Although he didn't feel any pain at all and could have easily avoided the bite, Luo Shu allowed Utau to sink her teeth into his arm.
As the girl bit down fiercely, Luo Shu said with an exasperated expression:
"Was that really necessary?"
"Yes, it was."
Utau released her bite, glanced at the teeth marks on Luo Shu's sleeve, blushed slightly, then turned away, resting her cheek on one hand:
"Making a girl suffer is really rotten behaviour."
"Since you did it, isn't it only natural that you'd get payback?"
Listening to Utau's tone, Luo Shu suddenly felt that if he ever made her angry, he'd need to be prepared to get bitten.
About this behaviour, Luo Shu could only say: "This feels a bit too much like foreplay?"
Hearing this, Utau turned her head away, refusing to look at Luo Shu, and stared off into space:
"Speaking of which, so this is what the so-called Hidden Management Department is like?"
"A god's Familia?"
"I think I'm starting to understand why you said earlier that you're not good at chasing girls..."
Hearing this, Luo Shu fell silent for a moment, then said with an amused expression:
"Are you forcibly changing the subject?"
Utau paused at this, then turned back to glare at Luo Shu angrily:
"Then let me ask you, can we change the subject now?"
"Fine, fine, subject changed, subject changed."
Luo Shu responded somewhat dismissively, then glanced at Utau before saying with slight amusement:
"But speaking of which, I never expected you'd sign the contract on our first date..."
"Speaking of which, what were you thinking? However you look at it, how could you dare sign something like this on your first date?"
"To avoid taxes."
Utau said with complete calm, stating something Luo Shu absolutely didn't believe.
"The contract states it, doesn't it? Hidden Management Department members' taxes aren't controlled by their home country."
"That's tens of millions of yen in taxes every year."
"...I suppose that's a passable reason."
Seeing Utau Hoshina didn't want to explain further, Luo Shu gave up:
"What about the next two dates..."
Hearing this, Utau Hoshina sighed and said to Luo Shu with some resignation:
"I'm now thoroughly convinced you're not good at pursuing women."
She then muttered under her breath:
"How can you still be asking such outdated questions at a time like this?"
Hearing this complaint, Luo Shu kindly reminded her: "My ears caught every word of that!"
"I meant for you to hear it," Utau Hoshina said bluntly. "After three dates, we tell each other we're not interested and end the matchmaking peacefully - is that what you want me to stick to? My Chief God?"
Hearing Utau mention their initial agreement, Luo Shu thought for a moment before softening his tone:
"Actually, we don't have to stick to it."
"If you put it that way, I'm somewhat inclined to follow through now..."
Utau Hoshina's lips curved slightly as she said with a laugh:
"When news of our failed matchmaking reaches home, those old men will surely arrange more matches for me. When that happens, if our Chief God forcefully intervenes again, that should make for quite an amusing scene, don't you think?"
"Feels like something from an idol drama ten years ago..."
Hearing Utau say this, Luo Shu also felt this development seemed rather awkward.
If they'd already rejected the matchmaking, why would he still cling to her? The logic itself was quite problematic, wasn't it?
"So does this mean the matchmaking was successful?" Luo Shu's expression turned somewhat peculiar as he said this.
Utau Hoshina immediately adopted a deadpan tone, closing one eye as she addressed Luo Shu:
"Why yes, the matchmaking was successful, my dear boyfriend."
"So, how does it feel to be dating a big star?"
"Sorry, I don't feel anything at all," Luo Shu said calmly, then kindly reminded her: "Though if you, Utau, removed your disguise, linked arms with me while shopping, and got spotted by reporters, then I might actually feel something."
Utau was rendered speechless by this:
"Do you want me to hold an apology press conference tomorrow, bowing on stage with you to apologise?"
Hearing this, Luo Shu said righteously: "No, I think I could perfectly well press the reporters' heads down and make them bow to apologise in person."
"How very impressive of you."
Utau sighed in her deadpan tone, then picked up the face mask nearby and put it back on:
"I have a dance teacher booked for this evening, so let's end here for today."
As she spoke, Utau stood up, placed her hands on Luo Shu's shoulders, her eyes full of amusement as she said:
"I assume the Chief God wouldn't interfere with his Familia's personal hobbies?"
Hearing this, Luo Shu raised his hand and pressed it over Utau's:
"As long as you don't care about rank advancement and maintain twice-weekly Familia check-ins, I certainly have no objections."
Utau averted her gaze, no longer looking at Luo Shu:
"I won't give up my singing career."
To this, Luo Shu simply smiled and said: "I never said anything about making you give it up."
"So, we've reached an agreement." Upon hearing this, Utau Hoshina withdrew her hand, slightly lowered her mask, leaned forward and kissed Luo Shu on the cheek: "This is your girlfriend's reward."
After doing this, Utau Hoshina pulled her mask back up, adjusted her cap, and then waved goodbye to Luo Shu:
"Next date, I'll choose the venue!"
"I'll directly pick a Chinese restaurant and order a mapo tofu ramen. I don't believe you can beat me in the spicy challenge, then."
"Just hearing you say that makes me feel like I've already lost..." Luo Shu immediately made a wry face: "What the hell is mapo tofu ramen? They don't have that kind of dish in Sichuan, do they? This shouldn't exist in Chinese cuisine, right?"
"Objection overruled!" Utau Hoshina laughed, then waved at Luo Shu: "See you next time!"
Seeing this, Luo Shu sighed and waved goodbye to Utau Hoshina.
After she had left, he couldn't help but chuckle and murmur:
"Interesting girl."
After smiling to himself, Luo Shu glanced at the hypnotised staff in the shop. Not wanting to disturb them further, he snapped his fingers to lift the hypnosis while getting up and leaving the ramen shop.
When the hypnosis was lifted, the ramen chef looked at the two empty bowls in front of him, scratched his head in confusion, then, as he always did, began cleaning up before attending to the next customer.