Emiya Shirou doesn't want to work overtime

Moreover, when he asked passersby about ghosts, most of them said it was just a local rumor, and only a few said they had seen them and were rescued by someone, or that they were scammers trying to extort money from Emiya.

Based on various reports, there are no ghosts in this city.

"Shirou, won't you come in and have a seat?"

Several geishas standing on the second-floor corridor waved their fans, their brows furrowed with smiles, and called out softly and melodiously to Emiya, who was wandering aimlessly below.

"No need, I'll just stroll around the streets first."

Emiya waved upwards, then turned and disappeared into the crowd.

Within a month, most of the people living in the town knew about the restaurant's new chef.

It wasn't just Emiya's skill that captivated these people; it was also because Emiya cleaned up the entire town's alleyways in just one month and provided various forms of free assistance to many others.

Whether it's broken equipment, manpower needs for an event, or the tidying up of objects, Emiya is basically always there to help.

Because he is very skilled in these matters and has high efficiency, coupled with his very good looks, many residents often seek Emiya's help whenever he goes out.

Over time, most people in the town came to know of Emiya's existence as a selfless and helpful person.

The geishas in the entertainment district often asked Emiya to make some exquisite little items to enhance their charm. Basically, everyone in the neighborhood, young and old, knew Emiya.

Of course, many people see Emiya as a free laborer, but Emiya doesn't care. As long as he can help others, he feels good about it.

Chapter Eighteen: The Girl Who Disappeared in the Red-Light District (Part 1)

"Ouch! It itches!"

Emiya felt as if someone had grabbed his waist.

Looking back, he saw a young girl in a kimono standing at his feet, holding a candied hawthorn in one hand and mechanically extending her index finger to repeatedly stab at his waist with the other.

"Hiss! What are you doing?"

Emiya turned away from the girl's fingers and asked her with a puzzled look.

"You seem quite bored. Why don't you take me for a walk?"

The girl took a small bite of the candied hawthorn in her hand, and innocently tugged at Emiya's clothes.

Only after half-squatting down did Emiya get a good look at the girl's face. Her shiny black hair was as smooth as soft silk and fell naturally down from both sides of her body.

She had a pair of emerald green eyes and a rosy, delicate oval face.

Emiya was certain that this girl would be extremely beautiful when she grew up; according to the geisha district, she would definitely become the most beautiful courtesan there.

However, she only reached Emiya's waist in height, with thin arms, prominent cheekbones, and ten fingers like a bundle of withered bamboo branches, as if they would break at the slightest touch. She was extremely thin and looked frail.

Emiya, who had his hands on her, could even see some bruises on her arms, indicating that she had been treated cruelly.

Emiya suppressed his slightly serious expression and looked at the girl in front of him with a smile.

"Okay, I don't know how to address you."

"My name is Asakusa Kae. I've heard my older sisters call you Shirou. Is it okay if I call you that too?"

Emiya stood up, took her thin, bony hand, and chatted casually with her as they walked.

"Then I'll call you Xianghui. Which store do you work at? What brings you out shopping today?"

"Today, Koika-neechan is having a courtesan parade, so everyone at the Tokitoya is quite busy right now. I sneaked out during the chaos!"

Xianghui took another bite of the candied hawthorn in her hand, her chubby cheeks puffed out as she vented her indignation to Emiya.

"I wish the courtesan I serve was as gentle as Sister Koi-ka. She takes her anger out on me every time something goes wrong!"

"Were all these scars on your body caused by her?"

"Of course, it doesn't have to be like Sister Lixia. At least don't make the room a mess every time. It takes me a lot of time to clean up, and most of the time I still make her unhappy, and then I'm the one who suffers."

Xianghui angrily bit into the candied hawthorn in her hand, venting all her resentment about everything that had happened to her.

"How could someone with a personality like her become the top courtesan? It's a wonder those customers could put up with her personality!"

Thinking of this, she stomped her foot angrily again.

"Doesn't the landlady care about this kind of thing? I remember the owners here are all very nice people, they shouldn't let their employees suffer like this."

The proprietress seemed quite afraid of her too.

Before Xianghui could finish speaking, her high, straight nose twitched twice, as if she had smelled a scent that Emiya hadn't noticed.

Suddenly there was silence, and she kept pulling on Emiya's hand, leading him in one direction.

"what happened?"

Emiya was at a loss as she dragged him along. Although it was impossible for her to move him, he couldn't use force on a child. So, Emiya was easily dragged away by the child.

"Shirou, I want to eat that!"

As if they had arrived at their destination, Xianghui's eyes suddenly turned into dazzling stars, radiating boundless light.

Even Emiya, standing to the side, was so blinded by the dazzling light that he had to cover his eyes.

"Shirou, buy it now, buy it now!"

Emiya couldn't stand the intense gaze, so he led her to the shop.

Even without such eager looks, Emiya would still go and buy it for her.

"Boss, three skewers of takoyaki, please."

"Emiya, you little rascal, why did you show up here without saying a word? Come and try my takoyaki and see how it tastes!"

The shop owner, who was making takoyaki, was initially startled by Emiya's appearance, but gradually became delighted and patted Emiya on the shoulder enthusiastically.

"Boss, I only ordered three skewers of meatballs, why did you give me five?"

Seeing the shopkeeper hand over five skewers of meatballs, Emiya took out his money from his pocket to pay for them.

"Oh, no need. You helped me so much before, and I haven't properly thanked you yet. Consider these five skewers of meatballs as my treat for you and the girl next to you."

"That won't do, I'll still pay for five skewers."

Emiya then placed the money on the table.

Then he picked up five skewers of takoyaki and walked out of the store.

"Hey! This kid!"

The shopkeeper sighed and had no choice but to accept the money left by Emiya.

"Mmm! It's so delicious! I've been wanting to eat this for so long, and today I finally have the chance!"

Xianghui stuffed the takoyaki in her hand one bite at a time, like a starving ghost being reincarnated. Her cheeks swelled up, but her face was full of happiness.

"Eat slowly, eat slowly, no one's going to steal it!"

Emiya could only gently pat Kaori's back, who seemed to be choking, while softly trying to persuade her.

"But it's so delicious!"

Xianghui continued chewing quickly, then suddenly seemed to remember something and looked at Emiya.

"But it still doesn't taste as good as what you make, Shirou."

Xianghui nodded in affirmation, and with great difficulty raised her hand holding the takoyaki, barely managing to give a thumbs up.

Emiya's head was covered in black lines.

"Won't you get scolded or beaten when you go back like this?"

Emiya asked somewhat cautiously.

"It's just a beating. I'm used to it. What does a beating matter if I can eat something this delicious?"

"Hurry, while we still have plenty of time, I want to try all the delicious food on this street, otherwise if that old woman catches me, I won't have another chance!"

As she spoke, Kaori, having quickly finished the dumplings in her hand, once again pulled Emiya's hand and walked in another direction.

"I'll go take a look later."

Emiya is quite familiar with the owners of the red-light district. After all, Emiya, being such a helpful person, has helped them a lot. In addition, when they plan to celebrate, Emiya usually takes care of the meals. Therefore, he has very close communication with the people in the red-light district.

The main reason is that Emiya works and lives right next to the entertainment district, so it's hard not to know him.

"From what you're saying, it seems you have a lot of complaints about me!"

A sound that made Xianghui's heart stop came from behind her.

At this moment, her entire body froze, and cold sweat poured down her forehead.

"what happened?"

Emiya was puzzled when he saw Kaori suddenly stop.

She looked back but didn't see him in the crowd, and breathed a sigh of relief.

With a smile on her face, she looked at Emiya beside her.

"It's nothing, I'm just thinking about what I'm going to eat later."

At that moment, Emiya and Kaori were completely unaware that a pink silk ribbon had sprung up from the ground and was clinging tightly to the back of Kaori's neck.

Chapter Nineteen: The Girl Who Disappeared in the Red-Light District (Part 2)

"You eat so much! Didn't you eat properly at the Tokitoya?"

Looking at the large bags of food in Xianghui's hands, Emiya couldn't help but feel embarrassed. It was the first time he had ever seen someone who could eat so much. If it weren't for the fact that he had earned a lot of money from his part-time job over the past month, Emiya felt that he might not have been able to support her expenses tonight.

"Well, I have a bigger appetite. When I was at the Shirenya—well, I ate at their normal food intake."

Kaori sat on a bench on the side of the street, eating her food while answering Emiya's questions.

So you've actually never been truly full?

Looking at her extremely frail arms, Emiya couldn't help but fall into deep suspicion.

He originally thought that the Tokitoya had restricted her diet, making her go hungry for nine meals in three days, but the result was completely different from what he imagined.