Compared to where he used to live, breakfast in Japan could be said to be very monotonous.
For established families, if there is a hardworking wife managing the household, they might have the chance to enjoy a comforting meal of hot white rice and miso soup in the morning, accompanied by various vinegared side dishes like thick omelet and plums.
But in most cases, whether you are a salaryman or a student, the most suitable choice remains bread and milk.
How does the saying go? —Adolescence is incomplete if it doesn't involve running into a girl at a corner with a piece of bread in her mouth.
Although it's a famous and overused trope, everyone seems to like it. Ultimately, it's because Japanese people don't have the habit of eating a proper breakfast, but they have the illusion of meeting a beautiful girl with a piece of bread in her mouth, as always.
Upon arriving in this world, Natsukawa Kanade wasn't very adaptable. He gradually got used to it, but he regretted getting used to it once he found a specialty breakfast shop.
If you want to explore its importance, it can be summarized in one sentence: its owner is a Chinese immigrant.
It's not uncommon to see people from your hometown in Japan. In fact, there are many Chinese people who have emigrated here, but most gather in Yokohama's Chinatown, and few live alone outside of there.
However, this owner did the opposite and opened a "non-Japanese traditional" breakfast shop in the port area, where almost all the customers are locals. Thanks to his exquisite craftsmanship, he launched a dimensional reduction offensive against the surrounding food shops that offered breakfast and snatched the local morning market in one fell swoop.
The line in front of the door is almost uninterrupted and practically lasts until noon. Luckily, today is the weekend and there are fewer people lining up, so Kanade can finally taste the delicious food of yesteryear again.
—Boss, five nikuman, five mantou, and two soy milks.
The meat buns at this shop are truly large and not expensive. In fact, Kanade could be full with just three, but considering Shiina was present, he bought a few more.
Even if you can't finish it, you can use it as a snack.
—Oh, Kanade-kun, welcome, welcome, it's been a while since you came.
—I've been very busy with my studies lately —Kanade replied with a smile.
Of course, he communicated with the owner in Chinese. It was something engraved in his mind, and he would never forget it, even if he didn't use it for a long time. He would never miss an opportunity to use it.
—Hey, how can you be so busy studying that you don't have time to eat? —The owner waved his hand, visibly unconvinced. —You're too honest, kid. You hate standing in line and wasting time. If I were you, I'd stop by every morning, I'd bring you breakfast, and you'd be on your way. You can pay whenever you want.
Naturally, meeting an old friend abroad made the owner feel more at ease, but what made him even happier was meeting a high school student who loved Chinese culture so much abroad, especially since the other party mastered the language. Not only did he speak Mandarin better than him, but he could also quote classics at will, which proved he was a true lover of Chinese culture.
He must take good care of such a good boy!
—That won't work. You have to do business too. If I do that, I'll disturb the order and affect your reputation.
Kanade shook his head and refused.
He didn't know the owner had misunderstood him. He simply thought the other party had a generous personality and would become warm and generous upon meeting someone like him, who liked communicating in Chinese.
—What are you afraid of? I won't sell anything to anyone who dares to say that to you! —the owner said firmly. That's how a so-called exclusive provider is. They dare to do what they want because they have confidence.
—Haha, thank you, Uncle Li. I appreciate your kindness.
After taking breakfast, paying the bill, and exchanging a few kind words, Kanade said goodbye and left.
Being enthusiastic is one thing, but don't take the kindness of others for granted. Kanade never believed he was special nor needed others to treat him with preference. If he ever had that idea, it must be that he first treated the other party with preference and then sought an equal exchange.
Especially in Japan, this idea has almost become his code of conduct.
If from the start he keeps agreeing to others' requests without asking for anything in return, he will only be considered an easy target for bullying. At that point, let alone normal treatment, he will be considered popular enough if he doesn't suffer bullying in the whole school.
If one wants to survive here normally, so-called combat ability, beauty, and super-skills are not the most important things. Only by understanding the atmosphere and making the right decisions can one have a worry-free journey. Otherwise, even if one is as noble as the emperor's daughter, they will be severely tortured.
…
After buying breakfast and replenishing some ingredients, Kanade walked straight home. However, as he walked, a golden figure suddenly caught his attention.
It wasn't all gold. The other person wore a thick green coat and dark blue jeans, with a brown baseball cap, looking like a thief.
What exposed her identity were the iconic fangs and the golden hair fluttering in the wind hidden under the brim of her hat: Eriri.
Kanade had seen this strange outfit before, so he recognized her quickly.
At that moment, Miss Eriri had an expression that said: "I am very suspicious." She wandered back and forth in front of a bookstore, looking around, but never went in.
Kanade paused for a moment and finally couldn't help but step forward and say hello:
—Eri, what are you doing here?
—Ah!
Like a startled kitten getting its tail stepped on, Eriri's hair stood on end instantly and she jumped back several steps. She only breathed a sigh of relief when she saw that the person approaching was Natsukawa Kanade.
—Stupid Kanade, you scared me to death!
She even used her usual flirtatious tone without realizing it.
Kanade didn't mind and continued:
—I was just greeting you normally. You were acting so strangely sneaky that I wasn't paying attention to my surroundings. —What are you doing here? I remember you usually never get up at this hour.
—It's Mom's fault. She had to wake me up and ask me to go buy things.
Eriri pouted, her face full of reluctance. If she didn't know her mother was very busy, she would never have agreed to run errands for her.
—Buying something?
Natsukawa Kanade raised his head, glanced at the bookstore, and then at the decor. He was silent for a while and then asked:
—Buying a book?
—Yes, yes, otherwise I wouldn't dare go in...
Eriri nodded, feeling a little embarrassed.
She wasn't ashamed to admit in front of Kanade that she was going to buy a book. After all, he knew her very well. She felt embarrassed mainly for another reason: as a minor, it was illegal to buy books with 18+ restrictions in Japan.
That said, there's actually no problem in drawing it yourself, and Eriri has always thought so.
But as a manga illustrator, no matter how good her technique is, she can't imagine any plot or content out of thin air. She can only rely on constantly absorbing knowledge from other comics to enrich herself. In the past, she would ask her mother to buy study materials for her, but she didn't expect the situation to be the opposite today.
Damn it, if her mother hadn't threatened her with "I won't buy you any more notebooks in the future," she wouldn't have given in so easily!
But Eriri's eyes lit up immediately, and she felt she had found a good idea.
—Ah, right, since I can't do it, let Kanade help me! Go in and buy the notebook for me!
"…"
Kanade stood in silence for a moment, then pointed to his face.
—Do you think I look like I'm 18?
—Geez, at least you look more like it than me, right?
Eriri also felt her request was too much and touched her head in embarrassment.
—Please have a little consideration for me. If I'm caught, I'll be arrested, right?
Kanade sighed.
Although he himself didn't know the punishment he would receive if caught, at least it wouldn't be good for his reputation: "Shocking! The student council president of a famous high school committed such a criminal act!" If such comments came to light...
Life is a success! I can't accept it just thinking about it!
—Then what do I do? I can't just try my luck, can I?
Eriri tugged at the corner of Kanade's clothes and asked sadly.
—Or should I just forget it...?
Although she didn't think that stupid mother would truly ignore her in the future, what if...? She didn't want to risk the career prospects of "Master Kashiwagi Eri"!
"…"
Kanade frowned, feeling it was a bit difficult to make a decision.
Honestly, he should have advised her to give up in this situation. He wasn't a student who said, "I can't survive without this notebook!" He really didn't have to take the risk. But Eriri seemed to have hidden intentions…
—How about this? I'll pretend to be your onii-chan and go in with you. You can choose whatever you want. It's better if you look confident. Then, hand me the book in front of the clerk and I'll pay.
He'd be a bit scared if he went in alone, but it would be much better if he went in with Eriri.
As long as she behaves better, he can create the image for the clerk of "a brother accompanying his sister to buy 18+ books." Although it sounds weird, at least he can deceive him.
It's a good thing that in Japan there's no such thing as an "ID card," otherwise, he'd be exposed if they casually asked for it.
—Onii-chan, onii-chan?!
Eriri's eyes widened.
—You don't want to?
—No, no… No, I guess nothing else can be done! Onii-chan, I'll just call you onii-chan! If I can buy a notebook…
Eriri waved her hands quickly and replied hesitantly.
At that moment, her heart seemed to have suffered a heavy blow and her thoughts had long drifted away.
*(Onii-chan! Kanade is my onii-chan! Hehe, rounding it up, we grew up together as childhood friends! What happiness!)*
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