Chapter Forty-Two: Get Lost, Don't Mess With Me (Seeking Recommendations)

The morning sunlight was especially warm, and the air was thick with the decaying fragrance of romance. Thinking about how he would be dating two girls at the same time today, Su Mo couldn’t help but sigh, rubbing his forehead. If only he had a choice, but with Qinli urging him on, he had no option but to treat this date as if it were a battle.

Su Mo glanced over his clothes—an outfit specially prepared by Qinli for this occasion. The upper half was a white shirt, paired with black trousers. The ensemble looked quite simple, unremarkable even on Su Mo, but Qinli had explained, “Girls usually subtract points when judging a boy’s outfit. Most of the time, your carefully chosen attire appears ordinary—or even a minus—in their eyes. So don’t overdo it; even if your clothes aren’t expensive, cleanliness is what matters most.”

He left home at nine-thirty in the morning, reaching the plaza in Tiangong City precisely at ten. It was a vast leisure square, surrounded by shops and entertainment venues. At its center stood a huge fountain, and off to one side was a statue of Hachiko, the loyal dog. Despite the early hour, there were already plenty of people around.

Suddenly, as if the crowd parted, a familiar voice reached Su Mo’s ears.

“Su Mo!”

Kurumi Tokisaki stepped out of the throng as promised. Today, she wore an elegant black cloak and a long dress, the monochrome ensemble giving her a funereal air, yet somehow, in the eyes of others, she looked stunning. After all, there was an old saying: “A girl in mourning attire is always striking.”

With a smile, Kurumi approached, her tone slightly apologetic, “Sorry… I’m a bit late, Su Mo.”

“No, I just arrived myself,” Su Mo replied, steadying his breath. Unlike with other spirits, he had to be extra cautious with Kurumi. Still, remembering his plan to seal a contract with her during this date, a solemn expression flickered across his face.

“So, where shall we go next?”

“Why don’t you decide, Su Mo? Today, I’m all yours. If you can’t please me, don’t even dream of contracting me,” Kurumi said, blinking playfully.

“In that case, shall we watch a movie?” Su Mo pondered; after all, dates usually involved movies or meals, nothing particularly novel, and he didn’t have any better ideas.

“Sure!” Kurumi smiled, accepting the suggestion, then stepped forward and, as naturally as a couple, slipped her arm through Su Mo’s, pressing close to him. The intimacy was palpable—Su Mo could smell her fragrance, feel the warmth of her touch. He was momentarily distracted, but unlike the iron-willed male leads in novels who’d push the girl away with a shout, “Get lost, don’t touch me!”—he simply pretended not to mind, walking with Kurumi arm-in-arm into the plaza.

The place was filled with shops and entertainment options, so finding a cinema wouldn’t be difficult. Yet, as Su Mo cast a casual glance across the square, he suddenly spotted a familiar figure at the other end.

Across the street, by the fountain, Origami Tobiichi stood motionless in a corridor, almost statue-like. Clearly, she had dressed with care today—a knitted sweater, a short skirt, a small bag slung over her shoulder, maintaining a stillness so absolute that she could have been mistaken for a mannequin.

Su Mo was stunned. It was only ten o’clock, but he and Origami had agreed to meet at eleven. She had arrived an hour early—an exaggeration, surely. Then he remembered: in the anime, Origami always showed up at least half an hour early for her dates with Shido Itsuka, and whenever questioned, she’d simply say, “I just got here.”

This thought made Su Mo feel a twinge of sympathy for Origami. He wasn’t the kind of protagonist who’d abandon one girl to go meet another without a second thought. The idea of Origami waiting alone for an hour made him frown.

“What’s wrong, Su Mo?” Kurumi tightened her hold, looking up at him.

“I just saw someone I know,” Su Mo replied, then hesitated, “Kurumi, do you think it’s a good idea to add another person to our date?”

“Huh?” Kurumi seemed taken aback, then burst out laughing, “Su Mo, you really know how to joke. Are you saying you want to date two girls at once?”

“No, I’m not joking at all.”

With that, Su Mo released Kurumi’s arm and strode toward Origami. After all, managing two simultaneous dates was troublesome; if he had to herd one duck, he might as well herd two. Why not bring everyone together for a group date? If it didn’t work, he’d have to come clean with Origami. It might be shameless, but so be it—what could anyone do about it?

Under Kurumi’s astonished gaze, Su Mo walked up the platform toward Origami. A girl standing alone like that was bound to attract unwanted attention, and sure enough, three men approached, trying to chat her up. Origami, however, remained unmoved, as if she hadn’t noticed them at all.

“Is this my chance for a heroic rescue?” Su Mo thought, excitement welling up. He finally had the power of a spirit, and hadn’t had a proper opportunity to show it off.

But dreams were beautiful, reality harsh.

Just as the troublemakers started to get handsy, Origami’s calm eyes flashed. She twisted their arms with a graceful move, and in just a few moments, had them writhing on the ground in pain. Observing their miserable cries, Su Mo felt sorry for them—she was ruthless, and the spectacle drew gasps from the crowd.

Police soon arrived, and after learning what had happened, nervously hauled the troublemakers away. Origami, meanwhile, was untouched—not only was she a member of the AST combat unit, but she also held the rank of second lieutenant. Clearly, this was self-defense, and no one gave her any trouble.

Amidst the commotion, Su Mo finally reached Origami and waved.

The girl, usually expressionless as a robot, showed a hint of emotion when she saw Su Mo. Though surprised that he had come early, she remembered it was their first official date. Her face remained blank, but her heart fluttered with unfamiliar feelings.

“Su Mo!”

Origami lifted her head, but when she noticed Kurumi following behind, her expression grew grim. Her eyes, once calm, now burned with solemnity and deep wariness, murderous intent in her gaze. “Kurumi Tokisaki—no, why is an evil spirit like you here?”