Illya scratched his head.
'Is she still... Typing? '
A full minute had passed since Illya had sent his response, and the three dots in Miyabi's speech bubble had yet to cease their dance.
'She's not typing a full essay, is she?"
Illya thought for a moment.
'Well, she did seem like the overly serious type...'
Taking another bite of the P!{} Illya shot a passing glance in the direction of the kitchen.
"Hey Rina~? You need any help?"
The Maid's calming voice echoed from the kitchen.
"That's quite alright, Master Illya. Your coffee will be ready in a few minutes, but please, enjoy the pie while it's still nice and hot."
Illya mentally shrugged and ate a bit more before turning his attention back to his phone screen-
And thankfully, the dots had ceased their dance.
[Nono]
[I just wanted to see if this was actually your number ykyk]
[Wyd rn??]
Illya blinked.
Was this really the Hoshimi Miyabi he had sparred against?
[Just eating rn]
[Wbu?]
This time, her response was almost instant.
[Pretty much nothing]
[H.A.N.D. gave S6 some time off since I'm recovering]
'Recovering...? From wha- Oh.'
[Oh shit]
[I completely forgot to check on u T-T]
[Are u ok?? Does ur head still hurt?]
Illya's fingers frantically moved across his phone's digital keypad, a guilty look marring his features.
[I'm finee]
[Harumasa overexaggerated my injury in his report to H.A.N.D. so we could get some time off ykyk]
[I felt fine an hour after our spar so dw abt it]
Illya let out a quiet sigh.
[I still feel kinda bad tho]
[Is there any way I could repay you?]
The other side went radio silent for a few moments.
Illya, thinking Miyabi was being polite, followed up with a few suggestions.
[I could treat u to a meal or buy u smth yk?]
[It's up to u tho]
-----------
"HOLY SHIT, DID THIS GUY JUST ASK CHIEF OUT??!"
Harumasa was having the time of his life, right now.
"It... kind of seems like it."
A complex look spread across Yanagi's face, the furrow of her brow betraying her uncertainty.
"Guys, what's happening? What should I do?"
The young Void Hunter, Hoshimi Miyabi, was genuinely baffled by the way everyone was reacting to Illya's rather off-handed comment.
Her tall ears twitched as she shot her two team members a pleading look.
Harumasa coughed into his fist.
"Ahem, Chief- Right now, we have two options."
He held up one finger.
"Accept his proposal for a meal-"
He held up his second finger.
"Or you ask him for another match."
Miyabi nodded.
"Got it, I'll ask him for another-"
"Whoa, Whoa, Whoa- That's not what I said!"
Harumasa sighed.
"Hear me out, Chief. Sure, your current goal is to schedule another match with Illya, but think about it-"
He leveled his gaze with hers.
"If you go out with him for a quick meal, you could form a closer relationship with him, one that'll make it easier to ask for more matches later on. Plus, you could always just ask him for a match after your meal!"
Miyabi thought for a moment.
"So... I should get food with him?"
Harumasa hesitated.
'It really does sound like I'm setting her up for a date...'
He shook his head.
"Ultimately, it's up to you. If you're direct, you could always just get food later, and vice versa."
Miyabi's ears drooped a bit as her brow furrowed.
"...Then-"
---------------------
[Would u be up for another training match?]
[It's been a while since I've been able to cut loose ykyk]
Illya smirked
'Figures.'
His response came a beat later.
[Sure]
[What days r u free?]
Miyabi's response was almost instant.
[It'll be easier if we plan around ur schedule, so could you pick a day~?]
He fell into thought, though, a voice caught his attention a moment later.
"Master Illya, your coffee."
Rina floated back over to him, a white steamy mug in hand.
"Ah, thanks."
Accepting the cup and taking a sip, Illya thought for a moment.
"Hey, Rina? Is there a day this week when all of you guys are going to be out?"
Rina sat down across from Illya and cut herself a piece of the P!{}.
"This Thursday, all of us will be going on an escort mission. Why?"
Illya shrugged.
"I'm gonna meet up with a friend, but neither of us could figure out a date. I just decided to pick a day when the house would be the quietest.
Rina smiled faintly as Illya began tapping away at his phone's keypad.
[Does this Thursday work, then?]
[Mhm! That works]
[Is there any time that's more convenient for u?]
[I'm fine with anything yk]
Illya mentally sighed.
[Then would 3:30 work?]
There was a long, drawn-out pause from the other side.
[Morning or afternoon?]
'Seriously?'
[Jkjk]
[I'll see you this Thursday~]
--------
"Chief..."
A look of utter exasperation spread across Harumasa's face.
With some quick thinking, he had managed to smooth over Miyabi's blunder.
Miyabi tilted her head in confusion.
"What's wrong? I thought that was a normal question?"
Yanagi gave the young Void Hunter an odd look and spoke with the gentlest voice she could muster.
"... Chief. Most people aren't even awake at 3 am, and those who are definitely aren't sparring."
Harumasa face-palmed.
"Tsukishiro is right, Chief... But look on the bright side! You have ur da- training match set up now!"
Miyabi nodded.
"I'll try to do better next time."
Putting her hand on her chest, the Void Hunter bowed her head slightly.
"Still, though- Thank you guys for the help."
Harumasa and Yanagi exchanged glances, a mutual understanding flashing through their eyes.
"No prob, Chief~ Trust me, I'd rather do this than touch any of the paperwork waiting for me..."
Yanagi chimed in with a smile.
"I'm just glad that I could be of help."
Miyabi simply smiled lightly and straightened her posture, slipping her phone into her pocket as she grasped the sheathed tailless.
Yanagi, noticing this, unconsciously voiced her thoughts.
"Huh, Chief? Are you going somewhere?"
In hindsight, it was more of a rhetorical question than an actual inquisition, considering who she was talking to.
"I'm going to train."
The young Void Hunter clenched her fist with a determination Section 6 had rarely seen.
"Last time we fought, I wasn't his match at all. Be it martial arts, pure physical ability, or technical skill, there wasn't a single category I could compete with him in."
Miyabi gently shut her eyes and began to visualize the brown-haired boy from her memory.
"The disparity in strength was so large that I still can't even fathom the limits of his power."
There was a certain 'motivation' in Miyabi's tone, a passionate fire completely different from the Void Hunter's usual tone.
"So, I'm gonna train. I'm gonna train and train and train and train. Train from sunup to sundown, from the moment I open my eyes to when I close them."
Miyabi drew in a small breath and recalled the bright smile on Illya's face as he praised her.
"And I won't stop until I can see his back- until I can stand shoulder to shoulder with Senior as an equal."
It was quite the tall order for a Void Hunter who had been active for less than a decade, but Hoshimi Miyabi was nothing if not ambitious.
Blue fire lit Miyabi's ruby eyes ablaze, as she felt a wave of Motivation crash over her, causing her usually stoic expression to crease with pure will.
And with that-
The Chief of Hollow Special Operations Section 6 stormed out of the office, leaving behind a bewildered archer, a concerned secretary, a blissfully ignorant oni, and a storm of paper in the wake of her new obsession.
"Hey, uh- Tsukishiro? Did we perhaps make a mistake?"
Harumasa felt a twinge of unease pang at his heart.
Yanagi sighed.
"Something like this was always bound to happen... It's just that I thought Chief would end up butting heads with the Grand Master of the Yunkui Summit or one of the other Void Hunter-level Combatants roaming around- Not... Uhmn."
Harumasa finished her sentence for her.
"A good-looking 23-year-old guy?"
Yanagi nodded before letting out a sigh.
'They grow up so fast~'
___________________________________________
(A/N: Hope you guys enjoyed the chapter.
The main storyline of ZZZ was a little hard to pinpoint, just based on game cutscenes, but I did the best I could.
If there are any time frame issues you'd like to bring up, feel free to comment them below.
Anyway, I'll keep this a bit shorter since I got a bunch of work to do.
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and drop some power stones or a cheeky review if you're up for it.
Aight~
See you guys in the next chapter!)