Chapter 428: Snatching Someone Right in Front of You (Patreon)

"Ah... and it has to rain on checkup day." Chisato stuck her hand out the window to catch the cold raindrops, watching the clear beads gather into a little pool in her palm. A sudden restlessness hit her. She shook the water off and turned to Jhin, pleading. "Jhin-nii, can't we wait until the rain stops before we go?"

"I'm not the one who set the checkup time." Jhin pulled out a huge umbrella big enough to shelter three people and pushed open the café door. "Let's go. Kurumi, Sachi, sorry to leave the place to you. Don't forget to bring Sagiri her lunch."

"Safe travels."

"Got it."

DA Headquarters wasn't somewhere you could reach by just hopping on a bus or the subway. The three of them first took the designated subway line to the terminal station. When they came out, a black business van was parked by the roadside, and a woman in formal wear stood beside it holding an umbrella, waiting for them.

The van door slid open automatically, and the woman stepped aside and gestured toward the interior. "Ms. Nishikigi, Ms. Inoue, Mr. Jhin, please get in."

"No way... they actually let you in. Jhin-nii, how did you even pull that off?"

"It's a secret. Hurry up and get in."

The black van carried them into a heavily guarded zone marked by a "State-Owned Land" warning sign. Chisato even pulled a face at the surveillance cameras along the road. She knew Commander Kusunoki was surely watching her on a screen in the main command room.

The van stopped in front of a white, semicircular building. Jhin glanced it over briefly, then got out first, opened his umbrella, and walked in with the girls. Inside were a security gate and facial recognition, but neither mattered to him. He took out the card Kazami Kazuki had given him, gave it a wave, and walked straight through.

Only then did Chisato get a good look at what was on the card. "Chairman of Synapse Technology Company... Jhin-nii, you're the chairman?!"

"Didn't I tell you that company was mine?"

"I thought the chairman was Big Sis."

"It doesn't make much difference. Whether it's her or me, it's the same."

The three reached the front desk. The staff had been notified in advance and respectfully relayed their instructions. "Ms. Nishikigi, please proceed to the neighboring medical building for your examination. Mr. Jhin, someone will shortly escort you to the VIP lounge. Ms. Inoue..."

Takina hadn't said a word the whole way. She looked as grim as if she were marching off to war, her small face tense the entire time. Before she could speak, Jhin turned to the front desk. "Waiting in the lounge would be too boring. Could I bring Takina along to the medical building to watch Chisato's physical fitness test?"

"Well..." The staff member looked troubled and turned to a colleague. Only after getting a nod of approval did she answer. "No problem, Mr. Jhin, but please refrain from any conduct beyond sightseeing."

"Understood. Chisato, lead the way."

"Oh... oh, okay." Chisato, who had no idea what he was planning, froze for a second. Then she came to her senses and led them toward the medical building.

"Takina, you don't mind that I made that decision on my own, do you?"

"I don't mind."

Because of Jhin, a man, every Lycoris they passed shot curious looks their way. But once they noticed Takina, the topic of conversation shifted from him to "Teammate Killer," "the Lycoris who defied orders," and "the girl DA kicked out."

Chisato hurried them along. Even if she yelled at those people to scatter, it would only make the rumors spread faster.

"Ah, this is the women's locker room, so you can't come in, Jhin-nii."

"I'm not that kind of guy."

"The test won't take long. There's a lounge on the first floor, so wait for me there."

"Sure." Jhin nodded, then patted Takina's shoulder. "Come on, let's go wait for her in the lounge. And for someone you've wanted to meet all this time, too."

"Commander Kusunoki?"

"That's right."

Why was the Store Manager so certain Commander Kusunoki would come looking for him?

Seeing that he had already turned and gone downstairs, Takina had no choice but to follow.

Inside the locker room, Chisato ran into her former partner and former roommate, who had also been the field commander in the gun trafficking incident: Fuki Harukawa.

"Well, well, well. Reliable, hardworking Fuki is renewing her license on the very last day? How rare."

"Chisato..." Fuki shot back at the teasing, clearly annoyed. "I'm busy. Unlike an idler like you."

"The current ace really is different. What a busy, busy woman~"

"Tch. How are you getting along with Takina?"

"Hmph, great, because unlike someone I know, I didn't punch her."

"You're so annoying, always harping on that." Fuki pulled on her sports tank top and shorts, slammed her locker door shut, and headed for the fitness testing area.

In the spacious lounge, Jhin was brushing Takina's hair. He had only meant it as a joke to ease her nerves, casually suggesting he could change her hairstyle or something. To his surprise, after a moment's hesitation, she nodded.

"What kind of hairstyle do you want?"

"I don't have one in mind. Do whatever you like, Store Manager."

"'Whatever you like' is the hardest option, you know."

After some thought, he decided on a ponytail. The style suited her cool, aloof air and matched her neat, no-nonsense daily habits.

He combed her silky hair smooth with a brush and gathered it at the back of her head. Then he took out a hair tie and looped it around a few times, and the simple ponytail was done. Jhin pulled out a mirror and bent down to hold it in front of her. "How's that? Looks good, right?"

"Mm. Thank you, Store Manager."

"Ah!" Chisato, in a red sports top and shorts, stood in the lounge doorway and let out a gasp. "Jhin-nii, you've never done my hair!!"

"You've never asked before."

"I don't care, I don't care! You did Takina's hair, so you have to do mine!"

"Fine, come sit over here."

"Yay!"

Unlike Chisato, who skipped happily over to the bench and sat down, Fuki frowned and glared at Jhin. "A man? Why is he here?"

"He's an honored guest, Fuki."

"Commander!"

Commander Kusunoki nodded in acknowledgment and stepped into the lounge. "Mr. Jhin, I never expected you to be on such good terms with our Lycoris ace."

"Commander Kusunoki, I've heard a great deal about you."

"You flatter me. The young and promising chairman of Synapse Technology Company."

"Not at all. I'm truly grateful to DA for taking care of Chisato for so long."

"Taking care of her... If you see it that way, then all the better."

The conversation sounded perfectly cordial, but the atmosphere in the lounge grew more charged by the second.

Just as Chisato was wondering how things had turned out this way, Jhin's hands, which had been stroking her hair, slid down to her shoulders and pulled her gently into his arms.

She looked up, puzzled, and saw him narrow his eyes in a smile that never reached them. "So I've come to collect her now."