Risk Level 2: Harpy
"This is... just the work uniform we wear during field deployments," the Response Team Leader said, belatedly realizing her appearance and quickly covering herself with her coat while offering an excuse that wouldn't hold up. She hadn't even denied being in a bunny suit, and calling it a work uniform? A work uniform, of all things.
"Anyway... wait, are you alone?"
"Ah! I was just about to contact you because of that—"
"Where's Harpy?!"
"No..."
The sharp rebuke snapped me out of my frozen thoughts about why the Response Team Leader was dressed as a bunny girl. When my answer didn't come quickly enough, I could see her face drain of color, and a wave of unease hit me too.
"It's... she got swept up in the crowd, but the field team—"
"That's not good enough! Go check on her right now!"
Hearing the Response Team Leader shout for the first time jolted my scattered mind back into focus. Her reaction made it clear she was more worried about Harpy than about being seen like this. I rushed back the way we'd come, but even though the crowd had thinned, there was no sign of her anywhere.
"Harpy? Harpy?!"
She's gone? For that single moment, my mind went completely blank. But thankfully, amid all the noise, a thin, fragile voice stood out—soft and out of place.
Sniff... sniff...
That timid, sniffling cry... it was coming from right nearby.
"Ah...! Harpy."
She was sitting on the ground, wiping her eyes with her sleeve. The moment she saw my face, her expression crumpled and she threw herself into my arms, clinging tightly. It looked like she'd frozen in fear the instant we got separated and just stayed there.
Relieved, I held her close as she refused to let go of my waist. After some effort, I managed to get her on her feet. The people who'd stopped to stare gradually moved on, probably assuming she'd been dumped. A lone woman sitting on the ground crying like that would give anyone that impression.
"Don't leave me again... sniff..."
She'd only been scared because we'd been separated. Once she was in my arms, her sobs gradually quieted. People passing by glanced at us embracing in the middle of the street, and I felt self-conscious, but Harpy came first right now. I sighed. I should've held on tighter.
"I'm sorry, Harpy... I moved too hastily."
"...Uuu..."
She sniffled against my chest like a child waiting for her parents at an orphanage, quietly murmuring how glad she was that I'd come back. Feeling her small nod, I thought we'd gotten past the worst of it, but her arms around me showed no sign of loosening.
While I stood there unsure what to do, the Response Team Leader came running over, now back in her normal clothes and carrying a shopping bag that looked like it held something important.
"Did something happen?"
"No, she got separated from me for a moment and got scared..."
"Haa... Hurry up and turn around. Give me your back."
"My back?"
"Quickly. Come on, just give me your back."
Since Harpy was still clinging to me, I awkwardly shuffled in a half-circle until my back faced the Response Team Leader. Then I felt it—tap, tap, tap... thump.
"Response Team Leader?"
"Uwaaah..."
She let out a long sigh of relief while gently thumping my back with her small fists. Something about it felt off. She was still wearing her earpiece, and if she'd been getting updates from the field team about Harpy's situation, why ask those questions and react with such obvious relief? I could tell from her inner voice alone that her reaction wasn't fake, which only made me more suspicious.
"Let's move to the hotel first."
"...Yes."
She looked extremely on edge, but there were too many questions and no time to ask them while Harpy was still clinging to me. Even if I wanted to stay, the stares from passersby were starting to gather.
"Nnngh..."
In the end, I had to carry Harpy the rest of the way back to the hotel. Only after stepping into the top-floor suite did both the Response Team Leader and I finally exhale in relief. I'd been too focused on not stepping on Harpy's feet to think about anything else, while she...
"A gun...?"
"Shh. Stay still."
The moment the lights came on, she drew a pistol with practiced ease and swept the room with sharp, wary eyes. It was like something out of a movie—no awkwardness at all. I held my breath and stayed by the entrance, cradling the soft, doll-like Harpy in my arms while I waited. She soon gestured with the gun for me to come inside.
"...Lay Harpy down here. I'll close the curtains—no, I'll do that. You take off her shoes."
Only after entering the bedroom did the Response Team Leader holster her gun again. She pointed at the large bed and began carefully drawing the curtains while I guided Harpy by the shoulders. Surprisingly, she let go of me without resistance and sat on the edge of the bed.
"...Uuu... uu..."
Is she falling asleep? Her face was flushed, but she kept blinking drowsily. That explained why she'd let go so easily.
Next—her shoes.
"Aaah, no. I'll do it. Check if the curtains are properly closed."
She walked a lot today...
"Understood...?"
I didn't understand what she meant at first, but I followed instructions and stepped back from Harpy's boots to check the curtains. When I turned around, the Response Team Leader was just finishing removing Harpy's other shoe.
Ah, right. They don't have sweat glands on their feet.
"..."
Her sudden offer to remove the shoes herself was clearly a considerate gesture between women. I decided to pretend I hadn't noticed.
"Uhuu..."
Harpy let out a soft, satisfied sound and flexed her talons like she was playing piano keys, clearly enjoying the freedom. Her eyes were heavy with sleep, so it seemed like an unconscious reaction to the relief.
...That's cute too.
"Harpy, this place is safe. No one else is here. Just wait a little while, okay? I need to talk with the Counselor in the other room."
"Uung... don't go..."
"You remember what we talked about at the clothing store, right? This is part of that, so be good and wait here."
"Uu..."
I hadn't been paying attention to their conversation at the store since I'd been busy carrying bags, but Harpy's reaction was surprising—she nodded obediently and glanced at me shyly. Was she really agreeing to stay alone? I'd have to ask the Response Team Leader how she managed that later.
"I'll take that as a yes. Then..."
Clap!
The Response Team Leader clapped sharply right in front of Harpy's face without quite touching her. Before I could figure out what that was for, she grabbed my wrist and dragged me into the suite across the hall.
Click.
The other suite was identical except for the reversed layout. We'd rented both top-floor suites for just the three of us—way too extravagant. As we stepped inside, I saw the shopping bags from earlier neatly arranged on the living room table: cosmetics, clothes, accessories... all the things the Response Team Leader and Harpy had bought today that I'd ended up carrying.
"You've arrived."
A fully armed figure in tactical gear sat on the sofa, face and body covered just like the ones by the facility elevator. He stood up and bowed politely upon recognizing the Response Team Leader.
"I'm back. Everything normal?"
"Yes. It's a pleasure to meet you, Response Team Leader. I moved the luggage, checked the items, and have been waiting here."
"Is that so? Then you're the last one."
"What do you mean...?"
His hand, which had been reaching for his holster, froze at her meaningful words.
"Return to headquarters immediately and stand by until 7 a.m. tomorrow. Nothing unusual happened today. Don't forget—stand by until 7 a.m., and nothing happened."
Thud.
"...Understood."
When the Response Team Leader snapped her fingers, the field agent walked out as if in a trance. I stepped aside to let him pass, then stared at her with wide eyes. She'd hypnotized him. But why one of our own field team members?
"...Finally, I can breathe. If this much work gets me a comfortable day off until tomorrow, it's not a bad deal."
"Response Team Leader?"
Hypnotizing a colleague, carrying a gun, moving with that kind of trained precision, and using words like "deal"... When I looked wary, she only gave a light laugh.
"You don't need to be on guard, Counselor. If anything, I'm the one who should be thanking you."
"...Could you explain?"
She flopped onto the sofa the agent had vacated and gestured for me to sit across from her. If she'd really been planning something bad, she would've hypnotized me too—the closest person here. The fact that she hadn't meant there was a reason. Or... maybe she already had?
"..."
I had questions, and none of this made complete sense yet, but I sat down anyway. She was the only one who could answer me right now.
"I made a deal with the Management Team Leader. In exchange for taking on this easy guide role, she agreed to grant my request."
"...The Team Leader?"
"Yes. Originally, the Management Team Leader was supposed to come along. She's probably handling my duties right now. Ufufu..."
I was surprised to hear the Team Leader's name come up, but it didn't exactly put me at ease. If this involved her, it probably wasn't anything good.
"You already know about my ability from last time, right? That really was just a work uniform earlier."
"That... bunny suit."
"Haa, it's embarrassing to show anyone, but when you need to draw a lot of attention in a short time, nothing works better than that outfit."
Her ability let her hypnotize people just by looking at them. The closer the distance and the more direct the eye contact, the stronger the effect. So she'd needed people to look at her. A bunny-suited Response Team Leader suddenly appearing on the street... yeah, even I would've stared right away. I didn't get to see it this time, but imagining her in the full outfit—bunny ears and all—blushing while glaring at me with that dignified expression...
...It might actually suit her surprisingly well.
"Erase that from your mind. I feel like dying of embarrassment every time I wear it."
Even if she told me to forget, that was asking too much.
"...Anyway, I used my ability to send the entire field team back to headquarters so you and Harpy could have some uninterrupted time together. That's what the deal was about. You have about ten hours left."
I couldn't believe what I was hearing. The Management Team Leader? Why? ...For what purpose?
"No one will disturb you until tomorrow morning. And this isn't my decision—it's just following through on the deal with the Management Team Leader. So don't misunderstand. There's no personal feeling involved."
"But why me and Harpy?"
"Who knows? I don't know the reason either. Whether we like it or not, both we and Harpy are always under surveillance... Why not use this chance to have an honest conversation? I've told you everything. Any more questions?"
"...Probably not."
I couldn't shake the uneasy feeling completely, but my head understood. So that's why she'd reacted that way at the movie theater. With the field team gone and me separated from Harpy, she must've been terrified.
"At the movie theater... I'm sorry."
"The movie theater... Ah, don't even mention that. Do you know how shocked I was?"
"I happened to see you, and you looked like you were in trouble, so..."
"...You were worried about me?"
"Well... yes."
If I'd known she carried a gun at all times, I probably wouldn't have worried so much. Plus, the way she'd checked the room showed clear professional training...
The Response Team Leader seemed to have the same thought.
"...I can probably fight better than you, Counselor."
"Yes..."
"I'll thank you for worrying, at least. But don't let something like this happen again. If this gets reported, a pay cut won't be the end of it."
"Ugh."
"Deleting CCTV footage is part of my job, and I can handle this incident on my end. So just keep your mouth shut, Counselor."
I didn't expect to be the one being worried about... Feels strange.
"And..."
Ha... This should do it, right?
"...Go."
"This is?"
A key card landed neatly in my palm. Even though I knew it was a hotel room key, I asked anyway.
"It's the key to the suite across the hall."
"But Harpy is in there..."
Ah. Of course. The whole point was to give Harpy and me time alone. This was the natural next step.
"This is my room. How long are you planning to keep interrupting my precious rest time?"
"In many ways... thank you very much for today, Response Team Leader."
"...Go already. Harpy's waiting for you."