Chapter 3. Visiting the Antique Staff – The Hungry Kamishiro Rize

Inside the coffee shop, Hayashi was seated at a table.

Not long after, Kirishima Touka brought him a coffee.

Hayashi took a sip after inhaling the aroma and praised, "It's very good. Fragrant."

As any creator would, the compliment made the staff happy.

They all chatted together for a bit.

Everyone introduced themselves, talked a bit about coffee.

Koma Enji chatted for a while before another customer arrived, so he left to serve them, leaving Touka and Hayashi to continue the conversation.

Looking at Hayashi's youthful face, Touka was surprised someone his age already owned a shop in Tokyo—she couldn't help but feel curious.

"Hayashi-san, are you really the owner?"

"?"

"I mean, what's your goal in running the diner? Just to make money?"

Turns out, Touka could be quite blunt.

Before Hayashi could answer, Irimi scolded her from the counter.

But Hayashi waved it off.

Then answered, "Making money is part of it. But mostly, I just wanted something to do—make some good friends and try to live a happy, peaceful life."

He didn't want to go around saying "money doesn't matter."

The truth was—he wasn't at that point yet.

And Touka seemed to resonate with that.

"Make good friends, huh..." she repeated with a little longing in her voice.

But human food… sigh.

For a ghoul, taste was a chasm separating them from human connection.

They chatted a bit more.

Hayashi finished his coffee, gave them the location of his diner, and said they could stop by anytime—he'd even give them a discount.

Then he stood up and left.

"A discount, huh..."

Koma Enji repeated the phrase and exchanged glances with the others, helpless smiles on their faces.

Ghouls couldn't eat human food.

So no matter how great the diner was, they couldn't really go.

At most, to avoid suspicion from CCG or outsiders, they'd all go once as a group, check in, then go throw up behind the shop—and never return.

Touka knew this too, so she silently watched Hayashi's figure disappear through the window.

Her expression dimmed with disappointment.

But—one person was different.

In the corner of the shop—

The violet-haired woman who'd been watching Hayashi the whole time—practically stalking him with her eyes—suddenly stood up.

She tucked away the book she'd been nervously crushing in her hands.

"Check, please."

"?!"

Everyone, including Koma Enji and Kirishima Touka, turned to look at her.

Koma Enji forced a polite smile.

"This is the Safe Zone, Kamishiro Rize. That man earlier was also a shop owner. If he goes missing, the police will definitely investigate. You understand that, don't you?"

They'd all noticed how intensely Rize had been staring.

If it were a random person outside the area, they wouldn't interfere.

But Hayashi's territory was right next door. If he vanished, it would be far too easy to track—and the CCG might come knocking.

Still, under their watchful gaze...

Kamishiro Rize walked over to the table where Hayashi had been sitting, picked up his used coffee cup, held it to her nose—and inhaled deeply with an enraptured expression.

"So fragrant... he's the most delicious man I've ever met."

"Hey!" Irimi came over to Kamishiro Rize with a sharp look on her face, warning coldly, "No matter what, you are not allowed to make a move on him within the next two months. Otherwise, we'll all risk exposure."

Kirishima Touka also stared hard at Rize.

Even though they had only chatted briefly, she genuinely resonated with what Hayashi had said—it was the kind of life she had always longed for.

And now someone like him had caught Kamishiro Rize's eye, and right inside the Antique Coffee Shop no less.

It made Touka feel a little guilty.

Faced with the group's warnings—

Rize gently put down the coffee cup, let out a long breath, and opened her eyes.

"I'll handle it."

With that, she ignored everyone and walked out the door.

After Rize left—

Irimi walked over to the coffee cup she left behind, curious, and took a sniff herself.

In that instant, her pupils shrank and she involuntarily gulped.

The other staff also leaned in and took a whiff, intrigued.

Moments later, a series of gulping sounds echoed in the shop.

Kirishima Touka muttered in disbelief, "Unbelievable... why does he smell like that?"

Meanwhile—

After delivering the gift boxes, Hayashi returned straight home.

Pushing open the door to his diner felt just like coming home—he let out a deep breath.

Utaha, still typing on her laptop, looked up and smiled.

"You're back."

Hayashi paused, feeling something oddly familiar—maybe he had watched too much anime.

"Yeah, I finished delivering the gifts. Anyone come by while I was gone?"

"Nope," Utaha shook her head, her black-stockinged legs crossing again as she changed positions. "At this rate, aren't you going to go bankrupt, Hayashi-kun? Drown in debt?"

"..."

Faced with Utaha's sudden venomous tongue, Hayashi felt both amused and helpless. He shook his head.

"Unlikely. The entire property here belongs to me. No rent. Worst case, I don't make money—but I'll never starve."

"Oh~?" Utaha raised an eyebrow in surprise.

In Tokyo, owning such a large piece of land in a shopping district?

Even if the 20th Ward wasn't in the heart of the city, the land still wasn't cheap.

It was basically inner-ring level prime real estate.

"Manager, you really are young and successful, huh."

"Of course," Hayashi responded without hesitation.

Who said things gifted by a system didn't count as his own?

Honestly, even the building was part of his power—it would level up alongside him.

Ding-a-ling~

As they were chatting, the doorbell suddenly rang.

Hayashi and Utaha turned their heads—standing at the entrance was none other than Kamishiro Rize from the Antique Coffee Shop.

She had followed the scent all the way here.

Under their gaze, Rize offered a slightly "bashful" smile.

"I overheard your conversation back at the café... I got curious about the taste and decided to come give it a try."

Looking at her mature figure—

Utaha instantly felt a sense of danger!

This woman just screamed "university big-sis next door," especially with those red-rimmed glasses—way too sophisticated!

As for Hayashi, seeing that it was Rize, he thought for a moment, then nodded.

"Welcome. What would you like to eat?"

At the sound of his invitation, Rize happily ignored Utaha and smiled brightly.

"Meat. I want to eat meat."

Yep. A full-on carnivore. Technically not wrong.

Hayashi nodded. "How about a thick-cut sirloin steak?"