1 What Is M.O.B.?

In a branch of the not-so-popular burger chain, Emotiburger, in a small island city called Cornucopia, there worked a part-timer named Cherry Kago. Other than being one of the main characters of the story, she's also mute. Are you happy now?

She's a high school student in the local public school, and, as of this time in the chapter, is working part-time in order to fund herself.

Ever since earlier today, she has been in a rather bad mood and she couldn't quite express it because of her condition. She also had no choice but to keep going through her shift and serve the customers of the burger chain... including the green-haired regular who always orders two sets of the worst possible offerings of the shop: Confuburgers.

The name alone is cringe-worthy. But what about the taste?

Have you ever had those jelly beans that tasted either something good or something bad? Well, take that concept of randomness and apply it onto burgers. Disgusting.

Soon, the regular got his turn to order something. Everyone in the staff, including Cherry, knew what he was going to order, but he still made a slight gesture of actually looking through the menu before stating it.

"I'll have two Confuburger meals, please." was his order.

As soon as he said it, Cherry started to turn to get his order, but everything in the fast food chain got interrupted by a sudden news flash. Apparently, the TV was turned on and was playing loudly. This is what the writer sometimes forgets, folks.

On the TV were two people, a news anchor and a field reporter. The anchor was sitting in the newsroom, looking proper, while the reporter looked a little troubled.

"Good afternoon. This is Violet Barrow." was the anchor's first blurb. "Right this moment, the police are making a raid on some individuals gone rogue from the group, FruitBranch. Loquat Jartle reporting live. Loquat?"

"Loquat here." said the reporter in an unusual sing-song manner. "Now, most of the police here have already entered the hideout, and we're just waiting here in case anything hap-"

Gunshots interrupted his report. This was the "anything" they have been waiting for, it looks like.

"Oh! You hear that?! You hear that?! Those were gunshots right there! Those people must be putting up quite a fight!"

More gunshots were heard. It seems they really were putting up a fight.

"That was pretty quick! People are coming out now! It seems that the raid was successful!"

The video on Loquat's side showed police and the so-called criminals coming out of a building which was earlier described as a hideout. It seemed that the criminals have been apprehended, but things took a turn for the worse.

"Whoa, wait, what?! This is unbelievable! Plants! Giant plants are growing everywhere from the hideout and from the suspects' stomachs! T-They're coming this way! Oh my gosh, ru-"

And just like that, Loquat's side of the screen showed static. At a loss, Violet, and possibly the TV station, tried to get back on track.

"...and that was the latest news. We now go back to our regular programming."

As a rather cheesy commercial aired on the TV, Cherry got back to gathering the items for the green-haired regular's order, and the said regular received a call on his cellphone. It was so sudden that his hat fell off and his hair fluffed out.

"Hallo? Oh! It's you, sir! Is there a problem?"

He started to look worried back when the special news report appeared, but now he looked more worried than ever. What could be the problem?

"Okay... Yes sir. I'll work on it as soon as possible."

By the time he had finished answering his phone call, Cherry had already prepared the order for him.

"Thank you, mademoiselle, but unfortunately I have to cancel it for now. I suddenly have important business to attend to and I really wouldn't want to not eat those burgers fresh. I apologize."

He ran out of the fast food restaurant, leaving Cherry more irritated than before, and leaving the person behind him a little relieved.

"I would like to order a Ha-"

Before that next person could give his order, Cherry quickly put a "NEXT CASHIER PLEASE" sign on her counter and went up to her colleague, who was working the next counter.

"What is it?" he asked with a bored tone of voice. "It better be better than having to serve all the people in my line and your line combined..."

Cherry pulled out a long envelope and walked out of the restaurant. It seemed to contain a resignation letter...

...or not. When her former colleague opened the piece of paper inside the envelope, it only had three big letters written on it: M, O, and B.

"What does she mean by this?"

It is a question to everyone.

--------------------

Leaving that place felt good for Cherry. Sure, she needed the money, but she realized after that news report that there was something that she needed to do, and whatever it was, she needed to start now.

She took out two folders from the drawer found in her study desk and put them on top of it. They contained documents on two specific people.

Who could those be?

--------------------

When Monday came, she began to put her plan, whatever it was, into action.

She went to school early and went looking for someone. Maybe it's one of the people in the documents?

She soon found the person in question on the elementary department's playground, sitting on one of the swings. She was a tall, thin girl with long pink hair tied into a half ponytail by a ribbon. She wore a dress and socks (but no shoes), and had a huge teddy bear on her lap.

Cherry felt the need to convince her of something, and she also felt that she wouldn't be able to until she became taller herself, so she got herself a box, placed it in front of the girl, and stood on it. She then gave a stare that said, "Join me!"

The accuracy of that interpretation is questionable, as well as the perceived notion that Cherry is telepathic.

"I guess I could, but..." was the girl's reply to Cherry's unspoken demand.

Cherry could notice the hesitation in the girl's words as well as her voice. She wasn't one to lose during a sales pitch, or any kind of pitch for that matter, so she quickly took out a bag of chocolate chip cookies, which are totally melt-in-the-mouth in a good way, as well as a small tub of Van & Hayberry's ice cream, which might have melted a bit in a bad way.

The girl noticed the gifts and started seriously considering trading her participation in Cherry's plan for them. She didn't seem to be the mature type and seemed happy at the thought of receiving sweets. Maybe she'll let this pass.

"Okay! Human girl Peach Candarykysprykyvyk and teddy bear Coconutti at your service!" she said as affirmation to Cherry's invitation.

--------------------

Some classes passed, and Cherry, along with Peach, went to the high school department faculty lounge during their lunch break. The other person was apparently there.

That someone is one of the teachers, Lychee Miska, a science teacher. She was around average height, with long reddish-brown hair tied into a sort of bun-ponytail. She wore the typical blouse and skirt combo, and had glasses. She has a reputation among the students for being a little bit too serious about her job and her subject matter, which leads to either something terrible, something wonderful, or both.

Cherry and Peach strained to find her through the small window of the faculty lounge door. When they did get to find her, they saw that she had just finished explaining something to the other teachers.

"Wow, that's great, Lychee." one of the other teachers commented.

Another one of the teachers saw Cherry and Peach struggling near the door, and said "Hey, Lychee, don't those two seem to be trying to call you or something?"

Lychee gave him a slightly annoyed look. "Then why didn't anyone open the door?" she asked. After a moment, she decided to go to the door herself. "Fine, I am going there."

She opened the door and asked the two, "Ms. Kago and Ms. Candarykysprykyvyk, what do you need?"

Cherry gave her the same look she did Peach. It brought out the same reaction.

"Why would I do that? I have a job already."

As said before, Cherry wasn't one to accept defeat in negotiations. Sweet treats won't work for this person, however, so she took out something different: Lychee's file. Apparently, there was something top secret in it.

Thankfully, Cherry was mute, but who knows? She could just leak it, right?

"No... No way. How did you get this?"

Cherry gave a look that almost said, "I'm not gonna tell you."

"...Fine. I'll join your little group. Just promise me that you will not leak that information, or it is... goodbye for you."

Despite the threat, Cherry was pleased at her success.

--------------------

Later that day, after classes have ended, the three of them held a meeting in an abandoned classroom in one of the far ends of the school. A certain incident happened there that involved the death of all the students in a certain class through nosebleeds. Even now, no one knows what exactly happened, except maybe for the teacher who survived the incident for some reason. But then, that teacher was fired after the incident.

Peach and Lychee sat on one permanently bloodstained seat each, while Cherry took her place in front of the blackboard. She wrote M, O, and B in big letters and pointed to them. The other two were confused as to what it all meant.

"Hey, I have a question!"

It was from a young man seated on the far end of the room, with his hand raised as if he were in class.

His name was Tangerine Corno. He was a rather short young man with somewhat long messy orange-brown hair kept by both a headband and a low braid. He was easily recognizable by the fact that he was the only guy in the whole school who wore a dress. This time, he wore a light yellow dress with lace and ruffles. His headband matched the color of his dress.

Everyone else was a bit surprised by his appearance in the room. No one really invited him.

"What's M.O.B.?" he asked.

Whether he was answered or not... That, we'll have to find out.