Establishing the Guitar Hero account with her dad's help;
Meeting Ijichi Nijika, eventually forming [Kessoku Band] with everyone;
Including the part-time job at the live house and performing on stage.
Gotoh Hitori believed she had grown, she shouldn't remain stagnant!
At the very least...
She had to repay someone's kindness.
Because the mixed stew was really delicious! So good to drink!
Feeling her whole body warmed up, Gotoh Hitori's fighting spirit was ignited.
After initially refusing Luke's invitation, she seized the chance to perform again herself.
The pink-haired girl stood up and raised her voice as much as possible.
"I, I'm willing to play!"
But immediately after saying this, she regretted it.
'I said it in the heat of the moment!'
'What if I don't play well?'
'What if everyone laughs at me?!'
Moreover, Gotoh Hitori had no idea about the preferences of the customers in the shop.
'If I make a fool of myself here...'
'Will I be trapped in Gensokyo forever!'
Various strange thoughts and inexplicable speculations flooded her mind.
At this moment, Gotoh Hitori heard footsteps and refocused her attention.
"How about a second serving of mixed stew first?"
Luke walked to Bocchi-chan's side, holding a second serving of mixed stew.
"Is, is that okay?"
"Of course, there's plenty more."
"Thank you so much!"
Gotoh Hitori hurriedly sat back down.
She really liked this shop's mixed stew.
The soup in the bowl was delicious and rich, each spoonful containing the chef's effort and wisdom.
The choice of ingredients and cooking time were perfectly judged.
The shrimp were springy, the fish slices tender, the pork meatballs plump and juicy; every ingredient found its own stage in this bowl of soup.
'Maybe cooking is also a performance!'
Gotoh Hitori played the role of a food critic in her mind.
Dressed smartly in a suit, she sat before the mixed stew, elegantly took a sip, then held up a sign with a perfect score of ten.
'Delicious!'
'Oishii!'
'Hehe~'
The fantasizing Gotoh Hitori didn't forget to continue enjoying the mixed stew before her.
"So delicious~"
As the last drop of soup slid down her throat, Gotoh Hitori felt a warm current spread from her stomach throughout her body, dispelling all the chill.
Seeing her enjoying the delicacy like this, Saigyouji Yuyuko in the booth area also ordered two servings.
One for herself, one for Youmu.
"Me me me, me too!"
Shameimaru Aya hurriedly raised her hand.
Luke and Kobayashi Rindou exchanged glances.
"There's still plenty, owner."
"As long as the customers like it."
"Because Luke-san's cooking skills are amazing."
Kobayashi Rindou finished speaking and started plating three servings of mixed stew.
On the other side, Gotoh Hitori, having eaten her fill, slowly took out her guitar.
Thanks to the protection of the guitar case, the instrument inside wasn't wet.
Seeing his action, Luke and Kobayashi Rindou, after serving the stew to the customers, both stopped near the kitchen.
Luke said with a smile,
"The second floor is up that way."
"O-okay."
Gotoh Hitori, carrying her guitar, nodded timidly, then scurried upstairs.
After the footsteps stopped, everyone seemed to hear a distinct deep breath.
The next moment——
On the second floor of Luke's restaurant, Gotoh Hitori's guitar sound gently began.
The guitar melody was initially so gentle, like a babbling brook flowing through the gaps between stones, emitting fine, continuous sounds.
As the melody developed, the music became more melodious, like a shepherd's flute heard from afar.
Simple yet full of emotion.
It didn't pursue flashy techniques or complex structures, but touched hearts through the purest sounds.
Perhaps due to Gensokyo's nature, the notes played on the guitar seemed to transform into fluttering butterflies, flying freely in the air.
In this leisurely atmosphere, the guitar's rhythm began to become more distinct, yet it still maintained that ease and freedom.
Sometimes, the melody would speed up slightly, like light footsteps, reminding people of those carefree days;
And sometimes it would slow down, becoming like stars twinkling in the night sky, quietly watching over this moment of beauty.
Music, like words, can convey various emotions, describing vastly different scenes.
Gotoh Hitori truly lived up to the name Guitar Hero.
"Very relaxing music, rarely heard in the Netherworld."
"Yes... But Yuyuko-sama, do you remember? During the festival before, the Prismriver sisters liked to perform in front of everyone. Different from a solo, it also had its own charm."
"I remember, they were very popular."
Yuyuko finished speaking, took a sip of mixed stew, and was quickly captivated by the dish's aroma.
Seeing her master's expression of enjoyment, Youmu couldn't help but scoop up a spoonful and put it in her mouth.
"Another serving!"
While Youmu was being won over by this deliciousness, Shameimaru Aya was already asking for a second bowl...
Thinking of this, the finished Gotoh Hitori poked half her body out from the second floor.
"Th-that... how was it?"
"It was very nice to listen to."
Kobayashi Rindou was the first to praise.
Luke also raised his right hand, giving a thumbs-up.
Bocchi-chan's guitar performance was indeed good.
It reminded him of asking the Prismriver sisters to perform in the forest during his date with Keine not long ago.
Indeed, music, like cooking, possesses a unique means of conveying emotions.
"Is, is that so? That's good... hehe."
Bocchi-chan squirmed, scratching her head shyly.
However, after this activity, she quickly calmed down, shrunk back with her socially anxious attitude, and returned to her previous seat.
At this time, Yuyuko brought her empty plate to the counter, staring at Luke.
"Another serving, Luke~"
"Yuyuko-san doesn't need to come over personally."
"There's a reason for coming this time."
"Meaning...?"
"Me, I really like Luke, you know? Both your cooking and you yourself. So I have to come over personally to say it~ Now I don't plan to return to Hakugyokurou, because I want to live here."
Eh? ?! ?!
The person who stood up in surprise was Konpaku Youmu.
She hurriedly ran to Yuyuko's side.
"Wait! Wait! Yuyuko-sama! You were appointed by the Yama King-sama to manage the ghosts of the Netherworld, how could you not go back!"
"I don't want to, I just won't go back."
"Although Luke-dono's cooking skills are excellent and he has made dishes that satisfied you, you must go back. I will also learn from Luke-dono and make delicious food for you."
"Youmu, don't misunderstand, okay? I've never disliked the food you make. I just want to have everything~"
Yuyuko made a bold decision.
And...
She changed the subject.
"Don't ghosts often appear in Gensokyo? If I live here with Luke, I can manage them better."
"No, no, no, the Netherworld needs management the most. At least Gensokyo has the Hakurei shrine maiden handling things."
"But the Netherworld also has the powerful Yama King-sama."
"They have other work!"
Youmu emphasized with a helpless look.
But Yuyuko at this moment turned into a willful young lady.
"I don't want to, I just want to live in Luke's restaurant!"
"I myself haven't agreed."
"Then I'll live on the roof."
"..."
Luke didn't know how to answer either.
Nearby, Bocchi-chan, having heard about Netherworld ghosts and the Yama King, started pinching her own cheek to confirm if she had already died...
And Shameimaru Aya, who loved watching drama, furiously scribbled while drinking mixed stew.
""Human X Spirit! The legendary CP appears in Gensokyo""Shocking! What happens when people from different worlds live together?!""After the incident... Exclusive report on a love story!""
Shameimaru Aya, muttering titles, had no intention of stopping, her creativity practically overflowing.
"Yuyuko-san, I appreciate your kind offer for now."
"Then let's live together."
"That's impossible."
Luke refused out loud.
However, he had another means to persuade the ghost princess before him.
But before he could speak, as the heavy rain weakened, another crashing sound came from the backyard.
Everyone simultaneously looked that way.
"I remember this happened before, is it someone causing trouble?"
Konpaku Youmu intended to investigate.
However, Luke stopped her.
"Don't worry, I'll just go take a look. The person behind the restaurant is a guest who came to rest earlier."
"A guest?"
"Yorigami Shion, you know her, right?"
"It's actually that poverty god? Luke-dono, do you know the consequences of contacting her... I saw it in the news sold by that reporter Tengu over there before."
"Of course, I know. But I don't believe my good luck will be destroyed by Shion."
"So confident... Believing your luck can overpower a god's."
"Why not?"
Luke smiled slightly and walked towards the backyard again.
Raindrops formed a curtain under the eaves.
Yorigami Shion sat hugging her knees in the corner of the restaurant's backyard, sheltering from the downpour.
Beside her lay the empty plate and cup.
She had already finished the food Luke brought earlier.
Every dish was delicious, making Yorigami Shion feel like she was dreaming.
But that warmth was dissipating...
The eaves in the backyard couldn't completely block the wind and rain; the corner wall was still dampened by occasional drifting water droplets.
Even so, Yorigami Shion had no intention of entering the restaurant.
She didn't want to bring her misfortune upon Luke.
Yorigami Shion stood up, her gaze lowered, looking at her dampened skirt hem.
The fabric absorbed some water, weighing down her waist heavily.
For this, Yorigami Shion grabbed it with her hands, wringing it out as much as possible.
Whoosh!!
The wind suddenly intensified.
Branches swayed, colliding.
Shion couldn't help but look up, towards the front.
The forest outside the backyard blurred into a grey-green silhouette in the downpour.
The smell of decaying leaves washed by rain mixed with the pungent smell of earth rushed into her nostrils.
"Just like my luck, moldy."
Shion tugged at the wet hair sticking to her neck.
Green moss from digging wild vegetables three days ago still remained under her fingernails.
This was her current situation...
Because no matter where she went, she couldn't escape poverty, so Shion herself had given up trying and was listless all day.
Like an abandoned item in a corner, gradually covered in dust;
Like decaying matter in the forest without sunlight, slowly growing mold.
Suddenly, the restaurant behind her changed.
As the heavy rain began to weaken, the vibration of strings pierced through the rain screen.
It wasn't the mournful vibrato of a shamisen, but a clearer melody with woody resonance.
Coincidentally, the rain suddenly became gentle.
Shion saw the ripples splashing in the puddles shrink their circles, the silver chain falling from the eaves shatter into sparkling beads.
Her bare calves unconsciously swayed with the rhythm, the mud spots on her toes drawing intermittent arcs on the hard ground.
'The music playing this time is very special...'
'Leisurely, relaxed, reassuring.'
'What exactly happened inside the restaurant?'
Shion couldn't help but become curious.
But thinking of her identity, such thoughts vanished, leaving only helplessness.
Thump!
The rain subsided, but the strong wind persisted.
Some windblown branches hit the backyard wall of the restaurant, making a loud noise.
Shion saw one change direction, falling towards her.
"!!"
Shion hurriedly raised her hands to block, but felt no impact.
She opened her eyes and saw the reason clearly.
Luke stood beside her, one hand grabbing the mud-covered branch, tossing it aside.
"The rain is stopping, but the wind is strong... Are you sure you don't want to come inside?"
"Thank you, but... I... won't enter the restaurant."
"Is that so? That's fine too. Have you made a decision?"
"Referring to helping look after the future vegetable garden here?"
"Yes, you don't have anywhere else to go anyway, right? Shion-san."
"That's true..."
"So you can stay here."
Luke placed a towel on her head, gently patting it.
Even this level of contact could potentially curse him by the poverty god, but Luke was completely unconcerned.
"I possess strong luck you can't imagine, don't worry."
This was the first time Shion heard an invitation asking her to stay.
"So... want to try changing? In my restaurant."
"I..."
Shion bit her lip tightly, finally giving an answer.
She mustered her courage and responded,
"I want to stay here...!"
The poverty god who had long given up decided to try again!
---
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