"Shuichi is really like that," Mouri Kogoro quickly spoke up for his friend. He scratched his head, a reminiscent expression on his face. "He's been like that since he was a child. I remember before..."
"Saving people is a good thing, but it depends on the situation, right?" Kisaki Eri's almond eyes widened, her arms crossed over her chest, her delicate face full of reproach. "At least pay attention to your own safety, and consider the feelings of us friends, won't you? If something happened, I..."
"Eri is right," Mouri Kogoro immediately changed the subject, "Shuichi, you really have a problem with that!"
Whose side are you on?
Hayashi Shuichi glared angrily at his good friend, then looked at Kisaki Eri and smiled apologetically: "In that situation, even if I didn't shield her, we would still both be trapped in the car."
"We were actually able to escape today thanks to Ms. Sharon. The entire crew, out of respect for her, spent money and effort to dig us out."
"If it were just me, I might still be buried in that dark car right now."
"I shielded her, and she saved me. We're even."
"Why don't you say, if you hadn't taken her car, maybe you wouldn't have encountered the landslide?"
Kisaki Eri retorted stubbornly, but she also felt that Hayashi Shuichi had a point. After a snort, she didn't pursue it further and turned to walk back to the cashier.
After she walked away, Mouri Kogoro immediately sneaked up to Hayashi Shuichi, nudged his friend with his elbow, and whispered: "Honestly, did anything really happen between you and that big star?"
"What could have happened? Don't make wild guesses." Hayashi Shuichi rolled his eyes, his chopping motion uninterrupted, and said without lifting his head, "She's a famous American actress, and I'm just an ordinary high school student. We're completely unrelated."
"Aren't foreigners in movies all very open, kissing and things like that as soon as they meet?" Mouri Kogoro's eyes lit up, eagerly asking, "Did you two kiss?"
"You just said it yourself, those are all movies!" Hayashi Shuichi stopped what he was doing and glared at him angrily, "You also went to the movie premiere at Beika City Hall before, did you see any foreign stars kissing and hugging as soon as they met?"
"Nothing really happened," Mouri Kogoro sighed in disappointment, "Such a beautiful blonde, what a shame, tsk tsk..."
...
With Fujimine Yukiko not helping out in the store, the izakaya was suddenly short-staffed, and its capacity to serve customers was greatly reduced.
In the cramped kitchen, steam billowed and oily fumes filled the air.
Hayashi Shuichi was busy all by himself, unable to keep up, and had to ask Mouri Kogoro to limit the number of customers entering the store.
Kisaki Eri, who was relatively free, saw this and came over, offering to help.
"You? Forget it." Hayashi Shuichi waved his hand repeatedly, "If a customer ate something you made and had health problems, all the good reputation our store has accumulated these days would be completely ruined."
"I'm just not very good at cooking, it's not as serious as you make it sound!" Kisaki Eri retorted somewhat angrily.
"Remember that class trip in sixth grade?" Hayashi Shuichi skillfully fried an egg while smiling nostalgically, "We went on a class trip, and you said you would prepare the picnic food. As a result, Kogoro and I ran to the restroom all day..."
"That's because your stomachs were too delicate, what does it have to do with the food I made? Why was I fine after eating it?" Kisaki Eri's face flushed red as she stubbornly argued, but her eyes clearly showed a hint of guilt.
"You were fine because after we realized something was wrong, we were afraid you'd be sad, so we rushed to eat all that food," Hayashi Shuichi said angrily, "Do you really think you were just lucky?"
Just as the two were bickering, Mouri Kogoro's excited voice came from the izakaya's entrance: "Ms. Sharon, what a surprise to see you here? Please come in!"
Hayashi Shuichi heard the voice, a surprised expression on his face, and quickly stopped what he was doing to look towards the entrance.
He saw Mouri Kogoro with a broad smile, bowing and lifting the door curtain.
A charming, curvaceous blonde beauty then walked in, immediately attracting the attention of many male customers.
It really is Sharon! Why is she here?
Hayashi Shuichi nervously glanced at Kisaki Eri, but saw the girl frowning at the newcomer, not knowing what she was thinking.
Not far away, Sharon, upon seeing Hayashi Shuichi, immediately flashed a brilliant, radiant smile.
She was about to speak, but didn't expect Reiko, who was helping out as a waitress nearby, to have already run up to Sharon. Like a little adult, she respectfully bowed, and said in a clear voice: "Teacher, thank you so much for taking care of Onii-chan today! I'll wash the clothes you lent Onii-chan and have him return them to you."
Uh, how did I forget about this?
Hayashi Shuichi, Kisaki Eri, and Mouri Kogoro all felt a tightening in their hearts at the same time.
Hayashi Shuichi didn't want to go back to live at the Kujo family's house, and Kisaki Eri and Mouri Kogoro had the same thoughts.
The three of them worked hard together to bring the izakaya, which was originally on the verge of bankruptcy, back to life and thriving.
Kisaki Eri liked the feeling of working in the store with Hayashi Shuichi.
As for Mouri Kogoro, in addition to friendship, the monthly rent and wages the izakaya paid him, combined, were much higher than renting to others.
If Hayashi Shuichi wasn't there, the izakaya would probably close tomorrow!
"Hmm?"
Sharon was bewildered. Having received spy training since childhood, she was very proficient in Japanese.
But she had only kissed Hayashi Shuichi and was preparing to help him lose his virginity, so how did she become a teacher?
Did I misunderstand the meaning of "teacher"?
Sharon's brows furrowed slightly, a hint of confusion in her eyes: "Are you..."
"Teacher Sharon, I never expected you to come to the store. Please come and sit here."
Mouri Kogoro was quick-witted, quickly interrupted Sharon, and greeted her enthusiastically.
"Teacher Sharon, Shuichi's cooking is excellent. Let me recommend some of our signature dishes to you." Kisaki Eri also walked over quickly, subtly pushing Reiko aside.
Surrounded by their enthusiastic welcome, Sharon was bewildered as she was led to the counter.
"Teacher Sharon, thank you so much for taking care of us this afternoon." Hayashi Shuichi's forehead was sweating, and he forced a smile, secretly praying that Sharon wouldn't expose them.
Sharon looked at the three people in front of her, then at Reiko standing nearby. Smart as she was, she instantly understood the reason: "You're welcome. As a teacher, it's my duty to take care of my students."
"Teacher, what made you suddenly decide to come here?" Hayashi Shuichi asked with a puzzled expression.
"I just happened to be passing by and felt thirsty, so I thought I'd come in for a drink. I heard your water tastes excellent," Sharon winked, revealing a meaningful smile, "Is that okay, Shuichi?"
(End of this chapter)
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