Disclaimer: I do not own Taimanin series.
Five Days Break – 03
"They don't serve milk?"
While he was looking around, Kotaro was somewhat disappointed.
The inn didn't provide any form of entertainment to their customers. He tried calling the staff and no one was responding. The owner was nowhere to be found. As if the whole place was deserted. Only a table tennis was all that left to save their guests from boredom.
Kotaro inspected it closely. The table didn't look that new. On the contrary, it looked rusted and covered in a pile of dust. No one here bothered to clean it. The same state he noticed among a few stranger things here. Lots of cobwebs on the ceiling, there were some in his room too. Kotaro didn't really care much about it. Because this town was barely a tourist attraction anymore, the lack of people could lead to these things. But to think many places in the inn had it, he could hardly ignore. The hot spring and the old-styled room, where he was staying, were both great. Other qualities? Not so much. Kotaro swiped a finger on the dirt filled table to see how thick the layer was. The tip was pitch-black. It was that dirty. Surely a one hundred percent they called this poor management.
He couldn't do anything with his phone since the area didn't have any network available, even the reception. This was a peacefully quiet town. Though he didn't think it would have this much of technology disadvantages. Kotaro gazed back at the table tennis one more time. If someone would be willing to clean the dirt on top, he could play it without any problem. A green board with chalk boxes, the ping-pong balls and paddles were already there.
Still, here was the big question. If he was going to play the game, who would be the opponent? Right now the only guests here were him and Ingrid. There was no way he could play a game that required speed, good reflex and accuracy against a sword wielder like her. She was feared on the battlefield for a reason. Yeah, not a chance.
Oh well, at least I still have the books.
As Kotaro intent to leave, he stopped in place when he saw Ingrid in a white yukata standing outside the room. Not too loose or revealing, her current attire did a good job in accommodating her natural beauty and figure. And it was about time he averted his gaze to somewhere else before she noticed.
"It's strange, don't you think?" Ingrid suddenly asked.
"Huh?"
"There's not much activity going on in this place. In term of services, they are very lacking. If it wasn't for the quality of the hot spring." Her eyes trailed off from the dust filled table tennis to various dirty spots around the corridor. "I would have send a complaint to the person who is running this inn. The treatment provided to their customers is unpleasant."
Kotaro nodded. He couldn't agree more.
"And it doesn't seem like the owner is available, even the staff. Asides from him and you, I haven't seen anyone else here."
He understood what she meant. This place had such a small population that it was no different from a ghost town. The owner did say his town hadn't seen visitors for a long time.
No visitors → No money for maintenance → Business goes down → People leave town for better lives → Small population → Current state of the town.
Plus, the place was in a really secluded location. No wonder not many people knew about it.
"Well, if that tree came back to life, this town could have been something entirely different." Kotaro pointed out the opened window, where the sight of the giant white tree could be seen.
"You could be right. But right now as we are here, there's nothing much to do."
Even though the expression didn't show much hint of the boredom she was having underneath, Kotaro was fully aware of it. Then, her line of sight stopped at the table tennis. Her eyes remained fixed on it for a while as if an idea popped into her mind. For some reason, Kotaro knew he should leave this room quietly before she voiced out those thoughts. Guk! She already went and picked up the paddle.
"Y-Yeah, it can't be help." Kotaro scratched the back of his head, turned away and slowly took a couple steps toward the corridor. "I'll just go back to my room and sleep now."
"Hold on." Ingrid finally spoke. It was too late. "Care to play a game with me, Fuuma Kotaro?"
"….et…tu…..the table is dirty." Kotaro tried to think of an excuse. "Eh?"
When he looked back, it was spot clean.
"They were generous enough to leave a handkerchief here." Ingrid explained.
"Oh. They did?"
He didn't see that one coming. Did she just clean the table? When did she do that? And how could he miss that?
"Don't worry about losing or winning, I usually don't expect much from my opponent." The corner of her lip curved up. "Let's just say that I'm looking forward to having an entertaining game. Will you be able to do that?"
With a confidence personality that she always displayed on the battlefield, Ingrid pulled a provocation on him. Kotaro's left eye twitched.
"Oh, what's with that look?" She continued. "Hopefully you didn't get the wrong idea that I am underestimating you or anything. You are smart as you earned the Captain position of the Taimanin Task Force after all. But what about your skills so far? Surely you don't mind showing me your improvement."
Improvement. She used that term because she was fully aware of his strength. He was one of the weakest Taimanins. He became the Captain because Asagi and Chief Yamamoto saw potentials in him. He didn't know what kind of potential did they see. Not many missions of the Task Force ended up in success, there were some failures too. And those consequences happened because of his mistakes. Despite the compliment, Kotaro wasn't that smart. He couldn't use the ninja art, his combat was barely above average. He only had the desire to prove himself as the strongest motivation to push forward.
"Got it."
The thin smile that was slowly forming on her face became more prominent. Kotaro grabbed his paddle and the ping-pong ball.
"Ingrid, as your companion for this one occasion, I'll do my best to keep you entertained. Don't go easy on me just because I'm weak."
"That's good. I won't hold back."
They stood on both ends of the table. Kotaro held the small ball in his palm and started the serving stance. Ingrid simply gripped her paddle like the way she would wield a sword.
"Just to be sure, you've already known the rule of this game, yes?"
"The first to get 11 points is the winner of the match, am I right?"
"Right."
It was just a game, one that he knew too well victory was impossible for him to get. Losing afterward was inevitable, Kotaro had no way to change the result against a combat expert like Ingrid, who was superior in both speed and reflex.
"Before we started, can I tell you something?" He spoke.
"Go on."
"Since we both know it's impossible for me to win against you when you're not holding back, I'll try to get at least one point before we call it a night."
"Suit yourself. Let me see how you can get that point from me."
Kotaro grinned. Since this was a game for fun, he didn't need to win. All he needed was one point. She wanted to see his improvement? She would get it.
The ball tossed into the air. Kotaro inhaled deeply as his whole arm swung.
Total concentration!
The chalk in his hand moved, another hash mark added on the board.
Kotaro stared at the scores with a half-opened eye and a bruise on his right cheek. Ah, the bruise? Just a clumsy moment with the wrong footing at the wrong angle. The details? He got it from one of the nasty rebounds from Ingrid's side. How hurt it was? He didn't feel like talking about it.
The marks under Ingrid's name almost reached the bottom. Meanwhile, on the left side of the board, the name Fuuma was written on top an empty space. More than seven games and he still didn't get a single point. Ingrid really went all out on him. The intimidation when she became serious was not something to be made light of. Her swings were fast and precised. Once the game's momentum increased, he could barely keep up whenever she returned the ball.
She was waiting at the table, readied for the next round. The calm expression that Kotaro dubbed as Ingrid's smug look was all over her face. Rushing a few strands of hair behind the ear, Ingrid smiled in content. She broke a good sweat after each victory.
"It seems this is as far as the Captain of the Task Force can go. Do you want to end the game here, or do you want to continue and taste more defeat?" She taunted.
"One more game." Kotaro gladly fell for it.
"Good. I'm still waiting for you to earn that one point."
"Thanks for the reminder." He gave a flat reply.
It was Ingrid's turn to serve. Kotaro tightened his grip on the paddle as the ball was casted toward the ceiling. In the next second, Ingrid delivered the hit. A lightning quick ball crashed on his side of the table and bounded into his paddle. Kotaro returned the ball only to react to another quick move from Ingrid. He missed. The ball blew past him and hit the ground.
Shortly after, the game advanced to the final round. Ingrid came out on top with the score 10 – 0. Another win was within her reach. Kotaro couldn't do anything about it.
"This is your last chance, Fuuma Kotaro." Ingrid said. "I haven't seen any improvement that you are desperately trying to prove."
Kotaro shrugged. It was his turn to be the server.
"Here I come. Last game." He declared.
Standing on the right side of his end, Kotaro began the serve. The ball bounded on Ingrid's court and met her paddle. This time, she made a full swing. The left eye that observed her movement shifted to the ball.
Kotaro immediately switched hand and jumped to the other direction. Thanks to Ingrid's decisive strike, a clear trajectory of the ball was visible. His arm stretched out, right into its path. Instead of the paddle, the ball hit his hand and leaped up in the air, toward the out of bound area. He grunted at the impact, it stung. His opponent lowered her arms with a triumphant look. She didn't notice the blue paddle once again switched in his hands.
Bam!
Ingrid's eyes went wide. Something hit the ball mid-air. It collided with the surface of her court and recoiled. Thanks to her excellent reflex, she countered the unexpected ball just in time.
Thud!
Only for a distinctive sound to echo in the middle of the table. The ping pong ball touched the net and stayed on her side of the court. A surprise Ingrid turned back to the object on the floor that just hit the ball in mid-air. It was Kotaro's paddle. He threw it toward the ball so he could forcefully change its course.
"Score ONE!" Kotaro shouted in excitement.
10 - 1.
One hash mark finally appeared under his name on the board. A single point didn't prove anything against the countless marks on Ingrid's side. Regardless, it was his improvement in the type of battle that was never his forte. The weak Taimanin scored a point against the strong Hell Knight using his own wit.
"It appears so." Ingrid muttered. The surprise had yet to leave her face.
Kotaro left out a sigh in relief. All that kunai trainings with Tokiko somehow paid off.
The match came to an end. They didn't need to start the next round to determine who was the winner since the result was obvious.
That didn't bother Kotaro at all.
On the way back to their rooms, they had some small talks.
"It's been a fun evening, Fuuma Kotaro." Ingrid said with a smile. "The last game is praiseworthy. The next time when you and I meet again on the battlefield, I would like to see that kind of quick wittedness in action."
Kotaro blinked. That sounded like a compliment.
"Likewise…...ah! That's right." Kotaro realized something. "By the way, instead of just using my full name all the time. You can call me Fuuma."
"Hm. Very well." She nodded. "However, as your enemy, if I address you like that in front of your colleagues, are you sure it won't cause a misunderstanding?"
"Eh?" He titled his head in confusion. "I don't think there's any problem with that though. Or rather, most people call me by my first name all the time. It's nothing weird so it's alright…..I think."
"I see. Is there any specific reason why you want me to just call you like that?"
Another question, one that made him even more confused.
"Because it's shorter?" He answered, uncertain. He had no idea if there was any underlying meaning behind her questions. "No, what I meant is….right now, aren't we still companions?"
Ingrid didn't say anything else as they arrived at her door. Kotaro continued to his room, inserted the key into the lock. He was about to turn to her and say good night. Kotaro felt like he should do it even though it might have been unnecessary.
"About the bruise on your face."
But Ingrid was the first to speak up as her eyes met him across the hallway.
"I think you should do something about it. It's starting to get swollen."
He touched the swelling spot on his right cheek. Ouch! The pain kicked in now that he remembered it.
"Thanks for the concern."
"I didn't say that out of concern for you. I said it because you don't seem to care much about it yourself."
Hearing her said that with such a straight face actually made him feel like a cold breeze just rushed over him. Well, he was a Taimanin, this kind of minor injury was child's play. But since this came from a ball she served, it definitely hurt more than that. And he definitely wouldn't say that out loud.
"Also….." Ingrid wasn't finish, she glanced to the side. "It happened while we were only enjoying the game, I feel responsible for causing it. That's why I have to say it."
Eh? Did that mean she was feeling bad because she thought it was her fault he got this bruise?
"No, this happened on my part." Kotaro quickly said. "Ah well, never mind about it. I brought a medkit with me. This will heal overtime soon."
"That is good then." Her expression seemed to soften. "I'll see you tomorrow, Fuuma. Good night."
"Y-You too."
Her door closed as she went inside, leaving him alone in the hallway. Kotaro scratched the back of his head, pondering over her words. That caught him off guard. He didn't think she would say it first, or that she would ever say it to him. It wasn't a bad feeling. They were enemies. And somehow, there was a slightest change in that. Maybe it was just his mind making things up.
Even so, hearing that good night from her was kind of warming.
It was late in the evening. The first day of his break was over.
He slipped in a marker between the pages and closed the book, leaving it on top the stack that he planned to read all during the break. Kotaro stretched his arms, letting out a yawn only to startle when the tingling pain behind the band aid on his cheek aroused.
Let's call it a night.
Lights turned off. He opened the window to get some cool air. The giant white tree appeared before his eyes. At the top of the night sky was a full moon. Watching the sight from his view, it resembled a hand trying to reach toward that shining sphere but couldn't.
An unusual piece of art made by nature. Oddly mesmerizing.
"I wonder what's everybody doing back in Gosha?" Kotaro muttered.
He wanted to make a call to his home. But the lack of reception made it impossible for that option to work. Back then, Kotaro tried to leave the Village as fast as he could after the long briefing. As a result, he didn't directly tell anyone about the idea of him going off to elsewhere on his own. The belongings he carried were just clothes, medkit and personal items, it didn't take much time to pack everything. Besides, no one was at home around that time.
Kotaro wasn't worried in the case everyone thought he went missing. Before leaving, he left a message behind. By chances, if Tokiko was looking for him, she would find a note on his desk.
Yep, all things prepared.
Kotaro pulled out the mattress from the closet and set up the bed in the middle of the room. Lights turned off. With a satisfied sigh, he left himself fall into the comfort of the futon.
As he rolled to the side, his leg accidentally kicked the table, causing the books to fall off. Kotaro groaned and started picking them up.
"Hm?"
He felt something stuck on the cover. It was one of the books taken from his desk. Flipping it back, he saw a yellow memo that glued to the back of the book just now. It had some writing on it.
"Ah…...the note."
When Kotaro looked at the content, his heart nearly stopped. The one message that was supposed to stay in his room back in Gosha, it was with him this whole time.
With a gulp, the color on his face slowly changed to a ghastly white shade.
[Between The Line]
"Where have you gone to, master?"
Outside the yard of the Fuuma estate, Fuuma Tokiko shook her head with a sigh.
It was another "this number is currently unavailable." message. The service could not connect her call to him. This had been going on for an entire day. When she heard footsteps echoed behind her, Tokiko finally put the phone away and turned to a young girl, who was tugging her sleeves.
"Tokiko." Noah spoke with an expressionless face. "Kotaro, answered, yet?"
"Not yet, Noah-chan."
Noah nodded slowly.
"Everyone, worried."
"I know."
They walked back into the living room. Inside, a group of people was gathering around the table. When the news of Kotaro's disappearance broke out, most of the members in the Task Force all gathered here to help the investigation. Well, calling it an investigation was just one way to put it.
"So here is my suggestion!" A hand raised up. Sakura spoke. "While we are doing this to find Fuuma-kun, let's stay here for the whole break! Say~, Yukikaze-chan, do you agree with me?"
The person in question flinched.
"W-Why should I agree with that!?"
"Aww, look at you, acting all shy and cute." She smirked. "I'll take that as a yes."
"What!? I never said…...well, I don't mind, actually." Yukikaze muttered, eyes focused on the floor. Her cheeks became red.
Getting the right answer, Sakura turned to the next person.
"Hey hey, Su-chan! What do you think?"
Su was frowning at the question. As the one who held the second in command position of the Task Force, Tokiko hoped she would have her say to diminish these behaviors.
"This is ridiculous! Why would you suggest an idea like that and decide things on your own? You are pushing Tokiko-dono's hospitality."
Yes. Well said, Su-san.
"Indeed. Right now, finding more information on Fuuma-kun's whereabout is our top priority." Rinko voiced her opinion. Tokiko nodded her head in delight after hearing that. It made a lot more sense than Sakura's suggestion. "Still, to be honest, I also think that staying here will help us progress the investigation much quicker, but we will need to ask for permission first. Tokiko-sensei, can we stay here to lend you a hand?"
"Eh?" Tokiko startled at the sudden twist in those words.
"I see. I'm starting to get where you are going with that. Valid point." Su agreed. "It can't be help. In that case, we can set up the base for the operation right here in this room. Pardon me, Tokiko-dono. But I think this is necessary."
"Eh!?"
The way this conversation turned out made Tokiko speechless.
"Me too. I would like to participate in this operation to help find Mister Fuuma." Emily said.
"Alright!" Sakura cheered. "Now that we're all agreed, let's have a sleepover party later and talk about Fuuma-kun related topics."
Tokiko rubbed her temple. At this point, she didn't know what else to say. They all cared about Kotaro, and he was their Captain. It wouldn't be reasonable to tell them to go back. All she could do was keeping a watchful eye on them and made sure that nothing went overboard.
"I've prepared tea for everyone."
Nagi came out from the kitchen as she was holding a tray of tea cups. The young Taimanin, former terrorist now turned ally, put it on the table for everyone to grab the drink and stepped back into the corner of the room, watching the merry Task Force members enjoying her tea. Nagi didn't show her feeling, but Tokiko was aware of it from the way her hands gripping together with a brief fidgeting gesture. She was worried about Kotaro's well-being.
So far, they had no lead. Saika was still on a mission. On the other hand, Amane was working with another team to retrieve data from surveillance cameras.
Click!
All of sudden, a click echoed. Everyone focused their gazes on the main door. Su was the first to stand up from her seat, she intent to answer the door. That chance slipped as Nagi reacted faster than her.
"Maste-!" Nagi's word halted once the door opened. Her hopeful gaze shifted to one of confusion.
"Pardon for the intrusion."
It was Murasaki, who came in with a couple of grocery bags. Seeing the look on Nagi's face, Tokiko just smiled a little and patted on her shoulder. Apparently, she was expecting Murasaki's visit.
"It's alright, you should join the others. I will take it from here." Tokiko reassured.
"Yes."
She went back inside, leaving the two in their own conversation.
"Murasaki-sensei." Tokiko greeted. "Thank you for coming here at this hour."
"Uhm. I was patrolling around the perimeter and got your message. Any news about him?"
"I'm afraid not."
Murasaki let out an exasperated sigh.
"That Fuuma. I was wondering why he has the gut to skip the gym. Turns out this happened."
"Hey, Mu-chan! Mu-chan! Come inside, we're going to have a sleepover party!"
She glanced at Sakura, who was in high spirit.
"No, I'll pass. And keep your voice down, Sakura. You're disturbing the neighbors."
"Oh, come on. It's much more convenient for us to find Fuuma-kun if we stay here!"
Ignoring that remark, she turned to Tokiko.
"I'm going back now. Give me a call if you found anything news. I'll help you search for him."
The door opened.
"Onee-chan said she will come here in a few minutes~!" Sakura playfully said as she waved her phone. The scene displayed Asagi's name.
Murasaki flinched.
"Did you just say Asagi-sama is on her way here? How pathetic, Sakura. Do you think that will make me go along with your ridiculous idea? No, I don't think so."
The door closed.
"To see if you're not making that up on the spot just to deceive me, I will stay here and confirm the truth with my own eyes!" Thus, she declared.
Everyone could see excitement filled her eyes.
"Yup yup! Welcome onboard~!" Sakura cleared a portion of the table to let her settled in. "By the way, do you have snack in one of those bags?"
Tokiko sweat dropped at how fast Murasaki changed her mind whenever that name was mentioned.
"Hm?"
The phone in her pocket made a buzzing noise. It was a message from Amane. Tokiko opened it and saw a video clip included before the following words.
[This is the young master's last known location. Taken from yesterday surveillance record.]
Tokiko blinked. Her finger pressed play.
The clip showed a blue haired young man, whom she knew so well, wearing a backpack and pulling a luggage behind him across one of the roads on the outskirt of Gosha Village. The whistling sounds he made so nonchalantly echoed from the speaker on her phone. The camera captured every little details of that young man's gestures and expression before he was gone from view. Fuuma Kotaro looked like he was having the time of his life with a big smile on his face.
As Tokiko was watching it, another message received.
[Do you know where's he going with that luggage?]
No idea. She would like to know that as well. And so did the others, who was also watching over her shoulders. The video stopped playing as it reached the end. In the next moment, a sharp change in mood occurred within the Fuuma estate. The temperature in the room dropped by a few degrees.
"The whole team finally has a break and Fuuma-kun decided to go have fun on his own." Sakura pouted.
"Slacking off as usual, I see." Murasaki smirked. Something dark was there in her eyes. "How daring."
"He could have said something before leaving." Rinko sighed.
"That idiot Fuuma, we were worried for nothing!" Yukikaze whined.
"I agree. As the Captain of the Task Force, this is unacceptable. He should be here to continue his training with me instead!" Su spoke out loud.
"With that said, I'm sure everyone here know what we should do next." Tokiko concluded the topic.
Everyone shared a glance and nodded altogether. A silent agreement had been established.
The young Captain, who went off to elsewhere for a vacation, had no idea what laid in store for him.
...
...
...
"Et tu, does anyone wants to get a head start with a funny story about Fuuma-kun?"
[?]
On top the giant tree with an ash-liked color, something seemed to move between the dying branches.
It stopped at the highest point where the tree had reached the peak of its own height.
It remained there, bathed in the moonlight. And in that place, a flower finally blossomed.
/
Author's Note: This is just a story about Kotaro's vacation and his interaction with Ingrid, but I think I went overboard with the Task Force members, Lol.
Thank you for reading. Take care!