Zenless Zone Zero: The Almighty Incubus of Sixth Street

Astra waved happily to Wise as she prepared to leave, but suddenly stopped midway.

”Ah, wait, I almost forgot!”

As if she’d just remembered something, she turned around, hurried back to Wise with quick little steps, and before he could react, placed both hands on his shoulders.

Then she rose onto her tiptoes and gently kissed his cheek, leaving Belle and Evelyn equally stunned.

”This is the autograph I promised! It’s for my beloved Wise! Remember to come to my New Year’s concert!”

Astra looked at Wise, who still seemed unable to process what had just happened, and couldn’t help smiling. She gave him a playful wink before shyly running back to the car.

Wise instinctively reached up and touched the faint lip print on his cheek, while Belle, standing nearby, was so jealous that she clenched her fists and gritted her teeth.

At the same time, Astra let out a wide yawn as she climbed into the car, only to notice a constant stream of chatter coming through the speakers.

Looking toward the car’s infotainment system, she saw a man on the other end of the call angrily shouting.

Evelyn skillfully pressed the mute button. Without the sound, the man’s furious expression somehow looked even more comical.

”What’s Mr. Hobson blabbing about this time?” Astra asked with her usual cheerful smile.

”It’s probably just the usual whining. ’Please don’t run off on your own. Stay safe before the concert.’”

She paused for a moment before continuing.

”I mean, if there’s anything that needs to be done, just give me the orders. There’s no need to put yourself at risk.”

Evelyn said this while glancing through the documents in her hand. Even so, Astra immediately picked up on the subtle emotion beneath her composed tone.

”Eve, are you... angry?”

”No. Just a straightforward, calm protest with no whining. Also, what you did just now, Miss, was rather impulsive.”

Although no one had been nearby, if a reporter had managed to capture a photo, it could have dealt a serious blow to her career.

”Oh, don’t be angry. I was just showing my gratitude, and I only kissed his cheek,” Astra replied innocently. ”Ahem, anyway, look what I found! It’s Joran’s legacy work, the legendary secret record!”

She deftly changed the subject, holding the album up in front of Evelyn as she continued excitedly.

”As I told you before, it came from a small meet-and-greet at a record store after Joran went independent. I was very young back then, and I was there! I never imagined we’d actually find that recording!”

Astra carefully tucked the album away. Then, as if someone had suddenly come to mind, she let out another sigh.

”Finding this treasure was really all thanks to Wise. Otherwise, I definitely would’ve gotten lost...”

”...You’re still far too trusting. How do you know who this proxy you found online really is, what their motives are, or whether they’re trustworthy?”

Evelyn fired off three questions in quick succession, leaving Astra momentarily speechless. After a brief pause, however, she answered with complete sincerity.

”He’s not just some random proxy I found online. He’s a friend I’ve known for a while. Eve, you’ve met him too. It’s Wise... and his sister, Belle.”

”...”

”W-What’s wrong?”

Seeing Evelyn remain silent, Astra suddenly felt a little guilty. Her lie clearly hadn’t fooled her. There had simply been too many holes in it.

”If you already knew from the beginning that he was a proxy, you could’ve just contacted him through Knock Knock. Why go to the trouble of posting on Inter-Knot so formally?” Evelyn asked in a calm yet probing tone.

”Uh... right. I was just being stubborn out of habit. I was wrong~”

Evelyn had always struggled to deal with Astra’s coquettish behavior, and in the end, she let her off the hook once again.

”However, since the Proxy’s identity can remain hidden even from close friends, it shows that your friend is both cautious and capable. That kind of reliability is reassuring. Hmm... inviting them to the concert might prove unexpectedly beneficial. Let me see which seats would be most suitable...”

Evelyn began flipping through the seating chart for the concert venue, prompting Astra, who stood beside her, to pout in dissatisfaction.

”Eve, you’re really generous when it comes to praising other people. Wait a minute... you’re not planning to spy on them, are you?” she asked suspiciously.

”Only by gathering as much information as possible, no matter how insignificant it may seem, can we prepare for every situation in advance, including the sudden disappearance of the person we’re meant to protect.”

”So then... What gave me away this time?”

The way Astra casually said ”this time” suggested it wasn’t the first occurrence, and Evelyn had long since grown accustomed to it.

”You borrowed the make-up artist’s phone to post on Inter-Knot; pre-opened a bathroom window before the press conference for your escape... I have to say that the most creative idea this time was riding a public bike into the Hollow.”

Even Evelyn couldn’t help but smile faintly at the thought, while Astra could only let out a defeated sigh.

”Aw, I thought my plan was flawless... You’re so sharp, Eve! Before you were a manager... were you a detective? Or a PubSec officer?”

”Not exactly, but close enough.”

Seeing that Evelyn had no intention of answering directly, Astra puffed out her cheeks in annoyance.

”Tch~ You’re so stingy. If you tell me, I’ll listen to you next time and never run away again. I promise!”

”A professional spy,” Evelyn answered bluntly.

”Hahaha~ Huh? Wait, a professional spy...? That’s so cool! It sounds like the perfect inspiration for a song!”

Evelyn’s straightforward answer caught Astra by surprise, but only briefly. Her enthusiasm, however, left Evelyn feeling somewhat helpless.

”...You’re not seriously planning to sing a song about professional spies at your New Year’s concert, are you?”

”Huh? Is there some rule that says I can’t?”

Judging by her tone, she might actually be serious.

”...Then how’s the concert’s closing song coming along? Today’s the production deadline.”

”Huh? Uh... ah...”

The mixture of confusion, surprise, and barely concealed panic in Astra’s voice was answer enough.

”I see. So we’re going against the entire board of directors to buy Starloop and hold a New Year’s concert. We even announced the release of your latest single, yet you’ve run out of inspiration and still haven’t written it. Did I miss anything?”

Evelyn glanced at Astra, who answered with nothing more than a sheepish grin.

”Well... today’s deadline is mostly just a formality. I’m sure you’ve already prepared plenty of extensions.”

”...”

Without another word, Evelyn reached over and flicked Astra’s forehead once again.

”Hiss... I’ll write! I’ll write it right now! But there’s no piano here! Eve, can you sing for me?”

”Hmm... you know I never do things like that,” Evelyn replied with an exasperated sigh.

”It’s okay! You just have to hum along while following my hand movements, like this—”

In the end, Evelyn couldn’t bring herself to refuse Astra’s request. Guided by Astra’s fingertips, her soft humming rose and fell, gradually weaving into a gentle, melodious tune.

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