In a transparent attempt to allow the six Adaptors to process their new situation, Commander Genjuuro had granted them permission to relax in the submarine's commons lounge all by themselves. No one was to bother the Adaptor team unless the Commander allowed it. Not even Ogawa and Tsuchiya had permission despite their positions as the Commander's aides. It was a gesture that the women appreciated when they had much to say regarding the world council, their new directives to separate the team, and the creation of the SG-r04. Unless an order for a mission had come up, the Adaptors had all the time in the world to voice their complaints without any worry for anyone listening in on their conversation.
On the lounge's couches, Kirika and Shirabe eased their frustrations and confusion through the games on their retro Nintendo Switches. Shirabe was focusing deeply as she played while Kirika had chosen to abandon anything which resembled the concept of an indoor voice. Chris and Tsubasa occupied themselves with a game of pool at one of the lounge's available tables. Chris was in the lead as her precise shots pocketed balls left and right in an attempt to vent her frustrations. Over at the lounge's bar counter, Hibiki sat with a glass of juice in her hand while Maria sought to pour herself a shot of vodka. The latter held no reservations about taking out some of the hardier drinks they had in stock, knowing that she very much needed it right now.
Scoring another ball, Chris's grip on her cue stick threatened to snap it in her hands. "It's fucked up how the council thinks they can just order us around like this. Right after pointing out the gun they're pressing up against our backs, too!" Chris spat, walking around the pool table to aim for another shot. "And what's worse, I'm stuck with the Dummy in America of all people!"
Tsubasa stood next to Chris with her own cue stick in her hands. The Chairwoman had not actually bothered to pocket any shots of her own in the past half-hour. Instead, she simply leaned against the pool table's edges and rubbed her temples with two fingers, easing an obvious headache. "How is Jiang doing?" Tsubasa asked Hibiki while the chestnut-haired woman quietly sipped her juice at the bar counter.
"I... haven't seen her around for a while now," Hibiki answered in a low voice. The woman had initially attempted to go and find Cassandra after the Commander had assigned them their future stations, but Maria suggested to Hibiki that they give her some alone time for now.
After pouring herself a fourth glass of alcohol, Maria downed the shot in one swig before resting an elbow on the counter. Vodka had this strange, ironic tendency to clear her mind at times. "I'm sure she's trying to take in everything like we are, Hibiki," Maria said to the woman next to her while she poured her fifth shot. As the shot glass slowly filled up, the eldest of the Adaptors recalled her meeting with Cassandra to ponder about the look their new Adaptor teammate carried within her eyes. When Maria had shook her hand, she could not help but briefly sense something within Cassandra. A sort of lingering, dormant rage.
A fury which made the hairs on the back of Maria's neck stand upright the moment she even noticed it.
"'Task Force Harmony'," Maria spoke up, holding up a glass in her gloved hand. Glancing over to her quiet wife, Maria asked her, "Tsubasa, what is this so-called 'Task Force' anyway?"
"... It was a plan originally intended to back up the Symphogears-Wielders in times of high urgency," she answered, storing her cue stick on a nearby rack before walking over to a couch to sit beside Shirabe and Kirika. "Before the Shem-Ha Incident, a unified effort such as Task Force Harmony was impossible. The plan was soon shelved in the wake of Shem-Ha's defeat, but with the arrival of the Distortions, the project was quickly brought back into action." Tsubasa lied into the soft cushions and slowly sighed. "You have my apologies for not telling either of you about this until now. I had expected the plan to be utilized, but the separation of us Wielders-"
"Stop apologizing for shit that's out of your control, Chairwoman," Chris snapped back, driving the remaining ball on the pool table into its pockets with a loud clack. "I've already had enough from the Old Man, the Shrimp and the Rookie, so quit actin' all sorry when all of this is pretty much just the council's damn fault!" Resting the length of her cue stick on her shoulder, Chris walked over to the bar counter and plopped herself down next to a quiet Hibiki. "Hand me a beer if you don't mind, Maria," she asked the eldest Adaptor with a groan, "I sure as hell fuckin' need it."
While Maria opened up the bar's drink cabinets behind her for something that could satisfy Chris' taste buds, Hibiki settled her juice on the counter and tapped into her wrist device. An input into its holographic prompts brought up a holographic map of the globe. The designated locations that each of them will be assigned to in a few days were all visibly marked on it. Hibiki and Chris in America. Maria and Tsubasa in London. Kirika and Shirabe in Australia. Cassandra in Japan. "Is it really a good idea for her to be all by herself?" Hibiki wondered out-loud, concern clear in her tone.
"It was the Commander's decision in the end," Shirabe commented, hands still tapping away on her Switch. "I think that was the best decision he could've made, knowing our circumstances."
Popping open the can of German beer which Maria promptly handed over, Chris took an eager swig of her drink before slamming the end of her cue stick against the metal floor. Since Maria had plenty of vodka for one day, the lady intended on making sure that the snow-white woman wasn't about to be drinking any more than her. "I'm sure the Rookie can handle herself just fine," Chris remarked, wiping her mouth with the sleeve of her uniform. "She seems pretty strong from what I can guess. But since it'd probably be better if she had someone reliable watching her, I gave the Old Man a few personal recommendations on who'd be the best to assign to her team."
Tsubasa was able to give a faint chuckle at Chris' claim despite the exhaustion that plagued her. As Kirika next to her playfully leaned against the Chairwoman, the monster-hunting game which Kirika and Shirabe were playing seemingly piqued the blue-haired woman's interest. "Trying to be a reliable woman to your juniors again, are you?" Tsubasa said to Chris in an almost teasing manner.
Chris gave the Chairwoman a loud scoff before taking another swig of her beer. "I just thought it'd be a good idea if someone the Rookie knew ended up working with her, that's all. No doubt she's gettin' overwhelmed by everything that the council expects from her. Might as well throw her a bone to help her out a bit now that the Rookie probably feels a bit nervous about chattin' with us."
Once she had finished her in-game 'hunt' with a loud cheer alongside Shirabe, Kirika eagerly glanced over to Chris and tilted her head to one side. "So, what've you been doing behind the scenes while we weren't looking?" she curiously asked. And with those words said, the eyes of five different Adaptors were immediately directed towards a woman with snow-white hair. All of the attention that was suddenly on Chris made the short woman nervously scratch the back of her head.
With a shrug of her shoulders, Chris' answer sounded almost off-handed. "... I called up a couple old friends of mine, that's all."
The observation deck of the S.O.N.G. submarine was the one place that Lanfen remotely felt comfortable even waiting in. Sitting down amongst the rows of metal chairs in the middle of a circular room, the holographic displays which covered the walls gave Lanfen a full view of the ocean that surrounded the vessel. Large schools of fish would occasionally swim by the cameras as Lanfen gazed off into the oceanic distance. Occupying her thoughts by enrapturing it with a seemingly-endless stretch of dark-blue, Lanfen could barely feel her legs while she closely held them to her chest. Lanfen was subsequently brought back into reality by a gentle buzzing from the room's intercom.
"The ship will be arriving at the harbor in one hour. All hands, be ready for arrival," one of the bridge personnel announced as per procedure.
Holding up a trembling hand with her relic pendant in her grasp, the dim-lights of the holographic displays reflected off the red crystal as Lanfen bit down on her cracking lips. In a heartbeat, Lanfen hopped off her chair, marched over to the terminal near the room's entrance, and slammed her fist against one of its buttons, causing the displays around the room to vanish one-by-one. When the last of the wall's built-in projectors shut itself off, Lanfen dropped down on one of the chairs again and grasped the sides of her aching head. Surrounded by the pitch-black darkness of the room, Lanfen could not help but wonder what Kai would think about her now if she were still around.
Despite the kindness that the Adaptors had shown Lanfen, and the celebration they had held for her formal recruitment into S.O.N.G., she felt almost foolish - if anything - for expecting to enter this organization with the idea that Lanfen would simply be fighting against Distortions. It was a fantasy which only someone like her little sister should have carried to begin with. In truth, Lanfen had joined the very group that had saved their world - not so she could fight alongside her fellow Adaptors - but so that the council could install a Symphogear-Wielder who would put down her fellow Wielders the moment any of them were seen as enemies of either S.O.N.G. or the council. Lanfen wasn't their companion, but their potential executioner.
Lanfen had personally told the Spokesperson that she would do anything if it meant taking out the Distortions. Yet, the reveal of her one true duty was all it took to shake Lanfen's resolve. Kai would probably be ashamed to have a sister like her right now.
The entrance to the observation deck opened up, allowing the light of the corridor outside to stretch into the room as Tsuchiya appeared at the doorway with a small suitcase in his hands. "May I come in?" Despite the downcast expression which Lanfen wore, she looked up at Tsuchiya and gave him a slow nod, allowing the blonde man to enter the deck with silent footsteps. "Here," he said, putting down the suitcase on the chair beside the Adaptor. "It's the clothing you wore from when we took you in. We had them cleaned up and repaired after noticing some of the damage."
Lanfen slowly looked over to the metal suitcase and drew in the cold air to speak. "... Thanks, Tsuchiya." Pocketing the red pendant in her uniform's jacket, Lanfen reached over to grab the suitcase by its handle when she suddenly turned to the blonde man. Lanfen had a question for him, and Tsuchiya seemed to have actually sensed it, judging by the way he patiently stood at her side. "Tsuchiya." Knowing that she had made his acquaintance by now, Lanfen felt that she could be a bit more forward with him. "What are your... thoughts... on the duty that I've been given by the council?"
Folding his hands behind his back, Tsuchiya stood on the stretch of light which came from the deck's open entrance while he took a moment to think about his answer. When Tsuchiya finally opened his mouth to voice it, there was a surprising hint of hesitation. "I... cannot give one, unfortunately. Following orders is something that I have simply been doing ever since I joined Clan Hida." Tsuchiya spoke like a man who had seen countless years of service, and yet, his face looked remarkably young. "While the Grandmaster is a kind man at heart, I have had to accomplish many a deed for the sake of completing our objectives. Even if my duties can be rather... distasteful."
Lanfen should have known better than to bother Tsuchiya of all people with her concerns. Despite their comparable ages, Tsuchiya gave off the impression that 'dirty work' was a task his employers expected him to carry out as easy as breathing. "Sorry about that," Lanfen muttered with a quiet sigh.
"Still-" Tsuchiya slowly stepped towards the entrance and looked back at Lanfen with a small frown. "-I truly hope that you will never have to draw your blade on your fellow comrades, Jiang. To do such a thing towards people you're supposed to consider your companions... is a fate which few honestly deserve. Nothing hurts more than being cut by a sword that's wielded by a friend. That is... my view of it, at least."
Slowly nodding at his sentiment, Lanfen grabbed the suitcase from the chair next to her and stood up on her feet with her items in her grasp. Lanfen had initially wanted to stay in the S.O.N.G. submarine for as long as she could, but after the recent meeting with the Spokesperson, Lanfen could hardly walk around its halls without unease ringing within her head. "Thanks, Tsuchiya. I know that it sounds like that's all I can say to you, but I appreciate your input."
Tsuchiya turned around and shared a formal bow with Lanfen. "Like I said, I'm happy to help, Miss Jiang," he assured her, walking over to the entrance to stand beneath the open doorway. "Aside from your belongings, I have actually brought something else actually. There are two people who have just arrived to meet you. I hope you don't mind making their acquaintance now." Tsuchiya then looked out the doorway and quietly ushered in a pair of personnel who had apparently been standing outside. While footsteps echoed through the quiet air of the observation deck, Tsuchiya departed the room, allowing two women to step inside and finally meet with the Symphogear-Wielder.
Despite the darkness which shrouded the observation deck, Lanfen immediately recognized the pair who stood before her.
They both wore the familiar, navy-blue uniforms of S.O.N.G. with its distinct badges on their chest. One of them was brunette with long, flowing hair, and green, inquisitive eyes that gazed at the Adaptor from head-to-toe. Beside the brunette was a tall woman with a friendly smile on her face, and dark-green hair which had been tied up into a long, bushy ponytail as she flashed Lanfen a quick wink. They promptly stood to attention in front of the Adaptor, giving her sharp salutes that Lanfen awkwardly returned in kind with her free hand. They were Ayano Komichi and Godai Yuki respectively. Two of Lanfen's old seniors from Lydian Music Academy and classmates of Yukine Chris.
"Ayano," Lanfen whispered to the brunette with green eyes, slowly approaching her old senior schoolmate. It was an utter relief to see that she had survived the Distortion's global attack. "You two... were assigned to me?" Finding herself at a loss for words, Lanfen looked back and forth between the pair.
"AG-4-1, reporting for duty," Godai, the tall woman with the ponytail, casually said.
"AG-4-2, reporting for duty," Ayano cheerfully followed up her companion with a grin.
Recognizing the designated numbers of her fellow members in Team-04, Lanfen initially felt relief at being accompanied by familiar faces. But such a thought was soon dampened when Lanfen remembered the fact that Godai and Ayano were also being assigned to her just so S.O.N.G. could monitor their newest Adaptor. With a hand on her hip, Lanfen tried her best to maintain the formality in her speech. Realizing that these two women were also a part of S.O.N.G. hardly even fazed her. "Looking forward to keeping an eye on me, I take it?"
Ayano responded to her dry tone with somewhat of a worried glance before the brunette quietly shook her head. "While that is undeniably part of our job, we're also here to make sure that our junior has a couple of reliable seniors to work alongside with." Ayano suddenly walked up to Lanfen and slowly wrapped her arms around the Adaptor, pulling her into a comforting hug out of the blue. Lanfen was about to resist the sudden gesture when Ayano's voice took a somber turn. "We... heard about what's been going on. We're sorry about what happened to Kai."
Drawing in a sharp breath, Lanfen tightened her hands at her sides into shaking fists and squeezed her eyes shut to quell the proverbial fires which ignited within them. Lanfen could feel the trembling within Ayano's own arms while the brunette tried to comfort the Adaptor. Holding back a few stray tears of her own, Lanfen wordlessly permitted Ayano's sudden gesture. She honestly didn't even expect Ayano to remember her brief meeting with Lanfen and Kai. "I'm alright," she insisted, even if it was clear that neither of them believed her.
When Ayano pulled away from the embrace, Godai came over to them and clapped Lanfen on the shoulder with a firm but gentle hand. It had been years since Lanfen last saw Godai, but it was hard to forget the woman whom Ayano could always be seen hanging around with during their time in Lydian. "We'll be movin' into the apartment next to yours in Yamaku," Godai informed Lanfen. Her words were easy-going and relaxed, even as she clearly sympathized with what Lanfen had been facing over the past few days. "We'll be going ahead of you to sign a few documents, so you might wanna go and wish the other Wielders goodbye. Wouldn't wanna leave without a few partin' words, if you catch my drift."
Mentioning the other Adaptors caused Lanfen's hands to tremble. But it did not stop her from wordlessly agreeing with her senior's suggestion. Tightly grasping the handle of her suitcase, Lanfen followed the two from behind while Godai and Ayano slowly headed out of the shadows of the vessel's observation deck. Intense trepidation rang within Lanfen's chest as she silently navigated through the corridors with the pair in front of her. Lanfen's tight grip on her suitcase was even causing the knuckles on her hand to turn into a pale white. It was only when the three of them arrived at a corridor junction did either of the women spoke up again.
"I'll see you later," Lanfen told them, looking down the corridor which led to the commons lounge with hesitation clearly written on her face.
Godai gave her an encouraging thumbs-up while Ayano flashed her a cheerful peace-sign. "You can do it, Jiang," Ayano told her. "Nothing has ever stopped a strong maiden like yourself, right?"
Nodding at Ayano's colourful words in an attempt to try and honestly agree with her, Lanfen separated from the two and marched in the direction of the commons lounge. The long walk across the halls felt like it went on for eternity. When Lanfen finally went through the lounge's sliding doors, she looked around the large room and spotted Kazanari, Yukine and Tachibana all gathered around the length of the lounge's bar counter. Lanfen's feet practically magnetized themselves to the floor the very moment she felt their gazes turn to her. Her voice disappeared from her throat. Her heart began pounding within her chest. Lanfen's instincts screamed at her to quickly turn-tail and exit the room.
Tachibana ran over to her and immediately grabbed Lanfen's free hand by the wrist. Wearing an unfaltering smile on her face, Tachibana's words were as genuine as she always sounded while she spoke, "Even if things may look bad right now, as long we're Wielders, then there will always be another time to shine alongside each other!" Tachibana eagerly threw a fist high into the air above her. "Saying 'goodbye' is always sad, so instead, I'll say 'until next time'!"
Staring at the unflinching determination that Tachibana displayed, Lanfen was starting to understand how this woman was the person who had repeatedly seized countless victories with her bare hands. Tachibana's grip on her arm was tight, but it was a grip which only assured Lanfen of the feelings that Tachibana was trying to convey. A sentiment she desired to communicate with zero misunderstandings between them. Feeling a slight twitch around the corners of her mouth, Lanfen could only give Tachibana a wordless nod in response.
"Lay off the Rookie, Dummy. You'll scare her off," Yukine chided the chestnut-haired woman, grabbing Tachibana by the collar to pry her off of Lanfen. It was like seeing a golden puppy being dragged away by the scruff of its neck. "Watch your back out there," Yukine advised Lanfen, dusting her gloved hands. There was a faint smell of alcohol in the short woman's breath. "Komichi and Yuki are good company, but even if they've been assigned to watch over you, I'm still gonna be relyin' on you to make sure they don't do anything crazy."
Kazanari was the next to come over. The lady gave Lanfen a formal, practiced bow before wisely speaking to the greenhorn Adaptor. "Despite the duty that the council has bestowed upon you, I look forward to cooperating with you someday, Jiang." Those were the last words Lanfen had honestly expected to hear from her. "Regardless of the council's relentless politicking, I can assure you that you are no different than the rest of us. There will always be a next time to share a battlefield, much like Tachibana mentioned."
Slowly, Lanfen's grip on the handle of her suitcase eased up. Sensing her voice return to her, Lanfen parted her cracked lips and whispered, "The feeling is mutual, Kazanari. Yukine. Tachibana." Lanfen then took a glance down at her own chest and stared at the red pendant which hung around her neck. The longer Lanfen stared at the crystal, the heavier it was beginning to feel. "The others," Lanfen said, tearing her gaze away from the glimmering pendant to look back at the trio, "where are they, if I may ask?"
As though they had been summoned by Lanfen's words, Maria, Tsukuyomi and Akatsuki quickly came bursting out of the kitchen doorway next to the bar counter. While Maria and Tsukuyomi casually walked over towards the gathered group, Akatsuki practically sped over to Lanfen. The blonde was carrying the same colourful box which Lanfen had seen earlier during the party in the bridge. Akatsuki appeared eager to hand it to her once she had skidded to a halt in front of the greenhorn Adaptor. When the blonde presented the item over to Lanfen, Akatsuki wore a grin of unrestrained pride.
"You better bring this with you!" Akatsuki exclaimed, panting in-between her words. "It's a cake that represents our skills as chefs, so it'd be bad if you didn't get to taste it-death!"
Taking the icy-cold box into her free hand, Lanfen noticed the black-and-white ribbon that had been used to neatly wrap it up, perfectly matching the motif of her own Symphogear. Lanfen would have smiled at the thoughtfulness behind it if she could.
"We hope the cheesecake will be to your liking," Tsukuyomi added, standing behind Akatsuki to casually wrap her arms around the starry-eyed blonde's waist. "We weren't quite sure what you preferred, so we took a shot at guessing what you'd might enjoy instead."
Maria was the last one to approach the greenhorn Adaptor. Looking at the boxed cake in her hand with amusement, the woman gave Lanfen the same confident smile that she had greeted Lanfen with at the party. "Take care of yourself, Cassandra." She almost sounded just like Lanfen whenever she needed to say goodbye to Kai back then. It was almost too similar for Lanfen's liking. "If you ever need tips on being a Wielder, our lines are always open for you to call us. Just do be mindful of time-zones," Maria added with a light chuckle.
"Affirmati- Sure." Lanfen cut herself off in an attempt to drop the formalities. Holding her suitcase in one hand and the cake box under her other arm, Lanfen gave them all a bow that was as deep as her items would permit her. "In spite of everything that has happened today... Thank you all. I enjoyed the party, even if it was cut short. And I appreciate the cake. May we meet again on better terms next time." Lifting her head back up, Lanfen slowly turned on one heel, and promptly walked out of the commons lounge with a heavy weight in her throat.
Lanfen did not feel like she deserved the pleasant goodbyes her fellow Adaptors gifted her while she made her exit through the sliding doors. Knowing the duty she now needed to carry from here on out, Lanfen found herself desperately attempting to shut away their farewells. The simple fact that any of them could even talk to her like this after what the council had disclosed was a complete mystery to her. Thus, as Lanfen came to a stop in the middle of a quiet, empty corridor, the Adaptor looked over to the icy box she held under one arm, and wordlessly prayed that she would never have to draw her sword against another Adaptor. Because deep within the back of her mind, Lanfen carried a small, intrusive belief that she would not ever stop herself from accomplishing whatever the council expected of her.
Yamaku City. Lanfen had not expected to return here as soon as she did. It had been precisely almost 2 days now since the very hour when the Distortions attacked, and it was evident from a mere glance at the city that everything was still in the midst of being repaired. Everywhere Lanfen looked, she would see maintenance crews fixing up shattered windows, broken walls, and damaged concrete underneath the setting sun, all while families visibly continued to mourn those who had perished in the wake of the Distortions' assault on their city. It was a dour sight which made Lanfen turn away from the tinted windows of the S.O.N.G. escort vehicle. Meanwhile, the barrier between the passenger seats and the driver seats made it impossible to even see the personnel at the front.
When the vehicle came to a halt, a message in Lanfen's wrist device gave her the cue to finally exit the black vehicle with her belongings. She soon stepped onto the snowy sidewalk and shivered from the winter winds which greeted Lanfen back to the entrance of her apartment complex. Before the Adaptor could even say anything, the black escort vehicle drove off, leaving Lanfen all alone on the empty sidewalk. Nothing surprising from an organization such as S.O.N.G., Lanfen thought to herself with a low huff.
Carrying her items in her hands, the large apartment complex appeared as though it had been left untouched by the carnage of the Distortion attack. If Lanfen ignored the damaged buildings next to it, her surroundings would have given her the impression that Lanfen had returned to an unchanged home with only one stark difference: Kai.
Lanfen subconsciously glanced at her side, as if expecting to see someone there. But her gaze only fell onto the sand-littered concrete.
The jingling toy which stuck out of her pocket by a chain was the only semblance of Kai that Lanfen had returned with. No more. No less.
When Lanfen stepped inside the apartment complex's lobby to be rid of the winter winds, she went through the motions like she always did. 'Enter the elevator, head up to the eight floor, and stop in front of the fourth door you see'. The silence which accompanied Lanfen while she did so was almost deafening. When she approached the front door of her apartment, Lanfen blinked at the sight of a batch of flowers that had been left on the welcoming mat. It could have been left there by one of Kai's friends, but there wasn't any noticeable way to find out. After Lanfen nonchalantly grabbed the flowers with the same hand which held on to her suitcase, she unlocked the front door and stepped into the warmth of her abode.
She then took off her shoes and shut the door behind her, prompting the ceiling lights above Lanfen to flicker to life. "We're ba- I'm... back." Lanfen's initial words came out of her through pure force of habit. "Dammit..."
Storing the boots of her Adaptor uniform inside the shoe closet, Lanfen left the flowers next to the door and headed down the hallway entrance with her belongings. She made a quick trip to the kitchen and stored the cake in the fridge before heading back out into the living room to leave her suitcase at the base of the counter. Letting out a hush sigh soon after, the wrist device on Lanfen's left arm rang with a message from Ayano: "Do you need any help cleaning up? Yuki and I are almost done unpacking our stuff, so if you need anything, you can just message us!"
She typed a reply into the device's holographic interface to politely decline her offer. And once the message was sent, the holo-projection withdrew back into her wrist device with a final tap of a translucent button. Lanfen had no intention of seeing anyone right now, even if she appreciated Ayano's offer. Slowly glancing over to the living room's dining table, Lanfen narrowed her eyes at the sight of the meal that had been left untouched since the Distortion attack had begun. Cold rice sat on top of two unfinished plates as the pork stew inside the bowls next to them reeked of an unpleasant odour. Taking off the gloves of her uniform, Lanfen placed them on the counter and bitterly got to work cleaning up the dishes until they were completely spotless.
Half an hour had passed by the time Lanfen was done. After she exited the kitchen with a pair of dried hands, she took off her relic pendant and casually dropped it next to her gloves on the room's counter. Lanfen's chores were done. There was nothing else to clean or set up. And that meant the final step of Lanfen's home rituals: Visiting the family shrine. Within seconds, Lanfen knelt down on the cushion in front of the small, dusty shrine which was set up in her living room. Her eyes first went over to the chess set that sat on top of the shrine's glass table, its pieces still kept in place despite the chaos of the past few days. Lanfen's eyes then went to the framed picture which rested in the middle of the shrine.
'Keith Silverstein', 'Margaret Jiang Pao-Lin', 'Cassandra Jiang Lanfen', 'Cynthia Jiang Kai-Ming'.
Lanfen desired to say that she had returned, alive and well. What came out instead were two trembling words.
"I'm sorry."
To Lanfen, there was nothing else which she could directly say to the faces of her family. There was nothing that Lanfen could do other than hold up the oath which Lanfen had sworn to make up for her utter failure to protect her own little sister. Lanfen desired to cry, but her tears had already run dry a while ago. Thus, she instead took in the silence of her apartment, and pulled out two smartphones to place them on top of the glass table before her. The keychain that hung from her own smartphone jingled softly from the slow act as Kai's broken smartphone remained completely silent.
"I'm sorry..."
Rising up from the floor on a pair of legs which shook beneath her own weight, Lanfen looked around the apartment's living room, and stared at the toys that were scattered around it. They were now belongings which no longer had an owner to return to them. When Lanfen undid the black-and-white tie around her neck, she left the piece of cloth on top of the room's kotatsu before heading over to the nearest item that had once belonged to Kai. Carefully, Lanfen took them off the shelves one-by-one, and piled them into her arms to store them in her little sister's now-vacant room. In her eyes, no one but herself deserved to go through the pain of isolating every reminder of Kai-Ming into a single room of her apartment. To Lanfen, it was just another punishment for a failure she would never be able to undo.