Tohru's habit of wanting those she likes to eat her tail…
Hayashi thought this would only trigger when she became a chef.
But who knew it was an unavoidable trait achievement?!
All it took was one look at the sushi, and Tohru instantly remembered that she wanted Hayashi to eat her tail!
What kind of creature even thinks like that?
Well, a dragon like Tohru clearly did, but Hayashi couldn't accept it.
Still, Tohru was persistent.
"Try it, Hayashi-san~" she pleaded.
"No!" Hayashi firmly refused.
"It'll definitely be tasty. It's dragon meat, you know~" she coaxed.
"Still no!" Hayashi was unwavering. "And why would I want to eat your flesh?! That's just weird."
"Eh? But dragons eat their own scales all the time." Tohru pressed on, "Just try it once!"
"Not even once!"
"Please~" She even started to pout and act cute.
"No!!!"
In the end, Hayashi still didn't budge.
Tohru put on a fake sad face and finished all the sushi by herself.
But Hayashi could tell—Tohru wasn't going to give up. She'd definitely try again when the chance came.
Still… it was just too weird...
Back in the restaurant—
Utaha Kasumigaoka had just about finished her sushi.
Hayashi walked over with his lemon tea in hand.
Utaha, having cleaned her plate, sipped her lemon tea and suddenly said,
"For the new chapter of Love Metronome, I want to base the male lead on you, Hayashi-kun. Is that okay?"
"?" Hayashi blinked. "This is the first time I've been asked something like that."
"As long as you don't refuse." Utaha took out a notebook and handed it to him. "I'll also be using District 20 and your shop as part of the setting."
Hayashi glanced through it—it outlined several plot threads.
Half of them extended directly from his Midnight Diner.
The story added supernatural elements, but only in the background.
For example, in one arc, the male and female leads—whose feelings were vague—decide to meet secretly at night on a mountain.
But the riot breaks out. They flee together, end up hungry, and discover the diner—leading to a string of events that unfold from there.
The male lead's personality and design were half-based on him, and the female lead…
Hayashi looked at Utaha.
"?"
Utaha pretended to keep typing on her laptop, as if she didn't notice his reaction.
But when he kept staring, her face turned red and she broke.
"W-why are you staring at me like that?!"
"Using real-life elements for writing is totally normal, okay?!"
Well… she wasn't wrong...
Hayashi knew that in Japan, authors were actually encouraged to draw inspiration from real events and places.
It was standard across novels, anime, films—you name it.
Thanks to cultural tourism, it brought in tons of visitors annually.
Many fans even went on "anime pilgrimages," visiting the locations used in stories.
Originally a religious term—like visiting Jerusalem—but now used for anime sites.
So Utaha's reasoning was pretty bulletproof.
"Hmm, when you put it that way, not bad." Hayashi rubbed his chin. "The plot's decent too. Adding some warmth and realism makes your writing feel more alive."
Utaha's eyes lit up at his praise.
If even Hayashi thought it was good, then she was pretty confident the new arc would be a hit!
"I'll send it to my editor tomorrow," Utaha decided.
"?" Hayashi blinked. "You haven't sent it yet?"
"Nope. You're the first person to see it besides me, Hayashi-kun."
She crossed her legs, her feet swaying playfully in the air.
"If the editor rejects it, it'll make my judgment look bad."
"That's a separate issue. Besides, I trust your taste."
"Well... thanks?"
"No, I should be the one thanking you." Utaha winked. "After all, the inspiration, material, and setting all come from you, Hayashi-kun."
"Oh? Then how are you gonna thank me?"
"... I'm your regular customer already."
Hayashi didn't say anything—just kept staring.
"..." Feeling the heat of his gaze, Utaha nervously bit her lip. "A-and your shop will become super popular if the story sells well, right?"
Hayashi still didn't respond, just kept watching her.
Utaha squirmed, blushing, then finally gave in.
"Things like that... are for the future to decide..."
"Hmm, fair enough." Hayashi nodded before she could finish.
Utaha looked at him with a deeply resentful glare.
Like she was seconds away from kicking off her shoes and throwing them at him.
After that, Hayashi and Utaha chatted more about her new arc, helping her solidify her inspiration.
But it was getting late—well past midnight.
Her excitement finally cooled as she checked the time and stood up.
"Crap, I need to get home!"
"I'll walk you out," Hayashi said, rising.
He escorted her all the way to the mouth of the alley before waving her off.
The streets were nearly empty by now.
Thankfully, it was still Tokyo—even in District 20, people could still be seen this late. In other areas, that wouldn't be the case.
Once Utaha left, Hayashi turned to Tohru, who had silently followed.
Tohru gave him a reassuring hand signal before quietly tailing Utaha from a distance.
Not just Utaha—even passersby and ghouls couldn't see Tohru.
Because she'd cast invisibility magic on herself. Only those with extremely sharp senses or instincts could notice her.
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