"Eh, it actually landed on Miss Makima."
The female squad leader smiled, eyes full of anticipation.
Su Tang was a bit surprised. He swore to heaven he hadn't used the Rooster Talisman—and as for whether Himeno had nudged it, he had no idea.
Let's call it coincidence.
Each person's chance was about one in eleven—not small.
"Looks like the baton's in my hands for round two," Makima said with the same mild smile, as if unsurprised.
She reached toward the napkin box. "So it's my turn to take Dare? I draw one at random from here, yes?"
"Yes."
Su Tang nudged the box toward her. That slight shift made his body tilt a little to the right—and in that instant, his eye caught a flash of white.
In Makima's hand.
—The hand reaching into the box.
A paper ball?
His brow hopped. He'd counted carefully—all twenty-two wads were in the box. So the extra wad clenched in Makima's hand—outside the box—where had that come from?
The answer was obvious.
Six—out of a deck of five twos.
She'd palmed a slip beforehand and meant to swap it at the draw?
Su Tang almost laughed.
Eleven people at the table, a hundred and ten little schemes—well, that's counting Power and Denko sharing one brain cell.
He didn't know how many others planned to cheat—but he felt the bad trend shouldn't start with Makima.
Division 4's chief, leading off by cheating?
No.
With a private, teasing smile, the instant her hand sank into the box, he used his "telekinesis" to lift the wad in her palm and instantly swap in a random wad from the box.
You want to steal a beam and replace a pillar? I'll steal the sky and swap the sun.
—Let the game be a game.
Perhaps to avoid suspicion, Makima deliberately lingered her hand in the box, feigning indecision.
Then, as the expectant gazes gathered, she drew out a wad.
"By the way, you didn't write anything weird, did you?"
Himeno poked Kobeni with an elbow.
"N-No…" Kobeni still hadn't recovered from the previous round; her cheeks were still red and she didn't dare look at Su Tang. At Himeno's question, she hesitated, then put her hands together in prayer. "Don't be mine… please don't be mine…"
"Mm, what if she draws mine—[Confess to Aki]…" Himeno propped her chin and muttered.
"Senpai? What are you saying?" Aki had faintly heard his name.
"I'm worried you'll get eaten clean tonight," Himeno said offhand, then widened her eyes. "Miss Makima's opening it."
All eyes fixed on her hand.
Su Tang's too.
He was curious what the random slip he'd "helped" her choose would say.
Under everyone's gaze, the wad slowly unfolded.
Makima's motion paused.
For a heartbeat, her perpetual smile seemed to freeze.
"What is it? What is it?" Power broke first.
Makima glanced at her.
Her face returned to normal; she calmly held the paper up for all to see.
[Hug Makima for ten seconds]
Ha-ha-ha-ha… ha? Ha!
Su Tang had been laughing inside at her unexpected look—then the laugh died in his throat.
What the hell?
How did she randomly draw that one!
"Hug Makima for ten seconds…" Power stepped up and read it out loud again, smacking her lips. "Who wrote this? I temporarily recognize you as having half of my courage."
This time, Su Tang looked at her.
Say no more—vegetable-only meals for two days.
"Um… while that is, well, interesting," Mr. Fushi chose his words, then said, "but Miss Makima drew it herself. How do we carry it out?"
"Hug herself?" the younger squad leader asked.
"That's easy—whoever wrote it hugs her," Denko said, gnawing a drumstick and fanning the flames.
"Great idea!" Himeno's eyes lit. "Which hero wants to claim it?"
She looked first at Aki by her side.
"Why look at me?" Aki said coolly. "I would never write that."
True enough.
People trusted his character. Then all eyes slid to Kobeni.
"Eh? Ehh? I-It wasn't me," she flapped her hands. "Mine were all like [Treat Kobeni to good food]."
"Um… no need to guess." Seeing the gazes drifting toward the female squad leader, Su Tang knew it would be his turn in two more hops. He cleared his throat and owned it. "I wrote it."
Plop.
Denko's drumstick hit the floor.
She didn't seem to notice. She looked at Su Tang, then at Makima, and kicked herself—why had she egged it on just now!
Why make a suggestion that backfired!
As everyone turned respectful eyes on him, Su Tang sighed.
He could have denied it—the Lie Devil wasn't facing him—but he wasn't a sore loser.
At the end of the day, it was just a game. The target happened to be special.
He turned to the red-haired, golden-eyed woman beside him and lowered his voice. "Ahem, Miss Makima—we can do a symbolic hug. Just for show. Ten seconds will pass fast. What do you think?"
"I don't think that's good!" Denko shot up a hand. "I can take the punishment for Miss Makima! Mr. Su Tang, please hug me hard! Punish me…"
Makima glanced at Denko, then the corner of her mouth curved. She nodded lightly to Su Tang. "All right."
Denko's face froze—the vivid "being NTR'd to her face" look returned.
"Then let's not dawdle, Su Tang-kun."
Makima leaned forward slightly, smiling.
"Okay." Su Tang drew a deep breath and said to Mr. Fushi, "Help us time it?"
He'd meant to ask Denko, but seeing her expression, she wasn't going to be reliable for a while.
"Sure." Mr. Fushi's smile was teasing as he checked his mechanical watch. "Begin."
Su Tang opened his arms and stepped in, giving Makima a cursory hug.
They kept about ten centimeters between them—more than that time under the office desk—so he felt nothing in particular.
Seeing this, Himeno's brows arched.
She flicked a peanut from the table—ping!—smacking Power's drumstick.
Power just then had her head back, mouth open, ready to swallow it whole. In a blink, the drumstick flew.
"My drumstick!"
She lunged to the side to catch her meat—
And hit something.
What?
Of course—Su Tang.
Counting silently, he never expected Power's sudden backstab. Off-guard, his foot slipped. Even with enhanced reactions, stabilizing came too late.
Ten centimeters is one small step.
In an instant, the distance went to zero.
Great—now it really was a hug.
His eyes widened—and he thought he saw Makima's body stiffen for a heartbeat at the moment of contact.
"Ahem—um, that was an accident…"
His words cut off.
Because Makima leaned in further, wrapped her arms around him, and hugged him first.
Chest to chest—he could clearly hear the heartbeat in the body against him.
Not hurried—steady and strong.
At his nose was the faint fragrance of red hair; soft strands brushed his cheek.
He felt the tension in the body in his arms slowly relax.
Like rest after fatigue; like a boat finding harbor after the voyage.
Rarely, from this woman he felt a calm, relying emotion—
A yearning for this moment—for a hug.
A flicker of understanding crossed his mind.
He roughly understood her psychology.
Even a bow will snap if kept strung forever—let alone a person.
The chief of Division 4 was always strong—but… perhaps she, too, hoped for someone she could hug.
That yearning seemed contrary to her behavior, yet was the simplest, most direct expression.
Thinking that, he chuckled softly.
He let his own muscles relax and gently held her—letting her quietly enjoy this moment of peace.
Around them, eyes bugged out.
"Senpai… you got here first—did you see Miss Makima wear that expression?" the younger leader whispered to the female leader.
"No. I've never even heard of anyone hugging her," the female leader shook her head softly. "They say she's too strong. No one dares."
"What devil did she contract with?"
"That's classified—we don't have the clearance… but it's said to be terrifying."
"Eh? Wait, wait!" In the low whispers, Denko snapped awake and cried, "Ten seconds! Ten seconds! Time's up already, right!"
"Ahem." Mr. Fushi pulled his sleeve over his watch and said blandly, "Maybe… probably… a few seconds left."
Come on—this was unprecedented!
And besides, it looked like Miss Makima was the one taking the initiative. Maybe this was planned? Didn't you notice she wasn't surprised when the bottle stopped at her?
If he cut it short, he'd be in for petty payback at work for sure—surely.
"Damn, damn—why not me…" Denko stamped and counted down at the top of her lungs.
As she hit zero, Makima's lashes trembled. She slowly opened her eyes.
"Thank you," she said softly.
Golden, mysterious pupils met Su Tang's. This time, he didn't feel that unpleasant aura.
Still, to be safe, he rinsed with fiery chi.
Letting her go, he smiled. "Looks like I'll need to schedule regular mental-health checks for you."
Makima parted her lips as if to speak—but didn't.
She nodded quietly. When she blinked again, her face had returned to its prior expression.
She turned to Denko and smiled. "Don't worry. I've returned your Mr. Su Tang to you."
Denko exhaled and sat down.
No—once we're home, I'm making Mr. Su Tang shower several times—wash that woman's scent off him!
She bit viciously into her drumstick, thinking.
—
The party lasted past eleven.
They played four or five more rounds. Himeno drew Truth; Mr. Fushi asked who she liked; unsurprisingly, she said Aki Hayakawa.
Then Aki conveniently drew Dare—and just as conveniently drew "Hug Himeno."
Yes—let's call it convenience. Mm.
As for the slip Makima had palmed—Su Tang eventually found out it read [Hug Denko for one minute].
No one drew it—he'd marked it and had it avoid every hand. Only after the end did he pull it and see what it was.
If you're going to cheat just to force a draw, and it's that… He again wondered about Makima's kinks.
In the remaining rounds, Power successfully used Denko as a human seat cushion for thirty seconds, avenging the humiliation of being sat on earlier; the female squad leader also told some old Public Safety rumors.
Of course, Su Tang didn't forget the game's side thread.
Aki got his wish and asked Makima about Denko. The answer, unsurprisingly: she didn't know.
The Lie Devil didn't cry.
Whether that answer was true or not—Aki would have to weigh for himself.
"Whew."
Stretching, Su Tang walked out of the restaurant.
The others had left earlier. He and Aki stayed behind to talk business.
The night breeze was gentle and cool.
After saying goodbye to Aki, he was about to head home when he saw someone standing ahead—apparently waiting for him.
A black coat fluttered in the wind, and that orange-red hair shone even in the night.
"Su Tang-kun, you finally came out."
Makima smiled and spoke quietly.
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