That Mister

When the song ended, amid the thunderous applause in the restaurant, Yaen turned toward the performance area, only to see a pink-haired woman in a pale-pink, floor-length dress standing up and bowing elegantly to thank the guests.

"Reiju?"

It did not take long for Yaen to recognize that the pink-haired woman before him was Vinsmoke Reiju.

So many years had passed. Although Yaen had occasionally kept track of Reiju and Sanji, knowing that they were both in this "Sea Restaurant," Baratie, seeing with his own eyes that Reiju was no longer the innocent, adorable girl she had once been, but had instead grown into an elegant and beautiful woman, somehow made him feel that time had slipped away at an astonishing speed.

"Clap, clap, clap!"

Yaen could not help applauding Reiju's performance softly as well.

Reiju smiled and swept her gaze around the restaurant. But the moment she noticed Yaen sitting in the corner, the expression on her face abruptly froze, and her pupils shrank violently to pinpoints.

It... It's that man!

A memory buried in the deepest part of her mind was instantly awakened. Reiju recognized Yaen's mask almost at once.

"Thud, thud, thud!"

Under the astonished gazes of several chefs who had been listening to the performance, Reiju hurried over to Yaen. A trace of nervousness showed on her face as she asked,

"Sir, is that you?"

"It's been a long time, Reiju," Yaen replied with a smile.

"It really is you, That Mister."

Reiju's face immediately filled with delight and gratitude. Then she asked, "That Mister, may I invite you upstairs to talk?"

"Hmm..."

Yaen pondered for a moment before saying,

"That's fine, but please wait a little. This restaurant's rule is that food must not be wasted, and I can't violate such a wonderful rule."

"Yes,