Supposedly, tobacco helped calm the nerves. While it wasn't the most pleasant smell, it also wasn't a smell that bothered her, even with how pungent it was. No, it was such a natural part of so many people's scent that really, it hardly stood out.

But the way the lighter illuminated his face from the shadow, the way the grey smoke curled and floated away from him, it strangely felt as picturesque as an actor in a movie being filmed by a professional. Which was just a little funny to imagine - Takuto Maruki, somber would-be world savior, fighting the despair of not having succeeded just yet...

At his comment, Kuon's head tilted in surprise.

"Oh? Which words are loud? Or just all of them in general."