When a person faces a difficult choice, their good and evil thoughts usually manifest as a little angel and a little demon fighting in their mind; whichever wins gets to decide.
For Sū ěr, these two fighting figures were no longer a metaphor. He literally had two different voices voicing their opinions, except the "angel" was inside his head while the "demon" was walking right beside him.
[SPIT IT OUT!! SPIT IT OUT RIGHT NOW!!!]
Think inexpressible scream rang out. Sū ěr felt as though someone were hammering a drum inside his skull—a literal buzzing sensation. This "drumming" reached its peak when certain eyes watched him swallow the fruit from the toothpick.
It was a Banshee's wail!
"I said, you two... this is the first time the three of us have come out to play in a peaceful world. Can't we be a bit more harmonious and friendly?" After checking the surroundings to ensure no one was staring, Sū ěr lowered his voice to plead with them.
"I have no problem with that~" Having achieved a temporary but total victory, Jibril leaned back in her seat and casually crossed her legs. She stretched out... Think body, which now exuded a cynical yet mature, sultry charm. "It just depends on whether that weed can handle it."
Sū ěr took a sip of tea.
If he didn't want to perform a massive memory wipe on everyone nearby and repair destroyed buildings with magic, he had to keep Think suppressed in his head to prevent her translucent form from manifesting in public and brawling with Jibril.
On such a beautiful day, why waste time on such things?
Well, mostly beautiful.
He didn't know how many years it would take for these two to live in harmony, or if it was even possible, but Sū ěr was prepared.
Prepared to be a mediator for a lifetime.
"Ice cream, donuts, movies, various games, pretty clothes, weird cosmetics..." Jibril suddenly began counting on her fingers, quickly running through all ten. "It really is interesting, don't you think?"
She seemed to be talking to Sū ěr, yet also to Think.
"We once recreated all of these things, one by one. We even made them exactly according to your memories, Sū ěr—the look, the taste, everything was identical. But now, in this world where these things were actually created by humans, the taste seems different. I feel like there's something else... they're tastier? More fun?"
Jibril was being uncharacteristically serious.
"Maybe it's because we didn't make them ourselves?" Sū ěr said with a smile. "Even the most fun toy loses its mystery if you have to assemble it yourself, part by part, knowing every internal gear. You lose the joy of the surprise."
"That makes sense," Jibril nodded. Then, she turned toward the counter and waved. "Boss! Three more orders of handmade ice cream!"
"Hey! Aren't you afraid of getting a stomach ache?!"
"Are you stupid? How could a Flügel get a stomach ache?"
Jibril rolled her eyes in annoyance. Wearing Think appearance, she rubbed her hands together in anticipation of the coming treats. She had been very satisfied with the fruit bowl earlier, and now she was grinning like an idiot. Seeing her own face make such a foolish expression, Think...
"Calm down! Calm down!!"
[LET ME OUT! I'M GOING TO KILL HER!!! I'M GOING TO KILL HER!!! HOW DARE SHE DEFILE MY FACE WITH THAT STUPID EXPRESSION!!!]
Sū ěr couldn't help but smile bitterly as he did a quick mental calculation of his savings... It looked like if he wanted to satisfy the whims of these two in human society, he'd need to change jobs.
A lowly MgRonald's clerk's salary wasn't enough to support high-end consumption; prices in the big city were always steep.
He'd worry about making money later. Sū ěr hadn't figured out how to get a lot of money in a short time without breaking the law; basically, all the "good" ways were already listed in the criminal code.
Crouching slightly like a thief and using the tall back of the sofa as cover, Sū ěr passed the ice cream to his shoulder. A split second later, a golden phantom flickered into existence. The translucent, exquisite figure took a huge bite out of the ice cream, followed by a short gasp of surprise.
Sū ěr and Jibril quickly followed the sound. At the booth behind Jibril, a small head had popped up halfway. A child was staring at Sū ěr with wide, sparkling eyes. He had undoubtedly seen everything.
"A monster! Mommy! It's a monster!!!"
"Kenta! You can't shout at people like that!"
A woman stood up from the sofa and apologized to Sū ěr with an embarrassed look. Her gaze lingered on Jibril—Think beautiful face—for a moment before she hurriedly pulled her child back down.
"There really was a monster! Mommy! The monster ate the ice cream!"
"Monsters don't eat ice cream; they only eat little kids. Alright now, what does Mommy usually tell you? Don't disturb other guests."
"But there really was a monster!"
"Kenta!"
Sū ěr wondered if the child would insist he'd seen a monster when he got home, or if he'd receive a stern lecture from his parents. The innocent words of children were always dismissed as fantasy.
"So? How does the Monster Lady rate the taste of the ice cream?" Sū ěr whispered with a chuckle.
"Too sweet. And what is this strange flavor?" Think voice rang out directly in Sū ěr and Jibril minds. "Don't they have 'Scent of a Hundred Flowers'?"
"Is this taste strange?" Jibril raised an eyebrow and took another careful taste of her own. "I think it's fine. Lychee... this fruit called lychee is good. We should buy more later."
"The things in this country are quite delicate, but the portions are always too small. It's gone after just two bites. Should we buy some strawberry daifuku? Speaking of which, there are many countries on this planet, right? From what I've seen online, the food in the country across the sea seems quite good. Just looking at the pictures makes my mouth water..."
Queen Jibril had learned to use the internet. She had even learned how to troll people online instead of using Heaven's Strike. Sū ěr stared at her blankly.
"Jibril."
"Hmm?"
"Come work part-time with me."
"HUH???"v