7 DAYS LEFT TILL POLL CLOSES!

CLEAR-5

KOUJAKU-3

MINK-3

Noiz Route #10

"I was a problem kid when I was younger. I didn't feel pain so I didn't understand that I hurt other kids. I couldn't figure it out. So the crybabies would scream to their selfish parents and I'd come home to my parents telling me I was a disgrace. Not concerned with anyone, I was shut up in my room."

"That sucks…" I mutter.

"Being rich and all, I had a toilet, a bath, a perfect room made for me. I had a tutor to teach me and a maid to bring meals. No one else came to see me, and I'd lick my own wounds."

"…"

"At first I was so lonely that I cried, but I eventually got used to being alone. I could live on my own. I don't really need other people."

"That's…not true, is it?"

But…

That might be true. I went through something like that. I would've probably become just like Noiz. Forced to live alone, without any other choice…Before you know it, it'd become the usual, and you wouldn't doubt it. Noiz said it with a straight face, but he's still like a kid from that awful experience. If his parents had accepted him…he wouldn't have had to think that being alone was all right.

"I want to ask you something." Noiz said "If I had for example, thought about you more, would I get something out of it?"

"…First of all, throw that cost-benefit way of thinking out. Anyway, you wouldn't lose anything."

"What's your basis on that?"

"I don't have anything like that." Saying that, I stretch out my arm and pull Noiz's head to my chest.

"…Hey."

"It's okay. Just stay like this." He resists at first, but little by little he relaxes himself. I hold Noiz's head firmly to my chest. I'm positive that with the kind of guy Noiz is, actions speaking way louder than words definitely applies. When I was younger and I cried, Granny would always do the same for me.

For whatever reason, whenever I felt Granny's warmth, I'd always calm down. So maybe it'll work on Noiz, too. Especially since he doesn't know the warmth of the other people. "There may be only one thing I can teach you. Maybe…the fact that this world is not so bad as you think it is."

"I haven't thought about what kind of place this world is in the first place. I'm not interested."

"That's because you just don't know. Because you have an awful lot of things you don't know about."

"Is there a reason I should know?" He asked.

"To put it in your words, it's more profitable to know rather than not knowing, right?"

"Then are you going to teach me how to do this?"

"…" Surprised, I look down to Noiz. I didn't expect him to ever say anything like that. A slightly ticklish warmth comes over me and I put more thought into how carefully I hold Noiz's head. "Let's see. If you think about me a little more, and promise not to do anything reckless, I will. Because, I'm like a big sister since I'm older anyway."

"That's kinda annoying."

"Shut up." I can't help but smile. I felt like I understood Noiz a little better, and it made me kinda happy.

"…It's a little too hot." When he mutters something and I release my hand from his head, Noiz gets up and sits on the floor.

I sit up and lean on a nearby shelf. "So. Can you make a promise?"

"I don't understand things like that…I don't know. If I feel like it."

"Then that means you don't know when you want me to teach you, right?"

"I don't know." It's the same as always, those blunt, uninterested responses, but…Noiz has been avoiding eye contact this entire time. Wait, is he…embarrassed? If so, then he might've actually taken a bit of what I said to heart. "But this really isn't the time or place to be flirting with you."

"Flirting…Come on." I chuckled "Oh yeah, the thing you did earlier, did it work?"

"Yeah. They shouldn't have received any information about those dogs Allmate finding us."

"I see. Then before it's too late…Gah, ow-" I suddenly remember the burn on my side and the pain returns. The reason why it started hurting was probably because I felt relieved. It was like my heart had moved to the wound, because it ached with the pulse. "Ow, it hurts…"

"The injury you got earlier?" Noiz stands up and looks at the burn on my side. "Seems like it hurts a lot."

"It does." I winched feeling another shot of pain running through me.

"We'd better treat it, right?"

"…Yeah, well, if it's possible." While answering, I look up at Noiz, agape. He's concerned about me…?

"What is it?"

"No, nothing." I said.

"I need something that could help treat it…" Noiz searches his pants pockets. He soon pulls out…a surprisingly white handkerchief.

"Handkerchief? Why would you have something like that?"

"… …Old habits don't die so easily." Noiz spits his sentence out rather bluntly.

I see. Noiz's family is apparently rich, so his upbringing was fairly good too. But still, a white handkerchief…

That's actually pretty cute.

"Huuuuuh…"

"What, shut up." When I smiled at the new revelation, Noiz grumpily put the handkerchief back in his pocket. "I don't have anything useful."

"It's okay. I can stand this much." I stand up, trying to bear the pain, and try to walk. But… "Geh."

"Does it hurt?"

"A little…"

"I really should go look for something."

"But it's dangerous. Those Allmates just now may still be there." I told him.

"I'll mange, you wait here. I'll leave this for you in the meanwhile. If something happens, push this in the place where its eyes are." Noiz removes one cube hanging on his waist and tosses it to me. Then he goes to the door and looks back at me.

"What…" He suddenly comes back and brings his face close…and then our lips lightly touch. At the same time, he gives me a quick lick. "!"

"Bye then." Saying that with his usual calm face, he leaves the room.

I let out an embarrassed sigh as I watch his back disappear. Feels like Noiz has swung around by quite a force…

…But hey, nothing wrong with that.

I sit on the floor again and lean on a shelf while protecting my wounded side. Is Noiz all right? We're in the middle of the enemy's base after all, so no matter how strong that guy is, I'm still worried. As if it's reacting to my anxiety, my burn starts throbbing with pain.

"Come back soon." I tightly grip the cube and wait, praying for Noiz's safe return.

…About thirty minutes have passed since then. Noiz hasn't returned yet.

…He's late.

This is too weird. Whatever's happened, it's made him really late. Did something bad actually happen? Was he caught in the middle of something? I don't want to assume the worst, but even if it's Noiz we're talking about. I can't deny the possibility. Do I go look for him…?

-This is an emergency. Five minutes after this message, partition walls will block the passages sequentially from floor to floor, starting from the basement. Please evacuate the premises immediately. Staff members on the passages should evacuate as soon as possible. I repeat, this is an emergency.-

"…" I don't know what the deal is, but something sure is happening.

…I have to go look for Noiz.

After gazing at the cube in my hand, I used the shelf as a support and stood up slowly. "…Ngh." To be honest, the burn on my side is considerably painful. I break out in a cold sweat. But now's not the time to say something like that. I activated Ren who was in sleep mode in my bag.

"Aoba."

"Ren, things are getting kinda ugly. I'm in a pretty bad shape too, so I need your support."

"Are you okay?" Ren asked worriedly noticing my pale face.

"Can't quite say I am, but I have to try my best." Holding my side, I leave the room as fast as I can. When I emerged into the hallway, I could hear the alarm much more clearly. From a distance I heard sounds like the earth was rumbling, too. Maybe it's the sound of the partitions closing.

Maybe Noiz isn't on the floor anymore?

I placed the cube on my palm, and tried pushing where its eyes were, like Noiz said.

"You called?"

"Is Noiz on this floor?" I asked.

"No."

"I see…"

Let's go upstairs for now…

"Aoba, behind you."

"!" When I look over my shoulder, I see one of the dog Allmates standing there. It's over for me if I get hit by one of those beams…! "…!" I bolted down the hallway. I didn't care about the burn on my side. I could hear the dog's footsteps following after me.

Quickly…

I need to find somewhere to hide…!

I run desperately and eventually see the elevator door. I nearly jump to the door and press a button.

Quickly…

Quickly…!

The elevator door opened and I ran into it. I could see the dog Allmate right before the door closed. I'm saved…

I pressed the button to the top floor. The elevator comes to a quite stop and the door opens. Before I can take a single step forward…I freeze.

This again.

The dog Allmate is…And this time its mouth is open, with the thin iron pipe pointed out. What do I do now…!?

At that moment, something crosses my mind.

"…!" Right before the Allmate fires its beam, I throw Noiz's cub into the dog's mouth. It sounds like something exploded, and the dog wriggles around and steps back. It squirms for a little bit at first, but smoke start to rise out of its mouth.

…Did it work?

I go up to the dog and check. It looks like it's completely blown. I don't see any indication of it being activated. Noiz's cube tumbles to the floor. The lights in its eyes flicker. I pick it up and it starts to talk.

"…Reading twenty-four, error…received…" Looks like it broke when the beam discharged. "…Noiz…takes…58 points…"

"…Noiz? Are you here? Where are you?"

"This- floor…center….big room…83, declining…" The power cuts off. The light in the cube goes dim, eventually fading out completely.

"…Thank you. I'll definitely find Noiz." I muster all of my strength at the last minute and stuff the cube into my jacket pocket. I pass over the dog Allmate and head inside. Noiz is in the center of a big room…

I need to hurry.

My side feels as painful as ever, but I don't notice it much. I walk down the hallway and suddenly see a door. It's more elegant than any of the other doors. It must be a hall or something.

Is Noiz in there…?

I quickly go up to the door.