Chapter 78: Mirajane Strauss
Ever since Fujiwara Chika left, Jinx became very bored. She started playing with her braids again, swinging them like ropes while slumping in the chair. Her eyes, however, darted towards the door much more often than before.
Ren looked at Jinx from behind the counter and smiled, putting down his teacup. "How does Miss Fujiwara compare to your previous friends? Or rather, your 'accomplices'?"
Jinx blew a raspberry. "She's... loud. And pink. A very interesting person, but I don't feel much. She's just weird."
Ren just smiled and shook his head, watching Jinx say this while actively looking towards the door as if expecting Chika to burst back in. Whatever Ren said now, Jinx wouldn't answer honestly, because her thoughts had long drifted somewhere else.
Maybe making friends isn't as explosive as I thought, she mused.
As time passed, the silence of the shop began to press in on her. Jinx yawned loudly, stretching her arms until her joints popped. She was lying on the table with nothing to play with—all her guns were still locked behind Ren's counter. She just continuously watched Ren, who was reading a book with infuriating calmness.
"Hey! Chef! Do a backflip!"
Ren ignored her.
Just then, Ren paused. He looked up. The door lit up once again.
Jinx followed Ren's gaze and saw the glowing Restaurant door. The light was different this time—soft, white, and magical.
While Jinx was still surprised, she saw the door open.
A girl in a sleeveless, maroon dress with a pink bow at the neckline walked in. She had long, white hair, blue eyes, and a sweet, gentle demeanor that seemed to radiate warmth.
After entering, she first looked around blankly, her eyes scanning the unfamiliar architecture, before noticing the presence of Ren and Jinx.
The girl curtsied slightly and said in a very gentle voice, "Excuse me for my rudeness just now, but where is this place? I was just stepping out of the Guild hall."
Ren stood up, adjusting his apron. "This is a Restaurant, but it's another world different from your own. A dimensional intersection, if you will. Don't worry, though; if you open the door and walk back through it, you can return to your original world instantly."
The girl nodded slowly, processing the information without panic. Then she nodded again in understanding, her eyes sparkling. "What amazing magic! Spatial magic of this level is rare. I was indeed a bit hungry just now after organizing the archives, which is why I thought of going out to find something to eat. I didn't expect to open the door and end up here. Oh, I almost forgot, I'm Mirajane Strauss. Are you the owner of this Restaurant?"
Ren nodded and said, "That's right. I am Ren. Welcome, Mirajane. Would you like something to eat?"
The girl pondered for a moment, tapping her chin with a finger. "If you ask me suddenly, I'm not quite sure... I feel like something hearty." She smiled brightly. "Let's have some Grilled Meat (Yakiniku). And beer too. A large mug!"
Ren was taken aback. This gentle-looking girl ordered like a trucker. "You're really different from most girls; very few girls with your aesthetic order beer and meat so directly."
Mirajane giggled, a soft, melodic sound. "It's quite common where we come from. We have a lot of... rowdy members in our family. Besides, when you eat, it's all about making yourself happy. Caring too much about image just makes the food boring."
Ren nodded in approval. "Well said. I'll prepare the grill."
He put down his book and walked towards the kitchen.
Jinx watched Mirajane with intense interest. This girl looked like a princess, but she talked like a brawler.
Mirajane also noticed Jinx staring at her. She smiled warmly and waved her hand in greeting. "Hello there! I like your hair."
Jinx grinned, her chaotic energy spiking.
Jinx walked over and straddled a stool opposite Mirajane, resting her chin on the backrest. "You just mentioned magic? Do you have magic where you're from? Real magic? Not card tricks?"
Mirajane nodded and smiled, "Yes, and it's not uncommon. Magic is a part of everyday life in Fiore. Why? Do you like magic?"
Jinx looked at Mirajane, who seemed like a good girl—too good. "Nothing! Your world must be very interesting! What kind of fun things are there? Do things explode often?"
Mirajane thought for a moment. "There are many interesting things. We fight and play with everyone in the Guild—Fairy Tail—complete requests, go on adventures. Every day is loud and happy."
Jinx nodded eagerly. "Uh-huh! What else? For example, are there any destructive presences?! Big monsters? Villains? It must be fun to cause destruction with magic! Zap! Boom!"
Mirajane's smile didn't falter, but her eyes darkened slightly for a fraction of a second. "There are. But those people are bad, and they hurt people. It's not fun when friends get hurt."
Jinx heard this and rolled her eyes. "Killing isn't fun. It's messy. It's more fun to just cause destruction and mess with Cops. Watch them run around like ants!"
Mirajane was stunned and asked in confusion, "Eh? Cops? What is Cops? A type of monster?"
"Cops is... is... uh... Enforcers! Righteous law enforcement officers with big hats! That's what they call themselves! They try to stop the fun."
Mirajane nodded in understanding. "Ah, the Rune Knights. So it seems you're a troublemaker?"
Jinx put her hands on her hips and said proudly, "Of course! I'm a famous dangerous person in Piltover and Zaun! I've turned Piltover upside down! I painted the mayor's statue pink!"
But in Mirajane's eyes, Jinx at this moment was not a terrorist. She was like a rebellious teenager telling others about her clever little tricks and pranks, looking very cute and desperate for validation.
Mirajane cooperatively leaned in. "Then can you tell me what you've done? I'm very interested. Did you use magic?"
Jinx proudly began to talk about the things she had done—the graffiti, the chaotic inventions, the heists. Mirajane watched Jinx with a constant, gentle smile, not saying a word of judgment, and Jinx hadn't noticed any of this.
In Mirajane's eyes, Jinx excitedly talked about messing with Cops and blowing up vaults from time to time, which only made her think this was a very interesting, lonely girl. Nothing more. Mirajane had seen real demons; Jinx was just a sparkler.
When Jinx finished speaking, panting slightly, she realized that Mirajane was also someone who had quietly and attentively listened to her the entire time.
Mirajane smiled and said, "That's a very exciting experience. Although I don't know what sniper rifles and motorcycles are, it sounds very fast. You must be very skilled."
Jinx blinked, caught off guard. "You... you think it's interesting? You don't think I'm crazy?"
"Yes, both your stories and you yourself are very interesting. You're also very cute. If you were in the Guild, you'd definitely be very popular. Natsu would probably try to fight you, though. What's your name?"
"Jinx... I'm popular?" Jinx pointed at herself.
Mirajane smiled and said, "Of course! Your personality is quite likable~. You have spirit. But if you really were in the Guild, Erza might often scold you for not knowing proper etiquette or destroying public property. She's scary."
Jinx looked at Mirajane, unsure what to say for a moment. This girl was weird. She accepted chaos so easily.
Just as Jinx was about to speak, she saw Ren approach, pushing a dining cart with a built-in grill and several plates of raw meat.
Ren smiled and said, "It looks like you two are having a great chat. I can hear you from the kitchen."
Mirajane nodded and said, "Yes! Jinx is a very interesting girl, very suitable for being friends. She reminds me of... someone."
Ren glanced at Jinx and teased, "Jinx, how should I put this? This isn't an exception, is it? That's two friends in one night."
"You..." Jinx blushed, glaring at him.
Mirajane looked between them. "Eh? Did something happen between you, Boss, and Jinx? A lovers' quarrel?"
"Nothing," Ren waved his hand. "It's just that Jinx made a bet that no one would be willing to quietly listen to her talk and still want to be friends with her."
Mirajane smiled gently. "How could anyone not be willing? She's very cute, and I'm very willing! She has a lot of energy."
Jinx glanced at Mirajane, biting her lip, and said nothing.
Ren smiled and said, "Then, Miss Mirajane, for this grilled meat, I've selected several cuts of high-quality beef for you. Short rib, tongue, and loin. Just grill them directly on the net. This is the dipping sauce—soy based and lemon salt."
Mirajane looked at the grilling plate in front of her and said with some interest, "An interesting cooking method, grilling and eating it fresh yourself? That's a great idea. It's like a campfire."
"Yes. The beer is right here. Frosted mug. If it's not enough, you can get refills. For things like this beef tongue, grill it quickly and squeeze some lemon juice on it. Please enjoy your meal."
After he finished speaking, he stepped back.
Mirajane looked at the vast amount of meat. She looked at Jinx, who was staring at the grill with hungry eyes.
Mirajane smiled. "Jinx, let's eat together! I can't finish this alone."
"Ah?" Jinx jumped. "Me?"
"Don't friends share with each other? Besides, you look like you know how to handle fire."
Jinx whispered something about "fire is easy," then hopped off her stool and sat opposite Mirajane.
"Okay! But I want the big piece!"
Ren saw this, just smiled, and returned to his seat to continue reading his book. Now was Mirajane and Jinx's time.
The sizzle of meat hitting the hot grill filled the room, accompanied by the clinking of beer mugs and the laughter of two dangerous, beautiful girls.
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