I'm sitting at a table in At Raimei, Nana's family restaurant. Aimé, Nana, Lily and I are all together.
"So," I asked, "why the emergency meeting?"
"Well," Nana replied, "I figured our group of Rift Breakers needed a leader and a name."
"It's not a bad idea," says Aimé, "although we're the only active RB at the moment."
"So, who's going to be our leader?" Lily asks Nana. "You?"
"NO! I was thinking about Alex."
"Huh? Me? But I'm the last to join the group! I have less experience fighting the Rifts’ monsters than all of you combined!"
"Maybe." Aimé explains. "But your powers of Healing and Defense suit that of a leader. That's what the Souls I carry say, and I agree with them."
"Well," said Lily, "if Nana and Aimé agree that you should be the leader, that's fine with me as well."
"But...!" I wanted to retort before Nana begged me to accept.
She's making eyes at me, which is an exceptional thing. I sigh.
"All right, then."
"YIPPEE!" Nana shouts, and Lily tells her to keep her voice down so as not to disturb the restaurant's customers.
"Now, for the group’s name..." I say. "Do you have any ideas?"
"Hummm..." said Nana, thoughtfully.
"A.L.A.N." Aimé and Lily say at the same time.
"Alan? As in ‘The Last Alan’? That's too tragic!"
The death of James, my older brother, still hangs over me.
"No, A.L.A.N., an acronym." Lily explains.
"If you take the first letters of our names," adds Aimé, "that makes A.L.A.N."
"Or L.A.N.A." I say. "Or even N.A.L.A."
"But this sounds like a girl group." Lily retorts. "A.L.A.N. is more appropriate. Besides, he's the very first RB."
"That's one way to honor him." Nana says.
It seems that everyone agrees with A.L.A.N. except me, but who am I to be picky?
"A.L.A.N. it is." I finally say.
"Thank you, Alex." Aimé says to me with a smile.
The emergency meeting is now over. Since no one wants to eat, or rather pay for their meal, Lily, Aimé and I leave, leaving Nana alone. This angers her, and she catches up with us, screaming.
"HEY! It's not THAT expensive, you know?!"
We laugh.