"Oh no, is it already this late? Soukaku, we need to finish breakfast quickly!" Yanagi glanced at the wall clock, her voice carrying a hint of urgency.
In truth, there was no need to rush—Soukaku was already eating at an impressive speed.
"No need to hurry, we still have plenty of time," Wise said calmly.
Yanagi gave a small nod, but didn't slow her pace at all. Once she finished eating, she stood up, intending to wash the dishes, only to be stopped by Wise.
"Yanagi, aren't you and Soukaku heading to work soon? Go get ready first. I'll handle the dishes. I still need to head back to the video store later."
"Alright, I'll leave it to you," Yanagi replied.
She then took Soukaku with her to get dressed.
By the time they were ready, Wise had already cleaned up the kitchen.
The three of them stepped out together. As they walked, Yanagi suddenly felt someone take her hand.
At first, she assumed it was Soukaku, but the hand was larger. Turning her head, she saw it was Wise. He smiled at her, and a faint blush spread across her small face.
She adjusted her glasses and looked away, as if nothing had happened.
Even so, her fingers tightened slightly around his hand. At that moment, any lingering hesitation disappeared. After all, she and Wise were truly a family now.
"Ah! Yanagi and Wise are holding hands! That's not fair, I want to as well!"
Soukaku puffed her cheeks in protest, but instead of squeezing between them, she moved to Wise's other side and grabbed his free hand.
"Alright, let's go!"
Hand in hand, the three of them walked until they reached the bus stop, where they finally parted ways.
As soon as Wise returned to the video store, Belle rushed over and began questioning him. Though judging by his expression, she already had a good idea of how things had gone.
"Great! Now that you've won over the head of Section 6, Brother, all that's left is Miss Miyabi, the one in charge of combat. Once you get her too, Section 6 will be ours—Ow!"
Belle yelped, clutching her forehead, while Wise slowly withdrew his hand after delivering a light chop.
"That's not happening."
What Wise found impossible wasn't conquering Miyabi, but Belle's overly naïve imagination. In response, she simply stuck out her tongue playfully.
Not bothering to argue further, he turned and headed upstairs to shower and change.
Since Wise didn't have any spare clothes at Yanagi's place, he had no choice but to wear the same outfit as the day before.
It was even possible to catch a faint trace of Yanagi's scent lingering on him.
During his shower, he finally had the chance to calmly check the reward he had received from Yanagi.
[Fully Captured Target: Yanagi]
[Reward Generated ⭢ Peak of Blade Martial Arts (S): This ability allows its owner's understanding of blades to reach the pinnacle of the ordinary world. Any bladed weapon will feel like an extension of your arm.]
[Note: Ordinary blades may not be able to withstand the owner's full power.]
After acquiring the ability, Wise could sense subtle changes within himself, though he had nothing on hand to test it with.
At the same time, a thought crossed his mind, 'Wouldn't this ability suit Miyabi better than Yanagi?'
Still, he didn't dwell on it for long.
Since he now possessed this ability, the next step was obvious: he needed a sword.
However, judging from the description, an ordinary one wouldn't suffice. Otherwise, he could have simply bought one from the system store and saved himself the trouble.
As for where to find a suitable blade, he decided he would ask around later.
After all, Sixth Street was full of "talented" individuals.
<<>>
Meanwhile, on the other side, at the Hollow Special Operations headquarters.
Yanagi's beautiful face still held a bright smile. Although she was always like this, today, that smile carried unmistakable happiness.
It was clearly different from her usual polite elegance.
So much so that many members passing by couldn't help but think, 'Did Vice Section Chief Yanagi run into something good today?'
Some of those closer to her even asked outright, leaving Yanagi—whose feelings had been seen through—both puzzled and slightly embarrassed.
By the time she returned to the Sixth Division office, Harumasa, who had just been about to greet her, couldn't help but ask as well.
"Vice Section Chief... did something good happen?"
"Asaba, you too? Is it really that obvious?"
Yanagi tucked a loose strand of hair behind her ear, her expression faintly flustered. Beside her, Soukaku remained as usual, showing nothing out of the ordinary.
But the moment Harumasa spoke, Soukaku suddenly shot her hand into the air.
"I know, I know! Yanagi, she—mmph!"
"Soukaku, you probably didn't eat enough breakfast, did you? There are snacks on your desk, go have some first."
"Oh, yay!"
Soukaku immediately ran back to her seat, delighted.
Although she didn't get the chance to say anything, Yanagi's reaction only made the other two more curious.
"Yanagi, did something happen?"
Miyabi stepped closer, her curiosity plain to see. However, Yanagi clearly had no intention of answering.
"If I remember correctly, there's a performance review meeting this afternoon. If Chief Miyabi doesn't let me prepare in peace now, I'm afraid..."
"I understand. Don't worry, no one will disturb you," Miyabi replied seriously.
Compared to her curiosity, avoiding the performance review meeting was far more important.
Seeing this, Harumasa quietly returned to his seat. He may have stopped asking, but his thoughts continued to drift.
'Looking at Vice Section Chief, she seems like someone in love... but someone like her, in love?'
He shook his head lightly. It was hard to imagine her having a partner.
Yanagi was simply too perfect.
From the way she cared for others with gentle, almost maternal attentiveness, to her undeniable strength and competence at work, could anyone truly stand beside someone like her?
Still, Harumasa quickly dropped the thought. Something else came to mind instead.
'Since the Vice Section Chief is in such a good mood today... will my chances of getting leave approved be higher?'
He was just about to act when Miyabi's gaze forced him back into his seat. She clearly had no intention of letting anything disrupt the schedule, especially if it meant she might have to attend the performance review meeting.
At that moment, Yanagi leaned slightly toward Soukaku and lowered her voice.
"Soukaku, can you promise me you won't tell anyone about yesterday?"
"Huh? Why not, Yanagi?"
"There are... a lot of reasons. I'd just feel a little embarrassed right now. If possible, I'd rather explain it myself later. So, can you promise me?"
"No problem, Yanagi! I guarantee I'll complete the mission!"
Soukaku thumped her chest with a loud smack, instantly drawing the attention of the others.
Yanagi could only sigh inwardly, watching her.
There was nothing she could do. After all, Soukaku was still just a child.
Even with a reminder like that, she might stay careful for a while… but there was no guarantee she wouldn't accidentally let something slip.
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Zenless Zone Zero: The Almighty Incubus of Sixth Street
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