This old man's sudden appearance made Youyu a bit baffled, unable to understand what was happening.
Could it be that this strange old man from Hawaii was bothering him?
Even stranger, as soon as this old man appeared, a string of "Affection +8" appeared on his forehead.
This made Youyu feel a bit uneasy.
At this time, Chinai happened to come out, and seeing the old man made her instantly freeze in place.
The old man turned his head and saw little Chinai in a maid outfit, his eyes instantly lit up, and he seemed to suddenly lose interest in Youyu, quickly walking towards Chinai...
... and then he hugged her tightly.
"Hahaha my dear little Chinai granddaughter, still as cute as ever even after so long, and haven't grown taller at all, that's just wonderful!" The old man smiled with his eyes squinting.
Youyu: "..."
Chinai... granddaughter?
He turned to Chinai: "Is this... your grandfather?"
Chinai, being held, turned her head expressionlessly: "I don't know him."
Though saying so, from her lack of resistance, it seemed there was no mistake about it; this quirky old man with a Hawaiian vibe and flip-flops appeared to be her grandfather...
Youyu quickly realized something.
He couldn't help but ask, "Then Chinai, what you mentioned before, the store owner..."
"Yes." The young lady looked elsewhere with her face emotionless, "It's him."
Youyu: "..."
So the store owner Chinai mentioned, the one like 'sharp-tongued but thinking only about eating tofu,' is this gentleman here?
... Come to think of it, if it's this quirky old man, it might not be hard to imagine...
In that case, the time Chinai made a single call to let the store owner agree to keep Youyu working, didn't seem so strange.
After all, Chinai is not only a working student but also the store owner's granddaughter; her having a say in this isn't surprising.
"Ahem, Chinai," the old man released his granddaughter, lightly coughed, as if trying to restore his dignity, "Did you tell others unusual things about me while I was away?"
"Yes, I did." Chinai nodded, calmly repeating, "I said you're sharp-tongued but soft-hearted, although you speak harshly, your mind is completely consumed with eating tofu."
The store owner nodded slightly.
No wonder she's my granddaughter, not like some flashy girls out there who put on one face in public and another behind the scenes.
My granddaughter is different. She talks badly about me behind my back and has no qualms saying it to my face, making her grandpa quite pleased...
... Yeah, right!
The store owner's mind was thunderstruck.
So, this is the pitiful image he has in his granddaughter's mind?
Youyu, an outsider observing from the side, found himself unable to interject, feeling that although the relationship seemed close, there was this odd tension between the grandfather and granddaughter...
Chinai quickly introduced Youyu to the store owner. The old man's name was Ito Makoto, and this store only opened here in the last two years. Chinai mostly stayed at school during the week, but helped Makoto at the store during weekends and holidays.
"By the way, I heard you're a Duelist too?" Ito Makoto turned his attention back to Youyu, studying him carefully again.
Chinai beside him introduced: "Youyu is quite skilled. Previously, Duelist Kingdom runner-up Jonouchi Katsuya came to the store to duel him, but wasn't his match at all."
"Is that so?" Ito Makoto's gaze towards Youyu became more appreciative, like a collector finding a rare gem.
[Affection +5]
Youyu: "..."
"Oh my dear Chinai, let me tell you, this time I ventured out, it was truly dangerous." Makoto's face reflected lingering fear, "Your grandpa almost got lost, you might never have seen grandpa again."
Chinai seemed utterly unmoved, appearing uninterested in what he was saying.
Makoto continued on his own: "I tell you, it was really tense. I was already on the returning train, but couldn't find my ticket anywhere. I was so anxious..."
"Just get a new one, wouldn't that solve it?" Youyu felt it wasn't that big of a deal.
Losing a ticket is quite common, he had experienced it himself, but usually, it's no issue since conductors allow passengers to buy a replacement.
"Idiot, is the problem about the ticket?" Makoto scolded, "The problem is, without the ticket, I couldn't remember which stop to get off at!"
Youyu: "..."
Well, that is indeed quite unfortunate.
Chinai remained unfazed as if it wasn't surprising at all: "He's always been like this, you get used to it."
"Ahem."
Makoto attempted to change the topic. His eyes landed on the booster pack that Youyu was about to open before entering, chuckling: "Buying cards to boost your deck?"
"Yes." Youyu nodded, "Duel City's tournament is coming up, I wanted to get some new cards to build a new deck."
"Planning to participate in the Duel City tournament? Wow, quite ambitious, considering it's a major event with duelists gathering from all over the country." Makoto chuckled warmly, waving a big hand, "Why don't you come with me to my collection storage. It's quite extensive, and you can take any card you want…"
Youyu was somewhat surprised.
This old man is quite generous?
"Grandpa used to work for Industrial Illusions Company as a Duel Monsters' Card Designer." Chinai explained, "He doesn't duel much, but he's collected quite a lot of cards."
Youyu gave a respectful nod.
So, this eccentric old man used to work under Pegasus!
Quite the admiration, indeed.
"Well then, thank you, store owner."
"Just call me grandpa," Makoto waved magnanimously, chuckling, "It's nothing serious, but make sure to treat Chinai well in the future."
Youyu: "?"
What suddenly brought this up?
Chinai suddenly appeared a bit flustered, even her usually expressionless face seemed to betray signs of breaking down: "Grandpa, what nonsense are you saying? We just met."
"Ah?" Makoto blinked in confusion, "Isn't he your...?"
"No." Chinai's face was a bit red, angrily replied, "When did I say such a thing?"
"Huh? Then why did you speak so highly of him over the phone, asking me to keep him around?" Makoto questioned in confusion.
Could it possibly be because of his looks, perhaps longing for him?
If that were the case, Makoto might find it somewhat understandable.
Seeing slim and long-legged swimsuit ladies on the beach always made him falter too.
Chinai seemed quite anxious, her face even redder: "I… I never said anything like that…"
"Alright, alright, you didn't say it then." Makoto shook his head in disbelief.
He pondered and then turned to Youyu: "Oh, boy, I mentioned earlier about looking for cards for you... but I just remembered the warehouse key seems to be missing. I apologize."
Youyu: "..."
Seriously, old man, you are just too real, aren't you?