With Venti and the others arriving, the manga shop was once again filled with laughter and chatter.
Many of the readers loved to discuss the manga as they read,
especially when several people had chosen the same title.
It sparked all kinds of shared enthusiasm.
Paimon, while reading Digimon Adventure, was also chatting with Lumine about Cardcaptor Sakura.
"Lumine, I think Sakura's outfits are sooo pretty!
It'd be amazing if you drew one as a reward!"
She was already halfway down the rabbit hole of her new hobby—
ever since getting Daidouji Tomoyo's camcorder, she had picked up Tomoyo's filming obsession as well.
She now had a growing collection of "Lumine footage."
Once she finished reading today's manga, she planned to edit and compile it into a new entry for her Traveler's Log video series.
"Please no. Those outfits are way too embarrassing…"
Lumine glanced at the manga panels showing Tomoyo's frilly costume designs and winced.
Sure, they were cute—but also incredibly cringe.
No way she was wearing stuff like that.
She was already adorable just being herself.
Yes. She's that confident.
Paimon looked a bit disappointed.
If only Lumine could switch outfits daily… how awesome would that be?
Back behind the counter, Han Feng was feeling quite satisfied.
It wasn't just the steady Mora flowing in from manga rentals—
it was the overall atmosphere of the place.
The laughter, the conversations, the excitement…
It made the entire shop feel alive.
"But now that I think about it… something still feels like it's missing."
Han Feng tapped his chin and scanned the room thoughtfully.
The space itself was fine—
It wasn't as big as a full-scale library, but for now, it was enough.
Later on, when the number of customers increased, he could consider expanding the space.
The area was pretty secluded anyway, and few people lived nearby.
Thanks to the system, construction wouldn't be a problem.
"Right, it's the decor that's lacking!"
Suddenly, a flash of inspiration crossed Han Feng's mind.
He finally realized what had been bothering him about the shop's atmosphere.
While Solace Book House's modern design was fine, the decor was too plain.
Right now, the only embellishments were a few framed illustrations on the walls.
For a manga shop, that just wasn't enough.
In his past life, Han Feng had visited plenty of manga stores.
Besides the manga themselves, there were often a variety of related merchandise—
figurines, posters, cosplay outfits, themed accessories…
By incorporating physical items into the environment, those shops created a fully immersive anime atmosphere.
"Maybe I should do the same here,"
Han Feng mused.
Of course, his store was different.
He didn't need to sell merch to make money.
So there was no need to flood the place with flashy, low-quality goods.
That would only cheapen the aesthetic.
Everything should serve one goal: enhancing the manga-reading experience.
That said—
Figurines were a must.
A manga store without any figurines? That wasn't a real manga store.
He already had six manga series on the shelf.
He could commission one or two figures per title, place them around the shop for visual flair.
If more manga were added later, he could always expand the figure lineup accordingly.
Posters could go on the walls too.
As for cosplay outfits…
Well, not yet.
Maybe someday, when the timing felt right.
"But that means I'll need more space,"
Han Feng thought as he looked around.
Right now, it was already a bit tight.
If he added displays and figurine shelves, the current space would be insufficient.
That idea would have to wait.
He decided to table it for now and revisit the expansion plans after business closed for the day.
At that moment, Sara finally finished reading Cooking Master Boy.
A system notification appeared:
[Customer Sara has finished reading Cooking Master Boy.
Reward acquired: Recipe – Golden Fried Rice]
[Golden Fried Rice: A signature dish of Liu Maoxing.
When served, the dish glows with golden light.
One bite can bring tears of joy.]
"…She actually drew that?!"
Han Feng blinked, a little surprised.
Although it was just one cooking technique, for Sara, it was more than enough.
If she used it well, it could even become a new signature dish at Good Hunter.
BZZZZT——
A radiant light descended from the ceiling and enveloped Sara.
The sudden spectacle drew everyone's attention.
"Ooh, here comes the reward~ What do you guys think it'll be?"
Venti grinned, looking around.
"I bet it's food-related,"
Paimon answered immediately.
Sara had told her earlier she was reading a cooking manga,
so it only made sense that the reward would be related.
Lumine nodded—it was the most logical assumption.
"I saw the main character holding a knife on the cover.
Maybe the reward is… a super sharp chef's knife?"
Jean speculated.
"(⊙o⊙)…"
Paimon blinked.
That actually did sound possible.
After all, knives were definitely relevant to cooking.
Diluc, standing off to the side, watched the whole scene silently.
"So this is what a reward looks like…"
It really was mysterious—and oddly compelling.
Moments later, the light faded.
Sara blinked, feeling a strange sensation in her mind.
It was as if a complete recipe had just been etched into her memory.
"I'd say your luck's pretty good,"
Han Feng said with a smile.
"You got the recipe for Golden Fried Rice."
"Golden Fried Rice? The one that glows?!"
Sara's eyes lit up with excitement.
Han Feng nodded.
"Awesome!!"
Sara almost jumped with joy.
She had come hoping to gain cooking techniques—
and now, she had just gotten the best one!
These 100,000 Mora?
Totally worth it.
"Wow! Paimon, your guess was spot on!"
Venti gave her a big thumbs-up.
"Hehe~!"
Paimon puffed up with pride.
Then Jean chimed in, curiosity piqued:
"Wait—did you say a dish that… glows?"
She had never heard of such a bizarre culinary phenomenon.
"Yes! Miss Jean, when the lid is lifted, the dish emits actual light!"
Sara explained.
Everyone around her suddenly looked intrigued.
"I wanna try it!"
Paimon declared at once.
"Sara, once we're done reading, we're all coming to eat at your place!"
She couldn't read two manga a day, but eating manga food was the next best thing!
The others clearly agreed.
They were all curious to taste this "glowing dish" for themselves.
"No problem! You're all welcome anytime.
I'll head back and try cooking it right away."
Sara grinned confidently.
Then she turned to Han Feng and bowed slightly.
"Boss, thank you.
Once I perfect the Golden Fried Rice, you're invited to try it too."
Han Feng smiled back.
"Definitely."
Han Feng chuckled lightly.
…
~~--------------------------------------
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