This chapter connects to Chapter 4.

  After the incident, Shark tried to get closer to the mysterious woman. It took a long time, but he eventually managed to convince her to go on a date with him. It is his first date ever, and he is extremely nervous.

  He made a reservation at the best restaurant in the city. He bought an elegant suit. For the first time in his life, he actually styled his hair properly.

  He does not fully understand it himself, but he feels strongly drawn to this woman — not only in a physical sense, but emotionally as well.

  In the evening, he picks her up in front of a supermarket, and they drive together to the restaurant.

  Shark: “What would you like to eat, my lady?”

  ???: “A steak. Medium. And a wild soup with extra potatoes and extra tiger spice. To drink, I’ll take a soda and sugar water.”

  Shark: “Wow, straight to the point, like a cannon shot. But isn’t sugar water something for little kids?”

  ???: “Uh… it just tastes good. It’s my favorite fun drink.”

  Shark: “Alright, then I’ll take a steak as well, but rare. As a side dish, I’ll have a small salad. I’ll also take a soda to drink.”

  They place their order and wait patiently for the food.

  Shark: “So… ???, who are you?”

  ???: “I already told you that.”

  Shark: “No, I mean your personality. Interests. Hobbies. Fears. Just you in three words, for example.”

  Even though Shark appears calm on the outside, he is actually extremely nervous and already sweating through his new suit.

  ???: “Oh, that’s what you mean. No one has ever asked me that before.”

  Shark: “There’s a first time for everything.”

  ???: “I guess so. If I had to describe myself in three words, it would be: smart, cautious, and cool. Though I’d say it’s difficult to describe myself in just three words, but that would be the rough version. And you?”

  Shark: “For me it would be: brave, strong, and gentle.”

  ???: “Hahaha, I wouldn’t have guessed you to be gentle.”

  Shark: “Why not?”

  ???: “Aihara, you’re not unknown in this city. Everyone knows who you are and what you do. Believe me, what I’ve heard doesn’t sound gentle at all.”

  Shark: “What exactly have you heard?”

  Shark becomes even more nervous. He is afraid that ??? might see him as a monster now — or only want him because of his power and status.

  ???: “That you can be quite cruel. But also that you can be very loyal and, deep down, a kind guy.”

  Shark: “As the boss of a mafia, you have to be able to be harsh sometimes and do things you’re not proud of later.”

  This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

  ???: “Wait, are you trying to justify yourself to me right now? I’m not some ignorant outsider who knows nothing about this world. I’m aware that you do these things because you have to, and I respect that a lot. Besides, I’m sitting at this table because I want to get to know you — not Aihara the mafia boss.”

  Shark: “Thank you for the compliment, but please call me Shark in public. I don’t want my real name to be known.”

  ???: “Alright, even though I like your real name much more than Shark. How did you even come up with that name?”

  Shark tells her the story behind his name and the background of the mafia.

  Shark ran away from home at an early age because he did not agree with his family’s rules or his parents. He had to build everything himself and gained many allies — but also many enemies. To become one of the most feared figures, he had to endure a lot of suffering and show immense patience.

  Finally, their food arrives. Without talking much, both of them dig in and eat everything on their plates. Both finish their steaks in exactly seven bites. ??? enjoys her soup as a side dish and alternates between her drinks.

  Shark barely touches his salad and eats only about a quarter of it.

  Shark: “So, where were we? What are your interests and hobbies?”

  ???: “I’m interested in many things, like economics, science combined with magic, martial arts, the sea, and video games. My hobbies are jogging, reading, and gaming. And you?”

  Shark: “I’m also interested in video games and magic, but also in games of all kinds and chemistry — especially the production of products, hehehe.”

  ??? laughs at his comment.

  Shark: “My hobbies are playing games and doing mafia boss duties.”

  After many more conversations, they leave the restaurant and take a walk through the city.

  They walk around a lot and buy milkshakes, which they drink competitively. Shark wins and receives a kiss on the cheek as a reward.

  He turns bright red.

  Shark: “[Such soft and warm lips. She really is an amazing woman.]”

  During their walk, they don’t notice that they are being followed by a man.

  He gets closer and closer until he is only a few steps behind them. He grabs ???’s handbag and tries to run away, but Shark reacts instantly and grabs the bag at the same time as the thief.

  Shark: “No, that’s not happening, thief.”

  Shark exchanges a few blows with the man and lands several solid hits, but the man remains stubborn.

  Before Shark can do more, the thief is apparently knocked out by ??? — but he quickly gets back up and tries to finish his crime.

  The man escapes with the bag. All of her valuables are inside.

  Shark: “Don’t worry. I’ll get your bag back.”

  ???: “It’s okay, I’ll just report it to the police or something.”

  Shark: “No. I won’t allow our first date to end like this. I have to protect you and make sure you get home safely. So let’s go find this disgrace of a man.”

  Shark uses his power as a mafia boss and quickly finds out where the thief was last seen. He also hopes to impress ??? with this action.

  In less than an hour, they find the alley where the thief was last spotted. They actually see him standing in the middle of the alley, the bag in his left hand and a pistol in his right.

  Shark: “There you are. Give ??? her bag back immediately.”

  The thief doesn’t answer and aims his pistol at Shark. He immediately starts shooting. Shark dodges the bullets and moves closer until he grabs the thief by the collar and throws him over his head.

  The thief lands in front of ???, who is ready to kick him in the face. The thief grabs her foot and knocks her down. Now he aims at her head — but Shark grabs him from behind.

  Shark: “Lay a single hair on her head and you’re dead.”

  They struggle further until the thief drops the pistol. ??? picks it up and tries to aim at the thief. Shark notices and secures the situation.

  Shark: “Shoot. He didn’t steal from you because he needed the money — he wanted to kill you. He’s probably from another mafia or something similar. We have to kill him.”

  ??? hesitates, but then she goes through with it. She narrowly misses Shark but hits the thief in the neck. He bleeds out immediately and dies. Shark tries to uncover his face.

  ???: “No. Out of respect, we should just leave him like this. His build and movements tell me he’s still young. And the way he held the gun — he clearly didn’t have much experience.”

  Shark: “You’re probably right.”

  Shark and ??? leave the body in the alley and intend to end the date.

  ???: “For getting my bag back, I want to do you a favor. Let’s go somewhere using my ability — anywhere you want. I can open any door, so tell me your wish.”

  Shark puts on a strange smile.

  ???: “You’re probably thinking of something dirty.”

  Shark: “No. I was thinking we could go to a club.”

  The couple then goes to a club and has a lot of fun.