Worst Cupid Ever

Let's Go

"Where have you been?" Ada pulled Haruto into a quick hug the moment he appeared. It was the third day after her first 'therapy' session with Genevieve, and things were pretty much looking up. Not just Genevieve's cooperation, but she and Raymond seemed to have a better flow. I think...

Haruto smiled as he settled next to Ada on the couch. "Was here and there. Needed to clear my head." He did a double-take at the TV screen and made a face. "Is that Coraline?"

"It wasn't me." Ada raised both hands. "Blame Genevieve's weird taste in movies."

"But you're the one watching it."

"Yup. Those creepy button eyes," Ada said with a shiver as she looked at the screen.

Genevieve and Raymond had left for the reef restoration centre some hours back. Since Ada got a little bored, she decided to watch a movie. The part about Coraline being Genevieve's taste was true, though. The movie was listed as one of her favourites in her file.

"Many things happened while you were gone," Ada said as she pulled two packs of popcorn from her bag and passed one to Haruto. It was only after she received a message from the Helmets concerning Haruto that she realised she had no means of contacting him.

"Let me guess, things are progressing nicely with your assignment."

"How did you know?" Ada's eyes widened. Wouldn't it be a bad thing for Haruto if Raymond and Genevieve ended up together? Rifters rift matches after all. And Teddy's voice remained at the back of her mind, warning her to be careful. "Is... is that not a bad thing for you?"

"I get the bias. Hold on." Haruto reached for his backpack and retrieved a sleek device that resembled a smartphone but was twice as small. One tap and a screen projected over it.

"Woah." Ada crowded in, her curiosity blasting through the roof. What other cool stuff did Rifters have? It'd be sick to explore their division. "Is this your version of a logger?"

"Yes and no." Haruto began swiping. "It's more of a tracker. Remember how I told you a rifter's duties are not limited to rifting?"

Ada gave an eager nod.

"Well, I have good news." Haruto's eyes sparkled with excitement. "Look at this."

Ada frowned at a nearly full battery icon with 70% blinking next to it. As she watched, it climbed to 71%. "What am I looking at?"

"That's Raymond's recovery. I haven't checked it for the longest time because it kept fluctuating between thirty and thirty-five per cent. His progress began about seven months before he met your assignment, but it was super slow. Now look at this." Haruto tapped the battery icon and more details popped up. "He had the fastest growth during this trip. How wild is this?" Haruto laughed.

But you're meant to be a cupid. Ada couldn't choose between being sad or happy for Haruto, so she settled with forcing a smile. Maybe she shouldn't tell him about the Helmet's needing his audience. "How many more per cent before you complete your mission?"

Haruto collapsed into the cushion, starfishing his arms and legs with a big sigh. "Once I hit eighty per cent, I'm good as done."

Ada's heart sank. It was too fast. Only nine more per cent and Haruto could leave. "Umm—"

"Five years. I've been stuck with Raymond for five years, watching my suggestions fail and him outrightly resisting change. Not a single therapy session worked for him, and he kept rejecting help from his folks. I thought he would never recover." Haruto shook his head, eyes going distant. "Two more years of that and this assignment would have been a burst. My second failure as a rifter."