Sato Hayato trusted Fang Cheng, so he didn't ask any questions. He let Fang Cheng lead him to a famous red-light district in Tokyo's Fourth Layer.
The Flower Street wasn't as lively in the morning as it was at night. Trash littered the ground, and a few sanitation workers were cleaning up.
Some men lay passed out by the roadside, their collars open as they welcomed the chilly morning breeze.
Fang Cheng parked in front of an inconspicuous izakaya.
Sato Hayato had visited this Flower Street a few times with his classmates, but he couldn't recall ever seeing this nameless izakaya.
Fang Cheng had planned to leave Sato Hayato outside. Then he remembered that the kid wasn't an ordinary person anymore, and figured it wouldn't hurt to let him see a little more of the world.
He locked the car and went over to push open the door. Sato Hayato hurried after him.
The izakaya's layout was the same as the last time Fang Cheng had visited.
"Sorry, customers, but we're closed in the morning."
A small head peeked out from behind the counter. It was the cat-eared girl who had served Fang Cheng last time, though she wasn't wearing cat ears today.
As soon as she saw Fang Cheng, her customer-service smile vanished. She pouted. "Why is it you?"
Sato Hayato stared, dumbstruck. He had never seen a girl so beautiful and delicate. She looked like she'd stepped straight out of an anime.
The girl noticed his dazed expression and smiled as she held out a hand to him. "It's five hundred yen for a minute of looking, customer."
Sato Hayato snapped out of it and reached into his pocket, only to look embarrassed. "I didn't bring any money."
Fang Cheng cut off the girl's teasing of the innocent