"We do have canned food."
"Ugh, I don't want that." Inori rubbed her stomach and pouted. "Anything else?"
"It's late and everyone's resting… so there's really only instant noodles or energy bars."
Ayase explained this with a strained smile. This girl called Inori Yuzuriha seemed like someone who had been rather pampered, someone who hadn't known real hardship—and normally, Ayase would have said something about that. But she held it back.
"Mmm… then forget it."
Inori blinked, and gave a light, unbothered smile.
"Goodnight, Ayase."
"Goodnight."
Ayase gave the jacket-removing Inori one last glance, shook her head slightly, and wheeled herself away.
What she didn't know was that the very second the door closed behind her, a Stand radiating deep red light tore itself free from Inori's body—King Crimson's colossal form passed clean through the wall, drifting out as a spirit into the night, heading toward the more vibrant part of the city.
—My invincible King Crimson—go forth and forage for me!
—And on your way back, stop by home and grab me a change of underwear!
...
...
Inori stripped off her grimy clothes and draped them carelessly over the chair. She stepped into the bathroom and indulged in a long, deeply satisfying hot shower—then walked out wrapped in a towel, lay down on the bed, propped herself against a soft pillow, and lay very still for a while with her eyes shut. The fatigue dissolved considerably.
She picked up her phone and gave it a light shake; a virtual interface window bloomed to life. Only then did she notice: Hare Menjou had called her more than twenty times.
"Ugh… how am I supposed to explain this?"
Inori frowned and let out a slow breath.
That oblivious girl—she's definitely spiraling by now.
As troublesome as it was, Inori knew that if she didn't call back right this instant, it would only make things harder to walk back later. Inori's previous pattern had been nothing worse than coming home late. But tonight, she was spending the night away entirely—and for an underage girl, that was essentially a minefield you didn't approach.
Two rings, and the call connected immediately. Before Inori could figure out what to say, the anxious face of Hare Menjou was already filling the screen.
"Hello?! Is that you, Inori?"
"Not so loud, Hare."
The sudden volume made Inori wince and scratch at her ear.
"You have no idea how worried I was! …Where have you been? Why weren't you answering?!"
"I'm in District 16." Inori slid into the story she'd prepared. "Something major happened out here—the entire harbor district caught fire, it looks like. The area's under lockdown. I might not be able to come home tonight."
"Oh—you're safe, that's what matters. I saw the news too. I was so scared you'd been caught up in it… I kept calling and calling and you weren't picking up… sniff—I was genuinely terrified."
The girl on the video call looked like she still had tears drying at the corners of her eyes. Inori watched her face—the distress that was entirely on Inori's behalf—and felt a small warmth move through her despite herself. Having someone worry about you like this was, genuinely, a rare kind of luck.
Which was exactly why the impulse she'd felt last night—that dangerous urge to tell her the truth—had been so foolish. She would bury everything she was doing. She would keep it hidden to the very end. Because the people who truly mattered should be kept as far away as possible. That was the best protection she could offer.
"Look—I'm not a child. I'm not your daughter or your little sister. You don't have to trace every bad thing in the world back to me, you know."
Inori kept her voice detached, with just a hint of exasperation.
"Inori, are you in a hotel?"
"Mm-hm."
Inori blinked—her upper and lower lashes brushing together for a moment.
"I'm not at a friend's place either, and I didn't go anywhere strange. See—it's just me in here, right?"
She tilted the camera in a brief, unhurried sweep of the room.
The lights were off and the curtains drawn, so the specifics of the room were hard to make out—but all Hare needed to see was that Inori was safe and that she hadn't been tricked by some shady man. That would be enough.
Hare leaned in, scrutinizing the dim image. It did look tidy. The lighting was poor, but she could see there was no second person beside Inori. She relaxed, a little. And Inori in the frame—her hair still damp, clinging to the side of her face—her skin showing the clear, soft luminescence it always had, even in a dark room like this. She appeared to be wrapped in only a bath towel, fresh from a shower.
—She's telling the truth. Probably.
Something felt faintly off, in a way Hare couldn't quite name. But she found nothing.
"I'm fine. I'll be home tomorrow morning—and it's the weekend, so have a good meal waiting for me, okay~? Oh, and do you need me to pick anything up? I think we're out of eggs."
"No, it's fine, I bought some today." Hare answered quickly. "But you have to come home early tomorrow! I get lonely on my own…"
"I know, I know~ I'm hanging up now."
"Wait!"
"What is it now?"
"You're… really okay, aren't you? Inori." Hare herself wasn't sure why she'd said it—the words were out before she'd thought about them.
"…Say that again and I'll be upset."
"Sorry. Just asking."
"Goodnight, Inori!"
The screen went dark—it was Hare who'd pressed the button this time.
That bright little face vanished. The dark was all that remained—and the white blanket patterned in pale green flowers draped over her. The stone that had been pressing on Inori's chest finally lifted. She exhaled slowly. Somehow Hare managed to put more pressure on her than the entire GHQ. In some very specific sense, Hare truly had her wrapped around one finger.
"You can come out now, King Crimson."
Inori murmured this to no one in particular.
A dim red glow seeped into the room. King Crimson's massive form pushed through the wall beside the bed—that endearingly ridiculous face wearing an expression of hopeful expectation—one hand holding a bag, the other balancing a takeout container filled with fragrant curry rice, a supermarket sticker still visible on the lid.
Most supermarkets sold this kind of hot meal and would heat it up at the counter. King Crimson had, of course, taken a considerably less conventional approach: found a closed store, heated it, and walked out without paying.
—A little unethical. But who cares.
Even the smell alone was enough to undo Inori's restraint. She licked her lips, swallowed, climbed out of bed, stepped into her slippers, and reached up both hands to pluck the container from King Crimson's grasp. She carried it to the desk with barely contained delight, pulled out the chair, and sat down.
"Late-night food is the most righteous thing in the world!"
—Obviously. How could anyone possibly sleep on an empty stomach? Human beings are creatures who need more food to have the energy to fight. This is an objective fact.
"Funeral Parlor, GHQ, the power of the Stand—and a delicious meal! I, Inori, have officially secured the first napkin!"
She was just venting out loud, not at any particular volume.
"Bring me a spoon and a napkin, my King Crimson!"
King Crimson blinked. Blankly.
Inori waited. Nothing happened. She turned—and found her Stand floating there looking like a complete idiot, his green eyes drifting nervously in all directions, suddenly very interested in not meeting her gaze. The pleased expression from moments ago had given way to a look of profound paralysis and fear.
"You didn't forget, did you? My invincible King Crimson. You didn't forget that eating requires utensils. Something as basic as that. You didn't. Right? Didn't you?"
King Crimson shuddered. Terror, being the stronger motivator, activated Speed A. He phased through the wall and vanished in an instant, leaving only a red afterimage.
Inori stared after him and sighed. Her stomach was rioting. There was nothing to do but sit and stare at the untouched container.
A few seconds later—a metal spoon and a folded napkin materialized beside her hand.
"These are from Funeral Parlor's kitchen, aren't they?"
King Crimson nodded earnestly. In his estimation, it had been the most efficient path available.
"…"