The Shop Owner and the Two Diamonds

"Happy birthday to me. Happy birthday to me. Happy birthday, happy birthday...Happy birthday to me!"

*Blew

After singing, Alex Hambell blew out the candle on his cake.

"…"

The stillness is deafening right now, but he has resolved not to be depressed and to enjoy his cake.

After slicing the cake, he ate it.

Suddenly, he grew serious.

"The taste is passable, but it may be improved. Unlike artificial sugar, folks here use raw sugar cane or honey to produce sweets. To summarize, I'm not used to tasting, but I can say it's excellent."

He temporarily forgot about his grief.

…

The sky is orange, and the darkness is approaching.

He wanted to eat while reading on his computer, but then remembered the system task.

"It can't be helped. I couldn't set a goal that spoke to my heart. I still have a week, so I might as well stop thinking for now and resume this tomorrow."

He continues to read.

*Boom!

Unfortunately, his quiet night was about to be disrupted.

The shop's glass door opened and accidentally broke.

"Why the—"

He was ready to complain that someone was interrupting his shop when he noticed a familiar face.

This caused his comments to come to a halt, and he moved in front of them, puzzled.

A young woman with a flowery dress and maroon long hair holds the damaged door.

Alex Hambell asked in a startled tone, "Big sis, why are you here?"

The one who shattered the door is his big sister, Alicia Hambell.

He was going to ask about the individual next to her when something unexpected happened.

"ALEX!"

Alicia put down the door and jumped onto his chest.

Alex was going to use his skill, but he decided against it because he could hurt her, so he sacrificed himself.

He assumed that there was no problem because he believed he could bear the pain, but it appears that he misjudged his own sister.

When she hit his chest with her head, he felt her skull as if he had been punched in the chest quickly and hard.

With this feeling, he wanted to shout how painful he was, but he couldn't breathe and his eyesight darkened.

…

Alex Hambell wakes up from a bad dream, shouting, "I dreamt I was hit by a truck and then reincarnated in another world with my smartphone."

No, that isn't the plot of this— Anyway, he appears to be in good health, so let's not worry him.

First, he has a question right now.

"Who are you?"

A young woman stands in front of him, her long black hair knotted and dressed in a long skirt and an oversized t-shirt.

"I'm Su Yan... your sister's friend."

She feels embarrassed to mention the last part, but Alicia is not present, so she declares it.

"I'm—"

"You're Alex Hambell. I already know your name."

He was just about to introduce himself when she abruptly cut him off.

Alex thought she was rude, but when she sighed like if she had a problem, he decided to forgive her.

Su Yan recalls the agony she had everytime Alicia talks about him, especially while traveling with her.

After sighing, she looks at him.

'She's just embellishing his appearance; he's not very handsome like she tells, but he doesn't look regular.'

"His looks is just above average."

"What?"

"Huh? Ah!"

While watching him, she unintentionally slips her thoughts and soon realizes it.

Meanwhile, Alex doesn't understand why she said that.

"That was nothing. Anyway, your sister is repairing the door downstairs. I'm going to leave you now because you are in good condition."

She exits the room quickly.

"…"

Looking at her back, Alex couldn't help but wonder what was going on, yet seeing a gorgeous woman with an embarrassed expression made him feel fulfilled for no apparent reason.

…

"Here you go…"

Alex Hambell and Su Yan are glancing at Alicia while getting the cake out of the box.

"…"

Alex Hambell is currently considering whether or not to eat it.

He is glad she came home for his birthday, but he might puke now because he ate half of the cake earlier.

This cake is also strawberry-flavored, which is one of his favorite flavors.

It may appear girlie to others, but he doesn't mind because it's wonderful.

While he was thinking about it, Alicia unexpectedly sang a happy birthday song.

Su Yan also sang, as she was already present.

Listening to their singing, his recollections of being alone return to his vision.

Feelings he has already abandoned are surfacing for him.

A tear fell into his eyes as the song's final line ended.

A sign of loneliness was progressively replaced by this time with his sister.

She may not be his true sister "spiritually" but for a brief period, she made him know he was no longer alone.

Seeing her brother's tear, she sighs reluctantly, knowing she only has a week before returning to Academy City.

However, she does not have time to be down because she needs to savor the moments and make this a memorable day for him.

…

After finishing the strawberry cake, Alicia stored it in the food storage area.

The food storage area resembles a gigantic refrigerator, and the source of the coldness is an ice mana stone.

Mana stones are known to have endless power since they can replenish whenever the power inside them is consumed.

Obviously, the power you obtain will vary according to the size.

In the market, a fist-size mana stone is the largest available, while coin-size mana stones are the base size and cost one gold every coin-size mana stone.

Previously, there was only one sort of mana stone, but 50 years ago, a great sage accidently discovered a way to create multiple types of mana stone.

That's enough of the story!

I almost forgot how this topic starts

Anyway, let's continue when Alicia leaves the food storage area.

After leaving the cake, she went down to the living room (right room), where Alex and Su Yan were having an uneasy conversation.

He wanted to aid them when she spotted the alterations in the shop. (Left room)

'Now that I see it again, our shop feels different. The design is... very human? I think? Anyway, it's better to ask him right away.'

…

'It seems weird...'

Alex Hambell wanted to leave the living room because he did not know what to say.

Earlier, his elder sister suggested that they establish acquaintance with one another, but he has no idea how.

He has been talking to her since earlier to get to know her better, but she has not responded.

"Talk to him, Su Yan. Talk to him..."

Meanwhile, Su Yan tries to respond to him, but his mouth won't move for some reason.

Su Yan had difficulty communicating with others from an early age.

That is one of the reasons why it took her a few years to admit to Alicia that she wanted to be her friend.

Instead, she provoked her into a duel the first time they met.

She hoped to establish another friend with her brother, but if this continues, she may wind up doing the opposite.

When their gazes met, she quickly averted them.

Meanwhile, Alex reasoned that he wouldn't make any approaches unless he made a move, so he opted to tap her on the shoulder.

Unfortunately, he made an error.

He fell unconscious again, this time with no idea what had transpired.