Hello Loyal Readers!

REUPLOAD: I've reuploaded the chapter to be a bit more polished and to have the Mailbag section at the end. Thanks for being patient during this time of transition! *love y'all!*

Today, Kuon gets a step closer to his dream but a step farther from his friends.

Let me know your thoughts in the review box below! Not going to lie: your reviews and responses really spur me to write more and better stories! Hope you all are enjoying the story as much as I'm enjoying writing it!

Updates will go back to every other week!

-x-

CH32

"The arrests made today could not have been possible without the brave and dedicated agents of the CIA's Los Angeles division," Kuu stated into the microphone. He glanced down briefly at his prepared statement on the podium before picking up with the next line as cameras flashed all around him.

Curled up on the couch in Rick's apartment, Kuon watched as a news banner unscrolled at the bottom of the TV screen denoting his father as "Kuu Hizuri, CIA LA Division Section Chief". As his father continued with the press briefing, Kuon felt a strong hand clap him on the shoulder. He glanced up to see Rick leaning over the back of the couch and grinning down at him.

As Kuu continued on TV, thanking the Japanese embassy for their partnership in taking down the Japan-based smuggling ring, Kuon pouted up at Rick. "So they're not going to tell the real story?"

Rick raised his brows in feigned surprise. "Real story?"

"You know," Kuon shot back with a good-natured roll of his green eyes. "The whole thing about the smuggling ring being a cover-up… You didn't think I'd actually fall for that, did you?"

"This guy!" With a small hop, Rick vaulted over the back of the couch and tackled Kuon, giving him a solid noogie. "Think you're so smart, huh?"

"I'm serious, Rick!" Trying with limited success to swat Rick's hands away, Kuon laughed as he attempted to fend his mentor off. The teen heard Kaiso's laugh as he entered the room.

"Now, Rick-san." The Japanese agent was carrying a tray of cake slices. "I think Kuon-kun has earned an explanation."

Leaving his mentee gasping for air with laughter, Rick finally leaned back, still grinning. He took a plate of cake off the tray Kaiso offered. "I absolutely agree! But let's see how much he's figured out on his own first."

"Fine by me!" The Hizuri rubbed his hands together eagerly as Kaiso settled on the couch, Tina coming in from the kitchen with a tray full of sparkling champagne flutes.

As Kuon explained that even though the gang was running its operation out of Little Tokyo, it was pretty obvious that they were not Japanese, Rick and Kaiso nodded, the American grinning and the Japanese man giving a small, proud smile. Also paying attention now, Tina set her tray on the table and settled on the couch between Kuon and Rick.

She quirked a manicured brow. "Well, Einstein, if they weren't a Japanese gang, what were they?"

Kuon shot her a smug grin. "North Korean."

Impressed, Tina mimed a silent golf clap and motioned for the teen to continue. Kuon explained how he hypothesized that the gang was posing as counterfeiters and smugglers of luxury goods, but their real intent was in human trafficking. The workers at their warehouses were the real "goods". That was why Tina had been so intent on filming the people and not the contraband, and why in the alley, the man in the black shirt had said she'd asked for the wrong goods.

"And Kimura Jin was not really named Kimura Jin," Kuon added. "His name was Kim Jin-ra, probably a North Korean spy. His coworker from the bar was the guy–"

Kuon froze.

Legs and a single arm stuck out under the cement pipe. Blood the color of wine puddled on the ground.

"The guy whose picture you took at the construction site," Kaiso cut in tactfully. He smiled gently at Kuon. "You ended up getting photographic evidence of all three ringleaders meeting, in addition to the notebook containing all their buyers."

"Y-Yeah," the blonde teen said, returning the smile shakily. "That's what I was going to say."

"Hey now." Picking up on the tension, Tina brightened and reached for the tray, passing glasses of champagne all around. She offered a glass to Kuon with a kind, understanding smile. "Come on, guys. We're here to celebrate a job well done."

"Uh… Sorry!" Kuon held his hands up and shook his head automatically. "I'm still underage, remember?"

With a sneaky sidelong glance, Tina shrugged and gently palmed the glass into one of Kuon's open hands. The new diamond ring on her fourth finger winked in the bright light. Grinning, Kuon took the glass.

"To us!" Rick proclaimed, raising his glass. "And to a job well done!"

"Cheers!" Tina and Kuon shouted at the same time Kaiso exclaimed, "Kanpai!"

As Kaiso and Tina discussed the PSIA agent's impending return to his home country, Rick leaned over behind Tina, beckoning to Kuon. The dark-haired man tossed a small square box to the teen.

Confused, Kuon barely caught the box. Rick shot him a wink.

"Open it!"

Inside the white cardstock box on a padded bed of crushed red velvet lay a simple yet elegant watch with a brown leather wrist strap. Kuon immediately recognized it as the one that Rick always wore.

"My mentor at the CIA gave me this watch on the day I graduated from the new recruit program," Rick noted with a far-off smile. "He sucked me into this work. Saved my life more than a few times. Taught me everything I know. And now, it's yours."

In wonderment at this momentous gift, Kuon turned the timepiece over and over in his hands, smoothing his fingers over the worn glass of the watch face. Each scratch undoubtedly held a tale, a story of bravery and skill and adventure. Then he paused and slowly lowered the watch back into the box, closing the lid.

"Thank you, but… It's not right Rick." Kuon turned away. "I'm not even in the training program. Who knows if I'll ever get in…"

"Well…"

"And don't try to just make me feel better. I know that it's a long shot, even with all this new experience–."

"Kuon."

"What?"

"You start Monday."

The words took a second to register. Kuon's head snapped up so fast, his hair went flying out of his face.

"What!"

"I said…" Rick, true to form, was studying his fingernails nonchalantly but was trying to hide a sly grin. "That you're in the training program."

Stunned, the Hizuri could only listen as Rick continued on smugly, "Someone must've put in very good word for you. Wonder who it could've been…"

Tina leaned back into their conversation to tap her fiancé brusquely on the shoulder. "Hey! You weren't the only one… Stop trying to take all the credit!"

"Tina?" The blonde teen's eyes widened. "You too?"

"I believe Albright-san's words were, 'brave and reliable under-fire, and a credit to his upbringing,'" Kaiso shared, hiding a small smile from behind his champagne glass. Kuon felt something almost like tears prick at the corners of his eyes. A wobbly smile passed over his face.

As Rick tried to prevent a blushing Tina from pummeling the Japanese man, Kaiso turned to Kuon as well and bowed slightly in his seat. "I too have put in the appropriate commendation with the PSIA and U.S. government."

Kuon bowed back in his seat as deeply as he could before launching himself up to surprise the man with a hug. Kaiso was only taken aback for a moment before chuckling and somewhat awkwardly returning the very American gesture.

"Do not forget that you will have a friend and ally on the other side of the Pacific," Kaiso remarked as Kuon released him. "Maybe we will see each other again one day. You would get to meet my partner. He is quite the… interesting character. He is an expert in disguises."

"Sure," Kuon replied, a bit more misty-eyed than he would have wanted. "Let's meet again some day."

"Hey!" Rick shouted in the background. "What about me? I did 80% of the paperwork! C'mon, Kuon!"

As the other three agents bickered light-heartedly, Kuon opened the box and strapped the watch to his wrist. In the reflection of the glass, he could see his bright smile shining back at him.

-x-

-ONE YEAR LATER-

Sighing after another long day, Kuon walked down the neat, white-tiled hall of the Los Angeles CIA training facility. With one hand, he massaged a sore spot next to his neck, and with his other, he scrolled through the day's training schedule on his phone.

Sniper rifle basics and practice was done for the day, but it had left its mark on his clavicle where the rifle would kickback with each shot. Kuon cricked his neck to the right and then to the left, trying to ease the tension in his muscles.

It was a strenuous schedule, but then again, what else could he expect from his instructor? Marcus Alexander was a legend among the trainers, and he got to handpick the best of the best out of each batch of new recruits for his own private program.

Kuon grinned. By some stroke of luck, Marcus had been watching him during an early sparring match with a classmate. After knocking the cocky (and racist) twenty-year-old out with a particularly nasty axe kick to the temple, Kuon had taken a water break and had been approached by the tall, wavy-haired trainer.

"Hey, kid. Got a name?"

"Kuon… Kuon Shuuhei."

Marcus had grinned. "Well, Kuon Shuuhei. Color me impressed. You're going to be my trainee from now on. I can tell – you've got a lot of potential. You're definitely special."

Without the Hizuri name, without relying on his parentage, and by his own merit, Kuon had earned himself a one-way ticket to the accelerated course. Kuon had no regrets about registering under his father's original, and less well-known, Japanese last name.

As expected, Marcus Alexander was a strict teacher and a demanding trainer, expecting only the best from his handpicked batch of recruits. His curriculum was rigorous – 5k run every morning, conditioning, didactic lessons, sparring, weapons practice, then free study and practice time until bed – but rewarding. With only four other young men in his class, instead of the standard twenty, Kuon really felt the benefit of the extra attention and camaraderie.

Clenching his fists open and closed in front of him, Kuon marveled as he briefly reviewed all that he had learned in the past year. He knew so many other methods of taking down enemies now.

But…

Letting his arms drop, Kuon stuffed his hands in his pockets. The lessons were growing more and more out of his comfort zone. How to go straight for fatalities in hand-to-hand, where to stab to cause maximal lethality with minimal noise, what everyday items to repurpose if one had to conduct an impromptu interrogation…

Kuon suppressed a slight shiver. He would never be able to look at spoons the same way ever again.

On the other hand… Marcus had been really proud of him that day. Kuon had picked the techniques up so quickly. Praise had been abundant lately, and it felt so good.

'Keep it up, Kuon,' Marcus had said with a grin. 'You're going places. You're definitely special.'

For once, Kuon felt proud of his accomplishments, and someone else felt proud of him – due to his own effort and merit.

Sighing deeply, the sixteen-year-old shifted his hands out of his pockets and continued down the hall. He was probably just overthinking all these things. Maybe all the CIA recruits learned these things.

Maybe he could try to ask Rick… But Rick was still gone on that mission in South America. Kuon hadn't been able to see or call his mentor in almost half a year.

Unthinkingly, Kuon's hand drifted to the watch on his wrist. When Rick came back, would he be disappointed that Kuon was learning this? Rick had made his position on killing in the field very clear. Well…Marcus didn't think it was such a big deal… Maybe it wasn't.

"Kuon!"

Speak of the devil… Kuon perked up to see the tall, fair-skinned American striding down the hall toward him. The trainer's light-brown wavy hair was slicked with perspiration, and he was wearing a muscle tank and sweat pants. Probably just got finished training another one of his groups in hand-to-hand, Kuon guessed. Like a kid with his hand caught in the cookie jar, Kuon snatched his hand away from the watch.

"Hi Marcus." Marcus liked to keep his groups informal. While the other recruits had to snap to attention and salute their instructors, Marcus always waved away their salutes as 'unnecessary bullshit'.

The CIA trainer grinned and stopped before the blonde. "I almost thought you'd walk right into me. What's on your mind?"

Kuon had to catch his eyes before they widened in panic. He didn't know why, but his first instinct was to hide these sprouting doubts. Sometimes – rarely – but just sometimes… Marcus' eyes would get this look. "Oh. Nothing much."

His instructor scoffed. "C'mon, you can tell me. I'm your trainer, not your mother."

Resisting the urge to flinch – Kuon had been out of contact with his parents for the past year by Marcus' standard practice – the blonde recruit hesitated then he ended up spitting out, "To be honest, the classes are– They're–"

"Making you uncomfortable?" Marcus filled in the rest of Kuon's fragmented thought. The briefest flash of a frown crossed his brow before it was smooth and free – again the easy-going and in-control instructor. Marcus sighed. "The killing part, I'm guessing."

He reached forward and patted Kuon's shoulder, the man's hand coming to rest there.

"Don't worry so much, kid," he said with a reassuring smile. "They're just bad guys, after all. An enemy is an enemy. They're not going to show you any mercy. Why should you?"

"But…" But Rick had said…

"Hey," Marcus stated as he stepped forward and leaned in slightly. The hand resting on Kuon's shoulder gave a tight squeeze that felt the briefest bit painful before the man relaxed his hold. "Don't worry your silly little head about things like that. You want to become a CIA agent or not? You want to make your parents proud or what?"

Feeling a dagger ghost violently through his heart, Kuon averted his gaze. His parents... "Yes sir."

"Good…" Leaning back, Marcus regarded the teen with another smile. "You're almost done with your training. No need to waste all of your hard work. Now, just head back to your dorm, and–"

"Marcus!"

The familiar male voice echoed down the hall. Kuon glanced up sharply. It couldn't be, but–!

But there was Rick striding down the white tiled floors toward them. Getting over his shock, Kuon felt a large grin cross his face. "Rick?"

"Well, well…" Marcus stepped up next to Kuon, a smirk on his lips. "If it isn't my big bro!"

"Big bro?" Kuon glanced between the two men, confused. In his confusion, Kuon missed it as the dark-haired CIA agent took that last step forward and took a heavy swing at his trainer.

Light on his feet, Marcus dodged the punch, but was too off-balance to escape Rick's fast follow-up right hook. Kuon watched in bewildered horror as Rick's punch grazed Marcus' cheek, toppling the instructor into the wall.

"Wh-what the hell, man!" Marcus spluttered, hand flying to nurse the immediate swelling on his face.

Rick didn't give him a chance to recover. He was instantly fisting the front of the trainer's shirt, pulling so hard that the brunette's feet barely brushed against the ground.

"Don't bother with your damn excuses, Marcus," Rick snarled, his lip curling in disgust. "You enrolled Kuu's son in your disgusting little program, didn't you!"

"Rick…?" Reeling from Rick's abrupt outburst, Kuon stood uncertainly between his former mentor and current teacher. Why was Rick attacking Marcus? They were brothers? Why did Rick have such a bad view of the accelerated program? Then the rest of Rick's accusation sank in, and a wave of panic hit him. Rick had just outed him as Kuu's son.

However, Marcus was more smug than surprised. "Of course. Who could resist? Just think of that Hizuri blood being pushed to greater heights."

"Greater heights?" Rick snapped back. "You call being a child assassin, 'greater heights'?"

"What?" Kuon froze. Assassin? Did Rick mean… Kuon felt a wave of nausea crest over him. Yes, it all made sense. The accelerated course wasn't just a faster program for skilled young recruits. They were teaching him a whole different set of skills than the standard class. Kuon grit his teeth. Marcus had been right… Kuon had been special after all.

"And you!" Shoving his apparent brother away, Rick turned on Kuon, dark eyes flashing. "I thought I taught you better. How could you go along with this bastard all this time!"

"What!" Kuon repeated, incredulously. His voice sounded too high and young for his liking. "Rick, I don't even– I didn't know–!"

"You didn't know?" The dark haired agent snarled as he stepped toward the teen. "Don't give me that bullshit. You're smarter than that, Kuon. I expected the son of Kuu Hizuri to have some damn common sense."

Because Kuu Hizuri would have been able to understand. Because Kuu Hizuri wouldn't have been duped. Because Kuu Hizuri wouldn't have been trained as an assassin.

In an instant, his fear flashed and evaporated into raw, familiar rage. Stomping a step forward, Kuon glared up at his former mentor and snapped, "You know what? Screw you! What the hell do you know about me, Rick?"

Not waiting for an answer, Kuon spun on his heel and stormed off.

-x-

"Dammit!" Kuon slammed his fists down on his desk. Cursing, he violently swept his hands across his desk, scattering books and papers and pens to the ground. His hands, bitter and enraged, clenched and unclenched on the wood.

How could he have been such a fool? The classes, the separation, the ego-stroking!

Kuon felt suffocated, his breath suddenly coming in short, shallow pants. Marcus Alexander had been grooming him to become an assassin. And Marcus had known that Kuon was not a Shuuhei but a Hizuri… He had practically just admitted that Kuon had been chosen because he was a Hizuri.

Marcus smiling down at him as he ruffled the teen's blonde locks. 'You're definitely special.'

How much had been the truth? Or had everything just been a lie?

Suddenly, he felt as if he really couldn't breathe. Scrambling from his desk to his window, Kuon fumbled with the lock before flinging his windows both open. Sticking his head out, Kuon sucked in deep, panicked gulps.

Domestic arguments and police sirens echoed through the summer night. Even this late, the Los Angeles air was choked with smog.

The teen slid away from the window onto his bed, his arm cast miserably over his closed eyes. Rick had been right. He should have been smarter. Kuu Hizuri's son should have been smarter.

Kuon deflated, his arm sliding down and away as he stared at the white popcorn-textured ceiling. Had this whole year been in vain? How was he going to catch up to his father now? Would he ever?

A knock sounded on his door.

Kuon ignored it. If it was his classmates, he definitely didn't want to talk to them.

'Hello! How are you? By the way, did you know that we are being bred to be emotionless killing machines? Oh you did? I guess I was the only one stupid enough not to figure it out.'

A familiar voice echoed hollowly through the dorm's flimsy wooden door. "Kuon… Hey… It's Rick."

Blinking himself out of his thoughts, the blonde automatically turned toward the door before feeling the weight of his mentor's earlier disappointment and accusations. Kuon rolled over in bed, his back to the door.

"Hey, Kuon, I know you're in there. I… You…" Behind him, Rick's voice stopped and started like an old car that just couldn't seem to catch. "Just… hear me out, ok?

Tucking his head to his chest, Kuon resisted the urge to curl into a ball.

"I…" A heavy sigh from beyond the door. "I'm sorry. I jumped to conclusions. I didn't mean to accuse you."

As Rick continued, Kuon rolled back over and stared hard at the door. His gaze drew downward toward his wrist. The glass face of the watch winked up at him in the yellow light.

With a heavy sigh, the teen rose from the bed and shuffled across the floor. His hand hovered above the doorknob, unsure.

"Rick…"

There was a sudden whistling through the air. A metallic clank as something landed on the ground behind him. Kuon looked back, alarmed to see a can rolling across the floor from the window. The can was spewing thick gray smoke that quickly filled the room, obscuring his vision.

Shouting in alarm, the Hizuri desperately dove to the floor, trying to find the metal can so he could chuck it back outside.

His hands scrabbled madly on the wooden floor, searching. One hand accidentally connected with a metal object that spun away from his desperate grasp.

Behind him, he could hear someone pounding on his door. Rick?

But he was so sleepy. What had he been doing again? Why were his hands moving so slowly? All Kuon wanted to do was close his eyes and sleep.

Blink slowly. Sleep… Rick was at the door, and Kuon had to do something, but… Sleep was more important right now.

The last thing Kuon remembered was a man in a white porcelain mask swinging himself into his window, picking him up like a rag doll, and throwing him over his shoulder. All while Rick pounded desperately on the door.

Then darkness.

-x-

MAILBAG

Aikori Ichijouji – Happy early April Fools! Haha, glad I got some of ya! ;D JAPAN! If you couldn't tell already, I'm a bit of a weeb. Love Japan, though last time I went, I ended up catching the flu and my husband had these debilitating cluster headaches, so it was a less than ideal traveling situation. *cries* Hope you had lots of fun!

MWEH – Muhaha! Yes, I'll consider us even then! Gotcha! Rick is still alive, and Kaiso is still a good guy :) As for trying to get friends hooked on SB irl, I also have a good friend who I've tasked with reading SB, but she gave up after the Kuu arc. *cries* Hope your friend is at least still going! At the rate that chapters are coming out, your friend is at least bound to catch up before the decade turns over. Haha…ha *cries again* I agree that Kimiko is up to something! I don't know if you've read the spoilers, but this chapter will push the story forward bit by bit, so I'm looking forward to the actual translation coming out! Hope you're doing well, MWEH!

Guest – Dingdingding! We have a winner! Haha, your 2nd guess was right. It was Korean! Though I am technically Korean, I don't speak the language and I had to use Google translate, so who knows if the dialogue actually says what I want it to. *facepalm* Thanks so much for the encouragement! And don't worry, I'm not offended by much, and I do happen to celebrate Christmas and New Years! Thanks again, my loyal anonymous follower! (Leave a name next time so I can refer to you specifically!)

brennakai – Thanks for the review! And I agree, the only reason why I dragged out that mission for so long was to set up that moment – where Kuon is learning why Rick and the gang are doing what they are doing, and so that he can learn to be more cautious from here on out. Thanks again! Hope you're doing well!

-x-

THANK YOU AGAIN FOR YOUR REVIEWS, FAVES, AND ALERTS! They really help me keep this going amidst the craziness of life. Don't forget that updates will go back to every other week!