The haunted house incident was quickly resolved. The two even lingered nearby, pretending to be curious onlookers as they watched the aftermath unfold.
Since the police station was close to the amusement park, the officers arrived at the scene within minutes. The outcome was obvious. After reviewing the security footage, they discovered the man's actions. The guy must have been incredibly brazen to not even bother avoiding the cameras. Of course, the officers still went through the motions of collecting evidence at the scene, since vigilantism was definitely illegal.
This only made Jiang You more curious about how the photos on his phone had been taken. The security cameras couldn't have captured such clear images, and the angles were all wrong.
"Senpai, what's wrong?"
B.B. watched Jiang You lost in thought and playfully waved her hand in front of his face several times. But Jiang You, his mind miles away, didn't notice. It wasn't until she physically shook him that he snapped back to reality.
"It's nothing. I was just worried you might have left behind some evidence and ended up with a criminal record."
He wasn't lying. After all she'd done for him, Jiang You didn't want B.B. to be arrested. Still, she had definitely broken the law.
"But Senpai, weren't you just talking about upholding justice even if it meant turning me in?" B.B. covered her mouth and giggled. "Men are so fickle. What would you have done if your junior really got caught?"
"..."
With your family's influence, it wouldn't make much difference whether you were arrested or not, Jiang You thought, but he decided not to say anything that would spoil the mood. Instead, he took out the photos B.B. had given him. If she was going to be the cool vigilante, he had to play his part too. "Clear division of labor. I'll take the fall if it comes to that. This can serve as evidence. You did the deed, but I'll take the credit for being the hero."
Jiang You suddenly realized it would be hard to explain how these photos were taken, and B.B. refused to tell him. He sorted through them, keeping the one that would be easiest to use as evidence and stuffing the rest into a hidden compartment of his shoulder bag.
"Senpai..."
B.B. put on a deeply moved expression, which sent a shiver down Jiang You's spine. Even after spending just half a day with her, he knew she wasn't the type to make such a face. Sure enough, her tone shifted abruptly.
"Normally, I'd give you a perfect ten, but Senpai, you're just too dense, so I can only give you a 5."
"Senpai, you do know that a criminal record here is permanent, right? Even if you only get a few days in jail, that record will affect your family for three generations. You're gambling with your descendants' futures."
Jiang You hadn't considered that at all, mainly because he'd never even thought about having descendants. But she was right—it was a serious matter.
"This is about my descendants... That's too serious. Senpai, what am I supposed to do now? I guess your junior will have to take responsibility for you. You're so cunning, Senpai. Should I take this as a marriage proposal?"
Jiang You couldn't bear to listen anymore. This girl was terrifying. Modern girls will really eat you alive, he thought. Who could possibly withstand this?
"Alright, alright, don't look so panicked."
Seeing Jiang You avert his gaze, B.B. felt a deep sense of satisfaction. Who would have thought that the man who could manipulate the rules of the world would react like this? B.B. eagerly anticipated the day Jiang You learned the truth and looked back on this moment. This was the kind of embarrassing history of a top-tier being that money couldn't buy.
"The amusement park is about to close. Let's go to the movie theater next."
"Don't worry about that. Your junior here is a pro. There won't be a single trace left, you know."
For B.B., erasing something like this was as simple as hitting the delete key. She had at least that much authority; there truly wouldn't be any trace.
"Are you some kind of professional assassin?"
Jiang You sensed there was more to this junior than met the eye, but wasn't this plot twist a little too... anime-like? Was this really the life he was supposed to be living?
"That's right! My real name is Baal Briar, codename 'Thorn Princess.' I'm a ruthless assassin, devoid of emotion!"
B.B. produced a pair of Emei Piercers from nowhere and began brandishing them with practiced flair.
"Do you think I haven't watched SPY×FAMILY?"
Jiang You was now certain she was just messing with him. She certainly had the looks—and even more—to cosplay as Yor Forger.
"Besides, it's Yor Briar, not Baal. You got the name wrong."
"Hehe, looks like my anime cred isn't high enough yet."
B.B was doing this on purpose, of course. When she finally revealed her true intentions, it would be fascinating for Jiang You to look back on this moment. B.B could hardly wait for that future.
"Senpai, you're an otaku, right? Now we can talk about this stuff without it being weird. Actually, I love playing games too. For our next date, let's just stay in and play games. Walking around is exhausting."
Oh no, Jiang You thought. This girl really came prepared. He'd thought about it before: with her personality, looks, and background, she couldn't possibly lack suitors. Yet, despite him repeatedly pulling back, she hadn't gotten angry or given up. Instead, she'd launched an even fiercer offensive. At this rate, he was genuinely afraid he'd fall for her.
What does she really want? What reason could she possibly have for needing to get this close to me? These two questions helped Jiang You calm down. Reality was just like that—love and hate without reason simply didn't exist.
"No problem," Jiang You agreed anyway. He'd find the answers if he spent more time with her. Besides, she was being so enthusiastic; rejecting her again would just make him seem cold and unreasonable. More importantly, after spending this time with her, his impression of her had improved significantly. Even if she was a player, she was a damn good one.
"Then it's a deal!"
B.B's happiness was written all over her face.
"By the way, Senpai, you're pretty familiar with the Fate series, right?"
"Why the sudden question?"
The topic jump was so huge Jiang You couldn't even react. "I know about it, but I wouldn't say I'm an expert."
Sometimes even Kinoko Nasu himself gets the lore mixed up, and retcons are frequent, Jiang You thought. That's why there are always endless arguments in the Type-Moon fandom. Different works often have different authors, so lore conflicts are normal. I usually just follow the original creator's intent; as long as the main framework is solid, it's fine.
"The lore details don't matter! I just want to know which character you like the most, Senpai."
B.B waited for his answer with an expectant look.
It was a typical otaku question, though usually phrased more like, "Who's your waifu?" B.B's version was a bit harder to answer because Jiang You liked almost everyone. He could even appreciate Nightingale's card art—after all, it was just a personalized JPG.
"Let's narrow it down, then. For example, in FSN. Sakura Matou or Illya?"
"Are you trying to find a fellow fan?"
Jiang You couldn't understand why she was so invested in his answer. She'd even paused her usual advances.
"Can't it be Rin Tohsaka?"
"Oh, so that's your type?"
B.B knew that wasn't Jiang You's true answer.
"Anime characters are all so distinct, you know? It's hard to say for sure."
Being completely honest in front of someone else feels a bit cringe, Jiang You thought. "If I had to choose, I guess it'd be Illya."
"What about Fate/Extra?"
"Sesshouin?"
"Huh?!"
That answer was a bit too shocking.