Picked Up Next to the Trash Can?

The words "Confectionery Shop" on the wooden sign had faded with age, but the faint sweet fragrance drifting from inside spoke to the quality of the desserts.

"This is the place," Anjing Zhen said, getting out of the car first.

Kitasan Black immediately hugged her notebook and study materials, practically bouncing out of the car with the tension and determination of a final sprint still written across her face.

The others got out one after another, curiously sizing up the venerable old shop before following Kitasan Black inside with amused smiles.

The shop was small, yet elegantly and warmly furnished. A row of vacant seats stood by the window.

Once they had taken those seats, Kitasan Black wasted no time opening her notebook again. Her eyes fell upon the densely packed notes as she began muttering to herself once more.

Seeing this, Almond Eye and Spring and Autumn Equinox leaned in from either side, quietly quizzing her on concepts. Agnes Tachyon and Daiwa Scarlet joined in with interest as well, occasionally pointing out key points of knowledge.

Watching the girls work so hard together, Anjing Zhen smiled faintly and rose to his feet. "You all sit tight. I'll go order some desserts."

He walked over to the old wooden counter and was just about to look at the menu when, from the corner of his eye, he spotted a familiar figure packing something on the other side of the counter.

A simple, elegant kimono, a meticulously arranged hair bun, the way her long ears perked up when she spotted a dessert she liked, and the slight wag of her tail...

"Eh...?"

The words nearly slipped out of Anjing Zhen's mouth, his voice full of stunned disbelief.

"Mom...? What are you doing here?"

At the sound of his voice, the figure