The Flashback of their Friendship 1

"It's been a while since we had met huh? Was it a year already?"

Albert thought as he hopped from roof to roof as he moved towards their location. They sent all the information that they had on the case in his notebook and he got the gist of things the moment he finished reading it. It's just all the thoughts that ran through his mind was the computation on how he would spend his remaining time right before his biggest mission.

"Well nevermind, the memory is still fresh and as far I could remember… it was…"

***

[Attention passengers, the cruise will now be approaching its sixth drop off point in fifteen minutes. For those who are assigned to the Aokigahara Forest in Fujikawaguchiko, Japan, please proceed through the main bridge and head towards the upper deck for the final clearance before you go. Thank you for your patience.]

Albert rubbed his eyes and detached the seatbelt on his side as soon as he heard the announcement. He shoved his notebook back in his bag and picked himself up from the passenger's seat to mirror the other reapers walking towards the upper deck. He felt anxious, thinking that he doesn't know the way and has to ask his way out but in the end, he smiled realizing that he can just reach his destination just fine by following the crowd in front of him.

The voices all around him got thicker and thicker, forcing him to bow and take his time to tread the soft red carpet inside the boat's halls. Albert dragged himself towards the side to run his fingers across the cruise's vintage walls and feel the chiseled decorative patterns that gave off a glittering golden sheen. He continued to walk with his eyes glued to his feet as he followed the footsteps of others in pure bliss, thinking that he's a bit lucky that he got to board this ship for free.

He kept his head down until his feet had approached and passed through a few flights of stairs. At the top, a man handed him a card and told him to stay within the area until the receptionist asks for his number. Albert gave him a slight nod before walking to the edge of the boat, thinking that it would be the perfect time to feel the cold midnight breeze and to continue his read.

He closed his eyes and took a deep breath to appreciate the gentle wind that brushes off his face. With his elbows resting on the railings of the upper deck, he observed the cruise ship boast it's majestic gleam to the dark sea of trees that lies beneath it.

Albert took out his notebook and skipped a few pages until he reached the section that had the photos of the evidence. It had the copies of his last text messages, scanned copies of complaint letters, bank statements, loan forms and many more. It was the photos that the intel department deemed necessary to pinpoint the target's possible motivation for his death. He did find the statements and the gist of things believable but he wanted to relieve his itch of seeing everything with his very own eyes.

He stopped at the very last piece of the evidence after hearing the receptionist's bell as the board on top of their booth asks for his number. He closed his notebook and checked his card with a grin on his face as he answered to their summons thinking, "A letter, what a cute way of saying It's your fault that I died"

***

"Hi, my name is Albert and I'll be taking care of the prospect named Tanaka" the receptionist nodded in response as she extended her arm to reach for his notebook. She pushed a bit of her hair at the back of her ear exposing the deep bags under her eyes and her tight cheeks glistening with sweat. He wanted to ask her if she's okay but he just decided to keep everything to himself and focus on keeping his cool towards the stranger in front of him.

"Alright, thank you for waiting" She raised her chin a few seconds later and looked into Albert's eyes. She then bowed and gave Albert a dry smile to see him off saying, "Please proceed to the drop off point once you make sure that you're up and ready. As a courtesy for boarding the MCG Wind Roller Cruise, please stop by the customer service stall for a complimentary gear check before you go. Thank you for your patronage"

"Thank you" Albert mirrored her expression as he pushed himself away from the counter. He proceeded to the drop-off point while glancing at the other reapers around him. The veterans are showing off as they waved their weapons with great prowess through their fluid motions. The new ones, on the other hand, was left to scour the upper deck, looking for experienced reapers to tail and teach them the ropes while some are left at the side hugging their weapons like a teddy bear. The others, in particular, looked overjoyed with their privilege and overrun the stalls just to get their gear checked. Albert grinned at the myriad sight before him, reminiscing the time when he behaved the same when he was alive.

"Excuse me, sir" He was about to fall in line with the others when he felt someone tap his shoulder. He breathed through his nose in discomfort as he pulled out his poker face before turning his head towards the one to decided to nudge him out of all other people who were walking. The reaper's feminine voice behind the mask quivered as she looked up to him, clasping her hand in between her chest. "Would it be okay if asked you to tag along for my first mission? O-Of course… I would make sure that you would be done first before we go…"

"My bad, but no can do" Albert averted his gaze and pouted his lips to in an effort to let his words flow in a soft tone. "Mine is a special case, going after a prospect in your first mission is too dangerous. You're new, so you should only have class one spirits and a few class two spirits on your list. Try to tag along with others so you can make sure that someone has your back. It will make things easier"

"Okay, Thanks for the tip and I'm so sorry for bothering you" She stepped back with a nod along with a hint of hopelessness seeping out of her mask. She fell silent as she moved her hands behind her back, Albert, on the other hand, scratched his cheek as a reply listing the things he could say in his mind before he attempts to lighten the mood between them...

"If you do find some teammates, try to work around on how you guys can use your abilities together and don't forget, we aren't Romans so we're allowed to retreat. If you think it's too hard for you at the moment, don't be afraid to pull back and ask for help. Who knows, maybe I'll be able to assist you by then" She looked up to him once again. Albert could not see her face but judging by her reaction towards his words, he could tell that at least for now she's smiling. He welcomed her by giving off a warm expression, taking the chance to lift his arm and point out his mask saying, "by the way, we use that thing so that our enemies can't get a read on us. Take it off while you're with others and It'll help you make friends — also it's so that you won't look like an edgelord."

The reaper pulled her head back for a moment before giving Albert a nod as she turned her back against him and ran towards the nearest group that she can find. Albert remained in his place until the other reaper managed to find her own crew for her very first assignment.

Satisfied, he continued to walk towards the line as he checked his gear and stretched his shoulders. He again mirrored the steps of the others who were jumping off the boat, and when he's about to do so, he took a deep breath, he slid his mask over his face and pulled his knife out of its sheath before diving into the abyss of trees below him.