She yanked her fan from the wall, shot Cloud a vicious glare that clearly said "just you wait," then turned and stormed out of the restaurant without looking back.
Cloud watched her disappearing figure, rubbed his chin, and smiled.
[Ding! Target 'Mai Shiranui' Affection changed: -50 → -20 (An annoying pest)]
[Side Quest 'First Experience with the Shiranui Style' 50% complete. Keep up the good work, Host.]
"Interesting..." Cloud murmured.
Just then, the restaurant owner approached with a mournful face. "Sir, the floor, the wall, and your table... the damages..."
Cloud didn't even look at him. He pulled out a wad of bills "borrowed" from various gangs, slapped it on the counter, and said grandly: "Enough? Whatever's left, get me another double beef burger. Hot this time."
Then he glanced at Andy, who was trying to slip away in the corner, and the corner of his mouth curved upward.
...
That evening, at Terry's introduction, Cloud, Mai Shiranui, and Andy sat together in a small bar.
Terry arrived carrying two beers and found the atmosphere... peculiar.
Andy sat ramrod straight, like a prisoner awaiting execution.
Nearby, Mai sat on the only couch with arms crossed, cheeks puffed with anger—a pose that squeezed her already fabric-challenged chest into heart-stopping shapes.
Between them stretched a chasm of silence as vast as the Great Rift Valley.
"Yo, everyone's here?" Terry was clearly used to this "Ice Age" scenario.
He tossed a beer to Cloud, then elbowed Andy. "So, what'd you do to make our little Mai mad this time?"
Andy sighed, his handsome face screaming "exhausted": "I didn't do anything. She just insisted on—"
"I insisted on what?!" Mai instantly bristled like a cat whose tail had been stepped on.
"I came all the way from Japan to find you, and you won't even have a proper meal with me! And you made me mistake someone else and embarrass myself like that!"
As she spoke, she shot a fierce glare at Cloud, the innocent collateral damage.
Cloud rubbed his nose. Not carrying this blame, thanks.
Terry laughed and stepped in to mediate. "Alright, alright, it's all a misunderstanding. Come on, Cloud, let me introduce everyone properly."
"This is my little brother Andy—a blockhead who knows nothing but training."
He pointed at Mai, a mischievous glint in his eye. "And this is the current heir to the Shiranui school, the famous Miss Mai Shiranui—and also my blockhead brother's number-one 'fan.'"
"Terry!" Mai's cheeks instantly flushed with rosy clouds, caught between embarrassment and anger.
"Hello, I'm Cloud." Cloud extended his hand proactively, wearing a warm smile.
"What happened at the restaurant was a misunderstanding. I was partly at fault too. I hope Miss Mai won't hold it against me."
His attitude was sincere, his tone gentle—it left Mai, who'd been ready to keep fighting, momentarily without ammunition.
She could only snort through her nose in acknowledgment.
Andy also stood and nodded at Cloud—a greeting of sorts.
He remained wary of this mysterious young man whom his brother seemed to value.
The awkward atmosphere gradually thawed under Terry's powerful "social butterfly" intervention.
Cloud also showcased his formidable social skills as a modern "meme lord."
When Mai complained about Andy's romantic density, Cloud analyzed with a straight face: "Miss Mai, you can't blame Andy. Straight men are a different species—their brain wiring isn't like ours."
"In their eyes, 'drink more hot water' is peak caring, and gifting 'death Barbie pink' lipstick is the height of romance. Expecting him to read your mind? You'd have better luck expecting Geese to announce free drinks for all of South Town tomorrow."
The comparison left Mai stunned, then she burst out laughing with a "Pfft!"—finding it absolutely perfect.
When Andy talked about his dry training routine, Cloud could engage too:
"Training's great! I've been studying a profound technique myself lately—'The Art of Rolling As Far As Your Mind Can Reach.' Specifically designed to deal with annoying people. Brother Andy, we should exchange notes sometime."
This nonsense even made the usually stoic Andy's mouth twitch.
Within a few exchanges, Cloud's silver tongue—capable of talking the dead back to life—combined with his endless stream of jokes and quips, successfully dissolved Mai's hostility.
She discovered that while this man could be a bit mouthy, chatting with him was... actually pretty fun.
[Ding! Target 'Mai Shiranui' Affection changed: -20 → -5 (Annoying guy... but seems interesting)]
Seeing the system notification, Cloud smiled inwardly.
You'll come around eventually!
"By the way, Cloud." Mai's curiosity was piqued. "Terry mentioned you're pretty skilled—that you even took out some of Geese's 'cleaners.' What style do you practice?"
Finally, the main topic!
Cloud pretended to be deep in thought, took a sip of beer, gazed at the ceiling at a forty-five-degree angle, and said slowly: "My style... I'm afraid it might scare you if I say it."
"It belongs to no school, draws from hundreds of styles, and emphasizes 'speed beats all, shamelessness beats all.' I call it... 'Thug Boxing: Modified Edition.'"
"Th-Thug Boxing?" Mai's expression instantly froze.
"Cough cough!" Terry nearly spat out his beer.
Andy looked at Cloud like he was staring at an idiot.
Just then, the system's voice rang out again.
[Ding! Side Quest Updated: 'Deeper Exchange' with the Shiranui Style]
[Objective: Have a friendly spar with high-potential Bond target 'Mai Shiranui' and earn her recognition.]
[Rewards: Source Points x3,000, Skill "Shiranui-Style Basic Techniques," Affection Increase.]
[System Tip: Show your strength, but remember—sometimes 'accidents' are more important than strength.]
Cloud's eyes flickered with an imperceptible gleam at that last hint.