In Hitomi's eyes, Allen was the perfect man. Perhaps some of that was her crush on Amano transferring to his doppelganger, but Allen seemed to Hitomi the epitome of her ideal—tall, extraordinarily handsome, kind, gallant, well-mannered, honorable.

She was sure that he could never be less than wonderful; sure that she was completely in love with him, without question.

Yet when he kissed her, she felt nothing but embarrassment. After all, he'd done it in front of an audience of his entire crew, Van, Merle, and that awful Zaibach soldier—done it without any indication of affection. Done it in an attempt to protect her, but still…

Surely it should have made her heart beat faster. Surely she should have felt that strange contentment at being in his arms.

Surely she should have felt the same things she did when she dreamed of being saved by a faceless angel.