"This is amazing!"
Tomoko couldn't hold back her joy, practically shouting as she celebrated for Moa.
"Eh?" Riku walked over just in time to catch the scene. He looked at the store manager and the pretty girl in front of him, puzzled. "Manager, what's going on here?"
"It's nothing…"
"I'll tell you!" Tomoko cut in excitedly, turning to Riku. "The manager and Moa are actually in love with each other!"
"Eh?!"
Riku's face was filled with disbelief. The manager, on the other hand, froze for a moment—then broke into a thrilled expression. Did this mean… Moa liked him back?
"That's not true at all!!!"
Just then, Moa burst into the store, flustered and shouting. If Riku misunderstood because of Tomoko's nonsense, it would be a disaster.
"Please, don't get the wrong idea!"
She pleaded with the manager, but the greasy grin spreading across his face as he stared at her only made Yu Zhou twitch at the corner of his mouth. This guy doesn't really think Moa likes him… does he?
"I knew it," Tomoko huffed, watching Moa deny it so strongly. "Makes sense—what normal girl would ever fall for a sleazy old guy like this?"
"Old guy?!" The manager's grin collapsed instantly.
But if Moa didn't like the oily middle-aged man standing here…
"Then that means…" Tomoko's eyes lit up as she turned to Riku. The young man looked far more fitting as Moa's love interest.
"Hello! I'm Tomoko, a Zabiderian. Nice to meet you!"
She introduced herself openly, then puckered her lips and blew a kiss. A ball of light shot from her lips and struck Riku square in the chest.
"Zabiderian?" Riku's eyes widened—he hadn't expected this woman to suddenly declare herself an alien.
Moa was equally stunned. She never thought Tomoko would just blurt out her extraterrestrial identity in front of the manager.
"Spirit that wants to eat? What do you mean—are you hungry?"
The manager looked even more confused. The word "Zabidera" had sounded to him like something about food in Japanese, and he completely misunderstood.
"That's right, that's right, she's a total glutton!" Moa jumped in quickly, trying to cover. "She can eat ten bowls of rice in one go!"
"Really? She doesn't look it!" The manager chuckled, shaking his head. A beautiful girl like Tomoko, eating that much? Unimaginable.
"I'm Asakura Riku. Nice to meet you," Riku said, introducing himself politely.
Tomoko smiled and nodded, giving him a once-over.
"So you're an alien too!" she said bluntly.
She can see through Riku's identity?!
Yu Zhou blinked in surprise. She hadn't recognized him as an Ultraman, but somehow she'd pegged Riku immediately. Maybe it was because Riku's DNA came from Belial and he wasn't fully human, while Yu Zhou was still a true Earthling.
"Riku, an alien? Don't be ridiculous." The manager laughed it off, glancing at Riku.
"Yeah, stop joking around," Riku said, playing along.
"Why lie?" Tomoko pouted, then pointed toward Yu Zhou. "And him too—he's not an ordinary person, he's an Ultr—"
"Oli give!" Yu Zhou shouted suddenly, cutting her off before she could expose him.
"Oli… what?" The manager blinked, completely lost.
"Cough, cough. Nothing." Yu Zhou fake-coughed, relieved to have interrupted in time.
Just then, Laiha walked over. Seeing Moa and a strange girl there, she smiled politely. "Welcome."
"Hello."
Moa, however, shot Laiha a glare and turned her head away.
"Ohhh, what's this? A love rival?" Tomoko immediately picked up on the tension and asked eagerly.
She blew another kiss—another glowing ball of light shot toward Laiha. But Laiha, who carried the capsule of Ultraman King, could see it coming and casually swatted it aside. The light ball bounced off and struck Moa instead.
"Huh?!" Tomoko stared in shock, then instantly read Moa's thoughts.
Her eyes widened. She turned to Laiha and asked, "Are you living together with Riku?"
It was obvious—Moa was secretly jealous about Riku and Laiha sharing a home.
"Yeah."
Riku and Laiha answered in unison.
"Why are you two living together?"
Tomoko lit up like she'd discovered the juiciest gossip ever. Even the manager leaned in, holding a small trinket like a microphone toward Riku.
"Well…" Riku crossed his arms and thought a moment. Then, with a straight face, he said into the makeshift mic, "It must be fate between me and Laiha."
"Fate…"
Moa repeated the word weakly, as if her heart had just shattered audibly. Stumbling back, she collapsed into a chair.
Yu Zhou shook his head. Riku doesn't even realize—Laiha only sees him as a partner, nothing more. Moa's the one who truly loves him. But for now, she doesn't know he's Geed… or that living with Laiha is all about fighting monsters.
"Wow, what's with the crowd today?"
At that moment, Leito walked in with his daughter, Mayu.
"Welcome! Mayu looks lively today," Riku greeted them warmly.
"Uncle!"
Mayu spotted Yu Zhou munching on snacks nearby and squealed happily.
"???" Yu Zhou blinked.
"Mayu, listen. This is what you call an uncle." He pointed to the manager, then to himself. "Me—you should call big brother."
"Got it, Uncle!" Mayu nodded with a sweet smile.
"...Forget it." Yu Zhou slapped a hand to his forehead. Some titles just couldn't be corrected.
"Uncle, I want lots and lots of snacks!"
She tugged at his sleeve expectantly.
"More snacks, huh?" Yu Zhou crouched down, patting her head. "Sure, there's plenty in the store."
He grabbed a pile of snacks off the shelf. "Call me big brother and all of this is yours."
"Eh, eh, Yu Zhou, don't give her too much," Leito groaned. "Last time she finished all the snacks in days and then couldn't eat her meals."
"No problem. Kids deserve a happy childhood." Yu Zhou handed the snacks to Mayu anyway and paid at the counter.
"Thanks, Uncle!"
"Big brother."
"Uncle."
"…." Yu Zhou gave up.
Soon, Tomoko was happily playing with Mayu, while Riku sat beside Moa.
"Is she your friend?" he asked, nodding toward Tomoko.
"Uh… more like a colleague." Moa quickly made up an excuse. "At Nico Nico Life Insurance, we meet all sorts of people."
"Wait, didn't you tell me you worked at a health center before?" Riku raised a brow.
"Ahaha, well… about that…" Moa scratched her cheek awkwardly.
In truth, Riku had already noticed something odd. Tomoko could read people's thoughts, called herself a Zabiderian, and had even exposed his non-human origin. That meant she probably was what she claimed to be.
And if Moa could call someone like that her "colleague"… her work definitely wasn't just about selling insurance.