T/N: Hey guys! Sorry for not releasing a chapter for some time—I got really busy with college. But don't worry, I haven't dropped this story. Here's a new chapter after a long break, so please enjoy!
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Late at night, close to 11pm, in Chiba City, at a Lacusury apartment not far from Sobu High School.
A black Hummer came to a slow stop by the side of the road. Not long after, Yukinoshita Yukino got out of the car. "Thank you for your hard work, senpai," she said. Even as those words of farewell left Yukinoshita Yukino's mouth, Luo Shu rolled down the car window. "Earlier, because Chisato and the others were around, there were some things I couldn't say. But now that we're here, I think it's alright."
Yukinoshita Yukino didn't ask why he didn't bring it up while they were driving. After seeing Luo Shu get plied with drinks by Mizuki, to the point that he had to hand the car over to Kisara to drive, she was very understanding of his choices.
At this point, Luo Shu leaned his head a bit out of the backseat window and looked at Yukinoshita Yukino, then said, "At tonight's dinner, you've basically met the main members of the Lycoris department. I won't say more about the rest, you'll understand things as you go. What you need to focus on now is your next steps. The time is two days from now, on Monday, March 21st, at 4pm—the place is the Lycoris Café in Chiyoda, Tokyo. That's the meeting spot. Which means you only have two days to take care of all your miscellaneous affairs here in Chiba."
"Two days from now, once you officially join on March 21st, you'll be a member of the Secret Management Department and begin three months of training. I hope that by then, I don't hear any reports about you failing your training." Luo Shu knew perfectly well that she probably wouldn't fail, but based on what he'd seen of Yukino's confidence, he was also keenly aware that she was not someone who should be excessively praised. A little tough love was completely necessary at times.
"I'll do my best," Yukinoshita Yukino replied, pressing her lips together, then bowed deeply to Luo Shu. "Thank you for your guidance, senpai." "No need for thanks—just live well, that's what really matters." Luo Shu's words were heavy with a touch of psychological suggestion, but he didn't push any further. "Since you're still brand new, the confidentiality regulations aren't in full effect for you yet. If you want to talk things over with your family, go ahead." With that, Luo Shu rolled the window back up, and the car slowly pulled away from the apartment.
Yukinoshita Yukino remained bowing in place until Luo Shu's car disappeared from sight. Only then did she straighten up, staring at the empty road and murmuring to herself: "Live well…is it?" A shadow of unease lingered in her heart.
Once Yukinoshita Yukino had left, Luo Shu, whose cheeks moments ago had been slightly flushed and whose whole demeanor was a bit tipsy, suddenly became alert and lively. "Ahh~," Luo Shu stretched, loosening up his shoulders. "Mizuki really went for it tonight. If I hadn't been pretending to be drunk, she might have driven that drinks bill over 100,000 yen." He sighed. "Seriously, is official expense dining always this over-the-top?"
Seeing Luo Shu suddenly full of energy, Kisara, both hands on the steering wheel, was bewildered. "Luo Shu, you weren't drunk after all?" "Of course not!" Luo Shu replied, breaking out into a huge grin. "I was just pretending to have a low tolerance so I could mislead them." Despite being colleagues with Mizuki and the others, Luo Shu had played a sly little trick, intentionally putting on an act as though he couldn't hold his liquor at all. That way, in the future, if he ever needed an excuse for anything hazy that happened after drinking with Takina or Chisato…well, he'd have a cover story ready… Cough, cough, cough.
Luo Shu suddenly coughed a few times, forcibly shutting down his own dangerous train of thought. "Here!" Kisara quickly grabbed a bottle of water from the center car armrest and handed it to Luo Shu, then focused intently back on driving. Luo Shu unscrewed the cap, took a hearty gulp, then raised an eyebrow at Kisara. "You think you can drive all the way to Tokyo like this?" "I…think so?" Kisara tilted her head, sounding unsure. "My common sense is all based on the driving knowledge and traffic rules you gave me…"
"That settles it, I'll do the driving. Pull over," Luo Shu said, immediately nixing the idea of having Kisara drive. All the driving habits in his memory were Chinese ones, not Japanese. After the car stopped at the roadside, Luo Shu got out and swapped into the driver's seat, with Kisara moving to the passenger's side.
Strapping on his seatbelt, Luo Shu glanced over at Kisara. "So? How was the party for you?" "…It was alright, I suppose," Kisara responded, her tone somewhat reserved.
"Miss Takina seemed very wary of me, and Mizuki-san too—she never turned her back to me even once. Mika was much better, although he was a bit on guard at first, he eased up later. As for Chisato…she was a bit too enthusiastic." Thinking of Chisato's rapid-fire movements, and how her bowl just kept getting refilled, Kisara's face looked a little embarrassed. She could understand Takina and Mizuki's caution, but Chisato's friendliness was an extreme of its own.
Luo Shu couldn't help but laugh at her words, and as he started the car said, "That's just how Chisato is—lively and energetic as always. By the way, you haven't mentioned Yukino. What did you think of her?"
At that, Kisara recalled Yukinoshita Yukino's demeanor. "…Uh, narcissistic? No, more like confident… She doesn't talk much, but surprisingly, she's not hard to get along with." "Not hard to get along with? That's good, then." Luo Shu drove on, a small smile forming on his lips. "After all, from now on, she'll probably be the one looking after your daily life, and your study partner, of course. And she might not be the only partner you'll have." "Huh?" Kisara was surprised by that.
Luo Shu simply grinned and said, "Isn't that easy to figure out? I mean, it's not like I could teach you anything about the kind of… girl knowledge you'll need. I know nothing about menstrual cycles and that stuff." Kisara nodded in enlightenment, then grew curious. "Do demons even have menstrual cycles?" "I guess so… maybe…" Luo Shu's tone was uncertain. Given that demons were physically different from humans, it was anyone's guess.
"Then, Luo Shu, could you check my body structure and see if I have that function?" Kisara pressed her hands down on her skirt, gripping the hem as if she were about to lift it. Luo Shu's foot on the accelerator jolted, and he did his best to tear his gaze away from Kisara's hands. Any longer, and they'd definitely be headed for a crash.
"Let's…talk about that another time." "Alright then." Kisara turned her head forward again, quietly watching the road slide by, her lips curving in a barely noticeable little smile.
This girl…are we sure she only just woke up half a day ago? Luo Shu couldn't help but grumble inwardly as he realized this. And with that, he pressed down on the gas and drove off onto the highway heading back to Tokyo…