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School Rumble (Broom and I)

"Jana is on suspension, and I don't have the luxury to wait around for her. I'll be fine." Mei told Adam. It was a little risky, but Mei had done some riskier stuff int he past by herself. Of course, if Jana hadn't been suspended she would have brought her along just in case. "Thank you, though. I really appreciate it."
 
"...Sure," Adam murmured, smiling a bit. Wow, Adam legitimately felt flattered. Was he really helping her that much? "Uh, right...for the last guy." he murmured, bringing him up. "Damien Jadin, eighteen years old. Oh, I remember this guy...he used to be a former DC member. Real talented guy, but he just kind of fell off the face of the planet." Adam frowned. "I heard he left Turuga, what in the world is he doing getting involved in this? Either way, this guy's a B grade like you, Mei. I've never seen him fight, but I've heard some scary things...I hear tell that he managed to harness spirit energy...this one might take a while to find, if we even have that much time."
 
As soon as Damien's picture popped up, Mei's eyes widened slightly. She remembered this guy...he was her senior. Someone she looked up to at one point. Then he abandoned DC...for no reason. Or at least, whatever reason he had was nothing to Mei. For some reason, she had taken it personal even though they never talked much to begin with. She looked away from the screen, bitter memories coming from this mans face. She was hoping she'd never have to see him again. "Hmm...Maybe Nicholas is trying to scare me off." Mei scoffed and then ran her fingers through her hair..maybe out of nervousness? "Well, I'll wait while you see if you can get me some possible locations Kuki could be, as well as any other contact information and addresses we have on file for these other students. Even if it's a former address that they might not reside at anymore, I want to know it."
 
"Right," Adam said faintly, glancing at her. "...It's getting late, Mei. Maybe you should head to bed?" he offered. "I can handle this, I need to be up a few more hours anyway." he shrugged. "I'll have it all to you by morning, promise." Maybe that's why she was acting so...well, weird? In a good way! He would never think this was a bad way for Mei to act. She had...feelings, she even looked a tiny bit nervous.
 
"No," Mei started as she adjusted her legs as if a testament to her determination to stay. Lately Mei's sleeping pattern had improved, but she still had to stay up relatively late to not wake up early in a morning. "I'm fine, Adam. I can wait." She looked over to him once more, seeing the way he was looking at her. Hmm...strange. She wasn't sure what was strange, but something was off. "Umm..but if you want I could leave you alone. If I'm distracting you or something."

What the hell was she saying? Did she just offer to leave to make him comfortable? Ugh...maybe she did need to go to sleep.
 
"No, no...I mean," Adam said casually. "A second pair of eyes could make the data go faster, you know?" he said, with a faint, awkward laugh. Ah...great. He was sinking to computer nerd jokes, he scratched his neck faintly. "Really...I don't mind the company, it'd be nice. I'm usually up by myself anyway." Was...was she being...shy? No, it was just in his head. This was...this was just a weird night, he needed to stop drinking so much coffee.
 
When he made that awkward laugh, Mei just tilted her head to the side a bit, her face slightly hinting that she was confused. "So...you want me to look through the data with you? Sounds fair enough. I'm a quick reader, I just don't know anything about computers, so..." She trailed off and shrugged. He thought her company was nice? Or any company at all? Adam was acting stranger and stranger as the minutes go by.
 
...Ah...well, that had fallen flat, hadn't it? Either way, Adam cleared his throat. "Don't worry, it's easy," Adam assured with a smile. "We're just going to have to cross reference everything we know about these four to get a proper location, easy, right?" Easy, but tedious. There was a lot of data to go through, after all. "We'll just start from the top and I'll work my way do-...er, we'll work our way down to get what we can. Lili and Kent shouldn't be too hard...Kuki and Damien will be the difficult ones, hope you're ready for a long night."
 
"I'm always ready for a long night. I am always up all night long anyway, Adam. The only difference is that you'll be the reason why I'm up all night tonight.." Mei told Adam with a shrug. Though that sentence probably could have been taken the wrong way if Adam had a dirty enough mind....

"Anyways, yes. That is easy. Just as long as I don't have to control that machine in front of you."
 
"...No, uh...you don't," Adam mumbled, hand running through his hair. "So um, let's get started, okay?" Don't blush, don't focus on the words. Just...stare at the screen, cross reference data. That was a safe place. A safe place devoid of very dangerous thoughts and feelings that he really didn't need to add to the stress of his job. Not that...well, he wasn't the only person that had a crush on Mei, but this was different. This was a completely different Mei from what he was familiar with in the first place.

...Data, right. Data. They were here for that...
 
Mei just nodded, though she seemed to be..well staring at him. It was mainly because Adam was acting different, and she didn't know why. Maybe he was tired? Because if he was, she'd feel better if he wasn't. "Hey Adam, before we start...if you want me to get you a coffee from the vending machine, I can. I need you to be at your best for this. It's important." She really did seem oblivious to what the actual problem was, but she was so used to everyone just being afraid of her that she never really could imagine any boy having a crush on her.
 
"...Yeah, sure." Adam murmured. "That'd be great, Mei...thanks." Jeez, her stare before was just frightening. Now? He was just glad the desk covered his legs. "Don't worry, I'll be on the top of my game," he promised with a smile. Ugh...this was going to be like being near the golden gates, but never being able to touch them. What a horribly wonderful way to spend a night.
 
"Good. I'm counting on you." Mei gave him a nod and then got up from her chair, leaving Adam by himself for a few minutes. Now that she thought about it, Adam really was one of the more dependable classmates she could count on. She really did want to show her appreciation, but not to the point where he'd think that she was soft or something. Coffee counted as appreciation, right? Maybe she should buy him two. Or...maybe...more than that? What if she wanted one too? Mei sighed..this was way too hard. When she came back, she sat next to him reluctantly with an arm filled with cans. Hmm..she had bought four thinking that was a good amount, but now that she was sitting here with it...well it was a little overkill.

"Here. It's all for you. You don't have drink it at once, but...at least we won't have to get up if you want another one later..."
 
Adam blinked at her in surprise, but took one of the cans with a faint chuckle. "...Thanks, Mei. You're really helping me out here, even if the bathroom breaks are going to be frequent," he smiled genuinely, opening the first one. "Help yourself too, I want you focused. You've probably got sharper eyes than I do." Maybe this night wouldn't be so nerve wracking after all, she seemed...genuinely interested in being friends, or..was he reading too much into it?

"Alright...let's get started," he sighed, after a long chug from his first can. Bravery for both the night, and being around this...wonderfully different new Mei.
 
She placed the remainder of the cans on the table next to them, though she did take his advice and grab one for herself. Why not..? She did buy a lot. She opened the can and then brought it up to her lips. It was pretty standard, nothing special. It was in a can though, so she didn't expect much.

"Alright, I'm ready now. Let's get started, Adam. I'm sure with the both of us working on this, we'll get it done much faster."
 
The night went by fast, or...maybe Adam was just distracted occasionally. Every so often, he swore that Mei was...staring at him. He blamed it on the canned coffee, though...wasn't much sense worrying about it, anyway. Lili and Kent would be easy to find, considering they went to school. Kuki and Damien were the ones that took the most effort. Unfortunately, the last known instance of Kuki actually fighting was two months ago...and Damien was even further than that. One step at a time, he supposed...but eventually, they surmised that Kuki was deep in Red territory, somewhere around Wu Street. Ugh, going in that deep as a DC agent would be very bad...but it was a location. It was exhausting trying to pinpoint it, but Adam did it. The only thing they could find on Damien was his last patrol was somewhere between Green and Blue territory on the other side of town...but that was no real help.

Still, it was nine in the morning...and they had completed something. Adam rubbed his eyes with a faint sigh, slumping back in his chair. Done. Or...as done as they could go with it. "Phew..." he smiled, glancing to Mei. "Not bad for an all nighter, huh?"
 
Mei was staring at Adam at times, mainly because sometimes she just felt like..well she felt kind of amazed by his skills. She didn't understand how technology worked, but even so...Adam was really smart. He worked just as diligently as she did, and before they knew it the sun came up. Even then, they continued to work together until they got to the very end. Well, she wouldn't let this hard work go to waste. She'd at least find and confront Kuki, even though she was in a dangerous territory.

When Adam broke the silence between then, Mei opened her eyes. Oops, she was about to doze off. She sat up straight and then stretched her arms out. "Not bad at all.." Mei yawned softly and rubbed her eyes, glancing at the clock. "Oh wow. We really did stay up all night. Surprised no one came in here already.." She stood up and walked over to the printer. They had printed out everything useful they had found, and she would organize these papers later. "I really do appreciate this Adam. I will admit, I didn't think we'd spend this long on the task. So, I apologize...I have probably put you behind schedule on a few things."
 
"Don't worry about it," Adam said, rising up as well with a faint yawn. "But that can wait for a few hours, Mei...you need some rest if you're going to deal with these people." he reminded. "You can't save Turuga when you're about to doze off," he grinned. They had about thirty minutes or so until it became rumor central...and...well, he'd really like to avoid that. God knows they had nothing interesting to talk about some days, this? Ugh, he'd never hear the end of it...
 
"Yeah, I know. I just didn't want to forget these, so..." She seemed to be a little bit out of it. Honestly this had been the longest she had ever stayed up before. "Anyways...seriously...thank you so much. You get some sleep too, okay?" Mei gave him a small smile. Probably the first time she had smiled when she wasn't engaged in a competition. Yawning one more time, she left the classroom and headed back to her dorm.

She wondered if Jana was awake? She was suspended so knowing her...she'd probably take advantage of that and sleep as long as she wanted. Well, Mei hoped she was asleep. Just because she didn't feel like explaining where she was all night.
 
Adam blinked a little in surprise, and by the time Mei had turned around and left, his face wasn't as dark as it should be, rubbing his neck. By the time he actually got the voice to say anything, she was already gone. Wow...that...wow, he didn't know what to say...but he was pretty sure he was going to wake up and realize this was all some weird, horrible dream of his that he couldn't get out of.
--

Jana was out like a light, the covers half exposed how little she went to bed in. Thankfully, she didn't snore, but her bed looked like she had rooted around in it and nested before she finally went to sleep. When the door slid open, Jana's red eyes flickered a little. "Mn...Mei?" she mumbled faintly, rubbing her eyes a little. "...That you?" Wait, did she fall asleep? What time was it? She was going to stay up...
 
"Yeah, it's me." Damn, she woke up. Well it was pretty late in the morning, and that door was pretty loud. "Go back to sleep Jana. Or actually wake up. The cafeteria will close soon." She placed her papers on the coffee table and then trudged to her bed and sat down. She was too tired to take a shower, or even strip off her clothes. Glancing at her shoes, Mei just groaned and laid down, though she kept the soles of the boots off her bed. She didn't even have the energy to take those off.
 
Jana sat up a moment to rub her face, then regard her partner as she slid out of bed with a faint yawn, padding over. "Mmn, rough night?" she asked, deciding to do her friend a good deed by working on unlacing those wonderfully fashionable boots. "Not like you to come home late, Little Miss Law." she smirked.
 
"Rough night...but I got some good information. I might actually get somewhere today...after I go sleep." Mei felt Jana touch her feet and she sat up a little. Why was she untying her shoes? Well..she was too tired to argue with her. If she wanted to take them off, then that was her choice. Her hand reached down to her scabbard and she pulled it from her belt, setting it down on the floor beside her bed.
 
"Oh yeah?" Jana said with an easy smile, popping off one of the boots. The brat could at least appreciate her trying to make her more comfortable, sheesh. "How'd you find all that out?" she asked, untying the other. You could say a lot of things about Mei...but she was dedicated to her job. It was admirable, honestly.
 
Should she really tell Jana that she was up all night with Adam? Well..she wasn't doing anything wrong. Why would she need to hide something if she hadn't done anything wrong? "Adam helped me. We just got done pretty much searching through our report database and other tech stuff. My eyes are really tired." Mei closed her eyes as she felt her other boot come off. "..Thanks."
 
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