The first morning I entered the class, a girl was alone next to my desk with her red hair splayed out over the wooden board of the desk. Since then, I ended up joining a criminal organization with her.

{Quite the jump, isn't it?}

"Well, what can I say?"

I rested my chin on my hand as I stared out of the cafe's window. Running over from the distance was the same red-haired girl that I had become partner-in-crimes with. For all the things tying us up together, we did not mesh well enough to talk a lot.

There was a simple reason behind that.

"Hey, Ralph," Kristina called out to me between her breaths as she stepped in front of my table.

"Yo." I raised my hand and greeted her. Without much change on her face, Kristina pulled the chair across me and sat down. It was very early in the morning so no one was here yet. The cafe itself was a special one open the entire night for students of the Academy.

Manpower wasn't an issue either. I tapped on my table and a small robot came rolling over to our table. It raised a tablet in front of us with the menu of the cafe displayed on it.

"Coffee?" I asked.

"Yeah."

I selected coffee from the menu, and next was the option to put in sugar. About 8 cubes should do—

"I'll take no sugar."

A heard a snap in my head.

Yes, this was the biggest problem with this woman.

"IS that... so?"

"Huh, yeah?"

After the order was placed, the robot scuttled back to its workstation and left us alone. Maybe it was still fine, maybe it didn't matter all that much. She just had some different preferences.

"Now, Ralph. Why do you think they want me to up my rank to 1?" Kristina got to the heart of the matter, just what our morning meetings were for on off days for class. She had very recently been tasked with clearing the rankings of the top 10 and taking the first spot by the same people who run the secret criminal organization we had joined. They said it was a 'test' by the boss person, but well, it was clear that they didn't care whatever I did.

Kristina was left alive per my request. They were just planning to use her as much as they could since they left her be anyway. I was of the same mindset, so I understood.

"You don't have to panic too much, just focus on getting the spot, but don't lose yourself in the pressure of not making it."

"I'm sure I'll make it," she said with great confidence. "What I don't want to do is make problems for others... We have to think this through."

"Eh, your life is on the line as well? You can inconvenience some people for that."

She then pursed her lips and looked down at the table. "You're right about that..."

Right then, the service bot that had gone away came scuttling back and placed a tray in front of us. I picked up the coffee with sugar. Kristina too held up her cup.

"You must be having a rough time too..." she muttered as she picked up a container from the table.

This being a self-sufficient 24/7 cafe, the specialties did not end at just beverages, having other things as well was natural. But, I still cursed it. I cursed it with all my heart.

"We are entangled in a scary problem." She said, pouring some salt right into her coffee.

Salt.

Scary? Bitch, I am fucking terrified.

"You too, you always only listen." Paying no heed to my lament, she picked up tabasco next. She opened the lid and started pouring it in. "You can share some troubles as well."

Share my troubles? Share my troubles with this sociopath?

"Hmm, shame there's no mushrooms or dish soap."

I slammed my hand on the table. Kristina jostled upright and stared at me, surprised.

"Let's stop meeting in the mornings on our off days."