Maruki blinked at Hamuko’s mention of Igor. "Oh, so that’s how fusion works for you? In my case, we just give the phone number to Igor, and he calls the Persona to summon them to the Velvet Room." He rubbed the back of his neck, sheepishly adding, "Though, I’ll admit… I’ve never tried fusing any of them. Just didn’t seem like the right time to ask, you know?"

At Hamuko’s follow-up comment about flirting, Maruki froze.

Maruki turned red almost instantly. "Wh-what?! I wasn’t…! I mean, I wasn’t trying to flirt! I just—she thought I was funny, I guess?" He could feel his face burning, the heat radiating all the way to his ears. He shifted awkwardly, one hand gripping the edge of his clipboard like it might keep him from melting into the earth.

For a moment, he wanted to sit there, thoroughly bemused, as his brain tried to process it all. "Oh my God… did I actually flirt with her?" He groaned quietly, resting his head in one hand. Considering the implications of the joke he had made.

"Katsuya-san really took the brunt of that whole negotiation, honestly but...actually wait-"

"That sounds a lot more fun?" he directly quoted her. "...you would’ve flirted with other Shadows if you’d had the chance?"