While Kasumigaoka Utaha ate, slightly ignoring her image, Yuzuki also enjoyed his portion.
Kasumigaoka Utaha bit into the tofu, then took a bite of rice, occasionally sipping sake. Yuzuki, on the other hand, first scooped some Mapo Tofu and then mixed it with rice to eat.
Inside the restaurant, the only sounds were the two of them eating.
Kasumigaoka Utaha's cheeks flushed from eating, and her alluring thin lips now appeared bright and shiny from the slight spiciness. She quickly finished her meal.
Looking at the empty plate, Yuzuki knew very well that the next part was the one he disliked the most: washing the dishes after eating.
However, he glanced at Kasumigaoka Utaha, who had paused to catch her breath from the spiciness and had not yet finished eating. He decided to wait until she was done and then wash the dishes together.
During his free time, Yuzuki looked outside.
There was hardly anyone walking outside the entrance of the alley. Occasionally, a few people would walk to the end of the alley, but they would just look around and leave, rarely stopping to choose to eat inside.
Most people who stopped thought the restaurant's decor was nice, took a few photos, and then left.
This alley had many shops.
Besides Midnight Diner, there were also a flower shop, a coffee shop, a bookstore, a dessert shop, and so on.
Speaking of which, Yuzuki just realized that he had been open for quite a while and hadn't greeted the surrounding shops.
After all, in the city, whether moving to a new house or opening a new shop, giving gifts or at least greeting was customary.
Yuzuki thought for a moment and decided: "Then I will send food."
The next moment he made the decision.
[ Random Quest Triggered: I heard Anteiku is opening a new shop. Mission Description: Bring souvenirs and politely greet the surrounding shops. Mission Reward: Myriad World Food Lottery x1 ]
There's a reward?
That's easy, something I can do without much effort.
Yuzuki nodded, stood up, and returned to the kitchen to prepare the souvenirs.
Since some ingredients had been prepared beforehand, he quickly made osmanthus-style sakura cakes. The pink cakes looked soft and appealing.
When Yuzuki brought them out to be packaged, Kasumigaoka Utaha, who had just finished eating, stared at them again.
"Manager~"
"Hmm?" Yuzuki followed her gaze. "Do you want to eat?"
"Yes!"
"You'll get fat if you eat too much."
"Just three pieces!"
"One piece."
"Aiya~!" Hearing that she could only have one piece, Kasumigaoka Utaha couldn't help but complain: "Manager~, no, Yuzuki-kun~~"
"Just one piece." Yuzuki remained unmoved.
Kasumigaoka Utaha had a very ideal body; her black stockings slightly pinched her flesh, making her pleasant to look at. What if he really fed her until she got fat?
After realizing that she would only get one piece, Kasumigaoka Utaha sipped her sake and pouted.
"Yuzuki-kun, you're mean."
Before handing over the gift, Yuzuki took his plate and washed it along with his own.
After that, he took ten packages of cakes, waved at Kasumigaoka Utaha, and left.
"I'll deliver the gifts to the neighbors. Can you watch the shop for me?"
Kasumigaoka Utaha nodded: "I'll message you if anyone comes."
Yuzuki went out, and Kasumigaoka Utaha kept an eye on the shop for the time being.
After seeing Yuzuki leave the shop, Kasumigaoka Utaha curved her lips into a smile.
Yuzuki-kun letting her watch the shop meant he trusted her a lot.
She smiled blankly for a moment.
Kasumigaoka Utaha stared at the empty beginning of her notebook and soon realized that she needed to start thinking.
On the other side, Yuzuki began to greet and deliver gifts to the nearby shops.
It was nothing more than knocking on doors, greeting, chatting for a bit, leaving souvenirs, saying "Please take care of me," and then leaving.
Yuzuki sent them to several shops in succession, most of which didn't leave much of an impression.
Until only the last one remained in his hands.
Yuzuki stopped in front of a coffee shop.
He looked down at the wooden sign at the entrance: "Anteiku Coffee Shop," with various coffee prices written below it.
"..."
So Anteiku has been next to my house all this time.
No wonder he hadn't noticed it.
Since Yuzuki ate, drank, and slept in his own shop, he rarely went out lately and didn't pay much attention to the coffee shops around him.
At this time, Anteiku Coffee Shop was still open.
It was already night, and the students had also left school.
There were a few regular customers in the coffee shop, and the regular staff were making and serving coffee.
As far as the eye could see, a girl with short dark purple hair was serving coffee.
A beautiful woman with long light purple hair was reading a book while enjoying her coffee.
The two staff members making coffee in the shop were a slightly chubby man and a cold, indifferent woman; the old manager seemed to be absent.
For a moment, Yuzuki felt it might be better not to deliver this package.
He just didn't want to get into trouble.
However, a moment later, he felt it was not a problem; what was meant to happen would happen, and the two shops were so close. Besides, avoiding something was not his character.
Yuzuki thought: "Since I'm already here."
He entered Anteiku Coffee Shop from the side, pushed the door open, and the doorbell rang with a crisp chime~
The staff inside the shop also turned to welcome Yuzuki.
"Welcome!"
Everyone looked at Yuzuki, and he smiled, raising the souvenir in his hand and greeting them.
"I'm Yuzuki, the manager of Midnight Diner, located at the end of this alley. This is a souvenir I brought. Please take care of me from now on."
"Manager?" Among the crowd, Kirishima Touka, with short dark purple hair, stared at Yuzuki and sighed softly: "A manager who is still very young?"
At that moment, a slightly chubby man in a waistcoat with brown hair slicked back walked over and said kindly: "Hello, I'm Koma Enji. The manager is not here. Please take care of me."
As he said this, he took the souvenir from Yuzuki's hand and immediately turned to the cold, indifferent woman.
"Irimi, make a cup of coffee."
The cold, indifferent woman named Irimi nodded and began to make coffee.
Yuzuki thought for a moment and did not refuse.
After all, Anteiku Coffee Shop was a shop that operated as usual, and their coffee was good.
Koma Enji led Yuzuki to a seat.
However, as they passed a chair, the long-haired purple-haired woman sitting there, who was reading a book, suddenly sniffed and froze.
She wore a white dress and half-red framed glasses, holding a book in her hand.
After Yuzuki passed by, she stared at his back intently, her pupils narrowing, she forcibly pouted her lips and swallowed hard.
Even her breathing became much heavier.