Daily Meme
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The TV landed on some late-night talk show. A news ticker scrolled across the bottom, mentioning an incident from earlier in the week. Another villain attack. Another city block wrecked. Another mess the heroes had to clean up.
Mom sighed, fingers pausing on my head for a moment before resuming. "Be careful out there, Ryuu."
"I always am."
She gave me a look.
I sighed. "Okay, I sometimes am."
Her fingers lightly flicked my forehead. "Try harder."
The news segment shifted to something about Mirko, showing a clip of her taking down some idiot who thought robbing a bank near her agency -read Ryukyu's agency- was a good idea.
Mom shook her head. "I don't know how you keep up with her."
"I don't. I just survive."
Her lips twitched. "Well, that's something, at least."
We sat in silence for a bit, the only sound coming from the TV. Mom's hand never left my hair, moving in slow, steady motions that made it real tempting to just pass out right there.
But my phone buzzed.
I groaned, dragging it out of my pocket. Mirko's name flashed across the screen.
Mom glanced at it. "Speak of the devil."
I answered. "You are interrupting quality time, rabbit."
Mirko laughed through the receiver. "Sneaked into a girl's room? Damn, you growing up on me, brat?"
I scoffed. "I will let you know, I am my mommy's good boy, and I save my first time for marriage."
That set her off. "Oh, you are with your mom then, haha!"
Mom glanced at me, unimpressed. "Do I even want to know?"
I shrugged. "Mirko thinks I am sneaking into girls' rooms."
She rolled her eyes. "Of course, she does."
Mirko's voice came back through the speaker. "Tell her I said hi! And that she should've raised you with more shame."
Mom chuckled as she clearly heard. "Tell her it is too late for that."
I sighed, switching the phone to speaker. "You two wanna talk shit to each other directly, or should I mediate this long-distance roast session?"
Mirko didn't hesitate. "Inko, your kid is a menace."
"Tell me something I don't know," Mom said, stirring her tea. "Are you feeding him properly?"
"He eats like a damn vacuum. Pretty sure he stole my lunches last time."
Mom hummed. "Sounds like him."
I groaned. "Wow. Love the faith, guys."
Mirko laughed. "Aww, don't be salty, brat. Just means we care."
"Yeah, yeah," I muttered, taking a sip of my drink. "Anyway, what do you want?"
"Just checking in, seeing if you are ready for round two at my agency. You know, now that you are licensed to cause even more problems."
"I don't cause problems."
Mom and Mirko both responded at the same time.
"Yes, you do."
I squinted. "That was rehearsed."
"Been dealing with your bullshit long enough to sync up," Mirko shot back.
I blinked. "Wait, wait, wait. Since when do you two know each other?"
Mom didn't even look up. "I called her after the Stain incident. Thought it would be good to talk to someone who understood what it is like raising a problem child."
Mirko snorted through the speaker. "Didn't take long for us to figure out we had a shared support group. About a gremlin."
I pointed at my chest. "I am not a gremlin."
They answered in perfect sync.
"Yes, you are."
I sighed. "Okay, you definitely rehearse this crap."
Mom sipped her tea. "It is comforting, having someone else with a high-impact child."
Mirko added, "High-impact like a concussion. Love the little shit though."
"Your love is violent," I muttered.
"Welcome to family," Mirko said. "So? You coming back or what?"
"Do I have a choice?"
"Nope."
Mom shook her head. "You walked right into that one."
I sighed. "Fine. But if I get arrested, it is on you."
Mirko cackled. "Deal. See ya soon, brat."
The call ended, and I dropped my phone onto the table. Mom smirked. "She really likes you."
I groaned. "She really likes bullying me."
"Same thing," Mom said, ruffling my hair before standing. "Go to bed, Ryuu. You are gonna need the rest."
"Yeah, yeah."
I sprawled out on the couch, staring at the ceiling. Internship round two, huh?
Guess I would see how bad this one got.
Next morning, I hugged Mom before heading out. She didn't say anything, just squeezed a little tighter before letting go.
"Don't do anything stupid," she muttered.
I grinned. "Can't make promises."
She sighed. "At least try."
The train ride was quiet. Too early for the usual rush, just a few half-asleep commuters and some old guy glaring at his phone. I leaned back, watching the city roll by.
When I finally reached the agency, I pushed the doors open and stepped in like I owned the place.
"I'M BACK, BITCHES!"
Dead silence.
Three different doors swung open at the same time.
Mirko stomped in from the left, already grinning like she had been waiting for this.
Ryukyu emerged from the right, arms crossed, looking exactly like someone who was already regretting my existence.
Nejire popped in from behind, excited as ever. "RYUUUUU!"
The other sidekicks, whose names I absolutely didn't remember, just stared.
Mirko smirked. "Look who crawled back."
Ryukyu sighed. "It is too early for this."
Nejire practically tackled me. "I missed you, little bro!"
I groaned. "You saw me yesterday."
"Yeah, but that was in a school setting. Now we are in a work setting! Totally different!"
Mirko nodded. "She got a point."
I shoved Nejire off before she could choke me out with enthusiasm. "So, what is the plan? We throwing me straight into the fire, or are we pretending there is some kind of training process first?"
Ryukyu answered before Mirko could. "You are shadowing for the first few days. No engaging. No fighting. No causing problems."
Mirko snorted. "Yeah, like that is happening."
Ryukyu shot her a look. "You are not helping."
"I am not trying to."
Nejire grabbed my wrist. "C'mon, let's go meet everyone!"
I let her drag me, glancing over my shoulder at Mirko. "You gonna dropkick me today, or are we building up to that?"
She grinned. "Oh, don't worry. I am pacing myself."
Nejire led me to the main office, where more sidekicks were scattered around. Some at desks, some checking their gear. One guy looked up, then immediately looked away, like he didn't want to acknowledge I existed.
I leaned toward Nejire. "Do these people even like me?"
She giggled. "You did kinda traumatize some of them last time."
I blinked. "What did I do?"
A guy at the back muttered, "You made a meme about our boss."
I thought for a second. "Which one?"
"Both."
Nejire hummed. "Oh yeah, the 'Mirko, CEO of Violence' one was pretty funny." (Check here)
Mirko, who had clearly been eavesdropping, grinned. "Damn right it was."
Ryukyu sighed. "We're supposed to be professionals."
Nejire clapped her hands. "Alright! Let's go on patrol!"
Ryukyu shot me a warning look. "You do not engage."
I nodded. "I hear you."
Mirko smirked. "He hears you. That is it."
Ryukyu muttered something under her breath but didn't push it.
We headed out, hitting the streets. Mirko, Nejire, and I in one group, Ryukyu and some of her sidekicks in another. The usual routine... walk, observe, make sure idiots weren't setting things on fire.
Nejire hovered slightly, scanning the area. "So, Ryuu, how is it feel being a legal hero now?"
I stretched. "Less running from cops."
Mirko chuckled. "Keyword... less."
Halfway through patrol, Mirko suddenly stopped. Her ears twitched.
I knew that look.
I grinned. "Oh, we are about to do something fun, aren't we?"
Nejire perked up. "Ooo, are we chasing someone?"
Mirko cracked her knuckles. "Depends. You feel like running today?"
I already took off. "Always."
Nejire squealed. "Wait for me!"
Ryukyu was going to kill us.
Mirko bolted past us both, moving like a goddamn missile. "Keep up, brats!"
In our minds, Ryukyu's voice rang out. "Don't you dare..."
We dared.
The chase led us through the market district, weaving between civilians, vaulting over railings, dodging street vendors who definitely did not sign up for this. Their poor cabbage guy. The target? A guy in a ski mask sprinting with a bag over his shoulder. Probably a thief. Maybe something worse.
"Mirko, you got eyes on him?" I called.
"Please," she scoffed. "I am about to be up his ass in three seconds."
Nejire zipped forward, spiraling through the air. "Ooo, can I do the takedown?"
Mirko cackled. "Not if I get there first!"
The guy looked back, eyes widening when he realized three lunatics were gunning straight for him. He skidded into an alley, knocking over trash cans to slow us down.
Nejire laughed. "Oh nooo, trash! Whatever will we do?" She flipped over it effortlessly.
I just jumped through. "Damn, man, you gotta try harder than that!"
Mirko didn't even acknowledge the obstacles. She leaped straight onto a wall, kicked off it, and landed on a rooftop. "Too slow, dumbass!"
The guy cursed and pushed harder, but he was running out of street.
"Left or right?" I called.
"Neither," Mirko answered.
I frowned. "What do you mean, neither..."
She jumped.
Full send. No hesitation. She dropped from the rooftop and slammed straight into the guy's back, flattening him against the pavement.
"GAH...!"
Mirko landed in a crouch, one hand pinning him down. "What did I tell you?" She grinned. "Up your ass in three seconds."
Nejire landed gracefully beside her. "That was so cool!"
I jogged up, shaking my head. "You know, one day, you are gonna break someone's spine like that."
Mirko snorted. "Eh, he will live."
The guy groaned beneath her. "I think... I think you cracked something..."
She shrugged. "Yeah, yeah, whatever. Shouldn't have run."
Nejire clapped. "Well! That was fun!"
I crossed my arms. "So, uh. What now?"
"Now..." Mirko yanked him up by the collar, handing him off to a very pissed-off patrol officer. "We pretend we didn't just cause a public disturbance."
–
The officer stared. "You tackled him off a roof."
Mirko shrugged. "And?"
"AND?"
Nejire hummed. "To be fair, if she didn't, he would've gotten away!"
I nodded. "Also, technically, we didn't break anything."
The officer glared. "A bench is broken."
Mirko whistled. "Damn. Wonder how that happened."
"IT HAPPENED BECAUSE YOU THREW HIM!"
Mirko patted his shoulder. "Look, you got your guy, right? Call it a win."
The officer sighed like he had lost five years of his life. "Just... go. Before I have to write more paperwork."
Mirko grinned. "You got it, chief!"
We dipped.
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Ryuu stands at the gates of Webnovel.A cloak of sarcasm.A bat in his hand.And he bellows:
"THIS! IS! BONUS CONTENT!"
And you?
You kicked him into the algorithm abyss.
Now he returns.Not for war.Not for glory.
FOR STONES.
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