"I couldn't think about anything else when I realized you were in danger, Kal'tsit. Are you all right? Were you hurt anywhere? Do you need to rest?"
For a brief moment, she clearly felt Kal'tsit's heartbeat skip. The hands that had been raised instinctively, seemingly at a loss because of her sudden action, also lifted unconsciously, as if wanting to respond to the embrace.
She thought it was an illusion.
Perhaps it really was an illusion.
Because half a second later, the green-haired Rhodes Island director forcefully pushed away—or broke free from—her. The cold face that had shown the slightest cracks a few seconds earlier also silently returned to its usual calm.
"You and Huang must have a lot in common, Operator Surtr." Kal'tsit took a step back and raised one hand in front of herself defensively. "But such an overly aggressive form of social interaction isn't suitable for everyone. This isn't the bar aboard the ship for you to amuse yourselves in—"
"—I'll let it go this time. I forgive your rash behavior. But next time, I hope you'll remember the concept of 'safe distance,' which concerns personal privacy, before taking action."
"Sorry..." Surtr lowered her gaze dejectedly.
"...And some of my earlier wording was inaccurate as well. You haven't submitted your application to Rhodes Island Pharmaceuticals yet, so the corresponding responsibilities shouldn't be placed on you. Consider it an onboarding gift for a future colleague. I'm sure there are plenty of intelligence officers aboard Rhodes Island willing to help you clean up the aftermath... I'm going to handle the remaining supplies from the crashed aircraft with the others. Don't come and get in the way. You're free to act on your own."
Her voice was slightly more hurried than usual.
After speaking, she did not leave Miss Surtr