“Okay, just making sure.”

He smiled at Minako, but then winced when one of her swats caught him just underneath his mouth, causing a particularly distinct muscle contraction. He lifted a hand to touch his jaw where Shinji had punched him earlier. It wasn’t hard enough to form any nasty bruises, and the redness had already faded, but the pain still remained.

Akihiko shook off that unpleasant sensation and set his hand atop her head when he heard her whine. “You sound like Koromaru,” he teased in a lighthearted tone, “Do you want a treat, or a walk?”