Chapter: Yes or No
The room was darker than usual.
Only the large screen on the wall lit the faces of the team with a pale blue glow.
Everyone was seated.
No one was talking.
On the screen, a single file blinked repeatedly.
MISSION REQUEST:
Threat Level – High
Name – Death Blower
Status – Active in city perimeter
Government Support – Available
Payment – Classified
Below it…
Two options:
[ YES ] [ NO ]
Ayu stood in front of the screen with his arms folded.
He hadn't pressed anything yet.
Shadow sat forward, elbows on knees, eyes fixed on the screen.
Kaito kept tapping his foot on the floor impatiently.
Miko's hands were clasped together tightly.
Milosevic was reading every line of the file again and again.
Yoi leaned back in his chair, staring at the ceiling.
Silence stretched in the room.
Finally, Kaito spoke.
"So… we just press yes and go, right?"
Ayu didn't answer.
Milosevic broke the silence next. "Death Blower has destroyed three blocks in two days. No pattern. No warnings. Pure destruction."
Yoi sighed. "Sounds simple enough. We stop him."
Ayu finally spoke.
"Nothing about this is simple."
They all looked at him.
Ayu walked closer to the screen.
"This is the first mission where the government didn't ask for heroes."
He pointed at the file.
"They requested us specifically."
That made the room even quieter.
Miko asked softly, "Is that bad?"
"It means they don't understand the threat," Ayu replied.
Shadow's eyes sharpened. "Or they do… and they don't want others involved."
Ayu gave a slight nod.
Kaito frowned. "Why are we thinking so much? People are getting hurt."
Ayu turned to him.
"This button is not a button to fight."
He pointed at the glowing YES.
"It is a button that decides whether we are ready to carry the consequences."
Kaito went silent.
Yoi finally leaned forward. "You think we're not ready?"
Ayu didn't respond immediately.
Instead, he asked, "What happens if we lose?"
No one answered.
Ayu continued.
"What happens if we win… but the city is destroyed anyway?"
Miko looked down.
Milosevic spoke carefully. "Then this mission is not about victory. It's about damage control."
Ayu looked at him. "Good."
Shadow asked quietly, "What's his ability?"
Ayu replied, "Unknown. But based on reports… he likes fear. Loud environments. Public areas."
Yoi smirked. "So he enjoys people panicking."
Ayu nodded.
The screen blinked again.
[ YES ] [ NO ]
Kaito stood up. "If we sit here longer, more people get hurt."
Ayu looked at each of them one by one.
Shadow — focused.
Kaito — impatient.
Miko — worried.
Milosevic — thinking.
Yoi — ready.
Ayu exhaled slowly.
"This is your first real decision as a team."
He stepped aside from the screen.
"I will not press it."
They were surprised.
Shadow stood up first.
He walked to the screen.
He didn't press anything yet.
He looked back at the team.
"We joined to do this, didn't we?"
Kaito came and stood beside him.
"Yeah."
Miko slowly walked forward too.
Milosevic followed.
Yoi stood last, cracking his neck slightly.
Shadow looked at Ayu.
Ayu gave a small nod.
Shadow turned back to the screen.
And pressed—
[ YES ]
The screen changed immediately.
MISSION ACCEPTED.
LOCATION UPLOADING…
Ayu spoke calmly.
"Get ready. We move in five minutes."
The room no longer felt quiet.
It felt heavy.
Because for the first time…
They didn't choose to be heroes.
They chose to accept a mission that could break them.