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Ding!
A portion of a wall, which had a poster of a pixilated white Squid frowning and bending down, moves to the left: Mirii walks out, followed by Grina and Bars. Her left hand pressed a button and the lights appeared throughout the entire room.
The boy's eyes were on a large hummer, facing a metallic garage door: he sighs loudly.
"Man… like it's been a while, since we used the Kraken 'n Roller…" He opens his arms, shrugging and shaking his head.
"We used it some days ago…" Mirii walks over a smaller car painted in yellow. "Precisely when those Stingrays were attacking the city."
"But girl, like we used the hummer just for work!" He frowns a bit, walking towards a rectangular, wooden table. "I meant to use it for a vacation! I mean, this beast is made to make you feel alive around the sceneries, to make people forget about their problems and just enjoy the world for what it's!"
Grina's irises were staring at Bars, as her eyes sparkled and her cheeks blushed.
"Wow… I didn't thought Barsy was such a philosopher!" Her hands clasped.
He laughs, while his right hand fell on his head's back and his left hand grabbed a pair of keys and a circular remote which were hanging on a small, vertical wooden board leaning on the wall.
"Ha ha, like..." His left forefinger rotates around the key ring, which makes the keys and the remote rotate as well, while he was grinning and walking towards The Squid Jr. "That's common sense, girl! We bought this car for that reason…"
"Correct that last statement, Bars." Mirii rose her head a little, as she stood next to the car's back door on the right. "I complained about that decision ever since you talked about it, when we visited the used car lot… and still to this day, I consider that vehicle a waste of money."
"Yeah, I figured you'd still rant about it." Grina walks next to the car's front door on the right, as her face frowns a bit. "I'm surprised you didn't change much, ever since we formed the team..."
Bars pressed a button on the remote: the car made a clicking sound, followed by two chirps. Mirii pulled a rectangular lever, opening the door.
"I could say the same… but I did notice something different about you and Bars." She bends down a bit, entering inside the car.
The girl pulls the door in, then she slides sideways while sitting on the seats, until she reaches the back of the driver's seat: in front of her, a black board leaned on the back. Her hands pulled it down: her eyes were seeing a laptop standing on the board, with cables going inside the seat.
"What change?" Grina sits on the passenger seat, while closing the door and turning over Mirii.
Bars sat on the driver's seat, closing the door at the same time.
"It's been a while now, but…" Mirii closes her eyes, while lifting the top of the laptop up. "… you don't seem to treat Bars like you used before."
Grina blushes a bit, as her mouth grew in a flat line and her irises shrunk.
"Wh-what do you mean…?"
Bars turns the car's key, while they are in the ignition start lock. Mirii opens her eyes, as the irises turned over Grina.
"You were more careful about his antics… now, you seem to enjoy them with him." Her eyelids lowered to the middle, while her right forefinger pressed the Power button.
The engine rumbled, while the laptop screen flashed for a second. Grina blushes even more, almost not breathing for a moment.
"Ehm… you think?" She chuckles faintly, as her irises turned left and right.
Bars' left hand moved next to the steering wheel, picking a rectangular remote. He points it towards the garage door, pushing the left button: the door slowly opens.
"It all happened when that quarrel took place…" Mirii folds her arms, while raising her head. "I never saw you going against me, because of how badly I treated him."
"Well…" Grina's irises fell on the gear stick, which Bars's right hand stood on it, pushing it forward. "… to be honest, I thought you were exaggerating a bit."
The car starts moving, passing through the open door.
"That's not the point." Mirii's hands rest on the seat. "Even when Inkinators was reformed… there weren't many instances where you would downright attack him."
Grina turns ahead, with her head down and her hands clasped.
"Well, I did call him pervert yesterday…" She whispered.
"Girl, like I'm sorry for that!" He blushes a bit, while his hands were on the steering wheel and his eyes on the road. "I didn't want to make you feel uncomfortable…"
"Ha ha! What are you joking, Barsy?!" Grina's head turned over Bars, as she was grinning and closing her eyes: she pats his right shoulder. "I was just a huge butt, that time! I got even more salty for that, when you outright stood in front of me and attacked that woman's pet…!" She reopens her eyes, while simply smiling.
"Ah ah!" He smiled, as his right hand pulled the gear stick around. "Like, I wish I could see that moment on TV again… it was so intense, I almost didn't know what I was doing!"
The two Inklings laughed together. Mirii smiled, as her eyes were seeing the laptop's desktop.
"Although, I think the pet was just pretending to attack us…" Her mouth was sealed, while her forefinger slides multiple times towards a folder, which had the word Documents below it. "After all, the whole mission was part of that woman's plans."
Her eyes were moving on Bars and Grina respectively: the two were smiling at each other.
"Uhm… maybe I should omit that piece of information…" Her eyes returned on the desktop, which was showing multiple files scattered around.
"Technically, people must know the truth and have the courage to face it… but revealing this one may cause undesirable problems between Grina and Bars." Mirii slides her forefinger on the pad. "Emotions can ruin a person, if used wrongly. Besides…"
Mirii smiles.
"I want to believe that Bars really acted as a hero… he truly needs to evolve into a mature person."
The car was traveling on the road on the right lane: a red car was in front of them, speeding forward as well. On the road's left side, another road decorated with the same lines: cars were still, forming a long line. The roads were divided by two guardrails facing each the nearest road.
Music was playing inside the car, mostly by 8-bit instruments. Grina was tilting her head back and forth, as her right thumb was sliding on her smartphone's screen: her eyes were reading a text.
"Wow… that sounds super cool!" Grina smiles widely.
"What super cool?" Bars' eyes were still on the road.
"Eh eh… I think that the good ol' hummer is going to have some true fun, after all." Her right thumb kept scrolling down.
"Really?!" Bars' head turns over Grina. "Like, let me check!"
"BARS, THE ROAD!" Mirii frowns a lot, as her head was down and her arms were folded.
"Ack!" The boy turns forward, with the eyes immediately on the road. "Like, sorry girl…!"
Mirii sighs, while closing her eyes.
"Bars, the driver has an important responsibility aboard a card."
"Yeah, yeah!" He nods. "Like, I wanted to give just a look…"
"Don't worry, Barsy!" Grina's eyebrows were up, while her smile was still on. "It's just an idea for a vacation."
"Where?" Bars smiles.
"It's said to be located right in Seaweed Forest." Grina's eyes were seeing a photo of some trees with orange leafs. "I heard that name so many times…"
"Usually, the forest is highly utilized for excursions." Mirii's hands moved to the right, as they picked up a small pile of papers. "Especially on summer."
"Well, the website is sayin' that some guy could let us take a nice house, right in the middle of the forest!" Grina's irises were now seeing a list. "It has a large television sitting on the lounge, a nice chimney… and if we order a rent until the 25th of this month, we could get an awesome price!"
"Grina, the bridge is almost completely crossed." Mirii's eyes were seeing some buildings in the distance. "You must guide Bars, since you know where the studios are located."
Grina snorted, as her eyes rolled.
"Mirii, I knew that… there is no need to"
"Grina, this is not the time to discuss!" Mirii frowns, while staring at the girl. "Once I'll show those documents to the guards, we must locate the department where Hunley is."
"Do you have any idea where that department is?" Grina smiles while lowering her eyelids, as her right hand puts her smartphone away. "I guess Miss Perfection could really use some fancy gadget here."
"I have indeed an application for my smartphone, which helps me locate people." Mirii puts the papers down, as her left hand sunk inside her jacket's left pocket. "But the studios isn't a public place: there might be other guards walking around."
"Naaah, there aren't other guards around…" Her hands fell behind her head's back. "Well, at least that's how I remember since my childhood. I'm sure there aren't any of them…"
"In any case." Mirii rose her head a little. "You and Bars must look around and let me know if there are people watching us: raising suspicion will get us three out of the studios."
"Alright, alright…" Grina downturns her mouth a little, while her eyebrows and eyelids got in the middle.
Her eyes were staring a roundabout road, which had a small garden surrounded by green fences on the edges.
"Now, Bars…" Grina bends forward, as her right forefinger points the road. "Just proceed right ahead, until you reach that traffic light over there."
"Gotcha, girl!" He nods.
The car stops behind a line of multiple triangles looking down: two other cars were turning along the roundabout. Bars presses the gas pedal, as the vehicle proceed while turning the right side of the circular garden counterclockwise.
As the car proceeds on the road, Grina looks to her right: her sight was seeing some buildings which had several balconies with some people standing on some of them.
"Yep… I do remember those buildings." She smiles.
"Girl, like we are getting near the traffic light." Bars' eyes were seeing a red light on the traffic light, which had two cars on a lane each, both behind a large line. "Where we go next?"
"You turn right, then the first turn to the left." Her head turns over him. "After that, pretty much follow the road and you'll see it on the left."
"Heh… like, too easy!" The car stops behind a dark blue one, standing on the right lane.
He turns his head to the right, tracking down a tall building surrounded by iron fences.
"You know girl…" His irises moved to the left, seeing more buildings with steel-balustrade around balconies. "I thought this place was immersed inside the money. This kinda feels like that ol' town where my grandpa is."
"Eh eh, because this isn't the city yet!" Grina grins, as she looks at Bars. "When you'll follow that road, that's where the city starts emerging."
"Ah… girl, like where you lived before?" His eyes were now seeing the red light.
"In the city centre." Grina's head rose upwards, while lying on the headrest. "In a humble house..."
Mirii's irises shrunk while her mouth opened.
"Well, girl…! If we have time, we could pay a visit there." He presses the gas pedal.
The green light now appears, as the cars resume their movement: Bars turns the steering wheel to the right.
"I don't think we can, to be honest…" She reopens her eyes. "But it would be cool to show you my little house. I'm sure to still have."
"Grina!" Mirii points her right forefinger at the girl. "You said that you lived in a house in the city centre?!"
The car turns to the left, standing on a smaller road which was between the two buildings.
"… uhm?" Grina turns her head over Mirii. "Yeah?"
Mirii's jaw dropped.
"But… but that means…"
"What it means, exactly?" Grina tilts her head to the right.
Mirii closes her mouth, looking at the girl.
"Grina, I read this in a book long ago…" She rose her head. "Inkspray Inkland's apartments in the city centre are one of the most expensive apartments in this side of the planet."
Silence fell in.
"WH-WHAT THE?!" Bars' eyes expanded, which were still on the road. "LIKE, ARE YOU SERIOUS ABOUT THIS MIRII?!"
"I'm always serious, Bars." Mirii frowns slightly. "Seriousness is the only way that brings people towards perfection… am I right, Grina?"
The girl was sweating a lot, as her right cheek twitched frequently.
"… ah… ehm… well…"
"Grina, tell us the truth!" Mirii lowers her head. "If you lived in such expensive house…"
"W-w-wait a darn minute!" Grina moves her hands sideways, alternately, while her eyes were almost popping out. "I-I-I can explain! Please, let me explain!"
She took a wide breath, as her right hand stood on her chest.
"Alright… yes, I lived in a house which is located in the city centre… BUT how we got that house was in a different way!" She nods multiple times.
"How…?" Mirii folds her arms, as her eyes squeezed.
"Ehm…" Grina took her left tentacle, pushing it back. "That was… sigh, how can I say that now… … let's say a gift." She lowers her head, as her eyebrows rose.
"From who?" Mirii's eyes were seeing hills from her left.
"… from my grandpa…" She sniffs once.
"Your grandpa gave you a house like this?" Mirii bends forward.
"… yes… actually… that was his last gift." Her eyes were getting a bit watery.
Mirii left her mouth open a bit: she lends on the seat, as her eyes were staring at Grina turning forward.
"I lived here, before… in a truly humble house." She sobbed once.
Mirii's eyes turned to the right.
"My grandpa… well… my grandpa lived in the city centre… and yes, he was rich too." She sniffs loudly, as her right wrist rubs her eyes.
"More than my parents, I passed so many days with him… and… s-sniff, n-no grandpa!" She closes her eyes, sobbing a lot. "NOOOOO!" Her eyes were covered by her hands.
Bars downturned his mouth, as his irises turned to his right.