Wendy turned back and gave Ch'en a long, deep look, as though she wanted to burn her image into her mind.
Then she left without looking back.
Green wings of light unfurled. At a speed beyond everyone's imagination, Wendy vanished from their sight almost instantly.
Ch'en nodded in satisfaction and turned to face the phantom thief. Hoshino was spinning boredly atop the van, and paired with her flamboyant outfit, she looked like a lost ballet dancer, especially enchanting beneath the moonlight.
But Ch'en remained unmoved.
"What happened to those people?"
She asked because Ch'en felt she might soon be following in their footsteps.
"They were all very happy. I say that because you're about to become just as happy as they were."
Hoshino replied dramatically, measuring her with her eyes.
That gaze made Ch'en very uncomfortable.
"Mm, such a fine figure, trained to perfection. A body this soft and beautiful, yet wrapped in that ugly regulation dark-blue coat—it's hard not to call it a waste."
Hoshino shook her head. "A tremendous waste."
Ch'en did not answer with words. Instead, she used the oldest and most useful language in the world.
Blades and fists.
Hoshino had anticipated it all. No matter how Ch'en struck, Ch'en was still the student she had beaten and drilled countless times. Hoshino knew her every move too well for any surprise attack to work.
"Mm, let me feel your bones..."
Hoshino even cracked that sort of joke.
She spun around abruptly, grabbed Ch'en by the shoulder, and ran her hands from shoulder to chest, then waist, and finally hips, taking her measurements in an instant.
"Wow. If I hadn't measured you myself, I never would've known you were this impressive. Let's see... the outfit that suits you best would definitely be a bright red cheongsam. High