"Why are you so sure I've done something bad?!"
I put down the pet collar and scolded Kirino sharply. "And why didn't you knock before coming in?"
If she'd arrived an hour earlier, I might have really been caught red-handed.
"Ahaha, sorry, I was in a bit of a hurry and forgot… As for the first question, well, maybe it's because every time I see you, Sensei, you're always doing something suspicious?"
I decided to be the bigger person and not argue with an idiot.
"So, what brings you here today?"
"Sensei, did you forget? You asked me to get the contact information for Director Kanna from the Public Peace Bureau." Kirino smiled brightly, her tone full of innocent pride. "I got it easily!"
…It's been nearly a week. I'd almost forgotten about that, and she still has the nerve to brag.
I felt a bit suffocated. Originally, I wanted to contact Kanna to give the Kaiser Corporation a few extra obstacles and improve our plan's success rate. But now? Hoshino's already been rescued and has gone back to her carefree daily life with the Foreclosure Task Force.
Still, it wasn't entirely useless. Having the Public Security Director's private contact could come in handy someday.
I sent a friend request to Kanna's Momotalk account. No response yet—probably busy.
"Come on, Kirino."
I stood up, put on my jacket, and gave a confident smile. "For the sake of Kivotos' peace, allow me to accompany you on patrol today!"
Also, it was a good excuse to kill time this afternoon. As for that cursed game, I didn't even want to touch it again for now.
Who in their right mind puts a main-story progression item inside a hidden chest that can't be accessed later? Saiba Momoi, what kind of game did you make?!
Might as well get some fresh air.
"Ooooh!" The hot-blooded idiot immediately lit up, visibly excited. "As expected of Sensei! Even while wounded, you're still filled with passion and duty! Such a spirit is truly admirable… I knew I wasn't wrong about you! Let's work hard together!"
Huh? Weren't you always treating me like some criminal-in-training?
"Before patrol, have you eaten lunch yet?"
"Ah, not yet… I was going to after notifying you."
"Perfect. Let's eat together, my treat."
I live frugally, with no bad habits, so the money I save is meant for my students anyway.
But Kirino quickly waved her hands in refusal.
"Sensei, you shouldn't always be spending on us! Besides, I came out with a colleague today. She's waiting for me downstairs at Schale. That's why I was in such a hurry earlier. Ah, let's head down first!"
In other words, I'd get to meet another student. Hopefully a reliable one this time.
However, when we got downstairs, there was no one in sight.
Kirino looked around, then pulled out her phone to send a message. "Ah, she says it's too hot outside, so she's cooling off in the convenience store."
…Hot?
I checked the temperature, around twenty degrees Celsius.
Something felt off.
Following Kirino, I entered the Angel 24 convenience store. Between two aisles, we found a girl wearing a Valkyrie uniform. She must have been Kirino's colleague.
Petite and slender, with twin tails streaked in dark and gray-blue, crimson eyes, and an adorably lazy expression written all over her face.
When I saw her, she was sitting on the floor, leisurely savoring a donut with a cup of coffee at her side.
"Hey! Fubuki! You're eating donuts without me?!"
Kirino shouted and rushed over, plopping down next to her. Without hesitation, she grabbed a donut and stuffed it into her mouth, a blissful look spreading across her face.
Donuts and coffee, apparently standard issue for the Valkyrie Police Department.
Come to think of it… Fubuki, that name sounds familiar.
"Sensei, would you like one too?" Kirino offered the donut box with enthusiasm. Seeing Fubuki had no objection, I took one and tried it.
A bit too sweet, but tasty.
"Hmm~ So you're the Sensei from Schale?"
Fubuki looked at me with mild curiosity. When I confirmed it, she smiled pleasantly.
"Oh my, Sensei. Nice to meet you. I'm Nemugaki Fubuki from the Public Safety Bureau. Is Schale still accepting new members? How about me?"
The moment I heard her full name, I remembered.
She was one of the two infamous troublemakers of the Public Safety Bureau, right alongside Kirino.
Truly, birds of a feather flock together. Or maybe they'd both been ostracized at the same time.
But according to the information I'd looked up before, the reasons the two were labeled "troublesome" were completely opposite.
Kirino was overly proactive, always rushing into action, but often made mistakes due to carelessness or her limited ability. Fubuki, on the other hand, avoided all work outside her basic duties, one of the laziest people in the entire Bureau, even by their relaxed standards.
If she wanted to join Schale, the Bureau would probably be glad to see her go. The real question was: why would she want to join Schale?
When I politely asked, Fubuki answered without hesitation.
"I heard that if you join Schale, you don't really get extra work, and it's easier to get vacation approvals~ Then I can keep relaxing like this, enjoying my donuts and coffee∼"
Her honesty was almost frightening. Was it really okay to say something that selfish so openly?
"Fubuki! You can't think of joining Schale for a reason like that! If you work in both the Public Safety Bureau and Schale, it should be to better serve the citizens of Kivotos!"
"It's basically the same thing∼ I'm a citizen of Kivotos too∼"
Fubuki replied lazily. "So, Sensei, please think about it~"
She seemed to be speaking as if it didn't matter whether she was accepted or not. I hesitated for a moment, if Fubuki joined and did nothing…
Wait, do I even expect Schale's members to do anything?
As long as she meets my aesthetic standards and doesn't cause trouble, that's good enough.
So, is Fubuki cute? Yes. Reliable? Also yes.
No one would ever try to exploit a true slacker. They have no value to exploit.
So what's there to hesitate about?
"Welcome to Schale!"
Fubuki blinked, startled. "Eh?! Seriously? I got accepted just like that?"
"My intuition tells me, Fubuki, that you possess a pure heart of justice. A talent like yours is exactly what Schale needs!"
Of course, mainly because she's incredibly cute.
But cuteness itself is a kind of justice.
Fubuki stared at me, then looked away, stuffing the rest of her donut into her mouth and mumbling through it,
"…What a weird adult."