I Became a Spirit in Date A Live, but I Refuse to Date

(Damn it, why do I feel like crying? There goes my living money for the next few days! (?д?; ))

The Eve of the Date

"Lingmeng, I'm begging you. For my sake, please go on one date with Shido. Whatever happens, at least you'll both have tried."

Tohka gazed at Lingmeng with pleading eyes, leaving her at a loss for words.

(Why does everyone want me to go on a date? Are you all mothers whose daughters are pushing thirty without boyfriends, desperate for grandkids?)

The corners of Lingmeng's mouth twitched as the thought crossed her mind.

"Uh... well..." Lingmeng faltered.

"...You won't?" Tohka asked, her eyes brimming with tears.

(Damn it! How am I supposed to turn down a cute girl begging me like that? ╰(‵□′)╯)

Lingmeng was losing her mind.

"Fine. I guess going on a date with that Shido kid isn't out of the question." Lingmeng sighed helplessly.

"Huh, really!? ⊙ω⊙" Tohka grew excited when Lingmeng seemed ready to agree.

"Well, more or less." Lingmeng scratched her cheek awkwardly. "But Tohka, you'll have to offer me something tempting in exchange."

Lingmeng raised an index finger and smiled.

"Mm-hmm! If you'll agree, I'll do anything!" Tohka nodded eagerly. "What would you like in exchange?"

"Uh... well... you could call me big brother, hug me, rub your cheek against mine, things like that. Of course, if you don't want to, forget I asked."

Lingmeng lowered her head in embarrassment. Asking a cute girl to do that felt mortifying even to her.

"Big brother!" Without another word, Tohka wrapped Lingmeng in a hug and rubbed her cheek against hers, calling her "big brother" over and over in a sweet voice.

Tohka didn't think much of Lingmeng's request. In her eyes, Lingmeng was a girl, and aside from Shido, the most important person in her life.

Besides, if Lingmeng agreed to date Shido, he would feel better too. None of it was much trouble for Tohka.

She didn't understand why Lingmeng wanted to be called big brother, but it was no big deal, so she went along with it.

For Lingmeng, though, it was an entirely different matter. She might look like a woman, but she was a man inside. How was she supposed to withstand Tohka springing this on her?

(Oh my god, Tohka's so forward! Σ(|||▽||| ))

Lingmeng's heart was racing. She had never imagined that a shut-in geek like her would one day be held so closely by a beautiful girl who kept calling her big brother. Her HP hit zero on the spot.

Then Lingmeng felt something warm trickle from her nose. She touched it and looked at her fingers. Sure enough, they were red.

"Lingmeng, why is your nose bleeding all of a sudden? Are you hurt?"

Tohka panicked at the sight of Lingmeng's sudden nosebleed.

"I'm... I'm fine..." Lingmeng took out a handkerchief and wiped her nose. "It's just a date with that Shido kid. Tomorrow, I, Qian Lingmeng, am going for it!"

"Yay! That's wonderful!" Tohka bounced with joy like a child.

(Well, if I treat Shido like an ordinary friend, the way I used to, it should be fine.)

That was what Lingmeng told herself. Looked at that way, the date would be nothing more than "two friends of the same sex hanging out."

"Mm! Thank you, Lingmeng!" Tohka said, stepping up to her.

"I actually slipped out without telling Shido and the others. He'll worry if I don't go back soon, so I'd better leave it there. Bye, Lingmeng."

Tohka waved to Lingmeng and left.

Looking at the now-empty alley, Lingmeng muttered to herself.

"Yesterday I was swearing up and down that I'd never date Shido, and today I've agreed. I guess eating your words really is human nature."

With that, Lingmeng left too...

"Kotori, where on earth did Tohka go?"

Shido was at home, anxiously questioning Kotori beside him.

According to what Kotori had just told him, Tohka had left the house Ratatoskr had arranged for her that morning for some unknown reason and vanished.

"Relax. Tohka will be fine," Kotori replied casually, a Chupa Chups in her mouth.

"Even if you say that..." Shido was about to continue when a voice rang out.

"Shido, I've got good news!" Tohka ran in from the hallway, her face alight with excitement.

"See? I told you she'd be fine." Kotori smiled.

"Tohka, where did you go? I thought something had happened to you."

Shido spoke excitedly, relieved to see her back.

"Sorry, Shido..." After apologizing, Tohka said, "I went to see Lingmeng this morning."

"You went to see Lingmeng? Why?" Shido asked in confusion.

"To ask her to go on a date with you!" Tohka straightened proudly. "She said yes after I asked her!"

"What? Lingmeng really agreed?" Shido stared at Tohka in surprise.

"Of course she did! Ha ha, pretty impressive, right?"

"Well, that's an unexpected bonus." Even Kotori looked surprised.

She hadn't expected Tohka to be such an effective wingwoman. Shido had been turned down flat, yet Tohka had managed to get Lingmeng to agree.

"Oh, right, Tohka. Did Lingmeng say when and where the date would be?"

Shido looked at her expectantly.

"Uh... I don't think I asked her. I think she said tomorrow..." Tohka's expression froze.

"I see..." Shido's mouth twitched. If they didn't know the time or place, Lingmeng's agreement wouldn't do them much good.

Ding! Just as Shido wondered what to do, his phone rang.

He took it out and saw a text from an unfamiliar number.

(Who's this from?) Curious, Shido opened the message. It read:

Meet me in front of the Hachiko Statue at Tengu City Station tomorrow at eight thirty in the morning. —Qian Lingmeng

"Is this from Lingmeng? How did she get my number?"

They now knew when and where to meet, but Shido still wondered how Lingmeng had gotten his phone number.

"She probably found it with her powers. Looks like we need to prepare for tomorrow's date, Shido," Kotori said after reading the message.

"Yeah... I know..." Shido answered quietly. The thought of dating Lingmeng tomorrow suddenly weighed on him.

"Relax. You've got Ratatoskr backing you up." Kotori bit down on her Chupa Chups and grinned confidently.

"Now, let's start our date!"

Caught Between Two Men ♂

"Where is that Shido guy? He wouldn't stand me up, would he?"

The next morning came in a flash. Lingmeng had arrived at their meeting place early and was waiting for Shido.

What annoyed her was that he still hadn't shown up, even though he was already more than ten minutes late.

(Well, if he doesn't come, that saves me some time. Maybe I should head back?)

Just as Lingmeng was thinking of returning to the hotel to enjoy some video games, she heard the voice she least wanted to hear.

"Sorry, Lingmeng. Something came up, and I'm late."

Shido ran toward her in long strides, apology written all over his face.

"You've got some nerve, Shido. You invited me, and then you showed up late? Isn't being late for a date usually the girl's privilege?"

Lingmeng frowned as she spoke.

In a sense, this was her first proper date. Even if she didn't care much about it, she was still a little angry that he was late.

"I'm really sorry. Tohka kept insisting on coming along, so it took a while."

Shido looked away and scratched his cheek awkwardly.

"Huh? Why did Tohka want to come?" Lingmeng tilted her head, baffled.

"She seems to think a date is when two girls and a guy go out together..."

"Oh, so that's it. I was wondering why Tohka suddenly asked me to date you. She had her own little plan after all, huh?"

Lingmeng nodded in realization. Come to think of it, she had been dragged along when Tohka dated Shido. No wonder Tohka thought a date involved two girls and one guy.

"So, did you manage to talk her out of it?"

"Yeah... more or less. Kotori had some Ratatoskr people take her out for food. She's settled down for now."

"Ah, good."

Just then, Kotori's voice came through Shido's right earpiece.

"Hey, Shido. Lingmeng seems pretty annoyed that you were late."

"What should I do?" Shido whispered.

"Start by saying something nice. Compliment her clothes, or tell her she looks pretty."

"Okay..." Shido muttered, then said, "Um... Lingmeng, that outfit looks great on you. Did you pick it out especially for our date?"

"Huh? Are you out of your mind? Why would I go to all that trouble picking clothes for you? Besides, this is just a tracksuit I bought at a street stall."

Lingmeng eyed him with disdain, puzzled by the bizarre compliment.

"Idiot, Shido! Those were just examples! Who compliments someone's tracksuit on a date? Think before you open your mouth, you stupid pig!"

Kotori glanced at the affection gauge on the large screen and sighed. "Lingmeng's getting suspicious now. Come up with an excuse and smooth it over."

"You say that, but..." Shido looked at Lingmeng helplessly. "Uh... is that so? That's just like you, Lingmeng. You look good in anything."

"Sigh. Being complimented by you doesn't exactly make me happy." Lingmeng sighed too.

"Well, it helped a little. Her affection level seems to be back to normal."

"I-is that so?" Shido's mouth twitched, but he managed to keep smiling.

"Whatever. Let's get this date started. The sooner we start, the sooner we finish, and I need to get back to grinding in my game."

Lingmeng headed straight down the street, and Shido hurried after her.

Lingmeng and Shido walked down the street for more than ten minutes. Searching for something to talk about, Shido asked:

"Is there anywhere you'd especially like to go, Lingmeng?"

"Not really. You're the one who invited me on this date, so you must have something planned, right?" she replied casually.

"Uh... yeah." Shido tapped his earpiece and whispered urgently, "Kotori, what do I do now?"

At that moment, Fraxinus's AI automatically displayed three options:

① "Go see a movie."

② "Go to the aquarium and impress her with your knowledge of fish."

③ "Enough talk. Get a room at a love hotel and seal the deal! ♂♀"

"Hold on. We'll discuss it now." Kotori rose from the commander's seat and called to the crew, "Everyone, pick an answer within five seconds!"

"Yes, ma'am!" the crew answered in unison. Five seconds later, all their votes appeared on the screen at Kotori's station.

Option ① got four votes, option ② got two, and even option ③, which looked like a throwaway choice, got one.