Kibishi's POV

  The next day

  The following morning, I got up from my bed, took a shower, brushed my teeth, and put on my clothes.

  I adjusted the bck jacket I was wearing and stared at myself in the mirror. And yup, this fit me alright—the bck jacket with purple sleeves, a turtleneck, dark blue jeans, and pin bck-and-white sneakers. But even with all of that, I felt like something was missing...

  Well, I also had my neckce around my neck, so it couldn't be that. Maybe something that reminded me of my childhood or even a career path I'd always wanted, perhaps?

  "..." I pced my hand under my chin.

  I thought about it long and hard. Everything else besides the basic knowledge of my past was pretty foggy. I knew I lived near a restaurant since my parents had a personal business there. And, uh... what else?

  I raised my brows in surprise.

  "Cooking," I blurted out loud while still staring at myself in the mirror.

  That hadn't been my intention or my main goal in thinking, but I thought I could do basic cooking. All the food I'd brought to Tao had been my original recipe, so there was that. But still, that wasn't the thing making me feel restless. And it also had nothing to do with my clothing.

  "If that thing I feel like I'm missing is even part of that anyway..." I mumbled to myself as I tried to rethink what was missing.

  But no matter how hard I tried, I just couldn't seem to remember.

  "Oh well, it is what it is. It'll come to me when it's time." I reassured myself so I wouldn't spend all day thinking about it. Besides, I was up pretty early, huh? I gnced at the clock on the wall, and it read 5:30 a.m. Aside from the soldiers in training, I doubted anyone else was awake.

  "Perhaps I can help out David and Riley, as long as it's not toilet-reted..." I whispered, then turned away from the mirror.

  The Founder never said we couldn't help them out, right?

  In that case, I'd better find David and Riley before the adults woke up and tried to scold me for whatever reason. I had no proof it would happen, but it was best to take precautions. Before that, though, I wondered if Tao was awake yet—

  Ding-dong!

  "The doorbell?" I raised my brows.

  I stuffed my hands in my jacket pockets and walked toward the door with a calm expression. The doorbell rang once again as I got closer.

  Ding-dong! Ding-dong!

  "Yeah, yeah, I'm coming..." I scratched my head out of habit. The doorbell grew louder and louder. Maybe that was why I sounded a bit irritated, even though I didn't mean to be. But I cooled down, reminding myself that it was technically the first day. Who knew what kind of morning ritual they had in store for us?

  With that in mind, I finally reached the door and gently turned the knob—

  Wham!

  ...Only for my door to swing open and hit me in the face.

  "OW!" I covered my nose—where the pain hurt the most—and looked up to see who had swung my door open like a maniac. It was Akuma, her face etched with worry. I noticed she was wearing a white long-sleeve shirt with a chest window—not enough to expose anything, but I could somewhat see her belly since the shirt was cropped. The sleeves were cut off around the elbows, revealing her smooth skin, and they covered half her hands, with thumb holes to keep them in pce. She also wore blue jeans and brown boots. All in all, her outfit looked kinda cute but still gave off a rebellious vibe.

  At least, to me it did.

  It was cute, though.

  "Oh my gosh, Kibi! Are you okay?!" Akuma rushed to me and pulled my hands away to check my nose, which was now bleeding. She flinched and panicked. "I-I'm sorry! Here, let me get that for you!" Frantic, she pulled out her pink wallet, grabbed a few napkins, and started wiping the blood off my nose. I understood her intentions and found it sweet, but embarrassment took over, so I instinctively snatched the napkin from her and ughed nervously. "I-it's fine! I can take care of the bleeding myself!"

  "A-are you sure?! Let me at least help stop it!" Akuma leaned closer, and the chest window of her shirt hovered just below my eye level as she stretched to wipe my nose again.

  I jumped back, waving my hands quickly.

  "N-no need, I'm okay!" I insisted, my face heating up.

  "Obviously, you're not! Come here and stop being so jumpy!" Akuma took out another napkin and reached for me again. My instincts told me she was used to helping people like this. While I admired that about her, I'd rather endure the pain than let someone—who seemed a year older than me—tend to my injuries. Even if she was the one who caused them...

  "H-hey! So, what brings you here, Akuma?" I asked, stepping back.

  "What's with the full name? You call Taoreta by her nickname, so why not me, too? 'Kuma,' remember?" Akuma pouted as she tucked the napkin back into her wallet.

  "R-right, sorry. So, 'Kuma,' what brings you here?" I smiled gently, feeling my body temperature finally cooling down.

  Kuma stepped closer and leaned in with a bright smile.

  "Well, first of all, I was wondering if you slept well, Kibi?" She beamed, a faint blush on her cheeks. I doubted she was embarrassed—she just seemed genuinely interested in my well-being. It reminded me that Kuma had a sisterly vibe toward people she considered friends. Or something like that.

  "Well, to be honest, I slept okay, I guess. I did miss sleeping with Tao, though. Without her warmth, sleeping just feels... pointless in the end." I gave her my honest thoughts.

  Kuma frowned for a second but then nodded with a warm smile.

  "I get it. You two have taken care of each other since you were kids, right? It makes sense you can't sleep apart. Tao told me the same thing earlier, too."

  "Oh? Tao's awake, Kuma?"

  She nodded.

  Kuma took a step back, arms behind her. "Tao wanted to wake up early and help David and Riley as much as she could. I came to get you because I figured you'd be thinking the same thing."

  Well, she wasn't wrong.

  Kuma had hit the nail on the head. The more she showed this side of herself, the more I trusted her as an ally. Maybe it was that sisterly aura she gave off.

  Sister. Sister...

  The thought lingered in my mind for a second, but I pushed it aside and returned to the topic.

  "Thanks for coming to get me, Kuma. And I really appreciate you looking out for us despite our rude behavior yesterday. Seriously, I'm grateful..." I gave her a genuine smile and extended my hand for a handshake.

  Kuma seemed taken aback, but then giggled and shook my hand.

  "What rude behavior? I don't remember anything like that, Kibi." She winked pyfully.

  At first, I was confused, but then I smiled when I realized she was leaving it in the past. Kuma was our ally, first and foremost. The more time passed, the more I admired her—her carefree attitude, her willingness to forgive.

  "You know, you'd make a good leader, Kuma."

  "Nah, I doubt it. I only do this so my sister doesn't have to carry all the responsibility. That, and to keep Jir out of trouble, too." She shrugged, letting go of my hand.

  "Your sister?" My eyes widened in curiosity.

  "Yeah, my sister. Oh—" Kuma gave an apologetic smile. "Right, I never told you who my sister is. Well, I'll expin during breakfast, so let's hurry."

  "Oh, right. Yeah, good point, Kuma."

  She nodded and gently tugged my jacket, pulling me in front of her. Then, with a pyful push, she guided me out of my room as I ughed nervously.

  When was the st time I had a sister who treated me like this every morning?

  I really missed this feeling.

  And as much as it lingered in my mind, I needed to focus on helping David and Riley with their duties. It wouldn't hurt to put in some elbow grease for a friend, right? I was sure the adults would understand.

  ...Or maybe that was just the lie I told myself so I could help the people I cared about most in this world.