"She probably thinks a strand of her friend's hair got caught on her clothes," Hayashi Shuichi explained, breaking the tension. "And that's how Koizumi-san guessed the hair color."
"Is that it? Or did she actually... divine it?" Yukiko asked, her voice wavering between skepticism and genuine surprise. She didn't finish her sentence, but the stunned look on her face said everything.
"Koizumi-senpai's divination is truly remarkable," Midori Orikasa added as she stepped out of the storage room. "It was thanks to her fortune-telling that Senpai and I were able to rescue Mayuzuki in time."
With both Shuichi and Midori vouching for her—and having witnessed the "blonde" revelation herself—Yukiko was forced to concede that Akane Koizumi possessed a genuine, if baffling, talent.
She bit her lower lip, fuming in silence for a long moment before finally letting out a sharp huff and turning back to the prep counter.
Akane, meanwhile, puffed out her chest triumphantly, looking for all the world like a proud little rooster. "Hmph! So, I can stay here now, right?"
Shuichi looked at her flatly. "Don't bother puffing it out. No matter how hard you try, it's still an airport runway."
"You!"
Akane stomped her foot in indignation, her black leather shoes clicking sharply against the floorboards. "Don't you dare look down on me! I've divined it for myself—I'm definitely going to grow in the future!"
"Heh, well, I look forward to that day." Seeing her so dead-set on her future "growth," Shuichi couldn't help but let out a chuckle.
"Hmph, just you wait and see!" Akane placed her hands on her hips with absolute confidence, her crimson hair swaying slightly with every movement.
Shuichi glanced at the pile of occult items on the table and frowned. "By the way, I only promised to help you with your studies and let you eat at the Izakaya. What are you planning to do with all this equipment?"
"Set up a stall for divination, obviously," Akane said, blinking innocently.
"You want to set up a fortune-telling stall inside the Izakaya?" Shuichi's eyes widened.
"Not inside. At the entrance."
After her brief explanation, Akane suddenly clasped her hands together in a pitiful, pleading gesture. "I won't take up much space. Besides, my divinations will help attract more customers to the shop..."
"No, wait," Shuichi said, bewildered. "Why are you so obsessed with setting up a stall? Is this some kind of mandatory homework for witches?"
"Before, I set up a stall just to find you..." Akane lowered her head, looking embarrassed as her fingers toyed with the hem of her skirt. "But now... it's because I'm broke."
"Broke? You?!" Shuichi looked at her in disbelief. "Didn't you just buy that Western-style mansion in the second district? That place is worth over a billion yen!"
"I thought that once I found you, I could just go back home. I didn't really think about the budget when I was spending money before."
Akane's voice took on a tearful edge. She twisted the fabric of her dress until it was a crumpled mess in her hands. "This afternoon, I asked my mother for my allowance, but she refused. She said a person should be self-sufficient. Right now, I only have ten thousand yen left in my entire pocket. If this keeps up, by next week, I won't even have money for food."
Seeing her looking so genuinely pathetic, Shuichi finally relented. "Fine... you can set up the stall." He paused, his expression hardening. "But that butler's name has to change!"
Since she was currently "living under someone else's roof," Akane didn't dare to argue. She pouted and nodded reluctantly. "If I can't call him that, what should I call him?"
"Call him..." Shuichi felt a headache coming on. He racked his brain for a long time, trying to remember the name of the butler who served Akako Koizumi in the original stories. "Can't you think of something yourself?"
"I'm not good at names," Akane said matter-of-factly. "And besides, since you're the one who thinks 'Annoying Ghost' sounds bad, it's your job to name him. Don't forget, he's technically related to you, too."
Shuichi sighed and went back into deep thought.
After a moment, as he looked at Akane waiting expectantly for him to speak, he felt a strange sense of unease. This scene felt awkwardly like parents trying to name a child. Though, in a sense, he and Akane had "created" that doll butler together...
Whatever. Since her future daughter is named Akako, let's just call the butler Akaya.
When Shuichi suggested the name, Akane whispered it to herself a few times. Her eyes gradually lit up. "Not bad! It's settled then!"
At 6:00 PM, Mouri Kogoro pushed open the door, fresh from his baseball club activities.
"I'm home!" he announced loudly, tossing his baseball glove into a corner.
Everyone gathered around the large table, enjoying a feast while officially welcoming Yukiko back. The table was covered in dishes Shuichi had prepared with care: golden, crispy tempura, fragrant stir-fries, and tender, juicy grilled fish. The steam rose from the plates, filling the room with an irresistible aroma.
Looking at the table full of people, Shuichi felt a wave of emotion wash over him.
When he first decided to take over the Mouri family's Izakaya, there were only three of them—himself, Eri Kisaki, and Mouri Kogoro—hustling about. Back then, the shop was cold and quiet, with barely any customers.
Now, only two or three months later, the staff alone numbered seven. The loneliness of those early days was a distant memory.
Shuichi's gaze swept across their faces, and a sense of deep satisfaction filled his heart. Of course, sometimes it was a bit too lively...
"Do some people really think they're big stars just because they filmed one movie?" Eri Kisaki remarked, nudging her glasses up.
"Better than being a boring bookworm!" Yukiko retorted, jabbing her chopsticks into her rice.
Nearby, Akane and Reiko had somehow started bickering again for reasons unknown, while Midori was caught in the middle, trying to play peacemaker.
Shuichi rubbed his temples. It felt like a hundred sparrows were chirping in his ears all at once. He suddenly remembered the old saying: Three women make a play.
Well, I've got five here. This isn't a play—it's a full-blown theater.
"Shuichi, what are you spacing out for? Eat up!" Mouri Kogoro's voice broke his train of thought. Mouri was holding a chicken skewer, the oil dripping onto the tablecloth.
Shuichi nodded and took a bite of warm tofu, the soft texture melting on his tongue.
"Don't look so stressed," Mouri whispered, nudging his friend with an elbow. "Isn't it great for the shop to be this lively?"
"I suppose so," Shuichi laughed softly.
Even if it was noisy, it was full of life. This kind of everyday chaos wasn't so bad after all.
As night fell, the Izakaya officially opened for business. Seeing that Yukiko had returned, many regular customers joked about being able to eat food prepared by a "movie star."
As the night deepened, the shop became increasingly crowded. Soon, every seat was taken, and a line began to form outside.
At first, Yukiko assumed this was all thanks to her fame, and she held her chin high with pride. However, after chatting with Reiko, she realized that more than half of the customers were actually there for Akane Koizumi, who was running her divination stall right outside the front door.
Yukiko didn't believe it at first, but when she stepped outside to check, she saw a massive crowd huddled around Akane's small table...
(To be continued)
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