Ayano's Traumatic Christmas

Chapter 5

Ayano waved goodbye as Budo trudge through the snow and out of her driveway leaving her alone in her empty house. Outside was already dark leaving the stars and the street lamps as the only source of light.

As soon as he was out of sight Ayano went into the kitchen and washed the cups they have used. She anxiously thought about the Christmas party that would be at her house tomorrow. Her mother was always a secretive person in general so having strangers at her house could cause her to be frantic. Ayano's next thought was to call her mother to have an 'OK' on the party, but that would lose the surprise factor of it.  As she put the last cup on the drying rack her eyes gazed over at her living room. 

"Maybe I can move some 'stuff'...just for safe measure." Ayano murmurs to herself as she wiped her hands dry. 

Ayano walked over to the living room and began to grab the duct tape hidden in the plant, the case of her mother's favorite knife collection under the table, a voice recorder behind the TV, and some sedatives and syringes in the bathroom. Even though these items were already casually hidden Ayano didn't trust that they will stay hidden once her friends came over. She gathers the items from their spots and takes them up to her room closet. She doubt anyone would come in her room and for extra measure she would lock it during the party. Her and her mother's secret would be safe. 

As Ayano kicked her bedroom door open to her surprise someone was laying on her bed casually reading one of her romantic manga. 

"I-Info-chan!?" Ayano sputters almost dropping her stuff upon seeing her. It wasn't the first time her ...colleague sneaked into her house like this but usually she made her presence known. Ayano grew flustered knowing that Info-chan probably heard about her and Budo's new relationship.   

"For a professional assassin you get surprised easily." Info-chan says with a her trademark smug grin. 

"If I stay alert all the time it loses my normal facade." Ayano curtly replies as she puts the items in her closet neatly. 

"Indeed." Info-chan agreed as she slid over at the edge of the bed and watched her. "I'm pretty sure I told you to meet me after school."

"I was busy." Ayano bluntly says. If you call retrieving a classroom mistletoe with a martials arts idiot, busy then yes. 

"I don't care, this is your job. If you keep slacking off the higher ups will be mad...and you know what happens when they get mad." Info-chan says her smug look disappearing into a serious one. 

"Fine, I'm sorry. That's what you wanted to hear, right?" Ayano growls as she turns to the rednette girl while locking the closet door.

"Yes but without the sassy attitude. Anyways, I got another mission for you...and the person is paying double for it." Info-chan says enthusiastically. 

"....Double..?" Ayano says as her dull charcoal eyes widen with interest. It was rare for someone to pay double like this, double meant more profit and Ayano could really use it to pay off her school expenses.

"Ah, interested my little assassin...?" Info-chan grinned as she beckoned her over. "The person who issued the request was so persistent. They practically sounded insane on the phone. They want five people gone they say its due to harassment and fear. They want them gone by tomorrow and by midnight." 

"F-Five people." Ayano blinked in utter astonishment. "I usually only have to do one or at most two... I don't know about this.." Ayano murmurs with hesitation in her voice.

"I think you can easily do it.." Info-chan says somewhat eerily.

"What do you mean? You're raising the bar way too high." Ayano murmurs taking a seat on her bed.