Her eyes darted to the wall facing her left, barely holding in her piece of mind concerning those words. Must he always talk to her like that -- like she was an idiot? Sure, she had her moments, but didn't everyone?

Slowly, however, she regained just enough of her composure to trail her gaze back to him, only to be met face-to-face with him.

She held her breath.

It was like being held in a testing room, or sitting in the chair at an interview. Her mind reeled with a billion thoughts, but Noel couldn't reach out and pick the correct one out of the million others. The lieutenant noted the time; even now, Major Kisaragi must have left his office at this point. Time was stalling, and the lieutenant was certain now that she wouldn't be resting now. She was trapped -- a mouse in the snake's cage.

Whereas the captain was nonchalant and relaxed, Noel was painfully quiet as she considered his words.

"...I can't read your mind," she finally spoke. "What if I get it wrong a dozen more times?"