"W--well, it's just recently you seem a bit strange. I was worried, that's all."
Masaru sighed and leaned forward. "Strange? There is nothing unusual."
"But you were unusually harsh with Daiki-sama, and at the shooting range, you seemed-"
'Even if I do like her, being seen through like he is some type of broken glass is annoying.'
Why does she know everything about him? It's not fair. Even if he is close with the lady, there are many things that he does not know about her, many things he wants to learn.
"Listen, I think you have the wrong idea. You may think you know me well, but I am not like the other guys. You can't just win me over with a few sweet words. Or do you think I would fall to your feet like Masato did earlier?"
Why is he is being so harsh right now? Is this simply due to irritation? Or is it because of the scene that replayed in his mind earlier? This girl will always have other people, even if it is not him. They can never be as close.
They are both killers, but this girl is not like him. She can still step away and walk under the sun. But it is too late for him; he can no longer turn back.
His thoughts broke off when she suddenly stepped on his foot and grabbed hold of his collar.
There was a dangerous look that flashed through her amethyst-colored eyes.
"Just because I have been preoccupied recently does not give you the right to act like such a self-conceited jerk. Even if I have been busy, I have been keeping up to date on what is happening with you and the others. I care for all of you equally."
Of course, she does; not once has she treated him or the other five any differently. She may have a soft spot for Daiki due to her admiration for his singing, but she does not love or care for him any more than she does others.
For this girl, they are all the same. Friends who she has to protect.
"What if I tell you I am tired of you doing that?"
At those words, she laughed. "Do you think you can deceive my eyes? Do you think you can lie to me? I will tell you straight. I intended to treat you all equally. But I treat you slightly better than the others because aren't we the same?"
"No, you belong under the sun-"
Sumire shook her head. "No, no I don't. Masaru-senpai, you don't know anything. You don't know how many missions I have been on. You don't know about my impulses to kill when I could just resolve things peacefully. You don't know how tired I am pretending I am okay."
"Lady-"
She exhaled deeply. "That's why even if I care about you all. I will never let any of you get any closer. The moment I sense a drastic change, I will pull back. Because for me, the others and you are normal. I do not want to corrupt your worlds."
The girl spoke clearly and with such conviction. Masaru sighed and pulled away.
"Your special treatment of me is quite cold."
"That's because you have a habit of overthinking." Sumire trailed off. "I came here because I heard that you are struggling to profile the bodies for that case."
She is quick to change to work mode, but it's better not to dwell on this topic any longer.
"Yes."
"It's unlike you to struggle."
"I may be a forensics expert, but even I have my limitations."
"If you can't handle it alone, do we have to find somebody else?" Sumire seemed frustrated, and he understood why.
Not many people are willing to work under Aki; that guy has a strange reputation. Most people avoid wanting to get involved with him.
"Not quite. Rather than find another profiler, there is something else we can do." Masaru took out a folder from his bag. "I was going to give you this earlier, but Masa kept you occupied."
"You need to stop eavesdropping. It's a bad habit of yours; what is this-" Sumire suddenly paused, and he watched her reaction.
"This is the details of somebody who could help us. He is a psychologist who can see through all forms of disguises. It seems he turned down all sorts of government positions and has his own private office. His clients range from the police to members of the underworld."
"Masaru-senpai, are you still angry?"
Masaru chuckled. "Not at all. But how do you like my investigation skills? I found him, didn't I? The guy you had a one-night stand with."
"You did."
"Didn't you say you found it weird that he escaped police investigation? This is the reason why. It seems like he is a respected psychologist. He is a student in a prestigious university, but he has a side job being a psychologist."
"But why do we have to-" Sumire seemed flustered. "Why do we have to ask for his help?"
"You should know if you read the profile I just gave you. He can get people to open their hearts and their true selves to him easily. He is a master of tricks. Nobody can hide their emotions in front of him. If we recruit him for this case, he will be useful?"
"He studied criminal psychology after he moved to star town; do you not find that strange?" Sumire mumbled.
"It is odd. It's like somebody else is pulling the strings and giving him orders. However, we do not have any time to waste." Masaru said desperately.
Normally he is not the type of person who would get emotionally worked up. But, when he discovered that the people being targeted were strong power users and those with unique abilities. His thoughts drifted to Sumire.
This entire case, are they trying to lure the lady out? It is a far-fetched theory; he has no concrete evidence. But when he discovered what linked all these people together, it led him back to the lady.
It's too dangerous for her to get involved with this. However, it seems like Mamoru has already tried and failed.
Sumire sighed and looked at the files in front of her with a troubled look on her face. "I will discuss it with R u. I shouldn't decide things without him anyway."
She relies on Mamoru a lot, but the lady does not harbor romantic feelings for him. As a profiler, he has examined and observed many people over the years, but the one he has a difficult time figuring out is Ibuki Sumire.
Just when he thinks he can get a read on her emotions, something changes. But that is exactly why he likes remaining by her side; she is unpredictable.
These 'feelings, ' 'emotions. ' are truly dangerous. He thinks he is starting to see into that person's thoughts.
If, if he can only save one person out of all of this. Who is he going to choose? How stupid; why did he form so many attachments? Is he broken?
In that facility, there was one person who extended their hand out to him. 'I owe that person too much.' The reason he could live a life on the outside and escape that place was him.
He has not heard any orders for him in a few years, but with these recent cases. He has to prepare himself to turn into a human weapon anytime.