Maruki blinked. Once. Twice.

And then, slowly, he turned to look at her, still processing what she had just so casually thrown out into the world like it was nothing.

He gawked, lips parting as if he wanted to say something, but nothing came out. His brain scrambled for context—was she joking? Did she mean this metaphorically?— "Wha-?" he barely managed to ask. "You are joking, right?"