[41] This is a compensation fix

The peaceful atmosphere of the canteen suddenly shifted when a loud explosion echoed from the direction of the simulation training room. The Taimanin, who were relaxing, reacted immediately, and the canteen was filled with commotion. They exchanged glances before quickly moving towards the source of the sound. Their first thought was an enemy attack, but the reality that awaited them was far more surprising.

Kirara was one of the first to arrive at the scene. Her gaze immediately focused on the simulation room, which was no longer intact. The walls were destroyed, debris scattered everywhere, creating a scene that was entirely unexpected for a training room. In the midst of the destruction stood a tall man with white hair—Kaoru.

Standing at 190 cm, his figure was striking. His white hair contrasted with his red eyes, and he wore casual clothing that seemed completely out of place amidst the chaos. Resting on his shoulder was a simple wooden sword—a humble weapon that clearly didn't match the scale of the destruction.

Kaoru simply stared at the large slash on the wall, as if admiring his own work.

"Well, well... It seems something interesting has happened here," a calm yet charismatic voice suddenly sounded. Fumma Kotaro, the captain of the Taimanin Task Force, emerged from the shadows with a faint smile. Kotaro was a tall man with tan skin, messy blue hair, and a left eye that gleamed yellow like a flash of lightning, while his other eye was a deep black. Despite wearing the tight, modern combat uniform of a Taimanin, his aura remained lazy and relaxed—an infamous trait of the captain.

Kirara, standing not far from Kotaro, glanced at him with a puzzled expression. "Surprising to see you interested, usually you're lazing about in your office," Kirara quipped lightly, though there was a hint of sarcasm in her tone. Everyone at the base knew that while Kotaro was intelligent and a brilliant strategist, he often avoided difficult tasks and preferred to spend his time lounging in his office.

Kotaro just smiled, shrugging as if unconcerned about his well-known reputation. "If it were something ordinary, I wouldn't have left my office. But this time..." he paused, his eyes scanning the destruction in the room before finally landing on Kaoru. "It seems something truly interesting has happened."

Kirara scoffed, still unable to fully understand the man beside her. But her attention returned to Kaoru, the man who had now become the centre of attention in the entire room. While the staff were still trying to process what had just happened, Kaoru simply stood there, relaxed, as if the explosion and destruction were no big deal.

"Asagi's going to get a long lecture after this," Kirara muttered, feeling a little sorry for her comrades who would have to take responsibility for the damage. However, she couldn't help but be curious. Who was this man? And how had he caused all of this with just a wooden sword?

As the unexpected chaos began to settle, the atmosphere grew calmer—at least for a moment. But soon, hurried footsteps echoed down the corridor, signalling the arrival of someone in a rush. The department head appeared, a short, bald man whose gleaming head resembled someone who worked in a dark company full of intrigue. He tried to maintain his authority, but the sweat streaming down his face revealed just how shocked and anxious he truly was.

Quickly, the head pulled out a small white handkerchief from his suit pocket and wiped the sweat from his brow. However, when his eyes landed on the total destruction that had befallen the simulation room, his face changed drastically. His eyes widened like saucers, and his jaw dropped slightly.

"What the—! The simulation room… completely destroyed?! How is this even possible?" he croaked, his voice hoarse with disbelief. He turned his gaze towards Asagi and the staff, who immediately tensed as if struck by lightning. The tension in the air grew palpable.

Asagi could only sigh inwardly, already knowing what was about to happen. Moments later, the department head's voice filled the room, launching into a long lecture that seemed destined to continue endlessly. Asagi and her staff stood with their heads bowed, receiving the scolding they had already anticipated.

Meanwhile, in the midst of the verbal chaos, Kaoru had decided to casually withdraw. Spinning the wooden sword in his hand, he walked slowly out of the room, leaving Asagi to face the wrath of the department head. "Seems like I've had enough fun here," he thought, heading towards the vending machine in the nearby corridor.

As Kaoru reached the vending machine and had just selected his drink, hurried footsteps approached from behind, followed by a familiar loud voice.

"Wait!" Kirara suddenly appeared, her face flushed, her expression a mix of anger and embarrassment—the classic look of a true tsundere. She stood in front of him, hands on her hips, raising her chin in a haughty manner, as if trying to show that she was the one in charge here.

"H-hold on a second! What were you thinking, acting so recklessly like that, huh?! Do you even realise how much damage you caused to the simulation room?!" Kirara shouted in a tone of mock authority, though it was clear she wasn't truly angry. Her cheeks were red, and her eyes sparkled as if searching for justification for her emotions.

Kaoru, still maintaining his calm demeanour, opened the drink he had just bought and took a slow sip. After that, he glanced at Kirara with a faint, relaxed smile, barely concerned with the scolding from the girl in front of him. "Ah, so you came just to tell me off?" he said in a calm tone, which only made Kirara more agitated.

"Of course! I-I-if I didn't scold you, who else would?! Don't think I care or anything... I'm just… just making sure everything runs smoothly, that's all!" Kirara insisted, her voice slightly trembling as she tried to cover up her obvious embarrassment.

Kaoru stared at her for a moment, then sighed, leaning his back against the vending machine. "Yeah, yeah, I get it. But don't worry, that room isn't a big deal. They can fix it again, right?" he replied nonchalantly, as if destroying the training room was no big deal.

Kirara let out a strong huff, her cheeks red with a mix of anger and awkwardness that was becoming more apparent. "Hmph! You're too laid-back. One day, your careless attitude is going to cause even bigger problems!" she declared in her typical ojou-sama tone of arrogance. However, there was a hint of doubt in her voice, as if she wasn't fully convinced of her own words and was actually worried about Kaoru.

Kaoru watched the shift in Kirara's expression with curiosity. "Hmm, interesting," he thought. "How is she already acting so familiar when this is the first time we've met? I haven't even introduced myself yet."

As Kirara continued to stubbornly turn her head away, Kaoru tried to understand the situation. He knew her name because Asagi had mentioned it in a previous conversation, but how could Kirara feel close enough to express her concern in such a distinct way?

"Eh, maybe she just feels comfortable talking like this because she saw how I acted," Kaoru mumbled to himself, trying to find a logical explanation. "Or perhaps there's something deeper behind her sudden tsundere attitude."

Kaoru decided to ignore his confusion and give Kirara some space. "Thanks for your concern," he said lightly, trying to ease the tension. "But I think we should focus more on what lies ahead. After all, that room isn't really a big issue."

Kirara looked at Kaoru with eyes that still held a trace of dissatisfaction, but there was a soft gleam in them that showed she actually cared. "Hmph, don't think I'll keep caring about you. It's just… just because I don't like seeing things get ruined like that," she defended herself, though her tone clearly revealed she was more than just angry.

Kaoru gave a faint smile, feeling a little pleased with Kirara's reaction, which, though stiff, showed a certain closeness. "Alright then, I'll be more careful next time. After all, I wouldn't want to make you too upset," he said, turning his attention back to the vending machine and casually grabbing a second drink.

Kirara, realising how awkward she had appeared, tried to cover her embarrassment by changing the subject. "So, what's your plan now? Are you planning to destroy this place any further?" she asked, trying to sound casual, though it was clear that tension still lingered in her voice.

Kaoru just chuckled lightly, his tone full of warmth. "Of course not. I'm just planning to head back. Asagi is probably looking for me by now, so I'll take my leave, Kirara-chan." He teased her with a playful smile, his eyes gleaming with understanding.

Kirara felt her cheeks flush, almost ready to snap back at Kaoru in frustration. But before she could say anything, Kaoru continued with an innocent tone, as if he had just remembered something. "Oh, and I haven't introduced myself. My name's Kaoru Rasputin," he said cheerfully, adding a touch of formality to the introduction.

Kirara, still a little surprised by Kaoru's use of a familiar nickname, raised an eyebrow, her expression a mixture of disbelief and curiosity. "Kaoru… Rasputin? That's quite a unique name," she murmured, still processing the fact that Kaoru had already walked away from her.