mygo, Villain Simulator

She simply wanted to spend more time with Ichinose Wakaba, though she remained silent for a long time without uttering a single word.

But compared to the even colder atmosphere of her home, which reeked only of alcohol, Toyokawa Shoko wanted to spend more time with the person in front of her.

So, she mustered up her courage and asked, "This weekend, I'd like to invite Ichinose-kun out for dinner."

Even though it was just a shopping trip, it took her several days to find the right way to say it. She said "Come with me" casually, her tone deliberately light, but in reality, Toyokawa Shoko's heart was beating faster than anyone else's.

She had even rehearsed more than a dozen different smiles in her mind—what kind of clothes she wanted to wear to get even the slightest bit of that person's attention.

Even just a simple compliment like "You look pretty good" can make me happy all day.

Unfortunately, Toyokawa Shoko didn't have many clothes; the best she had was her school uniform. She didn't take anything else with her when she left home.

Back then, if it weren't for Ichiro Wakaba giving her the job of bringing Pochi-chan, Toyokawa Shoko might not have even had the money to buy clothes.

After having dinner with Ichinose Wakaba, on the way back, Toyokawa Shoko noticed that the other woman's gaze was fixed on the clothing store—Ichinose-kun, do you want to buy clothes?

Shaking her head and then nodding, Ichinose Wakaba walked into the clothing store. She went straight to a spot and, under the watchful eyes of the approaching shop assistant, said, "Give her what I ordered."

It was an unbranded outfit: a white women's blouse and a beige plaid skirt. Yes, just like the outfit that Toyokawa Shoko always wore in real life.

After receiving the dress, the blue-haired young lady's eyes sparkled. She loved the dress; she loved its style, she loved the fabric, and she loved that it was specially made for her by Ichinose Wakaba.

Feeling as sweet as if her heart were filled with honey, Toyokawa Shoko changed her clothes and repeatedly asked in the fitting room, "What do you think of this?"

The other person simply nodded and hummed in response, saying nothing more. There was no praise, no eye contact, and even their reply seemed merely out of politeness.

After that, Toyokawa Shoko had a most precious set of clothes, which she kept treasured ever since.

Memories unfold before my eyes, like the sun-drenched streets outside a shop window on a late summer afternoon, both dazzling and distant.

"what happened?"

The red-haired girl's voice brought her back from her memories.

"Ah...it's okay."

Toyokawa Shoko raised her head and forced a smile.

"This one... whatever you think looks good is fine."

She looked down at the dress in her hand, then glanced at herself in the mirror, dressed up.

It reminded me so much of myself back then, carrying shopping bags, standing on a bustling street, happily nestled beside that person.

Chapter 171 Girls need to be cherished.

A long queue had already formed outside the egg-wrapped rice restaurant.

Under the scorching afternoon sun, the queue resembled a long, colorful dragon, winding its way from the entrance to...

In the corner of the coffee shop next door, everyone was holding a number, either scrolling through their phones, complaining about the weather under their umbrellas, or whispering intimately to each other, treating the wait as part of their date.

A small blackboard stands at the entrance, with the words "Limited to 30 servings per day" written on it. The handwritten chalk words are a bit messy, but they are full of everyday warmth.

A faux-furnished wooden table stood nearby, with the restaurant's brochure on it and a small sign that read, "Please wait patiently, thank you for your cooperation," adding a touch of gentle explanation to the long queue.

Inside the glass door, under the dim yellow light, freshly made omelet rice was placed on wooden trays.

The golden egg crepe, as soft as velvet, gently covers the rice. After a slit is made in the center, it slowly slides down to reveal the fragrant and tempting filling and sauce, releasing an enticing aroma into the air.

The staff's movements were skilled yet unhurried, and that slow pace added a touch of "ritual that can only be experienced in person".

"It is said that there is a layer of cheese sandwiched between the egg skin and rice, as well as a uniquely made red wine tomato sauce."

Ichinose Wakaba looked at the line ahead and spoke calmly, as if explaining something, or perhaps talking to herself.

"Is it so exaggerated..."

Looking at the long queue, Toyokawa Shoko murmured to herself. She could feel the ground beneath her shoes getting hot from the sun, and her eyelashes trembled slightly from the heat.

She didn't understand what was so appealing about this trend of queuing for two hours and eating for fifteen minutes, but seeing Ichinose Wakaba's expectant expression, Toyokawa Shoko became curious as well—even a girl like that was interested in this restaurant.

In the eyes of the blue-haired young lady, the red-haired girl named Uesugi Erii was a very strange girl.

When quiet, she is so beautiful that she seems unreal, yet when she talks a lot, she acts crazy—as if she has a dual personality.

So, Toyokawa Shoko was very curious that a girl like that would be interested in this restaurant.

So she silently stood behind him, took the number plate he handed her, and glanced down at it—

[Number 67]

There are still twenty people ahead of us.

Sunlight fell on the number paper, and even the edges of the paper were slightly warm.

The blue-haired young lady suddenly remembered the omelet rice made by the maid in her childhood kitchen—it smelled delicious, but it was still just "food," not "a wish."

But perhaps, for them now, waiting itself is a kind of wish.

However, even Toyokawa Shoko, who makes omelet rice, gets hungry.

Being treated like a dress-up doll all morning and walking so much was too much for even her body, which had been trained for a year.

Not to mention he was carrying quite a few things—all of these are for Xiao Xiang~

When the blue-haired young lady saw Ichinose Wakaba take out her card and spend money to buy all the clothes she had tried on, she panicked: "I don't need these clothes."

To my shame, although I used to be a rich girl, although I borrowed 100 million from my childhood sweetheart, and although I have already bought a set of clothes.

At this moment, the only clothes that Toyokawa Shoko can wear are her school uniform, her work attire, and the same outfit that Ichinose Wakaba gave her in her dream.

Apart from that, the young lady, who had very low material desires, did not.

"Xiao Xiang is about to appear in the photo, and it would be boring if he wore the same outfit all the time~"

"So, this is what the job entails~"

"And this is work uniform~"

"Xiao Xiang doesn't need to spend any money~"

After being told that by Ichinose Wakaba, and having already paid, what could Toyokawa Shoko say?

Subordinates are not allowed to talk about their superiors' mouths.

"Number 67, please enter the store."

As she walked out of the store, following the instructions of the shop assistant, Ichinose Wakaba put away her number tag, glanced at the blue-haired young lady, and said, "Let's go."

The moment I pushed open the wooden-framed glass door, a cool breeze rushed in, carrying a rich yet understated aroma—eggs, cream, ketchup, and a hint of delicate caramel.

At that moment, Toyokawa Shoko almost instinctively took a deep breath.

The fragrance

It's the kind of flavor she likes: mild, soft, not cloying, and even has a perfect balance between "homely" and "thoughtful".

Toyokawa Shoko stood there stunned for a moment, then realized that she was actually a little... happy.

The shop isn't large, but it's decorated in a warm, retro style. Wooden tables and chairs, cotton and linen curtains, handwritten menus, and a vintage record player create an atmosphere of intimate tranquility, reminiscent of a scene from a Japanese drama.

In the corner, couples were chatting quietly, while a girl who had come alone was quietly flipping through a novel. Soft music flowed gently, neither vying for attention nor forcing anyone to speak.

Please have a seat.

The shop assistant led them to a two-person table by the window.

When Toyokawa Shoko sat down, she was still a little dazed. Her gaze unconsciously swept across the table, which was so clean that it seemed as if every speck of dust had been wiped away immediately. Even the angle of the fork was perfectly aligned.

Ichinose Wakaba took out her phone, a small microphone, and a mini tripod from her bag.

"menu."

He pushed a simple handwritten menu in front of her, but didn't flip through it himself. Instead, he said to the waiter, "Two servings of omelet rice, and... this baked rice, as well as braised beef, seasonal salad, a cream of mushroom soup... and your limited-edition dessert."

"Eri, you've ordered too much..."

Toyokawa Shoko watched him recite the menu at such a rapid pace that she barely had time to stop him.

"After all, it's a restaurant review~".

Ichinose Wakaba answered confidently, her tone even carrying a hint of smugness.

He blinked, his tone casual as if to say, "This is a restaurant review, so of course I have to order everything!"

"Besides, I believe Xiao Xiang and I can finish it together~"

Upon hearing this, Toyokawa Shoko paused slightly, her lips tightening subtly. She felt that the other person was overestimating her.

Strangely enough, even though she usually doesn't eat much, today she really felt like she could eat more.

Perhaps it was the shop's decor and aroma that had whetted her appetite early on;

Perhaps it was the aroma of the food that was just right;

Or perhaps it was because the person sitting next to her gently and quietly pulled her away from those cheap rice balls and her forced stomach.

Toyokawa Shoko wasn't an idiot. As the heiress of the Toyokawa Group, she wasn't some clueless naiveté. So, when she discovered that Ichinose Wakaba had bought her so many clothes under the pretense of work, the blue-haired young lady understood something.

The dishes were served one after another, exquisite but not extravagant.

Each dish is steaming just right, enveloped in the warmth of air conditioning and lighting, like a comforting warmth that makes your mouth water just by looking at it on the table.

When Toyokawa Shoko took a bite of the omelet rice, her eyes involuntarily lit up for a moment.

The egg crepe is soft and fluffy, wrapping around perfectly separated grains of buttered rice. The red wine tomato sauce is sweet and refreshing, with a lingering hint of vanilla in the finish.

This was not the "luxury" she used to be accustomed to, but rather a long-lost "careful attention to detail".

The blue-haired young lady put down her fork, looked up, and sighed softly, "...It's really delicious."

She was never a glutton, nor was she a materialistic person.

Even though she was a pampered young lady who grew up being waited on by servants, and even though she has been eating discounted rice balls from supermarkets or convenience stores lately, she has never really complained.

But when she took that bite, Toyokawa Shoko suddenly realized that cooking could be so gentle, as gentle as an unspoken "I care about you".

Meanwhile, the people opposite her had already started eating.

The person in front of her was not as aloof and reserved as usual. Instead, he sat opposite Toyokawa Shoko and ate his omelet rice with a rudeness that was completely out of character for his delicate appearance. He even scalded himself with his breath because he was eating so fast.

"...It's hot, but it smells amazing."

The red-haired girl muttered something, then set up her phone, expertly turned on the selfie camera, and flashed the standard "restaurant visit smile" at the camera:

"I didn't come alone today—I brought our channel's...little assistant~"

The camera pans gently across Toyokawa Shoko's stunned face, where she is still holding a fork.

"It's just a silhouette, don't worry, I'll blur it out~"

"Hey, don't take my picture."

They spoke in unison, but Ichinose Wakaba spoke first, while Toyokawa Shoko subconsciously turned her head and protested softly, though her voice lacked strength.

Especially after hearing what the other party said, they had even less power to resist.

As Ichinose Wakaba spoke, she took two more bites of the beef baked rice and praised it without reservation: "The tomato sauce here is amazing, it's refreshingly sour and not greasy at all. The beef is flavorful and tender, it must have been stewed for several hours beforehand."

“By the way,” he suddenly looked at the camera, his tone changing as if it were a key moment of the show, “I’m serious, although this is a restaurant review, I brought my assistant here today… as a personal recommendation—this restaurant is not just good for taking pictures, but it’s really delicious and satisfying.”

After saying that, the red-haired girl lowered her head and continued eating, giving the camera no chance to "do it again".

Toyokawa Shoko watched him silently.

"Eat it with your heart," somehow, it also felt like it was being said to her.

She lowered her head and took a small bite of the stewed beef. Whether it was because the sauce was too rich or the taste was too genuine, Toyokawa Shoko felt a slight tingling in her nose.

No one knew that her stomach had been upset lately due to stress, and no one really cared what she ate for lunch or whether she ate dinner.

The drunken father at home?

All the other party needs is alcohol.

Toyokawa Shoko gently swallowed the mouthful in her mouth, her eyes softening slightly.

—They said they were filming a video, but they didn't even properly point the camera at themselves.

He said he invited her to explore the store, that he bought her a lot of clothes for work since he didn't have any, and that he even came up with the excuse of "filming a store visit" to "treat her to a good meal," so he made a special trip to this store where he had to queue for an hour.

It turns out that "she" was always the main character.

Toyokawa Shoko gazed at the red-haired girl, her throat tightening slightly. Sunlight streamed through the window, dappling his features with a serene beauty. Suddenly, she couldn't quite make out the person before her.

Was it unintentional gentleness or deliberate thoughtfulness?