When he recieved an email, he had expected it to come from the blonde man. This one... Well, technically, this person is a blonde man too.

'Kaidou Jin,

My deepest condolences for what you've been through in the past few months. I would say that I hope things are getting better, but we both know that it won't. Not unless we take action. Please allow me to show you a small, a very small, ray of hope. Come to Kamiya Craft's main building at around noon. We can discuss the current issues while we also catch up on the past. I'll see you soon.'

Even if the email had no name as the sender, the meeting point itself was an immediate give away.

He didn't waste any time and contacted the headmaster as well as Reina and the professor. He was a teacher after all, he couldn't just leave without notice.

I was really against it years ago. And yet, here I am...When the thought crossed his mind, he couldn't help but let out a small smile.

~~~~~

Kirito woke up at around five in the morning, wondering if the phone call last night was even real. Checking his log, he sighed.

Those two left for the island to protect the kids and only a couple weeks later, they decided to go back... His head turned to his desk, where a picture frame stood.

The photo within it was taken years ago. Back on the beach they stayed in after the second Mizel crisis. A certain blonde girl had dragged them to take a picture together.

He sighed. We could really use her help right now...

~~~~~

"So Jin called to tell you he's headed here?" Ban asked as the adults gathered in the meeting room.

It was only 6.30 and the children were still asleep. Or perhaps they're awake but too lazy to come.

"He's headed for Kamiya Craft." The blonde man corrected. "Apparently, Kousuke's got something for him. Could be info, could be something else."

"Then shouldn't we go there too?" Asuka suggested.

"Nah. He'd come here on his own." Kazuya replied. "We all know he needs the space."

"Ah- Right..." They all made a silent agreement to try not to mention the most recent incident.

Takuya hummed. "Regardless of that, we need to find some sort of lead. Kirito?"

"No luck." He clicked his tongue in exasperation. "Been scanning every detail, every number, every word. There's absolutely no pattern in the attacks, other than every single place was somewhere the Seekers had been to before."

"They're doing this to provoke us..." Gouda growled.

"I still don't understand why." Ami suddenly stated. "The Seekers hasn't been involved in any incident for the past 5 years... If it was someone from our past, then why would they wait so long to get back at us?"

"They could've thought we disbanded in those peaceful times. Maybe they only felt like their opportunity came after Seredy Kreisler's defeat." Sendou muttered. "I mean, Niara and Jin were there, so they might've thought the Seekers were still a thing."

"We never disbanded though." Niara pipped up. "We were just on an extended break."

"I said that they might think that way." Sendou sighed as he repeated himself. "Either way, we won't know unless we get their head."

"And to do that, we need more clues." Hiro pondered.

"Which we don't have." Kirito bluntly stated.

The room resounded in collective sighs. All the hope they could have right now... It would be from Jin and Kousuke's meeting.

~~~~~

"So Reina-san called?" The blonde girl asked, looking up at him excitedly.

"She said it was regarding Professor Mito's whereabouts..." He replied with a sigh. "I can't just pass this up, but I can't leave either."

"Why not?"

"I already have a job, remember? Well, part-time, but..."

"Then I'll cover for you! You'll probably be gone for... With your and Reina-san's brains together, it'll be a few months maybe? Probably a year at most."

"Your brother wouldn't approve..."

"He will! I'll make sure of it! Just go already!! Do what you need to and trust me!"

His eyes blinked open when he felt the boat coming to a stop. He sighed. "Well, a dream's just a dream. Even if it came from a memory."

He remembered being really against the idea of becoming a teacher years ago, yet only because of that one incident, he ended up in the LBX school for a total of 7... Nearly 8 months. He knew it was only as a favor for a friend, but in the end, he actually enjoyed his time there. Before he knew it, he decided to become a teacher until he got bored of it. Of course, that would mean less time with his friends on mainland, but he never felt like he regretted it.

And even now, he still doesn't. He walked out of the ship and entered the car that was waiting for him.

The trip didn't take too long. Even if it did, he was too distracted to notice. He kept himself occupied, listening to the recent news. So far, no other explosions had occured. That's good...

As soon as he arrived, a couple of security guards escorted him up the building.

Entering the top office, he found himself face to face with the man who called.

The blonde man smiled as he stood up. "Kaidou kid. Nice to see you again."

He sighed. "Kousuke, how much longer do you plan on calling me that?"

"Until I feel like stopping." He shrugged in reply. "Just because all of you dropped the formalities for me, doesn't mean I'll do the same with you."

That's true. None of them, aside Kirito maybe, were that close with him. Yet for whatever reason, they had never really cared about that and called everyone they know by a first name basis. Aside some of their elders probably.

He shook his head. "Alright. So then, what's this 'ray of hope' that the director of Kamiya Craft Industries mentioned?"

The blonde smirked. "Keep in mind that I said it was very small."

On the table he sat on, stood a familiar, box-headed robot.

Jin's eyes widened. "Sirius!"

~~~~~~~~~~

Invitation: A written or verbal request inviting someone to go somewhere or to do something