Chapter 26: Taking It Too Far

"What did you just say?" Shinji didn't let it slide, immediately pressing the question.

"N... nothing at all..." Lily stammered, clearly flustered. Right then, all she wanted was to turn around and disappear. She had come alone, hoping to quietly gather intel on Shinji, but of all places, she'd run into the guy himself right here at Z-Branch. With no one from the Blizzard Group to back her up, she wasn't about to put on any tough act.

At the moment, Shinji sat comfortably at 4th place in B-Class. Lily, on the other hand, was buried way down at 75th.

"But I'm pretty sure I just heard you asking someone about me, no?" Shinji smiled, though it carried a touch too much sweetness. "Well, since I'm standing right here, if you've got something to ask, go ahead."

"..."

Lily froze. She wanted to deny it out of instinct, but paused. What if he was actually a decent guy? Maybe even approachable? His smile threw her off, it wasn't outright threatening, just... oddly playful, with a flicker of something darker beneath. She read it the wrong way and convinced herself he was being friendly.

Driven by the urge to impress Lady Fubuki, Lily took a deep breath, squared her shoulders, and met Shinji's eyes. "So you're the one they call 'Kamui,' B-Class Rank 4, right? Have you heard of the Blizzard Group?"

Shinji, seeing her shift from nervous to bold, gave a simple reply. "Sure have."

"I figured you hadn't! Well, let me explain it to you proper, huh?" She blinked, mid-sentence, suddenly realizing what he'd just said. "Wait a minute... you've heard of the Blizzard Group?!"

Lily stared in disbelief. She'd assumed Shinji was a recent addition to B-Class who hadn't yet gotten the memo on how things worked, namely, the Blizzard Group's dominance. But that one line had completely thrown her.

"Of course I have. Aside from the Tank Topper Army, it's one of the most infamous hero groups in the Association," Shinji replied casually, wearing that same light smile.

"But... if you know of Lady Fubuki and the Blizzard Group, why haven't you paid your respects?" Lily frowned, just slightly, her tone growing more serious. "You're aware she's B-Class Rank 1, aren't you?"

"Yeah, I've heard of her," Shinji answered with an easy nod, his voice calm and unbothered.

"Then why haven't you made the effort to greet Lady Fubuki? That's an established tradition in B-Class," Lily said, now sounding more like an enforcer of protocol than a curious onlooker.

Under Lady Fubuki's long-standing reign, a custom had developed, an unwritten rule. Every new B-Class hero was expected to introduce themselves to her. If they had potential, they'd receive an invitation to join. Refusing wasn't really an option. Those who tried would quickly learn that crossing the Blizzard Group had consequences.

"Oh, I know the rule. Just found it annoying, so I didn't bother," Shinji replied bluntly.

"You..." Lily's expression turned more serious, her brows knitting as she stared at him.

"You should go greet her before she gets mad. Lady Fubuki already has something she wants to say to you."

"No."

Shinji didn't even hesitate. He shook his head like it was the most obvious answer in the world.

"Why not? Aren't you afraid of angering her?" Lily pressed, her tone sharpening.

"Because it's annoying. If she really wants to talk, she can come to me. I don't mind saying hello," Shinji replied coolly, completely unfazed. Like Saitama, he had zero tolerance for pointless customs or power plays.

Lily frowned, clearly not expecting that level of defiance.

"...You do realize disrespecting Lady Fubuki will cost you, right?"

"That counts as disrespect?" Shinji raised an eyebrow, genuinely baffled. "I really don't get you guys. It's like I am talking to some young master goon in a shitty wuxia novel. Anyway, didn't you just say she has something she wants to tell me? You could just say it now."

"I'm not telling you unless you go greet her in person," Lily huffed, crossing her arms and turning her face away like a kid throwing a tantrum.

Shinji stared at her for a second, almost amused. She was acting like he was dying to know what Fubuki had to say, when in reality, he was already pretty sure what it was about.

It didn't take a genius to guess. He'd just climbed up to B-Class Rank 4, naturally, Fubuki would want to recruit him. It was her thing. She had a reputation for roping in any B-Class hero with potential, folding them neatly into the Blizzard Group.

Honestly, Shinji couldn't think of any other reason she'd be interested in him. They'd never even met.

"If you're not gonna say, that's fine. If there's nothing else, I'll be on my way," he said casually and turned to leave.

But then Lily called out behind him.

"Wait a minute!"

He stopped, sighing slightly as he turned his head. "What is it now?"

"One last question... where do you live?"

She asked it with a completely serious face, like it was a totally normal question.

"...?"

A giant question mark practically floated above Shinji's head. But it didn't take him long to figure it out.

The Blizzard Group was clearly fishing for intel. If they knew where he lived, they could show up any time, whether it was to pressure him into joining or, if things went sideways, to retaliate.

"You're asking for someone's home address right off the bat? You're not some kind of stalker, are you?"

Shinji raised an eyebrow, teasing her without holding back.

The word stalker hit Lily like a truck. For someone like her, pure and a little sheltered, it packed a punch. She froze, her mouth opening and closing before her face turned red. "I-I'm not!!" she stammered, clearly rattled.

"Then why do you want to know where I live?" Shinji asked, his tone casual but persistent.

"..."

Lily clammed up, refusing to say another word.

"Why ask so much then? Just give me a straight answer."

There was no way she could admit the truth, that the Blizzard Group was collecting his info in case they decided to 'follow up' later.

"That won't do. If you're not explaining, I'm not telling. For all I know, you really are a stalker."

Shinji grinned again, this time even more deliberately.

"I told you I'm not a stalker!!" Lily yelled, her face burning from embarrassment.

"Alright, alright. That's enough. I'm heading out." Shinji waved her off like she was yesterday's news and turned to leave.

"Wait! Answer my question first!"

But no matter how loud Lily got, Shinji didn't even slow down. He just kept walking farther and farther away.

Seeing him disappear down the street, Lily started to panic. She hadn't expected things to spiral this fast. The last thing she wanted was to return empty-handed. Before she realized what she was doing, her legs took off on their own, and she chased after him.

Even so, she stayed cautious, doing her best to keep some distance and not be noticed. Which was kind of funny, considering what that made her now.

A stalker.

Maybe because Shinji had seemed so laid-back earlier, she forgot just how far ahead of her he was in both rank and ability. And now, here she was, tailing him through the streets like some amateur spy.

Not that Shinji hadn't noticed. In fact, he'd picked up on her the moment she started following.

He had originally planned to just teleport home and be done with it, but now he was curious. Amused, even. Since Fubuki had sent such a loyal little pawn after him, why not mess with her a bit?

From then on, his route became a maze. He cut corners, doubled back, and wandered aimlessly with zero intention of going home.

The unpredictability made it hard for Lily to keep up. She'd turn one way only to find him turning the opposite. She weaved through streets, alleys, and tight bends, always struggling to stay close.

Then, after yet another sharp turn, she looked up,

Shinji was gone.

"??"

Confused, she rushed out from behind a mailbox and darted to the next intersection. Still nothing.

"Damn it!"

She stomped her foot, seething with frustration. And just when she thought it couldn't get any worse, she realized,

She was completely, utterly lost.

Looking around, she found herself surrounded by wild overgrowth, trees, and tall grass. Somehow, she'd ended up on the rural outskirts of the city. No lights, no landmarks, just nature.

Exhausted, she leaned against a nearby tree, gasping for breath. She had been tailing Shinji for what felt like forever, and now it was all for nothing.

The fatigue mixed with her growing sense of isolation, and before long, it started eating at her nerves.

Lily might've been a professional hero, but she was also one of the youngest female heroes in the entire Association. Her mental resilience wasn't exactly top-tier, and this situation was pushing her to her limit.

And fear... fear always brought out the worst thoughts.

What if she wandered out here until she starved?

What if she never saw Lady Fubuki again?

What if a monster came out of nowhere and devoured her right here?

Her chest tightened, and tears began to well up in her eyes.

Eventually, she slid down to the base of the tree and curled up, hugging her knees. Completely overwhelmed. Completely alone.

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