With their destination decided, Kagura and Ardan soon set off from the Mejiro estate.
The shop was tiny. On the long, crowded street of Sugamo district, this little storefront seemed pitifully narrow. It looked like one of those obscure places that wouldn't even show up online—who knew how Ardan had managed to dig up such a hidden gem.
Machichuuka… Izakaya… Lele? Aha! This place has such an amusing name.
Before even stepping inside, Kagura was already grinning at the shop's quirky name. She had a feeling she might not necessarily get something tasty here, but definitely something interesting. Having spent some time here already, she'd tried "Japanese-style Chinese food" before, which was nothing like the authentic cuisine she remembered. That was also why her Chinese cooking tutorials were so popular online—because she actually knew how these dishes were supposed to taste.
"Oh? Kagura-san, what's that you're…?"
Noticing Kagura suddenly attaching a camera-like device to her shoulder, Ardan curiously leaned in to get a better look.
"Filming a video. I have a feeling we'll find something fun today. I'll record this and send it to Wudi-san to upload to my account on Bilibili."
As a food blogger, it was pretty normal to occasionally film a restaurant review. Kagura had already thought of this when she saw the shop's signature dish. So, while changing out of her sweaty clothes earlier, she'd grabbed her filming gear too.
"Ah—that's right. Kagura-san, you haven't updated for nearly a week…"
Ardan, who had subscribed to Kagura's channel, suddenly remembered that Kagura made cooking videos. Ardan had found Kagura's account entirely by chance one night when a relaxing Chinese cooking tutorial appeared on her feed before bed. Before she knew it, she'd binge-watched every video by this blogger. Still wanting more, she'd scrolled up to subscribe—only to discover a selfie with Curren-chan and Inari Kagura in the account's updates. Glancing at the name, she was stunned to realize that the channel, already at over 600,000 subscribers, belonged to Kagura herself.
"That's true~ Viewers on Bilibili have been bugging Wudi-san to hurry up and post more, so Wudi-san came to bug me… hahaha!"
Kagura's Bilibili account already had seventy or eighty thousand subscribers, thanks to Wudi-san's diligent management. Considering Wudi was still just a student, Kagura had insisted Wudi keep ninety percent of the earnings, leaving herself with a symbolic ten percent. Wudi had resisted fiercely at first, and it had taken Kagura a good while to convince her to finally accept.
"Speaking of which, Kagura-san, why did you start an account on a Chinese video site? And even asked Wudi-san to help?"
"Actually, Wudi-san pulled me into it. She said lots of fans over there really enjoyed my tutorials. A few reposted videos even got millions of views… so I agreed."
"Eh~ Does Kagura-san know Chinese then? Since you're posting on a Chinese site, wouldn't you like to see what viewers there say? Should I help you read the comments or teach you Chinese?"
Having lived in Huaguo for so long, Ardan suddenly perked up, feeling like she'd found something she could actually help Kagura with.
Ah… actually, my Chinese is better than yours…
Of course, Kagura wouldn't say that aloud. But Ardan's offer to teach her Chinese did give Kagura a legitimate excuse to openly use her native language.
They chatted as they entered and took seats. Compared to the nervous and uncertain Ardan, who seemed hesitant entering such a lively little shop for the first time, Kagura was far more at ease. She effortlessly ordered two bowls of the signature "Bilibili Ramen" before grabbing a nearby table.
Of course, when Kagura tried to pay, she was stubbornly stopped by Ardan, who refused to let go no matter how Kagura pulled.
[Grandmother]:[Location info] [Location info]
[Grandmother]:You can buy drinks not far from you. If you're thirsty after eating, you can take Kagura there. The other location is a clothing store—you might also find an opportunity to buy some clothes for Kagura. You just mentioned teaching Kagura Chinese, right? That's a good idea, but are you confident enough in your Chinese skills?
[Ardan]:No problem! The elderly breakfast vendor there praised me as "dìdao"! I think I'm definitely good enough!
[Grandmother]:What does dìdao mean…?
[Ardan]: It means I'm fluent!
After paying, Ardan quickly checked her phone again, updating Iris-sama on the situation. She really wished there was a way to directly hear Iris-sama's voice without resorting to texting, but wearing earbuds while with someone else seemed rude, and she might miss something important. For now, typing texts remained her only option.
——That child keeps checking her phone… Hmm, is there something urgent that needs constant checking? It feels a bit strange.
As Ardan tapped away at her phone, Eclipse's message quietly popped onto Kagura's screen.
Hehe, Eclipse-san, you don't have to worry about these things—I already noticed.
Kagura wasn't exactly sure what Ardan was doing, but judging from Ardan's tense expression, she was probably frantically searching for tips rather than mindlessly scrolling videos. So, understanding the situation, Kagura pretended not to see anything.
"Ardan-ojousama~"
Putting down her phone, Kagura called out in a playful, almost coquettish tone different from her usual voice.
"Yes!?"
Ardan, startled, instantly straightened up and stared at Kagura attentively.
Considering how to help the tense Ardan relax, Kagura knew she couldn't treat Ardan like a child the way she did Nice Nature. After some thought, she decided starting a conversation would be best. But what topic would Ardan find comfortable to talk about at this moment?
"I heard Ardan-ojousama lived in Huaguo for quite a long time. I'm really curious about your experiences there. Could you tell me about it?"
"Ah…"
Ardan, whose CPU had been running at full speed, suddenly froze at the question. She'd mentally prepared answers for many complicated questions Kagura might ask—but definitely not this one.
"Is something wrong, Ardan-ojousama?"
"N-No… Nothing's wrong. It's just… I didn't expect you'd ask about that. Few people here ever showed interest in my experiences over there."
Thanks to Mejiro family etiquette training, Ardan quickly composed herself. She felt confident about this topic—after all, it just meant sharing casual stories. She only had to organize her memories a bit.
Prompted by Kagura's gentle questions, Ardan finally began sharing stories from her time abroad. Kagura noticed Ardan visibly relax, her expression even tinged with nostalgia. Kagura smiled inwardly, knowing her plan had worked.
So Ardan-ojousama actually lived in Beijing… As expected of a Mejiro, huh.
Though Kagura had suspected Ardan might've been a wealthy heiress from Beijing after hearing she'd lived "in the north," having her suspicion confirmed was amusing.
"Kagura-san, have you heard of the roast duck there? Wudi-san took me once. It was delicious! Especially the crispy skin! You wrap it in something like spring roll wrappers, and when you bite into it, the fragrance fills your mouth!"
"Mmm… You're making me hungry. I've heard of it, but never had a chance to make it myself."
That was the honest truth. Kagura was from southern China, familiar with Cantonese-style roasts. She'd often heard about how amazing Beijing roast duck was but had never tasted or tried cooking it herself.
"If we ever get a chance, how about I take you to Huaguo to have some?"
"Hehe~ Then, thank you in advance, Ardan-ojousama! If the chance comes up, I'll definitely come find you."
"Yes! If you have any questions about that, feel free to ask me anytime!"
I did it! I finally had a normal conversation with Kagura-san—I guess I can do it after all!
Ardan smiled happily, noticeably more confident and relaxed. Seeing this, Kagura also felt relieved. Her little plan to ease Ardan's nervousness had worked. After all, what fun would going out with a friend be if that friend remained tense the entire time? Kagura definitely didn't want to stress the already shy Ardan.
Even if she's a noble Ojou-sama, she's still just a student barely past ten. I hope Ardan-ojousama becomes more confident in the future… Though when she first sent me that cake and note before we met, I really thought she seemed like a mature kid.