What else could Jiang You do? This woman truly didn't care about her own reputation. If he didn't act, she'd just keep her mouth open, even pulling his hand down toward her. If this continued in public, Jiang You felt like he was about to go viral online for all the wrong reasons.
So, Jiang You chose to compromise. He picked up the chopsticks and spoon and began feeding her, one bite at a time.
During the meal, Jiang You tried to launch a counterattack by acting overly affectionate, hoping to fluster her. But she handled it with ease, leaving him the one blushing furiously. Defeated, Jiang You completely gave up, just hoping she'd be satisfied soon so they could end the day's outing.
"It was delicious, but I want to try something else next time. You'll take me, won't you, Senpai?"
B.B was genuinely pleased with the lunch prepared by the Counter Force, though the two servers' deadpan expressions had been off-putting. If they'd reacted more, she might have frequented the place. As it was, they offered no teasing value at all.
"You don't have the right to refuse, you know."
"Then is there any point in asking?" Jiang You retorted, speechless.
"Zero points. You're acting like such a clueless guy, Senpai. At this rate, I might have to stick with you forever just to make sure you don't get bullied. I, Xiao Ying, am just too kind!" B.B shook her head, looking at him with an expression of profound disappointment.
"So, next stop! Movie theater or amusement park? You choose, Senpai."
When it came to dating someone his own age, the movie theater was the obvious choice. In the game, Jiang You had taken Illya to an aquarium, but back then, their relationship was purely that of a Summon and a Token—more like babysitting than a date.
"The movie theater," Jiang You said. "And we're watching a romance film."
"Another textbook answer. Have you ever actually been on a real date, Senpai? This all feels like scenes from a movie." B.B's eyes curved into crescent moons.
"Actually, I have. We went to an aquarium, and she seemed really happy."
At this point, he couldn't bring himself to admit it was a date with a game character. But he definitely couldn't let her lead the conversation; he was already in too deep (in more ways than one).
"Aww, what a shame," B.B said, feigning disappointment. "I was hoping I'd be the one to take your first time."
She leaned in conspiratorially. "Could it be that you're the type who looks pure on the surface but is secretly a wild player? Here I am, thinking I'm teasing you, when in reality, you're already planning to devour me whole?"
If this were Eresh from the game saying this, Jiang You would have played along without hesitation—something like, "That's right, so wash up and wait for me in bed tonight." But Miss Tong was the type to take any opening and run with it. If he said that to her, he'd be the only one losing out.
"I can't imagine a bigger predator than you. You're the real expert at playing the sheep to hunt the wolf, aren't you?"
"Oh, stop it, Senpai. That's a terrible way to compliment someone. Even I can get angry, you know."
In truth, this seemed to be B.B's first real date; her personality was just naturally this way. Besides, very few people ever truly caught her eye. Hakuno and Jiang You were rare exceptions. Speaking of which, Hakuno had been missing lately. B.B had used surveillance systems to search for her in her spare time, but after vanishing from her own apartment, Hakuno had never reappeared.
In this world, beings capable of using supernatural powers were few and far between. Even the Demonic Bodhisattva's memories had been reset, transforming him into a doctor genuinely dedicated to saving people. Still, B.B had a nagging feeling that he wouldn't be that simple—he must have prepared some kind of backup plan. But what that plan could be, not even she could discern.
Therefore, Hakuno's disappearance was likely not man-made—or at least, not by anyone from this world. It probably resembled a Heroic Spirit Summoning, except instead of pulling a Heroic Spirit from the Throne of Heroes, it had pulled a living person. Assuming, of course, that the people in this world were truly "people" in the conventional sense.
Of course, thanks to Jiang You's presence, the world's laws seemed to have been substantially patched up. Calling them "people" now was perfectly fine.
"Now then, Senpai, it's time to announce your score for this choice—"
B.B emphasized the onomatopoeia, "Ta-da! Unfortunately, you only get 50 points. Senpai must be wondering why the passing score is 50 instead of the usual 60, right? Well, allow Xiao Ying to reveal the answer. The answer is: I want them all!"
"Xiao Ying (B.B.)'s Little Classroom. Senpai, listen carefully. Take notes if you can."
B.B cleared her throat and spoke in a perfectly standard announcer's voice, "When a girl presents you with multiple options, she actually wants all of them. Except for food, where you have to consider appetite and might need multiple trips, it's best to satisfy all her other desires at once if you can. A generous and considerate boy is a huge bonus, you know."
"Are boys supposed to be wish-granting genies?"
Can girls really have both the fish and the bear's paw? Isn't that a bit unreasonable?
"Excellent retort!"
B.B clapped her hands. "A witty and humorous boy is also very popular with girls. +3 points! But you retorted about a girl's insatiable desires, which is very, very bad. Why would you say the quiet part out loud? A harsh deduction of 5 points! Combined with your previous passing score, your current total is only 9 points. Honestly, Senpai, you really need to try harder!"
"Can you just give me a 0 and let me go?"
Jiang You was starting to let loose.
"Eh? Senpai, have you forgotten? If you don't have enough points, I'll just stick to you even more."
B.B squeezed Jiang You's arm with immense force, so hard he felt like his bones were about to crack. The last time he'd felt this was when Fairy Gawain hugged him, but that was in a game. This was Reality. Even though it was due to the 100% pain setting, it was still terrifying. This girl's strength was probably on par with a Heroic Spirit's—the kind completely immune to domestic violence.
Because she would always be the perpetrator. Her partner would be the one in danger of having their skull crushed.
"So, this is actually a confession, right? Senpai doesn't want me to leave his side. How bold~"
B.B looked at the helpless Jiang You with a bright expression. "Alright, our next destination is the amusement park, then the movie theater. Don't look so miserable, Senpai. Cheer up! Xiao Ying picked a comedy, so just try to enjoy our date a little~"
Dating a beautiful girl is a wonderful thing, provided she's a normal person.
Jiang You really couldn't handle this hyperactive-to-the-point-of-madness type. Even Shuten-dōji from the game wasn't this extreme. In fact, Shuten-dōji's slow, deliberate manner sometimes even gave her the air of a refined lady. Speaking of which, I haven't paid much attention to Shuten-dōji since I brought her out. It's a real hassle when collectibles have personalities. I should check on her when I get back.
Even Shuten-dōji was more docile than the girls in Reality, Jiang You lamented.