[She just watches him at the repeated answer. Between the hat and the bangs, it's hard to get much of a read on him. Not to mention, reading the mood's never been one of Shirabe's talents.

She still doesn't quite believe it, but she figures there's more going on there besides just being grumpy about having friends. So she lets it rest, looks up at him seriously, tries to catch his eyes with her own. This is a serious question.]

While you're looking for them, can you keep an eye out for someone named Kirika Akatsuki? [Sure, the others would be nice. Maria, especially, is like an older sister to her.

But Kirika's Kirika. She doesn't want to give him a long list of names, so she focuses on the person she needs.]

You don't need to look very hard. But if you're keeping your ear to the ground anyway, I'd appreciate it.