Chapter 29

"What the hell!" Kaede yelled, startled by the sudden commotion outside. She rushed to the window, pulling aside the curtain. "Who are all these people!?"

Down on the quiet residential street, the peaceful neighborhood had been transformed into a media circus. A sea of reporters crowded the sidewalk in front of Kanae’s apartment building, all shouting over one another in a frantic bid to be heard.

Pushing through the chaos with practiced aggression, a tall woman with wavy pink hair emerged at the front. She yanked her cameraman forward with one hand and dabbed her forehead with a silk handkerchief using the other.

"Get ready," she muttered. The cameraman gave a quick signal, "live."

She turned toward the camera with an intense gleam in her eye.

"This is Reiko Ochako reporting live from Musashino City for T.J.N News!" she announced, voice crisp and confident. "We're standing outside the residence of none other than Kanae Tawata, one of Japan’s top-ranked S-Rank Hunters. And just this morning, her sister, Kaede Tawata, has officially awakened as Japan’s twenty-second S-Rank Hunter, the first new S-Rank in over a year!"

Suddenly, a voice from the crowd shouted, "Look! Up there!"

All heads snapped upward.

Reiko spun and jabbed a finger at the second-floor window. "Camera, now!"

The lens zoomed in on a wide-eyed girl peeking through parted curtains, Kaede. She yelped in alarm and disappeared behind the window with a thud as the curtains slammed shut.

Flashes erupted across the street as cameras fired in rapid succession.

"Now what?" The camera man asked.

"We'll have to camp, Shoji." Reiko didn’t flinch. She clenched her fist, burning with journalistic zeal. "The news never sleeps."

---

Upstairs, Kaede pressed her back against the wall, breathing fast.

She slowly slid the curtain aside, just enough to peer through. "They're still there," she whispered.

Kanae appeared beside her, holding out a small piece of paper. "Here. The location of that Vivi chick you were asking about."

Kaede blinked. "How did you even get this? It’s barely past seven."

"Been up since four," Kanae replied casually, tucking her cap over her messy hair. "I'm feeling really good today."

Kaede gave a weak laugh as she stood up. "Good for you... What are we going to do about the reporters? They're scary."

Kanae arched a brow.

Kaede groaned and peeked out again. The horde was still there, tents were going up now.

"...Oh god. They're actually camping." Kaede gasped in shock.

Kanae sighed, adjusting her cap. "It’s not that big a deal. We’ll sneak past them. You still have that hoodie I got you, right?"

Kaede crossed her arms, pouting. "I don’t wanna wear your hand-me-downs."

Kanae smirked as she headed for the hallway.

"Guess you wanna go deal with the media circus yourself, then."

Kaede groaned, already moving toward her wardrobe. "Fine! Don’t go yet, I’m looking!"

"Hurry up," Kanae called over her shoulder. "I’ve got a full day: first, getting your guild application sorted, then buying you a guild building, and after that I’m stopping by the Blade Guild for training. Not sure why, but I feel a little stronger today."

"Yeah, yeah, gimme a sec," Kaede muttered as she rummaged through her clothes. She dug around for a moment before finally pulling out a sleek black hoodie with crimson outlines.

"Found it!"

The hoodie shimmered, vanishing from her hands, only to appear perfectly worn on her body a moment later.

"Quick change," Kaede said proudly, tugging the hood over her head.

Kanae raised an eyebrow.

"...So that’s a thing now."

"Alright. Let’s move." Kaede said, checking her reflection.

Kanae gave a relaxed shrug. "We’ll take the back door, then run for it."

Kaede deadpanned. "...Seriously?"

"We’re S-Ranks," Kanae said with a grin. "Who's gonna see us?"

---

They slipped through the back entrance. Kanae moved first, vanishing in a blink, only to reappear on the rooftop of a building several blocks away. She winked at Kaede once, then vanished again, moving at breakneck speed across the city skyline.

Kaede stared after her with a tired sigh. "Make a run for it, huh? Guess that checks out."

With her hood drawn tight over her head, she leapt. In one smooth motion, she landed on a nearby roof and vanished into motion, a blur even an A-Rank Hunter would struggle to follow. Her destination: Vivi’s house.

---

Meanwhile, down on the street, the reporters were still setting up tents and portable lights, chatting over lukewarm coffee and camera gear, completely unaware that both Kanae and Kaede had already slipped away.

Well... most of them.

Reiko Ochako narrowed her eyes and scanned the rooftops.

"Hey, Shoji… did you see that?" she asked, squinting toward a nearby building. "Something just flickered up there."

Shoji, crouched beside a makeshift table and unwrapping a convenience store breakfast sandwich, glanced lazily over his shoulder.

"Okay, and?"

Reiko's expression sharpened. Her reporter's instinct was flaring. "There's been a shift in the force. I can feel it. Our targets are on the move."

Shoji rolled his eyes. "What is this, a movie?"

"The news never sleeps!" Reiko declared, thrusting a fist into the air. "Pack up, we're leaving. I’m following my gut."

Shoji stared at his untouched breakfast. "Pack up? I just set all this out..."

"THE NEWS NEVER SLEEPS!" Reiko repeated with wild-eyed fervor, loud enough that a few other reporters took a step back.

Shoji slumped. "Can it at least eat?" he asked hopefully, reaching for his sandwich.

"No!" Reiko snapped, yanking him up by the shoulder. "We’re moving out. Now!"

Shoji looked down in despair as his food tumbled to the pavement. "...Damn."

---

The skyline blurred past as Kaede bounded over rooftops, one silent leap at a time. The morning sun had barely crested, painting the sleepy city in soft golds. Far from the media circus, the neighborhood she landed in felt almost... forgotten.

Rows of tight, boxy houses slouched under telephone wires. Weeds pushed through the sidewalk. A crow squawked from a rusted power pole.

She landed lightly on a rooftop, crouching low as she eyed the address on the slip of paper Kanae had given her.

"This is it?" she whispered, frowning. The apartment below was old. Weathered shutters, and a crooked gate.

Still, Kaede hopped down quietly and padded toward the third to the front door. She paused, hand hovering over the bell.

“Okay... don’t be weird,” she mumbled, checking her reflection in a dark window. Hoodie straight. Hair tucked. Eyes tired.

She pressed the doorbell.

Nothing happened.

She waited.

Still nothing.

"...Maybe she’s not home?"

Kaede knocked gently. Then a little louder.

She was about to call it when the door creaked open.

Kaede hesitated, then called out.

“Um... Hello? Vivi? It’s Kaede. Tawata. I... uh... got your location from Kanae.”

A pause.

Then:

"Oh, it's you! Damn I forgot to call."

The voice came from inside, soft, calm, but sharp enough to slice tension like thread.

Kaede blinked. "You... did?"

The door opened wider. A girl stood there barefoot in a loose white shirt and sleep shorts. Her hair, pink and messy, fell over one eye. The visible one was a shade too pale, like it hadn’t decided what color to be.

She looked at Kaede for a long moment. Then stepped aside. "Come in. But don’t touch anything."

Kaede stepped inside cautiously, glancing around as she passed Vivi. The living room looked hastily arranged, like someone had scrambled to make it look presentable just minutes before. A pile of books sat unevenly stacked beside the couch, and a blanket had clearly been tossed over something in a hurry.

Vivi walked ahead of her, stretching one arm above her head with a soft groan. "Sorry if the place’s a mess. Do you want anything to drink?"

Kaede turned slightly. "What? No, I'm fine. I'm..." Her stomach interrupted her with an audible growl.

Vivi raised an eyebrow, then smirked. "So, breakfast too."

Kaede flushed red, hands fluttering for a second before she found a spot on the couch. "Yeah, thanks," she murmured, folding her hands tightly in her lap.

Vivi disappeared into the kitchen. A few clinks and the soft hum of a kettle followed.

When she returned, she had a plate of food balanced in one hand and a mug of tea in the other. She set them down carefully in front of Kaede. "There. Eat."

Kaede smiled sheepishly and clapped her hands together. "Thanks for the food."

Vivi sat down across from her. "So... how’d you even find me?"

"I told you already," Kaede said, reaching for her spoon. "My sister found your location."

"Right," Vivi nodded slowly, rubbing one temple. "Your sister. The S-Rank Hunter Kanae."

Kaede gave a small nod.

Vivi leaned back against the couch, looking suddenly older than she had a moment ago. "I'm really sorry I haven’t called. It’s just... this week has been a lot. Like, really a lot."

Kaede paused mid-bite and looked up. Now that she really saw her, Vivi didn’t just look tired, she looked drained. Her skin was pale, her eyes slightly sunken, and her posture slumped like someone running on fumes.

"You don’t look so good," Kaede said gently. "What happened?"

Vivi let out a long sigh and didn’t answer at first. Her fingers twisted in her shirt hem.

"Why are you here, Kaede?" she asked at last. Her voice was quiet, serious. "You went through all the trouble of tracking me down. It can’t just be to say hi."

Kaede blinked. Then blinked again... And then blinked, again.

Vivi gave her a surprised look. "Seriously? That's why you're here?"

Kaede crossed her arms, defensive now. "Well, we promised we’d talk soon, didn’t we? And you haven’t called in over a week. I didn’t want you to forget me."

Her voice softened as she looked away. "I just wanted to make sure you were okay. Especially after everything that happened back then."

There was a pause. Kaede’s spoon lay forgotten on her plate.

Vivi stared at her, like she was trying to read something hidden in Kaede’s eyes. Whatever she found must’ve satisfied her, her shoulders relaxed slightly, and she let out another sigh, this one quieter.

"My boyfriend broke up with me."

Kaede didn’t say anything. She didn’t need to. She waited, giving Vivi space to continue.

"He said... our paths were too different. That he couldn’t handle being in a relationship with a Hunter. Said he wasn’t strong enough mentally to deal with it." Vivi’s voice was flat, but there was something brittle underneath it. "I actually considered quitting. The Hunter business, I mean. Thought maybe I should try to be someone different. For him."

Her hands curled into loose fists in her lap.

"And then," she said, her voice dipping lower, "I saw him with another girl. Less than a day later."

Kaede’s eyes softened. She lowered her spoon, letting it rest silently on the edge of the plate.

Vivi’s voice trembled just slightly now. Her eyes shimmered. "He moved on so fast. Like I never even mattered. Like it was always just... temporary. Something to pass the time. I didn’t even know what I was feeling anymore. So I did the only thing I could think to do."

Kaede leaned forward, concern etched on her face. "You went back into the dungeons."

Vivi nodded slowly. "Yeah. I threw myself into raids. One after another. I think I’ve done eight in the past four days. Maybe more. I stopped counting. I just needed to feel something. Anything. Started using my hands to punch monsters too." She chuckled listlessly.

Kaede’s heart sank a little. She hadn’t expected this. Not from Vivi. Not the way she’d looked so sharp and put-together before. She didn’t know what to say.

So she didn’t say anything.

Instead, she reached out, slowly and carefully, and set her hand beside Vivi’s on the table, close enough to touch, but not quite.

"I'm glad you’re still here," Kaede said quietly. "Even if you don’t feel okay right now... I’m really glad I came."

Vivi didn’t respond at first. But her hand twitched slightly. Then, finally, she exhaled and for the first time that morning, it didn’t sound like it hurt.

Kaede glanced at her friend, a quiet curiosity settling in her chest. 'She’s been raiding dungeons constantly? she wondered. I wonder what level she is now...'

A small, glowing window opened in her vision, Vivi’s stats displayed neatly before her.

---

Name: Vivi Hachibana

Level: 29

Job Class: None⁽3 Available⁾

HP: 3170 / 3170

MP: 820 / 820

Status: Exhaustion (Medium)

Attributes:

STR: 47

VIT: 49

AGI: 44

DEX: 47

INT: 66 (+20) -> 82

Physical Damage Resistance: 10%

Equipment:

— None

— None

— None

Skills:

— Fire Generation

— Fire Reinforcement

— Flash Fire Fist

— Flame Spear

— Detonate

— MP Boost (S) INT+20

SP (Party Leader Use Only): 18

---

Kaede exhaled softly, eyes wide.

"Wow… she's really been busy," she murmured under her breath.

Vivi turned, her expression faintly suspicious. "Did you say something?"

Kaede blinked, then quickly smiled to cover it up. "Yeah, actually... I asked if you’d join me."

Vivi tilted her head.

"In my guild," Kaede clarified, scratching the back of her head, slightly nervous. "Maple Tree. You don’t have to decide right away, but… I’d really like to have you on the team."

Vivi stared at her for a moment. Then, almost imperceptibly, her shoulders loosened again, some of that tension lifting.

---

[Attribute Updated]

VIT: 49 → 67