Tomoko squinted at him. She was certain he was thinking of something else about what she'd said, but for some reason he didn't pursue that train of thought. Others would have.

"I think it's because brews which call for fresh body parts are generally considered 'stronger' than those which don't. It's like delving into a deeper level of witchcraft and maybe the woman didn't want to do that." It's just conjecture on her part, though, since she hadn't talked to the man yet. He wasn't as easy to approach as the woman.

She stared in horror at the helmet, then self-consciously reached up at the side of her head. "But... Ryusei-san, my--my ribbon." The helmet would flatten it if she put that on! It would ruin her ribbon and she'd hate that a lot.