The social phobia substitute will not dream of the band girl

"I understand... Then, Miss, please scan the QR code here to register your diner profile. You can fill in your preferences in the profile. If you have any allergies or dietary restrictions, please be sure to fill them in clearly."

Hiranobu winked at Higuchi Enka, but she simply glanced at his face without responding. She politely said, "I understand," to the waiter and proceeded to scan the QR code to log in. She seemingly avoided Hiranobu's "show-off," but in reality, she completely missed the opportunity for him to make eye contact with the waiter.

After getting the black premium membership card from the waiter at the door, Enka didn't give him a chance to show off. She just followed the waiter and Hirashin silently until they walked into a private room and then she breathed a sigh of relief.

"Hey, don't be so nervous, it's just a restaurant."

"...Perhaps so."

But Higuchi Enka realized that she wasn't the only one surprised by this situation. After all, even some of the prominent figures who had just been sitting in the lobby eating, and whom she had seen on TV, looked up as they passed by, taking a second look, especially at her face.

There were so many surprising things today. After I go back today, I may have to (play badly) with Asakura and the others for a few days before I can recover.

"what happened?"

Noticing her surprised look, Ping Xin asked with a smile. However, this action only aroused a little bit of the girl's competitive spirit, really only a little bit, so she didn't ask any more questions.

Ping Xin certainly wouldn't ignore these details. Otherwise, if he waited a few minutes before talking about it, someone might really want Hong Wen and go home. So he pointed to the QR code on the wall and said, "Scan the code to order, Ms. Higuchi."

"..."

I'm still not used to this place.

Suddenly, she began to miss the Yuze Cafe where she had been in the morning.

......

...

..

"I didn't expect...the food here is surprisingly cheap."

She was a bit surprised when she saw the menu on her phone. After all, she had always thought that even a skewer of yakitori at such a famous place would cost thousands of yen. She hadn't expected the prices to be surprisingly cheap, or rather, too affordable. She even suspected they were leftovers or simply "please refer to the actual product for details."

"After all, I have acquaintances here, and this is the price inside. And even if it weren't for the inside price, the average dish is only about 2% more expensive than outside. Considering the ingredients and the chef's hiring fee, it can even be considered quite conscientious and cheap."

Yuan Xiang looked through the menu again and found that it was similar to what he said. There were many affordable combos, even the Qianlongge version of McDonald's 9.9 poor-man's combo. They were so affordable that it made people wonder how they made money.

"You should know about the operation here, right?"

Seeing his expression, Enka knew that this jerk was definitely waiting for her to ask again, "Is he addicted to showing off?"

This kind of furry feeling, like a cat rolling around on her body, even made her want to swear.

"For a restaurant of this caliber, reputation and style are certainly important, but wouldn't it be meaningless if no one comes to eat? ...Establishing an 'invitation system' and displaying 'Heike dishes' during these working hours are all means of attracting customers.

As for me... I made a small suggestion at the beginning, so it's reasonable for me to have a little privilege now, right? "

The threshold of inviting and being invited will also help their customers to retain themselves and not be lost to the greatest extent. Of course, the most important thing is to provide them with an absolutely safe and reliable platform for communication.

When the richest, most powerful, and most prestigious people in Tokyo ate here, why wouldn't business be booming? Why wouldn't it become famous? What else could stop Qianlong Pavilion, could stop him?

"...What an evil smile."

"Sorry, sorry, I've been having trouble controlling my expression lately... Speaking of which, there's one more thing—"

Chapter 6: Now We Are Here

"Can you bring Asakura along next time?"

"No."

"Hey, why? I think she will come as long as she knows about this. If it's her, she will definitely be interested." Ping Xin asked in surprise.

It's not possible just because she might be interested... If she were to come, then Hina and Koito would definitely come too. Talking loudly like this might end up in jail for offending someone, which is not a good idea no matter how you think about it, right?

"Hmm... I can probably guess what you're thinking, but it doesn't matter. Each person can invite one person. That's the rule here. If you invite one Asakura and one more, there will be two spots. Wouldn't it be perfect if you bring your friend?"

"..."

The seemingly careless words had made Enka more alert than ever. Being familiar with the people here was like indirectly possessing power. If they really wanted to open her box and find her household registration, it would be easy. Otherwise, why was there a "4"?

"Wait, were you serious about taking a half step back? ...Aside from Asakura, you can't possibly only find two friends, right?"

"..."

"Hehe... Sorry, I didn't mean to laugh at you, it's just that what you did just now was really cute."

But before you worry about what I might do to your friends, shouldn't you be more concerned about your own situation? After all, we're alone in a room together.

"Okay, okay, don't worry so much. Let's order first. After all, we're already here, wouldn't it be a shame to just leave like this?"

Although he seemed a bit of a person, his words were actually quite true. Thinking of the many exotic dishes she had just seen, whose names she had never heard of, Higuchi Enka was a little tempted. Although she wasn't a foodie, since she was already here, wouldn't it be a shame not to eat something?

"And even if you don't want to tell her, Asakura will be here because I'll tell her. After all, it's a rare opportunity to try delicious food from all over the world at super low prices inside. It would be too pitiful not to tell her for such a reason, right?"

"...That's true. Anyway, no matter what I do, it's all part of your plan. Is that what you mean?"

"Haha, who knows... But for me, the pure pen pal relationship with Asakura is already interesting enough, and besides..."

Higuchi Enka's meaningful look made her a little nervous. Before she could explode, Hirayobu finally continued, saying, "Because you are special to me, sacrificing a little bit of my curiosity for you is nothing. And I can give you an absolutely effective promise, that is, I will not take the initiative to contact her before you propose... Can you rest assured now?"

“Instead, I started to get scared.”

"Well, when you're in a bad mood, you should eat something delicious. This is the secret to keeping yourself happy. Without further ado, let's start trying it now—"

After the joke, Hiraishin didn't speak anymore, and neither did Enka. They just stared at their phones, ordering their favorite dishes. The awkward atmosphere didn't last long.

"I see you're still hesitant, so let me, your 'senior,' offer some advice. This French lamb stew is great. It warms your stomach in winter and goes well with rice. It's great with bread, naan, or rice. But if possible, I still recommend the beef stew in Burgundy red wine. It's a pity that it requires the right amount of heat, so you have to order it in advance. We can try this next time..."

As for the main course, I prefer the plain noodles today, because today's head chef is Lao Li, and the Yan Country delicacies he makes are different from those sold outside, they are all authentic. Don't underestimate the plain noodles, which only have soup and noodles, there are some details to it..."

I always feel like... a salesman. No, this level of enthusiasm and obsession, the way I talk endlessly and frantically about it, almost feels like a fanatical follower of some strange religion, right?

For some reason, this overly enthusiastic, even silly, look from outsiders actually made her feel at ease, as if this was his true face beneath the mask. It was a strange feeling; even though they had only exchanged letters before, it was as if she already knew what kind of person he was.

"...You talk too much."

"Ah—I'm sorry, I did say too much."

And it’s too close!

At some point, Ping Xin, who had been sitting across from her at the table, had sat down next to her. But her attention had been distracted by his aggressive demeanor, so she hadn't noticed him at all. There was no time to say anything now...

"No matter how much you talk, I can't eat that much."

"You mean... come back next time?"

"...if you have time."

It’s not impossible, Pingxin’s brain automatically completed the second half of the sentence for her.

Tsundere, you? No, she's a tsundere to begin with... but categorized as a cold one, more accurately, a cold one? Regardless, this answer is quite heartening. After all, as long as there's a next time, there's still hope, and a lot of it, isn't it!?

"Is that so... It's okay, I'll order a lot later, and we can share it then—! Oh, sorry, they have separate meals here in the East Country? Then you can finish first and I can eat later."

"..."

"Ah, I don't mean to kiss you indirectly! Although I don't want to either... Anyway, I will order a lot of my favorite dishes, and I hope you can try them too. If you like them, that would be even better!"

As expected... he's an idiot~

"...I don't eat a lot, just an average amount."

"It doesn't matter. I happen to be very confident about my appetite."

What does it mean to be made in heaven?

This is what we call a match made in heaven! (I’m sure)

Higuchi Enka put down her phone and turned to look at him as he passionately explained how to order food. Isn't he just like a little kid?

It's no different from those elementary school boys who argue over combat power and settings with red faces.

"...By the way, can they make money with such low prices? It doesn't look like there's any advertising here. How do they even stay afloat? The rent for this place must be pretty expensive, right?"

After relaxing a little, Enka actually spoke a long string of words, which was rare for her.

"Huh? Well... First of all, the land here has already been purchased. Otherwise, wouldn't it be troublesome if someone took advantage of it? The advertising doesn't fit the positioning of this place, and the layout is too low-key. The money spent isn't worth it. It's not like some elevator advertisement in a residential complex that can be added at will. As for the ingredients, we have a special channel to provide them. They are cheap and fresh. As for the chef... hehe, they have to thank me for paying them for their work."

"..."

I take back what I said—

If ordinary primary school boys look like this, the future of this country can only be described as tragic.

Chapter 7 No one knows the shopping street better than me

"Eat too much? Huhu, it's okay, we can sit here for a while, as long as you don't have any plans later--"

"..."

She didn't reply, but just sat quietly across from him, not eating or drinking, not chatting or laughing, and not secretly checking her phone. She just sat there with her eyes closed, resting. This would be a strange behavior in any restaurant, but it was not surprising in the world-renowned Qianlong Pavilion.

There are many people who eat too much after coming here. Even gourmets who have long been famous in their own country will fail here, because this place gathers the elites and even the top figures in the food industry from all over the world. Even many top-level figures will come here to communicate and show off their skills.

"If you can't do it, then don't force yourself. Just ask me for help. Like you said, I always have a plan." Ping Xin said slowly while eating the leftover food on the table, but still got no response. This is troublesome~

"Give... Do you remember the 'magic' we used when we first met? Just hold my hand and everything will be fine."

“…So…annoying—”

Facts have proven that people who are tough on others do have their merits; at least they can be more patient than others.

"Then the contract is concluded. I look forward to your guidance this afternoon, Miss Higuchi~"

After holding his hand, Higuchi Enka felt a warm heat flowing into her body along the connection between the two. Speaking of which, she had thought last time whether it was some strange urban legend, like the "handshake kill" or some other strange story, but how could such a power be a strange story——

She could clearly feel this warm power flowing through her body. Every cell in every corner of her body was cheering and then started to move violently. However, this kind of cell activity was very different from the movement we usually know.

While the heart still beats frantically during the process, and the body grows afterward, there's no fatigue or sweat involved, completely defying the human definition of exercise and growth. If one had to find a more appropriate term, perhaps "forging" would be more appropriate.

"...This isn't magic, is it?"

Hearing this, Hiranobu was slightly startled, then gave a strange smile that he couldn't quite describe as cute, cunning, or innocent. This was probably what a fox smile looked like, though Enka had never seen it before.

"As expected, you know me well... If it's really magic, I might call it a superpower. No one else knows anyway~"

Anyway, I'm just putting on a smile here, and you can figure out the rest yourself.

Real and fake, true and false, classic 91 configuration, you can tell at a glance that he is a habitual liar.

"...As expected, a cunning man."

"If you want to know, I can tell you specifically, okay?"

"That's not necessary! ...After that, you'll definitely use some excuse like 'keeping it secret' to keep me here, right? Whatever that power is, it's definitely not something an ordinary person can do. Please don't drag me into your 'world' without permission."

"I see—it seems you've read a lot of comics, so are you interested in becoming a magical girl?"

...Is there any connection between the two?!

No, calm down. If I were to complain here, it would be exactly what he wanted. Just keep your distance like before... After all, it seems that he has at least set a [bottom line] for himself, but the lower limit and elasticity of this thing are unknown.

"Don't say stupid things.. or I'll go back."

After careful consideration, she realized that, aside from this feeble "threat," she had no other means of "fighting" Ping Xin. So, wouldn't it be dangerous to be alone with someone with superpowers? After all, she might be turned into a doll and taken home.

"Okay, I give up~...So you want to learn?"

"..In no mood."

"OK, then I will wait patiently until the day you want to come to 'my side'." Pingxin stood up from the seat next to her. Only then did Enka realize...that their hands had been holding each other for such a long time. Could a person with super powers be shy about such a thing?

"Just now I noticed that you really have a habit of staying up late, which is not good for your health in the long run. Not only will it affect your mental state the next day, but it will also..."

So annoying! Are you my mom? And how on earth do you manage to talk clearly and so fast while eating? But such a down-to-earth superpowered person is kind of... interesting. At least they're not that scary, like some kind of mutant.

"And this isn't a superpower, it's a special kind of Yan Nation Kung Fu, I guess. Most people can learn it, but the effects vary depending on their aptitude. As for me... I'm probably the strongest in the world."

"Hmm... Did you spend all this time preparing for this just to say this?"

"Of course, if I'm not the best, how can I have the nerve to pursue you?"

“…left.”

So corny, so corny! Talking to women like that all the time is bound to lead to heartbreak... I don't think I'm that valuable. What on earth is it about me that you're attracted to? Such a weird person. But the same goes for those who reject him; they're all weird.