Can't We Skip Dating?

"Alright, the punishment phase is over. If you want water, pour it yourself. If you want a drink, get it from the fridge."

Just like when Utaha visited, Akira had absolutely no intention of treating his guest hospitably.

This kind of behavior was highly unusual in Japan, where etiquette and personal boundaries were emphasized to an extreme.

Hayasak Ai wasn't used to it either, but she quickly adjusted her mindset. 

After all, as someone who had been a maid for years, pouring drinks and the like had always been her job.

She poured a glass of water for Akira, then one for herself, managing to drink without being impolite—she really was parched after being both frightened and made to run around earlier.

Akira also took a sip and sprawled out on the sofa, legs crossed. "Now that you've had some water, tell me why you're here."

Hayasak Ai brushed back the sweat-dampened hair clinging to her forehead, momentarily unsure how to start.

Akira gestured to the couch on the side of the coffee table. "Sit down while you talk. I don't make people report to me standing up."

Obediently, Hayasak Ai sat down in a proper posture, thought for a moment, and finally found an appropriate way to phrase it.

"There've been rumors going around lately… that you're into high school girls."

That alone was enough.

Akira immediately understood the implication. His eyelid twitched. "Who said that?"

"A lot of people."

"Source?"

"Young Master Asai… But of course, Young Master Asai didn't directly say you're into high school girls. 

It's just that after you attended the Spencer family's banquet with him, many people asked him how to invite you. 

He vaguely implied that there was a special reason for your appearance that night—something involving a high school girl."

Akira's eyelid twitched again.

"So you're saying… if I keep you here—this high school girl sent by the Shinomiya family—then one after another, more cute, beautiful high school girls will start 'volunteering' themselves to my doorstep?"

Hayasak Ai's gaze shifted slightly. With an expressionless face, she replied, "That's likely what will happen."

It sounded exciting.

But in reality, it spelled endless trouble.

Can you imagine? No matter if you're showering, playing games, reading novels, or sleeping, some random girl you don't know might ring your doorbell. 

Or you might get call after call, just like telemarketers trying to sell you something.

If you refuse, those families might think the girl wasn't good enough and send someone else—maybe even a metaphorical tank.

If you accept, you're accepting a favor. Then you either repay it—or become a social butterfly, unable to decline invitations from anyone.

And those girls? Many of them probably wouldn't come willingly, like Hayasak Ai. 

Sure, you could do whatever you want, but all that karmic merit you worked hard to build up would drop like a rock.

Constant interruptions, wasted karmic credit, no control over your time, merit declines, reputation plummets.

Lose billions just for a few cheap thrills? Not even worth thinking about.

But throwing Hayasak Ai out immediately didn't feel right either.

Akira pulled out his phone, recalled some vague plot points from memory, and asked, "If I called the Shinomiya family head and told him to 'get lost,' would that cause you trouble?"

Hayasak Ai was stunned.

She knew Akira was an "extraordinary man," but she didn't expect he'd be this extraordinary.

She quickly regained her composure, suppressing her fluttering heart, and replied, "I'd love to hear you say that, but… yes, it would cause some problems."

"What if I just send you back?"

"That's fine. It'd just be considered a failed task. Given my lady's influence, maybe it wouldn't be a big deal."

"Alright then, let's do this."

Akira pulled out his wallet and tossed it to Hayasak Ai.

"Take this, go buy groceries, and make me dinner."

She was briefly stunned by the request but quickly realized how clever it was.

She knew the Shinomiya family head's true goal was to win over Akira. 

If she failed the task, she'd have no way to prove whether it was because he wasn't interested in high school girls—or because she didn't try hard enough, used the wrong method, or didn't even give it a serious shot.

Given the rumors and her own lack of enthusiasm, the head's judgment would most likely lean toward the latter. 

She might get reassigned away from her lady as punishment—at best, she'd be given one more "chance to redeem herself."

That was the worst and most significant possibility Hayasak Ai could imagine.

Even though she was often subjected to her lady's whims, accidental sabotage, and increasing stress from Kaguya's goofy behavior since falling in love, she didn't want to leave.

Otherwise, in that already lonely household, her lady would lose the only person she could confide in.

Now, being asked by Akira to buy groceries and cook a meal didn't achieve what the family head wanted, but it wasn't meaningless either. 

At the very least, it established a decent relationship—and that relationship had little to do with the Shinomiya family.

"Understood. I'll go now," Hayasak Ai said cheerfully as she stood up and returned the wallet with both hands. 

"As for the cost of ingredients, please allow me to cover it…"

"Keep it. I have my principles. You can't pay for this."

"But you've helped me a lot…"

"I was mostly avoiding trouble for myself. Helping you was just incidental. And since it didn't cost me anything, the value of that help is very low."

Akira waved at Kuro. The cat made a wide circle around Hayasak Ai before letting out a soft meow and jumping into his lap.

"You put in some labor, I helped you avoid some trouble—it balances out. If you insist on paying, then you'd be giving too much. Alright, no more arguing. 

As a gift delivered to my door, the first thing you should do is follow orders."

At this point, Hayasak Ai clearly wouldn't argue further. She bowed and headed toward the door.

"Wait."

Akira stopped her and pulled a key from the coffee table drawer, tossing it over.

"Take the key. Otherwise, you won't be able to find your way back."

Hayasak Ai caught it effortlessly, and the memory of getting "lost" in the garden made her shudder.

Even now, she didn't believe it was some kind of illusion or trap mechanism—but she also knew better than to ask too many questions.

She gripped the key tightly and nervously asked, "As long as I have this… I'll be fine?"

"Yeah. But if you're still unsure…"

A small card flew toward her.

Hayasak Ai quickly ran up and caught it.

Unlike the usual stark black or silver tones of a business card, this one was dark red with a matte black texture that looked oddly like dried blood. 

It gave off an eerie, indescribable vibe.

On the back was a black-and-white bagua diagram. The front bore Akira's name, the title "Onmyouji," and a phone number—nothing more, nothing less.

The only unusual detail was the small line at the bottom:

[Do not contact unless it's urgent. Available hours: 3 PM to 10 PM.]

It was her first time seeing a business card that specified contact hours.

Recalling how her phone still had full signal in the maze, Hayasak Ai finally felt reassured—and stepped out the door.

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