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“CONGRATULATIONS, LEIGH,” Taishi mumbles sarcastically as we step into Kieran's apartment. “You convinced our charge to accompany a strange man to his home. That doesn't sound dangerous at all. Well done.”
My fist collides with Taishi's arm. I don't even think about it—I just punch him. I don't punch him that hard or anything, but I'm still landing a blow on my instructor. I hope I don't get in trouble for this. “Kieran's not strange! He's really nice and down-to-earth!” I vouch for him.
“Really? How long have we know him?”
Cynthia met him on the train, toured Windsor Castle, dropped off his niece and joined him for coffee. I try to guess how long it took. “Three hours. Maybe four?”
“Right. And believe it or not, even despicable men can pretend to be nice and down-to-earth for a matter of hours,” Taishi claims.
“No! I really do think he's nice. I can tell.” Cynthia and Kieran are sitting together on the couch, chatting about various topics. Hobbies. Favorite television shows. What universities they attended. For now, they seem content to gaze into each other's eyes. “You need to give people the benefit of the doubt, Tai.”
Taishi's lip curls, his nose wrinkles, and his eyes are hurling daggers. His disgust with me is painfully obvious. “Please don't shorten my name. Remember... I'm your instructor. I'm not your friend.”
“Okay. Alright. Sorry.” I try to soften him with a pout. “But... do you think we might be friends eventually?”
My pout must be effective, because his answer isn't as scathing as I expected. “I haven't ruled it out.”
Cynthia's hand flirtatiously glides along Kieran's arm. She's leaning toward him, giggling at everything he says. If she leapt into his lap right now, I wouldn't be surprised. They definitely have chemistry.
Taishi's fussing with something on his LightTab. Curious, I try to sneak a peek at his screen. When I realize he's looking at a spirit guide's profile page, I ask, “What are you doing?”
“I'm summoning Kieran's guide. I need to know he's the good guy you say he is.”
“God, you're paranoid.”
“I'm not paranoid. I'm careful,” Taishi insists.
I study the profile of Kieran's summoned guide.
Name: Carl Kaufman
Last Mortal Age: 41
Occupation: Librarian
Current Rating: 6.77/10
As soon as I finish reading, Carl appears—at least, I assume it's Carl. He's probably the most tired-looking guy I've ever seen. His shoulders are drooping, his eyes are red-rimmed, his clothes are wrinkled, his red hair is a mess, and he looks like he hasn't smiled in over a century. He has that in common with Taishi, I guess.
“Taishi Nakamura?” Carl lazily cites my instructor's name. “You wanted to see me for some reason?”
“I did. You're the primary guide of Kieran Waterstone, correct? He's your charge?” Taishi points at Kieran, who appears to be leaning in for a kiss. When Cynthia meets him halfway, I indulge in a little victory dance that has Taishi scowling at me again.
Carl answers with an apathetic, “Yeah.”
“Can you tell me anything about him?” Taishi requests. “Is he a decent man, or is he someone we should keep our eye on?”
“Oh, Kieran's cool,” Carl says. “He's not a mass murderer or anything, if that's what you're worried about. He's never done anything to break the law. Well... I mean... he downloads movies every now and then, but that's not so bad, is it?”
Cynthia and Kieran are in the middle of a full-on makeout session now, and we're just standing in his living room, having a chat. It's so weird.
“How does he treat women?” Taishi asks.
“He's okay... I guess,” Carl shrugs. “He did cheat on a girl once, but that was a long time ago.”
Taishi's interrogation continues. “How long ago?”
“Ohhh, I don't know. Six or seven years ago?” Carl sidles away. “Is that all? Can I go now?”
“Fine. Sure.” Taishi dismisses him with an impolite flick of his hand. “I think I've learned enough.”
When Carl disappears, Taishi goes back to reading his LightTab. Apparently, watching Cynthia and Kieran shove tongues down each other's throats isn't as awkward for him as it is for me.
“Well, did he pass your test?” I ask.
“Kieran seems... alright.”
“What are you looking at now?”
Taishi shows me his LightTab screen. “I'm checking Colton's location. He's nowhere near us, of course. But I have plans for tomorrow.”
I almost ask if he's going to let me in on the plan, but it's too weird to have a conversation in the middle of someone else's makeout session. I direct his attention to Kieran and Cynthia, who are horizontal on the couch. “Do you think we should, uhhh... give them some privacy?” I ask.
“They can't see us. Don't worry about it.” When Cynthia sits up and rips off her shirt, he immediately changes his mind. “Uh... on second thought, let's head into the hallway.”
Taishi and I retreat to the hall before any more articles of clothing are tossed aside. Their romance progressed a little faster than I expected.
“By the looks of it, Colton Crane might be the last thing on her mind,” I observe. “Do they still have to meet up? Is it really necessary?”
Taishi nods. “Unfortunately... yes. Once you accept a job, exact conditions must be met for it to be considered a success.”
“So basically... even though she seems happy with this guy, we won't succeed until she meets a different guy?” Heaven's rules have me sneering. “I'm sorry, but that's a little messed up.”
“The contract was formed by Cynthia's initial wish, and it cannot be broken.”
I'm trying to make sense of this, but it sounds ridiculous. Wishes can change, right?
“Well... whether or not we succeed, I'll consider this mission a success!” I boldly declare. “Even if the higher-ups consider it a failure, it doesn't matter to me. As long as Cynthia's happy, I don't care about my rating.”
Under his breath, Taishi murmurs, “You'll start to care when the horrible jobs roll in...”
I barely hear him. “Pardon?”
“Oh... nothing. Nothing.” Taishi's lips are pulled into a grin as he turns away from me. “Pay no attention to me, Riley-san. I'm just talking to myself.”