There are so many geniuses in the anime compilation! What's wrong with me joining?

Speaking of which, the package Hotaru prepared for herself was really heavy. No wonder she suggested driving there multiple times when we first left.

He adjusted the large gift bag in his hand, which was filled with all sorts of small dessert boxes. Roughly estimating, there were over ten to twenty of them. The solid weight pressed down on his finger joints through the thin handle, staining his originally snow-white skin red.

It's not like we're going for a picnic or a party, why prepare so much?

Even though I suggested it, I didn't expect to be the one carrying this weight in the end. Damn it, is this the weight of life?

Lost in thought, as he passed a corner intersection, a shadow entered his vision. Before he could adjust his stance, the two collided head-on. Sakurakoji Talent quickly raised the bag in his hand to protect it from harm.

CRASH!

Unsurprisingly, after the exchange of kinetic energy, both of them stumbled backward and fell to the ground.

Sakurakoji Talent had it worse. Because he was protecting the item in his hand, he didn't use his hands to brace himself, and his upper body flipped directly onto the ground, making intimate contact with the tiles.

"Ouch, ouch, ouch, ouch." He reflexively uttered this line, touching his head, then paused.

Huh, it doesn't actually hurt that much. This slight pain is nothing compared to what I usually endure. It's all the anime's fault for being too realistic, making him subconsciously think it should hurt a lot.

Once he came to his senses, he looked at the other person who had also fallen. At that moment, she was also touching her gluteal muscles, which had made contact with the ground. Her exquisite and delicate face was scrunched up, and she let out a heartfelt exclamation: "Ouch, ouch, ouch, ouch!"

"……" Sakurakoji Talent fell silent at such a standard reaction.

The person was petite, with long purple hair reaching her waist, clearly a woman at first glance. She was wearing a white hooded sweatshirt and a blue-gray baseball cap, looking like an ordinary girl who enjoyed the outdoors.

"I'm so sorry! I ran too fast and bumped into you! Are you okay?"

After getting up, the girl looked at him with an anxious expression, apologizing for her recklessness.

Sakurakoji Talent looked at her apologetic eyes, which were as tangible as stars, and a million alpacas stampeded through his mind. No way, I'd run into this? What a cliché morning drama plot?

"I'm fine. It's also my fault for not paying attention. I didn't hurt you, did I?"

"No, no, I'm fine." Hearing his answer, Hoshino Ai touched her chest and let out a sigh of relief.

That was close. If I had injured someone, my meager salary wouldn't cover it.

Image: "Girl at the Corner", Location: "Images/1753759374-100446961-113654807.jpg"

"As an apology, please accept this."

Sakurakoji Talent took out three dessert boxes from the bag and handed them to her.

"Huh? No, you don't have to! It was my fault for being too hasty!"

"No, as I said? It was also my fault for not watching where I was going and being in a hurry. Please, you must accept them, otherwise, I won't be able to rest easy."

Faced with his persistence, Hoshino Ai looked helplessly at the dessert boxes suspended in the air, which looked very fancy.

What should I do? Should I accept them or not?

It feels a bit embarrassing to accept, but they look really delicious. They must be much tastier than the bento boxes they give out at the venue, right? Hoshino Ai's mouth couldn't help but secrete some instinctual fluid.

"Just take them." Sakurakoji Talent seized the opportunity and placed the items into her arms, eliciting a gasp.

"Also, to ensure you have no lingering issues afterward, I'd like to exchange contact information with you."

"If there are any injuries later, please feel free to contact me."

"Huh? No, really, I'm fine. Look." She lightly spun her body to show her good health.

"No, this is my principle as a person. Please don't refuse."

"Then… okay."

Although it was a bit against the agency's rules, seeing his resolute attitude, refusing now seemed unreasonable.

I didn't expect him to be not only good-looking but also so kind. It seems the world isn't just full of dirty and painful things.

After exchanging Line accounts with her, Sakurakoji Talent was finally satisfied.

"Moreover, I also want to cheer you on, Miss Hoshino Ai of B-Komachi."

"Huh?" For the umpteenth time, Hoshino Ai, who was staring at the treasure in her arms, was startled by his words and looked up at him suddenly. "You know who I am?"

"It was too obvious." Sakurakoji Talent said with a smile.

"Damn, I thought my disguise was pretty good."

"But I didn't expect anyone to recognize me. After all, I'm just a small underground idol."

Hoshino Ai pouted, then became a little happy. This was the first time someone had recognized her on the street, even if it was due to an accident.

"Um, you…"

"My name is Sakurakoji Talent."

"Mm, Mr. Sakurakoji, are you… are you my fan?"

"You could say that."

"Then why did you want my contact information just now?"

"Of course, it's to get close to you and devour you completely."

"Wha!!!" Hoshino Ai took two steps back, looking at him with wary eyes, her gaze full of caution.

"Just kidding, of course." Sakurakoji Talent shrugged casually.

"Are you... kidding me?"

"Don't worry, I'm not that kind of shameless stalker. I wouldn't do anything like following or peeping."

"Ah, I have other things to do later, so I'll get going now." He waved his hand and turned back to Hoshino Ai, saying, "Keep up the good work."

"Ah, yes! Goodbye!" Hoshino Ai quickly bowed. Then, as if remembering something, her expression turned urgent, and her legs accelerated to 30 miles per hour again.

"Oh no! I'm going to be late for rehearsal!"

Watching her retreating back, Sakurakoji Talent chuckled and turned to walk away slowly.

Since he was going to be late anyway, he decided to just slack off!

"This is so delicious!"

Ichiji Nijika took a bite of the pudding Sakurakoji Talent had brought. Staring at the crystal-clear, pale yellow dessert before her, her eyes sparkled with delight. Her face was radiant with happiness as she couldn't help but exclaim.

"Delicious~"

Yamada Ryo didn't say anything, merely continuing to scoop spoonfuls to satisfy her taste buds.

"Really! Where did you buy this? It tastes way too sophisticated. I want to go too."

PA, holding a spoon in one hand and propping up her rosy cheek with the other, echoed the same sentiment.

Even though overindulging in sweets could lead to weight gain and a distorted figure, she couldn't care less right now. Faced with such exquisite taste, she felt she could eat as much as they offered.

"This is my family's Head Maid... I bought it near my house, it's a bit far from here."

"Is that okay? This looks really expensive. Can you afford it with your salary?"

Ichiji Hoshika was also enjoying the texture of the coffee jelly in her hand, but she still asked Sakurakoji Talent with concern. She suspected the price of these desserts might be equivalent to two or three days' worth of his salary.

"It's fine, it's fine. The Pastry Chef and I are acquaintances, so I got them at a very cheap price."

Sakurakoji Talent waved his hand dismissively, having anticipated their reactions.

Although Ichiyo was the Head Maid of the Sakurakoji family, her skills in making desserts had reached a professional level, no less than that of any Michelin-starred pastry chef. His sister Ashiri's dream was to become a professional pastry chef, and she often followed Ichiyo around to learn her techniques.

"Well, for the sake of such delicious desserts, I'll forgive you for being late today."

"Please be late once every day from now on!"

"That's so nice. If I could eat something this delicious every day, I'd even be willing to marry the person who gave it to me."

"You gloomy girl, when did you become so flirtatious? Hurry up and get to work after you finish eating!"

"Ehh~ So heartless! Hoshika-chan!"

"Who are you calling Hoshika-chan!"

Watching the lively scene unfold before him, Sakurakoji Talent's lips curved upwards. This feeling wasn't bad either.

Image: "Please like and bookmark, thank you", Location: "Images/1753760095-100446961-113654807.jpg"

Volume 1: The Everyday Life of Attracting Bees and Butterflies: Chapter 12: Starlight's Dietary Overhaul Plan

A few days later, during STARRY's opening hours, at the bar.

The ticket booth was crowded with people coming to buy tickets, but today, their target seemed to be something else.

"Hello, I'd like a caramel pudding, and an Earl Grey tea for my drink!"

"Certainly, please wait a moment. Drinks are ¥500 each, caramel pudding is ¥600, totaling ¥1,100. Thank you for your patronage."

"Excuse me, I'd like a hot coffee."

"That will be ¥500, thank you."

"Hello! I want a matcha parfait and a coffee jelly! Plus two fruit teas!"

"That'll be ¥2,800 in total. Here's your change, please take care."

"..."

"..."

Facing the continuous stream of orders and the starry-eyed gazes, Sakurakoji Talent handled it with ease, moving everything along quickly and accurately. Selling tickets, handing out drinks, packing desserts, taking money, and giving change – it was all done in one seamless flow, without any delay. The waiting time for each customer did not exceed 30 seconds.

The simple beverage menu, originally just a few lines on a sticky note, had been replaced by a cardboard sign with a black background. The cheap plastic cups were now replaced with sturdy paper cups printed with the 'STARRY' logo. The various desserts he introduced were also incredibly popular, selling out halfway through the day.

Ichiji Hoshika, standing by the sound booth, stared blankly at the unprecedentedly bustling scene before her, unsure of what to say.

"Is that guy... a little too competent?" she nudged PA.

"Indeed, he's practically an all-around great guy. Even I can't help but feel my heart flutter, dokidoki."

"Be serious!"

"I am being serious. Although the慰问品 Sakurakoji-san brought last time was delicious, the ones he's introduced are just as tasty. And they're made with such simple ingredients, it's incredible!"

"What, are you thinking of marrying him?"

"That wouldn't be a bad idea either. He's handsome, can cook, and we have so much in common. Aah~!"

PA cupped her hands over her face, showing a rare shy expression, as if she had already envisioned their happy married life.

"Crazy woman..." Ichiji Hoshika frowned.

Still, Sakurakoji Talent was indeed too outstanding. No one would not want their significant other to be like that, right?

At least for her, just being able to cook was extremely attractive... No, no, no, what am I thinking? I'm a staunch supporter of being single and never getting married!

"Speaking of which, should I give him a raise? The sales for the past few days have broken records."

"If you have any conscience at all."

"..."

Ichiji Hoshika fell silent, habitually scratching her hair, then sighed.

"I get it."

Sakurakoji Talent's proposed plan to improve Starlight's food and drink menu had been unexpectedly smooth. In just a few days, the beverage sales had increased from the baseline amount to a level that made Ichiji Hoshika feel was exaggerated, almost higher than the ticket sales.

Thanks to word-of-mouth from fans, some people even took the train from other places just to buy drinks and leave, without any intention of buying a ticket to watch a performance.

It's only been a few days! It's easy to imagine that this situation will only grow bigger in the future. It probably won't be long before new regulations are introduced, allowing only ticket-buying audience members to enter.

In her 29 years of life, Ichiji Hoshika had never seen such an absurd thing at any Livehouse, and she never expected it to happen at her own shop.

Food and drink revenue exceeding ticket sales revenue – is this even a Livehouse anymore?

Unlike Ichiji Hoshika and the others' astonishment, Sakurakoji Talent only felt fulfilled. At least there was some novelty. Wasn't the process of creating high-quality food also a form of artistic creation?

His previous life of repetitive, simple, mechanical labor had also begun to feel a bit boring and bland.