21st Century Necromancer-Chapter 924 - 917 Drinking Alcohol

Chapter 924 -917 Drinking Alcohol

The late-night diner was still operating as usual, its warm, hazy light illuminating the space. The owner continued to comfort every weary stomach in need of solace with his delectable meals.

For those who only clock out late at night, having a place like this to soothe their hunger and soul, instead of going home to an empty room and dragging their exhausted body to cook for themselves, was an incredibly satisfying and heartwarming thing.

Perhaps it was this very reason why the diner’s business wasn’t exactly booming, but it had always been rich with regular patrons.

Especially after Minami came along, her sweet and adorable smile quickly became a charming feature of the diner, drawing in many of the already loyal regulars, who now frequented the place almost every day.

Although Minami herself felt slightly embarrassed and a bit troubled by this attention, after experiencing that unforgettable dream in Kyoto and finding inner peace, she chose to let things take their natural course.

Still, despite this approach, Minami never displayed any closeness to any customer, leaving many feeling disappointed and causing them to secretly speculate who could possibly win her heart.

Even the owner himself took a keen interest in this question, considering he was well aware of the so-called fate between Minami and Inomata Naoki, and the fact that Minami was seemingly incapable of loving anyone.

After that dream in Kyoto that she couldn’t recall, Minami seemed to have come to terms with the matter. Even when Inomata visited the diner, she merely treated him as a friend, nothing special—a change the owner found reassuring.

So, when Inomata came into the diner as usual, the owner simply glanced at him, letting Minami greet him instead of watching them discreetly like before, constantly worried something might happen between them.

“Welcome, Mr. Naoki. The usual?” Minami greeted Inomata as he sat down, their rapport now so smooth that words felt almost unnecessary.

However, to outsiders, their relationship didn’t seem particularly close. In fact, it appeared as calm and simple as a clear stream.

Inomata nodded, then added, “I’d like a beer today.”

“Something good happened?” Minami, hearing his request for beer, immediately smiled and asked teasingly.

For some reason, she instinctively knew that Inomata only ordered beer when he was happy about something and wanted to celebrate.

Inomata nodded with affirmation. “Brother Yu’s daughter was born! I visited the little girl today. She’s absolutely adorable, so I felt like celebrating with a beer.”

“Doctor Chen Yu’s daughter was born, and you’re here celebrating? Why does that sound so strange to me?” Minami couldn’t help but cover her mouth and tease him upon hearing this.

Though she understood what Inomata meant, she couldn’t resist poking fun at him.

Inomata, unbothered by her jokes, simply smiled in response.

While Minami went to get his beer, the owner overheard their conversation and walked over to Inomata, asking, “Doctor Jounouchi gave birth? No wonder I haven’t seen her and Doctor Chen Yu at the diner lately. They must be quite busy after having a baby, right?”

“Yes. Brother Yu’s been fully occupied with taking care of his wife and child lately, barely able to manage work,” Inomata confirmed, with a hint of envy. “Especially in the first few days after his daughter was born—so many people came to congratulate him, even the Imperial Family and the Prime Minister showed up.”

“The Prime Minister came too? That’s pretty remarkable!” The owner marveled at Inomata’s words, though he couldn’t truly wrap his head around it.

After all, for the Japanese, the Emperor is someone you might see at annual New Year visits, but the Prime Minister exists primarily as a figure on television. For those indifferent to politics, they might not even know who the Prime Minister is.

“It’s true! When I visited the little girl, their hospital room was half-filled with gifts. And those were only the ones presented directly to Brother Yu for his little princess—the rest were just handled without reaching him,” Inomata remarked, shaking his head with a mix of awe and wonder.

Hearing this, the owner seemed even more intrigued and asked, “Were there really that many gifts for Doctor Chen Yu? Doctor Chen Yu helped me greatly in the past. I have a gift prepared for their daughter—could I trouble you, Mr. Inomata, to pass it on for me?” freeweɓnovēl.coɱ

“Of course, but honestly, I don’t think you need to go to the trouble. Next time Brother Yu comes to the diner for a meal, you can simply congratulate him—it’s not necessary to spend money,” Inomata readily agreed but also advised against any unnecessary expenses.

In his view, the relationship between the owner and Chen Yu didn’t warrant such gestures.

But for the owner, the fact that Chen Yu helped him reunite with his lost daughter was an immense favor he must repay, one way or another.

Until now, the opportunity hadn’t arisen. As one presented itself, expressing his gratitude was something he couldn’t pass up.

Seeing his attempt to dissuade fail, Inomata didn’t insist further, happily agreeing to deliver the owner’s gift to Chen Yu.

“Here’s your beer,” Minami said, bringing over the beer Inomata had ordered while he was still chatting with the owner. She poured him a glass and placed it in front of him.

Taking the glass Minami had served, Inomata thanked her before taking a hearty sip.

While drinking his beer, Inomata instinctively felt like ordering something to pair with it. Yet, before he could say a word, Minami had already placed a dish of pickled seaweed before him.

“Thank you!” Seeing the familiar pickled seaweed laid neatly in his usual spot, Inomata glanced at Minami’s radiant, flower-like expression and could only thank her again, sincerely.

The owner, witnessing this scene, couldn’t help but curiously ask, “Minami, where did you learn to make this pickled seaweed? The regulars who drink here have grown to love it, but I still don’t know how it’s done.”

“Haha, that’s a secret!” Minami replied with a mischievous grin, refusing to explain.

Faced with her playful response, the owner could only shake his head helplessly and head back to the kitchen, leaving Minami and Inomata to exchange knowing smiles.