The metallic wall separating them hadn't even finished opening before two pairs of eyes met.
And the reaction was immediate.
Juri's eyes darkened.
Geisha's gaze, once it landed on the older Essential woman who simply pushed her glasses back into place, flickered with a fierce emotion.
Not quite rage.
But not quite far from it.
Akira's heart stuttered for a breath too long when her eyes landed on the people in front of her.
Mrs Juri.
Yui.
Her eyes glossed over.
...Akashi.
"Akira!"
He was the first to rush toward her, but the escorting officer to Akira's right stepped in front of him.
Except...
it wasn't Akira he stood in front of.
It was Geisha.
That alone told Yui exactly what kind of treatment Akira had received in there.
Akira's feet shuffled uncomfortably just before she was lifted off them by the tightest hug she'd ever received.
The embrace itself said many things.
I was worried about you.
What happened?
You have a lot of explaining to do.
But above all, she could feel the worry behind every squeeze quietly conveying one thing.
I'm so glad you're okay.
It didn't take long before tears welled up and she melted into his embrace.
While the siblings reunited, however, the rest of the room had been left on pause.
Juri.
Geisha.
They didn't know each other, and yet...
both women felt an indescribable sensation tingle along the backs of their spines.
"She'sdangerous."
It wasn't until the officer who had been standing beside Geisha informed her that he was leaving to call the Director that the stalemate finally broke. Her emerald eyes flickered toward him before she nodded, composing herself once more.
She cleared her throat before turning toward the siblings.
"Mr Hashinada?"
"Yes?"
Geisha dipped her head in a polite nod.
"My name is Geisha Hoshinoi. I was the one tasked with taking care of this beautiful young lady."
Akira's chest fluttered at the comment.
Akashi thanked her for looking after Akira, yet despite the polite exchange, the room remained tangled with conflicting emotions.
Graham watched in both awe and slight unease as he finally met the lead researcher in Essential studies.
He was almost more impressed by how everyone treated her like an ordinary law enforcement officer rather than one of the most revolutionary minds in the field.
Ren, still trying to ignore everyone around him, sat alone as he turned the volume up on his headphones.
Part of him felt deeply irritated.
He didn't know why.
That irritated him even more.
And Yui, who'd felt unimaginable relief when she saw Akira smile in her brother's arms, couldn't help but notice the subtle shift in Juri's demeanor.
Her eyes were always sharp.
But now...
they felt almost lethal.
"She hasn't... put her hands in her pockets..."
"And I take it you're Akira's friend, Yui."
Her thoughts were interrupted by the woman dressed in white.
"Huh? O-Oh... u-uhm, yeah. My name's Yui."
Geisha offered a kind smile.
"I've heard a lot about you from your friend." She gestured vaguely toward Akira with her head.
The Lieutenant's voice softened just a fraction.
"Thank you. You mean a lot to her."
Something about the way she said it made Yui's heart respond in a way she didn't understand.
"Oh... okay. Uhm..." Yui replied.
"I'll... do my best to take care of her."
Geisha smiled.
"You do that."
Her green eyes drifted toward the young blonde professor who seemed far too fascinated by the Lieutenant's presence.
"Hello there. My name's Alexander Graham. It's a pleasure to meet you, Lieutenant."
His firm handshake suggested he knew quite a bit about her accomplishments.
She returned it with an equally firm grip.
"No, the pleasure's all mine. I'm just happy we managed to resolve this before it became something... serious."
Graham nodded enthusiastically.
"I couldn't agree more."
Lastly, she approached the remaining teacher.
"She hasn't stopped staring at me since I walked in..."
Her heels clicked softly as she approached the gray-haired professor whose piercing glare made every hair on Geisha's body stand on end.
This feeling...
It's like...
"Hello there."
She extended her hand.
It remained suspended between them for a moment.
Juri looked at it.
Then at Geisha.
Then back to the hand.
Slowly, she reached out and met it halfway.
"Hello."
Geisha's lashes twitched.
Not a single blink.
It's like I'm being dissected piece by piece...
"My name is Lieutenant—"
"I know who you are."
Tighter.
"...Ms Hoshinoi."
The air in the room suddenly felt heavier.
Akira's ears twitched as she held onto Akashi a little tighter.
"What's wrong?"
Akira shifted slightly in front of him.
"I... I don't know..."
Yui grew uneasy.
Graham adjusted his glasses uncomfortably.
Akashi didn't quite understand what was happening.
And Ren...
kept trying to ignore the gnawing feeling in his chest.
"I'm flattered."
Geisha's voice lowered as her toes pressed more firmly against the ground.
"I take it you're her teacher."
Green pupils sharpened.
Metallic frames slipped a millimeter lower.
"I am."
Geisha's hand tightened into an iron grip.
The pressure in the room spiked so suddenly that the humans present felt a wave of lightheadedness.
Juri didn't retreat.
Her hand answered Geisha's with an equally terrifying force as they stared each other down.
"Allow me to introduce myself."
Juri's eyes glowed with a faint, deep gold.
Geisha's pupils illuminated a vivid, aggressive green.
The room itself seemed to still, as though even the walls were holding their breath.
"It's nice to meet you, Lieutenant Hoshinoi Geisha."
"My name..."
"...is MrsKisaragiJuri."