Chapter 27 - 12: Veteran Otaku and Magical Tomato Spaghetti

Chapter 27: Chapter 12: Veteran Otaku and Magical Tomato Spaghetti

He stared blankly at Shi Zuozhou, who held his gaze for a long moment.

"Come on, let’s go. Stop thinking about it, Old Yu. It’s finally Friday, don’t make yourself miserable."

Shi Zuozhou flashed a seemingly carefree smile.

Yu Xian nodded without a word.

As they pushed open the heavy fire door, sound suddenly rushed in from all sides.

The signal was bad in the stairwell. The moment they stepped out, both their phones buzzed with several messages.

Yu Xian glanced at his phone. The messages were from "Uncertainty Robot" and "AAA Divine Calculation Immortal (Secluded Version)."

"Someone’s treating us to dinner, Old Yu!"

Before he even unlocked his phone, Shi Zuozhou called out, his tone shifting to one of teasing:

"Hey, and they specifically asked for ’Brother Cos’ by name. Said they want to ’share notes on all things ACG.’ But what is there to even share? Don’t tell me they also play Gen—"

"I think I’ll skip it. I’ve been meaning to go home and grab some things, but I haven’t had the chance with everything going on lately."

He glanced at the message. ’Sure enough, it’s Wen Xiao and Shao Yiyi. They probably asked Shi Zuozhou since I didn’t reply.’

"You should go, Old Yu. It’ll be a nice change of pace. You’ll go crazy if you keep bottling everything up."

Shi Zuozhou clapped him on the shoulder. "You can still go home after dinner. Besides, it’d be rude not to go. Let’s get moving."

’Is it just my imagination, or does Shi Zuozhou seem really eager to go? So much has happened this week... I really do need some time to process it all.’

"Where are we eating?"

Seeing Yu Xian agree, Shi Zuozhou perked up. He gave a sly grin and stuffed his phone into his pocket.

"The two of them picked it. It’s a new place on the commercial street, a theme restaurant they say is highly rated in our circles."

With that, as if afraid Yu Xian would change his mind, he grabbed his arm and started dragging him downstairs.

...

After raining for so long, the streets of the commercial district were already deeply flooded. The old city’s drainage system had been in disrepair for years.

They huddled their umbrellas together, sloshing forward one step at a time.

His thick-soled hiking boots were soaked, and every step felt cloying and sticky.

"It’s just ahead, second floor!"

Shi Zuozhou’s steps became noticeably lighter. He closed his umbrella, but even before they reached the entrance, Yu Xian sensed something was off.

A roll-up banner stood at the entrance to the staircase. It depicted a girl with cat ears and eyes that took up half her face, wearing an elaborate lace dress and holding a plate of omurice.

Below it was a line of small print:

"Welcome home, Master~"

Followed by a pink, bubbly heart icon.

Yu Xian stopped in his tracks and turned to look at Shi Zuozhou.

"This is what you called a... theme restaurant?"

"Ha, haha, well, you can’t say it *isn’t* a theme restaurant! Besides, we’re already here!"

Shi Zuozhou laughed guiltily, giving him no time to react as he pushed Yu Xian up the stairs from behind.

"Sharing notes on ACG, sharing notes on ACG."

He pushed open the glass door, a small bell jingling above it. ℯℯ𝑙.

"Okaeri, goshujin-sama—"

A perfectly synchronized, unintelligible Japanese greeting washed over him, and the air was thick with the cloying scent of artificial strawberries.

A jolt went through him, and Yu Xian’s toes curled inside his wet shoes.

There were only a few customers inside. The heat was cranked up high, making the air feel stuffy and warm.

Everything was pink: the wallpaper, the tablecloths, the curtains.

The only exception was a few waitresses in black and white maid outfits, bustling behind the counter.

He stood at the entrance, still holding his dripping umbrella.

’Why does this place,’ he thought, ’feel just as unreal as everything that’s been happening outside?’

Following the waitress’s lead, they found the two girls with their hair in buns, tucked away in a corner by the window.

Wen Xiao had her head down, picking at the lace trim on the tablecloth, while Shao Yiyi was anxiously wringing her hands in her lap.

"Um, Brother Cos, Brother Zhou, over here," Wen Xiao called out softly.

With a dark look on his face, Yu Xian followed the visibly excited Shi Zuozhou to the table.

The moment he sat down, he felt two pairs of eyes on him from across the table.

Yu Xian thought their expressions were a bit strange, but he was too embarrassed to ask what was wrong.

He glanced at the two girls sitting bolt upright and couldn’t help but ask:

"Is this... your first time at a place like this?"

Shao Yiyi immediately sat up straighter, waving a hand dismissively.

"No way! We always come here to talk things over, don’t we, Xiaoxiao?"

"Oh, yeah, totally! Isn’t this where all us ACG fans hang out? The atmosphere is amazing!"

The girl with the cartoonish buns bobbed her head like she was pounding garlic, then immediately grabbed her lemonade and started chugging it.

"Then let’s order."

Yu Xian glanced at the menu. It was filled with a bunch of nonsensical dish names, like "Kabedon Heart-Throb Omurice" and "Magical Tomato Pasta."

He pushed the menu back to the center of the table.

Wen Xiao flipped through the menu. "Ahem, I’m not hungry. Yiyi, you order."

The menu was pushed to Shao Yiyi. She looked at it, fell silent, then pushed it to Shi Zuozhou.

When Shi Zuozhou didn’t say anything, Shao Yiyi spoke up, trying to sound experienced. "Ha, ha, well, I’ll order then. I’m a total ACG veteran, you know."

As she spoke, she glanced toward the counter, as if hoping to accidentally catch a maid’s eye.

A minute passed.

The maids behind the counter were wiping glasses, occasionally giggling with their coworkers.

Two minutes passed.

A nearby otaku finished his sundae and started playing on a handheld console.

No one came over. The atmosphere began to stiffen.

Shi Zuozhou, who had been studying the menu the whole time, suddenly looked up with a puzzled expression.

"You guys... aren’t you hungry? Why haven’t you ordered yet?"

Suddenly, Shi Zuozhou reached out, picked up the small pink bell on the table, and gave it a shake.

A crisp ring echoed through the small shop. A maid with twin pigtails came trotting over, her skirt swaying.

"Master, how may I be of service to you, meow~"