Jeff Wants to Work
The three of us walked down the hallway, each clutching two cans of cola in our hands. The icy chill seeping into my palms brought a natural smile to my face.
"Do you really love cola that much?"
"Yep."
I nodded at Shine's question. To be honest, there was something I liked even more than cola, but because of my promise to Shine, I couldn't drink it anymore. That only made me crave cola even more. Licking my lips, I popped the tab of the first can. Fshhh— The signature hiss of carbonation echoed down the hall. Inside, the dark, delicious-looking liquid sloshed temptingly. I stopped right where I was and chugged it in one go. The sweet, dark nectar poured down my throat, carrying me straight to heaven. The carbonation danced across my tongue, making it tingle with delight. It was absolutely delicious!
"Ahhh!"
Watching me drink with such relish, Rain and Shine smacked their lips before chugging their own colas just like I had. Sweet things really do make people happy. Both of them wore blissful smiles, and our footsteps grew lighter.
We wound through the long corridors, avoiding other people, until we finally reached the stairs. No matter how many times I saw them, they were incredibly grand and seemingly endless. Swallowing hard, I looked at Rain. She gave me a silent nod. Taking the first step, Rain led the way. Shine and I followed close behind. Climbing the stairs one by one wasn't particularly difficult anymore. But what if there were hundreds of them?
"Whew, huff..."
We passed the model park and climbed up toward a floor I had never visited before, my breath growing ragged. Rain, still leading the pack, didn't even seem out of breath. She looked exactly the same as when we started.
"Hey, Rain. Can't we just use our powers to get up there?"
"We aren't allowed to use our abilities here."
"Why not?"
"Because other people might get hurt."
I looked around at her words. The hallway was bustling with people. Just as she said, if we made even a slight mistake while using our powers in a crowded place like this, it would definitely cause a massive scene.
"But it's so tiring."
I plopped down on a step and pulled out my remaining can of cola. It had grown a bit lukewarm from being in my pocket, but even lukewarm cola was still pretty good.
"Let's take a short break then."
We sat down in a corner of the staircase to drink our colas. This time, I didn't chug it. I took small, careful sips to make it last. I only had one can left, after all. This was the end of the line. I was sure Rain would buy me more if I asked, but if I drank any more than this, I'd definitely be spending the entire evening in the bathroom. And Shine would be right there with me.
"Jeff. Do you need to use the bathroom?"
"Not yet."
"Hmm."
Shine shook her head, looking slightly disappointed by my answer.
"Shall we get going again?"
Now that we had rested a bit, it was time to summon our strength and tackle the rest of the stairs. The three of us stood up and began climbing with renewed vigor. Higher and higher, up we went. Just as my lungs were starting to burn again, Rain threw her arms wide and shouted, "We're here!"
"Is this it...?"
"Yep!"
Was this where Jin's office was? The hallway here looked just as ordinary as any other floor, sharing the exact same layout and design.
"But there's barely anyone here," I noted.
"Yeah. No one really likes being around Jin."
"Why?"
"Just... because?"
"I think I get it."
I recalled Jin's mischievous, petty behavior. Images of him stealing sandwiches from Shine and me, and even snatching food away from rabbits, flashed through my mind. He really was a bad person.
Tap, tap. Our small footsteps echoed down the corridor. Perhaps because it was so empty, the sound of our steps bounced off the far end of the long hallway and echoed back to us. It felt as though a whole crowd of people were walking together.
"This is the place..." After walking all the way down the long hallway, Rain stopped in front of a massive door. I swallowed hard and examined it. The entire door was covered in a cute, whimsical illustration of a giant rabbit.
"This is Jin's office...?"
"Yeah. He loves rabbits."
A brief silence fell over us. Sensing something was off, I turned to Rain. "Aren't you going to open it?"
"Me...?"
"Yeah. You guided us here."
"But..."
Rain seemed to find Jin intimidating. She stood frozen before the door, her hand twitching as she hesitated to knock. Watching her struggle, I let out a soft sigh. "I'll do it. Move aside."
"Okay!"
Rain stepped back instantly, as if she had been waiting for those exact words. What was so scary about a door with a rabbit on it anyway? I stepped forward confidently. The giant rabbit's crimson eyes seemed to stare right back at me. A strange, unsettling sensation washed over me. It felt as if I were being pulled into a trance, and the ambient sounds of the hallway began to fade away.
Crackle!
"Ah!"
In that instant, a blue spark flashed before my eyes. Startled by the sensation, I scrambled backward. Shine, her face twisted in a deep scowl, stepped in front of me to block my path.
"Shine...?"
"Stay behind me for a second."
"Oh... okay."
The rabbit illustration felt incredibly ominous now. I finally understood why Rain had been so reluctant to open the door. I sidled up next to Rain and squeezed her hand. Her small hand was trembling slightly.
"Will Shine be okay?"
"Probably. I think she'll be fine," Rain replied anxiously.
Despite Rain's worried tone, I somehow knew Shine wasn't in any real danger. Just as Rain and I had done, Shine stepped up to the door and stared directly at the giant rabbit. A silent, intense staring contest unfolded between Shine and the painted rabbit. Rain and I held our breath, watching the bizarrely tense showdown.
Creeeak.
The victor was Shine. Glaring fiercely at the rabbit, she reached out and shoved the door open. As the double doors parted, the rabbit split down the middle and slid to either side.
"Jin!" Shine shouted as she threw the doors open.
Startled by her sudden outburst, Rain and I squealed and clung to each other tightly.
"What is it...?"
A voice dripping with exhaustion drifted from the depths of the room. It was a familiar voice. Jin. Rustle, rustle. A mountain of paperwork slowly slid across a massive desk. Peeking out from behind the shifting sheets was a head of hair that undeniably belonged to Jin. Whoosh! A split second later, a massive cascade of documents spilled onto the floor with a loud rustle.
"Argh!" Jin shrieked, leaping up from his seat.
"Kyaaa!" Rain and I shrieked in unison.
We couldn't help it. Jin's face was a mask of sheer exhaustion. He looked like a man who had been trapped in an endless cycle of overtime.
"Shine? Jeff? Even Rain?"
Jin's gaze shifted from the papers scattered across the floor to us. Rain and I quickly ducked behind Shine to escape his sight. Shine stood protectively in front of us, spreading her arms wide.
"Ah, our rookies. Welcome."
After a brief, thoughtful silence, Jin's expression flipped in an instant as he welcomed us. Still, the deep fatigue etched into his face didn't fade. "What are you doing standing there? Come on in." Jin waved his hands frantically, gesturing toward the spacious sofas arranged in front of his desk. He was telling us to take a seat.
"Jin, are you busy?"
"No! No, no, not at all. I'm completely free."
At Rain's question, Jin shook his head vigorously and swept his hand, sending the scattered papers flying. With a simple gesture, the white sheets soared into the air, dancing gracefully before stacking themselves.
"Now, I can't just leave you standing. What kind of tea do you like? I have milk too." Jin rambled as he rummaged through a cabinet in the corner of his office. The three of us remained silent. Noticing our lack of response, Jin stopped his frantic preparations.
"Right. So, what brings you here?" Jin asked with a soft sigh.
At his question, Rain slipped out of my embrace and spoke up hesitantly. "Um, it's about work."
"Work? What work?"
"Our team."
"Raincoat? No, wait, that's not it. Sorry, my mind's all over the place lately. Harmonize. Right." Jin rubbed his tired face and sank into a plush sofa. "We want Jeff and Shine to be included in the deployment roster for our next mission."
"Jeff and Shine?"
Jin's gaze flicked to Shine and me, then back. His eyes twitched slightly. "Did Amy tell you to do this?"
"No."
"Then is it your idea?"
"Uh... no."
"It's not Victor, is it?"
"No, not Victor either."
Jin let out a heavy sigh. Rain flinched at the sound. I quietly stepped up to her side and wrapped my arms around her.
"So Jeff and Shine are the ones who want to go?"
"Yeah. Jeff and I want to work too."
It was Shine who answered Jin's question. She took a step closer to him, narrowing the distance. Jin's eyes twitched again as she approached, but Shine didn't break eye contact.
"You're Shine, right?"
"Yeah."
"Alright, Shine. Listen carefully. We aren't going out to play."
"I know. We're going out to work."
"Yes, we are working."
"Yeah. And we want to do it too."
Jin tilted his head slightly at Shine's response. Crossing his arms, he continued, "It's great that our rookies are so motivated, but you're still too young."
"I'm not young. And neither is Jeff."
She was right. Shine and I weren't young. We could do anything. We could even do weird things. Would I have to do them with Amy later too? I pondered, still holding Rain tight.
"Sorry, my mistake. You aren't young."
"Yeah. So let us work."
"It's going to be difficult right now."
"Why?"
"Because rookies have a probation period."
"A probation...?"
"Is that a word you don't know?"
"No. I know it."
"Well, if you know it, then this is simple. Rookies can't be deployed until their probation period is over."
Shine nodded as if she understood perfectly. But I could tell. Shine had absolutely no idea what "probation period" meant. She was just pretending to know because she didn't want to lose to Jin.
"Actually, I already knew that."
"Is that so?"
"Yeah."
After that, Jin stared at Shine in silence. Shine didn't back down either, sparking yet another staring contest.
"Shine."
"Yeah?"
"Is your lightning ability stronger than Jeff's?"
Jin suddenly threw out an unexpected question. Shine didn't answer. Seeing her silence, Jin sighed and continued.
"Fine. Jeff, Shine. I'll put both of you on missions once your probation period is over. Until then, my hands are tied."
"Why? I thought you were the boss here, Jin."
"If I deploy rookies whose probation period isn't over, Amy will scold me."
Getting scolded by Amy was a truly terrifying prospect. Shine understood that all too well, so she nodded in agreement.
"Let's go back."
Shine turned around and began walking toward us. Rain and I glanced warily at Jin before quietly following after her.
"W-Wait a second!"
Just as we were about to leave the room, I spotted a bowl of chocolates sitting on a small shelf next to the door. I couldn't resist chocolate. I cast a sneaky glance at Jin, and he gave me a silent nod. I took that as permission. I quickly reached out, grabbed a whole handful of chocolates, and stuffed them into my pockets.
"Phew!"
Once we were safely out of Jin's office, Rain let out a deep sigh. "I completely forgot about the probation period."
"Is that probation period thing actually real?"
"Yeah. There was an accident a long time ago, so Amy created it."
"I see."
I nodded. I had thought Jin was the absolute boss, but was Amy actually just as powerful and influential as him?
"Hey, Jeff."
"Hmm?"
While I was talking with Rain, Shine leaned in and tugged on my arm. She glanced warily at Rain, then leaned close to my ear and whispered softly, "What's a probation period?"
"Well, you see..."
I opened my mouth to answer Shine's question, but no words came out. I couldn't remember. What was a probation period? I had a vague, intuitive grasp of what it meant, but the actual definition felt as if it had been buried under a thick blanket of white snow. What was it? What was it? What was it? As I clutched my head in utter confusion, Shine gently patted my hair.
"Do you not know either, Jeff?"
"No, I do know... I just can't think of it."
I really couldn't. It just wouldn't come to me.
"Should I tell you...?"
Rain, who had been listening to our conversation, spoke up hesitantly. Shine and I exchanged a quick look. We both nodded in unison.
"Yes, please!"