulled his phone from his pocket and turned the screen on, not to check the time, but to look at the wallpaper.
(Being away from most of them… that's a first for me.)
Alain in the center, sitting upright with an anxious expression. Ittetsu right behind him with crossed arms and an almost fraternal smile.
Jean and Shirley both making a V sign above their eyes while winking, and Marietta a step behind, covering a laugh with her hand.
Closing his eyes, he recalled more memories, now from two days ago.
"Alaaaaain!~ "
A sweet, delicate voice called out while knocking on his dorm room door.
Without much delay, he opened it slightly.
"What is it, Marietta? I was just about to beat the final boss. "
"Sorry, sorry. I just wanted to go over a few operation details with you. "
Clasping her hands together and bowing her head apologetically, Alain sighed and opened the door fully.
"Alright, come in."
"Thanks~"
She walked into the room while he went to open the curtains.
"It's always amazing how organized this place is despite its owner. "
"Hey, did you come here just to roast me? "
Alain looked at her with the exhausted expression of someone silently saying, 'are you serious right now?'
"Sorry, sorry. "
Apologizing again, she carefully sat down on his bed.
"So? Can we get straight to the point? "
"Sure~ well, as you know, me and the rest of the team won't be able to support you all the time during this operation. Basically, it's just you andJean. "
Alain pulled a beanbag over and sat parallel to her, going back to his game.
"That was kind of implied, but it's fine. We might bicker a bit… but we make a good duo, I think. "
"That's not exactly what I'm worried about~ "
"Then what is it? "
Without taking his eyes off the screen, Alain raised an eyebrow slightly.
"…How many years have you been with us, Alain? "
"That's kind of random, you know? "
"Don't mind that detail, just answer~ "
"Hmm… about seven years? I joined when I was ten or nine, I don't really remember. "
Marietta nodded to herself with her arms crossed, then looked back at him.
"That leads to my next question… Alain… "
Her tone grew more serious, almost maternal.
"…Are you going to be okay? Acting like a normal teenager? "
"…I don't get the question. "
Alain kept playing, but his voice faltered slightly.
"I mean, as far as I know, you're still a normal teenager just like anyone else. But you've never really been in a completely normal environment, as much as that's possible, right? "
On the screen, a big "youdied" appeared and Alain lowered the controller.
"…I honestly don't know. Before coming here, I don't remember much beyond three years in UN laboratories. "
"So— "
"…But it's fine, I'll complete the mission. After all… "
The ship's intercom cut through Alain's memories with a simple announcement: The Banquet will begin in 15 minutes, all passengers please proceed to the dining room.
( …back on the spotlight, already?)
With a sigh, Alain made his way back.