"So from now on… you're mine?"
Hearing that, Hayashi couldn't help but feel that something was a little off.
Wasn't she just joining his squad as a subordinate?
Why did it sound like she'd just married him or something?
There was a strange, awkwardly intimate vibe to it all…
Of course, those thoughts stayed firmly in his head. He didn't say any of it out loud.
"Since I'm officially part of your team now," Ilhei leaned in closer, her refined and beautiful face lit up with a lively, adorable smile.
"Please take good care of me from now on, Hayashi."
She was dazzling.
Brighter than the sunlight outside the window.
So radiant it almost looked like she was glowing.
"…Sure."
Hayashi froze for a split second.
For just an instant, he could've sworn there was some kind of holy light shining behind the pink-haired beauty.
Before he even realized what he was doing, his hand moved on instinct—
And gently ruffled her head.
Soft.
Warm.
The sensation traveled straight up his palm.
Only then did Hayashi snap back to reality.
"Ah—sorry, sorry!" He quickly pulled his hand back, an apologetic look on his face.
"I was spacing out just now. Didn't mean to do that."
"It's okay~"
Ilhei shook her head, cheeks slightly flushed, her voice quiet and gentle.
As the warmth left the top of her head, she instinctively reached out and grabbed Hayashi's hand.
"It's really okay," she said softly.
She looked up at him, her clear, beautiful eyes filled with expectation and a hint of pleading.
She didn't seem bothered at all.
If anything… she looked like she enjoyed it.
"…Alright."
Realizing that, Hayashi nodded and placed his hand back on her head.
He gently stroked her soft, smooth hair.
A faint, sweet fragrance drifted through the air.
It was subtle, soothing — surprisingly comforting.
Not only Hayashi —
Ilhei lowered her head slightly, eyes half-closed, a small look of satisfaction on her face.
After enjoying that quiet moment for a bit, the two of them took the elevator and left the underground area.
"You already know everyone on my team,"Hayashi said casually inside the elevator."So I don't need to introduce them again, right?"
"No need," Ilhei replied with a bright smile. "We can just go see them directly."
It was hard to believe.
A half-human with absurd physical abilities. A living reaper who harvested ghouls with ease.
Someone with so many terrifying titles—
Was actually a sweet, airheaded beauty.
The world really was strange.
Shaking his head helplessly, Hayashi stepped into the office with her.
The moment they entered, it was chaos.
The office was packed with investigators in white uniforms.
Red banners were hanging from the ceiling.
The entire place looked like it was celebrating a major holiday.
"…Is it New Year's already?" Hayashi muttered instinctively.
This kind of decoration usually meant only one thing.
"Hayashi! You finally showed up!"
"Yeah, we've been waiting forever!"
"What took you so long?"
The moment they saw him, several people started complaining loudly.
"…Why were you waiting for me?" Hayashi asked, completely confused.
"We're celebrating!"
"Celebrating your promotion to Special Class Investigator!"
"It's been years since headquarters produced another one!"
"And you defeated the One-Eyed Owl!"
"That's right, let's celebrate properly!"
With that, everyone crowded around him, excitement running high.
"Huh?"
Before Hayashi could react, he was completely surrounded.
His eyes scanned the room, searching for familiar faces.
The first ones he spotted were the twin sisters, desperately trying to squeeze through the crowd.
Then there was Akira, sitting off to the side, calmly working through paperwork like the chaos didn't exist.
But the most eye-catching of all—
Suzuya, standing on top of a desk, waving his arms and cheering along with everyone.
After things got noisy for a while, the office door suddenly opened.
A serious-looking investigator with glasses stepped in and announced that an official commendation ceremony would be held tomorrow.
Everyone was ordered back to work.
Only then did things finally calm down.
After a bit more lingering excitement, everyone reluctantly returned to their usual dull routines.
"…Finally quiet."
Once the office cleared out, Hayashi collapsed into his chair and let out a long breath.
"Senpai! Senpai!" Suzuya hopped down from the desk, eyes sparkling.
"After this, you're officially a Special Class Investigator!"
"Yeah," Hayashi replied, looking up. "And?"
"Well—doesn't that mean you can freely enter any area in headquarters now?"
Suzuya rocked back and forth, visibly excited.
"…Just say what you want to say."
Seeing that expression, Hayashi already knew nothing good was coming.
Every time Suzuya looked like this, he was plotting something.
"Well," Suzuya clasped his hands together, bowing slightly, his cute face full of sincerity.
"Could you take me to Cochlea?"
"I heard there are a lot of ghouls locked up there. I just want to look. I swear I won't do anything. I just want to see them."
"..."
As expected—absolutely no good intentions.
Still, Hayashi didn't mind much.
As long as he kept an eye on Suzuya, nothing too crazy would happen.
And honestly… He was curious too.
Some of the old, infamous ghouls were locked up down there.
After thinking for a moment, he nodded.
"Awesome!"
Suzuya immediately jumped up, practically glowing with excitement.
"Next week," Hayashi said, checking his watch as he stood up. "I'll take you."
"Senpai, you're such a good person — like, really good!"
Suzuya grinned happily.
Hayashi then turned toward the twin sisters.
Before he could speak, they nodded.
"Go handle your business, Hayashi," Nashiro and Kurona said while holding their documents.
"We'll take care of things here."
"Thanks."
Hayashi nodded, genuinely relieved.
They weren't especially strong, but they were reliable—and that mattered.
"You stay here and get settled,"he said, ruffling Ilhei's hair again."I've got something to take care of."
"Okay~"
Ilhei narrowed her eyes contentedly, clearly enjoying it.
Once everything was handled, Hayashi left CCG headquarters.
Breathing in the fresh air outside, he felt completely refreshed.
Seriously — nothing felt better than being free of work.
Stretching lazily and rolling his shoulders, Hayashi smiled.
Alright.
Next up — time to keep an appointment.
But then a problem hit him.
…Where exactly was he supposed to find Eto?
They hadn't exchanged contact information.
So where was he supposed to look?
As he pondered that, a figure suddenly flashed through his mind.
Hayashi's eyes lit up.
"Got it," he muttered with a grin. "If it's him, I'll definitely find her."