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

[spiritsandsuchtrainee]

Mob immediately grabbed his phone, then flipped it open and navigated to his texts.

[mp_simplyacommoner]

SHIGE Send.

That food is WAY CUTER than I remember it Send.

૮꒰˶●༝●˶꒱ა ~♡︎
/づ𓆏 Send.

wait Send.

are you still on the train? Send.

did you pack that? Send.

[spiritsandsuchtrainee]

No Master bought it for me Send.

It's my third-year work anniversary Send.

[mp_simplyacommoner]

Three years? Today? Send.

Congratulations!! Send.

I had no idea this was a celebration trip (o_ _)ﾉ彡☆ Send.

[spiritsandsuchtrainee]

I don't think it is. Send.

We still have a job to do Send.

[mp_simplyacommoner]

Still Send.

The best feeling is being recognized for hard work you put in yourself. Send.

my father is always finding time to celebrate when he's out on work Send.

profitable trades. high returns. market volatility Send.

Not just stuff like that, but team achievements and personal milestones are really important! Send.

You deserve to be recognized. Send.

[spiritsandsuchtrainee]

Do your parents celebrate you too? Send.

[mp_simplyacommoner]

well, I don't work

[spiritsandsuchtrainee]

What about for other things?

[mp_simplyacommoner]

Not really Send.

There was a pause.

Well, I do get cards and presents for my birthdays and stuff Send.

[spiritsandsuchtrainee]

Mob frowned at that answer.

We should do something special for your birthday Send.

When is it? Send.

[mp_simplyacommoner]

Oh it passed a few weeks ago. Don't worry about it. Send.

Another pause.

It's April 13th, for the record. Send.

[spiritsandsuchtrainee]

Ok I'll have to figure out how to put it on my phone's calendar

[mp_simplyacommoner]

(〃￣ω￣〃)ゞ Send.

you're gonna embarrass me Send.

hey, I'll stop bugging you, okay? I know you're working and everything Send.

[spiritsandsuchtrainee]

Thanks Send.

I'll send you another picture soon. Send.

Mob shut his phone and wondered if all the other middle schoolers texted like this. He set it down on the table, only then realizing how rude it might have been. They'd been texting back-and-forth for a few minutes.

"Sorry about that," he said to Reigen before he continued eating his bento.

[mp_strikinglyblessed]

"You got fast at texting all of a sudden," Reigen commented, thoroughly nonplussed. He was over halfway through his own bento at this point. "Talking to a girl?"

[spiritsandsuchtrainee]

"No, just a friend." Mob didn't think he was that fast at texting. Maybe he was getting better?

[mp_strikinglyblessed]

"Someone from your club?" That alien-obsessed kid still counted as a girl, surely.

[spiritsandsuchtrainee]

"No, he's a friend from another school."

[mp_strikinglyblessed]

"That's new." That was new, right? Mob never even talked to anyone his own age from his own school until he started the year several weeks prior. "How'd that one happen?"

[spiritsandsuchtrainee]

"He was the one I fought a few weeks ago." Mob said this as if it were the most natural thing in the world.

[mp_strikinglyblessed]

“During that incident?”

[spiritsandsuchtrainee]

"Yeah."

[mp_strikinglyblessed]

“You seem easy-going about it.” Even if Reigen was electing to merely state an observation there was a flicker of concern beneath it. “Did he at least apologize for the trouble?”

[spiritsandsuchtrainee]

"Yeah, he did. He even tried to make it up to me, even when I told him it wasn't necessary."