Weekend, Again.
Weekends—those two blissfully aimless days—were every student's favorite. A time to unabashedly do whatever they pleased. For a seasoned slacker like Li Mo, it was no different.
The gaming console was already set up, entertainment ready at the press of a button. Games he'd never played before, games he'd never been good at—now he could enjoy them all freely.
But to him, games were just tools to kill time. Things he'd once yearned for now felt underwhelming in his grasp. Childhood nostalgia had a way of painting everything in rosier hues.
Li Mo checked the time, shut off the console, and decided to head out.
Because the sun was up.
Staying up all night? That was a concern for ordinary people. As for his own sleep habits, Li Mo had only one motto: *All-nighters, all-nighters, and more all-nighters.*
He was practically immortal—why fear exhaustion? Besides, borrowing techniques from the *Toaru* universe, he'd forged "Stigmata" on his body, granting him a Saint's physique. Bit by bit, near-divine mysteries reshaped his form—though not gradually. Instead, the changes came in leaps once the accumulated mysteries reached a tipping point.
—Come to think of it, Saints in *Toaru* were born with their constitutions. Instant, innate perfection.
Not that Li Mo relied on his physique. His "pseudo-immortality" let him shrug off most side effects of mystical modifications.
The moment he stepped outside, the door of the neighboring apartment swung open. Teen boy and girl locked eyes.
"What a coincidence, *Yuki-nee*. Heading out?"
"Yes, I'm going home for a bit. *Li-kun*, when will you finally settle on one way to address me?"
"Doesn't this show how close we are?" Li Mo grinned.
"*Hmph.*" Yukinoshita Yukino's eyes was frosty.
For some reason, his tone never failed to ignite her temper. She knew the anger was irrational, yet sometimes, she just couldn't help it.
He radiated an aura that begged for a punch.
"Where are *you* going?"
"Hmm… Tokyo, maybe?"
"You're not even sure of your destination?"
"I figured I'd wander after reaching Tokyo. Got plenty of friends there—hard to pick who to bother first," Li Mo replied.
And it was true. Between Yurine's social circle and Tohru's, he knew plenty of people in the city.
Yukinoshita eyed him skeptically. "*You* have friends? Imaginary ones, perhaps?"
Given his track record of treating 2D characters as "waifus," her skepticism was justified.
"Who says? Didn't Hikigaya vouch for me last weekend when we ran into each other at the arcade?"
"...That did happen." Yukinoshita dredged up the vague memory. They'd spoken, though the details escaped her.
"Need a ride?"
They rode the elevator down in silence. In the lobby, a black sedan idled by the curb.
"Your sister driving?" Li Mo asked.
"Not today. She's busy."
"Ah, a personal chauffeur? Fancy, *Yuki-nee*." He waved off the offer. "I'll pass. Might drop in to harass Hikigaya instead."
He could already picture Hikigaya Hachiman's resigned face when he showed up unannounced—especially if he teamed up with Komachi to tease him.
"Suit yourself." Yukinoshita didn't insist.
"Play nice with your family, okay?"
"*Li-kun*, your concern is *so* touching." With that parting jab, she slid into the car.
The engine purred to life, and the sedan glided away from the upscale apartment complex.
Hands in pockets, Li Mo ambled toward the station. Visiting Hikigaya's place *was* tempting, but his original plan had been Tokyo.
Yurine and her crew were there. So were Tohru and hers. In this vast country, it seemed Tokyo was the only place that mattered. Last week's trip had confirmed it—the city was a magnet for the extraordinary.
Who knew what curiosities awaited this time?
No system prompts. No urge to bury himself in mystical research. Back in Chiba, he felt sluggish, like a koala—thoughts moving at a crawl.
Studying? Research? Neither could compete with the thrill of the unknown.
The train clattered along, its noise neither loud nor soft. Despite all the supernatural elements, this world's Japan was economically indistinguishable from any other.
*Eh, not my problem anyway.*
He disembarked to the dulcet tones of the station announcer. Outside, skyscrapers loomed, leaving him directionless.
*Maybe drop in on Yurine?* But that'd just be watching her repeatedly murder Jashin-chan. Hardly entertaining. *Unless I dissect Jashin-chan for fun?*
After a moment's thought, he bought a lollipop from a convenience store, crunched it down, and used the stick to decide his path—literally tossing it for direction.
Li Mo meandered through Tokyo, guided by whim and the faint pull of "spirituality" within him. Mysteries didn't follow laws of attraction, but he could sense their presence.
Like now—a restaurant.
Tucked underground in a lousy location, it fit the adage *"Good wine needs no bush."* Then again, eateries in such spots only survived if their food was stellar.
Too early for lunch, the place was empty when he entered—no customers, no staff. Just Li Mo and the door.
"Nekoya" (Cat Restaurant), read the sign.
Yukinoshita, with her cat obsession, would've adored the name. But Li Mo's focus wasn't the signage or the cat-shaped emblem.
It was the *door*.
Doors were mundane, ubiquitous. Yet in mysticism, they symbolized transitions—from one place, one state, to another.
This door thrummed with dense, palpable mystery. *That* was what had drawn him.
And if his memory served…
This door led to another world.
Or rather, this restaurant catered to *otherworldly* guests.
"*Customer, we're not yet open for lunch. Would you like to order now?*"
A voice. Looking up, Li Mo saw the chef—tall hat and all—materialize behind the counter.