Chapter 181: Chapter 181: Early Schedule

Inside A Vehicle

Reiki was sitting in the back as he placed something in a plain brown pouch, from the driver's seat Akemi spoke. She used the rearview mirror and said. "We bought everything on the list you gave us." Akemi's lips formed into a slight frown, she said. "And would you please keep your seat belt on?" She thought. I don't know if it was a coincidence or not. Reiki always took his seatbelt off when there weren't any police boxes. Chishiki peeked at him by turning her head sideways, she gave him an odd look and said. "Can you tell us what's with the odd items?" 

Reiki pocketed the pouch as he leaned back on the car seat and said. "I'm planning on using them, what else?" Chishiki's gaze narrowed slightly as she stared at him, she said. "You never know." She moved her gaze back to the road as Akemi took a right turn, Chishiki continued. "I thought you planned on eating it." Akemi let out a chuckle as she stopped the car in front of a small ramen shop that went through recent renovations. Akemi undid the lock as all the car doors unlocked, she took her seatbelt off and said. "Everyone, out."

Chishiki took her seatbelt off as she and Akemi opened the car doors and got out of the car. Reiki followed suit as he went out the left side with Akemi, he stared at the closed ramen shop and said. "My guess is that either one of you has the key." Chishiki made her way around the car as she stood beside Akemi and said. "Wrong." Chishiki pointed at Akemi using her thumb and continued. "This place is run by one of her uncles."

Akemi took out a talisman from her pocket as it was enveloped in a layer of mana and faintly glowed. Reiki glanced at her from the corner of his eye as the black car behind them vanished. Akemi pocketed the talisman while Chishiki gave him a suspicious look and said. "You're not surprised by an entire vehicle vanishing?" Reiki looked up to her and shook his head sideways, he said. "Not really, I've been in a couple of talismans." Chishiki tried to hide the surprise on her face while Akemi turned her head to face him. Akemi said. "What was inside?"

Her voice had a hint of excitement as she waited for his answer, Reiki said. "One of them was used for training in a forest environment. The other one I've only been on the first floor but I'm sure it's a mansion at least." Chishiki and Akemi were staring a hole through him, Reiki cleared his throat and said. "So we're just going to stand here?" Akemi walked toward the ramen shop and knocked loudly on the wooden wall, she said. "Hey, old man! I know you're awake at this time! Let me in!" The wooden wall slid open as a man's voice came from the inside. "Old man? Where's your respect for having a hand in raising you?"

A man wearing a dark blue shirt, loose black pants, a white handkerchief tied around his forehead that kept his black hair tidy, and an apron that barely reached his knees. The man had a visible outline of his muscle from his shirt that was paired with broad shoulders, sharp facial features, and a strong jawline. Reiki thought. Hmm… Nice muscles but he's lacking in flexibility. Chishiki let out a short whistle and said. "How many years did you serve?" Before the man could say anything Akemi walked past him and said. "You can talk while you cook."

Akemi walked inside the shop as sunlight went inside the room while she started sliding the wooden wall on the left side letting more light in. Taking most of the space inside was a large wooden bar counter against the wall with two sides. It had two sides with six stools each while the old man walked his way inside of it near the doorway leading to the house. Akemi pulled up a stool and sat on it, she turned her head toward Reiki and Chishiki. Akemi said. "Grab a seat and tell him your order."

Reiki made his way inside and sat on her right while Chishiki sat on his right. He looked at the kitchen behind the bar counter and thought. From such a rundown storefront, he's got everything. Exhaust for the smoke from the charcoal grill, flat top grill, spider burners with an oven, and a noodle boiler. The man opened a large and tall double-door fridge, it was filled with vegetables and eggs, along with a few deep stockpots as he took out two of them with one hand. The old man placed the stockpots on the spider burner while Akemi frowned at him and said. "Old man, we haven't ordered yet."

The old man rolled his eyes at her and said. "The only thing you'll order is the lobster special." Akemi let out a snicker as she slammed her hand on the countertop and said. "So?! I'm your niece, you should be letting me eat for free!" Reiki and Chishiki looked at each other. The old man turned the burners on and placed his left hand on his hip as he spoke in an intimidating voice. "What kind of niece orders the most expensive thing from the menu?!" Akemi stood up from the stool and said. "The kind that works hard proving herself!"

Chishiki interrupted their argument and said. "I'll have miso broth, two soy eggs, and some chashu." The old man's expression turned friendly as he gave her a nod and said. "Coming right up." The old man turned around and opened the fridge as he took out another stockpot while Akemi slapped the wooden counter and said. "Hey!" Reiki ignored her and said. "I'll have-." The old man didn't even let him finish, he said. "I have something special for you." He glanced at him while turning another stove on and continued. "You look tiny, which means you need to eat more."

Akemi sat back down on her seat and crossed her arms, she said. "I demand the lobster special!" Chishiki pretended Akemi wasn't throwing a fit and said. "What kind of side dishes do you have? And the variety of your vegetables?" The old man peeked inside of the stockpots letting out some steam outside, he said. "Same as the others and I recommended our yakitori." Chishiki gave him a nod and said. "I'll add some baby spinach, romaine lettuce, and scallions to my ramen. Three skewers with red onion."

Akemi glared at her uncle as he gave Chishiki a nod. Reiki raised his hand and said. "Make mine spicy until the broth turns red and do you make pizzas?" From the corner of his eye, Reiki saw a streak of white land on his right shoulder. Cherry made herself comfortable and let out a caw as the old man behind the counter was shocked to see her. Reiki pointed at the bird on his right shoulder using his head and said. "A jar of cherries for Cherry." 

Cherry flapped her wings in excitement while the old man's pupils faintly glowed, he said. "That's a nice familiar you have, kid." The old man turned around as he rummaged through the fridge and took out a small glass jar of preserved cherries. He placed the jar near Reiki by the counter bar as he opened one of the cabinets on the walls revealing all sorts of plates and bowls. The old man placed down the smallest plate he could find and placed it beside the jar of cherries. He looked down at Reiki and said. "You can place the stems here."

Reiki gave him a nod, he said. "Appreciated." He passed the jar and the small plate to Chishiki who was on his right, Reiki said. "Can you place this on the empty seat next to you?" Chishiki gave him a nod as she glanced at Cherry on his shoulder and placed them on her right. The old man, Akemi, and Chishiki saw Cherry vanish on Reiki's shoulder as they turned their head and saw her taking the lid off the jar. Under the gaze of everyone, Cherry picked up a cherry from the jar and placed it on the plate. 

Reiki thought. How does she do that? He heard Ender's voice in his head. [Invisibility.] Cherry grabbed the cherry in the jar using her talons and took the stem off using her beak. The anger on Akemi's expression faded as she watched the bird eat cherries on her own. Chishiki watched Cherry with interest while the old man watched her eat cherries with furrowed brows. He glanced at Reiki and said. "She's… Special…" Cherry swallowed a half-eaten cherry which she took a couple of pecks of. She stared at the old man with one side of her eyes as he felt her blood-red eyes piercing him.

The old man felt uncomfortable from Cherry's stare while Akemi gently elbowed Reiki's arm and said. "Umm, Reiki?" Chishiki slowly reached her hand out toward Cherry as she tried to touch her feathers. Reiki looked up to Akemi and said. "Don't worry about it, Cherry's usually docile. She only attacked once during my stay over there." The old man glanced at him while Akemi frowned at him and said. "That doesn't put our minds at ease." Reiki shrugged his shoulders and said. "Cherry's uncomfortably smart, just apologize and she'll forgive you… Probably." The old man cleared his throat and awkwardly said. "I-I'm sorry, C-Cherry."

Cherry stared at him for a couple of seconds before going back to eat more cherries. Chishiki's hand was half an inch away from touching Cherry as she disappeared while holding onto a cherry by the stem using her beak. Cherry appeared on the other side of the plate while she grabbed the cherry with her talons and took the stem off using her beak. Chishiki's hand that she tried to use to touch Cherry curled into a fist, she said. "Come on! It's not like you're going to lose anything by letting me touch you!"

Chishiki was about to forcefully grab Cherry with her hand while the old man faked a cough that got everyone's attention. The old man said. "Noodles?" Chishiki kept her right hand in mid-air as she tried to catch Cherry, she said. "Soba." The old man turned his head to look at Akemi and moved his gaze onto Reiki, he said. "Udon." Akemi stood up from her seat and placed her hands on the countertop, she said. "Lobster special with somen!" The old man ignored her as he opened the fridge and pulled on the see-through plastic drawer on the bottom.

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Akemi repeatedly banged on the table with the palm of her hand and said. "Don't ignore me!" Chishiki watched Cherry finish another one as she picked up a cherry from the jar and took the stem off. Cherry stared at Chishiki and moved her gaze onto the cherry in her palm, she said. "I'm not a bad person." The old man took out five portions of noodles wrapped in plastic and closed the drawer using his knee. The old man said. "Then order something else." He turned around and closed the fridge behind him using his foot. The old man made his way to the noodle boiler as he turned it on and placed the noodles beside it.

Cherry ate the last bit of cherry on Chishiki's palm as she stared at her and made her way to the jar and placed more cherries on the plate. Chishiki wiped her palm clean using Reiki's shirt which he ignored, she tried to touch Cherry's back which she let her while she ate. Chishiki enjoyed the sensation of the bird's feathers while Akemi angrily pointed at the old man and said. "It's the only thing I ordered! You cheapskate! And you wonder why aunty left!"

Chishiki helped Cherry with taking the stems out of the cherries while Reiki raised a brow at him. The old man's entire body jolted as he waved his right hand in dismissal, he said. "We've had this conversation one too many times already." A hint of embarrassment formed on his face. Reiki stared at him as he crossed his arms, he said. "Old man… When are you planning on introducing yourself?" The old man immediately changed the topic as the water in the noodle boiler started to bubble. He said. "You can call me, Seiji."

Seiji glanced at Chishiki feeding Cherry and continued. "To answer her question from earlier, I served ten years in the military." He pointed at Akemi who was already sitting back down on her seat, Seiji said. "That loud girl over there, who's been obsessing over lobster the past few minutes is my niece." Akemi glared at him which he ignored as Reiki pointed at the boiler and said. "When did you put water in that?" Seiji glanced in the direction he was pointing, he said. "I always fill it with water, first thing in the morning." He started unwrapping the plastic around the noodles and gently placed them in the noodle boiler.

Seiji unwrapped the second one and said. "Unfortunately, I don't serve pizza so you'll have to make do with yakitori…" He gently placed the noodles in the boiler and turned his head sideways as he gave Reiki an odd glance. Seiji said. "How am I supposed to make your broth red?..." Reiki let out a yawn without covering his mouth, he said. "Just add all the spices you have. Chilies, powder, dried, you know the whole works." Chishiki was petting Cherry's head with her index finger, she said. "I would love to watch you eat that."

Seiji glanced at Akemi as she gave her a meaningful look. Akemi avoided his gaze as she stared at the wall, she said. "... He's always like that, don't take it too personally." Seiji quickly unwrapped the rest of the noodles, he said. "That sounds easy enough." He gently placed the last one and turned around as he looked down at him, Seiji continued. "Name?" Reiki looked up at him and said. "Reiki. Akihito Reiki. These two lovely ladies work for me." Seiji's brows furrowed as he had a polite smile on his face, he said. "Is that so?"

Reiki nodded as he spoke in common tongue and said. "Despite my age, I'm a lot more capable than them combined." Seiji, Akemi, and Chishiki were shocked by the language he spoke. Seiji stared at him with a peculiar look in his eye as he spoke in common tongue, he said. "What makes you so sure?" Reiki flashed him a small smirk, he spoke in common tongue and said. "I'm an individual with many surprises inside my sleeve." Seiji let out a chuckle and said. "I'll be the judge of that."

Chishiki smiled as she spoke in common tongue, she said. "Chishiki, sorry for the late introductions." Seiji gave her a nod as he subconsciously straightened his back, he said. "How about we speak in Japanese? Otherwise, passersby would be weirded out by what we say. I can't afford to lose what little business I get." Akemi rolled her eyes at him as she spoke in common tongue with a hint of anger in her tone, she said. "It's not like you received enough compensation for your services." She spoke under her breath and continued. "You also have shares in dad's company… You can easily afford a mansion in the middle of Tokyo."

Seiji wasn't fazed as he started opening cabinets and took out a bundle of wooden skewers. He said. "I'm just saving my money for a rainy day." Akemi let out a scoff and said. "And you thought, aunty threatening to divorce you isn't counted as one." Seiji placed the bundle of skewers down, he faked a cough and said. "Did you come here to eat or make fun of me?" Cherry swallowed a half-eaten cherry as Chishiki placed a cherry on the small plate that had a small pile of stems on the side.

Akemi had a serious expression on her face, she said. "That depends, are you going to give me my lobster special?" Seiji pinched the bridge of his nose as he let out a sigh and said. "I will…" Akemi turned all smiles as she spoke in a sweet tone and said. "See, that wasn't so bad?" Seiji started browsing through the cabinets as he took out two black ramen bowls and placed them near the noodle boiler. He took out another bowl that was easily twice the size of the other two, Seiji started to lift the strainers and shook off the excess water.

Chishiki continued to help Cherry with her meal while Akemi watched her uncle work. Reiki let out a yawn and said. "Seiji-san, got any children?" Seiji placed somen and soba noodles on the two normal-sized bowls, with his back facing them, he said. "Two, my daughter is a tutor who only gets hired when combat exams are close. My son on the other hand followed my footsteps and joined the military." Seiji placed three large portions of udon noodles into the large bowl, he made his way to the three stockpots that were simmering. He said. "Your order will be done in five minutes at the most. I'll be making the yakitori while you three eat."

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Inside A Break Room

Ketsueki, Sachi, and Namida were sitting around the table that was littered with dozens of snacks and drinks that were either emptied or untouched. Namida was browsing the internet using a laptop while Sachi was looking at fashion through her smartphone. Ketsueki had both her feet on the table as the seat she sat on was pushed back on the back legs. Ketsueki stared a hole through the ceiling and thought. Another slow day… She took her phone out of her pocket and turned it on with the power button on the side.

Ketsueki continued her train of thought. Maybe I should've let Reiki ditch school today, at this rate the commander will call it a day and send us home… She raised her hand as a can of soda flew into her palm as she opened it using the ring as it released some carbonation. While typing something on her laptop, Namida said. "Another slow day, huh?" Sachi kept her eyes on her phone and said. "The three of us made ¥73,000,000 yesterday."

Ketsueki downed the can of soda in one go as she crushed it with her grip and said. "And in a few minutes, they'll pay us the same amount and send us home." Namida stretched on her seat as her lips curved into a small smile, she said. "I love that rule." Ketsueki threw the can onto the table as it bounced a couple of times and rolled on its side before stopping, she said. "Are you going to marry it?" Namida closed her laptop as it vanished from the table.

Ketsueki moved her feet away from the table as she sat up straight while Sachi placed her phone in her pocket. The three of them left after images while the table was suddenly spotless as the door burst open revealing Ahma. She was wearing her usual kimono, white socks, and geta as she made her way toward them, Ahma said. "Girls, you know the rule. Dismissed." Namida stood up from her seat and said. "Finally!" She waved at Ahma and continued. "See you tomorrow, captain." Sachi moved a few strands of stray hair behind her ear, she said. "Until next time, leader." Ketsueki lazily stood up from her seat as she let out a yawn and said. "Thanks for your hard work, commander."

Ahma waved at them and said. "Yes yes, now that you've said the pleasantries. You can leave." The three girls made their way toward the door while Ketsueki was lost in thought. Yeah, I should've let my boy skip school today. Sachi was examining her nails while walking, she said. "Cafe?" Namida had her hands behind her back and nodded, she said. "Sure, why not?" The two of them moved their gazes onto Ketsueki who was silent, she said. "I've got nothing planned."

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At Ketsueki's House In The Living Room

Mio, Yuki, and Shiro were sitting on the couch while watching tv. The three girls took off their blazers revealing white dress shirts with buttons and red ties. Yuki's tie was loosely hanging around her neck as she made herself comfortable, she said. "... Early lunch, anyone?" She started undoing buttons on her dress shirt revealing a yellow shirt inside of it. Mio rolled her eyes at Yuki and said. "Just because they let us out early doesn't mean an early lunch." Yuki untucked her dress shirt while Shiro was flipping through the channels, she said. "I could eat, Onii-chan packed some extra croquettes in my bento."

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