Rin stood at the window watching workers do final checks on equipnt around the portal. The thing pulsed like a heart, purple light washing over everything in rhythmic waves.
His phone buzzed.
Leo: you good up there?
Rin: yeah view’s insane
Leo: don’t get too close to the glass when we breach. shit gets loud
Rin: noted
He pocketed his phone and decided to explore a bit. The observation deck was huge, stretching maybe two hundred feet with multiple viewing angles. Most people clustered near the center window but there were quieter spots along the sides.
That’s when he spotted her.
Pink hair, not dyed pink but like actual ani pink. She sat on one of the benches away from the crowds, sucking on a lollipop while scrolling through her phone.
’Two years since I talked to a girl.’
Before he could talk himself out of it, he walked over.
"Hey, mind if I sit?"
She looked up and pulled the lollipop out of her mouth. "Go ahead."
He sat down, leaving a respectful distance between them. Up close she was probably his age, maybe younger. Her eyes had this weird quality where they seed to shift between blue and purple depending on the light.
"First ti watching a raid?" he asked.
"Yeah. Just awakened last week actually." She gestured at the portal. "Figured I should see how the pros do it before I try a dungeon myself."
"Smart. What’s your ability?... Never mind, that’s rude to ask."
"Its ok. I have emotion manipulation. I can make people feel things, happy, sad, whatever." She twirled the lollipop. "Sounds la compared to other powers but apparently it’s pretty useful for crowd control."
"That’s not la, that’s terrifying. You could literally make soone suicidal."
"I an, yeah, but that would be fucked up."
"Obviously. I’m just saying, power-wise that’s nuts."
She smiled a bit. "Thanks. Most people just ask if I can make them horny."
"Jesus."
"Right? Like that’s the first place their minds go." She stuck the lollipop back in her mouth. "What about you? What’d you awaken with?"
"Nothing, still normal."
"Oh." Her expression shifted to sothing like pity. "That sucks."
"It is what it is. I’m just here to watch my friend fight."
"Your friend’s a Hunter? What rank?"
"B-rank. Lightning type."
"Wait, lightning?" She sat up straighter. "What’s his na?"
"Leo Penzerio."
Her whole deanor changed instantly. The casual energy vanished, replaced with this intense focus. "You know Leo? Like personally?"
’Oh no.’
"Yeah, we’ve been friends since college."
"Oh my god, what’s he like? Is he nice? He seems nice in interviews but you can never tell with edited footage." The words tumbled out fast. "Does he have a girlfriend? Not that it matters, I’m just curious, like casually curious."
"He’s single."
"Really?" Her eyes literally sparkled. "That’s crazy. Soone like him, single? That doesn’t make sense."
He watched her fidget with her phone, pulling up what was definitely Leo’s Hunter profile. Sure enough, there was his friend looking all heroic with lightning crackling around him.
’Oh boy. She’s one of those huh.’
"How do you even beco friends with soone that strong?" She leaned forward. "Like did he help you out or sothing? Save your life?"
"We were roommates in college. Before the fracture event."
"Wait, so you knew him before he was famous?"
’Is she even listening?’
"He wasn’t famous. He was just so dude who ate ran for every al and watched too much ani."
"That’s so cool though. You’re like childhood friends with a top 100 Hunter in the country." She twirled her hair around her finger. "Do you think you could introduce ? Just like casually, nothing weird. I just want to et him."
"He’s about to fight monsters."
"After! After the raid. You could just be like ’hey Leo, this is my friend’ and I could be there."
He looked at her. The pink hair, the lollipop, the way she was practically vibrating with excitent about Leo. This was going to be his life now? His best friend was famous and girls were going to use him for clout.
"What’s your na?" he asked.
"Joy. Joy Castellanos."
"Joy, I’m going to be real with you. If you’re trying to get close to just to et Leo, you can just say that. Don’t waste both our ti."
Her face went red. "I wasn’t, I an, I didn’t, that’s not why I..."
"It’s fine. Everyone wants to et famous people. I get it."
"No, seriously." She pulled the lollipop out again, fiddling with it. "I was actually having a nice conversation before I found out about Leo. You seed normal, like actually normal. Most awakened people are so full of themselves."
"I’m not awakened though."
"Exactly. You’re just so guy. It’s refreshing." She paused. "That sounded bad. I ant it as a complint."
"Being ’just so guy’ is a complint now?"
"In this world? Yeah." She gestured at the other people on the observation deck. "Half these people are Hunter groupies. The other half are family mbers who treat their Hunter relatives like gods. You’re just here watching your friend do his job."
"And trying to get introduced to him."
"Okay yes, I would very much like to et him." She grinned. "But I was genuinely interested in talking to you first. The Leo thing was a bonus."
"A bonus you jumped on imdiately."
"Can you bla ? He’s hot and powerful and has lightning powers. That’s like every girl’s fantasy."
"Every girl’s fantasy is electric shock?"
"Shut up, you know what I an."
Rin found himself smiling despite the situation. She was at least honest about it, which was more than most people would be.
"Tell you what," he said. "If the raid goes well and Leo’s not too tired after, I’ll introduce you. But you have to actually have a conversation with him like a normal person, not a fangirl."
"I can do that."
"No asking for autographs."
"Fine."
"No asking to touch his lightning."
"That’s a real thing people ask?"
"You’d be surprised what people could ask."
Joy laughed and stuck the lollipop back in her mouth. "Deal. Normal conversation only."
A loud alarm blared through the observation deck. Red lights spun along the walls and everyone moved to the windows.
"Breach in thirty seconds!" soone announced over the intercom.
Rin stood, moving to the center window. Joy followed, standing next to him.
Below, the portal pulsed faster. Hunters took positions around it. Leo stood with Jin and Kelvin at the front. Even from up here, Rin could see electricity dancing across Leo’s arms.
"Your friend looks ready," Joy said quietly.
"He better be."
The portal opened.
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