Late at night, I put on my coat, grabbed a small bag, and left Schale.
The streets on the outskirts were empty, the air faintly cool and fresher than usual.
Following the navigation for about ten minutes, I arrived at a secluded park deep in a quiet neighborhood. The girl who had asked to meet me there was already sitting squarely in the middle of a bench, waiting.
When she saw me approach, the shark-toothed girl with dog ears shifted to the side to make space, folded the newspaper she had been reading to pass the time, set a coffee cup with a paw-print design on top of it, and nodded toward me.
"Sensei, it's been a while. Your neck…?"
"It's just a small injury, nothing serious. Long time no see, Kanna."
Under the dim yellow glow of the streetlight, Kanna's usually stern and distant face appeared softer and more vivid.
I sat down beside her. Because of the neck brace, I had to turn my whole upper body just to glance at her profile.
Her ears drooped slightly, and beneath her uncovered left eye, faint dark circles could be seen. She looked tired. Exhausted, really. As though she hadn't rested properly in days. Even her cool, wild beauty was dulled by fatigue.
I found myself wishing I could see Kanna, after such a long day, sleeping peacefully in a warm, soft bed.
"Sorry for dragging you out this late," I said awkwardly.
"No, I should be the one apologizing. I'm sorry for calling you out at this hour, but lately, this is the only time I can spare."
Kanna sighed deeply, her voice carrying the weight of fatigue.
The Public Security Bureau always carried heavier responsibilities than the other departments at Valkyrie Police Academy. For Kanna, as its chief, the stronger her sense of duty, the busier her life became.
"You've been working hard, Kanna."
I said it sincerely, then set the still-warm insulated bag on my lap. Untying the cord, I revealed a box inside.
"This is…?"
"A little gift from me!" I opened the box, revealing a dozen donuts of various shapes. "It seemed like everyone at Valkyrie enjoys these, so I thought you might want to try some too."
Since no shops were open this late, I had tried making them myself using some leftover keystone material in the workshop.
It had only been a casual experiment, but somehow it worked, perfectly. The donuts had come out delicious. Truly, Kivotos technology was nothing short of miraculous.
Surely, tasting one of these warm, sweet donuts on a chilly night would make Kanna smile brightly.
"Uh… I don't really like donuts…"
Kanna looked awkward. "They make your hands sticky."
"I don't mind sticky hands." I picked up a donut and held it out to her. "So, open up."
"...Can I call this workplace harassment?"
"No, you may not."
Kanna was clearly uncomfortable with my insistence, but after a brief hesitation, she sighed softly and opened her mouth, carefully taking a bite.
The moment she tasted it, surprise flickered across her face. Then she closed her eyes and chewed slowly, savoring the flavor.
Even so, the donut was gone quickly, and at the very end, I thought I felt my fingertip brush against the corner of her lips.
Kanna opened her cool blue eyes and lightly licked her lips, as if still wanting more.
"I take back what I said. If donuts taste like this, getting my hands dirty would be worth it."
I picked up another donut. "Then, how about one more?"
"No, let's talk business first."
What a pity.
I shoved the donut into my own mouth, chewed a few times, swallowed, licked my fingers clean, then wiped them with a handkerchief before finally getting to the point.
"Kanna, thank you for that anonymous letter. Kirino's help meant a lot to me back then."
"Anonymous letter? I don't know what you're talking about."
I had to admit, Kanna was an expert at playing dumb.
But it was obvious that she knew I knew. More precisely, she had wanted me to figure it out. Otherwise, there were far more discreet ways to deliver such information.
Kanna wanted me to understand that she and Kaya weren't on the same side and that she bore me goodwill.
Despite her nickname "Feral Hound," Ogata Kanna was surprisingly intelligent and rational.
Which made sense. After all, the Public Security Bureau Director's position was an administrative one.
Thankfully, I wasn't as dense as Kaya, who wouldn't have caught such a simple hint.
Out of nowhere, I suggested, "How about working together?"
Kanna's short brows furrowed sharply, giving her a fierce look. "What are you talking about?"
"Of course, not now. Kanna, what do you think of Kaya? To be specific, do you think she's a competent chief of the Security Office?"
"Why would you ask that?"
Kanna looked surprised. "Chief Shiranui is kind to everyone, tactful, and impressively capable. Her ideas are bold and creative. I respect her deeply. Her position as Chief is well-deserved. She's an exceptional leader."
Some words needed to be translated internally.
What I heard was: Rude, irresponsible, utterly incompetent, and borderline insane to the point of driving Kanna nearly mad. Everyone agreed that Shiranui Kaya was completely unfit for her position.
Then, who had promoted such a woman to one of the most important posts in the General Student Council?
I had reason to suspect that Kaya was one of the missing GSC President's closest confidants.
Back to the main topic.
I feigned surprise. "What a coincidence, I think so too."
Kaya was my student, yes.
But judging from her connections with the Kaiser Corporation and whatever secret schemes she was hatching, she clearly wasn't suited for such a high position.
As her Sensei, I was obliged to correct her, to guide her, to help her become the hero she dreamed of being, but I wasn't confident I could succeed.
Which meant I needed to set up countermeasures.
The first was Shichido Yukino , who had already feigned loyalty to Kaya and was now watching her from within.
The second was the girl before me, Kaya's subordinate's subordinate, yet the head of the Public Security Bureau at Valkyrie Police Academy, a mid-level officer with real authority, and one who clearly bore resentment toward Kaya: Ogata Kanna.
"Maybe not now, but someday, Kanna," I said with a meaningful smile. "When the time comes, perhaps we can join hands. To build upon Chief Shiranui's grand vision."
"…Heh."
Kanna smiled faintly, replying with equal subtlety.
"Then please, feed me another donut, Sensei.
"Because, you see, I really don't like dirtying my hands.
"I'm sure you wouldn't deny your student such a small, selfish request… right?"
In every sense of the word, I was more than happy to oblige.
And so, playing this little feeding game with Kanna, we emptied the box before finally parting ways.
On the way back to Schale, it occurred to me that what had just happened… might technically count as an indirect kiss.