Oh no!
Alex scrambled to find a phone and dialed the izakaya.
Kogoro Mouri picked up. "Hello, this is Mouri's Izakaya…"
"It's me. How's everything there?"
"Alex? Where the heck are you? You didn't show up when we opened this afternoon. We were worried sick—especially Eri. She went out looking for you for ages."
"I'm at Reiko's place. Something came up. Is the izakaya open tonight?"
"Good thing Yukiko was here," Kogoro said. "Without her, Eri and I would've had to close up. Oh, crap, Eri's coming. You're on your own…"
The next moment, Eri Kisaki's furious voice blared through the receiver. "Where are you? Do you know how worried we've been?"
"Sorry," Alex said quickly. "I'm at Reiko's. She—"
"What's that little troublemaker up to now?" Eri snapped.
"It's not Reiko's fault," Alex explained. "Remember what Officer Megure said about the escaped convict? He broke into Reiko's house this afternoon to get revenge on her mom."
"Is she okay?" Eri's tone softened.
"She's fine, no injuries. I'm staying here tonight, so I'm leaving the izakaya to you guys. You—"
Alex was about to say Eri could take charge tonight, but a bark echoed from the garden, followed by Reiko's excited shout. "Onii-chan, Lucky's awake!"
"Lucky was drugged earlier. I'm going to check on him," Alex said quickly, hanging up and heading to the garden.
Sure, he called Lucky a dumb dog, but after raising him for eight years since picking him up as a stray, Alex was deeply fond of the mutt.
"Woof…"
Lucky caught Alex's scent and wagged its tail, eager to play despite the lingering effects of the sedative. Two steps in, its legs buckled, and it flopped to the ground.
Alex reached the garden just as Lucky, undeterred, crawled toward him with its front paws, tail still wagging furiously.
"Easy, don't move," Alex said, hurrying over to stop the dog.
"Woof…"
Lucky yipped happily, licking Alex's hand.
"Good thing Kubo didn't poison that bun," Alex said, giving the dog's head a firm pat. "You'll never learn to stop eating everything."
"Onii-chan," Reiko said, tugging at Lucky's ears, "are we taking Lucky with us?"
"Of course," Alex nodded. "Aunt and Uncle are too busy to look after him."
"What should I pack?" Reiko asked, buzzing with excitement as she planned her move. "Books, toiletries, clothes…"
"Just bring what you use every day," Alex cut in before she turned it into a full-on relocation. "We're not far from here. You can grab anything you need later."
"Oh!" Reiko yanked Lucky's ear playfully and darted back into the house.
Alex stayed with the dog, waiting for the sedative to wear off. Watching Lucky clumsily chase its own tail, he couldn't shake a nagging feeling. Did I forget something?
At the izakaya, learning Alex wouldn't be back, Eri Kisaki took charge with gusto, barking orders left and right. This quickly sparked a revolt from Chef Yukiko.
"Hey, Glasses Girl," Yukiko Fujimine huffed, "since Alex isn't here and didn't say who's boss, the izakaya should be my call. I'm the head chef!"
Eri ignored her, continuing to assign tasks.
"You're not listening!" Yukiko snapped, slamming down her utensils. "If you don't, this head chef's done for the night!"
Eri stopped pretending not to hear. She walked over, her face expressionless.
"W-What…" Yukiko faltered, a flicker of fear in her eyes. Then, puffing up, she declared, "As head chef, I demand control of the izakaya—"
"Tell me," Eri said, a sly smile creeping onto her face, "if I ask Alex tomorrow to lend me his free maid for a few days, do you think he'd say yes?"
Yukiko froze.
She'd gotten a read on Alex's personality over the past few days. He was fiercely loyal, especially to Eri, his childhood friend. If she asked, he'd probably agree without hesitation.
The thought of Yukiko meekly swapping Eri's shoes at the school entrance, calling her "Master," sent a shiver down her spine.
"So," Eri said coolly, "now you know who's boss, right?"
"…You're the boss, I'm the underling," Yukiko muttered, deflated.
"Who's running the izakaya tonight?"
"…You are."
"Gonna talk back to me again?"
"No…" Yukiko answered automatically, then caught herself. "Hey, Glasses Girl, we're just talking about work tonight!"
"Fine, tonight then," Eri said, her tone sharpening. "You gonna talk back?"
"…No," Yukiko said, shaking her head glumly.
"Then get to work!" Eri snapped, glaring. "Or do you want to be my maid tomorrow?"
"Fine, I'm working," Yukiko grumbled, picking up her utensils with a scowl.
In that moment, she suddenly missed Alex. At least when he was around, she didn't have to take this kind of grief.
Kogoro Mouri, watching from the sidelines, barely stifled a laugh.
Eri's strong personality and sharp mind meant even Alex treaded carefully when she was mad. Only Yukiko, somehow always at odds with her, kept picking fights she couldn't win.
Once Eri was out of earshot, Yukiko leaned toward Kogoro. "Did he say why he's not coming back?"
"Something about Reiko," Kogoro said vaguely. "Might be like this for a few days."
"No way," Yukiko groaned, imagining days of Eri's tyranny. "Damn it, Alex, if you're not dead, get back here! Your maid's getting crushed by Glasses Girl!"
Back at the Kujo house, Alex sneezed while helping Reiko pack.
"Onii-chan," Reiko said, handing him a cup of hot tea, "don't catch a cold."
Alex took a sip, eyeing his sister. Remembering last weekend when she teamed up with Eri to torment Yukiko, he couldn't help but warn her. "When you get to the izakaya, behave. Don't go stirring up trouble with Eri or Yukiko."
"Don't worry, Onii-chan," Reiko said with a sweet smile. "The izakaya's our family business. I won't let outsiders mess it up."
"Huh?" Alex blinked, sensing something off but unable to pinpoint it.
(Chapter End)
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T/N: While I am an inexperienced Translator, I have a Patreon! While it may seem empty as of now, webnovel will get 2 Chapters Every Day, and advanced chapters will be uploaded on Patreon.
It may not seem worth it now, but maybe in the future. Who knows!
patreon.com/TripleCrown07
If you guys wanna check it out.