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Mirii's irises were bouncing left and right: different Inklings and other humanoid, sea creatures were walking by on the sidewalk. Her forehead was full of sweat.
"… how… HOW COULD I IGNORED A SUCH PROBLEM OF THIS MAGNITUDE?!" She swallows silently. "Playing along this ridiculous, illogical game belonging the imperfect world… while all those people are watching my operate! How this mistake even took place?! Who's the idiot who made me fall down from the guarantee I promised to myself?!"
Suddenly her irises shrunk, as her mouth opened a bit sideways, while her right cheek twitched and her head was lowered.
"… curses… … I-I wasn't the one saying that!" Sweat jumps out from her forehead. "Th-that was… th-that was…"
"Uhm… Mirii…"
"WHAT?!" Immediately her head rose back.
Her hands went on her mouth, as her eyes were staring at Hun which posture lowered and his arms opened a bit. His eyes were expanded.
"Wh-what's wrong?!" His head turned left and right.
"Nothing! … nothing!" Her hands were already down, as her posture lifted. "It was just my mother who taught me of calling others, idiots!"
"Huh!? Idiots…?" Hun's posture returned to normal, as his head tilted a bit to the left and his eyebrows went up.
Suddenly, Mirii felt like turning into a statue for a brief moment… quickly, she shook her head.
"It's just my mind who's preparing for all the possible situations we might encounter!" Mirii's hands grasped her tentacles, as her back was bending forward , her eyebrows were up, her mouth a bit downturned while her teeth were gritting and her face was covered in sweat.
"Oh… then, that makes sense!" Hun chuckles a bit, as his eyes closed and a sweat drop appeared on his head's left side. "If there is anything I can do to"
"No need! I'm perfectly prepared to fulfill my role in this game!" Mirii's right forefinger kept tapping her forehead's right side, while shivering a bit and raising her head. "The situation is under control, as you can clearly see from my perfectly calm and unemotional voice!"
"… uhm…" Hun sealed his mouth for a moment. "Mirii… I know how you feel…" He lowers his head.
"… huh?" Mirii's head turned towards the boy.
"Being all that excited about playing this game…" He turns his head over the girl. "… when in reality, we really don't want to."
Mirii's mouth opened wide. Hun shakes his head, while closing his eyes.
"But… but weren't you shouting that catchphrase along with Grina?!" Mirii sealed her mouth.
"No… I didn't say a thing." His head lowered again, facing forward. "Don't get me wrong, I wanted to help Grina out… but like this? Playing with the imagination?" He rose his head into neutral position. "But I'm not a little kid anymore… I-I want to grow up, Mirii."
Hun turns his head back on the girl: his eyebrows were slightly down, his mouth very slightly downturned… Mirii's cheeks were getting red.
"… Hunley… didn't you said one time… that you wanted to change?" Her cheeks got even redder. "Is this… th-the true reason?!" Her head lowered, squeezing her eyes a little and raising her eyebrows a bit. "You wanted to stop being a little kid?"
The boy nodded, blushing a bit.
"Yes… and I know to not be the only one." He smiles a bit. "You want to grow up too… right?"
Mirii's face got red, as her jaw dropped. Her eyes were sparkling.
"… I'm on that path, Hunley." She smiles a bit. "Following the art of perfection is my way to become a true citizen in this world." Her eyes were closed. "I see you are on that same path."
"Well… in a sense!" He chuckles.
Mirii giggles.
"Aaaawwww, look at the two Squids laughing with each other…"
Both turned their heads towards Grina: she was bending her back forward, with her wrists on her hips, while smiling widely. Mirii starts frowning, raising her head.
"… you were supposed to find one of those idiots, playing that ridiculous game…!" Her eyes squeezed.
"Heh! Why do you think the awesome Captain Greta is talking to ya?!" Her eyes closed, while grinning a bit. "Barsy is just talking with one of them!"
The girl walked to the right, backwards: Mirii's face started to turn green, as her irises shrunk.
Bars was on the left, talking in front of a fat, Inkling boy wearing square glasses, a brace on his teeth, a large t-shirt showing the Squid Sisters, black short-sleeved pants and white shoes. His short tentacles were near his cheeks, his irises were rather large, same for his eyebrows while his face was a bit covered by pimples with vague traces of beard. He was holding a smartphone on his left hand.
"… it seems that Bars is already doing the job." Mirii's head rose. "We'll wait for him to"
"No no! You have to talk with that guy!" Grina's eyebrows lowered a bit, as the tips turned a bit upwards, while her mouth downturned slightly. "Bars said that he already knows that kind of gamer… and he's someone who doesn't really open up to anyone."
"AND YOU WANT ME TO HAVE THE DISHONOR?!" Mirii bended forward, while frowning, as several veins popped out from her forehead. "You are the famous Greta Inkolina… he'll not hesitate reveal everything to a star like you!"
"Aaaah… ha ha ha ha!" Grina's head turned to the right, still keeping her eyebrows down, as her smiling mouth was a bit opened, while her irises shrunk, her left eyebrow was twitching and her forehead was covered in sweat. "Wh-why, I-I'm not that good talking with those type of guys… eh eh… you know…"
Mirii growled faintly, while squeezing her eyes a bit.
"Unlike you, I have a reputation to hold… and if you are daring to force me into talking with that… th-that Squid, I"
"Everyone!" Bars was standing in front of the three Inklings, while opening his arms and smiling. "Like, wanna meet my newest friend?"
Mirii and Grina turned their head towards the boy, tracking down the other Inkling as well. His right hand took off his glasses: his eyes were as small as dots.
"Yooooooooooo!" He was bending forward, raising his right hand with the palm pointed at Mirii and the glasses' left tip stuck in between the forefinger and the middle one. "What's up, dudettes?!"
He was grinning widely. Mirii's mouth flattened, as her irises shrunk and her face got paler.
"… this is what you say to fresh Squids, hmmmm?" He rose his posture, as his tongue licked his own lips. "I guess that was a pretty good impression…! A 10 out of a 10: too much fresh."
Mirii's face got even paler, as she starts shivering.
"Ah ah ah!" Bars' left hand patted the boy's shoulders. "Well, that was pretty good for me too! Anyway, meet So… So…" His mouth closed for a moment.
"… Sokerazinapotof." The boy nods, while closing his eyes. "Hardcore name for hardcore Squids, such as me!" He grins. "Just call me Sokeman: that's the nickname I usually use on videogames, since they can't hold all those letters…"
"… why using a nickname as your real name?!" Mirii's tentacles were zigzagged, as she bended forward and her irises were a bit shrunk.
"Because it's fresher!" He puts his glasses in his pants' right pocket. He turns sideways to the right, as his hands stood on his tentacles, sliding down. "I mean, don't you hate being called in an ordinary name… living in an ordinary way… seeing all the ordinary things… it's just boring!" He returns forward, moving his arms back and forth while frowning. "Who likes boring days, anyway?! I would rather live one day of immense adventure, than living 100 of them in boring land!"
"Yeah, I know right?!" Grina nods, while lowering her eyebrows and smiling. "A Squid needs fun and adventures as THEIR ordinary meal!"
"Ridiculous!" Mirii turns her head towards the girl. "What a Squid really needs is… books! Intellectual, educational information, in other words." Her eyes closed. "Although, a little story or two shouldn't hurt a Squid either…"
Her eyes opened: Sokeman's face was right in front of her. She screamed, jumping back on Hun's arms.
"WH-WHAT WERE YOU IMPLYING WITH TH-THAT IDIOTIC ACTION?!" Her left forefinger was pointing down the boy, while her hand was moving up and down, her irises were shrunk, her eyes were wide and her eyebrows were down.
"… wow… I don't think I have ever seen this girl species before!" His eyes shined. "An aggressive-like girl, with a clear passion for books, yet she's not wearing any glasses… with the appearance of a very young girl and the vibe of an indisputable leader…"
Silence fell in.
"… whooooaaaa, dude!" Bars walks a bit forward, while grinning. "Are you watching cartoons too?!"
"Totally, bro!" Sokeman lifts his posture, while shaking his fists up and down. "Not just watching them… I also collect all those fresh figures!"
"Like, you keep them in a box… right?" Bars' eyes closed, as a sweat drop appears on his head's right side.
"Why, you do that too?!" He bends forward, as his eyes expanded.
"Naaaah…" He chuckles, as his right hand was scratching the back of his head, while his left wrist was resting on his left hip. "That stuff is too expe-I-I mean, it's so hardcore… I just can't keep it up!"
"Yeah… it's really hardcore… but there is one box I opened a long time ago…" Sokeman lowered his head, raising his eyebrows. "I was walking around the shop of all cartoon wonders… when suddenly… th-there she is."
"There she is?" Bars' right hand was pressing on his left fist, as his rose his head a bit to the right. "Like, what's that?"
"The most beautiful figure of them all!" Sokeman's mouth was waving, as his small eyes were getting watery and his fists were in front of his shoulders. "A sight… a-all it needed was a sight!"
"Whoa… was that something rare?!" Bars tilted a bit backwards, as his eyes expanded.
"Something rare… and retro… sniff!" His nose enlarged for a moment. "It was… a Greta Inkolina's official figure."
"WHAT?!" Bars' jaws dropped. "FOR REAL?!"
"AN OFFICIAL FIGURE?!" Grina's mouth opened wide, while bending forward.
"Yes… yes… sniff!" His nose enlarged again, for a moment. "Seeing such rarity in that shop… s-suddenly, I was going back in time… seeing myself watching that series with my brothers and sisters… th-the good ol' times… when talking about cartoons wasn't something considered so weird…" His head lowered, as his eyes were covered by the darkness.
Grina's right hand went in front of her opened mouth.
"… sniff… you… you are all nice people, you know?" He rose his head, while smiling. "I-I never met anyone who wanted to talk to me like this…" His right fist went on his right eye. "I-I'm always seen as the weird Squid… too closed in his magical world… … bu-but they never gave me a chance!" He bended forward, as his hands were on his body. "I'm normal! I-I'm a rational person! I'm just a little Squid with a big dream…" His head lowered. "I want to live an incredible adventure… I want to do that with friends, too…"
Grina's eyes were getting watery.
"… you want to find the secret behind this game, don't you?" His head rose. "I can help you with that… sniff! I can help you… … although, I would like to say something about that before starting this adventure of friendship."
"Hmpf." Mirii rose her head, while folding her arms. "I hope it has nothing to do with that videogame itself…"
"No… far from it." Sokeman shakes his head. "It's about… the rumors." He swallows silently.
"Rumors…?" Her eyes squeezed.
"Yes… you see…" His irises were moving left and right. "It's been said that this game is… cursed."
"CURSED?!" Bars bended forward, as his eyes expanded. "Oh man… oooohhh mmaaaannn…"
"And why such ridiculous reputation?" Mirii's left foot slides forward, while frowning and lowering her head a little.
"Because it's been said that the game was created by an organization of ghosts!" He shivers a bit.
"Hmpf… the most pathetic excuse someone imperfect could have told!" Her left forefinger was pointing down the boy. "Those rumors are nothing more than baits for the unsuspecting Squids!"
"I-I have proofs, actually!" His hands fell on his body. "I-I was chatting with this girl online… she said that she saw Squid ghosts flying around the city! This phenomenon happened after she completed one of the tasks."
"… wasn't I clear?!" Mirii snorted. "I told you to NOT talk about that ridiculous game!"
"No no!" He shakes his head. "The ghosts… th-they were appearing in the real world!"
"FUNK!" Bars' hands went on the top of his head. "It's like they now hate her for even trying to uncover their secret!"
Mirii's right hand went on her forehead, as she sighed loudly.
"… I don't even know where to begin, in front of such statement." Her right hand returned near her right hip. "First of all, can you prove your online friend is seeing those ghosts? Second, can you prove she completed one of the tasks? Finally, can you prove your friend is playing this videogame?"
"I can see her playing this game, from an online list… but I don't think talking about this will be useful, anymore…" He walks a bit towards the girl.
"Hmm?! And why that sudden change of mind?!" Mirii took a step backwards, swallowing silently.
"… because of this next proof, which will be truly decisive." He bends a bit forward. "You know… I-I'm sorry, but I lied to you before."
"YOU WHAT?!" Mirii frowns a lot, as her irises shrunk. "HOW DARE YOU WASTING MY TIME"
"Wait! Let me explain this, please!" His hands were moving back and forth, then his right hand drenched his forehead. "I-I know you will understand everything…!"
Smoke was coming from her ears…
"You better be perfect with your explanation… otherwise a severe punishment will come upon your pitiful reputation." Mirii rose her head, folding her arms.
The boy starts puffing a bit… then he took a deep breath.
"Alright… I… I-I had a dream this night…" He swallows, as his whole face was covered in sweat. "It was terrifying… I-I mean! It was like… I was in this dark room… I-I was holding a flashlight which wasn't working… and then… I-I saw a light-blue figure… it was like a girl!"
He coughed twice.
"Ah… yes, a girl… she… ehm… well, at first I wanted to run away… but the door is locked! I kept pushing and pulling the door… I-I even started to scream, at some point!" He took a loud breath. "Then… I heard a voice… a female voice saying to me… meeee… aaah, I don't remember the exact words!" His right fingers' tips went on his mouth, which closed, as his eyebrows went up.
"It's fine!" Grina frowns a bit. "Just continue with your story!"
"Ah, ok!" He swallows silently. "I remember her message in general, though… which was also involving a holographic image!" His arms opened wide. "And I was seeing myself walking in this place… and that voice said that I should definitively do that! And then… I would meet a group of Inklings, which were looking for this videogame's secret… and…"
Mirii's irises were shrunk, as her mouth flattened.
"And… the last point was that even if someone would even try uncovering the secret, they would just get lost… except… for a girl who makes very good questions, called Mirii."
A thunder strikes behind Mirii... as the girl kept staying still, in her same position…