KyokaSuigetsu
patreon
Chapter 61. Makima? Don't Miss a Good Woman, Don't Waste a Bad One!
🕑 Added 2025-05-01 08:10:11 +0000 UTCUpon learning that another regular customer was a writer with a work called Love Metronome.
Takatsuki Izumi suddenly realized, "So it's that book, huh? I remember that book, the author is a super cute girl, right?"
A super cute girl? Hayashi remembered the black stockings and nodded.
"If she hears this, she’d probably be really happy."
"No problem, after the interview, I can record it, we can take a photo together, and then send it to that beautiful author."
"Sounds good."
The two chatted for a while, then began the interview.
Takatsuki Izumi asked, "May I ask, why did you want to open a late-night diner? What's the concept behind it?"
Hayashi answered, "Lazy. The late-night diner only needs to operate for a short while in the evening, there’s basically no one in the early morning, and I can’t get up early."
Takatsuki Izumi laughed uncontrollably upon hearing this.
"Store manager, you’re really an interesting person."
Then, she suddenly asked, "Don’t you like being surrounded by beautiful girls?"
"Of course, I do," Hayashi coughed lightly.
You didn’t even ask!
If you ask and still like it, then I won’t say anything.
Just like that.
Takatsuki Izumi asked, Hayashi answered.
The two of them went back and forth, talking for quite some time.
Until 6 PM.
Tohru came over and reminded him: "Hayashi-san, it’s time for business."
"Oh right," Hayashi nodded. "Let’s open the sign."
"Mm." Tohru went over to change the "Closed for Business" sign to "Now Open."
Takatsuki Izumi also packed up her notebook and pen.
She slightly bowed towards Hayashi and said, "Thank you very much for the patient interview, now let’s take some messages and a group photo."
"No problem."
Hayashi handed his phone to Kamishiro Rize, who was watching from the side: "Could you help take a picture?"
Kamishiro Rize took the phone and carefully held it.
Then she responded, a little jealously: "Hayashi-kun, you still haven’t taken a photo with me."
"Ah..." Hayashi was sure: "Let’s take one together, and after we finish, we’ll take yours."
Tohru immediately raised her hand: "I want one too!"
"Okay, then wait in line."
Kanna paused and said, "Tohru-sama took one, so I want one too."
"Okay, okay."
Now Makima overheard.
She turned her head, looking at Hayashi.
Hayashi understood her gaze immediately.
"Okay, okay, everyone, we’ll take one at a time!"
And so...
Everyone in the store took a solo photo with Hayashi.
By the time they finished,
Hayashi’s smile was about to freeze on his face.
He rubbed his face to smooth out his smile.
But then, what to do with all the photos on Hayashi's phone?
Takatsuki Izumi took out her own phone, revealing her true intent.
"Hayashi-san, could I have your contact information and get the photos sent to me?"
As soon as she said this,
Everyone who hadn’t added Hayashi yet, including Tohru and Makima, turned to look at him again.
"Ugh..." Hayashi looked at Takatsuki Izumi, who was smiling at him, and said, "I suspect you did this on purpose, big writer."
"Not at all, I’m just fulfilling a normal need."
"Well, then, let’s not talk about it, come on, get in line at the back."
And so...
He exchanged contact information with everyone present.
Kamishiro Rize looked at her phone and smiled with satisfaction.
Hayashi first added a note to everyone’s contact information.
Then, based on who was in the photo, he sent it out to them one by one.
Finally, everyone present had Hayashi’s contact information and a group photo.
Oh, wait, there was one person left out.
Kanna.
"Why don’t I have one?" Kanna asked, confused.
Tohru took out her phone and showed it to her: "You don’t have a phone yet."
"What’s a phone?"
"It’s a magical terminal device, it lets us contact each other."
"Oh~~~"
Hayashi noticed and stopped Tohru, pointing upstairs.
"Go upstairs and get a phone for Kanna."
Tohru thought for a moment: "Kanna is still young, maybe she doesn’t need it?"
"If we leave her out, it won’t be good. Plus... her dragon age isn’t that small anymore."
"I guess you’re right."
So Tohru went upstairs, got a phone, and handed it to Kanna.
"Kanna, this is your phone. Take good care of it and don’t use too much force, be careful it doesn’t break."
"Oh oh~"
Kanna carefully took the phone.
Tohru started explaining beside her.
"Here’s how you turn it on, here’s the volume, like this..."
Kanna listened attentively.
Finally, as time passed.
Takatsuki Izumi packed up and waved goodbye to Hayashi.
"Well, I’ll leave now. Thanks, Rize-chan, thank you, Hayashi-san, I’ll be back tomorrow, bye~"
Hayashi waved his hand: "Bye."
After Takatsuki Izumi left,
Kamishiro Rize went upstairs to grab a book and started reading in the corner of the restaurant, casually ordering a coffee and paying for it.
Power seemed to be tired.
She didn’t sleep in the store.
She hugged her cat and fell asleep on the lounge chair in the backyard, sleeping with her cat.
Hayashi made a pot of lemon tea and sat by the window.
He was ready to start browsing his phone.
Don’t ask, what else can you do with no customers if not check your phone?
The population in the commercial street hasn’t recovered yet.
As long as no regular customers come, no one else will either.
But Hayashi thought for a moment.
He still brought out the knitting book he bought during the day and started reading it.
Not trying to finish it all at once or learn it right away.
Just at least half an hour a day.
At that moment,
Makima came and sat next to Hayashi.
Not across from him, but right beside him, very close.
She poured herself a cup of lemon tea and started talking.
"The energy around you has grown stronger. How come you’re reading these books on knitting scarves? Planning to give one to some girl?"
Hayashi: "?"
Seeing he didn’t speak, Makima started counting with her fingers.
"That little girl with purple hair? Kamishiro Rize with purple long hair in the corner? Tohru?"
"Stop, stop, stop."
Hayashi grabbed Makima’s fingers.
"I’m learning this to knit, would it be okay if I gave it to you?"
"Sure."
"... I suspect you’re here just to scam a scarf."
"Is that a problem?"
"Don’t start, next thing you know, everyone will want one."
"Then I’ll be the only one? I’m lucky."
"You can think of it that way."
Makima took a sip of her lemon tea, looking at Hayashi, who was holding her hand. She then reversed the hold and grabbed his hand.
Looking at this strong hand,
Makima sighed, "I really like these hands."
"?". Hayashi was still reading the book, turned to her and said, "Even if you like them, I can’t give them to you."
"I know, just like how I like you, Hayashi-kun."
Meaning: I like you, but I can’t have you.
"?"
Hayashi was momentarily stunned.
Upon hearing this, he looked at Makima in disbelief.
Wait, you're already up to that?
Is the story progressing this quickly?
Hayashi's mind raced, but then he remembered Makima, this bad woman.
He couldn't help but wonder if this was intentional.
Does Makima want me to fall in love with her?
There are many ways to dominate.
Do you think domination is just domination?
Work domination, aren't the cows and horses working also dominated?
Bloodline domination, isn't kidnapping family members a form of domination?
Love domination, obeying for love, isn't that often crazy?
In that moment,
Hayashi really couldn't tell if Makima's "like" earlier was real or fake.
Toru had also said she liked him.
But with Toru, it was obvious that it was genuine.
But with Makima, now he really couldn't tell!
This bad woman is too damn good at this!
At that moment, Hayashi just wanted to shout:
I can't tell!
I really can't tell!
Makima saw that Hayashi had gone silent.
Instead, she smiled even more happily.
Because Makima knew in her heart that the fact that Hayashi reacted this way meant he had feelings for her.
Otherwise, the result would have been him pulling his hand away.
So, Makima smiled and said, "You don't have to hurry with your answer. I know you have many choices. I also don’t need you to pick just one. I am also very dangerous, always at risk of assassination, and I'm also very busy."
"The presidential cabinet also doesn't want to see such an answer."
"So whatever answer you have, just keep it in your heart. Is that okay?"
"Hayashi-kun."
Wait a second.
At that moment, Hayashi's brain started working quickly.
Makima’s words seemed to suggest that no matter what answer Hayashi gave, it would lead to the same result.
But a new answer also appeared.
Does he really need to figure it out?
He has the initiative with his capital, ability, and even his demands.
He also knows that Makima will never turn against him.
Because he is the Chainsaw Devil!
So...
"I don't care if you really like me or not!"
"Good women, don't miss them; bad women, don't waste them!"
Hayashi understood!
He nodded and smiled back at Makima.
"Between us, we should have a life too. You handle demon slaying, I handle eating demons."
"You bring back the heart's essence, and I’ll handle the cooking."
"Is that the deal, Makima?"
The meaning of these words was essentially a mutual understanding without being explicitly stated.
You handle killing demons and supporting the family, I handle managing the household.
Just as expected,
Makima wanted this kind of answer too.
Her face turned slightly red as she nodded, "Yes."
That’s right.
What is this called? A win-win!
Makima slays demons and brings back their hearts, and as long as Hayashi can cook it, eating it will completely absorb it.
Thus, he becomes stronger.
And Makima’s goal is also achieved.
Bad women, don't waste them!
I don’t care about this or that!
If you dare to pitch it, I’ll catch it!
Otherwise, the location doesn’t allow it, but he would have done it!
After their intimate conversation,
Makima’s face turned slightly red for a while and then gradually softened.
At that moment, footsteps were heard at the door.
It was 8 PM, and the store was about to close.
Kirishima Touka walked out of the coffee shop and made her way from the alley.
Makima stood up when she saw her.
"It's getting a bit late, so I’ll head back first, Hayashi-kun. I’ll be moving soon in the next couple of days."
"Alright," Hayashi nodded, "When you're moving, I’ll host a welcome dinner for you."
"Thank you, but can we do it at my place? My dogs also want to try your leftovers."
"?" What does this have to do with your dog doing backflips?
Hayashi nodded, "That's fine."
"Then I’ll head out now. I’ll take Pavwa back with me."
Makima finished speaking and went to the backyard to find Pavwa.
She then dragged the half-sleeping Pavwa, threw her in the car, and drove home.
Watching the bad woman drive away,
Hayashi still confidently repeated to himself:
"Bad women, don't waste them! I don't care about this or that!"
He wasn’t into pure love.
In today’s society, pure love comes after dogs.
At that moment,
Kirishima Touka had already walked over.
She was still wearing her coffee shop uniform.
Approaching Hayashi, she raised a finger and said, "Five beef rice bowls today, is that okay?"
"Sure," Hayashi nodded, "Still to go?"
"Yes," Kirishima Touka bowed slightly, "Sorry for the trouble, Hayashi-kun."
"No problem, were you busy today?"
"Not many customers, the demon's influence was still pretty strong a few days ago."
"Well, same here, I haven't even had people walk by."
"We’ll always support you, Hayashi-kun!"
"Don’t worry, even if I have no business, it’ll be fine, it won’t close."
"Good... that's good..."
Hayashi went to cook.
Toru had finished teaching Kana how to use the phone.
Kana was playing with it.
Even if she didn’t know how to, magic helped her learn instantly.
Back in the kitchen cooking.
Beef rice bowls were easy to make.
Just cook the beef well and leave some sauce to mix with the rice.
Pick the beef, toss it in the pan, add the sauce and onions, and start stirring.
The rice had been steaming and was ready to be served.
Once the beef was done, Toru prepared five portions of rice, then poured the beef and sauce over the fragrant rice.
Finally, they packed it up and handed it to Kirishima Touka.
"Alright, remember to eat it soon."
"Thank you so much!"
Touka paid and once again bowed slightly to Hayashi, then took the food and left.
After watching Touka leave,
The store quieted down.
Hayashi suddenly remembered something, sat back by the window, took out his phone, and opened the chat app to find the contact: Kasumigaoka Utaha.
Hayashi: "Do you know who came to my store today?"
Kasumigaoka Utaha: "Sorry, Hayashi-kun, I haven’t been to your store these past few days. I finished my manuscript and it passed the review, the editor’s happy, it’s already at the printing stage, it might be released next week."
Almost at the same time, both of them sent messages.
Hayashi: "So fast? Well then, congratulations in advance, Utaha, wishing your new book sells well."
Kasumigaoka Utaha: "Who’s this? Hayashi-kun actually started the conversation, that’s rare."
Two messages were sent one after another.
They both sent their messages, but they were talking about different things.
This made the person on the other end of the phone laugh while feeling a sense of mutual understanding.
Hayashi: "Let's talk about your stuff first."
Kasumigaoka Utaha: "Mine’s nothing, just been really busy, running around. But I’m finally almost done, once the new book releases, I’ll check the sales. What about you?"
Hayashi: "One of the customers who came to the store today has the same identity as you. Guess who it is? A big author."
Kasumigaoka Utaha: "A woman?"
Hayashi: "!? "
She’s asking if it’s a man or a woman, what’s the question about?
Kasumigaoka Utaha: "Is she pretty? If she’s pretty, then the range is pretty narrow."
Now he gets it, she’s jealous.
Hayashi: "Forget it, let me just be straightforward, it’s Takatsuki Izumi."
Hayashi: "Here’s the picture, jpd"
He sent the photo of himself and Takatsuki Izumi.
On the other end, Kasumigaoka Utaha looked at the photo, and suddenly felt dizzy.
Kasumigaoka Utaha: "She really is a beautiful girl, Hayashi-kun, you really are charming."
Hayashi: "I was trying to introduce you two..."
Kasumigaoka Utaha: "Is she coming to the store tomorrow?"
Hayashi: "She said she’s coming."
Kasumigaoka Utaha: "Then I’m going too!"
In reality, Kasumigaoka Utaha bit her nails, twisted her little foot, staring angrily at the photo of Takatsuki Izumi.
A sneaky cat!
It doesn’t matter to others, but as fellow writers, they’re naturally rivals!
