Chapter 237
"Kamille, want to hang out somewhere today?"
Beltorchika stood at the door of Kamille's house in her casual clothes, cupping her hands around her mouth like a megaphone and shouting up toward the second floor.
"I don't want to go anywhere! Don't you have a job or something, Miss Beltorchika?!"
With a loud swoosh, the window of Kamille's room on the second floor was yanked open. The blue-haired boy stuck his head out and shouted back, clenching his fist in frustration.
"…What a shut-in."
Beltorchika's eyes carried a hint of complaint as she stared at the boy leaning out the window.
"Come on, keep me company! It's not every day I get time off, you know!"
She deliberately softened her tone into a cutesy, affected voice as she spoke to Kamille.
Kamille frowned deeply.
That expression clearly showed his irritation with this unreliable adult, but at the same time, there was something odd about her today.
While Kamille—ever perceptive—had already noticed that Beltorchika was intentionally trying to get closer to him, she had never acted so clingy or persistent before.
More than that, today she gave off a strange feeling, as if she had come to see him one last time before making some kind of decision.
Kamille tilted his head slightly, then withdrew into the room.
"Wait a sec, I'll be right down!"
He shouted as he quickly pulled on a pair of pants.
No matter what, Beltorchika had indeed been looking out for him a lot recently. If she was planning something dangerous, then it was his responsibility to stop her.
Such a thought process was entirely in line with how an adult would think.
Or rather, how a child thinks an adult is supposed to think—what they believe to be the "right" thing to do.
"Let's go. Where do you want to go?"
Wearing his signature blue bodysuit, Kamille stepped out the door while slicking his hair back, revealing soft eyes that could easily be mistaken for a woman's.
But that soft impression was quickly ruined by the sullen anger in his gaze.
It was obvious Kamille still didn't really want to go out with Beltorchika.
After all, she really did treat him like a child.
"Come shopping with me in the commercial district. There's something I want to buy."
Kamille didn't object. Instead, he turned and took the lead toward the shared car parking area.
Surprisingly, Beltorchika didn't follow immediately. Instead, she turned toward the intersection behind her and flashed a peace sign.
"Hurry up!"
Only after Kamille called out impatiently did Beltorchika jog to catch up to him.
And from the corner of that intersection where she had just flashed the peace sign, a shadow slowly peeked out.
If one looked closely, they'd see it was Kamille's childhood friend, Fa Yuiry!
Fa was puffing out her cheeks, clenching her fists and glaring at Beltorchika's back with frustration.
Even though Kamille could vaguely sense the subtle shift in Beltorchika's mood, he was still unaware that someone else so close by was also deeply concerned about him.
That, too, was a sign of Kamille's lingering immaturity.
In the commercial district, Beltorchika really did act like she was just out shopping. She behaved like any ordinary girl, asking about things left and right and eagerly wanting to buy whatever caught her eye.
Was I overthinking it?
Kamille couldn't help but wonder.
"Hey, if there's nothing else, I'm heading back."
Thinking his worry had been unnecessary, Kamille crossed his arms and said this to Beltorchika.
"Just a minute!"
Beltorchika didn't even turn around as she answered him. She had lowered her head and was carefully examining the items inside a jewelry store's glass display case.
After a thorough look, she finally picked one out and pointed at a necklace while speaking to the clerk.
"I'd like to try this one on. Is that okay?"
"I'm sorry, but that necklace has already been reserved."
The clerk shook her head, turning from casual to business mode in an instant.
"I see… Do you have the same model available?"
Beltorchika wasn't discouraged and responded in a tone Kamille found a bit thick-skinned.
"We do, but it's more expensive. Is that alright?"
"No problem. I came prepared today~"
Is this really how she usually acts?
Although Beltorchika could be a bit of a handful, Kamille could sense a certain determination beneath that sweet exterior.
At first, he'd assumed it was the kind of resolve needed to join the Titans—but after spending more time with her, he had dismissed that idea.
Otherwise, Kamille, being a Newtype, never would have agreed to go out with her in the first place.
Still, something about how Beltorchika was acting now—like a girl excitedly discovering something she loved—felt very off.
Kamille frowned as he leaned against the entrance of the jewelry store, carefully observing her back.
"Here's the piece you requested."
The clerk brought out a tray with the necklace and presented it to Beltorchika.
"Mm, thank you!"
Beltorchika reached out and picked up the necklace, putting it around her neck.
Only then did Kamille get a good look at it.
Unlike the usual delicate designs of women's necklaces, this one had a massive diamond embedded in it.
In this day and age, diamonds weren't exactly valuable anymore, so no one batted an eye at Beltorchika trying on something so flashy.
After all, the Titans' pay was twice that of the regular Federal Forces.
But Kamille sensed something was wrong.
First, he noticed Beltorchika was unusually tense, and then he caught the subtle agitation in her body language.
After she fastened the necklace around her neck, her right hand lingered on the largest diamond a little too long.
It looked like she was pressing something inside it with some force.
Kamille quietly stepped sideways, blocking the entrance to the shop, and then approached Beltorchika while subtly positioning himself to block her view of the mirror.
Only after this smooth series of movements did Kamille allow himself a small sigh of relief.
Just then, Kamille noticed a gaze fixed on him.
Looking up, he saw the clerk watching him—and then she smiled politely.
"Alright, I'll take the necklace. Please wrap it up and send it to this address."
After removing the necklace and handing it to the clerk, Beltorchika paid quickly and decisively. Then she grabbed Kamille and started heading back.
"Beltorchika… are you hiding something from me?"
Kamille looked down at the wrist she had grabbed and asked softly.
"What? Don't be so sensitive, kid. You won't make any friends that way…"
Beltorchika turned her head, trying to joke with Kamille like she always did.
But her smile faded quickly.
Because Kamille's normally gentle face now carried a steely resolve that anyone could see.
"Recently, Titans have detected large-scale Zeon remnant activity in Earth's orbit. Troops have been dispatched to investigate, and…"
As the two of them stared at each other, the screen behind them lit up—with a news broadcast voiced by none other than Beltorchika herself.