It seemed that Akira Mado also didn't expect Lancer to still be awake. She was stunned for a moment when she heard Lancer voice, but then she immediately turned on the light in the room.
"Did I disturb your rest?"
"No, I feel like my body is recovering quickly, so I can't sleep."
Akira Mado only gently bit her lip and nodded when she heard Lancer words.
Then, she walked directly to Lancer bedside, took off her coat, and hung it on the clothes rack next to her.
Seeing the other party acting a bit unusually, Lancer hesitated for two seconds and guessed a possibility.
"Akira, are you tired today?"
When Lancer was browsing the CCG's internal system earlier, he saw many people complaining that today's workload was too much. In Lancer opinion, Akira Mado should be tired for the same reason. When he saw Akira Mado sighing with a helpless look, covering her forehead, he felt even more certain that he had guessed correctly.
But before he could open his mouth to comfort her, he saw Akira Mado suddenly press the right hand that was covering her forehead onto the bed rail next to Lancer face.
"Lancer, do you really not know why I'm so tired?"
Lancer, who had never been this close to Akira Mado before, smelled the faint smell of blood on her and hesitated for two seconds...
"Is it because there are too many ghouls causing trouble today?"
Lancer answer made Akira Mado freeze for two seconds, then she shook her head vehemently, and before Lancer could speak again, she spoke directly.
"No, it's because of a certain idiot."
"Amon? Uh... could it be... me?"
For some reason, Lancer felt that Akira Mado's oppressive aura at this moment was extremely terrifying, so much so that he didn't know what to say. When he finished saying 'me,' the strange oppressive aura on Akira Mado reduced slightly.
But as the oppressive aura on the opponent gradually reduced, the pressure in Lancer heart grew greater. He wasn't really an idiot. The reason he hadn't felt it before was purely because he hadn't thought in that direction at all. Now, the opponent's attitude immediately made Lancer guess the meaning of her words, but...
Why would Akira care about him?
The Lancer back then purely regarded Lancer as the daughter of his benefactor and purely protected her. He didn't develop any extra relationship with her beyond 'rescued person,' 'benefactor's daughter,' and 'colleague' until he left 3 years ago. Although his strength was quite good at that time, he didn't believe that she would fall for him merely because of that. At least, in Lancer opinion, she was not such a shallow woman.
Three years later, Lancer simply regarded her as a friend. He didn't remember doing anything special...
Looking at Lancer slightly distant gaze, Akira Mado also guessed that Lancer was reminiscing, or rather, thinking, because judging from his reaction, this idiot really didn't have any idea about this before.
"Lancer, I'll ask, and you answer me!"
"Yes!"
For some reason, the previously lowered aura surged again, and Lancer also reflexively answered 'Yes.'
"I ask you, what do you think of me?"
"What do you mean, 'what do I think of you'?"
"Am I pretty? Do I have a good figure? What about my personality?"
"Uh... Akira, of course you're very pretty, and there's no need to mention your figure. As for your personality, although you're sometimes a bit aggressive, you don't make things difficult for others, so it should be considered good, right?"
Lancer words were not made up. After all, the two of them had known each other for quite some time, and Lancer believed he knew the other party quite well.
Lancer answer made Akira Mado's face blush slightly. After all, although Lancer answer was not unexpected, it still made her heart tremble fiercely twice. However, she tried her best to calm down, as she had more important things to say.
"Then what about you, Lancer?"
Her slightly flushed cheeks became somewhat serious, and Lancer, who was being stared at by the other party, looked a bit at a loss.
"Me? I... should be quite good, right?"
Lancer didn't know what to say. Should he say he was good? Was that a bit of self-praise? Then should he say he wasn't good? He wasn't a masochist who liked to badmouth himself. In the end, he could only answer with a vague answer.
But Akira Mado seemed unsatisfied.
"Lancer! Are you looking down on yourself? Or are you looking down on me, who likes you!"
This was the first time Akira Mado had confessed her feelings in front of anyone. Even she couldn't maintain her usual serious demeanor, and her entire face turned crimson.
"Do you know! I originally hated you! Father never saw me again after I entered the Investigator Academy, except for rare rest days, but suddenly, one day, he started repeatedly mentioning a name in front of me------"
Akira Mado glared fiercely, and Lancer felt a bit awkward. He wanted to rub his nose, but because Akira Mado's face was almost pressed against his, he lifted his left hand but didn't know where to put it.
But Akira Mado continued as if she hadn't noticed Lancer strange behavior.
"I really hated that guy, absolutely hated him. On rare holidays, I wanted to have a good talk with Father, but he always mentioned that name. Later, when I graduated, because of my grades, I could choose a 'senior' I wanted to study under, so I chose that man."
"And then you found out that the person was as excellent as your father said?"
"No! He was completely different from what Father said. That guy was an idiot whose head was filled with nothing but fighting. His strength was clearly insufficient, but when he encountered an SS-rank ghoul, he didn't know to run and instead rushed straight up. If it weren't for good luck, he would have died right there. Later, he still didn't learn his lesson. During the 11th Ward suppression battle, he had a reliable Special Class Investigator senior he could depend on, but he insisted on being a lone hero and rushed in alone..."
The more Akira Mado spoke, the more awkward Lancer expression became. After all, that time was different from now. The Lancer back then didn't have the strength he has now. The things he did back then did seem irrational to him now, but if he were asked, 'If you encounter a similar situation again, what would you choose?' then his choice would probably still be the same, after all------he had already acted before he could fully react.
This is also why he didn't refute when more than one person, including Professor F, called him an 'idiot.' However, he didn't plan to change this point, after all, this is who he is, an idiot Lancer who only knows how to move forward.
Although Lancer didn't say a word, Akira Mado probably guessed Lancer thoughts from his expression. She just snorted coldly.
"Sure enough, you haven't changed..."
Although it was just a low mutter, Lancer heard it even though Akira Mado herself might not have heard it clearly. This made him feel somewhat awkward.
"So you hate me?"
Lancer asked quietly, but this question completely lost Akira Mado's already turbulent emotions.
"Yes! I hate you! I super hate you! I hate why you're such an idiot and so dazzling! Why you always unconsciously attract others' attention! Why you always make me so worried but still appear in front of me with a smile! Why you make me unable to forget you! Why!!!"
As if venting, Akira Mado loudly questioned Lancer. She didn't even notice the tears flowing from the corners of her eyes...