"Why didn't you defend yourself?" Aika watched how the three thugs were transported out of the internet cafe by two guys that might as well had been bodybuilders.

"O... Obviously, because I didn't want to lose my job. Who would want to hire a part-timer that attacks customers." Bao answered and looked into her eyes with trembling pupils.

"Isn't that just an excuse for your weakness? You evaded confronting them because you felt fear."

"Fear of what?"

"Fear of losing. Fear of noticing that you are weak, a nobody." Aika went back behind the counter. "Instead of facing your problems, it has been much easier for you to just run away from them or even submitting yourself to them."

"To the thugs or the problems?"

"Both."

"Th... that's not true I... I only want to keep this job!" Bao raised his voice without noticing it. "It's the first that I ever got in years and it made my family proud of me, so I'll do everything needed to keep it."

"And what about you?"

"Me what?"

"What about you, does it make you proud?" Aika looked him in the eyes.

"I... I" Bao opened and closed his mouth like a fish but little to no sound came out of it.

"Sigh... Whatever, I'm not your parent so I don't really care what you do with your life." She threw back her hair. "Your job for today is done, so go change yourself and enjoy your remaining free time."

Just remembering Bao's inaction at the time made her furious. Aika had always hated people like him, who find all kinds of excuses for their own shortcomings, instead of working on them to improve their own lives. It was an insult to her and everybody else who always worked hard for every millimetre of ground on that mountain called life.

A sudden loud ringing phone let Aika nearly drop the tray she was carrying and stripped her from the memories of Bao's behaviour.

"Yes, Aika here."

"It's me," the master's father's voice rang through the phone.

"Good evening Sir. Master is currently not available but he should have some free time in about an hour, Sir." She always memorized her master's appointment's, exactly for situations like that.

"I know," yelped the father. "Tell him that we lost subject ten and if he doesn't bring me any results within a month I'll personally come there and take over the observation of subject twenty-eight."

"Yes Sir." She bowed down unconsciously, despite him not being there.

"The time period starts from right now just so you know."

"I understa..." She couldn't finish her sentence that the father had already hung up.

Dammit, master won't like that, though Aika.

With quick steps, she went up the stairs to the door her master was sitting in. She knocked two times before entering the darkened room with only the displays illuminating the giant chair in the middle of it.

"Was it father?" Her master asked without turning around.

"Yes, we have lost subject ten"

"I know," he clicked with his tongue.

"He also said that you have one month before he comes here personally and takes over subject twenty-eight."

"But I already brought him some results." A short flicker on the screens engulfed the room in complete darkness for a brief moment.

"SOME Master, that's probably the reason why he extended it from a week to a month."

"Right... now I remember, he already gave me a warning once..."

He seemed to have sunken into deep thoughts for silence fille now the room.

"Good I've decided!" He turned around with the phone in his hand, apparently, he got a message. "You'll go and meet your new friend Bao at that bar again but this time alone."

"Sigh... yes master."

That's why Aika hated to be the bearer of bad news, she always had to pay the price for it.