Did I Just Get Slapped by a Cute Girl?

The girl's face flushed red. She shoved me off with surprising strength, sending me sprawling onto my ass.

"Don't call me cute!" She snatched her helmet back, jamming it over her head. "And stay out of my way!"

"Hey, wait-" But she was already sprinting down the market street.

I picked myself up, brushing dust from my jacket. Fucking great. First I wake up in garbage, then Peng goes on his merry rolling adventure, and now there's a cute girl who seems to hate me.

...wait a second.

That gear looked official. Like, really official. The kind worn by people with actual authority and more importantly, money. The kind of people who could make a dented chalice problem disappear.

This was perfect. Help catch the thief, get in good with whatever fancy organization she worked for, score some extra cash too maybe. And if things went south? Well, I'm pretty good at running.

Time to play hero.

I sprinted after tactical girl, keeping my distance to see who she was chasing. Through the market's winding paths, I spotted her target: some kid in a ratty cloak darting between stalls.

Back at the orphanage, we used to play tag in the storage rooms. The key wasn't speed. It was knowing how to cut people off.

"Three... two... one..." I counted under my breath, breaking away from the path I was on. My feet pounded against wooden planks as I vaulted over a fruit cart, taking a shortcut through an alley.

The thief would pass through the intersection ahead. Just like cornering kids between the bookshelves and cleaning supplies.

I burst out of the alley right as the cloaked figure rounded the corner. My fist connected with his jaw before he could react. He hit the ground hard, and something glass shattered between us.

"Shit." I'd broken whatever he stole. So much for getting on tactical girl's good side.

I squatted next to the mess, curious what was worth all this trouble. Among the glass shards laid some kind of metal contraption, like a fancy syringe with weird mechanical bits.

That's when I saw a familiar black liquid, writhing around the broken device in that same sickening way I'd seen too many times before.

Is that… Rust?

The thief's eyes suddenly opened, focusing on the broken vial. His face twisted from confusion to rage.

"You fucking idiot!" He lunged at me, his fingers clawing for my throat. "Do you have any idea what you've done!??"

I caught his wrists, keeping him at arm's length. "Where the hell did you get that?"

"Does it matter?" He thrashed against my grip, "No one cares that she's gone anyway. It's only ever been me searching, me trying to fix things-"

My grip loosened. Those words hit too close to home. How many nights had I stayed up, scrolling through missing persons reports while the world kept spinning like Inorin had never existed?

"He took her away," the kid choked out. "This was my only chance to get her back. And if I have to die trying-" He twisted free, a shard of glass glinting in his bloodied hand.

Pure instinct took over. My fist connected with his temple before he could swing. He immediately crumpled to the ground.

I stared at his unconscious form, my stomach churning. Jiko wanting Ten dead was bad enough, but this? This was just a kid. Probably younger than me. What kind of bastard could push someone this young to chase death?

Footsteps echoed off the market walls. Tactical girl was getting closer.

"Sorry about this," I muttered, dragging the kid behind a stack of crates. At least he'd wake up with just a headache instead of in custody.

I'd barely straightened up when tactical girl rounded the corner, her helmet scanning the scene.

"How did you...? Where's the thief?"

"Got what you were after right here." I bluffed, patting my jacket pocket. "But funny story. Your little chase caused me to break this fancy bronze chalice. Owner's pretty pissed."

She took a step forward. "Hand over the vial."

"Nuh-uh." I wagged my finger. "First you march that fancy tactical ass over to the vendor and make things right. Unless... you rather I'd find someone else interested in this little toy?"

That got her attention. She lunged forward with surprising speed, but I was ready. I sidestepped her grab, letting her momentum carry her past me.

"Too slow!" I cackled, dancing backward. "What's wrong? All that gear weighing you down?"

Her fists clenched. Even through the helmet, I could feel her glare burning into me.

"Catch me if you can!" I spun on my heel and took off running. The satisfying stream of curses behind me meant tactical girl had taken the bait.

But then something felt off. The heavy footsteps chasing me stopped.

I glanced back. Empty market street stretched behind me. No tactical girl in sight.

The fuck? I definitely pissed her off enough to chase me. That's like, my specialty.

Grumbling, I backtracked through the winding paths. Maybe she got lost? These market streets were pretty hard to navigate. Though someone in that fancy gear should know their way around...

A flash of black caught my eye. There - tactical girl's uniform stood out against the market's colors. But she wasn't alone.

I ducked behind a fruit cart, peeking through gaps in the display. Someone huge in armor towered over her, gripping her wrists so hard I could see them turning white. She twisted, trying to pull away, but his grip only tightened.

Inorin's words echoed in my head: Creeps deserve every punch coming to them, Kuro-chan~

Looks like this piece of shit needed a face full of knuckles.

I lunged at the creep, my fist slamming into his helmet. Pain shot through my knuckles but the way he staggered backward made it worth every aching finger.

"Come on!" I grabbed tactical girl's hand and bolted.

A strange sound caught my attention. Tactical Girl was… laughing?

"What's so funny?"

"It's just that no one's ever done that before! Just charged in without thinking. It's refreshing!"

Her enthusiasm was infectious. A grin tugged at my lips before I could stop it. But as we rounded the final corner, reality crashed back.

There sat Peng, lounging in the dented chalice like it was its throne. The smug little shit even had the nerve to wave.

I jabbed a finger at the chalice. "Pay up."

"What?"

"The chalice. Your fault. Pay up."

SLAP

Tactical Girl's palm connected with my cheek, the force spinning me halfway around.

Did I just get slapped by a cute girl?