"It's nothing, but next time, please don't do that in crowded places…"
Miyabi's meaning was clear. If Wise wanted to touch her, it shouldn't be in public because she would feel embarrassed if people saw them.
"Understood."
Wise then explained the purpose of his visit, and only then did Miyabi realize that he was the online friend her father had arranged for her to battle.
"Are you surprised, Miyabi?" Wise asked curiously as he looked at the momentarily frozen girl in front of him.
She nodded in response.
"Yes, a little."
Actually, Miyabi had originally planned to invite Wise out on a date that day, and she had even specifically taken leave for it.
When Yanagi asked what she planned to do that morning, Miyabi replied very directly that she was going on a date with Wise.
Yanagi's expression after hearing that had been quite something.
However, Miyabi hadn't expected that right after requesting leave and preparing to head straight to the video store to find Wise, her father would send her a message first.
Reluctantly, she could only make a detour to the arcade.
But now, the person she was meeting had turned out to be Wise anyway, so it was basically killing two birds with one stone.
"Let's play a game. You said the games here are a lot of fun."
Miyabi looked at Wise beside her and pointed at one of the machines in front of them.
"Sure, sounds good."
After agreeing, the two sat next to each other in front of a pair of game machines. The game they chose was Snake Duel.
Incidentally, Miyabi's in-game nickname was 170, which clearly showed that she cared at least a little about her height.
Once the game started, Miyabi's controls were very simple and straightforward, making it obvious that she was a novice.
As a result, even with Wise continuously going easy on her, he still barely managed to win in the end.
Actually, Wise had intended to lose to Miyabi on purpose, but she was simply a little too slow to react.
"Huh? How did I die?"
Miyabi tilted her head innocently, clearly puzzled by the reason for her defeat on the game screen. However, she quickly stopped worrying about it.
"I lost. I failed to complete the task my father assigned."
Even as she said that, her tone remained completely flat, as though she were talking about something insignificant.
"In that case, Miyabi, do you want to keep playing? This time, let's try co-op mode."
"Yes, I have no objections."
After several rounds filled with Miyabi's confused "How did I die?", the two eventually left the arcade and headed to a toy store.
Miyabi seemed especially interested in the blind boxes displayed there.
"Blind boxes are a test of luck. I heard that when someone is lucky, their body temperature rises. Hands burning hot is what it's all about."
As Miyabi spoke, she opened one of the blind boxes.
Inside was only a slip that read: 'Thank you for your patronage.'
"Hmm… my body temperature really does seem to have risen. Looks like my luck is good today."
'No, you're probably just overheating…' Wise thought to himself.
Still, he tried to comfort Miyabi before drawing a blind box himself.
However, when he opened it, he found a chibi version of Miyabi inside.
"Huh? Is this… me?"
"Yes. It seems my luck is good. I drew the hidden edition."
Wise held the chibi Miyabi figure in his hand, genuinely pleased. Somehow, he really did feel his body temperature rising a little.
Miyabi, however, didn't seem particularly happy.
"Someone once told me that in the Void Hunter Series gashapon, I am the hidden edition. I understand the arrangement. Compared to my predecessors, my achievements are probably too shameful to be displayed openly." [1]
"Quite the opposite, actually," Wise replied immediately.
"It's because you're so popular that the merchants made you the hidden edition. That way, people who like you, Miyabi, will buy more blind boxes trying to get you."
"Is that so?"
Miyabi looked slightly surprised after hearing his explanation, and Wise nodded firmly.
"That's right. At least, I'm very happy about it. Now I not only have a Miyabi figurine, but also the real Miyabi herself."
As Wise spoke, he gently took Miyabi's hand.
She looked a little shy because of the sudden gesture, but she didn't resist in the slightest. Instead, she quietly tightened her grip around his hand.
"Hmm, about this… although my father has already seen your information, he still wants to meet you."
"Understood. Once I finish dealing with the recent matters, I'll accompany you back."
Miyabi nodded in satisfaction after hearing that before beginning to talk about the news she had received after returning.
"The department at HAND specifically responsible for cases related to the Hollow industry chain has been transferred into a special task force. They're re-examining all evidence and Perlman's testimony to ensure that he receives a fair trial."
"In contrast, Public Security suffered a greater shock. I heard that Throne Quarter headquarters has dispatched Order Inspector-level officers to various bureaus in Janus Quarter for internal audits."
"I see. No wonder you all left in such a hurry yesterday," Wise said after hearing the news.
However, thinking about it made him worry about Zhu Yuan. The incident involving former Inspector Bringer transforming into a monster must have affected her deeply.
Compared to that, it was hard to say which had left a greater impact on her: the incident itself or what had happened the previous night.
Still, Wise decided that once she had some free time, he would invite her out somewhere to relax.
"Are you worried about Zhu Yuan?"
"Huh? Why do you say that?" Wise asked, visibly surprised.
Could Miyabi read minds too?
Obviously not.
"A guess. It seems I wasn't wrong."
Miyabi paused briefly before continuing.
"Don't worry. Zhu Yuan is a strong person, but she's also very emotional. From what I know of her, when she said that yesterday morning, it was already equivalent to accepting it. But if you show her more concern, she'll be even happier."
"You're right. Once things settle down, I'll go find her so we can relax a bit."
"Relax?"
Miyabi tilted her head in confusion.
"Yes. What's wrong?"
"No… it's just that I was working all day yesterday too, so I also want to relax."
As Miyabi said that, her gaze drifted directly toward Wise.
Or more accurately, toward a certain part of him.
It was immediately obvious that her definition of "relaxation" was very different from the ordinary kind.
So, not long afterward, inside the video store...
Miyabi rested against Wise's chest, her expression calm and secure, though a faint blush still lingered on her face. Her long black hair spread loosely around her.
One of the fluffy fox ears atop her head was currently being held in Wise's hand, which was one of the main reasons her face remained flushed.
However, Wise wasn't touching them without reason. In return, and partly to indulge Miyabi, he used his ability to create a pair of fox ears for himself.
Miyabi found this especially fascinating, and the look in her eyes quickly became heated. As expected, relying on her impressive stamina, she chose to continue once again.
It was just as the ability description had stated. It truly possessed an unusually strong attraction for fox girls.
Only after quite some time did Miyabi finally calm down again, though even then, she immediately reached for Wise's fox ears so she could continue playing with them.
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[1] - Gashapon (or gachapon) refers to a popular Japanese capsule toy and the vending machine that dispenses it.
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Zenless Zone Zero: The Almighty Incubus of Sixth Street
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