"Origami, are you sure Shido is here?"
Standing outside the restaurant, Tohka asked with a tinge of doubt in her voice.
"Certainly," Origami replied flatly, her face emotionless.
"How can you be so sure?" Tohka questioned further.
"Women's intuition," Origami stated with complete confidence.
"Impressive. Master Origami truly lives up to her reputation," Yuzuru added with admiration.
With that, the group stepped into the restaurant.
"Welcome to our establishment! What can I get for you—"
"We're not here to eat. We're looking for someone—"
Neither side finished their sentences, as they suddenly recognized each other.
"Kotori?"
"Origami, Tohka, Kaguya, and Yuzuru? What are you doing here?" Kotori asked, surprised.
"I understand now," Origami said calmly.
"What do you understand? And Kotori, why are you here?" Tohka asked, puzzled.
"My companion, have you not realized it yet? Kotori and the others are working here," Kaguya declared confidently.
"Confirmation. That is indeed the case," Yuzuru added.
"Ohhh—" Tohka exclaimed as if she'd had an epiphany. "So you're all working here? We've been looking for you for ages!"
"Sorry to make you worry," Kotori replied with a smile.
"Where's Shido?" Tohka asked. "Origami said he's here."
"Um," Kotori's expression darkened as she thought of Shido. "No, no, Shido isn't here."
"Is that so?" Tohka replied, seemingly convinced. "Then we'll go look elsewhere."
"Shido is here. My intuition tells me so," Origami declared firmly.
"Huh?" Everyone stared at Origami in surprise.
Without another word, Origami walked directly to one of the tables.
The others followed her gaze and saw a familiar figure.
"Shido, you're here! That's a relief," Origami said, her voice unusually soft.
"Origami!" Shido exclaimed, unsure whether to feel relieved or anxious.
"Origami!"
"Origami-senpai!"
Mikie and the others were also surprised to see her. "What are you doing here?" they asked.
"Captain, Mikie, Mildred, what's going on here?" Origami asked, her tone steady but firm.
"This guy caused some trouble. We're planning to take him back for questioning," Mildred explained.
"I'll take him," Origami stated simply.
"But he's a pervert! He was harassing Mikie in the women's restroom earlier," Mildred protested. "Origami, you can't trust someone like him—"
"Is that so?" Origami interrupted.
"This might be a misunderstanding," Mikie interjected. "I think he's probably not a bad person."
"Mikie, why are you defending him?" Mildred asked incredulously.
"Origami, let me explain! This was all a mistake!" Shido pleaded.
"It's fine," Origami said dismissively, ignoring Shido's words. She turned to Mildred and the others. "He has the right to his freedom."
"Origami, don't be so quick to forgive him!" Shido muttered tearfully under his breath.
"Origami, are you really letting him off that easily?" Mildred asked. "We were hoping to help you teach him a lesson."
"Leave him to me," Origami said with unyielding determination.
"Fine," Mildred relented, albeit reluctantly. "Make sure to keep an eye on him. This guy has a habit of hitting on every girl he meets. Don't let him take advantage of you."
"I understand."
"Shido, what are you doing here?" Tohka and the others gathered around, peppering him with questions.
"And who are these girls?" Ryouko asked, looking at the group. "They look a bit familiar."
"They're my friends," Origami explained.
"Tohka!" Mikie exclaimed excitedly. After more than a year with no news of Tohka, she was overjoyed to see her again.
"Mikie?" Tohka recognized her friend and smiled brightly.
"So you and Origami-senpai are friends now? That's wonderful!" Mikie said happily.
"Yep, we're really close now," Tohka replied cheerfully.
"But in certain areas, we're still rivals," Origami added.
(Note: In the original timeline, Tohka and Mikie were good friends. Mikie was encouraged by Tohka during her tough times and always hoped Tohka and Origami would reconcile. While the rewritten timeline might imply they don't know each other, this portrayal assumes their original bond remains intact, as seen in Date A Strike.)
"Um, excuse me, but can we stop ignoring me now?" Shido interjected.
"Who said it's your turn to speak, you pervert?" Mildred said, giving Shido a light knock on the head.
"Shido, what's a pervert?" Tohka asked innocently.
"Well, it's, uh…" Shido fumbled for an explanation.
"Like this," Origami suddenly said, sliding one of her legs between Shido's handcuffed arms and forcefully lifting his hands upward, making them press against her.
"O-Origami?!" Shido stammered, flustered by the unexpected contact.
"What are you doing, Origami?" Tohka rushed forward, trying to separate them. However, Origami stood firm, her foot firmly planted, leaving Shido unable to free himself.
"I'm simply demonstrating what it means to be a pervert," Origami said matter-of-factly. She looked directly at Shido and continued, "Come on, Shido. Do to me what you supposedly did to Mikie. Pin me against the wall, tilt my chin up, breathe sweet nothings into my ear, slowly lift my skirt, and then—"
"Origami!" The surrounding crowd gasped in unison, staring at her as if she were a monster.
"Wait! I didn't do any of that to Mikie!" Shido shouted, his face red with embarrassment.
"Kukuku, flirting while handcuffed? Do you have masochistic tendencies?" Kaguya teased.
"Observation: Kaguya often wears handcuffs herself," Yuzuru quipped, referencing her Astral Dress.
"What's going on over there?" Yoshino asked, noticing the commotion. "Why is everyone gathering around?"
"Let's check it out," Natsumi suggested.
Yoshino, Natsumi, Mukuro, and Mana joined the crowd.
"Shido-san? What are you and Origami-san doing?" Yoshino asked, her cheeks turning red.
"To play like this in public, how shameless!" Yoshinon chimed in.
"What are you doing, my beloved?!" Mukuro exclaimed in shock.
"Oni-sama! You're such a disgrace!" Mana scolded.
"And in front of so many people, too!" Natsumi added.
"You stupid stag beetle!" Kotori shouted, kicking Shido to the floor.
Despite the chaos, Origami's stance remained unwavering, keeping Shido firmly trapped.
"Guys, listen to me!" Shido's desperate cries echoed through the restaurant.
From that day forward, another embarrassing rumor about Shido began to circulate. But that's a story for another time.
(Girls' Working End)
A.N:
Merry Christmas! Enjoy your time with your families and friends!