Chapter Text
His nose woke before his eyes, detecting a cheap synthetic scent in the air. The room, with curtains tightly drawn and no sunlight leaking in, had long passed what one might call morning. Alarmed by that realization, he opened his eyes and immediately tried to sit up.
“Don’t move,” came a voice from the foot of the bed — not from the pillow beside him. “I’m painting your toenails.”
Van lifted the thin blanket over him and saw the girl sitting cross-legged, her long silver hair tied up loosely. She held his left ankle and was carefully applying a vivid blue polish to his big toe. The cold brush glided across his nail, sticky and slick. He frowned and twitched his other foot, only to discover those toes had already been painted. With a sigh of resignation, he gave up.
Too many questions surrounded the situation — why she had this polish, where she bought it, and why his toes were the test subjects — but none of them seemed worth asking. What was done was done, and at least it wasn’t his fingernails.
“Don’t like it?” Shizuna smiled with a mischievous glint, like a tanuki. “I picked this color just for you.”
“So you didn’t plan on wearing it yourself?”
“Mm, it’s not practical for work.” She finished the last stroke, slipped the brush back into the bottle cap, and gently lifted his foot off her thigh. Hopping off the bed, she tucked the nail polish into the nightstand drawer — where it rolled and stopped beside a half-used bottle of lubricant — then closed it with a click. She blinked. “Takes at least ten minutes to dry. Just lie there, Van.”
“Hey…” He reached out reflexively, then stopped himself and dropped his hand. “...‘At least’?”
She didn’t respond. In half a second, Shizuna had pulled off her tank top and shorts and disappeared nude into the bathroom. The sound of the shower came on, followed by her bright, charming singing. Van’s furrowed brow eased — just a little.
Thankfully, some things could be done while lying down. He turned his gaze away and pulled his phone from under the pillow. The lock screen read 10:23 — six hours had passed since he last checked the time while changing the sheets the night before.
He called the owner of the restaurant he frequented, who also happened to be his landlord for the apartment. As expected, he first received a scolding for his terrible sleeping habits (“I can tell! You’re still in bed at this hour!”), but after some back-and-forth, Victor agreed to reserve brunch for two.
Aside from the nail polish, this was practically the standard routine every time Van met with the mysterious young woman.
Van ran a small private office, and this apartment doubled as both his home and his workplace. Though he sometimes took short-term assignments out of town, most of his work kept him in the capital. Shizuna’s job differed from his but had certain overlapping elements. From the start, Van had sensed who she really was, and she had openly admitted her affiliation with "Ikaruga". Since there was no conflict of interest, they never pressed each other further.
Her line of work kept her constantly on the move — it wasn’t unusual for her to disappear for two weeks or a month. Once, she vanished for nearly four months. During these absences, they rarely contacted each other. After a few chaotic surprise visits, they eventually agreed that she would call at least a day or two before returning to Edith, so Van could tidy up and stock the fridge.
When they met, they would eat together, maybe catch a movie, get coffee or go for a walk depending on the weather and mood — and then always end up back in the apartment for sex and sleep. Upon waking, they’d do it again or get up for food. And so the cycle repeated. A few days later, her work would call her away again, and she would quietly vanish from Van’s life.
Work at the office could wait two more days, but messages couldn’t. While waiting for his nails to dry and for Shizuna to finish showering, Van replied to two long-time clients, scheduling meetings in his calendar. As he hesitated over whether to accept a third case, the sound of water stopped.
“Vaaaan—” she called out, drawing out his name in a sing-song voice. Her singing also stopped. “There’s no towel on the rack!”
“Alright, I’m coming.” Van had no choice. He put down his phone, got out of bed carefully on his bare feet, opened the closet drawer, and took out a towel.
She must have heard his footsteps, because just as he reached the bathroom, the door opened from the inside, releasing a wave of warm, steamy air. Through the mist, the first thing he saw were Shizuna’s light blue eyes, glistening from the moisture and all the more captivating.
Knowing better than to overstep, Van stepped back and extended the towel toward her.
She giggled. “You’re really that unwilling to join me?”
“Who’d fall for that?” Van scratched the back of his neck as he handed it over. “If we’re late again, Victor’ll give me another earful.”
By the time Shizuna had finished drying her hair, the polish on his toes had mostly dried. But she still wouldn’t let him wear his usual leather shoes.
“They won’t be fully dry for three hours.”
Her smiling expression didn’t mask the subtle threat underneath. Van gave in and put on the summer sandals he’d bought last year in Jardin. The weather wasn’t yet warm enough, and the cold hit him the moment they stepped outside. Combined with the vivid blue on his toes, the whole look felt painfully out of season.
Seeing how Shizuna dressed the same year-round regardless of temperature, he figured she was doing this on purpose. With no escape, he could only resign himself to being another weirdo who couldn't wait for the seasons to catch up.
They went downstairs, turned a corner, and arrived at Montmart. The little girl who had always been close to him—Victor’s granddaughter—keenly noticed Van’s change in appearance the moment they entered.
“Good morning, Van, Shizuna!” She dashed over as usual. “Oh? Van, you’re wearing nail polish!”
Hearing the commotion, footsteps immediately came from the kitchen. Victor walked out from the back, arms akimbo, looking displeased.
“...So you finally decided to show up, you delinquent tenant?”
“Aww, I didn’t mean to be late... I just, you know, got held up a little.”
“Don’t give me that ‘a little.’” He snorted. “You were the one who called in the order. I even waited a bit before I started cooking. And then what? Now the food’s cold—should probably be called a ‘room temperature platter.’”
Van chuckled awkwardly, trying to brush it off. “Residual-heat cuisine is all the rage lately, you know—it's a hit in the food scene—”
“Starting with that nonsense again?” Victor frowned, already reaching toward the counter for a dishcloth, clearly about to threaten him with a faceful of it.
“Wouldn’t dare.” Van raised both hands in surrender, rapidly thinking how to appease the furious landlord. Out of the corner of his eye—ah, Shizuna had already walked over to the table where their food was waiting, acting as if the little incident at the entrance had nothing to do with her earlier handiwork.
Just then, a chill ran down his spine—someone was staring. Looking down, he found Yumé crouching by his feet, carefully studying the nail polish on his toes with the same curiosity she’d show a brightly-colored beetle in the old town’s gardens.
“Yumé—” Luckily, Van reacted fast, scooping her up just before the restaurant door swung open.
He smiled wryly and whispered, “It’s dangerous to crouch there, you know? You might get bumped by someone coming in. If you’re really that interested, I’ll let you have a good look later, okay?”
At least the dishcloth didn’t fly at him, but Victor’s frown was still tight enough to kill a fly. Meanwhile, further in the dining area, Shizuna had already taken her seat and popped a mini muffin into her mouth, eyes gleaming.
“Our food’s pretty great, right, Shizuna-san?” Paulette came over with freshly brewed coffee after clearing another table, smiling as she poured it for her. “Dad, Yumé, how about letting Van-san eat first?”
Van couldn’t help but feel a wave of gratitude at the timely rescue. Thanks to his daughter’s soft words, Victor grunted and finally turned back to the kitchen. Yumé, who had been hoping to resume her nail polish analysis, got distracted by a group of kids her age storming in, shouting about some big new discovery in the park, and happily ran off to join them.
At last, Van got to sit across from Shizuna. She had already devoured half her broccoli curry omelet.
“Got quite the appetite today, huh?” Van raised a brow. “Want another batch of pancakes?”
Mouth full, Shizuna didn’t speak—just nodded enthusiastically, eyes shining, clearly in favor of the idea.
She ate quickly, but Van wasn’t worried about her eyeing his plate. For one simple reason—his omelet was way too sweet. The sugar bloomed on his tongue, slowly unwinding his tense nerves, inch by inch. After a long, exhausting night, nothing revived him like Montmart’s brunch and a cup of rich black coffee.
Victor personally brought out the hot pancakes, along with a dagger glare. Van immediately raised his hands in mock surrender. “I swear, next time I’ll be here on time, just in time for your food to be enjoyed at its peak flavor and temperature; otherwise, I’ll work two months in the kitchen for free.”
Paulette giggled from nearby, covering her mouth. “That sounds like a deadly vow.”
“Hmph. No funny business.” Victor shook his fist at Van in mock threat. “Next time, I won’t even save you a plate.”
Golden, fluffy pancakes stacked high, the glistening butter melting and soaking into the grain of the batter. Shizuna cut them into two not-so-even pieces with her knife and, under Van’s gaze, calmly pushed the larger one onto her own plate.
“Got a problem with that?” She raised an eyebrow.
“Not at all,” he shrugged. “I’m already touched you left me half. Especially since you emptied my fridge yesterday.”
“Oooh~ So you’re holding a grudge?” She stabbed a piece and popped it into her mouth without a trace of guilt. “Is sour cream brûlée more important than me?”
“Why would you even ask that?!” he protested, offended by the unfair ultimatum. “Ugh... if you’re enjoying it, I guess it didn’t come into this world for nothing.”
Avoiding the important and dwell on the trivial, Van went back to the third of his sweet omelet that remained. Shizuna seemed to be pondering something but didn’t speak again, focusing instead on the fragrant pancakes in front of her.
Their little contest of focus and appetite quickly played out on the table. Though she ate more, Shizuna was the first to put down her knife and fork. Her eyes drifted across the table and settled on a stack of colored napkins. Her fingers began folding, unfolding, and rolling them—an impromptu creation. Van glanced over, assuming she was moving from creative impulse to idle boredom.
Then suddenly, her hand reached out in front of his eyes.
“Here~ this is for you.” She opened her palm, revealing a blue heart.
Coffee still warmed his lips, the porcelain mug heating his hand. “Oh...” He quickly set the cup down and opened his hand just in time before she shoved the item into it. “Oah, that’s pretty cute.”
As usual, Van was the one to handle the bill. Unfortunately, the register was out of change. Paulette apologized repeatedly, asking them to wait a moment.
It wasn’t a big amount, and he was a regular, so Van was about to quietly slip out when Shizuna stopped him.
“She has something else she wants to tell you.” Her pale blue eyes turned gold for a split second, then returned to normal. So fast that even if someone saw it, they’d just think they imagined it.
“Hey, don’t just use that special power of yours willy-nilly.” As someone who knew about this illusion-like ability—and its frequent victim—Van lowered his voice, “If you mess with Paulette, Victor really will kill me.”
He gave her a pleading look, which only made Shizuna smile more mischievously. “Aww, but wouldn’t that be fun?”
Yep, just like that, Van was again reminded of the hard truth: this seemingly harmless person was actually quite the menace. “Ugh, can you stop getting me in trouble with people...?” He sighed and slumped his shoulders. “...Fine. Anywhere you feel like going afterward? Trionta? Sheridan region?” he asked casually. “We could also just head back and sleep.”
“Who knows?” she replied, looking like she already knew how the rest of the day would unfold. Without hurry, she casually slipped her creation into the chest pocket on his left. Van could only watch helplessly as she rifled through it in broad daylight, and smoothed the flap down at the end.
“Hehe, you two are really close, huh?” Paulette returned with the change, wearing a gentle smile. “Sorry to keep you waiting.”
“Me and her...” Van started to explain, but was immediately pulled close by the silver-haired woman. The words stuck in his throat. “...Never mind.”
Paulette didn’t press the issue. She smoothly handed over the change and receipt. “If you’re not in a rush, would you mind hearing me out for a moment?”
Just as Shizuna predicted. Van no longer doubted the accuracy of her strange powers. He nodded. “Is there something I can help you with?”
Her smile remained warm and gentle. “Actually, Mr. Maxim kindly gave us two F1 tickets. I was hoping we could go together, but as you can see, we’re swamped today. And Yumé has a friend’s birthday party this afternoon, so we had to give up on it.”
She paused slightly, eyes showing a mix of apology and hope. “It just feels like such a waste to let that kind gesture go unused. So... if you two are interested, would you like to go watch the race at Grand Circuit today?”
As Van got into his blue light truck, the thrill of receiving the free ticket still lingered in his mind. The first F1 race of the season was set in Edith this year, and the better seats had sold out early. Although the qualifying round wasn’t as intense as the main event, for a passionate car enthusiast like him, seeing the latest developments from top manufacturers hit the track firsthand was still an opportunity not to be missed.
He had a bit of a connection with Maxim, the hotshot racer, but truth be told, Van wasn’t keen on owing that frivolous guy a favor just for a ticket. If it was a favor to Paulette, though, that was a whole different story. He’d readily agreed to her request: “Don’t worry, I’ll give Maxim your regards too.”
“Humm~” Shizuna hummed a cheerful tune as she hopped into the passenger seat and casually opened every drawer in the car.
“I have no idea what you're looking for... but could you at least put on your seatbelt first?” Van said as he started the engine. The Nightbreaker tuned up with its familiar low growl, like a tipsy murmur in the dead of night—steady and rhythmic. Everything was ready to go—if only his passenger would behave.
“You really don’t keep condoms in the car?” Shizuna closed all the drawers with an air of disappointment as she clicked on her seatbelt.
“Pfft—!” Thank goodness for muscle memory, or he might have hit the wrong pedal. “Who the hell keeps that kind of thing in their car?!”
“Isn’t it normal?” She blinked innocently. “Elaine-san sat in this seat not long ago, didn’t she? But it looks like nothing happened, huh.”
“Uh, not sure how you know that... but I was just giving her a ride back to Edith.” Van replied defensively, sneaking a glance at her reaction, an unfamiliar twinge of unease bubbling up in his chest.
“Relax, Van.” Shizuna squinted her pretty eyes and flashed him a sly smile. “If you think there was nothing remotely misleading about that atmosphere, then why are you nervous? Is the daily stress really that bad?”
“Don’t read my mind without asking again!” He sighed. “You’re always messing with me like that—no wonder I’m jumpy. There’s really nothing between us.”
“Hehe~” Shizuna let out a low chuckle, clearly pleased with the reaction she'd coaxed out of him. “Too much stress, huh? Well, it’s fine. When I’m not around, you’re totally free to find someone else to deal with your... needs. I mean, just locking yourself in the bathroom can’t possibly be enough. Among guys your age, you’ve got a pretty high drive, right?”
“Don’t make me sound like some kind of perv!” he shot back, visibly annoyed. “Could you stop ruining my image already?!”
A blaring horn sounded from behind—probably unhappy with his abrupt lane change. Van glanced in the rearview mirror and clicked his tongue. “Alright, alright, my bad,” he muttered, casting a sidelong glare at the troublemaker in the passenger seat. But it was hopeless—Shizuna was lounging back in her seat with a satisfied smile, as serene and unapologetic as ever.
“Oh come on, I’m not wrong. With your stamina, energy, and hormone levels, isn’t that kind of thing just basic maintenance?”
He could only manage a wry smile. “I’m not some overexcited high schooler who doesn’t know where to put his hands.”
Shizuna rested her chin on her hand, eyeing him thoughtfully. “Is that so? But you last pretty long in bed, don’t you?”
“I’m just physically fit, alright?!” Van could feel the heat rising behind his ears. “Agh! There has to be another topic we could talk about in the car!”
“It’s not like you have to pretend to be some pure-hearted teenager,” she teased, her words getting more and more provocative. “Van’s getting shy? Or wait... did you really not find anyone else while I was gone?”
He pressed his lips together and chose silence.
Her smile deepened as she observed his reaction. “Wore yourself out with me, or maybe our chemistry’s too good? So when I’m not around, you just can’t get in the mood?”
“Can we please drop this topic...” He rubbed his forehead, clearly pained.
“Mmhmm~ sure thing.” She withdrew her gaze, voice light as air. “—But before I leave next time, should I leave you a couple of my outfits?”
“If you keep this up, I’m tossing you out of the car.”
Completely unfazed by the hollow threat, she only grinned more smugly.
Van sighed in resignation, taking a deep breath to refocus and steady the steering wheel as he continued onto the urban expressway toward Grand Circuit, her laughter echoing beside him.
Before long, the ETWS model that had honked earlier sped up from the left, driving side-by-side with them. The window of the driver’s seat rolled down to reveal a cocky-looking man gesturing enthusiastically at Shizuna. Van didn’t need much to guess what the guy was after and offered a silent prayer for his poor soul.
Shizuna didn’t seem to mind at all. She instantly switched to an innocent, harmless expression and rolled down the window. “Hmm? Can I help you?”
“Hey, gorgeous. You’ve got the most stunning eyes.” The man raised his chin. “Fate brought us together—how about switching to a more exciting partner?”
“I wouldn’t recommend that,” Van muttered, not even bothering to sigh.
“That boring old guy your boyfriend?” the arrogant man scoffed. “Dump him and come have some fun with me!”
Shizuna blinked, leaning forward slightly as a cryptic smile curled her lips. Her voice was sweet, but her tone carried a disturbingly cheerful edge. “Now that you mention it... did you know? Eyeballs are actually much more fragile than people think. You can squeeze them right out with just two fingers.”
The man’s smile faltered, his face paling. “Uh… what?”
“And...” she continued, her eyes gleaming eerily, “if you control the pressure just right, you can make sure they feel the slow crush all the way... until it finally pops.”
The driver of the ETWS completely lost his composure. Whether it was her expression or the vivid imagery she evoked, something clearly broke him. He slouched back, scrambled for his sunglasses, and managed to stammer, “...I, uh, just remembered I have something to do. Sorry to bother you.” Then he floored it and sped away, tail between his legs.
“That guy was absolutely terrified. And honestly, what you said was pretty terrifying.”
Shizuna leaned back in her seat. “What about you, Van? Did I scare you too?”
“What I already know can't frighten me. But knowing it doesn’t make it any less gruesome.” Van shook his head helplessly. “I assume you’re not responsible for doing that kind of thing in Ikaruga?”
“Oh? You seem to know a lot. Been digging around on me?” She tilted her head playfully, her voice light and almost coquettish. “If you’re really that curious, I’d be more than happy to tell you everything about Ikaruga~”
“I am not curious! Don’t say things that’ll have Kurogane showing up in my living room tomorrow!”
“Ah, so that’s who you’re afraid of.” Shizuna smiled faintly. “Well, the stuff I do for Ikaruga isn’t usually that extreme. Knowing a little bit won’t get you killed, probably.”
“Please spare my life.” Van surrendered with a sigh.
To steer the conversation back from dangerous territory, he cleared his throat. “Anyway, there’s definitely a bunch of morons out there who think taking a girl out in a fancy car is a surefire way to get laid. Like that guy just now. Lame as hell, right? Such a clumsy move—and they don’t even love cars, just want to show off. My beloved Engelhalt isn’t for that kind of nonsense.”
“Oh? But if it’s such a good tactic, doesn’t that mean it’s pretty effective?”
“You’re taking that totally out of context!” Van was exasperated, though admittedly, he had heard stories of guys going all the way just like that.
“Not bad~ In that case, maybe you should keep condoms in the car.”
“Why are we still on this topic...” he muttered, “I’d never taint my beloved car with that kind of association.”
“Oh?” she echoed, drawing out the syllable with a teasing lilt that made his skin crawl.
“I’ll protect her purity! I swear she’ll stay uncontaminated!” Van practically shouted in self-defense.