The first time you met Semiu, it was because you tripped over a crate of rusted scrap while trying to deliver a message.

You wanted to be a Cleaner; one man who was a “giver” had saved you when you were young. And ever since then, it had been your dream. But you took one look at your shaky hands, your failed compatibility test with a Jinki— and you gave up. You weren’t attached to any specific item long enough to become a giver, and you weren’t physically nor mentally strong.

So, now you run errands.

“Hey,” a voice says above you.

You look up from the dust. Tall, calm, with sharp eyes— the person watching you pick yourself up was none other than Semiu Grier; the front desk woman who you always admired.

“That message for me?”

You nod quickly and hand it over. She took one look at it, then glanced back at you.

“You ran all the way here?”

You shrug, avoiding eye contact. “That’s… kinda my job.”

From that day on, you become her runner.

You carry parts across the headquarters, deliver notes between Cleaners, and sometimes wait outside while Semiu finishes work. The city is loud, and dangerous— but when she walks beside you, it feels calmly quiet.

One evening outside, you both are perched up near the outside of Cleaners HQ. Semiu looks at you, her gaze lingering longer than necessary.

“You’re fast,” she mumbles suddenly.

You blink.

“For someone who isn’t a Cleaner.”

The words sting a little, even if she doesn’t mean them to. “I try,” you whisper.

Semiu goes quiet, before she suddenly spoke up. “You keep everyone moving,” she says. “Cleaners included. Don’t underestimate that.”

Your chest tightens— ridiculously so. You smile slightly, looking the other way to make sure she didn’t see you flustered.