At this time in the restaurant.
Hayashi was lying on the sofa by the window reading a book.
Reading while listening to the sound of heavy rain pattering beside his ears.
The rainwater first hit the roof, then slowly flowed down.
Then poured down from the ground together.
Finally all entering the manholes together.
The sounds of this entire process were like a natural symphony.
As Hayashi read his book, his attention gradually shifted away from the words. He emptied his mind, covered his face with the book, and began meditating with closed eyes to enjoy it.
"Rainy days really do go better with napping~."
Hayashi dozed lightly for a while.
Before long, he felt someone outside the glass looking at him.
The aura was very familiar - someone he knew.
He ignored it.
After a while longer.
The person outside the window came in.
They walked to Hayashi's side, crouched down, and reached out to poke Hayashi's cheek.
Hayashi already knew who it was.
He pulled the book down, revealing his eyes to look.
"Back so soon? Doesn't Aogiri Tree have things to handle? CCG must be exploding right now."
Turning his head.
Both Takatsuki Sen and Kamishiro Rize were crouching beside him.
The one who had poked him with her finger was Takatsuki Sen.
Hearing Hayashi's confusion.
Takatsuki Sen wiggled her finger.
"Detailed matters just need to be left to subordinates. I only need to display power and guide Aogiri Tree's direction."
"You understand quite well then." Hayashi sat up and stretched.
Kamishiro Rize rubbed her stomach and said directly: "Hungry..."
"What do you want to eat?"
"Steak!"
Takatsuki Sen thought for a moment, seeing Hayashi had just gotten up, so: "I'll have the same."
Steak was the simplest thing to make.
Even more so for Hayashi.
The most crucial part was the beef itself.
Next was the heat control.
Finally the technique.
"Easy enough."
Hayashi returned to the kitchen and took out two high-quality steaks.
After simple draining and salt marinating.
Hayashi started pan-frying on high heat.
The pan heated until scorching hot.
Two steaks went in.
"Sizzle~~~!"
The pan bottom immediately made a scorching sizzling sound!
This was the signal that the temperature was right.
While pan-frying the steaks, Hayashi prepared a small piece of butter.
Because the steaks also had their own fat.
After frying one side for a certain time.
Hayashi flipped them precisely.
The flipped side had turned a beautiful reddish-brown color due to the perfect Maillard reaction.
The other side fried a bit more.
Hayashi added the butter and began basting for heat retention.
Timing it perfectly.
He precisely removed them and began resting.
The remaining time was for making small sauces and side dishes.
When the two steaks finished resting, Hayashi carried them out to serve.
"Clack~~~"
The steaks were placed on the table.
Both Takatsuki Sen and Kamishiro Rize couldn't help but swallow and take deep breaths.
Then simultaneously looked up at Hayashi.
Hayashi was startled by their stares.
"Why are you looking at me? If you want to eat, then eat."
This sentence was like athletes hearing the starting gun.
Takatsuki Sen and Kamishiro Rize both coincidentally grabbed their knives and forks to start eating!
Fork stabbing a corner.
Knife cutting fiercely.
As soon as a piece of steak was cut off, it was stuffed into their slightly parted rosy mouths.
Then chewed vigorously!
Both Takatsuki Sen and Kamishiro Rize ate very intoxicatedly.
Both slightly tilting their faces up, eyes squinting as they swallowed.
Completely expressions of enjoyment.
The kind of enjoyment that almost sent them to heaven.
While eating.
They also made "hmm hmm hmm~" humming sounds like felines.
Seeing this, Hayashi smiled helplessly.
Then sat at the bar counter to play on his phone.
It was now past 10 PM.
Opening TikTok to scroll.
Almost everything was about tonight's heavy rain, earthquake, and ghoul attacks on CCG.
"Damn, can't even find any edge content!"
Hayashi scrolled through videos that were all "big trouble" content.
Either posting heavy rain videos.
Or posting earthquake scenes and aftermath videos.
And videos of District 13's CCG branch being opportunistically attacked by ghoul organizations.
Hayashi watched the videos.
"Hm? Wait."
He discovered something interesting.
"Why can't I find any videos of the District 23 ghoul detention center prison being raided?"
He searched around, and there really weren't any!
There were videos of District 13 being attacked.
But almost no videos of the District 23 prison break!
Even if there were.
They were just citizens who heard the commotion posting videos from very far away.
Asking: Why were there such loud explosion sounds in District 23?
What happened?
Did something collapse, or did some nuclear whatever leak again?
"CCG suppressed the District 23 prison break incident?"
Hayashi couldn't help but laugh.
Compared to a prison break, obviously being ambushed was more bearable.
Prison defenses were very strong.
And so many ghouls were imprisoned inside.
All of them had been released.
Big trouble was coming!!!
So they chose to suppress the prison break and only let people know about the branch being ambushed.
"Really fucking corrupt."
Hayashi shook his head helplessly.
"But that's right. The investigators who can still work properly now are either driven by hatred or are crazy. It's hard to find normal people. Amon Koutarou is an exception among exceptions."
"Not to mention having a god-level insider actor like Arima Kishou. It would be a miracle if CCG was any good."
Seeing Hayashi chuckling to himself.
Takatsuki Sen finished her steak, wiped her mouth, and asked curiously.
"Did you see something happy?"
Hayashi told Takatsuki Sen what he had just seen.
Evaluating it as: "Completely shameless while still being stubborn."
After learning this, Takatsuki Sen laughed.
Her smile was both contemptuous and filled with dangerous aura, even somewhat manic.
Seeing this, Hayashi knew she was probably thinking about the next phase of her plans, possibly an amplified version!
"Seems like... the new book needs to be written faster." Takatsuki Sen murmured.
"Publish it quickly, or it'll be too late." Hayashi smiled.
"Yes." Takatsuki Sen nodded: "I'm actually staying up late writing every day now. After all, from publication to printing takes time. I plan to print a lot at once, and release the electronic version simultaneously."
Electronic version released simultaneously too?
That meant she was going all out for sales.
"Don't care about pirates either?" Hayashi asked.
Who knew Takatsuki Sen looked at Hayashi and smiled: "Wouldn't that be better?"
"You're ruthless." Hayashi admired.
On the other side.
Kamishiro Rize had just finished eating.
After wiping her mouth with a napkin, she opened her eyes to look at the two.
"CCG itself isn't a human organization, it's a ghoul organization. How could it truly protect humans?"
"But the Washuu family's methods are too vile. Both humans and ghouls are their enemies and must be eliminated."
Takatsuki Sen nodded in agreement.
There was infighting among ghouls, but it wasn't serious - just issues of living space and interests.
But the Washuu family directly attacked both humans and ghouls indiscriminately.
They only cared about their own family.
They were even harsher to ghouls than to humans.
Who could tolerate that?
"Seems you've already decided." Hayashi clapped his hands, satisfied: "Since you've decided, go ahead and do it. Just don't cause social unrest."
"Hmm..." This statement suddenly made Takatsuki Sen dissatisfied: "Hayashi-kun, how can you worry like that? I'm not antisocial. I just want all ghouls to have a home."
Kamishiro Rize also said: "I just want to stabilize my current life by eliminating unstable factors in advance."
One wanted to rule ghouls, forcing them to coexist with humans.
And the worst organization among ghouls was the Washuu family.
One wanted a stable life, but the Washuu family's existence was the biggest unstable factor, so according to Rize's personality, she would take initiative to eliminate them all!
That's why their goals were so highly aligned.
Hayashi nodded.
"As long as you know what you're doing. When I remind you, it might be too late to salvage the situation."
"I won't allow antisocial personalities to enter my diner."
"That would also make my future days no longer peaceful."
Antisocial personality was inherently bad.
Hayashi's dislike wasn't because of the anti-social aspect.
But because being antisocial would also make his life unstable.
It would be touching his territory.
But as soon as he finished speaking.
His left and right hands were grabbed by Takatsuki Sen and Kamishiro Rize.
"?"
Hayashi looked up.
Both their eyes were extremely sincere and serious.
Takatsuki Sen showed no emotion, but this was her most serious moment: "If I ever start going in a direction you most despise, even just a little bit, you must remind me. However you remind me is fine - scolding or hitting."
Kamishiro Rize gripped tightly and only said: "Everything revolves around you."
Seeing their expressions.
Hayashi immediately understood.
These two were scared by the statement about being banned from the store.
That statement was equivalent to banishment.
And both their dreams and goals were built upon Hayashi.
If they lost even the only pure land in their hearts, what would be the point of what they were doing?
Might as well die!
"You're overthinking." Hayashi pulled out his hands and patted theirs.
But both still looked very serious.
Like cats staring at you very solemnly.
Hayashi thought for a moment, then gave an example.
"How about this - I'm a chef, and I put my heart into every dish I make."
"So if I'm dissatisfied with you, then the dishes I make for you will definitely lack sincerity and soul."
"That way you'll know and can reflect on yourselves, okay?"
Only then did Takatsuki Sen and Kamishiro Rize nod vigorously: "Yes!"
Just like that.
The steaks were finished.
Everyone chatted and drank iced milk tea.
Time gradually reached 12 o'clock.
The rain outside had also changed from heavy rain to moderate rain.
It looked like it would become light rain around dawn.
Seeing it was about time.
Takatsuki Sen stood up: "Time to go back. I still need to stay up writing my new book."
Hayashi was helpless: "Don't tire yourself out. You're really being a bit extreme."
Takatsuki Sen smiled: "Thanks for the compliment."
"..."
Kamishiro Rize stood up, also indicating she was leaving.
Before leaving.
She made a "peace" gesture at Hayashi.
"Bye bye~"
"Bye bye."
It looked like a peace sign.
Actually it was telling him 2 AM - she still remembered.
Hayashi nodded helplessly.
He saw them to the door and watched the two leave.
Midnight.
After seeing off the last two customers.
There definitely wouldn't be anyone else for the remaining time.
Hayashi closed the door and started watching TV and playing games.
Seeing Hayashi come over, Kanna leaned against him to watch TV.
Having nothing else to do, Tohru also ran over, squeezed into Hayashi's arms, and looked up asking:
"Hayashi-san, what game are we playing?"
Hayashi was also bored.
These past days, he'd played through all the two-player games with Tohru.
There was nothing good left to play.
They'd completed everything.
"Let me see."
Hayashi opened Steam to look.
He also opened the city-building category to search carefully, finally settling on...
"Cities: Skylines!"
"How about raising some troublesome citizens?"
Tohru didn't understand: "What are troublesome citizens?"
"People who cause trouble and don't listen - disobedient citizens."
"Then why can you raise them?"
"Because this game is about building cities. You manage everything, including troublesome citizens. You have to solve problems for them."
"! That sounds fun!"
Looking at Tohru's expression.
Hayashi guessed she understood it as that other-world kingdom type where you're the king managing subjects.
But it didn't matter.
Add to cart, pay, download.
With good internet speed, it downloaded quickly.
"Let's play!"
Hayashi immediately chose terrain and started building and planning.
"To get rich, build roads first. Build more toll stations, fewer intersections."
Hayashi operated efficiently, first attracting people.
Roads were built casually, but entrances and exits all had toll stations.
Amusement park water was cheap, but using toilets cost money.
Sewage and waste were buried in a volcano crater.
The gameplay gradually went in a twisted direction.
Tohru's eyes.
Went from o.o
To 0.0!
Then to o.0?
At this time, Kanna paused her cartoon and curiously came over to watch.
But after seeing Hayashi torture the troublesome citizens.
Kanna stood up and pointed at Hayashi with her small hand.
"Wakatta! (I understand!)"
Hayashi tilted his head: "Huh?"
Kanna stood up and declared seriously: "Hayashi is the Demon King! The Demon King who destroys the world! You finally revealed your true nature!"
"Haha~~" Hayashi couldn't help but break character.
But seeing Kanna's dissatisfied look.
He straightened his face, slightly raised his chin, and said arrogantly:
"That's right, I am that kind of very bad, very bad Demon King who delights in tormenting humans, with the goal of destroying the world!"
Only then was Kanna satisfied and clenched her fist.
At a speed of 0.1 meters per second, she struck Hayashi's chest.
"Then by defeating you, Kanna will be the hero!"
Hayashi collapsed and lay in Tohru's arms.
"Alright, you win then. You're the hero."
Kanna: ...
Hayashi lay on Tohru's lap.
Looking up, he could just see Tohru's face.
At this moment, Tohru was frowning.
Hayashi thought she was going to say he and Kanna were being too childish.
But instead, she put on a sad expression and gesture of preparing to die.
"I'm the Demon King's personal secretary. If the Demon King is already dead, then I won't live either~!"
Hayashi: ...
Alright, so they were all childish.
The three played around and gamed together.
When tired, they ate and drank.
After playing for a while, Kanna became so sleepy she couldn't go on, like a battery suddenly running out, and fell asleep immediately.
Just like that, it reached 2 AM.
Hayashi closed the shop.
He had Tohru take Kanna back to sleep.
"Sleep well. If it's not raining too hard tomorrow, we'll go to the market to shop."
Tohru nodded: "Mm mm!"
She decided that if it was raining heavily tomorrow, she'd secretly use magic to move the clouds away. That way the rain would stop or be lighter, and then she could go shopping with Hayashi!
The restaurant closed.
Hayashi returned to his bedroom to lie down and rest.
And his phone message arrived almost precisely at 02:00.
Kamishiro Rize: My location address...
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