Akari and Friends' Leisurely Shopping District Summit - A Mysterious Bakery Appears!

Monday after school. Ishikari Akari's voice echoed through the arcade of Hinata Shopping District. "This is an emergency—!" Her bob cut, trimmed neatly at the shoulders, swayed with momentum. Beneath the bangs pinned back with a red clip, her large, round brown eyes were more serious than usual today. On her small frame, she wore the red happi coat of Ishikari Meat. A memo pad and spare bags peeked out from her apron pocket. Akari clutched a thick file tightly in both arms. On the cover, the words "Operation Snow White" were written in marker. "That again…" Walking beside her, Toyama Rei let out a sigh. Her straight black hair reached down her back. Her bangs were cut blunt and even just above her eyebrows. Her sharp, cool eyes fixed on Akari's file, narrowing slightly. She brushed her bangs aside with her left hand. It was her familiar habit, what the shopping district folks called "Rei-chan's Bangs Time." "Akari-chan, you stayed up late working on that again, didn't you?" Another voice—Asagiri Misaki—laughed from behind. Her black hair fell in gentle waves to her waist, tied into a single bundle with a white mizuhiki cord. When the wind blew, it swayed softly, carrying a sweet scent like incense. Her gentle brown eyes, which turned into crescent moons when she smiled, were now crinkled about halfway. The three of them were heading toward Café Hidamari, right in the middle of the shopping district. There was still an hour until the meeting. Akari had declared, "We're holding a strategy meeting!" "Listen up. That baker, Yukimura Rin, is coming to today's meeting." Akari lowered her voice. "I know. Your dad mentioned it last week, didn't he?" "Exactly! Yukimura Rin, twenty-eight years old. A mysterious baker who suddenly appeared in this shopping district half a year ago after quitting her job at a hotel in Tokyo! Her shop exterior is ridiculously stylish, and her natural yeast bread is four hundred twenty yen a loaf! She's definitely a spy sent from Akebono-dori Shopping District!" "A spy who's a baker… That's way too much effort." "But her bread is delicious, so I like it." The three of them opened the door to Café Hidamari. A bell jingled. The interior still strongly retained a Showa-era atmosphere. A dark brown wooden counter, red velvet seats. Several old photographs of the shopping district hung on the walls. The master, Hinata Mamoru, was silently wiping the counter. A man in his sixties, always quiet. The three sat down at their usual spot in the back. Through the window, they could see the shopping district arcade. Akari spread her file open on the table. Inside, it was packed with handwritten notes. "Look, Rei. This is the 'Operation Snow White File' I made last night." "…Snow White? Like the fairy tale? Why?" "Because Yukimura has 'yuki'—snow—in her name, right? Snow White also has snow. Meaning, don't be fooled by a pretty fairy-tale appearance!" "That makes no sense." Misaki peered into the file. "Wow, Akari-chan, you drew this really well." Where Misaki was pointing, there was a portrait of Yukimura Rin. But it was a stick figure. An arrow extended from its head, labeled "silver bob." "It's already a failure when the portrait is a stick figure." Rei flipped through the file. "'Times passed in front of the shop: forty-seven.' 'Record of bread purchases: eight times (all sandwich bread).' 'Expressionless double-takes: three'… Are you a stalker?" "This is investigation! Investigation! I'm analyzing the spy's behavioral patterns!" Akari stood up. "Just think about it. Why would a top-class hotel baker come to a tiny shopping district like this? The pay must be way better in Tokyo. There's definitely something behind it!" "There could be plenty of reasons. Taking care of her parents, or just getting sick of the city." "That's exactly the camouflage! Her real goal is to steal the Hinata Shopping District stamp rally plans and sell them to Akebono-dori!" "Hey, let's have some coffee. Calm down, Akari-chan." Master Hinata placed coffee in front of the three of them. A blended coffee, four hundred yen a cup. The aroma drifted gently. Akari picked up her coffee cup. "Today, I'll expose her true identity for sure. If she really is a spy, then I, Ishikari Akari, will—" Akari took a vigorous gulp of coffee. "Hot!!" Akari clutched her mouth and flailed. "You always do that." "Ahaha, Akari-chan, you did it again." Rei held out a glass of water. Akari downed it in one go. "Ugh… my tongue is stinging…" "What's the point of burning yourself before you even catch the spy?" Outside the window, shoppers walked by. Beyond the arcade, the sign for "Boulangerie Konayuki" was visible. The shop name was written in a stylish font. Beneath it, potted herbs were lined up. Akari stared at it intently. (*There's a spy inside that shop.*) (*But… is that really true?*) Last night, unable to sleep, she had thought about it. What if Yukimura-san wasn't a spy—what if she was just someone who loved bread? Thinking that, a tiny prick of pain had stirred deep in her chest. But Akari immediately shook her head. (*Naive! So naive! That's exactly how spies lure you into letting your guard down!*) The meeting was held in the community space on the first floor of the Hinata Center. In a room of about forty square meters, long tables were arranged in a U-shape. On the walls were the shopping district's annual event schedule and last month's crime prevention patrol report. Several shop owners had already gathered. Chairman Tsunoda Genzo sat in the center seat. Seventy-eight years old, owner of Kadoya Hardware Store. White eyebrows and deeply etched laugh lines. His catchphrase was, "Well, it'll work out somehow." Next to him was Chida Kotaro of "Marusen Fresh Fish Shop." His voice was the loudest in the shopping district. Across from him sat the elderly couple from "Tofu-dokoro Shiroyama." Both in their seventies. Akari sat at the end with Rei and Misaki. And then, the door opened. Yukimura Rin walked in. The air in the room seemed to shift, just slightly. A silver bob. Her hair, cut cleanly along the jawline, shimmered smoothly under the fluorescent lights of the room. Her bangs were swept diagonally, revealing intelligent grey eyes. She wore a dark grey shirt and black pants. A streamlined, sophisticated outfit. In the homey atmosphere of the shopping district, she alone stood out. She had the air of someone who had stepped out of a magazine. "Pardon the intrusion." Her voice was quiet. She sat down in the seat opposite Akari and the others. Akari gripped her file. (*She's here… the spy is here!*) "Rei, look. That composure. She's definitely used to situations like this." "So what? She used to work at a hotel." Chairman Tsunoda cleared his throat. "Ahem. Today, continuing from last week, we'll be discussing the prizes for the stamp rally. Also, starting today, Yukimura-san from Konayuki will be joining us. Everyone, please make her welcome." The shop owners applauded. Rin gave a slight bow. "I look forward to working with you." Chida spoke in his usual loud voice. "Man, Yukimura-san! My wife absolutely loves the bread from your shop! She goes to buy it every morning!" "Thank you very much." Rin's mouth relaxed just a little. But it wasn't quite a smile yet. Chairman Tsunoda moved things along. "Last week, we had a lot of opinions, but nothing was decided in the end. Today, I'd like to settle on the prizes. Does anyone have any ideas?" Silence. Akari started to stand up. But before she could, Rin opened her mouth. "I have a proposal." Rin's voice was quiet, but it carried well. "Instead of making the prize a high-value item from a single shop, how about creating a 'Shop-Hopping Set' that collects small items from each store?" Chida tilted his head. "A Shop-Hopping Set?" "Yes. For example, one menchi-katsu from Ishikari Meat, seasonal vegetables from Yaotoku, a slice of bread from our shop, tofu from Shiroyama, a mini hardware item from Kadoya… Like that, we'd assemble a small assortment of goods from each store. It combines the fun of collecting stamps with promotion for the entire shopping district. Isn't that efficient?" The Shiroyama couple exchanged glances. "Would young folks even be interested in our tofu…?" "The taste is genuine, so if they get to know it, they'll definitely love it. By including it in a set, it creates that initial opportunity. Don't you think?" Chida folded his arms. "So, you're saying we'd put in our dried horse mackerel too? But dried horse mackerel and bread don't go together, do they?" "I think that's interesting as part of the 'shopping district's character.' In fact, it's precisely that lack of uniformity that is Hinata Shopping District's charm." Chairman Tsunoda's white eyebrows twitched. "Interesting… but if we put hardware from my shop in there, wouldn't it feel like a punishment game?" A few people laughed. But it was a strained laugh. Rin's words were rational and correct. But that detached way of speaking also felt like a denial of the old shopping district's ways. A small unease spread among the veteran shop owners. A heavy silence fell over the meeting room. No one could say anything. At that moment— "That's it—!!" Akari suddenly shot to her feet. Everyone looked at her in surprise. Akari pulled something out of her file. It was a menchi-katsu from Ishikari Meat. Wrapped in plastic wrap, it was still steaming. "I hereby declare! I appoint the Ishikari Meat special menchi-katsu as Captain!" Chida's eyes went wide. "The menchi-katsu is Captain?" "Yes! With this menchi-katsu at the lead, we'll organize a coalition army of all the shopping district's products! It's the ultimate formation to intercept the spy!" Chairman Tsunoda's mouth fell open. "Spy? What are you talking about?" "I'll explain! Yukimura-san's proposal seems rational at first glance, but it's actually a trap! By gathering products from each store into a Shop-Hopping Set, she intends to collect data on the shopping district and send it to Akebono-dori! But if that's the case, then we should just unite all the shops and intercept her instead!" Rei covered her face with her hand. "Here we go again…" Misaki tilted her head. "Maybe Akari-chan is hungry?" Akari held the menchi-katsu high. "Here we go! Shopping District Coalition Army, move out! Captain is Menchi-katsu! Vice-Captain is Croquette! And Shiroyama's firm tofu is on defense, while Kadoya's frying pan is on weapons!!" "O-Our frying pan is a weapon?" "A frying pan can be a blunt instrument if you swing it, and a shield if you hold it up! It's all-purpose!" The Shiroyama couple, bewildered, began to laugh. "T-Tofu on defense… what does that even mean…" "Because it's soft, maybe it absorbs the impact?" Laughter spread through the meeting room. That's when it happened. Rin's shoulders trembled slightly. She hid her mouth with her hand. Her grey eyes narrowed— —She laughed. A small, very small laugh could be heard. Urban and sophisticated, yet somehow girlish, with a touch of innocence. Akari froze, still holding the menchi-katsu aloft. (*Huh?*) Something leaped deep in her chest. *Thump.* Her heart beat harder than usual. (*Did she just… laugh?*) Rin immediately returned to a straight face. But at the corners of her mouth, a faint trace of that smile still lingered. "…That's an interesting strategy. As expected of the young lady of Ishikari Meat." Akari couldn't find any words. Her face felt hot. The menchi-katsu in her hand was trembling. (*What is this? Why is my heart pounding?*) "Hey, Akari. Your menchi-katsu is getting cold." Rei's voice snapped Akari back to her senses. "Ah, r-right!" Akari hurriedly put the menchi-katsu back in her file. Chairman Tsunoda laughed heartily. "Gahaha! Well, we got sidetracked, but the idea isn't bad! Yukimura-san's Shop-Hopping Set is interesting. And if we

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Episode 2

Name: Akari and Friends' Leisurely Shopping District Summit
Author: Novelia

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