Chapter 42: Seriously Looking For A Job!*

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TONG TONG ENTERPRISE:

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Inside the store, a staring contest unfolded between the two of them.

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The shopkeeper's eyes narrowed, locked on something — or someone.

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P blinked. He stood calmly on the other side of the counter, staring right back.

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Neither said a word.

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...

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...

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P blinked again. The shopkeeper's eyes narrowed further, dead serious.

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"......"

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"......"

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P tilted his head.

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"So... about the job?" said P.

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The shopkeeper's narrowed eyes widened.

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"Well, you see... I don't actually have the money to pay an employee," said the shopkeeper.

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"Oh.... is that so..." P's eyes drifted to the side, disappointed.

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"Yep — sorry," said the shopkeeper. "But you're welcome to work for free, if you want."

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"No, I can't do that. I was really just looking for a paying job. Sorry," P said, politely declining.

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"It's fine. So now what?" said the shopkeeper.

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They both fell silent for a moment.

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...............

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"Well, do you happen to know where I could find a job that's actually available..." said P.

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"—with pay!" he quickly added.

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"A job with pay?....." the shopkeeper thought.

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"...Well, can you actually work?" asked the shopkeeper.

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"Yes!" P replied energetically.

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"Then there's a job open — not around here, though. It's bricklaying work. You'll be carrying cement and doing a lot of heavy lifting. I hope you understand that," said the shopkeeper.

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"Yes, I can do that! I'm actually built for that kind of work," said P, energized.

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"O....kaaay...." said the shopkeeper.

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"The pay's decent, but like I said, it's not around here," said the shopkeeper.

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"So where's this job? Where can I find it?" P asked, interested.

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"You can find it not too far from here, in Shinmachi-Ome. Once you get there, you'll see an ongoing construction site — just ask for Engineer Kamar, and you'll know what to say from there," said the shopkeeper.

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"The job usually runs from around 10 AM to 3 PM, and it looks like they've already started," said the shopkeeper.

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He glanced at the clock on the wall. "It's already 10:17. They usually take in extra workers between 10 and noon, and it takes about an hour to get there... you'd better hurry," said the shopkeeper.

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"Okay, thank you," said P, turning to leave.

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TMP.

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"If you didn't have money to pay an employee, why'd you put up a poster outside saying Workers Needed?" asked P.

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"Mind your business..! It's to attract customers," the shopkeeper snapped.

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P paused for a moment, blinking in utter confusion.

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"Mtch- I don't know, but okay!" P muttered, turning to walk toward the exit.

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"And don't forget to tell him he still owes Tong Tong!" the shopkeeper shouted.

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CLING!

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SLAM.

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TMP.

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MURMUR MURMUR

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P was back outside, in the busy street under the morning sun.

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TMP... TMP.

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WHOOSH......

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"An hour..!" P thought.

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TCK. TCK.

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TCK. TCK.

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He tapped the ground with the tips of his shoes.

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"And it's already 10:17, maybe 10:18..." P thought, closing his eyes. He broke into a jog in broad daylight.

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His sudden burst of speed caught the attention of people along the road, and a few passing drivers.

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BUT P WAS LOCKED IN THOUGHT.

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TMP. TMP.

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TMP. TMP...

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"The site closes around noon, which means I have an hour — and it takes an hour just to get there..." P thought.

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TMP. TMP..

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TMP.. TMP.

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"An hour, huh....." P thought.

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TMP.

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For a moment, P hung suspended in the air before his left foot could land...

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WHOOSH....

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His gold eyes snapped open, narrowing with dead-serious focus.

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A WAVE OF URGENCY SURGED THROUGH HIM.

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TMP.

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"I NEED TO HURRY!" P thought.

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Crouched in a running stance, golden eyes blazing, he was about to launch forward—

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"P...!" a voice called out.

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He snapped out of it instantly, his eyes returning to normal.

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P turned his head.

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VROOOOOM.......

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It was Hanabi, driving with her window rolled down.

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She pulled close to the curb.

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"What are you doing?" Hanabi shouted, eyes wide with shock, as she drove closer.

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BRRRRR.....

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P stared at her, dumbfounded, as she approached.

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P blinked.

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"I was about to head somewhere for work!" said P.

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"Oh, is that so..." said Hanabi. "Now's my chance," she thought.

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"Then hop in, I'll drop you off..." said Hanabi.

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SLAM—

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The car door slammed shut, and they drove off.

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VROOM.........

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Inside the car, they sat in silence as she drove.

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Hanabi glanced at P, then back to the road. "So, where am I dropping you off?" she asked.

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"Ome... Shinmachi," said P.

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"Ome... my parents live there," said Hanabi.

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"Oh- okay," said P. "Her parents live in Ome," he thought.

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"So are you an only child?" P asked.

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"No, actually I'm the second born... I have an older brother," said Hanabi.

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"You have an older brother? What's he like?" P asked.

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"Haha- well... he's actually pretty grumpy, can be annoying sometimes," said Hanabi, brightly.

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"Hmm-" P hummed.

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"But deep down, he's actually a good, considerate person," said Hanabi, smiling.

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P looked at her quietly, then turned back to the road.

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"I should probably drive a bit faster — I'm actually running late for work... damn," said Hanabi.

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"The car's working fine, huh. Okay, what are you plotting, you curse of bad luck... my bad luck hasn't caused any havoc these past few days, I guess," Hanabi thought, eyes narrowing.

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"Except for last night, when I ducked behind that table and Arthur fired at me. It just rolled away, leaving me exposed..." Hanabi thought.

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"If P hadn't stopped Arthur before he could shoot, I'd be dead," she thought.

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"Are you okay?" P asked.

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"Yeah, sure," Hanabi said, snapping back to the present. "So, P..."

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"Hmm?" P hummed.

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"I'd like to apologize for yelling at you earlier. I was angry that you forced open my trunk, and I forgot that you saved my life last night," said Hanabi.

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"If it wasn't for you, I wouldn't be alive today. I'm sorry. You were only trying to help, and I panicked completely. I forgot my life was worth more than anything," said Hanabi.

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"Thank you..." said Hanabi.

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P blinked, then smiled quietly at her as she drove, unaware.

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RING... RING....

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Hanabi's phone rang from her handbag.

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She dug through her purse and pulled it out.

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RING... RING...

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"Mom?..." Hanabi thought, surprised.

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She glanced sideways at P, who was gazing out at the road, then looked back at the phone.

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BEEP.

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"Hello! Mom..." said Hanabi.

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"I'm fine. How are you doing?" Hanabi asked.

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VROOOM........

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The car kept moving along the busy road.

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"Yes, Mom... yeah, I'm doing well..." said Hanabi.

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P's eyes drifted toward her.

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"So why'd you call?" Hanabi asked.

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..............

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"You want me to come visit?" said Hanabi.

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.......

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"It's important? ...Okay, I'm actually on my way there," said Hanabi.

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"Okay, Mom, I will..."

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P's eyes drifted back to the road.

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BEEP.

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"Looks like I'm going to miss the morning shift... my parents want me to visit, and that's in Ome, close to Shinmachi," said Hanabi.

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"Oh—" said P.

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"So we're headed to the same place," said Hanabi, warmly.

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"Okay, but could you drive a bit faster? I need to get to Ome in under an hour," P asked.

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"Oh! I can do that," Hanabi grinned.

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"Are you—" P started.

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"Hold on.."

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Hanabi slammed on the brakes.

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BAM.

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VROOOOOOM....

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The speedometer shot up rapidly, hitting its limit.

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P'S EYES WIDENED.

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CLENCH—

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HE GRIPPED THE SEAT AND HANDLE TIGHT.

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VRAAAAAAAAM.........

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The car tore through the road, leaving chaos in its wake.

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"JESUS!!" someone yelled.

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BOOM—

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A car exploded.

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"ARGGGHH..." drivers shouted as they crashed into each other and into nearby buildings.

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CRASH....

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CRASH....

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CRASH...

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BOOM

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BOOM...

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"HAAAARRAG...." terrified voices echoed wherever Hanabi's car tore through.

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The entire town descended into panic, buildings cracked and burning in its wake.

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"WHO LET A WOMAN DRIVE?!" a man yelled.

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MOMENTS LATER.......

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.....................

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VROOM... KRRRR—

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The sound of a car screeching to a stop.

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BRA-CRAASH—

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The front panel of the wrecked car fell off.

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The once-new Venza had become a scrap heap.

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GBAM—

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The battered door crashed to the ground.

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P, a cut across his forehead, turned slowly to look at the door lying beside him.

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The door was gone.

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Most of the windshield was gone too — only a shattered fragment remained on Hanabi's side.

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P turned to look at her.

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Hanabi's hair was a mess, blood dripping from her nose and mouth, cuts across her forehead and cheeks — and she was grinning ear to ear.

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"We're here!" said Hanabi.

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"O...kaaaay...." said P, smiling nervously through gritted teeth.

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"And you've still got twenty minutes to spare," said Hanabi.

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"Oh- then, thank you," said P, about to leave.

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"Here...." Hanabi held out a hundred-dollar bill.

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"Take it. Go get some treatment — you look terrible," said Hanabi.

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P blinked.

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CREEEEE...EE..AAK SCRAP—

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SKRE..EEE...AAK— CRREEE...

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The screech of the wrecked car faded as Hanabi drove off, leaving P standing on the roadside, staring down at the hundred-dollar bill in his hands.

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WHOOOOOOSH......

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The wind blew gently.

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VROOM—

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A car passed by.

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P raised his head. "Where's the nearest pharmacy?" he thought.

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VRRR....CREEEEE...EE..AAK SCRAP—

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SKRE..EEEEEAAK—

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Hanabi's car rolled along the quiet road of a peaceful neighborhood.

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Houses lined both sides of the street, surrounded by patches of green grass and trees swaying gently in the noon breeze.

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SKRE..EEEEEAAK—

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The car slowed.

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SKREEE—

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It came to a stop in front of a white house with a brown door.

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Hanabi parked and shut off the engine.

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SILENCE.

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She stepped out and slammed the door — which promptly fell off onto the grass.

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CLANG!

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CREAK.....

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GBANG—

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She looked over the wrecked front of the car.

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"......"

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"I'm going to need a new car," said Hanabi.

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She turned and walked toward the house.

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TCK.

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TCK.

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TCK.

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Her footsteps echoed softly as she climbed the five steps to the veranda.

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TAK.

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TAK.

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TAK.

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She reached the brown door.

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The house was quiet.

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Hanabi reached for the doorknob.

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CLICK.

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She opened the door and stepped inside.

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"Mom! —"

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She stopped abruptly, eyes widening.

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The living room was spacious, three couches arranged around a table.

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Sunlight streamed through the windows, lighting up the white walls and furniture.

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Sitting on one of the couches were her mother and father.

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"Hanabi..." her mother said calmly.

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But that wasn't what stopped her.

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On the couch beside them sat an elderly woman.

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"Gran Sarume?!" said Hanabi.

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TMP.

114Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEafaNg2MA1

TMP.

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TMP.

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P walked along the roadside, arms hanging loosely at his sides.

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He glanced around, then looked ahead.

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A large construction site came into view — buildings under construction, piles of bricks, cement bags, and materials scattered everywhere.

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P's eyes lit up as he stopped walking.

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"Found it," said P.

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TMP.

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He approached the entrance.

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A nearby worker turned toward him.

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"Excuse me," P called out politely. "I'm here to see Engineer Kamar. I was told you needed extra workers."

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The worker glanced at him.

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"Oh, you're here for the job?"

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"Yes!" said P.

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The worker scratched his head. "Sorry, but we've already filled the extra worker slots."

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P blinked.

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"Hm? What did you say?" said P, confused.

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"I said there's no spot left," said the worker.

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"……WHAT?" P shouted.

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SHFF!

114Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtd8yAjXqF3

SHFF!

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The worker kept mixing cement with his shovel.

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"HOW COULD THIS BE?!" P thought, his chest tightening painfully.

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The worker stared at him.

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"Uh…"

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P slowly raised his head.

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FLASHBACK—

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Hanabi sat behind the wheel, grinning confidently.

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"And you've still got twenty minutes to spare..."

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END OF FLASHBACK.

114Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkCcXB9UBlO

"Tsk- GODDAMN IT," P smacked his own face.

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"I should've moved faster," P thought.

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"Arggggh- whatever…" P sighed.

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SHFF—

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SHFF—

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"Could there be any spots open tomorrow?" P asked.

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SHFF!

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The worker paused. "I don't know... but try coming by tomorrow." He nodded.

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"There might be something open then," said the worker.

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"Okay, no problem! Thank you, I appreciate it," said P.

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"Yeah...!" said the worker, and they shook hands and bumped shoulders.

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TMP.

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TMP.

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"I'll come by tomorrow... just tell your boss a guy from Tong Tong came by," said P, wiping the cement off his palm against his trousers as he walked away.

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"Oh? I will," said the worker, waving with a thumbs-up.

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The worker went back to shoveling.

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SHFF!

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SHFF....

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TMP.

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TMP.

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TMP.

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"Guess I'll just have to find a pharmacist…"

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He rubbed his forehead, unaware that someone was watching him.

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SOMEONE WAS WATCHING HIM.

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IN A BUILDING OVERLOOKING THE ROADSIDE:

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The upper floor of a nearby abandoned building sat quiet.

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Cool air drifted through the open windows, the distant hum of traffic barely disturbing the silence.

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A figure knelt by one of the windows, a rifle braced in her hands.

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Long black hair cascaded down her back.

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Her expression was calm, her eyes a focused blue.

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The sniper rifle was trained carefully on the street below.

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She looked through the scope.

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The crosshairs settled on P as he walked casually along the road.

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……

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She adjusted her aim slightly, breathing steady, finger resting near the trigger.

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Through the scope, she watched him glance toward a nearby shop.

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"Target acquired," she murmured, her voice cold and composed.

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She made a slight adjustment.

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"Mei!" she called out calmly.

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"DAMN- h," said Mei through the comm.

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"Mei!" she called again.

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WHOOOSH

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A figure with long, curled orange-yellow hair landed on the rooftop.

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"Already in position! And you?" Mei said, startled.

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"Haa......." the sniper sighed, frustrated, through the comm.

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Meanwhile, P continued walking, unaware.

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TMP.

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TMP.

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TMP.

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A small pharmacy came into view ahead.

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His eyes brightened.

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"Finally…" said P, quickening his pace.

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TMP. TMP.

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TMP.

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But as he approached the pharmacy entrance...

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Something felt off.

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"Hm?" His eyes widened.

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TEEEW.... KLANGGGG!!!

114Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiI47r8audK

BOOM!

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The entire area exploded, as if struck by a missile.

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SSSHHHHHH.....

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Dust filled the air.

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Whatever the attack was, P had somehow dodged it.

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"HUFF- HUFF-" P caught his breath.

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SSSSSHHHH....

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As the dust began to settle, a shadowy female figure emerged, a massive axe slung over her shoulder.

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"You managed to dodge my attack, huh," the woman said.

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"Quite impressive," she chuckled.

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"What the hell!" P thought. 114Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkn8mYaUmf2

88.181.249.5

ns88.181.249.5da2