The Perks of Authority
I didn't like this. Blink, blink. As I blinked my eyes, Amy and Victor began stepping off the helicopter as if they were completely used to this. Still in a daze, I adjusted the straps of my dinosaur backpack and scurried right behind Amy.
"Didn't I tell you before? I don't really care for this sort of thing," Amy said, scanning her surroundings. At her single remark, the faces of the people standing around turned a pale, sickly blue.
Among them, a man who appeared to hold the highest rank cautiously stepped forward and opened his mouth.
"T-That is..."
"Forget it. How long are you going to keep us standing out here in the cold?"
"My apologies!"
"Can't you see the kids are shivering?"
Saying so, Amy scooped me up. My field of vision shot upward, and my short legs dangled back and forth. Hanging limply in Amy's arms, I locked eyes with the man standing in front of us. His face was drenched in cold sweat. I offered him an awkward smile and waved.
"I-I will guide you inside!" The man bowed deeply, trembling all over.
At his pathetic display, Amy let out a sigh. "Just lead the way."
The moment the words left her mouth, the man snapped upright, spun around, and began walking. The people lined up nearby closed in around us like an escort, guiding us toward the rooftop entrance. I had never received this kind of treatment in my life. Unable to hide my bewilderment, I could only gape in stunned silence.
As we entered the building cradled in Amy's arms, a massive elevator greeted us. How long had it been since I last saw an elevator? Amy gently set me down next to Shine. Shine immediately grabbed my hand tightly and pulled me close to her side.
While we stood there waiting for the elevator, I looked around, observing the others. The staff stood stiff as boards, their eyes glued to the empty air. They desperately avoided making eye contact with us. Amused, I waddled over in front of them and started hopping. *Hop, hop.* As I bounced up and down, the startled employees recoiled in a flurry. Finding their reaction hilarious, I drew closer and hopped even more.
"Jeff."
"Ack."
As I was mid-hop, Amy's hand snatched me up. Suspended in midair, my body froze in an awkward posture. Once again, I found myself cradled in Amy's arms.
"Amy."
"Yes?"
Shine, who had been standing quietly, spoke up. "Are you the highest-ranking person here, Amy?"
"I suppose so. In terms of rank, I'm directly beneath Jin."
Shine nodded blankly, seemingly lost in some deep, important thought.
Ding.
After what felt like an eternity, the elevator finally arrived. The doors slid open, and the man standing in front stepped inside, bowing deeply toward us. Amy stepped into the elevator first, followed by Victor, Shine, and Rain. Still cradled in Amy's arms, I peered out at the lobby.
"Aren't the other people coming with us?"
At my question, the faces of the staff waiting outside turned pale once more. I reached out and poked the sweating man. *Flinch, flinch.* Seeing him jump so dramatically at my touch was incredibly entertaining.
"Mister, aren't those people out there employees here? Why aren't they riding with us?"
"T-That is..."
"I'm Jeff."
"Yes... Lady Jeff..."
"What's your name, mister?"
"I am Highley." The man, introducing himself as Highley, pulled a handkerchief from his pocket and wiped his brow. "They... they still have work to attend to up here..."
"On the rooftop?"
"Yes..."
"Oh, I see."
"Well then..." Highley released the door-open button and selected our destination floor. I waved to the people outside through the closing gap of the elevator doors. "Bye-bye."
The elevator doors sealed shut, and we began our descent. The floor indicator numbers rapidly ticked down.
"Amy, how many times have you been here?"
"Me? Hmm..."
"Have you been here so many times you lost count?"
"Not quite that many, but I've never really counted, so I'm not sure."
"Then, Rain, how many times have you been here?"
"Me?"
"Yeah."
Standing in a daze, Rain snapped her head up at my question, her golden hair swaying smoothly. "This is my third time."
I opened my mouth to speak but quickly shut it, stealing a glance at Amy. Not yet. It's not time to ask yet. Once Amy stepped away for her work, I would ask Rain where all the fun places were.
Ding.
With a soft chime, the elevator doors slid open. "We have arrived." Highley bowed, gesturing forward. Amy accepted the gesture naturally and stepped out. Not just her, but Victor and Rain also seemed completely accustomed to this treatment.
"Amy, you can put me down now."
"Oh, right."
When I wriggled my legs and spoke, Amy nodded and set me down. It seemed she had completely forgotten she was holding me.
*Pitter-patter.* Our small footsteps echoed down the hallway. The corridor, polished to a brilliant shine, carried a faint scent of disinfectant.
"It's always so clean here."
"We were told you prefer things clean..."
"That's true."
We began to walk slowly. The gleaming floor reflected my reflection perfectly. *Tap-tap, clack.* I took a few short, rhythmic steps, enjoying the satisfying sound it made. Shine, watching me from the side, began to copy me. *Tap-tap, clack. Tap-tap, clack.* Soon, Rain joined in as well. The chick backpack on her back swayed wildly. *Tap-tap, clack!* With that final step, we seemed to have reached our destination. Highley, Amy, and Victor came to a halt. The three of us struck a cool pose as we made our final footstep.
Highley gestured toward a set of massive doors. At his movement, the heavy doors, which looked like they would never budge, slowly parted to reveal the interior. It was an incredibly luxurious room. A plush carpet covered the entire floor, and an antique-looking fireplace sat off to the side. Wait, how did they even build a fireplace in a facility like this?
"Please, step inside..." Highley remained polite to the very end. As we entered, the massive doors slowly shut behind us.
With practiced ease, Amy walked over and sat on a large velvet sofa. It looked incredibly soft, so I ran over and snuggled right up next to her. Shine and Rain sat beside us, while Victor took a seat on the opposite side.
"Where are the reports?"
"In the drawer beneath the table."
"Am I supposed to get them myself?"
At Amy's question, Highley's face turned white. He rushed over, pulled a stack of documents from the drawer, and placed them on the table. There were three reports in total. Amy, Rain, and Victor naturally received their respective files. I tilted my head, watching them. Where's mine? Where's mine? But no matter how long I waited, there was nothing for Shine or me. I puffed out my cheeks to express my utter dissatisfaction.
"Your performance has improved quite a bit," Amy remarked, flipping through the white pages. *Rustle, rustle.*
"We have worked our hardest!"
"I can see that."
While watching the two of them, I repeatedly opened and closed the drawer under the table. At the rattling sound, everyone's eyes locked onto me.
"What about mine?"
"Pardon?"
It was Highley who answered. He looked at me, utterly flustered. I stared straight into his eyes and spoke.
"Is there nothing for me?"
"Well, that is..."
Highley's gaze slowly drifted toward Amy. Amy only offered a faint, amused smile in response.
"You see..."
"I want to see it too."
I pointed to the emblem pinned to my chest. I had come here with the same authority as Amy.
"My deepest apologies!" Highley immediately bowed and apologized to me. "If you could please wait just a moment..." He pulled out his phone from his pocket. "Excuse me..." Highley walked away to make a call.
"Jeff, do you want to look at mine?" As I swung my legs, pouting, Rain offered me her stack of papers.
"No, it's fine."
Honestly, I wasn't curious about what was in the report. I was just upset that I had been left out. I wanted to be treated with respect too. And they hadn't prepared one for Shine either. That was what bothered me the most.
"Jeff, are you sulking?"
"No."
*Pat.* Amy placed her hand on my head, gently stroking my hair.
Not long after Highley made his call, the door opened and a stranger walked in. He quickly scanned the room before handing a large envelope to Highley. Taking the envelope, Highley turned and approached me.
"Here it is!"
I accepted the envelope from him. It felt quite heavy in my hands. Inside was a report identical to the one Amy was holding.
"Hmm..."
"Um... is there something else wrong...?"
Even though I had received the documents I wanted, my expression remained sour. Seeing this, Highley broke into a cold sweat and asked.
"There's nothing for Shine."
At my words, Highley's jaw dropped. His gaze shifted from me to my twin sister sitting beside me. Shine sat with her arms crossed, silent.
"I think Shine is upset."
She was currently in a very foul mood. Well, at least she was pretending to be. At my words, Highley's eyes shook violently. Looking as if he were on the verge of tears, he stammered,
"My apologies...! If you could please wait just another moment...!"
He pulled out his phone once again. I simply turned my head away from him.
"Amy."
"Yes?"
"I think Mr. Highley is really bad at his job."
"Is that so?"
At my remark, Highley's back trembled violently as he walked away to make the call.
"What do you think we should do with him, Jeff?" Amy asked with a playful smile, pulling me into a hug. I placed the documents down on the table and crossed my arms.
"Hmm..."
I began to ponder. Highley's eyes were glued to me, all of his senses hyper-focused on my next words.
"I'll think about it after lunch," I replied, patting my stomach. It was just about lunchtime anyway.
"Shall we do that?"
*Phew.* A massive sigh of relief escaped Highley's lips.