"The word 'Angel' is a common term for certain specific establishments. Taking into account the business hours... it's almost certainly what we're thinking."
"Th-that's right! That shop called 'Angel' must be a very suspicious place!"
Kawasaki Taishi seemed exceptionally agitated, slamming his hands on the table with a 'bang'. The loud noise even attracted the attention of the people around them.
"Taishi, calm down first. Things might not be as bad as you think. Even in those kinds of places, there are normal waiters. Besides, we don't know your sister, but don't you know her personality?" Mori Shinra said in a steady tone.
"...You're right, Senpai!" After hearing Shinra's words, Taishi calmed down a bit. His gaze towards Shinra became even more trusting, as if he had already become his pillar of support.
"No matter what, we first need to find out where she's working. Even if the shop isn't as dangerous as Hikigaya suggested, working until dawn is still not right. We need to investigate this as soon as possible and persuade her to quit," Yukinoshita analyzed.
"I have a question. If we just persuade her to quit, isn't it possible she'll just find another shop to work at later?" Yuigahama raised her hand to offer her opinion.
"Yes. If we can't figure out why she's working and solve that problem, even if we can stop her for a while, we can't stop her forever," Komachi said in agreement, also feeling that just stopping Kawasaki Saki from working was only a temporary fix.
"In short, we must find the root of the problem and treat it."
Yukinoshita came to this conclusion and said to Kawasaki Taishi, "Kawasaki Saki is a student at our school. I believe she falls within the service scope of the Service Club. The Service Club will do everything in its power to help with this matter."
"Th-thank you! I'm so sorry to trouble you all!" Kawasaki Taishi bowed repeatedly to thank them.
...
The next evening, Yukinoshita changed into a set of light, casual clothes. Her hair was in pigtails, and she carried a pink and white single-shoulder bag. She stood downstairs at the apartment building as if waiting for someone, looking extremely pure. Passersby couldn't help but turn their heads.
Before long, Mori Shinra came out of the 24-hour convenience store across the street. He was holding a steamed bun in one hand for dinner and a bag with two bottles of tea in the other.
"Sorry to keep you waiting," Shinra said, stopping in front of her. He stuffed the half-eaten bun into his mouth, and with his now-free hand, he took out an unopened bottle of tea and handed it to Yukinoshita.
"For you," he mumbled.
Because his mouth was full, his words weren't very clear, but the meaning was easy to understand.
"Thank you," Yukinoshita said, not refusing. She was mostly used to it by now.
She had previously promised to make snacks for him three times a week until she thought of a wish. Every time she delivered the snacks, he would give her a bottle of drink in return. Over time, it had become a routine.
Thanks to this, Shinra had figured out her preferences in drinks, and correspondingly, she had learned his preferences in snacks.
"I went back and checked yesterday. Among the restaurants in Chiba City with 'Angel' in their name that are open until dawn, there seem to be only these two," Shinra said, sharing the addresses of two shops with Yukinoshita via LINE.
Yukinoshita put the drink in her bag, then took out her phone and opened the map he had shared.
"They're both in the city center."
"Only a place like the city center would have customer traffic at night, right?"
"That's true."
Shinra sent out a few more text messages, then looked up at her. "Hikigaya and the others have already arrived at their station. Let's head out too."
This was the benefit of living in a luxury apartment. The excellent geographical location meant they only needed about a ten-minute walk to reach the train station platform.
What was even more delightful was that the moment they arrived at the station, the train they were waiting for also happened to pull in, an almost seamless connection.
This could be said to be the smoothest trip Shinra had taken since he transmigrated. Of course, it wasn't like he had taken many long trips in total.
On the train, Shinra seemed to have a sudden thought. "By the way, the regular exams are almost here, but we're still going out to 'scout shops'."
Perhaps because he was the only acquaintance around, Yukinoshita also shed her cool disguise and said with a smile, "It's too late to surrender now. Besides, I already finished today's review tasks this morning."
"Oh? It seems you really want me to owe you a favor, Yukino."
"I do. That way, I won't have to make snacks for you anymore. Not too plain, but not too sweet either. Sometimes I really want to stuff you in the oven."
"Hmph, I'm afraid your plan is doomed to fail. I've decided! After I win the bet, I'll have you make snacks for me for a lifetime..."
As Shinra spoke, he realized she wasn't replying. He turned his head and saw that at some point, her cheeks had become covered in a rosy blush. The tips of her ears were burning red. The Ice Princess beside him had instantly transformed into a Steam Princess.
Hiss... On second thought, what he had just said did seem to have a double meaning.
—Making snacks for a lifetime. The weight of that felt no less than forming a band for a lifetime.
Although the carriage was noisy, at this moment, the two of them felt an unusual silence around them, as if they had been separated into a small world. They were inside, and everyone else was outside.
A strange atmosphere spread between them until the train's announcement came.
"We will be arriving at Chiba Station shortly. The doors on the left will open. Please be careful."
"Let's go," Shinra said, being the first to break the silence.
"Mm."
Yukinoshita, her expression already back to normal, replied and got off the train with him.
To alleviate the awkwardness, Shinra took out his phone to ask for Hikigaya's and the others' location, only to find that they were still on the train. He and Yukinoshita had left later but had arrived earlier.
After showing her the message, the two of them simply stood side-by-side at the station entrance to wait.
Fortunately, it wasn't long before the four-person group of the Service Club was reassembled.
With the addition of Hikigaya and Yuigahama, Shinra finally felt the atmosphere return to normal. Adhering to the principle of learning from one's mistakes, he resolved to think before he spoke in the future.
But then again, on the train just now, his Emotion Perception had been on the entire time.
He had seen shyness, nervousness, unease, shock, and doubt, but he had seen no rejection, resistance, or similar emotions.
Did this mean...
Forget it, forget it. Why am I thinking so much?
Shinra forcibly pulled his attention back and stopped in front of a glowing sign that read [Maid Cafe, Angels Inside]...