After thinking it over, you hit upon a plan that seems most viable - You can do this spying thing and the followup interview with the others, and go up to the town afterwards. You nod slowly, and write in the notepad; I may as well tail the bookstore owner. Want to do this the right way, after all. You pause, wondering if you should mention your plans for afterward to her, but instead you just set the pencil down.
"That makes sense," she nods in agreement. "Hopefully you can find out if he's up to anything… but be sure to be careful, too, alright?" She bites her lip pensively, but shrugs it off. "Good luck, anyway."
Thank you, you simply write in response.
An awkward silence permeates the room as you both lean back in your seats; you watch her, while she watches the notebook. She slowly turns back to her lunch, hand floating uncertainly over her chopsticks, before glancing back in your direction. "Shouldn't you call them up?"
You jolt in your seat a bit, glad for your invisibility as it prevents her from seeing your embarrassment. "Right," you mutter, pressing down on your ring; within moments, a door slides up from between floor tiles. See you later, you scrawl out, before standing to leave. Midori smiles to herself, gathering her things back up; after a moment of hesitation, you push open the door to find yourself back in Nel's office.
The transition from the bright sunlight outside the classroom windows, to the office's aquatic gloominess, leaves you blinking as your eyes adjust. When they do, though, you're surprised to find someone else already present. While Nel is leaning forward with limbs splayed out on their desk, there's also a tall bespectacled boy with short blue hair, leaning against the side of it with arms crossed over his chest in a haughty manner. He glances over lazily as your door closes and slides away, making you freeze instinctively, but he of course doesn't seem to see you; bright silver eyes searching the wall briefly before he shrugs and turns his attention back to Nel.
"What was that about?" He asks, and you realize abruptly that he is in fact a she - the voice is low, but undeniably feminine. You mentally berate yourself, but stepping closer to look her up and down, you have to admit it was an honest mistake to make. Between her sticklike figure without a hint of curves, her short, utilitarian hair, and the fact that she's wearing a boy's uniform, (from the same school Pallavi attends, you note) she certainly looks more masculine, with only a pair of small lapis-lazuli earrings and a certain softness to her face to tell you otherwise.
Your attention is pulled away when Nel finally speaks back up, coughing slightly. "Just a false alarm; nevermind that." somewhere within their usual cloudy frame you think you perceive a wink in your direction; taking the hint, you fall back and wait quietly. "Anyway, back to what we were discussing, sorry."
Shaking her head in annoyance, the girl sighs. "What I was saying is that you should reconsider her altogether. She may be my friend, but she's also a complete and total moron who will just hold us all back. Is there anyone else who could possibly fit?"
Nel blinks, disbelief clear in their posture. "Harsh words for a supposed friend," they comment. You can't help but agree.
The girl just shrugs stubbornly. "I'm telling it like it is. She may be smart, but she's also an idiot. Failed the exams on purpose just so she could go to an easier school, and wastes all her time on frivolities instead of trying to get ahead. It's as simple as that; you don't want someone like that on the team, when she won't take any of this seriously, and probably use whatever power you give her for her own fun and nothing else." Straightening up with an imperious tilt of her chin, she adds "I'm sorry, but I won't help you with this. Now, if you'll excuse me, I believe lunch period is nearly over; I need to get back to my classes. Unlike some people, I actually want to do something productive with my life."
Sighing in frustration, Nel waves an arm at the nearby wall, summoning another door. "She's the best candidate by a long shot," they insist, leaning further across the desk for emphasis, "the second-closest person would be a far weaker choice. I hope you will reconsider; if you can bring her on board, your friendship could help bring the team together more easily." When she just strides to the exit without a response, Nel hangs their head. "Then again, maybe not." The disgruntlement is clear in their tone, but the blue-haired girl doesn't seem to notice or care.
Once she's gone and the door has vanished again, you step forward again with an awkward wave. "I got your note," you say. Nel's attitude seems to brighten considerably, standing back upright with an affirmative nod. "So yeah, I'll do the mission for you." You hesitate, but your curiosity proves too much. "Who was that, anyway?" you blurt out.
Nel sighs in frustration. "That was Shimizu Masami-san; she's who I chose to take the blue ring. I found out she's long been friends with one of the last few candidates I've been attempting to recruit, so I hoped Shimizu-san could help me convince her, but it seems their relationship is a bit more… uneven, than I had been led to believe. This puts me back at square one, but now I'm not even sure if recruiting her would be a good idea; if those two don't get along, it could be a huge problem. No team's ever been threatened by being too close, but discord at critical junctures could put all of you at risk." You notice that their clouds seem to be swirling faster, churning like a storm rather than their usual placid shadowy appearance. Sighing, Nel slumps vaguely. "Maybe I'm just overthinking this. What do you think?"
What To Say?
> It'll probably be fine (Whatever problem they have can be resolved in time, keep with the most qualified option)
> Maybe you're right (More power might not be worth the potential drama, maybe best to try other people)
> Uhh… I don't know? (You already have enough problems as it is, and this is Nel's area more than yours)
