Seventh Agent (Tantei High)

Four

Akemi.

Palm sweating; heartbeats goes faster. She got away. I was so close on catching her but in just a swift movement she got away. I can't believe this. I can't even call myself strong now, bakit ko siya pinakawalan? Was I too happy that I have found her and hindi ko nakita yung sako?

Yumuko ako, paano ko sasabihin sa kanila na muntik ko ng mahuli yung babae but she got away? Syempre, mataas ang expectations nila sa akin. I'm their President's princess. Habang nag-iisip ako someone whistled, that urged me to look up.

I smiled, sabi ko na nga ba. They are really invincible. "So, Akemi. Saan natin dadalhin ang binibini?" tanong ni Reiji na kasalukuyang hawak-hawak yung babae. She can't get out Reiji's strong muscles. Nakita ko ring hawak-hawak ni Akane yung sako. At pinaghahalungkat yung laman nito.

"Ito yung mga weapons ng Tech. Department! Haha, you are really the culprit!" Akane stated. Nilabas niya yung mga weapons at doon sa isang lalagyan yung mga sushi at iba pang pagkain. "Akala ko nung una si Ken yung kumuha ng cupcakes ko, ikaw lang pala"

"I told you, hindi ko kinain cupcakes mo!" sabi ni Ken at hindi na pinahaba ni Akane yung argument at nag-peace sign nalang. Kasi, Hiro's staring at them badly.

"Patay ako kay boss" she mumbled, pero syempre si Akane narinig niya iyon at pinaalam gamit yung inner voices namin. Wrong move, darling. Lumapit ako sa kanya, "Sino yung boss mo?"

"Huh, anong boss. I-I didn't say anything about any boss!" she said.

Heartbeats are going faster and faster. She's lying.

Again, wrong move. Hindi siya makakapagsinungaling. Riye, with the accompany of her sixth sense, can tell if she's lying or not. Parang living lie detector. "What's your name?" tanong ni Hiro at nanaliksik pa yung mata.

"Bakit ko naman sasabihin sa inyo! Hindi ko naman kayo kilala!" she stated and now I'm feeling a pint of confidence. Ngayon naka-focus na ako sa mga galaw na gagawin niya. Then I saw her hands creeping through her pocket.

"She's got a knife! Reiji!" agad-agad ni-lock ni Reiji yung kamay nito sa likod niya para hindi niya magalaw at napa-tss nalang yung babae. "Again, I'm Akemi. Who are you and why do you steal stuffs?"

Napabuntong hininga ito and looked up, "I don't have a choice do I?"

"Yes you don't" sagot ni Ken at sumang-ayon si Akane. Well, first time!

"I'm Lurixia Adams, the best sniper of the Golden Mafia. We're an underground society that solds illegal weapons, guns and other technologies, mainly drugs. I was assigned to find technologies from Scientist that are not yet out. But then, I stumbled upon your massive school" she stated at parang ina-absorb pa namin yung sinabi nila.

So, the hundrums may figure out Senshins? I was panicking when Hiro tapped my back. I looked at him and he gave me a comforting smile. God, nakatulong naman yun! Paano nalang kung ma-discover nila ang Tantei High? Are we doomed?

"Did you tell anyone?" Reiji asked.

"Are you insane? Sa Mafia magkakalaban ang mga snipers and the sniper who got the biggest catch gets the big prize. So far, wala akong pinagsabihan at wala akong pagsasabihan until i get all of your technology equipments! Now fool, let me go!"

Finally, the lump in my throat disappeared because of her statement. Hindi pa nila alam ang Tantei High, at dapat naming pa-secure itong babaeng ito. She's dangerous. One information about us we're doomed.

And I don't want another war, again. Ayaw ko ng mawalan ng mga mahal sa buhay.

"What's the big prize, by the way?" tanong ni Hiro.

"I won't tell you! Hindi ko naman kayo close, hmp" nagmamatigas pa rin siya ah? I'm so curious about that big prize, why was she so obssesed of the prize na kaya niyang pasukin ang isang lugar sa ilalim ng gubat?

"Is it drugs? More weapons that can make you powerful?" sabi ko.

Now, she's looking at me intensely. Ano? Diba yun naman ang gusto ng lahat? Ang maging mas powerful so you can do whatever you want?

"No, heartless bitch! Hindi ako ganoon! I'm not some famewhore! I just want my Dad to accept me as his daughter and not his freaking bad-ass sniper!"

I suddenly felt guilty. She only wants a father's love, at hindi ako makapaniwala sa Papa niya. Buti nga ako yung Papa ko he's the best. Nakakainis lang dahil meron palang taong ganun, yung taong hindi kayang ituring yung anak niya as his own. Such a disgrace.

Dinala na namin siya sa mga head teachers at sila ng bahala sa kanya. I hope he doesn't get death penalty, e-erase lang siguro yung part ng Tantei High sa mind nya. If I'm in that state siguro magagawa ko din yun, but in a legal way.

"Hey, are you okay?" tumingin naman ako sa tumabi sa akin sa bench, si Hiro. Umalis siya doon kung nasaan sila Riye, bakit?

"Uy, ano.. uh baka kailangan ka nila doon" sabi ko at tinuro sila. Ayaw kong sabihin siya ng problema at baka ma-stuck nanaman sa isip niya. But I know na mababasa rin niya yung isip ko kaya hindi ko inisip yung problema.

Hiro, wala kang mapapala sa isip ko! Pramis, wala akong problema! Ih, huwag mo ngang basahin! Privacyyyy! Hirooo yohooo no means no!

"Haha, stop. Hindi ko na babasahin" he said, aba! Nakadalawang tawa siya. That manly laugh na parang may konting crush ako sa- nope, wala akong sinabi. Joke lang yun. "So a little crush, ey?" again! Kala ko bang hindi na niya babasahin yung utak ko?

Yumuko nalang ako dahil sa kahihiyan. Parang nag-confess ako sa kanya through my mind. My god, nakakainis. "I will find a way to read your mind!" sabi ko at tumawa lang siya. He even pinched my nose.

"Okay I'll wait, cutie. But make sure you're ready"

--

Kumatok ako sa door ni Papa, akala ni Hiro hindi ako maghahanap ng way for me to read his mind? At alam kong hindi busy ang schedule ni Papa ngayon kasi tuwing Wednesdays ay-off niya but still he stays at his office to do some advance paperworks.

"Come in" sabi niya.

Kaya I obeyed his orders. Pumasok nga ako, then he looked up and smiled. "You're the best thing that happened today" Papa said. Ang sweet ng Papa ko, ano?

"Really, Dad? Ikaw naman po ang pinakagwapong nangyari sa araw ko" tumawa kaming dalawa sa pagbobolahang sinasabi namin. Then he said something that caught my eye.

"Weh, baka naman yung crush mo yung pinakagwapo na nangyari sa araw na ito?"

"Pa! Sino nagsabi sayo nyan?!"

Papatayin ko talaga si Hiro kapag sinabi niya kay Papa iyon. My god, little crush? Hindi nga eh!

"From a reliable source" he said. So talagang wala siyang planong sabihin sa akin kung sino nagsabi noon sa kanya? Pero, syempre si Hiro na yun. He's the only one who knows the crush thingy na hindi naman totoo.

"Halika Pa, I'll sue that man. Paninira ang sinasabi niya, walang pawang katotohanan" he chuckled at my statement.

"Sige, sue your own Dad"

"What? Why? How did you know?"

Hindi ako makapaniwala. Is my Father spying on us?

"Sweetie, you can't control your brain waves when you're emotional. So yeah, i kind of read it accidentally" he said.

Accidentally o sadya? I blushed prefusely, bakit ba yung dalawang lalaking iyon napapa-blush ako. Sinara ko na ng mabuti yung mind ko kasi ayaw ko ng may lumabas pang information about sa crush etcetera na yun.

"Dad, that's why I came here. I want a device for reading close minds" sabi ko.

Hindi na nila talaga ako mapipigilan. Kahit anong gawin nila, I want to read Hiro's mind kahit sabi nila Riye na it's like entering the hounds of hell. I want to learn all about Hiro and how he became like that.

"You have it. Just learn how to use it"

What?