Yumeko

[Yumeko Pov]

(Japan, Hakone Castle)

Now I can breathe, thank goodness those idiots have found the target, if they fail again I don't care if I have to go to Night City myself but those two will lose something important...,

I understand their complaints, I don't understand the importance of protecting that boy either, but those are Hanako-Sama's orders and nothing else matters!

Well almost....

I found out that the target was Musashi-San's grandson although I don't know him, Oda and Goro keep telling us about him when they train us.

That kept puzzling me a bit, why Hanaka-sama cares so much about his former bodyguard's relative? So much as to send people to protect him? From what?

Shaking my head at my doubts..... The only thing it proves, is how amazing Hanako-sama is!

For caring so much about the people who are under her command and have worked with them!

"Ahmm, relax thanks to those two idiots finding the target you don't have to bring bad news to Hanako-sama!"

I said to myself, while looking at a silver surface that almost looked like a mirror outside Hanako-sama's room.

In it I could see the look a black haired girl with red eyes wearing a black outfit with a skirt and stockings that wouldn't stand out as Hanako-sama's assistant, but it was also reinforced and with small tactical touch, to make it somewhat more intimidating.

"Hanako-Sama," I said as I entered the room and made a small bow as I entered to the person sitting behind a table..... with a blank look on her face.

She has been.... like this for almost a day....

The always elegant and intelligent Hanako-sama, was.... seemed depressed and somewhat distracted, almost if you can say these words together even in my mind.... Hanako-sama was clumsy, she was doing nonsense things like sticking pencil from a pad into the tea as if it was a teaspoon totally distracted while doing it or she would stare at nothingness for a while.

"Hello Yumeko, have you been having any trouble with the training?" Hanako-sama said coming out of the void of her mind she was in.

Today I had already finished with my training which had suddenly increased, causing me to curse Master Oda in my mind, making it hard for me to play my role as Hanako-sama's assistant when I finished.

"Don't worry about the training, even though Master Oda seems to have increased the difficulty, none of us will disappoint the expectations Hanako-sama has on us."

"(Gentle smile) I'm glad to hear it Yumeko, I'll tell Oda-san not to be too hard on you guys."

"No!!!, please don't worry Hanako-sama we can take it.... all of us have been through much worse than a little more training!" When I said that I could see how Hanako-sama affirmed as she put a soft sad expression on her face when she heard me

Seeing that sad and somewhat guilt-ridden expression from Hanako-sama.... I...

"Sorry Hanako-sama, for my words, but are you alright? If there is anything I can do to help you to improve your mood please tell me, it will be my first priority to perform"

When I said that Hanako-Sama opened her eyes in surprise and said.

"Don't worry, (mischievous smile) but I have to say Yumeko you are growing up to become a gorgeous woman even at 16 years old you already have more breast than me...."

"Noo! No one could never compare Hanako-Sama's beautiful and slender body, with mine which is just that of a peasant girl".

"Ara, don't say that Yumeko, you have a beautiful face and with your body when you grow up few women will be able to compete with your figure, you will have rows of men behind you, you know?."

Hanako-sama said while making a mischievous smile on her face, which, although I was embarrassed by the conversation....Hanako-sama seemed distracted from her worries....

So even though it's embarrassing.... I...

"Well Hanako-sama if you know someone worthwhile please tell me, if they have passed Hanako-sama's criteria they have to be worth knowing."

"Hahaha, I may take you at your word Yumeko.... in a few years you may meet him."

"Humh? already has someone in head Hanako-Sama? That was fast."

"Yes.... there is someone I would like all of you to meet..." Hanako-Sama said as she put on a gloomy expression again.

"Are you all right Hanako-sama?"

I asked at the sudden change in Hanako-sama.

"Yes, it's nothing don't worry Yumeko."

"As you say, Hanako-sama."

Even though I said that, I was still just as worried about Hanako-sama's condition, for us Hanako-sama is our savior, our boss, our guardian even..... if we can dream the closest thing we ever had to a mother, I still remember when we were taken out of that horrible facility.... When Esme, Chancelor, Lewis and I woke up.... and master Oda told us what had happened.... we were shocked.... Lucyna and Deniz were not with us, Lucyna had managed to escape and Deniz... had been shot dead by the facility guards when we tried to escape...

All of us had Cyberware in our bodies, which was installed when we were about to die to save us, we didn't know where we were when we woke up, but.....

We knew we were still in Arasaka, thought they probably saved our lives so they could continue to use us to roam the old net..... that terrifying place where you feel like you are a mouse in a maze..... feeling watched, almost as if you were entertainment for those who were watching us... and when they get bored of us... we were attacked by them....by the AIs behind the wall....

I still remember the screams of the team members who were attacked and killed by them.... their laughter or the noise they made resembling laughter while doing so....

When we woke up and knew that we had not escaped, following in Arasaka with lost eyes we were sent to meet someone..... when we arrived at a beautifully decorated room, we found a woman waiting for us.

All of us even though we were young and had been locked up most of our lives, we knew who the woman was in front of us it was Hanako Arasaka herself

When we entered...she bit her lip when she saw us..... she bowed to us asking for our forgiveness, telling us that now we were free that we wouldn't have to worry anymore about anyone forcing us into that horrible place.... she told us that if we wanted she would help us to find our home

When she told us all those things none of us could believe it, leaving us speechless, not knowing what to do, saddening us in the process of remembering our home..... until Esme the youngest of us all, 8 years old at the time, a cute little black girl with curly hair tied in two pigtails at the sides..... could not take it anymore and was the first to react... crying her eyes out.... we all understood, none of us had a home to go home to.....

When Hanako-Sama saw that she got nervous and not knowing what to do she hugged Esme to try to calm her down, even staining her beautiful dress with Esme's snot and tears, which only made Esme to see it and receive the warmth of Hanako-Sama's hug cry even harder which confused Hanako-Sama, thinking that her embrace had frightened Esme making her cry even more, which when she thought, Hanako-Sama released her embrace of Esme, Esme noticing it returned, for the third time to become more distressed, thinking that she had angered Hanako-sama by her snot and tears that stained her dress, making her stop hugging her for the first time in years.

Creating something like a chain of misunderstandings between Hanako-Sama and Esme continued, until Hanako-Sama sat on the floor totally defeated and confused about what to do and what she had done wrong, which Esme without Hanako-Sama noticed lay down on the floor with her, falling asleep when she relaxed, after all her crying, she ended up sleeping close to Hanako-Sama who had been the first person who had shown her some warmth. .... in a long time, clutching a piece of Hanako-Sama's dress in her hand.

When Hanako-Sama returned to her senses and saw Esme asleep next to her clutching her dress.... the 3 of us, Chancelor, Lewis and I, who were still watching without saying anything, were surprised by the face and expression Hanako-Sama made when she saw Esmer asleep next to her.....

She smiled, reminding the 3 of us the smile of our mothers, I barely remembered my mother's face, but I still remembered her smile when she tucked me in, or when she gave me a hug, and Hanako-Sama was making the same smile to Esme asleep next to her....

Since we saw that, we decided to stay with Hanako-Sama.

When we informed her of our decision shortly after, Hanako-sama promised that we will not work for the sake of the corporation but work for her directly, since then we have been under her care.

"Yumeko.... stop looking at me like that, there's nothing really wrong with me, I'm just thinking.... on someo-thing."

"Tell me, the Nc team that was tracking the target, did they find it again?"

"Eh! Yes!"

She's supervising the mission herself? Am I that unreliable?

"How does Hanako-Sama know that the team lost track of the target for a while?"

"Well,(smile) call it intuition.... and surely now that they've found him again he'll do more than just run away...."

"I don't understand what you mean, but I'll alert the team to be careful not to lose them."

"....."

"....."

"....."

"Did something happen Yumeko?

"No, it's nothing Hanako-Sama"

"They don't answer, do they?"

"No, well yes, I've been asking for an update but they don't answer" When I said that I soon received a notification from the team that didn't answer.

[Bastards what the fuck are you doing that you don't answer me!]

[Bitch, who the fuck is that kid?]

[I forgive you for calling me `bitch´ because I don't want to waste time insulting you for now, What hell are u talking about the kid?]

[That kid ...

.

.

.

.

As I listened to what they were saying to me I tried to control the expression on my face as much as I could..... That fucking boy...

"Hanako-sama forgive my impertinence.... but what's the problem with Musashi-san's grandson?."

"Ara you also know who the target is.... that is big failure of professionalism Yumeko" Said Hanako-sama in her usual tone as if she knew what had happened from my face and found it really amusing

"But from your tone it sounds like Sora has done something, hasn't he?"

"Hanako-sama, he knocked out one of them and broke the other one's collarbone."

"Ahmmm..... that boy seems to have his father's temperament...."