"Will you appear suddenly?"
"At the cafe on the street corner?"
"I'll greet you with a smile."
"And sit down to chat for a while."
Inside the car, Arata hummed soulfully while driving. The song sank deep into Denji's heart; he closed his eyes, swaying slightly, intoxicated by the melody. It served as a perfect prelude for the encounter between Denji and the girl in the cafe.
As the humming ended, Denji opened his eyes and asked, "Master, what song were you singing?"
"'A Long Time No See.'"
"It sounds so good. It makes one feel entirely at peace."
"The reason I sang that song was to put you in that specific mood. Don't be nervous when you see the girl later, and please, don't just stare at her chest—try to discover her inner beauty."
"Inner beauty? What's that?" Denji scratched his head. Around Arata, he would always be a curious child.
"You'll understand in the future."
Arata didn't elaborate. They could already see the Erdao Cafe not far ahead.
"I didn't expect you to be not only strong but also such a good singer, Master."
"There's a lot your Master can do; you just haven't discovered it yet. I could win every award at a music ceremony with just a single Nocturne."
As soon as he finished speaking, the car stopped. "We're here. Get out."
They stepped out and looked at the exterior of the cafe. Arata pushed the door open, and the bell above chimed. An old, weary-looking man stood behind the bar.
"Welcome. What can I get you?"
"We're waiting for a friend; we'll order later."
"Please, take a seat anywhere."
They sat at the window seat. Denji's eyes darted around, searching for the girl, but aside from the owner, there were no other staff members in sight.
"Why isn't she here? She didn't lie to me, did she?" Denji said, feeling a tinge of disappointment. He was still thinking about the smile she had given him.
"Be patient. Your coffee will come."
Ding-a-ling~
The door chimed again. A girl rushed into the shop.
"I'm sorry, I'm late!"
"I'm sorry, I'm so sorry~"
"I'm deducting the lateness from your paycheck," the cafe owner said.
"So stingy! It was only five minutes late," the girl pouted, whispering back.
"Take the water to Table 4."
"Okay." She took the tray from the owner and walked toward Table 4.
When she saw Denji sitting there, her face instantly lit up. "You... you're here so early!! You even beat me."
"My Master brought me, so we got here early."
"Hello," she waved at Arata.
"Denji said the girl he met last night was very cute, and he insisted I bring him here this morning."
"Master! I never said that!!" Denji gasped in shock. He definitely hadn't said that—if not for Arata convincing him, he'd already be at Public Safety HQ.
"Don't be shy. Didn't you say you wanted to drink coffee?"
"Oh, right!" The girl sat down next to Denji and called out to the owner, "Boss, give the three of us a cup of coffee each!"
"Uh? You're the employee, right?" The owner was puzzled by the role reversal.
"What does it matter? There are no other customers anyway. Please, Boss!" she pleaded sweetly.
Hearing her sweet request, the owner could only shake his head helplessly and brew three cups. In just a short moment, they were ready.
"Boss, your coffee is ready," the owner said pointedly.
"Thanks, Boss!" The girl took the tray and brought it to the table.
"Drink up, taste my return gift."
"Smells pretty good." Denji sniffed it, already convinced it would be delicious. Arata, meanwhile, just sipped his coffee silently.
"Drink it!" she smiled.
"Don't mind if I do." Denji gulped the entire cup down like water.
The result was his face twisting, his tongue lolling out like a dog's. If there were a brush nearby, he would have scrubbed the coffee taste right off his tongue.
"What is this? It tastes like ditch water!"
"I almost threw up!!"
Denji's exaggerated expression and harsh critique made the girl laugh repeatedly. She held her stomach, resting her other hand on Denji's shoulder. Denji took note of the small gesture. First she smiled at him, then touched his bicep—this girl definitely liked him. Maybe she'd touch his other muscles next.
"Your personality is so much like a child's, hahaha~"
"Denji is a very cute boy." Arata set his cup down after finishing; his expression was completely different from Denji's.
"My name is Reze. What's yours?"
"I'm Denji, and this is my Master, Arata."
"You don't need to introduce me," Arata said.
"Denji... Denji-kun. That's a nice name."
Reze repeated it a few times, offering Denji another heart-melting smile. This feeling was starting to clash with Denji's love for Makima. No, my body belongs to Makima. I must restrain myself.
"Um, do you have anything to eat here?" Denji asked.
"Yes, let me take your order." Reze stood up, grabbed the menu, and handed it to Denji.
"Master, what do you want?"
"Whatever."
"Then one order of 'Whatever,' please!"
"Hahaha—'Whatever'!!" Reze was once again amused by Denji's childishness.
"You... fine, I'll order."
Arata snatched the menu. "Curry fried rice, and a dessert of ice cream for after."
"Okay, just a moment, I'll go make it."
"What do you think, this girl?" Arata poked Denji's shoulder after she left.
"She's cute, and she keeps smiling at me. She must have a crush on me."
"Do you know the biggest delusion humans have?"
"Uh..." Denji pondered seriously. "It's when you go to the bathroom and feel certain there's toilet paper, only to realize there isn't."
"Do you do that often, you idiot?"
"Haha, Master saw right through me! It's all Power's fault, she uses up all the paper every time she goes."
"But isn't this girl much better than Miss Makima?"
"How could that be? Miss Makima is a god." Even as he insisted Makima was the best, Denji's heart was in conflict.
"Your curry rice is ready."
Reze placed the steaming plates before them. The aroma made Denji's appetite flare up.
"Looks delicious, let's hope it's not like the coffee."
"Don't worry, I make great curry."
"Then, itadakimasu."
Denji took a small bite. Confirmed it was good, he took a massive mouthful. But before he could even chew twice, his expression turned to shock. "This is too good!!" He gave Reze a thumbs up.
"It's good? Eat more then." Reze smiled sweetly at him.
Just then, her stomach growled.
"You didn't eat either?"
"Um... I woke up late," Reze said, embarrassed. "It's okay, I'll just eat some instant noodles when there are no customers at noon."
"Instant noodles! Master, why don't you buy Reze a meal too?"
"Sorry, guests, our staff isn't allowed to eat during work hours," the owner interjected. "Customers are arriving soon; Reze needs to help."
"It's okay, Denji-kun, I'm used to it." Reze rubbed her stomach, trying to make it behave.
"What's your daily customer traffic?" Arata asked while eating—he agreed the curry was good and decided he'd visit often.
"It varies. Sometimes good, sometimes only three or four people a day," the owner replied.
"And the average spend?"
"You want to know that too?" The owner was puzzled.
"Go ahead, I'm listening."
"If we make 20,000 Yen a day, that's pretty good," Reze suddenly said.
"Fine. Here's 800,000 Yen. I'm booking this cafe for a month. Don't serve anyone else but us."
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