008 - Izumo Inn (Part 3)

For one Sahashi Minato, life hasn't been the simplest for quite a while now. Since a girl fell from the sky and he got wrapped up into this strange shadow war called the Sekirei Plan that seems to have come straight from the plot of a light novel, to be precise. It's been one bizarre event coming out of nowhere after another, leaving him reacting as he best could and feeling like a drowning man struggling to keep his head above water in the middle of a storm.

Now, don't get him wrong, he's not unhappy about his life. But it's all so complicated, and intense, and scary. He's not some hero out of a fairytale who can do amazing things and save the day, just a ronin failure trying to get into uni. And now he's supposed to find his way around a life and death struggle for the lives of his Sekirei? That's too much for him!

And he has nobody to talk about this with, not really.

Sure, Seo-san is around, but… It's Seo-san.

And now, in the most recent twist reveal of his bizarre life, it turns out his new residence is actually filled with Sekirei and people in the know. Including Matsu-san, who was a secret resident he didn't even know about. And apparently might be reacting to him too? She's acting coy for some reason and he doesn't really know what to think.

It's a relief that he won't need to keep stressing himself about secrecy, but it also hurts a bit that they keep it a secret from him. Which doesn't really make sense, but that's how he feels anyway.

"Are you feeling alright, darling?" Tsukiumi pulls him out of his contemplation, carefully watching him with a small worried frown on her face. "You seem rather… Spaced out tonight."

"S-sorry, I think I ate too quickly." He quickly gives out the first excuse that comes to mind. "I'm feeling a bit stuffed, is all."

"Oh dear, you should take it easy for a bit." Asama-san suggests, a hand on her cheek and a kind voice that brookers no argument. "How about you go lie down for a spot?"

"I… Sure, I think I'll do that." Minato feels a bit guilty about leaving without helping clean the table first, but he is feeling like being alone for a bit, and trying to argue with Asama-san is a fool's errand anyway. "Thank you, Asama-san."

"Ufufu~ Think nothing of it."

"Awwww…" Musubi's disappointed pout immediately makes him feel guilty again. "But I wanted to play with Ashikabi-sama!"

"Don't worry, Musubi-chan, I'm sure Minato-san will be up for some games after a short nap." "In the meanwhile, how about you help me with the dishes? If we are done quickly, maybe we can even have a small spar afterwards."

"A spar with Landlady-san?" Musubi, bless her simple and cheerful heart, doesn't really need any more convincing. "Yay!"

One of the dumbest things a Sekirei can do is to infringe into Asama Miya's territory. That is to say, things are perfectly fine if one just peacefully wanders around the North side of Shinto Teito, but causing trouble involves a very real risk of Termination by Smiling Old Lady. And it takes a special kind of suicidal idiot to try to infiltrate her actual home.

Especially when she's generally welcoming to any guest observing basic manners and knocking on the door.

But, well… Nobody ever accused Yahan of being smart. And she has the very distinct advantage of an entire plane of existence only she can perceive or interact with.

It was just a coincidence that she was around here today, having thought about checking out the place on a whim and only deciding to stay when she noticed Izumo Inn was having guests over. But boy oh boy, did her curiosity pay off! She learned about all sorts of neat stuff!

The fact that Asama Miya runs some sort of Ashikabi shelter doesn't really come as a surprise, though the fact that she also welcomed the Sahashi boy… Well, that certainly is. Who allows an Ashikabi, especially a strong one who already has Winged three Sekirei -And is well on his way to snag a fourth one, if Number Two's behavior during the meal is any indication- live somewhere that many lost and vulnerable Sekirei would consider a safe haven?

It's like letting the fox into the henhouse!

And there's no way that was an accident! Maybe her wild theories about Sahashi Minato being more than meets the eye weren't so wild, after all? Is Asama Miya in on whatever's going on here? The plot thickens when he leaves the dinner table after their meal and the quiet giant that's the visiting Ashikabi excuses himself to go after him.

That's the same guy that helped around during the Green Girl incident! Is he part of whatever conspiracy is going on? Is he secretly a ruthless killer planning to remove a rival as soon as they are alone? Is this a secret forbidden romance between two star-crossed lovers?

Inquisitive minds -Yahan's, mainly- want to know!

…

She may or may not have gotten lost in her own (delusions) fantasies for a moment there because, by the time she catches up with the two of them, they seem to have gotten in an awful serious mood, talking about…

"But what does it mean, Yasutora-san?" The Sahashi boy is asking with frustrated intensity "What is an Ashikabi supposed to do!?"

… Oh. That's rather heavy stuff they're discussing, huh. Now Yahan feels a bit bad about intruding.

…

…

…

Pfffff—! As if, she can't even say that with a straight face.

"It… sometimes I wonder what am I even doing here." The Sahashi boy continues, shrinking down on himself with a long-drawn sigh. "They are so incredible and can do so many amazing things, so… what do they even need me for?"

"Makes you feel useless." The hunk nods slowly. "That you're just dragging them down."

His voice is a low and deep rumble that makes Yahan's ribcage rattle in all the nicest ways. And that's saying something, Yahan didn't even know one's ribcage could rattle nicely.

Still, she frowns at what she's hearing. Because really, she was expecting more of these two. There isn't any need to think so hard about this stuff. Sekirei fight for their Ashikabi, it's just the way it is. There's no need for them to be useful, it's fine even if an Ashikabi ends up dragging down their Sekirei, because that's what they want.

Maybe, if they were something other than Sekirei, they would want something different out of life. But they are Sekirei, and thus they want an Ashikabi. It's the most important, precious thing in the world, after all. Of course they'll dedicate all their incredible and amazing talents to the task of securing one!

"I just want to know that I'm more than the butt of a joke, or a mere prize to be claimed." The Sahashi boy mutters despondently. "That there's a point to being an Ashikabi."

That… oh. That's…

Way to just throw Yahan's words back at her face, huh.

And he even makes a good point, so she can't even get angry.

Huh.

Is this she's experiencing right now what they call 'to feel like a heel'? It isn't a nice feeling at all, she doesn't like it.

"The Sekirei are strong and beautiful, and sometimes it may seem to us like they don't need us at all, that there's nothing we can contribute." The hunk continues speaking on that slow, deep and gentle voice of his. "But that's not true at all. Sekirei are lost on their own, cast adrift without direction. They need… love, affection, care. That's our task as their Ashikabi. To give them a place for them to belong to, a reason to live, a sense of worth."

Yes, yes, yes! That's exactly what Yahan was thinking earlier! Just, you know, phrased without sounding like a heel!

And wow, that might be the longest Yahan has ever heard the hunk say in a single go in all her (stalking) investigating Chad so far. It feels kinda nice, the slow rumbling voice wrapping around her like a warm blanket around her soul.

Or something like that. She's a pervert, not a poet.

"You make it sound so simple…" The Sahashi boy mutters morosely.

Hmmm…

"It is simple." Chad answers, gently but firmly. "That doesn't mean it's easy."

Yahan's heart beats faster.

"Haha… Maybe you are right." Sahashi boy scratches the back of his head and lets out a meek chuckle. "I guess I'm just feeling… Overwhelmed by this all. I didn't ask for it."

Hmmm….

"They didn't ask to react to you either. Sometimes, things just happen in life. The only choice we have is what to do about them." Chad points out gently, in that stupidly deep and rumbly voice of his. "And the right thing to do won't change just because it's inconvenient."

In her personal pocket dimension, hidden away in shadows, Yahan's thighs distractedly grind together.

"But I'm not strong." Sahashi-boy protests.

Hmmm…..!

"These arms of mine can bench-press a semi-truck. These fists of mine can shatter concrete." Chad explains, clenching and unclenching his huge hands as if to demonstrate. "And yet, compared with the strength of a Sekirei… that means nothing. Sometimes it makes me feel pathetic."

Shit, Yahan knew Chad was strong, but that's… Can a human really get that strong? Mommy likey~!

Sahashi-boy makes some inane comment or another, Yahan isn't really paying attention anymore.

"But it's not strength of the body that your Sekirei require of you, they are plenty strong already." Chad continues, using his index finger to poke at Sahashi-boy's heart. "They need this."

"My…chest?" What the hell, Sahashi-boy! How thick can you possibly get!

"Strength of heart, strength of conviction, strength to love and never leave them behind."

"...Oh"

Reaching this point, Yahan has to force herself to look away and slip deeper into the shadows before she does something unwise. Like, say, pounce out of her shadows to claim a certain someone's lips. Which maybe she could get away with, but then she'd have to explain to Asama Fucking Miya what she was doing in her home uninvited and that thought alone is enough to cut right through the veils of lust clouding her mind more effectively than a bucket of ice water.

But that's fine, because Yahan has decided!

She's held suspicions that one of these two might be her Destined One ever since she first met them, but she wasn't really sure. She wasn't sure whether she was feeling the first stages of Reacting back then or it was just her usual overactive libido getting particularly stoked around the cutie and the hunk. Heck, she wasn't even sure which one of them was the one she was interested in!

Winging isn't one of these things where you can just be greedy and choose both. But this conversation has worked wonders to solve her dilemmas.

For one, she's definitely Reacting.

For another… it's not towards Sahashi-boy.

Now, don't get her wrong, she's not going to begrudge the boy his doubts. They were all perfectly valid concerns, Yahan can see how someone that's less awesome than herself might get troubled by them. But damn if his words didn't feel like childish whining to her ears. And that's kind of a dead giveaway.

Reacting makes a Sekirei dumb, in a kinda-sorta good way.

It predisposes them towards seeing their potential Ashikabi under a good light, not really forcing their hand -at least until it reaches the more advanced stages- but certainly making their future mate more appealing to them. So there she was, listening to the two of them talk and frowning at how whiny Sahashi-boy was acting while soaking her panties every time she heard Chad's rumbly, smoking sexy voice.

That's kind of a dead giveaway.

Which is a bit of a shame because she still thinks the whole game is rigged in favor of Sahashi-boy, but the heart wants what the heart wills. Looks like Yahan will be throwing her lot with an underdog. And, hey! As far as underdogs go, Chad is probably the best! Nah, scratch that, he's the best!

Yahan has been (stalking) investigating all the top dogs of Shinto Teito and she can't really see herself joining forces with anyone else.

Sahashi-boy? She'd die of cringe. Or she'll make a lewd joke too many and that straight-laced watergirl will drown in her sleep, Yahan gives it about even odds.

Sanada? He's handsome enough and he wears the rugged biker look well, but Yahan wouldn't fit. She's not a loli, nor a murderous psycho. The guy's flock is kind of polarized.

Higa? She'd rather bathe in razor blades and lemon juice than get anywhere near that slimy piece of shit.

Snowwolf? Eh… maybe if she had figured out the identity of their Ashikabi, she would consider it. But she never did so it's kind of a moot point.

The handyman of doom? Yahan might've just puked a bit inside her own mouth, just considering the option.

Now, she just needs to find a way of convincing Sousuke that joining Chad with her is in his best interest. Their relationship might've started off as an alliance of convenience, but she's grown fond of the beefcake cutie. She doesn't want to leave him behind. And it's not like the shut-in will ever find an Ashikabi on his own when he refuses to ever leave his workshop…

An alarm clock beeps insistently, it has been beeping for a while now, actually. The person it was supposed to alert has been having a few rough days and finds himself reluctant to wake up. But a machine doesn't understand exhaustion, it doesn't understand procrastination. It simply fulfills its purpose, until they're either acknowledged or their source of power dies down.

With a frustrated groan and the sound of rustling cloth, Homura finally pries himself away from his futon and turns off the clock. Glaring at the infernal contraption, he notes the time and lets out another groan. It's late, even for him. He probably missed dinner.

It's rare that he lets things drag on this much, but the last few nights have been rather intense and he can't quite summon the usual energy to get out of bed. Actually, it's happening more and more often as he tries to keep up with the escalating pace of the Sekirei Project. It used to be that only a few unwinged Sekirei needed to have an eye on them, but more and more batches are being released and that means more and more work for him.

And things will only continue getting worse as every Sekirei gets released, before getting better once they start finding their destined wings. The approaching winter making the night grow longer probably isn't helping any, either. Sure, he could relieve some pressure by quitting his job as a host, but that would bring its own host of troubles.

Unwinged Sekirei like him don't have access to their MBI cards, which would impact his resources. It would also take away his most convenient excuse to meet up with his contact within MBI. And, more important than anything else, it would mean giving up his own attempts at finding an Ashikabi of his own. Which might actually be a good idea, considering his curse.

But, in spite of… everything, he's not quite ready to do that. He will probably never be.

Case is, it doesn't matter how strong Sekirei physiology is, everything has a limit and he's slowly but steadily reaching it. This lifestyle is gradually killing him.

… (He's not sure he even cares.)

Shaking his head to dispel unpleasant thoughts, he gets ready for a new day. Showering, getting dressed, putting up makeup… Working as a host means a lot of effort goes into taking care of his appearance, even when one is lucky enough to boast good looks. By the time he's ready, the clock has marched another half an hour and he can only glare at it balefully while mentally kissing goodbye to any chances of at least catching the tail end of the meal.

Again.

… It might be for the best, that way Miya won't have any excuses to try and make him sit down to waste a time he doesn't have. Besides, it gives him an excuse to avoid Takami's son too.

(He doesn't actually mean that)

Grabbing his jacket, he finally leaves his room and makes his way towards the exit with hurried steps, intent on leaving only behind some quick words of farewell before disappearing into the night.

"Miya, I'm leaving!" He calls over his shoulder as he walks past the dining room. "Sorry about running like this again, but it's getting late and—"

The words get stuck in his throat when he catches sight of two young men emerging from the opposite corridor.

One of them is none other than Sahashi Minato, Takami's son and his other reason to avoid hanging around Izumo Inn as much as possible. As much as he admires Miya's resolve to fulfill her departed husband's wish and make Izumo Inn a place that never turns down those who need it… Her decision to invite a powerful Ashikabi into a place that's supposed to be a sanctuary for unwinged Sekirei is still frustrating.

A part of him is worried she's just doing it in hopes he'd finally react to someone and get his wings. He's not even sure how he should react if that turns out to be true. But this is a dilemma he's struggled with for a while now and given up on getting a clear answer to.

It's the other man that holds his attention -and wariness- right now.

A tanned giant of a man, built like a brick outhouse. His eyes are hidden under a mass of unruly hair, causing one's gaze to be drawn to his strong jaw instead. This is the man who lectured him back during the Green Girl incident. A glance around the room lets Homura finally notice the man's flock is here with him.

Number 72, Natsu. Number 05, Mutsu… And one more he never saw back at the botanical park, but obviously is with them. Someone he has seen in the Unwinged Sekirei files he got from Takami. That's… Kaho, the Dancing Sekirei? He can't quite remember her number off the top of his head.

Reminding himself that they're under Miya's roof, he takes a deep breath and forces his body to uncoil. The situation still fills him with unease, but things won't develop into violence in this place. Or, if they do, such violence will be short-lived and very much one-sided.

Still…

"You." He finds himself blurting out. "What are you doing here?"

"Natsu got an invitation." The man answers calmly, either missing or dismissing Homura's tension. "And I wanted to check out on Kusano-chan."

A glance towards the girl in question finds her nestled on Uzume's lap, wearing an unfairly adorable eggplant costume and nodding happily at his words. Well that's… good, at least. That much is good. Maybe he's worrying for nothing, after all.

"Kagari-san?" Minato asks confusedly, trading glances between the man and him. "Do you know each other?"

"We have met." Homura answers slowly, sending the man a sharp glare to warn not to break his cover. Or else. "I didn't catch your name back then?"

"Yasutora Sado." The man introduces himself with a small nod. "They call me Chad."

"And quite the chad he is!" Another unknown woman chooses that moment to join in the conversation, walking out of the bathroom to wrap her arms around Minato's arm, practically engulfing the whole limb between her breasts. "Not as good as Mina-tan, but I wouldn't blame some starry-eyed young Sekirei if they started reacting to him out of nowhere! Just look at that chin!"

Long reddish-brown hair done in thick twin tails, mirthful maroon eyes studying him from behind glasses and a knowing smirk on her lips, as if she was aware of a joke nobody else got. Homura can easily recognize her from his files, both as an unwinged Sekirei who might need help and an extremely dangerous individual to be wary of. Number 02, Matsu. The Sekirei of Wisdom and second in command of the original Disciplinary Squad.

What's she doing here? Why is she hanging on Minato's arm like that? Why is she openly talking about Sekirei in the middle of Miya's dining room? And why is nobody -particularly Miya herself- commenting on it?

… What did he miss while he was sleeping?

"I have so many questions…" He finds himself muttering, turning his eyes towards the lady of the house in hopes of an explanation that helps him make sense of things. "Miya?"

"Nothing that needs your immediate attention, Kagari-san. But there have been some… developments." Miya shakes her head gently, the gesture somehow letting Homura relax a bit more. "We should probably have a small chat once you're back from your job tonight, if that's alright with you?"

"I… right, my job." Homura's eyes widen at the reminder. Right, he's late! All of this nearly made him forget the reason why he was hurrying up in the first place. "I need to leave now. See you in the morning?"

"Bye bye, Kagari-kun!" Number 02 waves a hand cheerfully as he turns away. "Keep an eye on your phone, I'll send you the cliff notes to tide you over until then!"

At the time, he doesn't pay much attention to these parting words, mixed as they are with everyone else's goodbyes, but that will change a couple hours later, when his phone suddenly receives a data package from an unknown sender.

"Summing it up, Matsu has been secretly living in a hidden room of the Izumo Inn even since she first escaped from MBI and might or might not be reacting to your son. Everyone in the Izumo Inn is now aware that everyone else is involved with the Plan and, in most cases, know about each other's true nature."

"In most cases?"

"I'm pretty sure Uzume and Minato aren't aware I'm a Sekirei yet, though I'm not sure how long that will hold in the later case, since Matsu's clearly interested in me. And only Matsu and myself seem to know about Miya's real identity as Number 01."

It's been a few hours since Homura left Izumo Inn. He did his best to focus on his job and, for a while, he almost managed to forget his worries while tending to the usual stream of attractive and affluent mature women who haven't felt hunger for a single day in their lives and yet are painfully starved in a different sense.

Most of them aren't even interested in pushing for anything beyond the advertised services of the host club and just wanting someone they can talk to. Someone they can open up about the little things nobody else in their lives seems to care about. It's strangely fulfilling, in a way, to play this role seems to help his mental state, in spite of the frustrating lack of Reaction.

That semblance of peace was utterly broken right as he was starting to get comfortable, with an upsetting data package from an unknown sender, that somehow got into his phone. When Takami happened to drop by mere minutes later, he gladly jumped at the excuse to reserve one of the private booths and unload on her.

"And this information just popped up on your phone out of nowhere?" Takami hums, the question clearly rhetorical as she distractedly plays with the liquid on her glass. "Yeah, that sounds like Matsu alright."

"I never gave her my phone number in the first place!" Homura protests with a not-quite-shout, not-quite-whine of indignant incredulity.

"Oh, Homura. If you think that's going to even mildly inconvenience Matsu…" Takami snorts, placing her glass back on the table without having taken it to her lips. "Well, you're still young. You weren't there when she single-handedly crashed the international stock market in the stretch of a single day, just to make a point."

As she reminisces on the early days of the Disciplinary Squad and MBI, Takami's expression loses a good deal of her usual hardness, softening into something that almost looks… fond and melancholic. Of course, the walls are right back up the moment she remembers Homura is watching.

"Setting aside the business with the Izumo Inn for now…" Homura pushes the conversation forward, wisely choosing not to comment on what he's just seen. "I'm more concerned with this Yasutora Chad. Once may be happenstance, twice may be coincidence, but I'm loath to wait until the third time to start looking for traces of Minaka's schemes. Did you find anything about him?"

"I only had a physical description until a moment ago, that's not much to work with." Takami huffs defensively. "But I went through all the registered Ashikabi files, just in case. I found nothing, and I'm positive the name Yasutora Sado wasn't listed at all."

"That's… It makes no sense." Homura finds himself muttering. He could understand if his description wasn't enough to locate him, maybe, but finding him through his name should be an easy task. "Wouldn't he happen to be under his pseudonym? Was there any 'Chad' in the list?"

"Is this a joke to you, Homura?" Takami growls, grabbing the glass again so violently that some droplets spill. "I'm not nearly drunk enough for that kind of humor."

"Do you really think I'm the kind to joke about this?" Homura fires back, equally frustrated. "But this certainly feels like a joke to Minaka, sometimes."

"That's… too true, I guess." Takami visibly tries to calm down, taking the glass to her lips before firmly shoving it back into the table without actually drinking anything. "No, I would remember a joke in poor taste like that either. I would remember if something like that was on the list."

"Maybe we are going about this the wrong way?" He tries next. "How about tracking his Sekirei instead? He has winged Natsu, Kaho and—"

"Number 87? Now that's a nostalgic number. That one has been a little ball of neuroses ever since that incident where we lost Number 07." Takami interrupts with an arched eyebrow. "I'll have to check them over in the system when I get back. But I cut you off before you could finish. Which one was the last one?"

"Mutsu." He answers, feeling a bit miffed about the interruption.

That puts an end to Takami's relaxed attitude, making her freeze in place for a moment before her eyes narrow. "... What did you say?"

"You heard me." Homura does take a sip out of his glass, finding maybe a tiny little bit too much enjoyment at the way it makes Takami's eyes narrow further. "Number 05, Mutsu. The Earth Sekirei."

"Homura… Number 05 hasn't been Winged yet." Takami shakes her head. "He's a member of the original Disciplinary Squad, we keep a very close eye on these things."

"I don't know what to tell you." Homura shrugs. "Mutsu has been either winged by Yasutora Chad or, for some unfathomable reason, chosen to pretend so."

"But that doesn't make any sense." Takami frowns again, grabbing the glass and distractedly pouring herself more, only to pull away with a curse when she very nearly overflows the still untouched drink. "What's even the point of pretending?"

"You tell me." Homura shakes his head. He can think of various potential reasonings, but… they are rather far-fetched. "Could the system be tricked? Maybe he was winged and MBI simply missed it?"

"Impossible, even Matsu would be hard-pressed to slip around our countermeasures." Takami waves a hand dismissively. "The only feasible way to interfere would be to use a higher access level to seal my… Shit."

The moment these words are spoken, Homura realizes exactly what the answer is with a sinking feeling. "Minaka shenanigans?"

"Minaka shenanigans." Takami confirms with a dismayed groan. "Of course it is."

They share a rare moment of perfect fellowship, silently cursing the erratic menace with all their souls. Unfortunately, soon the moment is broken by the sound of two simultaneous pings coming from both their phones. When they check them out, the same text message is displayed on both their screens.

'Took you long enough to figure it out, slowpokes! '

No sender again, which means Homura is rather confident on the source.

"Matsu?" Takami goes a step forward, actually taking a glance around the room in search of hidden cameras before speaking out loud into the air. "Would you care to come out here and repeat that to my face"

Their phones ping again, three times in quick succession.

'No way, Takami-chan is way too scary!'

'I'm still claiming Mina-tan's lips for myself, though!'

"Why, you little—"

Before Takami can gather steam, their phones ping one last time.

'New Data Package received.'

It's indeed a new data package, this one about Chad… and about a certain 'Star Student Program'. A supposed scholarship system that MBI set into motion as part of the administrative measures they launched after the acquisition of Shinto Teito, ostensibly just to fulfill their responsibilities as the city's new government body.

In truth, this project was spearheaded by Minaka himself and rather secretive once one moved past the outer layers of misdirection and camouflage. All the potential 'Star Students' were carefully vetted through various tests and trials that went over Homura's head but didn't seem to have anything to do with their academic potential.

Going by Takami's own comments and muttered curses, some of them were tests designed to detect potential Ashikabi. Some others were failed tests, tried but discarded because they couldn't reliably detect potential Ashikabi. And yet some others that not even Takami seemed to know how to make heads or tails of.

It took them far too long to go through everything in the files and make sense of it. In the end, they didn't get as much as they would've liked, but a couple of things were clear. For one, Minaka was playing secret games once again, this time leaving even Takami in the dark. For another, one of the Star Students turned out to be an Ashikabi of great potential, so they had reason to pay a closer look to the rest of them, just in case.

"Well, I guess that's that." Takami finally slumps on the back of her chair, letting out a long-drawn sigh. "It's getting late even for me, we should call it a night here."

"Right." Homura automatically answers. And yet, he hesitates before getting up, taking another glance at Takami's form. He's been trying to avoid the elephant in the room, knowing Takami wouldn't appreciate the attention, but it looks like can't keep ignoring it anymore. He's worried. "Listen, I… How are you feeling? After the incident with Kusano…"

"I have bandages over half my body, including an eye that will be useless for the next week at the very least. I'm on so much pain medication I can barely feel the tips of my fingers and can't even taste a sip of alcohol without risking a violent reaction. And to top it off, I have to watch from afar while Minaka makes MBI collapse into chaos because doctor's orders say I can't work more than four fucking hours per day." Takami's voice starts off as a controlled growl, but it becomes steadily more and more agitated until she's practically shouting, before she deflates again into her seat. "Oh, wait, I also need to listen to the bastard telling me how I should be grateful that it wasn't worse. How do you think I feel?"

"Spiteful?"

"And petty like you wouldn't believe."

"Yikes."

"I hope Higa has good insurance." She mutters darkly. "Because it wouldn't be any fun to ruin his entire inheritance and whole career too fast."

Wisely, Homura chooses to take his leave at that point.