Ahma glanced at Namida’s bottle of beer on the opposite side of the table, she placed her hand under the table as the can was covered in a thin layer of mana. Namida adjusted her black frame glasses, she said. “You still haven’t told us why the three of us are in the same group.” Beneath the table in Ahma’s palm was Namida’s tall can of beer, she brought it above as Namida had a look of surprise on her face. Ahma gently swirled the can in a circle as she took a small whiff of the smell.
She said. “They wanted this group to fail, they expected Suki over there to be obsessed with her authority so they can keep you three working for as long as possible when you all fail missions.” Ahma took a sip of the can while Ketsueki's expression slightly soured, she said. “Commander, can you please stop with the nickname, it’s unprofessional. And why did the board expect me to be obsessed with power?” Ahma let go of the can as it floated toward Namida as she held it with both hands, she said. “That’s because everyone on the same level as you is usually eccentric.”
Ketsueki moved her gaze onto Sachi who nodded in agreement. Ahma moved some hair behind her ear while she let out a short sigh, she said. “Who would’ve known Suki turned out to be like this. Now the gap between your group and second place is impossible to overcome.” Sachi had a hint of doubt on her face, she said. “It can’t be that bad.” Ahma let out a laugh and said. “It’s worse than you think, those idiots didn’t think twice about putting the three individuals who placed first, second, and third in the evaluation in the same group.”
Namida had a thin foam mustache, she said. “Then why can’t they just shuffle the groups again?” Ahma shook her head sideways and said. “They can’t the board members before them never swapped members after they were created. If they did, even they would get into trouble.” Sachi’s brows furrowed, she said. “By who?” Ahma gave her a mysterious smile, she said. “That’s above your pay grade.” Ketsueki said. “By who?” Ahma moved her gaze onto her and spoke with a hint of sweetness in her voice, she said. “That’s also above your pay grade.”
A hint of surprise appeared on Ketsueki’s expression as Sachi saw her friend had a white mustache on her upper lip. Namida had a puzzled look and said. “What?” Sachi shook her head sideways, she said. “Gentlemen, it’s nothing to worry about.” The confusion on Namida’s expression grew while she moved her gaze onto Ketsueki. She said. “Nice mustache, how often do you maintain it?” Namida wiped her upper lip with her index finger and licked the foam off her fingertip. Ketsueki moved her gaze onto Ahma and said. “If it’s above our pay grade, how did you find out about it?”
Ahma smiled at her, she said. “Two words. Money and connections.” Namida was about to take a sip of her beer but stopped herself, she said. “Is it true that one of the board members is getting replaced?” Ahma had a hint of surprise on her face, she said. “The rumors are already circulating?” Without missing a beat Sachi said. “No, Ketsueki already told us.” She ignored the glare her friend was giving, Ketsueki stared at her and said. “Thanks for that.” Ahma covered her mouth to hide a small yawn, she said. “It’s fine, the new board member would have to introduce themself.”
Ketsueki raised a brow and said. “So it’s true?” Ahma spoke in a blunt tone, she said. “Nope, no one on the board is getting replaced.” Sachi and Namida had a hint of confusion on their faces. Ketsueki rolled her eyes, she thought. Not again… Ahma's lips curled into a slight smile, she continued. “Because one of them already got fired.” Ketsueki let out a soft sigh and said. “How do you two always keep falling for that? She does it all the time.” Namida tilted the top of the can slightly at Ketsueki to point at her.
She said. “In our defense, she waits long enough for us to forget about it. Combine that with credible information and we tend to fall for it more than we care to admit.” Sachi’s eyes slightly lit up with expectation, she said. “Please tell me that one who got fired is that pig who keeps molesting girls.” Ahma shook her head sideways and said. “Sadly no, you’re not the only one in the company that wants that fatty gone.” Ketsueki moved some hair behind her ear, she said. “Can we please use their code names?”
Namida emptied her can of beer as she placed the empty can on the table, she said. “Pork chop has the entire company calling him fat.” She adjusted her glasses while Ketsueki spoke and said. “I’m not defending him, the walking walrus did it to himself. I just want to use code names cause last time Namida talked about that guy who always wears a suit.” Sachi and Ahma moved their gaze onto her, Namida said. “What? They used the coolest word to describe themselves as a code name. I’m not even insulting them, I’m describing them.”
Ahma stared at her for a moment and said. “That’s supposed to be an insult? I wouldn’t even call that a backhanded compliment.” Namida gestured at her friends, she said. “That’s only your opinion, last time I checked there were a total of three people here not including me.” Sachi and Ketsueki said nothing as a few seconds of awkward silence passed. Namida gave her friends the middle finger and said. “I just want you two to know that I think you’re both cunts.” Ketsueki and Sachi let out a laugh while Ahma moved her hand below the table and said. “By the way, you girls can go home early.”
Sachi raised a brow at her, she said. “Really? The company is letting us leave early?” Ahma nodded and said. “Surprisingly, imagine my reaction when the higher-ups told me.” Ketsueki was in the middle of thinking, she said. “You told us that you get a bonus if the group you’re handling does well. What’s happening to the other groups that have a chance of failing a mission?” Ahma had a big smile on her face, she said. “Yep, thanks to you three I keep getting bonus after bonus. For the other teams, the company makes them. The people similar to my position pay for the losses and they ask for a lot.”
Sachi’s brows furrowed, she said. “Is that legal?” Ahma raised a brow at her and said. “Coming from the one who does all the torturing in the group, I did not expect to hear that from you.” Namida balanced the empty can of beer on its side, she said. “Wait a minute, if most of the groups managed by the company keep failing. How come it still hasn’t gone under?” Ahma moved her hand above the table as she was holding an unopened can of beer that was exactly like the can Namida drank.
Ahma said. “Thanks for this, and to answer your question. Only the top eight groups are allowed to take on special transactions.” Ketsueki had a hint of surprise on her face, she said. “You mean the company is a genuine one if you’re below a certain position?” Ahma shook her head sideways and said. “Nope, they just get paid much, much, much less.” Sachi crossed her arms, she said. “How less?” Ahma shrugged her shoulders and said. “I didn’t listen but I think it was around five figures.”
Ketsueki’s eyes slightly widened, she thought. Ten thousand yen to work in this hell hole? No thanks. Ahma took a sip of the tall can of beer while Sachi had a look of shock on her face, she said. “Five figures?!” Namida kept her calm and said. “Figures, every company takes advantage of their employees. Shady or not.” Ahma let out a laugh, she said. “I don’t need to hear that from someone who gets paid for doing nothing ninety percent of the time.” Namida smiled at her and said. “Can the company afford to send us to another mission?”
Ahma placed the can of beer on the table and said. “Why are you asking me? I’m not part of the financial department.” Namida stared at her for a few seconds in silence, she said. “Fair.” Her gaze moved to the beer can on the table, her right hand blurred as she tried to take it. Ahma was faster as she grabbed the can first and held onto it. Sachi said. “Out of curiosity, are we allowed to discuss our salaries with other employees?” Ahma gave Namida a smug smirk which infuriated her. Ahma said. “Officially, no. But I’ve never followed the rules in the first place, plus all of your contracts expire in three months.”
Sachi slightly tilted her head to the side, she said. “I’m pretty sure it’s illegal to put that in as a clause in a contract.” Ketsueki glanced at her and said. “It doesn't stop companies from writing them down.” Namida moved her gaze away from Ahma taking a sip of the can of beer. Namida said. “How are they supposed to enforce that clause when it’s illegal?” Ahma placed the can on the table as she kept her hand around it, she said. “Probably during work hours, outside I would assume they can’t do anything. That and freedom of expression.”
Sachi took her phone out of her pocket, tapped on the screen a few times and said. “Now that we have permission from-.” Ahma interrupted her, she said. “I said, I didn’t care if you three had a discussion about it. I never gave you my permission.” Sachi rolled her eyes, she continued. “Since leader doesn’t care. I make ten million yen from a mission, Namida?” Namida glanced at the can in Ahma’s hand. Namida said. “Ten million.” Sachi and Namida moved their gaze onto Ketsueki who was avoiding their looks by staring out a window.
Sachi finished typing on her phone and said. “Hey, cow tits. How much do you get paid?” Ketsueki ignored what her friend said while Ahma took a sip of beer to hide the growing smile on her lips. Namida gently slapped the top of the table and said. “Look at her, just because booby wonderland has a bigger chest than us. All of a sudden she’s too good for us.” Ahma placed the can back on the table and let go while Namida’s hand blurred.
Namida managed to steal her can back, she said. “Aha! I got my-.” She noticed the weight of the can as her expression turned odd, Namida continued. “You took what? Two, three sips and there’s barely a dent in it.” Ahma nodded and said. “I know, beer was never my preferred alcoholic drink.” Sachi kept staring at her friend, she said. “Ketsueki, I’m trying to calculate how many marked bills you have so I can figure out how long it would take to clean them.” Ketsueki didn’t reply while Namida’s brows furrowed from Ahma’s words. Namida said. “Then why did you steal one of my cans in the first place?”
Ahma stood up from her seat as it vanished, she said. “Just to mess with you.” She made her way to the door while the corner of Namida’s eye twitched. Namida thought. Ignore the bitch, just be satisfied with the fact that someday her tits will sag. While making her way to the door, Ahma said. “Suki gets paid a hundred million per mission.” She thought. That’s not considering all the bonuses. Namida almost spat the beer in her mouth while Sachi gave Ketsueki a look of disbelief.
Namida managed to gulp down the beer in her mouth. Sachi said. “... A hundred million per mission?!... We’ve had at least twenty-four! That’s two point four billion marked bills!” Ketsueki let out a forced laugh as she scratched the back of her head, a wry smile appeared on her face while Namida was already back on her laptop typing. Sachi raised her hand to slam the table as Namida grabbed her can of beer and made sure it didn’t spill. Sachi’s fist hit the top of the table, she said. “This isn’t funny Ketsueki. Do you have any idea how long it’s going to take to clean those?”
Namida kept her gaze on the screen of her laptop and placed her can back on the table, she said. “Don’t hit the table when I have a drink on it.” Sachi pointed at Namida and said. “Stop using your laptop and start helping this woman with breasts for brains.” Ketsueki spread her arms out, she said. “Breast for brains? May I remind you I scored a hundred out of a hundred which was five points higher than you did in function analysis.” Sachi moved her finger that she used to point at Namida at Ketsueki and said. “Only because the guy who was grading the test thought my one was a seven!”
Namida was still typing on her laptop, Sachi glanced at her from the corner of her eye while ignoring Ketsueki’s smirk. Sachi said. “Namida?” Namida stopped typing, picked up her can, and downed half of it in one go. She let out a satisfied sigh and said. “Three years, it’ll take me three years to clean that amount of money.” She emptied the rest of the can while Sachi stared at her, she said. “One of the rare times we could give her an earful and you decide to help.”
Sachi pocketed her phone while Ketsueki tapped on the table a few times, she muttered. “Three years…” Namida placed the empty can next to the other one and said. “Eight hundred million a year, that’s nearly four times the average someone can make in a lifetime.” Ketsueki glanced at Sachi and said. “What’s the biggest amount you can clean?” Sachi thought for a moment, she said. “I have to pay extra to keep a couple of mouths shut but twenty million a month.” Namida closed her laptop and said. “If we split it around-.”
Before she could finish Ketsueki interrupted her, she said. “If Namida cleans one point eight billion, it would take a little over two years. Sachi would be left to clean six hundred million which would take two and a half years…” A moment of silence passed the group, Ketsueki said. “Can’t you ask your mother or grandmother for some help?” Namida tapped on the laptop a couple of times as it vanished, she said. “They know I’m cleaning money since I am using their connections. I asked for help last time and they both told me they’ll take an eighty percent cut.”
Sachi’s eyes widened in surprise, she said. “They want eighty percent? Just for cleaning money?” Namida nodded and continued. “I think it’s them trying to get us to do it ourselves or they just want easy money.” Ketsueki shook her head sideways, she said. “I think I’ll stick with the two and a half years.” Namida stacked the two empty cans on top of each other, she said. “Need both of us to clean some money for you?” Ketsueki leaned back on the chair as she balanced it on the back of its legs and placed both her feet on the table.
Ketsueki said. “It’s fine… I still have around fifty to seventy million yen in my closet.” Sachi placed her elbow on the table and rested her chin on the palm of her hand, she said. “But still, two billion yen… That’s a lot of money. Are you planning on buying anything for yourself?” Namida took off her glasses as she made sure they were clean, she said. “I would advise buying a house, that one you three currently live in is going to get cramped the moment Reiki becomes a teen.”
Ketsueki took her phone from her pocket, she said. “I did think of that, but anything decent costs a fortune. With Shiro’s tuition and Reiki’s growing appetite, I’m considering trying my hand at stocks.” Namida started laughing while Sachi was trying to suppress her lips from forming a smile. Ketsueki looked at her friends and said. “What?” Namida wiped a tear from the corner of her eye, she said. “Last time you bought gold at its peak and lost around a hundred million yen.” Sachi let out a chuckle while Ketsueki pointed at Namida and said. “I blame that on you.”
Namida spread her arms, she said. “Why me?” Ketsueki let out a scoff and said. “Don’t act innocent, you're the one who told me to buy gold.” Sachi’s laughter slowly died down, she said. “She also told me to buy gold and I made a decent profit.” Namida moved her gaze onto her and said. “How much?” Sachi smiled as she tried to act casual, she said. “Not much, just fifty million… How did she even lose that much in gold anyway?” Ketsueki was browsing on her phone, she said. “I bought it and the next day it plummeted.”
Namida chuckled, she said. “What did you expect when you bought it at its top?” Ketsueki tapped the button on the side of the phone to turn the screen off, she said. “I bought it because you told me it was going to rise.” Sachi had a confused expression on her face, she said. “She told us when gold was around four thousand yen a share. When did you buy it?” A moment of silence passed as Sachi and Namida stared at their friend. Ketsueki spoke in a soft tone and said. “... When it was nearing ten thousand yen…”
Sachi started laughing as the sound of her voice filled the room. Namida had a big smile on her face as she took off her glasses and placed them on the table, she said. “The moment Reiki finds out about this side of you… The only way you can touch money again is when you ask him for some.” Ketsueki let out a scoff and said. “One, I’m the head of the house. Two, you are heartless from laughing at your friend who lost a hundred million. People jump off buildings from losing that kind of money.”
Namida her black frame glasses back on as Sachi’s laughter started to slow down. Namida said. “Hey, I’m not the idiot who lost a hundred million.” Sachi waved her hand as a small hand mirror appeared in her palm, she used it to look at her reflection as she tidied her hair, she said. “Don’t make us the villain here. That time when you lost money from falling for a pyramid scheme I consoled you and treated you to lunch.” Ketsueki placed her phone on her lap and said. “Why are you two laughing at me now? I still lost money.”
Namida and Sachi stared at each other and simultaneously nodded. Namida said. “That's because we didn’t know how much you were getting paid.” Sachi finished tidying her hair, she pocketed the hand mirror and said. “Now that we know how much, we don’t have to feel sorry for you and can freely laugh like that idiot you are.” Ketsueki picked up her phone she placed on her lap with her left hand as she gave her friends the middle finger with her right, she said. “Sachi, I hope your dream guy approaches you with the intention to get closer to me.”
Sachi took out her phone from her pocket, she said. “Usually I would be hurt. But chances are that already happened seeing how when I’m with you that’s how all the guys are to me.” Ketsueki moved her gaze to Namida who was eagerly waiting for her to say something. Namida said. “What? I look like a guy? My cutting board chest isn’t appealing? Got something new for me?” Ketsueki paused for a moment and said. “I’m going to be honest I got nothing.” Namida let out a confident hmph, she said. “That’s what I thought.” She took out another can of beer from her pocket.
While Ketsueki’s lips curled into a smirk, she said. “But when I do need a cutting board, I’ll be sure to call you.” Sachi let out a chuckle as she tried to hide her smile with her hand. Namida opened the can as it let out the carbonation inside of it, she said. “What did you two keep laughing at the same flat jokes over and over?” Sachi smiled at her and without missing a beat, she said. “Because it’s true.” Ketsueki went back to browsing on her phone while she let out a chuckle. Namida moved the can closer to her mouth and said. “You two need new jokes.”
Ahma glanced at Namida’s bottle of beer on the opposite side of the table, she placed her hand under the table as the can was covered in a thin layer of mana. Namida adjusted her black frame glasses, she said. “You still haven’t told us why the three of us are in the same group.” Beneath the table in Ahma’s palm was Namida’s tall can of beer, she brought it above as Namida had a look of surprise on her face. Ahma gently swirled the can in a circle as she took a small whiff of the smell.
She said. “They wanted this group to fail, they expected Suki over there to be obsessed with her authority so they can keep you three working for as long as possible when you all fail missions.” Ahma took a sip of the can while Ketsueki's expression slightly soured, she said. “Commander, can you please stop with the nickname, it’s unprofessional. And why did the board expect me to be obsessed with power?” Ahma let go of the can as it floated toward Namida as she held it with both hands, she said. “That’s because everyone on the same level as you is usually eccentric.”
Ketsueki moved her gaze onto Sachi who nodded in agreement. Ahma moved some hair behind her ear while she let out a short sigh, she said. “Who would’ve known Suki turned out to be like this. Now the gap between your group and second place is impossible to overcome.” Sachi had a hint of doubt on her face, she said. “It can’t be that bad.” Ahma let out a laugh and said. “It’s worse than you think, those idiots didn’t think twice about putting the three individuals who placed first, second, and third in the evaluation in the same group.”
Namida had a thin foam mustache, she said. “Then why can’t they just shuffle the groups again?” Ahma shook her head sideways and said. “They can’t the board members before them never swapped members after they were created. If they did, even they would get into trouble.” Sachi’s brows furrowed, she said. “By who?” Ahma gave her a mysterious smile, she said. “That’s above your pay grade.” Ketsueki said. “By who?” Ahma moved her gaze onto her and spoke with a hint of sweetness in her voice, she said. “That’s also above your pay grade.”
A hint of surprise appeared on Ketsueki’s expression as Sachi saw her friend had a white mustache on her upper lip. Namida had a puzzled look and said. “What?” Sachi shook her head sideways, she said. “Gentlemen, it’s nothing to worry about.” The confusion on Namida’s expression grew while she moved her gaze onto Ketsueki. She said. “Nice mustache, how often do you maintain it?” Namida wiped her upper lip with her index finger and licked the foam off her fingertip. Ketsueki moved her gaze onto Ahma and said. “If it’s above our pay grade, how did you find out about it?”
Ahma smiled at her, she said. “Two words. Money and connections.” Namida was about to take a sip of her beer but stopped herself, she said. “Is it true that one of the board members is getting replaced?” Ahma had a hint of surprise on her face, she said. “The rumors are already circulating?” Without missing a beat Sachi said. “No, Ketsueki already told us.” She ignored the glare her friend was giving, Ketsueki stared at her and said. “Thanks for that.” Ahma covered her mouth to hide a small yawn, she said. “It’s fine, the new board member would have to introduce themself.”
Ketsueki raised a brow and said. “So it’s true?” Ahma spoke in a blunt tone, she said. “Nope, no one on the board is getting replaced.” Sachi and Namida had a hint of confusion on their faces. Ketsueki rolled her eyes, she thought. Not again… Ahma's lips curled into a slight smile, she continued. “Because one of them already got fired.” Ketsueki let out a soft sigh and said. “How do you two always keep falling for that? She does it all the time.” Namida tilted the top of the can slightly at Ketsueki to point at her.
She said. “In our defense, she waits long enough for us to forget about it. Combine that with credible information and we tend to fall for it more than we care to admit.” Sachi’s eyes slightly lit up with expectation, she said. “Please tell me that one who got fired is that pig who keeps molesting girls.” Ahma shook her head sideways and said. “Sadly no, you’re not the only one in the company that wants that fatty gone.” Ketsueki moved some hair behind her ear, she said. “Can we please use their code names?”
Namida emptied her can of beer as she placed the empty can on the table, she said. “Pork chop has the entire company calling him fat.” She adjusted her glasses while Ketsueki spoke and said. “I’m not defending him, the walking walrus did it to himself. I just want to use code names cause last time Namida talked about that guy who always wears a suit.” Sachi and Ahma moved their gaze onto her, Namida said. “What? They used the coolest word to describe themselves as a code name. I’m not even insulting them, I’m describing them.”
Ahma stared at her for a moment and said. “That’s supposed to be an insult? I wouldn’t even call that a backhanded compliment.” Namida gestured at her friends, she said. “That’s only your opinion, last time I checked there were a total of three people here not including me.” Sachi and Ketsueki said nothing as a few seconds of awkward silence passed. Namida gave her friends the middle finger and said. “I just want you two to know that I think you’re both cunts.” Ketsueki and Sachi let out a laugh while Ahma moved her hand below the table and said. “By the way, you girls can go home early.”
Sachi raised a brow at her, she said. “Really? The company is letting us leave early?” Ahma nodded and said. “Surprisingly, imagine my reaction when the higher-ups told me.” Ketsueki was in the middle of thinking, she said. “You told us that you get a bonus if the group you’re handling does well. What’s happening to the other groups that have a chance of failing a mission?” Ahma had a big smile on her face, she said. “Yep, thanks to you three I keep getting bonus after bonus. For the other teams, the company makes them. The people similar to my position pay for the losses and they ask for a lot.”
Sachi’s brows furrowed, she said. “Is that legal?” Ahma raised a brow at her and said. “Coming from the one who does all the torturing in the group, I did not expect to hear that from you.” Namida balanced the empty can of beer on its side, she said. “Wait a minute, if most of the groups managed by the company keep failing. How come it still hasn’t gone under?” Ahma moved her hand above the table as she was holding an unopened can of beer that was exactly like the can Namida drank.
Ahma said. “Thanks for this, and to answer your question. Only the top eight groups are allowed to take on special transactions.” Ketsueki had a hint of surprise on her face, she said. “You mean the company is a genuine one if you’re below a certain position?” Ahma shook her head sideways and said. “Nope, they just get paid much, much, much less.” Sachi crossed her arms, she said. “How less?” Ahma shrugged her shoulders and said. “I didn’t listen but I think it was around five figures.”
Ketsueki’s eyes slightly widened, she thought. Ten thousand yen to work in this hell hole? No thanks. Ahma took a sip of the tall can of beer while Sachi had a look of shock on her face, she said. “Five figures?!” Namida kept her calm and said. “Figures, every company takes advantage of their employees. Shady or not.” Ahma let out a laugh, she said. “I don’t need to hear that from someone who gets paid for doing nothing ninety percent of the time.” Namida smiled at her and said. “Can the company afford to send us to another mission?”
Ahma placed the can of beer on the table and said. “Why are you asking me? I’m not part of the financial department.” Namida stared at her for a few seconds in silence, she said. “Fair.” Her gaze moved to the beer can on the table, her right hand blurred as she tried to take it. Ahma was faster as she grabbed the can first and held onto it. Sachi said. “Out of curiosity, are we allowed to discuss our salaries with other employees?” Ahma gave Namida a smug smirk which infuriated her. Ahma said. “Officially, no. But I’ve never followed the rules in the first place, plus all of your contracts expire in three months.”
Sachi slightly tilted her head to the side, she said. “I’m pretty sure it’s illegal to put that in as a clause in a contract.” Ketsueki glanced at her and said. “It doesn't stop companies from writing them down.” Namida moved her gaze away from Ahma taking a sip of the can of beer. Namida said. “How are they supposed to enforce that clause when it’s illegal?” Ahma placed the can on the table as she kept her hand around it, she said. “Probably during work hours, outside I would assume they can’t do anything. That and freedom of expression.”
Sachi took her phone out of her pocket, tapped on the screen a few times and said. “Now that we have permission from-.” Ahma interrupted her, she said. “I said, I didn’t care if you three had a discussion about it. I never gave you my permission.” Sachi rolled her eyes, she continued. “Since leader doesn’t care. I make ten million yen from a mission, Namida?” Namida glanced at the can in Ahma’s hand. Namida said. “Ten million.” Sachi and Namida moved their gaze onto Ketsueki who was avoiding their looks by staring out a window.
Sachi finished typing on her phone and said. “Hey, cow tits. How much do you get paid?” Ketsueki ignored what her friend said while Ahma took a sip of beer to hide the growing smile on her lips. Namida gently slapped the top of the table and said. “Look at her, just because booby wonderland has a bigger chest than us. All of a sudden she’s too good for us.” Ahma placed the can back on the table and let go while Namida’s hand blurred.
Namida managed to steal her can back, she said. “Aha! I got my-.” She noticed the weight of the can as her expression turned odd, Namida continued. “You took what? Two, three sips and there’s barely a dent in it.” Ahma nodded and said. “I know, beer was never my preferred alcoholic drink.” Sachi kept staring at her friend, she said. “Ketsueki, I’m trying to calculate how many marked bills you have so I can figure out how long it would take to clean them.” Ketsueki didn’t reply while Namida’s brows furrowed from Ahma’s words. Namida said. “Then why did you steal one of my cans in the first place?”
Ahma stood up from her seat as it vanished, she said. “Just to mess with you.” She made her way to the door while the corner of Namida’s eye twitched. Namida thought. Ignore the bitch, just be satisfied with the fact that someday her tits will sag. While making her way to the door, Ahma said. “Suki gets paid a hundred million per mission.” She thought. That’s not considering all the bonuses. Namida almost spat the beer in her mouth while Sachi gave Ketsueki a look of disbelief.
Namida managed to gulp down the beer in her mouth. Sachi said. “... A hundred million per mission?!... We’ve had at least twenty-four! That’s two point four billion marked bills!” Ketsueki let out a forced laugh as she scratched the back of her head, a wry smile appeared on her face while Namida was already back on her laptop typing. Sachi raised her hand to slam the table as Namida grabbed her can of beer and made sure it didn’t spill. Sachi’s fist hit the top of the table, she said. “This isn’t funny Ketsueki. Do you have any idea how long it’s going to take to clean those?”
Namida kept her gaze on the screen of her laptop and placed her can back on the table, she said. “Don’t hit the table when I have a drink on it.” Sachi pointed at Namida and said. “Stop using your laptop and start helping this woman with breasts for brains.” Ketsueki spread her arms out, she said. “Breast for brains? May I remind you I scored a hundred out of a hundred which was five points higher than you did in function analysis.” Sachi moved her finger that she used to point at Namida at Ketsueki and said. “Only because the guy who was grading the test thought my one was a seven!”
Namida was still typing on her laptop, Sachi glanced at her from the corner of her eye while ignoring Ketsueki’s smirk. Sachi said. “Namida?” Namida stopped typing, picked up her can, and downed half of it in one go. She let out a satisfied sigh and said. “Three years, it’ll take me three years to clean that amount of money.” She emptied the rest of the can while Sachi stared at her, she said. “One of the rare times we could give her an earful and you decide to help.”
Sachi pocketed her phone while Ketsueki tapped on the table a few times, she muttered. “Three years…” Namida placed the empty can next to the other one and said. “Eight hundred million a year, that’s nearly four times the average someone can make in a lifetime.” Ketsueki glanced at Sachi and said. “What’s the biggest amount you can clean?” Sachi thought for a moment, she said. “I have to pay extra to keep a couple of mouths shut but twenty million a month.” Namida closed her laptop and said. “If we split it around-.”
Before she could finish Ketsueki interrupted her, she said. “If Namida cleans one point eight billion, it would take a little over two years. Sachi would be left to clean six hundred million which would take two and a half years…” A moment of silence passed the group, Ketsueki said. “Can’t you ask your mother or grandmother for some help?” Namida tapped on the laptop a couple of times as it vanished, she said. “They know I’m cleaning money since I am using their connections. I asked for help last time and they both told me they’ll take an eighty percent cut.”
Sachi’s eyes widened in surprise, she said. “They want eighty percent? Just for cleaning money?” Namida nodded and continued. “I think it’s them trying to get us to do it ourselves or they just want easy money.” Ketsueki shook her head sideways, she said. “I think I’ll stick with the two and a half years.” Namida stacked the two empty cans on top of each other, she said. “Need both of us to clean some money for you?” Ketsueki leaned back on the chair as she balanced it on the back of its legs and placed both her feet on the table.
Ketsueki said. “It’s fine… I still have around fifty to seventy million yen in my closet.” Sachi placed her elbow on the table and rested her chin on the palm of her hand, she said. “But still, two billion yen… That’s a lot of money. Are you planning on buying anything for yourself?” Namida took off her glasses as she made sure they were clean, she said. “I would advise buying a house, that one you three currently live in is going to get cramped the moment Reiki becomes a teen.”
Ketsueki took her phone from her pocket, she said. “I did think of that, but anything decent costs a fortune. With Shiro’s tuition and Reiki’s growing appetite, I’m considering trying my hand at stocks.” Namida started laughing while Sachi was trying to suppress her lips from forming a smile. Ketsueki looked at her friends and said. “What?” Namida wiped a tear from the corner of her eye, she said. “Last time you bought gold at its peak and lost around a hundred million yen.” Sachi let out a chuckle while Ketsueki pointed at Namida and said. “I blame that on you.”
Namida spread her arms, she said. “Why me?” Ketsueki let out a scoff and said. “Don’t act innocent, you're the one who told me to buy gold.” Sachi’s laughter slowly died down, she said. “She also told me to buy gold and I made a decent profit.” Namida moved her gaze onto her and said. “How much?” Sachi smiled as she tried to act casual, she said. “Not much, just fifty million… How did she even lose that much in gold anyway?” Ketsueki was browsing on her phone, she said. “I bought it and the next day it plummeted.”
Namida chuckled, she said. “What did you expect when you bought it at its top?” Ketsueki tapped the button on the side of the phone to turn the screen off, she said. “I bought it because you told me it was going to rise.” Sachi had a confused expression on her face, she said. “She told us when gold was around four thousand yen a share. When did you buy it?” A moment of silence passed as Sachi and Namida stared at their friend. Ketsueki spoke in a soft tone and said. “... When it was nearing ten thousand yen…”
Sachi started laughing as the sound of her voice filled the room. Namida had a big smile on her face as she took off her glasses and placed them on the table, she said. “The moment Reiki finds out about this side of you… The only way you can touch money again is when you ask him for some.” Ketsueki let out a scoff and said. “One, I’m the head of the house. Two, you are heartless from laughing at your friend who lost a hundred million. People jump off buildings from losing that kind of money.”
Namida her black frame glasses back on as Sachi’s laughter started to slow down. Namida said. “Hey, I’m not the idiot who lost a hundred million.” Sachi waved her hand as a small hand mirror appeared in her palm, she used it to look at her reflection as she tidied her hair, she said. “Don’t make us the villain here. That time when you lost money from falling for a pyramid scheme I consoled you and treated you to lunch.” Ketsueki placed her phone on her lap and said. “Why are you two laughing at me now? I still lost money.”
Namida and Sachi stared at each other and simultaneously nodded. Namida said. “That's because we didn’t know how much you were getting paid.” Sachi finished tidying her hair, she pocketed the hand mirror and said. “Now that we know how much, we don’t have to feel sorry for you and can freely laugh like that idiot you are.” Ketsueki picked up her phone she placed on her lap with her left hand as she gave her friends the middle finger with her right, she said. “Sachi, I hope your dream guy approaches you with the intention to get closer to me.”
Sachi took out her phone from her pocket, she said. “Usually I would be hurt. But chances are that already happened seeing how when I’m with you that’s how all the guys are to me.” Ketsueki moved her gaze to Namida who was eagerly waiting for her to say something. Namida said. “What? I look like a guy? My cutting board chest isn’t appealing? Got something new for me?” Ketsueki paused for a moment and said. “I’m going to be honest I got nothing.” Namida let out a confident hmph, she said. “That’s what I thought.” She took out another can of beer from her pocket.
While Ketsueki’s lips curled into a smirk, she said. “But when I do need a cutting board, I’ll be sure to call you.” Sachi let out a chuckle as she tried to hide her smile with her hand. Namida opened the can as it let out the carbonation inside of it, she said. “What did you two keep laughing at the same flat jokes over and over?” Sachi smiled at her and without missing a beat, she said. “Because it’s true.” Ketsueki went back to browsing on her phone while she let out a chuckle. Namida moved the can closer to her mouth and said. “You two need new jokes.”
