"Gurgle…"
The sound of a protesting stomach finally pulled Lin Zhi out of his deep thoughts. Slumped over his computer, he blinked, picked up his phone, and raised an eyebrow at the time.
It was already four in the afternoon. He hadn't even eaten lunch.
"Ah…"
Letting out a sigh, he set down his pen and stood up, stretching until his joints cracked like an old, rusted machine. Grimacing, he rubbed his shoulder and knees, then shuffled into the kitchen to make himself a cup of instant noodles. After quickly finishing it, he headed out the door.
Sonomura Japanese Confections
That was the name of a small traditional sweets shop Lin Zhi had found near his apartment. Nestled in a quiet residential area, the shop had a weathered, old-fashioned look and sold handmade Japanese confections.
As he stepped through the noren curtain, a sweet aroma filled the air. Behind the spotless glass counter, rows of delicate sweets gleamed invitingly. A gentle-looking middle-aged woman stood behind the counter in a white apron.
"Welcome," she greeted with a warm smile.
"Hello," Lin Zhi replied, nodding politely before turning his gaze to the confections behind the glass.
Tch… these didn't look cheap at all.
His expression grew complicated as he stared at the little price tags beside each treat. Even though he wasn't exactly poor these days, seeing those numbers still made his wallet ache.
But there was no avoiding this expense.
"Please pack a few assortments of sweets for me," he said. "Nicely wrapped, like a gift."
"How many would you like?"
"Hmm… three boxes should do."
Usually, when moving into a new place, it was customary to greet the neighbors above, below, and on either side—but since the girl next door was Gabriel, that visit was… unnecessary.
"Of course," the shopkeeper said pleasantly. She seemed like a talkative type, chatting as she wrapped the sweets.
"I don't think I've seen you around before. Did you just move into the neighborhood?"
Lin Zhi, still scrolling through the latest news on his phone, paused and looked up. "Yeah," he said after a beat. "I moved here alone because of school."
"Alone?" The woman's curious gaze lingered on him a little too long, making him uncomfortable.
He turned his head slightly before answering. "My family's from a small mountain village in Akita. Because of the aging population and the lack of young people, the local high school stopped taking new students. So if you want to go to high school, you have to move into the city. I wanted to see the world a bit anyway, so I applied to a private school around here."
"I see…" The woman sighed softly, half admiring, half wistful. "My eldest daughter's about your age, but she's always bouncing around like a wild child."
"She really gives me headaches sometimes."
A wild child, huh? Lin Zhi chuckled inwardly. Seeing the woman's mixed expression—half exasperation, half affection—he couldn't help but smile.
"Well, I think that's a good thing," he said. "It just means she's carefree. A lot of people wish they could live that freely."
"You're right," the woman said, her mood lightening as she laughed softly. Being able to let her daughter live that way clearly made her happy too.
Just then, hurried footsteps sounded outside, growing louder and accompanied by heavy breathing.
Curious, Lin Zhi turned toward the door. The shopkeeper's face suddenly changed, as if she knew what was coming.
The curtain was thrown open, and a girl with bright orange hair tied in a side ponytail burst in, panting heavily. She clattered something onto the counter with a thunk and leaned forward, catching her breath.
"Haa… haa…"
She tried to speak between gasps but couldn't get the words out. After a few moments, she straightened up, chest still rising and falling, and blinked in surprise at the stranger beside her before turning to the woman behind the counter.
"Mom! I'm going to Umi's place!" she announced brightly.
And with that, without waiting for a reply, she dashed back out as quickly as she had come.
By the time the woman snapped out of her daze, her cheeks had already flushed red. "Honoka! When will you ever learn to be more ladylike?" she shouted after her, but her daughter was long gone.
The shopkeeper sighed in defeat, then turned back to Lin Zhi, rubbing her temple. "See? That's not innocence. That's just being a handful."
"Hmm… maybe you could call it being full of energy instead," Lin Zhi said awkwardly, forcing a small laugh.
It wouldn't be polite to agree outright when a parent was complaining about their child. That kind of comment could get taken the wrong way.
The woman's smile returned, her eyes shining with amusement. "You're a kind young man, you know that?"
Kind? That counts as kind? Lin Zhi thought, almost laughing. That's a pretty easy standard.
Just then, the shopkeeper finished packing up the boxes and slid the neatly stacked gifts toward him with a bright smile.
"That'll be twelve thousand yen."
"Oh… sure thing!"
Trying not to grimace, Lin Zhi forced a smile and paid the bill. After saying goodbye, he stepped out of the confectionery and glanced back at the shop.
So expensive… feels like I just got robbed.
He checked the time on his phone and started heading back to his apartment. By now, the neighbors should be home.
Socializing… what a pain.
Lin Zhi rubbed his temple. He was never particularly good at talking to people. Even when he came across as friendly, deep down, he still preferred to keep to himself.
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T/N:
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