REMPAK: The Destruction

Part 24: Hugs For An Unsafe World

"Mr Arba, you're back."

Jizo and Arba who were still staring at the crying teenage girl were interrupted by the call of a local bureau officer.

Arba turned his head, before once again confirming that Jizo had not moved from his place. The young man was still fixated on what he saw.

"Mr Arba, the head of the department wants to talk to you." The attendant took a glance at where Airi was because the two people in front of her did not seem to be so connected to what she said.

"Isn't that the miss of the Western District?"

"He came a few minutes ago and did not stop crying after seeing his father's body" the officer said. Finally, Jizo gave attention to the woman in the gray uniform.

"Since he cannot return to the Eastern District immediately, we let him wait here as a witness and a relative."

"If all his statements have been recorded" he continued. Jizo and Arba return to Airi.

They only separated one glass barrier, Airi's crying voice could clearly be heard up to here. Jizo is well aware that Airi needs time. It was impossible to return home soon, when he had just arrived.

"Mr Arba, you so meet the head of the department?" The officer offered the man a pudding once more. Arba nodded quickly and nodded.

"I'll see him" he answered confidently before stepping away in the direction the officer pointed out.

Arba patted Jizo's shoulder softly, "Consolation, you said he was your friend."

The young man who Jizo had considered like his brother signaled that he could approach Airi. Jizo was allowed to talk to the girl.

With certainty, Jizo shifted the see-through door that gave him access to the waiting room. Here, Airi's voice sounded much louder. Gawking so pitifully. Jizo grimaced with a slice. This situation is not suitable for Airi.

"Airi," call Jizo. The baritone's voice touched the girl's broken-hearted shoulder. Airi fell for a moment when she heard a voice that penetrated her ear.

Still crammed on the floor, Airi looked back. Jizo stood firmly with his straight eyes. He widened the net, not expecting that out of everyone, Jizo was the one standing there.

Jizo could see that Airi's eye bags were beginning to swell, her nose was flushed itchy, and her body had not stopped shaking. He approached her immediately, humbling himself on the floor.

"..."

Airi's lips seemed to move, but not a single sentence came out from there. In fact, slowly, the puddles were getting fuller, flooding, spilling over down Airi's cheeks. She was crying more and more.

Jizo's been lost for words. He stretched out his hand, encircling Airi's body. His great tremors, as if they were contagious to the man. Jizo.

Airi's petals were closed while her chest was patted hard because of the tightness that was really torturous. Jizo knows, Jizo understands. He could feel how the girl's heart was scattering. His reason for living had just been snatched away.

Jizo tightened his hug, giving him more strength. Airi did not need to feel alone facing a fate that was playing around with madness.

"Dad... Dad..."

It was only the shrillness that finally came out from Airi's ruum lips. The girl did not reply to Jizo's embrace, busy supporting herself who had gone out of direction. Airi felt something buzzing loudly in her ears.

"Dad... A-well... Yeah..."

Jizo stiffened Airi's body while still in a crouching position. Airi's call to her father turns into the backdrop of tragedy.

"Shhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh... It's okay, Airi."

"Crying..."

Jizo stiffened the fragile back of the girl in his arms. Swiping it slowly, hoping that Airi would get a little energy to hold on.

"It's okay..."

"No—"

Buk up!

Jizo pushed back. Now he sits perfectly on the floor. The man frowned, loosened his hug, peeked at Airi's face.

Ah, she's asleep.

Jizo sighed. This girl is the same Airi, who threw her at the hostility of the past few months. The same person also, who did not hesitate to yell at even put on a dislike face blatantly on him. Airi is so hard, but always ends up obeying Jizo's ego.

Jizo repeatedly warns her not to trust others too much, even including herself. But, look. Airi has just lost her most precious father, feeling alone in a cruel world, but when Jizo approaches her to give her a little support, the girl feels safe. He fell asleep without fear that something bad could happen again.

Airi and her carelessness. How could Jizo leave her when Airi can't even take care of herself on her worst day?

It's not like Airo should always be strong, but Jizo also doesn't know anyone who can be around the girl to take care of her. Airi also had no one else to trust.

Jizo maintained that position for a while even though his hands and feet were clearly going to be cramped soon. What she said, Airi can live without Jizo. When I say it, the guy is just playing around. But, fate seems to like jokes that are not funny, huh?

***

Geck! Geck!

The wooden door was slowly knocked. Arba emerged from behind it with a polite greeting. He bowed for a moment before standing up straight again.

"Sit, Arba. We need to talk." The big bald man with a cigar on his lips got up from the comfortable work chair. The room filled with piles of files smelled like cloves. Arba believes, even the paper and furniture here will also smell the same.

Even so, Arba is a man who does not talk much let alone protest. He was sitting on a sofa made of synthetic fur, which is believed to cost probably not half as much as the one in the Corvus room.

"I actually want to talk to Ko directly, but I'm sure he'll hand this to you and say he's busy."

The head of the local bureau department named Baku put a cup of rose tea in front of Arba. His words were half right, the Corvus leader did indeed mandate the case directly to Arba. But, Ko is not busy. The boss must be waiting for their return to the big house while playing chess with Saka.

Arba just cleared his throat. He didn't come here for pleasantries. Baku clearly knew he was a busy man. Talking about everything on target, is how Arba works.

"So, you're gonna take care of the case yourself or hand it over to us?" Baku sipped the sweet rose tea. His skirt had been lying on the ashtray since the first time the middle-aged man served Arba's arrival here.

"We'll call about that later. Corvus members are still figuring out his background." Arba replied calmly. Ignoring the warm sodorant of their interlocutor.

Baku nodded. He understood that Corvus was very careful with every decision. A subordinate like Arba also knows how to keep their steps right. In no hurry.

"Ko said he wouldn't cooperate?" Baku fishing Arba once again. His eyes narrowed, peculiar to his people. He looks sneaky if he puts on such an expression.

Arba is not shaky. Didn't eat the bait one bit. "Mr Ko is still talking about it with us. Corvus just asked for the distribution of evidence."

The one being talked to smirked. "Arba, you know the local bureau isn't unemployed."

"The evidence is double in two hands, but one begins to work, the other is busy talking. Who do you think will find the culprit first?"

Arba blinked once. Baku's point is, Corvus and the local bureau did share evidence, but the local bureau's investigation had already begun when Corvus still had not made any decision. Easily, he threatened them if only the local bureau found at least a loophole to blame Corvus.

"We know very well what we're doing, sir. Just stand on each other's feet." Arba responded as necessary as he stood up. The conclusion of this chat has been obtained, there is no point in lingering here and letting Baku continue to pull it.

"Hahaha!!!" The man was tight. Arba was just about to swear he choked on a rose petal because he was offended by the laughter just now. But, the pudding male's face still remained flat.

"You'd be the leader of Corvus if the boy didn't exist, would you, Arba?"

Arba who was just about to say goodbye, stopped. He didn't like the question just now. Of all the people, only Baku dared to discuss it in front of him. Arba still kept his expression.

"Please don't interfere, Mr. Baku."

"That's our internal problem."

That way, Arba came out without saying goodbye. Closing the wooden door of the headroom of the local bureau department with a little hard.

True, it was an open secret among their group if Arba was the next best candidate for Corvus' leader. However, the "boy" called Baku just now, was in fact someone who would occupy that position.

Arba threw out the air from his chest calmly. He doesn't care about being a leader and being in power. Being able to work for Corvus and Mr. Ko alone, was more than enough for him. The competition towards the top was something he did not want to do personally. Arba, don't have the energy for that.

While walking back to the waiting room, he found Jizo sitting on a long chair, with his thighs cushioning a girl who was soundly asleep. Jizo throws a look for help to him.

"Can we take him to the mansion?" Jizo asked, which immediately gave Arba a headache.

He has a lot of things to do.