Evening of the 26th.
Luo Shu was sitting in his office reviewing documents when he heard a knock at the door.
"Come in."
He called out without looking up. The door opened to reveal Yukino Yukinoshita in her Toyogasaki High School uniform and black stockings.
"Director, the Union just contacted us. A shipment is arriving soon, and they want us to handle the handover."
Luo Shu looked up at Yukino Yukinoshita, a slight smile playing on his lips:
"The Union? They're quite efficient..."
He could already guess what was being delivered. Rather than urgency, he felt more curiosity as he glanced at Yukino's outfit:
"But speaking of which, Yukino, are you really going to accompany me to receive the shipment dressed like that?"
Yukino looked down at her uniform, then gave Luo Shu a puzzled glance:
"Is there something strange about this formal attire?"
'If this counts as formal wear in your book, then yes, it's very strange...'
Luo Shu mentally complained before casually deflecting:
"If that's considered formal wear, then no problem."
He set the documents aside and stood up while explaining to Yukino:
"By the way, where's Megumi? I haven't seen her all day - is she off?"
"No, Kato-san is in my office compiling last night's operation reports."
Yukino brushed aside her hair as she stepped aside to let Luo Shu pass, giving him a sidelong glance:
"Incidentally, most of it consists of various Phenex Society documents and reports provided by Miss Ravel and Miss Mammon... Though she doesn't show it, I believe Kato-san must be in quite a bad mood today."
"Director, are you sure you want to see Kato-san right now?"
"Please pretend I never asked..." Luo Shu wisely retracted his earlier remark.
The image of Megumi Kato drowning in paperwork, her frustration showing despite her usual composure... This was one tiger's whiskers he'd rather not tug.
At this thought, Luo Shu quickened his pace towards the underground car park, as if some ferocious beast lurked on the third floor.
...
Ten minutes later.
Hidden Management Department, underground car park.
Luo Shu glanced at the refrigerated truck before him, then turned to observe Yukino Yukinoshita signing acceptance documents with the joint representatives.
Once Yukino had finished signing, the joint representatives bowed and promptly boarded another vehicle to depart.
Our ever-polite Miss Yukinoshita maintained her bowing posture until the car exited the underground facility, only straightening up afterwards while smoothing her clothes and hair before turning around.
Witnessing this, Luo Shu sighed: "Social etiquette in Japan is truly exhausting!"
The constant 'Hai! Hai! Hai!' responses, the bowing, the perpetual smiling...
Tolerable in short bursts, but maintaining this daily would surely break him.
Yet whether it was socially awkward Yukino Yukinoshita, transparent-presence Megumi Kato, or reclusive Utaha Kasumigaoka, all handled such formalities with practised ease.
'Is this what it means to be raised in Japanese society?' he mused.
Even the socially inept performed better than this foreigner...
This train of thought suddenly made Luo Shu consider poaching the socially adept Haruno Yukinoshita for the Hidden Management Department.
Wasting such talent on a real estate company seemed downright criminal~
Mrs Yukinoshita is still so young, she should hold on for a few more years...
When Yukino Yukinoshita finished her social pleasantries and walked over, Luo Shu sighed:
"Suddenly I realise how competent you are, Yukino..."
"So that's your excuse for just standing there doing nothing earlier?"
Yukino Yukinoshita glanced at Luo Shu, her snow goddess-like face faintly radiating disdain.
"Hey now, I was clearly complimenting you?"
Hearing Yukino's sharp tongue, Luo Shu gave her a slightly odd look:
"Did you wake up on the wrong side of the bed today? Or is there something bothering you that I can help with?"
Yukino paused at this, her eyes seeming to trace Luo Shu's face before she explained:
"Should I educate the Director that in secular Chinese language, saying a secretary is 'capable' counts as a compliment?"
Luo Shu's expression froze instantly, his eyes widening.
"Originally, I just considered that our upbringing environments were different, so I took the initiative to learn some local expressions. I never imagined they'd actually come in handy one day."
Hearing Yukino's deadpan remark, Luo Shu looked somewhat embarrassed.
While he hadn't meant it that way, the fact that he'd placed Yukino in a secretary position spoke volumes about his underlying thoughts.
Seeing Luo Shu's discomfort, Yukino tucked a stray lock of hair behind her ear and said:
"Incidentally, such social pleasantries normally only take five minutes."
"But thanks to you, even someone with social anxiety like me could sense the staff's nervousness, forcing unnecessary extended interactions that stretched five minutes into twelve."
"Should I say this is typical of the Director? Your talent for creating obstacles far exceeds my expectations."
At this, Luo Shu couldn't help retorting: "You're definitely in a bad mood today!"
Yukino looked at him, then lowered her head with a resigned sigh:
"Director, try to understand your subordinate's feelings."
"When the department head stands nearby in silence, it creates pressure for many people."
"While I know you simply dislike Japan's tedious social etiquette, others won't see it that way."
"Ordinary staff would only feel intimidated having their superior watching them like that."
Luo Shu scratched his head uncertainly: "...So I should have stayed upstairs instead of coming down with you?"
"To be this dense about such matters..."
Yukino didn't know what to say, or rather how to phrase it diplomatically, so she went straight to the point:
"Has the Director heard any... rumours today?"
"Hmm?" Luo Shu raised an eyebrow, visibly surprised.
Rumours? What rumours?
Yukino continued calmly:
"That the Director of SDS Hidden Management Department is allegedly a Demigod powerhouse who stopped the demon during last night's Akihabara incident."
"Additionally, there's news that the Union intends to establish a new Joint Task Force and plans to place it under the command of the Director of the Hidden Management Department..."
"This rumour has been circulating since this morning."
"As the person involved, how do you think the Union's grassroots members view you?"
"..."
Luo Shu hesitated as he looked at Yukino Yukinoshita.
How would he know what the Union's grassroots members thought? They weren't even in the same field, and the environments were different. Was he supposed to imagine their opinions out of thin air?
At that moment, Yukino Yukinoshita sighed, stepped forward, and reached out to straighten Luo Shu's messy tie before saying helplessly:
"Don't keep such a stern face when dealing with grassroots workers. It'll only make them think you're difficult to get along with."
"Though not everyone will think that way, under normal circumstances, people in Japan are very prone to gossiping behind others' backs."
"Director, you wouldn't want your reputation in mystic side circles to become terrible, would you?"
Having finished adjusting Luo Shu's tie, she patted his chest lightly and added:
"Alright, time to get down to business."
Yukino Yukinoshita turned away calmly, as if nothing had happened, and walked to the driver's seat of the refrigerated truck. While searching for something, she muttered:
"I remember those workers earlier said the button was here... Oh, this one..."
Luo Shu didn't know what Yukino had pressed in the truck, but he heard a distinct click as the rear door of the refrigerated compartment slowly opened, releasing a burst of white vapour in its haste.
When the door fully lifted, Luo Shu immediately saw the rectangular freezer containing Kotoko Iwanaga's fabricated corpse.
"Even though I know it's fake, I never expected Miss Iwanaga could fool even the Union's experts... I'm somewhat curious about this technique now..."
As Yukino Yukinoshita spoke, she walked over and noticed Luo Shu had been standing motionless for quite some time, prompting her to look at him in surprise:
"Director, is something wrong?"
Hearing this, Luo Shu explained with complete seriousness:
"I was wondering whether you're a secretary in the Chinese sense or the Japanese sense..."
In an instant, Luo Shu thought he saw a Fuji apple appear on Yukino Yukinoshita's face - the particularly red variety.
'So, while you were lecturing me on the surface, you were actually embarrassed the whole time, weren't you?'
'Which raises the question: what exactly happened to Yukino Yukinoshita last night while I was dealing with that demon Viscount from True Hell...'
'Didn't Haruno take her out for a fancy meal? What exactly did those sisters talk about...'
Luo Shu found himself extremely curious!