Lin Zhi stood there, looking completely stunned. Of all things, he hadn't expected to run into Aoyama Nanami here.
What was even more shocking was that—once again—he had run into Aoyama Nanami while she was working a part-time job.
"Hey! Lin Zhi! What are you staring at?"
Eriri's voice snapped him back to reality. He took a small breath and turned toward her, finding her staring at him with suspicion written all over her face.
"I just saw someone I know."
"Someone you know?"
Eriri blinked, then her whole body tensed up.
"W–wait, don't tell me it's someone from our school?!" she asked nervously, swallowing hard.
If someone from school saw her here—saw her, a closet otaku, in a maid café—and worse, saw her sitting here with Lin Zhi… they'd totally get the wrong idea!
They'd definitely think they were a couple!
A couple?!
Eriri's face turned bright red, her eyes going out of focus as if steam might start pouring out of her head.
"No," Lin Zhi said, shaking his head.
That one word made her breathe a sigh of relief. Following his gaze, she saw a pretty young girl in a maid uniform walking out from the back of the café.
It was the same girl who had entered the café just moments earlier.
By coincidence, their order was ready, and she and another maid named Nene were carrying the trays toward them.
As Lin Zhi watched, his expression turned a little strange.
Aoyama Nanami had clearly rushed to get here after being late. Even after changing into her maid outfit, her breathing was still uneven, her chest rising and falling gently with each breath.
She steadied her tray, lowered her head to take a deep breath, and then looked up—
And froze.
Her eyes widened in disbelief as they locked onto the familiar figure sitting not far away.
H–he's here?!
"Nanami?"
Beside her, Nene noticed her sudden hesitation and stopped, looking at her with concern.
"I'm fine, Kotori."
Nanami took a deep breath, her face still flushed pink. Then, as if steeling herself, she lifted her head abruptly.
Well, he'd already seen her. There was no point hiding now.
Biting her lip, she marched toward Lin Zhi's table, though with each step she felt a growing urge to turn and run.
I can't do this! she cried out silently inside her head, practically whimpering.
"Master, here are your coffee and your cake," said Nene with her usual professional smile as she gracefully set the tray down on the table.
"Ma… ma… master…" Nanami tried to keep calm, but the word caught in her throat, stumbling over itself before she could finish.
By nature, she was the serious type. If it weren't for the café's flexible hours and high pay, she would never have taken a job like this.
Even so, customer reviews about her often said things like, "She's such a stiff maid," or "She feels so serious it's almost like she's a real maid!"
Lin Zhi couldn't help but chuckle, waving a hand. "Forget it. If you can't say it, don't force yourself."
Nanami exhaled in relief, though her cheeks were still flushed red.
Nene's amber eyes flickered with curiosity as she glanced between the two of them.
"So, Nanami-chan and Master know each other?" she asked.
Eriri also looked puzzled. If this maid wasn't from their school, then how could Lin Zhi have met her? He'd only been in Chiba for such a short time—where did he keep meeting all these cute girls?
"How should I put it…" Lin Zhi smiled slightly. "Aoyama and I have met a few times before, and we've gotten to know each other a little."
"The strange part," he added, looking at her with amusement, "is that every time I run into her, she's working a different part-time job."
Hearing that, Nanami's face turned even redder. It was true—every single time she'd met him, she had been working.
The first time, delivering takeout.
The second, at a convenience store.
And now, as a maid in a café.
"So that's how you two met?" Eriri asked skeptically. It didn't sound like much of a connection.
"Well, let's just say… a few things happened along the way." Lin Zhi smiled faintly, glancing at Nanami.
The first time they'd met, she'd actually collapsed right in front of his apartment.
"I really appreciate your help," Nanami said quickly, bowing deeply.
"There's no need. You've thanked me plenty already. You don't have to every time we meet," Lin Zhi said with a helpless smile.
Both Nene and Eriri looked back and forth between them, their curiosity only deepening. They clearly had no idea what kind of "incident" the two were referring to.
"Anyway," Nanami said hastily, noticing the tray still in her hands. She quickly set down the rest of the food in front of Lin Zhi, gave a polite bow, and said, "Please enjoy your meal."
Then, after a brief glance at him, she added softly, "If you need anything else, feel free to call me."
…
After Nanami and Nene left, Lin Zhi and Eriri finally turned their attention back to the main topic.
"If I want to start serializing a manga," Eriri said nervously, stirring her coffee with a small spoon, "where do you think I should start?"
Though well-known in the doujin scene under the name "Eri Kashiwagi," she shared the same dream that every doujin artist had—to go professional.
In truth, even without Lin Zhi's invitation, she'd already been planning her move.
It wasn't that she hated the doujin community—it just wasn't exactly mainstream. She longed for a bigger stage.
Lin Zhi thought for a moment before answering. "Your art style has already matured quite a bit, so the hot-blooded, action-heavy shonen type probably won't suit you. The same goes for darker or horror genres—they rely heavily on distinctive, gritty visuals."
Eriri's shoulders slumped a little at that.
Her art, born from her years in the doujin world, carried a certain… sensual charm. That made finding the right tone for a serialized work rather difficult.
"So," Lin Zhi continued, "you could work on developing a slightly tougher, more versatile art style. At the same time, we can choose a story genre that complements your current style instead of fighting against it."
Eriri nodded thoughtfully, her fingers tightening around the coffee spoon as she fell into deep thought.
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