Section 39: The Imperfection of Perfection

Seven years ago…

I was walking in that narrow street behind the school to avoid being detected. I am an invisible student who wants to avoid my classmates' detection from calling my name.

"Aria! Aria!" they usually called me with that stupid grins on their faces.

I would politely smile and ask how they are doing. I am a nice person, was what they said. I was a nice person, or wasn't I? The questions remain. Ungranted with desire, ungranted from freedom, my sole purpose in living was to be a chameleon. Whenever I am, I answer whatever people wish for me to answer.

Reading people isn't that hard, they are just people who imitate each other's desires, what's trendy, what's on. I arrived home, the house I lived in was quite spacious. I crashed myself on the comfortable onyx couch. Time is ticking, mother and father have yet to arrive home from work. My cell phone shows the time 17:50 on the screen.

I wasted my time walking around the school and house premises while smelling the fragrance of petrichor. Something about home doesn't sit well for me. Mother and father arrived at the same time in front of the house, they greeted me with a smile.

It's the same old question, asking how I'm doing after school. I replied nonchalantly to my mother. She was asking what I want, as usual, it didn't make any sense. She always decided things for me, why is she now asking for my opinion.

When I was little, I dreamed of being an idol. However, I am bored and switching my persona. This time I wanted to be an investigator, but what for? What is the purpose of me being an investigator? The thought of capturing people with my own hands didn't spark any enjoyment at all for me.

Ah, that's right I'm already bored with that dream. After all, I was never perfect, mother and father would want a better child with more astute skillsets than me. I reached in my pocket to read the crumpled sheet of a brochure I received in front of the school gate.

"Project Alpha Omega, to be a bright perfect human being" I read the passages carefully.

This company, whoever it is, had a project to empower a bunch of teenagers to pass mankind's imperfections? Ridiculous advertisement. However, I cannot help but research this advertisement.

Deep down, I too strive to be the epitome of perfections in front of my parents.

* * *

"Aria! Wake up!" I was awoken by the sound of Kallen shouts.

I blinked my eyes several times before I realized where I am. I'm in the training room, I seem to have fallen asleep on the floor lately. Two days have passed since Vladimir ultimatum, he wants Kallen to teach theme the art of assassination. I wonder whether Kallen is alright with this, with this whole assassination thing.

I would never have thought that Kallen's hands are already smeared with the blood of the innocents.

"Why are you not sleeping in your room big sis Aria? You will catch a cold!" he spoke concerned.

He brought me a warm blanket to keep me warm, since when Kallen is this nice? Or have I been seriously blind toward other people's kindness?

"Why do you care?" I asked the young boy bluntly.

Kallen stared at me with a worried expression, his hazel eyes looked at me with kindness. That hopeful gleam in his eyes, made me lost in his gaze.

"Big sis Aria, your face is so terrible right now! You lack sleep! Is there something troubling you from the training session? Did I do a poor job as an instructor?" he stuttered.

"That's not true, you did a wonderful job" I smiled at Kallen who was worried about me.

I was haunted by a memory from ten years ago, the stupid memories about me, and my perfectionist streak of wanted to be the best in front of my parents. However, afterward, my memories are all hazy. It was as if those memories are merely fleeting dreams of mine.

"Big sis Aria, I'm sorry for my dad" Kallen looked at me apologetically. "He means well, I'm sure he is! He protected me and my younger sister from enemies! So we're indebted to dad!".

Kallen's eyes are full of hopeful gleams, he wanted the best for Candice. He wants Candice to live like a normal child, instead of living in fear under the drones terror.

"You're a hardworking child, I'm impressed" I complimented the young boy. "I wish I am as noble as you are Kallen".

This seems to have confused Kallen a bit.

"Noble? What are you saying big sis?" he asked.

"I have no noble reasons, I am surviving for the sake of surviving" I chuckled in sarcasm. "I am just a normal person with normal wishes".

"And there's nothing wrong with that," Kallen added.

He sits next to me, his sincerity is shown on his face.

"Nothing's wrong with that?" I asked the boy sincerely.

"You're still searching for it, but I'll bet you find it soon big sis!" Kallen smiled. "I'm sure you're actually kind, but people misinterpreted your kindness as something else".

"You're awfully positive" I grinned at the young boy.

Kallen smiled widely as he patted my shoulder.

"I just had a feeling that you need encouragement big sis" Kallen stands up and pulls me up. "Oh, and you should take a rest in your room big sis, it's still 1 am in the morning".

Training with Kallen always starts around ten at night, I suppose I could walk to my room and take a nice sleep on the bed. It is yet another day to scavenge some items, so far the settlement has been good for me. However, I still don't like Vladimir for some reason. It's given that he tortured me every time I trained with Kallen.

Kallen would have to watch Vladimir beating me up, my body is all swollen and injury is unavoidable. Kallen always patched me up without my knowing, he's a good child who is very meticulous and concerned about my wellbeing. His coldness was a facade that hid his kindness. The scavenging starts in the morning.