Hanamachi, Meru Maid Café.
The large, spotless floor-to-ceiling windows separated the interior from the noisy street outside. Classical music drifted gently through the café, creating a serene atmosphere.
Kuroneko, real name Gokou Ruri, was dressed in her favorite gothic lolita outfit, sitting stiffly in her seat, visibly uneasy.
Her hands rested on her knees, her back was straight, and her posture rigid.
"Welcome, customer. Would you like to order something?"
A maid holding a menu approached and asked politely.
"No, I'll wait a bit. I'm expecting someone."
"Very well. If you need anything, Master, please don't hesitate to call me."
As the maid left, Kuroneko finally let out a small breath. It was her first time in a place like this.
She shifted her gaze out the window, watching the passing crowd.
When will Miyabi-sensei arrive?
She thought to herself. Although the appointed time hadn't arrived yet, she had already been sitting here for a while. This meeting was extremely important to her.
Afraid of being late due to unforeseen circumstances, she had arrived early, only to find she was more than an hour ahead of schedule.
Bzz—!
Her phone vibrated on the table.
Kuroneko quickly picked it up and read the message.
[Are you already there?]
[Yes!]
[Alright, I'll be there soon.]
She set down the phone and pressed her lips together, nervously fiddling with the hem of her dress.
…
"She's already there?"
Sato was a little surprised as he put his phone down. There were still more than ten minutes before the agreed time, he hadn't expected Kuroneko to be early.
He reached the café in about two minutes.
After politely declining the enthusiastic maid at the entrance, Sato began scanning for Kuroneko.
He already knew her appearance from the site's admin panel, which included her profile and photo.
Soon, his gaze stopped at a familiar corner of the café.
Coincidentally, it was the same spot where he had once sat with Eriri.
And judging by Kuroneko's outfit, this girl might be another chuunibyou case?
For some reason, Sato suddenly thought of Rikka.
Outside of school, Rikka often wore gothic lolita clothing too.
In that regard, the resemblance between the two was uncanny.
He approached and sat down across from her, apologizing for being "late" as he studied her.
But the girl across from him didn't react. She had her head lowered, eyebrows slightly furrowed, lost in thought.
"Kuroneko?"
Sato called out with a somewhat amused expression.
Still no response.
With no other choice, he waved his hand in front of her face.
Finally, Kuroneko snapped out of it.
"Eh?!"
She blinked at the sudden figure in front of her.
"Miyabi-sensei?"
"It's me. What were you thinking about just now?"
Sato looked at her with curiosity.
She had strikingly long black hair styled in a traditional hime cut, pale porcelain skin, and a tear mole at the corner of her eye, an elegant Japanese beauty, rare and refined.
"S-Sorry!"
Kuroneko suddenly stood up, face flushing red as she bowed.
"No need. Sit down."
"Apologies, I got distracted just now."
She sat back down, embarrassed, hands clenched tightly in her lap.
"No need to be so nervous."
Sato could tell she was tense. She clearly wasn't the type to socialize easily.
But her nerves weren't something he could ease with a few words. Looking at the empty table, he waved to a nearby maid.
"Master, may I help you?"
"I'll have a lemon cake and a coffee. Kuroneko, what about you?"
She looked more composed after the brief distraction. Taking a deep breath, she said,
"I'll have the same as Miyabi-sensei."
"Alright. Make that two."
"Understood!"
Once the maid left, Sato smiled and asked,
"Still nervous?"
Though her face still had a faint blush, Kuroneko was now able to meet his gaze.
She bowed slightly again. "I'm sorry."
"If I'm counting right, in the two minutes we've met, that's your third apology."
Her blush deepened, and she said nothing.
Sato chuckled but didn't tease her further. He got to the point.
"Did you bring the new manuscript we talked about?"
"Yes!"
She nodded quickly and pulled a stack of neatly bound pages from a bag beside her.
"Because of the deadline, it's only 50,000 words so far."
"Fifty thousand is fine. That's more than enough to get a feel for it."
Sato flipped it open.
On the cover, the title stood out boldly:
"Regarding the Matter of Me Becoming the Demon King"
Author:
Chiba's Fallen Angel: Kuroneko
Opening the first page, he skimmed the synopsis:
A cunning, scheming protagonist is reincarnated as the new Demon King, ruler of vast territories in Hell. Just as he prepares to realize his grand ambitions, he suddenly discovers… he's actually an NPC in a video game, and he's the final boss the players must defeat.
Oh? This could be interesting.
Sato nodded. From the first paragraph alone, he could tell the story would be about a sly Demon King constantly misleading players, very fitting for Kuroneko's style.
He was pleasantly surprised to see several well-drawn illustrations that matched the scenes perfectly.
"You drew these yourself?"
Kuroneko, visibly anxious, swallowed and nodded.
Her eyes were bright, but clearly filled with nervous anticipation.
After reading through the first few pages, Sato looked up and asked,
"Would you be interested in becoming a professional author?"
Kuroneko blinked, stunned.
Then her face lit up with surprise and joy. Her voice trembled with excitement as she asked,
"Really? I can?"
"Judging by the quality of this manuscript alone…"
"Congratulations."
Sato smiled.