It was 6:48 PM.
The heavy rain had barely let up.
Fat drops beat relentlessly against the glass of the diner, though not a single drop managed to seep inside.
The shop's overhanging signboard took the brunt of the storm, creating a thick, splashing curtain of water that cascaded down into the street.
Yuto watched the rain, silently assessing the evening ahead.
With a storm this heavy, business on Ichinosuke Street was going to be dead.
The street itself was too narrow for vehicles, meaning customers usually had to use the parking lot at the end of the block and walk the rest of the way to find a brothel that caught their eye.
Tonight, walking was simply impossible.
Even with an umbrella, the howling wind would soak anyone foolish enough to step outside.
Under these conditions, people would definitely prefer to stay home.
He wondered if the women working the street tonight would get an unexpected holiday because of the weather.
He shook off his wandering thoughts and turned his attention back to the girl sitting at the counter.
She had been sitting in the shop for nearly an hour.
Her damp clothes had mostly dried from her own body heat, yet she showed no intention of leaving.
Even worse, she seemed completely unwilling to speak.
To this moment, Yuto still didn't even know her name, their only real interaction had been when he handed her the bowl of ginger soup.
"If you're having trouble with your family, why not call a friend?" he finally suggested.
He figured she must have had a massive fight with her parents, otherwise, she wouldn't be so fiercely stubborn about staying out in a storm.
In that case, calling a friend to pick her up might help.
After all, girls her age usually had close friends they could rely on, right?
Hearing his voice, the girl slowly raised her head to look at him.
Her eyes were still dark, utterly devoid of warmth or vitality.
All he could see in them was a bone-chilling, indifferent coldness.
'This girl... is colder than a freezer...' Yuto thought, feeling a sudden twinge of pity.
Without saying a word, she reached into her pocket and pulled out her phone.
It was an old-fashioned flip phone.
Yuto's eyebrows twitched slightly in surprise.
He truly didnt expect a girl who looked like she belonged to a wealthy elite family to use such an outdated device.
Beep, beep, beep.
She pressed a few buttons, apparently dialing a number.
Yuto felt a wave of relief.
He didn't mind her taking up a seat—his shop was usually empty anyway—but having her sit there staring blankly into space was unsettling.
What really worried him was whether her family was out of their minds with panic looking for her.
"Kaguya-sama!!!"
The call connected, and a frantic female voice practically screamed through the tiny speaker.
'Kaguya-sama... So she really is a rich young lady,' Yuto noted silently.
"Hayasaka," Kaguya replied.
In stark contrast to the panic on the other end, her tone was flat and completely devoid of emotion.
"Kaguya-sama, where are you?! I'll come find you right away!"
Kaguya looked up at Yuto.
"Shinjuku. Ichinosuke Street. Kamisaka Shop."
"Kaguya-sama, is there a man with you?!"
"Did you hear what I just said?"
"Yes, but that man is—"
Before the panicked voice could finish, Kaguya snapped the flip phone shut.
Yuto breathed another sigh of relief.
Now, all they had to do was wait for her friend to arrive.
But just a few seconds later, he realized a glaring problem: her friend might not be able to find the restaurant!
He glanced at Kaguya, who had already lowered her head back into a daze, and pursed his lips.
"Um, Kaguya-sama? Could I trouble you to call your friend again? Just tell her to call you once she reaches the entrance of Ichinosuke Street, and I'll walk out to meet her."
Kaguya looked at him, a flicker of confusion and curiosity finally breaking through her icy exterior.
"Why?" Her tone was cool and distant, as if she were speaking to him from across dimension.
Yuto wasn't entirely sure how to explain it.
If he told her about the shop's peculiar cognitive magic, she'd probably think he was insane.
"This place is quite secluded. I'm worried she won't find it right away," he said gently.
Kaguya thought for a moment, then nodded.
The location was indeed incredibly hidden. She briefly wondered if he might have ulterior motives, but based on how he had treated her so far, he seemed trustworthy enough.
"Thank you for your cooperation, Kaguya-sama," Yuto smiled.
She dialed the number again, relayed the message to Hayasaka, and hung up.
Watching her actions and listening to her harsh tone, Yuto felt a twinge of doubt.
'Such a cold, commanding attitude... it didn't seem like the way someone would treat a friend at all.'
...
About fifteen minutes passed.
The restaurant had officially opened for business, but as expected, no one came.
Even Utaha, who usually hung around for hours, hadn't shown up today, likely driven away by the storm.
The restaurant was perfectly quiet.
Yuto and Kaguya didn't speak a single word to each other, right up until her phone buzzed again.
Yuto looked over as she answered it.
"Kaguya-sama, I've reached the entrance of Ichinosuke Street."
"Okay."
With just those two brief sentences, she hung up again and turned her dark eyes to him.
"Please watch the restaurant for a while. If any customers arrive, ask them to wait a moment."
Even without her prompting, Yuto understood.
He threw on a raincoat and grabbed a sturdy umbrella. Opening the front door, he stepped out into the tempest. There were no customers in the shop, and he guessed there wouldn't be any for a while, but he appreciated her offering to keep an eye on things just in case.
From their brief interaction, he could already sense Kaguya's refined upbringing.
Besides, there wasn't anything in his tiny kitchen worth stealing anyway.
As soon as he stepped outside, he popped open the umbrella.
Although the heavy rain had eased slightly, it was still pouring relentlessly.
Thick, bruised clouds blanketed the sky, and driven by the howling wind, the rain seemed to fly from every direction at once.
Fortunately, the raincoat kept the worst of it off him as he quickly climbed the stone steps.
At this time of day, Ichinosuke Street was usually bustling with life.
Colorful neon signs would be shimmering in the puddles, and a steady stream of men would flow like water through the alleyways.
The women would stand at the entrances of their clubs, dressed in vibrant outfits, cheerfully beckoning customers inside.
But tonight, the storm had transformed everything. The colorful neon lights were turned off, leaving only the faint glow of the basic shop signs.
The women who usually stood at the doors were now sitting safely inside the entrances.
Heavy rain often brings a strange sense of peace.
Although the clubs were technically open, there was zero business.
Inside, the men and women who rarely had a day off sat together, chatting comfortably and watching the rain fall.
It felt a bit like a lazy afternoon in the countryside, where neighbors gather just to eat and talk.
As Yuto walked down the street, the women and managers who spotted him called out warm greetings.
He smiled and waved back, making his way toward the main street entrance.
Parked at the curb was an absurdly luxurious car. Even through the torrential rain, Yuto's enhanced vision caught the gleam of a small golden figurine with backward-swept wings mounted on the hood.
'So she really is a young lady from a massively wealthy family,' Yuto thought, feeling a sudden sense of awe. Just the hood ornament on this car was probably worth more than his entire diner.
Standing stoically beside the vehicle was a blonde girl dressed in a pristine maid outfit.
Her expression was cool and elegant as she held a large black umbrella over herself.
"Hello. Are you Kaguya's friend?" Yuto asked as he approached, feeling a bit surprised.
'Why is she dressed as a maid?'
"I am Hayasaka Ai, Kaguya-sama maid. Thank you for taking in my young lady. Please take me to her."
Hayasaka was incredibly polite.
She showed absolutely none of the frantic panic he had heard over the phone earlier.
Moreover, she didn't seem to hold any suspicion or grudge against Yuto, instead, she immediately thanked him for keeping Kaguya safe.
'Is this the standard quality of a maid from a prestigious family?' Yuto wondered in admiration.
"Please follow me," he said simply, turning to lead the way.
Hayasaka followed steadily behind him.
Occasionally, Yuto glanced back to check on her, noticing that her hand gripping the umbrella remained perfectly still, completely unaffected by the heavy rain and strong gusts of wind.
Her expression remained calm and composed the entire walk.
This made Yuto feel another wave of admiration.
Maids from prominent families truly were built differently!
The two walked through the curtain of rain, passing through the narrow streets.
Along the way, they received quite a few teasing, playful remarks from the older women sheltering in the clubs.
Hayasaka remained silent and composed, not a single change appear on her face.
It wasn't until they turned into his alley, entered the restaurant and she finally laid eyes on Kaguya that Hayasaka's iron expression finally shifted.
Yuto heard her let out a faint, shaky sigh.
It seemed she could finally let her guard down.
"Kaguya-sama, let's go home," Hayasaka said.
She politely left her dripping umbrella outside the door to ensure no rainwater tracked into the shop, then walked up to her young lady and respectfully requested they leave.
Yuto breathed a sigh of relief.
'Finally, this strange ordeal was over.'
However, Kaguya did not respond right away.
She slowly raised her head, her damp black hair cascading down her pale neck.
A deeply concealed trace of bitterness and gloom flickered in her eyes.
Then, she slowly closed them and lowered her head again.
"I don't want to go back for now."
She refused to return home!
Yuto raised an eyebrow. He glanced at the maid, fully expecting her to beg, plead, or physically drag Kaguya home, just like in the TV dramas.
"Very well. Then allow me to accompany you," Hayasaka replied smoothly, taking a quiet stand by her side.
Yuto frowned.
'TV dramas really are full of lies!'