Chapter 239 — Bear?

After getting a recommendation from Kikuoka-san, they finally decided on a lunch spot — Yunangi, a restaurant said to serve the most authentic Okinawan home cooking in Naha.

The place wasn’t far from the port — just a twenty-seven–minute walk, according to the map. But with the cold sea breeze biting at their faces.

The group quickly abandoned the idea of walking and hopped on a bus from Gunsambashi-mae to Nahashi instead.

When they stepped inside, a wave of warmth and nostalgia greeted them.

The air was thick with the scent of braised pork and old wooden beams — that kind of rustic smell that instantly made you feel at home.

Somewhere in the background, an old Okinawan song played on loop from a small speaker, slightly crackling at the edges.

The restaurant felt less like a shop and more like someone’s grandmother’s living room.

Wooden tables and mismatched chairs filled the space, and an aging electric heater hummed softly in the corner.

Through the open kitchen window, Kei could see the cooks working busily, steam rising in gentle clouds as they prepared the dishes.

“Woah!! Kei-senpai, look at that—it’s a bear!” Kita exclaimed, pointing at a wooden bear statue by the entrance with sparkling eyes.

Kei blinked, tilting his head slightly. “...Yes. That’s definitely a bear.”

His voice was flat with confusion.

Why a bear?

According to the travel guide the company had given them, Okinawa was known for Shisa — the guardian lion-dogs that watched over homes and temples — as well as its Okinawan Black Cows, prized for their wagyu beef, and of course, marine life, since the beaches were the main attraction during summer.

But a bear? That felt a little… out of place.

What is this—Russia? Kei thought.

“Welcome to Yunangi! Go on and find yourselves a seat first — I’ll be right with ya in a tick!”

A cheerful voice called out from the kitchen, the words wrapped in a rough but friendly accent.

Kei turned his head just in time to see a middle-aged aunty peek out from behind the curtain her hair tied back with a bandana — before disappearing again into the kitchen.

“Yes! Um, may we take a picture of the bear?” Kita asked, clearly speaking to the woman she assumed was the owner.

“Go right ahead, dearie! Take as many as ya like!” the aunty replied brightly, her accent thick and homely, that familiar warmth that could only come from someone born in countryside of Japan.

“What did she say?” Kita asked, tilting her head.

“She said it’s okay to take pictures,” he explained.

“Senpai, you understood her?!” Kita’s eyes sparkled in amazement.

“Well… just a little,” Kei replied, scratching his cheek.

“That’s amazing! I have relatives from Kyoto, and even after trying to learn their dialect, I can barely catch half of what they say.” Kita grinned, obviously impressed.

“It’s… not that hard,” Kei muttered, looking away.

In truth, he hadn’t really understood most of what the aunty said.

His “system” was simply good at recognizing regional speech patterns, converting the rough accent into something he could process almost instantly.

Kita noticed his averted gaze and smiled faintly to herself.

‘Is senpai bad with compliments?’ she wondered with a mischievous thought.

Without warning, she looped her arm around his and tugged him toward the bear statue by the entrance.

“?” Kei blinked as Kita leaned closer, holding up her phone.

“Say cheese~!” she chirped, snapping a quick selfie before he could react.

The shutter clicked.

Kei was left standing stiffly, a bewildered expression frozen on his face, while Kita giggled beside him, clearly satisfied with her handiwork.

“You’re way too careless, Senpai,” Kita teased, turning her phone toward Kei to show him the photo she’d just taken.

In the picture he can see his eyes were shut, his posture stiff and crooked thanks to their height difference, as he looked like someone who’d been caught mid-sneeze.

“...Can we please delete that?” he asked weakly.

“Nope~!” Kita sang, hugging her phone protectively to her chest. “This one’s staying on my phone forever!”

Kei sighed. “That’s… not really comforting.”

“Don’t worry, I’m not gonna upload it anywhere!” she said quickly.

“That’s not the issue here...” Kei muttered, giving up with a resigned sigh.

Just then, he felt a small tug on his jacket.

When he turned, he found Nijika standing beside him, phone in hand, looking up at him with bright, puppy-like eyes.

“Kei-senpai, can I take a picture with you too?” she asked softly.

For a moment, Kei swore he could almost see an imaginary wagging tail behind her.

“...Okay,” he said after a pause.

The moment he agreed, Nijika’s whole face lit up.

“Thank you!” she beamed, raising her phone excitedly.

As she posed beside Kei, Kita stepped back, watching them through her camera screen.

Her fingers subconsciously brushed against Kei’s face on the photo she’d just taken.

She knew this calm expression — this faint smile was the side of Kei he didn’t show often.

Maybe it was just for a second, but in that picture, she’d caught a glimpse of his true self.

A pang of realization flickered in her chest.

‘This can’t last forever,’ she thought. ‘Someone’s bound to get hurt eventually…’

Even so, she smiled faintly.

‘If I can see more of that real Kei, even just for a little while… I’ll take it.’

And maybe, if it’s possible—

Her thought cut off suddenly.

Something strange caught her eye in the corner of the photo.

“Huh... what’s that...?”

Kita zoomed in — and froze.

Right there, squished into the background, was Ryou, peeking out from behind them with a peace sign, her expression perfectly deadpan.

“Kita.”

Kita stiffened. She didn’t even need to turn around — she could feel Ryou’s presence behind her, close enough for her breath to tickle her ear.

“A-Aaaah! R-Ryou-san!”

Kita yelped, nearly dropping her phone as she jumped back in surprise, her face going beet red while Ryou quietly smiled behind her.

“How is it? Do you like our picture? You don’t mind that I joined in too, right?” Ryou asked, her lips curling into a knowing smile.

“A-Ahaha, what are you talking about, Ryou-senpai? Of course it’s okay!” Kita replied with a nervous laugh, waving her hands quickly.

“Is that so?” Ryou’s tone dipped into something playfully teasing. “Well, I’m not gonna say anything then.”

Her eyes softened for just a second before she murmured under her breath, almost too quietly for anyone to hear, “Since I’ve already played unfair too...”

Kita froze mid-laugh.
“Huh?! This and that are two completely different things! How can you say living together with Kei-senpai is the same as this!?” she burst out, cheeks puffed in outrage.

Ryou blinked innocently. “Eh? It’s not the same?”

“No, it’s not! Now that I think about it—Ryou-senpai, you didn’t do anything weird with Kei-senpai, right?!”

The question hit like a critical strike. Ryou’s eyes darted away, deliberately avoiding Kita’s gaze. Instead, she turned toward Bocchi, who was quietly staring at the small fish swimming inside a glass aquarium near the counter — completely lost in her own world.

“Bocchi-chan,” Ryou called out suddenly, her voice smooth and mischievous, “let’s take some pictures too.”

“W-wegh?! W-wait, Kita-san—I-I need to prepare my heart first!” Bocchi stammered, spinning around in panic, her face already turning pink.

“Ryou-senpai! This conversation isn’t over yet!” Kita shouted.