"So this is what it looks like inside...
What a fascinating place."
Barbara's eyes lit up the moment she entered.
Unlike the cramped alley it was nestled in, the shop itself was open, airy, and beautifully arranged.
Bookshelves, sofas, tables, little decor pieces—it all came together with a unique and stylish aesthetic.
She was especially intrigued by the colorful illustrations on the walls:
A boy in goggles and a cap.
A girl holding a pink magic wand.
Barbara had never seen these characters before, but they made her all the more curious.
What kind of person is the owner of a place like this...?
"Welcome, beautiful and adorable Miss Barbara."
A calm, pleasant voice sounded beside her.
Startled, Barbara turned to see a handsome young man smiling at her from behind the counter.
"O-oh… hello, Boss!"
Barbara greeted him a bit shyly, her cheeks tinged pink.
She'd been so focused on the decor that she hadn't noticed anyone sitting at the front desk.
As for how he knew her name—well, that wasn't strange.
She was fairly well-known in Mondstadt.
Though… based on what Lumine had said earlier, maybe the shopkeeper really was as mysterious as he seemed.
"Here to read a manga?"
Han Feng gestured to the bookshelf with a smile.
"At the moment, we have three available titles: One Piece – East Blue Arc, Cardcaptor Sakura, and Digimon Adventure Season 1.
The price is 100,000 Mora per read. Only one manga per person per day."
Barbara's arrival didn't surprise Han Feng.
He had seen everything that happened earlier when Stormterror attacked.
By this point in the "story," Lumine had probably already met with the Knights of Favonius, and Barbara would have heard about the shop from her.
As expected—here she was.
Barbara gave a light nod and placed a pouch of Mora on the counter.
To an ordinary citizen, 100,000 Mora was no small amount.
But for Barbara, a member of the Church and a city idol, it wasn't a big deal.
Still, she couldn't help but ask—
"Boss, is it really true that you can get items or powers from reading manga?"
Han Feng nodded.
"It could be a unique item, like a song. Or a new ability. Or even powerful strength."
"...Songs too?"
Barbara perked up, eyes sparkling.
Power was nice, sure.
But what she truly loved… was music.
She dreamed of being a beloved idol, giving concerts to cheer up the people of Mondstadt.
A brand-new song from another world?
That was the ultimate reward.
"You'll know once you finish reading,"
Han Feng said with a faint smile.
Though her reaction gave him an idea.
If the shop pulled in more slice-of-life or music-themed anime in the future, there were tons of iconic songs Barbara could discover.
Who knows—maybe she'd be lucky enough to pull one.
If things went well, Barbara—the current idol of Mondstadt—might just become the idol of all Teyvat someday.
Han Feng thought about that with a hint of amusement.
He vaguely remembered that Mondstadt once had a "girl group," but they had disbanded a long time ago.
Who knew? Maybe they'd reunite because of Barbara.
While Han Feng was lost in thought, Barbara had already made her way to the bookshelf.
There weren't many books—just three manga:
One Piece – East Blue Arc
Cardcaptor Sakura
Digimon Adventure (Season 1)
"My sister said the Traveler and Paimon read One Piece and Cardcaptor Sakura…
So Digimon Adventure must be the newest one, right? Then I'll go with that!"
Barbara had a rough idea of what the first two were about—
A sea adventure and a magical girl story, most likely.
But this last one?
"Digital Monsters"?
What did that even mean?
She was a little confused, but intrigued. And in any case—
If she could only read one per day, she'd just try the rest later.
Decision made, Barbara picked up Digimon Adventure and sat down on the central sofa to begin reading.
"So that's what Digimon are!"
As she read through the story, Barbara slowly began to understand.
The manga's world had something called a "computer network," and the Digimon were virtual creatures born within it.
Barbara was both stunned and fascinated.
This was the kind of situation where she didn't fully get it, but she definitely felt the awe.
As the story progressed, she became more and more immersed.
"The Digital World is so amazing… So many interesting things, but also so dangerous. That Agumon turned into such a scary monster!"
Then—
"Whoa, Gatomon is adorable!"
Barbara's eyes sparkled with hearts the moment she saw the white-furred feline Digimon.
After all—
What girl could resist a magical cat companion with huge eyes and little gloves?
Later, when she read about Gatomon's backstory and saw the scars from being abandoned and mistreated as a child, her heart ached.
"So sad… If I had a Gatomon, I'd definitely take good care of her,"
Barbara whispered with genuine tenderness.
She hoped—no, wished—that she might get a reward related to this Digimon.