"Why did things end up like this…?"
Inside a sushi restaurant on a commercial street near Central Tracen Academy, *two gray-haired girls—one tall, one short—*sat on either side of Su Luo, each clutching one of his arms as they stared each other down.
If you ignored the gunpowder-thick tension between them, maybe being sandwiched in the middle wouldn't be so bad…
But right now, Su Luo's mood was nowhere near "wonderful."
Ah…
This feels like serving time…
Let me go…
—
Rewind to an hour ago.
Oguri Cap had brought Su Luo to this shopping street.
There were lots of good places here, and she came often.
Unfortunately, some shops—because she visited too often—had actually put up signs that read:
"OGURI CAP: NO ENTRY."
Oguri Cap found this deeply regrettable.
Their food is so good… why won't they let me keep eating…?
"Shopping streets, huh. Tokyo's really is way more lively than Kasamatsu," Su Luo said, looking around. Everywhere he looked was a sea of people—just the foot traffic alone screamed "big city."
Well, it was Tokyo. Crowds were normal.
More importantly…
Tokyo meant a perfect chance to lose money!
Big city prices were obviously higher than Kasamatsu's. Wasn't this exactly the ideal environment for his "loss-making plan"?
Su Luo scanned left and right—and his eyes lit up when he spotted a sushi place.
A high-end sushi restaurant?
That felt like a great pick!
High-end sushi: tiny portions, outrageous prices.
Bring Oguri Cap here, and he could hemorrhage money with style!
Yes. Sushi was the correct answer.
So Su Luo led Oguri Cap to the entrance.
"Excuse me, do you have a reservation?" the hostess asked politely.
"Ah… right. Reservations," Su Luo muttered, smacking his forehead. He'd totally blanked on that.
At places like this in Tokyo, if you just walked in, they usually wouldn't even seat you. Most of these restaurants were reservation-only.
Once the hostess confirmed they didn't have one, she showed a regretful smile.
"I'm very sorry, sir, but we don't accept guests without reservations. Our apologies."
"Uh… what if I pay extra?" Su Luo attempted to activate the power of money.
"Well… I'd need to ask the manager…"
"Then please call the manager. I can wait."
"Of course. Please wait a moment…"
The hostess hurried inside. Shortly after, a bespectacled middle-aged man came out—clearly the manager.
"I'm very sorry, but we don't accept guests without reservations."
"Even if I pay extra?"
"I'm truly sorry. Rules are rules…"
"I see… what a shame."
Su Luo sighed. He really thought this place would've been perfect…
Just as he was about to take Oguri Cap elsewhere, the manager studied Su Luo's face—and suddenly called out.
"Excuse me, sir—please wait."
"Hm? Is something wrong?" Su Luo turned back, confused.
Then the manager said something that made Su Luo freeze.
"Are you… Mr. Su Luo?"
"Huh?"
Su Luo's brain short-circuited.
Wait—how do you know my name?
What the hell, did I just get doxxed?!
"Y-yes…?"
"Then it's you! Please, you must dine here! I'll arrange everything immediately!"
"…???"
The manager's attitude did a complete 180. Su Luo was nothing but question marks.
Did this manager know him?
Do I actually have this kind of network?
Since when?!
—
After entering, the manager warmly guided Su Luo and Oguri Cap to an elegant seat.
The interior was calm and refined, filled with the gentle scent of sushi rice vinegar and fresh ingredients. Soft lighting glowed over the spotless counter—completely different from the noisy street outside.
The moment they sat down, Oguri Cap was instantly captivated by the menu. Her eyes sparkled as she studied it with the seriousness of a researcher, fingers hopping between sushi items and set courses—clearly entering full "foraging mode."
While Oguri was laser-focused on ordering, Su Luo finally couldn't hold back. He turned to the manager and lowered his voice.
"Um… Manager, can I ask something? At the door, you were strict about the rules. Why did you suddenly let us in? And you even knew my name."
The manager smiled even more politely, as if this reaction was expected. He gave a small, respectful bow and explained at just the right volume.
"Mr. Su Luo, there's no need to be concerned. We made an exception because our owner specifically instructed us that you are a VIP guest who requires 'special care.' If you come, reservation or not, we will serve you wholeheartedly. That privilege is, of course, yours."
"Owner? Special care?"
Su Luo's brow didn't relax—it tightened. The question marks in his head practically turned into physical objects.
"But… I don't know your owner. Someone who can run a place like this in Tokyo—how would I even…"
He rapidly sifted through his mental contact list. Whether in Kasamatsu or after arriving in Tokyo, he was sure he didn't know anyone in that tier of restaurant ownership.
The manager maintained a professional smile. He didn't seem surprised by Su Luo's confusion, but he also didn't reveal the owner's identity—only giving a vague answer.
"We're simply following the owner's instructions. As for the reason… perhaps you'll learn it someday. Please, enjoy your meal with peace of mind."
Perfectly airtight.
And somehow, that only made Su Luo even more uneasy.
He looked at Oguri Cap—who was already beaming at the table she'd ordered—then glanced around the refined, immaculate space, and sighed.
Whatever. Let's roll with it.
Even if he didn't know who the owner was, he was already seated inside.
So he might as well order more and pump up the restaurant's revenue!
He peeked at the menu.
One set course was 33,000 yen—and the portion looked… not big at all.
This place was practically a legal scam.
Which was exactly what he needed!
Little food, lots of money…!
If Oguri Cap went wild, she could probably crush ten-plus of these sets by herself.
Oh yeah—today he could lose a huge amount!
Just as Su Luo was getting excited about bleeding money, a familiar voice came from the entrance.
"Huh? Isn't that Su Luo? Why are you here?"
Su Luo turned—and saw a short gray-haired horsegirl standing there, looking surprised.
"…Tamamo?"
....
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