Sitting at an outdoor lakeside café table, Luo Shu watched through the glass window as two girls—one with pink hair, the other with golden hair—pushed open the café door.
It was Lacus, now wearing a casual white dress, and Mukuro Hoshimiya, finally dressed in normal human women's clothing again.
Upon entering, Lacus scanned the café before spotting Luo Shu through the window.
Her eyes brightened slightly, and she smiled at him before turning to whisper something to Mukuro beside her.
Luo Shu then noticed Mukuro, who had been trailing behind Lacus like a baby duck following its mother, glance in his direction.
Upon spotting him, Mukuro deliberately widened her eyes, attempting to glare at him menacingly as a warning.
However, with her overly delicate, porcelain-doll-like face, the fierce expression she put on only made one want to tease her even more.
Yet what puzzled Luo Shu was that after glaring at him, Mukuro Hoshimiya shrank back, tugged at Lacus's arm to hide behind her, and then kept stealing glances at him.
Seeing this, Luo Shu couldn't help but think to himself:
'This girl's changed way too much, hasn't she?'
'If you want to glare at me, just glare. After all, I was the one who chased you down and punched you in the face earlier. But now, with this timid, hesitant act, are you inviting me to bully you?'
With these strange thoughts running through his mind, Luo Shu glanced at Mukuro again.
Noticing his gaze, Mukuro hid further behind Lacus, yet couldn't resist peeking out after hiding.
Witnessing this, Lacus smiled gently and gave Mukuro's hand a reassuring squeeze, saying:
"Let's go over."
Holding Mukuro's hand, she led her slowly towards Luo Shu's direction—like guiding a reluctant yet expectant golden retriever about to take a bath.
"It seems the training's going very smoothly," Natsuki Minamiya's voice remarked beside Luo Shu's ear.
Turning to look at her, Luo Shu saw her holding a teacup, one eye closed while the other peeked towards Lacus and Mukuro:
"Why not just look openly? What's with the act?"
"I'm worried the girl might rebel. After all, I was the one who led you to hunt her down earlier."
Natsuki said this, then turned her gaze fully open, smiling as she added:
"But it seems she's already been tamed by Lacus. The question is whether certain people can achieve their goals."
"What, you want to make a bet?" Luo Shu raised an eyebrow, employing a bit of provocation.
"No bets." Natsuki refused without hesitation, giving him a disdainful look. "If you're willing to bet, you must already be confident—probably just communicated with Lacus through the system. Hmph, trying to trick me isn't that easy."
She lifted her chin slightly, sipped her tea, her eyes brimming with apparent scorn.
Seeing Natsuki wasn't taking the bait, Luo Shu chuckled, then heard Lacus's voice:
"It seems the afternoon tea here suits you both quite well."
Turning, Luo Shu watched as Lacus pulled out the chair to his left and patted Mukuro's shoulder.
He glanced up just in time to meet Mukuro's cautious gaze.
The moment their eyes met, Mukuro quickly looked away and sat in the chair Lacus had prepared.
Lacus gave Mukuro's shoulder another gentle pat before moving to the seat on Luo Shu's right and sitting down.
With that, the four-seater round table was fully occupied.
Luo Shu tapped the glass table and gestured to the tea and chocolate mousse:
"Only black tea and chocolate mousse here. If that's not to your liking, say so now and I'll call the waiter."
Hearing this, Lacus calmly picked up her tea, took a sip, and smiled:
"Natsuki still likes adding alcohol to her tea."
"Minors shouldn't touch alcohol." Natsuki Minamiya held her teacup, glancing at Lacus.
Seeing this, Luo Shu propped his chin on one hand and turned to Mukuro Hoshimiya: "Let me get you a different drink."
Mukuro remained silent as Natsuki snorted: "I meant your little sweetheart shouldn't drink. She's not even 20 yet."
"Hmm?" Luo Shu blinked, turning to stare oddly at Natsuki: "Legal adulthood is 18, no?"
So, in Luo Shu's view, 19-year-and-10-month-old Lacus drinking was perfectly normal?
"The legal drinking age in Japan is 20." Natsuki closed her left eye.
"...Are you being deliberately difficult?" Luo Shu looked torn between laughter and exasperation.
Never mind that he, an 18-year-old, had just been drinking tea. Besides, tea with a dash of whisky flavouring was different from actual drinking, wasn't it?
Ignoring Luo Shu, Natsuki observed Mukuro fidgeting nervously with her hands under the glass table, legs clamped together, before signalling a waiter. Then she asked:
"So, how do you plan to handle this one in the end?"
Lacus didn't answer immediately, instead turning to Mukuro when the waiter approached:
"Is orange juice alright, Mukuro?"
Mukuro nodded rapidly like a pecking chick, murmuring: "Yes, Big Sister."
Hearing the term "Big Sister," Luo Shu couldn't help glancing at Mukuro.
Noticing his gaze, Mukuro met his eyes briefly before looking away quickly.
Amused, Luo Shu asked: "Do I really seem that scary?"
"What do you think?" Lacus teased: "Mukuro complained to me that her 'Big Brother' hit her. Really hard."
"Big Brother?" Luo Shu blinked at the title, turning to Mukuro only to find her already bowing her head in shyness.
"Yes, Big Brother."
Lacus emphasised the term before smiling:
"I've decided that you and I will adopt Mukuro together."
"If not 'Big Brother,' what should she call you?"
Then Natsuki delivered an unexpected blow:
"She could call you Daddy!"