While Utaha devoured her plate without worrying too much about keeping her composure, Leonhardt also began to enjoy his own portion.
She alternated each bite with a piece of tofu, then a spoonful of rice, and between intervals, a small sip of sake that eased the sting on her tongue.
Leonhardt, on the other hand, preferred another method.
He took the spoon, served several portions of Mapo Tofu directly over the rice and mixed everything calmly before tasting it, letting the flavors fully blend together.
"..."
The diner fell into silence, interrupted only by the sound of chopsticks and spoons softly tapping against the plates, accompanied by the sound of both of them chewing.
Utaha ate with her cheeks flushed, not only from shyness but also from the heat of the spice. Her delicate lips, now slightly tinted by the red of the seasoning, shone with a tempting hue under the warm light...
For Leonhardt, however, the intensity of the spice was perfect.
The balance of flavors satisfied him completely, and in no time he finished his portion, leaving an empty plate in front of him.
"..."
Seeing it, he exhaled wearily, aware that what came next was the part he liked the least: washing the dishes.
However, noticing that Utaha had taken a pause, with her face still flushed and the sake in her hand, recovering from the burn before continuing, he decided it would be best to wait until she finished and then take care of everything together.
While waiting, he turned his gaze outside.
From the entrance, at the end of the alley, it was the same as always: almost no one passed by.
From time to time some curious person appeared, but the most they did was peek in, take a quick look and continue on their way. Hardly anyone ever stopped to eat.
Most only stayed for a moment because of the decoration, took a couple of photos to show off on social media, and then disappeared.
The alley, in fact, was full of commercial life. Besides the Midnight Diner, there was a flower shop, a coffee shop, a bookstore and even a small dessert shop, among several other places.
!
Realizing this, he became aware of something obvious: he had already been there for a while and still hadn't introduced himself to any of his neighbors.
And although he wasn't Japanese by birth, he knew that in this country there was a deeply rooted custom: when someone moved into a new house or opened a business, the proper thing was to visit the nearby shops, bring a gift, and at the very least, offer a polite greeting
"..."
He thought about it for just a few seconds and shrugged.
'Then, I'll bring them something to eat.'
At that moment, the voice of the system echoed in his mind.
[Random mission activated: It is said that a new shop has opened.]
[Mission objective: Bring a gift and politely introduce yourself to the neighboring shops.]
[Reward: Food gacha ×1]
'There's also a reward?'
The idea made him let out a soft laugh. Nothing complicated, nothing that forced him too much… and at the same time, it could bring him benefits.
He got up from the counter and returned to the kitchen to prepare the gifts. Some ingredients had already required anticipation, so he simply took the materials ready for pastries and began working on several sakura cakes, using the same method applied in the traditional osmanthus ones.
Basically, they are transparent cakes/jellies with petals inside, which, besides looking very pretty, have a soft, floral, and slightly sweet-salty taste.
After a while…
The result was a set of delicate and attractive-looking cakes, with an impeccable presentation.
When he took them out of the kitchen and began packing them carefully, he noticed that Utaha, who had just finished her meal, was staring at him with shining eyes.
"Boss~"
"Mm? Do you want to eat?"
"Mm!"
"…If you eat too much, you'll get fat."
"Three pieces are enough for me!"
"Only one."
"Eh~!" Utaha let out a sweet whine. "Boss~, no, Leonhardt-kun~~"
"Only one." Leonhardt's response left no room for negotiation.
Utaha's body was in just the right shape; the black stockings outlined her legs perfectly, and for him, it was pleasant to see her like that. What would happen if he fed her too much and she lost that balance?!
Resigned after realizing that she would really only receive one cake, Utaha took another sip of sake and slightly pouted her lips.
"Leonhardt-kun, mean."
Before going out to deliver the gifts, Leonhardt took Utaha's plate and his own and washed them quickly.
Then, with the ten portions carefully packed, he waved his hand at her before crossing the door.
"I'm going to deliver gifts to the neighbors. Help me watch the shop for a while."
Utaha nodded immediately. "If someone comes, I'll send you a message to let you know."
With those words, Leonhardt went out into the alley, and Utaha was temporarily left in charge of the shop.
"..."
She followed him with her gaze until he disappeared from sight and, unable to help herself, her lips curved into a sweet smile.
'Leonhardt-kun leaving me in charge of the shop meant that he trusted me.'
She stayed dazed for a moment with that feeling of satisfaction, until she looked back at the screen of her computer… still blank.
Her smile faded and she immediately reacted, hurrying to focus on searching for new ideas.
Meanwhile, Leonhardt began to go around the nearby shops to deliver the gifts.
The process was simple: knock on the door, greet politely, exchange a few words, leave the present with a cordial "I hope I can count on your support," and move on to the next visit.
After several consecutive deliveries, no shop left any special impression on him. Until he was left with the last portion in his hands.
He stopped in front of a small café with a cozy appearance. He lowered his gaze and read the wooden sign at the entrance: "Café Anteiku." Below, written in chalk, were the prices of different types of coffee.
"..."
So the famous Anteiku is right next to where I work…
It didn't seem strange to him that he hadn't noticed it before, since he spent most of his time inside his own shop: he ate there, drank there, slept there.
Lately, he had barely gone out, and he hadn't bothered to pay attention to the surrounding businesses either.
It was already evening and the café was still open.
It was the time when students left class, and inside, some "ordinary" customers occupied the tables while the "ordinary" waiters served as usual.
Through the window, Leonhardt distinguished a girl with short, dark-purple hair carrying a tray with several steaming cups.
At another table, a woman with an intellectual air, with long purple hair, flipped through a book while slowly savoring her coffee.
Behind the counter, a somewhat chubby man and a woman with a cold expression worked in silence, preparing more orders.
The elderly person in charge of the place didn't seem to be present.
"..."
For a moment, he thought about turning back.
…Maybe it's not worth delivering the gift. I don't want to cause myself trouble.
But then he sighed. 'In the end, whatever has to happen, will happen. And I'm not the type to back down.'
He took a deep breath, adjusted the bag with the last box of cakes, and murmured: "Since I'm here."
Leonhardt stepped sideways into the café, gently pushing the door, and the metal bell hanging above rang.
Ding
The waiters in the shop turned their heads toward him and greeted him in unison.
"Welcome!"
Everyone's gaze fell on him, and Leonhardt responded with a calm smile, lifted the gift in one hand, and introduced himself.
"I am the owner of the Midnight Diner, at the end of this alley. My name is Leonhardt. I brought this as a gift, I hope from now on we can get along well."
"Owner?" Among those present, a young woman with short, dark-purple hair, Touka Kirishima, looked at him in surprise. "So young?"
Before Leonhardt could respond, a somewhat chubby man, wearing a suit vest and with brown hair slicked back, stepped forward with a cordial smile.
"Hello, I'm Enji Koma. The owner isn't here right now, but I still hope we can get along well."
He bowed slightly as he took the package from Leonhardt's hands. Then he turned toward one of his coworkers, a woman with a cold expression who was working behind the counter, and instructed, "Irimi, prepare a cup of coffee."
The woman nodded silently and began preparing the drink.
"..."
Leonhardt remained standing for a moment, thoughtful. He hesitated, but in the end, told himself there was no reason to refuse.
After all, Anteiku was also a business like his own, and a simple coffee didn't have to be a problem.
Enji guided him with a gesture to an empty seat, inviting him to sit down. Leonhardt followed, glancing sideways at the atmosphere of the place.
However, as he moved forward, he passed by a table and the customer reacted.
It was a woman with long, light-purple hair who suddenly lifted her head from her book. She wore a simple white dress, had red, half-rim glasses, and held the open volume in her hands.
Yet what had pulled her out of her reading wasn't the sound of the bell, but something else.
When Leonhardt passed near her table, she inhaled the air unconsciously, as if something invisible had struck her senses head-on. She froze in shock.
!
Her pupils contracted in an instinctive reaction, she pressed her lips firmly together and swallowed with difficulty. Even her breathing, until a moment ago calm and elegant, became faster, unable to hide the sudden disturbance that had overtaken her.