The restaurant was the kind that whisperedcomfort with just a hint of sophistication. Soft amber lights from the chandelier gave the room a warm glow, making the mahogany tables look richer, more inviting. It wasn't the kind of place you'd stumble upon—it was the kind of place you reserved for special moments. Or, apparently, for team meetings.
Zhu's fingers grazed the edge of the menu, but her mind wasn't on the food. She could almost hear Elias's voice from way back when, jokingly calling this spot "the best bang-for-your-denny luxury" while treating her team to dinner here. Those nights had been lighthearted, the kind that made her chest feel warm even in the middle of a case.Was it just his way of being generous, or was it something more?she wondered, her throat tightening with the thought.
She shook her head slightly, as if that could erase the memories. Now, sitting here again with her HSO colleagues and the echoes of a name—Aquila Zero—she couldn't help but feel the weight of the past pressing against her.
Across the table, Soukaku had cracked open Seth's hard-earned red bean buns and was devouring them with a level of glee that bordered o3n comical. "Mmmph, these are amazing!" she exclaimed mid-bite, crumbs scattering onto the table.
Seth's face was a picture of despair as he clutched his chest dramatically.If this is what heartbreak looks like, I want no part of it, Zhu thought, fighting the urge to smirk.
Miyabi leaned forward with the kind of look that could only mean one thing: trouble. "So, Zhu," she began, her tone syrupy sweet, "anything to share with us? Obviously, we're here to talk aboutrecent events, your dessert sender... and catch up."
Zhu straightened, feeling every muscle in her body tense up.Recent events?The dessert sender?She rubbed the back of her neck, her go-to move for stalling. "Uh... let's wait for the food first?" she said, her voice an octave too high. Her gaze darted to the clock at the far end of the hall. Please, someone save me from this conversation.
"And Jane," she added hastily. "We're still waiting for Jane. Can't start without her, right?"
Miyabi raised an eyebrow but leaned back, "Jane?.." She echoed back, her amused smile a reminder that this reprieve was temporary.
Zhu tried to focus on the menu, but the words blurred as her mind wandered. She could already see the chaos that would ensue once Jane arrived. The woman had no concept of subtlety.
Jane would probably march in, dramatic as always, and within five minutes, she'd "accidentally" let slip everything I've ever done, felt, or thought.
Zhu imagined it vividly—Jane pulling out an invisible megaphone, announcing, "Breaking news, everyone! Zhu Yuan has been thinking about a certain someone.Again!Stay tuned for more juicy updates after the soup arrives!"
She stifled a groan, burying her face in her hands.Why does she always have to be so extra?And yet, Zhu couldn't help but feel a sliver of gratitude for Jane's absence.If she were here right now, I'd probably be crawling under the table, pretending to look for a lost earring.
But even Jane's potential antics couldn't distract her for long. The name—Aquila Zero—kept circling in her head. The warm seat she'd noticed earlier, the half-eaten meal left behind, the glint of a car in the parking lot that had felt too familiar to ignore—it all clicked into place.
Her stomach twisted. What are the odds? She forced herself to breathe evenly, but the questions wouldn't stop. Is there really something I miss?
The soft laughter and chatter around her felt distant, the cozy restaurant shrinking under the weight of her thoughts. I'm overthinking this... right?
Qingyi sat beside Zhu, quietly sipping her hot water as if it were the most riveting activity in the room. It was her usual demeanor, but Zhu couldn't help but notice the occasional glance her partner shot her way. If anyone were capable of spilling Zhu's personal life while keeping a straight face, it was Qingyi.
Thankfully, the stakes here were high enough to keep her lips sealed—after all, their case involved the likes of Phaethon, the Sons of Calydon, and, of course, Elias. Or Jaxon. Or whatever alias he was running with these days.
Still, Qingyi couldn't resist imagining the chaos that would ensue if Zhu's history were laid bare, especially in front of someone like Miyabi. Zhu, probably tangled up with a smuggler? A gang member? A heist conspirator?
Qingyi nearly choked on her water at the thought. Not that she believed Miyabi would roast Zhu or send her off for questioning—not seriously, anyway—but the sheer embarrassment of it all? That was a different story.
The table was uncomfortably quiet, the kind of silence that magnified every small sound—the clink of chopsticks, the faint hum of the restaurant. Zhu's gaze avoided Miyabi, who was casually propping her chin on her hand and staring out the window, her expression unreadable. Zhu knew that look. Miyabi was the "if you don't talk, I won't talk" type, but her quietness now felt more like boredom than patience, which only made Zhu feel guiltier for holding back.
Fine. I'll say something, Zhu thought, hoping to steer the conversation far, far away from anything remotely complicated. She cleared her throat. "Well..."
Yanagi's head snapped up, her glasses catching the light as she adjusted them, suddenly all ears.
"I've been... uh... receiving desserts lately. Daily desserts, actually. I still don't know who's sending them." Zhu forced a small laugh, trying to sound casual.
Seth's ears perked up at the mention, and for a moment, his mind flicked back to the desserts. He recalled something about Wise being involved but wisely decided to keep his mouth shut.
"Desserts?" Miyabi's voice cut through the air like a scalpel. She turned her attention to Zhu without changing her pose, her chin still resting on her hand.
"Yeah, desserts," Zhu confirmed, fidgeting with her chopsticks.
"How about flowers?" Yanagi asked, her tone as neutral as if she were inquiring about the weather.
"No flowers yet," Zhu replied, shrugging.
"Then it's probably just a citizen or fellow officer showing appreciation for their hardworking PUBSEC Captain," Miyabi quipped, her tone light but her smile teasing.
"Exactly!" Zhu blurted, pointing at Miyabi with a triumphant grin. "See? We're totally on the same page."
"So... no secret admirer?" Yanagi pressed, sounding half disappointed.
Zhu hesitated, her confidence faltering slightly. Why does that sound more like a challenge than a question?
Beside her, Qingyi let out a quiet huff through her nose, and Zhu's eyes darted toward her. She could tell her partner, Qingyi was holding back—probably biting her tongue to stop herself from saying something like, Oh, I know who the secret admirer might be. Want me to guess aloud?
The tension lingered for a moment longer before Miyabi leaned back, giving Zhu a knowing smile. Zhu exhaled, her shoulders relaxing slightly. For now, the conversation seemed to be staying safely above the line of dangerous personal territory.
The mood around the table shifted, their food arrived shifted on their seat's in silence while begun eating their dinner.
"Well, if there's no secret admirer, we could always dive into some high-level, confidential gossip," Harumasa quipped, chuckling at his own dry joke.
Zhu forced a laugh that sounded about as natural as an overcooked noodle. She couldn't exactly indulge in secret admirer chatter with both Harumasa and Seth present—it was definitely more of a girl-talk scenario.
"Yeah, and it'll probably just circle back to work," Yanagi said, her tone flat as she reached for her tablet. She flicked it on and started swiping through the screen. "Speaking of which... Patient E-112's condition has become stagnant. Sadly he'll be probably paralyzed for the rest of his life."
Zhu, Qingyi, and Seth snapped their heads toward Yanagi like synchronized puppets. "What?!" they exclaimed in unison, their voices a mix of shock and sadness.
"Well, it's etheric corruption," Miyabi said, her tone calm as she took a sip from her water glass. "There's no actual cure for that."
Zhu felt her stomach twist. The starkness of Miyabi's statement made her glance toward Seth, who looked like he was about to drop his chopsticks.
"We in NEPS face a kind of corruption too, but not the one you're dealing with," Zhu said, a little too quickly, trying to keep the atmosphere balanced. Her mouth moved before her brain could stop her. "That guy—he's from the Vesta precinct, right? We've got intel suggesting he was working with the Crimson Veil."
The words hung in the air for a moment too long.
Miyabi's fox ears perked up sharply, and she repeated, "Crimson Veil..." Her voice was calm but carried the sharpness of a scalpel. She placed her glass down and fixed her gaze on Zhu. "Where did you hear that?"
Yanagi pushed her glasses up her nose, her eyes narrowing slightly as she studied Zhu.
Panic clawed its way up Zhu's spine. Oh no. Did I just say something crucial? Did I just blow it? Her mind scrambled for an escape route. Do I claim I read it in a comic book? Pretend I misheard something? Say it was on one of those 'read-it' conspiracy forums? She swallowed hard, forcing a nonchalant smile while her inner voice screamed, Play it cool, Zhu. Real cool.
She glanced at Miyabi and Yanagi, who were now waiting for her response, their expressions unreadable but intense. This dinner is supposed to be relaxing! Not turn into an interrogation!
"We just dug it up from a cold case we're working on," Zhu said cautiously, trying to keep her tone neutral. Her internal monologue was already screaming, please don't ask me who's-the-guy-that-told-you-that.
Miyabi's voice dropped into a near whisper as she raised her hand in a 'V' sign. "I guess everything in this city is just tangled with that mess. And don't try mentioning the name."
Zhu's eyes narrowed at the gesture. Veil? Is she talking about Veil? Or is this some new PUBSEC gang sign I missed?
She glanced around nervously, her paranoia kicking in. Was someone eavesdropping on their conversation? Was Miyabi playing the mysterious card just to mess with her?
"So what does that word mean, then?" Zhu asked, her tone unintentionally accusatory.
Yanagi waved her hand dismissively. "We can't tell you yet. Not here, Zhu. Aquila Zero is still gathering intel, and it's... sensitive." Her words were measured, but the way Miyabi's expression twisted into oh-no-you-did-NOT-just-say-that-again was enough to make everyone pause.
Zhu perked up, catching the subtle tension. This was her chance to get answers. "Aquila Zero again? Seriously, who is that? Some super-spy-slash-hero like Starlight Knight? Should I be expecting him to come swooping in wearing a cape and monologuing about justice?" She crossed her arms, her tone half-mocking, half-annoyed. "Why does everyone keep dropping his name like I should know him?"
Seth and Qingyi both stifled their chuckles, their shoulders shaking from suppressed laughter as their Captain's frustration bubbled over.
Miyabi sighed, her voice low and deliberate. "He's a solo consultant from our experimental task force," she said.
"Working solo? That's reckless." Zhu frowned, her arms still crossed. "Sounds like something a specialist agent would—"
"Like Elias, ain't it, Captain?" Seth chimed in, a little too loudly, grinning like he'd just cracked a joke.
Zhu froze mid-thought, her jaw dropping as if someone had just yanked the rug out from under her. Yanagi's glasses practically gleamed with intrigue, while Miyabi's head snapped toward Seth so fast, she could've sprained her neck. The entire table fell into stunned silence, except for Soukaku, who was happily munching on a red bean bun like it was the most normal lunch in the world.
"...Did he just say 'Elias'?" Miyabi's tone was calm, too calm, like the eerie stillness before a thunderstorm.
Zhu's face burned as she desperately tried to salvage the situation. "Nope! He said, uh, uh—'alias!' Yeah, like... code names! You know, those spy things? Alias! Totally not Elias. You misheard, definitely misheard." She let out an awkward laugh that did absolutely nothing to alleviate the tension.
Seth, oblivious as ever, blinked in confusion. "Wait, but isn't Elias—"
"SETH." Zhu's voice came out sharp and panicked, her eyes wide as she glared daggers at him. "Eat. Your. Noodles."
Miyabi glanced at Yanagi, their gazes locking for a moment before Yanagi spoke. "I remember you dug up some names during your interrogation with the patient." Her voice was calm, but the way her eyes bore into Zhu made it clear she wasn't letting this go. "Elias."
The mention of those names felt like a bomb detonating in front of Zhu. Her pulse quickened, her grip on her chopsticks tightening until her knuckles turned white. This is it. I'm toast. Thanks a lot, Seth.
Yanagi didn't relent, leaning forward slightly. "Did you dig up those names during your investigation?" She bit her lower lip, a small gesture that somehow made the moment even more nerve-wracking.
Zhu darted a sideways glance at Qingyi, who was blissfully slurping her noodles without a care in the world. Great. My backup is busy carb-loading. She brushed her arms as if dusting off invisible crumbs, trying to stall. "Well... I actually..."
Her voice faltered as she leaned back in her seat, fingers fidgeting with the edge of her napkin. "Actually, I met him," she admitted finally, her gaze dropping to her half-finished meal as though it held the answers to all her problems. "Elias, I mean."
The room felt heavier as the words hung in the air. Zhu could feel everyone's eyes on her. She exhaled slowly, her fingers tracing the rim of her bowl. Might as well spill it all now.
"He was chasing Gavin Carter," Zhu began, her voice softening as memories flooded back. "It was an accident. He bumped into me, spilled my lunch. But..." She paused, the corners of her lips twitching upward in a faint smile. "He paid for a new one. Even threw in an extra dessert."
Her voice grew more nostalgic as she continued. "The next day, I got an apology cake. Then another one. And another. It's been going on ever since."
Qingyi froze mid-slurp, her noodle dangling from her chopsticks. Seth, on the other hand, was leaning forward with the enthusiasm of someone who'd just discovered a juicy new drama even though he heard the story hundreds of times before.
"I met him again later, chasing a suspect linked to Gavin Carter. I arrested them for a public order violation. That's when I found out he's a PUBSEC agent—Elias Ward." Zhu gestured vaguely with her hand, as if that clarified everything.
She hesitated for a moment before continuing, her tone turning more subdued. "Then there was this one time... I saw him rummaging through trash. He said he was looking for a parcel which was dropped by the suspect. He seemed so desperate, so I offered to help."
Zhu let out a deep sigh, her shoulders slumping. "I don't know. His case is so complicated. He's giving me mixed signals, too. One moment he's chasing leads, the next he's..." She trailed off, her voice tinged with frustration. "I don't even know."
The table fell silent. Zhu risked a glance at Miyabi and Yanagi, whose expressions were unreadable. They sat frozen, their reactions unusually stiff. Miyabi's fox ears twitched ever so slightly, a rare giveaway of her thoughts. Yanagi's glasses gleamed ominously as she adjusted them, the light obscuring her eyes.
Zhu shifted uncomfortably under their scrutiny. "Uh... what's with the look?"
Miyabi and Yanagi exchanged a glance, their unspoken exchange laden with meaning. Miyabi's lips parted as if to say something, but she hesitated, choosing instead to sip her water in silence.
"Whew, this just got real, huh?" Seth chuckled nervously, scratching the back of his neck. He was met with an icy glare from Zhu, which immediately shut him up.
Meanwhile, Soukaku continued munching on her red bean bun, blissfully unaware of the storm brewing around her.
Miyabi broke the silence, sipping a tea on with a cup on her hand, "Elias... Was that your secret admirer? Or this is a case-related issue?" she teased.
"What?" Zhu froze, caught off guard by her reaction.
"So this Elias, you're doing a background check and hunting down his exes?" Yanagi chimed in, she cackled, a cute little laugh that earned a few curious glances from the nearby table. "Sorry, sorry."
Zhu's face flushed, and she let out a long, exasperated sigh. "I wasn't!" She finally gave up, shoulders slumping. "Well... that's it, my secret admirer. Probably."