"Moen!"

On the quiet and secluded street, amidst the brisk sound of the wind chime swaying at the shop’s door, the joyful voice of a girl cut through the air, bringing Moen a chilling sensation of autumn's bleakness.

"Sa... Sari?"

With stiff movements, Moen turned his neck to look behind him. Despite repeatedly convincing himself that it was just an auditory illusion, the familiar delicate face framed by oversized black-rimmed glasses inevitably came into view.

"You... What are you doing here?"

"What am *I* doing here?" Sari's expression turned slightly strange. "This is my house."

What?

Her *house*?

Moen’s mind momentarily blanked. Then, with a speed that could almost make his cervical vertebrae cry out in protest, he turned to look at the restaurant’s address plate.

Durank Street – 15!

Crap!

No wonder this address felt so familiar, so striking amidst the sea of information.

It turned out to be the address Sari herself had once given him!

Which meant... this was *her family's restaurant*!

"How is it even possible? Did soaking in ‘Mercury's Well’ for thirty hours damage my brain? How could I have forgotten something *this* important?"

"Moen, what are you mumbling about?"

Sari stepped forward, her slightly flushed cheeks gleaming with a radiant joy.

"Come on now, it’s cold outside. Stop loitering—come inside! I knew Moen would come, so I even asked my dad to temporarily close the restaurant and wait inside."

So *that’s* why your family's restaurant is closed on the weekend!

"Ah... no, it’s fine. I’ve got other things to do, so I won’t be heading inside..."

"Huh? Moen, you didn’t come because of *my* invitation?"

The sparkle of excitement vanished from Sari's eyes. Although her hands were empty, Moen suddenly felt the unnerving sensation that she was holding a firewood axe, glaring menacingly at him.

A shiver ran down his spine.

Could this girl... really be *that* scary?

And we’ve only met twice or three times—why is she so fixated on me?

Could it be... she lusts after my good looks?

"Well, Sari, actually—today..."

Even so, Moen was determined to decline her invitation.

Because compared to the trivial matter of potentially being stabbed to death, he was more concerned about avoiding any disruptions in his upcoming date.

Allowing a second woman into a date scenario? That’s courting disaster!

"Oh my, junior—it seems you’ve yet to introduce this lovely schoolmate of yours to me," Anna suddenly interjected, stroking her cheek with a smile.

Moen froze, a chill shooting down his back.

Senior, *why* would you stir up trouble now of all times?

Sure enough, as soon as Anna spoke, Sari’s attention immediately shifted.

Like she’d just noticed the presence of another stunning beauty standing nearby, her expression grew cautious, brimming with intent—as though readying herself for battle.

"Who are you?"

"She’s Anna *senpai*, a senior from my club," Moen quickly explained, standing awkwardly between them and clenching his teeth as he introduced each person in turn.

"This is Sari, one of my classmates from the same grade."

"Hello, Sari. I’m Anna Kablin."

With poised elegance, Anna extended her hand, exuding the air of a gracious senior unbothered by Sari’s sudden appearance.

"Hello, I’m Sari Flander."

Sari reached out and lightly shook Anna’s hand.

The moment their hands touched, however, Sari’s body stiffened slightly, confusion flashing briefly in her eyes before she quickly recovered.

"Anna *senpai*... are you here on a date with Moen?"

Behind her thick-framed glasses, Sari’s gaze swept over the two, tinged with suspicion.

Here it comes!

Moen instantly felt his stomach twist.

If manga from his past life had taught him anything, it was the importance of answering tactfully in moments like this—avoiding any escalation at all costs.

After all, someone like Sari—soft and demure on the surface but stubborn to the core—is prone to spiraling into a dark mindset!

*Be tactful. Tactfulness is everything.*

"Yah. Junior seems to want to woo me," Anna bluntly declared.

What?! *Senior,* what are you saying?!

Weren’t you the one who previously insisted this wasn’t a date—and warned me against harboring any ulterior motives?

Why are you suddenly flipping the narrative?

"Is... that so? Haha, I guess it really *is* so, huh?"

As expected, the glimmer of hope in Sari’s eyes fizzled out completely.

Judging by her expression, it felt as though she could whip out a firewood axe at any moment, yelling “How about we split him in half!” before swinging two furious blows—a headshot and a gut stab—right at Moen.

Imagining such a fearful scenario, he instinctively shrank back.

Yet, contrary to expectation, Sari quickly regained her composure—and even seemed energized.

"I... I won’t give up!"

Clenching her fists tightly, she muttered as though rallying herself, "Yeah, I won’t surrender so easily!"

Then she turned her resolute gaze toward Moen and made another invitation:

"Since it’s around mealtime, Moen must be hungry, right? Since you’re already here, why not come inside and try my father’s cooking?"

"No, I don’t think so." Moen shook his head vigorously.

This was a trap—a fire pit, not his salvation!

He wouldn’t go. Nope—absolutely *not*!

"Sure," Anna replied with a serene smile, "I’m hungry too. I don’t think Sari would mind having one more person, right?"

What on *earth* are you doing, senior?!

Moen stared at her in horror, but Anna didn’t even glance his way—her mysterious, enchanting smile remaining as steady as always.

She stared at Sari, seemingly either assessing something or lost in deep thought.

Seeing Anna accept, Sari reluctantly kept her displeasure at bay, knowing this was the only way to convince Moen.

Then she turned toward him once more with puppy-like pleading eyes:

"Well, Moen... now you really have no excuse to refuse, right?"

"..."

...

Once inside the restaurant, Moen saw that it perfectly matched the photos and descriptions: a small, private establishment with an elegant environment and a tastefully chic interior. Truly, it was an ideal venue for a casual date.

"Let me introduce you—this is my father."

After Sari led a solemn-faced middle-aged man over to them, Moen and Anna greeted him politely.

"Hello, sir."

"Hi."

But the man only gave a silent nod before retreating back to his room in the back of the restaurant. Shortly after, rhythmic chopping sounds echoed from within.

"Sorry, my dad’s not very skilled at socializing," Sari said apologetically, scratching her head.

Naturally, Moen and Anna didn’t mind.

"Alright then, you two just stay here for now. I’ll head into the kitchen to help—it’s time for me to impress Moen with my cooking!"

Brimming with determination, Sari disappeared into the kitchen.

This left Moen and his senior in the refined ambiance of the small restaurant, all by themselves once again.

"So, senior—what exactly are you trying to do?"

Breaking the silence, Moen finally turned toward Anna with exasperation, unable to decipher her motives.

"Are you here just to laugh at me?"

"Of course not. Am I really *that* bad of a senior?"

"Aren’t you?"

"Well... then go ahead and call me that if you want," Anna chuckled softly before shifting the conversation.

"Moen, that girl named Sari seems to like you."

"But I don’t like her," Moen replied earnestly while locking eyes with his senior.

"She’s sweet, sure... but actually we’ve barely crossed paths a handful of times.

I don’t like her, senior."

"Got it. Then, junior, can you do me a favor?"

"What favor?"

"Help me..."

Anna’s playful smirk suddenly evolved into a mischievous grin—a sly glint sparkling in her eyes.

"...to make her cry."