Chapter 54 The way things are done

Now, back to district 4's public hospital, in Emma's office to be exact...

"Do you mind explaining to me, what that was all about, Kurokami-kun?" Emma, that was sitting in a chair, asked this with an angry tone to Tatsurou, as she crossed her arms and legs.

"Well, Emma-san, it's a bit complicated to explain...but rest assured, it was for a good cause!" Tatsurou, that was sitting on a chair facing Emma, said with a nervous tone, as he raised his index finger a bit.

"Even if it was for a good cause...this is still a hospital! And you don't carry people around like that here!" Emma said with an angry stoic tone as she pulled on Tatsurou's cheek.

"Ow, ow...I get it, I'm sorry for doing that! I promise I won't do it again!" Tatsurou said with a pained tone, as he held Emma's hand so that she didn't pull so hard.

"But do you really, promise me that, or is it like the promise you made of not getting hurt again?" Emma asked as she pulled a bit more.

"This was just a one-time thing! It won't happen again, I promise!" Tatsurou said still with his pained tone and Emma upon hearing this, let go of his cheek.

"Seriously, Kurokami-kun...you shouldn't do these kinds of things! The nurses came all running to me, telling me that one of the visitants was carrying a patient around...right when I was on my cigarette break!" Emma said as she took a pack of cigarettes out of her lab coat and looked at Tatsurou, rubbing his cheek to ease the pain.

"I'm sorry about that...wait, cigarette break? Emma-san, you're always smoking around the hospital, how come you need one of those?" Tatsurou asked with a curious and confused tone as he looked at Emma, putting a cigarette on her mouth.

"You don't get it, Kurokami-kun..." Emma said as she lighted up the cigarette and sighed.

"I need one of those breaks so that I can enjoy my smoke slowly and in peace, just as it's supposed to be..." Emma said as she took a puff from her cigarette.

"Or else the nurses are always on top of me, ready to take my cigarettes away...but I need them to stay calm and stress-free...they just don't understand..." Emma said as she sighed a bit.

"I see..." Tatsurou said a bit impressed, as he looked at Emma.

"Ah! But don't get the wrong idea, Kurokami-kun! Smoking is really bad and can kill you! So no smoking, you hear me!" Emma said with a worried tone, as she leaned a bit forward and raised her index finger a bit.

"Hearing that, coming from a doctor that smokes as much you do, feels a bit weird, Emma-san..." Tatsurou said as he sighed and saw Emma taking another puff.

"But don't worry, I don't plan on smoking...so rest assured..." Tatsurou said as he laughed a bit.

"Good! If you got tempted because of what I said and Hime found out, she would probably strangle me..." Emma said as she laughed a bit nervously.

"I would never get tempted like that, just how old do you think I am...but say, are you worried about me or your own well-being?" Tatsurou asked as he sighed.

"Well, both...but you take top priority anytime, for me!" Emma said with a honest tone, as she smiled, Tatsurou looked away and blushed upon hearing this.

"But say, Kurokami-kun...what was that all about?" Emma asked with a curious tone, as she took another puff.

"Well...you remember the girl, that I and the girl that pointed her gun at me, brought here yesterday, right?" Tatsurou asked as he looked at Emma.

"Of course I remember and how couldn't I...if memory doesn't fail, the girl you brought here, is Miyubi-san and the girl that pointed the gun at you was, Naoki-san, right?" Emma asked as she looked at Tatsurou that nodded.

"Yes, that's right...you see, those two are really good friends...but when Miyubi got hurt yesterday, Naoki blamed herself for what happened and when I proposed we visited Miyubi and talk about what happened, she refused to go...when I saw, how stubborn Naoki was being by refusing to go and talk, I decided to take her to Miyubi's room, so they could make up..." Tatsurou said as he made a small pause and scratched the back of his head.

"I know, that I shouldn't have done something like that and I'm sorry, for causing a commotion because of it...but I couldn't stay still and see a friendship like that ending, because of something that was my fault..." Tatsurou said with a sad tone, as he looked a bit down and remembered that if it wasn't for his stomach growling Miyubi wouldn't get hurt.

"Come on now, Kurokami-kun, Miyubi-san being hospitalized wasn't your fault...it could have happened to anyone, but thankfuly you were there to help...and as you said, you shouldn't have done things like that and not cause a commotion, but in a way, if that makes those two friends again, then it was worth all the trouble you went through, at least in my book...so raise your head!" Emma said with a reassuirng tone, as she head patted Tatsurou a bit.

"Thanks, Emma-san..." Tatsurou said with a happy tone, as he lifted his head and smiled a bit.

"But I'm really sorry for this, I promise, I'll make it up for you!" Tatsurou said with a determined tone, as he looked at Emma.

"You don't need to do that, it wasn't anything that bad and I won't lie...I did my fair share of crazy stuff here..." Emma said as she giggled a bit.

"Really?" Tatsurou asked a bit curious as he looked at Emma.

"Really! But that's in the past now, since I have to act like an upstanding doctor...and you can thank Hime for that..." Emma said as she laughed a bit.

"I see...you have to tell me about it, one of these days!" Tatsurou said as he laughed a bit too.

"But speaking of "past" there's something, I want to show you, Emma-san..." Tatsurou said as he calmed down with the laughs and looked at Emma.

"Something to show me?" Emma asked a bit curious.

"Yes, please watch..." Tatsurou said as he extended his right arm.

"Come to me, "Frida"!" As Tatsurou said this, his black adorned gauntlet, appeared on his right hand surprising Emma quite a bit, as she let the cigarette, fall from her hand.

"N-No way, Kurokami-kun! You're able to finally call the gauntlet!" Emma said with a surprised tone as she got up from her chair and her eyes opened wide.

"Just, when did this happen?" Emma asked with a curious tone as she grabbed Tatsurou's hand and looked at the gauntlet while moving around it.

"It happened yesterday when I fought the "Magician hunter" I made a contract with the gauntlet and now I can call it without a problem!" Tatsurou said with a happy tone as he closed and opened his hand.

"Impressive! I wasn't expecting this...but do you know why, it is attached to you?" Emma asked with a curious tone.

"Well, I didn't have a lot of time to talk with Frida, but I know more or less why she attached herself to me..." Tatsurou said moved his hand a bit.

"Wait, Frida? What are you talking about?" Emma asked with a curious and confused tone.

"Well, it's a kind of complicated story, but to be short after the fight and when I was making my way home from the hospital, the previous owner of this gauntlet, a Valkirye named Frida, talked with me in a dimension where the souls of the Valkyries wander, a place called the Mioji..." Tatsurou said as he looked at the gauntlet then at Emma, that became silent for a bit.

"Is...something wrong?" Tatsurou asked a bit worried.

"No, nothings wrong, but this is quite unexpected...I wasn't expecting this...and that different dimension part was also a bit of a surprise..." Emma said as she squatted to pick up her cigarette.

"But like I was saying, Kurokami-kun, did the Valkyrie...I mean Frida, tell you anything? Like why did she attached herself to you or why she showed up whenever she wanted?" Emma asked as she placed the cigarette in the ashtray, on top of her desk.

"Like I said, we didn't have a lot of time to talk, but one of the reasons she attached herself to me, was because I stooped Wilma, from reviving her and starting a war..." Tatsurou said as he moved his hand a bit.

"Wilma? Oh! You mean the woman, from the Black Bear unity, right?" Emma asked as she took her seat again.

"Yes, that's right... and Frida, wanted to thank me, by helping from time to time with anything that I might need, that was why she showed up whenever she wanted and without warning before, we made the contract..." Tatsurou said as he looked at Emma, that crossed her legs.

"I see, looks like she is a bit spontaneous our little Valkyrie...but it's a shame, that you couldn't ask her any more questions..." Emma said as she smiled a bit.

"To be honest, my research about powers like yours isn't going that well...there isn't, a lot of books or materials about it for me to work with...I was actually hoping for some answers when you finally controlled that gauntlet...but no luck here it seems..." Emma said with a depressed tone, as she sighed.

"Don't worry, Emma-san...Frida said she would talk with me pretty soon, and when that happens, I'll ask her a few things...let's just hope she has answers to my questions..." Tatsurou said also a bit depressed, as he sighed a bit too.

"Don't jinx it, Kurokami-kun! Positive thinking!" Emma said as she regained her spirits and smiled.

"You're right, Emma-san, I won't!" Tatsurou said with a determined tone as he too smiled, but they were suddenly interrupted...

"Doctor Muller..." A young and shy nurse said as she opened the door of Emma's office and poked her head inside.

"I'm sorry to interrupt...but there's a patient that needs your attention..." The nurse said as she got inside the office.

"Really? I'll be right there...I'm sorry Kurokami-kun, looks like we have to talk some other time..." Emma said as she looked at the nurse then at Tatsurou.

"It's ok, and I should be the one saying sorry since I interrupted your smoke break and work..." Tatsurou said with an apologetic tone, as he got up from the chair.

"Don't worry about that, I can use the lunch break to smoke..." Emma said with a reassuring tone, as she gently head patted Tatsurou.

"You should use the lunch break to eat, not to smoke, Emma-san..." Tatsurou said with a stoic tone, as he sighed a bit.

"Hush now, you!" Emma said as she stooped head patting Tatsurou and smiled, as they made their way out of the office.

"Well then, Kurokami-kun, see you soon!" Emma said with a happy tone, as she began following the nurse.

"Thanks! And you have a nice day at work, Emma-san!" Tatsurou said also with a happy tone, as he too smiled.

"I will!" Emma said as she waved a bit, with Tatsurou doing the same and soon enough when she was gone.

"Well then, I could go and see how Naoki and Miyubi are doing...but they're probably still talking, so I'll go home and talk with them later..." Tatsurou said as he began making his way out of the hospital...

And as Tatsurou did that, back at the headquarters of District 4's Soteria Unit...

"Hmm, I just couldn't decide back there..." Emiko said as she entered the main hall of the Soteria building, holding a plastic bag in her left hand, from a sweets shop that wasn't too far, from the Soteria Headquarters.

"All those sweets looked so good...I hope the girls like them..." Emiko said with a happy tone, as she glanced at the plastic bag that had a few boxes with cakes, that was meant as get-well gifts, for Naoki and Miyubi.

"And I should have asked Yumeko-chan, what kind of sweets Tatsurou-chan likes before going...but I think this coffee cheesecake, was a good choice!" Emiko said again with a happy tone as she looked forward, and made her way to the elevators, but as she got close, to one of those elevators and was about to press a button to call it, she was interrupted.

"Vice-lieutenant Munesuki!" A tired and worried voice called Emiko from behind.

"Oh! If it isn't Aoki-chan!" Emiko said with a surprised tone as she turned around as saw Aoki coming close to her, huffing a bit.

"I...finally found you..." Aoki said with a tired tone, as she caught her breath a bit.

"You were looking, for me?" Emiko asked with a curious tone, as she looked at Aoki.

"Yes, Vice-lieutenant Munesuki...Yumeko-senpai...ahem, I mean Lieutenant Kuroiwa...wants to talk with you, and it's very urgent..." Aoki said as she regained her composure and adjusted her glasses a bit.

"I see...then let's go there now!" Emiko said as she pressed the button to call the elevator and as soon as the doors opened, both Emiko and Aoki got inside.

"Please, allow me..." Aoki said as she pressed the button for the 4th floor of the building and as the doors closed and the elevator began going up...

"Say, Aoki-chan, how is Naoki-chan doing?" Emiko asked with a worried, but also curious tone as she smiled.

"You don't need to worry...Naoki just got a bit hurt in the back, but she's back up and at it again already!" Aoki said in a reassuring tone as she looked at Emiko.

"That's good to know...I was actually planning on visiting both Naoki-chan and Miyubi-chan during lunchtime and give them these, get well and good work gifts!" Emiko said as she raised the plastic bag she was holding a bit and showed it, to Aoki.

"Oh! I see...they will be really happy about it!" As Aoki said this the elevator stooped and opened its doors, as it had arrived on the 4th floor, which had various office cubicles spread around it.

"Please follow me, Vice-lieutenant Munesuki!" Aoki said as she began walking in the direction of Yumeko's office with Emiko following her as they passed all of those cubicles that had either Soteria agents writing on their computers, talking on the phone or getting up to print some papers, in a way it looked like your everyday office workplace if anybody asked...

And soon enough, Aoki and Emiko arrived at a wooden door, that had a small opaque window that had "Lieutenant Kuroiwa" written on it...

"Excuse me, Lieutenant Kuroiwa..." Aoki said as she knocked and opened the door, that revealed an office that was neither big nor small, that had a shelf on its right side, a few metal drawers of different sizes on its left side, and a desk that was close to a big window that showed the downtown and that desk had a computer on top of it and an office chair behind it.

"Oh! Aoki, come on in..." Yumeko, that had her hair tied into a ponytail and was wearing her usual business suit, said as she tapped away on the computer while sitting on the chair behind the desk.

"As you asked, I brought Vice-lieutenant Munesuki here..." Aoki said as she entered the office with Emiko behind her.

"Thank you, Aoki...now do you mind, getting us something to drink?" Yumeko asked as she stooped writing on the computer and looked at Aoki.

"Sure! Milk coffee with sugar as usual, right?" Aoki asked as she moved towards the door after Yumeko nodded.

"Oh! For me you can bring me a peach tea, Aoki-chan...and would you be a dear and put this bag in my office?" Emiko asked as she raised and pointed at the plastic bag she was holding.

"Sure thing!" Aoki said as she grabbed the plastic bag and made her way out of the office and soon enough Yumeko and Emiko were alone.

"Such a sweet girl, just like her little sister..." Emiko said as she saw Aoki leaving the office.

"So, what is it that you want to talk with me so bad, Yumeko-chan?" Emiko asked with a curious tone, as she now looked at Yumeko.

"You know exactly, why I called you here, Emiko..." Yumeko said with a faint angry tone as she looked at Emiko that became silent for a bit.

"Of course I know, why you called me..." Emiko said with a calm tone, as she looked down.

"If you know why, then you can start telling me what happened, to the "Magician hunter"?" Yumeko asked as she got up from her chair and looked at Emiko that keep silent and looking down.

"Emiko...I go to the Soteria hospital to interrogate him...but when I get there, the doctors told me that you took him with you..." Yumeko said as she walked to the front of the desk.

"And when I get here, he's not in any of our cells...he's not in any of our interrogation rooms in the upper floors...he's nowhere to be found, so where is he?" Yumeko asked with an angry tone, as she placed herself in front of her desk and looked at Emiko, but deep down, Yumeko already knew the answer, an answer that she was afraid of hearing.

"You already solved the mystery...Yumeko-chan..." Emiko said with a monotonous tone, as she kept looking down, and Yumeko's fear revealed itself.

"Emiko, no...just...just how many times...do I need to tell you to not do that anymore? Do you want to get suspended again? Do you want to lose your job here and in Misaiko?" Yumeko asked with an angry and worried tone, as she moved her right-hand sideways.

"I'm sorry, Yumeko-chan, but after he hurt so many innocent people...after he hurt Miyubi-chan...I couldn't help it..." Emiko said with a faint angry tone, as she held her left arm, with her right hand.

"I know that you are angry because he hurt one of your inters, but it's not a reason to do something violent...we have prisons to punishing criminals...our job is merely to put them there, you know that!" Yumeko said with an angrytone, as she sighed and scratched her head a bit.

"Yumeko-chan...I didn't do this just because he hurt Miyubi..." Emiko said with an angry tone as she looked at Yumeko.

"I know...I shouldn't do this, and I...I just wanted to rough him up a bit, after what he did to Miyubi...but as we talked, he told me that he didn't regret anything he did and then...he...he threatened to kill, both Naoki-chan and Tatsurou-chan, when he got out of prison....tell me, what was I supposed to do...after hearing that?" Emiko asked as she gripped her left arm tight, this suprised Yumeko a bit.

"Emiko...even if he did a threat like that, you shouldn't take it seriously, you shouldn't have done anything...those threats are empty ones, most of the time..." Yumeko said with a worried tone, as she looked at Emiko that opened her eyes wide.

"Don't give me...that kind of talk...Yumeko!" Emiko said with an angry tone, as she looked down and began to tear up a bit.

"You know...you know to well...that it was thanks to those empty threats...that...that..." As Emiko said this, tears began to fall from her eyes as if it was a waterfall.

"If you think...I'm letting anyone else get hurt...just because I ignored a threat and let the bastard who made it...live his life in prison, where he is safe and has a roof under his head, three meals a day, and can get out scot-free, if he behaves...just to hurt everyone again...your dead wrong..." Emiko said with a tone that was filled with both anger and sorrow as she cleaned the tears with her sleeves.

"We already talked about this, Emiko...it wasn't your fault..." Yumeko said as she tried to get close to Emiko.

"It was my fault! Everything...was my fault...if had taken that threat seriously...Mitsuyo-senpai, would still..." Emiko said with a sad and angry tone, as she looked down, which made Yumeko stop.

"Emiko...you have to stop blaming yourself, for what happened...and it's not by punishing criminals the way you do, that your going to change anything, you have to stop!" Yumeko said with a firm tone, as she looked at Emiko.

"No, Yumeko, I can't stop...any criminal that lands on my hands, will not live the good life, after destroying the lives of other people as he pleased, just do it all over again...and destroy even more lives...I...I won't allow that to happen again, for as long as I live!" Emiko said with an angry and determined tone, as she looked at Yumeko.

"You know, that I can't let you do that..." Yumeko said also with a determined tone as she clenched her fists.

"Yumeko...let me put it like this, if you were the one that interrogated him and he threatened to kill Tatsurou, just like he told me...how would you react?" Emiko asked with a monotonous tone, as she looked at Yumeko.

"I-If it was me? I...I would..." Yumeko said with a surprised tone, as she looked to all sides and tried to come up with an answer.

"Yumeko, you talk a lot about Tatsurou and from everything, you told me...I see that you would do anything, to protect him...that's why I know for a fact, if you were the one to interrogate him and he told you, what he told me...you would have done, far...far worse..." As Emiko said this, Yumeko became silent as she looked at the ground and clenched her fists hard.

"I would never...do anything like that and I would never allow him, to hurt Tatsurou...and I would make sure, he stayed in prison for the rest of his life, if he said that to me!" As Yumeko said with a determined and honest tone as she looked at Emiko that became silent for a bit.

"I see...you will never be able to protect anyone like that, Yumeko..." Emiko said with a monotonous tone, as she turned to the door.

"You can go and tell everything, to Major Asako or Captain Terima...I already asked for all the paperwork and I'm ready to accept any punishment...for this selfish and irresponsible action of mine..." Emiko said still with a monotonous tone, as she when to grab the door handle but...

"Emiko!" Yumeko called her with a determined tone, as she stepped forward, something that made Emiko stop.

"It's just like you said...I'm ready to do whatever it takes, to protect the people I care about, so you must know, that I'm saying all of this because, I'm your friend...and I don't want to see you ruin your life and career, with this violent approach of yours...you have to stop it before it gets out of control and it reaches a point of no turning back!" Yumeko said with an honest and worried tone to Emiko, that looked at her for a bit, in silence.

"And even more important...this is not, what Mitsuyou-senpai, wants you to do, right?" Yumeko asked with a worried tone, as she looked at Emiko, that kept silent, as she opened her eyes wide.

"Yumeko...even if you say all that...I just can't bring myself, to let criminals hurt innocent people as they please and get away with it, without getting hurt themselves...they have to learn, that they aren't untouchable and just how much pain they cause to others..." Emiko said with an agry tone, as she turned to Yumeko and glared at her.

"Emiko...we are the protectors of Takamagahara, our job is to take criminals and put them in prison...we can't do justice on our own or what is the point of becoming Soteria agents in the first place, if we're going to act as vigilantes in the end? And it's like I said...I don't want to see you walk into a hole, of which you can't come back from, if you keep going like this..." Yumeko said also with an angry tone, as she glared at Emiko, and soon enough the tension began to rise pretty quick inside the office, as Yumeko and Emiko kept glaring at each other with both their ideals, on the line something that, fortunately, didn't last long...

"E-E-Excuse me..." Aoki, that was holding a wooden board with a mug of coffee and a cup of tea, said with a very nervous tone, as she stood close to the door of the office.

"Aoki...how long have you been there?" Yumeko asked with a curious tone as she looked at Aoki, that was trembling a bit to much.

"Long enough...to regret, being so fast at bringing drinks..." Aoki said as she laughed a bit nervously, something that surprised both Yumeko and Emiko as they looked at each other then at Aoki.

"Well, we already talked about everything we wanted, so I'll go now...since I have some reports and paperwork, to take care of..." Emiko said with her usual cheerful tone as she turned to the door.

"I'm sorry, Aoki-chan...I know that I asked you to bring me tea...but I'm not thirsty now..." Emiko said with an apologetic tone, as she placed her hands together.

"D-Don't worry about that, Vice-lieutenant Munesuki..." Aoki said still with her nervous tone as she moved to the side so that Emiko could get out of the office.

"W-Wait, we're not done yet, Emiko..." Yumeko said but it was useless, as Emiko ignored her, while she left the office.

"Just, what am I supposed to do with her..." Yumeko said with a worried tone, as she leaned a bit on her desk while letting out a sigh.

"I'll have to suspend her again...but that won't change the way, Emiko, deals with criminals...just what should I do, Mutsuyo-senpai...I want to help her, but she just doesn't listen to me..." Yumeko thought as she looked up at the ceiling of the office.

"I'm sorry for interrupting, Yumeko-senpai..." Aoki said with an apologetic tone, as she closed the door and got close to Yumeko, bringing her back from her thoughts.

"You don't need to apologize, Aoki, it was a good thing you interrupted us, or a war would have broken out in here..." Yumeko said as she stooped leaning on her desk, and went behind it.

"I see...but truth be told, I have never seen Munesuki-senpai, like that...but if you don't mind me asking, what was all this about, Yumeko-senpai?" Aoki asked a bit curious as she placed the wooden board, on the desk and saw Yumeko taking a seat and grabbing the mug with coffee.

"Well, it's a bit complicated, let's just say, we just got a split opinion...and we're both too stubborn, to give in..." Yumeko said as she took a sip from her mug.

"I see..." Aoki said with a worried tone, as she looked down.

"Please, don't give me that depressed look, Aoki! Everythings ok, I just have to talk to her later..." Yumeko said with a reassuring tone, as she placed her mug down and smiled a bit.

"Speaking of which...how is, Naoki-chan doing?" Yumeko asked with a worried tone as she tilted her head.

"She's already up and back at it again...I swear, nothing takes her down..." Aoki said with a happy tone as she smiled.

"That's good to know...and after all, if she wants to be a good Soteria agent that's the way to go!" Yumeko said also with a happy tone as she too smiled.

"That is true! Oh, by the way, I met Tatsurou this morning in the hospital, Yumeko-senpai!" Aoki said still with a happy tone, as she looked at Yumeko.

"You did?" Yumeko asked with a curious tone.

"Yes! He went to visit Naoki-chan, and I have to say, he looks even better than in that picture you showed me the other day! I loved his delinquent look...and he's totally my type!" Aoki said with an excited tone, as she placed her hands on her cheeks and fidgeted around.

"Honestly, you have the weirdest tastes...and I don't think I have to remind you, that he is too young for you, Aoki..." Yumeko said with a stoic tone that had a faint hint of jealousy, as she sighed.

"I know...you don't need to tell me that! Seriously, you sound like one of those overprotective and doting sisters, that doesn't let anyone get close to her precious little brother, Yumeko-senpai..." Aoki said with a faint angry tone, as she sighed and pouted a bit.

"I-I don't sound like, an overprotective doting sister!" Yumeko said with an embarrassed tone, as she blushed a bit.

"You say that, and yet your always talking about Tatsurou, or when you're depressed you look at pictures of him!" Aoki said with a stoic tone, which made Yumeko blush pretty bad.

"I-I never did that!" Yumeko said with an embarrassed tone as she pointed at Aoki.

"Oh really? Then how do you explain coming to work depressed when Tatsurou is hospitalized, but as soon as he is discharged, you come to work beaming with light?" Aoki said with a smug tone, as she smiled.

"I...well...I..." Yumeko said as her face became completely red as she looked for an answer.

"Fufu, you don't need to be so embarrassed...Yu-me-ko-senpai!" Aoki said with a joking tone, as she laughed.

"Listen here you can't talk to your superiors like that, seriously!" Yumeko said with an angry tone, as she pouted and blushed while looking away from Aoki.

"I'm sorry...but, you're just so cute when you blush!" Aoki said with an honest tone as she laughed.

"Flattery will only get you that far..." Yumeko said while she regained her composure and sighed.

"So, when is Naoki-chan being discharged?" Yumeko asked with a curious tone as she got up from her chair, trying to change the subject.

"Well, if everything is ok, then she will be discharged this afternoon..." Aoki said as she adjusted her glasses.

"I see, then I'll drive you there and take the chance, to see Naoki-chan too..." Yumeko said as she got close to Aoki, which froze up upon hearing Yumeko.

"Y-Y-You...don't need to drive me there..." Aoki said with a nervous tone as she looked a bit away from Yumeko.

"Heh? But I insist! Your always the one that drives us around, it's the least I..." As Yumeko said this she was interrupted.

"Y-You don't have to worry about that, Yumeko-senpai! I love driving, so I'll be the one taking us!" Aoki said with a determined but also nervous tone, as she flailed her arms around.

"But the other day, you said that you hated driving because of the traffic..." Yumeko said with a stoic tone, as she raised her index finger a bit.

"I thought better and...I really love driving now, I really do!" Aoki said still with a nervous tone as she looked to all sides.

"So with that said, I'll be the one driving and no excuses here!" Aoki said with a nervous tone, as she made her way out of the office, leaving Yumeko looking at her confused...