Chapter 621

In other words, if he doesn't interfere, the ending will almost certainly be a bad one?

"..."

"Thanks."

He nodded his thanks to the waiter who brought him his order, completely captivated by the waiter, and then took a sip of his coffee.

The bittersweet aroma is quite nice; no wonder it's a hidden gem among niche shops.

"..." Then, he continued to fall into deep thought.

He had originally only intended to come and visit, and perhaps threaten Tsukimi Yachiyo, but now he was caught in a dilemma.

Should we pretend nothing happened, finish our meal, and leave, or should we intervene and get involved?

If I get involved, won't I end up having to deal with the Moon Person in the end...?

"..." He had a headache, thinking he wouldn't have a chance to face the other party.

Even if a fight broke out, he might not necessarily lose, and his chances of winning weren't small, but what if...?

The lives of family and friends are far more important than the fate of these two people.

Reason told him that he should pay the bill and leave now, but—he looked up at Sakayori Iroha's pretentious and friendly farewell to departing customers, and for a moment, the thought of staying and holding back took Takamine again.

"..." What a terrible thing to do.

If the person in front of him was just an ordinary "MyGO," he would have left without looking back, since he didn't lack anything anyway.

As time passed, the remaining customers left one by one, and the shop soon became even emptier than when he arrived.

In the process, he also made a decision.

It was agreed beforehand that if they really ended up facing the Moon Person, he definitely wouldn't risk going to war with a planet for their sake; at most, he would offer some assistance from the sidelines.

In fact, unless it's some kind of extremely serious grudge, his abilities are sufficient to resolve most situations.

If there's really nothing that can be done, then it's just that they were too mischievous and unlucky.

After making the decision, he felt much more relaxed; it had been a long time since he had encountered such a difficult situation.

The numbers in the corner of his phone screen changed, and soon, only his table remained in the entire BAMBOO restaurant, yet he continued to sip his coffee at a leisurely pace.

I ate half of the salad in front of me, and only took two bites of the burger.

At the cashier, the chefs and waiters were whispering among themselves.

"What... what should we do? Should we go and remind him that we're about to close?"

"Hmm~ But I don't want to leave a bad impression on him~!"

"Why are you sitting here? It doesn't seem like you can't pay the bill."

"Don't worry about it! There must be a special reason!"

"Such a melancholy profile... Did he break up with his girlfriend? I really want to go over and comfort him!"

"Hey! It's not okay to not go and tell them now!"

"Then you go."

"I..."

In the end, their gazes fell on the kind-hearted man in the shop.

"Sakayori! Please!" XN

"..."

Unlike the others who hesitated, Sakayori Iroha agreed very easily.

It wasn't because she was truly an incurable pushover, but because she also wanted to leave work as soon as possible.

After accepting the task, she nimbly approached Himemiya Chihaya, flashing the best smile she could muster, and asked in a practiced yet gentle voice:

"Sir, have you finished your meal? It's getting late, and we're about to close."

"If you'd like, how about coming back for dinner tomorrow?"

If you're still not full, we can have the kitchen prepare something for you to take away.

He quickly sent his nightly correspondence with Kogisora Yukina, then exited the chat window to prevent her from noticing "read" confirmation. He then looked up at Sakayori Iroha's somewhat troubled expression.

Sakayori Iroha Ayaka's cherry-colored lips twitched involuntarily, and the light cherry-colored eyeshadow under her lower eyelids also trembled slightly—if not told, few people would probably think that it was her dark circles being covered up.

Wow, what stunning looks! Looking at her up close, it seems even more incredible... She must be some kind of celebrity, right?

However, it has nothing to do with her.

Instead of answering her question, Himemiya Chihaya thoughtfully asked in return, "What's your name?"

"Eh...?!"

Upon hearing this, Sakayori Iroha felt a jolt run through her body and panicked instinctively.

Seriously? Just because she said the store was closing, the other side wants to complain about her?

He then asked, "What's your name? By the way, my name is Himemiya Chihaya. It's nice to meet you."

She showed no sign of happiness whatsoever... Sakayori Iroha swallowed lightly, quickly regaining her composure.

Go ahead and complain. Based on the trust I've built up, one complaint shouldn't be a big deal, and the store manager won't do anything to me.

"Sakayori Iroha, a pleasure to meet you, Hinomiya, please guide me."

At times like this, she was extremely grateful that the Japanese for "sir" or "madam" was replaced with "san".

"I see," he nodded slightly, and continued, "Sakayori, which of the three do you think is more important: effort, choice, or fate?"

"Eh--" Sakayori Iroha unconsciously uttered a long, drawn-out sound, two beads of sweat appearing on her forehead.

How did the topic suddenly shift to a philosophical level?

What to do? It seems like I've encountered one of those difficult customers.

Hopefully, it won't take up too much time; she needs to go back and watch Yachiyo's live stream tonight...

Chapter 562 Will gives rise to hope, and hope gives rise to...

"I think they're both important," Sakayori Iroha gave a rather conservative answer.

She actually wanted to realistically say that fate is the most important thing, but that's something humans can't control, and right now, just going through the motions is enough.

"That's a good answer, I think so too."

Ah, is that so? Sakayori Iroha thought to herself, feeling increasingly troubled by his situation.

"Actually, when I first saw you, I thought you were pretty boring, Ms. Sakayori."

"..." What is this person? Why does he keep saying such strange or rude things?

"... Is there anything I could have done better?"

"No, rather, you've gone too far. You make me feel like a hard worker without a backbone..."

"..."

"I don't really like that kind of person, so you immediately caught my eye."

"... Dislike and attraction are both grammatically incorrect sentences."

"That's just how humans are~"

"No, could you please not bring other people along? It'll put the other people in a difficult position."

"My lovely little sister once asked me when she was five years old: 'Big brother, what kind of person do you think is the most handsome?' Do you know how I answered?"

"... I don't know." It really was a boy, now I'm sure~ Thank goodness I wasn't rude.

But, with such a cute little sister... could he be a siscon (someone who's obsessed with his sister)?

The thought of her brother possibly saying such things about her to acquaintances sent a chill down her spine. How disgusting...

I suppose his sister thinks the same way he does?

"I didn't answer; instead, I asked her what kind of person she thought was the most handsome. Do you know what she said?"

"... I think I can imagine it." Seeing the unconscious upward curve of his face, Sakayori Iroha already guessed what he wanted to say.

"That's right! She said: My brother is the most handsome!"

"I guessed it." She sighed helplessly. "Would you like to have something else to eat later?"

"No, thank you."

"Understood."

She bowed slightly, then stepped back to her colleagues, informing them that they could leave now and that she would take care of the rest.

Fortunately, although the other person seemed a bit troublesome, they weren't the kind of drunkard who liked to get angry and verbally abuse people. They were probably just overwhelmed with the urge to vent and weren't dangerous at all.

But it's equally troublesome for her, because she doesn't know how much time it will take...

After she finished receiving her colleagues' gratitude and returned, Himemiya Chihaya continued the previous topic, "After hearing her answer, I also gave my own."

"Hey~ eh... what kind of is it?" Sakayori Iroha asked, forcing herself to appear interested.

"I say: The most handsome people are those who can walk confidently and proudly on the path they want to take in life."

"... That makes sense. How old were you then, sir?"

"Seven years old."

Although Ashiri is about a year younger than Sakurakoji Talent, Ogura Asahi is two years younger than Himemiya Chihaya.

"... She's really precocious."

"That's what everyone around me says."

"But I don't understand why you're telling me this."

"Because I'm a bit of a busybody."

"Hmm?" She tilted her head in confusion.

Instead of offering a direct explanation, he asked, "Of the three things you just mentioned, Sakayori, what is your view on the aspect of fate?"

"... Important yet unattainable and unchangeable."

"Is that so?" His fiery red eyes seemed to burn into her lush green forest. "I don't think so. I believe that so-called destiny is the result of both effort and choices."

"For example: if I hadn't chosen to come to this shop tonight, I probably wouldn't have run into Ms. Sakayori, right? Is that fate or a choice?"

"Ah..." She paused for a moment, then understood what he meant.

"My father once really liked a saying, a saying someone had told him, a saying that was enough to change his life. Would you like to hear it?"

"Listen carefully."

"Willpower begets hope, hope breeds dreams, and dreams change the world."

This sentence led Okura Yusei into the fashion industry, but he prefers another sentence:

'My happiness lies in making her dreams a reality in this world. So, whether I remain behind the scenes or she is the only one depicting those dreams, this is not a rule that binds me, but rather my way of showing respect to her.'

Although the couple's public displays of affection are indeed a bit... well, saying that line still sounds pretty cool.

Sakayori Iroha was taken aback. "Is that so...? That's a really good point..."

Himemiya Chihaya downed the last of her coffee in one gulp—of course, this was for a refill.

"The 'will' involved here, I think, is choice, but a more advanced, sublimated choice."

"As I said before, Sakayori, I saw through you at a glance!" He slammed his hand on the table, making a loud noise in the quiet shop, and pointed at her with a sharp gaze, as if he had seen right through her.

"You are a lost child who lacks will, hope, and dreams! You are the only person in the entire store who is so decadent!"

Sakayori Iroha stood frozen in place, stunned for a long while, before finally managing to squeeze out Vibrato of surprise from her throat.

"Eh, eh, eh eh~~~"

She pressed her hand to her chest, feeling as if she were coughing up blood from the corner of her mouth. This was the first time anyone had ever spoken to her so harshly.

No, am I really that bad?

How could someone be the only one without the will and dreams!