A few minutes earlier.
"Wahhh!! Don't pull my ear, don't! I know I messed up, Mizuki-nee~"
At the base of the mixed-use building, Chisato Nishikigi clung to Mizuki Nakahara's wrist, pleading for mercy.
"If apologies worked, what would we need the police for?"
Mizuki, dressed in her Japanese-style staff uniform, twisted Chisato's ear in lingering anger before complaining,
"All you had to do was take Yukinoshita to Luo Shu and call it a day. Instead, you wandered off to the other side of the venue and ended up here stuffing your face?"
"Is this what you meant by 'just a few minutes'?"
"Do you know how busy Mika and I are? It's peak after-school hours right now, you idiot!"
"Sorry~~ And please go easy on me!!"
Chisato Nishikigi quickly clasped her hands together in apology.
Seeing this, Mizuki Nakahara snorted coldly before turning her attention to Luo Shu and Kisara, who were watching the scene unfold at the stairwell.
At this moment, Mizuki subtly moved the lunchbox she was holding behind her back and said calmly:
"Considering the lunch Kisara made, I'll temporarily forgive you for luring Chisato away, Luo Shu."
"That's much appreciated."
Luo Shu offered thanks he clearly didn't mean while asking:
"If Chief Tachibana returns to Café LycoReco, please pass on my regards."
"Regards?" Mizuki's expression turned teasing: "You mean chasing up on your order, right?"
"I've heard about transferring some treasures to your place."
"Mizuki sis, rules." Takina Inoue, who had been watching nearby, frowned in reminder.
"Yeah yeah yeah, confidentiality rules, I know I know."
Mizuki waved her hand dismissively, then pinched Chisato's ear before shaking the lunchbox at Luo Shu and Kisara:
"Anyway, I'm taking this one with me."
With that, Mizuki dragged Chisato into a car parked by the side of the road.
Seeing this, Takina bowed to Luo Shu and Kisara:
"Thank you for the lunch earlier. It was delicious."
"Thank you for the compliment."
Kisara returned the bow with a smile while thinking: 'Phew, Miss Inoue and Miss Nishikigi have small appetites - they only ate one portion each. Otherwise, it would've been hard to test Shu's preferences.'
"Come visit often~" Luo Shu waved goodbye as Takina boarded the car, cheerfully seeing off the teary-eyed Chisato in the backseat.
Once they'd left, Luo Shu's expression immediately turned calm as he clicked his tongue:
"Total loss. Wasted two workers. Didn't expect Mizuki to show up right at lunchtime."
"Eh?" Kisara, still waving, froze in confusion with a blank expression.
Luo Shu scratched his head in frustration:
"Don't 'eh' me. Originally, I planned to have Chisato, Takina, Utaha, Eriri and you each clean one of the department's six floors, while I'd handle the largest area - the restricted-access basement."
"But now with two people gone, we've got two extra floors to deal with."
Hearing this, Kisara quickly offered:
"If you don't mind, Shu, I can handle three floors."
Her expression suggested she feared any delay might create a bad impression.
Luo Shu looked down at Kisara and smiled:
"Let's split it half-half. Or maybe we'll all tackle it together later. Should be more efficient if we don't make a mess."
"Okay." After responding, Kisara fidgeted slightly and asked softly: "Shu, was today's lunch good?"
"Tasted great. Where'd you learn to cook?" Luo Shu replied absentmindedly while pulling out his phone to check where Utaha Kasumigaoka and Eriri were.
"And the reward..." Kisara fiddled with her index fingers, asking cautiously.
"Reward?" Luo Shu looked up from his phone at Kisara's flushed little face upon hearing this.
Seeing this, Luo Shu thought for a moment, then pointed to his cheek and said:
"You decide what to give."
Kisara blinked her eyes, then narrowed them with a fox-like smirk curling at the corners of her lips:
"In that case, I won't hold back."
As the words fell, she rose on tiptoe and directly went for Luo Shu's lips.
Luo Shu, who still had his finger pointing at his cheek, froze momentarily but didn't resist.
Yet the next second, an inexplicable warning flashed through his mind. His gaze shifted rightwards, instantly locking onto two familiar figures who had just rounded the corner.
Upon recognising them, Luo Shu stiffened:
'Did it really have to be such perfect timing?'
Kisara cracked her eyes open slightly, casually glancing at Utaha Kasumigaoka before seemingly doubling down on her actions.
"Tch!"
Eriri, who had been stunned into silence, thought she heard a clicking sound.
"Tch! Tch! Tch!"
This time it wasn't just clicking - there seemed to be foot-stomping too.
Witnessing this, Eriri discreetly took a step back, no longer bothered by Utaha's sudden stop earlier, and hid behind the seething figure whose gaze remained laser-focused on Luo Shu, not daring to even breathe loudly.
Utaha stared unblinkingly at Luo Shu.
Under such scrutiny, Luo Shu immediately attempted to push Kisara away, creating some distance:
"Kisara, stop."
"Wasn't this supposed to be my reward?" Kisara's crimson eyes seemed to glow: "Having guests at an awards ceremony is perfectly normal, don't you think so, Shu~~"
Hearing that sickly sweet address, Luo Shu arched an eyebrow slightly before replying:
"If you continue, I might have to perform boundary-crossing acts ten times worse than this with someone over there to placate her. Would you be fine with that?"
The red light in Kisara's eyes instantly dissipated at these words.
She does one, and the other profits tenfold? That would be a terrible deal!
Realising this, Kisara immediately lost interest in provoking Utaha further, puffing her cheeks as she grumbled:
"Shu's reasoning is too sneaky~ Playing favourites!"
Hearing Kisara accuse him of bias, Luo Shu scratched his head, glanced at the expressionless Utaha beside them, then pointed towards the stairway behind them:
"Well, anyway, let's continue this upstairs."
In response, Utaha revealed a benevolent smile:
"Indeed. We really do need to have a proper discussion."