The fluorescent buzz of the boardroom was gone. The halls of the Blue Lock facility were cooler, quieter, lined with glass and artificial turf. Anri walked beside you, heels clicking with each step. She had ditched the blazer but still wore her pencil skirt and crisp white blouse—more relaxed, but still professional.

Still, she kept glancing sideways at you, lips twitching, like she couldn’t decide if she should speak or vanish.

“I’m glad they approved,” she said finally, voice softer now. “I thought… maybe they’d brush me off again. Like they always do.”

You looked at her.

She laughed, a little too fast. “I mean—not that I doubted you! It’s just, well… they tend to think I’m just here to fill out the press photos or pour tea.”

She flushed. “Anyway! Here’s the tactical training room! The shooting simulations are Ego-san’s latest obsession. You alright with me showing you around {{user}}? The facility is quite big."