KyokaSuigetsu
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Chapter 74. Tohru Also Wants to Buy a Bunny Girl Outfit, Mai Notes Down the Restaurant Address
🕑 Added 2025-05-30 10:29:54 +0000 UTCBeing called that by others would be one thing - Sakurajima Mai didn't care that much.
But being identified as a lewd erotic woman by a little girl like Kanna really broke her defense, making her instantly turn red all over.
Hayashi laughed for a while before properly explaining to Kanna.
"Kanna, she awakened a strange ability that makes weaker beings ignore her presence, but she can't control it, so she's testing like this."
"Oh~" Although Kanna indicated she understood.
She seemed to only have one concern: "She won't make Hayashi leave us, right?"
"?" Hayashi spread his hands: "Our life is so good, and there are quite a few good girls around me. Why would I have to go with her? Just because she's wearing a bunny girl outfit? cough cough"
"Oh~, I understand now." Only then did Kanna nod: "That's good then."
Sakurajima Mai was behind Hayashi.
Listening to the first part, Mai thought it was acceptable, but hearing the latter part about "why would I have to go with her."
She suddenly felt like her charm was really that low?
Was it the ability's fault?
She used to be very popular, but this young store manager actually didn't care. She was wearing a bunny girl outfit!
At this time, Tohru looked at Sakurajima Mai.
"You can't control your own ability? Can't you feel it?"
Mai nodded: "Yes, I can't feel it at all, though I felt a little bit today."
Tohru thought about it: "Then I roughly know how you should feel it."
"?! How should I feel it?"
"Face stronger beings and have it forced out through pressure."
"What kind of training method is that?"
"When dragon younglings are small, they all experience the dragon's might from their elders. They naturally learn it when they grow up. There are also some magical insights - they're all inherited knowledge that can only be felt better when challenged. It's all like this."
"I understand." Sakurajima Mai now understood. She looked at Hayashi: "It seems similar to what you said."
Tohru was curious: "How does Hayashi-san see it?"
Hayashi told Tohru about his two methods.
First was exposure, second was also challenge.
Of course, using both approaches together was also possible.
Maybe the effect would be even better.
Tohru agreed and gave a thumbs up: "As expected of Hayashi-san, thinking the same as me."
Hearing this, Sakurajima Mai finally understood what she needed to do.
The first year's excitement.
The second year's blandness.
All the way to this third year's living difficulties.
The first two years were fine, but this year was really torturous.
The feeling of being ignored by the entire world.
Unless you had autism, otherwise humans who survive socially really couldn't bear it. Two or three years were fine, but what about thirty or fifty years?
It was very possible to develop mental illness and commit suicide.
Don't mention shut-ins.
Being a shut-in was because there was internet, food delivery, online social interaction.
But this kind of presence erasure meant having nothing at all.
Only the naked eye could see, but you couldn't participate in anything yourself.
Sakurajima Mai heard everyone's suggestions.
She stepped forward and seriously bowed to Hayashi and Tohru.
"Although I don't know if it will work yet, thank you very much. At least now I have some leads."
"It's nothing, just practice more." Hayashi waved his hand.
Tohru looked at Sakurajima Mai's clothes and curiously asked her:
"Where did you buy your outfit? I want to buy one too."
Hayashi: ?
Hearing this, Sakurajima Mai looked at Hayashi, secretly smiled, then looked at Tohru.
"There are... many places. Let me tell you."
Sakurajima Mai told Tohru where to buy the clothes.
Then Kanna was curiously staring at her.
Mai immediately couldn't stay any longer.
She hurriedly waved and said: "I'll go back and change clothes first."
Sakurajima Mai turned and ran away.
Her retreating figure, with that white bunny tail bouncing up and down, looked very cute.
Though it was an accessory, not an insert.
Tohru looked at Hayashi's expression and suddenly smiled teasingly.
"Hayashi-san really likes that outfit."
Hayashi stood straight and answered frankly: "This is appreciation, you know. Women become more attractive wearing it, so it's a good outfit."
"Hmm~~~" Tohru made a nasal sound, indicating she understood.
It's just clothes, right? It adds combat power, is that it?
She could wear it too - it's not like she couldn't.
"Let's find a place to rest for a bit."
Hayashi led everyone to rest nearby.
Kasumigaoka Utaha's book signing seemed to be ending soon.
It had continued from club time until club time ended.
The staff timed it well.
From the final stage of queuing, no more people were allowed to join the line.
Then the length of the queue visibly shortened.
After a while.
The people in front of Kasumigaoka Utaha finally finished getting their books signed.
The signing event ended.
Utaha stood up, rubbed her sore wrist, and took a bottle of water handed over by her editor and drank it.
After one sip of tasteless mineral water.
Utaha didn't take a second sip.
"If only there were drinks made by Hayashi-kun."
Her editor was puzzled: "Your Hayashi-kun makes things that taste so good?"
"Of course." Utaha confirmed.
The editor understood at this point.
So her stomach had been conquered by a man too - this was a done deal.
The editor pointed not far away.
"They're still waiting for you."
Kasumigaoka Utaha turned to look and immediately put down the water and ran over.
But while going over.
She suddenly collided with a blonde twin-tailed girl.
Both cried out in pain.
Utaha looked at the twin-tailed person and immediately sneered: "If it isn't Eriri. I thought after seeing my results, you'd already hidden away from people."
"Hah? Who are you talking about!" Sawamura Eriri got up and immediately jumped in anger: "Your good results this time are just a temporary victory! Next time won't be certain! And who said I was hiding!"
Utaha turned her head aside: "Anyway, I haven't seen a certain someone for many days. If not hiding, what else could it be?"
Eriri clenched her fists: "I went to gather material, to find inspiration!"
Utaha: "Who knows."
"You....."
"Alright, no more chatting." Utaha interrupted, turned and waved: "I'm going to find my good friend. Bye, temporary defeated opponent."
"Ahhhhh~!" Eriri raged helplessly.
Hayashi in the distance.
Watched both sides with interest.
He didn't expect that Utaha and Eriri here actually knew each other directly.
Both were angry because of competing over results.
Facing Eriri's angry stare.
Utaha walked in front of Hayashi, immediately changed her demeanor, and smiled brightly.
"Sorry to keep you waiting, Hayashi-kun. We can go now."
"Uh... sure."
In the distance.
Eriri glared at Utaha walking to a man's side, suddenly changing her demeanor, which left her stunned.
What was wrong with Kasumigaoka Utaha?
Huh? What happened during this time?
Under Eriri's bewildered gaze.
Hayashi and Utaha, along with Tohru and Kanna, left the badminton gymnasium.
Walking on the road.
Utaha explained the situation to Hayashi.
"That blonde loser just now is called Sawamura Eriri, the ace of the art club. She's very good at drawing, but she's my defeated opponent. Her manga has garbage plots like sewage, only the art looks good."
Hayashi was puzzled: "Is she the second place you mentioned?"
"No." Utaha shook her head: "I didn't count Eriri. Her illustrations are amazing, but her manga works don't count, so there's nothing worth first publishing. But her online illustration results are quite good."
"Oh~" Hayashi understood.
Publishing meant being featured in manga volumes or literary journals.
They'd be printed in manga or novel volumes, and good performers would get standalone volumes - that's called publishing.
But for Eriri's type, publishing was difficult because the plot was too poor.
But her artwork was really good, so she could only go viral with online illustrations. Standalone publishing was almost impossible.
When they reached the parking lot.
They got in the car.
Hayashi drove back.
Shortly after leaving the school gate, Hayashi suddenly remembered and looked at Tohru.
"Tohru, did Mai say she'd come back after changing clothes?"
Tohru recalled: "Doesn't seem like it."
"Then never mind, let's go back." Hayashi continued driving.
Utaha was a bit curious: "Who's Mai? In such a short time, did Hayashi-kun already hook up with a girl?"
"What are you saying." Hayashi shook his head: "She's the one who approached me."
Utaha: "Hm?"
"It's nothing much, just a girl with a strange ability. Speaking of which, she's actually from your school, also a senior, just in a different class. Sakurajima Mai, have you heard of her?"
"Sakurajima Mai?"
Hearing this name, Utaha thought carefully, but her brow furrowed more and more.
She thought for a long time: "Why do I feel very familiar, really familiar, but have no impression at all? I can't remember who she is, what she looks like, what her voice sounds like?"
"That's right then."
Hayashi and Tohru nodded simultaneously.
Then he told Utaha about Sakurajima Mai's situation.
Tohru occasionally added details from the side.
So Kasumigaoka Utaha's expression went from confused, to slightly understanding, to enlightened, to clear understanding, then back to surprised and shocked.
"Wait wait wait."
Kasumigaoka Utaha raised both hands and called for a stop: "I remember now!"
"Sakurajima Mai, the child star who was extremely popular before, right?"
Hayashi nodded: "Right."
"She's at my school, and in the neighboring class?"
Hayashi nodded: "Same school, senior year, whether neighboring I don't know."
"How could this be?"
Hayashi spread his hands: "That's her ability."
At this time, Kasumigaoka Utaha suddenly remembered something and looked sharply at Tohru and Kanna.
"Wait, didn't you also say they're dragons!?"
"Yeah." Hayashi nodded: "What about it?"
Don't let it be the ghouls and demons issue again. If they exist, why can't dragons exist?
But Utaha was curious about something else: "But they clearly look like humans."
"Oh, you mean that." Hayashi understood.
He lifted his chin toward Tohru: "Remove the recognition magic just for her, Tohru."
"Hai~" Tohru winked at Utaha.
Utaha suddenly felt her eyes itch, so she closed them and rubbed them.
When she opened them again, Tohru and Kanna had both changed.
Their faces and body shapes hadn't changed.
But their characteristics had.
Both Tohru and Kanna had very distinctive dragon horns on their heads.
They also had tails behind them.
Tohru had a thick dragon tail, Kanna had a light, yo-yo-like one.
Their clothes had also changed.
In Utaha's original view, Kanna wore normal clothes, but now she appeared in a maid outfit. Tohru hadn't changed much.
But this still gave Utaha quite a shock.
"Ah?!" Utaha exclaimed in the car: "Dragon-form beautiful girls?!"
Tohru nodded happily.
Seeing the maid outfit, Utaha turned to look at Hayashi.
This time, without Hayashi needing to speak.
Tohru actively explained: "When I first came to this world, Hayashi-san saved me, so to repay Hayashi-san, I voluntarily went to work as head maid at the shop!"
"Hayashi-san wanted me to be a shop employee, I wanted to be head maid, and finally we agreed that counted as being an employee!"
Utaha was puzzled: "Then Kanna..."
"Kanna just arrived." Tohru explained: "She's temporarily staying here, also counts as an employee I guess, like a mascot to attract customers. Anyway, I'll help Kanna with her work."
After Tohru finished, she looked at Hayashi for confirmation: "Right, Hayashi-san?"
Whether Kanna was an employee or not.
That wasn't even a question.
On the first day she moved into Midnight Diner, Hayashi had already included her in the employee system.
Even if Kanna didn't work much and her promotion was slow, that was fine.
As long as she slowly worked her way up, when Kanna became a formal employee.
Hayashi would automatically learn a bunch of dragon magic!
Kanna was a dragon who was more skilled at magic, perfectly complementing Tohru's strengths!
So Hayashi nodded in confirmation.
"They're all the same. She could also count as employee family. Tohru is so capable, the shop really depends on Tohru."
This was the truth.
Once Tohru arrived, Hayashi could finally focus on just cooking with peace of mind, not having to worry about anything else.
It completely freed him from his most hated tasks.
Hearing this, Tohru also hummed happily.
Meanwhile, Utaha beside them had been amazed for quite a while.
Although ghouls and demons existed, the probability of encountering them in daily life wasn't that high.
Now dragons were right in front of her, and a big star was also a classmate.
The key was only discovering this now.
This really refreshed her worldview.
"It's truly unbelievable." Kasumigaoka Utaha twirled her hair with her finger: "The boss I know is actually very strong, his house maid is a dragon beautiful girl, his customers are beautiful girl famous writers, as well as another famous writer."
"Mm-hmm." Hayashi first nodded, then reacted: "Hm?"
You're including yourself too?
Seeing Hayashi's expression, Utaha smiled slightly: "Am I not a beautiful girl?"
"Alright then, you are." Hayashi nodded, then suddenly remembered: "How are your new book's results? Do you have any predictions?"
Speaking of the new book's results, Utaha also became genuinely nervous.
"I don't know yet." Utaha shook her head: "I have to wait until tomorrow for first-day statistics. The editor predicts it will be very good, and the signing event went well too."
At this moment, Hayashi was driving and about to pass a bookstore.
He casually asked: "Did they stock it there? Want to stop by and take a look?"
"No no!" Utaha immediately shook her head, covering her eyes: "Drive past quickly! Looking at audience response beforehand could cause explosive failure."
"?" Hayashi stepped on the gas and left: "There's such a saying?"
"There is." Utaha nodded affirmatively: "Some authors even give up on themselves when they see no popularity, and even consider suicide."
"Hiss..." Hayashi took a sharp breath.
You could only say they put too much heart and soul into it, caring to the point of obsession.
The car passed the bookstore.
After driving a bit more, they reached the restaurant's alley.
At the same time.
On campus.
Sakurajima Mai, who had finally changed out of the bunny girl outfit, returned to the gymnasium wearing her school uniform.
But she found that the book launch had already ended, and the place was empty.
Hayashi and those two dragons were no longer there either.
For a moment.
Sakurajima Mai suddenly panicked.
"Could all of that just now have been a hallucination..."
Having been ignored for three years, Mai even suspected whether she had developed mental illness and was experiencing hallucinations.
After all, things like strong people and dragons might all be fake and nonexistent.
And abilities and such were all jokes.
If it really was a hallucination, that would be a big problem.
"That's right!" Sakurajima Mai suddenly remembered: "His name was Hayashi, the address... the address... I still remember!"
Recalling the address Hayashi had mentioned.
Sakurajima Mai hurriedly noted it down on her phone, then turned and ran.
No matter what, she absolutely had to confirm this!
