"Sakura, are you back again?"
"M-Mary-dono!"
Everyone turned their attention toward the girl who had so abruptly cut into the conversation.
She had short brown hair and a sharp, stern expression. While this girl, Mary, appeared to be an acquaintance of Sakura’s, her attitude was surprisingly harsh.
"Did you bring friends today? Just how far are you willing to go for that man's sake?"
"It is as you say, and yet it is not. Furthermore, I wish for Mary-dono herself to leave this association, not merely for the sake of Lord Gaut. Therefore—!"
"I've told you a thousand times, you're being a nuisance! Just get lost already!"
"…Hey," Yugo whispered to the others. "This isn't exactly the situation we were expecting, is it?"
"It seems not," Melt replied. "It might be best to hear the full story from her as well."
Judging by Sakura’s reaction, she hadn't joined the Society of Friends of the Night because she sympathized with Kurotobari’s ideology. However, that only deepened the mystery of why she was here in the first place.
Deciding they needed to question both Sakura and Mary to get to the bottom of it, Yugo stepped into the middle of their argument.
"Excuse me, could I have a moment? I hate to impose, but would you mind telling us what’s going on here in more detail?"
"Hah? Why should I do anything for you? The assembly is starting any second, and I’d obviously rather be there than—wait, crap!"
Mary, who had been glaring at Yugo, suddenly turned pale with panic.
Before Yugo could process what was happening, Mary and a similarly frantic Sakura grabbed his head and forced him down, shoving him out of sight.
"Whoa! What? What’s going on!?"
"Just shut up and stay down! If you aren't quiet, things are going to get messy!"
"S-Setsuna, everyone, hide your faces and remain silent, I pray!"
Though confused by the sudden urgency, the group realized from the girls' desperate behavior that this was no time for questions and quickly followed suit.
Yugo’s neck throbbed from being pinned down, but as he caught a glimpse of the surrounding area, his breath hitched.
Is that… Cyan? What on earth is he doing here…!?
It was Cyan—the Hero Candidate who shared a long and complicated history with Yugo.
Yugo’s eyes widened as he watched the boy blend into the crowd and disappear into the venue. It seemed Melt’s observation hadn't been a mistake; students from Luminous Academy were indeed attending these meetings.
Once the coast was clear, Sakura and Mary finally released their grip.
"There. Honestly, this is such a pain…" Mary grumbled.
"…I’m sorry to be a bother, but my list of questions just got a lot longer," Yugo said, straightening up. "Could we move somewhere else so we can talk?"
"Ehh? Ugh… fine. Whatever."
"Mary-dono! Is it truly alright?" Sakura asked, surprised.
"Look, these guys are your friends and they’re here to take you home, right? As far as I’m concerned, that’s a win. But if I go into that meeting alone now, the others are going to pepper me with questions about where you went. Since the meeting is a bust for me either way, tagging along with this lot is the lesser of two evils."
It was a remarkably pragmatic decision. Yugo and the others nodded, glad to have found a way to pull Sakura away from the assembly while securing a chance to talk. The only problem now was finding a suitable location.
"What should we do?" Melt asked. "Bringing outsiders into the dorms is a bad idea, and we can’t exactly discuss this in the middle of the street."
"Hmm, good point. Somewhere quiet where we won't stand out… oh!"
A flash of inspiration struck Yugo as he scanned his mental map of the area. He snapped his fingers and turned to his companions with a grin.
"I’ve got it—the perfect spot!"
"Sorry for the sudden intrusion, En."
"Think nothing of it! The Master is just happy to have so many customers, and besides, there was something I wanted to discuss with you anyway!"
A short while later, the group arrived at the cafe where En worked.
After Yugo spoke with En and the shop's owner, they were ushered into a corner with enough seating for everyone. Once they had settled in with a round of coffee, the interrogation finally began.
"Alright," Setsuna said, looking directly at the guest. "Start talking. Why did you get involved with the Society of Friends of the Night?"
"It’s the same for her as it is for you," Mary answered for her, looking exasperated. "This idiot was attending the meetings just to try and drag me away from Lord Kurotobari."
Sakura let out a heavy sigh, finally ready to explain the events that had led her to the vigilante assembly.