Chapter 4: Cutting Algae Part One

[mp_strikinglyblessed]

Texting was a pretty neat function. It was widely adopted by every teenager except the one he, Reigen, had so generously gifted a phone to do it with. Mob was diligent to a fault about picking up his calls, but texting? Still a work in progress. Mob was getting better, though. After all, how else was Reigen supposed to give him a heads up about big jobs before the end of the school day? Excepting the occasional friendly lunch break chat.

That was of course assuming the phone was still intact. After their chat last night, Reigen wasn't so sure. It wasn't like Mob made a habit of texting him first.

Reigen squinted at the clock on his second-hand laptop he'd just replaced the shattered one with. 12:05PM. He had found a decent deal on one in a flea market but there was something off about the graphics. Parts of the screen were always slightly out of frame and most of his day had been spent trying to uselessly dink with the display options until it was righted, but instead he just ended up with a resolution that was too small.

'Ugh. New laptop, and if we're really unlucky, a new phone? I'll just garnish it...' Reigen pulled out his phone and fired off a text to his pupil. You didn't get washed away, did you? Your phone's still working, right?

Comments

[mp_strikinglyblessed]

Ouch. Reigen hid a wince with a light laugh.

"That's a bit harsh, Asa-san. That's certainly not the impression I'm trying to give! I assure you I take professionalism very seriously."

[mp_npc]

Asa folded one arm in front of her and clasped the other arm that hung at her side.

"I never said it had anything to do with your work. If there was something fraudulent with your business, I would have gotten the same sense from your assistant, but I didn't."

[mp_strikinglyblessed]

Reigen's smile tightened as Asa's dark eyes continued to fix on his. He suddenly, somehow, felt very strongly about not lying to her.

"I don't know how I could possibly grade myself on my number of secrets kept compared to other people, but even I can admit to having a few."

[mp_npc]

Asa shot Reigen an interested look, but didn't dwell on the topic any more than she had already.

"If you'd like, I can show you to your room now."

[mp_strikinglyblessed]

"Sure. Please." Reigen was about to just roll with the punch, but it didn't feel right. It wasn't his ego talking either. "But before that..."

[mp_npc]

Asa was already on her way to open the sliding door when Reigen spoke up. "You need something before we leave?" she asked, stopping long enough to look over her shoulder.

[mp_strikinglyblessed]

Reigen fixed her with a look. "Asa-san...You're surely not asking me such direct questions for the mere fun of it."

[mp_npc]

"I suppose I just find myself drawn to you," she answered, opening the sliding door.

[mp_strikinglyblessed]

...What?

"You're flattering me. But I'm serious, Asa-san."

[mp_npc]

"I'm serious, too." Asa waited for Reigen to pass the door's threshold before walking alongside him.

[mp_strikinglyblessed]

Reigen closed his mouth and kept it closed as he walked beside the young woman to what would be his abode for the next three days. He only opened it again to thank her again for the tea and for being a diligent escort.

[mp_simplyacommoner]

~~

It was pretty muggy out during his post-school run--enough that Teru felt like he had to take an extra shower. As he was drying himself off and jacking up his AC, his thoughts went to Mob. It must have been the extra little space in his drawers from when he gifted Mob some of his pj's, or maybe it was because he wondered how the weather was where the other boy was on the coast. Either way, he knew he said he wouldn't bother Mob when he was on a job more than he had, but Mob totally knew he was free to reply on his own time!

Have you had dinner yet? Send.

Don't forget the pictures! Send.

[spiritsandsuchtrainee]

Mob was waiting for Reigen to finish getting ready for their first trip to the castle. He hadn't had the chance yet to ask his master whether or not he had sensed anything strange from Asa, but if anything weird had happened, he was sure that he would have mentioned it.

As soon as Mob felt his phone vibrate, he tugged it out of his pocket. He'd probably used it more the last few weeks than he had the entire time since Reigen first gifted it to him.

Not yet. We're going to the castle soon and then we'll have dinner afterward. Send.

Oh, by the way, I saw a picture of you and your grandpa today. Send.

[mp_simplyacommoner]

Huh?

[spiritsandsuchtrainee]

Yeah it was in a guestbook here.

[mp_simplyacommoner]

Where??

[spiritsandsuchtrainee]

At the inn we are staying at.

[mp_simplyacommoner]

Seriously? Send.

( 〃．．) Send.

That's super embarrassing! Send.

I don't even remember taking one. Send.

Even if he had been three at the time...but still!

[spiritsandsuchtrainee]

Do you want me to take a picture of it?

[mp_simplyacommoner]

no no no no Send.

just forget you saw it Send.

[spiritsandsuchtrainee]

Why?

[mp_simplyacommoner]

it's embarrassing (⸝⸝⸝ ≧ㅿ＼⸝⸝⸝)/ Send.

[spiritsandsuchtrainee]

Really? I thought you looked cute.

[mp_simplyacommoner]

Teru nearly threw his phone across the bathroom to drown himself in the sink.

(∗∕ ∕•̥̥̥̥∕ω∕•̥̥̥̥∕) Send.

i mean Send.

if you really wanted to see something like that Send.

i want to be the one to show you Send.

[spiritsandsuchtrainee]

Teru wasn't mad, was he? It was difficult for Mob to gauge how people were feeling in person. It was even harder to tell when texting. Even though Teru was very expressive with his emoticons.

I wasn't looking for it. Send.

It just happened to be there. Send.