Chapter 243: The Magpie Bridge Meeting of Altair and Vega!
The art-like starry sky glaze quietly melted in her mouth, a cool, smooth sweetness spreading over her tongue. A faint, tipsy aroma of "vanilla and citrus" from liquor expanded with it.
'...Liquor aroma?'
Hairu Iheiri had no time to ponder.
The bottom layer of blueberry jam had already dissolved, its lively tartness cutting a refreshing gap through the sweetness.
Her pearly white teeth gently closed—
The ladyfinger, soaked in coffee-liquor, was already moist and soft. It collapsed silently between her teeth, leaving only a mellow, bitter aftertaste and a rich wheat fragrance.
At the same time, the Blackthorn cheese mousse surged forward. Its texture was light, melting instantly, its dense-yet-silky body intertwining with the slightly bitter, mellow aroma of the coffee-liquor.
The "vanilla and citrus" aroma from the glaze called out to the coffee-liquor aroma, making the overall flavor profile even more complex and diverse.
'An unparalleled flavor—!'
Hairu Iheiri couldn't help but widen her sparkling eyes, her pupils reflecting the brilliant galaxy as a look of pure astonishment bloomed on her face. Her expression then softened, and she closed her eyes, immersing herself in the food's illusion.
...
For an instant—
Hairu felt as if she had traveled through time and space, standing on a cold, desolate planet in another identity.
Before her, the Milky Way cascaded down, and billions of stars flowed in a dazzling, brilliant display.
She stared blankly at the boundless universe, until a cool sensation touched her fingertips.
Hairu looked down—
She discovered that she was now wearing a moon-white "retaining-immortal" skirt. The fabric draped like flowing water, and the edges were embroidered with silver thread in the pattern of stars that seemed to faintly glow. A sash woven from magpie feathers was tied at her waist.
"What a beautiful dress!" Hairu blinked in surprise, curiously adjusting the garment.
Just then—
"Chirp! Chirp! Flutter—!"
The crisp calls of countless magpies, accompanied by the soft sound of flapping wings, suddenly filled her ears.
Hairu instinctively looked toward the sound and froze.
Countless magpies—which, upon closer inspection, were formed from the very cake she found so familiar—flew flapping to her, circled lightly, and then assembled beneath her feet into a winding magpie bridge.
As if possessed, Hairu lifted her skirt and stepped onto it.
She strolled through the boundless universe. She didn't know how long she had walked when she suddenly spotted another magpie bridge extending from the distance—
On the bridge, a figure was walking slowly toward her.
The man wore a blue, wide-sleeved robe. As the fabric fluttered, it moved like the deep sea. His handsome features were exceptionally clear in the moonlight.
The moment their eyes met—
Thump—!
Her heart skipped a heavy beat. Her breathing slowed unconsciously, and a blush of heat suddenly rose in her cheeks, spreading all the way to the tips of her ears.
—It was the feeling of her heart fluttering!
...
...
That afternoon, a tidal wave of discussion erupted on social media. Topics related to "Blue Starry Sky" swept across every major platform. Countless netizens stopped to watch, related posts fell like snowflakes, and views on short videos grew exponentially. In just two hours, it had shot to the top of the trending charts.
At that moment, Ryohei Tanaka was preparing lunch for his staff, who ate in shifts.
"Now that the dessert shop is open, we're starting to feel short-staffed."
"Especially with Minos at the construction site all day, and Jashin-chan having to prepare three meals for the Matsuya Group team, they can't help out much..."
Ryohei Tanaka lifted his beer mug, took a large gulp of ice-cold beer, and looked past Yurine Hanazono. His gaze fell on JII, Jiang Jiang, and Lan Lan, and finally on Lucoa, who was hugging her ample chest and lightly resting her peach-shaped hips against the windowsill.
"Do any of you have friends to recommend? I'm planning to hire more 'people'."
"Nope," Jiang Jiang said, shoveling a large mouthful of twice-cooked pork over rice. She chewed with enjoyment like a greedy little squirrel, swallowed, and then looked at Ryohei. "My sister and I, our friends are mostly in the Demon World, and everyone has their own things to do."
"That's right," Lan Lan added, looking at Ryohei apologetically.
"Mm," Ryohei nodded, giving them a kind smile that said, 'It's fine, don't worry about it.'
"Same here," JII-chan said with a cute gruffness.
She had been roped into working today, but she didn't mind. She finally felt like she wasn't just a freeloader. She was actually quite satisfied and felt a sense of accomplishment. She was already planning to continue working and contributing that afternoon.
Ryohei Tanaka, however, didn't notice JII's change of heart. He hadn't really directed the question at her and the others.
His gaze shifted to Lucoa, who tilted her head and chimed in, "Same here!"
"Fine," Lucoa relented, raising her hands. "If you're really short-staffed, I can fill in." She didn't seem to mind working as a waitress again.
"That's not really necessary," Ryohei said, looking at her with surprise. He hadn't expected her to offer.
Lucoa wasn't short on money; she was clearly wealthy. The small gold mountain she had casually given him was worth more than everything he'd earned since coming here. Because of that, Ryohei had always felt too embarrassed to assign her any work at the shop. Even today, when Koji had been roped into work, he hadn't assigned her anything.
Ryohei took another bite of rice, chewed, and swallowed. He turned to Lucoa. "Lucoa, is that friend of yours who wears a maid outfit free these days?"
"I think she'd be a good fit for my shop. Could you ask her for me?"
"Hm? You want Tohru to come work for you?" Lucoa's eyes widened in surprise as she looked at him.
Yurine Hanazono, who had been quietly enjoying her own meal, also turned her head to look.
Ryohei Tanaka replied with a calm and natural expression. He truly had no ulterior motives. He just felt short-staffed, and the two dragon girls he had been expecting hadn't arrived in this world. He'd thought of Tohru through his network of acquaintances and decided to mention it.
In the original story, she had experience working at a maid cafe. Tohru had always considered herself the "world's best maid," and when she heard a newly opened maid cafe claiming they were the best, she had indignantly decided to "challenge" them to prove her superiority. However, the cafe staff misunderstood and thought she was there for a job interview, and by some mistake, she was hired.
Ryohei didn't have such a coincidence to rely on, but he had his own advantages—namely, glowing food and glowing desserts!
In any case, it was worth a try. It's not like asking would cost him anything.
"Mmm—!" Lucoa pinched her delicate white chin, studying Ryohei for a few seconds before agreeing. "Alright, I'll ask for you."
Lucoa then rattled off questions about salary, working hours, and location. Ryohei thought for a moment and gave her the answers.
Right then and there, Lucoa took out her phone and dialed Kobayashi's house...
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