The Sweet Little Shop

Evening business hours had begun.

The shop door opened, and the crowd waiting outside, previously abuzz with chatter, fell silent the moment the entrance swung wide. Everyone solemnly formed a long line, entering one after another. Without Li Nai needing to remind him, Oda Sakunosuke instinctively took his place behind the counter.

Li Nai glanced at the dense crowd before him, his smile almost faltering. He clapped Oda’s shoulder, tossed a "It's all yours" over his shoulder, and turned to slip deeper into the shop. In an instant, his figure vanished from sight, without the usual process of blending into shadows, so fast it made one question their eyes.

Oda was left alone before the endless line, staring blankly at the small orange-furred dog in his arms.

"Woof...?" The little dog tentatively let out a questioning sound.

"Thank you for your good intentions." For some reason, Oda seemed to read a desire to help in the dog's eyes. He gave a wry smile, shook his head, then lifted the dog by its belly and gently placed it on the ground. This action was in stark contrast to Li Nai's casual abandonment.

"Come on in," Oda sighed, looking at the long line ahead. "As before, one person at a time."

Nakahara Chuuya watched him, a little dazed. Oda truly was a good person. How could such a good person fall into Li Nai's clutches? He must have had some weakness exploited by Li Nai, perhaps even threatened with some strange, bizarre means, forcing the kind Oda, despite his reluctance, to stay here and help the villain do evil... How infuriating!

Nakahara Chuuya gnashed his teeth whenever he thought of that eccentric shop owner, but for now, he had no way to deal with him. He had originally planned to immediately escape this eerie shop once he transformed back into a human. But after receiving Oda's meticulous care, his thoughts had changed.

Leaving aside that detestable fellow who knew his name, the daytime world of this shop clearly held many peculiarities. From Li Nai's words, that place seemed to be... "the future"? If he could gather intelligence in the future world, even if it meant transforming into a small animal, it wouldn't be unbearable. Of course, that was just a secondary excuse; the main reason remained: Oda was such a good person, he absolutely had to rescue him from Li Nai's den!

The little orange dog's eyes were clear and resolute, but unfortunately, Oda was too busy to notice. Even if he had, Oda would probably only have sighed with pity. Someone with such thoughts was, by nature, a good person. But this child had been exposed to Li Nai for too short a time. Li Nai... this shop manager, was like an unfathomable abyss.

Oda Sakunosuke handed goods to customers, calmly watching them take turns. Their ages and genders varied, but they all wore similar expressions that blurred their faces, leaving only an impression of extreme reverence in their eyes. When he first arrived, from a normal person's perspective, Oda had only felt a terrifying strangeness. But now, everything remained the same, and he had grown so accustomed to it that he regarded it as part of daily life.

Oda was a little lost in thought. Although he knew Li Nai couldn't leave freely, he had never intended to leave since working here. He realized that, even after just a few days, he had changed dramatically compared to when he first stepped in. This shop, or rather, Li Nai, had etched some kind of "influence" deep into his soul.

A thought flickered in Oda's mind: If he truly left this place, could he return to his former life? But the thought was instinctively suppressed as soon as it appeared. Oda shook his head, continuing to say to the person in front of him, "Next."

Time passed, and the customers in the shop gradually thinned out. When no one was left before the counter, Oda Sakunosuke looked up and noticed someone still in the corner. Seeing that person, Oda froze. He had met this person before. Still wearing a black coat that covered his entire body, his hands tucked into his pockets, his face wrapped in bandages seemed more meticulously arranged this time, though it still obscured most of his features, leaving only a small slit for breathing. The biggest difference was that this time, between the layers of bandages, he revealed one eye.

This person seemed to deliberately suppress his presence; otherwise, Oda would have noticed him earlier. Because once one paid attention to those eyes, they were impossible to ignore. The dark hazel eyes stared silently at him, containing countless suppressed and complex emotions. The moment their eyes met, the hazel eyes quickly darted away as if hiding. Oda noticed the person's bandaged wrist tremble slightly.

Just as Oda was hesitating whether to speak, a voice suddenly rang out beside him.

"Oh, you're here," Li Nai said with a smile.

Oda started, almost reflexively reaching for his gun. Li Nai appeared as abruptly as he had vanished, and he had no idea how he knew a special customer had arrived... But then again, with Li Nai, nothing was ever strange.

The bandage-wrapped youth stared gloomily at Li Nai.

"Why aren't you saying anything?" Li Nai teased. "Throat uncomfortable?"

The youth's eyes grew even more resentful, shifting to a glare. He seemed to have resolved not to speak until a certain condition was met. Li Nai blinked, then deliberately let out a long sigh.

"Well, who told me I was such a thoughtful shop owner," Li Nai smiled. "Oda, you go back to your room first. You haven't finished that novel yet, have you?"

Oda Sakunosuke paused slightly, nodded, and went to the back of the shop. Before closing the room door, he looked out one last time and again met those hazel eyes. The person had been silently watching him, but quickly turned away when discovered. Oda felt a little amused, nodded at the smiling Li Nai, and stepped into the room.

The door closed. Li Nai tapped his fingers on the counter, chuckling softly.

"Such small guts, not even wanting to reveal your voice," Li Nai chuckled. "What's this about, Dazai Osamu?"

The youth, Dazai Osamu, finally spoke. He stared at Li Nai, saying in a low voice, "You know."

"Know what?" Li Nai blinked. "Hmm... I have no idea what you're talking about."

Dazai Osamu snorted coldly. After a moment of silence, he suddenly spoke, "Li Nai, do you still want 'The Book'?"

He looked up, his silent hazel pupils subtly conveying a message: Let Oda go, and I'll give you "The Book."

Li Nai raised an eyebrow. No one understood the importance of "The Book" more than the Dazai Osamu of the night. Giving it to Li Nai meant the complete destruction, or even worse, of this world's future. Whether it was a momentary impulse or a well-thought-out decision, making this choice showed he was prepared to bet everything with a crazy realization. But unfortunately, Li Nai didn't need it.

Li Nai chuckled, "That's ancient history. Something like 'The Book' isn't a rare treasure anymore." He said casually, then glanced at the little dog pricking its ears under the counter, deliberately raising his voice, "Oh dear, Oda is my valuable employee. Are you trying to exchange him for that worthless thing? What exactly are your intentions! What kind of person do you take me for, a slave owner? As the shop owner, I have the responsibility and duty to protect my employees. Get that idea out of your head!"

Nakahara Chuuya was startled: What?! What is this guy planning to do to Oda?!

"Hmph, fair enough." Dazai Osamu filtered out Li Nai's exaggerations, understanding that "he won't be easily released." He sneered, "I knew it wouldn't be that easy."

"But I won't give up." Dazai Osamu lowered his eyes, muttering in an extremely low voice, "It's not time yet, I still can't take him back... later..."

His voice was too soft; Chuuya only caught the first half, "won't give up," and his eyes immediately widened. What exactly did this guy want to do?! No, at the very least, he had to warn Oda; it turned out Li Nai wasn't the only threat, there was still another strange person outside staring at him!

Chuuya wanted to peek out to see what the person with ill intentions looked like, but due to his limited height, he couldn't jump onto the counter. In his panic, Li Nai's meaningful voice came from above: "You seem quite anxious. Do you want me to lend a hand?"

"Woof!" Chuuya glared at Li Nai. If you've seen it, then help quickly!

"A dog...?" The youth, Dazai Osamu, had a subtle expression. He quietly pushed his chair back a bit from the table. Li Nai's smile deepened.