Ding-a-ling!
The brass bell on the neighboring shop's door rang again.
Ding Dong pricked up his ears, trying hard to catch the snatches of noise and casual chatter carried in on the wind during the instant the door opened, but his hands never stopped arranging the shelves.
The fox shopkeeper behind the counter had clearly noticed his clerk's brief distraction.
"—There aren't many customers left in the shop at this hour. You can finish sorting the goods tomorrow morning."
Hank slowly flipped through the ledger before him without even looking up. "I just saw Ding Dang head over there... You can get off work early too. I won't mark you absent."
"Is that okay?"
Of the Ear Brothers, Ding Dong had always been a little timid—or rather, cautious in his work. So even after hearing the shopkeeper's permission, he instinctively sought confirmation once more.
"Of course it is." Hank knew his temperament well and nodded with utmost certainty.
Delighted, Ding Dong curled his long, slender tail around his waist. Without even changing out of his robe embroidered with the D&K emblem, he dashed next door.
Unlike D&K, which was bright and clean every day, Old Daoist Mu Mingzi's former storefront next door had always seemed low, dim, and gloomy. Even though it had changed owners, the shop itself retained much of that old character. Sandwiched between Sanyou Bookstore and D&K, it looked especially inconspicuous. Even the brand-new sign hanging over its door seemed infected by that "low-key" air; few passing pedestrians ever stopped to give it a second glance.
Ding-a-ling!
When Ding Dong pushed open the door, a wave of charcoal-fire scent mixed with the aromas of various kinds of magic rushed into his face. The noisy voices of young wizards instantly filled his ears, making him halt unconsciously.
"You're