Chapter 87

It's neither lunch break nor closing time at the Knights of the Round Table, so why is Hoshiguma here?

"They're just out on patrol, it's nothing serious."

Hoshiguma explained briefly, then looked around.

"Isn't this an abuse of power?"

Seeing Hoshiguma's perfunctory attitude, Shirou felt that he had guessed the truth.

However, he didn't reveal it, since his reason was perfectly legitimate.

Besides, Hoshiguma was the first guest.

"Hmm? Shirou, what did you just say?"

Hoshiguma's attention was focused on a tea set, and she didn't hear what Shirou said.

"It's nothing, Hoshiguma, you can continue choosing."

Ansuo lunged forward and covered Shirou's mouth.

Shirou is great in every way, except that his mouth can sometimes be quite hurtful!

"Wow, this tea set is quite nice. When did Lungmen start having manufacturers that make this style?"

Hoshiguma didn't pay any attention and turned her attention back to the tea set she had just been looking at.

The reason I liked it is simple: this set has a strong hometown feel to it.

After arriving in Lungmen and settling down, Hoshiguma had been looking for this type of person, but after searching for a long time, she couldn't find one she liked, so in the end she could only settle for someone simpler.

I never expected to find something like this at Shirou! She loves this style!

I originally just received a message from A-Xing and thought I'd come over to support him, but it just so happens that I arrived at the right time.

"That... was given to me by someone I know. It has some flaws, but it's still brand new."

Looking at the tea set that Hoshiguma was holding, Shirou had a strange feeling that was a little incongruous but not so incongruous.

That tea set was one of the sets that Sister Fujie's grandfather always kept at home; it was the kind that was very... unique.

"No wonder these bags are so cheap."

After placing the tea set on the table, Hoshiguma looked around again and then took some bowls and plates to pay the bill.

"Since you're the first customer, let's give you a discount."

Seeing how enthusiastic Hoshiguma was, Shirou said.

After all, a large portion of it was Projection, and he felt uneasy about it.

That would be wonderful.

After acting on impulse, Hoshiguma looked at the table full of goods and realized that she had bought a bit too much.

If I buy this, I probably won't have any alcohol to drink this month.

"Understood."

Following Shirou's instructions, Ansuo quickly calculated the price and offered a significant discount.

Of course, there was still some profit to be made, which can be considered the first gold of this small shop.

Why wasn't there a discount when I bought it?

A-Xing, who was standing to the side, was completely stunned when he saw these actions.

He was clearly the first one!

"How many meals have you been freeloading for already? You still want a discount?!"

While Shirou was helping Hoshiguma pack, he Ansuo pointed at A-Xing and said.

Upon hearing that A-Xing seemed to frequently come over to freeload, Hoshiguma gave him a subtle look.

I still remember that bento box from last time vividly; Old Chen raved about it.

"Ahem... I brought some snacks and cookies."

Seeing the somewhat dangerous look in her older sister's eyes, A-Xing hurriedly explained.

He wasn't just taking advantage of the situation! He would occasionally bring some things over for the children; it was more like bartering!

And each time, I only take a few bites to taste it.

"The main thing is that A-Xing took the things and paid for them, saying he didn't need to give change. His actions were so smooth that I and Ansuo couldn't react in time."

Shirou revealed the real reason, since the other party had already given him the money and said he didn't need to keep the change.

Then it seemed a bit off when he talked about discounts, so he didn't mention it in the end.

"So... it was my own problem after all."

A-Xing looked at the cup he had bought and felt terrible.

"Oh dear..."

Hearing about the foolish thing A-Xing did, Hoshiguma sighed.

What else can she do? We're all acquaintances, and all she can do is keep herself from laughing.

"Hahaha! Look at you."

Ansuo to the side, was already laughing hysterically.

Do you want another discount?

Seeing A-Xing's heartbroken expression, Shirou decided to ask her.

"... No need, it's just a little money."

As Shirou felt her heart bleeding after being dealt another blow by A-Xing.

You should at least ask her privately! How can you care about such a small amount of money in front of Sister Xiong!

"Hmm... okay."

Seeing A-Xing's grief-stricken appearance, Shirou couldn't fathom her at all.

But since the other party doesn't need it, then forget it.

"Ansuo, go heat up the soup and have Hoshiguma take it back."

Shirou patted Ansuo's head, signaling him to go and reheat the remaining soup in the kitchen.

Originally intended for everyone to have with dinner, let Hoshiguma take some back as a treat for the Knights of the Round Table.

Okay.

Upon receiving the instruction, Ansuo jumped off the chair and hopped towards the kitchen.

Although she can't cook, it's just heating up some soup, no problem.

"Remember to turn the heat down!"

Shirou, who had suddenly remembered the Ansuo technique of cooking, added a sentence.

"Knew!"

Besides that sentence, the only response Shirou received was the sound of the door closing.

"The environment here is quite nice."

Hoshiguma took the chair that A-Xing handed her and sat down beside him.

Let's chat for a bit and check on the situation here, since she's put in a lot of effort.

It seems that Shirou is doing quite well now.

"It's alright... but Hoshiguma, how did you know about this place?"

Shirou was responding to Hoshiguma's words, suddenly realized that something was wrong.

He probably didn't tell Hoshiguma about what he was doing here, right?

Why did Hoshiguma arrive during her patrol?

"I ordered it. I think Sister Xiong would really like a lot of the things here."

A-Xing, who was standing to the side, waved his phone.

"Well, I just finished work, so I came out for a stroll."

Hoshiguma continued, explaining that it would be troublesome if others found out that she was involved in this matter.

So it's best to keep it hidden if possible; it's fine if they occasionally show up.

She quite likes the style of the goods she gets here.

"Oh, I see."

Shirou was convinced by this reason.

That's perfectly reasonable and cause for celebration.

But... strictly speaking, shouldn't this be considered skipping work?

After thinking about it, Shirou decided it was better not to dwell on the matter, as he felt his life was in danger.

"But why did you choose this name for your shop?"

Hoshiguma asked, "When I first received the message, I thought it was a typo."

I glanced at the store before coming in and realized that the name was indeed Fuyuki. It's a nice name, but something just doesn't feel right.

"It's the name of my hometown."

Upon hearing Hoshiguma's question, Shirou scratched his head.

He himself felt that something was not quite right, but it was still better than using his own name as the store name.

"My hometown... is quite nice."

Hoshiguma thought for a moment, realizing she had never heard of the name Fuyuki in either the Higashi or Lungmen.

She had originally thought that Shirou was from the Higashi.

But it doesn't matter, since everyone here is from Lungmen anyway.

"I didn't expect someone with thick eyebrows and big eyes like you to be so nostalgic?"

A-Xing, standing to the side, was not so polite. After all, he had just been hurt by Shirou's words, so he wanted to retaliate now.

"The main problem was that I couldn't think of any other names. If I hadn't offered my suggestion then, they would have used my name as the store name, which would have been really embarrassing."

Shirou recounted the situation with an embarrassed smile.

"It's normal to use a name as a shop name, right? Shirou Shokudo sounds pretty good," Hoshiguma said.

"Hmm... I feel a little shy."

Shirou was naturally aware of this, but using his own name as a shop name... he admitted he couldn't do that.

"I think it's great, simple and easy to remember."

A-Xing picked up a cigarette and was about to light it when Hoshiguma casually stubbed it out with her hand.

"Smoking is prohibited here."

Hoshiguma pointed to the notice board next to her and said.

"...Yes."

That day, A-Xing recalled the fear of being ruled by Sister Xiong.

It's a bit nostalgic.

"Shirou, how many do we need?"

The kitchen door was pushed open, and a pair of purple rabbit ears peeked out and asked.

"Pack more, I'll make some more before I leave."

Shirou stood up and walked towards the kitchen.

"Oh? I heard you usually come here to freeload?"

Only Hoshiguma and A-Xing remained in the shop. Hoshiguma looked at A-Xing with a terrifying expression and asked, while also stubbing out the cigarette she had just been holding.