Is He Crazy?
Is he crazy? Adolf approached her without hesitation. Tiny Bell was walking down the street, clutching a bag of bread to her chest, seemingly oblivious to the two boys in civilian clothes.
"Captain!"
The sudden call made her flinch. She squinted one eye, turned her head, and hugged the bread bag tighter. "...What?"
Tiny Bell looked at Adolf with a slightly flustered expression upon seeing his face. It was a face that had become somewhat familiar now, a voice that rang a vague bell. But she never imagined running into him here, dressed like this.
"Hello. Haha."
His bright face made her instinctively step back. Roland approached from behind, awkwardly averting his gaze. Tiny Bell alternated looks between the two, letting out an exasperated breath.
"Why are you in Lumen Guard?"
Adolf, delighted by the question, began explaining with animated gestures. "I got leave with Roland, so we came to Lumen Guard. I never expected to run into you like this. I'm thrilled."
"Uh, yeah. You look thrilled."
Tiny Bell replied half-heartedly, feeling a bit burdened. Adolf stepped up beside her and said innocently, "Civilian clothes suit you well."
Even his black eyes seemed warm. It was kindness toward her with no strings attached. Having crossed paths with him a few times, Tiny Bell somehow knew it came straight from the heart, so she clutched the bread bag even tighter.
This guy's got no sense of personal space.
"...Don't butter me up."
"It's not like that. Haha. I missed you."
? Missed her? It was so natural, so unreserved. A simple phrase with no ulterior motive. His emotions were honest, tossed out lightly. But it carried genuine sincerity.
Tiny Bell turned her head slightly, still hugging the bread bag. What was wrong with this guy? She let out a small sigh.
Is he crazy?
Searching through all her past memories, Tiny Bell had never encountered this type before. Inside, she cursed him in disbelief, yet a strange feeling crept up her shoulders to the nape of her neck.
Roland watched the two, muttering the exact same thing inwardly.
This is driving me nuts.
It was the first time their thoughts aligned, unbeknownst to them. Embarrassment, awkwardness, and a touch of inexplicable warmth. Tiny Bell's face remained nearly expressionless, but her earlobes were faintly red.
"Adolf, you can't be that upfront about it."
"Huh? Really?"
"Yeah, the other person might feel burdened."
As Roland grumbled discontentedly, Tiny Bell cut into their conversation. "I have no idea why you're lecturing him in front of me... If you're done, can I go?"
Roland flinched and stepped back at her words. Fortunately, no delicate fist came flying. Grateful for the bread bag in her arms, he elbowed Adolf's side.
Adolf pondered for a moment, then smiled brightly. "Sorry. I was just so happy to see you."
His eye smile was still innocent, utterly sincere. Tiny Bell pretended not to hear and tried to walk away again. But Roland glanced at her path and grimaced. "Sorry, but we're heading the same way."
At that moment, a thick vein pulsed on Tiny Bell's forehead, and Roland instinctively stepped back.
Tiny Bell hugged the bread bag with both arms and muttered softly. "Ah, this is stressful."
"Want me to carry the bread?"
Adolf had closed the distance again to ask.
"Don't treat me like a kid."
Her thorny tone made Adolf step back with another apology. "Sorry. No bad intentions."
"Ugh."
Tiny Bell sighed deeply and turned her head sharply, but contrary to her snappish words, her pace slowed, and her cheeks flushed a bit deeper. Was it because they were both proxies? She felt annoyed that he saw her as someone to protect, yet ridiculously, it wasn't entirely unwelcome.
The three began walking side by side. Awkward, yet somehow natural, blending into the street noise. Roland hoped to just listen to that noise in silence, but his wish went ungranted.
Breaking the quiet, Adolf asked, "Do you like bread? I remember you eating a baguette when we first met."
Tiny Bell kept her gaze forward and replied quietly. "That was just... the chewing texture. Good for when I'm pissed."
"Ah, so you like things with texture?"
"Ha—yeah. That crumbling sensation in your mouth."
Figuring a few replies would get him off her back, Tiny Bell exchanged words with Adolf. He seemed delighted by it. Roland muttered inwardly, What... are you, a dinosaur?
Tiny Bell paused briefly, and Roland gasped, wondering if he'd said it aloud. But an unexpected remark followed.
"...Sorry for hitting you back then."
Roland's eyes widened. Stunned speechless, he managed, "Ah, it's fine," but still felt dazed. She seemed a tad less prickly?
Whoa, what happened between them in the meantime?
"Okay."
Tiny Bell faced forward again and walked on, feeling Adolf's subtle gaze from the side and sighing inwardly once more. Deep in her heart, an unforgettable shadow from the past seeped through.
Ri Siarin. The proxy who always greeted her with a smile. That brightness and warmth somehow resembled Adolf's unguarded innocence.
"Captain Bell, are you heading to the Management Bureau right now?"
Adolf cautiously asked, pointing to the distant bureau building. Tiny Bell nodded. "Yeah. On an errand. This way."
Saying "errand" made her feel a little embarrassed. If not for Major Sophie Marso's request, she wouldn't have done something like this since elementary school.
Adolf chuckled at Tiny Bell's slightly pursed lips. "You've had a tough time."
His eyes lingered on her civilian outfit. Unlike her confined proxy uniform, she looked more human now—freer. Overwhelmed by his gaze, she frowned lightly and muttered, "...It's burdensome."
"Pardon? Burdensome?"
His reaction was like a large black dog denied a walk.
Ugh.
Tiny Bell sighed inwardly. Yet, oddly, she didn't want to see that face hurt. He was much taller, but he gave off a childlike vibe.
"No. Nothing. Just talking to myself."
Short words, brief eye contact. But hidden within was a subtle emotional texture.
At the intersection, the paths split: one to the theater, the other to the Management Bureau headquarters. The three stopped there.
"Well... this is where we part."
Adolf said with a regretful face. Tiny Bell hugged the bread bag tight and nodded slightly. "Yeah. Have fun."
"Yes, ma'am."
Adolf smiled brightly to the end. Roland grabbed his arm and yanked. "Come on, let's go! Captain, head in!"
His frantic escape attempt nearly made Tiny Bell laugh, but she composed herself. Even that moment felt awkwardly endearing.
I don't even remember how to smile anymore.
Afraid it'd look strange, she turned away. But in one corner of her heart, gratitude and quiet joy seeped in at the fact that someone was glad to see her again.
The Management Bureau headquarters looked as usual. But Tiny Bell's steps felt especially heavy. It was an errand for Sophie, but it meant going to Brigadier General Jack William.
Riding the elevator to the top floor, the bread bag in her hand felt cumbersome. The wrapper's texture against her fingertips felt like hesitation itself. Sophie had spoken so enthusiastically about Jack's favorite bread that she couldn't refuse.
Brigadier General Jack William. Their last encounter was a brief whine about hating training sessions. Before that, they'd avoided each other for quite a while, barely speaking.
I know it's not his fault... but—
He hadn't ordered the Nantigar suppression. It was Grand Marshal Chernenko's will, the system's pressure, an irreversible reality. Tiny Bell knew that. Her head understood, but her heart still resented him.
As the elevator doors opened, she lifted her head and took a deep breath. If not for the major's request, I might never have come.
The few days with Major Sophie Marso—shared dinners, light walks, a casual cup of tea. Tiny Bell was rediscovering the sensation of "everyday life" she'd forgotten. She knew it was softening her without her realizing.
That's why she couldn't refuse. I thought I was all grown up, but here I am running errands.
With a self-deprecating sigh, Tiny Bell placed her hand on the office panel. Biometric scan completed swiftly, and the door slid open. The "Red Eye" label flashing by pulled her back to reality a bit.
The office interior was spacious and tidy. Brigadier General Jack sat in the center, with a man in white officer's uniform and another in proxy uniform standing opposite him.
Bad timing.
Tiny Bell considered leaving but, under their three gazes, decided entering was less embarrassing. She stepped in.
The two before Brigadier General Jack were unknown to her. A sly-looking man with squinted eyes, perhaps smiling. Blue hair, white uniform with a familiar patch on the arm: Deputy Director Phenex Cristel of the Intelligence Analysis Department. Tiny Bell instinctively sensed his high rank. A soft impression, but inscrutable motives. It gave her the creeps, so she looked away.
Then, the man who seemed a fellow proxy. He didn't even glance her way as she entered. Kyle Walker of the Intelligence Analysis Department. His hair was neatly combed back, features sharp overall. Handsome, surely, but his pale skin and heavy dark circles lent a sinister air.
Does the Intelligence Analysis Department only have guys like this?
Maybe because of the stark contrast with Adolf. To her, these two felt endlessly cold.
Tiny Bell skipped greetings and just stared at Jack. His face was unchanged. But oddly, he looked more fatigued than before—hair grayer, wrinkles deeper around his eyes.
"It's been a while, Red Eye. What brings you here?"
At his curt greeting, Tiny Bell jiggled the bread bag lightly. The room's air subtly shifted. A clear smile tugged at Jack's lips.
Phenex glanced at Jack and said meaningfully, "We get to see the brigadier general smile."
Kyle Walker finally twitched an eyebrow and glanced at her, but Phenex continued slyly before Jack could reply. "Seems the Grand Marshal is dissatisfied with Director Remar's management of Rain Code lately."
Phenex spoke fluidly, like flowing water. "I hear you know the director. Might be good to bridge things before tensions escalate."
"The protests in Rain Code are getting serious," Kyle picked up. "If something like Nantigar happens—"
"Enough."
Jack cut him short. His tone was icy. He rose indifferently from his chair. "I'm craving bread right now, so let's end this."
Phenex asked with a smile, "Mind if we join?"
Jack pulled plates from a drawer. "This bread's for me."
Phenex's squinted expression froze briefly, then smoothed into a grin. He bowed wordlessly, and Kyle followed, passing Tiny Bell. As they left, Jack turned his back to the door and said quietly, "…Stay and eat. It's better than it looks."
Tiny Bell paused at his kind words. What whim was this? Hard to believe even for herself, but like opening her heart again, she slowly sank into the sofa.