42 Chapter 42 Request System
"What's wrong?" Naoki asked a bit curious as she made her way back to Tatsurou and Miyubi, as she noticed that they stooped following her.
"Well, I just got this message from the Soteria app..." Tatsurou said as he showed his phone to Naoki.
"I see that you finally updated the app, at least that, as for the message it's about the exclusive system that only Soteria interns can use, the request system!" Naoki said as she looked at the phone, then back to Tatsurou.
"Yes, I did the update during classes, but that's not important now, what is this request system?" Tatsurou asked with a curious tone to Naoki, as he looked at his phone again.
"It's pretty simple, in the Soteria app there is a special tab only for the interns where we can be requested or take on requests, to help people around town!" Naoki said as she lifted her index finger.
And this request program she talked about, was one created a few years ago because most Soteria unit members, do not have the time to take care of every simple case or problems like lost dogs or to stop small fights in Takamagahara, so to countermeasure that, this request system was created so that the Soteria interns could take care of the more simple cases, in the place of the Soteria agents and gain experience as a result of this type of work.
"Hmm, but how does this work?" Tatsurou asked still with a curious tone to Naoki.
"It's easy, there are two types of requests, there is the one on the request board of the app where you can choose a job or the instant request, where someone asks for your help specifically..." Naoki said in an informative tone to Tatsurou, as she moved her hand.
"I think I get it more or less...now let's see what this request is about..." Tatsurou said as he pressed the square where the request was displayed and then another square appeared that showed him the contents of the request.
"Mii-chan01 requests help from Inter Kurokami Tatsurou...Request: Help! Child stuck on a tree!" Tatsurou read this out loud to Naoki and Miyubi.
"Huh...? Quite the straight forward request..." Tatsurou said as he looked at the screen for a bit.
"The person that sent that, probably used one of the premade messages the request system offers..." Naoki said as she leaned a bit to have a better look at the contents of the message.
"Izumi-san, do you mind, if I take this request?" Tatsurou asked as he looked at Naoki.
"Well, we should have all of our time for our mission, but I can make an exception since it is a child that is in trouble..." Naoki said as she crossed her arms and looked a bit away from Tatsurou.
"Thanks, I'll accept it now..." Tatsurou said as he pressed the accept button, and before he could react, the location of the person that requested him appeared on the screen.
"It's in the park, right around the corner..." Tatsurou said with a surprised tone as he looked at his phone for a moment.
"What are we waiting for then? Let's go!" Naoki said as she began walking towards the park, with Tatsurou and Miyubi following her...
Moments later, as Tatsurou and the girls were getting close to the park, they saw on the entrance a girl with a school uniform, that was holding a school bag and a grade-schooler backpack, looking to all sides.
"Excuse me! Are you Mii-chan01?" Tatsurou asked as he got close to the girl.
"Y-Yes, I am..." The girl answered this to Tatsurou, that stooped in front of her.
"Wait? Haven't we met before?" Tatsurou asked as he looked at this light brown haired girl, that was wearing the black sailor fuku uniform from Tatsurou's school, but what stood out about it was the fact that the girl's skirt was longer, covering her legs completely.
"Y-Yes we do, I'm your classmate Tachibana Miku..." The girl said as she looked a bit away from Tatsurou.
"Now I remember, you were the one that gave me Sachiko's notes the other day!" Tatsurou said as he was hit with sudden realization, as he saw the girl nodding.
"So, Tachibana-san, what's wrong?" Tatsurou asked as he placed his right hand on his hoddie's pocket.
"R-Right, please follow me!" Miku said as she turned her back and began walking away, Tatsurou, Naoki and Miyubi followed suit behind her, and a few seconds later they were all now in front of a tree that had a young girl, with light brown hair that was wearing a light blue t-shirt and denim shorts, sitting on a branch and holding the trunk of the tree.
"Nee-chan save me!" The girl that was on the tree said with a distressed tone as she kept her eyes closed.
"Don't worry, Yuko I brought help!" Miku said in a reassuring tone to the girl, that just nodded.
"How, did this happen?" Tatsurou asked as he looked at the girl on top of the tree and back to Miku.
"I went to pick her up from school and as we were going back home she saw a cat and she started running after it to pet it, and before I knew it she was on top of the tree..." Miku said as she looked down and began to tear up a bit.
"Please don't cry, were going to take her off, no problem!" Tatsurou said with a reassuring tone to Miku.
"He's right, we're going to solve this, really quick!" Miyubi said also in a reassuring tone, as she placed her hand on Miku's shoulder, and with that Tatsurou turned to the tree and placed his hand on it, as he looked up.
"Hey what do you think, you're doing?" Naoki asked as she got close to Tatsurou.
"Trying to help a little girl get off a tree..." Tatsurou answered with a stoic tone as he kept his hand on the tree.
"I see, I see...are you crazy, you idiot? This tree is 3 or 4 meters tall, if you fall it's going to hurt a lot! There has to be some other way!" Naoki said with an angry tone as she placed her hands on her hips.
"Izumi-san, the height of the tree or the idea of a nasty fall isn't enough to stop me from helping this little girl and we don't have time to think of other ideas..." Tatsurou said with a serious tone, as he looked at Naoki that upon hearing Tatsurou's words became silent for a bit.
"Do whatever then, you show-off!" Naoki said this as she looked away from Tatsurou.
"How am I a show-off by wanting to help a child...well, doesn't matter..." Tatsurou thought as he sighed and began climbing the tree.
"Please, be careful..." Miyubi and Miku said at the same time, as they saw Tatsurou climbing, and sure enough, a few moments later he was on a branch close to the one the girl was sitting on.
"Hello there, your Yuko, right?" Tatsurou asked with a cute voice as he looked at the girl that nodded still with her eyes closed and holding the trunk, when she heard his question.
"My name is Tatsurou, and I'm going to help you get off this tree, you just have to come close, ok?" Tatsurou said as he extended his arm so that he could grab Yuko, and after a bit, she began to slowly move towards Tatsurou, but as she did, the branch she was sitting on, broke.
"Yuko!!!" Miku said her little sister's name, as she saw Yuko falling down.
"Not on my watch!" Tatsurou said this as he jumped off the branch he was on and caught Yuko, he then held her close to him as if hugging her, by placing his left hand on her back and his right on her head, while turning his back to the ground so that he would take, all the impact of the fall.
"This is going to hurt!" Tatsurou thought as he closed his eyes and kept holding Yuko, preparing himself for the impact...
"Huh...?" Tatsurou thought as he noticed that the supposed fall was taking way longer than it should, and as he opened his eyes, Tatsurou noticed that he was lying on top of a transparent magic circle that was hovering just a meter and a half from the ground
"Just what..." As Tatsurou was saying this, he looked to his side and saw Miyubi with her hands extended, controlling this magic circle, moving it close to the ground.
"Thanks, Shimaki-san!" Tatsurou said as he looked at Miyubi, that answered with a smile.
"Alright, we're on the ground now Yuko-chan, you can open your eyes..." Tatsurou said with a recomforting tone to Yuko after he carefully got off from the magic circle.
"Yuko!" Miku said as she got close to Tatsurou.
"O-Onee-chan!" Yuko said as she got off from Tatsurou's arms and into Miku's.
"I-I promise, I won't climb trees again..." Yuko said as shecried a bit and kept hugging Miku.
"It's ok, everything's ok now, don't worry..." Miku said as she kept hugging Yuko.
"Thank god everything turned out right in the end..." As Tatsurou was saying this, he was suddenly interrupted by Naoki.
"You idiot! What are you thinking?!" Naoki asked with an angry tone, as she hit Tatsurou on the back of his head.
"That's my line! What's your problem?" Tatsurou asked a bit angry as he looked at Naoki.
"Do you realize, how hurt you could get by pulling that crazy stunt when Miyu or I could have caught her!" Naoki said with an angry tone, as she pointed at Tatsurou.
"I know that, but I just couldn't stay still and watch her fall!" Tatsurou said as he looked a bit away from Naoki.
"Even if that's the case, it was pretty dangerous and reckless of you to do something like that!" As Naoki said this she made a small pause and sighed.
"But I'll admit I wasn't expecting this from you, so...good job...even if you acted recklessly..." Naoki said as she looked a bit away from Tatsurou, that looked at her in silence for a bit.
"Feels a bit weird to get praise from you..." Tatsurou said with a stoic tone as he looked at Naoki.
"You moron! I praise you and that is the thanks I get!?" Naoki said with an angry tone as she turned to Tatsurou.
"Come on, you two! Don't fight!" Miyubi said as she got close to Tatsurou and Naoki.
"Please, she is right there's no need to fight over something like this..." Miku that was holding Yuko in her arms said as she got close to Tatsurou and the girls.
"Thank you, very, very, much Kurokami-san! You went so far, to save my little sister..." Miku said as she placed Yuko on the ground and gave a bow to Tatsurou.
"No need to go that far..." Tatsurou said as he scratched the back of his head.
"No, you did something amazing, you deserve thanks and praise for it! Right, Yuko?" Miku said as she looked at Yuko, that was hiding behind her.
"I-I'm sorry that I caused so much trouble...and thanks for saving me..." Yuko said with a shy tone after she got out from behind Miku and close to Tatsurou.
"Don't worry, I'm happy as long as your ok...here for you..." Tatsurou said with a happy tone as he squatted and took out of his hoodie's pocket, the lollipop that Emiko gave him earlier this morning.
"But, you have to promise me that from this day on, you will listen to your Onee-chan and not climb trees, alright?" Tatsurou said as he held the lollipop close to Yuko.
"I-I will! Thank you!" Yuko said with a happy tone, as she took the lollipop.
"Lucky you, Yuko-chan!" Miyubi said as she got close to Yuko.
"And remember no tree climbing, understood?" Naoki said a she got close and leaned forward, Yuko just nodded, as she heard them.
"Well then, we should be on our way..." As Tatsurou said as he got up and was beginning to take his leave.
"Wait, Kurokami-san, I still have to pay you..." Miku said as she took her wallet out of the pocket of her skirt, but she was interrupted by Tatsurou.
"Wait, you don't need to pay me..." Tatsurou said as he waved his hand sideways.
"That's right Soteria will pay him for this job, you just need to confirm that he did it..." Naoki said in a informative tone, as she got close to Miku.
"But, I feel bad for not paying him..." Miku said with a worried tone as she looked at Naoki then Tatsurou.
"Don't worry about that, it's just like Izumi-san said, I'll get paid but to be honest, your little sister being ok, is more than enough for me..." Tatsurou said as he smiled at Miku, that just looked at him with an impressed face for a bit.
"I see...when I get home, I'll confirm that you did this request!" Miku said as she smiled and gave another bow to Tatsurou...
A bit later, after all the thanks and goodbyes were said and done, Tatsurou, Naoki, and Miyubi made their way out of the park.
"Well, now that this is taken care of, let's continue our investigation..." Naoki said as she sighed a bit, while she crossed her arms.
"Sure, where to?" Tatsurou asked a bit curious.
"Let's go to the first place the "Magician hunter" attacked, it was somewhere around the public park close to the shopping square, let's go!" Naoki said as she pointed forward as if she was leading the way...
A few hours later, in front of a monorail station, Naoki and Miyubi were sitting on a bench close to a tree.
"Ugh! I don't believe it! We just spent the rest of the afternoon looking for clues and we found nothing!" Naoki said with an angry tone as flailed her arms around.
"Come on, Nao-chan, it could be worse..." Miyubi said this while she placed her hand on Naoki's shoulder.
"She's right, could be worse..." Tatsurou that was holding two cans, said as he got close to the bench.
"Here, lemon juice for Shimaki-san, as for Izumi-san, I'm sorry the vending machine only had strawberry juice..." Tatsurou said as he handed a lemon juice can to Miyubi and a strawberry one to Naoki.
"Thanks..." Naoki and Miyubi said at the same time, as they grabbed the cans.
"Didn't you bring one, for yourself?" Naoki asked as she opened her can and began drinking it.
"No, I'm not that thirsty, I'm hungry if anything..." Tatsurou said as he smiled a bit.
"So, what do we do now, Izumi-san?" Tatsurou asked with a curious tone, as he looked at Naoki.
"Well, it's already 20:39 pm, nothing much we can do anymore, so let's call it a day..." Naoki said with a disappointed tone, as she sighed.
"Don't make such a long face, we'll find this guy!" Tatsurou said as he smiled.
"Hmpf! Of course, we will! You don't need to tell me that!" Naoki said as she got up from the bench, with Miyubi doing the same shortly after.
"Let's go home then, Miyu..." Naoki said this as she prepared to leave but...
"Wait, Izumi-san, at least let me accompany you two..." Tatsurou said as he got close to Naoki and Miyubi.
"Don't worry about that, we live close by and if anyone tries anything funny with us, I'll kick their asses!" Naoki said as she turned to Tatsurou.
"Now, do me a favor, go home and rest you look really bad..." Naoki said as she looked at Tatsurou, that had small bags under his eyes, thanks to not sleeping at all today.
"And who's fault do you think it is?" Tatsurou said with a joking tone as he looked at Naoki that glared at him.
"Ok, I'll do that...but be careful you two..." Tatsurou said as he looked at Naoki and Miyubi taking their leave.
"I told you, we will!" Naoki said as she and Miyubi walked away.
"Well then, time to go home...but first..." Tatsurou said as he took his phone out of his pocket, and meanwhile as Naoki and Miyubi were making their way home...
"Just our luck today, we didn't find anything..." Naoki said with a faint hint of anger as she sighed.
"What's wrong?" Naoki asked as she looked at Miyubi that was looking away from her.
"Nao-chan, I am very upset with you..." Miyubi said as she pouted a bit.
"What! Why? What did I do?" Naoki asked a bit confused.
"What did you promise me, earlier in school?" Miyubi asked as she now looked at Naoki.
"I promised, I would treat Kurokami better..." Naoki said a bit embarrassed.
"And what did you do?" Miyubi asked again.
"I tried to treat him better! Just like you asked!" Naoki said this as if she was trying to defend herself.
"I asked you to treat him better, not to try to treat him better, didn't I?" Miyubi asked as she placed her hands on her hips.
"Good grief, Nao-chan, this is so unlike you! Just what do you have against Kurokami-kun? He is the total opposite of what you told me, he is nice, he worries, he was ready to get hurt to help a child but what is more impressive is that he didn't get angry, after everything you said to him..." As Miyubi said this, Naoki felt as she got hit with arrows.
"I know, but..." As Naoki was trying to come up with an excuse she was interrupted.
"No buts! I'm really angry!" Miyubi said as she looked away from Naoki.
"Ok, ok, I'm sorry, for the way I have been treating Kurokami...but I praised him earlier!" Naoki said as she blushed a bit.
"You don't look too sorry...and praising him once and keeping the same attitude is not treating him better!" Miyubi said as she glanced at Naoki.
"Fine, tomorrow I will tell him I'm sorry for the way I have been acting, and I will also be nicer, is that better?" Naoki said in a embaressed tone after she sighed.
"Now that, is my usual Nao-chan talking!" Miyubi said as she hugged and lifted Naoki up.
"I get it, I get it, now stop hugging me already, I'm not your plushie!" Naoki said as she tried to make Miyubi let go.
"You know I can't help it!" Miyubi said as she stooped hugging Naoki.
"So Miyu, want to eat dinner at my place?" Naoki asked as she adjusted her school uniform.
"I would love to, but is Aoki-san ok with it?" Miyubi asked a bit worried.
"I think that Aoki-nee is ok with it, after all, she said that your always welcome, didn't she?" Naoki said as she smiled.
"I know that, but I don't want to be a bother by showing up unannounced..." Miyubi said this as she looked away from Naoki.
"You're never a bother! And Aoki-nee said she was making curry tonight..." Naoki said as she glanced at Miyubi that jolted a bit upon hearing this.
"Really? Is it her special one?" Miyubi asked with a curious tone to Naoki.
"What do you think? It's the only way she knows how to make it!" Naoki said as she shrugged a bit.
"I can't resist, I'll go, but next time you have to tell Aoki-san that I'm going beforehand!" Miyubi said with an embarrassed tone as she sighed a bit.
"Sure, but like I said it's not like you need an invitation..." Naoki said as she smiled and held Miyubi's arm...
And meanwhile, as Tatsurou was making his way home, he was talking on the phone with someone.
"So...can you get that?" Tatsurou asked with a curious tone to the person that was on the other side of the phone.
"I sure can, but it will take some time to get it, Kuro-chan..." The voice from the other side was Michiko that answered Tatsurou question, as she yawned.
"But, how long will it take?" Tatsurou asked again.
"Well if my calculations are correct and everything goes accordingly, I'll have it ready by tomorrow, around 15:00 pm you can drop by my place, no problem!" Michiko said as she yawned again.
"Ok then, I will drop by your place tomorrow, and I'm sorry for calling you out of the blue like this..." Tatsurou said as he scratched his head.
"Don't worry, I'm happy to help as long as you pay up with the good stuff!" Michiko said with a happy tone as she giggled, Tatsurou sighed as he heard her.
"Don't worry I'll bring you those eclairs...Oh! And Michiko?" Tatsurou said as he sighed again.
"What is it?" Michiko asked a bit curious.
"No late-night gaming today! As soon as the call ends, it's off to bed with you, or did you think I wouldn't notice those yawns?" Tatsurou said with a serious tone to Michiko.
"Looks like I got caught, alright then I'll go to bed after one last match on this new fighting game I bought..." Michiko said in an embarrassed tone.
"Michiko..." Tatsurou said her name with a stoic tone.
"Ok, I'll go to bed, jeez your starting to sound like Yumeko..." Michiko said with an annoyed tone.
"Is it so bad that Yumeko and I worry about your health?" Tatsurou asked with a curious tone.
"No, it's not...thanks Kuro-chan, see you tomorrow..." Michiko said with an embarrassed tone to Tatsurou.
"No need to thank me...see you tomorrow..." Tatsurou said as he smiled and turned the call off.
"I would feel more at ease, if she lived with Yumeko..." Tatsurou said with a worried tone as he looked at Michiko's contact on his phone.
"I'll find a way to convince her, but for now, I have to get home and rest a bit... " Tatsurou said as she placed his phone in his pocket and yawned...
