An izakaya, a traditional tavern of Shenzhou, is a restaurant that serves both alcohol and meals.
Originating in the Edo period, they are said to have begun when liquor shop owners, seeking to allow customers to drink on-premises after a purchase, started offering simple dishes.
As times changed, the izakaya gradually became an indispensable part of Japanese culture, often appearing as a setting in films and television dramas.
---o---
The petite, white-haired girl followed behind the golden-eyed youth, swept along with a stream of office workers into an izakaya by the roadside.
With practiced ease, the youth requested a private room from the waiter, ordered a few small dishes, and led Miss Stargazer inside.
How did it come to this?
The white-haired girl, who had been inexplicably dragged to an izakaya by this person, sat in the distinctly Japanese-style room, her expression bewildered.
She still couldn't fathom it. After catching her attack, he had only half-questioned her before deciding to bring her here for a meal.
"Still haven't figured it out?"
The youth, who had clearly sensed Miss Stargazer's confusion, poured tea for himself and for her. He raised an eyebrow. "Still trying to make sense of it?"
"I... still find it a bit difficult to comprehend," the girl, who truly couldn't keep up with his thought process, admitted. She accepted the teacup and took a light sip, her voice somewhat subdued.
This person's way of thinking felt like it belonged to another universe entirely.
"You still don't get it? Well, since you can't figure it out, I'll just tell you straight."
"It's because you're very pretty, so I wanted to get to know you."
The youth said it as if it were the most natural thing in the world.
"If you want to get to know a girl, you naturally have to seize every opportunity for contact, right?"
"If you were hideous, or a guy, I wouldn't care if you had the kindest heart and the noblest character. I still would have hit you with a Rising Dragon Fist for revenge."
At these words, the corners of Miss Stargazer's mouth couldn't help but twitch.
He was certainly...
...an honest person.
Clutching her teacup, Miss Stargazer fell silent.
So, your method of approaching a beautiful girl is to back her into a corner and then force her to get to know you?
That was...
...utterly insane.
And another thing—
Didn't you just reveal that you're an incredibly petty and vindictive person?
Miss Stargazer, whose perception of him had just undergone a seismic shift, sighed inwardly.
Just moments ago, she had believed him to be an exceptionally terrifying figure in this world. Now, her impression of Li Zihan had been revised to: a horny goofball with high combat power and intelligence.
Honestly, why did she keep encountering such strange people recently?
The girl, who had already dealt with the Mop-Head and the Immortal, wore an expression on her delicate face that could have formed the character "囧".
She still had the vital mission of finding the Immortal's husband to learn how to save her world, yet she had been detained by this person for such a reason.
Then again, the food here did seem quite good.
As the waiter brought out dish after dish, Miss Stargazer's mood began to shift.
Having spent the entire day searching for people, she had barely eaten. As the rich aroma of food filled the air, she instinctively swallowed.
"Go on, eat up."
Quite naturally, the youth picked up his chopsticks and placed a pan-fried dumpling in her bowl. Then, with a cheerful air, he refilled her half-empty teacup.
Such overly familiar actions clearly made Miss Stargazer uncomfortable.
"What are you—"
Completely unable to understand his behavior, she tilted her head and glanced at his profile, a look of confusion on her face.
"Is it strange for a guy to try and curry favor with a pretty girl?"
As if he were witnessing something truly bizarre, the youth raised an eyebrow. After having just served her a dumpling, he began to slice some vinegared mackerel, dipped it in sauce, and placed it in her bowl.
Miss Stargazer was silent.
A proactive boy trying to curry favor with a pretty girl wasn't strange at all...
But—
For someone like you, who was radiating a final-boss aura just a moment ago, to suddenly behave like this is incredibly jarring!
Your entire character profile has collapsed!!
The girl, whose initial impression of him was certainly not that of a hyperactive, hormone-driven teenager, was at a loss for words.
Looking at the youth who now resembled a goofy husky, she could no longer recall the oppressive aura he had exuded when they first met.
But then again, if he was trying to curry favor with her, did that mean he was interested in her?
As someone who had never been confessed to in her entire life, Miss Stargazer watched the youth eagerly cutting fish and grilling skewers for her, her feelings a complex mix.
It was...
...a very novel experience.
That complex feeling nearly doubled in intensity when he piled almost all the food in front of her.
He seems kind of dense, she thought.
The girl's lips twitched, feeling that his method of ingratiation was practically prehistoric.
"It won't be as good when it gets cold."
As she was lost in thought, the youth's voice drifted into her ears.
Miss Stargazer absentmindedly chewed on a piece of fish, her mind on other things.
Since he's interested in me, I suppose I could ask him for some information.
If possible, she would rather not trade on feelings or goodwill to obtain something; it made her, a person who never liked to be indebted, feel very ill at ease.
But—
Recalling the landmark she had failed to find after a full day of searching, her resolve shifted.
Oh, whatever. I'll find a way to repay him in the future.
Her impression of him now firmly downgraded to "dolt," the girl looked up at the youth.
"May I ask, are you familiar with this area?"
"I get by pretty well in this world. You can ask me anything," the youth declared with a serious expression, like a small-time punk bragging about his connections.
This guy seems so unreliable, Miss Stargazer thought.
Be that as it may, she still passed him the map the Immortal had given her.
"Then, do you recognize this place?"
"Let me see."
The youth took the map and examined it closely.
"It looks a little familiar," he murmured after a moment.
Miss Stargazer's heart began to beat wildly.
She looked at him, suppressing her excitement as she asked, "Where is it?"
"If I said the place on this map is where I live, would you believe me?"