Chapter 359
However, he didn't come here today to see her.
He walked to the front desk, bought his ticket from a slightly plain-looking blue-haired girl (actually a high school sophomore) with a ponytail over her shoulder, square-rimmed black glasses, and a slightly flushed face, and then went into the performance hall.
Hmm... I can come over when I have some free time in the future, he thought to himself.
A considerable number of people had already gathered in the hall. Since he arrived right on time, the stage lights shone brightly shortly afterward, and the opening sequence he knew so well began.
Woohoo-hoo-hoo--!!!
The intense atmosphere was so powerful it felt like it was about to blow the roof off Galaxy; the small space was bursting with unimaginable energy.
He remained unmoved, leaning quietly against the back wall, sipping his Drinks, waiting for the band he was targeting to come on stage.
After several bands took turns performing, he finally raised his gaze slightly and swept it over the group of people on stage, where he spotted a familiar figure.
Hmm~ Handsome~
"The sound isn't very clear," he commented with a sly smile.
Just kidding, but even audience members who weren't very knowledgeable could clearly hear that this band's performance was quite different from their previous ones, namely, the fullness and mellowness of their sound.
Some of their fellow band members were already exchanging surprised glances.
Among the characters so far, one of the Bass is considered to be exceptionally talented.
Her beautiful face, firm buttocks, cool and aloof gaze, side-swept bangs, and leather jacket outfit... all made her stand out among the diverse group of people, making her the most eye-catching.
At one point, after our eyes met in mid-air, she seemed to bounce even harder, her movements becoming more unrestrained and carefree, eliciting a soft gasp of surprise.
After a few songs, the band's performance came to an end.
He didn't linger any longer. He followed the band offstage, sneaked backstage, and after the Bass exchanged a few words with her teammates and left, he went up to greet her.
"Hey~ Kairin ~ Long time no see!"
The person he was waiting for was none other than Hachiman Kairin, who had come to work part-time as a mercenary.
"Indeed, it's been a long time, Asahi."
Hachiman Kairin smoothly picked up the conversation, "This leave is quite long, isn't it? How long has it been since we last saw each other?"
"It wasn't that long, but if you include the Golden Week holiday, it should be about ten days... Well, that is a bit long, sorry."
He honestly bowed his head and apologized.
The last time he went to Hanasakigawa was last Tuesday, and he hasn't been there since. With Golden Week starting this Tuesday and today being Friday, it's been exactly ten days.
"You don't need to apologize to me. Whether you go to school or not is your choice."
"..."
That's true, but why does it sound a bit strange? There's a hint of resentment in it. Is he overly self-conscious?
"Fine, whatever. But why did you come to see my performance today?"
Hachiman Kairin walked to the nearby storage area, packed her Bass, slung it over her shoulder, and asked him.
"There's no particular reason, I just wanted to see what it's like for you to work, Kairin."
"Work? Maybe..."
Hachiman Kairin was slightly bothered, but since Yi Qi Liu was also 3 years old, she didn't say anything.
Compared to other band members who enjoy performing, her part-time job can only be considered a job.
"So what's next? Going on a date?"
She maintained her expressionless, aggressive demeanor, turning her head to look at him.
"That's not bad either~"
He smiled nonchalantly, "How about we go sit at RiNG first?"
"Should we sit there for a while, or go see Rikki?"
"... When did you start calling her 'Rikki'?"
Are you jealous?
"Uh-huh!"
"There's nothing I can do about it. 'Asahi' doesn't go to school every day, so I can only try to get closer to 'Rikki'."
"That sounds much better. What about Shizuka?"
"Sangoku-kun... he's so popular, I don't often go over to talk to him."
Poor Shizuka ~
"..."
The two walked and talked, gradually leaving the shopping street and heading towards RiNG, which wasn't too far away.
"Why did you two come together today?"
Inside the cafe on the second floor of RiNG.
Wearing a black and blue trimmed work uniform Shiina Rikki held a pen and paper and stared coldly at the two people in front of her.
"A cup of Earl Grey Tea, please. As for side dishes... oh~ Asahi brought some, then no need."
Seemingly oblivious to her complicated feelings, Hachiman Kairin picked up the menu, glanced at it, and quickly placed her order.
She had planned to order some food to fill her stomach, but after seeing Ogura Asahi raise a familiar "delicious" packaging bag, she immediately gave up.
"I'll have the same one too, anyway, there probably isn't much good stuff in this little cafe, especially drinks made by someone personally."
Ogura Asahi put down the bag in her hand, rested her chin on her hand, and chuckled softly.
Chapter 376 So-called Chinese-style Snacks.
"Are you looking for trouble?!"
Shiina Rikki slammed her hand on the table, leaning forward and glaring at him.
"Shh, shh! Mind your manners. You're a shop assistant now, right? Is this how you treat me, your 'customer'?"
Ogura Asahi met her gaze without flinching, his eyes full of amusement.
"Snort!"
Shiina Rikki raised an eyebrow at the corner of her eye near her beauty mark, tossed her Black Long Straight Hair, gave him a death stare, and walked back to the front desk, calling out in a loud, deep voice, "Twin Earl Grey Tea!"
Oh dear~ Ogura Asahi dodged the attack of her deliberately swept hair.
It hurts quite a bit when hair hits your eye.
After she left, Hachiman Kairin looked at him silently and asked with a puzzled expression, "You seem to always like to deliberately make her angry?"
"No, it's just that she gets angry more easily at my way of doing things."
He looked away. "And don't you think she's kind of funny?"
"Ha... I hope you don't get beaten up by her later."
Hachiman Kairin sighed at his stubbornness and ignored him.
After a while, their Black tea was served.
After carefully placing Hachiman Kairin's cup down, Shiina Rikki forcefully slammed the second cup in front of him.
Clang!
"..."
Ogura Asahi slightly raised his eyes, looking at her handsome face that blended elements of both dominance and submissiveness, "Hey, it spilled..."
"Is there something you need?"
Shiina Rikki leaned forward, their eyes only a few centimeters apart, creating a palpable sense of oppression.
"No, it's nothing, I just wanted to invite you to sit down and rest with me for a bit..."
He swallowed back his complaints, silently took out a box of pastries from the bag, and laid them out on the table.
"..."
This time, the other side fell silent. The black-haired ice beauty's powerful aura was instantly extinguished, and her original accusations fell flat in an instant.
She opened her delicate mouth, unsure whether to agree or leave, and stood there awkwardly...
"How about I get myself a drink too? It's on me!"
Ogura Asahi chuckled.
"Come on over, it's been ten days since I've had any snacks made by Asahi."
Hachiman Kairin also tried to smooth things over.
"This is a new product I'm trying out~ If possible, I'd love for you to try it out for me..."
"... I understand, but I'll pay for my own tea."
Shiina Rikki answered in a low voice.
Having said that, he walked back dejectedly, hunched over.
"So that's what you were waiting for. You've got guts."
Having seen through his trick, Hachiman Kairin looked at him with admiration, "It's amazing that you can manipulate Rikki so easily. Should I try to learn from you next time?"
"The two of them together? That's a bit pitiful for Rikki."
Hehe~
"..."
Five minutes later.
"Oh~ I've never seen these before, but they look a bit like Japanese sweets. What are they called?"
Biting into a square, bluish-green jade scroll, Hachiman Kairin asked with an expression of happiness only slightly easier to guess than Wakaba Mū's.
With a soft and bouncy texture and a delicate, sweet flavor, the pastry stretches and deforms as you bite into it, releasing the hidden creamy filling that creates a multi-layered and complex taste sensation on your palate.
In addition, there is a rich tea aroma hidden within. With one sip, the coolness and fragrance rush to her head, making her feel much more energetic after finishing her performance and feeling a little tired.
Between the two, Shiina Rikki, who had already sat down, was also taking small bites of a pale blue-white pastry sprinkled with green powder.
It looks ordinary, but its chewy and soft texture, as well as its soothing aroma, are exactly the same as the one in Hachiman Kairin's hand, except for the other ingredients inside.
"The one you're eating is Longjing White Jade Roll, the one Rikki is eating is Longjing Tea Soft Cheese, and the one I'm holding with the more intricate pattern is Longjing Milk Shell. They're all Chinese-style Snacks."
Ogura Asahi explained to them, then slowly chewed the delicacy in his mouth, savoring the rich details and variations, and looking for any shortcomings.
The cakes I gave Wakaba Mū before were just ordinary Western-style cakes, not these. Of course, he left some of these for her before we parted.
When he arrived at the studio in the afternoon, he went to his own office first, put the snacks in the refrigerator to store them, and then went to her place.
Before leaving, I took it out again.
"Longjing? I think it's a type of Green tea..."
Hachiman Kairin looked down carefully at the green coating outside the filling and asked, "So, it's matcha?"
"That's one way to understand it. I prefer Green tea, so I keep a lot of it at home and in the kitchen."
"I see. I haven't had many Chinese dim sum dishes before, but I didn't expect them to taste so delicious."
"Don't worry, most China people haven't even tried it."
"Um?"
"..."
Shiina Rikki closed one eye and gave him a quiet, aloof glance.
Even if she was dissatisfied with his personality and way of doing things, she had to admit that his cooking skills were truly unparalleled, simply astonishingly high.
This is quite unique among young ladies, isn't it?
At least, Shōko and Sōse were not like that.
Has anything interesting happened to you lately? Tell us about it!