Trick 6: Shared Secrets

"Let me help out..." Misaki asked.

"It's not that I want to be rude but you'll only slow me down if you did. You should join them." I rejected.

I started with my preparations and Misaki moved in front of the counter. It seems she doesn't want to leave.

"So tell me what up with you? What are you hiding?" Misaki shifted her tone and asked.

"It's fine if I tell you but I want to know whats up with you either."

Kosaru came in the kitchen.

"Yo Miks! We need drinks! our throats' gonna dry up you know." Kosaru interrupted.

"I got water in the fridge. Ice on the freezer. Here's some Juice power." I handed over to Kosaru.

"I want to know more about you guys too. I mean, if I am going to work hard climbing to the top then I atleast want to know who I'm climbing with." Kosaru overheard our conversation and spoke up.

"Why don't we have that talk over some good meal. Im quite confident with how will these turn out." I then responded to Kosaru's thoughts.

Misaki helped Kosaru take out the drinks leaving me alone in the kitchen.

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I finished cooking and prepared the table. Each dish were covered by cloches to have that much desired "Wow" moment. They heard me preparing the table so they decided to go to the dining room.

"Woah Mikyun! It's like you're going to give us a feast!" Remi was impressed by the presentation.

"I'm not sure if we can eat all of them." Genma worried.

With all the praises coming in, I took off two cloches to reveal the appetizers.

"Here we have the appetizers Chilli Beef Lettuce Wraps and Stuffed Courgette rolls." I proudly presented.

"Woah? western dishes?" Kosaru's eyes widened.

"Looks appetizing." Misaki compliment.

"What next~?" Remi asked in excitement.

"For the main dishes Thin crust Wellington and buttermilk fried chicken that can be eaten with rice or coleslaw."

"Aren't wellingtons take time to prepare?" Misaki asked.

"Funny enough, I was planning to have one for dinner so I prepared one before going to school."

"It's amazing how you manage yourself." Genma praised.

"Maybe it was a habbit I got from AGE. Anyway, for desserts I have some gelatos I made three days ago."

"Let us eat!" Remi and Kosaru synced.

We feasted on the meals and found out some interesting things about them.

Genma and Remi were classmates ever since elementary before Remi went to a different highschool and became classmates with Misaki. No wonder why she seems to know Misaki.

Kosaru on the other hand wasn't good at studies and barely passed the entrance exams for the school.

As the desserts were consumed, the atmosphere becomes more and more serious.

"Y'all.... I already told Mikeru and Naoshi-san about it and I want to say it here. If we are going to the top we should atleast get to know each other a little."

"Well... I do too... In fact I think I will drag you all down... I always dreamed about being a hero. I practiced throwing stuff and do weird poses everyday. I know it's delusional but I want to become useful." Genma said while his head is down.

"It's not as bad as mine. I lied to everybody. I told them so proudly that I am a Merk but I only did that because I want to sound cool. My brother was the Merk not me. He was so cool and heroic that I want to be like him." Kosaru admitted.

"Cool... Heroic... Don't make me laugh..." Remi with a serious voice I haven't heard.

"What did you say?!" Kosaru was furious from Remi's words.

"Calm down both of you! Please understand both sides." Remi hid behind Genma as he spoke.

"You know... Remi's mother was in the hospital because a Merk shot her with a gun two years. That Merk demanded protection money from her father and got mad. He fired a hand gun at the store window while Remi's mother was on the other side. That bastard ran away!" Genma defended Remi.

"That's bull!" Kosaru was mad.

"What do you know besides violence?!" Remi said while hiding behind Genma.

"Wait you said demanded protection money? and Guns?" I interrupted their quarrel.

"Y..Yeah.." Genma replied.

"That's odd... The Merks was founded three years ago by a group of teenagers. I know the group grew in a large scale and they have money involved in it but they never owned a gun. I can assure you that the oldest in their group is 19 years old and that is not enough to have an intimidating presence nor own a small gun." I stated.

"So are you saying it's not a Merk?" Genma asked.

"I'm not sure." I said.

"I'm curious. How can you assure what you said and make us believe that it's a fact? What's in it?" Misaki asked.

"You go first, I will tell you everything I know after." I told Misaki.

"I'm not really a sociable one. I just want to get recognize to promote our family business and Dojo... I grew up there." Misaki finally said something about her.

"Well I guess we will know something else about you some other time. Follow me." I stood up and went upstairs.

"You asked how I can confirm what I said." I opened the room revealing a bed ridden man.

"This is Muro Satoshi. He is the true son of My foster father. He is the oldest Merk member being 19 years old. He's also an excellent class Combatant. He brought his team to the nationals but cought in an accident. He goes by the code: The poltergeist." I introduced them to him

"You mean THE Poltergeist?!" Misaki confirmed.

"Yes... As for the the confirmation that he is the oldest member of Merks. They have a website where you can see every members in it. If your Culprit is a member then you will surely recognize him there. They don't hide anything. Merks is not a crime group for all I know. They are freestyle combatants. Some Merks even get sponsorships whenever they fight." I stated.

Remi is looking at Satoshi with a sharp look.

"With that out of the way, remember about the equipments for the Combatant team?" I changed the topic.

"Yeah... what about it?" Misaki asked.

"Follow me."