The Hummer pulled into a parking lot near a sukiyaki restaurant.
As soon as the vehicle stopped, Yukino Yukinoshita immediately opened the rear door and stepped out.
Only when her feet touched solid ground did she finally feel at ease.
Meanwhile, Luo Shu got out with a smile and said:
"My driving isn't so bad that you needed to be this scared, is it?"
"No, Senior. I was just soothing my psychological unease."
Yukino kept a straight face as she bluntly stated her thoughts. It wasn't that Luo Shu drove poorly or too fast—she'd simply felt compelled to exit quickly after learning he was driving without a license.
Hearing this, Luo Shu chuckled before turning to Kisara, who had just stepped out holding his phone:
"Kisara, help me call Chisato."
No sooner had he spoken than a hand suddenly reached out from between a row of parked vans opposite them:
"Hey hey hey! No need for calls, I'm right here..."
As the voice trailed off, Chisato Nishikigi popped her head through the gap between vehicles, squeezing sideways while shouting:
"I spotted the license plate from inside the shop, so I came out to meet you... Wait, what?!"
The moment Chisato saw Kisara standing beside Luo Shu, her expression turned to shock. She instinctively tried to back away, but found herself wedged between two cars:
"Wait wait wait... Luo Shu, why did you bring a conscious Kisara along?"
"Relax, the Chief let me bring her, so she must've confirmed it's safe."
After this brief exchange with Chisato, Luo Shu turned to introduce Yukino:
"This is Chisato Nishikigi, an investigator at the Tokyo branch. She's technically our senior."
Yukino immediately bowed:
"Nice to meet you, Senior Nishikigi. I'm Yukino Yukinoshita, soon to be newly employed."
"Ah, hello hello—wait? A new recruit?!"
Chisato swiftly wriggled free and seized Yukino's hands:
"Good evening, Yukino-chan! I'm Chisato! Just call me Chisato, okay? Okay?"
Yukino hesitated slightly at the sparkling-eyed girl before her, then nodded uncertainly:
"Ah... alright."
Satisfied, Chisato released Yukino's hands and clasped hers behind her head, sighing nostalgically:
"How nice~ We've got another newcomer."
"Come to think of it, there haven't been any new recruits since Takina and I joined. Who'd have thought you'd bring one in just days after joining yourself, Luo Shu? Looks like Big Sister's finally willing to hire again."
"Just days after joining?" Yukino looked at Luo Shu in surprise.
Noticing Yukino Yukinoshita's gaze, Luo Shu slightly turned his face towards her with a smile:
"I joined only about three days before you, so in a way, we're practically batchmates."
"Is that so..." Yukino's expression showed subtle discomfort.
So that unlicensed driving earlier was because he didn't have a licence either?
Yukino had initially assumed Luo Shu was a senior member of the department and had been quite reserved around him, only to discover they were practically peers.
While Yukino didn't exactly feel deceived, she unconsciously began placing herself and Luo Shu on equal footing in her mind.
Still fresh from school, she automatically categorised Luo Shu as a fellow student, quietly establishing how she would interact with him going forward.
But wait - participating in combat against those demon-like creatures after less than three days on the job?
Shouldn't there be rigorous training or something first?
Is this SDS really a proper government organisation? It all seems somewhat unreliable...
Just as Yukino began questioning whether she'd made the wrong choice, Chisato Nishikigi grabbed her hand:
"Come on, Yukino, let's go! We're having a celebration banquet tonight for completing the mission anyway - might as well combine it with your welcome party."
"And Kisara, you're coming too."
"Eh?"
Before Kisara could react, Chisato had already linked her arm with Kisara's.
Not satisfied with just that, Chisato then hooked her other arm through Yukino's:
"Hurry hurry, or Mizuki will eat all the good food!"
"Wait, I..." Yukino found herself being dragged along despite her reservations.
She'd never been good at handling overly enthusiastic girls like Chisato, making it difficult to decline the physical contact politely.
"Oh, right, Kisara's coming too."
At this moment, Luo Shu, who had just been about to complain about not receiving a welcome ceremony, could only helplessly follow along.
Three women and one man stepped into the private sukiyaki room together. As soon as the door opened, the pungent smell of alcohol hit them.
"Come on, drink!!"
Mizuki Nakahara raised a bottle high, sitting at the centre of the long table laden with dishes, seemingly ready for a serious drinking session.
However, the sudden opening of the door left Mizuki Nakahara momentarily stunned.
When she realised it was Chisato, Mizuki was about to complain about her not knocking again—until she saw Kisara...
For a second, Mizuki froze. She blinked blankly for a moment before asking foolishly:
"Takina, I think I might be a little drunk. I swear I'm seeing today's mission target standing right in front of me... and she's not even restrained."
"No, you're not drunk."
Takina Inoue, calmly holding her barley tea, replied:
"The Chief just sent a message. Kisara will be joining Luo Shu's department, so she's our comrade now."
"Oh... so the Chief did send a message!"
Mizuki Nakahara suddenly understood, even taking a sip of her drink, only to immediately spit it onto the tatami the next second.
"Wait, what?! Our comrade?!"
"And what's this about Luo Shu's department?"
Luo Shu, who had just entered the room, peeked out from between Yukino and Chisato:
"Did I just hear someone calling me?"
Seeing the man himself, Mizuki didn't bother with Takina anymore, pointing directly at Luo Shu with her glass in hand:
"When the hell did you become a department head?"
Luo Shu gave Mizuki a strange look, then glanced at Mika beside her before answering:
"About two hours ago. Chairman Lacus approved my request to establish a new department. Why?"
"Why?!!"
Mizuki slammed her hands on the table with a loud thud:
"Three days! You've only been here for three days, and you're already promoted to lead a department because of your merits?! I've never heard of such a ridiculous promotion speed before! Damn it, I was just starting to enjoy having a newbie I could bully, and now—poof! Gone in a blink!"
Mizuki let out a fake sob, sniffling dramatically:
"Now I'll have to keep tormenting Takina to get my kicks. This is just too cruel."
Takina Inoue's face darkened, her grip on the barley tea tightening as if she wanted to throw it in Mizuki's face.
"No way. Today's meal is definitely on you, you monster of a rookie. No—I'm getting you drunk today, no matter what."
'So this is your real goal, huh...' Luo Shu thought, utterly speechless at Mizuki's antics.
Meanwhile, Yukino Yukinoshita, staring at the scene unfolding right before her eyes, was utterly baffled.
Promoted to department head after just three days? And for meritorious service?
After hearing all this, Yukino finally understood.
Perhaps there wasn't anything wrong with SDS's recruitment system after all.
The problem was Luo Shu himself!!
This man, whom she had initially dismissed as unreliable, seemed... frighteningly capable.