Hasumi was frustrated.

It wasn't because something had gone wrong. No, for once, there had been no disruptions or any acts of violence that needed correcting during their routine patrols. Trinity Academy had been enjoying peace the last week, one the Justice Task Force would ensure to uphold.

It wasn't because of her diet, either. Despite her own struggles to stay on track and not cave in to sweets, she had managed to hold strong and maintain her desired weight.

So, if everything in Hasumi's life was going perfectly right, why was she so frustrated?

Well, it was simple.

The Tea Party had once again opted to step in on their affairs, and Nagisa herself had thought it appropriate to give the Justice Taskforce a mandated day of rest. So, rather than patrolling and keeping Trinity Academy safe from hooligans, Hasumi and the others were essentially forced to take a break away from their duties.

It irked Hasumi to no end. Honestly, who were they to encroach on their business and make decisions for them? Hasumi was perfectly capable of taking care of herself! She didn't need to be coddled as if she were a child

"U-Um, Hasumi…?"

… Eh?

The Vice-Chairwoman of the Justice Task Force blinked, her thoughts coming to a screeching halt as Mashiro called out to her. Her crimson eyes quickly fell to her fellow member, who looked up at her with concern and a hint of worry.

… Oh dear, she spaced out again, didn't she?

As if to confirm her fears, Hasumi took notice of her awkward position. She was standing in the middle of the sidewalk, and many passersby were giving her strange looks as they walked past, some even whispering among themselves as if she were a freak.

Hasumi blushed, then awkwardly cleared her throat and stepped out of the way. "S-Sorry Mashiro. Were you saying something…?"

She nodded. "I-I was saying that we found a nice cafe, but, erm, Tsurugi got impatient and went inside, and Ichika followed her…"

Oh.

Tsurugi. In a store. Basically unsupervised.

As soon as that thought crossed her mind, Hasumi muttered a very unladylike curse out of Mashiro's earshot, before she hurriedly jogged to the cafe with the younger girl following meekly behind her.

It only took a few seconds for her to get there and push open the doors, where she was greeted to a… Well, it was certainly a sight.

She saw Tsurugi first, who was leaning forward in front of a counter and making very, very disturbed and animalistic noises to a very frightened looking young man, who was comically holding an entire chair up at her, as if he were keeping a feral animal at bay instead of a high school girl.

As for Ichika, she was simply sitting idly at one of the tables, watching the distressing events play out with her usual relaxed smile while she had various cakes and teas platted out in front of her, with a cup in hand. She even turned to Hasumi and waved at her, remaining unphased when the Vice-Chairwoman shot her a glare in response and simply sipped her drink.

With another sigh, Hasumi calmly walked up to the exalted Chairwoman of the Justice Task Force. The terrified young man looked at her with a silent plea in his eyes, and she gave him a nod as she placed a hand on Tsurugi's shoulder.

"... Hmmm?" Tsurugi's eyes darted to her right hand woman, and her expression shifted to something less… disturbing. "Oh, Hasumi. When did you get here?"

"S-She can talk?!" The young man exclaimed in complete shock, the wooden chair still held firmly in his grasp as his eyes darted back and forth between the two women.

"Tsurugi." Hasumi said calmly. "Why don't you go sit at the table with Ichika and Mashiro?" She gestured to the table, where the two sat and waved, though the youngest definitely looked more concerned than anything else. "I'll be with you shortly, alright?"

"... Oh. Okay." Tsurugi responded simply, and plainly walked back to the round table as if nothing had happened at all. Hasumi had to physically resist the urge to rub her forehead, instead turning her attention to the unfortunate young man, who still looked positively frightened and bewildered by what had just happened.

"I am… terribly sorry about this." Hasumi began, her tone apologetic while maintaining her grace. "I assure you, our Chairwoman didn't mean you any harm. She simply has… difficulty communicating with others outside of the Justice Task Force."

"... R-Right." The young man slowly lowered the chair, visibly calming down from her much more polite demeanor. "I-I'll take your word for it, miss…?"

"Hasumi." She said with a polite smile and gave him a slight bow. "I'm the Vice-Chairwoman of the Justice Task Force from Trinity High."

"O-Oh, it's nice to meet you… Hasumi." The young man greeted her, though his face was noticeably more embarrassed and blushed, as opposed to the pure fear he had shown with Tsurugi. "Erm, is there anything I can get you?"

"No thank you. It seems Ichika has already done that in advance." Hasumi replied courteously. "Though I'll inform you if I change my mind. Have a pleasant day."

"Y-You too…" The young man waved her away, and Hasumi turned and sauntered to the table, properly taking her seat and letting out another sigh, though soon her crimson gaze was focused entirely on Ichika, who still sat without a care in the world.

"You." Hasumi curtly addressed her, earning Ichika's delighted attention. "Why did you simply sit there and allow that situation to play out?"

"My, I thought you were familiar with manners, Hasumi?" Ichika said casually, as she took a bite of chocolate cake. Hasumi had to do her best to keep her gaze on Ichika, and not the delicious treat sitting right in front of her. "When a predator is staking out its prey, is it not rude for another to encroach on its territory?"

Hasumi raised an eyebrow at her. "What are you talking about?"

"I'm surprised you haven't noticed it by now. Must I spell it out for you?" Ichika said, her tone turning sly, which only furthered to annoy Hasumi. "Our exalted Chairwoman just so happened to fancy the man behind the counter. She couldn't muster the courage to speak to him, so I did what a friend should do and gave her encouragement."

Hasumi blinked, her eyes widening in surprise. She turned her gaze to Tsurugi, and she finally noticed that the woman had her head in her hands, her face a beet red as her mouth trembled from an apparent failure.

"... Oh."

"Indeed." Ichika giggled.

"Huh? Tsurugi has a crush on someone?" Mashiro tilted her head, though she quickly shrank when the Chairwoman glared at her. "E-Erm, I mean… Uh…"

"As you can see, the attempt at romance… Didn't pan out so well." Ichika took a sip of her tea, then gave Hasumi a positively snide look. "Then, to rub salt in the wound, our prestigious Vice-Chairwoman goes and steals his heart with a simple conversation. Honestly, that's so very rude of you, Hasumi." She paused, giving Hasumi a few seconds to process what was just said, before adding. "And before you protest, I would like to add that he's been staring at you since you left."

Hasumi's eyes widened, and she quickly glanced behind herself. The young man may as well have jumped out of skin when he was caught gawking at Hasumi, and he quickly left to go do something from behind the store, his face a beet red all the while.

"Oh yes, he's positively infatuated with you." Ichika said smugly, as Hasumi looked back at her in horror. "Our beloved Chairwoman has been left with a broken heart, as you've callously stolen a man from her without even trying. Isn't that simply rude?"

"I-I…" Hasumi was at a complete loss for words, as she kept looking between the giggling Ichika and the humiliated Tsurugi. All the while, Mashiro sat awkwardly, not daring to approach a topic as… sensitive as this. "T-Tsurugi… Tsurugi, listen… T-This… This was most certainly not my intention…!"

"Oh, of course it wasn't." Ichika chimed in. "Your natural charm and stunning beauty just makes it effortless to ensnare a man's heart. That's not to say Tsurugi doesn't have her own attractive factors, but you, Hasumi, have everything that a man could love…"

"Ichika…"

"I mean, from those heaving breasts, to your thick thighs and the black lace, along with your silky smooth voice, how could any sensible man not swoon over you?"

"I-Ichika…!"

"One can only imagine what's going on in that young man's head? More than likely, he's entertaining all of the various ways he can bend you over a table and—"

"Ichika!"

Hasumi stood up, her face beet red as she glared at the smug girl. All she did was merely giggled into her cup, while Mashiro frantically looked between the two as it seemed Hasumi was a step away from throwing her through a window right there.

"H-Hey, aren't we supposed to be relaxing today…?" The young girl meekly brought up. "W-We shouldn't be fighting. Please don't fight…"

"... There won't be a fight." Hasumi said calmly, as she let out a sigh and went back to her seat. "Nor will there be more crude language and inappropriate remarks from you, right Ichika?"

"Oh, most certainly." Ichika agreed, her cheerful demeanor never once faltering. "After all, I do believe our Chairwoman could use some encouragement right now."

Well, Ichika was at least right about that. Hasumi turned her gaze back to Tsurugi, who had her head firmly in her arms while muttering to herself. She gave the girl an apologetic look, as she gently placed her hand atop her head. "Tsurugi…?"

"Mmm…" Tsurugi slowly lifted her head up, showing her tearful eyes and trembling lips, a sight that made Hasumi feel much, much worse than before.

"... I'm sorry. Truly." She said caringly, petting her head in an effort to comfort her disheartened Chairwoman. "I didn't mean for this to happen. Had I known, I would have stayed my course, but… Alas, I encroached on your 'hunting grounds', as it were."

Tsurugi sniffled, wiping her eyes with her sleeve. "He… He was afraid of me. I messed up… I'm not even pretty…"

"Don't say that. You're beautiful." Hasumi encouraged her. "It's just your… communication skills that need some more practice. I'm sure you can earn his affection if you show him more of your wonderful personality. There are plenty of men who adore shy, feminine girls."

"... Not even feminine, though…" Tsurugi grumbled to herself, leaning into Hasumi's headpats like a puppy. "You got it all figured out, Hasumi. You're so charming, polite, and feminine too. Your body is pretty hot too… No wonder he fell for you…"

"I… Thank you…?" Hasumi replied awkwardly, then glared when Ichika laughed to herself. "B-But even so, you shouldn't despair over a single failure. There's plenty of men in Kivotos, and I'm certain there are some who would adore you."

"... You really think so…?" Tsurugi asked, and Hasumi simply smiled.

"I know it to be so. You're a beautiful, wonderful person."

"Hmmm…" Tsurugi's mood seemed to finally be lifted, as she smiled and purred like a cat. Hasumi sighed in relief.

"Aw, that's just sweet." Ichika commented. "Now then, Hasumi, why don't you help yourself to some sweets to help alleviate the stress?" As she said that, she pushed a plate of chocolate cake her way. "It's delicious, and it'd be a waste to have it go stale."

"I…" Hasumi stared at the cake slice, her eyes wavering and fists clenching. She could practically hear her stomach crave the sugary treat, which caused her to look away. "I-I shouldn't, I'm still on a diet…!"

"Come now, one slice of cake isn't going to be the end of you." Ichika encouraged her, pushing the plate closer and closer. "Besides, we're supposed to be treating ourselves today, and what's a better treat than this?"

Hasumi pressed her mouth into a thin line, her crimson eyes glancing back at the plate of cake, looking at it as if it were a demon tempting her with a forbidden fruit. She shook, sweat pouring down her face as her willpower began to crumble.

Perhaps… It wouldn't hurt to have one slice… Right…?

BOOOOOOM!

Before Hasumi could entertain that thought a second longer, the entire cafe was quite literally shaken as the front of the shop was blown to pieces. All four members of the Justice Task Force stopped what they were doing, their eyes locked onto the various members of the Helmet Gang pouring their way inside.

"What's up losers?! Give us all your stuff!" A particular familiar face, the red-haired Rabu, confidently made her way in with an assault rifle over her shoulder. "Do as we say and we'll only blow half the place to smithereens! We promise!"

The Justice Task Force sat for a moment, then they silently exchanged looks with each other.

They knew what needed to be done.

"How quaint. A couple of brutes just looking to be corrected…" said Hasumi, as she brought out her sniper rifle.

"Oh my. What kind of senseless people blow up a simple cafe? This won't stand at all." Ichika clicked her tongue, as she loaded her assault rifle.

"Woohoo! More crooks to blow up!" cheered Mashiro, as she slung over her rifle.

"... Heeeheee… AHAHAHAAHA! I'M GONNA DESTROY ALL OF YOU!" Tsurugi laughed maniacally, as she started firing her shotgun.

"... CRAAAAAAAAAAAP! IT'S THE JUSTICE TASK FOOOOOOORCE!" Rabu cried out as she and her fellow gangsters quickly ran out of the shop, with the Justice Task Force eagerly giving chase to their newest prey.

Certainly, the Tea Party wouldn't be mad at them for this, right?