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This writefag edition will be a little different, hope you enjoy.
>Your days go from waking up, to working the day away, to becoming tired, and then going to sleep.
>Your heart has been slowly giving out, it wants to give up and rest. Your thoughts have slowly been deteriorating
>Constant thoughts flicker through your head
>"Is tomorrow going to be the last? Maybe it will be better tomorrow"
>"Do I really have to go on? I don't really have to."
>You decide to head out, you have the money to spare so you decide to waste it on good food for once
>You arrive at a new place in town that you've never been to before. Different buildings line both sides of you.
>Restaurants, fancy bars, hotels and "hotels", places of entertainment, shops, and even a fancy store that you're pretty sure is involved in illegal activity
>You wonder how you arrived here, you must have been distracted in your walk, or you just simply didn't care
>You see a restaurant, but somehow it catches your eye
>It doesn't look as fancy as the others around it, it even looks run down
>However, something in your brain decides to give this one in particular a try. Maybe it's your pessimistic self telling you: "You don't deserve better."
>As you enter, you're greeted by what appears to be a mannequin. It speaks to you, in an obvious robotic, AI-like voice.
>"Welcome to Inkwell's restaurant, dear customer." The mannequin says.
>The mannequin gestures for you to go towards the restaurant floor. A surprise, as normally, mannequins cannot move.
>You walk in, seeing only one table and two chairs.
>However, one of the chairs is already occupied by a girl, dressed in a gothic attire. Reading a book.
>You think to yourself: "Is this a joke? There's no empty tables."
>Then, the girl turns towards you, her face shows some amusement.
>"Oh? I wasn't expecting a customer today! Please, come, sit right over here!"
>She gestures towards the chair opposite of her, you feel compelled to listen to her and you sit across from her.
>There she hands you a menu, however the contents of the menu almost feel like a joke.
>"Bread that is definitely not moldy."
>"Crispy fried bugs."
>"Mystery meat."
>You read out each of these listed one by one, you're now wondering if this was a mistake, however you notice in the corner of your eye
>She's watching you, her golden eyes intrigued by you, reading off the menu
>With a gentle smile, her mouth begins to open, and she says with a tone to match that gentle smile: "I hope there's at least one thing to your liking."
>Her voice almost sounds like musical notes when she speaks
>You continue to look through the menu, then you notice something that's relatively normal.
>"I'll have the poke bowl." You tell her, mustering up what confidence you can.
>She smiles and snaps her fingers, as if anticipating your answer, the poke bowl arrives in front of you already prepared.
>You look at her, an obvious shocked expression is plastered on your face
>She smiles once more: "Please, try it, and tell me what you think!"
>You're handed a pair of chopsticks and you look at the bowl.
>Despite all the questionable dishes on the menu, this looks relatively normal
>Edamame, sliced cucumber, sliced avocado and seaweed salad line the right side. On the left is pickled cabbage, what appears to be crab crushed and pureed into a salad, and something akin to shrimp crackers, broken up and lining the side.
>The middle of the dish has a mixture of shrimp and salmon sashimi, covered in what appears to be a mixture of onions sauce and sesame mayonnaise. Whilst the entire dish is lined with rice below the toppings.
>You prepare your chopsticks and try a combination of the rice, with a piece of sashimi, and a cucumber.
>A bomb of flavour instantly assaults your mouth, a mixture of umami, that's complimented by the freshness of the sashimi and the cucumber, mixed with the steamed white rice hits you like a tidal wave.
>A few minutes pass by and you've happily finished your meal, however there's one thing you notice throughout your meal
>The girl across from you has been watching you, a smile on her face
>You tell her that it was good, and then you take your wallet out.
>Suddenly, she puts her hand over yours and gently whispers in your ear: "If it's that good, then come back again next time, this time, the meal's free."
>Her being this close allows you to smell the soap she's been using, it has a floral scent to it, almost addicting for the nose.
>Before she lets you off, she winks at you and asks one more time: "You'll come by next time, won't you?"
>You nod slowly and step out, putting your wallet back in your pocket, you notice a card in your pocket and you pull it out
>"I'll see you next time, anon." the card is signed "Shiori".
>You look back at the restaurant, only to see that the building you just walked out of is empty. However, the card in your hand is very much real.
>For the first time, you're looking forward to the next day, all it took was a strange girl.
