"Mr. Shu, what kind of spirit are you?"
"Oh, me? Well, Ms. Haruko, whichever one you believe I am, I'll be that."
"Then I guess you're a fox spirit, Mr. Shu!"
"Haha, wrong guess." For some reason, when Haruko suggested he was a fox, a faint amusement flickered in Shu's eyes.
"…Wait! That's not what you said earlier!"
"Well, that's because I was teasing you. Care to try again?"
"No, I won't guess anymore; Mr. Shu only tricks me." She took another piece of chicken, realizing she'd nearly eaten the entire dish herself, while Shu hadn't touched a bite. "Aren't you going to eat, Mr. Shu?"
"If you feed me, I will."
Knowing he was joking, she still felt a playful spark rise within her. Bantering with Shu rarely ended in her favor, and tonight he'd been toying with her all evening. Now, it was her turn.
She picked up his chopsticks, lifted a piece of teriyaki chicken, and held it in front of his eyes—though she made no move to bring it to his lips, as if challenging him to dare take a bite.
Surprised, he chuckled, genuinely and heartily this time, a laugh far warmer than his usual polite smile.
"Haha, it seems I've lost, Ms. Haruko." He took her hand holding the chopsticks and leaned forward, eating the chicken directly from her hold. A look of surprise crossed his face. "Mmm… it's delicious. Just as the other two managers said, your cooking is truly wonderful."
So, Shu had also taken note of her so-called "home cooking."
"In that case, let me ask you something else." Haruko knew prying wasn't ideal, but without any other way to find out, she had to ask. "Mr. Shu, do you know what kind of spirit Mr. Shinya is?"
"...Ms. Haruko," Shu sighed deeply, as though heartbroken. "Don't you think it's rather sad to speak of one man while on a date with another?"
A… date?
She widened her eyes. This couldn't possibly be considered a date.
Then again, they were alone, and she had accepted Shu's invitation to drink together. Could this truly count as a date?
"Yes, it could," he replied, seeming to read her thoughts directly.
"I…"
She was about to say she hadn't meant it that way, but Shu held a finger to his lips, silencing her.
"Words can be delightful, yet sometimes, there is beauty in what remains unsaid, don't you think?"
Toying with his empty glass, he looked at her with an expression that only deepened her curiosity, though he offered no answer. "Ms. Haruko, let's make a deal: I'll give you one chance. If you guess what kind of spirit I am, I'll share Shinya's secret with you."
"Really? You're not fooling me?"
"Not this time. But if you're wrong, Ms. Haruko, you'll owe me a favor. How about that?"
"A favor?"
"Yes, because only fair stakes make a wager worthwhile. What do you say?"
"Alright!"
Haruko agreed without hesitation. After all, any favor within her reach would likely mean just cooking him a meal. If it were beyond her ability, she'd have no way to fulfill it anyway.
Shu, sensing her reasoning, glanced up at the bright moon, a sly smile gracing his lips.
"Then… could it be… that Mr. Shu is a Nurarihyon?" (Nurarihyon is a Japanese spirit known for sneaking into people's homes to cause mischief. As he is often bald, he is also called a "ぬらりひょん.")
The Nurarihyon is regarded as the leader among Japanese spirits—harmless to humans but infamous for his cunning.
Haruko's mind spun with the image of Shu as a Nurarihyon, She imagined him slipping into homes with an exaggerated, stealthy tiptoe, a sly grin stretched across his face as he peeked around corners like a cartoonish trickster. In her mind, his movements became exaggerated and ridiculous—maybe his quiet footsteps would make little "whoosh" sounds, and he'd comically dart back and forth to avoid being seen, only to trip over his own feet with an embarrassed look. She even pictured him pulling pranks with a self-satisfied smirk, as if he couldn't help but laugh at his own antics.
The absurdity of this mental picture was too much; she snorted, barely holding back a full laugh. The idea of such a dignified, elegant Shu stumbling around like a bumbling phantom was so ridiculous that the room seemed brighter, her own laughter echoing as if to chase away the night's mysteries.
"…So close, yet not quite." He feigned a disappointed sigh, leaving Haruko with a tinge of frustration. Could such a sly person really not be a Nurarihyon?
"I feel as if I haven't heard a single truth from Mr. Shu tonight."
"Oh? Haven't you?"
Shu leaned in as he had before, closing the distance between them, so near she could catch a faint, almost familiar scent from him—sweet yet elusive.
Her heart raced, a chaotic rhythm thrumming beneath her calm exterior as he drew closer. A mixture of anticipation, nervousness, and a faint thrill swirled within her, each beat seeming to amplify the warmth rising to her cheeks. She could feel the tension building in the quiet space between them, his nearness stirring an intoxicating blend of curiosity and hesitation. Every subtle movement, every inch closing the distance between them, sent a flutter through her chest—an unsettling but oddly exhilarating feeling, leaving her torn between holding her breath and letting it out in a sigh she didn't quite understand.
"Didn't I tell you already? You truly are quite beautiful, Ms. Haruko."