TerraDimension Neptunia- Gray Advent Prologue: Part 4

Quickly arriving in the Guilds main hall and popping his neck along the way, Haruto casually strolls up to Mikis desk as she was busy on her computer. No doubt she was busy all day due to the storm. He rests an elbow onto the desk as greets her playfully. "Hello, beautiful. How's life treating you?"

Recognizing his voice, Miki smiled as she turned in her chair to face him. "Hey, Haru. I've been almost waist-deep in work, but other than that I'm doing fine." She raised an eyebrow and gave him a mischievous smile. "Can't say the same for you. Iffy already told me how you all got drenched."

"Ah." Haruto exclaimed, catching on quick when Miki used the same nickname Compa did. "So you know eachother?"

"Kinda. We talk every now and then when she and Compa come to accept quests. So I guess you could say we're at least friends to some extent."

"From the way I figure it, you seem to be friends with just about everyone you meet... Mi-Mi."

Miki was taken by surprise for a moment, but giggled soon after. "Let me guess; you heard that from Compa?" Haruto nodded. "Yeah, that girl pretty much gives any person she likes a cute nickname."

Haruto shrugs his shoulders. "That explains the name 'Iffy' then... although to be honest it doesn't really suit IF." He looks at Miki with one eye open. "I mean she doesn't look that iffy to me."

"Pfft! Heheheahahaha!" Miki held her gut with both arms as she laughed almost uncontrollably in her desk chair. "OK, that's a good one!"

Haruto took a bow with a satisfied smirk. "Thank you, thank you." He stands back up straight and at attention. "Anyways, about those quests..."

After calming down from her laughing fit, Miki put a hand in front of her and waved. "No need to worry. I already sent all the credits and other reward to your inventory. Everything should be their."

Deciding to check just to be sure, Haruto dug his phone out of his pocket and checked his account on there. After sifting through and signing in, he checked the current amount he has and was glad to see he now has more than he had previously. "Alright, that's one thing settled..." He signs out and stuffs his phone back in his pocket. "Now, before I forget Miki, do you know if that package has come in today?"

"Package?... Oh, right!" Miki pushed backwards on her chair, bent down and scrounged around underneath her desk. Within a minute, she pulled out a large, yet thin box and put it on top of her desk. "It just came in this morning, right after you left." She lightly pushed it forward towards Haruto. "Go ahead, open it. I have a feeling you'll reeaaallly like what's in store for you." A big grin came across her face.

"No need to tell me twice." Haruto grab a hold of the package with one hand and carefully taking the tape off with the other. Setting the used tape aside, he opened up the package and smiled happily as he takes out the contents and held it in front of him in full view. It is a stone-gray, faux leather bomber jacket with a blue interior, a hoodie with white fur in the interior, and a brown leather belt strapped with tiger strips diagonally across the chest area, all securely held in plastic shrink-wrap. "Aww yeah, now that's what I'm talking about."

Wasting no time, Haruto tore off all the plastic wrap in one swift motion and put it back in the box as he brought the article of clothing up for a more thorough inspection.

"Sharp Edges, Fine Physique, Tough Leather, Cool Design... perfect for fighting and looking good while doing it." He flips it over to check the back. "Although I think I am gonna have a bit of a problem when it comes to slash attacks, but eh, I guess I can work around that." Miki could only smile at his almost child-like excitement, closing her eyes in amusement. "Good color palette, a hood for personal use, big pockets... Yep, this is better than I was hoping for."

Slinging his new coat over his shoulder, Haruto turned around and walking a few steps away from Mikis desk, then whipped his coat around in front, shaking it around to make it less stiff from the shrink-wrap. After about a minute, he unhooked the belt and carefully put the coat on. Putting both arms in proper, straightening it out and putting the belt back on, Haruto looked down to himself and was pleased with what he sees.

"So..." He turns back to Miki and put a hand to his hip. "How do I look?"

"Like a real heart-stopper." Miki smiled as she looked at him from head to toe.

"Is that a fact?" Harutos eyebrows perked up, pleasantly surprised.

"Yeah. With a look like that, I'm certain you'd be target numero uno out on the field." Miki told him. "Just try not to get torn to shreds by any dangerous monsters out there... oh, and any other men too, if possible. You know they hate guys like you, right?" A coy smirk graced her features. "And we certainly can't forget about the ladies. They'll really have to look themselves over twice when they're around you."

Haruto could only reply with a shaky smile. He always knew that Miki was a real flirt, even more so than he'll probably ever be, but even then he couldn't help but find her claims to be a bit too flattering. "Y-You're joking... right?" Miki shook her head with a smile. Shrugging off some of the awkwardness, Haruto took to whipping a thumb across his chin, turning to look to the floor with closed eyes. "Well, if I can strike that much of a presence, then I guess it does its job well."

"Guys aren't the only ones who like to throw compliments every now and then." Miki stuffed the used tape and wrap back into the box and put it back under her desk to be thrown out later. "Now that you have your new coat, there's something important I need to tell you... Something I know you'll love."

Raising an eyebrow, Haruto walked back to Miki, placed both arms flat on top of her desk and leaned in forward. "I'm listening."

"Glad I have your undivided attention." Miki teased as she raised a finger. "Do you remember how much you've been complaining on not having an actual job?"

"Yeah..." He scratched the back of his head in minor annoyance. He had applied to many jobs in the past couple of years, but thanks to ASIC and the lack of Shares in each nation, finding proper employment is easier said than done, to say the least. "Why do you ask?"

"Well, you see, because both of our CPUs have been missing for almost 3 years now, our Oracle, Histoire has been pretty much been running herself ragged just to keep Planeptune up and running." Miki leans back in her chair and places both of her hands on her lap. "Sure, she's been doing a good job, hell she's practically Planeptunes real leader at this point, but it looks like it's starting to become a little much for her. That said, she's been looking to hire someone to be her assistant, to help her with her duties as Oracle and keep Planeptune in top shape."

"An Oracles Assistant, eh?" Haruto tilted his head. "What does that involve? Any other details I should know?"

"Well, for the pay, it's like 2000 credits per hour (roughly $20 in real life), for about 45 to 50 hours per week... which now that I think about it, is a heck of a lot more than what I get." Miki mused with a sideways glance.

"Damn!" Haruto now has his arms crossed, his interest piqued. "2000 credit per hour and 45 to 50 hours... Now that's a lot of cash. A hell of a lot more than I make accepting quests or payment from a contractor." He brings his hand to his chin in thought for a moment. "Just to be sure though, is this job full-time or part-time?"

Miki shrugs her shoulders. "I honestly don't know. You're probably going to have to ask someone else about that... then again, my job is considered part-time so-" Her eyes widened somewhat mid-sentence before closing in a tight fit. "Hey, let me finish!"

Putting his hands up in defense, Haruto just closed his eyes. "Sorry, sorry." He said in a serious tone. "You were saying?"

A small 'Hmph' came to her as Miki returned to her normal demeanor. Haruto is thankful that, while she is quick to shoot off, at least she was also quick to cool down as well. "Anyways, as for your duties, half the job is basically what you've already been doing for the Guild for years; accepting quests and turning them in... only difference is that when you submit them this way, you would actually have a hand in raising Planeptunes shares."

Harutos eyes narrowed and brought one hand to his chin in thought. ("Raising Planeptunes Shares, huh? The shares come from our faith in the CPUs, and are an important asset both to them and their nations. Our very prayers give them strength. The more Shares one nation has, the stronger the Goddess herself is. Not to mention the nation itself would have more of a chance to defend itself and draw more people to it.") He mused to himself. ("So not only is it a well-payed gig, but I can basically make a direct influence in Planeptunes current state? That's unreal.")

Deciding to act as if it didn't matter that much to him, he relaxed his eyes and allowed his hand to fall to his side as he put the other onto his hip. "Alright, what's the other half then?"

"Paper work..." Miki speaks plainly with dull eyes. "Lots and lots of paper work."

"... Hmm, doesn't sound too bad to me." Haruto shrugged. "Welp, thanks for telling me Miki. Guess I-"

"No need." Haruto stood puzzled as Miki continued. "I actually already turned in your resume and recommended you myself the day the job was posted. And guess what..." Miki leaned forward to him, her face brightening up considerably. "You, Haruto Kiiryu, have an interview with the Lady Oracle herself, first thing tomorrow at 8 AM."

Harutos eyes widened before breaking out a wide grin. "You serious?"

Miki nodded happily. "Yep. If you can make a good impression with her, then you're basically set."

"Hehehe..." Haruto pushed himself off her desk and walked back a few paces. "Hehehehe, hahahahaha! Yeeeeeaaaaaahh! Wooohohooooo!" Then he hollered and pranced about as if he just won the lottery. "Alright! This is awesome!" He turned back to Miki, excitement and gratitude ever present on his features. "Aw, Miki, I definitely owe you big time for this one! Aha, if you weren't already hooked up, I'd kiss you right now!"

"Oh." Miki was left surprised at Harutos proclamation. However, she soon after gave him a seductive smile as she placed a finger on her lips and kept her eyes half-open. "Is that right? Well... " She trailed off as she leaned further forward with one arm under her chest, putting a lot of emphasis on her ample bosom. "My boyfriend is out of town today, sooooo, for a limited time only..." She slowly licked her lips with an alluring gaze. "... These lips are free~"

"Hmm..." Haruto brought one hand to his hip and the other to his chin as he pondered. "A tempting offer..." He then waved it off. "But I think I'll pass."

Miki frowned at him disappointingly. "Well, you're no fun."

Haruto crossed his arms. "Well a man should never try to steal another mans girl, else he'd be begging to get his ass kicked... and no offense Miki, but a minute with you is not worth having my ass Dragon-Kicked all the way across Gameindustri." He then shook his head and sighed. "Seriously, for a guy like him, your BF sure does get jealous easy."

"Tell me about it." Miki sighed as she leaned back into her chair. "Don't get me wrong, I love him... but you know a girls got a serious problem if she has to flirt with other men just to get her dense boyfriend to pay attention." She rubbed her head as she closed her eyes and gave an exhausted sigh. "Doesn't help that we've both been pretty busy at work lately. I'm getting stuck with longer shifts and he's been out on business for a while, so..."

"You've just been frustrated... in more way than one, I imagine." Haruto shook his head in a mockingly dramatic fashion. "That's just sad."

Despite his actions, the blue-haired clerk could tell he was genuine with his words. "Exactly!" Miki exclaimed, before clearing her throat and straightening herself out. "Anyways, enough about me. You should probably get going now. You're going to need all the rest you can get for the interview tomorrow."

Haruto turned to the entrance, and through the glass he could see that the storm has calmed down considerably. "Eh, you're probably right. I should call it a day... Oh, but before I forget, what do you think I should wear to the interview?"

"Well... " Miki turned back to her computer and looked through it, bringing up a private window with her email and clicking on one that is from, much to her surprise, Histoire herself. "According to the email I got, you're free to wear anything as long as it isn't too revealing or risque. You've also got this in your email as well, so..."

"Good deal. I'll be sure to check it in my spare time. For now, I gotta hit the trail before the second wave comes." Haruto turned on his heel and made his way to the exit as he waved to Miki. "Catch ya later."

"Wait!"

"Hmm?"

Haruto stops in his tracks as he hears a high-pitched voice calling to him. He turns to where it came from to see a familiar pink-haired girl down the hall he came from, sporting a fresh pair of cloths that look like exactly what she was wearing earlier, minus the shirt being torn. She skid to a stop in front of him and supported herself on her knees, taking her time to catch her breath. She must've been running in a hurry if she was this tired.

Raising an eyebrow, Haruto turned to face her fully. "Hey... Compa, was it?" He asked, and Compa nodded in response between breaths. "What's up? There something wrong?"

Taking a few deeper breaths to calm down, Compa pushed herself up off her knees and faced him with her hands folded against her chest. "Good... I manage to catch up before you left." Compa said, taking another breath to collect herself. "You forgot something, and I really needed to bring it back."

"Bring something back? ... Hey, if this is about the coat-"

Compa shook her head furiously before he could finish. "No, it's not that!" She then reached into her purse and pulled out a small, metal object with a chain attached to it."This." She then presents it to Haruto, who's eyes went wide as he recognized it almost immediately.

"My locket!" He picks it up gently from Compas hand and held it by the chain in front of his face in wonder. "Where the hell did you get this?"

"Well, when me and Iffy were changing in the girls room, it fell out of the jacket you gave me."

Flashback

After the girls took care of the perverted trio peeping on them, IF and Compa went back to their business. Discarding her damp cloths into a nearby hamper, Compa reached into her locker for a fresh pair of underwear, her arm brushing past the jacket Haruto gave her. Just as she was about to grab them, Compa heard a small, clunking sound in her locker.

Looking down, Compa sees a small, metal object sitting at the bottom of her locker. "What's this?" She gently picked it up and inspected it. It was a small, silver locket with a purple gemstone in the middle. "Aw, this looks so pretty."

"Hmm?" IF looked to her friend and sees her eyeing the locket like any other piece of jewelry. "Hey, Compa, what do you have there?" She asked as she put on a fresh pair of panties and walked right next to her pink-haired friend.

"Oh..." Compa snapped into attention, looking to IF before back to the locket. "I don't really know... I heard something fall from my locker and then I found this." She then looked to the jacket hanging off the wall of her locker. "Maybe it fell out of Harutos jacket?"

IF crossed her arms. "Then it's probably his. He must've forgot it when he loaned you his jacket... you might want to give it back to him if he's still here."

Upon hearing IFs words, Compa snapped upright with wide eyes as if struck by lightning. "Oh! You're right, Iffy! I need to give this back before it's too late!" Wasting no time, Compa grabbed every article of fresh clothing and dressed herself at almost record-breaking time, putting the locket in her purse and made her way out the locker room.

"W-Wait, Compa!" By the time IF called out to her, Compa had already kicked the door open and ran down the hall, hoping to catch Haruto before he already left.

Present

"Ah, so that's what happened... well, it's a good thing you found me when you did, otherwise I would've freaked out looking for this." He lightly tosses the locket and grabbed it in his hand before stuffing it into his new coat. "Guess that makes two things I owe you, huh?"

"Fweh? Two things?" Compa tilted her head.

"Yep." Haruto raised two fingers in front of him. "One for patching me up, and one for bringing back my locket... make it three and I just might take you out on a date to pay you back, ahaha."

"Wha!? A d-d-date!?" Compas whole face flushed beet red as steam began puffing out of her ears. Her eyes darts everywhere nervously before settling to the floor as she poked her two index fingers together."I-I don't know what to say... t-this is all happening so fast."

Haruto snickered a little before waving his hand. "Aw, don't get so flustered. I was just teasing."

Compa looked back up in surprised, but soon frowned at him and puffed her cheeks. "Hey, that's just mean! You should play with a girls heart like that!"

"Hahahaha! My bad, honest." He apologized in between his laughter before giving her an appreciative smile. "Seriously though, thanks for giving this back to me. I probably would've tore ass across Planeptune if I went home without it."

"You're welcome." Compa replied with a beaming smile. "I'm just glad I gave it back to you, Haruto." He nodded in response, as Compa took another look at him, now just noticing his new piece of clothing as she looked up and down. "Hmm? Where did you get that?"

"Oh, this? I got it in the mail just now." He jabs a thumb at the desk. "You can thank Miki for giving it to me." Compa looked back down to where the bluenette was stationed. Looking up from her computer, she sees Compa from across the hall. She smiled and waved, and the nurse kindly returned the gesture.

"Anyhow..." Compa turns her attention back to Haruto, who gestures to himself to her with a smirk. "What do you think?"

"Oh. Umm..." She looks down as she held her right forearm with her left hand, blushing lightly as she tries to find the right words. taking a deep breath, she looks to him and says, "It... really looks good on you."

"You think so?" Compa nods in response, earning her a wink from Haruto. "Hey thanks." He then inspects Compa from head to toe, making sure not to linger too longer on her sizable bust. "And I got to say, you look a lot better when you're not topless. That sweater really suits you."

"Aw, that's so sweet, ehehe. Thank you."

"No problem." Haruto reaches into his coat pocket for his phone and checks the time, seeing that it's almost 4 pm. "Anyways, I better hit the trail before the rains comes back for round 2." He turns to the sliding glass doors of the Guild and waved at Compa. "See ya around."

"OK, bye! Be careful out there!" The pinkette waved back as the young man made his exit. "Hmm... he really doesn't seem like a bad person. In fact, he's actually really friendly."

"Hey, Compa!" Compa was brought out of her musings as she heard the voice of IF coming from the hall she came from. Turning her head, she saw the brown-haired Guild Agent, now wearing a fresh set of cloths complete with a new jacket that was identical to the old on, running out from the hall and stopping right in front of her, taking a few shallow breaths to recover before speaking. "Haa... Haa... Geez, you really know how to run... anyways, are you OK? You didn't trip on the way down the hall, did you?"

"Oh, no need to worry, Iffy. I'm alright."

"Good." IF sighed in relief. "Did you give him that locket back?"

"Yep! I caught up with Haruto on his way out and gave it back to him." Compa explained.

"Well, at least that's settled. Although..." IF narrowed her eyes in suspicion. "He didn't do or say anything weird, did he?"

Compa tilted her head. "Hmm? What do you mean, Iffy."

IF lightly face-palmed at her friends question. Sometimes Compa can be a bit too innocent for her own good. "I mean was he doing anything perverted? Checking out your body, flirting with you... that kinda stuff."

Compas cheeks began to flush once more. "N-No, he wasn't."

IF stared at her as Compa stuttered. "Really? You sure?"

"Yes, really, he didn't do anything! He thanked me for giving his locket back and left. He even complemented me."

IF crossed her arms and raised a dubious brow."... He complemented you on your boobs, didn't he?"

Compa shook her head in response, her face getting hotter and hotter as time went on. "No! He was complementing my sweater. He even said I looked better when I wasn't topless!" She shouted, but quickly realized what she said and covered her mouth with both hands.

"Wha?" Now IF was confused as she unfolded her arms and put a hand on her hip. "Wait... did he really say 'you look better when you're not topless?'" IF inquired, putting extra emphasis into her question. Compa let her hands fall back to her side as she gave IF a shy nod. "Seriously?" Compa nodded again. "That's... odd."

"Well, you wouldn't be the first to say that, Iffy."

"Bwah!" IF jumped back a bit as another voice suddenly spoke up right beside her. Turning around, she sees Miki standing at least 1 foot away from her and Compa. "Miki, where the hell did you come from!?" IF patted her chest, attempting to calm her rapidly beating heart after that small jump-scare.

"From my desk, duh." Miki stated the obvious. "You two look like you were having an interesting conversation, so I'd thought I'd join in."

"Well, next time, don't just sneak up on us OK? Ugh ...You nearly gave me a heart-attack there."

"Yeah, my bad Iffy." Miki chuckled nervously as she scratched the back of her head. "That aside... you two were talking about Haru just now, right?"

"Haru?" Both girls say in unison. Compa and IF look to eachother then to Miki. "So you do know him?" IF asked.

"Uh-huh." Miki gladly replied. "We've been long time friends ever since he started taking jobs from the Guild, back when he was just a newbie fighter and I just started out here."

"Huh. That seems kinda convenient." IF noted, but then something just came to her mind. "Wait, Miki... how long have you been listening?"

"How long?" Miki curtly put a finger to her chin in thought before answering. "Hmm, since Compa came barreling from the hall. Why?"

"Wha!?" Compa blushed up a storm, coming to the sudden realization that Miki was listening in on them the whole time. "You heard everything!?"

Miki playfully stuck her tongue out. "Yep! Every word." She shifted her gaze to IF. "You really should've seen it Iffy. Haru really put the moves on Compa. Heck, her face was as red as a beet."

"Wait, what!?" Hearing this, IFs eyes widen as she came to the worst possible conclusion "So he did do something!? That perv!"

"Naw, he was just making some small talk." Miki waved off. "In all seriousness though, while Haru can be kind of a tease, he really isn't that kind of guy, so no need to worry Iffy."

"Hmph, alright, if you're so sure Miki, prove it." IF demanded. She obviously wasn't going to change her mind until she saw some proof.

"Proof?" Miki raised her eyebrows in surprise, but then gave a confident smirk as she put a hand on her hip. "Well then, I got just the thing... Come on over to my desk." Miki turned around and gestured the two girls to her desk. Following her lead, Miki sat back down in her chair and began looking through some of the security footage through her computer as the two girls stood behind her.

"Uh, Mi-Mi? Are you sure this is OK?"

"Yeah Miki. I don't know what you're trying to do, but you could get into some serious trouble for this." IF pointed out.

"In any other circumstance, yeah I would. But you're a member of the Guild and Compa is a close friend of yours, so there shouldn't be any problem." Miki shrugged off the comment as she sifted through one camera at a time before she settled on the one positioned down the hall, showing all three of them a good view of both locker room doors on each side of the hall. The three of them look to the time on the corner of the screen, and it shows that the footage was taken a little while ago, before those three perverts came barging into the girls locker room. About a minute in, Haruto walks out of the mens locker room straightening out his hair and strolls down the hall, out of the cameras peripheral view.

"OK, he just walked out. Now what?" IF inquired, completely lost on what exactly she was suppose to be seeing.

"Give him a minute." Miki insisted. They stared at the screen for a few more minutes, and on cue, three figures made their appearance.

"Those are the boys from before!" Compa points out, as the perverted trio came sneaking up to the girls locker room door, crouched down, and quietly nudged the door open. The three of them had varying reactions to what they saw in their: one stared in intrigue, one was drooling with a happy, open smile, and the last one had a wide grin, a nosebleed, and much to IFs disgust, a noticeable erection.

IF rolled her eyes at the scene while Compa was blushing furiously, wondering how long they're going to watch these fools watching them undress. IF was about to say something, but then a certain someone came back to the scene. "Huh? It's him." IF eyed Haruto as he strolled to the trio and stood right behind them. "What the hell is he up to?"

"Oh trust me Iffy, you're gonna love this. Hehehehe." Miki chuckled, obviously knowing what is going to happen next. A minute passed, and the trio turned their heads back and spot Haruto. They looked to have conversed for a bit before the trio went back to their peeping... Only for Haruto to Spartan Kick them straight into the girls locker room and ran a bit down the hall before hugging the wall to avoid detection, leaving only his head visible to the camera.

"He kicked them in there!?" IF screamed as she and Compa stood with white eyes as the video footage shows the locker room door slammed shut.

"Yep! Those boys never saw it coming!" Miki gave a thumbs ups to the video as Haruto put a hand to his forehead and laughed out loud. "Way to go, Haru!" Soon enough, the door shot open as the three boys were launched out of the locker room and straight into the wall. As IF slammed the door shut, they saw Haruto clapping to them as they fell unconscious one by one, the last one apparently flipping him off. Haruto shook his head and gave them a peace sign before walking away.

Miki pressed on a key to pause the footage and turned in her seat to IF and Compa, both of whom are very much surprised with what they just saw. "So... what do you girls think now?"

"... I really don't know what to say." IF responded. "I mean if he just joined in on them that'd be one thing... but I sure as hell wasn't expecting him to kick them in there!" Her eyebrows V'd down in minor irritation, one ticking slightly. "Sheesh, that guy really likes to showoff. So cocky and snarky-"

"Yeah, well, that's Haru for ya. While he does really seem that way, he can actually be pretty chivalrous... at least in his own way." Miki closed her eyes and gestured to the duo as she continued to speak in a Matter-of-Fact tone. "Besides, you girls were going to catch them in the act eventually anyways, so he probably thought he'd lend you all a hand."

"Um..." Compa piped up, gaining the other twos attention. "Why couldn't he just pull them away from there, so no one would get hurt?"

"Hmm... That's actually a good question, Compa." IF turns to the blue haired girl. "Miki, you know him more than we do, so any ideas."

"Pfft, easy. That sort of thing just isn't his style." Miki waved off. "Sure, he could've dealt with them himself, or even got security to kick them out, but he always preferred to give most bad guys some much needed karma."

"Karma, huh?" IF raised a brow as she folded her arms. "I take it he believes in that kind of stuff?"

"Well, let me tell you something Haru told me a while back; "Karma can be a bitch, but she can also be your best friend if you can get on her good side." Y'know what I mean?"

"Yeah, I guess I follow you." IF sighed, putting a hand to her forehead as she felt a slight headache coming on. "Geez, I've only just met the guy and already he's giving me a headache. Just who is he?"

"Yeah, I know you don't like those kind of men Iffy, but trust me when I say that he's actually a pretty cool guy once you get to know him... especially since you're all going to be working together soon."

"Huh...?" IF went stiff and Compa stood confused as they stared at the bluenette as if she grew a second head. "Wait, Miki. What are you talking about?"

"Well..." Miki responds casually. "Do you remember that new job opening for Histoires assistant? The one you two helped her set up?" Miki then crossed her legs and put one arm under her chest as she wryly smiled at the duo. "Take a guess who's going to be the interviewee tomorrow?"

They both stood still in silence as their brains tried to decipher what Miki is trying to say. Soon enough, like an alarm clock going off in their heads, they both stood wide-eyed in shock as IF raised a shaking finger."Y-You don't mean..."

"Yep! It's Haruto!" Miki responded happily.

"..."

"..."

"EEEEEEEEEEEHHHHHHHHHHH!?" They both shouted an ear-splitting scream right in Mikis face.

"OW~! Hey, not so loud!" Miki whined as she covered her ears, her eardrums practically ringing from the sudden high volume.

"Are you kidding me!? Him!? He's the one Histoire is interviewing tomorrow!?" IF was practically screaming at this point. Seriously, what were the odds of meeting a potential ally and co-worker a day before he's interviewed by the Oracle!?

"T-That's a really big coincidence!" Compa pointed out. As soon as she said that, Miki giggled mischievously with her mouth closed.

"That laugh just now..." Picking up on it, IF glared straight at her as she would an enemy. "Miki... did you actually lead him to us?"

"Who, me?" Miki pointed to herself, showing mock surprise. "No~. I didn't do that. He actually picked that quest all on his own... although, I did tell him about you two, soooooo."

"...You did that on purpose, didn't you?"

"Uh-huh."

IF took a deep breath, preparing to bite Mikis head off... but then exhaled in an attempt to calm down. Getting mad now seems a little pointless as she and Compa would've met him either way, and while she hate to admit it, especially in front of Miki, what Haruto did to those three was, in her opinion, actually kind of cool. Add that on top of some of the other things he did for them, she at least acknowledges that Haruto Kiiryu is not like most of the other guys she and Compa came across. Even so...

"*Sigh* You're the salt of the earth, Miki Makushiba." IF said irritably. ("Man, she's just as bad as Nep.")

"Love you too, Iffy!" Miki replied with a smile. "Anyways, I gotta get back to work. If you two plan on heading home, you might want to go now before it-" Miki casts a gaze to the front entrance... only to see that the storm has already came back at full force. "Oh, too late."

Seeing this, the duo simply sighed; Compa was downtrodden at the fact that she's going to get soaked again after just putting on a fresh set of cloths, and IF was now too tired to complain about anything right now. "What do we do now, Iffy?"

"We'll take my bike and hope we don't get too drenched. Seriously, this can't get any worse."

"Knock on wood."

"Quiet, you." IF scolded Miki, who just shrugged her shoulders turned back into her chair and typed away on her computer. With all of that said and done, IF and Compa reluctantly trudged along to the Guilds garage to retrieve IFs bike and hopefully get home at least not too damp.

As they moved along, their thoughts continued to linger on the dirty-blonde boy they've met today. They have only just met him and yet he has already made quite the impression on the both of them, for better or for worse. Add to the fact that he might be a potential ally in their fight with ASIC, it kind of makes them both wonder. Will he be a valuable ally or a pain in the ass they can do without? Is he truly a good person, or is he just like any other man? Neither of them know for sure just yet. They're just going to have to find out when the time comes... that's if Histoire does hire him.