Xia Liang's suggestion, once made, imdiately received the endorsent of the poster girl, who also promptly spoke up to encourage:
"Right, I think it would be really suitable for you, little sister!"
"Thank you, but I don't like doing things that draw too much attention."
Erald Sparrow spoke in a flat tone, continuing to decline, "You guys go ahead, don't worry too much about ."
Her refusal was not only because she didn't want to make a spectacle of herself with a costu change before so many people, but also because changing into "Cornflower's" clothes in such a setting would be far too ostentatious.
After all, if she really appeared here dressed in a fashion similar to her Magical Girl outfit, just one person at the event who had seen the real Cornflower would likely be shocked by the resemblance to her appearance, leading to a series of unnecessary complications.
Her deliberate refusal caught Xia Liang's attention, who, after blinking her eyes and thinking for a mont, guessed the reason she was unwilling to put on that outfit.
Realizing that indeed there would be impropriety in doing so, but also truly wishing to see Erald Sparrow try on the uniforms, Xia Liang had a stroke of inspiration and turned to the poster girl to ask, "Sister, do you have any other clothes here that might be suitable for her?"
"Other clothes? If you still need sothing that fits this little sister's figure..."
The poster girl pursed her lips slightly, as if searching her mory, and before long, she spoke again and reached a conclusion, "Ah, now that you ntion it, there actually is one."
"Really?"
Xia Liang showed a pleasantly surprised expression, sweetly smiling at the poster girl, "Thank you, sister, for the trouble!"
"Hmm, it's no trouble."
The praise from Xia Liang made the poster girl quite pleased, and she continued, "If you hadn't reminded , I would have almost forgotten. In the first batch of uniforms we customized, there indeed was one that, although completed, was left aside as it didn't fit anyone in the store properly."
"I rember the original design was from that Magical Girl who has recently appeared in Fangting City, what was her na, 'Bai i' I think?"
Erald Sparrow, who was trying to appear calm on the side, nearly spat out her coffee.
Xia Liang, after a brief mont of being stunned, tried hard not to burst into laughter, covering her mouth and shaking with giggles, managing to suppress her laughter only after a great effort. Not even the silent glare from Erald Sparrow could make her hold back.
"Pfft...great idea!"
Finally calming down enough to speak, Xia Liang clasped her hands together, "Co on, let's give it a try, junior!"
"Don't want to."
Erald Sparrow spoke sternly and firmly in her refusal.
"Why not?" Xia Liang blinked innocently.
"No reason, just don't want to."
Erald Sparrow crossed her arms, shifting her body back into the chair, "Not everything needs to have a reason."
"Don't say that."
The poster girl had at so point moved next to Erald Sparrow and said with a smile, "Look, little sister, your friend has already done it, don't you want to compete and see who is cuter?"
"Sorry, I'm not interested."
"You don't have to take photos if you don't want to, we will restrain other custors from taking photos at will, and with enough accuracy, you can get a higher discount!"
"Thanks, but no."
"There are very cute plush toys among the small gifts."
"Understood, but I don't need..."
— "Just this once! Co on, try it on, junior!"
Xia Liang pleaded with joined hands, looking pitifully at Erald Sparrow, "Please!"
"Right, right, consider it a request from as well," the poster girl added from the side, "It's just a try, no harm in that."
"Please!"
"Please!"
The persistent begging from both sides finally cracked the cool facade on Erald Sparrow's face, and just as Xia Liang was about to co even closer, Erald Sparrow extended her hand to stop her and said sternly, "Enough, that's it, stop talking."
She realized that if she didn't agree, these two would probably keep on pestering her.
To be honest, she didn't quite understand why people, including An Ya, always wanted to see her change outfits. But since she had already changed at the clothing store before, doing it again here didn't seem like too much trouble.
So she sighed deeply and finally lowered her gaze, murmuring, "Just one piece."
Considering they were in a public setting, she refrained from saying much, but she determined, in her mind, that she would definitely have a serious talk with Xia Liang once they got back.
Several minutes later, having refused others' offers to help with changing clothes, Erald Sparrow entered the dressing room alone, and ca out wearing a light blue dress.
She had a petite hat perched on her head and had changed her hairstyle into twin ponytails. With an expressionless face, she walked back to where the staff were standing and stopped, standing motionless like a wooden peg, devoid of any superfluous movents.
"Oh wow!"
Even though her reaction was so aloof, the poster girl still clapped excitedly, "Amazing! It suits you so well!"
As she clapped, she continued to appraise Erald Sparrow, feeling that the clothes were just incredibly fitting on her, even subtly matching her aura. Taking a deep breath with a certain resolve, she blurted out, "Forty percent off! No, seventy percent off!"
"Huff... that's too..."
Xia Liang, who had managed to suppress her laughter until now, once again nearly burst out laughing. Her shoulders shaking, she grabbed her phone and snapped away, "It's like you're carved out of the sa mold!"
Erald Sparrow's eyes drooped as she let Xia Liang take pictures. After a long mont, she squeezed out a sowhat reluctant sentence, "Just make sure not to spread them around."
As Xia Liang accumulated more and more "secrets" in her hands, Erald Sparrow had begun to care less and less.
The more debts one has, the less one worries—as the saying goes. Once the other party possesses enough leverage, accumulating more debt is rely a quantitative change that doesn't alter the balance or relationship between the two sides.
Of course, this indifference did not an endless indulgence or compromise. Thus, when the poster girl egged her on from the sidelines with, "One more, one more!" Erald Sparrow turned and left without a word.
As for taking a photo with the staff, that was even less likely.
Even if they promised not to display such photos in the shop, no one could guarantee they would keep their word, and she certainly wasn't about to patrol the place every day.
Even among the selection of clothes they brought out for her, she had caught a glimpse of one that looked like An Ya's, but after rely a brief pause, she took a deep breath and raised her voice.
"Enough is enough!"
Thus, after so commotion, the "little ga" between the two of them in the maid café finally ca to an end.
Xia Liang had her fill of fun, whereas Erald Sparrow felt utterly exhausted. After both finished their desserts and drinks, they returned to the counter to settle the bill.
The poster girl who had been serving them the whole ti also followed them back to the counter.
"You're handling the check-out too?" Erald Sparrow asked in confusion, as she took out her phone ready to pay.
"Ah, that's because I'm the acting manager here," the girl behind the counter said with a laugh, sowhat embarrassed, "This shop used to be my aunt's, but she isn't around lately, so I'm taking care of it."
"Your aunt? How long has she been doing business here?" Erald Sparrow caught a crucial piece of information from the girl's words.
"Around four or five years, I guess? But it was only this year that she adapted to the trends of the electronics district and turned the shop into a maid café," the poster girl replied.
"Four or five years... then it seems it doesn't match up," Erald Sparrow muttered to herself.
"Doesn't match up? Are you looking for sothing, little sister?"
"It's nothing much, I was just hoping to find an old shop that used to be in this location."
"The old one... Ah, you an the old grandfather who used to run a café here," the poster girl suddenly realized.
"You know about him?" Erald Sparrow was sowhat surprised.
"Yes, I do."
The poster girl, while checking the bill, continued, "Actually, the coffee we serve still has his guidance in it."
"Where is he now? Has he stopped doing business?"
"You're asking about the old café that was here? It's just moved to a different location. It's still in business, even within this district," the girl answered.
Erald Sparrow had only been making casual conversation with a probing attitude, but as she finished paying, grasping the aning in the girl's words, she looked up and blinked, "Hmm?"
"If you want the address, little sister, I can also give it to you."
After finalizing the bill, the poster girl looked up and smiled, "And as for the earlier ntioned gifts, we have dolls, coffee cups, and all sorts of daily goods. If a female custor completes the role-playing ga, she can actually take ho the Magical Girl the costu she wore. Would you like it?"
"Just the address, thanks. I'll pass on the costu."
After declining the inappropriately tid offer, Erald Sparrow took the address offered by the girl as well as the coffee cup she collected from the counter, and left the café with Xia Liang.
The provided address was not far from their current location, a re 500 ters or so by foot, but the spot was a bit hidden since it wasn't directly on the street but shared an entrance with another shop and was on the second floor.
Arriving at the entrance of the building, Erald Sparrow looked up and saw a sign next to it that read, [Fangting Terrace Coffee, this way to the second floor].
This na instantly awakened Erald Sparrow's mory.
Without a doubt, this was the na of the coffee shop from her recollections.
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