Puzzle VII

Suzume ended up in an unfamiliar location that wasn't Gadget Street, Tram Depot, the area around Eggmuffin's Workshop, Byron Square, or T-Bone Street. She was in a quiet area full of tents. A few residents were chilling outside. They were cooking up a meal on an old-fashioned flat-top griddle over a bonfire. Suzume could not tell if they were homeless or if they enjoyed a camping lifestyle.

"Oh, it's you again, lady." A young boy's voice spoke out behind her. "Did you run away from Detective Luke for the fourth time?" 

"And how do you even know Triton, kid?" Suzume looked down at a red-haired child with olive eyes. 

"I work for him," He proudly grinned at her. "I'm Alfendi, the leader of the Steam Bison Irregulars!" 

"Hmm, so you and your group are inspired by Baker Street Irregulars from the Sherlock Holmes novels. Nice." Suzume laughed, finding the whole thing unbelievable yet cute at the same time. "And I suppose Triton is the Sherlock Holmes of Steam Bison?" 

"Yes, he is. All he needs is an Irene Adler. He already has a Dr. Watson, who is Mr. Layton, and an Inspector Lestrade, who is that one inspector from the police station. Ehhh. I forgot the inspector's name."

"You do know Irene Adler only appeared in one novel, and she was the only woman who had outsmarted Holmes, right?' 

"Yes, and you are the perfect Irene Adler since you've outsmarted Detective Luke for the fourth time."

'Oh, hell no! I ain't like Irene Adler!'  Suzume exclaimed inwardly. 'Besides, that kid always knows where I've been!' 

"Ha! You're funny, lady!" Alfendi giggled at Suzume. "Your expression says otherwise! You disagree!" 

"Obviously, I do, kid. So, are you going to snitch my location to that boy?" 

"Nope. Detective Luke is too busy with that museum robbery case," Alfendi answered. Then, he gave her a cheerful grin. "Or maybe he is still looking for you as we speak." 

"I hope he has forgotten about me and is focusing on the robbery case." 

"Tough luck. Once someone or something got Detective Luke's attention, he isn't giving up on the mystery." 

Did the young boy just reduce her to a mystery? Suzume sighed as she shook her head in doubt. Alfendi was just a boy. He has no idea what he is even talking about. 

"How old are you?" Suzume asked, wondering about Alfendi's age. 

"I'm 6 years old."

"What?!" Suzume exclaimed at the young boy, surprised at his age. "Where are your parents?!" 

"...I do not have parents..." Alfendi downcast his eyes sadly. "My mother passed away after she gave birth to me, and my father abandoned her when she was pregnant with me."

Suzume softened her expression in sympathy. Has the boy been living on the streets, and has his only income from freelancing? Was Luke the only person Alfendi worked for, or did he work for other people? 

"I'm sorry..." Suzume offered her condolences. "I have no idea." 

"It is fine," Alfendi shrugged. "I never knew my parents anyway. I've only heard stories about my parents from the residents who knew them." 

"Still...You should not even be living on the streets, Alfendi."

"I'm used to it," Alfendi dismissed her pitying comment. "I'm not alone. I have my group of friends who are also orphans. We all live in our hideout, and we make up our own puzzles." 

Suzume was curious about the Steam Bison Irregulars. She has always had a soft spot for children. She wondered what their hideout looked like. Did they live in an abandoned house or a bunker? Was she smiling softly at Alfendi? 

"Ahhhh, you are curious about our hideout!" Alfendi pointed his finger at her in excitement. "Please tell me if I am right?!" 

"Okay, you got me, kid," Suzume admitted in defeat. "So, lead me to the hideout if you want."

"Cool! Follow me!" Alfendi walked towards the end of the area. 

Suzume felt a chill. She spun around to see if anyone was watching her, but she did not see a person. Her eyes twitched in distress, and her heart was racing.  

"Hey, lady! Ya coming?!" Alfendi's voice called out to her. 

"Yes!" Suzume turned around and caught up with Alfendi. 

They arrived at the dirt pathway. Alfendi bent down and knocked on the dirt ten times. Suzume thought it might have been the password. Suzume cautiously kept her eyes behind her to ensure no one followed her and Alfendi. She still has the chilling feeling.

Suddenly, the spot where Alfendi knocked on the side opened. It was a trapdoor.

"Ladies first," Alfendi grinned at Suzume, standing aside. 

Suzume peeked inside. There was light and a ladder inside. She quickly took off her high platform shoes as she felt she would have a difficult time climbing down the ladder with the shoes on. She dropped her shoes into the trapdoor and began climbing down. Once she arrived at the end of the ladder, she picked up her shoes as she stood in a small hallway. The walls were wooden. A young girl with brown hair in a ponytail and brown eyes leaned against the wall. She wore a simple tan dress. 

Alfendi stepped down and had the girl close the trapdoor. The girl pressed a button somewhere on the wall. The trapdoor closed automatically. 

"So, this is the girl Detective Luke is wild about?" The girl grinned at Suzume. 

"Yep. This is Suzume Mizuno." Alfendi introduced.

"Wait, how did you even know my name?" Suzume gaped at Alfendi. 

"Detective Luke. He did give us a definition of what you looked like, and you totally fit in his definition. He does have a keen eye, after all."

'Of freaking course,'  Suzume narrowed her eyes, annoyed. 'What would that kid do next?' 

"No crap," The girl giggled. "My name is Moxie. I'm 7 years old. How old are you, madam?" 

"I'm 19," Suzume answered clearly. 

"Dang! You're an adult already! Feel sorry for you! Gotta work to pay the bills, eh?"

"I guess so," Suzume agreed with Moxie. 

"Well, Detective Luke did help Madam Preston, who is way older than Miss Mizuno. So, age doesn't matter when it comes to his clients." 

Alfendi confirmed clearly, as a hint to Suzume, that she was already Luke's client. 

'I did NOT hire him to help me!'  Suzume inwardly opposed the idea of being Luke's client. 'He was the one who got into my business!' 

"Well, true." Moxie agreed with Alfendi. "Hungry, miss?" She looked at Suzume. 

"Yes," Suzume said after her stomach gurgled. 'What am I even doing down here? I should be searching for my father.' 

Moxie led Suzume and Alfendi to a door at the end of the hallway and knocked on it ten times before it opened. They entered a large room. There was a small kitchen with a countertop, a couple of bunk beds in the corner, a large, round wooden table with wooden chairs, a large, poor-looking sofa, a door with a restroom sign on it, and a door with an office sign on it. There were four children here. Two boys and two girls. The boys were at the table, drawing, and the girls were sitting on the sofa. They paused on their activities and looked at Alfendi, Moxie, and finally at Suzume.

"Who the heck is she?" An auburn-haired boy with brown eyes asked. 

"A client?!" A girl with strawberry-blond hair and blue eyes exclaimed, her eyes glimmering in excitement. 

"Miss, did you dye your hair? Are you wearing colored eye contacts?" A girl with medium-brown hair and brown eyes asked, curious about Suzume's physical appearance. 

"It has to be! She's Japanese! Japanese people are supposed to be black-haired people with brown eyes!" A boy with dark brown hair and blue eyes was wondering. 

"Umm, my hair and eye color are natural..." Suzume answered. 

These children have no idea about Japanese people. They only knew about the stereotypes of her race. Suzume wasn't mad at the children, though. 

"Enough. Introduce yourselves to Miss Mizuno." Alfendi sat on a sofa chair. 

"My name is Kevin." The auburn-haired boy said.

"My name is Rosemary," The strawberry-blond-haired girl smiled at Suzume. "My friends call me Rose or Mary for short!"

"My name is Hazel!" The girl with medium-brown hair said.

"My name is Miles!"  The boy with dark-brown hair grinned at her. 

"And we're the members of the Steam Bison Irregulars!" They all did a pyramid group pose, grinning at Suzume. 

"Okay, please get down before you get hurt...."  Suzume said cautiously. 

"Geez, you are worrying too much, Miss Mizuno." Alfendi laughed. "Relax. My friends are fine." 

Indeed, the children were okay. They carefully broke apart from their group pose. Moxie has gone to the kitchen to prepare the snacks and drinks. 

"So, why are you here, Miss?" Rosemary asked, still having a curious gaze. "Are you here to hire us for a case?"

"Well..." Suzume did not know what to say. Should she tell these children about her true purpose in Steam Bison? No, it'd be too much for them to handle. Bad enough Luke was indirectly involved in her case now, even though he still had no idea why she was in Steam Bison, as far as she was concerned. "...Not really. Alfendi just invited me to the hideout after I expressed my curiosity." 

"Do you at least have a puzzle for us?" Kevin asked hopefully. 

"No. Sorry. I'm not good at puzzles." 

The only person Suzume knew who was good at puzzles was, of course, Kiyomaro. He was the smartest student in her middle school class, next to Kaneko, who was the second smartest. Suzume wondered how Kaneko was doing at his university; she had heard that he had enrolled in the University of Tokyo, Japan's most prestigious and expensive institution. Kiyomaro would probably have attended the same university as Kaneko if he decided to stay in Japan. 

Suzume was attending Mochinoki University. Unlike most universities in Japan, Mochinoki University was attached to Mochinoki High School and Mochinoki Middle School. Suzume was one of the Mochinoki students who attended Mochinoki Middle and High Schools. Mochinoki High students were automatically enrolled in the university branch if they desired to attend it. It was cheaper for Suzume to attend the university anyway. 

"Shall we create a puzzle to test your skills as a puzzle solver?" Hazel grinned, her face brightened.

"Ehhh?" Suzume raised an eyebrow, feeling flustered. "I would rather not." 

"Oh, come on! Do you even believe in yourself?" Miles groaned in disappointment.

Of course, Suzume did not believe in herself. Her self-esteem was too damn low for her to even consider being in the same league as these smart children. Moxie returned with a tray of cookies and milk. As the children ate and goofed around at the table, Suzume occupied the sofa, watching them. She wasn't in the mood to eat cookies despite her stomach gurgling. She did not even get the chance to eat lunch thanks to Zen and his gang crashing the cafe. It was probably around dinner time. 

Suzume intuitively knew that Shion was with Luke and Layton, searching for her as usual. She guessed taping poor Coindar to the wall wasn't enough of a hint to Luke to back off from her business. 

'If Triton knows the password to Alfendi's hideout, I'm doomed.'  Suzume felt her whole body tremble in anxiety. 

Suzume hoped Alfendi had created an emergency exit somewhere in his hideout. 

As Suzume continued to observe Alfendi and his friends, she was reminded of Zatch, Tia, and the other children she knew back in Japan. Zatch was currently studying abroad in Brazil since Kiyomaro, his caretaker, was attending a university there, and Tia was traveling with Megumi on a world tour. 

"Hey, Alfendi," Suzume called the red-haired boy over to her. 

"What's up, lady?" Alfendi responded, grinning at her. 

"Do you know where I can get a steam-powered mobile phone?" Suzume took out her flip phone. "The one I have isn't working. I think mobile phones in Steam Bison only work with steam-powered technology?" 

"Yep! You're correct! I know a guy who offered good deals! Again, he also owed Detective Luke a favor. Maybe we can work something out?" 

"No, thanks. I would rather buy the phone with my money." Suzume declined quickly. "The last thing I would want is to be in debt with Triton."

In Suzume's actual words, oh, hell no. She isn't relying on a kid to buy her a mobile phone, especially when the favor had nothing to do with her in the first place. 

"To ease the burden, Detective Luke never wanted anything in return for his services," Alfendi explained as he sat next to Suzume on the sofa. "He genuinely likes to help people. The cell phone seller just insisted on a favor to Luke." He added, giving Suzume a soft smile. "So, you wouldn't be in debt with our beloved popular teenage detective." 

"I find it hard to believe," Suzume sighed. Then, she chuckled awkwardly. "Such complicated words coming from a young boy." 

"My friends and I live on the streets long enough to know new vocabulary and problems of the other children, teenagers, and adults every day." 

How Alfendi and his friends were raised on the street was not different from her childhood. Japanese children were taught to be independent at a young age, the moment they started kindergarten or elementary school at the age of six, depending on their birth month and year. 

'So much for independence. I'd always end up getting lost or being followed by grandfather's men because of his business.' 

Suzume frowned in self-loathing. She glared at the kitchen. She took a deep breath and gave Alfendi an understanding smile. 

"My childhood isn't so different from yours, kid."

"You lived on the streets?"

"No. I lived with my parents in an apartment, but I was taught to be independent when I was your age."

Suzume's stomach was really gurgling loudly now. Her cheeks heated up. She was so embarrassed. Alfendi giggled at her. 

"You did not even eat lunch, lady?" 

"No." Suzume put her head down in shame. 

"Hey, fellas!" Alfendi called out to his friends. "How about we eat dinner at that diner?" 

"HECK YEAH!" The Steam Bison Irregulars raised their fists in excitement. "Let's go eat!" 

"Since I am the only adult here, I would rather tag along to ensure your safety," Suzume said, her shielding senses triggering when it came to children. "I'm sure the adults at the diner would think you all are just looking for free meals." 

"Ehhh? What are you talking about?" Alfendi raised an eyebrow at Suzume, staring at her as if she were clueless. "We all know the owners, and they owe us a favor since we've helped them in the past." 

"What the heck?" Suzume rubbernecked at Alfendi in jaw-dropper. "Whoa! Steam Bison is indeed full of surprises. Very well. I am too hungry to even question it all, but would your hideout be okay alone?" 

"Yep! We got gadgets to alert us if a trespasser discovers our hideout!" Rosemary showed her a wristwatch. "We created these cool watches at Eggmuffins' workshop! You should stop by and create something of your own!" 

Suzume still needed to visit the workshop to check out the hype behind it. She gazed at the wrist watch in curiosity. It was a silver mechanical one, and the watch hands were colored pink. She noticed there was a small speaker on it. Kevin showed his wristwatch, and it was the same color as Rosemary's. The difference was that his watch hands were blue. 

"I can create one for you if you are interested, lady." Alfendi offered kindly.

"No thanks." Suzume shook her head, politely declining his offer. 

"Suit yourself. Let go and enjoy those tasty burgers!" Alfendi turned around and led his friends out of the hideout. 

"Tasty burgers! Tasty burgers!" The children matched as they chanted in excitement. 

'They are so full of energy.'  Suzume smiled softly as she followed along. 

It was the early evening. Luke, Layton, and Shion still haven't found Suzume. They asked around for her whereabouts, but residents would give them vague answers. It was getting ridiculous already. 

"Now I am hungry," Shion grumbled. "I can't search for a friend on an empty stomach. I'm sure Miss Suzume is okay on her own..."

Shion was still worried about Suzume. Those thugs had targeted her for her family heirloom, and they somehow knew her father. Shion has no idea that Suzume had such a priceless item, and her father had disappeared. 

Suzume was really secretive about her personal life. 

"May I ask you a question, Miss Hibiki?" Luke asked in a thinking pose.

"Of course!" Shion cheerfully responded. 

"Do you know what kind of job Mr. Mizuno has?" 

"Ehhh. You are talking about Miss Suzume's father, right?" 

"Yes."

"Oh, I'm sorry. I have no idea." 

When Shion transferred to Mochinoki Middle School, Shion was drawn to Kiyomaro and Zatch and interacted with them the most. Shion only interacted with Suzume a few times. Shion never knew a detail about Suzume's parents. 

Shion stared at Luke with a surprised expression. The boy was really thinking about Suzume, her father, and the American thugs targeting her.   Layton was standing by, keeping guard to ensure no one would harass Luke or Shion. The children were still playing outside, despite it already being dark. The adults were walking by, chatting about their plans for the next day. 

"My boy, shall we eat dinner at the diner over there?" Layton asked. "Miss Hibiki is right. It would be unwise to continue our search with empty stomachs."

"Oh, of course, Professor." Luke smiled politely at his mentor. 

"I am so dying for a tasty cheeseburger!" Shion drooled in hunger. "I heard the burgers are much better and tastier in America than in my country!" 

"I agree with you." Luke grinned at Shion. 

"Let us go before it gets later," Layton said, smiling, tilting his top hat. 

The diner looked much different from the ones in Suzume's home country. Steam-powered robots served the customers. The waiters and waitresses still seat the customers and take the meal orders. There were still cooks and dishwashers in the kitchen. The diner was full of people tonight. Suzume, Alfendi, and the Steam Bison Irregulars sat at a long booth table for ten people. They had already ordered their meals and drinks. 

"Sometimes, we do wash dishes as payment for our meals if the dishwasher goes home early," Moxie said to Suzume. "The poor dishwashers. They get paid less for the harder work they do." 

"Ah, the typical society where workers are underappreciated," Suzume said factually. 

"I know, right?" Kevin groaned. "It wasn't for us or those dishworkers, we'd all be eating on dirty dishes!" 

"Ewwww! Gross!" Hazel stuck her tongue out. 

"Tell us about it." Both Miles and Rosemary agreed. 

"And We're the lazy brats?" Alfendi rolled his eyes, leaning back in his chair. "That's why I hate the adults sometimes, ya know?"

"Believe me, kid. I feel the same..." Suzume's expression suddenly darkened as unpleasant memories started to surface, and her eyes were lifeless. 

"Are you okay?" Alfendi asked, concerned with her sudden change of mood. 

"Yes, I am okay." Suzume regained her composure and smiled at him. Her smile was fake. "I'm just waiting for our dinner."

"Here is your burger, madam." A sentient robot on wheels delivered Suzume's double cheeseburger. "I hope you enjoy your dinner." The robot rolled away. 

"Holy shit!" Suzume widened her eyes at the size of the double cheeseburger in shock. "That is a HUGE double cheeseburger! So it is true! American burgers are larger than the ones in my country!" 

Alfendi and his friends guffawed at Suzume's reaction to her burger size. Suzume realized she had cursed in front of the children and covered her mouth, feeling so embarrassed. Damn it. She has forgotten that she was in the presence of children. 

"Geez, lady. There is no need to feel ashamed. This is America." Alfendi said to Suzume lightheartedly. "We're used to adults cursing in front of us. It's no big deal." 

"Yeah! Your reaction was so humorous!" Hazel giggled. 

A group of robots arrived at the table with the rest of the meals. Alfendi and the Steam Bison Irregulars drooled at their burgers, chicken nuggets, milkshakes, and ice cream sundaes. They gobbled their food. Suzume chuckled at the sight. She ate her burger unhurriedly. She would probably ask for a takeout container; the burger was too huge for her to finish in one night. She has gotten used to eating smaller portions, after all. 

"Welcome to the diner! Ah, Detective Luke! Mr. Layton!" A waitress called out. 

Suzume froze, having her burger in her hand. Everyone in the diner stopped eating and turned their attention to the diner's newest customers. A second later, there was joyful squealing. 

'WHAT THE HELL IS HE DOING HERE?!' Suzume put her burger down. 'Ah, a distraction! Thank you, people! I should leave!' Suzume stood up, but Alfendi grabbed her arm. 'The hell?!'  She looked down at the red-haired boy in disbelief. 

"Nope. You ain't running away this time, lady. You need to face Detective Luke sooner or later." Alfendi told her, giving her a sneaky grin. 

"What do you mean? I am just heading to the restroom." Suzume chuckled nervously. 

"Why are you so nervous, Miss? Did you do something shady and don't want our beloved detective to expose you?~" Miles grinned at her so teasingly. 

"Of course not! That kid has been getting into my business too much!" Suzume exclaimed skittishly at him.  

"Oh, Miss Suzume! We've been looking for you!" Shion's voice called out. 

'Damn it, Shion! Don't draw attention to me!' 

Suzume ran into the restroom and locked herself in. Thank goodness it was only one toilet restroom. She leaned against the locked door, panting. 

'What the hell am I doing? Why the hell am I running away from a kid? All he wanted was to help me! It isn't like he would hurt me!'          

Suzume's heart beat too fast. She wished Mariko were here so she could calm the hell down. The crowd was too damn loud with their "Detective Luke" chanting outside of the restroom, but at least they were still keeping him busy, giving her more time to figure out an escape. 

'Damn it!' Suzume inwardly cursed when her eyes landed on a small sliding window. 'I can't fit through the window!'  

A loud gunshot echoed through the diner. Suzume heard a familiar voice. 

"Ha! We've heard that Suzume Mizuno has come to this diner! Now where is she?!" Zen's voice demanded. 

"You again?! I think it's time to tell us why you are after Miss Mizuno!" Luke's voice responded angrily. 

"Step out of my business, boy! It doesn't concern you, ya nosy brat!" 

'Shit! This isn't good! Everyone is in danger because of me! The children!' Suzume quickly stepped out of the restroom, but Shion, Moxie, Rosemary, and Hazel were already in front of her. 

"Go back in, Miss!" Moxie pushed Suzume back into the restroom. 

"What?!" Suzume was confused. 

Moxie, Rosemary, and Hazel entered the restroom, shutting and locking the door behind them. 

"Detective Luke and Mr. Layton are holding the bad guys back," Rosemary told her. 

"How about the Alfendi, Kevin and Miles?!" Suzume exclaimed in a panic. 

"They will be fine!" Hazel answered. 

"Miss Suzume!" Shion hugged Suzume tightly. "Don't you ever run away again! I was worrying about you!" She wept, and tears were shed down her cheeks. 

Suzume was stunned by Shion's sudden tenderness towards her. Moxie, Hazel, and Rosemary were searching for something in the restroom. Suzume did not say a word. She acknowledged she had hurt Shion. She felt guilty for hurting her friend. 

'I just don't want to put Miss Shion or anyone in danger....' 

Suzume could still hear the commotion happening outside the restroom. The diner's owners threatened to call the police on Zen and his gang. Nebula and Reyson countered with a threat of their own. 

"I'm sorry, Shion..." Suzume hugged Shion back. She has a remorseful expression. "I did not mean to hurt you..." 

"There it is," Moxie cut in. "We can escape through here." 

"What?" Suzume and Shion reacted simultaneously, confused. 

"We found the hidden escape route," Rosemary grinned at the older girls. "Let's go. The heroes can't hold the bad guys forever." 

Suzume had no idea there was a hidden trapdoor in the wall. The trapdoor was the same color as the wall, so it was no wonder that she did not spot it. There was no time to question it. 

"Follow me." Moxie was the first one to enter the trapdoor. 

Rosemary, Hazel, Shion, and Suzume entered the trapdoor in a line. The door slammed closed behind Suzume. It was so dark inside. Moxie activated the flashlight in her wristwatch, and the girls, but Suzume and Shion, followed suit with their wristwatches. Now, Suzume could see where she was going. The girls crawled to wherever Moxie was leading them. They were cautiously silent, as they did not want to risk being heard through the walls in case Zen and his gang broke into the women's restroom.  

'I hope Triton, Mr. Layton, Alfendi, Kevin, Miles, and the people are okay back at the diner...'  Suzume thought disquietly. 'It would be my fault if something happened to them...' 

Moxie ceased her crawling and activated a button somewhere. An exit opened in front of her.

"We'll be sliding down," Moxie told Suzume and Shion. "Just to let you know." 

"Oh, okay..." Shion said quietly. 

"The heck?" Suzume blinked, wondering how someone built a slide inside a wall. 

Moxie exited, sliding down on her stomach, which made sense since she wouldn't have had the room to slide down on her back. Rosemary went in next, then Hazel, Shion, and finally Suzume. As Suzume slid down, she could see light and hear the sounds of machinery at the end of the tunnel. Suzume slid out of the tunnel and landed on a bouncing mat. 

"Pretty cool, is it?!" Rosemary asked, excited. 

Suzume nodded at the girl as she stood and bettered her outfit from dishevelment. Suzume, Shion, and the female Steam Bison irregulars were in an underground area. There were a couple of robots wandering around, too focused on their tasks to pay mind to the girls. There were steam engines, boilers, and gears. 

"Where are we? Shion asked. 

"We're in the underground underpass," Hazel answered, smiling at her. 

"And this pathway leads us back to Alfendi's house," Moxie added, "or Detective Luke's home." 

"Last thing I would want is end up at Triton's house uninvited..." Suzume groaned, uncomfortable with the idea. 

"Still shy around him?" Rosemary grinned at Suzume teasingly. 

"Who says I was shy?!" Suzume burst out, flustered by the strawberry blonde's question. 

"Oh, Miss Suzume," Shion giggled. "The boy is curious about you, ya know?"

"Obviously, Miss Shion! Geez!" Suzume whined like a child. "Please do not lead me to his house, Moxie." 

"It would not even matter. Detective Luke and Mr. Layton would most likely end up at Alfendi's hideout." Moxie looked over her shoulder and flashed a teasing grin at Suzume. There's no escape from Detective Luke, Miss Mizuno~ There is also a secret passage in the male restroom." 

Suzume gulped nervously. She did not want to imagine Luke waiting for her back at Alfendi's hideout, ready to question her about why she was in Steam Bison. Suzume felt her nervousness just level up to ninety-five percent. 

"You will appreciate Detective Luke once you get to know him, Miss Mizuno," Hazel encouragingly said to her. 

"Ehhh....it depends...I'm not used to babysitting." Suzume pouted, annoyed. 

The girls giggled playfully at Suzume. She felt her cheeks heat up in embarrassment. Moxie was right; Suzume could not hide from Luke forever. She would have to face him sooner or later. She needed to lie down somewhere when she returned to Alfendi's hideout. 

"Well, we talked enough down here. Let's go." Moxie walked, leading the girls the way back to the hideout. 

Suzume's expression was full of uneasiness. Shion kept her hand on Suzume's arm as a way to comfort her. Suzume appreciated her friend's emotional support. 

"Grandmother, what did you think of grandfather?" 

A ten-year-old Suzume asked, curious about her maternal grandparents' love story. She sat on her grandmother's lap while Fumiko was brushing her medium-length hair. They were inside a traditional Japanese bedroom. Stood by the fusuma were two female guards in black hakamas, with a katana attached to their belts. 

"Your grandfather was such a boisterous man," Fumiko smiled softly. "Think he knew it all and such a show off. He took a liking to me at first sight when my parents introduced me to him." 

"My great-grandparents?" Suzume looked up at her grandfather, her eyes full of curiosity about her family history. 

"Yes, Yuna, my mother, and Ryou, my father." 

"Will I see them again?"

"Yes, my dear Suzume. Tonight at the family reunion. Now, go play outside with your cousins. I shall prepared for the reunion." Fumiko had tied Suzume's hair up in a half-braid with a cute white ribbon. 

"Thanks, grandmother!" Suzume hopped off her grandmother's lap and grinned at her before running out of the bedroom. 

"We're back!" Moxie's voice cut into Suzume's remembrance. 

Suzume blinked, confused at first. They had returned to Alfendi's hideout. Suzume must have been daydreaming to notice a secret passage to the hideout from the underground underpass. Shion was still clinging to Suzume. 

"Thanks goodness I did cling onto you," Shion giggled, letting go of Suzume's arm. "We would accidentally leave you behind in your daze, Miss Suzume." 

"Thank you, Miss Shion." Suzume smiled at Shion. "I need to lie down. I still feel... overwhelmed." 

"You can rest here," Hazel showed Suzume to a small room where a single bed was. "If you sleep on one of the bunk beds, you would be disturbed by the chatting." 

Suzume agreed. The bunk beds were out in the open, next to the table and kitchen. She would not get any rest in that way. Suzume sat on the bed. 

"If you need anything, please let us know." Hazel smiled kindly before she turned off the lights and shut the door. 

There was a cute night light in the shape of a cloud with adorable eyes and a mouth at the corner, so it wasn't completely dark. Suzume lay on the bed and closed her eyes, relaxing. Soon, she fell asleep.