Into an Otome Game

3. Persuasion[3]

LUNA

A scoff escaped my lips, glancing up to Shiki who gestured his ringing phone at me. This man, he sure is warming up to me- in some kind of way that I don't particularly find appealing.

I stood up and eventually took the phone from him, waiting for the person on the other line to pick up the call.

Click.

<Hello?>

Instead of hearing Mr. Marvin' voice, it was Mr. Zelde. Either way, the fact that the call got picked up got my heart beating nervously.

I glance over at Shiki, he can hear it, I know it since he specifically put it in speaker. He sat on the wooden floor, so did I, placing the phone in between us.

Signaling Shiki to start speaking to Mr. Zelde failed, all he did was bob his head to me suggesting that I should be the one who will talk about our objectives to them.

"Yes, Good evening sir, this is Rinalyn, is Mr. Marvin unavailable? I have something to discuss with him, if that wouldn't be troubling of course." I said, picking up the phone from the floor.

<Oh Rinalyn? Did you borrow Shiki's phone? Since Marvin had save this number as Shiki's> He affirms.

My head tilted up a bit giving Shiki a glare which he only responded with a shrug.

"Well, kind of, not really, he forced me to be the one to speak on his behalf."

<Is he with you? How unusual of the two of you to be together.>

I choked as he said those word outright. Ugh, pretending to be Rinalyn is tedious when Shiki's involved. 

"Yes, um, Sir? would it be alright to pass the call to sir Marvin?" I said changing the course of the subject.

<Oh, of course, dear, hold on, I'll go get him for you>

I could hear Mr. Zelde walking somewhere, he seems to be wearing shoes for I could hear it reverberate at what seem tiled floor.

On the other line, I could eventually hear numerous people's boisterous voice. And heard Mr. Zelde passing the phone to the owner of the phone.

<Dearie! What is it?>

From the tone of his voice, he was maybe, drunk or if not, then tipsy. He has this groggy voice boasted with an enthusiastic tone, followed by a chuckle. Also what with the 'Dearie'?

"Um, about the search party for-"

All of a sudden, Shiki covered the phone' speaker before I could finish what I was supposed to say. He was also grabbing onto my arm holding the phone and tap the record icon on the call then nodded, signing me to continue. Just, what in the world?

<. . . Hmm? Did you say something, Dearie?>

"Oh, yes, um, Sir, we would like your approval for us to be the search party for Luna and Hikari's whereabouts. We know it's dangerous, but we will process to think of a plan thoroughly, we'll try our best to send you a detailed outline for our plan, just please approve of us of being the one to rescue them."

There was long silence on the other line. Honestly, I expected him to approved enthusiastically since he's rather drunk. But that doesn't seem to be the case, Mr. Marvin was still sane in the head to process what I just suggested.

I waited for a response, it took a couple of minutes before the boisterous voices faded on the other line and everything became silent. Seems to me like they moved to other place.

<Do you have any intel on their whereabouts at the very least?>

Mr. Marvin's enthusiastic tone became earnest that it made me sweat cold. It was just a simple question, yet of course, I feel as though I already know where this was going.

"N. . . Not yet, sir. But if you let us be the search party then-"

<Do any of you know who the perpetrator is? Any knowledge on what their magic was or their intentions?>

Questions after questions was thrown at me as Mr. Marvin interrupted me. I pursed my lips, glancing over Shiki who was rubbing the stub of his chin, seemingly to be thinking. He was frowning of course. Seem like he too knew the answer we will get from the professor.

But we can't give up. There was still lingering light of hope in me, it was teeny tiny light of hope.

<We know everything of what happened, but approving your request is quite difficult. You have no intel of whatsoever, a tactless move would just lead you students into danger, worst, death. Shiki, you know better than that.>

Shiki flinched when he heard his name from the phone, tapping his forefinger into the wooden floor, frowning even more.

Well, that I could agree, recalling the library incident we got ourselves into. He thought of his own infiltration thorough, with all those outline of the academy, everything. But he didn't have any of that in this situation, as if his mind was clouded by something.

". . . We understand, thank you for your time, sir." I said, my mind couldn't think of any more excuse for him to let us go.

But before I could even tap the end call button. Sir Marvin said something that lit up another light of hope to us.

<However, if you could find a few information, such as a rough detail of their whereabouts and who the perpetrator is, then perhaps I'll reconsider- that is, if you can send me an plan within 3 days. I'll be waiting for both of your ideas, Luna and Shiki.>

Tut tut.

With that, the call ended.

My eyes widen, Sir Marvin. . . how? I was left baffled by the situation.

I gave the phone back to Shiki as he pocketed it into his sweat pants.

"Ah right." He suddenly said pointing in his throat. "Whatever spell you casted for your voice to change, always gets nullified by phones, that's probably why Sir Marvin knew it was you."

I was agape. He could've at least told me that! Wait, him making me to be the one to make the call, must've mean, he purposely tried to drag me out of disguise!

No really, what is up with his change of attitude towards me after I've disguise myself as Rinalyn? It wasn't my idea to begin with! If he's displeased, then he should've just go with my idea of telling everyone that it was Rinalyn who got abducted along by Hikari!

I can't believe I'd say this but, I'd rather him flaunting his indifference, than this. It wasn't appeasing at all.

My gaze followed Shiki as he push the oak table in the middle, placing the blank canvas he was staring at earlier.

I flinched when he suddenly looked at me. "Are you free tomorrow?" He asked which made me raised a brow.

I sighed, rolling my eyes. "What is it this time?"

First, this whole shack thing plan, and now, another 'Are you free. . .' was uttered from him.

"Come with me in the laboratory tomorrow." Shiki replied glancing over the paper below him as he tap his finger into the oak table.

"Huh? Why would I?" I asked. Also, why the laboratory? Is he implying that we have to go there? And what is his agenda in the lab?

He again, glance over me, his forefinger pointed at his eye patch. "I'm going to get my eye."

I stare at him in silence, my brain buffering what he had said.

. . . His what?

***

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