May 5th, night, approaching 23:00.
Beika District, Anteiku.
With a thud.
A brown coffee cup was slammed onto the table.
Seeing the hand extended before him, Luo Shu looked up at the deep-blue-haired girl with a gloomy expression and slightly raised the corners of his mouth:
"It's a long-awaited reunion, but Touka-chan doesn't seem happy at all."
"Don't add '-chan' to my name. It's disgusting."
Touka Kirishima, standing behind the counter, said disdainfully, then gloomily added:
"And I'm not unhappy about the reunion. It's because you called last minute to use the café, forcing me to come back and work overtime. Understand?"
"Business hours end at 9, oh great Demigod."
As she spoke, Touka grumbled in frustration: "I finally finished cleaning and closed up, only to have to reopen everything because you decided to show up..."
Hearing Touka's words, Luo Shu glanced around the empty café, eyeing the chairs stacked on tables, then smiled and said:
"I suddenly feel like visiting more often in the future."
Whoosh.
A knife seemed to fly past Luo Shu's cheek.
Luo Shu turned his head, glanced at the knife embedded in the chair beside him, then looked back at Touka with slight curiosity:
"Is it that time of the month?"
Touka frowned, her expression icy:
"So what if it is?"
Hearing this, Luo Shu nodded in understanding but still asked curiously:
"Are you always this irritable during this time?"
"...Normally, no."
Touka frowned, then sighed, looking exhausted:
"But today's an exception."
With that, she gave Luo Shu a cold glance and sneered:
"Due to the freezing incident caused by certain individuals, we low-level staff have been forced to mobilise entirely to assist the authorities in maintaining public order."
"Whether it's the manager or that annoying daughter of his, they've been working non-stop these past few days, dealing with various security incidents."
"Being busy is one thing, but we'd already scheduled the café's promotional campaign for these exact days, and the flyers were already distributed."
"Can you imagine how it feels to return to running the café after working over thirty straight hours?"
"I haven't slept for two days, and you're calling me in for overtime at this exact moment. Are you even human?"
Listening to Touka Kirishima's complaints, Luo Shu was somewhat surprised.
Noticing Luo Shu's lack of reaction, Touka frowned in confusion:
"Why are you smiling so weirdly?"
At this, Luo Shu chuckled: "Probably because you're actually being honest with me?"
"After all, I only asked casually just now. I didn't expect you to actually answer."
"...You're really strange, you know that?" Touka said with a frown.
If not for Luo Shu's great kindness in sheltering Ghouls like them, if not for this monster before her being too powerful to fight...
She'd really like to punch this constantly smirking man.
What's with that creepy smile anyway... Just like those old brothel madams from period dramas.
Mentally grumbling, Touka continued cleaning the coffee machine as she asked:
"You seem in a good mood today?"
"Not bad." Luo Shu picked up his coffee, took a calm sip, then smiled. "After all, it's been a while since we last met, hasn't it?"
Touka placed the cleaned coffee machine aside indifferently:
"If I had to see you every day, it'd shorten my lifespan."
Leaning on the counter with his chin propped on one hand, Luo Shu said:
"In that case, would you be interested in joining the Hidden Management Department?"
"That way, I could help shorten your lifespan more often."
"Not interested." Touka refused without hesitation. "Right now, I just want to raise my little brother properly, not get involved in you monsters' world."
Luo Shu looked surprised. "Isn't your brother already in high school?"
"Yes, but he's still my little brother, isn't he?"
Touka said this casually, then paused before adding:
"I haven't thanked you yet, by the way. That kid only got into Teitan High through your connections."
"There was such a thing?" Luo Shu looked stunned.
Touka found this odd: "That funeral parlour owner - isn't he your friend? He provided the guarantee. Doesn't that count as your connection?"
"Oh..." Luo Shu suddenly remembered that fellow townsman who'd donated considerable money to him - he'd nearly forgotten the name, but the man was still helping behind the scenes?
Now that's good business sense...
Luo Shu marvelled briefly before deciding not to explain further, accepting this favour from Touka:
"Well, since I helped you, how about joining the Hidden Management Department?"
Touka now looked at him suspiciously: "Why are you so insistent on recruiting me?"
"Because some things have happened."
After some thought, Luo Shu began to explain: "The SDS nearly clashed with the Union recently. Our relationship will likely enter a period of mutual hindrance next."
"Though I may be worrying unnecessarily, it's entirely possible those officials will target you all if they don't dare confront me directly."
"After all, I initially made my debut on the mystic side by exterminating Ghouls. If it gets out that I'm sheltering some Ghouls as enforcers now, it would damage my image somewhat."
"So I think you Ghouls need to secure more of my protection."
Touka Kirishima fell silent for a moment before replying irritably:
"...Your reasoning makes sense, but why do I feel like you're just trying to trick me into joining you?"
"Hahaha! Is that what you think?" Luo Shu laughed heartily, setting down his coffee cup. "But it's better to prepare for rainy days. Since you're already working under Yoshimura, who's working under me, joining the Hidden Management Department would be a promotion, wouldn't it?"
"Moreover, working for Yoshimura only gets you café wages, right? The benefits in the Hidden Management Department are quite good. Care to consider it?"
Hearing this and thinking of her younger brother's future university expenses, Touka picked up a dirty cup nearby, turned on the tap, and began washing it as she said:
"...Can I still get my café salary if I work there?"
"Of course." Luo Shu smiled at her response.
"I'll report the day after tomorrow." Touka sighed.
"Why not tomorrow?" Luo Shu sounded surprised.
Touka's face darkened: "You could at least let someone who hasn't slept for nearly 48 hours rest for a day, couldn't you?"
Luo Shu immediately shut up.
Just then, the tinkling of wind chimes sounded at the entrance.
Turning towards the noise, Luo Shu saw Yoshimura arriving.
Though Yoshimura's presence wasn't particularly important - what mattered was the small, tea-haired girl trailing behind him: Ai Haibara.
"I've been waiting quite a while for this!"