"I say, isn't this a little inappropriate?"
Hansen calmly admired the youthful girl before him, whose skin glowed with a pink sheen from the steam, his face showing none of the emotional fluctuations Mari Makinami had anticipated.
There was no eagerness, embarrassment, or feigned gentlemanly restraint—none of the instinctive reactions a lustful old man would have upon seeing a beauty emerging from a bath.
He simply watched, as if appreciating a flawless work of art. His gaze was one of pure scrutiny, without a trace of impurity, yet it was more aggressive than any look filled with desire.
"Hmm? What's inappropriate?"
Mari Makinami seemed slightly dissatisfied with this calm scrutiny. In this game where she was at a complete disadvantage, she needed to see a flaw to have a chance to turn the tables.
She walked over to the coffee table, her jade feet bare, her long, straight beautiful legs moving gracefully.
She reached out and picked up the glass Hansen had just taken a sip from, carelessly draining the remaining water. A cunning and seductive smile curved her lips.
"The supervisor actually gets shy? I didn't see you being such a gentleman when you were fighting outside."
She leaned forward slightly, and the proud assets barely restrained by the towel traced a breathtaking curve with her movement, almost touching Hansen's nose.
The fresh scent of shower gel mixed with her natural body fragrance in the air, creating a highly impactful olfactory signal.
Hansen finally made a move. He extended a finger and pressed it against the girl's smooth forehead, gently pushing the head that wanted to move closer back.
"This kind of probing can be very dangerous."
Hansen's voice betrayed no emotion. His platinum eyes were as deep as an abyss, seemingly reflecting the birth and death of stars.
"Miss Mari, illegal entry plus attempting to seduce an official United Nations special envoy—that's an aggravated offense."
Mari Makinami was pushed backward, landing on the soft carpet, but instead of getting angry, her blue-green eyes brightened with excitement.
She took the opportunity to sit cross-legged, propping up her chin with one hand, looking up at Hansen on the sofa.
"Oh my, does the supervisor actually care about such mundane rules?"
Playing with the tips of her hair, this time she didn't try to get closer, maintaining an upward gaze, her voice laced with a lazy huskiness.
"Although this body looks young, I am fundamentally different from that empty-headed doll who only knows how to follow orders, and that tsundere little princess whose pride is higher than the sky..."
She extended her index finger and lightly tapped her temple, her eyes flashing with a worldly wisdom that belied her age: "I possess all my memories from childhood to the present, you see~~"
She moved two steps forward on her knees, coming close to Hansen's knees.
She gently placed both hands on his knees, her breath fragrant, her voice turning soft, sweet, and magnetic.
"If we calculate by actual psychological age... I'm quite a bit older than the supervisor."
"So... why don't you call me Big Sister?"
"Or perhaps, supervisor... you actually prefer the sense of conquest that comes with dating someone younger?"
The air seemed to solidify at that moment, then ignited.
Mari Makinami was very satisfied with her offensive.
As an optimist who enjoyed battle, she relished the extreme feeling of dancing on a knife's edge, and even more, the moment she saw a strong person reveal a flaw under her charm.
However.
Hansen smiled, but the faint smile caused alarm bells to ring loudly in Mari Makinami's heart.
The next second, the world spun.
"Ah..."
Before a short gasp could fully escape her lips, Mari Makinami felt an irresistible force lift her up from the ground, and she was thrown directly onto the large sofa.
"You underestimated me... It seems you have some misunderstanding about your current situation."
Hansen propped one hand beside her ear, looking down at her from above.
His platinum eyes showed no lust, only an unfathomable calm, as if declaring absolute dominance.
His finger slid down slightly; the coolness of his fingertip contrasted sharply with the heat of her skin, leaving a trail of fine shivers in its wake.
"Provocation comes with a price."
Mari Makinami's breathing quickened slightly, then she relaxed, partly relieved and partly embracing a 'what the hell' attitude.
Colloquially known as 'giving up'.
"Ma ma, don't be so serious, Boss..."
Handsome appearance, formidable strength, plus an aura that seems to originate from Yui Ikari... If I calculate it this way... I don't seem to be losing out?
Inside the apartment, the television was still broadcasting boring news, the female anchor's voice clear and precise.
At some point, a long, slender leg weakly kicked the remote control, and the screen instantly plunged into darkness.
The moonlight outside the window grew colder, quietly creeping past the windowsill, illuminating the forgotten red-framed glasses on the floor. The lenses reflected the messy silhouettes of the room.
The rustling sound of fabric rubbing together came from the sofa, eventually dissolving into a profound silence.
Mari Makinami went on the offensive.
Mari Makinami was utterly defeated.
This night was destined to be sleepless... The first ray of sunlight in the morning filtered through the gap in the curtains, and the air was still filled with an ambiguous aftertaste.
Mari Makinami curled up in the tangled sheets. Her originally tied twin tails were undone, and her messy brown hair spread across the pillow, like a cat drenched by the rain that finally found a warm fireplace.
"Awake?"
A plain voice sounded by the bed.
Mari Makinami groggily opened her eyes and saw Hansen, already fully dressed, sitting on the chair beside the bed, holding a steaming cup of black coffee.
"Monster..."
Mari Makinami buried her face in the soft pillow and muttered softly.
This time, she was truly convinced.
"Since you're awake, prepare to get to work." Hansen put down the coffee cup and casually tossed a set of brand-new clothes onto the bed—a NERV female staff uniform.
"Is this also part of the plan?" Mari Makinami poked her head out from under the covers and raised an eyebrow.
"Of course." Hansen stood up, walked to the window, and forcefully pulled open the curtains.
Dazzling sunlight instantly flooded in, causing Mari Makinami behind him to instinctively squint.
He looked down at the steel metropolis waking up in the morning light below his feet, his voice steady and clear.
"Go back and report to that bearded Commander. Just say you made an emergency landing by accident and were discovered by me, but I generously chose not to hold you accountable."
Hansen turned around, his back to the dazzling sunlight. His face appeared slightly blurred in the shadows, yet it exuded a heart-stopping depth.
"You should be very clear about what you should and shouldn't do."
Mari Makinami sat up on the bed. The quilt slipped down, but she didn't care, boldly changing into the clothes Hansen gave her.
As the fabric covered her body, the laziness on her face gradually faded, replaced by the sharp competence of an elite operative.
She put on the red-framed glasses and adjusted the frame.
"Understood, Boss."
Mari Makinami stood up straight, a playful smile curling her lips, seemingly transforming back into the optimistic girl who enjoyed games.
Only this time, her eyes held a bond that only Hansen could understand.
"For Miss Yui, and also for last night's hospitality."
She walked up to Hansen, stood on her tiptoes, and left a fleeting kiss on his cheek.
"Well then, see you later, my... Master."
Having said that, the girl disappeared through the doorway like a gust of wind.
However, the slight, almost imperceptible trembling of her legs beneath her seemingly brisk steps betrayed that this little wildcat was not as relaxed as she appeared.
Hansen touched the lingering warmth and fragrance on his cheek, the corner of his mouth curving slightly upward.
He walked back to the window and looked towards the NERV Headquarters, which stood in the distance like a black pyramid in the morning light.
"Gendo Ikari, your script is now full of my actors. Next..."
"How do you plan to act?"
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