Morning always carried a distinctive air of everyday life.
Not the cold, gloomy Ether of a Hollow, but the tangible scents of living-the sweet aroma of freshly steamed barbecue pork buns, the rice fragrance of piping-hot congee, and the tea wafting from Yum Cha Sin on the corner.
Lin Shuo stood in front of his ramen stall, looking at the striking sign in the distance.
The sign was a face-shaped teacup that opened and closed, giving a crisp little chime each time.
The shop was small but always full. Through the glass windows, he could see a figure bustling inside-
Tea-brown twin tails, purple eyes, and a red cheongsam outlining curves at odds with her age.
Anko.
The proprietress of Yum Cha Sin, one of the youngest shop owners in Lumina Square.
Lin Shuo remembered his regret when he first saw her in the game-why was such a vivid, lively character only an NPC? How great would it have been to make her an Agent and put her in the gacha pool?
Of course, now that he was in this world, Anko was real.
"Dad, what are you looking at?"
Lin You's voice came from beside him.
She wore a light blue dress today, her red twin tails tied neatly-Yuzuha's handiwork.
Lin Yue stood beside her, her orange hair equally carefully combed, her green eyes full of anticipation for the new day.
"The proprietress." Lin Shuo looked away and began lighting the stove to heat the pot.
"The proprietress?" Lin You followed his gaze. "Oh! It's Anko! Her shrimp dumplings are so good!"
Lin Yue blinked. "Anko...?"
"Yeah! The lady who runs Yum Cha Sin! She's super nice. She always gives me an extra piece of turnip cake!"
As Lin You spoke, her eyes suddenly lit up. "Dad, can we have breakfast at Yum Cha Sin today?"
Lin Shuo glanced at her. "The ramen stall owner's daughter wants to eat breakfast somewhere else?"
"But I want rice noodle rolls..." Lin You pouted.
"I... want to try them too," Lin Yue said quietly.
Lin Shuo looked at his two daughters' expectant eyes, then at the short queue outside Yum Cha Sin in the distance.
"...Just this once."
"Yay!"
Ten minutes later, the three of them stood outside Yum Cha Sin.
The shop was already packed with early customers-construction workers hurrying to work, elderly people back from their morning exercise, and a few corporate school students.
Anko stood behind the counter, gently waving her round fan, Ten Thousand Ryo, a warm smile in her purple eyes.
"Shrimp dumplings, rice noodle rolls, barbecue pork buns! Freshly made, a taste to remember, not to be missed~"
Her clear, pleasant voice as she called out to customers in Cantonese sounded like singing.
Seeing Lin Shuo and the girls, she blinked and covered half her face with her fan.
"Oh my, if it isn't Mr. Lin from Ichiraku Ramen! What brings you to my little shop today?"
Lin Shuo nodded. "Morning-brought the kids for breakfast."
Anko's gaze fell on Lin You and Lin Yue. A flicker of surprise passed through her purple eyes, quickly replaced by a smile.
"What adorable little girls~ The red-haired one is Yuzuha's, right? This orange-haired one... looks a little like you, Mr. Lin."
"She's my niece."
Lin Shuo's expression did not change.
"Lin Yue."
"Lin Yue, what a lovely name~" Anko stepped out from behind the counter, the slit in her cheongsam revealing her fair thighs as she moved.
She crouched to meet Lin Yue's eyes. "What would you like, Xiao Yue? How about I treat you to some turnip cake?"
Lin Yue looked at Lin Shuo and only spoke softly after he nodded. "Thank you..."
"What a good girl~"
Anko stood, tapping her fan lightly against her palm. "And you, Mr. Lin? The usual, sampan congee and fried dough sticks?"
Lin Shuo paused. "You still remember?"
"Of course I do~" Anko smiled sweetly.
"You order it every time, Mr. Lin. You say, 'The congee has to be thick, and the fried dough sticks have to be crisp'-I wrote it down in my notebook~"
As she spoke, her gaze lingered on Lin Shuo's face for a moment, a subtle glint passing through her purple eyes.
"Come to think of it... you seem to have lost a little weight lately, Mr. Lin. Has the ramen stall been keeping you too busy?"
"...A little." Lin Shuo glossed over it.
Anko stared at him for two seconds, then smiled. "That won't do~ I'll add an extra egg today, on me~"
"No need-"
"Yes, there is~" Anko cut him off, turning toward the kitchen. "Little Tiger! One sampan congee with an egg, one rice noodle roll, one shrimp dumplings, and two turnip cakes!"
The robot Little Tiger's muffled reply came from the kitchen. "Got it, boss!"
Anko turned back and winked at Lin Shuo. "Find yourselves a seat. It'll be ready soon~"
There were no empty seats left.
Lin Shuo was about to ask for takeaway when Anko swiftly cleared a small table-right beside the counter.
"Sit here~"
She wiped the table. "The light's good here, and you can see the street."
Lin Shuo looked at the two customers who had clearly just been "asked" to move-they stood in the aisle holding their bowls of congee, looking utterly bewildered.
"...Sorry for the trouble."
"No trouble at all~" Anko smiled brightly.
"You're a celebrity in Lumina Square, Mr. Lin. It's an honor to have you visit my little shop~"
As she spoke, her purple eyes curved into crescents.
Lin You pulled Lin Yue into a seat and whispered, "Anko takes extra good care of Dad..."
Lin Yue tilted her head. "Why?"
"I don't know... but she gives him extra things every time he comes."
The two little girls whispered to each other.
Anko brought over tea, a rich pu'er.
"Have some tea first. The congee will be ready soon~"
As she spoke, her gaze returned to Lin Shuo's face. "Mr. Lin... have you run into some trouble lately?"
Lin Shuo looked up. "Why do you ask?"
"Intuition~"
Anko tapped her temple lightly with her fan. "A woman's intuition is very accurate, you know~ Besides..."
She lowered her voice. "Lumina Square hasn't been peaceful lately-the Order's people have been active, and TOPS has been making moves too. You're looking after two children alone, Mr. Lin... be careful."
Lin Shuo stared at her for a few seconds.
Anko's expression was natural, her purple eyes holding nothing but genuine concern.
"...Thanks for the warning."
"You're welcome~"
Anko straightened.
"Lumina Square is only so big, after all. We should look out for one another~"
She turned to attend to the other customers, the hem of her cheongsam swaying gently with her movements.
The jade Buddha on her thigh band shone with a soft luster in the morning light.
Lin Shuo lifted his teacup and took a sip.
The pu'er had a strong aroma, with a hint of mellow age.
He recalled Anko's character profile in the game-the proprietress of Yum Cha Sin, with a mysterious background and an ever-smiling face.
But establishing herself somewhere like Lumina Square took more than a smile.
"Mr. Lin, your congee's here~"
Anko brought the tray over herself.
The sampan congee was cooked just right, its rice grains bursting open, its toppings plentiful. The fried dough sticks were golden and crisp, served on a small plate.
The rice noodle rolls were translucent, the shrimp dumplings had thin wrappers and generous fillings, and the turnip cakes were fried crisp outside and tender within.
"Go on, try it~" Anko watched him expectantly.
Lin Shuo scooped up a spoonful of congee and put it in his mouth.
The temperature was just right, the seasoning balanced, the seafood's delicate sweetness blending perfectly with the smooth congee.
"...It's delicious."
"Right? Right~?" Anko smiled happily.
"Our congee uses a family recipe passed down through the generations. It simmered for three hours~"
She turned to Lin You and Lin Yue. "And what do you girls think?"
Lin You had already stuffed her mouth with shrimp dumplings and said indistinctly, "Sho good!"
Lin Yue took small bites of turnip cake and nodded. "Mm... it's very good."
Anko smiled until her eyes narrowed.
She stood beside the table, showing no intention of leaving.
Her fan swayed gently as she watched Lin Shuo with her purple eyes, hesitating to speak.
"...Was there something else?"
Lin Shuo asked.
Anko hesitated, then lowered her voice. "Mr. Lin... have you received any strange commissions lately?"
"Strange commissions?"
"I mean..." Anko leaned closer, a faint tea fragrance drifting from her.
"Anything involving Hollows, or... 'those things.'"
Lin Shuo's gaze sharpened slightly.
"What are you referring to?"
Anko stared at him for a few seconds, then sighed.
"Never mind. Forget I said anything~"
She straightened, her smiling expression returning. "Enjoy your meal, Mr. Lin. I'll go see to the other customers~"
She turned away, the hem of her cheongsam tracing an elegant arc.
Lin Shuo watched her return to the counter, a complicated glint in her purple eyes in the morning light.
This proprietress... knew something.
Breakfast ended in silence.
Lin You and Lin Yue ate their fill, their little faces full of happiness.
When it came time to pay, Anko refused to take any money.
"I told you, it's on me~"
She pushed back the Denny Lin Shuo offered. "Think of it as... an advance payment."
"An advance payment?"
"Mm~" Anko blinked.
"If I get into trouble someday, you'll have to come help me, Mr. Lin~"
Lin Shuo looked at her for a long while, then nodded.
"...All right."
Anko smiled, covering half her face with her fan, leaving only her crescent-shaped purple eyes visible.
"Then it's a deal~"
The morning light was just right as they left Yum Cha Sin.
Lin You held Lin Yue's hand as they skipped ahead.
"Anko's so nice!"
"Mm..."
"Can we come eat here again next time?"
"Dad said just this once."
"Aww-stingy!"
Following behind them, Lin Shuo glanced back.
Yum Cha Sin's sign was still opening and closing gently, giving little chimes.
Behind the counter, Anko was chatting and laughing with customers, her fan swaying gently, the red of her cheongsam especially striking in the morning light.
She suddenly looked up in Lin Shuo's direction.
Their eyes met.
Anko paused, then broke into a smile and waved her fan.
Lin Shuo nodded in response, then turned to leave.
Back at the ramen stall, he began the day's preparations.
Simmering broth, kneading dough, preparing toppings.
Lin You and Lin Yue helped too-Lin You was already skilled at it, while Lin Yue was still learning.
"Dad, what did Anko mean by 'strange commissions'?" Lin You asked as she washed the vegetables.
"...I don't know."
"But she looked really worried." Lin You tilted her head. "Is something going to happen?"
Lin Shuo did not answer.
He recalled the look in Anko's eyes-the unease hidden beneath that seemingly relaxed smile.
And the Order and TOPS she had mentioned.
This proprietress was probably more than an ordinary tea restaurant owner.