Shido ignored Mildred's shouts and bolted forward, but as he rounded a corner, he collided head-on with someone.
"My apologies," Shido quickly said, looking up to see a tall woman in her twenties standing before him.
"It's fine," the woman replied. However, after giving Shido a closer look, her expression turned to confusion. "Hey, you look familiar… Wait a minute! Aren't you the one who's always at the scene of spacequakes instead of evacuating? I've seen you there multiple times."
"Uh… well…" Shido stammered, unsure how to respond.
"Captain, stop him! Don't let him get away!" Mildred's voice rang out from behind. Mildred and Mikie soon caught up and stood beside Shido.
"Hold it," the woman said, blocking Shido's path. "Why are you running around in such a rush?"
"I have urgent business. Excuse me." Shido tried to sidestep her.
"Captain, this guy is a total pervert! He was harassing Mikie in the women's restroom earlier!" Mildred accused.
"What?" The tall woman's expression hardened as she grabbed Shido's arm.
Shido opened his mouth to explain, but Mikie spoke first. "There might be some misunderstanding. While his behavior is odd, I think he might have his reasons."
"Mikie, don't fall for his tricks," Mildred warned.
"Spill it. What's going on here?" the woman demanded in a commanding tone.
Seeing no way to dodge the question, Shido sighed and explained everything. "My sisters are working here, and I was worried they might be involved in… questionable activities. That's why I came to find them." Shido paused and looked at the three women. "Are you working here too? If so, I'd advise you to reconsider. Selling your body isn't worth it. But if you're determined, I have nothing else to say. Now, if you'll excuse me, I need to find my sisters." He attempted to leave again.
"What are you even saying?" Mildred grabbed Shido's shirt and glared at him. "Selling our bodies? Do you think I'd stoop so low? Or is that what you want me to do? Your perverted thoughts are beyond saving!"
"Uh?" Shido was dumbfounded. "Then why are you here?"
"To eat, obviously!" Mildred retorted.
"Eat? Wait, where is this place?" Shido asked, growing more confused.
"Seriously? You don't even know where you are? How did you even get in here?" Mildred looked at him incredulously.
"I…" Shido faltered, unsure of what to say.
"This is a restaurant," Mikie explained patiently.
"A restaurant?" Shido repeated, astonished. He immediately called Reine. "Hey, Reine, are you sure you teleported me to the right place?"
"Aside from a minor detail where you ended up in the women's restroom, everything else is accurate," Reine replied calmly.
"That's not a minor detail!" Shido sighed. "So Kotori and the others are working at this restaurant?"
"Yes," Reine confirmed.
Hearing this, Shido felt a mix of relief and confusion. While the situation wasn't as dire as he feared, Kotori's earlier comments still suggested something unusual. Was there more to this restaurant than it seemed?
"Hey, what are you muttering about over there?" Mildred asked suspiciously. "Don't even think about sneaking off!"
"Nothing, nothing," Shido replied, holding his forehead in frustration.
"Right, I forgot to introduce myself," the tall woman said. "I'm Ryouko Kusakabe, a captain in the Ground Self-Defense Force. We're here today to grab a meal."
"Oh, I'm Shido Itsuka," Shido said, nodding.
"Normally, I wouldn't get involved, but you've been acting so suspicious that I feel like I need to take action. Here's the deal: after we finish our meal, I'll take you in for questioning," Ryouko said with a sly grin.
"What?" Shido felt a sense of impending doom.
"Handcuff him," Ryouko ordered casually.
"Captain, isn't this a bit excessive?" Mikie asked hesitantly.
"Mikie, you're too soft. People like him need to be taught a lesson!" Mildred replied cheerfully as she slapped a pair of handcuffs on Shido.
The three women brought Shido to the restaurant's main hall and sat at an empty table.
"You just stay here and behave yourself. We'll deal with you after we're done eating," Mildred said smugly.
"This is ridiculous," Shido thought, feeling thoroughly humiliated as the other diners stared at him curiously.
At that moment, a girl in a uniform with twin ponytails approached their table, holding a menu.
"What can I get for you? Our restaurant specializes in…" She suddenly stopped mid-sentence, her eyes widening as she noticed Ryouko—and then Shido.
"Kotori?!" Shido almost blurted out.
"Oh, this guy?" Kotori asked, pointing at Shido.
"He's someone we apprehended. After our meal, we plan to take him in for questioning," Mildred explained.
"Sorry to pry, but what did he do?" Kotori asked, feigning innocence.
"He's a pervert. We caught him in the act of harassing a young girl. Why? Do you know him?" Mildred asked suspiciously.
"What?!" Kotori's eyes narrowed, and a wave of anger surged through her. "No, I don't know this pervert! Someone like him deserves to be punished thoroughly!" She shot Shido with a venomous glare.
Shido winced under her gaze. "This is hopeless. I can't even explain myself."
After taking the order, Kotori headed to the kitchen.
"Kotori, is something wrong? You don't look so good," Yoshino asked, noticing Kotori's sour expression.
"It's nothing," Kotori said hastily, handing the order to Natsumi. "This is for table five. Natsumi, your cooking is the best, so you handle it."
"Fine," Natsumi grumbled as she got to work.
"After it's ready, I'll deliver it myself," Kotori added. "Don't worry about it. Seeing a certain someone at that table might ruin your mood."
"Alright," Yoshino and the others agreed, though they were puzzled by Kotori's behavior.
Meanwhile, the girls bustled around the kitchen, cooking, delivering dishes, cleaning utensils, and serving customers with cheerful energy. Even Mukuro, with her less-than-stellar cooking skills, pitched in to help Mana, who was struggling with a particularly voracious table of diners.
Despite the flurry of activity, Kotori's mind remained on Shido: "What on earth are you up to this time?"