With General Chop generously offering them a discount, Yanagi did not decline.
After paying, she turned to the Hollow Special Operations members beside her and said, "If everyone's finished eating, we'll officially disband here. This incident happened so suddenly, and it forced all of you to work from the evening until now. I'm truly sorry. Please head back and get some proper rest."
She paused for a moment before continuing, "As for today's mission report, the Sixth Division will handle it. When you return to work tomorrow, you only need to submit the compensatory leave application."
Although she said it so casually, the most troublesome part—the mission report itself—could only be written by Yanagi. No one else seemed capable of handling it properly.
Harumasa might have been able to help, but considering his physical condition, it was unlikely he would.
The other Hollow Special Operations members were instantly delighted, showering Yanagi with endless praise.
After all, whenever she led them on a mission, she not only treated them to a meal but also spared them the trouble of writing reports. To top it off, they were getting off work earlier than anyone else.
As the support personnel gradually left, Yanagi noticed Wise standing not far away.
"Oh? Wise. Sorry, I didn't notice you earlier."
"It's alright," Wise replied. "But more importantly... are you only just getting off work now, Yanagi?"
He could see a trace of exhaustion on her face, and she nodded lightly.
"Yes. It was an unexpected situation. But let's not talk about that."
A faint smile appeared on her lips.
"I was actually planning to stop by the video store on my way back. Since I happened to have some free time today, I wanted to take the chance to invite you to my home. I did say I'd treat you to a meal before, but it kept getting postponed until now..."
Yanagi looked slightly embarrassed as she spoke, while Wise hesitated for a moment.
It wasn't because their relationship was distant. If anything, Soukaku had long since brought them closer, and she was especially fond of Wise.
She often came to the video store for free meals, and while Wise had been in the Outer Ring, the little girl constantly messaged him, asking when he would come back.
At times, her pitiful little complaints even made Wise feel as though he were raising a child.
"Is that really alright?" Wise asked. "You just got off work, Yanagi. After working this long, you must be exhausted, right?"
"Ah, there's no need to worry," Yanagi replied softly. "Even if I'm tired, it won't affect my cooking."
"That's not what I meant."
Wise interrupted Yanagi, then showed a concerned expression.
"I know you're capable, Yanagi, but when you're tired, you need to rest too, don't you? We can have that meal another day. For today, just go home and get a good night's sleep."
Those words made Yanagi freeze for a moment.
He was right. She had always been like this, caring for everyone else while forgetting to care for herself.
"Wise..." She lowered her gaze slightly before nodding. "Mm. I understand. I'll take your advi—ugh!"
Before she could finish, Yanagi's slender body suddenly trembled.
She raised a hand to her forehead, pain flashing across her face. In the next instant, all strength seemed to leave her body as she collapsed forward.
"Yanagi! What's wrong?!"
Wise rushed forward at once. Yanagi fell straight into his arms, her cheek coming to rest against his shoulder.
At such close range, the faint and delicate fragrance surrounding her became unmistakably clear.
However, Wise had no time to dwell on such things. He immediately used his healing ability on her, and as soon as it took effect, the pain on Yanagi's face visibly lessened.
Even so, her breathing remained quick and uneven, causing the full curves pressed against him to rise and fall rapidly. Only after a moment did some of her strength seem to return to her.
Yanagi slowly opened her eyes. Her vision was still blurred, yet strangely, every physical sensation felt sharper than ever.
It didn't take long for her to realize that she was once again leaning against that man's chest. A faint blush spread across her cheeks as she hurriedly tried to stand, but the instant she moved, her legs gave out beneath her.
In the end, she had no choice but to remain in his arms.
"Sorry... I've caused you trouble again."
Yanagi felt thoroughly embarrassed. Though she couldn't see clearly, she could hear the surrounding chatter growing louder. It was obvious that people had already gathered to watch.
She had only just said she wanted to repay Wise for taking care of both Soukaku and herself, yet now she had ended up owing him another favor instead.
"It's alright. That's not what matters right now."
Wise steadied her gently.
"Would you like to rest at the video store first, Yanagi?"
He showed no concern for the gazes around them.
As for the onlookers, Wise could not have cared less. He was already used to attracting attention, and since he was simply helping someone, there was nothing to feel self-conscious about.
"Then... I'll trouble you."
Yanagi gave a small nod. With visible shyness, she lightly grabbed the edge of Wise's clothes and let him guide her back to the video store.
[Ding! Target Yanagi has increased her favorability toward the host by 10. Current favorability: 75. Additionally, 1200 Emotional Value has been obtained.]
[Current Emotional Value: 26700]
When they returned to the video store, the first thing Wise noticed was Belle's calm, almost accustomed expression, as if scenes like this were nothing new to her.
The moment Yanagi noticed Belle's look, she quickly tried to explain herself, her face slightly flushed.
Belle listened, nodded, and replied bluntly, "I see. Then Brother, hurry up and carry Miss Yanagi upstairs so she can rest."
Since the room on the first floor still could not be shown to Yanagi, Wise had no choice but to bring her to his own room instead.
But the instant those words reached her ears, Yanagi's heartbeat began to race. Belle's phrasing was far too easy to misunderstand, especially with those strangely dramatic pauses.
Although Yanagi tried her best to stop her thoughts from wandering, the human mind often moved faster than reason. By the time she caught herself, it was already too late.
[Ding! Target Yanagi has increased her favorability toward the host by 5. Current favorability: 80. Additionally, 800 Emotional Value has been obtained.]
[Current Emotional Value: 27500]
There was, however, one slight problem when they reached the stairs. Because her vision was still unclear, Yanagi nearly stumbled with almost every step.
She did her best to hide it and pretend nothing was wrong, but how could something like that escape Wise's notice?
So, accompanied by Yanagi's soft cry of surprise, Wise scooped her up in a princess carry, carried her to his room, and gently placed her on the bed.
To Yanagi, the softness of the mattress was nowhere near as memorable as the sense of security he had given her moments ago. The instant he let go, an inexplicable emptiness rose in her chest.
Even so, she maintained her usual elegance and softly thanked him, unaware that Wise had already noticed every subtle change in her emotions. He chose not to mention it and simply continued showing concern.
"Yanagi, rest here for now. I'll have Soukaku come by a little later so the two of you can have dinner together."
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Zenless Zone Zero: The Almighty Incubus of Sixth Street
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