Dimensional Kaguya Ōtsutsuki

The night was deep, the pitch-black sky dotted with stars. A waning moon hung high, its light cascading down like flowing water. A faint cold breeze blew gently, rustling the dry, yellow leaves on the trees, adding to the stillness of the night with its soft whispers.

Knock, knock, knock.

The crisp sound of knocking broke the quiet atmosphere in the café, causing everyone inside to tense up.

"This late? There shouldn't be any customers now. Who could it be?" Touka Kirishima immediately stood up from the sofa, her delicate face showing a serious expression. "Could it be... them? Manager, should we..."

"Go ahead and open the door," Yoshimura said calmly, sipping his coffee.

"But, Manager, if it really is them..." Touka said anxiously.

Her implication was clear. Whoever had been pursuing Rize Kamishiro must be quite formidable. If they had the audacity to knock on Anteiku's door, it meant they were confident in their strength.

Anteiku wasn't an ideal place for a fight. Any commotion here would undoubtedly attract attention, potentially even from the CCG. If that happened, the café could be exposed, and they would face not only Rize's pursuers but also a full-scale CCG operation.

"Open the door," Yoshimura repeated, his face calm and unchanging. "Anyone who knocks is not an enemy. It won't be someone impolite."

Touka hesitated, her feelings conflicted. She held deep affection for the café; it had been her home since she arrived at thirteen. To her, Anteiku was more than a café—it was family.

Reluctantly, she walked to the door. Clenching her fists, ready for a fight, she gritted her teeth and opened it.

"Ah, the café's still open? What luck! Finally saved!"

Touka froze in astonishment.

Standing before her was a breathtakingly beautiful girl. 

Touka pointed at her, exclaiming in shock, "Why is it you?"

"Eh?" Kaguya looked confused. "Why shouldn't it be me?"

"You..." Touka stammered, unable to find words.

She had been expecting Rize's pursuers. But instead, standing at the door was this freeloading scoundrel.

Kaguya peeked inside, her curiosity piqued. "What's going on? Are you about to close?"

"No, since you're here, come in," Yoshimura said, standing up with a kind smile. "You're welcome."

"Great! I'm still hungry," Kaguya said as she slipped past Touka's half-hearted attempt to block her. "Thanks a lot, Manager."

"Hey! Who said you could come in?" Touka protested, fuming as she watched Kaguya slip inside like a slippery eel. "Manager, how can you let this freeloader in?"

"Hey! Who are you calling a freeloader?" Kaguya retorted indignantly. "I never said I wouldn't pay. I'm just a bit short right now. I'll pay later. Don't be so petty."

Touka was so infuriated by Kaguya's shamelessness that she nearly lost it. Her teeth clenched, and she felt an overwhelming urge to pummel this audacious girl.

"Anyone who comes here is a guest," Yoshimura said with a gentle smile as he walked over. "If you don't mind, would you like a cup of coffee?"

"Really? That would be amazing!" Kaguya exclaimed, her face lighting up with delight. "Thank you so much, Manager! Oh, and if possible, I'd love a few vegetable sandwiches too."

"Hey, hey, don't push it!" Touka snapped angrily.

"It's just a few sandwiches," Kaguya said with disdain. "So stingy. Be careful—girls who are stingy might never get married."

"You bastard! What did you just say?" Touka fumed, her anger rising. "Whether I get married or not is none of your business!"

"Touka, go ahead," Yoshimura said with a calm smile.

"Exactly, hurry up already! I'm starving here," Kaguya added with a playful grin.

Touka shot her an annoyed glare before turning and heading to the kitchen.

Yoshimura walked over to the bar, picking up his coffee-making tools. His movements were practiced and unhurried, almost serene. There was an elegance to the way he worked, something mesmerizing that Kaguya thought she'd only ever seen in beautiful women before.

In no time, the rich, aromatic scent of coffee filled the air.

"If I'm not mistaken, you've only recently arrived here, haven't you?" Yoshimura asked with a gentle smile.

"More or less," Kaguya said, tapping her chin thoughtfully. "Now that you mention it, it's been a few weeks, I think."

"And how do you find it here?" Yoshimura asked. At this moment, he seemed like nothing more than a kind, ordinary old man.

"It's nice—peaceful, calm, and very reassuring," Kaguya said with a smile.

"Here you go," Yoshimura said as he brought over the coffee and placed it on Kaguya's table. "Enjoy. Let me know if it's to your liking."

At the same time, Touka came out of the kitchen, casting Kaguya an irritated look as she placed a plate of sandwiches in front of her with a huff. "Eat," she said tersely.

"Thank you," Kaguya said with a radiant smile before diving into the food, eating ravenously.

For some reason, seeing Kaguya's smile gave Touka an odd, warm feeling. Shaking her head vigorously, Touka dismissed the sensation—it had to be an illusion caused by her frayed nerves.

Kaguya ate quickly, and in no time, the sandwiches and coffee were gone.

"That was delicious," Kaguya said, patting her flat stomach with satisfaction. "Who knew coffee could taste this good?"

"Hey, have you never had coffee before? Are you from the countryside or something?" Touka said, giving her a sidelong glance. "And another thing, shouldn't you pay up now? You still owe for what you've had before, too—settle it all at once."

"Well, I haven't gotten my paycheck yet, so I'm a bit short on cash," Kaguya said with an awkward laugh, rubbing her fingers together. "Can I, uh, get a little extension?"

"No way!" Touka slammed her hands on the table, her anger flaring. "Do you have any idea how many times you've done this? Not a chance this time!"

She had never met anyone with such a thick skin.

"Come on, you know how it is. Being a ghoul investigator isn't exactly a lucrative job—the pay's low, and we only get it at the end of the month," Kaguya said, scratching her head with an embarrassed grin. "But don't worry, I promise to pay you back as soon as I get it."

"You said... you're an investigator?" Touka froze, her expression shifting from confusion to shock.

Her pupils constricted sharply as the words sank in.

Seemingly unaware of Touka's expression, Kaguya continued crossing her legs and complaining incessantly. "The work is so exhausting, the hours are long, the risks are high, and there are no decent benefits. No insurance, no pension, and the salary is so low—and they don't even pay until next month. It's just so frustrating."

"I... see," Touka said, forcing a smile.

"Oh, by the way," Kaguya leaned forward, looking around the café, "where's Hinami? She's usually here. Is she not around today?"

"She's not here," Touka said quickly.

"Why?" Kaguya asked, tilting her head in curiosity.

"Nothing, nothing," Touka stammered, realizing her reaction had been a bit over the top. She forced a dry laugh and added, "She went back to her hometown with her family a while ago."

"Is that so," Kaguya said, looking slightly disappointed. "What a pity. I was hoping to see her."

It had been a while since she'd last seen Hinami. She wondered how the girl was doing. With her mother by her side, she probably wasn't as lonely as she had been in the original storyline.

After calming herself, Touka regained her usual aloof demeanor. Her tone turned curt. "Are you done eating? If you are, you should leave. We're closing."

"You're so cold," Kaguya teased, standing up quickly as she saw Touka grab a broom to shoo her away. She sighed dramatically and said, "With that attitude, how are you ever going to get married? No one will dare to marry you."

"What did you just say?" Touka's face darkened with anger. "Care to repeat that?"

"Nothing," Kaguya laughed as she put on her coat. She walked to the door, turned back, and waved with a mischievous smile. "Alright, I'm leaving. Don't miss me too much. See you next time."

"Just get out of here already!" Touka shouted in frustration. Yet as Kaguya's figure disappeared, her mood grew heavier.

"It's okay, Touka."

The voice behind her snapped Touka out of her thoughts. She turned to see Yoshimura.

"Don't worry. Everything will be fine," Yoshimura said with a gentle smile.

Though still uneasy, Touka felt a little more reassured by Yoshimura's comforting words. However, that freeloader... Should she consider doing something about her?

For a fleeting moment, Touka's beautiful eyes glinted crimson.

In the days that followed, Kaguya began frequenting Anteiku to bum meals. She never paid, always making excuses about settling her debts "next time." Each time she came, it was the same story, which left Touka increasingly tempted to kick her out.

Yet Yoshimura always intervened, urging patience. As a result, Touka reluctantly put up with Kaguya, but her attitude remained frosty toward the shameless guest.

Surprisingly, Kaguya got along well with everyone else at Anteiku. Whether it was Koma Enji, Irimi Kaya, or even Nishiki Nishio, who had only recently joined, she seemed to win them over. This left Touka feeling helpless, especially since every time she saw Kaguya's smug face, her frustration grew.

"Hey, Liuli, there's a great movie playing today," Koma Enji said as he approached Kaguya. He pulled two tickets from his pocket with a proud grin. "The box office has already surpassed 20 billion yen. Want to go watch it?"

Liuli was the alias Kaguya had casually chosen. It was also the name of her weapon. Since her identity was fabricated anyway, she had decided to just use something random. Unexpectedly, many people complimented the name, saying it was beautiful—a reaction she hadn't anticipated.

"Really?" Kaguya said, her eyes lighting up as she snatched the tickets from his hand. "Thanks a lot!"

Without hesitation, she turned to Irimi Kaya. "Irimi-san, let's go watch the movie together. Perfect—two tickets."

"Hey, hey!" Koma Enji stretched out his hand awkwardly, his face filled with embarrassment. This was not how he'd imagined things going.

Nishiki Nishio patted Koma Enji on the shoulder sympathetically and said, "My condolences."

After enjoying the movie to her heart's content, Kaguya returned to the CCG base. Honestly, this mission was turning out to be pretty great—she could use it as an excuse to go out, have fun, and play around, all without spending a dime. It was like a dream job.

As for her partner, Koutarou Amon, she had long since left him behind. He had initially wanted to join her investigation, but Kaguya had firmly refused.

Her reasoning was simple: Amon was a seasoned investigator at the CCG, and his face was well-known. If he went along, it could potentially alarm their targets and ruin their chances of gathering any useful information.

With such a logical argument, Amon had no rebuttal. The result? Koutarou Amon was stuck in the office, buried under a mountain of paperwork—including Kaguya's share—while she roamed outside, carefree and happy.

Amon sighed deeply. He couldn't help but wonder if partnering with her had been a terrible mistake from the start.

As Amon was wallowing in his bleak thoughts, the door suddenly burst open with a loud bang. Standing there was a stunningly beautiful girl with long, straight black hair—Kaguya.

"Hey, partner," Kaguya greeted cheerfully, waving at him with a bright smile. "I didn't expect there to be so much work. I was thinking about helping you, but unfortunately, I had other things to do. Sorry about that. You've really had it rough!"

Amon looked at her radiant expression, seemingly glowing with joy. For a moment, he was dazed—this was the first time she had shown him such a warm attitude. Usually, she was cold and unapproachable, practically exuding a "keep your distance" vibe.

"What's wrong?" Kaguya asked, noticing Amon staring blankly. She walked over and waved a hand in front of his face. "Are you so overworked that you've become brain-dead? Maybe even developed a nervous breakdown with brain hemorrhaging?"

She sighed dramatically. "Poor thing."

"Hey, hey!" Amon snapped out of it, his frustration boiling over. "Isn't this all your fault?"

Of course. That momentary image of her as a kind and lively young girl? Definitely fake.

Dark lines formed on Amon's forehead, and his lips twitched in exasperation.

She's still the same sharp-tongued troublemaker, full of mischief.

"Ah, is that so?" Kaguya leaned closer, elbowing him playfully. "Come on, partner, don't be so stingy."

"Hey, don't get so close!" Amon dodged, looking flustered.

"What, are you embarrassed?" Kaguya teased with a mischievous grin, poking at him a few more times.

"Stop it already! And you know, you're still underage!" Amon protested, shrinking further into the corner, holding his hands up as if to shield himself from accidentally touching the pretty girl in front of him.

"My, my, you're quite the gentleman, Amon," Kaguya said with a hearty laugh. "By the way, I'll leave my report to you too. I'd really appreciate it!" She finally let him off the hook, humming a tune as she left.

Amon watched her retreating figure and exhaled deeply. Being around such a beautiful girl was undeniably stressful.

After a moment, Amon shook his head, looked down at the towering stack of reports, and threw his pen onto the desk in frustration.

"This girl has absolutely no sense of responsibility," he muttered. "I really don't understand why the higher-ups value her so much. Looks like I'll have to handle all this work myself."

Come to think of it, lately, Kaguya's time at work was limited to clocking in and then disappearing for the rest of the day. Sometimes, she was nowhere to be found. Having such a carefree partner—Amon felt like he must have been cursed in another life.

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