There was one large table with multiple officials present who sat in the seats. Each of them had a microphone in front of them, while a presenter stood just a few feet away.
"Now, I would suggest us to refer to the agent chosen as Kath."
It was after the meeting took place as government officials sat in a row and looked towards the presenter who had just finished his presentation. No one moved, and the only sound in the room was the low hum of the projector.
"It was a coherent presentation with a test that can tell us about the target easily. However, I cannot find the justification for placing Agent Kath in charge of this operation."
The official asked his question because there were many more agents who could be sent into the Academy. It did not make sense to deploy an asset who had just completed a hard mission.
Kath was a valuable asset to the government. They had to monitor her mental stability and ensure she was not suffering from fatigue. Sending her after a supposedly highly dangerous and intelligent target was pushing her limits.
The presenter nodded as he looked towards the official who asked the question.
"It is true that we are placing an exceptional burden on a single agent. However, from an objective standpoint, this is her exact area of expertise. She functions most effectively when inducing targets to lower their guard and offer cooperation. She possesses an extreme work ethic. Most importantly, she is the single individual least likely to be compromised by the great clans."
This time, another official raised his concerns as he pulled the microphone closer to him.
"The target is not only highly intelligent but also a professional when it comes to close combat. He easily dismantled the legacy of the Han Li clan. Kath, while impressive in a social context, appears deficient in the physical aspects of this operation. Is it truly necessary to have her act as the sole active agent while the others remain entirely passive?"
The presenter shifted his focus from the last official to the one who had just spoken.
"We must look at the data. In the context of what Ascended Jet provided, she noted that the target lost his senses immediately after regaining consciousness. Furthermore, his response to the blind girl when she inquired about his silence was exactly seven taps. Based on this behavior, we predict that the sensory deprivation will last for precisely one week. This restriction cannot be his Flaw."
The presenter took a step forward and touched the keyboard in front of him, causing the screen behind him to display the next slide. Bright white light illuminated the dark room, showing charts of human brain activity and behavior patterns.
"As shown in this breakdown, the potential psychological reactions once he regains his senses can vary drastically. We expect either extreme paranoia, profound relief, or a state where he will require immediate psychological stabilization. His mind will be highly sensitive once his senses return. He will experience hearing, breathing, tasting, and feeling for the first time in a week. If we send multiple agents to test him, he will feel cornered. An asset of his caliber will act instinctively if trapped. The optimal course of action is to maintain two passive agents while Kath assumes the active role to build a safe environment."
The officials stared at the flashing charts on the screen, their chips hovering over their notebooks without writing a single word.
The official continued to question, his voice dropping to a different tone.
"This strategy is entirely dependent on the assumption that he will pass the test. Have you formulated a contingency plan in the event that he fails?"
After that question, the presenter went quiet for a single second. The officials sat perfectly still, eyes locked on the presenter as they waited for an answer. Then, he replied with absolute certainty.
"If my psychological profile of the target is accurate, he will not fail this test. However, there is no cause for concern. Even if he were to fail, the backup protocol ensures that Kath will continue to secure his trust over an extended period. Meanwhile, I will work hard that no data regarding his existence leaks to the great clans, at least until the winter solstice."
He did not stop. He looked across the long row of faces, his voice ringing with confidence.
"The sole reason we structured this entire operation around Kath is because of her absolute loyalty, her dedication to the world, and her total professionalism. If she cannot successfully secure his trust, then it is mathematically impossible for anyone else to do so."
After saying that, the presenter finally smiled.
***
In a room, Agent 67 stood in front of the mirror looking at her face.
This agent 67 was absolutely loyal to the government as she looked at her reflection, specifically her hair. It was black, and so were her eyebrows.
In her sparkly blue eyes, a glint passed as she smirked.
'I look so good.'
Agent 67 was really dedicated to the world!
She turned around with total professional balance and walked towards the table, picking up her silver emblem like a true hero.
Agent 67 walked towards the door, ready to face the dangers of the mission, but she just had to check one last time. Before stepping out, she went back to the mirror.
The sparkle from her blue eyes instantly disappeared as she could not believe what she was seeing!
'Why the fuck do I look ugly now?'
In reality, absolutely nothing had changed.
Still, this agent 67 had a really strong work ethic! She slapped her cheeks, blinked her eyes to force the sparkle back in, and gave herself a firm nod.
'Yes!'
***
Yes.
I have decided I won't run away now. The world needs me.
I kept repeating those heroic words as I locked my front door and marched toward the government building. I was finally ready to do exactly what humanity needed most.
I looked down at the silver emblem in my hand and gave a sharp nod.
Today, I am handing in my immediate... RESIGNATION! FUCK THE GOVERNMENT!
I had been working like a donkey for all these years just for this exact moment. I had saved enough cash to survive the rest of my life, so my plan was simple: retire, move somewhere far away, and just chill out in total peace.
I absolutely hated the government. They just threw me into three brutal missions back-to-back, and let me tell you, that is exactly why you should never be good at anything.
Imagine being as talented, as sharp, and as amazing as me. They will just use you until your brain melts!
That is why I had to fight back. No matter what they said, I was going to quit today.
I finally stepped inside the massive facility, making sure my game face was completely locked in. From the outside, I probably looked incredibly scary.
Wait... Who did I look like?
Yes! That cold, heartless soul reaper, Jet. I must have looked just as badass as her, Hahahehehuhu.
As I marched toward the front desk to get rid of my sweet, sweet resignation letter, I saw him. My eternal enemy.
He slowly walked up to me with a wicked smirk. He was in his late twenties, and he stopped right in front of my face.
"Agent 67, how are you doing?"
I was doing fantastic until you showed up, motherfucker. Yes, my mind was made up. If I was going to leave today, I was going to drop every single curse word I knew on him.
I opened my mouth, ready to completely destroy his mood.
You are the pineapple on my pizza, The 5MBPS wifi, the stubbed toe on the bed frame in the dark. You are a chaotic, uninvited disaster that ruins a perfectly good day, and honestly, everything would be so much better if you just stayed away.
Ugh, I wish I could actually say that to his face.
"I am doing wonderful, Senior."
No, I am not. Please get the fuck out of my way.
This guy's name was pita... And I actually made an acronym for it.
PAIN IN THE ASS.
Ahem, Back to the topic.
He was the mastermind who planned all the operations and handled the intelligence of this facility. He was also my living nightmare, constantly pushing me from one deadly mission right into another.
"With that flat face and tone, one might think you are cursing me out in your head."
Did I mention he also had terrifyingly sharp intuition?
"If you already know how I am feeling, you should respectfully fuck off."
And this is where my cat-level poker face came in. My voice and face could turn so robotic and dead that I could say literally anything I wanted without sounding toxic.
"Woah, if you say that to anyone else, they might actually think you have feelings."
Seriously, did I tell you just how much I hated this guy?
"Well, anyway. The reason I came over is to give you a thumbs up. You have an urgent mission starting three days from now."
...
Excuse me?
"There is no changing it. The higher-ups already agreed, and your name has already been circulated among the officials."
WAIT WAIT WAIT WAIT WAI-
"This time, your identity is a nurse with light brown hair. I will let you decide what personality you want to use. Just be careful... The target is highly intelligent. Your name for this mission is Kath, You will be provided the agenda and minutes of the meeting that took place."
...
I am so so so so fucked.
I am so fucked that I am screaming in lowercase.
Aaaaah!
They had already passed my name around and settled the whole plan without me even knowing. What was I supposed to do now? If I threw my resignation paper at him, they wouldn't even care.
I noticed pain in the ass trying to take a sip of his hot coffee while talking to me.
"I am resigning."
The moment the words left my mouth, the cup in his hand began to shake violently. He let out a loud cough, spilling hot coffee everywhere. A massive splash hit me straight in the face, burning my skin.
...
Oh, Yeah.
Kyahhhhhh.
I wondered... if I actually had feelings, would I be incredibly angry right now?
Well, whatever!
Pita looked at my burned face, quickly called for a healer, and pinched the bridge of his nose.
"What do you mean, resignation? Did the back-to-back missions finally break you? If that is the case, I will get you a long vacation right after this task is done. I will also make sure you get a massive bonus."
I am not hearing you out, Pain in the ass!
"No. I want to resign, no matter what."
The healer rushed over and began casting magic, instantly erasing the burn marks from my skin.
Hey! I wanted to look like a battle-scarred warrior like Maki Cha- um... San! Yes that's right. Why would you heal it all away?
Pita went completely silent for a long time before letting out a heavy sigh.
"Alright, I understand. I guess we have depended on you way too much."
Woah, this guy actually had a brain. He might not be as bad as I th-
"Once this mission is over, you will get a two-month break between every single assignment. Your meals will be completely paid for by the government, and you will get a big promotion where you can just sit in a comfy chair for most of the day."
This one is on me, I mistakenly thought pain in the ass was actually a stomachache.
***
Now I sat here defeated on a couch, my shoulders pressed against the wall, feeling half dead.
I just came out of a meeting with the officials. Turns out, it is much harder to yell "FUCK THE GOVERNMENT" when fifty people in expensive suits are staring right into your soul.
I couldn't even gather enough courage to whisper that I wanted to quit. Instead, I just stood there nodding at everything they said.
The officials spent two hours warning me about the extreme risks of this mission and what I absolutely must achieve. To make sure I didn't forget, they handed me a thick packet containing the official agenda and minutes of the meeting.
Let's read it.
...
Hmmm, I see. I don't understand a single thing. It looks like a bunch of alphabet soup mixed with political garbage.
But I will try to think of it in a way that my poor, melting brain can actually understand. So basically, what happened in that room was...
YAP YAP YAP YAP YAP.
For two straight hours, the lead director just opened his mouth and let a waterfall of absolute nonsense pour out. He used words like "synergy" and "moving forward" and "dynamic execution" so many times that I think my left ear started bleeding.
Everyone else in the room was nodding along like those little bobblehead dolls you put on a car dashboard, pretending they knew what was happening.
Meanwhile, my brain was just playing a video of a monkey hitting a drum over and over again.
Basically, the whole packet can be summarized in five simple words: Go do the dangerous thing.
I let out a long sigh and dropped the papers onto the floor.
"Kath, A beautiful, professional, light-brown-haired nurse."
I reached into my pocket, pulled out a small pocket mirror, and looked at my reflection.
"Excuse me, sir, it is time for your medicine,"
Then, my face instantly went completely blank, dropping back into my classic cat-level poker face.
"Drink the liquid or perish, target."
Yeah, I am completely doomed. If this highly intelligent target has even two working brain cells, he is going to realize within five seconds that his new nurse has the bedside manner of a brick wall and a deep desire to rob the government and retire to a beach.
But hey, at least the meals are free.
***
I am currently in an ambulance heading to the academy and Kiyotaka has already become unconscious in the academy.
I looked towards myself in the mirror
The dye didn't look too bad. There wasn't any excess paint near my ears or neck, and it was dyed all the way to the roots. Even my eyebrows had been dyed light brown. Guess I was really committing to this look.
Honestly, I might have taken the light brown eyeballs of Pita just for total camouflage.
As I was deep in thought, my eyes drifted to the right. The ambulance stopped for a moment, and two other people climbed inside.
One of them was a nurse with sharp features who was slightly smaller than me. The name on her badge read Mint.
The other looked to be in his early thirties with neatly combed black hair. The name on his badge read Crodie.
Before I could even question them, Mint jumped the gun.
"I just wanted to say that I am really inspired by your work and your documentary! You wrote about the missions in so much detail while making sure everyone gets their share fairly. I always wanted to meet you!"
Oh, haha, I am not that special.
If I could actually smile without using my aspect, I would have chosen a ridiculous Shin-chan smile right now.
Instead, I replied, and ugh, why is my voice always so monotonous?
"It is a pleasure that my work was able to inspire you. I hope we do so well in this mission that there will not be a need for you to check the documents."
Mint just nodded her head continuously at my reply. She was exactly like an excited dog.
"Hello, Ma'am, Like Miss Mint, I was really impressed by how much you achieved despite having so little time within the government."
Hey. Was that a backhanded compliment? Were you trying to say you should have gotten a promotion instead of me?
Just for that, I am holding a grudge against you forever.
I gave him a nod.
"Mint, can you give me some feedback on something? It's just the personality I have chosen."
Within a second, I could practically see sparkling butterflies shooting out of Mint's eyes. It was already a famous rumor around the office that I could decide exactly what personality to use for a mission in a single second.
I closed my eyes and covered my face with my hands, activating my first aspect ability to build my next persona.
Aspect Ability: [Mockingbird]
Description: [Your reflection sings with human warmth.]
Instantly, the switch flipped.
In the blink of an eye, my monotonous vibe vanished into thin air. I let out a gentle breath. A perfectly crafted bright smile stretched across my face.
I dropped my hands, instantly tying my hair into a high, energetic ponytail while letting a few cute strands frame my face. I opened my eyes, and they were wide, sparkling, and overflowing with joy.
"Hello, Mint and Crodie-san! I hope that we get along nicely!"
Uh... I just remembered san is actually an anime term, God I have been watching way too much of it.
***
"Uh... Kath-san, we have reached the academy. Are you ready?"
No, I am completely dying of second-hand embarrassment. Just because I made the mistake of using honorifics earlier does not mean you have to copy me. Mint, you are dangerously close to joining my eternal grudge list alongside Crodie.
Anyway, I needed to figure out the exact body language for this bubbly persona.
Hmmmmmm, Yes this is it.
I started rolling my fist in an enthusiastic circle, forcing a spark of heroic determination into my eyes.
"This nurse is about to make history. Let's do our absolute best, seniors!"
With that performance out of the way, we entered the building and conquered the stairs. I silently swore to curse Daniel for this unexpected physical workout later today.
We finally arrived at the medical wing. Crodie and Mint paused near the doorway, stepping back to let me lead the way since the government put me in charge of this critical mission.
Naturally, I stayed rooted to the spot and waved them inside first.
The real main character always enters a room last to build maximum dramatic tension. These guys are total amateurs.
Once they stepped ahead, I made my flawless, grand entrance. Keeping an a angelic smile plastered on my face, I finally turned my attention to our highly dangerous target, Kiyotaka.
...
..
.
The moment my eyes landed on him, my entire reality shattered. My legs went weak, and my internal survival instincts literally ordered me to drop to my knees and bow down in pure worship.
This had to be a mistake.
The government data was completely wrong.
This guy was terrifyingly beautiful.
Are we completely certain he is not some secret, god-like sovereign? His facial structure alone is an active hazard to my self-esteem. I am pretty sure that if I threw a wig on his head, he would easily look prettier than me on my best day.
If Pita is a pizza disaster, this guy is the absolute best part, a double layer of extra cheese. He is the miracle of high-speed, eighty megabits per second wifi, and the ultimate comforting dream after a brutal day. He is a beautiful, deeply appreciated gift to humanity.
Alright, I need to get a grip and stop aggressively simping. I am a professional agent on a high-stakes assignment, so it is time to begin the evaluation.
I forced my mind back on track and started carefully checking his features against the top-secret document in my hands.
***
The evaluation was over, and Kiyotaka walked out of the room.
The door clicked shut, cutting off the background noise of the academy. The only sound left was the steady creaking of the ceiling fan overhead.
My fingers twitched against my uniform.
He failed. The data explicitly stated that failure was mathematically impossible if the psychological profile was accurate. Pita was wrong. The man who mapped out every major operation had completely misread the target.
I glanced toward Crodie and Mint. They just stood there with long faces, staring blankly down at their clipboards in total disappointment. All that careful preparation had just gone entirely down the drain.
Mint's jaw tightened, her lips parting to complain about the massive setback.
Before she could form a syllable, my hand cut through the air. I pressed my index finger hard against my lips, tilting my head with a sharp, exaggerated wink and a smile.
Mint froze, her mouth snapping shut.
Pita warned us to look out for a hidden shadow watching this academy. But the heavy sensation of being watched vanished the exact moment the door closed behind Kiyotaka.
The threat wasn't lurking in the corners of this room anymore because it had just walked out the door with him.
A shadow shouldn't be able to pass the test anyway.
The bubbly, high-energy posture drained from my body. My spine straightened, and the sweet expression dropped away to reveal a emotionless mask. The casual warmth left my voice.
"Mint and Crodie, your operation is over. You are no longer required here. As the one in charge, I command you to go back immediately without asking any questions."
Pita, you absolute son of a bitch. This is not an easy mission at all.
***
I went down the stairs, cursing Daniel with every step, and took a USB from the counter before exiting the academy. It was exactly 13:00.
According to Pita, this failure triggered a backup plan. I had a flat assigned just a few blocks away where I was required to stay until the winter solstice, working as a nurse to win Kiyotaka's trust.
I walked for a while until I found the building. I stopped right outside, my eyes widening instantly.
Suddenly, I bolted.
I burst through the front door. The entrance hallway blurred past as I ran at a full sprint. I rounded the corner into the living room.
Rooms flashed past in a blur, a kitchen counter, a stray chair, a blank wall, all left behind as I accelerated down the narrow passage.
I slammed through the final doorway, aiming straight for the mattress in the center of the dark bedroom.
I launched myself off the floor, landing face-first on the bed. In one fluid motion, I grabbed the heavy blanket and pulled it entirely over my head.
Safe.
"Tomorrow's problems belong to tomorrow's me."
I followed a philosophy, If something is working don't fix it.
***
"Ummmm."
I woke up and looked toward the clock. It was 18:00. I needed to study the content inside the USB, so I guess it was about time to take this mission a little seriously.
18:02.
Sadly, because two minutes had slipped away, my perfect working schedule was completely ruined. I had no choice but to postpone it to 18:30.
...
18:31.
No, it was impossible. It had to be delayed to 19:00, which was just a universal rule of life.
19:05.
19:32.
20:08.
I will definitely study the USB at 20:30, for sureeee-
Ring. Ring. Ring. Ring.
My keypad phone began to vibrate. In reality, I also had a smartphone, but I wasn't allowed to keep it during missions because Pita was worried I would read manga the entire day.
I would never. I am an independent woman with a strong work ethic.
I looked at the small screen. Pita was calling, so I picked it up.
"I heard he failed the test... AND YOU FUCKING SENT THE SUPPORT BACK?"
Geez. Why was he screaming? He needed to learn how to relax, or he was going to ruin his already ruined face.
"Is that what you thought I was going to say? Give me the report already."
I felt a sudden, powerful urge to throw the phone against the wall and go back to sleep.
"Don't even think of throwing it, It is a Nokia, so the wall will break before the phone does."
For fuck's sake. I really hated hearing his voice, leaving me with no choice but to reply.
"Hmmm. So the target... he didn't just pass the test, he also deployed a trap to keep me here."
Over the next few minutes, I wasted my precious time explaining the whole painful situation to him.
The reason the target got caught was actually rather simple, mostly because my second Aspect Ability was a bit weird.
Aspect Ability: [Blank Canvas]
Aspect Ability Description: [Your expression is the paint for this canvas.]
This ability allowed me to make a target feel whatever expression I held, provided I was touching a part of their body. But there was a catch. The expression had to remain perfectly smooth without a single change. If it shifted even for a fraction of a second, the canvas reset, the target became normal again, and the link broke instantly.
When the test was taking place, I purposely let my smile falter to see how he would react. And would you look at that, his emotions didn't vanish for a single second. He even grabbed my hand back. Was it a mistake, or just pure overconfidence?
Find out in the next episode of Epik Kath advent-
"Kath, there's actually something I didn't tell you before because I didn't have enough evidence."
Man. I had prepared such a good cliffhanger.
Still, it made sense for him to hold back unverified rumors. Stuff like that just got comrades killed. But there was another thing I hated about Pita, I could practically hear him trying not to laugh through the receiver. He was a freak.
"Jet actually had reported about his Flaw being related to emotions, but I didn't entertain that idea for long because it was just words. I needed evidence, but after studying his fight against Caster and what you just reported, I have a pretty good grasp of his Flaw now."
Why would you not listen to a badass woman named Jet? I would practically trust her with my life.
"It is indeed emotion-related, with their own way of thinking which stays until the moment it was activated for ends. If the way you say he flirted was correct, the only logical thing I can think of is that he was manipulating you. If anything, pinning you down to the floor and trying to get physical would have been the actual result."
Excuse me? I am an independent woman. You do not get to laugh while talking about me being pinned to the ground. This is exactly why you have declining hairline.
Though I can already imagine what else he is gonna say, I would do the same.
"Yes, he indeed wants you there for reasons currently unknown to me. I will need some peace and a cup of tea alone to figure out what he wants. Hah. If I had known it was gonna turn out like this, I would have gone by myself. Been a while since I played chess with someone."
...
..
.
Go ahead and drink your tea. Let the pro (me) handle this situation lilbro. I am an professional rage baiter for a reason.
"This mission has taken an unexpected turn, I would advise you to abort it if anything else happens."
I stood up, inserted the USB into the TV slot, and walked back to the bed. The footage of everything he had done within the Academy immediately filled the screen.
Seven days of footage. Hmmm. The current time was 20:15. I will absolutely start watching it at 21:00, for real this time.
"Alright, I have made a plan. He wishes to trap us, so we are gonna use it. I will be sending Jet to the academy by telling her that he failed the test. She is a smart woman, she would realize that he purposely failed but wouldn't realize that we lied. That will convince him that we bit the bait."
I am sorry, my idol, for PAIN IN THE ASS using you, but your suspicion will look genuine to him because she actually thinks we got fooled. It is a solid double-bluff. Kiyotaka will analyze her reactions, conclude that we think we have the upper hand, and step deeper into the web.
"I want you to take tomorrow off to make him unconsciously think that Jet coming and you taking a day off is a desperate attempt for him to realize that what happened today was actually a test."
Gasp. Tomorrow off? O captain, my captain.
I had tomorrow off. It was clearly fated. Since the pieces were already moving exactly where they needed to go, there was absolutely no reason for me to stress myself out tonight.
Jet would play her part perfectly without even knowing it, and Kiyotaka would play right into our hands while trying to play into theirs. My work was essentially done for the next twenty-four hours.
I would just study the footage tomorrow and sleep for the rest of today.
"I will call you soon to give the rest of the instructions. Now, don't think that if you have a day off you can postpone watching the foota-"
I looked down at the phone.
I lifted my finger.
I pressed the red button.
The line cut to silence.
I lay back down on the mattress, pulling the blanket back over my shoulders, and closed my eyes.
Tomorrow's problems belonged entirely to tomorrow's me.
*******
Alright, with this, Kath's and Pita's introductory chapters end.
Did you like these two characters?
We have only two chapters left before Volume 2 starts. Trust me, they will come fast!
That's it.
Peace.