"I can't believe this bun shop is actually quite big, but there are hardly any customers inside. This village is really strange. Most people prefer to exercise at night and barely go out during the day. It seems everyone loves to sleep in. I wonder, do they never go on missions?" Harumiko said, looking around the nearly empty shop, then turning to Hiroshi with a smile.
Hiroshi also found this village a bit peculiar. Most of the residents preferred to be active at night and rarely ventured out during the day. The few people he saw out during the day were mostly visitors from other villages.
"Alright, alright, let's not overthink it. Maybe it's just a common habit for the people in this village to exercise at night. We don't really need to follow suit. Let's just sit down and enjoy our breakfast!" Hiroshi said, smiling at Harumiko, and gently led her further into the bun shop.
They settled down inside. They noticed that most of the people eating here were also outsiders, not locals.
It seemed this village was truly unlike any other. The villagers preferred to stay indoors during the day and only came out at night, making it feel just like one of those "cities that never sleep" from his original world.
"Owner, four steamed buns and two bowls of rice porridge, please!" Hiroshi called out to the shop owner with a smile.
"Coming right up! You two youngsters can take a seat inside, and I'll get your order ready for you in a moment!" the owner replied cheerfully.
Hiroshi nodded slightly and found a table with Harumiko, where they sat down.
"Alright, let's just wait here for a bit. The owner here makes everything fresh and steams the buns on the spot, so it'll take a little while," Hiroshi explained to Harumiko with a smile.
Harumiko nodded gently. She thought the bun shop was quite spacious, but there were so few people inside. She wondered why the owner continued to run the business. Was it just for his passion?
"Oh, Hiroshi, you didn't specify what kind of buns we wanted, did you? Does this place only have one flavour?" Harumiko asked quietly with a smile.
Hiroshi nodded, smiling back. "That's right, this bun shop only has one flavour, but it's really delicious! So we just need to sit here and wait patiently. Once the boss finishes preparing everything, we can eat. I'm sure it won't be long before we get to enjoy some hot, fresh buns and warm rice porridge!"
Harumiko nodded happily. She was eager to finish breakfast quickly so they could head to the big lake and explore.
"Hiroshi, what do you think the lake looks like? Is it really as clear as the legends say, where you can see the bottom? But it's still a lake, so it must be very big and very deep. Can you really see the bottom from the surface?" Harumiko asked softly, turning to him with a curious smile.
Hiroshi also looked quite puzzled and shook his head gently. He had no idea what the lake actually looked like either. This was their first time visiting this village, so they hadn't seen the place before. The only way to find out was to go and see for themselves.
"I can't really say for sure, but if the lake wasn't as amazing as they claim, I don't think so many people would travel all this way just to see it. So, I believe the big lake is probably just like the legends say – you can stand on the surface and see all the way to the bottom. And I also believe the lake is incredibly clean and crystal clear!" Hiroshi said, moving a little closer to Harumiko as he spoke.
Harumiko nodded. She didn't want anyone to tell her what the lake was like anymore. This way, the mystery would remain, and she would be truly amazed when they finally arrived.
"Alright, alright. I guess we'll just have to see it with our own eyes then! I'm sure it's exactly as the legends describe! But no matter what, let's hurry and eat. We'll head straight there as soon as we're done!" Harumiko said softly to Hiroshi with a smile.
Hiroshi nodded gently, but at that moment, a strange feeling of unease washed over him. He couldn't quite put his finger on it.
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