Uchiha of Zenless Zone Zero

"I'm so sorry about the table. I'll transfer the compensation to your store's account later." In front of the café, Zhong Yan bowed repeatedly toward Master Tinman, dragging Ellen along with him in apology.

Afterward, to avoid drawing any more attention, the two quickly left the scene and escaped to a riverside path nearby.

Zhong Yan was panting hard from exertion. Ellen, having returned to her senses, didn't revert to her usual bored, irritable demeanor—instead, a rare smile played across her face.

The unfamiliar feeling of today's events left her genuinely content. But every time she thought about that indirect kiss earlier, her cheeks still flushed a soft pink.

"Do all Thirens have that kind of strength? If you'd smacked me with that hand, I'd probably be in the ER right now," Zhong Yan said once he caught his breath, turning to Ellen.

Honestly, that outburst had genuinely scared him. If that slap had landed on him instead of the table, he'd probably be in critical condition by now.

Combat maid, huh? The title was well-earned.

"Alright, alright, I'm sorry, okay? I'm apologizing, see?" Ellen chuckled.

That girlish expression made Zhong Yan blank out for a second. Then, he noticed her pulling something from her pocket—two lollipops.

"Here, have one and chill out. Consider it my apology gift," she said with a grin, handing one to him while unwrapping the other and popping it in her mouth.

Zhong Yan stared at the lollipop in his hand and gave a helpless smile. "You do realize I just paid for an entire table, right?"

Ellen immediately puffed up her cheeks in protest. "Who said this is financial compensation? This is clearly emotional compensation. I'll transfer you the money for the table later."

Hearing that, Zhong Yan looked a little awkward.

Before he could respond, Ellen's tone shifted into playful mischief. "Anyway, don't worry about it. Didn't we come out to skip class together? Since coffee's off the table now, let's find something else to do."

True, it was still far from sunset. His original plan was to relax at the café all afternoon with Ellen. Who could've predicted it'd end like that?

Oh well—since they weren't ready to head back yet, they might as well make the most of their time.

And honestly, for both of them, what they did didn't matter. What mattered was doing it together.

After some half-serious deliberation, they ended up deciding to... walk the entire riverside trail.

Their lollipops slowly dissolved as they strolled side by side, occasionally chatting about the most mundane, trivial things.

The topics were meaningless, but there was something comforting about their rhythm—so natural, it made others pause just to admire them.

A boy and a girl, laughing softly together, oblivious to the stares of passing pedestrians.

Time flowed quietly as well. The sun in the sky slowly dipped westward, signaling the day's end. Their pace slowed unconsciously, and eventually... they stopped altogether.

"Wow, we walked the whole afternoon... I don't think I've ever used this much energy outside of work," Ellen said, leaning against the railing. Her shark tail swayed gently behind her, reacting to her relaxed mood.

Unknowingly, they'd gone from afternoon to dusk. If not for reaching the end of the riverside path, they might not have noticed how much time had passed.

"I haven't felt this relaxed in a long time," Zhong Yan said, glancing across the river toward the heart of the city. "Sure, I'm tired, but it feels... kinda nice. Don't you think?"

Ellen nodded lightly. She knew full well that she'd get an earful from Lina once she returned—but right now, none of that mattered.

She turned her gaze toward Zhong Yan, and his profile was burned into her memory, her heart starting to beat faster.

Yes... there was something she felt toward him. Something she couldn't quite explain.

She had longed for friendship, and Zhong Yan had fulfilled that wish. But now... she wasn't sure if that's all she wanted anymore.

Ellen didn't know if this feeling was good or bad—but for now, it filled her with something warm. Something she didn't want to let go.

She needed to take a step forward.

Beneath the sunset, water slapped rhythmically against the stone embankments, stirring soft waves.

The boy stared at his dream, while the girl... had only eyes for him.

...

As the last light of the setting sun disappeared beyond the horizon, Zhong Yan finally returned home.

Thinking back on the day's events, he found it all a bit surreal.

Skipping class? Was that something he would do? He'd basically betrayed the dozens of "Outstanding Student" awards plastered across his childhood bedroom walls.

On the way back, he kept replaying moments with a certain shark girl—especially her last words to him before they split up at the metro station.

"About the maid outfit… I'll try to make it happen. Just wait for my message."

The only downside? He hadn't gotten to use her tail. But whatever—today's progress alone was enough to make him feel fulfilled.

But business with the Red Fang Gang couldn't be put on hold. Tonight, operations had to continue.

According to the memories of the gang member he read last night, one of Miguel Silver's inner circle would be delivering a new task within the next day or two.

All he had to do was follow discreetly—and once he located that contact, he could track Silver himself.

Once he nailed down Silver's location, all that was left was to get the siblings involved.

Then he could hand over the safe carrying Fairy to them personally.

And once it was in their hands, activating Fairy would be a piece of cake.

"Huh? What's this?"

Back in the present—just as he opened the door and was about to step inside—Zhong Yan noticed a cardboard box left on the front step.

"A delivery? But I didn't order anything…"

He crouched down, a bit puzzled. The name on the label shocked him: it was addressed to his writer pen name—Zhong Shuren.

A bad feeling crept up his spine.

And sure enough, when he opened the box, what greeted him was a pile of gleaming silver... razor blades.

"Seriously? They actually sent them?!"