Hearing Luo Shu's greeting, Mira quickly regained her composure, adopting a flawless, elegant smile as she nodded in greeting:
"Good morning, Luo Shu-kun."
"Did you rest well last night?"
Mira held her handbag in front of her, eyes curving as she asked tentatively, her tone laced with curiosity.
"Me? I slept soundly through the night."
'Though it was an unexpected discovery after my ability upgrade, I'm not exactly lying...' Luo Shu mentally added before suddenly noticing the curiosity in Mira's eyes.
'Eh? Since when could I sense people's emotions too?'
Marvelling at this new perception, Luo Shu said to Mira:
"You've been standing outside for a while. Why don't you come in?"
"Well... pardon the intrusion." Mira seemed unable to refuse as she took small steps into the room.
...
Meanwhile, in a hotel suite not far away.
Chisato Nishikigi, holding binoculars with a cookie stick in her mouth, let out an excited "Oh!!"
"What happened?"
Takina Inoue, who had been lightly dozing against the wall, wrapped in a blanket, instantly sprang up and rushed to the sniper rifle, aiming towards Luo Shu's residence.
She caught the tail end of Luo Shu and Mira entering the room together.
Takina's head instantly filled with question marks: ????
At this moment, Chisato exclaimed, "Impressive, Luo Shu! Managing to get someone into his room after just one day. Could it be that our Café LycoReco's only handsome guy is about to be claimed by that voluptuous young lady?"
Hearing Chisato's teasing words, Takina, who had initially thought it was an enemy attack, clenched her fists.
Her fists were literally hardening with frustration!
"Chisato!!" Takina looked up, gritting her teeth at her partner.
Hearing this, Chisato lowered her binoculars and blinked innocently at the fuming Takina:
"Eh, you're awake, Takina? Want me to order breakfast for you?"
"No need." Takina straightened up, walked to a nearby chair, picked up a cookie stick and bit into it. Calmly chewing, she asked: "Any issues during the latter half of the night?"
Chisato shook her head: "Nothing at all. Whether it's us, the security upstairs, or any potential enemies - everyone's been quiet."
"Is that so..."
Takina rubbed her chin, sounding uncertain:
"Could it be that the Demon Hunter's Hounds really didn't report intel from here? Or maybe that jewellery shop clerk's documents didn't include our situation?"
"Pity the Chief's memory retrieval tool only works on the dead. Otherwise, we wouldn't be so passive now."
"Want some coffee?" Chisato asked, holding the binoculars in one hand while grabbing a chilled coffee can with the other.
"No need." Takina Inoue paused, then turned to Chisato Nishikigi and said, "Change of shift. If there's any movement, I'll notify you."
"Sure~" Chisato Nishikigi smiled and patted Takina Inoue's shoulder. "Don't be too tense, Takina. Have faith in Luo Shu. He'll complete the mission."
"...But he's just a rookie." Takina's tone carried helplessness.
Only Chisato would trust an untrained rookie to accomplish a mission like this.
"But Luo Shu is a genius~" Chisato chuckled, then flopped onto the nearby bed. "Ah~~ I'm exhausted. This time, I'm definitely sleeping until I'm fully rested."
"..." Takina gave Chisato a resigned look before returning to her sniper rifle, resuming her surveillance through the scope.
...
"Since no outsiders have visited my home before, I only have men's indoor slippers. Please bear with me."
In Japan, the distinction between indoor and outdoor shoes was meticulous. After arriving, Luo Shu had naturally adapted to local customs. Fortunately, his hometown also observed this practice, though shoes were placed outside the door there rather than in the entryway. Aside from that difference, he had adjusted well.
Grabbing a pair of checkered slippers, Luo Shu placed them upside down in front of Mira Tsubakihara for easy wearing, then stood up and entered the living room.
Mira glanced down at the men's slippers, hesitated briefly, then slipped off her high heels and put them on before stepping into Luo Shu's apartment.
"Hmm?"
Upon entering, Mira blinked at the unwashed instant noodle cup and glass left on the low glass table.
Noticing her reaction, Luo Shu glanced at the table and laughed awkwardly. "Sorry, single men tend to be a bit messy."
"Oh, I see." Mira smiled and walked toward the sofa, only to spot the school uniform Luo Shu had discarded there the previous day. She froze for a moment, then looked at his slightly dishevelled suit and burst into laughter. "Did you sleep in this last night?"
"Ah, well..." Luo Shu scratched his head sheepishly.
He gathered the clothes from the floor, tossed them into the washing machine in the bathroom, then fetched a cloth from the kitchen. Returning to the living room, he cleared the cups and noodle container, wiping down the glass table.
"Sorry for the embarrassing sight."
Mira stifled a chuckle and teased, "Luo Shu, maybe you should consider getting a girlfriend."
Luo Shu pondered this seriously before shaking his head. "...No, I'm not at a point where I can take responsibility for someone else's life yet."
"...Hmm, you're unexpectedly earnest, Luo Shu." Mira gave him a surprised look, seemingly caught off guard by how seriously he'd taken her casual remark.
At this moment, after tidying up the clutter, Luo Shu initially intended to make tea but slowed his movements upon considering that Mira Tsubakihara might not be accustomed to his tea leaves. He inquired:
"I have black tea and coffee at home. Which would you prefer?"
Surprisingly, Mira Tsubakihara smiled and said to Luo Shu:
"For me, hot water will suffice."
"Hot water..."
Luo Shu paused, walked to the thermos flask, and lifted it to find half the water from yesterday morning still inside. Just as he was about to pour it out, Mira Tsubakihara's voice rang out:
"Water in a thermos flask is fine as long as it's not older than three days."
Hearing this, Luo Shu wore a subtle expression.
He sighed, fetched two cups, poured hot water into both, then sat down and handed one to Mira Tsubakihara:
"Speaking of which, what brings you here so early?"
"There is indeed something."
As she spoke, Mira Tsubakihara retrieved a sheet of paper from her handbag, turned it around, and handed it over:
"The documents I entrusted to the lawyer yesterday have just arrived."
Luo Shu lowered his gaze to the contents of the paper, his eyes immediately drawn to the title at the top.
[Property Transfer Agreement]