Ding-dong!
Just as Kaguya Shinomiya was quietly sinking into self-doubt over Yami Tsukishiro's achievements, a soft chime came from her pocket.
She reached inside and pulled out… a flip phone.
In an era where nearly everyone carried a smartphone, the sight of the eldest daughter of the Shinomiya Group using an old-fashioned clamshell model was oddly charming — and just a little surprising.
"…Father?"
Kaguya's eyes widened the moment she saw the sender's name.
It had been so long since she'd last heard from him. Ever since he'd gone into recovery for his illness, their communication had been almost nonexistent.
Her thumb hesitated before pressing the button to open the message.
The emotions swirling inside her were hard to put into words...excitement, apprehension, a faint sting of nostalgia.
"…"
Hayasaka Ai, standing nearby, didn't interrupt. She simply observed in silence as Kaguya's expression shifted before her eyes excitement, surprise, then a composed calm.
"Phew…"
Closing the phone with a soft snap, Kaguya exhaled slowly.
"Hayasaka… teach me how to make friends."
"Make friends? With who?"
"…With him. I want to be friends with Yami Tsukishiro… and teach him how to " She stopped herself, a faint blush coloring her cheeks. "...well, you'll see."
The rest of the day passed quickly.
"Yami, see you tomorrow!"
Under the warm glow of the setting sun, Yuigahama waved to him at the intersection before turning down her street.
The May weather had already grown warmer, and Yami had no desire to waste time walking home the long way.
Stepping into the shadow of a nearby alley, he vanished, slipping through the darkness and reappearing inside his own home an instant later.
After a quick shower and a change into lighter clothes, he headed for the kitchen, rolling up his sleeves to start on dinner.
Bzzzt!
Just as he reached for the ingredients, his phone buzzed on the counter.
"Unknown number," the screen read.
Still, he answered.
"Takina, come on, come on"
"Shh! Don't talk so loudly," a hurried, whispering voice cut in from the other end.
"…Both of them," Yami muttered to himself, recognizing it immediately.
There was no real surprise in his tone... he had given them his contact info. It was only a matter of time before they called.
"Ahem… Is this Mr. Yami Tsukishiro?" Takina Inoue's voice came through more clearly now, her tone turning politely formal.
"It's me."
"Mr. Tsukishiro, I have a message to deliver on behalf of my superiors."
"Go ahead."
"They're requesting your cooperation but only in one specific area. If you have information about this so-called 'World Rampage' and it's safe to share, they'd like you to pass it along so the global response can act in time. That's it."
Takina Inoue's tone was steady as she continued,
"As for the reward… they're prepared to meet any of your requests, as long as it doesn't cross their bottom line and they'll cooperate without conditions. LycoReco will serve as your communication channel and assist you fully."
"…Huh. That's… simpler than I expected."
Yami leaned back slightly, genuinely surprised. No strings, no catch and they'd grant his requests?
That was practically a free 'worldwide immunity pass.'
Fine by him.
After all, even if their terms had been more demanding, he'd have refused anything too troublesome anyway.
The less haggling required, the better. Sharing tidbits about the 'World Rampage' meant nothing to him.
"Alright, I understand. Let's do it. Send me LycoReco's address later."
"Mr. Tsukishiro… so you agree?!"
"Yeah. Now, if there's nothing else, I'm cooking dinner."
"Oh! R-right, you're busy!"
Beep… The call cut off.
"How'd it go?" Nishikigi Chisato leaned forward over the counter, eyes sparkling with curiosity.
"He agreed," Takina answered, patting her chest with relief. Mission accomplished perfectly.
"Tsk, tsk, tsk… sounds like the four of us are going to be 'serving' a superpowered guy from now on," Mizuki Nakahara drawled from her seat, swirling a half-empty wine glass.
The long-haired, glasses-wearing former DA intelligence officer gave a sly grin. She'd known Chisato for ages and never missed a chance to stir the pot.
Tonight, she'd been transferred to cover for Mika, and her nightly ritual of sipping wine and flipping through wedding magazines was already in full swing.
"Hey, don't say it like that," Walnut cut in, her blond wavy hair bouncing as she sat perched on a stool.
The petite hacker's voice was a mix of annoyance and embarrassment. "We're just cooperating with him. It's work."
Mizuki's smirk widened. "Oh, come on. Mika gets transferred out, and suddenly it's just the four of us girls left here? Don't tell me you don't see it. Sounds like someone's trying to 'gift wrap' us for the superpower."
The room fell quiet for a beat.
…When she put it like that, it was kind of suspicious.
"No way! We're assassins. The only thing we'd be 'cooperating' on is taking out targets, obviously," Takina protested. Despite her profession, she was still, at heart, an earnest and straightforward girl.
"Oh really?" Mizuki swirled her drink lazily. "You remember the exact wording, right? Do our utmost to fulfill all his requests."
"That doesn't sound like just 'take out bad guys' to me." She gave a wicked grin.
"Might be other… duties."
Takina's face immediately heated. "…What kind of duties?"
"Sleeping with him, maybe?" Mizuki said it so casually it made Takina choke on her own breath.
"He's good-looking, absurdly strong, tied to some world-ending event… If someone in power decided to sweeten the deal, I wouldn't be shocked."
Walnut's head snapped up. "…He wouldn't be into a loli like me, right?" She made an exaggerated horrified face.
"You? A loli?" Mizuki gave her a long, amused look. "Pfft… yeah, sure."
Chisato, meanwhile, had been quietly fiddling with her phone this entire time. Takina finally noticed and frowned. "Chisato… what are you doing?"
The redhead turned her phone around with the most innocent expression imaginable.
"Studying. You know… communication techniques. Between men and women. Gotta be prepared."
Takina blinked. Then registered what was playing on the screen.
It was… an anime-style video. Two characters. Alone. Doing very, very not work-appropriate things.
"AHHHHH!!!"
Takina's face went crimson instantly, steam practically rising from her head.
And thus, the LycoReco Café gained an extra flustered, overheating "steam girl" for the night.
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