Meanwhile, in the public lounge area, the atmosphere was much more relaxed and lively.
Kaori Onishi had fully embraced her role as “Honorary Manager,” describing the Supernatural Club’s “great achievements” to MASU and Gabi.
Naturally, there was no shortage of exaggeration — such as “I was the one commanding during the Osaka Incident.”
Makino Yuzuha sat with a red face, pulled affectionately to Kazuki Hanatsubame’s side as they whispered about idol training.
Yuki Asahi and Yamanoi Yayoi sat on a sofa a bit further away, with exquisite tea and snacks that Naito Mei had sent over set before them.
Saori Saiyonji seemed somewhat distracted, her gaze occasionally sweeping over the room’s decorations.
“Miss Kazuki’s room is so tidy, and it has such a nice scent,” Makino Yuzuha whispered, sniffing the air.
Kazuki Hanatsubame smiled gently.
“Is that so? It might be because I’m used to lighting incense. It helps me relax.”
“Incense?”
Kaori Onishi’s ears perked up, and she leaned in.
“What brand is it? Does it smell good?”
“It’s a popular one on the market recently called Quiet Dream,” Kazuki Hanatsubame said, pointing to an elegant aromatherapy burner in the corner of the lounge.
Faint white smoke curled upward from it, emitting an aroma that made one feel comfortable and peaceful.
“A lot of people are using it. It’s said to relieve stress and improve focus.”
Saori Saiyonji’s somewhat drifting gaze froze slightly when she heard the name “Quiet Dream.”
She subconsciously took a deep breath, and the faint scent entered her nose, bringing with it a strange sense of familiarity.
‘This scent… Where have I smelled this before?’
She knitted her brows slightly, searching through her memory.
‘Where was it?’
“What’s wrong, Saiyonji?”
Kazuki Hanatsubame noticed the subtle change in her expression and asked with concern.
“…It’s nothing.”
Saori Saiyonji shook her head, suppressing the inexplicable sense of familiarity.
She offered a somewhat forced smile.
“I just think the scent is very special.”
“Right!”
Kaori Onishi had already taken out her mobile phone to search for “Quiet Dream.”
“It sounds great! Let’s buy some for the activity room too. Maybe it’ll improve our study efficiency!”
‘The activity room isn’t for doing homework.’
Yuki Asahi remained noncommittal about the idea.
Saori Saiyonji watched the others express interest in the incense, but the sliver of doubt in her heart didn’t fully dissipate.
However, she couldn’t catch that flash of inspiration for the moment, so she could only temporarily attribute it to her nerves being too sensitive.
Time passed in idle chatter, and the sky outside grew dark.
Considering they had school the next day, the party from the Supernatural Club decided to take their leave.
After saying their goodbyes downstairs at the agency, the group walked toward the nearby station.
The city lights were coming on as night fell, and the streets remained busy with traffic.
“Today was a real eye-opener!”
Kaori Onishi excitedly hooked her arm through Makino Yuzuha’s.
“I didn’t expect to see Southern Cross up close! Yuzuha, you’re an idol now! You have to do your best!”
“Yes! I’ll work hard!”
Makino Yuzuha nodded vigorously, her face glowing with anticipation.
“What about me? Aren’t you going to cheer for me?”
Saori Saiyonji pointed to her own cheek, a forced smile appearing.
“Hmm… Momoko-chan is a winner as long as she doesn’t get canceled.”
“What’s that supposed to mean!”
Yamanoi Yayoi let out a yawn and said slowly,
“I’m a little sleepy…”
At the station entrance, everyone headed toward their different lines.
Looking at Yuki Asahi and Jiang Jian Yue standing side by side on the platform, Kaori Onishi hesitated to speak, only to be dragged away by Saori Saiyonji with a Facebreaker.
“Hey, Kaori, I have something I want to tell you…”
Their voices gradually faded away.
Soon, only Jiang Jian Yue and Yuki Asahi were left on the platform.
The lights of the station were dim and yellow at night, and a cool breeze blew through the tracks.
They stood side by side at the edge of the platform, waiting for the train to arrive.
After a moment of silence, Jiang Jian Yue suddenly spoke.
“You didn’t go to the training base today.”
Yuki Asahi’s gaze drifted toward the blinking billboards across the tracks.
“Yeah… I had some things to do.”
“And… you had time… to join the dinner.”
Jiang Jian Yue continued her calm statement, her blood-red eyes turning toward him with a hint of inquiry.
“Ah… that’s because…”
Yuki Asahi scratched his cheek, his eyes flickering as he tried to find a reasonable excuse.
“It’s a rare chance for everyone to get together, and Makino just went through that whole ordeal…”
Jiang Jian Yue didn’t speak.
She just watched him quietly.
Her gaze wasn’t sharp, but it seemed to pierce through any disguise and reach his heart.
Under her silent watch, Yuki Asahi gradually felt like he had nowhere to hide.
The half-hearted excuses he had prepared got stuck in his throat, and he couldn’t bring himself to say them.
He lowered his head and looked at the tips of his shoes, his fingers curling unconsciously.
Seeing him like this, Jiang Jian Yue sighed.
She reached out and lightly tugged at the sleeve of Yuki’s school uniform.
Her grip was soft, but it was enough to make him look up.
Her voice was much softer than usual, carrying a rare patience.
“You don’t have to… tell me.”
Yuki Asahi looked at her blankly, meeting those eyes that held a certain warmth in the night.
“But…”
Jiang Jian Yue paused before continuing softly,
“If you need me… you must tell me.”
This almost direct expression of concern instantly broke through the last of the hesitation and awkwardness in Yuki’s heart.
He reached back and grabbed Jiang Jian Yue’s slightly cool hand, squeezing it tightly as if drawing courage from it.
“I…”
He took a deep breath, finally making up his mind.
“I was appointed as the… Captain of Special Response HQ Unit 1.”
The roar of the train entering the station drowned out the slight tremor in the tail end of Yuki’s words.
The doors slid open, and the two of them followed the sparse crowd into the carriage, finding a pair of empty seats side by side.
Jiang Jian Yue had known for a long time that Yuki Asahi had become the Captain of Special Response HQ Unit 1.
It wouldn’t have mattered even if he hadn’t told her.
After all, once Akimoto Miki saw Yuki’s name on the list, she had immediately “shared” it with Jiang Jian Yue.
What surprised her was Yuki’s current state and why he seemed so troubled by the matter.
“Mhm.”
She gave a soft hum to show she was listening, waiting for him to continue.
The carriage swayed slightly, and the lights outside flowed into streaks of colored lines.
Yuki Asahi looked at the night scenery receding rapidly outside the window, organizing his words with a look of obvious distress.
“There are… five people in the team.”
He scratched his head, feeling that sentence sounded a bit silly — of course there were five people.
“But I don’t get along very well… with two of them.”
“I’m considering whether I should replace them.”
Yuki paused, then frowned.
“Those two… they don’t really respect me.”
“They think I’m just a High School Student, so why should I be the Captain?”
“You didn’t… show your strength?”
Jiang Jian Yue asked.
She knew very well how ridiculous Yuki’s physical stats were after the Ability Enhancement.
Combined with his Emotion Manipulation, he was theoretically capable of crushing most Ability users.
“When we sparred, I held back.”
Yuki admitted with some embarrassment.
“I was afraid I wouldn’t be able to control my strength, and… I didn’t want to make the relationship too tense right at the start.”
“As a result, they probably think I’m not worthy of the title and that I got the position through connections…”
“So I’ve suspended training recently.”
His voice grew lower and lower, filled with obvious frustration.
Yuki felt like he had been placed in an awkward position.
He wanted to shoulder the responsibilities of a Captain, but his lack of authority made it impossible to move forward.
Strong-arm tactics didn’t fit his personality, while a soft approach seemed to have little effect in the face of blatant contempt.
Jiang Jian Yue listened quietly, her fingers unconsciously tapping her knee.
If this were a problem that could be solved with money or resources, it would be easy for her.
But establishing authority and navigating interpersonal relationships within a team were indeed things she couldn’t directly interfere with.
Yuki had to face and overcome this himself.
“Interpersonal relationships are a hassle,” she finally summarized dryly.
This was probably the most “empathetic” response she could give.
“You need to… work hard on your own.”
Yuki Asahi nodded with a bitter smile.
“I know…”
He knew that well enough.
It was just that the accumulated frustration and powerlessness had finally found an outlet under Jiang Jian Yue’s rare, gentle questioning.
After speaking it aloud, he felt a bit lighter.
When the train reached their stop, the two walked back to the apartment they shared.
The light in the Shinkai was on, its warm yellow glow dispelling the chill of the night.
Yuki Asahi bent down to straighten the loafers Jiang Jian Yue had kicked off haphazardly before taking off his own shoes.
“The computer parts… have been delivered.”
Yuki pointed to a few unopened cardboard boxes in the corner of the living room, trying to change the subject to lighten the mood.
Jiang Jian Yue’s attention was indeed drawn away.
While taking off her coat, she trotted over to the boxes like a child seeing a beloved toy.
Together, the two of them moved the boxes to the rug in the center of the living room.
Jiang Jian Yue took out a key, sliced through the tape, and began taking out the components one by one.
Yuki stood by to help hand her tools.
Watching her skillfully pick up the motherboard and install the CPU and memory with smooth, precise movements, she didn’t look like an ordinary female High School Student at all.
Under the dim light, her focused profile seemed a bit less cold and a bit more soft than usual.
“Yue, you really know a lot about computers,” Yuki couldn’t help but remark.
“Mhm.”
Jiang Jian Yue didn’t look up as she carefully pressed the heatsink, coated in thermal paste, onto the CPU.
In this quiet and warm atmosphere, Meiguan’s untimely voice rang out in Jiang Jian Yue’s mind again, carrying a hint of playfulness as if looking for trouble.
‘Tsk, tsk, look at this poor thing.’
‘Bullied by his teammates outside, and he still has to serve you by building your computer when he gets back.’
‘Is there something wrong with your “husband-rearing” method?’
‘Little Chunan’s lukewarm personality is just a lack of self-confidence!’
‘You need to help him stand tall!’
Jiang Jian Yue’s hand, which was installing a screw, paused slightly.
Meiguan continued to chatter away.
‘Make him realize he’s a “man.”‘
‘Make him feel like “I can protect her” or “she depends on me.”‘
A visible layer of light pink rose to Jiang Jian Yue’s cheeks, and her fingers tightened around the screwdriver.
‘Get lost!’