Stay the Night?

Hearing the name "Service Club," Utaha Kasumigaoka gave Luo Shu a long, searching look before reminding him:

"While I can't deny that a familia's duty is to serve its patron god, a club with that name won't pass the school's review."

"No, you can't even meet the minimum requirement of three members to start a club."

What the hell is a Service Club? Utaha grumbled inwardly, but she suspected that if she said it aloud, he would find all sorts of reasons to mock her, so she simply kept quiet.

Hearing Utaha's words, Luo Shu laughed. "Relax, I was only joking."

He paused before continuing, "Actually, the name I had in mind was the Astronomy Club. As far as I know, astrology has always been an important part of the occult. Besides, it's a common name that won't attract too much attention. That's an excellent quality, right?"

Utaha didn't dispute his point, merely reminding him, "I seem to remember the school already has an Astronomy Enthusiasts Club?"

"That doesn't matter." Luo Shu rolled his neck, unexpectedly producing a series of cracks. "The school rules don't say there can't be two clubs of the same kind."

But the school generally wouldn't approve another club of the same kind...

Utaha had wanted to say that, but considering that being the top student in her year gave her some standing with the teachers, she tacitly accepted his words.

"Have you considered who our third member will be?" Utaha added, "It's a little embarrassing, but I should remind you that I don't really have any 'friends' at school."

Instead, Luo Shu gave her a strange look and said:

"Why would you think that I, an exchange student from China who got into a fight as soon as he enrolled, would make any so-called friends at a Japanese school where bullying is rampant?"

Hearing Luo Shu say something so exasperating in such a matter-of-fact tone, Utaha instead looked deeply sympathetic.

"I see. So you're one too."

"One what? Someone everyone ostracizes?"

Luo Shu replied, but Utaha didn't answer. She merely smiled faintly and said:

"As things stand, I'm afraid the first step of our plan to establish a Divine Group will fall apart because we can't even gather enough people to form a school club."

She deliberately paused, then said to Luo Shu with a bright smile:

"Of course, if our esteemed patron god can put that face of his to good use, surely tricking one young girl into joining wouldn't be a problem?"

Luo Shu's expression turned odd. "Why do I have to trick a girl instead of you tricking a boy?"

"Because I'm too beautiful."

Utaha folded her arms and tilted her delicate foot upward, speaking as though it were self-evident:

"If I send a boy that sort of invitation, he'll usually read too much into it and end up doing something dangerous. As for girls, you should know that the girls at school ostracize me. Does that explanation satisfy you, my esteemed patron god?"

"I've certainly never heard any rumors at school about Utaha Kasumigaoka being incredibly narcissistic."

Luo Shu sighed and dropped the subject. He drained his coffee, set down the cup, and pondered for a moment before saying:

"As for our third member, I do have a promising candidate."

"Who?" Utaha asked curiously.

"Eriri Spencer Sawamura, a first-year." Luo Shu stated his candidate's name without expression.

"The first-year belle of the Art Club?" Utaha immediately realized who he meant.

Utaha had heard a fair amount about the girl who had caused a stir among the boys upon entering Toyogasaki Academy at the start of the term, and whom the gossipmongers had dubbed an unattainable beauty on par with herself.

"I heard her father works for England's diplomatic service in Japan. I see, someone to approach during the early stages of the plan..."

No sooner had Utaha said that than she sensed something was off.

Luo Shu's expression when he mentioned Eriri Sawamura wasn't right.

At that thought, a possibility suddenly occurred to Utaha. "Does the first-year Eriri Sawamura also possess the 'aptitude'?"

"Most likely." Luo Shu offered no further explanation.

After all, he couldn't exactly tell Utaha, "I've read porn doujinshi of you and Eriri, so I know you're both 'heroines,'" could he?

He would get beaten for saying that! With a hammer, at that.

"Most likely?" Hearing Luo Shu say that, Utaha took it as a hundred-percent certainty.

After all, the man before her was a deity!

Even if he had fallen on hard times, surely a deity's discerning eye hadn't changed?

"In that case, our candidate is decided. After school tomorrow, should I ask her to meet us, or will you?"

Seeing how proactive Utaha was, Luo Shu thought for a moment. "You should do it. It's easier for a girl to invite another girl. Leave convincing her to me."

"Understood." Utaha caught on and didn't object to his suggestion.

After all, if a dangerous student with a history of violence like Luo Shu asked to meet a first-year beauty with an excellent reputation, there was a good chance she would question his motives and refuse.

Just thinking about going to school tomorrow

for classes, while also having to persuade Eriri Sawamura to join and sort out the club, made Utaha sigh.

"It looks like we'll have our hands full tomorrow."

"We certainly will." Luo Shu sighed, his feelings rather complicated. "Funding after the club is established, intelligence channels, weapons procurement, and above all, somewhere to train in combat and firearms. Then there's that monster that was chasing you. We need to look into all of it."

Hearing Luo Shu's words, Utaha's expression began to stiffen.

Seeing Utaha staring blankly at him, Luo Shu rubbed his chin and asked suspiciously:

"What's wrong? Why are you looking at me like that?"

Utaha's lips twitched before she said:

"It just occurred to me that if you weren't a deity, the first time I saw you would probably have been on an NHK Television program about fighting organized crime."

"..."

Just say I look like a mob boss... Luo Shu grumbled inwardly, then took out his phone and said to Utaha:

"All right, enough nonsense. Let's exchange LINE contacts so we can get in touch at school tomorrow."

He clicked his tongue after saying that. "It's a shame you don't know how to use China's WeChat. That would be much easier for me."

Hearing that, Utaha immediately replied, "I can learn."

"Never mind. We'll probably need to set up an internal network later anyway, so there's not much point in using the messaging app I'm used to."

As he spoke, Luo Shu exchanged LINE contacts with Utaha, then stood up.

"Okay, that's everything sorted. I'll head home now."

After saying that, Luo Shu had only taken a few steps when he realized someone was tugging on his clothes.

He paused, then turned to look at Utaha in surprise. "Is there something else?"

Utaha hesitated, then asked tentatively:

"Could you... stay the night?"