Chapter Twenty: I Know I’m Very Good-Looking

"Pufferfish Dojo," a long-standing establishment that has been open for over fifty years.

It is said that even Governor Stoneburn has dined there to enjoy their pufferfish. A photograph of the old master and Stoneburn hangs on the wall, accompanied by a plaque inscribed by Stoneburn himself: "Pufferfish Immortal."

However, the old master is quite elderly now and no longer cooks himself, merely supervising his two sons in the kitchen.

Chen Zi'ang and Tsukimiya Reina entered the shop and removed their shoes to step onto the tatami mats. Reina expertly hiked up her pant legs and quickly slid her legs into the heated space under the table, letting out a comfortable "Mmm~" sound.

"It is a bit cold outside, isn't it?" Chen Zi'ang remarked casually.

"Senior, the heater under the table is a bit cramped," Reina said with a giggle, tracing her toes back and forth against his calves.

"If you know it's cramped, then pull your legs in!" Chen Zi'ang said helplessly. "Don't encroach on my territory."

"It's so unladylike for a girl to sit cross-legged," Reina teased, acting out intentionally.

"And you think this mischief is ladylike?" Chen Zi'ang frowned, reaching his left hand under the table and grabbing the foot that was still messing with his leg.

Reina was wearing loose, white cotton socks. They looked small and cute, and there was no unpleasant odor—likely changed along with her sleeveless dress before she left work. Her feet felt soft and warm to the touch.

"Eek!" she let out a small, sudden cry and jerked her foot back, saying, "That tickles."

"Are the soles of your feet a sensitive area?" Chen Zi'ang asked, forcing a change of subject to mask his embarrassment. "It's strange, really. Some people are sensitive on their soles, others are ticklish in their armpits, and some have ticklish spots on their waists. Like Xiao Zhu and me—we're the type who don't feel much when our feet are tickled. I wonder if that's determined by genetics?"

Reina felt a bit shy. She couldn't very well admit that she had only claimed her feet were ticklish because she was suddenly embarrassed, so she nodded and said softly, "It's not entirely hereditary, I suppose... No one has ever touched my feet before, so I'm very sensitive."

"Really?" Chen Zi'ang asked skeptically. "Then who washed your feet when you were a child?"

"We don't wash our feet specifically," Reina replied. "There's a pumice stone at the bottom of the bath in our house. You just rub your feet against it while soaking, and it cleans them, removing dead skin and calluses."

Chen Zi'ang: "............"

I've heard of bathtubs, but never of a private bathhouse in someone's home... There was no way to respond to that.

"I'll order the food, you see what you want," he said, picking up the menu on the table.

The two ordered a pufferfish set menu at random and added a few bottles of sake—just enough to enjoy without getting drunk.

"Senior, have you heard?" Reina picked up her chopsticks, drawing light circles in the air. "Pufferfish are born without poison. But as they feed on toxic aquatic plants, their blood, liver, and ovaries gradually become saturated with toxins."

"Doesn't that sound a bit like us? We were ordinary people at first, but to gain the power to protect ourselves and others, we had to proactively immerse ourselves in dangerous mysteries."

"Indeed," Chen Zi'ang agreed. "And Reina, you know, there's another way you're very much like a pufferfish."

"What's that?" Reina asked curiously, resting her chin on one hand.

"When you get angry, your cheeks puff up."

"Hmph!" Reina huffed, pouting. "I'm very friendly even when I'm angry, thank you very much!"

You really should look in a mirror right now... Chen Zi'ang suppressed the urge to retort and said, "Anyway, the pufferfish here are farmed and non-toxic, so it should be fine. I'll test it first."

As they spoke, the first appetizer arrived: pufferfish skin, blanched in boiling water, thinly sliced, and seasoned with fragrant herb strips and sesame oil. Chen Zi'ang tried it and found it very smooth and crunchy.

"Actually, Senior, you don't need to worry too much about Takano Seiko," Reina said after taking a few bites. "She doesn't intend to carry out large-scale massacres, so I heard the higher-ups' stance is not to rush into a high-profile manhunt. We don't want to drive her into a corner and force her to use Nishikawa Mie's methods to fight us, which would cause the situation to deteriorate rapidly."

"Mm," Chen Zi'ang said, feeling troubled.

"After all, there's no better way at this stage. We only have the choice between 'letting her kill a few' and 'letting her commit mass, indiscriminate murder,'" Reina sighed.

"That's true," Chen Zi'ang agreed. "We have too little intelligence on her; we don't have much room for choice."

The second dish was deep-fried pufferfish. Chen Zi'ang had a few pieces; it was delicious, moist, and flavorful.

Reina put down her chopsticks and suddenly smiled. "Senior, you seem to like fried food."

"Mm," Chen Zi'ang admitted honestly. "But it's not very healthy, so it's better to eat less."

"Indeed," Reina picked up a fork and began to work expertly. "The unhealthiest part is actually this outer layer of batter that absorbs all the oil."

She peeled off all the crispy batter and piled it to the side, revealing the snow-white, juicy fish meat inside, and smiled. "Is this better?"

"Perhaps."

"Would you like to try it, Senior?"

Chen Zi'ang picked up a piece, but noticed Reina hadn't touched her own.

"Eat up," he said.

"I don't really like fried food," Reina clasped her hands together, revealing a somewhat mischievous smile. "Because I'm on a diet, Senior."

Chen Zi'ang: "............"

Seeing his strange expression, Reina, who knew his personality well, quickly realized: Peeling shrimp shells, removing batter, or taking the skin off a bun for someone are all acts of coddling, as if treating them like a child. Given his chauvinistic personality, placing him in the position of "being coddled" would definitely make him feel uncomfortable.

"But I think a little bit is fine," Reina smiled and corrected herself, picking up a piece of fried pufferfish. "I can't eat that much, so help me finish some, Senior."

"I just think you're too thin," Chen Zi'ang nodded. "You'd look better with a little more weight."

"Oh?" Reina frowned slightly. "Does Senior think I'm too thin to look good?"

Chen Zi'ang was silent for a moment before saying, "I didn't say you didn't look good."

"Then why say 'look better'?" Reina asked with a smile.

"Because... it's the difference between 'good' and 'even better'," Chen Zi'ang explained laboriously. "Like the difference between a 99.5 and a 100. And that's just my subjective opinion. I never said you didn't look good."

Even when playing mind games with suspects, he had never felt as challenged as he did right now.

"Hmph," Reina wanted to look angry, but the corners of her mouth couldn't stop turning upward. She whispered, "I'll let you pass this time."

"What?" Her voice was too quiet; Chen Zi'ang didn't hear her.

"I said," Reina beamed with a bright, beautiful smile, "I know I look good. Thanks for reminding me, Senior."