Third floor, waiting room.
The atmosphere was especially oppressive, and the source of that oppression was Tachibana Kirika, who sat on the sofa with a dark expression.
Ever since Luo Shu had taken Lacus Clyne and Tokisaki Kurumi underground, Tachibana Kirika had worn a dark expression, looking as though someone owed her billions.
Thanks to her, both Eriri and Utaha Kasumigaoka felt as though they were sitting on pins and needles, not daring to move on the sofa.
By contrast, Kisara, who had been ignoring Tachibana Kirika all along, and Yukinoshita Yukino, who bustled around serving tea, were relatively more relaxed.
At that moment, while Tachibana Kirika sat there scowling, Him, seated in an armchair, picked up the black tea Yukino had brought her and stuck out her tongue.
"All right, Kirika, stop pretending. Luo Shu isn't even here anymore. Keep this up and you'll scare your colleagues."
At those words, Tachibana Kirika's gloomy expression instantly broke, collapsing in a second.
She rubbed her face to relax her muscles, then leaned lazily against the back of the sofa and crossed her legs.
"That brat. Why does he have to spring something new on me every time?"
As she spoke, she gave herself a few pinches to loosen her muscles, lounging on the sofa like a lord.
"Huh?" Seeing Tachibana Kirika act this way left Eriri rather dumbfounded.
"What are you staring at, little girl?"
Tachibana Kirika couldn't help laughing at Eriri's expression.
"Did you really think I had that much of a problem with Luo Shu?"
Hearing that, Utaha Kasumigaoka finally caught on and asked with a strange expression,
"Were you acting just now?"
"What else?"
Tachibana Kirika rolled her eyes, then said with a rather speechless expression,
"He wasn't there for very long, but that brat Luo Shu came