Pitter-patter.
The gradually intensifying rain formed the backdrop.
A girl holding a transparent umbrella, angelic in appearance, leaned forward slightly, allowing her flaxen straight hair to cascade over her shoulders.
"Um... You'll catch a cold if you stay here in the rain."
Her voice carried a gentle rasp, soothing and pleasant to the ear.
Meanwhile, Luo Shu—who'd just been startled by the system notification in his mind announcing the heroine's appearance—wore a somewhat peculiar expression as he remarked:
"Am I... being hit on?"
"This isn't hitting on someone, it's a well-meaning reminder."
Mahiru Shiina sighed faintly at the young man sitting dazedly on the park bench in the rain:
"If you catch a cold, not only will you feel terrible, but your girlfriend... I mean, your family would worry too."
"???"
Hearing such concern, Luo Shu's expression grew even more incongruous.
He gave the girl before him a once-over before asking:
"You're quite special, aren't you?"
"Eh?" Mahiru blinked in surprise.
At this, Luo Shu chuckled cheerfully:
"In this country, isn't a girl who'd show concern for strangers like you rather special?"
"Ah, that kind of special." Mahiru nodded in sudden understanding.
Then Luo Shu inquired:
"Luo Shu—that's my name. Consider this my response to being hit on."
"And what's yours?"
"I told you it's not hitting on someone."
Mahiru muttered under her breath, but upon being asked, still obediently provided her name:
"Shiina... Mahiru Shiina."
"Mahiru Shiina, is it?"
Luo Shu narrowed his eyes slightly, retrieving his wallet from his pocket. He took out a business card and presented it with both hands:
"Here's my contact information. If you ever need help, feel free to reach out."
"Ah, this—?"
Mahiru hesitated momentarily before accepting the card, her eyes scanning its contents:
"Police Inspector of the Metropolitan Police Department?!"
Stunned by the title on the card, she immediately glanced around nervously, flustered:
"Um, are you... on an undercover assignment right now?"
"Have I disrupted your work?"
Luo Shu observed Mahiru's reaction with some surprise before abruptly changing his tone:
"Yes, you've indeed disrupted my work."
"I'm currently surveilling a highly dangerous criminal, but Shiina-san's sudden approach has compromised my cover."
"Then what should we do?" Mahiru panicked, instinctively asking.
"No choice now. You'll have to pretend to be my tardy, scatterbrained girlfriend for this park date scenario to fool the suspect."
"Eh, really?"
Hearing she'd need to play the girlfriend, Mahiru's ears tinged pink:
"Then... what should I do?"
Seeing Mahiru actually believing him, Luo Shu widened his eyes slightly before bursting into laughter:
"Hahaha, seriously? You actually fell for that?"Luo Shu couldn't help but raise his hand and pat Mahiru Shiina's head:
"You're quite a cute little girl, aren't you!!"
At this moment, Mahiru Shiina, realising she'd been tricked by Luo Shu, widened her eyes as she stared at this scheming adult before her.
How could someone deceive a girl who'd come over with good intentions to warn him? Did this person even have a conscience?
Meanwhile, Luo Shu put on a stern face and lectured Mahiru Shiina:
"Angry?"
"Good, you should be. So don't go showing kindness to strangers without reason from now on."
"Especially when you're this pretty. The moment you show even the slightest vulnerability, the men in society will surround you like a pack of wolves."
"Don't casually approach strangers. Don't extend help just because you pity someone. Keep your compassion hidden - protecting yourself is more important than others."
Mahiru Shiina, who'd been slightly annoyed, gradually changed her mind upon hearing Luo Shu's string of advice. She looked at him with puzzled eyes, seemingly unable to tell whether he was genuinely warning her or simply teasing.
But faced with Luo Shu's well-meaning words, Mahiru Shiina still gave a slight bow and said thank you.
Seeing this, Luo Shu laughed: "No need for thanks. Just give me your LINE ID. A Director's private contact details could be powerful protection for a cute girl like you."
Here, he blinked:
"Next time you encounter a rogue like me, you can call directly. I'll be on armed duty."
"Consider it payment for being chatted up. Actually, this is my first time being approached by a stranger - feels rather novel."
"Pfft." Mahiru Shiina couldn't help but giggle, but she still took out her phone to exchange LINE IDs with Luo Shu.
Seeing the bear cub avatar on Mahiru Shiina's LINE account, Luo Shu chuckled inwardly.
'Number acquired. Next step - background check. A Familia falling into my lap - might as well take it.'
Just as Luo Shu was thinking this, Mahiru Shiina sent him a picture.
Luo Shu froze when he saw it.
Because the image clearly showed his own dining table at home.
There was Luo Shu sitting properly at the table, waiting for dinner. Kisara was wearing a chef's apron while carrying sukiyaki, and unmistakably, Mira Tsubakihara was deliberately taking this photo with her phone.
"This is... a photo from dinner a few days ago?" Luo Shu looked up at the snickering Mahiru Shiina.
"You know Mira?"
At this, Mahiru Shiina nodded with a smile and said:
"I've always lived next door to Mira's place, though I moved out much later than her. Only recently decided to leave."
"Oh, by the way, I saw this photo on Mira's private LINE account. Since she set her photos to be viewable by me... here."
Mahiru Shiina turned her phone screen towards Luo Shu's eyes.
Looking at Mira Tsubakihara's private LINE account displayed on Mahiru Shiina's phone, Luo Shu scratched his head:
"So you actually knew about me through Mira? Thought something had happened to me, standing here in the rain, and came over out of concern?"
Mahiru Shiina nodded rapidly like a hamster, then added with a beaming smile:
"So please rest assured, I've never casually approached strangers, nor have I extended help to unfamiliar people out of pity."
Listening as Mahiru Shiina threw his own admonishments back at him one by one, Luo Shu's expression gradually became impassive:
"I take back what I said earlier. Though you're very cute in appearance, this behaviour is decidedly uncute."
Hearing this, Mahiru Shiina covered her mouth with a muffled giggle before saying:
"So then, Mira-nee's boyfriend-san, are you currently on official business?"
"Boyfriend?" Luo Shu looked utterly shocked. "Mira-nee said I'm her boyfriend?"
"Ah? Did I misunderstand then?"
Mahiru Shiina quickly scrolled through her phone before pulling up a photo of Luo Shu sleeping:
"See, Mira-nee wrote 'My clingy little boyfriend who loves to stick to me 24/7' under the photo."
Luo Shu glanced at the picture and looked genuinely stunned:
"Well, that's..."
"So I've been claimed just like that?"
"Eh!"
Suddenly realising something, Mahiru Shiina looked between Mira Tsubakihara's contact number on her phone and Luo Shu, her expression turning peculiar:
"Um... you and Mira-nee aren't actually dating yet?"
Luo Shu wordlessly stared at Mahiru Shiina for a long moment, making her visibly uncomfortable before finally speaking:
"Tell me, should I pretend to know or pretend not to know?"
"That... I'm sorry, I can't answer that question."
"My apologies for disturbing you."
"And please, whatever you do, don't tell Mira-nee about this. Not that I want to hide it, but... well, please give me some time to consider confessing properly."
Mahiru Shiina bowed repeatedly, her toes curling in embarrassment inside her little leather shoes.
'Oh no, oh no, did I accidentally reveal this to the person Mira-nee has a crush on?'
'This can't be happening...'
"In any case, I'll take my leave now."
Watching Mahiru Shiina slowly retreat, even forgetting her umbrella in her haste, Luo Shu hesitated but ultimately didn't follow.
Because he'd detected a familiar scent approaching from behind.
"First, you suddenly say you need to go to the park alone for some peace, then you sit here flirting with young girls... So this 'peace' you mentioned was actually a person's name?"
The teasing voice came from behind.
Tilting his head back from his seat on the bench, Luo Shu was first greeted by the sight of an enviably ample bosom before Sharon's face came into view as she leaned forward.
"This was an accident, believe it or not." Luo Shu picked up the transparent umbrella left beside him and shrugged.