Klein and Claire stepped off at the next stop and followed the familiar side road Claire had mentioned.
The noise of the main street faded quickly, replaced by the softer sounds of evening... distant conversations, the hum of mana generators, and the clink of dishes from open storefronts.
The restaurant was small, tucked between two taller buildings. Warm yellow light spilled out through the wide front window, and a hand-painted sign hung above the door.
"Old Oak Bowl- Open Late."
Klein paused for a moment, then smiled."…This place hasn't changed."
Claire glanced at him in surprise "You remember it?"
He froze for half a second. "…Vaguely," he said, recovering quickly. "You used to bring food home from here sometimes."
She nodded with a smile "When credits allowed."
They stepped inside.
The air was immediately filled with the comforting smell of grilled beef, soy glaze, and steaming rice.
Wooden tables lined the walls, and each table had small mana-heated stoves embedded in its center.
A few customers sat scattered around, a few Awakeners still in light armor, office workers loosening their ties, and a pair of academy students whispering over shared bowls.
The owner, an older man with graying hair and a thick apron, looked up from behind the counter."Evening," he greeted. "Two?"
"Yes, Old Oak," Claire replied.
They took a seat near the window, Klein sliding into the booth first, and Claire sat beside him.
A server came by quickly, setting down menus.
"Two beef rice bowls," Claire said without hesitation. "Extra meat for him. And cold tea."
While they waited, Klein glanced outside at the beautiful evening and the warm atmosphere.
For the first time since waking up in this world, his heart felt… light.
Claire leaned into his shoulder and wrapped both arms around one of his, holding it close to her chest "Klein..."
He turned to look at her "Big Sis?"
Looking at him, a smile appeared on her lips "I liked this day... fighting with you in the dungeon."
Her gaze softened with affection, because today her ever-suicidal brother stepped up and fought the monsters.
With a chuckle, she spoke "I always knew you were talented, see... today you did so well."
Claire hugged his arm a little tighter, her cheek resting against his shoulder "So, never consider yourself a burden for me."
She tilted her head up just enough to meet his eyes "Fighting beside you today…" she smiled again, brighter this time, "…it made me really happy."
Hearing her words, his expression softened "Same here, Big Sis. I enjoyed fighting with you."
The food arrived soon after.
Two large bowls were placed before them... white rice piled high, slices of glazed beef layered generously on top.
A small mound of pickled vegetables sat neatly to the side. Cold tea came after, the glasses fogging slightly as they were set down.
Klein stared at the bowl for a moment "…This smells amazing."
Claire smiled faintly and picked up her chopsticks. "Eat before it gets cold."
He didn't need to be told twice.
The first bite was simple, but it hit him harder than he expected.
The warmth, the saltiness of the beef, the softness of the rice 'Fuck... this is amazing food.'
He let out a quiet breath he didn't realize he had been holding.
Claire sipped her tea and watched him eat his food "…Good?" she asked.
Klein nodded, chewing slowly."Yeah," he said honestly. "Really good."
---
The bell above the door chimed softly just as Klein was eating the last bits of glaze from his bowl.
A woman stepped in from the cold, shaking a light dusting of snow from her long ash-blonde ponytail.
She glanced around at the tables and saw that most of them were occupied.
With a tired breath, she inwardly exhaled, 'Is the place getting popular?'
She likes this restaurant because the food here is great, and mostly this place is empty, which lets her enjoy some alone time because no one recognizes her.
Looking around, she saw Klein and Claire eating their food, and there was space in front of them.
She walked to their table and took the seat opposite them.
Hm? Klein glanced up, feeling the movement in front of him.
HUH? He froze in surprise, looking at the beautiful woman sitting in front of him 'Nayeon? How is she here?'
Claire noticed his sudden stiffness and frowned slightly. "Klein?"
The woman glanced between them, then offered a small, polite smile "Sorry. Every other table's full."
Claire nodded her head politely "It's okay."
Nayeon smiled, and the server appeared almost instantly, "Evening, miss. What can I get you?"
"Beef bowl. Medium spice. Extra onions. Hot tea, no sugar."
The server bowed her head and left the table.
Klein managed to calm himself and took the tea in his hand to take a sip 'Nayeon of the Nova Crown Global Corporation.'
'Her older brother should be the current vice chairman of the company, with her father being the chairman.'
'But why does someone with the caliber of her power come to a random small restaurant in the boonies?'
He glanced up at her and saw the dark circles under her eyes 'I see... she is still suffering from insomnia.'
Klein quietly stirred his tea as the server returned and placed the woman's bowl in front of her.
Nayeon murmured a quiet thank you, unwrapped her chopsticks, and began eating with slow bites.
Klein, however, couldn't tear his eyes away.
'Nayeon... heiress to the Nova Crown Global Corporation.'
In the game [Ashes of the Crown], she wasn't a main capture target or even a major side character until Act 4.
She appeared briefly in the high-society routes, the elegant, untouchable daughter of the empire's largest mana-tech conglomerate.
Nova Crown controlled 40% of the continent's artifact production and dungeon resource refining and even funded half of Grayhaven's advanced research labs.
Her father was the chairman, and her older brother, the cutthroat vice-chairman, was grooming for succession.
And Nayeon herself? A hidden route trigger.
She has an insomnia curse from a childhood Rift exposure.
In the game, if you maxed her affinity during the mid-game gala events, she offered a secret questline: craft a custom artifact to cure her sleeplessness in exchange for unlimited funding, rare materials, and a permanent corporate alliance flag that made late-game dungeon clears trivial.
Players called it the "sugar mommy route" on the forums. Infinite money glitch, basically.
Klein's fingers tightened around his tea glass 'Just when we are short of money, a gold pot came and sat right in front of me.'
He glanced at Claire, who was politely pretending not to stare, though her curiosity was obvious.
Claire leaned in slightly, whispering "Do you... know her?"
Klein shook his head slightly "Not really."
Nayeon paused mid-bite, as if sensing the shift in attention.
She lifted her gaze, and her tired silver-gray eyes framed by long lashes met Klein's stare directly.
Then she tilted her head slightly and a faint smile appeared on her lips "...Do I have something on my face?"
Klein snapped out of it, forcing a casual chuckle "No, sorry. You just... look like someone I've seen in the news. Or something."
"Ah. That." She exhaled softly, glancing out the window at the falling snow. "I get that a lot. Sorry if it's awkward... I really just wanted a quiet meal."
Claire jumped in smoothly "It's fine. We don't mind sharing the table. The food here is worth it, right?"
Nayeon's expression softened a little "It really is. I've been coming here for months. Usually it's emptier... guess this place is getting popular."
Klein's gaze condensed, and he took another sip of the tea 'Opportunities like this rarely comes; I need to make good use of this. How can I strike up a conversation with her-'
Just as he was thinking, Claire looked at Nayeon and asked "Actually... if you don't mind me asking. You look pretty tired. Long day?"
He glanced at Claire in surprise 'Nice assist, my dear sister.'