I_LOVE_RICE+
patreon
Chapter 85: I, Minami, Never Lie
🕑 Added 2025-02-08 16:29:08 +0000 UTCThe concept of a guardian spirit was something Mizuki Nakahara, as an older single woman, had often come across in manga and anime.
But hearing someone say it out loud with such absolute seriousness...
To be honest, this was her first time.
She instinctively asked about it—
Only to realize afterward that eavesdropping on others' conversations was a bit inappropriate.
"Sorry, I didn't mean to listen in."
Mizuki quickly apologized.
Fortunately, the young black-haired man before her didn't seem to mind at all. He simply smiled and waved his hand.
"It's nothing."
He paused for a moment before speaking again, his voice gentle:
"Miss, are you also interested in the topic of guardian spirits?"
"Ah… well… I guess so."
Mizuki Nakahara couldn't help but glance at Minami.
His voice was pleasant to listen to, and when he looked at her, his gaze was clear and sincere—he didn't seem like some scam artist using the "guardian spirit" excuse to con people out of their money.
On the other hand, though… even if this incredibly handsome man was a fraud, Mizuki—who had been single for years and was desperately looking for a boyfriend—probably wouldn't mind.
In fact…
Mizuki might even consider it a win.
"If you're interested, and if you don't mind, I could give you a palm reading or a guardian spirit fortune-telling."
"Huh...?"
The sudden offer caught Mizuki off guard.
She had just been jokingly thinking that getting scammed by a handsome man wouldn't be so bad.
She hadn't expected him to actually take the initiative like this.
Maybe sensing her hesitation, the young man simply chuckled and reassured her:
"Don't worry, it's just a simple reading. No charge. I'm actually a very honest medium. Also, let's discuss this troublemaker's bill later, after the reading."
He gestured toward Yamada Ryo, who was now sitting quietly like a well-behaved child.
"...Alright then."
Mizuki glanced around Riko-Riko—the café was rather quiet today.
Nishikigi Chisato and Inoue Takina were both out at an orphanage, taking care of the children, leaving only her and Mika, who was in the kitchen.
—With Riko-Riko's slow business, they hardly needed more staff on duty.
With nothing better to do, Mizuki hesitated for a moment before nodding.
"Alright then, I'll trouble you for a reading."
"Not at all. Consider it a small gesture of gratitude for taking care of this penniless troublemaker for so long. Now then, if you'll allow me—may I see your palm?"
Mizuki hesitated for a second before extending her right hand, looking at the young man with curiosity.
This was her first time having her palm read.
Would he use some kind of special method? Bring out some mysterious tools?
But soon, her expectations were completely shattered.
The young man took out no tools.
He didn't even touch her palm.
He simply lowered his head and examined it seriously.
"Hmm... Oh... I see. Alright, I understand everything now."
He let out a sound of realization, as if something had just clicked for him.
Mizuki, however, was completely dumbfounded.
That's it?
You "completely understand" just from looking at my palm for two seconds?
Wasn't this way too half-assed?
Even those street fortune-tellers who scammed people at stalls would at least put on a proper act!
Just looking at her hand—what could he possibly "understand"?!
Just as Mizuki was thinking this, the young man in front of her suddenly smiled warmly and spoke again:
"So, Miss Nakahara, what would you like to ask me?"
"Ah… let me think… I'd like to know… wait a second—"
Mizuki froze mid-sentence, staring at the young man in shock.
"How do you know my name?"
The Riko-Riko uniform was styled after a traditional ryokan (Japanese inn), and did not have a name tag.
She also hadn't introduced herself at all.
Yet, this man had directly guessed her surname—Nakahara.
Was it just a coincidence?
But with the sheer number of Japanese surnames out there, that explanation felt far too weak...
Mizuki wasn't sure what to think.
Still, as a rational, mature adult, she wasn't about to be easily deceived.
As she was analyzing the situation, the young man sitting across the counter suddenly spoke again—almost as if he had seen straight through her thoughts:
"It's not a coincidence, Miss Mizuki Nakahara. Your palm has already told me everything about you."
What—?!
Mizuki's eyebrows twitched.
He got it right again!
Not just her surname—he had even correctly stated her full name!
But—
"Just a name… it wouldn't be that hard to find out, would it?"
Taking a deep breath, Mizuki kept up her composure, maintaining the dignity of a mature woman.
If he thought he could fool her that easily, he was in for a challenge.
On the other side, Yamada Ryo remained expressionless.
She, too, had once been as naive as Mizuki was now.
But later—she had been completely crushed by Minami's gaze, which seemed to pierce through everything.
Minami, on the other hand, didn't seem to mind Mizuki's skeptical attitude at all.
Instead, he simply flashed a faint, knowing smile.
That confident, relaxed demeanor sent an unexpected chill down Mizuki's spine.
She suddenly felt as if, under his gaze, she had no secrets at all.
"Am I wrong?"
She cleared her throat.
"A name like mine—it's not that hard to look up if someone really wanted to."
To her surprise, Minami nodded in agreement, as if he completely understood her reasoning.
"You're absolutely right, Miss Nakahara. Names are indeed easy to obtain if one secretly pays attention. However—"
He paused and glanced at her palm again.
"As I said before… I have already understood everything."
As he spoke, his gaze lowered once more to her hand.
Almost instinctively, Mizuki slightly pulled her hand back.
Somehow, Mizuki Nakahara had the eerie feeling that this young man had just read her entire life from the palm of her hand.
But before she could fully withdraw her hand, Minami spoke again, his voice firm and resolute—
"I see… You were born on June 5, 1996. You're 27 years old. Blood type O. Though you seem reliable and carry yourself like an older sister figure, in reality, your favorite pastime is drinking at an izakaya called 'Ori Sake Brewery'..."
"Uh… wait a second—"
Mizuki's mouth fell open in disbelief, just as she was about to interrupt—
But the young man continued:
"It seems you have a habit of getting drunk. Over the past year, you've had an astonishing 137 instances of intoxication. So far this year, you've vomited 78 times, 32 of which landed directly on this café's manager."
"You enjoy reading bridal magazines, and your most frequently spoken phrase is—'Why aren't there any good men out there?'* So far, you've said this phrase approximately 3,651 times this year."*
"Wait a minute—"
"You have an unusual obsession with handsome young men. You regularly watch late-night Japanese idol dramas. On June 5th—your birthday—you stayed up until 2 a.m. watching The One Who Loved Me, Him and Her while eating grilled squid tentacles and drinking shochu."
"???"
Mizuki Nakahara.
Mizuki's mouth hung open.
The "elegance and composure of a mature woman" that she had been so determined to maintain?
Completely shattered.
Her mind was now filled with one singular thought—
"How the hell do you know all this?!"
She couldn't hold it in anymore. She stood up from behind the counter, looking utterly dumbfounded—no, completely shell-shocked.
"Everything was revealed by your palm lines."
Minami smiled politely.
"I've never heard of palm reading being able to reveal someone's hobbies, age, birthdate, blood type… or even their kinks!"
Mizuki snapped back.
What kind of bullshit was this?
He could tell all of this just from looking at her palm?
She absolutely did not believe it.
The "137 instances of getting drunk" statistic—she wasn't sure whether that was accurate, but she did have a habit of drinking excessively, and if she counted up all the times, the number probably wasn't that far off.
And the part about throwing up on Riko-Riko's manager, Mika—also true.
After all, Mika was the only adult man in Riko-Riko—
She couldn't exactly drag Chisato or Takina, who were still minors, into an izakaya with her.
Even the fact that she had a thing for pretty boys, despite being 27, and still watched romance dramas about young couples—he knew everything…
Honestly, right now, Mizuki just wanted to run home and check her room for hidden cameras.
Otherwise, how could he possibly know all of this—
He even knew exactly what she ate on June 5th?!
"Don't overthink it, Miss Nakahara."
Seeing Mizuki's face contorted in disbelief, Minami knew her mind was in turmoil.
This was the perfect time to strike—
If he played his cards right, he could completely win her over.
As for how he actually knew so much about her…
Well, the answer was quite simple.
In the simulation, as Riko-Riko's head chef and shift manager, he had access to detailed staff records—including Mizuki's age, blood type, and background.
And as for her hobbies and habits?
Mizuki probably didn't even realize how much she blabbered when she was drunk.
During his second playthrough of the simulation, as one of the only two men at Riko-Riko, it was his job to escort this hopeless drunkard home when she drank too much.
Every time she got wasted, she would babble nonsense at him while puking all over him.
That's how he learned so many of her embarrassing secrets—not that he ever wanted to know.
But…
Now that his "psychic medium" reputation was becoming more and more solid, Minami couldn't help but feel conflicted.
Still, since he was already here at Riko-Riko—he might as well use this opportunity to lay the groundwork for meeting Nishikigi Chisato later on.
If it wasn't for that, he wouldn't even bother playing the role of a fraudulent fortune-teller.
After all, everyone already knew the truth—
He, Minami, was a righteous, pure, and honest man.
[Your special trait: Lying has significantly increased. Your Lying skill has leveled up. Current Lying Level: 3.]
"..."
Minami.
Ignoring the blatant system notification that had just popped up, he turned back to Mizuki, his voice calm and steady:
"Miss Nakahara, you should be able to believe me now, right?"
"I…"
Just moments ago, Mizuki had been determined not to fall for any tricks.
But now, she found herself at a loss for words.
The problem was—
Most of what he said was completely true.
Some of the things he mentioned, she had even forgotten about herself.
It felt as if he had known her for years.
This terrifying level of accuracy made her start to wonder—
Could he actually be a real psychic medium with supernatural powers?
Hearing this, Mizuki Nakahara spoke bluntly:
"Hmm… What you just said, while slightly inaccurate in some parts—like me being 27 and still watching late-night romance dramas, or my habit of getting drunk and throwing up—everything else is… more or less correct."
She cleared her throat.
"I admit you have some real skills as a psychic, but don't get the wrong idea—this doesn't mean I fully believe in you."
"..."
Minami shook his head.
Why did Mizuki Nakahara have a bit of a tsundere side to her?
But that was fine. Since the conversation had progressed this far, then next…
"Miss Nakahara, I'm honored that you acknowledge my abilities. However, through my palm reading just now… I discovered something that I must tell you."
"Something you must tell me…?"
Minami's serious tone made Mizuki inexplicably tense.
She couldn't help but look up at him.
"Is it important?"
"Very important."
Minami's voice remained calm.
"In fact, in a way, it could determine whether this café continues to exist."
"Please, tell me!"
Mizuki, who had already started believing Minami at least 60%, couldn't contain her emotions any longer and immediately stood up.
She had no choice.
After all, Riko-Riko was their last hope.
If Riko-Riko collapsed—
Then the orphanage they supported would also shut down due to financial difficulties.
And the children who lived there would…
Just imagining the consequences made Mizuki unable to take this lightly anymore.
Fortunately, Minami had no intention of dragging things out.
Hearing her response, he spoke without hesitation:
"Soon—perhaps in a month—you will lose someone incredibly important to you."
"Lose… someone incredibly important to me?"
Mizuki froze.
"Yes. That person will pass away, unable to withstand their worsening illness."
At that point, Minami stopped speaking.
Because he knew that sometimes, it was more effective to leave things unsaid—to let the other person imagine the worst.
And just as he had predicted—
After hearing his words, Mizuki's mind flashed through countless faces.
Until finally, it stopped on one.
A bright, cheerful girl with an infectious, sunny smile.
"Chisato…"
She suddenly felt weak as she murmured the name.
